By Joanna Puddister King SALTILLO, Mexico – Bishop Joseph Kopacz and Bishop Louis Kihneman of Biloxi traveled together to Saltillo, Mexico, October 15–20, continuing a long tradition of friendship and shared faith between Mississippi and the Diocese of Saltillo.
The trip marked Bishop Kopacz’s eleventh visit to the mission founded by Father Patrick Quinn more than 50 years ago. Father Quinn, who served in Mississippi before being assigned to Mexico in 1969, worked tirelessly to build bridges of faith between the people of Saltillo and the faithful of Mississippi. Today, his legacy continues to thrive through the Mission of San Miguel and the many chapels that extend across the desert landscape.
During their five-day pilgrimage, the bishops celebrated the Eucharist in city parishes and rural communities, visited Father Quinn’s tomb at Parroquia del Perpetuo Socorro, and joined local families in joyful processions honoring the Holy Infant of Good Health. At San Miguel, they gathered with parishioners for Mass before walking through the streets in celebration, surrounded by color, song, and faith-filled joy.
The visit also included confirmation Masses in Garambullo and Tanque del Cerro, meals and fellowship with local priests, and time spent at small desert ranchos where the people welcomed the bishops with open hearts. On the fourth day, rain fell over the desert for the first time in Bishop Kopacz’s eleven years of visits – a moment that filled the communities with thanksgiving and praise.
While in Saltillo, the bishops also visited Father Adolfo Suárez, a diocesan priest from St. Michael Parish in Forest and its missions, who has been serving at the Mission of San Miguel since April. Father Adolfo returned to Mexico earlier this year due to U.S. immigration limits that affect many foreign-born priests and religious serving in dioceses across the country.
Bishop Kopacz continues to raise awareness about the Religious Worker Protection Act (RWPA) – bipartisan legislation that would allow priests, sisters and other ministers like Father Adolfo to remain in the U.S. while awaiting permanent residency. “These faithful men and women serve our parishes and our people with dedication and love,” Bishop Kopacz said. “Their ministry is essential to the life of our church.” “Every visit to Saltillo is a reminder of the universality of our church,” Bishop Kopacz added. “We may live far apart, but we share the same faith, the same hope, and the same joy in Christ.”
The Mission of Saltillo remains a living partnership between the Dioceses of Jackson and Saltillo – a bond strengthened through prayer, presence and a shared mission to serve God’s people.
SALTILLO, Mexico – Bishops Joseph Kopacz and Louis Kihneman of Biloxi celebrate the first Mass of their trip at Santos Mártires Parish on Oct. 15 with Father David Martínez Rubio and Father Adolfo Suárez Pasillas.Bishop Joseph Kopacz concelebrates Mass at San Juan Diego Parish on Oct. 16 with Father Adolfo Suárez (right) and visiting clergy from the Diocese of Saltillo.Bishop Joseph Kopacz blesses parishioners with the cape of the Holy Infant of Good Health after a rosary and procession at San Miguel Parish. Earlier, two parishioners changed the infant’s garment, with the previous cape used in the blessing.NUEVO GÓMEZ RANCHO, Mexico –Bishop Joseph Kopacz checks in with his ride before joining the procession to San Francisco del Ejido.NUEVO GÓMEZ RANCHO, Mexico –Students celebrate Confirmation and one First Communion at Santa Teresa Parish.TONQUE DEL CERRO, Mexico – Bishop Louis Kihneman of Biloxi and Bishop Joseph Kopacz of Jackson celebrate an outdoor Mass with confirmations at Sagrado Corazón Parish on Oct. 19. (Photos by Tereza Ma)
(OSV News) — Many parishioners at San Antonio de las Huertas Parish in Mexico City remember their deceased loved ones by building altars in their homes for Day of the Dead.
The altars burst with marigolds, are often adorned with colourful “papel picado,” or decorative cut paper, and usually feature food and drink, including Coca-Cola, tequila and beer. People believe their relatives return the nights of Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 to reunite with family.
Father Pedro Lira, pastor at San Antonio de las Huertas, supports the practice of building altars. But he also encourages his congregation to pray for their deceased loved ones and to remember the promise of eternal life.
A file photo shows workers assembling an altar in Mexico City’s Zocalo Square, which is part of an art installation to celebrate the Day of the Dead. The traditional celebration honors children on All Saints’ Day, Nov. 1, and adults on All Souls’ Day, Nov. 2. (OSV News photo/Tomas Bravo, Reuters)
“Upon lighting the candles many people stop and pray the Our Father without really knowing how to pray at the altar,” Father Lira told OSV News. “It’s the confidence of saying, ‘Even after death, I can do something for you?'”
Day of the Dead — famed Dia de los Muertos — marks one of Mexico’s deepest cultural traditions, dating to pre-Hispanic times, in which people commemorate and commune with their deceased loved ones. Mexicans build altars and visit graveyards for candlelight vigils.
Many Mexicans visit churches, too, where prayers are said for All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2.
“The church commemorates, does not celebrate, the faithful who have departed,” Father Lira said. “We entrust them to God’s mercy. We no longer know if they share in his glory, but we do entrust them to God’s providence. And that is why as a church we pray for them.”
Death holds a unique place in Mexican culture. Pre-Hispanic populations celebrated a version of Day of the Dead around harvest time, according to research. Early Catholic evangelists “Christianized” that remembrance of the dead, according to Father Lira, who emphasized, “The Christian message is death as a passage to eternal life. … Mexican culture did not see life after death.”
The tradition has become a spectacle, too — all thanks to the 2015 James Bond movie, “Spectre,” which featured an apocryphal Day of the Dead parade. Mexican tourism officials copied the parade — complete with giant skeleton marionettes — which draws throngs to central Mexico City.
Onlookers paint their faces black and white and dress in La Catrina costumes — elegant skeletons previously used to mock the Mexicans aspiring to be Europeans. Tourists, meanwhile, increasingly make trips to graveyards to witness the festivities, bringing much needed economic activity to downtrodden rural towns, but disrupting commemorations.
“The people of Oaxaca (state) have managed to create a second Day of the Dead that is exclusively meant for tourists and strangers,” Shawn Haley, a Canadian anthropologist studying the holiday, told OSV News. The alternative Day of the Dead “redirects the strangers focus away from the village celebrations that can then remain restricted to the community and family.”
Observers say a renewed sense of pride in Mexican traditions, along with movies such as “Coco,” have hastened the embrace of Day of the Dead. The renewed interest in Day of the Dead, meanwhile, has largely diminished interest in Halloween, which had been brought back by migrants and had been gaining ground until recently. “It is viewed as a quaint American holiday,” Haley said.
Mexican church leaders have long warned of the rise of Halloween. Father Andrés Larios said a group of young people in his parish in Michoacán even tried to turn the parish event hall into a haunted house — something he used as a teaching opportunity.
“The church much prefers promoting that one day we will meet our loved ones who died for this world, but who continue living in the other, rather than getting rid of all these things that come from the United States” such as Halloween, said Andrés Larios, a parish priest in the Diocese of Apatzingán.
Practicing Catholics still refer to Day of the Dead as All Saints, which remembers the saints, and All Souls, which remembers all believers, to “distinguish themselves from nonpracticing Catholics,” according to Haley, though “the actual celebration is exactly the same.”
He added, “In non-Catholic homes, the deceased loved ones are expected to return home where in Catholic homes, the altar becomes more of a memorial to the deceased. Less celebrating and more remembering.”
Priests are emphasizing faith, along with remembrance.
“It’s very important to recall the importance of praying for the saints on Nov. 1 and praying for the dead on Nov. 2,” Father Alan Camargo, spokesman for the Diocese of Matamoros-Reynosa, told OSV News.
“The Catholic faith, at its core, is Christ who dies and conquers death,” he continued, adding that “altars to the dead, skulls, those don’t clash with the Christian faith as long as we discover the importance of respect for life and also respect for death.”
(David Agren writes for OSV News from Buenos Aires.)
Sophia Forchas, who survived a gunshot wound to the head during an all-school Mass at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis Aug. 27, 2025, and her father, Tom Forchas, exit a limousine at Hennepin County Medical Center in downtown Minneapolis Oct. 23, just after her release from Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul. A police escort led by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara arrived at HCMC for a brief visit with hospital staff there who treated Sophia. (OSV News photo/Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit)
NATION MINNEAPOLIS (OSV News) – Sophia Forchas, who was critically injured in an Aug. 27 shooting during an all-school Mass at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, has been discharged from the hospital and was greeted with signs and cheers Oct. 23 in Minneapolis. Sophia, 12, was in critical condition for two weeks after suffering a gunshot wound to the head. Then, Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis reported on Sept. 11 that she had moved into serious condition – defined as having “a chance for improved prognosis.” On her way home from Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul Oct. 23, where she was receiving inpatient rehabilitation, Sophia was escorted to Hennepin Healthcare. She was greeted by staff who clapped and cheered. Some staff cried and hugged each other. They held signs that included birthday messages and sang the “Happy Birthday” song to her. Sophia, a seventh grader, turns 13 on Oct. 25. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara was part of the escort. Sophia’s neurosurgeon, Dr. Walt Galicich, credited staff at Hennepin Healthcare for assisting in the girl’s recovery. Sophia’s family, members of St. Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, stated her healing progress was “nothing short of miraculous; an undeniable testament to the mercy and intervention of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – A coalition of Catholic organizations held prayer vigils across the country on Oct. 22 for what organizers called “a national day of public witness for our immigrant brothers and sisters.” The vigils came amid growing concern from some faith communities – including a Catholic parish in Chicago – about the impact of the Trump administration’s rollback of a policy that prohibited immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, such as churches, schools, and hospitals. The “One Church, One Family: Catholic Public Witness for Immigrants,” vigils took place in multiple locations around the country on Oct. 22, with a second series of events scheduled for Nov. 13, the feast day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, universal patroness of immigrants. The protest and prayer vigil in the nation’s capital took place in front of the headquarters for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as employees entered the building and as rush-hour drivers occasionally honked at the group in apparent acknowledgement. Judy Coode, communications director for Pax Christi USA told OSV News at the Washington vigil, “We wanted to be a witness.” “Both as Catholics and also as U.S. citizens, we have a responsibility to bear witness to injustices that we see,” Coode said.
VATICAN VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The pursuit of synodality should strengthen the Catholic Church’s mission of proclaiming the Gospel and help all Catholics learn to collaborate to make the world a better place, Pope Leo XIV said. “As Pope Francis reminded us on numerous occasions,” the pope said, the purpose of synodality “is to help the church fulfill its primary role in the world, which is to be missionary, to announce the Gospel, to give witness to the person of Jesus Christ in every part of the world, to the ends of the earth.” That witness includes speaking up for justice, caring for the planet and promoting peace, Pope Leo said during a meeting late Oct. 24 with participants in the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies. “The church has a voice, and we need to be courageous in raising our voice to change the world, to make it a better place,” he told the pilgrims, who included about 150 representatives from the United States with 15 U.S. bishops.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Commemorating the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and its Creed, as well as reaffirming hopes for peace in the Middle East, Pope Leo XIV will travel to Turkey and Lebanon Nov. 27-Dec. 2. The Vatican released the itinerary for Pope Leo’s first foreign trip Oct. 27. The trip to Iznik, Turkey, site of the ancient Nicaea, initially was planned for Pope Francis. But Pope Leo, just days after his election in May, announced his intention to commemorate the anniversary with Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. The patriarch announced at a liturgy in Istanbul Oct. 22 that he had invited the three other patriarchs of the ancient “pentarchy” to join him and the pope for the Nicaea celebration, according to the Orthodox Times website. The heads of churches invited are: Greek Orthodox Patriarchs Theophilos III of Jerusalem, Theodore II of Alexandria and John X of Antioch.
WORLD PARIS (OSV News) – Students from Trinity High School in Whitesville, Kentucky, found comfort in faith after witnessing chaos in Paris. The group of 20 sophomores, juniors and seniors, along with three chaperones, were visiting the Louvre on Oct. 19 when a dramatic jewel heist unfolded just hours before their flight home. Principal Emily Hernandez, who led the group, said they were in line by 8:45 a.m for their 9 a.m. tour, and they first went to see the “Mona Lisa.” Then they headed to the Gallery of Apollo when one student heard what sounded like “power tools.” Moments later, crowds were ushered out of the museum. Not “until we were out of the Louvre,” Hernandez said, did the group learn of the robbery, in which nine items were stolen from the Gallery of Apollo by several masked thieves. Hernandez said she believes the sound of power tools heard by the student turned out to be the chainsaw used to break open the window into the gallery. The experience left students shaken but safe. They attended Mass together at Notre Dame Cathedral later that day. “After Mass, everyone was calm,” Hernandez said. “They really took care of each other.”
TEHRAN, Iran (OSV News) – In Iran, a new metro station in Tehran dedicated to the Virgin Mary is drawing attention – and reflection. Belgian Cardinal Dominique Mathieu, who leads the Archdiocese of Tehran-Isfahan, says the “Maryam-e Moghadass” or “Holy Mary” station offers commuters a daily reminder of God’s love for all. Writing Oct. 22 in Fides agency, the cardinal described the bas-relief images of Jesus, Mary, and a dove representing the Holy Spirit that decorate the station. He said their serene faces “invite those passing by to contemplate the love of the one God” and to walk the path of peace. Located near the Armenian Cathedral of St. Sarkis, the station also honors Iran’s Armenian Christian community – the country’s largest minority. While the artwork signals interreligious respect, religious freedom in Iran remains limited. A U.S. commission reports Christians still face imprisonment and persecution for practicing or sharing their faith. The Marian images at the metro station feature various verses from “Surah Maryam,” the 19th chapter of the Quran dedicated to Mary. As the mother of Jesus, the third chapter of the Quran states that Mary, who is highly venerated in Islam, was chosen by God “from all the women of the world.”
Por Joanna Puddister King SALTILLO, México – El obispo Joseph Kopacz y el obispo Louis Kihneman, de Biloxi, viajaron juntos a Saltillo, México, del 15 al 20 de octubre, continuando una larga tradición de amistad y fe compartida entre Misisipi y la Diócesis de Saltillo.
El viaje supuso la undécima visita del obispo Kopacz a la misión fundada por el padre Patrick Quinn hace más de 50 años. El padre Quinn, que prestó servicio en Misisipi antes de ser destinado a México en 1969, trabajó incansablemente para tender puentes de fe entre el pueblo de Saltillo y los fieles de Misisipi. Hoy en día, su legado sigue vivo a través de la Misión de San Miguel y las numerosas capillas que se extienden por el paisaje desértico.
Durante su peregrinación de cinco días, los obispos celebraron la Eucaristía en parroquias urbanas y comunidades rurales, visitaron la tumba del padre Quinn en la Parroquia del Perpetuo Socorro y se unieron a las familias locales en alegres procesiones en honor al Santo Niño de la Buena Salud. En San Miguel, se reunieron con los feligreses para celebrar la misa antes de recorrer las calles en procesión, rodeados de colorido, canciones y alegría llena de fe.
La visita también incluyó misas de confirmación en Garambullo y Tanque del Cerro, comidas y convivencia con los sacerdotes locales, y tiempo dedicado a pequeños ranchos del desierto donde la gente recibió a los obispos con los brazos abiertos. El cuarto día, llovió sobre el desierto por primera vez en los once años de visitas del obispo Kopacz, un momento que llenó a las comunidades de agradecimiento y alabanza.
Durante su estancia en Saltillo, los obispos también visitaron al padre Adolfo Suárez, un sacerdote diocesano de la parroquia de San Miguel en Forest y sus misiones, que lleva desde abril prestando servicio en la Misión de San Miguel. El padre Adolfo regresó a México a principios de este año debido a las restricciones migratorias de Estados Unidos que afectan a muchos sacerdotes y religiosos extranjeros que prestan servicio en diócesis de todo el país.
El obispo Kopacz sigue creando conciencia sobre la Ley de Protección de los Trabajadores Religiosos (RWPA), una legislación bipartidista que permitiría a sacerdotes, hermanas y otros ministros como el padre Adolfo permanecer en Estados Unidos mientras esperan la residencia permanente. «Estos hombres y mujeres fieles sirven a nuestras parroquias y a nuestro pueblo con dedicación y amor», dijo el obispo Kopacz. «Su ministerio es esencial para la vida de nuestra Iglesia». «Cada visita a Saltillo es un recordatorio de la universalidad de nuestra Iglesia», añadió el obispo Kopacz. «Puede que vivamos lejos unos de otros, pero compartimos la misma fe, la misma esperanza y la misma alegría en Cristo».
La Misión de Saltillo sigue siendo una colaboración viva entre las diócesis de Jackson y Saltillo, un vínculo fortalecido a través de la oración, la presencia y una misión compartida de servir al pueblo de Dios.
SALTILLO, Mexico – Bishops Joseph Kopacz and Louis Kihneman of Biloxi celebrate the first Mass of their trip at Santos Mártires Parish on Oct. 15 with Father David Martínez Rubio and Father Adolfo Suárez Pasillas.Bishop Joseph Kopacz concelebrates Mass at San Juan Diego Parish on Oct. 16 with Father Adolfo Suárez (right) and visiting clergy from the Diocese of Saltillo.Bishop Joseph Kopacz blesses parishioners with the cape of the Holy Infant of Good Health after a rosary and procession at San Miguel Parish. Earlier, two parishioners changed the infant’s garment, with the previous cape used in the blessing.NUEVO GÓMEZ RANCHO, Mexico –Bishop Joseph Kopacz checks in with his ride before joining the procession to San Francisco del Ejido.NUEVO GÓMEZ RANCHO, Mexico –Students celebrate Confirmation and one First Communion at Santa Teresa Parish.TONQUE DEL CERRO, Mexico – Bishop Louis Kihneman of Biloxi and Bishop Joseph Kopacz of Jackson celebrate an outdoor Mass with confirmations at Sagrado Corazón Parish on Oct. 19. (Photos by Tereza Ma)
(OSV News) — Muchos feligreses de la parroquia de San Antonio de las Huertas, en la Ciudad de México, recuerdan a sus seres queridos fallecidos construyendo altares en sus hogares para el Día de Muertos.
Los altares están repletos de flores (mayormente la flor de cempasúchil), a menudo adornados con colorido papel picado y suelen incluir comida y bebida, como Coca-Cola, tequila y cerveza. Mucha gente cree que sus familiares regresan las noches del 1 y 2 de noviembre para reunirse con la familia.
El padre Pedro Lira, párroco de San Antonio de las Huertas, apoya la práctica de construir altares. Pero también anima a sus feligreses a rezar por sus seres queridos fallecidos y a recordar la promesa de la vida eterna.
A file photo shows workers assembling an altar in Mexico City’s Zocalo Square, which is part of an art installation to celebrate the Day of the Dead. The traditional celebration honors children on All Saints’ Day, Nov. 1, and adults on All Souls’ Day, Nov. 2. (OSV News photo/Tomas Bravo, Reuters)
“Al encender las velas mucha gente se detiene, reza un Padre nuestro sin tener mucha idea de lo que de lo que se tiene que hacer como rezo en el altar”, explicó el padre Lira a OSV News. “Es la confianza de decir: ‘¿Aun después de la muerte, yo puedo hacer algo por ti?’”.
El famoso Día de los Muertos marca una de las tradiciones culturales más profundas de México, que se remonta a la época prehispánica, en la que la gente conmemora y se comunica con sus seres queridos fallecidos. El pueblo de México construye altares y visita los cementerios llevando velas.
Muchos mexicanos también visitan las iglesias, donde se rezan oraciones por el Día de Todos los Santos el 1 de noviembre y el Día de los Fieles Difuntos el 2 de noviembre.
“La Iglesia conmemora, no celebra, a los fieles que han fallecido”, dijo el padre Lira. “Los encomendamos a la misericordia de Dios. Ya no sabemos si comparten su gloria, pero los encomendamos a la providencia de Dios. Y por eso, como Iglesia, rezamos por ellos”.
La muerte ocupa un lugar único en la cultura mexicana. Según las investigaciones, las poblaciones prehispánicas celebraban una versión del Día de Muertos en la época de la cosecha. Los primeros evangelizadores católicos “cristianizaron” ese recuerdo de los muertos, según el padre Lira, quien enfatizó: “El mensaje cristiano es la muerte como un paso a la vida eterna. … La cultura mexicana no veía la vida después de la muerte”.
La tradición se ha convertido también en un espectáculo, gracias a la película de James Bond de 2015, Spectre, que incluía un desfile apócrifo del Día de Muertos. Las autoridades turísticas mexicanas copiaron el desfile, con marionetas gigantes de esqueletos, que atrae a multitudes al centro de la Ciudad de México.
Los espectadores se pintan la cara de blanco y negro y se visten con trajes de La Catrina, elegantes esqueletos que antes se utilizaban para burlarse de los mexicanos que aspiraban a ser europeos. Mientras tanto, los turistas acuden cada vez más a los cementerios para presenciar las festividades, lo que aporta una actividad económica muy necesaria a las oprimidas localidades rurales, pero perturba las conmemoraciones.
“Los habitantes del estado de Oaxaca han logrado crear un segundo Día de Muertos destinado exclusivamente a turistas y extranjeros”, explicó Shawn Haley, antropólogo canadiense que estudia esta festividad, a OSV News. El Día de Muertos alternativo “desvía la atención de los forasteros de las celebraciones del pueblo, que así pueden seguir siendo exclusivas de la comunidad y la familia”.
Los observadores afirman que un renovado sentido de orgullo por las tradiciones mexicanas, junto con películas como “Coco”, han acelerado la aceptación del Día de Muertos. El renovado interés por el Día de Muertos, por su parte, ha disminuido en gran medida el interés por Halloween, que había sido recuperado por los migrantes y había ido ganando terreno hasta hace poco. “Se considera una festividad estadounidense pintoresca”, afirmó Haley.
Los líderes de la Iglesia mexicana llevan mucho tiempo advirtiendo sobre el auge de Halloween. El padre Andrés Larios dijo que un grupo de jóvenes de su parroquia en Michoacán incluso intentó convertir el salón de funciones parroquiales en una casa encantada, algo que él aprovechó como oportunidad para enseñar.
“La Iglesia prefiere mil veces seguir fomentando este esa parte de que un día nos vamos a encontrar con nuestros seres queridos que murieron para este mundo, pero que siguen viviendo en el otro a a quitar todo esto que viene de Estados Unidos”, como Halloween, dijo Andrés Larios, párroco de la Diócesis de Apatzingán.
Según Haley, los católicos practicantes aún se refieren al Día de Muertos como Todos los Santos, que conmemora a los santos, y Fieles Difuntos, que conmemora a todos los creyentes, para “distinguirse de los católicos no practicantes”, aunque “la celebración en sí es exactamente la misma”.
Añadió: “En los hogares no católicos, se espera que los seres queridos fallecidos regresen a casa, mientras que, en los hogares católicos, el altar se convierte más en un memorial para los difuntos. Se trata menos de celebrar y más de recordar”.
Los sacerdotes están haciendo hincapié en la fe, junto con el recuerdo.
“Es muy importante recordar la importancia de orar por los santos el 1 de noviembre y orar por los difuntos el 2 de noviembre”, declaró a OSV News el padre Alan Camargo, portavoz de la Diócesis de Matamoros-Reynosa.
“La religión católica, el centro, es Cristo que muere y vence a la muerte”, continuó, añadiendo que “los altares a muertos, calaveras… eso no choca con la fe cristiana siempre y cuando descubramos la importancia del respeto a la vida y también del respeto a la muerte”.
David Agren escribe para OSV News desde Buenos Aires.
NATION WASHINGTON (OSV News) – As the U.S. military carried out another strike on Oct. 16 against what it said was a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean, a Notre Dame Law School expert warned that type of action, without authorization from Congress, could set the stage for the government to conduct strikes closer to home with virtually no guardrails. First reported by Reuters, the Oct. 16 strike is believed to be the first out of at least six such strikes that left survivors among the crew. Nearly 30 people have been killed in the strikes. Mary Ellen O’Connell, a professor at Notre Dame Law School who specializes in international law and conflict resolution, expressed concern that Trump “played a critical role in winning a ceasefire in Gaza only to turn around to use lawless military force in the Caribbean.” On Jan. 20, Trump issued an executive order designating certain international cartels and other organizations as “foreign terrorist organizations.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church states legitimate authorities are entrusted with preserving the common good by “rendering the unjust aggressor unable to inflict harm,” but specifies strict conditions for the use of military force including the exhaustion of all other efforts to stop such damage. O’Connell said the strikes have no justification in U.S. or international law, and there is nothing in the president’s executive order that prevents him from using this kind of lethal force in Lake Michigan, a waterway accessible from Canada but fully within U.S. territory.
A 17th-century monastery in northern Italy where recently canonized St. Carlo Acutis received his first Communion is seen in flames as firefighters try to contain the fire Oct. 11, 2025. The Bernaga Monastery, located in the La Valletta Brianza municipality in the Lombardy region, was home to 22 Ambrosian-rite cloistered nuns, all of whom survived the devastating blaze. (OSV News/courtesy Lombardy firefighters) Editors: best quality available.
ANCHORAGE (OSV News) – Catholic dioceses in Alaska are calling for prayer and support, after flooding from a recent typhoon devastated several coastal communities. The remnants of Typhoon Halong struck the state’s western coast over the Oct. 11-12 weekend, killing at least one. Two other individuals remain missing, and hundreds of stranded residents have been airlifted to Anchorage for safety, with many watching their homes float away. According to state officials, some 1,800 Alaska residents from just under 50 communities had been displaced. In an Oct. 14 letter posted to Facebook, Bishop Steven J. Maekawa of Fairbanks asked parishioners to “pray for the people of western Alaska who were affected by the typhoon and storms this past week. For those who lost their lives and for their families and friends. For those whose homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged. For those communities that are without power, heat, and water. For the people working in the rescue and relief efforts.”
VATICAN VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV met with a coalition of survivors of abuse and victims’ advocates for the first time at the Vatican Oct. 20. Members of the board of Ending Clergy Abuse met with the pope for about an hour in a closed-door meeting that was later confirmed by the Vatican. “This was a deeply meaningful conversation,” Gemma Hickey, ECA board president and survivor of clergy abuse in Canada, said in a press release. “It reflects a shared commitment to justice, healing and real change.” “Survivors have long sought a seat at the table, and today we felt heard,” Hickey said in the statement. “Pope Leo is very warm, he listened,” Hickey said at a news conference, according to Reuters. “We told him that we come as bridge-builders, ready to walk together toward truth, justice and healing.” While the group of six people representing ECA met with the pope, video clips from the Vatican also showed a separate meeting between Pope Leo and Pedro Salinas, a Peruvian journalist and abuse survivor. Salinas, a former member of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae who suffered physical and psychological abuse by the movement’s founder, Luis Fernando Figari, is seen in the footage giving the pope a copy of his new book, “The Truth Sets Us Free,” in Spanish.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Sacramental marriage and traditional family life increase joy in the good times, give strength during hard times and are a path to true holiness, Pope Leo XIV said. Marking the 10th anniversary of the canonization of Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Pope Leo said the couple “bears witness to the ineffable happiness and profound joy that God grants, both here on earth and for eternity, to those who commit themselves to this path of fidelity and fruitfulness.” The pope’s comments came in a message to Bishop Bruno Feillet of Séez, France, the home diocese of the Martin family. The message was released at the Vatican Oct. 18, the date of the anniversary of the Martins becoming “the first couple to be canonized as such,” the pope said.
WORLD MEZCALA, Mexico (OSV News) – Another Catholic priest has been murdered in Mexico’s violence-stricken Guerrero state. Father Bertoldo Pantaleón Estrada, pastor of San Cristóbal Parish in Mezcala, was found dead Oct. 6 – two days after disappearing. According to press reports, he was shot twice in the neck, and federal officials have named his driver as the prime suspect. “At this time, we have no indication that the father was involved in anything wrong,” Federal public security secretary Omar García Harfuch said Oct. 7. Father Pantaleón’s death underscores the growing danger for clergy in cartel-controlled regions. Guerrero, once a hub for heroin production, remains plagued by organized crime, extortion, and kidnappings. The Diocese of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, where the priest served, has suffered multiple clergy killings in recent years. The Mexican bishops’ conference condemned the violence, calling for a full and transparent investigation. Since 2006, at least 52 priests have been killed in Mexico – making it the deadliest country in the world for Catholic clergy.
LA VALLETTA BRIANZA, Italy (OSV News) – A devastating fire has gutted a 17th-century monastery in northern Italy where newly canonized St. Carlo Acutis once received his first Communion. The blaze broke out on Oct. 11 at Bernaga Monastery in La Valletta Brianza, reducing much of the wooden structure to ruins. Thankfully, all 22 cloistered nuns inside survived, with one sister raising the alarm just in time. Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan expressed deep sorrow, calling the fire a tragic loss of sacred heritage and personal belongings. The monastery had just marked the Jubilee of Consecrated Life and was preparing to celebrate St. Carlo’s first official feast day on Oct. 12. A first-class relic of the young saint – a lock of his hair – was saved from the flames, though a crucifix gifted by St. Paul VI remains missing. Authorities suspect an electrical short circuit may have sparked the fire. Investigations are ongoing as the faithful rally in prayer and support. According to the archdiocese, from a young age, St. Carlo was “fond of the nuns” at the monastery. It was there that he was introduced to Bishop Pasquale Macchi. It was Bishop Macchi, the archdiocese said, that informed St. Carlo’s parents that the 7-year-old future saint was ready for his first Communion.
By Junno Arocho Esteves (OSV News) – When Pope Leo XIV raised three women and four men to the altar on Oct. 19, he canonized a diverse group of religious and lay men and women, all bound by the virtue of holding on to their faith amid spiritual and external challenges.
The canonizations, which were announced by the Vatican June 13 during the pope’s first ordinary public consistory, elevated to sainthood seven candidates who hail from Venezuela, Turkey, Papua New Guinea and Italy.
St. María Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez, who was born without a left arm, overcame physical challenges and founded a religious congregation, the Servants of Jesus of Caracas, which was dedicated to pastoral ministry and education.
St. Maria Troncatti, an Italian Salesian, dedicated her life as a missionary to Indigenous peoples in the Amazon rainforest, earning her the informal title of “doctor of the jungle,” while St. Vincenza Maria Poloni dedicated her ministry to the sick and the poor, whom she deemed as “our masters.”
Others, such as St. Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, an Armenian Catholic archbishop, and St. Peter To Rot, were martyred for their faith.
Among the most well-known is St. Bartolo Longo, a former Satanist priest who, after his conversion, dedicated his life as a Dominican tertiary to promoting the rosary and Marian devotion.
For Dominican Father Joseph Anthony Kress, promoter of the rosary for the Province of St. Joseph and associate director of the Dominican Friars Foundation, the example of the challenges faced by St. Longo and the other six sainthood candidates shows “that this earthly pilgrimage is not a sanitized experience.”
Speaking to OSV News Oct. 10, Father Kress said that like Christ, who stumbled and fell “on his way to making that supreme sacrifice,” Christian lives reflect the same struggle.
“We don’t need to try to perfect or sanitize our lives before we offer them to Jesus, but we can invite him into the suffering and the struggle,” he said.
“All of these saints experienced different elements of struggle throughout their lives: physical struggles, psychological struggles, spiritual desolations. But in the midst of all of that, they maintained a constant relationship with the Lord and invited him into those moments.”
“That’s where holiness is,” Father Kress added.
Another notable aspect of some of the candidates is the fact that they were lay members of the Catholic Church. St. Longo was a lay member of the Dominican order, while St. José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros of Venezuela was a Franciscan tertiary. St. Peter To Rot, a martyr from Papua New Guinea, was married and served as a lay catechist.
Father Kress told OSV News that those like Sts. Longo and Hernández prove that “we can still be inspired by the great charisms of these religious orders in the Catholic Church, and to be unafraid to pursue that; to be unafraid of committing to that.”
“We live in a society, man, that is just so fraught and afraid to make any kind of commitment to a specific thing,” he said. “And some of these saints who have been tertiaries have made those commitments, and it’s a great message of hope and confidence in the Lord, and confidence in our individual humanity and personalities to say, ‘This charism is something that attracts me, and I want to participate in that in ways that make sense.’”
Below are brief summaries of the church’s seven newest saints:
St. María Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez was a Venezuelan religious sister and founder of the Servants of Jesus of Caracas. Born without a left arm, her life exemplified overcoming physical challenges. She established the Servants of Jesus of Caracas in 1965, dedicating her community to education and spiritual outreach. She died May 9, 1977, in Caracas. She is Venezuela’s first female saint.
St. José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros was a Venezuelan physician and scientist known widely as the “Doctor of the Poor.” Born Oct. 26, 1864, in Isnotú, Venezuela, he was instrumental in introducing modern medical science to the country and founded its first bacteriology laboratory. A devoted layman and Franciscan tertiary, he provided free medical care to the poor throughout his career. He died June 29, 1919, in Caracas after being struck by an automobile while running an errand for a sick patient.
St. Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan was the Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin. Born April 19, 1869, in Mardin, Ottoman Empire (now Turkey), he was consecrated as archbishop in 1911. During the Armenian Genocide in 1915, he was arrested by Ottoman authorities who demanded he renounce his Christian faith and convert to Islam. He refused and was subsequently tortured and martyred on June 11, 1915.
St. Peter To Rot was a married father and lay catechist from Papua New Guinea. Born in 1912 in Rakunai, he took on a vital leadership role when Japanese forces imprisoned missionaries during World War II. He became the sole spiritual guide for his community and strongly defended Christian marriage against the Japanese-promoted return of polygamy. For this opposition, he was arrested. He was martyred in a Japanese prison camp in Rakunai, Papua New Guinea, in July 1945.
St. Vincenza Maria Poloni (born Luigia Poloni) was an Italian religious sister and co-founder of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona. Born Jan. 26, 1802, in Verona, she dedicated her life to works of charity. She helped establish the congregation in 1840 to care for the sick, the poor, and orphans, emphasizing merciful love for the marginalized. She famously referred to the poor as “our masters.” She died Nov. 11, 1855, in Verona.
St. Maria Troncatti was a Salesian nun and nurse who served as a missionary in the Amazon rainforest. Born Feb. 16, 1883, in Corteno Golgi, Italy, she arrived in Ecuador in 1922 and spent nearly five decades working among the Indigenous Shuar people. Known as the “doctor of the jungle,” she ministered to physical and spiritual needs, notably promoting the dignity of women and reconciliation among tribal groups. She died Aug. 25, 1969, in Sucúa, Ecuador, in a small plane crash while traveling to a retreat.
St. Bartolo Longo was an Italian lawyer and lay Dominican tertiary. Born Feb. 10, 1841, in Latiano, he experienced a dramatic conversion after a period of involvement with a spiritualist cult, which included being consecrated as a satanic priest. He devoted his life to promoting the rosary and serving the materially and spiritually poor peasants near Pompeii, where he founded the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii and several charitable institutions for children. He died Oct. 5, 1926, in Pompeii.
(Junno Arocho Esteves writes for OSV News from Malmö, Sweden.)
A combination photos shows Sts. Bartolo Longo, an Italian lawyer and lay Dominican tertiary; Peter To Rot, a married father and lay catechist from Papua New Guinea; Vincenza Maria Poloni (born Luigia Poloni), an Italian religious sister and co-founder of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona; and Maria Troncatti, a Salesian nun and nurse who served as a missionary in the Amazon. They are four of the seven people from diverse backgrounds that Pope Leo XIV canonized at the Vatican Oct. 19, 2025. (OSV News photo/Catholic Press Photo)
Louis became a Dominican at 18 and was ordained a priest in 1547. He was novice-master in his native Spain on and off for 30 years and gained a reputation for holiness by caring for plague victims in Valencia in 1557. In 1562, he went as a missionary to the Caribbean, working in Colombia, and the Leeward, Virgin and Windward Islands for six years. His apostolic zeal, aided by the gift of tongues and other miraculous events, resulted in 15,000 conversions among the Indian populations. After he returned to Spain, he trained preachers for the missions, saying the only effective preparation was humble and fervent prayer. He was canonized in 1671 and is the principal patron saint of Colombia. St. Louis Bertrand is the patron of Buñol; New Granada; and Colombia.
St. Martin de Porres, Feast Day: November 3
Sacred Heart Convent, Springfield IL
This illegitimate son of a freed Panamanian slave and a Spanish knight became a hero to the people of Lima, Peru, his birthplace, for his compassionate care of the sick and poor.
Apprenticed at age 12 to a barber-surgeon, Martin also learned herbal medicine from his mother. After working for several years at a Dominican monastery as a Third Order member, he made his profession as a lay brother in 1603. He founded an orphanage and foundling hospital, ministered to African slaves, practiced great penances and experienced mystical gifts. Martin was carried to his grave by prelates and noblemen and all Peruvians acclaimed him their beloved saint. He is the patron of hairdressers and interracial justice.
St. Juan Diego Cuāuhtlahtoātzin, Feast Day: December 9
Original painting is kept in a vault at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
Baptized at 50, this Indian was walking to Mass on Dec. 9, 1531, when Mary appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, near Mexico City. She asked him to petition the bishop for a shrine to be built there. But the bishop asked for a sign.
On Dec. 12, Juan returned to Tepeyac; Mary told him to pick flowers blooming atop the hill and put them in his cloak to take to the bishop. When Juan opened the cloak, the flowers fell out and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe adorned his garment. This miraculous image is preserved in the famous basilica in Mexico City. Juan lived out his days as a hermit near the first chapel built there; he was canonized in 2002.
St. Juan Diego is the patron of indigenous peoples.
St. Toribio of Mogrovejo, Feast Day: March 23
Spanish-born Toribio taught law in Salamanca until 1574, when he was appointed inquisitor of Granada. In 1580, though not yet a priest, he was named archbishop of Lima, Peru, with his episcopal ordination in Seville.
After arriving in Lima in 1581, his 25 years of missionary service included diocesan and provincial synods, visits around the vast diocese, clergy reforms, and Indian-language catechisms. He also introduced European religious orders into Peru, opened the first seminary in the New World and encouraged Indians to become priests.
St. Toribio of Mogrovejo is the patron of Latin American bishops, native rights and Lima, Peru.
St. Cristobal Magallanes Jara, Feast Day: May 21
This Mexican saint shares his feast with 21 other priests and three laymen martyred between 1915 and 1937, when Mexican authorities persecuted the Catholic Church.
Many of these Cristero martyrs, canonized in 2000, were tortured and executed when apprehended. Father Magallanes, a zealous pastor in his home state of Jalisco, also did mission work among the indigenous Huicholes. Before they were shot, he said to his priest-companion, “Be at peace, my son; it takes but one moment, then it will be heaven.”
St. Cristobal Magallanes Jara and companions are the patron saints for persecuted Christians.
St. Josemaria Escrivá de Balaguer, Feast Day: June 26
Born in Barbastro, Spain in 1902, Josemaria Escrivá was ordained a priest in 1925. In 1928, he founded Opus Dei, Latin for “God’s work,” as an apostolate in the ordinary circumstances of life, especially work, focusing on the universal call to holiness. It includes laypeople, priests and seminarians.
His best known publication is “The Way,” which sold millions of copies.
In 1975, Msgr. Escriva died at age 73 in Rome, where he had lived, directing the international organization, since 1946. In 1982 Opus Dei was given the status of a personal prelature, the equivalent of a nonterritorial diocese. Its founder was beatified in 1992 and canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II.
St. Josemaria Escrivá is the patron of Opus Dei and people with diabetes.
NATION WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, New Jersey, as the coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans. The appointment was publicized Sept. 24 In Washington by Cardinal Christophe Piere, apostolic nuncio to the United States. As coadjutor, Archbishop Checchio will assist Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond and automatically succeed him upon retirement. Archbishop Checchio called the New Orleans Archdiocese a “faith-filled” community and thanked both Pope Leo and local church leaders for their warm welcome. As coadjutor, he is coming into an archdiocese faced with having to resolve hundreds of sexual abuse claims. A Camden, New Jersey, native, Archbishop Checchio brings to his new assignment decades of pastoral and administrative experience – including 10 years as rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Ordained in 1992, he has led the Diocese of Metuchen since 2016, prioritizing parish visits, child protection and accountability. Notably, the diocese said in a statement, he implemented a bishop abuse reporting system before it was required by church law. Archbishop Checchio has served on national boards, including Seton Hall and the National Catholic Bioethics Center – and once ministered as chaplain to the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The 2026 National March for Life theme is “Life is a Gift,” The March for Life Education and Defense Fund announced Sept. 30. Jennie Bradley Lichter, who became president of the March for Life earlier this year, noted the group chooses a theme each year for the annual pro-life march in Washington as “an opportunity to focus our attention on a key message or a timely element of the prolife mission.” “We’re now at a critical moment in our country where the March for Life and what we stand for is more important than ever,” Lichter told reporters at a launch event, adding, “This year, with this theme, we really want to speak to the heart.” The 53rd annual National March for Life is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. A pre-rally concert will feature the Christian band Sanctus Real, Lichter said, and the Friends of Club 21 Choir, comprised of individuals with Down syndrome, will lead the national anthem at the event. Georgetown University Right to Life will carry the banner at the start of the March. Lichter said the group is also launching a “Marchers’ Stories Project” where they will seek video submissions from participants to document the group’s history.
VATICAN VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Loving someone who is sick requires “concrete gestures of closeness,” just like that shown in the Gospel story of the Samaritan who helps the person beaten by thieves, said a Vatican office. The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced Sept. 26 that Pope Leo XIV had chosen the theme for the church’s next celebration of the World Day of the Sick: “The compassion of the Samaritan: Loving by bearing the pain of the other.” The world day is celebrated annually on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes Feb. 11. A papal message for the celebration usually is published in early January.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV announced he will proclaim St. John Henry Newman a doctor of the church Nov. 1 during the Jubilee of the World of Education. Speaking after Mass Sept. 28 for the Jubilee of Catechists, the pope said St. Newman “contributed decisively to the renewal of theology and to the understanding of the development of Christian doctrine.” The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints had announced July 31 that Pope Leo “confirmed the affirmative opinion” of the cardinals and bishops who are members of the dicastery “regarding the title of Doctor of the Universal Church which will soon be conferred on Saint John Henry Newman, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Founder of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in England.” St. Newman was born in London Feb. 21, 1801, was ordained an Anglican priest, became Catholic in 1845, was made a cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII and died in Edgbaston, near Birmingham, England, in 1890.
Journalists visit a working area at outside Sagrada Familia following a news conference to announce an update on the works of the basilica in Barcelona, Spain, Sept. 18, 2025. Over a century in the making, the Tower of Jesus Christ, designed by the famed Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí, will soon crown the Basilica of the Holy Family, making it the tallest Catholic church in the world. (OSV News photo/Albert Gea, Reuters)
WORLD BARCELONA, Spain (OSV News) – The iconic Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is nearing a historic milestone: the completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ, which will make it the tallest Catholic church in the world. Designed by visionary architect and Servant of God Antoni Gaudí, the tower will stand over 564 feet tall – surpassing both the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Ivory Coast and even Germany’s Ulmer Münster. Head architect Jordi Faulí announced that the central spire is finished, and crews are now preparing to install a massive seven-piece cross atop it. “The cross is made up of seven large pieces that are assembled here and will then be lifted with the crane,” Faulí said. The cross is expected to be in place by early 2026, aligning with the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death. Construction on the basilica began in 1882 and has weathered wars, pandemics and funding delays. While the main structure is on track for completion in 2026, artistic elements like statues and chapels will continue into the 2030s – bringing Gaudí’s masterpiece one step closer to completion.
Pope Leo XIV blows out a candle on a cake for his 70th birthday Sept. 14, 2025, as cardinals, Vatican officials and ecumenical leaders look on after a prayer service at Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
NATION MIAMI (OSV News) – Dressed in the customary yellow colors of the event and with umbrellas in hand, elementary school student Aniela Alejandra Garcia and her mother, Yeily Garcia, didn’t let the weather stop them from approaching the statue of the Cuban Virgin of Our Lady of Charity. “I was helping people with the candles,” Aniela told the Florida Catholic, Miami’s archdiocesan news outlet. She made the remarks as she joined the local Cuban-American community Sept. 8 in placing bright yellow sunflowers and candles outdoors during a recitation of the rosary followed by Mass at the the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami. The color yellow is customarily associated with the Virgin of Charity, and her shrines – including the one in Miami – are often graced with yellow flowers. Affectionately known as La Ermita de La Caridad, the shrine is located near Coconut Grove. This year was also the 25th anniversary of La Ermita’s designation as a national shrine by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2000. Flash flood warnings and epic rain may have shut down flights at the Miami Airport Sept. 8 but it didn’t stop faithful from making the pilgrimage to Biscayne Bay for the annual feast event.
VATICAN VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Dozens of small handmade signs and large bold banners waved in the crowd of some 30,000 visitors in St. Peter’s Square wishing Pope Leo XIV a happy birthday Sept. 14. Two gold mylar balloons with the numbers “7” and “0” were held up high. The largest banner, in red and white, was held by a group from the Peruvian city of Monsefú in the province of Chiclayo, where the pope had served as bishop for eight years. “Dear friends, it seems that you know that today I turn 70 years old,” the pope said to huge cheers and shouts of “auguri,” meaning “congratulations” and “happy birthday” in Italian. “I give thanks to the Lord and to my parents; and I thank all those who have remembered me in their prayers,” he said after reciting the Angelus with the faithful in St. Peter’s Square. Musicians and musical bands in the square struck up the “Happy Birthday” tune, and people sang and clapped along. “Many thanks to everyone!” he said, followed by someone shouting, “Long live the pope!” “Thank you! Have a good Sunday!” he said.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pain must never give rise to violence, and every Catholic needs to learn to safeguard with tenderness those who are vulnerable, Pope Leo XIV said during a prayer vigil dedicated to people experiencing pain and affliction due to illness, bereavement, violence or abuse. Recognizing that some members of the church “have unfortunately hurt you,” the pope said, the church “kneels with you today before our Mother (Mary). May we all learn from her to protect the most vulnerable with tenderness!” “May we learn to listen to your wounds and walk together,” he said in his homily Sept. 15, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. “May we receive from Our Lady of Sorrows the strength to recognize that life is not defined only by the evil we suffer, but by the love of God, who never abandons us and guides the whole church.” The pope led the prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica Sept. 15 as part of the Jubilee of Consolation, which is “dedicated to all those who are experiencing or have experienced moments of particular difficulty, grief, suffering or hardship in their lives,” according to the section of the Dicastery for Evangelization in charge of organizing the Holy Year. Pope Leo said, “pain must not give rise to violence, and that violence never has the final say, for it is conquered by a love that knows how to forgive.” “Where there is evil, we must seek the comfort and consolation that can overcome it and give it no respite,” he said. “In the church, this means never being alone.”
WORLD VITERBO, Italy (OSV News) – Italian police say they’ve prevented what could have been a deadly attack at one of the country’s most cherished Catholic traditions. On Sept. 3, counterterrorism officers raided a bed and breakfast near the route of the famous “Macchina di Santa Rosa” procession in Viterbo, arresting two Turkish men. Authorities say the men were found with automatic weapons, including an assault rifle, just steps away from where 40,000 people had gathered for the centuries-old festival honoring St. Rose of Viterbo. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who had been scheduled to attend, was quickly moved to safety. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised the swift police action, saying it ensured the peaceful celebration of an event UNESCO recognizes as cultural heritage. While investigators say the suspects appear tied to organized crime rather than international terror networks, prosecutors are still weighing charges of arms trafficking and possible plans for a terrorist act.
