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

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

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Cuban government to release 51 prisoners following Vatican talks #Catholic The Cuban government announced that it will release 51 people from prison because of its “smooth” relations with the Vatican — a move that coincides with the upcoming observance of Holy Week.“In the spirit of goodwill, and of the close and smooth relations between the Cuban state and the Vatican — with which communication regarding processes for the review and release of persons deprived of liberty has historically been maintained — the government of Cuba has decided to release, in the coming days, 51 individuals sentenced to deprivation of liberty [prison],” the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported in a March 12 statement.The director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, on March 13 that “conversations regarding the release of prisoners have recently taken place.”The statement from the Cuban ministry notes that all these individuals “have served a significant portion of their sentences and have maintained good conduct in prison”; however, it does not indicate whether the group includes political prisoners.The communist regime states that since 2010, it “has granted pardons to 9,905 inmates, while — over the last three years, as part of Cuban practice and pursuant to the provisions of our legislation — another 10,000 individuals sentenced to deprivation of liberty were released based on certain conditions.”This announcement comes amid renewed tensions between Cuba and the United States, which began in January, and the recent meetings that representatives from both countries have held with Vatican officials.On Feb. 20, the U.S. chief of mission in Cuba, Mike Hammer, held a meeting at the Vatican with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s secretary for relations with states.Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin stated on March 9 that the Holy See has taken “the necessary steps” regarding the situation in Cuba, “always with a view to a solution to the existing problems through dialogue.”In January 2025, the Cuban regime also announced the release of 553 prisoners following mediation by Pope Francis and “in the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025.”Victoria Cardiel, EWTN News correspondent in Rome, contributed to this report.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Cuban government to release 51 prisoners following Vatican talks #Catholic The Cuban government announced that it will release 51 people from prison because of its “smooth” relations with the Vatican — a move that coincides with the upcoming observance of Holy Week.“In the spirit of goodwill, and of the close and smooth relations between the Cuban state and the Vatican — with which communication regarding processes for the review and release of persons deprived of liberty has historically been maintained — the government of Cuba has decided to release, in the coming days, 51 individuals sentenced to deprivation of liberty [prison],” the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported in a March 12 statement.The director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, on March 13 that “conversations regarding the release of prisoners have recently taken place.”The statement from the Cuban ministry notes that all these individuals “have served a significant portion of their sentences and have maintained good conduct in prison”; however, it does not indicate whether the group includes political prisoners.The communist regime states that since 2010, it “has granted pardons to 9,905 inmates, while — over the last three years, as part of Cuban practice and pursuant to the provisions of our legislation — another 10,000 individuals sentenced to deprivation of liberty were released based on certain conditions.”This announcement comes amid renewed tensions between Cuba and the United States, which began in January, and the recent meetings that representatives from both countries have held with Vatican officials.On Feb. 20, the U.S. chief of mission in Cuba, Mike Hammer, held a meeting at the Vatican with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s secretary for relations with states.Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin stated on March 9 that the Holy See has taken “the necessary steps” regarding the situation in Cuba, “always with a view to a solution to the existing problems through dialogue.”In January 2025, the Cuban regime also announced the release of 553 prisoners following mediation by Pope Francis and “in the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025.”Victoria Cardiel, EWTN News correspondent in Rome, contributed to this report.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The regime stated the decision was made in a “spirit of goodwill” and because of its good relations with the Holy See, but did not indicate if any of those to be released are political prisoners.

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Pakistani Christians join Muslims for Ramadan meals amid Iran war fallout #Catholic LAHORE, Pakistan — White bedsheets for Muslim worshippers were laid on the grassy lawn outside the Dominican Peace Center in Punjab an hour before the annual interfaith iftar — the fast-breaking meal during Ramadan.The aroma of crispy pakoras (fritters), dried dates, rose-flavored Rooh Afza, and dahi bhallay (lentil dumplings in yogurt) drew guests to the dining tables after they finished reciting their iftar prayers in Lahore, the provincial capital.Dominican Father James Channan, director of the center, has hosted such interfaith gatherings for 25 years in a country where religious tensions have periodically turned violent. Dominican Father James Channan speaks at a combined International Women’s Day and interfaith iftar program at the Dominican Peace Center in Lahore, Pakistan, on March 8, 2026. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry “Table friendships are very important in our context. People attending such forums highlight them on social media, reaching millions,” he told EWTN News at the sidelines of the program, timed with International Women’s Day on March 8.“The combined meals and prayer services have helped curb trends of church attacks that followed U.S. wars in Muslim countries.”Pakistani Christians have faced multiple terrorist attacks since October 2001, after the United States — seen by many Pakistani Muslims as a Christian nation — launched its military campaign in Afghanistan.“It’s a bitter past. Churches and Christian settlements were considered soft targets. The ongoing conflicts are not crusades; they are wars of interest,” Channan said.Interfaith meals continue despite unrestInterfaith gatherings continued this year even as protests against U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran left 26 dead in Pakistan.Church leaders joined clerics in prayers for peace and shared meals at mosques, church premises, and hotels across six dioceses and one apostolic vicariate, as Middle East air travel disruption and rising fuel prices added regional tension.Many Pakistanis view the United States and Western Europe as Christian nations, and some militant groups target local Christians as linked to these “Christian countries.”Communal tensions have also erupted locally. In May 2024, a mob attacked 74-year-old Christian Nazir Masih over alleged blasphemy in Sargodha. He later died of his injuries. In August 2023, violence in Jaranwala destroyed 26 churches and 80 Christian homes following allegations of Quran desecration.In a Feb. 17 message, Archbishop Joseph Arshad of Rawalpindi-Islamabad invited Christians and Muslims to offer special prayers for peace as Lent and Ramadan coincided this year. He encouraged people of both faiths “to visit one another, exchange greetings with respect, and unite in serving vulnerable segments of society.”Joint events across PakistanIn Multan, over 82 participants attended a Feb. 28 iftar jointly organized by the Catholic Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue and Ecumenism; Saiban-e-Pakistan, a state peace initiative; and the Centre of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism.A day earlier in Lahore, Channan and four Catholic priests attended the fast-breaking event at the Badshahi Mosque, the country’s second-largest mosque. He presented a framed photo of Abdul Khabeer Azad, the mosque’s “khateeb” (prayer leader), who met Pope Leo XIV in October 2025 at the “Christian-Muslim Dialogue and Daring Peace” conference in Rome organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio. Guests share the interfaith iftar meal at the Dominican Peace Center in Lahore on March 8, 2026. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry Among 120 guests at the Dominican iftar was Muslim speaker Shehzad Qaiser. The event, held in collaboration with groups including the Seventh-day Adventist Church, highlighted ongoing social challenges.The head of external affairs at Sundas Foundation, which supports patients with blood disorders, agreed that Christians face discrimination in some offices and some Muslims refuse the food prepared by Christians.“It is very important to share our common practices, joys, and sorrows. Religious leaders have the duty to raise awareness. Sadly some mistake local Christians as ‘kafir’ (infidels),” Qaiser said.“During Ramadan, people distribute free meals to everyone without asking their religion. Blood donors don’t discriminate either. This is the real spirit of Ramadan and Lent.”
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Pakistani Christians join Muslims for Ramadan meals amid Iran war fallout #Catholic LAHORE, Pakistan — White bedsheets for Muslim worshippers were laid on the grassy lawn outside the Dominican Peace Center in Punjab an hour before the annual interfaith iftar — the fast-breaking meal during Ramadan.The aroma of crispy pakoras (fritters), dried dates, rose-flavored Rooh Afza, and dahi bhallay (lentil dumplings in yogurt) drew guests to the dining tables after they finished reciting their iftar prayers in Lahore, the provincial capital.Dominican Father James Channan, director of the center, has hosted such interfaith gatherings for 25 years in a country where religious tensions have periodically turned violent. Dominican Father James Channan speaks at a combined International Women’s Day and interfaith iftar program at the Dominican Peace Center in Lahore, Pakistan, on March 8, 2026. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry “Table friendships are very important in our context. People attending such forums highlight them on social media, reaching millions,” he told EWTN News at the sidelines of the program, timed with International Women’s Day on March 8.“The combined meals and prayer services have helped curb trends of church attacks that followed U.S. wars in Muslim countries.”Pakistani Christians have faced multiple terrorist attacks since October 2001, after the United States — seen by many Pakistani Muslims as a Christian nation — launched its military campaign in Afghanistan.“It’s a bitter past. Churches and Christian settlements were considered soft targets. The ongoing conflicts are not crusades; they are wars of interest,” Channan said.Interfaith meals continue despite unrestInterfaith gatherings continued this year even as protests against U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran left 26 dead in Pakistan.Church leaders joined clerics in prayers for peace and shared meals at mosques, church premises, and hotels across six dioceses and one apostolic vicariate, as Middle East air travel disruption and rising fuel prices added regional tension.Many Pakistanis view the United States and Western Europe as Christian nations, and some militant groups target local Christians as linked to these “Christian countries.”Communal tensions have also erupted locally. In May 2024, a mob attacked 74-year-old Christian Nazir Masih over alleged blasphemy in Sargodha. He later died of his injuries. In August 2023, violence in Jaranwala destroyed 26 churches and 80 Christian homes following allegations of Quran desecration.In a Feb. 17 message, Archbishop Joseph Arshad of Rawalpindi-Islamabad invited Christians and Muslims to offer special prayers for peace as Lent and Ramadan coincided this year. He encouraged people of both faiths “to visit one another, exchange greetings with respect, and unite in serving vulnerable segments of society.”Joint events across PakistanIn Multan, over 82 participants attended a Feb. 28 iftar jointly organized by the Catholic Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue and Ecumenism; Saiban-e-Pakistan, a state peace initiative; and the Centre of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism.A day earlier in Lahore, Channan and four Catholic priests attended the fast-breaking event at the Badshahi Mosque, the country’s second-largest mosque. He presented a framed photo of Abdul Khabeer Azad, the mosque’s “khateeb” (prayer leader), who met Pope Leo XIV in October 2025 at the “Christian-Muslim Dialogue and Daring Peace” conference in Rome organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio. Guests share the interfaith iftar meal at the Dominican Peace Center in Lahore on March 8, 2026. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry Among 120 guests at the Dominican iftar was Muslim speaker Shehzad Qaiser. The event, held in collaboration with groups including the Seventh-day Adventist Church, highlighted ongoing social challenges.The head of external affairs at Sundas Foundation, which supports patients with blood disorders, agreed that Christians face discrimination in some offices and some Muslims refuse the food prepared by Christians.“It is very important to share our common practices, joys, and sorrows. Religious leaders have the duty to raise awareness. Sadly some mistake local Christians as ‘kafir’ (infidels),” Qaiser said.“During Ramadan, people distribute free meals to everyone without asking their religion. Blood donors don’t discriminate either. This is the real spirit of Ramadan and Lent.”

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Church leaders and Muslim clerics shared Ramadan fast-breaking meals across six Pakistani dioceses this year as the overlap of Lent and Ramadan inspired joint prayers for peace.

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Pope Leo XIV warns of wider Middle East conflict #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Sunday appealed for peace as violence and fear continue to spread in Iran and across the Middle East, praying in particular for Lebanon and warning that the conflict could widen.Speaking after the Angelus on March 8, the pope said “deeply disturbing news continues to arrive from Iran and the entire Middle East.”“In addition to the episodes of violence and devastation as well as the widespread climate of hatred and fear, there is also the concern that the conflict will spread and that other countries in the region, including beloved Lebanon, may again sink back into instability,” he said.“We lift up our humble prayer to the Lord, so that the thunderous sound of bombs may cease, weapons may fall silent, and a space for dialogue may open up in which the voice of the people can be heard,” the pope said. He added that he was entrusting that intention to the Virgin Mary, “that she may intercede for those who suffer because of war and lead hearts along the paths of reconciliation and hope.”Before the Marian prayer in St. Peter’s Square, Leo reflected on the day’s Gospel and said that “since the first centuries of the Church’s history, the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, the healing of the man born blind and the resurrection of Lazarus illuminate the path of those who, at Easter, will receive Baptism and begin a new life.”“These great Gospel passages, which we read beginning this Sunday, are intended for the catechumens to help them on their journey to become Christians,” he said. “At the same time, these passages are heard once again by the entire community of believers to help them to be more authentic and joyful Christians.”Referring to Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, the pope said: “Indeed, Jesus is the response to our thirst. As he suggested to the Samaritan woman, the encounter with him stirs in the depths of each person ‘a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’”“How many people in the entire world are searching even today for this spiritual spring!” he said.Quoting the diary of Etty Hillesum, a Dutch Jewish writer who died in Auschwitz during World War II, Leo said: “‘Sometimes I am there too. But more often stones and grit block the well, and God is buried beneath. Then he must be dug out again.’”“Dear friends, there is no energy better spent than that dedicated to freeing our heart,” the pope said. “For this reason, Lent is a gift: we are starting the third week and now we are able to intensify the journey!”He went on to reflect on the disciples’ reaction in the Gospel: “His disciples came [and] they were astonished that he was speaking with a woman.” The Master, he said, had to prompt them: “‘Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.’”“The Lord still says to his Church: ‘Lift up your eyes and recognize God’s surprises!’” Leo said. “In the fields, four months prior to the harvest, one sees practically nothing. But there, where we see nothing, grace is already at work and its fruits are ready to be gathered.”“The harvest is great: perhaps the workers are few because they are distracted by other activities,” he continued. “Jesus, on the other hand, is attentive. According to custom, he ought to have simply ignored that Samaritan woman; instead, Jesus speaks with her, listens to her, and shows her respect — without a hidden agenda and without disdain.”“How many people seek in the Church this same sensitivity, this availability!” the pope said.“And how beautiful it is when we lose track of time in order to give attention to the person we are encountering, as we see in this passage,” he added. “Jesus was so spiritually nourished by God’s desire to reach people on the deepest levels that he even forgot to eat.”Leo said that “the Samaritan woman becomes the first of many female evangelizers.” Because of her testimony, “many from her village of despised and rejected people came to meet Jesus, and also in them faith bubbled forth like pure water.”The pope also marked International Women’s Day, observed March 8, saying: “We renew our commitment, which for us Christians is based on the Gospel, to recognize the equal dignity of man and woman.”“Unfortunately many women, from childhood onwards, are still discriminated against and suffer various forms of violence,” he said. “In a special way, I offer to them my solidarity and my prayers.”This article was originally published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.
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Pope Leo XIV warns of wider Middle East conflict #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Sunday appealed for peace as violence and fear continue to spread in Iran and across the Middle East, praying in particular for Lebanon and warning that the conflict could widen.Speaking after the Angelus on March 8, the pope said “deeply disturbing news continues to arrive from Iran and the entire Middle East.”“In addition to the episodes of violence and devastation as well as the widespread climate of hatred and fear, there is also the concern that the conflict will spread and that other countries in the region, including beloved Lebanon, may again sink back into instability,” he said.“We lift up our humble prayer to the Lord, so that the thunderous sound of bombs may cease, weapons may fall silent, and a space for dialogue may open up in which the voice of the people can be heard,” the pope said. He added that he was entrusting that intention to the Virgin Mary, “that she may intercede for those who suffer because of war and lead hearts along the paths of reconciliation and hope.”Before the Marian prayer in St. Peter’s Square, Leo reflected on the day’s Gospel and said that “since the first centuries of the Church’s history, the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, the healing of the man born blind and the resurrection of Lazarus illuminate the path of those who, at Easter, will receive Baptism and begin a new life.”“These great Gospel passages, which we read beginning this Sunday, are intended for the catechumens to help them on their journey to become Christians,” he said. “At the same time, these passages are heard once again by the entire community of believers to help them to be more authentic and joyful Christians.”Referring to Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, the pope said: “Indeed, Jesus is the response to our thirst. As he suggested to the Samaritan woman, the encounter with him stirs in the depths of each person ‘a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’”“How many people in the entire world are searching even today for this spiritual spring!” he said.Quoting the diary of Etty Hillesum, a Dutch Jewish writer who died in Auschwitz during World War II, Leo said: “‘Sometimes I am there too. But more often stones and grit block the well, and God is buried beneath. Then he must be dug out again.’”“Dear friends, there is no energy better spent than that dedicated to freeing our heart,” the pope said. “For this reason, Lent is a gift: we are starting the third week and now we are able to intensify the journey!”He went on to reflect on the disciples’ reaction in the Gospel: “His disciples came [and] they were astonished that he was speaking with a woman.” The Master, he said, had to prompt them: “‘Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.’”“The Lord still says to his Church: ‘Lift up your eyes and recognize God’s surprises!’” Leo said. “In the fields, four months prior to the harvest, one sees practically nothing. But there, where we see nothing, grace is already at work and its fruits are ready to be gathered.”“The harvest is great: perhaps the workers are few because they are distracted by other activities,” he continued. “Jesus, on the other hand, is attentive. According to custom, he ought to have simply ignored that Samaritan woman; instead, Jesus speaks with her, listens to her, and shows her respect — without a hidden agenda and without disdain.”“How many people seek in the Church this same sensitivity, this availability!” the pope said.“And how beautiful it is when we lose track of time in order to give attention to the person we are encountering, as we see in this passage,” he added. “Jesus was so spiritually nourished by God’s desire to reach people on the deepest levels that he even forgot to eat.”Leo said that “the Samaritan woman becomes the first of many female evangelizers.” Because of her testimony, “many from her village of despised and rejected people came to meet Jesus, and also in them faith bubbled forth like pure water.”The pope also marked International Women’s Day, observed March 8, saying: “We renew our commitment, which for us Christians is based on the Gospel, to recognize the equal dignity of man and woman.”“Unfortunately many women, from childhood onwards, are still discriminated against and suffer various forms of violence,” he said. “In a special way, I offer to them my solidarity and my prayers.”This article was originally published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.

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At his Sunday Angelus, the pope voiced alarm over violence and fear spreading from Iran across the region.

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Pew report examines how people rate fellow citizens’ morals #Catholic A Pew Research Center study found ​​Americans are more likely than people in other countries to question the morality of their fellow citizens.The report, “In 25-Country Survey, Americans Especially Likely To View Fellow Citizens as Morally Bad,” explores how adults in 25 countries rate the morality of others in their nation. It also examines if people consider different behaviors to be morally wrong including drinking alcohol, gambling, having extramarital affairs, using marijuana, viewing pornography, having abortions, homosexuality, getting divorces, and using contraceptives.The research was based on data from participants in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.Surveys conducted outside the U.S. were based on nationally representative surveys of 28,333 adults conducted from Jan. 8 to April 26, 2025. In the U.S., Pew surveyed 3,605 adults who are members of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP) from March 24–30, 2025. A March 2026 Pew report, “In 25-Country Survey, Americans Especially Likely To View Fellow Citizens as Morally Bad,” explores if adults in 25 countries consider nine behaviors to be morally unacceptable or acceptable. | Credit: Courtesy of Pew Research Center The report also includes some findings from a separate ATP survey of 8,937 U.S. adults conducted from May 5–11, 2025. The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 3,605 respondents is plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.According to the research, 47% of U.S. adults reported Americans have “very good” or “somewhat good” morals and ethics, which was the lowest of all countries. The majority of adults in Canada and Indonesia (92%) said the same of the people in their countries.Most and least accepted behaviors across the globeGetting a divorce and the use of contraception were found to be the most widely accepted of the nine behaviors. Only 12% of adults overall said getting a divorce is morally wrong, and 8% said using contraceptives is. The only countries with a slight majority that believe getting a divorce is morally unacceptable are India with 65% holding this view and Nigeria with 55%.Of the nine behaviors Pew asked participants about, married people having affairs had the strongest overall disapproval. Across the 25 countries, a median of 77% of adults said married people having affairs is morally unacceptable, with at least half of adults in every country holding this view.U.S. adults were among those to be most likely to condemn extramarital affairs as immoral. Nine in 10 Americans said having an affair is morally wrong, similar to the share of people in Indonesia and in Turkey (92%) who believe the same. A March 2026 Pew report, “In 25-Country Survey, Americans Especially Likely To View Fellow Citizens as Morally Bad,” explores how adults in 25 countries rate the morality of others in their country. | Credit: Courtesy of Pew Research Center Adults in Germany (55%) and France (53%) are among the least likely to believe having an affair is morally unacceptable.Behaviors with least international consensusThe report found that for most behaviors asked about, there is not an international consensus if they are morally acceptable or not.In the Latin American and African countries surveyed, half or more of adults said they believe abortions are morally unacceptable, but in most European countries, the vast majority of adults view abortions as either morally acceptable or not a moral issue at all. In the U.S., the group was fairly split with 47% reporting it is morally unacceptable to have an abortion.In the U.S., adults are the most accepting of using marijuana and gambling. Only 23% of Americans said using marijuana is morally unacceptable, and 29% said the same in regard to gambling. In most other countries surveyed, more than 40% of adults said they consider gambling and marijuana use to be morally wrong.In 10 countries, a majority said gambling is morally wrong, including 89% in Indonesia and 71% in Italy. In Australia, 25% said gambling is morally acceptable, and 43% do not see gambling as a moral issue.In the U.S., 39% of adults reported homosexuality is morally wrong, which was found to be much more than those who hold the same belief in Germany (5%) or Sweden (5%). In other nations including Indonesia (93%) and Nigeria (96%), the majority reported it is morally wrong.In regard to drinking alcohol, the majority of adults in Indonesia (83%) reported it is a morally unacceptable act. In contrast, only 7% of adults in Australia and Sweden reported the same. In the U.S., a small share of 16% said it is morally unacceptable.What factors affect views of behaviors?According to the report, a number of factors seem to affect how adults view the morality of behaviors including political party, religion, and gender.Democrats and independents who lean toward the Democratic Party are more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to rate fellow Americans as morally and ethically bad (60% vs. 46%).Pew examined citizens’ stances based on religious belief and found those who said religion is very important in their lives were more likely to view the behaviors as morally wrong.In 13 of the 25 countries surveyed, the research looked specifically at the differences between Protestants and Catholics. The report detailed that Protestants are typically more likely than Catholics in the same country to believe homosexuality is wrong. In the U.S., 59% of Protestants reported homosexuality is morally wrong, while 34% of Catholics did.There is a large variation between Christians in different countries. The majority of Christians surveyed in Africa, Latin America, and the U.S. said having an abortion is morally wrong, but across Europe, the share of Christians who hold this view ranges from 40% in Spain to 7% in Sweden.Gender is also a factor in how people view moral behaviors. Women tend to be more likely than men to believe some behaviors are morally unacceptable. In nearly every country surveyed, women were more likely than men to say that viewing pornography is wrong. In contrast, men were more likely than women to report homosexuality is morally unacceptable. Overall, older adults were more likely than younger adults to report the behaviors are morally unacceptable. This is the case with using marijuana in 19 of the 25 surveyed countries. In Germany, adults ages 40 and older are twice as likely as younger adults to believe marijuana use is morally wrong, with 30% of older adults holding this belief and 15% of younger adults.
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Pew report examines how people rate fellow citizens’ morals #Catholic A Pew Research Center study found ​​Americans are more likely than people in other countries to question the morality of their fellow citizens.The report, “In 25-Country Survey, Americans Especially Likely To View Fellow Citizens as Morally Bad,” explores how adults in 25 countries rate the morality of others in their nation. It also examines if people consider different behaviors to be morally wrong including drinking alcohol, gambling, having extramarital affairs, using marijuana, viewing pornography, having abortions, homosexuality, getting divorces, and using contraceptives.The research was based on data from participants in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.Surveys conducted outside the U.S. were based on nationally representative surveys of 28,333 adults conducted from Jan. 8 to April 26, 2025. In the U.S., Pew surveyed 3,605 adults who are members of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP) from March 24–30, 2025. A March 2026 Pew report, “In 25-Country Survey, Americans Especially Likely To View Fellow Citizens as Morally Bad,” explores if adults in 25 countries consider nine behaviors to be morally unacceptable or acceptable. | Credit: Courtesy of Pew Research Center The report also includes some findings from a separate ATP survey of 8,937 U.S. adults conducted from May 5–11, 2025. The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 3,605 respondents is plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.According to the research, 47% of U.S. adults reported Americans have “very good” or “somewhat good” morals and ethics, which was the lowest of all countries. The majority of adults in Canada and Indonesia (92%) said the same of the people in their countries.Most and least accepted behaviors across the globeGetting a divorce and the use of contraception were found to be the most widely accepted of the nine behaviors. Only 12% of adults overall said getting a divorce is morally wrong, and 8% said using contraceptives is. The only countries with a slight majority that believe getting a divorce is morally unacceptable are India with 65% holding this view and Nigeria with 55%.Of the nine behaviors Pew asked participants about, married people having affairs had the strongest overall disapproval. Across the 25 countries, a median of 77% of adults said married people having affairs is morally unacceptable, with at least half of adults in every country holding this view.U.S. adults were among those to be most likely to condemn extramarital affairs as immoral. Nine in 10 Americans said having an affair is morally wrong, similar to the share of people in Indonesia and in Turkey (92%) who believe the same. A March 2026 Pew report, “In 25-Country Survey, Americans Especially Likely To View Fellow Citizens as Morally Bad,” explores how adults in 25 countries rate the morality of others in their country. | Credit: Courtesy of Pew Research Center Adults in Germany (55%) and France (53%) are among the least likely to believe having an affair is morally unacceptable.Behaviors with least international consensusThe report found that for most behaviors asked about, there is not an international consensus if they are morally acceptable or not.In the Latin American and African countries surveyed, half or more of adults said they believe abortions are morally unacceptable, but in most European countries, the vast majority of adults view abortions as either morally acceptable or not a moral issue at all. In the U.S., the group was fairly split with 47% reporting it is morally unacceptable to have an abortion.In the U.S., adults are the most accepting of using marijuana and gambling. Only 23% of Americans said using marijuana is morally unacceptable, and 29% said the same in regard to gambling. In most other countries surveyed, more than 40% of adults said they consider gambling and marijuana use to be morally wrong.In 10 countries, a majority said gambling is morally wrong, including 89% in Indonesia and 71% in Italy. In Australia, 25% said gambling is morally acceptable, and 43% do not see gambling as a moral issue.In the U.S., 39% of adults reported homosexuality is morally wrong, which was found to be much more than those who hold the same belief in Germany (5%) or Sweden (5%). In other nations including Indonesia (93%) and Nigeria (96%), the majority reported it is morally wrong.In regard to drinking alcohol, the majority of adults in Indonesia (83%) reported it is a morally unacceptable act. In contrast, only 7% of adults in Australia and Sweden reported the same. In the U.S., a small share of 16% said it is morally unacceptable.What factors affect views of behaviors?According to the report, a number of factors seem to affect how adults view the morality of behaviors including political party, religion, and gender.Democrats and independents who lean toward the Democratic Party are more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to rate fellow Americans as morally and ethically bad (60% vs. 46%).Pew examined citizens’ stances based on religious belief and found those who said religion is very important in their lives were more likely to view the behaviors as morally wrong.In 13 of the 25 countries surveyed, the research looked specifically at the differences between Protestants and Catholics. The report detailed that Protestants are typically more likely than Catholics in the same country to believe homosexuality is wrong. In the U.S., 59% of Protestants reported homosexuality is morally wrong, while 34% of Catholics did.There is a large variation between Christians in different countries. The majority of Christians surveyed in Africa, Latin America, and the U.S. said having an abortion is morally wrong, but across Europe, the share of Christians who hold this view ranges from 40% in Spain to 7% in Sweden.Gender is also a factor in how people view moral behaviors. Women tend to be more likely than men to believe some behaviors are morally unacceptable. In nearly every country surveyed, women were more likely than men to say that viewing pornography is wrong. In contrast, men were more likely than women to report homosexuality is morally unacceptable. Overall, older adults were more likely than younger adults to report the behaviors are morally unacceptable. This is the case with using marijuana in 19 of the 25 surveyed countries. In Germany, adults ages 40 and older are twice as likely as younger adults to believe marijuana use is morally wrong, with 30% of older adults holding this belief and 15% of younger adults.

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U.S. adults were among those most likely to condemn extramarital affairs as immoral in a study of 25 countries.

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Bishop explains how Our Lady of Guadalupe can reach postmodern Silicon Valley #Catholic In a world marked by secularization and cultural fragmentation, Our Lady of Guadalupe remains a privileged path for proclaiming the Gospel, said Bishop Óscar Cantú of San Jose, California, as he shared how a recent event dedicated to the Virgin Mary illuminates the mission of the Church in the heart of Silicon Valley.During the recent “Theological and Pastoral Congress on the Guadalupe Event,” held in Mexico, the prelate described his diocese as a former valley of fruit orchards now transformed into the heart of global technology, home to world-class companies such as Google, Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Nvidia.There, Cantú explained, people from India, China, Latin America, Africa, and many other countries live together, bringing with them their religions or their religious “indifference.”He spoke of “a strong secularization” there, calling it a “society that proudly proclaims itself postmodern, without need for God or religion.” He added that many “no longer have the time or space for religion” and that they “prefer modern practices” such as yoga or meditation, which they call mindfulness, which is “meditation without transcendence.”The bishop wants the pastoral and spiritual preparation for the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of San José in 2031 to be marked by Our Lady of Guadalupe, who he hopes will serve as a point of reference and model.Using Our Lady of Guadalupe’s methodology in Silicon ValleyThe bishop posed a direct challenge to priests, deacons, religious, and laity of his diocese: “How can we apply the methodology of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which she used 500 years ago in Mexico, now, in Silicon Valley, in a postmodern world?”He said the Spanish friars “did not have much success in evangelizing” because they arrived with the conquistadors, who used aggression and force. “But Our Lady had a great success that the friars could not have imagined. Millions of hearts were touched and transformed in a short time.”Cantú enumerated the key elements of this Guadalupan pedagogy, beginning with beauty and maternal tenderness of her words to Juan Diego: “‘My dearest Juan Diego, the littlest of my sons.’ Whose heart made of stone like we have in our Silicon Valley wouldn’t melt with those words?” he asked. He also emphasized how Mary “spoke to him in his language, not in Spanish. She used the symbolism of the Indigenous people, a codex that bore witness to what she recounted, which bore witness to what Juan Diego later told the other Indigenous people.” He recalled the Christological way the Virgin introduced herself, identifying herself as “the Mother of the God by whom we live,” and how she thus introduced “the beauty of truth” in contrast to the old logic of human sacrifice.Another element that Cantú emphasized is the role of the laity and, in particular, the poor. He highlighted that the Virgin involves Juan Diego in the mission of the Church when she tells him: “It is necessary that you go to the bishop.” He commented that “participation brings dignity and is an expression of dignity,” and that aspects of synodality are already evident in Guadalupe: participation and a voice within the ecclesial community.The bishop noted that Juan Diego’s participation does not create a separate structure, because “we shouldn’t create a parallel Church but rather everything should be under the authority, the structure that the Son of the Virgin left us, which is a hierarchical Church, with respect for the magisterium, but the magisterium, in turn, with the participation and listening of everyone, everyone, everyone.” For this reason, he defined it as “a hierarchical and synodal Church.”Among the elements the prelate highlighted is the concept of the sacred little house as a Church of mercy, a house where wounded humanity is welcomed: a “little house of love and compassion.”Our Lady of Guadalupe resonates with migrant communitiesCantú explained that in his diocese, faith has remained alive thanks to refugees and immigrants: Hispanics, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Indians, and Africans, many of them with histories of having to leave their native lands and discrimination.The Virgin of Guadalupe becomes a bridge of identity and solace there, not only for Mexicans, he noted. To illustrate this, he recounted an experience in a trilingual parish (Vietnamese, Filipino, and Hispanic) during a Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.The bishop arrived prepared to celebrate Mass in Spanish with the Hispanic community, but discovered that about half of those present were Vietnamese, so he decided to preach by including his own story as the son of Mexican immigrants in Texas.“In Texas, many times Americans didn’t see me purely as American because my parents were born in another country, and at home they spoke Spanish; and when I went to visit my cousins ​​in Monterrey, they also didn’t see me as Mexican, so, well, I felt like a bit of an outsider.”As he shared this experience of not belonging, Cantú observed the faces of the Vietnamese faithful: “I saw in their faces that they understood, as refugees who left their country 30 or 40 years ago, that perhaps they never had the opportunity to learn the language well, to fully understand American politics or culture, that for the rest of their lives they felt like guests. And it was, I believe, at that moment that they identified with Juan Diego, whom the Virgin received in her little house.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Bishop explains how Our Lady of Guadalupe can reach postmodern Silicon Valley #Catholic In a world marked by secularization and cultural fragmentation, Our Lady of Guadalupe remains a privileged path for proclaiming the Gospel, said Bishop Óscar Cantú of San Jose, California, as he shared how a recent event dedicated to the Virgin Mary illuminates the mission of the Church in the heart of Silicon Valley.During the recent “Theological and Pastoral Congress on the Guadalupe Event,” held in Mexico, the prelate described his diocese as a former valley of fruit orchards now transformed into the heart of global technology, home to world-class companies such as Google, Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Nvidia.There, Cantú explained, people from India, China, Latin America, Africa, and many other countries live together, bringing with them their religions or their religious “indifference.”He spoke of “a strong secularization” there, calling it a “society that proudly proclaims itself postmodern, without need for God or religion.” He added that many “no longer have the time or space for religion” and that they “prefer modern practices” such as yoga or meditation, which they call mindfulness, which is “meditation without transcendence.”The bishop wants the pastoral and spiritual preparation for the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of San José in 2031 to be marked by Our Lady of Guadalupe, who he hopes will serve as a point of reference and model.Using Our Lady of Guadalupe’s methodology in Silicon ValleyThe bishop posed a direct challenge to priests, deacons, religious, and laity of his diocese: “How can we apply the methodology of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which she used 500 years ago in Mexico, now, in Silicon Valley, in a postmodern world?”He said the Spanish friars “did not have much success in evangelizing” because they arrived with the conquistadors, who used aggression and force. “But Our Lady had a great success that the friars could not have imagined. Millions of hearts were touched and transformed in a short time.”Cantú enumerated the key elements of this Guadalupan pedagogy, beginning with beauty and maternal tenderness of her words to Juan Diego: “‘My dearest Juan Diego, the littlest of my sons.’ Whose heart made of stone like we have in our Silicon Valley wouldn’t melt with those words?” he asked. He also emphasized how Mary “spoke to him in his language, not in Spanish. She used the symbolism of the Indigenous people, a codex that bore witness to what she recounted, which bore witness to what Juan Diego later told the other Indigenous people.” He recalled the Christological way the Virgin introduced herself, identifying herself as “the Mother of the God by whom we live,” and how she thus introduced “the beauty of truth” in contrast to the old logic of human sacrifice.Another element that Cantú emphasized is the role of the laity and, in particular, the poor. He highlighted that the Virgin involves Juan Diego in the mission of the Church when she tells him: “It is necessary that you go to the bishop.” He commented that “participation brings dignity and is an expression of dignity,” and that aspects of synodality are already evident in Guadalupe: participation and a voice within the ecclesial community.The bishop noted that Juan Diego’s participation does not create a separate structure, because “we shouldn’t create a parallel Church but rather everything should be under the authority, the structure that the Son of the Virgin left us, which is a hierarchical Church, with respect for the magisterium, but the magisterium, in turn, with the participation and listening of everyone, everyone, everyone.” For this reason, he defined it as “a hierarchical and synodal Church.”Among the elements the prelate highlighted is the concept of the sacred little house as a Church of mercy, a house where wounded humanity is welcomed: a “little house of love and compassion.”Our Lady of Guadalupe resonates with migrant communitiesCantú explained that in his diocese, faith has remained alive thanks to refugees and immigrants: Hispanics, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Indians, and Africans, many of them with histories of having to leave their native lands and discrimination.The Virgin of Guadalupe becomes a bridge of identity and solace there, not only for Mexicans, he noted. To illustrate this, he recounted an experience in a trilingual parish (Vietnamese, Filipino, and Hispanic) during a Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.The bishop arrived prepared to celebrate Mass in Spanish with the Hispanic community, but discovered that about half of those present were Vietnamese, so he decided to preach by including his own story as the son of Mexican immigrants in Texas.“In Texas, many times Americans didn’t see me purely as American because my parents were born in another country, and at home they spoke Spanish; and when I went to visit my cousins ​​in Monterrey, they also didn’t see me as Mexican, so, well, I felt like a bit of an outsider.”As he shared this experience of not belonging, Cantú observed the faces of the Vietnamese faithful: “I saw in their faces that they understood, as refugees who left their country 30 or 40 years ago, that perhaps they never had the opportunity to learn the language well, to fully understand American politics or culture, that for the rest of their lives they felt like guests. And it was, I believe, at that moment that they identified with Juan Diego, whom the Virgin received in her little house.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Bishop Óscar Cantú of San Jose, California, explains how the highly secularized society there can receive the message and imagery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a way that is meaningful to them.

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Lawmakers urge White House to restore visas for international adoptions #Catholic Lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to offer government exceptions for international adoption visas so that children can be united with their adoptive families and “welcomed into safe and stable homes.”U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer and Amy Klobuchar, along with U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt and Danny Davis, asked the Department of State to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas,” one that was suspended in December 2025 amid government travel restrictions on certain countries.The suspension of the visas “has introduced uncertainty for children and American parents who have waited years for their adoptions to be completed and were preparing to bring their children home,” the lawmakers said.The letter cited Department of State guidance from 2025 that acknowledged that adoption “involves children in need — some in urgent need — of a loving, permanent home and family.”In that guidance the State Department acknowledged the need to “vigorously engage at both the policy and case levels to protect the interests of all parties involved.”“We strongly urge you to advocate for the restoration of the categorical exemption for adoption visas,” the lawmakers said, calling on the department to “move expeditiously to address this situation to ensure these children are united with their adoptive parents.”Difficulty of international adoption changes with governmentsKatie Dillon, a spokeswoman for Commonwealth Catholic Charities in Virginia, said international adoptions “typically follow clear, predictable steps,” though she said the process is “lengthy.”Like many Catholic charity groups, Commonwealth Catholic Charities offers adoptive families a variety of resources and services to facilitate in both domestic and international adoptions. Dillon said the Virginia group “acts as the home study provider and post-placement agency” for families seeking to adopt from other countries.Such adoptions “can be a difficult process that ebbs and flows with global policy shifts,” she said. “It can be a challenging process for families to navigate.”“Families interested in international adoption work with an in-state agency like Commonwealth Catholic Charities to complete their home study and an international agency to help with the placement of the child,” she said.Child placement agencies must be accredited by the Hague Adoption Convention of 1993, an international accord that established protections for children in international adoptions. Such agencies “have programs in certain countries to legally assist a family in the adoption of a child from that country,” Dillon said.Though there are numerous resources that prospective adoptive families can utilize to help them in their journey, Dillon said international adoption “is often a long process that can take upwards of three or four years.” Some countries can require parents to reside in the country in question for anywhere from several months to a year, she said.Amid the uncertainty at the federal level, Dillon stressed that the difficult process is at times upended by elections in which government rules can shift without warning.“Parents who are considering international adoption should be aware that adoption policies can change abruptly with changes in government leadership,” she said. “There are no guarantees.”
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Lawmakers urge White House to restore visas for international adoptions #Catholic Lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to offer government exceptions for international adoption visas so that children can be united with their adoptive families and “welcomed into safe and stable homes.”U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer and Amy Klobuchar, along with U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt and Danny Davis, asked the Department of State to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas,” one that was suspended in December 2025 amid government travel restrictions on certain countries.The suspension of the visas “has introduced uncertainty for children and American parents who have waited years for their adoptions to be completed and were preparing to bring their children home,” the lawmakers said.The letter cited Department of State guidance from 2025 that acknowledged that adoption “involves children in need — some in urgent need — of a loving, permanent home and family.”In that guidance the State Department acknowledged the need to “vigorously engage at both the policy and case levels to protect the interests of all parties involved.”“We strongly urge you to advocate for the restoration of the categorical exemption for adoption visas,” the lawmakers said, calling on the department to “move expeditiously to address this situation to ensure these children are united with their adoptive parents.”Difficulty of international adoption changes with governmentsKatie Dillon, a spokeswoman for Commonwealth Catholic Charities in Virginia, said international adoptions “typically follow clear, predictable steps,” though she said the process is “lengthy.”Like many Catholic charity groups, Commonwealth Catholic Charities offers adoptive families a variety of resources and services to facilitate in both domestic and international adoptions. Dillon said the Virginia group “acts as the home study provider and post-placement agency” for families seeking to adopt from other countries.Such adoptions “can be a difficult process that ebbs and flows with global policy shifts,” she said. “It can be a challenging process for families to navigate.”“Families interested in international adoption work with an in-state agency like Commonwealth Catholic Charities to complete their home study and an international agency to help with the placement of the child,” she said.Child placement agencies must be accredited by the Hague Adoption Convention of 1993, an international accord that established protections for children in international adoptions. Such agencies “have programs in certain countries to legally assist a family in the adoption of a child from that country,” Dillon said.Though there are numerous resources that prospective adoptive families can utilize to help them in their journey, Dillon said international adoption “is often a long process that can take upwards of three or four years.” Some countries can require parents to reside in the country in question for anywhere from several months to a year, she said.Amid the uncertainty at the federal level, Dillon stressed that the difficult process is at times upended by elections in which government rules can shift without warning.“Parents who are considering international adoption should be aware that adoption policies can change abruptly with changes in government leadership,” she said. “There are no guarantees.”

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“Adoption visas are not guaranteed” amid a travel freeze, said lawmakers who have asked the State Department to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas.”

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Pew report finds Christians are often largest group in the world’s most religiously diverse places #Catholic The Pew Research Center released a report examining the most and least religiously diverse countries and territories across the globe.The Feb. 12 report found that the United States is not among the 10 most religiously diverse countries in the world, but when examining only the 10 most populous nations, the U.S. ranks first in religious diversity.The report, “Religious Diversity Around the World,” describes levels of religious diversity in 201 countries and territories. It measures how evenly each country’s population is distributed among seven groups including Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, adherents of all other religions, and people with no religious affiliation.The research is part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures project, which analyzes religious change and its impact on societies around the world.Most of the analysis is from Pew’s Religious Diversity Index (RDI). Pew calculated the religious diversity of 201 areas that together are home to 99.98% of the world’s population based on the size of seven religious groups to give them scores for religious diversity. In the world’s most religiously diverse places, Christians are often the largest group, a Feb. 12, 2026, Pew Research Center report finds. | Credit: Courtesy of Pew Research Center Overall, religious diversity levels around the world did not substantially change  between 2010 and 2020, as the religious composition of most countries remained fairly stable, the report said. The research found that while some places around the world have diverse populations of religious groups, it is more common for nations to primarily consist of a single religious group.In 194 countries and territories, 50% or more of the population falls into one religious category, the report said. This includes 43 places where at least 95% of the population is in the same religious group. These places are predominantly Muslim (25), Christian (17), or Buddhist (1).Most religiously diverse countriesThe research found that Singapore is the most religiously diverse country overall, while the United States ranks 32nd.In the world’s most religiously diverse places, Christians are often the largest group. Out of the 10 most religiously diverse counties overall, half have a majority Christian population, the report said.Singapore is the world’s most religiously diverse country as of 2020, with Buddhists (31%) as the largest religious group, the report said. Its population also includes substantial shares of religiously unaffiliated people (20%), Christians (19%), Muslims (16%), Hindus (5%), and adherents of all other religions (9%), the report said.Most of the other places in the top 10 are in the Asia-Pacific region or sub-Saharan Africa region including Suriname, Taiwan, South Korea, Mauritius, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Benin, Australia, and France. A Pew Research Center report Feb. 12, 2026, identifies 10 countries where 90% of the population falls most evenly into a pair of religious categories. | Credit: Courtesy of Pew Research Center France is the only European country in the top 10 list. Its population is largely Christian (46%) and religiously unaffiliated (43%). In Suriname, another country in the top 10, about half of its residents (53%) are Christians and the rest are mainly Hindus (22%), Muslims (13%), and religiously unaffiliated people (8%). Christians are also the largest groups in Togo (57%), Benin (53%), and Australia (47%), which all fall in the top 10 most diverse places, the report said.Least religiously diverse countriesThe Middle East-North Africa region was found to be the least diverse of the regions Pew studied, with a population that is 94% Muslim. This region includes five of the world’s 10 least religiously diverse countries and territories.Eight of the least religiously diverse places have populations that are almost entirely Muslim, including Tunisia, Iraq, Western Sahara, Morocco, Iran, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Yemen, which all have a Muslim population of more than 99%, the report said.The other two countries with the least diverse scores were found to have very high majorities of Christians including Moldova and Timor-Lester, which both have populations made up of 99.5% of Christians.U.S. ranks high for religious diversity among largest nationsThe United States is not among the 10 most religiously diverse countries in the world, ranking 32nd overall. However, the U.S. is the most religiously diverse nation among the most populous countries, each of which has a population of at least 120 million. It is followed by Nigeria, Russia, India, and Brazil, the report said.Christians make up an estimated 64% of the U.S. population as of 2020, while religiously unaffiliated people account for about 30%, the report said. The remaining 6% are Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and people who practice other religions, the report said.The research showed the growth of religiously unaffiliated people and the decline of the Christian majority by 14% in the U.S. yielded an increase in the country’s religious diversity between 2010 and 2020.Nigeria is the second-most religiously diverse of the largely populated countries and is among the nations where 90% of the population is fairly evenly divided between two religious categories, the report said. The most populous religious groups in Nigeria are Muslims (56%) and Christians (43%), the report said.Out of the other nine countries where most of the population falls most into a pair of religious categories, seven include Christianity among the two religious groups. Eritrea, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Uruguay, Estonia, Chad, Ivory Coast, and Ethiopia, all include Christianity and one other group as their top religious groups as of 2020, the report said.Pakistan was found to be the least religiously diverse among the most populous countries, with Muslims making up a high majority (97%) of its residents.
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Pew report finds Christians are often largest group in the world’s most religiously diverse places #Catholic The Pew Research Center released a report examining the most and least religiously diverse countries and territories across the globe.The Feb. 12 report found that the United States is not among the 10 most religiously diverse countries in the world, but when examining only the 10 most populous nations, the U.S. ranks first in religious diversity.The report, “Religious Diversity Around the World,” describes levels of religious diversity in 201 countries and territories. It measures how evenly each country’s population is distributed among seven groups including Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, adherents of all other religions, and people with no religious affiliation.The research is part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures project, which analyzes religious change and its impact on societies around the world.Most of the analysis is from Pew’s Religious Diversity Index (RDI). Pew calculated the religious diversity of 201 areas that together are home to 99.98% of the world’s population based on the size of seven religious groups to give them scores for religious diversity. In the world’s most religiously diverse places, Christians are often the largest group, a Feb. 12, 2026, Pew Research Center report finds. | Credit: Courtesy of Pew Research Center Overall, religious diversity levels around the world did not substantially change  between 2010 and 2020, as the religious composition of most countries remained fairly stable, the report said. The research found that while some places around the world have diverse populations of religious groups, it is more common for nations to primarily consist of a single religious group.In 194 countries and territories, 50% or more of the population falls into one religious category, the report said. This includes 43 places where at least 95% of the population is in the same religious group. These places are predominantly Muslim (25), Christian (17), or Buddhist (1).Most religiously diverse countriesThe research found that Singapore is the most religiously diverse country overall, while the United States ranks 32nd.In the world’s most religiously diverse places, Christians are often the largest group. Out of the 10 most religiously diverse counties overall, half have a majority Christian population, the report said.Singapore is the world’s most religiously diverse country as of 2020, with Buddhists (31%) as the largest religious group, the report said. Its population also includes substantial shares of religiously unaffiliated people (20%), Christians (19%), Muslims (16%), Hindus (5%), and adherents of all other religions (9%), the report said.Most of the other places in the top 10 are in the Asia-Pacific region or sub-Saharan Africa region including Suriname, Taiwan, South Korea, Mauritius, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Benin, Australia, and France. A Pew Research Center report Feb. 12, 2026, identifies 10 countries where 90% of the population falls most evenly into a pair of religious categories. | Credit: Courtesy of Pew Research Center France is the only European country in the top 10 list. Its population is largely Christian (46%) and religiously unaffiliated (43%). In Suriname, another country in the top 10, about half of its residents (53%) are Christians and the rest are mainly Hindus (22%), Muslims (13%), and religiously unaffiliated people (8%). Christians are also the largest groups in Togo (57%), Benin (53%), and Australia (47%), which all fall in the top 10 most diverse places, the report said.Least religiously diverse countriesThe Middle East-North Africa region was found to be the least diverse of the regions Pew studied, with a population that is 94% Muslim. This region includes five of the world’s 10 least religiously diverse countries and territories.Eight of the least religiously diverse places have populations that are almost entirely Muslim, including Tunisia, Iraq, Western Sahara, Morocco, Iran, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Yemen, which all have a Muslim population of more than 99%, the report said.The other two countries with the least diverse scores were found to have very high majorities of Christians including Moldova and Timor-Lester, which both have populations made up of 99.5% of Christians.U.S. ranks high for religious diversity among largest nationsThe United States is not among the 10 most religiously diverse countries in the world, ranking 32nd overall. However, the U.S. is the most religiously diverse nation among the most populous countries, each of which has a population of at least 120 million. It is followed by Nigeria, Russia, India, and Brazil, the report said.Christians make up an estimated 64% of the U.S. population as of 2020, while religiously unaffiliated people account for about 30%, the report said. The remaining 6% are Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and people who practice other religions, the report said.The research showed the growth of religiously unaffiliated people and the decline of the Christian majority by 14% in the U.S. yielded an increase in the country’s religious diversity between 2010 and 2020.Nigeria is the second-most religiously diverse of the largely populated countries and is among the nations where 90% of the population is fairly evenly divided between two religious categories, the report said. The most populous religious groups in Nigeria are Muslims (56%) and Christians (43%), the report said.Out of the other nine countries where most of the population falls most into a pair of religious categories, seven include Christianity among the two religious groups. Eritrea, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Uruguay, Estonia, Chad, Ivory Coast, and Ethiopia, all include Christianity and one other group as their top religious groups as of 2020, the report said.Pakistan was found to be the least religiously diverse among the most populous countries, with Muslims making up a high majority (97%) of its residents.

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Among the most populous nations, the U.S. ranks first in religious diversity. Singapore is the most religiously diverse country overall, and the U.S. ranks 32nd.

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Catholic convert Eva Vlaardingerbroek on censorship and immigration in Europe #Catholic Catholic Dutch political commentator and activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek said “the rule of law is dead” in Europe and detailed the issues of censorship and immigration on the continent.Vlaardingerbroek is an attorney and Catholic convert who has been outspoken about European immigration, national sovereignty, and free speech. Recently, the U.K. government banned her from entering the country due to her outspoken views.“Out of the blue, I saw that I had received an email from the U.K. government,” she told Raymond Arroyo on EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo.” It was “just a couple of sentences saying that my ETA, which is the travel authorization that Europeans need to travel to the U.K., had been revoked.”The reason they stated “was that I am ‘not conducive to the public good,’” she said. Vlaardingerbroek said she believes the ban occurred because she criticized the prime minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, on social media three days before receiving the email.The situation shows that “the rule of law is dead in Europe,” Vlaardingerbroek said. “Because if you get a notification like that out of the blue, you have no ability, no means to defend yourself … I  don’t have a criminal record. I didn’t commit a crime.”“I got converted to Catholicism in the United Kingdom, so I have a couple of really dear friends there. Now, I’m no longer able to go because I say the wrong things, apparently. That is the state of Europe right now … They either throw you in jail or they make sure that you can’t enter the country. That’s what happens in the United Kingdom if you go against the grain,” she said.European immigrationVlaardingerbroek has also been outspoken about illegal immigration in Europe and said that mass immigration has destabilized Europe and led to spikes in violent crimes.“Anyone with two eyes can see that it’s true,” she said. Everyone who lives here, apart from maybe people living in ivory towers or in areas where there are no immigrants, everyone who lives in the real world knows that it’s true.”“I will continue speaking the truth about what I see happening to this beautiful continent of ours because it’s being destroyed,” she said. “We see churches burning down every week here in Europe, and that’s not a coincidence. That didn’t happen for hundreds of years, and suddenly now … they’re burning down faster than I can count.”“You can break the law coming here. It’s not being punished. In fact, it’s rewarded because people get to stay, people get free housing, people get free health care, and they’re able to just roam around even awaiting whether they are going to get their asylum approved or not.”“The governments and the legal system seem to be working hand in hand” and the “judges are complicit,” Vlaardingerbroek said. In Europe, the migrants that commit crimes are not held accountable because judges believe “they are traumatized because they come from a war zone” or due to their “their mental state.”“Then what ends up happening is these immigrants who rape, kill, and assault the native population, they just don’t get any real prison time, and they definitely do not get deported,” she said.“I think that this is a holdover from World War II,” she continued. Institutions including the European Union have “given evil one face and one face only” and “they refuse to see the difference between a Nazi and a conservative Christian.”“To them, it’s all the same, and that’s the way that they treat us,” she said. “I don’t think they’re afraid to acknowledge it. I think they honestly don’t care. I mean, the churches that are being burned down in France that we see, that’s a physical thing unfolding in front of our eyes.”The burning of churches “is powerful imagery that should wake people up to something else, something invisible, which is the agenda that is being carried out here to erode Christianity,” Vlaardingerbroek said.When the European Union discusses European culture, identity, and history, “they never mention Christianity,” Vlaardingerbroek said.“They actively removed it from their documents. They talk about the Enlightenment, but Christianity is never mentioned. They are actively eroding and erasing Christianity here in Europe because it threatens their agenda, because these people see [themselves] as God,” she said.U.S. immigrationAs debates over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and law enforcement continue in the U.S, Vlaardingerbroek also discussed the status of immigration on this side of the pond.“As a Catholic, of course, we can be charitable. Nobody’s saying that we cannot allow some immigration or that we cannot help those in need. That is, of course, a Catholic ideal. That is a Catholic value … That’s what our legal system reflects,” she said.“That doesn’t mean, however, that when you come here illegally, which is what happens the majority of the time, and you break [the] laws, that we have to sit by and watch that happen.”ICE agents “are doing their job,” Vlaardingerbroek said. “They are enforcing the law. I think it’s a disgrace the way that they are being treated.”“I wish actually that here in Europe, we would have our version of ICE and that they would … send back home the people who come here illegally and who do not belong in these countries and who actively fight everything that we stand for, both in America and here in Europe,” Vlaardingerbroek said.
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Catholic convert Eva Vlaardingerbroek on censorship and immigration in Europe #Catholic Catholic Dutch political commentator and activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek said “the rule of law is dead” in Europe and detailed the issues of censorship and immigration on the continent.Vlaardingerbroek is an attorney and Catholic convert who has been outspoken about European immigration, national sovereignty, and free speech. Recently, the U.K. government banned her from entering the country due to her outspoken views.“Out of the blue, I saw that I had received an email from the U.K. government,” she told Raymond Arroyo on EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo.” It was “just a couple of sentences saying that my ETA, which is the travel authorization that Europeans need to travel to the U.K., had been revoked.”The reason they stated “was that I am ‘not conducive to the public good,’” she said. Vlaardingerbroek said she believes the ban occurred because she criticized the prime minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, on social media three days before receiving the email.The situation shows that “the rule of law is dead in Europe,” Vlaardingerbroek said. “Because if you get a notification like that out of the blue, you have no ability, no means to defend yourself … I  don’t have a criminal record. I didn’t commit a crime.”“I got converted to Catholicism in the United Kingdom, so I have a couple of really dear friends there. Now, I’m no longer able to go because I say the wrong things, apparently. That is the state of Europe right now … They either throw you in jail or they make sure that you can’t enter the country. That’s what happens in the United Kingdom if you go against the grain,” she said.European immigrationVlaardingerbroek has also been outspoken about illegal immigration in Europe and said that mass immigration has destabilized Europe and led to spikes in violent crimes.“Anyone with two eyes can see that it’s true,” she said. Everyone who lives here, apart from maybe people living in ivory towers or in areas where there are no immigrants, everyone who lives in the real world knows that it’s true.”“I will continue speaking the truth about what I see happening to this beautiful continent of ours because it’s being destroyed,” she said. “We see churches burning down every week here in Europe, and that’s not a coincidence. That didn’t happen for hundreds of years, and suddenly now … they’re burning down faster than I can count.”“You can break the law coming here. It’s not being punished. In fact, it’s rewarded because people get to stay, people get free housing, people get free health care, and they’re able to just roam around even awaiting whether they are going to get their asylum approved or not.”“The governments and the legal system seem to be working hand in hand” and the “judges are complicit,” Vlaardingerbroek said. In Europe, the migrants that commit crimes are not held accountable because judges believe “they are traumatized because they come from a war zone” or due to their “their mental state.”“Then what ends up happening is these immigrants who rape, kill, and assault the native population, they just don’t get any real prison time, and they definitely do not get deported,” she said.“I think that this is a holdover from World War II,” she continued. Institutions including the European Union have “given evil one face and one face only” and “they refuse to see the difference between a Nazi and a conservative Christian.”“To them, it’s all the same, and that’s the way that they treat us,” she said. “I don’t think they’re afraid to acknowledge it. I think they honestly don’t care. I mean, the churches that are being burned down in France that we see, that’s a physical thing unfolding in front of our eyes.”The burning of churches “is powerful imagery that should wake people up to something else, something invisible, which is the agenda that is being carried out here to erode Christianity,” Vlaardingerbroek said.When the European Union discusses European culture, identity, and history, “they never mention Christianity,” Vlaardingerbroek said.“They actively removed it from their documents. They talk about the Enlightenment, but Christianity is never mentioned. They are actively eroding and erasing Christianity here in Europe because it threatens their agenda, because these people see [themselves] as God,” she said.U.S. immigrationAs debates over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and law enforcement continue in the U.S, Vlaardingerbroek also discussed the status of immigration on this side of the pond.“As a Catholic, of course, we can be charitable. Nobody’s saying that we cannot allow some immigration or that we cannot help those in need. That is, of course, a Catholic ideal. That is a Catholic value … That’s what our legal system reflects,” she said.“That doesn’t mean, however, that when you come here illegally, which is what happens the majority of the time, and you break [the] laws, that we have to sit by and watch that happen.”ICE agents “are doing their job,” Vlaardingerbroek said. “They are enforcing the law. I think it’s a disgrace the way that they are being treated.”“I wish actually that here in Europe, we would have our version of ICE and that they would … send back home the people who come here illegally and who do not belong in these countries and who actively fight everything that we stand for, both in America and here in Europe,” Vlaardingerbroek said.

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Catholic convert Eva Vlaardingerbroek discussed immigration and the state of free speech in Europe on EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo.”

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Picture of the day Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) male ringed, Għadira Nature Reserve, Malta. Bird ringing is a vital activity that helps protect birds. In Malta, birds are humanely caught in mist nets which are checked every ten minutes. Each bird is ringed and weighed before being released. About 10% are retraps (i.e. they have been ringed before). The programme is carried on by BirdLife Malta.Ringing has shown that birds from at least 48 countries use Malta during migration. Unfortunately, Malta has the densest population of bird hunters in the European Union. The high numbers of wild birds illegally shot in Malta has led to the European Commission taking legal infringement proceedings against the Maltese Government over Article 5 of the Birds Directive. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) male ringed, Għadira Nature Reserve, Malta. Bird ringing is a vital activity that helps protect birds. In Malta, birds are humanely caught in mist nets which are checked every ten minutes. Each bird is ringed and weighed before being released. About 10% are retraps (i.e. they have been ringed before). The programme is carried on by BirdLife Malta.Ringing has shown that birds from at least 48 countries use Malta during migration. Unfortunately, Malta has the densest population of bird hunters in the European Union. The high numbers of wild birds illegally shot in Malta has led to the European Commission taking legal infringement proceedings against the Maltese Government over Article 5 of the Birds Directive. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) male ringed, Għadira Nature Reserve, Malta. Bird ringing is a vital activity that helps protect birds. In Malta, birds are humanely caught in mist nets which are checked every ten minutes. Each bird is ringed and weighed before being released. About 10% are retraps (i.e. they have been ringed before). The programme is carried on by BirdLife Malta.
Ringing has shown that birds from at least 48 countries use Malta during migration. Unfortunately, Malta has the densest population of bird hunters in the European Union. The high numbers of wild birds illegally shot in Malta has led to the European Commission taking legal infringement proceedings against the Maltese Government over Article 5 of the Birds Directive.
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