The priests who staff nunciatures and other Vatican diplomatic missions around the world must be priests first and diplomats second, Pope Leo XIV told them.
Priests
The Diocese of Auchi, Nigeria, announced the death of a young seminarian who, along with two fellow seminarians, was kidnapped by bandits in July.
While the number of Catholic priests and religious continues to decline, the number of lay missionaries, catechists, and permanent deacons continues to increase, according to the news agency Fides.
Modern hermits seek solitude not to escape the world but to learn how to listen more closely to God, to their neighbors, and to creation, Pope Leo XIV said as he met about 50 Italian hermits who came to the Vatican for the Jubilee of Consecrated Life.
All human beings need consistent, lasting, and healthy experiences of authentic love, Pope Leo XIV said.
This is the full text of Pope Leo XIV’s homily on June 27, 2025, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
When a priest has experienced the joy of truly believing in Jesus Christ and embracing him as a friend, it shows, Pope Leo XIV told priests.
Sixty-four young men representing 46 different schools and 27 parishes across the Diocese of Dallas gathered May 31 for the 2025 Calling of Andrew: Venite et Videte Retreat, an immersive weekend designed to help them prayerfully discern whether God may be calling them to the priesthood.
The pews of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church were packed with family, friends, clergy, seminarians, and faithful from across north Texas and beyond to witness the rite of ordination to the priesthood of Father Bryce Baumann, Father Allen-Michael Muench, Father Peter Whitfield, and Father David Piquer May 24 during a Mass celebrated by Bishop Edward J. Burns.