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CTV News
7 hours ago
- CTV News
Pope Leo XIV tells 1 million Catholic youths that they are ‘the sign a different world is possible'
Pope Leo XIV leaves at the end of a Mass with young people participating in the Youths Jubilee at the Tor Vergata field in Rome, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) ROME — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday told more than a million Catholic youths at a closing Mass for a weeklong encounter with the next generation of faithful that they are 'the sign that a different world is possible' where conflicts can be resolved with dialogue, not weapons. In his closing blessing for the Jubilee of Youth, Leo remembered the young people of Gaza and Ukraine and other countries 'bloodied by war' who could not join their celebration. 'We are closer than ever to young people who suffer the most serious evils, which are caused by other human beings,' Leo said. 'We are with the young people of Gaza. We are with the young people of Ukraine, with those of every land bloodied by war.' 'My young brothers and sisters, you are the sign that a different world is possible. A world of fraternity and friendship, where conflicts are not resolved with weapons, but with dialogue.' The young people camped out in sprawling fields southeast of Rome overnight after attending a vigil service on Saturday, also presided by Leo who has been ferried from Vatican City by helicopter. The special Jubilee celebration is part of the Holy Year that is expected to draw 32 million people to the Vatican for the centuries-old pilgrimage to the seat of Catholicism. The Vatican said more than 1 million young people were present, along with 7,000 priests and 450 bishops. During the Sunday homily, Leo urged the participants to 'spread your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith' when they return home to some 150 countries. 'Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are,' Leo urged the young faithful. 'Do not settle for less. You will then see the light of the Gospel growing every day, in you and around you.' Leo reminded the crowd that their next encounter will be for World Youth Day, set for Aug. 3-8, 2027, in Seoul, South Korea. The week has been a joyous gathering marked by bands of youths singing hymns as they move down cobblestoned streets, praying rosaries in piazzas and standing for hours at the Circus Maximus to confess their sins to priests offering the sacrament in a dozen languages. Leo also shared some tragic news on Saturday: two young people who had made the pilgrimage to Rome had died, one reportedly of cardiac arrest, while a third was hospitalized. Rain overnight awakened the faithful but didn't dampen their spirits. 'At least we were a little covered, but we still got a bit wet. We lost our voices a little. It was cold, but we woke up to a beautiful sun and view,' said Soemil Rios, 20, from Puerto Rico. 'Despite the difficulties, it was very nice and very special to have been part of this historic moment.' Sister Giulia De Luca, from Rome, acknowledged that 'waking up was a bit tough,' but that she was looking forward to seeing the pope again. 'It will be very nice to conclude a very intense week together. Definitely a lot of fun, but also very challenging in many ways,' she said. Barry reported from Milan Colleen Barry And Paolo Santalucia, The Associated Press
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
After a reference to Trump's impeachments is removed from a history museum, complex questions echo
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, July 25, 2025, in Washington. The President is traveling to Scotland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) NEW YORK — It would seem the most straightforward of notions: A thing takes place, and it goes into the history books or is added to museum exhibits. But whether something even gets remembered and how — particularly when it comes to the history of a country and its leader — is often the furthest thing from simple. The latest example of that came Friday, when the Smithsonian Institution said it had removed a reference to the 2019 and 2021 impeachments of U.S. President Donald Trump from a panel in an exhibition about the American presidency. Trump has pressed institutions and agencies under federal oversight, often through the pressure of funding, to focus on the country's achievements and progress and away from things he terms 'divisive.' A Smithsonian spokesperson said the removal of the reference, which had been installed as part of a temporary addition in 2021, came after a review of 'legacy content recently' and the exhibit eventually 'will include all impeachments.' There was no time frame given for when; exhibition renovations can be time- and money-consuming endeavors. In a statement that did not directly address the impeachment references, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said: 'We are fully supportive of updating displays to highlight American greatness.' But is history intended to highlight or to document — to report what happened, or to serve a desired narrative? The answer, as with most things about the past, can be intensely complex. It's part of a larger effort around American stories The Smithsonian's move comes in the wake of Trump administration actions like removing the name of a gay rights activist from a Navy ship, pushing for Republican supporters in Congress to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and getting rid of the leadership at the Kennedy Center. 'Based on what we have been seeing, this is part of a broader effort by the president to influence and shape how history is depicted at museums, national parks, and schools,' said Julian E. Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. 'Not only is he pushing a specific narrative of the United States but, in this case, trying to influence how Americans learn about his own role in history.' It's not a new struggle, in the world generally and the political world particularly. There is power in being able to shape how things are remembered, if they are remembered at all — who was there, who took part, who was responsible, what happened to lead up to that point in history. And the human beings who run things have often extended their authority to the stories told about them. In China, for example, references to the June 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing's Tiananmen Square are forbidden and meticulously regulated by the ruling Communist Party government. In Soviet-era Russia, officials who ran afoul of leaders like Josef Stalin disappeared not only from the government itself but from photographs and history books where they once appeared. Jason Stanley, an expert on authoritarianism, said controlling what and how people learn of their past has long been used as a vital tool to maintain power. Stanley has made his views about the Trump administration clear; he recently left Yale University to join the University of Toronto, citing concerns over the U.S. political situation. 'If they don't control the historical narrative,' he said, 'then they can't create the kind of fake history that props up their politics.' It shows how the presentation of history matters In the United States, presidents and their families have always used their power to shape history and calibrate their own images. Jackie Kennedy insisted on cuts in William Manchester's book on her husband's 1963 assassination, 'The Death of a President.' Ronald Reagan and his wife got a cable TV channel to release a carefully calibrated documentary about him. Those around Franklin D. Roosevelt, including journalists of the era, took pains to mask the impact that paralysis had on his body and his mobility. Trump, though, has taken it to a more intense level — a sitting president encouraging an atmosphere where institutions can feel compelled to choose between him and the truth — whether he calls for it directly or not. 'We are constantly trying to position ourselves in history as citizens, as citizens of the country, citizens of the world,' said Robin Wagner-Pacifici, professor emerita of sociology at the New School for Social Research. 'So part of these exhibits and monuments are also about situating us in time. And without it, it's very hard for us to situate ourselves in history because it seems like we just kind of burst forth from the Earth.' Timothy Naftali, director of the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library and Museum from 2007 to 2011, presided over its overhaul to offer a more objective presentation of Watergate — one not beholden to the president's loyalists. In an interview Friday, he said he was 'concerned and disappointed' about the Smithsonian decision. Naftali, now a senior researcher at Columbia University, said museum directors 'should have red lines' and that he considered removing the Trump panel to be one of them. While it might seem inconsequential for someone in power to care about a museum's offerings, Wagner-Pacifici says Trump's outlook on history and his role in it — earlier this year, he said the Smithsonian had 'come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology' — shows how important those matters are to people in authority. 'You might say about that person, whoever that person is, their power is so immense and their legitimacy is so stable and so sort of monumental that why would they bother with things like this ... why would they bother to waste their energy and effort on that?' Wagner-Pacifici said. Her conclusion: 'The legitimacy of those in power has to be reconstituted constantly. They can never rest on their laurels.' Deepti Hajela And Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Toronto Star
Steve Paikin: Rhonda Lenton is stepping down from York University. Here's what she has to say about eight years, strikes, and upholding free speech rights
After eight fulfilling yet tumultuous years, Dr. Rhonda Lenton recently announced she'll step down at year's end as York University's president and vice-chancellor. Richard Lautens Toronto Star flag wire: false flag sponsored: false article_type: Opinion : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false : Rhonda Lenton: I loved my time at U of T. I had three aspirations: law, university professor, and clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist. It was a very hard choice, actually. But in the end, my passion for higher education led me to become a professor. I never even thought about administration. I got the first job I applied to, which was at McMaster University. Like all good citizens, I took a turn at administration, became the undergraduate program director in sociology. I ended up applying to York University to be the dean, thought I would do it for a term or two, and then I would move on. But I fell in love with York University. It's very unique, the university's commitment to combining access and excellence and very focused on impact, how we can serve the communities and improve their well-being. And I just ended up staying. It was progressive. It aligned with my views on the role of education and modern institutions that increase the participation rate and the diversity of those who have access to higher education. It was created, in fact, to increase the diversity and the participation rate of the population. It was planned to be about 7,000 students, and then it's grown to be about 54,000. And it's never lost sight of its purpose. There are four pillars for higher ed: access, excellence, connectedness, and impact. And I've stuck by those four pillars throughout the last eight years. York is so much all about that. Watching the testimony was painful, and certainly not anything that I would have done. I, of course, feel really quite terrible for those presidents, because I have to believe that they got incredibly bad advice. I will always value and protect freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and academic freedom. But we've spent a lot of time talking about the boundaries of freedom of speech, how that differs from academic freedom — who has access to academic freedom, who does not. Having said that, I have never shied away, nor will I ever shy away from talking specifically about antisemitism, and what is happening in the world, especially since October 7th. People start thinking, well, unless you're disadvantaged, then you haven't suffered discrimination. You have to really pull out issues that deal with antisemitism, Islamophobia, indigenous racism, which you can't lump together with newcomers. Also, some presidents across North America were just oddly unwilling to come out with a clear statement that we will not accept any form of antisemitism on our campuses. So, I've been quite vocal in my views about needing to address antisemitism without taking anything away from people's right to advocate for the Palestinian people. If they believe that the solution is the state of Palestine, then they have a perfect right to advocate. But don't deny Israel. Don't say that Israel doesn't have a right to exist as a state, that you're OK with expressions that have to do with eliminating all Jews from an area that they have been in for over 3,000 years. So, yeah, I was quite vocal on these matters. Steve Paikin is the host of The Paikin Podcast Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
