Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to France, from September 25 to 28, 2026, proved to be a popular triumph that surprised even the Pontiff himself. France is one of the European nations in which an aggressive secularism manifests itself most visibly. On the eve of the papal visit, a meticulous report by the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), entitled Souffrances et espérance de l’Église en France and compiled by Grégor Puppinck with Constance Avenel, documented the heavy pressures exerted by the secular state…
From October 7 to 14, 2026, the announced gathering will take place at the Vatican between Pope Leo XIV, the heads of the Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris, and the presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences. The event is conceived with the aim of “proceeding, in mutual listening, to a synodal discernment on the steps to be taken to proclaim the Gospel to families today, in the light of Amoris Laetitia and taking into account what is being realized in the local Churches.” In preparation for…
I wish to dwell on a concept that is frequently invoked in an ambiguous and contradictory manner — above all to justify the episcopal consecrations that took place at Écône on July 1, 2026: the “state of necessity.” A fundamental point must be clarified at the outset: one must not confuse the term “state of necessity” with the grave crisis the Church is passing through today. This crisis is an undeniable historical and sociological datum. Some trace its origins to Pope Francis, others to the…
It is the duty of every Christian to maintain coherence between words and deeds. But what happens when deeds contradict words? When, for example, one publicly proclaims respect for and obedience to the Roman Pontiff and then, in fact, publicly defies him before the entire Christian people — as occurred at Écône with the episcopal consecrations of July 1, 2026? The answer is furnished by one of the oldest principles of the Western legal tradition: facta sunt potentiora verbis — “deeds are more powerful than words” (cf.…