Pope Leo XIV fulfilled a promise made by the late Pope Francis to return to Canada’s Indigenous communities artifacts — including an Inuit kayak, masks, moccasins, and etchings — that have been held by the Vatican for more than 100 years.

The pope gave 62 artifacts to the leaders of the Canadian bishops’ conference Nov. 15, the Vatican and the bishops’ conference said in a joint statement.

The bishops “will proceed, as soon as possible, to transfer these artifacts to the National Indigenous Organizations,” which will ensure they are “reunited with their communities of origin,” said a separate statement from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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In planning next year’s Leadership Gathering, the United Methodist Church’s bishops “are building something unprecedented in United Methodist life.”

That’s how Horizon Texas Conference Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. described the gathering of United Methodist lay and clergy leaders selected by the bishops. The international meeting, scheduled for Oct. 20-24, 2026, at Knox United Church in Calgary, Alberta, will have no decision-making authority.

“Why are we doing this?” Saenz explained. “This gathering is a sacred space — a space designed for us to imagine possibilities — not to make decisions.”
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In Rome, on November 4—the memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo—the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released Mater Populi Fidelis, a doctrinal note that feels like a gentle breeze amid the stormy seas of ecumenical dialogue. More fully titled Doctrinal Note on Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation, this document is not just another Vatican pronouncement; it is a thoughtful, Scripture-soaked reflection that reins in exuberant Marian devotions while anchoring them firmly in the mystery of Christ. For some within the broader Christian family, especially Anglicans, this note arrives as a welcome affirmation. It conveys a balanced reverence for the Blessed Virgin, reminding us that ecumenism is not about compromise but about rediscovering shared truths.
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It is “not appropriate” to refer to the Virgin Mary as “Co-redemptrix” because it obscures Christ’s exclusive role in the work of redemption, according to a new Vatican document.

“This title risks obscuring Christ’s unique salvific mediation and can therefore create confusion and an imbalance in the harmony of the truths of the Christian faith,” the document says. “When an expression requires many, repeated explanations to prevent it from straying from a correct meaning, it does not serve the faith of the People of God and becomes unhelpful.”
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While praising devotion to Mary, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith firmly rejected moves to formally proclaim Mary as “co-redemptrix” or “co-mediatrix.”

In a lengthy doctrinal note titled “Mater Populi Fidelis” (“Mother of the Faithful People of God”), the dicastery said the title co-redemptrix or co-redeemer “carries the risk of eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ” in salvation.

And, regarding the title co-mediatrix or co-mediator, it said that Mary, “the first redeemed, could not have been the mediatrix of the grace that she herself received.”
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In his book, Border Lines: The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity, Daniel Boyarin presents the parting of the ways as two sibling traditions born from the same mother (that is, second Temple Judaism, in all its diversity) and gradually developing apart over a long and complicated historical and cultural process, almost the way different languages emerge from their root mother – French and Italian from Latin, for instance, though intervening languages like Provencal, Occitan, or Romansch complicate a simplistic either/or picture.
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“Sixty years ago”, with the publication of Nostra aetate, the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on the relation of the Church to non-Christian Religions, “a seed of hope for interreligious dialogue was planted,” Pope Leo XIV said on Tuesday evening. “Today, your presence bears witness that this seed has grown into a mighty tree, its branches reaching far and wide, offering shelter and bearing the rich fruits of understanding, friendship, cooperation and peace.”

The Holy Father was addressing his remarks to representatives of world religions, members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, and Vatican and Church officials committed to interreligious dialogue, who had gathered in the Paul VI Hall to celebrate the anniversary of the Council’s historic Declaration.
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Vatican II’s Declaration Nostra Aetate does not delve into Christological understanding in a direct way. But through its affirmations of continued covenantal inclusion on the part of Jews and Judaism, it undercuts a central base for classical Christianity. How can the restored covenantal inclusion for Jews be proclaimed side-by-side with the longstanding belief in Christ’s salvific work?

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In recent years we have witnessed a movement in scholarly circles to reorient the image of Paul. That effort has led to a focus on the compatibility of Pauline teaching with the tenets of Second Temple Judaism. Hence, any Christology rooted simplistically in a “law-gospel” or “flesh-spirit” dichotomy can no longer stand the test of scholarly inquiry relative to Paul. While the new scholarship may present Pauline teachings on the significance of Jesus the Christ with different shadings, there is a building consensus that earlier portrayals of Paul’s vision in this regard have seriously distorted his intent.
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“Where now for visible unity?” was the theme of the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order meeting in Egypt from 24 to 28 October and on the final day of the gathering, a panel of theologians from different regions and contexts reflected on the topic of “Living Visible Unity.”

“This conference invites us to ponder how the churches might respond afresh to Christ’s prayer ‘that they may all be one,’ amid new historical and contextual realities and in the continuing shadow of coloniality, whose enduring logics still shape our theologies, identities, and ecclesial relations,” said Rev. Dr Teddy Sakupapa, an ordained minister in the Uniting Presbyterian Church in South Africa.
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In the central courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the Cortile San Damaso, the red carpets were laid out with great precision. All was prepared for the arrival of King Charles and Queen Camilla for their State Visit to the Holy See.

The events of that day are well known: a private meeting with Pope Leo with an exchange of gifts, a ceremony of prayer in the magnificent Sistine Chapel, a time of further discussion, then another wondrous ceremony in the Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls, and finally a formal reception, and the planting of a tree, in the Beda College.

I was privileged to have front row seats in the two liturgical events, making it a day I shall never forget.
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