Vatican official warns of ‘Christianophobia’ in Muslim world and secular West #Catholic Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu is alarmed about rising hostility toward Christians, both in parts of the Islamic world and in Europe’s increasingly post‑Christian culture.Nwachukwu, who serves as secretary of the Section of First Evangelization at the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, told EWTN News that any serious conversation about peace and coexistence must begin with clear condemnation of anti‑Christian violence, particularly from Muslim leaders in places where Christians lack full religious freedom.The Nigerian prelate also warned of a growing cultural aversion to Christianity in the West, where Christian expression is often treated with suspicion even as societies insist on defending the religious symbols of others.Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit four countries in Africa, including the Muslim-majority Algeria, on his first apostolic journey to the continent April 13–23.A diplomat urges Muslims to confront anti‑Christian violenceDrawing on decades of diplomatic service in Ghana, Paraguay, Algeria, and Switzerland, Nwachukwu described the anti‑Christian discrimination he witnessed firsthand — experiences he believes continue to be overlooked.“I do not criticize Islam; I criticize the way some people practice their Islam,” he said. “People just shout about Islamophobia, but its main cause is not to be sought in the West. It is to be sought in the way some Muslims practice their religion. We are calling our Muslim friends to condemn the wrong use of their religion as a religion of violence.”He recalled that during his service in Algeria, Christians were openly labeled “enemies of Islam.” In one incident, a shopkeeper refused to serve him because he was wearing a Roman collar.“Christians still do not have full liberty to practice their religion,” he said.A West increasingly uncomfortable with its Christian rootsBut Nwachukwu also directed sharp criticism toward Europe, where he sees a growing reluctance to defend Christianity even as Western societies emphasize religious tolerance.“Everybody denounces Islamophobia, but nobody denounces Christianophobia,” he said. “We are in a post‑Christian Europe and a post‑Christian West.”He noted that Christian symbols face discrimination not applied to other religions: “You enter a hall and see a symbol of Buddhism — nobody touches it. You see a Muslim in a hijab — nobody says to remove it. But you see a cross, and they say, ‘Remove it.’ Why?”This, he argued, reflects a cultural embarrassment about Europe’s Christian heritage:“It is like feeling guilty for having a mother who is ugly and then forgetting that she also has rights. The Christianity that gave them their education, culture, and society — they now feel uncomfortable with it.”Reverse missionaries and a hopeful response to Europe’s secular driftNwachukwu said this situation makes the growing presence of African and Asian missionaries in Europe all the more significant, as a hopeful sign that the global Church can help rekindle the continent’s Christian identity.“The West often forgets that we are the result of sacrifices made by their own brothers and sisters who became missionaries,” he said. “But the sheaves — the children of those missionaries — are now returning.”Nwachukwu described this movement as a gift that can strengthen Western Christianity in places where secularism has taken deep root.“We want to see the mother Churches in Europe accept and be proud of their missionary children from the global south.”Encouragement for persecuted ChristiansTo Christians facing persecution — whether under hostile regimes, extremist movements, or secular cultural pressures — Nwachukwu offered a message of strength: “If you are encountering persecution, it means that the message you have is important. If your message were not important, people wouldn’t even think of you. So, the message is: Do not feel you are alone. Know what you are worth.”
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Vatican official warns of ‘Christianophobia’ in Muslim world and secular West #Catholic Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu is alarmed about rising hostility toward Christians, both in parts of the Islamic world and in Europe’s increasingly post‑Christian culture.Nwachukwu, who serves as secretary of the Section of First Evangelization at the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, told EWTN News that any serious conversation about peace and coexistence must begin with clear condemnation of anti‑Christian violence, particularly from Muslim leaders in places where Christians lack full religious freedom.The Nigerian prelate also warned of a growing cultural aversion to Christianity in the West, where Christian expression is often treated with suspicion even as societies insist on defending the religious symbols of others.Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit four countries in Africa, including the Muslim-majority Algeria, on his first apostolic journey to the continent April 13–23.A diplomat urges Muslims to confront anti‑Christian violenceDrawing on decades of diplomatic service in Ghana, Paraguay, Algeria, and Switzerland, Nwachukwu described the anti‑Christian discrimination he witnessed firsthand — experiences he believes continue to be overlooked.“I do not criticize Islam; I criticize the way some people practice their Islam,” he said. “People just shout about Islamophobia, but its main cause is not to be sought in the West. It is to be sought in the way some Muslims practice their religion. We are calling our Muslim friends to condemn the wrong use of their religion as a religion of violence.”He recalled that during his service in Algeria, Christians were openly labeled “enemies of Islam.” In one incident, a shopkeeper refused to serve him because he was wearing a Roman collar.“Christians still do not have full liberty to practice their religion,” he said.A West increasingly uncomfortable with its Christian rootsBut Nwachukwu also directed sharp criticism toward Europe, where he sees a growing reluctance to defend Christianity even as Western societies emphasize religious tolerance.“Everybody denounces Islamophobia, but nobody denounces Christianophobia,” he said. “We are in a post‑Christian Europe and a post‑Christian West.”He noted that Christian symbols face discrimination not applied to other religions: “You enter a hall and see a symbol of Buddhism — nobody touches it. You see a Muslim in a hijab — nobody says to remove it. But you see a cross, and they say, ‘Remove it.’ Why?”This, he argued, reflects a cultural embarrassment about Europe’s Christian heritage:“It is like feeling guilty for having a mother who is ugly and then forgetting that she also has rights. The Christianity that gave them their education, culture, and society — they now feel uncomfortable with it.”Reverse missionaries and a hopeful response to Europe’s secular driftNwachukwu said this situation makes the growing presence of African and Asian missionaries in Europe all the more significant, as a hopeful sign that the global Church can help rekindle the continent’s Christian identity.“The West often forgets that we are the result of sacrifices made by their own brothers and sisters who became missionaries,” he said. “But the sheaves — the children of those missionaries — are now returning.”Nwachukwu described this movement as a gift that can strengthen Western Christianity in places where secularism has taken deep root.“We want to see the mother Churches in Europe accept and be proud of their missionary children from the global south.”Encouragement for persecuted ChristiansTo Christians facing persecution — whether under hostile regimes, extremist movements, or secular cultural pressures — Nwachukwu offered a message of strength: “If you are encountering persecution, it means that the message you have is important. If your message were not important, people wouldn’t even think of you. So, the message is: Do not feel you are alone. Know what you are worth.”

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A Nigerian archbishop said African missionaries can evangelize a Europe uneasy with its Christian past.

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JD Vance announces book exploring his conversion to Catholicism #Catholic Vice President JD Vance announced his book, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” will be released June 16.“I’ve been writing this book for a long time, and I’m honored to finally be able to share the full story with you all,” Vance wrote in a post to X. “‘Communion’ is about my personal journey and how I found my way back to faith.”The book will be published by HarperCollins Publishers, which also published Vance’s 2016 bestselling book “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.” Since its release, “Hillbilly Elegy” has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.“The story of how I regained my faith, of course, only happened because I had lost it to begin with,” Vance wrote in a HarperCollins press release. “The interesting question that hangs over this book, and over my mind, is why I ever strayed from the path. Why the Christian faith of my youth failed to properly take root.”“I’m glad I found my way back to the Church. I learned much along the way. But if you believe as I do, you know I’ve been fortunate and touched by God’s grace,” he said.The book explores Vance’s conversion to the Catholic faith and what it means to be a Christian across all of the seasons of his life, including as a child, a young man, a husband, a father, and a leader.“To summarize this book: I’m a Christian, and I became a Christian because I believe that Jesus Christ’s teachings are true,” Vance said. “But I didn’t always think that, and by sharing my journey I might be helpful to others — Catholic, Protestant, or otherwise — who are seeking reconciliation with God.”Jonathan Burnham, president and publisher of the Harper Group, said the book “will speak to so many searching for faith, connection, and meaning in their lives.” He added: Vance’s “deeply heartfelt story of doubt and regained belief resonates far beyond politics, offering a moving reflection on the questions that define this moment in American public life.”
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JD Vance announces book exploring his conversion to Catholicism #Catholic Vice President JD Vance announced his book, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” will be released June 16.“I’ve been writing this book for a long time, and I’m honored to finally be able to share the full story with you all,” Vance wrote in a post to X. “‘Communion’ is about my personal journey and how I found my way back to faith.”The book will be published by HarperCollins Publishers, which also published Vance’s 2016 bestselling book “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.” Since its release, “Hillbilly Elegy” has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.“The story of how I regained my faith, of course, only happened because I had lost it to begin with,” Vance wrote in a HarperCollins press release. “The interesting question that hangs over this book, and over my mind, is why I ever strayed from the path. Why the Christian faith of my youth failed to properly take root.”“I’m glad I found my way back to the Church. I learned much along the way. But if you believe as I do, you know I’ve been fortunate and touched by God’s grace,” he said.The book explores Vance’s conversion to the Catholic faith and what it means to be a Christian across all of the seasons of his life, including as a child, a young man, a husband, a father, and a leader.“To summarize this book: I’m a Christian, and I became a Christian because I believe that Jesus Christ’s teachings are true,” Vance said. “But I didn’t always think that, and by sharing my journey I might be helpful to others — Catholic, Protestant, or otherwise — who are seeking reconciliation with God.”Jonathan Burnham, president and publisher of the Harper Group, said the book “will speak to so many searching for faith, connection, and meaning in their lives.” He added: Vance’s “deeply heartfelt story of doubt and regained belief resonates far beyond politics, offering a moving reflection on the questions that define this moment in American public life.”

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“I’m glad I found my way back to the Church. I learned much along the way. But if you believe as I do, you know I’ve been fortunate and touched by God’s grace,” Vance said.

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Bishop to Harding faithful: walk with Mary to Calvary #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney concluded the Wednesday Lenten Series of Church of Christ the King in the New Vernon neighborhood of Harding Township, N.J., where he celebrated Mass on Feb. 25 and reflected on the Blessed Mother’s critical role in salvation history. During the Mass on Feb. 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, Bishop Sweeney reminded churchgoers that Jesus came down to Earth, fully God and fully human, to ultimately suffer, die, and rise to save believers from their sins. That occurred in part because of Mary’s “fiat”— her “yes” — to God’s plan of salvation after the Angel Gabriel announced the Incarnation of Jesus, Bishop Sweeney said. In his homily, Bishop Sweeney referred to the Angelus prayer for the feast day and the Office of Readings for the day from the breviary, including a letter by Leo the Great (Epist. 28 ad Flavianum 3-4: PL 54, 763-767). Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Bishop Sweeney encouraged the faithful this Lent to walk with Mary, “the mother of sorrows,” at the foot of the cross during her son’s crucifixion on Calvary. “She leads us to her son, who comes to us in the Eucharist and who conquered sin and death in his resurrection, and gives us the promise of everlasting life in heaven,” Bishop Sweeney said. The other speakers in the series were Father Jun Vizcara, chaplain at St. Joseph University Medical Center in Paterson, N.J.; Msgr. John Hunt, pastor of Assumption Parish in Morristown, N.J., and director of the Clergy Personnel Office of the Paterson Diocese; Msgr. George Hundt, pastor of St. Gerrard Majella and Our Lady of Pompei parishes, both in Paterson, and Msgr. Geno Sylva, rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson and diocesan vicar for special projects. At the Mass, Father Brian Sullivan, Christ the King’s pastor, and Maryknoll Father Joseph “Joe” Healey, a former African missionary, concelebrated with Bishop Sweeney. Also, Luke Simonson received a gift for altar serving at all five Masses during this year’s Lenten Series. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
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Bishop to Harding faithful: walk with Mary to Calvary #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney concluded the Wednesday Lenten Series of Church of Christ the King in the New Vernon neighborhood of Harding Township, N.J., where he celebrated Mass on Feb. 25 and reflected on the Blessed Mother’s critical role in salvation history. During the Mass on Feb. 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, Bishop Sweeney reminded churchgoers that Jesus came down to Earth, fully God and fully human, to ultimately suffer, die, and rise to save believers from their sins. That occurred in part because of Mary’s “fiat”— her “yes” — to God’s plan of salvation after the Angel Gabriel announced the Incarnation of Jesus, Bishop Sweeney said. In his homily, Bishop Sweeney referred to the Angelus prayer for the feast day and the Office of Readings for the day from the breviary, including a letter by Leo the Great (Epist. 28 ad Flavianum 3-4: PL 54, 763-767). Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Bishop Sweeney encouraged the faithful this Lent to walk with Mary, “the mother of sorrows,” at the foot of the cross during her son’s crucifixion on Calvary. “She leads us to her son, who comes to us in the Eucharist and who conquered sin and death in his resurrection, and gives us the promise of everlasting life in heaven,” Bishop Sweeney said. The other speakers in the series were Father Jun Vizcara, chaplain at St. Joseph University Medical Center in Paterson, N.J.; Msgr. John Hunt, pastor of Assumption Parish in Morristown, N.J., and director of the Clergy Personnel Office of the Paterson Diocese; Msgr. George Hundt, pastor of St. Gerrard Majella and Our Lady of Pompei parishes, both in Paterson, and Msgr. Geno Sylva, rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson and diocesan vicar for special projects. At the Mass, Father Brian Sullivan, Christ the King’s pastor, and Maryknoll Father Joseph “Joe” Healey, a former African missionary, concelebrated with Bishop Sweeney. Also, Luke Simonson received a gift for altar serving at all five Masses during this year’s Lenten Series. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]

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Bishop to Harding faithful: walk with Mary to Calvary #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney concluded the Wednesday Lenten Series of Church of Christ the King in the New Vernon neighborhood of Harding Township, N.J., where he celebrated Mass on Feb. 25 and reflected on the Blessed Mother’s critical role in salvation history.

During the Mass on Feb. 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, Bishop Sweeney reminded churchgoers that Jesus came down to Earth, fully God and fully human, to ultimately suffer, die, and rise to save believers from their sins. That occurred in part because of Mary’s “fiat”— her “yes” — to God’s plan of salvation after the Angel Gabriel announced the Incarnation of Jesus, Bishop Sweeney said.

In his homily, Bishop Sweeney referred to the Angelus prayer for the feast day and the Office of Readings for the day from the breviary, including a letter by Leo the Great (Epist. 28 ad Flavianum 3-4: PL 54, 763-767).

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Bishop Sweeney encouraged the faithful this Lent to walk with Mary, “the mother of sorrows,” at the foot of the cross during her son’s crucifixion on Calvary.

“She leads us to her son, who comes to us in the Eucharist and who conquered sin and death in his resurrection, and gives us the promise of everlasting life in heaven,” Bishop Sweeney said.

The other speakers in the series were Father Jun Vizcara, chaplain at St. Joseph University Medical Center in Paterson, N.J.; Msgr. John Hunt, pastor of Assumption Parish in Morristown, N.J., and director of the Clergy Personnel Office of the Paterson Diocese; Msgr. George Hundt, pastor of St. Gerrard Majella and Our Lady of Pompei parishes, both in Paterson, and Msgr. Geno Sylva, rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson and diocesan vicar for special projects.

At the Mass, Father Brian Sullivan, Christ the King’s pastor, and Maryknoll Father Joseph “Joe” Healey, a former African missionary, concelebrated with Bishop Sweeney. Also, Luke Simonson received a gift for altar serving at all five Masses during this year’s Lenten Series.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney concluded the Wednesday Lenten Series of Church of Christ the King in the New Vernon neighborhood of Harding Township, N.J., where he celebrated Mass on Feb. 25 and reflected on the Blessed Mother’s critical role in salvation history. During the Mass on Feb. 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, Bishop Sweeney reminded churchgoers that Jesus came down to Earth, fully God and fully human, to ultimately suffer, die, and rise to save believers from their sins. That occurred in part because of Mary’s “fiat”— her “yes” — to God’s plan of salvation after the Angel Gabriel

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12 young people welcomed into the Church at Jefferson Mass #Catholic - During a Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on March 27, 12 10th-grade religious education students of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in the Lake Hopatcong neighborhood of Jefferson Township, N.J., were confirmed into full communion with the Church. Bishop Sweeney served as both the principal celebrant and the homilist for the liturgy. The confirmandi included Izabella Anna Baldyga; Angelys Marcella Castillo; Shaun Sebastian Cestra; Genevieve Francis Chalmers; Fredrick Gregory Etienne; Gabriella Rose Fitzsimmons; Andrew Koziol; Nina Valentina Maniago; Tatiana Martinez; Payton Elizabeth Motto; Logan Longinus San Buenaventura; and Lyla Marie Schroers. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Sean McDonnell, pastor of Star of the Sea, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Alongside them were Father Fred Walters, a retired priest of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, and Father David McDonnell, a weekend associate at the parish and a retired diocesan priest. Deacon Alberto Totino, who is also Star of the Sea’s evangelization coordinator, assisted with the Mass. The Knights of Columbus also participated in the liturgy. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
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12 young people welcomed into the Church at Jefferson Mass #Catholic – During a Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on March 27, 12 10th-grade religious education students of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in the Lake Hopatcong neighborhood of Jefferson Township, N.J., were confirmed into full communion with the Church. Bishop Sweeney served as both the principal celebrant and the homilist for the liturgy. The confirmandi included Izabella Anna Baldyga; Angelys Marcella Castillo; Shaun Sebastian Cestra; Genevieve Francis Chalmers; Fredrick Gregory Etienne; Gabriella Rose Fitzsimmons; Andrew Koziol; Nina Valentina Maniago; Tatiana Martinez; Payton Elizabeth Motto; Logan Longinus San Buenaventura; and Lyla Marie Schroers. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Sean McDonnell, pastor of Star of the Sea, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Alongside them were Father Fred Walters, a retired priest of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, and Father David McDonnell, a weekend associate at the parish and a retired diocesan priest. Deacon Alberto Totino, who is also Star of the Sea’s evangelization coordinator, assisted with the Mass. The Knights of Columbus also participated in the liturgy. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]

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12 young people welcomed into the Church at Jefferson Mass #Catholic –

During a Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on March 27, 12 10th-grade religious education students of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in the Lake Hopatcong neighborhood of Jefferson Township, N.J., were confirmed into full communion with the Church. Bishop Sweeney served as both the principal celebrant and the homilist for the liturgy.

The confirmandi included Izabella Anna Baldyga; Angelys Marcella Castillo; Shaun Sebastian Cestra; Genevieve Francis Chalmers; Fredrick Gregory Etienne; Gabriella Rose Fitzsimmons; Andrew Koziol; Nina Valentina Maniago; Tatiana Martinez; Payton Elizabeth Motto; Logan Longinus San Buenaventura; and Lyla Marie Schroers.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Father Sean McDonnell, pastor of Star of the Sea, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Alongside them were Father Fred Walters, a retired priest of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, and Father David McDonnell, a weekend associate at the parish and a retired diocesan priest.

Deacon Alberto Totino, who is also Star of the Sea’s evangelization coordinator, assisted with the Mass. The Knights of Columbus also participated in the liturgy.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– During a Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on March 27, 12 10th-grade religious education students of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in the Lake Hopatcong neighborhood of Jefferson Township, N.J., were confirmed into full communion with the Church. Bishop Sweeney served as both the principal celebrant and the homilist for the liturgy. The confirmandi included Izabella Anna Baldyga; Angelys Marcella Castillo; Shaun Sebastian Cestra; Genevieve Francis Chalmers; Fredrick Gregory Etienne; Gabriella Rose Fitzsimmons; Andrew Koziol; Nina Valentina Maniago; Tatiana Martinez; Payton Elizabeth Motto; Logan Longinus San Buenaventura; and Lyla Marie Schroers. Click here to subscribe to

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‘Good News, You’re Finally Useful,’ Says Trump As He Sends Aquaman To Strait Of Hormuz #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump announced a plan on Monday to open up the Strait of Hormuz later this week by sending in Aquaman, a superhero he claims is finally useful.
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‘Good News, You’re Finally Useful,’ Says Trump As He Sends Aquaman To Strait Of Hormuz #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump announced a plan on Monday to open up the Strait of Hormuz later this week by sending in Aquaman, a superhero he claims is finally useful.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump announced a plan on Monday to open up the Strait of Hormuz later this week by sending in Aquaman, a superhero he claims is finally useful.

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Scientists Invent Revolutionary Kids’ Bike That Uses Pedals Instead Of Electric Power #BabylonBee – CAMBRIDGE, MA — Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reportedly developed an innovative new children’s bike that uses pedals instead of electricity for power.
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Scientists Invent Revolutionary Kids’ Bike That Uses Pedals Instead Of Electric Power #BabylonBee – CAMBRIDGE, MA — Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reportedly developed an innovative new children’s bike that uses pedals instead of electricity for power.

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CAMBRIDGE, MA — Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reportedly developed an innovative new children’s bike that uses pedals instead of electricity for power.

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Picture of the day Royal angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus), Ras Muhammad National Park, Red Sea, Egypt. The body of the royal angelfish is moderately elongate, is very compressed and can reach a length of up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) It’s widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific and can be found in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean around East Africa and the Maldives, stretching to the Tuamoto Islands, New Caledonia, and Great Barrier Reef. The royal angelfish occurs at depths ranging from 0 to 80m (0 to 262 ft), in coral rich areas of lagoons, reefs, and are also often found in the vicinity of caves. It is a carnivorous species that feeds on sponges and tunicates located throughout reefs and underwater caves. They are a non-migratory species that can be found solitary, in pairs, or groups. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day Royal angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus), Ras Muhammad National Park, Red Sea, Egypt. The body of the royal angelfish is moderately elongate, is very compressed and can reach a length of up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) It’s widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific and can be found in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean around East Africa and the Maldives, stretching to the Tuamoto Islands, New Caledonia, and Great Barrier Reef. The royal angelfish occurs at depths ranging from 0 to 80m (0 to 262 ft), in coral rich areas of lagoons, reefs, and are also often found in the vicinity of caves. It is a carnivorous species that feeds on sponges and tunicates located throughout reefs and underwater caves. They are a non-migratory species that can be found solitary, in pairs, or groups. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
Royal angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus), Ras Muhammad National Park, Red Sea, Egypt. The body of the royal angelfish is moderately elongate, is very compressed and can reach a length of up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) It’s widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific and can be found in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean around East Africa and the Maldives, stretching to the Tuamoto Islands, New Caledonia, and Great Barrier Reef. The royal angelfish occurs at depths ranging from 0 to 80m (0 to 262 ft), in coral rich areas of lagoons, reefs, and are also often found in the vicinity of caves. It is a carnivorous species that feeds on sponges and tunicates located throughout reefs and underwater caves. They are a non-migratory species that can be found solitary, in pairs, or groups.
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Leo XIV: The most difficult circumstances can be transformed by the power of love – #Catholic – At the Vatican on Monday of Holy Week — known in some places as “Authority Monday” — Pope Leo XIV recalled Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple in Matthew 23:21-27, saying that through the paschal mystery, the Lord shows “that even the most difficult and challenging circumstances can be transformed from within by the power of love.”‘The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate source of hope’“The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate source of hope for all who believe in Christ and await the promise of eternal life,” the pontiff said during an audience with the Illinois Municipal League, an association of municipalities that advocates for the interests of local governments in Illinois, the pope’s home state.Acknowledging that suffering cannot be avoided or eliminated, the Holy Father affirmed that one can “find a redemptive meaning” in it that restores lost dignity and “opens the door to a new life.”The Holy Father also recalled that “the victory of the risen Lord over death” reveals that the heart of authentic authority is service: “His service and obedience to the will of the Father have led to a sure hope and lasting peace for all humanity.”“Thus,” the pontiff added, “the victory born of Christ’s gift of self stands as both a beacon and a challenge for all of us today.”He invited members of the state association “to be attentive to the needs of the weakest and most vulnerable in order to assist them toward integral human development.”He cited as an example the Venerable Giorgio La Pira, who served as mayor of Florence, Italy, encouraging the group “to reduce and alleviate the suffering and hardships of their citizens in every possible way, through every measure that love suggests and the law provides.”“The dignity of every individual must be recognized and upheld, because their municipalities are not anonymous places but rather possess faces and stories that must be cherished as valuable treasures,” he said.Listening to the poor and to immigrantsThe pope asked the group to listen to the poor, to immigrants, “and to all the least among you” in order “to promote the common good for the benefit of all.”In this way, he emphasized, “each of your municipalities can become a place of genuine encounter among all citizens, providing opportunities for every individual to flourish.”Pope Leo XIV also recalled that “those who exercise authority are also servants of God” and entrusted the association members to the intercession of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, who for many years assisted the most vulnerable in Chicago “with great love and dedication.”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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Leo XIV: The most difficult circumstances can be transformed by the power of love – #Catholic – At the Vatican on Monday of Holy Week — known in some places as “Authority Monday” — Pope Leo XIV recalled Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple in Matthew 23:21-27, saying that through the paschal mystery, the Lord shows “that even the most difficult and challenging circumstances can be transformed from within by the power of love.”‘The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate source of hope’“The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate source of hope for all who believe in Christ and await the promise of eternal life,” the pontiff said during an audience with the Illinois Municipal League, an association of municipalities that advocates for the interests of local governments in Illinois, the pope’s home state.Acknowledging that suffering cannot be avoided or eliminated, the Holy Father affirmed that one can “find a redemptive meaning” in it that restores lost dignity and “opens the door to a new life.”The Holy Father also recalled that “the victory of the risen Lord over death” reveals that the heart of authentic authority is service: “His service and obedience to the will of the Father have led to a sure hope and lasting peace for all humanity.”“Thus,” the pontiff added, “the victory born of Christ’s gift of self stands as both a beacon and a challenge for all of us today.”He invited members of the state association “to be attentive to the needs of the weakest and most vulnerable in order to assist them toward integral human development.”He cited as an example the Venerable Giorgio La Pira, who served as mayor of Florence, Italy, encouraging the group “to reduce and alleviate the suffering and hardships of their citizens in every possible way, through every measure that love suggests and the law provides.”“The dignity of every individual must be recognized and upheld, because their municipalities are not anonymous places but rather possess faces and stories that must be cherished as valuable treasures,” he said.Listening to the poor and to immigrantsThe pope asked the group to listen to the poor, to immigrants, “and to all the least among you” in order “to promote the common good for the benefit of all.”In this way, he emphasized, “each of your municipalities can become a place of genuine encounter among all citizens, providing opportunities for every individual to flourish.”Pope Leo XIV also recalled that “those who exercise authority are also servants of God” and entrusted the association members to the intercession of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, who for many years assisted the most vulnerable in Chicago “with great love and dedication.”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 an audience with the Illinois Municipal League, the pontiff said that Gospel values can be applied to city government to the benefit of the most vulnerable and for the common good.

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White House defends praying for U.S. troops after pope condemns using prayers to justify war – #Catholic – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said military leaders and the president urging prayers is “a very noble thing to do,” pushing back after Pope Leo XIV said God rejects prayers of leaders who wage war.Leavitt, when asked March 30 by a reporter to respond to the pope’s statement that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war,” said: “I think our nation was a nation founded, 250 years ago almost, on Judeo-Christian values. And we’ve seen presidents, we’ve seen the leaders of the Department of War, and we’ve seen our troops go to prayer during the most turbulent times in our nation’s history.”“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with our military leaders or with the president calling on the American people to pray for our service members and those who are serving our country overseas. In fact, I think it’s a very noble thing to do,” said Leavitt, who is Catholic. “And if you talk to many service members, they will tell you they appreciate the prayers and support from the commander in chief and from his cabinet,” Leavitt said.The pope, whose father served in the U.S. Navy on a D-Day tank landing ship, sharply condemned war in his Palm Sunday homily and said God cannot be used to justify war. He did not name specific leaders.God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war,” Pope Leo said during Mass in St. Peter’s Square. The pope, who has repeatedly called for a ceasefire to war in the Middle East, presented Christ as the “King of Peace,” contrasting Jesus’ meekness with the violence surrounding him as he entered into his passion.The pope tied the Church’s contemplation of Christ’s passion to the suffering of people in conflicts today, especially Christians in the Middle East.The pope recalled: “When one of his disciples drew his sword to defend him… Jesus immediately stopped him, saying: ‘Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.’”Leavitt’s response also follows the opening of two lawsuits against the U.S. Departments of Defense and Labor by Americans United for Separation of Church and State regarding prayer services organized by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Hegseth last week invoked Christian language and prayed for “overwhelming violence of action” against U.S. enemies.The suits allege that the Christian prayer services abuse taxpayer resources, promote Christian nationalism, violate the separation of church and state, and pressure federal employees to participate.U.S. communication with Israel  During the press briefing, Leavitt also confirmed that the U.S. communicated with Israel after Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, and Father Francesco lelpo, custos of the Holy Land, from enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday.“I did speak with Secretary [Marco] Rubio this morning and we did express our concerns with Israel with respect to these holy sites being shut down,” Leavitt said.“We want worshipers to be able to access these holy sites,” she said. “Of course, safety is a top priority, but we understand Israel is working on those security measures, to reopen the sites throughout Holy Week, and that’s something that we’re appreciative of,” she said.
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White House defends praying for U.S. troops after pope condemns using prayers to justify war – #Catholic – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said military leaders and the president urging prayers is “a very noble thing to do,” pushing back after Pope Leo XIV said God rejects prayers of leaders who wage war.Leavitt, when asked March 30 by a reporter to respond to the pope’s statement that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war,” said: “I think our nation was a nation founded, 250 years ago almost, on Judeo-Christian values. And we’ve seen presidents, we’ve seen the leaders of the Department of War, and we’ve seen our troops go to prayer during the most turbulent times in our nation’s history.”“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with our military leaders or with the president calling on the American people to pray for our service members and those who are serving our country overseas. In fact, I think it’s a very noble thing to do,” said Leavitt, who is Catholic. “And if you talk to many service members, they will tell you they appreciate the prayers and support from the commander in chief and from his cabinet,” Leavitt said.The pope, whose father served in the U.S. Navy on a D-Day tank landing ship, sharply condemned war in his Palm Sunday homily and said God cannot be used to justify war. He did not name specific leaders.God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war,” Pope Leo said during Mass in St. Peter’s Square. The pope, who has repeatedly called for a ceasefire to war in the Middle East, presented Christ as the “King of Peace,” contrasting Jesus’ meekness with the violence surrounding him as he entered into his passion.The pope tied the Church’s contemplation of Christ’s passion to the suffering of people in conflicts today, especially Christians in the Middle East.The pope recalled: “When one of his disciples drew his sword to defend him… Jesus immediately stopped him, saying: ‘Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.’”Leavitt’s response also follows the opening of two lawsuits against the U.S. Departments of Defense and Labor by Americans United for Separation of Church and State regarding prayer services organized by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Hegseth last week invoked Christian language and prayed for “overwhelming violence of action” against U.S. enemies.The suits allege that the Christian prayer services abuse taxpayer resources, promote Christian nationalism, violate the separation of church and state, and pressure federal employees to participate.U.S. communication with Israel  During the press briefing, Leavitt also confirmed that the U.S. communicated with Israel after Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, and Father Francesco lelpo, custos of the Holy Land, from enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday.“I did speak with Secretary [Marco] Rubio this morning and we did express our concerns with Israel with respect to these holy sites being shut down,” Leavitt said.“We want worshipers to be able to access these holy sites,” she said. “Of course, safety is a top priority, but we understand Israel is working on those security measures, to reopen the sites throughout Holy Week, and that’s something that we’re appreciative of,” she said.

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said there is nothing wrong with the president and military leaders “calling on the American people to pray for our service members.”

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 31 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 49:1-6 Hear me, O islands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.From the Gospel according to John 13:21-33, 36-38 Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, "Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me." The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus’ side. So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him, "Master, who is it?" Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it." So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly." Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or to give something to the poor. So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night. When he had left, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you." Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later." Peter said to him, "Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times."“It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it” (Jn 13:26). With this simple and humble gesture, Jesus carries his love forward and to its depths, not because he is ignoring what is happening, but precisely because he sees it clearly. He has understood that the freedom of the other, even when it is lost in evil, can still be reached by the light of a meek gesture, because he knows that true forgiveness does not await repentance, but offers itself first, as a free gift, even before it is accepted. Judas, unfortunately, does not understand. After the morsel – says the Gospel – “Satan entered him” (v. 27). This passage strikes us: as if evil, hidden until then, manifested itself after love showed its most defenceless face. And precisely for this reason, brothers and sisters, that morsel is our salvation: because it tells us that God does everything – absolutely everything – to reach us, even in the hour when we reject him. It is here that forgiveness reveals all its power and manifests the true face of hope. It is not forgetfulness; it is not weakness. It is the ability to set the other free, while loving him to the end. Jesus’ love does not deny the truth of pain, but it does not allow evil to have the last word. This is the mystery Jesus accomplishes for us, in which we too, at times, are called to participate. (Pope Leo XIV – General Audience, 20 August 2025)  

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
49:1-6

Hear me, O islands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.

Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
Yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
That Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

From the Gospel according to John
13:21-33, 36-38

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
was reclining at Jesus’ side.
So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant.
He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him,
"Master, who is it?"
Jesus answered,
"It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it."
So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas,
son of Simon the Iscariot.
After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.
So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him.
Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him,
"Buy what we need for the feast,"
or to give something to the poor.
So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.

When he had left, Jesus said,
"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you."

Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Jesus answered him,
"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later."
Peter said to him,
"Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you."
Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times."

“It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it” (Jn 13:26). With this simple and humble gesture, Jesus carries his love forward and to its depths, not because he is ignoring what is happening, but precisely because he sees it clearly. He has understood that the freedom of the other, even when it is lost in evil, can still be reached by the light of a meek gesture, because he knows that true forgiveness does not await repentance, but offers itself first, as a free gift, even before it is accepted. Judas, unfortunately, does not understand. After the morsel – says the Gospel – “Satan entered him” (v. 27). This passage strikes us: as if evil, hidden until then, manifested itself after love showed its most defenceless face. And precisely for this reason, brothers and sisters, that morsel is our salvation: because it tells us that God does everything – absolutely everything – to reach us, even in the hour when we reject him. It is here that forgiveness reveals all its power and manifests the true face of hope. It is not forgetfulness; it is not weakness. It is the ability to set the other free, while loving him to the end. Jesus’ love does not deny the truth of pain, but it does not allow evil to have the last word. This is the mystery Jesus accomplishes for us, in which we too, at times, are called to participate. (Pope Leo XIV – General Audience, 20 August 2025)

 

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Pope names members with U.S. ties to Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development – #Catholic – Hope Border Institute Executive Director Dylan Corbett is among four U.S. Catholics Pope Leo XIV has tapped to serve in the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.“It was an honor to receive the appointment from the Holy Father,” Corbett told EWTN News. “I think it’s really because the Holy Father is attentive to the presence of God in border communities and in the struggle for the rights and dignity of those who migrate.” Hope Border Institute Executive Director Dylan Corbett will serve on the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Dylan Corbett The Holy Father also appointed to the dicastery Father Daniel Gerard Groody, CSC, vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame; Meghan J. Clark, assistant chair of theology and religious studies at St. John’s University; and Léocadie Wabo Lushombo, IT, of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University.The dicastery is a Vatican entity dedicated to advancing human dignity that was established by Pope Francis in August 2016. It is comprised of the former pontifical councils for Justice and Peace, “Cor Unum,” Pastoral Care for Migrants and Itinerant People, and Health Pastoral Care.Groody, known for his “theology of migration,” told EWTN News in a statement: “In light of the pressing global challenges facing the world and the cry of the poor and vulnerable, I am humbled and honored by this appointment and hope to contribute everything I have to help make the invisible love of God more visible to the world.”The Notre Dame priest said his goal while serving as a member of the dicastery is “to lay out the mission of Jesus Christ … so that his love speaks to everyone, especially those who are crucified today and need the hope and healing of the Gospel message.”Clark, a moral theologian whose work on Catholic social teaching examines the intersection of human dignity, solidarity, and development, echoed her colleagues, telling EWTN News she is “grateful for the opportunity to serve the dicastery and the Church in this new way.”“I am humbled to be alongside such esteemed colleagues, all deeply committed to promoting and practicing the social teachings of the Church with particular attention to the dignity of the marginalized — especially migrants — of the common good, and integral ecology,” she said.“I felt very honored,” Lushombo told EWTN News on receiving her appointment. A consecrated member of the Teresian Association, Lushombo emphasized that “our mission has always been the human person” and “care of the vulnerable.”The Jesuit School of Theology professor said she plans to apply her academic background and research on Catholic social teaching, Christian ethics, migration, the preferential option for the poor, political theology, and liberation theology to her work with the dicastery.“My objective is to bring the Church to actually consider the weakest, the least, the excluded, and the oppressed, especially women,” she said. “The teaching of the last two decades considers all these aspects very strongly, but my goal will be to bring the Church to actually do it.”‘A moment of tremendous challenge’ for human dignityCorbett, who has previously served as an official in the dicastery and on the former pontifical council for migration, emphasized the significance of being “chosen by an American pope at this moment in our history to serve the worldwide Church.”“The Holy Father clearly has a deep knowledge of the issues confronting the United States right now and a sensitivity for the pain of a lot of people who are experiencing the realities of being undocumented,” he said. Alongside Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino, Corbett met with Pope Leo on behalf of the Hope Border Institute in October 2025, giving the pope a collection of handwritten letters from migrant families expressing fear and faith. They also showed Leo a video with immigrants’ voices saying mass deportations in the U.S. are breaking family bonds and stripping children of safety.“I think that we’re living right now in a moment of tremendous challenge when you think about issues of human dignity,” he said. “This is the significance of the name Leo. I think that the Holy Father believes, and I believe this, too, that we’re really living in a Rerum Novarum moment.”“Global institutions are under threat of collapse, and we’re seeing that with the war in Iran, and on a number of different fronts,” he said. “But it’s also a moment when we can repropose the Gospel to the world.”Seitz reacted to Corbett’s appointment in a statement shared with EWTN News, saying: “I give thanks to God for the appointment of Dylan Corbett … His recognition affirms Mr. Corbett’s faithful leadership and his witness of faith to our border community, where the dignity of all that is encountered and defended each day.”“I am confident that Mr. Corbett will bring the voices and experiences of our border region to the universal Church in a meaningful way. His appointment is a sign of hope and a reminder that the Church continues to walk with those most in need, guided by the light of the Gospel,” the bishop said.
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Pope names members with U.S. ties to Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development – #Catholic – Hope Border Institute Executive Director Dylan Corbett is among four U.S. Catholics Pope Leo XIV has tapped to serve in the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.“It was an honor to receive the appointment from the Holy Father,” Corbett told EWTN News. “I think it’s really because the Holy Father is attentive to the presence of God in border communities and in the struggle for the rights and dignity of those who migrate.” Hope Border Institute Executive Director Dylan Corbett will serve on the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Dylan Corbett The Holy Father also appointed to the dicastery Father Daniel Gerard Groody, CSC, vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame; Meghan J. Clark, assistant chair of theology and religious studies at St. John’s University; and Léocadie Wabo Lushombo, IT, of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University.The dicastery is a Vatican entity dedicated to advancing human dignity that was established by Pope Francis in August 2016. It is comprised of the former pontifical councils for Justice and Peace, “Cor Unum,” Pastoral Care for Migrants and Itinerant People, and Health Pastoral Care.Groody, known for his “theology of migration,” told EWTN News in a statement: “In light of the pressing global challenges facing the world and the cry of the poor and vulnerable, I am humbled and honored by this appointment and hope to contribute everything I have to help make the invisible love of God more visible to the world.”The Notre Dame priest said his goal while serving as a member of the dicastery is “to lay out the mission of Jesus Christ … so that his love speaks to everyone, especially those who are crucified today and need the hope and healing of the Gospel message.”Clark, a moral theologian whose work on Catholic social teaching examines the intersection of human dignity, solidarity, and development, echoed her colleagues, telling EWTN News she is “grateful for the opportunity to serve the dicastery and the Church in this new way.”“I am humbled to be alongside such esteemed colleagues, all deeply committed to promoting and practicing the social teachings of the Church with particular attention to the dignity of the marginalized — especially migrants — of the common good, and integral ecology,” she said.“I felt very honored,” Lushombo told EWTN News on receiving her appointment. A consecrated member of the Teresian Association, Lushombo emphasized that “our mission has always been the human person” and “care of the vulnerable.”The Jesuit School of Theology professor said she plans to apply her academic background and research on Catholic social teaching, Christian ethics, migration, the preferential option for the poor, political theology, and liberation theology to her work with the dicastery.“My objective is to bring the Church to actually consider the weakest, the least, the excluded, and the oppressed, especially women,” she said. “The teaching of the last two decades considers all these aspects very strongly, but my goal will be to bring the Church to actually do it.”‘A moment of tremendous challenge’ for human dignityCorbett, who has previously served as an official in the dicastery and on the former pontifical council for migration, emphasized the significance of being “chosen by an American pope at this moment in our history to serve the worldwide Church.”“The Holy Father clearly has a deep knowledge of the issues confronting the United States right now and a sensitivity for the pain of a lot of people who are experiencing the realities of being undocumented,” he said. Alongside Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino, Corbett met with Pope Leo on behalf of the Hope Border Institute in October 2025, giving the pope a collection of handwritten letters from migrant families expressing fear and faith. They also showed Leo a video with immigrants’ voices saying mass deportations in the U.S. are breaking family bonds and stripping children of safety.“I think that we’re living right now in a moment of tremendous challenge when you think about issues of human dignity,” he said. “This is the significance of the name Leo. I think that the Holy Father believes, and I believe this, too, that we’re really living in a Rerum Novarum moment.”“Global institutions are under threat of collapse, and we’re seeing that with the war in Iran, and on a number of different fronts,” he said. “But it’s also a moment when we can repropose the Gospel to the world.”Seitz reacted to Corbett’s appointment in a statement shared with EWTN News, saying: “I give thanks to God for the appointment of Dylan Corbett … His recognition affirms Mr. Corbett’s faithful leadership and his witness of faith to our border community, where the dignity of all that is encountered and defended each day.”“I am confident that Mr. Corbett will bring the voices and experiences of our border region to the universal Church in a meaningful way. His appointment is a sign of hope and a reminder that the Church continues to walk with those most in need, guided by the light of the Gospel,” the bishop said.

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Pope Leo XIV has chosen four U.S. Catholics to serve in a Vatican office that focuses heavily on immigration.

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Sendoff for Artemis II Crew – From left to right, NASA astronauts Andre Douglas, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronauts Jenni Gibbons, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen pose for a photo before the Artemis II crew proceed to a media event on March 27, 2026.
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Sendoff for Artemis II Crew – From left to right, NASA astronauts Andre Douglas, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronauts Jenni Gibbons, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen pose for a photo before the Artemis II crew proceed to a media event on March 27, 2026.

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From left to right, NASA astronauts Andre Douglas, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronauts Jenni Gibbons, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen pose for a photo before the Artemis II crew proceed to a media event on March 27, 2026.

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Mercury at greatest elongation on April 3

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This week, Astronomy magazine Editor Emeritus Dave Eicher invites you to check out Mercury, which will be at its greatest elongation on April 3. This is when the planet appears farthest away from the Sun in the morning sky, making it easier to see. Good luck! Video transcript: Welcome to This Week in Astronomy, broughtContinue reading “Mercury at greatest elongation on April 3”

The post Mercury at greatest elongation on April 3 appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Senate Gavels In, Gavels Out — Adjourns in 30 Seconds, REFUSES to Take Up House DHS Funding Bill as Shutdown Drags On – The dysfunction in Washington reached a new low Monday morning. The post Senate Gavels In, Gavels Out — Adjourns in 30 Seconds, REFUSES to Take Up House DHS Funding Bill as Shutdown Drags On appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Senate Gavels In, Gavels Out — Adjourns in 30 Seconds, REFUSES to Take Up House DHS Funding Bill as Shutdown Drags On – The dysfunction in Washington reached a new low Monday morning. The post Senate Gavels In, Gavels Out — Adjourns in 30 Seconds, REFUSES to Take Up House DHS Funding Bill as Shutdown Drags On appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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News anchor reporting live from Capitol Hill on Senate funding discussions, with a statue visible in the background.

News anchor reporting live from Capitol Hill on Senate funding discussions, with a statue visible in the background.

The dysfunction in Washington reached a new low Monday morning.

The post Senate Gavels In, Gavels Out — Adjourns in 30 Seconds, REFUSES to Take Up House DHS Funding Bill as Shutdown Drags On appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Trump Says “Serious Discussions” Underway to “End Our Military Operations in Iran” – Threatens to Destroy Electric Plants, Oil Wells, Kharg Island, and Desalination Plants – President Trump said on Monday that he is in serious discussions and close to a deal with Iran, while threatening to escalate “if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached.” Trump has given Iran until Monday, April 6, to stop blocking oil shipping in the Strait of Hormuz amid negotiations. The post Trump Says “Serious Discussions” Underway to “End Our Military Operations in Iran” – Threatens to Destroy Electric Plants, Oil Wells, Kharg Island, and Desalination Plants appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Trump Says “Serious Discussions” Underway to “End Our Military Operations in Iran” – Threatens to Destroy Electric Plants, Oil Wells, Kharg Island, and Desalination Plants – President Trump said on Monday that he is in serious discussions and close to a deal with Iran, while threatening to escalate “if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached.” Trump has given Iran until Monday, April 6, to stop blocking oil shipping in the Strait of Hormuz amid negotiations. The post Trump Says “Serious Discussions” Underway to “End Our Military Operations in Iran” – Threatens to Destroy Electric Plants, Oil Wells, Kharg Island, and Desalination Plants appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Donald Trump speaking at a podium with the presidential seal, wearing a USA cap, flanked by American flags in a formal setting.

Donald Trump speaking at a podium with the presidential seal, wearing a USA cap, flanked by American flags in a formal setting.

President Trump said on Monday that he is in serious discussions and close to a deal with Iran, while threatening to escalate “if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached.” Trump has given Iran until Monday, April 6, to stop blocking oil shipping in the Strait of Hormuz amid negotiations.

The post Trump Says “Serious Discussions” Underway to “End Our Military Operations in Iran” – Threatens to Destroy Electric Plants, Oil Wells, Kharg Island, and Desalination Plants appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Adult conversions soar in dioceses across U.S. #Catholic Many U.S. dioceses are expecting heavy increases in people joining the Catholic Church at Easter 2026, including some with record highs, a survey by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, found.“Something’s happening,” said John Helsey, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, which is expecting a 57% increase in unbaptized people becoming Catholics at Easter — from 635 in 2025 to nearly 1,000 in 2026.In most places, this year’s increases aren’t a one-off but follow significant increases in recent years.One example is the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, which had record highs attending liturgies several weeks ago that were meant to welcome would-be converts who have been preparing to enter the Church in recent months and to formalize their status.Newark is expecting a 30% jump in converts in 2026 (at 1,701) over 2025 (at 1,305). The 2026 figure is 60% higher than the 1,064 converts in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.In the Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama, the number of converts in 2025 (447) was the highest since at least 2014, and the number in 2026 (603) is 35% higher than in 2025.The Register recently contacted all 175 Latin-rite territorial dioceses in the United States, seeking numbers of people planning to join the Catholic Church at Easter 2026.Seventy-one, or 40% of U.S. dioceses, responded. In some cases, the Register used published sources to supplement the data it used in its analysis. In all cases, the Register attempted to make apples-to-apples comparisons, with the caveat that 2026 numbers aren’t set yet.Just five of the 71 dioceses expected a drop in converts this year, most of them slight. The remaining 66 are expecting increases — in many cases, significant ones.This year’s expected increases in converts in the United States include regions where the Church has been growing rapidly in recent decades, such as Florida, where the Diocese of St. Petersburg is expecting an 84% jump, and Texas, where the Diocese of Austin is expecting a 53% jump.But it also includes highly secularized New England, where the Archdiocese of Boston has 55% more catechumens (unbaptized) this year than last year. The Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, reported a 54% increase (including already-baptized and unbaptized); the Diocese of Providence has 76% more converts; and the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, is recording a 112% spike.In Pennsylvania, the dioceses of Harrisburg (77%) and Altoona-Johnstown (84%) are seeing big increases. Across the country, the Diocese of Pueblo, Colorado, is expecting a 105% increase.In the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which is expecting a 60% increase in converts in 2026 over last year, a priest who oversees conversion programs said people seeking to join the Catholic Church tend to come to Mass and have an active prayer life before they ever attend formal sessions with catechists and that they tend to accept Church teachings earlier in the process than their predecessors did.“I have noticed over the last several years that there is a greater commitment to conversion, a greater commitment to the Church, when they arrive,” said Father Dennis Gill, director of the Office for Divine Worship for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and rector of the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul.Other factorsAs for why it’s happening, diocesan officials offered various theories.Immigration, particularly from the surge during the Biden administration, is a factor in some places. Some suggest the election in May 2025 of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, who describes Church teachings with a native accent unfiltered by translation, might also be a draw for some non-Catholics. Some diocesan officials shared a new emphasis on outreach to non-Catholics.Bishop Frank Dewane, who leads the Diocese of Venice, Florida, which is expecting a 94% increase in converts, noted that some places outside the United States are also seeing big increases this year, including England and France.He told the Register the Church is enjoying what he called “a golden age of Catholic resources,” including podcasts and other online sources that get information about the Church to people who would ordinarily never set foot in it and yet come to find Catholicism unexpectedly attractive.“Our modern culture has not borne good fruits, and I think people see that. They recognize that. They know that,” Dewane said.But ultimately, he and other Church officials the Register spoke with attributed the bountiful harvest to God.“It’s the Holy Spirit,” Dewane emphasized. “Yes, we follow promptings, also. But I think it’s the work of the Holy Spirit right now in society and in the Church.”This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
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Adult conversions soar in dioceses across U.S. #Catholic Many U.S. dioceses are expecting heavy increases in people joining the Catholic Church at Easter 2026, including some with record highs, a survey by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, found.“Something’s happening,” said John Helsey, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, which is expecting a 57% increase in unbaptized people becoming Catholics at Easter — from 635 in 2025 to nearly 1,000 in 2026.In most places, this year’s increases aren’t a one-off but follow significant increases in recent years.One example is the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, which had record highs attending liturgies several weeks ago that were meant to welcome would-be converts who have been preparing to enter the Church in recent months and to formalize their status.Newark is expecting a 30% jump in converts in 2026 (at 1,701) over 2025 (at 1,305). The 2026 figure is 60% higher than the 1,064 converts in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.In the Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama, the number of converts in 2025 (447) was the highest since at least 2014, and the number in 2026 (603) is 35% higher than in 2025.The Register recently contacted all 175 Latin-rite territorial dioceses in the United States, seeking numbers of people planning to join the Catholic Church at Easter 2026.Seventy-one, or 40% of U.S. dioceses, responded. In some cases, the Register used published sources to supplement the data it used in its analysis. In all cases, the Register attempted to make apples-to-apples comparisons, with the caveat that 2026 numbers aren’t set yet.Just five of the 71 dioceses expected a drop in converts this year, most of them slight. The remaining 66 are expecting increases — in many cases, significant ones.This year’s expected increases in converts in the United States include regions where the Church has been growing rapidly in recent decades, such as Florida, where the Diocese of St. Petersburg is expecting an 84% jump, and Texas, where the Diocese of Austin is expecting a 53% jump.But it also includes highly secularized New England, where the Archdiocese of Boston has 55% more catechumens (unbaptized) this year than last year. The Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, reported a 54% increase (including already-baptized and unbaptized); the Diocese of Providence has 76% more converts; and the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, is recording a 112% spike.In Pennsylvania, the dioceses of Harrisburg (77%) and Altoona-Johnstown (84%) are seeing big increases. Across the country, the Diocese of Pueblo, Colorado, is expecting a 105% increase.In the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which is expecting a 60% increase in converts in 2026 over last year, a priest who oversees conversion programs said people seeking to join the Catholic Church tend to come to Mass and have an active prayer life before they ever attend formal sessions with catechists and that they tend to accept Church teachings earlier in the process than their predecessors did.“I have noticed over the last several years that there is a greater commitment to conversion, a greater commitment to the Church, when they arrive,” said Father Dennis Gill, director of the Office for Divine Worship for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and rector of the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul.Other factorsAs for why it’s happening, diocesan officials offered various theories.Immigration, particularly from the surge during the Biden administration, is a factor in some places. Some suggest the election in May 2025 of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, who describes Church teachings with a native accent unfiltered by translation, might also be a draw for some non-Catholics. Some diocesan officials shared a new emphasis on outreach to non-Catholics.Bishop Frank Dewane, who leads the Diocese of Venice, Florida, which is expecting a 94% increase in converts, noted that some places outside the United States are also seeing big increases this year, including England and France.He told the Register the Church is enjoying what he called “a golden age of Catholic resources,” including podcasts and other online sources that get information about the Church to people who would ordinarily never set foot in it and yet come to find Catholicism unexpectedly attractive.“Our modern culture has not borne good fruits, and I think people see that. They recognize that. They know that,” Dewane said.But ultimately, he and other Church officials the Register spoke with attributed the bountiful harvest to God.“It’s the Holy Spirit,” Dewane emphasized. “Yes, we follow promptings, also. But I think it’s the work of the Holy Spirit right now in society and in the Church.”This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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The National Catholic Register contacted all 175 Latin-rite territorial dioceses in the United States, seeking numbers of people planning to join the Catholic Church at Easter 2026.

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SHOCK VIDEO: Man Exposes Himself, Rubs His Genitals on Woman’s Ear at Los Angeles Whole Foods Grocery Store – A man was caught on camera exposing himself and rubbing his genitals on a female shopper at a Los Angeles, California, Whole Foods grocery store. The post SHOCK VIDEO: Man Exposes Himself, Rubs His Genitals on Woman’s Ear at Los Angeles Whole Foods Grocery Store appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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SHOCK VIDEO: Man Exposes Himself, Rubs His Genitals on Woman’s Ear at Los Angeles Whole Foods Grocery Store – A man was caught on camera exposing himself and rubbing his genitals on a female shopper at a Los Angeles, California, Whole Foods grocery store. The post SHOCK VIDEO: Man Exposes Himself, Rubs His Genitals on Woman’s Ear at Los Angeles Whole Foods Grocery Store appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Surveillance footage showing a man in a blue denim shirt and a woman in a black shirt in a retail store aisle.

Surveillance footage showing a man in a blue denim shirt and a woman in a black shirt in a retail store aisle.

A man was caught on camera exposing himself and rubbing his genitals on a female shopper at a Los Angeles, California, Whole Foods grocery store.

The post SHOCK VIDEO: Man Exposes Himself, Rubs His Genitals on Woman’s Ear at Los Angeles Whole Foods Grocery Store appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Bishops’ commission considers social, cultural, and pastoral factors behind polygamy in Africa #Catholic NAIROBI, Kenya — In addition to theological reflections on marriage and the sacraments, the final report addressing the pastoral challenge of polygamy in Africa, which members of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) issued on March 24, draws attention to a wide range of social, cultural, and pastoral realities shaping the practice across the continent.While reaffirming the Christian ideal of monogamous marriage, the 25-page report compiled by the SECAM commission — made up of selected theologians and professionals from relevant ecclesiastical disciplines — emphasizes that understanding the persistence of polygamy requires careful analysis of social change, legal frameworks, gender relations, and pastoral strategies within African societies. SECAM president Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo. | Credit: ACI Africa The report is a direct response to the mandate that the multiyear XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops — known as the Synod on Synodality — gave Catholic bishops in Africa: “to promote theological and pastoral discernment on the issue of polygamy.”Polygamy in a changing African social landscapeIn the report, the SECAM commission members note that polygamy cannot be understood solely through the lens of traditional culture. African societies have undergone profound transformation in recent decades.“The traditional environment has crumbled,” they said, leading to a climate in which many long-standing institutions and values are increasingly questioned. This transformation has also affected the dynamics of marriage and family life. Sociological studies cited in the report identify infertility as one of the principal motivations behind contemporary polygamy, though the report emphasizes that the reasons are complex.Despite modernization and evangelization, it notes that the practice of polygamy has not disappeared. Instead, “it remains alive and well” and, in some contexts, has even regained popularity.One notable development the SECAM commission members highlight in the report is the changing role of women in African societies. They observe that women increasingly occupy key economic roles, particularly within the informal sector.Legal frameworks across AfricaIn the report, commission members also highlight the legal status of polygamy across the continent.They note that roughly 30 African countries have legal frameworks that permit polygamy — either through civil law, customary law, or religious legislation. The list includes countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Morocco, and South Africa.However, the report points out that legal recognition of polygamy does not necessarily indicate broad societal consensus. In many countries, women’s movements have increasingly challenged these laws.“More and more women are speaking out against legislation in favor of polygamy, which is considered unfair and disrespectful of gender equality,” the report says. Members of the Symposium of Episcopal Conference of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) meet at the 20th Plenary Assembly held in Kigali, Rwanda, from July 30 to Aug. 4, 2025, under the theme “Christ, Source of Hope, Reconciliation, and Peace.” | Credit: ACI Africa This tension between cultural tradition, legal frameworks, and evolving social values forms a significant part of the pastoral context in which the Catholic bishops in Africa must address the issue of polygamy, the SECAM commission says in the report.The question of women’s dignityA central theme in the report is the dignity of women within both cultural and ecclesial contexts.Pastoral responses to polygamy must explicitly seek “to enhance the dignity of women,” the report says. The report acknowledges that women sometimes choose polygamous arrangements for practical or cultural reasons — however, it raises theological questions about whether such choices correspond to God’s plan for human relationships.From a biblical perspective, polygamy “does not promote the development of women as intended by God,” according to the report. Therefore, pastoral strategies that help Christian communities reflect critically on cultural assumptions about gender roles and marriage are important.Economic vulnerability and the practice of polygamyThe report also links polygamy to economic vulnerability, particularly among widows.One example the SECAM commission members highlight is the traditional practice of levirate marriage, in which a widow marries a relative of her deceased husband in order to secure protection and support for herself and her children.While acknowledging the social security function of this practice, the report questions whether it can also lead to forms of exploitation and whether such arrangements risk reducing women to objects of exchange within family structures.For this reason, the commission members highlight the importance of pastoral care directed specifically toward widows. Ensuring their “material and moral security” can help prevent situations in which women feel compelled to enter polygamous relationships for survival, the report states.Hidden or ‘veiled’ forms of polygamyAnother issue raised in the report is what the SECAM commission members call “veiled polygamy.”This term refers to situations in which individuals maintain multiple sexual relationships outside formal marriage, resulting in families in which children are born to parents who are not married to one another.Although such situations do not present the same doctrinal challenges as formal polygamy, the commission members say they consider this harmful both to society and to the Church.One difficulty, they note, is that social stigma often falls disproportionately on women raising children outside marriage. The absence of fathers also raises concerns about the well-being of children.In response, the report calls for stronger pastoral formation within Christian communities so that believers can accompany families facing these realities with maturity and responsibility. Members of the SECAM in 2025 | Credit: ACI Africa Preparing couples for Christian marriageThe commission members in the report repeatedly emphasize that prevention is as important as pastoral accompaniment.Many cases of polygamy among baptized Christians arise from cultural expectations about fertility. In many African contexts, the inability to bear children can place intense pressure on a marriage, the report notes.Therefore, the report calls for rigorous marriage preparation programs that help couples understand the Christian meaning of marriage. While the desire for children is recognized as a legitimate cultural value, the reports stresses that biological fertility is not essential to the sacramental reality of marriage.Christian marriage, the SECAM commission members state, must be understood primarily as a covenant of love and fidelity rather than simply a means of producing offspring.A broader question of inculturationThroughout the report, commission members frame the issue of polygamy as part of a broader challenge of inculturation — the process of expressing Christian faith within diverse cultural contexts.They acknowledge that the Church’s engagement with African cultures has evolved significantly since the missionary era.While earlier pastoral approaches often treated polygamy primarily as a moral problem to be eliminated, today the Church must combine fidelity to the Gospel with attentive listening to cultural realities.In their concluding reflections, SECAM commission members call for continued dialogue among Catholic bishops in Africa, theologians, and pastoral workers to evaluate existing pastoral models and, where necessary, “propose other paths, with the aim of offering to all the possibility of an encounter with Christ and his Gospel.”In this way, the issue of polygamy is not simply a disciplinary question but part of the broader task of shaping an authentically African expression of Christian family life.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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Bishops’ commission considers social, cultural, and pastoral factors behind polygamy in Africa #Catholic NAIROBI, Kenya — In addition to theological reflections on marriage and the sacraments, the final report addressing the pastoral challenge of polygamy in Africa, which members of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) issued on March 24, draws attention to a wide range of social, cultural, and pastoral realities shaping the practice across the continent.While reaffirming the Christian ideal of monogamous marriage, the 25-page report compiled by the SECAM commission — made up of selected theologians and professionals from relevant ecclesiastical disciplines — emphasizes that understanding the persistence of polygamy requires careful analysis of social change, legal frameworks, gender relations, and pastoral strategies within African societies. SECAM president Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo. | Credit: ACI Africa The report is a direct response to the mandate that the multiyear XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops — known as the Synod on Synodality — gave Catholic bishops in Africa: “to promote theological and pastoral discernment on the issue of polygamy.”Polygamy in a changing African social landscapeIn the report, the SECAM commission members note that polygamy cannot be understood solely through the lens of traditional culture. African societies have undergone profound transformation in recent decades.“The traditional environment has crumbled,” they said, leading to a climate in which many long-standing institutions and values are increasingly questioned. This transformation has also affected the dynamics of marriage and family life. Sociological studies cited in the report identify infertility as one of the principal motivations behind contemporary polygamy, though the report emphasizes that the reasons are complex.Despite modernization and evangelization, it notes that the practice of polygamy has not disappeared. Instead, “it remains alive and well” and, in some contexts, has even regained popularity.One notable development the SECAM commission members highlight in the report is the changing role of women in African societies. They observe that women increasingly occupy key economic roles, particularly within the informal sector.Legal frameworks across AfricaIn the report, commission members also highlight the legal status of polygamy across the continent.They note that roughly 30 African countries have legal frameworks that permit polygamy — either through civil law, customary law, or religious legislation. The list includes countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Morocco, and South Africa.However, the report points out that legal recognition of polygamy does not necessarily indicate broad societal consensus. In many countries, women’s movements have increasingly challenged these laws.“More and more women are speaking out against legislation in favor of polygamy, which is considered unfair and disrespectful of gender equality,” the report says. Members of the Symposium of Episcopal Conference of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) meet at the 20th Plenary Assembly held in Kigali, Rwanda, from July 30 to Aug. 4, 2025, under the theme “Christ, Source of Hope, Reconciliation, and Peace.” | Credit: ACI Africa This tension between cultural tradition, legal frameworks, and evolving social values forms a significant part of the pastoral context in which the Catholic bishops in Africa must address the issue of polygamy, the SECAM commission says in the report.The question of women’s dignityA central theme in the report is the dignity of women within both cultural and ecclesial contexts.Pastoral responses to polygamy must explicitly seek “to enhance the dignity of women,” the report says. The report acknowledges that women sometimes choose polygamous arrangements for practical or cultural reasons — however, it raises theological questions about whether such choices correspond to God’s plan for human relationships.From a biblical perspective, polygamy “does not promote the development of women as intended by God,” according to the report. Therefore, pastoral strategies that help Christian communities reflect critically on cultural assumptions about gender roles and marriage are important.Economic vulnerability and the practice of polygamyThe report also links polygamy to economic vulnerability, particularly among widows.One example the SECAM commission members highlight is the traditional practice of levirate marriage, in which a widow marries a relative of her deceased husband in order to secure protection and support for herself and her children.While acknowledging the social security function of this practice, the report questions whether it can also lead to forms of exploitation and whether such arrangements risk reducing women to objects of exchange within family structures.For this reason, the commission members highlight the importance of pastoral care directed specifically toward widows. Ensuring their “material and moral security” can help prevent situations in which women feel compelled to enter polygamous relationships for survival, the report states.Hidden or ‘veiled’ forms of polygamyAnother issue raised in the report is what the SECAM commission members call “veiled polygamy.”This term refers to situations in which individuals maintain multiple sexual relationships outside formal marriage, resulting in families in which children are born to parents who are not married to one another.Although such situations do not present the same doctrinal challenges as formal polygamy, the commission members say they consider this harmful both to society and to the Church.One difficulty, they note, is that social stigma often falls disproportionately on women raising children outside marriage. The absence of fathers also raises concerns about the well-being of children.In response, the report calls for stronger pastoral formation within Christian communities so that believers can accompany families facing these realities with maturity and responsibility. Members of the SECAM in 2025 | Credit: ACI Africa Preparing couples for Christian marriageThe commission members in the report repeatedly emphasize that prevention is as important as pastoral accompaniment.Many cases of polygamy among baptized Christians arise from cultural expectations about fertility. In many African contexts, the inability to bear children can place intense pressure on a marriage, the report notes.Therefore, the report calls for rigorous marriage preparation programs that help couples understand the Christian meaning of marriage. While the desire for children is recognized as a legitimate cultural value, the reports stresses that biological fertility is not essential to the sacramental reality of marriage.Christian marriage, the SECAM commission members state, must be understood primarily as a covenant of love and fidelity rather than simply a means of producing offspring.A broader question of inculturationThroughout the report, commission members frame the issue of polygamy as part of a broader challenge of inculturation — the process of expressing Christian faith within diverse cultural contexts.They acknowledge that the Church’s engagement with African cultures has evolved significantly since the missionary era.While earlier pastoral approaches often treated polygamy primarily as a moral problem to be eliminated, today the Church must combine fidelity to the Gospel with attentive listening to cultural realities.In their concluding reflections, SECAM commission members call for continued dialogue among Catholic bishops in Africa, theologians, and pastoral workers to evaluate existing pastoral models and, where necessary, “propose other paths, with the aim of offering to all the possibility of an encounter with Christ and his Gospel.”In this way, the issue of polygamy is not simply a disciplinary question but part of the broader task of shaping an authentically African expression of Christian family life.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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The final report addressing the pastoral challenge of polygamy in Africa draws attention to a wide range of social, cultural, and pastoral realities shaping the practice across the continent.

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.5M gift fuels Morris Catholic fitness center project #Catholic – Morris Catholic High School in Denville, N.J., has received an unprecedented .5 million gift from an alumnus and spouse — the most generous donation in the school’s history — to build a new Health and Fitness Center. This remarkable gift transforms the school’s nearly 70-year history, inspiring hope and excitement in students, faculty, and families. The donors, a Morris Catholic alumnus and their spouse, have chosen to keep their identities confidential at this time. Plans for the approximately 15,000-square-foot, two-story facility addition to the Morris Catholic campus have been completed, and the school is preparing to begin construction in late spring. The new facility will represent the first physical expansion of the Morris Catholic campus since the 1960s and mark a bold investment in the school’s future and the students it serves. The center is designed to promote and support a healthy lifestyle among students. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. “This extraordinary gift reflects a deep belief in the mission and future of Morris Catholic,” said Brian Vohden, Morris Catholic president. “For nearly seven decades, Morris Catholic has formed young men and women in faith, scholarship, and service. This generosity shows the value our community places on having attended Morris Catholic and in helping today’s students.” The facility will significantly enhance Morris Catholic’s physical education and athletic programs. Designed to serve the entire student body, the center will provide modern training space for physical education, strength and conditioning, and Crusader programs’ athletic teams. The first floor will feature new weights, benches, and equipment. of treadmills, bikes, and rowing machines on the second floor, along with a space for speed and agility work. A 25-foot-tall glass wall will offer visitors a view of the football field below. The anonymous donors shared their heartfelt motivation: “We wanted to make an immediate impact, to help our youth rise to today’s challenges. Our greatest hope is that this gift empowers every student to thrive and embrace a future filled with possibility to impact, to prepare our youth for today’s challenges. We were especially interested in providing a high-quality, state-of-the-art facility for the Morris Catholic student to thrive physically, mentally, academically, and spiritually, resulting in a truly abundant life.” The project includes exterior restrooms and a modern concession and retail space for visitors. modern concession and retail space to enhance the experience for families and visitors attending outdoor athletic events. The project arrives during a time of excitement and renewed optimism at Morris Catholic. Guided by the school’s recently adopted five-year strategic plan, the community is uniting around initiatives that promise new opportunities and brighter futures for students and families. For recently adopted five-year strategic plan, the community is investing in a series of initiatives designed to strengthen academics, expand student opportunities, help meet the financial aid needs of students and their families, and position Morris Catholic as a leader among premier Catholic college preparatory schools in New Jersey. “Catholic education and Catholic Schools are a great gift to students, families, our diocese, the whole Church and the wider community. I am always inspired by donors’ sacrificial generosity, parents’ sacrifices for their children’s education, and the leaders, faculty, staff, and volunteers in our Catholic schools,” Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey said. “This new student health and fitness center at Morris Catholic is a concrete example of a community coming together to find unique and creative ways to support and educate the whole person, body, mind, and spirit.” Beyond the record-setting gift, additional gifts from donors and parents are enabling the center to be built. Mark Thomas, co-chair of the Morris Catholic Board of Trustees, said, “This enormous act of generosity will touch all students. It will equip our athletes with tools and capabilities to add to our history of excellence in athletics. The board is gratified that alumni are partnering with us in strategically important areas.”  
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$2.5M gift fuels Morris Catholic fitness center project #Catholic – Morris Catholic High School in Denville, N.J., has received an unprecedented $2.5 million gift from an alumnus and spouse — the most generous donation in the school’s history — to build a new Health and Fitness Center. This remarkable gift transforms the school’s nearly 70-year history, inspiring hope and excitement in students, faculty, and families. The donors, a Morris Catholic alumnus and their spouse, have chosen to keep their identities confidential at this time. Plans for the approximately 15,000-square-foot, two-story facility addition to the Morris Catholic campus have been completed, and the school is preparing to begin construction in late spring. The new facility will represent the first physical expansion of the Morris Catholic campus since the 1960s and mark a bold investment in the school’s future and the students it serves. The center is designed to promote and support a healthy lifestyle among students. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. “This extraordinary gift reflects a deep belief in the mission and future of Morris Catholic,” said Brian Vohden, Morris Catholic president. “For nearly seven decades, Morris Catholic has formed young men and women in faith, scholarship, and service. This generosity shows the value our community places on having attended Morris Catholic and in helping today’s students.” The facility will significantly enhance Morris Catholic’s physical education and athletic programs. Designed to serve the entire student body, the center will provide modern training space for physical education, strength and conditioning, and Crusader programs’ athletic teams. The first floor will feature new weights, benches, and equipment. of treadmills, bikes, and rowing machines on the second floor, along with a space for speed and agility work. A 25-foot-tall glass wall will offer visitors a view of the football field below. The anonymous donors shared their heartfelt motivation: “We wanted to make an immediate impact, to help our youth rise to today’s challenges. Our greatest hope is that this gift empowers every student to thrive and embrace a future filled with possibility to impact, to prepare our youth for today’s challenges. We were especially interested in providing a high-quality, state-of-the-art facility for the Morris Catholic student to thrive physically, mentally, academically, and spiritually, resulting in a truly abundant life.” The project includes exterior restrooms and a modern concession and retail space for visitors. modern concession and retail space to enhance the experience for families and visitors attending outdoor athletic events. The project arrives during a time of excitement and renewed optimism at Morris Catholic. Guided by the school’s recently adopted five-year strategic plan, the community is uniting around initiatives that promise new opportunities and brighter futures for students and families. For recently adopted five-year strategic plan, the community is investing in a series of initiatives designed to strengthen academics, expand student opportunities, help meet the financial aid needs of students and their families, and position Morris Catholic as a leader among premier Catholic college preparatory schools in New Jersey. “Catholic education and Catholic Schools are a great gift to students, families, our diocese, the whole Church and the wider community. I am always inspired by donors’ sacrificial generosity, parents’ sacrifices for their children’s education, and the leaders, faculty, staff, and volunteers in our Catholic schools,” Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey said. “This new student health and fitness center at Morris Catholic is a concrete example of a community coming together to find unique and creative ways to support and educate the whole person, body, mind, and spirit.” Beyond the record-setting gift, additional gifts from donors and parents are enabling the center to be built. Mark Thomas, co-chair of the Morris Catholic Board of Trustees, said, “This enormous act of generosity will touch all students. It will equip our athletes with tools and capabilities to add to our history of excellence in athletics. The board is gratified that alumni are partnering with us in strategically important areas.”  

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$2.5M gift fuels Morris Catholic fitness center project #Catholic –

Morris Catholic High School in Denville, N.J., has received an unprecedented $2.5 million gift from an alumnus and spouse — the most generous donation in the school’s history — to build a new Health and Fitness Center. This remarkable gift transforms the school’s nearly 70-year history, inspiring hope and excitement in students, faculty, and families.

The donors, a Morris Catholic alumnus and their spouse, have chosen to keep their identities confidential at this time. Plans for the approximately 15,000-square-foot, two-story facility addition to the Morris Catholic campus have been completed, and the school is preparing to begin construction in late spring.

The new facility will represent the first physical expansion of the Morris Catholic campus since the 1960s and mark a bold investment in the school’s future and the students it serves. The center is designed to promote and support a healthy lifestyle among students.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

“This extraordinary gift reflects a deep belief in the mission and future of Morris Catholic,” said Brian Vohden, Morris Catholic president. “For nearly seven decades, Morris Catholic has formed young men and women in faith, scholarship, and service. This generosity shows the value our community places on having attended Morris Catholic and in helping today’s students.”

The facility will significantly enhance Morris Catholic’s physical education and athletic programs. Designed to serve the entire student body, the center will provide modern training space for physical education, strength and conditioning, and Crusader programs’ athletic teams. The first floor will feature new weights, benches, and equipment. of treadmills, bikes, and rowing machines on the second floor, along with a space for speed and agility work. A 25-foot-tall glass wall will offer visitors a view of the football field below.

The anonymous donors shared their heartfelt motivation: “We wanted to make an immediate impact, to help our youth rise to today’s challenges. Our greatest hope is that this gift empowers every student to thrive and embrace a future filled with possibility to impact, to prepare our youth for today’s challenges. We were especially interested in providing a high-quality, state-of-the-art facility for the Morris Catholic student to thrive physically, mentally, academically, and spiritually, resulting in a truly abundant life.”

The project includes exterior restrooms and a modern concession and retail space for visitors.
modern concession and retail space to enhance the experience for families and visitors attending
outdoor athletic events.

The project arrives during a time of excitement and renewed optimism at Morris Catholic. Guided by the school’s recently adopted five-year strategic plan, the community is uniting around initiatives that promise new opportunities and brighter futures for students and families.

For recently adopted five-year strategic plan, the community is investing in a series of initiatives designed to strengthen academics, expand student opportunities, help meet the financial aid needs of students and their families, and position Morris Catholic as a leader among premier
Catholic college preparatory schools in New Jersey.

“Catholic education and Catholic Schools are a great gift to students, families, our diocese, the
whole Church and the wider community. I am always inspired by donors’ sacrificial generosity, parents’ sacrifices for their children’s education, and the leaders, faculty, staff, and volunteers in our Catholic schools,” Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey said. “This new student health and fitness center at Morris Catholic is a concrete example of a community coming together to find unique and creative ways to support and educate the whole person, body, mind, and spirit.”

Beyond the record-setting gift, additional gifts from donors and parents are enabling the center to be built.

Mark Thomas, co-chair of the Morris Catholic Board of Trustees, said, “This enormous act of generosity will touch all students. It will equip our athletes with tools and capabilities to add to our history of excellence in athletics. The board is gratified that alumni are partnering with us in strategically important areas.”

 

– Morris Catholic High School in Denville, N.J., has received an unprecedented $2.5 million gift from an alumnus and spouse — the most generous donation in the school’s history — to build a new Health and Fitness Center. This remarkable gift transforms the school’s nearly 70-year history, inspiring hope and excitement in students, faculty, and families. The donors, a Morris Catholic alumnus and their spouse, have chosen to keep their identities confidential at this time. Plans for the approximately 15,000-square-foot, two-story facility addition to the Morris Catholic campus have been completed, and the school is preparing to begin construction in late

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Pope Leo Explains God Does Not Listen To People Who Wage War So Long As You Don’t Count Moses, David, Joshua, Elijah, Saul, Gideon, Samson, Or Anyone Else In Bible #BabylonBee – VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo boldly proclaimed today that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, so long as you don’t count King David, or Joshua, or Gideon, or Samson, or Elijah, or Hezekiah, or any of those other people in the Bible.
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Pope Leo Explains God Does Not Listen To People Who Wage War So Long As You Don’t Count Moses, David, Joshua, Elijah, Saul, Gideon, Samson, Or Anyone Else In Bible #BabylonBee – VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo boldly proclaimed today that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, so long as you don’t count King David, or Joshua, or Gideon, or Samson, or Elijah, or Hezekiah, or any of those other people in the Bible.

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VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo boldly proclaimed today that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, so long as you don’t count King David, or Joshua, or Gideon, or Samson, or Elijah, or Hezekiah, or any of those other people in the Bible.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 30 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 42:1-7 Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, Upon whom I have put my Spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, Not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, Until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spreads out the earth with its crops, Who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk on it: I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.From the Gospel according to John 12:1-11 Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, "Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?" He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. So Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.Christ utters these significant words: "The poor you always have with you" (Jn 12: 8). He does not mean by these words that changes of social and economic structures are not important and that we should not try different ways to eliminate injustice, humiliation, want and hunger. He means merely that man will have needs which cannot be satisfied unless with help for the needy and by sharing one’s own goods with others… Of what help are we speaking? What sharing? Is it only a question of "alms", understood in the form of money, of material aid? Certainly Christ does not remove alms from our field of vision. He thinks also of pecuniary, material alms, but in his own way. More eloquent than any other, in this connection, is the example of the poor widow, who put a few small coins into the treasury of the temple: from the material point of view, an offering that could hardly be compared with the offerings given by others. Yet Christ said: "This poor widow has put in… all the living that she had" (Lk 21:3-4). So it is, above all, the interior value of the gift that counts: the readiness to share everything, the readiness to give oneself. Let us here recall St Paul: "If I give away all I have… but have not love, I gain nothing" (1 Cor 13:3). St Augustine, too, writes well in this connection: "if you stretch out your hand to give, but have not mercy in your heart, you have not done anything; but if you have mercy in your heart, even when you have nothing to give with your hand, God accepts your alms" (Enarrat. in Ps. CXXV, 5). (Saint John Paul II – General audience, 28 March 1979)  

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
42:1-7

Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
Upon whom I have put my Spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
Not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
Until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spreads out the earth with its crops,
Who gives breath to its people
and spirit to those who walk on it:
I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
To open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

From the Gospel according to John
12:1-11

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,
where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served,
while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.
Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil
made from genuine aromatic nard
and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;
the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples,
and the one who would betray him, said,
"Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages
and given to the poor?"
He said this not because he cared about the poor
but because he was a thief and held the money bag
and used to steal the contributions.
So Jesus said, "Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came,
not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead.
And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,
because many of the Jews were turning away
and believing in Jesus because of him.

Christ utters these significant words: "The poor you always have with you" (Jn 12: 8). He does not mean by these words that changes of social and economic structures are not important and that we should not try different ways to eliminate injustice, humiliation, want and hunger. He means merely that man will have needs which cannot be satisfied unless with help for the needy and by sharing one’s own goods with others… Of what help are we speaking? What sharing? Is it only a question of "alms", understood in the form of money, of material aid? Certainly Christ does not remove alms from our field of vision. He thinks also of pecuniary, material alms, but in his own way. More eloquent than any other, in this connection, is the example of the poor widow, who put a few small coins into the treasury of the temple: from the material point of view, an offering that could hardly be compared with the offerings given by others. Yet Christ said: "This poor widow has put in… all the living that she had" (Lk 21:3-4). So it is, above all, the interior value of the gift that counts: the readiness to share everything, the readiness to give oneself. Let us here recall St Paul: "If I give away all I have… but have not love, I gain nothing" (1 Cor 13:3). St Augustine, too, writes well in this connection: "if you stretch out your hand to give, but have not mercy in your heart, you have not done anything; but if you have mercy in your heart, even when you have nothing to give with your hand, God accepts your alms" (Enarrat. in Ps. CXXV, 5). (Saint John Paul II – General audience, 28 March 1979)

 

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Prayers ascend at Legion of Mary Acies in Clifton #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided at the annual Acies of the Legion of Mary on March 22 in Sacred Heart Church in Clifton, N.J. The Legion of Mary is a worldwide organization in which members join in prayer and apostolic work in union with the Blessed Mother under the guidance of a priest. The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was held at the Acies, followed by a rosary recitation. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Prayers ascend at Legion of Mary Acies in Clifton #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided at the annual Acies of the Legion of Mary on March 22 in Sacred Heart Church in Clifton, N.J. The Legion of Mary is a worldwide organization in which members join in prayer and apostolic work in union with the Blessed Mother under the guidance of a priest. The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was held at the Acies, followed by a rosary recitation. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Prayers ascend at Legion of Mary Acies in Clifton #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided at the annual Acies of the Legion of Mary on March 22 in Sacred Heart Church in Clifton, N.J.

The Legion of Mary is a worldwide organization in which members join in prayer and apostolic work in union with the Blessed Mother under the guidance of a priest. The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was held at the Acies, followed by a rosary recitation.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided at the annual Acies of the Legion of Mary on March 22 in Sacred Heart Church in Clifton, N.J. The Legion of Mary is a worldwide organization in which members join in prayer and apostolic work in union with the Blessed Mother under the guidance of a priest. The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was held at the Acies, followed by a rosary recitation. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI  

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New US global health policy seen as a way to eliminate malaria in concert with faith leaders #Catholic – WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The future of efforts to eliminate malaria in sub-Saharan Africa may depend in part on a U.S. policy shift now drawing mixed reactions. In September, the State Department unveiled the Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy, which it described as “a comprehensive vision to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous” and also claimed it “will protect the homeland by preventing infectious disease outbreaks from reaching U.S. shores.” In a February report, an interfaith coalition of malaria-fighting groups warned that progress against the disease has “slowed in several regions,” calling the current moment a “crossroads.” But the strategy is considered one feasible path forward in eliminating the deadly disease spread by mosquitoes, the coalition said in its report titled “Making Country-Led Malaria Control a Reality.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. For a Methodist bishop from Mozambique who was on a March 19 panel sponsored by Georgetown University’s Global Health Institute in Washington, the inclusion of “America First’ in the State Department strategy is puzzling. “It’s tricky, because what do we mean by America First?” Bishop Dinis Matsolo of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Mozambique Synod, said in an interview with OSV News. “It would be interesting to hear a clarification as to what that means. We all belong to the same world. We need each other.” He added, “I think the Catholic community in the United States should know that in other countries, including Mozambique, we have religious leaders who are profoundly involved in the issues of health and climate change that require support in order to sustain. Those activities have stopped now because of the cuts (in U.S. aid).” The U.S. government’s relief efforts for malaria were devastated by the elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development under the second Trump administration. By July 2025, USAID effectively ceased to exist, with 85% of its programs cut. However, “I always want to be optimistic,” Bishop Matsolo said. “We want to encourage the involvement of all the state quarters (agencies).” Bishop Matsolo is the executive director of Programa Inter-Religioso Contra a Malaria, or PIRCOM, a faith-based organization focused on eliminating malaria that was launched in 2006 with U.S. funding. The Catholic Church in Mozambique is a founding member of PIRCOM and is represented on the board. The group works directly with the Archbishop João Carlos Hatoa Nunes of Maputo, Mozambique, and other Catholic representatives at provincial and district levels across the country. According to the World Health Organization, in 2024, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases in 80 malaria-endemic countries — an increase of about 9 million cases from 2023. Three countries — Ethiopia (+2.9 million), Madagascar (+1.9 million) and Yemen (+378,000) — accounted for 58% of the estimated case increase from 2023 to 2024. The America First Global Health Strategy, the interfaith coalition report states, “recommits the U.S. to achieving the globally agreed goals by 2030. It endorses the vision of reducing global malaria mortality and case incidence by at least 90% from 2015 levels, eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries, and preventing the reestablishment of the disease in all countries that are malaria-free.” The response, according to the coalition report and the panel discussion, has to be “country-led malaria control.” The strategy “envisions a future in which public and private funders in malaria-endemic countries are responsible for their own national efforts to end the disease,” the report said. This awaits memorandums of understanding, or MOUs, negotiated by the State Department with 70 countries over the coming months to specify what entity will provide funding, and for what. The coalition’s report emphasizes, “Continued strategic U.S. financial and technical support for endemic countries during this transition will determine, to a large extent, the trajectory of the global fight against malaria in this historic moment.” In profiling five countries — El Salvador, Indonesia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Tanzania — and key factors in each one’s malaria response, the coalition notes in particular that across Mozambique, “over 4,000 faith leaders … are using their unique influence to advocate for policy change, deliver public health messaging, mobilize volunteers and monitor medicine supplies — trusted voices mobilizing communities.” The State Department’s 40-page report on the newly launched America First Global Health Strategy, complained of “significant inefficiency and waste” in U.S. health foreign assistance programs. As an example, the report asserted that data from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, “shockingly” shows “that only about 40% of PEPFAR’s budget goes directly to finance on-the-ground service delivery.” But a number of Catholic organizations, including Catholic Relief Services — the overseas relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S. — support the aims of PEPFAR, the largest global health program devoted to a single disease. It is credited with saving 25 million lives from AIDS and with scaling back the epidemic’s spread. Kurt Jensen writes for OSV News from Washington.  
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New US global health policy seen as a way to eliminate malaria in concert with faith leaders #Catholic – WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The future of efforts to eliminate malaria in sub-Saharan Africa may depend in part on a U.S. policy shift now drawing mixed reactions. In September, the State Department unveiled the Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy, which it described as “a comprehensive vision to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous” and also claimed it “will protect the homeland by preventing infectious disease outbreaks from reaching U.S. shores.” In a February report, an interfaith coalition of malaria-fighting groups warned that progress against the disease has “slowed in several regions,” calling the current moment a “crossroads.” But the strategy is considered one feasible path forward in eliminating the deadly disease spread by mosquitoes, the coalition said in its report titled “Making Country-Led Malaria Control a Reality.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. For a Methodist bishop from Mozambique who was on a March 19 panel sponsored by Georgetown University’s Global Health Institute in Washington, the inclusion of “America First’ in the State Department strategy is puzzling. “It’s tricky, because what do we mean by America First?” Bishop Dinis Matsolo of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Mozambique Synod, said in an interview with OSV News. “It would be interesting to hear a clarification as to what that means. We all belong to the same world. We need each other.” He added, “I think the Catholic community in the United States should know that in other countries, including Mozambique, we have religious leaders who are profoundly involved in the issues of health and climate change that require support in order to sustain. Those activities have stopped now because of the cuts (in U.S. aid).” The U.S. government’s relief efforts for malaria were devastated by the elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development under the second Trump administration. By July 2025, USAID effectively ceased to exist, with 85% of its programs cut. However, “I always want to be optimistic,” Bishop Matsolo said. “We want to encourage the involvement of all the state quarters (agencies).” Bishop Matsolo is the executive director of Programa Inter-Religioso Contra a Malaria, or PIRCOM, a faith-based organization focused on eliminating malaria that was launched in 2006 with U.S. funding. The Catholic Church in Mozambique is a founding member of PIRCOM and is represented on the board. The group works directly with the Archbishop João Carlos Hatoa Nunes of Maputo, Mozambique, and other Catholic representatives at provincial and district levels across the country. According to the World Health Organization, in 2024, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases in 80 malaria-endemic countries — an increase of about 9 million cases from 2023. Three countries — Ethiopia (+2.9 million), Madagascar (+1.9 million) and Yemen (+378,000) — accounted for 58% of the estimated case increase from 2023 to 2024. The America First Global Health Strategy, the interfaith coalition report states, “recommits the U.S. to achieving the globally agreed goals by 2030. It endorses the vision of reducing global malaria mortality and case incidence by at least 90% from 2015 levels, eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries, and preventing the reestablishment of the disease in all countries that are malaria-free.” The response, according to the coalition report and the panel discussion, has to be “country-led malaria control.” The strategy “envisions a future in which public and private funders in malaria-endemic countries are responsible for their own national efforts to end the disease,” the report said. This awaits memorandums of understanding, or MOUs, negotiated by the State Department with 70 countries over the coming months to specify what entity will provide funding, and for what. The coalition’s report emphasizes, “Continued strategic U.S. financial and technical support for endemic countries during this transition will determine, to a large extent, the trajectory of the global fight against malaria in this historic moment.” In profiling five countries — El Salvador, Indonesia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Tanzania — and key factors in each one’s malaria response, the coalition notes in particular that across Mozambique, “over 4,000 faith leaders … are using their unique influence to advocate for policy change, deliver public health messaging, mobilize volunteers and monitor medicine supplies — trusted voices mobilizing communities.” The State Department’s 40-page report on the newly launched America First Global Health Strategy, complained of “significant inefficiency and waste” in U.S. health foreign assistance programs. As an example, the report asserted that data from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, “shockingly” shows “that only about 40% of PEPFAR’s budget goes directly to finance on-the-ground service delivery.” But a number of Catholic organizations, including Catholic Relief Services — the overseas relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S. — support the aims of PEPFAR, the largest global health program devoted to a single disease. It is credited with saving 25 million lives from AIDS and with scaling back the epidemic’s spread. Kurt Jensen writes for OSV News from Washington.  

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New US global health policy seen as a way to eliminate malaria in concert with faith leaders #Catholic –

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The future of efforts to eliminate malaria in sub-Saharan Africa may depend in part on a U.S. policy shift now drawing mixed reactions.

In September, the State Department unveiled the Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy, which it described as “a comprehensive vision to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous” and also claimed it “will protect the homeland by preventing infectious disease outbreaks from reaching U.S. shores.”

In a February report, an interfaith coalition of malaria-fighting groups warned that progress against the disease has “slowed in several regions,” calling the current moment a “crossroads.”

But the strategy is considered one feasible path forward in eliminating the deadly disease spread by mosquitoes, the coalition said in its report titled “Making Country-Led Malaria Control a Reality.”

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

For a Methodist bishop from Mozambique who was on a March 19 panel sponsored by Georgetown University’s Global Health Institute in Washington, the inclusion of “America First’ in the State Department strategy is puzzling.

“It’s tricky, because what do we mean by America First?” Bishop Dinis Matsolo of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Mozambique Synod, said in an interview with OSV News. “It would be interesting to hear a clarification as to what that means. We all belong to the same world. We need each other.”

He added, “I think the Catholic community in the United States should know that in other countries, including Mozambique, we have religious leaders who are profoundly involved in the issues of health and climate change that require support in order to sustain. Those activities have stopped now because of the cuts (in U.S. aid).”

The U.S. government’s relief efforts for malaria were devastated by the elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development under the second Trump administration. By July 2025, USAID effectively ceased to exist, with 85% of its programs cut.

However, “I always want to be optimistic,” Bishop Matsolo said. “We want to encourage the involvement of all the state quarters (agencies).”

Bishop Matsolo is the executive director of Programa Inter-Religioso Contra a Malaria, or PIRCOM, a faith-based organization focused on eliminating malaria that was launched in 2006 with U.S. funding.

The Catholic Church in Mozambique is a founding member of PIRCOM and is represented on the board. The group works directly with the Archbishop João Carlos Hatoa Nunes
of Maputo, Mozambique, and other Catholic representatives at provincial and district levels across the country.

According to the World Health Organization, in 2024, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases in 80 malaria-endemic countries — an increase of about 9 million cases from 2023. Three countries — Ethiopia (+2.9 million), Madagascar (+1.9 million) and Yemen (+378,000) — accounted for 58% of the estimated case increase from 2023 to 2024.

The America First Global Health Strategy, the interfaith coalition report states, “recommits the U.S. to achieving the globally agreed goals by 2030. It endorses the vision of reducing global malaria mortality and case incidence by at least 90% from 2015 levels, eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries, and preventing the reestablishment of the disease in all countries that are malaria-free.”

The response, according to the coalition report and the panel discussion, has to be “country-led malaria control.”

The strategy “envisions a future in which public and private funders in malaria-endemic countries are responsible for their own national efforts to end the disease,” the report said.

This awaits memorandums of understanding, or MOUs, negotiated by the State Department with 70 countries over the coming months to specify what entity will provide funding, and for what.

The coalition’s report emphasizes, “Continued strategic U.S. financial and technical support for endemic countries during this transition will determine, to a large extent, the trajectory of the global fight against malaria in this historic moment.”

In profiling five countries — El Salvador, Indonesia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Tanzania — and key factors in each one’s malaria response, the coalition notes in particular that across Mozambique, “over 4,000 faith leaders … are using their unique influence to advocate for policy change, deliver public health messaging, mobilize volunteers and monitor medicine supplies — trusted voices mobilizing communities.”

The State Department’s 40-page report on the newly launched America First Global Health Strategy, complained of “significant inefficiency and waste” in U.S. health foreign assistance programs. As an example, the report asserted that data from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, “shockingly” shows “that only about 40% of PEPFAR’s budget goes directly to finance on-the-ground service delivery.”

But a number of Catholic organizations, including Catholic Relief Services — the overseas relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S. — support the aims of PEPFAR, the largest global health program devoted to a single disease. It is credited with saving 25 million lives from AIDS and with scaling back the epidemic’s spread.

Kurt Jensen writes for OSV News from Washington.

 

– WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The future of efforts to eliminate malaria in sub-Saharan Africa may depend in part on a U.S. policy shift now drawing mixed reactions. In September, the State Department unveiled the Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy, which it described as “a comprehensive vision to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous” and also claimed it “will protect the homeland by preventing infectious disease outbreaks from reaching U.S. shores.” In a February report, an interfaith coalition of malaria-fighting groups warned that progress against the disease has “slowed in several regions,” calling the current moment a “crossroads.”

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March 29, 1807: Heinrich Olbers discovers Vesta

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When Heinrich Olbers spotted asteroid Pallas on March 28, 1802, it called into question the recent discovery of Ceres as the “missing” planet between Mars and Jupiter. The Titius-Bode law, a mathematical formula that predicted the expected distances of planets from the Sun and had accurately posited the location of Uranus, suggested there should beContinue reading “March 29, 1807: Heinrich Olbers discovers Vesta”

The post March 29, 1807: Heinrich Olbers discovers Vesta appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Israeli police block cardinal, custos from entering Church of the Holy Sepulchre #Catholic In an incident described as unprecedented, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, along with Father Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land and the official responsible for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the church as they made their way to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.According to a joint statement issued March 29 by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land, police stopped the two church leaders on their way as they were proceeding privately “without any ceremonial or liturgical manifestations,” and forced them to turn back.The statement noted that, for the first time in centuries, this action prevented church leaders from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It described the incident as a “serious and dangerous precedent,” adding that it “disregards the sentiments of millions of believers around the world whose eyes turn to Jerusalem during this week."Isaac Herzog, president of Israel, said in a statement on social media that he called Pizzaballa the Patton to express sorrow over the incident. “I clarified that the incident stemmed from security concerns due to the continuous threat of missile attacks from the Iranian terror regime against the civilian population in Israel, following previous incidents in which Iranian missiles fell in the area of the Old City of Jerusalem in recent days,” Herzog wrote. “I reaffirmed the State of Israelʼs unwavering commitment to freedom of religion for all faiths and to upholding the status quo at the holy sites of Jerusalem.”Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel, expressed gratitude for Herzogʼs “conciliatory” and “gracious” statement in a post on social media.TweetThe March 29 statement by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land emphasized that church leaders had acted with full responsibility, noting that since the beginning of the war they had complied with all imposed restrictions, including canceling public gatherings and limiting attendance, while relying instead on broadcast celebrations reaching hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide during the Easter season. It further stressed that preventing the patriarch and the custos of the Holy Land—who represent the highest ecclesiastical authorities responsible for the Catholic Church and the holy sites—from entering the church constitutes a measure that is “clearly unreasonable and disproportionate.”The decision, the statement added, was “hasty and based on flawed grounds,” “tainted by inappropriate considerations,” and represents “a serious departure from the fundamental principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the status quo.” In conclusion, the two church leaders expressed their “deep regret” to Christians in the Holy Land and around the world after “prayer on one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar was prevented in this manner.” Celebrations under restrictionsOn the security front, Jerusalem and the wider Holy Land continue to experience heightened tensions amid the ongoing regional conflict, which has directly affected daily life and the practice of religious rites. According to media reports, preparations for religious celebrations such as Easter and Holy Saturday have been accompanied by strict security measures, with some traditional events canceled due to security threats and reports of rockets landing near religious sites in the Holy City. Authorities have imposed limits on gatherings and restricted access to certain holy places.Pizzaballa has repeatedly highlighted the deep suffering of Christians in the region amid the ongoing conflict, calling for prayer and support for Christian communities facing increasing challenges due to war and insecurity. In previous statements, he emphasized the importance of providing spiritual and moral support to Christians in the Holy Land, underscoring the need for them to remain in their homeland and affirming that the Church continues its mission and services despite ongoing risks.Reports from religious and community sources have also pointed to a rise in attacks against Christians and Christian properties in the West Bank and Jerusalem, including acts of violence by settlers. These developments, according to various reports, reflect the deteriorating security conditions for Palestinian Christian communities amid ongoing settlement expansion, increasing the risk of displacement and further diminishing their historic presence in the Holy Land.This story was updated at 1 p.m. ET on March 29, 2026, to include comments from Isaac Herzog, president of Israel, and Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel.
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Israeli police block cardinal, custos from entering Church of the Holy Sepulchre #Catholic In an incident described as unprecedented, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, along with Father Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land and the official responsible for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the church as they made their way to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.According to a joint statement issued March 29 by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land, police stopped the two church leaders on their way as they were proceeding privately “without any ceremonial or liturgical manifestations,” and forced them to turn back.The statement noted that, for the first time in centuries, this action prevented church leaders from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It described the incident as a “serious and dangerous precedent,” adding that it “disregards the sentiments of millions of believers around the world whose eyes turn to Jerusalem during this week."Isaac Herzog, president of Israel, said in a statement on social media that he called Pizzaballa the Patton to express sorrow over the incident. “I clarified that the incident stemmed from security concerns due to the continuous threat of missile attacks from the Iranian terror regime against the civilian population in Israel, following previous incidents in which Iranian missiles fell in the area of the Old City of Jerusalem in recent days,” Herzog wrote. “I reaffirmed the State of Israelʼs unwavering commitment to freedom of religion for all faiths and to upholding the status quo at the holy sites of Jerusalem.”Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel, expressed gratitude for Herzogʼs “conciliatory” and “gracious” statement in a post on social media.TweetThe March 29 statement by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land emphasized that church leaders had acted with full responsibility, noting that since the beginning of the war they had complied with all imposed restrictions, including canceling public gatherings and limiting attendance, while relying instead on broadcast celebrations reaching hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide during the Easter season. It further stressed that preventing the patriarch and the custos of the Holy Land—who represent the highest ecclesiastical authorities responsible for the Catholic Church and the holy sites—from entering the church constitutes a measure that is “clearly unreasonable and disproportionate.”The decision, the statement added, was “hasty and based on flawed grounds,” “tainted by inappropriate considerations,” and represents “a serious departure from the fundamental principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the status quo.” In conclusion, the two church leaders expressed their “deep regret” to Christians in the Holy Land and around the world after “prayer on one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar was prevented in this manner.” Celebrations under restrictionsOn the security front, Jerusalem and the wider Holy Land continue to experience heightened tensions amid the ongoing regional conflict, which has directly affected daily life and the practice of religious rites. According to media reports, preparations for religious celebrations such as Easter and Holy Saturday have been accompanied by strict security measures, with some traditional events canceled due to security threats and reports of rockets landing near religious sites in the Holy City. Authorities have imposed limits on gatherings and restricted access to certain holy places.Pizzaballa has repeatedly highlighted the deep suffering of Christians in the region amid the ongoing conflict, calling for prayer and support for Christian communities facing increasing challenges due to war and insecurity. In previous statements, he emphasized the importance of providing spiritual and moral support to Christians in the Holy Land, underscoring the need for them to remain in their homeland and affirming that the Church continues its mission and services despite ongoing risks.Reports from religious and community sources have also pointed to a rise in attacks against Christians and Christian properties in the West Bank and Jerusalem, including acts of violence by settlers. These developments, according to various reports, reflect the deteriorating security conditions for Palestinian Christian communities amid ongoing settlement expansion, increasing the risk of displacement and further diminishing their historic presence in the Holy Land.This story was updated at 1 p.m. ET on March 29, 2026, to include comments from Isaac Herzog, president of Israel, and Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel.

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Police stopped the two church leaders on their way as they were proceeding privately “without any ceremonial or liturgical manifestations,” and forced them to turn back.

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Iranian Proxy Group the Houthis from Yemen Say They May Close Bab El Mandeb Strait – The Houthis, an Iranian proxy group from Yemen, announced on Saturday they may close Bab El Mandeb Strait. The post Iranian Proxy Group the Houthis from Yemen Say They May Close Bab El Mandeb Strait appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Iranian Proxy Group the Houthis from Yemen Say They May Close Bab El Mandeb Strait – The Houthis, an Iranian proxy group from Yemen, announced on Saturday they may close Bab El Mandeb Strait. The post Iranian Proxy Group the Houthis from Yemen Say They May Close Bab El Mandeb Strait appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Map showing the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, located between Yemen and Djibouti, highlighting key geographic features and nearby countries in the Horn of Africa.

Map showing the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, located between Yemen and Djibouti, highlighting key geographic features and nearby countries in the Horn of Africa.

The Houthis, an Iranian proxy group from Yemen, announced on Saturday they may close Bab El Mandeb Strait.

The post Iranian Proxy Group the Houthis from Yemen Say They May Close Bab El Mandeb Strait appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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JD Vance Wins CPAC’s 2028 GOP Presidential Straw Poll, Here Are The Full Results –   In a new straw poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Vice President JD Vance led the field, positioning himself as a top contender for the next Republican presidential nominee. The post JD Vance Wins CPAC’s 2028 GOP Presidential Straw Poll, Here Are The Full Results appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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JD Vance Wins CPAC’s 2028 GOP Presidential Straw Poll, Here Are The Full Results –   In a new straw poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Vice President JD Vance led the field, positioning himself as a top contender for the next Republican presidential nominee. The post JD Vance Wins CPAC’s 2028 GOP Presidential Straw Poll, Here Are The Full Results appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Man in a suit holding a microphone, delivering a speech at a conference with colorful stage lights in the background.

Man in a suit holding a microphone, delivering a speech at a conference with colorful stage lights in the background.

  In a new straw poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Vice President JD Vance led the field, positioning himself as a top contender for the next Republican presidential nominee.

The post JD Vance Wins CPAC’s 2028 GOP Presidential Straw Poll, Here Are The Full Results appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘Absolute Carnage’: Driver Mows Down ‘Numerous’ Pedestrians in Busy UK Derby City Centre, Man in 30s Arrested on the Scene (VIDEO) – A driver plowed a black Suzuki Swift into a crowd of pedestrians in the heart of the UK’s Derby city centre late Saturday night, injuring “numerous” people, some seriously, in what police are describing as a “major incident.” The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. The post ‘Absolute Carnage’: Driver Mows Down ‘Numerous’ Pedestrians in Busy UK Derby City Centre, Man in 30s Arrested on the Scene (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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‘Absolute Carnage’: Driver Mows Down ‘Numerous’ Pedestrians in Busy UK Derby City Centre, Man in 30s Arrested on the Scene (VIDEO) – A driver plowed a black Suzuki Swift into a crowd of pedestrians in the heart of the UK’s Derby city centre late Saturday night, injuring “numerous” people, some seriously, in what police are describing as a “major incident.” The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. The post ‘Absolute Carnage’: Driver Mows Down ‘Numerous’ Pedestrians in Busy UK Derby City Centre, Man in 30s Arrested on the Scene (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Emergency responders assist individuals on a busy street at night, with some people on the ground and others observing the scene.

Emergency responders assist individuals on a busy street at night, with some people on the ground and others observing the scene.

A driver plowed a black Suzuki Swift into a crowd of pedestrians in the heart of the UK’s Derby city centre late Saturday night, injuring “numerous” people, some seriously, in what police are describing as a “major incident.” The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m.

The post ‘Absolute Carnage’: Driver Mows Down ‘Numerous’ Pedestrians in Busy UK Derby City Centre, Man in 30s Arrested on the Scene (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Pope Leo XIV says God ‘does not listen’ to prayers of those who wage war #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Palm Sunday sharply condemned war and the use of religion to justify violence, saying during Mass in St. Peter’s Square that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”At the start of Holy Week, the pope tied the Church’s contemplation of Christ’s Passion to the suffering of people caught in today’s conflicts, especially Christians in the Middle East.In his Palm Sunday homily, Leo repeatedly presented Christ as the “King of Peace,” contrasting Jesus’ meekness with the violence surrounding him as he entered into his Passion.“We turn our gaze to Jesus, who reveals himself as King of Peace, even as war looms abounds him,” the pope said. “He remains steadfast in meekness, while others are stirring up violence.”Leo said Christ “did not arm himself, or defend himself, or fight any war” but instead “revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence.”“Rather than saving himself, he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross, embracing every cross borne in every time and place throughout human history,” the pope said.The pope then issued one of the strongest lines of his homily, rejecting any attempt to invoke God in support of armed conflict.“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.’”The Palm Sunday liturgy, which opened Holy Week, began with the traditional procession in St. Peter’s Square with cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, and thousands of faithful carrying palms and olive branches.In his homily, Leo reflected on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey rather than a war horse, saying the moment fulfilled the prophecy of a king who would “command peace to the nations.”Recalling the Gospel account of Peter drawing a sword to defend Jesus, Leo cited Christ’s rebuke: “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”The pope said that in the crucified Christ “we can see a crucified humanity.”“In his wounds, we see the hurts of so many women and men today,” he said. “Above all, we hear the painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war.”“Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters!”Following the Mass, Leo returned to the theme of war during the Angelus, praying in particular for Christians in the Middle East who have been prevented in some places from fully taking part in Holy Week rites.“At the beginning of Holy Week, our prayers are more than ever with the Christians of the Middle East, who are suffering the consequences of a brutal conflict and, in many cases, are unable to observe fully the liturgies of these holy days,” he said.“Just as the Church contemplates the mystery of the Lord’s Passion, we cannot forget those who today are truly sharing in his suffering. Their ordeal challenges all our consciences.”The pope added: “Let us raise our prayer to the Prince of Peace that he may sustain the peoples wounded by war and open concrete paths to reconciliation and peace.”Leo also remembered “the maritime workers who have fallen victim to the conflict,” adding: “I pray for the deceased, the wounded and their families. Land, sky and sea were all created for life and peace!”He further called attention to migrants who died in the Mediterranean, saying: “Let us also pray for all the migrants who have died at sea, especially those who lost their lives in recent days off the coast of Crete.”Near the end of his homily, the pope entrusted his plea for peace to the intercession of Mary, quoting the Servant of God Bishop Tonino Bello and praying that “the tears of all the victims of violence and pain will soon be dried up.”He concluded the Angelus by asking the Virgin Mary to accompany the faithful through the days ahead.“May she guide us during these holy days, so that we may follow Jesus, our Savior, with faith and love,” he said.This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV says God ‘does not listen’ to prayers of those who wage war #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Palm Sunday sharply condemned war and the use of religion to justify violence, saying during Mass in St. Peter’s Square that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”At the start of Holy Week, the pope tied the Church’s contemplation of Christ’s Passion to the suffering of people caught in today’s conflicts, especially Christians in the Middle East.In his Palm Sunday homily, Leo repeatedly presented Christ as the “King of Peace,” contrasting Jesus’ meekness with the violence surrounding him as he entered into his Passion.“We turn our gaze to Jesus, who reveals himself as King of Peace, even as war looms abounds him,” the pope said. “He remains steadfast in meekness, while others are stirring up violence.”Leo said Christ “did not arm himself, or defend himself, or fight any war” but instead “revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence.”“Rather than saving himself, he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross, embracing every cross borne in every time and place throughout human history,” the pope said.The pope then issued one of the strongest lines of his homily, rejecting any attempt to invoke God in support of armed conflict.“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.’”The Palm Sunday liturgy, which opened Holy Week, began with the traditional procession in St. Peter’s Square with cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, and thousands of faithful carrying palms and olive branches.In his homily, Leo reflected on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey rather than a war horse, saying the moment fulfilled the prophecy of a king who would “command peace to the nations.”Recalling the Gospel account of Peter drawing a sword to defend Jesus, Leo cited Christ’s rebuke: “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”The pope said that in the crucified Christ “we can see a crucified humanity.”“In his wounds, we see the hurts of so many women and men today,” he said. “Above all, we hear the painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war.”“Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters!”Following the Mass, Leo returned to the theme of war during the Angelus, praying in particular for Christians in the Middle East who have been prevented in some places from fully taking part in Holy Week rites.“At the beginning of Holy Week, our prayers are more than ever with the Christians of the Middle East, who are suffering the consequences of a brutal conflict and, in many cases, are unable to observe fully the liturgies of these holy days,” he said.“Just as the Church contemplates the mystery of the Lord’s Passion, we cannot forget those who today are truly sharing in his suffering. Their ordeal challenges all our consciences.”The pope added: “Let us raise our prayer to the Prince of Peace that he may sustain the peoples wounded by war and open concrete paths to reconciliation and peace.”Leo also remembered “the maritime workers who have fallen victim to the conflict,” adding: “I pray for the deceased, the wounded and their families. Land, sky and sea were all created for life and peace!”He further called attention to migrants who died in the Mediterranean, saying: “Let us also pray for all the migrants who have died at sea, especially those who lost their lives in recent days off the coast of Crete.”Near the end of his homily, the pope entrusted his plea for peace to the intercession of Mary, quoting the Servant of God Bishop Tonino Bello and praying that “the tears of all the victims of violence and pain will soon be dried up.”He concluded the Angelus by asking the Virgin Mary to accompany the faithful through the days ahead.“May she guide us during these holy days, so that we may follow Jesus, our Savior, with faith and love,” he said.This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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At Palm Sunday Mass and the Angelus following it, the pope prayed for Middle East Christians, victims of war, and migrants who died at sea off Crete.

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Ahead of Angola papal visit, journalists urged to ‘deepen knowledge’ of Catholic Church – #Catholic – LUANDA, Angola — The coordinator of the communications commission of the preparatory committee for the planned apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Angola has urged journalists to deepen their understanding of the Catholic Church to ensure accurate and responsible reporting on the upcoming papal trip.Speaking on March 21 during the Jubilee of Angolan Journalists and Communication Professionals at the Journalists’ Training Center in Luanda, Bishop António Francisco Jaca emphasized that credible coverage of the papal events requires familiarity with the Church’s structure, mission, and foundational texts.The event, which gathered about 120 journalists, forms part of the preparations for the apostolic visit scheduled for April 18–21.Jaca encouraged media to consult key ecclesial documents such as the Code of Canon Law, the social doctrine of the Church, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church when covering Church-related matters.“These documents are not necessarily for continuous reading like a novel but for consultation whenever necessary, enabling journalists to deepen their knowledge and speak more precisely on religious matters,” said Jaca, who leads Angola’s Benguela Diocese and doubles as the president of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications of the Bishops’ Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe. He is also a member of the Society of the Divine Word.Jaca said the availability of Church resources on digital platforms has made it easier for journalists to access authoritative information while also increasing their responsibility to verify facts and avoid superficial interpretations.He warned that insufficient knowledge of ecclesial realities can undermine the quality and credibility of media reporting.“Understanding the Church is also understanding an important dimension of the lives of many Angolan citizens,” he said.Reflecting on the ethical responsibilities of journalists, he stressed that communication should promote truth, justice, and social cohesion. Misuse of media, he cautioned, can foster division and even trigger conflict, particularly in a digital environment shaped by social media and artificial intelligence.“To communicate means to create harmony and promote the common good,” Jaca said, urging journalists to resist misinformation, sensationalism, and hate speech as they cover Church events and public affairs.The 62-year-old bishop also noted that journalists play a significant role in shaping public perception and must respect human dignity in their work.“Truth must always be the guiding criterion of journalistic work,” he said, noting that responsible reporting contributes to a more just and balanced society.The training program at the Journalists’ Training Center is part of the jubilee celebration that began on March 20 with reflections on its spiritual significance and concluded on March 22 with a closing Mass.Explaining the meaning of the jubilee, Jaca described it as a biblical time of renewal, reconciliation, and restoration, symbolizing a return to justice, freedom, and equality.He encouraged journalists to use the moment for self-examination and professional growth.Also addressing participants was the apostolic nuncio in Angola and São Tomé, Archbishop Kryspin Witold Dubiel, who described preparations for the papal visit as a “school of humility,” requiring reflection, adaptability, and continuous learning.Dubiel noted that organizing such a major event involves complex challenges that demand both professional rigor and civic responsibility, contributing to both personal and collective growth.Encouraging constructive reporting, the nuncio urged journalists to adopt positive and value-driven language, noting that “to bless Angola essentially means to speak well.”“Words have power and can either build up or destroy,” he said, calling on media professionals to highlight messages that promote unity, hope, and social development.Dubiel also emphasized that the way the papal visit is reported will shape collective memory, underscoring the need for responsible, balanced, and mission-oriented coverage.The Vatican diplomat further encouraged Angolans to use the occasion to strengthen patriotism and commitment to national development, fostering a renewed sense of collective responsibility for the common good.“The fruits of the visit should be both intellectual and spiritual,” the native of Poland’s Diocese of Przemyśl said, urging a balance between critical thinking and faith, and sustained reflection beyond the event.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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Ahead of Angola papal visit, journalists urged to ‘deepen knowledge’ of Catholic Church – #Catholic – LUANDA, Angola — The coordinator of the communications commission of the preparatory committee for the planned apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Angola has urged journalists to deepen their understanding of the Catholic Church to ensure accurate and responsible reporting on the upcoming papal trip.Speaking on March 21 during the Jubilee of Angolan Journalists and Communication Professionals at the Journalists’ Training Center in Luanda, Bishop António Francisco Jaca emphasized that credible coverage of the papal events requires familiarity with the Church’s structure, mission, and foundational texts.The event, which gathered about 120 journalists, forms part of the preparations for the apostolic visit scheduled for April 18–21.Jaca encouraged media to consult key ecclesial documents such as the Code of Canon Law, the social doctrine of the Church, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church when covering Church-related matters.“These documents are not necessarily for continuous reading like a novel but for consultation whenever necessary, enabling journalists to deepen their knowledge and speak more precisely on religious matters,” said Jaca, who leads Angola’s Benguela Diocese and doubles as the president of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications of the Bishops’ Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe. He is also a member of the Society of the Divine Word.Jaca said the availability of Church resources on digital platforms has made it easier for journalists to access authoritative information while also increasing their responsibility to verify facts and avoid superficial interpretations.He warned that insufficient knowledge of ecclesial realities can undermine the quality and credibility of media reporting.“Understanding the Church is also understanding an important dimension of the lives of many Angolan citizens,” he said.Reflecting on the ethical responsibilities of journalists, he stressed that communication should promote truth, justice, and social cohesion. Misuse of media, he cautioned, can foster division and even trigger conflict, particularly in a digital environment shaped by social media and artificial intelligence.“To communicate means to create harmony and promote the common good,” Jaca said, urging journalists to resist misinformation, sensationalism, and hate speech as they cover Church events and public affairs.The 62-year-old bishop also noted that journalists play a significant role in shaping public perception and must respect human dignity in their work.“Truth must always be the guiding criterion of journalistic work,” he said, noting that responsible reporting contributes to a more just and balanced society.The training program at the Journalists’ Training Center is part of the jubilee celebration that began on March 20 with reflections on its spiritual significance and concluded on March 22 with a closing Mass.Explaining the meaning of the jubilee, Jaca described it as a biblical time of renewal, reconciliation, and restoration, symbolizing a return to justice, freedom, and equality.He encouraged journalists to use the moment for self-examination and professional growth.Also addressing participants was the apostolic nuncio in Angola and São Tomé, Archbishop Kryspin Witold Dubiel, who described preparations for the papal visit as a “school of humility,” requiring reflection, adaptability, and continuous learning.Dubiel noted that organizing such a major event involves complex challenges that demand both professional rigor and civic responsibility, contributing to both personal and collective growth.Encouraging constructive reporting, the nuncio urged journalists to adopt positive and value-driven language, noting that “to bless Angola essentially means to speak well.”“Words have power and can either build up or destroy,” he said, calling on media professionals to highlight messages that promote unity, hope, and social development.Dubiel also emphasized that the way the papal visit is reported will shape collective memory, underscoring the need for responsible, balanced, and mission-oriented coverage.The Vatican diplomat further encouraged Angolans to use the occasion to strengthen patriotism and commitment to national development, fostering a renewed sense of collective responsibility for the common good.“The fruits of the visit should be both intellectual and spiritual,” the native of Poland’s Diocese of Przemyśl said, urging a balance between critical thinking and faith, and sustained reflection beyond the event.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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Bishop António Francisco Jaca emphasized that credible coverage of the papal events requires familiarity with the Church’s structure, mission, and foundational texts.

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‘The Christ’: First-of-its-kind audio drama retells Jesus’ life this Holy Week – #Catholic – A new audio podcast is bringing the Gospels to life through a new kind of experience. “The Christ,” a four-part audio dramatization of Jesus’ life — from his birth in the manger to his triumphant resurrection — is the first-ever full-scale dramatization of Jesus’ life and ministry produced in this format. With over 100 distinct characters and the use of cinematic production technology, the podcast features actors Tom Pelphrey as Jesus, David Oyelowo as Pontius Pilate; Paul Walter Hauser as John the Baptist; Courtney Hope as Mary, the mother of Jesus; Patricia Heaton as host; and John Rhys-Davies as the series narrator.The four episodes will be released during Holy Week — starting on March 30 and ending on April 2.Mark Ramsey, co-director and producer of the podcast, told EWTN News that he was inspired to create it because “it had yet to be done” and they “wanted to create something that was encouraging, that was thoughtful, that was familiar, that was exciting and fresh, something that supported everything you were hearing in church.”He added that he was also interested in it because his background is in creating projects that “are as cinematic as possible.” Mark Ramsey during the production of “The Christ.” | Credit: Ember Pictures “I’ve always argued that the ears are underappreciated in terms of their contribution to our overall sensory experience,” he said. “I wanted to make audio projects that leverage the power of sound, the power of the ear, that created pictures that didn’t require video just like back in the day, except better and more modern.”Ramsey highlighted their commitment to be “as faithful as possible” to Scripture when writing the script.He added that they “wanted to be very faithful to the Gospels because we realize we’re literally dealing with sacred material. And people’s response to it — they will have an expectation that we will be faithful to that material. So, we were committed to that faithfulness.”“The scenes were all from the Bible, all from the Gospels. How we chose those scenes and how we wove them together was really an artistic process, and it was a function of how well does this translate to audio,” he explained. “There were certain miracles that wouldn’t translate as well as certain other miracles. The miracle of enabling the deaf man to hear is perfect for this kind of vehicle. Enabling blind people to see not nearly so much.”While the podcast remains faithful to the Gospel stories, they took creative liberties in the sequence in which they are told. Ramsey said the first episode of the podcast actually culminates in the crucifixion of Jesus and then goes back to tell the story of his years in ministry.For the producer, the most impactful part is the ending — in which Jesus tells his disciples to follow him.“That gave a lasting message to not only the disciples but anyone listening. And that was ultimately the climax of the story that lives with us today. It is the message today — follow me. And the whole two hours is the why, but that message at the end is the ask. That’s the question. That’s the challenge,” he shared.Ramsey said he hopes the podcast “creates more hope in Holy Week.”“We hope it enhances the experience of Holy Week. We hope it brings a new dimension to a familiar story so that people can experience it in a new way and also in a way that’s convenient to them wherever they are,” he said.“We wanted something that introduced people to the story who had never read the Bible and gave it to them in a convenient way. We wanted something that gave a deeper experience to those who knew the story inside out, had seen or read it many times, but maybe had never heard it unless they were hearing the words of the Bible.”“The Christ” can be heard wherever listeners get their podcast or directly on the podcast’s website.
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‘The Christ’: First-of-its-kind audio drama retells Jesus’ life this Holy Week – #Catholic – A new audio podcast is bringing the Gospels to life through a new kind of experience. “The Christ,” a four-part audio dramatization of Jesus’ life — from his birth in the manger to his triumphant resurrection — is the first-ever full-scale dramatization of Jesus’ life and ministry produced in this format. With over 100 distinct characters and the use of cinematic production technology, the podcast features actors Tom Pelphrey as Jesus, David Oyelowo as Pontius Pilate; Paul Walter Hauser as John the Baptist; Courtney Hope as Mary, the mother of Jesus; Patricia Heaton as host; and John Rhys-Davies as the series narrator.The four episodes will be released during Holy Week — starting on March 30 and ending on April 2.Mark Ramsey, co-director and producer of the podcast, told EWTN News that he was inspired to create it because “it had yet to be done” and they “wanted to create something that was encouraging, that was thoughtful, that was familiar, that was exciting and fresh, something that supported everything you were hearing in church.”He added that he was also interested in it because his background is in creating projects that “are as cinematic as possible.” Mark Ramsey during the production of “The Christ.” | Credit: Ember Pictures “I’ve always argued that the ears are underappreciated in terms of their contribution to our overall sensory experience,” he said. “I wanted to make audio projects that leverage the power of sound, the power of the ear, that created pictures that didn’t require video just like back in the day, except better and more modern.”Ramsey highlighted their commitment to be “as faithful as possible” to Scripture when writing the script.He added that they “wanted to be very faithful to the Gospels because we realize we’re literally dealing with sacred material. And people’s response to it — they will have an expectation that we will be faithful to that material. So, we were committed to that faithfulness.”“The scenes were all from the Bible, all from the Gospels. How we chose those scenes and how we wove them together was really an artistic process, and it was a function of how well does this translate to audio,” he explained. “There were certain miracles that wouldn’t translate as well as certain other miracles. The miracle of enabling the deaf man to hear is perfect for this kind of vehicle. Enabling blind people to see not nearly so much.”While the podcast remains faithful to the Gospel stories, they took creative liberties in the sequence in which they are told. Ramsey said the first episode of the podcast actually culminates in the crucifixion of Jesus and then goes back to tell the story of his years in ministry.For the producer, the most impactful part is the ending — in which Jesus tells his disciples to follow him.“That gave a lasting message to not only the disciples but anyone listening. And that was ultimately the climax of the story that lives with us today. It is the message today — follow me. And the whole two hours is the why, but that message at the end is the ask. That’s the question. That’s the challenge,” he shared.Ramsey said he hopes the podcast “creates more hope in Holy Week.”“We hope it enhances the experience of Holy Week. We hope it brings a new dimension to a familiar story so that people can experience it in a new way and also in a way that’s convenient to them wherever they are,” he said.“We wanted something that introduced people to the story who had never read the Bible and gave it to them in a convenient way. We wanted something that gave a deeper experience to those who knew the story inside out, had seen or read it many times, but maybe had never heard it unless they were hearing the words of the Bible.”“The Christ” can be heard wherever listeners get their podcast or directly on the podcast’s website.

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The new podcast will be released during Holy Week — beginning March 30 and ending on April 2.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 29 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 50:4-7 The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.   A reading from the Letter to the Philippians 2:6-11 Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.From the Gospel according to Matthew 26:14—27:66 One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, "My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples."’" The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, "Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me." Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, "Surely it is not I, Lord?" He said in reply, "He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born." Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" He answered, "You have said so." While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father." Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, "This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed; but after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee." Peter said to him in reply, "Though all may have their faith in you shaken, mine will never be." Jesus said to him, "Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." Peter said to him, "Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you." And all the disciples spoke likewise. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me." He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will." When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, "So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again, "My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!" Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open. He left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing again. Then he returned to his disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand when the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners. Get up, let us go. Look, my betrayer is at hand." While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd, with swords and clubs, who had come from the chief priests and the elders of the people. His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying, "The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him." Immediately he went over to Jesus and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and he kissed him. Jesus answered him, "Friend, do what you have come for." Then stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. And behold, one of those who accompanied Jesus put his hand to his sword, drew it, and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father and he will not provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels? But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must come to pass in this way?" At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to seize me? Day after day I sat teaching in the temple area, yet you did not arrest me. But all this has come to pass that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him and fled. Those who had arrested Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. Peter was following him at a distance as far as the high priest’s courtyard, and going inside he sat down with the servants to see the outcome. The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward who stated, "This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God and within three days rebuild it.’" The high priest rose and addressed him, "Have you no answer? What are these men testifying against you?" But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, "I order you to tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus said to him in reply, "You have said so. But I tell you: From now on you will see ‘the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power’ and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’" Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! What further need have we of witnesses? You have now heard the blasphemy; what is your opinion?" They said in reply, "He deserves to die!" Then they spat in his face and struck him, while some slapped him, saying, "Prophesy for us, Christ: who is it that struck you?" Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. One of the maids came over to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about!" As he went out to the gate, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazorean." Again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man!" A little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of them; even your speech gives you away." At that he began to curse and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately a cock crowed. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: "Before the cock crows you will deny me three times." He went out and began to weep bitterly. When it was morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the governor. Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply regretted what he had done. He returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned in betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? Look to it yourself." Flinging the money into the temple, he departed and went off and hanged himself. The chief priests gathered up the money, but said, "It is not lawful to deposit this in the temple treasury, for it is the price of blood." After consultation, they used it to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why that field even today is called the Field of Blood. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of a man with a price on his head, a price set by some of the Israelites, and they paid it out for the potter’s field just as the Lord had commanded me. Now Jesus stood before the governor, and he questioned him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so." And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?" But he did not answer him one word, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Now on the occasion of the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them, "Which one do you want me to release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?" For he knew that it was out of envy that they had handed him over. While he was still seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man. I suffered much in a dream today because of him." The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus. The governor said to them in reply, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They answered, "Barabbas!" Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" But he said, "Why? What evil has he done?" They only shouted the louder, "Let him be crucified!" When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves." And the whole people said in reply, "His blood be upon us and upon our children." Then he released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about him. Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify him. As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon; this man they pressed into service to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha —which means Place of the Skull —, they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall. But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink. After they had crucified him, they divided his garments by casting lots; then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And they placed over his head the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left. Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, if you are the Son of God, and come down from the cross!" Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. So he is the king of Israel! Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he wants him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’" The revolutionaries who were crucified with him also kept abusing him in the same way. From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some of the bystanders who heard it said, "This one is calling for Elijah." Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge; he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink. But the rest said, "Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him." But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. Here all kneel and pause for a short time. And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, "Truly, this was the Son of God!" There were many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him. Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be handed over. Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained sitting there, facing the tomb. The next day, the one following the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember that this impostor while still alive said, ‘After three days I will be raised up.’ Give orders, then, that the grave be secured until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him and say to the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ This last imposture would be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "The guard is yours; go, secure it as best you can." So they went and secured the tomb by fixing a seal to the stone and setting the guard. or Matthew 27:11-54 Jesus stood before the governor, Pontius Pilate, who questioned him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so." And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?" But he did not answer him one word, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Now on the occasion of the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them, "Which one do you want me to release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?" For he knew that it was out of envy that they had handed him over. While he was still seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man. I suffered much in a dream today because of him." The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus. The governor said to them in reply, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They answered, "Barabbas!" Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" But he said, "Why? What evil has he done?" They only shouted the louder, "Let him be crucified!" When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves." And the whole people said in reply, "His blood be upon us and upon our children." Then he released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about him. Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify him. As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon; this man they pressed into service to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha — which means Place of the Skull —, they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall. But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink. After they had crucified him, they divided his garments by casting lots; then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And they placed over his head the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left. Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, if you are the Son of God, and come down from the cross!" Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. So he is the king of Israel! Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he wants him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’" The revolutionaries who were crucified with him also kept abusing him in the same way. From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some of the bystanders who heard it said, "This one is calling for Elijah." Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge; he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink. But the rest said, ‘Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him." But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. Here all kneel and pause for a short time. And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, "Truly, this was the Son of God!"In today’s Gospel, Jesus says one thing from the Cross, one thing alone: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46). These are powerful words. Jesus had suffered the abandonment of his own, who had fled. But the Father remained for him. Now, in the abyss of solitude, for the first time he calls him by the generic name “God”. And “in a loud voice” he asks the question “why?”, the most excruciating “why?” (…) Why did all this take place? Once again, it was done for our sake, to serve us. So that when we have our back to the wall, when we find ourselves at a dead end, with no light and no way of escape, when it seems that God himself is not responding, we should remember that we are not alone. Jesus experienced total abandonment in a situation he had never before experienced in order to be one with us in everything. (Pope Francis – Homily in the celebration of Palm, 5 April 2020)

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
50:4-7

The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
that I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

 

A reading from the Letter to the Philippians
2:6-11

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
26:14—27:66

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
"What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?"
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity
to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?"
He said,
"Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
‘The teacher says, "My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples."’"
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
"Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
"Surely it is not I, Lord?"
He said in reply,
"He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born."
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
"Surely it is not I, Rabbi?"
He answered, "You have said so."

While they were eating,
Jesus took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and giving it to his disciples said,
"Take and eat; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
"Drink from it, all of you,
for this is my blood of the covenant,
which will be shed on behalf of many
for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it with you new
in the kingdom of my Father."
Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Then Jesus said to them,
"This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken,
for it is written:
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed;
but after I have been raised up,
I shall go before you to Galilee."
Peter said to him in reply,
"Though all may have their faith in you shaken,
mine will never be."
Jesus said to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
this very night before the cock crows,
you will deny me three times."
Peter said to him,
"Even though I should have to die with you,
I will not deny you."
And all the disciples spoke likewise.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,
and he said to his disciples,
"Sit here while I go over there and pray."
He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
and began to feel sorrow and distress.
Then he said to them,
"My soul is sorrowful even to death.
Remain here and keep watch with me."
He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying,
"My Father, if it is possible,
let this cup pass from me;
yet, not as I will, but as you will."
When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep.
He said to Peter,
"So you could not keep watch with me for one hour?
Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again,
"My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass
without my drinking it, your will be done!"
Then he returned once more and found them asleep,
for they could not keep their eyes open.
He left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time,
saying the same thing again.
Then he returned to his disciples and said to them,
"Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
Behold, the hour is at hand
when the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners.
Get up, let us go.
Look, my betrayer is at hand."

While he was still speaking,
Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived,
accompanied by a large crowd, with swords and clubs,
who had come from the chief priests and the elders
of the people.
His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying,
"The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him."
Immediately he went over to Jesus and said,
"Hail, Rabbi!" and he kissed him.
Jesus answered him,
"Friend, do what you have come for."
Then stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.
And behold, one of those who accompanied Jesus
put his hand to his sword, drew it,
and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear.
Then Jesus said to him,
"Put your sword back into its sheath,
for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father
and he will not provide me at this moment
with more than twelve legions of angels?
But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled
which say that it must come to pass in this way?"
At that hour Jesus said to the crowds,
"Have you come out as against a robber,
with swords and clubs to seize me?
Day after day I sat teaching in the temple area,
yet you did not arrest me.
But all this has come to pass
that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled."
Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Those who had arrested Jesus led him away
to Caiaphas the high priest,
where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
Peter was following him at a distance
as far as the high priest’s courtyard,
and going inside he sat down with the servants
to see the outcome.
The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin
kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus
in order to put him to death,
but they found none,
though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward who stated,
"This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God
and within three days rebuild it.’"
The high priest rose and addressed him,
"Have you no answer?
What are these men testifying against you?"
But Jesus was silent.
Then the high priest said to him,
"I order you to tell us under oath before the living God
whether you are the Christ, the Son of God."
Jesus said to him in reply,
"You have said so.
But I tell you:
From now on you will see ‘the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power’
and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’"
Then the high priest tore his robes and said,
"He has blasphemed!
What further need have we of witnesses?
You have now heard the blasphemy;
what is your opinion?"
They said in reply,
"He deserves to die!"
Then they spat in his face and struck him,
while some slapped him, saying,
"Prophesy for us, Christ: who is it that struck you?"

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.
One of the maids came over to him and said,
"You too were with Jesus the Galilean."
But he denied it in front of everyone, saying,
"I do not know what you are talking about!"
As he went out to the gate, another girl saw him
and said to those who were there,
"This man was with Jesus the Nazorean."
Again he denied it with an oath,
"I do not know the man!"
A little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter,
"Surely you too are one of them;
even your speech gives you away."
At that he began to curse and to swear,
"I do not know the man."
And immediately a cock crowed.
Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken:
"Before the cock crows you will deny me three times."
He went out and began to weep bitterly.

When it was morning,
all the chief priests and the elders of the people
took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
They bound him, led him away,
and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned,
deeply regretted what he had done.
He returned the thirty pieces of silver
to the chief priests and elders, saying,
"I have sinned in betraying innocent blood."
They said,
"What is that to us?
Look to it yourself."
Flinging the money into the temple,
he departed and went off and hanged himself.
The chief priests gathered up the money, but said,
"It is not lawful to deposit this in the temple treasury,
for it is the price of blood."
After consultation, they used it to buy the potter’s field
as a burial place for foreigners.
That is why that field even today is called the Field of Blood.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah
the prophet,
And they took the thirty pieces of silver,
the value of a man with a price on his head,
a price set by some of the Israelites,
and they paid it out for the potter’s field
just as the Lord had commanded me.

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and he questioned him,
"Are you the king of the Jews?"
Jesus said, "You say so."
And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders,
he made no answer.
Then Pilate said to him,
"Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?"
But he did not answer him one word,
so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now on the occasion of the feast
the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd
one prisoner whom they wished.
And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them,
"Which one do you want me to release to you,
Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?"
For he knew that it was out of envy
that they had handed him over.
While he was still seated on the bench,
his wife sent him a message,
"Have nothing to do with that righteous man.
I suffered much in a dream today because of him."
The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds
to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus.
The governor said to them in reply,
"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"
They answered, "Barabbas!"
Pilate said to them,
"Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?"
They all said,
"Let him be crucified!"
But he said,
"Why? What evil has he done?"
They only shouted the louder,
"Let him be crucified!"
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all,
but that a riot was breaking out instead,
he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd,
saying, "I am innocent of this man’s blood.
Look to it yourselves."
And the whole people said in reply,
"His blood be upon us and upon our children."
Then he released Barabbas to them,
but after he had Jesus scourged,
he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium
and gathered the whole cohort around him.
They stripped off his clothes
and threw a scarlet military cloak about him.
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head,
and a reed in his right hand.
And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying,
"Hail, King of the Jews!"
They spat upon him and took the reed
and kept striking him on the head.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the cloak,
dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him off to crucify him.

As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon;
this man they pressed into service
to carry his cross.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha
—which means Place of the Skull —,
they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.
But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
After they had crucified him,
they divided his garments by casting lots;
then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And they placed over his head the written charge against him:
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Two revolutionaries were crucified with him,
one on his right and the other on his left.
Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
"You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself, if you are the Son of God,
and come down from the cross!"
Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said,
"He saved others; he cannot save himself.
So he is the king of Israel!
Let him come down from the cross now,
and we will believe in him.
He trusted in God;
let him deliver him now if he wants him.
For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’"
The revolutionaries who were crucified with him
also kept abusing him in the same way.

From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"
which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
"This one is calling for Elijah."
Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge;
he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed,
gave it to him to drink.
But the rest said,
"Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him."
But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice,
and gave up his spirit.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

And behold, the veil of the sanctuary
was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened,
and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection,
they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus
feared greatly when they saw the earthquake
and all that was happening, and they said,
"Truly, this was the Son of God!"
There were many women there, looking on from a distance,
who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him.
Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph,
and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

When it was evening,
there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph,
who was himself a disciple of Jesus.
He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus;
then Pilate ordered it to be handed over.
Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen
and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock.
Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb
and departed.
But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
remained sitting there, facing the tomb.

The next day, the one following the day of preparation,
the chief priests and the Pharisees
gathered before Pilate and said,
"Sir, we remember that this impostor while still alive said,
‘After three days I will be raised up.’
Give orders, then, that the grave be secured until the third day,
lest his disciples come and steal him and say to the people,
‘He has been raised from the dead.’
This last imposture would be worse than the first."
Pilate said to them,
"The guard is yours;
go, secure it as best you can."
So they went and secured the tomb
by fixing a seal to the stone and setting the guard.

or
Matthew 27:11-54
Jesus stood before the governor, Pontius Pilate, who questioned him,
"Are you the king of the Jews?"
Jesus said, "You say so."
And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders,
he made no answer.
Then Pilate said to him,
"Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?"
But he did not answer him one word,
so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now on the occasion of the feast
the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd
one prisoner whom they wished.
And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them,
"Which one do you want me to release to you,
Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?"
For he knew that it was out of envy
that they had handed him over.
While he was still seated on the bench,
his wife sent him a message,
"Have nothing to do with that righteous man.
I suffered much in a dream today because of him."
The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds
to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus.
The governor said to them in reply,
"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"
They answered, "Barabbas!"
Pilate said to them,
"Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?"
They all said,
"Let him be crucified!"
But he said,
"Why? What evil has he done?"
They only shouted the louder,
"Let him be crucified!"
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all,
but that a riot was breaking out instead,
he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd,
saying, "I am innocent of this man’s blood.
Look to it yourselves."
And the whole people said in reply,
"His blood be upon us and upon our children."
Then he released Barabbas to them,
but after he had Jesus scourged,
he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium
and gathered the whole cohort around him.
They stripped off his clothes
and threw a scarlet military cloak about him.
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head,
and a reed in his right hand.
And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying,
"Hail, King of the Jews!"
They spat upon him and took the reed
and kept striking him on the head.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the cloak,
dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him off to crucify him.

As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon;
this man they pressed into service
to carry his cross.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha
— which means Place of the Skull —,
they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.
But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
After they had crucified him,
they divided his garments by casting lots;
then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And they placed over his head the written charge against him:
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Two revolutionaries were crucified with him,
one on his right and the other on his left.
Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
"You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself, if you are the Son of God,
and come down from the cross!"
Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said,
"He saved others; he cannot save himself.
So he is the king of Israel!
Let him come down from the cross now,
and we will believe in him.
He trusted in God;
let him deliver him now if he wants him.
For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’"
The revolutionaries who were crucified with him
also kept abusing him in the same way.

From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"
which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
"This one is calling for Elijah."
Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge;
he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed,
gave it to him to drink.
But the rest said,
‘Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him."
But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice,
and gave up his spirit.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

And behold, the veil of the sanctuary
was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened,
and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection,
they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus
feared greatly when they saw the earthquake
and all that was happening, and they said,
"Truly, this was the Son of God!"

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says one thing from the Cross, one thing alone: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46). These are powerful words. Jesus had suffered the abandonment of his own, who had fled. But the Father remained for him. Now, in the abyss of solitude, for the first time he calls him by the generic name “God”. And “in a loud voice” he asks the question “why?”, the most excruciating “why?” (…) Why did all this take place? Once again, it was done for our sake, to serve us. So that when we have our back to the wall, when we find ourselves at a dead end, with no light and no way of escape, when it seems that God himself is not responding, we should remember that we are not alone. Jesus experienced total abandonment in a situation he had never before experienced in order to be one with us in everything. (Pope Francis – Homily in the celebration of Palm, 5 April 2020)

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Here is Pope Leo XIV’s schedule for Holy Week and Easter 2026 at the Vatican - #Catholic - VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the liturgies of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum for the first time as pope this week.Palm Sunday marks the start of the one of the busiest and fullest liturgical periods of the year for the Catholic Church and the Vatican, where Leo will celebrate five Masses and preside over several other liturgies and devotions between March 29 and April 6.Here is the Vatican’s full schedule for Holy Week and Easter 2026:Palm Sunday A solemn procession of cardinals and bishops carrying intricately woven palm fronds enters St. Peter’s Square during Palm Sunday celebrations in Vatican City, April 13, 2025. | Credit: Bénédicte Cedergren/EWTN News On Sunday morning, March 29, the pope will celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Square for Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday or the Commemoration of the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem.The 10 a.m. Mass will begin with a grand procession of the pope with deacons, priests, bishops, cardinals, and laypeople carrying large palms.The procession, which will wind around the square and its central obelisk, includes olive tree branches, palm fronds, and the large, weaved palms called “palmureli.” The Vatican expects to distribute 120,000 olive branches at the Mass.Afterward, Leo will lead the Angelus prayer, as he does every Sunday.Holy ThursdayPope Leo will begin Holy Thursday, April 2, with the celebration of the chrism Mass at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.Many of the cardinals, bishops, and priests living in Rome typically concelebrate this Mass, in which the pope, as bishop of Rome, blesses the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumens, and the chrism oil to be used in the diocese during the coming year.At 5:30 p.m., Leo will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Basilica of St. John Lateran.Celebrating the Mass at the cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome restores a long-standing practice that Pope Francis set aside in favor of demonstrating closeness to prisoners by offering the Mass at some of the city’s prisons.Good FridayContinuing the liturgies of the Triduum, Leo is scheduled to preside over a service for the passion of the Lord on Good Friday at 5 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.During this liturgy, which is not a Mass, it is the custom for the papal preacher —  currently Father Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap — to give a sermon on Christ’s crucifixion.In the evening, the pope will lead the Stations of the Cross devotion at the Colosseum starting at 9:15 p.m. Thousands of faithful holding candles surround the illuminated Colosseum in Rome during the traditional Stations of the Cross devotion on Good Friday, April 18, 2025. | Credit: Zofia Czubak/EWTN News Holy SaturdayLeo will celebrate the Easter Vigil Mass at 9 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.The Easter Vigil, which takes place on Holy Saturday night, “is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities,” according to the Roman Missal.The liturgy begins in darkness with the blessing of the new fire and the preparation of the paschal candle. At the Vatican, cardinals, bishops, and priests process through the dark basilica carrying lit candles to signify the light of Christ coming to dispel the darkness.The pope also typically baptizes new Catholics at this Mass.Easter SundayThe morning of Easter Sunday, Leo will preside over Mass in St. Peter’s Square at 10:15 a.m. on a flower-decked parvise.After Mass, he will give the annual Easter “urbi et orbi blessing” from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.“Urbi et orbi” means “to the city [of Rome] and to the world” and is a special apostolic blessing given by the pope every year on Easter Sunday, Christmas, and other special occasions.For Easter Sunday, the square will be decorated with thousands of flowers from the Netherlands, a custom spanning 40 years.This year, the arrangements will include 65,000 tulip, daffodil, hyacinth, and mini daffodil bulbs; 220 white and orange violets; 7,800 roses, delphiniums, anthuriums, chrysanthemums, gerberas, and matthiolas; 600 branches of plumosa; 80 azaleas; and 600 long branches of willow catkins, long branches of eucalyptus, and various types of foliage.Easter MondayPope Leo will mark Easter Monday, also called “Monday of the Angel,” by praying the Regina Caeli, a Marian prayer recited during the Easter season, at noon from a window of the Apostolic Palace.
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Here is Pope Leo XIV’s schedule for Holy Week and Easter 2026 at the Vatican – #Catholic – VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the liturgies of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum for the first time as pope this week.Palm Sunday marks the start of the one of the busiest and fullest liturgical periods of the year for the Catholic Church and the Vatican, where Leo will celebrate five Masses and preside over several other liturgies and devotions between March 29 and April 6.Here is the Vatican’s full schedule for Holy Week and Easter 2026:Palm Sunday A solemn procession of cardinals and bishops carrying intricately woven palm fronds enters St. Peter’s Square during Palm Sunday celebrations in Vatican City, April 13, 2025. | Credit: Bénédicte Cedergren/EWTN News On Sunday morning, March 29, the pope will celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Square for Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday or the Commemoration of the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem.The 10 a.m. Mass will begin with a grand procession of the pope with deacons, priests, bishops, cardinals, and laypeople carrying large palms.The procession, which will wind around the square and its central obelisk, includes olive tree branches, palm fronds, and the large, weaved palms called “palmureli.” The Vatican expects to distribute 120,000 olive branches at the Mass.Afterward, Leo will lead the Angelus prayer, as he does every Sunday.Holy ThursdayPope Leo will begin Holy Thursday, April 2, with the celebration of the chrism Mass at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.Many of the cardinals, bishops, and priests living in Rome typically concelebrate this Mass, in which the pope, as bishop of Rome, blesses the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumens, and the chrism oil to be used in the diocese during the coming year.At 5:30 p.m., Leo will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Basilica of St. John Lateran.Celebrating the Mass at the cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome restores a long-standing practice that Pope Francis set aside in favor of demonstrating closeness to prisoners by offering the Mass at some of the city’s prisons.Good FridayContinuing the liturgies of the Triduum, Leo is scheduled to preside over a service for the passion of the Lord on Good Friday at 5 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.During this liturgy, which is not a Mass, it is the custom for the papal preacher —  currently Father Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap — to give a sermon on Christ’s crucifixion.In the evening, the pope will lead the Stations of the Cross devotion at the Colosseum starting at 9:15 p.m. Thousands of faithful holding candles surround the illuminated Colosseum in Rome during the traditional Stations of the Cross devotion on Good Friday, April 18, 2025. | Credit: Zofia Czubak/EWTN News Holy SaturdayLeo will celebrate the Easter Vigil Mass at 9 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.The Easter Vigil, which takes place on Holy Saturday night, “is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities,” according to the Roman Missal.The liturgy begins in darkness with the blessing of the new fire and the preparation of the paschal candle. At the Vatican, cardinals, bishops, and priests process through the dark basilica carrying lit candles to signify the light of Christ coming to dispel the darkness.The pope also typically baptizes new Catholics at this Mass.Easter SundayThe morning of Easter Sunday, Leo will preside over Mass in St. Peter’s Square at 10:15 a.m. on a flower-decked parvise.After Mass, he will give the annual Easter “urbi et orbi blessing” from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.“Urbi et orbi” means “to the city [of Rome] and to the world” and is a special apostolic blessing given by the pope every year on Easter Sunday, Christmas, and other special occasions.For Easter Sunday, the square will be decorated with thousands of flowers from the Netherlands, a custom spanning 40 years.This year, the arrangements will include 65,000 tulip, daffodil, hyacinth, and mini daffodil bulbs; 220 white and orange violets; 7,800 roses, delphiniums, anthuriums, chrysanthemums, gerberas, and matthiolas; 600 branches of plumosa; 80 azaleas; and 600 long branches of willow catkins, long branches of eucalyptus, and various types of foliage.Easter MondayPope Leo will mark Easter Monday, also called “Monday of the Angel,” by praying the Regina Caeli, a Marian prayer recited during the Easter season, at noon from a window of the Apostolic Palace.

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Palm Sunday marks the start of the one of the busiest and fullest liturgical periods of the year for the Catholic Church and the Vatican.

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PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV’s one-day trip to Monaco #Catholic Pope Leo XIV concluded his one-day trip to Monaco on March 28, wrapping up a whirlwind visit that included meeting with the countryʼs royalty and holding Mass in Louis II Stadium. The Holy Father became the first pope to visit the European micro-state in nearly 500 years. He appealed to the wealthy nation to spread the Gospel and become vessels of Godʼs love and generosity. Pope Leo XIV flies into Monaco aboard the papal helicopter, Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV meets Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV shakes the hand of Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès, in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds in Monte Carlo in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds in Monaco on Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets a baby on the streets of Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV views dancers during public festivities in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV processes during Mass at Louis II Stadium in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV elevates the chalice during Mass at Louis II Stadium in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves from aboard his helicopter upon departure from Monaco Heliport in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Credit: Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images)
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PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV’s one-day trip to Monaco #Catholic Pope Leo XIV concluded his one-day trip to Monaco on March 28, wrapping up a whirlwind visit that included meeting with the countryʼs royalty and holding Mass in Louis II Stadium. The Holy Father became the first pope to visit the European micro-state in nearly 500 years. He appealed to the wealthy nation to spread the Gospel and become vessels of Godʼs love and generosity. Pope Leo XIV flies into Monaco aboard the papal helicopter, Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV meets Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV shakes the hand of Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès, in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds in Monte Carlo in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds in Monaco on Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets a baby on the streets of Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV views dancers during public festivities in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV processes during Mass at Louis II Stadium in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV elevates the chalice during Mass at Louis II Stadium in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves from aboard his helicopter upon departure from Monaco Heliport in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Credit: Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images)

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The Holy Father met with the country’s royalty, addressed Catholic youth, and celebrated Mass at Louis II Stadium.

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Pope Leo XIV at Monaco stadium Mass: Wars are ‘the result of the idolatry of power and money’ #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on March 28 condemned all military conflicts, which he argued are the result of the “idolatry of power and money” and which “bloody” Godʼs gift of grace to men.Godʼs grace “illuminates our present, because the wars that bloody it are the result of the idolatry of power and money,” said Leo in the homily he delivered during the Mass at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco.Four months after his first apostolic trip to Turkey and Lebanon, the pontiff ended his lightning visit to the Principality of Monaco with the Mass in the stadium dedicated to Prince Louis II, who reigned between 1922 and 1949.The stadium has a capacity for more than 18,000 spectators, which makes it a prominent place for sporting and entertainment events, in addition to being an ideal place for the papal Mass.Upon his arrival, Leo toured the venue in a golf cart, from which he greeted and blessed the cheering faithful who were waiting for him while waving flags of the Vatican City and of Monaco.The logic of power versus innocenceIn his homily, the pope highlighted the biblical account in which the members of the Sanhedrin decide to kill Jesus. From this passage, he explained that the face of God is revealed alongside those who, moved by power interests, are willing to eliminate the innocent.As he pointed out, Caiphas' verdict is born from a political calculation based on fear: “Forgetting Godʼs promise to his people, they want to kill the innocent, because behind their fear is the attachment to power.”“Isnʼt that what happens today?” the pope asked. “Even today, how many calculations are made in the world to kill innocent people; how many false reasons are used to get them out of the way!”Not getting used to warThe pontiff called for the purification of the “idolatry” that feeds wars and turns men into slaves of other men, while urging the faithful to not get used to violence.“Every truncated life is a wound to the body of Christ. Letʼs not get used to the rumble of weapons or the images of war!” he exclaimed.In this sense, he stressed that peace cannot be reduced to a balance of power: “It is not a mere balance of forces, but the work of purified hearts, of those who see in the other a brother to take care of, not an enemy to bring down.”Mercy, response to evilFaced with the persistence of evil, the pope recalled that Godʼs justice acts as a source of hope and renewal: “The Lord frees from pain by infusing hope, he converts the hardness of the heart by transforming power into service, precisely while manifesting the true name of his omnipotence: mercy.”In this way, he assured that it is “mercy that saves the world” because it takes charge of all human existence, “in each of its weaknesses, from the moment it is conceived in the womb until it ages,” he added.A message on the eve of EasterThe popeʼs visit to Monaco, just eight hours long, was made at the invitation of Albert II of Monaco. It took place on the eve of Holy Week, a context to which the pope referred during his homily. “The Lord changes the history of the world by calling us from idolatry to true faith, from death to life,” he said.In this context, he also evoked the prophet Jeremiah: “In the face of the numerous injustices that destroy the peoples and the war that plagues the nations, the voice of the prophet Jeremiah is constantly raised: I will change their mourning into joy, I will make them happy and I will console them with their affliction” (Jer 31,13).The joy that is born of charityFinally, the pontiff called the faithful to be witnesses of hope, making “many happy with their faith” and sharing a joy that is not acquired as a prize, but is born of charity.“The source of this joy is the love of God: love for the nascent and fragile life, which must always be welcomed and cared for; love for young and old life, which must be encouraged in the trials of each stage; love for healthy and sick life, sometimes alone, always in need of being accompanied with care,” he concluded.At the end of the celebration, the Archbishop of Monaco, Monsignor Dominique-Marie David, thanked Pope Leo XIV for his visit, emphasizing that God is “the source of all good” and that the pontiff, as the successor of Peter, has come to remind the local Church of this.In this sense, he stressed that the pope has encouraged the faithful to face “fearlessly” the current challenges, aware that they have “a treasure capable of sustaining hope, ours and that of the world.”On the eve of Holy Week, David said that the popeʼs visit has served to “confirm the faith of his brothers,” reinforcing the commitment of the Christian community.Pope Leo XIV gave the Archdiocese of Monaco a contemporary sculpture by St. Francis of Assisi. The work represents the Italian saint, one of the most beloved figures of the Christian tradition and universally recognized as a messenger of peace, fraternity and reconciliation.Francis in the sculpture appears dressed in the simple Franciscan habit, a symbol of evangelical poverty and inner freedom, girded by the characteristic cord with three knots.In the sculpture the saint holds a white dove in his left hand, while the right hand opens in a gesture of welcome and donation.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 at Monaco stadium Mass: Wars are ‘the result of the idolatry of power and money’ #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on March 28 condemned all military conflicts, which he argued are the result of the “idolatry of power and money” and which “bloody” Godʼs gift of grace to men.Godʼs grace “illuminates our present, because the wars that bloody it are the result of the idolatry of power and money,” said Leo in the homily he delivered during the Mass at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco.Four months after his first apostolic trip to Turkey and Lebanon, the pontiff ended his lightning visit to the Principality of Monaco with the Mass in the stadium dedicated to Prince Louis II, who reigned between 1922 and 1949.The stadium has a capacity for more than 18,000 spectators, which makes it a prominent place for sporting and entertainment events, in addition to being an ideal place for the papal Mass.Upon his arrival, Leo toured the venue in a golf cart, from which he greeted and blessed the cheering faithful who were waiting for him while waving flags of the Vatican City and of Monaco.The logic of power versus innocenceIn his homily, the pope highlighted the biblical account in which the members of the Sanhedrin decide to kill Jesus. From this passage, he explained that the face of God is revealed alongside those who, moved by power interests, are willing to eliminate the innocent.As he pointed out, Caiphas' verdict is born from a political calculation based on fear: “Forgetting Godʼs promise to his people, they want to kill the innocent, because behind their fear is the attachment to power.”“Isnʼt that what happens today?” the pope asked. “Even today, how many calculations are made in the world to kill innocent people; how many false reasons are used to get them out of the way!”Not getting used to warThe pontiff called for the purification of the “idolatry” that feeds wars and turns men into slaves of other men, while urging the faithful to not get used to violence.“Every truncated life is a wound to the body of Christ. Letʼs not get used to the rumble of weapons or the images of war!” he exclaimed.In this sense, he stressed that peace cannot be reduced to a balance of power: “It is not a mere balance of forces, but the work of purified hearts, of those who see in the other a brother to take care of, not an enemy to bring down.”Mercy, response to evilFaced with the persistence of evil, the pope recalled that Godʼs justice acts as a source of hope and renewal: “The Lord frees from pain by infusing hope, he converts the hardness of the heart by transforming power into service, precisely while manifesting the true name of his omnipotence: mercy.”In this way, he assured that it is “mercy that saves the world” because it takes charge of all human existence, “in each of its weaknesses, from the moment it is conceived in the womb until it ages,” he added.A message on the eve of EasterThe popeʼs visit to Monaco, just eight hours long, was made at the invitation of Albert II of Monaco. It took place on the eve of Holy Week, a context to which the pope referred during his homily. “The Lord changes the history of the world by calling us from idolatry to true faith, from death to life,” he said.In this context, he also evoked the prophet Jeremiah: “In the face of the numerous injustices that destroy the peoples and the war that plagues the nations, the voice of the prophet Jeremiah is constantly raised: I will change their mourning into joy, I will make them happy and I will console them with their affliction” (Jer 31,13).The joy that is born of charityFinally, the pontiff called the faithful to be witnesses of hope, making “many happy with their faith” and sharing a joy that is not acquired as a prize, but is born of charity.“The source of this joy is the love of God: love for the nascent and fragile life, which must always be welcomed and cared for; love for young and old life, which must be encouraged in the trials of each stage; love for healthy and sick life, sometimes alone, always in need of being accompanied with care,” he concluded.At the end of the celebration, the Archbishop of Monaco, Monsignor Dominique-Marie David, thanked Pope Leo XIV for his visit, emphasizing that God is “the source of all good” and that the pontiff, as the successor of Peter, has come to remind the local Church of this.In this sense, he stressed that the pope has encouraged the faithful to face “fearlessly” the current challenges, aware that they have “a treasure capable of sustaining hope, ours and that of the world.”On the eve of Holy Week, David said that the popeʼs visit has served to “confirm the faith of his brothers,” reinforcing the commitment of the Christian community.Pope Leo XIV gave the Archdiocese of Monaco a contemporary sculpture by St. Francis of Assisi. The work represents the Italian saint, one of the most beloved figures of the Christian tradition and universally recognized as a messenger of peace, fraternity and reconciliation.Francis in the sculpture appears dressed in the simple Franciscan habit, a symbol of evangelical poverty and inner freedom, girded by the characteristic cord with three knots.In the sculpture the saint holds a white dove in his left hand, while the right hand opens in a gesture of welcome and donation.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 Holy Father during his homily at Monaco’s Louis II Stadium urged the faithful to “not get used to the rumble of weapons or the images of war.”

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Passaic parish celebrates its patron, St. Joseph, with Bishop #Catholic - Bishop Sweeney joined St. Joseph Parish in Passaic, N.J., to celebrate its patron’s feast on March 19. Father Dariusz Kaminski, pastor, and Father Adam Stanislaw Wasowski, parochial vicar, were among the concelebrants. Bishop Sweeney also blessed the food and baked goods on the parish’s St. Joseph’s Table, a tradition linked to the feast. St. Joseph’s, the mother church of Polish parishes in the Diocese, was organized in 1892. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Passaic parish celebrates its patron, St. Joseph, with Bishop #Catholic – Bishop Sweeney joined St. Joseph Parish in Passaic, N.J., to celebrate its patron’s feast on March 19. Father Dariusz Kaminski, pastor, and Father Adam Stanislaw Wasowski, parochial vicar, were among the concelebrants. Bishop Sweeney also blessed the food and baked goods on the parish’s St. Joseph’s Table, a tradition linked to the feast. St. Joseph’s, the mother church of Polish parishes in the Diocese, was organized in 1892. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Passaic parish celebrates its patron, St. Joseph, with Bishop #Catholic –

Bishop Sweeney joined St. Joseph Parish in Passaic, N.J., to celebrate its patron’s feast on March 19. Father Dariusz Kaminski, pastor, and Father Adam Stanislaw Wasowski, parochial vicar, were among the concelebrants.

Bishop Sweeney also blessed the food and baked goods on the parish’s St. Joseph’s Table, a tradition linked to the feast.

St. Joseph’s, the mother church of Polish parishes in the Diocese, was organized in 1892.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Bishop Sweeney joined St. Joseph Parish in Passaic, N.J., to celebrate its patron’s feast on March 19. Father Dariusz Kaminski, pastor, and Father Adam Stanislaw Wasowski, parochial vicar, were among the concelebrants. Bishop Sweeney also blessed the food and baked goods on the parish’s St. Joseph’s Table, a tradition linked to the feast. St. Joseph’s, the mother church of Polish parishes in the Diocese, was organized in 1892. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI  

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Shrine is a place of prayer, pilgrimage and ‘encounter’ with St. John Paul II’s life, legacy #Catholic – WASHINGTON (OSV News) — St. John Paul II “changed the Church and the world, and you can encounter that here” at the national shrine in Washington named for the Polish pope, said Grattan Brown, the shrine’s director of mission and ministry. “Here, one can encounter Christ through the life and legacy of John Paul II. We appeal to both the head and the heart,” Brown said. The St. John Paul II National Shrine in Northeast Washington is marking its 25th anniversary this March. The 118,000-square-foot shrine is located in the city’s Brookland section, affectionately called “Little Rome” for the many Catholic institutions located there. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Its neighbors include the Archdiocese of Washington’s St. John Paul II Seminary, the Jeanne Jugan Residence operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, Capuchin College, the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, The Catholic University of America and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. When approached with the idea of creating a cultural center in his name, Pope John Paul told organizers he wanted a place where “people come to a greater understanding of the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition and its relevance for the critical issues facing American society.” Originally established as the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, it was dedicated in 2000, during the Great Jubilee Year, and inaugurated on March 22, 2001. Then-President George W. Bush attended the dedication. Originally, it offered exhibits, talks and other special events. Later for a time, it operated as a kind of academic think tank and was open by appointment only. In 2011, the Knights of Columbus purchased the center and renovated the structure to its present form where it offers a permanent exhibit called “A Gift of Love: The Life of St. John Paul II.” It includes videos, photographs, artifacts and other displays honoring the life and legacy of the saintly pope. Over the years, visitors to the shrine have included Pope Benedict XVI, presidents, many American cardinals and bishops, and the faithful from across the country and throughout the world. While offering exhibits and special events, the St. John Paul II National Shrine is an important place of prayer and pilgrimage, and that includes the Redemptor Hominis Church where Mass is offered daily, and a chapel dedicated to the luminous mysteries of the rosary where a first-class relic of St. John Paul is displayed. “Our mission has expanded and we are also a place of pilgrimage,” Brown told the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington. “A pilgrimage expresses first devotion to the Lord, and this is a place honoring God’s special activity in the world.” On March 14, 2014, the U.S. bishops formally designated the center a national shrine. On April 17, 2014 — the day Pope Francis canonized Pope John Paul — the shrine hosted a live broadcast of the canonization Mass, and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center officially changed its name to the St. John Paul II National Shrine. “The shrine is a place dedicated to the cultural and intellectual legacies of Pope John Paul II. But it has also grown over the years into a place of pilgrimage, devotion and veneration,” said Stephen P. White, the incoming executive director of the shrine. “St. John Paul II, like all the communion of saints, is much more than a cherished memory or a role model; he is alive in Christ, part of the living Church.” Recently the shrine purchased the Washington Retreat House next door that was formerly run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement. Brown said the shrine will renovate that facility and will be offering spiritual retreats there beginning around Advent. Currently, the shrine is hosting an exhibit titled “Lord, You Could Not Love Me More! St. John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin.” Continuing throughout Lent, the exhibit includes a full-scale replica of the Shroud of Turin and more than 30 gallery panels featuring the holy object’s historical significance, scientific study and spiritual impact. Richard Szczepanowski is managing editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington. This story was originally published by the Catholic Standard and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.  
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Shrine is a place of prayer, pilgrimage and ‘encounter’ with St. John Paul II’s life, legacy #Catholic – WASHINGTON (OSV News) — St. John Paul II “changed the Church and the world, and you can encounter that here” at the national shrine in Washington named for the Polish pope, said Grattan Brown, the shrine’s director of mission and ministry. “Here, one can encounter Christ through the life and legacy of John Paul II. We appeal to both the head and the heart,” Brown said. The St. John Paul II National Shrine in Northeast Washington is marking its 25th anniversary this March. The 118,000-square-foot shrine is located in the city’s Brookland section, affectionately called “Little Rome” for the many Catholic institutions located there. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Its neighbors include the Archdiocese of Washington’s St. John Paul II Seminary, the Jeanne Jugan Residence operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, Capuchin College, the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, The Catholic University of America and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. When approached with the idea of creating a cultural center in his name, Pope John Paul told organizers he wanted a place where “people come to a greater understanding of the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition and its relevance for the critical issues facing American society.” Originally established as the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, it was dedicated in 2000, during the Great Jubilee Year, and inaugurated on March 22, 2001. Then-President George W. Bush attended the dedication. Originally, it offered exhibits, talks and other special events. Later for a time, it operated as a kind of academic think tank and was open by appointment only. In 2011, the Knights of Columbus purchased the center and renovated the structure to its present form where it offers a permanent exhibit called “A Gift of Love: The Life of St. John Paul II.” It includes videos, photographs, artifacts and other displays honoring the life and legacy of the saintly pope. Over the years, visitors to the shrine have included Pope Benedict XVI, presidents, many American cardinals and bishops, and the faithful from across the country and throughout the world. While offering exhibits and special events, the St. John Paul II National Shrine is an important place of prayer and pilgrimage, and that includes the Redemptor Hominis Church where Mass is offered daily, and a chapel dedicated to the luminous mysteries of the rosary where a first-class relic of St. John Paul is displayed. “Our mission has expanded and we are also a place of pilgrimage,” Brown told the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington. “A pilgrimage expresses first devotion to the Lord, and this is a place honoring God’s special activity in the world.” On March 14, 2014, the U.S. bishops formally designated the center a national shrine. On April 17, 2014 — the day Pope Francis canonized Pope John Paul — the shrine hosted a live broadcast of the canonization Mass, and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center officially changed its name to the St. John Paul II National Shrine. “The shrine is a place dedicated to the cultural and intellectual legacies of Pope John Paul II. But it has also grown over the years into a place of pilgrimage, devotion and veneration,” said Stephen P. White, the incoming executive director of the shrine. “St. John Paul II, like all the communion of saints, is much more than a cherished memory or a role model; he is alive in Christ, part of the living Church.” Recently the shrine purchased the Washington Retreat House next door that was formerly run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement. Brown said the shrine will renovate that facility and will be offering spiritual retreats there beginning around Advent. Currently, the shrine is hosting an exhibit titled “Lord, You Could Not Love Me More! St. John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin.” Continuing throughout Lent, the exhibit includes a full-scale replica of the Shroud of Turin and more than 30 gallery panels featuring the holy object’s historical significance, scientific study and spiritual impact. Richard Szczepanowski is managing editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington. This story was originally published by the Catholic Standard and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.  

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Shrine is a place of prayer, pilgrimage and ‘encounter’ with St. John Paul II’s life, legacy #Catholic –

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — St. John Paul II “changed the Church and the world, and you can encounter that here” at the national shrine in Washington named for the Polish pope, said Grattan Brown, the shrine’s director of mission and ministry.

“Here, one can encounter Christ through the life and legacy of John Paul II. We appeal to both the head and the heart,” Brown said.

The St. John Paul II National Shrine in Northeast Washington is marking its 25th anniversary this March.

The 118,000-square-foot shrine is located in the city’s Brookland section, affectionately called “Little Rome” for the many Catholic institutions located there.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Its neighbors include the Archdiocese of Washington’s St. John Paul II Seminary, the Jeanne Jugan Residence operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, Capuchin College, the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, The Catholic University of America and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

When approached with the idea of creating a cultural center in his name, Pope John Paul told organizers he wanted a place where “people come to a greater understanding of the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition and its relevance for the critical issues facing American society.”

Originally established as the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, it was dedicated in 2000, during the Great Jubilee Year, and inaugurated on March 22, 2001. Then-President George W. Bush attended the dedication. Originally, it offered exhibits, talks and other special events. Later for a time, it operated as a kind of academic think tank and was open by appointment only.

In 2011, the Knights of Columbus purchased the center and renovated the structure to its present form where it offers a permanent exhibit called “A Gift of Love: The Life of St. John Paul II.” It includes videos, photographs, artifacts and other displays honoring the life and legacy of the saintly pope.

Over the years, visitors to the shrine have included Pope Benedict XVI, presidents, many American cardinals and bishops, and the faithful from across the country and throughout the world.

While offering exhibits and special events, the St. John Paul II National Shrine is an important place of prayer and pilgrimage, and that includes the Redemptor Hominis Church where Mass is offered daily, and a chapel dedicated to the luminous mysteries of the rosary where a first-class relic of St. John Paul is displayed.

“Our mission has expanded and we are also a place of pilgrimage,” Brown told the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington. “A pilgrimage expresses first devotion to the Lord, and this is a place honoring God’s special activity in the world.”

On March 14, 2014, the U.S. bishops formally designated the center a national shrine. On April 17, 2014 — the day Pope Francis canonized Pope John Paul — the shrine hosted a live broadcast of the canonization Mass, and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center officially changed its name to the St. John Paul II National Shrine.

“The shrine is a place dedicated to the cultural and intellectual legacies of Pope John Paul II. But it has also grown over the years into a place of pilgrimage, devotion and veneration,” said Stephen P. White, the incoming executive director of the shrine. “St. John Paul II, like all the communion of saints, is much more than a cherished memory or a role model; he is alive in Christ, part of the living Church.”

Recently the shrine purchased the Washington Retreat House next door that was formerly run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement. Brown said the shrine will renovate that facility and will be offering spiritual retreats there beginning around Advent.

Currently, the shrine is hosting an exhibit titled “Lord, You Could Not Love Me More! St. John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin.” Continuing throughout Lent, the exhibit includes a full-scale replica of the Shroud of Turin and more than 30 gallery panels featuring the holy object’s historical significance, scientific study and spiritual impact.

Richard Szczepanowski is managing editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington. This story was originally published by the Catholic Standard and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.

 

– WASHINGTON (OSV News) — St. John Paul II “changed the Church and the world, and you can encounter that here” at the national shrine in Washington named for the Polish pope, said Grattan Brown, the shrine’s director of mission and ministry. “Here, one can encounter Christ through the life and legacy of John Paul II. We appeal to both the head and the heart,” Brown said. The St. John Paul II National Shrine in Northeast Washington is marking its 25th anniversary this March. The 118,000-square-foot shrine is located in the city’s Brookland section, affectionately called “Little Rome” for the many

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Pope Leo XIV warns of a faith reduced to ‘custom’, asks for Church to reflect the love of God – #Catholic – During his meeting with Catholics in Monaco, the second appointment of his whirlwind trip to the small country, Pope Leo XIV warned about the risks of reducing faith “to custom” and called on the faithful to be like Christ, defending the poor and marginalized against individualistic secularism.The pontiff supported his reflections in the document Quo vadis, humanitas? of the International Theological Commission, published on March 4, 2026. The Latin phrase means “Where are you going, humanity?”The pope met Catholics at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Monaco, built between 1875 and 1903 in the neo-Romanesque style. The temple houses the tomb of some sovereigns of the principality, including Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace Kelly, an iconic American actress who became royalty after marrying Rainier III in 1956.The Principality of Monaco is one of the last European countries to maintain Catholicism as a state religion, though its 1962 constitution guarantees freedom of worship and expression. In practice it means that Catholicism is taught in schools and that state ceremonies include a Mass.In November of 2025 Prince Albert II vetoed a law passed by the National Council that sought to legalize abortion up to 12 weeks. He justified his decision by citing the Catholic identity of the principality and the need to maintain the current legal framework, which decriminalizes the termination of pregnancy only in exceptional casesBased on the episode of the Gospel in which the Apostle John describes Jesus Christ as the righteous (cf. 1 Jn 2,1-2), the pope explained that the Church is called to be “lawyer”, that is, to defend man in his integrity and all human beings, promoting a comprehensive development that respects the dignity and ultimate goal of the person.He asked the faithful to contemplate Christ as a “lawyer” and urged Christians to provide “passionate and generous” service in evangelization.“Announce the gospel of life, hope and love; bring to all the light of the Gospel so that the life of every man and woman is defended and promoted from their conception to their natural end,” he said.The pope arrived at the cathedral after his visit to the Princeʼs Palace, where the Monegasque sovereign family resides.A living and prophetic faithIt is important, the pope pointed out, that the proclamation of the Gospel and the forms of faith “are preserved from the risk of being reduced to habit, even if it is good.”“A living faith is always prophetic, capable of raising questions and offering provocations: Are we really defending the human being? Are we protecting the dignity of the person in the protection of life in all its phases? Is the current economic and social model really fair and inspired by solidarity?” he said.Leo cited Pope Benedict XVIʼs encyclical Caritas in veritate published in 2009: “Is this model inhabited by the ethics of responsibility, which helps us to go beyond the ‘logic of the exchange of equivalent things and profit as an end in itself?’” he said.Alert against secularismThe pontiff also warned about the “impulses of secularism,” which can reduce man to individualism and orient social life only towards the production of wealth. The Holy Father asked for a new orientation based on the Gospel and to adopt the compassionate and merciful love of Christ.Christ, he said, became a “lawyer” to defend the poor and sinners, freeing them from oppression and making them children of God and brothers among themselves. “He does not come to condemn, but to offer mercy that purifies, heals, transforms and makes us part of the only family of God,” he stressed.The Church, reflection of Godʼs loveThe Pope praised the hospitality of Monaco, a small cosmopolitan state with cultural and socioeconomic diversity. He recalled that in the Church there are no social classes: “Everyone is welcomed as people and children of God, and all are recipients of a gift of grace that drives communion, fraternity and reciprocal love.”According to the pontiff, the first service that the Gospel must provide is “to enlighten the person and society, so that they discover their identity, the meaning of human life, the value of relationships and solidarity, as well as the ultimate end of existence and the destiny of history.”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 warns of a faith reduced to ‘custom’, asks for Church to reflect the love of God – #Catholic – During his meeting with Catholics in Monaco, the second appointment of his whirlwind trip to the small country, Pope Leo XIV warned about the risks of reducing faith “to custom” and called on the faithful to be like Christ, defending the poor and marginalized against individualistic secularism.The pontiff supported his reflections in the document Quo vadis, humanitas? of the International Theological Commission, published on March 4, 2026. The Latin phrase means “Where are you going, humanity?”The pope met Catholics at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Monaco, built between 1875 and 1903 in the neo-Romanesque style. The temple houses the tomb of some sovereigns of the principality, including Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace Kelly, an iconic American actress who became royalty after marrying Rainier III in 1956.The Principality of Monaco is one of the last European countries to maintain Catholicism as a state religion, though its 1962 constitution guarantees freedom of worship and expression. In practice it means that Catholicism is taught in schools and that state ceremonies include a Mass.In November of 2025 Prince Albert II vetoed a law passed by the National Council that sought to legalize abortion up to 12 weeks. He justified his decision by citing the Catholic identity of the principality and the need to maintain the current legal framework, which decriminalizes the termination of pregnancy only in exceptional casesBased on the episode of the Gospel in which the Apostle John describes Jesus Christ as the righteous (cf. 1 Jn 2,1-2), the pope explained that the Church is called to be “lawyer”, that is, to defend man in his integrity and all human beings, promoting a comprehensive development that respects the dignity and ultimate goal of the person.He asked the faithful to contemplate Christ as a “lawyer” and urged Christians to provide “passionate and generous” service in evangelization.“Announce the gospel of life, hope and love; bring to all the light of the Gospel so that the life of every man and woman is defended and promoted from their conception to their natural end,” he said.The pope arrived at the cathedral after his visit to the Princeʼs Palace, where the Monegasque sovereign family resides.A living and prophetic faithIt is important, the pope pointed out, that the proclamation of the Gospel and the forms of faith “are preserved from the risk of being reduced to habit, even if it is good.”“A living faith is always prophetic, capable of raising questions and offering provocations: Are we really defending the human being? Are we protecting the dignity of the person in the protection of life in all its phases? Is the current economic and social model really fair and inspired by solidarity?” he said.Leo cited Pope Benedict XVIʼs encyclical Caritas in veritate published in 2009: “Is this model inhabited by the ethics of responsibility, which helps us to go beyond the ‘logic of the exchange of equivalent things and profit as an end in itself?’” he said.Alert against secularismThe pontiff also warned about the “impulses of secularism,” which can reduce man to individualism and orient social life only towards the production of wealth. The Holy Father asked for a new orientation based on the Gospel and to adopt the compassionate and merciful love of Christ.Christ, he said, became a “lawyer” to defend the poor and sinners, freeing them from oppression and making them children of God and brothers among themselves. “He does not come to condemn, but to offer mercy that purifies, heals, transforms and makes us part of the only family of God,” he stressed.The Church, reflection of Godʼs loveThe Pope praised the hospitality of Monaco, a small cosmopolitan state with cultural and socioeconomic diversity. He recalled that in the Church there are no social classes: “Everyone is welcomed as people and children of God, and all are recipients of a gift of grace that drives communion, fraternity and reciprocal love.”According to the pontiff, the first service that the Gospel must provide is “to enlighten the person and society, so that they discover their identity, the meaning of human life, the value of relationships and solidarity, as well as the ultimate end of existence and the destiny of history.”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 Holy Father urged Catholics in Monaco to “announce the Gospel of life, hope and love” and defend the dignity of human beings from birth to death.

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March 28, 1802: Heinrich Olbers discovers Pallas

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In the 18th century, an international group of astronomers referred to as the “Celestial Police” devoted themselves to the search of the “missing” planet between Mars and Jupiter. A planet was expected in that zone based on the extrapolations of the Titius-Bode law, a mathematical formula developed by Johann Titius in 1766 and popularized byContinue reading “March 28, 1802: Heinrich Olbers discovers Pallas”

The post March 28, 1802: Heinrich Olbers discovers Pallas appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Pope Leo XIV to youth of Monaco: ‘Do not be afraid to give everything to God’ – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV met with young people and catechumens of Monaco at the Church of Saint Devota, the third public engagement of his one-day trip to the micro-state on March 28.After listening to the testimonies of several young people, Leo XIV spoke of the figure of Saint Devota, the patroness of Monaco, describing her as “a courageous young woman who knew how to bear witness to her faith in the face of the violence of her persecutors, even unto martyrdom.” “Good is stronger than evil, even when, at times, it may seem — in the immediate moment — to be getting the worst of it,” the pope said. “Moreover, [Devota] reminds us that the witness of faith is a seed capable of reaching and bearing fruit in distant hearts and places, far beyond our own expectations and capabilities.”“In this very church, quite recently,” the pope said, “the memory of the Holy Martyr Devota has been joined by that of Saint Carlo Acutis — another young person deeply in love with Jesus, faithful to his friendship with Christ until the very end, albeit in a completely different era and in completely different ways.”  “These two saints encourage us and urge us to imitate them,” the Holy Father said. In the modern world, “faith encounters challenges and obstacles,” the pope said, “yet nothing can dim its beauty or obscure its truth.” Responding to the testimonies of the youth, the pope highlighted “a fundamental aspect of the Christian life: the vitality of one’s relationship with Christ and, within that relationship, the sense of unity that is forged both within ourselves and with others." “The modern and post-modern eras have enriched us with many good things; yet, they also confront us with significant challenges — challenges we cannot ignore and which we must face with clarity and awareness,” he said. “What gives solidity to life is love: first and foremost, the fundamental experience of God’s love, and then — as a reflection of that — the illuminating and sacred experience of mutual love.”“And loving one another — while on the one hand requiring an openness to growth, and thus to change — on the other demands fidelity, constancy, and a readiness to make sacrifices in the daily rhythm of life,” the pope added. “Only in this way does restlessness find peace, and the inner void become filled — not with material and fleeting things, nor with the virtual validation of thousands of ‘likes,’ nor with restrictive, artificial, or at times even violent forms of belonging.” “We must clear these things away from the threshold of the heart, so that the healthy, oxygenating air of grace may once again return to refresh and revitalize its chambers, and so that the strong wind of the Holy Spirit may resume filling the sails of our existence, propelling it toward true happiness,” he said. Earlier in the day the pope met with Monacoʼs royal family before meeting with Catholics at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Leo XIV is the first pope to visit the costal European nation-state in nearly 500 years.
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Pope Leo XIV to youth of Monaco: ‘Do not be afraid to give everything to God’ – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV met with young people and catechumens of Monaco at the Church of Saint Devota, the third public engagement of his one-day trip to the micro-state on March 28.After listening to the testimonies of several young people, Leo XIV spoke of the figure of Saint Devota, the patroness of Monaco, describing her as “a courageous young woman who knew how to bear witness to her faith in the face of the violence of her persecutors, even unto martyrdom.” “Good is stronger than evil, even when, at times, it may seem — in the immediate moment — to be getting the worst of it,” the pope said. “Moreover, [Devota] reminds us that the witness of faith is a seed capable of reaching and bearing fruit in distant hearts and places, far beyond our own expectations and capabilities.”“In this very church, quite recently,” the pope said, “the memory of the Holy Martyr Devota has been joined by that of Saint Carlo Acutis — another young person deeply in love with Jesus, faithful to his friendship with Christ until the very end, albeit in a completely different era and in completely different ways.”  “These two saints encourage us and urge us to imitate them,” the Holy Father said. In the modern world, “faith encounters challenges and obstacles,” the pope said, “yet nothing can dim its beauty or obscure its truth.” Responding to the testimonies of the youth, the pope highlighted “a fundamental aspect of the Christian life: the vitality of one’s relationship with Christ and, within that relationship, the sense of unity that is forged both within ourselves and with others." “The modern and post-modern eras have enriched us with many good things; yet, they also confront us with significant challenges — challenges we cannot ignore and which we must face with clarity and awareness,” he said. “What gives solidity to life is love: first and foremost, the fundamental experience of God’s love, and then — as a reflection of that — the illuminating and sacred experience of mutual love.”“And loving one another — while on the one hand requiring an openness to growth, and thus to change — on the other demands fidelity, constancy, and a readiness to make sacrifices in the daily rhythm of life,” the pope added. “Only in this way does restlessness find peace, and the inner void become filled — not with material and fleeting things, nor with the virtual validation of thousands of ‘likes,’ nor with restrictive, artificial, or at times even violent forms of belonging.” “We must clear these things away from the threshold of the heart, so that the healthy, oxygenating air of grace may once again return to refresh and revitalize its chambers, and so that the strong wind of the Holy Spirit may resume filling the sails of our existence, propelling it toward true happiness,” he said. Earlier in the day the pope met with Monacoʼs royal family before meeting with Catholics at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Leo XIV is the first pope to visit the costal European nation-state in nearly 500 years.

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The Holy Father described the Monacan patron Saint Devota as “a courageous young woman who knew how to bear witness to her faith.”

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Bangladesh bishops say ‘no’ to government financial support – #Catholic – Bangladesh bishops say ‘no’ to government financial supportAfter the government of recently elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of Bangladesh announced on March 14 that it would offer a monthly allowance for priests, the Bangladesh Catholic Bishops’ Conference has officially decided to decline it, according to Crux.“We humbly decline to accept the proposed allowance for priests,” said Archbishop Bejoy D’Cruze of Dhaka, president of the conference. The allowance is meant for all clergy, no matter the religion or denomination, and is the first in the country of 180 million inhabitants — only about 600,000 of whom are Christian.The bishops said they were grateful for the government’s effort but that they prefer to rely on the generosity of the faithful to continue their spiritual and pastoral work.Seoul archbishop delivers Easter message urging Christians to ‘defend life amid war’In an Easter message, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, who leads the Archdiocese of Seoul in South Korea, urged Christians to “defend life amid war, suffering, and moral uncertainty,” calling the faithful to make concrete, life-giving choices rooted in the hope of the Resurrection.LiCAS news reported that Chung quoted from the Gospel of Luke as well as from Pope Leo XIV and urged the faithful “‘to remember all who suffer, pray for them, and stand in solidarity,’ especially those facing threats to life amid war and violence.”Chung called for “the faithful to become witnesses of the Resurrection” and highlighted the upcoming World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027, saying it “will be a time of grace for us to newly experience the joy of the Resurrection.”Young Catholics in Central Java trained in Laudato Si’Young Catholics recently gathered in Yogyakarta, Central Java, from various cities, including Surabaya, Jakarta, Cilacap, Surakarta, Semarang, Malang, and Yogyakarta for a three-day training aimed at “forming a new generation of ecological advocates grounded in faith,” according to LiCAS news. The training was provided by the Laudato Si’ Movement Indonesia in collaboration with the Catholic Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta as part of a broader effort to teach young people how to be ecologically aware and responsible while also deeply grounded in their Catholic faith.Indonesian becomes 57th language of Holy See’s official news platformVatican News has announced that Indonesian will become the 57th language by which news will be available on Vatican News, the news portal of the Holy See. The decision, made on March 25 with a Memorandum of Understanding agreement between representatives of Indonesia and the Holy See’s Dicastery for Communication, will mean “more people will be able to receive the pope’s message in their own language.”Angola opens registration for 2027 World Youth Day in South KoreaAngola, where Pope Leo will visit April 18–21, has officially launched the registration process for participation in World Youth Day (WYD) 2027 scheduled to take place in Seoul, South Korea, with Church leaders urging young people to approach the international gathering as a profound spiritual experience rather than a simple opportunity for travel, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Thursday.Speaking during the unveiling of the official registration website on Tuesday, March 24, Francisco Bernardo, a member of the national organizing committee, underscored that participation in WYD is fundamentally an experience of faith.Second church built in Mosul after ISISIn Iraq’s Christian heartland of Qaraqosh, the recent consecration of St. Ephrem Syriac Catholic Church and its altar has become more than a liturgical milestone, according to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News.Syriac Catholic Archbishop Benedictus Younan Hano of Mosul said opening the church in a time of war is itself an answer to destruction, a declaration that Christians remain committed to building rather than tearing down. Celebrated on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25, the dedication of the second church to be built after ISIS occupation also carried a message of perseverance for Iraq’s Christians, who continue to affirm their roots and presence in their historic homeland. Pope Leo XIV sent his blessing for the occasion, encouraging the faithful to remain steadfast in faith and hope as they rebuild their churches, their country, and their future.Freedom restrictions in Christian area in Syria In Damascus, Syria, a sit-in at Bab Touma drew Syrians from different religious and social backgrounds who said they were pushing back against measures they see as an assault on public freedoms and the country’s plural character. ACI MENA reported that protesters insisted their action was not about alcohol, despite public speculation, but about what they described as an expanding pattern of interference in personal life and an overreach of authority during Syria’s transitional period. Their slogans rejected sectarian sorting of neighborhoods and warned against imposing a single social model on a historically diverse society. Church leaders were largely absent from the protest, though the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Bosra, Hauran, and Jabal al-Arab issued a statement cautioning that such decisions risk undermining citizenship, social cohesion, and the long-standing unity of Damascus.
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Bangladesh bishops say ‘no’ to government financial support – #Catholic – Bangladesh bishops say ‘no’ to government financial supportAfter the government of recently elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of Bangladesh announced on March 14 that it would offer a monthly allowance for priests, the Bangladesh Catholic Bishops’ Conference has officially decided to decline it, according to Crux.“We humbly decline to accept the proposed allowance for priests,” said Archbishop Bejoy D’Cruze of Dhaka, president of the conference. The allowance is meant for all clergy, no matter the religion or denomination, and is the first in the country of 180 million inhabitants — only about 600,000 of whom are Christian.The bishops said they were grateful for the government’s effort but that they prefer to rely on the generosity of the faithful to continue their spiritual and pastoral work.Seoul archbishop delivers Easter message urging Christians to ‘defend life amid war’In an Easter message, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, who leads the Archdiocese of Seoul in South Korea, urged Christians to “defend life amid war, suffering, and moral uncertainty,” calling the faithful to make concrete, life-giving choices rooted in the hope of the Resurrection.LiCAS news reported that Chung quoted from the Gospel of Luke as well as from Pope Leo XIV and urged the faithful “‘to remember all who suffer, pray for them, and stand in solidarity,’ especially those facing threats to life amid war and violence.”Chung called for “the faithful to become witnesses of the Resurrection” and highlighted the upcoming World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027, saying it “will be a time of grace for us to newly experience the joy of the Resurrection.”Young Catholics in Central Java trained in Laudato Si’Young Catholics recently gathered in Yogyakarta, Central Java, from various cities, including Surabaya, Jakarta, Cilacap, Surakarta, Semarang, Malang, and Yogyakarta for a three-day training aimed at “forming a new generation of ecological advocates grounded in faith,” according to LiCAS news. The training was provided by the Laudato Si’ Movement Indonesia in collaboration with the Catholic Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta as part of a broader effort to teach young people how to be ecologically aware and responsible while also deeply grounded in their Catholic faith.Indonesian becomes 57th language of Holy See’s official news platformVatican News has announced that Indonesian will become the 57th language by which news will be available on Vatican News, the news portal of the Holy See. The decision, made on March 25 with a Memorandum of Understanding agreement between representatives of Indonesia and the Holy See’s Dicastery for Communication, will mean “more people will be able to receive the pope’s message in their own language.”Angola opens registration for 2027 World Youth Day in South KoreaAngola, where Pope Leo will visit April 18–21, has officially launched the registration process for participation in World Youth Day (WYD) 2027 scheduled to take place in Seoul, South Korea, with Church leaders urging young people to approach the international gathering as a profound spiritual experience rather than a simple opportunity for travel, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Thursday.Speaking during the unveiling of the official registration website on Tuesday, March 24, Francisco Bernardo, a member of the national organizing committee, underscored that participation in WYD is fundamentally an experience of faith.Second church built in Mosul after ISISIn Iraq’s Christian heartland of Qaraqosh, the recent consecration of St. Ephrem Syriac Catholic Church and its altar has become more than a liturgical milestone, according to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News.Syriac Catholic Archbishop Benedictus Younan Hano of Mosul said opening the church in a time of war is itself an answer to destruction, a declaration that Christians remain committed to building rather than tearing down. Celebrated on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25, the dedication of the second church to be built after ISIS occupation also carried a message of perseverance for Iraq’s Christians, who continue to affirm their roots and presence in their historic homeland. Pope Leo XIV sent his blessing for the occasion, encouraging the faithful to remain steadfast in faith and hope as they rebuild their churches, their country, and their future.Freedom restrictions in Christian area in Syria In Damascus, Syria, a sit-in at Bab Touma drew Syrians from different religious and social backgrounds who said they were pushing back against measures they see as an assault on public freedoms and the country’s plural character. ACI MENA reported that protesters insisted their action was not about alcohol, despite public speculation, but about what they described as an expanding pattern of interference in personal life and an overreach of authority during Syria’s transitional period. Their slogans rejected sectarian sorting of neighborhoods and warned against imposing a single social model on a historically diverse society. Church leaders were largely absent from the protest, though the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Bosra, Hauran, and Jabal al-Arab issued a statement cautioning that such decisions risk undermining citizenship, social cohesion, and the long-standing unity of Damascus.

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Bangladesh bishops say “no” to government support, Seoul archbishop urges defense of life amid war, second church built in Mosul after ISIS, and more in this week’s roundup of Catholic world news.

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