Day: February 24, 2026

Pope Leo XIV tells priests not to use AI to write homilies or seek likes on TikTok #Catholic –

(OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV has urged priests to not to use artificial intelligence to write their homilies or to seek “likes” on social media platforms like TikTok.

In a question-and-answer session with clergy from the Diocese of Rome, the pope said priests should resist “the temptation to prepare homilies with artificial intelligence.”

“Like all the muscles in the body, if we do not use them, if we do not move them, they die. The brain needs to be used, so our intelligence must also be exercised a little so as not to lose this capacity,” Pope Leo said in the closed door meeting, according to a report by Vatican News on Feb. 20.

“To give a true homily is to share faith,” and artificial intelligence “will never be able to share faith,” the pope added.

Pope Leo has expressed interest in the topic of artificial intelligence and the dignity of work since the first week of his pontificate, telling the College of Cardinals shortly after his election last May that he took his name in honor of Pope Leo XIII, who wrote the social encyclical “Rerum Novarum” in the context of the first industrial revolution.

“If we can offer a service that is inculturated in the place, in the parish where we are working,” the pope told the priests of the Diocese of Rome. “People want to see your faith, your experience of having known and loved Jesus Christ.”

In his meeting with the clergy of Rome, Pope Leo underlined that with a “life authentically rooted in the Lord,” one can offer something different, calling it “an illusion on the internet, on TikTok,” to think one is offering oneself and gaining ‘likes’ and ‘followers’ in that way.

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“It is not you: if we are not transmitting the message of Jesus Christ, perhaps we are mistaken, and we must reflect very carefully and humbly about who we are and what we are doing,” the pope emphasized.

He underlined that for a priest “a life of prayer” is fundamental, adding that this means “time spent with the Lord,” not “the routine of reciting the breviary as quickly as possible.”

The pope’s Feb. 19 closed-door dialogue with clergy of the Rome Diocese was introduced by Cardinal Baldo Reina, vicar general of Rome, who presented four priests — representing four age groups — who were selected to ask the pope a question.

Among them was a young priest ordained by Pope Leo last May. He asked how young priests can support their peers in today’s world.

The pope first urged them to keep their “eyes open” to the families from which many young people come from, which often have been through “very serious crises,” with absent parents or parents who are “divorced, remarried.”

Many young people “have also experienced abandonment,” so priests must “know their reality,” the pope continued. “Be close to them in this sense, accompany them, but do not be just one of the young,” he said, adding that in this regard, “the testimony of the priest” is important, as it offers “a model of life.”

The pope also asked priests not to be satisfied with just the young people who continue to come to the parish: “We must organize, think, seek initiatives that can be a form of outreach.”

“We must go ourselves, we must invite other young people, go out into the streets with them; perhaps offer different ways,” activities such as sports, art and culture, he insisted.

Getting to know others is the key element, according to Pope Leo, and knowledge comes through “a human experience of friendship” with young people who “live in isolation, in incredible loneliness.”

He highlighted how this loneliness has increased after the pandemic especially, in part because of the use of smartphones. “They live a kind of distance from others, a coldness, without knowing the richness, the value of truly human relationships,” the pope explained.

Therefore, he continued, we must understand how to offer young people “another type of experience of friendship, of sharing, and gradually of communion,” and from that experience “invite them also to know Jesus.”

Pope Leo emphasized that this requires “time” and “sacrifice,” considering also that many young people today are trapped in “a terrible life” of drugs, crime and violence.

He encouraged priests to nurture true friendships with one another and to resist the temptation of “invidia clericalis,” or clerical envy.

“Let us not be afraid to knock on another’s door, to take the initiative, to say to companions or a group of friends: why don’t we meet from time to time to study together, reflect together, have a moment of prayer and then a good lunch? The parish priest with the best cook can invite the others,” Pope Leo said.

He recalled a “beautiful” example of priestly fraternity in Chicago, his hometown, where a group of priests decided to meet once a month, starting when they were still in the seminary. Some continued until they were over 90 years old and they would gather, pray and study.

During the question-and-answer session, Pope Leo also addressed the issue of euthanasia, underlining that priests “must be the first to bear witness to the fact that life has enormous value.”

“If we ourselves are so negative about our life, and sometimes with less suffering than that borne by many people, how can we say to them: ‘No, you cannot take your life, you must accept it’?” the pope asked.

“If one lives one’s whole life as a journey that takes us forward, even with the weight of the years, often also — whether young or old — with illnesses and difficulties, one will have the ability, with God’s grace, to accept the cross, the suffering that comes,” he said.

The pope also urged priests to bring Communion and the anointing of the sick to parishioners who are ill.

“Today, with fewer priests and more elderly, it has become: ‘Well, let’s send the lay people, they will do it,’” he said. “It is a beautiful service that lay people provide … but that does not mean that the priest can stay at home watching things on the internet.”

Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney. Contributing to this story was Salvatore Cernuzio of Vatican News.

– (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV has urged priests to not to use artificial intelligence to write their homilies or to seek “likes” on social media platforms like TikTok. In a question-and-answer session with clergy from the Diocese of Rome, the pope said priests should resist “the temptation to prepare homilies with artificial intelligence.” “Like all the muscles in the body, if we do not use them, if we do not move them, they die. The brain needs to be used, so our intelligence must also be exercised a little so as not to lose this capacity,” Pope Leo said

Team USA’s hockey gold honors Catholic hockey star tragically killed with brother in 2024 #Catholic –

(OSV News) — When the U.S. men’s hockey team dramatically captured its first Olympic gold medal in 46 years at the 2026 Winter Games Feb. 22 in Milan, Italy, the triumph was defined not only by athletic achievement but by remembrance and faith.

After the dramatic 2-1 overtime thriller over Canada, U.S. captain Auston Matthews and teammates skated around the ice holding the late Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey, ensuring that a beloved player — gone too soon — was at the forefront of their celebration.

Johnny Gaudreau, widely known as “Johnny Hockey,” and his brother Matthew were killed Aug. 29, 2024, when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver while cycling near Salem County, New Jersey, on the eve of their sister’s wedding. Johnny was 31.

Before the Olympics began, the Gaudreau family issued a heartfelt message that underscored Gaudreau’s lifelong dream to represent his country.

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“Representing Team USA at the Olympics was one of his greatest dreams,” the family wrote, noting that in his final summer Johnny was training harder than ever to earn a spot on the Olympic roster. “We know he will be so very present with Team USA and all of his close friends competing throughout these games … John loved this game and loved representing his country.”

Both Gaudreau brothers were hockey standouts. Both played for Boston College. Matthew competed professionally and later became involved in coaching at his high school alma mater, but he never played in the NHL. Johnny, however, played 11 seasons in the NHL — nine with the Calgary Flames and, desiring to be closer to home, his final two with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Gaudreau’s Catholic faith was a central part of his life from his youth through his professional career. He and his brother both attended Gloucester Catholic High School in New Jersey, where their father, Guy, helped build the school’s ice hockey program. The brothers were not only sporting stars; they were devoted sons, brothers, fathers and active members of their Catholic community. Gloucester Catholic, founded on faith and service, became the spiritual home for the family, offering prayer services and communal support in the wake of their deaths.

In the weeks after the accident, Gloucester Catholic High School held a Night of Remembrance attended by hundreds, emphasizing prayer and the role of faith in coping with tragedy. The funeral Mass for Johnny and Matthew, held at St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Media, Pennsylvania, highlighted the “incredible love” they had for each other and their parents. The Gaudreau family has also supported Catholic education through annual fundraisers for Gloucester Catholic to help families with tuition.

Throughout the 2026 Winter Games Olympics in Milan Cortina, Team USA kept Gaudreau’s memory at the forefront. His No. 13 jersey was displayed in the locker room, a constant symbol of his presence among teammates. That practice continued into the gold medal game, where teammates Matthews, Zach Werenski, and Matthew Tkachuk carried the jersey onto the ice after the final buzzer.

After the victory, the team ensured that Gaudreau’s family was included in the celebration. Players brought two of Johnny’s three children — Johnny Jr., 2, and Noa, 3 — onto the ice for the official team photo, holding their father’s jersey beside them. From the stands, his widow, Meredith, and his parents, Guy and Jane, witnessed a tribute that blended athletic triumph with deep personal loss.

“I honestly felt (Johnny’s presence) the whole tournament,” Werenski, Gaudreau’s teammate with the Blue Jackets, told The Athletic. “Felt he was here. I felt that feeling a lot in Columbus, and I felt it at the world stage, World Championships last year, now here at the Olympics. I feel like that he’s following us, and he’s got our back.

“This is something John would have been at,” he continued. “And to see his family here supporting us and seeing his kids, bringing them on the ice, we talked about playing for him, making him proud and I think we did that.”

– (OSV News) — When the U.S. men’s hockey team dramatically captured its first Olympic gold medal in 46 years at the 2026 Winter Games Feb. 22 in Milan, Italy, the triumph was defined not only by athletic achievement but by remembrance and faith. After the dramatic 2-1 overtime thriller over Canada, U.S. captain Auston Matthews and teammates skated around the ice holding the late Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey, ensuring that a beloved player — gone too soon — was at the forefront of their celebration. Johnny Gaudreau, widely known as “Johnny Hockey,” and his brother Matthew were killed Aug.

Obituary: Deacon Richard Charles Zeich, formerly served Dover parish, 83 #Catholic –

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 11 at 11 a.m. at St. Pius X Church in South Yarmouth, Mass., for Deacon Richard Charles Zeich, a retired deacon of the Diocese of Paterson in New Jersey, who died on Feb. 3. He was 83. He lived in South Yarmouth.

Funeral arrangements took place for Deacon Zeich earlier in February.

Born on Feb. 1, 1943, in Elizabeth, N.J., Deacon Zeich was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate of the Paterson Diocese in 1988. He served Sacred Heart Parish in Dover, N.J., before moving to Cape Cod, Mass., in 1999. Deacon Zeich continued ministering for many years at St. Pius X Parish in South Yarmouth.

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Please keep Deacon Richard; his wife, Gerry; their daughter, Heidi; their son, Adam; their two grandchildren; all their family and friends; and all the deacons of the Paterson Diocese in your prayers, especially at the Eucharist.

Please send condolences to: Mrs. Geraldine “Gerry” Zeich, 39 Captain Besse Rd., South Yarmouth, MA 02664 or heidi.zeich@georgetown.edu.

– A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 11 at 11 a.m. at St. Pius X Church in South Yarmouth, Mass., for Deacon Richard Charles Zeich, a retired deacon of the Diocese of Paterson in New Jersey, who died on Feb. 3. He was 83. He lived in South Yarmouth. Funeral arrangements took place for Deacon Zeich earlier in February. Born on Feb. 1, 1943, in Elizabeth, N.J., Deacon Zeich was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate of the Paterson Diocese in 1988. He served Sacred Heart Parish in Dover, N.J., before moving to Cape Cod, Mass., in 1999. Deacon