Holy See calls on UN to eradicate surrogacy ‘in all its forms’ #Catholic The Holy See has reaffirmed its position against surrogacy in a statement to the United Nations, urging the complete eradication of the practice and calling for the protection of women and children from exploitation.Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and permanent observer of the Holy See to the U.N., highlighted the urgency and sensitivity of the issue, lamenting that “technology and practice have run laps around the law and ethics.”Although he acknowledged that many view surrogacy “as a compassionate solution for those wishing to be parents,” he urged the adoption of measures that respect the dignity and rights of women and children.Women choose it due to financial needCaccia lamented that because of financial need, many women agree to carry a child in their womb and subsequently hand the child over to others for money. This situation could be remedied through the development of “social protection, education, and economic opportunities,” he said.The statement asked whether the surrogacy industry could survive if poverty were eradicated. It warned that the demand for this practice “already exceeds the supply” and that many women who do not wish to participate may find themselves pressured or even coerced into doing so by family members.The text also addressed the rights of children, who are reduced to an item to be ordered “within an industrial and dehumanized logic.” The statement from the Holy See also denounced the commodification of babies and the fact that many are considered “a defective product” when they have a disability.This attitude “runs contrary to a just society in which children can grow and flourish. Children, in fact, possess rights and interests that must be respected, beginning with “a moral right to be created in an act of love,” as well as the right “to know their parents and to be cared for by them,” according to the statement.Although the Holy See acknowledged the “very real and understandable desire to have children,” it maintained that these issues cannot simply be resolved through the regulation of surrogacy. The Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. commended the decision of the Hague Conference on Private International Law not to proceed with the drafting of a convention on legal parentage in cases of surrogacy.Caccia also recalled the words of Pope Leo XIV, who affirmed that, by transforming gestation into a negotiable service, one “violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.”The Holy See urged that new steps be taken “toward ending this practice in all its forms and at all levels,” with the aim of protecting women and children “from exploitation and violence.”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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Holy See calls on UN to eradicate surrogacy ‘in all its forms’ #Catholic The Holy See has reaffirmed its position against surrogacy in a statement to the United Nations, urging the complete eradication of the practice and calling for the protection of women and children from exploitation.Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and permanent observer of the Holy See to the U.N., highlighted the urgency and sensitivity of the issue, lamenting that “technology and practice have run laps around the law and ethics.”Although he acknowledged that many view surrogacy “as a compassionate solution for those wishing to be parents,” he urged the adoption of measures that respect the dignity and rights of women and children.Women choose it due to financial needCaccia lamented that because of financial need, many women agree to carry a child in their womb and subsequently hand the child over to others for money. This situation could be remedied through the development of “social protection, education, and economic opportunities,” he said.The statement asked whether the surrogacy industry could survive if poverty were eradicated. It warned that the demand for this practice “already exceeds the supply” and that many women who do not wish to participate may find themselves pressured or even coerced into doing so by family members.The text also addressed the rights of children, who are reduced to an item to be ordered “within an industrial and dehumanized logic.” The statement from the Holy See also denounced the commodification of babies and the fact that many are considered “a defective product” when they have a disability.This attitude “runs contrary to a just society in which children can grow and flourish. Children, in fact, possess rights and interests that must be respected, beginning with “a moral right to be created in an act of love,” as well as the right “to know their parents and to be cared for by them,” according to the statement.Although the Holy See acknowledged the “very real and understandable desire to have children,” it maintained that these issues cannot simply be resolved through the regulation of surrogacy. The Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. commended the decision of the Hague Conference on Private International Law not to proceed with the drafting of a convention on legal parentage in cases of surrogacy.Caccia also recalled the words of Pope Leo XIV, who affirmed that, by transforming gestation into a negotiable service, one “violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.”The Holy See urged that new steps be taken “toward ending this practice in all its forms and at all levels,” with the aim of protecting women and children “from exploitation and violence.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations, laid out the economic reasons surrogacy exists, the harm it does, and why it is wrong.

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Scottish bishops say ‘prayer moved hearts’ after Scottish Parliament rejects assisted suicide #Catholic In a final vote, members of Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have rejected a bill that would have made assisted suicide legal — a dramatic turn of events that Scotland’s Catholic bishops are attributing to the power of prayer.Reacting to the result immediately after its announcement on March 17, Scotland’s bishops told EWTN News: “Prayer is what moved hearts on this important issue. We are over the moon. Glory be to God that life has triumphed tonight!”Bill sponsor Liam McArthur and his supporters were confident of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill becoming law. In the first vote in May 2025, Parliament voted 70 to 56 in favor of the bill progressing to Stage 2. The bill was then amended at Stage 2 before moving to Stage 3 for a decisive vote. in the end, however, MSPs rejected it, voting 69 to 57 against the bill. Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said the vote against the assisted suicide bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland After an emotional debate, 12 MSPs changed sides, moving from supporting the Bill at Stage 1 to opposing it. Notable MSPs who swapped sides included Jamie Hepburn (Scottish National Party), Daniel Johnson (Labour), and Brian Whittle (Conservative), who publicly announced their decisions during the debate. This followed other notable announcements in the buildup to the vote by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and Scottish National Party MSPs Audrey Nicoll and Collette Stevenson, who had initially supported the bill and then shared their decisions to vote against it.Commending MSPs for voting against the legislation, Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said after the vote: “I would like to express my gratitude to all MSPs for their serious engagement with this issue and for the thoughtful and considered attention they have given to the bill. I am especially grateful to those who upheld the principle of human dignity and advocated on behalf of the vulnerable.”The Catholic Church teaches that assisted suicide is inherently immoral. In advance of the final vote, Keenan commented that a vote against the bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.”“Every human life possesses inherent value,” he said. “Genuine compassion is not expressed through ending a life but through accompanying those who suffer and ensuring they receive the medical, emotional, and spiritual support that recognizes their dignity.” Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of Right To Life UK Pro-life groups opposing the bill also highlighted the importance of the vote for the vulnerable. In a message to EWTN News, Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.”Hungerford-Morgan told EWTN News: “People nearing the end of their lives, no matter what their condition, need love and support, not a pathway to suicide, which is exactly what the Scottish assisted suicide bill would have done."The vote followed an intense and long debate over five sessions, culminating in the final debate and vote on March 17.Hungerford-Morgan said: “If this bill had passed in the Scottish Parliament and gone on to become law, it would have ushered in an irrevocable change that would have put the vulnerable at risk and seen the ending of thousands of lives through assisted suicide in Scotland.”He added: “After two years of debate, and the most intense scrutiny that the question of assisted suicide has ever received in Scotland, Holyrood, which is widely regarded as one of the world’s most socially and politically progressive legislatures, has come to the conclusion that introducing assisted suicide is unsafe and dangerous.”Paul Atkin, pro-life officer at the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, highlighted “the strength of engagement across our archdiocese” due to the fact that, from the 12 MSPs who changed their votes to opposing the bill, eight represent constituencies within the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh.Atkin told EWTN News: “The defeat of this bill is a welcome result, reflecting the strength of engagement across our archdiocese. From the archbishop’s leadership to parishes who organized hundreds of letters, this was a united effort which made the difference.”Praising the “remarkable contribution” of the archdiocese, Atkin paid tribute to the “polite, persistent engagement from the Catholic community,” which helped “shape outcomes and protect the most vulnerable.”Opponents of the bill called for attention to now move away from assisted suicide toward investment in palliative care. “Our next priority must be to strengthen palliative care by ensuring that it is properly funded and accessible to all who require it,” Keenan said. Echoing this viewpoint, Hungerford-Morgan urged MSPs to “unite to focus on renewed efforts to promote and improve palliative care.”Following the defeat of the bill, Hungerford-Morgan turned his attention to a separate bill currently being debated in the House of Lords in London that would legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales, initiated by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.Calling on the Leadbeater Bill’s sponsors to “reject assisted suicide,” he said: “This victory will have an impact far beyond Holyrood as the Leadbeater Bill is being debated in the House of Lords. Instead of pushing ahead with this dangerous bill, its sponsors should follow Scotland’s example and reject assisted suicide.”
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Scottish bishops say ‘prayer moved hearts’ after Scottish Parliament rejects assisted suicide #Catholic In a final vote, members of Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have rejected a bill that would have made assisted suicide legal — a dramatic turn of events that Scotland’s Catholic bishops are attributing to the power of prayer.Reacting to the result immediately after its announcement on March 17, Scotland’s bishops told EWTN News: “Prayer is what moved hearts on this important issue. We are over the moon. Glory be to God that life has triumphed tonight!”Bill sponsor Liam McArthur and his supporters were confident of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill becoming law. In the first vote in May 2025, Parliament voted 70 to 56 in favor of the bill progressing to Stage 2. The bill was then amended at Stage 2 before moving to Stage 3 for a decisive vote. in the end, however, MSPs rejected it, voting 69 to 57 against the bill. Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said the vote against the assisted suicide bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland After an emotional debate, 12 MSPs changed sides, moving from supporting the Bill at Stage 1 to opposing it. Notable MSPs who swapped sides included Jamie Hepburn (Scottish National Party), Daniel Johnson (Labour), and Brian Whittle (Conservative), who publicly announced their decisions during the debate. This followed other notable announcements in the buildup to the vote by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and Scottish National Party MSPs Audrey Nicoll and Collette Stevenson, who had initially supported the bill and then shared their decisions to vote against it.Commending MSPs for voting against the legislation, Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said after the vote: “I would like to express my gratitude to all MSPs for their serious engagement with this issue and for the thoughtful and considered attention they have given to the bill. I am especially grateful to those who upheld the principle of human dignity and advocated on behalf of the vulnerable.”The Catholic Church teaches that assisted suicide is inherently immoral. In advance of the final vote, Keenan commented that a vote against the bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.”“Every human life possesses inherent value,” he said. “Genuine compassion is not expressed through ending a life but through accompanying those who suffer and ensuring they receive the medical, emotional, and spiritual support that recognizes their dignity.” Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of Right To Life UK Pro-life groups opposing the bill also highlighted the importance of the vote for the vulnerable. In a message to EWTN News, Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.”Hungerford-Morgan told EWTN News: “People nearing the end of their lives, no matter what their condition, need love and support, not a pathway to suicide, which is exactly what the Scottish assisted suicide bill would have done."The vote followed an intense and long debate over five sessions, culminating in the final debate and vote on March 17.Hungerford-Morgan said: “If this bill had passed in the Scottish Parliament and gone on to become law, it would have ushered in an irrevocable change that would have put the vulnerable at risk and seen the ending of thousands of lives through assisted suicide in Scotland.”He added: “After two years of debate, and the most intense scrutiny that the question of assisted suicide has ever received in Scotland, Holyrood, which is widely regarded as one of the world’s most socially and politically progressive legislatures, has come to the conclusion that introducing assisted suicide is unsafe and dangerous.”Paul Atkin, pro-life officer at the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, highlighted “the strength of engagement across our archdiocese” due to the fact that, from the 12 MSPs who changed their votes to opposing the bill, eight represent constituencies within the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh.Atkin told EWTN News: “The defeat of this bill is a welcome result, reflecting the strength of engagement across our archdiocese. From the archbishop’s leadership to parishes who organized hundreds of letters, this was a united effort which made the difference.”Praising the “remarkable contribution” of the archdiocese, Atkin paid tribute to the “polite, persistent engagement from the Catholic community,” which helped “shape outcomes and protect the most vulnerable.”Opponents of the bill called for attention to now move away from assisted suicide toward investment in palliative care. “Our next priority must be to strengthen palliative care by ensuring that it is properly funded and accessible to all who require it,” Keenan said. Echoing this viewpoint, Hungerford-Morgan urged MSPs to “unite to focus on renewed efforts to promote and improve palliative care.”Following the defeat of the bill, Hungerford-Morgan turned his attention to a separate bill currently being debated in the House of Lords in London that would legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales, initiated by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.Calling on the Leadbeater Bill’s sponsors to “reject assisted suicide,” he said: “This victory will have an impact far beyond Holyrood as the Leadbeater Bill is being debated in the House of Lords. Instead of pushing ahead with this dangerous bill, its sponsors should follow Scotland’s example and reject assisted suicide.”

unitedyam

In a decisive vote, Scottish members of Parliament have rejected the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, a victory the bishops in Scotland are praising.

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Chatham school salutes their patron, St. Patrick, at Mass #Catholic - St. Patrick School and Parish in Chatham, N.J., honored their patron, St. Patrick, during a Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on March 15, ahead of the Feast of St. Patrick on March 17. Father Peter Glabik, St. Patrick’s pastor, and Father Christopher Han, parochial vicar of the parish, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Chatham school salutes their patron, St. Patrick, at Mass #Catholic – St. Patrick School and Parish in Chatham, N.J., honored their patron, St. Patrick, during a Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on March 15, ahead of the Feast of St. Patrick on March 17. Father Peter Glabik, St. Patrick’s pastor, and Father Christopher Han, parochial vicar of the parish, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Chatham school salutes their patron, St. Patrick, at Mass #Catholic –

St. Patrick School and Parish in Chatham, N.J., honored their patron, St. Patrick, during a Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on March 15, ahead of the Feast of St. Patrick on March 17. Father Peter Glabik, St. Patrick’s pastor, and Father Christopher Han, parochial vicar of the parish, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.

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BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– St. Patrick School and Parish in Chatham, N.J., honored their patron, St. Patrick, during a Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on March 15, ahead of the Feast of St. Patrick on March 17. Father Peter Glabik, St. Patrick’s pastor, and Father Christopher Han, parochial vicar of the parish, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI  

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Statewide Catholic Mental Health Conference set for May 2 #Catholic - Conference aims to combat stigma, offer support and resources With the goal of educating about the scope of the mental health crisis, reducing stigma around mental illness and offering resources for individuals and their families, the New Jersey Catholic Conference is partnering with the state’s Catholic Dioceses, Catholic Charities organizations and Catholic Healthcare Partnership of New Jersey to organize a special one-day program. “From Isolation to Belonging, Mental Health and the Catholic Church” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on May 2 at the Saint John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. The cost to attend is $40 per person and registration is limited; those interested in attending are encouraged to register online at www.njconf.com before registration is full. “Health issues impact everyone,” said James King, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference – the public policy arm of the state’s Catholic bishops. “This conference is an opportunity to learn more about mental health issues and how Catholics engage these issues.” Organizers encourage clergy, religious, parish leaders, ministry volunteers, educators, mental health professionals and those seeking a deeper understanding of mental health and the Church to consider attending. The day will include Mass celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., of the Archdiocese of Newark. “Since God created us both body and spirit, we have a responsibility to not only care for our souls, but our minds and bodies as well. However, we must learn to do this in an authentically Catholic way,” King said. “There is a lot of information out there about mindfulness and wellness, [and] some of it is not consistent with Catholic teaching. As Catholics, not only do we need to understand why addressing our mental health is important, but how to do this in a manner that is rooted in our Catholic faith.” Related Podcast The Diocese of Paterson recently invited Beth Hlabse from the University of Notre Dame on its Beyond The Beacon to discuss mental health and the upcoming conference. Check it out below. Attendees will hear from leading Catholic voices and experts in the field, including keynote speaker Bishop John P. Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix. Bishop Dolan founded an Office of Mental Health Ministry at the diocesan level, the first of its kind in the United States. He has long been motivated to support those experiencing mental health crises, especially after losing several family members and loved ones to suicide. Breakout sessions during the conference will also feature several speakers, including Beth Hlabse, program director of the Fiat Program on Faith and Mental Health at Notre Dame University’s McGrath Institute for Church Life. A mental health counselor, Hlabse leads pastoral research and education efforts, and helps facilitate formation on mental health in the context of the Catholic tradition. Another speaker, Ben Wortham, serves as vice president for Behavioral Health Integration at Catholic Charities USA. Through his role, Wortham leads efforts to support 168 Catholic Charities agencies across the country, and works to support strong relationships between those agencies and healthcare systems. Attendees will also hear from Deacon Ed Shoener, founder of the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. A permanent deacon at Saint Peter’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Scranton, Pa., Deacon Shoener was inspired to enter this field following the death of his daughter from suicide in 2016. The organization he founded works to combat stigma around mental illness by offering free resources for parishes, individuals and families around the world. The association has more than 7,000 members across 75 countries. King said that the idea for the conference follows increased efforts by the state’s diocesan communities and Catholic Charities agencies to address mental health, as well as to work on the national level with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. A key goal of the program is to combat stigma. “During the planning process, we heard from several people who described feeling isolated from their parish community when they or a family member experienced a mental health issue,” he said. “Essential to our mission as Catholics is to walk with people who are experiencing hardships. Unfortunately, from time to time, fear, or lack of understanding of a person’s situation, may make us reluctant to engage.” King hopes that participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of how they can provide support. “The conference is not meant to turn attendees into trained therapists,” he said. “The goal of the conference is to help people overcome these fears and gain the confidence to engage with people in their families and communities who may be experiencing mental health issues.” If you are experiencing a crisis, dial 988. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.  
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Statewide Catholic Mental Health Conference set for May 2 #Catholic – Conference aims to combat stigma, offer support and resources With the goal of educating about the scope of the mental health crisis, reducing stigma around mental illness and offering resources for individuals and their families, the New Jersey Catholic Conference is partnering with the state’s Catholic Dioceses, Catholic Charities organizations and Catholic Healthcare Partnership of New Jersey to organize a special one-day program. “From Isolation to Belonging, Mental Health and the Catholic Church” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on May 2 at the Saint John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. The cost to attend is $40 per person and registration is limited; those interested in attending are encouraged to register online at www.njconf.com before registration is full. “Health issues impact everyone,” said James King, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference – the public policy arm of the state’s Catholic bishops. “This conference is an opportunity to learn more about mental health issues and how Catholics engage these issues.” Organizers encourage clergy, religious, parish leaders, ministry volunteers, educators, mental health professionals and those seeking a deeper understanding of mental health and the Church to consider attending. The day will include Mass celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., of the Archdiocese of Newark. “Since God created us both body and spirit, we have a responsibility to not only care for our souls, but our minds and bodies as well. However, we must learn to do this in an authentically Catholic way,” King said. “There is a lot of information out there about mindfulness and wellness, [and] some of it is not consistent with Catholic teaching. As Catholics, not only do we need to understand why addressing our mental health is important, but how to do this in a manner that is rooted in our Catholic faith.” Related Podcast The Diocese of Paterson recently invited Beth Hlabse from the University of Notre Dame on its Beyond The Beacon to discuss mental health and the upcoming conference. Check it out below. Attendees will hear from leading Catholic voices and experts in the field, including keynote speaker Bishop John P. Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix. Bishop Dolan founded an Office of Mental Health Ministry at the diocesan level, the first of its kind in the United States. He has long been motivated to support those experiencing mental health crises, especially after losing several family members and loved ones to suicide. Breakout sessions during the conference will also feature several speakers, including Beth Hlabse, program director of the Fiat Program on Faith and Mental Health at Notre Dame University’s McGrath Institute for Church Life. A mental health counselor, Hlabse leads pastoral research and education efforts, and helps facilitate formation on mental health in the context of the Catholic tradition. Another speaker, Ben Wortham, serves as vice president for Behavioral Health Integration at Catholic Charities USA. Through his role, Wortham leads efforts to support 168 Catholic Charities agencies across the country, and works to support strong relationships between those agencies and healthcare systems. Attendees will also hear from Deacon Ed Shoener, founder of the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. A permanent deacon at Saint Peter’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Scranton, Pa., Deacon Shoener was inspired to enter this field following the death of his daughter from suicide in 2016. The organization he founded works to combat stigma around mental illness by offering free resources for parishes, individuals and families around the world. The association has more than 7,000 members across 75 countries. King said that the idea for the conference follows increased efforts by the state’s diocesan communities and Catholic Charities agencies to address mental health, as well as to work on the national level with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. A key goal of the program is to combat stigma. “During the planning process, we heard from several people who described feeling isolated from their parish community when they or a family member experienced a mental health issue,” he said. “Essential to our mission as Catholics is to walk with people who are experiencing hardships. Unfortunately, from time to time, fear, or lack of understanding of a person’s situation, may make us reluctant to engage.” King hopes that participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of how they can provide support. “The conference is not meant to turn attendees into trained therapists,” he said. “The goal of the conference is to help people overcome these fears and gain the confidence to engage with people in their families and communities who may be experiencing mental health issues.” If you are experiencing a crisis, dial 988. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.  

unitedyam

Statewide Catholic Mental Health Conference set for May 2 #Catholic –

Conference aims to combat stigma, offer support and resources

With the goal of educating about the scope of the mental health crisis, reducing stigma around mental illness and offering resources for individuals and their families, the New Jersey Catholic Conference is partnering with the state’s Catholic Dioceses, Catholic Charities organizations and Catholic Healthcare Partnership of New Jersey to organize a special one-day program.

“From Isolation to Belonging, Mental Health and the Catholic Church” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on May 2 at the Saint John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. The cost to attend is $40 per person and registration is limited; those interested in attending are encouraged to register online at www.njconf.com before registration is full.

“Health issues impact everyone,” said James King, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference – the public policy arm of the state’s Catholic bishops. “This conference is an opportunity to learn more about mental health issues and how Catholics engage these issues.”

Organizers encourage clergy, religious, parish leaders, ministry volunteers, educators, mental health professionals and those seeking a deeper understanding of mental health and the Church to consider attending. The day will include Mass celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., of the Archdiocese of Newark.

“Since God created us both body and spirit, we have a responsibility to not only care for our souls, but our minds and bodies as well. However, we must learn to do this in an authentically Catholic way,” King said. “There is a lot of information out there about mindfulness and wellness, [and] some of it is not consistent with Catholic teaching. As Catholics, not only do we need to understand why addressing our mental health is important, but how to do this in a manner that is rooted in our Catholic faith.”

Related Podcast

The Diocese of Paterson recently invited Beth Hlabse from the University of Notre Dame on its Beyond The Beacon to discuss mental health and the upcoming conference. Check it out below.

Attendees will hear from leading Catholic voices and experts in the field, including keynote speaker Bishop John P. Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix. Bishop Dolan founded an Office of Mental Health Ministry at the diocesan level, the first of its kind in the United States. He has long been motivated to support those experiencing mental health crises, especially after losing several family members and loved ones to suicide.

Breakout sessions during the conference will also feature several speakers, including Beth Hlabse, program director of the Fiat Program on Faith and Mental Health at Notre Dame University’s McGrath Institute for Church Life. A mental health counselor, Hlabse leads pastoral research and education efforts, and helps facilitate formation on mental health in the context of the Catholic tradition.

Another speaker, Ben Wortham, serves as vice president for Behavioral Health Integration at Catholic Charities USA. Through his role, Wortham leads efforts to support 168 Catholic Charities agencies across the country, and works to support strong relationships between those agencies and healthcare systems.

Attendees will also hear from Deacon Ed Shoener, founder of the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. A permanent deacon at Saint Peter’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Scranton, Pa., Deacon Shoener was inspired to enter this field following the death of his daughter from suicide in 2016. The organization he founded works to combat stigma around mental illness by offering free resources for parishes, individuals and families around the world. The association has more than 7,000 members across 75 countries.

King said that the idea for the conference follows increased efforts by the state’s diocesan communities and Catholic Charities agencies to address mental health, as well as to work on the national level with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. A key goal of the program is to combat stigma.

“During the planning process, we heard from several people who described feeling isolated from their parish community when they or a family member experienced a mental health issue,” he said. “Essential to our mission as Catholics is to walk with people who are experiencing hardships. Unfortunately, from time to time, fear, or lack of understanding of a person’s situation, may make us reluctant to engage.”

King hopes that participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of how they can provide support.

“The conference is not meant to turn attendees into trained therapists,” he said. “The goal of the conference is to help people overcome these fears and gain the confidence to engage with people in their families and communities who may be experiencing mental health issues.”

If you are experiencing a crisis, dial 988.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

 

– Conference aims to combat stigma, offer support and resources With the goal of educating about the scope of the mental health crisis, reducing stigma around mental illness and offering resources for individuals and their families, the New Jersey Catholic Conference is partnering with the state’s Catholic Dioceses, Catholic Charities organizations and Catholic Healthcare Partnership of New Jersey to organize a special one-day program. “From Isolation to Belonging, Mental Health and the Catholic Church” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on May 2 at the Saint John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. The cost to attend

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 18 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 49:8-15 Thus says the LORD: In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you; and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, To restore the land and allot the desolate heritages, Saying to the prisoners: Come out! To those in darkness: Show yourselves! Along the ways they shall find pasture, on every bare height shall their pastures be. They shall not hunger or thirst, nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them; For he who pities them leads them and guides them beside springs of water. I will cut a road through all my mountains, and make my highways level. See, some shall come from afar, others from the north and the west, and some from the land of Syene. Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, break forth into song, you mountains. For the LORD comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted. But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.From the Gospel according to John 5:17-30 Jesus answered the Jews: "My Father is at work until now, so I am at work." For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God. Jesus answered and said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation. "I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me."It will be our Lord Jesus who on the last day raises those who have believed in him. Jesus has come among us, he became man like us in all things, except sin; in this way he took us with him on his return journey to the Father. He, the Word Incarnate, who died for us and rose again, gives to his disciples the Holy Spirit as a pledge of full communion in his glorious Kingdom, which we vigilantly await. This waiting is the source and reason for our hope: a hope that, if cultivated and guarded — our hope, if we cultivate and guard it — becomes a light that illumines our common history. Let us remember it always: we are disciples of the One who came, who comes everyday and who will come at the end. If we can manage to be more aware of this reality, we will be less fatigued by daily life, less prisoners of the ephemeral and more disposed to walk with a merciful heart on the way of salvation. (Francis – General Audience, 4 December 2013)  

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
49:8-15

Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from the land of Syene.
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.

But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.

From the Gospel according to John
5:17-30

Jesus answered the Jews:
"My Father is at work until now, so I am at work."
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him,
because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.

Jesus answered and said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own,
but only what he sees the Father doing;
for what he does, the Son will do also.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these,
so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone,
but he has given all judgment to the Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son
does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself,
so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment,
because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this,
because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs
will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds
to the resurrection of life,
but those who have done wicked deeds
to the resurrection of condemnation.

"I cannot do anything on my own;
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me."

It will be our Lord Jesus who on the last day raises those who have believed in him. Jesus has come among us, he became man like us in all things, except sin; in this way he took us with him on his return journey to the Father. He, the Word Incarnate, who died for us and rose again, gives to his disciples the Holy Spirit as a pledge of full communion in his glorious Kingdom, which we vigilantly await. This waiting is the source and reason for our hope: a hope that, if cultivated and guarded — our hope, if we cultivate and guard it — becomes a light that illumines our common history. Let us remember it always: we are disciples of the One who came, who comes everyday and who will come at the end. If we can manage to be more aware of this reality, we will be less fatigued by daily life, less prisoners of the ephemeral and more disposed to walk with a merciful heart on the way of salvation. (Francis – General Audience, 4 December 2013)

 

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Man Condemned To Hell For Texting ‘LOL’ When He Didn’t Really Laugh Out Loud #BabylonBee – HADES — Demons happily welcomed 27-year-old Jim Carole to Hell on Tuesday after he was immediately condemned to eternal damnation for texting "LOL" to a close friend when he didn’t really laugh out loud.
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Man Condemned To Hell For Texting ‘LOL’ When He Didn’t Really Laugh Out Loud #BabylonBee – HADES — Demons happily welcomed 27-year-old Jim Carole to Hell on Tuesday after he was immediately condemned to eternal damnation for texting "LOL" to a close friend when he didn’t really laugh out loud.

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HADES — Demons happily welcomed 27-year-old Jim Carole to Hell on Tuesday after he was immediately condemned to eternal damnation for texting "LOL" to a close friend when he didn’t really laugh out loud.

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Spirit Unveils New All-Duct Tape Aircraft #BabylonBee – DANIA BEACH, FL — Spirit Airlines unveiled a new all-duct tape aircraft that is expected to increase the company’s profit margins at the expense of customer safety in an effort to appease shareholders.
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Spirit Unveils New All-Duct Tape Aircraft #BabylonBee – DANIA BEACH, FL — Spirit Airlines unveiled a new all-duct tape aircraft that is expected to increase the company’s profit margins at the expense of customer safety in an effort to appease shareholders.

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DANIA BEACH, FL — Spirit Airlines unveiled a new all-duct tape aircraft that is expected to increase the company’s profit margins at the expense of customer safety in an effort to appease shareholders.

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WAYNE ROOT: Does MAGA Want to Win the Midterms and Save America Does MAGA Want to Pass the SAVE Act? Here is How To Do It. HINT: Think 2-for-Price of 1. – By Wayne Allyn Root Despite the lies, rhetoric and propaganda we all hear in the biased mainstream media, President Trump is not only popular, he’s in the perfect position to win the midterms… If we can pass the infamous SAVE Act. The post WAYNE ROOT: Does MAGA Want to Win the Midterms and Save America Does MAGA Want to Pass the SAVE Act? Here is How To Do It. HINT: Think 2-for-Price of 1. appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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WAYNE ROOT: Does MAGA Want to Win the Midterms and Save America Does MAGA Want to Pass the SAVE Act? Here is How To Do It. HINT: Think 2-for-Price of 1. – By Wayne Allyn Root Despite the lies, rhetoric and propaganda we all hear in the biased mainstream media, President Trump is not only popular, he’s in the perfect position to win the midterms… If we can pass the infamous SAVE Act. The post WAYNE ROOT: Does MAGA Want to Win the Midterms and Save America Does MAGA Want to Pass the SAVE Act? Here is How To Do It. HINT: Think 2-for-Price of 1. appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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By Wayne Allyn Root Despite the lies, rhetoric and propaganda we all hear in the biased mainstream media, President Trump is not only popular, he’s in the perfect position to win the midterms… If we can pass the infamous SAVE Act.

The post WAYNE ROOT: Does MAGA Want to Win the Midterms and Save America Does MAGA Want to Pass the SAVE Act? Here is How To Do It. HINT: Think 2-for-Price of 1. appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Anchored Oil Tanker Hit by Strike as Iran Begins Targeting Some of World’s Most Critical Oil Infrastructure – Iran launched vicious attacks Tuesday on oil-producing Arab neighbors, hoping to drive up oil prices to outlast the United States and Israel. The post Anchored Oil Tanker Hit by Strike as Iran Begins Targeting Some of World’s Most Critical Oil Infrastructure appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Anchored Oil Tanker Hit by Strike as Iran Begins Targeting Some of World’s Most Critical Oil Infrastructure – Iran launched vicious attacks Tuesday on oil-producing Arab neighbors, hoping to drive up oil prices to outlast the United States and Israel. The post Anchored Oil Tanker Hit by Strike as Iran Begins Targeting Some of World’s Most Critical Oil Infrastructure appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Iran launched vicious attacks Tuesday on oil-producing Arab neighbors, hoping to drive up oil prices to outlast the United States and Israel.

The post Anchored Oil Tanker Hit by Strike as Iran Begins Targeting Some of World’s Most Critical Oil Infrastructure appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Bishop Mark Seitz issues first pastoral letter on mass detention, deportations – #Catholic – Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, released the first pastoral letter on mass detention and deportations.The “current national campaign of mass detention and detention is a grave moral evil, one which must be opposed, with prayer, peaceful action, and acts of solidarity with those affected,” Seitz wrote.The Diocese of El Paso will hold a vigil on March 24 to “plead for respect for human life,” Seitz announced in the letter. He invited the faithful “to march and pray” with him and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino as “an act of Lenten solidarity.”“In this holy season of Lent, God invites us to journey with the suffering Jesus to the cross and to new life in the Resurrection,” Seitz wrote. “For this reason, I take this opportunity to speak to all the faithful in our El Paso Catholic community, and in particular to immigrant families.”“Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, told me personally to stand in solidarity with suffering migrant families and not to remain silent,” he said. “I will do everything I can to uphold the God-given dignity of every person in our borderlands community.”The message written by Seitz was the first pastoral letter, a message authored by a U.S. bishop, on mass detention and deportations, according to the Diocese of El Paso.The letter follows the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) special message on immigration approved at the 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly on Nov. 12, which expressed the bishops’ opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”The bishops also addressed their concerns over the conditions of detention centers and prayed “for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.”Deportation and detention facilities“To those of you affected by hatred and discrimination and afraid of what comes next, know that the Church stands with you,” Seitz wrote. “As your bishop, I carry your pain daily in my heart and in my prayers.”The bishop wrote that people in the El Paso community are being taken by law enforcement as they leave immigration court proceedings, workers are being taken from their jobs, and parents are no longer able to work because the government has taken away their work permits.Seitz also detailed the treatment of immigrants in detention centers, specifically at El Paso’s Camp East Montana immigrant detention center.“Young women are languishing in mental torture for months in private detention centers, even when, coerced by the conditions of their imprisonment, they beg to be deported,” he wrote. “So many people are once again being made to feel like they are less than American.”To combat this, the El Paso Catholic Church “will redouble our ministries with those in the downtown courthouse, in the detention centers, in Ciudad Juarez and with families in our parishes,” Seitz wrote. “We will continue to celebrate your contributions to our community, to defend your human dignity, and to work to end racism and make immigration reform a reality.”Need for ‘significant immigration reforms’“While we do need significant immigration reforms, it is an injustice to make families, children, and the vulnerable pay the price of our inaction,” Seitz wrote. “Policies, laws, and borders must always be at the service of human dignity, genuine community security, and human flourishing.”Addressing law enforcement, Seitz said he is “blessed with many friendships” in local law enforcement and immigration enforcement agents. “Their work to keep our community safe is vital,” he said. “But the death of those in immigration detention is unacceptable.” … the death of those in immigration detention is unacceptable. Bishop Mark SeitzDiocese of El Paso Thirty-eight people have died in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the start of fiscal 2025, 58% more detainee deaths in ICE custody than occurred during all four previous fiscal years combined (24 deaths), according to ICE detainee death reporting data. Seitz called on immigration enforcement to follow the Gospel rather than “immoral order,” offering them guidance on how to decide what actions align with the faith.“No one has to obey an immoral order. I implore all involved to carefully discern the moral requirements of the Gospel at this moment with integrity and honesty,” Seitz said.“I promise the pastoral support of our priests, chaplains, and myself as you navigate the demands of conscience with sincerity. You are also in my prayers,” he wrote.“May Mary of Guadalupe, who challenges us to build up a common home of tenderness and love, pray for us,” Seitz concluded.
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Bishop Mark Seitz issues first pastoral letter on mass detention, deportations – #Catholic – Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, released the first pastoral letter on mass detention and deportations.The “current national campaign of mass detention and detention is a grave moral evil, one which must be opposed, with prayer, peaceful action, and acts of solidarity with those affected,” Seitz wrote.The Diocese of El Paso will hold a vigil on March 24 to “plead for respect for human life,” Seitz announced in the letter. He invited the faithful “to march and pray” with him and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino as “an act of Lenten solidarity.”“In this holy season of Lent, God invites us to journey with the suffering Jesus to the cross and to new life in the Resurrection,” Seitz wrote. “For this reason, I take this opportunity to speak to all the faithful in our El Paso Catholic community, and in particular to immigrant families.”“Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, told me personally to stand in solidarity with suffering migrant families and not to remain silent,” he said. “I will do everything I can to uphold the God-given dignity of every person in our borderlands community.”The message written by Seitz was the first pastoral letter, a message authored by a U.S. bishop, on mass detention and deportations, according to the Diocese of El Paso.The letter follows the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) special message on immigration approved at the 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly on Nov. 12, which expressed the bishops’ opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”The bishops also addressed their concerns over the conditions of detention centers and prayed “for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.”Deportation and detention facilities“To those of you affected by hatred and discrimination and afraid of what comes next, know that the Church stands with you,” Seitz wrote. “As your bishop, I carry your pain daily in my heart and in my prayers.”The bishop wrote that people in the El Paso community are being taken by law enforcement as they leave immigration court proceedings, workers are being taken from their jobs, and parents are no longer able to work because the government has taken away their work permits.Seitz also detailed the treatment of immigrants in detention centers, specifically at El Paso’s Camp East Montana immigrant detention center.“Young women are languishing in mental torture for months in private detention centers, even when, coerced by the conditions of their imprisonment, they beg to be deported,” he wrote. “So many people are once again being made to feel like they are less than American.”To combat this, the El Paso Catholic Church “will redouble our ministries with those in the downtown courthouse, in the detention centers, in Ciudad Juarez and with families in our parishes,” Seitz wrote. “We will continue to celebrate your contributions to our community, to defend your human dignity, and to work to end racism and make immigration reform a reality.”Need for ‘significant immigration reforms’“While we do need significant immigration reforms, it is an injustice to make families, children, and the vulnerable pay the price of our inaction,” Seitz wrote. “Policies, laws, and borders must always be at the service of human dignity, genuine community security, and human flourishing.”Addressing law enforcement, Seitz said he is “blessed with many friendships” in local law enforcement and immigration enforcement agents. “Their work to keep our community safe is vital,” he said. “But the death of those in immigration detention is unacceptable.” … the death of those in immigration detention is unacceptable. Bishop Mark SeitzDiocese of El Paso Thirty-eight people have died in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the start of fiscal 2025, 58% more detainee deaths in ICE custody than occurred during all four previous fiscal years combined (24 deaths), according to ICE detainee death reporting data. Seitz called on immigration enforcement to follow the Gospel rather than “immoral order,” offering them guidance on how to decide what actions align with the faith.“No one has to obey an immoral order. I implore all involved to carefully discern the moral requirements of the Gospel at this moment with integrity and honesty,” Seitz said.“I promise the pastoral support of our priests, chaplains, and myself as you navigate the demands of conscience with sincerity. You are also in my prayers,” he wrote.“May Mary of Guadalupe, who challenges us to build up a common home of tenderness and love, pray for us,” Seitz concluded.

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The bishop of El Paso, Texas, called on immigration enforcement officers to follow the Gospel rather than “immoral order.”

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At a time of conflict, Pope Leo sends a bridge-builder to the United States #Catholic Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the recently appointed apostolic nuncio to the United States, takes up his new role at a time of heightened tension between the Vatican and the White House over issues including immigration to the U.S. and war in the Middle East.Former collaborators say Caccia’s personal qualities and wide diplomatic experience — including in Lebanon and the Philippines — make him well suited for this crucial assignment.The 68-year-old diplomat recently served as the permanent observer of the Holy See Mission to the United Nations in New York after Pope Francis appointed him there in 2019. His new job is important as a liaison between the Vatican and the U.S., where recent federal policies have faced growing resistance from Church leaders.Pope Leo’s new man on a high-stakes missionA veteran diplomat, Caccia will serve as Pope Leo XIV’s chief representative to the Trump administration. Like his predecessor, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, he assumes office amid ongoing tension between the administration and the Church, especially on immigration enforcement and foreign policy.In a public statement in November 2025, U.S. bishops strongly opposed the administration’s treatment of migrants during mass deportations. Pope Leo expressed support for the statement and denounced the treatment of migrants as “extremely disrespectful, and with instances of violence.”The U.S. bishops have also voiced concern over recent foreign policy moves, including interventions in the Middle East. In January of this year, three U.S. cardinals — Blase Cupich, Joseph Tobin, and Robert McElroy — jointly condemned the administration’s foreign policy in a public statement. In recent addresses, Pope Leo has also called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, deploring on March 15 a “widespread climate of hatred and fear.”Monsignor Roger Landry, who served at the Holy See Mission from 2015 to 2022 and now heads the Pontifical Mission Societies, expressed confidence in the nuncio’s ability to communicate the Holy See’s concerns effectively to the U.S. government while supporting the bishops.“He will represent Pope Leo very well to the U.S. government and the U.S. Church, be a great listener and effective relayer of what’s happening in the United States to Pope Leo, and be a steady source of counsel and support to U.S. bishops,” he told EWTN News.Dálida Morales, who interned at the mission and now works at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the Dominican Republic, conveyed hope for the archbishop’s potential to build international dialogue.“He is genuinely a bridge-builder for peace. At a time when dialogue, moral clarity, and principled leadership are urgently needed in the United States, his appointment there is both timely and hopeful,” she said.A diplomat forged in complex geopoliticsHaving worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1991, Caccia previously served in challenging posts before his appointment to the U.N. He served as apostolic nuncio to Lebanon and the Philippines, two countries with sensitive political climates.His service in Lebanon occurred during the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. There, he helped coordinate the Church’s humanitarian response to support over 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. His service also included helping maintain peace in a country constitutionally divided among Maronite Christians, Muslims, and Druze.He served in the Philippines at the height of President Rodrigo Duterte’s highly aggressive and controversial anti-narcotics campaign, which resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings. As the nuncio, he helped to support the bishops, who were vocal critics against the government, while maintaining the country’s diplomatic relations with the Holy See.During his time at the U.N., he promoted the Vatican’s diplomatic stance. Father Mark Knestout, who served with Caccia as a former attaché for the Holy See Mission, noted the importance of his diplomatic experience in his new role.“He was in Lebanon for eight years, which is a complex situation because you have multiple denominations of Catholics there, alongside the situation with Muslims,” he told EWTN News. “So I see him being personable and striving to get to know everyone in the United States as best he can.”An inclusive leader and sports loverFormer staff of Caccia also shared with EWTN News some personal anecdotes from their time serving with him in New York. Vitória Volpato, a former intern at the mission who serves at the Prefecture of São Paulo in Brazil, noted with gratitude the archbishop’s insights on leadership.“He said something that stayed with me: ‘I do not choose the people I work with, but I work with the people I have.’ That made me reflect on what a good leader must be, something the archbishop clearly is,” she said.Ashley Campbell, who interned at the mission and now works at the Religious Freedom Institute, reflected on his love of sports. “I remember once walking with him back to the Holy See Mission building from the U.N., and we talked about how we both grew up playing sports and how amazing it would be if Vatican City could send athletes to the Olympics.”Fidelity to the Holy FatherOne trait consistently praised by those who have worked with the archbishop is his fidelity to the Holy Father. Knestout described the archbishop as a “true Churchman who wants to represent the desires and the intentions of the Holy Father.”Morales added: “Every Wednesday, he would ask us about the Holy Father’s general audience. In this way, he reminded us that one of the most meaningful ways to remain united to the Church is by listening to the voice of the pope. It is a habit I continue to keep today thanks to him.”
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At a time of conflict, Pope Leo sends a bridge-builder to the United States #Catholic Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the recently appointed apostolic nuncio to the United States, takes up his new role at a time of heightened tension between the Vatican and the White House over issues including immigration to the U.S. and war in the Middle East.Former collaborators say Caccia’s personal qualities and wide diplomatic experience — including in Lebanon and the Philippines — make him well suited for this crucial assignment.The 68-year-old diplomat recently served as the permanent observer of the Holy See Mission to the United Nations in New York after Pope Francis appointed him there in 2019. His new job is important as a liaison between the Vatican and the U.S., where recent federal policies have faced growing resistance from Church leaders.Pope Leo’s new man on a high-stakes missionA veteran diplomat, Caccia will serve as Pope Leo XIV’s chief representative to the Trump administration. Like his predecessor, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, he assumes office amid ongoing tension between the administration and the Church, especially on immigration enforcement and foreign policy.In a public statement in November 2025, U.S. bishops strongly opposed the administration’s treatment of migrants during mass deportations. Pope Leo expressed support for the statement and denounced the treatment of migrants as “extremely disrespectful, and with instances of violence.”The U.S. bishops have also voiced concern over recent foreign policy moves, including interventions in the Middle East. In January of this year, three U.S. cardinals — Blase Cupich, Joseph Tobin, and Robert McElroy — jointly condemned the administration’s foreign policy in a public statement. In recent addresses, Pope Leo has also called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, deploring on March 15 a “widespread climate of hatred and fear.”Monsignor Roger Landry, who served at the Holy See Mission from 2015 to 2022 and now heads the Pontifical Mission Societies, expressed confidence in the nuncio’s ability to communicate the Holy See’s concerns effectively to the U.S. government while supporting the bishops.“He will represent Pope Leo very well to the U.S. government and the U.S. Church, be a great listener and effective relayer of what’s happening in the United States to Pope Leo, and be a steady source of counsel and support to U.S. bishops,” he told EWTN News.Dálida Morales, who interned at the mission and now works at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the Dominican Republic, conveyed hope for the archbishop’s potential to build international dialogue.“He is genuinely a bridge-builder for peace. At a time when dialogue, moral clarity, and principled leadership are urgently needed in the United States, his appointment there is both timely and hopeful,” she said.A diplomat forged in complex geopoliticsHaving worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1991, Caccia previously served in challenging posts before his appointment to the U.N. He served as apostolic nuncio to Lebanon and the Philippines, two countries with sensitive political climates.His service in Lebanon occurred during the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. There, he helped coordinate the Church’s humanitarian response to support over 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. His service also included helping maintain peace in a country constitutionally divided among Maronite Christians, Muslims, and Druze.He served in the Philippines at the height of President Rodrigo Duterte’s highly aggressive and controversial anti-narcotics campaign, which resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings. As the nuncio, he helped to support the bishops, who were vocal critics against the government, while maintaining the country’s diplomatic relations with the Holy See.During his time at the U.N., he promoted the Vatican’s diplomatic stance. Father Mark Knestout, who served with Caccia as a former attaché for the Holy See Mission, noted the importance of his diplomatic experience in his new role.“He was in Lebanon for eight years, which is a complex situation because you have multiple denominations of Catholics there, alongside the situation with Muslims,” he told EWTN News. “So I see him being personable and striving to get to know everyone in the United States as best he can.”An inclusive leader and sports loverFormer staff of Caccia also shared with EWTN News some personal anecdotes from their time serving with him in New York. Vitória Volpato, a former intern at the mission who serves at the Prefecture of São Paulo in Brazil, noted with gratitude the archbishop’s insights on leadership.“He said something that stayed with me: ‘I do not choose the people I work with, but I work with the people I have.’ That made me reflect on what a good leader must be, something the archbishop clearly is,” she said.Ashley Campbell, who interned at the mission and now works at the Religious Freedom Institute, reflected on his love of sports. “I remember once walking with him back to the Holy See Mission building from the U.N., and we talked about how we both grew up playing sports and how amazing it would be if Vatican City could send athletes to the Olympics.”Fidelity to the Holy FatherOne trait consistently praised by those who have worked with the archbishop is his fidelity to the Holy Father. Knestout described the archbishop as a “true Churchman who wants to represent the desires and the intentions of the Holy Father.”Morales added: “Every Wednesday, he would ask us about the Holy Father’s general audience. In this way, he reminded us that one of the most meaningful ways to remain united to the Church is by listening to the voice of the pope. It is a habit I continue to keep today thanks to him.”

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Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the new papal envoy to Washington, has been shaped by a diplomatic career in geopolitical hot spots.

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‘They want to evict us’: Why Indigenous Catholics fight forest project in Bangladesh #Catholic MADHUPUR, Bangladesh — Indigenous Catholic and tribal leaders in central Bangladesh are warning the government that a stronger protest movement will follow if it does not withdraw a contested forest development project before the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan this week.The Garo and Koch Indigenous peoples say a government plan to dig an artificial lake and build an eco-park in the Madhupur forest — about 94 miles north of the capital, Dhaka — is a pretext for evicting them from ancestral lands they have occupied for generations.“What the government is doing in the name of development is not development. It is a clear plan to evict the Garo and Koch Indigenous from this forest area,” said Toni Chiran, a Catholic from Corpus Christi Church in Jalchatra and president of the Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum. A speaker addresses Indigenous Garo people at a protest rally in Madhupur, Bangladesh, on March 6, 2026. | Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario Chiran spoke at a protest rally on March 6 in Madhupur’s Tangail district, where hundreds of Indigenous students and community members gathered to oppose the project. He said that if the artificial lake and eco-park are built, Indigenous people will lose their agricultural land and the natural forest will be destroyed, leaving the Garo and other Indigenous peoples with no means to sustain their way of life.Bangladesh is home to approximately 400,000 Catholics in a population of nearly 178 million, and more than half of the country’s Catholics come from Indigenous communities.Church voices supportFather Simon Hacha, the vicar general of the Diocese of Mymensingh, which covers the area, said the Church cannot support the government’s plans.“If this project is implemented, the Indigenous people’s cropland will be destroyed and they will face eviction. We think that is what the government wants,” Hacha told EWTN News.“We want to tell the government to back off from such shameful steps. The Catholic Church has always been for justice and has been giving moral support to the Indigenous movement,” he added.Decades-long disputeThe Bangladesh government first proposed an artificial lake and eco-park in the Madhupur forest in 2000. In 2004, at least one Garo man was killed by police gunfire during a protest, and many others were injured. The government subsequently halted the project.In 2026, authorities revived the plan and have already begun excavating the designated area. Indigenous leaders say the project amounts to a long-term strategy to force tribal communities from the region.Janoki Chisim, secretary of the Garo Indigenous Student Union, told EWTN News that the project would be an injustice not only to the forest but also to the people who depend on it.“Let the forest survive in its original form and glory. The Garo and Koch Indigenous people have lived in this forest since time immemorial,” Chisim said. An excavator digs inside the Madhupur forest in Bangladesh on March 6, 2026, as part of a government project to expand an artificial lake that Indigenous communities say threatens their ancestral land. | Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario According to tribal elders, tigers, bears, deer, wild boars, and wild cats once roamed freely in the forest, and hundreds of bird species thrived alongside them. Forest dwellers traditionally collected wild potatoes and medicinal plants from the forest vines. That way of life, residents say, is slowly disappearing.After the Tenancy Act of 1950, the Forest Department encroached on tribal forestland. Successive government projects have steadily eroded the forest’s biodiversity. Remaining forest is being cleared for lakes, entertainment centers, hotels, and resorts, and the local Garo and Koch Indigenous people are being displaced, community leaders say.“If the customary land rights of the tribals are not ensured, a strong movement will be launched in the coming days,” Chisim told EWTN News.Forest officials respondForest officials say the lake is being expanded to 1,165 feet. An existing 665-foot-long lake, dug five decades ago, has silted up, causing a severe water shortage in the forest during the dry season.When rivers and canals dry up, monkeys, hanuman langurs, deer, and other wildlife venture into populated areas in search of water and are sometimes attacked, officials said.“Deer, peacocks, and tortoises in the breeding center also face water shortage. The expansion of this lake is necessary to protect the life of wildlife,” Mosharraf Hossain, a forest official, told EWTN News.Hossain added that no one has customary land rights in the reserved forest and that lakes are not being dug on Garo land. Forest department officials say some youths are spreading unnecessary confusion at the behest of a vested interest group.
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‘They want to evict us’: Why Indigenous Catholics fight forest project in Bangladesh #Catholic MADHUPUR, Bangladesh — Indigenous Catholic and tribal leaders in central Bangladesh are warning the government that a stronger protest movement will follow if it does not withdraw a contested forest development project before the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan this week.The Garo and Koch Indigenous peoples say a government plan to dig an artificial lake and build an eco-park in the Madhupur forest — about 94 miles north of the capital, Dhaka — is a pretext for evicting them from ancestral lands they have occupied for generations.“What the government is doing in the name of development is not development. It is a clear plan to evict the Garo and Koch Indigenous from this forest area,” said Toni Chiran, a Catholic from Corpus Christi Church in Jalchatra and president of the Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum. A speaker addresses Indigenous Garo people at a protest rally in Madhupur, Bangladesh, on March 6, 2026. | Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario Chiran spoke at a protest rally on March 6 in Madhupur’s Tangail district, where hundreds of Indigenous students and community members gathered to oppose the project. He said that if the artificial lake and eco-park are built, Indigenous people will lose their agricultural land and the natural forest will be destroyed, leaving the Garo and other Indigenous peoples with no means to sustain their way of life.Bangladesh is home to approximately 400,000 Catholics in a population of nearly 178 million, and more than half of the country’s Catholics come from Indigenous communities.Church voices supportFather Simon Hacha, the vicar general of the Diocese of Mymensingh, which covers the area, said the Church cannot support the government’s plans.“If this project is implemented, the Indigenous people’s cropland will be destroyed and they will face eviction. We think that is what the government wants,” Hacha told EWTN News.“We want to tell the government to back off from such shameful steps. The Catholic Church has always been for justice and has been giving moral support to the Indigenous movement,” he added.Decades-long disputeThe Bangladesh government first proposed an artificial lake and eco-park in the Madhupur forest in 2000. In 2004, at least one Garo man was killed by police gunfire during a protest, and many others were injured. The government subsequently halted the project.In 2026, authorities revived the plan and have already begun excavating the designated area. Indigenous leaders say the project amounts to a long-term strategy to force tribal communities from the region.Janoki Chisim, secretary of the Garo Indigenous Student Union, told EWTN News that the project would be an injustice not only to the forest but also to the people who depend on it.“Let the forest survive in its original form and glory. The Garo and Koch Indigenous people have lived in this forest since time immemorial,” Chisim said. An excavator digs inside the Madhupur forest in Bangladesh on March 6, 2026, as part of a government project to expand an artificial lake that Indigenous communities say threatens their ancestral land. | Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario According to tribal elders, tigers, bears, deer, wild boars, and wild cats once roamed freely in the forest, and hundreds of bird species thrived alongside them. Forest dwellers traditionally collected wild potatoes and medicinal plants from the forest vines. That way of life, residents say, is slowly disappearing.After the Tenancy Act of 1950, the Forest Department encroached on tribal forestland. Successive government projects have steadily eroded the forest’s biodiversity. Remaining forest is being cleared for lakes, entertainment centers, hotels, and resorts, and the local Garo and Koch Indigenous people are being displaced, community leaders say.“If the customary land rights of the tribals are not ensured, a strong movement will be launched in the coming days,” Chisim told EWTN News.Forest officials respondForest officials say the lake is being expanded to 1,165 feet. An existing 665-foot-long lake, dug five decades ago, has silted up, causing a severe water shortage in the forest during the dry season.When rivers and canals dry up, monkeys, hanuman langurs, deer, and other wildlife venture into populated areas in search of water and are sometimes attacked, officials said.“Deer, peacocks, and tortoises in the breeding center also face water shortage. The expansion of this lake is necessary to protect the life of wildlife,” Mosharraf Hossain, a forest official, told EWTN News.Hossain added that no one has customary land rights in the reserved forest and that lakes are not being dug on Garo land. Forest department officials say some youths are spreading unnecessary confusion at the behest of a vested interest group.

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Catholic Indigenous leaders in Bangladesh say they will escalate protests if the government does not halt a forest development project they call a pretext for eviction.

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March 17, 1958: Vanguard 1 blasts off

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America’s second satellite, Vanguard 1, was launched into space on March 17, 1958. And though it only blasted off some six months after the Soviet’s Sputnik satellite, Vanguard 1 still remains in orbit — more than 60 years later. This makes it Earth’s longest-orbiting artificial satellite, as well as the oldest human-made object still inContinue reading “March 17, 1958: Vanguard 1 blasts off”

The post March 17, 1958: Vanguard 1 blasts off appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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‘Catholic Connections’ aims to unite Catholics working on Capitol Hill – #Catholic – House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota, wants Catholics on the Hill to be able to recognize one another by more than a cross they may wear or Ash Wednesday ashes on their foreheads. Emmer’s office has spearheaded a new group called “Catholic Connections,” dedicated to fostering a faith-based community among Catholics working on Capitol Hill.“This is a huge Catholic community around here,” Emmer told EWTN News in an interview at the group’s latest event on March 6, which centered on a Lenten reflection delivered by the pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish on Capitol Hill.“They don’t have anything like this,” he said.The Friday morning event, hosted in the Members’ Dining Room on the House side of the Capitol, drew roughly 50 participants, including several members of Congress.Emmer told EWTN News he was inspired to start the group this past January after witnessing a surge of young people on the Hill attending Mass in the wake of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September 2025.“All of a sudden, we started to see a lot of young people showing up for daily Mass,” he said. “It dawned on me that they’re looking for something that’s bigger than themselves, that they want to be part of.”“Catholic Connections is not only giving a community of Catholics a place to go,” he said. “Like somebody just said to me out the door, ‘Hey, the biggest identifier of Catholics on the Hill is Ash Wednesday,’ and he said, ‘Thanks for doing this because now we all see who each other is, and we don’t have to wait and try to guess.’”Emmer said the group plans to meet every month and that he hopes to see more staffers attend.The Republican leader emphasized the importance of Capitol Hill staffers grounding their work in “something bigger than yourself” rather than trying to achieve a level of perfection that is beyond their human capacity. “You’ve got to believe; otherwise, all of this is pointless,” he said.“I think you’re going to see more young staffers show up because they will know that the door’s open to them,” he said. “If they think it’s a networking thing, I’m all for it.”Finding common groundDavid Planning, a principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs, expressed gratitude to the whip’s office for giving Catholic lobbyists and staffers on the Hill the opportunity to “settle down, reflect on our shared faith, and build community outside of work.”“It’s funny,” he said. “You see members walking around these events with big smiles on their faces, happy to engage with their friends. Some folks are on opposite sides of issues in the professional world. But coming together under that shared faith is something that I hope we see expand. It’s something that is worth growing.”Sarah Donovan, another lobbyist who serves as a senior policy adviser at Venable, told EWTN News that she was “struck” by the opportunity “to come together as a group of Catholics.”“We do so many meetings on the Hill all day long and advocate for a lot of different causes,” she said. “But this is an opportunity to come together as Catholics and stand in a room with other members of our Catholic community and pray together, and be together, and reflect on what’s really important.” “I find it to be very grounding and inspiring,” she said.‘Building up a spiritual network’Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-North Dakota, expressed excitement for the group, especially as a freshman member, to have the opportunity “to build up a spiritual network that goes beyond just the politics here.”“There’s a large number of Catholics in our class,” she said, naming Reps. Michael Baumgartner, R-Washington; Jeff Hurd, R-Colorado; and Robert Onder, R-Missouri. “We all loved that, when we got to know each other and realized that there’s a strong network of pretty faithful Catholics,” she said, noting that the event “is just an extension of that.”According to data from the Pew Research Center, 150 members of Congress are Catholic, making up about 28% of the total 535 members.“So, with Emmer being a strong Catholic and really trying to be outward in his faith and use it to ground his work, that’s something that I aspire to do as well and try to focus on, on a daily basis,” she said.Fedorchak, who is the first woman to be elected to the House of Representatives from North Dakota, is married with three children and serves on the Board of Trustees at the University of Mary. The youngest of eight children, Fedorchak described herself as “a diehard Catholic.”Reflecting on the Lenten address given by Father William Gurnee, which focused on temptation, Fedorchak said: “I think the temptations when you’re in an office in Washington are even stronger because of all the demands.”The freshman member said she especially appreciated the talk because of her own Lenten practices. “I am trying to abstain from hopelessness,” she said.“That’s an easy feeling to set in when you’ve got daunting challenges and you’re just one voice in a sea of people here. And you can feel sometimes like it’s hopeless,” she said. “But I’m trying to abstain from that this Lent and realize that God is ultimately in control. So do what you can and then trust that he’s going to take care of the rest.”
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‘Catholic Connections’ aims to unite Catholics working on Capitol Hill – #Catholic – House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota, wants Catholics on the Hill to be able to recognize one another by more than a cross they may wear or Ash Wednesday ashes on their foreheads. Emmer’s office has spearheaded a new group called “Catholic Connections,” dedicated to fostering a faith-based community among Catholics working on Capitol Hill.“This is a huge Catholic community around here,” Emmer told EWTN News in an interview at the group’s latest event on March 6, which centered on a Lenten reflection delivered by the pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish on Capitol Hill.“They don’t have anything like this,” he said.The Friday morning event, hosted in the Members’ Dining Room on the House side of the Capitol, drew roughly 50 participants, including several members of Congress.Emmer told EWTN News he was inspired to start the group this past January after witnessing a surge of young people on the Hill attending Mass in the wake of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September 2025.“All of a sudden, we started to see a lot of young people showing up for daily Mass,” he said. “It dawned on me that they’re looking for something that’s bigger than themselves, that they want to be part of.”“Catholic Connections is not only giving a community of Catholics a place to go,” he said. “Like somebody just said to me out the door, ‘Hey, the biggest identifier of Catholics on the Hill is Ash Wednesday,’ and he said, ‘Thanks for doing this because now we all see who each other is, and we don’t have to wait and try to guess.’”Emmer said the group plans to meet every month and that he hopes to see more staffers attend.The Republican leader emphasized the importance of Capitol Hill staffers grounding their work in “something bigger than yourself” rather than trying to achieve a level of perfection that is beyond their human capacity. “You’ve got to believe; otherwise, all of this is pointless,” he said.“I think you’re going to see more young staffers show up because they will know that the door’s open to them,” he said. “If they think it’s a networking thing, I’m all for it.”Finding common groundDavid Planning, a principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs, expressed gratitude to the whip’s office for giving Catholic lobbyists and staffers on the Hill the opportunity to “settle down, reflect on our shared faith, and build community outside of work.”“It’s funny,” he said. “You see members walking around these events with big smiles on their faces, happy to engage with their friends. Some folks are on opposite sides of issues in the professional world. But coming together under that shared faith is something that I hope we see expand. It’s something that is worth growing.”Sarah Donovan, another lobbyist who serves as a senior policy adviser at Venable, told EWTN News that she was “struck” by the opportunity “to come together as a group of Catholics.”“We do so many meetings on the Hill all day long and advocate for a lot of different causes,” she said. “But this is an opportunity to come together as Catholics and stand in a room with other members of our Catholic community and pray together, and be together, and reflect on what’s really important.” “I find it to be very grounding and inspiring,” she said.‘Building up a spiritual network’Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-North Dakota, expressed excitement for the group, especially as a freshman member, to have the opportunity “to build up a spiritual network that goes beyond just the politics here.”“There’s a large number of Catholics in our class,” she said, naming Reps. Michael Baumgartner, R-Washington; Jeff Hurd, R-Colorado; and Robert Onder, R-Missouri. “We all loved that, when we got to know each other and realized that there’s a strong network of pretty faithful Catholics,” she said, noting that the event “is just an extension of that.”According to data from the Pew Research Center, 150 members of Congress are Catholic, making up about 28% of the total 535 members.“So, with Emmer being a strong Catholic and really trying to be outward in his faith and use it to ground his work, that’s something that I aspire to do as well and try to focus on, on a daily basis,” she said.Fedorchak, who is the first woman to be elected to the House of Representatives from North Dakota, is married with three children and serves on the Board of Trustees at the University of Mary. The youngest of eight children, Fedorchak described herself as “a diehard Catholic.”Reflecting on the Lenten address given by Father William Gurnee, which focused on temptation, Fedorchak said: “I think the temptations when you’re in an office in Washington are even stronger because of all the demands.”The freshman member said she especially appreciated the talk because of her own Lenten practices. “I am trying to abstain from hopelessness,” she said.“That’s an easy feeling to set in when you’ve got daunting challenges and you’re just one voice in a sea of people here. And you can feel sometimes like it’s hopeless,” she said. “But I’m trying to abstain from that this Lent and realize that God is ultimately in control. So do what you can and then trust that he’s going to take care of the rest.”

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Catholics on Capitol Hill are beginning to build a tight-knit community amid their busy schedules.

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St. Patrick’s Day during Lent ‘should inspire us to be joyful, not dire’ – #Catholic – Catholics around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with special Masses, parades, festive gatherings, and Irish favorites like corned beef and cabbage. While the festivities may seem contradictory to the penitential season of Lent, they provide an opportunity for the faithful to honor and celebrate the life of one of the Church’s most beloved saints.“Sometimes Lent is viewed as a ‘gloomy’ season. However, the Preface for Lent (I) states: ‘for your faithful await the sacred paschal feasts with the joy of minds made pure,’” Bishop Stephen Parkes of Savannah, Georgia, told EWTN News. “This is a time for reflection, repentance, and renewal, which should inspire us to be joyful, not dour.”On St. Patrick’s Day, many enjoy the opportunity to celebrate the gifts of Irish culture and heritage, but “in Savannah, we don’t stop with just a day and a parade … but rather celebrate a whole ‘season of St. Patrick,’ which encompasses many different events over a two-week period,” Parkes said.There are many reasons to celebrate the great saint’s life. The patron of Ireland was born in Scotland to Roman parents around 385. When he was a teenager, St. Patrick was kidnapped by an Irish raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave.Throughout his captivity, St. Patrick fervently prayed to God and at the age of 20, inspired by an angel in a dream, he escaped and journeyed across the sea back to his family. He then studied for the priesthood and was ordained, later becoming a bishop.Pope Celestine instructed St. Patrick to return to Ireland to bring its people into the Catholic Church. St. Patrick arrived at Ireland’s shores around 433 on the feast of the Annunciation. There, he transformed the pagan society by converting thousands, baptizing converts, ordaining clergy, and establishing hundreds of churches across the country.“My advice to anyone who is celebrating St. Patrick for a whole season, or just a day, is to ask this beloved saint to intercede on our behalf, that we may follow his holy example in embracing missionary discipleship,” Parkes said.We can ask St. Patrick “to help us to provide a spirit of welcome and hospitality to those who come to our country seeking opportunity, safety, and peace,” he said. “We can also embrace a spirit of gratitude, giving thanks for the many Irish priests who ventured to the United States to serve our growing Church.”Dispensations for feast days“This is a time to honor this great missionary saint through a lens of faith, friendship, and community, all of which can bring great joy,” Parkes said. “Even though St. Patrick’s Day falls during Lent on the calendar, we put this into perspective by honoring our Catholic guidelines for the season.”During Lent, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence from meat, and Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence from meat “unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday,” according to the Code of Canon Law.Catholics are also strongly encouraged to take on additional practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during the Lenten season.When St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday during Lent, a dispensation may be given by the local bishop so that a traditional Irish meal containing meat may be enjoyed. This year, this is not a concern as it falls on a Tuesday.As many Catholics celebrate the saint with parades, parties, and friends, some may wonder whether they can partake in what they personally gave up for Lent on the feast day — similar to how some choose to do so on Sundays during Lent.As it is left up to the individual to what extent they take on additional Lenten practices, if they decide to enjoy the drink, food, or treat they have given up on St. Patrick’s Day, it is not against the Catholic Church’s guidelines for the season. But the faithful can always ask their archdiocese or diocese to find out more.Other ways to celebrateEnjoying a treat or meal to honor St. Patrick’s Day is not the only way to observe the feast. Catholics can take the time to learn about the saint’s life, attend Mass, and connect with the Irish-American community.“I would hope that everyone, whether Irish-American or ‘Irish for the day,’ would honor St. Patrick by beginning his feast day with Mass, as we do in the grand cathedral on Fifth Avenue that bears his name,” Archbishop Ronald Hicks of New York told EWTN News.“Like so many others in this archdiocese, I am proud of all that the Irish have given to our city and country, including, most importantly, a deep love of the faith,” Hicks said. “There can be no better way to celebrate this great saint while still maintaining reverence for the beautiful season of Lent.”The faithful can use the feast day and nature of the Lenten season as an opportunity to spend time in prayer, including reciting “St. Patrick’s Breastplate.” The fifth-century Irish hymn is a powerful prayer that calls upon the Trinity and invokes divine protection against spiritual and physical dangers.Catholics can also take time to reflect on the Holy Trinity using the Shamrock as St. Patrick himself is said to have done.St. Patrick’s own words in his “Confessio” also offer a great reflection for the faithful. His words, “I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers,” are a reminder of his humility and relatability to us today.
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St. Patrick’s Day during Lent ‘should inspire us to be joyful, not dire’ – #Catholic – Catholics around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with special Masses, parades, festive gatherings, and Irish favorites like corned beef and cabbage. While the festivities may seem contradictory to the penitential season of Lent, they provide an opportunity for the faithful to honor and celebrate the life of one of the Church’s most beloved saints.“Sometimes Lent is viewed as a ‘gloomy’ season. However, the Preface for Lent (I) states: ‘for your faithful await the sacred paschal feasts with the joy of minds made pure,’” Bishop Stephen Parkes of Savannah, Georgia, told EWTN News. “This is a time for reflection, repentance, and renewal, which should inspire us to be joyful, not dour.”On St. Patrick’s Day, many enjoy the opportunity to celebrate the gifts of Irish culture and heritage, but “in Savannah, we don’t stop with just a day and a parade … but rather celebrate a whole ‘season of St. Patrick,’ which encompasses many different events over a two-week period,” Parkes said.There are many reasons to celebrate the great saint’s life. The patron of Ireland was born in Scotland to Roman parents around 385. When he was a teenager, St. Patrick was kidnapped by an Irish raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave.Throughout his captivity, St. Patrick fervently prayed to God and at the age of 20, inspired by an angel in a dream, he escaped and journeyed across the sea back to his family. He then studied for the priesthood and was ordained, later becoming a bishop.Pope Celestine instructed St. Patrick to return to Ireland to bring its people into the Catholic Church. St. Patrick arrived at Ireland’s shores around 433 on the feast of the Annunciation. There, he transformed the pagan society by converting thousands, baptizing converts, ordaining clergy, and establishing hundreds of churches across the country.“My advice to anyone who is celebrating St. Patrick for a whole season, or just a day, is to ask this beloved saint to intercede on our behalf, that we may follow his holy example in embracing missionary discipleship,” Parkes said.We can ask St. Patrick “to help us to provide a spirit of welcome and hospitality to those who come to our country seeking opportunity, safety, and peace,” he said. “We can also embrace a spirit of gratitude, giving thanks for the many Irish priests who ventured to the United States to serve our growing Church.”Dispensations for feast days“This is a time to honor this great missionary saint through a lens of faith, friendship, and community, all of which can bring great joy,” Parkes said. “Even though St. Patrick’s Day falls during Lent on the calendar, we put this into perspective by honoring our Catholic guidelines for the season.”During Lent, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence from meat, and Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence from meat “unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday,” according to the Code of Canon Law.Catholics are also strongly encouraged to take on additional practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during the Lenten season.When St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday during Lent, a dispensation may be given by the local bishop so that a traditional Irish meal containing meat may be enjoyed. This year, this is not a concern as it falls on a Tuesday.As many Catholics celebrate the saint with parades, parties, and friends, some may wonder whether they can partake in what they personally gave up for Lent on the feast day — similar to how some choose to do so on Sundays during Lent.As it is left up to the individual to what extent they take on additional Lenten practices, if they decide to enjoy the drink, food, or treat they have given up on St. Patrick’s Day, it is not against the Catholic Church’s guidelines for the season. But the faithful can always ask their archdiocese or diocese to find out more.Other ways to celebrateEnjoying a treat or meal to honor St. Patrick’s Day is not the only way to observe the feast. Catholics can take the time to learn about the saint’s life, attend Mass, and connect with the Irish-American community.“I would hope that everyone, whether Irish-American or ‘Irish for the day,’ would honor St. Patrick by beginning his feast day with Mass, as we do in the grand cathedral on Fifth Avenue that bears his name,” Archbishop Ronald Hicks of New York told EWTN News.“Like so many others in this archdiocese, I am proud of all that the Irish have given to our city and country, including, most importantly, a deep love of the faith,” Hicks said. “There can be no better way to celebrate this great saint while still maintaining reverence for the beautiful season of Lent.”The faithful can use the feast day and nature of the Lenten season as an opportunity to spend time in prayer, including reciting “St. Patrick’s Breastplate.” The fifth-century Irish hymn is a powerful prayer that calls upon the Trinity and invokes divine protection against spiritual and physical dangers.Catholics can also take time to reflect on the Holy Trinity using the Shamrock as St. Patrick himself is said to have done.St. Patrick’s own words in his “Confessio” also offer a great reflection for the faithful. His words, “I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers,” are a reminder of his humility and relatability to us today.

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Bishop Stephen Parkes of Savannah, Georgia, reminds us of the many reasons to celebrate the great saint’s life.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 17 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 The angel brought me, Ezekiel, back to the entrance of the temple of the LORD, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the façade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the right side. Then when he had walked off to the east with a measuring cord in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and had me wade through the water, which was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand and once more had me wade through the water, which was now knee-deep. Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade; the water was up to my waist. Once more he measured off a thousand, but there was now a river through which I could not wade; for the water had risen so high it had become a river that could not be crossed except by swimming. He asked me, "Have you seen this, son of man?" Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit. Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides. He said to me, "This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."From the Gospel according to John 5:1-16 There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be well?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk." Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat." He answered them, "The man who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’" They asked him, "Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?" The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, "Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you." The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.Jesus asks the paralytic a question that may seem superfluous: “Do you want to be well?” (v. 6). Instead, it is a necessary question, because when one is stuck for so many years, even the will to heal may fade. (…) Indeed, this man replies in a more articulate way to Jesus’ question, revealing his true vision of life. He says first of all that he has no-one to immerse him in the pool: so he is not to blame, but the others who do not take care of him. This attitude becomes the pretext for avoiding responsibility. (…) Instead, Jesus helps him to discover that his life is also in his hands. He invites him to get up, to raise himself up from his chronic situation, and to take his stretcher (cf. v. 8). That mat is not to be left or thrown away: it represents his past of sickness, his history. Until that moment, the past had blocked him; it had forced him to lie like a dead man. Now it is he who can take that mat and carry it wherever he wishes: he can decide what to make of his history! It is a matter of walking, taking responsibility for choosing what road to take. And this is thanks to Jesus! (Leo XIV – General Audience, 18 June 2025)

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A reading from the Book of Ezekiel
47:1-9, 12

The angel brought me, Ezekiel,
back to the entrance of the temple of the LORD,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the right side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the right side.
Then when he had walked off to the east
with a measuring cord in his hand,
he measured off a thousand cubits
and had me wade through the water,
which was ankle-deep.
He measured off another thousand
and once more had me wade through the water,
which was now knee-deep.
Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade;
the water was up to my waist.
Once more he measured off a thousand,
but there was now a river through which I could not wade;
for the water had risen so high it had become a river
that could not be crossed except by swimming.
He asked me, "Have you seen this, son of man?"
Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit.
Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides.
He said to me,
"This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."

From the Gospel according to John
5:1-16

There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate
a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.
In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there
and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him,
"Do you want to be well?"
The sick man answered him,
"Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred up;
while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me."
Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."
Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.

Now that day was a sabbath.
So the Jews said to the man who was cured,
"It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat."
He answered them, "The man who made me well told me,
‘Take up your mat and walk.’"
They asked him,
"Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?"
The man who was healed did not know who it was,
for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him,
"Look, you are well; do not sin any more,
so that nothing worse may happen to you."
The man went and told the Jews
that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus
because he did this on a sabbath.

Jesus asks the paralytic a question that may seem superfluous: “Do you want to be well?” (v. 6). Instead, it is a necessary question, because when one is stuck for so many years, even the will to heal may fade. (…) Indeed, this man replies in a more articulate way to Jesus’ question, revealing his true vision of life. He says first of all that he has no-one to immerse him in the pool: so he is not to blame, but the others who do not take care of him. This attitude becomes the pretext for avoiding responsibility. (…) Instead, Jesus helps him to discover that his life is also in his hands. He invites him to get up, to raise himself up from his chronic situation, and to take his stretcher (cf. v. 8). That mat is not to be left or thrown away: it represents his past of sickness, his history. Until that moment, the past had blocked him; it had forced him to lie like a dead man. Now it is he who can take that mat and carry it wherever he wishes: he can decide what to make of his history! It is a matter of walking, taking responsibility for choosing what road to take. And this is thanks to Jesus! (Leo XIV – General Audience, 18 June 2025)

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‘New York Times’ Retracts Story Due To Several Accuracies #BabylonBee – NEW YORK, NY — The recent string of embarrassing incidents involving popular media outlets continued on Monday, as The New York Times was forced to retract a story due to several accuracies.
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‘New York Times’ Retracts Story Due To Several Accuracies #BabylonBee – NEW YORK, NY — The recent string of embarrassing incidents involving popular media outlets continued on Monday, as The New York Times was forced to retract a story due to several accuracies.

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NEW YORK, NY — The recent string of embarrassing incidents involving popular media outlets continued on Monday, as The New York Times was forced to retract a story due to several accuracies.

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Wise Dad Prepares Son For Life’s Challenges By Having Him Play ‘Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!’ #BabylonBee – REDLANDS, CA — For eons, fathers have been sharing wisdom with their sons to prepare them for adulthood, but none have been as successful as local father Garrett Jackson, who reportedly prepared his son for life’s challenges by making him play Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!
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Wise Dad Prepares Son For Life’s Challenges By Having Him Play ‘Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!’ #BabylonBee – REDLANDS, CA — For eons, fathers have been sharing wisdom with their sons to prepare them for adulthood, but none have been as successful as local father Garrett Jackson, who reportedly prepared his son for life’s challenges by making him play Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

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REDLANDS, CA — For eons, fathers have been sharing wisdom with their sons to prepare them for adulthood, but none have been as successful as local father Garrett Jackson, who reportedly prepared his son for life’s challenges by making him play Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

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Picture of the day A California Sheephead at Ensenada´s fishmarket (Mercado Negro), Baja California, México. The California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) is characterized by its wrasse-like shape, and three different color patterns for juveniles, adult males, and adult females. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day A California Sheephead at Ensenada´s fishmarket (Mercado Negro), Baja California, México. The California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) is characterized by its wrasse-like shape, and three different color patterns for juveniles, adult males, and adult females. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
A California Sheephead at Ensenada´s fishmarket (Mercado Negro), Baja California, México. The California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) is characterized by its wrasse-like shape, and three different color patterns for juveniles, adult males, and adult females.
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‘Prerequisite to ending wars is the uprooting of the Ayatollah regime,’ Says Retired Israeli Ambassador – Many individuals and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are saying that President Donald Trump promised there would be no new wars. The post ‘Prerequisite to ending wars is the uprooting of the Ayatollah regime,’ Says Retired Israeli Ambassador appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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‘Prerequisite to ending wars is the uprooting of the Ayatollah regime,’ Says Retired Israeli Ambassador – Many individuals and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are saying that President Donald Trump promised there would be no new wars. The post ‘Prerequisite to ending wars is the uprooting of the Ayatollah regime,’ Says Retired Israeli Ambassador appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Many individuals and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are saying that President Donald Trump promised there would be no new wars.

The post ‘Prerequisite to ending wars is the uprooting of the Ayatollah regime,’ Says Retired Israeli Ambassador appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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JUST IN: President Trump Announces White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Diagnosed with Breast Cancer – President Trump on Monday announced White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. The post JUST IN: President Trump Announces White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Diagnosed with Breast Cancer appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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JUST IN: President Trump Announces White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Diagnosed with Breast Cancer – President Trump on Monday announced White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. The post JUST IN: President Trump Announces White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Diagnosed with Breast Cancer appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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President Trump on Monday announced White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer.

The post JUST IN: President Trump Announces White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Diagnosed with Breast Cancer appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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The Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom – The Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom The Republican Supermajority’s Controlled Retreat from Education  Guest post by J. The post The Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The $6 Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom – The $6 Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom The Republican Supermajority’s Controlled Retreat from Education  Guest post by J. The post The $6 Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Father and son fishing in Louisiana with an oil rig at sunset, highlighting the state's rich natural resources and recreational activities.

Father and son fishing in Louisiana with an oil rig at sunset, highlighting the state's rich natural resources and recreational activities.

The $6 Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom The Republican Supermajority’s Controlled Retreat from Education  Guest post by J.

The post The $6 Million Fairy Tale: How Louisiana’s GOP is Sabotaging the Classroom appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Rohingya refugees learn about Lent as Caritas Bangladesh bridges faiths in camps #Catholic COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh — As more than 1 million Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh observe the final days of Ramadan, the Catholic charity Caritas Bangladesh is building bridges between the two faiths by sharing the meaning of Lent with refugees and host communities in the sprawling camps of Cox’s Bazar.“We at Caritas Bangladesh are building a bridge between the two religions by highlighting the significance of Lent for our Christians with the Rohingya refugees and the host community so that they can understand the meaning of Lent,” said Liton Luis Gomes, project director of Caritas Bangladesh’s Emergency Response Program.“We have been sharing with the Rohingya refugees the significance of our fasting, which is to eat less and distribute it to the poor, to listen to people, or to serve those who really deserve it,” Gomes told EWTN News.Caritas is sharing the theme of its 2026 Lenten campaign — “Prayer, Listening, and Fasting: A Holy Call of Inner Transformation” — with the Rohingya and host communities, Gomes said.The pope and the RohingyaPope Francis met a group of Rohingya refugees during his apostolic visit to Bangladesh on Dec. 1, 2017. The refugees traveled to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar to meet the pope during an interreligious gathering at the archbishop’s residence.“The presence of God today is also called Rohingya,” Francis told the gathering in remarks that marked the first time during his visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh that he publicly used the word “Rohingya” to describe the persecuted Muslim minority. Pope urges ‘full rights’ be given to persecuted Rohingya minority Most of the Rohingya in the Cox’s Bazar camps arrived from Myanmar since August 2017, when the military began conducting clearance operations after a series of rebel attacks in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. The Rohingya are Muslims who have long faced discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, including being denied citizenship since 1982. The military coup in Myanmar, formerly Burma, in February 2021 further heightened their vulnerability.The population density of the camps is staggering — roughly 103,600 people per square mile, more than 40 times the average population density of Bangladesh as a whole. Refugees live in side-by-side plastic and bamboo shelters, each just a little larger than 100 square feet, some holding a dozen residents.‘We are not in a festive mood’Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam’s most important religious celebrations, is expected to begin later this week, but refugees say they are not able to celebrate.Abdur Rahim, 55, a Rohingya father of five, told EWTN News that food in the camps is not sufficient but that refugees are “still surviving, thanks to the Bangladesh government and the Almighty.”“We have no money to buy new clothes for my child and grandchild for this festival. Eid is joyful to Muslims, but we are not in a festive mood, because if we can go to our motherland Myanmar, we will be happy,” Rahim said.Rahim said the Caritas initiative had given him a new understanding of the season of fasting.“I didn’t know that Ramadan is not just about not eating. Now, through Caritas, I’ve learned that Ramadan is about helping people and reducing your expenses,” Rahim said.Between 2017 and 2023, Caritas provided million in emergency efforts for Rohingya and host community members in Cox’s Bazar, according to Caritas Internationalis. During that period the charity assisted nearly 1.7 million individuals with shelter support, protection, disaster risk reduction, education, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services.Caritas Bangladesh is the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh.
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Rohingya refugees learn about Lent as Caritas Bangladesh bridges faiths in camps #Catholic COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh — As more than 1 million Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh observe the final days of Ramadan, the Catholic charity Caritas Bangladesh is building bridges between the two faiths by sharing the meaning of Lent with refugees and host communities in the sprawling camps of Cox’s Bazar.“We at Caritas Bangladesh are building a bridge between the two religions by highlighting the significance of Lent for our Christians with the Rohingya refugees and the host community so that they can understand the meaning of Lent,” said Liton Luis Gomes, project director of Caritas Bangladesh’s Emergency Response Program.“We have been sharing with the Rohingya refugees the significance of our fasting, which is to eat less and distribute it to the poor, to listen to people, or to serve those who really deserve it,” Gomes told EWTN News.Caritas is sharing the theme of its 2026 Lenten campaign — “Prayer, Listening, and Fasting: A Holy Call of Inner Transformation” — with the Rohingya and host communities, Gomes said.The pope and the RohingyaPope Francis met a group of Rohingya refugees during his apostolic visit to Bangladesh on Dec. 1, 2017. The refugees traveled to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar to meet the pope during an interreligious gathering at the archbishop’s residence.“The presence of God today is also called Rohingya,” Francis told the gathering in remarks that marked the first time during his visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh that he publicly used the word “Rohingya” to describe the persecuted Muslim minority. Pope urges ‘full rights’ be given to persecuted Rohingya minority Most of the Rohingya in the Cox’s Bazar camps arrived from Myanmar since August 2017, when the military began conducting clearance operations after a series of rebel attacks in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. The Rohingya are Muslims who have long faced discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, including being denied citizenship since 1982. The military coup in Myanmar, formerly Burma, in February 2021 further heightened their vulnerability.The population density of the camps is staggering — roughly 103,600 people per square mile, more than 40 times the average population density of Bangladesh as a whole. Refugees live in side-by-side plastic and bamboo shelters, each just a little larger than 100 square feet, some holding a dozen residents.‘We are not in a festive mood’Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam’s most important religious celebrations, is expected to begin later this week, but refugees say they are not able to celebrate.Abdur Rahim, 55, a Rohingya father of five, told EWTN News that food in the camps is not sufficient but that refugees are “still surviving, thanks to the Bangladesh government and the Almighty.”“We have no money to buy new clothes for my child and grandchild for this festival. Eid is joyful to Muslims, but we are not in a festive mood, because if we can go to our motherland Myanmar, we will be happy,” Rahim said.Rahim said the Caritas initiative had given him a new understanding of the season of fasting.“I didn’t know that Ramadan is not just about not eating. Now, through Caritas, I’ve learned that Ramadan is about helping people and reducing your expenses,” Rahim said.Between 2017 and 2023, Caritas provided $45 million in emergency efforts for Rohingya and host community members in Cox’s Bazar, according to Caritas Internationalis. During that period the charity assisted nearly 1.7 million individuals with shelter support, protection, disaster risk reduction, education, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services.Caritas Bangladesh is the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh.

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As Ramadan draws to a close in the camps of Cox’s Bazar, Caritas Bangladesh is sharing the meaning of Lent with more than 1 million Rohingya Muslim refugees.

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Attack on one faith wounds all, Detroit archbishop says after synagogue attack #Catholic Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Detroit offered prayers and “profound sorrow” for the Jewish community after an attack on Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan.“We stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters, holding in prayer all those affected by this act of violence, especially those who are wounded, grieving, or shaken, including the congregation, first responders, and the greater community,” Weisenburger said in a statement.On March 12, an attacker drove a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, near Detroit, and opened fire.“An attack on one faith community wounds us all,” Weisenburger said. “As details continue to emerge, we remain united with our partners in faith, particularly our Jewish friends and neighbors.”“Together, we pray for an end to violence and for deeper peace in our world. May God’s abundant love and mercy guide us toward compassion, justice, and peace,” he said.Synagogue attackJennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office, said in a statement the FBI “forensically confirmed the assailant responsible” was 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali of Dearborn Heights, Michigan. He “has no previous criminal history and registered weapons. He also has never been the subject of an FBI investigation.”In a timeline released by Runyan, the FBI reported Ghazali drove his vehicle into the synagogue building, injuring a security officer in the process. Ghazali then began firing a gun, starting a gunfight between him and security guards, the FBI said.Ghazali’s vehicle’s engine compartment caught fire and at some point during the gunfire, Ghazali suffered “a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Runyan said.In the bed of his truck, law enforcement found “a large quantity of commercial grade fireworks and several jugs filled with a flammable liquid we believe to be gasoline, some of which was consumed in the fire,” she said.The FBI confirmed the suspect is deceased, but “thankfully, the brave officers and security personnel who protected the Temple … are recovering, and we continue to pray for their speedy healing,” Runyan said.
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Attack on one faith wounds all, Detroit archbishop says after synagogue attack #Catholic Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Detroit offered prayers and “profound sorrow” for the Jewish community after an attack on Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan.“We stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters, holding in prayer all those affected by this act of violence, especially those who are wounded, grieving, or shaken, including the congregation, first responders, and the greater community,” Weisenburger said in a statement.On March 12, an attacker drove a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, near Detroit, and opened fire.“An attack on one faith community wounds us all,” Weisenburger said. “As details continue to emerge, we remain united with our partners in faith, particularly our Jewish friends and neighbors.”“Together, we pray for an end to violence and for deeper peace in our world. May God’s abundant love and mercy guide us toward compassion, justice, and peace,” he said.Synagogue attackJennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office, said in a statement the FBI “forensically confirmed the assailant responsible” was 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali of Dearborn Heights, Michigan. He “has no previous criminal history and registered weapons. He also has never been the subject of an FBI investigation.”In a timeline released by Runyan, the FBI reported Ghazali drove his vehicle into the synagogue building, injuring a security officer in the process. Ghazali then began firing a gun, starting a gunfight between him and security guards, the FBI said.Ghazali’s vehicle’s engine compartment caught fire and at some point during the gunfire, Ghazali suffered “a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Runyan said.In the bed of his truck, law enforcement found “a large quantity of commercial grade fireworks and several jugs filled with a flammable liquid we believe to be gasoline, some of which was consumed in the fire,” she said.The FBI confirmed the suspect is deceased, but “thankfully, the brave officers and security personnel who protected the Temple … are recovering, and we continue to pray for their speedy healing,” Runyan said.

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Michigan Catholics “stand in solidarity” with Jewish community after attack on a synagogue.

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Pope Leo meets author critical of Opus Dei – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV on Monday met in a private audience with Gareth Gore, a British journalist whose work has criticized Opus Dei as abusive.Gore said he spoke to the pope for more than 40 minutes and presented him with testimonies from alleged victims of the organization.Gore is the author of the 2024 book “Opus,” which accuses Opus Dei of financial misdeeds and spiritual and physical abuse against its members.Writing on his Substack after the March 16 meeting, the journalist said Pope Leo praised his book as a “rigorous piece of work.”Gore also said he previously thought the Vatican did not want to seriously address accusations of abuse within Opus Dei but that his meeting with Leo “forces me to reassess those conclusions.”The Vatican did not respond to a request for comment on the meeting.A spokesman for Opus Dei said the group had no comment on the meeting or Gore’s statement and pointed to prior statements from Opus Dei about Gore’s book.Opus Dei has previously denounced Gore’s book as “littered with twisted facts, errors, conspiracy theories, and even outright lies.”The pope received Opus Dei’s prelate, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, in audience at the Vatican last month.The Feb. 16 meeting came as the personal prelature’s proposed statutes — submitted to the Holy See on June 11, 2025 — remain under review.Opus Dei’s draft is being examined by the Dicastery for the Clergy following the reforms to the governance of personal prelatures introduced under Pope Francis.In Church structure, Opus Dei is a “personal prelature,” which, according to canon law, “consists of presbyters and deacons of the secular clergy” joined together to “accomplish particular pastoral or missionary works.”The organization was founded by Spanish priest Father Josemaría Escrivá in 1928. Escrivá was canonized a saint in 2002.
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Pope Leo meets author critical of Opus Dei – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV on Monday met in a private audience with Gareth Gore, a British journalist whose work has criticized Opus Dei as abusive.Gore said he spoke to the pope for more than 40 minutes and presented him with testimonies from alleged victims of the organization.Gore is the author of the 2024 book “Opus,” which accuses Opus Dei of financial misdeeds and spiritual and physical abuse against its members.Writing on his Substack after the March 16 meeting, the journalist said Pope Leo praised his book as a “rigorous piece of work.”Gore also said he previously thought the Vatican did not want to seriously address accusations of abuse within Opus Dei but that his meeting with Leo “forces me to reassess those conclusions.”The Vatican did not respond to a request for comment on the meeting.A spokesman for Opus Dei said the group had no comment on the meeting or Gore’s statement and pointed to prior statements from Opus Dei about Gore’s book.Opus Dei has previously denounced Gore’s book as “littered with twisted facts, errors, conspiracy theories, and even outright lies.”The pope received Opus Dei’s prelate, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, in audience at the Vatican last month.The Feb. 16 meeting came as the personal prelature’s proposed statutes — submitted to the Holy See on June 11, 2025 — remain under review.Opus Dei’s draft is being examined by the Dicastery for the Clergy following the reforms to the governance of personal prelatures introduced under Pope Francis.In Church structure, Opus Dei is a “personal prelature,” which, according to canon law, “consists of presbyters and deacons of the secular clergy” joined together to “accomplish particular pastoral or missionary works.”The organization was founded by Spanish priest Father Josemaría Escrivá in 1928. Escrivá was canonized a saint in 2002.

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Gareth Gore is the author of the 2024 book “Opus,” which accuses Opus Dei of financial misdeeds and spiritual and physical abuse against its members.

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Why are craters perfectly round even though meteorites are irregularly shaped?

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Why are craters perfectly round even though meteorites are irregularly shaped? Steven RiserConyers, Georgia To answer your question, let’s have some fun. First, watch as I throw this irregularly shaped rock down at an angle onto a smooth mudflat. The rock strikes the flat and, in the process, splatters mud in all directions. Now let’sContinue reading “Why are craters perfectly round even though meteorites are irregularly shaped?”

The post Why are craters perfectly round even though meteorites are irregularly shaped? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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‘I would do everything to become a priest,’ Iceland’s Capuchin bishop says – #Catholic – ROME — The only Catholic bishop in Iceland, David Bartimej Tencer, is celebrating a double jubilee this year — the 40th anniversary of his priestly ordination and the Franciscan jubilee marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi — as a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins.Looking back, he said, he feels great gratitude. Even if he had not become a priest, he “would do everything to become one,” the bishop of Reykjavik, the only diocese on the island, said in a conversation with EWTN News in Rome.He was ordained in Slovakia, then communist Czechoslovakia, but “even if communism had not fallen, and thank God it did, a priest would still do what he was supposed to do,” he stressed. He had good priests in a seminary and in a parish who worked a lot and were able to eschew the imposed limits of the regime, the prelate explained.The priests collaborated and were pastorally active, confessing and forming parishioners privately, outside the supervision of the state apparatus. Consequently, when the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, “an enormously powerful — or rather beautiful — Church arose in Slovakia,” Tencer told EWTN News.“I am not just interested in what a priest does but in what he is — by transforming bread and wine,” the Slovak prelate explained.Before he was ordained a bishop in 2015, he recalled it is “the fullness of priesthood and likeness to the Lord Jesus.”He became a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins in 1990. In the light of the current 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, he said he sees the order’s spirituality “applicable everywhere, and we in Iceland appreciate it very much,” as it brings “the charism of the brotherhood.”It “creates bridges and not barriers,” which is especially important on this island northwest of Europe, “as its nature and the way of life” constrain its inhabitants to be “very dependent on themselves,” Tencer said.The bishop recently came to Rome to ordain a seminarian of Brazilian origin a deacon where he studies, one of the two seminarians in his diocese. The other one is a native Icelander who has been Catholic for seven years and came to faith through organ music, Tencer shared.“He liked to listen to the organ and when he started going to the Catholic church, he saw that we use it as a means. We mostly do not go to concerts and listen to Bach, but it is simply an instrument for accompaniment during liturgy,” the bishop said, adding that the seminarian is now “a pretty good organist.”Other Icelanders discover faith thanks to their spouse. For example, a Catholic Filipino woman might marry an evangelical Icelander. Since there is not much public transport in the country, he takes her to Mass by car and accompanies her also during the liturgy. “And so he also experiences the Catholic atmosphere,” the bishop of Reykjavik said.Due to its small population of around 400,000, “a normal priest knows the majority of people by name.” People are very grateful, as this direct contact suits them very well, he clarified.Interest in faith is risingYet the diocese does not just grab people and “make out of them some kind of Catholic so you do not even know what you have fallen into,” Tencer joked. Even for baptized Christians, the diocese requires that they experience Mass ideally every Sunday and spend the whole liturgical year with them.“If they say no, it is OK, because we can live without them.”The most beautiful thing about the Church in Iceland is that it does not impose but “offers,” he said.When Tencer came to Reykjavik in 2015, the parish hall after Mass at the Reykjavik cathedral was always half full. The Icelanders who travel from great distances eat something and drink coffee after the liturgy to warm up. Nowadays, the hall and surrounding rooms are so full after Mass that he cannot find a place to sit. “I am usually in the corridor where a few Indian fathers chat in their native Malayalam. It became their spot,” the Slovak bishop said, marking the rising number of Massgoers.Regarding new ways to attract people, the Slovak bishop takes the example from communism when a priest would once a year on a given Sunday say: “If someone feels a calling to be a priest, go to the parish office.”“When my school-leaving exam approached, I did,” he shared. The bishop was surprised no one did that in Iceland, so he took up this method.“When I speak Icelandic in church, half of the congregation does not understand. If I speak English, another half does not understand. We are from 172 countries and are not united by culture or language.”Yet it is not a reason to abstain from taking part in the liturgy, “since you go to a Mass to receive grace, not to understand the language,” Tencer clarified further.“Even a blind person gets suntanned in the sun.”Pope Leo XIV was a surprise in IcelandIceland sits between Europe and Greenland — a former Danish colony like Iceland was in the past. When geopolitical tensions arose over Greenland earlier this year, it did not create much stir in the society at large. People rather viewed it as a joke. “Anyway, who would be interested in us?” the bishop said jokingly, reminding that the Catholic community is overwhelmingly immigrant in a foreign land.A few Greenlanders who are mostly fishermen in Iceland did not make a big deal out of it. However, the diocese has a fairly large group of Chaldeans, Syrians, and Ukrainian refugees, so when the problems hit Syria and Ukraine, “we felt for them and were afraid of their families in their homeland.”The election of Pope Leo XIV was seen as “a very big surprise” in Iceland, he revealed. Since the Cathedral of Christ the King in Reykjavik will turn 100 in 2029, Tencer said he wants to invite the pope to visit the island on the occasion. The Holy Father usually sends papal legates for such occasions, but “if he came himself, that would be amazing for the local community,” the bishop said.Iceland is part of the Nordic Bishops’ Conference together with Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Bishops from these countries “are considered ours as if they were in one country,” Tencer said.He was glad that fellow Nordic bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway, gave the Lenten spiritual exercises to the Roman Curia this year. They must have been “very lively and the cardinals were not bored,” Tencer said. He also revealed that when Varden met Pope Francis, the Holy Father told him he had read his book. “Which one?” the prolific Norwegian author and prelate responded.
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‘I would do everything to become a priest,’ Iceland’s Capuchin bishop says – #Catholic – ROME — The only Catholic bishop in Iceland, David Bartimej Tencer, is celebrating a double jubilee this year — the 40th anniversary of his priestly ordination and the Franciscan jubilee marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi — as a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins.Looking back, he said, he feels great gratitude. Even if he had not become a priest, he “would do everything to become one,” the bishop of Reykjavik, the only diocese on the island, said in a conversation with EWTN News in Rome.He was ordained in Slovakia, then communist Czechoslovakia, but “even if communism had not fallen, and thank God it did, a priest would still do what he was supposed to do,” he stressed. He had good priests in a seminary and in a parish who worked a lot and were able to eschew the imposed limits of the regime, the prelate explained.The priests collaborated and were pastorally active, confessing and forming parishioners privately, outside the supervision of the state apparatus. Consequently, when the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, “an enormously powerful — or rather beautiful — Church arose in Slovakia,” Tencer told EWTN News.“I am not just interested in what a priest does but in what he is — by transforming bread and wine,” the Slovak prelate explained.Before he was ordained a bishop in 2015, he recalled it is “the fullness of priesthood and likeness to the Lord Jesus.”He became a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins in 1990. In the light of the current 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, he said he sees the order’s spirituality “applicable everywhere, and we in Iceland appreciate it very much,” as it brings “the charism of the brotherhood.”It “creates bridges and not barriers,” which is especially important on this island northwest of Europe, “as its nature and the way of life” constrain its inhabitants to be “very dependent on themselves,” Tencer said.The bishop recently came to Rome to ordain a seminarian of Brazilian origin a deacon where he studies, one of the two seminarians in his diocese. The other one is a native Icelander who has been Catholic for seven years and came to faith through organ music, Tencer shared.“He liked to listen to the organ and when he started going to the Catholic church, he saw that we use it as a means. We mostly do not go to concerts and listen to Bach, but it is simply an instrument for accompaniment during liturgy,” the bishop said, adding that the seminarian is now “a pretty good organist.”Other Icelanders discover faith thanks to their spouse. For example, a Catholic Filipino woman might marry an evangelical Icelander. Since there is not much public transport in the country, he takes her to Mass by car and accompanies her also during the liturgy. “And so he also experiences the Catholic atmosphere,” the bishop of Reykjavik said.Due to its small population of around 400,000, “a normal priest knows the majority of people by name.” People are very grateful, as this direct contact suits them very well, he clarified.Interest in faith is risingYet the diocese does not just grab people and “make out of them some kind of Catholic so you do not even know what you have fallen into,” Tencer joked. Even for baptized Christians, the diocese requires that they experience Mass ideally every Sunday and spend the whole liturgical year with them.“If they say no, it is OK, because we can live without them.”The most beautiful thing about the Church in Iceland is that it does not impose but “offers,” he said.When Tencer came to Reykjavik in 2015, the parish hall after Mass at the Reykjavik cathedral was always half full. The Icelanders who travel from great distances eat something and drink coffee after the liturgy to warm up. Nowadays, the hall and surrounding rooms are so full after Mass that he cannot find a place to sit. “I am usually in the corridor where a few Indian fathers chat in their native Malayalam. It became their spot,” the Slovak bishop said, marking the rising number of Massgoers.Regarding new ways to attract people, the Slovak bishop takes the example from communism when a priest would once a year on a given Sunday say: “If someone feels a calling to be a priest, go to the parish office.”“When my school-leaving exam approached, I did,” he shared. The bishop was surprised no one did that in Iceland, so he took up this method.“When I speak Icelandic in church, half of the congregation does not understand. If I speak English, another half does not understand. We are from 172 countries and are not united by culture or language.”Yet it is not a reason to abstain from taking part in the liturgy, “since you go to a Mass to receive grace, not to understand the language,” Tencer clarified further.“Even a blind person gets suntanned in the sun.”Pope Leo XIV was a surprise in IcelandIceland sits between Europe and Greenland — a former Danish colony like Iceland was in the past. When geopolitical tensions arose over Greenland earlier this year, it did not create much stir in the society at large. People rather viewed it as a joke. “Anyway, who would be interested in us?” the bishop said jokingly, reminding that the Catholic community is overwhelmingly immigrant in a foreign land.A few Greenlanders who are mostly fishermen in Iceland did not make a big deal out of it. However, the diocese has a fairly large group of Chaldeans, Syrians, and Ukrainian refugees, so when the problems hit Syria and Ukraine, “we felt for them and were afraid of their families in their homeland.”The election of Pope Leo XIV was seen as “a very big surprise” in Iceland, he revealed. Since the Cathedral of Christ the King in Reykjavik will turn 100 in 2029, Tencer said he wants to invite the pope to visit the island on the occasion. The Holy Father usually sends papal legates for such occasions, but “if he came himself, that would be amazing for the local community,” the bishop said.Iceland is part of the Nordic Bishops’ Conference together with Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Bishops from these countries “are considered ours as if they were in one country,” Tencer said.He was glad that fellow Nordic bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway, gave the Lenten spiritual exercises to the Roman Curia this year. They must have been “very lively and the cardinals were not bored,” Tencer said. He also revealed that when Varden met Pope Francis, the Holy Father told him he had read his book. “Which one?” the prolific Norwegian author and prelate responded.

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Bishop David Tencer of Reykjavik, Iceland, a Slovak Capuchin, reflects on four decades of priesthood, the Franciscan charism, and a rising Catholic community drawn from 172 countries.

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Vatican releases itinerary for Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic journey to Africa – #Catholic – The Vatican has released the official itinerary for the first apostolic journey of Pope Leo XIV to Africa, scheduled for April 13–23. The visit will take the Holy Father to four countries — Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea — marking his first trip to the continent since his election to the papacy in May 2025.The 11-day visit combines pastoral encounters with Catholic communities, meetings with political leaders and civil society, and symbolic gestures of interreligious dialogue and reconciliation.The itinerary, officially released on Monday, March 16, reflects a focus on peace, youth engagement, and the Church’s social mission across Africa.Opening leg in AlgeriaThe pope’s journey is to begin on Monday, April 13, when he departs Rome for Algiers. Upon arrival at Houari Boumédiène International Airport, he is to be welcomed during an official ceremony before visiting the Maqam Echahid Martyrs’ Monument, a national memorial honoring those who died in Algeria’s struggle for independence.The pontiff is to then pay a courtesy visit to the president of Algeria at the presidential palace and later address representatives of government, civil society, and the diplomatic corps at the Djamaa el Djazair Conference Center.In a gesture highlighting the importance of interreligious dialogue in the Muslim-majority country, Pope Leo XIV is to visit the Great Mosque of Algiers, one of the largest mosques in the world. The day is to conclude with a meeting with members of the local Catholic community at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa.On Tuesday, April 14, the American-born member of the Order of St. Augustine is to travel to Annaba, where he is to visit the historic archaeological site of Hippo Regius, closely associated with St. Augustine of Hippo.He is also scheduled to meet the elderly residents cared for by the Little Sisters of the Poor before celebrating Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine.Cameroon: Emphasis on peace and youthThe second stage of the apostolic journey is to begin on Wednesday, April 15, with the pope’s arrival in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon. After a welcome ceremony, he is to meet the country’s president and address authorities, civil society leaders, and diplomats.Pope Leo XIV is also to visit the Ngul Zamba Orphanage and meet privately with members of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC).During his time in Cameroon, the Holy Father is expected to place particular emphasis on reconciliation and social healing. On Thursday, April 16, he is to travel to Bamenda, where he is scheduled to hold a “Meeting for Peace” with the local community at St. Joseph’s Cathedral and celebrate Mass at Bamenda International Airport.The papal visit to Bamenda carries symbolic significance given the region’s experience of political and social tensions in recent years.On Friday, April 17, the pontiff is to visit Douala, where he is scheduled to preside over a large Eucharistic celebration at Japoma Stadium. The program also includes a private visit to St. Paul Catholic Hospital and a dialogue with university students and professors at the Catholic University of Central Africa.Before leaving the central African nation to travel to the southern African nation of Angola on Saturday, April 18, the pope is to celebrate a final Mass in Yaoundé with the faithful gathered at Yaoundé-Ville Airport.Angola: Marian devotion and pastoral encountersThe Holy Father is scheduled to arrive in Luanda, the capital city of Angola, on the afternoon of April 18, where he is to meet the country’s president and address government authorities and representatives of civil society.The following day, Sunday, April 19, the Holy Father is to celebrate Mass in the Kilamba district of Luanda before traveling by helicopter to the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima. There, he is to lead the recitation of the rosary with pilgrims gathered at one of Angola’s most significant places of Catholic devotion.On Monday, April 20, Pope Leo XIV is to visit Saurimo in Angola’s eastern region. His program includes a visit to a nursing home and the celebration of Mass in the Saurimo esplanade.Later that day in Luanda, the Holy Father is scheduled to meet Catholic bishops, priests, women and men religious, and pastoral workers at Our Lady of Fátima Parish.Final stage in Equatorial GuineaThe final leg of the apostolic journey will take the Holy Father to Malabo on Tuesday, April 21. Following the official welcome ceremony, he is to meet the president of Equatorial Guinea and address political leaders, civil society representatives, and the diplomatic corps.In the afternoon, Leo is to engage with academics and artists during a meeting with representatives of the world of culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University. The day is also to include a pastoral visit to patients and staff at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital.On Wednesday, April 22, the pope is to travel to Mongomo to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception before visiting the Pope Francis Technology School.Later in the day, he is to continue to Bata, where he is scheduled to visit a prison, pray at a memorial dedicated to victims of the March 7, 2021, explosion, and meet young people and families at Bata Stadium.Concluding Mass and return to RomeThe apostolic journey to Africa is to conclude on Thursday, April 23, with a final Mass celebrated by the pope at Malabo Stadium.Following the farewell ceremony at Malabo International Airport, the Holy Father is to depart for Rome, arriving later that evening at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport.Preparations and mottosThe four nations have intensified preparations ahead of the Holy Father’s arrival in their respective nations, releasing logos, mottos, and prayers ahead of the pastoral visit.In Algeria, the Holy Father is to visit as an apostle of peace. The motto guiding the visit is “As-Salam Alaykum” (“Peace be with you”). Catholic bishops in Algeria also released an official prayer ahead of the papal visit.The North African nation of Algeria is a country where Christianity has ancient roots but where Catholics today constitute a statistically negligible minority. It is an African country, where the memory of martyrs is recent. Interreligious coexistence in Algeria is both a theological imperative and a civic necessity.Cameroon presents a different ecclesial landscape. The Catholic Church in Cameroon is demographically significant, institutionally entrenched, socially influential, and politically attentive.The people of God in Cameroon are expected to welcome Pope Leo XIV as a messenger of peace. “May they all be one,” taken from the Gospel of John 17:21, is the motto of the visit that Catholic Bishops in Cameroon unveiled alongside the logo and prayer.In Angola, Pope Leo XIV is to visit as a pilgrim of hope. “Pope Leo XIV, Pilgrim of Hope, Reconciliation, and Peace” is the motto of the visit announced by Catholic bishops in the country, alongside the logo and prayer.Equatorial Guinea is expected to welcome Pope Leo XIV as light that brings hope to the nation. The motto “Christ, Light of Equatorial Guinea, Towards a Future of Hope” unveiled by Catholic bishops encapsulates the identity and mission of the local Church.More than four decades after the last papal visit, the announcement, which the Press Department of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) published on Jan. 23, generated anticipation in a nation where Catholicism is deeply woven into culture, language, and public life.Africa’s only Spanish-speaking country, Equatorial Guinea, occupies a singular place on the continent — linguistically, historically, and ecclesiastically.This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa. It has been adapted by EWTN News English.
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Vatican releases itinerary for Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic journey to Africa – #Catholic – The Vatican has released the official itinerary for the first apostolic journey of Pope Leo XIV to Africa, scheduled for April 13–23. The visit will take the Holy Father to four countries — Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea — marking his first trip to the continent since his election to the papacy in May 2025.The 11-day visit combines pastoral encounters with Catholic communities, meetings with political leaders and civil society, and symbolic gestures of interreligious dialogue and reconciliation.The itinerary, officially released on Monday, March 16, reflects a focus on peace, youth engagement, and the Church’s social mission across Africa.Opening leg in AlgeriaThe pope’s journey is to begin on Monday, April 13, when he departs Rome for Algiers. Upon arrival at Houari Boumédiène International Airport, he is to be welcomed during an official ceremony before visiting the Maqam Echahid Martyrs’ Monument, a national memorial honoring those who died in Algeria’s struggle for independence.The pontiff is to then pay a courtesy visit to the president of Algeria at the presidential palace and later address representatives of government, civil society, and the diplomatic corps at the Djamaa el Djazair Conference Center.In a gesture highlighting the importance of interreligious dialogue in the Muslim-majority country, Pope Leo XIV is to visit the Great Mosque of Algiers, one of the largest mosques in the world. The day is to conclude with a meeting with members of the local Catholic community at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa.On Tuesday, April 14, the American-born member of the Order of St. Augustine is to travel to Annaba, where he is to visit the historic archaeological site of Hippo Regius, closely associated with St. Augustine of Hippo.He is also scheduled to meet the elderly residents cared for by the Little Sisters of the Poor before celebrating Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine.Cameroon: Emphasis on peace and youthThe second stage of the apostolic journey is to begin on Wednesday, April 15, with the pope’s arrival in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon. After a welcome ceremony, he is to meet the country’s president and address authorities, civil society leaders, and diplomats.Pope Leo XIV is also to visit the Ngul Zamba Orphanage and meet privately with members of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC).During his time in Cameroon, the Holy Father is expected to place particular emphasis on reconciliation and social healing. On Thursday, April 16, he is to travel to Bamenda, where he is scheduled to hold a “Meeting for Peace” with the local community at St. Joseph’s Cathedral and celebrate Mass at Bamenda International Airport.The papal visit to Bamenda carries symbolic significance given the region’s experience of political and social tensions in recent years.On Friday, April 17, the pontiff is to visit Douala, where he is scheduled to preside over a large Eucharistic celebration at Japoma Stadium. The program also includes a private visit to St. Paul Catholic Hospital and a dialogue with university students and professors at the Catholic University of Central Africa.Before leaving the central African nation to travel to the southern African nation of Angola on Saturday, April 18, the pope is to celebrate a final Mass in Yaoundé with the faithful gathered at Yaoundé-Ville Airport.Angola: Marian devotion and pastoral encountersThe Holy Father is scheduled to arrive in Luanda, the capital city of Angola, on the afternoon of April 18, where he is to meet the country’s president and address government authorities and representatives of civil society.The following day, Sunday, April 19, the Holy Father is to celebrate Mass in the Kilamba district of Luanda before traveling by helicopter to the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima. There, he is to lead the recitation of the rosary with pilgrims gathered at one of Angola’s most significant places of Catholic devotion.On Monday, April 20, Pope Leo XIV is to visit Saurimo in Angola’s eastern region. His program includes a visit to a nursing home and the celebration of Mass in the Saurimo esplanade.Later that day in Luanda, the Holy Father is scheduled to meet Catholic bishops, priests, women and men religious, and pastoral workers at Our Lady of Fátima Parish.Final stage in Equatorial GuineaThe final leg of the apostolic journey will take the Holy Father to Malabo on Tuesday, April 21. Following the official welcome ceremony, he is to meet the president of Equatorial Guinea and address political leaders, civil society representatives, and the diplomatic corps.In the afternoon, Leo is to engage with academics and artists during a meeting with representatives of the world of culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University. The day is also to include a pastoral visit to patients and staff at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital.On Wednesday, April 22, the pope is to travel to Mongomo to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception before visiting the Pope Francis Technology School.Later in the day, he is to continue to Bata, where he is scheduled to visit a prison, pray at a memorial dedicated to victims of the March 7, 2021, explosion, and meet young people and families at Bata Stadium.Concluding Mass and return to RomeThe apostolic journey to Africa is to conclude on Thursday, April 23, with a final Mass celebrated by the pope at Malabo Stadium.Following the farewell ceremony at Malabo International Airport, the Holy Father is to depart for Rome, arriving later that evening at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport.Preparations and mottosThe four nations have intensified preparations ahead of the Holy Father’s arrival in their respective nations, releasing logos, mottos, and prayers ahead of the pastoral visit.In Algeria, the Holy Father is to visit as an apostle of peace. The motto guiding the visit is “As-Salam Alaykum” (“Peace be with you”). Catholic bishops in Algeria also released an official prayer ahead of the papal visit.The North African nation of Algeria is a country where Christianity has ancient roots but where Catholics today constitute a statistically negligible minority. It is an African country, where the memory of martyrs is recent. Interreligious coexistence in Algeria is both a theological imperative and a civic necessity.Cameroon presents a different ecclesial landscape. The Catholic Church in Cameroon is demographically significant, institutionally entrenched, socially influential, and politically attentive.The people of God in Cameroon are expected to welcome Pope Leo XIV as a messenger of peace. “May they all be one,” taken from the Gospel of John 17:21, is the motto of the visit that Catholic Bishops in Cameroon unveiled alongside the logo and prayer.In Angola, Pope Leo XIV is to visit as a pilgrim of hope. “Pope Leo XIV, Pilgrim of Hope, Reconciliation, and Peace” is the motto of the visit announced by Catholic bishops in the country, alongside the logo and prayer.Equatorial Guinea is expected to welcome Pope Leo XIV as light that brings hope to the nation. The motto “Christ, Light of Equatorial Guinea, Towards a Future of Hope” unveiled by Catholic bishops encapsulates the identity and mission of the local Church.More than four decades after the last papal visit, the announcement, which the Press Department of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) published on Jan. 23, generated anticipation in a nation where Catholicism is deeply woven into culture, language, and public life.Africa’s only Spanish-speaking country, Equatorial Guinea, occupies a singular place on the continent — linguistically, historically, and ecclesiastically.This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa. It has been adapted by EWTN News English.

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The 11-day visit combines pastoral encounters with Catholic communities, meetings with political leaders and civil society, and symbolic gestures of interreligious dialogue and reconciliation.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 16 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 65:17-21 Thus says the LORD: Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people. No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of crying; No longer shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime; He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years, and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed. They shall live in the houses they build, and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.From the Gospel according to John 4:43-54 At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast. Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.This father asks for health for his son (see Jn 4:43-54). The Lord rebukes everyone a little, but also him: “Unless you people see signs and wonders you will never believe” (see v. 48). The official, instead of remaining silent, goes forward and says to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies” (v. 49). And Jesus answers, “Go, your son will live” (v. 50). It takes three things to make a true prayer. The first is faith: “If you have no faith…” And very often, prayer is merely oral, made using the mouth, but it does not come from the faith of the heart; or it is a weak faith… (…) The second condition that Jesus teaches us is perseverance. Some ask, but grace does not come: they do not have this perseverance, because in the end they do not need it, or they do not have faith. (…) And the third thing that God wants in prayer is courage. (…) This virtue of courage is so necessary. Not only for apostolic action but also for prayer. (…) The Lord does not let us down, He does not disappoint. He makes us wait, He takes His time, but He does not disappoint. Faith, perseverance and courage. (Francis – Homily Santa Marta, 23 March 2020)

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
65:17-21

Thus says the LORD:
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and exult in my people.
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying;
No longer shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime;
He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years,
and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.
They shall live in the houses they build,
and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.

From the Gospel according to John
4:43-54

At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee.
For Jesus himself testified
that a prophet has no honor in his native place.
When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him,
since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast;
for they themselves had gone to the feast.

Then he returned to Cana in Galilee,
where he had made the water wine.
Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,
he went to him and asked him to come down
and heal his son, who was near death.
Jesus said to him,
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”
The royal official said to him,
“Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.”
The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.
While the man was on his way back,
his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.
He asked them when he began to recover.
They told him,
“The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”
and he and his whole household came to believe.
Now this was the second sign Jesus did
when he came to Galilee from Judea.

This father asks for health for his son (see Jn 4:43-54). The Lord rebukes everyone a little, but also him: “Unless you people see signs and wonders you will never believe” (see v. 48). The official, instead of remaining silent, goes forward and says to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies” (v. 49). And Jesus answers, “Go, your son will live” (v. 50). It takes three things to make a true prayer. The first is faith: “If you have no faith…” And very often, prayer is merely oral, made using the mouth, but it does not come from the faith of the heart; or it is a weak faith… (…) The second condition that Jesus teaches us is perseverance. Some ask, but grace does not come: they do not have this perseverance, because in the end they do not need it, or they do not have faith. (…) And the third thing that God wants in prayer is courage. (…) This virtue of courage is so necessary. Not only for apostolic action but also for prayer. (…) The Lord does not let us down, He does not disappoint. He makes us wait, He takes His time, but He does not disappoint. Faith, perseverance and courage. (Francis – Homily Santa Marta, 23 March 2020)

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FBI Wondering If Swearing Allegiance To ISIS Might Be Slight Red Flag #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the wake of another domestic terrorist attack this past week at Old Dominion, the FBI began wondering if perhaps a person swearing allegiance to ISIS might be a sort of red flag.
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FBI Wondering If Swearing Allegiance To ISIS Might Be Slight Red Flag #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the wake of another domestic terrorist attack this past week at Old Dominion, the FBI began wondering if perhaps a person swearing allegiance to ISIS might be a sort of red flag.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the wake of another domestic terrorist attack this past week at Old Dominion, the FBI began wondering if perhaps a person swearing allegiance to ISIS might be a sort of red flag.

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FBI Wondering If Swearing Allegiance To ISIS Might Be Slight Red Flag #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the wake of another domestic terrorist attack this past week at Old Dominion, the FBI began wondering if perhaps a person swearing allegiance to ISIS might be a sort of red flag.
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FBI Wondering If Swearing Allegiance To ISIS Might Be Slight Red Flag #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the wake of another domestic terrorist attack this past week at Old Dominion, the FBI began wondering if perhaps a person swearing allegiance to ISIS might be a sort of red flag.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the wake of another domestic terrorist attack this past week at Old Dominion, the FBI began wondering if perhaps a person swearing allegiance to ISIS might be a sort of red flag.

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March 15, 1713: The birth of Nicolas-Louis de La Caille

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After training in theology and becoming a deacon, Nicolas-Louis de La Caille (born March 15, 1713) turned his focus to geometry and astronomy. He studied at the Paris Observatory, and by 1739 had become professor of mathematics at Paris’ College Marzarin.  Though he constructed a rooftop observatory, published multiple textbooks, and took part in aContinue reading “March 15, 1713: The birth of Nicolas-Louis de La Caille”

The post March 15, 1713: The birth of Nicolas-Louis de La Caille appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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After Recent Terror Incidents, Americans Increasingly Demand a Stop to Third-World Immigration – The argument gaining traction is straightforward: if repeated acts of violence are linked to individuals arriving from unstable or heavily radicalized regions, immigration policy must reflect that security risk. The post After Recent Terror Incidents, Americans Increasingly Demand a Stop to Third-World Immigration appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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After Recent Terror Incidents, Americans Increasingly Demand a Stop to Third-World Immigration – The argument gaining traction is straightforward: if repeated acts of violence are linked to individuals arriving from unstable or heavily radicalized regions, immigration policy must reflect that security risk. The post After Recent Terror Incidents, Americans Increasingly Demand a Stop to Third-World Immigration appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Protesters hold a sign advocating for the abolition of ICE while law enforcement stands nearby, highlighting tensions during a public demonstration.

Protesters hold a sign advocating for the abolition of ICE while law enforcement stands nearby, highlighting tensions during a public demonstration.

The argument gaining traction is straightforward: if repeated acts of violence are linked to individuals arriving from unstable or heavily radicalized regions, immigration policy must reflect that security risk.

The post After Recent Terror Incidents, Americans Increasingly Demand a Stop to Third-World Immigration appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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The Economist Blasted with Flurry of Posts for Bemoaning Death of Murderous Ayatollah – Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was recently killed in joint military operations by the United States and Israel. The post The Economist Blasted with Flurry of Posts for Bemoaning Death of Murderous Ayatollah appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was recently killed in joint military operations by the United States and Israel.

The post The Economist Blasted with Flurry of Posts for Bemoaning Death of Murderous Ayatollah appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Pope urges ceasefire in Middle East – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged those responsible for the escalating war in the Middle East to declare a ceasefire and open paths of dialogue, warning that violence can never lead to justice or peace.“In the name of the Christians of the Middle East and of all women and men of goodwill, I address those responsible for this conflict: Let the fire cease and let paths of dialogue be reopened,” the pope said after praying the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.The appeal came amid continuing regional tensions and exchanges of attacks in the Middle East. Earlier Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a telephone interview with NBC that Iran is seeking a ceasefire agreement to end U.S. and Israeli bombing, though he said he is not prepared to accept the proposal for now because the “terms are not good enough yet.”Israel also struck targets in Lebanon, where at least 14 people were reported killed, including four minors. Pope Leo described the situation in the country as “a cause for great concern.”“I hope that paths of dialogue will open that can help the authorities of the country implement lasting solutions to the serious crisis underway, for the common good of all Lebanese,” he said.The pope noted that for the past two weeks the peoples of the Middle East have been suffering “the atrocious violence of war.”“Thousands of innocent people have been killed and many others have been forced to abandon their homes,” he said, expressing his prayerful closeness to those who have lost loved ones in attacks on schools, hospitals, and residential areas.“Violence will never lead to the justice, stability, or peace that peoples hope for,” he added.‘Faith is not a renunciation of reason’Earlier during the Angelus reflection, Pope Leo emphasized that Christian faith does not require abandoning reason but instead allows believers to see reality more clearly.Reflecting on the Gospel account of the healing of the man born blind (John 9:1–41), the pope said the episode reveals the deeper meaning of salvation.“While humanity walked in darkness, God sent his Son as the light of the world to open the eyes of the blind and illuminate our lives,” he said.The pope stressed that faith “is not a blind act,” nor “a renunciation of reason,” nor a conviction that turns believers away from the world.Rather, he explained, “faith helps us to look from the point of view of Jesus, with his eyes.”“It is a participation in his way of seeing,” he said, quoting Lumen Fidei, the first encyclical of Pope Francis.For this reason, Christians are called to open their eyes to the suffering of others and to the wounds of the world.The Gospel, the pope said, contradicts the idea — widespread for centuries and still present today — that faith is a “leap into darkness.”“On the contrary, the Gospel tells us that in contact with Christ the eyes are opened,” he said.Pope Leo added that the Gospel invites believers to view the world with Christ’s eyes and not remain indifferent to human suffering.“Today, in particular, faced with the many questions of the human heart and the dramatic situations of injustice, violence, and suffering that mark our time, there is a need for an awake, attentive, and prophetic faith,” he said.Such faith, he explained, “opens our eyes to the darkness of the world and brings there the light of the Gospel through a commitment to peace, justice, and solidarity.”The pope concluded by encouraging Christians to live a “Christianity with open eyes,” with simplicity and courage.“Brothers and sisters, we too, healed by the love of Christ, are called to live a Christianity with open eyes,” he said.This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope urges ceasefire in Middle East – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged those responsible for the escalating war in the Middle East to declare a ceasefire and open paths of dialogue, warning that violence can never lead to justice or peace.“In the name of the Christians of the Middle East and of all women and men of goodwill, I address those responsible for this conflict: Let the fire cease and let paths of dialogue be reopened,” the pope said after praying the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.The appeal came amid continuing regional tensions and exchanges of attacks in the Middle East. Earlier Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a telephone interview with NBC that Iran is seeking a ceasefire agreement to end U.S. and Israeli bombing, though he said he is not prepared to accept the proposal for now because the “terms are not good enough yet.”Israel also struck targets in Lebanon, where at least 14 people were reported killed, including four minors. Pope Leo described the situation in the country as “a cause for great concern.”“I hope that paths of dialogue will open that can help the authorities of the country implement lasting solutions to the serious crisis underway, for the common good of all Lebanese,” he said.The pope noted that for the past two weeks the peoples of the Middle East have been suffering “the atrocious violence of war.”“Thousands of innocent people have been killed and many others have been forced to abandon their homes,” he said, expressing his prayerful closeness to those who have lost loved ones in attacks on schools, hospitals, and residential areas.“Violence will never lead to the justice, stability, or peace that peoples hope for,” he added.‘Faith is not a renunciation of reason’Earlier during the Angelus reflection, Pope Leo emphasized that Christian faith does not require abandoning reason but instead allows believers to see reality more clearly.Reflecting on the Gospel account of the healing of the man born blind (John 9:1–41), the pope said the episode reveals the deeper meaning of salvation.“While humanity walked in darkness, God sent his Son as the light of the world to open the eyes of the blind and illuminate our lives,” he said.The pope stressed that faith “is not a blind act,” nor “a renunciation of reason,” nor a conviction that turns believers away from the world.Rather, he explained, “faith helps us to look from the point of view of Jesus, with his eyes.”“It is a participation in his way of seeing,” he said, quoting Lumen Fidei, the first encyclical of Pope Francis.For this reason, Christians are called to open their eyes to the suffering of others and to the wounds of the world.The Gospel, the pope said, contradicts the idea — widespread for centuries and still present today — that faith is a “leap into darkness.”“On the contrary, the Gospel tells us that in contact with Christ the eyes are opened,” he said.Pope Leo added that the Gospel invites believers to view the world with Christ’s eyes and not remain indifferent to human suffering.“Today, in particular, faced with the many questions of the human heart and the dramatic situations of injustice, violence, and suffering that mark our time, there is a need for an awake, attentive, and prophetic faith,” he said.Such faith, he explained, “opens our eyes to the darkness of the world and brings there the light of the Gospel through a commitment to peace, justice, and solidarity.”The pope concluded by encouraging Christians to live a “Christianity with open eyes,” with simplicity and courage.“Brothers and sisters, we too, healed by the love of Christ, are called to live a Christianity with open eyes,” he said.This story was first published in two parts 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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Speaking at his Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV urged Christians to bring the Gospel to a world marked by violence and injustice.

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Claudia Sheinbaum admitted that she did not personally give the order for the operation against El Mencho – This is a Gateway Hispanic article. The post Claudia Sheinbaum admitted that she did not personally give the order for the operation against El Mencho appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Claudia Sheinbaum admitted that she did not personally give the order for the operation against El Mencho – This is a Gateway Hispanic article. The post Claudia Sheinbaum admitted that she did not personally give the order for the operation against El Mencho appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Female politician delivering a speech at a podium with the Mexican emblem, discussing important issues during a press conference in Mexico City.

Female politician delivering a speech at a podium with the Mexican emblem, discussing important issues during a press conference in Mexico City.

This is a Gateway Hispanic article.

The post Claudia Sheinbaum admitted that she did not personally give the order for the operation against El Mencho appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Preacher of the Papal Household: ‘Fraternity is where true conversion takes place’ – #Catholic – Preacher of the Papal Household Father Roberto Pasolini continued on March 13 with the second Lenten homily, inspired by the conversion of St. Francis of Assisi and titled “If Anyone Is in Christ, He Is a New Creation: Conversion to the Gospel According to St. Francis.”Before Pope Leo XIV and members of the Roman Curia gathered in the Paul VI Audience Hall, the Capuchin friar meditated on fraternity, referring to it as both a gift and a “serious and urgent” responsibility — especially in a society marked by division.In his sermon reported by Vatican News, Pasolini explained that conversion is truly realized within fraternity, describing it as “the most eloquent sign of what the Gospel can accomplish in our lives.”He also exhorted his listeners to “go beyond” and to view our brothers and sisters not merely as a source of support or sustenance but as someone entrusted to us “so that our lives may change.”In this context, Pasolini emphasized that brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, do not merely serve to confirm “what we are” but rather call us to a true transformation: “They become the concrete space in which God works on our humanity, loosening our rigidities and teaching us to live with a truer heart, one more capable of love.”In light of the biblical account of Cain and Abel, the preacher to the papal household noted that a rift between brothers stems “from a problem of perspective” and urged the pope and the Roman Curia to ask themselves “who is Cain within us” and how much space resentment occupies.He also recalled that, for St. Francis, fraternity is an opportunity “to learn the merciful logic of the Gospel toward a neighbor who makes mistakes.”“When relationships crack and communion is wounded,” Pasolini noted, “the Gospel does not first suggest defending one’s own rights. Instead, it urges seeking the greatest and always possible good: the good that allows us to recognize in the other no longer an adversary or a debtor but a brother loved by the Lord,” he affirmed.Pasolini thus invited his audience to focus on the conversion that arises “precisely from what others do to us, even when they hurt us or put us to the test,” and, for this reason, “we must never lose sight of the horizon” or the perspective of eternal life.“Faith does not separate but reminds us that no one can be excluded from our hearts,” he remarked.By way of conclusion, Pasolini noted that, amid the divisions, wars, and conflicts of the present day, Christians “cannot limit ourselves to speaking of fraternity as an ideal to be achieved.” “We are called to receive it as a gift, and, at the same time,” he urged, “to take it on as a very serious and urgent responsibility.”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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Preacher of the Papal Household: ‘Fraternity is where true conversion takes place’ – #Catholic – Preacher of the Papal Household Father Roberto Pasolini continued on March 13 with the second Lenten homily, inspired by the conversion of St. Francis of Assisi and titled “If Anyone Is in Christ, He Is a New Creation: Conversion to the Gospel According to St. Francis.”Before Pope Leo XIV and members of the Roman Curia gathered in the Paul VI Audience Hall, the Capuchin friar meditated on fraternity, referring to it as both a gift and a “serious and urgent” responsibility — especially in a society marked by division.In his sermon reported by Vatican News, Pasolini explained that conversion is truly realized within fraternity, describing it as “the most eloquent sign of what the Gospel can accomplish in our lives.”He also exhorted his listeners to “go beyond” and to view our brothers and sisters not merely as a source of support or sustenance but as someone entrusted to us “so that our lives may change.”In this context, Pasolini emphasized that brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, do not merely serve to confirm “what we are” but rather call us to a true transformation: “They become the concrete space in which God works on our humanity, loosening our rigidities and teaching us to live with a truer heart, one more capable of love.”In light of the biblical account of Cain and Abel, the preacher to the papal household noted that a rift between brothers stems “from a problem of perspective” and urged the pope and the Roman Curia to ask themselves “who is Cain within us” and how much space resentment occupies.He also recalled that, for St. Francis, fraternity is an opportunity “to learn the merciful logic of the Gospel toward a neighbor who makes mistakes.”“When relationships crack and communion is wounded,” Pasolini noted, “the Gospel does not first suggest defending one’s own rights. Instead, it urges seeking the greatest and always possible good: the good that allows us to recognize in the other no longer an adversary or a debtor but a brother loved by the Lord,” he affirmed.Pasolini thus invited his audience to focus on the conversion that arises “precisely from what others do to us, even when they hurt us or put us to the test,” and, for this reason, “we must never lose sight of the horizon” or the perspective of eternal life.“Faith does not separate but reminds us that no one can be excluded from our hearts,” he remarked.By way of conclusion, Pasolini noted that, amid the divisions, wars, and conflicts of the present day, Christians “cannot limit ourselves to speaking of fraternity as an ideal to be achieved.” “We are called to receive it as a gift, and, at the same time,” he urged, “to take it on as a very serious and urgent responsibility.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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In a sermon to the pope and the Roman Curia, Preacher of the Papal Household Father Roberto Pasolini explained that achieving true fraternity poses many challenges and requires inner transformation.

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Ave Maria University to send first student group to new Ireland campus at former abbey - #Catholic - Ave Maria University in Florida is setting out to make its students a fixture in the historically Catholic community surrounding Mount Melleray Abbey in County Waterford, Ireland.“We are not here to give our students a cultural exchange; we’re here to have a campus that is steeped both in our culture and the tradition of Ireland,” Daniel Schreck, chief strategy officer for Ave Maria University, told EWTN News. “That means understanding the people of Ireland, County Waterford, the town of Cappoquin, and the Cistercian order,” he said. “I think that’s how you really make this a permanent home and not just a building we’re coming to once a semester with our given cohort of students.”Ave Maria University acquired the abbey after it closed in January 2025, prompted by dwindling numbers among the Cistercian community, which announced its plans to consolidate with monks from St. Joseph Abbey in Roscrea and Mellifont Abbey in Louth in December 2024.Ave Maria plans to bring its first cohort of 100 students to the abbey for the fall 2026 semester. The university had a launch event for the campus earlier this year, which Schreck said was attended by roughly 500 students, and saw 300 applications to the program. The university has accepted 150 so far and hopes one day to accept Irish students as well.Schreck appeared on “EWTN News Nightly” on March 5.An American liberal arts encounter with Irish tradition“The program will be a sort of encounter between the charisms and liberal arts curriculum at Ave Maria University, and the practices and charisms of the Cistercian community,” Mount Melleray Campus Executive Director Samuel Shephard told EWTN News.Students who participate in the program will take classes from Ave Maria’s liberal arts core curriculum of theology, philosophy, and science, as well as Ireland-specific courses, including Irish language courses, Irish Church history, and a course on Irish saints and their holy places. Aerial image of County Waterford, Ireland. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Ave Maria University In addition to their studies, Shephard said, students will live the Cistercian tradition of not only study but also work and prayer. The university is planning to rehabilitate the monastery’s farm so students can work on it. Shephard said he hopes to have animals on the land again and restore the abbey’s workshops.The campus will have a live-in priest, either from the university or the local diocese, and students will have access to two Masses per day as well as adoration, confession, and hopefully, Shephard said, Cistercian chant.“One thing I find so wonderful is [the Cistercians] make a vow of stability,” Shephard said. “They’re really focused on this rhythm of life in a particular place. So that’s one of the things we love to jump into, is that real sense of place, and history, and prayer.”Maintaining a local ‘beacon of faith’Shephard, who is originally from Ireland, emphasized the monastery’s historic importance as “a beacon of faith” to the town of Cappoquin. “It was very sad for them [when] the monks moved out,” he said of the local community. “Now that they know another authentic Catholic institution is coming back, and that we’re going to embrace that history, they seem to be generally very excited about the project.” The abbey was first established in 1832 by a group of Cistercian monks who were expelled from France during the French Revolution. “The townspeople of Cappoquin built Mount Melleray by hand, and so did the Cistercians,” Schreck said. “So, it’s important for the people of Ireland and our students who go there and for Americans reading this article to realize we’re part of that continuity of the faith that’s happened there in that county in Ireland.”Shephard also noted the shop, café, and pilgrim’s hostel located on the campus will remain open to those traveling along the Declan’s Way pilgrimage that runs through the property. “For us is very symbolic that there’s still this very public statement and purpose of Mount Melleray, even well beyond our students studying there,” he said regarding the pilgrimage.“We’re going to keep those open, but not in a proselytizing manner, just in the quiet friendship, ‘come and see’ type of quiet,” he said: “Come and see what we’re doing, come and meet the students, come and go to Mass. Just keep that Cistercian tradition of welcome.”A hope for vocationsOne aspect Schreck said is close to the hearts of Ave Maria University President Mark Middendorf and the university’s founder and chancellor, Tom Monaghan, is vocational discernment.Schreck emphasized that students will be encouraged to discern their vocations more clearly while studying at the Ireland campus, with limited Wi-Fi access, opportunities for silent retreats, and a prohibition on inter-visitation between men and women’s dorms.Ultimately, he said, “we hope this benefits the Cistercians because part of the reason the Cistercians have now moved from Mount Melleray is because there weren’t enough vocations.”“We feel like bringing 200 students per year, and in their case, 100 young men per year that believe in the Catholic Church and are happy and are smart, I’m sure we’ll get a few vocations for them each year,” Shephard said.
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Ave Maria University to send first student group to new Ireland campus at former abbey – #Catholic – Ave Maria University in Florida is setting out to make its students a fixture in the historically Catholic community surrounding Mount Melleray Abbey in County Waterford, Ireland.“We are not here to give our students a cultural exchange; we’re here to have a campus that is steeped both in our culture and the tradition of Ireland,” Daniel Schreck, chief strategy officer for Ave Maria University, told EWTN News. “That means understanding the people of Ireland, County Waterford, the town of Cappoquin, and the Cistercian order,” he said. “I think that’s how you really make this a permanent home and not just a building we’re coming to once a semester with our given cohort of students.”Ave Maria University acquired the abbey after it closed in January 2025, prompted by dwindling numbers among the Cistercian community, which announced its plans to consolidate with monks from St. Joseph Abbey in Roscrea and Mellifont Abbey in Louth in December 2024.Ave Maria plans to bring its first cohort of 100 students to the abbey for the fall 2026 semester. The university had a launch event for the campus earlier this year, which Schreck said was attended by roughly 500 students, and saw 300 applications to the program. The university has accepted 150 so far and hopes one day to accept Irish students as well.Schreck appeared on “EWTN News Nightly” on March 5.An American liberal arts encounter with Irish tradition“The program will be a sort of encounter between the charisms and liberal arts curriculum at Ave Maria University, and the practices and charisms of the Cistercian community,” Mount Melleray Campus Executive Director Samuel Shephard told EWTN News.Students who participate in the program will take classes from Ave Maria’s liberal arts core curriculum of theology, philosophy, and science, as well as Ireland-specific courses, including Irish language courses, Irish Church history, and a course on Irish saints and their holy places. Aerial image of County Waterford, Ireland. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Ave Maria University In addition to their studies, Shephard said, students will live the Cistercian tradition of not only study but also work and prayer. The university is planning to rehabilitate the monastery’s farm so students can work on it. Shephard said he hopes to have animals on the land again and restore the abbey’s workshops.The campus will have a live-in priest, either from the university or the local diocese, and students will have access to two Masses per day as well as adoration, confession, and hopefully, Shephard said, Cistercian chant.“One thing I find so wonderful is [the Cistercians] make a vow of stability,” Shephard said. “They’re really focused on this rhythm of life in a particular place. So that’s one of the things we love to jump into, is that real sense of place, and history, and prayer.”Maintaining a local ‘beacon of faith’Shephard, who is originally from Ireland, emphasized the monastery’s historic importance as “a beacon of faith” to the town of Cappoquin. “It was very sad for them [when] the monks moved out,” he said of the local community. “Now that they know another authentic Catholic institution is coming back, and that we’re going to embrace that history, they seem to be generally very excited about the project.” The abbey was first established in 1832 by a group of Cistercian monks who were expelled from France during the French Revolution. “The townspeople of Cappoquin built Mount Melleray by hand, and so did the Cistercians,” Schreck said. “So, it’s important for the people of Ireland and our students who go there and for Americans reading this article to realize we’re part of that continuity of the faith that’s happened there in that county in Ireland.”Shephard also noted the shop, café, and pilgrim’s hostel located on the campus will remain open to those traveling along the Declan’s Way pilgrimage that runs through the property. “For us is very symbolic that there’s still this very public statement and purpose of Mount Melleray, even well beyond our students studying there,” he said regarding the pilgrimage.“We’re going to keep those open, but not in a proselytizing manner, just in the quiet friendship, ‘come and see’ type of quiet,” he said: “Come and see what we’re doing, come and meet the students, come and go to Mass. Just keep that Cistercian tradition of welcome.”A hope for vocationsOne aspect Schreck said is close to the hearts of Ave Maria University President Mark Middendorf and the university’s founder and chancellor, Tom Monaghan, is vocational discernment.Schreck emphasized that students will be encouraged to discern their vocations more clearly while studying at the Ireland campus, with limited Wi-Fi access, opportunities for silent retreats, and a prohibition on inter-visitation between men and women’s dorms.Ultimately, he said, “we hope this benefits the Cistercians because part of the reason the Cistercians have now moved from Mount Melleray is because there weren’t enough vocations.”“We feel like bringing 200 students per year, and in their case, 100 young men per year that believe in the Catholic Church and are happy and are smart, I’m sure we’ll get a few vocations for them each year,” Shephard said.

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Students at Ave Maria’s new Ireland campus will buck standard Catholic university study abroad standards, opting instead to live a Cistercian lifestyle at a centuries-old abandoned monastery.

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