The Church in Texas

Pope Leo XIV encouraged educators in Catholic schools and universities to help young people encounter Christ to counter a culture that constantly compares and ranks them. Addressing participants in the International Congress on School and University Pastoral Ministry on October 22, the pope said educators should offer the same trust to students that Christ offered the Twelve Apostles.

The congress, organized by the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education, included 1,200 participants from 60 countries. The gathering was inspired by the pope's first apostolic letter, "Charting New Maps of Hope." In that letter, the pope proposed an educational model based on three pillars: cultivating interiority, promoting the humane and rational use of digital technologies, and educating for peace.

The pope told educators to help students become builders of fraternity and a more just society. He noted that courage comes from a covenant of trust and the experience of having someone believe in a person before they believe in themselves.

Pope Leo XIV described human love as a decision and a lifelong covenant rather than a fleeting feeling in a prologue to the new edition of the catechism YouCat: Love Forever. The text, which is scheduled for release in November, is intended for young people preparing for marriage.

In the prologue, the pope stated that while romantic attraction may be sudden, true love requires a profound commitment to the other person. He noted that God can transform human love to help people love through service and forgiveness. He added that deep relationships are built on mutual trust and a desire to love as Christ loved, prioritizing the needs of the other over personal gain.

The first edition of this catechism was published in May 2025, one week after the death of Pope Francis.

Pope Leo XIV told pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square that respect for human dignity requires solidarity and mutual care rather than self-centered isolation. During a general audience, the pope continued a teaching series on the Second Vatican Council document Gaudium et Spes, which addresses the dignity of the human person.

The pope stated that human dignity is a responsibility entrusted to every person and must overcome manipulations that hinder its realization. He noted that the path toward fully realizing this dignity must address both old and new contradictions.

Citing his recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, the pope explained that human dignity arises from a person's very being as a creature made in the image of God. He said this identity allows humans to know and love their Creator.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide up to $235 million to Catholic Relief Services to supply emergency food and nutrition assistance in Sudan and Ethiopia.

Under an agreement in principle between the USDA and Catholic Relief Services, more than 110,000 metric tons of agricultural commodities grown in the United States will be delivered to the two East African nations. The USDA stated that the assistance is authorized under Title II of the Food for Peace Act. The program utilizes the existing operational presence of Catholic Relief Services in the region, specifically through the Sudan Emergency Project and the Joint Emergency Operation in Ethiopia.

Michelle Bekkering, the USDA deputy undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, said the department is enforcing accountability to ensure aid reaches those in need and builds self-reliance.

Jeremiah Robinson, 32, of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, faces a felony charge for allegedly making terroristic threats against the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. The St. Louis prosecuting attorney’s office charged Robinson on Sept. 16 with a Class D felony, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to seven years.

Prosecutors allege Robinson posted two videos to TikTok on Sept. 15. In the first video, he reportedly stated he was two minutes away from the archdiocesan headquarters and claimed God instructed him to kill everyone entering the church. In a second video filmed in the parking lot, Robinson allegedly showed the archdiocesan offices and stated his instructions were to leave no one breathing.

Brecht Mulvihill, the executive director of communications for the archdiocese, thanked the Shrewsbury Police Department for their immediate response. Mulvihill stated that the safety of those serving the Church is a priority and noted that the archdiocese is praying for an end to violence and hatred on social media.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other Catholic organizations have submitted public comments to the Labor Department requesting the rejection of a proposed regulation regarding in vitro fertilization (IVF) insurance coverage. The proposed rule change would create a category of limited excepted benefits, allowing employers more opportunities to offer coverage for IVF and other fertility treatments.

In a 17-page letter submitted by legal counsel, the bishops stated they support expanding fertility coverage that respects the natural procreation process and unborn embryonic life, but they oppose the inclusion of IVF. The bishops' comment claims that IVF practices in the United States result in the death or freezing of hundreds of thousands to over a million preborn children annually.

The bishops noted that IVF cycles often produce multiple fertilized eggs, many of which die, are destroyed, or are kept in cryopreservation. They also characterized the genetic screening used to select embryos for implantation as a form of eugenics that eliminates children deemed genetically inferior.

Bishop Gregory Kelly will ordain Deacon Joseph Fiorentino to the priesthood for the Diocese of Tyler on November 21, 2026. The ordination Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler.

Deacon Fiorentino transitioned from the Archdiocese of Atlanta to the Diocese of Tyler as a seminarian in March 2023. He previously studied at St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, Louisiana, and Notre Dame Seminary Graduate School in New Orleans. After completing a pastoral year at Our Lady of Victory in Paris, he finished his final two years of seminary at St. Mary’s in Houston. He currently serves at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

St. John of God Church and Holy True Cross Church have reopened for worship in the historic center of Mexico City. The reopening follows nearly nine years of restoration work necessitated by the earthquakes that struck central and southwestern Mexico in September 2017.

A Mass was celebrated at Holy True Cross Church on July 8 to mark the conclusion of the restoration process. The repairs were described as slow and meticulous due to the complexity of the structural damage. The 2017 earthquakes caused 468 deaths and damaged thousands of buildings, including approximately 160 Catholic churches in Mexico City.

Holy True Cross Church is one of the oldest churches in Mexico. The parish tradition traces its origins to a chapel ordered by Hernán Cortés. The church contains sacred art, including the Christ of the Seven Veils, which tradition states was a gift from Pope Paul III to King Carlos V of Spain. The church also preserves a relic of the true cross.

Arkansas ranked first in the 2026 Religious Liberty in the States report, according to the First Liberty Institute. The state received a score of 89%, while Tennessee ranked second with a score of 85%. Both states earned an "excellent" rating, the first time any state has scored above 80% in the history of the index.

The report, produced by the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy, evaluates religious liberty protections across all 50 states. Researchers assigned percentage scores based on 50 legal protections organized into six categories: government, healthcare, economic life, religious life, family, and education. These protections are grouped into 20 safeguards to calculate each state's final index score.

Arkansas moved to the top of the rankings this year after placing sixth in 2025. Florida moved to third place. The report attributes the top ranking in Arkansas largely to the enactment of H.B. 1615.