CHICAGO (WLS) — On a beautiful Tuesday evening in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, excitement is building for a group of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy students, who are getting ready for Wednesday’s papal audience.
An ABC7 crew was on the flight with some of those students and Cardinal Blase Cupich. From the gate at O’Hare Airport to their tour of Vatican City and Rome, their energy is only growing.
Swapping Lakeview for Vatican views, the students part of a class project gone viral are now walking the same places and spaces of the Catholic cardinals they once dressed up as.
“I get emotional when I think about it,” said Allison Foerster, who teaches at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy. “This feels like such a gift to get to be a part of this, to get to be a part of the team that puts together something like this for our students.”
And on Wednesday, they will get to stand in St. Peter’s Square as their hometown pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, addresses the general audience.
“We have no expectation of what will happen. We are just coming in faith and in joy to be in his presence and see what happens,” Foerster said.
On Monday, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy students in Rome took part in a special tour of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, getting a chance to see the tomb of Paul the Apostle.
“I don’t want to leave. I want to learn more, but I can’t, because we have to go see other stuff,” said fifth-grader Max Schnakenberg.
Schnakenberg, 10, says the time between first putting on his conclave costume to being able to walk into walls of Vatican City was fast.
“They were like ‘Hey guys, we’re going to make our own conclave.’ And now, ‘Hey, were going to meet the pope.’ Like, that’s a big jump,” Schnakenberg said. “Coming here, to Rome, is insane itself. Meeting the pope is a whole other level.”
Chicago native Pope Leo showed off his catching skills at a special greeting for Croatian pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Monday.
It is still anyone’s guess if these students will get more than just a general audience with the Holy Father.
But for Foerster, one the teachers who envisioned the idea of the mock conclave, says this trip itself is a blessing she and her fellow teachers never imagined.
“They’re really looking forward to just being a part of the experience. We know that no matter what, we get to see him and that in itself feels like such a gift,” Foerster said. “To be able to be here doing this, knowing this is a watershed moment for our church for our school… It’s such a gift to get be a part of this community, and to get to teach these sweet young people and to know that this is going to be a life-changing moment for them.”
Meanwhile, ABC News has learned the pope will make his first foreign trip.
The Vatican told reporters that Pope Leo XIV will travel to Turkey and Lebanon. His trip is set for late November into December.
The Vatican introduced a new set of guidelines aimed at scrutinizing claims of supernatural phenomena more rigorously. From weeping statues to miraculous healings, the Catholic Church is setting the bar high for what passes as a divine occurrence.
The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, responsible for promoting and safeguarding doctrine, has crafted these rules. They replace the older guidelines from 1978, marking a significant update in how the Church handles these mysterious claims.
A Call for Rigor and Rationality at the Vatican
At a media briefing last Friday, the Vatican made its stance clear: supernatural claims must undergo a thorough investigation to prevent fraud and exploitation. The Church aims to protect its credibility and unity, steering clear of scandals that could tarnish its image.
In an era where viral news can spread falsehoods in an instant, the guidelines stress the importance of careful validation. Reports of supernatural events have surged, propelled by the rapid spread of information online. The new protocol includes issuing a “nihil obstat,” meaning “no obstacle,” for unverified but harmless claims, allowing worship without formal recognition of the supernatural.
The Vatican’s Verdicts
Under the updated rules, bishops can make one of six decisions regarding supernatural claims. These range from outright rejection to prohibiting the worship associated with certain phenomena. To ensure consistency, bishops must seek approval from the Vatican before going public with any supernatural endorsements, with the Pope stepping in for exceptional cases.
This rigorous approach is not about stifling faith but about safeguarding it from the distortions of modern myth-making. The Vatican recognizes the powerful draw of pilgrimage sites, like Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal, where millions visit annually, drawn by tales of Marian apparitions and miracles recognized by the Church decades ago.
The Challenge of Modern Miracles
Not all supernatural claims make the cut. Take the 2016 incident in Italy, where a woman claimed regular visions of Jesus and Mary. It took eight years for the Church to investigate and dismiss the claims, which included contentious messages on social issues like same-sex marriage and abortion. This case underscores the challenges the Church faces in distinguishing genuine spiritual phenomena from well-crafted hoaxes.
The new guidelines aim to streamline this process, ensuring that any claim of a heavenly apparition or miraculous event receives the scrutiny it deserves before being accepted or rejected.
Pope Francis has received backlash for his decision to remove Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, who has been a vocal critic of Francis’ efforts to make the church more welcoming for the LBGTQ+ community.
Strickland has publicly scrutinized Francis for the Pope’s attempt to change the Church’s position on social issues, such as transgender rights and same-sex marriage.
In August, Strickland wrote an open letter to the “sons and daughters in Christ,” where he reiterated the “basic truths” of the Church, including how God sees marriage as “between one man and one woman” and how a “disordered attempt to reject” someone’s “undeniable biological and God-given identity” should not be supported.
Most recently, Strickland called Francis’ three-week long closed-door meeting on controversial issues facing the Church a “travesty.” Francis hosted the meeting in October, discussing issues like women in governance roles and welcoming LGBTQ+ members into the Church.
Pope Francis greets pilgrims and visitors during the recitation of the Sunday Angelus prayer at St. Peter’s Square on November 05, 2023 in Vatican City, Vatican. Francis has received backlash for his decision to remove Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, who has been a vocal critic of Francis’ efforts to make the church more welcoming for the LBGTQ+ community. Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images
Strickland’s governance of the diocese was investigated earlier this year by the Vatican. Following their investigation, a recommendation was given to Francis that “the continuation in office of Bishop Strickland was not feasible,” said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the head of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas, on Saturday. The investigation’s findings were never released.
The Vatican asked Strickland to resign on Thursday. When Strickland refused to resign, Francis removed him from office on Saturday, according to DiNardo’s statement. Strickland had insisted that he would not voluntarily leave his position in the church, saying in media interviews that he was given a mandate to serve by the late Pope Benedict XVI and couldn’t abdicate that responsibility.
Newsweek reached out to Strickland and the Vatican via email for comment.
Those in the Catholic community were outraged by Francis’ decision to remove Strickland, with some calling the pope a “dictator.”
Lepanto Institute, an organization that describes itself as committed to the “defense of the Catholic Church,” wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, “Like a Soviet-era dictator, and in a raw exercise of power without provision of law, Pope Francis has removed Bp. Joseph Strickland as bishop of Tyler, TX.”
Frank Pavone, a laicized Catholic priest and anti-abortion activist announced the news of Strickland’s firing. “No reason given. But reasons should be given, out of respect for everyone impacted by this decision. We see a tyrannical weaponization of both civil and ecclesiastical government.”
Arcivescovo Carlo Maria Viganò, a bishop who is a Vatican whistleblower and critic of Francis called Strickland’s removal “a cowardly form of authoritarianism” in a post on X. Meanwhile, Catholic writer Peter Kwasniewkski posted “Tyranny pure and simple,” in response to Strickland being fired.
Retired U.S. General Michael Flynn, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, stood behind Strickland and wrote on X: “I want to make sure we don’t lose sight of who is among the top of the pyramid of the globalist elite trying to take over the world by first destroying it then ‘building it back better’ in their image. One of those at the very top is @Pontifex(Pope Francis).”
Meanwhile, Dr. Taylor Marshall, a Catholic YouTube commentator, posted, “This is a very sad moment for the Catholic Church in Texas and throughout the world. Pray for Bishop Strickland and pray for those who removed him.”
The Vatican confirmed that Strickland was “relieved” of the pastoral governance of Tyler and said that the bishop of Austin, Joe S. Vásquez, was appointed as the temporary administrator.
Rejoice always that…no matter what the day brings Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, yesterday, today and forever. May the saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary always inspire us to return to Christ no matter how we may wander into darkness. Jesus is Light from Light. pic.twitter.com/BInqtESYaH
Strickland has not directly responded to his removal, but he did write on X on Saturday, “Rejoice always that…no matter what the day brings Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, yesterday, today and forever. May the saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary always inspire us to return to Christ no matter how we may wander into darkness. Jesus is Light from Light.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
