Gates Foundation to Cut Hundreds of Jobs Amid Epstein Investigation – The Gates Foundation, co-founded by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, will eliminate as many as 500 jobs in the coming years. The post Gates Foundation to Cut Hundreds of Jobs Amid Epstein Investigation appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Gates Foundation to Cut Hundreds of Jobs Amid Epstein Investigation – The Gates Foundation, co-founded by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, will eliminate as many as 500 jobs in the coming years. The post Gates Foundation to Cut Hundreds of Jobs Amid Epstein Investigation appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Mugshot of a middle-aged man with gray hair and a beard, looking directly at the camera against a neutral background.

Mugshot of a middle-aged man with gray hair and a beard, looking directly at the camera against a neutral background.

The Gates Foundation, co-founded by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, will eliminate as many as 500 jobs in the coming years.

The post Gates Foundation to Cut Hundreds of Jobs Amid Epstein Investigation appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Ilhan Omar’s California Winery LLC Dissolved Just 9 Days After She Scrubbed Millions from Her Financial Disclosures – The Minnesota Democrat’s husband’s questionable California winery LLC has been officially dissolved, just nine days after she quietly amended her financial disclosures to slash her reported wealth from millions down to peanuts. The post Ilhan Omar’s California Winery LLC Dissolved Just 9 Days After She Scrubbed Millions from Her Financial Disclosures appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Ilhan Omar’s California Winery LLC Dissolved Just 9 Days After She Scrubbed Millions from Her Financial Disclosures – The Minnesota Democrat’s husband’s questionable California winery LLC has been officially dissolved, just nine days after she quietly amended her financial disclosures to slash her reported wealth from millions down to peanuts. The post Ilhan Omar’s California Winery LLC Dissolved Just 9 Days After She Scrubbed Millions from Her Financial Disclosures appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Close-up of a woman with a headscarf and large earrings, alongside a California Certificate of Cancellation for a Limited Liability Company.

Close-up of a woman with a headscarf and large earrings, alongside a California Certificate of Cancellation for a Limited Liability Company.

The Minnesota Democrat’s husband’s questionable California winery LLC has been officially dissolved, just nine days after she quietly amended her financial disclosures to slash her reported wealth from millions down to peanuts.

The post Ilhan Omar’s California Winery LLC Dissolved Just 9 Days After She Scrubbed Millions from Her Financial Disclosures appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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TRUMP STOPS EXECUTIONS: Eight Women Protesters SPARED in Iran After Last-Minute Intervention – President Donald Trump announced that eight women protesters in Iran facing execution will NOT be put to death after his direct intervention. The post TRUMP STOPS EXECUTIONS: Eight Women Protesters SPARED in Iran After Last-Minute Intervention appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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TRUMP STOPS EXECUTIONS: Eight Women Protesters SPARED in Iran After Last-Minute Intervention – President Donald Trump announced that eight women protesters in Iran facing execution will NOT be put to death after his direct intervention. The post TRUMP STOPS EXECUTIONS: Eight Women Protesters SPARED in Iran After Last-Minute Intervention appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

unitedyam

Collage of eight diverse women showcasing various beauty styles and makeup looks, featuring different hairstyles and expressions.

Collage of eight diverse women showcasing various beauty styles and makeup looks, featuring different hairstyles and expressions.

President Donald Trump announced that eight women protesters in Iran facing execution will NOT be put to death after his direct intervention.

The post TRUMP STOPS EXECUTIONS: Eight Women Protesters SPARED in Iran After Last-Minute Intervention appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Prayer After A Surgery: Prayer of the Day for Thursday, April 23, 2026 – #Prayer – Blessed Savior, I thank you that this operation is safely past, and now I rest in your abiding presence, relaxing every tension, releasing every care and anxiety, receiving more and more of your healing life into every part of my being. In moments of pain I turn to you for strength, in times of loneliness I feel your loving nearness. Grant that your life and love and joy may flow through me for the healing of others in your name. Amen.

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Blessed Savior, I thank you that this operation is safely past, and now I rest in your abiding presence, relaxing every tension, releasing every care and anxiety, receiving more and more of your healing life into every part of my being. In moments of pain I turn to you for strength, in times of loneliness I feel your loving nearness. Grant that your life and love and joy may flow through me for the healing of others in your name. Amen.

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10 Powerful Stories From People Who Converted To Atheism #BabylonBee – We all love a good conversion story. Those beautiful accounts of people who thought life had meaning and then realized that none of this matters and we’re all going to die and there’s nothing else after that except the long darkness. It brings a tear to the eye (which is a non-meaningful, chemical reaction biologically programmed into us through millions of years of random mutations).
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10 Powerful Stories From People Who Converted To Atheism #BabylonBee – We all love a good conversion story. Those beautiful accounts of people who thought life had meaning and then realized that none of this matters and we’re all going to die and there’s nothing else after that except the long darkness. It brings a tear to the eye (which is a non-meaningful, chemical reaction biologically programmed into us through millions of years of random mutations).

unitedyam

We all love a good conversion story. Those beautiful accounts of people who thought life had meaning and then realized that none of this matters and we’re all going to die and there’s nothing else after that except the long darkness. It brings a tear to the eye (which is a non-meaningful, chemical reaction biologically programmed into us through millions of years of random mutations).

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NFL To Utilize Hogwarts’ Sorting Hat For This Year’s Draft #BabylonBee – PITTSBURGH, PA — In a stark change from decades of tradition, the National Football League announced that, rather than the standard method of having each team select its preferred prospects, it would now utilize Hogwarts’ Sorting Hat for this year’s draft.
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NFL To Utilize Hogwarts’ Sorting Hat For This Year’s Draft #BabylonBee – PITTSBURGH, PA — In a stark change from decades of tradition, the National Football League announced that, rather than the standard method of having each team select its preferred prospects, it would now utilize Hogwarts’ Sorting Hat for this year’s draft.

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PITTSBURGH, PA — In a stark change from decades of tradition, the National Football League announced that, rather than the standard method of having each team select its preferred prospects, it would now utilize Hogwarts’ Sorting Hat for this year’s draft.

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New York Catholic bishops issue new guidebook on making end-of-life decisions – #Catholic – In light of a recent law legalizing assisted suicide in New York, Catholic bishops urged Catholics to make end-of-life decisions prayerfully and with guidance from the Church.In a recently published updated end-of-life guidebook, the Catholic bishops of New York state outlined the Catholic Church’s teaching on assisted suicide as well as what care is morally obligatory or morally optional.The updated pamphlet, “Now and at the Hour of Our Death,” is designed “to simply explain the moral principles of Catholic teaching with regard to end-of-life decision-making and to outline the options that exist in New York state for advance care planning,” according to its introduction. The pamphlet also encourages Catholics to appoint proxies who are informed on their values to make medical decisions should they be unable to make them.“Medical advances bring with them new and complex questions with regard to medical treatments and moral decision-making,” the introduction to the guidebook reads.The guidebook specifically addresses the moral problem of assisted suicide but also goes into detail about other important end-of-life decisions.“Assisted suicide is the voluntary termination of one’s own life using physician-prescribed chemicals or drugs that will cause death. It is considered active euthanasia,” the guidebook reads. “Our Church warns us in no uncertain terms that this practice is objectively immoral and must be avoided, despite the false veil of compassion with which it is sold.”What types of medical interventions are morally required for Catholics?Basic lifesaving medical interventions, such as feeding tubes, are generally considered morally obligatory by the Catholic Church, according to the bishops’ guidebook.The bishops distinguish between these morally required “ordinary” medical interventions and “extraordinary” or morally optional interventions. Determining which is which requires “the weighing of benefits and burdens expected for each individual.”“This is not just a pragmatic decision of costs and benefits but a moral decision that affects our spiritual health,” the bishops say of end-of-life decisions.The bishops note that “we must always accept (and others must provide) ordinary medical means of preserving life.”“Ordinary means are those that offer us a reasonable hope of benefit and would not entail excessive burden on us, our family, or the community,” the bishops continue.The pamphlet goes into the distinction between “ordinary” and “extraordinary” treatments and its connection to assisted suicide.“The immorality of directly intending and bringing about our own death or of assisting in the death of another by intentional action is self-evident,” the bishops state. “Decisions can become much more complex, however, when we contemplate the removal or withholding of medical treatment, such as a ventilator or dialysis.”“Withholding ordinary care with the intention of causing death is considered passive euthanasia and is always gravely contrary to God’s will,” the bishops continue. “But Catholics are not morally bound to prolong the dying process by using every medical treatment available. Allowing natural death to occur is not the same as killing.”But the bishops note that “extraordinary treatments” are “considered morally optional.”“For example, it would be permissible for a cancer patient to forego a particularly aggressive and expensive treatment if the patient judged the survival rate too low and the pain of the treatment too great a burden,” the bishops say.The bishops emphasize that the distinction can be complex and encourage Catholics to seek guidance in these decisions.“Weighing the burdens and benefits of particular medical treatments for each individual requires us to apply the virtue of prudence, using practical reason to discern the true good and choose the right path,” the bishops say. “Because such decisions are often sensitive and complex, Catholics may wish to seek guidance from a priest, chaplain, or ethicist whose counsel is informed by Church teaching.”For instance, the bishops note that there is an obligation “in principle” to always provide patients with food and water, including when patients require medical assistance or have irreversible conditions. The bishops also note that this moral standard can have exceptions in extreme cases, such as “when death is imminent” or if the gastric tube causes severe side effects; even then, hydration and nutrition should be provided to the extent possible.“It is never permissible to remove a feeding tube, or any other form of life-sustaining treatment, based on a belief that the patient’s life no longer holds value or with the intention to terminate the patient’s life,” the bishops state.How should Catholics make important medical decisions?The bishops emphasize that the guide “is by no means a substitute for prayer.”“Determining if and when a particular treatment can morally be withheld or withdrawn should be done collaboratively with the patient or surrogate, family members, health care providers, and spiritual adviser,” the bishops say.The bishops encourage Catholics to plan in advance and ensure that surrogate decision-makers, a legal standard in New York, will honor “your values and beliefs.”The bishops recommend the health care proxy as “the most morally appropriate advance care planning tool in New York state.” The New York State Catholic Conference referred New York Catholics to fill out a government form that enables citizens to appoint a trusted loved one to make health care decisions and also to include instructions for their proxy.Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, noted that the original issue of the guidebook has been a useful tool “for more than 15 years.”“Our hope is that many thousands more Catholics in the years to come will find ‘Now and at the Hour of Our Death’ to be a useful guide in what is by nature a very stressful time,” Poust said. “We urge Catholics to read the booklet and familiarize themselves with Catholic teaching on these issues and the options available in New York now, before they or their loved ones are facing a health crisis.”
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New York Catholic bishops issue new guidebook on making end-of-life decisions – #Catholic – In light of a recent law legalizing assisted suicide in New York, Catholic bishops urged Catholics to make end-of-life decisions prayerfully and with guidance from the Church.In a recently published updated end-of-life guidebook, the Catholic bishops of New York state outlined the Catholic Church’s teaching on assisted suicide as well as what care is morally obligatory or morally optional.The updated pamphlet, “Now and at the Hour of Our Death,” is designed “to simply explain the moral principles of Catholic teaching with regard to end-of-life decision-making and to outline the options that exist in New York state for advance care planning,” according to its introduction. The pamphlet also encourages Catholics to appoint proxies who are informed on their values to make medical decisions should they be unable to make them.“Medical advances bring with them new and complex questions with regard to medical treatments and moral decision-making,” the introduction to the guidebook reads.The guidebook specifically addresses the moral problem of assisted suicide but also goes into detail about other important end-of-life decisions.“Assisted suicide is the voluntary termination of one’s own life using physician-prescribed chemicals or drugs that will cause death. It is considered active euthanasia,” the guidebook reads. “Our Church warns us in no uncertain terms that this practice is objectively immoral and must be avoided, despite the false veil of compassion with which it is sold.”What types of medical interventions are morally required for Catholics?Basic lifesaving medical interventions, such as feeding tubes, are generally considered morally obligatory by the Catholic Church, according to the bishops’ guidebook.The bishops distinguish between these morally required “ordinary” medical interventions and “extraordinary” or morally optional interventions. Determining which is which requires “the weighing of benefits and burdens expected for each individual.”“This is not just a pragmatic decision of costs and benefits but a moral decision that affects our spiritual health,” the bishops say of end-of-life decisions.The bishops note that “we must always accept (and others must provide) ordinary medical means of preserving life.”“Ordinary means are those that offer us a reasonable hope of benefit and would not entail excessive burden on us, our family, or the community,” the bishops continue.The pamphlet goes into the distinction between “ordinary” and “extraordinary” treatments and its connection to assisted suicide.“The immorality of directly intending and bringing about our own death or of assisting in the death of another by intentional action is self-evident,” the bishops state. “Decisions can become much more complex, however, when we contemplate the removal or withholding of medical treatment, such as a ventilator or dialysis.”“Withholding ordinary care with the intention of causing death is considered passive euthanasia and is always gravely contrary to God’s will,” the bishops continue. “But Catholics are not morally bound to prolong the dying process by using every medical treatment available. Allowing natural death to occur is not the same as killing.”But the bishops note that “extraordinary treatments” are “considered morally optional.”“For example, it would be permissible for a cancer patient to forego a particularly aggressive and expensive treatment if the patient judged the survival rate too low and the pain of the treatment too great a burden,” the bishops say.The bishops emphasize that the distinction can be complex and encourage Catholics to seek guidance in these decisions.“Weighing the burdens and benefits of particular medical treatments for each individual requires us to apply the virtue of prudence, using practical reason to discern the true good and choose the right path,” the bishops say. “Because such decisions are often sensitive and complex, Catholics may wish to seek guidance from a priest, chaplain, or ethicist whose counsel is informed by Church teaching.”For instance, the bishops note that there is an obligation “in principle” to always provide patients with food and water, including when patients require medical assistance or have irreversible conditions. The bishops also note that this moral standard can have exceptions in extreme cases, such as “when death is imminent” or if the gastric tube causes severe side effects; even then, hydration and nutrition should be provided to the extent possible.“It is never permissible to remove a feeding tube, or any other form of life-sustaining treatment, based on a belief that the patient’s life no longer holds value or with the intention to terminate the patient’s life,” the bishops state.How should Catholics make important medical decisions?The bishops emphasize that the guide “is by no means a substitute for prayer.”“Determining if and when a particular treatment can morally be withheld or withdrawn should be done collaboratively with the patient or surrogate, family members, health care providers, and spiritual adviser,” the bishops say.The bishops encourage Catholics to plan in advance and ensure that surrogate decision-makers, a legal standard in New York, will honor “your values and beliefs.”The bishops recommend the health care proxy as “the most morally appropriate advance care planning tool in New York state.” The New York State Catholic Conference referred New York Catholics to fill out a government form that enables citizens to appoint a trusted loved one to make health care decisions and also to include instructions for their proxy.Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, noted that the original issue of the guidebook has been a useful tool “for more than 15 years.”“Our hope is that many thousands more Catholics in the years to come will find ‘Now and at the Hour of Our Death’ to be a useful guide in what is by nature a very stressful time,” Poust said. “We urge Catholics to read the booklet and familiarize themselves with Catholic teaching on these issues and the options available in New York now, before they or their loved ones are facing a health crisis.”

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The Catholic bishops of New York state are providing guidance on the Church’s teaching on assisted suicide and end-of-life decisions after the state legalized euthanasia.

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Canary Islands bishop on migration: ‘We feel powerless’ - #Catholic - The bishops of the dioceses of the Canary archipelago shared their concerns regarding immigration just weeks before Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Spain, a journey that will conclude on the islands.The situation on the Canary Islands, arising from pressure caused by immigration from Africa, was behind Pope Francis’ desire to visit the islands; this wish will now be fulfilled by his successor, Pope Leo XIV, who will visit the islands June 11–12 as well as Madrid and Barcelona on June 6–10.The bishop of Tenerife, Eloy Santiago, acknowledged that the fact that the archipelago serves as “Europeʼs southern frontier — the point of arrival for immigration coming from the African continent” — is a reality “that often overwhelms us.”“We lack the human and economic resources to address this dramatic reality. We feel powerless in the face of this deadly Atlantic route,” Santiago explained during a meeting with the press.Since the arrival of the first boat carrying two immigrants from Africa in 1994 and over the course of more than three decades, thousands of people — generally young men — have reached the shores of the Canary Islands in search of a future. Thousands of others have drowned in the attempt.The Holy Father’s visit will signify “support and motivation“ and will ”draw attention to this sad drama,” the bishop of the Diocese of Tenerife added.The bishop of Canary Islands (which include the islands of Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and La Graciosa), José Mazuelos, also expressed his hope that “the Holy Father will shed light on the matter, to see if it is possible to put an end to the Atlantic route,” although he also noted that the popeʼs presence in the islands is pastoral in nature and encompasses other aspects of the life of the Church.“It’s not as if the pope is coming to the Canary Islands to use the issue of migration as a stick to politically beat one side or the other,” he emphasized.Mazuelos also suggested that for many people “you’d have to put them on a ‘cayuco’ (a large, flat-bottomed wooden boat) spending five days in the Atlantic, day and night, without food so that they can see when [the migrants] get here what it is that we’re doing,” he said in reference to those who criticize the Catholic Church’s work of welcoming migrants, protecting them, and integrating them into society.Mazuelos noted that if the countries of origin receive development aid intended to help them eliminate the causes that lead so many to leave their homes, “we must hold them accountable, and we must crack down on the mafias.” José Mazuelos, bishop of Canary Islands in Spain. | Credit: Nicolás de Cárdenas/ACI Prensa Furthermore, he expressed support for “seeking ways for migrants to come to work through alternative channels.” He cited as an example that during the second half of the 20th century, Spaniards legally emigrated to central European countries “with their proper work papers.”He mused about whether this same outcome could be achieved regarding African migration, though he acknowledged that this approach is “a bit idealistic.”Caya Suárez, secretary-general of Caritas for the Diocese of Canary Islands who was present at the meeting, said that “the pope’s visit is not only a recognition of the welcome extended but also a call to prayer for the victims who have lost their lives on the Atlantic route,” a figure she estimated is more than 19,000 people since 2020.Awaiting details on Pope Leo XIV’s visitRegarding Leo XIV’s visit to the Canary Islands, where so far the celebration of two large Masses has been confirmed, Mazuelos expressed his conviction that personal testimonies will be shared during at least one of the gatherings, as one of the Catholic Church’s priorities is to “put a human face” on the reality of migrants.The island of El Hierro, part of the Diocese of Tenerife, is one of the places in the archipelago where this reality has become most palpable. Just last year, 25,000 migrants arrived to a local population of 9,000 inhabitants.The prelate, aware that “the people of El Hierro are eagerly anticipating” the possibility of a visit from the pope, realistically pointed out that given the timing and the necessary logistics, “while not impossible,” it will be “difficult” for such a visit to take place.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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Canary Islands bishop on migration: ‘We feel powerless’ – #Catholic – The bishops of the dioceses of the Canary archipelago shared their concerns regarding immigration just weeks before Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Spain, a journey that will conclude on the islands.The situation on the Canary Islands, arising from pressure caused by immigration from Africa, was behind Pope Francis’ desire to visit the islands; this wish will now be fulfilled by his successor, Pope Leo XIV, who will visit the islands June 11–12 as well as Madrid and Barcelona on June 6–10.The bishop of Tenerife, Eloy Santiago, acknowledged that the fact that the archipelago serves as “Europeʼs southern frontier — the point of arrival for immigration coming from the African continent” — is a reality “that often overwhelms us.”“We lack the human and economic resources to address this dramatic reality. We feel powerless in the face of this deadly Atlantic route,” Santiago explained during a meeting with the press.Since the arrival of the first boat carrying two immigrants from Africa in 1994 and over the course of more than three decades, thousands of people — generally young men — have reached the shores of the Canary Islands in search of a future. Thousands of others have drowned in the attempt.The Holy Father’s visit will signify “support and motivation“ and will ”draw attention to this sad drama,” the bishop of the Diocese of Tenerife added.The bishop of Canary Islands (which include the islands of Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and La Graciosa), José Mazuelos, also expressed his hope that “the Holy Father will shed light on the matter, to see if it is possible to put an end to the Atlantic route,” although he also noted that the popeʼs presence in the islands is pastoral in nature and encompasses other aspects of the life of the Church.“It’s not as if the pope is coming to the Canary Islands to use the issue of migration as a stick to politically beat one side or the other,” he emphasized.Mazuelos also suggested that for many people “you’d have to put them on a ‘cayuco’ (a large, flat-bottomed wooden boat) spending five days in the Atlantic, day and night, without food so that they can see when [the migrants] get here what it is that we’re doing,” he said in reference to those who criticize the Catholic Church’s work of welcoming migrants, protecting them, and integrating them into society.Mazuelos noted that if the countries of origin receive development aid intended to help them eliminate the causes that lead so many to leave their homes, “we must hold them accountable, and we must crack down on the mafias.” José Mazuelos, bishop of Canary Islands in Spain. | Credit: Nicolás de Cárdenas/ACI Prensa Furthermore, he expressed support for “seeking ways for migrants to come to work through alternative channels.” He cited as an example that during the second half of the 20th century, Spaniards legally emigrated to central European countries “with their proper work papers.”He mused about whether this same outcome could be achieved regarding African migration, though he acknowledged that this approach is “a bit idealistic.”Caya Suárez, secretary-general of Caritas for the Diocese of Canary Islands who was present at the meeting, said that “the pope’s visit is not only a recognition of the welcome extended but also a call to prayer for the victims who have lost their lives on the Atlantic route,” a figure she estimated is more than 19,000 people since 2020.Awaiting details on Pope Leo XIV’s visitRegarding Leo XIV’s visit to the Canary Islands, where so far the celebration of two large Masses has been confirmed, Mazuelos expressed his conviction that personal testimonies will be shared during at least one of the gatherings, as one of the Catholic Church’s priorities is to “put a human face” on the reality of migrants.The island of El Hierro, part of the Diocese of Tenerife, is one of the places in the archipelago where this reality has become most palpable. Just last year, 25,000 migrants arrived to a local population of 9,000 inhabitants.The prelate, aware that “the people of El Hierro are eagerly anticipating” the possibility of a visit from the pope, realistically pointed out that given the timing and the necessary logistics, “while not impossible,” it will be “difficult” for such a visit to take place.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 bishops of the two Canary Islands dioceses discuss migration there from Africa, an issue likely to be addressed by Pope Leo XIV during his June visit.

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PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV visits prisoners, meets with families, says Mass in Equatorial Guinea – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV said Mass and visited with several communities including incarcerated prisoners during his first full day in Equatorial Guinea on April 22. The itinerary represented the last full day the Holy Father will spend in Africa during the papal trip, which commenced on April 13 and has seen the pope visit Algiers, Cameroon, and Angola before finishing in the small coastal nation.Hereʼs a look at some of Pope Leo XIVʼs activities in Equatorial Guinea on April 22: Pope Leo XIV stands with airline staff en route to Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV is greeted upon his arrival at Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV is given a formal greeting upon his arrival at Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV is greeted by Catholics at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Colorful smoke drifts above Pope Leo XIV at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV stands beneath a balloon formation of a rosary at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV processes during Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV presides over Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV incenses the altar during Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV elevates the chalice during Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks during Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets Catholics during Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets Catholics during Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV unveils a plaque at the Pope Francis Technology School in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV blesses the Pope Francis Technology School in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV is greeted upon his arrival in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at a monument to those who died in the 2021 explosions at Bata, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at the Cathedral of St. James and Our Lady of the Pillar in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV addresses prisoners at Bata Prison, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks to prisoners at Bata Prison, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media A prison inmate in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, kisses the hand of Pope Leo XIV on April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets a crowd under umbrellas during a meeting with families at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd at a meeting with families at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media A crowd of families assembles during a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Dancers put on a show for Pope Leo XIV during a meeting with families at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV receives a gift from a woman while meeting with families at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks while meeting with families at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
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PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV visits prisoners, meets with families, says Mass in Equatorial Guinea – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV said Mass and visited with several communities including incarcerated prisoners during his first full day in Equatorial Guinea on April 22. The itinerary represented the last full day the Holy Father will spend in Africa during the papal trip, which commenced on April 13 and has seen the pope visit Algiers, Cameroon, and Angola before finishing in the small coastal nation.Hereʼs a look at some of Pope Leo XIVʼs activities in Equatorial Guinea on April 22: Pope Leo XIV stands with airline staff en route to Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV is greeted upon his arrival at Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV is given a formal greeting upon his arrival at Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV is greeted by Catholics at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Colorful smoke drifts above Pope Leo XIV at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV stands beneath a balloon formation of a rosary at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV processes during Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV presides over Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV incenses the altar during Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV elevates the chalice during Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks during Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets Catholics during Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets Catholics during Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV unveils a plaque at the Pope Francis Technology School in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV blesses the Pope Francis Technology School in Mengomeyén, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV is greeted upon his arrival in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at a monument to those who died in the 2021 explosions at Bata, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at the Cathedral of St. James and Our Lady of the Pillar in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV addresses prisoners at Bata Prison, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks to prisoners at Bata Prison, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media A prison inmate in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, kisses the hand of Pope Leo XIV on April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets a crowd under umbrellas during a meeting with families at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd at a meeting with families at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media A crowd of families assembles during a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Dancers put on a show for Pope Leo XIV during a meeting with families at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV receives a gift from a woman while meeting with families at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks while meeting with families at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

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The Holy Father is wrapping up his papal trip to the African continent after visiting multiple countries there.

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Pope Leo XIV appoints new bishop of London, Ontario #Catholic Pope Leo XIV has appointed Daniel J. Miehm as the new bishop of the Diocese of London, Ontario, Canada. Until now, the prelate served as the bishop of Peterborough, Ontario.The prelate succeeds Bishop Peter Fabbro in leading the Diocese of London. Fabbro’s resignation was accepted upon reaching the age of 75, the mandatory retirement age for bishops.After expressing his gratitude for the trust placed in him by the Holy Father for the new role, Miehm stated: “In this Easter season, as the Church celebrates the resurrection of Christ, we are invited to deep faith, trust in God, and hope in the promise of new life. It is in such a spirit that I embrace this new chapter in my continued service to the Church.”“I ask your prayers for me, for all those I have served in Peterborough and for those whom I will meet and serve in my episcopal ministry in the Diocese of London,” the prelate added in a statement from the Diocese of London.Fabbro, who served at the helm of the London Diocese for 24 years, said that Miehm “is a strong, compassionate leader with outstanding pastoral instincts and the wisdom to guide our diocese into the future. Under his episcopal leadership, the Diocese of London will be in very capable hands.”Miehm will be installed as the new bishop of London on June 29, the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, at St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica in London.Who is the new bishop of London?Miehm was born on Aug. 27, 1960, in Kitchener, Ontario. He studied philosophy at St. Jeromeʼs University in Waterloo, Ontario, and theology at St. Augustineʼs Seminary in Toronto. He earned a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, according to the Vatican Press Office.He was ordained a priest on May 6, 1989, for the Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario.He has held the following positions, among others: vicar of the Cathedral of Christ the King; defender of the bond at the ecclesiastical tribunal of Hamilton; pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Hamilton (1998–2004) and of St. Ann in Ancaster (2004–2012); and pastor of St. Benedict in Milton, as well as spiritual assistant to the St. Thomas More Lawyers' Guild (2012).He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Hamilton on Feb. 20, 2013, receiving episcopal consecration on May 7 of that year. On March 10, 2017, he was appointed bishop of Peterborough, where he served until now.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 appoints new bishop of London, Ontario #Catholic Pope Leo XIV has appointed Daniel J. Miehm as the new bishop of the Diocese of London, Ontario, Canada. Until now, the prelate served as the bishop of Peterborough, Ontario.The prelate succeeds Bishop Peter Fabbro in leading the Diocese of London. Fabbro’s resignation was accepted upon reaching the age of 75, the mandatory retirement age for bishops.After expressing his gratitude for the trust placed in him by the Holy Father for the new role, Miehm stated: “In this Easter season, as the Church celebrates the resurrection of Christ, we are invited to deep faith, trust in God, and hope in the promise of new life. It is in such a spirit that I embrace this new chapter in my continued service to the Church.”“I ask your prayers for me, for all those I have served in Peterborough and for those whom I will meet and serve in my episcopal ministry in the Diocese of London,” the prelate added in a statement from the Diocese of London.Fabbro, who served at the helm of the London Diocese for 24 years, said that Miehm “is a strong, compassionate leader with outstanding pastoral instincts and the wisdom to guide our diocese into the future. Under his episcopal leadership, the Diocese of London will be in very capable hands.”Miehm will be installed as the new bishop of London on June 29, the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, at St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica in London.Who is the new bishop of London?Miehm was born on Aug. 27, 1960, in Kitchener, Ontario. He studied philosophy at St. Jeromeʼs University in Waterloo, Ontario, and theology at St. Augustineʼs Seminary in Toronto. He earned a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, according to the Vatican Press Office.He was ordained a priest on May 6, 1989, for the Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario.He has held the following positions, among others: vicar of the Cathedral of Christ the King; defender of the bond at the ecclesiastical tribunal of Hamilton; pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Hamilton (1998–2004) and of St. Ann in Ancaster (2004–2012); and pastor of St. Benedict in Milton, as well as spiritual assistant to the St. Thomas More Lawyers' Guild (2012).He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Hamilton on Feb. 20, 2013, receiving episcopal consecration on May 7 of that year. On March 10, 2017, he was appointed bishop of Peterborough, where he served until now.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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With the retirement of Bishop Peter Fabbro, Bishop Daniel J. Miehm of the Diocese of Peterborough has been appointed the new bishop of London, Ontario, Canada. He will be installed on June 29.

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Night and (Earth) Day – This image, released in celebration of Earth Day, shows the terminator – the line between night and day – on Earth. The Artemis II astronauts captured this view on April 2, 2026, during their journey to the Moon.
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Night and (Earth) Day – This image, released in celebration of Earth Day, shows the terminator – the line between night and day – on Earth. The Artemis II astronauts captured this view on April 2, 2026, during their journey to the Moon.

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This image, released in celebration of Earth Day, shows the terminator – the line between night and day – on Earth. The Artemis II astronauts captured this view on April 2, 2026, during their journey to the Moon.

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Cardinals in Rome remember Pope Francis as missionary to all 1 year after death #Catholic Rome remembered Pope Francis' legacy one year after his death with a Mass on Tuesday at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where the late pontiff is buried.The same day, while en route to Equatorial Guinea to wrap up his trip to Africa, Pope Leo XIV remembered Pope Francis on the first anniversary of his death, highlighting his predecessorʼs “solidarity with the poorest, the most vulnerable, the sick, children, and the elderly.” Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, sprinkles holy water on the tomb of Pope Francis at the aforementioned basilica in Rome on April 21, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, celebrated the Mass with other cardinals and clergy resident in Rome. He read Leoʼs message at the Mass, in which the pope recalled Francis' missionary zeal.“He was also a missionary, proclaiming the Gospel of mercy ‘to everyone, everyone, everyone,’” Leo wrote. “In harmony with his predecessors, he took up the legacy of the Second Vatican Council and urged the Church to be open to mission, a guardian of the world’s hope, passionate about proclaiming that Gospel which is capable of giving every life fulfillment and happiness.” Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, preaches at Mass for the first anniversary of the death of Pope Francis at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on April 21, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News Re described Leoʼs message as an invitation to preserve the legacy of Pope Francis, rooted in his “exhortation to build bridges and not walls.”“The heart of this message seems to me a vibrant invitation to preserve the spiritual legacy of the late Pope Francis. A legacy summarized, as we have heard, through several of his key phrases: ‘the joy of the Gospel,’ ‘the mercy of God,’ ‘the smell of the sheep,’” Re said. A special plaque commemorating the visits of Pope Francis to the Marian icon “Salus Populi Romani” is displayed at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on April 21, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News Before the Mass, a special plaque was blessed and unveiled to commemorate Francis' many visits to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. During his life, Francis frequently visited the basilica to venerate the Marian icon “Salus Populi Romani” and expressed his wish to be buried in the church near the icon.The Mass was also attended by several ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, including Irish Ambassador Frances Collins and U.S. Ambassador Brian Burch.After the Mass, all the cardinals processed to Francis' tomb for the final prayer, delivered by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, archpriest of the basilica. Commending the late pontiff to the mercy of God, Makrickas recalled that “hope does not disappoint,” a tribute to the papal bull with which Francis inaugurated the Jubilee Year 2025, which drew over 20 million people to St. Mary Major and his tomb.
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Cardinals in Rome remember Pope Francis as missionary to all 1 year after death #Catholic Rome remembered Pope Francis' legacy one year after his death with a Mass on Tuesday at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where the late pontiff is buried.The same day, while en route to Equatorial Guinea to wrap up his trip to Africa, Pope Leo XIV remembered Pope Francis on the first anniversary of his death, highlighting his predecessorʼs “solidarity with the poorest, the most vulnerable, the sick, children, and the elderly.” Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, sprinkles holy water on the tomb of Pope Francis at the aforementioned basilica in Rome on April 21, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, celebrated the Mass with other cardinals and clergy resident in Rome. He read Leoʼs message at the Mass, in which the pope recalled Francis' missionary zeal.“He was also a missionary, proclaiming the Gospel of mercy ‘to everyone, everyone, everyone,’” Leo wrote. “In harmony with his predecessors, he took up the legacy of the Second Vatican Council and urged the Church to be open to mission, a guardian of the world’s hope, passionate about proclaiming that Gospel which is capable of giving every life fulfillment and happiness.” Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, preaches at Mass for the first anniversary of the death of Pope Francis at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on April 21, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News Re described Leoʼs message as an invitation to preserve the legacy of Pope Francis, rooted in his “exhortation to build bridges and not walls.”“The heart of this message seems to me a vibrant invitation to preserve the spiritual legacy of the late Pope Francis. A legacy summarized, as we have heard, through several of his key phrases: ‘the joy of the Gospel,’ ‘the mercy of God,’ ‘the smell of the sheep,’” Re said. A special plaque commemorating the visits of Pope Francis to the Marian icon “Salus Populi Romani” is displayed at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on April 21, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News Before the Mass, a special plaque was blessed and unveiled to commemorate Francis' many visits to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. During his life, Francis frequently visited the basilica to venerate the Marian icon “Salus Populi Romani” and expressed his wish to be buried in the church near the icon.The Mass was also attended by several ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, including Irish Ambassador Frances Collins and U.S. Ambassador Brian Burch.After the Mass, all the cardinals processed to Francis' tomb for the final prayer, delivered by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, archpriest of the basilica. Commending the late pontiff to the mercy of God, Makrickas recalled that “hope does not disappoint,” a tribute to the papal bull with which Francis inaugurated the Jubilee Year 2025, which drew over 20 million people to St. Mary Major and his tomb.

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Pope Leo XIV, who is traveling in Africa, sent a message to be read at the Mass commemorating the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ death.

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Dean Koontz on life’s beauty and meaning #Catholic - “Being less cynical ensures a happier life.” Best-selling author Dean Koontz made that observation in an essay on his website, but it’s an idea that has long found its way into his novels because he has experienced its truth personally, despite being raised by a violent and abusive father. His latest novel, “The Friend of the Family,” continues this tradition with its tale of Alida, a teenage girl with severe physical deformities who is the star attraction of a carnival freak show in the 1930s. Alida is dehumanized by both audiences and the freak show’s owner until the Fairchilds, a compassionate, wealthy couple, adopt her into their own family with three children. Because Koontz is a master of suspense whose works have sold 500 million copies and been translated into 38 languages, danger is never too far away from Alida and the Fairchilds. Alida’s kindness, however, becomes the heart of the story because Koontz doesn’t dwell on her deformities, but rather on the beautiful person that she is. Regarding his approach to beauty, Koontz said, “The world was made, really, for our delight. Now, if we don’t use it that way, if we bring the wrong attitude to it, that’s not [God’s] fault. It’s our fault. And so, I like to write about characters who, even if their lives might have periods of darkness in them, relate to the beauty of the world and all of its manifestations. Alida is particularly drawn, as I was as a kid, to novels, to books as a way of learning about the world beyond…the carnival…Through books, she begins to recognize the broader beauty and wonder of the world.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Alida’s literary interests reflect the classic literature Koontz devoured as a youth, written by authors such as Jane Austen, H.G. Wells, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his favorite, Charles Dickens. Regarding the latter, Alida says, “Because of books, especially those written by the wonderful Mr. Dickens, I believed this was a made world with profound meaning. I kept faith that each of us has a purpose and that if we fulfill it, we will rise from even the lowest position as surely as a night mist rises from a lake in the morning sun.” Alida also makes an observation about the lead character in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” noting, “[Gatsby] did not believe this was a made world with profound meaning or that he had a purpose greater than his own needs and desires. Had he believed as much, he would’ve understood that the only chance we have of being lifted ourselves is by lifting others.” Once again, Alida is echoing Koontz’s real-life views. The author said, “I’m fascinated with people who think life has no meaning because I look around and say, there’s so much meaning in every little event of the day…But I have, even people who’ve been friends over the years, who adamantly refused to acknowledge that part of life….I sometimes say, ‘You don’t see it because it’s slapping you in the face—and because of the violence of the blows, you’re keeping your eyes shut. But it’s right there.’…And so part of what I always wanted to do in the writing is touch upon that, hopefully not in a preachy way, but through character that shows you how these characters function better in the world when they recognize that aspect of it…The more you open yourself to all the wonder in the world, the more exciting and beautiful life is.” For free copies of the Christopher News Note NURTURING SEEDS OF FAITH AND HOPE, write: The Christophers, 264 West 40th Street, Room 603, New York, NY 10018; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org.
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Dean Koontz on life’s beauty and meaning #Catholic – “Being less cynical ensures a happier life.” Best-selling author Dean Koontz made that observation in an essay on his website, but it’s an idea that has long found its way into his novels because he has experienced its truth personally, despite being raised by a violent and abusive father. His latest novel, “The Friend of the Family,” continues this tradition with its tale of Alida, a teenage girl with severe physical deformities who is the star attraction of a carnival freak show in the 1930s. Alida is dehumanized by both audiences and the freak show’s owner until the Fairchilds, a compassionate, wealthy couple, adopt her into their own family with three children. Because Koontz is a master of suspense whose works have sold 500 million copies and been translated into 38 languages, danger is never too far away from Alida and the Fairchilds. Alida’s kindness, however, becomes the heart of the story because Koontz doesn’t dwell on her deformities, but rather on the beautiful person that she is. Regarding his approach to beauty, Koontz said, “The world was made, really, for our delight. Now, if we don’t use it that way, if we bring the wrong attitude to it, that’s not [God’s] fault. It’s our fault. And so, I like to write about characters who, even if their lives might have periods of darkness in them, relate to the beauty of the world and all of its manifestations. Alida is particularly drawn, as I was as a kid, to novels, to books as a way of learning about the world beyond…the carnival…Through books, she begins to recognize the broader beauty and wonder of the world.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Alida’s literary interests reflect the classic literature Koontz devoured as a youth, written by authors such as Jane Austen, H.G. Wells, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his favorite, Charles Dickens. Regarding the latter, Alida says, “Because of books, especially those written by the wonderful Mr. Dickens, I believed this was a made world with profound meaning. I kept faith that each of us has a purpose and that if we fulfill it, we will rise from even the lowest position as surely as a night mist rises from a lake in the morning sun.” Alida also makes an observation about the lead character in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” noting, “[Gatsby] did not believe this was a made world with profound meaning or that he had a purpose greater than his own needs and desires. Had he believed as much, he would’ve understood that the only chance we have of being lifted ourselves is by lifting others.” Once again, Alida is echoing Koontz’s real-life views. The author said, “I’m fascinated with people who think life has no meaning because I look around and say, there’s so much meaning in every little event of the day…But I have, even people who’ve been friends over the years, who adamantly refused to acknowledge that part of life….I sometimes say, ‘You don’t see it because it’s slapping you in the face—and because of the violence of the blows, you’re keeping your eyes shut. But it’s right there.’…And so part of what I always wanted to do in the writing is touch upon that, hopefully not in a preachy way, but through character that shows you how these characters function better in the world when they recognize that aspect of it…The more you open yourself to all the wonder in the world, the more exciting and beautiful life is.” For free copies of the Christopher News Note NURTURING SEEDS OF FAITH AND HOPE, write: The Christophers, 264 West 40th Street, Room 603, New York, NY 10018; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org.

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Dean Koontz on life’s beauty and meaning #Catholic –

“Being less cynical ensures a happier life.” Best-selling author Dean Koontz made that observation in an essay on his website, but it’s an idea that has long found its way into his novels because he has experienced its truth personally, despite being raised by a violent and abusive father. His latest novel, “The Friend of the Family,” continues this tradition with its tale of Alida, a teenage girl with severe physical deformities who is the star attraction of a carnival freak show in the 1930s. Alida is dehumanized by both audiences and the freak show’s owner until the Fairchilds, a compassionate, wealthy couple, adopt her into their own family with three children.

Because Koontz is a master of suspense whose works have sold 500 million copies and been translated into 38 languages, danger is never too far away from Alida and the Fairchilds. Alida’s kindness, however, becomes the heart of the story because Koontz doesn’t dwell on her deformities, but rather on the beautiful person that she is.

Regarding his approach to beauty, Koontz said, “The world was made, really, for our delight. Now, if we don’t use it that way, if we bring the wrong attitude to it, that’s not [God’s] fault. It’s our fault. And so, I like to write about characters who, even if their lives might have periods of darkness in them, relate to the beauty of the world and all of its manifestations. Alida is particularly drawn, as I was as a kid, to novels, to books as a way of learning about the world beyond…the carnival…Through books, she begins to recognize the broader beauty and wonder of the world.”

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Alida’s literary interests reflect the classic literature Koontz devoured as a youth, written by authors such as Jane Austen, H.G. Wells, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his favorite, Charles Dickens. Regarding the latter, Alida says, “Because of books, especially those written by the wonderful Mr. Dickens, I believed this was a made world with profound meaning. I kept faith that each of us has a purpose and that if we fulfill it, we will rise from even the lowest position as surely as a night mist rises from a lake in the morning sun.”

Alida also makes an observation about the lead character in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” noting, “[Gatsby] did not believe this was a made world with profound meaning or that he had a purpose greater than his own needs and desires. Had he believed as much, he would’ve understood that the only chance we have of being lifted ourselves is by lifting others.”

Once again, Alida is echoing Koontz’s real-life views. The author said, “I’m fascinated with people who think life has no meaning because I look around and say, there’s so much meaning in every little event of the day…But I have, even people who’ve been friends over the years, who adamantly refused to acknowledge that part of life….I sometimes say, ‘You don’t see it because it’s slapping you in the face—and because of the violence of the blows, you’re keeping your eyes shut. But it’s right there.’…And so part of what I always wanted to do in the writing is touch upon that, hopefully not in a preachy way, but through character that shows you how these characters function better in the world when they recognize that aspect of it…The more you open yourself to all the wonder in the world, the more exciting and beautiful life is.”

For free copies of the Christopher News Note NURTURING SEEDS OF FAITH AND HOPE, write: The Christophers, 264 West 40th Street, Room 603, New York, NY 10018; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org.

– “Being less cynical ensures a happier life.” Best-selling author Dean Koontz made that observation in an essay on his website, but it’s an idea that has long found its way into his novels because he has experienced its truth personally, despite being raised by a violent and abusive father. His latest novel, “The Friend of the Family,” continues this tradition with its tale of Alida, a teenage girl with severe physical deformities who is the star attraction of a carnival freak show in the 1930s. Alida is dehumanized by both audiences and the freak show’s owner until the Fairchilds, a

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6 youth fully welcomed into Church during Parsippany confirmation #Catholic - On April 16, St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who confirmed six parish youth, strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, during a Mass he celebrated in the church. During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney also blessed members of St. Ann’s newly formed Finance Council and Pastoral Council. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to retired priests in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey; Father Vidal Gonzales Jr., pastor of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J.; Father Sean McDonnell, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Lake Hopatcong, N.J.; Father Fredrick Walters, a retired diocesan priest; and Father Jakub Grzybowski, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in West Milford, N.J. concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, served as master of ceremonies for the Mass. Deacon Len Deo of St. Ann’s assisted with the liturgy. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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6 youth fully welcomed into Church during Parsippany confirmation #Catholic – On April 16, St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who confirmed six parish youth, strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, during a Mass he celebrated in the church. During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney also blessed members of St. Ann’s newly formed Finance Council and Pastoral Council. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to retired priests in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey; Father Vidal Gonzales Jr., pastor of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J.; Father Sean McDonnell, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Lake Hopatcong, N.J.; Father Fredrick Walters, a retired diocesan priest; and Father Jakub Grzybowski, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in West Milford, N.J. concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, served as master of ceremonies for the Mass. Deacon Len Deo of St. Ann’s assisted with the liturgy. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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6 youth fully welcomed into Church during Parsippany confirmation #Catholic –

On April 16, St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who confirmed six parish youth, strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, during a Mass he celebrated in the church.

During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney also blessed members of St. Ann’s newly formed Finance Council and Pastoral Council.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to retired priests in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey; Father Vidal Gonzales Jr., pastor of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J.; Father Sean McDonnell, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Lake Hopatcong, N.J.; Father Fredrick Walters, a retired diocesan priest; and Father Jakub Grzybowski, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in West Milford, N.J. concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.

Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, served as master of ceremonies for the Mass. Deacon Len Deo of St. Ann’s assisted with the liturgy.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– On April 16, St. Ann Parish in Parsippany, N.J., welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who confirmed six parish youth, strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, during a Mass he celebrated in the church. During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney also blessed members of St. Ann’s newly formed Finance Council and Pastoral Council. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann’s and minister to retired priests in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey; Father Vidal Gonzales Jr., pastor of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township,

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April 22, 1724: The birth of Immanuel Kant

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Though often recognized as a philosopher, Immanuel Kant (born April 22, 1724) made several contributions to early theories of cosmic organization. Surveying the band of stars that appear across our sky – the Milky Way – Kant concluded that our galaxy must be a wide, rotating disk. He published this conclusion in A Universal NaturalContinue reading “April 22, 1724: The birth of Immanuel Kant”

The post April 22, 1724: The birth of Immanuel Kant appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Prayer for Eternal life with God: Prayer of the Day for Wednesday, April 22, 2026 – #Prayer – Heavenly Father, in glorifying Jesus and sending us your Spirit, You open the way to eternal life. May my sharing in this Gift increase my love and make my faith grow stronger. Send Your Spirit to cleanse my life so that the offering of myself to You at Mass may be pleasing to You. May my sharing in the Eucharist, our Bread of Life, bring me eternal life.

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Heavenly Father,
in glorifying Jesus
and sending us your Spirit,
You open the way to eternal life.
May my sharing in this Gift increase my love
and make my faith grow stronger.
Send Your Spirit to cleanse my life
so that the offering of myself to You at Mass
may be pleasing to You.
May my sharing in the Eucharist,
our Bread of Life,
bring me eternal life.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 22 April 2026 – A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 8:1b-8 There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment. Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. There was great joy in that city.From the Gospel according to John 6:35-40 Jesus said to the crowds, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day."Christ is God’s answer to our human hunger, because his Body is the bread of eternal life: Take this and eat of it, all of you! Jesus’ invitation reflects our daily experience: in order to remain alive, we need to nourish ourselves with life, drawing it from plants and animals. Yet eating something dead reminds us that we too, no matter how much we eat, will one day die. On the other hand, when we partake of Jesus, the living and true Bread, we live for him. By offering himself completely, the crucified and risen Lord delivers himself into our hands, and we realize that we were made to partake of God. Our hungry nature bears the mark of a need that is satisfied by the grace of the Eucharist. As Saint Augustine writes, Christ is truly “panis qui reficit, et non deficit; panis qui sumi potest, consumi non potest” (Serm. 130, 2): he is bread that restores and does not run short; bread that can be eaten but not exhausted. The Eucharist, in fact, is the true, real, and substantial presence of the Saviour (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1413), who transforms bread into himself in order to transform us into himself. (Pope Leo XIV, Homily, 22 June 2025)

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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 8:1b-8

There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.

Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.

From the Gospel according to John
6:35-40

Jesus said to the crowds,
"I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."

Christ is God’s answer to our human hunger, because his Body is the bread of eternal life: Take this and eat of it, all of you! Jesus’ invitation reflects our daily experience: in order to remain alive, we need to nourish ourselves with life, drawing it from plants and animals. Yet eating something dead reminds us that we too, no matter how much we eat, will one day die. On the other hand, when we partake of Jesus, the living and true Bread, we live for him. By offering himself completely, the crucified and risen Lord delivers himself into our hands, and we realize that we were made to partake of God. Our hungry nature bears the mark of a need that is satisfied by the grace of the Eucharist. As Saint Augustine writes, Christ is truly “panis qui reficit, et non deficit; panis qui sumi potest, consumi non potest” (Serm. 130, 2): he is bread that restores and does not run short; bread that can be eaten but not exhausted. The Eucharist, in fact, is the true, real, and substantial presence of the Saviour (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1413), who transforms bread into himself in order to transform us into himself. (Pope Leo XIV, Homily, 22 June 2025)

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U.S. dioceses observe Child Abuse Prevention Month – #Catholic – Dioceses nationwide are observing National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Cardinal Blase Cupich and Bishop Barry Knestout are urging renewed vigilance and commitment to the protection of children.In a video message on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Cupich reflected with gratitude on the bishops’ adoption of the 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” while Knestout separately emphasized April as a time for prayer, education, and recommitment to the well‑being of the young.Instagram postCupich described the bishops’ enactment of the 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” in the video as “something important and that I’m really proud of.”“When I look back at the 50 years of being a priest and 27 years as a bishop, one of the things that I am so pleased happened during my time was a means by which the Church would come together in this country and protect and defend those who suffered abuse,” the Chicago archbishop said. “I was the chair of the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People but also was involved in the 2002 moment in which, in Dallas, we enacted the charter,” Cupich said.“And then, of course, when we released the studies by the John Jay School of Criminal Justice, I was the chair of that committee,” he said.“So, I think that is an important contribution for the life of the Church that I really embrace as something important and that Iʼm proud of,” he said.Cupich was serving on the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse in 2002 when the abuse crisis hit and was part of the group that helped draft the charter. The Ad Hoc Committee was established in 1993 by the then-National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) after the conference had been “dealing with the subject of sexual abuse by clergy since the mid-1980s.”The 2002 charter mandated the creation of a permanent USCCB Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, which Cupich led from 2008 to 2011.A call for vigilance“In the protection of children and young people from abuse, it is important for all of us who work or minister to youth to remain vigilant in our efforts of protection and education,” Knestout, who serves as chair of the committee, told EWTN News.“This annual reminder to recommit and refocus our attention on the physical, intellectual, and spiritual well-being of the young is also an important reminder that, as we continue to walk with survivors in their healing, we are called to continual improvement,” he said.Knestout noted that each April, dioceses are called to observe National Child Abuse Prevention Month “by praying for victim survivors and their families.” Bishop Barry Knestout. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Washington “We do this in different ways, such as at Mass, or with a special rosary with these intentions,” he said. “Protecting children and youth is a vital part of the Church’s ongoing ministry throughout the year, but April provides us with an occasion for our diocesan safe environment office to share information about our child protection practices with the people of the diocese, ensuring that it remains a core value for our ministry.”The USCCB’s poster from the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection for National Child Abuse Prevention Month 2026 includes messages such as “Every Child Matters — Make a Difference,” as well as “Let’s stand up for children!” and “Learn how we can all keep children safe.”
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U.S. dioceses observe Child Abuse Prevention Month – #Catholic – Dioceses nationwide are observing National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Cardinal Blase Cupich and Bishop Barry Knestout are urging renewed vigilance and commitment to the protection of children.In a video message on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Cupich reflected with gratitude on the bishops’ adoption of the 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” while Knestout separately emphasized April as a time for prayer, education, and recommitment to the well‑being of the young.Instagram postCupich described the bishops’ enactment of the 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” in the video as “something important and that I’m really proud of.”“When I look back at the 50 years of being a priest and 27 years as a bishop, one of the things that I am so pleased happened during my time was a means by which the Church would come together in this country and protect and defend those who suffered abuse,” the Chicago archbishop said. “I was the chair of the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People but also was involved in the 2002 moment in which, in Dallas, we enacted the charter,” Cupich said.“And then, of course, when we released the studies by the John Jay School of Criminal Justice, I was the chair of that committee,” he said.“So, I think that is an important contribution for the life of the Church that I really embrace as something important and that Iʼm proud of,” he said.Cupich was serving on the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse in 2002 when the abuse crisis hit and was part of the group that helped draft the charter. The Ad Hoc Committee was established in 1993 by the then-National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) after the conference had been “dealing with the subject of sexual abuse by clergy since the mid-1980s.”The 2002 charter mandated the creation of a permanent USCCB Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, which Cupich led from 2008 to 2011.A call for vigilance“In the protection of children and young people from abuse, it is important for all of us who work or minister to youth to remain vigilant in our efforts of protection and education,” Knestout, who serves as chair of the committee, told EWTN News.“This annual reminder to recommit and refocus our attention on the physical, intellectual, and spiritual well-being of the young is also an important reminder that, as we continue to walk with survivors in their healing, we are called to continual improvement,” he said.Knestout noted that each April, dioceses are called to observe National Child Abuse Prevention Month “by praying for victim survivors and their families.” Bishop Barry Knestout. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Washington “We do this in different ways, such as at Mass, or with a special rosary with these intentions,” he said. “Protecting children and youth is a vital part of the Church’s ongoing ministry throughout the year, but April provides us with an occasion for our diocesan safe environment office to share information about our child protection practices with the people of the diocese, ensuring that it remains a core value for our ministry.”The USCCB’s poster from the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection for National Child Abuse Prevention Month 2026 includes messages such as “Every Child Matters — Make a Difference,” as well as “Let’s stand up for children!” and “Learn how we can all keep children safe.”

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Bishop Barry Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, urged vigilance in child protection, and Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago posted a video message about the month’s observance on behalf of U.S. bishops.

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Bishop urges ‘return to Christian values’ after shooting at Mexican pyramid – #Catholic – In the wake of a shooting on April 20 at the Teotihuacán archaeological site in Mexico, which resulted in two deaths and 13 injuries, Bishop Guillermo Francisco Escobar Galicia of Teotihuacán expressed his sorrow, called for prayers, and issued an urgent appeal to “reaffirm Christian values ​​within families.”“We deeply lament that this has occurred as a consequence of the loss of a sense of the meaning of life and the failure to recognize the other as a brother,” the bishop stated in a press release.According to a statement from the Security Cabinet, the body responsible for the countryʼs security strategy, “a man fired shots at the scene and subsequently took his own life.” “Regrettably, a Canadian woman lost her life, and as of now there are reports of several individuals who sustained injuries and are currently receiving medical attention. A firearm, a bladed weapon, and unspent ammunition were secured at the scene,” the statement said.According to the Security Cabinet, the 13 people injured, two of whom are minors aged 6 and 13, are foreign nationals: six from the United States, three from Colombia, one from Canada, one from Russia, one from the Netherlands, and one from Brazil. As of the latest report, “eight remain hospitalized.”The office of the attorney general of Mexico state identified Julio César Jasso Ramírez, a Mexican national, as the alleged assailant. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated April 20 on X that “what occurred today in Teotihuacán pains us deeply. I express my most sincere solidarity with those affected and their families. We are in contact with the Canadian Embassy.”“I have instructed the Security Cabinet to thoroughly investigate these events and provide all necessary support,” she stated.The federal attorney generalʼs office stated that it is carrying out “the necessary investigative steps to clarify what occurred, in coordination with the attorney generalʼs office of Mexico state.”Located approximately 25 miles northeast of Mexico City, the Teotihuacán archaeological site, which includes the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, is the second-most-visited site in Mexico after Chichén Itzá in Yucatán state. According to official figures from the Secretariat of Tourism, 1.8 million tourists visited Teotihuacán during 2025.Look to Jesus ChristIn his statement, Escobar called upon all Catholic faithful “to lift up our prayers for those who have lost their lives, as well as for all those who are going astray, that they may be profoundly reconciled with God and with others.”“Today, more than ever, we need to look to Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life, to return to Christian values ​​within our families,” he said.“May Mary Most Holy accompany and soothe the pain of those suffering the loss of a loved one and of those who have gone through this bitter experience,” the prelate prayed.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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Bishop urges ‘return to Christian values’ after shooting at Mexican pyramid – #Catholic – In the wake of a shooting on April 20 at the Teotihuacán archaeological site in Mexico, which resulted in two deaths and 13 injuries, Bishop Guillermo Francisco Escobar Galicia of Teotihuacán expressed his sorrow, called for prayers, and issued an urgent appeal to “reaffirm Christian values ​​within families.”“We deeply lament that this has occurred as a consequence of the loss of a sense of the meaning of life and the failure to recognize the other as a brother,” the bishop stated in a press release.According to a statement from the Security Cabinet, the body responsible for the countryʼs security strategy, “a man fired shots at the scene and subsequently took his own life.” “Regrettably, a Canadian woman lost her life, and as of now there are reports of several individuals who sustained injuries and are currently receiving medical attention. A firearm, a bladed weapon, and unspent ammunition were secured at the scene,” the statement said.According to the Security Cabinet, the 13 people injured, two of whom are minors aged 6 and 13, are foreign nationals: six from the United States, three from Colombia, one from Canada, one from Russia, one from the Netherlands, and one from Brazil. As of the latest report, “eight remain hospitalized.”The office of the attorney general of Mexico state identified Julio César Jasso Ramírez, a Mexican national, as the alleged assailant. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated April 20 on X that “what occurred today in Teotihuacán pains us deeply. I express my most sincere solidarity with those affected and their families. We are in contact with the Canadian Embassy.”“I have instructed the Security Cabinet to thoroughly investigate these events and provide all necessary support,” she stated.The federal attorney generalʼs office stated that it is carrying out “the necessary investigative steps to clarify what occurred, in coordination with the attorney generalʼs office of Mexico state.”Located approximately 25 miles northeast of Mexico City, the Teotihuacán archaeological site, which includes the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, is the second-most-visited site in Mexico after Chichén Itzá in Yucatán state. According to official figures from the Secretariat of Tourism, 1.8 million tourists visited Teotihuacán during 2025.Look to Jesus ChristIn his statement, Escobar called upon all Catholic faithful “to lift up our prayers for those who have lost their lives, as well as for all those who are going astray, that they may be profoundly reconciled with God and with others.”“Today, more than ever, we need to look to Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life, to return to Christian values ​​within our families,” he said.“May Mary Most Holy accompany and soothe the pain of those suffering the loss of a loved one and of those who have gone through this bitter experience,” the prelate prayed.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 response to a shooting at a Mexican archeological site that left two dead and 13 injured, Bishop Guillermo Escobar urged people to look to Jesus Christ and return to Christian values.

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BREAKING: President Trump Extends Ceasefire with Iran – President Trump on Tuesday afternoon announced he has extended the ceasefire with Iran – but the Strait of Hormuz blockade is still in place. The post BREAKING: President Trump Extends Ceasefire with Iran appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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BREAKING: President Trump Extends Ceasefire with Iran – President Trump on Tuesday afternoon announced he has extended the ceasefire with Iran – but the Strait of Hormuz blockade is still in place. The post BREAKING: President Trump Extends Ceasefire with Iran appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Donald Trump speaks at a press conference in the White House briefing room, flanked by American flags and the presidential seal.

Donald Trump speaks at a press conference in the White House briefing room, flanked by American flags and the presidential seal.

President Trump on Tuesday afternoon announced he has extended the ceasefire with Iran – but the Strait of Hormuz blockade is still in place.

The post BREAKING: President Trump Extends Ceasefire with Iran appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV visits Equatorial Guinea as Africa visit draws to a close – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV met with civic leaders and cultural stewards in Equatorial Guinea on April 21, coming to the coastal African nation after traveling across much of the continent during his first papal visit there. The Holy Fatherʼs two-day stay in Equatorial Guinea will cap his visit to Africa, during which he has visited and toured Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola. During his first day in Equatorial Guinea, Leo met with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo along with civil leaders and the countryʼs diplomatic corps.He also visited with cultural leaders and with staff and patients at a psychiatric hospital in Malabo. Hereʼs a look at Leoʼs activities during his first day in Equatorial Guinea: Pope Leo XIV waves as he departs Angola at Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves as he arrives in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo upon his arrival in the country on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV is greeted as he arrives in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves to crowds after arriving in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV receives gifts during his meeting with Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo at the presidential palace in Malabo on April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV and Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo speak at the country’s presidential palace on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV meets with Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo at the presidential palace in Malabo on April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds as he walks through Malabo in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds as he walks through Malabo in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks to civil leaders at Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at St. Elizabeth Cathedral in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd during a meeting with the World of Culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks during a meeting with the World of Culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves to crowds during a meeting with the World of Culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV views a plaque underneath a statue in his honor during a meeting with the World of Culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets an official at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
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PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV visits Equatorial Guinea as Africa visit draws to a close – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV met with civic leaders and cultural stewards in Equatorial Guinea on April 21, coming to the coastal African nation after traveling across much of the continent during his first papal visit there. The Holy Fatherʼs two-day stay in Equatorial Guinea will cap his visit to Africa, during which he has visited and toured Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola. During his first day in Equatorial Guinea, Leo met with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo along with civil leaders and the countryʼs diplomatic corps.He also visited with cultural leaders and with staff and patients at a psychiatric hospital in Malabo. Hereʼs a look at Leoʼs activities during his first day in Equatorial Guinea: Pope Leo XIV waves as he departs Angola at Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves as he arrives in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo upon his arrival in the country on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV is greeted as he arrives in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves to crowds after arriving in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV receives gifts during his meeting with Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo at the presidential palace in Malabo on April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV and Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo speak at the country’s presidential palace on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV meets with Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo at the presidential palace in Malabo on April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds as he walks through Malabo in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds as he walks through Malabo in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks to civil leaders at Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at St. Elizabeth Cathedral in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd during a meeting with the World of Culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks during a meeting with the World of Culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves to crowds during a meeting with the World of Culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV views a plaque underneath a statue in his honor during a meeting with the World of Culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets an official at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

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The Holy Father has already visited Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola as part of his papal visit to the continent.

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Florida AG Launches Landmark Criminal Investigation into ChatGPT and OpenAI for ‘Offering Significant Advice’ to Alleged FSU School Shooter, ‘If It Was a Person, We’d Charge Them with Murder’ – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday that the state has opened a full criminal investigation into OpenAI and its popular chatbot ChatGPT over allegations it provided “significant advice” to the man accused of carrying out the deadly 2025 Florida State University shooting. The post Florida AG Launches Landmark Criminal Investigation into ChatGPT and OpenAI for ‘Offering Significant Advice’ to Alleged FSU School Shooter, ‘If It Was a Person, We’d Charge Them with Murder’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Florida AG Launches Landmark Criminal Investigation into ChatGPT and OpenAI for ‘Offering Significant Advice’ to Alleged FSU School Shooter, ‘If It Was a Person, We’d Charge Them with Murder’ – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday that the state has opened a full criminal investigation into OpenAI and its popular chatbot ChatGPT over allegations it provided “significant advice” to the man accused of carrying out the deadly 2025 Florida State University shooting. The post Florida AG Launches Landmark Criminal Investigation into ChatGPT and OpenAI for ‘Offering Significant Advice’ to Alleged FSU School Shooter, ‘If It Was a Person, We’d Charge Them with Murder’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Press conference featuring officials discussing the investigation into OpenAI, with the Florida state seal and multiple American flags in the background.

Press conference featuring officials discussing the investigation into OpenAI, with the Florida state seal and multiple American flags in the background.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday that the state has opened a full criminal investigation into OpenAI and its popular chatbot ChatGPT over allegations it provided “significant advice” to the man accused of carrying out the deadly 2025 Florida State University shooting.

The post Florida AG Launches Landmark Criminal Investigation into ChatGPT and OpenAI for ‘Offering Significant Advice’ to Alleged FSU School Shooter, ‘If It Was a Person, We’d Charge Them with Murder’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Starmer Pressured Foreign Office Into Granting Security Clearance for Epstein-Linked Peter Mandelson, His Chief of Staff Ordered: ‘Just F***ing Approve It!’ (VIDEOS) – The more Starmer explains, the worse his situation becomes. The post Starmer Pressured Foreign Office Into Granting Security Clearance for Epstein-Linked Peter Mandelson, His Chief of Staff Ordered: ‘Just F***ing Approve It!’ (VIDEOS) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Starmer Pressured Foreign Office Into Granting Security Clearance for Epstein-Linked Peter Mandelson, His Chief of Staff Ordered: ‘Just F***ing Approve It!’ (VIDEOS) – The more Starmer explains, the worse his situation becomes. The post Starmer Pressured Foreign Office Into Granting Security Clearance for Epstein-Linked Peter Mandelson, His Chief of Staff Ordered: ‘Just F***ing Approve It!’ (VIDEOS) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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The more Starmer explains, the worse his situation becomes.

The post Starmer Pressured Foreign Office Into Granting Security Clearance for Epstein-Linked Peter Mandelson, His Chief of Staff Ordered: ‘Just F***ing Approve It!’ (VIDEOS) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Alex Jones Worried People Will Start To Think Stories Reported By Infowars Are Fake #BabylonBee – AUSTIN, TX — Following an announcement that Infowars would soon be converted into a satirical news outlet, American media personality Alex Jones, known for his fringe conspiracy theories related to the Sandy Hook school shooting and homosexual frogs, expressed concern that people would start to think the stories reported by Infowars are fake.
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Alex Jones Worried People Will Start To Think Stories Reported By Infowars Are Fake #BabylonBee – AUSTIN, TX — Following an announcement that Infowars would soon be converted into a satirical news outlet, American media personality Alex Jones, known for his fringe conspiracy theories related to the Sandy Hook school shooting and homosexual frogs, expressed concern that people would start to think the stories reported by Infowars are fake.

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AUSTIN, TX — Following an announcement that Infowars would soon be converted into a satirical news outlet, American media personality Alex Jones, known for his fringe conspiracy theories related to the Sandy Hook school shooting and homosexual frogs, expressed concern that people would start to think the stories reported by Infowars are fake.

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March for Life in Warsaw commemorates 1,060 years of Christianity in Poland #Catholic Thousands of people gathered in Poland’s capital on April 19 for the National March for Life, a large public demonstration organized under the slogan “Faith and Fidelity 1966–2026,” commemorating the 1,060th anniversary of the Christianization of Poland. The event combined religious observance, civic participation, and pro-life advocacy, drawing families, clergy, activists, and public figures to central Warsaw. The day began with Mass celebrated in two of the cityʼs major churches. Mass is celebrated at the Archcathedral Basilica of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw, Poland, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris In the Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Bishop Piotr Jarecki presided over the liturgy, while Bishop Tomasz Sztajerwald celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian in Warsaw-Praga.Participants later gathered at Castle Square, where the march officially began. Organizers described the event as a public expression of support for life and family, rooted in Poland’s Christian tradition. Metropolitan Archbishop Adrian Galbas of Warsaw encouraged participation ahead of the event, framing it as a testimony to human dignity. “We want to testify that we are lovers of life. Bring your family along! Life triumphs over every death,” he declared. Church leaders join Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki and other dignitaries at the March for Life in Warsaw on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo lures March through Warsaw highlights pro-life messageThe procession moved through central Warsaw streets under the historic slogan marking Poland’s Christian heritage. As participants approached the Presidential Palace, Polish President Karol Nawrocki spoke, linking the march to broader social concerns.“I support initiatives that serve Poland, and this initiative certainly serves Poland,” he said. “It is also a response to the deep demographic crisis. Today, the answer to many Polish problems lies precisely in Polish families, in our identity, in remembering where we come from and where we are going.”Organizers said the march was intended not only as a demonstration of pro-life conviction but also as a broader reflection on national identity and social cohesion.A prominent symbol carried during the march was a copy of the icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, which has been traveling internationally for 14 years as part of the From Ocean to Ocean pilgrimage in defense of life. The icon has traveled more than 220,000 kilometers (almost 137,000 miles) and visited 32 countries across five continents. Participants carry an icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris Shifting abortion attitudes among younger PolesThe National March for Life is organized by the St. Benedict Foundation alongside dozens of pro-life groups from across Poland and takes place under the honorary patronage of the Polish Episcopal Conference.Patrycja Michońska-Dynek, director of the Press Center of the Archdiocese of Warsaw, told EWTN News that there are shifting public attitudes toward abortion in Poland, including growing societal acceptance and increased calls for liberalization, attributing these changes to secularization, cultural pressures, and differing interpretations of freedom.Michońska-Dynek also observed that while pro-life values remain important in Polish society, younger generations often approach the issue with more nuanced perspectives, particularly in complex or exceptional situations. Fostering a “culture of life” must include practical support for families, such as assistance for single mothers and couples in crisis, Michońska-Dynek said. Lidia, a participant at the National March for Life. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris Not a single-issue agendaLidia Sankowska-Grabczuk, one of the organizers of the National March for Life, told EWTN News that the pro-life movement in Poland extends beyond a single-issue focus on abortion.“In a nutshell, the pro-life movement is [often] the anti-abortion movement. In our view… it’s a bit different. We don’t reduce it to a single-issue agenda,” she said, warning that such a narrow framing “strips it of its true meaning.” While protecting unborn life remains central, she described it as part of a broader vision rooted in what she called “the public voice of Polish Christianity.”She outlined three core pillars underpinning the movement. The first is “respect for life,” encompassing not only the unborn but also solidarity with the elderly, families, and those in need. The second is the family as society’s foundation, grounded in the traditional understanding of marriage and its role in Poland’s social stability. The third pillar is “a state serving the common good,” reflecting a view of politics as service and a call for greater social solidarity. March for Life in Warsaw commemorates 1,060 years of Christianity in Poland. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris Sankowska-Grabczuk also discussed the importance of Poland’s historical and Christian identity in shaping the movement. She noted that recent marches have intentionally marked major national milestones, including the 1,000th anniversary of Poland’s first royal coronation in 2025.These commemorations, she said, highlight how the movement sees its mission as inseparable from Poland’s historical development, where Christianity has long informed both national identity and social values.Pro-life voices and public participationAmong international participants was Tonio Borg, president of the European Federation One of Us. He urged participants to remain steadfast in their convictions despite criticism or public pressure. “Do not be afraid of being slandered and ridiculed because you seek to protect life from the moment of conception,” he said, encouraging continued public engagement and advocacy. He also called on supporters to make their voices heard in the public sphere, stressing the importance of influencing lawmakers and demonstrating that “the unborn child is one of us.” Paula, a participant at the National March for Life in Poland. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris Marcin Perłowski, director of the Centre for Life and Family, said participants gathered at the march out of a shared conviction that “human life begins at conception” and must be defended. He stated that the National March for Life serves as a public demonstration of that belief, describing it as a stand “against all those who raise a hand against unborn children.”Pro-life activist Emilia Mędrzecka told EWTN News that her position is grounded in a belief in universal human dignity. “Children in the womb are as human as we are… they are more dependent and need time to grow,” she said while adding that the march reflected a strong presence of families, young people, and older generations united in support of life. Polish president Karol Nawrocki walks among participants at the National March for Life in Poland. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris While official attendance figures have not been released, estimates provided to EWTN News suggested more than 10,000 people participated, with organizers placing peak attendance between 25,000 and 30,000.
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March for Life in Warsaw commemorates 1,060 years of Christianity in Poland #Catholic Thousands of people gathered in Poland’s capital on April 19 for the National March for Life, a large public demonstration organized under the slogan “Faith and Fidelity 1966–2026,” commemorating the 1,060th anniversary of the Christianization of Poland. The event combined religious observance, civic participation, and pro-life advocacy, drawing families, clergy, activists, and public figures to central Warsaw. The day began with Mass celebrated in two of the cityʼs major churches. Mass is celebrated at the Archcathedral Basilica of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw, Poland, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris In the Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Bishop Piotr Jarecki presided over the liturgy, while Bishop Tomasz Sztajerwald celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian in Warsaw-Praga.Participants later gathered at Castle Square, where the march officially began. Organizers described the event as a public expression of support for life and family, rooted in Poland’s Christian tradition. Metropolitan Archbishop Adrian Galbas of Warsaw encouraged participation ahead of the event, framing it as a testimony to human dignity. “We want to testify that we are lovers of life. Bring your family along! Life triumphs over every death,” he declared. Church leaders join Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki and other dignitaries at the March for Life in Warsaw on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo lures March through Warsaw highlights pro-life messageThe procession moved through central Warsaw streets under the historic slogan marking Poland’s Christian heritage. As participants approached the Presidential Palace, Polish President Karol Nawrocki spoke, linking the march to broader social concerns.“I support initiatives that serve Poland, and this initiative certainly serves Poland,” he said. “It is also a response to the deep demographic crisis. Today, the answer to many Polish problems lies precisely in Polish families, in our identity, in remembering where we come from and where we are going.”Organizers said the march was intended not only as a demonstration of pro-life conviction but also as a broader reflection on national identity and social cohesion.A prominent symbol carried during the march was a copy of the icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, which has been traveling internationally for 14 years as part of the From Ocean to Ocean pilgrimage in defense of life. The icon has traveled more than 220,000 kilometers (almost 137,000 miles) and visited 32 countries across five continents. Participants carry an icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris Shifting abortion attitudes among younger PolesThe National March for Life is organized by the St. Benedict Foundation alongside dozens of pro-life groups from across Poland and takes place under the honorary patronage of the Polish Episcopal Conference.Patrycja Michońska-Dynek, director of the Press Center of the Archdiocese of Warsaw, told EWTN News that there are shifting public attitudes toward abortion in Poland, including growing societal acceptance and increased calls for liberalization, attributing these changes to secularization, cultural pressures, and differing interpretations of freedom.Michońska-Dynek also observed that while pro-life values remain important in Polish society, younger generations often approach the issue with more nuanced perspectives, particularly in complex or exceptional situations. Fostering a “culture of life” must include practical support for families, such as assistance for single mothers and couples in crisis, Michońska-Dynek said. Lidia, a participant at the National March for Life. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris Not a single-issue agendaLidia Sankowska-Grabczuk, one of the organizers of the National March for Life, told EWTN News that the pro-life movement in Poland extends beyond a single-issue focus on abortion.“In a nutshell, the pro-life movement is [often] the anti-abortion movement. In our view… it’s a bit different. We don’t reduce it to a single-issue agenda,” she said, warning that such a narrow framing “strips it of its true meaning.” While protecting unborn life remains central, she described it as part of a broader vision rooted in what she called “the public voice of Polish Christianity.”She outlined three core pillars underpinning the movement. The first is “respect for life,” encompassing not only the unborn but also solidarity with the elderly, families, and those in need. The second is the family as society’s foundation, grounded in the traditional understanding of marriage and its role in Poland’s social stability. The third pillar is “a state serving the common good,” reflecting a view of politics as service and a call for greater social solidarity. March for Life in Warsaw commemorates 1,060 years of Christianity in Poland. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris Sankowska-Grabczuk also discussed the importance of Poland’s historical and Christian identity in shaping the movement. She noted that recent marches have intentionally marked major national milestones, including the 1,000th anniversary of Poland’s first royal coronation in 2025.These commemorations, she said, highlight how the movement sees its mission as inseparable from Poland’s historical development, where Christianity has long informed both national identity and social values.Pro-life voices and public participationAmong international participants was Tonio Borg, president of the European Federation One of Us. He urged participants to remain steadfast in their convictions despite criticism or public pressure. “Do not be afraid of being slandered and ridiculed because you seek to protect life from the moment of conception,” he said, encouraging continued public engagement and advocacy. He also called on supporters to make their voices heard in the public sphere, stressing the importance of influencing lawmakers and demonstrating that “the unborn child is one of us.” Paula, a participant at the National March for Life in Poland. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris Marcin Perłowski, director of the Centre for Life and Family, said participants gathered at the march out of a shared conviction that “human life begins at conception” and must be defended. He stated that the National March for Life serves as a public demonstration of that belief, describing it as a stand “against all those who raise a hand against unborn children.”Pro-life activist Emilia Mędrzecka told EWTN News that her position is grounded in a belief in universal human dignity. “Children in the womb are as human as we are… they are more dependent and need time to grow,” she said while adding that the march reflected a strong presence of families, young people, and older generations united in support of life. Polish president Karol Nawrocki walks among participants at the National March for Life in Poland. | Credit: Tomasz Daniluk/Ordo Iuris While official attendance figures have not been released, estimates provided to EWTN News suggested more than 10,000 people participated, with organizers placing peak attendance between 25,000 and 30,000.

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Recent marches in Poland have intentionally marked major national milestones, including the 1,000th anniversary of Poland’s first royal coronation in 2025.

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Pope Leo XIV: Universities must seek truth and form the whole person #Catholic MALABO, Equatorial Guinea — Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday said the inauguration of a new university campus in Equatorial Guinea is “an act of trust in human beings,” praising investment in the education of young people during the final stop of his Africa trip.Speaking at the opening of the Pope Leo XIV University Campus in Basupú, part of the National University of Equatorial Guinea (UNGE), the pontiff said the new institution represents more than new buildings.“This inauguration is an act of trust in human beings, an affirmation of the fact that it is worth the effort to continue wagering on the formation of new generations and on the task, so demanding and yet so noble, of seeking the truth and putting knowledge at the service of the common good,” Leo said.The new campus, in the northern part of Bioko Island, is the country’s largest academic facility. The government chose to dedicate it to the pope in conjunction with his visit. Founded in 1995, the National University of Equatorial Guinea was established to help form national leaders and align academic and professional training with the country’s development needs.Leo was welcomed by Rector Filiberto Ntutumu Nguema Nchama and the archbishop of Malabo, Archbishop Juan Nsue Edjang May. A bust of the pope was unveiled before he met with students and professors gathered in the square outside the main entrance.Students appealed to the pope for encouragement in becoming “a generation characterized by discipline, respect, responsibility, and commitment to the common good,” one aimed not only at personal success but also at contributing to the development of Equatorial Guinea.Faculty members, for their part, pledged themselves to academic excellence, innovation, and the integral formation of students. University officials also stressed that science and technology are powerful tools whose value depends on how they are used and that Christian moral tradition offers essential guidance in that task.In his address, Leo turned to an image deeply resonant in Equatorial Guinea: the ceiba, the country’s national tree.“For the people of Equatorial Guinea, the ceiba, the national tree, has a great symbolic meaning,” he said. “A tree puts forth deep roots and ascends slowly with patience and strength to the heights, embodying in itself a fruitfulness that does not exist for itself.”The pope said the tree offers “a parable of that which a university is called to be”: an institution rooted in serious study, living memory, and the persevering search for truth.Leo then drew on biblical imagery to reflect on the relationship between faith, reason, and knowledge. Referring to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis, he said the biblical account is not a rejection of human intelligence.“It should be emphasized that this story is not about a condemnation of knowledge as such, as if faith was afraid of intelligence or looked with suspicion upon the desire for knowledge,” he said.Instead, he warned against knowledge detached from truth and goodness and reduced to self-interest or domination.“The problem, therefore, does not rest with knowledge but in its deviation towards an intelligence that no longer seeks to correspond to reality but rather to twist it for its own purposes,” he said.Leo said Christian tradition points to another tree — the cross — as the redemption, not the negation, of human intelligence.“Christian tradition contemplates another tree, that of the cross, not as a denial of human intelligence but as a sign of its redemption,” he said.“At the cross, human beings are invited to allow their desire for knowledge to be healed: to rediscover that truth is not fabricated, not manipulated nor possessed like a trophy but welcomed, sought with humility, and served with responsibility.”For that reason, he said, Christ is not an escape from intellectual effort.“From a Christian perspective, Christ does not appear as a religious escape in the face of intellectual endeavors, as if faith began where reason ended,” Leo said. “On the contrary, in him the profound harmony between truth, reason, and freedom are manifested.”The pope said the Church’s concern in education is that young people be formed integrally, “rather than giving the mere appearance of success.”He added that the university should be judged less by its size or number of graduates than by the quality of the people it forms for society.“Here on this campus, the ceiba of Equatorial Guinea is called to bear fruits of progress rooted in solidarity and of a knowledge that ennobles and develops the human being in an integral way,” he said. “It is called to offer the fruits of intelligence and uprightness, of competence and wisdom, of excellence and service.”“If generations of men and women are profoundly shaped in this place by truth and are capable of transforming their own existence into a gift for others, then the ceiba will remain an eloquent symbol rooted in the best things of this land, elevated by wisdom and abounding in fruits that pay tribute to Equatorial Guinea and enrich the entire human family.”Before the university event, the pope also made a brief visit to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Cathedral in Malabo, built in 1897.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV: Universities must seek truth and form the whole person #Catholic MALABO, Equatorial Guinea — Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday said the inauguration of a new university campus in Equatorial Guinea is “an act of trust in human beings,” praising investment in the education of young people during the final stop of his Africa trip.Speaking at the opening of the Pope Leo XIV University Campus in Basupú, part of the National University of Equatorial Guinea (UNGE), the pontiff said the new institution represents more than new buildings.“This inauguration is an act of trust in human beings, an affirmation of the fact that it is worth the effort to continue wagering on the formation of new generations and on the task, so demanding and yet so noble, of seeking the truth and putting knowledge at the service of the common good,” Leo said.The new campus, in the northern part of Bioko Island, is the country’s largest academic facility. The government chose to dedicate it to the pope in conjunction with his visit. Founded in 1995, the National University of Equatorial Guinea was established to help form national leaders and align academic and professional training with the country’s development needs.Leo was welcomed by Rector Filiberto Ntutumu Nguema Nchama and the archbishop of Malabo, Archbishop Juan Nsue Edjang May. A bust of the pope was unveiled before he met with students and professors gathered in the square outside the main entrance.Students appealed to the pope for encouragement in becoming “a generation characterized by discipline, respect, responsibility, and commitment to the common good,” one aimed not only at personal success but also at contributing to the development of Equatorial Guinea.Faculty members, for their part, pledged themselves to academic excellence, innovation, and the integral formation of students. University officials also stressed that science and technology are powerful tools whose value depends on how they are used and that Christian moral tradition offers essential guidance in that task.In his address, Leo turned to an image deeply resonant in Equatorial Guinea: the ceiba, the country’s national tree.“For the people of Equatorial Guinea, the ceiba, the national tree, has a great symbolic meaning,” he said. “A tree puts forth deep roots and ascends slowly with patience and strength to the heights, embodying in itself a fruitfulness that does not exist for itself.”The pope said the tree offers “a parable of that which a university is called to be”: an institution rooted in serious study, living memory, and the persevering search for truth.Leo then drew on biblical imagery to reflect on the relationship between faith, reason, and knowledge. Referring to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis, he said the biblical account is not a rejection of human intelligence.“It should be emphasized that this story is not about a condemnation of knowledge as such, as if faith was afraid of intelligence or looked with suspicion upon the desire for knowledge,” he said.Instead, he warned against knowledge detached from truth and goodness and reduced to self-interest or domination.“The problem, therefore, does not rest with knowledge but in its deviation towards an intelligence that no longer seeks to correspond to reality but rather to twist it for its own purposes,” he said.Leo said Christian tradition points to another tree — the cross — as the redemption, not the negation, of human intelligence.“Christian tradition contemplates another tree, that of the cross, not as a denial of human intelligence but as a sign of its redemption,” he said.“At the cross, human beings are invited to allow their desire for knowledge to be healed: to rediscover that truth is not fabricated, not manipulated nor possessed like a trophy but welcomed, sought with humility, and served with responsibility.”For that reason, he said, Christ is not an escape from intellectual effort.“From a Christian perspective, Christ does not appear as a religious escape in the face of intellectual endeavors, as if faith began where reason ended,” Leo said. “On the contrary, in him the profound harmony between truth, reason, and freedom are manifested.”The pope said the Church’s concern in education is that young people be formed integrally, “rather than giving the mere appearance of success.”He added that the university should be judged less by its size or number of graduates than by the quality of the people it forms for society.“Here on this campus, the ceiba of Equatorial Guinea is called to bear fruits of progress rooted in solidarity and of a knowledge that ennobles and develops the human being in an integral way,” he said. “It is called to offer the fruits of intelligence and uprightness, of competence and wisdom, of excellence and service.”“If generations of men and women are profoundly shaped in this place by truth and are capable of transforming their own existence into a gift for others, then the ceiba will remain an eloquent symbol rooted in the best things of this land, elevated by wisdom and abounding in fruits that pay tribute to Equatorial Guinea and enrich the entire human family.”Before the university event, the pope also made a brief visit to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Cathedral in Malabo, built in 1897.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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At the inauguration of a new campus named in his honor in Equatorial Guinea, the pope urged the education of young people in truth, responsibility, and service to the common good.

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How to prepare for a star party

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Some people may think that the words astronomer and party-animal don’t go together. Nonetheless, for many astronomy enthusiasts, star parties are the social highlight of the observing season.  Star parties are informal gatherings of amateur astronomers that let them share the night sky and their telescopes with the public and other observers. They can rangeContinue reading “How to prepare for a star party”

The post How to prepare for a star party appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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April 20, 2025: Visiting Asteroid Donaldjohanson

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NASA’s Lucy spacecraft visited the asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2025, coming within 600 miles (920 kilometers) of the object located in the inner region of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.  The asteroid was named after the paleontologist Donald Johanson, who in 1974 co-discovered the first identified example of previously unknown typeContinue reading “April 20, 2025: Visiting Asteroid Donaldjohanson”

The post April 20, 2025: Visiting Asteroid Donaldjohanson appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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A Prayer for the Dying and a Special Soul: Prayer of the Day for Tuesday, April 21, 2026 – #Prayer – O most merciful Jesus, Lover of souls, I beseech Thee, by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart, and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother, wash clean in the Thy Blood the sinners of the whole world who are to die this day. Remember most especially the soul I spiritually adopt with the intention of entrusting him or her to Thy Shepherd’s care: I beseech Thee for the grace to move this sinner, who is in danger of going to Hell, to repent. I ask this …

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O most merciful Jesus,
Lover of souls,
I beseech Thee,
by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart,
and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother,
wash clean in the Thy Blood
the sinners of the whole world
who are to die this day.

Remember most especially the soul I spiritually adopt
with the intention of entrusting him or her to Thy Shepherd’s care:
I beseech Thee for the grace to move this sinner,
who is in danger of going to Hell, to repent.
I ask this …

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Charlotte Diocese says priest did not violate conduct policies during confession with teens – #Catholic – The Diocese of Charlotte has found that a priest did not violate any of its conduct policies during confessions with teens at Charlotte Catholic High School in North Carolina last December.Multiple families whose teens attend the school had complained that a priest stepped over the line into “inappropriate” talk during confession, but in a statement to EWTN News, the diocese said it “looked into complaints raised about conversations that occurred during confession at Charlotte Catholic High School last December” and did not identify any “violations of our conduct policies” in the priest’s behavior.The families, who wished to remain anonymous to protect their daughters, said that during the sacrament of reconciliation, a priest asked the young women “unexpected and personal questions,” according to a report by WCNC Charlotte.One father said the priest, who has not been identified, asked his daughter about sexual sins.According to the young woman’s mother, the question was unrelated to the sins she was confessing at the time. “‘Mom, I was telling him about missing Mass and lying to you and fighting with my brother … and we were not talking about anything sexual at all and he just asked me that,’” the mother said.Another mother reported that the priest asked her daughter “if she’s ever had a sexual relationship with a boy.”Those two families and others said they informed the school as well as the Diocese of Charlotte of their concerns.In its statement, the diocese said it has communicated about the matter “with all involved at the time and has addressed the issue with all priests of the diocese, reiterating the need for pastoral sensitivity in celebrating the sacrament.”According to the Diocese of Charlotte, Bishop Michael Martin also responded by letter to the families, who told WCNC they received similar responses.“I am sorry that your daughter had a conversation in confession that made her feel uncomfortable,” Martin reportedly said in his letter.He said priests sometimes ask clarifying questions during confession or lead a penitent who has not properly examined his or her conscience.The Catholic Church teaches that the faithful should examine their consciences regularly, but especially prior to the sacrament of reconciliation in order to make a good confession.“Penitents frequently come to the sacrament having engaged in a limited examination of conscience,” Martin continued, saying a priest might “raise common age-appropriate struggles with sin … to jog his or her memory or give them the benefit of having only to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ so they do not have to describe the sin in too much detail."He reminded the families that priests are prohibited from breaking what is known as the “sacramental seal,” or discussing what they hear in confession.Charlotte Catholic High School did not respond to EWTN News in time for publication.Several of the parents who raised the issue expressed dissatisfaction with the bishop’s response, however, with one parent saying she felt her concerns were “dismissed.” “The whole letter felt like we were being gaslighted,” another mother told the local news outlet. “We understand what is appropriate and inappropriate.”Nevertheless, one of the mothers said “I’m still a faithful Catholic. I just want this to be about doing the right thing.”The dioceseʼs statement continued: “Confession is a sacrament meant to address sins so a priest can offer a penitent absolution and guidance. A variety of topics come up during confession, and according to Church norms, a priest may ask clarifying questions and, if necessary, assists the penitent to make a complete confession.”“Confession is a sacrament Catholics learn about at home and at their church, through required sacramental preparation classes. Confession is offered on a voluntary basis at our schools, and as Catholics, students are encouraged but not required to participate at school,” the statement concluded.Priests' perspectiveA priest who serves as a chaplain to middle and high school students told EWTN News that he knows of only one case personally where a penitent was “scandalized that the priest was asking for clarifying information,” which he acknowledged priests sometimes do to help the penitent make a “good confession.”“People are sensitive about topics like that right now,” said the priest, who wished to remain anonymous. “Even with completely innocent intentions, things can play out really badly. We’re in the ‘Me Too’ season, we’re in the ‘priests are pedophiles’ time of history.”The priest told EWTN News that he does not “regularly lead [penitents] in examination of conscience” during confession. He added: “I donʼt know of a single priest that does.”In addition, the priest noted that there “is a beauty of the seal of confession,” he said, but because of it, a priest accused of wrongdoing “is helpless, not that he’s necessarily innocent, but his ability to defend himself is really limited.”Another priest and former high school chaplain who also wished to remain anonymous told EWTN News that it is possible there was a misunderstanding, because young people, “especially teen girls, are often embarrassed to speak of sins of a sexual nature and are sometimes not clear during confession, requiring the priest to ask clarifying questions.”“But the priest should not bring up questions unrelated to the sins the penitent is confessing, and then, they should be clarifying questions only to help him or her make a better confession,” he said.
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Charlotte Diocese says priest did not violate conduct policies during confession with teens – #Catholic – The Diocese of Charlotte has found that a priest did not violate any of its conduct policies during confessions with teens at Charlotte Catholic High School in North Carolina last December.Multiple families whose teens attend the school had complained that a priest stepped over the line into “inappropriate” talk during confession, but in a statement to EWTN News, the diocese said it “looked into complaints raised about conversations that occurred during confession at Charlotte Catholic High School last December” and did not identify any “violations of our conduct policies” in the priest’s behavior.The families, who wished to remain anonymous to protect their daughters, said that during the sacrament of reconciliation, a priest asked the young women “unexpected and personal questions,” according to a report by WCNC Charlotte.One father said the priest, who has not been identified, asked his daughter about sexual sins.According to the young woman’s mother, the question was unrelated to the sins she was confessing at the time. “‘Mom, I was telling him about missing Mass and lying to you and fighting with my brother … and we were not talking about anything sexual at all and he just asked me that,’” the mother said.Another mother reported that the priest asked her daughter “if she’s ever had a sexual relationship with a boy.”Those two families and others said they informed the school as well as the Diocese of Charlotte of their concerns.In its statement, the diocese said it has communicated about the matter “with all involved at the time and has addressed the issue with all priests of the diocese, reiterating the need for pastoral sensitivity in celebrating the sacrament.”According to the Diocese of Charlotte, Bishop Michael Martin also responded by letter to the families, who told WCNC they received similar responses.“I am sorry that your daughter had a conversation in confession that made her feel uncomfortable,” Martin reportedly said in his letter.He said priests sometimes ask clarifying questions during confession or lead a penitent who has not properly examined his or her conscience.The Catholic Church teaches that the faithful should examine their consciences regularly, but especially prior to the sacrament of reconciliation in order to make a good confession.“Penitents frequently come to the sacrament having engaged in a limited examination of conscience,” Martin continued, saying a priest might “raise common age-appropriate struggles with sin … to jog his or her memory or give them the benefit of having only to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ so they do not have to describe the sin in too much detail."He reminded the families that priests are prohibited from breaking what is known as the “sacramental seal,” or discussing what they hear in confession.Charlotte Catholic High School did not respond to EWTN News in time for publication.Several of the parents who raised the issue expressed dissatisfaction with the bishop’s response, however, with one parent saying she felt her concerns were “dismissed.” “The whole letter felt like we were being gaslighted,” another mother told the local news outlet. “We understand what is appropriate and inappropriate.”Nevertheless, one of the mothers said “I’m still a faithful Catholic. I just want this to be about doing the right thing.”The dioceseʼs statement continued: “Confession is a sacrament meant to address sins so a priest can offer a penitent absolution and guidance. A variety of topics come up during confession, and according to Church norms, a priest may ask clarifying questions and, if necessary, assists the penitent to make a complete confession.”“Confession is a sacrament Catholics learn about at home and at their church, through required sacramental preparation classes. Confession is offered on a voluntary basis at our schools, and as Catholics, students are encouraged but not required to participate at school,” the statement concluded.Priests' perspectiveA priest who serves as a chaplain to middle and high school students told EWTN News that he knows of only one case personally where a penitent was “scandalized that the priest was asking for clarifying information,” which he acknowledged priests sometimes do to help the penitent make a “good confession.”“People are sensitive about topics like that right now,” said the priest, who wished to remain anonymous. “Even with completely innocent intentions, things can play out really badly. We’re in the ‘Me Too’ season, we’re in the ‘priests are pedophiles’ time of history.”The priest told EWTN News that he does not “regularly lead [penitents] in examination of conscience” during confession. He added: “I donʼt know of a single priest that does.”In addition, the priest noted that there “is a beauty of the seal of confession,” he said, but because of it, a priest accused of wrongdoing “is helpless, not that he’s necessarily innocent, but his ability to defend himself is really limited.”Another priest and former high school chaplain who also wished to remain anonymous told EWTN News that it is possible there was a misunderstanding, because young people, “especially teen girls, are often embarrassed to speak of sins of a sexual nature and are sometimes not clear during confession, requiring the priest to ask clarifying questions.”“But the priest should not bring up questions unrelated to the sins the penitent is confessing, and then, they should be clarifying questions only to help him or her make a better confession,” he said.

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Several families at Charlotte Catholic High School alleged that a priest asked their teenage daughters “inappropriate” questions during confession in December, but the diocese found no wrongdoing.

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Hundreds of men to be ordained in U.S. in 2026 – #Catholic – More than 400 men will be ordained to the priesthood in the U.S. this year, and on average they are 33 years old and are lifelong Catholics, according to an annual CARA survey.The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) released its 2026 national survey of seminarians who are scheduled for ordination this year. The survey was administered between Feb. 12 and March 20.Out of 428 ordinands invited to participate, 334 ordinands responded to the survey for a response rate of 78%. The responding ordinands represent 110 U.S. dioceses and eparchies and 34 religious institutes. Four in 5 (81%) are preparing for ordination to a diocese or eparchy, and 19% are preparing for religious institutes.The report is created in collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations and CARA about seminarians scheduled for ordination to the priesthood in 2026.On average, responding ordinands first considered priesthood when they were 16 years old and were scheduled for ordination at the age of 33. Ordinands reported they lived in their dioceses for 16 years before entering seminary and knew the members of their religious institute for five years prior.Most 2026 ordinands are white (62%), with others identifying as Hispanic or Latino (17%), Asian or Pacific Islander (11%), and Black or African American (5%). While most respondents reported they were born in the United States (74%), others said they were born in Vietnam (5%), Mexico (3%), Colombia (2%), or elsewhere (16%).While most respondents reported they were born in the United States, a third (35%) were born abroad and, on average, came to live in the U.S. at 22 years old. The most common countries of birth among the foreign-born ordinands were Vietnam (5%), Mexico (3%), and Colombia (2%).Of the men surveyed, 35% attended seminaries in the Midwest, 28% in the Northeast, 19% in the South, 14% in the West, and 5% abroad.EducationThe report found that 11% of responding ordinands were home-schooled at some point in their education and they received various levels of education. Of respondents, 29% attended high school or less, 19% reported some college or trade school, 39% received a college undergraduate degree, and 13% earned a graduate degree.Of the respondents who went to undergraduate or graduate school before entering seminary, 22% studied theology or philosophy. Other common fields of study included business (18%), engineering (17%), and science or math (11%).Nearly half of the ordinands (45%) attended a Catholic elementary school, 38% attended Catholic high school, and 34% attended Catholic college. Of all ordinands, 63% also reported participating in religious education in their parish.Prayer practicesMany ordinands (81%) reported participation in Eucharistic adoration when asked about their prayer practices before entering seminary. Many also reported praying the rosary on a regular basis (79%), prayer and Bible groups (52%), and lectio divina (48%).Overall, 93% of ordinands participated in at least one parish ministry before entering the seminary. Many reported that they had been active in parish life by serving as altar servers (79%), lectors (49%), campus or youth ministers (34%), or as catechists (32%).Most ordinands (92%) were encouraged by at least one person to join the priesthood. For many it was a parish priest (70%), friends (49%), or mother (46%). Some also noted discouraging influences including family members (22%) and classmates and friends (17%).Family lifeThe report found that 4% of respondents had served in the U.S. armed forces, and 12% reported their parents had a military career in the U.S.Most respondents were baptized Catholic as an infant (93%), with just 7% who reported they became Catholic later in life. Most ordinands also reported that both of their parents were Catholic (86%).The majority of respondents (88%) reported that they were raised by a married couple living together, with 97% who were raised by both biological parents and 11% who were raised by grandparents.Of respondents, 28% said they have a relative who is a priest or religious. Most also said they have a sibling or siblings (96%).
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Hundreds of men to be ordained in U.S. in 2026 – #Catholic – More than 400 men will be ordained to the priesthood in the U.S. this year, and on average they are 33 years old and are lifelong Catholics, according to an annual CARA survey.The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) released its 2026 national survey of seminarians who are scheduled for ordination this year. The survey was administered between Feb. 12 and March 20.Out of 428 ordinands invited to participate, 334 ordinands responded to the survey for a response rate of 78%. The responding ordinands represent 110 U.S. dioceses and eparchies and 34 religious institutes. Four in 5 (81%) are preparing for ordination to a diocese or eparchy, and 19% are preparing for religious institutes.The report is created in collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations and CARA about seminarians scheduled for ordination to the priesthood in 2026.On average, responding ordinands first considered priesthood when they were 16 years old and were scheduled for ordination at the age of 33. Ordinands reported they lived in their dioceses for 16 years before entering seminary and knew the members of their religious institute for five years prior.Most 2026 ordinands are white (62%), with others identifying as Hispanic or Latino (17%), Asian or Pacific Islander (11%), and Black or African American (5%). While most respondents reported they were born in the United States (74%), others said they were born in Vietnam (5%), Mexico (3%), Colombia (2%), or elsewhere (16%).While most respondents reported they were born in the United States, a third (35%) were born abroad and, on average, came to live in the U.S. at 22 years old. The most common countries of birth among the foreign-born ordinands were Vietnam (5%), Mexico (3%), and Colombia (2%).Of the men surveyed, 35% attended seminaries in the Midwest, 28% in the Northeast, 19% in the South, 14% in the West, and 5% abroad.EducationThe report found that 11% of responding ordinands were home-schooled at some point in their education and they received various levels of education. Of respondents, 29% attended high school or less, 19% reported some college or trade school, 39% received a college undergraduate degree, and 13% earned a graduate degree.Of the respondents who went to undergraduate or graduate school before entering seminary, 22% studied theology or philosophy. Other common fields of study included business (18%), engineering (17%), and science or math (11%).Nearly half of the ordinands (45%) attended a Catholic elementary school, 38% attended Catholic high school, and 34% attended Catholic college. Of all ordinands, 63% also reported participating in religious education in their parish.Prayer practicesMany ordinands (81%) reported participation in Eucharistic adoration when asked about their prayer practices before entering seminary. Many also reported praying the rosary on a regular basis (79%), prayer and Bible groups (52%), and lectio divina (48%).Overall, 93% of ordinands participated in at least one parish ministry before entering the seminary. Many reported that they had been active in parish life by serving as altar servers (79%), lectors (49%), campus or youth ministers (34%), or as catechists (32%).Most ordinands (92%) were encouraged by at least one person to join the priesthood. For many it was a parish priest (70%), friends (49%), or mother (46%). Some also noted discouraging influences including family members (22%) and classmates and friends (17%).Family lifeThe report found that 4% of respondents had served in the U.S. armed forces, and 12% reported their parents had a military career in the U.S.Most respondents were baptized Catholic as an infant (93%), with just 7% who reported they became Catholic later in life. Most ordinands also reported that both of their parents were Catholic (86%).The majority of respondents (88%) reported that they were raised by a married couple living together, with 97% who were raised by both biological parents and 11% who were raised by grandparents.Of respondents, 28% said they have a relative who is a priest or religious. Most also said they have a sibling or siblings (96%).

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Ordinands on average are 33 years old and are lifelong Catholics preparing for diocesan ministry, according to the 2026 survey by The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA).

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 21 April 2026 – A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 7:51—8:1a Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it.” When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together. They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and when he said this, he fell asleep. Now Saul was consenting to his execution.From the Gospel according to John 6:30-35 The crowd said to Jesus: “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” So they said to Jesus, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”What does bread of life mean? We need bread to live. Those who are hungry do not ask for refined and expensive food, they ask for bread. Those who are unemployed do not ask for enormous wages, but the “bread” of employment. Jesus reveals himself as bread, that is, the essential, what is necessary for everyday life; without Him it does not work. Not one bread among many others, but the bread of life. In other words, without him, rather than living, we get by: because he alone nourishes the soul; he alone forgives us from that evil that we cannot overcome on our own; he alone makes us feel loved even if everyone else disappoints us; he alone gives us the strength to love and, he alone gives us the strength to forgive in difficulties; he alone gives that peace to the heart that it is searching for; he alone gives eternal life when life here on earth ends. He is the essential bread of life. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 8 August 2021)

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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 7:51—8:1a

Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes:
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you always oppose the Holy Spirit;
you are just like your ancestors.
Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?
They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one,
whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.
You received the law as transmitted by angels,
but you did not observe it.”

When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
But they cried out in a loud voice,
covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”;
and when he said this, he fell asleep.

Now Saul was consenting to his execution.

From the Gospel according to John
6:30-35

The crowd said to Jesus:
“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:

He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”

So they said to Jesus,
“Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

What does bread of life mean? We need bread to live. Those who are hungry do not ask for refined and expensive food, they ask for bread. Those who are unemployed do not ask for enormous wages, but the “bread” of employment. Jesus reveals himself as bread, that is, the essential, what is necessary for everyday life; without Him it does not work. Not one bread among many others, but the bread of life. In other words, without him, rather than living, we get by: because he alone nourishes the soul; he alone forgives us from that evil that we cannot overcome on our own; he alone makes us feel loved even if everyone else disappoints us; he alone gives us the strength to love and, he alone gives us the strength to forgive in difficulties; he alone gives that peace to the heart that it is searching for; he alone gives eternal life when life here on earth ends. He is the essential bread of life. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 8 August 2021)

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Supreme Court to hear Colorado Catholic preschools’ religious freedom suit – #Catholic – The U.S. Supreme Court will consider an appeal from a Colorado-based coalition of Catholic preschools who allege they were excluded from a “universal” government tuition program for preschoolers.After granting the appeal on April 20, the court will likely hear the case in the fall.The Colorado universal preschool program provides tuition assistance to families for a school of their choice, whether public or private, but the state government excluded Catholic preschools that have faith requirements for attendees from the program.The Catholic preschools ask teachers and families to sign a pledge promising to uphold their religious mission, including teachings on sexuality and gender identity. The Colorado preschool program’s nondiscrimination clause, however, requires schools to uphold provisions on sexual orientation and gender identity.Months after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit ruled in September 2025 that Colorado may continue to exclude Catholic preschools due to their religious beliefs, the Archdiocese of Denver and the Catholic preschools asked the Supreme Court to grant them access to the program. St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy began in August 2023 when two Catholic parish preschools and the Denver Archdiocese filed the first suit.The Colorado Department of Early Childhood declined to comment, citing active litigation.‘Universal means everyone’In September 2025, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis celebrated the court ruling to exclude Catholic schools, saying it protected students from “discrimination.”"Colorado’s highly popular, free Universal Preschool saves families more than ,000 per year, gives students a strong start, and has skyrocketed Colorado from 27th in preschool enrollment to third,” Polis said in a Sept. 30 statement. “We are building a Colorado for all, where every student is free from discrimination.”Catholic parents Dan and Lisa Sheley, who have seven children, said in a statement that they hope to be able to participate in the program and choose a Catholic preschool. Students at St. Mary Catholic Virtue Preschool in Littleton, Colorado. | Credit: Becket “All we want is the freedom to choose the best preschool for our kids without being punished for our faith,” the couple said. “Colorado promised families a universal preschool program, then cut out families like ours because we chose a Catholic education. We pray the Supreme Court will remind Colorado that universal means everyone.”A Catholic mother of three said that “Colorado is punishing young religious families.”“In a state that loudly preaches inclusion, it’s shocking to see Colorado go out of its way to exclude families like mine,” said Erika Navarrete Nagle, whose children attend St. Mary’s. “I hope the Supreme Court will make it clear that no family should be targeted for what they believe.” A student attends Mass at St. Mary Catholic Virtue Preschool in Littleton, Colorado. | Credit: Becket Officials in charge of the program recently announced that the preschool program had reached 71.2% participation, leaving about 29% of eligible children not participating. The program’s goal is to reach 77% participation by 2030.Nicholas Reaves, senior counsel at Becket, the religious liberty nonprofit law firm involved in the case, and attorney for the families and preschools, said he is “confident” the high court will rule in favor of religious freedom.“The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that states cannot exclude families from government benefits because of their faith,” Reaves said.“Colorado promised free preschool for all, then slammed the door on families who chose a religious education for their children,” Reaves continued. “After three losses in religious freedom cases at the Supreme Court, Colorado should know better.” A classroom at St. Mary Catholic Virtue Preschool in Littleton, Colorado. | Credit: Becket In May 2025, the Supreme Court declined to rule in a contentious case involving what was proposed to be the nation’s first religious charter school, leaving untouched a lower court ruling that forbade the Oklahoma Catholic institution from accessing state funds. In previous years, the high court has ruled in favor of Maine tuition assistance for religious schools in 2022 and in favor of a Pennsylvania-based Catholic foster care agency in 2021.
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Supreme Court to hear Colorado Catholic preschools’ religious freedom suit – #Catholic – The U.S. Supreme Court will consider an appeal from a Colorado-based coalition of Catholic preschools who allege they were excluded from a “universal” government tuition program for preschoolers.After granting the appeal on April 20, the court will likely hear the case in the fall.The Colorado universal preschool program provides tuition assistance to families for a school of their choice, whether public or private, but the state government excluded Catholic preschools that have faith requirements for attendees from the program.The Catholic preschools ask teachers and families to sign a pledge promising to uphold their religious mission, including teachings on sexuality and gender identity. The Colorado preschool program’s nondiscrimination clause, however, requires schools to uphold provisions on sexual orientation and gender identity.Months after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit ruled in September 2025 that Colorado may continue to exclude Catholic preschools due to their religious beliefs, the Archdiocese of Denver and the Catholic preschools asked the Supreme Court to grant them access to the program. St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy began in August 2023 when two Catholic parish preschools and the Denver Archdiocese filed the first suit.The Colorado Department of Early Childhood declined to comment, citing active litigation.‘Universal means everyone’In September 2025, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis celebrated the court ruling to exclude Catholic schools, saying it protected students from “discrimination.”"Colorado’s highly popular, free Universal Preschool saves families more than $6,000 per year, gives students a strong start, and has skyrocketed Colorado from 27th in preschool enrollment to third,” Polis said in a Sept. 30 statement. “We are building a Colorado for all, where every student is free from discrimination.”Catholic parents Dan and Lisa Sheley, who have seven children, said in a statement that they hope to be able to participate in the program and choose a Catholic preschool. Students at St. Mary Catholic Virtue Preschool in Littleton, Colorado. | Credit: Becket “All we want is the freedom to choose the best preschool for our kids without being punished for our faith,” the couple said. “Colorado promised families a universal preschool program, then cut out families like ours because we chose a Catholic education. We pray the Supreme Court will remind Colorado that universal means everyone.”A Catholic mother of three said that “Colorado is punishing young religious families.”“In a state that loudly preaches inclusion, it’s shocking to see Colorado go out of its way to exclude families like mine,” said Erika Navarrete Nagle, whose children attend St. Mary’s. “I hope the Supreme Court will make it clear that no family should be targeted for what they believe.” A student attends Mass at St. Mary Catholic Virtue Preschool in Littleton, Colorado. | Credit: Becket Officials in charge of the program recently announced that the preschool program had reached 71.2% participation, leaving about 29% of eligible children not participating. The program’s goal is to reach 77% participation by 2030.Nicholas Reaves, senior counsel at Becket, the religious liberty nonprofit law firm involved in the case, and attorney for the families and preschools, said he is “confident” the high court will rule in favor of religious freedom.“The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that states cannot exclude families from government benefits because of their faith,” Reaves said.“Colorado promised free preschool for all, then slammed the door on families who chose a religious education for their children,” Reaves continued. “After three losses in religious freedom cases at the Supreme Court, Colorado should know better.” A classroom at St. Mary Catholic Virtue Preschool in Littleton, Colorado. | Credit: Becket In May 2025, the Supreme Court declined to rule in a contentious case involving what was proposed to be the nation’s first religious charter school, leaving untouched a lower court ruling that forbade the Oklahoma Catholic institution from accessing state funds. In previous years, the high court has ruled in favor of Maine tuition assistance for religious schools in 2022 and in favor of a Pennsylvania-based Catholic foster care agency in 2021.

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Catholic parents in Colorado are anticipating the results of an ongoing lawsuit over a Colorado “universal” preschool tuition program as the U.S. Supreme Court has just agreed to hear the case.

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Did you hear or have you read Pope Leo XIV’s Homily at the Vigil for Peace? #Catholic – Dear brothers and sisters, Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace. War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens… Prayer Vigil led by Pope Leo XIV BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Saturday in the Octave of Easter and the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Leo XIV led thousands of pilgrims in Rome and hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people throughout the world in a Prayer Vigil for Peace. In recent days, President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Pope Leo on more than one occasion. Many cardinals, bishops, and other Catholic and non-Catholic leaders have made public statements defending Pope Leo and expressing disappointment, not only with what President Trump has said, but also with the manner and tone of the statements. Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. of the Diocese of Trenton, issued an excellent, clear, and thorough statement, beginning with these words:  “In recent days, many of the faithful in the Diocese have reached out to me as Bishop and Shepherd of the local Church with concern, confusion, sorrow, and, in some cases, even anger regarding public comments made by President Donald Trump about our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, as well as the Holy Father’s measured response. Moments like these can unsettle hearts, especially when the unity of the Church and the dignity of her mission appear to be drawn into the turbulence of political discourse… Reflection on recent public criticism of the Holy Father, tragedy of war. I strongly encourage readers to read (or listen to) the full text of Bishop O’Connell’s statement, available on the website of the Diocese of Trenton and on YouTube. I have shared previously that Bishop O’Connell was a Dean at St. John’s University when I was a student. He also served as the president of the Catholic University of America (from 1998 to 2010). He has served as the bishop of Trenton since Dec. 1, 2010. He is an excellent teacher and spokesperson for our Church. If you take the time to read or listen to his full statement, I believe that you will be grateful you did so. In addition to or before reading Bishop O’Connell’s statement, I encourage you, if you have not done so, to read the homily that Pope Leo gave at the Vigil for Peace. Here is an article that offers a summary of the homily and reports on the Vigil for Peace: Pope Leo at Prayer Vigil for Peace. This past Sunday, the Third Sunday of Easter, in the First Reading at Mass, from the Acts of the Apostles (2:14, 22-33), we heard these words: “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed:…” It was the day of Pentecost. Peter and the Apostles had just received the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and Peter gives a long speech (homily), v. 14-36, in which he proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ. Those words of St. Peter were the preaching of the Good News of the Gospel to all the nations that continues today. Since May 8, 2025, when he was elected as our Holy Father, as Pope, to the “Petrine (Peter’s) Ministry,” Pope Leo XIV has been doing what he is called to do, to preach the Good News of the Gospel. His first words as Pope (see Transcript of Cardinal Robert Prevost’s first speech as Pope Leo XIV), “Peace be with (all of) you,” were not his own words, but “the greeting of the Risen Christ.” He went on to speak of “…the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally…” Pope Leo XIV has been consistent in his calling for peace, for an end to war, and for mediation and negotiations instead of violence to address conflicts. Just as the first Christian “converts” responded to the words of the “first Pope”, St. Peter, “…Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.” (Acts 2: 41), let us respond to Pope Leo XIV’s invitation to pray and work for Peace. As he said in the homily at the Vigil for Peace: “…Dear brothers and sisters, let us return home having made a commitment to pray without ceasing and without growing weary, a commitment to a profound conversion of heart. The Church is a great people at the service of reconciliation and peace. She advances without hesitation, even when rejecting the logic of war may lead to misunderstanding and scorn…”   Pope Leo XIV, Successor to Peter, is the living sign of the Church’s unbroken fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the apostles. The Holy Father is following in the line of his predecessors. In his homily at the Vigil for Peace, he quotes St. Pope John XXIII and St. Pope John Paul calling for Peace. He also recalls what was a historic first, Pope Saint Paul VI addressing the General Assembly of The United Nations on Oct. 4, 1965, the Feast of the Saint of Peace, Francis of Assisi. Sixty years ago, Pope Paul used words that appear now perhaps prescient: “You know very well who we are, and whatever your opinion of the Pontiff of Rome may be, you know that our mission is to bring a message for all mankind.” The simple message of Pope Paul that followed remains the hope and prayer of people of goodwill everywhere, “Never again war, never again war! It is peace, peace that has to guide the destiny of the nations of all mankind!” In a turbulent world, as Christians, we turn to the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) and pray that God’s will is done so that peace will reign over all of the earth.  
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Did you hear or have you read Pope Leo XIV’s Homily at the Vigil for Peace? #Catholic – Dear brothers and sisters, Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace. War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens… Prayer Vigil led by Pope Leo XIV BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Saturday in the Octave of Easter and the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Leo XIV led thousands of pilgrims in Rome and hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people throughout the world in a Prayer Vigil for Peace. In recent days, President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Pope Leo on more than one occasion. Many cardinals, bishops, and other Catholic and non-Catholic leaders have made public statements defending Pope Leo and expressing disappointment, not only with what President Trump has said, but also with the manner and tone of the statements. Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. of the Diocese of Trenton, issued an excellent, clear, and thorough statement, beginning with these words:  “In recent days, many of the faithful in the Diocese have reached out to me as Bishop and Shepherd of the local Church with concern, confusion, sorrow, and, in some cases, even anger regarding public comments made by President Donald Trump about our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, as well as the Holy Father’s measured response. Moments like these can unsettle hearts, especially when the unity of the Church and the dignity of her mission appear to be drawn into the turbulence of political discourse… Reflection on recent public criticism of the Holy Father, tragedy of war. I strongly encourage readers to read (or listen to) the full text of Bishop O’Connell’s statement, available on the website of the Diocese of Trenton and on YouTube. I have shared previously that Bishop O’Connell was a Dean at St. John’s University when I was a student. He also served as the president of the Catholic University of America (from 1998 to 2010). He has served as the bishop of Trenton since Dec. 1, 2010. He is an excellent teacher and spokesperson for our Church. If you take the time to read or listen to his full statement, I believe that you will be grateful you did so. In addition to or before reading Bishop O’Connell’s statement, I encourage you, if you have not done so, to read the homily that Pope Leo gave at the Vigil for Peace. Here is an article that offers a summary of the homily and reports on the Vigil for Peace: Pope Leo at Prayer Vigil for Peace. This past Sunday, the Third Sunday of Easter, in the First Reading at Mass, from the Acts of the Apostles (2:14, 22-33), we heard these words: “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed:…” It was the day of Pentecost. Peter and the Apostles had just received the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and Peter gives a long speech (homily), v. 14-36, in which he proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ. Those words of St. Peter were the preaching of the Good News of the Gospel to all the nations that continues today. Since May 8, 2025, when he was elected as our Holy Father, as Pope, to the “Petrine (Peter’s) Ministry,” Pope Leo XIV has been doing what he is called to do, to preach the Good News of the Gospel. His first words as Pope (see Transcript of Cardinal Robert Prevost’s first speech as Pope Leo XIV), “Peace be with (all of) you,” were not his own words, but “the greeting of the Risen Christ.” He went on to speak of “…the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally…” Pope Leo XIV has been consistent in his calling for peace, for an end to war, and for mediation and negotiations instead of violence to address conflicts. Just as the first Christian “converts” responded to the words of the “first Pope”, St. Peter, “…Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.” (Acts 2: 41), let us respond to Pope Leo XIV’s invitation to pray and work for Peace. As he said in the homily at the Vigil for Peace: “…Dear brothers and sisters, let us return home having made a commitment to pray without ceasing and without growing weary, a commitment to a profound conversion of heart. The Church is a great people at the service of reconciliation and peace. She advances without hesitation, even when rejecting the logic of war may lead to misunderstanding and scorn…”   Pope Leo XIV, Successor to Peter, is the living sign of the Church’s unbroken fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the apostles. The Holy Father is following in the line of his predecessors. In his homily at the Vigil for Peace, he quotes St. Pope John XXIII and St. Pope John Paul calling for Peace. He also recalls what was a historic first, Pope Saint Paul VI addressing the General Assembly of The United Nations on Oct. 4, 1965, the Feast of the Saint of Peace, Francis of Assisi. Sixty years ago, Pope Paul used words that appear now perhaps prescient: “You know very well who we are, and whatever your opinion of the Pontiff of Rome may be, you know that our mission is to bring a message for all mankind.” The simple message of Pope Paul that followed remains the hope and prayer of people of goodwill everywhere, “Never again war, never again war! It is peace, peace that has to guide the destiny of the nations of all mankind!” In a turbulent world, as Christians, we turn to the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) and pray that God’s will is done so that peace will reign over all of the earth.  

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Did you hear or have you read Pope Leo XIV’s Homily at the Vigil for Peace? #Catholic –

Dear brothers and sisters,

Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace. War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens…

Prayer Vigil led by Pope Leo XIV

BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY

On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Saturday in the Octave of Easter and the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Leo XIV led thousands of pilgrims in Rome and hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people throughout the world in a Prayer Vigil for Peace. In recent days, President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Pope Leo on more than one occasion. Many cardinals, bishops, and other Catholic and non-Catholic leaders have made public statements defending Pope Leo and expressing disappointment, not only with what President Trump has said, but also with the manner and tone of the statements.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. of the Diocese of Trenton, issued an excellent, clear, and thorough statement, beginning with these words: 

“In recent days, many of the faithful in the Diocese have reached out to me as Bishop and Shepherd of the local Church with concern, confusion, sorrow, and, in some cases, even anger regarding public comments made by President Donald Trump about our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, as well as the Holy Father’s measured response. Moments like these can unsettle hearts, especially when the unity of the Church and the dignity of her mission appear to be drawn into the turbulence of political discourse… Reflection on recent public criticism of the Holy Father, tragedy of war.

I strongly encourage readers to read (or listen to) the full text of Bishop O’Connell’s statement, available on the website of the Diocese of Trenton and on YouTube. I have shared previously that Bishop O’Connell was a Dean at St. John’s University when I was a student. He also served as the president of the Catholic University of America (from 1998 to 2010). He has served as the bishop of Trenton since Dec. 1, 2010. He is an excellent teacher and spokesperson for our Church. If you take the time to read or listen to his full statement, I believe that you will be grateful you did so.

In addition to or before reading Bishop O’Connell’s statement, I encourage you, if you have not done so, to read the homily that Pope Leo gave at the Vigil for Peace. Here is an article that offers a summary of the homily and reports on the Vigil for Peace: Pope Leo at Prayer Vigil for Peace.

This past Sunday, the Third Sunday of Easter, in the First Reading at Mass, from the Acts of the Apostles (2:14, 22-33), we heard these words: “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed:…” It was the day of Pentecost. Peter and the Apostles had just received the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and Peter gives a long speech (homily), v. 14-36, in which he proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ. Those words of St. Peter were the preaching of the Good News of the Gospel to all the nations that continues today.

Since May 8, 2025, when he was elected as our Holy Father, as Pope, to the “Petrine (Peter’s) Ministry,” Pope Leo XIV has been doing what he is called to do, to preach the Good News of the Gospel. His first words as Pope (see Transcript of Cardinal Robert Prevost’s first speech as Pope Leo XIV), “Peace be with (all of) you,” were not his own words, but “the greeting of the Risen Christ.” He went on to speak of “…the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally…” Pope Leo XIV has been consistent in his calling for peace, for an end to war, and for mediation and negotiations instead of violence to address conflicts.

Just as the first Christian “converts” responded to the words of the “first Pope”, St. Peter, “…Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.” (Acts 2: 41), let us respond to Pope Leo XIV’s invitation to pray and work for Peace. As he said in the homily at the Vigil for Peace:

“…Dear brothers and sisters, let us return home having made a commitment to pray without ceasing and without growing weary, a commitment to a profound conversion of heart. The Church is a great people at the service of reconciliation and peace. She advances without hesitation, even when rejecting the logic of war may lead to misunderstanding and scorn…”
 

Pope Leo XIV, Successor to Peter, is the living sign of the Church’s unbroken fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the apostles. The Holy Father is following in the line of his predecessors. In his homily at the Vigil for Peace, he quotes St. Pope John XXIII and St. Pope John Paul calling for Peace. He also recalls what was a historic first, Pope Saint Paul VI addressing the General Assembly of The United Nations on Oct. 4, 1965, the Feast of the Saint of Peace, Francis of Assisi. Sixty years ago, Pope Paul used words that appear now perhaps prescient: “You know very well who we are, and whatever your opinion of the Pontiff of Rome may be, you know that our mission is to bring a message for all mankind.” The simple message of Pope Paul that followed remains the hope and prayer of people of goodwill everywhere, “Never again war, never again war! It is peace, peace that has to guide the destiny of the nations of all mankind!” In a turbulent world, as Christians, we turn to the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) and pray that God’s will is done so that peace will reign over all of the earth.

 

– Dear brothers and sisters, Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace. War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens… Prayer Vigil led by Pope Leo XIV BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Saturday in the Octave of Easter and the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope

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Knives Out: Bill Maher Recounts Having ‘Creep’ Eric Swalwell on His Show: ‘I Never Liked Him’ – The knives are out as the sun sets on Eric Swalwell’s political career. The post Knives Out: Bill Maher Recounts Having ‘Creep’ Eric Swalwell on His Show: ‘I Never Liked Him’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Knives Out: Bill Maher Recounts Having ‘Creep’ Eric Swalwell on His Show: ‘I Never Liked Him’ – The knives are out as the sun sets on Eric Swalwell’s political career. The post Knives Out: Bill Maher Recounts Having ‘Creep’ Eric Swalwell on His Show: ‘I Never Liked Him’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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The knives are out as the sun sets on Eric Swalwell’s political career.

The post Knives Out: Bill Maher Recounts Having ‘Creep’ Eric Swalwell on His Show: ‘I Never Liked Him’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Maria Bartiromo Unloads on Far-Left Rep. Ro Khanna for Absurb Claim Obama ‘Delivered’ on Iran: ‘He Sent Pallets of Cash!’ – Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo embarrassed Rep. The post Maria Bartiromo Unloads on Far-Left Rep. Ro Khanna for Absurb Claim Obama ‘Delivered’ on Iran: ‘He Sent Pallets of Cash!’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Maria Bartiromo Unloads on Far-Left Rep. Ro Khanna for Absurb Claim Obama ‘Delivered’ on Iran: ‘He Sent Pallets of Cash!’ – Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo embarrassed Rep. The post Maria Bartiromo Unloads on Far-Left Rep. Ro Khanna for Absurb Claim Obama ‘Delivered’ on Iran: ‘He Sent Pallets of Cash!’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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News hosts discussing current political issues with a backdrop of the Capitol building, highlighting key topics in a televised interview.

News hosts discussing current political issues with a backdrop of the Capitol building, highlighting key topics in a televised interview.

Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo embarrassed Rep.

The post Maria Bartiromo Unloads on Far-Left Rep. Ro Khanna for Absurb Claim Obama ‘Delivered’ on Iran: ‘He Sent Pallets of Cash!’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Christ is not ‘a guru or a good luck charm,’ pope says at Mass in Angola #Catholic SAURIMO, Angola — Pope Leo XIV warned at Mass in Saurimo, Angola, on Monday of making God into an idol that is sought only when advantageous — “when genuine faith is replaced with superstitious practices.”“There are erroneous motives for seeking Christ, particularly when he is considered to be a guru or a good luck charm,” the pope said on April 20, referring to how the crowds in the Gospel reading reacted after Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and the fishes.“They were not seeking a teacher whom they love but a leader to applaud for their own advantage,” he said.Joyful faith in Saurimo Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Saurimo, Angola, on April 20, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media From the start of his arrival in Sub-Saharan Africa — first in Cameroon and then in Angola — Pope Leo has been welcomed by the warmth of the faithful. In Saurimo, a city in northeastern Angola, the atmosphere greeting the pope on Monday was marked by joyful faith. Everyone welcomed the successor of Peter with songs, dances, and applause.Despite the intense heat, upon reaching the esplanade before Mass, Leo XIV greeted the roughly 60,000 faithful of all ages — who had come from across the region and neighboring dioceses — by making a circuit in the popemobile.“This is the first time a pope has gone beyond Angola’s coastal belt and come — using Pope Francis’ language — to the peripheries,“ the director of the communications office of the Archdiocese of Saurimo said. ”This is a region rich in diamonds, but there is also great poverty, and he comes here to show our reality. For us, having the Holy Father in our region is a great joy.”“This is a unique and unforgettable moment in my life and in the lives of the many pilgrims here today,” Filomena Vunda, who works in the pastoral secretariat of the Archdiocese of Malanje, told ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, at the Mass.Vunda encouraged non-Catholics in Angola to “keep in mind our African word ‘Ubuntu’: The happiness of others depends on me; my happiness depends solely on the happiness of others.”Ubuntu is an African philosophy about human interconnectedness. It can be translated as “I am because we are.”‘Disciples of Christ’In his homily at Mass, concelebrated by Angolan bishops, Pope Leo said: “In every part of the world, the Church lives as a people who walk as disciples of Christ, our brother and redeemer.”"He, the Risen One, illumines for us the path to the Father and with the strength of the Spirit he sanctifies us so that we may transform our way of life in conformity with his love," the pope said. "This is the good news, the Gospel that courses through our veins like blood, sustaining us on the journey. A journey that has brought me here with you today!” Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Saurimo, Angola, on April 20, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Commenting on the Gospel of the day, Leo reflected: “Indeed, when the Son of God became man, he performed striking miracles in order to manifest the will of the Father: He made light shine in the darkness by giving sight to the blind, he gave a voice to the oppressed by loosening the tongues of the mute, he slaked our thirst for justice by multiplying bread for the poor and weak. Anyone who heard about these works set out in search of Jesus. At the same time, the Lord looks into our heart and asks us whether we seek him out of gratitude or for our own self-interest, with calculation or with love.”“The Lord himself says,” the pope continued, “‘you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves’ (Jn 6:26). His words reveal the designs of those who do not want to encounter a person but want to consume things. The crowd sees Jesus as means to an end, a provider of services. If he had not given them something to eat, his actions and teachings would not have interested them.”“This happens,” Leo XIV explained, “when genuine faith is replaced with superstitious practices, in which God becomes an idol that is sought only when it is advantageous to us and only for as long as it is. Even the most beautiful gifts of the Lord, which are always for the care of his people, become a pretext, a prize or a bargaining chip, and are misinterpreted by those who receive them.”“How different is Jesus’ attitude toward us,” the pontiff continued. “Yet, he does not reject this insincere search, but encourages its conversion ... Christ calls us to freedom: He does not want servants or clients, rather he seeks brothers and sisters to whom he can totally dedicate himself.”“Therefore,” Leo XIV said, “the admonition that the Lord directs to the crowd is transformed into an invitation: ‘Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life’ (Jn 6:27)."“His gift sheds light on our current situation,” the pope went on. “We can see today how the hope of many people is frustrated by violence, exploited by the powerful, and defrauded by the rich. Consequently, when injustice corrupts hearts, the bread of all becomes the possession of a few."“In the face of these evils, Christ hears the cry of the people and renews our history by lifting us up from every fall, comforting us in every suffering, and encouraging us in our mission," he said. Crowds of people brave the heat and sun to attend Mass with Pope Leo XIV in Saurimo, Angola, on April 20, 2026. | Credit: Raúl Kangombe Sapiti/ACI Africa “All this,” the pope exhorted, “means that, in light of our discipleship, the ecclesial journey is a ‘synod of resurrection and hope,’ as St. John Paul II affirmed in his apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Africa. Let us proceed in this wise direction! Christ himself guides and strengthens our journey, a journey that we want to learn to live more and more as it should be, that is, in a synodal manner.”The pope concluded by recalling the importance of the martyrs and saints, whose witness “encourages us and pushes us onto a path of hope, reconciliation, and peace, along which the gift of God becomes the responsibility of the head of the household, in the Christian community, in civil society.”"The vitality of the vocations that you experience [in Angola]," he said, "is a sign that you are responding to the Lord’s gift, which is always abundant for those who welcome it with pure hearts.”ACI Africa reporter Raúl Kangombe Sapiti contributed to this report.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Christ is not ‘a guru or a good luck charm,’ pope says at Mass in Angola #Catholic SAURIMO, Angola — Pope Leo XIV warned at Mass in Saurimo, Angola, on Monday of making God into an idol that is sought only when advantageous — “when genuine faith is replaced with superstitious practices.”“There are erroneous motives for seeking Christ, particularly when he is considered to be a guru or a good luck charm,” the pope said on April 20, referring to how the crowds in the Gospel reading reacted after Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and the fishes.“They were not seeking a teacher whom they love but a leader to applaud for their own advantage,” he said.Joyful faith in Saurimo Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Saurimo, Angola, on April 20, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media From the start of his arrival in Sub-Saharan Africa — first in Cameroon and then in Angola — Pope Leo has been welcomed by the warmth of the faithful. In Saurimo, a city in northeastern Angola, the atmosphere greeting the pope on Monday was marked by joyful faith. Everyone welcomed the successor of Peter with songs, dances, and applause.Despite the intense heat, upon reaching the esplanade before Mass, Leo XIV greeted the roughly 60,000 faithful of all ages — who had come from across the region and neighboring dioceses — by making a circuit in the popemobile.“This is the first time a pope has gone beyond Angola’s coastal belt and come — using Pope Francis’ language — to the peripheries,“ the director of the communications office of the Archdiocese of Saurimo said. ”This is a region rich in diamonds, but there is also great poverty, and he comes here to show our reality. For us, having the Holy Father in our region is a great joy.”“This is a unique and unforgettable moment in my life and in the lives of the many pilgrims here today,” Filomena Vunda, who works in the pastoral secretariat of the Archdiocese of Malanje, told ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, at the Mass.Vunda encouraged non-Catholics in Angola to “keep in mind our African word ‘Ubuntu’: The happiness of others depends on me; my happiness depends solely on the happiness of others.”Ubuntu is an African philosophy about human interconnectedness. It can be translated as “I am because we are.”‘Disciples of Christ’In his homily at Mass, concelebrated by Angolan bishops, Pope Leo said: “In every part of the world, the Church lives as a people who walk as disciples of Christ, our brother and redeemer.”"He, the Risen One, illumines for us the path to the Father and with the strength of the Spirit he sanctifies us so that we may transform our way of life in conformity with his love," the pope said. "This is the good news, the Gospel that courses through our veins like blood, sustaining us on the journey. A journey that has brought me here with you today!” Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Saurimo, Angola, on April 20, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Commenting on the Gospel of the day, Leo reflected: “Indeed, when the Son of God became man, he performed striking miracles in order to manifest the will of the Father: He made light shine in the darkness by giving sight to the blind, he gave a voice to the oppressed by loosening the tongues of the mute, he slaked our thirst for justice by multiplying bread for the poor and weak. Anyone who heard about these works set out in search of Jesus. At the same time, the Lord looks into our heart and asks us whether we seek him out of gratitude or for our own self-interest, with calculation or with love.”“The Lord himself says,” the pope continued, “‘you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves’ (Jn 6:26). His words reveal the designs of those who do not want to encounter a person but want to consume things. The crowd sees Jesus as means to an end, a provider of services. If he had not given them something to eat, his actions and teachings would not have interested them.”“This happens,” Leo XIV explained, “when genuine faith is replaced with superstitious practices, in which God becomes an idol that is sought only when it is advantageous to us and only for as long as it is. Even the most beautiful gifts of the Lord, which are always for the care of his people, become a pretext, a prize or a bargaining chip, and are misinterpreted by those who receive them.”“How different is Jesus’ attitude toward us,” the pontiff continued. “Yet, he does not reject this insincere search, but encourages its conversion … Christ calls us to freedom: He does not want servants or clients, rather he seeks brothers and sisters to whom he can totally dedicate himself.”“Therefore,” Leo XIV said, “the admonition that the Lord directs to the crowd is transformed into an invitation: ‘Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life’ (Jn 6:27)."“His gift sheds light on our current situation,” the pope went on. “We can see today how the hope of many people is frustrated by violence, exploited by the powerful, and defrauded by the rich. Consequently, when injustice corrupts hearts, the bread of all becomes the possession of a few."“In the face of these evils, Christ hears the cry of the people and renews our history by lifting us up from every fall, comforting us in every suffering, and encouraging us in our mission," he said. Crowds of people brave the heat and sun to attend Mass with Pope Leo XIV in Saurimo, Angola, on April 20, 2026. | Credit: Raúl Kangombe Sapiti/ACI Africa “All this,” the pope exhorted, “means that, in light of our discipleship, the ecclesial journey is a ‘synod of resurrection and hope,’ as St. John Paul II affirmed in his apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Africa. Let us proceed in this wise direction! Christ himself guides and strengthens our journey, a journey that we want to learn to live more and more as it should be, that is, in a synodal manner.”The pope concluded by recalling the importance of the martyrs and saints, whose witness “encourages us and pushes us onto a path of hope, reconciliation, and peace, along which the gift of God becomes the responsibility of the head of the household, in the Christian community, in civil society.”"The vitality of the vocations that you experience [in Angola]," he said, "is a sign that you are responding to the Lord’s gift, which is always abundant for those who welcome it with pure hearts.”ACI Africa reporter Raúl Kangombe Sapiti contributed to this report.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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After praying at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Saurimo, Pope Leo XIV proceeded to the site of the Mass, attended by an estimated 60,000 people.

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10 powerful quotes from Mother Angelica about faith and the love of Jesus #Catholic Mother Angelica was a Poor Clare nun and the dynamic foundress of EWTN, whose bold faith and candid teaching style brought millions closer to Christ through her television ministry. Born on April 20, 1923, she would have turned 103 years old this year.In honor of her birthday, here are 10 quotes from Mother Angelica about the love of Jesus and the beauty and challenge of living a life of faith:“Faith is often most alive when everything feels dark. That is when you choose to believe that God is there, even when you cannot see him or feel him. That kind of faith pleases God the most — because it is pure trust.”“Holiness is not for wimps and the cross is not negotiable, sweetheart — it’s a requirement.”“Jesus asks me to go to him when I am overburdened. He did not promise to take away those burdens, for I must carry mine as he carried his.”“Every Christian who strives for holiness of life experiences dryness of soul. It is to most people a heartrending experience. It is a paradox, for the soul becomes confused when it realizes the harder it strives the further away Jesus seems to be.”“The heart of Jesus is compassionate and understanding. It has felt the sting of ingratitude, and when my heart suffers from that same offense, I can turn to him, and he understands my feelings.”“Jesus feels my sorrow greater than I, for his love is infinite, and he suffers in an infinite way.”“Sometimes my worst day — one filled with pain and suffering — in the eyes of God, is my best day if Iʼve born it cheerfully and Iʼve born it with love.”“Faith is what gets you started. Hope is what keeps you going. Love is what brings you to the end.”“Faith is one foot on the ground, one foot in the air, and a queasy feeling in the stomach.”“You see, God expects his people to do the ridiculous so he can do the miraculous.”
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10 powerful quotes from Mother Angelica about faith and the love of Jesus #Catholic Mother Angelica was a Poor Clare nun and the dynamic foundress of EWTN, whose bold faith and candid teaching style brought millions closer to Christ through her television ministry. Born on April 20, 1923, she would have turned 103 years old this year.In honor of her birthday, here are 10 quotes from Mother Angelica about the love of Jesus and the beauty and challenge of living a life of faith:“Faith is often most alive when everything feels dark. That is when you choose to believe that God is there, even when you cannot see him or feel him. That kind of faith pleases God the most — because it is pure trust.”“Holiness is not for wimps and the cross is not negotiable, sweetheart — it’s a requirement.”“Jesus asks me to go to him when I am overburdened. He did not promise to take away those burdens, for I must carry mine as he carried his.”“Every Christian who strives for holiness of life experiences dryness of soul. It is to most people a heartrending experience. It is a paradox, for the soul becomes confused when it realizes the harder it strives the further away Jesus seems to be.”“The heart of Jesus is compassionate and understanding. It has felt the sting of ingratitude, and when my heart suffers from that same offense, I can turn to him, and he understands my feelings.”“Jesus feels my sorrow greater than I, for his love is infinite, and he suffers in an infinite way.”“Sometimes my worst day — one filled with pain and suffering — in the eyes of God, is my best day if Iʼve born it cheerfully and Iʼve born it with love.”“Faith is what gets you started. Hope is what keeps you going. Love is what brings you to the end.”“Faith is one foot on the ground, one foot in the air, and a queasy feeling in the stomach.”“You see, God expects his people to do the ridiculous so he can do the miraculous.”

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Born on April 20, 1923, Mother Angelica would be turning 103 years old this year. There is nothing she liked better than to share about faith in Jesus Christ.

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Children’s Prayer For Parents: Prayer of the Day for Monday, April 20, 2026 – #Prayer – Dear Lord! Fill our parents with Thy choicest blessings; enrich their souls with Thy holy grace; grant that they may faithfully and constantly guard that likeness to Thy union with Thy Church, which Thou didst imprint upon them on their wedding day. Fill them with Thy spirit of holy fear, which is the beginning of wisdom; inspire them to impart it to their children. May they ever walk in the way of Thy commandments, and may we their children be their joy on earth …

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Dear Lord! Fill our parents with Thy choicest blessings;
enrich their souls with Thy holy grace;
grant that they may faithfully
and constantly guard that likeness to Thy union with Thy Church,
which Thou didst imprint upon them on their wedding day.
Fill them with Thy spirit of holy fear,
which is the beginning of wisdom;
inspire them to impart it to their children.
May they ever walk in the way of Thy commandments,
and may we their children be their joy on earth …

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 20 April 2026 – A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 6:8-15 Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people. Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen, Cyreneans, and Alexandrians, and people from Cilicia and Asia, came forward and debated with Stephen, but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God." They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, accosted him, seized him, and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They presented false witnesses who testified, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law. For we have heard him claim that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us." All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.From the Gospel according to John 6:22-29 [After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.] The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat, but only his disciples had left. Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread when the Lord gave thanks. When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" Jesus answered them and said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal." So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."Stephen, "full of grace and power" (Acts 6: 8), presented in Jesus’ Name a new interpretation of Moses and of God’s Law itself. He reread the Old Testament in the light of the proclamation of Christ’s death and Resurrection. He gave the Old Testament a Christological reinterpretation and provoked reactions from the Jews, who took his words to be blasphemous (cf. Acts 6: 11-14). For this reason he was condemned to stoning. And St Luke passes on to us the saint’s last discourse, a synthesis of his preaching. Just as Jesus had shown the disciples of Emmaus that the whole of the Old Testament speaks of him, of his Cross and his Resurrection, so St Stephen, following Jesus’ teaching, interpreted the whole of the Old Testament in a Christological key. He shows that the mystery of the Cross stands at the centre of the history of salvation as recounted in the Old Testament; it shows that Jesus, Crucified and Risen, is truly the goal of all this history. St Stephen also shows that the cult of the temple was over and that Jesus, the Risen One, was the new, true "temple". (Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 10 January 2007)  

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A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
6:8-15

Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyreneans, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
Then they instigated some men to say,
"We have heard him speaking blasphemous words
against Moses and God."
They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes,
accosted him, seized him,
and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
They presented false witnesses who testified,
"This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law.
For we have heard him claim
that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place
and change the customs that Moses handed down to us."
All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

From the Gospel according to John
6:22-29

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]
The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there,
and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,
but only his disciples had left.
Other boats came from Tiberias
near the place where they had eaten the bread
when the Lord gave thanks.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
"Rabbi, when did you get here?"
Jesus answered them and said,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal."
So they said to him,
"What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."

Stephen, "full of grace and power" (Acts 6: 8), presented in Jesus’ Name a new interpretation of Moses and of God’s Law itself. He reread the Old Testament in the light of the proclamation of Christ’s death and Resurrection. He gave the Old Testament a Christological reinterpretation and provoked reactions from the Jews, who took his words to be blasphemous (cf. Acts 6: 11-14).

For this reason he was condemned to stoning. And St Luke passes on to us the saint’s last discourse, a synthesis of his preaching. Just as Jesus had shown the disciples of Emmaus that the whole of the Old Testament speaks of him, of his Cross and his Resurrection, so St Stephen, following Jesus’ teaching, interpreted the whole of the Old Testament in a Christological key. He shows that the mystery of the Cross stands at the centre of the history of salvation as recounted in the Old Testament; it shows that Jesus, Crucified and Risen, is truly the goal of all this history.

St Stephen also shows that the cult of the temple was over and that Jesus, the Risen One, was the new, true "temple". (Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 10 January 2007)

 

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PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass, leads rosary in Angola – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV continued his apostolic journey in Africa on April 19 in Angola, celebrating Mass in Kilamba before leading the rosary in a gathering at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima.Addressing young people, members of the Legion of Mary, and other pilgrims gathered at the shrine, the pope said he was “pleased to share this moment of Marian prayer” with them.Here are some of the highlights of Pope Leo’s activities on Sunday: Pope Leo XIV waves to crowds gathered before Mass in Kilamba, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV makes the sign of the cross at the beginning of Mass in Kilamba, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Kilamba, Angola, on April 19, 2026. About 100,000 faithful packed the large esplanade where the Eucharistic celebration took place. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Kilamba, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV incenses the altar during Mass in Kilamba, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV looks out the window during his ride to the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves to crowds gathered to pray the rosary at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets a baby during his visit to the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV lays flowers at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV leads the rosary at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Crowds gather to pray the rosary with Pope Leo XIV at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
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PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass, leads rosary in Angola – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV continued his apostolic journey in Africa on April 19 in Angola, celebrating Mass in Kilamba before leading the rosary in a gathering at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima.Addressing young people, members of the Legion of Mary, and other pilgrims gathered at the shrine, the pope said he was “pleased to share this moment of Marian prayer” with them.Here are some of the highlights of Pope Leo’s activities on Sunday: Pope Leo XIV waves to crowds gathered before Mass in Kilamba, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV makes the sign of the cross at the beginning of Mass in Kilamba, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Kilamba, Angola, on April 19, 2026. About 100,000 faithful packed the large esplanade where the Eucharistic celebration took place. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Kilamba, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV incenses the altar during Mass in Kilamba, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV looks out the window during his ride to the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves to crowds gathered to pray the rosary at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets a baby during his visit to the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV lays flowers at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV leads the rosary at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Crowds gather to pray the rosary with Pope Leo XIV at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima in Kimbaxe, Angola, on April 19, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

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A look in photos at Pope Leo XIV’s seventh day of his apostolic visit to Africa.

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