St. Maria Goretti Parish

The parish priest of Gaza’s Holy Family church says his phone call on Tuesday with Pope Leo XIV was a blessing. The parish continues to shelter 450 people, including elderly, sick, and children, as many residents remain despite the danger.

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Franciscan Friar Ibrahim Faltas of the Custody of the Holy Land reflects on the suffering of children in Gaza, forced into repeated displacement and uncertainty. He calls on educators, families, and societies to form new generations in a true culture of peace, urging all to “continue to believe, to pray, and to hope for peace.”

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Crying out to God during moments of extreme trial does not mark a crisis of faith but can reflect an act of total surrender to and enduring trust in God, Pope Leo XIV said.

"In the journey of life, there are moments in which keeping something inside can slowly consume us," the pope told thousands of people huddled under umbrellas or dressed in rain gear in St. Peter's Square Sept. 10 for his weekly general audience. 

"Jesus teaches us not to be afraid to cry out, as long as it is sincere, humble, addressed to the Father," he said.

"A cry is never pointless if it is born of love, and it is never ignored if it is delivered to God," he said. "It is a way to not give in to cynicism, to continue to believe that another world is possible."

During the audience, the pope offered special greetings to Arabic-speaking faithful, especially those from the Holy Land.

"I invite you to transform your cry in times of trial and tribulation into a prayer of trust, because God always listens to his children and responds at the moment he deems best for us," he said.

Pope Leo also asked the faithful to find inspiration in Sts. Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, the two young men he canonized Sept. 7, and, like them, "learn from Christ the cry of hope and the desire to open our hearts to the will of the Father who wants our salvation."

In his main talk, the pope continued his series of reflections on lessons of hope from the Gospel stories of Jesus' last days, focusing specifically on the crucified Christ's cry to God and his death on the cross.

Before he cried out on the cross, Pope Leo said, Jesus asked "one of the most heart-rending" questions that could ever be uttered: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

"The Son, who always lived in intimate communion with the Father, now experiences silence, absence, the abyss. It is not a crisis of faith, but the final stage of a love that is given up to the very end," the pope said. "Jesus' cry is not desperation, but sincerity, truth taken to the limit, trust that endures even when all is silent." 

"We are accustomed to thinking of crying out as something disorderly, to be repressed," the pope said. However, "the Gospel confers an immense value to our cry, reminding us that it can be an invocation, a protest, a desire, a surrender," even an "extreme form of prayer, when there are no words left."

Crying out can express "a hope that is not resigned," he said. "One cries out when one believes that someone can still hear."

"Jesus did not cry out against the Father, but to him. Even in silence, he was convinced that the Father was there," Pope Leo said. "And, in this way, he showed us that our hope can cry out, even when all seems lost."

"We come into the world crying: it is also a way of staying alive," he said. "One cries when one suffers, but also when one loves, one calls, one invokes. To cry out is saying who we are, that we do not want to fade away in silence, that we still have something to offer."

When the hour of extreme trial comes, he said, "let us learn the cry of hope," which is not a cry meant to hurt or to shout at someone, "but to entrust ourselves" and "to open our hearts."

If one's cry is genuine, it can usher in a new beginning, he said. "If it is made manifest with the trust and freedom of the children of God, the suffering voice of our humanity, united with the voice of Christ, can become a source of hope for us and for those around us."

WASHINGTON – The Administrative Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved the transition of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism into a permanent subcommittee of the Conference on September 9. The new Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation will fall under the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, whose mandate includes Catholic social teaching on issues of domestic concern such as poverty, housing, the environment, criminal justice, and other challenges that often have a disproportionate impact on communities of color.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the USCCB, noted the significance of the move as affirmation of the bishops’ ongoing commitment to addressing the sin of racism. Referencing the bishops’ 2018 pastoral letter against racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, he said, “The Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation continues the important work of the temporary ad hoc committee. As we call for a genuine conversion of heart that will compel change at both individual and institutional levels, I invite all Catholics to join us as we carry forward this work to recognize and uphold the inherent dignity of every person made in the image and likeness of God.”

Bishop Joseph N. Perry, who has been serving as chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism shared his support, saying, “I speak on behalf of the bishop members, staff and consultants of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism in expressing gratitude for the transition of our committee to a standing subcommittee so that the important work of evangelization of the faithful and the community at large may continue in the spirit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” 

The new subcommittee will begin its work following the conclusion of the November Plenary Assembly. For more information and ongoing updates, please visit the USCCB’s racial justice webpage: https://www.usccb.org/committees/ad-hoc-committee-against-racism. 

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The Earth Partner Exhibition at the Borgo Laudato sì features works by young artists from 28 countries on the challenges of the ecological crisis. Cardinal Fabio Baggio welcomes the initiative as a way to engage youth in the urgent call to care for our common home.

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In conformity with the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the Chinese government, Joseph Wang Zhengui receives episcopal consecration, becoming the first bishop of the new diocese of Zhangjiakou, created two months ago by Pope Leo XIV.

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At the start of the General Chapter of the Carmelite Order, the Pope sends a letter, encouraging members in their service and prayer, and in all forms of their mission.

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Qatari officials are examining whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can be held accountable under international law following an Israeli airstrike on the capital that killed five Hamas members.

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In a joint statement ahead of COP30, Pax Christi International, Caritas Internationalis, and CIDSE urge the need for immediate action to care for creation because “there can be no true peace without climate justice”.

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Pope Leo XIV renews his invitation for everyone to pray for peace in war-torn places, appealing for protection and care for children.

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