HOLLYWOOD — Studio executives have been utterly baffled by the massive success of a movie made to entertain people.
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U.S. — Local man Richard Manfred was arrested today after failing to give attention to a matter despite President Trump thanking him for his attention to the matter.
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Three pewter measuring cups.
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National Public Radio (NPR) has secured $113 million in donations as it continues to grapple with the fallout from major federal funding cuts under the Trump administration.
The post Wife of Ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Bails Out NPR With $80 Million Donation After Trump Cut Federal Funding appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Three Los Angeles-area residents have been sentenced to jail time after pleading no contest to felony insurance fraud in a bizarre scheme that involved dressing in a bear costume to stage fake attacks on luxury vehicles and then filing fraudulent insurance claims.
The post ‘Clearly a Human in a Bear Suit’: California Trio Jailed for Staging Fake Bear Attacks on Rolls-Royce and Mercedes in $142K Insurance Scam (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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A parachuter slammed into Virginia Tech’s stadium scoreboard moments before kickoff on Saturday, leaving the jumper dangling above the field and delaying the school’s spring football game.
The post OUCH! Parachuter Crashes Into Scoreboard at Virginia Tech Game, Left Dangling Above Stadium (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, here are four Catholic ministries helping couples carry the cross of infertility.
![Beloved Catholic kids book series ‘Chime Travelers’ becomes animated TV show #Catholic The beloved children’s book series “Chime Travelers” has now made an exciting leap from page to screen with its development into an animated TV series, bringing its imaginative world to life in a whole new way. Known for its blend of adventure, time travel, and meaningful life lessons, the Catholic series has captivated young readers with its charming characters and heartfelt storytelling for over 10 years.“Chime Travelers,” written by Catholic author Lisa Hendey, follows twins Patrick and Katie as they travel to different places and time periods — all thanks to some magical church bells — to learn valuable life lessons from the saints.Developed by Family Theater Productions and Herald Entertainment, the new animated series depicts the same stories from the book series and includes episodes on St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and the Holy Family.In an interview with EWTN News, Hendey said she’s “absolutely thrilled with the outcome” of the animated series.She shared that she had been in conversations with Family Theater Productions — a Catholic production studio in Hollywood — since 2017 about adapting the books for television.“They really saw at an early point the potential for the books to become a very dynamic [series], something even bigger than what they were as books, and itʼs been a long path enough to get to where we are now,” Hendey said.
Katie meets St. Kateri Tekakwitha in an episode of “Chime Travelers.” | Credit: Family Theater Productions
Father David Guffey, executive producer of “Chime Travelers” and the national director of Family Theater Productions, told EWTN News that he believed this series needed to be made because there aren’t many options in terms of Catholic media for children.“If you look at all the media thatʼs out there, thereʼs not much for Catholic children,” he said. “Thereʼs a lot for Catholic teens. Thereʼs a lot for Catholic adults. Thereʼs not a lot of Catholic childrenʼs programming. And we decided just to take a risk on this animated series so that thereʼd be another option for parents that wanted something solid to show their children.”While the book series only included five stories, the animated series will have more saint stories made into episodes for future seasons. For these additional stories, Hendey is serving as a consultant.“Iʼm so delighted that they continue to involve my voice and to give me the chance to say, ‘Well, I donʼt think my character would say that, or have we tried this, or have we thought about this?’ But the new stories are — theyʼre so exciting because theyʼre brand-new. I didnʼt write books about them,” she said. “And now the question will be, do we adapt books from those or what happens next?”Guffey, who is also a biblical consultant on the hit series “The Chosen," said he believes the rise in popularity in faith-based movies and shows being created has “been a long time in coming.”“For a long time, executives in Hollywood didnʼt believe that Christians were an audience,” he explained. “They didnʼt believe there was a faith-based audience and so they were very reluctant to fund or distribute projects. Weʼve had some big signs that there is an audience. Christians have proved themselves.”He highlighted “The Passion of the Christ” as the faith-based movie that opened the doors for other faith-based films to be created and “The Chosen” for doing the same for faith-based television series.“Christians and Catholics are showing they will seek out the kind of content that suits their families and their faith. And thatʼs going to change Hollywood — the business side of Hollywood especially,” Guffey added.The Catholic priest also emphasized the importance of creating faith-based media specifically for children.“With an adult show, adults will watch it once and theyʼre done. But with childrenʼs shows, if theyʼre of any quality at all, children will watch them over and over and over again. So, these shows and these stories really form young people in a really significant way,” he said.Hendey added that she’s grateful “we have now programming thatʼs not only faithful — because we always wanted to be faithful and we always wanted to really speak to the truth and the beauty and the goodness of our Church — but also thatʼs fun, thatʼs compelling, that kids want to watch over and over again.”As for her hopes for the series, Hendey said: “I hope that the kids who watch this, in particular, understand the agency that they have in their own lives to learn valuable lessons from the community of saints and to be a force for good in our world. We need them. We need their hearts and their purity and the love that they have, and so I hope they feel emboldened to realize that they really can make change in their world and in our world.”Guffey added: “When youʼre a kid, you think the problem youʼre going through, youʼre the only one that ever had it and you think you can be a very lonely place. I hope the series shows that first of all, Katie and Patrick go through some of the things they go through at school or at home, but also that the saints and the people whoʼve gone before us have gone through the same thing. And we can draw on the wisdom and the experience of others to gracefully move through the problems, the troubles that we encounter in our lives today.”“The lives of the saints are the lives of the Gospel in action. And I think itʼs important that children see how faith is put into practice,” Guffey shared. “And when we tell the stories of the saints, we are really telling the story of people who put their faith into practice in the good times and in the more difficult times.”“Chime Travelers” can be watched on Formed and on Hallow.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/beloved-catholic-kids-book-series-chime-travelers-becomes-animated-tv-show-catholic-the-beloved-childrens-book-series-chime-travelers-has-now-made-an-exci-scaled.jpg)
The new animated series depicts the same stories from the books, including episodes on St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and the Holy Family.
Almighty and ever-faithful Lord,
gratefully acknowledging Your mercy
and humbly admitting our need,
we pledge our trust in You and each other.
Filled with desire,
we respond to Your call for discipleship
by shaping our lives in imitation of Christ.
We profess that the call requires us
to be stewards of Your gifts.
As stewards, we receive Your gifts gratefully,
cherish and tend them in a responsible manner,
share them in practice and love with others,
and …
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:14, 22-33
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
"You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
You who are Israelites, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:
I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.
"My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father
and poured him forth, as you see and hear."
A reading from the Letter of Peter
1:17-21
Beloved:
If you invoke as Father him who judges impartially
according to each one’s works,
conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning,
realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,
handed on by your ancestors,
not with perishable things like silver or gold
but with the precious blood of Christ
as of a spotless unblemished lamb.
He was known before the foundation of the world
but revealed in the final time for you,
who through him believe in God
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.
From the Gospel according to Luke
24:13-35
That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
"What are you discussing as you walk along?"
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?"
And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"
They said to him,
"The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see."
And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, "Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
The disciples of Emmaus walk sadly because they hoped for a different ending, for a Messiah who did not know the cross. Although they have heard that the tomb is empty, they cannot smile. But Jesus walks alongside them and patiently helps them understand that pain is not the denial of the promise, but the way through which God has manifested the measure of his love (cf. Lk 24:13-27). When they are finally seated at the table with him and break bread, their eyes are opened. They realize that their hearts were already burning, even though they did not know it (cf. Lk 24:28-32). This is the greatest surprise: to discover that beneath the ashes of disenchantment and weariness there is always a living ember, waiting only to be rekindled.
Brothers and sisters, Christ’s resurrection teaches us that no history is so marked by disappointment or sin that it cannot be visited by hope. No fall is definitive, no night is eternal, no wound is destined to remain open forever. However distant, lost or unworthy we may feel, there is no distance that can extinguish the unfailing power of God’s love. (Pope Leo XIV, General Audience, 8 October 2025)
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The Holy Father will spend several days in Angola before finishing his trip in Equatorial Guinea.
The pontiff urged the country to reject exploitative models of development and place the common good above particular interests.
![Pope Leo XIV says debate with Trump is ‘not in my interest at all’ #Catholic ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Leo XIV arrived in Angola after a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Cameroon on April 18, using the short journey to reject suggestions that his recent remarks about war were aimed at U.S. President Donald Trump while reflecting on the pastoral focus of his African trip.In a brief in-flight press conference with journalists, the pope addressed the interpretation of some of his recent speeches as a response to criticism from Trump, who had accused him of weakness in foreign policy.“[T]hereʼs been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when on the first day of the trip, the President of the United States made some comments about myself,” the pope said.“Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.”He pointed in particular to his address at the April 16 prayer meeting for peace in Cameroon.“Just one little example, the talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting,” he said.“And yet, as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all.”Leo XIV said he intends instead to continue proclaiming the Gospel and promoting peace.“So we go on the journey, we continue proclaiming the Gospel message,” he said.He added that the liturgies during the trip have highlighted what it means to follow Christ, promote fraternity, and seek justice and peace.The pope also said the broader African journey has been shaped by themes that emerged at the start of the trip in Algeria, especially the figure of St. Augustine.“I was personally very pleased, as you know, we began the trip in Algeria with the theme of Saint Augustine, and yesterday at the Catholic University, we had the blessing of that beautiful monument that they had prepared with a map of Africa and Saint Augustine at the center,” he said.“And so in one sense, it expresses part of what this trip is about.”Leo XIV emphasized that his primary purpose in Africa is to accompany Catholics.“And I primarily come to Africa as pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church, to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all of the Catholics throughout Africa.”He also referred to a meeting with imams in Cameroon, describing it in general terms as part of the Church’s continuing commitment to interreligious dialogue, understanding, and peace-building.He concluded his main remarks by thanking journalists for their work and expressing hope that God would continue to bless the journey.Responding later to a French journalist, Leo XIV expressed gratitude for the reception he received in Cameroon.“I would just like to thank everyone in Cameroon for the wonderful welcome, the great enthusiasm, the joy of the people,” he said.“It was absolutely fantastic, the experience … how wonderful it is to experience what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to celebrate our faith together.”The pope’s flight took him from Yaoundé to Luanda, crossing over Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. Angola is the third and penultimate stop of his African journey.The Catholic Church has longstanding ties with Angola. Formal relations date back centuries, including the 1608 appointment of Antonio Manuel Nyunda as the first ambassador to Rome from the then-Kingdom of Kongo. More recently, in 2019, the Holy See and Angola signed an agreement recognizing the legal personality of the Catholic Church and defining its property rights.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/pope-leo-xiv-says-debate-with-trump-is-not-in-my-interest-at-all-catholic-aboard-the-papal-plane-pope-leo-xiv-arrived-in-angola-after-a-two-and-a-half-hour-flight-from-cameroon-o-scaled.jpg "Pope Leo XIV says debate with Trump is ‘not in my interest at all’ #Catholic ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Leo XIV arrived in Angola after a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Cameroon on April 18, using the short journey to reject suggestions that his recent remarks about war were aimed at U.S. President Donald Trump while reflecting on the pastoral focus of his African trip.In a brief in-flight press conference with journalists, the pope addressed the interpretation of some of his recent speeches as a response to criticism from Trump, who had accused him of weakness in foreign policy.“[T]hereʼs been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when on the first day of the trip, the President of the United States made some comments about myself,” the pope said.“Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.”He pointed in particular to his address at the April 16 prayer meeting for peace in Cameroon.“Just one little example, the talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting,” he said.“And yet, as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all.”Leo XIV said he intends instead to continue proclaiming the Gospel and promoting peace.“So we go on the journey, we continue proclaiming the Gospel message,” he said.He added that the liturgies during the trip have highlighted what it means to follow Christ, promote fraternity, and seek justice and peace.The pope also said the broader African journey has been shaped by themes that emerged at the start of the trip in Algeria, especially the figure of St. Augustine.“I was personally very pleased, as you know, we began the trip in Algeria with the theme of Saint Augustine, and yesterday at the Catholic University, we had the blessing of that beautiful monument that they had prepared with a map of Africa and Saint Augustine at the center,” he said.“And so in one sense, it expresses part of what this trip is about.”Leo XIV emphasized that his primary purpose in Africa is to accompany Catholics.“And I primarily come to Africa as pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church, to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all of the Catholics throughout Africa.”He also referred to a meeting with imams in Cameroon, describing it in general terms as part of the Church’s continuing commitment to interreligious dialogue, understanding, and peace-building.He concluded his main remarks by thanking journalists for their work and expressing hope that God would continue to bless the journey.Responding later to a French journalist, Leo XIV expressed gratitude for the reception he received in Cameroon.“I would just like to thank everyone in Cameroon for the wonderful welcome, the great enthusiasm, the joy of the people,” he said.“It was absolutely fantastic, the experience … how wonderful it is to experience what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to celebrate our faith together.”The pope’s flight took him from Yaoundé to Luanda, crossing over Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. Angola is the third and penultimate stop of his African journey.The Catholic Church has longstanding ties with Angola. Formal relations date back centuries, including the 1608 appointment of Antonio Manuel Nyunda as the first ambassador to Rome from the then-Kingdom of Kongo. More recently, in 2019, the Holy See and Angola signed an agreement recognizing the legal personality of the Catholic Church and defining its property rights.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
En route from Cameroon to Angola, the pope said his mission in Africa is pastoral and rejected suggestions that his recent remarks were aimed at President Donald Trump.
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Memories of Algeria’s independence struggle stirred by pope’s visit, Catholic film on dating makes splash in Vietnam, Kenyan bishops make plea for marriage, and more in this week’s world news roundup.
As the pope’s brother, you have to take it “day by day because you never know, in a sense, what each day is going to bring,” John Prevost said.
Television commercials are a touchstone of artistic expression. In them, products are sold, and dreams are forged. In those moments, we may consider them a nuisance, but they can also gain a special place in our hearts. And so it is worth reflecting on what became of our favorite TV commercial characters. Where are they now?
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HEAVEN — According to angelic sources, Heaven offers special perks for people who dress up nice for church.
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Sun rises over a wintry landscape. Location, Langweerderwielen (Langwarder Wielen) and surroundings.
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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. April 17: Perfect setup for the zodiacal light This evening offers a lovely view as bright Venus moves into Taurus and is joined in the western sky by a delicate crescent Moon. Both hang beneath the sparkling star cluster M45, better knownContinue reading “The Sky Today on Saturday, April 18: Venus moves into Taurus”
The post The Sky Today on Saturday, April 18: Venus moves into Taurus appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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An observation made by NASA’s SPHEREx mission reveals vast frozen complexes in the Cygnus X star-forming region of the Milky Way galaxy. The chemical signature of water ice is shown as bright blue structures, while polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are in orange.
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Everything about California Governor Gavin Newsom is fake.
The post BUSTED: Gavin Newsom’s New Book is a Best Seller Because His Own Political Action Committee Spent $1.5 Million Buying Thousands of Copies appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Obama’s hideous new presidential library is set to open in June and unsurprisingly, it’s not going to be cheap.
The post You Won’t BELIEVE How Much They’re Going to Charge for Admission to Obama’s Presidential Library appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Eric Swalwell has really done it now.
The post Rosie O’Donnell Has a Sad Over the Eric Swalwell Scandal: ‘You Broke My Heart’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreO my dear Angel Guardian, preserve me from the misfortune of offending God.
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After the Vatican halted the sainthood cause of Father Walter Ciszek, a proponent of his cause said the suspension “does not diminish the enduring spiritual value” of Ciszek’s witness.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 6:1-7
As the number of disciples continued to grow,
the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows
were being neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,
“It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,
filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task,
whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word.”
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,
so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,
also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
They presented these men to the Apostles
who prayed and laid hands on them.
The word of God continued to spread,
and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;
even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
From the Gospel according to John
6:16-21
When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea,
embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum.
It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
When they had rowed about three or four miles,
they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat,
and they began to be afraid.
But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”
They wanted to take him into the boat,
but the boat immediately arrived at the shore
to which they were heading.
Behind the walking on water there is a message that is not evident, a message we need to grasp. In fact, at that time, great expanses of water were held to be the haunts of evil powers that man was not able to master. Particularly when storms made them turbulent, these abysses were symbols of chaos and recalled the darkness of the underworld. Now, the disciples found themselves in the middle of the lake when it was dark. They are afraid of sinking, of being sucked in by evil. And here comes Jesus who walks on the water, that is, over the powers of evil. (…) This is the message Jesus gives us. This is the meaning of the sign: the powers of evil that frighten us, that we cannot master, immediately take on smaller proportions with Jesus. By walking on the waters, He wants to say, “Do not be afraid. I put your enemies under my feet” — a beautiful message — I put your enemies under my feet — not people! — not that type of enemy, but death, sin, the devil. These are the enemies of the people, our enemies. And Jesus tramples on these enemies for us. Today, Christ repeats to each of us, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear!” Take heart because I am here, because you are no longer alone on the turbulent waters of life. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 13 August 2023)
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Special services for student with disabilities will resume in Chicago Catholic schools, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced.
The bishop of Savannah, Georgia, looks forward to “welcoming many visitors” this fall for the upcoming beatification of the 16th-century Jesuit missionaries known as the “Georgia Martyrs.”
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Ambassador Brian Burch described the situation in Nigeria as a “conflict between radical Islamic groups and Christians because of their faith.”
![EWTN News explains: Why does the pope visit mosques on papal trips? #Catholic For more than a quarter-century, popes have periodically visited Islamic mosques as part of official voyages and papal visits. The tradition began with Pope John Paul II, who in 2001 became the first pope in history known to have entered a mosque when he visited the Great Mosque of Damascus in the capital of Syria. The subsequent Popes Benedict XVI, Francis, and Leo XIV have all paid visits to mosques to hold ecumenical dialogues and host diplomatic meetings. Yet the practice is not without some controversy. Indeed, Leo XIVʼs visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers on April 13 drew some backlash on social media by critics incredulous over the leader of the Catholic Church visiting a major Islamic holy site. (This was Leoʼs second visit to a mosque; he also visited the famed “Blue Mosque” in Istanbul in late 2025.)
Pope Leo XIV stands with Rector Mohamed Mamoun Al Qasimi at the Great Mosque in Algiers, Monday, April 13, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
So why do popes make visits to mosques, courting controversy and criticism for making a point to go to holy sites of another religion? ‘We can live together in peace’Pope Leo XIV himself addressed criticism directed toward him on April 15 on board the papal plane after leaving Algiers bound for Cameroon. “I think the visit to the mosque was significant [and showed] that although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshipping, we have different ways of living, we can [still] live together in peace,” the Holy Father said. “I think that to promote that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today,” he said, arguing that such visits show that “together we can continue to offer in our witness as we continue on this apostolic voyage.”Gabriel Said Reynolds, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame who has written multiple works on the Quran and its relationship to Christianity, told EWTN News that interpreting papal visits to mosques should include an understanding of “the Churchʼs vision of God in the world.” “What is God’s relationship to the world? That’s been important to all of the recent popes,” he said.Reynolds pointed out that an Islamic mosque is “fundamentally different from a church.” “A Catholic church is a sort of temple in which God is present in the tabernacle — body, blood, soul, and divinity,” he said. “It’s a sacred space in the deepest sense of the word.”“What Muslims would say of a mosque is fundamentally different,” he said. “A mosque is for communal prayer, but the communal prayer that takes place in a mosque is no different than the ritual prayer that’s more often done at home.” He likened a mosque to a “gathering place” with just a few features that set it apart as a distinct site — such as a pulpit for occasional sermons and an alcove that denotes the direction of Mecca to which Muslims orient themselves during prayer. Reynolds said popes visit mosques in no small part as a “pastoral concern” for Christians living in majority-Muslim countries, such as Algeria. “Algerian society is thoroughly Islamic,” he said. “It’s not generally marked by notions of rights and responsibilities and citizenship in the same way the U.S. is. Cultivating positive relationships with Muslim leaders is absolutely essential for Christians.”Reynolds said the Churchʼs view about human dignity has “fundamental implications with its relationship toward non-Christians.” He pointed out, for instance, that the pope “could show up at an atheist convention and meet the people there and have dialogue with them.”“John 3:16 says God loves the world,” he said. “It’s not that God loves believers and doesn’t love the unbelievers. All people are children of God, according to Catholic teaching.”The declaration Nostra Aetate, meanwhile — issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1965 to address Catholicismʼs relationship with non-Christians — affirmed that the Church “regards [Muslims] with esteem.”The document points out that although Muslims “do not acknowledge Jesus as God,” they still “adore the one God” and “revere [Jesus] as a prophet” while giving honor to the Virgin Mother as well. The Second Vatican Council acknowledged that “in the course of centuries not a few quarrels and hostilities have arisen” between Christians and Muslims, but the document “urge[d] all to forget the past and to work sincerely for mutual understanding.”It further called on religious adherents to “preserve as well as to promote together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ewtn-news-explains-why-does-the-pope-visit-mosques-on-papal-trips-catholic-for-more-than-a-quarter-century-popes-have-periodically-visited-islamic-mosques-as-part-of-official-voyages-and-papal-vis-scaled.jpg)
Why do popes make visits to Islamic mosques, courting controversy and criticism by taking part in events at holy sites of another religion?
If you look at a photo of a face-on spiral galaxy, you’ll notice spiral arms filled with glowing gas clouds, sparkling star clusters, and opaque dust lanes curving gently away from the galaxy’s core. An image of an edge-on spiral gives a completely different picture. The gas, dust, and stars now occupy a thin diskContinue reading “JWST uncovers the Lobster Nebula’s firestorm of starbirth”
The post JWST uncovers the Lobster Nebula’s firestorm of starbirth appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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VATICAN CITY — Seated inside a fortress with 40-foot walls and surrounded by Swiss guards, Pope Leo XIV cautioned the rest of the world’s population not to fear mass Islamic migration.
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The White House announced the construction of a 250-ft "United States Triumphal Arch" in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, which sounds good until you realize just how racist it is.
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| Picture of the day |
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Entrance to U-Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten, Berlin. Taken by
Willem van de Poll in November 1935. |
A portion of the Moon’s far side is seen along the terminator—the boundary between lunar day and night—where low-angle sunlight casts long shadows across the surface.
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For the last few says, Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona has looked like a hot mess.
The post HERE WE GO: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Tells CBS News the Other Shoe is About to Drop on Swalwell Pal Senator Ruben Gallego (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Last night on his show, Greg Gutfeld devoted his opening monologue to the downfall of Eric Swalwell and it was a rant for the ages.
The post Watch Greg Gutfeld’s EPIC Monologue About the Downfall of Eric Swalwell (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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One thing that everyone seems to agree on is that the Swalwell scandal was one of those ‘open secrets; in Washington that everyone knew about but no one mentioned in polite company.
The post MEDIA MALPRACTICE: Liberal Outlet Politico Reportedly Had the Swalwell Story in 2019 But Dropped it When He Ended His Presidential Run appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreGod, my Father,
may I love You in all things and above all things.
May I reach the joy which You have prepared for me in Heaven.
Nothing is good that is against Your Will,
and all that is good comes from Your Hand.
Place in my heart a desire to please You
and fill my mind with thoughts of Your Love,
so that I may grow in Your Wisdom and enjoy Your Peace.
A reading from the Book of the Act of the Apostles
Acts 5:34-42
A Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel,
a teacher of the law, respected by all the people,
stood up, ordered the Apostles to be put outside for a short time,
and said to the Sanhedrin, "Fellow children of Israel,
be careful what you are about to do to these men.
Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important,
and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed,
and all those who were loyal to him
were disbanded and came to nothing.
After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census.
He also drew people after him,
but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered.
So now I tell you,
have nothing to do with these men, and let them go.
For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin,
it will destroy itself.
But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them;
you may even find yourselves fighting against God."
They were persuaded by him.
After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged,
ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus,
and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing that they had been found worthy
to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes,
they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.
From the Gospel according to John
6:1-15
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
"Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little."
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?"
Jesus said, "Have the people recline."
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted."
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
"This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world."
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
Let us now try to put ourselves in the place of that boy. The disciples ask him to share everything he has to eat. It seems to be an unreasonable proposal, or rather, unjust. Why deprive a person, indeed a child, of what he has brought from home and has the right to keep for himself? Why take away from one person what is not enough to feed everyone anyway? In human terms, it is illogical. But not for God. On the contrary, thanks to that small freely-given and therefore heroic gift, Jesus is able to feed everyone. This is a great lesson for us. It tells us that the Lord can do a lot with the little that we put at His disposal. It would be good to ask ourselves every day: “What do I bring to Jesus today?”. He can do a lot with one of our prayers, with a gesture of charity for others, even with one of our sufferings handed over to His mercy. Our small things to Jesus, and He works miracles. This is how God loves to act: He does great things, starting from those small things, those freely-given ones. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 25 July 2021)
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![Bishop reminds Venezuelan people: ‘Christ’s resurrection is a source of solace and strength’ – #Catholic – To Venezuelans gripped by anxiety and fear after years of political violence, economic collapse, famine, and family separation, the newly-appointed bishop of Caracas said the hardships they have endured for too long can be faced with the certainty that the Lord has triumphed over sin and death.José Dionisio Gómez, who was recently appointed by Pope Leo XIV as auxiliary bishop of Caracas, reminded the Venezuelan people that Christʼs resurrection is “a source of solace and strength.”“In Venezuela, we have the hope of rising again at every moment in the face of every suffering and obstacle that confronts us,” Gómez said in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.“To rise with Christ is to strive to be better people and better witnesses to his resurrection,” Gómez said. “Throughout history, it has been demonstrated that human beings possess the capacity through the grace of God and with the solidarity of their brothers and sisters to overcome situations of suffering caused by wars, pandemics, holocausts, abuses of power, and harassment.”The capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the United States military in the early hours of Jan. 3 ushered in “a new political era," presenting a scenario that was previously unimaginable.The prelate cited the episcopate’s latest pastoral exhortation, published in mid-February, in which the bishops stated that “Jesus Christ consoles us and encourages us to move forward with hope.” Gómez noted that Venezuelans are not alone amid their daily lives: “We are all aware of [the need to] and are eager to move our country forward, a country we love so much.”On March 18, Gómez and José Manuel León were named the two new auxiliary bishops-elect of Caracas. They join Auxiliary Bishop Carlos Márquez in assisting Archbishop Raúl Biord in the governance of the Church in the Venezuelan capital.Venezuelans ‘bear signs of Christ’s passion’Reflecting on Venezuelaʼs political situation, Gómez, who also serves as rector of St. Rose of Lima archdiocesan seminary in Caracas, said that, regrettably, “all Venezuelans bear signs of Christ’s passion, whether through imprisonment, exile, or migration under duress; through acute poverty as wages aren’t enough to have a decent life; or because we witness others suffering even more and we are powerless to help them.”“Indeed, Jesus came to have compassion on us. That is why he drew near to and remained alongside the abandoned and suffering members of society, inviting them to bear that suffering with love and patience,” he noted.Gómez also referred to Pope Leo’s Lenten message, which echoed the words God addressed to Moses: “I have seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cries of pain” (Ex 3:7).Law on amnesty and national reconciliationIn mid-February, the National Assembly, which is controlled by the ruling socialist party, approved the Law on Amnesty and National Reconciliation, which led to the release of hundreds of political prisoners.However, various independent organizations have said the new law has not benefited all detainees and have charged that its application serves the interests of the regime. According to the Foro Penal, 485 people remain unjustly detained in Venezuela.“There is not the slightest doubt that we all wish to live in justice and truth. The amnesty law is also the law of God’s mercy, who desires that all men be saved. For this reason, he offers his forgiveness to all,” Gómez explained.“A wounded country and a wounded human being are healed through forgiveness and reconciliation by setting aside interests of any kind and always seeking paths toward the common good and brotherhood, where we are all one despite our differing ways of thinking, accepting one another. Therefore, it is important to set aside what divides us and embrace what unites us,” he said.‘Let us make our lives a journey of peace and reconciliation’Gómez noted that “the new era” for Venezuela coincides with the Franciscan Jubilee Year, which serves as “a good opportunity to embark on a path of education for peace, one that entails nonviolence and reconciliation.”“It’s not about forgetting but rather about remembering, repairing the damage, and building bonds of fraternity. A society achieves reconciliation and rebuilds itself not with heroes but with free, responsible people capable of living together with dignity and building a future worthy of hope,” the auxiliary bishop-elect emphasized.Finally, he prayed that Catholics might make their “great contribution” to Venezuela, following the example of St. José Gregorio Hernández, who offered his life for the end of World War I.“Let us make our lives a journey of peace and reconciliation so that all Venezuelans may return to the source of our essence: a people of solidarity — friendly, humorous, and joyful — with a simple faith and fervent religious expressions, and ready to help anyone in need,” he urged.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.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/bishop-reminds-venezuelan-people-christs-resurrection-is-a-source-of-solace-and-strength-catholic-to-venezuelans-gripped-by-anxiety-and-fear-after-years-of-political-v.webp "Bishop reminds Venezuelan people: ‘Christ’s resurrection is a source of solace and strength’ – #Catholic – To Venezuelans gripped by anxiety and fear after years of political violence, economic collapse, famine, and family separation, the newly-appointed bishop of Caracas said the hardships they have endured for too long can be faced with the certainty that the Lord has triumphed over sin and death.José Dionisio Gómez, who was recently appointed by Pope Leo XIV as auxiliary bishop of Caracas, reminded the Venezuelan people that Christʼs resurrection is “a source of solace and strength.”“In Venezuela, we have the hope of rising again at every moment in the face of every suffering and obstacle that confronts us,” Gómez said in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.“To rise with Christ is to strive to be better people and better witnesses to his resurrection,” Gómez said. “Throughout history, it has been demonstrated that human beings possess the capacity through the grace of God and with the solidarity of their brothers and sisters to overcome situations of suffering caused by wars, pandemics, holocausts, abuses of power, and harassment.”The capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the United States military in the early hours of Jan. 3 ushered in “a new political era,\" presenting a scenario that was previously unimaginable.The prelate cited the episcopate’s latest pastoral exhortation, published in mid-February, in which the bishops stated that “Jesus Christ consoles us and encourages us to move forward with hope.” Gómez noted that Venezuelans are not alone amid their daily lives: “We are all aware of [the need to] and are eager to move our country forward, a country we love so much.”On March 18, Gómez and José Manuel León were named the two new auxiliary bishops-elect of Caracas. They join Auxiliary Bishop Carlos Márquez in assisting Archbishop Raúl Biord in the governance of the Church in the Venezuelan capital.Venezuelans ‘bear signs of Christ’s passion’Reflecting on Venezuelaʼs political situation, Gómez, who also serves as rector of St. Rose of Lima archdiocesan seminary in Caracas, said that, regrettably, “all Venezuelans bear signs of Christ’s passion, whether through imprisonment, exile, or migration under duress; through acute poverty as wages aren’t enough to have a decent life; or because we witness others suffering even more and we are powerless to help them.”“Indeed, Jesus came to have compassion on us. That is why he drew near to and remained alongside the abandoned and suffering members of society, inviting them to bear that suffering with love and patience,” he noted.Gómez also referred to Pope Leo’s Lenten message, which echoed the words God addressed to Moses: “I have seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cries of pain” (Ex 3:7).Law on amnesty and national reconciliationIn mid-February, the National Assembly, which is controlled by the ruling socialist party, approved the Law on Amnesty and National Reconciliation, which led to the release of hundreds of political prisoners.However, various independent organizations have said the new law has not benefited all detainees and have charged that its application serves the interests of the regime. According to the Foro Penal, 485 people remain unjustly detained in Venezuela.“There is not the slightest doubt that we all wish to live in justice and truth. The amnesty law is also the law of God’s mercy, who desires that all men be saved. For this reason, he offers his forgiveness to all,” Gómez explained.“A wounded country and a wounded human being are healed through forgiveness and reconciliation by setting aside interests of any kind and always seeking paths toward the common good and brotherhood, where we are all one despite our differing ways of thinking, accepting one another. Therefore, it is important to set aside what divides us and embrace what unites us,” he said.‘Let us make our lives a journey of peace and reconciliation’Gómez noted that “the new era” for Venezuela coincides with the Franciscan Jubilee Year, which serves as “a good opportunity to embark on a path of education for peace, one that entails nonviolence and reconciliation.”“It’s not about forgetting but rather about remembering, repairing the damage, and building bonds of fraternity. A society achieves reconciliation and rebuilds itself not with heroes but with free, responsible people capable of living together with dignity and building a future worthy of hope,” the auxiliary bishop-elect emphasized.Finally, he prayed that Catholics might make their “great contribution” to Venezuela, following the example of St. José Gregorio Hernández, who offered his life for the end of World War I.“Let us make our lives a journey of peace and reconciliation so that all Venezuelans may return to the source of our essence: a people of solidarity — friendly, humorous, and joyful — with a simple faith and fervent religious expressions, and ready to help anyone in need,” he urged.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.")
Caracas Auxiliary Bishop-elect José Gómez reminded Venezuelans that they “possess the capacity, through the grace of God and with the solidarity of their brothers and sisters, to overcome” suffering.
Numbers of U.S. young men and women who frequently attend religious services have increased, Gallup data shows.
![Donald Trump on tensions with Pope Leo XIV: ‘I have nothing against the pope’ – #Catholic – U.S. President Donald Trump on April 16 downplayed his recent public criticism of Pope Leo XIV, stating that he has “nothing against the pope” while continuing to falsely suggest that Leo wants Iran to develop nuclear weapons.While speaking to the press on April 16, Trump was asked why he was “fighting with the pope.” Trump responded that he himself “[has] to do whatʼs right.”“Itʼs very simple, I have nothing against the pope,” Trump said. “… Iʼm not fighting with him. The pope made a statement, he says Iran can have a nuclear weapon. I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.” The president had slammed Leo as “weak on crime” and “weak on nuclear weapons” in an April 12 social media post while suggesting that the pope “thinks itʼs OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” Leo has several times in recent weeks called for peace while criticizing the ongoing U.S.-led war against Iran, but it is unclear why Trump has repeatedly claimed that Leo has advocated for nuclear weapons in Iran. The pope has spoken out explicitly against the expansion of global nuclear armaments in the recent past.‘I want him to preach the Gospel’Asked at the April 16 press gaggle about the popeʼs obligation to preach the Gospel, the president responded: “I want him to preach the Gospel.” “Iʼm all about the Gospel,” Trump told reporters. “But I also know that you cannot let [Iran] have a nuclear weapon. If they did, they would use it, and I think theyʼd use it quickly, and they would kill many millions of people.”“As president of the United States of America, I canʼt allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “And hereʼs the story: They wonʼt have [it]. Theyʼve already agreed not to have [it]. Thatʼs good news. And I think the pope will be very happy.”Asked by a reporter if he would meet with the pope “to even out your differences,” Trump said: “I donʼt think thatʼs necessary.” During a press conference at the White House on Monday, Trump claimed that Iranian officials had contacted him seeking a peace deal. “Theyʼd like to make a deal very badly,” the president said.Earlier peace talks in Islamabad, led by Vice President JD Vance, collapsed last weekend after Iran refused to meet U.S. demands to end its nuclear program. Trumpʼs support among Catholics dipped notably after the launch of the Iran war, with bipartisan polling finding that 48% of Catholic voters approve of the job Trump is doing as president and 52% disapprove. The president won 55% of the Catholic vote in the 2024 election. The poll found that most Catholics disapprove of Trump’s actions in Iran and the use of military force against the country but still favor some American influence in the region.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/donald-trump-on-tensions-with-pope-leo-xiv-i-have-nothing-against-the-pope-catholic-u-s-president-donald-trump-on-april-16-downplayed-his-recent-public-criticism-of-pope-leo-x.jpg "Donald Trump on tensions with Pope Leo XIV: ‘I have nothing against the pope’ – #Catholic – U.S. President Donald Trump on April 16 downplayed his recent public criticism of Pope Leo XIV, stating that he has “nothing against the pope” while continuing to falsely suggest that Leo wants Iran to develop nuclear weapons.While speaking to the press on April 16, Trump was asked why he was “fighting with the pope.” Trump responded that he himself “[has] to do whatʼs right.”“Itʼs very simple, I have nothing against the pope,” Trump said. “… Iʼm not fighting with him. The pope made a statement, he says Iran can have a nuclear weapon. I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.” The president had slammed Leo as “weak on crime” and “weak on nuclear weapons” in an April 12 social media post while suggesting that the pope “thinks itʼs OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” Leo has several times in recent weeks called for peace while criticizing the ongoing U.S.-led war against Iran, but it is unclear why Trump has repeatedly claimed that Leo has advocated for nuclear weapons in Iran. The pope has spoken out explicitly against the expansion of global nuclear armaments in the recent past.‘I want him to preach the Gospel’Asked at the April 16 press gaggle about the popeʼs obligation to preach the Gospel, the president responded: “I want him to preach the Gospel.” “Iʼm all about the Gospel,” Trump told reporters. “But I also know that you cannot let [Iran] have a nuclear weapon. If they did, they would use it, and I think theyʼd use it quickly, and they would kill many millions of people.”“As president of the United States of America, I canʼt allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “And hereʼs the story: They wonʼt have [it]. Theyʼve already agreed not to have [it]. Thatʼs good news. And I think the pope will be very happy.”Asked by a reporter if he would meet with the pope “to even out your differences,” Trump said: “I donʼt think thatʼs necessary.” During a press conference at the White House on Monday, Trump claimed that Iranian officials had contacted him seeking a peace deal. “Theyʼd like to make a deal very badly,” the president said.Earlier peace talks in Islamabad, led by Vice President JD Vance, collapsed last weekend after Iran refused to meet U.S. demands to end its nuclear program. Trumpʼs support among Catholics dipped notably after the launch of the Iran war, with bipartisan polling finding that 48% of Catholic voters approve of the job Trump is doing as president and 52% disapprove. The president won 55% of the Catholic vote in the 2024 election. The poll found that most Catholics disapprove of Trump’s actions in Iran and the use of military force against the country but still favor some American influence in the region.")
The president downplayed his public criticism of Leo while falsely claiming that the Holy Father said Iran “can have a nuclear weapon.”
The exhibition by the Dicastery for Culture and Education features the work of contemporary artists in various fields, inspired by the life and spiritual legacy of St. Hildegard of Bingen.
Beyond The Beacon podcast 109 – John Fanta: Sports broadcaster, storyteller and man of faith #Catholic – 
For the latest episode of Beyond The Beacon, we talk sports and faith with John Fanta, a prominent national broadcaster at NBC Sports, who attends Mass with his wife and young son at Our Lady of the Magnificat Church in Kinnelon, N.J. He joins Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.
Fanta went to Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., where he became deeply involved with the Pirate Sports Network, WSOU radio, and student journalism, and laid the foundation for his national broadcasting career.
But his first break came when his first-grade teacher recognized Fanta’s talent for singing and encouraged him to be a cantor and lector at St. Bernadette Church in Westlake, Ohio, where he grew up.
Bishop Sweeney also discusses the establishment of a new parish, Padre Pio, in Paterson, N.J., on April 12 (Divine Mercy Sunday).
Listen to the episode here, or on any major podcast platform, or watch it on Bishop Sweeney’s YouTube channel.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
– For the latest episode of Beyond The Beacon, we talk sports and faith with John Fanta, a prominent national broadcaster at NBC Sports, who attends Mass with his wife and young son at Our Lady of the Magnificat Church in Kinnelon, N.J. He joins Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. Fanta went to Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., where he became deeply involved with the Pirate Sports Network, WSOU radio, and student journalism, and laid the foundation for his national broadcasting career. But his first break came when his
![Police reveal bomb threat at Chicago-area home of Pope Leo XIV’s brother #Catholic The brother of Pope Leo XIV was reportedly the victim of a hoax bomb threat in a suburb outside of Chicago, according to police and media reports. The New Lenox, Illinois, Police Department said in a Facebook post on April 15 that it had responded to a “reported bomb threat at a private residence” in the Chicago suburb about 40 miles outside of the city center. The statement did not identify the home as belonging to Leoʼs brother John Prevost, but local media reports said the target of the threat was Prevostʼs home. Public records indicate that Prevost lives on the street to which police responded. Police evacuated nearby homes during their investigation and called in explosive-detection K9 units. “After careful examination, investigators determined that the threat was unsubstantiated and that no explosive devices or hazardous materials were present,” New Lenox police said. The police noted that no injuries were reported but that the false bomb threat was “a serious offense and may result in criminal charges.”New Lenox Police Chief Micah Nuesse told EWTN News via email on April 16 that the matter was an “active and ongoing investigation” and that the police department had “no new updates to share” about the crime or any suspects. The hoax threat came just several days after President Donald Trump praised Pope Leo XIVʼs other brother, Louis, in a rambling Truth Social post in which he derided Pope Leo XIV as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” after Leo repeatedly criticized the ongoing U.S.-led war in Iran. “I like [Leoʼs] brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!” Trump said. Louis Prevost currently lives in Florida. On April 11 at a Vatican peace vigil, the pope criticized the “madness of war” and urged world leaders: “Stop! Itʼs time for peace!” On March 29, meanwhile, he said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”In Trumpʼs Truth Social post, he suggested that Leo — the first American-born pontiff — was only elected to the papacy as part of a diplomatic strategy to “deal with” Trump himself, due to Leoʼs U.S. background. “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump claimed in the post. Responding to a question about Trumpʼs post on April 13, Leo told media that “people who read it will be able to draw their own conclusions.” "I am not a politician, and I have no intention of entering into a debate with him,” the pope said, adding that he had "no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel."](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/police-reveal-bomb-threat-at-chicago-area-home-of-pope-leo-xivs-brother-catholic-the-brother-of-pope-leo-xiv-was-reportedly-the-victim-of-a-hoax-bomb-threat-in-a-suburb-outside-of-chicago-a.jpg "Police reveal bomb threat at Chicago-area home of Pope Leo XIV’s brother #Catholic The brother of Pope Leo XIV was reportedly the victim of a hoax bomb threat in a suburb outside of Chicago, according to police and media reports. The New Lenox, Illinois, Police Department said in a Facebook post on April 15 that it had responded to a “reported bomb threat at a private residence” in the Chicago suburb about 40 miles outside of the city center. The statement did not identify the home as belonging to Leoʼs brother John Prevost, but local media reports said the target of the threat was Prevostʼs home. Public records indicate that Prevost lives on the street to which police responded. Police evacuated nearby homes during their investigation and called in explosive-detection K9 units. “After careful examination, investigators determined that the threat was unsubstantiated and that no explosive devices or hazardous materials were present,” New Lenox police said. The police noted that no injuries were reported but that the false bomb threat was “a serious offense and may result in criminal charges.”New Lenox Police Chief Micah Nuesse told EWTN News via email on April 16 that the matter was an “active and ongoing investigation” and that the police department had “no new updates to share” about the crime or any suspects. The hoax threat came just several days after President Donald Trump praised Pope Leo XIVʼs other brother, Louis, in a rambling Truth Social post in which he derided Pope Leo XIV as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” after Leo repeatedly criticized the ongoing U.S.-led war in Iran. “I like [Leoʼs] brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!” Trump said. Louis Prevost currently lives in Florida. On April 11 at a Vatican peace vigil, the pope criticized the “madness of war” and urged world leaders: “Stop! Itʼs time for peace!” On March 29, meanwhile, he said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”In Trumpʼs Truth Social post, he suggested that Leo — the first American-born pontiff — was only elected to the papacy as part of a diplomatic strategy to “deal with” Trump himself, due to Leoʼs U.S. background. “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump claimed in the post. Responding to a question about Trumpʼs post on April 13, Leo told media that “people who read it will be able to draw their own conclusions.” \"I am not a politician, and I have no intention of entering into a debate with him,” the pope said, adding that he had \"no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.\"")
‘We can always begin anew’: Pope Leo leads peace meeting in heart of Cameroon’s conflict zone #Catholic – 
BAMENDA, Cameroon (OSV News) — A religious sister in Cameroon who was kidnapped just a few months ago by separatists and held hostage for three days in the bush was among those who shared her testimony with Pope Leo XIV April 16 in an emotional peace meeting in Cameroon’s northwest city of Bamenda, a region marred by years of separatist violence.
“We were held hostage for three days and three nights. During those days and nights, we neither slept nor ate,” Sister Carine Tangiri Mangu told the pope.
“What kept our hope alive was the rosary which we prayed continuously for those days,” she added.
“Most Holy Father, this is the situation under which many consecrated women do their work and live their lives within this war zone. Some have undergone more dramatic and more traumatizing experiences, but we continue to rely on the help of God and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” she said.
Pope Leo led a historic peace meeting on April 16 in Cameroon’s northwest city of Bamenda, a region marred by years of separatist violence.
The long-running separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions has killed thousands since 2017. The violence pits Anglophone separatists against the Francophone-dominated government, leaving entire communities displaced and children out of school in what humanitarian groups describe as one of the world’s most neglected conflicts.
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In his speech in St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Pope Leo loudly and passionately said, “I am here to proclaim peace,” to an enthusiastic reaction in the crowd.
The pope also had strong words of denunciation for those who perpetuate war. “The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,” the pope said. “They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found.”
Pope Leo strongly denounced those who “rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilization and death.”
“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters,” he underlined.
During the peace meeting, the pope heard testimonies from local traditional and religious leaders and a family displaced by the violence.
A local chief imam told the pope about how in November armed men invaded a mosque in Sabga, near Bamenda, during the time of prayer and killed three people, injuring nine others.
Mohammed Abubakar of the Buea Central Mosque continued that on Jan. 14, 2025, “Armed men targeted cattle rearers from the Mbororo ethnic community and killed at least 15 people, including 8 children.” The chief imam added that “The Islamic community has suffered in many English speaking towns and villages, and there were Muslim victims in what has come to be known as the Ngabur Massacre, in which 23 civilians were killed in 2020.
“Holy Father, welcome, and please help us to have peace again,” the imam added.
Denis Salo met the pope, along with his wife and three children, telling Pope Leo how “five of my neighbors were killed and one of my close friends was also killed. While we were being targeted by the separatist fighters, government soldiers were also burning down houses.”
“In 2017, I escaped with my family out of Mbiame, abandoning all that I ever owned, including house, farms, and animals, and arrived in Bamenda. My kids had to abandon school. After seeing no better in Bamenda, I proceeded to Douala to look for livelihood and not finding anything better, I returned to Bamenda,” he said. “I now live in a little rented house with my entire family, and working as a gateman in the hospital of Maria Soledad, and at the same time working as gardener in the Parish of the Immaculate Conception, Ngomgham,” Salo said.
The pope affirmed to the afflicted community that “God has never abandoned us! In him, in his peace, we can always begin anew!”
In an emotional address welcoming the Holy Father in the cathedral, Archbishop Andrew Nkea of Bamenda told the pope: “Today your feet are standing on the soil of Bamenda that has drunk the blood of many of our children.”
“The archbishop mentioned the prophecy that exclaims: ‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace!’ (Is 52:7). He welcomed me with these words, and now I would like to respond: how beautiful are your feet as well, dusty from this bloodstained yet fertile land that has been mistreated, yet is rich in vegetation and fruit,” the pope said.
The Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba, moderator emeritus of the Presbyterian Church
in Cameroon, described to the pope how religious leaders of different denominations have “bonded together and founded a Peace Movement through which we have tried to broker peace and dialogue with the government of Cameroon and the Separatist Fighters.”
He said that under the leadership of Archbishop Nkea, they “have visited and spoken with many of the leaders of the separatist movements at home and abroad, and we have tried to engage the local separatist fighters on the ground in dialogue, convincing them that peace is better than war, and that war can never really solve any conflict,” he said.
“Practically all of us gathered here are traumatized and need both psychological and spiritual healing,” the reverend said.
“This Anglophone crisis is one of the forgotten crises on the planet earth, but it was brought to the notice of the Vatican, and the Vatican was even willing to facilitate dialogue between the warring factions,” Rev. Forba said.
Bishop Michael Miabesue Bibi of Buea told OSV News that the Anglophone crisis made it impossible for people to live normally in the conflicted region.
On top of loss of life and education opportunities for children, he said people “experienced abject poverty” as farmers were unable to sell products due to violence.
“There are people whose houses have been destroyed and they have been rendered homeless,” instantly becoming internally displaced, the bishop listed.
Even though pastoral work has been challenging, the bishop said, “we continue to hope in God, as we continue to pray and the situation will be better.”
Pope Leo expressed support for how “religious leaders have come together to establish a Movement for Peace, through which they seek to mediate between the opposing sides.”
He had however a strong condemnation for those who wage war in the name of God.
“But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” Pope Leo said.
“Yes, dear brothers and sisters, you who hunger and thirst for justice, who are poor, merciful, meek, and pure of heart, who have wept — you are the light of the world! (cf. Mt 5:3-14),” he said.
After the ceremony, Pope Leo XIV released doves outside of the cathedral, symbolizing peace. A crowd gathered outside of the cathedral, people sang and cheered enthusiastically.
“Our hearts are full of joy and it sounds unbelievable that the successor of St. Peter is among us in this remote part of Africa,” Archbishop Andrew Nkea of Bamenda told the pope.
Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.
– BAMENDA, Cameroon (OSV News) — A religious sister in Cameroon who was kidnapped just a few months ago by separatists and held hostage for three days in the bush was among those who shared her testimony with Pope Leo XIV April 16 in an emotional peace meeting in Cameroon’s northwest city of Bamenda, a region marred by years of separatist violence. “We were held hostage for three days and three nights. During those days and nights, we neither slept nor ate,” Sister Carine Tangiri Mangu told the pope. “What kept our hope alive was the rosary which we prayed continuously