As Study Group 5 prepares to release its findings, mounting global pressure shows that Catholics worldwide—laypeople and bishops alike—are calling for a more inclusive Church. The question of women deacons is no longer fringe; it’s centre stage.

Pope Leo XIV honoured Blessed Iuliu Hossa, a WWII bishop who saved thousands of Jews, using the moment to reaffirm Catholic-Jewish friendship. Hossa’s courage, he said, must inspire the Church to defend all human dignity amid today’s violence and religious hatred.

God’s grace is not a commodity we trade for devotion or promises. Scripture insists that divine blessing cannot be earned through bargains, favours, or prayers of convenience. Grace flows from God’s nature, not from our negotiating skills.

With a single sentence on the Vatican balcony, Pope Leo XIV ended speculation about his support for synodality. Declaring a global commitment to a synodal Church, he placed himself firmly in continuity with Pope Francis’ vision of shared discernment and collaborative leadership.

Too often, parish liturgies are shaped by individual tastes rather than theological depth. With fewer trained ministers and fewer diocesan educators, the richness of sacramental life is being diluted, leaving communities without strong liturgical leadership.

In contrast to popes whose cultural identities overlapped entirely with Catholic tradition, Leo XIV represents a shift. He belongs to a generation where being Catholic doesn’t necessarily mean being culturally dominant, and where faith must engage with difference rather than assume uniformity.

Like children begging for sweets, the Church pleads for more vocations. But maybe it’s time to stop asking—and start listening to what the Spirit is actually saying.

Michelangelo’s Creation scene shows Adam, exposed and hesitant, his hand extended but never quite touching God’s. That gap between them — always present — says more than connection ever could.

Catholic social teaching insists that moral clarity isn’t enough. It demands concrete action—against poverty, ignorance, and inequality. For Leo XIV, the Church’s voice must not echo platitudes but challenge broken systems that steal childhoods and sacrifice the vulnerable.

We all know someone haunted by their past, who walks with slumped shoulders under the weight of failure. For them, the thought of transformation feels laughable—but Ezekiel reminds us: even the wicked can live if they turn toward righteousness in the present moment.