Posted inVatican Dispatch

Pope Leo calls for ‘culture of negotiation’ at meeting of North and South American leaders

by Gerard O’Connell September 16, 2026

Pope Leo spoke before a multi-national forum of 60 persons from different sectors of society from North and South America on Sept. 12. Credit: Vatican Media

At a time of ever-increasing polarization and conflict in the world, Pope Leo XIV called for developing social dialogue through “a healthy ‘culture of negotiation’ which is capable of opening paths where differences seem to close off every possibility of encounter.”

He underlined the importance of this “culture of negotiation” in his address in the Vatican’s Consistorial Hall on Sept. 12, to a high-level multi-national forum of 60 persons from different sectors of society from North and South America. Those present included church leaders, representatives of business, regional development banks, organized national and international labor organizations, university networks, popular movements and community organizations from the Americas.

Why do we love to stereotype the Catholic convert?

 

Convert Alert!

Why do we love to stereotype the Catholic convert?

Eve Tushnet

September 2, 2026

Please email comments to letters@commonwealmagazine.org.

Catechumens take part in the Rite of Election at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, March 9, 2025 (OSV News photo/Gregory L. Tracy, The Pilot)

In the online world, Catholics periodically go through bouts of convert-skepticism. Perhaps the pithiest expression of this skepticism came from @agraybee on Twitter, way back in 2022: “Every lifelong Catholic I’ve ever met is like ‘I think we’re supposed to give this food to poor people’ and every adult convert is like ‘the Archon of Constantinople’s epistle on the Pentacostine rites of the eucharist clearly states women shouldn’t have drivers’ licenses.’” This tweet has since been shared 4,600 times, not counting what must be tens of thousands of screenshots. It’s even become a meme format, easily adapted to critique any kind of Johnny-come-lately. I most recently saw it applied to soccer neophytes who started caring about the sport only when the United States was named a host of this year’s World Cup.

 

News Analysis

What Pope Leo has said about an ‘A.I. pause’

by Molly Wysocki September 16, 2026

Pope Leo XIV speaks with to Christopher Olah, co-founder of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, at the conclusion of a presentation on the pope's first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence," at the Synod Hall at the Vatican May 25, 2026. Credit: (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie. A total of 1,200 artificial intelligence entities escaping pre-set, digital “sandboxes,” over 70,000 messages and files shared between them on a collaborative message board, a trove of evidence of computational deceit, and zero evidence of any attempt to tell humans about all that was going on. But it happened this past summer, it could very well happen again, and it has led to a whirlwind of chatter about slowing down the bull-in-a-china-shop pursuit of progress in the field of A.I.

Bishop Barron of Word on Fire fuels debate on empathy's role in society

 

Bishop Barron of Word on Fire fuels debate on empathy's role in society

News

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  Jeromiah Taylor

New Vatican document's use of 'ecological sin' vital to conversion

 

New Vatican document's use of 'ecological sin' vital to conversion

Daniel P. Horan   ncr

US bishops form new task force over AI concerns, meet with tech leaders

 

eptember 16, 2026

US bishops form new task force over AI concerns, meet with tech leaders

Gina Christian, OSV News  ncr

Amid tensions, Canadian bishop reminds Catholics of US, Canada: 'We are neighbors'

 

News

Amid tensions, Canadian bishop reminds Catholics of US, Canada: 'We are neighbors'

Michael J. O'Loughlin   ncr

Posted inVatican Dispatch

Pope Leo celebrates his 71st birthday—by giving gifts to the Vatican

by Gerard O’Connell September 14, 202

Pope Leo XIV blows out a candle as he receives an angel cake from Vatican employees to mark his 71st birthday during his visit to inaugurate the exhibition "AQVA. Catastrophe and Wonder” at the Vatican Library Sept. 14, 2026. Credit: OSV News photo/Simone Risoluti, Vatican Media

As he received good wishes and gifts from across the world, Pope Leo celebrated his 71st birthday in an unusual way today, Sept. 14, by giving two gifts that brought joy to many in the Holy See.

First, he restored—effective from Sept.1—full salaries to cardinals, senior officials, clerics and women and men religious working in the Holy See that had been reduced by Pope Francis amid a budget crisis during the Covid pandemic in March 2021. 

Second, he visited the Vatican Library for the first time as pope to open an exhibition centered on water and, while there, announced his decision to significantly extend the space available to the library and archives.