In late July, the bishops’ conference posted information about the initiative on its website.

Continuing his series of Wednesday general audiences on the Second Vatican Council and its documents, Pope Leo XIV today reflected on sacred music.

Brian Mitchell, the member of parliament who chaired the committee, highlighted “the bullying and discrimination faced by LGBTIQA+ students in Tasmania’s Catholic schools.”

“We owe it to every young Tasmanian to provide schools that are both temples of learning and sanctuaries, where they feel nurtured, heard, safe, and secure, not dread, fear, and anxiety,” Mitchell said.

“There will be no ‘German special path,’” he continued. “Now we are waiting to see where the Holy Father and his collaborators will make the corrections that I believe are necessary.”

Cardinal Woelki praised the work of Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, whose priests celebrate the sacraments in the extraordinary form, and said “we need a healthy mix of traditions that can grow together.” He added, “I see myself as firmly rooted in the tradition and teaching of the Second Vatican Council. The liturgical reform was one of the essential reforms there—we shouldn’t forget that.”

The tour will begin on September 18 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

“Celebrating this anniversary, means recognizing that the Lord has been faithful to his Church throughout the centuries, sustaining her in times of trial, purifying her in difficulties, and continually making her flourish anew through the witness of the saints,” Cardinal Parolin preached, adding:

Let us therefore remember and pray at this moment for all these brothers and sisters of ours scattered throughout the various parts of the world who suffer persecution for the name of the Lord and for his Gospel. But let us not forget that there is also, so to speak, a bloodless martyrdom to which we too are called.

Cardinal Parolin also paid tribute to St. Agatha during a prayer vigil the previous evening.

The decline in the number of baptisms was steepest in the Diocese of Meath (-40.8%) and the Archdiocese of Dublin (-39.9%), according to a report from the Iona Institute. The number of baptisms rose in one diocese: the Diocese of Elphin (+0.9%).

In 1994, Pope St. John Paul II established the monastery for contemplative nuns within the Vatican City State; the monastery became Pope Benedict XVI’s residence after his resignation. In 2023, it again became a monastery for contemplative nuns.

Father Emmanuel Katongole, a Ugandan priest, is professor of theology and peace studies at the university; Clemens Sedmak is professor of social ethics and director of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies. Katie Koch, the president and CEO of TCW, also has connections to the Indiana university: she is an alumna and member of the board of trustees.

Cardinal Parolin said that Pope Leo was “deeply saddened” to learn of the accident and that “entrusting the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, he sends heartfelt condolences to those who mourn their loss.”

The Pope also prayed for civil authorities and military personnel, Cardinal Parolin wrote in his August 18 telegram.