As 8 September marks International Literacy Day, UNESCO releases data and information showcasing that being literate enables people to think critically and navigate the “information-rich society and economy in a safe, effective and responsible manner.”

8 September marks International Literacy Day (ILD). Started in 1967, the day serves as a reminder to world leaders, policy-makers, and the public of the “critical importance of literacy for creating more literate, just, peaceful, and sustainable society.” As a fundamental right for everyone, literacy is a gateway that enables people to enjoy other human rights, more freedoms, and global citizenship.

This year’s theme is “Promoting literacy in the digital era”, which is focused on keeping literacy as a crucial part of the technological landscape. UNESCO releases a fact sheet for the 2025 Literacy Day, highlighting that the importance of literacy reaches beyond traditional paper-based writing and reading. Rather, “it now serves as a foundation for digital skills, safe and critical engagement with digital texts and tools, and an inclusive digital transition.”

Between 2015 and 2024, literacy rates among adults (people aged 15+) rose slightly from 86% to 88%. Central and Southern Asia are the two regions with the fastest progress, where adult literacy grew from 72% to 77%. Sub-Saharan Africa also saw an increase from 65% to 69%.

In 2024, the global youth (people aged 15-24) reached 93% — which showed a growth in basic education. Yet, UNESCO reports that progress “remains inadequate and uneven” as 739 million adults still lacked basic literacy skills in 2024.

A census taken from 2015-2024 reveals more than half of the world’s illiterate adults – 441 million people – is found in just 10 countries around the world. UNESCO argues the consistent gaps in literacy rates limit the opportunities and “reinforce social and economic inequalities, especially for women, older adults and marginalized people.”

In this technologically-driven world, literacy remains an essential part of life. It gives everyone a chance to fully participate in the digital world. More than giving people access to the internet, being literate enables users to think critically and navigate the “information-rich society and economy in a safe, effective and responsible manner.”

The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said violence in the Gaza Strip is the result of years of dehumanizing rhetoric and called for the replacement of hateful language with speech that opens horizons and new paths. Cardinal Pizzaballa issued this call in a video message released during the Venice Film Festival, where the Silver Lion prize was awarded to Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s film “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” which recounts the last moments of a 5-year-old girl killed in 2024 in Gaza.

“You’ve already heard the news, so there’s no need to delve into the dramatic daily story of what we’re experiencing. The images are also very significant; unfortunately, they speak of destruction, of death, of so much pain. One of the problems we’re experiencing is precisely this: We’re so overwhelmed by pain that there seems to be no room for the pain of others,” he said.

Cardinal Pizzaballa added that “we are also experiencing a climate of deep hatred, increasingly entrenched within both populations, Israeli and Palestinian, that seems to have no end.”

He said this hatred is demonstrated not only in violence but “also in language … I believe that the violence we are witnessing is also the result of years of violent and dehumanizing language.”

Cardinal Pizzaballa explained that if others are dehumanized through language, “creating a culture, a way of thinking, the transition to actual physical violence is only a matter of time, and unfortunately, we are witnessing it.”

“This war must end as soon as possible. We know it makes no sense to continue it. It’s time to stop … But we know that the end of the war we long for, despite what the news reports say, will not be the end of the conflict, it will not mark the end of the hostility, of the pain this hostility will cause,” he noted.

The patriarch therefore encouraged believers and all those involved in culture to “work hard” to create “a different narrative.” “We have left the narrative to the radicals, to the extremists on both sides,” he said. “Instead, we must have the courage of a different language, one that opens horizons, that opens new paths,” he encouraged. “This is what I hope for, and I believe it is possible … we need your help.”

The Catholic Church will commemorate the liturgical memorial of St. Carlo Acutis on Oct. 12 and of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati on July 4. The two young men were canonized Sept. 7 by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

In the case of St. Carlo Acutis, the Italian teenager who died in 2006 and was beatified in Assisi in October 2020, his feast day was set for Oct. 12, coinciding with the anniversary of his death from fulminant leukemia at the age of 15.

The decree of the then-Congregation — now Dicastery — for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, promulgated after the beatification, set the date for the calendars of the dioceses of Assisi and Milan in addition to authorizing its celebration in other communities that requested it.

Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young man from Turin who died in 1925 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1990, will be commemorated every year on July 4, also coinciding with the day of his death. His memorial Mass is celebrated especially in Italy and in youth communities that consider him a patron and spiritual role model.

Both saints, commemorated on the date they passed into eternal life, have become role models of faith and commitment for young people. Acutis is known for his witness of faith in the digital world and his love for the Eucharist, and Frassati was described by St. John Paul II as a “man of the Beatitudes.” Their intense spiritual life and commitment to charitable works continue to inspire new generations of Catholics around the world.

“Il mio San Francesco”, a posthumous book by Pope Francis and put together by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, was presented on 10 September in Assisi, within an event entitled “The Courtyard of Francis.” It will be available in Italian bookstores from 18 September. Presenting the work, Cardinal Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, recalled his close collaboration with the late Pope, who appointed him Prefect of that Dicastery and Secretary of the Council of Cardinals in 2020.

The book, which presents a fraternal conversation that took place between Pope Francis and Cardinal Semeraro in late 2024, includes a letter from Pope Leo XIV and a preface by Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

In the text, Pope Francis reflects deeply on his personal relationship with St Francis of Assisi, the saint who inspired his name and much of his magisterium, especially on creation, peace, and fraternity.

It provides ample space for the late Pope’s reflections and understanding of poverty, his thoughts on family, pain, and death, and his concern for the “wounds” of the Church.

Speaking about prayer, Francis says: “When I think of the prayer of St Francis, I think of his tears, his cries. For him, prayer had a deeply affective dimension… His relationship with Jesus was not an idea or theory, but a bond of passion and love… I too, at times feel the fatigue of many, of being faithful to prayer when there is so much to do. I have learned to treasure even short moments, small spaces… Ordinary life becomes special if we let it be illuminated by the light that comes from prayer.”

Pope Leo XIV on September 5 inaugurated the Laudato si’ Village (Borgo Laudato sì) at Castel Gandolfo, describing it as a “seed of hope” and a tangible model for ecological conversion. The project, first envisioned by Pope Francis, brings together spirituality, education, history, nature, art, and sustainable innovation as a living witness of the Church’s commitment to care for creation and for the most vulnerable.

In his reflection on St. Matthew’s Gospel, the Holy Father said each human person has the great responsibility and privilege of respecting the “Creator’s plan.” “Jesus emphasizes the special place reserved, in the creative act, for the human being: the most beautiful creature, made in the image and likeness of God,” Leo said in his short homily.

“The care of creation, therefore, represents a true vocation for every human being, a commitment to be carried out within creation itself, without ever forgetting that we are creatures among creatures, not creators,” he added. Speaking about his predecessor Pope Francis — who initiated the project and the liturgy for the Mass for the Care of Creation — Leo said the village is a “seed of hope” for those committed to fostering humanity’s “ecological conversion” through education and catechesis.

“It is important, as my predecessor wrote, to ‘recover a serene harmony with creation, to reflect on our lifestyle and our ideals, to contemplate the Creator, who lives among us and in all that surrounds us,’” Leo said, quoting Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter.

A Mexican-born Catholic priest who has served in the Diocese of Laredo, Texas, for nine years must leave the United States because his application for residency was denied and his religious worker visa is expiring. Father Alan Sanchez, the pastor of St. Joseph Church in La Pryor and St. Patrick Mission in Batesville, will return to his native country of Mexico on Aug. 27, amid the visa issues. He will be received into the Archdiocese of Monterrey in northeastern Mexico when he arrives.

“Originally, I was hopeful … [this would] be resolved,” Sanchez told CNA. “I was sad [when I got the news] because of the community I was serving,” he said. “This is a very small and poor community in Texas and this was my first role as a pastor.”

Sanchez applied for residency two years ago but said the process was repeatedly delayed and then his application was eventually denied in November 2024. He appealed the denial and later applied for a different visa but said he ultimately “ran out of time.” He still hopes the matter can be resolved so he can return to his parish at some point.

“I spoke to my bishop about it and the attorney, but there’s nothing else that [I] can do except return to Mexico,” he said. Sanchez said the delay was caused by a backlog of applicants and that he was denied because of a lack of available spots for visas. He noted that asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors were given priority and that priests cannot have a “change of status for residency, because the spots are already taken.”

“True forgiveness does not wait for repentance, but is offered first,” the Pope explained during the General Audience in the Paul VI Hall on 20 August, noting that “forgiving does not mean denying evil, but preventing it from generating more evil.”

On Friday, September 5, at 4 PM Rome time, Pope Leo XIV will inaugurate the Borgo Laudato Si’, at the historic papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, newly opened to the public and dedicated to embodying the vision of Laudato si’, Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for creation—now celebrating its tenth anniversary.

First entrusted to the Laudato Si’ Centre for Higher Education in 2023, the Borgo—which in Italian means “village”—represents a tangible sign of the Church’s mission to unite faith with concrete care for the earth and for the most vulnerable.

Spread across 135 acres of gardens, villas, archeological sites, and farmland, the project integrates history with a forward-looking commitment to education, sustainability, and community life.

In a press release, the Centre explains, “This is not simply a place to visit but a place to live, to pray, to learn, and to grow in communion with God, with one another, and with creation.”

The Holy Father will begin the inauguration with a symbolic pilgrimage through the Village’s grounds, meeting workers, collaborators, their families, and all who have contributed to this new chapter of the papal estate. He will encounter educators, students, local communities, and benefactors—those who, through their work and dedication, give life to the Village’s mission. Following the procession, Pope Leo XIV will preside over a Liturgy of the Word with a Rite of Blessing.

From the slopes of Corcovado, Christ the Redeemer gazes over Rio de Janeiro with open arms, a figure that has long symbolized both faith and nation. For millions, it is not simply a tourist attraction but a sanctuary in the sky — a place of prayer, pilgrimage, and sacramental life where weddings, baptisms, and daily Masses continue against the backdrop of Brazil’s most famous skyline. Yet behind the serenity of this landmark lies an ongoing dispute that pits the Church’s historical role against the demands of environmental authorities. The heart of the conflict is not the statue itself — consecrated in 1931 and entrusted ever since to the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro — but the land around it, a fraction of the vast Tijuca National Park. In late June, a federal court ruled in favour of the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the agency managing the park, in a case concerning commercial stalls along the stairways leading up to the monument. While the Archdiocese was not formally on trial, it has sided with the vendors, many of whom operate under long-standing agreements with the Church. The ruling sparked confusion in the press and on social media, with some questioning who truly governs the sanctuary. The Archdiocese responded firmly in August: the monument, the plateau, and the chapel beneath remain Church property, safeguarded by the Mitra Arquidiocesana. “The Brazilian people must have certainty that Christ the Redeemer is sacred,” declared Father Omar Raposo, rector of the sanctuary, who underlined that the Church is the only legitimate authority over its use and preservation.

Still, legal ambiguities remain. Because Tijuca National Park was only established decades after the statue’s completion, overlapping jurisdictions have led to tensions. A bill now before Brazil’s Senate seeks to resolve the matter by carving out a small area — less than 0.02 percent of the park — to be managed solely by the Archdiocese. Supporters argue that this adjustment would free the Church from bureaucratic restrictions while having no impact on biodiversity, as the disputed zone is already heavily urbanized. Grassroots movements have rallied in favour of the measure, urging senators to guarantee that stewardship of the sanctuary stays with the Church. For Father Omar, these initiatives reflect not politics but devotion: “They show how the Brazilian people love and wish to care for Christ the Redeemer, a monument built by the Church with the offerings of the faithful, and one that welcomes all with open arms.”

With less than a month to go before the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, the sculpture St. Carlo at the Cross was unveiled in Assisi. The bronze artwork, created by renowned Canadian artist Timothy Paul Schmalz, shows him kneeling at the foot of the Cross. It is located in the garden of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, within the Sanctuary of the Renunciation complex. Created by the artist behind iconic works such as Homeless Jesus and Angels Unawares, this is the first sculpture to pay tribute to the millennial saint-to-be. St. Carlo at the Cross, a work by sculptor Timothy Schmalz, is inspired by one of his own paintings, which is currently on display at the Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

Known as the “Influencer of God,” Acutis used the internet to spread devotion to the Eucharist, documenting Eucharistic miracles from around the world and showing how faith can be integrated with technology. In the sculpture, Carlo holds a laptop computer, its screen displaying a chalice and paten—symbolizing how he brought the Holy Eucharist to the world through digital means. A sling also hangs from the side of his backpack, which artist Schmalz interprets as “a reference to David before Goliath: a young man confronting today’s secular culture with the tools of the digital world, drawing his strength from the pillar of the Cross.” St. Carlo at the Cross is a gift from the Canadian artist to the city. Reflecting on his work, Schmalz said, “As we add new figures to the army of Catholic saints, we also add new works of art; both enrich our heritage and deepen our understanding of the faith.”

The canonization of Carlo Acutis, known as “the saint of the millennials,” is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 7, in Rome and will be presided over by Pope Leo XIV. The event, which will mark a significant moment of the Jubilee, is also expected to have a major impact on Assisi, where the young blessed’s remains rest and where preparations are already underway to welcome an extraordinary influx of pilgrims before and after the ceremony.

At the 50th National Day of Intercession for Priests at Ireland’s International Eucharistic and Marian Shine in Knock, Co Mayo, Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin said abuse had damaged priestly fraternity, credibility and the “precious trust” between priests and their people.

There are many times, he said, when priests feel their brokenness, woundedness and their need for God, especially when they learn that some of their brother priests have committed awful sins and crimes of abuse. 

He told the assembled priests that one of the greatest challenges they face is to be “good news” for the world even though they may see their priesthood undermined or attacked.

The annual intercession for priests, he said, had helped remind priests that priesthood is not like other jobs or professions because “it is subsumed into our whole being. Our priesthood is not our own. It is a share in the priesthood of Christ.”

Separately in his homily for an open-air Mass on the Hill of Slane in Co Meath for the “Light the Fire” faith event, Archbishop Martin appealed to the faithful not to allow the flame of the Holy Spirit to be quenched in Ireland. 

Acknowledging that these are challenging times for the faith, he said many have drifted away from practicing, distracted by “a frantic world of materialism and consumerism” and the superficial promises of easy pleasure and success. 

“We must be alert to the false gods that surround us, and their empty promises, stealing away life and happiness from our people through addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling and gaming; destroying the hearts and minds of our children through unfiltered access to misinformation and harmful content online,” he warned.