Sacred Heart of Jesus

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV prayed for Mary's maternal intercession so that she would help nations avoid lies and hatred and instruct leaders to protect the dignity of all human life.

He also prayed that families find strength, young people find meaning and people of faith seek greater communion because "within the church, Mother, your children cannot be divided."

In his homily at Mass for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Peter's Basilica Dec. 12, Pope Leo also asked Mary to support him in his ministry as the successor of St. Peter and "grant that, trusting in your protection, we may advance ever more united, with Jesus and among ourselves, toward the eternal dwelling place that He has prepared for us and where you await us."

While it was his first Mass marking the Marian feast day at the Vatican as pope, as Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, he had already served as the main celebrant at the altar during the Dec. 12 Mass in 2024 and 2023 when he was prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Pope Francis had presided over both of those Masses, but due to bouts of illness, he remained seated during the celebrations and gave the homily.

Pope Leo, who spent more than two decades as a missionary in Peru, gave the homily in Spanish and recalled how the Marian apparitions in 1531 in Tepeyac, Mexico, awakened "in the inhabitants of America the joy of knowing that they are loved by God." 

Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe is deeply rooted in Latin America. According to tradition, Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego, an Indigenous Mexican, and left her pregnant image imprinted on his cloak. It was said she assured him in his native language not to be afraid because, "Am I not here, who am your Mother?" offering protection, health and safety in the folds of her mantle.

"It is the voice that echoes the promise of divine fidelity, the presence that sustains when life becomes unbearable," especially "amidst unceasing conflicts, injustices and pains that seek relief," Pope Leo said.

Her motherhood "makes us discover ourselves as children," and "as children, we will turn to her to ask" what must be done, especially "how to grow in faith when our strength fails and shadows grow," the pope said. Referring to her son, Jesus, she will "tenderly reply: 'Do whatever he tells you.'"

Pope Leo then prayed for Mary's intercession, asking that she "teach nations that want to be your children not to divide the world into irreconcilable factions, not to allow hatred to mark their history or lies to write their memory."

"Show them that authority must be exercised as service and not as domination," he said. "Instruct their leaders in their duty to safeguard the dignity of every person during all stages of their life," and may these people create places "where every person can feel welcome."

He prayed that Mary would accompany young people so they could find strength in Christ "to choose what is good and the courage to remain firm in the faith, even when the world pushes them in another direction." 

"Show them that your Son walks beside them. May nothing afflict their hearts so that they may fearlessly welcome God's plans," he said, praying that she also help keep young people safe "from the threats of crime, addiction and the danger of a meaningless life."

"Seek out, Mother, those who have strayed from the holy church," he said. "May your gaze reach them where ours cannot, break down the walls that separate us, and bring them back home with the power of your love."

Pope Leo then implored Mary to touch the hearts of those "who sow discord toward your Son's desire that 'they may all be one' and restore them to the charity that makes communion possible, for within the church, Mother, your children cannot be divided."

"Strengthen families," he prayed. "Following your example, may parents educate their children with tenderness and firmness, so that every home may be a school of faith."

He prayed that those who teach be inspired to share the truth "with the gentleness, precision and clarity that comes from the Gospel," and he prayed that the clergy and consecrated men and women find support and encouragement to be faithful, prayerful and revitalized.

"Holy Virgin, may we, like you, keep the Gospel in our hearts," he said, and help Christians understand "we are not the owners of this message, but, like St. Juan Diego, we are its simple servants."

Pope Leo celebrates Guadalupe

A look at Pope Leo's Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. (CNS video/Robert Duncan)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christian archaeology seeks to see, hear and touch the Word made flesh, Pope Leo XIV said, inviting the world's bishops and others to encourage young people, lay people and priests to study archaeology.

Ancient relics, catacombs, artifacts and ruins from the early Christian communities help the faithful "rediscover the roots of their faith," and they speak "to those who are distant, to nonbelievers and to those who question the meaning of life, because they find an echo of eternity in the silence of the tombs and in the beauty of the early Christian basilicas," the pope wrote in a new document.

"Moreover, archaeology speaks to young people, who often seek authenticity and significance; to scholars, who view faith as a historically documented reality rather than an abstraction; to pilgrims, who find in the catacombs and shrines a sense of purpose and an invitation to pray for the Church," he wrote.

The Vatican released Pope Leo's apostolic letter "on the importance of archaeology," Dec. 11, "on the occasion of the centenary of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology," which was founded by Pope Pius XI in 1925. The pope also met with members of the institute in an audience at the Vatican the same day.

The institute is a graduate-level research and teaching institution that offers degrees in Christian archaeology and has trained hundreds of archaeologists who specialize in ancient Christianity.

In the six-page letter, Pope Leo reaffirmed "the essential role of archaeology in understanding Christianity and, consequently, its application within catechetical and theological formation."

"This is not about reducing ecclesial life to a cult of the past," he wrote. True Christian archaeology is about making "the past speak to the present" and recognizing "the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding history."

"In today's fast-paced world, there is a tendency to forget and to consume images and words without reflecting on their meaning," Pope Leo wrote. "The Church, on the other hand, is called to educate people in memory, and Christian archaeology is one of its most noble tools for doing so."

Archaeology is "a ministry of hope, for it shows that faith has already survived difficult times and resisted persecution, crises and changes," he wrote. "Those who study the origins of Christianity discover that the Gospel has always had a generative force, that the Church is always reborn," and that the faith "has been renewed and regenerated, taking root in new peoples and flourishing in new forms."

"We live in an age in which misuse and overconsumption have taken precedence over preservation and respect," he wrote. "Archaeology, on the other hand, teaches us that even the smallest piece of evidence deserves attention, that every detail has value and that nothing can be discarded."

Archaeologists, he wrote, "do not destroy, but decipher," identifying "the spirit of an era, the meaning of faith and the silence of prayer on a piece of pottery, a corroded coin or a faded engraving." This kind of attitude and approach of respect "can teach us a great deal about pastoral care and catechesis today."

"Christian communities safeguarded not only Jesus' words, but also the places, objects and signs of his presence," he wrote. "The empty tomb, Peter's house in Capernaum, the tombs of the martyrs and the Roman catacombs all testify that God has truly entered history, and that faith is not a mere philosophy, but a tangible path within the reality of the world."

"In an era when culture often loses sight of its roots, archaeology becomes a valuable instrument" for evangelization, he said in the new document.

Christian archaeology does not simply look at the past, he wrote, but it also speaks to all people in the present day: the faithful, those who are distant, nonbelievers, young people and even scholars.

"It is still the mission of Christian archaeology to help the Church remember its origins, preserve the memory of its beginnings and recount the history of salvation not only through words, but also through images, forms and spaces," he wrote. 

Christian archaeology "seeks to touch, see and hear the Word made flesh," he wrote. "By concentrating on the physical traces of faith, archeology educates us in a theology of the senses: a theology that knows how to see, touch, smell and listen."

"Do we too believe in the power of study, formation and memory? Are we willing to invest in culture despite today's crises, to promote knowledge despite indifference and to defend beauty even when it seems irrelevant?" Pope Leo asked.

He invited "bishops, as well as leaders and guides in the areas of culture and education, to encourage young people, lay people and priests to study archaeology."

"Christian archaeology is a service, a vocation and a form of love for the Church and for humanity," he wrote, encouraging the pontifical institute to "continue your excavations. Continue to study, teach and recount history" to others as well as to "make visible the Word of life, bearing witness that God became flesh, that salvation has left its mark, and that this Mystery has become a historical narrative."

The Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology was founded to complement the work of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, which oversees the protection, conservation and administration of Christian catacombs and other sacred archaeological sites in Italy; the Pontifical Roman Academy of Archaeology, which promotes scholarly lectures and study on archaeology spanning from ancient Roman to Medieval times; and the Pontifical Academy "Cultorum Martyrum," which promotes the veneration, historical study and liturgical memory of Christian martyrs.

Pope Leo urged the different bodies to cooperate, communicate and mutually support one another.

Christian archaeology is "a resource for everyone," he wrote, by promoting culture and inspiring "respect for diversity."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The secret to living an authentic life is praying to understand what is truly beneficial according to God's plan and letting go of the superfluous, Pope Leo XIV said.

In fact, death "can be a great teacher of life. To know that it exists, and above all to reflect on it, teaches us to choose what we really want to make of our existence," the pope said Dec. 10 at his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.

"Praying, in order to understand what is beneficial in view of the kingdom of heaven, and letting go of the superfluous that instead binds us to ephemeral things, is the secret to living authentically, in the awareness that our passage on earth prepares us for eternity," he said.

It was the pope's first general audience after returning from his first apostolic trip, a visit to Turkey and Lebanon Nov. 27-Dec. 2. An 82-foot-tall Christmas tree, which arrived Nov. 27 and will be fully decorated and unveiled with the Nativity scene Dec. 15, could be seen near the obelisk in the square. 

Instead of using his general audience talk to recap his trip as had been the custom of his immediate predecessors, the pope did so after reciting the Angelus Dec. 7. At the audience, he continued his series of talks on the Jubilee theme of "Jesus our hope," focusing on "death in the light of the Resurrection."

"Our present culture tends to fear death and seeks to avoid thinking about it, even turning to medicine and science in search of immortality," Pope Leo said in his English-language remarks.

However, Jesus' victory of passing from death to life with his Resurrection "illuminates our own mortality, reminding us that death is not the end, but a passing from this life into eternity," he said. "Therefore, death is not something to be feared, but rather a moment to prepare for."

"It is an invitation to examine our lives and so live in such a way that we may one day share not only in the death of Christ, but also in the joy of eternal life," the pope said.

"The event of the Resurrection of Christ reveals to us that death is not opposed to life, but rather is a constitutive part of it, as the passage to eternal life," he said in his main catechesis in Italian.

"He has prepared for us the place of eternal rest, the home where we are awaited; he has given us the fullness of life in which there are no longer any shadows and contradictions," Pope Leo said.

Awaiting death "with the sure hope of the Resurrection preserves us from the fear of disappearing forever and prepares us for the joy of life without end," he said. 

Pope Leo: Do not fear death!

A look at Pope Leo's general audience Dec. 10, 2025. (CNS video/Robert Duncan)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Pope Leo XIV reiterated the importance of dialogue and his hopes for a just and lasting peace in the region.

"In addition, the questions of prisoners of war and the need to assure the return of Ukrainian children to their families were also discussed," the Vatican press office said in a communique released after the meeting Dec. 9.

The two leaders held their closed-door meeting in the morning at the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo, southeast of Rome; the meeting lasted about 30 minutes.

"During the cordial talks, which focused on the war in Ukraine, the Holy Father reiterated the need for the continuation of dialogue and expressed his urgent desire that the current diplomatic initiatives bring about a just and lasting peace," the Vatican communique said. 

During an exchange of gifts, Zelenskyy gave Pope Leo a handmade, traditional Ukrainian-style Nativity scene, according to Vatican News.

Ukraine's ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash, was part of the five-person delegation and said, "It was a wonderful meeting, very sincere and peaceful," reported Vatican News.

On X, the social media platform, Zelenskyy expressed his appreciation for the support of the pope and the Holy See with its "ongoing humanitarian assistance and the readiness to expand humanitarian missions."

"During today's audience with His Holiness, I thanked him for his constant prayers for Ukraine and for the Ukrainian people, as well as for his calls for a just peace," the president wrote.

He said he told the pope "about diplomatic efforts with the United States to achieve peace," and "we discussed further actions and the Vatican's mediation aimed at returning our children abducted by Russia."

President Zelenskyy also invited the pope to visit Ukraine, saying it "would be a powerful signal of support for our people."

The meeting with the pope came after Zelenskyy met British, French and German leaders in London Dec. 8 to bolster support for Ukraine and increase economic pressure on Russian President Vladímir Putin to put an end to the war on his neighbor.

French President Emmanuel Macron's office said the London meeting aimed "to continue joint work on the U.S. plan in order to complement it with European contributions, in close coordination with Ukraine," according to the Associated Press.

Zelenskyy also met Dec. 8 with Mark Rutte, secretary-general of NATO, António Costa, president of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, at Rutte's official residence in Brussels.

According to a statement published Dec. 9 on Zelenskyy's official website, president.gov.ua, those leaders "discussed diplomatic work with the U.S. side aimed at achieving a dignified and guaranteed peace" based on a peace process that is "clearly focused on safeguarding its sovereignty and national interests."

"The parties agreed that the framework must clearly specify a date for Ukraine's accession to the European Union," the statement said.

Von der Leyen posted on X that the "EU remains ironclad in its support for Ukraine," adding that "Ukraine's security must be guaranteed, in the long term, as a first line of defence for our Union." 

After meeting with European leaders, Zelenskyy was set to share with the United States an update to the original peace plan U.S. President Donald Trump had proposed, which many observers saw as more favorable to Russia.

Zelenskyy told reporters on WhatsApp the new plan removed eight "obvious anti-Ukrainian points" or conditions; however, there was still no consensus on giving up Ukrainian territory to Russia, which the U.S. plan considers necessary for peace, but Ukraine and Europe have opposed.

Zelenskyy's meetings in Western Europe reflect his and other leaders' desire to include Europe in the U.S. peace plan, something the U.S. did not do.

Speaking to reporters on the papal plane from Lebanon to Rome Dec. 2, Pope Leo said, "It is clear that, on the one hand, the president of the United States thinks he can promote a peace plan that he would like to implement and that, at least initially, did not involve Europe."

"However, Europe's presence is actually important, and that initial proposal was modified partly because of what Europe was saying," he said.

"Specifically, I think Italy's role could be very important," he said, "because of Italy's ability to act as an intermediary in a conflict between different parties: Ukraine, Russia, obviously, the United States…."

"I would suggest that the Holy See could also encourage this type of mediation and that we seek together a solution that could truly offer peace, a just peace, in this case in Ukraine," the pope had said.

Zelenskyy was meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Dec. 9 after his meeting with Pope Leo.

It was the third time Pope Leo and the Ukrainian president sat down together: the first time was briefly after the pope's installation Mass at the Vatican May 18, and then for 30-minute closed-door talks July 9 at the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo.

Pope Leo talks peace with Ukrainian president

Pope Leo XIV welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo Dec. 9, 2025. (CNS video/Robert Duncan)

ROME (CNS) -- Celebrating the feast of the Immaculate Conception as the Jubilee Year was ending, Pope Leo XIV prayed that "Jubilee hope" would "blossom in Rome and in every corner of the earth," bringing with it reconciliation, nonviolence and peace.

Standing near the Spanish Steps in central Rome, at the foot of a towering column topped by a statue of Mary, the pope led thousands of Romans, pilgrims and tourists in prayer Dec. 8.

At dawn that morning, a firefighter named Roberto Leo, the fire service's longest serving department head in Rome, climbed up 100 rungs of an aerial ladder to place a wreath of white flowers on the outstretched arms of the statue about 90 feet above the ground.

Following a tradition begun in 1958 by St. John XXIII, Pope Leo blessed a basket of white roses that assistants placed at the foot of the statue and read a prayer specifically written for this year's feast, with references to what is going on in the church, the city and the world. 

In the prayer to Mary, Pope Leo noted that the Jubilee year brought millions of pilgrims to Rome, representing "a humanity tried, at times crushed, humble like the earth from which God shaped it and into which he never ceases to breathe his Spirit of life."

"Look, O Mary, upon the many sons and daughters in whom hope has not been extinguished: May what your Son has sown sprout within them -- he, the living Word who in each person asks to grow still more, to take on flesh, face and voice," the pope prayed.

As the Holy Doors of the major basilicas of Rome are about to close at the end of the Jubilee Jan. 6, he said, "may other doors now open: doors of homes and oases of peace where dignity may flower again, where nonviolence is taught, where the art of reconciliation is learned."

The pope prayed that Mary would "inspire new insights in the church that walks in Rome and in the particular churches that in every context gather the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of our contemporaries -- especially the poor and all who suffer." 

Pope Leo also expressed the hope that baptism, which washes every person free of original sin would "bring forth holy and immaculate men and women, called to become living members of the Body of Christ -- a body that acts, consoles, reconciles and transforms the earthly city where the city of God is being prepared."

In a world filled with "changes that seem to find us unprepared and powerless," he asked Mary to intercede and help.

"Inspire dreams, visions and courage, you who know better than anyone that nothing is impossible for God, and at the same time that God does nothing alone," he prayed.

The pope also asked Mary to help the church always be "with and among the people, leaven in the dough of a humanity that cries out for justice and hope."

Before heading to the Spanish Steps, the pope had led the recitation of the Angelus prayer at noon with visitors in St. Peter's Square.

By preserving Mary from any stain of sin from the moment of her conception, he said, God granted her "the extraordinary grace of a completely pure heart, in view of an even greater miracle: the coming of Christ the savior into the world as man."

That extraordinary grace bore extraordinary fruit, he said, "because in her freedom she welcomed it, embracing the plan of God."

"The Lord always acts in this way: he gives us great gifts, but he leaves us free to accept them or not," the pope said. "So, this feast, which makes us rejoice for the unsullied beauty of the Mother of God, also invites us to believe as she believed, giving our generous assent to the mission to which the Lord calls us."
 

Pope: May Mary lead humanity to Jesus

On Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Leo led a prayer at a Marian statue in the center of Rome, where at dawn firefighters had placed a wreath of flowers on the statue's outstretched arm.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV asked Canadian singer Michael Bublé and other artists to do their very best when performing a Christmas concert for the poor.

The annual concert at the Vatican "is not merely a performance by talented artists or simply a musical event, beautiful as it may be, nor even a moment of solidarity to ease our conscience in the face of society's injustices," the pope told Bublé and the other artists Dec. 5.

"I would like us, as we participate in this gathering, to recall the Lord's words: 'Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me,'" the pope said. 

Some 3,000 people assisted by the Vatican's charity office, the Rome diocesan Caritas and other Catholic charities in Rome will be the primary guests at the concert Dec. 6 in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall. It will be livestreamed by Vatican Media.

The concert for the poor began as the initiative of Pope Francis in 2015, although he did not attend any of the performances. However, the Vatican said, Pope Leo will be present for the 2025 edition.

"If we concretely love those who are hungry and thirsty, those without clothing, the sick, the stranger, the prisoner, we are loving the Lord," Pope Leo told the artists, including members of the choir of the Diocese of Rome and the Nova Opera Orchestra.

"This is the Gospel," Pope Leo said, quoting from his exhortation on love for the poor: " This is not a matter of mere human kindness but a revelation: contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history. In the poor, he continues to speak to us."

"The dignity of men and women is not measured by what they possess," the pope insisted. "We are not our goods and belongings, but rather children loved by God; and this same love must be the measure of our actions toward our neighbor."

"For this reason, in our concert, the most vulnerable brothers and sisters occupy the first places," he said.

Msgr. Marco Frisina, director of the choir of the Diocese of Rome, said Pope Francis came up with the idea of the concert for the poor to give them "something they are never given -- something beautiful" and exclusive. 

Bublé, who spoke to reporters after meeting the pope, said he was "overwhelmed" and "I'm really still not over the moment."

A Catholic, the singer said he was able to bring his wife and parents to the papal audience.

"For this young kid from Burnaby (British Columbia), who grew up Catholic, to be sitting here now, it's almost impossible to really express to you how it feels," he said.

Bublé told reporters his set list for the concert includes several songs requested by Pope Leo, starting with the Ave Maria in Latin.

"To be really honest," he told reporters, "I sang that song once -- one time in a recording studio with all of the strings and the orchestra, and I never sang the song again. And when he asked, I was very, very nervous. I didn't want to let him or any of you down, but with the amazing group behind me, with the choir and this orchestra, I realized that there's no fear, there's only joy and rehearsal."

Asked about his faith, Bublé told reporters, "I have a wonderful personal relationship with God. And it doesn't just affect my music. It affects everything, everything I do, every decision I make."

"If my brand is anything," he said, "I very much hope that it's kindness and hope and love."
 

WASHINGTON - In light of recent statements regarding the Somali community in the United States, Bishop Daniel E. Garcia, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, called on all people to remember each person’s God-given human dignity.

Bishop Garcia’s full statement below: 

“As Catholics, we believe that every person is beloved by God and created in his image. Each child of God has value and dignity. Language that denigrates a person or community based on his or her ethnicity or country of origin is incompatible with this truth. I call on all—public officials, community leaders and individuals — to refrain from denigrating and dehumanizing language. May we recognize the rich gifts that neighbors from diverse cultures bring to our communities. The Body of Christ is beautiful in its diversity and each part, while different, is valued and needed. I pray that together, we can be people of welcome, respect, and understanding.” 

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A commission set up by Pope Francis to study women deacons has voted against the possibility of ordaining women deacons while also supporting more study on the issue.

It also expressed hope that women's access to other ministries would be expanded.

Pope Francis established the "Study Commission on the Female Diaconate" in 2020 as a follow-up to a previous group that studied the history of women deacons in the New Testament and the early Christian communities.

Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi of Aquila, Italy, was chosen as president of the commission and Msgr. Denis Dupont-Fauville served as secretary. Pope Francis had named 10 other members of the commission -- five women and five men, including two permanent deacons from the United States and three priests.

The seven-page report published Dec. 4 was a synthesis of the commission's work, which concluded in February, and was addressed to Pope Leo XIV. According to Vatican News, the pope requested the synthesis -- which was dated Sept 18 -- be made public.

The Vatican published the synthesis, including the results of votes the commission members took on eight different statements or "theses."

One proposition that showed members split exactly down the middle was: "The masculinity of Christ, and therefore the masculinity of those who receive Holy Orders, is not accidental but is an integral part of sacramental identity, preserving the divine order of salvation in Christ. To alter this reality would not be a simple adjustment of ministry but a rupture of the nuptial meaning of salvation."

When this statement was put to a vote among 10 members in February, it received five votes in favor, confirming its current form, while the other five members voted to remove it.

A statement that received six votes against, two for and two abstaining was: "The undersigned is in favor of the institution in the church of the female diaconate as understood as the third degree of holy orders."

In fact, during the commission's second session in July 2022, members agreed seven to one on the following statement: "The 'status quaestionis' of historical research and theological investigation, as well as their mutual implications, rules out the possibility of moving in the direction of admitting women to the diaconate understood as a degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders. In light of sacred Scripture, tradition and the church's magisterium, this assessment is strongly maintained, although it does not at present allow for a definitive judgment to be formulated, as is the case with priestly ordination." 

The commission unanimously expressed support in 2021 for the establishment of new ministries that "could contribute to synergy between men and women. Their implementation would require the development of appropriate means of formation -- theological, practical, mystagogical -- and support." Pope Francis had announced several months before, in January 2021, that the ministries of lector and acolyte would be open to women.

During its last working session in February, the commission also reviewed materials it received after the Synod of Bishops had allowed anyone to contribute to the commission's deliberations.

"Although many interventions were submitted, the persons or groups who sent their writings numbered only 22 and represented few countries," the report said. "Consequently, although the material is abundant and in some cases skillfully argued, it cannot be considered the voice of the Synod, much less of the People of God as a whole."

The report noted the subject of a female diaconate is of "significant complexity" and lacks "sufficient consensus," as could also be seen in the discussion reports compiled during the October 2024 Synod on Synodality.

However, the report noted some of the arguments being made in favor of women's ordination to the diaconate, citing how proponents have said excluding women from this ministry seems to contradict the biblical foundation of the equal status and dignity of "male" and "female" as images of God.

Because of that, some believe women should not only be allowed access to ordination as deacons, but also to the other degrees of Holy Orders: the priesthood and episcopate, the report said.

"The argument based on the masculinity of Jesus Christ is seen as a sexist and narrow view, leading to discrimination against women," it noted. "According to these views, the 'repraesentatio Christi' should no longer be linked to gender categories but should focus on the ministerial mediation of salvation through men and women."

Given the different arguments, the commission developed during its third and final session the thesis which saw the members split down the middle about the masculinity of Christ and those who receive Holy Orders as not being accidental but is "an integral part of sacramental identity" and "the nuptial meaning of salvation."

The commission then voted nine in favor and one against on a "preamble" that encouraged broadening "women's access to ministries established for the service of the community."

"It is now up to the discernment of pastors to evaluate what further ministries can be introduced for the concrete needs of the church of our time, thus ensuring adequate ecclesial recognition of the diakonia (service) of the baptized, particularly of women. Such recognition will be a prophetic sign, especially where women still suffer situations of gender discrimination," the preamble said. 

Cardinal Petrocchi then added his own personal comment in the report's conclusion, noting the "intense theoretical and existential dialectic" between two theological standpoints.

The first maintains that the ordination of a deacon is for ministry and not for priesthood, which "would open the way toward the ordination of women deacons," he wrote.

The opposing stance, he wrote, insists "on the unity of the sacrament of Holy Orders, together with the nuptial meaning of the three degrees that constitute it, and rejects the hypothesis of a female diaconate; it also notes that if the admission of women to the first degree of Holy Orders were approved, exclusion from the others would become inexplicable."

For this reason, the cardinal wrote, continued study should focus on critically examining "the diaconate in itself -- that is, on its sacramental identity and its ecclesial mission -- clarifying certain structural and pastoral aspects that are currently not fully defined."

"The commission insisted on the urgency of valuing 'baptismal diakonia' as the foundation of any ecclesial ministry," he wrote.

In fact, he wrote, there are whole regions where the diaconal ministry is "almost nonexistent" and others where it is active with functions often "coinciding with roles proper to lay ministries or to altar servers in the liturgy."

"It should also be emphasized that the various commissions were unanimous in pointing out the need to expand 'communal spaces' so that women can participate adequately and share responsibility in the church's decision-making bodies, including through the creation of new lay ministries," the cardinal wrote.

While the report did not name the commission members taking part in the deliberations in 2021, 2022 and 2025, Pope Francis had named the following in 2020: U.S. Deacon Dominic Cerrato, director of deacon formation for the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois; U.S. Deacon James Keating, a former director of theological formation at the Institute for Priestly Formation at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. The other three men were priests: Father Santiago del Cura Elena, a priest of the Archdiocese of Burgos, Spain, and a professor and theologian who has studied and written extensively about priestly ordination; Father Manfred Hauke, a German-born professor at the Theological Faculty of Lugano, Switzerland, and author of a book examining the church's teaching on ordaining only men as priests; and Msgr. Angelo Lameri, a professor of liturgy and the sacraments at Rome's Pontifical Lateran University.

The five women chosen had been: Catherine Brown Tkacz, a U.S.-born professor at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, who focuses on women in the Bible and in Christian tradition; Caroline Farey, a theologian and catechist educator who serves as "Diocesan Mission Catechist" for the Diocese of Shrewsbury, England; Barbara Hallensleben, a professor of theology at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and former member of the International Theological Commission; Rosalba Manes, a consecrated virgin and biblical scholar, who teaches at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University; and Anne-Marie Pelletier, a French biblical scholar.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Visiting two countries over six days on his first foreign papal trip, Pope Leo XIV preached unity, dialogue and respect for differences as the only paths to peace.

Spending time with Catholics, other Christian leaders and top Muslim clerics in Turkey Nov. 27-Nov. 30 and Lebanon Nov. 30-Dec. 2, the pope made formal speeches about how believing in God as the father of all means recognizing one another as brothers and sisters.

But he also set aside time in a packed schedule for private talks, lunches and late evening meetings with the leaders. 

"The more we can promote authentic unity and understanding, respect and human relationships of friendship and dialogue in the world, the greater possibility there is that we will put aside the arms of war, that we will leave aside the distrust, the hatred, the animosity that has so often been built up and that we will find ways to come together and be able to promote authentic peace and justice throughout the world," he told reporters flying back to Rome with him Dec. 2.

The three iconic moments of the trip were his prayer with top Christian leaders Nov. 28 at the site of the Council of Nicaea, his visit to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul Nov. 29 and his prayer Dec. 2 amid the rubble of the Beirut port explosion in 2020.

The whole trip was planned to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and its drafting of the Creed that mainline Christian communities still recite today. 

Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople hosted the ecumenical prayer service and the common recitation of the Creed on a platform overlooking the ruins of a Christian basilica in Iznik, site of the ancient Nicaea, about 80 miles southeast of Istanbul.

With the Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem or their representatives and with representatives of other Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant churches, Pope Leo said that at a time when humanity is "afflicted by violence and conflict," the world "is crying out for reconciliation."

"The desire for full communion among all believers in Jesus Christ is always accompanied by the search for fraternity among all human beings," he said. "In the Nicene Creed, we profess our faith 'in one God, the Father.' Yet, it would not be possible to invoke God as Father if we refused to recognize as brothers and sisters all other men and women, who are created in the image of God." 

The desire to reach out and form relationships with others also was on display when Pope Leo, like his two immediate predecessors, removed his shoes and entered the so-called Blue Mosque in Turkey's capital; he spent about 20 minutes inside but did not appear to pause for prayer as Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis had done.

Instead, he listened to Askin Musa Tunca, the mosque's muezzin who calls people to prayer five times a day, explain the building, its construction and how Muslims pray. And the pope asked questions.

The Vatican press office said afterward that Pope Leo visited the mosque "in a spirit of reflection and attentive listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer." 

On his last morning in Beirut, he laid a wreath, lighted a candle and prayed silently at a memorial to the more than 200 people killed when improperly stored chemicals exploded at the port; the blast also injured some 7,000 people and left an estimated 300,000 people without homes.

Standing amid mountains of rubble, piles of burnt-out cars and heaps of tattered clothing and cloth, the pope was joined by family members of those killed and by people still bearing the scars of injuries they suffered that day.

They carried photos of the loved ones they lost and signs appealing for the government to seriously investigate who was at fault for allowing the chemicals to be stored there.

A young woman, crying, asked Pope Leo for a hug, which the pope gave her before putting his hand on her head and blessing her.

At Mass afterward, he said, "I prayed for all the victims, and I carry with me the pain, and the thirst for truth and justice, of so many families, of an entire country."

And after Mass, before heading to the airport, he told the people, "During these days of my first apostolic journey, undertaken during this Jubilee Year, I wanted to come as a pilgrim of hope to the Middle East, imploring God for the gift of peace for this beloved land, marked by instability, wars and suffering."

Even when it seems peace is far off, Pope Leo said, "I invite you to lift your gaze to the Lord who is coming! Let us look to him with hope and courage, inviting everyone to set out on the path of coexistence, fraternity and peace. Be artisans of peace, heralds of peace, witnesses of peace!"
 

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM LEBANON (CNS) -- At the end of his first foreign trip as pope, a trip focused on dialogue, Pope Leo XIV said the examples of friendship and respect he had seen could be a helpful example for people in North America and Europe, too.

For example, the stories of Christians and Muslims helping each other in Lebanon when their villages were destroyed, he said, offer the lesson that "we should perhaps be a little less fearful and look for ways of promoting authentic dialogue and respect," the pope told reporters Dec. 2 during his flight back to Rome from Lebanon.

Often, fear of Muslims in the West is "generated by people who are against immigration and are trying to keep out people who may be from another country, another religion, another race," he said. "In that sense, I would say that we all need to work together."

Pope Leo set off from Rome to Turkey Nov. 27 and headed to Lebanon Nov. 30. On the way home, he spent more than 25 minutes responding to reporters' questions.

Topics ranged from his election to future trips and from Venezuela to Ukraine. 

After his repeated appeals throughout the trip for an end to violence in the Middle East, violence that includes attacks on Israel by Hezbollah militants and attacks on Lebanon by Israel targeting the militants, the U.S.-born Pope Leo was asked if he would "use his connections" with U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to promote peace in the region.

"I believe sustainable peace is achievable," the pope said. "In fact, I've already, in a very small way, begun a few conversations with some leaders of places you mentioned," he told the reporter.

The Vatican's diplomatic efforts, though, take place mostly "behind the scenes," he said. The important thing is that those involved in armed conflict silence their weapons and sit at the same table to negotiate peace. 

On the question of Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed peace plan, which was drafted without the input of European members of NATO, Pope Leo said he was happy to see that revisions to the plan already were being made to include Europe's concerns.

Asked about the ongoing tensions between Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Pope Leo said the Vatican is in contact with "the bishops and the nuncio" in trying to find ways "to calm the situation," especially because the people suffering most are the simple citizens of Venezuela.

However, Pope Leo also noted that "the voices coming from the United States keep changing," alternating between ultimatums to Maduro and the occasional softening of the rhetoric.

"I don't know more," the pope said, but it is always better to seek the path of dialogue.

Responding to another question about dialogue and friendship, Pope Leo said his episcopal motto, "In Illo Uno Unum," literally "In the One, we are one," is an obvious reference to the unity found with faith in Christ. 

But it also is "an invitation to all of us and to others to say, 'The more we can promote authentic unity and understanding, respect and human relationships -- so friendship and dialogue in the world -- the greater possibility there is that we will put aside the arms of war," the pope said.

When people learn to "leave aside the distrust, the hatred, the animosity that has so often been built up," he said, "we will find ways to come together and be able to promote authentic peace and justice."

As far as the conclave that elected him May 8, the pope said he holds "very strictly" to the secrecy of the election process.

The day before the conclave began, he said, a reporter stopped him on the street and asked what he thought about people saying he was a candidate.

"I simply said, 'Everything is in the hands of God,' and I believe that profoundly," the pope said.

Pope Leo said people who want to understand him should read the book "The Practice of the Presence of God" by an author known only as Brother Lawrence; it has influenced his spirituality for years, he said. The premise is "one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead."

"In the midst of great challenges, living in Peru during years of terrorism, being called to serve in places where I never thought I'd be called to serve, I trust in God," he said.

"When I saw how things were going" in the conclave, he said, "I took a deep breath. I said, 'Here we go, Lord. You are in charge, and you lead the way.'" 

As for the crowds that gather in Rome and turned out on the trip, Pope Leo said he knows they are coming to see him, "but I say to myself, 'They are here because they want to see Jesus Christ, and they want to see a messenger of peace.'"

The enthusiasm, especially of young people, "is awe-inspiring," he said, "and I just hope I never tire of appreciating" that.

As for future papal trips, he said, there is nothing "certain" yet, but he hopes his next trip will be to Africa, including Algeria where St. Augustine served as bishop and where he still "is very respected as a son of the nation."

"Just to confirm," he said: "Africa. Africa. Africa."

Rumors had been flying that he would head to Peru, where he had served as a missionary and bishop for 20 years, and to Argentina and Uruguay, countries that had been promised a visit by Pope Francis.

"But the plan still has not been finalized," he said.