Day: May 6, 2026

Paterson medical center commends nurses delivering outstanding patient care #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, N.J., in celebrating National Nurses Week during a special Mass in the medical center’s chapel on May 4. Many St. Joseph’s staff attended and participated in the liturgy. St. Joseph’s Health further acknowledged National Nurses Week on social media, honoring its nursing staff. “From first breaths to critical recoveries, our nurses show up every day with skill, compassion, and a deep commitment to their patients and each other,” St. Joseph’s Health posted. “To our nurses: We are grateful for all that you do and for the critical role you play in patient care.” BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]   Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Paterson medical center commends nurses delivering outstanding patient care #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, N.J., in celebrating National Nurses Week during a special Mass in the medical center’s chapel on May 4. Many St. Joseph’s staff attended and participated in the liturgy. St. Joseph’s Health further acknowledged National Nurses Week on social media, honoring its nursing staff. “From first breaths to critical recoveries, our nurses show up every day with skill, compassion, and a deep commitment to their patients and each other,” St. Joseph’s Health posted. “To our nurses: We are grateful for all that you do and for the critical role you play in patient care.” BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]   Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Paterson medical center commends nurses delivering outstanding patient care #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, N.J., in celebrating National Nurses Week during a special Mass in the medical center’s chapel on May 4. Many St. Joseph’s staff attended and participated in the liturgy.

St. Joseph’s Health further acknowledged National Nurses Week on social media, honoring its nursing staff.

“From first breaths to critical recoveries, our nurses show up every day with skill, compassion, and a deep commitment to their patients and each other,” St. Joseph’s Health posted. “To our nurses: We are grateful for all that you do and for the critical role you play in patient care.”

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney joined St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, N.J., in celebrating National Nurses Week during a special Mass in the medical center’s chapel on May 4. Many St. Joseph’s staff attended and participated in the liturgy. St. Joseph’s Health further acknowledged National Nurses Week on social media, honoring its nursing staff. “From first breaths to critical recoveries, our nurses show up every day with skill, compassion, and a deep commitment to their patients and each other,” St. Joseph’s Health posted. “To our nurses: We are grateful for all that you do and for the critical role

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Barack Obama Complains About ‘Politicization’ of DOJ — Then Encourages Stephen Colbert to Run For President! (VIDEO) – Former President Barack Obama is complaining about the “politicization” of the Department of Justice, a topic about which he himself is very well versed. The post Barack Obama Complains About ‘Politicization’ of DOJ — Then Encourages Stephen Colbert to Run For President! (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Barack Obama Complains About ‘Politicization’ of DOJ — Then Encourages Stephen Colbert to Run For President! (VIDEO) – Former President Barack Obama is complaining about the “politicization” of the Department of Justice, a topic about which he himself is very well versed. The post Barack Obama Complains About ‘Politicization’ of DOJ — Then Encourages Stephen Colbert to Run For President! (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Former President Barack Obama speaking in an interview, dressed in a suit, with a thoughtful expression in a well-lit setting.

Former President Barack Obama speaking in an interview, dressed in a suit, with a thoughtful expression in a well-lit setting.

Former President Barack Obama is complaining about the “politicization” of the Department of Justice, a topic about which he himself is very well versed.

The post Barack Obama Complains About ‘Politicization’ of DOJ — Then Encourages Stephen Colbert to Run For President! (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Reporting from Nigeria: Nigerian Christian Funeral Attacked by Fulani Islamists – On the night of April 5, a Christian village called Nding, located in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Nigeria, came under attack by Fulani extremists. The post Reporting from Nigeria: Nigerian Christian Funeral Attacked by Fulani Islamists appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Reporting from Nigeria: Nigerian Christian Funeral Attacked by Fulani Islamists – On the night of April 5, a Christian village called Nding, located in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Nigeria, came under attack by Fulani extremists. The post Reporting from Nigeria: Nigerian Christian Funeral Attacked by Fulani Islamists appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Crowd of people engaged in an outdoor event on a grassy field, with structures visible in the background under a cloudy sky.

Crowd of people engaged in an outdoor event on a grassy field, with structures visible in the background under a cloudy sky.

On the night of April 5, a Christian village called Nding, located in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Nigeria, came under attack by Fulani extremists.

The post Reporting from Nigeria: Nigerian Christian Funeral Attacked by Fulani Islamists appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Blessing of a New House: Prayer of the Day for Thursday, May 07, 2026 – #Prayer – O heavenly Father, Almighty God, we humbly beseech Thee to bless and sanctify this house and all who dwell therein and everything else in it, and do Thou vouchsafe to fill it with all good things; grant to them, O Lord, the abundance of heavenly blessings and from the richness of the earth every substance necessary for life, and finally direct their desires to the fruits of Thy mercy. At our entrance, therefore, deign to bless and sanctify this house as Thou didst deign to bless the house of …

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O heavenly Father, Almighty God, we humbly beseech Thee to bless and sanctify this house and all who dwell therein and everything else in it, and do Thou vouchsafe to fill it with all good things; grant to them, O Lord, the abundance of heavenly blessings and from the richness of the earth every substance necessary for life, and finally direct their desires to the fruits of Thy mercy. At our entrance, therefore, deign to bless and sanctify this house as Thou didst deign to bless the house of …

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 07 May 2026 – A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 15:7-21 After much debate had taken place, Peter got up and said to the Apostles and the presbyters, “My brothers, you are well aware that from early days God made his choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the Holy Spirit just as he did us. He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts. Why, then, are you now putting God to the test by placing on the shoulders of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.” The whole assembly fell silent, and they listened while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders God had worked among the Gentiles through them. After they had fallen silent, James responded, “My brothers, listen to me. Symeon has described how God first concerned himself with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name. The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:             After this I shall return                         and rebuild the fallen hut of David;             from its ruins I shall rebuild it                         and raise it up again,             so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord,                         even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked.             Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things,                         known from of old. It is my judgment, therefore, that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God, but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols, unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood. For Moses, for generations now, has had those who proclaim him in every town, as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath.”From the Gospel according to John 15:9-11 Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you” (Jn 15:9). The love Jesus gives us is the same with which the Father loves him: pure unconditional love, freely given love. It cannot be bought, it is free. By giving it to us, Jesus treats us like friends — with this love —, letting us know the Father; and he involves us in his same mission for the life of the world. And then, we can ask ourselves the question, how do we abide in this love? Jesus says: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love” (v. 10). (…) Dear brothers and sisters, where does this abiding in the Lord’s love lead? Where does it lead us? Jesus told us: “That my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (v. 11). And the Lord wants that the joy he possesses, because he is in complete communion with the Father, also be in us insofar as we are united to him. The joy of knowing we are loved by God despite our infidelities enables us to face the trials of life confidently, makes us live through crises so as to emerge from them better. Our being true witnesses consists in living this joy, because joy is the distinctive sign of a true Christian. (Pope Francis, General Audience, 9 May 2021)

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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 15:7-21

After much debate had taken place,
Peter got up and said to the Apostles and the presbyters,
“My brothers, you are well aware that from early days
God made his choice among you that through my mouth
the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe.
And God, who knows the heart,
bore witness by granting them the Holy Spirit
just as he did us.
He made no distinction between us and them,
for by faith he purified their hearts.
Why, then, are you now putting God to the test
by placing on the shoulders of the disciples
a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?
On the contrary, we believe that we are saved
through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.”
The whole assembly fell silent,
and they listened
while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders
God had worked among the Gentiles through them.

After they had fallen silent, James responded,
“My brothers, listen to me.
Symeon has described how God first concerned himself
with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name.
The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:

            After this I shall return
                        and rebuild the fallen hut of David;
            from its ruins I shall rebuild it
                        and raise it up again,
            so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord,
                        even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked.
            Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things,
                        known from of old.

It is my judgment, therefore,
that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God,
but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols,
unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood.
For Moses, for generations now,
has had those who proclaim him in every town,
as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath.”

From the Gospel according to John
15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that
my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete.”

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you” (Jn 15:9). The love Jesus gives us is the same with which the Father loves him: pure unconditional love, freely given love. It cannot be bought, it is free. By giving it to us, Jesus treats us like friends — with this love —, letting us know the Father; and he involves us in his same mission for the life of the world. And then, we can ask ourselves the question, how do we abide in this love? Jesus says: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love” (v. 10). (…) Dear brothers and sisters, where does this abiding in the Lord’s love lead? Where does it lead us? Jesus told us: “That my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (v. 11). And the Lord wants that the joy he possesses, because he is in complete communion with the Father, also be in us insofar as we are united to him. The joy of knowing we are loved by God despite our infidelities enables us to face the trials of life confidently, makes us live through crises so as to emerge from them better. Our being true witnesses consists in living this joy, because joy is the distinctive sign of a true Christian. (Pope Francis, General Audience, 9 May 2021)

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Researchers name moth species after Pope Leo XIV #Catholic Researchers have named a moth species “Pyralis papaleonei,” or “Pope Leo moth," in honor of the Holy Father.“The new species is dedicated to the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV,” authors Peter Huemer, Lauri Kaila, and Andreas H. Segerer wrote in a research article on the species. “The pontiff is a strong advocate of climate and environmental protection, and we hope that his voice may serve as an example for humanity.”In the journal, Nota Lepidopterologica, the entomologists said the species was discovered on the Mediterranean island of Crete. It is a medium-sized species with a 2-centimeter wingspan, gold spots, and prominent white bands.“Furthermore, due to its distinctive coloration and overall appearance, the new species belongs to a group of Pyralidae whose species names refer to high secular or ecclesiastical offices including Pyralis regalis, Pyralis imperialis, Pyralis princeps, and Pyralis cardinalis,” they wrote.Butterflies are often named after external characteristics, geographical locations, or in honor of distinguished individuals, according to a press release from Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, or the Tyrolean State Museum, located in Innsbruck, Austria. Pyralis papaleonei species. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Tyrolean State Museum Within the Pyralis genus, a different tradition has emerged. As early as 1775, Austrian naturalists and Jesuits Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller described the first species of the group as Pyralis regalis, or "royal,” due to its coloration.This prompted similar names including Pyralis princeps and Pyralis cardinalis, which belong to the superfamily Pyraloidea comprised of 16,000 described species worldwide.In the Old Testament (Genesis 2), Adam is instructed to name all animals. According to the museum, this led to the action of taxonomy — the science of classifying, naming, and categorizing organisms — to often be considered, “in the biblical sense, the oldest task of humankind.” According to Huemer, head of studies at the Tyrolean State Museum, the naming process is more than a scientific act but a symbolic gesture. For the Pope Leo moth, it is an appeal to the head of the Catholic Church and to draw attention to humanityʼs central responsibility for the preservation of creation.“We are facing a global biodiversity crisis, yet only a fraction of the world’s species has been scientifically documented,” Huemer said in a statement. “Effective conservation of biodiversity requires that species are first recognized, described, and named.”Huemer’s call echoes the pope’s "call for conversion” at a 2025 international conference on climate justice, celebrating the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si’.“It is only by returning to the heart that a true ecological conversion can take place,” the Holy Father said. “We must shift from collecting data to caring, and from environmental discourse to an ecological conversion that transforms both personal and communal lifestyles."
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Researchers name moth species after Pope Leo XIV #Catholic Researchers have named a moth species “Pyralis papaleonei,” or “Pope Leo moth," in honor of the Holy Father.“The new species is dedicated to the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV,” authors Peter Huemer, Lauri Kaila, and Andreas H. Segerer wrote in a research article on the species. “The pontiff is a strong advocate of climate and environmental protection, and we hope that his voice may serve as an example for humanity.”In the journal, Nota Lepidopterologica, the entomologists said the species was discovered on the Mediterranean island of Crete. It is a medium-sized species with a 2-centimeter wingspan, gold spots, and prominent white bands.“Furthermore, due to its distinctive coloration and overall appearance, the new species belongs to a group of Pyralidae whose species names refer to high secular or ecclesiastical offices including Pyralis regalis, Pyralis imperialis, Pyralis princeps, and Pyralis cardinalis,” they wrote.Butterflies are often named after external characteristics, geographical locations, or in honor of distinguished individuals, according to a press release from Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, or the Tyrolean State Museum, located in Innsbruck, Austria. Pyralis papaleonei species. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Tyrolean State Museum Within the Pyralis genus, a different tradition has emerged. As early as 1775, Austrian naturalists and Jesuits Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller described the first species of the group as Pyralis regalis, or "royal,” due to its coloration.This prompted similar names including Pyralis princeps and Pyralis cardinalis, which belong to the superfamily Pyraloidea comprised of 16,000 described species worldwide.In the Old Testament (Genesis 2), Adam is instructed to name all animals. According to the museum, this led to the action of taxonomy — the science of classifying, naming, and categorizing organisms — to often be considered, “in the biblical sense, the oldest task of humankind.” According to Huemer, head of studies at the Tyrolean State Museum, the naming process is more than a scientific act but a symbolic gesture. For the Pope Leo moth, it is an appeal to the head of the Catholic Church and to draw attention to humanityʼs central responsibility for the preservation of creation.“We are facing a global biodiversity crisis, yet only a fraction of the world’s species has been scientifically documented,” Huemer said in a statement. “Effective conservation of biodiversity requires that species are first recognized, described, and named.”Huemer’s call echoes the pope’s "call for conversion” at a 2025 international conference on climate justice, celebrating the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si’.“It is only by returning to the heart that a true ecological conversion can take place,” the Holy Father said. “We must shift from collecting data to caring, and from environmental discourse to an ecological conversion that transforms both personal and communal lifestyles."

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“The pontiff is a strong advocate of climate and environmental protection, and we hope that his voice may serve as an example for humanity,” researchers wrote.

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India’s state elections deliver split verdict for Christian community #Catholic The results of staggered elections in four key Indian states held in April have drawn diverse reactions from the Christian community following the May 4 counting of the votes.While the poll outcomes from the two southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been soothing for Christians, the results from West Bengal and Assam in eastern and northeastern India have come as frustrating for Christian communities.Kerala: A ‘clear verdict’ against propagandaIn the southern Christian heartland of Kerala, the ruling communist alliance was decimated to 35 seats while the opposition Congress-led alliance won 102 seats in the 140-member assembly of Kerala, a state of 35 million people, 18% of whom are Christian.“The result has shown that the people cannot be misled by propaganda and they have given a clear verdict against it,” Father Thomas Tharayil, deputy secretary of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council, told EWTN News on May 6.The remark came against the backdrop of anti-Christian propaganda by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with prominent Christians in the BJP even attacking Church leaders for the Churchʼs protest against the draconian amendment to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.Christians in Kerala were relieved after four prominent Christians who had allied with the BJP lost the polls despite making much noise against church leadership: P.C. George, a seven-time Kerala legislator; his son Shone George; federal Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian; and Anoop Antony, son of veteran Congress party leader and former Kerala chief minister A.K. Antony.Half a dozen other Christian candidates the BJP fielded in Christian pockets under its lotus symbol also lost, while the party won just three seats with its Hindu candidates.Tamil Nadu: A ‘genuinely historic’ TVK upsetIn neighboring Tamil Nadu, with a population of 77 million, the new political party TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam — Victory Party of Tamil Nadu), founded by Catholic actor Joseph Vijay, stunned the Dravidian parties that had held power for nearly six decades between them.Under Vijayʼs leadership, the TVK he founded in 2024 won 108 of the 234 seats in the state legislature, with the ruling DMK reduced to 73 and the opposition AIADMK left with 53 seats.Describing the TVK victory that stunned even poll forecasts as “genuinely historic,” Father Charles Antony, editor of the Catholic fortnightly New Leader based in Chennai, told EWTN News: “Vijayʼs victory is real, consequential, and disruptive [of the] bipolar politics” in the state, which has more than 5 million Christians.“He visited churches, temples, and mosques alike during the campaign, successfully projecting himself as a leader for all communities. This secular messaging helped his party distance itself from identity-based polarization,” he added.While Vijay is “Catholic,” Antony emphasized that “his Christian identity is incidental to his politics. Attacks from the BJP [on his Christian identity] with ‘minority’ tag against him, paradoxically, may have helped consolidate minority votes.”West Bengal: ‘A terrible result many had feared’The likely outcome in West Bengal — the state bordering Bangladesh — had been the subject of much conjecture even before voting, due to the controversial, hurried action of the Election Commission of India that disenfranchised more than 9 million, or 12%, of its 76 million voters under a Special Intensive Revision of the voter list.The Trinamool Congress, which had ruled the state since 2011 across three consecutive terms, lost the election badly — as many had feared — winning a mere 80 seats while the BJP captured power in the state for the first time, with 205 seats in the 294-seat state assembly.“This is a terrible result many had feared,” Sunil Lucas, former president of Signis India, told EWTN News, while prominent Church leaders declined to comment on the results that bring the Hindu nationalist BJP to power in West Bengal — with Kolkata as its capital — for the first time.“Decoding BJPʼs Bengal sweep: 77 seats won in 2021 retained, 129 wrested from TMC,” Indian Express summed up the results, which were flayed by the ruling party and the opposition parties other than the BJP.On May 5, the national news channel NDTV carried a similar report with graphic details on how the ruling Trinamool Congress party “performed in seats with high voter deletions.” In constituencies where more than 25,000 voters had been disenfranchised, the BJP had won 95 of 147 seats, the report pointed out.Assam: ‘Democracy becomes a failure’In Assam state in the northeast, the BJP improved its tally with allies to 102 of the stateʼs 126 seats, securing a third consecutive term.“When the ruling party with over two-thirds majority has no member of the minorities in the legislature, democracy becomes a failure,” Allen Brooks, a Catholic and spokesperson for the ecumenical Assam Christian Forum, told EWTN News.While none of the 82 BJP winners are from the Muslim community, which accounts for 34% of Assamʼs population, Brooks also lamented that “there is not a single Christian in the Assam Assembly now, though Christians account for 3.7%” of the stateʼs 31 million people.Commenting on the election results, Cardinal Anthony Poola, president of the Catholic Bishops' conference of India, in a May 6 statement said: “The true measure of a vibrant democracy lies not just in the successful conduct of elections but in the steadfast commitment of elected leaders to serve the most vulnerable. We urge the new governments to work hand-in-hand with all institutions to build a more just, inclusive, and equitable India.”This story was updated at 12:29 p.m. ET on May 6, 2026, to include Cardinal Anthony Poolaʼs statement.
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India’s state elections deliver split verdict for Christian community #Catholic The results of staggered elections in four key Indian states held in April have drawn diverse reactions from the Christian community following the May 4 counting of the votes.While the poll outcomes from the two southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been soothing for Christians, the results from West Bengal and Assam in eastern and northeastern India have come as frustrating for Christian communities.Kerala: A ‘clear verdict’ against propagandaIn the southern Christian heartland of Kerala, the ruling communist alliance was decimated to 35 seats while the opposition Congress-led alliance won 102 seats in the 140-member assembly of Kerala, a state of 35 million people, 18% of whom are Christian.“The result has shown that the people cannot be misled by propaganda and they have given a clear verdict against it,” Father Thomas Tharayil, deputy secretary of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council, told EWTN News on May 6.The remark came against the backdrop of anti-Christian propaganda by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with prominent Christians in the BJP even attacking Church leaders for the Churchʼs protest against the draconian amendment to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.Christians in Kerala were relieved after four prominent Christians who had allied with the BJP lost the polls despite making much noise against church leadership: P.C. George, a seven-time Kerala legislator; his son Shone George; federal Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian; and Anoop Antony, son of veteran Congress party leader and former Kerala chief minister A.K. Antony.Half a dozen other Christian candidates the BJP fielded in Christian pockets under its lotus symbol also lost, while the party won just three seats with its Hindu candidates.Tamil Nadu: A ‘genuinely historic’ TVK upsetIn neighboring Tamil Nadu, with a population of 77 million, the new political party TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam — Victory Party of Tamil Nadu), founded by Catholic actor Joseph Vijay, stunned the Dravidian parties that had held power for nearly six decades between them.Under Vijayʼs leadership, the TVK he founded in 2024 won 108 of the 234 seats in the state legislature, with the ruling DMK reduced to 73 and the opposition AIADMK left with 53 seats.Describing the TVK victory that stunned even poll forecasts as “genuinely historic,” Father Charles Antony, editor of the Catholic fortnightly New Leader based in Chennai, told EWTN News: “Vijayʼs victory is real, consequential, and disruptive [of the] bipolar politics” in the state, which has more than 5 million Christians.“He visited churches, temples, and mosques alike during the campaign, successfully projecting himself as a leader for all communities. This secular messaging helped his party distance itself from identity-based polarization,” he added.While Vijay is “Catholic,” Antony emphasized that “his Christian identity is incidental to his politics. Attacks from the BJP [on his Christian identity] with ‘minority’ tag against him, paradoxically, may have helped consolidate minority votes.”West Bengal: ‘A terrible result many had feared’The likely outcome in West Bengal — the state bordering Bangladesh — had been the subject of much conjecture even before voting, due to the controversial, hurried action of the Election Commission of India that disenfranchised more than 9 million, or 12%, of its 76 million voters under a Special Intensive Revision of the voter list.The Trinamool Congress, which had ruled the state since 2011 across three consecutive terms, lost the election badly — as many had feared — winning a mere 80 seats while the BJP captured power in the state for the first time, with 205 seats in the 294-seat state assembly.“This is a terrible result many had feared,” Sunil Lucas, former president of Signis India, told EWTN News, while prominent Church leaders declined to comment on the results that bring the Hindu nationalist BJP to power in West Bengal — with Kolkata as its capital — for the first time.“Decoding BJPʼs Bengal sweep: 77 seats won in 2021 retained, 129 wrested from TMC,” Indian Express summed up the results, which were flayed by the ruling party and the opposition parties other than the BJP.On May 5, the national news channel NDTV carried a similar report with graphic details on how the ruling Trinamool Congress party “performed in seats with high voter deletions.” In constituencies where more than 25,000 voters had been disenfranchised, the BJP had won 95 of 147 seats, the report pointed out.Assam: ‘Democracy becomes a failure’In Assam state in the northeast, the BJP improved its tally with allies to 102 of the stateʼs 126 seats, securing a third consecutive term.“When the ruling party with over two-thirds majority has no member of the minorities in the legislature, democracy becomes a failure,” Allen Brooks, a Catholic and spokesperson for the ecumenical Assam Christian Forum, told EWTN News.While none of the 82 BJP winners are from the Muslim community, which accounts for 34% of Assamʼs population, Brooks also lamented that “there is not a single Christian in the Assam Assembly now, though Christians account for 3.7%” of the stateʼs 31 million people.Commenting on the election results, Cardinal Anthony Poola, president of the Catholic Bishops' conference of India, in a May 6 statement said: “The true measure of a vibrant democracy lies not just in the successful conduct of elections but in the steadfast commitment of elected leaders to serve the most vulnerable. We urge the new governments to work hand-in-hand with all institutions to build a more just, inclusive, and equitable India.”This story was updated at 12:29 p.m. ET on May 6, 2026, to include Cardinal Anthony Poolaʼs statement.

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Christian leaders welcomed the Kerala and Tamil Nadu outcomes but voiced alarm at the BJP’s historic sweep of West Bengal and a third-term win in Assam.

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May 6, 1872: The birth of Willem de Sitter

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Dutch astronomer Willem de Sitter, born May 6, 1872, studied mathematics and physics at the University of Groningen, developing an interest in astronomy there and furthering it with work at Cape Observatory in South Africa. In 1908, he was appointed professor of astronomy at Leiden University, becoming the director of the Leiden Observatory in 1919.Continue reading “May 6, 1872: The birth of Willem de Sitter”

The post May 6, 1872: The birth of Willem de Sitter appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Pope Leo XIV appoints Jesuit priest as bishop of Honolulu – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV appointed Father Michael T. Castori, SJ, as the new bishop of Honolulu on May 6. He is a member of the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits.The pontiff accepted the resignation of Bishop Clarence R. Silva, 76, who has led the diocese since 2005.According to a press release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Castori was born on Oct. 21, 1960, in Sacramento, California. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1998.Castori has earned several academic degrees, including a bachelor’s degree in classics from Harvard University in 1982, a master of divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in 1998, and a doctorate in Near Eastern religions from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2008. He also received a licentiate in sacred theology from Fordham University in 2009.He has held several teaching roles, including as an assistant professor at Santa Clara University and the Ateneo de Manila in the Philippines.His pastoral experience includes service as chaplain to the Tongan Catholic communities in northern California and to San Quentin State Prison.Before being appointed to Honolulu, he served as the rector of the Arrupe Jesuit Residence in Seattle.
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Pope Leo XIV appoints Jesuit priest as bishop of Honolulu – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV appointed Father Michael T. Castori, SJ, as the new bishop of Honolulu on May 6. He is a member of the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits.The pontiff accepted the resignation of Bishop Clarence R. Silva, 76, who has led the diocese since 2005.According to a press release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Castori was born on Oct. 21, 1960, in Sacramento, California. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1998.Castori has earned several academic degrees, including a bachelor’s degree in classics from Harvard University in 1982, a master of divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in 1998, and a doctorate in Near Eastern religions from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2008. He also received a licentiate in sacred theology from Fordham University in 2009.He has held several teaching roles, including as an assistant professor at Santa Clara University and the Ateneo de Manila in the Philippines.His pastoral experience includes service as chaplain to the Tongan Catholic communities in northern California and to San Quentin State Prison.Before being appointed to Honolulu, he served as the rector of the Arrupe Jesuit Residence in Seattle.

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Father Michael T. Castori, SJ, was appointed the sixth bishop of the U.S. diocese.

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Psychological distress in priests: Causes, warning signs, and how to address it – #Catholic – Psychological distress significantly affects priests, who may find themselves exposed to situations involving stress, anxiety, and emotional burnout due to the nature of their mission, said Father Wenceslao Vial, a priest and physician.His remarks in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, come against a backdrop of growing concerns about mental health issues within the clergy. In April, Filipino Cardinal José Advíncula warned that “almost 1 in 5 priests in the Philippines suffers from psychological distress” and urged that mental health be prioritized in order to sustain pastoral ministry.Vial, a professor of psychology and spiritual life in the theology department of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, emphasized that this problem should come as no surprise, as it is part of a broader reality.“In many countries and not just among priests, people suffer from psychological distress,” he said, noting that “nearly 30% of the adult population suffers from some form of psychological pathology” and that anxiety "affects roughly 25% of the general population.”Warning signs: When to be concernedVial stressed the importance of identifying warning signs. According to the specialist, the first sign of a mental health issue is often “a continuously and excessively negative emotional state: fear, sadness, distress, anger, and persistent negative thoughts.”He further warned that these signs must be taken seriously when they persist over time: “When you observe a person who is overly anxious, overly insecure, or overly sad for a period that has already lasted, for instance, a couple of weeks, that’s a warning sign that requires attention.”Otherwise, he cautioned, the situation may get worse: “If not addressed, the alarm itself turns into a fire. The person ends up getting burned."Regarding treatment, Vial emphasized the importance of a proper diagnosis: “The first step is to make a diagnosis … to give a name to the difficulties.” He explained that it is not enough to treat the symptoms; rather, it is necessary to get to the root causes.Likewise, he issued a clear call to seek out specialists: “You shouldn’t be afraid of health professionals — psychologists, psychiatrists, and doctors.”Burnout: A common risk among priestsAmong the most common problems he sees in priests is burnout, or what he calls the “disillusioned Good Samaritan syndrome,” which he described as “a state of exhaustion” linked to constantly serving others.“It occurs in people who work by serving others, by giving of themselves to others,” he explained, noting that it affects not only priests but also doctors, teachers, and mothers.A particularly relevant aspect is its root cause: “Often, it is not brought about by overwork but rather by service work that has lost its sense of purpose.”Shared responsibility in the ChurchVial emphasized that caring for mental health is not solely an individual responsibility. “When problems arise in a diocese, the bishop must take the time to see what is happening,” he said, noting that both personal and institutional factors are typically involved.Among these, he cited “excessive perfectionism,” “insecurity,” and “unhealed wounds” but also situations such as “leaving the priest excessively isolated” or “burdening him with too many responsibilities without providing support.”“That is why it is a collaborative effort,” he emphasized.Vial highlighted the importance of the support provided by the laity. “All of us in the Church must pray for our priests … and look out for our pastors,” he said. They are “the ones entrusted with leading us to heaven and bringing heaven down to earth.”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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Psychological distress in priests: Causes, warning signs, and how to address it – #Catholic – Psychological distress significantly affects priests, who may find themselves exposed to situations involving stress, anxiety, and emotional burnout due to the nature of their mission, said Father Wenceslao Vial, a priest and physician.His remarks in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, come against a backdrop of growing concerns about mental health issues within the clergy. In April, Filipino Cardinal José Advíncula warned that “almost 1 in 5 priests in the Philippines suffers from psychological distress” and urged that mental health be prioritized in order to sustain pastoral ministry.Vial, a professor of psychology and spiritual life in the theology department of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, emphasized that this problem should come as no surprise, as it is part of a broader reality.“In many countries and not just among priests, people suffer from psychological distress,” he said, noting that “nearly 30% of the adult population suffers from some form of psychological pathology” and that anxiety "affects roughly 25% of the general population.”Warning signs: When to be concernedVial stressed the importance of identifying warning signs. According to the specialist, the first sign of a mental health issue is often “a continuously and excessively negative emotional state: fear, sadness, distress, anger, and persistent negative thoughts.”He further warned that these signs must be taken seriously when they persist over time: “When you observe a person who is overly anxious, overly insecure, or overly sad for a period that has already lasted, for instance, a couple of weeks, that’s a warning sign that requires attention.”Otherwise, he cautioned, the situation may get worse: “If not addressed, the alarm itself turns into a fire. The person ends up getting burned."Regarding treatment, Vial emphasized the importance of a proper diagnosis: “The first step is to make a diagnosis … to give a name to the difficulties.” He explained that it is not enough to treat the symptoms; rather, it is necessary to get to the root causes.Likewise, he issued a clear call to seek out specialists: “You shouldn’t be afraid of health professionals — psychologists, psychiatrists, and doctors.”Burnout: A common risk among priestsAmong the most common problems he sees in priests is burnout, or what he calls the “disillusioned Good Samaritan syndrome,” which he described as “a state of exhaustion” linked to constantly serving others.“It occurs in people who work by serving others, by giving of themselves to others,” he explained, noting that it affects not only priests but also doctors, teachers, and mothers.A particularly relevant aspect is its root cause: “Often, it is not brought about by overwork but rather by service work that has lost its sense of purpose.”Shared responsibility in the ChurchVial emphasized that caring for mental health is not solely an individual responsibility. “When problems arise in a diocese, the bishop must take the time to see what is happening,” he said, noting that both personal and institutional factors are typically involved.Among these, he cited “excessive perfectionism,” “insecurity,” and “unhealed wounds” but also situations such as “leaving the priest excessively isolated” or “burdening him with too many responsibilities without providing support.”“That is why it is a collaborative effort,” he emphasized.Vial highlighted the importance of the support provided by the laity. “All of us in the Church must pray for our priests … and look out for our pastors,” he said. They are “the ones entrusted with leading us to heaven and bringing heaven down to earth.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Father Wenceslao Vial, a physician and professor, explained that psychological distress is common in society and also affects priests, and warning signs should be heeded and professional help sought.

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Notre Dame Cathedral’s stained-glass dispute enters new legal phase – #Catholic – The long-running controversy over the replacement of six 19th-century stained-glass windows at Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral appears to be entering a new — and potentially decisive — phase.On April 20, the permit to remove and replace the windows in one of the nave’s southern chapels, designed under Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the architect behind Notre Dame’s iconic spire, was publicly posted on the cathedral’s railings, triggering an almost immediate legal response. The heritage preservation group “Sites et Monuments,” which watched helplessly as scaffolding was erected on April 27, announced that it would file an urgent legal appeal before the Paris Administrative Court targeting the authorization itself.The plan to replace these windows with contemporary creations by French artist Claire Tabouret — unveiled to the public at the Grand Palais late last year — has drawn unusually broad opposition over the past two years, from heritage experts to Catholic figures.A battle over the cathedral’s identityIncluded among the main arguments against the project are that the Viollet-le-Duc windows belong to the cathedral’s 19th-century restoration and that introducing contemporary works in the nave would disrupt its balance. The proposed designs have themselves been criticized as overly figurative for the nave. For many, removing windows that survived the 2019 blaze — and have since been cleaned and restored — runs counter to the logic of the restoration itself. Critics also point to the estimated cost of the project, around 4 million euros (about .7 million), as disproportionate, given broader heritage needs. The project has also faced opposition from France’s National Commission for Heritage and Architecture, which issued a negative opinion in July 2024.For the president of Sites et Monuments, Julien Lacaze, the issue touches the core of heritage protection. “The question is whether the Viollet-le-Duc windows that are to be removed have artistic and historical value or not,” he said in an interview with Famille Chrétienne. “Viollet-le-Duc was not simply a restorer; he was a creator in the full sense. What matters is his vision of the Middle Ages and the freedom with which he approached it.”The association had already filed a previous legal challenge last year, contesting the authority of the public body overseeing Notre Dame’s restoration to remove the windows. That case is still under appeal, while the new action goes directly to the substance of the decision. To support its legal efforts, Sites et Monuments has also launched a crowdfunding campaign.Beyond the courtroom, the backlash continues to grow across France, with more than 340,000 people having signed a petition calling for the preservation of the Viollet-le-Duc windows.The scale of public opposition has done little to slow the project, which many see as a reflection of President Emmanuel Macron’s desire to leave a contemporary mark on the restored cathedral — a vision already tested after the 2019 fire, when his proposal to replace the spire with a modern design was ultimately set aside after intense controversy. Critics now see the stained-glass project as a renewed attempt to leave his mark on the monument.More broadly, the controversy points to a deeper divide over how the past should be treated — preserved as an inherited whole or reinterpreted through contemporary artistic choices. Supporters of the project argue that historic monuments must remain open to new forms of expression; Tabouret, who designed the controversial windows in question, has warned against “freezing” a monument in time.Priest’s call to protestWhile Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich has approved the current project, a position echoed by some within the Church who see contemporary art as a legitimate expression within historic monuments, the proposal is not enjoying unanimous support within Catholic ranks.One of the most outspoken voices in recent days has been Father Michel Viot, a Paris-based priest who has called for a peaceful public protest. In a message on social media, he said that Catholics in Paris, across France and abroad — particularly those who contributed to the cathedral’s restoration — should be “warned of the day hands are laid on the windows.” He urged them to gather on-site either with rosaries, or simply “to pray or protest,” all to “demand respect for the law.” He denounced what he described as an arbitrary decision and an attack on beauty that, in his words, serves a “culture of death.”The fact that the works were authorized despite repeated negative opinions from heritage authorities has reinforced the perception of a top-down initiative driven primarily by political considerations — a perception that has since ignited a broader wave of outrage across social media.For now, all eyes turn to the administrative court, where the fate of the project may soon be tested.This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
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Notre Dame Cathedral’s stained-glass dispute enters new legal phase – #Catholic – The long-running controversy over the replacement of six 19th-century stained-glass windows at Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral appears to be entering a new — and potentially decisive — phase.On April 20, the permit to remove and replace the windows in one of the nave’s southern chapels, designed under Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the architect behind Notre Dame’s iconic spire, was publicly posted on the cathedral’s railings, triggering an almost immediate legal response. The heritage preservation group “Sites et Monuments,” which watched helplessly as scaffolding was erected on April 27, announced that it would file an urgent legal appeal before the Paris Administrative Court targeting the authorization itself.The plan to replace these windows with contemporary creations by French artist Claire Tabouret — unveiled to the public at the Grand Palais late last year — has drawn unusually broad opposition over the past two years, from heritage experts to Catholic figures.A battle over the cathedral’s identityIncluded among the main arguments against the project are that the Viollet-le-Duc windows belong to the cathedral’s 19th-century restoration and that introducing contemporary works in the nave would disrupt its balance. The proposed designs have themselves been criticized as overly figurative for the nave. For many, removing windows that survived the 2019 blaze — and have since been cleaned and restored — runs counter to the logic of the restoration itself. Critics also point to the estimated cost of the project, around 4 million euros (about $4.7 million), as disproportionate, given broader heritage needs. The project has also faced opposition from France’s National Commission for Heritage and Architecture, which issued a negative opinion in July 2024.For the president of Sites et Monuments, Julien Lacaze, the issue touches the core of heritage protection. “The question is whether the Viollet-le-Duc windows that are to be removed have artistic and historical value or not,” he said in an interview with Famille Chrétienne. “Viollet-le-Duc was not simply a restorer; he was a creator in the full sense. What matters is his vision of the Middle Ages and the freedom with which he approached it.”The association had already filed a previous legal challenge last year, contesting the authority of the public body overseeing Notre Dame’s restoration to remove the windows. That case is still under appeal, while the new action goes directly to the substance of the decision. To support its legal efforts, Sites et Monuments has also launched a crowdfunding campaign.Beyond the courtroom, the backlash continues to grow across France, with more than 340,000 people having signed a petition calling for the preservation of the Viollet-le-Duc windows.The scale of public opposition has done little to slow the project, which many see as a reflection of President Emmanuel Macron’s desire to leave a contemporary mark on the restored cathedral — a vision already tested after the 2019 fire, when his proposal to replace the spire with a modern design was ultimately set aside after intense controversy. Critics now see the stained-glass project as a renewed attempt to leave his mark on the monument.More broadly, the controversy points to a deeper divide over how the past should be treated — preserved as an inherited whole or reinterpreted through contemporary artistic choices. Supporters of the project argue that historic monuments must remain open to new forms of expression; Tabouret, who designed the controversial windows in question, has warned against “freezing” a monument in time.Priest’s call to protestWhile Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich has approved the current project, a position echoed by some within the Church who see contemporary art as a legitimate expression within historic monuments, the proposal is not enjoying unanimous support within Catholic ranks.One of the most outspoken voices in recent days has been Father Michel Viot, a Paris-based priest who has called for a peaceful public protest. In a message on social media, he said that Catholics in Paris, across France and abroad — particularly those who contributed to the cathedral’s restoration — should be “warned of the day hands are laid on the windows.” He urged them to gather on-site either with rosaries, or simply “to pray or protest,” all to “demand respect for the law.” He denounced what he described as an arbitrary decision and an attack on beauty that, in his words, serves a “culture of death.”The fact that the works were authorized despite repeated negative opinions from heritage authorities has reinforced the perception of a top-down initiative driven primarily by political considerations — a perception that has since ignited a broader wave of outrage across social media.For now, all eyes turn to the administrative court, where the fate of the project may soon be tested.This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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Controversy surrounding the decision to replace some of Notre Dame’s historic windows with a contemporary design has escalated to legal action and calls for peaceful protests.

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Democrats Clarify Everyone Is A Nazi Except The Guy With Nazi Tattoo #BabylonBee – U.S. — Members of the Democratic Party from across the nation issued a statement clarifying that everyone is an evil Nazi except that one guy running for Senate in Maine who has a Nazi tattoo.
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Democrats Clarify Everyone Is A Nazi Except The Guy With Nazi Tattoo #BabylonBee – U.S. — Members of the Democratic Party from across the nation issued a statement clarifying that everyone is an evil Nazi except that one guy running for Senate in Maine who has a Nazi tattoo.

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U.S. — Members of the Democratic Party from across the nation issued a statement clarifying that everyone is an evil Nazi except that one guy running for Senate in Maine who has a Nazi tattoo.

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Compassionate Federal Judge Rules Assassin Should Get One More Shot To Kill Trump #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a landmark decision to compensate for what was described as "mistreatment" he suffered in jail, would-be assassin Cole Allen was granted one more chance to try to kill President Donald Trump.
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Compassionate Federal Judge Rules Assassin Should Get One More Shot To Kill Trump #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a landmark decision to compensate for what was described as "mistreatment" he suffered in jail, would-be assassin Cole Allen was granted one more chance to try to kill President Donald Trump.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a landmark decision to compensate for what was described as "mistreatment" he suffered in jail, would-be assassin Cole Allen was granted one more chance to try to kill President Donald Trump.

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