SHADOW FASHION: Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s Ties With Jeffrey Epstein Laid Open in DOJ-Released Emails – Out of the millions of documents released by the DOJ in the by-now earth-shattering ‘Epstein-files’, the name of controversial supermodel Naomi Campbell pops up repeatedly. The post SHADOW FASHION: Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s Ties With Jeffrey Epstein Laid Open in DOJ-Released Emails appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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SHADOW FASHION: Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s Ties With Jeffrey Epstein Laid Open in DOJ-Released Emails – Out of the millions of documents released by the DOJ in the by-now earth-shattering ‘Epstein-files’, the name of controversial supermodel Naomi Campbell pops up repeatedly. The post SHADOW FASHION: Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s Ties With Jeffrey Epstein Laid Open in DOJ-Released Emails appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Celebrities at a crowded event, featuring a model in a black outfit and a blonde woman looking at her phone, surrounded by onlookers.

Celebrities at a crowded event, featuring a model in a black outfit and a blonde woman looking at her phone, surrounded by onlookers.

Out of the millions of documents released by the DOJ in the by-now earth-shattering ‘Epstein-files’, the name of controversial supermodel Naomi Campbell pops up repeatedly.

The post SHADOW FASHION: Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s Ties With Jeffrey Epstein Laid Open in DOJ-Released Emails appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘Silence of the Lambs’ Producer and Actor Who Played Buffalo Bill Express Regret Over 35-Year-Old Film Because of ‘Transphobia,’ but Trans Killers Are a Real Rising Threat – The 1991 Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs turned 35 this month, but instead of celebrating its legacy, key members of the cast and crew used the anniversary to apologize for the film’s portrayal of the serial killer Buffalo Bill. The post ‘Silence of the Lambs’ Producer and Actor Who Played Buffalo Bill Express Regret Over 35-Year-Old Film Because of ‘Transphobia,’ but Trans Killers Are a Real Rising Threat appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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‘Silence of the Lambs’ Producer and Actor Who Played Buffalo Bill Express Regret Over 35-Year-Old Film Because of ‘Transphobia,’ but Trans Killers Are a Real Rising Threat – The 1991 Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs turned 35 this month, but instead of celebrating its legacy, key members of the cast and crew used the anniversary to apologize for the film’s portrayal of the serial killer Buffalo Bill. The post ‘Silence of the Lambs’ Producer and Actor Who Played Buffalo Bill Express Regret Over 35-Year-Old Film Because of ‘Transphobia,’ but Trans Killers Are a Real Rising Threat appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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A character with long hair and an extravagant outfit poses confidently in a vibrant costume-filled setting, reflecting a playful and bold fashion statement.

A character with long hair and an extravagant outfit poses confidently in a vibrant costume-filled setting, reflecting a playful and bold fashion statement.

The 1991 Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs turned 35 this month, but instead of celebrating its legacy, key members of the cast and crew used the anniversary to apologize for the film’s portrayal of the serial killer Buffalo Bill.

The post ‘Silence of the Lambs’ Producer and Actor Who Played Buffalo Bill Express Regret Over 35-Year-Old Film Because of ‘Transphobia,’ but Trans Killers Are a Real Rising Threat appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Lawmakers urge White House to restore visas for international adoptions #Catholic Lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to offer government exceptions for international adoption visas so that children can be united with their adoptive families and “welcomed into safe and stable homes.”U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer and Amy Klobuchar, along with U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt and Danny Davis, asked the Department of State to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas,” one that was suspended in December 2025 amid government travel restrictions on certain countries.The suspension of the visas “has introduced uncertainty for children and American parents who have waited years for their adoptions to be completed and were preparing to bring their children home,” the lawmakers said.The letter cited Department of State guidance from 2025 that acknowledged that adoption “involves children in need — some in urgent need — of a loving, permanent home and family.”In that guidance the State Department acknowledged the need to “vigorously engage at both the policy and case levels to protect the interests of all parties involved.”“We strongly urge you to advocate for the restoration of the categorical exemption for adoption visas,” the lawmakers said, calling on the department to “move expeditiously to address this situation to ensure these children are united with their adoptive parents.”Difficulty of international adoption changes with governmentsKatie Dillon, a spokeswoman for Commonwealth Catholic Charities in Virginia, said international adoptions “typically follow clear, predictable steps,” though she said the process is “lengthy.”Like many Catholic charity groups, Commonwealth Catholic Charities offers adoptive families a variety of resources and services to facilitate in both domestic and international adoptions. Dillon said the Virginia group “acts as the home study provider and post-placement agency” for families seeking to adopt from other countries.Such adoptions “can be a difficult process that ebbs and flows with global policy shifts,” she said. “It can be a challenging process for families to navigate.”“Families interested in international adoption work with an in-state agency like Commonwealth Catholic Charities to complete their home study and an international agency to help with the placement of the child,” she said.Child placement agencies must be accredited by the Hague Adoption Convention of 1993, an international accord that established protections for children in international adoptions. Such agencies “have programs in certain countries to legally assist a family in the adoption of a child from that country,” Dillon said.Though there are numerous resources that prospective adoptive families can utilize to help them in their journey, Dillon said international adoption “is often a long process that can take upwards of three or four years.” Some countries can require parents to reside in the country in question for anywhere from several months to a year, she said.Amid the uncertainty at the federal level, Dillon stressed that the difficult process is at times upended by elections in which government rules can shift without warning.“Parents who are considering international adoption should be aware that adoption policies can change abruptly with changes in government leadership,” she said. “There are no guarantees.”
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Lawmakers urge White House to restore visas for international adoptions #Catholic Lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to offer government exceptions for international adoption visas so that children can be united with their adoptive families and “welcomed into safe and stable homes.”U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer and Amy Klobuchar, along with U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt and Danny Davis, asked the Department of State to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas,” one that was suspended in December 2025 amid government travel restrictions on certain countries.The suspension of the visas “has introduced uncertainty for children and American parents who have waited years for their adoptions to be completed and were preparing to bring their children home,” the lawmakers said.The letter cited Department of State guidance from 2025 that acknowledged that adoption “involves children in need — some in urgent need — of a loving, permanent home and family.”In that guidance the State Department acknowledged the need to “vigorously engage at both the policy and case levels to protect the interests of all parties involved.”“We strongly urge you to advocate for the restoration of the categorical exemption for adoption visas,” the lawmakers said, calling on the department to “move expeditiously to address this situation to ensure these children are united with their adoptive parents.”Difficulty of international adoption changes with governmentsKatie Dillon, a spokeswoman for Commonwealth Catholic Charities in Virginia, said international adoptions “typically follow clear, predictable steps,” though she said the process is “lengthy.”Like many Catholic charity groups, Commonwealth Catholic Charities offers adoptive families a variety of resources and services to facilitate in both domestic and international adoptions. Dillon said the Virginia group “acts as the home study provider and post-placement agency” for families seeking to adopt from other countries.Such adoptions “can be a difficult process that ebbs and flows with global policy shifts,” she said. “It can be a challenging process for families to navigate.”“Families interested in international adoption work with an in-state agency like Commonwealth Catholic Charities to complete their home study and an international agency to help with the placement of the child,” she said.Child placement agencies must be accredited by the Hague Adoption Convention of 1993, an international accord that established protections for children in international adoptions. Such agencies “have programs in certain countries to legally assist a family in the adoption of a child from that country,” Dillon said.Though there are numerous resources that prospective adoptive families can utilize to help them in their journey, Dillon said international adoption “is often a long process that can take upwards of three or four years.” Some countries can require parents to reside in the country in question for anywhere from several months to a year, she said.Amid the uncertainty at the federal level, Dillon stressed that the difficult process is at times upended by elections in which government rules can shift without warning.“Parents who are considering international adoption should be aware that adoption policies can change abruptly with changes in government leadership,” she said. “There are no guarantees.”

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“Adoption visas are not guaranteed” amid a travel freeze, said lawmakers who have asked the State Department to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas.”

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Tackle Your Debt And Earn Massive Cash Back With This Card – (Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like those presenting a sponsored message below and ordering through the links below, which benefits Gateway Pundit. The post Tackle Your Debt And Earn Massive Cash Back With This Card appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Tackle Your Debt And Earn Massive Cash Back With This Card – (Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like those presenting a sponsored message below and ordering through the links below, which benefits Gateway Pundit. The post Tackle Your Debt And Earn Massive Cash Back With This Card appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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SIM card on a background of the American flag, symbolizing mobile connectivity and patriotism in the United States.

SIM card on a background of the American flag, symbolizing mobile connectivity and patriotism in the United States.

(Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like those presenting a sponsored message below and ordering through the links below, which benefits Gateway Pundit.

The post Tackle Your Debt And Earn Massive Cash Back With This Card appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Scouts encouraged to be inspired by saints at Mass #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney urged scouts and leaders to find inspiration in the saints, such as Ss. Cyril & Methodius, while celebrating the annual Scout Sunday Mass of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Feb. 14, the feast of the two Slavic saints and St. Valentine’s Day. The liturgy was held at Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) Church in the Pompton Plains neighborhood of Pequannock, N.J. After presiding over the Mass, Bishop Sweeney presented religious awards to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and adult Boy Scout leaders to inspire and strengthen their Catholic faith. Among the priests concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney were Father Frank Agresti, chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Girl Scouting who is offering pastoral assistance to St. Anthony Parish in Hawthorne, N.J.; Father Christopher Barkhausen, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in the McAfee neighborhood of Vernon, N.J., and chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Boy Scouting; and Father Benjamin Williams, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in the Oak Ridge neighborhood of Jefferson Township and St. John Vianney Parish in the Stockholm neighborhood of Hardyston, N.J. who is involved in several capacities with the Boy Scouts’ Patriots Path Council. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Darwin Lastra, pastor of OLGC, also concelebrated the Mass. Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Worship Office, was master of ceremonies for the liturgy. On social media, Bishop Sweeney posted after the event, “I was blessed to celebrate Mass this Morning with our Catholic Scouting Community and be part of their annual Awards Ceremony. I thanked the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, their parents, Scout Leaders, and Chaplains for their dedication, generosity, and example of servant leadership. I encouraged them to learn from and be inspired by the saints, especially Ss. Cyril & Methodius.” Ss. Cyril and Methodius were two missionaries, brothers from Thessaloniki in Greece, who popularized Christianity among the Slavic peoples. Such was their influence that they are now known as the “Apostles to the Slavs.” Deacon Marc Mackin of OLGC assisted with the Mass. Several Scouts participated in the Mass. The diocese’s Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been holding a Scout Sunday Mass collectively for at least 10 years. Last year, the Boy Scouts of America rebranded as Scouting America to be more inclusive to all youth. A list of Boy Scout and Girl Scout award recipients will follow soon. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Scouts encouraged to be inspired by saints at Mass #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney urged scouts and leaders to find inspiration in the saints, such as Ss. Cyril & Methodius, while celebrating the annual Scout Sunday Mass of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Feb. 14, the feast of the two Slavic saints and St. Valentine’s Day. The liturgy was held at Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) Church in the Pompton Plains neighborhood of Pequannock, N.J. After presiding over the Mass, Bishop Sweeney presented religious awards to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and adult Boy Scout leaders to inspire and strengthen their Catholic faith. Among the priests concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney were Father Frank Agresti, chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Girl Scouting who is offering pastoral assistance to St. Anthony Parish in Hawthorne, N.J.; Father Christopher Barkhausen, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in the McAfee neighborhood of Vernon, N.J., and chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Boy Scouting; and Father Benjamin Williams, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in the Oak Ridge neighborhood of Jefferson Township and St. John Vianney Parish in the Stockholm neighborhood of Hardyston, N.J. who is involved in several capacities with the Boy Scouts’ Patriots Path Council. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Darwin Lastra, pastor of OLGC, also concelebrated the Mass. Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Worship Office, was master of ceremonies for the liturgy. On social media, Bishop Sweeney posted after the event, “I was blessed to celebrate Mass this Morning with our Catholic Scouting Community and be part of their annual Awards Ceremony. I thanked the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, their parents, Scout Leaders, and Chaplains for their dedication, generosity, and example of servant leadership. I encouraged them to learn from and be inspired by the saints, especially Ss. Cyril & Methodius.” Ss. Cyril and Methodius were two missionaries, brothers from Thessaloniki in Greece, who popularized Christianity among the Slavic peoples. Such was their influence that they are now known as the “Apostles to the Slavs.” Deacon Marc Mackin of OLGC assisted with the Mass. Several Scouts participated in the Mass. The diocese’s Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been holding a Scout Sunday Mass collectively for at least 10 years. Last year, the Boy Scouts of America rebranded as Scouting America to be more inclusive to all youth. A list of Boy Scout and Girl Scout award recipients will follow soon. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Scouts encouraged to be inspired by saints at Mass #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney urged scouts and leaders to find inspiration in the saints, such as Ss. Cyril & Methodius, while celebrating the annual Scout Sunday Mass of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Feb. 14, the feast of the two Slavic saints and St. Valentine’s Day. The liturgy was held at Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) Church in the Pompton Plains neighborhood of Pequannock, N.J.

After presiding over the Mass, Bishop Sweeney presented religious awards to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and adult Boy Scout leaders to inspire and strengthen their Catholic faith.

Among the priests concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Sweeney were Father Frank Agresti, chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Girl Scouting who is offering pastoral assistance to St. Anthony Parish in Hawthorne, N.J.; Father Christopher Barkhausen, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in the McAfee neighborhood of Vernon, N.J., and chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Boy Scouting; and Father Benjamin Williams, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in the Oak Ridge neighborhood of Jefferson Township and St. John Vianney Parish in the Stockholm neighborhood of Hardyston, N.J. who is involved in several capacities with the Boy Scouts’ Patriots Path Council.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Father Darwin Lastra, pastor of OLGC, also concelebrated the Mass. Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Worship Office, was master of ceremonies for the liturgy.

On social media, Bishop Sweeney posted after the event, “I was blessed to celebrate Mass this Morning with our Catholic Scouting Community and be part of their annual Awards Ceremony. I thanked the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, their parents, Scout Leaders, and Chaplains for their dedication, generosity, and example of servant leadership. I encouraged them to learn from and be inspired by the saints, especially Ss. Cyril & Methodius.”

Ss. Cyril and Methodius were two missionaries, brothers from Thessaloniki in Greece, who popularized Christianity among the Slavic peoples. Such was their influence that they are now known as the “Apostles to the Slavs.”
Deacon Marc Mackin of OLGC assisted with the Mass. Several Scouts participated in the Mass.

The diocese’s Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been holding a Scout Sunday Mass collectively for at least 10 years. Last year, the Boy Scouts of America rebranded as Scouting America to be more inclusive to all youth.

A list of Boy Scout and Girl Scout award recipients will follow soon.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney urged scouts and leaders to find inspiration in the saints, such as Ss. Cyril & Methodius, while celebrating the annual Scout Sunday Mass of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Feb. 14, the feast of the two Slavic saints and St. Valentine’s Day. The liturgy was held at Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) Church in the Pompton Plains neighborhood of Pequannock, N.J. After presiding over the Mass, Bishop Sweeney presented religious awards to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and adult Boy Scout leaders to inspire and strengthen their Catholic faith. Among the priests concelebrating the

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Families make unforgettable memories at Haskell prom #Catholic - Once again, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in the Haskell neighborhood of Wanaque, N.J., was excited on Feb. 13 to be an official host church for the 2026 Night to Shine Prom sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Night to Shine is a prom night experience and part of a worldwide celebration, centered on God’s love, for people with physical or developmental disabilities, ages 14 and older. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Father Greg Golba, pastor of St. Francis, joined the party that night. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Guests of Night to Shine entered the complimentary event on a red carpet with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi. Once inside, guests received the royal treatment, including hair and makeup stations, shoe shining stations, limousine rides, corsages and boutonnieres, a karaoke room, a catered dinner, prom favors, a Respite Room for parents and caretakers, and dancing. The highlight of the night arrived when each Night to Shine guest was crowned a king or queen of the prom. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Families make unforgettable memories at Haskell prom #Catholic – Once again, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in the Haskell neighborhood of Wanaque, N.J., was excited on Feb. 13 to be an official host church for the 2026 Night to Shine Prom sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Night to Shine is a prom night experience and part of a worldwide celebration, centered on God’s love, for people with physical or developmental disabilities, ages 14 and older. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Father Greg Golba, pastor of St. Francis, joined the party that night. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Guests of Night to Shine entered the complimentary event on a red carpet with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi. Once inside, guests received the royal treatment, including hair and makeup stations, shoe shining stations, limousine rides, corsages and boutonnieres, a karaoke room, a catered dinner, prom favors, a Respite Room for parents and caretakers, and dancing. The highlight of the night arrived when each Night to Shine guest was crowned a king or queen of the prom. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Families make unforgettable memories at Haskell prom #Catholic –

Once again, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in the Haskell neighborhood of Wanaque, N.J., was excited on Feb. 13 to be an official host church for the 2026 Night to Shine Prom sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation.

Night to Shine is a prom night experience and part of a worldwide celebration, centered on God’s love, for people with physical or developmental disabilities, ages 14 and older. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Father Greg Golba, pastor of St. Francis, joined the party that night.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Guests of Night to Shine entered the complimentary event on a red carpet with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi. Once inside, guests received the royal treatment, including hair and makeup stations, shoe shining stations, limousine rides, corsages and boutonnieres, a karaoke room, a catered dinner, prom favors, a Respite Room for parents and caretakers, and dancing.

The highlight of the night arrived when each Night to Shine guest was crowned a king or queen of the prom.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Once again, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in the Haskell neighborhood of Wanaque, N.J., was excited on Feb. 13 to be an official host church for the 2026 Night to Shine Prom sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Night to Shine is a prom night experience and part of a worldwide celebration, centered on God’s love, for people with physical or developmental disabilities, ages 14 and older. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and Father Greg Golba, pastor of St. Francis, joined the party that night. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Guests of Night to Shine entered the complimentary

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Just what does it mean to be named a ‘chaplain of His Holiness’? – #Catholic – Among the recent appointments of Pope Leo XIV, one in particular has been made with remarkable frequency: that of “chaplain of His Holiness.” What does this honorary title mean?In November 2025, the Holy Father bestowed this title upon his secretary, Peruvian priest Father Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, officially incorporating him into the papal household, in accordance with the provisions of the 1968 motu proprio Pontificalis Domus (“Pontifical House”).Among those who have received this distinction in recent days is Father Fermín González Melado, a diocesan priest born in Badajoz, Spain, who has resided in Rome since 2019.With degrees in biology and the theology of marriage and family, González is an adviser to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and a member of the clinical ethics committee at the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital. He has also served as vice rector of the Spanish National Church of St. James and Montserrat in Rome since 2021. Father Fermín González Melado. | Credit: Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, he explained that the title of “chaplain of His Holiness” is a recognition “granted by the dicasteries, since it is the prefects who suggest to the secretariat of state the recognition of individuals who have been working at the Holy See.”He clarified that this “does not imply a change of job or employment status, but rather a kind of medal that recognizes meritorious work. It is an honorary title that entails a change of cassock colors and little else,” he explained.With this appointment as chaplain, the pope also bestowed upon him the honorary title of monsignor. From now on, as a member of the papal household, the priest may wear the cassock with purple buttons and trim, along with the sash of the same color, according to protocol.González said this title is not reserved just for the Holy See to give “but can also be granted by bishops in their dioceses after requesting it from the Vatican.”He pointed out that there is no precise figure for the number of chaplains of His Holiness worldwide. “Some dioceses grant this honor to priests upon reaching the age of 80, in recognition of their service,” he added.Although he has not yet been able to express his gratitude to Pope Leo XIV in person, he recalled his recent meeting with him, along with other members of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, during its plenary assembly.The priest told ACI Prensa that every time he meets with the Holy Father, he likes to give him “some small gift.” On the last occasion, he gave him a book and a documentary film about the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows of Chandavila, in La Codosera, Spain, which is in his diocese.“It’s the first shrine and the first devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows approved in Spain under the new regulations of the dicastery on alleged supernatural phenomena,” he explained.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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Just what does it mean to be named a ‘chaplain of His Holiness’? – #Catholic – Among the recent appointments of Pope Leo XIV, one in particular has been made with remarkable frequency: that of “chaplain of His Holiness.” What does this honorary title mean?In November 2025, the Holy Father bestowed this title upon his secretary, Peruvian priest Father Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, officially incorporating him into the papal household, in accordance with the provisions of the 1968 motu proprio Pontificalis Domus (“Pontifical House”).Among those who have received this distinction in recent days is Father Fermín González Melado, a diocesan priest born in Badajoz, Spain, who has resided in Rome since 2019.With degrees in biology and the theology of marriage and family, González is an adviser to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and a member of the clinical ethics committee at the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital. He has also served as vice rector of the Spanish National Church of St. James and Montserrat in Rome since 2021. Father Fermín González Melado. | Credit: Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, he explained that the title of “chaplain of His Holiness” is a recognition “granted by the dicasteries, since it is the prefects who suggest to the secretariat of state the recognition of individuals who have been working at the Holy See.”He clarified that this “does not imply a change of job or employment status, but rather a kind of medal that recognizes meritorious work. It is an honorary title that entails a change of cassock colors and little else,” he explained.With this appointment as chaplain, the pope also bestowed upon him the honorary title of monsignor. From now on, as a member of the papal household, the priest may wear the cassock with purple buttons and trim, along with the sash of the same color, according to protocol.González said this title is not reserved just for the Holy See to give “but can also be granted by bishops in their dioceses after requesting it from the Vatican.”He pointed out that there is no precise figure for the number of chaplains of His Holiness worldwide. “Some dioceses grant this honor to priests upon reaching the age of 80, in recognition of their service,” he added.Although he has not yet been able to express his gratitude to Pope Leo XIV in person, he recalled his recent meeting with him, along with other members of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, during its plenary assembly.The priest told ACI Prensa that every time he meets with the Holy Father, he likes to give him “some small gift.” On the last occasion, he gave him a book and a documentary film about the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows of Chandavila, in La Codosera, Spain, which is in his diocese.“It’s the first shrine and the first devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows approved in Spain under the new regulations of the dicastery on alleged supernatural phenomena,” he explained.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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Father Fermín González Melado, who was recently named a “chaplain of His Holiness” by Pope Leo XIV, explains the qualifications and purpose of bestowing this honorary title.

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Pope Leo to mark start of Lent with historic procession on ancient Roman hill – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV will preside over the traditional Ash Wednesday procession and Mass on Rome’s Aventine Hill, an important place of Christian veneration and pilgrimage for more than 1,500 years.For the Dominican and Benedictine religious orders, whose communities have had a significant historical presence on the Aventine, the Holy Father’s Feb. 18 visit will be a special occasion to begin the Church’s liturgical season dedicated to prayer and fasting before Easter.On the first day of the 40-day Lenten “Stations Churches” pilgrimage — formally instituted in the sixth century by Pope Gregory the Great and restored by Pope John XXIII in 1959 — the pope leads a penitential procession from the Benedictine church of Sant’Anselmo to the nearby Dominican Basilica of Santa Sabina.“To walk with Pope Leo on this pilgrimage from the nearby Sant’Anselmo church will be a sign, a symbol, for all of us of the spiritual work that’s taking place in our hearts in Lent,” Santa Sabina resident Father Patrick Briscoe, OP, told EWTN News. “We’ll all be on pilgrimage together.”This year, Pope Leo will preside over a short afternoon prayer service at the Benedictine monastery and then celebrate the Ash Wednesday Mass at Santa Sabina, a fourth-century basilica that was gifted to St. Dominic and the Order of Preachers in 1219 by Pope Honorius III.“The pope himself imposes ashes on [the cardinals] during the Mass,” Briscoe added. “The cardinals stand in for the whole Church and they’re a sign of all of us joining and following the pope’s lead.”As part of the Lenten tradition, the pope leads the procession through the main doors of Santa Sabina, which contains the oldest known artistic portrayal of Jesus Christ crucified.“On the door we have a very important Christian symbol… It allows us to think of the meaning of Lent and to embrace the suffering of Christ,” Briscoe said.“When we consider it from the historical perspective and the evolution of Christian understanding, we really didn’t know how to handle the cross,” he explained. “It took us a hundred years to depict it.”“This says something to each of us entering into Lent — to discover anew what our sufferings mean and how to have them transformed by Christ’s own sacrifice,” he said.Father Eusebius Martis, OSB, a sacramental theology professor who teaches at the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo, told EWTN News the Aventine is an ideal place for prayer and pilgrimage.“It’s really an ideal spot because it’s quiet and it’s a little bit separated but not too far [from the city center],” he said.According to Martis, nature on the Aventine has inspired artists and pilgrims alike throughout the centuries to contemplate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.“The acanthus leaf is growing all across our property here at [Sant’Anselmo],” Martis said. “It dies and it lays against the ground … completely dead until the spring [when] it comes back to life.”“In a couple of weeks, it will start putting up flowers, which represent a bloom around Easter time,” he said.Pointing out the reliefs of the acanthus leaf found on the Corinthian columns inside the Basilica of Sant’Anselmo, Martis said several churches across Rome purposefully depict the leaf to symbolize the Church’s belief in Jesus’ victory over sin and death.“The architects wanted us to remember that, every time we’re at the altar, we are at Easter,” the Benedictine father said.
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Pope Leo to mark start of Lent with historic procession on ancient Roman hill – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV will preside over the traditional Ash Wednesday procession and Mass on Rome’s Aventine Hill, an important place of Christian veneration and pilgrimage for more than 1,500 years.For the Dominican and Benedictine religious orders, whose communities have had a significant historical presence on the Aventine, the Holy Father’s Feb. 18 visit will be a special occasion to begin the Church’s liturgical season dedicated to prayer and fasting before Easter.On the first day of the 40-day Lenten “Stations Churches” pilgrimage — formally instituted in the sixth century by Pope Gregory the Great and restored by Pope John XXIII in 1959 — the pope leads a penitential procession from the Benedictine church of Sant’Anselmo to the nearby Dominican Basilica of Santa Sabina.“To walk with Pope Leo on this pilgrimage from the nearby Sant’Anselmo church will be a sign, a symbol, for all of us of the spiritual work that’s taking place in our hearts in Lent,” Santa Sabina resident Father Patrick Briscoe, OP, told EWTN News. “We’ll all be on pilgrimage together.”This year, Pope Leo will preside over a short afternoon prayer service at the Benedictine monastery and then celebrate the Ash Wednesday Mass at Santa Sabina, a fourth-century basilica that was gifted to St. Dominic and the Order of Preachers in 1219 by Pope Honorius III.“The pope himself imposes ashes on [the cardinals] during the Mass,” Briscoe added. “The cardinals stand in for the whole Church and they’re a sign of all of us joining and following the pope’s lead.”As part of the Lenten tradition, the pope leads the procession through the main doors of Santa Sabina, which contains the oldest known artistic portrayal of Jesus Christ crucified.“On the door we have a very important Christian symbol… It allows us to think of the meaning of Lent and to embrace the suffering of Christ,” Briscoe said.“When we consider it from the historical perspective and the evolution of Christian understanding, we really didn’t know how to handle the cross,” he explained. “It took us a hundred years to depict it.”“This says something to each of us entering into Lent — to discover anew what our sufferings mean and how to have them transformed by Christ’s own sacrifice,” he said.Father Eusebius Martis, OSB, a sacramental theology professor who teaches at the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo, told EWTN News the Aventine is an ideal place for prayer and pilgrimage.“It’s really an ideal spot because it’s quiet and it’s a little bit separated but not too far [from the city center],” he said.According to Martis, nature on the Aventine has inspired artists and pilgrims alike throughout the centuries to contemplate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.“The acanthus leaf is growing all across our property here at [Sant’Anselmo],” Martis said. “It dies and it lays against the ground … completely dead until the spring [when] it comes back to life.”“In a couple of weeks, it will start putting up flowers, which represent a bloom around Easter time,” he said.Pointing out the reliefs of the acanthus leaf found on the Corinthian columns inside the Basilica of Sant’Anselmo, Martis said several churches across Rome purposefully depict the leaf to symbolize the Church’s belief in Jesus’ victory over sin and death.“The architects wanted us to remember that, every time we’re at the altar, we are at Easter,” the Benedictine father said.

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Pope Leo XIV will preside over the traditional Ash Wednesday procession and Mass on Feb. 18 on Rome’s Aventine Hill, an important place of Christian pilgrimage for more than 1,500 years.

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The Sky Today on Monday, February 16: Catch Comet Wierzchoś in twilight

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  February 15: Saturn and Neptune stand close Now roughly 7th magnitude, Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś) is readily visible in the Northern Hemisphere once more. With New Moon less than a day away, it’s the perfect time to check in on this cometaryContinue reading “The Sky Today on Monday, February 16: Catch Comet Wierzchoś in twilight”

The post The Sky Today on Monday, February 16: Catch Comet Wierzchoś in twilight appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 16 February 2026 – A reading from the letter of James Jas 1:1-11 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings. Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways. The brother in lowly circumstances should take pride in high standing, and the rich one in his lowliness, for he will pass away "like the flower of the field." For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass, its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes. So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.From the Gospel according to Mark Mark 8:11-13 The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore."Why were these Doctors of the Law unable to understand the signs of the times? Why did they demand an extraordinary sign (…), why they did not understand? First of all, because they were closed. They were closed within their system (…). Every Jews knew what they could do and what they could not do (…). They did not understand that God is the God of surprises, that God is always new; He never denies himself, never says that what He said was wrong, never, but He always surprises us. (…) Second, they had forgotten that they were a people on a journey. On a path! And when we set out on a journey, when we are on our path, we always encounter new things, things we did not know. And this should make us think: am I attached to my things, my ideas, [are they] closed? Or am I open to God’s surprises? Am I at a standstill or am I on a journey? Do I believe in Jesus Christ – in Jesus, in what he did: He died, rose again and the story ended there – Do I think that the journey continues towards maturity, toward the manifestation of the glory of the Lord? Am I able to understand the signs of the times? We should ask ourselves these questions today and ask the Lord for a heart that loves the law – because the law belongs to God – but which also loves God’s surprises and the ability to understand that this holy law is not an end in itself". (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 13 October 2014)

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A reading from the letter of James
Jas 1:1-11

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect,
so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,
and he will be given it.
But he should ask in faith, not doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.

The brother in lowly circumstances
should take pride in high standing,
and the rich one in his lowliness,
for he will pass away "like the flower of the field."
For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass,
its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.
So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

From the Gospel according to Mark
Mark 8:11-13

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
"Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore.

"Why were these Doctors of the Law unable to understand the signs of the times? Why did they demand an extraordinary sign (…), why they did not understand? First of all, because they were closed. They were closed within their system (…). Every Jews knew what they could do and what they could not do (…). They did not understand that God is the God of surprises, that God is always new; He never denies himself, never says that what He said was wrong, never, but He always surprises us. (…) Second, they had forgotten that they were a people on a journey. On a path! And when we set out on a journey, when we are on our path, we always encounter new things, things we did not know. And this should make us think: am I attached to my things, my ideas, [are they] closed? Or am I open to God’s surprises? Am I at a standstill or am I on a journey? Do I believe in Jesus Christ – in Jesus, in what he did: He died, rose again and the story ended there – Do I think that the journey continues towards maturity, toward the manifestation of the glory of the Lord? Am I able to understand the signs of the times? We should ask ourselves these questions today and ask the Lord for a heart that loves the law – because the law belongs to God – but which also loves God’s surprises and the ability to understand that this holy law is not an end in itself". (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 13 October 2014)

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DC bishop: Catholics should ‘get the facts’ on immigration, Church teachings – #Catholic – NEW YORK — Catholics must educate themselves on “the facts” regarding the U.S. immigration system and the Church’s teachings on the matter, according to Washington, D.C., Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala.Following his participation in a panel at the New York Encounter titled “Seeking a Home: A Catholic View on the Status of Immigration to the U.S.,” Menjivar-Ayala told EWTN News that he is “very hopeful” about the future of immigration in the U.S. “When people show up for a talk like this, and you see standing room only, that tells you of the great desire of people to get informed, to get educated.”The D.C. auxiliary bishop emphasized the need to “get the facts,” not only about the immigration system in the U.S. but also where the Church stands on the issue. “For the Church, the first and the most important thing is human dignity,” he said. “It is the dignity of every person, undocumented or citizen.”While the government must enforce its laws and protect its sovereignty, Menjivar-Ayala said, it is necessary for the government to “look at the eyes of the person, the dignity of every human being,” and to ensure that enforcement is “done in a humane way that respects the dignity of the human person.”“Let us educate ourselves,” he said, adding: “As they say, the social doctrine of the Church is the best-kept secret. And the Church teaches, has beautiful teachings, about the social dimension of our faith.”Dialogue with Catholics in the Trump administrationMenjivar-Ayala noted that previous administrations in the past had participated in dialogue with the Catholic Church, consulting with organizations such as the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. (CLINIC) on the issue of immigration. However, he said, the current administration has not.Menjivar-Ayala noted the disparity between the Church’s emphasis on human dignity and the Trump administration’s position that every unauthorized border crossing is a criminal act.He said we should be careful about narratives surrounding the issue and refrain from categorizing those who cross the border without authorization the same way as perpetrators of crimes such as murder, rape, or theft.Menjivar-Ayala said criminals should be prosecuted as criminals and not categorized in the same way as immigrants, noting that “immigration laws are a different set of laws than criminal laws” but that the current administration is now “pulling them together.”Responding to high-ranking officials who are Catholic, such as “border czar” Tom Homan, who has described the Catholic Church as being “wrong” about immigration, Menjivar-Ayala said he believes “it’s a question for them” about “how are you living the Gospel?”“I would say that the question is not for me, because for me and for the bishops it is very clear. Every person has dignity, and in every migrant, no matter if they are documented or undocumented, we should see the face of Christ,” he said. “So the question is for them, for those who claim to be Catholic but are not seeing the face of Christ in the migrants.”Menjivar-Ayala stressed the need for one’s politics to be informed by the Gospels and faith, rather than one’s faith being informed by politics or one’s personal views. “It is the Gospel that needs to tell me how I should see the world and not politics,” he said.Life for the immigrant community in Washington, D.C.Immigration enforcement among Catholic migrant communities in D.C. is “dying down a bit,” according to Menjivar-Ayala.Sacred Heart Shrine in the Columbia Heights neighborhood reported that six of its parishioners were detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in August 2025, including an usher who was on his way to evening Mass.Menjivar-Ayala said the immigrant community at Sacred Heart Shrine “has been affected the most” in the city but has also become the most tight-knit. During the panel, Menjivar-Ayala described parishioners in immigrant communities banding together to bring food and provide other support for one another. “I was thinking about that parish,” he said.“I believe right now it’s dying down a bit, but nobody knows when you are going to have ICE in the streets,” he concluded.Panel highlights broken system, need for congressional actionFor the panel, Menjivar-Ayala was joined by Mario Russell, executive director of the Center for Migration Studies, and Ashley Feasley, a legal expert in residence at The Catholic University of America’s Immigration Law and Policy Initiative.During her remarks, Feasley described the U.S. immigration system as “old,” having not been reformed since the late 1990s.“What has happened here is people may have many perspectives about the failures of one president or another on immigration reform,” she said. “But the one place where I think we can really circle in on is the failure of Congress to act regardless of who is in the White House or who controls Congress.”Feasley noted the presence of a number of comprehensive bills seeking to address border security and asylum but have had a difficult time garnering bipartisan support. This, she said, has ultimately been “one of the biggest problems.”During his remarks Russell, similarly to Menjivar-Ayala, encouraged Catholics to inform themselves about the immigration system by reading reports such as those from the Center for Migration Studies or from diocesan sources.“What is happening is basically what is happening,” he said. “Robert Reich, the old labor secretary, recently said, ‘Why would the Immigration Customs Enforcement go to Home Depot to find criminals? Why would they go to a posada or a corner to find criminals? Those are workers,’ so the evidence doesn’t support the narrative.”
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DC bishop: Catholics should ‘get the facts’ on immigration, Church teachings – #Catholic – NEW YORK — Catholics must educate themselves on “the facts” regarding the U.S. immigration system and the Church’s teachings on the matter, according to Washington, D.C., Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala.Following his participation in a panel at the New York Encounter titled “Seeking a Home: A Catholic View on the Status of Immigration to the U.S.,” Menjivar-Ayala told EWTN News that he is “very hopeful” about the future of immigration in the U.S. “When people show up for a talk like this, and you see standing room only, that tells you of the great desire of people to get informed, to get educated.”The D.C. auxiliary bishop emphasized the need to “get the facts,” not only about the immigration system in the U.S. but also where the Church stands on the issue. “For the Church, the first and the most important thing is human dignity,” he said. “It is the dignity of every person, undocumented or citizen.”While the government must enforce its laws and protect its sovereignty, Menjivar-Ayala said, it is necessary for the government to “look at the eyes of the person, the dignity of every human being,” and to ensure that enforcement is “done in a humane way that respects the dignity of the human person.”“Let us educate ourselves,” he said, adding: “As they say, the social doctrine of the Church is the best-kept secret. And the Church teaches, has beautiful teachings, about the social dimension of our faith.”Dialogue with Catholics in the Trump administrationMenjivar-Ayala noted that previous administrations in the past had participated in dialogue with the Catholic Church, consulting with organizations such as the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. (CLINIC) on the issue of immigration. However, he said, the current administration has not.Menjivar-Ayala noted the disparity between the Church’s emphasis on human dignity and the Trump administration’s position that every unauthorized border crossing is a criminal act.He said we should be careful about narratives surrounding the issue and refrain from categorizing those who cross the border without authorization the same way as perpetrators of crimes such as murder, rape, or theft.Menjivar-Ayala said criminals should be prosecuted as criminals and not categorized in the same way as immigrants, noting that “immigration laws are a different set of laws than criminal laws” but that the current administration is now “pulling them together.”Responding to high-ranking officials who are Catholic, such as “border czar” Tom Homan, who has described the Catholic Church as being “wrong” about immigration, Menjivar-Ayala said he believes “it’s a question for them” about “how are you living the Gospel?”“I would say that the question is not for me, because for me and for the bishops it is very clear. Every person has dignity, and in every migrant, no matter if they are documented or undocumented, we should see the face of Christ,” he said. “So the question is for them, for those who claim to be Catholic but are not seeing the face of Christ in the migrants.”Menjivar-Ayala stressed the need for one’s politics to be informed by the Gospels and faith, rather than one’s faith being informed by politics or one’s personal views. “It is the Gospel that needs to tell me how I should see the world and not politics,” he said.Life for the immigrant community in Washington, D.C.Immigration enforcement among Catholic migrant communities in D.C. is “dying down a bit,” according to Menjivar-Ayala.Sacred Heart Shrine in the Columbia Heights neighborhood reported that six of its parishioners were detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in August 2025, including an usher who was on his way to evening Mass.Menjivar-Ayala said the immigrant community at Sacred Heart Shrine “has been affected the most” in the city but has also become the most tight-knit. During the panel, Menjivar-Ayala described parishioners in immigrant communities banding together to bring food and provide other support for one another. “I was thinking about that parish,” he said.“I believe right now it’s dying down a bit, but nobody knows when you are going to have ICE in the streets,” he concluded.Panel highlights broken system, need for congressional actionFor the panel, Menjivar-Ayala was joined by Mario Russell, executive director of the Center for Migration Studies, and Ashley Feasley, a legal expert in residence at The Catholic University of America’s Immigration Law and Policy Initiative.During her remarks, Feasley described the U.S. immigration system as “old,” having not been reformed since the late 1990s.“What has happened here is people may have many perspectives about the failures of one president or another on immigration reform,” she said. “But the one place where I think we can really circle in on is the failure of Congress to act regardless of who is in the White House or who controls Congress.”Feasley noted the presence of a number of comprehensive bills seeking to address border security and asylum but have had a difficult time garnering bipartisan support. This, she said, has ultimately been “one of the biggest problems.”During his remarks Russell, similarly to Menjivar-Ayala, encouraged Catholics to inform themselves about the immigration system by reading reports such as those from the Center for Migration Studies or from diocesan sources.“What is happening is basically what is happening,” he said. “Robert Reich, the old labor secretary, recently said, ‘Why would the Immigration Customs Enforcement go to Home Depot to find criminals? Why would they go to a posada or a corner to find criminals? Those are workers,’ so the evidence doesn’t support the narrative.”

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Washington, D.C., Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala talks immigration and dialogue with high-ranking Catholics in the Trump administration.

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Catholic thinkers, tech experts reflect on promise and perils of AI at New York Encounter #Catholic NEW YORK — How can Catholic social teaching guide us in weighing the benefits of artificial intelligence against the dangers it poses to human dignity? That question animated a wide-ranging discussion among Catholic thinkers and technology experts at the New York Encounter on Saturday.Citing Pope Leo XIV’s call to use AI responsibly as well as the Church’s historic defense of human dignity in the face of modern technology, Davide Bolchini, moderator and dean of the Luddy School of Informatics at Indiana University, opened the discussion before an audience of several hundred people gathered for the three-day cultural conference in New York City.“The pope encouraged us to use AI responsibly, to use it in a way that helps us grow, not to let it work against us, but to let it work with us, not to substitute human intelligence, not to replace our judgment of what’s right … our ability of authentic wonder,” Bolchini said.With technology rapidly advancing, Bolchini asked, how can the Church stay ahead of these challenges?Chuck Rossi, an engineer at Meta who is developing AI-driven content moderation technology at the technology conglomerate, which includes Facebook and Instagram, argued that in his work, developments in AI have been instrumental in safeguarding human beings from harm. AI systems, he said, can examine 2.5 billion pieces of of shared online content per hour, filtering harmful material including nudity and sexual activity, bullying and harassment, child endanger, dangerous organizations, fake accounts, hateful conduct, restricted goods and services, spam, suicide and self-injury, violence and incitement, and violent and graphic content.“That’s my world,” he said. “It’s a very, very hard problem. If we miss 0.1% of 2. 5 billion, that’s millions of things that we didn’t want to be seeing. But we do an excellent job, and we have for years — we’re one of the best at it,” Rossi said.Using AI also protects human content moderators from being exposed to disturbing material, as they were in the past.“The good thing that we are giving back to humans is you never have to do this horrible work,” he said.Paul Scherz, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, acknowledged the benefits of AI, which he said included advances in medicine and efficiency for tasks like billing (“Nobody wants to do billing,” he said).But Scherz warned of the dangers of relying on technology to do what is intrinsically human.“We are really starting to turn to AI as people more broadly for these relational aspects, which would be tragic because there is something in that human-to-human connection, the ‘I/thou connection,’ as Martin Buber called it, that is irreplaceable by a machine,” Scherz said. He noted that AI has even moved into ministry, with the rise of Catholic apps relying on bots to offer catechesis.Scherz also cautioned that substituting AI for human interaction and intelligence risks eroding our skills, whether in relationships or in professional life.“My fear is as we use these chatbots more and more we will lose those person-to-person skills. We’ll no longer be able to engage one another as well, or have the patience and virtue to deeply love and encounter one another,” Scherz said.In addition, relying on AI in our work, for example, when a doctor consults AI to make a diagnosis, will result in our “de-skilling,” he said. “We know that people, when they’re using automated systems, they tend to just become biased and complacent and just approve the automated system. They lose their skills,” he said, adding that airline pilots who rely too much on autopilot are more prone to making errors.Louis Kim, former vice president of personal systems and AI at Hewlett-Packard who is currently pursuing graduate studies in theology and health care, pointed out that it’s not possible to know today what skills will be required in the future.“My personal view is I often find that predictions of impacted technology are largely unconsciously based on what we know of the current paradigm and structure and technologies,” Kim said.“There are going to be skills needed to control AI that are going to be different,” he said.Kim also called for “humility” in discussions about AI’s potential to affect human relationships.“Let’s ask ourselves about the quality of our current human relationships, whether it’s in the workplace, in toxic cultures, sometimes at home — even at conferences, at your next break, as you go around talking to this person [or] that person, how many times that person is looking over your shoulder for the more important person to talk to?” he said.Our moral formation, he said, will continue to shape the quality of our encounters with others.
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Catholic thinkers, tech experts reflect on promise and perils of AI at New York Encounter #Catholic NEW YORK — How can Catholic social teaching guide us in weighing the benefits of artificial intelligence against the dangers it poses to human dignity? That question animated a wide-ranging discussion among Catholic thinkers and technology experts at the New York Encounter on Saturday.Citing Pope Leo XIV’s call to use AI responsibly as well as the Church’s historic defense of human dignity in the face of modern technology, Davide Bolchini, moderator and dean of the Luddy School of Informatics at Indiana University, opened the discussion before an audience of several hundred people gathered for the three-day cultural conference in New York City.“The pope encouraged us to use AI responsibly, to use it in a way that helps us grow, not to let it work against us, but to let it work with us, not to substitute human intelligence, not to replace our judgment of what’s right … our ability of authentic wonder,” Bolchini said.With technology rapidly advancing, Bolchini asked, how can the Church stay ahead of these challenges?Chuck Rossi, an engineer at Meta who is developing AI-driven content moderation technology at the technology conglomerate, which includes Facebook and Instagram, argued that in his work, developments in AI have been instrumental in safeguarding human beings from harm. AI systems, he said, can examine 2.5 billion pieces of of shared online content per hour, filtering harmful material including nudity and sexual activity, bullying and harassment, child endanger, dangerous organizations, fake accounts, hateful conduct, restricted goods and services, spam, suicide and self-injury, violence and incitement, and violent and graphic content.“That’s my world,” he said. “It’s a very, very hard problem. If we miss 0.1% of 2. 5 billion, that’s millions of things that we didn’t want to be seeing. But we do an excellent job, and we have for years — we’re one of the best at it,” Rossi said.Using AI also protects human content moderators from being exposed to disturbing material, as they were in the past.“The good thing that we are giving back to humans is you never have to do this horrible work,” he said.Paul Scherz, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, acknowledged the benefits of AI, which he said included advances in medicine and efficiency for tasks like billing (“Nobody wants to do billing,” he said).But Scherz warned of the dangers of relying on technology to do what is intrinsically human.“We are really starting to turn to AI as people more broadly for these relational aspects, which would be tragic because there is something in that human-to-human connection, the ‘I/thou connection,’ as Martin Buber called it, that is irreplaceable by a machine,” Scherz said. He noted that AI has even moved into ministry, with the rise of Catholic apps relying on bots to offer catechesis.Scherz also cautioned that substituting AI for human interaction and intelligence risks eroding our skills, whether in relationships or in professional life.“My fear is as we use these chatbots more and more we will lose those person-to-person skills. We’ll no longer be able to engage one another as well, or have the patience and virtue to deeply love and encounter one another,” Scherz said.In addition, relying on AI in our work, for example, when a doctor consults AI to make a diagnosis, will result in our “de-skilling,” he said. “We know that people, when they’re using automated systems, they tend to just become biased and complacent and just approve the automated system. They lose their skills,” he said, adding that airline pilots who rely too much on autopilot are more prone to making errors.Louis Kim, former vice president of personal systems and AI at Hewlett-Packard who is currently pursuing graduate studies in theology and health care, pointed out that it’s not possible to know today what skills will be required in the future.“My personal view is I often find that predictions of impacted technology are largely unconsciously based on what we know of the current paradigm and structure and technologies,” Kim said.“There are going to be skills needed to control AI that are going to be different,” he said.Kim also called for “humility” in discussions about AI’s potential to affect human relationships.“Let’s ask ourselves about the quality of our current human relationships, whether it’s in the workplace, in toxic cultures, sometimes at home — even at conferences, at your next break, as you go around talking to this person [or] that person, how many times that person is looking over your shoulder for the more important person to talk to?” he said.Our moral formation, he said, will continue to shape the quality of our encounters with others.

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“The pope encouraged us to use AI responsibly, to use it in a way that helps us grow, not to let it work against us, ” said Davide Bolchini, the moderator of an AI panel at the weekend conference.

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The Babylon Bee Presents: Free Valentine’s Day Cards You Can Print And Give To That Special Someone #BabylonBee – The Babylon Bee has put together an absolutely incredible set of Valentine’s Day cards that your special someone will absolutely love. The best part? It’s all free! Simply print, sign, and watch the romance happen.
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The Babylon Bee Presents: Free Valentine’s Day Cards You Can Print And Give To That Special Someone #BabylonBee – The Babylon Bee has put together an absolutely incredible set of Valentine’s Day cards that your special someone will absolutely love. The best part? It’s all free! Simply print, sign, and watch the romance happen.

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The Babylon Bee has put together an absolutely incredible set of Valentine’s Day cards that your special someone will absolutely love. The best part? It’s all free! Simply print, sign, and watch the romance happen.

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Historic murals in Iraq emerge from the ruins of ISIS destruction – #Catholic – Restoration work is progressing rapidly on two 13th-century historic mural reliefs at the ancient Mar Behnam and Sarah Monastery in Iraq. The effort is being led by the monastery’s administration in collaboration with the French organization Mesopotamia after the artworks suffered extensive destruction at the hands of ISIS.The monastery was featured in an EWTN News special on Iraq marking 10 years since the rise of ISIS and examining Christianity in Iraq a decade after the extremist group’s occupation. The report highlighted both the destruction inflicted on Christian heritage and the steady efforts toward restoration, with Mar Behnam Monastery standing as a visible sign of endurance and renewal.The murals, depicting the “Martyrdom of Mar Behnam” and “Saint Sarah,” face one another inside the monastery church and are considered unique in both scale and artistic detail. No other monastery today contains comparable works in terms of size, age, and creative intricacy. They have long been objects of popular devotion in addition to their historical value, as Chorbishop Mazen Mattoka, the monastery’s superior, explained to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. Father Mazen Mattoka, superior of the ancient Mar Behnam and Sarah Monastery in Iraq. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Mazen Mattoka ISIS militants devastated the two plaster murals in an attempt to erase Christian heritage and obliterate artworks that had withstood centuries of challenges. Despite the severity of the damage and the high cost of restoration, multiple coordinated efforts, which Mattoka describes as guided by divine providence, have worked to lift the dust and darkness of ISIS from the sacred images.Mattoka believes providence led French journalist Pascal Makosian to visit the monastery and recognize the profound pain caused by the vandalism. Through his organization, Mesopotamia, Makosian undertook the restoration project under the sponsorship of the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Mosul, in consultation with the Nineveh Antiquities Inspectorate and with the work of local artists.The murals are distinguished by rich symbolic colors: royal blue framing the inscriptions as a symbol of heaven; red signifying martyrdom; and green representing continuity and eternal life. Their uniqueness is further deepened by encoded theological meaning. At the center, Mar Behnam is depicted mounted on his horse; below him appears a scene symbolizing the defeat of evil; and above, two angels carry the martyred saint into the kingdom, representing resurrection.The mural of St. Sarah measures approximately 2 meters (6.6 feet) in height and nearly 1 meter (3.3 feet) in width, appearing modest beside the larger Mar Behnam mural, which extends nearly 4 meters (13.1 feet) in length and 2 meters (6.6 feet) in width. Both are framed by inscriptions in Arabic and Syriac, according to Mattoka.Extensive damageThe two plaster murals suffered destruction estimated at nearly 80%, according to sculptor Thabet Michael, head of the restoration team. He explained that ISIS left little more than the outer frame intact, from which the restoration process began.Michael had participated in the previous restoration of the murals in 2011, gaining experience that proved essential in confronting current challenges — particularly the complete disfigurement of sculptural features and the erasure of facial details.He praised the French team’s study of the murals and their history, as well as the preparation of a comprehensive photographic archive. By consulting the oldest available images — including photographs taken by foreign travelers in 1904, despite their lack of color and facial detail — restorers were able to approximate the original appearance as closely as possible.Approaching the originalThe restoration was carried out using the same original raw materials — gypsum mixed with lime — with additional elements to enhance cohesion and durability. The murals’ original colors, which had faded over centuries, were restored using comparable pigments. Surviving fragments of colored sections were analyzed to achieve shades closest to the original work, created by Syriac artists of Tikriti origin known for their mastery of sculpture, calligraphy, and ornamental design.Michael emphasized the necessity of returning to historical sources and studying them carefully in order to reach satisfactory results in restoring any historic artwork. He added that the completed work reflects the Atabeg artistic style prevalent at the time of the murals’ creation, blended with local Iraqi elements and inspired by Assyrian civilization.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.
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Historic murals in Iraq emerge from the ruins of ISIS destruction – #Catholic – Restoration work is progressing rapidly on two 13th-century historic mural reliefs at the ancient Mar Behnam and Sarah Monastery in Iraq. The effort is being led by the monastery’s administration in collaboration with the French organization Mesopotamia after the artworks suffered extensive destruction at the hands of ISIS.The monastery was featured in an EWTN News special on Iraq marking 10 years since the rise of ISIS and examining Christianity in Iraq a decade after the extremist group’s occupation. The report highlighted both the destruction inflicted on Christian heritage and the steady efforts toward restoration, with Mar Behnam Monastery standing as a visible sign of endurance and renewal.The murals, depicting the “Martyrdom of Mar Behnam” and “Saint Sarah,” face one another inside the monastery church and are considered unique in both scale and artistic detail. No other monastery today contains comparable works in terms of size, age, and creative intricacy. They have long been objects of popular devotion in addition to their historical value, as Chorbishop Mazen Mattoka, the monastery’s superior, explained to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. Father Mazen Mattoka, superior of the ancient Mar Behnam and Sarah Monastery in Iraq. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Mazen Mattoka ISIS militants devastated the two plaster murals in an attempt to erase Christian heritage and obliterate artworks that had withstood centuries of challenges. Despite the severity of the damage and the high cost of restoration, multiple coordinated efforts, which Mattoka describes as guided by divine providence, have worked to lift the dust and darkness of ISIS from the sacred images.Mattoka believes providence led French journalist Pascal Makosian to visit the monastery and recognize the profound pain caused by the vandalism. Through his organization, Mesopotamia, Makosian undertook the restoration project under the sponsorship of the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Mosul, in consultation with the Nineveh Antiquities Inspectorate and with the work of local artists.The murals are distinguished by rich symbolic colors: royal blue framing the inscriptions as a symbol of heaven; red signifying martyrdom; and green representing continuity and eternal life. Their uniqueness is further deepened by encoded theological meaning. At the center, Mar Behnam is depicted mounted on his horse; below him appears a scene symbolizing the defeat of evil; and above, two angels carry the martyred saint into the kingdom, representing resurrection.The mural of St. Sarah measures approximately 2 meters (6.6 feet) in height and nearly 1 meter (3.3 feet) in width, appearing modest beside the larger Mar Behnam mural, which extends nearly 4 meters (13.1 feet) in length and 2 meters (6.6 feet) in width. Both are framed by inscriptions in Arabic and Syriac, according to Mattoka.Extensive damageThe two plaster murals suffered destruction estimated at nearly 80%, according to sculptor Thabet Michael, head of the restoration team. He explained that ISIS left little more than the outer frame intact, from which the restoration process began.Michael had participated in the previous restoration of the murals in 2011, gaining experience that proved essential in confronting current challenges — particularly the complete disfigurement of sculptural features and the erasure of facial details.He praised the French team’s study of the murals and their history, as well as the preparation of a comprehensive photographic archive. By consulting the oldest available images — including photographs taken by foreign travelers in 1904, despite their lack of color and facial detail — restorers were able to approximate the original appearance as closely as possible.Approaching the originalThe restoration was carried out using the same original raw materials — gypsum mixed with lime — with additional elements to enhance cohesion and durability. The murals’ original colors, which had faded over centuries, were restored using comparable pigments. Surviving fragments of colored sections were analyzed to achieve shades closest to the original work, created by Syriac artists of Tikriti origin known for their mastery of sculpture, calligraphy, and ornamental design.Michael emphasized the necessity of returning to historical sources and studying them carefully in order to reach satisfactory results in restoring any historic artwork. He added that the completed work reflects the Atabeg artistic style prevalent at the time of the murals’ creation, blended with local Iraqi elements and inspired by Assyrian civilization.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.

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Restoration work is progressing rapidly on two 13th-century historic mural reliefs at the ancient Mar Behnam and Sarah Monastery.

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The Good Maharaja who sheltered Polish children during World War II – #Catholic – The 1941 Sikorski-Mayski agreement between the Soviet Union and Poland resulted in the release of tens of thousands of Polish prisoners of war held in the Gulag and other Soviet camps. Their number included thousands of displaced children, many of whom were orphans. No one wanted these children; they couldn’t return to Nazi-occupied Poland, and the Soviet Union didn’t want them. Thanks to one man from a small princely state in India, their future became secured.The unexpected intervention of Jam Sahib Digvijaysinhji, the maharaja of Nawanagar, known as “the Good Maharaja,” provided these children a home in his personal estate at Balachadi.Digvijaysinhji had been educated at Malvern College in England and was part of Winston Churchill’s Imperial War Cabinet.  “He was an extraordinary man, and to the Polish people, he became a national hero … an Indian Oskar Schindler,” former Malvern College teacher and housemaster Andrew Murtagh wrote of Digvijaysinhji.Father Piotr Wiśniowski, chaplain of EWTN Poland, told EWTN News: “The Good Maharaja, Jam Sahib Digvijaysinhji, wrote himself into history through extraordinary humanity. When he welcomed Polish orphans to Balachadi, he said: ‘You are no longer refugees. From today, you are the children of Nawanagar, and I am your Bapu — your father.’ These words were not a public-relations gesture but a pledge to take responsibility for the most vulnerable.” During World War II, the unexpected intervention of the maharaja of Nawanagar, Jamsaheb Digvijaysinghji, known as “the Good Maharaja,” provided hundreds of Polish children a home at his personal estate in India. | Credit: Public domain The Poles amnestied by Stalin following the Sikorski-Mayski agreement formed the 40,000-strong Anders Army, which played a vital role in Allied war efforts. But the Polish children — Catholic and Jewish, many of whom were orphaned or had lost a parent — were the unwanted detritus of war. They had been detained in camps and temporary orphanages, often left to die of illness or starvation. Many were sons and daughters of the estimated 22,000 Polish soldiers and civilians murdered by Soviet forces in the Katyn Woods massacre.Responsibility for this humanitarian catastrophe shifted to the Polish government in exile and to British government officials. Many nations were unwilling to offer shelter to the children. The agreed-upon solution was to relocate the refugees to India.Digvijaysinhji moved quickly to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. His state was the first to host 500 Polish children. Other Indian states followed his kindness.“After 1941, when Polish refugees were freed from Soviet captivity, Poland was a nation devastated by war, unable to care even for its own children,” Wiśniowski told EWTN News. “The maharaja understood that tragedy and said, ‘If God has sent me these children, it is my duty to care for them.’ That is why Poland remains grateful to him — for lives saved, dignity restored, and for the witness that mercy knows no borders of nations or cultures.”At first, foster homes were suggested, but the Polish government was opposed to separating the already traumatized children. Other options, such as schools and convents, proved unworkable. The viceroy of India set up The Polish Children’s Fund, supported by the archbishop of Delhi and the mother superior of the Convent of Jesus and Mary. The group raised funds among private donors including the Tata family. Children from Polish orphanages, USSR, 1941-1942. | Credit: Photo from the collection of Wiesław Stypuła Anuradha Bhattacharjee in “The Second Homeland: Polish Refugees in India” explains how India — though not sovereign at the time and not at all prosperous — became the first country in the world to accept and offer sanctuary at its own cost to the hapless Polish population rendered homeless and subsequently stateless.“The first Polish children were hosted in Balachadi in Nawanagar state and were maintained by charitable funds raised in India, subscribed to by several Indian princes and wealthy individuals. They were settled at a camp near Balachadi when no place for the children could be found in the whole of British India. The state of Nawanagar took the bold step of adopting the children to prevent their forcible repatriation to Soviet-occupied Poland at the end of the second world war.”By December 1942, around 640 children had made the 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) arduous journey in trucks from Ashgabat in Turkmenistan to Balachadi. According to accounts, they were extremely thin and miserable, their clothes hanging about their frames, and this was after having already been fed for a few months.Digvijaysinhji converted the guesthouse of his Balachadi palace into a school with a special library shelved with Polish books. The children often put on plays with Digvijaysinhji in attendance. Among their Polish caregivers were Father Franciszek Pluta, who was later denounced by the communists as an international kidnapper after relocating some of the children to the United States, as well as scoutmaster Zdzisław Peszkowski, a survivor of the Katyn Woods massacre who was ordained a priest after World War II. Peszkowski campaigned for the truth about Katyn for the rest of his life and was a contemporary and close associate of St. John Paul II.In the camp the children enjoyed the outdoor life, the beach, and the climate. They camped and played soccer, hockey, and volleyball. Father Franciszek Pluta celebrates a field Mass during the land evacuation from the Soviet Union to India. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Koło Polaków z Niechciał z Niechciał At the end of the war, many children feared living under communist rule, having suffered deportation to Siberia from the Soviet regime. Only those children who wanted to return to Poland were required to go back. Eighty-one children were relocated to the United States to build new lives there with the help of Catholic missionaries. Twelve Jewish children were relocated to Haifa in 1943.In 1989, following the fall of communism in Poland, the kindness and generosity of Digvijaysinhji was formally recognized by the Polish government. In 2012, a park in Warsaw was named the “Square of the Good Maharaja” and a monument was erected. He was also posthumously given the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
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The Good Maharaja who sheltered Polish children during World War II – #Catholic – The 1941 Sikorski-Mayski agreement between the Soviet Union and Poland resulted in the release of tens of thousands of Polish prisoners of war held in the Gulag and other Soviet camps. Their number included thousands of displaced children, many of whom were orphans. No one wanted these children; they couldn’t return to Nazi-occupied Poland, and the Soviet Union didn’t want them. Thanks to one man from a small princely state in India, their future became secured.The unexpected intervention of Jam Sahib Digvijaysinhji, the maharaja of Nawanagar, known as “the Good Maharaja,” provided these children a home in his personal estate at Balachadi.Digvijaysinhji had been educated at Malvern College in England and was part of Winston Churchill’s Imperial War Cabinet.  “He was an extraordinary man, and to the Polish people, he became a national hero … an Indian Oskar Schindler,” former Malvern College teacher and housemaster Andrew Murtagh wrote of Digvijaysinhji.Father Piotr Wiśniowski, chaplain of EWTN Poland, told EWTN News: “The Good Maharaja, Jam Sahib Digvijaysinhji, wrote himself into history through extraordinary humanity. When he welcomed Polish orphans to Balachadi, he said: ‘You are no longer refugees. From today, you are the children of Nawanagar, and I am your Bapu — your father.’ These words were not a public-relations gesture but a pledge to take responsibility for the most vulnerable.” During World War II, the unexpected intervention of the maharaja of Nawanagar, Jamsaheb Digvijaysinghji, known as “the Good Maharaja,” provided hundreds of Polish children a home at his personal estate in India. | Credit: Public domain The Poles amnestied by Stalin following the Sikorski-Mayski agreement formed the 40,000-strong Anders Army, which played a vital role in Allied war efforts. But the Polish children — Catholic and Jewish, many of whom were orphaned or had lost a parent — were the unwanted detritus of war. They had been detained in camps and temporary orphanages, often left to die of illness or starvation. Many were sons and daughters of the estimated 22,000 Polish soldiers and civilians murdered by Soviet forces in the Katyn Woods massacre.Responsibility for this humanitarian catastrophe shifted to the Polish government in exile and to British government officials. Many nations were unwilling to offer shelter to the children. The agreed-upon solution was to relocate the refugees to India.Digvijaysinhji moved quickly to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. His state was the first to host 500 Polish children. Other Indian states followed his kindness.“After 1941, when Polish refugees were freed from Soviet captivity, Poland was a nation devastated by war, unable to care even for its own children,” Wiśniowski told EWTN News. “The maharaja understood that tragedy and said, ‘If God has sent me these children, it is my duty to care for them.’ That is why Poland remains grateful to him — for lives saved, dignity restored, and for the witness that mercy knows no borders of nations or cultures.”At first, foster homes were suggested, but the Polish government was opposed to separating the already traumatized children. Other options, such as schools and convents, proved unworkable. The viceroy of India set up The Polish Children’s Fund, supported by the archbishop of Delhi and the mother superior of the Convent of Jesus and Mary. The group raised funds among private donors including the Tata family. Children from Polish orphanages, USSR, 1941-1942. | Credit: Photo from the collection of Wiesław Stypuła Anuradha Bhattacharjee in “The Second Homeland: Polish Refugees in India” explains how India — though not sovereign at the time and not at all prosperous — became the first country in the world to accept and offer sanctuary at its own cost to the hapless Polish population rendered homeless and subsequently stateless.“The first Polish children were hosted in Balachadi in Nawanagar state and were maintained by charitable funds raised in India, subscribed to by several Indian princes and wealthy individuals. They were settled at a camp near Balachadi when no place for the children could be found in the whole of British India. The state of Nawanagar took the bold step of adopting the children to prevent their forcible repatriation to Soviet-occupied Poland at the end of the second world war.”By December 1942, around 640 children had made the 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) arduous journey in trucks from Ashgabat in Turkmenistan to Balachadi. According to accounts, they were extremely thin and miserable, their clothes hanging about their frames, and this was after having already been fed for a few months.Digvijaysinhji converted the guesthouse of his Balachadi palace into a school with a special library shelved with Polish books. The children often put on plays with Digvijaysinhji in attendance. Among their Polish caregivers were Father Franciszek Pluta, who was later denounced by the communists as an international kidnapper after relocating some of the children to the United States, as well as scoutmaster Zdzisław Peszkowski, a survivor of the Katyn Woods massacre who was ordained a priest after World War II. Peszkowski campaigned for the truth about Katyn for the rest of his life and was a contemporary and close associate of St. John Paul II.In the camp the children enjoyed the outdoor life, the beach, and the climate. They camped and played soccer, hockey, and volleyball. Father Franciszek Pluta celebrates a field Mass during the land evacuation from the Soviet Union to India. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Koło Polaków z Niechciał z Niechciał At the end of the war, many children feared living under communist rule, having suffered deportation to Siberia from the Soviet regime. Only those children who wanted to return to Poland were required to go back. Eighty-one children were relocated to the United States to build new lives there with the help of Catholic missionaries. Twelve Jewish children were relocated to Haifa in 1943.In 1989, following the fall of communism in Poland, the kindness and generosity of Digvijaysinhji was formally recognized by the Polish government. In 2012, a park in Warsaw was named the “Square of the Good Maharaja” and a monument was erected. He was also posthumously given the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.

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During World War II, the unexpected intervention of the Maharaja of Nawanagar, known as “the Good Maharaja,” provided hundreds of Polish children a home at his personal estate in India.

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Rachel’s Vineyard retreats return in 2026 to offer post-abortion healing #Catholic – Have you or someone you know been affected by abortion? There is hope. There is healing. Two Rachel’s Vineyard retreats are scheduled for 2026 (April 10 and Sept. 25) for those seeking to renew, rebuild, and redeem hearts broken by an abortion. These confidential weekend retreats are rooted in faith, offering compassion, healing, and hope to anyone affected by abortion, including women and men of all ages. In a supportive and welcoming setting, participants are invited to reflect, grieve, and experience God’s love and mercy. “It took me a while to get up the courage to call, but thank God I did,” said Susan Swander in a testimonial she wrote on rachelsvineyard.org after attending a Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat. “What a remarkable, healing experience this weekend was. Words do not do justice to the love, compassion, and understanding I found during the retreat.” Some of the symptoms faced by those who experience the trauma of abortion include depression, nightmares, anxiety, withdrawal from family, and even suicidal thoughts. Rachel’s Vineyard offers participants a space to work through these experiences and find forgiveness. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The retreats are being offered in English and Spanish in a special partnership between the Diocese of Paterson and the Archdiocese of Newark. Cheryl Riley, Respect Life director of the Archdiocese of Newark, and Alyssa Renovales, Respect Life coordinator of the Diocese of Paterson, will co-lead the retreats. Anyone in the Diocese of Paterson seeking support or more information is encouraged to contact Renovales at 973-377-1004 ext. 406 or by email Arenovales@patersondiocese.org. All inquiries are completely confidential. “Echoing the hope proclaimed by St. John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae, Rachel’s Vineyard is a beautiful gift to the Church, a place where hearts are gently restored, burdens are lifted, and all are reminded that the Church is for them and God’s mercy is always within reach,” Renovales said. Rachel’s Vineyard was founded in 1995 by Theresa Karminski Burke, Ph.D., and is now offered in over 33 languages across 50 countries. Learn more about the Respect Life Ministry of the Diocese of Paterson by visiting insidethewalls.org/respect-life.
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Rachel’s Vineyard retreats return in 2026 to offer post-abortion healing #Catholic – Have you or someone you know been affected by abortion? There is hope. There is healing. Two Rachel’s Vineyard retreats are scheduled for 2026 (April 10 and Sept. 25) for those seeking to renew, rebuild, and redeem hearts broken by an abortion. These confidential weekend retreats are rooted in faith, offering compassion, healing, and hope to anyone affected by abortion, including women and men of all ages. In a supportive and welcoming setting, participants are invited to reflect, grieve, and experience God’s love and mercy. “It took me a while to get up the courage to call, but thank God I did,” said Susan Swander in a testimonial she wrote on rachelsvineyard.org after attending a Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat. “What a remarkable, healing experience this weekend was. Words do not do justice to the love, compassion, and understanding I found during the retreat.” Some of the symptoms faced by those who experience the trauma of abortion include depression, nightmares, anxiety, withdrawal from family, and even suicidal thoughts. Rachel’s Vineyard offers participants a space to work through these experiences and find forgiveness. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The retreats are being offered in English and Spanish in a special partnership between the Diocese of Paterson and the Archdiocese of Newark. Cheryl Riley, Respect Life director of the Archdiocese of Newark, and Alyssa Renovales, Respect Life coordinator of the Diocese of Paterson, will co-lead the retreats. Anyone in the Diocese of Paterson seeking support or more information is encouraged to contact Renovales at 973-377-1004 ext. 406 or by email Arenovales@patersondiocese.org. All inquiries are completely confidential. “Echoing the hope proclaimed by St. John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae, Rachel’s Vineyard is a beautiful gift to the Church, a place where hearts are gently restored, burdens are lifted, and all are reminded that the Church is for them and God’s mercy is always within reach,” Renovales said. Rachel’s Vineyard was founded in 1995 by Theresa Karminski Burke, Ph.D., and is now offered in over 33 languages across 50 countries. Learn more about the Respect Life Ministry of the Diocese of Paterson by visiting insidethewalls.org/respect-life.

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Rachel’s Vineyard retreats return in 2026 to offer post-abortion healing #Catholic –

Have you or someone you know been affected by abortion? There is hope. There is healing.

Two Rachel’s Vineyard retreats are scheduled for 2026 (April 10 and Sept. 25) for those seeking to renew, rebuild, and redeem hearts broken by an abortion.

These confidential weekend retreats are rooted in faith, offering compassion, healing, and hope to anyone affected by abortion, including women and men of all ages. In a supportive and welcoming setting, participants are invited to reflect, grieve, and experience God’s love and mercy.

“It took me a while to get up the courage to call, but thank God I did,” said Susan Swander in a testimonial she wrote on rachelsvineyard.org after attending a Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat. “What a remarkable, healing experience this weekend was. Words do not do justice to the love, compassion, and understanding I found during the retreat.”

Some of the symptoms faced by those who experience the trauma of abortion include depression, nightmares, anxiety, withdrawal from family, and even suicidal thoughts. Rachel’s Vineyard offers participants a space to work through these experiences and find forgiveness.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

The retreats are being offered in English and Spanish in a special partnership between the Diocese of Paterson and the Archdiocese of Newark. Cheryl Riley, Respect Life director of the Archdiocese of Newark, and Alyssa Renovales, Respect Life coordinator of the Diocese of Paterson, will co-lead the retreats.

Anyone in the Diocese of Paterson seeking support or more information is encouraged to contact Renovales at 973-377-1004 ext. 406 or by email Arenovales@patersondiocese.org. All inquiries are completely confidential.

“Echoing the hope proclaimed by St. John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae, Rachel’s Vineyard is a beautiful gift to the Church, a place where hearts are gently restored, burdens are lifted, and all are reminded that the Church is for them and God’s mercy is always within reach,” Renovales said.

Rachel’s Vineyard was founded in 1995 by Theresa Karminski Burke, Ph.D., and is now offered in over 33 languages across 50 countries.

Learn more about the Respect Life Ministry of the Diocese of Paterson by visiting insidethewalls.org/respect-life.

– Have you or someone you know been affected by abortion? There is hope. There is healing. Two Rachel’s Vineyard retreats are scheduled for 2026 (April 10 and Sept. 25) for those seeking to renew, rebuild, and redeem hearts broken by an abortion. These confidential weekend retreats are rooted in faith, offering compassion, healing, and hope to anyone affected by abortion, including women and men of all ages. In a supportive and welcoming setting, participants are invited to reflect, grieve, and experience God’s love and mercy. “It took me a while to get up the courage to call, but thank God

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The Sky Today on Sunday, February 15: Saturn and Neptune stand close

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  February 14: A Valentine’s Heart (Nebula) This evening, Saturn passes 0.9° south of Neptune at 11 P.M. EST. The two planets stand together in Pisces, located in the west after sunset. An hour after the Sun goes down, the pair is stillContinue reading “The Sky Today on Sunday, February 15: Saturn and Neptune stand close”

The post The Sky Today on Sunday, February 15: Saturn and Neptune stand close appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Kristi Noem Triggers the Left With Perfectly Reasonable Comments About Voter Integrity (VIDEO) – Trump DHS Secretary Kristi Noem recently offered some comments about voter integrity, saying that we have to make sure that the right people are voting. The post Kristi Noem Triggers the Left With Perfectly Reasonable Comments About Voter Integrity (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Kristi Noem Triggers the Left With Perfectly Reasonable Comments About Voter Integrity (VIDEO) – Trump DHS Secretary Kristi Noem recently offered some comments about voter integrity, saying that we have to make sure that the right people are voting. The post Kristi Noem Triggers the Left With Perfectly Reasonable Comments About Voter Integrity (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Trump DHS Secretary Kristi Noem recently offered some comments about voter integrity, saying that we have to make sure that the right people are voting.

The post Kristi Noem Triggers the Left With Perfectly Reasonable Comments About Voter Integrity (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Senator John Kennedy Talks About His Recently Passed Bill That Ends Payments to Dead Americans: ‘There’s Obviously a Lot of Fraud’ (VIDEO) – Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana recently passed a bill that ends the practice of sending government payments to dead people. The post Senator John Kennedy Talks About His Recently Passed Bill That Ends Payments to Dead Americans: ‘There’s Obviously a Lot of Fraud’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Senator John Kennedy Talks About His Recently Passed Bill That Ends Payments to Dead Americans: ‘There’s Obviously a Lot of Fraud’ (VIDEO) – Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana recently passed a bill that ends the practice of sending government payments to dead people. The post Senator John Kennedy Talks About His Recently Passed Bill That Ends Payments to Dead Americans: ‘There’s Obviously a Lot of Fraud’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana recently passed a bill that ends the practice of sending government payments to dead people.

The post Senator John Kennedy Talks About His Recently Passed Bill That Ends Payments to Dead Americans: ‘There’s Obviously a Lot of Fraud’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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San Francisco Reparations Fund Now Causing Infighting Among Various Groups in the City – San Francisco passed a resolution right before Christmas, creating a reparations fund that is supposed to pay a ridiculous amount of money to black residents, despite the fact that California never even had slavery. The post San Francisco Reparations Fund Now Causing Infighting Among Various Groups in the City appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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San Francisco Reparations Fund Now Causing Infighting Among Various Groups in the City – San Francisco passed a resolution right before Christmas, creating a reparations fund that is supposed to pay a ridiculous amount of money to black residents, despite the fact that California never even had slavery. The post San Francisco Reparations Fund Now Causing Infighting Among Various Groups in the City appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

unitedyam

San Francisco passed a resolution right before Christmas, creating a reparations fund that is supposed to pay a ridiculous amount of money to black residents, despite the fact that California never even had slavery.

The post San Francisco Reparations Fund Now Causing Infighting Among Various Groups in the City appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 15 February 2026 – A reading from the Book of Sirach 15:15-20 If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him. Immense is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power, and all-seeing. The eyes of God are on those who fear him; he understands man’s every deed. No one does he command to act unjustly, to none does he give license to sin.   A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 Brothers and sisters: We speak a wisdom to those who are mature, not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away. Rather, we speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory, and which none of the rulers of this age knew; for, if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him, this God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.From the Gospel according to Matthew 5:17-37 Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny. "You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. "It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife – unless the marriage is unlawful – causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. "Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one."“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5:17,20). But what do this “fullness” of Christ’s Law and this “superior” justice that he demands consist in? Jesus explains it with a series of antitheses between the old commandments and his new way of propounding them. He begins each time: “You have heard that it was said to the men of old…”, and then he asserts: “but I say to you”…. (…). And he does this six times. This manner of speaking made a great impression on the people, who were shocked, because those words: “I say to you” were equivalent to claiming the actual authority of God, the source of the Law. The newness of Jesus consists essentially in the fact that he himself “fulfils” the commandments with the love of God, with the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within him. And we, through faith in Christ, can open ourselves to the action of the Holy Spirit who makes us capable of living divine love. So it is that every precept becomes true as a requirement of love, and all join in a single commandment: love God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself. (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 13 February 2011)

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A reading from the Book of Sirach
15:15-20

If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you;
if you trust in God, you too shall live;
he has set before you fire and water
to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.
Before man are life and death, good and evil,
whichever he chooses shall be given him.
Immense is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power, and all-seeing.
The eyes of God are on those who fear him;
he understands man’s every deed.
No one does he command to act unjustly,
to none does he give license to sin.

 

A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
1 Corinthians 2:6-10

Brothers and sisters:
We speak a wisdom to those who are mature,
not a wisdom of this age,
nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.
Rather, we speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden,
which God predetermined before the ages for our glory,
and which none of the rulers of this age knew;
for, if they had known it,
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written:
What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,
and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him,
this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.

For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
5:17-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you,
whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment;
and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin;
and whoever says, ‘You fool,’
will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.

"You have heard that it was said,
You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

"It was also said,
Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife – unless the marriage is unlawful –
causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

"Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the evil one."

“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5:17,20). But what do this “fullness” of Christ’s Law and this “superior” justice that he demands consist in?

Jesus explains it with a series of antitheses between the old commandments and his new way of propounding them. He begins each time: “You have heard that it was said to the men of old…”, and then he asserts: “but I say to you”…. (…).

And he does this six times. This manner of speaking made a great impression on the people, who were shocked, because those words: “I say to you” were equivalent to claiming the actual authority of God, the source of the Law. The newness of Jesus consists essentially in the fact that he himself “fulfils” the commandments with the love of God, with the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within him. And we, through faith in Christ, can open ourselves to the action of the Holy Spirit who makes us capable of living divine love.

So it is that every precept becomes true as a requirement of love, and all join in a single commandment: love God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself. (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 13 February 2011)

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Ukraine bishop at New York Encounter: War begins when man rejects God from his heart – #Catholic – Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, survival means remaining in relationship with Christ and in community with one another, according to a delegation of Ukrainian Catholic Church leaders who gave their testimony at the New York Encounter on Feb. 14. Bishop Pavlo Honcharuk of Kharkiv and Father Wojciech Stasiewicz, director of Caritas-Spes of the Kharkiv-Zaporizhia Diocese, shared how they have approached survival throughout the four-year conflict that has ravaged their communities.The bishop and priest spoke during a panel moderated by Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio. Bishop Pavlo Honcharuk of Kharkiv, Father Wojciech Stasiewicz, and Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio speak at the New York Encounter, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 | Credit: Jeff Bruno This year’s New York Encounter is centered on the theme “Where Everything Is Waiting for You,” focusing on “the reemerging human desire for authentic belonging amid global isolation, emphasizing how freedom, truth, forgiveness, and dignity foster certainty and openness in true community.” The event will continue through Feb. 15.“We can say that, thanks to God, thanks to our Faith, we have a strong foundation,” said Honcharuk, who compared the current situation in Ukraine to the Titanic. The bishop described the struggles faced by Ukrainians today, including the obliteration of power grids across the country, below-freezing temperatures, and ongoing drone and missile strikes.“We are in the middle of a tempest of suffering and pain,” he said. “In this sense, we're always expecting or waiting for death, but in the midst of all that, we are trying to be able to love, and to help others.”The bishop reflected during his remarks that survival for him has been in keeping busy with the demands of his role, which extend far beyond pastoral care due to the humanitarian aid role the Church in Ukraine has assumed. From traveling to precarious locations to preside over funeral services, to thawing frozen generators, the bishop remains occupied.“If you were to stop and sit and look at it, and try to deepen what is happening, you wouldn’t be able to stand it. There are many instances where people lose their minds, they close in on themselves.” This, he said, “is the most terrible thing.”Honcharuk said Christ’s love is what compels him to remain with his people, and that ultimately, having faith in God is what brings peace.“The beginning of war is in the hearts of men,” the bishop said. “When there is no God, a person does not feel like someone. He has to prove all the time to himself and to others that he is someone. He exploits everything to show that he is someone.”In the end, he said, a person’s encounter with God is where peace begins.Father Stasiewicz also shared how his work with Caritas has acted as both a humanitarian hub for Ukrainians, and as a ministry of faithful presence and community throughout the war. The priest emphasized the need to be in community, especially during conflict, otherwise “you're carrying all this burden by yourself, and you have nobody to help you, or to sustain you.”Papal Nuncio to the U.S. Cardinal Christophe Pierre attended the panel, which took place in the main auditorium of the Metropolitan Pavilion. The event was at maximum capacity, and attendees gave a warm standing ovation to the Ukrainian bishop and priest for several minutes. 
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Ukraine bishop at New York Encounter: War begins when man rejects God from his heart – #Catholic – Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, survival means remaining in relationship with Christ and in community with one another, according to a delegation of Ukrainian Catholic Church leaders who gave their testimony at the New York Encounter on Feb. 14. Bishop Pavlo Honcharuk of Kharkiv and Father Wojciech Stasiewicz, director of Caritas-Spes of the Kharkiv-Zaporizhia Diocese, shared how they have approached survival throughout the four-year conflict that has ravaged their communities.The bishop and priest spoke during a panel moderated by Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio. Bishop Pavlo Honcharuk of Kharkiv, Father Wojciech Stasiewicz, and Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio speak at the New York Encounter, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 | Credit: Jeff Bruno This year’s New York Encounter is centered on the theme “Where Everything Is Waiting for You,” focusing on “the reemerging human desire for authentic belonging amid global isolation, emphasizing how freedom, truth, forgiveness, and dignity foster certainty and openness in true community.” The event will continue through Feb. 15.“We can say that, thanks to God, thanks to our Faith, we have a strong foundation,” said Honcharuk, who compared the current situation in Ukraine to the Titanic. The bishop described the struggles faced by Ukrainians today, including the obliteration of power grids across the country, below-freezing temperatures, and ongoing drone and missile strikes.“We are in the middle of a tempest of suffering and pain,” he said. “In this sense, we're always expecting or waiting for death, but in the midst of all that, we are trying to be able to love, and to help others.”The bishop reflected during his remarks that survival for him has been in keeping busy with the demands of his role, which extend far beyond pastoral care due to the humanitarian aid role the Church in Ukraine has assumed. From traveling to precarious locations to preside over funeral services, to thawing frozen generators, the bishop remains occupied.“If you were to stop and sit and look at it, and try to deepen what is happening, you wouldn’t be able to stand it. There are many instances where people lose their minds, they close in on themselves.” This, he said, “is the most terrible thing.”Honcharuk said Christ’s love is what compels him to remain with his people, and that ultimately, having faith in God is what brings peace.“The beginning of war is in the hearts of men,” the bishop said. “When there is no God, a person does not feel like someone. He has to prove all the time to himself and to others that he is someone. He exploits everything to show that he is someone.”In the end, he said, a person’s encounter with God is where peace begins.Father Stasiewicz also shared how his work with Caritas has acted as both a humanitarian hub for Ukrainians, and as a ministry of faithful presence and community throughout the war. The priest emphasized the need to be in community, especially during conflict, otherwise “you're carrying all this burden by yourself, and you have nobody to help you, or to sustain you.”Papal Nuncio to the U.S. Cardinal Christophe Pierre attended the panel, which took place in the main auditorium of the Metropolitan Pavilion. The event was at maximum capacity, and attendees gave a warm standing ovation to the Ukrainian bishop and priest for several minutes. 

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“We can say that, thanks to God, thanks to our Faith, we have a strong foundation,” said Bishop Pavlo Honcharuk.

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Slowing of religious decline points to ‘shifting’ faith landscape, experts say at New York Encounter #Catholic Recent claims of an emerging religious revival in the West may overstate the case, but there are clear signs that belief in God is rising, experts said Saturday at the New York Encounter, the annual conference hosted by members of Communion and Liberation.Speaking at the gathering, Chip Rotolo, a research associate at the Pew Research Center, cited data showing that religious affiliation in the United States has declined steadily for decades. Yet recent findings from Pew’s Religious Landscape Study have offered reasons for cautious optimism among those concerned about the nation’s secularization.According to Pew’s data, the share of U.S. adults identifying as Christian (63%) is down from 2007 levels (78%) but has held steady since 2020. Panelists Brandon Vaidyanathan, Chip Rotolo, Lauren Jackson, and Justin Brierley speak on the panel “Hungry for Belonging” at New York Encounter on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. | Credit: Jeff Bruno “The fact that the religious decline we’re so used to seeing is leveled off is a huge shift,” Rotolo said, noting that recent data shows that the number of Americans who are religiously affiliated, attend church, and pray daily have “been very stable.”He noted that this stabilization began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many might have expected religious participation to drop as churches closed and communities were forced to rethink worship and parish life.“If you already had one foot out the door at your church, it would have been easy to step away,” Rotolo said. “But we’ve seen this remarkable stability. That has drawn a lot of attention, curiosity, and hope.”A second key finding has further fueled interest. According to Pew’s research, 92% of Americans express some form of spiritual outlook — meaning they believe in at least one of the following: that people have souls, that God exists, that there is something spiritual beyond the natural world, or that there is an afterlife. Attendees listen to the panel “Hungry for Belonging” at New York Encounter on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. | Credit: Jeff Bruno “Something is definitely shifting in American religious life,” Rotolo said. “We can disagree and continue figuring out exactly what that is, but it’s certainly an interesting time to study.”Also speaking at the panel was Justin Brierley, author of “The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God.” Brierley said that although there have been questions raised about the methodology of surveys showing an increase in religiosity in the West, there has been a noticeable cultural shift away from the “New Atheism” popularized in the early 2000s by figures such as Richard Dawkins, author of “The God Delusion.”By the 2010s, Brierley said, he began to see public intellectuals acknowledging Christianity’s formative role in shaping Western civilization. Some, he added, have gone further — openly professing religious belief.He pointed to the conversion of the Somali-born Dutch and American writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who in late 2023 published a viral essay titled “Why I’m Now a Christian.”“When she came out with that article, it made a lot of people say, ‘If Ayaan Hirsi Ali — arguably one of the most prominent former atheists in the world — has changed her mind, it could happen to anyone,’” Brierley said.Lauren Jackson, a religion columnist at The New York Times, said her outlet recently launched a series titled “Believing,” inspired in part by Pew’s findings on religious life in America.“We took all this data together and made the claim that Americans haven’t found a satisfying alternative to religion,” Jackson said. Through interviews and surveys, she added, many in the U.S. have expressed “an intense desire for belonging, for meaning, for community, for connection to the transcendent.”That desire, however, is not always expressed within the walls of a church. The series has explored other avenues through which Americans seek spiritual meaning and communal identity, including the growing popularity of saunas and the sense of belonging fostered by soccer communities.While the speakers stopped short of declaring a religious revival at work, they agreed that the current moment reflects a significant shift — one marked by a renewed openness to faith and the enduring human search for transcendence.Brierley noted that to most people the once-popular atheists’ arguments in favor of science and technology as an alternative to religion haven’t been convincing.“I think as we’ve lost the Christian story in the modern West, it has led to people looking for other stories to make sense of their life. I think some people did for a while reach for the atheist materialist story,” he explained.“When you look at where culture has actually gone and the science and technology we put in, it turns out we have made ourselves unhappier,” he said.
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Slowing of religious decline points to ‘shifting’ faith landscape, experts say at New York Encounter #Catholic Recent claims of an emerging religious revival in the West may overstate the case, but there are clear signs that belief in God is rising, experts said Saturday at the New York Encounter, the annual conference hosted by members of Communion and Liberation.Speaking at the gathering, Chip Rotolo, a research associate at the Pew Research Center, cited data showing that religious affiliation in the United States has declined steadily for decades. Yet recent findings from Pew’s Religious Landscape Study have offered reasons for cautious optimism among those concerned about the nation’s secularization.According to Pew’s data, the share of U.S. adults identifying as Christian (63%) is down from 2007 levels (78%) but has held steady since 2020. Panelists Brandon Vaidyanathan, Chip Rotolo, Lauren Jackson, and Justin Brierley speak on the panel “Hungry for Belonging” at New York Encounter on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. | Credit: Jeff Bruno “The fact that the religious decline we’re so used to seeing is leveled off is a huge shift,” Rotolo said, noting that recent data shows that the number of Americans who are religiously affiliated, attend church, and pray daily have “been very stable.”He noted that this stabilization began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many might have expected religious participation to drop as churches closed and communities were forced to rethink worship and parish life.“If you already had one foot out the door at your church, it would have been easy to step away,” Rotolo said. “But we’ve seen this remarkable stability. That has drawn a lot of attention, curiosity, and hope.”A second key finding has further fueled interest. According to Pew’s research, 92% of Americans express some form of spiritual outlook — meaning they believe in at least one of the following: that people have souls, that God exists, that there is something spiritual beyond the natural world, or that there is an afterlife. Attendees listen to the panel “Hungry for Belonging” at New York Encounter on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. | Credit: Jeff Bruno “Something is definitely shifting in American religious life,” Rotolo said. “We can disagree and continue figuring out exactly what that is, but it’s certainly an interesting time to study.”Also speaking at the panel was Justin Brierley, author of “The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God.” Brierley said that although there have been questions raised about the methodology of surveys showing an increase in religiosity in the West, there has been a noticeable cultural shift away from the “New Atheism” popularized in the early 2000s by figures such as Richard Dawkins, author of “The God Delusion.”By the 2010s, Brierley said, he began to see public intellectuals acknowledging Christianity’s formative role in shaping Western civilization. Some, he added, have gone further — openly professing religious belief.He pointed to the conversion of the Somali-born Dutch and American writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who in late 2023 published a viral essay titled “Why I’m Now a Christian.”“When she came out with that article, it made a lot of people say, ‘If Ayaan Hirsi Ali — arguably one of the most prominent former atheists in the world — has changed her mind, it could happen to anyone,’” Brierley said.Lauren Jackson, a religion columnist at The New York Times, said her outlet recently launched a series titled “Believing,” inspired in part by Pew’s findings on religious life in America.“We took all this data together and made the claim that Americans haven’t found a satisfying alternative to religion,” Jackson said. Through interviews and surveys, she added, many in the U.S. have expressed “an intense desire for belonging, for meaning, for community, for connection to the transcendent.”That desire, however, is not always expressed within the walls of a church. The series has explored other avenues through which Americans seek spiritual meaning and communal identity, including the growing popularity of saunas and the sense of belonging fostered by soccer communities.While the speakers stopped short of declaring a religious revival at work, they agreed that the current moment reflects a significant shift — one marked by a renewed openness to faith and the enduring human search for transcendence.Brierley noted that to most people the once-popular atheists’ arguments in favor of science and technology as an alternative to religion haven’t been convincing.“I think as we’ve lost the Christian story in the modern West, it has led to people looking for other stories to make sense of their life. I think some people did for a while reach for the atheist materialist story,” he explained.“When you look at where culture has actually gone and the science and technology we put in, it turns out we have made ourselves unhappier,” he said.

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According to Pew data, the share of U.S. adults identifying as Christian is down from 2007 levels but has held steady since 2020.

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Urgent search for stem cell donor to save boy #Catholic – Father Jude Salus, a Benedictine monk at St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, N.J., is coming to communities he served and the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey —and beyond —with a desperate plea for help for a 15-year-old boy with a rare blood disorder. The priest is asking people of both genders, ages 18 to 35, of mixed heritage, with roots in the Caribbean or South America, who may also have European ancestry, to take a genetic test to determine whether they might be a match as a stem-cell donor for Max Uribe. He was diagnosed with the rare blood disorder more than two years ago. A simple 30-second cheek swab is all it takes to see if someone is Max’s “genetic twin” and possibly save his life. To request a kit or learn more about Max’s story, click here. This vibrant, energetic ninth-grader excels in school, sports, and music. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Salus made the plea in a letter published in the bulletin of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J., where he formally served as pastor. Max is the grandson of Joseph and Gloria Uribe, who were Notre Dame parishioners for many years, and the son of Juan Uribe, Joseph and Gloria’s son, and his wife, Lucia. Father Salus taught Juan at Delbarton School, also in Morristown, run by the Benedictine community there. Max’s doctors told the family that Max needs a stem cell transplant to repair his bone marrow. Because of his unique Afro-Latino and European heritage, Max has a rare marker (B*42:02) that makes finding a perfect-match donor very difficult. The prevalence of Max’s rare marker is higher among these groups. A perfect match donor will raise Max’s five-year survival rate from 85 to 95 percent, a 10-percent increase. The reality is that white patients have an 80 percent chance of finding a perfect match, a Latin/Hispanic patient’s chances are only 50 percent, and a black patient’s are only 30 percent. For an overview of the stem-cell donation process, click here.
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Urgent search for stem cell donor to save boy #Catholic – Father Jude Salus, a Benedictine monk at St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, N.J., is coming to communities he served and the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey —and beyond —with a desperate plea for help for a 15-year-old boy with a rare blood disorder. The priest is asking people of both genders, ages 18 to 35, of mixed heritage, with roots in the Caribbean or South America, who may also have European ancestry, to take a genetic test to determine whether they might be a match as a stem-cell donor for Max Uribe. He was diagnosed with the rare blood disorder more than two years ago. A simple 30-second cheek swab is all it takes to see if someone is Max’s “genetic twin” and possibly save his life. To request a kit or learn more about Max’s story, click here. This vibrant, energetic ninth-grader excels in school, sports, and music. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Salus made the plea in a letter published in the bulletin of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J., where he formally served as pastor. Max is the grandson of Joseph and Gloria Uribe, who were Notre Dame parishioners for many years, and the son of Juan Uribe, Joseph and Gloria’s son, and his wife, Lucia. Father Salus taught Juan at Delbarton School, also in Morristown, run by the Benedictine community there. Max’s doctors told the family that Max needs a stem cell transplant to repair his bone marrow. Because of his unique Afro-Latino and European heritage, Max has a rare marker (B*42:02) that makes finding a perfect-match donor very difficult. The prevalence of Max’s rare marker is higher among these groups. A perfect match donor will raise Max’s five-year survival rate from 85 to 95 percent, a 10-percent increase. The reality is that white patients have an 80 percent chance of finding a perfect match, a Latin/Hispanic patient’s chances are only 50 percent, and a black patient’s are only 30 percent. For an overview of the stem-cell donation process, click here.

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Urgent search for stem cell donor to save boy #Catholic –

Father Jude Salus, a Benedictine monk at St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, N.J., is coming to communities he served and the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey —and beyond —with a desperate plea for help for a 15-year-old boy with a rare blood disorder.

The priest is asking people of both genders, ages 18 to 35, of mixed heritage, with roots in the Caribbean or South America, who may also have European ancestry, to take a genetic test to determine whether they might be a match as a stem-cell donor for Max Uribe. He was diagnosed with the rare blood disorder more than two years ago.

A simple 30-second cheek swab is all it takes to see if someone is Max’s “genetic twin” and possibly save his life. To request a kit or learn more about Max’s story, click here. This vibrant, energetic ninth-grader excels in school, sports, and music.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Father Salus made the plea in a letter published in the bulletin of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J., where he formally served as pastor. Max is the grandson of Joseph and Gloria Uribe, who were Notre Dame parishioners for many years, and the son of Juan Uribe, Joseph and Gloria’s son, and his wife, Lucia. Father Salus taught Juan at Delbarton School, also in Morristown, run by the Benedictine community there.

Max’s doctors told the family that Max needs a stem cell transplant to repair his bone marrow. Because of his unique Afro-Latino and European heritage, Max has a rare marker (B*42:02) that makes finding a perfect-match donor very difficult. The prevalence of Max’s rare marker is higher among these groups.

A perfect match donor will raise Max’s five-year survival rate from 85 to 95 percent, a 10-percent increase. The reality is that white patients have an 80 percent chance of finding a perfect match, a Latin/Hispanic patient’s chances are only 50 percent, and a black patient’s are only 30 percent.

For an overview of the stem-cell donation process, click here.

– Father Jude Salus, a Benedictine monk at St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, N.J., is coming to communities he served and the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey —and beyond —with a desperate plea for help for a 15-year-old boy with a rare blood disorder. The priest is asking people of both genders, ages 18 to 35, of mixed heritage, with roots in the Caribbean or South America, who may also have European ancestry, to take a genetic test to determine whether they might be a match as a stem-cell donor for Max Uribe. He was diagnosed with the rare blood disorder

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Pope Leo XIV appoints Texas cardinal as administrator of Amarillo until new bishop chosen #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Feb. 14 accepted the resignation of Amarillo Bishop Patrick Zurek, appointing Cardinal Daniel DiNardo to serve as apostolic administrator of the Texas diocese until a permanent replacement can be found. Zurek has served as the Amarillo bishop for nearly 20 years, having been appointed to the post by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008. He had previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The diocese on its website identifies him as "the longest serving Bishop in the history of the Diocese of Amarillo." At 77 he was two years past the customary retirement age for bishops. DiNardo previously served as the archbishop of Galveston-Houston from 2006 to 2025. He was created a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. He has served as both the president and vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Religious sister named deputy director of Vatican press officeOn Feb. 13, meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV appointed Sister Nina Benedikta Krapić, MVZ as deputy director of the Holy See Press Office. The first religious sister to serve in the role, Krapić previously served in the Dicastery for Communications. Vatican News reported that she has also worked "as a journalist and as a legal advisor for women victims of domestic violence and other marginalized individuals."She is currently studying for a doctorate in social sciences at the Collegium Maximum of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. She will take up the post in the Vatican press office in March 1. Krapić replaces Cristiane Murray in the press role. Murray was appointed to the position by Pope Francis in 2019 after having worked for Vatican Radio for more than 25 years.
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Pope Leo XIV appoints Texas cardinal as administrator of Amarillo until new bishop chosen #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Feb. 14 accepted the resignation of Amarillo Bishop Patrick Zurek, appointing Cardinal Daniel DiNardo to serve as apostolic administrator of the Texas diocese until a permanent replacement can be found. Zurek has served as the Amarillo bishop for nearly 20 years, having been appointed to the post by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008. He had previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The diocese on its website identifies him as "the longest serving Bishop in the history of the Diocese of Amarillo." At 77 he was two years past the customary retirement age for bishops. DiNardo previously served as the archbishop of Galveston-Houston from 2006 to 2025. He was created a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. He has served as both the president and vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Religious sister named deputy director of Vatican press officeOn Feb. 13, meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV appointed Sister Nina Benedikta Krapić, MVZ as deputy director of the Holy See Press Office. The first religious sister to serve in the role, Krapić previously served in the Dicastery for Communications. Vatican News reported that she has also worked "as a journalist and as a legal advisor for women victims of domestic violence and other marginalized individuals."She is currently studying for a doctorate in social sciences at the Collegium Maximum of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. She will take up the post in the Vatican press office in March 1. Krapić replaces Cristiane Murray in the press role. Murray was appointed to the position by Pope Francis in 2019 after having worked for Vatican Radio for more than 25 years.

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The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Amarillo Bishop Patrick Zurek, who has reached retirement age.

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Ave Maria University to open campus in Ireland #Catholic Here is a round up of recent Catholic-education-related news:Ave Maria University to open campus in IrelandAve Maria University, a Catholic liberal arts university in Florida, is opening a new campus at a former monastery in rural Ireland, according to an announcement on its website.The new campus will be in County Waterford in the southern region of Ireland at the former Cistercian monastery of Mount Melleray near Cappoquin, the university announced in a video. The abbey closed in January 2025 after almost two centuries.The video announcement pledged that the new campus would be “a fully integrated Ave Maria University experience now embedded in the rich Catholic and cultural heritage of Europe.”Diocese of Brooklyn to close 7 struggling schools Seven Catholic schools will be closing in June in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, due to financial challenges and enrollment declines, the diocese announced Feb. 11.The seven schools closing are: Sacred Heart Catholic Academy, Cambria Heights; St. Bartholomew Catholic Academy in Elmhurst; St. Nicholas of Tolentine Catholic Academy in Jamaica; Incarnation Catholic Academy in Queens Village; St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Academy in Woodhaven; St. Elizabeth Catholic Academy in Ozone Park; and Our Lady of Trust Catholic Academy in Canarsie.“Our responsibility is both pastoral and practical,” said Deacon Kevin McCormack, superintendent of schools for the diocese. “We will walk with our families and employees through this process while continuing to strengthen Catholic education throughout Brooklyn and Queens.”The enrollment decline has been ongoing since 2019, with a sharp decline from 2024 to 2025, according to the diocese newspaper.The diocese has a website to help families facilitate transferring to nearby Catholic schools.Thomas Aquinas College celebrates 100 alumni priestsA Catholic liberal arts college in California with an East Coast satellite location in Massachusetts celebrated its 100th alumni priest.Priest alumni of Thomas Aquinas College include 11 Benedictines, nine Dominicans, eight Norbertines, and 40 diocesan priests, among others, according to a Feb. 12 press release shared with EWTN News.Thomas Aquinas College has a combined enrollment of about 500 students and is designed to be an intentionally small community.“We are deeply honored to have played some small part in these men’s formation, and we pray for their ministry and witness as they serve Christ’s people throughout the world,” President Paul O’Reilly said in a statement shared with EWTN News.The four newest priests were ordained in 2024 at three separate ordination masses.
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Ave Maria University to open campus in Ireland #Catholic Here is a round up of recent Catholic-education-related news:Ave Maria University to open campus in IrelandAve Maria University, a Catholic liberal arts university in Florida, is opening a new campus at a former monastery in rural Ireland, according to an announcement on its website.The new campus will be in County Waterford in the southern region of Ireland at the former Cistercian monastery of Mount Melleray near Cappoquin, the university announced in a video. The abbey closed in January 2025 after almost two centuries.The video announcement pledged that the new campus would be “a fully integrated Ave Maria University experience now embedded in the rich Catholic and cultural heritage of Europe.”Diocese of Brooklyn to close 7 struggling schools Seven Catholic schools will be closing in June in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, due to financial challenges and enrollment declines, the diocese announced Feb. 11.The seven schools closing are: Sacred Heart Catholic Academy, Cambria Heights; St. Bartholomew Catholic Academy in Elmhurst; St. Nicholas of Tolentine Catholic Academy in Jamaica; Incarnation Catholic Academy in Queens Village; St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Academy in Woodhaven; St. Elizabeth Catholic Academy in Ozone Park; and Our Lady of Trust Catholic Academy in Canarsie.“Our responsibility is both pastoral and practical,” said Deacon Kevin McCormack, superintendent of schools for the diocese. “We will walk with our families and employees through this process while continuing to strengthen Catholic education throughout Brooklyn and Queens.”The enrollment decline has been ongoing since 2019, with a sharp decline from 2024 to 2025, according to the diocese newspaper.The diocese has a website to help families facilitate transferring to nearby Catholic schools.Thomas Aquinas College celebrates 100 alumni priestsA Catholic liberal arts college in California with an East Coast satellite location in Massachusetts celebrated its 100th alumni priest.Priest alumni of Thomas Aquinas College include 11 Benedictines, nine Dominicans, eight Norbertines, and 40 diocesan priests, among others, according to a Feb. 12 press release shared with EWTN News.Thomas Aquinas College has a combined enrollment of about 500 students and is designed to be an intentionally small community.“We are deeply honored to have played some small part in these men’s formation, and we pray for their ministry and witness as they serve Christ’s people throughout the world,” President Paul O’Reilly said in a statement shared with EWTN News.The four newest priests were ordained in 2024 at three separate ordination masses.

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Ave Maria University, a Catholic liberal arts university in Florida, is opening a new campus at a former monastery in rural Ireland. Learn more in this Catholic education news roundup.

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Mother of boy healed through intercession of Fulton Sheen celebrates his upcoming beatification #Catholic Bonnie Engstrom, the mother of the child who was healed through Archbishop J. Fulton Sheen’s intercession, said she “laughed out loud with joy” when she heard his beatification was going to move forward.On Feb. 9, the Holy See officially informed Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, that the cause for the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can proceed to beatification. He is credited for the miracle that saved the life of Engstrom’s son James Fulton Engstrom, who was named after Sheen.“We had started getting to know Fulton Sheen and growing in our devotion to him while I was pregnant with James,” Engstrom said in a Feb. 13 interview with “EWTN News In Depth.” “During that pregnancy we had decided to name our son after him … to really put him under his patronage.”On Sept. 16, 2010, James was born at home. It had been a healthy pregnancy, and it was a healthy labor, but there was a knot in James’ umbilical cord that tightened during birth. “He was a stillborn, there was absolutely no sign of life,” Engstrom said.In the “time of crisis, I was in a state of shock,” she said. “I didn’t really know what to do, but I remember calling on Fulton Sheen, just saying his name, ‘Fulton Sheen, Fulton Sheen, Fulton Sheen.’”“While [James] was at home, while he was in the ambulance, and while he was at the hospital in the emergency room, he did not have a pulse for that entire time,” she said. “Right as the medical team was ready to call time of death, all hands were off. And at that moment, his heart started to beat again, and it never stopped after that.”James is a freshman in high school and doing “great,” Engstrom said. “He is doing really well. He loves music. He’s in an art class that he’s really enjoying … he’s a great kid. Hardworking, funny.”While James “has had some medical issues along the way,” there is nothing the family can attribute to his health issues at birth.Engstrom said that her son’s “initial MRI, the first 24 hours of his life, showed extensive brain damage, and the follow-up one was perfectly clear.”Sheen’s beatificationSheen’s cause for canonization was first opened in 2002 under the leadership of the Diocese of Peoria, Sheen’s birthplace, and from then on he was referred to as a servant of God. Pope Benedict XVI declared him venerable in June 2012.On March 6, 2014, the board of medical experts who advise the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously approved the reported miracle of James. Pope Francis approved of the miracle of Sheen’s on July 5, 2019, and the beatification experienced numerous delays due to an ownership dispute of his remains and an investigation into clergy sex abuse in New York.While obstacles were eventually cleared, Engstrom said initially her family was “frustrated” and “disappointed” with the delays. “I think as things in the Church just continue to progress and time went by, we realized, we trust in Jesus and he’s got it in control. And so we were able to really lean into that and move past the initial disappointment,” she said.The family is “so excited,” Engstrom said. "We’re so happy about it.” “We really appreciate that in all of Church history, our family has a little footnote in it in a very special way, and it’s remarkable. It is such an honor, and it’s such a joyful thing,” she said.
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Mother of boy healed through intercession of Fulton Sheen celebrates his upcoming beatification #Catholic Bonnie Engstrom, the mother of the child who was healed through Archbishop J. Fulton Sheen’s intercession, said she “laughed out loud with joy” when she heard his beatification was going to move forward.On Feb. 9, the Holy See officially informed Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, that the cause for the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can proceed to beatification. He is credited for the miracle that saved the life of Engstrom’s son James Fulton Engstrom, who was named after Sheen.“We had started getting to know Fulton Sheen and growing in our devotion to him while I was pregnant with James,” Engstrom said in a Feb. 13 interview with “EWTN News In Depth.” “During that pregnancy we had decided to name our son after him … to really put him under his patronage.”On Sept. 16, 2010, James was born at home. It had been a healthy pregnancy, and it was a healthy labor, but there was a knot in James’ umbilical cord that tightened during birth. “He was a stillborn, there was absolutely no sign of life,” Engstrom said.In the “time of crisis, I was in a state of shock,” she said. “I didn’t really know what to do, but I remember calling on Fulton Sheen, just saying his name, ‘Fulton Sheen, Fulton Sheen, Fulton Sheen.’”“While [James] was at home, while he was in the ambulance, and while he was at the hospital in the emergency room, he did not have a pulse for that entire time,” she said. “Right as the medical team was ready to call time of death, all hands were off. And at that moment, his heart started to beat again, and it never stopped after that.”James is a freshman in high school and doing “great,” Engstrom said. “He is doing really well. He loves music. He’s in an art class that he’s really enjoying … he’s a great kid. Hardworking, funny.”While James “has had some medical issues along the way,” there is nothing the family can attribute to his health issues at birth.Engstrom said that her son’s “initial MRI, the first 24 hours of his life, showed extensive brain damage, and the follow-up one was perfectly clear.”Sheen’s beatificationSheen’s cause for canonization was first opened in 2002 under the leadership of the Diocese of Peoria, Sheen’s birthplace, and from then on he was referred to as a servant of God. Pope Benedict XVI declared him venerable in June 2012.On March 6, 2014, the board of medical experts who advise the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously approved the reported miracle of James. Pope Francis approved of the miracle of Sheen’s on July 5, 2019, and the beatification experienced numerous delays due to an ownership dispute of his remains and an investigation into clergy sex abuse in New York.While obstacles were eventually cleared, Engstrom said initially her family was “frustrated” and “disappointed” with the delays. “I think as things in the Church just continue to progress and time went by, we realized, we trust in Jesus and he’s got it in control. And so we were able to really lean into that and move past the initial disappointment,” she said.The family is “so excited,” Engstrom said. "We’re so happy about it.” “We really appreciate that in all of Church history, our family has a little footnote in it in a very special way, and it’s remarkable. It is such an honor, and it’s such a joyful thing,” she said.

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Bonnie Engstrom, the mother of boy healed through the intercession of Fulton Sheen, provides an update on her son following the announcement of the archbishop’s upcoming beatification.

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New film brings to life the Book of Revelation - #Catholic - A new movie titled “The Apocalypse of St. John” brings to life the Book of Revelation. Not only does the film tackle the challenging messages found in Revelation, but it also makes them accessible to a wider audience.Written, created, and directed by Simón Delacre, the docudrama will air in theaters across the United States Feb. 15–17 after having tremendous success in South America and Latin America.Delacre told EWTN News that he was inspired to make the film because he was a big fan of apocalyptic Hollywood movies growing up.“But of course, being Catholic, I knew that would be somewhat far from the truth, somewhat far from the actual book of Revelation,” he said.He began to dive deeper into the theology of the Book of Revelation because he was “very intrigued” by the symbolism and complex images and explained that what impacted him the most was “how current the topic of Revelation was for our times.”“We are living in a crisis that is global in all aspects of men — like in the moral aspect, there’s a huge crisis, there’s a big crisis in the spiritual aspect, there’s a crisis in the economic aspect, political aspect, all aspects of life. We’re going through a great crisis that is at the same time global,” Delacre said.He added: “Since we are living — well, this is my opinion — the greatest crisis of all time, I think it is very important to give the world the good prophecy that is the Book of Revelation and give it in a Catholic way.”Delacre explained that he worked with many priests, biblical scholars, and theologians to properly depict Revelation and ensured to use language that would be understood by a general audience. A still from the docudrama “The Apocalypse of St. John,” which will be in theaters Feb. 15–17, 2026. | Credit: Caravel Films Amid his research into Revelation and creating the film, Delacre said his own faith was impacted in a way that allowed him to view crises in the world “not with desperation but with hope.”“Every time I see a new crisis, I just see something that moves history forwards to the second coming,” he shared.He recalled being in the middle of studying Revelation when his home country of Argentina legalized abortion in 2020. He spoke with a friend of his who is a priest on that day and despite being disappointed by the news, they “couldn’t feel sad because we saw in that another sign that proves that we are closer to the second coming and that Christ is coming soon.”The filmmaker said he hopes audiences will have a similar experience after watching the film in that it will “bring comfort and solace to people who watch the movie in the midst of this crisis we are living [through].”“Also, to teach them that the book of Revelation is not a book of terror, but a book of hope … Just rip off that fear to the book and encourage them to study more of Revelation.”
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New film brings to life the Book of Revelation – #Catholic – A new movie titled “The Apocalypse of St. John” brings to life the Book of Revelation. Not only does the film tackle the challenging messages found in Revelation, but it also makes them accessible to a wider audience.Written, created, and directed by Simón Delacre, the docudrama will air in theaters across the United States Feb. 15–17 after having tremendous success in South America and Latin America.Delacre told EWTN News that he was inspired to make the film because he was a big fan of apocalyptic Hollywood movies growing up.“But of course, being Catholic, I knew that would be somewhat far from the truth, somewhat far from the actual book of Revelation,” he said.He began to dive deeper into the theology of the Book of Revelation because he was “very intrigued” by the symbolism and complex images and explained that what impacted him the most was “how current the topic of Revelation was for our times.”“We are living in a crisis that is global in all aspects of men — like in the moral aspect, there’s a huge crisis, there’s a big crisis in the spiritual aspect, there’s a crisis in the economic aspect, political aspect, all aspects of life. We’re going through a great crisis that is at the same time global,” Delacre said.He added: “Since we are living — well, this is my opinion — the greatest crisis of all time, I think it is very important to give the world the good prophecy that is the Book of Revelation and give it in a Catholic way.”Delacre explained that he worked with many priests, biblical scholars, and theologians to properly depict Revelation and ensured to use language that would be understood by a general audience. A still from the docudrama “The Apocalypse of St. John,” which will be in theaters Feb. 15–17, 2026. | Credit: Caravel Films Amid his research into Revelation and creating the film, Delacre said his own faith was impacted in a way that allowed him to view crises in the world “not with desperation but with hope.”“Every time I see a new crisis, I just see something that moves history forwards to the second coming,” he shared.He recalled being in the middle of studying Revelation when his home country of Argentina legalized abortion in 2020. He spoke with a friend of his who is a priest on that day and despite being disappointed by the news, they “couldn’t feel sad because we saw in that another sign that proves that we are closer to the second coming and that Christ is coming soon.”The filmmaker said he hopes audiences will have a similar experience after watching the film in that it will “bring comfort and solace to people who watch the movie in the midst of this crisis we are living [through].”“Also, to teach them that the book of Revelation is not a book of terror, but a book of hope … Just rip off that fear to the book and encourage them to study more of Revelation.”

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Written, created, and directed by Simón Delacre, “The Apocalypse of St. John” will air in theaters across the United States Feb. 15–17.

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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Launch – A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission is the twelfth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev launched at 5:15 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to begin a mission aboard the orbital outpost.
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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Launch – A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission is the twelfth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev launched at 5:15 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to begin a mission aboard the orbital outpost.

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission is the twelfth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev launched at 5:15 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to begin a mission aboard the orbital outpost.

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On Valentine’s Day, Boston Archdiocese welcomes marriages into Church with convalidation ceremony - #Catholic - About two dozen couples in the Archdiocese of Boston will have their marriages “brought into the Church” this year, part of a now-yearly tradition there in which husbands and wives can take part in “convalidation” ceremonies. Convalidation offers civilly married husbands and wives the opportunity for a valid Catholic sacramental marriage. The Boston Archdiocese describes the ceremony as “an opportunity for couples married outside of the Catholic Church to enter a marriage covenant in the Catholic tradition, be strengthened by God’s grace, and be supported by his Church.” Couples celebrate the convalidation of their marriages in the Archdiocese of Boston on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. | Credit: Gregory Tracy/Archdiocese of Boston Liz Cotrupi, the director of family life and ecclesial movements in the archdiocesan evangelization office, told EWTN News that this year’s ceremony will be the third the archdiocese has held in as many years. “We’ve been doing it during National Marriage Week,” she said. “It just so happens that this year it falls on Valentine’s Day, so it’s a little special.”The program arose in Boston when former Regional Bishop Mark O’Connell began offering convalidation ceremonies in the north region of the archdiocese over which he presided. “When he became the vicar general [in 2023], he said, ‘Hey I’ve been doing this regionally in the north region and it’s had some good feedback — what about doing it archdiocesan-wide?’” Cotrupi said. The program has grown ever since. “We’ll probably have 22 to 24 couples this year,” Cotrupi said. The archdiocese has advertised the ceremony in parish bulletins and on social media, she said, and the reaction has been positive. “People are coming out of the woodwork,” she said. A couple receives convalidation of their marriage by Bishop Mark O’Connell in the Archdiocese of Boston on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. | Credit: Gregory Tracy/Archdiocese of Boston The process is similar, but not identical, to that of preparing couples for marriage. “We’ve learned a lot through this process,” Cotrupi said with a laugh. The archdiocesan canonical affairs office takes part in the marriage preparation, she said, while a priest helps prepare the couple directly. “Each couple, it’s as if they’re making their vows for the very first time,” she said. “They will exchange consent, answer the questions, and then exchange rings, which are blessed.” “Each couple, it’s as if they’re making their vows for the very first time.” Liz CotrupiDirector of Family Life and Ecclesial Movements, Archdiocese of Boston The ceremony is not a full Mass, she said, but rather consists of the Liturgy of the Word, the prayers of the faithful, a blessing, and the marriage ceremony itself. The event often has all the trappings of a wedding, she said. “Some brides come dressed in wedding dresses,” she said. Others are dressed more casually. Some families bring their children. Young guests attend a convalidation ceremony in the Archdiocese of Boston on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. | Credit: Gregory Tracy/Archdiocese of Boston At times, Cotrupi said, couples forget to bring the required two witnesses to the event, in which case she and archdiocesan Family Life Consultant Emily Elliott have often stood as witnesses. Couples are often given a gift on the day of the ceremony, she said, and afterward they often go out to dinner with family and friends to celebrate. Cotrupi said the usual administrative tasks surrounding the process, like “all the paperwork,” can be “a bit much.” Still, she said, “it’s a joyous occasion.”“We’re so happy to do it for them,” she said.
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On Valentine’s Day, Boston Archdiocese welcomes marriages into Church with convalidation ceremony – #Catholic – About two dozen couples in the Archdiocese of Boston will have their marriages “brought into the Church” this year, part of a now-yearly tradition there in which husbands and wives can take part in “convalidation” ceremonies. Convalidation offers civilly married husbands and wives the opportunity for a valid Catholic sacramental marriage. The Boston Archdiocese describes the ceremony as “an opportunity for couples married outside of the Catholic Church to enter a marriage covenant in the Catholic tradition, be strengthened by God’s grace, and be supported by his Church.” Couples celebrate the convalidation of their marriages in the Archdiocese of Boston on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. | Credit: Gregory Tracy/Archdiocese of Boston Liz Cotrupi, the director of family life and ecclesial movements in the archdiocesan evangelization office, told EWTN News that this year’s ceremony will be the third the archdiocese has held in as many years. “We’ve been doing it during National Marriage Week,” she said. “It just so happens that this year it falls on Valentine’s Day, so it’s a little special.”The program arose in Boston when former Regional Bishop Mark O’Connell began offering convalidation ceremonies in the north region of the archdiocese over which he presided. “When he became the vicar general [in 2023], he said, ‘Hey I’ve been doing this regionally in the north region and it’s had some good feedback — what about doing it archdiocesan-wide?’” Cotrupi said. The program has grown ever since. “We’ll probably have 22 to 24 couples this year,” Cotrupi said. The archdiocese has advertised the ceremony in parish bulletins and on social media, she said, and the reaction has been positive. “People are coming out of the woodwork,” she said. A couple receives convalidation of their marriage by Bishop Mark O’Connell in the Archdiocese of Boston on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. | Credit: Gregory Tracy/Archdiocese of Boston The process is similar, but not identical, to that of preparing couples for marriage. “We’ve learned a lot through this process,” Cotrupi said with a laugh. The archdiocesan canonical affairs office takes part in the marriage preparation, she said, while a priest helps prepare the couple directly. “Each couple, it’s as if they’re making their vows for the very first time,” she said. “They will exchange consent, answer the questions, and then exchange rings, which are blessed.” “Each couple, it’s as if they’re making their vows for the very first time.” Liz CotrupiDirector of Family Life and Ecclesial Movements, Archdiocese of Boston The ceremony is not a full Mass, she said, but rather consists of the Liturgy of the Word, the prayers of the faithful, a blessing, and the marriage ceremony itself. The event often has all the trappings of a wedding, she said. “Some brides come dressed in wedding dresses,” she said. Others are dressed more casually. Some families bring their children. Young guests attend a convalidation ceremony in the Archdiocese of Boston on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. | Credit: Gregory Tracy/Archdiocese of Boston At times, Cotrupi said, couples forget to bring the required two witnesses to the event, in which case she and archdiocesan Family Life Consultant Emily Elliott have often stood as witnesses. Couples are often given a gift on the day of the ceremony, she said, and afterward they often go out to dinner with family and friends to celebrate. Cotrupi said the usual administrative tasks surrounding the process, like “all the paperwork,” can be “a bit much.” Still, she said, “it’s a joyous occasion.”“We’re so happy to do it for them,” she said.

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The archdiocese has seen growing interest in the ceremony for several years.

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Pro-lifers rally for baby left to die after failed abortion – #Catholic – Pro-lifers rally for baby left to die after failed abortionBorn alive at 16 weeks at an Australian hospital after a failed abortion, baby Samuel sucked his thumb. Doctors left him to die.“He was left to die. No one picked him up, wrapped him or gave him any medical care to alleviate his pain and suffering,” said South Australian pro-life activist Joanna Howe.The photo was leaked by a whistleblower who Howe said “risked their career” by sharing the photo. Australian authorities are reportedly trying to remove the image from social media.Australian pro-lifers rallied on Feb. 9 outside Queensland Parliament House in Brisbane for a “Public Gathering for Queensland Babies.”In 2024, a legislator introduced a bill to protect babies born alive after abortions. The Archdiocese of Brisbane came out in support of the amendment, saying that even if the child was unlikely to survive, medical staff had a duty to care for the baby.But the motion failed to pass after Queensland Premier David Crisafulli banned discussion of abortion in state Parliament for the next four years.Arizona judge strikes down pro-life laws, citing abortion rights amendmentAn Arizona judge on Friday struck down three pro-life laws in the state, saying they violated the state constitution.The ruling comes as a result of the abortion rights amendment that voters passed in Arizona in 2024. Citing the amendment, Judge Gregory Como ruled that the restrictions violated the state’s constitutional right to abortion.The court overturned state laws requiring in-person visits for chemical abortions as well as a 24-hour waiting period with mandatory ultrasound and a ban on discriminatory abortions.“Each of these laws infringe on a woman’s ‘autonomous decision-making’ by mandating medical procedures and disclosure of information regardless of the patient’s needs and wishes,” Como said in the ruling.Right to Life Michigan suit alleges state hiring law violates First AmendmentRight to Life Michigan, a group that advocates for pro-life policies, is suing the state over its requirements to hire pro-abortion employees.In a Feb. 3 filing, Right to Life Michigan and a pregnancy resource center alleged that a state employment law violates their First Amendment rights.The state law redefined bans against discrimination based on sex to include termination of pregnancy. The law also requires the pro-life groups to offer abortion coverage in their insurance plans.A spokesman from Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit legal group defending Right to Life Michigan, said the law “makes no sense” and “forces these organizations to contradict their beliefs.”“Pro-life groups should be free to share the message of hope and joy with women and families experiencing a difficult season through employees who share their common goal,” Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart said in a statement.Iowa lawmakers propose anti-trafficking law, abortion criminalizationIowa lawmakers are considering several pro-life bills, including one that would screen pregnant women for coercion and abuse before abortions.The proposed bill would require an in-person examination by a physician before prescribing a pregnant woman abortion drugs and would require physicians to screen for coercion and abuse.Another bill introduced Friday would make it a criminal act for a person to cause an elective abortion. A similar bill would criminalize abortion as a homicide at any stage.Iowa law currently protects unborn children after their heartbeats can be detected, at about six weeks of pregnancy.Federal judge dismisses abortion advertisers’ free speech lawsuitAfter the South Dakota attorney general sued an abortion rights group for allegedly misleading and harmful advertisements, a federal judge declined to intervene on the abortion rights group’s behalf.The federal judge ruled the court has no jurisdiction in the South Dakota issue and declined to intervene in a lawsuit.South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has sued the group Mayday Health in state court, alleging that the abortion pill ads were deceptive and harmful to women. Mayday launched a countersuit saying this violated its First Amendment right to free speech.South Dakota protects unborn children from abortions in all cases, except to save the life of the mother.California to give additional million to abortion providersCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Feb. 11 to give million to abortion providers.Designed to replace Trump’s federal cuts, the one-time grant will give funding to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers that lost funding because they offer abortion.The bill follows the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by Trump last year, which prohibited federal Medicaid funding from going to the abortion provider Planned Parenthood.In October 2025, Newsom signed a bill to supplement Planned Parenthood with another 0 million, also citing the Trump cuts.The state already refunds more than 80% of an estimated 1.3 million patient visits to Planned Parenthood via its state Medicaid program, Medi-Cal.Students for Life of America kicks of pro-life tour to reach Gen ZStudents for Life of America is kicking off a college speaking tour designed to reach Generation Z.The “Make Gen Z Anti-Abortion” campus tour “counters the assumption that Gen Z is all in on abortion,” according to the SFLA press release.From February to April, SFLA spokesperson Lydia Taylor Davis will be speaking at University of Florida, Florida International University, University of South Carolina, Liberty University, University of Pittsburgh, and Virginia Commonwealth University.“Gen Z is the largest voting bloc in America, with youth voters now making up over 48.5% of the electorate. Yet they’re easily dismissed by conservatives — and heavily targeted by the abortion lobby,” the SFLA press release said.“But according to recent polling from SFLA’s Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement, roughly 6 in 10 youth voters are in the ‘moveable middle’ on abortion,” SFLA continued.
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Pro-lifers rally for baby left to die after failed abortion – #Catholic – Pro-lifers rally for baby left to die after failed abortionBorn alive at 16 weeks at an Australian hospital after a failed abortion, baby Samuel sucked his thumb. Doctors left him to die.“He was left to die. No one picked him up, wrapped him or gave him any medical care to alleviate his pain and suffering,” said South Australian pro-life activist Joanna Howe.The photo was leaked by a whistleblower who Howe said “risked their career” by sharing the photo. Australian authorities are reportedly trying to remove the image from social media.Australian pro-lifers rallied on Feb. 9 outside Queensland Parliament House in Brisbane for a “Public Gathering for Queensland Babies.”In 2024, a legislator introduced a bill to protect babies born alive after abortions. The Archdiocese of Brisbane came out in support of the amendment, saying that even if the child was unlikely to survive, medical staff had a duty to care for the baby.But the motion failed to pass after Queensland Premier David Crisafulli banned discussion of abortion in state Parliament for the next four years.Arizona judge strikes down pro-life laws, citing abortion rights amendmentAn Arizona judge on Friday struck down three pro-life laws in the state, saying they violated the state constitution.The ruling comes as a result of the abortion rights amendment that voters passed in Arizona in 2024. Citing the amendment, Judge Gregory Como ruled that the restrictions violated the state’s constitutional right to abortion.The court overturned state laws requiring in-person visits for chemical abortions as well as a 24-hour waiting period with mandatory ultrasound and a ban on discriminatory abortions.“Each of these laws infringe on a woman’s ‘autonomous decision-making’ by mandating medical procedures and disclosure of information regardless of the patient’s needs and wishes,” Como said in the ruling.Right to Life Michigan suit alleges state hiring law violates First AmendmentRight to Life Michigan, a group that advocates for pro-life policies, is suing the state over its requirements to hire pro-abortion employees.In a Feb. 3 filing, Right to Life Michigan and a pregnancy resource center alleged that a state employment law violates their First Amendment rights.The state law redefined bans against discrimination based on sex to include termination of pregnancy. The law also requires the pro-life groups to offer abortion coverage in their insurance plans.A spokesman from Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit legal group defending Right to Life Michigan, said the law “makes no sense” and “forces these organizations to contradict their beliefs.”“Pro-life groups should be free to share the message of hope and joy with women and families experiencing a difficult season through employees who share their common goal,” Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart said in a statement.Iowa lawmakers propose anti-trafficking law, abortion criminalizationIowa lawmakers are considering several pro-life bills, including one that would screen pregnant women for coercion and abuse before abortions.The proposed bill would require an in-person examination by a physician before prescribing a pregnant woman abortion drugs and would require physicians to screen for coercion and abuse.Another bill introduced Friday would make it a criminal act for a person to cause an elective abortion. A similar bill would criminalize abortion as a homicide at any stage.Iowa law currently protects unborn children after their heartbeats can be detected, at about six weeks of pregnancy.Federal judge dismisses abortion advertisers’ free speech lawsuitAfter the South Dakota attorney general sued an abortion rights group for allegedly misleading and harmful advertisements, a federal judge declined to intervene on the abortion rights group’s behalf.The federal judge ruled the court has no jurisdiction in the South Dakota issue and declined to intervene in a lawsuit.South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has sued the group Mayday Health in state court, alleging that the abortion pill ads were deceptive and harmful to women. Mayday launched a countersuit saying this violated its First Amendment right to free speech.South Dakota protects unborn children from abortions in all cases, except to save the life of the mother.California to give additional $90 million to abortion providersCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Feb. 11 to give $90 million to abortion providers.Designed to replace Trump’s federal cuts, the one-time grant will give funding to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers that lost funding because they offer abortion.The bill follows the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by Trump last year, which prohibited federal Medicaid funding from going to the abortion provider Planned Parenthood.In October 2025, Newsom signed a bill to supplement Planned Parenthood with another $140 million, also citing the Trump cuts.The state already refunds more than 80% of an estimated 1.3 million patient visits to Planned Parenthood via its state Medicaid program, Medi-Cal.Students for Life of America kicks of pro-life tour to reach Gen ZStudents for Life of America is kicking off a college speaking tour designed to reach Generation Z.The “Make Gen Z Anti-Abortion” campus tour “counters the assumption that Gen Z is all in on abortion,” according to the SFLA press release.From February to April, SFLA spokesperson Lydia Taylor Davis will be speaking at University of Florida, Florida International University, University of South Carolina, Liberty University, University of Pittsburgh, and Virginia Commonwealth University.“Gen Z is the largest voting bloc in America, with youth voters now making up over 48.5% of the electorate. Yet they’re easily dismissed by conservatives — and heavily targeted by the abortion lobby,” the SFLA press release said.“But according to recent polling from SFLA’s Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement, roughly 6 in 10 youth voters are in the ‘moveable middle’ on abortion,” SFLA continued.

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Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.

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The Sky Today on Saturday, February 14: A Valentine’s Heart (Nebula)

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  February 13: Catch the zodiacal light This Valentine’s Day, the sky is serving up the perfect target: the Heart Nebula (IC 1805) in Cassiopeia the Queen. Best seen in the early evening after dark, there’s no Moon in the sky to interfereContinue reading “The Sky Today on Saturday, February 14: A Valentine’s Heart (Nebula)”

The post The Sky Today on Saturday, February 14: A Valentine’s Heart (Nebula) appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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BREAKING: Two People Taken Into Custody After SWAT, FBI Raid Tucson Residence Near Nancy Guthrie’s Home .. Police Cover Range Rover with Tarp (VIDEO) – Police covered a Range Rover with a tarp as the investigation continued late into the night. The post BREAKING: Two People Taken Into Custody After SWAT, FBI Raid Tucson Residence Near Nancy Guthrie’s Home .. Police Cover Range Rover with Tarp (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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BREAKING: Two People Taken Into Custody After SWAT, FBI Raid Tucson Residence Near Nancy Guthrie’s Home .. Police Cover Range Rover with Tarp (VIDEO) – Police covered a Range Rover with a tarp as the investigation continued late into the night. The post BREAKING: Two People Taken Into Custody After SWAT, FBI Raid Tucson Residence Near Nancy Guthrie’s Home .. Police Cover Range Rover with Tarp (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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NewsNation coverage of a SWAT situation in Pima County, Arizona, featuring reporters discussing developments in the Nancy Guthrie case.

NewsNation coverage of a SWAT situation in Pima County, Arizona, featuring reporters discussing developments in the Nancy Guthrie case.

Police covered a Range Rover with a tarp as the investigation continued late into the night.

The post BREAKING: Two People Taken Into Custody After SWAT, FBI Raid Tucson Residence Near Nancy Guthrie’s Home .. Police Cover Range Rover with Tarp (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Zohran Mamdani Backtracks on Campaign Promise for Rental Assistance, Claiming it’s too Expensive – New York City’s new socialist mayor is already running out of other people’s money. The post Zohran Mamdani Backtracks on Campaign Promise for Rental Assistance, Claiming it’s too Expensive appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Zohran Mamdani Backtracks on Campaign Promise for Rental Assistance, Claiming it’s too Expensive – New York City’s new socialist mayor is already running out of other people’s money. The post Zohran Mamdani Backtracks on Campaign Promise for Rental Assistance, Claiming it’s too Expensive appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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New York City’s new socialist mayor is already running out of other people’s money.

The post Zohran Mamdani Backtracks on Campaign Promise for Rental Assistance, Claiming it’s too Expensive appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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CNN Forced to Report That Inflation is Way Down Under Trump: ‘Lowest Annual Rate for Core Since 2021’ (VIDEO) – Don’t you love it when CNN is forced to report on reality and admit that things are going well under Trump? The post CNN Forced to Report That Inflation is Way Down Under Trump: ‘Lowest Annual Rate for Core Since 2021’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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CNN Forced to Report That Inflation is Way Down Under Trump: ‘Lowest Annual Rate for Core Since 2021’ (VIDEO) – Don’t you love it when CNN is forced to report on reality and admit that things are going well under Trump? The post CNN Forced to Report That Inflation is Way Down Under Trump: ‘Lowest Annual Rate for Core Since 2021’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Don’t you love it when CNN is forced to report on reality and admit that things are going well under Trump?

The post CNN Forced to Report That Inflation is Way Down Under Trump: ‘Lowest Annual Rate for Core Since 2021’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 14 February 2026 – A reading from the First Book of Kings 1 Kings 12:26-32; 13:33-34 Jeroboam thought to himself: "The kingdom will return to David’s house. If now this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, the hearts of this people will return to their master, Rehoboam, king of Judah, and they will kill me." After taking counsel, the king made two calves of gold and said to the people: "You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough. Here is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." And he put one in Bethel, the other in Dan. This led to sin, because the people frequented those calves in Bethel and in Dan. He also built temples on the high places and made priests from among the people who were not Levites. Jeroboam established a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month to duplicate in Bethel the pilgrimage feast of Judah, with sacrifices to the calves he had made; and he stationed in Bethel priests of the high places he had built. Jeroboam did not give up his evil ways after this, but again made priests for the high places from among the common people. Whoever desired it was consecrated and became a priest of the high places. This was a sin on the part of the house of Jeroboam for which it was to be cut off and destroyed from the earth.From the Gospel according to Mark 8:1-10 In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, Jesus summoned the disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.” His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?” Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven.” He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets. There were about four thousand people. He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.Jesus does not want to act alone, he came to bring the love of God into the world and he wants to spread it in the style of communion, in the style of brotherhood. That is why he immediately forms a community of disciples, which is a missionary community. He trains them straight away for the mission, to go forth. But pay attention: their purpose is not to socialize, to spend time together, no, their purpose is to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and this is urgent! And it is still urgent today! (…) These 72 disciples, whom Jesus sent out ahead of him, who were they? Who do they represent? If the Twelve were the Apostles, and also thus represent the Bishops, their successors, these 72 could represent the other ordained ministries, priests and deacons; but more broadly we can think of the other ministries in the Church, of catechists, of the lay faithful who engage in parish missions, of those who work with the sick, with different kinds of disadvantaged and marginalized people; but always as missionaries of the Gospel, with the urgency of the Kingdom that is close at hand. Everyone must be a missionary, everyone can hear that call of Jesus and go forth and proclaim the Kingdom! (Pope Francis, Angelus, 7 July 2013)

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A reading from the First Book of Kings
1 Kings 12:26-32; 13:33-34

Jeroboam thought to himself:
"The kingdom will return to David’s house.
If now this people go up to offer sacrifices
in the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem,
the hearts of this people will return to their master,
Rehoboam, king of Judah,
and they will kill me."
After taking counsel, the king made two calves of gold
and said to the people:
"You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough.
Here is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."
And he put one in Bethel, the other in Dan.
This led to sin, because the people frequented those calves
in Bethel and in Dan.
He also built temples on the high places
and made priests from among the people who were not Levites.
Jeroboam established a feast in the eighth month
on the fifteenth day of the month
to duplicate in Bethel the pilgrimage feast of Judah,
with sacrifices to the calves he had made;
and he stationed in Bethel priests of the high places he had built.

Jeroboam did not give up his evil ways after this,
but again made priests for the high places
from among the common people.
Whoever desired it was consecrated
and became a priest of the high places.
This was a sin on the part of the house of Jeroboam
for which it was to be cut off and destroyed from the earth.

From the Gospel according to Mark
8:1-10

In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat,
Jesus summoned the disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
because they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
If I send them away hungry to their homes,
they will collapse on the way,
and some of them have come a great distance.”
His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread
to satisfy them here in this deserted place?”
Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
They replied, “Seven.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them,
and gave them to his disciples to distribute,
and they distributed them to the crowd.
They also had a few fish.
He said the blessing over them
and ordered them distributed also.
They ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.
There were about four thousand people.

He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples
and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

Jesus does not want to act alone, he came to bring the love of God into the world and he wants to spread it in the style of communion, in the style of brotherhood. That is why he immediately forms a community of disciples, which is a missionary community. He trains them straight away for the mission, to go forth.

But pay attention: their purpose is not to socialize, to spend time together, no, their purpose is to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and this is urgent! And it is still urgent today! (…)

These 72 disciples, whom Jesus sent out ahead of him, who were they? Who do they represent? If the Twelve were the Apostles, and also thus represent the Bishops, their successors, these 72 could represent the other ordained ministries, priests and deacons; but more broadly we can think of the other ministries in the Church, of catechists, of the lay faithful who engage in parish missions, of those who work with the sick, with different kinds of disadvantaged and marginalized people; but always as missionaries of the Gospel, with the urgency of the Kingdom that is close at hand. Everyone must be a missionary, everyone can hear that call of Jesus and go forth and proclaim the Kingdom! (Pope Francis, Angelus, 7 July 2013)

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Obituary: Franciscan Father Thomas Hartle, former Butler pastor, 81 #Catholic – Franciscan Father Thomas Hartle, of St. Anthony Friary in Butler, N.J., died on Feb. 5 while in Aruba. Funeral arrangements have not been announced. During his 49 years as a friar, Father Hartle was known as a compassionate retreat leader and pastor, with a wonderful sense of humor and a deep joy. Born on Christmas Eve, 1944, in Clarion, Penn., Father Hartle came from a large family that included parents Urban and Bessie (née Myers) Hartle and six siblings. He grew up in Pennsylvania and was educated there, including at Immaculate Conception High School in Clarion and Gannon College in Erie. On May 20, 1971, Father Hartle was ordained a priest at 26 years old for the Diocese of Erie, Penn. He then discerned a vocation to religious life as a Franciscan and was received into the Order of Friars Minor in 1975, professing first vows one year later. He made his solemn profession in 1979 and served at the St. Francis Retreat Center in Rye Beach, N.H., until 1990. Father Hartle was then assigned to reside at the St. Francis Friary Novitiate in Brookline, Mass., and continued to offer spiritual direction, retreats, and workshops at various locales. In 1994, he joined the team at the Franciscan Retreat Center in Andover, Mass. From 1999 to 2008, Father Hartle was pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Butler, N.J., where his compassionate leadership and pastoral care deeply impacted the parish community. During his ministry spanning more than five decades, Father Hartle conducted numerous pilgrimages to Italy, helping the faithful connect with their spiritual heritage. He was widely respected for leading retreats and days of recollection focused on Franciscan themes, sharing his wisdom and spiritual insights with all who sought guidance. Throughout most of his ministry, Father Hartle served as the spiritual assistant for the Poor Clare Nuns of the Holy Name Federation, a ministry to which he dedicated himself since 1989. In a video recorded a few years ago, Father Hartle summarized his Franciscan vocation in one word: love. “The Franciscan journey is an adventure in love, falling in love with God and opening yourself up and being receptive to God’s love for you,” he said. Father Hartle was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Paul (Virginia) Hartle. He is survived by his siblings, Martha Siegel, Gary (Marcia) Hartle, Bruce (Cheryl) Hartle, Emerson Hartle, and David (Stacy) Hartle; numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews; and his friar brothers of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Obituary: Franciscan Father Thomas Hartle, former Butler pastor, 81 #Catholic – Franciscan Father Thomas Hartle, of St. Anthony Friary in Butler, N.J., died on Feb. 5 while in Aruba. Funeral arrangements have not been announced. During his 49 years as a friar, Father Hartle was known as a compassionate retreat leader and pastor, with a wonderful sense of humor and a deep joy. Born on Christmas Eve, 1944, in Clarion, Penn., Father Hartle came from a large family that included parents Urban and Bessie (née Myers) Hartle and six siblings. He grew up in Pennsylvania and was educated there, including at Immaculate Conception High School in Clarion and Gannon College in Erie. On May 20, 1971, Father Hartle was ordained a priest at 26 years old for the Diocese of Erie, Penn. He then discerned a vocation to religious life as a Franciscan and was received into the Order of Friars Minor in 1975, professing first vows one year later. He made his solemn profession in 1979 and served at the St. Francis Retreat Center in Rye Beach, N.H., until 1990. Father Hartle was then assigned to reside at the St. Francis Friary Novitiate in Brookline, Mass., and continued to offer spiritual direction, retreats, and workshops at various locales. In 1994, he joined the team at the Franciscan Retreat Center in Andover, Mass. From 1999 to 2008, Father Hartle was pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Butler, N.J., where his compassionate leadership and pastoral care deeply impacted the parish community. During his ministry spanning more than five decades, Father Hartle conducted numerous pilgrimages to Italy, helping the faithful connect with their spiritual heritage. He was widely respected for leading retreats and days of recollection focused on Franciscan themes, sharing his wisdom and spiritual insights with all who sought guidance. Throughout most of his ministry, Father Hartle served as the spiritual assistant for the Poor Clare Nuns of the Holy Name Federation, a ministry to which he dedicated himself since 1989. In a video recorded a few years ago, Father Hartle summarized his Franciscan vocation in one word: love. “The Franciscan journey is an adventure in love, falling in love with God and opening yourself up and being receptive to God’s love for you,” he said. Father Hartle was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Paul (Virginia) Hartle. He is survived by his siblings, Martha Siegel, Gary (Marcia) Hartle, Bruce (Cheryl) Hartle, Emerson Hartle, and David (Stacy) Hartle; numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews; and his friar brothers of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Obituary: Franciscan Father Thomas Hartle, former Butler pastor, 81 #Catholic –

Franciscan Father Thomas Hartle, of St. Anthony Friary in Butler, N.J., died on Feb. 5 while in Aruba. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

During his 49 years as a friar, Father Hartle was known as a compassionate retreat leader and pastor, with a wonderful sense of humor and a deep joy.

Born on Christmas Eve, 1944, in Clarion, Penn., Father Hartle came from a large family that included parents Urban and Bessie (née Myers) Hartle and six siblings. He grew up in Pennsylvania and was educated there, including at Immaculate Conception High School in Clarion and Gannon College in Erie.

On May 20, 1971, Father Hartle was ordained a priest at 26 years old for the Diocese of Erie, Penn. He then discerned a vocation to religious life as a Franciscan and was received into the Order of Friars Minor in 1975, professing first vows one year later. He made his solemn profession in 1979 and served at the St. Francis Retreat Center in Rye Beach, N.H., until 1990.

Father Hartle was then assigned to reside at the St. Francis Friary Novitiate in Brookline, Mass., and continued to offer spiritual direction, retreats, and workshops at various locales.
In 1994, he joined the team at the Franciscan Retreat Center in Andover, Mass.

From 1999 to 2008, Father Hartle was pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Butler, N.J., where his compassionate leadership and pastoral care deeply impacted the parish community.

During his ministry spanning more than five decades, Father Hartle conducted numerous pilgrimages to Italy, helping the faithful connect with their spiritual heritage. He was widely respected for leading retreats and days of recollection focused on Franciscan themes, sharing his wisdom and spiritual insights with all who sought guidance.

Throughout most of his ministry, Father Hartle served as the spiritual assistant for the Poor Clare Nuns of the Holy Name Federation, a ministry to which he dedicated himself since 1989.
In a video recorded a few years ago, Father Hartle summarized his Franciscan vocation in one word: love.

“The Franciscan journey is an adventure in love, falling in love with God and opening yourself up and being receptive to God’s love for you,” he said.

Father Hartle was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Paul (Virginia) Hartle. He is survived by his siblings, Martha Siegel, Gary (Marcia) Hartle, Bruce (Cheryl) Hartle, Emerson Hartle, and David (Stacy) Hartle; numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews; and his friar brothers of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

– Franciscan Father Thomas Hartle, of St. Anthony Friary in Butler, N.J., died on Feb. 5 while in Aruba. Funeral arrangements have not been announced. During his 49 years as a friar, Father Hartle was known as a compassionate retreat leader and pastor, with a wonderful sense of humor and a deep joy. Born on Christmas Eve, 1944, in Clarion, Penn., Father Hartle came from a large family that included parents Urban and Bessie (née Myers) Hartle and six siblings. He grew up in Pennsylvania and was educated there, including at Immaculate Conception High School in Clarion and Gannon College in

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Season 3 of EWTN hit series ‘James the Less’ to be released Feb. 14 #Catholic The third season of the award-winning online EWTN series “James the Less” will be released on Saturday, Feb. 14, on the EWTN YouTube channel.The first season introduced viewers to James Little, a student fresh out of college desperate for a job. James is an atheist. However, a “help wanted” sign on the church bulletin board catches his eye and entices him to interview for the position: handyman.James accepts the position at St. James the Less Church and starts to encounter Catholicism. Soon, James finds his ideals challenged by the no-nonsense pastor Father Lambert Burns and through his romantic pursuit of parishioner Anne-Marie.The second season showed James’ growing interest in Catholicism and more questions were answered regarding Anne-Marie’s mysterious past.James is played by Catholic artist and missionary Tanner Kalina, who has participated in ministries such as FOCUS, Ascension Presents, NET, and others.Kalina told EWTN News that in Season 3 viewers can “expect some closure in the story of James and what happens and all the open-ended questions that we have. I think you can find some very satisfying answers.”While filming these three seasons of the series, Kalina shared that the best part has been working with all those involved, “who put a lot of heart and creativity and fun and joy and prayer into it all and by the end everyone became a good, loving family.”He also pointed out that he has learned a lot from James while portraying him, including that the “faith is vibrant.”“It’s just a good reminder that inside all of our hearts we’re aching and longing for the Lord and we’re longing for a guide to just invite us and to bring us to the Lord,” he added. “So playing James has kind of reawakened that reality to me … and that when we just speak truth and when we just put someone in front of Jesus, then it awakens something very deep within someone.”Kalina also pointed out the recent growth in interest among Gen Z in the Catholic faith and the need to provide these individuals with “good content that is rooted in the truth of the faith, that’s rooted in the joy of the faith, and that is something that actually not only feeds the intellect and feeds the time and feeds the scroll, but really feeds the heart.”“So, my hope is that as the younger generation stumbles upon this, it can be an avenue that they can find good content that really feeds them,” he added.He also said he hopes viewers are left “smiling” after watching the series.“I hope that they’re having fun and falling in love with these characters and recognizing that like, ‘Oh yeah, our faith is a great treasure’ and it’s not just like another option amongst options, but we are sitting atop a mound of gold that needs to be shared with the world.”Watch the Season 3 trailer below.
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Season 3 of EWTN hit series ‘James the Less’ to be released Feb. 14 #Catholic The third season of the award-winning online EWTN series “James the Less” will be released on Saturday, Feb. 14, on the EWTN YouTube channel.The first season introduced viewers to James Little, a student fresh out of college desperate for a job. James is an atheist. However, a “help wanted” sign on the church bulletin board catches his eye and entices him to interview for the position: handyman.James accepts the position at St. James the Less Church and starts to encounter Catholicism. Soon, James finds his ideals challenged by the no-nonsense pastor Father Lambert Burns and through his romantic pursuit of parishioner Anne-Marie.The second season showed James’ growing interest in Catholicism and more questions were answered regarding Anne-Marie’s mysterious past.James is played by Catholic artist and missionary Tanner Kalina, who has participated in ministries such as FOCUS, Ascension Presents, NET, and others.Kalina told EWTN News that in Season 3 viewers can “expect some closure in the story of James and what happens and all the open-ended questions that we have. I think you can find some very satisfying answers.”While filming these three seasons of the series, Kalina shared that the best part has been working with all those involved, “who put a lot of heart and creativity and fun and joy and prayer into it all and by the end everyone became a good, loving family.”He also pointed out that he has learned a lot from James while portraying him, including that the “faith is vibrant.”“It’s just a good reminder that inside all of our hearts we’re aching and longing for the Lord and we’re longing for a guide to just invite us and to bring us to the Lord,” he added. “So playing James has kind of reawakened that reality to me … and that when we just speak truth and when we just put someone in front of Jesus, then it awakens something very deep within someone.”Kalina also pointed out the recent growth in interest among Gen Z in the Catholic faith and the need to provide these individuals with “good content that is rooted in the truth of the faith, that’s rooted in the joy of the faith, and that is something that actually not only feeds the intellect and feeds the time and feeds the scroll, but really feeds the heart.”“So, my hope is that as the younger generation stumbles upon this, it can be an avenue that they can find good content that really feeds them,” he added.He also said he hopes viewers are left “smiling” after watching the series.“I hope that they’re having fun and falling in love with these characters and recognizing that like, ‘Oh yeah, our faith is a great treasure’ and it’s not just like another option amongst options, but we are sitting atop a mound of gold that needs to be shared with the world.”Watch the Season 3 trailer below.

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The first season introduced viewers to James Little, a student fresh out of college desperate for a job.

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Shimmering Light in Egg Nebula – NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveals the clearest view yet of the Egg Nebula. This structure of gas and dust was created by a dying, Sun-like star. These newest observations were taken with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3.
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Shimmering Light in Egg Nebula – NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveals the clearest view yet of the Egg Nebula. This structure of gas and dust was created by a dying, Sun-like star. These newest observations were taken with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3.

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NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveals the clearest view yet of the Egg Nebula. This structure of gas and dust was created by a dying, Sun-like star. These newest observations were taken with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3.

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Cuban bishops postpone Vatican visit amid worsening national crisis – #Catholic – The Catholic Bishops of Cuba announced Thursday that they have asked Pope Leo XIV to postpone their upcoming visit to Rome due to the country’s grave situation, which is generating “so much instability and uncertainty.”The bishops had been scheduled to meet Pope Leo XIV on Feb. 20 as part of their periodic ad limina visit, which was set to begin Monday, Feb. 16. During such visits, bishops also customarily pray at the four major papal basilicas and meet with various Vatican dicasteries.However, in a statement on Feb. 12, the bishops’ conference said that “given the worsening socio-economic situation in the country, which is generating so much instability and uncertainty, the Catholic bishops have asked the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, that the ad limina visit be postponed to a later date than originally planned.”“We continue praying for our homeland, and we renew our affection and communion with the pope and with the Apostolic See,” the statement added.Cuba’s prolonged economic and social crisis has intensified in recent days, particularly after the United States government announced on Jan. 29 the imposition of tariffs on countries that send oil to the Caribbean nation, as a way of pressuring the communist regime.In response, the Cuban government has introduced further restrictions beyond those already faced by the population. Last Sunday, the regime also reported that it no longer had fuel for commercial aircraft, a development that is affecting tourism, one of the government’s principal sources of revenue.At the same time, the Trump administration began sending containers of humanitarian aid in January for the Catholic Church to distribute to those affected by Hurricane Melissa. The assistance is being coordinated directly with Caritas Cuba, without the participation of the regime.On Jan. 31, the Cuban bishops warned in a separate statement that the country risks falling into social chaos and violence if the structural changes it urgently needs are not implemented.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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Cuban bishops postpone Vatican visit amid worsening national crisis – #Catholic – The Catholic Bishops of Cuba announced Thursday that they have asked Pope Leo XIV to postpone their upcoming visit to Rome due to the country’s grave situation, which is generating “so much instability and uncertainty.”The bishops had been scheduled to meet Pope Leo XIV on Feb. 20 as part of their periodic ad limina visit, which was set to begin Monday, Feb. 16. During such visits, bishops also customarily pray at the four major papal basilicas and meet with various Vatican dicasteries.However, in a statement on Feb. 12, the bishops’ conference said that “given the worsening socio-economic situation in the country, which is generating so much instability and uncertainty, the Catholic bishops have asked the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, that the ad limina visit be postponed to a later date than originally planned.”“We continue praying for our homeland, and we renew our affection and communion with the pope and with the Apostolic See,” the statement added.Cuba’s prolonged economic and social crisis has intensified in recent days, particularly after the United States government announced on Jan. 29 the imposition of tariffs on countries that send oil to the Caribbean nation, as a way of pressuring the communist regime.In response, the Cuban government has introduced further restrictions beyond those already faced by the population. Last Sunday, the regime also reported that it no longer had fuel for commercial aircraft, a development that is affecting tourism, one of the government’s principal sources of revenue.At the same time, the Trump administration began sending containers of humanitarian aid in January for the Catholic Church to distribute to those affected by Hurricane Melissa. The assistance is being coordinated directly with Caritas Cuba, without the participation of the regime.On Jan. 31, the Cuban bishops warned in a separate statement that the country risks falling into social chaos and violence if the structural changes it urgently needs are not implemented.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 country’s growing economic and social instability prompts request to delay meeting with Pope Leo XIV.

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