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Toronto Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Pope prays for Chinese Catholics to be in communion with Rome in first comments on thorny issues
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV asked Sunday for prayers for China's Catholics to be in communion with the Holy See, as he made his first public remarks about one of the thorniest foreign policy issues facing his new pontificate. History's first American pope recalled that on Saturday the Catholic Church marked a special feast day to pray for the church in China. Pope Benedict XVI had initiated the feast day as part of his efforts to unify China's estimated 12 million Catholics who were divided between an official, state-controlled church that didn't recognize papal authority, and an underground church that remained loyal to Rome through decades of persecution.
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Pope prays for Chinese Catholics to be in communion with Rome in first comments on thorny issues
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV asked Sunday for prayers for China's Catholics to be in communion with the Holy See, as he made his first public remarks about one of the thorniest foreign policy issues facing his new pontificate. History's first American pope recalled that on Saturday the Catholic Church marked a special feast day to pray for the church in China. Pope Benedict XVI had initiated the feast day as part of his efforts to unify China's estimated 12 million Catholics who were divided between an official, state-controlled church that didn't recognize papal authority, and an underground church that remained loyal to Rome through decades of persecution. Leo noted that on the feast day 'in the churches and shrines in China and throughout the world, prayers have been raised to God as a sign of the solicitude and affection for Chinese Catholics and their communion with the universal church.' Speaking from his studio window during his noontime blessing, Leo prayed that Catholics in China and elsewhere 'obtain the grace to be strong and joyful witnesses of the Gospel, even in the midst of trials, to always promote peace and harmony.' Pope Francis took Benedict's unifying efforts further by approving a controversial deal in 2018 over bishop nominations. The details of the deal were never released, but it affords the state-controlled church a say in its church leaders, though Francis insisted he retained veto power over the ultimate choice. The deal has been criticized by some, especially on the Catholic right, for having caved to Beijing's demands and sold out the underground faithful in China. The Vatican has said it was the best deal it could get and it has been renewed periodically since then. Leo will have to decide whether to continue renewing the accord. There have been some apparent violations on the Beijing side with some unilateral appointments that occurred without papal consent. The issue came to a head just before the conclave that elected Leo pope, when the Chinese church proceeded with the preliminary election of two bishops, a step that comes before official consecration. Leo told the archbishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Stephen Chow, that he had 'visited China several times and got to know the Chinese culture and reality,' according to the Fides missionary news agency, citing comments Chow made in his diocesan weekly newsletter after the conclave. Chow added that he expected Leo would follow Francis' direction for the church in China. He said he had given Leo a small statue of Our Lady of Sheshan, a statue of the Madonna that is particularly venerated by Chinese faithful and is celebrated on the feast day, May 24. Chow, a Jesuit, said he had implored Leo 'to not forget the church in China and the Chinese people,' according to the newsletter. 'He nodded his head to indicate that he will not forget,' according to Fides. The Vatican has been working for years to try to improve relations with China that were officially severed over seven decades ago when the Communists came to power. Relations had long been stymied over China's insistence on its exclusive right to name bishops as a matter of national sovereignty, while the Vatican insisted on the pope's exclusive right to name the successors of the original Apostles. The 2018 deal was aimed at uniting the flock, regularizing the status of seven bishops who weren't recognized by Rome and thawing decades of estrangement between China and the Vatican. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Pope prays for Chinese Catholics to be in communion with Rome in first comments on thorny issues
Pope Leo XIV asked Sunday for prayers for China's Catholics to be in communion with the Holy See, as he made his first public remarks about one of the thorniest foreign policy issues facing his new pontificate. History's first American pope recalled that on Saturday the Catholic Church marked a special feast day to pray for the church in China. Pope Benedict XVI had initiated the feast day as part of his efforts to unify China's estimated 12 million Catholics who were divided between an official, state-controlled church that didn't recognize papal authority, and an underground church that remained loyal to Rome through decades of persecution. Leo noted that on the feast day 'in the churches and shrines in China and throughout the world, prayers have been raised to God as a sign of the solicitude and affection for Chinese Catholics and their communion with the universal church.' Speaking from his studio window during his noontime blessing, Leo prayed that Catholics in China and elsewhere 'obtain the grace to be strong and joyful witnesses of the Gospel, even in the midst of trials, to always promote peace and harmony.' Pope Francis took Benedict's unifying efforts further by approving a controversial deal in 2018 over bishop nominations. The details of the deal were never released, but it affords the state-controlled church a say in its church leaders, though Francis insisted he retained veto power over the ultimate choice. The deal has been criticized by some, especially on the Catholic right, for having caved to Beijing's demands and sold out the underground faithful in China. The Vatican has said it was the best deal it could get and it has been renewed periodically since then. Leo will have to decide whether to continue renewing the accord. There have been some apparent violations on the Beijing side with some unilateral appointments that occurred without papal consent. The issue came to a head just before the conclave that elected Leo pope, when the Chinese church proceeded with the preliminary election of two bishops, a step that comes before official consecration. Leo told the archbishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Stephen Chow, that he had 'visited China several times and got to know the Chinese culture and reality,' according to the Fides missionary news agency, citing comments Chow made in his diocesan weekly newsletter after the conclave. Chow added that he expected Leo would follow Francis' direction for the church in China. He said he had given Leo a small statue of Our Lady of Sheshan, a statue of the Madonna that is particularly venerated by Chinese faithful and is celebrated on the feast day, May 24. Chow, a Jesuit, said he had implored Leo 'to not forget the church in China and the Chinese people,' according to the newsletter. 'He nodded his head to indicate that he will not forget,' according to Fides. The Vatican has been working for years to try to improve relations with China that were officially severed over seven decades ago when the Communists came to power. Relations had long been stymied over China's insistence on its exclusive right to name bishops as a matter of national sovereignty, while the Vatican insisted on the pope's exclusive right to name the successors of the original Apostles. The 2018 deal was aimed at uniting the flock, regularizing the status of seven bishops who weren't recognized by Rome and thawing decades of estrangement between China and the Vatican. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
The material traits that define a pope
Robert Francis Prevost who took over the leadership of the catholic church as Pope Leo XIV is 69 year old, significantly younger than his predecessor Pope Francis (76 in 2013) and Pope Benedict XVI (78 in 2005) when they became popes. Leo XIV is the first modern pontiff to hold a degree in mathematics. These anecdotal observations raise some broader questions: are popes getting younger or older? How long do their tenures last? And how have their educational backgrounds evolved? The charts below explore each of these in detail. Although Leo XIV, whose inauguration will be held on May 18 is younger than his immediate two predecessors at their time of election, this doesn't represent a long-term decline in papal age. Examining all 105 pontiffs from 1124 to the present reveals an average election age of 63. When broken down by century, the figures fluctuate: the mean age in the 12th century was 63.4, falling to 55.0 by the 14th century, before climbing steadily from the 19th century onwards to reach 74.6 in the current century. Of course, there are outliers. Celestine III, the oldest of those examined, was over 86 when he began his reign in 1191. Even so, he wasn't the oldest ever elected: Boniface VI is generally believed to have been around 90 when he became pope in 896. At the other extreme, John XII, elected in 955, may have been as young as 17 (or, by some accounts, up to 25), and Benedict IX possibly even younger—estimates suggest he was between 11 and 22 at the time of his election in 1032. Traditionally, popes serve for life. However, there have been rare exceptions—Benedict XVI who resigned in 2013 is the only modern-era pope to do so. From Sylvester II (999 AD) onwards an average papal reign has been of approximately 7 years and 9 months. That average, however, fluctuates by century: it dipped to around 4 years and 5 months in the 13th century, rose to about 15 years and 10 months by the 19th century, and is nearly 10 years so far in the 21st. Although the Church officially recognises St Peter, the first pontiff, as the longest-serving pope—with a tenure of some 34 years—many historians dispute this, noting that the "Liber Pontificalis", a series of concise biographies of the popes beginning with Saint Peter, records his tenure to have been of 25 years. The most reliably documented long-serving pontiff was Pius IX, who held office for just under 32 years until his death in February 1878. In short, yes. Historically, most popes were in their sixties when elected. Global life expectancy at birth only reached that level in the 1980s. As mentioned above, almost all popes have served until death and comparing papal ages at the end of their reign (usually their age at death) with average human life expectancy highlights a stark gap. Even in the 1800s, when life expectancy at birth was around 28–30 years, the average papal age at the end of tenure was around 77. HT gathered data on the educational history of pontiffs going back to 1700s. All popes from Clement XI to the newly elected Leo XIV have held at least one doctoral degree—except for Pius X (1903–1914) and Pope Francis, who recently died. Throughout history, pontifical education has centred overwhelmingly on theology, philosophy and canon law—an emphasis entrenched by John Paul II's 1990 apostolic constitution "Ex Corde Ecclesiae", which mandates that every Catholic university maintain a faculty or chair of theology. Its juridical component, canon law, remains the oldest continuously functioning legal system in the West. Over time, while the curriculum remained focused on humanistic and juridical disciplines, occasional outliers such as Pope Francis—who graduated from a technical secondary school with a chemical technician's diploma—and even the medieval scholar Pope Sylvester II, famed for his work in mathematics and astronomy, have popped up. The newly elected Pope Leo XIV, however, breaks fresh ground as the first modern pontiff to hold a degree in Mathematics, which he gained from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, and which he complemented with subsequent theology and canon-law credentials.
Economist
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Economist
Are American Catholics ready for an American pope?
Pope Benedict XVI held a synod in 2012 to discuss evangelisation in an increasingly secular world. One of the most dynamic speakers was an American priest named Robert Prevost. The then-leader of the Augustinian order delivered a brief but profoundly countercultural speech, criticising 'Western mass media' for fostering sympathy with anti-Christian practices like 'abortion, homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia'. With time the future pope evolved. 'Doctrine hasn't changed,' he told Catholic News Service after Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2023. 'But we are looking to be more welcoming and more open.'
