Category: Uncategorized

A month later, on the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, four Franciscan priests claimed to have witnessed the same apparition.

In Dublin in May, 52 laypeople received certificates as catechists.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 5, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

In the summer of A.D. 325, more than 300 bishops gathered in Nicaea — located in modern-day northern Turkey — to promulgate a common Christian creed, settle Christological disputes that arose from the Arian heresy, and promote unity in the Church.

The first ecumenical council, known as the Council of Nicaea, is still accepted as authoritative by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and many Protestant denominations. The common beliefs still offer a strong element of unity in an otherwise fractured Christianity 1,700 years later.

During the council, the bishops established the initial formulation of the Nicene Creed, which is the profession of faith still recited at the Catholic Mass, Orthodox liturgies, and some Protestant services. It also rejected heretical Arian claims that Christ was a created being who lacked an eternal divine nature and rather confirmed that the Son is eternally begotten of the Father.

The council was called by Emperor Constantine — a convert to Christianity — less than 15 years after the empire halted the persecution of Christians and granted them the freedom to worship. It came just 20 years after the reign of Emperor Diocletian, who brutally persecuted Christians for their rejection of paganism.

“That council represents a fundamental stage in the development of the creed shared by all the Churches and ecclesial communities,” Pope Leo XIV said two weeks ago, acknowledging the 1,700th anniversary.

“While we are on the path towards the reestablishment of full communion among all Christians, we recognize that this unity can only be unity in faith,” the pontiff said.

The Arian heresy

The primary purpose of the council was to settle a major question about Christ’s divine nature and address Arianism, which was a heresy promoted by the priest Arius asserting that Jesus Christ was a created being and not eternal.

“Arius began to preach something that was scandalous to many Christian believers and [which] seemed incompatible to the Christian faith as witnessed to in Scripture and transmitted through the tradition of the Church,” Dominican Father Dominic Legge, the director of the Thomistic Institute and professor of theology, told CNA.

Arius wrote in “Thalia” that he believed the Father “made the Son” and “produced him as a son for himself by begetting him.” He wrote that “the Son was not always [in existence], for he was not [in existence] before his generation.” He asserted that Christ was not eternal but “came into existence by the Father’s will.” Arius contested that Christ “is not true God” but was rather “made God by participation.”

Legge said that Arius understood that “there’s an infinite gap between God and creatures,” but where he was mistaken was that “he thought that the Son was on the ‘creature’ side of that gap” and “not equal in divinity to God.”

“Therefore, he considered him to be the highest creature,” Legge added. “The first creature, but nonetheless a creature.”

Legge said that at Nicaea there was “a consensus of bishops with very different approaches to the mystery of God and they could see that Arius had to be wrong and so they condemned him and they affirmed that the Son is ‘God from God, true God from true God.’”

The language adopted at Nicaea expressly contradicted Arius, affirming Christ is “true God from true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father.” It condemned Arius’ view as heresy. The vote was nearly unanimous with more than 300 bishops voting in favor of this text and only two siding with Arius.

St. Athanasius, one of the most outspoken opponents of Arianism at the council and in its aftermath, wrote in his First Discourse Against the Arians in the mid-fourth century that “the Scriptures declare the Son’s eternity.”

Athanasius notes, for example, the Gospel of St. John states that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He also cites Chapter 8 of the same Gospel in which Christ declares “before Abraham was, I am,” invoking the divine name used by God to indicate his eternity when appearing to Moses as the burning bush.

“The Lord himself says, ‘I am the Truth,’ not ‘I became the Truth,’ but always, ‘I am — I am the Shepherd — I am the Light‘ — and again, ‘Call me not, Lord and Master? And you call me well, for so I am,‘” Athanasius wrote. “Who, hearing such language from God, and the Wisdom, and Word of the Father, speaking of himself, will any longer hesitate about the truth, and not immediately believe that in the phrase ‘I am,‘ is signified that the Son is eternal and without beginning?”

Legge noted that Athanasius also warned that Arius’ position “threatened the central truth of Christianity that God became man for our salvation.”

Unifying the Church in the fourth century

Prior to the Council of Nicaea, bishops in the Church held many synods and councils to settle disputes that arose within Christianity.

This includes the Council of Jerusalem, which was an apostolic council detailed in Acts 15, and many local councils that did not represent the entire Church. Regional councils “have a kind of binding authority — but they’re not global,” according to Thomas Clemmons, a professor of Church history at The Catholic University of America.

When the Roman Empire halted its Christian persecution and Emperor Constantine converted to the faith, this allowed “the opportunity to have a more broad, ecumenical council,” Clemmons told CNA. Constantine embraced Christianity more than a decade before the council, though he was not actually baptized until moments before his death in A.D. 337.

Constantine saw a need for “a certain sense of unity,” he said, at a time with theological disputes, debates about the date of Easter, conflicts about episcopal jurisdictions, and canon law questions.

“His role was to unify and to have [those] other issues worked out,” Clemmons said.

The pursuit of unity helped produce the Nicene Creed, which Clemmons said “helps to clarify what more familiar scriptural language doesn’t.”

Neither the council nor the creed was universally adopted immediately. Clemmons noted that it was more quickly adopted in the East but took longer in the West. There were several attempts to overturn the council, but Clemmons said “it’s later tradition that will affirm it.”

“I don’t know if the significance of it was understood [at the time],” he said.

The dispute between Arians and defenders of Nicaea were tense for the next half century, with some emperors backing the creed and others backing Arianism. Ultimately, Clemmons said, the creed “convinces people over many decades but without the imperial enforcement you would expect.”

It was not until 380 when Emperor Theodosius declared that Nicene Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire. One year later, at the First Council of Constantinople, the Church reaffirmed the Council of Nicaea and updated the Nicene Creed by adding text about the Holy Spirit and the Church.

Common misconceptions

There are some prominent misconceptions about the Council of Nicaea that are prevalent in modern society.

Clemmons said the assertion that the Council of Nicaea established the biblical canon “is probably the most obvious” misconception. This subject was not debated at Nicaea and the council did not promulgate any teachings on this matter.

Another misconception, he noted, is the notion that the council established the Church and the papacy. Episcopal offices, including that of the pope (the bishop of Rome), were already in place and operating long before Nicaea, although the council did resolve some jurisdictional disputes.

Other misconceptions, according to Clemmons, is an asserted “novelty” of the process and the teachings. He noted that bishops often gathered in local councils and that the teachings defined at Nicaea were simply “the confirmation of the faith of the early Church.”

Lima Newsroom, Jun 5, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

As bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, Pope Leo XIV sought to build a basilica at the site of a Eucharistic miracle, currently a chapel. However, that goal has been impeded by a dispute over who owns the land and marred by the fact that non-Catholic liturgies have been held there.

The Peruvian government recently declared the site to be “of national Interest,” introducing another factor into the matter.

Jesús León Ángeles, coordinator of the group 1649 Eucharistic Miracle in Peru, explained the situation to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

“In 2021, Pope Leo XIV — then bishop of Chiclayo — began a crusade for the construction of the Eucharistic Shrine of Peru on an 11-hectare [27-acre] plot of land he obtained in the Ciudad Eten district [of the Lambayeque region of Chiclayo province], where the country’s only Eucharistic miracle occurred in 1649,” León said.

León, who worked with then-Bishop Robert Prevost on the project, said that “Pope Leo XIV’s heart is full of love for our country,” which is why he dedicated part of his pastoral mission to promote the development of the shrine.

However, she explained that there are multiple obstacles to the construction of the Eten shrine. Just as the story of the Eten miracle “traces back to a sacrilege in Quito,” she said, today it also “has sacrilege and the desecration of the sacred place as stumbling blocks.”

The miracle of 1649: When the Divine Child appeared in the host

On Jan. 20, 1649, ciboria and consecrated hosts were stolen from the St. Clare Convent in Quito. When the sad news reached northern Peru, Masses of reparation were offered. Then on June 2, 1649, the eve of Corpus Christi, residents of Ciudad Eten claimed to see the Divine Child Jesus in a consecrated host. 

A month later, on the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, four Franciscan priests claimed to have witnessed the same apparition. Later, the image of the Child on the host disappeared, and in its place were three hearts, a symbol of the Holy Trinity.

“In 1649, people wept, the bells rang, and that grief spread throughout Peru. We are in the northern region, and the Franciscan priests were here at that time,” León explained.

This event, which is recorded in the Vatican Library in Rome, in the General Archive of the Indies in Seville, Spain, and in the library of St. Francis Convent Convent in Lima, was also celebrated by Blessed Carlo Acutis, who included it in his famous compilation of Eucharistic miracles.

In 2019, Prevost, as bishop of Chiclayo, initiated a process with the Vatican for the recognition of the Eucharistic miracle. The prelate told ACI Prensa that the miracle is well documented by “the history, the data, the continuous devotion over these 370 years” in the city of Eten and that in that sense “the miracle is approved.”

Multisectoral Committee opposes Church authority

One of the main obstacles to the construction of the long-awaited Eten shrine has been the opposition of the so-called “Multisectoral Committee of Eten City,” a group of residents who claim to have owned the land for more than 50 years. “Multisectoral” means “representing a broad section of society.” 

“Unfortunately — and I say this with shame — there is a group of fellow countrymen, my fellow countrymen from here in Eten, called the Multisectoral Committee, who have taken over the chapel and are bringing in false priests,” lamented Christian Pulcan, a member of the Catholic group 1649 Eucharistic Miracle in Peru.

Italo Chafloc, president of the committee, defended their position: “We just want them to respect our ownership of the land we have occupied for more than 50 years,” he said. “We have never closed the gates; we have always been open to dialogue.”

Chafloc further indicated that “there is a legal issue that has been in process for some time.” However, he maintained that “the role of the justice system takes a long time and is a process that is dragging on.”

However, the problems go beyond a legal dispute between the diocese and the committee.

Non-Catholic ceremonies and fake priests

In July 2018, Bishop Prevost was prevented from entering the chapel after learning that a supposed Mass was being celebrated without permission. Police intervened and found four men dressed as priests who later identified themselves as Anglicans. However, upon consulting with the official Anglican Church, that institution denied that they were members.

“I am a servant appointed by Pope Francis, the bishop of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Chiclayo. I came to this chapel and they closed the gates on me,” Prevost declared at the time, making a statement to the authorities.

According to Pulcan, Prevost was celebrating Mass at the St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Eten. “After Mass, he was informed that there was another liturgical celebration taking place here in this chapel. The [future] pope was celebrating alongside the parish priest of Eten, and therefore, there could not be another simultaneous celebration without his authorization,” he explained.

Upon learning of this, the then-bishop of Chiclayo went to the Eten chapel.

“Unfortunately, the group closed the iron gates and did not allow them to enter,” Pulcan added.

Similar situations have also taken place recently, including some witnessed by the team from the Spanish-language edition of EWTN News when they visited the site. On May 11, a man named Fernando Hoyos Ortega presided over a ceremony in which he distributed Communion without being a priest. He claimed to be an Episcopalian and said he had been invited by the Multisectoral Committee.

“Those who invited me to celebrate Mass were the people of Eten, not the diocese. That’s why you don’t need a special permit for that,” Hoyos stated.

In 2019, the diocese had specifically addressed Hoyos’ situation with a statement signed by then-Bishop Prevost, saying: “Fernando Hoyos is not a priest, nor does he have any type of authorization from the Diocese of Chiclayo to celebrate any liturgical act.”

Despite that statement, the president of the Multisectoral Committee recently stated that he was unaware that Hoyos was not Catholic: “Of course, now that you’ve just… let’s say, practically clarified it for me, well, yes,” Chafló said when asked by EWTN News.

According to Pulcan, another man named Héctor Urteaga has also gone to the chapel to celebrate non-Catholic ceremonies, supposedly as a bishop. “David Peña also came, who claimed to be a bishop. And currently, Mr. Fernando Hoyos, president of the Chiclayo Autism Association, is coming,” he added.

“It’s important for people to know all of this, because many are unaware of it. Valid liturgical celebrations in Eten take place at St. Mary Magdalene Parish. All celebrations must take place there,” the layman noted.

Pope Leo XIV’s objective: A basilica and a hospital

Despite the obstacles, in 2022 the Diocese of Chiclayo succeeded in obtaining a land lease from the regional government for use of an 11-hectare plot of land that includes the site of the miracle. Prevost’s original plan included a basilica, a pilgrim guesthouse, a hospital, and an artisan park for crafts, food, and performances. 

However, the project’s progress has been curtailed by legal disputes. The diocese’s lawyer, Ulises Damián, explained that there are currently two legal proceedings to determine ownership of the land.

The occupants of the site claim continuous possession for more than a decade, while the Church maintains that it is a cultural heritage site, meaning the state can only grant temporary use, not ownership.

“Legally, over time, they have attempted to access the property… however, that area has been declared a cultural heritage site,” Damián said. “When the Ministry of Culture prepared a report, it was determined that there are not just old but pre-Hispanic vestiges.”

For this reason, according to the lawyer, usage rights of the land are claimed not only by the diocese but also the Lambayeque regional government itself, the current legal owner of the property.

Damián also referred to the Multisectoral Committee that currently occupies the site, indicating that, although it has been formalized as an organization, it does not have the authority to administer churches or religious assets.

“Initially, they helped the priest during the feast of the Child of the Miracle, but over time, this became distorted. At one point, they even brought in people outside the Catholic Church who pretended to be priests,” he lamented.

Despite the conflict, the lawyer reiterated the diocese’s willingness to engage in dialogue with the occupiers. However, he insisted that communion with the Church requires respect for its authority. “The Church does not impose; the Church is a mother and teacher. But whoever wants to be within it must respect its hierarchy and doctrine,” he emphasized.

Both national and pending Vatican recognition

On May 17, the Peruvian government declared Ciudad Eten a “Eucharistic City of National Interest” and announced on May 21 that it would be part of the country’s “Paths of Pope Leo XIV” tourism route. Nonetheless, while the legal status of the land remains unresolved and the sacrileges continue, construction of the basilica shrine cannot move forward.

When he was prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, then-Cardinal Robert Prevost sought Vatican recognition for the Eucharistic miracle. In 2019, he presented Pope Francis with a document detailing the history of the devotion, which compiles 20,000 testimonies of faith. Since then, the Holy See has retained the documentation.

Today, with Prevost having become Pope Leo XIV, official recognition of the miracle is in his hands.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Dublin, Ireland, Jun 5, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Thirty-year-old Mahon McCann was baptized during the Easter Vigil Mass in his parish of Rathfarnham in Dublin this year. He was one of 70 adults baptized into the Catholic faith that evening in the Dublin Archdiocese, the largest number of adult baptisms recorded there. 

The recent upturn in the number of people being received into the Catholic faith in Ireland can be partly explained by young adults who are seeking and searching, people who are looking for a home, somewhere they can be accompanied and grow in faith, according to Patricia Carroll, director of the office for mission and ministry in the archdiocese.

“The new Irish are coming from other countries. Then the others are Irish,” Carroll told CNA. “A lot of parents here decided that they wouldn’t bring their children through the sacraments. So that generation is starting to come to the fore, seeking and searching, looking for something.”

Carroll highlighted one development she considers integral and essential. “In our diocese, our youth and pastoral teams have focused a lot on training catechists. That means places are growing where you can come to get your catechesis.” 

In Dublin in May, 52 laypeople received certificates as catechists. The archdiocese offers a dedicated course in catechetics for those who feel called to the ministry of catechist, including people already doing some parish catechesis and members of parish sacramental teams.

Auxiliary Bishop Donal Roche of Dublin speaking at the Presentation of the Diocesan Certificate in Catechesis Our Lady of Victories Church in Ballymun said: “We are making great progress in the task of opening the hearts and minds of those who have come to the door of the Church to look in, not sure who or what they will encounter inside.”

Speaking at the 800th anniversary of the canonization of Laurence O’Toole in France in May, Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell directly referenced the phenomenon of faith resurgence happening in Ireland. 

”Beneath the surface in Dublin, another story emerges, albeit faintly,” the archbishop said. “Small numbers of young adults are discovering their faith and gathering to celebrate it. Dublin had the largest group ever seeking adult baptism during this Jubilee of Hope. Most of these people are young adults who have come to Ireland, and it is among the new Irish that renewal is most evident.”

McCann is one example of that. “I was raised as an atheist, not just with no religion but in opposition to religion,” he said. “In the sense that there was no God; Christianity was a lie. Catholicism was a lie. It was kind of something we would get past or get over. I never went to Mass and would have gone to a few funerals. I had no real experience with Catholicism or any institutional religion at all.”

When McCann was growing up in Dublin, the percentage of people answering “none” to the question of their religious denomination was in the single digits; now it has ballooned to about 25%.

Carroll told CNA that there is a noticeable increase among adults seeking baptism.

“Since Easter, I get two or three calls per week from young persons who want to become Catholic and wonder what they are to do,” she said. “So what we do is direct them to parishes where there are catechists so that they can accompany them.”

“That is a kind of spin-off of two years now of catechist training,” she continued. “Diocesan catechism in our RCIA [Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, now called OCIA in the U.S.] is becoming more alive and more intentional. So I think those are all factors explaining why the numbers have gone up.”

Carroll is optimistic for the future.

“I expect the numbers to continue to go up because I think in the city of Dublin itself, there are a lot of what I would call ‘seeking and searching’ young people, and they’re looking for a home, they’re looking for somewhere they can be accompanied and grow in faith. So that’s a very hopeful kind of story, really, for us, and it counteracts that story of the Church is dying. The Church is not dying. The Church is not going to go back to the way that it was. And that would be regressive anyway. There is a new Church emerging.”

Carroll outlined the typical journey these new Catholics take when it comes to joining the Church. 

“It’s a process of accompaniment,” she said. “First of all, there’s a whole period of inquiry. And that’s not about filling in a form; that’s about that spiritual search moment. Depending on the person, that can be a long, extended period, or shorter. After that, they are then into the catechumenate. They need to more intentionally be accompanied, to understand the sacramental life, the Church, and the creed. Those were two big things, and once they’ve done that, they’re ready for the Easter Vigil.”

There are many positive stories elsewhere. In the Diocese of Dromore, Tyrell Scarborough recently underwent the journey of seeking faith, culminating in his baptism.

“Many of my friends throughout my life have been Catholic, and I’ve always been curious about Catholicism. Everyone, except for myself, was Catholic, and I was like, I just felt like the odd one out every single time I would go to events.”

He told CNA: “I thought would it hurt for me to also, like, look into delving into this, this religion I’ve always felt a close association with. So I was like, right, why not at least look and see what this journey would be like, or would it be like for me to become that?”

“I was just recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. They call it the lonely disease because it is, like, not working anymore. I needed a sense of community again, and the Church has provided it for me,” he shared.

In Dublin, McCann’s faith journey continues: “Obviously, I’ve never done any of this stuff before, so I’m working off the kind of five stones or five pillars: trying to go to Mass every week, prayer, a bit of fasting, you know, reading Scripture, and also just trying to meet other people who are on a similar journey, getting a sense of community, and then, you know, giving back in any way I can.”

FILM REVIEW: Emma Schmidt was possessed for more than two decades before finally being released from the devil’s grasp.

New York City, N.Y., Jun 4, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

In the Archdiocese of New York, where ordinations to the priesthood have sharply declined in recent decades, a new initiative is seeking to rekindle vocations. Launched this spring, “Called By Name” is the archdiocese’s latest attempt to spark interest in the priesthood.

“Only two men applied to seminary last year to be diocesan priests,” Father George Sears, director of vocations for the archdiocese, told CNA. “As far as I know, that’s the lowest number that I’ve ever seen.”

During Mass on Good Shepherd Sunday last month, parishioners across the city were invited to fill out pamphlets or scan a QR code to nominate young men they believe might be called to the priesthood.

According to Sears, since May 11 more than 260 names have been submitted. Each nominee will receive a personal letter from Cardinal Timothy Dolan inviting him to dinner in August. Called By Name comes at a time of mounting concern for the future of the priesthood not only in New York but also across the nation.

Within the Archdiocese of New York, the number of priests has fallen by more than half since 1970, according to data published by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. 

Fewer men are entering the seminary and many parishes now rely on one priest to serve communities once staffed by two or more. In the past 50 years, many parishes in New York have been forced to merge or close, leaving communities without a resident pastor.

Sears said he speculates that the reason for a waning interest in joining the priesthood is layered. “There’s a greater fear of making a long-term commitment,” he said. “Also the idea, somehow that fulfillment comes from a certain checklist, like, my life is fulfilled if I have the right career as opposed to happiness coming from a relationship based in love.”

He pointed to other factors including a growing secularism in society, the migration of Catholic families from the Northeast to other regions of the country, and the lingering impact of the Church’s sexual abuse crisis. 

“We’re still very much suffering from the results of the sexual abuse scandal,” Sears said. “I think we’re still in the shadow of that.”

Daniel Ogulnick, a Catholic man in his early 20s and a native New Yorker, first heard about the archdiocese’s initiative on Good Shepherd Sunday while sitting in the pews of St. Joseph’s Church in Manhattan. For him, “Called By Name” may not go far enough.

“The same way that God calls us as individuals, maybe the Church should approach it through parish priests really getting to know the young men in their parish and thinking about each one’s unique talents and gifts,” Ogulnick said. He said he believes a more personal approach may be more effective, especially for men like him who are actively discerning a vocation.

Sears doesn’t disagree, but he stressed the limits of the current situation in the diocese. “When we’re in a ‘vocations crisis’ … you’re spread thinner,” he said, adding that “Called By Name” can help priests foster relationships with young men discerning the priesthood whom they might not otherwise reach. 

“The hope is that the priests who are involved in this can say to everyone, ‘Hey, come … join us. Come and pray with us a little bit. Meet some other men who are also curious,’” Sears said. 

At St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, the final step of formation for men preparing to become diocesan priests in the Archdiocese of New York and the only major seminary still operating in the state, 18 men are currently enrolled, though not all are studying for diocesan priesthood. 

Bishop James Massa, who serves as the rector of St. Joseph, said that despite historically low enrollment numbers, the young men currently in seminary are distinctly committed. 

“The fact of the matter is that most men who enter stay and get ordained,” Massa said. “You walk into this seminary and many others, and you hear joy and laughter. It’s a sign of vitality.”

The rector cautions against romanticizing a time when high enrollment — once reaching 200 seminarians in Yonkers — was seen as the sole measure of success, though he acknowledges that increasing enrollment is still the goal. 

“If we romanticize the past too much, if we think of a seminary like a seminary in the 1950s, I’m not sure that’s what we want,” he said. “We do want more vocations, no question about it. But to return in a kind of romanticized fashion to that size of a seminary of the past I think is unrealistic.”

Massa said he believes that in today’s climate, a smaller, more intentional seminary environment allows for stronger formation. With St. Joseph’s expecting around 60 seminarians this fall, the demand for individualized attention is already considerable.

Among those discerning the priesthood is Zachary Adamcik, a 17-year-old high school senior from Port Jervis, New York. He has applied to Seton Hall University and plans to begin his seminary formation at St. Andrew’s Hall in Newark before eventually moving on to St. Joseph’s. His goal is to eventually become a parish priest for the Archdiocese of New York.

“I’ve been around so many good priests in my life,” Adamcik said. “Parish life is a very beautiful life. You know, to baptize some kid one day and also to, sadly, you know, bury another. Just the huge diversity of ministry. It’s very appealing to me.”

Sears said parishioners are still encouraged to submit nominations to “Called By Name” well into the summer and nominees can expect to receive a personal invite from the cardinal to one of several dinners and events hosted by the archdiocese before fall arrives in New York.

Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to not delay in pursuing their faith during his Wednesday General Audience.

He was speaking about the parable on the laborers in the vineyard Jesus gives in the Gospel of Matthew, when the landowner hires people at different hours of the day but gives them all the same wages.

“The metaphor of the marketplace is very appropriate for our times,” the pope says, “because the market is the place of business, where unfortunately even affection and dignity are bought and sold, in the attempt to earn something. And when we do not feel appreciated, acknowledged, we risk selling ourselves to the first bidder.”

Leo says the Lord reminds humanity that life is worthy, and God wishes to help people discover this.

“Indeed, at times we have the impression that we cannot find meaning for our lives: We feel useless, inadequate, just like the laborers who wait in the marketplace, waiting for someone to hire them to work,” he said.

2But sometimes time passes, life goes by, and we do not feel acknowledged or appreciated. Perhaps we did not arrive in time, others appeared before us, or problems held us up elsewhere,” the pope continued.

He says the parable in the Gospel is one of hope, “because it tells us that this landowner goes out several times to go and look for those who are waiting to give meaning to their lives.”

“The landowner goes out immediately at dawn and then, every three hours, he returns in search of workers to send to his vineyard. Following this schedule, after going out at three o’clock in the afternoon, there would be no reason to go out again, because the working day ended at six,” Leo explained.

“This tireless master, who wants at all costs to give value to the life of every one of us, instead goes out at five. The laborers who had remained in the marketplace had probably given up all hope. That day had come to nothing. Nevertheless, someone still believed in them. What point is there to take on laborers only for the last hour of the working day? And yet, even when it seems we are able to do little in life, it is always worthwhile. There is always the possibility to find meaning, because God loves our life,” he continued.

In the Gospel, the laborers hired first are disappointed the ones who worked for less time got the same pay; Leo says they cannot see the beauty of the gesture of the landowner, “who was not unjust, but simply generous; who looked not only at merit, but also at need.”

The pope warned against thinking they can delay doing God’s work, since they will get the same reward.

He noted Saint Augustine responded to these doubts, saying: “Why dost thou put off him that calleth thee, certain as thou art of the reward, but uncertain of the day? Take heed then lest peradventure what he is to give thee by promise, thou take from thyself by delay.”

Leo urged people, especially the young, to not wait, “but respond enthusiastically to the Lord who calls us to work in his vineyard.”

“Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be discouraged! Even in the dark moments of life, when time passes without giving us the answers we seek, let us ask the Lord who will come out again and find us where we are waiting for him. He is generous, and he will come soon,” he said.

Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome

Vatican City, Jun 4, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday appointed Pittsburgh Auxiliary Bishop Mark Eckman to lead the northern U.S. diocese, with the bishop-elect succeeding Bishop David Zubik in that role.

Leo accepted Zubik’s resignation June 4. The outgoing bishop turned 75 — the usual age of retirement — last September. 

A Pittsburgh native, Zubik spent his entire priestly and episcopal career in the diocese, which serves nearly 628,000 Catholics in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania.

Eckman, 66, was born in Pittsburgh on Feb. 9, 1959. He has been an auxiliary bishop of the diocese since 2022. 

His priestly formation took place at Saint Paul Seminary in East Carnegie, Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe.

After his ordination on May 11, 1985, Eckman mostly served in different roles in parishes and schools in South Hills, a southern suburb of Pittsburgh. 

He was episcopal vicar for clergy personnel from 2013 to 2020, and in 2021, became pastor of Resurrection Parish, after acting as administrator during its founding from the merger of two other parishes.

Eckman also served as a member on several boards, including the priest council, the U.S. bishops’ conference National Advisory Board, the permanent diaconate formation board, the seminary admissions board, and the priest candidates admissions board.

The prelate’s episcopal motto is “To serve in faith and charity.” According to his biography on the webpage of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the bishop likes to spend his spare time visiting extended family. He is also an avid nature photographer who likes to hike and ski.

The Diocese of Pittsburgh covers 3,754 square miles in five Pennsylvania counties. It has a population of around two million people.

CNA Staff, Jun 4, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The recent election of Pope Leo XIV has sparked new interest in Catholicism, with Google data showing a spike in searches on “how to become Catholic” shortly after the death of Pope Francis in April. Meanwhile, across many dioceses — and especially among young people — anecdotal reports indicate an upswing in people joining the Catholic Church in recent years.

While the Church’s requirements include some terminology that may be unfamiliar, the process has its roots in the early Church. If you’re looking to become Catholic in 2025, here’s a guide on what you should know — from the stages of spiritual preparation to important terms and historical background on what Christian initiation has looked like over the centuries.

What is OCIA? 

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults or “OCIA” is the normative way to receive formation and prepare to enter the Catholic Church. This process was previously known as RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, until the U.S. bishops renamed it in 2021 to reflect a more accurate translation of the original Latin.

OCIA has four phases designed to intellectually form and spiritually prepare participants — who have attained the age of reason (generally around the age of 7) — to become Catholic.

What are the stages of OCIA?

Evangelization and Prechatechumenate: The inquirer learns of Christ and is drawn to the Catholic Church; he or she takes part in a period of searching and takes the first step toward becoming Catholic by conversing with a priest or parish director of Christian initiation to become a catechumen.

Catechumenate: Usually over the course of a year or less, a catechumen or candidate takes this time to learn more about the Catholic faith and what it means for his or her life. The Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens and the Rite of Election take place during this stage. 

Purification and Enlightenment: During Lent, a catechumen anticipates his or her initiation into the Catholic Church through prayer and learning. Initiation commonly takes place on the Easter Vigil, which is the culmination of the process where catechumens and candidates receive the sacraments of initiation (baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist.)

Mystagogy: After being received into the Church, newly initiated Catholics continue to be formed in their faith during what the Church calls the “Period of Mystagogy.” This lasts until Pentecost, the feast 50 days after Easter in which the Church celebrates the birth of the Church, when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples.

What is the ‘Rite of Election’?

The Rite of Election is the stage of Christian initiation before baptism. Catechumens gather with their sponsors and families, usually on the first Sunday of Lent.

During the Rite of Election ceremony, the local bishop asks the catechumens: “Do you wish to enter fully into the life of the Church through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist?” and they respond: “We do.” Catechumens write their names in the Book of the Elect, further confirming their desire to be baptized.

Through this rite, catechumens become known as “the elect.” Only the unbaptized partake in this rite, because those who are baptized are already known as God’s elect.

What’s the difference between a catechumen and a candidate? 

Catechumen: A catechumen is someone who is unbaptized and seeking to become Catholic. 

Candidate: A candidate is a baptized Christian seeking to come into full communion with the Catholic Church. 

What did Christian initiation look like in the early Church? 

While the Second Vatican Council renewed the OCIA process, Christian initiation goes back to the early Church.

In the early Church, before the fourth century, Christian initiation “would have been rather intense,” explained Timothy O’Malley, associate director for research at Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life and academic director for the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy.

In its earliest form, Christian initiation would have lasted three years or more. 

“There was a real sense of required conversion: If you were an actor (involved with festivals related to the gods) or in the military, you needed to quit,” O’Malley told CNA. “Much catechesis involved moral formation in a new way of life, as well as introduction to the creed.”

OCIA now is largely based on the fourth- and fifth- century model, where catechumens would have prepared for the sacraments of initiation during Lent and entered the Church during the Easter Vigil.  

“During the 40 days, they would have fasted, prayed, and gone to regular sermons,” O’Malley said. “We have, for example, sermons on the creed and other dimensions of Scripture.” 

Once Christianity could be practiced publicly, “there were new options for initiating people,” O’Malley explained.

“Great public catechists and preachers,” such as Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, and Ambrose of Milan, “gave public sermons encouraging people to enroll in the catechumenate leading up to Lent,” he added.

O’Malley noted that some of the reason for changes in the initiation process is that Christianity is not as unknown as it once was. 

“The complication today, of course, is that we live in a culture in which Christianity, while not necessarily totally well known, isn’t the novelty of the fourth and fifth centuries,” O’Malley said. “You can get the Lord’s Prayer online or look up the words of the creed on your own (both of these were handed on in secret as part of fourth and fifth century initiation).”

But historical Christian initiation is still connected to today in certain ways.

“But the challenge, in some sense, is always the same: How do you invite people to experience genuine conversion toward discipleship?” O’Malley said. “Christian conversion is not reducible to studying but involves a wholesale change of life: and that we possess in common with the Fathers of the Church.”

How do I join an OCIA program? 

To join an OCIA program, reach out to a local Catholic parish. If you have Catholic friends, they may be able to help you with this. A priest or parish leader of Christian initiation may want to meet with you to discuss your desire to become Catholic and help to guide you through the next steps of the process.