May 20, 2026 – United Yam

7 of the Smallest Islands in the World, From a Lighthouse Outpost to a Shell-covered Isle #Travel Whether in the North Atlantic, the South Pacific, or the Caribbean, these tiny isles provide the utmost seclusion.

Gen Zer Dies Of Starvation After DoorDash Driver Gets Flat Tire #BabylonBee – NORFOLK, VA — A member of Generation Z reportedly starved to death while waiting for a DoorDash delivery that would never come, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

Politicians Begin Offering Tucker Carlson $1 Million To Not Endorse Them #BabylonBee – U.S. — Following news that Senator Thomas Massie had lost his bid for re-election, several politicians have reportedly begun offering media personality Tucker Carlson up to $1 million dollars if he agrees not to endorse them.

Picture of the day Aerial view of the ruins of Takht-i-Bahi, a 1st-century CE Buddhist monastery complex located in what was once the ancient Indian region of Gandhara, in the present-day northern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is representative of Buddhist monastic architecture from its era and the ruins were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980, with UNESCO describing it as having been “exceptionally well-preserved”. #ImageOfTheDay

Picture of the day

Aerial view of the ruins of Takht-i-Bahi, a 1st-century CE Buddhist monastery complex located in what was once the ancient Indian region of Gandhara, in the present-day northern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is representative of Buddhist monastic architecture from its era and the ruins were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980, with UNESCO describing it as having been “exceptionally well-preserved”.

Trump Lawsuit Was Not Corruption, Funds to Aid Government Victims – The false framing of President Trump’s IRS lawsuit is that he stole taxpayer money and used it to create a slush fund for his friends. The post Trump Lawsuit Was Not Corruption, Funds to Aid Government Victims appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

BALTIC DRONE SCARE: After Latvian Government Collapse and NATO Jet Shooting Stray Ukrainian Drone Over Estonia, Now Lithuania Shuts Airport and Evacuate Government to Shelters – All Baltic nations blame Russia for the Ukrainian stray drones. The post BALTIC DRONE SCARE: After Latvian Government Collapse and NATO Jet Shooting Stray Ukrainian Drone Over Estonia, Now Lithuania Shuts Airport and Evacuate Government to Shelters appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Secretary Rubio Says US Stands by ‘Legitimate Constitutional Government’ of Bolivia, Puts ‘Criminals and Drug Traffickers’ on Blast – The narco-socialists are fighting back in Bolivia. The post Secretary Rubio Says US Stands by ‘Legitimate Constitutional Government’ of Bolivia, Puts ‘Criminals and Drug Traffickers’ on Blast appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

U.S. bishops publish letter of solidarity with Church in Mali following violent attacks – #Catholic – The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has published a letter of solidarity with the Church in Mali following several coordinated attacks that took place April 25–26.Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles and chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, wrote a letter on behalf of the U.S. bishops on May 19 to Bishop Hassa Florent Kone of the Diocese of San in Mali expressing “fraternal solidarity and deep condolences.”“Be assured of our spiritual closeness with the bishops and faithful of your country as well as our prayers for the many communities mourning the death of military personnel and civilians, and caring for those wounded by these acts of violence,” Zaidan wrote.Several coordinated strikes hit a number of military positions across the west African country, including the Kati military base near Bamako, the capital of Mali. The country’s defense minister, Sadio Camara, was ‌killed in the attack, carried out by an al-Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels.Zaidan highlighted the concern the USCCB has “by the increasing fragility of human security conditions and the growing violence suffered by the people of Mali and in other areas of the Sahel.”“We reiterate that interreligious dialogue and collaboration among all people of goodwill remain crucial to building social cohesion and lasting peace in the Sahel. We thank God for the work of the Catholic bishops in the region to these ends, with the support of Catholic Relief Services, through the Sahel Peace Initiative,” he said.The Maronite Catholic bishop also pointed out that “education access and fostering economic opportunity for young people are essential elements of building peace and promoting respect for human dignity.”In a statement released after the incidents, members of the Episcopal Conference of Mali — the official assembly of Catholic bishops in Mali — said they had followed “with great sorrow” the confrontations in Bamako, Sévaré-Mopti, Gao, and Kidal, where defense and security forces engaged the armed terrorist groups.The bishops extended “sincere condolences to the state of Mali, to the bereaved families, and to the entire Malian nation” while entrusting the victims to God’s mercy.They prayed for “the eternal rest of the soldiers and civilians who sacrificed their lives for the homeland” and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.Zaidan added: “In this month of May, I join the bishops of Mali in praying that your country may be guided to truth, unity, and lasting peace, through the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

Gospel and Word of the Day – 21 May 2026 – A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 Wishing to determine the truth about why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander freed him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them. Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, so he called out before the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead." When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group became divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three. A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, "We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" The dispute was so serious that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst and take him into the compound. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome."From the Gospel according to John 17:20-26 Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: "I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them."The Lord does not want us, in this unity, to be a nameless and faceless crowd. He wants us to be one: “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us” (v. 21). The unity for which Jesus prays is thus a communion grounded in the same love with which God loves, which brings life and salvation into the world. As such, it is firstly a gift that Jesus comes to bring. From his human heart, the Son of God prays to the Father in these words: “I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (v. 23). Let us listen with amazement to these words. Jesus is telling us that God loves us as he loves himself. The Father does not love us any less than he loves his only-begotten Son. In other words, with an infinite love. God does not love less, because he loves first, from the very beginning! Christ himself bears witness to this when he says to the Father: “You loved me before the foundation of the world” (v. 24). And so it is: in his mercy, God has always desired to draw all people to himself. It is his life, bestowed upon us in Christ, that makes us one, uniting us with one another. (Pope Leo XIV, Homily, 1 June 2025)

unitedyam May 20, 2026May 21, 2026

A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 22:30; 23:6-11

Wishing to determine the truth
about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.

Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before the Sanhedrin,
"My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead."
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply argued,
"We find nothing wrong with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"
The dispute was so serious that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the compound.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome."

From the Gospel according to John
17:20-26

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
"I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
that the world may believe that you sent me.
And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may be brought to perfection as one,
that the world may know that you sent me,
and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me,
that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known,
that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them."

The Lord does not want us, in this unity, to be a nameless and faceless crowd. He wants us to be one: “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us” (v. 21). The unity for which Jesus prays is thus a communion grounded in the same love with which God loves, which brings life and salvation into the world. As such, it is firstly a gift that Jesus comes to bring. From his human heart, the Son of God prays to the Father in these words: “I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (v. 23). Let us listen with amazement to these words. Jesus is telling us that God loves us as he loves himself. The Father does not love us any less than he loves his only-begotten Son. In other words, with an infinite love. God does not love less, because he loves first, from the very beginning! Christ himself bears witness to this when he says to the Father: “You loved me before the foundation of the world” (v. 24). And so it is: in his mercy, God has always desired to draw all people to himself. It is his life, bestowed upon us in Christ, that makes us one, uniting us with one another. (Pope Leo XIV, Homily, 1 June 2025)

Catholic bishops appeal court ruling that would mandate abortion accommodations – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and other Catholic groups appealed a court ruling that would require them to provide workplace accommodations for employees seeking an abortion in certain circumstances.“In 250 years, our nation has never allowed the state to make the church support abortion — and now’s not the time to start,” Laura Wolk Slavis, an attorney for Becket who represents the Catholic groups in the lawsuit, said in a statement.The lawsuit centers on a May 2025 court ruling that interprets the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) to include a mandate that employers must offer accommodations to employees for obtaining abortions if they are not fully elective.The language of the PWFA itself does not mention abortion but instead requires that employers offer accommodations to pregnant women in the workplace. The USCCB supported the law, and its Senate sponsor, Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pennsylvania, with cosponsor Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, promised it would not require abortion accommodations.In spite of this, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) under former President Joe Biden imposed rules for PWFA that interpreted it as requiring abortion accommodations for both elective and nonelective abortions in April 2024, which prompted the USCCB lawsuit.A federal court in May 2025 ruled that the law itself, regardless of what the regulations say, does require that the Catholic bishops and the other Catholic groups offer abortion accommodations if a pregnant woman is experiencing a negative health effect from the pregnancy itself but not if it is fully elective.According to the USCCB lawsuit, such negative effects range from serious complications with the pregnancy to common pregnancy-related conditions such as minor or severe hormonal changes, anxiety, nausea, or vomiting.Daniel Blomberg, an attorney for Becket, told EWTN News that some of the conditions listed are “literally the case for any pregnancy.” He noted that the ruling requires the Catholic groups to not only accommodate abortions in those situations but also to rewrite policies and procedures in a way that clearly communicates these accommodations to employees or prospective employees.The court’s interpretation of the law, Blomberg said, forces Catholic ministries to “adopt anti-life employment policies and statements in the workplace” and would stifle the speech of anyone in the workplace who would discourage an abortion accommodation.As interpreted by the court, the rule would “police the internal speech and even the atmosphere of the religious ministry” and it “radically transforms the requirements on religious ministries” as it relates to abortion, he warned.Blomberg noted that the 2025 court ruling interpreted the law itself as creating this mandate — not simply the regulations that followed. He explained that this means President Donald Trump’s administration does not have the authority to overrule the court order by promulgating regulations.He noted that the Department of Justice’s report on anti-Christian bias under Trump admonished the Biden-era PWFA rule, but “it remains to be seen how the administration’s lawyers will respond in court.”The EEOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Wolk Slavis noted in her statement that other lawsuits against this PWFA interpretation led to stronger religious freedom rulings for other organizations that objected.“Every other court to consider religious objections to this mandate has protected churches, and we hope the 5th Circuit does too,” she said.

Augustinian community in Spain eagerly awaits Pope Leo XIV’s visit – #Catholic – The Order of St. Augustine in Spain will welcome Pope Leo XIV in June with particular enthusiasm: He has visited the country on 10 previous occasions before becoming pope when he served as prior general of the Augustinians from 2000 to 2024. Robert Prevost traveled to Málaga, Seville, León, Valencia, Zaragoza, Santander, Huelva, Valladolid, Madrid, Bilbao, Palencia, and Ávila.On June 7, the second day of his apostolic journey, the pontiff will hold a private meeting with a delegation of the Augustinian community at the apostolic nunciature in Madrid.The Augustinian province of San Juan de Sahagún in Spain and Portugal comprises 338 religious with solemn vows, forming 36 communities distributed across 39 houses, including two communities in Portugal and two formation communities where 45 brothers are undergoing formation.While primarily established in the Iberian Peninsula, the Spanish Augustinian province also extends to other parts of the world: Antilles, Argentina, India, Peru, Venezuela, and Tanzania, in vicariates. It also has two delegations in Central America and Cuba.In total, this subdivision of the Order of St. Augustine is present in 12 countries in addition to Spain and Portugal: the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, United States, Argentina, India, Peru, Venezuela, Tanzania, Cuba, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.The orderʼs international character is evident in Spainʼs Augustinian communities. In Barcelona, the community consists of four religious, two originally from the Philippines and two from Tanzania. Together, the four of them provide pastoral care for three parishes within the Archdiocese of Barcelona.One of these is St. Augustine Parish, where on June 10 Pope Leo XIV will meet with diocesan charitable and assistance organizations. Situated off the beaten tourist path, it is located in the Raval neighborhood, one of the most disadvantaged in Barcelona. Indeed, very close to the parish, the Missionaries of Charity provide meals to about 400 people each day.In the Canary Islands, the Order of St. Augustine has maintained a presence since the 14th century, and numerous missionaries have set out from there. Currently, a single community remains in Puerto de la Cruz on Tenerife Island, comprising four religious: Father Ángel Andrés, a 77-year-old Spaniard who serves as coordinator; Father Manuel Ángel Andrés Alegre, a 96-year-old Spaniard; Father Aldrin Alvarado, 45, originally from the Philippines; and Father Jojo Neyssery Lonankutty from India, also 45.The Order of St. Augustine in Spain runs 17 schools and three university residential colleges in addition to the Royal University Center Escorial-María Cristina. This work benefits nearly 18,000 students and employs 1,500 teachers, support staff, and administrators.The Spanish Augustinians maintain two formation houses, one in Valladolid and another in El Escorial, where the novitiate is also headquartered.Each educational center features a pastoral team coordinated by a designated leader and comprising both Augustinian religious and lay members responsible for planning and promoting activities related to the apostolate and evangelization.The events surrounding the popeʼs visit to Spain are being organized by the Augustinian family in collaboration with other religious congregations including the Augustinian Recollects, Discalced Augustinians, Assumptionist Augustinians, Augustinian Missionaries, Augustinians of the Amparo, and Contemplative Augustinians, thereby bringing together approximately 8,000 pilgrims from various parts of Spain.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.

EWTN News explains: What is a papal encylical? #Catholic With the announcement of Pope Leo XIVʼs first papal encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas: “On the Protection of Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," there is much anticipation as to what guidance the pope will provide on the digital revolution and emerging technologies such as AI.But what are papal encyclicals, and what can they reveal about the popeʼs priorities on the world stage and for the Church?The pope’s pastoral letterA papal encyclical is a pastoral letter written by the pope, primarily addressed to bishops but also to Catholics and all people, typically reflecting on Church teachings and suggesting ways to apply them to modern issues.According to the 1917 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia, encyclicals were “letters sent to all the bishops of Christendom, or at least to all those in one particular country, and intended to guide them in their relations with their flocks.”Encyclicals are part of the pope’s everyday teaching authority, known as his “ordinary magisterium.” They are among the most common ways he presents Church doctrine and serve as authoritative and valuable sources of Catholic teaching and guidance on contemporary topics, including sexuality, Catholic social teaching, and stewardship of the earth.Since Pope Leo XIII, encyclicals have become one of the most common means by which popes are heard across the globe on the most pressing issues of our time.Are Catholics required to believe them?A pope does not normally use an encyclical to make an "ex cathedra" declaration — a solemn, and rare, statement on faith or morals, normally promulgated in an apostolic constitution. Modern examples of "ex cathedra" proclamations include the popes' definitions of the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception (1854) and the Assumption (1950).Encyclicals, however, are not merely letters or expressions of the popeʼs opinion. They carry significant doctrinal weight and are frequently cited as important sources of Catholic teaching.According to canon law, Catholics are required to give “a religious submission of the intellect and will” to these letters and to “take care to avoid those things which do not agree with it.”Simply put, Catholics are to presume that the pope teaches the truth in these letters and to sincerely respect the teachings they contain.Recent encyclical trendsInitially addressed exclusively to bishops, papal encyclicals began reaching broader audiences in the modern period, beginning with Pope Leo XIII’s groundbreaking 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum. It marked the first time in many years that the bishop of Rome had written a pastoral letter on matters other than doctrine or internal affairs of the Church, instead addressing workers’ rights, the right to private property, and the dangers of socialism.With St. John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris in 1963, pontiffs increasingly addressed their letters to “all men of goodwill,” shifting from a mainly Catholic audience to the global stage. Pope Leo XIII in 1898. | Credit: Francesco De Federicis/Wikimedia Commons Since the Second Vatican Council, papal encyclicals have increasingly focused on threats to the dignity of the human person and authentic human development. St. Paul VI wrote Humanae Vitae in 1968, reiterating and applying Church teaching to the question of artificial birth control. St. John Paul II dedicated four encyclicals to promoting Catholic social teaching, building on Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum. Pope Francis’ four encyclicals largely addressed the preservation of ecology and universal fraternity.Despite the importance given to these letters in the modern period, the average number of encyclicals per pope is relatively small. Francis wrote only four, while Benedict XVI, his immediate predecessor, wrote just three. John Paul II wrote 14, but the average number of encyclicals per pope since the Second Vatican Council has been just seven.Leo XIII has the most encyclicals of any pope, with 88, 11 of which are dedicated to the rosary.Pope Leo XIVʼs first encyclical builds on othersPope Leo XIV indicated at the beginning of his pontificate that he intended to follow in the footsteps of Pope Leo XIII, his predecessor, by responding to todayʼs industrial revolution: “developments in the field of artificial intelligence.” May 15 marked the 135th anniversary of the publication of Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical on capital and labor, Rerum Novarum: “Of New Things” — the first in a long line of social encyclicals produced in the modern era of the Catholic Church.Addressing the College of Cardinals on May 10, 2025, Leo said: “In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor.”Magnifica Humanitas is expected to be released on May 25 at 11:30 a.m. Rome time in the Vaticanʼs Synod Hall.

Astronomy magazine launches 2026 astrophotography contest presented by Celestron

New York Diocese of Ogdensburg will pay $45 million to sex abuse victims #Catholic The Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York, will pay out $45 million to abuse victims, part of a yearslong bankruptcy process that began after dozens of sex abuse cases were filed against it. The diocese said in a May 19 statement that the diocesan administration, along with “parishes, schools, and other Catholic entities,” would contribute into the settlement, which would be organized as a “survivor trust.” “Once the plan is confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court, the $45 million contributed to the survivor trust … will be available for distribution to survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated against them by clergy, religious, lay employees, and volunteers,” the diocese said. Ogdensburg Bishop Terry LaValley prayed that the settlement “will bring peace and healing to all survivors and to all the faithful whose hearts were broken by the gravely sinful conduct of Church leaders.”“The great harm that has been caused by this sinful behavior must never be allowed to happen again,“ he said. ”It is my sincere hope that this process has brought the survivors some comfort and peace.”The diocese "is committed to ensuring the safety of all persons entrusted to our care,” the bishop said. The New York-based law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates said in a May 19 press release that the diocese and abuse victims “will continue negotiations regarding significant nonmonetary provisions,” including “enhancements to child protection policies and the public disclosure of information related to clergy and other personnel accused of sexual abuse.”The Ogdensburg Diocese filed for bankruptcy in July 2023, the sixth diocese in New York state to do so. The bankruptcy filing came as the diocese was facing dozens of abuse lawsuits filed under the stateʼs 2019 Child Victims Act, which significantly expanded the window in which abuse victims could file lawsuits against abusers and institutions. At the time of the bankruptcy filing, LaValley said dealing with the lawsuits on a case-by-case basis would be “slow” and “unpredictable.” “Reorganization ensures that each survivor receives just compensation," the bishop said at the time. "It eliminates a race to the courthouse in which the earliest cases settled or brought to judgment could exhaust the resources available to pay claims, leaving nothing for victims whose cases are resolved later."Earlier this month it was announced that the Archdiocese of New York would pay $800 million into an abuse settlement there, with the amount covering around 1,300 victims who also filed under the state Child Victims Act.