U.S.
Interfaith migration policy summit seeks common ground on welcoming the stranger
WASHINGTON — An Oct. 29-30 interfaith immigration policy summit hosted by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, also known as CLINIC, brought together faith leaders, legal practitioners, advocates and scholars from Catholic, Protestant and Jewish faith traditions to find areas of commonality in their work serving immigrant communities. Anna Gallagher, executive director of CLINIC, said in remarks at the summit, “We have much to learn from one another.” The summit came during what participants described as a challenging time for their cause. Pope Leo XIV sent a special message of support to the summit, and he said he would pray the meeting “will help find new ways to awaken consciences to our shared moral duty for these brothers and sisters of ours, who, as Sacred Scripture and the saints untiringly remind us, are Christ visiting us in disguise.” (OSV News)
Serving vulnerable pregnant and parenting women is ‘heroic’ work, says USCCB pro-life chair
WASHINGTON — Ahead of Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week Nov. 9-13, the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities expressed gratitude “for all those who work to provide necessary resources to women, babies, and families during pregnancy and beyond.” “Pregnancy help organizations, maternity homes, medical and resource help centers, and adoption agencies provide heroic services every day to anyone in need,” Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, said in an Oct. 27 statement. The weeklong observance is an annual event created by Heartbeat International to honor staff, volunteers, nurses, directors and receptionists working across pregnancy help organizations. Founded in 1971, the nonprofit is an interdenominational Christian association of faith-based pregnancy resource centers, medical clinics, maternity homes and adoption agencies. In the United States, approximately 2,750 pregnancy help centers offer life-affirming support to pregnant and parenting women in need, according to a news release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In his statement, Bishop Thomas recognized Walking with Moms in Need, a parish-based initiative by the U.S. bishops that serves vulnerable pregnant and parenting women. At least one-third of U.S. dioceses have parishes that participate in the initiative, which was launched in 2020. (OSV News)
Vatican confirms Pope Leo XIV voted by mail in Illinois midterms
JOLIET, Ill. — Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV has submitted a mail ballot for the Illinois midterm elections, according to the Holy See Press Office. The Chicago Sun-Times, citing a county official, reported Oct. 29 that the pope had placed the request Oct. 3. Pope Leo, who remains a U.S. citizen as well as a citizen of Peru, is the first pontiff to vote in a U.S. election. The Sun-Times said the pope is registered at a New Lenox, Illinois, address — the same suburban Chicago town in which his elder brother John lives. Citing voting records, the Sun-Times said the future pope had voted in several previous elections. “The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,” the Vatican said in its Oct. 30 statement. The pope “sets the example that encourages each citizen to exercise their civic responsibility,” a spokesperson for the U.S. bishops’ conference said. (OSV News)
WORLD
Pope Leo’s envoy witnesses hunger in war-torn Ukraine
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (OSV News) — A papal envoy visiting war-torn Ukraine was confronted with two stark realities: the dangers of the front line and the growing hunger faced by thousands of civilians. Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, Pope Leo XIV’s almoner, traveled to Ukraine Oct. 27-30 to deliver humanitarian aid and express the pope’s solidarity with people affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion. During his visit to Zaporizhzhia, roughly 2,000 people lined up outside the Cathedral of God the Merciful Father for bread distributed by the Albertine Brothers. “I think he experienced the reality of war. He came into contact with it,” Auxiliary Bishop Jan Sobilo said. The bishop said the papal almoner was especially moved by the number of people seeking food. “He looked at that crowd and was shocked that there were so many hungry people,” Bishop Sobilo said The visit came amid ongoing attacks. A Russian drone struck a municipal bus near the papal delegation’s lodging, while another aid group reported missile strikes near the cathedral. Church-run relief efforts remain a lifeline. The brothers’ bakery produces up to 1,500 loaves several times a week, helping thousands displaced by the conflict. Bishop Sobilo warned that winter, shrinking donations and the war’s psychological toll on children are deepening the crisis. (OSV News)
Spain, Church in shock, grief after train collision leaves dozens dead
TOLEDO, Spain — Spain’s Catholic Church is expressing sorrow and solidarity after a devastating high-speed train collision near Toledo on Oct. 28 left at least 69 people dead and dozens more injured. Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram to the archbishop of Toledo Oct. 29 saying he is “deeply saddened upon learning the painful news of the tragic railway accident” and offering “prayers for the eternal repose of the deceased.” The Spanish bishops’ conference offered its “condolences and closeness to the families of the victims” and said bishops were praying “for the eternal rest of the deceased and for the recovery of the injured.” Local priests rushed to the scene to provide spiritual support. The collision involved two trains carrying 544 people and is believed to have been caused by human error following a signaling failure. (OSV News)
As Poland’s constitutional crisis spills into streets, bishops plead for reconciliation
WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s political crisis deepened Oct. 30-31 as a dispute over control of the Constitutional Tribunal sparked protests, police intervention and an emergency return by President Karol Nawrocki to the country. The confrontation erupted after a notice appeared on the tribunal’s website announcing the suspension of its president and vice president. Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, a judge elected by the current parliament, said she had assumed responsibility for the court’s administration. Tribunal leaders rejected the move, saying the website had been unlawfully taken over and questioning her legitimacy. Protesters gathered outside the tribunal in Warsaw, and police detained three people after demonstrators breached a fence. As tensions mounted, Poland’s Catholic bishops appealed for calm. In an Oct. 31 statement, the bishops’ conference warned the dispute “is leading to a profound crisis of the state.” The bishops called for dialogue, peaceful solutions and national reconciliation. Church leaders across the country echoed that message. (OSV News)
