Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, his Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome, as the new Major Peni-tentiary. He succeeds Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, who has held the post since 2013 and will turn 80 in September this year.
Cardinal De Donatis, aged 70, has overseen the administrative needs of the Diocese of Rome as the Pope’s Vicar since 2017 when he was also appointed Archpriest of the Lateran Basilica.
With his new role as Major Penitentiary, he will serve as the head of the Vatican tribunal in charge of cases involving exco-mmunication and serious sins, including those whose absolution is reserved to the Holy See.
On Saturday, the Pope also appointed Jesuit Bishop Daniele Libanori, one of Rome’s seven auxiliary bishops, as the Holy Father’s Assessor for Consecrated Life.

On 8 April, a meeting of the Holy Father with the Council of Bishops of the diocese of Rome was held in the Apostolic Palace. Due to the delicacy of the office of Cardinal Vicar, Pope Francis informed the bishops, his close collaborators, that he would take time to make a healthy discern-ment on the figure of the person whom he will appoint to fill this role. In this transitional phase, the Holy Father has encouraged the bishops to continue the pastoral ministry and administrative activities they have already begun. As foreseen by Article 14 § 3 of the Apostolic Constitution In Ecclesiarum Communione con-cerning the ordering of the Vica-riate of Rome, as long as the office of Cardinal Vicar is vacant, all its functions and powers, in-cluding those of legal represen-tation, will be exercised by the Vicegerent, Bishop Baldassare Reina.

“Benedict was a man of great gentleness. In some cases, people took advantage of him, perhaps without malice, and limited his movements. Unfortunately, in a certain sense, they were encir-cling him. He was a very delicate man, but he was not weak: he was strong. But he was humble, and preferred not to impose. So he suffered a lot.”
That’s how Pope Francis remembers his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, in a new interview book with journalist Javier Mar-tínez-Brocal (“The Successor”).
“He let me grow”, explains the Pope, “he was patient. And if he didn’t agree with something, he would think three or four times before telling me. He let me grow and gave me the freedom to make decisions.” Pope Francis recounts his relationship with the Pope emeritus over almost ten years of cohabitation in the Vatican: “He left me free, he never interfered. On one occasion, when there was a decision he didn’t understand, he asked me for an explanation in a very natural way. He told me: ‘Look, I don’t understand this, but the decision is in your hands.’ I explained the reasons to him and he was happy. “In the book, Pope Francis explains that his pre-decessor never opposed any of his decisions: “He never withdrew his support from me. Maybe there was something he didn’t agree with, but he never said it.”
The Pope also remembers the circumstances of his farewell to Benedict, on Wednesday, Dece-mber 28, 2022, when he saw him for the last time. “Benedict lay in bed. He was still conscious, but he couldn’t speak. He looked at me, squeezed my hand, under-stood what I was saying, but couldn’t articulate a word. I stayed with him like that for a while, looking at him and holding his hand. I remember his clear eyes… I said a few words to him affectionately and blessed him. That’s how we said goodbye.”
With regard to the continuity between the pontificates, the Pope notes that “What I see in the last popes… is that each successor has always been marked by continuity, continuity and difference,” because “in continuity, each one has brought his own personal charism … there is always continuity, and no rupture.”
Pope Francis also recounts a specific case in which he was defended by Benedict XVI. “I had a very nice conversation with him when some cardinals went to see him surprised by my words about marriage, and he was very clear with them. One day they showed up at his house to practically hold a trial against me, and accused me in to him of promoting same-sex marriage. Benedict didn’t get agitated because he knew perfectly well what I think. He listened to them all, one by one, calmed them down, and explained everything to them. There was a time when I said that, since marriage is a sacrament, it cannot be administered to same-sex couples, but somehow some civil guarantee or protection had to be given to these people’s situation. I said that, in France, there is the formula of ‘civil unions,’ which at first glance can be a good option because they don’t limit marriage. For example, I said, three elderly pensioners who need to share health services, inheritance, housing, etc., can be accommodated. I meant that it seemed like an interesting solution. Some went to tell Benedict that I was saying heresies. He listened to them and with great dignity helped them to distinguish things… He told them: ‘This is not heresy.’ How he defended me!… He always defended me.”
In the book, the Pope also responds to a question from the journalist about the books published at the time of Pope Benedict’s death. Francis replies: “They caused me great pain: that on the day of the funeral, a book that upset me was published, saying things that are not true, all very sad. Of course, it doesn’t affect me, in the sense that it doesn’t condition me. But it hurt me that Benedict was used. The book was published on the day of the funeral, and I experienced it as a lack of nobility and humanity.”
Finally, the Pope reveals to Javier Martínez-Brocal that he has already ordered a revision of papal funerals, explaining that the funeral vigil for Benedict XVI will be the last with the Pope’s body outside the coffin and the catafalque with pillows. Popes “should be watched over and buried like any other child of the Church. With dignity, like any Christian.”

On 8 April, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Bishop Giam-battista Diquattro, the Pope’s Nuncio to Brazil, and Arch-bishop Jaime Spengler of Porto Alegre (RS) and President of the National Con-ference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), were received by the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, at the Palácio do Planalto in Brasília (DF).
Cardinal Pietro Parolin was in Brazil to lead the retreat for the Brazilian episcopate on April 10 and 11, within the context of the 61st General Assembly of the National Con-ference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), taking place at the Pedro Vítor Coelho de Almeida Events Centre, in the National Shrine, in Aparecida (SP), until April 19. After meeting with the Head of State of the country, Cardinal Parolin visited the headquarters of the CNBB in Brasília, where he toured the workspaces and was received by the conference’s collaborators. Subsequently, Cardinal Parolin presided over the opening of the Plenary Assembly of the Brazilian Episcopate.

Pope Francis releases his message for the 61st World Day of Prayer for Vocations, celebrated on April 21, and urges Christians to welcome our shared vocation to sow the seeds of hope and peace in our world. The Pope’s message focuses on the theme: “Called to sow seeds of hope and to build peace.”
The Holy Father noted that all Christians are called to welcome our God-given vocation to serve Him in the world, whether it be through the consecrated life, the priesthood, marriage, or even as a single person.
Gratitude, he said, should characterize World Vocations Day celebrations, as we recall the countless Christians who serve God in all walks of life. He especially invited young people to make room for God, so that they might find happiness in His call, which always respects our freedom. “Let Jesus draw you to Himself,” said the Pope. “Bring Him your important questions by reading the Gospels; let Him challenge you by His presence, which always provokes in us a healthy crisis.”
Pope Francis went on to invite Christians to be “pilgrims of hope” as the Church journeys toward the 2025 Jubilee. “In this sense,” he added, “the World Day of Prayer for Vocations has a synodal character: amid the variety of our charisms, we are called to listen to one another and to journey together in order to acknowledge them and to discern where the Spirit is leading us for the benefit of all.”
The Pope also urged everyone to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, so that the Lord may “send out labourers into His harvest.” As the Church prepares for the Jubilee with a Year of Prayer, Christians should engage daily in a prayer that listens for the voice of God and helps us become “pilgrims of hope and builders of peace.”
Turning to the heart of his message, Pope Francis recalled that Christian pilgrimage means keeping our eyes, minds, and hearts fixed on our goal–which is Christ–and set out every day anew. “Our pilgrimage on this earth is far from a pointless journey or aimless wandering,” he said. “On the contrary, each day, by responding to God’s call, we try to take every step needed to advance towards a new world where people can live in peace, justice, and love.”
In conclusion, the Pope invited Christians to “rise up” and awaken from our indifference by embracing our vocation and letting Christ guide our steps. “Let us be passionate about life,” he said, “and commit ourselves to caring lovingly for those around us, in every place where we live.”

With a chirograph, Pope Francis has approved the new Statutes and Regulations for the Chapter of the Liberian Basilica and entrusted Lithuanian-born Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas with all the faculties to apply the new norms until a new Administrative Council is established. Following the commissioning process assigned to Archbishop Makrickas, who was appointed as the Extraordinary Commissioner in December 2021, Pope Francis completed the restructuring of the Basilica he has visited over a hundred times and where he hopes to be buried someday. In his chirograph, Pope Francis recalled having entrusted Archbishop Makrickas, assisted by a special Commission, with the task of reordering the Chapter and the Basilica, “for the greater good of the people of God.”
For centuries, the Chapter has safeguarded the treasures of St. Mary Major–such as the icon of the Salus Populi Romani (to which the Pope entrusts every Apostolic Journey abroad) and the relic of the Holy Crib–overseen the decorum of liturgical celebrations, and welcomed the faithful making pilgrimages to the basilica.
“Today, at the end of the commissioning process,” wrote the Pope, “I deem it appropriate to relieve the Canons from any economic and administrative responsibilities, so they can fully and with renewed vigour dedicate themselves to the spiritual and pastoral accompaniment that pilgrims from all over the world seek and hope to find, crossing the threshold of the first Marian Shrine of the West.”

Bishop Earl Fernandes, bishop of the US Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, said that 16 men entered the seminary last year, adding that the diocese has recorded an in-crease in the number of Catholics.
The diocese expects almost a dozen more young men to enter the seminary this year as well, he noted, attributing the rise in numbers to prayer and renewed pastoral outreach efforts.
“We chose young priests to meet once a month with young men in the area, and they discern their vocation to the diocesan priesthood or religious life, as well as read Fr. Brett Brannan’s book “To Save a Thousand Souls: A Guide for Discerning a Voca-tion to Diocesan Priesthood,” said Bishop Fernandes.
As part of the vocations drive, the Diocese of Columbus has also organized retreats called “Quo vadis?” for high school students. “The young people spend three days in prayer, listening to testi-monies, talking to priests who understand what priestly forma-tion is but also enjoy fraternity to see that it involves more than just prayer, study, and work. This has also been very fruitful,” said Bishop Fernandes.
He also highlighted the importance of prayer on the part of lay faithful, as well as women and men religious, in the diocese. “We constantly urge people to pray and fast in the intentions of vocations,” he said.

On 15 March 2024, Fr. Mark Lewis S.J., Rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University, received a decree from Fr. Arturo Sosa S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus and Vice Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Gregorian University. The decree states that the new General Statutes of the University, which permanently incorporate the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Pontifical Oriental Institute, will come into effect on 19 May 2024, which is Pentecost Sunday.
The three institutions share a common bond as they were all entrusted to the Society of Jesus by the Pope. The Gregorian, established in 1551 by St. Ignatius of Loyola, served as the academic hub known as the ‘Roman College’ for centuries. The Pontifical Biblical Institute, founded in 1909, serves as a centre for advanced studies of sacred Scripture. The Pontifical Oriental Institute, established in 1917, is focused on higher studies in the ecclesiastical sciences and the canon law of the Eastern Churches.
The Statutes were created following the Chirograph signed by Pope Francis on December 17, 2019. In this letter the Holy Father ordered that the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Pontifical Oriental Institute be joined to the Gregorian University, while still retaining their own names and missions. This was done in such a way that they are now part of “the same juridical person, as academic units of the University”. The request aims to improve the ability of the two Pontifical Institutes to carry out their specific missions in the present context.

As the 21st anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq approaches, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, patriarch of the Chaldean Church, has called for a re-evaluation of the country’s entire political process, which is currently based on secta-rianism and quota-sharing.
Advocating for the establishment of a new consensus formula, Cardinal Sako argued that adopting a formula based on full citizenship would guarantee a better future for Iraqis, preserving the mosaic of its communities and their rights, which he described as “the beauty of Iraq.”
Referencing Ramadan, Sako expressed regret that “this holy month arrives while the destructive war continues in the holy lands, with conflicts here and there, and violations of human rights, freedom, and dignity.”
Sako underscored that peace is not merely an idea but a vital life project that must be cultivated and embodied in our daily lives.
Sako called for the establishment of a democratic civil state in Iraq, founded on equal rights and duties for all citizens, capable of embracing everyone.
The patriarch is known for frequently voicing his concerns about the “spread of corruption and hypocrisy, and the lack of serious attention to building a sovereign state, a state of law, justice, equality, and citizenship, and ensuring a safe and dignified life for citizens.”
As a Chaldean Christian figure in Iraq and globally, Sako has consistently advocated for the rejection of division and hatred, respect for Iraqi human rights, and the promotion of values of coexistence.

“Do not distort fraternity.” This is the response of the French bishops to President Emmanuel Macron, who mentioned “a revolution of fraternity” regarding the bill dedicated to end-of-life issues.
On the first day of their plenary assembly in Lourdes on Monday, March 18, around 100 bishops of France adopted a strong opposition to the bill, which plans to legalize active assistance in dying under certain strict conditions. This opposition was expressed in a statement published on Tuesday, March 19, as the bill has just been submitted to the Council of State for review.In a statement, the bishops reaffirm their “commitment to the French approach of refusing induced death and giving priority to palliative care,” following the recommendations of the National Consultative Ethics Committee.
The Bishops’ Conference also calls on French Catholics to engage with people with disabilities, the elderly, or those at the end of life. “The request for assisted suicide or euthanasia is often an expression of a feeling of loneliness and abandonment to which we cannot, and must not, resign ourselves,” explain the bishops.
The French bishops hope to influence the parliamentary discussions that will open in committee next month. Some 81% of French people support the bill, according to a survey conducted by the Ifop-Fiducial institute for Sud Radio following the announcement made by the French president.