POPE LEO XIV
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The pope is ultimately the one who is in charge of the universal liturgical calendar and he can add or remove feast days.
This doesn't happen very often, as most feast days have been on the calendar for centuries, with little or no change over the years.
However, Pope Francis added and expanded a variety of feasts on the liturgical calendar, highlighting various saints that he thought the entire Church would benefit from.
Here are nine feasts that he believed the universal Church should commemorate each year.
1St. Teresa of Calcutta
After her canonization, Mother Teresa was only venerated locally, but soon after it was expanded to the entire Church.
The official decree reads, "Pope Francis, accepting the petitions and desires of Pastors, Religious men and women, as well as Associations of the Faithful, and considering the influence exercised by the spirituality of Saint Teresa in different parts of the world, has decreed that the name of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Virgin, shall be inscribed in the General Roman Calendar and her Optional Memorial shall be celebrated by all on September 5 every year."
2Mary Mother of the Church
A moveable feast, on March 3, 2018, Pope Francis declared this new memorial be added to the Church’s universal calendar, assigning it to the day after Pentecost Sunday.
Pope Francis wanted to, "encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, religious and faithful, as well as growth of genuine Marian piety.”
3Our Lady of Loreto
The USCCB website explains, "On October 7, 2019, Pope Francis ordered the inscription of Our Lady of Loreto into the General Roman Calendar. She is celebrated each year as an Optional Memorial on December 10."
4Sts. Mary, Martha and Lazarus
The official decree notes:
The traditional uncertainty of the Latin Church about the identity of Mary – the Magdalene to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection, the sister of Martha, the sinner whose sins the Lord had forgiven – which resulted in the inclusion of Martha alone on July 29 in the Roman Calendar, has been resolved in recent studies and times, as attested by the current Roman Martyrology, which also commemorates Mary and Lazarus on that day. Moreover, in some particular calendars the three siblings are already celebrated together.
5St. Faustina
Another saint who was previously only celebrated by local churches, Pope Francis broadened her feast to the universal calendar:
Therefore the Supreme Pontiff Francis, accepting the petitions and wishes of Pastors, religious women and men, as well as associations of the faithful and having considered the influence exercised by the spirituality of Saint Faustina in different parts of the world, has decreed that the name of Saint Maria Faustina (Helena) Kowalska, virgin, be inscribed in the General Roman Calendar and that her optional memorial be celebrated by all on October 5.
6St. Gregory Narek
Pope Francis added, "Saint Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church, on February 27."
7St. John of Avila
He also added, "Saint John De Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church, on May 10."
8St. Hildegard of Bingen
Included in the same decree as the previous two, he also added, "Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin and Doctor of the Church, on 17 September."
The decree says “the combination of holiness with knowledge in the experience of the mystery of Jesus Christ is inextricably linked to the mystery of the Church.”
This link of holiness and wisdom is especially visible in those who have been given the title “Doctor of the Church”.
9St. Mary Magdalene
While St. Mary Magdalene was already honored by the Church, Pope Francis expanded her feast by making it a "solemnity."
This follows an older tradition that gave her feast a greater importance as she was the "Apostle of the Apostles."
The Pope also added some World Days and made adjustments to certain prayers. Stay tuned for an article on those.
