It is Saturday, Santo Domingo de Guzmán, in Rome the heat continues, at night a lot, during the day even more. Things keep happening and we must tell them. Vacation time can be necessary to disconnect from many things; it also allows us, thanks to the new media, to stay up to date wherever we are. The number of readers shows that interest remains and that current events continue to be followed with precision.
The Pope in Rimini.
The first Meeting was held in 1980, but the idea took shape at the end of the summer of 1979, when Pope John Paul II was elected on October 16, 1978. A group of friends from Rimini, “passionate about life,” as Father Giussani used to say, with the desire to make present the Christian experience we had lived. Those years were also marked for us by the presence of the Pope “who came from very far away,” yet at the same time so close. It was the summer of 1982. John Paul II had planned to travel to Poland, but the political situation prevented it. So he decided to attend the Meeting. The news was announced in mid-June, with a phone call from the Vatican to the bishop of Rimini. “With this Meeting, they give expression to their movement, they seek to express the proper character of the Church, its mission, which is always a historical mission, though transcendent, though divine. It is historical, historical for our time. […] They propose to incarnate this work of salvation, to make it present among men.” The relationship with John Paul II was consolidated. His message arrived every year. In the summer of ’91, they were invited to Castel Gandolfo for Mass and lunch. It was on that occasion that, recognizing the originality of the Meeting, the Pope coined the phrase: “You are creating a culture of the avant-garde.”
When Cardinal Ratzinger, Benedict XVI, became Pope in April 2005, our relationship with him already spanned more than a decade. He had participated as a speaker at the 1990 Meeting with a paper on the nature of the Church entitled «A Company Always in Need of Reform«. After his election as Pope, the conversations ceased, but not the company; he continued to accompany us with his extensive annual messages, until his resignation in February 2013.
Francis was invited before becoming Pope and spoke of his mission among immigrants and drug addicts. Prevost was elected Pope on May 8, 2025; no one could have imagined that, a year later, a Pope would return to the Meeting. His first message to the Meeting, with his special appreciation for the exhibition dedicated to the Martyrs of Algeria, with his choice of “disarmed and disarming,” a phrase that soon became a hallmark of his pontificate.
Trip to Poland.
While Pope Leo XIV’s commitments for his trip to Latin America in November are being confirmed and the program for France in September is published, preparations for another papal trip began two days ago. Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski met with the president of the Polish Episcopal Conference to begin preparations for Pope Leo XIV’s first pilgrimage to Poland. The date of the pilgrimage is still unknown. To date, three popes have visited Poland, a total of 11 times: John Paul II (9 times: 1979, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2002), Benedict XVI (2006) and, on the occasion of World Youth Day 2016, Pope Francis.
The Vatican inaugurates the Triennial of Art of Catholic Universities.
The Triennial, a collaborative project dedicated to artistic creation, scientific research and dialogue, “explores the role of art in addressing the most pressing problems of our time through exhibitions, commissions, publications and public programs,” explains the Vatican dicastery. It will be held between 2026 and 2027 and will conclude in Venice. The Triennial of Art of Catholic Universities is an international initiative promoted by the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See, bringing together Catholic universities, artists, curators and cultural institutions from around the world. Conceived
New letters accuse de Rupnik.
Two weeks after the Vatican announced that the canonical criminal trial against Father Marko Rupnik was still ongoing, 22 letters, previously unpublished, have appeared from women who belonged to the Loyola Community in Slovenia and who described alleged abuses. The letters, written in 2000 at the request of the superior of the community, Sister Ivanka Hosta, and addressed directly to Father Rupnik, are preserved in the archives of the Loyola Community, which are currently under the custody of the Archdiocese of Ljubljana, Slovenia. In the letters, 22 women describe alleged spiritual, psychological and sexual abuses committed by Father Rupnik while serving as their spiritual director. It is presumed that the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is aware of the letters.
Funeral banned in Rome for a Freemason.
His guitar can be heard on several iconic soundtracks: A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West. But after his death, another facet of his life came to light. In a statement issued in tribute to the musician, the Grand Orient of Italy revealed his membership in Freemasonry and, above all, the importance of the responsibilities he had assumed. Bruno Battisti D’Amario was presented as the founder of the Giuseppe Leti lodge in Rome and as the composer of the official anthem of the Grand Orient of Italy. He had also served twice as president of the Regional College of Venerable Masters of Lazio and as a counselor of the Order. It was not a supposed or marginal membership, but a significant commitment, publicly recognized after his death by the Grand Orient of Italy. The rector of Santa Maria in Montesanto, Antonio Staglianò, who also presides over the Pontifical Academy of Theology, was unaware of this membership when he agreed to celebrate the funeral: “To be honest, we didn’t even know he was a Freemason.” “I called Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, vicar general of His Holiness for the diocese of Rome and my direct superior, and after consulting with the legal department of the diocese of Rome, he had no choice but to deny permission to celebrate the funeral Mass.” The rector of the basilica then indicated that he had received written communication directly from the Pope’s vicar. Staglianò also spoke with the daughter of the deceased, who was unaware of her father’s Masonic affiliation. No evidence had been presented to the ecclesiastical authorities that Bruno Battisti D’Amario had renounced Freemasonry.
A prayer was held with only family members present to commend the soul of the deceased to the mercy of God, in the presence of a priest but without liturgical vestments. Staglianò clarified that there is no prohibition against subsequently celebrating memorial Masses for the eternal rest of his soul. The text also specified that members of Masonic associations “are in a state of grave sin and cannot receive Holy Communion.” This decision reminds us that Christian mercy toward persons, even after their death, does not imply that the Church abandons its doctrinal precepts and its discipline.
Classified document on Medjugorje.
An unpublished document reveals for the first time the votes of the Vatican mini-commission on the phenomenon of Medjugorje and the related Marian apparitions. A previously classified document. The internal consultation of the Holy See that took place in 2016 on the supernatural nature of the phenomenon. Medjugorje and reveals the extent to which there was a deep division of opinions within the Church at that time; 33 members of the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith expressed their opinion on the supernatural. Almost two thirds of the votes were against recognizing the apparitions.
In 2010, Benedict XVI created an international commission, chaired by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, to study the phenomenon in greater depth. The work of this commission made it possible to distinguish between the initial phase and the subsequent period. Regarding the first seven apparitions, which occurred between June 24 and July 3, 1981, the commission issued a majority favorable opinion, with 13 votes in favor of recognizing the supernatural origin, one against and one suspensive. In the subsequent manifestations, the response was decidedly more cautious: 12 members voted nondum decernendum, considering that they could not formulate a definitive judgment, and 2 voted against.
In 2016, Pope Francis decided to investigate the matter further by submitting it to the so-called Feria Quarta, the ordinary session of the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cardinals, bishops, academics and experts from the Dicastery were asked to consider, in addition to the Ruini Report, a document critical of the Commission’s conclusions and a subsequent reply. Among the 33 members of this mini-commission were Cardinals Müller, Schönborn, Coccopalmerio, Scola, Koch, Sepe, Ouellet, Ruini and many other experts. Each of them justified in writing their judgment on the nature of the Medjugorje phenomenon, choosing between supernatural origin (constat de supernaturalitate), non-supernaturality (constat de non supernaturalitate) and lack of sufficient elements for a conclusion (non constat de supernaturalitate). On September 17, 2016, the verdict was announced: 21 votes against supernaturalism, 9 in favor and 3 without a definitive verdict.
The Holy See decided to adopt a prudent stance, distinguishing between the recognition of the pastoral and spiritual fruits linked to the place and a possible definitive judgment on the origin of the apparitions. In September 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the approval of Pope Francis, published the note “The Queen of Peace”, granting the nihil obstat to the spread of the devotion linked to Medjugorje, without taking a position on the supernatural authenticity of the apparitions. It is to be assumed that they continued to hold in high esteem the response of the Ruini commission, at least regarding the first apparitions.
The “Feria Quarta” were “certainly authoritative opinions, but opinions to which the Pope is not bound.” If Francis “had not been convinced of the authenticity of the Medjugorje phenomenon, or in any case had formed a clearly negative opinion, he could have leaned toward a judgment of inauthenticity.” It was evident that he had sufficient reasons not to act in that way.
Germans in the Vatican.
For years, no German cardinal has held high positions in the Vatican, but Germany and German-speaking countries remain present in the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV recently appointed German canonist and Jesuit Ulrich Rhode to the highest court of the Vatican, the Apostolic Signatura. Germans are valued in Rome primarily—though not exclusively—for their expertise in canon law. This also applies to the Tribunal of the Signatura. Bishop Dominicus Meier of Osnabrück, a Benedictine monk and qualified canonist, is a member of that tribunal. Pope Leo XIV recently extended his appointment. Nikolaus Schöch, an Austrian Franciscan friar from Innsbruck, is not German but speaks German. He serves as defender of the bond in special cases of nullity. German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, however, has resigned after five years in office. Although he is a dogmatic theologian by training and not a canon lawyer, Pope Francis appointed him a member of the Pontifical Signatura in June 2021.
Hans-Peter Fischer is one of the German-speaking canon law specialists in the Vatican. The former rector of the Campo Santo Teutonico, originally from the Archdiocese of Freiburg, has been a member of the panel of judges of the Roman Rota, the second highest court of the Vatican, since 2017. Konrad Maria Ackermann, a priest of the Diocese of Regensburg, also works at the Rota. He is “Promotor iustitiae,” that is, prosecutor. Canon lawyers working in the tribunals of the Holy See do not have their official residence in the Vatican, but in the Palazzo della Cancelleria, in the center of Rome. There the papal judicial bodies are concentrated.
Markus Graulich, a Salesian priest and qualified canonist from the Diocese of Limburg. He is undersecretary of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts. In the Dicastery for Education and Culture is one of the few German women working in the Vatican, Melanie Rosenbaum. Pope Leo XIV appointed her a member of the body that evaluates the quality of Catholic universities and faculties around the world. The priest from Passau, Wolfgang Ambros, has also worked since 2024 as undersecretary. German priest and theologian Rafael Starnitzky was recently appointed to the Vatican by the Cardinal Bea Center of the Gregorian University. He succeeds Father Norbert Hofmann, who served for many years as secretary of the Commission for Relations with the Jews. Father Hofmann returned to his homeland, Franconia, a few months ago to serve as a parish priest. Also very well known is the Jesuit Hans Zollner, originally from Regensburg.
In a completely different field, also considered “typically German” since the early 19th century, the diocesan priest from Cologne, archaeologist and historian Stefan Heid holds an important position: since 2020, he has been rector of the renowned Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology.
Currently, four priests are responsible for relations with the Church in Germany and neighboring German-speaking countries. They have been appointed to this task by their respective bishops for several years. From Germany are Monsignor Johannes Palus, from the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, and Marco Schrage, who grew up in Bremen. From Austria (Diocese of Graz-Seckau) comes Paul Joseph Markowitsch, and from Switzerland (Diocese of Chur) Francesco Riegger, born in Germany. German Vatican diplomat Daniel Pacho, belonging to the Diocese of Fulda, holds the rank of undersecretary in the Secretariat of State. One of the few German nuncios abroad is Martin Krebs, originally from Essen. He represents the Holy See in Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Monaco. The best-known Vatican diplomat abroad is a prominent figure outside traditional politics: former papal secretary Georg Gänswein.
The wounds of the local Church.
Article by Giorgio Bozza «The Five Wounds of the Local Church«. Among the five “wounds” identified by the author, the first is the lack of respect in ecclesial relationships, particularly between the bishop and his presbyterate and among the priests themselves. A bishop does not deserve respect simply for being a bishop. A priest does not deserve respect simply for being a priest. They deserve respect because they are persons to whom God has granted a vocation and a grace. Christian esteem, therefore, is a way of recognizing the mystery of God present in others. It does not mean ignoring limitations, but not allowing them to become the only key to understanding a person.
One of the great risks of contemporary culture is the functional reduction of the individual. Human beings are valued for what they produce. Their value depends on their efficiency, their achievements, their recognition and the fulfillment of expectations. This risk can also affect the Church. A priest can be evaluated by the number of pastoral initiatives he undertakes. A pastor, by his organizational skills. A bishop, by the effectiveness of his decisions. A priest, by his visibility. An elderly priest, a sick priest, a less brilliant priest, a less visible minister do not lose dignity for no longer meeting the criteria of efficiency. The bishop only sees the priest as a collaborator, and the priest only sees the bishop as a superior. But when this happens, the sacramental relationship is impoverished. It is no longer a brother, but a function.
The presbyterate is not a set of employees of the bishop. It is not an administrative structure. It is not a group of collaborators simply called to implement decisions. The presbyterate is a sacramental reality. The bishop and the priests share in the same mystery of Christ the Shepherd. The relationship is not that of a leader and his collaborators, but of an organic reality in which each member needs the other. A priest who considers the bishop only as an authority to be criticized impoverishes his own ecclesial communion. Mutual respect is what prevents two opposing tendencies: authoritarianism without fraternity and autonomy without communion.
Christian obedience never implies the humiliation of the individual. It does not consist in the annulment of conscience. It does not imply the renunciation of one’s own history. It is not a passive disposition to integrate into an organizational mechanism. A father who demands obedience but humiliates his son betrays the true meaning of his authority. A father who uses his role to dominate does not exercise fatherhood, but distorts it. Authentic authority is not measured by the ability to impose obedience, but by the ability to generate freedom and maturity.
One of the structural weaknesses of ecclesial life is the lack of a genuine balance in the exercise of authority. The principle of balance of powers, proper to constitutional democracies, cannot be mechanically transferred to the Church, which is not a state but a mystery of communion. The Church cannot ignore that all human authority, precisely because it is exercised by limited and fallible individuals, needs to be enlightened by listening, corrected by dialogue and accompanied by forms of co-responsibility.
Sometimes we run the risk of confusing obedience with absolute availability. The bishop is not only called to obtain obedience from the presbyterate, but to form a presbyterate. And forming a presbyterate means knowing, accompanying, encouraging, correcting and valuing. A father does not love his children only when they obey him; he loves them even when he must correct them. And precisely because he loves them, he corrects them without humiliating them.
The supposed prayer of St. Francis.
We all pray it and identify it as St. Francis’s, but it is not; this is its history. This prayer first appeared in France with the title Belle prière à faire pendant la Messe in 1912 in La Clochette, the magazine of a pious association whose aim was to promote participation in the Mass, especially on Sundays, among Catholics. The canon Louis Boissey (1859-1932), who republished it in the bulletin Annales de Notre-Dame de la Paix. Thus, it came into the hands of Stanislas de la Rochethulon et Grente, who, boasting ties to the Vatican, considered it appropriate to send it as a prayer imploring peace to the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Gasparri. Gasparri, in turn, thanked him, highlighting the interest of Pope Benedict XV, and on January 20, 1916, L’Osservatore Romano published the text, with an Italian translation, preceded by the title “The prayers of the ‘Souvenir Normand’ for peace,” which introduced other variations from the 1912 original. In this way, our prayer achieved wide diffusion and was taken up by La Croix, which published it on January 28, 1916, defining it as “a very ancient prayer.”
During the First World War, the Capuchin friar Étienne Benôit of Paris published the prayer that appeared on a print of St. Francis, entitled “Prayer for Peace”, explaining that it wonderfully summarized the character of a true follower of the saint of Assisi. The Protestant pastor Rambaud discovered our prayer and distributed it with the phrase “Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi” in thousands of copies throughout Europe, especially in Switzerland and Belgium.
«But if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be salted?»
Good reading.
Liturgy: Faggioli and the hermeneutical ambiguities of Vatican II
In France in September Pope Leo will meet some victims of sexual abuse
Poland plans a papal trip and prepares official invitations
Bishop-priest relationship in today’s Church
The great return of Castel Gandolfo. Bergoglio hated it, Prevost relaunches it
Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Peru could attract 50% more visitors than Francis’s: the figures that will “bless” our economy
The Vatican launches the Triennial of Art of Catholic Universities
The “Simple Prayer,” as famous as it is inauthentic
The Meeting and the Popes. From John Paul II to Leo XIV
Pope Leo is ready to return. Forty years after Wojtyla. More prayers for peace
German canon lawyers are strongly represented in the Vatican.
The secret Vatican votes on the supernatural nature of Medjugorje
22 Previously Unpublished Letters Add to Rupnik Abuse Case Allegations
Rome: Cardinal Baldassarre Reina cancels the Catholic funeral of a Freemason
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