Pope Leo XIV wrote a message to his brothers in the priesthood on the World Day for the Sanctification of Priests, commemorated annually on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Addressing each of the world’s priests “with gratitude and great confidence,” the Pontiff wrote that “the Heart of Christ, pierced for love, is the living and life-giving flesh that embraces each of us and conforms us to the image of the Good Shepherd.”

“There we discover the true nature of our ministry,” the Pope continued. “Consumed by God’s mercy, we become joyful witnesses of his love that heals, accompanies and redeems.”

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, and emphasized two aspects of the apostles’ faith: ecclesial communion and vitality of faith.

“The communion of the two Apostles in the one confession of faith was the conclusion of a long journey on which each embraced the faith and lived out his apostolate in his own particular way,” Pope Leo preached. “The history of Peter and Paul shows us that the communion to which the Lord calls us is a unison of voices and personalities that does not eliminate anyone’s freedom.”

Pope Leo continued:

Our patron saints followed different paths, had different ideas and at times argued with one another with evangelical frankness. Yet this did not prevent them from living the concordia apostolorum [concord of the apostles], that is, a living communion in the Spirit, a fruitful harmony in diversity.

“It is important that we learn to experience communion in this way—as unity within diversity—so that the various gifts, united in the one confession of faith, may advance the preaching of the Gospel,” the Pope added. “Let us make an effort, then, to turn our differences into a workshop of unity and communion, of fraternity and reconciliation, so that everyone in the Church, each with his or her personal history, may learn to walk side by side.”

During the Mass, Pope Leo also blessed and imposed pallia on the metropolitan archbishops appointed during the last year (booklet, pp. 3-7).

In his Angelus address on June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Leo spoke about persecuted Christians and the papacy’s service to unity.

“Today is the great feast of the Church of Rome, which was born of the witness of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and made fruitful by the outpouring of their blood and that of many martyrs,” Pope Leo told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “Even today, throughout the world, there continue to be Christians whom the Gospel inspires to be generous and courageous even to the sacrifice of their lives.”

“We can speak of an ecumenism of blood, an unseen yet profound unity among Christian Churches that are not yet in full and visible communion,” Pope Leo continued. “I would like to confirm on this solemn feast that my episcopal ministry is at the service of unity, and that the Church of Rome is committed by the blood shed by Saints Peter and Paul to serving in love the communion of all Churches.”

The chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities welcomed Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, a 6-3 Supreme Court decision, issued June 26, that recognized the right of South Carolina to exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid funding.

“South Carolina was right to deny Planned Parenthood taxpayer dollars,” said Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Ohio. “A group dedicated to ending children’s lives deserves no public support.”

Pope Leo XIV met with priests during the Jubilee of Priests on June 26 and emphasized in his address that “the words of Jesus ‘I have called you friends’” (Jn 15:15) are “a true key to understanding the priestly ministry.”

“The priest, in fact, is a friend of the Lord, called to live with Him a personal and trusting relationship, nourished by the Word, by the celebration of the Sacraments, by daily prayer,” the Pope continued. “This friendship with Christ is the spiritual foundation of the ordained ministry, the meaning of our celibacy and the energy of the ecclesial service to which we dedicate our lives.”

Pope Leo then drew three implications for priestly formation:

• “Formation is a journey of relationship. Becoming friends of Christ means being formed in the relationship, not only in skills.”
• “Fraternity is an essential style of priestly life. Becoming friends of Christ involves living as brothers among priests and bishops, not as competitors or individualists.”
• “Forming priests who are friends of Christ means forming men capable of loving, listening, praying and serving together.”

Note: An earlier version of the editor’s note mistakenly referred to Pope Leo as Pope Francis in the first sentence. CWN regrets the error.

In a six-page joint letter to US senators, six chairmen of committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops critiqued the Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“We are grateful for provisions that promote the dignity of human life and support parental choice in education,” the bishops wrote in their June 26 letter. “However, we must also urge you to make drastic changes to the provisions that will harm the poor and vulnerable.”

They explained:

This bill raises taxes on the working poor while simultaneously giving large tax cuts to the wealthiest. Because of this, millions of poor families will not be able to afford life-saving healthcare and will struggle to buy food for their children. Some rural hospitals will likely close. Cuts will also result in harming our environment.

Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod on June 26 and told them, “I am happy to take this opportunity to share an idea that I consider central, and then to listen to you.”

“Pope Francis has given a new impetus to the Synod of Bishops, referring, as he has repeatedly stated, to St. Paul VI,” the Pope explained. “And the legacy he left us seems to me to be above all this: that synodality is a style, an attitude that helps us to be Church, promoting authentic experiences of participation and communion.”

Pope Leo referred twice in his address to the “Synod of Bishops.” Since the 2022 reform of the Roman Curia, the “General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops” has typically been referred to simply as the “General Secretariat of the Synod,” perhaps to reflect the inclusion of laity as full members of the synod on synodality—even though the synod assembly itself was officially called the “16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.”

Pope Leo XIV ordained 32 men to the priesthood on June 27, the feast of the Sacred Heart, in a ceremony at St. Peter’s basilica.

In his homily the Pope said that all priests are called to conform themselves to Christ, “above all by putting the Eucharist at the center of our lives,” and also by “fruitful reception of the sacraments, especially by the frequent practice of sacramental penance.”

Speaking more specifically to the newly ordained priests, the Holy Father said:

Love God and your brothers and sisters, and give yourselves to them generously. Be fervent in your celebration of the sacraments, in prayer, especially in adoration before the Eucharist, and in your ministry. Keep close to your flock, give freely of your time and energy to everyone, without reserve and without partiality, as the pierced side of the crucified Jesus and the example of the saints teach us to do. Remember that the Church, in the two thousand years of her history, has had—and today continues to have—wonderful examples of priestly holiness.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has issued a statement of concern about the fate of St. Catherine’s monastery in Egypt, calling upon the Egyptian government to provide “a clear and binding agreement recognizing the holy monastery’s right and title to the site in perpetuity.”

The legal status of the ancient monastery—founded more than 1,500 years ago—has been in question since an Egyptian court ruled that the property belonged to the government. Egyptian political leaders have said that the monks of St. Catherine’s will have full freedom at the monastery, but Christian leaders have questioned the state’s claim of control.

Commenting on years of Vatican budget deficits, Maximino Caballero Ledo, the prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, says: “We are aware that this imbalance cannot continue indefinitely.”

He argues that the Vatican has tightened controls on the use of funds donated to the Peter’s Pence collection, and emphasizes the importance of that collection in supporting the charitable work of the Holy See.