Christian leaders welcomed the Kerala and Tamil Nadu outcomes but voiced alarm at the BJP's historic sweep of West Bengal and a third-term win in Assam.

Father Michael T. Castori, SJ, was appointed the sixth bishop of the U.S. diocese.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic Church is the guardian of hope, whose members are called to speak clearly against all evil and in defense of human life, Pope Leo XIV said.

The Church, as "the pilgrim people of God on earth," he said during his general audience in St. Peter's Square May 6, "reads and interprets the dynamics of history through the Gospel, denouncing evil in all its forms and proclaiming, in word and deed, the salvation that Christ wishes to bring about for all humanity and his kingdom of justice, love and peace."

"As the guardian of a hope that enlightens the path," he added, the Church is "invested with the mission of speaking clearly to reject everything that mortifies life and prevents its development, and to take a position in favor of the poor, the exploited, the victims of violence and war, and all those who suffer in body and in spirit." 

The pope's remarks were part of his continuing series of reflections on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, specifically, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, "Lumen Gentium." His May 6 catechesis was dedicated to the Church's eschatological dimension, that is, the transcendent, transtemporal and transhistorical nature of the kingdom of God.

"This is an essential dimension which, however, we often overlook or downplay, because we are too focused on what is immediately visible and on the more concrete dynamics of the life of the Christian community," the pope said.

"The Church is God’s people journeying through history, which has the kingdom of God as the purpose of all her action," he said. "We are therefore called to consider the community and cosmic dimension of salvation in Christ and to turn our eyes to this final horizon, to measure and evaluate everything from this perspective." 

The Catholic Church lives in human history at the service of the coming of the kingdom of God in the world, he said. "She proclaims the words of this promise to all and always." 

That means the Church is not proclaiming herself, he said. "On the contrary, everything within her must point to salvation in Christ."

Despite being at the service of the kingdom of God, "the Church is called to recognize humbly the human fragility and transience of her own institutions," which can never be treated as "absolute," he said.

"Indeed, since they exist within history and time, they are called to continual conversion, to the renewal of forms and the reform of structures, to the continual regeneration of relationships, so that they may truly fulfil their mission," Pope Leo said.

As members of the same body, he said in a summary of his remarks in English, "we too are called to renewal. We do this by remaining in communion with Christ and one another. The entire Church is most closely united in our praise of God in the liturgy." 

The Church "does not identify perfectly with the Kingdom of God, but is its seed and beginning, for its fulfilment will be granted to humanity and the cosmos only at the end," he said in his main catechesis.

Those who believe in Christ can walk this pilgrimage on earth, marked by injustices and suffering, without being either deluded or despairing, he said, as "they live guided by the promise received from the One who will 'make all things new.'"

That is why the church, as a guardian of hope, urges her members to clearly reject evil and promote God's kingdom of justice, love and peace, he said.
 

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Reporting by CNS Rome is made possible by the Catholic Communication Campaign. Give to the CCC special collection in your diocese or any time at: https://bit.ly/CCC-give

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Larry Silva, 76, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Honolulu, and has appointed Reverend Michael T. Castori, SJ, as Bishop-elect of Honolulu. Father Castori is a member of the Society of Jesus, a religious order, and currently serves as rector of the Arrupe Jesuit Residence at Seattle University in Seattle, Washington.

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 6, 2026, by Monsignor Većeslav Tumir, chargé d’affaires, a.i., of the Apostolic Nunciature in the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Castori was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Castori was born on October 21, 1960, in Sacramento, California. He received a bachelor’s degree in classics from Harvard University (1982); a master’s degree in philosophical resources (1991); a master of divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley (1998); and studied Hebrew languages at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1999). He received a Ph.D. in near eastern religions from the University of California, Berkeley (2008), and a licentiate in sacred theology from Fordham University (2009).

He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1998. Father Castori’s pastoral assignments include: ministry to the homeless through St. Ignatius parish in Baltimore, Maryland for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (1984-1985); Catholic chaplaincies at Crouse-Irving Memorial Hospital in Syracuse, New York (1987-1989), St. Barnabas Hospital in Bronx, New York (1989-1991), and Suva Prison in Fiji (1991-1994). He served in pastoral ministry over the summer at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga (1995) and St. Teresa of Avila parish in Ha’apai, Kingdom of Tonga (1997), and was chaplain to the Tongan Catholic communities in northern California from 1996 to 2024. He also served in Catholic chaplaincy at San Quentin State Prison in California (1997-2005); in pastoral ministry at Mission Santa Clara and Campus Ministry at Santa Clara University (2008-2013); and he was associate pastor at All Saints parish in Hayward, California (2014-2024).

Bishop-elect Castori’s teaching experience includes: instructor for the Collegiate Program at St. Ignatius House of Studies in Guam (1985-1987); instructor at Assumption High School in Majuro, Republic of Marshall Islands (1989); lecturer in philosophy at Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva, Fiji (1991-1994); assistant professor in the department of religious studies at Santa Clara University (2008-2013); and assistant professor at East Asian Pastoral Institute in Ateneo de Manila in the Philippines (2011). He served as a member of the presbyteral council of the Diocese of Oakland from 2015-2024, and as a member of the diocese’s priest personnel board from 2019-2024. From 2021 to 2025, he was vicar for clergy for the Diocese of Oakland. Bishop-elect Castori has served as rector of Arrupe Jesuit Residence at Seattle University since 2025. He speaks English, Spanish, Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Tongan.

The Diocese of Honolulu is comprised of 6,435 square miles in the State of Hawaii.

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WASHINGTON - Catholics in dioceses across the United States are invited to support the Church’s mission of evangelization by contributing to the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Communication Campaign at Mass on the weekend of May 16-17.

This annual collection supports efforts to proclaim the Gospel through digital media, social platforms, and Catholic news coverage, helping the Church reach people where they are—especially in an increasingly online world.

“Throughout my ministry as a parish priest, a chaplain to university students, and now as a bishop, I have seen how deeply people—especially the young—are shaped by digital media,” said Bishop William D. Byrne, chairman of the Committee on Communications for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). “If we hope to share the Gospel effectively, we must be present in digital spaces, offering clarity and sharing the mercy and truth of Jesus Christ.

When Catholics give to the Catholic Communication Campaign, half of their gift remains in their diocese to support local communications efforts, while the other half supports national initiatives. Some dioceses choose a different date, and those who wish to give but are unable to do so at Mass may donate online at #iGiveCatholic to support the USCCB’s national communication efforts. 

Because of this support, the bishops of the United States are able to engage millions of people each day through social media, video, and other digital platforms.

Some of the projects supported by the Catholic Communication Campaign include:

• Daily Mass readings and related resources on the U.S. bishops’ website, which reach hundreds of millions of people each year and are increasingly shared across digital platforms to support prayer and formation: bible.usccb.org/.
• In-depth coverage of Pope Leo XIV, his ministry and travels by the Catholic News Service bureau in Rome, providing trusted Catholic journalism to audiences in the United States and beyond.
• A series of roundtables on Catholics and mental health, featuring bishops and clinical experts. These valuable discussions can be viewed on the USCCB website at: www.usccb.org/committees/laity-marriage-family-life-and-youth/roundtable-discussions-mental-health.
• Livestreamed coverage of the bishops’ plenary assemblies, allowing the faithful to witness the bishops gathered in fraternity to address pastoral priorities and proclaim the Gospel with a unified voice.
• Social media content across the U.S. bishops’ platforms reaches hundreds of millions of users each year, bringing the work of the conference and the voices of bishops directly to Catholics and people of goodwill in engaging, accessible formats.

“When you give to the Catholic Communication Campaign, you shed light on the work of the Church and help the Church to shed the light of Christ on everyone,” Bishop Byrne said.

For more information: www.usccb.org/committees/catholic-communication-campaign

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