By Courtney Mares Pope Leo XIV has a message for American teens gathered this summer at the Steubenville Youth Conferences: True joy is not found "spending hours in front of a screen or endlessly scrolling on social media." In a video message released on 20 June for the 50th anniversary of the conferences hosted by Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, Pope Leo told young people h...

Cardinals attend the presentation of "Magnifica Humanitas" at the Vatican's Synod Hall on 25 May 2026, the first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV's papacy, which focuses on the rise of artificial intelligence. Photo: OSV News/Simone Risoluti, Vatican Media. When Pope Leo XIV walked into the Vatican's Synod Hall on 25 May to present his first encyclical in person, the international press lined up ...

By Junno Arocho Esteves Pope Leo XIV has approved new statutes for the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors that seek to balance its integration with the Roman Curia while preserving its independence. The updated statutes, which were published by the Vatican on 13 June, detail the commission's role within the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was mandated by Po...

By Courtney Mares Pope Leo XIV has appointed Maria Montserrat "Montse" Alvarado, president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, as prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication. The appointment was announced on 2 June. Alvarado, a Mexican American Catholic who grew up in Miami, will succeed Paolo Ruffini, whom Pope Francis appointed in 2018 as the first lay prefect of a dicas...

With 2026 marking the 100-year anniversary of World Mission Sunday, Pope Leo XIV has welcomed the National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies (Catholic Mission) to Rome for the General Assembly. Pope Leo XIV waves after meeting with participants in the general assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Clementine Hall at the Vatican on 1 June 2026. During the meeting, Pope L...

By Courtney Mares With the FIFA World Cup opening this month, Pope Leo XIV has dedicated his June prayer intention to the power of sport to build bridges between cultures and nations, releasing a video prayer calling on athletes, coaches and fans alike to embrace the field as a space of encounter rather than division. The Vatican released the monthly Pray with the Pope video on 2 June in...

Copies of "Magnifica humanitas" are seen at the Vatican's Synod Hall on 25 May 2026, the first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV's papacy, which focuses on the rise of artificial intelligence. Photo: OSV News/Simone Risoluti, Vatican Media. "Every person is unique and irreplaceable, a free and intelligent subject with a conscience, capable of seeking God, serving one another, caring for our common...

By Josephine Peterson Pope Leo XIV has celebrated Pentecost by highlighting the role of the Holy Spirit in his repeated calls for peace in recent months, saying the spirit also guides the Church to truth amid a world marked by war, division and ideological fragmentation. Pope Leo XIV presides over the Holy Mass on the Solemnity of Pentecost in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, on 24 ...

The World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly provides an opportunity to bring the Church closer to the elderly and acknowledge their contribution to families and communities. Photo: Adobe. I will never forget you (Is 49:15) is the theme selected by Pope Leo XIV for the Sixth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly that will be celebrated on Sunday 26 July. This year’s celebration co...

Pope Leo XIV has expressed interest in the issue of artificial intelligence and the dignity of work since the first week of his pontificate. Photo: Adobe. By Courtney Mares Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, will be published May 25, addressing artificial intelligence and the protection of human dignity, the Vatican has announced. The encyclical, the title of which ...