Cardinal Pietro Parolin speaks at an Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) press conference in Rome, Italy, on Sept 28, 2017. / Daniel Ibáñez/CNA.

Vatican City, Oct 16, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

International Catholic nonprofit Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will release its global religious freedom report in Rome next week with an Oct. 21 conference featuring the Vatican’s secretary of state and victims of religious persecution.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin will introduce the “Religious Freedom in the World Report 2025” with a speech at the Pontifical Patristic Institute Augustinianum conference center near the Vatican. 

The report, released every two years since 1999, is a global study of religious freedom and persecution across all countries and faith groups.

“Since the first edition of the RFR, the situation has steadily worsened, and unfortunately, this negative trend is expected to continue,” Marta Petrosillo, the report’s editor-in-chief, said in a press release published ahead of the report’s launch.

According to ACN, this year’s report highlights the continent of Africa, particularly the spread of jihadist violence into the countries of Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The daylong conference will feature the voices of religious freedom experts and persecuted Christians from Nigeria, Syria, India, Sudan, and Pakistan.

The second half of the day will also include a panel of speakers on the increasing restrictions to religious freedom in democratic societies in the West, including legal and cultural pressure, secularist intolerance, and challenges to public witness.

In 2024, ACN spent more than $150 million on thousands of projects in 137 countries.

In an audience with members of the nonprofit at the Vatican on Oct. 10, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of their work, especially in a world that continues to “witness growing hostility and violence against those who hold different beliefs, including many Christians.”

Pope Leo XIV is shown here at the Holy Mass for the opening of the general chapter of the Order of Saint Augustine on Sept. 1, 2025 . / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 16, 2025 / 06:03 am (CNA).

The Order of St. Augustine and the Vatican Publishing House announced the publication of a new book by Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost O.S.A., titled “Free Under Grace: Writings and Meditations 2001-2013.” The book will be presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, which opened Wednesday.

The tome will include, for the first time, the writings of the current pontiff during his term as prior general of the Augustinian Order, offering readers a "closer look at his spirituality," according to a statement from the Vatican Publishing House. It will include reflections, meditations, homilies, and addresses, all imbued with the characteristic Augustinian spirituality of the reigning pontiff.

The book will be published in Italian in the Spring of 2026. Spanish and English versions will also be available, the Vatican Publishing House confirmed to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

Fr. Joseph Lawrence Farrell, O.S.A., current prior general of the Augustinian Order, commented: “This book, which compiles many of the communications of the then prior general, Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A., offers an overview of some of the important themes developed during his years at the head of the Order of Saint Augustine.”

Lorenzo Fazzini, editorial director of the Vatican Publishing House, said that “We are truly delighted to participate in the Frankfurt Book Fair by presenting this previously unpublished book by Robert Francis Prevost O.S.A. — Leo XIV — to publishers around the world.” Fazzini noted that “This text will allow readers to delve into the pope's writings during his time as an Augustinian religious and superior of his order. It is a highly anticipated volume for readers around the world.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Abigail, Joshua, Jesus, Sheep, and Pigeon in "The Chosen Adventures," which comes out on Prime Video on Oct. 17. / Credit: David Griffin

CNA Staff, Oct 16, 2025 / 05:11 am (CNA).

5&2 Studios, the production company behind the hit series “The Chosen,” is releasing its new animated series called “The Chosen Adventures” on Prime Video on Oct. 17. 

The new series follows 9-year-old Abby and her best friend Joshua as they navigate life in the city of Capernaum. When the two children meet a wise carpenter — Jesus of Nazareth — he changes the way they see the world. 

“The Chosen Adventures” consists of 14 11-minute episodes and features several of the original cast members, including Jonathan Roumie as Jesus, Elizabeth Tabish as Mary Magdalene, Paras Patel as Matthew, and George Xanthis as John, among others. 

Joining the cast is Paul Walter Hauser as Sheep, Yvonne Orji as Pigeon, Romy Fay as Abby, Jude Zarzaur as Joshua, Danny Nucci as Abba, and Zehra Fazal as Eema.

Dallas Jenkins, writer, director, and creator of “The Chosen,” serves as an executive producer for the new animated series. He told CNA in an interview that the inspiration for the new show came from episode three of Season 1 of “The Chosen,” in which Jesus is seen interacting with children throughout the episode. 

“Not only did kids love it, but adults loved it because seeing Jesus with the eyes of a child is actually how Jesus often wants you to see him,” he told CNA. “And that episode resonated so strongly that we thought, ‘Okay, well, this is an opportunity. What if we did an animated series where Abigail and Joshua, the two main characters from that episode, were featured and it really allows us to explore a whimsy and a playfulness that you can really dig into with animation in a fresh way.”

Jenkins emphasized that while children will enjoy the show, it is also something adults can enjoy. 

“It's still grounded in truth,” he said. “And I still think that you'll watch this show and it will still feel real even though yes, there's a pigeon and a sheep that talk to each other, we always want to ground it in ‘The Chosen’ way.”

He added, “Yes, younger kids are going to appreciate it. But I think it's going to still feel like ‘The Chosen.’ It's not going to feel like it's a departure from who we are.”

As a huge fan of “The Chosen,” Hauser, who will voice the character of Sheep, told CNA that “the idea of doing a faith-based program that I was really proud of” was a major factor in what drew him to the role. He hopes the series will leave both children and adults feeling “encouraged or inspired to deepen their relationship with God.”

“You don't have to come to God with fancy big words and sound like someone you're not,” he added. “God is not impressed with us trying to dress up our faith in some way. I think it has more to do with authenticity and with the readiness to want to approach God and ask questions and engage with that.”

Jenkins added that he hopes viewers will be left inspired to be “curious.”

“Abigail sets an example for all of us with curiosity. She's asking questions. She never wants to stop learning. And I think God loves that,” he said. “I turned 50 this year. I never want to stop being curious. I never want to stop learning more, seeing things from a different perspective. I think we need that more than ever in society.”

He added: “Yes, we are grounded on foundational, Biblical truths that won't change but our perspective, the way we interact with others, the way we see the world, the way we see politics, the way we see other people, the empathy that we can find for other people that I think children are capable of, that we adults sometimes don't do, is something that is really important.”

Apparition of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. / Credit: Alacoque, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Oct 16, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque — whose feast day is celebrated in the Catholic Church on Oct. 16 — was a French nun responsible for spreading the devotion of the Sacred Heart throughout the Western Church.

Born in July 1647, Margaret had a great love for God from a young age. Her father, Claude, passed away when she was 8 years old. From ages 9 to 13 she suffered a paralyzing illness. This, in addition to a struggle over her family’s property, made life difficult for Margaret and her mother. However, it was during her time suffering with the illness that she made the promise to enter religious life.

For some time during her adolescence, however, Margaret forgot about her vow and lived an ordinary life. It wasn’t until she had a vision one evening at age 22 that her life changed.

In the vision, Margaret saw Christ being scourged. She believed this meant that she had betrayed Jesus by living a worldly life instead of a religious one. It was then that she entered the convent.

In 1673, Margaret experienced Christ’s presence in a way she never had while praying. She heard Jesus tell her that he wanted to show his love for people by encouraging a special devotion to his Sacred Heart.

Christ revealed ways to venerate his Sacred Heart and explained the immense love he has for humanity, appearing with his heart visible outside his chest, on fire, and surrounded by a crown of thorns.

Christ told Sister Margaret Mary: “My Sacred Heart is so intense in its love for men, and for you in particular, that not being able to contain within it the flames of its ardent charity, they must be transmitted through all means.”

These visions continued for 18 months. When Margaret told her superior, she did not believe her.

On June 16, 1675, Jesus told Sister Margaret Mary to promote a feast that honored his Sacred Heart. He also gave Sister Margaret Mary 12 promises made to all who venerated and promoted the devotion of the Sacred Heart.

Soon after, Father Claude La Colombiere, a Jesuit, became Margaret’s spiritual director. He believed what she had to say and began to write down her revelations. Colombiere has since been canonized, and many have read his writings on the Sacred Heart.

Thanks to Colombiere, Margaret had found inner peace about her revelations being doubted by others. However, her writings and the accounts of others faced a thorough examination by Church officials.

Margaret died in 1690 and was canonized by Benedict XV on May 13, 1920.

The Vatican was at first hesitant to declare a feast to the Sacred Heart. But as the devotion spread throughout France, the Vatican granted the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to France in 1765.

In 1856, Blessed Pius IX designated the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi as the feast of the Sacred Heart for the universal Church.

This article was first published on Oct. 16, 2022, and has been updated.

Eduardo Peñalver will begin his role as the 49th president of Georgetown on July 1, 2026. / Credit: Georgetown University

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 15, 2025 / 18:22 pm (CNA).

The oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher learning in the United States, Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., has named Eduardo Peñalver, current president of Seattle University and former dean of Cornell Law School, as its 49th president. 

“We are pleased to welcome Eduardo Peñalver to Georgetown University,” Thomas A. Reynolds, chair of the board of directors, said in a press release announcing the decision. “President Peñalver is an exceptional leader steeped in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition who brings a wealth of experience in higher education, a global mindset, a commitment to social justice and academic excellence, and a bold vision for Georgetown’s future.”

Peñalver will assume his new role on July 1, 2026.  He has served as the 22nd president of Seattle University, also a Jesuit institution, since 2021. He succeeds Georgetown’s interim president, Robert Groves. 

“I’m deeply honored to have the privilege of serving as Georgetown’s next president,” Peñalver said in the release. “I would like to thank the Presidential Search Committee and Georgetown’s board of directors for entrusting this role to me at such a pivotal time for Georgetown and for higher education.” 

In the university’s announcement, Peñalver said he would apply his experience as leader of a Jesuit institution to his role at Georgetown. “At the center of our work, [Jesuit universities] share an interest in students as whole persons, focusing on their experiences both inside and outside the classroom,” he said.

He continued: “We share an aspiration to do more than teach a skill or impart knowledge, but to get students to grapple with the deeper questions, to pursue more ambitious goals like wisdom and understanding and meaning, in their academic work and in their lives.”

The incoming president said today “is an exciting moment in Georgetown's history,” citing the expansion of the University’s Capitol Campus, as well as the establishment of interdisciplinary programs, and increased efforts to make attendance more affordable for students. 

“I look forward to working with the students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Georgetown to deepen the university’s impact on our country and on our world,” he said. 

Peñalver was raised in a Catholic family in Puyallup, Washington. He graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University in 1994, before earning his law degree in 1999. He then clerked for Judge Guido Calabresi of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, according to the release. 

He later taught at Fordham Law School, the University of Chicago Law School, and Cornell Law School, where he was appointed dean in 2014. 

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa (L) and a members of a Christian visit the Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City on July 18, 2025. / Credit: OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 15, 2025 / 17:51 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa has given an update on the status of Christians in Gaza after the first phase of the historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas began this week. 

“We are in daily contact with them,” the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said of the Catholic community in Gaza in a Vatican News interview. “They keep writing that they still cannot believe they were able to sleep through the night without hearing the sound of bombs.” 

Despite the promising outcome of the first phase of the peace deal, which saw the return of Israeli hostages and the strategic withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza, Pizzaballa emphasized that the situation in Gaza “remains very fluid.” Amid de-escalation between Israel and Hamas forces, clashes among warring factions have broken out across Gaza. Furthermore, he said, “we still do not know if [the war] has truly ended,” and the way forward is not yet clear. 

“The situation remains dramatic because everything is destroyed,” he explained. “People are returning, but they are returning to the ruins. Hospitals are not functioning; schools do not exist. There is still the matter of the bodies of the deceased Israeli hostages that must be recovered.”

“However, despite all this, there is a new atmosphere — still fragile, but we hope it will become more stable,” he continued.

Throughout the conflict, Pizzaballa said Catholics in the region have “felt the closeness” of both Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis. “They have different personalities, but both expressed their closeness in very concrete ways,” he said, noting both pontiffs had made a habit of frequent phone calls and contact with Father Gabriel Romanelli of Holy Family Parish in Gaza, in addition to concrete aid. Pope Leo sent antibiotics into Gaza this week. 

The cardinal said, “we must not confuse hope with a solution to the conflict,” while discussing how the region must move forward. “The end of the war is not the beginning of peace, nor is it the end of the conflict,” he said. Rather, fraternity must be built throughout the region, with new political and religious leadership “who can help rebuild a different narrative, one based on mutual respect.” 

While Pizzaballa said he did not know whether a two-state solution “is achievable in the short term," he emphasized the need for Palestinians to not only be helped and supported financially, but to be “recognized in their dignity as a people.” 

“One cannot tell the Palestinians that they have no right to be recognized as a people in their own land,” he said. “There have been declarations — often only theoretical — that must find concrete realization within the context of dialogue between the parties, which they themselves will have to reach, with the help and support of the international community.” 

Pope Leo and Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich at the Vatican on Oct. 9, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN News

CNA Staff, Oct 15, 2025 / 15:43 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich to the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, the Holy See said on Wednesday. 

The Vatican made the announcement via a press release on Oct. 15. The commission functions as the legislative body of Vatican City. 

In addition to managing the many functions and activities of the Vatican City government — including security and public order, public health and the environment, economic activities, postal and customs services, and numerous other internal concerns — the commission also oversees the artistic complex of the Vatican Museums and their assets.

Laws proposed by the commission must be approved by the Holy Father. 

The Holy See said Leo also appointed to the commission Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar general for the diocese of Rome. 

The pope on Oct. 15 further confirmed the commission’s existing membership for the current term.

Still serving as the commission’s president is Sister Raffaella Petrini, FSE, whom Pope Francis appointed earlier this year as the first woman to hold that role.

A papal ring, part of Father Richard Kunst’s “Vatican Unveiled” exhibit. / Credit: Courtesy of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

CNA Staff, Oct 15, 2025 / 15:41 pm (CNA).

A priest with a passion for historical artifacts has curated the largest collection of papal memorabilia outside of Rome — and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis just announced it will be on display there this winter.

This winter, Catholics can head to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, where Father Richard Kunst’s collection will be available for viewing from Jan. 10 to Feb. 1, 2026, according to a recent archdiocesan announcement. 

Spanning 19,000 square feet, the “Vatican Unveiled” exhibit features “artistic items with old-world craftsmanship” as well as “papal artifacts that show the humanity behind the leaders,” according to an Oct. 13 press release from the archdiocese. 

"Vatican Unveiled", according to Archbishop Bernard Hebda, will be a “very special celebration — the 175th anniversary of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.”

“It is a special exhibit of the largest collection of papal and other artifacts outside of Vatican City, the home of the Catholic Church,” Hebda said in an Oct. 13 announcement. 

The collection of about 300 items includes artifacts such as Pope Pius XII’s radio microphone and a papal ring, as well as an extremely rare historical Swiss Guard uniform. 

For Kunst, who caught the collector’s “bug” in high school, the display is the culmination of years of collecting.

“The collection is always growing,” Kunst said in a press release.

He first began by collecting presidential autographs, but eventually sold his collection and turned to Catholic artifacts.

“I continue my search for old, rare, and unique papal items, from documents to papal clothing,” Kunst said. 

Kunst hopes to eventually donate the collection to the Church, “where it may be enjoyed forever,” he said. 

“In the meantime, I am happy to share my collection with the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis as they celebrate their 175th anniversary, and I welcome everyone to come see some interesting artifacts at Mall of America,” he said. 

Kunst’s collection has also been displayed in Duluth, Minnesota, his hometown, in 2022. 

The archdiocese currently has a ticket presale waitlist for the exhibit, where attendees “will experience interesting historical perspectives” and which “is open and welcoming to all,” the archdiocese said.

Pope Leo with ‘Proton’ / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 15, 2025 / 14:35 pm (CNA).

Before the general audience on Oct. 15, Pope Leo XIV was gifted with a 12-year-old purebred Arabian horse named Proton.

The white horse is a gift from Michalski Stables in Kołobrzeg-Budzistowo, and will reside in Castel Gandolfo, home to the Vatican's equestrian center. Several purebred Spanish horses are also kept at the facility located within the papal complex.

The horse belongs to one of the oldest and most esteemed equine breeds in the world, known for its elegance and endurance.

According to the Vatican, the Pole Andrzej Michalski, president of the Michalski horse farm, offered the beautiful specimen to the Holy Father, recalling that during his time as a missionary in Peru, Pope Leo XIV frequently rode horses.

"The pope was very pleased. Holding the reins, we led him off together, taking him for a short walk. He was very satisfied; we were very happy," Michalski told Vatican News.

The Michalski horse farm is not only a place for horse breeding and equestrian competitions, but is also a center for hippotherapy (also known as equine-assisted therapy), especially useful for children with motor disabilities.

Proton's lineage is notable. His sire, the stallion Kahil, was born at the American branch of a stud farm in Qatar, while his dam, Pradera, comes from the historic Janów Podlaski stud farm. Proton's maternal grandsire was the stallion Hlayyil, bred for Her Royal Highness Princess Alia Al Hussein of Jordan.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

The 6th Annual Eucharistic Procession took place in New York City on Oct. 14, 2025, a day after a Nor’easter soaked the tri-state area. Organizers praised God for holding back the rain during the event and for allowing the procession to take place peacefully in Time Square during the 5 p.m. rush hour without incident. / Credit: Zach Fiedler / Napa Institute

New York City, New York, Oct 15, 2025 / 13:26 pm (CNA).

The 6th Annual Eucharistic procession organized by the Napa Institute took place in New York City on Oct. 14, a day after a Nor’easter soaked the tri-state area. Organizers praised God for holding back the rain during the event and for allowing the procession to take place peacefully in Times Square during the 5 p.m. rush hour.

Organized by the California-based institute, a crowd of an estimated 2,000 people gathered in St. Patrick’s Cathedral for a Holy Hour and Mass, followed by a procession.

During the Holy Hour, those in attendance listened to a talk by Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, of the Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, a missionary jurisdiction that covers the entire country of Mongolia.

He told the story of a theft which took place in a “precarious hall” in Mongolia in 2003 because the church had not yet been constructed. 

“One night, someone managed to force open the front door and break into the wall-mounted tabernacle to steal a small monstrance,” the cardinal recounted.

Marengo said the parish priest sent a catechist to report the theft to the police the next day. The catechist told them that thieves had stolen “the most precious thing we have.” When the police asked for a description of the object, wondering if it was gold or precious stones, the catechist said, “No, it is thin, unleavened bread.” 

The police sent him away, thinking the man practiced a strange religion.

“But yes, that consecrated bread is the Church’s immeasurable treasure,” said Marengo. “It is the real presence of Christ, the Lord, among his people.”

Father Ambrose Criste, a Norbertine priest from St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange County, California, then spoke on the theme of profit and gain, and how in 1626, a Dutch colonist purchased the Island of Manhattan from the Lenape Indians for $24.

“Here in Manhattan, the property value — that excludes the parks, roads, and highways — was estimated back in 2014, at $1.74 trillion. When Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited here not too many decades ago, she didn’t observe how rich we are, but rather how poor we are. In fact, far poorer than the lepers and those who were dying, whom she knew so well,” he said.

Criste stated that the poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty; it is one of loneliness and of spirituality.

“There is a hunger for love as there is a hunger for God,” he said. “There is nothing on this planet, nothing in the entire country, nothing in the entire universe that can surpass the value of the Holy Eucharist. There is nothing that can give us life, nothing else that can satisfy our hunger for love,” he said.

Attendees expressed surprise when they found out that Jonathon Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus in the TV series “The Chosen,” was there to speak. Roumie began by highlighting St. Carlo Acutis’ words that “the Eucharist is my highway to heaven.”

“As a New Yorker, I too, have a similar kind of sentiment, that the Eucharist is my express train to heaven. Probably the 3 train, for obvious reasons. Unless it is the weekend, and there are closures. Then you have to take the 2, get on a shuttle to Grand Central, get the 4 and the 5, and see how that ends up,” said Roumie, to the chuckles of New Yorkers.

“Or if you haven’t been to confession, you should probably take the bus. It’s a whole other direction,” he said, to even more laughter.

Roumie reminded the audience that "you don’t have to play Jesus on TV to be Jesus to the world around you. And that we can do this by making the Eucharist part of our daily life, like St. Carlo."

“This became my own endeavor in the last six months, filming the penultimate season of ‘The Chosen, Season 6,’ which we completed one month ago. It centers on the crucifixion. It was by far the hardest thing I have ever done as an actor and as a Christian man. The intensity of portraying Christ’s passion, suffering, and death on the cross was one which challenged me and necessitated a level of strength that I, on my own, do not possess, but only Christ himself,” he said.

The only way that Roumie could sustain himself, he said, was by partaking in the Eucharist as often as time would allow. 

“Confession, the Eucharist and adoration became my very food and drink. Without these, I would surely have starved and perished: perished in the abyss of my own mental approximation of our Lord’s crucifixion and death. But by seeking the healing of the deep wounds of sin within myself through the sacrament of reconciliation, receiving the Eucharist almost daily, it was Christ who then took over and further fashioned my soul to reflect more of Him within me,” he said. “It is Christ whose light shines within.”

Roumie reminded the audience that Jesus made a promise 2,000 years ago not to leave us or forsake us. 

“For 2,000 years, he has kept his promise. He is with us,” he said.

Cardinal Seán O’Malley, the recently retired Cardinal of Boston, presided and the Mass and gave the homily, which continued with the theme of Jesus’ promise to stay with us always in the Eucharist. He recalled an event which happened when he had been a bishop in the West Indies. 

“I once had a friend, Father Fox from Washington, DC, who had a magical personality and was a joy to be with. One morning, I was at my desk, and a call came in saying that Father Fox had died of a heart attack,” he said.

O’Malley recalled that he had to go to the post office that same day to pick up the mail, and to his surprise, he found a letter from Father Fox.

“It seemed he had sent me a letter from the grave,” the cardinal said.

As he read the letter, he could almost hear his friend's voice and laughter.

“It occurred to me that this letter was like the Eucharist: a sign of love and friendship and desire to communicate. But in Jesus’ case, it was planned. The letter that he sends us is himself: the Word made flesh, made Eucharist. And God has been preparing that letter for all eternity,” he said.

After Mass, the Eucharistic procession spilled out onto 5th Avenue, with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal singing in English and Spanish. Tourists snapped pictures, while some New Yorkers stopped and stared. University students from Fordham University waved Vatican flags. Missionaries of Charity nuns mixed with families, and drones hovered above the crowds.

The procession ended with benediction by New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan back at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.