Good Shepherd Catholic Parish - Miami, FL

Catholic Bishops in Tanzania have invited dioceses, parishes, and prayer centres to participate in a day of prayer, fasting, and adoration. As far as possible, they urge priests to make the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist available on 23 August 2025. The purpose is to dedicate time to pray for the country to have peaceful elections and remain united—a nation that lives in justice and peace.

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Pope says after U.S. bombs Iran

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The huge economic divide between rich and poor today is unacceptable with so much wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, Pope Leo XIV said.

Political leaders have a responsibility to promote the good of the entire community, especially by defending the vulnerable, the marginalized and the poor, he told speakers and members of parliament attending a Rome conference about democracy and interfaith dialogue during the Jubilee of Governments.

"Sound politics," he said, promotes "the equitable distribution of resources," which "can offer an effective service to harmony and peace both domestically and internationally."

The pope met with the group during an audience at the Vatican June 21. The group was made up of people attending the June 19-21 Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Rome. The conference brought together speakers and members of parliament with representatives of religions, governments, international organizations, faith-based and civil organizations, and academia. 

In his speech, the pope said they have a "responsibility to promote and protect, independent of any special interest, the good of the community, the common good, particularly by defending the vulnerable and the marginalized."

"This would mean, for example, working to overcome the unacceptable disproportion between the immense wealth concentrated in the hands of a few and the world's poor," he said. "Those who live in extreme conditions cry out to make their voices heard and often find no ears willing to hear their plea."

"This imbalance generates situations of persistent injustice, which readily lead to violence and, sooner or later, to the tragedy of war," he said, calling for a more equitable distribution of resources.

Pope Leo also underlined the importance of religious freedom and interreligious dialogue.

"Political life can achieve much by encouraging the conditions for there to be authentic religious freedom and that a respectful and constructive encounter between different religious communities may develop," he said.

"Belief in God, with the positive values that derive from it, is an immense source of goodness and truth for the lives of individuals and communities," he added.

"In order to have a shared point of reference in political activity, and not exclude 'a priori' any consideration of the transcendent in decision-making processes, it would be helpful to seek an element that unites everyone," which, he said, is found in natural law. 

"Natural law, which is universally valid apart from and above other more debatable beliefs, constitutes the compass by which to take our bearings in legislating and acting, particularly on the delicate and pressing ethical issues that, today more than in the past, regard personal life and privacy," he said.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights also "can contribute greatly to placing the human person, in his or her inviolable integrity, at the foundation of the quest for truth, thus restoring dignity to those who do not feel respected in their inmost being and in the dictates of their conscience," he added.

Lastly, Pope Leo said, politics cannot ignore the challenge of artificial intelligence. "On the contrary, it is called to respond to many citizens who rightly look with both confidence and concern at the issues raised by this new digital culture."

"The degree of civilization attained in our world and the goals you are charged to achieve are now facing a major challenge in the form of artificial intelligence," which will be of great help to society as long as it "does not undermine the identity and dignity of the human person and his or her fundamental freedoms," he said.

"Artificial intelligence functions as a tool for the good of human beings," he said, and it should not diminish or replace people.

"Our personal life has greater value than any algorithm, and social relationships require spaces for development that far transcend the limited patterns that any soulless machine can prepackage," he said.

WASHINGTON - The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) gathered last week for a Special Assembly, June 16-20, in San Diego, Calif. Unlike the typical spring plenary that convenes with public sessions and a formal business agenda, the special assembly was a retreat for the bishops to pray, dialogue, and strengthen one another in their ministry.

Recalling how a small act of generosity nourished his faith as a young seminarian, Archbishop Broglio celebrated the opening Mass and invited his brothers to remember how the Gospel was “held over our heads in episcopal ordination” so that we might be “ever more effective in preaching that living Word ever new and ever provocative.” He acknowledged preaching the Gospel is not easy, but he encouraged America’s bishops to see generosity as indispensable in keeping the love of God alive in our hearts and reminded everyone the “missionary disciple sees no one as an enemy.”

For Archbishop Broglio, this is especially true in the context of immigration. “Our history of welcome is a bit checkered, because each group of immigrants tended to look down on the next.” He recalled how Irish, German, and Italian immigrants all faced discrimination. “Now,” Archbishop Broglio said, “as shepherds we earnestly try to urge our people to welcome those from Latin America, Haiti, and other troubled zones.”

Archbishop Broglio’s homily referenced the various conflicts of the contemporary world, citing Christians in Gaza; the poor in Syria afflicted by sanctions impacting access to fuel, food, and other necessities; Lebanon bearing the weight of more than 2 million refugees; the conflict between Israel and Iran; the ongoing war in Ukraine; and Haiti. “We must stretch our Catholic Relief Services dollars even farther as the U.S. international aid is shut off,” he said, and continued, “…we cannot turn our back on those crying out for our help.” 

Read the text of Archbishop Broglio’s full homily here.

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WASHINGTON - “Sectarian violence, of whatever religious or ideological type, if not stopped, will derail Syria’s full integration into the community of nations,” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, in response to the suicide bombing on the Antiochian Church of St. Elias in Damascus on Sunday that killed at least 22 and injured dozens more. As chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, he called for prayers and urged peace, security and national reconciliation in Syria:  

“As we learn more about the deadly suicide bombing attack in Damascus over the weekend, we are reminded of a sobering fact: international vigilance for the safeguarding of Christians, Alawites, and other religious minorities must remain strong, working with all men and women of good will in Syria for the consolidation of a political transition that promotes the common good of all Syrians. We stand in solidarity with the Antiochian Church in Syria during this difficult time. 

“We urge the United States—who lifted Syria’s sanctions to allow for the country’s economic development—to continue working with Syria’s authorities in support of religious liberty, peace, security, and national reconciliation in the country. Sectarian violence, of whatever religious or ideological type, if not stopped, will derail Syria’s full integration into the community of nations.  

“I call for ardent prayers for the safety of our Christian brothers and sisters in Syria, as well as for the country’s development into a society that fosters security, development, and prosperity for all its citizens.”   

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Bishop Kevin Rhoades, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Religious Liberty, highlights the domestic and international issues the Church in the United States is focusing on during Religious Freedom Week 2025.

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A hot-air balloon caught fire and tumbled from the sky on Saturday morning in Praia Grande, a municipality in Brazil’s southern state of Santa Catarina, killing eight people and injuring 13 others.

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As part of the Jubilee of Seminarians and Priests, the Dicastery for the Clergy is set to host an event to foster encounter, reflection, and sharing under the theme “I Have Called You Friends” (Jn 15:15), which Pope Leo XIV will attend.

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The Archdiocese of Seoul has reaffirmed its commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula during a special Mass and academic symposium held on June 22, marking three decades of its Reconciliation Committee.

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In Tanzania, where financial hardship keeps many children and young people out of school, the Sisters of Mary are working to break the cycle by providing free, high-quality education and vocational training to secure a better future.

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