Anbu Selvam, RVA News

In a momentous development for the Catholic Church in Tamil Nadu, South India, Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Antonysamy Savarimuthu (63) on July 5 as the seventh Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Madurai, marking a new chapter in the life of one of India’s historic Jesuit missions and vibrant archdioceses.

On the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, June 29, 2025, Pope Leo XIV conferred the Pallium on three Indian prelates during a solemn Eucharistic Celebration at the Altar of Confession in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Episcopal Regional Commission for Social Communication (ERCSC) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei (CBCMSB) convened its Annual General Meeting and Formation Session from June 23 to 27, 2025, at the Church of Our Lady of Assumption in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

As tensions rise across Kenya, the Catholic Bishops of Kenya have urged citizens, especially young people, to remain peaceful, sincere, and courageous.

In a groundbreaking moment for transgender representation in Indian academia, Dr. N Jency has become the first transgender woman in Tamil Nadu to earn a PhD and be appointed as Assistant Professor in the English Department at Loyola College, Chennai.

During his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo XIV continued his catechetical series on the Jubilee theme “Christ our Hope,” reflecting on two miracles from the Gospel of Mark that reveal the healing power of faith in Jesus on June 25.

Pope Leo XIV welcomed more than 4,000 seminarians and formators from around the world to St. Peter’s Basilica for the Jubilee for Seminarians, delivering a heartfelt meditation centered on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the vocation to the priesthood on June 24.

As part of the Jubilee of Seminarians and Priests, the Dicastery for the Clergy will host an international event titled “Joyful Priests – I Have Called You Friends” (Jn 15:15) on Thursday, June 26, 2025, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Auditorium Conciliazione near the Vatican.

During the Jubilee of Governments, Pope Leo XIV addressed members of the International Inter-Parliamentary Union, highlighting the enduring relevance of St. Thomas More as a model of political integrity and conscience on June 21.

On the 43rd anniversary of his priestly ordination, Pope Leo XIV visited the Vatican Radio shortwave transmission center in Santa Maria di Galeria, just outside Rome, to express gratitude for the vital communication ministry carried out at the site on June 19.