“The cordial half-hour meeting was an opportunity to present to the Holy Father in greater detail the foundation and history of the Fraternity, as well as the various forms of apostolate that it has been offering to the faithful for almost 38 years,” the Fraternity said in a statement. “The proper law and charism that guide the sanctification of its members were recalled.”

“This audience also provided an opportunity to evoke any misunderstandings and obstacles that the Fraternity encounters in certain places and to answer questions from the Supreme Pontiff,” added the Fraternity, whose priests offer the extraordinary form of the Latin Mass.

Founded in 1988, the institute has grown to 579 members, 387 of whom are priests.

“The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem reiterate that they alone represent the Churches and their flock in matters pertaining to Christian religious, communal, and pastoral life in the Holy Land,” the Christian leaders added.

Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider, ORC, of Astana said that his proposal would guarantee “complete freedom and the co-existence of both forms, pacific co-existence, with no limitations and impediments of both forms.”

“Just like a bishop cannot forbid the Novus Ordo, the same principle applies: a bishop cannot limit or forbid the traditional form,” the prelate said of his proposal, made to the Pontiff during an audience last month.

Vatican News, the news agency of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, warned that the assessment is necessary to ensure the “continuity and credibility” of the Church’s mission.

The West African nation of 22.6 million (map) is 87.5% Muslim and 3.5% Christian, with 9% adhering to ethnic religions. The Mali War began in 2012; it pits Mali’s government against various Islamist groups.

The prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity told Vatican News that ecumenism is a “tool of peace for the world” and that ecumenism “can assist society if it does not mirror society’s discord, but is rather itself a sign of unity.”

The prelate, appointed to his position by Pope Benedict in 2010, made his remarks during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Archbishop Andoni González de Zárate Salas of Valencia said that the Church is emphasizing “the primacy of the dignity of the person, the common good and the great evangelical values” amid dire poverty and great political uncertainty.

The prelate also renewed the Church’s call for the immediate release of all political prisoners; he said that the “release process” under new Venezuelan leadership has been “very slow.”

“Europe’s commitment to ecological transformation is both necessary and urgent,” COMECE stated. “At the same time, it raises profound social, economic and ethical questions.”

COMECE warned that “among workers in Europe’s industrial regions, a recurring concern is whether this transition will leave them behind and whether their children will be forced to leave their home regions in search of decent work.”

“Only a transition that is humane, inclusive and socially just will be able to unite Europe and secure lasting support for the ecological transformation needed for the common good,” COMECE concluded.

Addressing a UN committee on January 19, Archbishop Caccia said that the “the duty to prevent and counter crimes against humanity rests first and foremost” with individual nations.

“At the same time, international cooperation plays an indispensable complementary role, both in addressing the transnational dimensions of such crimes and in supporting those States that lack the capacity to fulfill their obligations effectively,” he said.

The Pope’s message, dated January 13 and released January 20, is entitled “The compassion of the Samaritan: loving by bearing another’s pain.” The message has three parts:

• The gift of encounter: the joy of offering closeness and presence
• The shared mission of caring for the sick
• Always driven by love for God, to encounter ourselves and our neighbor

“I genuinely hope that our Christian lifestyle will always reflect this fraternal, ‘Samaritan’ spirit—one that is welcoming, courageous, committed and supportive, rooted in our union with God and our faith in Jesus Christ,” Pope Leo said. “Enkindled by this divine love, we will surely be able to give of ourselves for the good of all who suffer, especially our brothers and sisters who are sick, elderly or afflicted.”

Pope Leo XIV has written a Latin-language letter commemorating the 1200th anniversary of the beginning of St. Ansgar‘s evangelizing mission in Denmark.