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ACI Africa, May 1, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Members of the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria (CATHAN) have pledged to uphold the “theological and pastoral legacy” of the late Pope Francis, who was laid to rest on April 26.

In a communiqué issued after their 39th annual conference, which also coincided with the association’s 40th anniversary, CATHAN members mourn the late 266th pontiff, giving thanks to God for the gift of his 12-year pontificate and his “courageous witness to the Gospel in our time.”

“We pledge to carry forward the theological and pastoral legacy of the late Holy Father with renewed zeal and fidelity,” CATHAN members say in the April 25 communiqué following their conference at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre in Nigeria’s Benin City Archdiocese.

Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, April 21. He was laid to rest on April 26 in his “beloved” Basilica of St. Mary Major as he explained in his testament. The late pontiff suffered a stroke that was followed by a coma and irreversible cardiovascular collapse. He had been hospitalized recently with double pneumonia and a respiratory infection.

The April 26 celebration was a global farewell to a humble shepherd, who was at the helm of the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years.

In the communiqué shared with ACI Africa on Tuesday, April 29, the Catholic theologians in Nigeria reaffirmed their fidelity to the Church and the successor of St. Peter “in this moment of solemn transition.”

During the April 22–25 annual conference under the theme “Theology and Contemporary Approaches to Religion in Nigeria,” CATHAN members said they reflected on the need to integrate African traditional religions (ATR) with Christianity as “potential sources of theological insight in houses of formation and tertiary institutions.”

“We propose inclusive curricula that engage the complexities of religious pluralism head-on, integrating ATR and Christianity not as antithetical systems but as potential wellsprings of theological insight,” Nigeria’s Catholic theologians say in their communiqué.

They continued: “Informed by the imperative for a more profound evangelization, we emphasize the urgent need to reimagine theological formation within the vibrant context of lived African religious experiences.”

CATHAN members explained that the “reimagined” theological formation will empower “future Church leaders, especially those serving in missionary and formative roles, to engage Nigerian religiosity with both critical acumen and profound respect.”

Such “reimagined theological formation,” they say, will go a long way in helping Church leaders to stay “steadfast in orthodox doctrine while achieving pastoral relevance within an increasingly pluralistic African society.”

“This approach fosters a deeper understanding of the spiritual landscape and empowers effective intercultural and interreligious dialogue,” CATHAN members said, referring to what they described as the “urgent need to reimagine theological formation within the vibrant context of lived African religious experiences.”

To foster meaningful intercultural and interreligious dialogue in Nigeria’s increasingly diverse and pluralistic society, the Catholic theologians said they will have input in the development of theological formation curricula for evangelization that “inclusively engage the complexities of religious pluralism.” 

“We call for holistic scholarship that transcends polemics or mere apologetics,” CATHAN members say in the four-page communiqué, going on to acknowledge that “responses to (ATR), Christianity, and Islam are often influenced by historical wounds, cultural memory, theological presumptions, and sociopolitical interests.”

For them, “this deeper study must be integral to theological formation, equipping leaders to discern the profound spiritual, ethical, and sociocultural currents shaping religious life in Nigeria today.”

Following the four-day annual conference, CATHAN members expressed their commitment to “fostering a theology of encounter that informs interreligious dialogue, community engagement, and the pursuit of peace and justice.”

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

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Vatican City, May 1, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Members of the College of Cardinals have gathered in Rome in anticipation of the subsequent election of Pope Francis’ successor. 

There are currently 252 cardinals, 133 of whom are eligible and expected to vote in the conclave. They range in age from 45 to 99. 

Pope Francis chose 149 of the current members of the college, most of whom will help choose his successor as cardinal electors. Though cardinals over the age of 80 cannot vote in the conclave, they do participate in pre-conclave meetings, called general congregations, and can still have an influence over who is chosen. 

Here are some of the cardinals who will choose the next leader of the Catholic Church.

Vatican 

The cardinals serving in the Roman Curia have some of the most visibility and the most influence in the college, starting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state during Pope Francis’ pontificate. In that position, the Italian is among the highest-ranking members of the Roman Curia, the body that governs the Holy See together with the pope. Because the dean and vice dean of the College of Cardinals are both over 80, the 70-year-old Parolin will manage the conclave from inside the Sistine Chapel.

A relative newcomer to the college, 69-year-old Italian Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti has led the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches since late 2022, after over two decades in the diplomatic service of the Church as the pope’s representative in countries such as Ukraine, Great Britain, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. 

Before becoming prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints and a cardinal in 2020, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, 77, was bishop of the Italian Diocese of Albano and secretary of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinal advisers. As a bishop, Semeraro had several important roles in the Italian bishops’ conference.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna, began his episcopal career as an auxiliary bishop of Rome. The 69-year-old Zuppi is close to the influential Sant’Egidio community and, as a priest, worked with the Catholic lay association to help broker peace in Mozambique. Pope Francis tapped the experienced mediator as his peace envoy in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in 2023. 

Pope Francis demonstrated an immense amount of trust in 77-year-old Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who in addition to being made prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life was tapped to lead both a committee on investments and commission on confidential materials created as part of Vatican financial reform efforts. In 2019, Francis also named Farrell to be camerlengo of the holy Roman Church, the position responsible for ascertaining the pope’s death, organizing the papal funeral, and for managing Vatican administration during the “sede vacante.” 

Cardinal Luis Tagle, from the Philippines, was heavily involved in the organization of the 2019 Synod on Young People. The 67-year-old cardinal is pro-prefect for the Section of First Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization (formerly the Congregation for Evangelization) and previously led the Vatican-connected charitable network Caritas Internationalis. 

As secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops since 2020, 68-year-old Cardinal Mario Grech oversaw the planning and execution of Pope Francis’ multiyear Synod on Synodality. The Maltese cardinal was also a prominent voice following the 2014 and 2015 synods on the family and helped organize the 2019 Amazon synod. 

A prominent canonist and former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University, Jesuit priest Gianfranco Ghirlanda was elevated to cardinal in 2022 at the age of 80. The following year, Pope Francis also appointed him patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Ghirlanda was a close adviser of popes and of Vatican offices on issues of canon law and assisted in the renewal of the religious congregation the Legion of Christ among others. At the age of 82, he is a non-elector. 

Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, is recognized around the world for his spiritual writing and orthodox position on Church teachings. Originally from Guinea, where he became the youngest bishop in the world in 1975, in Rome the 79-year-old is considered an influential voice on the faith following his years as head of the pontifical council Cor Unum, and then prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He retired in 2021. 

Highly regarded in and outside the Vatican, Cardinal Peter Turkson, 76, is chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. From Ghana, his first role in the Vatican was president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace from 2009 to 2017. Pope Francis then chose him as inaugural prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development from 2017 to 2021.

North America 

North America, comprising Canada and the United States, has 36 living cardinals, 20 of whom are eligible to vote in the conclave. One of the most senior is Cardinal Timothy Dolan, 75, archbishop of New York since 2009. A leading conservative voice among U.S. cardinals, Dolan’s previous posts include a four-year term as president of the U.S. bishops’ conference and seven years as rector of the Pontifical North American College, a seminary in Rome for U.S. students preparing for priesthood. 

Archbishop of Chicago for over 10 years, 76-year-old Cardinal Blase Cupich emerged during Francis’ pontificate as an unofficial go-between for the more left-leaning U.S. bishops and the Vatican. 

While not an American, in the North American region Cardinal Christophe Pierre wields significant influence as the pope’s representative to the United States of America since 2016. The 79-year-old Frenchman has served in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since the mid-1990s as apostolic nuncio to Haiti, Uganda, and Mexico. 

Africa 

There are 18 cardinal electors from Africa in the college, 16 of whom were chosen by Pope Francis, including Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, archbishop of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A champion for social justice, including in the political sphere, the 65-year-old cardinal has emerged as a leader of the Church in Africa. He is president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and led the Church in Africa’s opposition to Fiducia Supplicans, a declaration from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith allowing the blessing of same-sex couples.  

Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga of Bangui, 58, was the Church’s youngest cardinal at the time of his elevation in 2016 and is the first-ever cardinal from the Central African Republic. In November 2015, he welcomed Pope Francis in the Diocese of Bangui where the Holy Father opened the first door of the Holy Year of Mercy. As a participant in the 2018 Youth Synod, Nzapalainga emphasized the importance of the Gospel and resisting Western “ideological colonization.” 

Europe 

Many of the important voices among cardinals in Europe are non-electors, including Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the archbishop emeritus of Genoa. The 82-year-old was president of the Italian bishops’ conference from 2007–2017 and served five-year terms as vice president and then president of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE). 

The 94-year-old Cardinal Camillo Ruini is also an influential figure in the Church in Italy. He has held many different leadership roles, most importantly as vicar general of Rome from 1991–2008 and president of the Italian bishops’ conference from 1991–2007. 

Luxembourg’s archbishop, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, SJ, was a key leader of the multiyear Synod on Synodality at the Vatican. The 66-year-old, who has occasionally expressed controversial opinions on issues such as women priests and homosexuality, was a member of the pope’s council of cardinal advisers and spent a term as president of the European bishops’ commission (COMECE). 

Cardinal Roberto Repole, archbishop of the northern Italian Archdiocese of Turin and bishop of Susa, is a rising star in the Italian episcopate. The 58-year-old theologian, made a cardinal in 2024, was one of the Italian bishop delegates to the Synod on Synodality, during which he was invited to speak as an expert at a public theological forum. He is also a member of a synod study group on “the synodal missionary face of the local Church.” 

Recently retired as archbishop of Vienna, Austria, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, 80, is also a non-elector. A theologian who led Austria’s most populous archdiocese for three decades, Schönborn helped write the Catechism of the Catholic Church and chaired the Austrian bishops’ conference for 22 years. He was also chairman of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals. 

Asia/Oceania 

Cardinal Mario Zenari, 79, originally from Italy, has served as the pope’s representative in Syria since 2008, where he has been a powerful advocate for the people suffering for over a decade from civil war and for Christians throughout the Middle East. As a member of the Vatican’s diplomatic corps since 1980, he was stationed in Germany during the fall of the Berlin Wall. He has also been apostolic nuncio in Sri Lanka, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Niger, and been the Holy See’s observer at several United Nations institutions. 

The head of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC), Cardinal Charles Bo became the first cardinal of Myanmar in 2015. The 76-year-old cardinal, who has led the Archdiocese of Yangon since 2003, told EWTN News in 2021 he feels called to be a voice for human rights for his people in the Church in Asia, including under Myanmar’s military coup. 

Latin America 

Cardinal Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, OFM, is archbishop of Manaus in the Amazonian part of Brazil. The 74-year-old cardinal participated in both the Amazon synod and the Synod on Synodality and is known for being a defender of the poor and Indigenous. He is also considered “pro-LGBTQ.” In the past he has stated that “there will be a way” to end mandatory priestly celibacy. 

The 64-year-old Cardinal Jaime Spengler, OFM, has emerged as a prominent figure in the Church in Brazil and throughout South America, heading both the Catholic bishops’ conference of Brazil and the Latin American bishops’ conference (CELAM). As archbishop of Porto Alegre, he has also supported an Amazonian rite of the Mass and urged “openness” to the idea of married priests to combat priest shortages in his part of the world.  

A fellow Brazilian, Cardinal João Braz de Aviz retired as prefect of the Vatican’s congregation for consecrated life in January. The 78-year-old supports liberation theology and was one of Pope Francis’ hand-picked delegates to the 2019 Amazon Synod. 

Cardinal Fernando Sturla Berhouet, SDB, heads the Archdiocese of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. Before becoming a bishop, Sturla, a member of the Salesian religious order, served as Salesian provincial for Uruguay and then president of the Conference of Religious of Uruguay. The 65-year-old cardinal has battled to preserve the faith as his country becomes increasingly secular. His priestly ministry is characterized by a care for the weakest and the spiritual accompaniment of young people. 

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CNA Staff, May 1, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A group of religious sisters in Cleveland is launching a multimillion-dollar archive center that will help collect, preserve, and share the stories of women religious in the United States. 

Sister Susan Durkin, OSU, told CNA that the Women Religious Archives Collaborative will ensure the preservation of the “tremendous stories of how sisters in the United States overcame insurmountable obstacles to serve the people in front of them.”

Durkin said that when she was serving as the president of the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland, the congregation undertook a project to downsize its motherhouse. 

“In our downsizing we had to make a decision about what to do with our archives,” she said, describing the storage option in the reduced space as “not a long-term strategy.” 

Leaders in the Cleveland Diocese expressed interest in a possible archive project. The Ursuline congregation, meanwhile, was working with an archival consultant on its own collection. 

Durkin said the archivist told them: “Look, this project is bigger than the Diocese of Cleveland. You might want to reach out further.” 

The sisters began inquiring in multiple states. The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, meanwhile, provided seed money to help launch the project. After undertaking sustainability modeling, the project became incorporated in 2022. 

“We’re incorporated in the state of Ohio and we’re in the Catholic directory,” Durkin said. “We have a board, a board committee, bylaws, codes, and regulations. We’re an official nonprofit. We’re looking to build this heritage center here in Cleveland.”

‘Really a unique and inspirational story’

The project has already amassed dozens of collections from around the country, Durkin said. 

“Right now we have 41 collections and continue to be in conversation with other congregations,” she said. “It grew from something that was regional to something bigger.”

The collections will include historical information about why a religious community served in a certain area and why it expanded to other places, Durkin said. “There will be individual sister stories, ministry stories, and then the sisters’ influence in the arts and music.” 

One particular area of focus, she said, will be in how many congregations, post-Vatican II, experienced a shift in ministry from more institutional systems like medical care and education to broader endeavors. 

“There are so many tremendous stories of how sisters overcame insurmountable obstacles to serve the people in front of them,” she said. “It’s not just that we’re preserving history. It’s about animating those stories. The sisters aren’t going away, and we need to manage these collections in a way that becomes useful and visible.”

The centerpiece of the project is a major facility in the Central neighborhood of Cleveland, which Durkin noted is “one of the poorest per capita in the U.S.” The sisters are aiming to have the archival center revitalize the neighborhood.

“We’re making an investment there,” Durkin said, calling the effort “not gentrification, but a renaissance.”

The archival project has launched a major capital campaign to that end with the goal of raising $24 million. The building itself will cost $22 million and the sisters hope to cover operational costs for the first year. 

The facility will include research facilities for archivists and other historians as well as an exhibit space with permanent and rotating exhibits, along with multipurpose rooms and other accommodations.

Ultimately, Durkin said, the goal of the project is to ensure that people will have access to the history and the stories of women religious in the United States, offering “examples for up-and-coming generations to show how our faith motivates us and how it’s important to us.”

“I think that resilience and that determination, and just total reliance on the providence of God, is really a unique and inspirational story,” she said. “And we need to continue to tell that.”

CNA Staff, May 1, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

St. Joseph, the beloved spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and earthly father of Jesus, is celebrated twice by the Catholic Church every year — first on March 19 for the feast of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, and again on May 1 for the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

While the saint’s March feast dates back to the 10th century, his May feast wasn’t instituted until 1955. What was behind it?

May Day

Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1, 1955, so that it would coincide with International Workers Day, also known as May Day — a secular celebration of labor and workers’ rights.

During this time, the Soviet Union proclaimed itself as “the defender of workers” and utilized May Day as an opportunity to exalt communism and parade its military prowess. Pope Pius XII chose the date specifically to ensure that workers did not lose the Christian understanding of work.

In his address to the Catholic Association of Italian Workers on that day in 1955, Pius XII said: “There could not be a better protector to help you penetrate the spirit of the Gospel into your life … From the heart of the Man-God, Savior of the world, this spirit flows into you and into all men; but it is certain that no worker has ever been as perfectly and deeply penetrated by it as the putative father of Jesus, who lived with him in the closest intimacy and commonality of family and work.”

He added: “So, if you want to be close to Christ, we also today repeat to you ‘Ite ad Ioseph’ — Go to Joseph!”

The Catholic Church has long placed an importance on the dignity of human work. By working, we fulfill the commands found in the Book of Genesis to care for the earth and be productive in our labors.

In his encyclical Laborem Exercens, Pope John Paul II wrote that “the Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to help to guide [social] changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society.”

St. Joseph is considered a role model of this as he worked tirelessly to protect and provide for his family as he strove to listen to and obey God.

Even before the institution of this feast, many popes were beginning to spread a devotion to St. Joseph the Worker. One of these was Pope Leo XIII, who wrote on the subject in his encyclical Quamquam Pluries in 1889.

He wrote: “Joseph became the guardian, the administrator, and the legal defender of the divine house whose chief he was. And during the whole course of his life he fulfilled those charges and those duties. He set himself to protect with a mighty love and a daily solicitude his spouse and the Divine Infant; regularly by his work he earned what was necessary for the one and the other for nourishment and clothing; he guarded from death the Child threatened by a monarch’s jealousy, and found for him a refuge; in the miseries of the journey and in the bitternesses of exile he was ever the companion, the assistance, and the upholder of the Virgin and of Jesus.”

In addition to being the patron of the universal Church and workers in general, St. Joseph is also the patron saint of several professions including craftsmen, carpenters, accountants, attorneys, bursars, cabinetmakers, cemetery workers, civil engineers, confectioners, educators, furniture makers, wheelwrights, and lawyers.

This article was first publoshed on May 1, 2024, and has been updated.

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