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During a meeting on 31 August at Castel Gandolfo, the oversight commission for the 'House for the Relief of Suffering' - a research hospital founded by St Pio of Pietrelcina - was able to share with Leo XIV the work it has done since it was established last May.
Just over 52% of Icelanders vote against resuming negotiations on European Union membership. The referendum highlights an important divide within the country: between rural areas, where the “No” vote prevailed, and the capital, where the majority voted for “Yes”.
Appointed Bishop of Datong (Shanxi, China) by Pope Leo XIV on August 10, following the approval of his candidacy under the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China, Paolo Liu Honggang receives episcopal consecration.
On August 30, the Apostolic Nuncio to Romania and the Republic of Moldova celebrated Mass at the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer in Bucharest and the Vatican Foundation “John Paul I” donated an icon and a relic of Blessed Albino Luciani to this church known as the “Italian Church.”
Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim and Apostolic Administrator of Tromsø celebrated a solemn Mass in Longyearbyen on Sunday, 30 August, to mark 100 years since the first Catholic Mass was celebrated in Svalbard, Norway. In his homily, Bishop Varden reflects on vulnerability and loneliness, calling Christians to rediscover a sound sense of reality and to bring Christ’s reconciliation, healing and friendship to those who are isolated and afraid.
“The latest barbaric abduction of more than 60 worshippers from a Mosque in Borgu, Niger State, and the horrific massacre of 47 innocent citizens, with another 17 people seriously injured in Ukum, Benue State, represent a further deterioration of the security situation.” The bleak assessment was made by Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, the Archbishop of Kaduna and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
Following the recitation of the midday Angelus prayer from Castel Gandolfo on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV condemned the recent massacre in Haiti, made an urgent appeal for the release of hostages, and renewed his call for concrete assistance to Nepal following devastating floods and mudslides that have killed hundreds and left thousands missing.
During his Sunday Angelus address in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV reminds the faithful that St. Peter was very human and that, like him, we ought to “humbly tell Jesus what we truly feel, even when our hearts are confused."
At the end of his mission to Moscow, the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, speaks to Vatican News about his journey.
Pope Leo XIV arrived by boat at the beach on Lake Albano, where a Marian procession that began at the Church of Mary Most Holy of the Lake had come to an end. The Holy Father, travelling aboard the Falco, which was decorated with yellow and white flowers, joined the faithful gathered on the shore and led them in prayer to the Virgin Mary.
In his homily for Mass in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV reflects on the beauty of “simple gestures” of devotion and emphasizes that, in a world that dismisses forgiveness as naive, believing in God can become a pathway toward peace. After Mass, the Holy Father made history by embarking on a boat on Lake Albano to take part in the procession for the Feast of Our Lady of the Lake.
With an Apostolic Letter issued motu proprio on 29 August, Pope Leo XIV provides the Synods of Bishops of Eastern Catholic Churches the faculty to remove their respective Patriarchs in order “to restore the wounded communion, even by removing him from office for grave cause”, in the event their “bond” is “irreparably compromised.” In such an event, the Roman Pontiff must grant assent to the Synod’s judgment.