St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church and Divine Infant of Prague Mission

Pope Leo XIV, when he was bishop of Chiclayo (Peru), recites the prayer of consecration before Our Lady of Fátima. / Credit: Courtesy of Fátima Mission Peru

Lima Newsroom, May 13, 2025 / 17:19 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV, when he was bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, offered a special prayer of consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary before the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fátima, whose feast day the Catholic Church celebrates on May 13.

On Jan. 7, 2019, after having requested a year earlier that the Marian image be brought to Chiclayo from the Fátima shrine in Portugal, then-Bishop Robert Prevost offered a special Mass in St. Mary’s Cathedral that was attended by a large number of faithful.

“My memory of the January 2019 consecration is that the bishop [Prevost] agreed to it very easily, out of love for the Virgin. I remember that we priests were on a retreat and we asked him for permission so that we too could receive the image and consecrate ourselves, and he agreed,” said Father Jorge Millán Cotrina, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Chiclayo, in a statement to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

“It was very moving because here in Chiclayo, the people are very Marian. The city of Chiclayo’s original name is Our Lady of the Valleys of Chiclayo, which the Franciscans gave it in the 16th century,” he continued.

“The pope is devoted to the Virgin Mary, but not under any specific title of hers, although it may be the Mother of Good Counsel, whom he recently went to venerate in Italy.” However, he also celebrated Masses for “Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel,” due to the great Marian devotion of the people of Chiclayo.

Regarding the election of Cardinal Prevost as the successor of St. Peter, Millán said that when he saw the announcement, he experienced “a tremendous, indescribable emotion” and a cause of “great joy, great peace, and a soul open to hope, because there are always little things that are confusing, and knowing that he will be there gives us a certain hope that things will be better.”

“Not because of him, but because of his personality, because of his docility to the things of God, to the Holy Spirit,” he clarified.

The priest also commented that when he heard Pope Leo XIV mention his “beloved diocese of Chiclayo” from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, “many of us were brought to tears.”

Below is the prayer of consecration that Pope Leo XIV recited before the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fátima when he was bishop of Chiclayo:

“I, Robert Francis Prevost Martínez, make this day an act of consecration, repentance, [asking] forgiveness, and reparation to God for all the transgressions that have occurred in Peru.

“I do this before God and for those who have sought to eliminate the Catholic faith in times past and present. I ask for forgiveness, and through this act of [seeking] forgiveness, we want this consecration to be a reason to encourage us to seek in Peru the conversion and unity we so very much need, and that only comes from God.

“Through this act of repentance, [seeking] forgiveness, and reparation to God, I renew the consecration of Peru, united with the dioceses, parishes, priests, deacons, seminarians, men and women religious, and laypeople to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

“I wish, in this way, to consecrate and surrender to God all that we are and all that we have, and receive in turn his everlasting love and protection for every person and every family in Peru.

“And let us say together, Hail Mary…”

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

Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenney of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 13, 2025 / 16:49 pm (CNA).

Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenney of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis and other Catholics on Monday spoke at the Minnesota Capitol, where they urged lawmakers to continue allowing illegal immigrants access to MinnesotaCare, a state-funded program that provides health care to low-income families.

Kenney told CNA that illegal immigrants “are brothers and sisters, and we need to care for all people. Basic health care is an important feature of who we are as Christians, as Catholics ... We’re not advocating for free health care for undocumented but simply access to it.”

The Minnesota Catholic Conference lobbied for the establishment of MinnesotaCare, which in 1992 began providing coverage for low-income working families who earn above the Medicaid threshold (known as Medical Assistance in Minnesota).

In 2023, the social safety net was expanded to include illegal immigrants. Some Republicans are advocating for their removal from the program, however, to reduce costs and deter migration to the state now that enrollment has exceeded projections.

Minnesota Republican Sen. Glenn Gruenhagen posted a statement on the state’s Senate Republican Caucus website on Monday calling for “a commonsense amendment” that allocates taxpayer dollars toward nursing homes rather than health coverage for migrants who are in the country illegally. 

“The cost to taxpayers so far is $134 million, and it’s rising fast,” Gruenhagen said. “At this rate, we’ll soon be spending over $600 million on this program, with zero federal match. Every dollar is coming directly from you, the taxpayers of Minnesota.”

As of April 24, data from the state Department of Human Services shows 20,187 illegal immigrants enrolled in the program, which operates on a fee-for-service model, according to a local Minnesota Reformer report. “DHS says it has received 4,306 claims for service, costing Minnesota $3.9 million,” the report states, noting the figure is almost $1 million over the state’s projected cost for the program by that date. 

Kenney acknowledged Republican lawmakers’ concerns but said “[we can] work this out so that it’s not an additional expense on the state of Minnesota as they’re trying to cut their budget, as a way of caring for people ... who can’t afford health care.” 

The Minnesota House of Representatives is evenly split 67-67. The state’s lawmakers are working to pass the budget before June 30 to avoid a July 1 government shutdown. 

In addition, the U.S. House of Representatives will debate a bill in committee this week that, among other changes, would penalize states that provide health care to illegal immigrants.

Kenney noted that bill but stressed that “we can’t make decisions out of fear of repercussions, we need to make them out of love for our fellow men and women, our fellow brothers and sisters … I’m hoping that the Holy Spirit touches some hearts.” 

Current Chiclayo Bishop Edinson Farfán at a press conference on Friday, May 9, 2025. / Credit: Diego López Marina/ACI Prensa

Lima Newsroom, May 13, 2025 / 15:56 pm (CNA).

The current bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, Edinson Farfán, is publicly defending the actions of his predecessor, Bishop Robert Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — in the face of accusations that he covered up sexual abuse in the diocese.

Responding to a question at a press conference about the issue, Farfán stated: “That’s a lie. He has listened, he has respected the processes, and this process is still ongoing… believe me, I am the most interested person in justice being served and, above all, in being able to help the victims.”

The bishop of Chiclayo was referring to the allegations of three sisters who met with Prevost in 2022 to report that they had been abused by a priest years earlier when they were minors. They allege that the then-bishop did not open an effective canonical investigation and that the accused continued to celebrate Mass.

Farfán said he has accompanied the alleged victims: “I have asked for their forgiveness, we have wept  together, and they have undoubtedly been treated well; there is a close relationship. I hope we can reach satisfactory closure.”

He added that the canonical process is ongoing, assuring that “the cardinal, Pope Leo XIV, has been the most responsive to these cases in the Peruvian Church, and he has listened to us; he has allowed us to achieve justice.”

Pope Francis appointed Prevost as apostolic administrator of Chiclayo in November 2014 and bishop of the same diocese in 2015. He later also served as apostolic administrator of Callao, also in Peru.

Chiclayo is the fifth most populated city in Peru with over 600,000 inhabitants. 

At the press conference, Farfán also denied that the victims had received $150,000 in exchange for their silence, citing the public testimony of one of them, who wrote the following on social media in response to a series of accusations in the form of questions directed to Farfán: “I am one of the victims. We have not received any money, and I would never receive it in exchange for my silence. If this were true, with that amount I would at least have had the good sense to delete my posts, but that’s not the case. You can see everything on my profile.”

Farfán, an Augustinian like Pope Leo XIV, was appointed bishop of Chiclayo on Feb. 14, 2024, when then-Cardinal Prevost was prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, the Vatican body that oversees bishops worldwide and nominates candidates.

International concern and demand for reform

Farfán’s defense of the new pope contrasts with the international reaction of survivor groups, especially SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), which issued a statement following Leo XIV’s election expressing concern about the new pope’s record in handling abuse allegations, both in Chicago, where he is originally from, and in Peru.

In an open letter, SNAP charged that, when Leo XIV was provincial of the Augustinians, he allowed a priest accused of abuse to reside near an elementary school in Chicago and that as bishop of Chiclayo, victims reported a lack of action and transparency in the investigation, even allowing the accused priest to continue celebrating Mass after the complaint was lodged.

In the letter, SNAP demanded that decisive measures be taken within the first 100 days of the pontificate, including the creation of an independent global truth commission, the adoption of a universal zero-tolerance policy, international agreements ensuring transparency and accountability, a reparations fund financed with Church assets, and a global council of survivors with real authority to oversee and enforce these measures.

The Vatican’s reaction

ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, contacted the Vatican press office for a response, and its director, Matteo Bruni, responded by saying that “this is news that’s been around for some time, as far as I know, and the diocese has already responded in a fairly clear statement.”

The statement Bruni referred to was published Dec. 12, 2023, by the Office of Social Communications of the Diocese of Chiclayo, noting that in April 2022, several young women lodged complaints with the Diocese of Chiclayo against Father Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzáles for sexual harassment. This led to his dismissal from the parish and the opening of both internal and criminal investigations, although both of these were later closed due to lack of evidence.

“After receiving the complaints, the accused priest was summoned and asked to leave the parish and cease exercising his ministry. A preliminary investigation was initiated and then sent to the Holy See,” the text states, adding that the “Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, seeing that the accusations brought against the accused priest have not been sufficiently proven, consequently decided to close the case pro nunc.” 

In response to subsequent news media and social media coverage of the case, the diocese said it had reopened the investigation, imposed precautionary measures on the priest, “and ordered him not to exercise his priestly ministry.” It also reaffirmed its rejection of any conduct that would harm minors and vulnerable people, emphasizing the presumption of innocence while the case continues and “zero tolerance for this type of conduct.”

The Diocese of Chiclayo emphasized in the text that, in accordance with “the instructions from the Holy See,” it will continue “developing appropriate measures of prevention and action for the good of the Church” so that “pastoral activity is not affected by behaviors that seriously damage it.”

Diego López Marina and Victoria Cardiel contributed to this article.

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

Former United States Ambassador to the Holy See Francis Rooney speaks to “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Catherine Hadro on Monday, May 12, 2025. / Credit: EWTN News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 13, 2025 / 14:48 pm (CNA).

Former United States Ambassador to the Holy See Francis Rooney said this week that he believes Pope Leo XIV’s relationship with America will “be very powerful.” 

Speaking to “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Catherine Hadro on Monday, Rooney — also a former U.S. representative — said that Leo will be a “fantastic pope” because he “can communicate with people in a very clear but nonthreatening way.”

“People will hear his message, and he will inspire people,” Rooney said. 

Rooney and the pope became friends when “Father Bob,” as Rooney used to know him, began to join meetings at an Augustinian school of which Rooney was on the board.

“He was always very insightful in his comments,” Rooney said of the pope, born Robert Prevost. 

“He’s not complicated,” Rooney said about Leo, “but he’s super smart.”

Rooney previously lived in Rome while serving as the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. He held the position from 2005 to 2008, which overlapped with Pope Leo XIV’s time as head of the Augustinian order. 

Rooney said they saw “an awful lot” of each other. 

“He did a great job running the order,” Rooney said. “The Augustinian order hasn’t had many of the problems that some other orders have had … I attribute it to good management, like Father Bob.”

As a former U.S. representative for Florida’s 19th congressional district, Rooney also has a diplomatic view of what an American pope may mean for the Church.

“Human rights and human dignity” are the issues that “need to be at the top of the agenda” if Pope Leo XIV and the United States collaborate, he said.

Pope Leo XIV’s American roots will allow him to “be a bridge builder between Europe, Asia, Latin America, as well as the United States,” Rooney said.  

He “can inspire young people” and “inspire our Hispanic community,” he said, arguing that such efforts can “generate more Catholics.”

An American pope “will stimulate people to be more active in the Church, and maybe some to come back, and maybe some to join up,” Rooney said. 

Pope Leo XIV’s time in Peru and ability to speak Spanish and Portuguese will “enthuse some of our Latin Catholic community, a lot of whom have become Protestants,” Rooney said. “Maybe we’ll get them back.”

“I think that Pope Leo will continue to enthuse young people to consider participation in the Church,” he added.

A Planned Parenthood facility in Indianapolis. / Credit: Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, May 13, 2025 / 14:18 pm (CNA).

Planned Parenthood’s latest annual report shows a rising number of abortions and increasing federal funding for the abortion giant while other programs such as cancer screening and prevention services decrease.

Released on Mother’s Day, Planned Parenthood’s 2023-2024 annual report, titled “A Force for Hope,” revealed that the organization provided 402,230 abortions over the year, an increase of nearly 10,000 abortions from the previous year’s report and a record high in the abortion giant’s history.

As abortions increased, taxpayer funding increased as well. Public funding for Planned Parenthood was up by about $100 million from the previous year’s report. At $792.2 million, taxpayer dollars made up nearly 40% of Planned Parenthood’s revenue.

Amid the rise in abortions, Planned Parenthood also provided fewer health care services, with 45% fewer UTI treatments, 13.7% fewer primary care visits, and 8.1% fewer cancer screenings year over year.

Michael New, a senior associate scholar at the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute and assistant professor of practice at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America, said this decrease was “consistent with broader long-term trends.” 

“During the past 10 years, Planned Parenthood has done 54.4% fewer cancer screenings and 62.8% fewer prenatal services,” New told CNA. “Meanwhile the number of abortions that they have performed has increased by over 22%.”

Taxpayers “are paying more money for more abortions and less health care,” New said. 

Citing data from the report, the Charlotte Lozier Institute found that almost 97% of women “seeking help related to their pregnancy at Planned Parenthood” were “sold an abortion” rather than health care.

Meanwhile, prenatal services, miscarriage care, and adoption referrals accounted for about 3% of Planned Parenthood’s services, according to the institute.

With various states strengthening their life-affirming laws, some women have sought abortion in other states. Planned Parenthood reported that it provided affiliates with $3.4 million in travel assistance for more than 12,000 patients seeking abortions. 

Planned Parenthood also highlighted its legal team’s efforts to block laws that protect unborn children, highlighting pro-abortion victories in Iowa and Arizona. The report also hailed Kamala Harris as the first sitting vice president to visit an abortion facility.

Pro-life voices call for defunding of Planned Parenthood

The report “heightens the urgency to defund Big Abortion,” stated Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a pro-life network dedicated to ending abortion. 

“As community health centers outnumber Planned Parenthood locations 15 to 1 nationwide and offer far more comprehensive care, including for Medicaid patients, Americans have real choices and much better options,” the statement read. 

Planned Parenthood reported more than $2 billion in income and $2.5 billion in net assets in the annual report.  

New said the report “clearly shows that Planned Parenthood continues to prioritize abortion over health care.”

“From a Catholic perspective it is frustrating that the taxpayer dollars from countless faithful Catholics go to an organization that funds abortion, contraception, transgender treatments, and other activities that weaken families and undermine a culture of life,” New told CNA. 

“It is my hope that Congress will take the lead of many states and defund Planned Parenthood during this budget cycle,” New continued. 

Abby Johnson, a former director of Planned Parenthood turned pro-life activist, called the report “sickening.”

Continued government funding for Planned Parenthood “is beyond reason,” Johnson said in a statement shared with CNA.

“The blatant disregard for human dignity in all its forms that Planned Parenthood ardently supports — from the unborn baby to the mom to their own employees — is revolting,” Johnson said.

Jeanne Vath Ory receives her Regina Matrum Award after a special vigil Mass was celebrated by New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond at her home parish, St. Joan of Arc in LaPlace, Louisiana, on May 12, 2025, the day after Mother’s Day. / Credit: Kim Roberts

CNA Staff, May 13, 2025 / 12:12 pm (CNA).

A Catholic mother of 10 and grandmother of 30 was honored by New Orleans’ Archbishop Gregory Aymond during a special vigil Mass on May 12.

Jeanne Vath Ory was selected as the 2025 recipient for the “Regina Matrum” or “Queen of Mothers” award, a decades-long tradition in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. 

Established in 1947, the Regina Matrum Award is designed to honor a Catholic mother each year and to highlight the ideals of Catholic motherhood and family life. 

Kim Roberts, the current chairman of Regina Matrum and former president of the Council of Catholic School Co-operative Clubs (CCSCC), said that every year when they give the award, the recipient is surprised. 

“They’re all so humble, and they’re always so surprised,” she recalled.

This year’s recipient didn’t even get out of her pew when her name was called. 

“She really didn’t know. She was looking around the church like, ‘Who are they talking about?’ Everybody knew it was her,” Roberts told CNA. 

When Ory was selected at her parish on Palm Sunday, it brought tears to her eyes. 

Over the years, Ory has served the local church in various committees, ministries, and outreach programs. She also co-founded the Rosary Congress at her parish — a ministry that has continued for more than a decade.

Ory even has a family connection to the award. She is the granddaughter of the sixth Regina Matrum recipient Florence Dunn Vath and niece of Theresa Vath Bourgeois, who received the award in 2000. 

The special vigil Mass celebrated by the archbishop took place at Ory’s home parish, St. Joan of Arc in LaPlace. 

Why an award for mothers?

“Regina Matrim, at its core, is just to highlight a woman from the archdiocese here in New Orleans who is a shining example of Catholic motherhood,” Roberts explained. 

“It doesn’t always have to be the lady that’s out front all the time but the one who could be quietly in the background, supporting their parish, helping their children, going a little extra mile for God,” she said.

Award recipients come from “all walks of life” and socioeconomic backgrounds, Roberts said. 

“A lot of them have 10 kids. Some of them have one child. Some of them have children with special needs,” she said. 

There’s one thing they all have in common — but it’s hard to put into words. 

“They all have this special glow where really Mary is at the center of everything they do,” Roberts said. 

The “delightful ladies” who receive these awards raise their children with the Catholic faith as a “solid foundation” while also helping their local parish, Roberts explained. 

The award helps serve as an inspiration and a reminder. 

“We want to shine the light on these women and to have them as examples for all the rest of us,” Roberts said. 

Their example carries through from the home to the parish to the community. 

“This is just our way of highlighting the faithful women who are boots to the ground, doing the Lord’s work, and keeping Mary at the center of their family,” Roberts said. 

Delegates at the 2024 Synod on Synodality participate in roundtable meetings on Oct. 10, 2024, in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, May 13, 2025 / 11:43 am (CNA).

The leadership of the Vatican’s synod office has pledged its full availability and support of Pope Leo XIV in a public letter to the new pontiff shared Tuesday to its website and social media pages.

Noting that the synodal journey “continues” under Leo’s guidance, the letter says the General Secretariat of the Synod looks “with confidence to the directions you will indicate, to help the Church grow as a community attentive to listening, close to each person, capable of authentic and welcoming relationships — a home and family of God open to all: a missionary synodal Church.”

Signed by Secretary-General Cardinal Mario Grech and undersecretaries Sister Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, and Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, OSA, the letter explains the path the Synod on Synodality has taken since its start in 2021, including Pope Francis’ approval of the final document at the end of the general assembly in October 2024.

“The General Secretariat of the Synod remains fully available to offer its service in a spirit of collaboration and obedience,” it concluded.

As prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, the now-Pope Leo XIV participated in both sessions of the assembly of the Synod on Synodality in October 2023 and October 2024.

Like Leo, Marín, one of the synod’s undersecretaries, is a member of the Order of St. Augustine.

The synod, the letter says, “is an ecclesial journey led by the Holy Spirit, the gift of the risen Lord, who helps us grow as a missionary Church, constantly undergoing conversion through attentive listening to the Gospel.”

The letter also quotes an accompanying note to the final document, which said the document’s indications “can already now be implemented in the local Churches and groupings of Churches, taking into account different contexts, what has already been done, and what remains to be done.”

Pope Leo XIV with his friend Father Hugo Gabriel Sánchez on May 12, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Hugo Gabriel Sánchez

Vatican City, May 13, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Father Hugo Gabriel Sánchez of Chiclayo, Peru, had been planning a trip with his mother for months to visit various Marian shrines in Europe, such as Fátima, Medjugorje, and Lourdes, with of course a final stop in Rome.

What this diocesan priest could never have imagined was that his arrival in Rome would coincide with the election of “Bishop Roberto” Prevost as successor to St. Peter — the bishop who led his diocese for eight years and with whom he has a close friendship.

On the afternoon of Sunday, May 12, Pope Leo XIV made time in his busy schedule to welcome his friend Sánchez and Sánchez’s mother to the Vatican.

“The joy was immense; we were able to speak for a little over 30 minutes and give him a painting of Cuzco that we brought from Peru,” Sánchez told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

Leo XIV’s heartfelt gesture

Sánchez met with ACI Prensa at the curia general of the Augustinians in Rome, a few steps from the Vatican and where Pope Leo XIV resided when he was prior general of the order. Despite having recently assumed the Petrine ministry, the Holy Father found time for a heartfelt gesture: He personally requested that his friend and his friend’s mother be given accommodations at the Augustinian community.

This closeness, the Peruvian priest noted, is precisely what characterizes the pontiff: “Since he left Chiclayo, he always sends us a message on our birthdays, or when there is a priestly ordination. He also writes if he hears of a priest having a problem.”

Sánchez still recalls with visible emotion the moment of the white smoke. “I was with my mother at the Lourdes shrine and I was 90% certain that the Holy Spirit could give us Bishop Prevost as pope,” said the pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in the José Leonardo Ortíz district of Chiclayo.

“I was simply waiting for the cardinal’s name to be said, and when it was, my mother and I both wept for joy. Then we thanked God, and I wrote him a message. He hasn’t answered me yet, but his secretary told us to have a little patience, as he has received many messages.”

Love for priests, confidence in the young

Sánchez particularly highlighted the “love for the priests” that the now pope demonstrated as bishop of Chiclayo as well as his trust and commitment to young priests.

“We’re a young diocese, but we have many vocations. There are an average of about 80 or 85 priests, and he achieved a balance and harmony between the young and those who had been there for several years,” Sánchez emphasized.

He recalled the profound impact it had on him when years ago in the Chiclayo cathedral, he heard Prevost quote a line from St. Augustine, words that now Pope Leo XIV repeated in his first public appearance from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica: “I am an Augustinian, a son of St. Augustine, who once said, ‘With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop.’” In this sense, Sánchez reflected, “we can all walk together toward that homeland that God has prepared for us.”

As Sánchez sees it, the pontiff chose this line because “in some ways, he felt a certain fear in assuming this responsibility, but also comfort in knowing that he is not alone but accompanied by his brothers in the faith.”

‘Always ready to listen’

The priest also recalled the new pope’s availability, always “ready to listen” and engage in conversation with anyone who needed it.

“While he listened to you, he looked at you and listened to you until you were finished.” And then “he gave you simple yet profound advice. He has a very special charism,” Sánchez noted.

During Prevost’s years as bishop of Chiclayo, the priest noted, “he gave us an example of service, humility, and simplicity.”

Pope Leo XIV’s profound spirituality and extensive formation, with degrees in mathematics, philosophy, and canon law, did not prevent “his daily dealings from being simple and open.” 

“Before leaving Chicago, he was already doing advanced German studies and is fluent in several languages. But within that intellectual level that surprised us and his preparation, his relationship with the faithful was very simple, I think due to his ability to listen. His words were simple but profound, always focused on the Gospel and Christ.”

Closeness to the poorest

Sánchez also highlighted Prevost’s closeness to the poorest and the common people. “He revived Caritas in Chiclayo, when it was practically defunct,” he noted.

Sánchez was moved when he spoke of Chiclayo’s “strong but simple” faith while emphasizing the new pope’s closeness to young laypeople. He recalled with a smile “there’s a very funny video of him singing with them at Christmas.”

“He had a great ability to reach young people. Now on social media, we can see, without exaggerating, thousands of people from Chiclayo who have a photo with him,” he related.

‘He often laughs heartily’

He also highlighted his moderate stance, one of the characteristics that, according to the Peruvian priest, “made Cardinal Prevost a candidate for papacy.”

“His election came quickly to show that there are no divisions in the Church, and I believe the Holy Father will achieve harmony,” he emphasized.

He also emphasized that he has “a good sense of humor.”

“He doesn’t tell jokes, but he often laughs heartily when there’s a funny anecdote.”

Finally, he noted that “we needed a pope whose pontificate could be longer,” something he hopes for from the pontificate of Leo XIV, who will turn 70 on Sept. 14.

“As they say at the Augustinian college, we will have a pope for a while, and if God allows it, at some point he will visit Peru, and for the first time a pope will come to the Diocese of Chiclayo,” he said with hope.

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

Monument of the Guardian Angel of Portugal apparition to the three little shepherd children of Fátima. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

National Catholic Register, May 13, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

May 13 is the optional memorial of Our Lady of Fátima, arguably the most prominent approved apparition of the 20th century. It became famous the world over, particularly for its three-part “secret.”

Here are nine things to know about this Marian apparition.

1. What happened at Fátima, Portugal?

A young shepherd girl, Lucia dos Santos, said she experienced supernatural visitations as early as 1915, two years before the famous appearances of Our Lady of Fátima.

In 1917, she and two of her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, were working as shepherds tending their families’ flocks. On May 13, 1917, the three children saw an apparition of a lady from heaven. She told them, among other things, that she would return once a month for six months.

At her third appearance, on July 13, Lucia was shown the secret of Fátima. She reportedly turned pale and cried out with fear, calling Our Lady by name. There was a thunderclap, and the vision ended.

The children again saw the Virgin on Sept. 13.

In the sixth and final appearance, on Oct. 13, a dramatic outward sign was given to those gathered to witness the event. After the clouds of a rainstorm parted, numerous witnesses — some as far as 40 miles away — reported seeing the sun dance, spin, and send out colored rays of light.

2. What happened after the main apparitions?

As World War I raged across Europe, an epidemic of Spanish flu swept the globe. It erupted in America and was spread by soldiers being sent to distant lands. This epidemic killed an estimated 20 million people.

Among them were Francisco and Jacinta, who contracted the illness in 1918 and died in 1919 and 1920, respectively. Lucia entered the convent.

On June 13, 1929, at the convent chapel in Tuy, Spain, Lucia had another mystical experience in which she saw the Trinity and the Blessed Virgin. Mary told her: “The moment has come in which God asks the Holy Father in union with all the bishops of the world to make the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means” (S. Zimdars-Schwartz, “Encountering Mary,” 197).

On Oct. 13, 1930, the bishop of Leiria (now Leiria-Fátima) proclaimed the apparitions at Fátima authentic and worthy of assent.

3. How was the “secret” of Fátima written down?

Between 1935 and 1941, on the orders of her superiors, Sister Lucia wrote four memoirs of the Fátima events. In the third of these, she recorded the first two parts of the secret, explaining that there was a third part she was not yet permitted by heaven to reveal. 

In the “Fourth Memoir,” she added a sentence to the end of the second part of the secret: “In Portugal, the dogma of the faith will always be preserved, etc.”

This sentence has been the basis for much speculation that the third part of the secret concerned a great apostasy. 

Sister Lucia also noted that in writing the secret in the “Fourth Memoir”: “With the exception of that part of the secret which I am not permitted to reveal at present, I shall say everything. I shall not knowingly omit anything, though I suppose I may forget just a few small details of minor importance.”

Upon the publication of the “Third and Fourth Memoirs,” the world became aware of the secret of Fátima and its three parts, including Our Lady’s request that Russia be consecrated (entrusted) to her Immaculate Heart by the pope and the bishops of the world.

On Oct. 31, 1942, Pius XII consecrated not only Russia but also the whole world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. What was missing, though, was the involvement of the world’s bishops.

In 1943, the bishop of Leiria ordered Sister Lucia to put the third secret of Fátima in writing. She did not feel at liberty to do so until 1944. It was then placed in a wax-sealed envelope on which Sister Lucia wrote that it should not be opened until 1960.

4. What happened to the “third secret” afterward?

The secret remained with the bishop of Leiria until 1957, when it was requested (along with photocopies of Sister Lucia’s other writings) by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. According to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone the secret was read by both Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI (see “The Message of Fátima” (MF), “Introduction”).

“John Paul II, for his part, asked for the envelope containing the third part of the ‘secret’ following the assassination attempt on 13 May 1981” (ibid.).

He read it sometime between July 18 and Aug. 11.

It is significant that John Paul II did not read the secret until after the assassination attempt was made on his life. He notes in “Crossing the Threshold of Hope” (1994): “And thus we come to May 13, 1981, when I was wounded by gunshots fired in St. Peter’s Square. At first, I did not pay attention to the fact that the assassination attempt had occurred on the exact anniversary of the day Mary appeared to the three children at Fátima in Portugal and spoke to them the words that now, at the end of this century, seem to be close to their fulfillment” (221).

After reading the secret, the Holy Father realized the connection between the assassination attempt and Fátima. He has since consistently attributed his survival of the gunshot wound to the intercession of Our Lady of Fátima.

“It was a mother’s hand that guided the bullet’s path,” he said, “and in his throes the pope halted at the threshold of death” (“Meditation from the Policlinico Gemelli to the Italian Bishops,” May 13, 1994).

5. Did John Paul II consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary?

As had Pius XII, John Paul II decided to consecrate not only Russia but also the entire world to her Immaculate Heart. After he read the third part of the secret, he decided to journey to Fátima on May 13, 1982, and there performed the Act of Entrustment.

This act, however, did not appear to satisfy the requested consecration, and so, “on 25 March 1984 in St. Peter’s Square, while recalling the fiat uttered by Mary at the Annunciation, the Holy Father, in spiritual union with the bishops of the world, who had been ‘convoked’ beforehand, entrusted all men and women and all peoples to the Immaculate Heart of Mary” (Bertone, MF).

“Sister Lucia personally confirmed that this solemn and universal act of consecration corresponded to what Our Lady wished (‘Yes it has been done just as Our Lady asked, on 25 March 1984’: Letter of 8 November 1989). Hence any further discussion or request is without basis” (Bertone, MF).

6. Is Fátima related to the fall of Russian communism?

After it became public that there was a secret of Fátima and that it mentioned Russia, many pondered Fátima in the light of Russian communism.

1917 was a year of turmoil for Russia. Besides fighting in World War I, the country experienced two civil wars known as the February Revolution and the October Revolution. The former led to the creation of a provisional government that proved unstable. On Oct. 24–25, less than two weeks after the final appearance of Our Lady of Fátima, the second revolution resulted in the creation of the Soviet government.

In the ensuing years, Russia expanded its sphere of influence, exporting communist ideology and revolution to other lands and martyring Christians wherever it spread. Once Pope John Paul II’s 1984 consecration took place, first the Soviet bloc and then the USSR itself crumbled from a variety of social, political, and economic factors.

As the pope himself noted: “And what are we to say of the three children from Fátima who suddenly, on the eve of the outbreak of the October Revolution, heard: ‘Russia will convert’ and ‘In the end, my [Immaculate] Heart will triumph’ ... ? They could not have invented those predictions. They did not know enough about history or geography, much less the social movements and ideological developments. And nevertheless it happened just as they had said” (CTH, 131; emphasis in original).

Though he did not reveal the third part of the secret until the year 2000, six years earlier John Paul II hinted at its contents. Immediately after he meditated on the fall of communism in connection with Fátima, he went on to write:

“Perhaps this is also why the pope was called from a ‘faraway country,’ perhaps this is why it was necessary for the assassination attempt to be made in St. Peter’s Square precisely on May 13, 1981, the anniversary of the first apparition at Fátima — so that all could become more transparent and comprehensible, so that the voice of God which speaks in human history through the ‘signs of the times’ could be more easily heard and understood” (CHT, 131-132).

By the year 2000, the Holy Father felt able to reveal the final part of Fátima’s secret, since “the events to which the third part of the ‘secret’ of Fátima refers now seem part of the past” (Sodano, MF, “Announcement”).

The pontiff selected the beatification of Francisco and Jacinta on May 13, 2000, in Portugal as the occasion to announce this fact.

7. What is the essence of Fátima’s three-part “secret?”

Then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI), prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, pointed out that the key to the apparition of Fátima is its call to repentance and conversion (MF, “Theological Commentary”).

All three parts of the secret serve to motivate the individual to repentance, and they do so in a dramatic way.

8. What is the first part of the secret?

The first part of the secret — the vision of hell — is the most important, for it reveals to individuals the tragic consequences of failure to repent and what awaits them in the invisible world if they are not converted.

9. What is the second part of the secret?

In the second part, Mary says: “You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.”

Ratzinger explains: “According to Matthew 5:8, the ‘immaculate heart’ [of Mary] is a heart which, with God’s grace, has come to perfect interior unity and therefore ‘sees God.’ To be ‘devoted’ to the Immaculate Heart of Mary means therefore to embrace this attitude of heart, which makes the fiat — ‘your will be done’ — the defining center of one’s whole life. It might be objected that we should not place a human being between ourselves and Christ. But then we remember that Paul did not hesitate to say to his communities: ‘imitate me’ (1 Cor 4:16; Phil 3:17; 1 Thes 1:6; 2 Thes 3:7, 9)” (op. cit.).

After explaining the vision of hell, Mary spoke of a war that “will break out during the pontificate of Pius XI.”

This latter war, of course, was World War II, which Sister Lucia reckoned as having been occasioned by the annexation of Austria by Germany during the reign of Pius XI (J. de Marchi, “Temoignages sur les apparitions de Fátima,” 346).

Our Lady also mentioned that this would happen after a night of the “unknown light.” Sister Lucia understood this to refer to Jan. 25, 1938, when Europe was witness to a spectacular nighttime display of light in the sky. In her third memoir she wrote: “Your Excellency is not unaware that, a few years ago, God manifested that sign, which astronomers chose to call an aurora borealis. ... God made use of this to make me understand that his justice was about to strike the guilty nations.”

Our Lady added: “If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.”

Much has been made of the statement “Russia will be converted.”

Many people have assumed this meant the Russian people as a whole would become Catholic. But the language of the text does not require this.

The Portuguese word “converterá” doesn’t necessarily mean converted to the Catholic faith. It can mean simply that Russia will stop its warlike behavior, and thus “there will be peace.”

This interpretation seems to be the one understood by John Paul II in a passage cited above from “Crossing the Threshold of Hope.”

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news parter, on May 13, 2020, and has been adapted and updated by CNA.

Mikal Mahdi. / Credit: Federal Public Defenders (proof), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 12, 2025 / 18:06 pm (CNA).

Lawyers who represent the recently executed Mikal Mahdi are alleging that the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) “botched” their client’s firing squad execution, which caused him to scream out in pain and remain conscious for nearly one minute until he eventually died.

Mahdi, who was convicted of murdering a police officer and a convenience store worker, died on April 11 at age 42 in South Carolina’s second firing squad execution in the state’s history, both of which occurred this year just five weeks apart.

Although firing squad executions in the United States are extremely rare, the state legalized this method of execution, along with executions by the electric chair, in 2021 amid shortages of the drugs needed for lethal injections. Death row inmates can now choose whether to die by firing squad, lethal injection, or the electric chair, according to current state law.

According to a status report filed by Mahdi’s lawyers, the autopsy and eyewitness accounts of his death raise several questions about the execution. They note there are only two entrance wounds, despite three shots reportedly being fired, and allege that the shots “largely missed his heart,” which resulted in an unnecessarily prolonged death.

The status report notes that Mahdi screamed and groaned immediately after he was shot and a second time nearly a minute after the shots were fired. Mahdi’s lawyers said in the filing that his death was “far from painless and far from humane.”

“The autopsy confirms what I saw and heard,” David Weiss, one of Mahdi’s lawyers, said in a statement. “Mikal suffered an excruciating death. We don’t know what went wrong, but nothing about his execution was humane. The implications are horrifying for anyone facing the same choice as Mikal. South Carolina’s refusal to acknowledge their failures with executions cannot continue.”

Mahdi’s autopsy listed his cause of death as “multiple gunshot wounds to the chest.” It states that there are only two entrance wounds but that “it is believed” one of the gunshot wounds “represents two gunshot wound pathways,” which would indicate three bullets entered his body.

However, an analysis of the autopsy by Arden Forensics commissioned by Mahdi’s lawyers expressed doubt that three gunshots would leave only two entrance wounds, stating that the “passage of more than one bullet through a typical entrance wound is virtually unheard of.”

“We currently have no evidence to explain why there were two, rather than three, entrance wounds,” Jonathan Arden, who provided the analysis, said.

Although the autopsy found that the bullets struck Mahdi’s heart, Arden’s analysis states, “the entrance wounds were at the lowest area of the chest, just above the border with the abdomen, which is not an area largely overlying the heart.” It notes that the downward trajectory of the bullets, found in the autopsy, suggests “the heart might not be injured severely (or even at all).” 

“The forensic medical evidence and the reported eyewitness observations of the execution corroborate that Mr. Mahdi was alive and reacting longer than was intended or expected,” he continued. “Mr. Mahdi did experience excruciating conscious pain and suffering for about 30 to 60 seconds after he was shot.”

A spokesperson for SCDC disputed the narrative from Mahdi’s lawyers, telling CNA that “all three weapons fired simultaneously, and all three bullets struck Mahdi,” adding: “Two bullets followed the same trajectory.”

“All three bullets struck Mahdi’s heart, per the autopsy report,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that “multiple fragments were removed from Mahdi’s body,” “the autopsy report shows no exit wounds,” and “no fragments were found in the room.”

Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, the executive director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network, told CNA the reports suggest the “execution was botched, causing a very painful death.” She said “this is a reminder that every execution — regardless of the method or the procedures that take place — is a violent act that disregards the dignity of life.”

“This year, multiple states have instituted new execution methods including the firing squad — like in the case of Mr. Mahdi — and the newly developed method of nitrogen gas suffocation,” Murphy added.

“It’s hard not to look at these methods and think, ‘How did we get here?’ And how does our society think this inhumanity is somehow acceptable?” she said. “The reality is, those are the questions we should ask ourselves each time there is an execution, because the death penalty is contrary to human dignity and an affront to the sanctity of life.”

“The outrage we feel toward these execution methods is a reminder that over time, the system of capital punishment has become all the more deceptive to make executions appear more palatable, sterile, and ‘humane,’” Murphy continued. “But executions are never any of these things. Whether someone is shot, electrocuted, injected, or gassed each and every execution extinguishes a God-given life with inherent dignity and worth. Each and every execution is a blatant act of state-sanctioned violence.”