Ahead of papal trip, is Uruguay on the cusp of “revival”?

At his first audience since surgery, Leo says supporting the family is “more urgent than ever”

“The first thing I would like to say is thank you! Thank you for the support of your prayers,” Pope Leo XIV told pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, his first general audience since his lung cancer surgery. Continuing his catechesis on Vatican II, he turned to Gaudium et Spes on marriage and the family, which it calls “the foundation of society,” and said the call for political and cultural leaders to support families “is more urgent than ever before.” He recalled the two synodal assemblies convened by Pope Francis, which the heads of the Eastern Catholic Churches and the presidents of bishops’ conferences took up again in recent days. — Full text (Vatican) · Holy See Press Office [IT] · Vatican News (Isabella H. de Carvalho) · Vatican News [IT]

Fr. Ripperger steps back, and letters show Denver restricted him in 2025

The Archdiocese of Denver says Archbishop James Golka asked Fr. Chad Ripperger to take “a one-year fast from public speaking and interviews,” and the celebrity exorcist “readily agreed.” Correspondence obtained by Where Peter Is shows that in 2025, under Archbishop Samuel Aquila, the archdiocese investigated Ripperger’s public statements on mental health, placed interim restrictions on his ministry, and issued a decree limiting what he may say and write about psychology and psychiatry. The archdiocese hasn’t said whether the two are connected. — Where Peter Is (Mike Lewis) · Archdiocese of Denver · National Catholic Register (Gigi Duncan) · America (Gina Christian, OSV News)

There are now more Catholics in Africa than in Europe

Africa gained 7.58 million Catholics in 2024, reaching 288.3 million and passing Europe’s 287.2 million, according to Agenzia Fides’ annual figures drawn from the Church’s latest Statistical Yearbook. The Americas still have the most Catholics, at 678.9 million. Worldwide, the Church counted 1.422 billion members, and for the first time in five years the number of priests rose, by 425, driven by Africa and Asia, while Europe lost 2,483. — Crux

Pope and Holy See

• Leo: Saints show us “history shaped by faith.” Meeting participants in the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints’ conference on holiness in history, the pope said the history of the world would be far poorer, and less human, without the saints. — Vatican News · Holy See Press Office [IT] · Vatican News [IT]
• Holy See at the UN: Nuclear weapons remain “one of the gravest threats to humanity.” Archbishop Christophe El Kassis said worsening global security “cannot justify deeper reliance on nuclear weapons” and makes their elimination “all the more urgent.” — Vatican News · Vatican News [IT]
• Before his surgery, Mexico’s bishops brought Leo the stories of the country’s missing. Bishop Ramón Castro Castro presented the pope with “One Name, a Thousand Voices,” a 200-page book documenting disappearances amid Mexico’s security crisis. — National Catholic Reporter (David Agren, OSV News)
• [IT] Parolin: Law must govern AI and eliminate inequalities. The secretary of state opened five days of events marking the 150th anniversary of the Gregorian University’s canon law faculty. — Vatican News [IT]

United States

• Vatican upholds excommunication of a Louisiana deacon who left the Church after his son was abused by a priest. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith acknowledged the family’s ordeal but ruled that Scott Peyton’s formal move to an Anglican congregation was schismatic. “While I am disappointed, I am not surprised,” Peyton said. — National Catholic Reporter (Camillo Barone)
• A Catholic sister challenges JD Vance over ICE tactics. At a televised Detroit town hall, IHM Sr. Nancy Sylvester asked the vice president how ICE’s conduct “can constantly be justified in terms of the kind of values we want to live by.” — Global Sisters Report (Dan Stockman)
• Trump administration extends TPS for Ukrainians and Sudanese, but uncertainty remains. The Oct. 18 extension lets people from both countries keep living legally in the U.S. for now; DHS gave no rationale. — National Catholic Reporter (Kate Scanlon, OSV News)
• Two years after the Synod on Synodality, where does the U.S. Church stand? The worldwide dialogue Pope Francis began continues under Pope Leo XIV. — America (Kimberley Heatherington, OSV News)
• The National Eucharistic Congress will return to Indianapolis in 2029. The city hosted the last congress in 2024. — The Pillar (Michelle La Rosa)

Around the World

• Holy Land Church leaders condemn a settler attack on Taybeh and European diplomats. The patriarchs and heads of Jerusalem’s churches called the “wild attack” on one of the last Christian villages in the West Bank “not an isolated incident” amid violence peaking during the olive harvest. — National Catholic Reporter (Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News) · Vatican News [IT]
• Two Pakistani sisters are the first women religious to receive a national excellence award. Sr. Mariam Gill and Sr. Genevieve Ram Lal were honored for their work in healthcare, disability support, and women’s empowerment. — Global Sisters Report (Kamran Chaudhry)

Liturgy and Church Life

• Loneliness, boring parish events, and a “Tinder priest”: why aren’t young Catholics getting married? The falling number of young people marrying in the Church was one of the biggest talking points at this month’s Vatican meeting on Amoris Laetitia. — Crux (Fionn Shiner)

Video and Podcasts

• Pedro Gabriel: Amoris Laetitia: 10 years of the wrong debate? Marking the 10th anniversary and the meeting Pope Leo XIV convened with bishops’ conference presidents, WPI’s Pedro Gabriel asks whether, after a decade of controversy over the exhortation, we have been focusing on the wrong debate all along. — YouTube (Pedro Gabriel)

Commentary

• Opinion: Two powerful talks show why the world needs Catholic higher education. Michael Sean Winters looks at Cardinal Michael Czerny’s talk at Frankfurt’s Sankt Georgen and Eduardo Peñalver’s inaugural address as Georgetown’s president. — National Catholic Reporter (Michael Sean Winters)
• Opinion: Congressman Jim McGovern: I’m a progressive Democrat because I’m Catholic. “I’m a progressive Democrat because of my faith — not in spite of it. And I think it’s time more of us said so,” the Massachusetts congressman writes. — National Catholic Reporter (Jim McGovern)

Also today

• A “spiral of violence”: France’s bishops condemn the weekend’s riots — Fionn Shiner, Crux · Also: The Pillar
• Ahead of papal trip, is Uruguay on the cusp of “revival”? — Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar
• Jesuits’ expulsion of laicized priest is empty gesture, say abuse survivors — Eduardo Campos Lima, The Pillar
• [IT] “Jesus, the Christ”: a new book gathers catecheses by Leo and Francis — Vatican News
• Opinion: Shut Them Down — Griffin Oleynick, Commonweal. On Cornell and fraternities.
• Document of an Atrocity — Dominic Preziosi, Commonweal. Review of the documentary “NAZA.”
• An “empathy gap” divides Americans ahead of the midterms, says PRRI report — Bob Smietana, Religion News Service
• What to know about Kenya’s starvation cult after its leader is convicted on 191 murder charges — Gerald Imray, Religion News Service (AP)

U.S.: Number of Teens Identifying as LGBT+ Declines

605 cases of healing: Results of a study on healing prayer are published

ZENIT Staff

The stories range from serious illnesses to persistent physical pain. According to her findings, 40 percent of those reporting healing had suffered from cancer, terminal illness or other severe conditions. The remaining 60 percent described relief from problems such as disabling arthritis, sciatica, tennis elbow and shin pain

Lefebvrians announce that a legal challenge against the Vatican’s decree of excommunication is underway

ZENIT Staff

The SSPX announced on July 13 that it had lodged a preliminary appeal with the doctrinal dicastery on July 11, invoking canons 1734 and following of the Code of Canon Law

U.S.: Four states will vote on abortion referendums in the “midterm” elections

Tim Daniels

An October survey by the Pew Research Center found that 46% of registered voters considered abortion “very important” when deciding how to vote, down from 56% during the 2022 midterm elections. The economy, at 84%, and the future of American democracy, at 73%, ranked substantially higher

The Legion of Christ Updates Its Child Protection Policy Following the General Chapter

ZENIT Staff

Following the 2026 General Chapter, the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ presented an update to «Protect and Heal» (Proteger y Sanar), the document that, since 2020, has defined its policy regarding the protection of minors and vulnerable persons, the support provided to victims of abuse, and the guarantee of fair processes for all. The document has also been updated to reflect the most recent developments in Canon Law.

Following a call with Putin, Leon XIV is now speaking by phone with the president of Ukraine

ZENIT Staff

His Holiness expressed the hope that cooperation between both parties will allow for the delivery of food and medical aid, and for the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population

More than 500 Million Christians Face Restricted Access to the Bible

ZENIT Staff

The research team discovered that more than 125 million believers live in places where they cannot access the Scriptures in any format.

The olive trees of Taybeh, under attack by Jewish settlers: A Christian Community Fights to Preserve Its Land, Livelihood and Identity

ZENIT Staff

Father Fawadleh has reported stolen olives and damaged trees, warning that some households will produce less olive oil than they need for their own consumption. For families already struggling financially, the loss of a harvest threatens not only their earnings but also their ability to maintain their homes and continue living on their land.

U.S.: Number of Teens Identifying as LGBT+ Declines

ZENIT Staff

The findings come from the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Psychologist Jean Twenge, a professor at San Diego State University who compared the new figures with those from 2023, described the changes as striking in a late-September analysis.

The Synod’s ideas on synodality run up against the wall of canon law: here’s how experts explain it

Jorge Enrique Mújica

The commission’s recommendations include broadening the roles that qualified laypeople can exercise in ecclesiastical offices and ministries, increasing lay participation in particular Church councils, and changing the rules governing diocesan tribunals. It also proposes allowing diocesan bishops to appoint lay judges without the approval currently required from the episcopal conference, according to the report’s critics.

A Potential New Saint of the Catholic Church Who Listened to Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers

Rafael Manuel Tovar

Maria’s early writings describe her intention to use her gifts to serve God. «One of the messages Maria leaves behind — especially for young people trying to figure out, ‘What should I do with my life?’ — is a beautiful one: Take the gifts you have been given and use them to serve,» remarked her mother, Susan.

Only a 1% Chance of Being Born Alive . . . Yet He Lived. The Hopeful Case of a Baby Born Without Kidneys, Urethra, or Bladder

Alma Recinas

Stepping out of the consultation room to take a breath of air, Diana and Iñigo found their eyes filled with tears. «We hugged each other and cried for a while,» he recalls. Upon going back inside, they pressed the question: «Is there truly nothing that can be done? Isn’t there some kind of intrauterine surgery available?»

Beyond disenchantment: the religious face of contemporary S Korea

ZENIT Staff

While 51 per cent of South Koreans claim no religious affiliation, the sacred is still present in many aspects of life. While Buddhism faces a crisis in a society, the social role of Confucianism persists amid the rise of new religious movements (along with the tensions they bring). Among the various religions, Christianity, all denominations included, now make up 31 per cent of the population.

Falling cross that killed priest a punishment from God?

From rector in Rome to bishop in England, Stephen Wang embraces new mission of truth and love

Prior rector of the Venerable English College in Rome, Father Stephen Wang has been appointed the new bishop of Arundel and Brighton.

U.S. bill would hold Syrian officials accountable for abuses against minorities

The bill calls for a report identifying Syrian officials who are suspected of abuses and for consideration of targeted sanctions against them.

Falling cross that killed priest a punishment from God? A priest reflects

Father Juan Vásconez said the death of Father Patricio Sánchez resulting from a large cross falling in him should not be interpreted as a punishment but as a call to repent, as we will all die.

Conference encourages Black Catholic men to lead families, parishes, and communities

The national Black Catholic men’s conference took place in Birmingham, Alabama, Oct. 15–18, carrying on the legacy of Father Chester P. Smith.

America’s deep religious divide over empathy

Christianity Today, a voice of centrist evangelicalism, is in turmoil*
The New York Times: Former employees of the publication say new leadership has been pushing back on independent journalism. About half of its staff members have left or been laid off over 14 months.

 

America’s deep religious divide over empathy
Axios: White evangelical Protestants are the only major religious group in which a majority says empathy can become dangerous when it leads people away from a society guided by God’s truth, according to a new survey.

 

The long search for a new Episcopal priest: Why it can take months or years
Religion Unplugged: For small, rural churches in shrinking denominations such as the Episcopal Church, finding new clergy can take months or years. Between 2015 and 2024, the Episcopal Church lost almost a third of its regular attendees in Maine.

 

Faith leaders unite across religions to counter voter intimidation on Election Day
The Associated Press: In battleground states across the country, these faith leaders and hundreds of their colleagues will assume the role of poll chaplains for one day.

 

Is God another addiction?*
The New Yorker: A remarkable memoir recounts a writer’s struggles with alcoholism and religious faith — and the unsettling ways in which each has fed her longing for the other.

A Mural Toward New Community Vision

 

St. Luke’s has a new look- a mural of six Black saints on the front sidewalk of our church by artist Hue Love. It’s a hopeful offering of six of the stories of faith that are meaningful to us at St Luke’s, intended to spark helpful conversation amongst our neighbors and realign the church as a place of inclusion and empowerment. Already, we’ve gotten peeks into the transformation that is happening in our neighborhood. A few weeks ago, my daughter and I overheard a young African American man as he looked at our mural, saying aloud to his friends, “Wow, my perspective just broadened.” 

St Luke’s has long been a church of Black saints, even before our work of intentionally engaging with them. That effort began a few years ago, when it became clear that our children needed to hear more stories of faith about people who looked like them, and, in doing so, learn about the particular saints who left a legacy of ongoing devotion in the adults of our community. We wanted to lean into that waterfall of faith: the witness of the ancestors (saints) who inspired faithfulness in our church’s elders, who could, in turn, invite our children (and all of us) to walk more boldly and fully as followers of Jesus. In other words – discipleship by storytelling.

Heal the Land Prayer Call with Pastor Warnock | October 20, 2026

  

Join the Ebenezer family for a special Heal the Land Prayer Call with Senator Reverend Raphael G. Warnock. In light of ongoing voting rights decisions and the continued challenges facing democracy and civic access, we are coming together in prayer for our nation, our communities, and the work still ahead. We gather to pray for wisdom, justice, courage, protection, and healing across this land.

 

Euphemism, Part 1

‘Reproductive rights’ et. al. 

Mark Galli

Oct 19, 2026

I come to an interest in euphemism honestly. I was a journalist, writer, and editor for half a century. Euphemisms have their uses, of course, like softening the blow of bad news—telling someone that a friend has “passed” or “passed away.” But many euphemisms are wicked, hiding brutal facts we don’t want to face: e.g. when “collateral damage” is used to blur the fact that innocent people were killed in a military strike.

I don’t know that I can prove this, but it seems that today we’ve fallen in love with too many euphemisms, many of which don’t merely soften the tragedies of human existence, but actually hide what’s actually going on. Talking about those euphemisms—that’s what interests me in this series. So we begin with perhaps my greatest pet peeve (a euphemism, I admit[!], for something that deeply saddens me).

Nearly every term commonly used to denote destroying a human being in the womb obscures that reality. The focus shifts our attention away from what’s happening in the womb to things abstract—family planning, pro-choice, and reproductive rights come to mind.

To their political credit, such terms traffic in ideas that everyone supports. Even the ardent pro-lifer believes in the value of planning wisely for a family, of having freedom of choice in doing that, and protecting rights in general.

The same can be said, of course, about the term pro-life, for who would claim to be pro-death? As a pro-lifer myself, I understand the need for terms that sit well with the larger public and capture the essence of the movement.

But what is clarified and what is obscured by our terms? Family planning puts the emphasis on the couple doing the planning. Pro-choice zero’s in on the individual woman’s decision. Reproductive rights shifts our attention to a legal and moral issue, human rights. To be fair, these are umbrella terms that capture many concerns, but one essential element of each is something awful to contemplate.

Which is why we don’t hear people clearly say that family planning includes, among other things, ending the life of a girl growing in the womb if she doesn’t fit in with the family’s plans. Nor do people plainly say they want, among other freedoms, the freedom to kill a developing boy when he is not yet an infant. And no one actually says that, among other rights, they affirm the right to destroy human life in the womb.

Some will rightly point out that I’m assuming the humanity, the personhood of the being growing inside a woman’s body, and that it is only a human person who deserves rights. Yes, but is it a biological fact that as soon as an embryo forms, we are dealing with a member of the species Homo sapiens and no other other species, one who can only grow into a full human being.

So, yes, there are arguments about when this being becomes a human person, and thus deserving legal and moral protections. Some claim, like the Roman Catholic Church among others, that personhood begins at conception. Others point to the moment of birth. And there are cases made for various points between—and, rarely, some not until months after birth! Though I follow the Catholic view, I grant that in a pluralistic, democratic society comprised of people subscribing to various philosophies and religions, this is a difficult question to settle once and for all in the public square.

What is not difficult to discern, if we are bravely willing to move beyond mere euphemism, is that the being inside the mother is human, and that what we’re finally talking about is destroying the life of a developing human being.

At least once in a while in the many debates surrounding this issue, can we call a thing what it is?

Grace and peace,

Mark

 

 

covenantchurchsd 10.04.2026

 

We call this SoNoGo - South Park-North Park-Golden Hill & Our Mission: to see the baptized who live in SoNoGo worship in SoNoGo 

Covenant Presbyterian Church

What is the Evangelical Presbyterian Church?

Covenant Church at 30th & Howard  is a Christian church in the tradition of the Protestant Reformation and allied with the EPC [The Evangelical Presbyterian Church] We believe the Scriptures to be the infallible Word of God and our final authority in faith and practice, and we find the historic creeds of the early church (the Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed) to be vital expressions of the most important tenets of the global church universal. When the EPC started in 1981, we determined that we would not disagree on the basic essentials of the Christian faith, but on anything that was not essential—such as the issue of ordaining women as officers or practicing charismatic gifts—we would give each other liberty. Above all, we committed ourselves to loving each other and not engaging in quarrels and strife. The result is that when we get together in our regional and national meetings, we spend most of our time in worship and fellowship and almost none in arguing with each other.

These are the 9 Catholic churches in the United Kingdom that will receive government funding for new roofs

These are the 9 Catholic churches in the United Kingdom that will receive government funding for new roofs

ZENIT Staff

Catholic church from the 1950s receives £1 million government grant for new roof. The church in Wallsend heads a list of nine Catholic churches to receive grants announced today by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

China Appoints New Bishop for Haimen: Vatican-Beijing Agreement Continues to Influence Episcopal Appointments

ZENIT Staff

The Vatican announced the consecration on October 15, following Pope Leo’s approval of Ding’s candidacy on August 24. A report published the same day by the state-backed Chinese Catholic Bishops’ Conference said Ding had been elected bishop-designate on May 14, but did not mention the pope’s approval or the agreement with the Holy See.

3 days after his surgery, photos of the Pope were published, and that day saw the highest number of visitors and phone calls

Jorge Enrique Mújica

Leo spoke with his older brother, Louis Prevost, 74, who is receiving treatment for multiple myeloma in Tampa, Florida. Louis later recounted that the Pope had asked whether he was afraid. He jokingly suggested that Leo should transfer to his hospital because of the quality of its care; the pontiff replied that he, too, was receiving excellent treatment in Rome.

Historic: For the first time, Africa has surpassed Europe in the number of Catholics. What new global statistics reveal

ZENIT Staff

The report, compiled by Luca Mainoldi from the latest Statistical Yearbook of the Church, presents a picture of simultaneous expansion and strain. Catholic membership continues to grow across every continent, but the number of seminarians and women religious is falling globally

Trump Abandons Plans to Livestream Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution After Catholic Bishops’ Outcry

ZENIT Staff

The decision marks a retreat from a proposal that had prompted an unusually forceful response from the Catholic Church, which challenged not only the proposed public spectacle but also the moral implications of capital punishment itself.

Pope Leo XIV Leaves the Hospital: What Kind of Patient Was He? The Doctor Reveals All. Here’s How the Pope’s Discharge Went After a 4-Day Hospital Stay

ZENIT Staff

The Pope left the Gemelli Hospital at approximately 3:30 p.m., greeted by applause from patients, hospital visitors, faithful and members of the media who had gathered to wish him well

For the first time in five years, the global number of Catholic priests is on the rise

ZENIT Staff

Published for the centenary of World Mission Sunday, the statistics offer a mixed picture of the Catholic Church’s worldwide position. Its membership continues to expand, and the number of priests has finally returned to growth

Leo XIV is discharged from the hospital, but will the Pope be able to visit Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru? The doctor who operated on him answers

ZENIT Staff

Margaritora estimated that Leo XIV would need approximately another ten days to achieve a full physical recovery. In his assessment, a journey involving long flights and extensive travel, scheduled roughly three weeks after the interview, remained medically feasible

Artificial Intelligence: UN Seeks to Incorporate Pro-LGBT+ Ideological Bias

ZENIT Staff

UN Women claims current AI platforms use biased information and discriminatory algorithms, so the massive UN agency for women is gathering researchers, governments, technology companies, digital experts and women’s rights organizations to establish an AI hub that will influence, design and govern technology.

WHO to Censor Pro-Lifers

ZENIT Staff

At a webinar earlier this week, representatives of the WHO discussed the “Fides” influencer group, which was launched in 2020 to spread content on social media platforms to oppose “anti-vax” narratives during the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO has an official partnership with TikTok to make sure this content is widely seen

How many Catholics are there in the world? The latest figures will be released in 2026

ZENIT Staff

All the data in the Dossier, compiled by Luca Mainoldi, are taken from the latest edition of the «Church’s Book of Statistics», published this year. It offers an overview of the Catholic Church’s presence worldwide, its pastoral structures, and its educational, healthcare and charitable activities.

Questions about liturgy: Orans Gesture at Funerals

Fr. Edward McNamara

Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and sacramental theology at the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum university.

Why evangelical churches draw many migrants in the US

Belonging and belief: Why evangelical churches draw many migrants in the US
The Conversation: Overall, 12% of evangelicals in the U.S. were born outside the country, according to a 2024 study.

 

Andy Stanley sets exit plan from North Point Church
Baptist News Global: The younger Stanley, founding pastor of North Point Church in Atlanta, announced that he will step down as senior pastor of North Point Ministries at the end of this year and as senior pastor of North Point Church on June 1.

 

‘I shall be very surprised if there isn’t a next chapter’: A Q&A with Sarah Coakley*
The New York Times: The Rev. Dr. Sarah Coakley is one of the most original and consequential theologians in the world. An Anglican priest and philosopher of religion, she was the first woman elected the Norris-Hulse professor of divinity at Cambridge.

 

Vatican upholds excommunication of US deacon who resigned after son was molested by priest
The Guardian: Scott Peyton joined the Anglicans after the crime against his son. Then the Catholic church officially expelled him.

 

An iconic civil rights church looks to educate the next generation*
Sojourners: Sixty-three years after Black students propelled 16th Street Baptist Church to the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, the historic church is launching a center dedicated to educating the public on the fight for justice.