"To guarantee lasting peace, we must return to a recognition of our common humanity and place fraternity at the center of peoples' lives," he told participants in a conference on human fraternity.

"Political peace needs peace of hearts, so that people can meet in the confidence that life always triumphs over all forms of death," he said in his talk during a late morning audience at the Vatican May 11.

The pope met with some 350 participants of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity being held May 10-11. Organized by the Vatican's Fratelli Tutti Foundation, the conference brought Nobel laureates, government officials, scientists, experts, athletes and artists to a series of roundtable discussions across Rome and at the Vatican to discuss specific themes aimed at strengthening solidarity and peace.

Those attending the conference included: New York Mayor Eric Adams; Muhammad Yunus, recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize; Graça Machel Mandela, former first lady of both South Africa and Mozambique; the former quarterback, Tom Brady; and NASA administrator, Bill Nelson. U.S. country singer, Garth Brooks, was scheduled to be part of a late evening concert held in front of St. Peter's Basilica May 11.

In his address, the pope quoted the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who said, "We've learned to fly the air like birds, we've learned to swim the seas like fish, and yet we haven't learned to walk the Earth as brothers and sisters."

"War is a deception. War is always a defeat, as is the idea of international security based on the deterrent of fear," the pope said. "It is another deception."

"In a planet in flames, you have gathered with the intention of reiterating your 'no' to war and 'yes' to peace, bearing witness to the humanity that unites us and makes us recognize each other as brothers and sisters, in the reciprocal gift of the respective cultural differences," he told conference participants. 

One of the conference's aims was to renew the Declaration on Human Fraternity released at the first conference in Rome in 2023 and to draft a new "Charter of Humanity" outlining a "grammar" or code of choices and behaviors needed to build fraternal coexistence in a world marked by uncertainty and fear.

In his speech, the pope underlined the importance of compassion and he encouraged everyone "to make this spirituality of fraternity grow, and to promote, through your diplomatic action, the role of multilateral bodies."

Only by recognizing everyone is part of a common humanity and putting fraternity at the center of peoples' lives "will we succeed in developing a model of coexistence capable of giving the human family a future," he said. 

Later in the afternoon, the pope attended a special roundtable, dedicated to children and future generations, held in the Vatican Synod Hall.

The moderator told the pope that a group of special "scientists" had to be introduced before they could start the meeting in the half-empty hall. As the music to "A Thousand Years" played, scores of children walked into the hall wearing crowns made of laurel leaves.

They held paper leaves with words of wisdom written on them and handmade drawings they gave the pope. Some stayed with the pope, sitting next to him behind the dais.

In an informal exchange, the pope asked the children what happiness was and where it could be found. "I love you very much!" was the first and fourth response. 

Those who kept on topic answered, "to be united together," "to be part of a family," when everyone is doing well, by loving one another, by staying in touch with God and when there is peace.

Peace, they said, can be found when people speak nicely to one another, and insults only cause unhappiness. 

Pope Francis then asked them if they understood there were children in the world suffering from hunger and war, and whether they thought the children on "the other side" of a war were enemies.

"No!" they shouted, with one explaining the reason was that war "is not their fault" and "all children are part of one family." 

One child asked the pope to pray for his grandmother, and the pope led everyone in praying the Hail Mary for everyone's grandparents, ending with the cheer "Long live grandparents!" and explaining how the future depends on young and old working together. 

The pope signed a copy of a declaration crafted by the children expressing what fraternity means to them, and he blessed a relic of Blessed Pino Puglisi of Palermo, who spoke out against the Mafia and helped underprivileged children. The priest was murdered in 1993 by order of local Mafia bosses. The relic was a small Gospel that had been buried with him and had remained intact and found when his body was exhumed. 

The reasons for pollution and world hunger, for example, are not based on the number of children being born, but on "the choices of those who think only of themselves, the delusion of unbridled, blind and rampant materialism, of a consumerism that, like an evil virus, erodes at the root the existence of people and society," he said.

"Human life is not a problem, it is a gift," he said. "The problem is not how many of us there are in the world, but what kind of world we are building." 

Pope Francis made his remarks at a meeting in Rome May 10 on Italy's longtime decline in births and population growth.

The annual conference focuses on the general state of Italy's birthrate and demographics and seeks to bring all sectors of society together to pursue concrete ways to reverse the country's steeply declining birthrate. Sponsored by the Foundation for Natality and with the support of the Italian Forum of Family Associations and the city of Rome, the conference was held May 9-10 at a Rome auditorium not far from St. Peter's Square.

Italy has had one of the lowest birthrates in the European Union for years. According to the Italian National Institute of Statistics, Italy continued to register less than 7 births per 1,000 people last year and saw 14,000 fewer births than in 2022. Italy's fertility rate dropped to 1.2 in 2023 from 1.24 in 2022.

However, its population registered a decline of only 0.3% from last year due to increased migration and to fewer people leaving the country, the institute said.

Gianluigi De Palo, president of the Foundation for Natality, said in his talk before introducing the pope, that the group's mission is to encourage Italy's demographic winter to turn into springtime.

"Not because we are worried about who will pay for our pensions or who will support the national health care system, but because we want our children to be free" to choose what they want to do with their future, he said. 

"It is not about convincing young people to have more children; it is not about convincing couples, families, women to have children," he said.

The problem is that having children is one of the primary causes of poverty in Italy, "and this is unacceptable," he said. People may feel free to not have children if they do not want them, but that freedom is denied to those who want to have children "but are not in a position to have them."

Nothing concrete has been done, he continued, to actually enact or strengthen measures and policies that people agree with, such as more public child care centers and better parental leave.

In his talk, Pope Francis said the root cause of problems in the world "is not babies being born: it is selfishness, consumerism and individualism, which make people satiated, lonely and unhappy."

"Selfishness makes one deaf to the voice of God, who loves first and teaches how to love, and to the voice of the brothers and sisters around us; it anesthetizes the heart," making people live for things and possessions, losing the capacity to know "how to do good."

Homes become "very sad places," he said, emptied of children and "filled with objects," dogs or cats.

The pope said what is needed are long-term approaches, effective policies and bold, concrete decisions so that what seeds are sown today, children "can reap tomorrow." 

"Serious and effective family-friendly choices" need to be made, he said. For example, women should never be put in a position where they have to choose between work and childcare, and young people should not carry the paralyzing burden of job insecurity and the inability to buy a home.

There should also be more intergenerational solidarity and generosity, the pope said.

Older generations should reassess their habits and lifestyles, "giving up what is superfluous in order to give the youngest hope for tomorrow" and, he said, younger generations should recognize and show gratitude for the sacrifices and hard work of those who helped them grow, he added.

In every discussion about birthrates and demographics, he said, do not forget to emphasize the importance of grandparents playing an active role in families.

It is "cultural suicide" to "discard" grandparents or let them live solitary lives, he said.

"The future is made by young and old together. Courage and memory together," he said.

"These are the values to uphold, this is the culture to spread, if we are to have a tomorrow," he said.

Pope: Babies are the hope of a nation

Pope Francis spoke at a meeting in Rome on Italy's demographics and birthrate May 10.

Christians must "abound in hope" to be credible witnesses of God's love, he wrote, and they can give signs of that hope by having children, welcoming migrants, visiting prisoners, working for peace, opposing the death penalty, helping young people find a job, pressuring rich countries to forgive the debt of poor countries, praying for the souls in purgatory and lobbying to divert money from military spending to food aid.

The document, called a "bull of indiction," specifies that the holy year will open at the Vatican Dec. 24 this year and close Jan. 6, 2026, the feast of Epiphany. Pope Francis also asked bishops around the world to inaugurate the Holy Year in their dioceses Dec. 29 this year and celebrate the conclusion of the Jubilee locally Dec. 28, 2025.

During a brief ceremony in front of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica May 9, Pope Francis handed the document to the archpriests of the papal basilicas of St. Peter, St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. Mary Major, the vicar of the archpriest of the Basilica of St. John Lateran and to top officials of the dicasteries for Evangelization, the Eastern Churches and Bishops.

Msgr. Leonardo Sapienza, an apostolic protonotary and official of the papal household, read excerpts from the document, which is titled, "Spes Non Confundit," ("Hope Does Not Disappoint").

"Hope is born of love and based on the love springing from the pierced heart of Jesus upon the cross," Pope Francis wrote in the document.

In a world seemingly marked by war, divisions, environmental destruction and economic challenges, hope can seem hard to come by, he said. But "Christian hope does not deceive or disappoint because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God's love."

In addition, people need to look around and seek signs of hope, he said. "We need to recognize the immense goodness present in our world, lest we be tempted to think ourselves overwhelmed by evil and violence."

People's yearning for peace, their desire for a relationship with Jesus and growing concern for the environment are all signs that hope still exists, the pope wrote.

"The desire of young people to give birth to new sons and daughters as a sign of the fruitfulness of their love," he said, is another sign of hope and one that "ensures a future for every society."

But the "alarming decline in the birthrate" in many countries shows how governments and communities must work together to support young couples who want to give that sign of hope to the world, he said.

The theme for the holy year is "Pilgrims of Hope," and in the document Pope Francis called on Catholics not only to strengthen their own sense of hope, but also to "be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind."

Listing prisoners as the first category of people in need of hope, the pope said he wants to open a Holy Door in a prison although he provided no further details. But he asked governments around the world to consider jubilee amnesty and pardon programs and urged greater efforts to ensure those who have completed a sentence are assisted in their return to society.

He called on all Catholics, but especially bishops, to "be one in demanding dignified conditions for those in prison, respect for their human rights and above all the abolition of the death penalty, a provision at odds with Christian faith and one that eliminates all hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation."

Pope Francis also called on the church to take special care of young people, who are supposed to be "the embodiment of hope," but often seem overwhelmed by "an uncertain and unpromising future."

And migrants, who leave their homelands in search of a better life for themselves and their families, also need support to keep their hope alive, he said, adding that "their expectations must not be frustrated by prejudice and rejection."

Pilgrims of hope also should help the souls in purgatory, the pope wrote as he introduced a discussion on a key feature of jubilee celebrations: indulgences, which the church describes as a remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for their sins.

"Every sin 'leaves its mark'" even after a person has received forgiveness and absolution through the sacrament of reconciliation, he said. "Sin has consequences, not only outwardly in the effects of the wrong we do, but also inwardly, inasmuch as 'every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death, in the state called Purgatory,'" he wrote, quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

"The evil we have done cannot remain hidden; it needs to be purified in order to enable this definitive encounter with God's love," the pope said. "Here we begin to see the need of our prayers for all those who have ended their earthly pilgrimage, our solidarity in an intercession that is effective by virtue of the communion of the saints, and the shared bond that makes us one in Christ, the firstborn of all creation."

"The Jubilee indulgence, thanks to the power of prayer, is intended in a particular way for those who have gone before us, so that they may obtain full mercy," Pope Francis wrote. He said a full set of norms for the jubilee indulgence would be published later.

Pope prays Jubilee brings hope to world

Pope Francis celebrated vespers in St. Peter's Basilica May 9, sharing the document formally proclaiming the Holy Year 2025.

Those who are patient "are weavers of goodness. They stubbornly desire peace, and even if others are hasty and would like everything straight away, patience is capable of waiting," he said. 

"Even when many around us have succumbed to disillusionment, those who are inspired by hope and are patient are able to get through the darkest of nights," he said in St. Peter's Square May 8, the feast of Our Lady of Luján, patroness of Argentina. Before giving his catechesis, the pope prayed a few moments before a small statue of the Our Lady of Luján that was placed with two small floral bouquets to the right of his chair.

The pope continued his series of audience talks about vices and virtues by reflecting on the "theological" or New Testament virtue of hope. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the pope noted, says, "Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit."

Life without meaning gives rise to sadness and desperation, he said.

"Many may rebel" by insisting they have "striven to be virtuous, to be prudent, just, strong, temperate," the pope said. They declare, "I have also been a man or woman of faith.… What was the use of my fight if everything ends here?"

"If hope is missing, all the other virtues risk crumbling and ending up as ashes. If no reliable tomorrow, no bright horizon, were to exist, one would only have to conclude that virtue is a futile effort," the pope said.

Christian hope "is not an obstinacy we want to convince ourselves of, but it is a gift that comes directly from God," he said. It is a belief in the future "because Christ died and rose again and gave us his spirit." 

"If you believe in the resurrection of Christ, then you know with certainty that no defeat and no death is forever," he said.

However, the pope said, "hope is a virtue against which we sin often: in our bad nostalgia, in our melancholy, when we think that the happiness of the past is buried forever."

"We sin against hope when we become despondent over our sins, forgetting that God is merciful and greater than our hearts," he said, emphasizing that "God forgives everything; God always forgives."

"The world today is in great need of this Christian virtue" of hope, he said, "just as it needs patience, a virtue that walks in close contact with hope."

The pope asked people to pray for "the grace of hope along with patience" and to "always look toward that ultimate encounter; always see that the Lord is always near us and that death will never, ever be victorious."

Pope: Never lose hope!

A look at Pope Francis' general audience May 8.

"Friendship is not the fruit of calculation, nor of compulsion, it is born spontaneously when we recognize something of ourselves in the other," he said May 5. "Jesus, in the Bible, tells us that for him we are precisely this: friends, people beloved beyond all merit and expectation, to whom he extends his hand and offers his love, his grace, his word."

Before leading the "Regina Coeli" prayer in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis reflected on the day's Gospel reading from St. John in which Jesus tells the apostles, "I do not call you servants any longer, but friends."

Jesus does not only want to entrust humanity with his mission of salvation, the pope said, "he wants more, something greater that goes beyond goods and plans themselves; it takes friendship."

The pope asked people to think about the beauty of friendship that they experience throughout the course of their lives, from sharing toys as children and confiding secrets to one another as teenagers to exchanging joys and worries as adults and recounting memories together as seniors.

"Let us think a moment of our friends and thank the Lord for them," he said.

In friendship, Jesus "shares what is dearest to him" with humanity, the pope said: "All that he has learned from the Father."

Jesus is invested in his friendship with humanity "even to the point of making himself fragile for us, of placing himself in our hands, without defense or pretense, because he loves us," he said. "The Lord loves us; as a friend he wants our good and he wants us to share in his."

If a friendship is true, it is "so strong that is does not fail even in the face of betrayal," he said, noting that Jesus calls Judas "friend" even after he had been betrayed.

"A true friend does not abandon you, even when you make mistakes: he corrects you, perhaps he reproaches you, but he forgives you and does not abandon you," he said.

After reciting the "Regina Coeli" prayer, the pope asked Christians to pray for Ukraine, Palestine and Israel, "that there may be peace, that dialogue may be strengthened and bear good fruit. No to war, yes to dialogue!"

Pope: Jesus is a true friend

A look at Pope Francis' Regina Coeli address May 5.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Beckman was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Beckman was born on October 19, 1962, in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. He graduated from Saint Ambrose College Seminary in Davenport, Iowa, with a bachelor’s degree in history (1984). He attended The Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium where he earned a master’s degree in religious studies (1984-1989). He was ordained to the priesthood on July 13, 1990, for the Diocese of Nashville.  

Bishop-elect Beckman’s assignments after ordination include: associate pastor at Holy Rosary parish in Nashville (1990-1991); teacher, (1990-1996), and then associate principal for pastoral affairs at Father Ryan High School in Nashville (1991-1996); pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Springfield (1996-2002); administrator at Saint Michael Mission parish in Cedar Hill (1996-2002); and pastor at Saint Matthew parish in Franklin (2002-2015). Since 2015, Bishop-elect Beckman has served as pastor of Saint Henry parish in Nashville.

Bishop-elect Beckman’s additional service for the Diocese of Nashville has included: member of the presbyteral council (1993-2003; 2008-2013); member of the diocesan clergy personnel board (1995-2000); director of the diocesan youth office (1996-2002); priests’ vocation advisory council (1998-2000); member of the college of consultors (1993-2003, 2008-2013); dean of the northwest deanery (2001-2002) and central deanery (2008-2013); chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, Council #11925 (2003-2011); state chaplain for the Knights of Columbus (2004-2005); chair of the priest personnel board (2018-present).

The Diocese of Knoxville is comprised of 14,242 square miles in the state of Tennessee and has a total population of 2,538,487, of which 71,274 are Catholic.

###

With a sincere commitment to reparation, the hope is that even "if the irreparable cannot be completely repaired, love can always be reborn, making the wound bearable," the pope said.

Pope Francis met May 4 with participants in a conference marking the 350th anniversary of the 17th-century apparitions of Jesus to French St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, which included his call to promote devotion to his sacred heart and to make acts of reparation or penance for the times people have not recognized Christ's love.

Reparation is a concept found throughout the Bible, the pope said. "In the Old Testament, it takes on a social dimension of compensation for evil committed," being a matter of justice such as returning something that had been stolen or repairing something that was damaged.

"In the New Testament, however, it takes the form of a spiritual process, within the framework of the redemption brought about by Christ," the pope said. "Reparation is fully manifested in the sacrifice of the cross. The novelty here is that it reveals the Lord's mercy toward the sinner."

"Reparation therefore contributes to people's reconciliation between themselves, but also to reconciliation with God, because the wrong done to our neighbor is also an offense to God," he said.

In the Book of Sirach, the pope said, the author asks, "Do not the tears of the widow fall down the cheeks of God?"

"Dear friends," he said, "how many tears still flow down God's cheeks while our world experiences so much abuse against the dignity of the person, even within the people of God," the church.

The title of the conference in Rome was "Repairing the Irreparable," which Pope Francis said was an invitation "to hope that every wound can be healed, however deep it may be."

"Full reparation at times seems impossible, such as when goods or loved ones are definitively lost, or when certain situations have become irreversible," he said. "But the intention to make amends and to do so in a concrete way is essential for the process of reconciliation and the return to peace in the heart."

Reparation as a spiritual practice, the pope said, must include "recognizing oneself as guilty and asking for forgiveness," because it is from an "honest acknowledgment of the wrong done to one's brother or sister, and from the profound and sincere sentiment that love has been harmed, that the desire to make amends arises."

The explicit request for forgiveness "reopens dialogue and manifests the will to re-establish the bond of fraternal charity," he said. And a commitment to reparation -- "even a beginning of reparation or simply the will to make amends -- guarantees the authenticity of the request for forgiveness, it expresses its depth, its sincerity, it touches the heart of the other, bringing consolation and inspiring the other to accept the request for forgiveness."

Jesus' request to St. Margaret Mary for acts of reparation for the offenses caused by the sins of humanity indicate that "these acts consoled his heart," the pope said. And if they consoled his heart, "this means that reparation can also console the heart of every wounded person."

Pope Francis prayed that the conference would renew and strengthen "the meaning of this beautiful practice of the reparation to the sacred heart of Jesus" and that it would find "its rightful place in the penitential journey of each baptized person in the church."

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect McDermott was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Monsignor McDermott was born March 19, 1963, in New Jersey. He attended Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina. Bishop-elect McDermott earned a master’s in divinity and a master’s degree in theology and scripture from Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, as well as a licentiate in canon law from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. (2004). Monsignor McDermott was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Burlington on June 3, 1989.

Bishop-elect McDermott’s assignments after ordination include: parochial vicar at Saint Augustine parish in Montpelier (1989-1992); parochial vicar at Saint Mark parish in Burlington, and chaplain at Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington (1992-1996); pastor at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish, and chaplain at Middlebury College in Middlebury (1996-2001); and the Catholic Center at the University of Vermont-Burlington (2001-2015). Since 2015, Bishop-elect McDermott has served as the administrator of Christ the King-Saint Anthony parish in Burlington.

Bishop-elect McDermott’s priestly ministry has included service on a number of committees and boards, including the diocesan finance council, the diocesan administrative board, and the board of trustees for St. Michael’s College in Colchester. He has also served the Diocese of Burlington as vice chancellor (2004-2005); chancellor (2005-2006); vicar general and moderator of the curia (2006-present); apostolic administrator during sede vacante (2014); and diocesan administrator during sede vacante (2023).

The Diocese of Burlington is comprised of 9,135 square miles in the state of Vermont and has a total population of 645,570 of which 100,000 are Catholic.

###

From 16th-century armaments of halberds, longswords and cannons to modern-day automatic assault rifles, Glock pistols, tasers and pepper spray, the guard's arsenal and tactical defense training have sought to be the most avant-garde to provide the best security for a high-profile, crowd-loving, globe-trotting leader.

While most tourists may only see the Swiss Guard as colorful and quaint -- standing guard at papal events and surveilling entrances into Vatican City State -- they are top-tier security specialists who actually find their most needed weapon is words.

"We have been trained in different combat techniques," as well as taken courses in psychology and situational assessment, said Corporal Eliah Cinotti, media officer of the Pontifical Swiss Guard.

But "nowadays you have to understand that the best weapon is talking. Until now we have had 100% (success) because we always manage to alleviate situations by talking," he told reporters April 30 in the courtyard behind the guards' barracks.

Thousands of people stream into St. Peter's Square, the basilica and the Paul VI Audience Hall for papal events and even more walk each day by the major entrances into the tiny city state where the guards are more at liberty to interact freely with the public.

While most passersby are inquisitive and curious, there has been "a significant increase" in the number of people experiencing some form of crisis, Corporal Cinotti said.

"There are more lonely people looking for comfort and maybe they see it in the Vatican," he said. There are also more individuals who might have some kind of psychological or mental disturbance "who come up to us and perhaps even ask for a word of comfort, a word of support."

While the 135 guards may work anywhere from six- to 12-hour days, he said the hardest part of the job is coming face-to-face, not with potential or actual troublemakers, but with those who are desperately seeking help.

Hardly distant sentinels, the guards, who are on average 22 years old, hear heart-wrenching stories from people.

Some people may have lost their job and have a large family to support, he said, or "there are people maybe who want to take their own life, and we have to stop this person from taking their life."

Others might say they absolutely must see the Holy Father, "and we cannot allow everyone into the Vatican, so we are always trying to have a solution," the corporal said. Most often people are "looking for a specific kind of help," and the Vatican is seen as a kind of "last resort."

"When we are serving the entrances, we are also there to be an ear that listens, too, and it is also part of our Christian formation," he said. The Swiss Guard is open only to Swiss male citizens who have graduated from high school, served in the Swiss Army, stand at least 5 feet 8 inches tall, are under 30 years of age and are Catholic.

"The pope always says that we are a calling card for the Vatican," he said, since the guards are such highly visible and relatively accessible public-facing figures. "But more importantly we are a bit like a messenger of the Gospel on the ground."

"We are also there to be Christians," which means trying to help others, he said. "We know what to do, but in the moment also sometimes a good word or even maybe putting yourself in the person's place helps. Listening especially helps."

The fact the Vatican is "a hot spot" for so many visitors is one thing that makes the job so unique, said Renato Peter, 24, who joined the Swiss Guard in September.

Most visitors are friendly, they might have a question or want a photo or information, he said, but that means it's also difficult to see which people might be trouble. While police officers typically head out to where a specific problem has been called in, for the Swiss Guard, "the problem comes to us" with no warning.

But working "on the border" at the entrances to Vatican City State is also one of the best parts of the job, he said, as it gives him a chance to meet people from all over the world.

Peter said he decided he wanted to be a Swiss Guard when he was 12 years old when his Diocese of St. Gallen organized a trip to the Vatican for a general audience in 2012. They visited the guards' barracks in the afternoon, "and then I said, 'Yeah, that's a cool job.'"

Peter, who will be officially sworn-in as a guard with 33 other young men May 6, said he thinks "it's really great" to serve Pope Francis who has been listed a number of times by Forbes magazine as one of the "Most Powerful People" in the world and is a "spiritual mentor" to 1.39 billion Catholics around the world.

The recruit likes the camaraderie and friendships he's made, but he is not a fan of Rome's heat, which can reach 107 degrees Fahrenheit or more. It's a job where sometimes "you don't do anything, but you sweat a lot."

New recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard stand at attention while an officer inspects their uniforms during a training session at the Vatican April 30, 2024, ahead of their swearing-in ceremony May 6. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

New recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard stand at attention during a training session at the Vatican April 30, 2024, ahead of their swearing-in ceremony May 6. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

A new recruit of the Pontifical Swiss Guard receives assistance in putting on his armor in preparation for a training session at the Vatican April 30, 2024, ahead of his swearing-in ceremony May 6. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

New recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard receive assistance in putting on their armor in preparation for a training session at the Vatican April 30, 2024, ahead of their swearing-in ceremony May 6. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

New recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard polish their armor in preparation for a training session at the Vatican April 30, 2024, ahead of their swearing-in ceremony May 6. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

New recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard march during a training session at the Vatican April 30, 2024, ahead of their May 6 swearing-in ceremony. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Meet the Pontifical Swiss Guard

A behind-the-scenes look at the training of the Swiss Guard.

Father Donald J. Planty Jr., pastor of St. Charles Church in Arlington, Virginia, and one of the U.S. pastors at the meeting, said, "He told us, 'I want you to take this letter, and I want you to put it into action. I want you to share it and speak to your bishops about it and speak to your brother pastors about it.'"

The pope signed the letter May 2 as he met with more than 200 parish priests in the Vatican Synod Hall. The meeting came at the end of an April 29-May 2 gathering designed as an opportunity for the priests to share their experiences and offer input for the drafting of the working document for the Synod of Bishops on synodality's second assembly in October.

Father Planty, who served for a time in the Vatican diplomatic corps and in the Vatican Secretariat of State, said it was clear that what participants from around the world had in common was "love for our identity as priests and our mission as priests."

Clearly, he said, some priests have difficulty getting parishioners to open up and share their hopes, dreams and skills -- a crucial part of building a "synodal church" where people listen to one another and share responsibility for the life of the parish and its missionary outreach.

That is not a problem in the United States, Father Planty said. "Especially in a country of an Anglo-Saxon democratic tradition," people are used to sharing their opinions, including with their priests. They comment after Mass or send an email or phone the parish office.

"A priest who really knows his parish, loves his parishioners, has his finger on the pulse of the parish" not only through the pastoral council and finance council but "also through other, informal settings," he said. Such a pastor "knows his people, consults with them, listens to them, takes their advice, and ultimately that factors into his pastoral decisions and planning and actions."

Father Clint Ressler, pastor of St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church in Texas City, Texas, said spiritual discernment adds a key factor because synodality "is not listening to the voice of the people, but the voice of God in the voice of the people."

"It isn't just about your voices and your opinions," he said. "We have to all be willing to then go deeper beneath those voices to try to hear what the Spirit is saying among us."

People are hesitant about synodality when it is erroneously presented as debating "the issues that are controversial in the church" and "whether or not this is some new instrument to foment change in doctrine or church teaching," he said. When that happens, "I think it's disturbing. It's scary. It's unsettling," and it leaves some wondering, "Why are we going to let the people decide what God wants?"

Father Paul Soper, pastor of St. Margaret Mary and St. Denis parishes in Westwood, Massachusetts, and secretary for ministerial personnel in the Archdiocese of Boston said priests and laypeople who have fears or concerns about synodality are afraid of different things.

"The fear of the priests is that there is a degree of randomness to the process," he said, and that the synod "is going to be recommending big changes in the life of the church somehow or another that will have come from a bunch of random voices rather than from a clearly traceable conciliar process."

"I think what the people fear is different," he said. "I think that they fear that this is a conversation that's not going to go anywhere. That it will simply, in the end, be a collection of reflections on the process of reflecting -- a meeting on meetings, if you will."

But, he said, his experience in evangelization has taught him that the "deep listening" or "contemplative listening" that the synod process is teaching people is what will enable Catholics to understand other people's stories and invite them into or back into a relationship with Jesus and with the church.

Father Robert L. Connors, director of the Office for Senior Priests in the Archdiocese of Boston and episcopal vicar of the archdiocese's south region, said the synod's emphasis on listening also can help Catholics "learn the art of respect in a world where there is very little respect."

And, especially in parishes and dioceses where there is growing diversity, he said, synodality helps people realize, "we're all in this together."

- - -

Contributing to this story was Carol Glatz at the Vatican.