Category: 2026 News

(OSV News) – Flying to South America a little over three weeks after his surgery for lung cancer, Pope Leo XIV is going “personally enthusiastic about this trip” with “the ordinary medical assistance” in force, Vatican communicators confirmed during a Nov. 3 briefing in the Vatican Press Office.

The Nov. 6-17 trip will be the first papal visit to Latin America of Pope Leo’s pontificate. Over 12 days, he will celebrate nine public Masses, visit seven cathedrals and preside over two stadium prayer vigils.

Matteo Bruni, Holy See Press Office director, said “about 36 speeches” of the pope will be delivered during the journey.

Maria Monstserrat Alvarado, who assumed her position as prefect of the Dicastery for Communication Nov. 1, told journalists that “he’s going to give you a lot of improvised texts to work with” – something she noted is a “beautiful thing” as “he wants to share his heart and we want to help him do that.”

The pope, she said, will be “giving away his heart in a language that is true to him,” like he did in Spain. “You will see that again, but in a totally different way, because he knows these streets.”

Pope Leo first arrived in Peru in 1985 and the missionary work shaped his vision for the universal Church. There he was appointed bishop and there he experienced challenges and joys of shepherding his flock.

— Pope Leo fit to undertake the trip without special equipment needed —

Speaking to journalists for the first time in a press conference after assuming her role as the first laywoman prefect of the Vatican dicastery, Alvarado said the pope is “excited” before his longest trip of the pontificate so far, and “confirmed this trip with no changes,” adding that he’s “grateful” for the prayers and medical concern.

“When he hears those messages of concern, questions about the doctors, all he hears is the way that people love and have hope for what this journey will bring,” Alvarado said.

During the press briefing Nov. 3, journalists repeatedly asked about the health challenges of changing altitudes and helicopter flights into the Andes region for the pope roughly a month after removing part of his lung during the Oct. 13 surgery.

Bruni confirmed that “there’s no particular accommodation or particular equipment which is being used” medically wise and that “the pope was pretty clear” in his Oct. 26 statement that “the plan is as it is” and no changes to the initial schedule are planned due to his recent hospital stay.

The nature of the surgery, Bruni said, is that it “does not create a permanent condition,” adding that Pope Francis was missing part of a lung and was traveling without disruptions.

“Were any special medical arrangements needed for those journeys? Take our trip to the Holy Land, for example: We packed a week’s worth of events into just three days. It is a condition that allows one to go about life without needing any particular precautions,” Bruni said.

“Should anything change, I will be sure to let you know, but as things stand — based on what the doctors have told us — no therapy is required, and he is clinically fit to undertake this trip,” the press director said.

Alvarado meanwhile mentioned the Nov. 2 Campo Verano Cemetery All Souls’ Mass: “I don’t know if you all watched yesterday’s Mass. His stamina is fantastic,” she pointed out.

“The way that he’s singing is incredible. And you can only sing if your lungs are really strong,” Alvarado said, adding the pope “was past the days of recovery that were required, the 14 days to be able to test him.”

His doctors, she said, “are very confident and he’ll have plenty of medical care on board should something happen. But we don’t see that in his prognosis, the way that he’s acting.”

The journey to Latin America begins Nov. 6 with a flight of more than 14 hours and 6,900 miles from Rome to Montevideo, Uruguay. The return flight from Lima, Peru, to Rome covers 6,700 miles. In between, the pope will travel to a new destination nearly every day, including a 2,200-mile flight from Buenos Aires to Lima and a military helicopter flight Nov. 14 to the Andes mountain town of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, Peru.

By comparison, Pope Leo traveled 11,000 miles over 11 days during his trip to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea earlier this year. The trip culminates with a return to Chiclayo, Peru, where he served as bishop from 2015 to 2023.

— Pope Leo coming home with a message of peace —

Asked about the objectives of the trip, Alvarado said there are “two really important parts of what he wants this trip to be.”

First is the homecoming of a pope with Peruvian citizenship to Latin America. “He feels that very deeply,” she pointed out, as “this is a place that gave him his ministry and inspired who he is as a pastor.”

She said the continent taught the pope “the way that he views encounter and the … diverse needs of the Church” and “opened his eyes in a way that’s new and different.”

Reaching for her phone, Alvarado read the second objective and what she said the pope asked her to share with journalists — to help “share his message of peace and encounter with the world” — something she pointed out “is expressed in Latin America through its diverse people and cultures.”

She said the pope hopes “that everyone will be able to see the importance of encounter, for healing and for peace, and why dialogue is so important and the elements of the trip really bring about.”

Pope Leo will start his journey in Uruguay — the most secularized country in Latin America, where his journey will bring him before a small Marian image that Uruguay’s determined secularization could never entirely separate from the country’s national identity — the Virgin of the Thirty-Three.

In Argentina, where he arrives Nov. 8, he will meet a challenge of stepping into the land of the Argentine pontiff, Pope Francis, who never visited his homeland as pope, and a country that Archbishop Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva of Buenos Aires recently described as “a wounded Argentina, a divided Argentina.”

In Peru, he will visit Lima, Chiclayo, Santa Cruz de Succhabamba and Cusco in the Andes and Amazonian Pucallpa, skipping Chulucanas and Trujillo where he served as missionary.

Bruni said while the trip’s program includes “some elements of the pope’s personal history,” it is also “an opportunity to reach those places that normally are not reached,” giving the pope an opportunity to be “following the footsteps of those missionaries who wanted to reach places where Christ had not been taken before” showcasing a “sense of gratitude towards their huge work, the huge work that was done in the beginning of Christianity in Latin America.”

“You’re seeing this balance between Prevost and Pope Leo XIV,” in the trip’s schedule, Alvarado said, referencing the pope’s given last name.

“He belongs to the world. And as much as his heart is in certain places in Peru, he also has to perform the pastoral duties of gathering himself with the individuals who lead these countries and have invited him to these countries,” she said, adding that “there’s a real balance there in terms of where he would love to go … as well as the duties he must perform as the Holy Father.”

— Alvarado’s first trip in the official papal entourage —

Asked about her own emotions prior to the first official trip with the pope, she said “it is an incredible honor and privilege to to be seated as part of his entourage.”

“It’s incredibly emotional to think about a journey that is going to tell us so much about his heart,” she said.

Pointing to one of the earlier questions about Uruguay — the most secularized country on the apostolic trip itinerary, Alvarado said: “Why not? Everyone needs to hear the message of Jesus Christ, and that is part of who Pope Leo is.”

She said the pontiff “understands that he’s not only going to talk to countries and representatives there, he’s going to meet people and meet hearts and hopefully inspire them to look again for the places where the Church was big and now is small” and “reconsider.”

“That’s very much a part of where my heart is and why I said yes to this job.”

(OSV News) – Surrounded by the tombs and monuments of Rome’s largest cemetery, Pope Leo XIV offered All Souls’ Day Mass Nov. 2, saying prayer for the dead helps lead our loved ones toward full communion with the Lord.

“Dear brothers and sisters, our faith in Christ tells us that our bond with the faithful departed is not severed, but transformed,” Pope Leo said at the Mass in the Campo Verano Cemetery, which covers more than 200 acres.

“Through our prayers for the dead, we accompany our loved ones toward full communion with the Lord — that communion which we truly already taste here, in the Sacrament of the Eucharist,” he said. “Inspired by this faith full of hope, we continue our earthly journey, awaiting the day when He will wipe away every tear, when ‘there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’ (Rev 21:4).”

On All Souls’ Day, or the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed, the universal church prays for the souls of all those in purgatory. On that day and throughout the entire month of November is customary for Catholics to go to pray in a cemetery and to ask for Masses to be said in remembrance of those who have died.

In his homily in the cemetery, Pope Leo reflected on how “the Beatitudes are the path to a full and fulfilled life, both now and for eternity.”

“Among the eight Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew, there is one that touches us in a special way today: ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted’ (Mt 5:4),” the pope said. “At this moment, we wish to pray for all those who have recently lost a loved one; in particular, for those from whom a loved one has been torn away by the senseless violence of war.”

He added, “May the tears of so many mothers, so many children, and so many elderly people touch the consciences of those who have the power to silence the weapons.”

Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar general of Rome, and the parish priest of the nearby Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls, were among those who concelebrated the outdoor Mass with the pope as the sun began to set on the overcast day in Rome.

On Nov. 5, the day before leaving for South America, Pope Leo will celebrate a morning Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for the cardinals and bishops who have died during the past year.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (OSV News) – Five Franciscan friars killed in present-day Georgia for defending Church teaching in 1597 were beatified Oct. 31 in a Mass where Church leaders considered their witness amid historical complexities and contemporary challenges.

The Mass at the Savannah Convention Center began at 11 a.m. with Cardinal Frank Leo of Toronto, the papal delegate, as principal celebrant.

“The 16th-century Franciscan friars from Spain, courageous missionaries ministering to the Guale people in La Florida, are bright lights for our journey of faith, as they reflect the light of Christ into the challenges and complexities of a wounded world,” he said in the homily. “It is imperative to remember those blessed souls who have gone before us, marked with the sign of faith, especially those who gave the supreme witness of their very lives.”

Concelebrating bishops included Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, papal nuncio to the U.S.; Bishop Stephen D. Parkes of Savannah; Bishop J. Kevin Boland, bishop emeritus of Savannah; Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer of Atlanta; Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo of Mérida and Badajoz, Spain; and Archbishop Joan-Enric Vives i Sicília of Urgell, Spain, a delegate of Spain’s episcopal conference.

Also concelebrating the Mass were Father Michael Perry, provincial minister of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe of the Order of Friars Minor, and Father Giovangiuseppe Califano, the order’s postulator general, along with dozens of other priests. The liturgy included both English and Spanish, with Latin included in the hymns.

— ‘Unconquered heralds of Christ’ —

Near the beginning of Mass, Bishop Parkes made the official request for beatification to Cardinal Leo, briefly outlining the history of the friars’ cause. He noted that the Church is celebrating a Jubilee Year marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscans.

Bishop Perry read short biographies in English of each of the Georgia Martyrs, drawn from contemporary accounts and records, followed by the biographies in Spanish read by Father Pablo Migone, the Diocese of Savannah’s vicar of mission advancement and one of the driving forces behind the effort to recognize the Georgia Martyrs formally as saints of the Church.

Cardinal Leo then read aloud Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic letter proclaiming the five friars beatified. Archbishop Hartmayer, a Conventual Franciscan friar, read the letter in English, and Archbishop Vives i Sicília read the letter in Spanish.

The letter, which Pope Leo signed in Rome Sept. 30, 2026, the feast of St. Jerome, called the Georgia Martyrs “unconquered heralds of Christ” who “placed the saving truth of the Gospel before their own safety.” It also established Sept. 22 as the martyrs’ liturgical memorial.

With the official proclamation, the official beatification image of the five friars was unveiled to the hymn “Holy God, we praise thy name.” Drawing on traditional depictions of the martyrs, the artwork “The Georgia Martyrs” by Savannah artist Jared Matthew Seff won a contest for the official image held this year by the Diocese of Savannah.

— 1597 Guale Uprising —

In 1597, the Spanish Franciscans Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añon, Antonio de Badajoz and Francisco de Veráscola were ministering at five missions along the coast and barrier islands of present-day Georgia when they were killed out of hatred for the faith by a band of Indigenous men between Sept. 14-17.

The friars’ murders were prompted by Father de Corpa angering the heir to a Guale chiefdom, Juanillo, by telling him that as a baptized Christian, he could not follow his culture’s custom and take a second wife. Juanillo and his men killed the priest at a mission near the contemporary city of Eulonia, Georgia, before killing four of the other five Franciscan missionaries ministering in the area. The sixth friar, Francisco de Avila, was kidnapped and tortured for months before being set free. The incident is known as the 1597 Guale Uprising.

At the time, the Spaniards knew the wider coastal area as La Florida, home to the settlement of St. Augustine, established in 1565. By 1595, the friars had established five missions along the coast. Prior to their murders, the six Franciscans appear to have lived among the Guale and other indigenous peoples in peace, without a military presence, for two years.

The beatification Mass drew around 10,000 attendees. The processional cross was adorned with palms, a traditional sign of martyrdom. The liturgy included a choir and orchestra. A setting of Psalm 116 in Spanish by Marc Cerisier and a motet for Communion titled “Eternal Glory” by Jessica French were composed for the liturgy.

— Martyrs’ witness to Church teaching on matrimony —

In remarks after the beatification rite, Bishop Parkes said, “I truly believe that through the intercession of Blessed Pedro de Corpa and four companions there will be greater respect for the dignity and character of the sacrament of holy matrimony.”

He continued: “May the witness of these holy men inspire fidelity between spouses, called into the covenantal bond of holy matrimony and help to create a renewed commitment to the growth of faith-filled families in the state of Georgia and beyond.”

In the homily, preached in English and Spanish, Cardinal Leo spoke about the martyrs’ witness to the truth of Church teaching and how their lives 400 years ago challenge Christians to more deeply embrace their faith today. In Spanish, the cardinal sent a special greeting to the delegation that came from Spain to share in this moment of faith and joy.

With their beatification, “these newly minted blesseds are constituted powerful intercessors and extraordinary examples for every believer,” he said.

“Fidelity to Christ himself is the glory of the martyrs,” Cardinal Leo said. “The Church considers martyrdom an exceptional gift, and as the fullest proof of life.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that martyrdom “is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith. It means bearing witness even unto death,” he said, quoting paragraph 2473. “The martyr bears witness to Christ who died and rose, to whom he is united by charity. He bears witness to the truth of the faith and of Christian doctrine. He endures death through an act of fortitude.”

“For those who have not entered into the mystery of God in Christ, their death might seem as a total and utter catastrophe, but it is not so,” he said.

Pointing to the Mass’ Gospel reading from John 15:18-21, Cardinal Leo said, “St. John sets the record straight.”

“Whoever is begotten by God conquers the world, and the victory that conquers the world is our faith,” he said. “Who indeed is the victor over the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

“Very often today, aspects of the Catholic faith are challenged by many, and in countless ways we are cajoled and tempted to water down the very demands of the Gospel — to compromise the integrity of our faith, and to conform ourselves to the spirit of this age,” he continued.

With the martyrs’ witness, “we come to comprehend more clearly” the need to conform one’s life to Christ, “and to see everything and anyone in our life — relationships, studies, work and ministry — in relation to him and to his eternal kingdom.”

— Faith the greatest gift to share —

Cardinal Leo noted that the beatification coincided with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in the United States and the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ death.

“Of the many gifts we can give to others, the faith is among the greatest,” he said. While Christians can share their time, resources and belongings, “preaching, teaching, sharing and witnessing to the faith is truly No. 1 on the list,” he said.

The martyrs’ example helps young people in particular, he said, “to appreciate that no greater treasure can be found in this earthly existence than following Jesus with an undivided heart and using generously our gifts to serve others and to build up God’s kingdom. The meaning, the purpose, and the joy we experience in living for the Lord is unparalleled.”

He concluded: “There are still some things today worth living and dying for.”

— Trees at beatification to be planted at martyrs’ monument —

As the Mass ended, Bishop Parkes gave thanks to God for the witness of Blessed Pedro de Corpa and his four companions. He recognized the Church dignitaries present at the beatification and the work of those who helped to advance the martyrs’ cause and efforts to prepare the beatification liturgy.

He said that the eight palm trees used during the beatification to adorn the convention center would be transplanted at the Georgia Martyrs’ monument at Nativity of Our Lady Catholic Church in Darien, Georgia.

“If you happen to be driving by, perhaps you will stop, say a prayer and give thanks to God for the graces received and for family life,” he said.

— A long road to beatification —

Reports from civil and religious leaders in the months and years after the Franciscans’ deaths reveal that the slain friars’ contemporaries saw them as martyrs. New research in the 20th century about the history of La Florida and the Georgia Martyrs bolstered efforts to move forward with a cause for their beatification.

The Mass program recognized the many people over decades who were instrumental to the martyrs’ cause, dating back to Bishop John M. Gannon of Erie, Pennsylvania, who served as that diocese’s shepherd from 1920-1966, proposed that the U.S. bishops petition the Holy See for the Georgia Martyrs’ cause.

The names of the Georgia Martyrs were included in two efforts in the early 20th century to launch canonization causes for people, many of whom were missionaries, martyred for the faith over the course of several centuries in the United States and surrounding countries. After neither effort moved forward, the Franciscans decided to focus their efforts on a group of martyrs who died for the same reason, honing in on Blessed Pedro de Corpa and companions.

With the support of the Order of Franciscans Minor, the Diocese of Savannah opened the cause for the martyrs’ canonization in February 1984 under Savannah’s Bishop Raymond W. Lessard, who died in 2016. In January 2025, Pope Francis authorized the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to formally recognize the five friars’ martyrdom “in hatred of the faith” and they received the title “venerable.”

The Mass’ program also recognized the contributions of Franciscan Father Conrad Harkins, the former vice-postulator for the cause who died in 2020, and David Hurst Thomas, senior curator in residence for North American Archaeology at the American Museum of Natural History, “for their extraordinary contributions” to the cause. “Their work on the ruins of Mission Santa Catalina de Guale shed new light on the intersection of Chiefdom, Crown, and Church during the Spanish mission period on the Georgia coast,” it stated.

— Location of Georgia Martyrs’ relics a mystery —

While what was recovered of the martyrs’ relics was linked to miraculous cures, their current location is unknown. Remains of all the friars but Friar Francisco were identified after their deaths, and their relics and some other personal items were collected in the months and years that followed and brought to St. Augustine. Some scholars speculate that Franciscans took the martyrs’ remains with them to Cuba when St. Augustine transferred to British rule in 1763. A skull recovered at the Fort King George State Historical Site in Darien may have belonged to one of the friars and is being tested to learn more about its origins.

On Nov. 1, Archbishop Hartmayer will preside over, with Bishop Parkes concelebrating, a Mass of thanksgiving at 11:30 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, which will also be livestreamed at the cathedral’s website, savannahcathedral.org.

The Georgia Martyrs’ beatification was the second beatification to take place in the United States this year. In September, Blessed Fulton J. Sheen was beatified by papal delegate Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.

Beatification is the second-to-last stage in the process that seeks canonization, by which the pope proclaims that a person is truly in heaven. A beatification comes after the person’s life, reputation and writings are investigated. For martyrs, beatification does not require the confirmation of a miracle attributed to their intercession. However, a miracle is usually required for canonization.

(OSV News) – Data points to “signs of strength and stability” in religious behavior in the U.S. — but there are “mixed signals” among young adults, and demographers advise taking a “long view” of any shifts, according to Pew Research Center.

On Oct. 28, Pew and the Knight Foundation released an analysis of several surveys to provide an updated look at the latest trends in religion among U.S. residents, with an additional focus on young adults.

Data was drawn from Pew’s 2026 National Public Opinion Reference Survey and its 2025 Cross-Sectional Engagement Survey. The aggregated data was compared with previous data — including Pew’s 2007, 2014 and 2023-2024 Religious Landscape Studies — with other data drawn from a phone survey conducted May 26-June 1.

The Pew-Knight report said following “a prolonged decline” in religion in the U.S., since 2020 “steady percentages” of the nation’s adults have said they identify with, value and, in some form, practice religion.

Since the COVID-19 low point, when houses of worship were closed or had very limited accessibility due to pandemic protocols, more Americans say they have attended religious services within the past month: 34% in person, and 45% either in person or by some form of broadcast, according to a June survey cited by the report.

— ‘Mixed signals’ when it comes to young adults —

But, researchers cautioned, Pew’s “latest surveys contain mixed signals about what is happening among young adults.”

Those born from 2004-2008, who are now about ages 18 to 22, are “reporting relatively high rates of attendance at religious services,” said the report.

Of that group, 41% attend a service at a house of worship at least once or twice a month — higher than the overall national average of 33%, the Pew-Knight report found.

Yet those who are just a few years older — about 23 to 26 — “are the least religious age group” in terms of prayer frequency as well as valuing and identifying with a religion, said the report. In contrast to their younger peers, 27% say they attend religious services at least monthly.

More broadly, said the report, the 18-22 year old cohort members “are no more religious today than young adults in this age range were in 2014.”

In addition, the report said, “young adults between 23 and 26 today are less religious than people in this age range were in 2014.”

Overall, both age groups “are significantly less religious than young adults of the same ages were in 2007,” the Pew-Knight report said.

Researchers added, “We have no clear evidence that any birth cohort we can track over time has become more religious in recent years.”

–Political affiliation, narrowing gap between men and women–

They also noted that the youngest Republican adults reported attending religious services more often than their Democrat counterparts.

However, said the report, the former “are not solely responsible for the high levels of religious attendance among the youngest adults,” since “the youngest Democrats also attend services at relatively high rates” compared with fellow Democrats in some older age groups.

Researchers highlighted that recent Pew surveys have seen a kind of gender reversal in religious practice, with the youngest men reporting more frequent attendance at religious service than their female peers.

Previously, “American women have tended to be more religious than American men,” said the report.

While “that’s still true today,” at least regarding prayer frequency and the valuation of religion, the gender differences “are less stark than they used to be,” the report said.

The gap is narrowing not due to increased religiosity among men, said the report.

Rather, “both women and men in the U.S. have become less religious over time” in terms of regular prayer, religious identification and religious valuation, the report said.

— Long view needed to understand ‘complicated picture’ —

The Pew-Knight report also noted that earlier studies have also showed “the youngest Americans entering adulthood with relatively high rates of religiousness,” only to have it “fade with time.”

“We have no way of knowing whether today’s youngest adults will follow that pattern or break it,” said researchers.

Ultimately, the report described religion among the nation’s young adults as “a complicated picture,” with the findings among several other major polls yielding variation in results.

The Pew-Knight report also stressed that “Americans who have just recently become adults are a difficult group to study in surveys.”

Spread between childhood homes, college and new employment, “they can be hard to reach in surveys,” said the report, noting the risk of biased findings if samples are not representative.

Sample sizes themselves are small, said the report, “since the nation’s youngest adults make up a relatively small share of the country’s population,” and the pool becomes even smaller when additional variables, such as political party affiliation, are factored in.

Ultimately, said the report, “it’s prudent to take a long view,” as religion scholars typically examine “religious change over decades.”

“Time will tell whether the relatively high religiousness of today’s youngest adults is a turning point or a blip in the data,” said the report.

SCRANTON – Next Monday, November 2, Catholics will observe The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, also known as All Souls’ Day.

On this day, we are encouraged to pray for the dead and to remember our loved ones who have gone before us.

Bishop Bambera will celebrate a special Pontifical Mass for All Souls’ Day at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, 315 Wyoming Avenue in Scranton, at 12:10 p.m.

All are invited to attend

(OSV News) – What would you give your life for? This is the question and challenge that Bishop Stephen D. Parkes of the Diocese of Savannah has been putting before young people receiving the sacrament of confirmation as his Georgia diocese prepares for the historic beatification of five Franciscan missionaries who laid down their lives for their Catholic faith on that same soil over 400 years ago.

“This has relevance for today,” he told OSV News in a recent interview, “because in our world today, there’s just so much happening and so much going on. And we hear all these divergent opinions and you think, ‘Well, what do I believe? What do I feel so strongly about that I’m going to shed my blood for it?'”

“We know many are suffering; they’re just struggling today and trying to find their place and wondering how their gifts and talents are going to serve the world,” he said, “And when we embrace something and we feel strongly about it, well, we stand up for it.”

The Georgia Martyrs, five Franciscans from Spain who were martyred in 1597 ministering to the Guale people, without any Spanish military presence, were Friars Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez, Miguel de Añon, Antonio de Badajóz and Francisco de Veráscola.

“The native peoples adopted them, welcomed them into their culture, and the Franciscans were good at evangelization. So, the five of them, they settled into various missions and they ended up becoming a part of the everyday life of the people,” he noted. “That in and of itself was remarkable.”

Their martyrdom came after Father Pedro de Corpa stood by the Church’s teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman when the soon-to-be chief Juanillo wanted to take a second wife. Juanillo had Father Pedro killed and started an attack on the other Franciscans serving in different missions who were hunted down and killed.

Bishop Parkes observed the distinct personalities of each of the Georgia Martyrs.

“They came from different places in Spain and then they were known for certain things. Blas was a calm and devout pastor,” he said, “Miguel was a gentle musician. Antonio was a gifted communicator and Francisco, he was called the Cantabrian Giant. He was an athlete. Apparently, he was well known to the young people … around St. Simon’s Island, where he ministered. He was a wrestler and he really worked with all the young people. He was very good at connecting with them.”

“Each one would have suffered individually,” he emphasized, “and they would have made that decision to say, ‘I am going to give my life for this.’ And that’s a huge decision.”

“This was almost 200 years before our country was even officially founded,” he added, “it’s very interesting to note that the faith was a part of life in such a way that it made its way to these shores.”

Bishop Parkes first heard of the Georgia Martyrs when he became bishop of the Diocese of Savannah in 2020.

“Immediately upon my arrival,” he said, “I noticed pictures of these five men around in almost every place that I went; but also, people were very excited to tell me (about them), which says something about the devotional life of the people in the local area. That’s been an important part, I believe, of their cause.”

“To get to know them, to spread the word, history is so important,” he added, “especially in our faith, as we well know, we celebrate history. We learn from history. And I notice in Georgia, there’s a great love for history.”

The beatification is the first ever in the state of Georgia and the Southeast United States and the sixth beatification to take place on U.S. soil.

Bishop Parkes noted the Georgia Martyrs’ cause was brought forward in the 1950s by the Order of Friars Minor, the Franciscans, and in 1984, the late Bishop Raymond W. Lessard officially opened it on behalf of the diocese.

Regarding why the beatification was moving forward now all these years later, he said such things take time: both as people become familiar with the story, but also as their story is appreciated more.

“We don’t really know; there’s mystery in it,” he said. “I’ve asked that question, ‘Why is it that it’s happening during my time as bishop?’ And there’s mystery in that. And I say, ‘Well, God has a plan somewhere along the line and I’m very grateful for that because it’s a big opportunity for us to promote our Catholic faith.'”

Bishop Parkes said he hopes the beatification might result in a veneration of the Georgia martyrs by married and engaged couples within the diocese.

“Wouldn’t it be beautiful if every household, every marriage that’s being prepared, every couple preparing for marriage knows the story; that they look to the martyrs for their intercession, to these new blesseds — as of Oct. 31 — for their intercession for loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity in their marriage?”

“What a beautiful witness,” he said. “Maybe they’ll have pictures of them in their home, and that would be something that, again, would be part of our local Catholic culture.”

Bishop Parkes said that he attended the beatification of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen in September, calling the experience “beautiful” to be able to “learn more about Fulton Sheen,” who was a “great communicator and touched millions and millions of lives.”

“The story of the martyrs is different,” he said. “It’s kind of delving into our history, our heart, realizing that from hundreds of years ago that holy people walked here in our soil and what they went through for our faith to be here today.”

“We wonder, we struggle with things in our faith or promoting the faith,” he said, “and resistance. What did they face back then? They lost their lives for it, because there was a lack of understanding or an openness about it.”

Bishop Parkes was able to visit St. Catherines Island, the only site of martyrdom that has been identified with certainty where Father Miguel de Añon and Brother Antonio de Badajoz lost their lives. The mission on St. Catherines, rediscovered in the 1980s, is located on the privately owned island, and is closed to the general public.

“They were able to recreate what that Guale village looked like, even to the point where we actually have a place there through the generosity of the St. Catherines Island Foundation, we are able to have an outdoor chapel there,” he said, adding that the diocese planted a group of palm trees on the outline of the chapel.

“I believe 430 of the natives are buried there,” he said. “I went there on All Souls’ Day, my very first visit, and it was just a beautiful experience, connecting with the history.”

Bishop Parkes said the beatification taking place on Oct. 31, Halloween, was no coincidence.

“We had to submit a number of dates to the dicastery, and then it would be approved by the Holy Father,” he explained. “This was our first choice.”

“Halloween has taken a dark turn in these last decades,” he said, “and there’s a lot of nonsense that goes along with it. And I think this is a reminder of what it really is, and that is All Hallows’ Eve and the next day is All Saints’ Day. So we will be having a Mass of Thanksgiving at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist on All Saints’ Day, where we will recognize obviously all of the saints, but recognize these new blesseds.”

He said, “It’s a great connection, I think, to make, that we should live liturgically. And this is an opportunity for us to live the liturgical life of the Church within our secular calendar.”

He said that having the beatification on a Saturday would also help those traveling from all over the state to attend as the diocese is over 37,000 square miles.

The diocese is expecting over 8,000 people to be in attendance for the beatification and have already had to expand the event to a larger venue.

“I feel as though we’ve put into place and planned all of the tools that are needed for a milestone, memorable, spiritually fulfilling celebration,” Bishop Parkes said. “We’ll let the Holy Spirit take it from there.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Catholics must not live their faith in opposition or “hostility” toward modern culture, Pope Leo XIV said, emphasizing that integrating faith and culture is essential to living out the Christian vocation and sharing the Gospel with others.

“The authentic relationship between faith and culture is rooted in the Incarnation,” he said in his address to English speakers during his weekly general audience Oct. 28 in St. Peter’s Square. “Faith, therefore, enriches and brings to fulfillment every culture it encounters, and is itself called to become a culture that is shaped by Christ.”

Throughout history, the Catholic Church has played a significant role in creating educational opportunities, the pope said, noting that many medieval universities arose from the Church and contributed to the development of Western civilization.

The Church continues to promote access to education and culture, he said, citing the Second Vatican Council’s pastoral constitution “Gaudium et Spes” and its call to overcome illiteracy and to ensure that everyone has access to fundamental cultural opportunities.

Pope Leo also emphasized the importance of expanding access to higher education, especially for women, and encouraged Christians to deepen their scientific and cultural knowledge alongside their understanding of the faith.

“The Church promotes culture because it is a good in itself; it is a service to the human being and to the fulfilment of her vocation on earth,” the pope said during his main catechesis in Italian.

Yet the development of human knowledge and culture also raises new and deeper questions, prompting believers to reflect more deeply on their faith, he said.

Faith itself is interwoven with culture through traditions, art, poetry, thought and science, Pope Leo said. Quoting St. John Paul II, he said “a faith that does not become culture is a faith that is not fully embraced, not fully thought through, not faithfully lived.”

Faith is not limited to any one culture, but can take root in all cultures, shaping them according to the example of Jesus Christ through charity, service and recognition of God as Father, he said.

“In this way, the Church draws from the various cultures all that is good, beautiful and true, in order to embody and transmit the message of the Gospel,” the pope said.

He urged theologians in particular to collaborate with experts in other disciplines, arguing that intellectual inquiry and religious formation should develop together.

The pope said that cultural expression can open people’s minds to fundamental questions about the meaning of the world and human existence, helping prepare them to receive the Gospel.

Catholics, he said, must strive to understand the cultures they live in, rather than approach the modern world with opposition.

“Achieving a mature and responsible synthesis between faith and culture is, in fact, a necessary condition for persevering in the Christian vocation,” he said, as well as for communicating the faith to others in a credible way.

(OSV News) – A new report indicates that 60% of adult Catholics in the U.S. believe racism exists within their local community, with about 4 in 10 (39%) saying they have experienced racial discrimination generally.

That figure was higher among Black Catholics (66%), Hispanic Catholics (54%) and Asian Catholics (54%).

In addition, 10% of Catholics polled said they have experienced racial discrimination within their parish community, and 11% within Catholic education.

Black Catholics are also more likely to experience racial discrimination within their parish and in Catholic education, according to the report.

The findings were released Oct. 26 in “Experiences of Race, Diversity, and Racism: A National Survey of Adult Catholics.”

The report, published by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, was funded by the Sisters of Charity Ministry Foundation in Cincinnati; the Jesuits USA East Province in New York; the Sisters of the Precious Blood in Dayton, Ohio; the Baltimore-based National Black Catholic Congress; and individual CARA donors.

CARA researchers Mark M. Gray and Ali Mumbach conducted the national survey between May 15 and June 30 among 2,401 self-identified Catholics.

Gray told OSV News that one key takeaway from the report was the impact of faith formation on the issue of racism, which Catholic teaching denounces as a sin and incompatible with God-given human dignity.

“It does appear that the more formation you’ve had as an adult, you probably have a better understanding of the Church’s teachings, and that’s showing up in the results here,” he said.

CARA partnered with enterprise software survey firm Qualtrics, which used its opt-in sampling panels for the study.

The data was statistically adjusted to ensure the sample of adult Catholics aligned with recent estimates from the General Social Survey, one of the most widely used for social science research on the American public.

The online survey was available in both English and Spanish.

Most (53%) of the adult Catholics described themselves as non-Hispanic white, with 38% Hispanic or Latino. Another 5% of the respondents were African American, Black, African or Afro-Caribbean, while 3% identified themselves as Asian, Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian. American Indian, Native American, Native Alaskan or Indigenous participants represented 1% of the survey pool.

Survey respondents were evenly split between male and female, with their ages most typically between 45 and 49. Generation X (born 1962 to 1981) accounted for 39% of the survey participants.

The survey’s typical respondent fell between ages 45-49, and most (88%) had become Catholics by the time they were teenagers. The majority (81%) reported attending a parish near their home.

Gray said the data showed respondents were “least likely to experience racism” in parishes, compared to other social contexts.

He pointed to the survey’s question on racism in several institutions, which found that U.S. adult Catholics tend to see racism as an issue — either “a great deal” or “a lot” — for police (36%), government (35%), housing (34%) and business (31%).

Among Hispanic Catholics, government (44%) was viewed as a significant context for racism, while Black Catholics (54%) viewed racism as a key issue regarding the police.

“Black Catholics also are especially likely to see racism as being this kind of an issue for business (49%), housing (45%), and education (41%),” said the report.

Most of the survey’s respondents agreed with statements derived from Church documents addressing racism. Almost three quarters (74%) affirmed racism is sinful; 74% concurred racism can take the form of a sin of omission, where injustice is left unchallenged; and 67% supported tackling “policies and institutional barriers” to eradicate racism.

Yet awareness of pastoral letters and other documents by the U.S. Catholic bishops on racism remains incomplete, with roughly half of respondents saying they were “very” or “somewhat” aware of a given document, and the other half saying they were “not at all” or “not very aware.”

At the same time, said the report, “Black Catholics are generally more likely than others to be ‘very aware’ of many Church letters, statements, or documents.”

Just about one third (28%) of adult Catholics said they had heard preaching on racism in a parish homily over the past year. That number was higher for Black (43%) and Latino (34%) Catholics.

Close to half of adult Catholics (49%) said they would like to hear more at their parishes about Church teaching on racism.

The report found that 47% of U.S. adult Catholics — and 57% of Black Catholics — feel that canonizing Black, brown and Indigenous faithful is important.

At the same time, the report found that most respondents (46%) considered racism a social rather than religious (16%) issue. Another 30% viewed it as a political problem and 24% considered it economic in nature. Thirty-two percent said racism was “all of the above” and 8% said none of those options applied. Asian Catholics (45%) were more likely than others to view racism as a political issue, said the report.

Racism (38%), along with healthcare (38%), ranked behind other issues described as “among the most important” by respondents, behind inflation and the cost of living (73%); unemployment (45%), poverty, hunger and homelessness (43%); immigration (41%); and fuel and oil prices (39%).

(OSV News) – Two weeks after Pope Leo XIV’s surgery for lung cancer, his doctor confirmed he can fly to South America according to the previously released schedule, with Uruguay, Argentina and Peru planned as stops for his Nov. 6-17 trip, the longest trip of the pontificate so far.

“Based on his current clinical status, as well as the instrumental and laboratory tests performed, there are no contraindications that would prevent him from undertaking his upcoming apostolic journey to Latin America as planned,” Dr. Luigi Carbone, the papal doctor said in a statement released by the Holy See Press Office Oct. 26.

The pope “is following medical recommendations with great care and diligence, and with a deep determination to continue serving the Church,” the statement read, confirming that the apostolic trip to South America “will proceed according to the program previously published.”

“The Holy Father looks forward with great joy and enthusiasm to this journey,” it added, highlighting that the trip — to the continent where Pope Leo served as a missionary and where he was a bishop — will offer “opportunities to strengthen the bonds of communion with the local Churches, encourage the faithful in their mission, and bring a message of faith, hope, and peace.”

“I am looking forward to returning to the continent where I’ve experienced so many moments of my life,” Pope Leo said, according to the statement. “May this journey be an occasion for us to open our hearts to one another, strengthen our communion as brothers and sisters, and renew our commitment to proclaiming the Gospel with joy.”

— Advance team lands in Peru for final preparatory visit —

Msgr. Guillermo Inca Pereda, coordinator of Pope Leo XIV ‘s visit to Peru, confirmed to Peruvian TV station TVPE Noticias that the news about Pope Leo’s surgery never interrupted preparations for the trip and that the third advance team mission from the Vatican arrived in Peru Oct. 26.

The media speculated that parts of the schedule could be altered, especially the high altitude trip to Cusco, which is located 11,1500 feet above sea level, and it is recommended that even a healthy person adjust before planning intense activities.

Msgr. Guillermo confirmed however that Cusco — on the papal itinerary for Nov. 15 — was not excluded from the papal visit to Peru.

“Nothing is ruled out. Everything remains as the Holy Father envisioned it. He always wanted to go to Cusco because it holds an important significance: the encounter with the popular faith and religiosity of the region,” he told the Peruvian television channel. “He wants to be there. That’s why I believe Cusco will always be on his list,” he said.

However, Peruvian organizers remain extra cautious regarding the trip, and for his Nov. 11-16 encounter with the nation, “he will have a specialized ambulance, as befits a head of state, which will accompany the delegation at all times,” Msgr. Guillermo said.

“In the case of Santa Cruz, the possibility of having an ambulance helicopter is being considered in case of any eventuality. In addition to his own doctor, there will be a Peruvian doctor prepared to attend to any situation,” the prelate said of another high altitude town in the Andes Mountains, which the pope plans to visit Nov. 14.

— Doctors report post surgery progress —

Papal medical team confirmed in the Oct. 26 statement that the pope’s “recovery continues to progress,” and that since returning to the Vatican Oct. 17, “the Holy Father has gradually resumed his activities, adjusting his daily schedule in consultation with his doctors to prioritize his recovery while continuing to fulfill the responsibilities of his ministry.”

The papal doctor said that while the pope “has maintained important appointments and public engagements” he also had “appropriate periods of rest.”

“The Holy Father remains deeply grateful for the prayers and affection he has received from throughout the world and for the dedicated care of the medical professionals who have accompanied him during his recovery,” the statement read.

“Dr. Luigi Carbone confirms that the Holy Father’s recovery after the surgery continues, and the latest medical examinations attest to his good health and favorable clinical condition.”

— Longest and most demanding trip to date —

Pope Leo XIV will travel more than 19,000 miles on 14 flights during the November trip to Peru, Argentina and Uruguay, according to the full schedule the Vatican released Sept. 21, which the Vatican did not indicate would change in the Oct. 26 statement.

The Nov. 6-17 trip will be the first papal visit to Latin America of Pope Leo’s pontificate. Over 12 days, he will celebrate nine public Masses, visit seven cathedrals and preside over two stadium prayer vigils. The trip culminates with a return to Chiclayo, Peru, where he served as bishop from 2015 to 2023.

The journey begins Nov. 6 with a flight of more than 14 hours and 6,900 miles from Rome to Montevideo, Uruguay. The return flight from Lima, Peru, to Rome covers 6,700 miles. In between, the pope will travel to a new destination nearly every day, including a 2,200-mile flight from Buenos Aires to Lima and a military helicopter flight Nov. 14 to the Andes mountain town of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, Peru.

By comparison, Pope Leo traveled 11,000 miles over 11 days during his trip to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea earlier this year.