Category: 2025 News

To add your prayers to the pope’s spiritual birthday bouquet, please note your prayer offering by clicking here!

 

(OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV turns 70 on Sept. 14, and OSV News is celebrating by gathering a host of prayers into a very special “spiritual birthday bouquet” for the Holy Father.

The best part? Everyone can participate.

In partnership with Pray More Novenas, Relevant Radio, the Daughters of St. Paul, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Pontifical Mission Societies, Sing the Hours and more, OSV News is encouraging an outpouring of prayer for Pope Leo and his intentions leading up to his milestone birthday – and his first birthday as pope.

Called “Pizza and Prayer,” the spiritual bouquet will be made up of a variety of prayer options from a full novena to a Holy Hour to a rosary. Each prayer effort will be noted, collated and sent to the pope. OSV News is also encouraging participants, when possible, to pray together and then grab a slice of pizza in honor of one of the Chicago native’s favorite treats. The name of every person and organization who participates in this spiritual bouquet will be included on the card OSV News will send to the Vatican.

“One of the most important things that we can do as Catholics is pray for the pope and for his intentions,” said Gretchen R. Crowe, editor-in-chief of OSV News. “The modern Petrine ministry is one of the most challenging roles in the world. As Pope Leo XIV prepares to celebrate this special birthday, we want him to be surrounded by prayer, and we hope everyone will participate in this special effort.”

Partners around the United States and the world are participating.

“We are so happy to join the OSV News Spiritual Bouquet for Pope Leo’s birthday!” said Father Francis (Rocky) Hoffman of Relevant Radio. “From Thursday, September 4 to Sunday, September 14, we will offer our Family Rosary Across America on Relevant Radio at 7 pm CT for the Holy Father, and we expect we will be sending him around 1 million rosaries.”

The Daughters of St. Paul, also known as the Media Nuns, also are looking forward to participating.

“As Daughters of St. Paul, our mission is to bring Christ to the world through every means of communication,” said Sister Tracey Dugas. “What greater joy than to join our voices in prayer for the Holy Father on his 70th birthday! We are grateful for the opportunity to unite with so many others in offering Pope Leo XIV the gift of prayer and presence, along with a little pizza to celebrate his life and vocation.”

“The most important present we can give Pope Leo for his 70th birthday is praying for him, his health and intentions,” said Msgr. Roger Landry, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies USA. “September 14 is a Sunday this year and so it’s a great opportunity for his spiritual family to pray together at Mass and then to celebrate him afterward in a Sunday meal. I’m sure he’d be really pleased if we invited the poor, like he recently did at Castel Gandolfo.”

Happy birthday, Pope Leo. You are in our prayers.

In response to the deadly shooting at a Catholic School in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, 2025, the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, released the following statement:

“I was heartbroken and horrified to hear about the tragic shooting that took place Wednesday morning during Mass at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis. I ask all people of faith to pray for those who are suffering and for the healing of this deeply wounded community.

“The fact that such a violent act could happen in the middle of Mass is almost unimaginable. It is so profoundly distressing to know that such violence could erupt in a place meant for prayer and peace.

 “As we pray for the victims, their families, the parish community, the first responders, and everyone now carrying the weight of sorrow and fear – we ask our Blessed Mother Mary – whose Annunciation gave hope to the world – to intercede for all of those whose lives have been impacted by this horrible tragedy.”

ST. PAUL, Minn. (OSV News) – A deadly mass shooting took place the morning of Aug. 27 at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis shortly after the start of the school day during an all-school Mass at the adjacent Annunciation Catholic Church.

The gunman shot from the outside of the church through windows at the Mass attendees with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, killing two children, ages 8 and 10. According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, 17 others are injured, including 14 children. Three adults who were shot were parishioners in their 80s.

While there were “a range of injuries” among the injured children, they are all expected to survive, O’Hara said during an afternoon press briefing.

The suspected gunman is also dead and believed to have taken his own life in the parking lot.

Local media is reporting the suspected shooter was 23-year-old Robin Westman, who formerly went by Robert, and that his mother had been an employee of Annunciation.

Court documents filed in Dakota County, accessed by OSV News on Aug. 27, indicate that Westman identified as female and petitioned to formally undergo a name change to reflect that identity. The request was granted on Jan. 15, 2020.

O’Hara confirmed that Westman appeared to have barricaded at least two of the church’s exterior doors with two-by-four wooden boards to trap Mass attendees inside.

Aug. 27 was the third day of the school year for the Catholic elementary school, which serves students in preschool to grade eight. Students were attending an all-school Mass that began at 8:15 a.m. Authorities were alerted at 8:27 a.m.

The mass shooting at Annunciation appears to be the first of its kind involving a Catholic school in the modern era of school shootings that began with the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colorado.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joined O’Hara in speaking to media on the scene during a mid-morning press conference. Dr. Thomas Wyatt, chair of emergency medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center in downtown Minneapolis, also provided reporters an update on victims’ status. He said 11 patients were taken to HCMC, among them two adults and nine children ages 6-14.

“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying,” Frey said. “They should be able to go to school or church in peace without the fear or risk of violence and their parents should have the same assurance.”

“There are no words that can capture the horror and the evil of this unspeakable act,” he said.

Father Erich Rutten, pastor of nearby St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, arrived on scene this morning to pray with and comfort distraught and grieving parents at the school.

The priest told NBC News that parents were in “great, great anxiety and grief,” with some “wailing and crying, some stooping to the ground.”

He told the news outlet that he hugged those he recognized; several of them joined in as he prayed the rosary.

Bishop Kevin T. Kenney, auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who grew up attending Annunciation Parish, rushed from the downtown Minneapolis parish where he serves as pastor to Hennepin County Medical Center to comfort families. He told local ABC affiliate KSTP , “It’s just unbelievable that this could happen, still today.”

It’s “very sad for the community, for the families, and very sad for the families who have lost loved ones,” he said.

“I have talked to a few (families) whose children are in surgery or being cared for,” he added. “Just panicking, of course they’re in shock and worried, asking, ‘Why, why?’ So I’m just here to comfort. They also have a wonderful staff inside as well to comfort the people and to just walk with them in these hours ahead.”

He said, “It’s a horrible, horrific way for all the students to begin the school year. Safety procedures were put in place, people come excited to go back to school, very excited about an academic year, feeling safe in south Minneapolis, and now look what happened.”

Annunciation’s former interim pastor Father Robert Hart, 77, told NBC News that the school shooting was “unbelievable.”

“It’s hard to believe that this could happen at a Catholic Mass,” he said. The priest described Annunciation as a “very close-knit and very supportive” community.

President Donald Trump said on the X social media platform that he has “been fully briefed” on the shooting.

“The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene,” he said. “The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”

Also on X, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that he has been “briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we get more information. The BCA and State Patrol are on scene. I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”

Kristi Noem, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said on X that “DHS is monitoring the horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. We are in communication with our interagency partners, and will share more information as soon as it becomes available. I am praying for the victims of this heinous attack and their families.”

Bishops and Catholic leaders across the country have issued their condolences and offered prayers in solidarity with the church in Minnesota.

“As a Church, we are following the tragic news from Annunciation School in Minneapolis with heartbreaking sadness,” said Archbishop William E. Lori, vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in a statement. “Whenever one part of the Body of Christ is wounded, we feel the pain as if it were our very own children. Let us all beg the Lord for the protection and healing of the entire Annunciation family.”

Pope Leo XIV also offered prayers, according to a message to Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis from Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state.

“His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was profoundly saddened to learn of the loss of life and injuries following the shooting that took place at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, and he sends his heartfelt condolences and the assurance of spiritual closeness to all those affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families now grieving the loss of a child,” he wrote.

“While commending the souls of the deceased children to the love of Almighty God, his Holiness prays for the wounded as well as the first responders, medical personnel and clergy who are caring for them and their loved ones,” Cardinal Parolin continued. “At this extremely difficult time, the Holy Father imparts to the Annunciation Catholic School community, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and the people of the greater Twin Cities metropolitan area his apostolic blessing as a pledge of peace, fortitude and consolation in the Lord Jesus.”

In a statement, Archbishop Bernard said he was grateful for prayers and asked that they continue.

“I beg for the continued prayers of all of the priests and faithful of this Archdiocese, as well for the prayers of all men and women of good will, that the healing that only God can bring will be poured out on all those who were present at this morning’s Mass and particularly for the affected families who are only now beginning to comprehend the trauma they sustained,” he said.

“My heart is broken as I think about students, teachers, clergy and parishioners and the horror they witnessed in a Church, a place where we should feel safe,” he said.

He noted that the shooting at Annunciation happened only a day after another shooting in South Minneapolis near Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, where one person was killed and six were injured.

The back-to-back shootings “increases the sadness about the pain and anger that is present in our communities,” he said. “We need an end to gun violence. Our community is rightfully outraged at such horrific acts of violence perpetrated against the vulnerable and innocent.”

Archbishop Hebda said a prayer service has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 27 at Academy of the Holy Angels in Richfield, about 2 miles south of Annunciation.

Archdiocesan staff members, he added, “are working with the parish and school teams to make sure they have the support and resources they need at this time and beyond.”

Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, asked for prayers on X.

“Friends, this morning there was a shooting at Annunciation Catholic Parish in Minneapolis. Please join me in praying for all those who were injured or lost their lives — along with their families,” he wrote. “Let us also pray for the students, faculty, and entire parish community,” he wrote.”

Bishop Patrick M. Neary of St. Cloud, Minnesota, also expressed his grief over the shooting.

“Today, our hearts are shattered by the horrific act of violence that occurred at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis. Children were gathered for Mass. Teachers were beginning a new school year. Families were entrusting their loved ones to the care of the Church,” he said in a statement.

“I grieve deeply with the families, students, staff and parishioners of Annunciation. I grieve with our neighbors in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. And I grieve with every person who now carries the trauma of this senseless violence.

“As Catholics, we believe in the dignity of every human life. That dignity is destroyed when violence becomes routine,” he continued. “May Christ, the Prince of Peace, bring healing to all who are wounded, and may Our Lady of Sorrows intercede for us in this time of grief.”

ST. PAUL, Minn. (OSV News) – Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda told media Aug. 27 that prayers offered from around the United States and world, including from Pope Leo XIV, have been “a source of hope” following that morning’s mass shooting during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis that left two children dead and 17 other victims injured.

“Brothers and sisters, we have to be men and women of hope,” he said. “It’s through prayer and that ‘prayer of the feet’ — through action — that we can indeed make a difference.”

Archbishop Hebda joined Annunciation Catholic School Principal Matt DeBoer and other city and state leaders in a media briefing outside Annunciation Catholic School and the adjacent Annunciation Catholic Church. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara were present and also spoke at the afternoon press conference.

Speaking as the church bells tolled, Archbishop Hebda noted that “the bell in a Catholic church is always a call to prayer. … It’s a reminder to be praying.”

He commended DeBoer, Annunciation’s pastor Father Dennis Zehren, and Deacon Kevin Conneely for “how valiant” they and their staff were in responding to the tragedy.

“How sad it is … not only for the families who are directly involved, but indeed for families everywhere who feel the threat that comes from an event, a tragedy like today’s,” he said.

Archbishop Hebda read in full that day’s message from Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, that expressed Pope Leo’s prayers and “spiritual closeness” to the victims.

“We know that the Holy Father, Pope Leo, did his hospital training right here in Minneapolis, so he knows our community, and he’s been reminding anybody visiting from Minnesota that he spent some time here,” he said. “We’re very grateful for his blessing, but I … ask that you would continue to look for those ways of supporting those who have been impacted today, not only with your prayers, but also with your action.”

A 23-year-old gunman shot from the outside of the church through windows at the Mass attendees with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, killing two children, ages 8 and 10, before committing suicide. Among the 17 injured were 14 children, all expected to survive. Three adults who were shot were parishioners in their 80s.

Speaking immediately before Archbishop Hebda, DeBoer commended his staff and told his school community, “I love you.”

“You’re so brave, and I’m so sorry this happened to us today. Within seconds of this situation beginning, our teachers were heroes,” he said. “Children were ducked down. Adults were protecting children. Older children were protecting younger children, and … it could have been significantly worse without their heroic action.

“This is a nightmare,” he continued, “but we call our staff the dream team and we will recover from this. We will rebuild from this. … We as a community have a responsibility to make sure that no child, no parent, no teacher ever has to experience what we’ve experienced today.”

DeBoer said, “We lost two angels today. Please continue to pray for those still receiving care.”

(OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV joined his brother bishops and fellow Americans in the U.S. in expressing condolences following a deadly mass shooting that took place Aug. 27 at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis shortly after the start of the school day during an all-school Mass at the adjacent Annunciation Catholic Church.

In a telegram to Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state said the pontiff was “profoundly saddened to learn of the loss of life and injuries following the shooting that took place at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, and he sends his heartfelt condolences and the assurance of spiritual closeness to all those affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families now grieving the loss of a child.”

“While commending the souls of the deceased children to the love of Almighty God, His Holiness prays for the wounded as well as the first responders, medical personnel and clergy who are caring for them and their loved ones,” the telegram said. “At this extremely difficult time, the Holy Father imparts to the Annunciation Catholic School community, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and the people of the greater Twin Cities metropolitan area, his apostolic blessing as a pledge of peace, fortitude and consolation in the Lord Jesus.”

The gunman shot from the outside of the church through windows at the Mass attendees killing two children, ages 8 and 10, according to Minneapolis police. Seventeen others were injured, including 14 children who are expected to survive their injuries. Three adults in their 80s were also injured.

In a statement, Archbishop Hebda said he was grateful for prayers and asked that they continue.

“I am so grateful for the many promises of prayers that have been coming in from the Holy Father, Pope Leo, and from so many from all around the globe, all praying for the families of Annunciation Parish and School and for all who were impacted by this morning’s senseless violence,” he said.

“I beg for the continued prayers of all of the priests and faithful of this Archdiocese, as well for the prayers of all men and women of good will, that the healing that only God can bring will be poured out on all those who were present at this morning’s Mass and particularly for the affected families who are only now beginning to comprehend the trauma they sustained,” he continued. “We lift up the souls of those who lost their lives to our loving God through the intercession of Our Lady, Queen of Peace.”

“My heart is broken as I think about students, teachers, clergy and parishioners and the horror they witnessed in a Church, a place where we should feel safe,” he said.

He noted that the shooting at Annunciation happened only a day after another shooting in South Minneapolis near Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, where one person was killed and six were injured.

The back-to-back shootings “increases the sadness about the pain and anger that is present in our communities,” he said. “We need an end to gun violence. Our community is rightfully outraged at such horrific acts of violence perpetrated against the vulnerable and innocent. They are far too commonplace. While we need to commit to working to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies, we also need to remind ourselves that we have a God of peace and of love, and that it is his love that we will need most as we strive to embrace those who are hurting so deeply.”

Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, vice-president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also mourned the tragedy in a statement.

“As a Church, we are following the tragic news from Annunciation School in Minneapolis with heartbreaking sadness,” he said. “Whenever one part of the Body of Christ is wounded, we feel the pain as if it were our very own children. Let us all beg the Lord for the protection and healing of the entire Annunciation family.”

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York wrote on X, “Once again we are shocked and horrified by the news of another senseless shooting, this time all the more disturbing because it happened at a Catholic church and school, which should always be sanctuaries of peace.”

“We mourn the two innocent children whose lives were cut short by this dreadful tragedy and hold in our intentions the seventeen wounded,” Cardinal Dolan said. “We join in compassionate solidarity with the countless families of the city of Minneapolis, Annunciation Catholic School, and beyond who have been touched by an unthinkable grief caused by mind numbing gun violence which has become all too common. We pray for an end to all violence in our hearts, in our communities, and in our world.”

Bishop Mark Eckman of Pittsburgh said in a statement he was “devastated” by the mass shooting at Annunciation, saying the violence had “shattered what should have been a holy moment of grace.”

“We hold close in prayer the students, families, teachers, parish community, and first responders,” he said, in part. “We ask the Lord to bring healing to the injured, eternal rest to those who have died, and consolation to all who mourn.”

Archbishop W. Shawn McKnight of Kansas City, Kansas, in a statement said his heart was heavy with grief.

“No parent should ever fear for the safety of their children at school, especially as they gather to encounter the Lord in the Holy Sacrament of the Mass. No child should ever have to carry such grief and fear. No teacher or staff member should ever fear for their lives as they go about the noble work of caring for God’s children,” he said.

“Sacred Scripture assures us that ‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, saves those whose spirit is crushed’ (Psalm 34:19). Christ himself has conquered sin, evil, and fear through the power of his Cross and Resurrection, and in him alone do we find our peace and security. May we respond to this tragedy today with prayer, solidarity, and the hope that only the Lord can give.”

Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez wrote in a post on X, “We are praying for our brothers and sisters in Minneapolis. We pray for those who died and those who were injured in this morning’s shooting at Annunciation Catholic School.”

Bishop David M. O’Connell of Trenton, New Jersey, chair of the USCCB’s Committee on Catholic Education called for prayers, saying, “There are no words sufficient to convey the depth of evil behind such a deliberate act of violence against innocent children. Nor can language fully express the sorrow and compassion that fill our hearts at this moment. These young students and their school community were gathered in prayer at Mass, marking the beginning of a new school year — a time meant for hope, not horror. It is simply unfathomable.”

He continued: “To the grieving families: We hold you close in prayer and love. To the students, teachers and staff of Annunciation: You are not alone. To the first responders and medical teams: We thank you for your courage and care. Once again, the Body of Christ has been pierced. And once again, we are called — as members of that Body — to bind up the wounds, to comfort the afflicted and to stand firm in faith. Evil will not have the final word. The light of Christ will shine through this darkness.”

SCRANTON – The mental health crisis – especially among our young people – is growing. But anyone can be affected. 

Experts stress that all people should take mental health as seriously as physical health. 

“If you’re thinking of suicide, treat that the same way you would if you were having chest pains or maybe tingling in your arms,” said Deacon Ed Shoener, president of the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers, a lay association dedicated to helping people with mental illness and their families. “You’d call someone and have it checked out – you’re worried about maybe a heart attack or a stroke.”

“Similarly, if you’re having thoughts of suicide, don’t feel ashamed, just be concerned and make it a point to talk to your doctor, or if you know a therapist – but talk to someone about it,” Deacon Shoener, who also serves both the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Immaculate Conception Parishes, added. “It’s a warning sign that you need to examine and see if there’s something more to it than just passing thoughts or having a bad day.”

As leaders in the Church, we are called to respond with compassion, understanding, and hope. 

The Catholic Mental Health Ministry at the Cathedral of Saint Peter invites anyone in the community to participate in a Mental Health Awareness Series throughout the month of September. 

Each Thursday evening, from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., the series will examine different aspects of mental health. The series will be offered at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 330 Wyoming Avenue, in Scranton. The topics include:

SCRANTON – The annual Mass in Italian will be celebrated on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. in the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton. All are welcome to attend.

The liturgy is celebrated in conjunction with La Festa Italiana, which occurs over the Labor Day weekend, Friday through Monday, Aug. 29 – Sept. 1, on Courthouse Square, one block away.

Reverend David P. Cappelloni, V.F., La Festa Chaplain and pastor of Saints Anthony and Rocco Parish, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, both located in Dunmore, will be the principal celebrant and homilist.

Concelebrants will include Monsignor Constantine V. Siconolfi, La Festa Chaplain Emeritus, and priests from the Diocese of Scranton. Deacons from the Diocese will also participate.

The Mass will be broadcast live by CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton and will be rebroadcast on Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 10:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Friday, Sept. 5, at 10:30 a.m. In addition to airing live on CTV, the Mass will air live on the Diocese of Scranton website and on all Diocesan social media platforms. It will also be available on demand after the live broadcast concludes.

This year’s Italian Mass is being offered in memory of all those members and friends of La Festa Italiana who passed away since the last Mass was celebrated, including:
Catherine Alu, Samuel “Danny” Argo, Sarah Marie Barrese, George Bieber,
Angela Costanzi, Ralph DelPrete, Craig Friedman, Cpl. Tony Gillette Jr., Lt. Kelly “Hoppy” Hopkins, Ann Azzeroni Kania, Paul LaBelle, Ron Leas, Joanne Ligorio, James P. Minicozzi, Bonnie Rosati, Tony “Red” Summa and Guy Valvano, who led the ushers for decades at the Mass.

Music ministry for the Italian Mass will be provided by the choirs of Saints Anthony and Rocco Parish and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Dunmore, accompanied by a brass quartet, all directed by Joseph Moffitt. Dominick DeNaples, mandolin; Patrick Loungo, Nicholas Luongo, Eugene Mentz, organist, and Monica Spishock, timpani, will also accompany.

Ashley Yando-DeFlice is the cantor and the leader of prayer. The featured soloist will be T.J. Capobianco from the New York City Metropolitan Opera.

The lectors are Dr. Fred Gardaphe and Ann Genett. The Prayer of the Faithful will be led by Diane Alberigi, Atty. Frank T. Blasi and Joseph Guido.

The offertory gifts will be presented by Marlene Summa and Family, the Family of Guy Valvano, Robert W. Pettinato, the Honorable Robert Mazzoni and the Honorable Leonard Zito (Ret.).

Patrick Caramanno, Joshua Cillo, Carmen DiPietro Jr., Jonathan A. Eboli, Stephen A. Eboli, Richard Garofalo and Joseph Wentline are the ushers.

At the conclusion of Mass, members of The Italian Colony of Saint Lucy will process out with the statue of Saint Lucy onto the festival grounds to the Heritage Piazza on Spruce Street.

For news and updates, including the festival entertainment schedule, visit www.lafestaitaliana.org, Facebook: La Festa Italiana di Lackawanna County, Instagram: lafestascranton.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Christian hope is not about avoiding pain and suffering but about knowing that God gives people the strength to persevere and to love even when things go wrong, Pope Leo XIV said.

When Jesus allowed himself to be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, he showed that “Christian hope is not evasion, but decision,” the pope told thousands of people gathered in the Vatican audience hall Aug. 27 for his weekly general audience.

“The way that Jesus exercised his freedom in the face of death teaches us not to fear suffering, but to persevere in confident trust in God’s providential care,” the pope said in his address to English speakers.

“If we surrender to God’s will and freely give our lives in love for others, the Father’s grace will sustain us in every trial and enable us to bear abundant fruit for the salvation of our brothers and sisters,” he said.

A person of faith, the pope said, does not ask God “to spare us from suffering, but rather to give us the strength to persevere in love, aware that life offered freely for love cannot be taken away by anyone.”

Jesus lived every day of his life as preparation for the “dramatic and sublime hour” of his arrest, his suffering and his death, the pope said. “For this reason, when it arrives, he has the strength not to seek a way of escape. His heart knows well that to lose life for love is not a failure, but rather possesses a mysterious fruitfulness, like a grain of wheat that, falling to the ground, does not remain alone, but dies and becomes fruitful.”

Naturally, Pope Leo said, Jesus “is troubled when faced with a path that seems to lead only to death and to the end. But he is equally persuaded that only a life lost for love, at the end, is ultimately found.”

“This is what true hope consists of: not in trying to avoid pain, but in believing that even in the heart of the most unjust suffering, the seed of new life is hidden,” he said.

After spending more than 90 minutes greeting people in the audience hall, including dozens of newlywed couples, Pope Leo went into St. Peter’s Basilica, where hundreds of people who did not get a place in the hall had been watching the audience and waiting for their turn to see the pope.

The pope thanked them for their patience, which, he said, “is a sign of the presence of the Spirit of God, who is with us. So often in life, we want to receive a response immediately, an immediate solution, and for some reason God makes us wait.”

“But as Jesus himself taught us, we must have that trust that comes from knowing that we are sons and daughters of God and that God always gives us grace,” the pope said. “He doesn’t always take away our pain or suffering, but he tells us that he is close to us.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Even though what is happening in Gaza is shocking and prospects for peace in Ukraine seem more complicated than ever, Catholics must continue praying and hoping, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

“We are appalled by what is happening in Gaza despite the condemnation of the whole world,” the cardinal told reporters in Naples Aug. 25 after Israeli military strikes on a hospital in Gaza killed at least 20 people, including five journalists.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack on the hospital, which should have been off limits in an armed conflict, was a “tragic mishap” that the Israeli military is investigating.

While in Naples for the opening of an Italian church conference focused on liturgy, the cardinal was asked about both Gaza and Ukraine.

“There is unanimity in condemning what is taking place” in Gaza, the cardinal said, referring both to the military strike on the hospital as well as the ongoing difficulty of providing humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilian population.

“It makes no sense,” the cardinal said, according to Vatican News. “There seem to be no openings for a solution” even as the situation is “increasingly complicated and, from a humanitarian perspective, increasingly precarious, with all the consequences we are seeing day by day.”

As for Ukraine, Cardinal Parolin said that “on a theoretical level” there seem to be several potential paths to peace but “they must be put into practice,” and “clearly, a disposition of the heart is also required.”

The whole world needs to find reasons for hope, he said, which is precisely why Pope Francis chose hope as the theme for the Jubilee Year 2025.

“Today there are not many elements that help us to hope, especially at the international level,” but “we must not resign ourselves” and “must continue to work for peace and reconciliation.”