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Rules about kneeling at Communion spark debate over bishop’s authority in Charlotte

After Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, issued a pastoral letter outlining that Catholics are expected to stand during the reception of Communion in the diocese — and directing churches to remove kneeling supports like altar rails — clergy and lay Catholics quickly began reacting both in Charlotte and online.

In the Dec. 17 letter, Martin cited guidance from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, with Vatican approval, in stating that « the norm … is that Holy Communion is to be received standing, unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling. » Martin emphasized that Catholics will not be denied Communion « solely based on their posture. » However, the new directive prohibits diocesan churches from placing kneelers, altar rails and prie-dieus, all used to provide support for those who choose to kneel. The directive is set to take effect Jan. 16.

Preexisting, permanent altar rails will not be removed, diocesan officials said. Only temporary or movable kneelers are set to leave churches.

Liz Chandler, director of communications for the Charlotte Diocese, said only a small number of the diocese’s 93 parishes currently use such kneelers. « We don’t have a solid count but it’s a small number, » Chandler wrote in an email to RNS. « There’s no cost associated since those being removed are not fixed to the floor. »

However, as the Jan. 16 implementation date approaches, the letter has exposed divisions in the Charlotte Diocese over liturgical authority, leadership style and worship practices that predate Martin’s letter.

In May, the National Catholic Register reported on a leaked draft of new liturgical norms attributed to Martin that outlined restrictions on altar rails and kneelers, using Latin, ad orientem worship and other traditional practices, igniting backlash online.

While diocesan officials frame removing the kneelers as a reaffirmation of universal Catholic norms, critics — including Charlotte priests, canon lawyers and some local Catholics — are questioning the bishop’s authority to mandate them. The debate has also played out online, demonstrating how social media has amplified internal church disputes that historically took place largely outside of public view.

Reaction to the pastoral letter has become a popular topic in Catholic online spaces, drawing commentary from Charlotte and beyond, with one X user writing this week, « The incoherence of the Charlotte diocese’s ban on altar rails. » Another asked, « If a parish wants to use the rails, why is this a problem? Doesn’t it encourage piety? » 

And on Jan. 5, The Pillar, an independent Catholic news outlet, reported that more than 30 priests in Charlotte had submitted a formal request to the Vatican seeking clarification on the bishop’s authority regarding the directive. The request, known as a dubia, asks the Holy See to weigh in on questions of episcopal authority over liturgical practice.

« I don’t think I’ve experienced anything like that, where there is this questioning of the bishop’s authority to Rome, » said Fr. Patrick Cahill, pastor of Charlotte’s St. Matthew Catholic Church, which has about 12,000 registered families, making it the largest parish in the diocese.

Cahill said he believes Catholic faith is, in part, belief that God has given the community the right leader at the right time. « It’s kind of a confusing sign to me, » he said. « Rome is the one that put this bishop here last year. So, it’s kind of like, ask them if they’re sure, I guess. » He plans to obey the bishop’s directive. 

Ellen, a lifelong Charlotte resident and Catholic who has attended the same parish in the diocese for six years, did not want her last name published due to the intensity of the reaction to the issue and concerns about protecting her family. « I can’t say I’ve ever seen a bishop treated like this before, » she said. « But perhaps social media is just giving more public avenues for it. »

At her parish, Ellen said the directive itself has had little practical effect. « Everyone at the Masses I attend stands anyway, » she said. « I truly don’t think I’ve seen a single person kneel for Communion at my parish. » Ultimately, Ellen said she supports the bishop.

« Communion isn’t the place to make a spectacle of yourself to be a distraction to the priest or to other parishioners, » she said.

Fr. Noah Carter, director of liturgy for the Charlotte Diocese, said his initial response to the letter was simply obedience. At his own parish, Holy Cross Parish in Kernersville, two long kneelers were constructed in 2021 by a parishioner but will be moved to the front of the sanctuary and not used for Holy Communion, Carter said. « By our conformity with the bishop’s letter, we’re removing them, » he said.

At Holy Cross, which has 2,700 registered families, approximately 45% of whom are Spanish-speaking, Carter said he does not closely track how parishioners are positioned while receiving Communion. « I can’t give a number or even say whether it’s a majority or minority, » he said. « I don’t really pay attention to the posture of people who come up to receive Communion. »

Still, Carter said the directive aligns with Catholic practice. « No one in the Catholic Church celebrates Mass in their own way, » Carter said. « We follow universal norms and local standards. »

Before the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, Catholics typically received Communion while kneeling at altar rails, which were standard fixtures in churches across the United States. Although most Catholics today receive Communion standing, kneeling and other traditional postures have become more common in some parishes in recent years, a trend sometimes associated with the so-called « trad Cath » movement — a popular subject for both news outlets and online communities.

Ellen and Cahill said that in Charlotte, some of the local backlash reflects an adjustment to Martin’s leadership style. Martin, a Franciscan appointed by Pope Francis in 2024, succeeded Bishop Peter Jugis, who led the diocese for more than two decades and was regarded as more conservative in liturgical matters.

« You have a new bishop come in a year and a half ago, who has a completely different style, » Cahill said. « He’s focused on renewal, poverty, simplicity … which is completely different from the previous mission. That has kind of heightened this whole conversation. »

During his tenure, Martin has also reduced the number of parishes permitted to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass from three to one. The Chapel of the Little Flower in Mooresville is now the only parish in the diocese authorized to offer it.

The pastoral letter does not explicitly address the traditional Latin Mass, but diocesan officials clarified that the directive does not apply to the Chapel of the Little Flower. Fr. Brandon Jones, the chapel’s pastor, declined to comment and directed RNS to Chandler.

For some Catholics, the directive raises legal questions about canon law. Dominican Fr. Pius Pietrzyk, a canon lawyer based in Washington, D.C., questioned whether the pastoral letter carries the legitimacy of binding law.

« For the most part, when the Mass gives options, the universal authority, the church has vested those options in … not the bishop, [but] the priest celebrant, » Pietrzyk said. « It’s not clear that his document is that, and it does seem to lack some of the indicia one would normally expect of a legislative act. »

In his view, Pietrzyk said he sees the directive as Martin enforcing his liturgical preference. « It’s very clear that the bishop has a certain personal taste in liturgy, and what it seems that he’s doing is imposing his personal taste in liturgy on his diocese, » Pietrzyk said.

Martin was unavailable for comment, Chandler said. 

Within the Catholic Church, bishops are charged with ensuring that Mass is celebrated according to universal norms, though the Vatican has not indicated whether it will respond to the dubia submitted by Charlotte priests.

Timothy O’Malley, the academic director of the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Liturgy in Indiana, said he has been following debates in Charlotte for over six months regarding the issue and that online backlash has complicated an already sensitive situation.

« Bits and pieces of this pastoral letter have been leaking out over the last several months, » O’Malley said. « I wish these conversations were happening between priests and their bishop — that’s the healthy thing. »

« I don’t know who’s at fault, » he said. « But this is not a healthy way to proceed. »

Ellen said she hopes tensions will ease and that online commentary will not affect the future of the local Catholic Church.

« I hope the bishop has the fortitude to stay the course, » she said, « and stop the local church from being dragged backwards. »

Turning to the Blessed Virgin Mary in prayer

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‘She could have been any of us’: Faith leaders mourn Renee Good in Minneapolis

On Jan. 7, the intersection of 34th Street and Portland Avenue was a chaotic scene of violence and tears. A mangled maroon Honda Pilot sat crushed against a telephone pole as its driver, Renee Good, lay dying after being shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Bystanders, including a woman who identified herself as Good’s wife, screamed and sobbed.

Days after the incident, the vehicle and ICE agents are gone. But the tears are not, and neither is the outrage.

On Jan. 9, dozens of mourners and faith leaders gathered at the same intersection for an impromptu memorial — one of multiple in the area — for Good. As neighbors and dignitaries that included  U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, Democrat of Minnesota, shuffled carefully over a patch of ice stretching alongside the growing mountain of flowers, candles and photos, three clergy members belted a rendition of the hymn « We Rise. »

Good’s killing by a federal agent has kicked off a wave of protests across the country. And while President Donald Trump’s administration has insisted the ICE agent who shot her was acting in self-defense, Minnesotans gathered at Good’s memorial who saw video footage of the incident were unconvinced and frustrated by the continued actions of ICE and Department of Homeland Security agents enacting the president’s mass deportation agenda across the city.

« We’re gathered because somebody was murdered by agents of the government, » the Rev. Dana Neuhauser, a United Methodist minister who sang with the group, said in an interview. « But we’ve been showing up in a variety of ways because our neighbors are being snatched. Parents being snatched in front of the school. »

She added, « It’s all just too much, but my faith requires me to show up. »

Around the corner from the memorial, another group gathered in front of Park Avenue United Methodist Church, the house of worship nearest the scene of the shooting. The Rev. Jennifer Ikoma-Motzko, a pastor at the church, opened what was described as a « solidarity service » by reflecting on her background as a Japanese American who grew up hearing stories of Japanese internment during World War II.

Her family, Ikoma-Motzko said, « saw personally what happens when executive order, when government weaponizes fear against its own people. » She said her grandmother would send her stories and even comic books about the experience of internment.

« It astounds me and it grieves me to carry out her legacy consistently year after year, and even today to see that same sort of fear and violence happening here in our communities, » Ikoma-Motzko said.

She was echoed by the faith leaders back at the memorial. The Rev. Ashley Horan, the vice president for programs and ministries at the Unitarian Universalist Association lives just a block from where Good was killed. Horan was one of several people who rushed to the scene shortly after the incident, livestreaming as bystanders confronted DHS officials who responded with tear gas and pepper spray.

« I’m here because this is our city, and this is how we show up, » she said. « We have always taken care of each other because we know that the government is not doing that for us. »

Horan said Good was reportedly operating as an « observer » when she was killed — a practice that has sprung up around the country since the president began his mass deportation campaign. Observers often follow and monitor ICE agents in public places, blowing whistles to alert nearby people and filming officials to document their activities.

It’s a practice taken up by a wide range of advocates — including, Horan said, clergy like herself.

« She could have been any of us, » Horan said, referring to Good.

Observers still appeared to be operating throughout Minneapolis on Jan 9. Earlier that morning, the Rev. Susie Hayward — a United Church of Christ pastor who was among those shoved by DHS officials and hit with pepper spray the day Good was killed — pointed out a person with binoculars standing on a street corner in a nearby neighborhood. The person, she said, was an observer attempting to identify ICE agents in their cars, as the enforcement officials often operate in unmarked vehicles.

Nearby at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, faith leaders joined union members and advocates for a demonstration. Standing in front of a banner reading « Minnesotans were abducted here, » the Rev. Paul Graham, an Evangelical Lutheran Church of America pastor, condemned the detention and deportation of airport workers by ICE, as well as deportation flights operating out of the facility.

« Love of neighbor is essential for our communities to thrive and for us to live together as God intends, » Graham said. « The ICE activity in Minnesota is a violation of my faith as I understand it. »

Graham also demanded ICE leave the state of Minnesota « immediately, » and for the ICE agent who killed Good « to be held accountable. »

« We call for peace and justice in our communities, » Graham said. Moments later, the airport group, which consisted of dozens of people, began singing « We Shall Overcome. »

Afterward, Graham talked with reporters alongside Rabbi Eva Cohen, who leads Or Emet, a local Humanistic Jewish synagogue.

« In Jewish tradition, when a person dies we say may their memory be a blessing, » Cohen said. « So thinking about Renee Good — a good person, a decent person, a mother, someone who cared about her community and standing up — may the loss of her life not be in vain. May her memory inspire us to continue to peacefully stand up for what is right. »

Cohen also said her young daughter, who was playing at her feet, was with her at the demonstration because of the actions of immigration agents. Schools in the city have been closed since Jan. 7, when U.S. Border Patrol officers arrived at a local high school property and began tackling people and releasing chemical weapons on bystanders. According to Minnesota Public Radio, at least two school staff members were handcuffed during the incident.

« Many families of children at my daughter’s school are very frightened, » Cohen said.

Graham said raids at schools have impacted his daughter as well, who teaches first grade in the city. He said his daughter spent the day Good was killed « on lockdown » with her students and has observed people being detained.

« She witnessed a cafeteria worker hauled out of the school, » Graham said. « These things just should not be normalized, they’re not OK, and we need to keep saying that over and over and over again. »

Turning to the Blessed Virgin Mary in prayer

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As the new year unfolds, consider this message from a dream

Does hope come in sizes, like small, medium and large, depending on the season of the soul? One Christmas, I had a dream about a messenger: I had bought a bunch of bananas and when I put them on the kitchen counter, an exquisite little bird flew out, about the size of a beetle. It was a brilliant, iridescent royal blue, and began flying around the house.

I was worried about its safety, so I made a shelter for it in a jar. However, it seemed to want to be free, and kept flitting from room to room, with me chasing it. A friend arrived and in opening the door, the little bird escaped outside and disappeared. In the dream, I was distraught, rushing around trying to find it and concerned it could be stepped on by a passerby. « It’s lost, it’s lost, » I kept lamenting, when suddenly a neighbor came over, and said, « No, it’s fine, I found it and put it back in the house. » I was overjoyed and returned home, where it settled upon my finger as I marveled at its beauty. It was like a jeweled ornament. 

When I woke up, I realized that the bird represented hope, (in this case, in an extra-extra small size), symbolic of a problem I wasn’t dealing with very well at the time. Sometimes, emotions, expectations and dreams can feel stepped on or lost, but then, like my practical, caring friend and neighbor, the presence of others can bring optimism and help through an action or kind word of inspiration.

My imaginary little bird that I dreamed of seemed to carry a message to me from Hebrews 11:1, « Faith is the substance of things hoped for … » We don’t need to chase it and when situations seem too large to handle, faith (even just a little) can alight upon us when we least expect it. We can shelter and nurture it in the heart when need be, but it also likes to be free like the little bird … with space and room to grow, evolve and flourish. As a new year unfolds, is there someone you need to be the encouraging little bird to?  

When I shared my quote, « May the sacred bonds between friends and neighbors, shelter, freedom, faith and hope connect us all and change the world, » with close friends, I asked them what the little bird’s message would be to them personally. Dee Frye wrote, « Just because hope is tiny does not mean it doesn’t have potential. » Adolfo Quezada said, « Like the mustard seed, hope can come in small portions, yet have a tremendous effect on us. »

Reflecting upon their compelling thoughts, my husband and I drove to town to run errands. It was bitterly cold, minus 30 below wind chill and very icy. I gripped Jerry’s arm so I wouldn’t fall as we walked across the parking lot. We encountered an elderly woman limping her way to her car and we felt concerned that she could slip.

My friendly husband called to her, « You need someone to hold on to! » She humorously replied, « I know, I’m trying but I can’t find anyone! » We all chuckled, a warmhearted moment of connection in an ordinary parking lot.

We continued our shopping, encountering immigrants of different nationalities and races, regular people like us just trying to make a living, live life and feel like they belong somewhere. Some seemed guarded, perhaps not trusting if we would be nice or not. We always go out of our way to smile and offer a cordial word, wondering about the well-being of the many we pass by.

Who will care? Who will be someone to hold on to? We think of those who have no one, of the vicious cruelties in the world, the despair, hopelessness, prejudice, fear, injustice, self-serving apathy, violence and hateful rhetoric. The list seems endless.

Feeling pensive on the drive home on the slick, dangerous roads, I observed the traffic, representing a sea of humanity. My thoughts returned to pondering the messages of the little bird from my dream and how poignant it was to hear responses from my friends, each voice unique and offering depth and ideas that hadn’t occurred to me. What a gift people can be to each other, from all walks of life.

When we returned home to put away the Christmas decorations and move forward into the new year, I suddenly remembered my kindred friend Frances, who died years ago. When I asked her what her message to the world would be, she’d replied without hesitation, « Be kind. Be kind. » Sometimes, when seen through the eyes of the soul, understanding the sum and substance of hope and faith doesn’t get more profound than those two little words. They will always be something we can hold on to. 

Turning to the Blessed Virgin Mary in prayer

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Pope Leo expected to travel to migrant hotspot in Spain, cardinal says

Pope Leo XIV will soon travel to Spain and to the Canary Islands, a major migrant entry point into Europe, a Spanish cardinal said, shedding light on the pope’s travel plans for 2026. 

The planned trip would also include stops in Madrid and Barcelona, Cardinal José Cobo Cano of Madrid told reporters Jan. 9 following a meeting with the Vatican’s Secretariat of State. No dates have been set.

The trip is « his own personal initiative, » Cobo said following the meeting, which focused on initial organizational steps and also included Cardinal Juan José Omella of Barcelona, Bishop José Mazuelos of the Canary Islands, and the president and secretary general of the Spanish bishops’ conference.

A central feature of the trip, Cobo said, would be a visit to the Canary Islands, an Atlantic archipelago off the coast of Morocco that has become the destination for one of the deadliest migration routes in Europe.

More than 1,900 people are estimated to have died attempting to reach the Canary Islands from the shores of Africa in 2025. 

« I believe that now is a very important moment to make the voice of migration heard throughout Spain and at all the major points of entry, » Cobo said.

According to Spanish government data, 17,788 migrants reached the Canary Islands through irregular routes in 2025. That figure follows 39,910 arrivals in 2023 and 46,843 in 2024, after Spain and the European Union reached agreements with Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal to patrol departure routes toward the islands.

Pope Francis had previously expressed a desire to visit the Canary Islands as a sign of closeness to migrants, though the trip never materialized.

The Spain visit would mark the first papal trip to the country since Pope Benedict XVI traveled to Madrid for World Youth Day in 2011. It would also represent a shift from the travel pattern of Francis’ pontificate, during which the pope largely bypassed major European nations in favor of smaller ones.

While the final agenda remains undecided, Cobo said another « main point » of the visit would likely be Barcelona’s Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, which is expected to be completed in 2026, 144 years after construction began.

June 2026 will also mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Antoni Gaudí, the basilica’s architect, who is currently on the path to becoming declared a saint.

« Spain has long been in need and has continually asked for the pope to come, » Cobo said. « I believe that right now, opening this door is a source of hope. »

Leo’s travel calendar had until now been largely constrained by the 2025 Jubilee of Hope, which he formally closed earlier this week (Jan. 6). Although he made his first international trip as pope to Turkey and Lebanon, the conclusion of the Holy Year frees him to plan more extensive travel.

The visit to the Canary Islands would echo Francis’ first trip outside of Rome in 2013 to Lampedusa, the Italian island and migrant entry point, which set the tone for his relentless advocacy on behalf of the world’s migrants throughout his 12-year pontificate. 

On his return flight to Rome from Lebanon, Leo also spoke of his desire to visit the sites linked to St. Augustine of Hippo in Algeria, the spiritual inspiration of the Augustinian religious order to which he belongs. He has also said he hopes to travel to Argentina and Uruguay, countries not visited by Francis, as well as Peru, where he spent more than two decades as a missionary priest and bishop.

Turning to the Blessed Virgin Mary in prayer

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Catholic Vice President Vance takes to social media to justify killing of Renee Good

Yesterday (Jan. 7), 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed in a residential  Minneapolis neighborhood by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. Good was a mother of three and an U.S. citizen.

Today, JD Vance has taken to social media to justify the shooting and blame Good for her own death.

Though the full circumstances of the situation are still coming to light, widely available video evidence shows the horrific moments before, during and after shots were fired into Good’s car. Videos of the shooting and the ensuing aftermath are graphic and disturbing. After Good was shot, her car accelerates, slamming into another car and a pole. In one video, a person can be heard identifying themselves as a physician and offering to help only to be angrily denied by an unidentified ICE agent saying: « I don’t care. »

The Trump administration was quick to demonize Good. Within hours of the event and before a formal investigation could even be launched, Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem labeled Good’s actions as an « act of domestic terrorism. » President Donald Trump on Jan. 7 labeled her as « disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer. » Trump went on to say that the ICE officer was lucky to be alive and « is now recovering in the hospital. »

There is no evidence that Good was in any way involved in domestic terrorism. Video evidence seems to entirely contradict Trump’s explanation of the situation. The ICE officer does not appear to have been injured and is seen casually walking away after the shooting.

There does appear to be emerging video evidence that Good was confused by the orders she was receiving from multiple officers and was attempting to remove herself from the situation. There does not appear to be any concrete evidence of agitation and the videos do not show Good attempting to run down anyone with her car.

The investigation is ongoing, but the entire situation is a powder keg: Social media is on fire as users viciously debate the justification of the killing and it seems protests are beginning in Minneapolis and beyond.

But in spite of the increasing uproar, Vice President JD Vance said he sees the situation as « simple. »

« Correct. You can accept that this woman’s death is a tragedy while acknowledging it’s a tragedy of her own making. Don’t illegally interfere in federal law enforcement operations and try to run over our officers with your car. It’s really that simple, » Vance tweeted Jan. 7, responding to a retweet of video of the incident.

In the retweet with the video, Sohrab Ahmari said, « She actually makes contact with the officer in front of the vehicle, » adding « this angle is definitive. He fired in self-defense after she made frontal contact. » (The Associated Press reported Jan. 8 that it was « unclear from the videos whether the vehicle makes contact with the officer. »)

Shortly thereafter, Vance tweeted a show of solidarity with ICE.

« I want every ICE officer to know that their president, vice president, and the entire administration stands behind them. To the radicals assaulting them, doxxing them, and threatening them: congratulations, we’re going to work even harder to enforce the law, » he posted.

At the time of publication of this piece, at no point has Vance tweeted any remorse, prayers or condolences regarding Good and her loved ones. Instead, Vance continued his storm of social media posts the morning after the shooting — this time leaning into divisive, tribalistic language to demonize Democrats.

In times past, a politician might offer thoughts and prayers, encourage those reacting to wait for the full results of the investigation and generally try to lower the temperature. A leader might take the opportunity provided by a fresh day to soothe the broken heart of a nation and appeal to the better angels among us.

JD Vance went in a different direction.

« Every congressional democrat and every democrat who’s running for president should be asked a simple question: Do you think this officer was wrong in defending his life against a deranged leftist who tried to run him over? These people are going to try to arrest our law enforcement for doing their jobs. The least the media could do is ask them about it, » said Vance the morning after the shooting.

But he didn’t stop there. A half an hour later, Vance responded to a former defense attorney’s social media assertion that « it is very clear that the officers instigated the confrontation. The woman initially tried to wave them past her. »

« This is preposterous, » Vance said. He continued:

First of all, she’s not waving the officers through and has no right to do so even if she were. She is waving another car through, before the officers approach her car.

Second, the officers are not randomly searching her, they are approaching her vehicle because she is violating the law: namely, she is obstructing a lawful enforcement operation. You’re not allowed to walk up to or drive up to people who are enforcing the law to make it harder for them to do their jobs.

Third, this defense attorney is drawing a meaningless distinction between an ICE officer and a « real police officer. » Again, you’re not allowed to interrupt a lawful enforcement operation, which is exactly what this woman was doing.

Fourth, the officer didn’t discharge his weapon to prevent her from fleeing. When he discharged his weapon, she had pointed the vehicle at him and pressed the gas. He discharged his weapon in self defense, and other angles of the video show the woman *clearly* hit the officer with her car while accelerating.

The gaslighting is off the charts and I’m having none of it. This guy was doing his job. She tried to stop him from doing his job. When he approached her car, she tried to hit him.

A tragedy? Absolutely. But a tragedy that falls on this woman and all of the radicals who teach people that immigration is the one type of law that rioters are allowed to interfere with.

As a Catholic, Vance knows better than to peddle this brand of gaslighting and agitation. Vance knows that, by virtue of her humanity, Good was endowed with inherent dignity, made in the image and likeness of God. Vance knows that only God can take life. Vance knows that protesting, fleeing or even interfering in an ICE investigation (which there is no evidence that Good did) does not carry a death sentence. Vance knows that lying and killing are sins.

Vance knows. He doesn’t care. Vance’s twisted and wrongheaded view of Christianity has been repudiated by two popes. His Catholicism seems to be little more than a political prop, a tool only for his career ambitions and desire for power.

The vice president’s comments justifying the death of Renee Good are a moral stain on the collective witness of our Catholic faith. His repeated attempts to blame Good for her own death are fundamentally incompatible with the Gospel. Our only recourse is to pray for his conversion of heart.

Turning to the Blessed Virgin Mary in prayer

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Pope Leo XIV signals reforms ahead with the Holy Year over

A day after closing out the 2025 Holy Year, Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday opened a new phase of his pontificate by gathering the world’s cardinals to Rome and indicating some reform-minded priorities going forward.

For starters, Leo signalled an emphasis on more fully implementing the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s meetings that modernized and revolutionized the Catholic Church. He called the Vatican II teachings the « guiding star » of the church.

Leo told his weekly general audience that for the foreseeable future, he would devote his weekly catechism lessons to a rereading of key Vatican II documents, noting that the generation of bishops and theologians who had attended the meetings and crafted the reforms are dead.

« Therefore, while we hear the call not to let its prophecy fade, and to continue to seek ways and means to implement its insights, it will be important to get to know it again closely, and to do so not through hearsay or interpretations that have been given, but by rereading its documents and reflecting on their content, » he said. « Indeed, it is the magisterium that still constitutes the guiding star of the church’s journey today. »

Among other things, Vatican II allowed for use of the vernacular rather than Latin for Mass. It called for greater participation of lay faithful in the life of the church and revolutionized Catholic relations with Jews and people of other faiths.

Leo turns to the College of Cardinals for support

Leo has also indicated a reform-minded agenda for his two-day meeting of cardinals, which gets under way Wednesday afternoon.

He called the consistory, as such meetings are known, to begin the day after he closed the 2025 Holy Year, suggesting that he too saw the end of the Jubilee as an opportunity to unofficially start his pontificate and look ahead to his own agenda.

Leo’s first few months as pope were dominated by fulfilling the intense Holy Year obligations of meeting with pilgrimage groups, celebrating special Jubilee audiences and Masses and wrapping up the outstanding matters of Pope Francis’ pontificate.

The Vatican said Leo’s first consistory was aimed at « fostering common discernment and offering support and advice to the Holy Father in the exercise of his high and grave responsibility in the government of the universal church. »

It was a significant gesture, since Francis had relied not on consistories or the College of Cardinals as a whole to help him govern, but rather a small, hand-picked group of nine cardinals who met every few months at the Vatican.

Before the May conclave that elected Leo, cardinals had complained about Francis’ go-it-alone governing style, suggesting that Leo is responding to their requests to be consulted more about running the 1.4-billion strong church.

A Francis-style agenda

On the agenda is a discussion of two of Francis’ key reform documents: his original mission statement issued at the start of his pontificate, and the 2022 document that reformed the Vatican bureaucracy. Also being discussed is Francis’ call for the church to be more « synodal, » or responsive to the needs of rank-and-file Catholics, and a discussion of the liturgy, according to Vatican News.

The last agenda item is believed to refer to divisions within the church over the old Latin Mass, which was celebrated before the Vatican II reforms allowed Mass in different languages, with the active participation of the faithful.

Francis had greatly restricted the celebration of the old Latin Mass, arguing its spread in recent years had created divisions in the church. But Francis’ crackdown fueled a strong conservative and traditionalist backlash against him, especially in the United States, which the Chicago-born Leo seems keen to try to pacify.

There are currently 245 cardinals, almost equally split between those who are under age 80 and voted in the conclave that elected Leo, and those who are older. The Vatican hasn’t said how many are expected to attend.

One senior cardinal, though, was listed prominently on Leo’s agenda of private audiences Wednesday: Cardinal Joseph Zen, the retired archbishop of Hong Kong. Zen, who turns 94 next week, was a fierce conservative critic of Francis, especially over the pope’s outreach to China, and complained for years that the Argentine Jesuit wouldn’t receive him in private audience.

Turning to the Blessed Virgin Mary in prayer

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Venezuelan Catholics express cautious optimism about political change

Catholic leaders in Venezuela have been cautious since the Jan. 3 U.S. military raid in their country and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

The nation’s bishops have avoided issuing direct statements about the unprecedented military intervention, and many church leaders have asked lay Catholics to be careful about what they say in this time of uncertainty.

According to Archbishop Jesús González de Zárate of the Archdiocese of Valencia, who heads the Venezuelan bishops’ conference, the bishops will meet later this week and work on issuing a joint statement.

« Of course, Pope Leo XIV has already manifested a few important ideas concerning [Venezuela’s] national sovereignty, the rule of law and human rights. Those are fundamental aspects in order to analyze the facts that occurred here, » González told the National Catholic Reporter.

He also said that, at a moment like this, the church must express its condolences for the victims of the U.S. strikes. At least 40 people, including Venezuelan military personnel and civilians, were killed, the New York Times reported. 

Over the weekend, a few dioceses and parishes in Venezuela canceled some events and opted  to livestream Masses. While various regions of the country interpreted the situation differently, most parish leaders advised people to take care with what they said.

At least 90% of Venezuela’s population is Catholic. 

According to a congressman close to the Evangelical community, most other Christian churches were cautious following the U.S. intervention.

« People have been praying together online. There are no religious services. That’s the general recommendation, » he told NCR, requesting anonymity due to safety concerns.

González denied that churches were shut and affirmed that it was an ordinary weekend, with local limitations caused by a lack of transportation in some cases.

« But we advised priests to be cautious in their activities with churchgoers, » he said.

The atmosphere has been one of « tense tranquility, » González said, noting that most Venezuelans remained off the streets Jan. 3.

He said Venezuela has been impoverished and has been suffering with a serious sociopolitical crisis over more than a decade. Millions of citizens have left the country and moved to Colombia, Brazil and other neighboring countries as well as to the U.S.

« We still can’t know if there will be conditions for them to come back, » González said. « Of course, the idea is that all doors will be open for them to return — and families can live together again. »

Lawyer and opposition activist Tulio Álvarez told NCR that most voters in the 2024 elections are satisfied with the leader’s fall. Maduro claimed victory over Edmundo González, endorsed by opposition leader María Corina Machado, in a process widely accused of fraud.

Some people see the U.S. intervention as a « possibility for political change, » Álvarez said.

« No Venezuelan views a foreign operation on our territory positively, but Maduro’s regime — a systemic violator of human rights and responsible for the country’s impoverishment — was itself backed by external interests: Cuban occupation, Chinese influence and Iranian penetration, » Álvarez said.

He also thinks that a transformation is already underway in Venezuela, but its path to change and its implications remain unclear. It will depend on the control over the paramilitary groups that were financed by Maduro and on the degree of power that the Trump administration  exerts, he said.

During a Jan. 3 press conference, President Donald Trump said, « We’re going to be running [Venezuela] with a group and we’re going to make sure it’s run properly. »

He also said that the U.S. was in contact with Maduro’s vice president Delcy Rodríguez. She was sworn into office as interim president Jan. 5. Her new role under U.S. surveillance remains unclear.

In Latin America, many analysts ask if Rodríguez made a deal with Trump.

« She’s the vice president and took office as soon as Maduro was captured. Anything beyond that is speculation, » said the congressman who spoke to NCR. 

Álvarez said he expects Rodríguez will play a limited role in leading Venezuela. 

The uncertainties in the domestic landscape also impact most Venezuelan priests who have been living in exile in recent years. Fr. José Palmar, for example, lives in Miami and told NCR that the situation is not politically defined yet. Only after a new path for the country is clear will people be finally ready to return, he said. He expects at least one-third of immigrants to return within six months or a year.

Fr. Lenin Bastidas, who left Venezuela a year ago and lives in Spain, said that a transformation hasn’t occurred yet.

« The situation is still risky, » he said. « We don’t know how much time [we] will have to wait for at least a government change. Maduro was taken out, but people as dangerous as him remain there. » 

Bastidas said he marched in protest against Maduro in 2016 and urged bishops to take a stand.

González said that despite uncertainty, the Venezuelan church will keep trying to offer hope.

« That was what we did last year, following the pope’s invitation for us to be pilgrims of hope. And that’s the message we have always tried to convey, not only through words but also through concrete gestures, » he said.

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The Roman Curia needs American management practices

All the cardinals of the Catholic Church have been called to Rome by Pope Leo XIV for his first extraordinary consistory from Jan. 7-8 to discuss several topics, including the Roman Curia.

An extraordinary consistory can be called by the pope « when the special needs of the church or the conducting of more serious affairs suggests that it should be held, » according to the Code of Canon Law.

The Roman Curia, or the Holy See administrative institutions, is a perennial topic whenever bishops and cardinals get together. Reforming it was on the agenda of the first extraordinary consistory of John Paul II in 1979, and again in 1982 and 1985. The topic has often been brought up at other meetings in Rome, including synods, consistories and at the meetings of cardinals before conclaves.

According to Elise Ann Allen, senior correspondent at Crux, in a Dec. 12 letter, the pope asked the cardinals to read and reflect on Francis’ 2022 apostolic constitution reforming the Roman curia, Praedicate Evangelium. He asked them to give particular consideration to « the relationship of mutual interiority that exists between the universal Church and the particular Church » (article 4).The relationship between the Curia and diocesan bishops has always been a sensitive topic in the church. It is the church equivalent to the American debate over federalism, the relationship between the national government and state governments.

Prior to the Second Vatican Council, authority in the church was highly centralized in the papacy. The council stressed the role of the bishop as the vicar of Christ in his diocese and the role of bishops’ conferences.

After the council, the debate became politicized with liberals stressing the role of bishops and bishops’ conferences during the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, while conservatives stressed the role of the pope. Liberals and conservatives switched sides during the papacy of Francis.

In other words, if you like the pope, you support a centralized church. If you don’t, you support decentralization. It is much like Republicans and Democrats switching sides in the debate over the power of the president depending on which party is in power. Theology has very little to do with it.

The focus on article 4 indicates that Leo’s approach to curial reform is similar to that of Francis, who thought that curial reform could be done through calling curial workers to personal conversion and spiritual renewal. I agree with this approach, but we must acknowledge that it has not been that successful. It is essential, but not sufficient. Francis frequently preached conversion to the Curia, but his words were not well received.

It is the approach of a pastor — not an American CEO.

As a Christian, I must believe in the possibility of conversion, but as a social scientist, I have rarely seen it. Part of this is due to human nature that finds change difficult. If an employee is unwilling to adapt to changing goals and technologies, then that employee has to be fired. That includes anyone in the Curia, including cardinals, who do not support the pope’s agenda.

While conversion of heart on the part of Vatican employees is essential to change the culture of the institution, there is still a need for structural change that provides the framework for operating well. A strong department of justice and a strong finance department are essential for the Vatican if it is going to operate effectively and efficiently without more scandals.

But the environment and structures of an organization are also important if it is going to be effective and efficient.

In looking at the Curia, it is important to distinguish between what is unique to the church and what is comparable to secular organizations. The church should learn from secular organizations and adopt best practices when appropriate. Secular organizations run museums, do construction, buy supplies, use IT, manage rental properties, invest endowments, clean and repair buildings, draw up and manage budgets, and do HR. There is nothing sacred or special about these activities, and the Vatican practices should follow the highest standards. Where necessary, management consultants should be brought in to identify problems and solutions.

Financial management has always been a problem in the Vatican. The Vatican Bank was involved in scandal and the Secretariat of State lost about $150 million in a fraudulent London real estate deal. A top priority for the pope should be getting control of Vatican finances. The Vatican Bank was cleaned up under Benedict and Francis, but APSA, the Vatican sovereign wealth fund, needs serious examination and reform, as do other offices.

Reform is not cheap. It cost millions of dollars in consultant and auditor fees to clean up the Vatican Bank. Likewise, reforming APSA will also cost significant money. But Catholic donors will step up if they can be assured that reforms will be implemented.

The Vatican needs a strong finance department that can impose modern financial controls on the Curia. No one from cardinals on down can be exempt from these controls, and those who are noncompliant should be subject to penalties, including dismissal.  

The Vatican also needs a Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute crimes against persons and property. Currently, the responsibility for investigating canonical and civil crimes is scattered among the various offices in the Curia.

For example, sex abuse is dealt with by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Misappropriation of church funds by a bishop or religious order would be dealt with somewhere else. And in many cases, the roles of investigator, prosecutor and judge are not distinguished, leading to complaints about due process.

We obviously do not want to bring back the Inquisition, but the sex abuse crisis and the recent Vatican trial of Cardinal Angelo Becciu and others show that there is a need for a department staffed by competent investigators and lawyers. A separate bench of judges could pass judgment on the evidence provided by prosecutors.

It is time for American management practices in the Vatican. If an American pope cannot do that, we will have more scandals in the future.

Turning to the Blessed Virgin Mary in prayer

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Epiphany’s Light

(Solemnity of the Epiphany-Year A; This homily was given on January 3 & 4, 2025 at Saint Augustine Church in Providence, Rhode Island; See Isaiah 60:1-6 and Matthew 2:1-12)   

PLAY « Epiphany’s Light »

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After US strike on Venezuela, Pope Leo urges respect for law, justice and peace

Pope Leo XIV closed his Angelus prayer address Sunday Jan. 4 with an appeal for Venezuela to remain independent.

« I follow the developments in Venezuela with a heart full of concern, » the pope said from the window of the Apostolic Palace, speaking to thousands of rain-soaked pilgrims under umbrellas in St. Peter’s Square. « The good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration and lead to overcoming violence and embarking on paths of justice and peace. »

The pope urged respect for the country’s sovereignty, the rule of law enshrined in its constitution and the human and civil rights of all citizens, with « special attention to the poor who are suffering due to the difficult economic situation. »

He said he was praying — and invited the faithful to pray with him — entrusting Venezuela to Our Lady of Coromoto, the country’s patroness, as well as to Sts. José Gregorio Hernández and Carmen Rendiles, figures deeply woven into Venezuela’s historical Catholic identity.

The pope’s comments came the day after Venezuela entered one of the most volatile moments in its modern history. A Jan. 3 U.S. strike on Caracas killed at least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, according to Venezuelan officials.

Hours later, after Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and flown out of the country, a federal indictment in New York charged them and senior allies with narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. Washington signaled it was prepared to use further force, while Venezuelan opposition leaders demanded immediate recognition of a new president.

Venezuelan influence runs deep within the upper ranks of the Holy See, where some of the Vatican’s most sensitive diplomatic and administrative roles are held by figures with close ties to the country. Among them is Venezuela-born Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, one of the most powerful officials in the Roman Curia, who serves as substitute for general affairs in the Secretariat of State, effectively overseeing the Vatican’s day-to-day operations and internal coordination.

Peña Parra is second only to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, an Italian whose familiarity with Venezuela dates back to his tenure as apostolic nuncio in Caracas from 2009 to 2013. Several Vatican diplomats also were born and raised in Venezuela.

According to U.S. officials, the raid in Venezuela targeted strategic sites in the capital. No American service members were killed, though a helicopter was struck and several soldiers were injured. Venezuelan authorities said the dead included both civilians and members of the armed forces, deepening fears of a broader conflict in a country already scarred by years of economic collapse, mass emigration and political repression.

In a statement sent to the National Catholic Reporter on the night of Jan. 3 as the crisis deepened, Valencia Archbishop Jesús González de Zárate, president of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference, urged the country to turn to prayer amid uncertainty and loss.

« In light of the events our country is experiencing today, let us ask God to grant all Venezuelans serenity, wisdom and strength, » he said, expressing solidarity with those injured and with the families of those who lost loved ones. He called on the faithful to persevere in prayer for national unity at a moment of profound tension.

The archbishop also appealed for a clear rejection of violence and a renewed commitment to peace, both in public life and in personal conduct.

« We call on the people of God to live more intensely in hope and fervent prayer for peace in our hearts and in society, rejecting any kind of violence, » González said. He urged Venezuelans to keep their « hands open to encounter and mutual aid, » stressing that decisions taken in the coming days must be guided solely by the well-being of the people.

In a separate email sent to NCR early on Jan. 3, González underscored how fluid the situation remained. « Events are still unfolding, and we do not yet have a comprehensive view to assess them adequately, » he wrote, noting that the Venezuelan bishops had been in contact with one another and with their priests since 2 a.m., when the U.S. military operation unfolded.

As facts continued to emerge, he said, the Venezuelan church’s immediate response was to remain united in prayer for the Venezuelan people.

At a news conference Jan. 3, U.S. President Donald Trump declined to rule out a deeper military role in the South American country. He said he was not afraid of putting « boots on the ground » but suggested that further escalation might be avoided if Venezuela’s interim leadership, headed by Maduro’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, complied with U.S. demands.

Trump also made clear that Venezuela’s oil wealth loomed large in Washington’s calculations. Calling the country’s vast state-controlled reserves « our oil, » he said the United States would « run the country right » and open the sector to American companies, denouncing the nationalization policies of previous governments.

Reactions to the U.S. action were swift and polarized, with protesters and supporters gathering in cities around the world. In the U.S., groups in Chicago and Washington, D.C.,  denounced the U.S. military action, while Venezuelan migrants in New York celebrated Maduro’s removal from power.

María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and recent Nobel Peace Prize laureate, called for the immediate international recognition of her ally Edmundo González as president. Trump, however, dismissed her, saying she lacked the « respect » required to govern.

Turning to the Blessed Virgin Mary in prayer