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Pope Leo XIV Gathers US Bishops for Family Ministry Focus
Confirmed
In Short: Pope Leo XIV met with several prominent US bishops at the Vatican, focusing on mental health ministry.
Pope Leo XIV met with several prominent US bishops at the Vatican on Monday, including Cardinals Blase Cupich, Robert McElroy, and Joseph Tobin, as well as Bishop Daniel Flores.
The meeting, titled 'Ten Years After Amoris Lætitia: Proclaiming the Gospel with Families Today,' highlighted the importance of integrating mental health care into the Church's ministry.
Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, also met with the pope on October 4.
Pope Leo XIV emphasized the need for the Church to be an 'open house' where people facing mental health challenges find welcome, dignity, and hope.
In his October prayer intention, Pope Leo XIV called on the faithful to pray for mental health ministry, acknowledging the Church's role in welcoming those who suffer in silence and supporting those who care for them.
The pontiff asked forgiveness for times when Christians have contributed to stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses.
Jesuit Father Cristóbal Fones, international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, noted that many people experiencing mental illness have felt unable to speak about it, encountering judgment and misunderstanding.
The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV will make his first trip to Latin America as pontiff in November, visiting Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru.
Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Michael A. Saporito as the new bishop of Newark, New Jersey, where Saporito has spent more than three decades in ministry.
Saporito, currently an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Newark, was named an auxiliary bishop of Newark in 2020.
In a video produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Pope Leo XIV prayed that the Church may become a 'safe space where everyone has a place — a community that accompanies and never excludes, that listens without judging and draws near without fear.'
What this adds
The meeting with US bishops is part of a broader focus on mental health ministry, as Pope Leo XIV has dedicated his October prayer intention to mental health.
The Vatican's announcement of Pope Leo XIV's first trip to Latin America highlights his continued connection to the region where he spent much of his ministry.
Background
Pope Leo XIV met with several prominent American bishops at the Vatican on Monday, including Cardinals Blase Cupich, Robert McElroy, and Joseph Tobin, as well as Bishop Daniel Flores.
What's confirmed
- Jesuit Father Cristóbal Fones, international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, noted that many people experiencing mental illness have felt unable to speak about it, or have encountered judgement and misunderstanding.
- VATICAN CITY (Vatican News) — Pope Leo XIV has dedicated his October prayer intention to mental health ministry, calling on the Church to listen without judging and accompany those who suffer without excluding them.
- In a video produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the pope prayed that the Church may be an “open house” where people facing challenges to their mental health find welcome, dignity and hope.
- Pope Leo asked forgiveness for the times when Christians have looked the other way, contributing to stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses.
- He prays that the Church may become “a safe space where everyone has a place — a community that accompanies and never excludes, that listens without judging and draws near without fear.” The pope also remembered those who provide care, including professionals, family members and volunteers, asking God to give them strength and compassion.
- "Forgive us for the times we have looked the other way, feeding the stigma and discrimination of persons with mental illnesses. May your Church be an open house, a safe space where everyone has a place — a community that accompanies and never excludes, that listens without judging and draws near without fear."
- “That is why, as a Church, we come together to open our hearts to this reality and to pray together, throughout this entire month, for all of them and also for those who accompany them,” he said.
What's still developing
- Tylka said he presented the pope with a relic of Sheen.
- As required by canon law, Wenski submitted his resignation to the pope upon reaching his 75th birthday in October 2025.
- Accompanying without judging According to the press release accompanying the Pope’s intention, more than a billion people worldwide live with a mental disorder, while public spending on mental health accounts for barely two percent of health budgets.
- Father Charles Sikorsky, president of Divine Mercy University, a private Catholic graduate school of psychology and counseling in Sterling, Va., said on Saturday, Sept. 5, that Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," can be "of tremendous importance" to the practice of psychology in addressing AI's impact on mental health.
- Pope Leo XIV hugs a child as he rides through the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona on Tuesday, June 9, for a prayer vigil.
- Pope Leo returns to public ministry this week as assisted suicide, Medjugorje and Papa Stronsay are stories to keep an eye during the week ahead Here are some of the stories to be on the lookout for in the coming week: A new month brings a new prayer intention from Pope Leo XIV.
- "There are wounds that often remain invisible and are lived in the deepest solitude," the description reads.
- Bishop's Corner October: A month dedicated to the Rosary, sanctity of life, Missions and much more From the Pope Pope: Europe must return to path of dialogue, not military buildup, to end ‘senseless slaughter’ The Diocese of Trenton is committed to the initiatives outlined in the U.S.
- In a statement, Saporito said he was "deeply grateful and humbled" by the appointment and looks forward to meeting the priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful of the diocese.