The vice-president of the Brazilian bishops’ conference has denounced heavy tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump as “unacceptable,” saying that they are an effort to influence Brazil’s internal politics.

Archbishop Paulo Jackson de Sousa said that the Trump tariffs were imposed in a bid to secure the acquittal of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted on September 11 of attempting a coup. The archbishop said that his country had weathered the crisis—“more so than in the ‘biggest democracy in the world,’ as the USA likes to call itself.”

Archbishop Jackson said: “It is unacceptable for one country to try and exert pressure on another, especially using methods such as tariffs.”

Brian Burch, the new US ambassador to the Holy See, presented his credentials to Pope Leo XIV on September 13.

During what he described as an “extraordinarily friendly” conversation, Burch spoke to the Pontiff about the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, religious freedom, the Vatican’s ties with China, and the challenges of artificial intelligence.” They also discussed the shooting of Charlie Kirk, with the Pope saying that he was praying for Kirk’s widow and their children.

Burch presented the Pope with several gifts, including a birthday cake, in anticipation of the Pontiff’s 70th birthday on September 14.

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the former president of the Italian bishops’ conference, indicated that he favored a relaxation of the ban on the Traditional Latin Mass in a newspaper interview.

Noting the need for unity in the Church—and saying that Pope Leo has made unity his goal—the retired Archbishop of Genoa said: “I have never seen, and I do not see now, how the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite... could create problems.” He pointed out that the Catholic Church embraces more than 30 different liturgical rites today.

If restrictions on the traditional liturgy are relaxed, “I see neither risks nor dangers if things are done peacefully and with everyone’s good will,” the cardinal said.

As a gesture to celebrate the Jubilee Year, the Latin-rite Catholic Patriarchate of Jerusalem has announced that it will forgive all debts owed by families for students in Catholic schools.

In announcing the debt-forgiveness program, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said that he recognized the costs the measure would entail, and reported that “various administrative offices did not fail to raise their legitimate concerns,” but concluded that the gesture was an important means of helping families, restoring hope, and showing reliance on God.

Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. Devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady has its roots in Sacred Scripture and in Christian piety, which always associates the Blessed Mother with her suffering Son. Today's feast was introduced by the Servites in order to intensify devotion to Our Lady's Sorrows. In 1817 Pius VII--suffering grievously in exile but finally liberated by Mary's intercession--extended the feast to the universal Church.

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Pope Leo XIV is viewed favorably by 84% of American Catholics, according to a new Pew Research survey. Only 4% of respondents had a negative view.

However a majority of those questioned (52%) said that they did not know much about the first American Pontiff, and/or that they could not predict how his leadership of the Church would compare with that of Pope Francis.

Pope Leo XIV speaks on a variety of topics including the war in Ukraine, the concept of synodality, economic inequality, and his own leadership, in excerpts from an interview that will soon be published in book form.

The Pope’s lengthy discussion with Elise Ann Allen of Crux is appearing in Spanish this week; it will be published in the US—under the title Leo XIV: Citizen of the World early next year.

In the excerpts that appear on the Crux site, the Pontiff:

• suggests that the Vatican will continue to advocate for peace in Ukraine, but that proposals for Vatican mediation are “not as realistic.”
• acknowledges that the concept of “synodality” is not well understood, and offers the explanation that “synodality is a way of describing how we can come together and be a community and seek communion as a Church.”
• questions extreme inequalities of income in the world economy, noting that chief executives now earn “600 times more than what average workers are earning.”
• notes that “it seems to be generally recognized that the United Nations, at least at this moment in time, has lost its ability to bring people together on multilateral issues.”
• discloses that the most novel aspect of his new role has been “being thrown into the level of world leader.”
• says that in World Cup soccer competition, he will probably be cheering for Peru, but “I’m also a big fan of Italy”—and goes on to discuss his rooting interests in baseball.

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