Saint Joseph Catholic Church

“Let us pray for reconciliation where there is division, for justice where there are violations of fundamental rights, and for consolation for all who feel overwhelmed by fear or loss,” Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City wrote on January 28.

Archbishop Coakley added:

While proper laws must be respected, works of mercy, peacefully assembling, and caring for those in your community are signs of hope, and they build peace more surely than anger or despair ever could ...

The recent killing of two people by immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis and that of a detained man in Texas, are just a few of the tragic examples of the violence that represent failures in our society to respect the dignity of every human life. We mourn this loss of life and deplore the indifference and injustice it represents. The current climate of fear and polarization, which thrives when human dignity is disregarded, does not meet the standard set by Christ in the Gospel.

Cardinal Parolin also hinted that the Holy See will reject President Trump’s invitation to join his Board of Peace for Gaza.

“Faced with this proposal, there were indeed problematic points that needed to be taken into consideration and that would then be evaluated in view of a response,” Cardinal Parolin said. “The response has not yet been given, but I believe one cannot forget the problematic aspects of this plan.”

Cardinal Parolin also expressed optimism about a resolution to the Greenland crisis and declined to comment about the possible presence of ICE agents at the Winter Olympics in Milan.

Pope Leo XIV received participants in the plenary assembly of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and praised the dicastery for its work over the past two years.

“An important question is the inculturation of faith,” Cardinal Parolin wrote in his letter, published on January 29. “It is not a question of adapting the Gospel to the world, but of finding in each culture the appropriate ways to proclaim the Word that does not fade away, enriching and serving human existence.”

“Faced with the evils that undermine society, such as tribalism, interethnic conflicts, wars, family divisions and so on, the Gospel calls for reconciliation and the pacification of hearts,” he added.

After discussing synodality and encouraging the bishops to listen to young people, Cardinal Parolin spoke of the importance of ministry to refugees:

Your communities are also shaken by the crisis of refugees and displaced persons. Be for them the Christ who bows down to their painful situations in order to heal them and give them the bread of consolation.

The typical religious who professed perpetual vows in 2025 is a 35-year-old cradle Catholic who has three or more siblings and who regularly prayed the Rosary and took part in Eucharistic adoration before entering religious life, according to a survey released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.