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Pope Francis announced on Sunday that the Synod on Synodality will be extended to 2024. Speaking in his Angelus address on October 16, the pope shared his decision to divide the Synod of Bishops into two sessions that will meet in Rome in October 2023 and October 2024. Pope Francis explained that he made the decision “in order to have a more relaxed period of discernment.” “The fruits of the synodal process under way are many, but so that they might come to full maturity, it is necessary not to be in a rush,” Francis said. The two sessions of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will take place from October 4 to 29, 2023, and in October 2024, bringing together bishops from across the world to discuss and prepare a document to counsel the pope. Pope Francis launched the Synod on Synodality in October 2021 as a worldwide undertaking during which Catholics were encouraged to submit feedback to their local dioceses. According to a report from the U.S. bishops’ conference, about 700,000 people participated in the diocesan phase of the synod in the U.S. out of 66.8 million Catholics in the country.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252560/pope-francis-announces-decision-to-extend-synod-on-synodality-to-2024

Today the Church honors the early Church Father, bishop, and martyr Saint Ignatius of Antioch, whose writings attest to the sacramental and hierarchical nature of the Church from its earliest days. Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate his memory on December 20.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-ignatius-of-antioch-396

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Bishop Hugo Torres Marín of Apartadó, Colombia, said October 11 that there is a humanitarian crisis near the border with Panama as there are thousands of people risking their lives to cross the Darién jungle on their way to the United States. For several days, thousands of migrants, many of them Venezuelans, have been arriving in the area of Colombia that lies across the Gulf of Urabá from Panama and are waiting in the town of Necoclí on the Colombian coast for the opportunity to cross by boat to Capurganá in Panama, and from there cross the Darien Gap on their way north to the US, a journey of more than 3,000 miles. However, along the route they are exposed to theft, human trafficking, and death. The bishop has asked the authorities to find adequate solutions.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252540/bishop-warns-of-humanitarian-crisis-on-colombia-panama-border-involving-migrants-to-us

Lamenting the damage that abusive Catholic clergy have caused to sexual abuse victims, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe has submitted its reorganization plan to a bankruptcy judge. The plan includes a proposed $121.5 million settlement for victims and disclosure of Church documents about sexual abuse. There are nearly 400 clergy sexual abuse victims involved in the settlement. Some incidents of abuse date back more than 60 years. When the archdiocese first filed for bankruptcy in November 2018, it faced only 35 to 40 active claims. The Santa Fe Archdiocese’s website lists credibly accused clergy who worked in the archdiocese. There are 29 clergy listed as living, out of 80 on the list. There are another nine priests credibly accused of abuse in other dioceses but who spent time working in the Santa Fe Archdiocese.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252541/denouncing-clergy-sex-abuse-santa-fe-archdiocese-files-121-dollars-million-settlement-plan

Today the Church honors Pope Saint Callistus the first. The saint caused a major controversy, including a schism that lasted almost two decades, by choosing to emphasize God's mercy in his ministry. However, the early Pope's model of leadership has endured, and his martyrdom in the year 222 confirmed his example of holiness.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-callistus-i-393

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Two new Catholic movies that debuted in theaters in September and October are coming back to the big screen for encores by popular demand. American moviegoers will be able to see “Saint Michael: Meet the Angel” in theaters October 12 and October 13 and “Mother Teresa: No Greater Love” on November 2. “Mother Teresa: No Greater Love” chronicles the life of the 20th-century saint and the impact both she and her religious order, the Missionaries of Charity, have had on the people they have served throughout the world. “Saint Michael: Meet the Angel” highlights the power and nature of Saint Michael the Archangel and other angelic beings.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252530/two-catholic-movies-back-in-theaters-for-encores-after-stellar-showings

Today the Church honors Saint Edward the Confessor, king of England from 1042 to 1066. His saintly bearing made him a popular sovereign, and his actions even more so. He abolished an unjust tax and was known to cure people with his touch. Edward died on January 5, 1066, and was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1161.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-edward-the-confessor-392

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One or more unidentified individuals entered and desecrated a Catholic church in Brazil, destroying all 28 statues of saints, to the pain and outrage of the faithful. The attack took place October 10 around noon in São Mateus church in the town of São Mateus do Sul located in Paraná state in southern Brazil. “Our statues were broken, but our faith is firm,” said the pastor of the parish, Father José Carlos Emanoel dos Santos, at an October 11 press conference. The priest said he was grateful for the many expressions of solidarity they have received. At the press conference, it was also reported that the local police already have a suspect.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252525/catholic-church-brazil-desecrated-28-statues-saints-destroyed

Bishop Jeffrey Monforton of Steubenville, Ohio, announced in a message to the diocese on Tuesday that a merger of the local Church with the Diocese of Columbus seems to be the best response to the decline in the area’s population. The Steubenville diocese comprises 13 counties in southeastern Ohio, and the Columbus diocese, which borders it to the west, includes 23 counties in south-central Ohio. The Steubenville diocese was erected out of the territory of the Diocese of Columbus in 1944. There has been a 45% decline in the number of persons attending Sunday Mass between 1990 and 2019. The Steubenville diocese has also experienced financial difficulties in recent years.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252526/steubenville-diocese-faces-prospect-of-union-with-columbus-with-fortitude

Many YouTube videos produced by Catholic or pro-life organizations will now bear an abortion disclaimer and links to an abortion webpage, as YouTube claims that abortion is a topic prone to misinformation. The move means many YouTube videos about Pope Francis, Catholic teaching on abortion, and alternatives to abortion now include links to abortion information that video creators or video subjects might reject. CNA sought comment from YouTube but did not receive a response prior to publication. YouTube announced the information panel on July 21, saying that it will remove “content that provides instructions for unsafe abortion methods or promotes false claims about abortion safety.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252518/youtube-adds-abortion-info-to-catholic-pro-life-videos

Today the Church honors Our Lady of the Pillar, the first recorded Marian apparition. Mary appeared to Saint James the Apostle, the brother of Saint John the Evangelist, on the bank of the river Ebro in Saragossa, Spain. Unlike every other recorded apparition, this one took place during the earthly life of the Mother of God. In the year 40 A.D., while praying one night on the tobrt bank, the Virgin appeared with the Child Jesus standing on a pillar and asked Saint James and his eight disciples to build a church on the site, promising that “it will stand from that moment until the end of time in order that God may work miracles and wonders through my intercession for all those who place themselves under my patronage.” Nuestra Señora del Pilar is the patron of Spain and all Hispanic peoples.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/nuestra-senora-del-pilar-our-lady-of-the-pillar-622

The Church also celebrates Saint Wilfrid of York. Wilfrid worked to enforce Roman liturgical practice in seventh-century England, founded Benedictine monasteries, and rebuilt the minster of York, all while living a simply and holy life himself.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-wilfrid-of-york-17

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The Vatican confirmed Tuesday that Pope Francis will join other religious leaders at a prayer service for peace at Rome’s Colosseum later this month. The Oct. 25 prayer meeting is part of a three-day interreligious summit called “The Cry for Peace,” organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio. Sant’Egidio has held an international conference on the subject of peace every year since 1986, when Pope John Paul II convened the first World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, Italy. The conference’s final event will be the interreligious prayer service from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Colosseum. The famous monument is believed by some historians to be a site of early Christian martyrdom. Representatives of the world’s major religions will take part in the prayer service and conference.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252516/pope-francis-to-join-interfaith-prayer-for-peace-at-colosseum-in-rome

The Diocese of Arlington, Virgina’s former director for the Office of Child Protection, Father Terry Specht, was found not guilty October 5 of aggravated sexual battery. Specht was indicted in December 2021 on two charges related to child sexual abuse. One of those charges was dropped during court proceedings. “While Father Specht was found not guilty, I nevertheless convey my heartfelt and sincere sorrow to anyone who has suffered sexual abuse,” Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington said. The Diocese of Arlington said that it has a “zero-tolerance policy” for abuse.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252513/former-arlington-director-of-child-protection-office-acquitted-on-sexual-battery-charge

Today the Church celebrates Saint John the 23rd, who was pope from 1958 to 1963. Sixty years ago today, John the 23rd convoked the Second Vatican Council, opening the council on October 11, 1962. Pope John’s spirit of humble simplicity, profound goodness, and deep life of prayer radiated in all that he did, and inspired people to affectionately call him “Good Pope John.” He was canonized by Pope Francis in Saint Peter's Square on April 27, 2014, alongside the man who beatified him, Pope Saint John Paul II.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/pope-saint-john-xxiii-390

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Today the Church celebrates Saint Francis Borgia, a reformer of the Jesuit order. Francis introduced so many reforms to the society of Jesus that he was considered in some ways to be its second founder. Francis was a man of contemplation and action in the fullest sense, and clearly drew much strength from the silence of his prayer.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-francis-borgia-389

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Pope Francis has expressed deep sorrow and mourning at the news of a deadly rampage at a day care center in Thailand that left at least 34 people dead — 23 of them children. “Deeply saddened to learn of the horrific attack that took place at a child-care centre in Uthai Sawan, His Holiness Pope Francis offers his heartfelt condolences and the assurance of his spiritual closeness to all those affected by this act of unspeakable violence against innocent children,” the pope’s message said. The pope prayed that grieving families and all those injured would receive support from their neighbors and concluded his message with “blessings of peace and perseverance in every good.” According to media reports, the massacre was perpetrated by a single man, armed with a gun and knife, on October 6 in the town of Uthai Sawan, some 310 miles northeast of the capital Bangkok. The massacre is understood to be one of the worst involving children in history.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252494/pope-francis-mourns-23-children-and-several-adults-killed-in-thailand-daycare-attack

Unlimited abortion would become a fundamental right, as would abortion on viable unborn children, if voters pass the proposed California ballot measure Proposition 1, a broad coalition has warned. Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento said Proposition 1 seeks to make abortion a “fundamental right” in California while “removing any commonsense limits on late-term abortions.” Soto said Proposition 1 is “an unneeded, radical, and expensive proposition.” He invoked Pope Francis’ rejection of a “throwaway culture,” saying “the leaders of a ‘throwaway society’ are trying to impose an expensive ideology on California.” Bishop Soto said that October is “a time to renew our commitment to pray, advocate and do works of mercy promoting the dignity of human life.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252492/california-voters-must-reject-no-limit-proposition-1-abortion-amendment-critics-say

Today the Church celebrates the yearly feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Known for several centuries by the alternate title of “Our Lady of Victory,” the feast day takes place in honor of a 16th century naval victory which secured Europe against Turkish invasion. Pope Saint Pius V attributed the victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was invoked on the day of the battle through a campaign to pray the Rosary throughout Europe.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/feast-of-our-lady-of-the-rosary-617

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On the first-ever papal visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Pope Francis will close a forum on dialogue, meet with the grand imam of al-Azhar, and pray at a new Catholic cathedral. The Vatican released the full itinerary for the pope’s November 3-6 trip to the Muslim island nation in the Persian Gulf. The theme of the visit is “Peace on earth to people of goodwill,” inspired by Luke 2:14. The logo is a stylized image of two hands open toward God: one in the colors of the Vatican flag and one with the flag of Bahrain. An olive branch represents peace, while the text “Pope Francis” is in the color blue to represent the visit’s entrustment to the Virgin Mary. Bahrain, located to the east of Saudi Arabia and west of Qatar, has a population of 1.7 million. The population is nearly 70% Muslim, with the majority belonging to the Shiite branch of Islam, the country’s state religion. Christians, at approximately 210,000 people, make up 14% of the overall population, followed by Hindus at 10%.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252483/pope-francis-to-meet-muslim-leaders-small-christian-community-in-bahrain

Police in Tulsa, Oklahoma, arrested a man Wednesday after he allegedly attacked a desk attendant with a sword and started a fire at Holy Family Cathedral. Police said a man attacked an employee of the building with a sword, lit incendiary devices, and attempted to set the building ablaze. There were children at the location, all of which were unharmed. The man was apprehended a short time later. The rector of the cathedral, Father Gary Kastl, identified the desk attendant as Ron Notzon. Kastl said Notzon confronted the suspect and received lacerations on his hands. Kastl said the church will offer a Mass for Notzon’s healing at 9am Thursday and will have priests, deacons, and counselors available after Mass at 11:30 am.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252480/police-man-attacked-tulsa-cathedral-attendant-with-sword-tried-to-set-building-on-fire

A man visiting the Vatican museums in Rome on Wednesday flung two ancient Roman busts to the ground, causing moderate damage to the valuable works of art. According to an article in the newspaper Il Messaggero, the middle-aged American tourist asked to see the pope and became enraged when told that would not be possible. He then threw one bust to the ground and knocked the other over while trying to run away. The man had bought a ticket to the Vatican’s Chiaramonti Museum where the busts were displayed. After the incident, he was restrained by security guards and taken to the police station for questioning. The Vatican said damage to the busts “is not significant, the faces have not suffered great damage, perhaps one of the two specimens has detached a piece of the nose.” The busts have been moved to the marble restoration workshop of the Vatican Museums.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252476/tourist-who-wanted-to-see-the-pope-smashes-busts-at-the-vatican-museums

Today the Church celebrates Saint Bruno of Cologne, founder of the Carthusian order of monks who remain notable for their strictly traditional and austere rule of contemplative life.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-bruno-founder-616

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Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska. Throughout her life, Jesus appeared to Sr. Faustina. He asked her to become an apostle and secretary of his mercy, by writing down his messages of Divine Mercy for the world in her diary. Jesus also asked Saint Faustina to have an image painted of his Divine Mercy, with red and white rays issuing from his heart, and to spread devotion to the Divine Mercy novena. Saint Faustina and Jesus’ message of Divine Mercy impacted the future Pope Saint John Paul II greatly, and he canonized her in 2000 and instituted Divine Mercy Sunday on the Sunday after Easter.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-faustina-virgin-737

The Church also celebrates Saint Luigi Scrosoppi. With other priests and a group of young teachers, he dedicated himself to educating poor and abandoned girls in the practical skills of sewing and embroidery, as well as in reading, writing and arithmetic. Nine of these girls decided to take their vows as the first sisters of the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence, which Fr. Luigi founded in 1837. The congregation grew, and eventually he opened 12 houses of sisters.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-luigi-scrosoppi-424

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Most Catholics believe that President Joe Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, should not run for a second term in 2024, according to a new EWTN News/RealClear Opinion Research Poll of likely Catholic voters released Monday. A majority of Catholics (58%) feel that Biden should not run for a second term in 2024, while only 22% support a possible re-election bid; 19% of Catholics are not sure. Most Catholics (67%-27% with 10% not sure) also do not want former President Donald Trump to run for president again in 2024. Among other highlights of the poll, Catholic voters rank inflation and the economy as the most critical issues facing the country, and most say they are very concerned about the state of education, especially after the lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252446/ewtn-newsrealclear-opinion-poll-most-catholics-dont-want-biden-to-run-for-a-second-term

A prominent pro-life priest known for his nonviolent attempts to hinder the operation of abortion clinics to save unborn children faces federal charges for padlocking closed the gate to a New York abortion clinic in July, blocking the entrance to the clinic in the hopes of counseling the women seeking an abortion that day to reconsider. Father Fidelis Moscinski, 52, a priest of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, was charged last week under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, or Face Act, a 1994 federal law that prohibits the blocking of access to abortion clinics. The DOJ says first-time convictions of the Face Act are misdemeanor violations punishable by up to one year in federal prison; subsequent convictions are a felony. Moscinski has garnered media attention in recent years for his prayerful protests in the face of pro-abortion opposition and his work with the group Red Rose Rescue.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252453/abortion-protesting-priest-faces-possible-prison-time-after-charges-under-face-act

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Italian deacon who brought renewal to the Church through his decision to follow Jesus' words as literally as possible. At Mass one morning, he heard the Gospel reading in which Christ instructed the apostles to go forth without money, shoes, or extra clothing. This way of life soon became a papally-approved rule, which would attract huge number of followers within Francis' own lifetime.Through his imitation of Christ, Francis shared in the Lord's sufferings. He miraculously received Christ's wounds, the stigmata, in his own flesh during September of 1224.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-francis-of-assisi-614