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Vatican City, Nov 13, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV honored the late Argentine businessman Enrique Shaw as one whose life demonstrates that “one can be both an entrepreneur and a saint” and that “economic efficiency and fidelity to the Gospel are not mutually exclusive.”

In a message to participants of the 31st Industrial Conference of Argentina, taking place Thursday in Buenos Aires, Leo emphasized the harmony between Shaw’s Christian faith and his business practices, which he said showed that Catholic social teaching “is not an abstract theory or an unworkable utopia but a possible path that transforms the lives of individuals and institutions by placing Christ at the center of all human activity.”

Support for just wages, worker formation

Shaw was born in 1921 at the Ritz Hotel in Paris into an elite Argentine family. Despite the comfort his upbringing could have afforded him, he chose a path of generosity, service, and deep humanity. He died at age 41 and was declared venerable by Pope Francis in 2021. His cause for beatification is now at an advanced stage in the Vatican.

During his short life, Shaw promoted fair wages, expanded formation programs, cared for workers’ health, and supported their families in concrete ways.

The pope noted that Shaw “did not conceive profitability as an absolute but as an important aspect to sustain a human, just, and solidarity-based company.”

Recalling that Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum was the “foundational act” of modern Catholic social teaching, he said it is evident that Shaw’s writings and decisions were shaped by that text. In Rerum Novarum, he explained, the Church denounced unjust labor conditions and affirmed strongly that “neither justice nor humanity can tolerate the requirement of such labor that the spirit is dulled by excessive work and the body overwhelmed by fatigue.”

‘The dignity of the worker continues to be violated’

The pope stressed that the encyclical’s insights — born in a time of major industrial transformation — retain “striking relevance in the globalized world we inhabit, where the dignity of the worker continues all too often to be violated.”

He also recalled that Shaw “knew the misunderstanding and persecution foretold by Christ for those who work for justice,” noting that he was imprisoned under the government of Juan Domingo Perón in May 1955.

“Later he faced illness, but he never stopped working or encouraging those around him. He offered his suffering to God as an act of love and, even amid pain, remained close to his workers,” the pope said.

For this reason, he proposed Shaw as a “model for our time” for all who work in the economic and labor sectors, insisting that holiness “must flourish precisely where decisions are made that affect the lives of thousands of families.”

“The world urgently needs entrepreneurs and leaders who, out of love for God and neighbor, work for an economy at the service of the common good,” he concluded.

A pioneer of Catholic social teaching in business

Shaw was a pioneer in applying Catholic social teaching in the corporate world, anticipating what is now known as corporate social responsibility. He held leadership positions in major companies, but his greatest legacy was the founding in 1952 of the Christian Association of Business Leaders (ACDE), which sought to promote an ethical business culture rooted in Christian values.

He maintained a respectful and close relationship with his employees, whom he regarded not as resources but as collaborators.

In 1957, Shaw was diagnosed with an aggressive and incurable cancer. He faced the illness with unshakable faith and serenity, continuing his work and apostolic commitments until his death on Aug. 27, 1962.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

EWTN News, Nov 13, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Representatives of the Roman Curia and the German bishops’ conference met on Wednesday to continue discussions on the proposed statute of a “synodal conference” for the Church in Germany, marking the fourth such dialogue since talks began in 2022.

The meeting, held in Rome on Nov. 12, took place in what a joint press statement described as an “honest, open, and constructive atmosphere,” with both sides discussing various aspects of the planned synodal body’s character, composition, and competencies.

No further details of the encounter were shared. 

The proposed conference concept represents the latest iteration of plans to establish a permanent body in Germany in the wake of the controversial Synodal Way, following repeated interventions by Pope Francis and the Vatican.

The now-proposed German “synodal conference” was previously touted as a permanent synodal council, but both the name and statutes were changed last year following discussions in Rome that led to assurances both sides wanted to “change the name and various aspects of the previous draft” for the body. 

Both sides also announced last year that the synodal council would not be “above or equal to the bishops’ conference.”

The meeting on Wednesday continued the series of encounters that previously took place in July 2023, March 2024, and June 2024.

Bavarian bishop as ‘guest’

Vatican representatives on Wednesday included Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state; Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity; and Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

The German delegation was led by Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, president of the German bishops’ conference, along with Bishop Helmut Dieser of Aachen, Auxiliary Bishop Ansgar Puff of Cologne, and Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau, who participated as a guest. 

Oster’s presence as “guest” is particularly noteworthy, as the Bavarian prelate has been an outspoken critic of the German Synodal Way and has distanced himself from the controversial plans.

The body of a priest reported missing in late October outside Mexico City has been found wrapped in plastic and tied to a chair in a river, the Mexico state prosecutor’s office said Thursday.

CNA Staff, Nov 13, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

According to a new survey, engagement among U.S. adults who identify as Catholic is strong, especially among the youngest adults, and there is growing trust in the Church after the fallout of the clergy sexual abuse crisis of the early 2000s.

In July, Leadership Roundtable commissioned a polling firm to conduct a national survey of Catholics in the U.S. in order to inform Church leaders of problems as well as strengths within the Catholic Church since the sexual abuse crisis came to national attention in 2002 and the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was composed to address it.

Researchers composed a 72-question survey and divided respondents into three groups: the Faithful (1,541 respondents), the Occasional (472 respondents), and the Disengaged (1,020). The Faithful said they attend Mass at least monthly, the Occasional said they go a few times a year, and the Disengaged said they go “seldom” or “never.”

Although the Catholic Church in the U.S. has shrunk from 65 million to 50 million people in the more than two decades since the sexual abuse crisis and engagement is “at an all-time low,” the survey’s findings are cause for hope, the authors say.

In a reversal from the organization’s 2003 survey, adults between the ages of 18–29 are now the most likely group (84%) to attend Mass regularly and to be active in their parishes in addition to Mass (attending Eucharistic adoration, social events, and confession), the survey found. 

The group’s 2003 survey of 1,004 Catholics found that Mass attendance increased with age. The 2025 survey found the opposite to be true: Two-thirds of young adults (65%) said they attend Mass at least monthly now, compared with 43% of adults aged 45–64 and 42% of those over 65 years old. In 2003, 83% of adults 45–64 and 85% of those over 65 attended monthly. 

Trust in the Church

The survey found that Catholics trust their pastor and other parish staff more than they trust the Church as an institution. 

Nearly 80% of respondents said they trust parish staff and volunteers to protect children, and 77% said they trust their pastor and other clergy. 

“Building a transparent and accountable leadership culture” was one of the highest priorities across all age groups, according to the survey. For 77% of respondents, it was among their top two priorities, with 45% giving it the highest possible rating of “extremely important.”

In 2003, 70% of respondents said they had high confidence in their bishops as doctrinal authorities but low confidence in them (44%) as listeners of the opinions of laity or parish priests.

That low confidence has not changed much in two decades. In the recent survey, just 49% said they think their bishops involve the laity in solving Church issues. Fewer, 47%, believe bishops “lead with financial transparency,” and 45% worry that their donations will go to paying legal fees and abuse settlements.

Catholics who donate regularly to their parishes (61%) say they would give more if they thought the Church was more transparent about financial matters. Nearly three-quarters of them (72%) said they would give less if there was a scandal in their parish or diocese. 

Of Catholics who go to Mass sometimes, 58% donate financially to their parish at least once a year. Of the 42% who never give, 39% cited a lack of financial transparency as their reason.

Regarding education, of U.S. Catholics whose parishes have a parish school, only 53% said they think the school is thriving. This was the lowest rating of all youth formation activities surveyed.  

According to its website, Leadership Roundtable, founded in 2003 in the aftermath of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, is a nonprofit organization composed of clergy, laity, and religious “working together to promote best practices and accountability in the management, finances, communications, and human resource development of the Catholic Church in the U.S., including greater incorporation of the expertise of the laity.”

In this week’s news from the Eastern Churches, produced in collaboration with L'Œuvre d'Orient: Romanian Greek Catholics get a new Major Archbishop, a Turkish Christian village regains its Aramaic name, and Christians return to al-Ghassaniyah, Syria.

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Vatican City, Nov 13, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Pontifical Lateran University, the historic institution founded in 1773 by Pope Clement XIV, will inaugurate the academic year on Nov. 14.

The ceremony — the traditional “Dies Academicus” (“Academic Day”) in university parlance — is held every autumn as the official opening of university activities, but this year it will have a very special guest: Pope Leo XIV.

The rector of the Lateran University, Archbishop Alfonso Amarante — the only rector of all the pontifical universities directly appointed by the pope — emphasized that the Holy Father’s visit not only evokes the long tradition of the bond between the popes and the university but also highlights his “pastoral care for the formation of the future of the Church and society.”

“The pope is very clear that formation is the future of the Church. His visit will be a very important moment for the entire university community and also a sign of the pontiff’s commitment to education as a path to peace and hope,” Amarante told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

The rector said Pope Leo’s presence at the Pontifical Lateran University, which boasts over two and a half centuries of intellectual work, “is as if he were visiting all the pontifical universities.”

“Certainly, he will also visit others in the future, but starting from here means recalling this special bond with his university and, at the same time, sending a message of hope to the world of education, as he did during the Jubilee of the World of Education,” the rector noted.

‘This is his home’

“This is his home, according to the statutes,” the Italian archbishop pointed out, noting that the Pontifical Lateran University is the only university with a special title indicating that it is the pope’s university.

It was founded after the closure of the historic Roman College, where priests were initially formed. “The aim was to ensure continuity to the formation of the Roman clergy,” he explained. “At first, it was spread out across various parts of Rome, but since the beginning of the 20th century, it has been located here.”

The bond between this pontifical university and the Apostolic See of the Vatican was strengthened above all by Pope Pius XI. On Nov. 3, 1937, he inaugurated the new headquarters for the Athenaeum, which had been built under his papacy. Furthermore, “he wanted this to be the first university to implement the new norms for the reform of Catholic universities,” he noted. 

“With John XXIII, this relationship intensified even further,” he pointed out. The rector also recalled that before being elected successor of Peter, Pope Paul VI taught here. “It has always been the place of formation for the Petrine magisterium,” he emphasized.

A living papal tradition

The rector remarked that all the popes of the modern era have visited the Lateran University, but Leo XIV’s presence at the opening of the academic year is a first. 

“All the popes I can recall have come to the university. But the pontiff’s presence at the opening of the academic year is a gesture full of meaning. It makes us understand how important the formation is to him, not only for future priests but also for the laity. Because this university has a dual soul: Here philosophy, theology, and canon law are studied but also civil law and a new discipline called peace studies, a kind of degree in politics with a focus on the subject of peace,” he explained.

Enthusiasm and hope in the academic community

In the days leading up to the pope’s visit, anticipation and joy fill the Lateran University. “There is a great deal of enthusiasm here,” Amarante noted.

“There is joy and hope. We trust that we will hear his words at the beginning of the academic year, not only to be encouraged in our work but also to receive guidance on where he wants us to make progress, on what we should focus on more,” he emphasized.

Currently, the Pontifical Lateran University has around 1,100 students, of whom more than 40% are laypeople, according to the rector. This diversity, he noted, reflects the current mission of the pontifical university: a place for formation at the service of the universal Church and society.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

With a new chirograph, Pope Leo decrees that the Apostleship of the Sea will be responsible for promoting the pastoral care of the “people of the sea".

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National Catholic Register, Nov 13, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

In April 1912, Mother Frances Cabrini was in Italy with her sisters. Her plans were to visit her foundations in France, Spain, and England before sailing back to the United States in mid-April to continue work in New York City. Her sisters in England were eagerly awaiting this visit from their 62-year-old founder and superior. To help make her journey back to the U.S. more comfortable, they bought her a ticket and booked passage on a new ocean liner, the RMS Titanic.

Although an intrepid traveler who would eventually make 24 transatlantic crossings to establish her foundation, hospitals, and orphanages, Mother Cabrini was not a fan of ocean voyages since she had almost drowned as a child.

While the sisters in England waited, word got to Mother Cabrini that there was trouble at the Columbus Hospital she had established in New York. It was overflowing and there was urgent business to settle connected to a new expansion. She could not wait. She had to get back to raise desperately needed money to proceed with the project. So she changed her plans and left early, sailing from Naples, disappointing the sisters in England who had booked her passage on the Titanic.

The prefix “RMS” in “RMS Titanic” stood for “Royal Mail Ship” because it would also carry mail under contract to the British Royal Mail — an important bit of context for something she wrote in a May 5, 1912, letter to a Sister Gesuina Dotti:

“Only two of your letters I have received so far, and if you have sent five, then it must be said that it went down into the depths with the Titanic. If I was going to London, I might have left with it, but Divine Providence, which is constantly watching, did not allow it. God be blessed.”

Another close call at sea

This was not Frances Cabrini’s only miss with an iceberg.

In 1890, on her second trip to New York, she was among 1,000 passengers on a ship called La Normandie. The seas were very heavy one night and most skipped dinner and stayed in their cabins — except Mother Cabrini and five other souls. She knew of the dangerous situation and back in the cabin remained ready to save her sisters and herself if the call came to go to the lifeboats. She would later report that “the Good Lord … lulled us all to sleep on a great seesaw, rocking us back and forth.”

But that was only the beginning. As the storm raged on the next day, she braved going on deck, finding a chair in a relatively safe place, and continued writing a letter. In it, she wrote:

“You should see how beautiful the sea is in its great movement, how it swells and foams! It is truly a marvel! … If you were all here with me, daughters, crossing this immense ocean, you would exclaim, ‘Oh how great and wonderful is God in his works!’”

Now that is enlightenment from someone who did not like sailing one bit. Maybe because two days earlier she had, as told in an article about her, “compared the tranquility of the sea to the joy experienced by a soul abiding in the peace of God’s grace. No matter what the circumstances, she was able to see the love of Jesus shining through.”

That was not all on this trip.

Next, around midnight, “we felt a strong jolt and the ship stopped suddenly,” she would write about one such event after another on this journey. She and her sisters dressed and readied to board lifeboats if necessary. The trouble turned out to be something wrong with the engine. At that point “the sea became calm and beautiful” and the ship remained practically motionless until the engine was fixed by the morning and the ship was again able to continue. The breakdown caused an 11-hour delay — a delay that likely saved the ship and passengers from a disaster.

Two days later, Mother Cabrini said, “toward 11 we saw ourselves surrounded by icebergs on every part of the horizon … they were about 12 times the size of our ship.” The captain reduced the ship’s speed to weave slowly and carefully through the ice field to avoid colliding with the “immense, jagged fortresses.”

A story recorded at her shrine described it this way: “Mother Cabrini noted that though they had complained when the engine broke, the crisis was a great grace. Without that delay, the ship’s encounter with the icebergs would have occurred in the dark, most likely with dire consequences.”

‘Supported by my Beloved’

Then there was the time the train she was riding from one orphanage to another was shot at outside of Dallas by enemies of the railroad. She remained unruffled and recounted later how one bullet “aimed at my head fell to my side, while it should have pierced my cranium.” When those aboard were aghast about her escape, she told them: “It was the Sacred Heart to whom I had entrusted the journey.”

Shortly after this incident, she wrote a letter stating: “Didn’t I write and tell you that I am alive miraculously?”

From the Titanic to La Normandie to Dallas, there was no question about divine providence in Mother Cabrini’s life. As she would write: “Supported by my Beloved, none of these adversities can shake me. But if I trust in myself, I will fall.” And: “In whatever difficulty I may encounter I want to trust in the goodness of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who will never abandon me.”

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

A new book by Pope Leo XIV, “La forza del Vangelo: la fede cristiana in 10 parole,” includes a previously unpublished text by the Holy Father. Published by Libreria Editrice Vaticana and set to be released November 20, “La forza del Vangelo,” is an anthology of interventions and speeches by Pope Leo organized around key Christian themes.

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