A document released on May 17 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) gives that Vatican office the role of issuing a final pronouncement on reported apparitions, after an investigation by the bishop of the diocese in which the phenomena are reported.

The DDF document states that no such pronouncements will affirm with certainty that the phenomena are of supernatural origin and merit the belief of the faithful. The DDF explains that no private revelations command that belief. Instead a positive judgment will state that the phenomena appear to be of supernatural origin.

In a statement released along with the new document, Cardinal Victor Fernandez, the prefect of the DDF, explains that new norms were necessary for several reasons:

• because under existing norms, investigations often took years or decades, allowing lingering uncertainty over the authenticity of reports;
• because when diocesan bishops judged the phenomena to be of supernatural origin, that determination placed an undue burden on faithful Catholics who were not persuaded of their authenticity;
• because some phenomena that appeared to be supernatural are accompanied by special beliefs or devotions that may be injurious to the Catholic faith, and therefore deserve cautious treatment.

Cardinal Fernandez, in his introductory statement, explained that reported apparitions frequently involved “serious critical issues that are detrimental to the faithful.” He mentioned the possibility that people might exploit such reports for “profit, power, fame, social recognition, or other personal interest.”

Regarding the judgments that have until now been made by diocesan bishops, the cardinal remarked that “some bishops have wanted to make statements such as, “I confirm the absolute truth of the facts” and “the faithful must undoubtedly consider as true?”. These expressions effectively oriented the faithful to think they had to believe in these phenomena, which sometimes were valued more than the Gospel itself.”

The necessity for new norms is greater, the DDF observed, because of the rapidity with which reports are spread through modern means of communication. The document states that “the pastors of the Church are responsible for handling these phenomena with care by recognizing their fruits, purifying them of negative elements, or warning the faithful about potential dangers arising from them.”

”At the same time,” the DDF cautions, “it should also be acknowledged that some phenomena, which could have a supernatural origin, at times appear connected to confused human experiences, theologically inaccurate expressions, or interests that are not entirely legitimate.”

The new norms issued by the DDF allow for a range of judgments, including various degrees of caution, rather than simply declaring that the phenomena are or are not of supernatural origin.

In a reversal of the decentralization that Pope Francis has touted as a model for Church governance, the DDF document takes a responsibility that had been left to diocesan bishops, and gives it to the Vatican?with a provision that the Roman Pontiff might intervene personally in a decision. The document reports that in practice, diocesan bishops have often consulted with the DDF before rendering their judgments?although those consultations have been informal, and therefore not officially recorded.

In an interview that will be broadcast on the CBS show on May 19, the Pope responded to a question about his critics by saying that a conservative “clings to something and does not want to see beyond that.” He added that “one thing is to take tradition into account, to consider situations from the past, but quite another is to be closed up inside a dogmatic box.”

The Jesuit prelate? who has been selected by Pope Francis as relator-general of the Synod on Synodality? said that the question of women’s ordination must be discussed thoroughly, with “tact and patience,” and warned against an aggressive approach that might give the impression that “liberal Catholics want to push through.”

However the cardinal encouraged feminists to continue their efforts. “It can be changed,” he said of the Church’s teaching on women’s ordination. “It needs arguments and time.”

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa celebrated Mass at Holy Family Parish on May 16 and “met the suffering population to encourage them and to deliver a message of hope, solidarity, and support,” according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. He also paid a courtesy visit to Gaza’s sole Eastern Orthodox church.

The Pope welcomed work to make more of the catacombs open to pilgrims, “to visit them and thus be strengthened in faith and hope.”

In 2023 the Dicastery for Culture and Education text declined to approve the appointment of Father Martin Lintner, OSM, as dean of the Philosophical-Theological College of Brixen/Bressanone in northern Italy, citing his published statements on sexual morality. In one of the statements that caused concern, Father Lintner had said: “A homosexual relationship does not lose its dignity due to the lack of fertility.”

But the Vatican has now approved the appointment. Father Lintner said that the influence of Cardinal Victor Fernandez, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, was instrumental in bringing about the change. He said that he approval of his appointment set a precedent.

The parish priest and the faithful escaped into the forest, the Fides news agency reported.

The Southeast Asian nation of 58 million (map) is 76% Buddhist, 8% Christian, 8% ethnic religionist, and 3% Muslim; the nation’s constitution grants a special status to Buddhism. Chin State, however, is 92% Christian, and is a theater in the Myanmar civil war.

The Pope “immediately brought up the issue of the death penalty,” said Newsom. “I wasn’t anticipating that, especially in the context of this convening.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch, who holds a primacy of honor among the Orthodox churches, later told Vatican News that people should “not live in excess or abundance, but with what we really need.”

“Learn to respect creation as a gift from God,” he added. “How can we say we respect God when we destroy what He created?”

The Ecumenical Patriarch, who described Pope Francis as “more than a brother,” also spoke with journalists about preparations for the 1700th anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.

“In the 2022-23 school year, Montgomery County added more than 22 books with LGBTQ+ themes to its language arts curriculum for use in the classroom,” Bloomberg Law reported. The school system originally granted parents an opt-out option, but then backtracked and denied parents the option.

A group of six Muslim, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox parents filed suit against the school district. The appeals court ruled that “there’s no evidence at present that the Board’s decision not to permit opt-outs compels the parents or their children to change their religious beliefs or conduct, either at school or elsewhere.”

“We understand the parents’ contention that the storybooks could be used in ways that would confuse or mislead children and, in particular, that discussions relating to their contents could be used to indoctrinate their children into espousing views that are contrary to their religious faith,” the court continued. “But none of that is verified by the limited record that is before us.”

Bishop Diamantino Antunes, IMC, of Tete, Mozambique, lamented the destruction of “dozens of villages” and “of public and social infrastructure, including chapels.”

“Dear brothers and sisters, please, I ask that you continue to open your hearts to the cries of these brothers of ours, praying for them,” he said.

The Southeast African nation of 32.5 million (map) is 56% Christian (25% Catholic), 18% Muslim, and 25% ethnic religionist. Pope Francis made an apostolic journey there in 2019.

Diocesan officials have issued public pleas for the release of Father Basil Gbuzuo.

“According to the monitor Open Doors, during the year ending in September some 4,100 Christians were killed and 3,300 kidnapped in raids across the country,” she continued. “Christians are being wiped off the map.”

The nation of 231 million (map), the most populous in Africa and sixth most populous in the world, is 47% Muslim, 46% Christian (11% Catholic), and 7% ethnic religionist.

The Baoding diocese has been at the center of a crackdown by authorities on the “underground” Church.

Speaking with reporters, Cardinal Parolin also lamented the attempted assassination of Slovakia’s prime minister.

“We are really concerned about what is happening; it seems that there are no limits anymore,” said the prelate. “Really all this leads to increasing violence; relations are becoming more and more violent and there are fewer and fewer hopes of building peaceful relations.”

Ruling in favor of parishioners who had appealed the archbishop’s decision, the Dicastery for the Clergy found no adequate reason for merging the parishes.

The Vatican upheld other decisions that the archbishop had made to merge and close parishes as part of a massive restructuring program.

Rabbi Sergio Bergman, the World Union’s president, “commenced the audience with heartfelt personal greetings to his dear friend of more than 25 years, Pope Francis,” the organization stated. Rabbi Bergman discussed his organization’s work and “also shared his thoughts with the Pontiff on the current situation in Israel, expressing the World Union’s hope for collaborative efforts toward the immediate release of all hostages, and his reflections on the War in Ukraine.”

“The Pope talked about how important it is to meet with groups of all faiths in the name of brotherhood,” the organization’s statement continued. “He added how grateful he is to meet an old friend here in Rome and his hope for better days as we work together for unity and peace. Pope Francis personally greeted every delegation member.”

In a highly detailed talk, the Pope said that the problem of climate change is becoming steadily more acute, and told an international group of political leaders that “we are working for a culture of life or for a culture of death.”

The Pope said that climate change is attributable not only to human activity? a theory that remains controversial? but to human greed. He said: “The wealthier nations, around 1 billion people, produce more than half the heat trapping pollutants,” said the Pope. “On the contrary, the 3 billion poorer people contribute less than 10%, yet they suffer 75% of the resulting damage.”

The damage to the world’s climate caused by human activity is “an offense against God,” the Pope insisted. “We find ourselves faced with systemic challenges that are distinct yet interconnected: climate change, the loss of biodiversity, environmental decay, global disparities, lack of food security and threats to the dignity of the peoples affected by them.”

Pope Francis said that pollution causes millions of deaths every year, and demanded efforts to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Vatican News reported: “He mentioned especially the Amazon Basin and the Congo, peat bogs, mangroves, oceans, coral reefs, farmlands, and glacial icecaps.”

“Now is the time to utilize resources allocated for such crises effectively,” the bishops said in a statement. “We call for swift action to save lives, protect property, and, in areas where the rains have subsided, begin the necessary work of rebuilding and rehabilitation.”

The East African nation of 57 million (map) is 82% Christian (21% Catholic), 8% Muslim, and 8% ethnic religionist. Pope Francis made an apostolic journey there in 2015.

Archbishop Piero Pioppo, the apostolic nuncio, said that “Pope Francis’s visit to Indonesia next September will certainly strengthen the morale and faith of our community.” The prelate expressed hope that “a strong missionary spirit will be ignited to spread the Good News of Jesus.”

The Southeast Asian nation of 279 million (map), the world’s fourth most populous, has more Muslims than any other country. The nation is 80% Muslim, 12% Christian, and 2% ethnic religionist.