St. Columba Catholic Church

Pope Leo XIV disembarks from his plane upon his arrival at Istanbul Ataturk airport on November 27, 2025. / Credit: BERK OZKAN / AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, Nov 27, 2025 / 18:12 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV ended Nov. 27 in Istanbul, concluding the initial day of his first papal trip abroad in Turkey. The Holy Father will spend Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 in the country. Watch LIVE the major events of this trip at youtube.com/@ewtnnews and follow our live updates of his historic trip:

Workers erect the Vatican's 2025 Christmas tree in St. Peter's Square on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Nov 27, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

A towering Christmas tree now stands in the center of St. Peter’s Square, after the spruce arrived at the Vatican on Thursday morning. 

The 88-foot-tall spruce tree from Italy’s Bolzano province was erected next to the ancient Egyptian obelisk which stands in the middle of the 17th century Baroque square designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

This year, the northern Italian municipalities of Lagundo and Ultimo gifted the Christmas tree to the Vatican. The tree was harvested in the alpine valley of Ultimo.

In an Oct. 20 interview published on the Vatican State website, Bishop Ivo Muser of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone said the tree reaffirms the local church’s “spiritual and emotional bond” with the pope. 

“It is a way of saying: ‘We are with you, Pope Leo; we wish to pray with you and share the joy of Christmas with you,” he said.

“The tree thus becomes an ‘ambassador’ of our territory, our culture, and our faith — a way of bringing a small piece of our local Church into the heart of the universal Church,” he added.

The Vatican’s large-scale nativity display — donated by the Italian Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno — is currently under construction behind covered fencing in St. Peter’s Square.

The highly-awaited 2025 nativity scene will honor St. Alphonus Maria de Liguori, whose remains lay in the southern Italian diocese. In Italy, St. Alponsus is famous for composing the famous Italian Christmas carol “Tu scendi dalle stelle” (“From starry skies descending”).

Bishop Giuseppe Giudice of the Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno said the nativity project for the Vatican, which involved a “long period of preparation,” will also showcase local Neapolitan Christmas traditions.  

“I am happy to say that everyone working on the project is from our wonderful region, and the Nativity scene will be rich in elements typical of our local Agro nocerino-sarnese area,” he said in an Oct. 24 interview published by Vatican City State.  

The Vatican will hold a special ceremony on Dec. 7 at 6:30 pm local time to present  the Christmas tree and nativity scene to the public. The display will be open to the public until mid-January 2026.

Prince Albert II of Monaco in 2025. / Credit: VALERY HACHE/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 27, 2025 / 13:35 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life- and abortion-related news.

U.S. legislators introduce bill to protect medical residents from coercive abortion training 

U.S. legislators have introduced a bill to protect the conscience rights of medical students and residents who often feel pressured or even coerced into participating in abortions during their training. 

U.S. Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, Senator James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, and others introduced the Conscience Protections for Medical Residents Act, designed to “ensure medical students and residents are never pressured or coerced into abortion training that violates their moral or religious beliefs,” according to a press release.  

The bill would establish federal protections for students, making abortion training an “opt-in” rather than “opt-out” system as “residents often fear that opting out could affect evaluations, recommendations, or future career opportunities,” according to the press release. 

“The first rule of medicine is to do no harm, yet for many aspiring doctors, coerced abortion training not only contradicts that oath but also violates their moral and religious beliefs,” Cornyn said in a statement. 

“By allowing medical residents to opt-in rather than opt-out of abortion training, this legislation would protect health care professionals’ convictions and give them the freedom to practice medicine without fear of retaliation.” 

Investigative videos find late term abortions performed in Canada without serious medical reason 

After a pregnant pro-life woman went undercover in abortion clinics across Canada, she discovered that late-term abortionists are easily accessible, even in cases where the woman isn’t having medical issues, according to recently released videos. 

Alissa Golob, co-founder of RightNow, went undercover when she was five months pregnant in 2023, obtaining videos in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and elsewhere that have been released to the public over the past two weeks.   

The videos show abortionists saying that women don’t need to prove that they are having serious medical issues in order to have a late-term abortion. 

“Canadians are often told that late-term abortions never happen in Canada and if they do, they are for extreme medical reasons, such as the life of the mother,” Golob said in a Nov. 19 statement. 

“Yet, as you will see in these videos, I was told numerous times that attaining a late-term abortion in Canada is relatively easy, it is legal, and that I did not need a reason, medical or otherwise, regarding myself or my pregnancy,” Golob continued. 

RightNow is calling on the Canadian government in a petition to protect unborn children by restricting late-term abortions after five months of pregnancy. 

North Dakota reinstates law protecting unborn babies 

North Dakota’s Supreme Court reinstated a state law protecting unborn children in nearly all cases.  

In 2023, North Dakota made it a felony for abortionists to take the lives of unborn children except in cases of rape or incest and medical emergencies. After a lower court ruled that the law was unconstitutional, the law was put on pause. 

On Nov. 21, the state’s supreme court reversed the lower court’s ruling. A 3-2 majority of justices voted to uphold the lower court’s ruling, but the state’s constitution requires a minimum of four justices to declare a state law unconstitutional. 

U.S. senator calls on government to prevent taxpayer-funded abortions in 2026 funding  

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) this week urged his Republican colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee to ensure that the funding for the fiscal year 2026 does not fund abortions. 

In a Nov. 24 letter, Cornyn asked the senators “to hold the line against any Democratic efforts to subvert the Hyde amendment,” an amendment that prevents federal taxpayer dollars from directly funding abortions. 

Cornyn noted that the recent One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) defunded organizations that fund abortion, which he said “showed that even in the wake of the historic Dobbs decision, our fight is not over.” 

“Democrats shut down the government for 43 days in an unsuccessful attempt to undue the work Republicans accomplished in OBBBA, including the progress we made to stop forced taxpayer funding of abortion,” Cornyn said. “Now is not the time to give an inch on our pro-life values.”

Image from page 155 of “Young Folks’ History of the United States” (1903). / Credit: Public domain

St. Louis, Missouri, Nov 27, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

In 1621, lacking both the skills and the resources necessary to survive in the harsh territory of New England, European pilgrims encountered a miracle: a Native American who not only spoke English but who also used his skills and knowledge to help them adapt to their environment and survive the brutal winter.

This was Squanto, a man who occupies a special place in the hearts of many people who celebrate Thanksgiving because of his willingness and ability to help the newcomers to his land.

Squanto’s full name was Tisquantum, and he was a member of the Patuxet tribe, which lived in and around modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts. He was probably born around 1585 in the area that is now Boston.

Little is known about Tisquantum’s early life, but what is known is that he was abducted from his homeland as a slave by an Englishman, Thomas Hunt, in 1614. He ended up in Malaga, Spain, where a group of Franciscans bought him in order to free him. It is apparently from these Franciscans that he received baptism and became Catholic, though it is not clear to what extent he was catechized and practiced his new faith.

Damien Costello, a Catholic historian and theologian, told CNA that the historical record portrays “a very skillful agent” in Tisquantum who was able to change his situation and engage with European culture. He was able to find employment as a translator in England and later convinced a wealthy financier to fund an expedition back to his homeland.

When Tisquantum finally made it back to where his tribe lived in present-day Massachusetts, his life took a tragic turn. He discovered that his entire tribe, while he was in Europe, had been wiped out by disease — he was the sole survivor.

The Pilgrims arrived in New England in 1620. They were far from the first Europeans to set foot on those shores — this was many years after Jesuit missionaries had started missionary activity in the area but hadn’t settled. When the Pilgrims arrived in what had once been Patuxet territory, the empty land made a good place to settle. Tisquantum, no doubt mourning the loss of his people, was nevertheless able to deftly reinvent himself as an intermediary between the Pilgrims and Native leaders.

In March 1621, the chief of the Wampanoag confederation, Massasoit, went to meet with the Pilgrims and brought Tisquantum along to translate. After negotiations fell apart, Tisquantum stayed with the Pilgrims and helped to facilitate what we now know as the first Thanksgiving — a meal between the Pilgrims and the Natives of the area. Tisquantum died the next year, in 1622.

So, was Tisquantum a Catholic? Costello says it is likely he was baptized and thus, theologically, he was indeed a Catholic. Native American culture was very spiritual, and Costello said he doesn’t think it unlikely that Tisquantum saw his baptism as a positive spiritual experience.

“Catholicism was a crucial ingredient in Squanto’s resiliency, the regenerative principle that gave spiritual power to sustain the disjunction of being a global citizen in a world forever turned upside down,” Costello later wrote in an article for U.S. Catholic.

As to whether Tisquantum continued to practice his Catholic faith for the rest of his life, there’s little evidence to say for sure. In a very real sense, God only knows.

This story was adapted from an episode of Catholic News Agency’s award-winning storytelling podcast, CNA Newsroom, and first published on Nov. 24, 2022. You can listen to that episode here.

Nadia Howlader is given a key to a new apartment by Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 16 on the ninth World Day of the Poor. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Nov 27, 2025 / 10:50 am (CNA).

At 35 weeks pregnant Nadia Howlader became homeless, living on the streets of Sydney, Australia, but all of that changed when she was given a key to a new apartment by Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 16 on the ninth World Day of the Poor. 

Continuing a tradition begun by Pope Francis last year to combat homelessness and bring hope to vulnerable families during the 2025 Jubilee year of Hope in 13 countries, Pope Leo blessed 13 keys — one of which symbolized the key to Howlader’s new apartment in a Sydney suburb, faciliated by the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Australia. 

Howlader, and her daughter Alisha, traveled to Rome with members of the society for an audience with the pope where she received the blessed key from Pope Leo and thanked him for the generous gift.  

The “13 Houses” campaign was inspired by the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s patron, St. Vincent de Paul, and his decision in 1643 to use an endowment from French King Louis XIII to build 13 small houses near the Vincentian headquarters in Paris to care for abandoned children. 

The 13 countries included in the project this year are Syria, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Italy, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine. 

“The St. Vincent de Paul Society is probably the largest homeless prevention organization in Australia,” said Graham West of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in an interview with Sydney’s 10 News. Through the work of the case workers and working with our housing team we’ve now been able to find a house for Nadia to live in.”

Since 2018, the “13 Houses” campaign has helped over 10,000 people in 70 countries.

Pope Leo XIV receives a Thanksgiving pie on board the papal flight to Turkey, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 / Credit: Courtesy of Claudio Lavanga

Rome Newsroom, Nov 27, 2025 / 09:25 am (CNA).

Aboard the papal plane on Thanksgiving Day, Pope Leo XIV kicked off his first international trip — a visit to Turkey — with distinctly American gifts: a baseball bat and pumpkin pie. 

“To the Americans here, Happy Thanksgiving!” Leo said as he greeted about 80 journalists aboard the chartered ITA Airways flight to Ankara on Thursday morning. “It’s a wonderful day to celebrate.” 

Two American journalists traveling with the pope gave him pumpkin pies. “It’s not Thanksgiving if there’s not enough to share,” Crux correspondent Elise Ann Allen told the pope as she handed him the second pie. 

“I’ll definitely share some,” Leo responded. The pope had plenty to share as NBC News correspondent Claudio Lavanga also gave him a pecan pie.  

Leo, a longtime Chicago White Sox fan, also received a baseball bat once owned by Nellie Fox, the White Sox legend who played for the team from 1950 to 1963, when Leo, then Robert Prevost, was a small child. 

Smiling, the pope joked, “How did it get through security?” 

As a collective gift from the Vatican press corps, the pope received a Byzantine-style icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe made by Spanish iconographer Débora Martínez, a missionary in Cyprus. 

The icon, presented by Mexican journalist Valentina Alazraki, who has logged more than 170 papal trips, was crafted using classical techniques of Eastern iconography. It depicts the Virgin of Guadalupe in Byzantine style, symbolically linking Latin America’s Marian tradition with the iconography of the Christian East. 

At the start of the nearly three-hour flight, the pope continued a practice of his predecessor Pope Francis of walking down the aisle to greet each journalist. 

Among them was Elias Turk, a journalist from Lebanon who is the Vatican editor for ACI MENA and EWTN News. Turk briefly shared a personal story with the pope, recounting how he lived through part of the 2024 escalation between Hezbollah and Israel and was trapped in Lebanon during the fighting. 

“I told him that I lived … a traumatizing experience with my nephews during the war. We had to run and hide inside a house after being in a garden. We heard fighter jets passing in the skies and then powerful explosions,” he explained. The pope listened closely. 

Turk, who is godfather to his nephews, asked the pope to bless two rosaries for the children, a three-year-old and a one-and-a-half-year-old, so they could pray for peace. He also carried a third rosary for a two-year-old Polish girl who has been repeatedly hospitalized. 

In a light moment with another journalist, Pope Leo said he had already completed his daily Wordle game before takeoff, adding that he solved Thursday’s puzzle in three tries. 

According to the pope’s brother, Leo plays Wordle every day and his favorite Thanksgiving dish is stuffing. 

During his first apostolic trip, taking place Nov. 27–Dec. 2, Leo will visit Turkey and Lebanon. 

Pope Leo XIV with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, Turkey, on November 27, 2025. / Vatican Media

Vatican City, Nov 27, 2025 / 08:25 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV opened his first international trip on Thursday with a sweeping call for unity, renewed dialogue, and a rejection of the global drift toward division and violence.

Speaking in Turkey’s capital of Ankara on Nov. 27 during his formal welcome by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the pope said he hoped Turkey could be “a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples” and serve the cause of a “just and lasting peace.” He described the country as “inextricably linked to the origins of Christianity” and a land that invites a fraternity “that recognizes and appreciates differences.”

Launching a six-day trip that will also take him to Lebanon, the pope said the region’s peoples can help remind the world that peace, human dignity, and fraternity “are the only sure foundations for our common future.”

The massive Presidential Palace where he spoke has become a symbol of Turkey’s contemporary political authority since Erdoğan inaugurated it in 2014. Bombed during the failed 2016 coup attempt, it remains the seat from which Erdoğan has shaped the country’s domestic and international posture. Before his meeting with Erdoğan, the pope paid his respects at the tomb of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic.

In his remarks welcoming Leo, Erdoğan praised the cultural openness and interreligious harmony of Turkish society and his country's commitment to peace and humanitarian assistance, citing its welcome to refugees from Syria's long civil war.

In his speech, the pope rejected the mentality of “might is right,” urging a renewed “culture of encounter” to counter what he described as a growing “globalization of indifference.” Justice and mercy, he said, must guide political and social life. He also warned that artificial intelligence risks entrenching existing inequalities because it “simply reproduces our own preferences,” and appealed for cooperation to “repair the damage already done to the unity of our human family.”

Recalling his predecessor’s description of today’s conflicts as “a third world war fought piecemeal,” Pope Leo cautioned: “We must not give in to this! The future of humanity is at stake.” He said the Vatican seeks to work with all nations committed to the integral development of each person.

Calling Turkey a “crossroads of sensibilities,” the pope emphasized that the country’s social vitality depends on plurality. “Uniformity would be an impoverishment,” he said, warning that communities today risk becoming “polarized and torn by extreme positions.” Reflecting on the journey’s emblem — a bridge spanning the Dardanelles — he said it symbolizes not only a link between Asia and Europe but also a deeper call to unity: “It connects Turkey to itself.”

Pope Leo recalled Saint John XXIII, remembered locally as the “Turkish Pope” because he spent nearly a decade as a Vatican diplomat in Turkey before becoming pontiff and worked to ensure Catholics were not marginalized in the early decades of the republic. Echoing the saint’s teaching, Leo dismissed isolationism as “a false logic.” He also highlighted the contributions of women to society and international life and underscored the importance of the family, where “without the ‘other’ there is no ‘I’.”

Turning to the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the primary impetus for his visit, which will include ecumenical meetings and worship with Eastern Orthodox leaders, the pope said the historic 4th-century gathering still speaks of encounter and sustained dialogue.

Turkey has played roles in several regional conflicts in recent years, including involvement in the Syrian war and support for Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia. At the same time, Ankara has taken part in diplomatic efforts, including mediating between Russia and Ukraine and influencing ceasefire discussions involving Hamas.

Pope Leo was scheduled to continue on by air to Istanbul following the speech, and had no further public events planned for Thursday.

Bishop Stephen Hero celebrates Mass to start the Jubilee Year in December 2024 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Prince Albert, Saskachewan. Hero has been appointed Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Prince Albert

Edmonton, Canada, Nov 27, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Stephen A. Hero of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, as the eighth archbishop of Edmonton, succeeding Archbishop Richard Smith, who became archbishop of Vancouver in May.

The announcement came just days after the Nov. 17 announcement of Father Susai Jesu, OMI, as the new archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

In a letter to the clergy and faithful of Edmonton, Hero said he was “humbled and grateful for the trust placed in me to take up this new mission in the Church and to serve in a community that is already close to my heart.” He will be installed on Jan. 23 , 2026, at St. Joseph’s Basilica in Edmonton.

Hero, 56, is a native of Lachine, Quebec, and moved to Edmonton at age 10. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Edmonton in 2000 after studies at the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, British Columbia, and at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He later obtained a licentiate in liturgical theology from Sant’Anselmo.

He served as an assistant pastor in Edmonton parishes, as vocations director, and then joined the formation team at St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton. He became vice rector in 2010 and rector in 2012, teaching spirituality, liturgy, and sacraments at Newman Theological College. Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Prince Albert in 2021.

In his message to the Diocese of Prince Albert, he expressed sadness at leaving, thanking parishioners, clergy, and religious and, referencing the North Saskatchewan River, noted the “river that flows from Edmonton to Prince Albert” as a reminder of their shared connection and “the same grace of God that gives us life.” He becomes diocesan administrator of Prince Albert until his installation in Edmonton.

His episcopal motto, “Deus Solus” (“God Alone”), comes from Psalm 86:10 and reflects his conviction that God must remain at the center of Christian life. His updated coat of arms will incorporate the heraldic insignia of an archbishop, including the archiepiscopal cross and 10 tassels on each side. A black field signifies the finiteness of creation; a gold saltire cross marks Christ’s saving death and resurrection; turtledoves evoke St. Joseph and his Temple offering; and 12 stars represent Our Lady and the hope of eternal glory.

Father Paul Kavanagh, administrator of the Archdiocese of Edmonton, welcomed the appointment on behalf of clergy, religious, and faithful, calling the new archbishop “a gift from God” and assuring him of prayers and support as he returns home.

‘A humbing experience’

Jesu’s episcopal ordination will take place at the end of January at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in The Pas, Manitoba.

Jesu said the words of Mary’s Magnificat came to his mind on hearing of his appointment. “It is a humbling experience to receive God’s calling to serve as a bishop,” he said, adding that his heart was “filled with gratitude and joy.”

Born in 1971 in Pushpavanam, Tamil Nadu, India, he entered the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and was ordained to the priesthood in 2000. He later earned degrees in psychology and counseling, and came to Canada in 2007 at the invitation of the Oblates.

He first served for several years in the northern communities of Pelican Narrows and Sandy Bay in the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas, learning the Cree language and forming lasting friendships. He subsequently ministered for many years in Edmonton, becoming widely known for his work at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples and, more recently, for his ministry at Lac Ste. Anne, Enoch, Alexis Reserve, Paul Band First Nation, and Alexander First Nation.

Archbishop Murray Chatlain of Winnipeg, who has served as apostolic administrator since 2024, welcomed the news, noting that Jesu “served here for seven years and knows our communities well.” Kavanagh also praised his pastoral gifts and his close accompaniment of Indigenous, Metis, and Inuit peoples.

The Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas is home to Metis, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dene, and non-Indigenous peoples across 280,000 square miles. Jesu said he hopes to serve its communities “with faith and love,” continuing the Oblate charism of evangelizing the poor and accompanying those most in need.

This story was first published by The B.C. Catholic and has been adapted by CNA. It is reprinted here with permission.

Pope Leo XIV speaks from the Vatican, Nov. 21, 2025 / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 27, 2025 / 06:28 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for December is for Christians living amidst war or conflict, especially in the Middle East:

“Let us pray that Christians living in areas of war or conflict, especially in the Middle East, might be seeds of peace, reconciliation, and hope,” the Holy Father said in a video released Nov. 25 by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.

Father Cristóbal Fones, international director of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, emphasized that Leo XIV's request "is a gesture of closeness and hope: a way of saying to the Christians of Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and so many other countries that they are not forgotten, that the universal Church walks with them; but also to remind us all that faith grows even in the midst of trials, and that seeds of reconciliation and peace can be born from wounded communities."

Below is the prayer that Pope Leo XIV encourages us to pray this December:

God of peace,
who through the blood of Your Son
has reconciled the world to Yourself,
today we pray for Christians
living amidst wars and violence. 

Even surrounded by pain, may they
never cease to feel the gentle kindness of your presence
and the prayers of their brothers and sisters in faith.

For only through You, and strengthened by fraternal bonds,
can they become the seeds of reconciliation,
builders of hope in ways both small and great,
capable of forgiving and moving forward,
of bridging divides,
and of seeking justice with mercy.

Lord Jesus, who called blessed
those who work for peace,
make us Your instruments of peace
even where harmony seems impossible.

Holy Spirit,
source of hope in the darkest times,
sustain the faith of those who suffer and strengthen their hope.
Do not let us fall into indifference,
and make us builders of unity, like Jesus.

Amen.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Students in Lebanon from the School of the Apostles (“Collège des Apôtres”) in Jounieh, prepare letters and posters ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s visit. / Credit: Noelle El Hajj

ACI MENA, Nov 27, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The arrival of Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon is approaching quickly, and preparations are underway at every level — state institutions, municipalities, parishes, and countless volunteers are working to ensure the country is ready for this historic moment. 

It’s not only leaders and officials who are preparing. In the School of the Apostles (“Collège des Apôtres”) in Jounieh, children are also getting ready in their own way, eager to welcome the Holy Father and to take part in an event they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Preparing hearts and minds for the papal visit

Father Maroun Moubarak, the superior of the School of the Apostles, explained that for his students, the visit represents a defining moment — one they will carry with them forever. It is a milestone not every generation is granted: Previous ones experienced such occasions only during the visits of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II.

Moubarak emphasized that the visit also reveals the deep compassion the Vatican and the pope hold for Lebanon. He stressed that the attention Pope Leo is giving to the country means a great deal to the students.

“It stands as a call for young Christians to remain steadfast, to deepen their faith, and to live it each day. They await the visit with joy and anticipation,” he told ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner.

The priest also explained how the school is preparing students for the visit, noting that a structured plan has been developed to guide them both spiritually and intellectually.

The program includes internal communication materials that introduce the meaning of the visit and the role of the papacy. Students are also learning about the official logo of the visit and its symbols. Daily Masses are being celebrated with special intentions for the success of the visit, and workshops and research projects on the Vatican and previous papal trips are being created and displayed across the school campus, fostering a shared spirit of unity and anticipation.

Letters to the pope

One of the initiatives the school undertook in preparation of the papal visit was inviting students to write letters to the pope — an activity designed to help them feel personally involved in the visit. 

The children were given complete freedom to express whatever they wished to say or ask, and the results were remarkably diverse: Each student had a unique perspective, tone, and style. The letters were written in English, Arabic, and French — the languages taught at the school — and they revealed a wide range of thoughts and hopes. Many shared a common request: that the pope pray for Lebanon’s financial recovery. It is a plea that reflects the severity of the economic crisis and how deeply even the youngest feel its impact.

Among the students is Makarios Osta, in Grade 8, who chose to share a clear wishlist. He wrote:

“First, please pray that Lebanon gets leaders who truly love their country.

“Second, please pray that our parents smile again when they talk about the future.

“Third, please pray that Christians in Lebanon don’t feel small or tired anymore. We want to be proud, strong, and free to dream.”

Another student, Cassandra Katerji, focused her letter on promises. She wrote:

“We don’t want to grow up in despair. We promise to be the generation that rebuilds Lebanon, not only its buildings, but its faith, its hope, its moral strength.

“Lebanon is a country of many religions and voices. Sometimes those voices clash. But we, the youth, promise to speak only the language of peace.

“Sometimes Lebanon feels like a land of fading lights. But we, the youth, refuse to let the flame die. We promise to keep the light of Christ burning, in our schools, our homes, our conversations, even on social media.”

Classmate Rita Tahtouh added a striking and thoughtful message, writing: “We are like the cedars of God, we do not fear the storms; what we fear is becoming wood burned in political deals.”

Chris Abi Hanna, on the other hand, shared a lighter and more playful note. He wrote: “I hope you enjoy the Land of the Cedars and the saints. I know your schedule will be super busy, but I really hope you’ll find a little time to taste our food, some kibbeh and tabbouleh, with a view of our beautiful mountains. Just one warning, Your Holiness: After that meal, every other Vatican lunch will feel a little boring.”

Beyond the visit

Looking beyond the visit, Moubarak emphasized that the school’s mission does not end when the pope leaves Lebanon. 

“We aim to encourage our students to continue following the pope’s teachings, his travels, and his messages, understanding that the Church is alive, present, and close to people’s daily struggles, not something distant or purely ceremonial,” he said.

He explained that students will listen attentively to the pope’s address to young people during the gathering in Bkerke and then translate his words into concrete commitments through workshops and reflection.

He noted that the Vatican, particularly through the Dicastery for Culture and Education, plays a crucial role in forming the human person in all dimensions, not only spiritually but also intellectually, morally, and socially. This formation, he said, enables young people to take their place in society and contribute to its growth. In Lebanon, he added, families sacrifice greatly to educate their children; education is considered their most valuable treasure, and continued support, both spiritual and material, is essential.