We are wrapping up the week, and today is another of those highly interesting days because of the articles that deal not with mere news, but with in-depth topics. We understand that it is complicated to present and summarize such complex issues in just a few lines; we hope this will whet the appetite and that everyone will select what interests them most.
We will die immersed in the synodal process.
The document from the General Secretariat of the Synod outlines the agenda for the coming years and confirms the intention expressed a year ago by the newly elected Pope: the synodal process continues and we will never be rid of it. The hope of correcting its course seems increasingly frustrated, and the direction remains the one set during the pontificate of his predecessor. Pope Leo XIV appears reluctant to modify the new synodality promoted by Francis, not even through minor corrections. On May 20, the General Secretariat of the Synod published a new document: “Towards the Assemblies 2027-2028: Stages, Criteria and Tools for the Assemblies of 2027-2028”, which outlines the agenda for the synodal assemblies until 2028 and beyond.
Many were still hoping, over time, for some adjustments or clarifications, given the numerous doubts and open criticisms that the new direction had raised. At least something has been suggested, even if not stated explicitly. Perhaps some ideas have emerged from his numerous speeches, some of them improvised, but any significant modification of the process would have to be made through a document or new appointments, which has not happened so far. We have seen acts of confirmation and support, such as during the Jubilee of LGBT Christians and the Mass celebrated for them, with the explicit approval of Pope Leo XIV, by Bishop Savino; and the various audiences with Father James Martin, who, according to him, had received the Pope’s support, something that has never been denied.
It is also worth recalling that Leo XIV did not formally intervene regarding the German Synod, limiting himself to recalling the position adopted by the Holy See during the final years of the previous pontificate and, in practice, allowing things to continue on their course. Meanwhile, Cardinal Secretary Grech has included testimonies from Father Martin’s homosexual friends in Synod Group 9 and has proposed merging the Synodal Path with the Synod of the Universal Church. This measure might seem like a way of diluting the German experience, but, on the other hand, it would also be a sign of recognition and would mean offering it greater scope for influence.
The document defines the participants in the various synodal assemblies as “militants” and “activists” within their particular ecclesial realities, so that the new way of being Church can take root in daily practice. The document leaves no doubt that Pope Leo will continue the process desired by Francis with the greatest possible fidelity.
A Vatican III.
From the Armenian Apostolic Church, Aram I speaks of the possibility of convening a “Third Vatican Council” during a private meeting at the Vatican on May 18 with Leo XIV. Just what we needed besides a perpetual synod. According to a statement published the following day by the Holy See of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Aram I raised the matter directly with the Pope and described it as an urgent issue for the universal Christian Church. Among the main topics raised by Aram I during the meeting were the establishment of a unified date for Easter, the designation of a commemorative day for all martyrs, and the convocation of a Third Vatican Council. “In response to the points mentioned, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV expressed his understanding and support, while providing the necessary clarifications from his perspective.” The Armenian Apostolic Church separated from Rome and showed doctrinal heterodoxy after rejecting the Council of Chalcedonia in 451 and subsequently developing outside communion with the Roman See.
New ambassadors.
Leo XIV received in audience the ambassadors of Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Yemen, Rwanda, Namibia, Mauritius, Chad and Sri Lanka to the Holy See, on the occasion of the presentation of their Letters of Credence. The Pontiff took the opportunity to firmly reiterate his call for a diplomacy based on dialogue, truthfulness in words, and attention to the most vulnerable. Recalling how the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, “transforming fear into courage and division into unity, enabling them to speak in the languages of all peoples,” the Pontiff expressed the hope that “a similar vision of unity may inspire the world of diplomacy, where constructive relations between nations may flourish through genuine openness, the promotion of mutual respect, and a shared sense of responsibility.” Closing the audience, Leo XIV assured the ambassadors of the availability of the Secretariat of State and the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia to accompany them in their work. “May your mission strengthen dialogue, deepen mutual understanding, and contribute to the peace our world so urgently needs.”
Associations, movements and new communities.
In the New Synod Hall, Leo XIV received in audience the participants of the annual meeting of moderators of international associations of the faithful, ecclesial movements and new communities, promoted by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. This year’s meeting is dedicated to the theme of the governance of an ecclesial community, a key issue that for decades has affected the life of many groups that emerged after the Second Vatican Council. Leo XIV explained that governance in the Church “is never merely technical”: it has within itself a salvific orientation and must tend toward the spiritual good of the faithful, not toward the consolidation of apparatuses or power groups.
Governance “must be for the benefit of all, that is, to promote the good of the community, the association, the entire Church.” “Never can it be exploited for personal interests or for worldly forms of prestige and power.” This guidance directly attacks those forms of charismatic leadership that, within movements, have sometimes turned into a cult of personality of the founder or current moderator. Among these are, without a doubt, the Neocatechumenal Way, New Horizons and the Focolare Movement.
The second consequence is that “it can never be imposed from above, but must be a gift recognizable within the community and freely accepted”: hence the importance, firmly reiterated, of free elections as an expression of shared discernment, capable of allowing “the voice of each one to be freely expressed.” The third is that “it is subject to the discernment of the Pastors, who watch over the authenticity and orderly use of the charisms.” In other words, no ecclesial entity can consider itself a free zone with respect to the authority of the bishops.
“At times we find groups that withdraw into themselves and think that their particular reality is the only one or that it is the Church,” said the Pope, “but the Church is all of us, it is much more!” The movements must “truly seek how to live in communion with the entire Church, at the diocesan level,” recognizing the bishop as “a very important point of reference.” “If a group says: ‘No, we are not in communion with that bishop, we want another,’ that is not right.” Indeed, Your Holiness, it is very wrong to reject the bishop, but the problem is usually the opposite, and there are bishops, we know them very well, who do not want to see in their dioceses certain realities perfectly approved by the Church. Even after years of service they are expelled in a bad way because the bishop has changed. No wonder one would want another bishop! The bishops are appointed by Rome; the faithful are never asked their opinion, and when they are “resigned” no explanations are given and the “resigners” assume no responsibility. We are left with the “bishops who, faithful to the truth, promote the Catholic and apostolic faith,” who are not all by any means. Concluding, he thanked the moderators for their work and recognized the associations and movements as “an invaluable gift for the Church,” rich in well-formed people, evangelizers, young people and vocations. Finally, he imparted the blessing, invoking the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, upon those present and upon the communities they represent.
Tucho and the transmission of the faith.
Knowing his publications, we do not think we are in the best hands. Fernández has revealed the topics that will be addressed in the next Vatican document on the “transmission of the faith,” including an examination of the failure in the intergenerational transmission of the faith, the need to share the Gospel in an “attractive” way, and the role of the liturgy. The text will also address “the importance of the quality of the community in the transmission of the faith and in the welcome of those who approach it or return to it.” Addressing “the need to find ways to proclaim the kerygma in an attractive way” —the preaching or proclamation of the Gospel— so that it is “capable of provoking an experience of encounter with the Lord.” We are told that it will be the result of a “broad consultation with episcopal conferences around the world,” which “will avoid simplistic answers and instead reflect the diversity of the universal Church.”
Interview with the Pope’s secretary.
Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, a Peruvian priest who became personal secretary and closest collaborator of Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025. In an interview on the occasion of the Pope’s upcoming visit to Spain, Don Edgar inadvertently revealed why he was chosen for this delicate task. He spoke of his task, that of helping the Pontiff “to carry out his work with tranquility” in order to better execute “his mission of guiding the Church.” But it is a continuous learning process because, he emphasizes, “no one teaches how to be the Pope’s secretary; it is a task that arises at any moment.” Since receiving the appointment, Don Edgar says he has had in mind the image of two saints. The first is Saint Joseph because, according to him, “he is the saint of silence; he does not say a single word. His whole life consisted of being second best, because Mary and Jesus were always first.” The other figure is Saint John the Baptist, particularly for a phrase he says: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” “I believe these are the two images that summarize the mission, the task of a secretary: to stay in the background and ensure that the other is in the spotlight.”
But for him, Prevost is above all a friend. He has known him since he was a young seminarian in the diocese of Chiclayo, and deep down, he confesses, “everything remains the same; nothing has changed. Only the habit has changed, which is now white, and the role, but otherwise the man we knew remains the same: attentive, calm, with a great capacity for listening and always available.” “He is sober because that is his way of being: prudent, calm, patient. He knows how to combine American prudence and practicality with the closeness he learned in Latin America, with cordial, close and affectionate gestures.”
Interview with Paglia.
One year after the conclusion (May 27, 2025) of his mandate as president of the Pontifical Academy for Life. He prides himself on his commitment to the reform of the Academy itself and of the John Paul II Institute. These were two long and demanding processes that spanned almost the entire pontificate of Pope Francis.
“The themes of the two synodal assemblies are well known, and the internal debate was particularly intense, with quite lively discussions. I think everyone remembers them clearly, as they appear in the report of Cardinal Erdő, who was the General Relator of the first assembly: the topic of homosexuality, then the issues relating to marriage and “irregular” situations, and the topic of the Eucharist for the divorced and remarried. At that time, I was president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, while the Synod was led by Cardinal Baldisseri. I had several meetings with the Pope on these topics in preparation for the synodal assembly. Meanwhile, the anniversary of Humanae Vitae (1968) was approaching, and Pope Francis felt the need to adapt the doctrine to the new times. He asked me to prepare a text that would highlight its prophecy, while also pointing out some necessary updates. I prepared a text for him, drafted with the collaboration of a group of theologians. He appreciated it very much and asked me to continue the research, which resulted in subsequent texts.”
“The process that led to the drafting of the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (2016) was a particularly controversial synodal process, in which the most controversial points initially failed to achieve sufficient consensus among the synodal fathers. The search for mediation, developed within the various working groups, allowed the drafting of a text in which even the most conflictive points regarding interpretations were finally approved by a qualified majority in the final vote.” “The Pope summoned me and expressed his desire that I continue working in the area of the family, because the work carried out both at the Pontifical Council for the Family and on the occasion of the Synod had been significant also in relation to the proper reception of its results.” “I would like to entrust you with the reorganization of the John Paul II Institute and the Pontifical Academy for Life.” “He said this precisely because he wanted to indicate that both institutions of the Holy See needed to be rethought from a broader perspective: they were not yet sufficiently mature theologically nor culturally prepared for the current Catholic sensibility.”
“At that time, both institutions were characterized by a marked moralistic emphasis, with little attention to the transformations of the social ethos and cultural developments, which should drive a theology and pastoral care capable of dialoguing—in a dialectical and constructive way, not only apologetically and conflictually—with a new humanist sensibility. This was especially true because, in any case, it was now necessary to shape the attitude of believers toward numerous experiences of conscience and life stories which, lived in the first person, could not simply be reduced to a loss of Christian faith and a rejection of ecclesial communion. It was, therefore, a matter of preparing, in accordance with moral doctrine, a pastoral reading of the forms and contents of this broader experience, not alien to the intention of the faith: which had to be serenely “accompanied, discerned and integrated.” In this way, the conditions were created for a welcome capable of fostering the necessary progression toward a life profile more in keeping with the intention of the faith.
“Pope Francis disliked what he called “armchair theology,” abstract and disconnected from pastoral care. And, indeed, both institutions were very theoretical in character. Reducing such a delicate and complex issue to the application of a doctrinal algorithm of morality and discipline imposes a vision of human reality alien to the real forms of conscience and the real conditions of experience, which in turn create the context of life stories. Jesus, who undoubtedly spoke with rigor about principles, never adopted this moralistic approach in his encounters. This lesson has often, though in good faith, led to the formation of quite abstract clichés in the Christian interpretation of experience. Consider the reintroduction and defense of the discourse on “non-negotiable values,” with a strong moralistic connotation, and the transmission of abstract principles.”
“The Pontifical Academy and the John Paul II Institute had become, so to speak, centers of marked doctrinal resistance to papal teaching, which was considered more in keeping with Christian truth than the perspective set out in Amoris Laetitia. The task entrusted to me was, therefore, to restore the capacity of these two institutions to listen to the living magisterium, so that they could accompany the reform desired by the Pope: a “going forth” Church, in need of a theology capable of penetrating the depths of culture, history and the lives of people.”
“The term “life” had to become a category that encompassed everything, and not merely a topic of moral decisions about abortion or euthanasia. It was necessary to rethink the totality of human existence from a new anthropological perspective: life as a relationship, the complexity of individual existential moments, the irreducibility of human experience to abstract formulas. It was, therefore, a matter of finding a new vocabulary to describe the new man and the new woman we had before us: life understood as a concrete human existence, not abstract, that could not be exhausted with a simple casuistic interpretation.” “The turning point, in fact, was codified by Pope Francis himself on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Pontifical Academy for Life, in a letter he sent me entitled “Humana Communitas.” In it, Francis outlines the fundamental lines of its development. I do not know how many will have read it, but it is a very clear manifesto of the new vision the Pope promoted: not only a strengthening of the commitment specifically required of the Pontifical Academy, but also an expansion of the related anthropological and social horizons.”
“Regarding the topic of euthanasia, I immediately understood that the key lay in addressing the accompaniment of death in a much broader way. We organized two or three international congresses on palliative care and succeeded—even in Milan—in convincing universities that palliative care should become a proper academic discipline, not only within nursing, with the aim of promoting a much broader scientific development: not only the elimination of pain, but accompaniment in its entirety.”
“As for the composition of the Academy, until then, the academicians had been exclusively moral theologians and specialists in Catholic ethics. We incorporated biblical scholars, systematic theologians, experts in engineering and robotics, and economists. We also included members from other Christian and religious traditions, as well as professionals and non-religious thinkers.” “In this way, the Academy transcended its sectoral or limited character. Subsequently, we collaborated with the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Social Sciences and leading universities. This new, broader ethical horizon obtained initial international recognition.” Edited the publication of a Small Lexicon on the End of Life, which has been translated into French, Portuguese and Spanish and has had a wide distribution. In 2024, we published The Joy of Living: A Journey of Theological Ethics which offers a new paradigm of the ethics of human life and constitutes the most mature fruit of this path of reflection. It also included a reflection on the updating of Humanae Vitae.”
“The situation of the John Paul II Institute posed even greater challenges, given its much more complex nature. It was a very cohesive institution, with branches in various parts of the world, all replicating the same model. It was an institution strongly centered on matrimonial morality. Reflection on the family as a system of relationships, which acquired meaning and value through its anthropological projection at the level of social bonds and civil institutions, was scarce. In practice, there was no theology of the family in a complete and contextual sense; there was a theology of the couple, and especially of the procreating couple.” “The first challenge I faced was academic reorganization, a particularly arduous task. I proposed to the Pope that Professor Pierangelo Sequeri be appointed dean, entrusting him with the complete restructuring of the academic program.” “In conversation with the Pope, we decided to create a new institute—the Pontifical Theological Institute John Paul II for the Sciences of Marriage and the Family—precisely because a simple reform of the existing institute seemed too difficult. It was necessary to reinvent it.”
“One of the key points of the entire process was the revision of the concept of “nature,” which underpinned a static and immutable vision of natural law, and with it the questioning of the essentialist and ahistorical paradigm that had supported all the moral, sexual and family theology developed to date. A historical conception of nature undermined the paradigm of natural law understood as a set of immutable principles, and it was here that the greatest criticisms and resistances arose. Here the “opponents” had understood correctly: a profound reform was at stake.”
The perversion of the liturgy.
The forgotten sin, the deceptive manipulation of discrimination and pastoral care, the perversion of the objectives of the liturgy, the assimilation of LGBT ideology. This is how rainbow vigils seek to undermine the Church’s doctrine on homosexuality and transsexuality. What are the characteristics of these initiatives? Let us analyze some. First, under the pretext of welcoming homosexual and transgender people, homosexuality and transsexuality are welcomed. We have gone beyond the famous distinction of “welcoming the sinner, but not the sin,” because the person who freely lives their homosexual or transgender condition is no longer considered a sinner, but the bearer of a healthy way of life consistent with the Gospel, since God loves each of us as we are, forgetting that God loves the sinner, but not the sin. God welcomes all, but not everything.
Unjust discriminations, all of them condemnable, do not justify such a quantity of ecclesial initiatives, which are practically absent for other forms of discrimination and persecution that are much more serious and widespread, for example, against Christians. The issue of discrimination is fallacious and serves to give moral legitimacy to a conduct that the institutional Church condemns in its official documents. The Church renounces pastoral attention directed toward the conversion of these people; they are simply victims and in no way sinners.
God is asked to bless and justify what is not right. The attempt to doctrinally validate homosexuality and transsexuality is carried out through pastoral care and liturgical ministry. The sacralization of these two conditions—an act that in reality amounts to blasphemy—persuades Catholic public opinion that homosexuality and transsexuality are natural conditions. The Catholic doctrine has no place in Catholic spaces. The indoctrination is unilateral, so the microphones are only turned on for homosexual couples or parish volunteers who are also homosexual. Debate is forbidden for fear of sowing the slightest doubt among those present. A debate that, in reality, should not even exist, because in a Catholic home only the truth should be taught, and error should only be cited to refute it. Homosexual prayer vigils seem to be, perhaps, the most dangerous and lethal instrument for undermining Catholic doctrine on homosexuality and transsexuality from within.
Cuba’s independence.
Trump issued a forceful statement to commemorate Cuba Independence Day on Wednesday, denouncing the Cuban communist regime and declaring that “this is our hemisphere” and that threats to the United States “will face consequences.” Trump recalled the long struggle of the island for freedom and harshly criticized the current communist regime for its “direct betrayal” of the nation’s founding values by dismantling freedom and silencing dissent. The president also recalled how the U.S. military succeeded in capturing former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and stressed that those who pose a threat to the United States will be punished. “The regime that rules today in Havana is a direct betrayal of the nation for which its founding patriots shed their blood and died. For nearly seven decades, the island’s communist government has violently dismantled political freedom, denied its people fair elections, brutally silenced dissent, and strangled the Cuban economy to the point of collapse.”
Trump pointed out that, since the incursion against Maduro, he has imposed “powerful” sanctions against the Cuban military and those who support it. “My commitment is unwavering: the United States will not tolerate a rogue state harboring military, intelligence and terrorist operations hostile to the United States just ninety miles from U.S. territory, and we will not rest until the people of Cuba recover the freedom that their ancestors fought so bravely to establish more than 100 years ago.”
And everything is being prepared for the arrest, or whatever may come, of Raúl Castro: “If found guilty, the defendants face a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment for the charges of murder and conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens.” “Cuban military fighter jets, under the command of Raúl Castro, fired air-to-air missiles at two unarmed civilian Cessna aircraft, destroying them without warning while they were flying outside Cuban territory.”
The best Catholic preacher.
So says Martin SJ in an article in America magazine: “My opinion on what makes Stephen Colbert one of the best Catholic evangelizers of our time.” Stephen Colbert, whom Father Martin considers his “best Catholic evangelist,” is also radically pro-abortion. When criticizing Alabama’s near-total abortion ban in 2019, Colbert mocked the pro-life law and the legislators. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Colbert used foul language to express his disgust and ridiculed the justices. In that same monologue, he even described the original 1973 Roe v. Wade decision—which triggered the death of tens of millions of unborn babies—as an act of “healing.” In a 2019 interview with the New York Times: “I support the legal right of women to exercise all their rights.” To leave nothing lacking in the preacher, he celebrates “gay marriage” and describes life after death as a dissolution into the universe.
A jihadist against the Vatican.
He was planning attacks with Kalashnikov rifles and Molotov cocktails near Florence or even against the Vatican. A 15-year-old Tunisian who had been in Italy for three years was arrested by DIGOS agents in Florence accused of recruiting for international terrorism. The minor had entered a rehabilitation center in October. In conversations with individuals close to Daesh (ISIS), the minor speaks of “explosions” and says that he is “preparing.” In another episode, while discussing the purchase of a Kalashnikov and ammunition, the detainee and a “friend” agree that “the important thing is that the place is crowded so that many gather.” Regarding the manufacture of Molotov cocktails, the young man is “consecrated” with the phrase: “May God grant him success in this work.” According to leaks from investigative sources, the Vatican and areas of the province of Florence are mentioned in the chats as targets.
Camillo Ruini recovers.
Cardinal Camillo Ruini has been in critical health condition for several days. According to reports, he has decided to stay at home, where doctors and nurses are working to help him, even providing him with oxygen. In September last year, he was hospitalized for kidney problems, but later recovered. Ruini, originally from Sassuolo, turned 95 on February 19.
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