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[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Koch: It is ‘desirable’ for Pope Leo to lift restrictions on Latin MassCardinal Kurt Koch suggested Pope Benedict XVI was right to preserve the Latin Mass, calling for a more liberal approach to the traditional liturgy under Pope Leo.VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — A prominent Vatican cardinal has said it would be “desirable” for Pope Leo to “open” the door to the traditional Latin Mass which Pope Francis moved to close via his stringent restrictions.Speaking to Austrian website kath.net, Cardinal Kurt Koch opined on the question of liturgy and on relations between Christians under Pope Leo XIV.Though admitting...

Leo and the GermansThis is the first of several analyses written for Rorate by our contributor Serre Verweij on Leo XIV's first year.Series: The First Year of Leo XIVI - LEO AND THE GERMANSby Serre Verweijfor Rorate CaeliAugust 1, 2025While we are waiting for Pope Leo XIV to tip his hand and release his first encyclical, and make his first curial appointments, both sides in the struggle between tradition and modernism keep trying to claim him. The attempts by progressives to claim the Pope as their secret candidate (after the fact) are looking increasingly desperate, however. Specifically, attempts by the...

Pope Leo is meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, the Vatican said, in the second in-person encounter between the two leaders since Leo was elected May 8 as head of the global Catholic Church. Zelenskyy is in Italy to attend a July 10-11 international aid conference on Ukraine. The Ukrainian president is expected to travel for the meeting to Castel Gandolfo, a small Italian hill town about an hour's drive from Rome, where Leo is taking two weeks of vacation.

[Catholic Caucus] Exclusive from Rome: Pope Leo XIV issues exemption to San Angelo DioceseIn a quiet corner of San Angelo, the past is very much alive. At St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Parish, the ancient rite of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) — also known as the Extraordinary Form — continues to thrive, even as worldwide limitations challenge its practice.“The Latin Mass is a ascent to Calvary where the Lord Jesus Christ reliving essentially the passion in every Latin Mass,” said Father Freddy Perez, Parochial Administrator, St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in San Angelo. In 2021, the Vatican issued a...

[Catholic Caucus] Vatican under Pope Leo XIV grants Latin Mass in Texas a two-year extensionThe Vatican has granted St. Margaret’s parish in San Angelo a two-year permission to continue offering the Latin Mass despite Pope Francis’ restrictions.The Vatican has granted a Traditional Latin Mass in Texas a two-year extension, the first such reprieve from Traditionis Custodes under Pope Leo XIV.“I’m grateful to @Pontifex and to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments for allowing the TLM to continue to exist in our parish church, extending permission for another two years,” announced Father Ryan Rojo on Friday.The extension...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Burke: Doctrinal and Moral Corruption ‘Directly Related’ to Abuse of the LiturgyRecalling the warnings of popes and saints, Cardinal Burke said neglect of liturgical law and tradition has paved the way for widespread confusion about faith and morals.Cardinal Raymond Burke has appealed to Pope Leo XIV to lift the restrictions on the pre-1970 liturgy, stressing that respect for liturgical tradition is critical for the Catholic Church’s mission and that doctrinal and moral corruption shows itself in “divisions and factions” that lead to liturgical abuse. Speaking via video link to a London conference celebrating 60 years of the...

[Catholic Caucus] After 12 Years, a Pope who Applauds, Loves, and Thanks PriestsAfter 12 years of insults, belittling, mocking of priests by Francis -- a beautiful address by Pope Leo XIV in his meeting with the clergy of the Diocese of Rome:I want to ask for a big round of applause for all of you who are here, and for all the priests and deacons of Rome!Dear Priests and Deacons who provide your service in the diocese of Rome, dear seminarians, I greet you all with affection and friendship!I thank His Eminence the Cardinal Vicar, for the words of greeting...

[Catholic Caucus] Underground bishop made auxiliary in key Chinese archdiocese close to TaiwanBishop Lin Yuntuan's appointment to the Archdiocese of Fuzhou is significant for a number of reasons and comes as the first test of Pope Leo's response to China.In a noteworthy move, Pope Leo XIV appointed an underground bishop as auxiliary of a key diocese in China, with the appointment also recognized by the Chinese authorities.As announced by the Holy See Press Office bulletin today, Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan today became the auxiliary of the Diocese of Fuzhou.An additional statement from the press office director read:We are pleased to...

[Catholic Caucus] 10 Years After its Abolition by Francis, Leo XIV repristinates Imposition of Pallium in RomeIn 2015, Francis abolished the ceremony of the personal imposition of the Pallium on new archbishops by the pope's own hand in Rome. At the time, this rupture was presented, as usual, as a positive thing:After the presentation of the pallium, and in order to emphasise the participation of the local Church, Pope Francis has decided that this year the newly appointed metropolitan archbishops (residential archbishops who preside over an ecclesiastical province) of the world will be formally vested with the pallium by the...

[Catholic Caucus] Archbishop Aguer: Pope Leo XIV’s presentation brings ‘more glorious times’ to mindFrancis' long pontificate will be left behind, his witticisms forgotten. The Church always faces her mission according to the Lord's command: to make disciples of all nations.The presentation of the new Pope Leo XIV brought to mind more glorious times of the Church. He appeared on the loggia dressed in papal vestments, and the name he chose refers to Leo XIII, the pope of Rerum Novarum, the initial document of an updated exposition of the Catholic social teaching.From 1903 to 1958, within a history full of contrasts,...

[Catholic Caucus] Monsignor Christory announces that Pope Leo XIV himself is praying for the pilgrims of Chartreshttps://x.com/ab_couet/status/1932125317495394691?s=46&t=IydJ-X8H6c0NM044nYKQ0w

Continuing their commitment to obstructing much of what President Trump has attempted to do to strengthen relationships with global leaders, the Democrats have now insulted millions of faithful Catholics by blocking the confirmation of Brian Burch, the President’s choice to serve as the Ambassador to the Vatican. It was a strategic move on the part of the Democratic Senators to demand an unprecedented cloture vote on Burch, requiring three-fifths of the Senate to vote in favor of the nominee. The denial by the Senate prevented Burch from participating in Pope Leo XVI’s installation as pontiff on Sunday, May 18th, and...

VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Leo XIV criticized the surge of nationalist political movements in the world as he prayed Sunday for reconciliation and dialogue – a message in line with his pledges to make the Catholic Church a symbol of peace. The pope celebrated Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square in front of tens of thousands faithful, and asked the Holy Spirit to “break down barriers and tear down the walls of indifference and hatred.” “Where there is love, there is no room for prejudice, for ‘security’ zones separating us from our neighbors, for the exclusionary mindset that, tragically,...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Eijk: Pope Leo will restore unity to the Church -- Something is happening with the Young People in Europe2021: The Bishop of Haarlem-Amsterdam, Bp. Hendriks, confirming 16 young faithful among them 9 converted young adults at the FSSP Personal Parish of St. Joseph in the St. Agnes Church in Amsterdam***“Pope Leo will restore unity to the Church." -- Cardinal Wim Eijk speaksOne month ago took place the Conclave that elected Robert Francis Prevost to the Throne of Peter: “There are many issues in the Church where there is disagreement, and internal discord is not good for us”Matteo...

Pope Leo XIV urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to take a meaningful step in favor of peace during a phone call Wednesday that focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine and the worsening humanitarian situation. The conversation, described by the Vatican as “frank and focused on the urgency of dialogue,” saw the Pope appeal directly for a gesture from Moscow that could help reduce tensions and create the conditions for further diplomatic engagement. According to Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, the Pontiff underlined the “importance of dialogue to create positive contacts between the parties and seek...

In his first prayer intention video of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has asked the faithful to pray that the world might grow in compassion during the month of June. “Let us pray that each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and from his heart, learn to have compassion on the world,” the pope said in a video released June 3. The video also includes an original prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to which the month of June is dedicated. ---snip---Here is the full prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:...

[Catholic Caucus] Leo XIV: "Marriage is not an ideal but the measure of true love between a man and a woman: a love that is total, faithful and fruitful"As soon as we were born, we needed others in order to live; left to ourselves, we would not have survived. Someone else saved us by caring for us in body and spirit. All of us are alive today thanks to a relationship, a free and freeing relationship of human kindness and mutual care.That human kindness is sometimes betrayed. As for example, whenever freedom is invoked not to give life, but to...

In an indication of the direction of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has made his first bishop appointments, and for San Diego, his choice was a huge winner.According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Most Reverend Michael Pham, auxiliary bishop of San Diego and diocesan administrator, as the Bishop of San Diego.The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 22, 2025, by Monsignor Većeslav Tumir, chargé d’ affaires, a.i. of the Apostolic Nunciature, in the temporary absence of Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.Bishop Pham’s biography may be found...

LEO XIV: The Upcoming Challenges for the New Pope by Serre Verweijfor Rorate CæliWe have a new Pope elected during a Jubilee year. He instantly faces many crucial tasks and dilemmas. This might seem obvious for any new Pope, but in 2013 Pope Francis primarily had to deal with curial reform, he did not have to deal with countless open questions, and even open wounds, left by his predecessors. Pope Leo XIV will have to deal with foreign policy debacles, a multiyear synod, and national churches that are in open rebellion against the faith.Firstly, Cardinal Grech announced that Pope Francis...

After leaving the Marines and beginning his higher education, Vice President JD Vance drifted into atheism — struggling, he would eventually write, with feelings of “irrelevance” in his faith and with “a desire for social acceptance among American elites.” Vance, who later converted to Catholicism, this weekend made his second trip to the Vatican in less than a month. On the first visit, Vance met with Pope Francis on Easter, hours before he died. On Sunday, Vance led a U.S. delegation at the inaugural Mass of the first U.S.-born pope, Leo XIV…The vice president scored a prime seat in the...