commentary

commentary

Today is the Memorial of St. Paul Miki, a Japanese Jesuit, and his twenty-five companions (d. 1597), who were martyred in Nagasaki, Japan. They were the first martyrs of East Asia to be canonized. They were killed simultaneously by being raised on crosses and then stabbed with spears. Their executioners were astounded upon seeing their joy at being associated to the Passion of Christ.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The world continues to fall short of protecting and caring for its children, leaving them with few opportunities to succeed and at greater risk of suffering abuse, Pope Leo XIV said in a speech Feb. 5. 

In his address to the steering committee of the project "From Crisis to Care: Catholic Action for Children," Pope Leo praised the Catholic organizations for their work with children, and he shared concerns about the lack of progress globally. 

"Regrettably, I see that the situation of children today has not improved during the past year, and it is also of deep concern to learn of the lack of progress in protecting children from danger," he said in the Apostolic Palace's Clementine Hall at the Vatican.

Pope Leo expressed further worry over international priorities.

"One must question whether global commitments for sustainable development have been cast aside when we see in our global human family that so many children still live in extreme poverty, suffer abuse and are forcibly displaced, not to mention that they lack proper education and are isolated or separated from their families," the pope said.

As of August 2025, only 35% of the United Nations' sustainability goals were on track or making moderate progress, according to the most recent UN report on Sustainable Development Goals. These targets were created a decade ago by more than 190 countries as a promise to work toward ending poverty, protecting the planet and addressing inequalities by 2030.

Of the 17 targets, the report said that nearly half were progressing too slowly and another 18% were actually regressing. Last March, the U.S. President Donald Trump's administration formally rejected the goals for the United States, saying that they infringed on the country's sovereignty. 

Global poverty has remained at a near standstill, with continual extreme poverty affecting one in ten people worldwide, according to a United Nations report last year. The World Bank's most recent Poverty and Shared Prosperity report agreed, projecting 2020-2030 to be "a lost decade," due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Nearly half of the world's population --  44% -- survives on less than $6.85 a day, an income considered basic in upper-middle-income countries, the World Bank report said. At this rate of progress, ending extreme poverty would take decades -- and lifting people above this income level would take more than a century.

As for global education efforts, UNESCO's annual Global Education Monitoring Report last year found that the number of children who are still not in school -- 251 million -- has barely changed since 2015. Three out of four children in developing countries cannot read and understand simple text by the age of 10. 

The pope recognized that Catholic organizations often serve children through specialized missions, but warned that focusing too narrowly on one area may leave other needs unmet, urging greater collaboration to ensure holistic care.

"I urge you, however, to find ways to work together in greater harmony so that children receive care that is well balanced, taking into consideration their physical, psychological and spiritual welfare," he said. 

He recognized his predecessor's work last year, convening the first International Summit on Children's Rights, where experts and leaders from various nations explored opportunities for safeguarding children globally. Pope Leo asked the committee to address concerns raised at the summit and to support "those who have no voice."

"Keep that in mind when the temptation to be discouraged arises because of failed initiatives, seeming lack of interest from others or the sense that the situation is not improving," he said. "Let the good you know you are doing carry you forward."

The Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Agatha (d. 250), who died in defense of her purity, in Catania, Sicily. After Quintanus, the governor of Sicily, tried in vain to force her to consent to sin, she was imprisoned for a month with an evil woman. He then turned from sensuality to cruelty and had her breasts cut off; but that night Agatha was healed by St. Peter. She was then rolled over sharp stones and burning coals, and finally taken to prison where she died while praying. Her name appears in the Roman Canon.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV said Scripture is meant to speak directly to believers in today's world, emphasizing that the Bible is the word of God expressed through human authors during his weekly general audience.

"In every age, the Church is called to re-propose the Word of God in a language capable of being embodied in history and reaching hearts," he said Feb. 4. 

He warned that when Scripture “loses touch with reality, with human hopes and sufferings,” or is proclaimed in language that is “incomprehensible, uncommunicative or anachronistic,” it becomes "ineffective."

Continuing his catechesis series on Vatican II, the pope said the Bible is not a relic of the past but a living dialogue meant to lead people to know and love God. God chose to communicate through his people, demonstrating his mercy and desire to be close to humanity, the pope said.

Citing the Second Vatican Council’s document "Dei Verbum," the pope said, "the words of God, expressed in human language, have been made like human discourse, just as the word of the eternal Father, when he took to himself the flesh of human weakness, was in every way made like men."

It is important to note, he said, that while God is the principal author of Scripture, human beings were also "true authors," not simply passive "scribes" sharing God's words, the pope said, "God never mortifies human beings and their potential!"

He also warned against reading Scripture as though it had no divine origin and were only a relic of the past.

"While Scripture is a text rooted in historical truth, it also contains a limitless spiritual depth that speaks to people of all times and places, communicating above all God’s love and his desire to save us," the pope said. 

Pope Leo said that God, "in his goodness, ensures our lives do not lack the essential nourishment of his word, and let us pray that our words, and even more so our lives, do not obscure the love of God that is narrated in them."

In an appeal he made at the end of the audience, the pope said a prayer for the people of Ukraine, who have endured frequent bombing recently, further impacting their access to power. He also acknowledged that a new START treaty between the United States and Russia was expected to be signed Feb. 5, which would curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons. 

Sharing his hope that the treaty be renewed, Pope Leo said in Italian, "I call on you to not let this instrument collapse without trying to guarantee a concrete and effective follow-up. The current situation requires us to do everything possible to break free from a new race of arms that further threatens peace between nations." 

The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Jane (or Joan) de Valois (1464-1505), Queen of France, foundress of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, renowned for her piety and special participation in the sufferings of the Cross. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

WASHINGTON — “Let us be faithful stewards of memory. Let us be courageous witnesses to truth,” said Bishop Daniel E. Garcia, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, and Bishop Roy E. Campbell, chairman of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on African American Affairs, marking 100 years of commemorating Black history in the United States.

Their statement is as follows:

“This February marks one hundred years of commemorating Black history in the United States. This milestone is an opportunity for us to prayerfully reflect on the ways history has been preserved, honored, and passed on across generations. In Open Wide Our Hearts, the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter against racism, we recognized that the lived experience of the vast majority of African Americans bears the marks of our country’s original sin of racism. During this year’s observance of Black History Month, we encourage the faithful to consider the lessons of history, honoring our heroes of the past and learning from the mistakes of the past. Although we may at times encounter people or situations in our country that seek to erase ‘memory’ from our minds and books, it can never be erased from our hearts. May our reflections strengthen our faith and communities. Let us be faithful stewards of memory. Let us be courageous witnesses to truth. Let us pray and work to honor the inherent dignity of every person and the sacred stories of every people.”

Read more from Bishop Garcia and Bishop Campbell in their reflection, “The Treasures of Memory.”

For more information about the Subcommittee on African American Affairs and the Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, please visit their respective webpages.

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WASHINGTON - “I call on people of faith and all men and women of good will to ardently pray that we, as an international community, may develop the courage to pursue an authentic, transformative, and lasting peace,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He called upon policymakers to pursue diplomatic negotiations, in anticipation of the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) on February 5. New START is the last major nuclear arms control pact signed by the United States and Russia.

Archbishop Coakley’s statement follows:  

“The dangers posed by current conflicts around the world, including the devastating war in Ukraine, make the forthcoming expiration of New START simply unacceptable. I call on people of faith and all men and women of good will to ardently pray that we, as an international community, may develop the courage to pursue an authentic, transformative, and lasting peace. In his address to the diplomatic corps this year, Pope Leo XIV specified the importance of renewing the pact, saying that there is a ‘need to follow-up on the New START Treaty,’ and warning that ‘there is a danger of returning to the race of producing ever more sophisticated new weapons, also by means of artificial intelligence.’ More broadly, in his message for the World Day of Peace, the Holy Father cited St. John XXIII’s call for ‘integral disarmament’ that includes adopting a mindset which realizes that ‘true and lasting peace among nations cannot consist in the possession of an equal supply of armaments but only in mutual trust.’

“I call upon policymakers to courageously pursue diplomatic negotiations to maintain New START’s limits, opening pathways toward disarmament. International policy disagreements, as serious as they are, cannot be used as excuses for diplomatic stalemates; on the contrary, they should spur us on to more vehemently pursue effective engagement and dialogue. May the Prince of Peace enlighten our hearts and minds to pursue peace around the world in a spirit of universal fraternity.” 

Archbishop Coakley’s comments echo previous statements by the USCCB calling for progress in nuclear disarmament. For more information on USCCB’s policy positions on nuclear weapons visit: https://www.usccb.org/committees/international-justice-and-peace/nuclear-weapons. 

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