Papal Identity & Race: Pope Leo XIV told NBC News his mother’s family included both enslaved people and slaveholders, addressing long-running questions about his Black ancestry. Liturgy & Sunday: At his Aug. 12 general audience, he called Sunday Mass “the foundation and kernel” of the liturgical year and urged workplaces to make attendance possible. World Peace & AI: The Vatican announced Pope Leo’s 2027 World Day of Peace theme will be “Disarming Technology, Serving Peace,” warning against handing military decisions to AI. Vatican Arts & AI: Following Leo XIV’s AI encyclical, the Holy See unveiled a new art triennial, “Exercises in Empathy,” linking creativity and human responsibility in the age of A.I. Consecrated Life Appointments: Pope Leo appointed 15 consultors to the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life, including supporters of female diaconate and LGBTQ inclusion, while a bishop canceled a diocesan Latin Mass in Pittsburgh. Sainthood Spotlight: Ohio mystic and stigmatist Rhoda Wise’s “positio” was submitted to the Vatican, advancing her cause toward a possible declaration of venerable. Sports & Faith in Chicago: The White Sox capped Pope Leo fandom with “Pope Hats” for a capacity crowd at Rate Field. Religious Tourism in Peru: Experts say Pope Leo’s Nov. 11–17 Peru visit could spark permanent pilgrimage routes and boost spiritual tourism. Palestine’s Taybeh Under Pressure: Fr Bashar Fawadleh warned Taybeh “must not vanish into silence” amid repeated settler incursions. Rome Culture Note: Palazzo Roma’s Shedir Collection opened Core Bistrot, adding Roman classics with a modern twist.