Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

Tomorrow,  Friday 11 September 2026 , at 13.00 , a press conference will be held at the Holy See Press Office, Via della Conciliazione 54, to present the 4 th Fratelli Tutti Synodal Meeting: North-South socio-environmental dialogue , taking place from 10 to 12 September 2026 at the Casa Generalizia de La Salle , Via Aurelia 476, Rome.

The speakers will be:

- His Eminence Cardinal Jaime Spengler , chair of CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Council);

- Ms. Liz Schuler , chair of the AFL-CIO (American Labour Federation and Congress of Industrial Organizations);

- Msgr. Daniel Flores , vice president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops;

- His Eminence Cardinal Leonardo Steiner , chair of CEAMA (Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon);

- Mr. Gerardo Martínez , full member of the governing body of the ILO (International Labour Organization), representing workers;

- Msgr. Reginald Andrietta , coordinator of the Organized Labour Network of CELAM.

The press conference will be livestreamed in the original language on the Vatican News YouTube channel, at https://www.youtube.com/c/VaticanNews .

Remote participation

Journalists and media operators who wish to participate in the press conference remotely must apply, no later than two hours before the event, via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system, at https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti , selecting the event: CS IV Incontro Sinodale Fratelli Tutti.

During the request phase, please select the option “Sì” in the box “Partecipazione da remoto”.

Journalists and media operators who are admitted will receive confirmation of participation via the online accreditation system and, at the same time, the link to access the virtual platform and participate actively in the press conference, with the possibility to ask questions.

Participation in person

Journalists and media operators who wish to participate in the press conference in person must apply, no later than 24 hours before the event, via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system, at https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti , selecting the event: CS IV Incontro Sinodale Fratelli Tutti.

Journalists and media operators who are admitted will receive confirmation of participation via the online accreditation system.

Simultaneous translation

It will be possible to access the simultaneous translation channels and listen to the press conference in Italian , English and Spanish both via the Vatican News channels in the respective languages or by using the virtual platform indicated in the paragraph “Remote participation”.

Simultaneous translation will also be available for those who attend the press conference in person at the Holy See Press Office.

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Accredited journalists and media operators are advised to arrive 30 minutes before the start time.

Appointment of bishop of Tagbilaran, Philippines

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Crispin Barrete Varquez as bishop of the diocese of Tagbilaran, Philippines, transferring him from the diocese of Borongan.

Curriculum vitae

Bishop Crispin Barrete Varquez was born on 5 December in Sevilla, Bohol, Philippines. He studied philosophy at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Tagbilaran, and theology at the Saint Augustine Major Seminary in Tagaytay.

He was ordained a priest on 14 April 1989 for the diocese of Tagbilaran.

He has held the following offices: parish vicar in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro (1989-1991); parish vicar of Our Lady of Fatima in Nueva Ecija (1991-1992); formator of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Tagbilaran (1992-1995); parish priest of Panglao (1995-1996); formator of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Tagbilaran (1996-2000); parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes in Tagbilaran and vicar forane (2001-2005); parish priest of the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Tagbilaran (2005-2007); and vicar general (2007).

On 4 August 2007 he was appointed bishop of Borongan, receiving episcopal consecration on 8 November of the same year.

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Archbishop Mirosław Stanisław Wachowski, titular of Villamagna in Proconsulari, apostolic nuncio in Iraq;

- Archbishop Mitja Leskovar, titular of Benevento, apostolic nuncio in the Democratic Republic of the Congo;

- Participants in the Formation Course for new Bishops.

At 10.30 this morning, at the Holy See Press Office, Via della Conciliazione 54, a press conference was held to present the “ The 21st century: a new time of martyrs? ”, to be held at the Augustinianum on 15 September 2026.

The speakers were: His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints; Archbishop Fabio Fabene, secretary, president of the New Martyrs – Witnesses to the Faith Commission; and Professor Andrea Riccardi, vice president of the New Martyrs – Witnesses to the Faith Commission.

The following is the intervention by His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro:

 

Intervention of His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro

First of all, I would like to greet you all and thank you for the attention you are giving to this initiative of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, which has for some time now been part of its traditional work. In Praedicate Evangelium (2022), we read, in fact, that the Dicastery ‘deals, in accordance with the prescribed procedure, with all matters concerning the causes of beatification and canonisation’ (Art. 98). Now, the “Commission for the New Martyrs – Witnesses to the Faith”, established on a permanent basis within the Congregation by Pope Francis, with the aim of “compiling a Catalogue of all those who have shed their blood to confess Christ and bear witness to the Gospel” (Letter of 3 July 2023), effectively broadens the Congregation’s remit. This may mean at least three things.

1.     The grace of holiness in the Church is signified, but not exhausted, by canonisations. It is not, of course, ruled out that, for some of those included in the Catalogue, a process of beatification and canonization may be initiated, provided the required conditions are met. What is intended to be highlighted, however, is rather the high standard of ordinary Christian life indicated by John Paul II in Novo millennio ineunte no. 30 and the holiness “next door” referred to by Pope Francis in Gaudete et exsultate nos. 6–8.

2.     I would add the anthropological value of Christian holiness. I quote, this time, Benedict XVI: ‘To suffer with the other and for others; to suffer for the sake of truth and justice; to suffer out of love and in order to become a person who truly loves – these are fundamental elements of humanity, and to abandon them would destroy man himself. Yet once again the question arises: are we capable of this? … For this too we need witnesses – martyrs -  who have given themselves totally, so as to show us the way – day after day. We need them if we are to prefer goodness to comfort, even in the little choices we face each day – knowing that this i show we live life to the full. Let us say it once again: the capacity to suffer for the sake of the truth is the measure of humanity” ( Spe salvi , no. 39).

3.     I shall conclude with the ecumenical significance of this initiative, which was intended for the Commission by John Paul II from the very beginning. Already in the Encyclical Letter Ut unum sint (1995), he had written: ‘In a theocentric vision, we Christians already have a common Martyrology . … It shows how, at a profound level, God preserves communion among the baptized in the supreme demand of faith, manifested in the sacrifice of life” (no. 84). Pope Francis, too, when establishing the Commission within the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, emphasized that its work “will make it possible to place side by side with the martyrs, officially recognized by the Church, the documented testimonies - and there are many - of these brothers and sisters of ours, within a vast panorama in which the single voice of the martyria of Christians resounds.

Thank you once again for your attention.

This morning, in the Synod Hall, the Holy Father received in audience the participants in the formation course for new bishops entitled Bishops, servants of communion in the Church and in today’s world .

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

 

Address of the Holy Father

Dear brothers, welcome!

I am very pleased to meet you at the conclusion of these days of formation intended for new bishops, and I thank the Dicasteries for Bishops, for the Eastern Churches and for Evangelization – Section for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches for preparing it.

You have had a unique experience of fraternity: together you have listened, prayed, celebrated the Eucharist and shared the hopes and dreams you carry in your heart for the Churches which the Lord has just entrusted to your pastoral care. All this will help you to remember something very simple and precious: no Bishop walks alone .

Dearest friends, know that you are in my prayers, and with you your Churches: the priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians, families, young people, the elderly, the poor, those who suffer and those who are still waiting to encounter the joy of the Gospel. Everyone must find a place in the Bishop’s heart, for everyone already has a place in the heart of Christ. For this reason, I would now like to share with you some reflections on the theme: “ Bishops, servants of communion in the Church and in today’s world ”.

First of all, remain with Jesus . Among the many things you will be called to do as Bishops, this is the most important. We are Bishops, but we are first and foremost disciples. To speak of Him, we need to be with Him; to lead His people, we must allow ourselves to be guided by Him every day. ‘He appointed twelve”, whom he called apostles “to be with Him, and to be sent out to preach’ ( Mk 3:14). This is the order of the Gospel: to be with Him and, through Him, to be sent out. Let us never forget this. Therefore, always cherish your time with the Lord: the Eucharist, the Word of God, prayer and those moments when you can be in His presence with the simple heart of a disciple who allows himself to be loved by his Lord. Our ministry stems from there. And when the heart remains close to Him, our service too becomes more serene, free and fruitful.

A second aspect: have the heart of Jesus the Good Shepherd , a heart completely devoted to the Father and, precisely for this reason, totally given to your brethren. Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” ( Jn 10:11). This is our model. The Bishop is a man who learns to love his people more and more each day: to know their joys and sorrows, to share in their dreams, to rejoice in seeing their communities grow. You will ordain priests and deacons; you will meet young people brimming with enthusiasm; you will witness the quiet generosity of so many men and women religious, missionaries, catechists and families; and you will discover ever more how beautiful the People of God are. Love the people whom the Lord has entrusted to you. Learn their names, listen to their stories, visit their homes whenever you can, and pray with them. Especially in the young Churches, very often the very presence of the Bishop speaks volumes, even before his words. A visit, a blessing, the time spent with a priest, listening to a family, a conversation with a young person: these are small gestures, but they can remain in a person’s heart for a lifetime.

Another characteristic of the Bishop is what tradition calls sollicitudo pastoralis , pastoral care. It does not simply mean having many responsibilities. It is something deeper: it is carrying your people in your heart. Saint Paul called his concern for all the Churches his “daily anxiety” (cf. 2 Cor 11:28). Thus, the Church to which you have been sent increasinglt becomes a part of your life, almost a part of yourselves. This is the very essence of episcopal fatherhood: to have a generous heart, large enough to make room for everyone, carrying one’s children within oneself and presenting them to the Lord in prayer every day. Pope Francis recalled that “closeness is one of the features of God with His people” ( Homily on the centenary of the birth of Saint John Paul II , 18 May 2020). And it is precisely when speaking to the Bishops participating in the formation course on 12 September 2019 that he said: “We exist to make this closeness palpable”. What precious words for us! May people be able to feel, through our presence, something of God’s tenderness and paternity! And this applies in a special way to priests.

In this regard, dear brothers, I urge you to love your priests. May they find in each of you a father and a brother. Listen to them, encourage them, pray for them, rejoice in the good they do, and accompany them with confidence in their ministry. Pay particular attention to those who are elderly and unwell. Make them aware that they are precious, that the Church is grateful to them and that the Bishop has not forgotten them. Sometimes a phone call, a visit or a kind word from you is enough.

Another feature of our ministery that I would like to remind you of is, according to Saint Augustine’s beautiful expression, that of being an “ amoris officium ” ( In Iohannis Evangelium , 123, 5): a service of love. Our preaching is an act of love, as are listening, prayer, discernment, the time we devote to people, and our very presence . It is pastoral charity, which enables Christ the Shepherd to reach the people He loves through our humble person.

We live in an age of rapid change. The developments in communication technologies and artificial intelligence have opened up possibilities that, until a few years ago, we would never even have imagined. But they certainly cannot free humanity from sin and its consequences: this is tragically demonstrated by the crises it is currently experiencing. In a complex and, in some respects, unsettling scenario such as the present one, the Church celebrated the Jubilee of Hope last year. Is it perhaps because she lives apart from the world? On the contrary, it is because she is sent by Christ, who died and rose again, to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to all. And we Bishops are the first recipients of this mandate. With the Encyclical Magnifica humanitas , I believe I have offered, in primis to the Pastors of the Churches, a vision and a method for tackling the great challenge of safeguarding humanity in the age of artificial intelligence. I encourage you to promote processes of reflection and dialogue within your dioceses, to form and support those who wish to commit themselves to the service of the civilization of love.

Many of you come from young Churches. You know the beauty and also the toil of mission, of a Church that perhaps possesses little, but is rich in a great faith. For this reason, I invite you to preserve a missionary heart. It is a precious gift that the Lord has placed in your hands and which can become even greater in your episcopal ministry. The missionary Bishop has a heart open to all: not only those who attend your parish churches, but also to Christians of other denominations, believers of other religions, people who do not profess any faith, all men and women of good will. He listens to and respects all of them, he approaches all of them, and knows how to recognize the good in the heart of every person.

Saint Augustine, speaking about his people, said: “ Vobis enim sum episcopus, vobiscum sum christanus ”, “for you… I am a bishop, with you I am a Christian” ( Sermon 340 , 1). Let us walk with our people: let u spray with them, listen to the Word with them, celebrate the Eucharist with them. Let us seek the face of the Lord with them every day.

Dearest brothers, as you return to your Churches, take this certainty with you: the Lord, who has called you, is faithful. He will go before you on the road, accompany you on your journey and, through the gift of his Holy Spirit, enlighten you every day. And may Mary, Mother of the Church, always watch over you and the people entrusted to your care.