Vatican City, Nov 3, 2025 / 11:04 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Monday presided over a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in suffrage for the late Pope Francis and for deceased cardinals and bishops.

One day after celebrating Mass for all the faithful departed at Verano Cemetery in Rome, the Holy Father led the Church’s commemoration for his papal predecessor and 142 other bishops who died in the past year.

In the presence of members of the Roman Curia and hundreds of Catholic faithful, the pope said his first Mass commemorating the Church’s deceased cardinals and bishops had the “savor of Christian hope” because their ministry had guided many “on the path of the Gospel.”

“Dear friends, our beloved Pope Francis and our brother cardinals and bishops for whom we offer the Eucharistic sacrifice today have lived, witnessed, and taught this new paschal hope the Lord called them to,” Leo said in his Nov. 3 homily.

“The Lord called them and established them as shepherds of his Church,” he said. “Through their ministry they — to use the language of the Book of Daniel — have led many to righteousness.”

Though saddened by their deaths, Leo said their guidance and teaching helped transmit Christ’s “wisdom, justice, sanctification, and redemption” to the Church’s faithful spread throughout the world.

“We are saddened, of course, when a loved one leaves us,” he told the congregation. “As Christians, we are called to bear with Christ the weight of these crosses.”

“But we are not saddened like those without hope, because even the most tragic death cannot prevent Our Lord from welcoming our soul into his arms and transforming our mortal body, even the most disfigured, into the image of his glorious body,” he said.

Entrusting the souls of Pope Francis and the deceased prelates to God, Leo prayed for their intercession and “spiritual encouragement” for Christians “who are still pilgrims on earth.”

Using the Book of Psalms, Leo at the end of his homily prayed: “Hope in God; I will still praise him, the salvation of my face and my God.”

Rome Newsroom, Nov 3, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

The Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia, Italy, reopened for worship this weekend after a four-year project to rebuild the 13th-century edifice leveled by an earthquake in 2016.

Archbishop Renato Boccardo of Spoleto-Norcia dedicated the newly rebuilt church on Oct. 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day. The basilica marks the birthplace of St. Benedict, the founder of the Benedictine order and the father of Western monasticism. He is also a co-patron saint of Europe.

Nine years ago on Oct. 30, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake — the last in a series of deadly earthquakes to hit central Italy between August and October 2016 — almost completely destroyed the basilica, leaving only the facade standing.

An adjoining monastery of Benedictine monks, who were the caretakers of the basilica at the time, was also destroyed in the October 2016 earthquake.

The reconstruction of the basilica and crypt began in December 2021 and used as many of the original materials as possible while incorporating earthquake-resistant design and handicap accessibility. The project cost 15 million euros (about $17 million).

“The restoration of this important monument, of great historical and artistic value as well as a vibrant center of Benedictine spirituality, represents the visible sign of the demanding journey of religious rebirth undertaken in recent years by the entire diocesan community,” Pope Leo XIV said in a message sent for the basilica’s dedication.

In his homily at the Oct. 31 dedication Mass, Boccardo said: “The doors of the basilica open today to welcome all who come here to draw light and strength for the journey of Christian life.”

“As believers, we are well aware that a splendid building is not enough to make it God’s house among the homes of men,” he said. “Only a community that, as each day passes, passionately lives a sincere search for what is true, good, and just in his eyes will be able to have the Lord close to it.”

“Woe to us,” he continued, “if we limit ourselves to offering him the beauty of this church if it does not correspond to the beauty of a people who are built around the Word and the Eucharist, who build fraternal relationships, who are committed to a more welcoming and merciful society toward all, who tirelessly seek the wisdom that distinguishes good from evil, who separates what builds from what destroys, what remains from what passes away, and who engage in a daily exercise of Christian love.”

A Benedictine monastery was built in Norcia in the 10th century but was shuttered by the Napoleonic Army in the 1800s. A group of American monks refounded the community in Norcia in 1999.

Following the 2016 earthquake, the monastic community moved to a former Capuchin monastery approximately 1.5 miles east of the town. They completed the rebuilding of the earthquake-damaged property outside of Norcia in mid-2024, and the community was elevated to the status of an abbey.

The Abbey of San Benedetto in Monte is known for its beer brewing and for being a vibrant center of Benedictine spirituality in the central Italian region of Umbria.

On his way to Castel Gandolfo, the Pope stopped at the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray at the tomb of his predecessor and in front of the image of Salus Populi Romani.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christ crucified and risen has tamed and transfigured death with his love, Pope Leo XIV said.

"We are saddened, of course, when a loved one leaves us," the pope said in his homily Nov. 3, during a memorial Mass for Pope Francis and the world's cardinals and bishops who died over the past year.

"We are scandalized when a human being, especially a child, a 'little one,' a fragile person, is taken away by illness or, worse, by human violence," he said during the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.

"As Christians, we are called to carry the weight of these crosses with Christ," he said. "But we are not sad like those who have no hope, because even the most tragic death cannot prevent our Lord from welcoming our soul into his arms and transforming our mortal body, even the most disfigured, into the image of his glorious body."

The worst form of death, he said, is "violent death that kills the innocent" and leaves people "disheartened, discouraged and desperate."

"How many people, how many 'little ones,' today suffer the trauma of this frightening death because it is disfigured by sin," Pope Leo said. God the Father does not want this form of death, "and he sent his Son into the world to free us from it." 

"The love of Christ crucified and risen has transfigured death: from enemy, He has made it sister, He has tamed it," he said. And in the face of death, we do not 'grieve like the rest who have no hope,'" he said.

For this reason, Christians do not call burial places "'necropolises,' meaning 'cities of the dead,' but 'cemeteries,' which literally means 'dormitories,' places where one rests, awaiting resurrection," Pope Leo said. As the psalmist prophesies (Ps 4:9): "In peace I will lie down and fall asleep, for you alone, Lord, make me secure."

"With great affection," Pope Leo said, the Nov. 3 Mass was offered for the soul of Pope Francis, "who died after opening the Holy Door and imparting the Easter blessing to Rome and the world." Pope Francis died April 21, 2025, Easter Monday.

"Our beloved Pope Francis and our brother cardinals and bishops," he said, "have lived, witnessed and taught this new paschal hope. The Lord called them and appointed them as shepherds in his church, and through their ministry they -- to use the language of the Book of Daniel -- have led 'the many to justice.'"

"That is, they have guided them on the path of the Gospel with the wisdom that comes from Christ, who has become for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption," Pope Leo said.

"May their souls be washed clean of every stain and may they shine like stars in the sky," he said. "And may their spiritual encouragement reach us, still pilgrims on earth, in the silence of prayer: 'for I shall again praise him, my savior and my God.'"

The booklet for the Mass listed the names and dates of death of Pope Francis, eight cardinals and 134 bishops who died over the past year.

WASHINGTON - On the weekend of December 13-14, the faithful will have the opportunity to support more than 21,000 elderly sisters, brothers and religious order priests. Coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO), the annual collection taken up by participating (arch)dioceses helps provide critical financial assistance to eligible religious institutes caring for their retired members.

For decades, women and men religious have devoted their lives to service through countless Church ministries, often for little to no pay. Today, their communities face a severe gap between the rising cost of care and the limited resources available. In 2024, religious past the age of 70 outnumbered younger religious by nearly three to one, and only 4% of communities reporting to the NRRO said they were adequately funded for retirement.

Since 1988, the Retirement Fund for Religious has been a lifeline for our aging religious, but the need remains urgent. In 2024, the collection raised $28.1 million, while annual care costs for senior religious exceeded $1 billion. The average annual cost to care for senior religious, as reported by the NRRO, is $56,600 per person, with skilled nursing averaging $96,000. The typical Social Security benefit for a religious is just $9,090—less than half that of the average lay beneficiary. This gap underscores the critical importance of the national appeal.

“For decades, the faithful service of these religious has touched countless lives, including my own,” said NRRO director John Knutsen. “Through your generosity, we can help ensure they are cared for with the dignity they so rightly deserve while also living out the values of compassion and solidarity that unite us as disciples of Jesus.”

“Supporting our aging religious is a profound opportunity to show gratitude for their lifetime of service, and we hear all throughout the year how deeply thankful they are for that support,” he continues. 

Since its inception, the collection has distributed more than $1 billion to religious institutes across the U.S., supporting day-to-day care and helping religious communities build up their retirement funds. It also funds educational programs for eldercare and long-term retirement planning. Every gift makes a difference, providing retired religious with the care and dignity they deserve.

For more information, please visit retiredreligious.org.

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CNA Staff, Nov 3, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

On Nov. 3, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Martin de Porres, a Peruvian Dominican brother who lived a life of humble service and charity and became the first Black saint of the Americas.

Here are seven fascinating facts about this inspiring saint:

1. His father refused to acknowledge him.

De Porres was born in Lima, Peru, in 1579. He was the son of a Spanish nobleman and former Panamanian Black slave. His father, Don Juan de Porres, refused to publicly acknowledge the boy as his own because Martin was Black, like his mother. Being biracial would prove challenging for Martin de Porres throughout his life. 

2. He started practicing medicine before he was 13.

De Porres served as an apprentice to a doctor, and before the age of 13 he began to learn the practice of medicine. He would eventually become a barber, which at the time performed minor medical and surgical procedures like pulling teeth or emptying abscesses. 

3. He faced discrimination as a Dominican.

De Porres entered the Dominican order in 1603. Becoming a Dominican brother proved to be challenging for de Porres because a Peruvian law at the time prevented people of mixed race from joining religious orders. Therefore, he lived with the community and did manual work, earning himself the nickname “the saint of the broom” for his diligence in cleaning the Dominicans’ quarters.

Eventually he was allowed to enter the order, despite the law, and worked in the infirmary tending to the sick and among the impoverished of Peru. “I cure them, but God heals them,” de Porres would say when curing the sick. He also had the task of begging for alms that the community would use to clothe and feed the poor. He also established an orphanage and planted an orchard from which those in need could freely take a day’s supply of fruit. 

4. He levitated and bilocated.

De Porres was deeply prayerful, so much so that many of the brothers witnessed him levitating in intense prayer and embracing the crucified cross. De Porres reportedly also had the gift of bilocation, and some of his contemporaries said they encountered him in places as far off as Japan even as he remained in Lima. Some claimed he had appeared to them supernaturally behind locked doors or under otherwise impossible circumstances. 

5. He refused to eat meat.

De Porres loved animals. He refused to eat meat and ran a veterinary hospital for sick animals that seemed to seek out his help. Portrayals of the saint often include cats, dogs, and even the rats to whom he showed compassion.

6. He is the patron saint of multiple manual labor occupations.

De Porres was known for the various assignments he carried out and which earned him the title of patron saint of barbers, the sick, and street cleaners. On the 50th anniversary of St. Martin de Porres’ canonization, Father Juan Anguerri, director of the St. Martin de Porres Home for the Poor, said: “These are often thankless tasks, but yet through his humble service, St. Martin sent a message to revitalize these jobs.”

7. He was canonized more than 300 years after his death.

Martin de Porres died on Nov. 3, 1639, at age 60. He was canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 16, 1962. At his canonization Mass, John XXIII called him “Martin of Charity.” 

This story was first published on Nov. 3, 2021, and has been updated.

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