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Hello, I'm Gina Christian, and you're listening to our OSV newscast for Thursday, September 3rd, 2026. Today is the feast of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church. Our Saint Today was born in Rome around the year 540, and he died there in the year 604. He became Pope in 590 during turbulent times, but amid it all, he was able to lead and implement reform. He's one of the Latin fathers of the church, and he's the reason we call it Gregorian chant. Saint Gregory the Great, pray for us. Now let's catch you up on the Catholic news of the day, and here we go. Today, Pope Leo XIV encouraged Catholic bishops serving in the Middle East to remain faithful to the gospel despite the challenges of leading often small Christian communities, and the Pope praised the bishop's precious presence across the region. Pope Leo met with members of the Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions at the Vatican, and he said the value of the Church's mission is not measured by numbers or resources, but by fidelity to the gospel. Addressing bishops from countries across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula, Pope Leo said their task is not only to preserve a Christian presence, but to witness to Christ through preaching, sacramental life, and pastoral care. The Pope urged the bishops to focus on faithfulness rather than recognition, encouraging them to be voices for truth, justice, and peace in societies often marked by hardship and conflict. The Pope also recalled the witness of Catholics who died for their faith in Iraq, Syria, and other parts of the region, including blessed Leonelas Scorbati, who was killed in Somalia in 2006, and missionary of charity members who were killed in Yemen in 2016. Pope Leo exhorted the bishops not to lose heart when results are not immediately visible, reminding them that the sowing belongs to you, the growth belongs to God. The International Theological Commission has released a new document calling for ecological conversion and proposing the term Sin Against Creation and the Creator as a more precise way of describing environmental wrongdoing. The document is called Caring for Our Common Home: a responsible and fraternal response to the Triune God. The text was approved by the Commission in July and authorized for publication by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez after being presented to Pope Leo XIV. The text builds on Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical Laudato Si, arguing that environmental harm is not only a failure of stewardship, but also a rupture in humanity's relationship with God, neighbor, and creation itself. The text proposes the use of the term sin against creation and the creator rather than ecological sin to describe instances of failing to care for our common home. The document traces the roots of today's ecological crisis to cultural shifts that weakened the perception of creation as God's gift and fostered exploitative attitudes towards nature. The text rejects both unchecked exploitation of the environment and extreme forms of biocentrism, instead, promoting responsible stewardship. The document also offers practical guidance for ecological conversion, such as mindful consumption, care for the poor, and interreligious cooperation in protecting creation. The document's release comes amid the ecumenical season of creation, which began on September 1st and ends on October 4th, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. A death of despair. That's how Archbishop Thomas Wensky of Miami described the apparent suicide of a Haitian student in Ohio, which comes amid the loss of deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitians in the U.S. Pierre Dama Bell was a 20-year-old scholarship student in his first term at Wright State University. He died August 31st after walking into traffic on Interstate 70 in Springfield, Ohio. Authorities pronounced him dead at the scene. Bell had been active in the Marine Corps junior Razzi and the National Honor Society, and he left no suicide note. But his father said his son's emotional state changed dramatically after U.S. immigration and customs enforcement fitted him with an ankle monitor in July. The action followed a Supreme Court decision permitting the Trump administration to end temporary protected status, or TPS, for Haiti. TPS shields nationals of countries facing severe crises, including conflict and natural disasters. More than 330,000 Haitians in the U.S. were covered by the designation as of 2025. According to Bell's father, feelings of shame and despair over his immigration status contributed to his son's death. Bell himself had expressed such distress on his Instagram account. Archbishop Wensky told OSV News that while life in the U.S. had offered Bell hope and opportunity, the prospect of deportation to Haiti appeared to rob him of that future. And if you or someone you know is at risk of self-harm, call or text the Suicide in Crisis Lifeline at 988 or call 911 or the emergency services number in your country. Cardinal Blaise Supich of Chicago, two orders of Catholic nuns and a pharmacist have filed suit against Illinois over that state's physician-assisted suicide law, which permits physicians to aid terminally ill adults in dying by suicide. The Cardinal, the pharmacist, and the religious orders, who are the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, and the Chicago province of the Little Sisters of the Poor, argued that the law, which is set to take effect on September 12th, would require them to facilitate such deaths for patients in violation of their faith. Cardinal Supic said in a statement, The Gospel calls us to uphold the inviolable dignity and worth of the human person, from life's first moment to its natural end. Supporters of physician-assisted suicide say the practice offers autonomy to suffering or terminally ill individuals in their final days, but opponents argue the practice disregards the dignity of human life and leaves those who are ill or dying vulnerable to coercion, among other concerns. The catechism of the Catholic Church specifically condemns the practice of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide as morally unacceptable and a violation of the fifth commandment, you shall not kill. And finally, British supporters of the traditional Latin Mass are pointing to growing youth participation as a sign of renewed interest in the Catholic faith. Nearly 250 pilgrims braved heavy rain to complete an annual 54-mile pilgrimage from August 27th through 30th, from London to the Marian Shrine of Walsingham, while about 500 attended the closing Mass of the pilgrimage on August 30th. Joseph Shaw is chairman of the Latin Mass Society, and he said young Catholics are being drawn to something they find compelling and rooted in tradition. He said, if we want to draw people to the church, we have to present something attractive and distinctive, with links to a cultural tradition and artistic heritage. And he added, No one has been canvassing or knocking on doors. Instead, young people have discovered something they can aspire to and move towards. The pilgrimage followed a large traditionalist gathering in France back in May that attracted nearly 20,000 participants. Among the younger pilgrims was James Allen, who said his faith has given him inner peace and something to live for. And he added, I know many young Catholics who are full of hope and want to tell others how the Lord has impacted their lives. Allen also said it could lead to a great revival coming. The increased participation in the traditional Latin Mass comes amid ongoing debate over Vatican restrictions on that form of the liturgy and whether they should be relaxed. And that's your OSV Newscast for today. I'm Gina Christian. Check out the show notes for a link to our website. That's where you can find the stories in this episode and a whole lot more. As always, please do make sure to subscribe to this podcast, give us a follow on social media, and bookmark osvnews.com. Hello, and a shout out to our listeners around the world. Always good to see you checking in. Drop us a line, let us know what you think. Thanks so much for listening, and God bless.

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