Vatican

Pope Leo XIV has appointed a parish priest as the new bishop of the Diocese of Kalibo. Cyril Buhayan Villareal, 51, will succeed the retired Bishop Jose Corazon Tala-oc. The announcement came in a Holy See press release on January 25.

January 12, 2026 Reported by AI

In his Epiphany homily, Pope Leo XIV delivered an uncomfortable message to global political leaders, likening them to Herod for reacting with fear and violence to change. The pontiff stressed the need for an open rationality, inspired by the Magi, particularly relevant for Latin America plagued by instability and corruption.

Luis Argüello, president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, has expressed his “pain” over the Vatican's investigation into the bishop of Cádiz and Ceuta, Rafael Zornoza, for alleged sexual abuse of a minor in the 1990s. While acknowledging the “plausibility” of the complaint, he upholds the presumption of innocence for the prelate. This is the first time a canonical investigation of a bishop for pedophilia has been publicly known in Spain.

October 29, 2025 Reported by AI Fact checked

At a Vatican commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, Pope Leo XIV underscored the declaration’s enduring call to interreligious dialogue and reaffirmed the Church’s rejection of antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.