St. Irene

Feast date: Oct 20

St. Irene was a Portuguese nun who was martyred in defense of her chastity in the year 653. Saint Irene’s body was miraculously recovered after being thrown into the river.

She was canonized as a Catholic saint because of the great amount of miracles that occured at her tomb.

Her shrine, the “Santarem,” has played a key role for the great quality and beauty of the Catholic Faith that the Portuguese people have lived, even until today.

“Every human life, born and preborn, is sacred and loved by God,” said the chairmen of the bishops’ Committees on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth; Religious Liberty; and Pro-Life Activities. “Without diminishing the dignity of people born through IVF, we must recognize that children have a right to be born of a natural and exclusive act of married love, rather than a business’s technological intervention. And harmful government action to expand access to IVF must not also push people of faith to be complicit in its evils.”

At the same time, the bishops welcomed aspects of the administration’s announcement, including “comprehensive and holistic restorative reproductive medicine, which can help ethically to address infertility and its underlying causes.”

Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said in a message that “your love for the earth, your respect for the elderly, your sense of community, and your ability to live in harmony with creation are a gift to the whole Church ... I invite you to continue caring for your communities, passing on the wisdom of your ancestors to new generations and joyfully proclaiming the Good News of Jesus.”

The jubilee’s three principal themes were “Amazonian identity, indigenous inclusion in cities, and pastoral action in the face of discrimination, poverty, and land loss,” the Vatican newspaper reported.

“We urge both sides to honor and implement the peace deal, and need immediate access to get urgent lifesaving assistance to Palestinians in Gaza who have been pushed to the edge of existence,” said Alistair Dutton, Caritas’ secretary general. “There is a short window of opportunity to provide relief and an end to this inhuman suffering.”

Sanctions “would be illogical and immoral,” Cardinal Tsarahazana told Vatican media. “Supporting young people who demand a better life and then killing them with sanctions would make no sense.”

Cardinal Tsarahazana spoke of a climate of widespread corruption and fear in the island nation.

In his remarks, Pope Leo, accompanied by Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, highlighted three themes: dialogue, building bridges, and learning to be builders of peace.

The visit—postponed from April—will focus on the unity of Christians and care for the environment. Pope Leo and the Anglican archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, will lead an ecumenical prayer service for the care of creation in the Sistine Chapel.

Pope Leo XIV received three international leaders in separate audiences on October 17:

L’Osservatore Romano devoted seven articles in its October 17 edition to poverty.

Pope Leo XIV canonized seven saints yesterday during a Mass in St. Peter’s Square (video, booklet).