Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

This morning, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the the Augustinian Sisters, Servants of Jesus and Mary, to whom he addressed the following greeting:

 

Greeting of the Holy Father

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

Peace be with you!

Dear sisters,

I am pleased to meet you at the end of your provincial Chapter: in this week of prayer, discernment and joint planning, you have been able to renew your adhesion to the charism of your foundress, the venerable Sister Maria Teresa Spinelli.

While the process of her canonization continues, your journey of holiness proceeds too! As Augustinian Sisters, Servants of Jesus and Mary, I encourage you to let yourselves be guided anew by the name you bear. Indeed, the service you carry out every day is realized first and foremost in the consecration of life to the Lord, and is strengthened in sincere devotion to his and our Mother.

By imitating Sister Maria Teresa, you will therefore be patient in tribulations, because it is precisely in our trials that the Lord confirms his faithfulness; you will be courageous in the mission, so that the educational work to which you dedicate yourselves may form wise minds and hearts capable of listening and of passion for humanity; you will be unwavering in the following of Christ, who is “the way, the truth and the life” ( Jn 14:6), and therefore the criterion for all our cultural initiatives. We know that a culture without truth becomes an instrument of the powerful: instead of freeing consciences, it confuses and distracts them according to the interests of the market, fashion or worldly success.

In this regard, I advise you to pick up again a work by the holy Doctor, our father Augustine, De Magistro , to contemplate it in the near future, as you gather the fruits of your Chapter. In this work, Augustine affirms that external teaching must always lead to the encounter with the inner Master, who is Jesus (cf. I, 11). In his name, I wish all the best to your communities, and I wholeheartedly impart the apostolic blessing to you. Thank you!

Appointment of archbishop of Madurai, India

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Wote, Kenya

Appointment of chair of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors

 

Appointment of archbishop of Madurai, India

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Antonysamy Savarimuthu of Palayamkottai and apostolic administrator of Madurai, as archbishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Madurai, India.

Curriculum vitae

Bishop Antonysamy Savarimuthu was born on 8 December 1960 in Vadakku Vandanam, in the diocese of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu.

He was ordained a priest on 26 April 1987, for the diocese of Palayamkottai.

On 20 November 2019 he was appointed bishop of Palayamkottai and received episcopal consecration the following 15 December. Since 2024, he has served as apostolic administrator of Madurai.

 

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Wote, Kenya

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Simon Peter Kamomoe, auxiliary of the metropolitan archdiocese of Nairobi, as auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Wote, Kenya.

Curriculum vitae

Bishop Simon Peter Kamomoe was born on 26 November 1962 in Gatundu, district of Kiambu, in the metropolitan archdiocese of Nairobi. After attending Saint Mary’s Major Seminary in Molo, he studied philosophy at Saint Augustine’s Senior Seminary in Mabanga and theology at Saint Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary in Tindinyo.

He was ordained a priest on 18 June 1994 for the metropolitan archdiocese of Nairobi.

He has held the following offices: assistant at the Queen of Apostles Junior Seminary in Nairobi (1994-1995); assistant in the parishes of Thigio (1995), Mang’u (1995-1996), Ndundu (1996-1997) and San Matia Mulumba in Thika (1997-1998); parish priest of Our Lady of Fatima in Kiriko (1998-1999) and of Saint Peter and Paul Catholic in Kiambu (1999-2008); vicar forane and member of the College of Consultors (1999-2008); administrator of the Minor Basilica of the Holy Family in Nairobi and chaplain of the diocesan Family Pastoral Office (since 2008).

On 13 February 2024 he was elected titular bishop of Thubunae in Numidia, and on 6 April 2024 consecrated as auxiliary bishop of Nairobi, Kenya.

 

Appointment of chair of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors

The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Thibault Verny of Chambéry and bishop of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and of Tarentaise, as chair of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Archbishop Verny has until now served as a member of the same Pontifical Commission.

This morning, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience:

- His Excellency Mr. Domingos Teixeira de Abreu Fezas Vital, ambassador of Portugal, on his farewell visit;

- Teachers of Catholic schools in Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland;

- Young people from the diocese of Copenhagen;

- His Eminence Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life;

- Professor Henry Louis Gates, director of the “Hutchins Center for African and African-American Research” and professor at the University of Harvard;

- Bishop Francesco Marino of Nola, Italy;

- Participants in the Provincial Chapter of the Augustinian Sisters, Servants of Jesus and Mary.

This morning, in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience teachers of Catholic schools in Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland, and with young people from the diocese of Copenhagen.

The following is the Pope’s greeting to those present during the course of the meeting:

 

Greeting of the Holy Father

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

Peace be with you!

Good morning and welcome to the Vatican.

Your Excellencies, Dear priests and young friends,

I am pleased to greet all of you on the occasion of your pilgrimage to Rome during this Jubilee Year, which as you know is focused on the theological virtue of hope.  In particular, I welcome the young people from the Diocese of Copenhagen, which is  this  group, together with the teachers from Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland.

You are following in the footsteps of countless pilgrims from your various countries, who for centuries have been making this same pilgrimage to Rome, to the “Eternal City”.  Indeed, Rome has always been a special home for Christians, since it is the place where the Apostles Peter and Paul gave the supreme witness to their love for Jesus by offering their lives as martyrs.  As the Successor of Peter, I wish to express my gratitude for your presence here, and I pray that by visiting the various holy sites you may draw inspiration and hope from the profound example of how the saints and martyrs imitated Christ.

A pilgrimage has a vital part to play in our life of faith, for it removes us from our homes and our daily routines, and gives us time and space to encounter God more deeply.  Such moments always help us to grow, for through them the Holy Spirit gently fashions us to be ever more closely conformed to the mind and the heart of Jesus Christ.

In a particular way, dear brothers and sisters, young people gathered with us this morning, remember that God has created each one of you with a purpose and a mission in this life.  Use this opportunity for listening, for prayer, so that you may hear more clearly God’s voice calling you deep within your hearts. I would add that today, so often, we lose the ability to listen, to really listen. We listen to music, we have our ears flooded constantly with all kinds of digital input, but sometimes we forget to listen to our own hearts and it’s in our hearts that God speaks to us, that God calls us and invites us to know him better and to live in his love. And through that listening you might be open to allowing God’s grace to strengthen your faith in Jesus (cf.  Col  2:7), so that you might more readily share that gift with others.

And addressing you, dear teachers: what I have just said to the young people applies equally to you, especially given your important role in the formation of today’s youth: children, teenagers, young adults. For they will look up to you as models: models in life, models of faith. They’ll look to you particularly as to  how  you teach and how you live.  I hope that, each day, you will nurture your relationship with Christ, who gives us the pattern of all authentic teaching (cf  Mt  7:28), so that, in turn, you may guide and encourage those entrusted to your care to follow Christ in their own lives.

And finally, when all of you return home, please remember that a pilgrimage does not end, it shifts its focus to the daily “pilgrimage of discipleship”. We are all pilgrims and we are always pilgrims, walking as we seek to follow the Lord, and as we seek the path that is truly ours in life. That’s certainly not easy, but with the help of the Lord, the intercession of the saints, and by encouraging one another, you can be certain that, as long as you remain faithful, trusting always in God’s mercy, the experience of this pilgrimage will continue to bear fruit throughout your lives (cf.  Jn  15:16).

Dear friends, with these few words, and entrusting you to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, I gladly impart to each of you my heartfelt blessing.

God bless you and thank you.

 



 

This morning, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV received in audience, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Prime Minister of Montenegro, His Excellency Milojko Spajić, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

During the cordial talks at the Secretariat of State, satisfaction was expressed for the current good bilateral relations, and various questions regarding Church-State relations were discussed.

Conversation then focused on regional and international issues, with particular attention given to the enlargement of the European Union to the countries of the western Balkans, and to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

From the Vatican, 4 July 2025