Caritas diocesan of Sulmona-Valva will open a solidarity market in Sulmona, Italy, on November 12. The event prepares for the World Day of the Poor on November 15. It features products from the 'Land of Hope' project and items made by local prisoners. Students from agricultural and hotel schools will also participate. Activities include food tastings and non-perishable food collections. The initiative follows Pope Leo XIV's message to meet and walk with the poor. Caritas aims to foster inclusion and build community bonds through these actions.
Jurist Bilotti argues that the Catholic Church must retain baptismal registers because the sacrament is indelible and cannot be repeated. Speaking in Brussels, he explained that these records are necessary for the Church to verify if a person has already been baptized, which is a prerequisite for other sacraments. This issue is currently before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Bilotti warns that forcing the Church to delete or anonymize these records would violate religious autonomy and conflict with constitutional principles in member states like Italy. He asserts that the Church's institutional need to maintain these registers outweighs individual requests for data deletion under GDPR.
Archbishop Corrado Lorefice of Palermo spoke at the presentation of the Jobel project results in Italy. He emphasized that every individual, even those involved in crimes, possesses inherent human dignity. The event took place at the Caritas diocesan center in Palermo. Don Sergio Ciresi, director of Caritas, described the program's activities, including gardening at Palazzo Palagonia and vocational training. The initiative aims to support youth rehabilitation through restorative justice. It has engaged sixteen young people in volunteer work and provided internships. The project is promoted by Caritas Italiana with support from Intesa Sanpaolo, operating across sixteen territories in Italy.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, visited the Focolare housing center in Ancona, Italy, to meet with residents living with HIV and AIDS. He emphasized that the mutual respect found within the community serves as a form of healing and care. The visit highlighted the center's broader services, including prevention and free testing. Zuppi praised the environment for fostering fraternity and inclusion, contrasting it with societal divisions. The event concluded with a prayer intended for a future delegation to the Holy Land.
Pope Leo XIV will visit Pucallpa, Peru, on November 15 to meet indigenous communities and missionaries. Don Tommaso Nava, a missionary in the region, states the Church must be more courageous in defending the Amazon and its people. The visit includes a symbolic tree planting and a mass expected to draw up to 150,000 attendees. Nava emphasizes that the Pope aims to unite the faithful rather than create a spectacle. The mission highlights threats from illegal mining and deforestation, which contaminate water sources. Indigenous groups, such as the Shipibo-Konibo, seek greater protection for their territories and traditions against environmental destruction and social marginalization.
In Brussels, jurist Bilotti argues that the Catholic Church should retain baptismal registers for confessional purposes, not historical research. He rejects claims that decentralized parish records are ineffective, noting priests know their local communities. Bilotti states that keeping these records does not violate religious freedom or conscience, as individuals remain free to leave the faith. While individuals have a right to privacy, the mere fact of baptism is neutral. He suggests the canonical solution of adding a note indicating a person no longer identifies with the Church is sufficient. Bilotti concludes that religious autonomy and individual rights protection operate in parallel, with illegal data disclosure remaining subject to judicial protection.
Translated from Italiano
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Pope Leo XIV visited the federal penitentiary complex in Buenos Aires, Argentina, addressing inmates about the potential for personal transformation. He stated that prisons can be places of growth and learning, where individuals can turn their difficult experiences into opportunities for renewal. The Pope emphasized that divine grace allows people to move from darkness to hope, benefiting their families and society. He reminded families of the importance of charity and prayer for incarcerated loved ones, citing Jesus Christ’s own experience of imprisonment. The visit highlights the spiritual dimension of incarceration and the call for compassion toward those in custody.
Translated from ItalianoAlso reported by 12 outlets
On November 15, Bulgaria celebrated Caritas Day. Monsignor Rumen Stanev, president of Caritas Bulgaria and bishop of Sofia-Plovdiv, issued a message highlighting growing economic uncertainty and poverty. He stated that many families struggle to meet daily needs, with the elderly, disabled, and single individuals being particularly vulnerable. Stanev noted that material deprivation often masks loneliness and anxiety. He emphasized that Caritas must alleviate physical suffering while protecting human dignity and offering hope to prevent people from feeling abandoned.
On Saturday, November 14, Italy celebrated the 30th edition of the National Food Collection Day in Umbria. Promoted by the Food Bank Foundation, the initiative involved approximately 12,000 supermarkets across the country. In Umbria, the organization has spent three decades recovering surplus food and redistributing it to local charitable groups. The event aligns with the World Day of the Poor on November 15, emphasizing solidarity and peace. Donations included canned goods, rice, and cooking oil. The campaign aims to highlight the importance of sharing resources with those in need, as stated by the organizing foundation.
Heavy rains in Gaza have destroyed shelters, worsening the humanitarian crisis after three years of war. Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of the Holy Family parish in Gaza, told Pro Terra Sancta that the parish school now hosts about 1,000 students, up from 300 before the conflict. The school provides five days of instruction daily, offering stability and teacher salaries in a devastated economy. The parish also distributes water and food to hundreds of families and houses around eighty people. Pro Terra Sancta, present since 2009, funds the school and assists over 700 families with essential supplies. Father Romanelli stated that people see no horizon of peace as the fourth year of war begins.
A draft bill on conversion practices is under pre-legislative consultation at Westminster in the United Kingdom. John Sherrington, Archbishop of Liverpool, expressed serious concern about the measure. He argues the scope is too broad and the definition of abusive practices could criminalize individuals or organizations, including parents, for expressing well-intentioned opinions. The Archbishop warns this might hinder the Church's mission to proclaim its understanding of the human person. He urges politicians to focus on existing protections and support for abuse victims rather than proceeding with this new legislation. (Agenzia SIR)
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Pope Leo XIV sent a video message to the International Catholic Commission on Migration, warning that wars, violence, and natural disasters are forcing millions to flee their homes. He noted that declining international funding worsens the humanitarian crisis for migrants and refugees. The Pontiff called for stronger Church services to protect and integrate displaced people, emphasizing dialogue and solidarity. He specifically urged the creation of new methods to care for the growing number of displaced children, advocating for collaboration with other religious groups and civil society to address root causes and ensure their dignity and safety.
Translated from ItalianoAlso reported by 18 outlets
The Academy of Mediterranean Studies, led by Bishop Enrico dal Covolo, will install new steles in Agrigento’s Garden of the Righteous within the Valley of the Temples. The event, scheduled for November 20, honors Francesca Morvillo, Rosa Parks, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Beatrice Rohner. A symposium at Casa Sanfilippo will feature presentations by relatives and experts. Authorities including Mayor Michele Sodano and Archbishop Alessandro Damiano are expected to attend. The initiative highlights figures who pursued justice and dignity, accompanied by a documentary premiere dedicated to the garden's mission. According to the outlet, the ceremony underscores the central importance of goodness through diverse historical experiences.
More than five thousand young volunteers from the 'Friends of Leo' network gathered in Lima, Peru, for a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Carlos Castillo Mattasoglio. The volunteers are preparing to serve during the upcoming visit of Pope Leo. In his homily, the cardinal praised the group's generosity and described them as the regenerators of the Peru they dream of. He emphasized that their motivation is love, not financial gain, and encouraged them to embrace simplicity and responsibility for others while supporting the pastoral work of the Youth Vicariate.
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján in Argentina, a major Marian sanctuary. Padre Lucas Javier García, the rector, told Adn-Celam that the event is historic, marking the first papal visit to the site in 44 years since Pope John Paul II in 1982. Organizers expect approximately one million attendees. García described the location as a spiritual home for all Argentines, emphasizing that the visit should foster genuine church fraternity and reflect the diverse social and cultural realities of the nation's population. The basilica serves as a central point for the country's religious life.
Liturgical vestments used during Pope Leo XIV's apostolic journey in Argentina were produced by the San Cayetano textile cooperative. Founded in 2019 within the Hogar de Cristo in Liniers, the group supports individuals in recovery by providing employment opportunities. Rosario Anchorena, the director, explained that the initiative helps members maintain jobs after leaving the shelter. The cooperative coordinated with approximately 150 people across various provinces to distribute the work. They produced roughly 4,800 stoles and 11,000 pectoral crosses. A vestment for the Pope was specifically made in Tartagal, Salta. This decentralized approach allowed workshops nationwide to participate in the project. (According to Agenzia SIR)
Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, condemned a Russian airstrike on November 2 in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region. The attack hit a school housing a humanitarian aid center, killing approximately 100 civilians according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Shevchuk stated that Russia targets mercy and humanitarian efforts to spread fear. He praised the bravery of police, rescuers, and volunteers who risk their lives to help victims. The Archbishop urged people not to fear performing acts of kindness despite the ongoing war. He emphasized that Ukraine continues to resist and fight against these attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Caritas Italiana presented two initiatives using assets seized from organized crime at the 'Tracce libere' conference in Rome on November 6 and 7. Paolo Valente, the organization's deputy director, described Cascina Tavorella in Como as a center for civic education and Masseria La Tenente in Lecce for social agriculture. The event gathered experts to discuss the reuse of mafia-confiscated properties. Caritas views these sites as 'sign works' that transform criminal assets into spaces for community participation and legal education, following the vision of Pope Benedict XVI. The projects demonstrate how seized land can foster active citizenship and social regeneration.
The Italian Federation of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paoli is urging its members to follow Pope Leo XIV's recent teachings during the Advent season. The Pontiff's recent apostolic journey to Uruguay emphasized proximity, listening, and caring for the marginalized. Federico Violo, the federation's national president, stated that the organization wants to walk with the Pope to prepare for Christmas. In Italy, approximately 12,000 volunteers support over 30,000 struggling families annually. The group aims to renew its commitment to social inclusion and human dignity, ensuring that no one is left alone in their suffering. They view this period as a pilgrimage to bring hope to those facing poverty and isolation.
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