Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the participants in the 36 th Course on the Internal Forum, organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary.

The following is the address delivered by the Pope to those present:

 

Address of the Holy Father

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

Your Eminence, Your Excellency, dear priests, deacons and others who are with us today, good morning and welcome!

I am very pleased to meet those who, in the early stages of their priestly ministry or whilst awaiting ordination, are perfecting their training as confessors through the Course on the Internal Forum, offered annually by the Apostolic Penitentiary.

I extend a cordial greeting to His Eminence, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Major Penitentiary, to the Regent, Monsignor Nykiel, and to all the members of the Penitentiary, to the ordinary and extraordinary penitentiaries of the Papal Basilicas, and to all of you participating in this Course. It was strongly desired by Saint John Paul II, who supported it with his pastoral zeal; it was confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI with his theological wisdom, as well as by Pope Francis, who always took great care to show the merciful face of the Church.

I too urge you to continue in this service, deepening and expanding the programme of formation, so that the fourth Sacrament may be ever more deeply understood, properly celebrated and thus serenely and effectively lived by all God’s holy people.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation – as we know – has undergone significant development throughout history, both in theological understanding and in the form of its celebration. The Church, our mother and teacher, has progressively recognized its meaning and function, broadening the scope of its celebration. Yet the fact that the Sacrament can be received repeatedly is not always matched by a willingness on the part of the baptized to make use of it: it is as though the infinite treasure of the Church’s mercy remained “unused”, due to a widespread distraction among Christians who, not infrequently, remain in a state of sin for a long time, rather than approaching the confessional with simplicity of faith and heart to receive the gift of the Risen Lord.

It was the Fourth Lateran Council, in 1215, which established that every Christian is obliged to make a sacramental confession at least once a year; and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, following the Second Vatican Council, confirmed this norm (cf. CCC, no. 1457), which is also a law of the Church: “After having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year” (Code of Canon Law, 989).

Saint Augustine affirms: “He who confesses his sins, and accuses them, does now work with God. God accuses your sins: and if you also accuse, you are united to God” ( In Iohannis evangelium tractatus , 12, 13: CCL 36, 128). To recognize our sins, especially in this time of Lent, therefore means “being in harmony” with God, uniting ourselves with Him.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is thus a “workshop of unity”: it restores unity with God through the forgiveness of sins and the infusion of sanctifying grace. This fosters the inner unity of the individual and unity with the Church; consequently, it also promotes peace and unity within the human family. One might well ask: do those Christians who bear grave responsibility in armed conflicts have the humility and courage to make a serious examination of conscience and to go to confession?

But – again we ask ourselves – can man, a small and simple creature, truly “break unity” with the Creator? Is this image not perhaps a partial and, ultimately, demeaning interpretation of the Revelation that Jesus has given us of God?

On closer inspection, sin does not break unity, understood as the creature’s ontological dependence on the Creator: even the sinner remains totally dependent on God the Creator, and this dependence, when recognized, can open the way to conversion. Rather, sin breaks spiritual unity with God: it is turning one’s back on him, and this dramatic possibility is as real as the gift of freedom that God himself has bestowed upon human beings. To deny the possibility that sin truly breaks unity with God is, in reality, a failure to recognize the dignity of man, who is – and remains – free and therefore responsible for his own actions.

Dear young priests and ordinands, may you always be keenly aware of the most exalted task that Christ himself, through the Church, entrusts to you: to restore people’s unity with God through the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A priest’s entire life can be fully realized by celebrating this Sacrament assiduously and faithfully. And indeed, how many priests have become saints in the Confessional! Let us think only of Saint John Mary Vianney, Saint Leopold Mandić and, more recently, Saint Pio of Pietrelcina and Blessed Michał Sopoćko.

The unity restored with God is also unity with the Church, which is the mystical body of Christ: we are members of the “whole Christ”. The theme of your Course this year: “The Church called to be a house of Mercy”, would be incomprehensible if we did not start from the root, which is the risen Jesus Christ. The Church welcomes people, as a “house of Mercy”, because first and foremost she continually welcomes her Lord, in the Word heard and proclaimed, and in the grace of the Sacraments.

For this reason, in the celebration of the sacrament of Confession, whilst penitents are reconciled with God and with the Church, the Church herself is edified and enriched by the renewed holiness of her repentant and forgiven children. In the confessional, dear brothers, we collaborate in the ongoing edification of the Church: one, holy, catholic and apostolic; and in so doing we also give new energy to society and to the world.

Unity with God and with the Church, finally, is the prerequisite for the inner unity of individuals, so necessary today, in this age of fragmentation in which we live. This inner unity is found as a genuine desire, especially among the younger generations. The unfulfilled promises of unbridled consumerism and the frustrating experience of a freedom detached from the truth can, through divine mercy, be transformed into opportunities for evangelization: by bringing to the surface a sense of incompleteness, they allow us to awaken those existential questions to which only Christ can give a full answer. God became man to save us, and He does so also by nurturing our religious sense, our irrepressible longing for truth and love, so that we may embrace the Mystery in which ‘we live and move and have our being’ ( Acts 17:28).

This dynamism of unity with God, with the Church and within ourselves is a prerequisite for peace among people and nations: only a reconciled person is capable of living in an unarmed and disarming way! Those who lay down the weapons of pride and allow themselves to be continually renewed by God’s forgiveness become agents of reconciliation in everyday life. In him or her are fulfilled the words attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace”.

Dear friends, never neglect to approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation yourselves, with faithful constancy, so that you may always be the first to benefit from divine Mercy, of which you have become – or will become – ministers. May Mary, Mother of Mercy, always accompany you on your journey and enlighten your steps. I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing upon you and your daily efforts. Thank you.

This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the members of the Executive Council of Fondazione Cattolica (“Catholic Foundation”).

The following is the Pope’s greeting to those present:

 

Greeting of the Holy Father

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am glad to meet you, first and foremost because this gives me the opportunity to express my gratitude to the Fondazione Cattolica and the Società Cattolica di Assicurazione (Catholic Insurance Society) for their constant commitment to fostering an active Catholic presence in Italian society.

Your visit also offers me the opportunity to emphasize how important it is, in our time, to study and appreciate the history of the Catholic movement in Italy, so as to draw inspiration from it and translate into the present day the insights and experiences of men and women who, in their lives, have united faith with a commitment to justice. Hundreds of cooperatives, rural banks and mutual aid societies were the concrete response to the call made by Pope Leo XIII in the Encyclical Rerum novarum to organize themselves economically as well, in order to address social issues.

Among these pioneers were also the founders of the Società Cattolica di Assicurazione (Catholic Insurance Society), a group of priests and laypeople who, in 1896 in Verona, established a cooperative society with broad popular participation, which subsequently developed alongside the country, helping communities to overcome the traumas of the two world wars.

Twenty years ago, in a very different context but building on those same foundations, the Fondazione Cattolica was established, recognizing the fundamental role of the third sector in supporting communities, individuals and families living in conditions of greater vulnerability and social marginalization. In this way, by fostering the initiatives of so many associations and social enterprises, foundations and religious bodies, you have made an important contribution to social cohesion and the protection of the most vulnerable.

I therefore encourage you to continue this commitment, including by working, as you already do, to promote the formation of young people through educational, cultural and participatory programmes. In this field, the most recent initiative is the Academy for the Third Sector, in collaboration with the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, which you also wish to extend to LUMSA in Rome.

Finally, thank you for the support you have given over the years to the Festival of Social Doctrine, an initiative very dear to Pope Francis, to which the Festival of Social Poets has recently been added, in the same spirit.

Dear friends, whilst I commend you for your initiative, I urge you to always cultivate the spirit that animates it and the evangelical style, so that there may be consistency between the aims you set yourselves and the means and tools with which you pursue them. May the teaching of Blessed Giuseppe Toniolo always enlighten and inspire you, and may my blessing, which I impart wholeheartedly to you and your loved ones, also sustain you. Thank you!

The following is the Message of the Holy Father Leo XIV – signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin – on the occasion of the International Day of Mathematics

 

Message

Professor Betül Tanbay

Chair of the International Day of Mathematics

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was pleased to receive your thoughtful letter informing him of the International Day of Mathematics webinar to take place on 13 March 2026. He is grateful for the gracious sentiments you expressed, and he sends cordial good wishes to all taking part.

As they reflect on the theme “Mathematics and Hope” in the context of the manifold challenges facing the human family, not least the rapid technological development with all its potential for good or evil, His Holiness encourages the participants to consider how mathematicians can be hopeful signs to the wider world. In this regard, an especially fruitful area of research is the use of algorithms, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. Such a task requires not just intellectual effort and ingenuity but an integral growth of the whole person, in order to encompass the moral dimension of these emerging technologies. Indeed, recalling his own time as a teacher of mathematics and physics, Pope Leo XIV reminded the students gathered for the Jubilee of the World of Education: “Having a great deal of knowledge is not enough if we do not know who we are or what the meaning of life is” ( Address , 30 October 2025). He prays, therefore, that everyone involved in the present event will be attentive to the profound spiritual needs of the human heart, will seek ways of humanizing the digital sphere, shaping it as an opportunity for fraternity and creativity, and will be prophets of hope, truth and goodness in the world (cf. ibid.).

Upon those participating in this year’s International Day, the Holy Father invokes abundant divine blessings of wisdom, joy and peace.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin

Secretary of State

The following is the Message sent by the Holy Father Leo XIV on the occasion of the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the Catholic Philanthropy Network (FADICA):

 

Message of the Holy Father

To Mrs Alexia Kelley

President and CEO

FADICA-Catholic Philanthropy Network

I send cordial good wishes to you and to all those who are celebrating the 50 th  anniversary of the FADICA-Catholic Philanthropy Network. As you mark five decades of working together, I express my gratitude for your generous support of various Dicasteries of the Roman Curia as well as Catholic initiatives in the United States of America and throughout the world.

Your gathering takes place during the holy season of Lent, a time when, in addition to prayer and fasting, the Church invites all Catholics to practice works of mercy with greater fervor. Jesus taught us that in discerning how to help our neighbor, we must imitate the example of the Good Samaritan, who selflessly gave of his time and resources to someone whom he had never previously met (cf.  Lk  10:25-37). This parable shows us, as Pope Francis often said, God’s style of closeness, compassion and tender love. When we help those in need, especially those who cannot repay us, we become the Lord’s instruments, for “every act of love for one’s neighbor is in some way a reflection of divine charity” ( Dilexi Te , 26). In this regard, your contributions to supporting programs that promote social justice, strengthen Catholic education, defend human dignity and care for the most vulnerable are truly a manifestation of divine charity. It is my hope that your work will likewise inspire others to a renewed encounter with Christ through service to the least of his brothers and sisters, and to an ever more conscious participation in the Church’s mission.

With these sentiments, I encourage you to continue in your worthy mission, confident in the knowledge that “the Almighty will not be outdone in generosity to those who serve the people most in need” (ibid., 45). While assuring you of my prayers, I entrust all members of the FADICA-Catholic Philanthropy Network to the loving intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, and I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace and joy in the Lord.

From the Vatican, 27 February 2026

                                                                                        LEO PP. XIV

Appointment of apostolic nuncio in Croatia

Appointment of bishop of Belleville, U.S.A

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Aracaju, Brazil

Appointment of Apostolic visitator for Slovak Greek-Catholic faithful resident in Western Europe

 

Appointment of apostolic nuncio in Croatia

The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, titular of Capri, until now apostolic nuncio in India and Nepal, as apostolic nuncio in Croatia.

 

Appointment of bishop of Belleville, U.S.A

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Fr. Godfrey Mullen, O.S.B., of the Archabbey of Saint Meinrad, Indiana, until now diocesan administrator of Belleville, United States of America, as bishop of the same diocese of Belleville.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Godfrey Mullen, O.S.B., was born on 22 Janjuary 1966 in Salem, Illinois, in the diocese of Belleville. He was awarded a bachelor’s degree in history and a Master of Divinity from Saint Meinrad College, and a doctorate in liturgy from the Catholic University of America.

He was ordained a priest on 5 June 1994.

He has held the following offices: professor at Saint Meinrad College, rector of the Cathedral of the diocese of Evansville, rector of Belleville Cathedral, parish priest of Blessed Sacrament and Queen of Peace in Belleville, vicar general of Belleville, and diocesan administrator of Belleville (since May 2025).

 

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Aracaju, Brazil

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Jefferson Santos Pinheiro, of the clergy of the metropolitan archdiocese of Aracaju, Brazil, parish priest of Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Aracaju, as auxiliary bishop of the same metropolitan archdiocese, assigning him the titular see of Tagaria.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Jefferson Santos Pinheiro was born on 17 July 1976 in Propriá, in the diocese of the same name, in the State of Sergipe. He studied philosophy at the Nossa Senhora da Conceição Seminary in Aracaju-SE, theology in the São José Seminary in Mariana-MG, and psychology at the Universidade Tiradentes in Aracaju.

He was ordained a priest on 21 December 2002, and incardinated in the metropolitan archdiocese of Aracaju.

He has held the following offices: parish administrator of Santo Amaro in Santo Amaro das Botas (2003-2005) and of São José de Anchieta in Aracaju (2005-2012); spiritual director of the Sagrado Coração de Jesus Minor Seminary (2006-2008); psychological assistant for seminarians of the archdiocese of Aracaju (2012-2016); professor of the Sagrado Coração de Jesus Preparatory Seminary (2012-2017); episcopal vicar of the vicariate of São João and parish priest of Nossa Senhora do Rosário (2012-2018); member of the Presbyteral Council, the College of Consultors and the Council of the Sagrado Coração de Jesus archdiocesan College (2012-2021); professor (2012-2017), rector (2018-2021) and spiritual director (2021-2024) of the Nossa Senhora da Conceição Major Seminary in Aracaju; and parish priest of Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Aracaju-SE (since 2021).

 

Appointment of Apostolic visitator for Slovak Greek-Catholic faithful resident in Western Europe

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Marián Andrej Pacák, C.Ss.R., emeritus of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto of the Slovaks of Byzantine rite, as Apostolic visitator for Slovak Greek-Catholic faithful resident in Western Europe.