Apostolic nuncio to Germany: Cardinal von Galen should be canonized

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 7, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

Apostolic nuncio to Germany: ‘Lion of Munster’ Cardinal von Galen should be canonized

The apostolic nuncio in Germany is calling for the swift canonization of Cardinal Clemens August Graf von Galen, widely known as the “Lion of Münster,” renowned for his courageous opposition to Nazi persecution. 

Archbishop Nikola Eterović made the appeal during a memorial Mass marking 20 years since the cardinal’s beatification by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. Around 400 faithful gathered for the commemoration, which celebrated the life and witness of one of Germany’s most outspoken Catholic voices during the Third Reich. 

“May this grateful remembrance also become a prayer for a swift canonization of the revered cardinal,” Eterović said, according to CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner. 

Von Galen served as bishop of Münster from 1933 to 1946, earning his nickname after delivering three powerful sermons in summer 1941 that condemned Nazi euthanasia programs and attacks on the Church. His fearless defense of human dignity and religious freedom made him a target of the regime, yet he continued advocating for the vulnerable until his death in March 1946, just weeks after being elevated to cardinal.

New Vatican envoy for South Korea is hoping for peace with North Korea

South Korea’s new ambassador to the Holy See has expressed hope to serve the Vatican’s efforts to achieve peace between North and South Korea. 

“I will do my best for peace on the Korean peninsula,” said Ambassador Stefano Shin Hyung-sik in an interview with UCA News. Shin, who was appointed on Oct. 29, also said he hopes a visit from Pope Leo XIV to South Korea during World Youth Day 2027 will be “a decisive diplomatic opportunity to revive the momentum for dialogue for peace on the Korean peninsula.” The event, he said, will not only serve as a gathering for the Church but also will be one “that can send a message of peace and solidarity to the world.”

Pope Leo receives credentials of Lebanon’s new ambassador to the Holy See

In a ceremony held at the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo XIV accepted the credentials of Lebanon’s new ambassador to the Holy See, Fadi Assaf, reported ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. The meeting follows the pope’s recent audience with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and comes just weeks before the pontiff’s apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon, his first official visit to the region.

During his stay in Lebanon, the pope will deliver an address at the presidential palace in Baabda, visit the tomb of St. Charbel in Annaya, and meet clergy and consecrated persons at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa.

The trip will also feature an interfaith gathering in Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square and a youth encounter in front of the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke.

Catholic Church in Pakistan celebrates 55th anniversary, opens theological college

The Catholic Church in Pakistan marked its 55th anniversary this week amid widespread Christian persecution in the Muslim-majority country. 

A thanksgiving and holy Communion service was celebrated by the moderator Bishop Azad Marshall alongside Multan Bishop Leo Paul to honor the occasion on Nov. 1, according to a Nov. 5 press release. The event also inaugurated the new St. Thomas Theological College in Khanewal.

Aleppo honors St. Ignatius Maloyan, saint of faith and loyalty

The Armenian Catholic community in Aleppo celebrated a thanksgiving Mass to honor the canonization of St. Ignatius Maloyan, bishop of Mardin, who was martyred during the Ottoman persecutions of 1915.

Presided over by Archbishop Boutros Marayati at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the service included the consecration of a new altar bearing the saint’s icon. Among the attendees were descendants of survivors of the Mardin massacres, whose ancestors perished alongside Maloyan, ACI MENA reported. 

Marayati described Maloyan as a “universal saint and a witness to faith,” recalling his refusal to renounce Christianity under threat of death. The bishop’s letter before martyrdom, read aloud during the Mass, emphasized loyalty to both faith and civic duty, urging his flock to remain steadfast and faithful. 

Many testimonies of miracles and healings attributed to Maloyan’s intercession continue to reach Church authorities in Lebanon and Armenia. 

Kenyan bishop offers spiritual comfort to landslide victims

Bishop Henry Juma Odonya of Kitale, Kenya, has offered his spiritual solidarity with victims of a landslide that has left more than 26 people dead in the neighboring Eldoret Diocese, ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, reported on Wednesday. 

“We pray for the Christians of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret and those from the Chesongoch Parish and other parts of Kenya who have lost their lives or property,” the bishop said during a Nov. 5 homily during the annual Peace Mass bringing together the dioceses of Eldoret, Lodwar, and Kitale. May the God of peace bless them and give them comfort during this time of trial. We offer prayers for our departed loved ones, particularly in November, a month dedicated to honoring the deceased.”

Indian Supreme Court orders state government response to anti-conversion law challenge

The Supreme Court in India has directed the Rajasthan state government to file a response to challenges raised against its stringent anti-conversion laws, according to a Nov. 4 report from UCA News. 

The move comes after a division bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta accepted the petitions of Christian journalist and activist John Dayal and M. Huzaifa, a researcher and rights defender, who both called the courts to suspend the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act 2025, which criminalizes religious conversion. “This law is a chilling example of how the state seeks to bypass the judiciary entirely,” Dayal said, according to the report.

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/267663/apostolic-nuncio-to-germany-lion-of-munster-cardinal-von-galen-should-be-canonized