Pope Leo meets with some 160 men and women religious from the Union of Superiors General, encouraging them to make good use of the “extraordinary opportunities” offered by technology—so long as these don't come at the expense of human connection.

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The Justice and Peace Commission of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) has welcomed and commended the key resolutions emerging from the recent G20 Leaders’ Summit, recognising their alignment with long-standing calls for global justice, solidarity, and inclusive development.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Thanksgiving is a "beautiful feast" that reminds everyone to be grateful for the gifts they have been given, Pope Leo XIV said.

"Say thank you to someone," the pope suggested two days before the U.S. holiday when he met reporters outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo before returning to the Vatican after a day off.

Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, was scheduled to spend his Thanksgiving Nov. 27 in Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey, the first stops on his first foreign trip as pope.

A reporter asked the pope what he was thankful for this year.

"Many things I'm thankful for," he responded.

He described Thanksgiving as "this beautiful feast that we have in the United States, which unites all people, people of different faiths, people who perhaps do not have the gift of faith."

The holiday is an opportunity "to say thank you to someone, to recognize that we all have received so many gifts -- first and foremost, the gift of life, the gift of faith, the gift of unity, to encourage all people to try and promote peace and harmony and to give thanks to God for the many gifts we have been given." 

Pope Leo was asked about his upcoming trip, particularly about relations with Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who will host the pope for several prayer services in addition to having a private meeting and lunch with him.

"This trip was born precisely to celebrate 1,700 years of the Creed of Nicaea, the Council of Nicaea" and what it affirmed about Jesus, the pope said.

In his apostolic letter, "In Unitate Fidei" ("In the Unity of Faith"), published Nov. 23, Pope Leo highlighted the importance of the anniversary and of the Creed that all mainline Christians still share.

"Unity in the faith," he told the reporters, "can also be a source of peace for the whole world." 

Pope Leo also was asked if he was concerned about going to Lebanon when Israel continues to strike what it says are Hezbollah and Hamas positions in Lebanon. Israel said it killed Hezbollah's top military leader Nov. 23 in a suburb of Beirut; Lebanon said the strike killed five other people as well and wounded 28 more.

"It's always a concern," the pope said. "Again, I would invite all people to look for ways to abandon the use of arms as a way of solving problems and to come together, to respect one another, to sit down together at the table, to dialogue and to work together for solutions for the problems that affect us."

"I am very happy to be able to visit Lebanon," the pope said. "The message will be a word of peace, a word of hope, especially this year of the Jubilee of hope."
 

Pope Leo XIV releases his prayer intention for the month of December, and invites the faithful to pray that Christians living in the midst of war may be seeds of peace.

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The Archbishop of Nampula and President of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique, Archbishop Inacio Saure, has issued an urgent plea for immediate humanitarian support to aid over 30,000 displaced individuals in the Alua district of Memba.

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As Pope Leo XIV prepares to depart on his first Apostolic Journey, which takes him to Türkiye and Lebanon on November 27 to December 2, our Editorial Director explores the visit as a sign of unity and peace for the Middle East.

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At the General Audience, Pope Leo XIV reflects on his upcoming Apostolic Visit to Türkiye and Lebanon, calling them two countries “rich in history and spirituality.”

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The Catholic Church in Thailand has begun coordinating rapid relief efforts after days of historic rainfall inundated Hat Yai and nearby districts, triggering a widening state of emergency across the South.

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