Saint Joseph Catholic Church

The document—dated October 24, 2025, and released on April 27—has two parts: “Foundations” and “Seven Themes.” The themes are “Listening to the Cry of the Earth,” “Listen to the Cry of the Poor and the Vulnerable,” “Adopt and Promote Ecological Economics,” “Adopt Ecological Lifestyles,” “Integral Ecology and Education,” “Ecological Spirituality in the Family,” and “Families Participating in Community Life.”

The document was signed by the dicastery’s prefects, Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., and Cardinal Kevin Farrell.

Twenty priests minister to 53,000 Catholics in Laos. The Southeast Asian nation of 8.1 million (map), a Communist state, is 54% Buddhist and 3% Christian, with 41% adhering to ethnic religions.

The encyclical’s central message is “theological and spiritual, centered on the mystery of love of the Heart of Christ, the primary source of inspiration and support for our life and our work,” Pope Leo said. “Like an everlasting flame, this love has inspired countless witnesses of charity within the Church, including in the fields of educational and social charity.”

During an April 27 meeting with the prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Pope Leo XIV approved decrees that advanced five beatification causes.

“He must be, first of all, a messenger of the Paschal proclamation ‘Peace be with you!’ (Jn 20:19),” Pope Leo said. “Even when the hopes for dialogue and reconciliation seem to vanish and peace ‘as the world gives it; is trampled upon and put to the test, you are called to continue to bring the word of the Risen Christ to all.”

“The Papal Diplomat, moreover—operating in the most diverse cultural contexts and within international organizations—is specifically assigned to bear witness to the Truth that is Christ, bringing His message to the forum of nations, and becoming a sign of His love for that portion of humanity entrusted to his mission as a shepherd, even before that of a diplomat,” the Pontiff continued.

Pope Leo added:

Finally, you are preparing to undertake a unique ministry, which is not limited to safeguarding the good of the Catholic community, but extends to the entire human family living in a particular nation or participating in the work of various international organizations.

This requires you to be promoters of all forms of justice that help to recognize, rebuild and protect the image of God imprinted in every person. In the defence of human rights—among which the rights to religious freedom and to life are prominent—I therefore urge you to continue to show the way, not towards confrontation and demands, but towards the protection of human dignity, the development of peoples and communities, and the promotion of international cooperation.

“I believe it was a grave mistake to have presented this matter as an imposition on the Holy See, announcing directly, as if it were a fait accompli, that they intended to carry out episcopal ordinations,” Bishop Arrieta said of the SSPX’s announcement that it will ordain new bishops.

“This is the attitude of those who, from the outset, consider themselves outside the Church, a stance that contradicts their own awareness that they do not possess ecclesiastical jurisdiction,” he continued. “In fact, when they had to impose disciplinary sanctions for certain conduct by some of their priests, they turned to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which granted them the authority to do so.”

Commenting on the Holy See’s dealings with the Order of Malta during Pope Francis’s pontificate, Bishop Arrieta suggested that “greater consideration should have been given to the instrument of a concordat: a concordat between the Holy See and the Order, similar to those signed with many countries, would have provided a formal framework consistent with how it is actually perceived in the international arena, and within that framework, the various spiritual and charitable issues raised by this important entity could have been resolved with realism and practicality.”

Commenting on the Charlotte priests’ series of dubia about liturgical directives enacted or considered by their bishop, Bishop Arrieta said:

For several years now, our dicastery has been publishing on its website the various opinions and consultations we are asked to provide, omitting, of course, any personal references, whenever we believe they may be of general use to the Church. For us, it is also a way to engage with the legal world and with new situations arising in various parts of the world, seeking to stimulate studies and in depth analysis of specific aspects of canon law. Regarding individual cases, however, as is logical, we are bound to maintain absolute confidentiality, also out of respect for the individuals involved.