The Church in Brazil

Pope Leo XIV met with representatives from municipalities in central Italy on Saturday to call for urgent and tangible reconstruction efforts ten years after a series of earthquakes struck the region. The Pope received officials from the Abruzzo, Marche, Lazio, and Umbria regions at the Apostolic Palace.

He urged authorities to ensure that material reconstruction occurs as quickly as possible, safely, and with transparency. The Pope recommended a dual approach for the recovery process: a synodal method to build together and a prophetic vision to identify the common good for the future. He noted that the communities still carry the scars of the 2016 seismic events, which caused hundreds of deaths and widespread destruction.

The earthquake sequence began on August 24, 2016, with a 6.0 magnitude tremor that heavily impacted the municipalities of Amatrice, Accumoli, and Arquata del Tronto. The disasters resulted in 303 deaths and 388 injuries. The Pope stated that for hope to be more than a mere desire, the affected populations require concrete responses.

Bishop Antonio Carlos Rossi Keller of Frederico Westphalen has shared a reflection on how the baptized can live sanctity through simple daily actions.

In an article released for the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1, Bishop Keller stated that sanctity is a vocation for all baptized people rather than a privilege for a few. He identified five specific attitudes to help people practice holiness in everyday life.

Bishop Arturo Eduardo Fajardo Bustamante expects the upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV to renew the faith of the people in Uruguay. The Bishop of Salto expressed this hope in an interview with EWTN News Español.

Fajardo Bustamante has a personal connection to the papacy, having been ordained a priest by Saint John Paul II on May 8, 1988. During that visit, the late Pope ordained 13 priests, including Fajardo Bustamante, who was 26 years old at the time and working in youth ministry. The Bishop described the ordination as an impressive event that marked his life.

Archbishop Paul Gallagher acknowledged the challenges of the agreement between the Holy See and China regarding the appointment of bishops during a meeting with journalists in Rome on October 27. He stated that the imperfections of the deal are evident and that the dialogue is not easy, but he affirmed a commitment to continue the process.

The 2018 agreement, which has been renewed in 2020, 2022, and 2024, remains confidential. Under the known terms, the pope retains final authority over episcopal appointments and may reject candidates proposed by Beijing, while the Holy See agrees not to appoint bishops without prior approval from the Chinese government. Gallagher noted that the current situation is an improvement over the period before the agreement because all bishops in China are now in communion with the pope.

During the same meeting, Gallagher addressed the health of Pope Leo XIV following surgery on October 13, describing the recovery as a significant event that highlights human mortality. He also stated that a papal visit to the United States is very likely in the near future, noting that American elections may influence the timing.

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released a document titled "Come to Me: Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in a Changing Era" on October 22, 2026. Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the dicastery, stated in an interview with Religión Confidencial that he does not expect a large response to the text, noting it may not stir particular interest among progressive or conservative sectors of the Church.

The document responds to an invitation from Pope Leo XIV to renew the announcement of Jesus Christ. It proposes a return to the kerygma to help people establish a personal relationship with Christ and experience the joy of the Gospel. The dicastery prepared the text with contributions from episcopal conferences, including the Brazilian Bishops' Conference (CNBB), which provided observations on how individualistic culture and subjective religiosity affect Christian initiation.

Pope Leo XIV approved the document during an audience on August 21, 2026. The dicastery has requested the assistance of the Secretariat of State to promote the application of the text within episcopal conferences.

Pope Leo XIV has granted the title of minor basilica to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Conception Aparecida and Saint in Tomazina, Brazil. The elevation took place during a Mass on October 27.

Cardinal Odilo Scherer, the archbishop of São Paulo, presided over the ceremony at the invitation of Bishop Antônio Braz Benevente of the Diocese of Jacarezinho. The event coincided with the 140th anniversary of the parish and the centenary of the diocese.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella announced on October 28 that he will remove woke ideology from the country's public media. Speaking during the relaunch of the public media system under the name Radio Televisión Nacional de Colombia (RTVC), De la Espriella stated that state media will not serve any agenda intended to impose the views of a specific group or use gender ideology to influence children and young people.

The president noted that the public television system belongs to the Colombian people rather than the president, government ministers, or political parties. This announcement follows a mid-October critique in which De la Espriella characterized woke ideology as a promoter of moral relativism that ignores biological differences between men and women.

The media system was previously known as RTVC from 2004 until April, when former president Gustavo Petro changed the name to Inravisión.

The Pontifical Swiss Guard has lengthened the training period for new recruits to address concerns regarding how their actions appear on social media. Sergeant Major Marco Radovinovic told EWTN News that the training focuses on stopping potentially dangerous individuals quickly without using excessive force.

Radovinovic, who has served as a guard for 12 years, stated that the force must remain aware that the public is watching through cell phone cameras and social networks. He noted that discretion serves to protect the guards themselves and helps manage interactions with bystanders who take photographs.

The guard has observed an increase in unusual behavior from people following the COVID-19 pandemic and a rise in tourism in Rome. This has led to more frequent situations requiring guards to intervene at the entrances of Vatican City State. In June, guards responded to two PETA activists who attempted to climb a fence during a general audience with Pope Leo XIV.

The Church celebrates the feast day of Blessed Chiara Luce Badano on October 29. In Sassello, Italy, the community observes the day through remembrance and solidarity.

The CNBB published a message to the 2026 elected officials recognizing the importance of democratic institutions and popular participation for the nation. The text states that voting expresses the trust citizens place in those chosen to represent them and serve the public interest.

María Corina Machado attended Sunday Mass at the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Shepherdess in Barquisimeto on Oct. 25, marking her first public appearance since returning to Venezuela from exile. Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient and coordinator of the Vente Venezuela party, arrived at the shrine following a nearly year-long period abroad.

Machado traveled to the shrine to express thanks to the Virgin Mary for her safe return to the country. After the liturgy, she departed by vehicle in a caravan toward Caracas.

Her return follows an exile that began in December 2025, when she was moved from Venezuela to Oslo, Norway, via an extraction operation coordinated from the United States. Machado had previously lived in hiding following the July 2024 presidential election. She remains a prominent figure in the Venezuelan opposition, having campaigned for Edmundo González during the 2024 election cycle.

The Archdiocese of Campo Grande opened the diocesan inquiry for the beatification and canonization of Father João Crippa on October 20. This marks the first time the local Church in the CNBB Regional Oeste 1 has officially started a process of this nature.

The inaugural legal session took place at the parish hall of São José Parish in Campo Grande, Brazil. The ceremony included members of the local clergy, Salesian priests, religious sisters, and civil authorities from the executive and legislative branches.

Father João Crippa was a Salesian missionary who served the people of Mato Grosso do Sul. The opening proceedings were conducted by the archdiocese and the regional bishops.

Bishop Emmanuel Bishay of the Coptic Catholic Eparchy of Luxor said the Catholic Church in Egypt uses formation programs and social initiatives to help young people remain in the faith. Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need, Bishay noted that the Church provides catechesis to deepen faith and creates opportunities for young Catholics to meet and build relationships.

Bishay identified marriage as a specific challenge for the Church. He stated that when a Catholic man or woman marries an Orthodox person, they may be required to follow Orthodox Church requirements. While he described official relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches as good, he noted that these marriage requirements can lead young people to leave the Catholic Church.

Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization, called for greater cooperation between churches that send missionaries and those that receive them. Speaking on October 22 at a conference for the Church of the Sheaves, a global missionary initiative from the Dicastery, Nwachukwu said the program involves a mutual exchange of gifts rather than just the movement of personnel.

Nwachukwu stated that sending churches must provide missionaries with human, spiritual, cultural, and pastoral formation. He said receiving churches have a responsibility to offer accompaniment and help missionaries integrate into the local language, history, and culture. He noted that missionaries bring their faith and experiences to new communities, but they must also listen and serve with humility.