Today's Catholic Highlights:
Pope Leo XIV has left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and returned to the Vatican after being admitted last Tuesday for surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. His surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, said there were no clinical reasons to prevent the pope from making a planned apostolic trip to Latin America from Nov. 6 to 17, and described him as an ideal patient.
An international rosary was prayed in Rome in 13 languages ahead of the 100th World Mission Sunday. The gathering also marked 75 years since Blessed Fulton Sheen established the World Mission Rosary.
Church figures point to continued growth in mission territories over the past century, from 10 million Catholics to 347 million. On average, more than 9,000 people became Catholic each day, two men were ordained priests, and five women took religious vows.
The worldwide number of priests rose for the first time in five years, reaching 407,421, an increase of 425 from the previous year. Africa and Asia accounted for the growth, while Europe recorded another decline.