New record in France: More than 20,000 adults and teens baptized at Easter #Catholic This Easter, France recorded more than 20,000 adult and adolescent baptisms, a 20% increase compared with the previous year. A new report published by the French Bishops’ Conference presents the latest statistical data from Easter 2026, during which approximately 8,200 adolescents and 13,200 adults embraced the Catholic faith.The report indicates that the majority of converts are young adults between the ages of 18 and 25, closely followed by the 26-to-40 age group. Women constitute the largest segment, accounting for approximately 62% of the total.In general, the new catechumens have no prior religious tradition, driven primarily by difficult life experiences, a profound search for meaning, or spiritual encounters that left a lasting mark on their lives, according to the report.The ecclesiastical provinces with the highest number of baptisms were Paris, with 3,184, followed by Marseille with 1,437 and Lyon with 1,200. The report highlights a notable increase in the military diocese, headquartered in the French capital, particularly during the military pilgrimage to Lourdes.The ‘magnitude of the thirst for God’Olivier de Germay, archbishop of Lyon and the official responsible for the catechumenate in the country, reflected on this new reality, one that “never ceases to surprise and challenge us.”Although society has long been aware of the world’s failure to provide answers to “the deep aspirations of the human being,” the French prelate expressed his surprise at the “rapidity and magnitude of the thirst for God manifesting itself today.”This phenomenon opens up a new horizon and presents a “major challenge” for the Church, he said, which must offer appropriate guidance for initiation into the Christian life.For De Germay, the situation also calls upon the “seasoned veterans of the Christian life,” who are invited “to once again become aware of how God can break into [a person’s life] and transform it.”Among some new initiatives to address the increasing numbers, the regional council launched by the eight dioceses of the Île-de-France region stands out. Titled “Catechumens and Neophytes: New Perspectives for the Life of Our Church in Our Dioceses,” the council will run until May 2027. After gathering feedback from Catholics, including the newly baptized, the council aims to develop an appropriate response to the growing number of converts and to establish common guidelines at the provincial level.The provincial council is encouraging the other dioceses outside the Île-de-France region to launch other initiatives focused on specific proposals to increase the participation of the newly baptized in the liturgy.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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New record in France: More than 20,000 adults and teens baptized at Easter #Catholic This Easter, France recorded more than 20,000 adult and adolescent baptisms, a 20% increase compared with the previous year. A new report published by the French Bishops’ Conference presents the latest statistical data from Easter 2026, during which approximately 8,200 adolescents and 13,200 adults embraced the Catholic faith.The report indicates that the majority of converts are young adults between the ages of 18 and 25, closely followed by the 26-to-40 age group. Women constitute the largest segment, accounting for approximately 62% of the total.In general, the new catechumens have no prior religious tradition, driven primarily by difficult life experiences, a profound search for meaning, or spiritual encounters that left a lasting mark on their lives, according to the report.The ecclesiastical provinces with the highest number of baptisms were Paris, with 3,184, followed by Marseille with 1,437 and Lyon with 1,200. The report highlights a notable increase in the military diocese, headquartered in the French capital, particularly during the military pilgrimage to Lourdes.The ‘magnitude of the thirst for God’Olivier de Germay, archbishop of Lyon and the official responsible for the catechumenate in the country, reflected on this new reality, one that “never ceases to surprise and challenge us.”Although society has long been aware of the world’s failure to provide answers to “the deep aspirations of the human being,” the French prelate expressed his surprise at the “rapidity and magnitude of the thirst for God manifesting itself today.”This phenomenon opens up a new horizon and presents a “major challenge” for the Church, he said, which must offer appropriate guidance for initiation into the Christian life.For De Germay, the situation also calls upon the “seasoned veterans of the Christian life,” who are invited “to once again become aware of how God can break into [a person’s life] and transform it.”Among some new initiatives to address the increasing numbers, the regional council launched by the eight dioceses of the Île-de-France region stands out. Titled “Catechumens and Neophytes: New Perspectives for the Life of Our Church in Our Dioceses,” the council will run until May 2027. After gathering feedback from Catholics, including the newly baptized, the council aims to develop an appropriate response to the growing number of converts and to establish common guidelines at the provincial level.The provincial council is encouraging the other dioceses outside the Île-de-France region to launch other initiatives focused on specific proposals to increase the participation of the newly baptized in the liturgy.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The surge in baptisms of young persons continues in France in 2026, a 20% increase over the already previous record-high number in 2025. The influx represents a major challenge for the French Church.

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Government favors natural family planning over contraception in key health funding #Catholic New 2027 guidelines by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will ban key federal abortion funding while favoring fertility education and natural family planning.The April 3 “2027 Notice of Funding Opportunity” for Title X, the federal family planning grant program, bans funds from being used “in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.”The move came days after the Trump administration released the fifth and final year of grant funding to Planned Parenthood under Title X, a decision that garnered criticism throughout the pro-life movement. The White House cited legal challenges for the controversial decision to continue the funding.“The administration has issued the fifth and final year of Title X grants that were locked in place during the Biden presidency,” the White House told EWTN News in a statement. “The administration faced significant legal challenges in stopping any of these dollars from going out.”Previous Republican administrations, including that of Trump’s first term, also banned abortion funding via Title X. What makes this year’s criteria unique is that it encourages fertility education in place of contraception.The notice highlighted “fertility-awareness-based methods” or “natural family planning,” a method encouraged by the Catholic Church that involves tracking a woman’s biological markers to determine when ovulation occurs.The administration also teased a new pro-family grant that will be announced soon.“HHS will soon be releasing a new Title X funding opportunity for the next five-year funding cycle that prioritizes life and promotes the pro-family agenda,” the White House statement read.The notice also promoted “body literacy” on fertility-related conditions, such as “education on menstrual cycle physiology, hormonal health, male and female fertility awareness, and early indicators of reproductive disorders such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid dysfunction, metabolic disorders, and other conditions that often first emerge in adolescence.”An estimated 1 in 10 women have endometriosis; 1 in 8 women develop a thyroid disorder; and roughly 1 in 10 have PCOS — all conditions that can negatively affect fertility and overall health.“For example, endometriosis often goes undiagnosed for years because symptoms such as severe menstrual pain or irregular bleeding are frequently normalized or minimized,” the HHS notice read.“Body literacy counseling helps patients recognize that these experiences are not ‘normal’ features” but instead “potential indicators of an underlying condition, prompting earlier discussion with providers, timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and improved long-term reproductive and overall health outcomes,” the notice continued.The 2027 plan is not prioritizing contraception funding; instead the government said that contraception is part of an overreliance on “pharmaceutical and surgical treatments.” The health department noted that fewer women than in previous years are using contraception (54% of reproductive-age women) and that “the most common reason women reported discontinuing use related to dissatisfaction was side effects.” For instance, hormonal contraception can cause depression in some patients, among other negative side effects.“This approach has failed to adequately address the root causes of the nation’s chronic disease burden, resulting in ongoing health challenges that affect fertility, pregnancy outcomes, and long-term health outcomes,” the notice read.HHS said it will focus instead on “underlying behavioral and lifestyle factors of health — such as nutrition, sleep, physical activity, stress management, and environmental factors.”The White House told EWTN News that “the administration remains committed to realigning the Title X program with the president’s pro-life and pro-family agenda going forward.”Michael New, an assistant professor of practice at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America as well as a Charlotte Lozier Institute senior associate scholar, called the decrease in Planned Parenthood funding “a win for the pro-life movement,” though with a caveat.“Cutting funding to Planned Parenthood may not have a large impact on the incidence of abortion in the short term due the increasing prevalence of telehealth abortions,” New said.The professor also noted that “defunding contraception programs and supporting natural family planning is a win for pro-lifers.”“Since the Title X program started in 1970, the federal government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions of dollars, into promoting contraception,” New said. “This money has been poorly spent. Many places that distribute contraception also perform abortions, so some of this money indirectly funds abortion.”“Many Catholics do not want their tax dollars spent on programs, such as contraception programs, they find morally objectionable,” New continued. “Even though many Americans support contraceptive use, pro-life Catholics would like the government to stay out of the issue: no funding, no mandates, no distribution. As such, defunding contraception programs has been a longtime policy goal for many pro-life Catholics.”“​​Natural family planning, when done correctly, has a strong track record of success,” New said. “However, it has been marginalized in many secular public health circles. The fact that HHS is promoting natural family planning will give NFP more visibility and credibility.”
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Government favors natural family planning over contraception in key health funding #Catholic New 2027 guidelines by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will ban key federal abortion funding while favoring fertility education and natural family planning.The April 3 “2027 Notice of Funding Opportunity” for Title X, the federal family planning grant program, bans funds from being used “in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.”The move came days after the Trump administration released the fifth and final year of grant funding to Planned Parenthood under Title X, a decision that garnered criticism throughout the pro-life movement. The White House cited legal challenges for the controversial decision to continue the funding.“The administration has issued the fifth and final year of Title X grants that were locked in place during the Biden presidency,” the White House told EWTN News in a statement. “The administration faced significant legal challenges in stopping any of these dollars from going out.”Previous Republican administrations, including that of Trump’s first term, also banned abortion funding via Title X. What makes this year’s criteria unique is that it encourages fertility education in place of contraception.The notice highlighted “fertility-awareness-based methods” or “natural family planning,” a method encouraged by the Catholic Church that involves tracking a woman’s biological markers to determine when ovulation occurs.The administration also teased a new pro-family grant that will be announced soon.“HHS will soon be releasing a new Title X funding opportunity for the next five-year funding cycle that prioritizes life and promotes the pro-family agenda,” the White House statement read.The notice also promoted “body literacy” on fertility-related conditions, such as “education on menstrual cycle physiology, hormonal health, male and female fertility awareness, and early indicators of reproductive disorders such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid dysfunction, metabolic disorders, and other conditions that often first emerge in adolescence.”An estimated 1 in 10 women have endometriosis; 1 in 8 women develop a thyroid disorder; and roughly 1 in 10 have PCOS — all conditions that can negatively affect fertility and overall health.“For example, endometriosis often goes undiagnosed for years because symptoms such as severe menstrual pain or irregular bleeding are frequently normalized or minimized,” the HHS notice read.“Body literacy counseling helps patients recognize that these experiences are not ‘normal’ features” but instead “potential indicators of an underlying condition, prompting earlier discussion with providers, timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and improved long-term reproductive and overall health outcomes,” the notice continued.The 2027 plan is not prioritizing contraception funding; instead the government said that contraception is part of an overreliance on “pharmaceutical and surgical treatments.” The health department noted that fewer women than in previous years are using contraception (54% of reproductive-age women) and that “the most common reason women reported discontinuing use related to dissatisfaction was side effects.” For instance, hormonal contraception can cause depression in some patients, among other negative side effects.“This approach has failed to adequately address the root causes of the nation’s chronic disease burden, resulting in ongoing health challenges that affect fertility, pregnancy outcomes, and long-term health outcomes,” the notice read.HHS said it will focus instead on “underlying behavioral and lifestyle factors of health — such as nutrition, sleep, physical activity, stress management, and environmental factors.”The White House told EWTN News that “the administration remains committed to realigning the Title X program with the president’s pro-life and pro-family agenda going forward.”Michael New, an assistant professor of practice at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America as well as a Charlotte Lozier Institute senior associate scholar, called the decrease in Planned Parenthood funding “a win for the pro-life movement,” though with a caveat.“Cutting funding to Planned Parenthood may not have a large impact on the incidence of abortion in the short term due the increasing prevalence of telehealth abortions,” New said.The professor also noted that “defunding contraception programs and supporting natural family planning is a win for pro-lifers.”“Since the Title X program started in 1970, the federal government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions of dollars, into promoting contraception,” New said. “This money has been poorly spent. Many places that distribute contraception also perform abortions, so some of this money indirectly funds abortion.”“Many Catholics do not want their tax dollars spent on programs, such as contraception programs, they find morally objectionable,” New continued. “Even though many Americans support contraceptive use, pro-life Catholics would like the government to stay out of the issue: no funding, no mandates, no distribution. As such, defunding contraception programs has been a longtime policy goal for many pro-life Catholics.”“​​Natural family planning, when done correctly, has a strong track record of success,” New said. “However, it has been marginalized in many secular public health circles. The fact that HHS is promoting natural family planning will give NFP more visibility and credibility.”

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New directives by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ban Title X abortion funding while favoring fertility education and “body literacy.”

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April 7, 1991: Compton Gamma Ray Observatory is deployed

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NASA’s Great Observatories – the Hubble Space Telescope, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope – were launched between 1990 and 2003, each intended to observe the universe in a different wavelength. Hubble, launched in 1990 and still operational today, observes primarily in visible light and near-ultraviolet.Continue reading “April 7, 1991: Compton Gamma Ray Observatory is deployed”

The post April 7, 1991: Compton Gamma Ray Observatory is deployed appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Irish childhood shaped Father Flanagan’s lifelong work with youth – #Catholic – A loving Catholic family at home in Ireland provided the foundations and values that led Venerable Father Edward Flanagan to establish Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska, according to experts on his life in Ireland.Flanagan, who was born and raised in the small village of Ballymoe, Ireland, before emigrating to the United States, was declared venerable on March 23 by Pope Leo XIV. Father Edward Flanagan ouside Ballymoe Church in Ireland in 1946. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Flanagan Visitor Centre Fidelma and Alan Croghan of the Father Flanagan Group in Ballymoe provided insight into the Irish priest’s formative years to EWTN News. “He was the fourth-youngest of 11 children. His father was a herdsman looking after an absentee landlord’s livestock on the estate. They lived in a cottage here at Leabeg,” Fidelma said.“From birth Father Flanagan’s life was bathed in the warm embrace of a loving family. On the night he was born, they didn’t think that he would survive because he was quite ill. He was a very sickly person all of his life in terms of bad lung health. The story goes that his grandparents also lived in the house with them. So the grandfather took the tiny newborn baby and put the baby skin to skin, against his own heart for the night, and Eddie survived.”Fidelma shared that from the moment of his birth, Flanagan “knew love and the loving bond of a family; he had a very happy upbringing. Their home was full of music and happiness, neighbors came in and they played music and danced on the stone flagstones of the kitchen floor before a big open fire.”She added: “He worked with his dad as a shepherd boy tending to the sheep. He was into prayer and reading from a young age, and he wrote about going out on the land with his rosary beads and reading Dickens.” Father Edward Flanagan and his brother P.A. Flanagan visit their sister in Ballymoe, Ireland, in 1946. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Flanagan Visitor Centre Following primary education at the nearby Drumatemple National School, Flanagan attended the Diocesan College of the Immaculate Conception, Summerhill College, Sligo, to complete his secondary education and prepare for life as a priest.Alan Croghan said he has no doubt that the future priest’s upbringing and the family values he espoused throughout his life were formed by his origins and his upbringing in Ireland.“Our purpose in Ireland here is to educate people and tell them about this man, going on to America to do what he did in Boys Town. He took what he learned here in Ballymoe, how a family should be run,” he said. Father Edward Flanagan. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Flanagan Visitor Centre Bishop Kevin Doran of Achonry and of Elphin told EWTN News: “Father Flanagan’s life and virtue have much to say to us today, in a wealthy country where so many children are forced to live with homelessness, and in a world in which we still find it so easy to define people as ‘hostile aliens.’”Boys Town families and descendants often visit Ballymoe and the Father Flanagan Visitor Centre to see the famous priest’s hometown. Fidelma Croghan said: “We had a woman come two or three years ago, and she knelt on the floor of the house, and she cried, and cried, and cried, and said, ‘Only Father Flanagan saved my father; I wouldn’t be here.’ Another visitor told me: ‘I would have been dead as a young man, or would have spent my life in jail, only for Boys Town.’” The Flanagan homestead in Ballymoe, Ireland, as it is today. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Flanagan Visitor Centre If Flanagan’s experiences growing up in Ireland shaped his compassionate approach to the social issues he encountered in Nebraska, his experiences there dealing with troubled boys and young men subsequently influenced his reactions during a return trip to Ireland in 1946, when he visited the country’s reform schools.He was profoundly troubled at the desperately poor conditions and treatment they encountered. Speaking about the schools in Cork, he told the audience: “You are the people who permit your children and the children of your communities to go into these institutions of punishment. You can do something about it.” He described his country’s penal institutions as “a disgrace to the nation.”Flanagan had received letters from Ireland drawing attention to the brutal regimes in these schools and wanted to see for himself how bad conditions really were.In response to his prophetic warnings, the Irish government minister for justice at the time, Gerald Boland, told the Dáil (Irish legislative chamber) “that he was ‘not disposed to take any notice of what Monsignor Flanagan said while he was in this country, because his statements were so exaggerated that I did not think people would attach any importance to them.’”The schools Flanagan visited included Artane and Letterfrack, institutions that became notorious after the truth of the abuses inflicted on students there eventually emerged.
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Irish childhood shaped Father Flanagan’s lifelong work with youth – #Catholic – A loving Catholic family at home in Ireland provided the foundations and values that led Venerable Father Edward Flanagan to establish Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska, according to experts on his life in Ireland.Flanagan, who was born and raised in the small village of Ballymoe, Ireland, before emigrating to the United States, was declared venerable on March 23 by Pope Leo XIV. Father Edward Flanagan ouside Ballymoe Church in Ireland in 1946. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Flanagan Visitor Centre Fidelma and Alan Croghan of the Father Flanagan Group in Ballymoe provided insight into the Irish priest’s formative years to EWTN News. “He was the fourth-youngest of 11 children. His father was a herdsman looking after an absentee landlord’s livestock on the estate. They lived in a cottage here at Leabeg,” Fidelma said.“From birth Father Flanagan’s life was bathed in the warm embrace of a loving family. On the night he was born, they didn’t think that he would survive because he was quite ill. He was a very sickly person all of his life in terms of bad lung health. The story goes that his grandparents also lived in the house with them. So the grandfather took the tiny newborn baby and put the baby skin to skin, against his own heart for the night, and Eddie survived.”Fidelma shared that from the moment of his birth, Flanagan “knew love and the loving bond of a family; he had a very happy upbringing. Their home was full of music and happiness, neighbors came in and they played music and danced on the stone flagstones of the kitchen floor before a big open fire.”She added: “He worked with his dad as a shepherd boy tending to the sheep. He was into prayer and reading from a young age, and he wrote about going out on the land with his rosary beads and reading Dickens.” Father Edward Flanagan and his brother P.A. Flanagan visit their sister in Ballymoe, Ireland, in 1946. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Flanagan Visitor Centre Following primary education at the nearby Drumatemple National School, Flanagan attended the Diocesan College of the Immaculate Conception, Summerhill College, Sligo, to complete his secondary education and prepare for life as a priest.Alan Croghan said he has no doubt that the future priest’s upbringing and the family values he espoused throughout his life were formed by his origins and his upbringing in Ireland.“Our purpose in Ireland here is to educate people and tell them about this man, going on to America to do what he did in Boys Town. He took what he learned here in Ballymoe, how a family should be run,” he said. Father Edward Flanagan. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Flanagan Visitor Centre Bishop Kevin Doran of Achonry and of Elphin told EWTN News: “Father Flanagan’s life and virtue have much to say to us today, in a wealthy country where so many children are forced to live with homelessness, and in a world in which we still find it so easy to define people as ‘hostile aliens.’”Boys Town families and descendants often visit Ballymoe and the Father Flanagan Visitor Centre to see the famous priest’s hometown. Fidelma Croghan said: “We had a woman come two or three years ago, and she knelt on the floor of the house, and she cried, and cried, and cried, and said, ‘Only Father Flanagan saved my father; I wouldn’t be here.’ Another visitor told me: ‘I would have been dead as a young man, or would have spent my life in jail, only for Boys Town.’” The Flanagan homestead in Ballymoe, Ireland, as it is today. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Flanagan Visitor Centre If Flanagan’s experiences growing up in Ireland shaped his compassionate approach to the social issues he encountered in Nebraska, his experiences there dealing with troubled boys and young men subsequently influenced his reactions during a return trip to Ireland in 1946, when he visited the country’s reform schools.He was profoundly troubled at the desperately poor conditions and treatment they encountered. Speaking about the schools in Cork, he told the audience: “You are the people who permit your children and the children of your communities to go into these institutions of punishment. You can do something about it.” He described his country’s penal institutions as “a disgrace to the nation.”Flanagan had received letters from Ireland drawing attention to the brutal regimes in these schools and wanted to see for himself how bad conditions really were.In response to his prophetic warnings, the Irish government minister for justice at the time, Gerald Boland, told the Dáil (Irish legislative chamber) “that he was ‘not disposed to take any notice of what Monsignor Flanagan said while he was in this country, because his statements were so exaggerated that I did not think people would attach any importance to them.’”The schools Flanagan visited included Artane and Letterfrack, institutions that became notorious after the truth of the abuses inflicted on students there eventually emerged.

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Boys Town founder Father Edward Flanagan, who was declared “venerable” by Pope Leo XIV on March 23, was formed by “the warm embrace of a loving family.”

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EWTN News explains: When does Easter officially end? – #Catholic – Catholics recognize Easter — when Jesus Christ rose from the dead after sacrificing his life for all of humanity — as the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox. But, as it turns out, they can continue saying “Happy Easter” into May or, in some years, into June.Easter lasts for a total of 50 days, from Easter Sunday until the feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, Mary, and the first followers of Christ.This year, 2026, Easter was on April 5 and runs until Pentecost Sunday, May 24.Easter explainedCatholics observe Easter in different stages. Easter Sunday is the greatest Sunday of the year, and it marks the start of the “Easter octave,” or the eight days that stretch from the first to the second Sunday of Easter (also now known as Divine Mercy Sunday). The Church celebrates each of these eight days as solemnities of the Lord — a direct extension of Easter Sunday.The entire Easter season lasts 50 days and includes the solemnity of the Ascension of Christ, which falls on the 40th day of Easter, which this year is celebrated on either Thursday, May 14, or Sunday, May 17, depending on where you live, and ends with Pentecost, which is derived from the Greek word “pentecoste,” meaning “50th.”“The 50 days from the Sunday of the Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday are celebrated in joy and exultation as one feast day, indeed as one ‘great Sunday,’” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “These are the days above all others in which the ‘Alleluia’ is sung.”The USCCB calls Easter “the most important of all liturgical times.”“It celebrates Jesus’ victory of sin and death and salvation for mankind,” the U.S. bishops say. “It is God’s greatest act of love to redeem mankind.”In the traditional Roman riteIn the traditional form of the Roman rite, Easter is known properly as Paschaltide, which includes three parts: the season of Easter, Ascensiontide, and the octave of Pentecost. It thus lasts one week longer than the Easter season in the calendar of the missal of St. Paul VI.The season of Easter begins with the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday and runs through the afternoon of the vigil of the Ascension.Ascensiontide begins the evening before the Ascension, with first vespers of the feast, and ends the afternoon of the vigil of Pentecost — marking the first novena.The octave of Pentecost is an extension of the feast of Pentecost, beginning with the vigil Mass of Pentecost and ending the afternoon of the following Saturday, which this year falls on May 30.This story was first published April 21, 2022, and has been updated.
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EWTN News explains: When does Easter officially end? – #Catholic – Catholics recognize Easter — when Jesus Christ rose from the dead after sacrificing his life for all of humanity — as the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox. But, as it turns out, they can continue saying “Happy Easter” into May or, in some years, into June.Easter lasts for a total of 50 days, from Easter Sunday until the feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, Mary, and the first followers of Christ.This year, 2026, Easter was on April 5 and runs until Pentecost Sunday, May 24.Easter explainedCatholics observe Easter in different stages. Easter Sunday is the greatest Sunday of the year, and it marks the start of the “Easter octave,” or the eight days that stretch from the first to the second Sunday of Easter (also now known as Divine Mercy Sunday). The Church celebrates each of these eight days as solemnities of the Lord — a direct extension of Easter Sunday.The entire Easter season lasts 50 days and includes the solemnity of the Ascension of Christ, which falls on the 40th day of Easter, which this year is celebrated on either Thursday, May 14, or Sunday, May 17, depending on where you live, and ends with Pentecost, which is derived from the Greek word “pentecoste,” meaning “50th.”“The 50 days from the Sunday of the Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday are celebrated in joy and exultation as one feast day, indeed as one ‘great Sunday,’” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “These are the days above all others in which the ‘Alleluia’ is sung.”The USCCB calls Easter “the most important of all liturgical times.”“It celebrates Jesus’ victory of sin and death and salvation for mankind,” the U.S. bishops say. “It is God’s greatest act of love to redeem mankind.”In the traditional Roman riteIn the traditional form of the Roman rite, Easter is known properly as Paschaltide, which includes three parts: the season of Easter, Ascensiontide, and the octave of Pentecost. It thus lasts one week longer than the Easter season in the calendar of the missal of St. Paul VI.The season of Easter begins with the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday and runs through the afternoon of the vigil of the Ascension.Ascensiontide begins the evening before the Ascension, with first vespers of the feast, and ends the afternoon of the vigil of Pentecost — marking the first novena.The octave of Pentecost is an extension of the feast of Pentecost, beginning with the vigil Mass of Pentecost and ending the afternoon of the following Saturday, which this year falls on May 30.This story was first published April 21, 2022, and has been updated.

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Easter lasts for a total of 50 days, from Easter Sunday until the feast of Pentecost.

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Congressmen renew push to make Easter Monday a federal holiday – #Catholic – Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, is once more calling on Congress to pass his bill to enshrine Easter Monday as a federal holiday.“In just seven years, we mark the 2,000th anniversary of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That milestone will be one of the most significant moments in the history of the world. We should be preparing for it,” Moore wrote in an April 6 social media thread.TweetThe post comes a year after Moore, alongside Sen. Eric Schmitt, introduced legislation that would make the day after Easter Sunday a federal holiday. No hearings have been held on the House and Senate measures, which have been referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Senate Judiciary Committee respectively.“More than 80% of Americans — Democrats and Republicans — celebrate Easter,” Moore said. “Most other Western nations already observe Easter Monday as a public holiday. The U.S. is the outlier. It’s time to fix that.”Moore also pointed out the “practical benefits” of the bill, which he named the Easter Monday Act, saying it would give families who travel for Easter “the breathing room to be fully present — with their relatives, in their churches, and at their dinner tables” rather than having “to rush home Sunday night to make it to work Monday morning.”“Just as Christ continued appearing to his apostles for 40 days after his resurrection, our celebration of Easter should not end at the strike of midnight,” he said. “Easter Monday is an invitation to carry the meaning of Easter into our daily lives — and into the public life of our nation, which has been gripped by a culture of death for far too long.”U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch responded to Moore’s post, writing: “It’s actually quite shocking Easter has never been a national holiday, owing only to the fact that it’s always on a Sunday.”Tweet“For all the reasons here, including the fact that our civilizational identity would be greatly enhanced, I hope this is given serious consideration,” Burch said.Schmitt also called for passage, writing on social media: “Christ is risen. Today of all days, we should be focused on celebrating and not the work week ahead. Let’s make a federal holiday to celebrate Easter.”Good FridayWhile Good Friday is not a federal holiday, state offices in 16 states mark the day by early- or all-day closure, including Connecticut, California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin, according to the Library of Congress.So far, there have been no legislative efforts to make Good Friday a federal holiday in the U.S.Good Friday is a public holiday in many countries around the world, including Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Finland, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, according to Time and Date.
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Congressmen renew push to make Easter Monday a federal holiday – #Catholic – Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, is once more calling on Congress to pass his bill to enshrine Easter Monday as a federal holiday.“In just seven years, we mark the 2,000th anniversary of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That milestone will be one of the most significant moments in the history of the world. We should be preparing for it,” Moore wrote in an April 6 social media thread.TweetThe post comes a year after Moore, alongside Sen. Eric Schmitt, introduced legislation that would make the day after Easter Sunday a federal holiday. No hearings have been held on the House and Senate measures, which have been referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Senate Judiciary Committee respectively.“More than 80% of Americans — Democrats and Republicans — celebrate Easter,” Moore said. “Most other Western nations already observe Easter Monday as a public holiday. The U.S. is the outlier. It’s time to fix that.”Moore also pointed out the “practical benefits” of the bill, which he named the Easter Monday Act, saying it would give families who travel for Easter “the breathing room to be fully present — with their relatives, in their churches, and at their dinner tables” rather than having “to rush home Sunday night to make it to work Monday morning.”“Just as Christ continued appearing to his apostles for 40 days after his resurrection, our celebration of Easter should not end at the strike of midnight,” he said. “Easter Monday is an invitation to carry the meaning of Easter into our daily lives — and into the public life of our nation, which has been gripped by a culture of death for far too long.”U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch responded to Moore’s post, writing: “It’s actually quite shocking Easter has never been a national holiday, owing only to the fact that it’s always on a Sunday.”Tweet“For all the reasons here, including the fact that our civilizational identity would be greatly enhanced, I hope this is given serious consideration,” Burch said.Schmitt also called for passage, writing on social media: “Christ is risen. Today of all days, we should be focused on celebrating and not the work week ahead. Let’s make a federal holiday to celebrate Easter.”Good FridayWhile Good Friday is not a federal holiday, state offices in 16 states mark the day by early- or all-day closure, including Connecticut, California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin, according to the Library of Congress.So far, there have been no legislative efforts to make Good Friday a federal holiday in the U.S.Good Friday is a public holiday in many countries around the world, including Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Finland, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, according to Time and Date.

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Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, and Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, introduced legislation that would make the day after Easter Sunday a federal holiday.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 07 April 2026 – A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles 2:36-41 On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people, “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other Apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.From the Gospel according to John 20:11-18 Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.John the Evangelist draws to our attention a detail that we do not find in the other Gospels: weeping near the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene did not immediately recognize the risen Jesus, but thought he was the gardener. (…) Cultivating and keeping the garden is the original task (cf. Gen 2:15) that Jesus brought to fulfilment. His last words on the cross – “It is finished” (Jn 19:30) – invite each of us to rediscover the same task, our task. For this reason, “he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (v. 30). Dear brothers and sisters, Mary Magdalene was not entirely mistaken then, believing she had encountered the gardener! Indeed, she had to hear her own name again and understand her task from the new Man, the one who in another text of John says: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). Pope Francis, with the Encyclical Laudato si’, showed us the extreme need for a contemplative gaze: if he is not the custodian of the garden, the human being becomes its destroyer. Christian hope therefore responds to the challenges to which all humanity is exposed today by dwelling in the garden where the Crucified One was laid as a seed, to rise again and bear much fruit. (Pope Leo XIV – General Audience, 19 November 2025)

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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
2:36-41

On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people,
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other Apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.

From the Gospel according to John
20:11-18

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,”
which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he had told her.

John the Evangelist draws to our attention a detail that we do not find in the other Gospels: weeping near the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene did not immediately recognize the risen Jesus, but thought he was the gardener. (…) Cultivating and keeping the garden is the original task (cf. Gen 2:15) that Jesus brought to fulfilment. His last words on the cross – “It is finished” (Jn 19:30) – invite each of us to rediscover the same task, our task. For this reason, “he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (v. 30). Dear brothers and sisters, Mary Magdalene was not entirely mistaken then, believing she had encountered the gardener! Indeed, she had to hear her own name again and understand her task from the new Man, the one who in another text of John says: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). Pope Francis, with the Encyclical Laudato si’, showed us the extreme need for a contemplative gaze: if he is not the custodian of the garden, the human being becomes its destroyer. Christian hope therefore responds to the challenges to which all humanity is exposed today by dwelling in the garden where the Crucified One was laid as a seed, to rise again and bear much fruit. (Pope Leo XIV – General Audience, 19 November 2025)

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Christians in This Southeast Asian Country Face Worsening Persecution – Christians in the beleaguered nation of Myanmar are facing renewed bouts of persecution at the hands of the country’s military regime. The post Christians in This Southeast Asian Country Face Worsening Persecution appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Christians in This Southeast Asian Country Face Worsening Persecution – Christians in the beleaguered nation of Myanmar are facing renewed bouts of persecution at the hands of the country’s military regime. The post Christians in This Southeast Asian Country Face Worsening Persecution appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Open book with pages visible, set against a blurred background featuring a rainbow and natural landscape, symbolizing knowledge and inspiration.

Open book with pages visible, set against a blurred background featuring a rainbow and natural landscape, symbolizing knowledge and inspiration.

Christians in the beleaguered nation of Myanmar are facing renewed bouts of persecution at the hands of the country’s military regime.

The post Christians in This Southeast Asian Country Face Worsening Persecution appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘He is risen’ ignites faith during Randolph Easter celebration #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, joined by Resurrection Parish in Randolph, N.J. rejoiced in the resurrection of Christ from the dead for the redemption of the world during an Easter Sunday Mass he celebrated on the morning of April 5. Easter is the principal feast of the Church’s ecclesiastical year. Father Yojaneider Garcia, Resurrection’s pastor and director of the Office of Catechesis for the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Deacon Richard Reck assisted with the liturgy. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Bishop Sweeney posted short Easter video messages in English and Spanish on social media. “On this Easter day, we rejoice with our risen Lord Jesus. We pray for peace. We pray for joy. We pray for those Easter gifts that come to us from our risen Lord,” Bishop Sweeney said in English. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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‘He is risen’ ignites faith during Randolph Easter celebration #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, joined by Resurrection Parish in Randolph, N.J. rejoiced in the resurrection of Christ from the dead for the redemption of the world during an Easter Sunday Mass he celebrated on the morning of April 5. Easter is the principal feast of the Church’s ecclesiastical year. Father Yojaneider Garcia, Resurrection’s pastor and director of the Office of Catechesis for the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Deacon Richard Reck assisted with the liturgy. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Bishop Sweeney posted short Easter video messages in English and Spanish on social media. “On this Easter day, we rejoice with our risen Lord Jesus. We pray for peace. We pray for joy. We pray for those Easter gifts that come to us from our risen Lord,” Bishop Sweeney said in English. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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‘He is risen’ ignites faith during Randolph Easter celebration #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, joined by Resurrection Parish in Randolph, N.J. rejoiced in the resurrection of Christ from the dead for the redemption of the world during an Easter Sunday Mass he celebrated on the morning of April 5. Easter is the principal feast of the Church’s ecclesiastical year.

Father Yojaneider Garcia, Resurrection’s pastor and director of the Office of Catechesis for the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Deacon Richard Reck assisted with the liturgy.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Bishop Sweeney posted short Easter video messages in English and Spanish on social media.

“On this Easter day, we rejoice with our risen Lord Jesus. We pray for peace. We pray for joy. We pray for those Easter gifts that come to us from our risen Lord,” Bishop Sweeney said in English.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, joined by Resurrection Parish in Randolph, N.J. rejoiced in the resurrection of Christ from the dead for the redemption of the world during an Easter Sunday Mass he celebrated on the morning of April 5. Easter is the principal feast of the Church’s ecclesiastical year. Father Yojaneider Garcia, Resurrection’s pastor and director of the Office of Catechesis for the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Deacon Richard Reck assisted with the liturgy. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Bishop Sweeney posted short Easter video messages in English and Spanish

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JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s Annual Letter to Shareholders Warns of the Dangers Facing NYC Under Mamdani – In his annual letter to shareholders, JPMorgan Chase CEO sent a warning to businesses trying to survive in NYC under radical socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The post JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s Annual Letter to Shareholders Warns of the Dangers Facing NYC Under Mamdani appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s Annual Letter to Shareholders Warns of the Dangers Facing NYC Under Mamdani – In his annual letter to shareholders, JPMorgan Chase CEO sent a warning to businesses trying to survive in NYC under radical socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The post JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s Annual Letter to Shareholders Warns of the Dangers Facing NYC Under Mamdani appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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In his annual letter to shareholders, JPMorgan Chase CEO sent a warning to businesses trying to survive in NYC under radical socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The post JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s Annual Letter to Shareholders Warns of the Dangers Facing NYC Under Mamdani appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – Including the Illegal Alien Crime Wave, the Democrat Crime Wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” (VIDEO) – Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – including the illegal alien crime wave, the Democrat crime wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” Watch Wayne’s “America’s Top Ten Countdown” with his World-Famous “Final Four” airing every Saturday at NOON ET/9 AM PT on Real America’s Voice TV Network. The post Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – Including the Illegal Alien Crime Wave, the Democrat Crime Wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – Including the Illegal Alien Crime Wave, the Democrat Crime Wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” (VIDEO) – Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – including the illegal alien crime wave, the Democrat crime wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” Watch Wayne’s “America’s Top Ten Countdown” with his World-Famous “Final Four” airing every Saturday at NOON ET/9 AM PT on Real America’s Voice TV Network. The post Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – Including the Illegal Alien Crime Wave, the Democrat Crime Wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – including the illegal alien crime wave, the Democrat crime wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” Watch Wayne’s “America’s Top Ten Countdown” with his World-Famous “Final Four” airing every Saturday at NOON ET/9 AM PT on Real America’s Voice TV Network.

The post Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – Including the Illegal Alien Crime Wave, the Democrat Crime Wave, and “The Great American National Divorce.” (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Christ’s resurrection sparks powerful Alleluia at Paterson Easter Vigil #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney proclaimed, “Alleluia! Happy Easter! Felices Pascuas! Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and died on the cross, is risen,” in his homily during the bilingual Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Holy Saturday evening, April 4. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The Church joyfully anticipates Christ’s resurrection during the Easter Vigil. The Mass began with the Service of Light, which includes the blessing of the new fire and the paschal candle, symbolizing Jesus, the Light of the World. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Christ’s resurrection sparks powerful Alleluia at Paterson Easter Vigil #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney proclaimed, “Alleluia! Happy Easter! Felices Pascuas! Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and died on the cross, is risen,” in his homily during the bilingual Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Holy Saturday evening, April 4. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The Church joyfully anticipates Christ’s resurrection during the Easter Vigil. The Mass began with the Service of Light, which includes the blessing of the new fire and the paschal candle, symbolizing Jesus, the Light of the World. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Christ’s resurrection sparks powerful Alleluia at Paterson Easter Vigil #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney proclaimed, “Alleluia! Happy Easter! Felices Pascuas! Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and died on the cross, is risen,” in his homily during the bilingual Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Holy Saturday evening, April 4.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

The Church joyfully anticipates Christ’s resurrection during the Easter Vigil. The Mass began with the Service of Light, which includes the blessing of the new fire and the paschal candle, symbolizing Jesus, the Light of the World.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney proclaimed, “Alleluia! Happy Easter! Felices Pascuas! Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and died on the cross, is risen,” in his homily during the bilingual Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Holy Saturday evening, April 4. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The Church joyfully anticipates Christ’s resurrection during the Easter Vigil. The Mass began with the Service of Light, which includes the blessing of the new fire and the paschal candle, symbolizing Jesus, the Light of the World. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI  

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French priest Henri Caffarel, founder of Teams of Our Lady, declared venerable by Pope Leo XIV #Catholic Father Henri Caffarel, a French priest whose apostolate centered on accompanying and guiding married couples on the path to holiness, is one step closer to being canonized.On March 23, Pope Leo XIV recognized the heroic virtues of the newly declared venerable, who maintained that couples are made for happiness and that marriage is a path toward it.With this deep conviction, and conscious of the challenges faced by couples, Caffarel, who was born in Lyon, France, in 1903, founded the movement for marital spirituality known as “Teams of Our Lady” in Paris in 1939.The beginning of a living legacySpaniards Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, the couple in charge of the Teams of Our Lady internationally, have been married for 35 years and have three children. In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, they said the ministry started “with four couples who approached Father Caffarel to ask him how they could live out their faith as a couple.”“He didn’t have an answer at that moment, so he proposed that they embark on a journey of discovery together rooted in the sacrament of holy orders and the sacrament of matrimony. And that‘s how it all began,” Alberto explained.Following World War II, the movement, which is primarily lay-led, grew rapidly; today, it is present in 92 countries and is comprised of more than 15,000 teams. Father Henri Caffarel. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Pérez Bueno Marital communication and prayerMercedes emphasized that from the very beginning, Caffarel saw the need to foster the essentials of marital communication and prayer, convinced that by sharing their problems with one another, many couples could avoid estrangement that sometimes occurs in marriage.The priest, Alberto recalled, said that “the sacrament of matrimony is an image of God” and “probably the most perfect one there is.” The priest said married couples are called to holiness through a life of “work, personal growth, love, patience, and building a life together.”“It‘s not an overnight process but rather a journey undertaken over the course of a lifetime. Father Caffarel invited couples to embark on this path and to attain holiness through their work and their life together,” Alberto emphasized.Mercedes said the priest thought of marriage as a sign “that reflects the love of God” because the relationship of communion that exists between spouses is analogous to the relationship existing among the three Divine Persons: Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.In the priest’s view, the image of marriage allowed for a clearer expression of the idea of ​​a God who is love “and who communicates and expands within his own nature.” From this perspective, “holiness ceases to be understood as a matter of individual effort or moral perfection and is situated instead within the dynamic of love that transforms and animates life,” Mercedes explained.A continuous path of spiritual growthThe organization of the Teams of Our Lady is based on a specific methodology “that goes beyond monthly meetings,” encompassing prayer, dialogue, and personal commitment. Each team consists of five or six married couples, fostering “listening to the word, personal prayer, prayer as a couple and family prayer, and a profound dialogue in the presence of the Lord that we also have every month,” Mercedes explained.Ultimately, it is a matter of “having a rule of life, a set of elements through which you strive to improve your Christian life,” she said. There is also a yearly retreat and a specific study theme each month.Alberto emphasized that the Teams of Our Lady are, in a sense, “precursors of the synodality” promoted by Pope Francis. “It’s a movement that is very nonclerical — though, it must be said, the accompaniment of married couples by priests is essential.”He also noted that “married couples place their time, their skills, their charisms, and their gifts at the service of others in order to build community.” Mercedes, who had the opportunity to meet the now-venerable, recalled that in 1973 he stepped aside after founding the teams, convinced that “if it was a work of the Holy Spirit and possessed a charism for the Church, there was no need for him to stay on.”Leaving the ministry in the laity’s hands, he retired to a house of prayer on the outskirts of Paris, where he began his other “great work”: teaching people how to pray. Mercedes noted that “one of the things he desired most was to teach people how to draw closer to Christ and to serve as an intermediary so that every person could have a personal encounter with God.” Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, international organizers of Teams of Our Lady. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Pérez Bueno The challenges facing married couples todayAlberto and Mercedes explained how married couples today confront new challenges stemming from the pace of life, particularly the “massive entry of women into the workforce,” which has brought different challenges, such as “finding time to be together and talk.”They highlighted Caffarel’s enduring counsel: “Seek out these moments; don’t let them slip away,” for life “sweeps us along like a fast-moving river.They also highlighted the movement’s impact in countries such as Lithuania, with a past marked by communist repression, or in African nations where the teams foster equality, participation, and changes such as abandoning polygamy. This is also true in Europe, where the Teams of Our Lady help strengthen families within increasingly secularized societies.Both highlight the universal impact of the movement: Couples from diverse cultures agree on the benefits received, particularly the “opportunity to pray together” and the realization of “how difficult it would have been without the presence of Christ in their married life.” Ultimately, this is a way of life that responds to a profound desire: Even as sacramental marriages decline, “there is no diminishing of people’s desire to live as a couple.”Mercedes also warned of a growing way of dealing with problems: “At the slightest setback, people are right off tempted to give up,” and the couple is not taught how to “persevere and forgive.” Added to this is “a great fear of commitment” and a tendency to avoid lasting bonds or communities despite the fact that, deep down, people “want to be happy and want to stay together.”For this reason, she emphasized the importance of mutual support and community life: “It‘s fundamental to allow oneself to be helped,” since in her view navigating married life in isolation “is extremely complex.”The teams offer precisely the necessary tools and support: a setting where married couples share their problems and solutions. Drawing upon their own experiences, they particularly encourage young couples to embark on this path of holiness.Both expressed their joy that Caffarel has been declared venerable, a long-awaited recognition following nearly 20 years of going through the beatification process, which continues, awaiting a miracle wrought through his intercession.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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French priest Henri Caffarel, founder of Teams of Our Lady, declared venerable by Pope Leo XIV #Catholic Father Henri Caffarel, a French priest whose apostolate centered on accompanying and guiding married couples on the path to holiness, is one step closer to being canonized.On March 23, Pope Leo XIV recognized the heroic virtues of the newly declared venerable, who maintained that couples are made for happiness and that marriage is a path toward it.With this deep conviction, and conscious of the challenges faced by couples, Caffarel, who was born in Lyon, France, in 1903, founded the movement for marital spirituality known as “Teams of Our Lady” in Paris in 1939.The beginning of a living legacySpaniards Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, the couple in charge of the Teams of Our Lady internationally, have been married for 35 years and have three children. In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, they said the ministry started “with four couples who approached Father Caffarel to ask him how they could live out their faith as a couple.”“He didn’t have an answer at that moment, so he proposed that they embark on a journey of discovery together rooted in the sacrament of holy orders and the sacrament of matrimony. And that‘s how it all began,” Alberto explained.Following World War II, the movement, which is primarily lay-led, grew rapidly; today, it is present in 92 countries and is comprised of more than 15,000 teams. Father Henri Caffarel. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Pérez Bueno Marital communication and prayerMercedes emphasized that from the very beginning, Caffarel saw the need to foster the essentials of marital communication and prayer, convinced that by sharing their problems with one another, many couples could avoid estrangement that sometimes occurs in marriage.The priest, Alberto recalled, said that “the sacrament of matrimony is an image of God” and “probably the most perfect one there is.” The priest said married couples are called to holiness through a life of “work, personal growth, love, patience, and building a life together.”“It‘s not an overnight process but rather a journey undertaken over the course of a lifetime. Father Caffarel invited couples to embark on this path and to attain holiness through their work and their life together,” Alberto emphasized.Mercedes said the priest thought of marriage as a sign “that reflects the love of God” because the relationship of communion that exists between spouses is analogous to the relationship existing among the three Divine Persons: Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.In the priest’s view, the image of marriage allowed for a clearer expression of the idea of ​​a God who is love “and who communicates and expands within his own nature.” From this perspective, “holiness ceases to be understood as a matter of individual effort or moral perfection and is situated instead within the dynamic of love that transforms and animates life,” Mercedes explained.A continuous path of spiritual growthThe organization of the Teams of Our Lady is based on a specific methodology “that goes beyond monthly meetings,” encompassing prayer, dialogue, and personal commitment. Each team consists of five or six married couples, fostering “listening to the word, personal prayer, prayer as a couple and family prayer, and a profound dialogue in the presence of the Lord that we also have every month,” Mercedes explained.Ultimately, it is a matter of “having a rule of life, a set of elements through which you strive to improve your Christian life,” she said. There is also a yearly retreat and a specific study theme each month.Alberto emphasized that the Teams of Our Lady are, in a sense, “precursors of the synodality” promoted by Pope Francis. “It’s a movement that is very nonclerical — though, it must be said, the accompaniment of married couples by priests is essential.”He also noted that “married couples place their time, their skills, their charisms, and their gifts at the service of others in order to build community.” Mercedes, who had the opportunity to meet the now-venerable, recalled that in 1973 he stepped aside after founding the teams, convinced that “if it was a work of the Holy Spirit and possessed a charism for the Church, there was no need for him to stay on.”Leaving the ministry in the laity’s hands, he retired to a house of prayer on the outskirts of Paris, where he began his other “great work”: teaching people how to pray. Mercedes noted that “one of the things he desired most was to teach people how to draw closer to Christ and to serve as an intermediary so that every person could have a personal encounter with God.” Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, international organizers of Teams of Our Lady. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Pérez Bueno The challenges facing married couples todayAlberto and Mercedes explained how married couples today confront new challenges stemming from the pace of life, particularly the “massive entry of women into the workforce,” which has brought different challenges, such as “finding time to be together and talk.”They highlighted Caffarel’s enduring counsel: “Seek out these moments; don’t let them slip away,” for life “sweeps us along like a fast-moving river.They also highlighted the movement’s impact in countries such as Lithuania, with a past marked by communist repression, or in African nations where the teams foster equality, participation, and changes such as abandoning polygamy. This is also true in Europe, where the Teams of Our Lady help strengthen families within increasingly secularized societies.Both highlight the universal impact of the movement: Couples from diverse cultures agree on the benefits received, particularly the “opportunity to pray together” and the realization of “how difficult it would have been without the presence of Christ in their married life.” Ultimately, this is a way of life that responds to a profound desire: Even as sacramental marriages decline, “there is no diminishing of people’s desire to live as a couple.”Mercedes also warned of a growing way of dealing with problems: “At the slightest setback, people are right off tempted to give up,” and the couple is not taught how to “persevere and forgive.” Added to this is “a great fear of commitment” and a tendency to avoid lasting bonds or communities despite the fact that, deep down, people “want to be happy and want to stay together.”For this reason, she emphasized the importance of mutual support and community life: “It‘s fundamental to allow oneself to be helped,” since in her view navigating married life in isolation “is extremely complex.”The teams offer precisely the necessary tools and support: a setting where married couples share their problems and solutions. Drawing upon their own experiences, they particularly encourage young couples to embark on this path of holiness.Both expressed their joy that Caffarel has been declared venerable, a long-awaited recognition following nearly 20 years of going through the beatification process, which continues, awaiting a miracle wrought through his intercession.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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A married couple that leads the Teams of Our Lady, founded by newly-declared Venerable Father Henri Caffarel, explains how this lay apostolate helps couples grow together in holiness.

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On Easter Monday, Pope Leo XIV remembers those ‘tormented’ by war: ‘The truth does not remain hidden’ #Catholic On his first Easter Monday as pope, Leo XIV appeared at the window of the Apostolic Palace under bright sunshine and clear skies to lead the Regina Caeli with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.“Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Happy Easter!“ he exclaimed. “This greeting, full of wonder and joy, will accompany us throughout the week. As we celebrate this new day that the Lord has made for us, the liturgy celebrates the entrance of all creation into the time of salvation: The despair of death has been banished forever, in the name of Jesus.”He continued: “Today’s Gospel asks us to choose between two accounts: that of the women, who encountered the Risen One, or that of the guards, who were bribed by the leaders of the Sanhedrin.” The women proclaim “the victory of Christ over death,” while the guards “proclaim that death always wins, no matter what,” the pope said, illustrating two opposing versions of the same event. In the guards’ version, Christ did not rise, “but his body was stolen,” the pope recalled. From this comes the fact that “from the same event — the empty tomb — two interpretations spring forth: One is a source of new and eternal life, the other of certain and definitive death,” he explained.This contrast “makes us reflect on the value of Christian witness and the honesty of human communication. Often, in fact, the telling of the truth is obscured by what we today call fake news — that is, lies, insinuations, and baseless accusations. Yet in the face of such obstacles, the truth does not remain hidden; on the contrary, it comes to meet us, alive and radiant, illuminating even the densest darkness,” he continued.Christ is the good news to be proclaimed to the world, he said: “The Lord’s passover is our passover, the passover of humanity, because this man, who died for us, is the Son of God, who gave his life for us.”Leo then turned his thoughts to “peoples tormented by war, to Christians persecuted for their faith, and to children deprived of education. To announce the passover of Christ in words and deeds means giving new voice to hope, otherwise stifled by the hands of the violent.”Finally, he remembered Pope Francis, “who exactly one year ago, on Easter Monday, entrusted his life to the Lord. As we recall his great witness of faith and love, let us pray together to the Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom, so that we may become ever brighter heralds of the truth.”After reciting the Marian prayer, Pope Leo XIV added a few more words: “I thank the initiatives promoted for the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, and I renew the appeal that sport, with its universal language of fraternity, may be a place of inclusion and peace. I thank all those who in these days have sent me Easter greetings. I am especially grateful for the prayers. Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, may God reward each one with his gifts.” He concluded: “I wish you a joyful and faithful celebration of this Easter Monday and these days of the Octave of Easter, during which the celebration of Christ’s resurrection continues. Let us persevere in invoking the gift of peace for the whole world.”This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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On Easter Monday, Pope Leo XIV remembers those ‘tormented’ by war: ‘The truth does not remain hidden’ #Catholic On his first Easter Monday as pope, Leo XIV appeared at the window of the Apostolic Palace under bright sunshine and clear skies to lead the Regina Caeli with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.“Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Happy Easter!“ he exclaimed. “This greeting, full of wonder and joy, will accompany us throughout the week. As we celebrate this new day that the Lord has made for us, the liturgy celebrates the entrance of all creation into the time of salvation: The despair of death has been banished forever, in the name of Jesus.”He continued: “Today’s Gospel asks us to choose between two accounts: that of the women, who encountered the Risen One, or that of the guards, who were bribed by the leaders of the Sanhedrin.” The women proclaim “the victory of Christ over death,” while the guards “proclaim that death always wins, no matter what,” the pope said, illustrating two opposing versions of the same event. In the guards’ version, Christ did not rise, “but his body was stolen,” the pope recalled. From this comes the fact that “from the same event — the empty tomb — two interpretations spring forth: One is a source of new and eternal life, the other of certain and definitive death,” he explained.This contrast “makes us reflect on the value of Christian witness and the honesty of human communication. Often, in fact, the telling of the truth is obscured by what we today call fake news — that is, lies, insinuations, and baseless accusations. Yet in the face of such obstacles, the truth does not remain hidden; on the contrary, it comes to meet us, alive and radiant, illuminating even the densest darkness,” he continued.Christ is the good news to be proclaimed to the world, he said: “The Lord’s passover is our passover, the passover of humanity, because this man, who died for us, is the Son of God, who gave his life for us.”Leo then turned his thoughts to “peoples tormented by war, to Christians persecuted for their faith, and to children deprived of education. To announce the passover of Christ in words and deeds means giving new voice to hope, otherwise stifled by the hands of the violent.”Finally, he remembered Pope Francis, “who exactly one year ago, on Easter Monday, entrusted his life to the Lord. As we recall his great witness of faith and love, let us pray together to the Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom, so that we may become ever brighter heralds of the truth.”After reciting the Marian prayer, Pope Leo XIV added a few more words: “I thank the initiatives promoted for the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, and I renew the appeal that sport, with its universal language of fraternity, may be a place of inclusion and peace. I thank all those who in these days have sent me Easter greetings. I am especially grateful for the prayers. Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, may God reward each one with his gifts.” He concluded: “I wish you a joyful and faithful celebration of this Easter Monday and these days of the Octave of Easter, during which the celebration of Christ’s resurrection continues. Let us persevere in invoking the gift of peace for the whole world.”This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Upon the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the pope also remembered Pope Francis, who died a year ago on Easter Monday.

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‘Searching for the Messiah’ explores experiences of recent Jewish converts – #Catholic – The latest film from Goya Productions, “Searching for the Messiah” explores the experiences of people of Jewish origin who have embraced Jesus as the Anointed One (the Christ), in whom God’s promises to his people are fulfilled.The documentary, directed by Andrés Garrigó, is set to premiere in Spain on April 10. It is headed to Mexico and Central America later this month, followed by distribution in the United States later in the year. The film traces the journeys of figures from both the present day and recent history who, from their Jewish origins, traveled the path toward recognizing Jesus as the Messiah awaited by the people of the Old Covenant.The film takes an approach that is in keeping with the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate. That document emphasizes that “the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospelʼs spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.”Following that declaration, St. Paul VI became the first pope to travel to the Holy Land in the modern era. Subsequently, St. John Paul II visited Rome’s synagogue and established diplomatic relations with Israel. Both St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI visited the Auschwitz death camp. Pope Francis and Leo XIV further developed the path charted by Nostra Aetate.In a statement to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Goya Productions indicated that in the version of the film to be distributed in the United States, “only the testimonies originally in French, Spanish, and Portuguese will require dubbing” and that “more than half of the film will remain in its original English.”The U.S. version will also feature an additional testimony from Dr. Robin Pierucci, a Jewish convert and neonatologist living in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Other testimonies to be highlighted inlude those of French philosopher Fabrice Hadjadj, Harvard Business School professor Roy Schoeman, Brazilian philosopher Edgar Leite Ferreira, British literary critic Robert Asch, American author Dawn Eden Goldstein, and Argentine professor of biblical pastoral studies Luciana Rogowicz.Garrigó told ACI Prensa that the subject of the film is one “that hasn’t been explored in cinema; people are a bit wary of it.” He said the idea for the film originally came from a person in Mexico. “We didn’t think it would be possible, but after reflecting on it and later conducting research, we discovered that there were amazing people who had things to say about the Messiah and about discovering [him] from the point of view of Judaism,” he said.‘Our greatest loves are Jewish’Garrigó said the central narrative theme of the film is particularly captured in a recording of St. Josemaría Escrivá. In it, the Spanish saint, during one of his well-known informal gatherings, responds to a question from a young Jewish girl whose parents will not allow her to be baptized.“As St. Josemaría himself states right there, our greatest loves are Jewish, aren’t they? They are Jesus and the Virgin,” Garrigó said.From that standpoint, “everything else is an attitude of openness; and they — the moment they discover Jesus — become deeply committed, the ones who feel called to fulfill an eternal design: that of a chosen people who in the end complete their journey,” the director said.“They still feel Jewish after their conversion, yet Jewish in a way that fulfills what Jesus had envisioned for them,” he added.“Searching for the Messiah” also explores other figures of Jewish origin who embraced the Catholic faith, particularly during the last century: Rome’s chief rabbi, Eugenio Zolli; St. Edith Stein, a German philosopher who became a Carmelite nun and was canonized by St. John Paul II, who named her a patroness of Europe and a doctor of the Church; Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who before his conversion was known as one of the most staunch abortion advocates in U.S. history; and the French poet Max Jacob, whose baptismal godfather was his friend Pablo Picasso. This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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‘Searching for the Messiah’ explores experiences of recent Jewish converts – #Catholic – The latest film from Goya Productions, “Searching for the Messiah” explores the experiences of people of Jewish origin who have embraced Jesus as the Anointed One (the Christ), in whom God’s promises to his people are fulfilled.The documentary, directed by Andrés Garrigó, is set to premiere in Spain on April 10. It is headed to Mexico and Central America later this month, followed by distribution in the United States later in the year. The film traces the journeys of figures from both the present day and recent history who, from their Jewish origins, traveled the path toward recognizing Jesus as the Messiah awaited by the people of the Old Covenant.The film takes an approach that is in keeping with the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate. That document emphasizes that “the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospelʼs spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.”Following that declaration, St. Paul VI became the first pope to travel to the Holy Land in the modern era. Subsequently, St. John Paul II visited Rome’s synagogue and established diplomatic relations with Israel. Both St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI visited the Auschwitz death camp. Pope Francis and Leo XIV further developed the path charted by Nostra Aetate.In a statement to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Goya Productions indicated that in the version of the film to be distributed in the United States, “only the testimonies originally in French, Spanish, and Portuguese will require dubbing” and that “more than half of the film will remain in its original English.”The U.S. version will also feature an additional testimony from Dr. Robin Pierucci, a Jewish convert and neonatologist living in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Other testimonies to be highlighted inlude those of French philosopher Fabrice Hadjadj, Harvard Business School professor Roy Schoeman, Brazilian philosopher Edgar Leite Ferreira, British literary critic Robert Asch, American author Dawn Eden Goldstein, and Argentine professor of biblical pastoral studies Luciana Rogowicz.Garrigó told ACI Prensa that the subject of the film is one “that hasn’t been explored in cinema; people are a bit wary of it.” He said the idea for the film originally came from a person in Mexico. “We didn’t think it would be possible, but after reflecting on it and later conducting research, we discovered that there were amazing people who had things to say about the Messiah and about discovering [him] from the point of view of Judaism,” he said.‘Our greatest loves are Jewish’Garrigó said the central narrative theme of the film is particularly captured in a recording of St. Josemaría Escrivá. In it, the Spanish saint, during one of his well-known informal gatherings, responds to a question from a young Jewish girl whose parents will not allow her to be baptized.“As St. Josemaría himself states right there, our greatest loves are Jewish, aren’t they? They are Jesus and the Virgin,” Garrigó said.From that standpoint, “everything else is an attitude of openness; and they — the moment they discover Jesus — become deeply committed, the ones who feel called to fulfill an eternal design: that of a chosen people who in the end complete their journey,” the director said.“They still feel Jewish after their conversion, yet Jewish in a way that fulfills what Jesus had envisioned for them,” he added.“Searching for the Messiah” also explores other figures of Jewish origin who embraced the Catholic faith, particularly during the last century: Rome’s chief rabbi, Eugenio Zolli; St. Edith Stein, a German philosopher who became a Carmelite nun and was canonized by St. John Paul II, who named her a patroness of Europe and a doctor of the Church; Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who before his conversion was known as one of the most staunch abortion advocates in U.S. history; and the French poet Max Jacob, whose baptismal godfather was his friend Pablo Picasso. This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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A film that features the testimonies of people of Jewish origin who in recent times have professed faith in Jesus after coming to the conclusion that he is the long-awaited Messiah.

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Pope Leo XIV: Every vocation is a ‘path of beauty’ – #Catholic – The Vatican has published Pope Leo XIV’s message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated on April 26, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, or Good Shepherd Sunday.Titled “The Interior Discovery of God’s Gift,” the Holy Father in the message reflects on the interior dimension of vocation, understood as “the discovery of God’s free gift that blossoms in the depths of our hearts.”In his message, the pope refers to vocation as “a path of beauty” — one along which, if traveled, life becomes “truly beautiful.” He notes, however, that to perceive this beauty, it is necessary to cultivate one’s interior life.“The distinctive trait of the saint is the luminous spiritual beauty that radiates from his or her life in Christ,” the pope affirms.Citing the experience of St. Augustine, the Holy Father invites everyone to discover the presence of God in the innermost recesses of the soul by cultivating prayer and silence. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the gift of vocation is “never an imposition or a one-size-fits-all model to which one merely conforms; instead, it is an adventure of love and happiness.”“Only when our surroundings are illumined by living faith, sustained by constant prayer, and enriched by fraternal accompaniment can God’s call blossom and mature, becoming a path of happiness and salvation for individuals and for the world,” he noted.The pope also reminds us that God “knows us profoundly” and points out that this knowledge must be mutual: “We are invited to know God through prayer, listening to the word, the sacraments, the life of the Church, and works of charity for our brothers and sisters.”He clarifies that this is not a matter of abstract intellectual knowledge or academic learning but rather of “a personal encounter that transforms one’s life.”“Dear young people, listen to this voice! Listen to the voice of the Lord who invites you to a full and fruitful life, calling you to put your talents to use (cf. Mt 25:14-30) and to unite your limitations and weaknesses with the glorious cross of Christ.”The pope recommends dedicating time to Eucharistic adoration and meditating on the word of God in order to come to know the Lord and give oneself fully to one’s vocation — whether it be to marriage, the priesthood, or consecrated or religious life.Life is a continual act of ‘trusting in the Lord’To know the Lord, Leo XIV continues, means “above all learning to entrust oneself to him and to his providence.” He proposes St. Joseph as a model of this trust and encourages the faithful to cultivate it without ever yielding to despair: “We must overcome fears and doubts, confident that the Lord of history — both of the world and of our own personal story — is risen.”“He does not abandon us in our darkest hours but comes to dispel every shadow with his light. Through the light and strength of his Spirit, even amid trials and crises, we can see our vocation grow and mature, reflecting ever more fully the beauty of the One who has called us — a beauty shaped by fidelity and trust, despite our wounds and failures,” he affirms.At the conclusion of his message, the Holy Father recalls that a vocation “is not a fixed point” but rather “a dynamic process of maturation.” Therefore, he explains, the “places” where God’s will is revealed — and where we experience his infinite love — are “often the authentic and fraternal bonds we establish throughout our lives.”Consequently, he underscores the need to have a good spiritual guide and, finally, encourages everyone — especially young people — to cultivate their personal relationship with God. “Pause, listen, entrust yourselves. In this way, the gift of your vocation will mature, bringing you happiness, and yielding abundant fruit for the Church and for the world.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV: Every vocation is a ‘path of beauty’ – #Catholic – The Vatican has published Pope Leo XIV’s message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated on April 26, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, or Good Shepherd Sunday.Titled “The Interior Discovery of God’s Gift,” the Holy Father in the message reflects on the interior dimension of vocation, understood as “the discovery of God’s free gift that blossoms in the depths of our hearts.”In his message, the pope refers to vocation as “a path of beauty” — one along which, if traveled, life becomes “truly beautiful.” He notes, however, that to perceive this beauty, it is necessary to cultivate one’s interior life.“The distinctive trait of the saint is the luminous spiritual beauty that radiates from his or her life in Christ,” the pope affirms.Citing the experience of St. Augustine, the Holy Father invites everyone to discover the presence of God in the innermost recesses of the soul by cultivating prayer and silence. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the gift of vocation is “never an imposition or a one-size-fits-all model to which one merely conforms; instead, it is an adventure of love and happiness.”“Only when our surroundings are illumined by living faith, sustained by constant prayer, and enriched by fraternal accompaniment can God’s call blossom and mature, becoming a path of happiness and salvation for individuals and for the world,” he noted.The pope also reminds us that God “knows us profoundly” and points out that this knowledge must be mutual: “We are invited to know God through prayer, listening to the word, the sacraments, the life of the Church, and works of charity for our brothers and sisters.”He clarifies that this is not a matter of abstract intellectual knowledge or academic learning but rather of “a personal encounter that transforms one’s life.”“Dear young people, listen to this voice! Listen to the voice of the Lord who invites you to a full and fruitful life, calling you to put your talents to use (cf. Mt 25:14-30) and to unite your limitations and weaknesses with the glorious cross of Christ.”The pope recommends dedicating time to Eucharistic adoration and meditating on the word of God in order to come to know the Lord and give oneself fully to one’s vocation — whether it be to marriage, the priesthood, or consecrated or religious life.Life is a continual act of ‘trusting in the Lord’To know the Lord, Leo XIV continues, means “above all learning to entrust oneself to him and to his providence.” He proposes St. Joseph as a model of this trust and encourages the faithful to cultivate it without ever yielding to despair: “We must overcome fears and doubts, confident that the Lord of history — both of the world and of our own personal story — is risen.”“He does not abandon us in our darkest hours but comes to dispel every shadow with his light. Through the light and strength of his Spirit, even amid trials and crises, we can see our vocation grow and mature, reflecting ever more fully the beauty of the One who has called us — a beauty shaped by fidelity and trust, despite our wounds and failures,” he affirms.At the conclusion of his message, the Holy Father recalls that a vocation “is not a fixed point” but rather “a dynamic process of maturation.” Therefore, he explains, the “places” where God’s will is revealed — and where we experience his infinite love — are “often the authentic and fraternal bonds we establish throughout our lives.”Consequently, he underscores the need to have a good spiritual guide and, finally, encourages everyone — especially young people — to cultivate their personal relationship with God. “Pause, listen, entrust yourselves. In this way, the gift of your vocation will mature, bringing you happiness, and yielding abundant fruit for the Church and for the world.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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In a message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations titled “The Interior Discovery of God’s Gift,” the Holy Father reflects on the interior dimension of one’s vocation.

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Why the Catholic Church celebrates Easter Monday under the title ‘Monday of the Angel’ – #Catholic – On Easter Monday, the Catholic Church celebrates what is called “Monday of the Angel.” In many countries in Europe and South America, this day, also known as “Little Easter,” is a national holiday.In a Vatican Radio recording in 1994, Pope John Paul II gave an explanation for Monday of the Angel.“Why is it called that?” the pope asked, highlighting the need for an angel to call out from the depths of the grave: “He is risen.”These words “were very difficult to proclaim, to express, for a person,” John Paul II said. “Also, the women that were at the tomb encountered it empty but couldn’t tell ‘he had risen’; they only affirmed that the tomb was empty. The angel said more: ‘He is not here, he has risen.’”The Gospel of St. Matthew puts it this way: “Then the angel said to the women in reply, ‘Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you” (Mt 28:5-7).Angels are servants and messengers of God. As purely spiritual beings, they have intellects and wills. They are personal and immortal. They surpass all visible beings in their perfection.Christ himself gave testimony to the angels when he said: “The angels in heaven always see the face of my father who is in heaven!” (Mt 18:10).Christ is the center of the universe and angels belong to him. Even more so, because he made them messengers of his plan of salvation: An angel announced his conception to the Blessed Mother at the Annunciation and an angel proclaimed his resurrection to Mary Magdalene.From Easter Monday until the end of Easter at Pentecost, the Church prays the Regina Caeli instead of the Angelus at the noon hour.On Monday of the Angel in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI said the text of the Regina Caeli “is like a new ‘Annunciation’ to Mary, this time not made by an angel but by us Christians who invite the Mother to rejoice because her Son, whom she carried in her womb, is risen as he promised.”He continued: “Indeed, ‘rejoice’ was the first word that the heavenly messenger addressed to the Virgin in Nazareth. And this is what it meant: Rejoice, Mary, because the Son of God is about to become man within you. Now, after the drama of the Passion, a new invitation to rejoice rings out: ‘Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia, quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia’ — Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. Rejoice because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia!”Regina Caeli (English)V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.R. For he whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia.R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.V. Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of thy son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ, Our Lord.R. Amen.Regina Caeli (Latin)V. Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.R. Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.V. Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.R. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.V. Oremus. Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus; ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum.R. Amen.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, then translated and adapted by the National Catholic Register on March 4, 2021, and updated for EWTN News English on March 28, 2024, and again on April 5, 2026.
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Why the Catholic Church celebrates Easter Monday under the title ‘Monday of the Angel’ – #Catholic – On Easter Monday, the Catholic Church celebrates what is called “Monday of the Angel.” In many countries in Europe and South America, this day, also known as “Little Easter,” is a national holiday.In a Vatican Radio recording in 1994, Pope John Paul II gave an explanation for Monday of the Angel.“Why is it called that?” the pope asked, highlighting the need for an angel to call out from the depths of the grave: “He is risen.”These words “were very difficult to proclaim, to express, for a person,” John Paul II said. “Also, the women that were at the tomb encountered it empty but couldn’t tell ‘he had risen’; they only affirmed that the tomb was empty. The angel said more: ‘He is not here, he has risen.’”The Gospel of St. Matthew puts it this way: “Then the angel said to the women in reply, ‘Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you” (Mt 28:5-7).Angels are servants and messengers of God. As purely spiritual beings, they have intellects and wills. They are personal and immortal. They surpass all visible beings in their perfection.Christ himself gave testimony to the angels when he said: “The angels in heaven always see the face of my father who is in heaven!” (Mt 18:10).Christ is the center of the universe and angels belong to him. Even more so, because he made them messengers of his plan of salvation: An angel announced his conception to the Blessed Mother at the Annunciation and an angel proclaimed his resurrection to Mary Magdalene.From Easter Monday until the end of Easter at Pentecost, the Church prays the Regina Caeli instead of the Angelus at the noon hour.On Monday of the Angel in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI said the text of the Regina Caeli “is like a new ‘Annunciation’ to Mary, this time not made by an angel but by us Christians who invite the Mother to rejoice because her Son, whom she carried in her womb, is risen as he promised.”He continued: “Indeed, ‘rejoice’ was the first word that the heavenly messenger addressed to the Virgin in Nazareth. And this is what it meant: Rejoice, Mary, because the Son of God is about to become man within you. Now, after the drama of the Passion, a new invitation to rejoice rings out: ‘Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia, quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia’ — Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. Rejoice because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia!”Regina Caeli (English)V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.R. For he whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia.R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.V. Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of thy son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ, Our Lord.R. Amen.Regina Caeli (Latin)V. Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.R. Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.V. Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.R. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.V. Oremus. Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus; ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum.R. Amen.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, then translated and adapted by the National Catholic Register on March 4, 2021, and updated for EWTN News English on March 28, 2024, and again on April 5, 2026.

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In many countries in Europe and South America, Easter Monday, also known as “Little Easter,” is a national holiday.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 06 April 2026 – A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles 2:14, 22-33 On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words. “You who are children of Israel, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. For David says of him: I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear.”From the Gospel according to Matthew 28:8-15 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’ And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.According to the Judaic Law of that time, women and children could not bear a trustworthy, credible witness. Instead in the Gospels women play a fundamental lead role. Here we can grasp an element in favour of the historicity of the Resurrection: if it was an invented event, in the context of that time it would not have been linked with the evidence of women. Instead the Evangelists simply recounted what happened: women were the first witnesses. This implies that God does not choose in accordance with human criteria: the first witnesses of the birth of Jesus were shepherds, simple, humble people; the first witnesses of the Resurrection were women. And this is beautiful. This is part of the mission of women; of mothers, of women! Witnessing to their children, to their grandchildren, that Jesus is alive, is living, is risen. Mothers and women, carry on witnessing to this! It is the heart that counts for God, how open to him we are, whether we are like trusting children. However this also makes us think about how women, in the Church and on the journey of faith, had and still have today a special role in opening the doors to the Lord, in following him and in communicating his Face, for the gaze of faith is always in need of the simple and profound gaze of love. (Pope Francis – General Audience, 3 April 2013)

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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
2:14, 22-33

On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.

“You who are children of Israel, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:

I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.

My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit
that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear.”

From the Gospel according to Matthew
28:8-15

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.”

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had happened.
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel;
then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
telling them, “You are to say,
‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’
And if this gets to the ears of the governor,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.

According to the Judaic Law of that time, women and children could not bear a trustworthy, credible witness. Instead in the Gospels women play a fundamental lead role. Here we can grasp an element in favour of the historicity of the Resurrection: if it was an invented event, in the context of that time it would not have been linked with the evidence of women. Instead the Evangelists simply recounted what happened: women were the first witnesses. This implies that God does not choose in accordance with human criteria: the first witnesses of the birth of Jesus were shepherds, simple, humble people; the first witnesses of the Resurrection were women. And this is beautiful. This is part of the mission of women; of mothers, of women! Witnessing to their children, to their grandchildren, that Jesus is alive, is living, is risen. Mothers and women, carry on witnessing to this! It is the heart that counts for God, how open to him we are, whether we are like trusting children. However this also makes us think about how women, in the Church and on the journey of faith, had and still have today a special role in opening the doors to the Lord, in following him and in communicating his Face, for the gaze of faith is always in need of the simple and profound gaze of love. (Pope Francis – General Audience, 3 April 2013)

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A special Easter Blessing for you from Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney #Catholic – “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead…’” Mt. 28: 5-7 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Happy Easter! Please know of my prayers for you, your family and loved ones, and for the whole Church of our beloved Diocese of Paterson. We hear the words of Matthew’s Gospel, “…for he has been raised just as he said…” and we reflect on the meaning of Easter Joy, the Joy of the Risen Lord, His victory over sin and death, and the promise of everlasting life in Heaven. As Lent and Holy Week have led us to this Easter Day, we give thanks for the gifts of Faith, Hope, and Love and continue to pray for the gift of Peace, the true Peace, that only Jesus can give. We also rejoice with all those who have entered our Church as they received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil. Please be assured of my prayers for you, your families, and for all the faithful in our Diocese. Let us continue to pray for one another, for the whole Church, and for Peace, as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday and throughout the 50 days of the Easter Season. Devotedly yours in Christ, Most Reverend Kevin J. Sweeney, DD. Bishop of Paterson  
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A special Easter Blessing for you from Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney #Catholic – “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead…’” Mt. 28: 5-7 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Happy Easter! Please know of my prayers for you, your family and loved ones, and for the whole Church of our beloved Diocese of Paterson. We hear the words of Matthew’s Gospel, “…for he has been raised just as he said…” and we reflect on the meaning of Easter Joy, the Joy of the Risen Lord, His victory over sin and death, and the promise of everlasting life in Heaven. As Lent and Holy Week have led us to this Easter Day, we give thanks for the gifts of Faith, Hope, and Love and continue to pray for the gift of Peace, the true Peace, that only Jesus can give. We also rejoice with all those who have entered our Church as they received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil. Please be assured of my prayers for you, your families, and for all the faithful in our Diocese. Let us continue to pray for one another, for the whole Church, and for Peace, as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday and throughout the 50 days of the Easter Season. Devotedly yours in Christ, Most Reverend Kevin J. Sweeney, DD. Bishop of Paterson  

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A special Easter Blessing for you from Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney #Catholic –

“Do not be afraid!
I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.
He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples,
‘He has been raised from the dead…’” Mt. 28: 5-7

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Happy Easter! Please know of my prayers for you, your family and loved ones, and for the whole Church of our beloved Diocese of Paterson. We hear the words of Matthew’s Gospel, “…for he has been raised just as he said…” and we reflect on the meaning of Easter Joy, the Joy of the Risen Lord, His victory over sin and death, and the promise of everlasting life in Heaven. As Lent and Holy Week have led us to this Easter Day, we give thanks for the gifts of Faith, Hope, and Love and continue to pray for the gift of Peace, the true Peace, that only Jesus can give. We also rejoice with all those who have entered our Church as they received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil.

Please be assured of my prayers for you, your families, and for all the faithful in our Diocese. Let us continue to pray for one another, for the whole Church, and for Peace, as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday and throughout the 50 days of the Easter Season.

Devotedly yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Kevin J. Sweeney, DD.
Bishop of Paterson

 

– “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead…’” Mt. 28: 5-7 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Happy Easter! Please know of my prayers for you, your family and loved ones, and for the whole Church of our beloved Diocese of Paterson. We hear the words of Matthew’s Gospel, “…for he has been raised just as he said…” and we

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Official delegation announced for Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to Equatorial Guinea #Catholic EBEBIYÍN, Equatorial Guinea — Preparations for the planned apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Equatorial Guinea have gained momentum, with Church authorities unveiling details of the high-level delegation expected to accompany the Holy Father during his visit scheduled for April 21–23.The announcement was made by Father Cristino Ela Engonga, secretary-general of the Episcopal Conference of Equatorial Guinea (CEGE) and general coordinator of the Church commission for the papal visit, during a strategic meeting that was held on March 28 at the bishop’s house in Bata Diocese.The meeting brought together members of various subcommissions from the dioceses of Bata, Ebibeyín, Evinayong, and Mongomo to assess ongoing preparations and receive updates from the Holy See regarding the historic visit, which will mark Pope Leo XIV’s first trip to Africa.According to Engonga, nearly 50 Vatican officials are expected to accompany the pontiff, including five cardinals. Among them is Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.The pope is expected to visit key cities, including Malabo, Mongomo, and Bata, accompanied by senior Vatican officials such as Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.Other prominent members of the papal entourage include Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.They will be joined by 42 additional Vatican officials, including Monsignor José Nahúm Jairo Salas, who is responsible for coordinating papal international travels, as well as leading Vatican communicators such as Paolo Ruffini and Matteo Bruni.Beyond the papal entourage, the meeting also highlighted the participation of special guests, including Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), as well as Archbishop Luis Javier Argüello García, president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE).Engonga further said that more than 40 Catholic bishops from six central African countries have expressed their intention to attend the event.During the meeting, participants also received a report from the masters of ceremonies of CEGE, Fathers Julio Enrique Meheme and Diosdado Márquez Sabadell, who recently traveled to Rome to prepare the liturgical celebrations the pope will preside over.The Holy Father is expected to arrive in Malabo on Tuesday, April 21, the final leg of his four-nation African trip. Following the official welcome ceremony, he will meet the president of Equatorial Guinea and address political leaders, civil society representatives, and the diplomatic corps.In the afternoon, the pope will engage with academics and artists during a meeting with representatives of the world of culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University. A pastoral visit to patients and staff at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital is also scheduled for this day.On Wednesday, April 22, the pope will travel to Mongomo to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception before visiting the Pope Francis Technology School.Later in the day, the Holy Father will continue to Bata, where he is scheduled to visit a prison; pray at a memorial dedicated to victims of the March 7, 2021, explosion; and meet young people and families at Bata Stadium.The apostolic journey to Africa is to conclude on Thursday, April 23, with a final Mass celebrated by the pope at Malabo Stadium.Following the farewell ceremony at Malabo International Airport, the Holy Father will depart for Rome, arriving later that evening at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport.This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
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Official delegation announced for Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to Equatorial Guinea #Catholic EBEBIYÍN, Equatorial Guinea — Preparations for the planned apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Equatorial Guinea have gained momentum, with Church authorities unveiling details of the high-level delegation expected to accompany the Holy Father during his visit scheduled for April 21–23.The announcement was made by Father Cristino Ela Engonga, secretary-general of the Episcopal Conference of Equatorial Guinea (CEGE) and general coordinator of the Church commission for the papal visit, during a strategic meeting that was held on March 28 at the bishop’s house in Bata Diocese.The meeting brought together members of various subcommissions from the dioceses of Bata, Ebibeyín, Evinayong, and Mongomo to assess ongoing preparations and receive updates from the Holy See regarding the historic visit, which will mark Pope Leo XIV’s first trip to Africa.According to Engonga, nearly 50 Vatican officials are expected to accompany the pontiff, including five cardinals. Among them is Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.The pope is expected to visit key cities, including Malabo, Mongomo, and Bata, accompanied by senior Vatican officials such as Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.Other prominent members of the papal entourage include Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.They will be joined by 42 additional Vatican officials, including Monsignor José Nahúm Jairo Salas, who is responsible for coordinating papal international travels, as well as leading Vatican communicators such as Paolo Ruffini and Matteo Bruni.Beyond the papal entourage, the meeting also highlighted the participation of special guests, including Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), as well as Archbishop Luis Javier Argüello García, president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE).Engonga further said that more than 40 Catholic bishops from six central African countries have expressed their intention to attend the event.During the meeting, participants also received a report from the masters of ceremonies of CEGE, Fathers Julio Enrique Meheme and Diosdado Márquez Sabadell, who recently traveled to Rome to prepare the liturgical celebrations the pope will preside over.The Holy Father is expected to arrive in Malabo on Tuesday, April 21, the final leg of his four-nation African trip. Following the official welcome ceremony, he will meet the president of Equatorial Guinea and address political leaders, civil society representatives, and the diplomatic corps.In the afternoon, the pope will engage with academics and artists during a meeting with representatives of the world of culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University. A pastoral visit to patients and staff at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital is also scheduled for this day.On Wednesday, April 22, the pope will travel to Mongomo to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception before visiting the Pope Francis Technology School.Later in the day, the Holy Father will continue to Bata, where he is scheduled to visit a prison; pray at a memorial dedicated to victims of the March 7, 2021, explosion; and meet young people and families at Bata Stadium.The apostolic journey to Africa is to conclude on Thursday, April 23, with a final Mass celebrated by the pope at Malabo Stadium.Following the farewell ceremony at Malabo International Airport, the Holy Father will depart for Rome, arriving later that evening at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport.This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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Church authorities unveiled details of the official delegation expected to accompany the Holy Father during his visit scheduled for April 21–23.

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The Islamic State Spreads Images of Christian Executions in An Naba from Northern Nigeria and Issues Ultimatum of Conversion, Taxes or Murder to the Infidels – This is a Gateway Hispanic article. The post The Islamic State Spreads Images of Christian Executions in An Naba from Northern Nigeria and Issues Ultimatum of Conversion, Taxes or Murder to the Infidels appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The Islamic State Spreads Images of Christian Executions in An Naba from Northern Nigeria and Issues Ultimatum of Conversion, Taxes or Murder to the Infidels – This is a Gateway Hispanic article. The post The Islamic State Spreads Images of Christian Executions in An Naba from Northern Nigeria and Issues Ultimatum of Conversion, Taxes or Murder to the Infidels appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Image depicting a group of individuals in orange attire kneeling, while others in military uniforms stand behind them in a barren landscape.

Image depicting a group of individuals in orange attire kneeling, while others in military uniforms stand behind them in a barren landscape.

This is a Gateway Hispanic article.

The post The Islamic State Spreads Images of Christian Executions in An Naba from Northern Nigeria and Issues Ultimatum of Conversion, Taxes or Murder to the Infidels appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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U.S., Canadian seminarians prepare in Mexico to serve Hispanic community #Catholic In response to the growing Hispanic Catholic community in the United States and Canada, seminarians from both countries are being sent to study in Mexico at the Hispanic Seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a multicultural formation center for future priests.The seminary was founded on Aug. 31, 1999, by the then-primate archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Norberto Rivera, after the Catholic Church recognized the need to form priests capable of understanding the cultural richness of Hispanics in North America. Study group at the Hispanic seminary in Mexico. | Credit: EWTN Noticias Rivera was inspired by the call issued by St. John Paul II in the January 1999 apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America, which called the American Church to a new evangelization.The seminary opened in August 2000 with the arrival of five seminarians from the archdioceses of Los Angeles and Milwaukee. Since then, more than 200 graduates from at least 55 dioceses across the U.S. have passed through the formation center.‘A Church without borders’In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Father Juan Antonio Vértiz Gutiérrez, the seminary’s rector, explained that the learning experience goes beyond language. The seminarians gain firsthand insight into what the Church in Mexico is like as well as its ecclesial and cultural traditions, particularly through apostolates. Seminarians visit the Isabel the Catholic Monarch nursing home in Mexico City. | Credit: Hispanic Seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe According to the priest, this enables them to “better serve our fellow countrymen and our brothers and sisters of Hispanic origin” in their home dioceses in the U.S. He emphasized that this formation helps these young men understand two distinct cultural realities that, while united in faith, have different cultural expressions.For Vértiz, one of the greatest beauties of Catholicism is that it “doesn’t have any borders.” In a time marked by tensions stemming from immigration policies, he noted that the experience of the Hispanic seminary demonstrates that for the Catholic Church, regardless of one’s background, every person “already belongs to the family of the children of God.”The programLife at the seminary follows the rhythm of any house of priestly formation but with a particular emphasis on cultural encounter. Mornings are dedicated to philosophical and theological studies at Lumen Gentium Catholic University, while in the afternoons, seminarians delve deeper into language learning and spiritual formation.During Holy Week, seminarians are often sent to communities outside Mexico City.The admissions process is typically conducted through diocesan vocations offices in the U.S. “We do not accept young men who do not belong to a diocese,” the rector explained. Currently, the seminary hosts 16 young men hailing from California, Nevada, Washington, Texas, Illinois, Alabama, and Georgia. A map marks the seminarians’ states of origin. | Credit: EWTN Noticias Diverse testimonies of faithRamsés Yates, originally from the Diocese of Yakima, Washington, arrived at the seminary a year and a half ago to complete his theological formation and learn Spanish.In an interview with ACI Prensa, he said his experience in Mexican communities has filled him with “much hope and much joy.” In them, he said, it’s possible to witness what it means to “be a community that lives out Catholicism to the fullest.”He noted that he is eagerly preparing to return to Yakima, knowing that he will now be able to speak “with many more people in my diocese, people with whom I previously could not communicate effectively. That fills me with great enthusiasm.”Ramón Pérez, originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, migrated to Fresno, California, at the age of 17. There, his life was defined by work until he felt “the call to the priesthood, to a more complete dedication to the service of the Church.” A seminarian prays at the Hispanic Seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe. | Credit: EWTN Noticias He told ACI Prensa that following a lengthy process of discernment, he requested admission to the seminary. His diocese decided to send him to Mexico “to continue nurturing my culture and to support the various people entering the United States” from Spanish-speaking countries.The seminarian said the experience has enabled him “to know and become conscious of my origins, my roots, and my culture, of where I was born and where I come from.” Growing up in two different cultures, he acknowledged, can be challenging, but it has also “profoundly shaped this aspect of my vocation.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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U.S., Canadian seminarians prepare in Mexico to serve Hispanic community #Catholic In response to the growing Hispanic Catholic community in the United States and Canada, seminarians from both countries are being sent to study in Mexico at the Hispanic Seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a multicultural formation center for future priests.The seminary was founded on Aug. 31, 1999, by the then-primate archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Norberto Rivera, after the Catholic Church recognized the need to form priests capable of understanding the cultural richness of Hispanics in North America. Study group at the Hispanic seminary in Mexico. | Credit: EWTN Noticias Rivera was inspired by the call issued by St. John Paul II in the January 1999 apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America, which called the American Church to a new evangelization.The seminary opened in August 2000 with the arrival of five seminarians from the archdioceses of Los Angeles and Milwaukee. Since then, more than 200 graduates from at least 55 dioceses across the U.S. have passed through the formation center.‘A Church without borders’In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Father Juan Antonio Vértiz Gutiérrez, the seminary’s rector, explained that the learning experience goes beyond language. The seminarians gain firsthand insight into what the Church in Mexico is like as well as its ecclesial and cultural traditions, particularly through apostolates. Seminarians visit the Isabel the Catholic Monarch nursing home in Mexico City. | Credit: Hispanic Seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe According to the priest, this enables them to “better serve our fellow countrymen and our brothers and sisters of Hispanic origin” in their home dioceses in the U.S. He emphasized that this formation helps these young men understand two distinct cultural realities that, while united in faith, have different cultural expressions.For Vértiz, one of the greatest beauties of Catholicism is that it “doesn’t have any borders.” In a time marked by tensions stemming from immigration policies, he noted that the experience of the Hispanic seminary demonstrates that for the Catholic Church, regardless of one’s background, every person “already belongs to the family of the children of God.”The programLife at the seminary follows the rhythm of any house of priestly formation but with a particular emphasis on cultural encounter. Mornings are dedicated to philosophical and theological studies at Lumen Gentium Catholic University, while in the afternoons, seminarians delve deeper into language learning and spiritual formation.During Holy Week, seminarians are often sent to communities outside Mexico City.The admissions process is typically conducted through diocesan vocations offices in the U.S. “We do not accept young men who do not belong to a diocese,” the rector explained. Currently, the seminary hosts 16 young men hailing from California, Nevada, Washington, Texas, Illinois, Alabama, and Georgia. A map marks the seminarians’ states of origin. | Credit: EWTN Noticias Diverse testimonies of faithRamsés Yates, originally from the Diocese of Yakima, Washington, arrived at the seminary a year and a half ago to complete his theological formation and learn Spanish.In an interview with ACI Prensa, he said his experience in Mexican communities has filled him with “much hope and much joy.” In them, he said, it’s possible to witness what it means to “be a community that lives out Catholicism to the fullest.”He noted that he is eagerly preparing to return to Yakima, knowing that he will now be able to speak “with many more people in my diocese, people with whom I previously could not communicate effectively. That fills me with great enthusiasm.”Ramón Pérez, originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, migrated to Fresno, California, at the age of 17. There, his life was defined by work until he felt “the call to the priesthood, to a more complete dedication to the service of the Church.” A seminarian prays at the Hispanic Seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe. | Credit: EWTN Noticias He told ACI Prensa that following a lengthy process of discernment, he requested admission to the seminary. His diocese decided to send him to Mexico “to continue nurturing my culture and to support the various people entering the United States” from Spanish-speaking countries.The seminarian said the experience has enabled him “to know and become conscious of my origins, my roots, and my culture, of where I was born and where I come from.” Growing up in two different cultures, he acknowledged, can be challenging, but it has also “profoundly shaped this aspect of my vocation.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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A seminary was established in Mexico in 1999 to serve the growing Hispanic community in North America, forming future priests who learn Spanish as well as ecclesial and cultural traditions.

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Illuminated in Orion – NASA astronaut Christina Koch is illuminated by a screen inside the darkened Orion spacecraft on the third day of the agency’s Artemis II mission. To the right of the image’s center, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen is seen in profile peering out of one of Orion’s windows. Lights are turned off to avoid glare on the windows.

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NASA astronaut Christina Koch is illuminated by a screen inside the darkened Orion spacecraft on the third day of the agency’s Artemis II mission. To the right of the image’s center, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen is seen in profile peering out of one of Orion’s windows. Lights are turned off to avoid glare on the windows.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 05 April 2026 – A reading from the  Book of the Acts of the Apostles 10:34a, 37-43 Peter proceeded tospeak and said: “You know what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”   A reading from the Letter to the Colossians 3:1-4 Brothers and sisters: If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.From the Gospel according to John 20:1-9 On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.Meditating on the mystery of the Resurrection, we find an answer to our thirst for meaning. Faced with our fragile humanity, the Paschal proclamation becomes care and healing, nourishing hope in the face of the frightening challenges that life presents us with every day on a personal and global level. In the perspective of Easter, the Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross, is transfigured into the Via Lucis, the Way of Light. We need to savour and meditate on the joy after the pain, to retrace in the new light all the stages that preceded the Resurrection. Easter does not eliminate the cross, but defeats it in the miraculous duel that changed our human history. Even our time, marked by so many crosses, invokes the dawn of Paschal hope. Christ’s Resurrection is not an idea, a theory, but the Event that is the foundation of faith. He, the Risen One, through the Holy Spirit, continues to remind us of this, so that we can be His witnesses even where human history does not see light on the horizon. Paschal hope does not disappoint. To believe truly in the Pasch through our daily journey means revolutionizing our lives, being transformed in order to transform the world with the gentle and courageous power of Christian hope. (Pope Leo XIV – General Audience, 5 November 2025)  

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A reading from the  Book of the Acts of the Apostles
10:34a, 37-43

Peter proceeded tospeak and said:

“You know what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.
We are witnesses of all that he did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible,
not to all the people, but to us,
the witnesses chosen by God in advance,
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
He commissioned us to preach to the people
and testify that he is the one appointed by God
as judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness,
that everyone who believes in him
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”

 

A reading from the Letter to the Colossians
3:1-4

Brothers and sisters:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.

From the Gospel according to John
20:1-9

On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.

Meditating on the mystery of the Resurrection, we find an answer to our thirst for meaning. Faced with our fragile humanity, the Paschal proclamation becomes care and healing, nourishing hope in the face of the frightening challenges that life presents us with every day on a personal and global level. In the perspective of Easter, the Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross, is transfigured into the Via Lucis, the Way of Light. We need to savour and meditate on the joy after the pain, to retrace in the new light all the stages that preceded the Resurrection. Easter does not eliminate the cross, but defeats it in the miraculous duel that changed our human history. Even our time, marked by so many crosses, invokes the dawn of Paschal hope. Christ’s Resurrection is not an idea, a theory, but the Event that is the foundation of faith. He, the Risen One, through the Holy Spirit, continues to remind us of this, so that we can be His witnesses even where human history does not see light on the horizon. Paschal hope does not disappoint. To believe truly in the Pasch through our daily journey means revolutionizing our lives, being transformed in order to transform the world with the gentle and courageous power of Christian hope. (Pope Leo XIV – General Audience, 5 November 2025)

 

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Fruit Cart Insurance No Longer Covering Destruction From Car Chases #BabylonBee – COSTA MESA, CA — In what was sure to be a blow to street vendors across the nation, the country’s leading provider announced that fruit cart insurance would no longer cover destruction from car chases.
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Fruit Cart Insurance No Longer Covering Destruction From Car Chases #BabylonBee – COSTA MESA, CA — In what was sure to be a blow to street vendors across the nation, the country’s leading provider announced that fruit cart insurance would no longer cover destruction from car chases.

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COSTA MESA, CA — In what was sure to be a blow to street vendors across the nation, the country’s leading provider announced that fruit cart insurance would no longer cover destruction from car chases.

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At Easter Vigil, Pope Leo XIV calls for peace to ‘grow and flourish’ throughout the world – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV at the Vaticanʼs Easter Vigil on April 4 described the ancient ceremony as “filled with light” and as the “mother of all vigils” where the faithful “relive the memorial of the victory of the Lord of life over death.” “We do so after having traversed, over the past few days — as if in a single, grand celebration — the mysteries of the Passion of the God who, for our sake, became a man of sorrows: despised and rejected by men, tortured and crucified,” the pope reflected. Pope Leo XIV presides over the Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, Saturday, April 4, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News At the vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope described the Risen Christ as "the very Creator of the universe who — just as he granted us existence out of nothing at the dawn of history — so too, upon the Cross, in order to demonstrate his boundless love for us, bestowed upon us the gift of life.”Reflecting on the account of the Resurrection, Leo said: “On Easter morning, the women — overcoming their sorrow and fear — set out on their way. They wanted to go to Jesus’ tomb. They expected to find it sealed, with a large stone at the entrance and soldiers standing guard." Pope Leo XIV presides over the Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, Saturday, April 4, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News He described that stone as representative of sin, “a massive barrier that shuts us in and separates us from God, seeking to stifle his words of hope within us.” "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, however, did not let themselves be intimidated," he said. "They went to the tomb and, thanks to their faith and their love, became the first witnesses of the Resurrection.”The pope said Jesus' message to the women — “Peace be with you” — is “also our message to the world.” Pope Leo XIV presides over the Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, Saturday, April 4, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News "Like the women who ran to bring the news to the brethren, we too wish to set out tonight from this Basilica, to carry to everyone the Good News that Jesus has risen, and that — through his power, having risen with him — we too can give birth to a new world of peace and unity.”Addressing the catechumens receiving baptism during the vigil, the pope described them as “reborn in Christ to become new creatures.” “Even in our own day, there is no shortage of tombs that need opening; indeed, the stones sealing them are often so heavy and so heavily guarded that they seem immovable,” he said. “Some of these stones weigh upon the human heart — such as mistrust, fear, selfishness, and resentment. Others — the consequences of those inner burdens — sever the bonds between us, such as war, injustice, and the closing off of peoples and nations from one another.” “Let us not allow ourselves to be paralyzed by them!” the pope said. Pointing to the heroic work of the Christians of the past, the pope urged the faithful to “be moved by their example.” “And on this Holy Night, let us make their commitment our own, so that everywhere and always — throughout the world — the Easter gifts of harmony and peace may grow and flourish,” he said. This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News' Italian-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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At Easter Vigil, Pope Leo XIV calls for peace to ‘grow and flourish’ throughout the world – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV at the Vaticanʼs Easter Vigil on April 4 described the ancient ceremony as “filled with light” and as the “mother of all vigils” where the faithful “relive the memorial of the victory of the Lord of life over death.” “We do so after having traversed, over the past few days — as if in a single, grand celebration — the mysteries of the Passion of the God who, for our sake, became a man of sorrows: despised and rejected by men, tortured and crucified,” the pope reflected. Pope Leo XIV presides over the Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, Saturday, April 4, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News At the vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope described the Risen Christ as "the very Creator of the universe who — just as he granted us existence out of nothing at the dawn of history — so too, upon the Cross, in order to demonstrate his boundless love for us, bestowed upon us the gift of life.”Reflecting on the account of the Resurrection, Leo said: “On Easter morning, the women — overcoming their sorrow and fear — set out on their way. They wanted to go to Jesus’ tomb. They expected to find it sealed, with a large stone at the entrance and soldiers standing guard." Pope Leo XIV presides over the Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, Saturday, April 4, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News He described that stone as representative of sin, “a massive barrier that shuts us in and separates us from God, seeking to stifle his words of hope within us.” "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, however, did not let themselves be intimidated," he said. "They went to the tomb and, thanks to their faith and their love, became the first witnesses of the Resurrection.”The pope said Jesus' message to the women — “Peace be with you” — is “also our message to the world.” Pope Leo XIV presides over the Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, Saturday, April 4, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News "Like the women who ran to bring the news to the brethren, we too wish to set out tonight from this Basilica, to carry to everyone the Good News that Jesus has risen, and that — through his power, having risen with him — we too can give birth to a new world of peace and unity.”Addressing the catechumens receiving baptism during the vigil, the pope described them as “reborn in Christ to become new creatures.” “Even in our own day, there is no shortage of tombs that need opening; indeed, the stones sealing them are often so heavy and so heavily guarded that they seem immovable,” he said. “Some of these stones weigh upon the human heart — such as mistrust, fear, selfishness, and resentment. Others — the consequences of those inner burdens — sever the bonds between us, such as war, injustice, and the closing off of peoples and nations from one another.” “Let us not allow ourselves to be paralyzed by them!” the pope said. Pointing to the heroic work of the Christians of the past, the pope urged the faithful to “be moved by their example.” “And on this Holy Night, let us make their commitment our own, so that everywhere and always — throughout the world — the Easter gifts of harmony and peace may grow and flourish,” he said. This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News' Italian-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The ancient vigil “stretches across the centuries as a path of reconciliation and grace,” the pope said at the Vatican.

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Gripping Paterson Passion Play brings Christ’s sacrifice to life #Catholic - The annual reenactment of Jesus’ agonizing journey to his crucifixion on Mount Calvary was presented by the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Good Friday, April 3. Beginning outside the cathedral, the event moved through city streets before concluding inside, with thousands of captivated onlookers following the procession. The Passion Play, called Via Crucis or the Way of the Cross, was performed in English and Spanish by over 100 actors from the cathedral on Good Friday. Parishioners assisted with the production. As the procession advanced along the mile-long route under sunny skies, prayers and reflections were offered at designated stops. The reenactment ended with Jesus’ crucifixion at the altar inside the cathedral. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Following the reenactment, Bishop Sweeney led a Good Friday service, including veneration of the cross and the celebration of Holy Communion for the faithful, inside St. John’s. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Gripping Paterson Passion Play brings Christ’s sacrifice to life #Catholic – The annual reenactment of Jesus’ agonizing journey to his crucifixion on Mount Calvary was presented by the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Good Friday, April 3. Beginning outside the cathedral, the event moved through city streets before concluding inside, with thousands of captivated onlookers following the procession. The Passion Play, called Via Crucis or the Way of the Cross, was performed in English and Spanish by over 100 actors from the cathedral on Good Friday. Parishioners assisted with the production. As the procession advanced along the mile-long route under sunny skies, prayers and reflections were offered at designated stops. The reenactment ended with Jesus’ crucifixion at the altar inside the cathedral. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Following the reenactment, Bishop Sweeney led a Good Friday service, including veneration of the cross and the celebration of Holy Communion for the faithful, inside St. John’s. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Gripping Paterson Passion Play brings Christ’s sacrifice to life #Catholic –

The annual reenactment of Jesus’ agonizing journey to his crucifixion on Mount Calvary was presented by the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Good Friday, April 3. Beginning outside the cathedral, the event moved through city streets before concluding inside, with thousands of captivated onlookers following the procession.

The Passion Play, called Via Crucis or the Way of the Cross, was performed in English and Spanish by over 100 actors from the cathedral on Good Friday. Parishioners assisted with the production. As the procession advanced along the mile-long route under sunny skies, prayers and reflections were offered at designated stops. The reenactment ended with Jesus’ crucifixion at the altar inside the cathedral.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Following the reenactment, Bishop Sweeney led a Good Friday service, including veneration of the cross and the celebration of Holy Communion for the faithful, inside St. John’s.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– The annual reenactment of Jesus’ agonizing journey to his crucifixion on Mount Calvary was presented by the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Good Friday, April 3. Beginning outside the cathedral, the event moved through city streets before concluding inside, with thousands of captivated onlookers following the procession. The Passion Play, called Via Crucis or the Way of the Cross, was performed in English and Spanish by over 100 actors from the cathedral on Good Friday. Parishioners assisted with the production. As the procession advanced along the mile-long route under sunny skies, prayers and reflections were

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Cathedral hosts powerful commemoration of Lord’s Passion and death #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney led the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in commemorating Christ’s sacrifice on the cross on Good Friday, April 3, as he presided over the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. Before the at 3 p.m. services, the Via Crucis, a reenactment of the Passion of Christ, took place in the cathedral and through the streets in Paterson. During the service, a Passion story from the Gospel of John was read, and 10 solemn intercessions were offered. To show reverence during the solemn service, clergy, lay ministers, and the faithful genuflected before or kissed the cross, and the clergy prostrated themselves before the altar or kneeled and prayed in silence. Then, Holy Communion was distributed. St. John’s altar was stripped bare without cloth, candles, or a cross. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. No Masses are celebrated on Good Friday, a day of fasting and abstinence. Msgr. Geno Sylva, the cathedral’s rector and diocesan vicar for special projects; Father Starli J. Castanos, a St. John’s parochial vicar; and the deacons of the cathedral joined Bishop Sweeney in participating in the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]    
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Cathedral hosts powerful commemoration of Lord’s Passion and death #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney led the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in commemorating Christ’s sacrifice on the cross on Good Friday, April 3, as he presided over the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. Before the at 3 p.m. services, the Via Crucis, a reenactment of the Passion of Christ, took place in the cathedral and through the streets in Paterson. During the service, a Passion story from the Gospel of John was read, and 10 solemn intercessions were offered. To show reverence during the solemn service, clergy, lay ministers, and the faithful genuflected before or kissed the cross, and the clergy prostrated themselves before the altar or kneeled and prayed in silence. Then, Holy Communion was distributed. St. John’s altar was stripped bare without cloth, candles, or a cross. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. No Masses are celebrated on Good Friday, a day of fasting and abstinence. Msgr. Geno Sylva, the cathedral’s rector and diocesan vicar for special projects; Father Starli J. Castanos, a St. John’s parochial vicar; and the deacons of the cathedral joined Bishop Sweeney in participating in the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]    

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Cathedral hosts powerful commemoration of Lord’s Passion and death #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney led the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in commemorating Christ’s sacrifice on the cross on Good Friday, April 3, as he presided over the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. Before the at 3 p.m. services, the Via Crucis, a reenactment of the Passion of Christ, took place in the cathedral and through the streets in Paterson.

During the service, a Passion story from the Gospel of John was read, and 10 solemn intercessions were offered. To show reverence during the solemn service, clergy, lay ministers, and the faithful genuflected before or kissed the cross, and the clergy prostrated themselves before the altar or kneeled and prayed in silence. Then, Holy Communion was distributed. St. John’s altar was stripped bare without cloth, candles, or a cross.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

No Masses are celebrated on Good Friday, a day of fasting and abstinence.

Msgr. Geno Sylva, the cathedral’s rector and diocesan vicar for special projects; Father Starli J. Castanos, a St. John’s parochial vicar; and the deacons of the cathedral joined Bishop Sweeney in participating in the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney led the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in commemorating Christ’s sacrifice on the cross on Good Friday, April 3, as he presided over the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. Before the at 3 p.m. services, the Via Crucis, a reenactment of the Passion of Christ, took place in the cathedral and through the streets in Paterson. During the service, a Passion story from the Gospel of John was read, and 10 solemn intercessions were offered. To show reverence during the solemn service, clergy, lay ministers,

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Government of Cuba announces release of more than 2,000 prisoners for Easter #Catholic The Cuban government announced the release of 2,010 prisoners for Easter on April 2 — the highest number in recent years — amid pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.This measure was granted after a “pardon approved by the Government of Cuba” and after the analysis of a series of circumstances of the prisoners, such as “good behavior maintained in prison, having extinguished an important part of their sanction and state of health,” according to a note from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Among the released prisoners are young people, women, and people over 60 years old. Excluded from the release were those who have committed crimes such as sexual assault, pedophilia with violence, murder, robbery with violence or force with weapons, and “crimes against authority.”Specifying that it was the “second release” of 2026, the ministry said that the pardons were announced “in the context of the religious celebrations of Holy Week.”The statement pointed out that this is the governmentʼs “fifth pardon” since 2011, by which a total of “more than 11,000 people have been released.”In March of this year, the Cuban government announced that it would release 51 prisoners “in the spirit of good will, of close and fluid relations between the Cuban State and the Vatican.”The release comes as the United States has been cutting off the oil supply in Cuba as a way to pressure the regime to make various political and economic reforms. Much of the Cuban population has also been experiencing a serious humanitarian emergency due to a lack of food, medicine and health, among other shortcomings.Palm Beach, Florida Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez, himself a native of the Dominican Republican, recently wrote in a March 27 column that he found in Cuba "a deep and increasing humanitarian crisis: raw, visible and deeply human."The prelate said that “prayer must lead to action.” To that end, the Diocese of Palm Beach is collaborating with the Cuban bishops to find “all possible ways to provide concrete assistance, especially in urgent areas of food and medical care.” “This job is not optional. It is a moral imperative,” he said.This report was originally published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Government of Cuba announces release of more than 2,000 prisoners for Easter #Catholic The Cuban government announced the release of 2,010 prisoners for Easter on April 2 — the highest number in recent years — amid pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.This measure was granted after a “pardon approved by the Government of Cuba” and after the analysis of a series of circumstances of the prisoners, such as “good behavior maintained in prison, having extinguished an important part of their sanction and state of health,” according to a note from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Among the released prisoners are young people, women, and people over 60 years old. Excluded from the release were those who have committed crimes such as sexual assault, pedophilia with violence, murder, robbery with violence or force with weapons, and “crimes against authority.”Specifying that it was the “second release” of 2026, the ministry said that the pardons were announced “in the context of the religious celebrations of Holy Week.”The statement pointed out that this is the governmentʼs “fifth pardon” since 2011, by which a total of “more than 11,000 people have been released.”In March of this year, the Cuban government announced that it would release 51 prisoners “in the spirit of good will, of close and fluid relations between the Cuban State and the Vatican.”The release comes as the United States has been cutting off the oil supply in Cuba as a way to pressure the regime to make various political and economic reforms. Much of the Cuban population has also been experiencing a serious humanitarian emergency due to a lack of food, medicine and health, among other shortcomings.Palm Beach, Florida Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez, himself a native of the Dominican Republican, recently wrote in a March 27 column that he found in Cuba "a deep and increasing humanitarian crisis: raw, visible and deeply human."The prelate said that “prayer must lead to action.” To that end, the Diocese of Palm Beach is collaborating with the Cuban bishops to find “all possible ways to provide concrete assistance, especially in urgent areas of food and medical care.” “This job is not optional. It is a moral imperative,” he said.This report was originally published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The government said it was making the release “in the context of the religious celebrations of Holy Week.”

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Archbishop Broglio: War should always be ‘a last resort’ #Catholic Archbishop for the Military Services, USA Timothy Broglio said this week that the ongoing U.S.-Iran war doesnʼt seem to be legitimate under a just war theory, with the prelate admitting that while military intelligence may have additional information unknown to the public, it was nevertheless “hard” to see how the war could be justified. The archbishop, who also served as the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2022 to 2025, made the remarks during an interview with Ed OʼKeefe on CBS Newsʼs “Face the Nation,” set to air on April 5. OʼKeefe during the interview highlighted Saint Augustineʼs theory of “just war” in which the ancient theologian pointed out that “the causes for which men undertake wars” must be grounded in both peace and necessity. The journalist asked if the Iran war could be justified under that doctrine. “I would think under the just war theory, it is not,” the archbishop said. “Because while there was a threat with nuclear arms, [the war is] compensating for a threat before [the threat itself] is actually realized.”“I would line myself up with Pope Leo, who has been urging for negotiation,” Broglio continued. “I realize also that you could say, well, with whom are you going to negotiate? And that is a problem.” “But in the meantime, lives are being lost, both there and also among troops,” he said. “So it is a concern.”On March 31 Pope Leo XIV appealed for world peace amid multiple conflicts throughout the Middle East, urging the faithful to pray “for the victims of war … that there may truly be a new, renewed peace, which can give new life to all.”Earlier, on Palm Sunday, the Holy Father spoke out more strongly against global conflict, arguing that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war."In his interview on CBS, Broglio pointed to remarks in October of 1965 by then-Pope Paul VI, who in addressing the United Nations decried the “blood of millions” resulting from numerous global conflicts, telling the international body: “Never again war, never again war!” “Now, so many years later, weʼre still in this situation,” Broglio said. “So I think Pope Leo would definitely support saying that, you know, we have to find a situation where men and women can sit down and find avenues of peace.”“I think war is always a last resort,” the archbishop said during the interview. In January, amid overtures by the U.S. to potentially invade Greenland, Broglio in an interview with the BBC expressed concern that soldiers might be “put in a situation where they’re being ordered to do something that is morally questionable.”Speaking to CBS, the prelate acknowledged that a soldier in the military “has to obey [an order] unless itʼs clearly immoral.”“And then he would probably have to speak to his chaplain, to his chain of command,” the archbishop said. “The question might be, would generals or admirals have space to perhaps say, can we look at this a different way?” “But having spoken to some of them too, theyʼre also in the same dilemma,” he said. “So I guess my counsel would be to do as little harm as you can, and to try and preserve innocent lives.”
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Archbishop Broglio: War should always be ‘a last resort’ #Catholic Archbishop for the Military Services, USA Timothy Broglio said this week that the ongoing U.S.-Iran war doesnʼt seem to be legitimate under a just war theory, with the prelate admitting that while military intelligence may have additional information unknown to the public, it was nevertheless “hard” to see how the war could be justified. The archbishop, who also served as the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2022 to 2025, made the remarks during an interview with Ed OʼKeefe on CBS Newsʼs “Face the Nation,” set to air on April 5. OʼKeefe during the interview highlighted Saint Augustineʼs theory of “just war” in which the ancient theologian pointed out that “the causes for which men undertake wars” must be grounded in both peace and necessity. The journalist asked if the Iran war could be justified under that doctrine. “I would think under the just war theory, it is not,” the archbishop said. “Because while there was a threat with nuclear arms, [the war is] compensating for a threat before [the threat itself] is actually realized.”“I would line myself up with Pope Leo, who has been urging for negotiation,” Broglio continued. “I realize also that you could say, well, with whom are you going to negotiate? And that is a problem.” “But in the meantime, lives are being lost, both there and also among troops,” he said. “So it is a concern.”On March 31 Pope Leo XIV appealed for world peace amid multiple conflicts throughout the Middle East, urging the faithful to pray “for the victims of war … that there may truly be a new, renewed peace, which can give new life to all.”Earlier, on Palm Sunday, the Holy Father spoke out more strongly against global conflict, arguing that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war."In his interview on CBS, Broglio pointed to remarks in October of 1965 by then-Pope Paul VI, who in addressing the United Nations decried the “blood of millions” resulting from numerous global conflicts, telling the international body: “Never again war, never again war!” “Now, so many years later, weʼre still in this situation,” Broglio said. “So I think Pope Leo would definitely support saying that, you know, we have to find a situation where men and women can sit down and find avenues of peace.”“I think war is always a last resort,” the archbishop said during the interview. In January, amid overtures by the U.S. to potentially invade Greenland, Broglio in an interview with the BBC expressed concern that soldiers might be “put in a situation where they’re being ordered to do something that is morally questionable.”Speaking to CBS, the prelate acknowledged that a soldier in the military “has to obey [an order] unless itʼs clearly immoral.”“And then he would probably have to speak to his chaplain, to his chain of command,” the archbishop said. “The question might be, would generals or admirals have space to perhaps say, can we look at this a different way?” “But having spoken to some of them too, theyʼre also in the same dilemma,” he said. “So I guess my counsel would be to do as little harm as you can, and to try and preserve innocent lives.”

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The archbishop for the Military Services, USA said it was “hard” to see how the ongoing war with Iran could be justified.

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Protests, criticism from Church leaders force Indian government to delay bill on foreign donations – #Catholic – Though the Indian Hindu nationalist government was prepared to discuss a controversial amendment on foreign donations in the Indian Parliament on April 1, vociferous opposition protests inside the legislature, along with public opposition — including by Catholic Church leadership — forced the government to postpone the bill until the next session in July.The BJP government’s backing-off from the amendment to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act was promptly welcomed by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI).The CBCI had mailed a protest letter on March 31 to Amit Shah, the home minister of India who handles the sensitive subject of foreign donations, calling for the “referral of the Bill to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for wider consultation”The bill provides for setting up a government authority to seize properties bought or developed on foreign funds if the government license is canceled or not renewed.The CBCI letter argued that it was essential “to ensure that administrative lapses do not lead to disproportionate penalties such as asset seizure.”With the Christian heartland of southern Kerala going to the polls on April 9 to choose its new assembly, ruling Communists and opposition leaders joined senior bishops holding news conferences dubbing the amendment as “draconian, barbaric and undemocratic.”The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council held an emergency online meeting March 31 and sent a powerful letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing “deep concern regarding certain provisions” within the proposed amendment“The amendments, as presently understood, may create possibilities for misuse of authority, which could adversely impact many voluntary organizations, non-governmental organizations, and auxiliary institutions — including places of worship — that have been established over decades for public service, irrespective of caste or religion,” the Kerala bishops cautioned.More than 18% of Kerala’s 37 million residents are Christians.The bishops asked Modi to refer the amendment bill “to the appropriate Parliamentary Subject Committee for further study, stakeholder consultation, and detailed discussion.”“We are relieved now that the bill has been postponed and it will certainly provide an opportunity to address our concerns,” Father Thomas Tharayil, the deputy secretary of the Kerala bishops, told EWTN News April 2 from Kochi.Contribution act licenses of several dioceses, congregations and charitable organizations have been “cancelled without any proper reason,” Tharayil said.Since the BJP came into power in 2014, thousands of licenses of church and Christian social action groups have been cancelled or not renewed along with those of secular advocacy groups, including international nonprofits like Amnesty International, Bread for the World and Greenpeace.The FCRA Online dashboard of the government gives details of the curbing of the license with nearly two-thirds of around 50,000 accounts either cancelled or not renewed.The BJP government in 2020, meanwhile, made it mandatory that all licensees  open a designated “FCRA Account” only at the main New Delhi branch of the government-controlled State Bank of India.An online campaign to revise the controversial bill has drawn thousands of signatures. The campaign argues that foreign donations “play a crucial role in supporting development projects in India, with billions of dollars in aid helping to alleviate poverty, support education, and improve public health.”
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Protests, criticism from Church leaders force Indian government to delay bill on foreign donations – #Catholic – Though the Indian Hindu nationalist government was prepared to discuss a controversial amendment on foreign donations in the Indian Parliament on April 1, vociferous opposition protests inside the legislature, along with public opposition — including by Catholic Church leadership — forced the government to postpone the bill until the next session in July.The BJP government’s backing-off from the amendment to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act was promptly welcomed by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI).The CBCI had mailed a protest letter on March 31 to Amit Shah, the home minister of India who handles the sensitive subject of foreign donations, calling for the “referral of the Bill to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for wider consultation”The bill provides for setting up a government authority to seize properties bought or developed on foreign funds if the government license is canceled or not renewed.The CBCI letter argued that it was essential “to ensure that administrative lapses do not lead to disproportionate penalties such as asset seizure.”With the Christian heartland of southern Kerala going to the polls on April 9 to choose its new assembly, ruling Communists and opposition leaders joined senior bishops holding news conferences dubbing the amendment as “draconian, barbaric and undemocratic.”The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council held an emergency online meeting March 31 and sent a powerful letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing “deep concern regarding certain provisions” within the proposed amendment“The amendments, as presently understood, may create possibilities for misuse of authority, which could adversely impact many voluntary organizations, non-governmental organizations, and auxiliary institutions — including places of worship — that have been established over decades for public service, irrespective of caste or religion,” the Kerala bishops cautioned.More than 18% of Kerala’s 37 million residents are Christians.The bishops asked Modi to refer the amendment bill “to the appropriate Parliamentary Subject Committee for further study, stakeholder consultation, and detailed discussion.”“We are relieved now that the bill has been postponed and it will certainly provide an opportunity to address our concerns,” Father Thomas Tharayil, the deputy secretary of the Kerala bishops, told EWTN News April 2 from Kochi.Contribution act licenses of several dioceses, congregations and charitable organizations have been “cancelled without any proper reason,” Tharayil said.Since the BJP came into power in 2014, thousands of licenses of church and Christian social action groups have been cancelled or not renewed along with those of secular advocacy groups, including international nonprofits like Amnesty International, Bread for the World and Greenpeace.The FCRA Online dashboard of the government gives details of the curbing of the license with nearly two-thirds of around 50,000 accounts either cancelled or not renewed.The BJP government in 2020, meanwhile, made it mandatory that all licensees  open a designated “FCRA Account” only at the main New Delhi branch of the government-controlled State Bank of India.An online campaign to revise the controversial bill has drawn thousands of signatures. The campaign argues that foreign donations “play a crucial role in supporting development projects in India, with billions of dollars in aid helping to alleviate poverty, support education, and improve public health.”

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The government’s backing-off from the amendment to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act was promptly welcomed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India.

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Archbishop shares 10 characteristics of his thriving seminary – #Catholic – The archbishop of Toledo and primate of Spain, Francisco Cerro, said it is not uncommon to be asked “what the secret is” behind the vitality of his seminary, which for decades has had one of the highest enrollments in the country.Cerro noted that questions about the seminary’s success lead him and his team to live in “profound humility and sincere gratitude” for what God has granted them through “the heart of Jesus Christ, eternal high priest,” both for the good of the Church and for “a humanity incapable of finding a way back to the Lord, marked by apostasy and, above all, weary and burdened because it lacks the Love of loves.”In a recent letter, Cerro offered 10 points he said have shaped the seminary’s strong vocation culture — points “strengthened by the pastors who have served this primatial see, watered by the blood of martyrs, and sustained by the witness of holiness of so many lives.”1. “Reasons of faith”“We enter the seminary for reasons of faith, not for human reasons, and we remain for reasons of faith,” explained the prelate, who — drawing inspiration from the words Pope Leo XIV addressed to Spanish seminarians in February — added that “when we lose the supernatural dimension of our vocation, we lose everything.”2. The Church confirms the vocationCerro explained that “in the seminary, the vocation — which we place in the hands of the Church — is discerned.” Thus, priestly ordination “takes place when that call has been confirmed by the Church, which is the body of Christ.”3. A transformed heartThe archbishop of Toledo, recalling his days as a seminarian, said: “I must allow the seminary to pass through me, to enter deep within me, and to gradually form and transform me. Formation must help us to live with the sentiments of the heart of Jesus. We cannot be like those smooth stones we see in mountain rivers: The water flows over them, but it does not penetrate their interior.”4. Human, not worldlyAnother factor contributing to the success of the Toledo seminary is awareness of having “seminarians who are deeply human, yet not at all worldly,” Cerro said, men who share in “the joys, hopes, sorrows, and anxieties of our brothers,” for “the world awaits holy priests who know how to accompany people on the journey of life.”5. Solid in-depth formationThe prelate said the Toledo seminary offers “solid in-depth formation,” grounded in the magisterium of the Church, “so as not to turn our seminaries into a laboratory for all manner of experiments, the outcome of which we all know.”6. Based on the word of God and the lives of the saints“Based on the living word, on the doctrine of the Church, on the experience of the saints, and in dialogue with a world that needs the Redeemer of the world more than ever” — this is how the formation process is carried out, the prelate emphasized.7. Living in the presentCerro said the seminary approaches its work “without nostalgia for a past that will not return. With eyes of faith, living in the present in communion with Peter, we form ourselves to live out what is essential: to be holy and blameless before God out of love.”8. Fraternity and unity in diversity“The seminary — as a presbyterate in formation — must be a community that lives like a family,” the prelate added, “for this fraternity strengthens that which unites us, enabling us to live with one heart while respecting the healthy plurality of sensibilities that reaffirm one faith, one baptism, and one Lord, in communion with Peter in [Christ’s] Church.”9. Devoted to Mary“We place the seminary in the heart of the Immaculate One. She watches over every seminarian so that he may attain the goal of a life of priestly dedication and generosity,” the archbishop shared.10. Entrusted to the saints and martyrsFinally, Cerro said he considers the final characteristic of the seminary is that it is entrusted to “St. Ildefonsus, to Blessed Sancha, and to so many holy pastors who have passed through it” as well as “to the martyrs of the religious persecution in Spain.”He appealed to them to “grant us many holy vocations, so that the Church journeying in Toledo may never lack pastors after the heart of Christ.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Archbishop shares 10 characteristics of his thriving seminary – #Catholic – The archbishop of Toledo and primate of Spain, Francisco Cerro, said it is not uncommon to be asked “what the secret is” behind the vitality of his seminary, which for decades has had one of the highest enrollments in the country.Cerro noted that questions about the seminary’s success lead him and his team to live in “profound humility and sincere gratitude” for what God has granted them through “the heart of Jesus Christ, eternal high priest,” both for the good of the Church and for “a humanity incapable of finding a way back to the Lord, marked by apostasy and, above all, weary and burdened because it lacks the Love of loves.”In a recent letter, Cerro offered 10 points he said have shaped the seminary’s strong vocation culture — points “strengthened by the pastors who have served this primatial see, watered by the blood of martyrs, and sustained by the witness of holiness of so many lives.”1. “Reasons of faith”“We enter the seminary for reasons of faith, not for human reasons, and we remain for reasons of faith,” explained the prelate, who — drawing inspiration from the words Pope Leo XIV addressed to Spanish seminarians in February — added that “when we lose the supernatural dimension of our vocation, we lose everything.”2. The Church confirms the vocationCerro explained that “in the seminary, the vocation — which we place in the hands of the Church — is discerned.” Thus, priestly ordination “takes place when that call has been confirmed by the Church, which is the body of Christ.”3. A transformed heartThe archbishop of Toledo, recalling his days as a seminarian, said: “I must allow the seminary to pass through me, to enter deep within me, and to gradually form and transform me. Formation must help us to live with the sentiments of the heart of Jesus. We cannot be like those smooth stones we see in mountain rivers: The water flows over them, but it does not penetrate their interior.”4. Human, not worldlyAnother factor contributing to the success of the Toledo seminary is awareness of having “seminarians who are deeply human, yet not at all worldly,” Cerro said, men who share in “the joys, hopes, sorrows, and anxieties of our brothers,” for “the world awaits holy priests who know how to accompany people on the journey of life.”5. Solid in-depth formationThe prelate said the Toledo seminary offers “solid in-depth formation,” grounded in the magisterium of the Church, “so as not to turn our seminaries into a laboratory for all manner of experiments, the outcome of which we all know.”6. Based on the word of God and the lives of the saints“Based on the living word, on the doctrine of the Church, on the experience of the saints, and in dialogue with a world that needs the Redeemer of the world more than ever” — this is how the formation process is carried out, the prelate emphasized.7. Living in the presentCerro said the seminary approaches its work “without nostalgia for a past that will not return. With eyes of faith, living in the present in communion with Peter, we form ourselves to live out what is essential: to be holy and blameless before God out of love.”8. Fraternity and unity in diversity“The seminary — as a presbyterate in formation — must be a community that lives like a family,” the prelate added, “for this fraternity strengthens that which unites us, enabling us to live with one heart while respecting the healthy plurality of sensibilities that reaffirm one faith, one baptism, and one Lord, in communion with Peter in [Christ’s] Church.”9. Devoted to Mary“We place the seminary in the heart of the Immaculate One. She watches over every seminarian so that he may attain the goal of a life of priestly dedication and generosity,” the archbishop shared.10. Entrusted to the saints and martyrsFinally, Cerro said he considers the final characteristic of the seminary is that it is entrusted to “St. Ildefonsus, to Blessed Sancha, and to so many holy pastors who have passed through it” as well as “to the martyrs of the religious persecution in Spain.”He appealed to them to “grant us many holy vocations, so that the Church journeying in Toledo may never lack pastors after the heart of Christ.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Archbishop Francisco Cerro of Toledo, Spain, shared in a letter 10 qualities he considers to be the reason why the diocesan seminary is blessed with vocations.

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One of the California Hospices Targeted in Fraud Sting Had a Survival Rate of 97 Percent (VIDEO) – One of the hospices targeted in ‘Operation Never Say Die’ today had a survival rate of nearly 100 percent. The post One of the California Hospices Targeted in Fraud Sting Had a Survival Rate of 97 Percent (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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One of the California Hospices Targeted in Fraud Sting Had a Survival Rate of 97 Percent (VIDEO) – One of the hospices targeted in ‘Operation Never Say Die’ today had a survival rate of nearly 100 percent. The post One of the California Hospices Targeted in Fraud Sting Had a Survival Rate of 97 Percent (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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One of the hospices targeted in ‘Operation Never Say Die’ today had a survival rate of nearly 100 percent.

The post One of the California Hospices Targeted in Fraud Sting Had a Survival Rate of 97 Percent (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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