Art

Psychiatrist Paul McHugh speaks about decades-long career, opposition to sex-reassignment surgeries – #Catholic – Psychologist Dr. Paul McHugh spoke with “EWTN News In Depth” about his decades-long career, detailing how sexual reassignment surgeries are not the answer for transgender individuals.McHugh is a 94-year-old American psychiatrist and educator. He is a distinguished service professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he was previously the Henry Phipps professor and psychiatrist-in-chief from 1975 to 2001.McHugh has conducted years of research on sexual reassignment surgeries, which are medical procedures that alter a person’s physical sex characteristics such as the chest, genitals, or facial features. McHugh found they do not resolve underlying psychological issues. While some may believe McHugh’s view on the surgeries comes from his faith as a Catholic, he said it is also based in research.“I am Catholic, and I can’t tell in what way my faith influences any of the things I do. I’m sure it’s important in everything I do. So I can’t deny that it may play a role,” he said. “But … I try to use the information that everybody else uses in determining the fixity or the ‘born that way’ idea.”McHugh’s careerMcHugh is known for many actions in his career, including a move to shut down Johns Hopkins Gender Identity Clinic in 1979 that was performing sex reassignment operations.When McHugh started to work at Johns Hopkins, the treatment had been going on for about 10 years at the clinic. There were some faculty members following up on the cases to decide if the patients were getting better or worse.While “most of the patients at the time felt that they had done the right thing when they subjected themselves to the surgery,” all of the issues that they were told would be corrected “didn’t improve,” he said.“Their difficulties in interpersonal relationships, their difficulties in their jobs. They had difficulty with their families, which was the whole reason for doing it. They were not better,” he said.“So it didn’t seem to me that this experiment was working out,” McHugh said, noting that it was in fact “an experiment,” because “it wasn’t that they knew perfectly well that these patients would benefit from it.” “And when they weren’t benefiting … I thought: ‘Well, why do it? Let’s find another way of helping them.’” The clinic was then shut down because of “the evidence,” McHugh said. “I didn’t think at the time that we had enough experience to be able to justify such a radical procedure.”After years of further research, in 2016, McHugh released a special report in The New Atlantis, “Sexuality and Gender: Findings from the Biological and Psychological and Social Sciences.” Among other findings, the report detailed that there’s no scientific evidence to support that sexual orientation is biologically fixed.At the time, McHugh’s colleagues at Johns Hopkins took out an op-ed in the Baltimore Sun with pushback on his views. “I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised because the truth of the matter is many people want to know the answer to a question, but they don’t want to have an answer that they don’t like,” McHugh said.“And if you start asking, just asking the question, it causes them anxiety because they want a particular answer. So I wasn’t particularly surprised that it didn’t go down easily. But I just think we ought to continue asking the question because it’s a very important question,” he said.Transgender movement todayMcHugh has been “astonished” by the momentum from 1979 to today of the transgender movement, the social and political effort advocating for the rights and inclusion of people whose say their gender identity differs from their biological sex.By closing the clinic, “it didn’t seem to me that we were doing anything terribly radical,” McHugh said. “But gradually, the idea became that somehow or another we were denying these people their honest sex. And I kept saying, ‘Look, we have two things here. We have the facts of the body, and we got the ideas of the patient.’”Instead of the program building upon “facts,” it was “generating more concern about the ideas and giving the ideas primary focus,” McHugh said. “And I thought that was one of the kinds of things where psychiatry has gone wrong in the past and could go wrong again — imagining things rather than knowing things.”“We don’t know enough” about the psychiatric impact, especially on children who undergo these operations, “because we’re not spending enough time studying them,” McHugh said.“The whole idea of doing this to children to … presumably get them to think more about what they’re experiencing has been a track towards … persuading them and has not been a good idea,” he said.“I’ve, after all, seen a lot of young people … especially young girls, being persuaded that there are some aspects of themselves, in their body, that needs correction,” he said. “It’s really the foundation of anorexia nervosa and things of that sort.”Children need to be “encouraged to just grow up and let their body take it,” McHugh said. “It turns out that 85% to 90% of them drop off of this. So if you don’t treat them with so-called gender affirming treatments, hormones, or surgery, they gradually give it up.”Puberty is “a very vulnerable time … all kinds of things are changing in your body and in your mind,” McHugh said. “Once you get through puberty, a new kind of person comes to think about what life is going to be like, what they would commit themselves to.”“Human beings are different from animals,” he said. “Animals, when they go through puberty, just become what they were from the start. Human beings have a rebirth after puberty as they think in terms of who they are, and what they would like to do. And those ideas would be best appreciated, and filled out, if you were what God made you, as it were.”“But if you are changed, then you have to spend your life committed to this change, and defending it, rather than moving forward,” he said.‘Many more lawsuits’ to comeMcHugh has stated publicly over the years that he thought it would be lawsuits that ultimately cease the surgeries for minors.In February, a New York jury awarded million to a woman who underwent a double mastectomy at age 16 in what is believed to be the first U.S. malpractice case of its kind to reach a trial verdict.Following the first malpractice suit, “it should be” the end of transgender surgeries for minors, McHugh said. “But there are going to be many more lawsuits coming down the pike now, as I predicted it would come.”The “ million is a small thing,” McHugh said. “It’s going to be a lot higher as more and more people come to realize, and they’re going to be mostly women in their mid-20s.”Next steps At 94, McHugh said “I’m not retiring yet.” He added: “I’m going to see if I can go a bit further. God got me this far. Maybe he’ll carry me on another while. I’ve got wonderful grandchildren I want to see more of and see how they flourish.”While he has no plans to retire yet, when that day comes he spoke to what he hopes his legacy is. He said: “I want people to think … that I was part of my times and that I didn’t shy away from the things that occupied the attention of my fellow Americans.”“I think it’s really important to see that the role you have calls for certain kinds of courage. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t have that role. And I had some adventures. And it turns out I was right about a lot of things — that’s the fun part.”
Read More

Psychiatrist Paul McHugh speaks about decades-long career, opposition to sex-reassignment surgeries – #Catholic – Psychologist Dr. Paul McHugh spoke with “EWTN News In Depth” about his decades-long career, detailing how sexual reassignment surgeries are not the answer for transgender individuals.McHugh is a 94-year-old American psychiatrist and educator. He is a distinguished service professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he was previously the Henry Phipps professor and psychiatrist-in-chief from 1975 to 2001.McHugh has conducted years of research on sexual reassignment surgeries, which are medical procedures that alter a person’s physical sex characteristics such as the chest, genitals, or facial features. McHugh found they do not resolve underlying psychological issues. While some may believe McHugh’s view on the surgeries comes from his faith as a Catholic, he said it is also based in research.“I am Catholic, and I can’t tell in what way my faith influences any of the things I do. I’m sure it’s important in everything I do. So I can’t deny that it may play a role,” he said. “But … I try to use the information that everybody else uses in determining the fixity or the ‘born that way’ idea.”McHugh’s careerMcHugh is known for many actions in his career, including a move to shut down Johns Hopkins Gender Identity Clinic in 1979 that was performing sex reassignment operations.When McHugh started to work at Johns Hopkins, the treatment had been going on for about 10 years at the clinic. There were some faculty members following up on the cases to decide if the patients were getting better or worse.While “most of the patients at the time felt that they had done the right thing when they subjected themselves to the surgery,” all of the issues that they were told would be corrected “didn’t improve,” he said.“Their difficulties in interpersonal relationships, their difficulties in their jobs. They had difficulty with their families, which was the whole reason for doing it. They were not better,” he said.“So it didn’t seem to me that this experiment was working out,” McHugh said, noting that it was in fact “an experiment,” because “it wasn’t that they knew perfectly well that these patients would benefit from it.” “And when they weren’t benefiting … I thought: ‘Well, why do it? Let’s find another way of helping them.’” The clinic was then shut down because of “the evidence,” McHugh said. “I didn’t think at the time that we had enough experience to be able to justify such a radical procedure.”After years of further research, in 2016, McHugh released a special report in The New Atlantis, “Sexuality and Gender: Findings from the Biological and Psychological and Social Sciences.” Among other findings, the report detailed that there’s no scientific evidence to support that sexual orientation is biologically fixed.At the time, McHugh’s colleagues at Johns Hopkins took out an op-ed in the Baltimore Sun with pushback on his views. “I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised because the truth of the matter is many people want to know the answer to a question, but they don’t want to have an answer that they don’t like,” McHugh said.“And if you start asking, just asking the question, it causes them anxiety because they want a particular answer. So I wasn’t particularly surprised that it didn’t go down easily. But I just think we ought to continue asking the question because it’s a very important question,” he said.Transgender movement todayMcHugh has been “astonished” by the momentum from 1979 to today of the transgender movement, the social and political effort advocating for the rights and inclusion of people whose say their gender identity differs from their biological sex.By closing the clinic, “it didn’t seem to me that we were doing anything terribly radical,” McHugh said. “But gradually, the idea became that somehow or another we were denying these people their honest sex. And I kept saying, ‘Look, we have two things here. We have the facts of the body, and we got the ideas of the patient.’”Instead of the program building upon “facts,” it was “generating more concern about the ideas and giving the ideas primary focus,” McHugh said. “And I thought that was one of the kinds of things where psychiatry has gone wrong in the past and could go wrong again — imagining things rather than knowing things.”“We don’t know enough” about the psychiatric impact, especially on children who undergo these operations, “because we’re not spending enough time studying them,” McHugh said.“The whole idea of doing this to children to … presumably get them to think more about what they’re experiencing has been a track towards … persuading them and has not been a good idea,” he said.“I’ve, after all, seen a lot of young people … especially young girls, being persuaded that there are some aspects of themselves, in their body, that needs correction,” he said. “It’s really the foundation of anorexia nervosa and things of that sort.”Children need to be “encouraged to just grow up and let their body take it,” McHugh said. “It turns out that 85% to 90% of them drop off of this. So if you don’t treat them with so-called gender affirming treatments, hormones, or surgery, they gradually give it up.”Puberty is “a very vulnerable time … all kinds of things are changing in your body and in your mind,” McHugh said. “Once you get through puberty, a new kind of person comes to think about what life is going to be like, what they would commit themselves to.”“Human beings are different from animals,” he said. “Animals, when they go through puberty, just become what they were from the start. Human beings have a rebirth after puberty as they think in terms of who they are, and what they would like to do. And those ideas would be best appreciated, and filled out, if you were what God made you, as it were.”“But if you are changed, then you have to spend your life committed to this change, and defending it, rather than moving forward,” he said.‘Many more lawsuits’ to comeMcHugh has stated publicly over the years that he thought it would be lawsuits that ultimately cease the surgeries for minors.In February, a New York jury awarded $2 million to a woman who underwent a double mastectomy at age 16 in what is believed to be the first U.S. malpractice case of its kind to reach a trial verdict.Following the first malpractice suit, “it should be” the end of transgender surgeries for minors, McHugh said. “But there are going to be many more lawsuits coming down the pike now, as I predicted it would come.”The “$2 million is a small thing,” McHugh said. “It’s going to be a lot higher as more and more people come to realize, and they’re going to be mostly women in their mid-20s.”Next steps At 94, McHugh said “I’m not retiring yet.” He added: “I’m going to see if I can go a bit further. God got me this far. Maybe he’ll carry me on another while. I’ve got wonderful grandchildren I want to see more of and see how they flourish.”While he has no plans to retire yet, when that day comes he spoke to what he hopes his legacy is. He said: “I want people to think … that I was part of my times and that I didn’t shy away from the things that occupied the attention of my fellow Americans.”“I think it’s really important to see that the role you have calls for certain kinds of courage. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t have that role. And I had some adventures. And it turns out I was right about a lot of things — that’s the fun part.”

unitedyam

McHugh told “EWTN News In Depth” that “we don’t know enough” about the psychiatric impact of gender reassignment surgeries.

Read More
Scotland bishops on assisted suicide legislation: ‘Safeguards do not work’ – #Catholic – Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:Scotland bishops on assisted suicide legislation: ‘Safeguards do not work’The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland is urging Catholics to express opposition to the latest assisted suicide legislation proposed in the country to their representatives in Parliament.“One of the most serious concerns about assisted suicide legislation is this: Safeguards do not work,” the bishops wrote in a March 6 statement. “We only have to look at countries that have already introduced these laws. In places such as Holland, Belgium, and Canada, what began with strict limits has steadily expanded. Boundaries shift. Protections weaken. And the most vulnerable are placed at risk.” The bishops’ latest statement comes ahead of a final vote on March 17 for the bill that would give terminally ill adults access to assisted suicide.Italian Church calls for day of prayer and fasting for peaceItaly’s bishops designated Friday, March 13, as a national day of prayer and fasting for peace, responding to growing alarm over widening conflict in the Middle East and the risk of broader international destabilization.The initiative, backed by the presidency of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, aligns with Pope Leo’s repeated warnings against allowing violence to spiral beyond control, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Thursday. The bishops said war cannot become a solution and insisted that diplomacy, dialogue, and the pursuit of the common good remain the only serious path forward.Parishes and Catholic communities across the country were invited to mark the day through special liturgical intentions, the Stations of the Cross offered for the Middle East, and acts of fasting in solidarity with those enduring war, displacement, and deprivation. The Church in Italy is also urging prayers for world leaders, refugees, the wounded, and grieving families, while calling the faithful to recover charity as the true foundation of peace.Diocese of Hong Kong anticipates thousands of baptisms this EasterThe Diocese of Hong Kong is preparing for 2,500 baptisms at Easter, according to a report from Fides News Agency.The new members of the Church in China include 1,600 adults and 900 infants, according to a recent diocesan bulletin cited in the report, which said this year’s numbers were comparable to those in 2025. Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan celebrated the rite of scrutiny with catechumens in the diocese at Christ the King Church on March 8 and instructed the future members of the Church to “be bearers of hope.”Syria feeling fallout of Iranian war despite lack of involvementSyria is once again absorbing the shockwaves of regional war, as Iranian missiles and drones headed toward Israel pass through its airspace, with projectiles frequently falling inside southern Syria and areas with a Christian presence, ACI MENA reported March 9.Along the Syrian-Lebanese border, the city of Damascus has increased its military deployment, describing the move as defensive and aimed at border control, anti-smuggling efforts, and preventing infiltration as fighting intensifies inside Lebanon. The war has also deepened Syria’s humanitarian and economic strain: Thousands of Syrians have returned from Lebanon to escape Israeli strikes, fuel stations have seen panic buying, cooking gas has become harder to obtain, and electricity shortages have worsened amid reduced natural gas flows.Ethiopian bishops call for investigations into Christian killings Catholic bishops in Ethiopia have expressed “profound sorrow and unequivocal condemnation” of the recent killings of innocent civilians across the country, including the brutal attacks in the Arsi Zone, a major administrative division within the Oromia Region, located in the southeastern highlands.“The deliberate taking of innocent human life is a grave sin before God and a violation of the sacred dignity bestowed upon every person created in the image of God,” the bishops said in a statement to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on March 10. “Such violence against defenseless civilians can never be justified by religion, ethnicity, or political interest. We call upon the responsible authorities to undertake investigations and to ensure that those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice.”Tanzanian bishop condemns police use of tear gas at cathedral Bishop Michael George Msongazila of Tanzania’s Diocese of Musoma has condemned what he described as “the excessive use of force” by the Tanzania Police Force after officers reportedly hurled tear gas canisters at Holy Mother of God Cathedral.“I condemn this act of police using force at the headquarters of the Catholic Diocese of Musoma,” Msongazila said in a statement on March 10, ACI Africa reported. In his statement, Msongazila recounted that a group of women reportedly affiliated with an opposition political party joined other faithful for Mass on March 8 at the cathedral and that, as they were leaving, police officers threw tear gas canisters into the cathedral compound.The bishop further described the police action as “an act of oppression and cruelty,” insisting that such conduct undermines public trust and calls for urgent reform within the country’s law enforcement structures.Catholic Church in Philippines to establish mission on island disputed with ChinaApostolic Vicar Socrates Calamba Mesiona of Puerto Princesa in the Philippines is establishing a Catholic presence on Pag-asa Island, part of the Philippines-occupied Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The islands are a strategic and contested archipelago in the South China Sea and a source of tension between China and the Philippines due to its natural resources, according to Asia News.Mesiona met with government officials to discuss building a church on the island. The bishop said he expected to complete initial preparations for the mission by the end of March. A groundbreaking ceremony is also expected to take place by the end of the month. A parish name and patron saint have yet to be announced, the report said.
Read More

Scotland bishops on assisted suicide legislation: ‘Safeguards do not work’ – #Catholic – Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:Scotland bishops on assisted suicide legislation: ‘Safeguards do not work’The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland is urging Catholics to express opposition to the latest assisted suicide legislation proposed in the country to their representatives in Parliament.“One of the most serious concerns about assisted suicide legislation is this: Safeguards do not work,” the bishops wrote in a March 6 statement. “We only have to look at countries that have already introduced these laws. In places such as Holland, Belgium, and Canada, what began with strict limits has steadily expanded. Boundaries shift. Protections weaken. And the most vulnerable are placed at risk.” The bishops’ latest statement comes ahead of a final vote on March 17 for the bill that would give terminally ill adults access to assisted suicide.Italian Church calls for day of prayer and fasting for peaceItaly’s bishops designated Friday, March 13, as a national day of prayer and fasting for peace, responding to growing alarm over widening conflict in the Middle East and the risk of broader international destabilization.The initiative, backed by the presidency of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, aligns with Pope Leo’s repeated warnings against allowing violence to spiral beyond control, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Thursday. The bishops said war cannot become a solution and insisted that diplomacy, dialogue, and the pursuit of the common good remain the only serious path forward.Parishes and Catholic communities across the country were invited to mark the day through special liturgical intentions, the Stations of the Cross offered for the Middle East, and acts of fasting in solidarity with those enduring war, displacement, and deprivation. The Church in Italy is also urging prayers for world leaders, refugees, the wounded, and grieving families, while calling the faithful to recover charity as the true foundation of peace.Diocese of Hong Kong anticipates thousands of baptisms this EasterThe Diocese of Hong Kong is preparing for 2,500 baptisms at Easter, according to a report from Fides News Agency.The new members of the Church in China include 1,600 adults and 900 infants, according to a recent diocesan bulletin cited in the report, which said this year’s numbers were comparable to those in 2025. Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan celebrated the rite of scrutiny with catechumens in the diocese at Christ the King Church on March 8 and instructed the future members of the Church to “be bearers of hope.”Syria feeling fallout of Iranian war despite lack of involvementSyria is once again absorbing the shockwaves of regional war, as Iranian missiles and drones headed toward Israel pass through its airspace, with projectiles frequently falling inside southern Syria and areas with a Christian presence, ACI MENA reported March 9.Along the Syrian-Lebanese border, the city of Damascus has increased its military deployment, describing the move as defensive and aimed at border control, anti-smuggling efforts, and preventing infiltration as fighting intensifies inside Lebanon. The war has also deepened Syria’s humanitarian and economic strain: Thousands of Syrians have returned from Lebanon to escape Israeli strikes, fuel stations have seen panic buying, cooking gas has become harder to obtain, and electricity shortages have worsened amid reduced natural gas flows.Ethiopian bishops call for investigations into Christian killings Catholic bishops in Ethiopia have expressed “profound sorrow and unequivocal condemnation” of the recent killings of innocent civilians across the country, including the brutal attacks in the Arsi Zone, a major administrative division within the Oromia Region, located in the southeastern highlands.“The deliberate taking of innocent human life is a grave sin before God and a violation of the sacred dignity bestowed upon every person created in the image of God,” the bishops said in a statement to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on March 10. “Such violence against defenseless civilians can never be justified by religion, ethnicity, or political interest. We call upon the responsible authorities to undertake investigations and to ensure that those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice.”Tanzanian bishop condemns police use of tear gas at cathedral Bishop Michael George Msongazila of Tanzania’s Diocese of Musoma has condemned what he described as “the excessive use of force” by the Tanzania Police Force after officers reportedly hurled tear gas canisters at Holy Mother of God Cathedral.“I condemn this act of police using force at the headquarters of the Catholic Diocese of Musoma,” Msongazila said in a statement on March 10, ACI Africa reported. In his statement, Msongazila recounted that a group of women reportedly affiliated with an opposition political party joined other faithful for Mass on March 8 at the cathedral and that, as they were leaving, police officers threw tear gas canisters into the cathedral compound.The bishop further described the police action as “an act of oppression and cruelty,” insisting that such conduct undermines public trust and calls for urgent reform within the country’s law enforcement structures.Catholic Church in Philippines to establish mission on island disputed with ChinaApostolic Vicar Socrates Calamba Mesiona of Puerto Princesa in the Philippines is establishing a Catholic presence on Pag-asa Island, part of the Philippines-occupied Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The islands are a strategic and contested archipelago in the South China Sea and a source of tension between China and the Philippines due to its natural resources, according to Asia News.Mesiona met with government officials to discuss building a church on the island. The bishop said he expected to complete initial preparations for the mission by the end of March. A groundbreaking ceremony is also expected to take place by the end of the month. A parish name and patron saint have yet to be announced, the report said.

unitedyam

The bishops of Scotland speak out on assisted suicide legislation, Italy’s bishops call for prayer and fasting for peace, the Hong Kong Diocese prepares for thousands of baptisms at Easter, and more.

Read More
New biblical series depicts Book of Genesis through eyes of its best-known women – #Catholic – A new biblical series will depict the Book of Genesis through the eyes of the book’s most well-known women. “The Faithful: Women of the Bible” follows the stories of Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel and how each of these women, and their descendants, shaped the story of salvation.The three-week event will begin airing on March 22 on Fox and end on Easter Sunday, April 5.René Echevarria, executive producer and showrunner of the series, told EWTN News that the creators “set out to try to tell these stories in an emotionally grounded way and really try to understand what their lives were like — what their emotional lives were like.”“One thing that emerges is that all of the three stories that we chose to tell … all of these women stumble,” he said. “They’re trying to figure out how to proceed in life against different complicated circumstances — sometimes encounters with the divine that are asking them to do difficult things — and so that was our sort of North Star, was always to try to understand them on an emotional level.”The filmmaker highlighted the idea of the relatability behind these stories and how they resonate with modern audiences, especially that of Sarah and Abraham, who were unable to conceive a child for decades.Echevarria shared that he and his wife struggled with infertility for several years. They realized they needed to place their trust in God’s plan for them. Eventually, they were blessed with three children. Actress Minnie Driver as Sarah in Fox’s “The Faithful: Women of the Bible.” | Credit: Fox Broadcasting Company He also pointed out the importance he and his team placed on staying true to Scripture.“Our guiding principle was that if we were going to dramatize some part of the story, a scene, let’s call it, that’s described in the Bible, then we’re going to dramatize it the way it’s described and including dialogue if there is some,” he explained.“If we choose not to show something from the Bible, we wanted to make sure that there was nothing that we didn’t present that would make those sort of off-camera scenes impossible to have had occurred,” Echevarria added. “And then the rest was filling in the blanks. The Bible can be very specific, but it can also be profound in its silences … We need to do the research to find out about life at that time to fill in those gaps.”Echevarria said he hopes viewers are reminded that the men and women in these stories were “flawed, strong, people dealing with extraordinary circumstances and sometimes they made mistakes and yet God always made a good work of it.”Reflecting on the release of the series being during Lent and the start of Easter, Echevarria said: “We’re coming out of a time for many of us, a time of fasting, a time of reflection.”“We all love Christmas but Easter is the heart of our faith, isn’t it? So to be able to present these stories, which are the beginning of the Easter story in a sense, the beginning of God’s unfolding story, and his love for his children, and how he set it all in motion 4,000 years ago through Sarah and Abraham.”
Read More

New biblical series depicts Book of Genesis through eyes of its best-known women – #Catholic – A new biblical series will depict the Book of Genesis through the eyes of the book’s most well-known women. “The Faithful: Women of the Bible” follows the stories of Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel and how each of these women, and their descendants, shaped the story of salvation.The three-week event will begin airing on March 22 on Fox and end on Easter Sunday, April 5.René Echevarria, executive producer and showrunner of the series, told EWTN News that the creators “set out to try to tell these stories in an emotionally grounded way and really try to understand what their lives were like — what their emotional lives were like.”“One thing that emerges is that all of the three stories that we chose to tell … all of these women stumble,” he said. “They’re trying to figure out how to proceed in life against different complicated circumstances — sometimes encounters with the divine that are asking them to do difficult things — and so that was our sort of North Star, was always to try to understand them on an emotional level.”The filmmaker highlighted the idea of the relatability behind these stories and how they resonate with modern audiences, especially that of Sarah and Abraham, who were unable to conceive a child for decades.Echevarria shared that he and his wife struggled with infertility for several years. They realized they needed to place their trust in God’s plan for them. Eventually, they were blessed with three children. Actress Minnie Driver as Sarah in Fox’s “The Faithful: Women of the Bible.” | Credit: Fox Broadcasting Company He also pointed out the importance he and his team placed on staying true to Scripture.“Our guiding principle was that if we were going to dramatize some part of the story, a scene, let’s call it, that’s described in the Bible, then we’re going to dramatize it the way it’s described and including dialogue if there is some,” he explained.“If we choose not to show something from the Bible, we wanted to make sure that there was nothing that we didn’t present that would make those sort of off-camera scenes impossible to have had occurred,” Echevarria added. “And then the rest was filling in the blanks. The Bible can be very specific, but it can also be profound in its silences … We need to do the research to find out about life at that time to fill in those gaps.”Echevarria said he hopes viewers are reminded that the men and women in these stories were “flawed, strong, people dealing with extraordinary circumstances and sometimes they made mistakes and yet God always made a good work of it.”Reflecting on the release of the series being during Lent and the start of Easter, Echevarria said: “We’re coming out of a time for many of us, a time of fasting, a time of reflection.”“We all love Christmas but Easter is the heart of our faith, isn’t it? So to be able to present these stories, which are the beginning of the Easter story in a sense, the beginning of God’s unfolding story, and his love for his children, and how he set it all in motion 4,000 years ago through Sarah and Abraham.”

unitedyam

“The Faithful: Women of the Bible” follows the stories of Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel and how each of these women shaped the story of salvation.

Read More

Prayer for God’s Help in Daily Actions: Prayer of the Day for Saturday, March 14, 2026 – #Prayer – Our Father, may everything I do begin with Your Inspiration, continue with Your Help, and reach perfection under Your Guidance. With Your loving care guide me in my daily actions. Help me to persevere with love and sincerity. Teach me to judge wisely the things of earth and to love the things of Heaven. Keep me in Your presence and never let me be separated from You. Your Spirit made me Your child, confident to call You Father. Make Your Love the foundation of …

unitedyam

Our Father, may everything I do begin with Your Inspiration,
continue with Your Help,
and reach perfection under Your Guidance.
With Your loving care guide me in my daily actions.
Help me to persevere with love and sincerity.
Teach me to judge wisely the things of earth
and to love the things of Heaven.
Keep me in Your presence
and never let me be separated from You.
Your Spirit made me Your child,
confident to call You Father.
Make Your Love the foundation of …

Read More
Nicaraguan dictator Ortega bans ordinations in dioceses of 4 exiled bishops – #Catholic – Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife and co-president, Rosario Murillo, have banned the ordination of priests and deacons in four dioceses in Nicaragua whose bishops remain in exile. The measure exacerbates a pastoral crisis already marked by years of religious persecution, although vocations continue.The four dioceses without a bishop present in the country are Jinotega, Siuna, Matagalpa, and Estelí. Bishop Carlos Herrera of Jinotega, president of the bishops’ conference, was expelled in November 2024 after criticizing a mayor aligned with the regime who had interfered with a Mass Herrera was celebrating by blasting loud music outside.Months earlier, in July of that year, Herrera had ordained a priest and seven deacons in the neighboring Diocese of Matagalpa, whose bishop, Rolando Álvarez, after spending 18 months in detention, was deported to Rome by the regime in January 2024.This ordination represented a “liturgical oasis” for the Church, in the words of Martha Patricia Molina, author of the report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church.” “It occurred six months after Álvarez, who is also apostolic administrator of Estelí, and Bishop Isidoro Mora of Siuna were deported by the dictatorship.”The dictatorship’s ‘hatred’ of Álvarez prevents ordinationsACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, spoke with three Nicaraguan priests in exile who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals from the regime.“The government is the one affecting the ordinations. And besides the ordinations, there are many other things, like a little more surveillance” of the priests, said one of the clergy.He pointed out that “the police are the ones enforcing all of this” and attributed the ban in Matagalpa to “the dictatorship’s hatred of Bishop Rolando.”The same priest charged that the regime seeks to “supplant the bishops” and that some clergy “don’t put up a fight to avoid making their lives more difficult, with the idea of ​​saving their dioceses, but in the end they are surrendering their mandate to whatever the government says.”The priest noted that Matagalpa is probably the most affected diocese, with at least 32 of its priests outside the country.‘More extreme surveillance’ where there is no bishop“Especially in dioceses without a bishop, surveillance is even more extreme to prevent a bishop from another diocese from coming” for some liturgical event, the second priest contacted by ACI Prensa stated.According to this priest, there are currently about seven candidates for the priesthood in Siuna who completed their studies in 2025, plus another group that finished in 2024, and both groups are still waiting to be ordained. Despite this situation, the phenomenon “does not seem to have affected new admissions” to the seminary.Why can some dioceses perform ordinations while others cannot?The third priest explained that “León, Granada, Juigalpa, and Bluefields are dioceses that have their diocesan bishop there and maintain a very prudent approach, even though some media outlets have labeled one of [the bishops] as an ally of the regime. That’s not true; they are simply more practical for the good of their pastors and their flock.”He also explained that to carry out an ordination, a letter of authorization from the bishop is required, which “can be easily obtained because it can be sent by email, and they can allow candidates to be ordained in other dioceses.”However, the obstacle is political. “The problem is that the government interprets that permission, those letters, as an intrusion into their sovereignty and sees as a threat a bishop who is away but continues to govern his diocese,” he explained.Problems caused by the lack of ordinationsFor Molina, the ban on ordinations has an “alarming” impact since, for example, “Matagalpa is currently operating with barely 30% of its active clergy. Seven out of 10 priests have been forced into exile or banishment,” while “Estelí and Jinotega have experienced reductions of up to 50% in their pastoral capacity, leaving entire communities without the regular celebration of the Eucharist.”“The human drama is concentrated in the seminaries. Dozens of young men who have successfully completed their studies in philosophy, theology, and pastoral training find themselves in a legal and spiritual limbo. They possess the aptitude and the calling, but they cannot receive the sacrament [of holy orders],” the researcher told ACI Prensa.“Without replacements for the priests who have been banished, expelled, or who have died, the Catholic Church in Nicaragua faces the real possibility of a gradual closure of parishes,” she warned, adding that “the absence of a priest means” for the faithful “the end of social support and the loss of [the graces of] the sacraments.” ACI Prensa contacted the five dioceses where priestly and diaconal ordinations are permitted to inquire why they are allowed there but not in the other four but has not yet received a response.The dioceses where ordinations are permitted are the Archdiocese of Managua along with the dioceses of León, Juigalpa, Granada, and Bluefields. In December 2025, three deacons were ordained in Juigalpa, and in January of this year, two were ordained in Bluefields.In June 2025, eight deacons were ordained in Managua, and in November they were ordained priests. Six of them were assigned their pastoral missions in February, while in León a deacon was ordained on Feb. 28.ACI Prensa also contacted the dioceses where ordinations are prohibited to inquire about the issue but has not yet received a response.Vocations continue to flourishOne point on which the three exiled priests agree is that vocations continue to flourish in Nicaragua and “the Lord continues to raise up courageous young men who listen to him and enter into the process of vocational discernment.”The third priest contacted by ACI Prensa emphasized that “even though the government wants to prevent priestly ordinations, there have been ways in which the Church, the bishops, have managed and sought to make them happen without the government noticing. This demonstrates the Church’s resourcefulness in the face of adversity, how it reinvents itself, how it continues to evangelize.”Mosaico CSI reported in February that “two Nicaraguans were ordained priests in the Diocese of Limón, Costa Rica, in a secretly held ceremony” to avoid reprisals from the Nicaraguan regime.The third priest emphasized that “obstacles are not a problem for the Church, but rather a cross that the Church bravely embraces, as Our Lord taught us, and that propels it on this path to resurrection.”The Church is ‘crucified but not immobilized’This last priest offered a reflection on the dictatorship’s persecution of the Catholic Church, which has intensified since the anti-regime protests of 2018.“One day, those people who ordered us not to celebrate these ordination rites will also find that glorious cross in the Church and will realize the harm they are doing, but in the meantime, the Church has continued working,” he emphasized.“The Church in Nicaragua is crucified, but it’s not immobilized; that is to say, the cross continues to bear even more fruit because the Church is not complacent, it’s not static. It’s on the move,” he said.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.
Read More

Nicaraguan dictator Ortega bans ordinations in dioceses of 4 exiled bishops – #Catholic – Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife and co-president, Rosario Murillo, have banned the ordination of priests and deacons in four dioceses in Nicaragua whose bishops remain in exile. The measure exacerbates a pastoral crisis already marked by years of religious persecution, although vocations continue.The four dioceses without a bishop present in the country are Jinotega, Siuna, Matagalpa, and Estelí. Bishop Carlos Herrera of Jinotega, president of the bishops’ conference, was expelled in November 2024 after criticizing a mayor aligned with the regime who had interfered with a Mass Herrera was celebrating by blasting loud music outside.Months earlier, in July of that year, Herrera had ordained a priest and seven deacons in the neighboring Diocese of Matagalpa, whose bishop, Rolando Álvarez, after spending 18 months in detention, was deported to Rome by the regime in January 2024.This ordination represented a “liturgical oasis” for the Church, in the words of Martha Patricia Molina, author of the report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church.” “It occurred six months after Álvarez, who is also apostolic administrator of Estelí, and Bishop Isidoro Mora of Siuna were deported by the dictatorship.”The dictatorship’s ‘hatred’ of Álvarez prevents ordinationsACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, spoke with three Nicaraguan priests in exile who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals from the regime.“The government is the one affecting the ordinations. And besides the ordinations, there are many other things, like a little more surveillance” of the priests, said one of the clergy.He pointed out that “the police are the ones enforcing all of this” and attributed the ban in Matagalpa to “the dictatorship’s hatred of Bishop Rolando.”The same priest charged that the regime seeks to “supplant the bishops” and that some clergy “don’t put up a fight to avoid making their lives more difficult, with the idea of ​​saving their dioceses, but in the end they are surrendering their mandate to whatever the government says.”The priest noted that Matagalpa is probably the most affected diocese, with at least 32 of its priests outside the country.‘More extreme surveillance’ where there is no bishop“Especially in dioceses without a bishop, surveillance is even more extreme to prevent a bishop from another diocese from coming” for some liturgical event, the second priest contacted by ACI Prensa stated.According to this priest, there are currently about seven candidates for the priesthood in Siuna who completed their studies in 2025, plus another group that finished in 2024, and both groups are still waiting to be ordained. Despite this situation, the phenomenon “does not seem to have affected new admissions” to the seminary.Why can some dioceses perform ordinations while others cannot?The third priest explained that “León, Granada, Juigalpa, and Bluefields are dioceses that have their diocesan bishop there and maintain a very prudent approach, even though some media outlets have labeled one of [the bishops] as an ally of the regime. That’s not true; they are simply more practical for the good of their pastors and their flock.”He also explained that to carry out an ordination, a letter of authorization from the bishop is required, which “can be easily obtained because it can be sent by email, and they can allow candidates to be ordained in other dioceses.”However, the obstacle is political. “The problem is that the government interprets that permission, those letters, as an intrusion into their sovereignty and sees as a threat a bishop who is away but continues to govern his diocese,” he explained.Problems caused by the lack of ordinationsFor Molina, the ban on ordinations has an “alarming” impact since, for example, “Matagalpa is currently operating with barely 30% of its active clergy. Seven out of 10 priests have been forced into exile or banishment,” while “Estelí and Jinotega have experienced reductions of up to 50% in their pastoral capacity, leaving entire communities without the regular celebration of the Eucharist.”“The human drama is concentrated in the seminaries. Dozens of young men who have successfully completed their studies in philosophy, theology, and pastoral training find themselves in a legal and spiritual limbo. They possess the aptitude and the calling, but they cannot receive the sacrament [of holy orders],” the researcher told ACI Prensa.“Without replacements for the priests who have been banished, expelled, or who have died, the Catholic Church in Nicaragua faces the real possibility of a gradual closure of parishes,” she warned, adding that “the absence of a priest means” for the faithful “the end of social support and the loss of [the graces of] the sacraments.” ACI Prensa contacted the five dioceses where priestly and diaconal ordinations are permitted to inquire why they are allowed there but not in the other four but has not yet received a response.The dioceses where ordinations are permitted are the Archdiocese of Managua along with the dioceses of León, Juigalpa, Granada, and Bluefields. In December 2025, three deacons were ordained in Juigalpa, and in January of this year, two were ordained in Bluefields.In June 2025, eight deacons were ordained in Managua, and in November they were ordained priests. Six of them were assigned their pastoral missions in February, while in León a deacon was ordained on Feb. 28.ACI Prensa also contacted the dioceses where ordinations are prohibited to inquire about the issue but has not yet received a response.Vocations continue to flourishOne point on which the three exiled priests agree is that vocations continue to flourish in Nicaragua and “the Lord continues to raise up courageous young men who listen to him and enter into the process of vocational discernment.”The third priest contacted by ACI Prensa emphasized that “even though the government wants to prevent priestly ordinations, there have been ways in which the Church, the bishops, have managed and sought to make them happen without the government noticing. This demonstrates the Church’s resourcefulness in the face of adversity, how it reinvents itself, how it continues to evangelize.”Mosaico CSI reported in February that “two Nicaraguans were ordained priests in the Diocese of Limón, Costa Rica, in a secretly held ceremony” to avoid reprisals from the Nicaraguan regime.The third priest emphasized that “obstacles are not a problem for the Church, but rather a cross that the Church bravely embraces, as Our Lord taught us, and that propels it on this path to resurrection.”The Church is ‘crucified but not immobilized’This last priest offered a reflection on the dictatorship’s persecution of the Catholic Church, which has intensified since the anti-regime protests of 2018.“One day, those people who ordered us not to celebrate these ordination rites will also find that glorious cross in the Church and will realize the harm they are doing, but in the meantime, the Church has continued working,” he emphasized.“The Church in Nicaragua is crucified, but it’s not immobilized; that is to say, the cross continues to bear even more fruit because the Church is not complacent, it’s not static. It’s on the move,” he said.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.

unitedyam

Having deported four bishops for their criticism of the regime, the Nicaraguan dictator seeks to punish them further by not allowing any ordinations in their dioceses.

Read More
Miami archbishop warns on ending Haiti temporary protective status and deepening crisis in Cuba – #Catholic – Ending temporary residency protections for Haitians would be “sending people into a burning building,” Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami said.This week the Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to strip legal protections from Haitians living in the United States with temporary protected status (TPS).TPS provides hundreds of thousands of eligible Haitians in the U.S. with protection from deportation and work authorization, due to ongoing safety concerns in Haiti. The Justice Department requested the court to lift a judge’s Feb. 2 decision that blocked the Trump administration from ending TPS that was granted in 2010.“I would hope that the court does not support the Trump initiative at this time because this would create tremendous pain … both with the Haitians affected by the end of TPS, but also of the local community here, which today benefits from these people’s participation in our labor force,” Wenski said in an interview March 12 with “EWTN News Nightly.”It is not only relevant to “the humanitarian aspects” but also “the business aspects,” Wenski said. “And the president is a businessman; he should understand that this would hurt business in a very, very real way.”Working Haitians in the Miami Archdiocese “pay millions of dollars in taxes,” Wenski said. The city would lose workers benefiting the “full labor market” Miami has within the agriculture business, construction business, hospitality business, and health care.Ending TPS would ultimately be “sending people into a burning building,” he said. “Haiti is a country that is in free fall.”“It has not had an elected official, it has not had a real government, in over six years. There’s no end in sight to the violence that is affecting about a third of the country, especially the capital area, where gangs control many parts of the neighborhoods, which make schooling impossible,” Wenski said.“And that’s the exact opposite of what the TPS provisions when passed by Congress in the ’90s was designed to prevent,” Wenski said. “Of course, TPS means temporary protective status, but there’s no way for us to determine what temporary means because it’s beyond our control, because the situation in Haiti obviously hasn’t improved for a very long time.”“That’s true as well as Nicaragua to a great degree, still true of Venezuela, and it’s certainly true of Cuba,” as “a lot of people came here during the Biden administration on a special humanitarian visa,” he said. “Over 500,000 people came to this country in that way. That means that they never spent a day illegal in this country because they came here legally, invited by the U.S. government, if you will, given a humanitarian visa, and then all of a sudden, in one fell swoop, they become without legal status and are told to go home,” Wenski said.Situation in CubaWenski also discussed how “Cubans in Miami are very hopeful that there will be some type of a regime change,” following the Trump administration suggesting a possible “friendly takeover” of the island nation.“I would say Cubans in Cuba are also very hopeful, but everybody’s a bit nervous too,” he said. Based on conversation with members of the Cuban Church, “they’ve always been advocating a soft landing for when necessary changes come to Cuba.”“They need a soft landing, not a landing that would be harsh, that would cause more violence,” Wenski said. “Whether the Trump administration has the ability to engineer such a soft landing still remains to be seen.”“But right now, Cuba is being choked. There’s no food, there’s no fuel, there’s no freedom, and for many people, no hope,” he said. “And so even with some changes coming to Cuba, it’ll be a long time before the economy can be rebooted to provide for the needs of the population on an island.”Church’s roleThe Church has been a source to promote “dialogue” and “reconciliation,” Wenski said. “Right now, the Church in Cuba is cooperating with the United States because after Hurricane Melissa that affected Cuba several months ago, the first aid that reached Cuba was from the Archdiocese of Miami.”Then, Secretary of State Marco Rubio “approved million from the U.S. government, and for the first time in history, the Cuban government accepted money coming from the U.S. government. It was going to be distributed through Cáritas, which is … the charity agency of the Church in Cuba.”“After that first million was distributed, the Trump administration also granted another million for that hurricane,” he explained. “But it’s the Catholic Church that is leading the aid and distributing it on the island, cooperating with the United States, and at the same time, cooperating with the Cuban authorities, because the Cuban authorities have to step back and allow the Church to distribute the aid, and things are happening.”“So the Church is a very important player in Cuba and beyond,” he said.
Read More

Miami archbishop warns on ending Haiti temporary protective status and deepening crisis in Cuba – #Catholic – Ending temporary residency protections for Haitians would be “sending people into a burning building,” Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami said.This week the Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to strip legal protections from Haitians living in the United States with temporary protected status (TPS).TPS provides hundreds of thousands of eligible Haitians in the U.S. with protection from deportation and work authorization, due to ongoing safety concerns in Haiti. The Justice Department requested the court to lift a judge’s Feb. 2 decision that blocked the Trump administration from ending TPS that was granted in 2010.“I would hope that the court does not support the Trump initiative at this time because this would create tremendous pain … both with the Haitians affected by the end of TPS, but also of the local community here, which today benefits from these people’s participation in our labor force,” Wenski said in an interview March 12 with “EWTN News Nightly.”It is not only relevant to “the humanitarian aspects” but also “the business aspects,” Wenski said. “And the president is a businessman; he should understand that this would hurt business in a very, very real way.”Working Haitians in the Miami Archdiocese “pay millions of dollars in taxes,” Wenski said. The city would lose workers benefiting the “full labor market” Miami has within the agriculture business, construction business, hospitality business, and health care.Ending TPS would ultimately be “sending people into a burning building,” he said. “Haiti is a country that is in free fall.”“It has not had an elected official, it has not had a real government, in over six years. There’s no end in sight to the violence that is affecting about a third of the country, especially the capital area, where gangs control many parts of the neighborhoods, which make schooling impossible,” Wenski said.“And that’s the exact opposite of what the TPS provisions when passed by Congress in the ’90s was designed to prevent,” Wenski said. “Of course, TPS means temporary protective status, but there’s no way for us to determine what temporary means because it’s beyond our control, because the situation in Haiti obviously hasn’t improved for a very long time.”“That’s true as well as Nicaragua to a great degree, still true of Venezuela, and it’s certainly true of Cuba,” as “a lot of people came here during the Biden administration on a special humanitarian visa,” he said. “Over 500,000 people came to this country in that way. That means that they never spent a day illegal in this country because they came here legally, invited by the U.S. government, if you will, given a humanitarian visa, and then all of a sudden, in one fell swoop, they become without legal status and are told to go home,” Wenski said.Situation in CubaWenski also discussed how “Cubans in Miami are very hopeful that there will be some type of a regime change,” following the Trump administration suggesting a possible “friendly takeover” of the island nation.“I would say Cubans in Cuba are also very hopeful, but everybody’s a bit nervous too,” he said. Based on conversation with members of the Cuban Church, “they’ve always been advocating a soft landing for when necessary changes come to Cuba.”“They need a soft landing, not a landing that would be harsh, that would cause more violence,” Wenski said. “Whether the Trump administration has the ability to engineer such a soft landing still remains to be seen.”“But right now, Cuba is being choked. There’s no food, there’s no fuel, there’s no freedom, and for many people, no hope,” he said. “And so even with some changes coming to Cuba, it’ll be a long time before the economy can be rebooted to provide for the needs of the population on an island.”Church’s roleThe Church has been a source to promote “dialogue” and “reconciliation,” Wenski said. “Right now, the Church in Cuba is cooperating with the United States because after Hurricane Melissa that affected Cuba several months ago, the first aid that reached Cuba was from the Archdiocese of Miami.”Then, Secretary of State Marco Rubio “approved $3 million from the U.S. government, and for the first time in history, the Cuban government accepted money coming from the U.S. government. It was going to be distributed through Cáritas, which is … the charity agency of the Church in Cuba.”“After that first $3 million was distributed, the Trump administration also granted another $6 million for that hurricane,” he explained. “But it’s the Catholic Church that is leading the aid and distributing it on the island, cooperating with the United States, and at the same time, cooperating with the Cuban authorities, because the Cuban authorities have to step back and allow the Church to distribute the aid, and things are happening.”“So the Church is a very important player in Cuba and beyond,” he said.

unitedyam

Ending temporary protected status would be “sending people into a burning building,” he said. “Haiti is a country that is in free fall.”

Read More
Who was Father Pierre al-Rahi, the Maronite priest who died helping the wounded in Lebanon? – #Catholic – Thousands of people gathered March 11 in the border town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon to bid farewell to Father Pierre al-Rahi, a Maronite priest who died after being wounded in an Israeli attack during the recent offensive in the region.The funeral was held at St. George’s Church and drew crowds of local families, displaced people who had sought refuge in the area, Maronite priests from across the country, and civil authorities, according to The Eastern Church.Many of those present felt “as if they were burying their own father,” a reflection of the close relationship the priest had forged with the community over the years.Al-Rahi was the parish priest of St. George’s Church in Qlayaa, a predominantly Christian village of about 8,000 inhabitants, near the border with Israel.The parish became the center of his ministry within the Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the pope and the Maronite patriarchate in Bkerke.A shepherd who chose to stay with his flockAmid the escalating violence in southern Lebanon, the priest reiterated his decision to remain with his community, even as many residents of the region were forced to flee their homes.In one of his last television interviews, according to the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, he stated that he would stay there “until death.”Southern Lebanon’s Christian communities have refused to comply with Israeli evacuation orders fearing that if they left they would never get their land back, as it would be occupied by some group — whether it be Israelis or other local groups. In his last public statement, reported by France24 on March 8 from the steps of his parish, the priest explained the spirit with which the Christian community was facing the crisis.“We are obliged to stay despite the danger, when we defend our land, and we do so peacefully. None of us carry weapons. We all bring peace, kindness, and love. All the churches are gathered, all the religions together … it can only be for peace.”On March 9, hours before he died, al-Rahi addressed his community again with words that today resonate with many as a spiritual testament: “You know that we are walking the path of the Passion; there is death, and after it, resurrection with Our Lord Jesus Christ … I am ready to die in my house, because this is my house.”He died while helping the woundedThe priest died in Marjayoun Hospital after suffering shrapnel wounds during a shelling of a house in Qlayaa.According to María Lozano, project director for the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) foundation, the priest died while trying to help victims of the first strike.“Father Pierre went to see how he could help the wounded … and that’s when a second projectile hit and killed him,” she explained.“He was a very dedicated person, very dedicated to his people,” Lozano added in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.The ACN project director explained that the Christian communities in southern Lebanon “had decided to stay despite the war, saying: ‘We are a Christian population and we have nothing to do with this war and we don’t want to leave.’”‘The father of the community’French journalist Nathalie Duplan, who specializes in the Middle East, described the priest as a figure deeply beloved by the villagers.“He truly was the father of the community, a symbol,” she stated in an interview with ACI Prensa. “He used to say something incredible: ‘Yes, there is death, but I am not afraid, because after death there is resurrection.’”According to The Eastern Church, testimonies gathered after his death consistently describe al-Rahi as a man who was approachable, present, and deeply committed to his people.He was frequently seen on the streets of Qlayaa, visiting the sick, accompanying families at births and funerals, and knowing children by name.Al-Rahi was born in 1975 in the village of Dibeh in northern Lebanon and was ordained a Maronite priest in the early 2000s.His most significant pastoral assignment was at St. George’s Parish in Qlayaa, where he served for many years.For many villagers, his death symbolizes the determination of southern Lebanese Christians to remain in their land despite the violence. As he himself said in one of his last public statements: “We are here, in our land.”His name in Arabic, al-Rahi, means “the shepherd,” an interesting fact that Pope Leo XIV highlighted this week: “Father Pierre was a true shepherd who always remained with his people with the love and sacrifice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.”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.
Read More

Who was Father Pierre al-Rahi, the Maronite priest who died helping the wounded in Lebanon? – #Catholic – Thousands of people gathered March 11 in the border town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon to bid farewell to Father Pierre al-Rahi, a Maronite priest who died after being wounded in an Israeli attack during the recent offensive in the region.The funeral was held at St. George’s Church and drew crowds of local families, displaced people who had sought refuge in the area, Maronite priests from across the country, and civil authorities, according to The Eastern Church.Many of those present felt “as if they were burying their own father,” a reflection of the close relationship the priest had forged with the community over the years.Al-Rahi was the parish priest of St. George’s Church in Qlayaa, a predominantly Christian village of about 8,000 inhabitants, near the border with Israel.The parish became the center of his ministry within the Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the pope and the Maronite patriarchate in Bkerke.A shepherd who chose to stay with his flockAmid the escalating violence in southern Lebanon, the priest reiterated his decision to remain with his community, even as many residents of the region were forced to flee their homes.In one of his last television interviews, according to the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, he stated that he would stay there “until death.”Southern Lebanon’s Christian communities have refused to comply with Israeli evacuation orders fearing that if they left they would never get their land back, as it would be occupied by some group — whether it be Israelis or other local groups. In his last public statement, reported by France24 on March 8 from the steps of his parish, the priest explained the spirit with which the Christian community was facing the crisis.“We are obliged to stay despite the danger, when we defend our land, and we do so peacefully. None of us carry weapons. We all bring peace, kindness, and love. All the churches are gathered, all the religions together … it can only be for peace.”On March 9, hours before he died, al-Rahi addressed his community again with words that today resonate with many as a spiritual testament: “You know that we are walking the path of the Passion; there is death, and after it, resurrection with Our Lord Jesus Christ … I am ready to die in my house, because this is my house.”He died while helping the woundedThe priest died in Marjayoun Hospital after suffering shrapnel wounds during a shelling of a house in Qlayaa.According to María Lozano, project director for the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) foundation, the priest died while trying to help victims of the first strike.“Father Pierre went to see how he could help the wounded … and that’s when a second projectile hit and killed him,” she explained.“He was a very dedicated person, very dedicated to his people,” Lozano added in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.The ACN project director explained that the Christian communities in southern Lebanon “had decided to stay despite the war, saying: ‘We are a Christian population and we have nothing to do with this war and we don’t want to leave.’”‘The father of the community’French journalist Nathalie Duplan, who specializes in the Middle East, described the priest as a figure deeply beloved by the villagers.“He truly was the father of the community, a symbol,” she stated in an interview with ACI Prensa. “He used to say something incredible: ‘Yes, there is death, but I am not afraid, because after death there is resurrection.’”According to The Eastern Church, testimonies gathered after his death consistently describe al-Rahi as a man who was approachable, present, and deeply committed to his people.He was frequently seen on the streets of Qlayaa, visiting the sick, accompanying families at births and funerals, and knowing children by name.Al-Rahi was born in 1975 in the village of Dibeh in northern Lebanon and was ordained a Maronite priest in the early 2000s.His most significant pastoral assignment was at St. George’s Parish in Qlayaa, where he served for many years.For many villagers, his death symbolizes the determination of southern Lebanese Christians to remain in their land despite the violence. As he himself said in one of his last public statements: “We are here, in our land.”His name in Arabic, al-Rahi, means “the shepherd,” an interesting fact that Pope Leo XIV highlighted this week: “Father Pierre was a true shepherd who always remained with his people with the love and sacrifice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.”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.

unitedyam

Amid a new Israeli military incursion into southern Lebanon, a local parish priest embodied Christ in the way he lived and died.

Read More

To Perceive Animals as God’s Gifts: Prayer of the Day for Friday, March 13, 2026 – #Prayer – God Our Heavenly Father, You created the world to serve humanity’s needs and to lead them to You. By our own fault we have lost the beautiful relationship which we once had with all Your creation. Help us to see that by restoring our relationship with You we will also restore it with all Your creation. Give us the grace to see all animals as gifts from You and to treat them with respect for they are Your creation. We pray for all animals who are suffering as a result of …

unitedyam

God Our Heavenly Father,
You created the world to serve humanity’s needs
and to lead them to You.
By our own fault
we have lost the beautiful relationship
which we once had with all Your creation.
Help us to see that by restoring our relationship with You
we will also restore it with all Your creation.
Give us the grace to see all animals as gifts from You
and to treat them with respect
for they are Your creation.
We pray for all animals
who are suffering as a result of …

Read More
More than 80 scientists sign Vatican peace manifesto – #Catholic – The Pontifical Academy for Life launched the initiative Scientists for Peace, an appeal to scientists, researchers, and academics worldwide to promote the concrete pursuit of peace through scientific research and international cooperation.The project, promoted under the auspices of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, was announced amid global tensions and armed conflicts that, according to the organizers, threaten not only the affected populations but also freedom and cooperation in scientific research.Promotion and defense of human lifeIn a press release, the Vatican body recalled that its mission is to study, from an interdisciplinary perspective, issues related to the promotion and defense of human life. Within this framework, it poses a central question: “Can scientific research, in its methods and objects of study, contribute to the pursuit of peace?”TweetAccording to the document, science — guided by the pursuit of truth and based on rigorous methodologies — develops through the exchange of knowledge and a constant willingness to engage in critical debate.Although competition and debate are part of academic life, the manifesto’s proponents emphasize that these can be addressed through transparent communication and an effort to overcome individual interests in favor of the common good and the advancement of knowledge beyond national borders.In this context, the initiative invites the international scientific community to actively advocate for peace and to work toward reconciliation and conflict resolution through the daily practice of research.The appeal is also inspired by the words of Pope Leo XIV in his message for the 59th World Day of Peace in 2026, where he states: “Peace exists; it wants to dwell within us. It has the gentle power to enlighten and expand our understanding; it resists and overcomes violence.”The initiative is open to scientists from all disciplines, nationalities, and cultural backgrounds, regardless of their political or religious beliefs.Researchers with a significant international presenceSo far, 80 scientists have already signed it. Among them are several researchers with a significant international presence in academic and media debate.One signatory is ecologist David Tilman, considered one of the most influential researchers in the fields of biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable agriculture; another is developmental psychologist Michael Lamb, a professor at the University of Cambridge recognized for his studies on child development and family law.In the field of education, prominent figures include character development expert Thomas Lickona, professor emeritus at the State University of New York at Cortland, and cultural psychologist Barbara Rogoff, a researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz, known for her work on sociocultural learning.In the field of bioethics, the Dutch expert Henk ten Have, professor at Duquesne University and former head of scientific ethics at UNESCO, signed on, along with philosopher of law Laura Palazzani, professor at LUMSA University, and Spanish jurist Federico de Montalvo Jääskeläinen, professor at the Comillas Pontifical University and former president of the Bioethics Committee of Spain.The list also includes social theologian Emilce Cuda, responsible for the Pontifical Commission for Latin America; Italian pediatrician Alberto Villani of the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome, known for his media presence during the pandemic; neonatologist Daniele De Luca, professor at Paris-Saclay University; and agricultural researcher Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein of the FiBL Research Institute for Organic Agriculture, a leading figure in the European debate on organic farming and food sustainability.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.
Read More

More than 80 scientists sign Vatican peace manifesto – #Catholic – The Pontifical Academy for Life launched the initiative Scientists for Peace, an appeal to scientists, researchers, and academics worldwide to promote the concrete pursuit of peace through scientific research and international cooperation.The project, promoted under the auspices of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, was announced amid global tensions and armed conflicts that, according to the organizers, threaten not only the affected populations but also freedom and cooperation in scientific research.Promotion and defense of human lifeIn a press release, the Vatican body recalled that its mission is to study, from an interdisciplinary perspective, issues related to the promotion and defense of human life. Within this framework, it poses a central question: “Can scientific research, in its methods and objects of study, contribute to the pursuit of peace?”TweetAccording to the document, science — guided by the pursuit of truth and based on rigorous methodologies — develops through the exchange of knowledge and a constant willingness to engage in critical debate.Although competition and debate are part of academic life, the manifesto’s proponents emphasize that these can be addressed through transparent communication and an effort to overcome individual interests in favor of the common good and the advancement of knowledge beyond national borders.In this context, the initiative invites the international scientific community to actively advocate for peace and to work toward reconciliation and conflict resolution through the daily practice of research.The appeal is also inspired by the words of Pope Leo XIV in his message for the 59th World Day of Peace in 2026, where he states: “Peace exists; it wants to dwell within us. It has the gentle power to enlighten and expand our understanding; it resists and overcomes violence.”The initiative is open to scientists from all disciplines, nationalities, and cultural backgrounds, regardless of their political or religious beliefs.Researchers with a significant international presenceSo far, 80 scientists have already signed it. Among them are several researchers with a significant international presence in academic and media debate.One signatory is ecologist David Tilman, considered one of the most influential researchers in the fields of biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable agriculture; another is developmental psychologist Michael Lamb, a professor at the University of Cambridge recognized for his studies on child development and family law.In the field of education, prominent figures include character development expert Thomas Lickona, professor emeritus at the State University of New York at Cortland, and cultural psychologist Barbara Rogoff, a researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz, known for her work on sociocultural learning.In the field of bioethics, the Dutch expert Henk ten Have, professor at Duquesne University and former head of scientific ethics at UNESCO, signed on, along with philosopher of law Laura Palazzani, professor at LUMSA University, and Spanish jurist Federico de Montalvo Jääskeläinen, professor at the Comillas Pontifical University and former president of the Bioethics Committee of Spain.The list also includes social theologian Emilce Cuda, responsible for the Pontifical Commission for Latin America; Italian pediatrician Alberto Villani of the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome, known for his media presence during the pandemic; neonatologist Daniele De Luca, professor at Paris-Saclay University; and agricultural researcher Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein of the FiBL Research Institute for Organic Agriculture, a leading figure in the European debate on organic farming and food sustainability.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.

unitedyam

The Pontifical Academy for Life has launched a new initiative appealing to the scientific and academic world to contribute to the pursuit of peace.

Read More
7 key things to know about the Catholic Church in Cameroon ahead of papal visit – #Catholic – YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon — After concluding the first leg of his African apostolic journey in Algeria, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to travel to Cameroon from April 15–18. In the Central African nation, the Holy Father is set to visit the capital, Yaoundé, and the metropolitan sees of Bamenda and Douala.If Algeria represents the Church as a small minority navigating a Muslim-majority society, Cameroon presents a different ecclesial landscape. The Catholic Church there is demographically significant, institutionally entrenched, socially influential, and politically attentive.Ahead of the papal visit officially announced on Feb. 25, here are seven structural realities that define the Church’s profile in Cameroon.1. A numerically significant and growing Catholic populationCameroon’s population is religiously diverse, comprising Christians, Muslims, and practitioners of African traditional religions. Within the Christian bloc, Catholics constitute one of the largest denominations. Current estimates place Catholics at roughly 30% to 35% of the national population, translating into several million Catholics.This scale gives the Catholic Church measurable public presence. Parishes are numerous, Catholic diocesan structures are well developed, and lay movements are active across urban and rural areas. The Church is not a marginal actor; it is a central stakeholder in national life.Growth trends remain steady rather than explosive. Unlike some East African contexts where Catholic numbers have surged, Cameroon’s expansion is incremental and closely tied to demographic growth. Nonetheless, vocations to the priesthood and Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL) continue at levels that sustain ecclesial institutions.In Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV is set to encounter with a people of God neither defensive nor peripheral but fully embedded in national society.2. Robust ecclesiastical structure and metropolitan seesThe Catholic Church in Cameroon is organized into five ecclesiastical provinces, each headed by a metropolitan archbishop. These include Yaoundé, Bamenda, Douala, Garoua, and Bertoua.The Archdiocese of Yaoundé serves the political capital and functions as a strategic center for Church-state engagement. Douala, the country’s economic hub, anchors the Littoral region and reflects the Church’s engagement with commerce, urbanization, and migration.Bamenda, in the Anglophone Northwest Region, carries particular pastoral and political weight due to ongoing instability in that part of the country. Garoua Archdiocese is in the north of the country, while Bertoua Archdiocese is in the east.The bishops collectively operate through the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC), which regularly issues pastoral letters on social, political, and moral issues.Pope Leo XIV’s decision to visit three metropolitan sees signals recognition of Cameroon’s regional diversity and ecclesial complexity.3. A Church with deep historical rootsCatholic missionary activity in Cameroon dates to the late 19th century, particularly under German colonial administration and later French and British rule. Missionaries established schools, clinics, and parishes that became foundational to local communities.Over time, ecclesial leadership transitioned from missionary congregations to Indigenous clergy. Today, Cameroonian Catholic bishops and priests lead the Church across the country, and missionary institutes have shifted toward collaboration rather than control.This historical trajectory — from missionary implantation to local ownership — has shaped a confident Church. Catholic institutions in education and health care are not peripheral supplements; they are pillars of national infrastructure.The historical memory of missionary sacrifice and local perseverance still informs Catholic identity in Cameroon. Papal visits are therefore received not as external interventions but as moments of communion within an already mature ecclesial body.4. Education and health: The Church as social architectFew institutions in Cameroon rival the Catholic Church in educational reach. Catholic primary and secondary schools are widespread, often regarded for discipline and academic performance. The Church also sponsors tertiary institutions and teacher training colleges.Health care is similarly significant. Catholic hospitals and clinics serve urban centers and remote areas alike. In regions where public health systems are strained, Catholic Church-run facilities frequently fill service gaps.This social footprint gives the Catholic Church influence but also responsibility. It must negotiate regulatory frameworks, maintain quality standards, and manage financial sustainability.This also means that papal messaging on social justice, youth formation, and health care ethics resonates concretely rather than abstractly.In Cameroon, the Church’s credibility is measured as much by service delivery as by liturgical vitality.5. Political engagement and social commentaryCameroon’s Catholic bishops have consistently engaged in public discourse on governance, elections, corruption, and national unity. Pastoral letters issued around electoral cycles often emphasize transparency, accountability, and peaceful participation.This engagement places the Catholic Church in a delicate position. While she does not function as a political party, she operates as a moral voice. Her statements can attract both public support and governmental scrutiny.The Anglophone crisis in the Northwest and Southwest regions — marked by tension between separatist groups and state forces — has intensified the Church’s mediating role. Bishops in affected regions, particularly in Bamenda, have appealed for dialogue and protection of civilians.Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Bamenda is therefore not merely ceremonial. It unfolds against a backdrop of social fragility and political complexity. Any public remarks in that region will be closely analyzed for diplomatic nuance.6. Vocations, seminaries, and local clergy formationCameroon is considered one of the more vocally productive Churches in Central Africa. Major seminaries in the country train diocesan clergy, and religious congregations attract local candidates.The presence of Indigenous clergy has allowed the Church to contextualize liturgy, catechesis, and pastoral strategy. Inculturation — integrating elements of local culture within Catholic worship and life — has developed within the framework permitted by universal Church norms.However, vocations also present governance challenges: ensuring adequate formation, preventing clericalism, and addressing global concerns about safeguarding and accountability. As elsewhere, the Cameroonian Church must navigate expectations of transparency and ethical leadership.A papal visit often includes meetings with clergy and religious. In Cameroon, such encounters are likely to reinforce standards of pastoral responsibility and ecclesial communion.7. Diversity: Linguistic, cultural, and religious pluralismCameroon is frequently described as “Africa in miniature” due to its linguistic and cultural diversity. The country officially operates in both French and English, with numerous Indigenous languages in daily use.This diversity shapes ecclesial life. The Church must minister across Francophone and Anglophone regions, urban and rural contexts, and varied ethnic identities. Liturgies may incorporate local languages and music while maintaining doctrinal unity.Religiously, Cameroon is pluralistic. Alongside Catholics are Protestants, Pentecostals, Muslims, and adherents of traditional religions. Inter-Christian competition — particularly with rapidly growing Pentecostal movements — poses pastoral challenges. The Catholic Church must articulate its identity in an environment where charismatic worship and prosperity preaching attract large followings.Interreligious coexistence with Muslim communities, particularly in northern regions, remains a factor in national stability. The Church has often collaborated with Muslim leaders to promote peace and counter extremism.For Pope Leo XIV, this pluralistic setting requires calibrated messaging — affirming Catholic identity without undermining interreligious harmony.Yaoundé: Political and ecclesial nerve centerThe capital, Yaoundé, is more than an administrative stop. It is the seat of government and the archdiocese that frequently hosts national Catholic events. Meetings with civil authorities are likely to occur here, reflecting the Vatican’s diplomatic engagement with the Cameroonian state.Historically, Yaoundé has hosted major ecclesial gatherings and international visitors. A papal Mass in the capital would draw large crowds and symbolize national unity.Douala: Economic pulse and urban CatholicismDouala, as Cameroon’s commercial capital, presents a different pastoral profile. Rapid urbanization, youth unemployment, migration, and informal economies characterize the city. The Church in Douala must address urban pastoral issues: catechesis in dense neighborhoods, youth outreach, and social advocacy.The Archdiocese of Douala has been vocal on national issues, and its leadership has often carried moral authority beyond ecclesiastical boundaries.A papal stop in Douala situates the Church within the country’s economic heart, where questions of inequality and development are acute.Bamenda: Faith amid instabilityBamenda lies at the epicenter of the Anglophone crisis. Parishes in the region have experienced disruptions, and clergy have navigated security risks. The Church has called for dialogue, ceasefire, and protection of civilians.A papal presence in Bamenda carries symbolic weight. It signals solidarity with communities affected by violence and underscores the Vatican’s concern for peace.However, such a visit must balance encouragement with diplomatic caution. Explicit political statements could complicate local dynamics, while silence might disappoint those seeking moral clarity.Continuity with past papal engagementCameroon has previously hosted a papal visit. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI visited the country, marking a major ecclesial event that included the promulgation of the Instrumentum Laboris for the Second Synod for Africa. That visit reinforced Cameroon’s role within the continental Church.Pope Leo XIV’s 2026 journey will inevitably be compared with past papal engagements. Expectations will be shaped by memory: large public liturgies, strong doctrinal messages, and calls for ethical governance.A Church of scale, influence, and responsibilityIf Algeria represents the Church as historical memory and minority witness, Cameroon represents scale, institutional density, and public influence. The Catholic Church in Cameroon is not fragile in numbers; it is substantial. Its challenges are not invisibility but responsibility — how to steward influence in a politically sensitive and religiously competitive environment.From April 15–18, as Pope Leo XIV moves through Yaoundé, Douala, and Bamenda, he will engage a Church that is confident yet tested, numerous yet diverse, socially influential yet morally scrutinized.For observers of African Catholicism, Cameroon offers a case study in how demographic strength intersects with political engagement and social service. The papal visit will not redefine that structure overnight. It will, however, place it within the broader narrative of a global Church attentive to Africa not as periphery but as center.In that sense, Cameroon stands not only as the second stop on the Holy Father’s itinerary, but as a microcosm of the contemporary African Catholic experience — complex, vibrant, and consequential.
Read More

7 key things to know about the Catholic Church in Cameroon ahead of papal visit – #Catholic – YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon — After concluding the first leg of his African apostolic journey in Algeria, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to travel to Cameroon from April 15–18. In the Central African nation, the Holy Father is set to visit the capital, Yaoundé, and the metropolitan sees of Bamenda and Douala.If Algeria represents the Church as a small minority navigating a Muslim-majority society, Cameroon presents a different ecclesial landscape. The Catholic Church there is demographically significant, institutionally entrenched, socially influential, and politically attentive.Ahead of the papal visit officially announced on Feb. 25, here are seven structural realities that define the Church’s profile in Cameroon.1. A numerically significant and growing Catholic populationCameroon’s population is religiously diverse, comprising Christians, Muslims, and practitioners of African traditional religions. Within the Christian bloc, Catholics constitute one of the largest denominations. Current estimates place Catholics at roughly 30% to 35% of the national population, translating into several million Catholics.This scale gives the Catholic Church measurable public presence. Parishes are numerous, Catholic diocesan structures are well developed, and lay movements are active across urban and rural areas. The Church is not a marginal actor; it is a central stakeholder in national life.Growth trends remain steady rather than explosive. Unlike some East African contexts where Catholic numbers have surged, Cameroon’s expansion is incremental and closely tied to demographic growth. Nonetheless, vocations to the priesthood and Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL) continue at levels that sustain ecclesial institutions.In Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV is set to encounter with a people of God neither defensive nor peripheral but fully embedded in national society.2. Robust ecclesiastical structure and metropolitan seesThe Catholic Church in Cameroon is organized into five ecclesiastical provinces, each headed by a metropolitan archbishop. These include Yaoundé, Bamenda, Douala, Garoua, and Bertoua.The Archdiocese of Yaoundé serves the political capital and functions as a strategic center for Church-state engagement. Douala, the country’s economic hub, anchors the Littoral region and reflects the Church’s engagement with commerce, urbanization, and migration.Bamenda, in the Anglophone Northwest Region, carries particular pastoral and political weight due to ongoing instability in that part of the country. Garoua Archdiocese is in the north of the country, while Bertoua Archdiocese is in the east.The bishops collectively operate through the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC), which regularly issues pastoral letters on social, political, and moral issues.Pope Leo XIV’s decision to visit three metropolitan sees signals recognition of Cameroon’s regional diversity and ecclesial complexity.3. A Church with deep historical rootsCatholic missionary activity in Cameroon dates to the late 19th century, particularly under German colonial administration and later French and British rule. Missionaries established schools, clinics, and parishes that became foundational to local communities.Over time, ecclesial leadership transitioned from missionary congregations to Indigenous clergy. Today, Cameroonian Catholic bishops and priests lead the Church across the country, and missionary institutes have shifted toward collaboration rather than control.This historical trajectory — from missionary implantation to local ownership — has shaped a confident Church. Catholic institutions in education and health care are not peripheral supplements; they are pillars of national infrastructure.The historical memory of missionary sacrifice and local perseverance still informs Catholic identity in Cameroon. Papal visits are therefore received not as external interventions but as moments of communion within an already mature ecclesial body.4. Education and health: The Church as social architectFew institutions in Cameroon rival the Catholic Church in educational reach. Catholic primary and secondary schools are widespread, often regarded for discipline and academic performance. The Church also sponsors tertiary institutions and teacher training colleges.Health care is similarly significant. Catholic hospitals and clinics serve urban centers and remote areas alike. In regions where public health systems are strained, Catholic Church-run facilities frequently fill service gaps.This social footprint gives the Catholic Church influence but also responsibility. It must negotiate regulatory frameworks, maintain quality standards, and manage financial sustainability.This also means that papal messaging on social justice, youth formation, and health care ethics resonates concretely rather than abstractly.In Cameroon, the Church’s credibility is measured as much by service delivery as by liturgical vitality.5. Political engagement and social commentaryCameroon’s Catholic bishops have consistently engaged in public discourse on governance, elections, corruption, and national unity. Pastoral letters issued around electoral cycles often emphasize transparency, accountability, and peaceful participation.This engagement places the Catholic Church in a delicate position. While she does not function as a political party, she operates as a moral voice. Her statements can attract both public support and governmental scrutiny.The Anglophone crisis in the Northwest and Southwest regions — marked by tension between separatist groups and state forces — has intensified the Church’s mediating role. Bishops in affected regions, particularly in Bamenda, have appealed for dialogue and protection of civilians.Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Bamenda is therefore not merely ceremonial. It unfolds against a backdrop of social fragility and political complexity. Any public remarks in that region will be closely analyzed for diplomatic nuance.6. Vocations, seminaries, and local clergy formationCameroon is considered one of the more vocally productive Churches in Central Africa. Major seminaries in the country train diocesan clergy, and religious congregations attract local candidates.The presence of Indigenous clergy has allowed the Church to contextualize liturgy, catechesis, and pastoral strategy. Inculturation — integrating elements of local culture within Catholic worship and life — has developed within the framework permitted by universal Church norms.However, vocations also present governance challenges: ensuring adequate formation, preventing clericalism, and addressing global concerns about safeguarding and accountability. As elsewhere, the Cameroonian Church must navigate expectations of transparency and ethical leadership.A papal visit often includes meetings with clergy and religious. In Cameroon, such encounters are likely to reinforce standards of pastoral responsibility and ecclesial communion.7. Diversity: Linguistic, cultural, and religious pluralismCameroon is frequently described as “Africa in miniature” due to its linguistic and cultural diversity. The country officially operates in both French and English, with numerous Indigenous languages in daily use.This diversity shapes ecclesial life. The Church must minister across Francophone and Anglophone regions, urban and rural contexts, and varied ethnic identities. Liturgies may incorporate local languages and music while maintaining doctrinal unity.Religiously, Cameroon is pluralistic. Alongside Catholics are Protestants, Pentecostals, Muslims, and adherents of traditional religions. Inter-Christian competition — particularly with rapidly growing Pentecostal movements — poses pastoral challenges. The Catholic Church must articulate its identity in an environment where charismatic worship and prosperity preaching attract large followings.Interreligious coexistence with Muslim communities, particularly in northern regions, remains a factor in national stability. The Church has often collaborated with Muslim leaders to promote peace and counter extremism.For Pope Leo XIV, this pluralistic setting requires calibrated messaging — affirming Catholic identity without undermining interreligious harmony.Yaoundé: Political and ecclesial nerve centerThe capital, Yaoundé, is more than an administrative stop. It is the seat of government and the archdiocese that frequently hosts national Catholic events. Meetings with civil authorities are likely to occur here, reflecting the Vatican’s diplomatic engagement with the Cameroonian state.Historically, Yaoundé has hosted major ecclesial gatherings and international visitors. A papal Mass in the capital would draw large crowds and symbolize national unity.Douala: Economic pulse and urban CatholicismDouala, as Cameroon’s commercial capital, presents a different pastoral profile. Rapid urbanization, youth unemployment, migration, and informal economies characterize the city. The Church in Douala must address urban pastoral issues: catechesis in dense neighborhoods, youth outreach, and social advocacy.The Archdiocese of Douala has been vocal on national issues, and its leadership has often carried moral authority beyond ecclesiastical boundaries.A papal stop in Douala situates the Church within the country’s economic heart, where questions of inequality and development are acute.Bamenda: Faith amid instabilityBamenda lies at the epicenter of the Anglophone crisis. Parishes in the region have experienced disruptions, and clergy have navigated security risks. The Church has called for dialogue, ceasefire, and protection of civilians.A papal presence in Bamenda carries symbolic weight. It signals solidarity with communities affected by violence and underscores the Vatican’s concern for peace.However, such a visit must balance encouragement with diplomatic caution. Explicit political statements could complicate local dynamics, while silence might disappoint those seeking moral clarity.Continuity with past papal engagementCameroon has previously hosted a papal visit. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI visited the country, marking a major ecclesial event that included the promulgation of the Instrumentum Laboris for the Second Synod for Africa. That visit reinforced Cameroon’s role within the continental Church.Pope Leo XIV’s 2026 journey will inevitably be compared with past papal engagements. Expectations will be shaped by memory: large public liturgies, strong doctrinal messages, and calls for ethical governance.A Church of scale, influence, and responsibilityIf Algeria represents the Church as historical memory and minority witness, Cameroon represents scale, institutional density, and public influence. The Catholic Church in Cameroon is not fragile in numbers; it is substantial. Its challenges are not invisibility but responsibility — how to steward influence in a politically sensitive and religiously competitive environment.From April 15–18, as Pope Leo XIV moves through Yaoundé, Douala, and Bamenda, he will engage a Church that is confident yet tested, numerous yet diverse, socially influential yet morally scrutinized.For observers of African Catholicism, Cameroon offers a case study in how demographic strength intersects with political engagement and social service. The papal visit will not redefine that structure overnight. It will, however, place it within the broader narrative of a global Church attentive to Africa not as periphery but as center.In that sense, Cameroon stands not only as the second stop on the Holy Father’s itinerary, but as a microcosm of the contemporary African Catholic experience — complex, vibrant, and consequential.

unitedyam

After concluding the first leg of his African apostolic journey in Algeria, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to travel to Cameroon from April 15–18.

Read More
‘Massports’ initiative urges kids to attend Mass during Lent – #Catholic – Children at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, have a little more incentive to attend Mass during Lent.The parish instituted an incentive program called Massports during Advent in 2025 and brought it back for Lent this year. All children from 3 years old to eighth grade are encouraged to bring their passport booklets to Mass each weekend to receive a sticker after Mass, personally handed out by the priests and deacons.After the Feb. 21 Saturday night Mass, kids swarmed pastor Father Daniel Velasco, associate pastor Father Joji Reddy Allam, and Deacon Quinton Thomas, eager to get their first sticker.After Easter, children who received a sticker for all six Sundays in Lent will get a special treat. For those who are traveling during spring break, they can attend Mass at another parish and ask their parents or the priest to sign the booklet. For school students who aren’t Catholic, they can ask their minister or parents to sign off each Sunday they go to church.Principal Amber Bagby said the pastoral council began discussing how to encourage greater attendance at Mass, especially among families with children, and the idea of Massports was born.Bagby said she was encouraged by how the program went during Advent, seeing children attend Mass with neighbors or grandparents if their parents couldn’t bring them. The program expanded during Lent to include seventh- and eighth-graders this year.Of the 350 students in pre-K through sixth grade, 220 turned in their Massports after the Christmas break and received a treat from the snow cone truck. After Easter, Bagby said they will plan for another surprise for the students who participated.“The kids thrive off incentives and just the sheer challenge of it all,” Bagby said. “We started small with the Advent season to see how it would play out the first time around, and it was wildly successful. So I told Father, ‘Why don’t we try it one more time at Lent,’ and then we will see how it progresses from there, if it grows into maybe a summer challenge. It’s just a way to get more kids actively invested in their Sunday Mass obligation and try not to put any guilt or shame in there.”Sixth grader Harper Couch said: “Sometimes I would put Mass off, but the Massports motivated me to go. It was more about being with God rather than the big prize. So now I like going.”Classmate Lillian Richards agreed. “I think it is good for kids who typically don’t like going to Mass. It brings me closer to Jesus and keeps me motivated.”After Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, Massports were given to all children in the parish, including those who attend Youth Faith Formation classes on Sunday mornings. Andrew Baka, youth faith formation director, said Massports were given to the 49 students in parish religious education during Advent, but sadly, none of the children turned them in after Christmas.He said he had already begun promoting it to the parents and students on Feb. 22 in the hope that most of them would get more involved. He said he already noticed that at Sunday Masses, he saw some new families or one student brought a friend to Mass so they could get their sticker.“I know there are a lot of people who don’t go to Mass. I can’t tell you in Advent and (the first Sunday in Lent Feb. 22) how many of the people that I see normally at Mass, with their friends with them that don’t normally come to Mass or families that I don’t always see all the time,” Baka said. “You could tell it was one mom or one dad or one parent was there so the kid could get their sticker. I definitely think the kids are pushing mom and dad or asking if they can go with a friend.”Velasco said he supports the program, encouraging the children at the end of Mass: “Bring your parents to Mass next week.”“I got to see kids that I didn’t see regularly at Mass,” he said of when Massports was introduced during Advent. “The kids had to have the initiative to go to Mass. Sometimes I remember the kids saying they had to ask grandma or grandpa to bring them.”This story was first published by the Arkansas Catholic and is reprinted here with permission.
Read More

‘Massports’ initiative urges kids to attend Mass during Lent – #Catholic – Children at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, have a little more incentive to attend Mass during Lent.The parish instituted an incentive program called Massports during Advent in 2025 and brought it back for Lent this year. All children from 3 years old to eighth grade are encouraged to bring their passport booklets to Mass each weekend to receive a sticker after Mass, personally handed out by the priests and deacons.After the Feb. 21 Saturday night Mass, kids swarmed pastor Father Daniel Velasco, associate pastor Father Joji Reddy Allam, and Deacon Quinton Thomas, eager to get their first sticker.After Easter, children who received a sticker for all six Sundays in Lent will get a special treat. For those who are traveling during spring break, they can attend Mass at another parish and ask their parents or the priest to sign the booklet. For school students who aren’t Catholic, they can ask their minister or parents to sign off each Sunday they go to church.Principal Amber Bagby said the pastoral council began discussing how to encourage greater attendance at Mass, especially among families with children, and the idea of Massports was born.Bagby said she was encouraged by how the program went during Advent, seeing children attend Mass with neighbors or grandparents if their parents couldn’t bring them. The program expanded during Lent to include seventh- and eighth-graders this year.Of the 350 students in pre-K through sixth grade, 220 turned in their Massports after the Christmas break and received a treat from the snow cone truck. After Easter, Bagby said they will plan for another surprise for the students who participated.“The kids thrive off incentives and just the sheer challenge of it all,” Bagby said. “We started small with the Advent season to see how it would play out the first time around, and it was wildly successful. So I told Father, ‘Why don’t we try it one more time at Lent,’ and then we will see how it progresses from there, if it grows into maybe a summer challenge. It’s just a way to get more kids actively invested in their Sunday Mass obligation and try not to put any guilt or shame in there.”Sixth grader Harper Couch said: “Sometimes I would put Mass off, but the Massports motivated me to go. It was more about being with God rather than the big prize. So now I like going.”Classmate Lillian Richards agreed. “I think it is good for kids who typically don’t like going to Mass. It brings me closer to Jesus and keeps me motivated.”After Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, Massports were given to all children in the parish, including those who attend Youth Faith Formation classes on Sunday mornings. Andrew Baka, youth faith formation director, said Massports were given to the 49 students in parish religious education during Advent, but sadly, none of the children turned them in after Christmas.He said he had already begun promoting it to the parents and students on Feb. 22 in the hope that most of them would get more involved. He said he already noticed that at Sunday Masses, he saw some new families or one student brought a friend to Mass so they could get their sticker.“I know there are a lot of people who don’t go to Mass. I can’t tell you in Advent and (the first Sunday in Lent Feb. 22) how many of the people that I see normally at Mass, with their friends with them that don’t normally come to Mass or families that I don’t always see all the time,” Baka said. “You could tell it was one mom or one dad or one parent was there so the kid could get their sticker. I definitely think the kids are pushing mom and dad or asking if they can go with a friend.”Velasco said he supports the program, encouraging the children at the end of Mass: “Bring your parents to Mass next week.”“I got to see kids that I didn’t see regularly at Mass,” he said of when Massports was introduced during Advent. “The kids had to have the initiative to go to Mass. Sometimes I remember the kids saying they had to ask grandma or grandpa to bring them.”This story was first published by the Arkansas Catholic and is reprinted here with permission.

unitedyam

A parish in Little Rock, Arkansas, has instituted a program to encourage children to bring a “passport booklet” to Mass each weekend to receive a sticker from priests and deacons.

Read More
Picture of the day Doll (musha-ningyo) featuring Takenouchi no Sukune, minister of Emperor Ōjin; end of the Edo period, 19th century, Japan. Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas (Texas) ; the photograph was taken during an exhibition in the Musée des Arts Premiers in Paris #ImageOfTheDay
Read More

Picture of the day Doll (musha-ningyo) featuring Takenouchi no Sukune, minister of Emperor Ōjin; end of the Edo period, 19th century, Japan. Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas (Texas) ; the photograph was taken during an exhibition in the Musée des Arts Premiers in Paris #ImageOfTheDay

unitedyam
Picture of the day
Doll (musha-ningyo) featuring Takenouchi no Sukune, minister of Emperor Ōjin; end of the Edo period, 19th century, Japan. Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas (Texas) ; the photograph was taken during an exhibition in the Musée des Arts Premiers in Paris
Read More

Prayer to St. Joseph: Prayer of the Day for Thursday, March 12, 2026 – #Prayer – O Blessed Saint Joseph, faithful guardian and protector of virgins, to whom God entrusted Jesus and Mary, I implore you by the love which you did bear them, to preserve me from every defilement of soul and body, that I may always serve them in holiness and purity of love. Amen.

unitedyam

O Blessed Saint Joseph, faithful guardian and protector of virgins, to whom God entrusted Jesus and Mary, I implore you by the love which you did bear them, to preserve me from every defilement of soul and body, that I may always serve them in holiness and purity of love. Amen.

Read More
During Lent, a bishop invites people to practice ‘spiritual intelligence’ – #Catholic – The bishop of San Ignacio de Velasco in Bolivia, Robert Flock, reviewed the different types of intelligence and encouraged the development of “spiritual intelligence,” which allows one to move from a mere understanding of things to true wisdom.Recalling his youth, the prelate noted that intelligence was measured according to mathematical and verbal abilities. Later, at the university, he became aware of the existence of emotional intelligence, “through which one can perceive, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and those of others,” he recalled.However, citing psychologist Howard Gardner, he referred to “multiple intelligences,” different forms that include: linguistic-verbal, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, musical-auditory, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, emotional, existential, creative, and collaborative.“Naturally, this list does not include artificial intelligence, which is not a human capacity but a computer tool that is beginning to dominate information searches,” the prelate clarified.However, Flock emphasized a type of intelligence that he considers “the most important”: spiritual intelligence.“At first glance, it sounds like existential intelligence, No. 10, which is defined as ‘meditation on existence, including the meaning of life and death,’ but this would be a superficial understanding, ironically lacking in intelligence, because spiritual intelligence is being attuned to God,” he explained.“Spiritual intelligence allows us to move from a mere understanding of things to true wisdom. It is the only one that can unite and harmonize all the others and ensure that they are used wisely,” he added.“All the phrases in the Lord’s Prayer emanate from the spiritual intelligence of Jesus Christ, as do his parables and other teachings, his miracles, and his final sacrifice.”Jesus, the prelate noted, “embodied all forms of intelligence, except for artificial intelligence, which he did not need.”“The risen Jesus opened the intellect of his disciples so they could ‘understand the Scriptures’; that is, he gave them the gift of spiritual understanding so that they could not only understand the Bible but also converse with God at all times,” he emphasized.“This is not the opiate of the masses, as someone lacking spiritual understanding has said. It is life in abundance. This is what Lent is for!” he explained.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Read More

During Lent, a bishop invites people to practice ‘spiritual intelligence’ – #Catholic – The bishop of San Ignacio de Velasco in Bolivia, Robert Flock, reviewed the different types of intelligence and encouraged the development of “spiritual intelligence,” which allows one to move from a mere understanding of things to true wisdom.Recalling his youth, the prelate noted that intelligence was measured according to mathematical and verbal abilities. Later, at the university, he became aware of the existence of emotional intelligence, “through which one can perceive, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and those of others,” he recalled.However, citing psychologist Howard Gardner, he referred to “multiple intelligences,” different forms that include: linguistic-verbal, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, musical-auditory, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, emotional, existential, creative, and collaborative.“Naturally, this list does not include artificial intelligence, which is not a human capacity but a computer tool that is beginning to dominate information searches,” the prelate clarified.However, Flock emphasized a type of intelligence that he considers “the most important”: spiritual intelligence.“At first glance, it sounds like existential intelligence, No. 10, which is defined as ‘meditation on existence, including the meaning of life and death,’ but this would be a superficial understanding, ironically lacking in intelligence, because spiritual intelligence is being attuned to God,” he explained.“Spiritual intelligence allows us to move from a mere understanding of things to true wisdom. It is the only one that can unite and harmonize all the others and ensure that they are used wisely,” he added.“All the phrases in the Lord’s Prayer emanate from the spiritual intelligence of Jesus Christ, as do his parables and other teachings, his miracles, and his final sacrifice.”Jesus, the prelate noted, “embodied all forms of intelligence, except for artificial intelligence, which he did not need.”“The risen Jesus opened the intellect of his disciples so they could ‘understand the Scriptures’; that is, he gave them the gift of spiritual understanding so that they could not only understand the Bible but also converse with God at all times,” he emphasized.“This is not the opiate of the masses, as someone lacking spiritual understanding has said. It is life in abundance. This is what Lent is for!” he explained.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

unitedyam

“Spiritual intelligence is being attuned to God,” the bishop of San Ignacio de Velasco in Bolivia, Robert Flock, explains.

Read More

Act of Love #1: Prayer of the Day for Wednesday, March 11, 2026 – #Prayer – O My God, I love you above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because you are all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of you. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen.

unitedyam

O My God,
I love you above all things,
with my whole heart and soul,
because you are all-good and worthy of all love.
I love my neighbor as myself for the love of you.
I forgive all who have injured me,
and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

Amen.

Read More
Lebanon asks Vatican to help protect threatened Christian villages in the south – #Catholic – Lebanon is asking the Vatican to stand with Christian villages in the southern part of the country. In recent days, these communities were widely praised across Lebanese and international media after residents chose to remain in their homes despite the dangers around them. Caught between Hezbollah infiltrations and Israeli strikes, villagers insisted on staying in their ancestral lands.Lebanon’s Foreign Minister, Youssef Raggi, said on Tuesday he had contacted the Holy See to raise concerns about the situation. In a phone call with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Raggi discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the difficult conditions facing border villages in the south.He also asked the Holy See to intervene and mediate in order to help preserve the Christian presence in those villages, whose residents, he noted, have consistently supported the Lebanese state and its official military institutions.Gallagher, for his part, affirmed that the Holy See is making the necessary diplomatic contacts to help halt the escalation in Lebanon and prevent the displacement of citizens from their lands. He also assured that Lebanon remains in the prayers of Pope Leo.A worsening crisis for southern Lebanon’s Christian villagesThe foreign ministerʼs appeal comes as the situation for Christian border villages grows increasingly dire.On Monday, Father Pierre Rahi was killed in an Israeli strike on the Christian village of Qlayaa. According to local reports, Hezbollah militants had infiltrated the town, turning it into a potential target. Residents alerted Father Rahi, who reportedly went to confront the armed men and asked them to leave the village. The strike that followed killed him.His death shocked Lebanon and drew attention across the Catholic world, where many saw in him as a hero and shepherd who chose to remain with his community despite the dangers.It was not the first such tragedy. The day before, Youssef Al-Ghafri, a Christian farmer, was killed in the town of Alma al-Shaab in similar circumstances.On Tuesday, United Nations peacekeepers from UNIFIL escorted residents of Alma al-Shaab out of the village as they evacuated their homes. The residents had hoped to remain and had appealed for the Lebanese army to deploy and protect the town, but the protection did not materialize, forcing families to leave.There are now growing fears that other Christian towns along the border could face the same fate. The mayor of Rmeish, for example, said he received a warning call from an Israeli officer stating that the town itself is not considered a target, but that it would become one if Hezbollah militants entered it.The problem, residents say, is that these villages lack the presence of the Lebanese army needed to prevent such infiltrations, making it extremely difficult for local communities to control the situation.Caught between Israeli strikes and Hezbollah’s military adventures, Christian villagers fear they are paying the price of a conflict they oppose — at risk of becoming not only collateral damage, but also pawns in a wider regional confrontation.According to reports from An-Nahar, the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, has scheduled a visit to the Christian border villages next Friday in a gesture of solidarity with their residents and in rejection of any plans that could lead to the displacement of those who remain. The visit aims to encourage villagers to remain in their homes and on their land despite the growing dangers.In addition, according to MTV Lebanon, the United States has intervened, in coordination with Israel, to help protect Christian villages in southern Lebanon. However, the sources said the main challenge remains the absence of the Lebanese army in these areas, which has made it difficult to prevent Hezbollah militants from entering the villages and turning them into potential targets.
Read More

Lebanon asks Vatican to help protect threatened Christian villages in the south – #Catholic – Lebanon is asking the Vatican to stand with Christian villages in the southern part of the country. In recent days, these communities were widely praised across Lebanese and international media after residents chose to remain in their homes despite the dangers around them. Caught between Hezbollah infiltrations and Israeli strikes, villagers insisted on staying in their ancestral lands.Lebanon’s Foreign Minister, Youssef Raggi, said on Tuesday he had contacted the Holy See to raise concerns about the situation. In a phone call with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Raggi discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the difficult conditions facing border villages in the south.He also asked the Holy See to intervene and mediate in order to help preserve the Christian presence in those villages, whose residents, he noted, have consistently supported the Lebanese state and its official military institutions.Gallagher, for his part, affirmed that the Holy See is making the necessary diplomatic contacts to help halt the escalation in Lebanon and prevent the displacement of citizens from their lands. He also assured that Lebanon remains in the prayers of Pope Leo.A worsening crisis for southern Lebanon’s Christian villagesThe foreign ministerʼs appeal comes as the situation for Christian border villages grows increasingly dire.On Monday, Father Pierre Rahi was killed in an Israeli strike on the Christian village of Qlayaa. According to local reports, Hezbollah militants had infiltrated the town, turning it into a potential target. Residents alerted Father Rahi, who reportedly went to confront the armed men and asked them to leave the village. The strike that followed killed him.His death shocked Lebanon and drew attention across the Catholic world, where many saw in him as a hero and shepherd who chose to remain with his community despite the dangers.It was not the first such tragedy. The day before, Youssef Al-Ghafri, a Christian farmer, was killed in the town of Alma al-Shaab in similar circumstances.On Tuesday, United Nations peacekeepers from UNIFIL escorted residents of Alma al-Shaab out of the village as they evacuated their homes. The residents had hoped to remain and had appealed for the Lebanese army to deploy and protect the town, but the protection did not materialize, forcing families to leave.There are now growing fears that other Christian towns along the border could face the same fate. The mayor of Rmeish, for example, said he received a warning call from an Israeli officer stating that the town itself is not considered a target, but that it would become one if Hezbollah militants entered it.The problem, residents say, is that these villages lack the presence of the Lebanese army needed to prevent such infiltrations, making it extremely difficult for local communities to control the situation.Caught between Israeli strikes and Hezbollah’s military adventures, Christian villagers fear they are paying the price of a conflict they oppose — at risk of becoming not only collateral damage, but also pawns in a wider regional confrontation.According to reports from An-Nahar, the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, has scheduled a visit to the Christian border villages next Friday in a gesture of solidarity with their residents and in rejection of any plans that could lead to the displacement of those who remain. The visit aims to encourage villagers to remain in their homes and on their land despite the growing dangers.In addition, according to MTV Lebanon, the United States has intervened, in coordination with Israel, to help protect Christian villages in southern Lebanon. However, the sources said the main challenge remains the absence of the Lebanese army in these areas, which has made it difficult to prevent Hezbollah militants from entering the villages and turning them into potential targets.

unitedyam

Caught between Hezbollah and Israeli strikes, Lebanon’s Christian villages in the South seek Vatican support.

Read More
Several cardinals show grave concern about Iran war; McElroy says it’s not a just war - #Catholic - Several members of the Catholic hierarchy are expressing grave concerns about the American and Israeli military conflict with Iran, and at least one cardinal said the U.S. decision to launch the initial attacks fails to meet the criteria of a “just war” based on Catholic criteria.President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 amid inconclusive U.S.-Iranian negotiations related to uranium enrichment. In response, Iran launched strikes on U.S. bases and forces, Israel, and the Gulf states.“At this present moment, the U.S. decision to go to war against Iran fails to meet the just war threshold for a morally legitimate war in at least three requirements,” Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, D.C., said in an interview with the archdiocesan Catholic Standard.McElroy noted that the Church recognizes six conditions for a war to be just. The war must be waged by a proper authority, it must have a just cause, it must have the right intention, it must have a reasonable chance of success, it must be a last resort, and the damage caused by the war must not be more harmful than the evil it is meant to destroy.“The criterion of just cause is not met because our country was not responding to an existing or imminent and objectively verifiable attack by Iran,” McElroy said. Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. speaks at the University of Notre Dame Forum event on ‘Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life’ on Oct. 17, 2025. | Credit: Courtesy of Michael Caterina / University of Notre Dame Just prior to the attack, Omanʼs Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, a key mediator in the negotiations between the two countries, told CBS News that Iran was prepared to make major concessions, including a lower level of enrichment, a reduction of its enriched uranium stockpile, and inspections. On March 3, three days after the attack, Trump said “it was my opinion [Iran was] going to attack first.”McElroy said the “right intention” criterion is also not met: “One of the most worrying elements of these first days of the war in Iran is that our goals and intentions are absolutely unclear, ranging from the destruction of Iran’s conventional and nuclear weapons potential to the overthrow of its regime to the establishment of a democratic government to unconditional surrender.”At times, Trump has said he would potentially work with new Iranian leaders but has also urged the Iranian people to overthrow the government at other times. The previous supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in a strike and has been replaced by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei. Iran has not shown any interest in returning to negotiations or making more concessions since the war began.McElroy also said “it is far from clear that the benefits of this war will outweigh the harm which will be done.” He called the Middle East “the most unstable region in the world, and the most unpredictable.”“Already the war has had unintended consequences,” McElroy said. “Iran’s morally despicable decision to target its neighbors in the region has spread the expanse of destruction. Lebanon may fall into civil war. The world’s oil supply is under great strain. The potential disintegration of Iran could well produce new and dangerous realities. And the possibility of immense casualties on all sides is immense.”More cardinals echo concernsOther cardinals have also publicly conveyed their concerns about the conflict, including Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.Parolin told Vatican News that “this erosion of international law is truly worrying: justice has given way to force; the force of law has been replaced by the law of force.”He said people in the Middle East, including Christians, have been “plunged into the horror of war, which brutally shatters human lives, brings destruction, and drags entire nations into spirals of violence with uncertain outcomes.”“The Holy See prefers to recall the need to use all the instruments offered by diplomacy in order to resolve disputes among states,” Parolin said. “History has already taught us that only politics — through the hard work of negotiation and attention to balancing interests — can increase trust among peoples, promote development, and preserve peace.”Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, criticized the administration’s characterization of the war, especially an X post from the White House that showed videos of American strikes with the caption “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY” in all capitalized letters.In a statement, Cupich said “more than 1,000 Iranian men, women and children lay dead after days of bombardment,” and added: “A real war with real death and real suffering being treated like it’s a video game — it’s sickening.” Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago speaks at a Georgetown University forum Oct. 30, 2025. | Credit: Madalaine Elhabbal/CNA “Hundreds of people are dead, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, including scores of children who made the fatal mistake of going to school that day,” he added. “Six U.S. soldiers have been killed. They are also dishonored by that social media post. Hundreds of thousands displaced, and many millions more are terrified across the Middle East.”Following the publication of the statement, a seventh member of the U.S. armed forces was confirmed dead.Cupich accused the government of “treating the suffering of the Iranian people as a backdrop for our own entertainment, as if it’s just another piece of content to be swiped through while we’re waiting in line at the grocery store.” He warned that “in the end, we lose our humanity when we are thrilled by the destructive power of our military.”Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, vice president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), raised similar concerns as Cupich, and commented on how technology changes how war is conducted.“From distant command centers, military operators stare at screens where maps, radar signals, and algorithm-generated targets move like icons in a computer game,” he told Vatican News. “A cursor moves. A coordinate is selected. A click is made. And a missile is launched."When asked about who benefits from the war and who does not, David said “industries that manufacture weapons” benefit financially from the conflict.“Certainly not the families who bury their dead,” David said. “Certainly not the workers who suddenly find themselves trapped in a war zone far from home. Certainly not the poor nations that will absorb the economic shock.”Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, archbishop of Naples, wrote a critique of the war in poetic form in Italian, addressed to the “merchants of death.”“I write to you from this trembling land,” he wrote. “It trembles under the footsteps of the poor, under the crying of children, under the silence of the innocent, under the fierce noise of the weapons you have built, sold, blessed by your cynicism.”Battaglia asked those perpetuating the war to “stop,” to “convert,” and to listen to the words of Jesus Christ, as expressed in the Beatitudes.“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God,” Christ said in Matthew 5:9.
Read More

Several cardinals show grave concern about Iran war; McElroy says it’s not a just war – #Catholic – Several members of the Catholic hierarchy are expressing grave concerns about the American and Israeli military conflict with Iran, and at least one cardinal said the U.S. decision to launch the initial attacks fails to meet the criteria of a “just war” based on Catholic criteria.President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 amid inconclusive U.S.-Iranian negotiations related to uranium enrichment. In response, Iran launched strikes on U.S. bases and forces, Israel, and the Gulf states.“At this present moment, the U.S. decision to go to war against Iran fails to meet the just war threshold for a morally legitimate war in at least three requirements,” Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, D.C., said in an interview with the archdiocesan Catholic Standard.McElroy noted that the Church recognizes six conditions for a war to be just. The war must be waged by a proper authority, it must have a just cause, it must have the right intention, it must have a reasonable chance of success, it must be a last resort, and the damage caused by the war must not be more harmful than the evil it is meant to destroy.“The criterion of just cause is not met because our country was not responding to an existing or imminent and objectively verifiable attack by Iran,” McElroy said. Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. speaks at the University of Notre Dame Forum event on ‘Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life’ on Oct. 17, 2025. | Credit: Courtesy of Michael Caterina / University of Notre Dame Just prior to the attack, Omanʼs Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, a key mediator in the negotiations between the two countries, told CBS News that Iran was prepared to make major concessions, including a lower level of enrichment, a reduction of its enriched uranium stockpile, and inspections. On March 3, three days after the attack, Trump said “it was my opinion [Iran was] going to attack first.”McElroy said the “right intention” criterion is also not met: “One of the most worrying elements of these first days of the war in Iran is that our goals and intentions are absolutely unclear, ranging from the destruction of Iran’s conventional and nuclear weapons potential to the overthrow of its regime to the establishment of a democratic government to unconditional surrender.”At times, Trump has said he would potentially work with new Iranian leaders but has also urged the Iranian people to overthrow the government at other times. The previous supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in a strike and has been replaced by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei. Iran has not shown any interest in returning to negotiations or making more concessions since the war began.McElroy also said “it is far from clear that the benefits of this war will outweigh the harm which will be done.” He called the Middle East “the most unstable region in the world, and the most unpredictable.”“Already the war has had unintended consequences,” McElroy said. “Iran’s morally despicable decision to target its neighbors in the region has spread the expanse of destruction. Lebanon may fall into civil war. The world’s oil supply is under great strain. The potential disintegration of Iran could well produce new and dangerous realities. And the possibility of immense casualties on all sides is immense.”More cardinals echo concernsOther cardinals have also publicly conveyed their concerns about the conflict, including Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.Parolin told Vatican News that “this erosion of international law is truly worrying: justice has given way to force; the force of law has been replaced by the law of force.”He said people in the Middle East, including Christians, have been “plunged into the horror of war, which brutally shatters human lives, brings destruction, and drags entire nations into spirals of violence with uncertain outcomes.”“The Holy See prefers to recall the need to use all the instruments offered by diplomacy in order to resolve disputes among states,” Parolin said. “History has already taught us that only politics — through the hard work of negotiation and attention to balancing interests — can increase trust among peoples, promote development, and preserve peace.”Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, criticized the administration’s characterization of the war, especially an X post from the White House that showed videos of American strikes with the caption “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY” in all capitalized letters.In a statement, Cupich said “more than 1,000 Iranian men, women and children lay dead after days of bombardment,” and added: “A real war with real death and real suffering being treated like it’s a video game — it’s sickening.” Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago speaks at a Georgetown University forum Oct. 30, 2025. | Credit: Madalaine Elhabbal/CNA “Hundreds of people are dead, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, including scores of children who made the fatal mistake of going to school that day,” he added. “Six U.S. soldiers have been killed. They are also dishonored by that social media post. Hundreds of thousands displaced, and many millions more are terrified across the Middle East.”Following the publication of the statement, a seventh member of the U.S. armed forces was confirmed dead.Cupich accused the government of “treating the suffering of the Iranian people as a backdrop for our own entertainment, as if it’s just another piece of content to be swiped through while we’re waiting in line at the grocery store.” He warned that “in the end, we lose our humanity when we are thrilled by the destructive power of our military.”Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, vice president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), raised similar concerns as Cupich, and commented on how technology changes how war is conducted.“From distant command centers, military operators stare at screens where maps, radar signals, and algorithm-generated targets move like icons in a computer game,” he told Vatican News. “A cursor moves. A coordinate is selected. A click is made. And a missile is launched."When asked about who benefits from the war and who does not, David said “industries that manufacture weapons” benefit financially from the conflict.“Certainly not the families who bury their dead,” David said. “Certainly not the workers who suddenly find themselves trapped in a war zone far from home. Certainly not the poor nations that will absorb the economic shock.”Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, archbishop of Naples, wrote a critique of the war in poetic form in Italian, addressed to the “merchants of death.”“I write to you from this trembling land,” he wrote. “It trembles under the footsteps of the poor, under the crying of children, under the silence of the innocent, under the fierce noise of the weapons you have built, sold, blessed by your cynicism.”Battaglia asked those perpetuating the war to “stop,” to “convert,” and to listen to the words of Jesus Christ, as expressed in the Beatitudes.“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God,” Christ said in Matthew 5:9.

unitedyam

Cardinals in the United States and elsewhere are raising concerns about just war and about the death and destruction caused by the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Read More
Aid to the Church in Need warns escalating violence threatens survival of Middle East Christians – #Catholic – Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has expressed deep concern over the security and humanitarian challenges posed by renewed violence in the Middle East, warning that the spiral of conflict could threaten the region’s already fragile Christian communities and even bring an end to the Christian presence in the Middle East if the pressures exceed their capacity to endure.Regina Lynch, executive president of ACN, told ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, that the desire to preserve the historic Christian presence in the Middle East and prevent its disappearance is self-evident. She said any new war would come at a heavy cost, one borne first and foremost by civilians, especially Christians, who are often among the weakest and least able to defend themselves.A growing challenge in LebanonLynch said the greatest concern at present is focused on Lebanon, where the challenge is worsening as thousands of people are already being displaced, according to ACN teams working on the ground. “The Lebanese, like all peoples, long for peace and hope for a chance to help their country recover from the many challenges it faces. But once again, they find themselves the victims of renewed conflict,” she said. Regina Lynch, executive president of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). | Credit: Photo courtesy of Aid to the Church in Need A catastrophic situation in GazaIn the Holy Land, Lynch described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as still catastrophic. She warned that any further obstruction of aid deliveries would place the resilient Catholic parish there, along with thousands of people who depend on its assistance, at grave risk. In the West Bank, where many Christian families rely on tourism as a main source of income, Lynch said renewed instability threatens their livelihoods at a time when they had been hoping for an increase in pilgrims and visitors during the Easter season.Prayer, solidarity, and hopeFor decades, Aid to the Church in Need has supported Christian communities in the Middle East. Lynch affirmed that the foundation will continue its work, while calling for prayer and solidarity.“Despite the difficult circumstances, parishes and religious communities continue distributing food, running schools, sheltering displaced families, and promoting reconciliation as much as possible,” she said. Lynch also highlighted the strength of faith and perseverance shown by Middle Eastern Christians despite centuries of persecution and discrimination. She added: “It is true that many have left, but others remain. We know many of them. Their faith is firm and alive. Their presence in these countries is a wonderful and steadfast seed of faith, and indeed a challenge to our own faith.”Most important investmentAccording to the latest statistics issued by ACN, funding allocated to the Middle East accounted for 17.5% of the foundation’s total aid. In this regard, Lynch stressed that ACN’s investments are not limited to buildings and projects. Rather, the human person remains its priority and most important investment.Lynch said that as Christians, the ACN workers’ hope does not fail, especially because they have learned so much from their experience with Middle Eastern Christians, who offer a living example of perseverance and endurance amid hardship without losing hope.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Read More

Aid to the Church in Need warns escalating violence threatens survival of Middle East Christians – #Catholic – Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has expressed deep concern over the security and humanitarian challenges posed by renewed violence in the Middle East, warning that the spiral of conflict could threaten the region’s already fragile Christian communities and even bring an end to the Christian presence in the Middle East if the pressures exceed their capacity to endure.Regina Lynch, executive president of ACN, told ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, that the desire to preserve the historic Christian presence in the Middle East and prevent its disappearance is self-evident. She said any new war would come at a heavy cost, one borne first and foremost by civilians, especially Christians, who are often among the weakest and least able to defend themselves.A growing challenge in LebanonLynch said the greatest concern at present is focused on Lebanon, where the challenge is worsening as thousands of people are already being displaced, according to ACN teams working on the ground. “The Lebanese, like all peoples, long for peace and hope for a chance to help their country recover from the many challenges it faces. But once again, they find themselves the victims of renewed conflict,” she said. Regina Lynch, executive president of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). | Credit: Photo courtesy of Aid to the Church in Need A catastrophic situation in GazaIn the Holy Land, Lynch described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as still catastrophic. She warned that any further obstruction of aid deliveries would place the resilient Catholic parish there, along with thousands of people who depend on its assistance, at grave risk. In the West Bank, where many Christian families rely on tourism as a main source of income, Lynch said renewed instability threatens their livelihoods at a time when they had been hoping for an increase in pilgrims and visitors during the Easter season.Prayer, solidarity, and hopeFor decades, Aid to the Church in Need has supported Christian communities in the Middle East. Lynch affirmed that the foundation will continue its work, while calling for prayer and solidarity.“Despite the difficult circumstances, parishes and religious communities continue distributing food, running schools, sheltering displaced families, and promoting reconciliation as much as possible,” she said. Lynch also highlighted the strength of faith and perseverance shown by Middle Eastern Christians despite centuries of persecution and discrimination. She added: “It is true that many have left, but others remain. We know many of them. Their faith is firm and alive. Their presence in these countries is a wonderful and steadfast seed of faith, and indeed a challenge to our own faith.”Most important investmentAccording to the latest statistics issued by ACN, funding allocated to the Middle East accounted for 17.5% of the foundation’s total aid. In this regard, Lynch stressed that ACN’s investments are not limited to buildings and projects. Rather, the human person remains its priority and most important investment.Lynch said that as Christians, the ACN workers’ hope does not fail, especially because they have learned so much from their experience with Middle Eastern Christians, who offer a living example of perseverance and endurance amid hardship without losing hope.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

unitedyam

Regina Lynch, executive president of ACN, said she fears for the Christian presence in the Middle East amid rising tensions and violence.

Read More
Picture of the day Famous sanctuary of the temple of Ramses II, Abu Simbel, Egypt. The Great Temple at Abu Simbel, which took about twenty years to build, was completed around year 24 of the reign of Ramesses the Great (which corresponds to 1265 BC). It was dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified Ramesses himself. It is generally considered the grandest and most beautiful of the temples commissioned during the reign of Ramesses II, and one of the most beautiful in Egypt. In the sanctuary are rock cut sculptures of four seated figures: Ra-Horakhty, the deified king Ramesses, and the gods Amun Ra and Ptah, the main divinities in that period. It is believed that the axis of the temple was positioned by the ancient Egyptian architects in such a way that on October 22 and February 22 (allegedly the king’s birthday and coronation day, respectively), the rays of the sun would penetrate the sanctuary and illuminate the sculptures on the back wall, except for the statue of Ptah, a god connected with the realm of the dead, who always remained in the dark. People gather at Abu Simbel on these days to witness this. #ImageOfTheDay
Read More

Picture of the day Famous sanctuary of the temple of Ramses II, Abu Simbel, Egypt. The Great Temple at Abu Simbel, which took about twenty years to build, was completed around year 24 of the reign of Ramesses the Great (which corresponds to 1265 BC). It was dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified Ramesses himself. It is generally considered the grandest and most beautiful of the temples commissioned during the reign of Ramesses II, and one of the most beautiful in Egypt. In the sanctuary are rock cut sculptures of four seated figures: Ra-Horakhty, the deified king Ramesses, and the gods Amun Ra and Ptah, the main divinities in that period. It is believed that the axis of the temple was positioned by the ancient Egyptian architects in such a way that on October 22 and February 22 (allegedly the king’s birthday and coronation day, respectively), the rays of the sun would penetrate the sanctuary and illuminate the sculptures on the back wall, except for the statue of Ptah, a god connected with the realm of the dead, who always remained in the dark. People gather at Abu Simbel on these days to witness this. #ImageOfTheDay

unitedyam
Picture of the day
Famous sanctuary of the temple of Ramses II, Abu Simbel, Egypt. The Great Temple at Abu Simbel, which took about twenty years to build, was completed around year 24 of the reign of Ramesses the Great (which corresponds to 1265 BC). It was dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified Ramesses himself. It is generally considered the grandest and most beautiful of the temples commissioned during the reign of Ramesses II, and one of the most beautiful in Egypt. In the sanctuary are rock cut sculptures of four seated figures: Ra-Horakhty, the deified king Ramesses, and the gods Amun Ra and Ptah, the main divinities in that period. It is believed that the axis of the temple was positioned by the ancient Egyptian architects in such a way that on October 22 and February 22 (allegedly the king’s birthday and coronation day, respectively), the rays of the sun would penetrate the sanctuary and illuminate the sculptures on the back wall, except for the statue of Ptah, a god connected with the realm of the dead, who always remained in the dark. People gather at Abu Simbel on these days to witness this.
Read More

A Prayer for a Lately Deceased Person: Prayer of the Day for Tuesday, March 10, 2026 – #Prayer – Absolve, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the soul of Thy servant N…, from every bond of sin, that being raised in the glory of the resurrection, he may be refreshed among the Saints and Elect. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

unitedyam

Absolve, we beseech Thee, O Lord,
the soul of Thy servant N…,
from every bond of sin,
that being raised in the glory of the resurrection,
he may be refreshed among the Saints and Elect.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Read More
Pope Leo tackles topic of domestic abuse on International Women’s Day – #Catholic – In the context of International Women’s Day, celebrated March 8, Pope Leo XIV responded to a letter from a reader of Piazza San Pietro magazine who asked what can be done about femicides, and the pope shared that violence against women causes him “great suffering.”Femicide is defined as a man killing a girl or a woman for the very reason that she is female. Pope Leo replied to a woman named Giovanna, who said she is “fortunate” to be married to a man who loves and respects her. The letter appeared in the latest issue of the publication, which this March is dedicated to women.In her letter, the woman confessed to having “tears in her eyes” because of the “death trap” that married life becomes when a man kills a woman due to a “culture of possession.” Giovanna then proposed an alliance between the Catholic Church and schools to educate young people in love and respect. “Who else, if not schools and the Church, can help new generations by spreading a culture of respect, love, and above all, freedom?” she asked.Pope Leo XIV’s response to violence against women“You raise a major issue that for me is always a source of great suffering: violence in relationships, and in particular violence against women,” the Holy Father responded to Giovanna.“In a world often dominated by violent thinking, we must further support the feminine genius, as St. John Paul II said, the ‘genius of women,’ protagonists and creators of a culture of care and fraternity indispensable for giving a future and dignity to all humanity,” he emphasized.Leo XIV added that “perhaps this is also why women are beaten and murdered, because they are a sign of contradiction in this confused, uncertain, and violent society, because they point to values ​​of faith, freedom, equality, generativity, hope, solidarity, and justice.”“These are great values, which are nevertheless attacked by a dangerous mentality that infests relationships and only produces selfishness, prejudice, discrimination, and a will to dominate,” he added.After recalling that he had already denounced the violence of femicides in June 2025, the pope stressed that “violence, any violence, is the boundary that separates civilization from barbarism.”Leo XIV then advised that “we must never underestimate an act of violence and we must not be afraid to denounce violence, including that climate of justification or that downplays or denies responsibility.”“Walking together in mutual respect for our humanity is not a dream, but the only possible reality for building a world of light for all.”A task for the ChurchThe pope thanked Giovanna for her suggestions for an “ever stronger educational alliance” and stated that “the Church, together with families, schools, parishes, movements and associations, religious congregations, and public institutions, can share the urgency of carrying out specific projects to prevent and stop violence against women.”The pope also recalled that on Nov. 25, 2025, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, he emphasized that “to stop violence, we must begin with the education of young people.”“We must begin by opening everyone’s hearts to the fact that every person is a human being who deserves respect, that dignity for men and women, for everyone.”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.
Read More

Pope Leo tackles topic of domestic abuse on International Women’s Day – #Catholic – In the context of International Women’s Day, celebrated March 8, Pope Leo XIV responded to a letter from a reader of Piazza San Pietro magazine who asked what can be done about femicides, and the pope shared that violence against women causes him “great suffering.”Femicide is defined as a man killing a girl or a woman for the very reason that she is female. Pope Leo replied to a woman named Giovanna, who said she is “fortunate” to be married to a man who loves and respects her. The letter appeared in the latest issue of the publication, which this March is dedicated to women.In her letter, the woman confessed to having “tears in her eyes” because of the “death trap” that married life becomes when a man kills a woman due to a “culture of possession.” Giovanna then proposed an alliance between the Catholic Church and schools to educate young people in love and respect. “Who else, if not schools and the Church, can help new generations by spreading a culture of respect, love, and above all, freedom?” she asked.Pope Leo XIV’s response to violence against women“You raise a major issue that for me is always a source of great suffering: violence in relationships, and in particular violence against women,” the Holy Father responded to Giovanna.“In a world often dominated by violent thinking, we must further support the feminine genius, as St. John Paul II said, the ‘genius of women,’ protagonists and creators of a culture of care and fraternity indispensable for giving a future and dignity to all humanity,” he emphasized.Leo XIV added that “perhaps this is also why women are beaten and murdered, because they are a sign of contradiction in this confused, uncertain, and violent society, because they point to values ​​of faith, freedom, equality, generativity, hope, solidarity, and justice.”“These are great values, which are nevertheless attacked by a dangerous mentality that infests relationships and only produces selfishness, prejudice, discrimination, and a will to dominate,” he added.After recalling that he had already denounced the violence of femicides in June 2025, the pope stressed that “violence, any violence, is the boundary that separates civilization from barbarism.”Leo XIV then advised that “we must never underestimate an act of violence and we must not be afraid to denounce violence, including that climate of justification or that downplays or denies responsibility.”“Walking together in mutual respect for our humanity is not a dream, but the only possible reality for building a world of light for all.”A task for the ChurchThe pope thanked Giovanna for her suggestions for an “ever stronger educational alliance” and stated that “the Church, together with families, schools, parishes, movements and associations, religious congregations, and public institutions, can share the urgency of carrying out specific projects to prevent and stop violence against women.”The pope also recalled that on Nov. 25, 2025, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, he emphasized that “to stop violence, we must begin with the education of young people.”“We must begin by opening everyone’s hearts to the fact that every person is a human being who deserves respect, that dignity for men and women, for everyone.”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.

unitedyam

Responding to a woman writing to the Vatican magazine Piazza San Pietro, Pope Leo decried violence against women and emphasized that educating young people in respect is the key to preventing it.

Read More
NBC poll: Pope Leo XIV held in highest esteem among public personalities – #Catholic – A March NBC poll found that U.S. voters hold Pope Leo XIV in highest esteem among other public personalities.The NBC News Survey by Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies surveyed 1,000 registered voters about public figures and various topics, including the first U.S. pope.When asked how they felt about Leo, 42% of respondents were “very positive” or “somewhat positive,” while 8% felt “somewhat negative” or “very negative.”With a favorability rating that outpaced unfavorability by 34 points, Leo ranked ahead of other U.S. figures including comedian Stephen Colbert, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, President Donald Trump, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (listed in order of their net rating).Leo’s total positive score beat out Trump’s by 1 percentage point and JD Vance’s by 4 percentage points. The American pope’s total negative score was markedly lower than that of other U.S. public figures as the only one in the single digits. Colbert was the only other public figure who had a net-positive rating.The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 1,000 respondents is plus or minus 3.10 percentage points.Comparison with previous popesIn comparison with previous popes in similar polls, Leo’s total positive rating is somewhere in between. Pope Francis peaked at a 57% approval rating in December 2013, according to NBC. Pope Benedict XVI had a 30% positive rating in February 2013, while Pope John Paul II’s favorability in January 1998 hit 65%.Born on the South Side of Chicago, Leo is the first pope to hold U.S. citizenship as well as the first to hold Peruvian citizenship and the first Augustinian pope. Following Pope Francis, he is the second pope from the Americas.
Read More

NBC poll: Pope Leo XIV held in highest esteem among public personalities – #Catholic – A March NBC poll found that U.S. voters hold Pope Leo XIV in highest esteem among other public personalities.The NBC News Survey by Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies surveyed 1,000 registered voters about public figures and various topics, including the first U.S. pope.When asked how they felt about Leo, 42% of respondents were “very positive” or “somewhat positive,” while 8% felt “somewhat negative” or “very negative.”With a favorability rating that outpaced unfavorability by 34 points, Leo ranked ahead of other U.S. figures including comedian Stephen Colbert, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, President Donald Trump, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (listed in order of their net rating).Leo’s total positive score beat out Trump’s by 1 percentage point and JD Vance’s by 4 percentage points. The American pope’s total negative score was markedly lower than that of other U.S. public figures as the only one in the single digits. Colbert was the only other public figure who had a net-positive rating.The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 1,000 respondents is plus or minus 3.10 percentage points.Comparison with previous popesIn comparison with previous popes in similar polls, Leo’s total positive rating is somewhere in between. Pope Francis peaked at a 57% approval rating in December 2013, according to NBC. Pope Benedict XVI had a 30% positive rating in February 2013, while Pope John Paul II’s favorability in January 1998 hit 65%.Born on the South Side of Chicago, Leo is the first pope to hold U.S. citizenship as well as the first to hold Peruvian citizenship and the first Augustinian pope. Following Pope Francis, he is the second pope from the Americas.

unitedyam

A March NBC poll found that American voters hold Pope Leo XIV in highest esteem among other public personalities.

Read More

Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony: Prayer of the Day for Monday, March 09, 2026 – #Prayer – “Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints” O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (request). O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms; and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. …

unitedyam

“Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints”
O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (request). O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms; and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. …

Read More
Ireland group calls for inquiry into deaths of 108 babies born alive after abortion – #Catholic – Ireland group calls for inquiry into deaths of 108 babies born alive after abortionAn advocacy group in Ireland is calling for an inquiry into the deaths of 108 babies who were born alive after attempted abortions in IrelandIn a story published March 1 and authored by Ireland’s Life Institute and others, the institute cited figures released by Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) from 2019 to 2023."Were these babies simply left to die and were they denied the life-saving interventions that might have saved them?” asked Life Institute spokesperson Sandra Parda.“We need answers, we need transparency,” Parda said. “Looking at the evidence, clearly these babies are then simply being left to die, yet everything is shrouded in silence and secrecy.”Deputy Mattie McGrath, who obtained the numbers after requesting them from the HSE, said he was "gravely concerned about any approach that reduces transparency around perinatal outcomes.”Woman forced to induce labor while in prison sues IllinoisA former inmate from Illinois filed a lawsuit against the state prison because they allegedly forced her to give birth via induction rather than spontaneous labor.At about seven months pregnant, Amy Hicks was convicted of an illegal drug offense. Two weeks before her due date, in early 2024, she underwent induction due to prison requirements.Labor is usually induced only if there is a health concern for the mother or baby. Women will often elect to avoid induction because it can increase pain and lead to higher intervention rates such as C-sections, among other concerns.The lawsuit, argued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, alleges that the prison’s requirements violate the state’s Reproductive Health Act, an amendment that created a right to abortion in the state law. The federal lawsuit names Gov. JB Pritzker’s Illinois Department of Corrections, the prison’s medical provider, and Wexford Health Sources, among others.Wyoming Senate passes heartbeat actThe Wyoming Senate passed a Heartbeat bill to protect unborn children from abortion when their heartbeats are detectable.The act prohibits “procedures that terminate the life of a child with a detectable heartbeat” with some exceptions.The bill now moves to the governor’s desk; If signed, the act would immediately take effect.Indiana court blocks protections for unborn children on religious freedom claimsAn Indiana court blocked a law protecting unborn children under religious freedom claims on March 6.The American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of the advocacy group Hoosier Jews For Choice and anonymous women, claimed the law violated religious freedom by preventing women from aborting their children.Lawsuit alleges Virginia abortion rights ballot initiative is invalidA lawsuit dated March 6 alleges that a Virginia ballot initiative to create a right to abortion is invalid.District 3 Supervisor for the Bedford County Board of Supervisors Charla Bansley claimed in the lawsuit that the House of Delegates missed mandated procedural steps, making the ballot initiative invalid.The 35-page lawsuit claims that Virginia’s House of Delegates failed to send it to all circuit court clerks so they could post it for public inspection three months prior to the 2025 House of Delegates elections.North Dakota trains physicians to understand new protections for unborn childrenA training for doctors required by a North Dakota law recently became available, part of a recent law passed to enforce laws surrounding abortion.The online training is required after the legislature passed a bill requiring training for physicians on how to apply the state’s laws protecting unborn children in various scenarios.Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America to campaign in OhioSusan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Women Speak Out PAC launched a seven figure campaign in Ohio to elect pro-life legislators.The organizations announced on March 2 that they are dedicating .25 million to campaign in support of US Senator Jon Husted, who is running against former US Senator Sherrod Brown and plan to canvas 500,000 houses.The Ohio campaign is part of SBAʼs million investment for the 2026 midterm cycle across the nation.
Read More

Ireland group calls for inquiry into deaths of 108 babies born alive after abortion – #Catholic – Ireland group calls for inquiry into deaths of 108 babies born alive after abortionAn advocacy group in Ireland is calling for an inquiry into the deaths of 108 babies who were born alive after attempted abortions in IrelandIn a story published March 1 and authored by Ireland’s Life Institute and others, the institute cited figures released by Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) from 2019 to 2023."Were these babies simply left to die and were they denied the life-saving interventions that might have saved them?” asked Life Institute spokesperson Sandra Parda.“We need answers, we need transparency,” Parda said. “Looking at the evidence, clearly these babies are then simply being left to die, yet everything is shrouded in silence and secrecy.”Deputy Mattie McGrath, who obtained the numbers after requesting them from the HSE, said he was "gravely concerned about any approach that reduces transparency around perinatal outcomes.”Woman forced to induce labor while in prison sues IllinoisA former inmate from Illinois filed a lawsuit against the state prison because they allegedly forced her to give birth via induction rather than spontaneous labor.At about seven months pregnant, Amy Hicks was convicted of an illegal drug offense. Two weeks before her due date, in early 2024, she underwent induction due to prison requirements.Labor is usually induced only if there is a health concern for the mother or baby. Women will often elect to avoid induction because it can increase pain and lead to higher intervention rates such as C-sections, among other concerns.The lawsuit, argued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, alleges that the prison’s requirements violate the state’s Reproductive Health Act, an amendment that created a right to abortion in the state law. The federal lawsuit names Gov. JB Pritzker’s Illinois Department of Corrections, the prison’s medical provider, and Wexford Health Sources, among others.Wyoming Senate passes heartbeat actThe Wyoming Senate passed a Heartbeat bill to protect unborn children from abortion when their heartbeats are detectable.The act prohibits “procedures that terminate the life of a child with a detectable heartbeat” with some exceptions.The bill now moves to the governor’s desk; If signed, the act would immediately take effect.Indiana court blocks protections for unborn children on religious freedom claimsAn Indiana court blocked a law protecting unborn children under religious freedom claims on March 6.The American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of the advocacy group Hoosier Jews For Choice and anonymous women, claimed the law violated religious freedom by preventing women from aborting their children.Lawsuit alleges Virginia abortion rights ballot initiative is invalidA lawsuit dated March 6 alleges that a Virginia ballot initiative to create a right to abortion is invalid.District 3 Supervisor for the Bedford County Board of Supervisors Charla Bansley claimed in the lawsuit that the House of Delegates missed mandated procedural steps, making the ballot initiative invalid.The 35-page lawsuit claims that Virginia’s House of Delegates failed to send it to all circuit court clerks so they could post it for public inspection three months prior to the 2025 House of Delegates elections.North Dakota trains physicians to understand new protections for unborn childrenA training for doctors required by a North Dakota law recently became available, part of a recent law passed to enforce laws surrounding abortion.The online training is required after the legislature passed a bill requiring training for physicians on how to apply the state’s laws protecting unborn children in various scenarios.Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America to campaign in OhioSusan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Women Speak Out PAC launched a seven figure campaign in Ohio to elect pro-life legislators.The organizations announced on March 2 that they are dedicating $3.25 million to campaign in support of US Senator Jon Husted, who is running against former US Senator Sherrod Brown and plan to canvas 500,000 houses.The Ohio campaign is part of SBAʼs $80 million investment for the 2026 midterm cycle across the nation.

unitedyam

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

Read More
Bangladesh’s ‘Mother of Migrants’ brings hope to the vulnerable – #Catholic – CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh — In Bangladesh’s bustling port city of Chattogram, where thousands of internal and international migrants struggle daily for survival, a 67-year-old Catholic sister has become their strongest defender. Sister Zita Rema of the Salesian Sisters of Mary Immaculate is known across the city as the “Mother of Migrants,” a title she has earned through decades of tireless service to the poor, the displaced, and the forgotten.Born in the Diocese of Mymensingh, Sister Zita now leads the Migrant Desk of the Archdiocese of Chattogram. The local Catholic community includes about 3,000 faithful, among them migrant workers and expatriates from India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Nigeria, Uganda, and South Korea. Alongside them live more than 5,000 internal Christian migrants working in garment factories, shipbreaking yards, bicycle workshops, oxygen plants, beauty parlors, and other sectors. Many face discrimination, unsafe labor conditions, financial insecurity, and emotional isolation. To all of them, Sister Zita offers a compassionate presence.“Migrants carry heavy burdens,” she said. “I walk with them so that no one feels abandoned.”Her ministry is a daily journey through crowded streets, workers’ quarters, and factory neighborhoods. She visits homes after long work shifts, prays with families, counsels the distressed, and advocates for those facing harassment or injustice. Many call her “Ma” — a sign of deep affection. Sister Zita Rema (pictured on the right) and two other sisters travel by boat to conduct pastoral work in Chattogram. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Sister Zita Rema Sister Zita is often among the first to respond when tragedy strikes. On March 4, 2023, an explosion at the Seema Oxygen Plant in Sitakunda killed seven workers, including two Catholics, and injured 25 others. “I went to the hospital immediately,” she recalled. She spent days helping secure treatment, comforting families, and negotiating compensation. Her advocacy resulted in more than 1 million taka (about ,300) paid by the factory owner and the government. “Without Sister Zita, we would not have received justice,” said Mickey Nokrek, whose son died in the blast.The hardships of migrants extend beyond accidents. Many families cannot afford the cost of transporting a deceased relative’s body back home. “It can cost 10,000 to 30,000 taka,” Sister Zita said. She mobilizes parish committees to raise the necessary funds so that families can bury their loved ones with dignity.Sister Zita is also deeply involved in preventing human trafficking. She helped rescue seven Christian children taken to a madrasa in Dhaka under false promises of education and pressured to convert. She has intervened for young women in beauty parlors who were facing abuse, helping them seek legal remedies. “Every person deserves safety and dignity,” she said.Health care is another cornerstone of Sister Zita’s mission. Many migrant women, especially those who are pregnant, seek her guidance. The Migrant Desk works with two part-time doctors who offer free consultations. She also connects patients to affordable diagnostic centers and has introduced a small insurance pool: Each member contributes 100 taka, and the fund supports anyone hospitalized.Economic instability has made life worse for many workers. The Russia-Ukraine war has slowed operations in shipbreaking yards, reducing daily wages to 300 taka only — and only when work is available. Sister Zita regularly counsels workers and provides school materials for their children. “Without support, they lose hope,” she said. Sister Zita Rema teaches catechism to children. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Sister Zita Rema One migrant who found refuge in her mission is Papia Nokrek, a beautician who suddenly lost her housing due to rising rent. “Sister gave me shelter when I had nowhere to go,” she said. “She truly is a mother to migrants like me.”Despite working in a Muslim-majority nation, Sister Zita said she has never faced hostility. Her cross silently communicates her Catholic identity. “My witness is through love,” she said. Bus staff greet her respectfully as “Ma,” and she continues to teach catechism and prepare Catholics for the sacraments of reconciliation, the Eucharist, and confirmation each year.As International Women’s Day is marked globally on March 8 with the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” Sister Zita said the struggle for safety remains urgent. “Women and children still fear leaving their homes alone,” she said. “My hope is for a Bangladesh where every woman can walk freely, without fear.” Each year, she organizes a program for migrant women to give them a platform to share their struggles and strengthen their unity.Sister Zita’s concerns reflect the harsh realities women face in Bangladesh. According to the human rights group Ain o Salish Kendra, 749 rapes were reported from January to December 2025, including 569 single rapes and 180 gang rapes. In addition, 193 women were victims of sexual harassment. For Sister Zita, these numbers underscore the urgency of protecting women’s rights and dignity.Looking back on her decades of service, she said she feels fulfilled. “For 20 years, I have walked with migrant workers, listened to their stories, cried with them, and prayed with them,” she said. “Their love has blessed my life. I thank God for choosing me for this mission.”
Read More

Bangladesh’s ‘Mother of Migrants’ brings hope to the vulnerable – #Catholic – CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh — In Bangladesh’s bustling port city of Chattogram, where thousands of internal and international migrants struggle daily for survival, a 67-year-old Catholic sister has become their strongest defender. Sister Zita Rema of the Salesian Sisters of Mary Immaculate is known across the city as the “Mother of Migrants,” a title she has earned through decades of tireless service to the poor, the displaced, and the forgotten.Born in the Diocese of Mymensingh, Sister Zita now leads the Migrant Desk of the Archdiocese of Chattogram. The local Catholic community includes about 3,000 faithful, among them migrant workers and expatriates from India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Nigeria, Uganda, and South Korea. Alongside them live more than 5,000 internal Christian migrants working in garment factories, shipbreaking yards, bicycle workshops, oxygen plants, beauty parlors, and other sectors. Many face discrimination, unsafe labor conditions, financial insecurity, and emotional isolation. To all of them, Sister Zita offers a compassionate presence.“Migrants carry heavy burdens,” she said. “I walk with them so that no one feels abandoned.”Her ministry is a daily journey through crowded streets, workers’ quarters, and factory neighborhoods. She visits homes after long work shifts, prays with families, counsels the distressed, and advocates for those facing harassment or injustice. Many call her “Ma” — a sign of deep affection. Sister Zita Rema (pictured on the right) and two other sisters travel by boat to conduct pastoral work in Chattogram. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Sister Zita Rema Sister Zita is often among the first to respond when tragedy strikes. On March 4, 2023, an explosion at the Seema Oxygen Plant in Sitakunda killed seven workers, including two Catholics, and injured 25 others. “I went to the hospital immediately,” she recalled. She spent days helping secure treatment, comforting families, and negotiating compensation. Her advocacy resulted in more than 1 million taka (about $8,300) paid by the factory owner and the government. “Without Sister Zita, we would not have received justice,” said Mickey Nokrek, whose son died in the blast.The hardships of migrants extend beyond accidents. Many families cannot afford the cost of transporting a deceased relative’s body back home. “It can cost 10,000 to 30,000 taka,” Sister Zita said. She mobilizes parish committees to raise the necessary funds so that families can bury their loved ones with dignity.Sister Zita is also deeply involved in preventing human trafficking. She helped rescue seven Christian children taken to a madrasa in Dhaka under false promises of education and pressured to convert. She has intervened for young women in beauty parlors who were facing abuse, helping them seek legal remedies. “Every person deserves safety and dignity,” she said.Health care is another cornerstone of Sister Zita’s mission. Many migrant women, especially those who are pregnant, seek her guidance. The Migrant Desk works with two part-time doctors who offer free consultations. She also connects patients to affordable diagnostic centers and has introduced a small insurance pool: Each member contributes 100 taka, and the fund supports anyone hospitalized.Economic instability has made life worse for many workers. The Russia-Ukraine war has slowed operations in shipbreaking yards, reducing daily wages to 300 taka only — and only when work is available. Sister Zita regularly counsels workers and provides school materials for their children. “Without support, they lose hope,” she said. Sister Zita Rema teaches catechism to children. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Sister Zita Rema One migrant who found refuge in her mission is Papia Nokrek, a beautician who suddenly lost her housing due to rising rent. “Sister gave me shelter when I had nowhere to go,” she said. “She truly is a mother to migrants like me.”Despite working in a Muslim-majority nation, Sister Zita said she has never faced hostility. Her cross silently communicates her Catholic identity. “My witness is through love,” she said. Bus staff greet her respectfully as “Ma,” and she continues to teach catechism and prepare Catholics for the sacraments of reconciliation, the Eucharist, and confirmation each year.As International Women’s Day is marked globally on March 8 with the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” Sister Zita said the struggle for safety remains urgent. “Women and children still fear leaving their homes alone,” she said. “My hope is for a Bangladesh where every woman can walk freely, without fear.” Each year, she organizes a program for migrant women to give them a platform to share their struggles and strengthen their unity.Sister Zita’s concerns reflect the harsh realities women face in Bangladesh. According to the human rights group Ain o Salish Kendra, 749 rapes were reported from January to December 2025, including 569 single rapes and 180 gang rapes. In addition, 193 women were victims of sexual harassment. For Sister Zita, these numbers underscore the urgency of protecting women’s rights and dignity.Looking back on her decades of service, she said she feels fulfilled. “For 20 years, I have walked with migrant workers, listened to their stories, cried with them, and prayed with them,” she said. “Their love has blessed my life. I thank God for choosing me for this mission.”

unitedyam

Sister Zita Rema of the Salesian Sisters of Mary Immaculate has spent decades of tireless service to the poor, the displaced, and the forgotten.

Read More
Large family with 13-year-old in seminary and a baby named Leo touches pope’s heart – #Catholic – Thirteen-year-old Fernando Bejarano Calvo — the second of seven children — felt the desire to become a priest in preschool. “He started talking about the seminary when he was 6,” recalled his mother, Nerea Calvo.At first, she thought it was just a passing childhood whim. “We thought he was saying it somewhat unconsciously,” she explained in a phone conversation with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. However, that early vocational fervor remained burning in his heart. In fifth grade, at the age of 9, he entered the minor seminary in Toledo, Spain. Fernando Bejarano Calvo serves at Benediction. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family “We neither pushed him nor held him back,” explained his father, also named Fernando. “It’s not our decision, it’s his,” he added.This seminary isn’t very different from other schools, except that it operates as a boarding school and places great importance on spiritual life. Prayer marks the hours of the day, during which academic formation is also very important.“They have their teachers, their school hours, and when school is over they have their time for prayer and various activities,” Nerea explained. Fernando Bejarano Calvo participates in a procession. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family Fernando returns home one weekend a month and receives visits from his family every Sunday. “We talk to him every day. Even though they live at the seminary, obviously it’s not like the family suddenly disappears,” his father emphasized.In any case, his mother doesn’t deny that the physical separation has an emotional cost: “It’s a kind of heartbreak, so to speak, that is both beautiful and difficult, but you share it with other families.” Fernando Bejarano Calvo with his parents and sister at the seminary. |Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family At the seminary — which has just celebrated its 100th anniversary — they have found a support network among parents and formators. Nerea experiences it as a gift: “You don’t lose your son, you gain 40 more, and 40 more families.”An unexpected gift during the papal audienceThis family accompanied their son Fernando and 46 other young men from the minor seminary in Toledo to an audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace on Feb. 28 — along with other families whose sons have also experienced an early vocation. Pope Leo XIV shows his affection for Fernando Bejarano Calvo and the other children during an audience at the Vatican. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family “We had been waiting for this moment for many months. We wanted to receive what the Holy Father had in store for the seminarians and also for the families who accompany them,” the boy’s father explained.For the young men of St. Thomas Villanova Minor Seminary in Toledo, this pilgrimage was especially significant, as it coincided with the centenary celebration of the diocesan institution, whose patron saint, an Augustinian friar, holds a very special place in the heart of Pope Leo XIV. The 46 minor seminarians from Toledo, Spain, make their way to Rome with their formators. | Credit: St. Thomas Villanova Minor Seminary in Toledo At the end of the meeting, the pope greeted the family and held the youngest of the siblings, whom they had named Leo (León in Spanish) after the pope. Nerea’s husband, Fernando — to whom she has been married for 17 years — already had the name in mind. “I already had the name,” he said. “I hadn’t thought about it like some strategy. It was simply clear to me.”The boy was born after a difficult pregnancy, which his mother offered for the Church, vocations, and the pontificate of the new pope.“I was vomiting from Day 1 until the very last day. It was very difficult. I practically didn’t leave the house except to go to Mass. Very confined, very limited,” Nerea recounted.The pope thanked them “for praying for the Church” and blessed the little boy in an unexpected gift that extended to their entire family. Pope Leo XIV holds the youngest of the seven siblings in the Bejarano Calvo family, León. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family Bishops, formators, seminarians, and family members from other Spanish seminaries — Alcalá de Henares and the Interdiocesan Seminary of Catalonia and Cartagena — participated in the audience.Among them was the rector of the Conciliar Seminary of the Immaculate Conception and the Holy Children of the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares, Father Luis Eduardo Morona Alguacil, who shared with ACI Prensa that the meeting was “an experience of catholicity” and “a moment of great inner joy.”Currently, the diocesan seminary he directs has seven seminarians, representing a diversity of ages and backgrounds. “There’s a bit of everything; there are young men, and then most are between 25 and 35 years old. Almost all of them have already had professional experience and university studies.” He indicated that all of them maintain a close connection with the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares, either by coming from its parishes or by having been mentored by diocesan priests. Seminary rector Father Luis Eduardo Morona Alguacil (left) with Bishop Antonio Prieto Lucena, bishop of Alcalá de Henares. | Credit: Diocese of Alcalá de Henares ‘A much-desired experience’The trip to Rome had been long awaited. According to the rector, the audience had already been requested and granted during Pope Francis’ pontificate, but it could not take place due to the worsening of his illness. “It was at that time that he was already hospitalized and with a fairly advanced illness, and he was unable to receive us,” he recalled.A year later, the meeting with Leo XIV finally took place. “It was an experience, as always when one goes to Rome, to be with the pope, an experience of catholicity, of savoring and experiencing the mystery of the Church and of being close to the successor of Peter,” he said.Morona also highlighted the ecclesial communion dimension of the meeting, given the presence of several Spanish seminaries.‘Deeply moved’According to the rector, the seminarians returned “deeply moved by the depth and essence of what the pope told them.” The central theme of the papal address was the call to cultivate a supernatural vision of reality, especially during their formation. Pope Leo XIV meets with the seminarians of the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares at the Vatican. | Credit: Diocese of Alcalá de Henares “They were rereading the address and overjoyed to know that the pope prays for them,” explained the rector, who emphasized the impact that Leo XIV’s personal presence had on the seminarians.After the address, the pope approached the different groups and listened to each one. “He is a man who listens; you can tell he is paying attention when you are speaking to him, that he is attentive to what you are saying. That is something that also surprised them,” Morona recounted. Several seminarians were able to give the pope personal letters and small gifts in an atmosphere he described as “a very beautiful sense of ecclesial communion.”Ordinations in April and the visit to SpainThe audience took place at a particularly significant time for the seminary of Diocese of Alcalá de Henares, which is preparing for the ordination of several deacons. When the rector informed the pope, Leo XIV asked: “But before or after my visit to Spain?”“He had his visit to Spain in mind; it’s something he must have in his heart and mind,” the rector noted.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.
Read More

Large family with 13-year-old in seminary and a baby named Leo touches pope’s heart – #Catholic – Thirteen-year-old Fernando Bejarano Calvo — the second of seven children — felt the desire to become a priest in preschool. “He started talking about the seminary when he was 6,” recalled his mother, Nerea Calvo.At first, she thought it was just a passing childhood whim. “We thought he was saying it somewhat unconsciously,” she explained in a phone conversation with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. However, that early vocational fervor remained burning in his heart. In fifth grade, at the age of 9, he entered the minor seminary in Toledo, Spain. Fernando Bejarano Calvo serves at Benediction. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family “We neither pushed him nor held him back,” explained his father, also named Fernando. “It’s not our decision, it’s his,” he added.This seminary isn’t very different from other schools, except that it operates as a boarding school and places great importance on spiritual life. Prayer marks the hours of the day, during which academic formation is also very important.“They have their teachers, their school hours, and when school is over they have their time for prayer and various activities,” Nerea explained. Fernando Bejarano Calvo participates in a procession. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family Fernando returns home one weekend a month and receives visits from his family every Sunday. “We talk to him every day. Even though they live at the seminary, obviously it’s not like the family suddenly disappears,” his father emphasized.In any case, his mother doesn’t deny that the physical separation has an emotional cost: “It’s a kind of heartbreak, so to speak, that is both beautiful and difficult, but you share it with other families.” Fernando Bejarano Calvo with his parents and sister at the seminary. |Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family At the seminary — which has just celebrated its 100th anniversary — they have found a support network among parents and formators. Nerea experiences it as a gift: “You don’t lose your son, you gain 40 more, and 40 more families.”An unexpected gift during the papal audienceThis family accompanied their son Fernando and 46 other young men from the minor seminary in Toledo to an audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace on Feb. 28 — along with other families whose sons have also experienced an early vocation. Pope Leo XIV shows his affection for Fernando Bejarano Calvo and the other children during an audience at the Vatican. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family “We had been waiting for this moment for many months. We wanted to receive what the Holy Father had in store for the seminarians and also for the families who accompany them,” the boy’s father explained.For the young men of St. Thomas Villanova Minor Seminary in Toledo, this pilgrimage was especially significant, as it coincided with the centenary celebration of the diocesan institution, whose patron saint, an Augustinian friar, holds a very special place in the heart of Pope Leo XIV. The 46 minor seminarians from Toledo, Spain, make their way to Rome with their formators. | Credit: St. Thomas Villanova Minor Seminary in Toledo At the end of the meeting, the pope greeted the family and held the youngest of the siblings, whom they had named Leo (León in Spanish) after the pope. Nerea’s husband, Fernando — to whom she has been married for 17 years — already had the name in mind. “I already had the name,” he said. “I hadn’t thought about it like some strategy. It was simply clear to me.”The boy was born after a difficult pregnancy, which his mother offered for the Church, vocations, and the pontificate of the new pope.“I was vomiting from Day 1 until the very last day. It was very difficult. I practically didn’t leave the house except to go to Mass. Very confined, very limited,” Nerea recounted.The pope thanked them “for praying for the Church” and blessed the little boy in an unexpected gift that extended to their entire family. Pope Leo XIV holds the youngest of the seven siblings in the Bejarano Calvo family, León. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bejarano Calvo family Bishops, formators, seminarians, and family members from other Spanish seminaries — Alcalá de Henares and the Interdiocesan Seminary of Catalonia and Cartagena — participated in the audience.Among them was the rector of the Conciliar Seminary of the Immaculate Conception and the Holy Children of the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares, Father Luis Eduardo Morona Alguacil, who shared with ACI Prensa that the meeting was “an experience of catholicity” and “a moment of great inner joy.”Currently, the diocesan seminary he directs has seven seminarians, representing a diversity of ages and backgrounds. “There’s a bit of everything; there are young men, and then most are between 25 and 35 years old. Almost all of them have already had professional experience and university studies.” He indicated that all of them maintain a close connection with the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares, either by coming from its parishes or by having been mentored by diocesan priests. Seminary rector Father Luis Eduardo Morona Alguacil (left) with Bishop Antonio Prieto Lucena, bishop of Alcalá de Henares. | Credit: Diocese of Alcalá de Henares ‘A much-desired experience’The trip to Rome had been long awaited. According to the rector, the audience had already been requested and granted during Pope Francis’ pontificate, but it could not take place due to the worsening of his illness. “It was at that time that he was already hospitalized and with a fairly advanced illness, and he was unable to receive us,” he recalled.A year later, the meeting with Leo XIV finally took place. “It was an experience, as always when one goes to Rome, to be with the pope, an experience of catholicity, of savoring and experiencing the mystery of the Church and of being close to the successor of Peter,” he said.Morona also highlighted the ecclesial communion dimension of the meeting, given the presence of several Spanish seminaries.‘Deeply moved’According to the rector, the seminarians returned “deeply moved by the depth and essence of what the pope told them.” The central theme of the papal address was the call to cultivate a supernatural vision of reality, especially during their formation. Pope Leo XIV meets with the seminarians of the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares at the Vatican. | Credit: Diocese of Alcalá de Henares “They were rereading the address and overjoyed to know that the pope prays for them,” explained the rector, who emphasized the impact that Leo XIV’s personal presence had on the seminarians.After the address, the pope approached the different groups and listened to each one. “He is a man who listens; you can tell he is paying attention when you are speaking to him, that he is attentive to what you are saying. That is something that also surprised them,” Morona recounted. Several seminarians were able to give the pope personal letters and small gifts in an atmosphere he described as “a very beautiful sense of ecclesial communion.”Ordinations in April and the visit to SpainThe audience took place at a particularly significant time for the seminary of Diocese of Alcalá de Henares, which is preparing for the ordination of several deacons. When the rector informed the pope, Leo XIV asked: “But before or after my visit to Spain?”“He had his visit to Spain in mind; it’s something he must have in his heart and mind,” the rector noted.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.

unitedyam

When their 13-year-old son entered the minor seminary, his parents had no idea that one day the whole family would meet Pope Leo XIV, an encounter that was a special blessing for them all.

Read More

Prayer in Time of Sickness or Trial: Prayer of the Day for Sunday, March 08, 2026 – #Prayer – O good Jesus, I accept willingly this sickness [or trial] which it has pleased you to lay upon me. I confide all my pains to your Sacred Heart, and beg you to unite them with your bitter sufferings, and thus perfect them by making them your own. Since I cannot render you the praise due to you because of the multitude of my sorrows and afflictions, I ask you to praise God the Father for all I suffer, with the same tribute of praise you offered him when your agony on the Cross was at its …

unitedyam

O good Jesus, I accept willingly this sickness [or trial] which it has pleased you to lay upon me. I confide all my pains to your Sacred Heart, and beg you to unite them with your bitter sufferings, and thus perfect them by making them your own.

Since I cannot render you the praise due to you because of the multitude of my sorrows and afflictions, I ask you to praise God the Father for all I suffer, with the same tribute of praise you offered him when your agony on the Cross was at its …

Read More
El Paso Diocese declares bankruptcy amid abuse filings, ‘very limited’ financial resources – #Catholic – The Diocese of El Paso will file for bankruptcy amid more than a dozen lawsuits over allegations of sexual abuse, Bishop Mark Seitz said this week. In a message to the Texas diocese on March 6, Seitz said the diocese is facing “18 pending lawsuits” for alleged sexual abuse that occurred between 1956-1982.The alleged abuse occurred “long before society or the Church was aware of the presence and extent of child abuse taking place within its institutions” and “long before the Diocese implemented the strong child protection policies and practices that exist today to guard against these crimes,” Seitz said in the message, which was accompanied by a video posted to YouTube. Seitz said he decided to have the diocese file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after consultation with priests and diocesan officials as well as “prayerful consideration.” He described it as “the most prudent course of action” because “there are now financial claims pending against the diocese that exceed our means.”The diocese will work “to equitably compensate those who have been harmed, and to carry on the essential ministries of the Church in our diocese so we can continue to meet the needs of all who rely upon the Church,” Seitz said. Describing diocesan resources as “very limited,” the bishop said the bankruptcy filing will allow the diocese to streamline its abuse compensation plan into one process overseen by the bankruptcy court, allowing the diocese to “move forward on stable financial ground.”Apologizing for the abuse inflicted on victims by diocesan officials, Seitz said the process will be a “difficult journey,” though he said the diocese will “continue to serve the Lord with all our hearts through whatever trials may come.”El Paso is the first diocese in Texas to file for bankruptcy over abuse claims. The southern U.S. state is home to 13 dioceses and two archdioceses.
Read More

El Paso Diocese declares bankruptcy amid abuse filings, ‘very limited’ financial resources – #Catholic – The Diocese of El Paso will file for bankruptcy amid more than a dozen lawsuits over allegations of sexual abuse, Bishop Mark Seitz said this week. In a message to the Texas diocese on March 6, Seitz said the diocese is facing “18 pending lawsuits” for alleged sexual abuse that occurred between 1956-1982.The alleged abuse occurred “long before society or the Church was aware of the presence and extent of child abuse taking place within its institutions” and “long before the Diocese implemented the strong child protection policies and practices that exist today to guard against these crimes,” Seitz said in the message, which was accompanied by a video posted to YouTube. Seitz said he decided to have the diocese file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after consultation with priests and diocesan officials as well as “prayerful consideration.” He described it as “the most prudent course of action” because “there are now financial claims pending against the diocese that exceed our means.”The diocese will work “to equitably compensate those who have been harmed, and to carry on the essential ministries of the Church in our diocese so we can continue to meet the needs of all who rely upon the Church,” Seitz said. Describing diocesan resources as “very limited,” the bishop said the bankruptcy filing will allow the diocese to streamline its abuse compensation plan into one process overseen by the bankruptcy court, allowing the diocese to “move forward on stable financial ground.”Apologizing for the abuse inflicted on victims by diocesan officials, Seitz said the process will be a “difficult journey,” though he said the diocese will “continue to serve the Lord with all our hearts through whatever trials may come.”El Paso is the first diocese in Texas to file for bankruptcy over abuse claims. The southern U.S. state is home to 13 dioceses and two archdioceses.

unitedyam

Bishop Mark Seitz said nearly 20 lawsuits against the diocese led him to file for Chapter 11 reorganization.

Read More
Luxembourg includes ‘freedom to abort’ in its constitution, following France’s lead – #Catholic – Luxembourg has become the second country in Europe to enshrine the “freedom to abort” in its constitution, following the precedent set by France in 2024.The Luxembourg unicameral legislature approved establishing the “freedom to abort” in the constitution on March 1 with a large parliamentary majority in a 48-6 vote with two abstentions. The amendment to the constitution comes four years after the strengthening of the 1978 legislation that originally permitted abortion in the country. The effort was initiated by the left-wing party Déi Lénk with a proposal presented in 2024, which was subsequently approved by the Council of State.A number of French-speaking countries refer to abortion with the euphemism “voluntary interruption of pregnancy,” or IVG by its French acronym.Following the debate prior to the measureʼs approval, it was decided to include the phrase “freedom to abort” in the text instead of “right to an abortion.” This choice establishes the legality of abortion, albeit subject to certain legal limitations. Its incorporation into the constitution also grants it greater legal protection than that afforded by ordinary laws.‘Every human being possesses an inalienable dignity’In September 2025 the countryʼs bishops expressed their disagreement with the constitutional initiative and emphasized that “every human being possesses an inalienable and indispensable dignity at every stage of life, even before birth.”On behalf of the Catholic Church in the country, they reiterated that human dignity and the protection of life “are inextricably joined together” and that the inclusion of this supposed public freedom in the constitution “represents a shift in the ethical and legal paradigm.”They denounced the fact that the starting point for legalizing abortion is the womanʼs right to self-determination over her own body, meaning that the fetus ceases to be distinguished “in any meaningful way as a separate human being.”“The right to life of the unborn child is relegated to a secondary level compared to the womanʼs right to self-determination,” they lamented.In this context, the prelates emphasized that “creating a legal framework that simply allows individuals to pursue their own life projects in a self-determined manner cannot be the sole consideration.”They therefore proposed promoting a balance between family and work, fostering a shared approach to parenting, supporting single parents, preventing child poverty, and guaranteeing equal rights in the workplace.In their view, establishing a fundamental right to abortion in the constitution “promotes the logic of the law of the strongest" and they argued that the problems and crises many families face during pregnancy could be resolved without amending the constitution.Currently, abortion is legal in Luxembourg up to 12 weeks of gestation. Furthermore, in July 2025 certain requirements were eliminated such as the mandatory three-day waiting period and the pre-abortion counseling session.Other European countries could be poised to follow the example of France and Luxembourg, as is the case in Spain, after the Council of State endorsed its inclusion as a right in the constitution last February.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.
Read More

Luxembourg includes ‘freedom to abort’ in its constitution, following France’s lead – #Catholic – Luxembourg has become the second country in Europe to enshrine the “freedom to abort” in its constitution, following the precedent set by France in 2024.The Luxembourg unicameral legislature approved establishing the “freedom to abort” in the constitution on March 1 with a large parliamentary majority in a 48-6 vote with two abstentions. The amendment to the constitution comes four years after the strengthening of the 1978 legislation that originally permitted abortion in the country. The effort was initiated by the left-wing party Déi Lénk with a proposal presented in 2024, which was subsequently approved by the Council of State.A number of French-speaking countries refer to abortion with the euphemism “voluntary interruption of pregnancy,” or IVG by its French acronym.Following the debate prior to the measureʼs approval, it was decided to include the phrase “freedom to abort” in the text instead of “right to an abortion.” This choice establishes the legality of abortion, albeit subject to certain legal limitations. Its incorporation into the constitution also grants it greater legal protection than that afforded by ordinary laws.‘Every human being possesses an inalienable dignity’In September 2025 the countryʼs bishops expressed their disagreement with the constitutional initiative and emphasized that “every human being possesses an inalienable and indispensable dignity at every stage of life, even before birth.”On behalf of the Catholic Church in the country, they reiterated that human dignity and the protection of life “are inextricably joined together” and that the inclusion of this supposed public freedom in the constitution “represents a shift in the ethical and legal paradigm.”They denounced the fact that the starting point for legalizing abortion is the womanʼs right to self-determination over her own body, meaning that the fetus ceases to be distinguished “in any meaningful way as a separate human being.”“The right to life of the unborn child is relegated to a secondary level compared to the womanʼs right to self-determination,” they lamented.In this context, the prelates emphasized that “creating a legal framework that simply allows individuals to pursue their own life projects in a self-determined manner cannot be the sole consideration.”They therefore proposed promoting a balance between family and work, fostering a shared approach to parenting, supporting single parents, preventing child poverty, and guaranteeing equal rights in the workplace.In their view, establishing a fundamental right to abortion in the constitution “promotes the logic of the law of the strongest" and they argued that the problems and crises many families face during pregnancy could be resolved without amending the constitution.Currently, abortion is legal in Luxembourg up to 12 weeks of gestation. Furthermore, in July 2025 certain requirements were eliminated such as the mandatory three-day waiting period and the pre-abortion counseling session.Other European countries could be poised to follow the example of France and Luxembourg, as is the case in Spain, after the Council of State endorsed its inclusion as a right in the constitution last February.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.

unitedyam

Although abortion has been legal in the country since 1978, by a large majority vote in the legislature the small European nation has inserted the “freedom to abort” in the constitution.

Read More
Sister of slain bishop reflects on traveling exhibit honoring the 19 Algerian martyrs – #Catholic – Anne-Marie Gustavson’s voice was joyful when she recounted her recent visit to New York to speak on a panel about the 19 Algerian martyrs, one of whom was her brother, Bishop Pierre Claverie, OP.“I was absolutely amazed by everything,” she said of New York Encounter — held in February at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood — where her brother was featured in an exhibit alongside his fellow 18 martyrs of the so-called “Black Decade” of Algeria from 1992–2002. The Algerian-born French citizen living in New Jersey exclaimed: “I had no idea this existed at all, this New York Encounter!”Gustavson participated in a panel discussion alongside Father Thomas Georgeon, the postulator for the 19 martyrs of Algeria’s cause; Georgetown University professor Paul Heck; and Bishop Steven Raica of Birmingham, Alabama, who moderated the discussion.She said the exhibit was “absolutely beautiful” and marveled at its being scheduled to travel to England and Paris.Indeed, according to Georgeon, the exhibit will travel to many more cities, including Chicago and Nashville, Tennessee, in the U.S. as well as Lourdes, France, and Milan, Rome, and “at least 10 other cities in Italy.” Prior to the New York Encounter, the exhibit was first presented at the Rimini Meeting, the Italian equivalent of the encounter, in August 2025. “The success in Rimini was phenomenal: 15,000 people visited the exhibition in five days,” Georgeon said.“That their reputation of holiness is growing, growing, and growing — that’s clear,” Georgeon said.“Nineteen consecrated men and women, eight different religious congregations; seven women and 12 men who had answered God’s call to devote themselves to him and were called twice to give their lives to the end for the love of Christ and their neighbor,” he said. “The profiles of the 19 martyrs show astonishing variety against the background of the dynamism of a local Church, discerned by events and in a state of resistance to the prevailing violence.”Claverie and his 18 companions were beatified by Pope Francis on Dec. 8, 2018, in Oran, Algeria, marking the first instance of a Catholic beatification taking place in a Muslim-majority country. Claverie served as bishop of Oran from 1981 until his Aug. 1, 1996, martyrdom.The best known of Claverie’s companions are the seven monks of Tibhirine, who were kidnapped from their Trappist priory in March 1996. They were kept as a bartering chip to procure the release of several imprisoned members of the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria and were killed in May 1996. Their story was dramatized in the 2010 French film “Of Gods and Men,” which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.In her interview with EWTN News, Gustavson described her brother as having “a balanced personality,” saying he shared their mother’s vivaciousness and was often “very joyful and teasing people.” At the same time, she said, “he also had my father’s intelligence and a more sober and thoughtful kind of temperament.”“He never doubted his faith,” she said. “Once faith came upon him, he never doubted after that, and his path led him back to Algeria.” Gustavson and her brother were born in Algeria, and their family’s history there had stretched back for five generations. During Algeria’s war of independence from France in the 1960s, the family left Algeria for France. Claverie’s faith journey famously began when he joined a scout troop run by the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans, the order he would eventually enter.Gustavson emphasized the importance to her brother of remaining in Algeria. He was dedicated to helping Algerians to realize their dreams of democracy and peace in wake of the civil war in the 1990s that killed thousands of people. She recounted how he had begun to speak up as bishop of Oran about the suffering of the Algerian people, who were caught between a “a very repressive government and a rebellion based on an extreme form of Islam that had infiltrated the country.”The question for Catholics became, “Do we stay or do we go?” she said.“For us, for the family, at that point, my mom had passed away in ’92,” she recalled. “So for my father, and for us, my husband and I, and our daughters, we knew that something might happen.”“But none of us had the thought of telling him, ‘OK, Pierre, just stop. Just go to France, go wherever.’ No, because he was on the path he wanted to be on,” she said. “And we knew also that he was a great help to the people, the Muslims around him.”The last time Gustavson spoke with her brother was over the phone, a little over a day before he was killed. She said she could hear that “his voice was really not the way that it usually was,” and it had been several months since the monks at Tibhirine had disappeared. “The next day, a friend of ours gave me the call in the evening saying that Pierre had been killed along with [his driver] Mohamed.”“When my brother was killed… so there was a six-hour difference with Algeria. And at the time when he was killed, I was in our bedroom, and I was rearranging some things on the shelves. And I had a picture of my brother at the top of that shelf, and it fell. And I picked it up; it wasn’t broken. And at that point, I said, ‘Oh my God.’ It was such a relief to think that it didn’t break.”“In the years that followed, for me, it became a symbol of the fact that Pierre’s spirit goes on,” she said. “And the proof is now, today, after 30 years, his spirit is still alive.”In the coming month, Georgeon and her brother’s biographer, Father Jean-Jacques Pérennès, OP, will join a delegation including Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers in visiting Pope Leo XIV ahead of his April trip to Algeria. Georgeon said he has seen “great joy, pride, and a desire for brotherhood being expressed” in the Algerian press and on social media.Georgeon said there is nothing specific he expects regarding the cause of the 19 martyrs but said it “will be an opportunity to take stock of the cause and the spread of the reputation for holiness of these men and women throughout the world.”For her part, Gustavson revealed excitedly that she will send a copy of her brother’s biography with them to give Pope Leo and that she has written a message to him inside, saying: “To Pope Leo XIV, from Anne-Marie Gustavson-Claverie. My brother Pierre used to say, ‘I need the truth of others.’ I will be praying for you as you search for that truth among the Algerian people he loved.”Gustavson will visit the country in August on the 30th anniversary of her brother’s martyrdom.
Read More

Sister of slain bishop reflects on traveling exhibit honoring the 19 Algerian martyrs – #Catholic – Anne-Marie Gustavson’s voice was joyful when she recounted her recent visit to New York to speak on a panel about the 19 Algerian martyrs, one of whom was her brother, Bishop Pierre Claverie, OP.“I was absolutely amazed by everything,” she said of New York Encounter — held in February at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood — where her brother was featured in an exhibit alongside his fellow 18 martyrs of the so-called “Black Decade” of Algeria from 1992–2002. The Algerian-born French citizen living in New Jersey exclaimed: “I had no idea this existed at all, this New York Encounter!”Gustavson participated in a panel discussion alongside Father Thomas Georgeon, the postulator for the 19 martyrs of Algeria’s cause; Georgetown University professor Paul Heck; and Bishop Steven Raica of Birmingham, Alabama, who moderated the discussion.She said the exhibit was “absolutely beautiful” and marveled at its being scheduled to travel to England and Paris.Indeed, according to Georgeon, the exhibit will travel to many more cities, including Chicago and Nashville, Tennessee, in the U.S. as well as Lourdes, France, and Milan, Rome, and “at least 10 other cities in Italy.” Prior to the New York Encounter, the exhibit was first presented at the Rimini Meeting, the Italian equivalent of the encounter, in August 2025. “The success in Rimini was phenomenal: 15,000 people visited the exhibition in five days,” Georgeon said.“That their reputation of holiness is growing, growing, and growing — that’s clear,” Georgeon said.“Nineteen consecrated men and women, eight different religious congregations; seven women and 12 men who had answered God’s call to devote themselves to him and were called twice to give their lives to the end for the love of Christ and their neighbor,” he said. “The profiles of the 19 martyrs show astonishing variety against the background of the dynamism of a local Church, discerned by events and in a state of resistance to the prevailing violence.”Claverie and his 18 companions were beatified by Pope Francis on Dec. 8, 2018, in Oran, Algeria, marking the first instance of a Catholic beatification taking place in a Muslim-majority country. Claverie served as bishop of Oran from 1981 until his Aug. 1, 1996, martyrdom.The best known of Claverie’s companions are the seven monks of Tibhirine, who were kidnapped from their Trappist priory in March 1996. They were kept as a bartering chip to procure the release of several imprisoned members of the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria and were killed in May 1996. Their story was dramatized in the 2010 French film “Of Gods and Men,” which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.In her interview with EWTN News, Gustavson described her brother as having “a balanced personality,” saying he shared their mother’s vivaciousness and was often “very joyful and teasing people.” At the same time, she said, “he also had my father’s intelligence and a more sober and thoughtful kind of temperament.”“He never doubted his faith,” she said. “Once faith came upon him, he never doubted after that, and his path led him back to Algeria.” Gustavson and her brother were born in Algeria, and their family’s history there had stretched back for five generations. During Algeria’s war of independence from France in the 1960s, the family left Algeria for France. Claverie’s faith journey famously began when he joined a scout troop run by the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans, the order he would eventually enter.Gustavson emphasized the importance to her brother of remaining in Algeria. He was dedicated to helping Algerians to realize their dreams of democracy and peace in wake of the civil war in the 1990s that killed thousands of people. She recounted how he had begun to speak up as bishop of Oran about the suffering of the Algerian people, who were caught between a “a very repressive government and a rebellion based on an extreme form of Islam that had infiltrated the country.”The question for Catholics became, “Do we stay or do we go?” she said.“For us, for the family, at that point, my mom had passed away in ’92,” she recalled. “So for my father, and for us, my husband and I, and our daughters, we knew that something might happen.”“But none of us had the thought of telling him, ‘OK, Pierre, just stop. Just go to France, go wherever.’ No, because he was on the path he wanted to be on,” she said. “And we knew also that he was a great help to the people, the Muslims around him.”The last time Gustavson spoke with her brother was over the phone, a little over a day before he was killed. She said she could hear that “his voice was really not the way that it usually was,” and it had been several months since the monks at Tibhirine had disappeared. “The next day, a friend of ours gave me the call in the evening saying that Pierre had been killed along with [his driver] Mohamed.”“When my brother was killed… so there was a six-hour difference with Algeria. And at the time when he was killed, I was in our bedroom, and I was rearranging some things on the shelves. And I had a picture of my brother at the top of that shelf, and it fell. And I picked it up; it wasn’t broken. And at that point, I said, ‘Oh my God.’ It was such a relief to think that it didn’t break.”“In the years that followed, for me, it became a symbol of the fact that Pierre’s spirit goes on,” she said. “And the proof is now, today, after 30 years, his spirit is still alive.”In the coming month, Georgeon and her brother’s biographer, Father Jean-Jacques Pérennès, OP, will join a delegation including Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers in visiting Pope Leo XIV ahead of his April trip to Algeria. Georgeon said he has seen “great joy, pride, and a desire for brotherhood being expressed” in the Algerian press and on social media.Georgeon said there is nothing specific he expects regarding the cause of the 19 martyrs but said it “will be an opportunity to take stock of the cause and the spread of the reputation for holiness of these men and women throughout the world.”For her part, Gustavson revealed excitedly that she will send a copy of her brother’s biography with them to give Pope Leo and that she has written a message to him inside, saying: “To Pope Leo XIV, from Anne-Marie Gustavson-Claverie. My brother Pierre used to say, ‘I need the truth of others.’ I will be praying for you as you search for that truth among the Algerian people he loved.”Gustavson will visit the country in August on the 30th anniversary of her brother’s martyrdom.

unitedyam

An exhibit honoring the 19 Algerian martyrs is making stops at major cities around the globe. The postulator for the martyrs’ cause and the sister of one of them tells EWTN News what they stood for.

Read More

Act of Contrition: Prayer of the Day for Saturday, March 07, 2026 – #Prayer – O, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you. I detest all my sins because of your just punishment, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

unitedyam

O, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you. I detest all my sins because of your just punishment, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

Read More
Sister Mary Agnes discusses path to her vocation and mission of Sisters of Life – #Catholic – Ahead of International Women’s Day, Sister of Life Mother Mary Agnes Donovan discussed finding her calling to religious life and her decades of working with women in need.Donovan said “it’s uniquely true now” that it can be hard for women of faith to see the God-given gifts in themselves. “If you are a woman of faith, you’re living in a way that’s countering a prevalent culture. So you don’t fit in, and you don’t fit the mold,” she said in an interview with EWTN News’ Colm Flynn, with an excerpt aired on “EWTN News Nightly” and broadcast in full on EWTN’s YouTube channel.“So it’s very important to have other people around you ratify, and encourage, and identify that ‘You are uniquely gifted in this way and this is a gift that has been given, that you can develop, and give back to the world,’” she said.To honor her many years of helping women, the GIVEN Institute announced this week Donovan will receive the 2026 GIVEN Fiat Award. GIVEN, a nonprofit organization that helps young women identify their gifts for the Church and the world, will honor her witness to the dignity of women and the gift of life.To recognize these God-given gifts, Donovan said “other people notice it first, and they’ll tell you.”Path to religious lifeBefore joining religious life, Donovan said she had other plans. Growing up in Pennsylvania in the farming country, “I always thought, because of the circumstances, I’d be a farmer’s wife,” she said. “I thought I would have six children.”Later on, Donovan developed an interest in psychology. “I think I loved people, and that was probably the basis of my own interest in pursuing psychology,” she said. “I think just to understand the human person.”She went to college for a degree in educational psychology and eventually completed her doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After school, Donovan began teaching at Columbia University in New York.While at Columbia, “I thought that would be my life forever,” she said. “I had no intention of leaving.” But then everything changed during a retreat at the end of her first year teaching in New York.“It was an Ignatian retreat where you pray in silence for eight days and basically listen to, and see things, that you don’t see when you’re not silent and you’re not praying,” she said. “I think what happened was that essentially an encounter with the love of God just turned my life upside down.”It was “a calling to give all of my life to God, and he would decide what that would look like. So in other words, it was a call to love, to give all of my mind, my heart, my soul, the entirety of my life,” she said.Joining religious life then “seemed obvious to me,” she said. “I told my retreat director that. I said, ‘I’ll be in a convent next year at this time.’” Donovan then entered religious life in 1991, when the Sisters of Life was founded, and became a sister by 1993.Sisters of LifeWhile many call her a founder or co-founder of the Sisters of Life, Donovan said: “I’ve never thought of myself that way.” It was Cardinal John O’Connor who “actually received the charismatic grace, that is the foundational grace of our community. I was the first superior, and a long-term superior.”“I think all of the first 50 sisters are probably foundational sisters. We all contributed to the foundation of mission, to the foundation of our common life, everything about our lives. You do it together in a community,” she said.More than three decades after the order was founded, the sisters continue their mission in a time it is especially needed, she said. “We live in an age when most people don’t get up in the morning and feel that their life matters deeply to many. They question the meaning and the purpose of their lives,” she said.“Our purpose as Sisters of Life is to answer that very ache in the heart of man, which is to say that ‘You are of infinite value, that you came from a Creator who created you with a particular purpose for your life. And only you can fulfill that purpose.’”The Sisters of Life primarily work with women experiencing unexpected pregnancies and are “deliberating among their options,” she said. “I think that the women that call us are calling us because they want to know everything before they make that decision.”“They may not be practicing their faith, but they have some life of faith within them. They don’t want to ignore that because everything in their being tells them that this is an important decision,” she said.“So our job is simply to help them slow down long enough to simply think through with their heart more than their mind: ‘What is before me and what my options are,’” she said. “It’s really a call to listen deeply to the heart of another and to allow her to speak what is within her heart, so that she can hear herself.”Many women who come to the sisters have already had abortions after they “quickly made a decision,” she said. They are not as quick to do it again because “the experience of abortion is not what it’s described to be. It’s an experience they never want to have again,” she said.“No woman would ever choose abortion if she had options that were real,” Donovan said. The sisters then “help her find what she needs so that she can reasonably make that decision. Because the decision for abortion is often one that is vaguely coerced by the culture, by withdrawing all the supports that are needed.”“No one comes to us by force. They only come to us voluntarily. We don’t seek them. They walk through our doors,” she said. “She is coming to us because, in fact, she’s feeling coerced into a decision that she doesn’t like or desire.”Impact of the sisters’ ministry After 35 years of ministry, many of the children the Sisters of Life helped bring into the world are now adults. The sisters “stay in touch with many of them and they’re part of our family,” Donovan said. “They do their confirmation service hours with us” and “they come back and they volunteer,” she said.“Every Christmas, when we have our Christmas party, you look at all these children that are there … and you stand there and you say: ‘Not one of them would probably be alive. Not one of them,’” Donovan said.“It’s the most wondrous mission … to receive these women, to usher them through a program of retreat and prayer and gatherings where they explore and understand what has happened in their life. They come to us sometimes weeks and months after the abortion. Sometimes they come decades after,” Donovan said.“It’s the most wonderful thing … to see these women actually begin to believe in the mercy and the tenderness of the heart of God,” she said.The Sisters of Life continues its mission, and the number of sisters continues to grow with it. As the number of religious vocations goes down, the order has not experienced a decline with around 145 sisters today. “God has blessed us with vocations,” Donovan said. But, “we need many more.”
Read More

Sister Mary Agnes discusses path to her vocation and mission of Sisters of Life – #Catholic – Ahead of International Women’s Day, Sister of Life Mother Mary Agnes Donovan discussed finding her calling to religious life and her decades of working with women in need.Donovan said “it’s uniquely true now” that it can be hard for women of faith to see the God-given gifts in themselves. “If you are a woman of faith, you’re living in a way that’s countering a prevalent culture. So you don’t fit in, and you don’t fit the mold,” she said in an interview with EWTN News’ Colm Flynn, with an excerpt aired on “EWTN News Nightly” and broadcast in full on EWTN’s YouTube channel.“So it’s very important to have other people around you ratify, and encourage, and identify that ‘You are uniquely gifted in this way and this is a gift that has been given, that you can develop, and give back to the world,’” she said.To honor her many years of helping women, the GIVEN Institute announced this week Donovan will receive the 2026 GIVEN Fiat Award. GIVEN, a nonprofit organization that helps young women identify their gifts for the Church and the world, will honor her witness to the dignity of women and the gift of life.To recognize these God-given gifts, Donovan said “other people notice it first, and they’ll tell you.”Path to religious lifeBefore joining religious life, Donovan said she had other plans. Growing up in Pennsylvania in the farming country, “I always thought, because of the circumstances, I’d be a farmer’s wife,” she said. “I thought I would have six children.”Later on, Donovan developed an interest in psychology. “I think I loved people, and that was probably the basis of my own interest in pursuing psychology,” she said. “I think just to understand the human person.”She went to college for a degree in educational psychology and eventually completed her doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After school, Donovan began teaching at Columbia University in New York.While at Columbia, “I thought that would be my life forever,” she said. “I had no intention of leaving.” But then everything changed during a retreat at the end of her first year teaching in New York.“It was an Ignatian retreat where you pray in silence for eight days and basically listen to, and see things, that you don’t see when you’re not silent and you’re not praying,” she said. “I think what happened was that essentially an encounter with the love of God just turned my life upside down.”It was “a calling to give all of my life to God, and he would decide what that would look like. So in other words, it was a call to love, to give all of my mind, my heart, my soul, the entirety of my life,” she said.Joining religious life then “seemed obvious to me,” she said. “I told my retreat director that. I said, ‘I’ll be in a convent next year at this time.’” Donovan then entered religious life in 1991, when the Sisters of Life was founded, and became a sister by 1993.Sisters of LifeWhile many call her a founder or co-founder of the Sisters of Life, Donovan said: “I’ve never thought of myself that way.” It was Cardinal John O’Connor who “actually received the charismatic grace, that is the foundational grace of our community. I was the first superior, and a long-term superior.”“I think all of the first 50 sisters are probably foundational sisters. We all contributed to the foundation of mission, to the foundation of our common life, everything about our lives. You do it together in a community,” she said.More than three decades after the order was founded, the sisters continue their mission in a time it is especially needed, she said. “We live in an age when most people don’t get up in the morning and feel that their life matters deeply to many. They question the meaning and the purpose of their lives,” she said.“Our purpose as Sisters of Life is to answer that very ache in the heart of man, which is to say that ‘You are of infinite value, that you came from a Creator who created you with a particular purpose for your life. And only you can fulfill that purpose.’”The Sisters of Life primarily work with women experiencing unexpected pregnancies and are “deliberating among their options,” she said. “I think that the women that call us are calling us because they want to know everything before they make that decision.”“They may not be practicing their faith, but they have some life of faith within them. They don’t want to ignore that because everything in their being tells them that this is an important decision,” she said.“So our job is simply to help them slow down long enough to simply think through with their heart more than their mind: ‘What is before me and what my options are,’” she said. “It’s really a call to listen deeply to the heart of another and to allow her to speak what is within her heart, so that she can hear herself.”Many women who come to the sisters have already had abortions after they “quickly made a decision,” she said. They are not as quick to do it again because “the experience of abortion is not what it’s described to be. It’s an experience they never want to have again,” she said.“No woman would ever choose abortion if she had options that were real,” Donovan said. The sisters then “help her find what she needs so that she can reasonably make that decision. Because the decision for abortion is often one that is vaguely coerced by the culture, by withdrawing all the supports that are needed.”“No one comes to us by force. They only come to us voluntarily. We don’t seek them. They walk through our doors,” she said. “She is coming to us because, in fact, she’s feeling coerced into a decision that she doesn’t like or desire.”Impact of the sisters’ ministry After 35 years of ministry, many of the children the Sisters of Life helped bring into the world are now adults. The sisters “stay in touch with many of them and they’re part of our family,” Donovan said. “They do their confirmation service hours with us” and “they come back and they volunteer,” she said.“Every Christmas, when we have our Christmas party, you look at all these children that are there … and you stand there and you say: ‘Not one of them would probably be alive. Not one of them,’” Donovan said.“It’s the most wondrous mission … to receive these women, to usher them through a program of retreat and prayer and gatherings where they explore and understand what has happened in their life. They come to us sometimes weeks and months after the abortion. Sometimes they come decades after,” Donovan said.“It’s the most wonderful thing … to see these women actually begin to believe in the mercy and the tenderness of the heart of God,” she said.The Sisters of Life continues its mission, and the number of sisters continues to grow with it. As the number of religious vocations goes down, the order has not experienced a decline with around 145 sisters today. “God has blessed us with vocations,” Donovan said. But, “we need many more.”

unitedyam

Sister Mary Agnes Donavan says to recognize our God-given gifts, “other people notice it first, and they’ll tell you.”

Read More
Trump administration repeals gender, sexuality affirmation rules for foster homes – #Catholic – President Donald Trump’s administration eliminated a federal rule that sought to force foster homes to affirm a child’s same-sex attraction and a child’s self-asserted gender identity when that identity is inconsistent with his or her biological sex.The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) formally rescinded the rule on March 6 based on concerns it could force faith-based foster parents and foster homes to violate their religious beliefs.“This Biden-era rule was an affront to common sense, but most especially, it sent the wrong message to faith-based foster parents and organizations who simply seek to provide a loving home for foster youth,” Alex Adams, ACF assistant secretary, said in a statement.“We can do better, and we must do better to make sure children in foster care find lovely, nurturing homes,” he said.The formal elimination of the rule comes nine months after a federal court blocked enforcement, finding it exceeded the statutory authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACF is a division of HHS.On March 3, ACF also sent letters to all 50 states explaining that children may not be removed from foster homes solely because the foster parents do not affirm a child identifying as a gender inconsistent with the child’s sex.“Parents have the right to raise their children according to their sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions,” Adams said in a statement. “When states overstep their bounds, ACF will take action to deter inappropriate policies that drive unnecessary interactions with child welfare systems. This is one such example.”These moves are part of Trump’s broader efforts to combat what he calls “gender ideology extremism.” In an executive order, Trump established an official policy to affirm “the biological reality of sex” and recognized that the terms “man” and “woman” refer to biological distinctions rather than self-identification.
Read More

Trump administration repeals gender, sexuality affirmation rules for foster homes – #Catholic – President Donald Trump’s administration eliminated a federal rule that sought to force foster homes to affirm a child’s same-sex attraction and a child’s self-asserted gender identity when that identity is inconsistent with his or her biological sex.The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) formally rescinded the rule on March 6 based on concerns it could force faith-based foster parents and foster homes to violate their religious beliefs.“This Biden-era rule was an affront to common sense, but most especially, it sent the wrong message to faith-based foster parents and organizations who simply seek to provide a loving home for foster youth,” Alex Adams, ACF assistant secretary, said in a statement.“We can do better, and we must do better to make sure children in foster care find lovely, nurturing homes,” he said.The formal elimination of the rule comes nine months after a federal court blocked enforcement, finding it exceeded the statutory authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACF is a division of HHS.On March 3, ACF also sent letters to all 50 states explaining that children may not be removed from foster homes solely because the foster parents do not affirm a child identifying as a gender inconsistent with the child’s sex.“Parents have the right to raise their children according to their sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions,” Adams said in a statement. “When states overstep their bounds, ACF will take action to deter inappropriate policies that drive unnecessary interactions with child welfare systems. This is one such example.”These moves are part of Trump’s broader efforts to combat what he calls “gender ideology extremism.” In an executive order, Trump established an official policy to affirm “the biological reality of sex” and recognized that the terms “man” and “woman” refer to biological distinctions rather than self-identification.

unitedyam

A federal judge blocked the rule nine months ago.

Read More
U.S. bishops to advocate ‘just immigration policies’ with Homeland Security successor – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will advocate for “just immigration policies” with the successor to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.President Donald Trump said Noem would become special envoy for a security initiative called “The Shield of the Americas” the day after a tense hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 4. Trump said he will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, to replace her. The position requires Senate confirmation, a process requiring a simple majority (51 votes) for approval.Following the announcement, USCCB Committee on Migration Chair Bishop Brendan J. Cahill said in a statement to EWTN News that the bishops will advocate for just immigration policies with Noem’s successor, focused on the dignity of the human person.“Without commenting on the qualifications of any specific individual, my brother bishops and I remain committed to dialoguing with all leaders in every administration, as well as Congress, in support of just immigration policies that recognize the God-given dignity of all involved,” Cahill said.“We will continue to urge an approach to immigration enforcement that is targeted, proportionate, and humane, always respecting each person’s inherent dignity, the sanctity of families, and religious liberty,” he added.“At the same time, we will continue to call on Congress to undertake a meaningful reform of our immigration system to rectify the ways our current laws lead to unjust consequences for families and communities,” Cahill said.During her tenure, Noem has overseen the president’s mass deportation initiative, which faced criticism from the bishops. DHS oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).In November, the USCCB approved a special message with a 216-5 vote to oppose “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” The bishops also objected to “dehumanizing rhetoric and violence” directed at immigrants and law enforcement and expressed concern about family separation.Impact of leadership shake-upIt’s unclear whether the shake-up will lead to any significant policy changes, considering that Mullin has strongly supported the administration’s strict enforcement of immigration laws, such as mass deportations, policy scholars said.The Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), which works closely with the bishops, is following the shift, with a spokesperson telling EWTN News that the organization hopes the incoming secretary “will recognize the inherent dignity of immigrants and refugees and uphold policies that protect those seeking safety and opportunity.”“Mullin has a past record of recognizing the importance of providing refuge to Afghans who assisted the United States, and we hope that same understanding of our nation’s moral responsibility will be applied more broadly to people around the world seeking safety and security,” the spokesperson said.Kevin Appleby, senior fellow for policy and communications for the Center for Migration Studies and former director of migration policy for the USCCB, told EWTN News he sees the change as “an opportunity to get the administration and the [DHS] to change course.”However, he said the mass deportation policy “will remain in place until President Trump and his advisers decide that it’s the wrong approach [and] that an immigration reform package is in the best interest of the country, and I don’t see that happening in the near future.”“Until the president takes a different approach, just because you change someone at the top, you won’t change the fundamental policy and what’s happening,” he said.Appleby said he does not think the leadership change will alleviate the bishops’ concerns because the Church is “opposed to the basic policy” of mass deportations.Andrew Arthur, resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, told EWTN News that he also doubts the bishops’ concerns will be alleviated, saying: “I don’t believe that his appointment is going to change the president’s immigration policies.”He said there may be some differences between Noem and Mullin, such as “a continuation of the Tom Homan vision of enforcement — more targeted enforcement,” referring to the border czar. He said there may be a stronger focus on those who have committed additional crimes and more worksite enforcement.
Read More

U.S. bishops to advocate ‘just immigration policies’ with Homeland Security successor – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will advocate for “just immigration policies” with the successor to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.President Donald Trump said Noem would become special envoy for a security initiative called “The Shield of the Americas” the day after a tense hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 4. Trump said he will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, to replace her. The position requires Senate confirmation, a process requiring a simple majority (51 votes) for approval.Following the announcement, USCCB Committee on Migration Chair Bishop Brendan J. Cahill said in a statement to EWTN News that the bishops will advocate for just immigration policies with Noem’s successor, focused on the dignity of the human person.“Without commenting on the qualifications of any specific individual, my brother bishops and I remain committed to dialoguing with all leaders in every administration, as well as Congress, in support of just immigration policies that recognize the God-given dignity of all involved,” Cahill said.“We will continue to urge an approach to immigration enforcement that is targeted, proportionate, and humane, always respecting each person’s inherent dignity, the sanctity of families, and religious liberty,” he added.“At the same time, we will continue to call on Congress to undertake a meaningful reform of our immigration system to rectify the ways our current laws lead to unjust consequences for families and communities,” Cahill said.During her tenure, Noem has overseen the president’s mass deportation initiative, which faced criticism from the bishops. DHS oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).In November, the USCCB approved a special message with a 216-5 vote to oppose “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” The bishops also objected to “dehumanizing rhetoric and violence” directed at immigrants and law enforcement and expressed concern about family separation.Impact of leadership shake-upIt’s unclear whether the shake-up will lead to any significant policy changes, considering that Mullin has strongly supported the administration’s strict enforcement of immigration laws, such as mass deportations, policy scholars said.The Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), which works closely with the bishops, is following the shift, with a spokesperson telling EWTN News that the organization hopes the incoming secretary “will recognize the inherent dignity of immigrants and refugees and uphold policies that protect those seeking safety and opportunity.”“Mullin has a past record of recognizing the importance of providing refuge to Afghans who assisted the United States, and we hope that same understanding of our nation’s moral responsibility will be applied more broadly to people around the world seeking safety and security,” the spokesperson said.Kevin Appleby, senior fellow for policy and communications for the Center for Migration Studies and former director of migration policy for the USCCB, told EWTN News he sees the change as “an opportunity to get the administration and the [DHS] to change course.”However, he said the mass deportation policy “will remain in place until President Trump and his advisers decide that it’s the wrong approach [and] that an immigration reform package is in the best interest of the country, and I don’t see that happening in the near future.”“Until the president takes a different approach, just because you change someone at the top, you won’t change the fundamental policy and what’s happening,” he said.Appleby said he does not think the leadership change will alleviate the bishops’ concerns because the Church is “opposed to the basic policy” of mass deportations.Andrew Arthur, resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, told EWTN News that he also doubts the bishops’ concerns will be alleviated, saying: “I don’t believe that his appointment is going to change the president’s immigration policies.”He said there may be some differences between Noem and Mullin, such as “a continuation of the Tom Homan vision of enforcement — more targeted enforcement,” referring to the border czar. He said there may be a stronger focus on those who have committed additional crimes and more worksite enforcement.

unitedyam

U.S. bishops said they hope to work with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s replacement. Policy scholars said they expect that many of the administration’s priorities will remain in place.

Read More

A Parent’s Prayer for their Children: Prayer of the Day for Friday, March 06, 2026 – #Prayer – O Heavenly Father, I commend my children unto Thee. Be Thou their God and Father; and mercifully supply whatever is wanting in me through frailty or negligence. Strengthen them to overcome the corruptions of the world, to resist all solicitations to evil, whether from within or without; and deliver them from the secret snares of the enemy. Pour Thy grace into their hearts, and confirm and multiply in them the gifts of Thy Holy Spirit, that they may daily grow in …

unitedyam

O Heavenly Father,
I commend my children unto Thee.
Be Thou their God and Father;
and mercifully supply whatever is wanting in me
through frailty or negligence.
Strengthen them to overcome the corruptions of the world,
to resist all solicitations to evil,
whether from within or without;
and deliver them from the secret snares of the enemy.
Pour Thy grace into their hearts,
and confirm and multiply in them the gifts of Thy Holy Spirit,
that they may daily grow in …

Read More
Southern Arabia Vicariate marks 10 years since Yemen Missionaries of Charity martyrdom – #Catholic – On the 10th anniversary of the martyrdom of four Missionaries of Charity and members of the laity in Yemen, Bishop Paolo Martinelli, apostolic vicar of Southern Arabia, presided over Mass on March 4 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.In his homily, Martinelli highlighted the sisters’ courage and their offering of their lives as martyrs and witnesses to the love of Christ, who “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” He said their example showed love of neighbor through serving “the poorest of the poor” in the Yemeni city of Aden, “which is part of our apostolic vicariate.”Martinelli noted that this commemoration comes as the Gulf and the wider Middle East are living through a difficult period. He said the sisters’ witness can be read as “a source of hope that surpasses any human hope,” and he urged the faithful to pray “so that we do not grow weary of witnessing to the Gospel, especially in these times of trial we live today… so that through the intercession of the holy martyrs we may receive the gift of peace and reconciliation in our region and in the whole world.”He described the anniversary not as a remembrance of defeat but as a celebration of victory, like Christ, whose death “may appear to be a defeat of good or a failure of his mission, but in truth is a triumphant fulfillment.” He also pointed to the Church’s history of those who respond to evil with good and confront hatred with forgiveness, following the example of Christ, who forgave those who crucified him.” The faithful attend Mass on March 4, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi where the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia commemorated the 10th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Missionaries of Charity along with members of the laity. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia Martyrs of our timeMartinelli recalled Pope Francis’ description of the sisters as “martyrs of our time” and the pope’s reflections on Christian and Muslim lay victims, and on how the “witness of blood” can unite people of different religions.Four sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by St. Teresa of Calcutta, were killed in Aden on March 4, 2016, after armed men stormed the nursing home the sisters operated.The attack left Sister Marguerite, 44; Sister Reginette, 31; Sister Judith, 41; and Sister Anselm, 59, dead. Father Tom Uzhunnalil, a Salesian priest, was kidnapped and later released in September 2017. Twelve lay co-workers of different nationalities and religions were also killed in the same attack.The Missionaries of Charity have been present in Yemen since 1973, responding to an invitation from the government of North Yemen at the time. They opened the nursing home in Aden and have run it since 1992. The sisters continue their presence in the country to this day, serving as a humble yet powerful sign of hope.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated for and adapted by EWTN News English.
Read More

Southern Arabia Vicariate marks 10 years since Yemen Missionaries of Charity martyrdom – #Catholic – On the 10th anniversary of the martyrdom of four Missionaries of Charity and members of the laity in Yemen, Bishop Paolo Martinelli, apostolic vicar of Southern Arabia, presided over Mass on March 4 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.In his homily, Martinelli highlighted the sisters’ courage and their offering of their lives as martyrs and witnesses to the love of Christ, who “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” He said their example showed love of neighbor through serving “the poorest of the poor” in the Yemeni city of Aden, “which is part of our apostolic vicariate.”Martinelli noted that this commemoration comes as the Gulf and the wider Middle East are living through a difficult period. He said the sisters’ witness can be read as “a source of hope that surpasses any human hope,” and he urged the faithful to pray “so that we do not grow weary of witnessing to the Gospel, especially in these times of trial we live today… so that through the intercession of the holy martyrs we may receive the gift of peace and reconciliation in our region and in the whole world.”He described the anniversary not as a remembrance of defeat but as a celebration of victory, like Christ, whose death “may appear to be a defeat of good or a failure of his mission, but in truth is a triumphant fulfillment.” He also pointed to the Church’s history of those who respond to evil with good and confront hatred with forgiveness, following the example of Christ, who forgave those who crucified him.” The faithful attend Mass on March 4, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi where the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia commemorated the 10th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Missionaries of Charity along with members of the laity. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia Martyrs of our timeMartinelli recalled Pope Francis’ description of the sisters as “martyrs of our time” and the pope’s reflections on Christian and Muslim lay victims, and on how the “witness of blood” can unite people of different religions.Four sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by St. Teresa of Calcutta, were killed in Aden on March 4, 2016, after armed men stormed the nursing home the sisters operated.The attack left Sister Marguerite, 44; Sister Reginette, 31; Sister Judith, 41; and Sister Anselm, 59, dead. Father Tom Uzhunnalil, a Salesian priest, was kidnapped and later released in September 2017. Twelve lay co-workers of different nationalities and religions were also killed in the same attack.The Missionaries of Charity have been present in Yemen since 1973, responding to an invitation from the government of North Yemen at the time. They opened the nursing home in Aden and have run it since 1992. The sisters continue their presence in the country to this day, serving as a humble yet powerful sign of hope.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated for and adapted by EWTN News English.

unitedyam

At an Abu Dhabi Mass on March 4, Bishop Paolo Martinelli said Yemen martyrs are a “source of hope” amid today’s turmoil.

Read More
Pope Leo XIV congratulates world’s oldest priest on his 110th birthday – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV thanked a 110-year-old priest from the Diocese of Fulda, Germany, for his “long, faithful, and devoted priestly service.” Father Bruno Kant is officially recognized as the oldest priest in the world.“I was delighted to learn that you will be celebrating your 110th birthday on Feb. 26 and send you my warmest congratulations and blessings,” Pope Leo wrote to Kant, according to the newspaper Fuldaer Zeitung.The birthday celebrations were attended not only by residents of the neighboring towns of Eichenzell and Löschenrod but also by government and Church representatives. The bishop of Fulda, Michael Gerber, said: “I received confirmation from the Vatican that he is the oldest priest in the world. Pope Leo even sent him a birthday card.”As reported by katholisch.de in November 2025, Kant, born near Danzig in present-day Poland, wanted to be a priest from the age of 9. He began his theological studies, but the Nazi regime thwarted his plans by conscripting him for forced labor and making him a soldier.Kant then spent four years as a prisoner of war in Russia before being reunited with his family, who had fled to the West.Kant was finally ordained a priest in 1950. After decades of priestly service, he no longer does certain things due to his advanced age. He stopped driving “at 102 years old,” according to the news outlet, and “for the last few years, he has refrained from regularly celebrating holy Mass with the congregation on Wednesday evenings. However, he continued visiting the sick as long as he was able. Now that is no longer possible.”At that time, Kant acknowledged that he was “not far from death,” but in the meantime, he spends his days doing Sudoku puzzles, watching television, reading the newspaper, and, of course, praying.“Prayer keeps me young,” he said.This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by ACI Prensa/EWTN News English.
Read More

Pope Leo XIV congratulates world’s oldest priest on his 110th birthday – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV thanked a 110-year-old priest from the Diocese of Fulda, Germany, for his “long, faithful, and devoted priestly service.” Father Bruno Kant is officially recognized as the oldest priest in the world.“I was delighted to learn that you will be celebrating your 110th birthday on Feb. 26 and send you my warmest congratulations and blessings,” Pope Leo wrote to Kant, according to the newspaper Fuldaer Zeitung.The birthday celebrations were attended not only by residents of the neighboring towns of Eichenzell and Löschenrod but also by government and Church representatives. The bishop of Fulda, Michael Gerber, said: “I received confirmation from the Vatican that he is the oldest priest in the world. Pope Leo even sent him a birthday card.”As reported by katholisch.de in November 2025, Kant, born near Danzig in present-day Poland, wanted to be a priest from the age of 9. He began his theological studies, but the Nazi regime thwarted his plans by conscripting him for forced labor and making him a soldier.Kant then spent four years as a prisoner of war in Russia before being reunited with his family, who had fled to the West.Kant was finally ordained a priest in 1950. After decades of priestly service, he no longer does certain things due to his advanced age. He stopped driving “at 102 years old,” according to the news outlet, and “for the last few years, he has refrained from regularly celebrating holy Mass with the congregation on Wednesday evenings. However, he continued visiting the sick as long as he was able. Now that is no longer possible.”At that time, Kant acknowledged that he was “not far from death,” but in the meantime, he spends his days doing Sudoku puzzles, watching television, reading the newspaper, and, of course, praying.“Prayer keeps me young,” he said.This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by ACI Prensa/EWTN News English.

unitedyam

Born in 1916 and ordained in 1950, Father Bruno Kant of Germany turned 110 on Feb. 26 and has been a priest for 76 years.

Read More
Holy See to UN: Christians are the most persecuted community in the world – #Catholic – Speaking at a conference in Geneva on March 3, Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations since 2023, decried the fact that Christians are the most persecuted community in the world.His address was titled “Standing with Persecuted Christians: Defending the Faith and Christian Values.”Balestrero, who is also the Holy See’s representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), stated that during 2025 “almost 5,000 faithful were killed for their faith,” the equivalent of 13 people a day.“Almost 400 million Christians worldwide face persecution or violence, making them the most persecuted religious community in the world,” the prelate told Vatican News.Balestrero stated that the victims “are martyrs in the etymological sense of the term,” because they are witnesses “to their creed who embody values that challenge the logic of power.”From the perspective of international law, the Italian prelate emphasized that Christians are also victims of “outrageous human rights violations” and insisted that their witness should not distract from the responsibility of states, whose duty it is to provide protection.“It is the state’s duty to protect freedom of religion or belief, which includes preventing third parties from violating this right. This protection has to safeguard believers who are targeted, before, during, and after an attack,” he stated.The problem of impunityBalestrero drew attention to the issue of impunity for those who take the lives of Christians, which he referred to as “one of the most serious issues in the global landscape of religious persecution.”After expressing his concern for the millions of persecuted Christians, he noted that this “scourge” to which they are subjected “affects countries across the world” and continents, including Europe. In this context, he cited the recent report on hate crimes by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, which recorded more than 760 hate crimes against Christians in Europe in 2024 alone.Beyond the crimes, the Holy See’s representative in Geneva denounced other forms of persecution that are “more subtle and often silent forms of persecution,” such as gradual marginalization or exclusion from social and professional life “even in traditionally Christian lands.”He also specified that this persecution takes the form of more discreet restrictions and limitations, “through which legal norms and administrative practices restrict or, in fact, nullify the legally recognized rights of the predominantly Christian population, even in some parts of Europe.”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.
Read More

Holy See to UN: Christians are the most persecuted community in the world – #Catholic – Speaking at a conference in Geneva on March 3, Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations since 2023, decried the fact that Christians are the most persecuted community in the world.His address was titled “Standing with Persecuted Christians: Defending the Faith and Christian Values.”Balestrero, who is also the Holy See’s representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), stated that during 2025 “almost 5,000 faithful were killed for their faith,” the equivalent of 13 people a day.“Almost 400 million Christians worldwide face persecution or violence, making them the most persecuted religious community in the world,” the prelate told Vatican News.Balestrero stated that the victims “are martyrs in the etymological sense of the term,” because they are witnesses “to their creed who embody values that challenge the logic of power.”From the perspective of international law, the Italian prelate emphasized that Christians are also victims of “outrageous human rights violations” and insisted that their witness should not distract from the responsibility of states, whose duty it is to provide protection.“It is the state’s duty to protect freedom of religion or belief, which includes preventing third parties from violating this right. This protection has to safeguard believers who are targeted, before, during, and after an attack,” he stated.The problem of impunityBalestrero drew attention to the issue of impunity for those who take the lives of Christians, which he referred to as “one of the most serious issues in the global landscape of religious persecution.”After expressing his concern for the millions of persecuted Christians, he noted that this “scourge” to which they are subjected “affects countries across the world” and continents, including Europe. In this context, he cited the recent report on hate crimes by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, which recorded more than 760 hate crimes against Christians in Europe in 2024 alone.Beyond the crimes, the Holy See’s representative in Geneva denounced other forms of persecution that are “more subtle and often silent forms of persecution,” such as gradual marginalization or exclusion from social and professional life “even in traditionally Christian lands.”He also specified that this persecution takes the form of more discreet restrictions and limitations, “through which legal norms and administrative practices restrict or, in fact, nullify the legally recognized rights of the predominantly Christian population, even in some parts of Europe.”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.

unitedyam

The Holy See’s permanent observer to the UN provided statistics demonstrating the extent of the persecution of Christians worldwide.

Read More

Psalm for the Sick: Prayer of the Day for Thursday, March 05, 2026 – #Prayer – O Lord, in your anger punish me not; in your wrath chastise me not. For your arrows have sunk deep in me; your hand has come down upon me. There is no health in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no wholeness in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have overwhelmed me; they are like a heavy burden, beyond my strength. Noisome and festering are my sores, because of my folly. I am stooped and bowed down profoundly; all the day I go in mourning. For my loins are filled with …

unitedyam

O Lord, in your anger punish me not; in your wrath chastise me not. For your arrows have sunk deep in me; your hand has come down upon me. There is no health in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no wholeness in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have overwhelmed me; they are like a heavy burden, beyond my strength. Noisome and festering are my sores, because of my folly. I am stooped and bowed down profoundly; all the day I go in mourning. For my loins are filled with …

Read More
Lou Holtz, legendary Notre Dame football coach and outspoken Catholic, dies at 89 – #Catholic – Lou Holtz, whose lengthy football coaching career included an undefeated championship season at the University of Notre Dame and who spoke regularly about his Catholic faith, died on March 4 at age 89. Holtz’s death was announced by his family through a statement via the athletics department at Notre Dame. The retired coach had entered hospice shortly before his death. TweetThe coach “is remembered for his enduring values of faith, family, service, andan unwavering belief in the potential of others,” his family said. Holtz was preceded in death by his wife, Beth, who passed away in 2020. The two had been married for 59 years at the time of her death. Both are survived by four children. A fixture in college sports for decades, Holtz began his head coaching career in 1969 at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He subsequently served as coach at North Carolina State and the University of Arkansas as well as a stint at the University of Minnesota; he also coached the New York Jets briefly in 1976. His most memorable coaching appointment came at the University of Notre Dame, which he joined in 1986. He would go on to lead the team to an undefeated national championship in 1989, beating the West Virginia Mountaineers 34-21 at that year’s Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. After a brief retirement and a stint as a commentator for CBS Sports, Holtz took up the head coach position at the University of South Carolina in 1999, where he had previously served as an assistant coach in 1966. He retired from that final role in 2004; his final game was marked by the infamous Clemson-South Carolina football brawl, with Holtz describing it as a “heck of a note” that his last match would be remembered for the fight. In his later years he appeared in various commentary roles on a variety of ESPN programs. One of his four children is Skip Holtz, who has served as head coach at numerous collegiate football teams. On Dec. 3, 2020, Holtz was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House at the time described Holtz as “one of the greatest football coaches of all time” as well as “a philanthropist, author, and true American patriot.”Trump himself while awarding the medal described Holtz as a “great gentleman” and a “great man.” The president said he was amazed at learning about Holtz’s coaching record ahead of the ceremony.“When we were researching this out, I knew he was supposed to be a good coach, but I didn’t know how good he was, because these stats are very amazing,” the president admitted. Known in part for his conservative politics, Holtz at that ceremony described Trump as “the greatest president during my lifetime.”“I get this award; I accept it humbly,” he said. “And you don’t go in life saying ‘I want to win this award.’ You just wake up one day and it happens.”A lifelong Catholic, Holtz was educated by the Sisters of Notre Dame at St. Aloysius Grade School in East Liverpool, Ohio. In 2012 he told the National Catholic Register, the sister news partner of EWTN News, that the nuns “influenced my life tremendously.” “This was due to the fact that they encouraged you always to make sure that God is the focus of your life, and they didn’t allow you to do anything except to the very best of your ability,” he said. Holtz told the Register that he had prayed to God to be made a great athlete, only to have been made a coach instead.“God does answer your prayers, but it’s not always in the way you expect,” he said. “God knows what’s best for us, though, so there’s no need to worry when things don’t go how we originally wanted them to go.”He professed that the Catholic Church is “infallible” on religious principles regarding faith and morals. He said he “[tried] to follow the Catholic teachings [as that’s] what brings meaning and lasting happiness to life.” He said, however, that Church leaders should be “[held] accountable for their choices.” In multiple cases he stressed fidelity to Christ above all, such as during an interview with Southwest Michigan Catholic when he said: “I don’t go to church to honor the pope; I don’t go to church to honor the priest who might have made some mistakes; I go to church to honor Jesus Christ.”He told the publication he and his family attended Mass “every Sunday,” regardless if football was in season or not.After Pope Leo XIV’s election in 2025, Holtz called on Catholics to “pray for [Leo], respect him and support him.” “Pope Leo, I’ll be praying for you. God bless,” he said at the time.In November 2025, meanwhile, he delivered what he said was his “final public speech,” speaking at the America First Policy Institute, where he served as chair of the 1776 initiative. “[M]y commitment to the American dream has never wavered and never will,” he said at the time. “We must protect what makes America exceptional.”“We cannot let God down; we must always do what’s right,” he said.
Read More

Lou Holtz, legendary Notre Dame football coach and outspoken Catholic, dies at 89 – #Catholic – Lou Holtz, whose lengthy football coaching career included an undefeated championship season at the University of Notre Dame and who spoke regularly about his Catholic faith, died on March 4 at age 89. Holtz’s death was announced by his family through a statement via the athletics department at Notre Dame. The retired coach had entered hospice shortly before his death. TweetThe coach “is remembered for his enduring values of faith, family, service, andan unwavering belief in the potential of others,” his family said. Holtz was preceded in death by his wife, Beth, who passed away in 2020. The two had been married for 59 years at the time of her death. Both are survived by four children. A fixture in college sports for decades, Holtz began his head coaching career in 1969 at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He subsequently served as coach at North Carolina State and the University of Arkansas as well as a stint at the University of Minnesota; he also coached the New York Jets briefly in 1976. His most memorable coaching appointment came at the University of Notre Dame, which he joined in 1986. He would go on to lead the team to an undefeated national championship in 1989, beating the West Virginia Mountaineers 34-21 at that year’s Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. After a brief retirement and a stint as a commentator for CBS Sports, Holtz took up the head coach position at the University of South Carolina in 1999, where he had previously served as an assistant coach in 1966. He retired from that final role in 2004; his final game was marked by the infamous Clemson-South Carolina football brawl, with Holtz describing it as a “heck of a note” that his last match would be remembered for the fight. In his later years he appeared in various commentary roles on a variety of ESPN programs. One of his four children is Skip Holtz, who has served as head coach at numerous collegiate football teams. On Dec. 3, 2020, Holtz was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House at the time described Holtz as “one of the greatest football coaches of all time” as well as “a philanthropist, author, and true American patriot.”Trump himself while awarding the medal described Holtz as a “great gentleman” and a “great man.” The president said he was amazed at learning about Holtz’s coaching record ahead of the ceremony.“When we were researching this out, I knew he was supposed to be a good coach, but I didn’t know how good he was, because these stats are very amazing,” the president admitted. Known in part for his conservative politics, Holtz at that ceremony described Trump as “the greatest president during my lifetime.”“I get this award; I accept it humbly,” he said. “And you don’t go in life saying ‘I want to win this award.’ You just wake up one day and it happens.”A lifelong Catholic, Holtz was educated by the Sisters of Notre Dame at St. Aloysius Grade School in East Liverpool, Ohio. In 2012 he told the National Catholic Register, the sister news partner of EWTN News, that the nuns “influenced my life tremendously.” “This was due to the fact that they encouraged you always to make sure that God is the focus of your life, and they didn’t allow you to do anything except to the very best of your ability,” he said. Holtz told the Register that he had prayed to God to be made a great athlete, only to have been made a coach instead.“God does answer your prayers, but it’s not always in the way you expect,” he said. “God knows what’s best for us, though, so there’s no need to worry when things don’t go how we originally wanted them to go.”He professed that the Catholic Church is “infallible” on religious principles regarding faith and morals. He said he “[tried] to follow the Catholic teachings [as that’s] what brings meaning and lasting happiness to life.” He said, however, that Church leaders should be “[held] accountable for their choices.” In multiple cases he stressed fidelity to Christ above all, such as during an interview with Southwest Michigan Catholic when he said: “I don’t go to church to honor the pope; I don’t go to church to honor the priest who might have made some mistakes; I go to church to honor Jesus Christ.”He told the publication he and his family attended Mass “every Sunday,” regardless if football was in season or not.After Pope Leo XIV’s election in 2025, Holtz called on Catholics to “pray for [Leo], respect him and support him.” “Pope Leo, I’ll be praying for you. God bless,” he said at the time.In November 2025, meanwhile, he delivered what he said was his “final public speech,” speaking at the America First Policy Institute, where he served as chair of the 1776 initiative. “[M]y commitment to the American dream has never wavered and never will,” he said at the time. “We must protect what makes America exceptional.”“We cannot let God down; we must always do what’s right,” he said.

unitedyam

The retired coach and sports analyst had entered hospice shortly before his death.

Read More
Cuban exiles sign freedom accord for Cuba – #Catholic – Cuban exiles in Miami, led by Rosa María Payá, founder of “Cuba Decides” and daughter of the late opposition leader Oswaldo Payá, signed on March 2 what they call an “Accord for Liberation” of Cuba, a 10-step roadmap to restore “democracy and the rule of law” on the island.Oswaldo Payá was killed in a car crash in 2012 that had all the markings of a state security-staged accident. TweetThe document, signed in the Father Varela Hall of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre (the patroness of Cuba) in Miami, bears the signatures of the Cuban Resistance Assembly and Steps for Change coalitions, led respectively by Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat and Rosa María Payá, along with various opposition organizations inside and outside Cuba.The text states that it was signed “with faith in God, inspired by the founding ideals and values ​​of the Cuban nation and the Accord for Democracy,” a document published on Feb. 20, 1998, that also establishes 10 points for a peaceful transition to democracy.The Accord for Liberation outlines four phases for the transition: liberation, stabilization, reconstruction, and democratization of the country as well as the “dismantling of the criminal enterprise that is the Communist Party of Cuba, as well as the dismantling of all its repressive mechanisms and organizations.”It also prioritizes the release of political prisoners and emphasizes the need to end “the humanitarian catastrophe and immediately address basic needs, beginning a limited transition period leading to free elections, during which the country will be administered by a provisional government.”“Once the provisional government’s term has ended, general elections will be held: the first free, fair, and multiparty elections of Cuba’s new republican era,” the text emphasizes, encouraging all Cubans to join in this effort.Payá: ‘The only way out of the crisis is the end of dictatorship’During the presentation of the Accord for Liberation in Miami, Payá said: “Today we are promoting the democratic alternative to the barbarity that governs our country. Today we know that the only way out of the crisis is the end of the dictatorship.”“And it’s urgent because the human suffering of our family, the human suffering of our people on the island right now is brutal. The blackouts last for days, there’s no medicine in the hospitals, there is no food in the stores,” she stated.Payá pointed out that from 2021 to 2024, Cuba’s population decreased by 1.6 million, including Cubans who have died due to the crisis caused by the Cuban regime.“Cubans are demanding freedom, and protests continue daily on the island. The network of opposition organizations across the island is growing, despite operating under extreme conditions,” she said.According to the Global Affairs section of the University of Navarra, more than 1 million people have left Cuba since 2021 due to the economic crisis and the intensified repression of citizen protests that year; and according to Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information, some 480,000 people died on the island from 2021 to 2024.The role of the United StatesA few days ago, U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration was in talks with Cuba. “Maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba,” the president told reporters.“Cuba is, to put it mildly, a failed nation. Right now, it really is a country with serious problems, and they want our help,” he added. Trump made these statements after he had ordered a blockade of oil shipments to the island on Jan. 29, which has triggered a severe fuel shortage. Meanwhile, the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, Mike Hammer, stated in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News, in late February that Cuba is at a pivotal moment and that the country will soon achieve “the freedom it hasn’t had in 67 years.”Hammer said that “there are exchanges with people within the Cuban regime at a high level” as well as “conversations to see what can be done to take the country in a new direction” that would allow for a transition to democracy.ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, contacted the office of the Archdiocese of Miami, headed by Archbishop Thomas Wenski, for comment on the next steps regarding Cuba but has not yet received a response.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.
Read More

Cuban exiles sign freedom accord for Cuba – #Catholic – Cuban exiles in Miami, led by Rosa María Payá, founder of “Cuba Decides” and daughter of the late opposition leader Oswaldo Payá, signed on March 2 what they call an “Accord for Liberation” of Cuba, a 10-step roadmap to restore “democracy and the rule of law” on the island.Oswaldo Payá was killed in a car crash in 2012 that had all the markings of a state security-staged accident. TweetThe document, signed in the Father Varela Hall of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre (the patroness of Cuba) in Miami, bears the signatures of the Cuban Resistance Assembly and Steps for Change coalitions, led respectively by Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat and Rosa María Payá, along with various opposition organizations inside and outside Cuba.The text states that it was signed “with faith in God, inspired by the founding ideals and values ​​of the Cuban nation and the Accord for Democracy,” a document published on Feb. 20, 1998, that also establishes 10 points for a peaceful transition to democracy.The Accord for Liberation outlines four phases for the transition: liberation, stabilization, reconstruction, and democratization of the country as well as the “dismantling of the criminal enterprise that is the Communist Party of Cuba, as well as the dismantling of all its repressive mechanisms and organizations.”It also prioritizes the release of political prisoners and emphasizes the need to end “the humanitarian catastrophe and immediately address basic needs, beginning a limited transition period leading to free elections, during which the country will be administered by a provisional government.”“Once the provisional government’s term has ended, general elections will be held: the first free, fair, and multiparty elections of Cuba’s new republican era,” the text emphasizes, encouraging all Cubans to join in this effort.Payá: ‘The only way out of the crisis is the end of dictatorship’During the presentation of the Accord for Liberation in Miami, Payá said: “Today we are promoting the democratic alternative to the barbarity that governs our country. Today we know that the only way out of the crisis is the end of the dictatorship.”“And it’s urgent because the human suffering of our family, the human suffering of our people on the island right now is brutal. The blackouts last for days, there’s no medicine in the hospitals, there is no food in the stores,” she stated.Payá pointed out that from 2021 to 2024, Cuba’s population decreased by 1.6 million, including Cubans who have died due to the crisis caused by the Cuban regime.“Cubans are demanding freedom, and protests continue daily on the island. The network of opposition organizations across the island is growing, despite operating under extreme conditions,” she said.According to the Global Affairs section of the University of Navarra, more than 1 million people have left Cuba since 2021 due to the economic crisis and the intensified repression of citizen protests that year; and according to Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information, some 480,000 people died on the island from 2021 to 2024.The role of the United StatesA few days ago, U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration was in talks with Cuba. “Maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba,” the president told reporters.“Cuba is, to put it mildly, a failed nation. Right now, it really is a country with serious problems, and they want our help,” he added. Trump made these statements after he had ordered a blockade of oil shipments to the island on Jan. 29, which has triggered a severe fuel shortage. Meanwhile, the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, Mike Hammer, stated in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News, in late February that Cuba is at a pivotal moment and that the country will soon achieve “the freedom it hasn’t had in 67 years.”Hammer said that “there are exchanges with people within the Cuban regime at a high level” as well as “conversations to see what can be done to take the country in a new direction” that would allow for a transition to democracy.ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, contacted the office of the Archdiocese of Miami, headed by Archbishop Thomas Wenski, for comment on the next steps regarding Cuba but has not yet received a response.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.

unitedyam

With the communist government of Cuba under extreme pressure from the economic crisis of its own making and a U.S.-imposed oil embargo, exiled Cuban opposition leaders outlined the way to democracy.

Read More
Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil in Iraq suffers drone strike on apartment complex – #Catholic – An apartment complex built by the Knights of Columbus in Ankawa, Iraq, a suburb of Erbil, has been struck in a drone attack.“Fortunately, the building had been largely evacuated several days earlier due to its proximity to the Erbil International Airport,” the archdiocese said in a statement. The building had housed workers for the archdiocese as well as young families displaced by earlier violence in the region, which is roughly 60 to 90 miles west of the Iranian border. No casualties were reported. ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, posted video of the attack on social media, saying a “a missile and a drone fell in two separate instances” throughout the evening.TweetThe attack took place around 8 p.m. local time, March 4, the archdiocese said. Named after Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, the apartment complex was funded entirely by the Knights to house Christian refugees displaced during the war in 2014–2018. A nearby convent belonging to the Chaldean Daughters of Mary Immaculate also was damaged during the attack.‘Remember and pray’“We are now in a time once again where we pray for the solidarity and support from our brothers and sisters around the world, that these times of violence and war will come to an end, and that our suffering people may yet have a chance to return to lives of peace and dignity,” Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil said in a statement.TweetThe archdiocese encouraged Christians around the world “to remember and pray for the many marginalized people in Iraq, including the small and still threatened Christian minority struggling to remain in their native land.”Patrick Kelly, Knights of Columbus supreme knight, said in a statement, “We rejoice that no lives were lost, and we will continue to stand with the families who called McGivney House their home. We join with our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, who has encouraged us all to ‘pray for peace, work for peace.’”This story was updated on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET to include a statement from the Knights of Columbus.
Read More

Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil in Iraq suffers drone strike on apartment complex – #Catholic – An apartment complex built by the Knights of Columbus in Ankawa, Iraq, a suburb of Erbil, has been struck in a drone attack.“Fortunately, the building had been largely evacuated several days earlier due to its proximity to the Erbil International Airport,” the archdiocese said in a statement. The building had housed workers for the archdiocese as well as young families displaced by earlier violence in the region, which is roughly 60 to 90 miles west of the Iranian border. No casualties were reported. ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, posted video of the attack on social media, saying a “a missile and a drone fell in two separate instances” throughout the evening.TweetThe attack took place around 8 p.m. local time, March 4, the archdiocese said. Named after Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, the apartment complex was funded entirely by the Knights to house Christian refugees displaced during the war in 2014–2018. A nearby convent belonging to the Chaldean Daughters of Mary Immaculate also was damaged during the attack.‘Remember and pray’“We are now in a time once again where we pray for the solidarity and support from our brothers and sisters around the world, that these times of violence and war will come to an end, and that our suffering people may yet have a chance to return to lives of peace and dignity,” Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil said in a statement.TweetThe archdiocese encouraged Christians around the world “to remember and pray for the many marginalized people in Iraq, including the small and still threatened Christian minority struggling to remain in their native land.”Patrick Kelly, Knights of Columbus supreme knight, said in a statement, “We rejoice that no lives were lost, and we will continue to stand with the families who called McGivney House their home. We join with our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, who has encouraged us all to ‘pray for peace, work for peace.’”This story was updated on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET to include a statement from the Knights of Columbus.

unitedyam

No casualties were reported in the attack in the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq.

Read More
Older Posts