In an unusually meteoric rise, a priest who directs a Catholic school in Milan has been named the head of an Italian archdiocese.

Pope Francis appointed Father Alberto Torriani, 53, as archbishop of Crotone-San Severino, located over 700 miles away from Milan. Father Torriani has been rector of the Collegio San Carlo, a primary and secondary school, since 2017.

Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan said that “the moment of communication and the diocese of destination surprised Don Alberto and also me.”

A day being created a cardinal by Pope Francis, Cardinal Mykola Bychok, who ministers to Ukranian Greek Catholics in Australia, reflected on his appointment and the importance of the Rosary.

Speaking at his titular church, the Basilica of Holy Wisdom in Rome, he said that “if one considers this appointment an honor, this honor belongs not to me but to our martyr church.”

As he discussed the importance of the Marian apparitions at Lourdes and Fátima in his own spiritual life, he said:

The Rosary is our spiritual sword, capable of overcoming all the forces of evil and their servants because, as Our Lady reminded us in Fatima, God’s love is stronger than all the hatred in the world. The Rosary is a prayer through which we can overcome hatred and fulfill our vocation as messengers and bearers of God’s sacrificial and faithful love.

It is this spiritual sword that will help the people of Ukraine defeat the enemy. It is through the power of prayer and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary that we gain strength to fight the good fight and proclaim God’s love in Ukraine and throughout the world.

The bishops of the European Union will pray for Syria’s Christians and advocate for Syria’s needs, the president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the EU said in a letter to the five Catholic bishops of different rites who minister in Aleppo.

“We are deeply moved by the resilience and faith of the Christian communities in Syria, which continues to bear witness to the love of Christ even in the face of such adversity,” said Bishop Mariano Crociata. “We hope that Christians in Syria can remain in their homeland and continue being witnesses of our Lord and contribute to their society in a spirit of brotherhood and service to the others.”

Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim leaders in Spain have issued a joint statement in opposition to a Spanish cabinet member’s proposal to repeal Article 525.

The law impose a fine of up to a year’s salary on those who deride the “dogmas, beliefs, rituals, or ceremonies” of any religion, as well as those who deride persons who do not profess any religion.

“While we understand and respect the right to freedom of expression as a fundamental right, recognized constitutionally, it is important to emphasize that this right should not prevail over other equally essential rights, such as religious freedom, freedom of conscience and the dignity of people,” the religious leaders stated, adding:

The normalization of insults, stereotypes and ridicule against religious beliefs can have serious consequences, such as encouraging violent and aggressive behavior against believers and places of worship, something that has already been seen in various European countries. The repeal of Article 525 could therefore put these fundamental rights at risk and, consequently, harmony and respect in society.

Stating that “we need more Europe and not less,” the president of Caritas Europa called for a stronger European Union.

Msgr. Michael Landau, an Austrian priest, made his remarks at a ceremony marking the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain.

“The European Union brought democracy and prosperity to large parts of the population,” he said. Lamenting the “specter of populism” and a “comeback of a politics of fear,” Msgr. Landau warned against the “trenches of polarization that run through our societies.”

Msgr. Landau also called for action to end child poverty. Caritas Europa, which he leads, is a network of 49 Catholic relief and development agencies.

An 83-year-old Italian priest was recently hospitalized for burns to his mouth and esophagus after drinking acid that was in his chalice. Father Mario Perinetti ministers in the area of Zignago, in Liguria.

“At the moment we remain in the field of hypotheses, with investigators tending to rule out an intentional gesture by some reckless person,” La Nazione reported. “The priest, perhaps, could have ingested in addition to wine also an acidic substance, usually used to clean the chalice.”

In a statement for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the chairmen of four US bishops’ committees issued a statement lamenting racism and xenophobia.

“At this time, when some of our brothers and sisters are experiencing fear and anxiety, we are reminded of the abiding words of Our Lady to Saint Juan Diego: ‘Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain,’” the bishops stated. “Throughout the life of our nation, we have seen at times unacceptable demonstrations of prejudice and hatred, including in recent days mass communications targeting people of color and disparaging comments about immigrant communities.”

The prelates—who chair the Committees on Migration and Pro-Life Activities, the Subcommittee on the Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees, and Travelers, and the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism—added:

Throughout the life of our nation, we have seen at times unacceptable demonstrations of prejudice and hatred, including in recent days mass communications targeting people of color and disparaging comments about immigrant communities. With one clear voice, we reaffirm our unwavering and unqualified recognition of the fact that each and every human life is sacred, that all persons are imbued by God with an inviolable dignity, which no earthly power can deny.

The sinful ideologies of racism and xenophobia are antithetical to these core teachings of our Christian faith. No person formed by and committed to the Gospel of Life can harbor such views in good conscience.

Bishops Mark Seitz, Daniel Thomas, Eusebio Elizondo, and Joseph Perry concluded their statement with a prayer to the Blessed Mother.