Pope celebrates his 71st birthday but it’s Vatican employees who get the gift The Vatican published a papal decree repealing 2021 salary cuts that Pope Francis had imposed on many Vatican employees as part of the Holy See’s COVID-19 cost-saving measures. DRM News In the decree, Leo said the salary-containing measures “can now be overcome, in the certainty that the institutions of the Holy See and the Vatican City State will continue, through various means, their commitment to ensuring economic sustainability.” The unpopular salary cuts had included a 10% cut on pay for cardinals and smaller percentage salary cuts for office heads and lower-ranking priests and nuns. Biennial pay raises were frozen for senior lay employees, though lower-ranking lay employees continued to receive raises. Francis had reasoned at the time that the cuts were necessary to save jobs, given the Holy See was also facing a structural deficit, estimated then at around 70 million euros, and a 1 billion euro ($1.14 …More
Leo XIV has Vatican building constructed to accumulate more and more things. In a chirograph issued today, Leo XIV has announced a new building inside Vatican City for the Apostolic Archive and Library. The vast and growing collections have exhausted existing storage capacity. Leo XIV cites the “considerable increase” in the Holy See’s bibliographical holdings and documentary output. No budget, architect, building dimensions, construction timetable or completion date has been announced. The complex will rise in the Fontana dell’Autoparco area. Space will be divided equitably between the Archive and Library, with part reserved for other Vatican City services. The decision modifies a plan approved by Francis in 2024, which envisaged new storage in the extraterritorial Lateran area. The scale is enormous: the Apostolic Archive holds more than 600 archival fonds spanning roughly 12 centuries and over 85 km of shelving. The Library preserves around 180,000 manuscripts and archival documents …More
The Visitation nuns are preparing to leave Nevers, France, after more than four centuries. The remaining sisters are emptying their monastery. Furniture, crockery, tables, cupboards and other belongings are being sold in two “vide-couvent” sales, on September 12 and 19. The departure follows a steep decline in numbers. By early 2025 only four nuns remained. On March 15, 2025 two elderly sisters left. At the time, remaining Sister Marie-Odile stressed that this did not yet mean closure, joking that the priests’ violet vestments were “not those of a funeral.” Eighteen months later, the disposal of the convent’s contents signals the community’s approaching departure. The exact date on which the last sisters will leave has not been announced, nor has the future of the building. The Visitation Order was founded in Annecy in 1610 by St Francis de Sales and St Jane Frances de Chantal. Visitandines established a monastery in Nevers in 1620, making it one of the order’s earliest foundations. …More
Saint Albert of Jerusalem | The Bishop Who Gave the Carmelites Their Rule | September 14 He lived during the turbulent age of the Crusades. He served the Church as a bishop, diplomat and peacemaker. But centuries later, he is especially remembered for a relatively short document written for a small community of hermits living near Mount Carmel. That document became known as: The Rule of Saint Albert. FROM ITALY TO THE HOLY LAND Albert was born in Italy during the 12th century. He entered the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross and eventually became Bishop of Bobbio and later Bishop of Vercelli. Albert became respected not only as a churchman but also for his ability to help resolve difficult disputes. In the early 13th century, he was appointed Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Because Jerusalem itself was under Muslim control at the time, Albert resided principally at Acre. THE HERMITS OF MOUNT CARMEL Meanwhile, a group of Western Christian hermits had settled on Mount Carmel in …More
Only two priests left the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) after the 1 July episcopal consecrations in Ecône. Father Franz Schmidberger, 79, a former Superior General, mentioned the number in his weekly newsletter on September 14. The Fraternity has more than 730 priests. #newsXcapyzjeeg
@Lionel Leslie Andrades Would you kindly explain what you mean by your very general statements. Perhaps you could share some examples of actions or behaviors that have led you to conclude what you have.
The SSPX is tradional but they interpret Magisterial Documents irrationally and not rationally just like Pope Leo and Cardinal Fernandez. Even the two pirests and the other 728 will be irrational and non traditional on the Nicene Creed, for example.
Leo XIV increases salaries for cardinals and senior Vatican officials. Today, Leo XIV has abolished the pay cuts introduced by Francis in 2021. Francis had ordered a 10% salary cut for cardinals working for the Holy See and an 8% reduction for senior officials and curial secretaries as the Vatican faced financial difficulties. Other clergy and religious employees initially faced a 3% cut, which was abolished in 2025. Leo XIV’s new motu proprio, effective September 1, abrogates the 2021 decree in its entirety. He claimed the measures had been necessary due to the “exceptional challenge of the pandemic,” but could now be superseded as the Holy See and Vatican City pursue economic sustainability “through different instruments.” #newsRxifznfisa
Even as pope, Leo XIV uses his time to help his family with everyday problems. His brother John Prevost recently bought a new computer but could not get it to work properly. He called his brother at the Vatican, who explained step by step how to solve the problem. John also revealed that Leo XIV helped him with his tax return last year. In an interview with Italian broadcaster TG5 for Leo XIV’s 71st birthday today, John Prevost spoke about his brother’s life as pope. The brothers last met in July, when John joined Leo XIV during his summer stay at Castel Gandolfo. They spent ten days together, much of it at the papal summer residence. John said they relaxed by the pool, read books, took naps, watched television and went swimming. Leo XIV also took his relatives to several monasteries and showed them where he lives in the Vatican. Asked how Leo XIV is coping with his new role, John said his brother “hasn’t collapsed.” He described him as facing the situation with humor, strength and …More
Chris Martz @ChrisMartzWX History has been made! No hurricanes have formed in the North Atlantic Ocean so far this year. This is the FIRST time on record in the satellite era (since 1966) that we have made it to September 12th without at least one Atlantic hurricane yet in the calendar year. This is also the first time since at least 1941 that this has happened. Year-to-date ACE is lowest since 1941 as well. If we get through September 21st without any hurricane formations, it will be the first time since 1914 (there were none that season). Can we get there? Nine days to go. The NHC thinks we will notch at least seven more. The race is on.
«A Genocide,» — A Bishop Speaks Bluntly of the Suffering of Christians in Nigeria [zenit] Contando Estrelas / Vigo, 11.09.2025).- It is a genocide that many in the West don’t talk about. For most European politicians and media, this tragedy doesn’t exist or isn’t described by name. Let us recall that in a resolution passed on February 8, 2024, the European Parliament condemned the violence against Christians in Nigeria, denouncing that since 2009, 52,000 Christians have been killed in that country and that 18,000 churches and 2,200 Christian schools have been destroyed. Despite this, the resolution avoided the term «genocide,» a term denied by those who falsely accuse the State of Israel of the same thing. On Monday, September 1, a Nigerian Catholic Bishop spoke bluntly about the suffering of Christians in Nigeria. Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of Makurdi stated in an interview with Nico Spuntoni published by the Italian newspaper Il Tempo: «We need the world to know what is happening …More
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FROM ITALY TO THE HOLY LAND Albert was born in Italy during the 12th century. He entered the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross and eventually became Bishop of Bobbio and later Bishop of Vercelli. Albert became respected not only as a churchman but also for his ability to help resolve difficult disputes. In the early 13th century, he was appointed Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Because Jerusalem itself was under Muslim control at the time, Albert resided principally at Acre. 
THE HERMITS OF MOUNT CARMEL Meanwhile, a group of Western Christian hermits had settled on Mount Carmel in …More
Morning Minute Retreat (September 14, 2026)