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Pope Leo XIV tells new priests: ‘You are a channel, not a filter’ #Catholic VATICAN CITY, April 26, 2026 — Pope Leo XIV ordained 10 new priests in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, urging them to keep the doors of the Church open and to remember that their mission is to welcome, not to exclude.“Today more than ever, especially when statistics seem to indicate a divide between people and the Church, keep the door open! Let people in, and be prepared to go out,” the pope said in his homily for the Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday.“This is another secret for your life: you are a channel, not a filter,” he told the ordinands.Eight of the new priests were ordained for the Diocese of Rome, of which the pope is bishop: Guglielmo Lapenna, Giorgio Larosa, Jos Emanuele Nleme Sabate, Giovanni Emanuele Nunziante Salazar, Antonino Ordine, Yordan Camilo Ramos Medina, Daniele Riscica, and Cristian Sguazzino.The pope also ordained Armando Roa Núñez, born in Mexico and incardinated in the Diocese of Miao in India, and Selwyn Pinto Loyce, born in Saudi Arabia and incardinated in the Institute of Christ the Redeemer, Idente Missionaries.Reflecting on the Gospel in which Jesus says, “I am the gate,” Leo told the new priests to see themselves as servants of a suffering humanity that awaits abundant life.“Never hide this holy door. Do not block it; do not be an obstacle to those who wish to enter,” he said. Quoting Jesus’ rebuke in Luke’s Gospel, he added: “You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”The pope said priestly ministry should be marked by communion and openness. “You belong to everyone and are for everyone!” he said. “Let this be the fundamental purpose of your mission: to keep the threshold open and direct others to it, without using too many words.”Leo also urged the ordinands not to reduce Christian life to parish structures or ecclesial groups.“The Church’s doors are open, but not to cut us off from life: life does not end in a parish, in an association, in a movement, in a group,” he said. “Whoever is saved can ‘go out and find pasture.’”“Dear brothers, go out and discover culture, people and life!” the pope continued. “Marvel at the things that God makes grow without our having sown them.”The pope also spoke about celibacy, comparing it to the love of spouses.“Certainly, like the love of spouses, the love that inspires celibacy for the Kingdom of God must also be guarded and constantly renewed, for every true affection matures and becomes fruitful over time,” he said.He told the new priests that the deeper their bond with Christ, “the more radical” their belonging to humanity becomes, adding that they are called to be “not only good priests but also honest, helpful citizens, builders of peace and social friendship.”The pope warned against fear and the search for scapegoats, saying that the need for security today can make people aggressive and cause communities to close in on themselves.“May your security not lie in the role you hold, but in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as well as in your participation, along with your people, in the story of salvation,” he said.The communities to which the priests will be sent, he said, are already places where the risen Christ is present.“These communities will also help you to become saints!” Leo said. “For your part, help them to walk together, following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, so that they may become places — gardens — of life that rise anew and share themselves with others.”He added: “Facilitating encounters, helping to bring together those who would otherwise never meet, and conciliating division is one and the same as celebrating the Eucharist and Reconciliation. Coming together always means planting the Church anew.”Later on Sunday, before leading the Regina Caeli from the window of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo returned to the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the gate of the sheepfold.“Jesus does not come as a thief to take away our life and our freedom, but to lead us along the paths of righteousness,” he said. “He does not come to ensnare or deceive our conscience, but to illuminate it with the light of his wisdom. He does not come to taint our earthly joys, but to open them to a fuller and more lasting happiness.”“Those who entrust themselves to him have nothing to fear,” the pope said, “for he does not deprive us of life, but comes to give it to us in abundance.”Leo urged the faithful to be vigilant about who or what enters “the gate” of their hearts.“‘Thieves’ can take many forms,” he said, citing those who “suppress our freedom or fail to respect our dignity,” as well as “beliefs and biases,” “mistaken ideas,” and “superficial and consumeristic lifestyles” that leave people empty inside.He also pointed to those who harm humanity by “pillaging the earth’s resources, waging blood-thirsty wars, or fueling evil in any form,” saying they “do nothing but rob each of us of the possibility of a future marked by peace and serenity.”The pope invited the faithful to examine their consciences: “Who do we want to guide us in life? Which ‘thieves’ have tried to break into our fold? Have they succeeded, or have we managed to ward them off?”After the Regina Caeli, Leo recalled the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, calling it a warning about the risks of powerful technologies.“Let us entrust those who died and all who still suffer from the aftermath of the disaster to God’s mercy,” he said. “I hope that discernment and responsibility will always prevail at every level of decision-making so that all use of atomic energy may be placed at the service of life and peace.”The pope also offered a special greeting to the relatives and friends of the new priests of the Diocese of Rome.“Please continue to accompany these young ministers of the Gospel with your prayers,” he said.This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV tells new priests: ‘You are a channel, not a filter’ #Catholic VATICAN CITY, April 26, 2026 — Pope Leo XIV ordained 10 new priests in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, urging them to keep the doors of the Church open and to remember that their mission is to welcome, not to exclude.“Today more than ever, especially when statistics seem to indicate a divide between people and the Church, keep the door open! Let people in, and be prepared to go out,” the pope said in his homily for the Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday.“This is another secret for your life: you are a channel, not a filter,” he told the ordinands.Eight of the new priests were ordained for the Diocese of Rome, of which the pope is bishop: Guglielmo Lapenna, Giorgio Larosa, Jos Emanuele Nleme Sabate, Giovanni Emanuele Nunziante Salazar, Antonino Ordine, Yordan Camilo Ramos Medina, Daniele Riscica, and Cristian Sguazzino.The pope also ordained Armando Roa Núñez, born in Mexico and incardinated in the Diocese of Miao in India, and Selwyn Pinto Loyce, born in Saudi Arabia and incardinated in the Institute of Christ the Redeemer, Idente Missionaries.Reflecting on the Gospel in which Jesus says, “I am the gate,” Leo told the new priests to see themselves as servants of a suffering humanity that awaits abundant life.“Never hide this holy door. Do not block it; do not be an obstacle to those who wish to enter,” he said. Quoting Jesus’ rebuke in Luke’s Gospel, he added: “You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”The pope said priestly ministry should be marked by communion and openness. “You belong to everyone and are for everyone!” he said. “Let this be the fundamental purpose of your mission: to keep the threshold open and direct others to it, without using too many words.”Leo also urged the ordinands not to reduce Christian life to parish structures or ecclesial groups.“The Church’s doors are open, but not to cut us off from life: life does not end in a parish, in an association, in a movement, in a group,” he said. “Whoever is saved can ‘go out and find pasture.’”“Dear brothers, go out and discover culture, people and life!” the pope continued. “Marvel at the things that God makes grow without our having sown them.”The pope also spoke about celibacy, comparing it to the love of spouses.“Certainly, like the love of spouses, the love that inspires celibacy for the Kingdom of God must also be guarded and constantly renewed, for every true affection matures and becomes fruitful over time,” he said.He told the new priests that the deeper their bond with Christ, “the more radical” their belonging to humanity becomes, adding that they are called to be “not only good priests but also honest, helpful citizens, builders of peace and social friendship.”The pope warned against fear and the search for scapegoats, saying that the need for security today can make people aggressive and cause communities to close in on themselves.“May your security not lie in the role you hold, but in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as well as in your participation, along with your people, in the story of salvation,” he said.The communities to which the priests will be sent, he said, are already places where the risen Christ is present.“These communities will also help you to become saints!” Leo said. “For your part, help them to walk together, following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, so that they may become places — gardens — of life that rise anew and share themselves with others.”He added: “Facilitating encounters, helping to bring together those who would otherwise never meet, and conciliating division is one and the same as celebrating the Eucharist and Reconciliation. Coming together always means planting the Church anew.”Later on Sunday, before leading the Regina Caeli from the window of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo returned to the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the gate of the sheepfold.“Jesus does not come as a thief to take away our life and our freedom, but to lead us along the paths of righteousness,” he said. “He does not come to ensnare or deceive our conscience, but to illuminate it with the light of his wisdom. He does not come to taint our earthly joys, but to open them to a fuller and more lasting happiness.”“Those who entrust themselves to him have nothing to fear,” the pope said, “for he does not deprive us of life, but comes to give it to us in abundance.”Leo urged the faithful to be vigilant about who or what enters “the gate” of their hearts.“‘Thieves’ can take many forms,” he said, citing those who “suppress our freedom or fail to respect our dignity,” as well as “beliefs and biases,” “mistaken ideas,” and “superficial and consumeristic lifestyles” that leave people empty inside.He also pointed to those who harm humanity by “pillaging the earth’s resources, waging blood-thirsty wars, or fueling evil in any form,” saying they “do nothing but rob each of us of the possibility of a future marked by peace and serenity.”The pope invited the faithful to examine their consciences: “Who do we want to guide us in life? Which ‘thieves’ have tried to break into our fold? Have they succeeded, or have we managed to ward them off?”After the Regina Caeli, Leo recalled the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, calling it a warning about the risks of powerful technologies.“Let us entrust those who died and all who still suffer from the aftermath of the disaster to God’s mercy,” he said. “I hope that discernment and responsibility will always prevail at every level of decision-making so that all use of atomic energy may be placed at the service of life and peace.”The pope also offered a special greeting to the relatives and friends of the new priests of the Diocese of Rome.“Please continue to accompany these young ministers of the Gospel with your prayers,” he said.This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The pope ordained 10 men to the priesthood on Good Shepherd Sunday and later warned at the Regina Caeli against the “thieves” that rob people of freedom, dignity, and peace.

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Pope Leo XIV appoints new bishop of London, Ontario #Catholic Pope Leo XIV has appointed Daniel J. Miehm as the new bishop of the Diocese of London, Ontario, Canada. Until now, the prelate served as the bishop of Peterborough, Ontario.The prelate succeeds Bishop Peter Fabbro in leading the Diocese of London. Fabbro’s resignation was accepted upon reaching the age of 75, the mandatory retirement age for bishops.After expressing his gratitude for the trust placed in him by the Holy Father for the new role, Miehm stated: “In this Easter season, as the Church celebrates the resurrection of Christ, we are invited to deep faith, trust in God, and hope in the promise of new life. It is in such a spirit that I embrace this new chapter in my continued service to the Church.”“I ask your prayers for me, for all those I have served in Peterborough and for those whom I will meet and serve in my episcopal ministry in the Diocese of London,” the prelate added in a statement from the Diocese of London.Fabbro, who served at the helm of the London Diocese for 24 years, said that Miehm “is a strong, compassionate leader with outstanding pastoral instincts and the wisdom to guide our diocese into the future. Under his episcopal leadership, the Diocese of London will be in very capable hands.”Miehm will be installed as the new bishop of London on June 29, the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, at St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica in London.Who is the new bishop of London?Miehm was born on Aug. 27, 1960, in Kitchener, Ontario. He studied philosophy at St. Jeromeʼs University in Waterloo, Ontario, and theology at St. Augustineʼs Seminary in Toronto. He earned a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, according to the Vatican Press Office.He was ordained a priest on May 6, 1989, for the Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario.He has held the following positions, among others: vicar of the Cathedral of Christ the King; defender of the bond at the ecclesiastical tribunal of Hamilton; pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Hamilton (1998–2004) and of St. Ann in Ancaster (2004–2012); and pastor of St. Benedict in Milton, as well as spiritual assistant to the St. Thomas More Lawyers' Guild (2012).He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Hamilton on Feb. 20, 2013, receiving episcopal consecration on May 7 of that year. On March 10, 2017, he was appointed bishop of Peterborough, where he served until now.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.

Pope Leo XIV appoints new bishop of London, Ontario #Catholic Pope Leo XIV has appointed Daniel J. Miehm as the new bishop of the Diocese of London, Ontario, Canada. Until now, the prelate served as the bishop of Peterborough, Ontario.The prelate succeeds Bishop Peter Fabbro in leading the Diocese of London. Fabbro’s resignation was accepted upon reaching the age of 75, the mandatory retirement age for bishops.After expressing his gratitude for the trust placed in him by the Holy Father for the new role, Miehm stated: “In this Easter season, as the Church celebrates the resurrection of Christ, we are invited to deep faith, trust in God, and hope in the promise of new life. It is in such a spirit that I embrace this new chapter in my continued service to the Church.”“I ask your prayers for me, for all those I have served in Peterborough and for those whom I will meet and serve in my episcopal ministry in the Diocese of London,” the prelate added in a statement from the Diocese of London.Fabbro, who served at the helm of the London Diocese for 24 years, said that Miehm “is a strong, compassionate leader with outstanding pastoral instincts and the wisdom to guide our diocese into the future. Under his episcopal leadership, the Diocese of London will be in very capable hands.”Miehm will be installed as the new bishop of London on June 29, the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, at St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica in London.Who is the new bishop of London?Miehm was born on Aug. 27, 1960, in Kitchener, Ontario. He studied philosophy at St. Jeromeʼs University in Waterloo, Ontario, and theology at St. Augustineʼs Seminary in Toronto. He earned a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, according to the Vatican Press Office.He was ordained a priest on May 6, 1989, for the Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario.He has held the following positions, among others: vicar of the Cathedral of Christ the King; defender of the bond at the ecclesiastical tribunal of Hamilton; pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Hamilton (1998–2004) and of St. Ann in Ancaster (2004–2012); and pastor of St. Benedict in Milton, as well as spiritual assistant to the St. Thomas More Lawyers' Guild (2012).He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Hamilton on Feb. 20, 2013, receiving episcopal consecration on May 7 of that year. On March 10, 2017, he was appointed bishop of Peterborough, where he served until now.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.

With the retirement of Bishop Peter Fabbro, Bishop Daniel J. Miehm of the Diocese of Peterborough has been appointed the new bishop of London, Ontario, Canada. He will be installed on June 29.

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Pope Leo XIV: Universities must seek truth and form the whole person #Catholic MALABO, Equatorial Guinea — Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday said the inauguration of a new university campus in Equatorial Guinea is “an act of trust in human beings,” praising investment in the education of young people during the final stop of his Africa trip.Speaking at the opening of the Pope Leo XIV University Campus in Basupú, part of the National University of Equatorial Guinea (UNGE), the pontiff said the new institution represents more than new buildings.“This inauguration is an act of trust in human beings, an affirmation of the fact that it is worth the effort to continue wagering on the formation of new generations and on the task, so demanding and yet so noble, of seeking the truth and putting knowledge at the service of the common good,” Leo said.The new campus, in the northern part of Bioko Island, is the country’s largest academic facility. The government chose to dedicate it to the pope in conjunction with his visit. Founded in 1995, the National University of Equatorial Guinea was established to help form national leaders and align academic and professional training with the country’s development needs.Leo was welcomed by Rector Filiberto Ntutumu Nguema Nchama and the archbishop of Malabo, Archbishop Juan Nsue Edjang May. A bust of the pope was unveiled before he met with students and professors gathered in the square outside the main entrance.Students appealed to the pope for encouragement in becoming “a generation characterized by discipline, respect, responsibility, and commitment to the common good,” one aimed not only at personal success but also at contributing to the development of Equatorial Guinea.Faculty members, for their part, pledged themselves to academic excellence, innovation, and the integral formation of students. University officials also stressed that science and technology are powerful tools whose value depends on how they are used and that Christian moral tradition offers essential guidance in that task.In his address, Leo turned to an image deeply resonant in Equatorial Guinea: the ceiba, the country’s national tree.“For the people of Equatorial Guinea, the ceiba, the national tree, has a great symbolic meaning,” he said. “A tree puts forth deep roots and ascends slowly with patience and strength to the heights, embodying in itself a fruitfulness that does not exist for itself.”The pope said the tree offers “a parable of that which a university is called to be”: an institution rooted in serious study, living memory, and the persevering search for truth.Leo then drew on biblical imagery to reflect on the relationship between faith, reason, and knowledge. Referring to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis, he said the biblical account is not a rejection of human intelligence.“It should be emphasized that this story is not about a condemnation of knowledge as such, as if faith was afraid of intelligence or looked with suspicion upon the desire for knowledge,” he said.Instead, he warned against knowledge detached from truth and goodness and reduced to self-interest or domination.“The problem, therefore, does not rest with knowledge but in its deviation towards an intelligence that no longer seeks to correspond to reality but rather to twist it for its own purposes,” he said.Leo said Christian tradition points to another tree — the cross — as the redemption, not the negation, of human intelligence.“Christian tradition contemplates another tree, that of the cross, not as a denial of human intelligence but as a sign of its redemption,” he said.“At the cross, human beings are invited to allow their desire for knowledge to be healed: to rediscover that truth is not fabricated, not manipulated nor possessed like a trophy but welcomed, sought with humility, and served with responsibility.”For that reason, he said, Christ is not an escape from intellectual effort.“From a Christian perspective, Christ does not appear as a religious escape in the face of intellectual endeavors, as if faith began where reason ended,” Leo said. “On the contrary, in him the profound harmony between truth, reason, and freedom are manifested.”The pope said the Church’s concern in education is that young people be formed integrally, “rather than giving the mere appearance of success.”He added that the university should be judged less by its size or number of graduates than by the quality of the people it forms for society.“Here on this campus, the ceiba of Equatorial Guinea is called to bear fruits of progress rooted in solidarity and of a knowledge that ennobles and develops the human being in an integral way,” he said. “It is called to offer the fruits of intelligence and uprightness, of competence and wisdom, of excellence and service.”“If generations of men and women are profoundly shaped in this place by truth and are capable of transforming their own existence into a gift for others, then the ceiba will remain an eloquent symbol rooted in the best things of this land, elevated by wisdom and abounding in fruits that pay tribute to Equatorial Guinea and enrich the entire human family.”Before the university event, the pope also made a brief visit to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Cathedral in Malabo, built in 1897.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV: Universities must seek truth and form the whole person #Catholic MALABO, Equatorial Guinea — Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday said the inauguration of a new university campus in Equatorial Guinea is “an act of trust in human beings,” praising investment in the education of young people during the final stop of his Africa trip.Speaking at the opening of the Pope Leo XIV University Campus in Basupú, part of the National University of Equatorial Guinea (UNGE), the pontiff said the new institution represents more than new buildings.“This inauguration is an act of trust in human beings, an affirmation of the fact that it is worth the effort to continue wagering on the formation of new generations and on the task, so demanding and yet so noble, of seeking the truth and putting knowledge at the service of the common good,” Leo said.The new campus, in the northern part of Bioko Island, is the country’s largest academic facility. The government chose to dedicate it to the pope in conjunction with his visit. Founded in 1995, the National University of Equatorial Guinea was established to help form national leaders and align academic and professional training with the country’s development needs.Leo was welcomed by Rector Filiberto Ntutumu Nguema Nchama and the archbishop of Malabo, Archbishop Juan Nsue Edjang May. A bust of the pope was unveiled before he met with students and professors gathered in the square outside the main entrance.Students appealed to the pope for encouragement in becoming “a generation characterized by discipline, respect, responsibility, and commitment to the common good,” one aimed not only at personal success but also at contributing to the development of Equatorial Guinea.Faculty members, for their part, pledged themselves to academic excellence, innovation, and the integral formation of students. University officials also stressed that science and technology are powerful tools whose value depends on how they are used and that Christian moral tradition offers essential guidance in that task.In his address, Leo turned to an image deeply resonant in Equatorial Guinea: the ceiba, the country’s national tree.“For the people of Equatorial Guinea, the ceiba, the national tree, has a great symbolic meaning,” he said. “A tree puts forth deep roots and ascends slowly with patience and strength to the heights, embodying in itself a fruitfulness that does not exist for itself.”The pope said the tree offers “a parable of that which a university is called to be”: an institution rooted in serious study, living memory, and the persevering search for truth.Leo then drew on biblical imagery to reflect on the relationship between faith, reason, and knowledge. Referring to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis, he said the biblical account is not a rejection of human intelligence.“It should be emphasized that this story is not about a condemnation of knowledge as such, as if faith was afraid of intelligence or looked with suspicion upon the desire for knowledge,” he said.Instead, he warned against knowledge detached from truth and goodness and reduced to self-interest or domination.“The problem, therefore, does not rest with knowledge but in its deviation towards an intelligence that no longer seeks to correspond to reality but rather to twist it for its own purposes,” he said.Leo said Christian tradition points to another tree — the cross — as the redemption, not the negation, of human intelligence.“Christian tradition contemplates another tree, that of the cross, not as a denial of human intelligence but as a sign of its redemption,” he said.“At the cross, human beings are invited to allow their desire for knowledge to be healed: to rediscover that truth is not fabricated, not manipulated nor possessed like a trophy but welcomed, sought with humility, and served with responsibility.”For that reason, he said, Christ is not an escape from intellectual effort.“From a Christian perspective, Christ does not appear as a religious escape in the face of intellectual endeavors, as if faith began where reason ended,” Leo said. “On the contrary, in him the profound harmony between truth, reason, and freedom are manifested.”The pope said the Church’s concern in education is that young people be formed integrally, “rather than giving the mere appearance of success.”He added that the university should be judged less by its size or number of graduates than by the quality of the people it forms for society.“Here on this campus, the ceiba of Equatorial Guinea is called to bear fruits of progress rooted in solidarity and of a knowledge that ennobles and develops the human being in an integral way,” he said. “It is called to offer the fruits of intelligence and uprightness, of competence and wisdom, of excellence and service.”“If generations of men and women are profoundly shaped in this place by truth and are capable of transforming their own existence into a gift for others, then the ceiba will remain an eloquent symbol rooted in the best things of this land, elevated by wisdom and abounding in fruits that pay tribute to Equatorial Guinea and enrich the entire human family.”Before the university event, the pope also made a brief visit to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Cathedral in Malabo, built in 1897.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

At the inauguration of a new campus named in his honor in Equatorial Guinea, the pope urged the education of young people in truth, responsibility, and service to the common good.

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8,645 candles light Finland’s Parliament in pro-life vigil for unborn #Catholic HELSINKI — Thousands of candles illuminated the steps of Finlandʼs Parliament in Helsinki on March 21 as pro-life advocates held a public vigil commemorating children lost to abortion.Organized by the Finnish pro-life group Oikeus elämään ry, the “Muistamme” (“In remembrance”) event featured 8,645 candles, one for each abortion performed in Finland in 2024. Johannes Laitinen, one of the eventʼs organizers, said approximately 100 preselected participants were invited to light the candles, chosen because of their personal connection to the loss of children through abortion. Members of the public were also given the opportunity to take part in the candle lighting during the vigil.
 
 Johannes Laitinen, one of the organizers of the “Muistamme” pro-life vigil held outside Finland’s Parliament in Helsinki on March 21, 2026. | Credit: Miika Soininen
 
 After the candles were lit, participants observed a minute of silence, while volunteers remained through the night as the display continued glowing in central Helsinki.A public witness in the heart of HelsinkiSpeaking to EWTN News, Kirsi Morgan-MacKay, chairman of Finlandʼs Right to Life Association, said the vigil sought both to honor the unborn and to confront the public with the scale of abortion in the country. “The event created a visual that touched peopleʼs hearts and perhaps made them stop and think about how many children are actually lost every year through abortion,” she said.Morgan-MacKay added that the vigil also aimed to acknowledge the often-unspoken grief experienced by women and families affected by abortion.
 
 The full display of 8,645 candles glows on the steps of Finland’s Parliament in Helsinki on the night of March 21, 2026. | Credit: Jaakko Haapanen
 
 She noted that leaders from multiple Christian denominations attended the event, which organizers viewed as an encouraging sign of broader ecclesial engagement. “We have always hoped that churches would come together to defend the lives of unborn children,” she said, explaining that abortion is not merely political but “a spiritual, ethical, and moral issue.”A prayer gathering was also held in connection with the vigil at Luther Church in Helsinki, where clergy from Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Catholic communities offered prayers. Representing the Catholic Church, Jean Claude Kabeza, vicar general of the Diocese of Helsinki, conveyed greetings from Bishop Raimo Goyarrola.Finlandʼs welfare state and the limits of social supportWhile happy about Finlandʼs reputation for its strong social welfare system, Morgan-MacKay noted that many women facing crisis pregnancies still experience profound isolation. “Many women and families are still left alone in the midst of a crisis,” she said, adding that loneliness and lack of support often persist even within families.She also observed that in Finland, the lives of unborn children often go unvalued when a pregnancy is unwanted. She pointed out that women confronted with an unplanned pregnancy, sometimes in shock, may see abortion as an “easy” way out, particularly since medical abortion is frequently presented as a simple “procedure.”
 
 Pro-life advocates carry the “Muistamme” banner through central Helsinki during the candlelit vigil on March 21, 2026. | Credit: Miika Soininen
 
 Morgan-MacKay also drew attention to Finlandʼs liberalized abortion framework, particularly the increased accessibility of medical abortion, arguing that women may be pressured into rushed decisions without adequate counseling.“Sometimes the health care system offers abortion as the only option,” she said. “Many times, these women need space to pause, think everything through, and receive real support.”She added that while Finlandʼs pro-life movement remains relatively small, it is gradually growing, with increased awareness of abortionʼs broader social and personal consequences. She expressed particular encouragement at the involvement of younger supporters, especially young men, saying she believes “God is raising up a new generation of pro-lifers” as more Finns begin speaking openly about the issue.A bishopʼs medical perspective on abortionEWTN News also spoke with Goyarrola, who said he remains hopeful that Finland can become more receptive to pro-life values, despite abortion remaining a sensitive and often taboo topic in public life.Goyarrolaʼs comments carry added weight in Finlandʼs abortion debates because of his medical background. Before entering the priesthood, he trained as a physician, graduating with a degree in medicine and surgery from the University of Navarra in Spain in 1992, and has pursued doctoral research in palliative care at the University of Eastern Finland since 2022.
 
 Spanish Opus Dei priest announced as new Helsinki bishop
 
 Drawing on his medical knowledge, he has also written extensively on social issues for general audiences, authoring “Ihmiselämää äidin kohdussa” (“Human Life in the Womb”), on abortion, and “Arvokas kuolema” (“A Dignified Death”), on euthanasia. Both books were widely praised for making complex bioethical questions accessible to ordinary readers.Reflecting on his experience, Goyarrola said that with regard to discussing abortion, conversations require clarity and compassion rather than confrontation.“I believe that positive language is what truly reaches people and opens hearts to reflection,” he said. “The Church speaks in defense of life by offering real solutions to real problems and proposing ways to prevent abortion.”“No one celebrates abortion as a joyful experience,” he added.Signs of change among younger FinnsAssessing the broader cultural climate, Goyarrola said abortion has historically remained difficult to discuss openly in Finnish society. “Abortion has long been a taboo subject in Finland, and to a large extent it still is,” he said, noting that public discourse is often narrowly framed around “the womanʼs right to her own body.”Yet the bishop said younger generations appear increasingly willing to engage the issue more thoughtfully. “Among young people, the topic is beginning to be discussed more openly, and with many serious questions,” he noted.
 
 Participants light some of the 8,645 candles on the steps of Finlandʼs Parliament in Helsinki on March 21, 2026, one for each abortion performed in Finland in 2024. | Credit: Jaakko Haapanen
 
 Goyarrola explained that because over 90% of abortions in Finland are carried out for social rather than medical reasons, the underlying causes must be addressed socially as well. He called for “better education, access to information, healthier lifestyles, and more personal responsibility and support for marriage and family life.”He added that the Church must continue promoting a concrete vision of family and human dignity, saying: “We aim to promote a culture that values life, family, and hope.” He also noted that the Catholic Church in Finland tries to speak about the “need for more children in society,” not for economic or labor-related reasons but rather for the future of Finnish society itself.“I hope that we can speak about abortion and about life in the motherʼs womb without prejudice, in a rational and thoughtful way,” Goyarrola added. “Only through open and respectful conversation can we better understand the complexity of the issue and seek humane and responsible solutions.”

8,645 candles light Finland’s Parliament in pro-life vigil for unborn #Catholic HELSINKI — Thousands of candles illuminated the steps of Finlandʼs Parliament in Helsinki on March 21 as pro-life advocates held a public vigil commemorating children lost to abortion.Organized by the Finnish pro-life group Oikeus elämään ry, the “Muistamme” (“In remembrance”) event featured 8,645 candles, one for each abortion performed in Finland in 2024. Johannes Laitinen, one of the eventʼs organizers, said approximately 100 preselected participants were invited to light the candles, chosen because of their personal connection to the loss of children through abortion. Members of the public were also given the opportunity to take part in the candle lighting during the vigil. Johannes Laitinen, one of the organizers of the “Muistamme” pro-life vigil held outside Finland’s Parliament in Helsinki on March 21, 2026. | Credit: Miika Soininen After the candles were lit, participants observed a minute of silence, while volunteers remained through the night as the display continued glowing in central Helsinki.A public witness in the heart of HelsinkiSpeaking to EWTN News, Kirsi Morgan-MacKay, chairman of Finlandʼs Right to Life Association, said the vigil sought both to honor the unborn and to confront the public with the scale of abortion in the country. “The event created a visual that touched peopleʼs hearts and perhaps made them stop and think about how many children are actually lost every year through abortion,” she said.Morgan-MacKay added that the vigil also aimed to acknowledge the often-unspoken grief experienced by women and families affected by abortion. The full display of 8,645 candles glows on the steps of Finland’s Parliament in Helsinki on the night of March 21, 2026. | Credit: Jaakko Haapanen She noted that leaders from multiple Christian denominations attended the event, which organizers viewed as an encouraging sign of broader ecclesial engagement. “We have always hoped that churches would come together to defend the lives of unborn children,” she said, explaining that abortion is not merely political but “a spiritual, ethical, and moral issue.”A prayer gathering was also held in connection with the vigil at Luther Church in Helsinki, where clergy from Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Catholic communities offered prayers. Representing the Catholic Church, Jean Claude Kabeza, vicar general of the Diocese of Helsinki, conveyed greetings from Bishop Raimo Goyarrola.Finlandʼs welfare state and the limits of social supportWhile happy about Finlandʼs reputation for its strong social welfare system, Morgan-MacKay noted that many women facing crisis pregnancies still experience profound isolation. “Many women and families are still left alone in the midst of a crisis,” she said, adding that loneliness and lack of support often persist even within families.She also observed that in Finland, the lives of unborn children often go unvalued when a pregnancy is unwanted. She pointed out that women confronted with an unplanned pregnancy, sometimes in shock, may see abortion as an “easy” way out, particularly since medical abortion is frequently presented as a simple “procedure.” Pro-life advocates carry the “Muistamme” banner through central Helsinki during the candlelit vigil on March 21, 2026. | Credit: Miika Soininen Morgan-MacKay also drew attention to Finlandʼs liberalized abortion framework, particularly the increased accessibility of medical abortion, arguing that women may be pressured into rushed decisions without adequate counseling.“Sometimes the health care system offers abortion as the only option,” she said. “Many times, these women need space to pause, think everything through, and receive real support.”She added that while Finlandʼs pro-life movement remains relatively small, it is gradually growing, with increased awareness of abortionʼs broader social and personal consequences. She expressed particular encouragement at the involvement of younger supporters, especially young men, saying she believes “God is raising up a new generation of pro-lifers” as more Finns begin speaking openly about the issue.A bishopʼs medical perspective on abortionEWTN News also spoke with Goyarrola, who said he remains hopeful that Finland can become more receptive to pro-life values, despite abortion remaining a sensitive and often taboo topic in public life.Goyarrolaʼs comments carry added weight in Finlandʼs abortion debates because of his medical background. Before entering the priesthood, he trained as a physician, graduating with a degree in medicine and surgery from the University of Navarra in Spain in 1992, and has pursued doctoral research in palliative care at the University of Eastern Finland since 2022. Spanish Opus Dei priest announced as new Helsinki bishop Drawing on his medical knowledge, he has also written extensively on social issues for general audiences, authoring “Ihmiselämää äidin kohdussa” (“Human Life in the Womb”), on abortion, and “Arvokas kuolema” (“A Dignified Death”), on euthanasia. Both books were widely praised for making complex bioethical questions accessible to ordinary readers.Reflecting on his experience, Goyarrola said that with regard to discussing abortion, conversations require clarity and compassion rather than confrontation.“I believe that positive language is what truly reaches people and opens hearts to reflection,” he said. “The Church speaks in defense of life by offering real solutions to real problems and proposing ways to prevent abortion.”“No one celebrates abortion as a joyful experience,” he added.Signs of change among younger FinnsAssessing the broader cultural climate, Goyarrola said abortion has historically remained difficult to discuss openly in Finnish society. “Abortion has long been a taboo subject in Finland, and to a large extent it still is,” he said, noting that public discourse is often narrowly framed around “the womanʼs right to her own body.”Yet the bishop said younger generations appear increasingly willing to engage the issue more thoughtfully. “Among young people, the topic is beginning to be discussed more openly, and with many serious questions,” he noted. Participants light some of the 8,645 candles on the steps of Finlandʼs Parliament in Helsinki on March 21, 2026, one for each abortion performed in Finland in 2024. | Credit: Jaakko Haapanen Goyarrola explained that because over 90% of abortions in Finland are carried out for social rather than medical reasons, the underlying causes must be addressed socially as well. He called for “better education, access to information, healthier lifestyles, and more personal responsibility and support for marriage and family life.”He added that the Church must continue promoting a concrete vision of family and human dignity, saying: “We aim to promote a culture that values life, family, and hope.” He also noted that the Catholic Church in Finland tries to speak about the “need for more children in society,” not for economic or labor-related reasons but rather for the future of Finnish society itself.“I hope that we can speak about abortion and about life in the motherʼs womb without prejudice, in a rational and thoughtful way,” Goyarrola added. “Only through open and respectful conversation can we better understand the complexity of the issue and seek humane and responsible solutions.”

Organizers of the “Muistamme” vigil lit one candle for each of the 8,645 abortions performed in Finland in 2024, drawing Catholic, Lutheran, and Presbyterian clergy together in central Helsinki.

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New record in France: More than 20,000 adults and teens baptized at Easter #Catholic This Easter, France recorded more than 20,000 adult and adolescent baptisms, a 20% increase compared with the previous year. A new report published by the French Bishops’ Conference presents the latest statistical data from Easter 2026, during which approximately 8,200 adolescents and 13,200 adults embraced the Catholic faith.The report indicates that the majority of converts are young adults between the ages of 18 and 25, closely followed by the 26-to-40 age group. Women constitute the largest segment, accounting for approximately 62% of the total.In general, the new catechumens have no prior religious tradition, driven primarily by difficult life experiences, a profound search for meaning, or spiritual encounters that left a lasting mark on their lives, according to the report.The ecclesiastical provinces with the highest number of baptisms were Paris, with 3,184, followed by Marseille with 1,437 and Lyon with 1,200. The report highlights a notable increase in the military diocese, headquartered in the French capital, particularly during the military pilgrimage to Lourdes.The ‘magnitude of the thirst for God’Olivier de Germay, archbishop of Lyon and the official responsible for the catechumenate in the country, reflected on this new reality, one that “never ceases to surprise and challenge us.”Although society has long been aware of the world’s failure to provide answers to “the deep aspirations of the human being,” the French prelate expressed his surprise at the “rapidity and magnitude of the thirst for God manifesting itself today.”This phenomenon opens up a new horizon and presents a “major challenge” for the Church, he said, which must offer appropriate guidance for initiation into the Christian life.For De Germay, the situation also calls upon the “seasoned veterans of the Christian life,” who are invited “to once again become aware of how God can break into [a person’s life] and transform it.”Among some new initiatives to address the increasing numbers, the regional council launched by the eight dioceses of the Île-de-France region stands out. Titled “Catechumens and Neophytes: New Perspectives for the Life of Our Church in Our Dioceses,” the council will run until May 2027. After gathering feedback from Catholics, including the newly baptized, the council aims to develop an appropriate response to the growing number of converts and to establish common guidelines at the provincial level.The provincial council is encouraging the other dioceses outside the Île-de-France region to launch other initiatives focused on specific proposals to increase the participation of the newly baptized in the liturgy.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.

New record in France: More than 20,000 adults and teens baptized at Easter #Catholic This Easter, France recorded more than 20,000 adult and adolescent baptisms, a 20% increase compared with the previous year. A new report published by the French Bishops’ Conference presents the latest statistical data from Easter 2026, during which approximately 8,200 adolescents and 13,200 adults embraced the Catholic faith.The report indicates that the majority of converts are young adults between the ages of 18 and 25, closely followed by the 26-to-40 age group. Women constitute the largest segment, accounting for approximately 62% of the total.In general, the new catechumens have no prior religious tradition, driven primarily by difficult life experiences, a profound search for meaning, or spiritual encounters that left a lasting mark on their lives, according to the report.The ecclesiastical provinces with the highest number of baptisms were Paris, with 3,184, followed by Marseille with 1,437 and Lyon with 1,200. The report highlights a notable increase in the military diocese, headquartered in the French capital, particularly during the military pilgrimage to Lourdes.The ‘magnitude of the thirst for God’Olivier de Germay, archbishop of Lyon and the official responsible for the catechumenate in the country, reflected on this new reality, one that “never ceases to surprise and challenge us.”Although society has long been aware of the world’s failure to provide answers to “the deep aspirations of the human being,” the French prelate expressed his surprise at the “rapidity and magnitude of the thirst for God manifesting itself today.”This phenomenon opens up a new horizon and presents a “major challenge” for the Church, he said, which must offer appropriate guidance for initiation into the Christian life.For De Germay, the situation also calls upon the “seasoned veterans of the Christian life,” who are invited “to once again become aware of how God can break into [a person’s life] and transform it.”Among some new initiatives to address the increasing numbers, the regional council launched by the eight dioceses of the Île-de-France region stands out. Titled “Catechumens and Neophytes: New Perspectives for the Life of Our Church in Our Dioceses,” the council will run until May 2027. After gathering feedback from Catholics, including the newly baptized, the council aims to develop an appropriate response to the growing number of converts and to establish common guidelines at the provincial level.The provincial council is encouraging the other dioceses outside the Île-de-France region to launch other initiatives focused on specific proposals to increase the participation of the newly baptized in the liturgy.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.

The surge in baptisms of young persons continues in France in 2026, a 20% increase over the already previous record-high number in 2025. The influx represents a major challenge for the French Church.

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French priest Henri Caffarel, founder of Teams of Our Lady, declared venerable by Pope Leo XIV #Catholic Father Henri Caffarel, a French priest whose apostolate centered on accompanying and guiding married couples on the path to holiness, is one step closer to being canonized.On March 23, Pope Leo XIV recognized the heroic virtues of the newly declared venerable, who maintained that couples are made for happiness and that marriage is a path toward it.With this deep conviction, and conscious of the challenges faced by couples, Caffarel, who was born in Lyon, France, in 1903, founded the movement for marital spirituality known as “Teams of Our Lady” in Paris in 1939.The beginning of a living legacySpaniards Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, the couple in charge of the Teams of Our Lady internationally, have been married for 35 years and have three children. In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, they said the ministry started “with four couples who approached Father Caffarel to ask him how they could live out their faith as a couple.”“He didn’t have an answer at that moment, so he proposed that they embark on a journey of discovery together rooted in the sacrament of holy orders and the sacrament of matrimony. And that‘s how it all began,” Alberto explained.Following World War II, the movement, which is primarily lay-led, grew rapidly; today, it is present in 92 countries and is comprised of more than 15,000 teams.
 
 Father Henri Caffarel. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Pérez Bueno
 
 Marital communication and prayerMercedes emphasized that from the very beginning, Caffarel saw the need to foster the essentials of marital communication and prayer, convinced that by sharing their problems with one another, many couples could avoid estrangement that sometimes occurs in marriage.The priest, Alberto recalled, said that “the sacrament of matrimony is an image of God” and “probably the most perfect one there is.” The priest said married couples are called to holiness through a life of “work, personal growth, love, patience, and building a life together.”“It‘s not an overnight process but rather a journey undertaken over the course of a lifetime. Father Caffarel invited couples to embark on this path and to attain holiness through their work and their life together,” Alberto emphasized.Mercedes said the priest thought of marriage as a sign “that reflects the love of God” because the relationship of communion that exists between spouses is analogous to the relationship existing among the three Divine Persons: Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.In the priest’s view, the image of marriage allowed for a clearer expression of the idea of ​​a God who is love “and who communicates and expands within his own nature.” From this perspective, “holiness ceases to be understood as a matter of individual effort or moral perfection and is situated instead within the dynamic of love that transforms and animates life,” Mercedes explained.A continuous path of spiritual growthThe organization of the Teams of Our Lady is based on a specific methodology “that goes beyond monthly meetings,” encompassing prayer, dialogue, and personal commitment. Each team consists of five or six married couples, fostering “listening to the word, personal prayer, prayer as a couple and family prayer, and a profound dialogue in the presence of the Lord that we also have every month,” Mercedes explained.Ultimately, it is a matter of “having a rule of life, a set of elements through which you strive to improve your Christian life,” she said. There is also a yearly retreat and a specific study theme each month.Alberto emphasized that the Teams of Our Lady are, in a sense, “precursors of the synodality” promoted by Pope Francis. “It’s a movement that is very nonclerical — though, it must be said, the accompaniment of married couples by priests is essential.”He also noted that “married couples place their time, their skills, their charisms, and their gifts at the service of others in order to build community.” Mercedes, who had the opportunity to meet the now-venerable, recalled that in 1973 he stepped aside after founding the teams, convinced that “if it was a work of the Holy Spirit and possessed a charism for the Church, there was no need for him to stay on.”Leaving the ministry in the laity’s hands, he retired to a house of prayer on the outskirts of Paris, where he began his other “great work”: teaching people how to pray. Mercedes noted that “one of the things he desired most was to teach people how to draw closer to Christ and to serve as an intermediary so that every person could have a personal encounter with God.”
 
 Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, international organizers of Teams of Our Lady. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Pérez Bueno
 
 The challenges facing married couples todayAlberto and Mercedes explained how married couples today confront new challenges stemming from the pace of life, particularly the “massive entry of women into the workforce,” which has brought different challenges, such as “finding time to be together and talk.”They highlighted Caffarel’s enduring counsel: “Seek out these moments; don’t let them slip away,” for life “sweeps us along like a fast-moving river.They also highlighted the movement’s impact in countries such as Lithuania, with a past marked by communist repression, or in African nations where the teams foster equality, participation, and changes such as abandoning polygamy. This is also true in Europe, where the Teams of Our Lady help strengthen families within increasingly secularized societies.Both highlight the universal impact of the movement: Couples from diverse cultures agree on the benefits received, particularly the “opportunity to pray together” and the realization of “how difficult it would have been without the presence of Christ in their married life.” Ultimately, this is a way of life that responds to a profound desire: Even as sacramental marriages decline, “there is no diminishing of people’s desire to live as a couple.”Mercedes also warned of a growing way of dealing with problems: “At the slightest setback, people are right off tempted to give up,” and the couple is not taught how to “persevere and forgive.” Added to this is “a great fear of commitment” and a tendency to avoid lasting bonds or communities despite the fact that, deep down, people “want to be happy and want to stay together.”For this reason, she emphasized the importance of mutual support and community life: “It‘s fundamental to allow oneself to be helped,” since in her view navigating married life in isolation “is extremely complex.”The teams offer precisely the necessary tools and support: a setting where married couples share their problems and solutions. Drawing upon their own experiences, they particularly encourage young couples to embark on this path of holiness.Both expressed their joy that Caffarel has been declared venerable, a long-awaited recognition following nearly 20 years of going through the beatification process, which continues, awaiting a miracle wrought through his intercession.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.

French priest Henri Caffarel, founder of Teams of Our Lady, declared venerable by Pope Leo XIV #Catholic Father Henri Caffarel, a French priest whose apostolate centered on accompanying and guiding married couples on the path to holiness, is one step closer to being canonized.On March 23, Pope Leo XIV recognized the heroic virtues of the newly declared venerable, who maintained that couples are made for happiness and that marriage is a path toward it.With this deep conviction, and conscious of the challenges faced by couples, Caffarel, who was born in Lyon, France, in 1903, founded the movement for marital spirituality known as “Teams of Our Lady” in Paris in 1939.The beginning of a living legacySpaniards Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, the couple in charge of the Teams of Our Lady internationally, have been married for 35 years and have three children. In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, they said the ministry started “with four couples who approached Father Caffarel to ask him how they could live out their faith as a couple.”“He didn’t have an answer at that moment, so he proposed that they embark on a journey of discovery together rooted in the sacrament of holy orders and the sacrament of matrimony. And that‘s how it all began,” Alberto explained.Following World War II, the movement, which is primarily lay-led, grew rapidly; today, it is present in 92 countries and is comprised of more than 15,000 teams. Father Henri Caffarel. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Pérez Bueno Marital communication and prayerMercedes emphasized that from the very beginning, Caffarel saw the need to foster the essentials of marital communication and prayer, convinced that by sharing their problems with one another, many couples could avoid estrangement that sometimes occurs in marriage.The priest, Alberto recalled, said that “the sacrament of matrimony is an image of God” and “probably the most perfect one there is.” The priest said married couples are called to holiness through a life of “work, personal growth, love, patience, and building a life together.”“It‘s not an overnight process but rather a journey undertaken over the course of a lifetime. Father Caffarel invited couples to embark on this path and to attain holiness through their work and their life together,” Alberto emphasized.Mercedes said the priest thought of marriage as a sign “that reflects the love of God” because the relationship of communion that exists between spouses is analogous to the relationship existing among the three Divine Persons: Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.In the priest’s view, the image of marriage allowed for a clearer expression of the idea of ​​a God who is love “and who communicates and expands within his own nature.” From this perspective, “holiness ceases to be understood as a matter of individual effort or moral perfection and is situated instead within the dynamic of love that transforms and animates life,” Mercedes explained.A continuous path of spiritual growthThe organization of the Teams of Our Lady is based on a specific methodology “that goes beyond monthly meetings,” encompassing prayer, dialogue, and personal commitment. Each team consists of five or six married couples, fostering “listening to the word, personal prayer, prayer as a couple and family prayer, and a profound dialogue in the presence of the Lord that we also have every month,” Mercedes explained.Ultimately, it is a matter of “having a rule of life, a set of elements through which you strive to improve your Christian life,” she said. There is also a yearly retreat and a specific study theme each month.Alberto emphasized that the Teams of Our Lady are, in a sense, “precursors of the synodality” promoted by Pope Francis. “It’s a movement that is very nonclerical — though, it must be said, the accompaniment of married couples by priests is essential.”He also noted that “married couples place their time, their skills, their charisms, and their gifts at the service of others in order to build community.” Mercedes, who had the opportunity to meet the now-venerable, recalled that in 1973 he stepped aside after founding the teams, convinced that “if it was a work of the Holy Spirit and possessed a charism for the Church, there was no need for him to stay on.”Leaving the ministry in the laity’s hands, he retired to a house of prayer on the outskirts of Paris, where he began his other “great work”: teaching people how to pray. Mercedes noted that “one of the things he desired most was to teach people how to draw closer to Christ and to serve as an intermediary so that every person could have a personal encounter with God.” Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, international organizers of Teams of Our Lady. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Pérez Bueno The challenges facing married couples todayAlberto and Mercedes explained how married couples today confront new challenges stemming from the pace of life, particularly the “massive entry of women into the workforce,” which has brought different challenges, such as “finding time to be together and talk.”They highlighted Caffarel’s enduring counsel: “Seek out these moments; don’t let them slip away,” for life “sweeps us along like a fast-moving river.They also highlighted the movement’s impact in countries such as Lithuania, with a past marked by communist repression, or in African nations where the teams foster equality, participation, and changes such as abandoning polygamy. This is also true in Europe, where the Teams of Our Lady help strengthen families within increasingly secularized societies.Both highlight the universal impact of the movement: Couples from diverse cultures agree on the benefits received, particularly the “opportunity to pray together” and the realization of “how difficult it would have been without the presence of Christ in their married life.” Ultimately, this is a way of life that responds to a profound desire: Even as sacramental marriages decline, “there is no diminishing of people’s desire to live as a couple.”Mercedes also warned of a growing way of dealing with problems: “At the slightest setback, people are right off tempted to give up,” and the couple is not taught how to “persevere and forgive.” Added to this is “a great fear of commitment” and a tendency to avoid lasting bonds or communities despite the fact that, deep down, people “want to be happy and want to stay together.”For this reason, she emphasized the importance of mutual support and community life: “It‘s fundamental to allow oneself to be helped,” since in her view navigating married life in isolation “is extremely complex.”The teams offer precisely the necessary tools and support: a setting where married couples share their problems and solutions. Drawing upon their own experiences, they particularly encourage young couples to embark on this path of holiness.Both expressed their joy that Caffarel has been declared venerable, a long-awaited recognition following nearly 20 years of going through the beatification process, which continues, awaiting a miracle wrought through his intercession.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.

A married couple that leads the Teams of Our Lady, founded by newly-declared Venerable Father Henri Caffarel, explains how this lay apostolate helps couples grow together in holiness.

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Pope Leo XIV: ‘Kneel down as brothers and sisters alongside the oppressed’ #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Holy Thursday returned the Mass of the Lord’s Supper to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, reviving a papal practice last observed there in 2012 under Benedict XVI.Departing from Pope Francis’ custom of celebrating the liturgy in prisons or migrant centers, Leo celebrated the rite in the cathedral of Rome and washed the feet of 12 priests of the Diocese of Rome.In his homily, the pope framed the liturgy as the solemn entrance into the Easter Triduum and said Christ’s love, shown in both the Eucharist and the washing of the feet, reveals the justice of God in a world wounded by evil.“This evening’s solemn liturgy marks our entry into the holy Triduum of the Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection,” Leo said. “We cross this threshold not as mere spectators, nor out of habit, but as those personally invited by Jesus himself as guests at the Supper in which bread and wine become for us the sacrament of salvation.”“His love becomes both gesture and nourishment for all, revealing the justice of God,” the pope said. “In this world, and particularly in those places where evil abounds, Jesus loves definitively — forever, and with his whole being.”Reflecting on the washing of the feet, Leo said the gesture is not simply a moral lesson but a revelation of God’s own way of loving.“What the Lord shows us — taking the water, the basin, and the towel — is far more than a moral example,” he said. “He entrusts to us his very way of life. The washing of the feet is a gesture that encapsulates the revelation of God.”The pope also cited Benedict XVI, recalling that Christians must repeatedly learn that God’s greatness is unlike worldly greatness. “We too must ‘learn repeatedly that God’s greatness is different from our idea of greatness… because we systematically desire a God of success and not of the Passion,’” Leo said.He warned that human beings are tempted to seek a God who grants success, victory, or usefulness like wealth and power rather than recognizing the divine power revealed in humble service.“Yet we fail to perceive that God does indeed serve us through the gratuitous and humble gesture of washing feet,” Leo said. “This is the true omnipotence of God.”The pope said Jesus’ action purifies both humanity’s false image of God and its false image of man.“For we tend to consider ourselves powerful when we dominate, victorious when we destroy our equals, great when we are feared,” he said. “In contrast, as true God and true man, Christ offers us the example of self-giving, service, and love.”Leo stressed that Christ gave this example not in a moment of acclaim but “on the night he was betrayed, in the darkness of incomprehension and violence.”“In this way, it becomes clear that the Lord’s love precedes our own goodness or purity; he loves us first, and in that love, he forgives and restores us,” the pope said.Quoting St. John’s Gospel, Leo urged Christians to live out mutual service in imitation of Christ: “He does not ask us to repay him but to share his gift among ourselves: ‘You also ought to wash one another’s feet.’”The pope also referred to Pope Francis’ 2013 Holy Thursday homily, noting that Christian service cannot be reduced to abstraction or empty obligation but must spring from charity.Allowing oneself to be served by the Lord, Leo said, is a precondition for serving others. “By washing our bodies, Jesus purifies our souls,” he said. “In him, God has given us an example — not of how to dominate, but of how to liberate; not of how to destroy life, but of how to give it.”In one of the homily’s strongest appeals, the pope turned to the suffering of those crushed by violence and oppression.“As humanity is brought to its knees by so many acts of brutality, let us too kneel down as brothers and sisters alongside the oppressed,” he said.Leo said the liturgy of Holy Thursday draws together the institution of the Eucharist and holy orders, revealing “the perfect self-gift of Jesus, the High Priest and living, eternal Eucharist.”Addressing priests directly, he said: “Beloved brothers in the priesthood, we are called to serve the people of God with our whole lives.”He concluded by inviting Catholics to spend time in Eucharistic adoration and to ask for the grace to imitate Christ’s love.“Holy Thursday is therefore a day of fervent gratitude and authentic fraternity,” the pope said. “May this evening’s Eucharistic adoration, in every parish and community, be a time to contemplate Jesus’ gesture, kneeling as he did, and to ask for the strength to imitate his service with the same love.”This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV: ‘Kneel down as brothers and sisters alongside the oppressed’ #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Holy Thursday returned the Mass of the Lord’s Supper to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, reviving a papal practice last observed there in 2012 under Benedict XVI.Departing from Pope Francis’ custom of celebrating the liturgy in prisons or migrant centers, Leo celebrated the rite in the cathedral of Rome and washed the feet of 12 priests of the Diocese of Rome.In his homily, the pope framed the liturgy as the solemn entrance into the Easter Triduum and said Christ’s love, shown in both the Eucharist and the washing of the feet, reveals the justice of God in a world wounded by evil.“This evening’s solemn liturgy marks our entry into the holy Triduum of the Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection,” Leo said. “We cross this threshold not as mere spectators, nor out of habit, but as those personally invited by Jesus himself as guests at the Supper in which bread and wine become for us the sacrament of salvation.”“His love becomes both gesture and nourishment for all, revealing the justice of God,” the pope said. “In this world, and particularly in those places where evil abounds, Jesus loves definitively — forever, and with his whole being.”Reflecting on the washing of the feet, Leo said the gesture is not simply a moral lesson but a revelation of God’s own way of loving.“What the Lord shows us — taking the water, the basin, and the towel — is far more than a moral example,” he said. “He entrusts to us his very way of life. The washing of the feet is a gesture that encapsulates the revelation of God.”The pope also cited Benedict XVI, recalling that Christians must repeatedly learn that God’s greatness is unlike worldly greatness. “We too must ‘learn repeatedly that God’s greatness is different from our idea of greatness… because we systematically desire a God of success and not of the Passion,’” Leo said.He warned that human beings are tempted to seek a God who grants success, victory, or usefulness like wealth and power rather than recognizing the divine power revealed in humble service.“Yet we fail to perceive that God does indeed serve us through the gratuitous and humble gesture of washing feet,” Leo said. “This is the true omnipotence of God.”The pope said Jesus’ action purifies both humanity’s false image of God and its false image of man.“For we tend to consider ourselves powerful when we dominate, victorious when we destroy our equals, great when we are feared,” he said. “In contrast, as true God and true man, Christ offers us the example of self-giving, service, and love.”Leo stressed that Christ gave this example not in a moment of acclaim but “on the night he was betrayed, in the darkness of incomprehension and violence.”“In this way, it becomes clear that the Lord’s love precedes our own goodness or purity; he loves us first, and in that love, he forgives and restores us,” the pope said.Quoting St. John’s Gospel, Leo urged Christians to live out mutual service in imitation of Christ: “He does not ask us to repay him but to share his gift among ourselves: ‘You also ought to wash one another’s feet.’”The pope also referred to Pope Francis’ 2013 Holy Thursday homily, noting that Christian service cannot be reduced to abstraction or empty obligation but must spring from charity.Allowing oneself to be served by the Lord, Leo said, is a precondition for serving others. “By washing our bodies, Jesus purifies our souls,” he said. “In him, God has given us an example — not of how to dominate, but of how to liberate; not of how to destroy life, but of how to give it.”In one of the homily’s strongest appeals, the pope turned to the suffering of those crushed by violence and oppression.“As humanity is brought to its knees by so many acts of brutality, let us too kneel down as brothers and sisters alongside the oppressed,” he said.Leo said the liturgy of Holy Thursday draws together the institution of the Eucharist and holy orders, revealing “the perfect self-gift of Jesus, the High Priest and living, eternal Eucharist.”Addressing priests directly, he said: “Beloved brothers in the priesthood, we are called to serve the people of God with our whole lives.”He concluded by inviting Catholics to spend time in Eucharistic adoration and to ask for the grace to imitate Christ’s love.“Holy Thursday is therefore a day of fervent gratitude and authentic fraternity,” the pope said. “May this evening’s Eucharistic adoration, in every parish and community, be a time to contemplate Jesus’ gesture, kneeling as he did, and to ask for the strength to imitate his service with the same love.”This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

On Holy Thursday, the pontiff urged Catholics to imitate Christ’s service in a world marked by brutality.

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King Felipe VI of Spain installed as protocanon of the Basilica of St. Mary Major #Catholic VATICAN CITY — King Felipe VI of Spain on Friday was installed as protocanon of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in a solemn ceremony that underscores the historic link of the Spanish monarchy with the oldest Marian church in the West.“Protocanon” is an honorary title reserved exclusively for the Spanish head of state, recognizing the monarch as a collaborator of the pope without bestowing executive functions or decision-making power. The investiture March 20 renewed a relationship that dates back centuries and that last took place with Juan Carlos I of Spain in 1977.The king arrived at the Marian basilica, one of four papal basilicas in Rome, after a 50-minute audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The meeting served as a prelude to the pontiff’s upcoming apostolic journey to Spain, scheduled for June 6–12.Upon their arrival at the basilica, the king and his wife, Queen Letizia, were received at the Bronze Gate by the Spanish canon of the chapter, Monsignor José Jaime Brosel, and the archpriest of the basilica, Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas.The king and queen viewed a statue of Philip IV of Spain, ancestor of the current monarch, a work designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and one of the pieces of evidence that show the centuries-old historical and spiritual relationship between Spain and the oldest Marian temple in the West.During the ceremony, Makrickas stressed that “authentic tradition is not stagnation but the living transmission of a gift that transcends time” and recalled that the basilica is entrusted with prayer for Spain and its head of state.Parts of the bull Hispaniarum Fidelitas were also read at the ceremony. Pope Pius XII signed the important document, which renewed and confirmed the historic ties of devotion and protection between the Spanish nation and the Basilica of St. Mary Major, in Rome on Aug. 5, 1953.In a short speech, King Felipe VI reaffirmed his commitment to the historic Roman basilica and appealed for “clarity of deed and word, of heart and conscience” in the current context. He also invited people to overcome selfishness and indifference in order to become “a small beacon of concord, generosity, and dedication to the common good.”Spain’s connection to the Basilica of St. Mary MajorFew know that the Basilica of St. Mary Major has close ties to the Spanish crown. Proof of this lies in the statue of Philip IV — an ancestor of the current king — which stands in the atrium.The work was inaugurated in 1692 during the tenure of the Spanish ambassador, the Duke of Medinaceli.The duke “was one of the main benefactors of St. Mary Major,” Brosel, a canon of the basilica and rector of the Spanish National Church of Santiago and Monserrat in Rome, told EWTN News ahead of the March 20 event.“In fact, it was in 1647 that Pope Innocent X formally established the Spanish Charitable Foundation in this basilica. Furthermore, the pope established an annual income in exchange for certain privileges for the Spanish monarchy,” Brosel explained.From that moment onward, the kings of Spain have held the title of “honorary protocanon.” This was a gesture of support for the pope during the Counter-Reformation but also a guarantee to safeguard the influence of the Spanish monarchy within the Holy See.The last time a Spanish head of state took possession as protocanon of the basilica was the father of the current king, Juan Carlos I, on Feb. 10, 1977.Brosel emphasized that Spain’s bond with the basilica “is born from the heart of Spain and its deep Marian devotion, where Spaniards feel St. Mary Major is their home.”
 
 King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on March 20, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
 
 Papal audienceThe investiture ceremony for the king took place following a visit to the Vatican and private audience with Pope Leo XIV.Leo’s upcoming trip to Spain — which is expected to include stops in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands — will be the first papal journey to Spain in 15 years.Benedict XVI was the last pope to visit the country, traveling to Madrid for World Youth Day in 2011. At that time, Felipe VI was still a prince and the king was his father, Juan Carlos I.Queen Letizia at Friday’s papal audience wore white, a privilege reserved for Catholic queens, although without a mantilla or hair comb.The private conversation and exchange of gifts with Pope Leo was followed by talks with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher in the Secretariat of State.This story was first published as three articles by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister agency of EWTN News. It was translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

King Felipe VI of Spain installed as protocanon of the Basilica of St. Mary Major #Catholic VATICAN CITY — King Felipe VI of Spain on Friday was installed as protocanon of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in a solemn ceremony that underscores the historic link of the Spanish monarchy with the oldest Marian church in the West.“Protocanon” is an honorary title reserved exclusively for the Spanish head of state, recognizing the monarch as a collaborator of the pope without bestowing executive functions or decision-making power. The investiture March 20 renewed a relationship that dates back centuries and that last took place with Juan Carlos I of Spain in 1977.The king arrived at the Marian basilica, one of four papal basilicas in Rome, after a 50-minute audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The meeting served as a prelude to the pontiff’s upcoming apostolic journey to Spain, scheduled for June 6–12.Upon their arrival at the basilica, the king and his wife, Queen Letizia, were received at the Bronze Gate by the Spanish canon of the chapter, Monsignor José Jaime Brosel, and the archpriest of the basilica, Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas.The king and queen viewed a statue of Philip IV of Spain, ancestor of the current monarch, a work designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and one of the pieces of evidence that show the centuries-old historical and spiritual relationship between Spain and the oldest Marian temple in the West.During the ceremony, Makrickas stressed that “authentic tradition is not stagnation but the living transmission of a gift that transcends time” and recalled that the basilica is entrusted with prayer for Spain and its head of state.Parts of the bull Hispaniarum Fidelitas were also read at the ceremony. Pope Pius XII signed the important document, which renewed and confirmed the historic ties of devotion and protection between the Spanish nation and the Basilica of St. Mary Major, in Rome on Aug. 5, 1953.In a short speech, King Felipe VI reaffirmed his commitment to the historic Roman basilica and appealed for “clarity of deed and word, of heart and conscience” in the current context. He also invited people to overcome selfishness and indifference in order to become “a small beacon of concord, generosity, and dedication to the common good.”Spain’s connection to the Basilica of St. Mary MajorFew know that the Basilica of St. Mary Major has close ties to the Spanish crown. Proof of this lies in the statue of Philip IV — an ancestor of the current king — which stands in the atrium.The work was inaugurated in 1692 during the tenure of the Spanish ambassador, the Duke of Medinaceli.The duke “was one of the main benefactors of St. Mary Major,” Brosel, a canon of the basilica and rector of the Spanish National Church of Santiago and Monserrat in Rome, told EWTN News ahead of the March 20 event.“In fact, it was in 1647 that Pope Innocent X formally established the Spanish Charitable Foundation in this basilica. Furthermore, the pope established an annual income in exchange for certain privileges for the Spanish monarchy,” Brosel explained.From that moment onward, the kings of Spain have held the title of “honorary protocanon.” This was a gesture of support for the pope during the Counter-Reformation but also a guarantee to safeguard the influence of the Spanish monarchy within the Holy See.The last time a Spanish head of state took possession as protocanon of the basilica was the father of the current king, Juan Carlos I, on Feb. 10, 1977.Brosel emphasized that Spain’s bond with the basilica “is born from the heart of Spain and its deep Marian devotion, where Spaniards feel St. Mary Major is their home.” King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on March 20, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Papal audienceThe investiture ceremony for the king took place following a visit to the Vatican and private audience with Pope Leo XIV.Leo’s upcoming trip to Spain — which is expected to include stops in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands — will be the first papal journey to Spain in 15 years.Benedict XVI was the last pope to visit the country, traveling to Madrid for World Youth Day in 2011. At that time, Felipe VI was still a prince and the king was his father, Juan Carlos I.Queen Letizia at Friday’s papal audience wore white, a privilege reserved for Catholic queens, although without a mantilla or hair comb.The private conversation and exchange of gifts with Pope Leo was followed by talks with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher in the Secretariat of State.This story was first published as three articles by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister agency of EWTN News. It was translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

“Protocanon” is an honorary title reserved exclusively for the Spanish head of state, recognizing the monarch as a collaborator of the pope.

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Collection for the Holy Land: Christians need concrete hope, not just consoling words #Catholic Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, called upon the faithful worldwide to participate in the Good Friday collection aimed at assisting Christian communities in the Holy Land.The Good Friday collection is one of the primary sources of support for the Custody of the Holy Land — the Franciscan institution that for centuries has safeguarded the sites connected to the life of Jesus Christ and accompanied the Christian communities living in the region.The prefect called upon the faithful around the world to respond with a concrete gesture of solidarity. “I wish to propose a small gesture to you: to offer a little of our money to help our brothers and sisters who find themselves in extreme peril to live one more day, to find hope, and to find the possibility of starting anew.”“How many times have I personally visited those Christian minorities who wake up every morning facing the danger of no longer having a place to exist!” Gugerotti wrote in the March 18 letter, which was also signed by the dicastery’s secretary, Archbishop Michel Jalakh.“Help us to offer them concrete hope, not merely words of consolation — for we who visit them will leave, while they remain with their fears, even with the terror that, precisely because they are Christians, they may be eliminated,” the cardinal stated. The cardinal explained that the Good Friday donations hold a twofold significance: on the one hand, providing material aid to those living amid war and poverty, and on the other, challenging the conscience of the faithful.“It is also vital for us, because without sacrifice, without a real change in our way of living, we risk remaining inert before a world in flames — and thus complicit in its destruction,” he said. Gugerotti noted that many Christians in the Holy Land have lost their means of livelihood, especially those who depended on religious tourism, which historically sustained a large portion of the local economy. The conflict that began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, triggered a sharp decline in religious tourism.“A great many Christians in the Holy Land have lost everything, even the work that came from serving pilgrims,” he pointed out.In early 2025, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism characterized the year as a turning point, with 1.3 million international arrivals. However, 2026 has once again proven to be a highly problematic year for pilgrimages primarily due to the military escalation by the United States and Israel against Iran, which has thrown the entire region into crisis.The drastic reduction in pilgrimages and the current climate of insecurity have  exacerbated the situation. “Now, out of fear, almost everyone tends to avoid venturing into those lands,” he said.What is done with the money collected?In 2023 — the most recent year for which official data are available — the Holy Land collection raised 6,571,893 euros (.5 million). The Custody of the Holy Land typically receives 65% of the proceeds, while the remaining 35% goes to the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, which uses it for the formation of priests and for subsidies to the various dioceses and eparchies in Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq.Of the money it receives, the Custody of the Holy Land normally invests 20% in the upkeep of the sites where Jesus Christ walked, while the remainder goes to Christian families, who, in 1948, constituted 20% of the local population but now make up less than 1.4%.In the Gaza Strip, it collaborates with the Latin parish and the Atfa-Luna association to provide psycho-social support “to some 1,000 children and 300 adults,” as well as to distribute emergency kits and aid to families of people with disabilities.In Lebanon, the Church responded to the 2024 crisis (the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah) by providing “hot meals for some 500 beneficiaries every day” and ensuring “drinking water for about 250 people daily.” The Custody of the Holy Land also manages hundreds of housing units at nominal rents to prevent emigration.“It has been said that peace has been achieved; however, even though the media speak of it much less today than before, the shooting continues, people continue to die, lands remain disputed, and Christians continue to emigrate to save their lives,” the cardinal noted.According to the 2023 data released by the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, 2,376,167 euros (.7 million) was donated to seminaries, houses of religious formation, and cultural institutions. The Franciscan Custody allocated more than 2 million euros (.3 million) to the education of young people in the Holy Land in 2023, funding scholarships at various universities in the region. Nearly 1 million euros (.15 million) were allocated to the Pontifical Oriental Institute, which now encompasses, at Pope Francis’ direction, the Pontifical Gregorian University.A portion was also invested in Bethlehem University, one of the prestigious foundations that underwrites the academic studies of 3,300 young people, both Muslim and Christian, with the aim of educating them to build a future of peace in the Holy Land.A concrete gesture: Giving is a ‘strong sign of faith’In his message, the cardinal invited bishops and pastoral leaders to raise awareness among the faithful regarding the importance of sustaining the Christian presence in the places where Christianity was born.“Let us ensure that our people approach the collection with the awareness that giving is a strong sign of faith,” he wrote. “A Holy Land without believers is a lost land, for the living memory of salvation is lost,” he added.“Pope Leo XIV never ceases to bring to our minds and hearts this commitment to be one, so that there may be peace — not a provisional truce, not perpetual hatred, not an immense expenditure on armaments, but a contribution to our common rebirth,” the cardinal wrote.The prelate concluded his letter by acknowledging that the collection would be merely “a drop in the ocean” but that “the ocean, as a result of losing its drops, is turning into a desert.”In addition to supporting the Franciscan mission in the Holy Land to safeguard the holy places, sustain local Christian communities, and foster peace in the region where Jesus lived, the cardinal said Christians can actively contribute by offering prayers to support this work and inspire new vocations, or by undertaking a pilgrimage to discover the roots of Christianity.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.

Collection for the Holy Land: Christians need concrete hope, not just consoling words #Catholic Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, called upon the faithful worldwide to participate in the Good Friday collection aimed at assisting Christian communities in the Holy Land.The Good Friday collection is one of the primary sources of support for the Custody of the Holy Land — the Franciscan institution that for centuries has safeguarded the sites connected to the life of Jesus Christ and accompanied the Christian communities living in the region.The prefect called upon the faithful around the world to respond with a concrete gesture of solidarity. “I wish to propose a small gesture to you: to offer a little of our money to help our brothers and sisters who find themselves in extreme peril to live one more day, to find hope, and to find the possibility of starting anew.”“How many times have I personally visited those Christian minorities who wake up every morning facing the danger of no longer having a place to exist!” Gugerotti wrote in the March 18 letter, which was also signed by the dicastery’s secretary, Archbishop Michel Jalakh.“Help us to offer them concrete hope, not merely words of consolation — for we who visit them will leave, while they remain with their fears, even with the terror that, precisely because they are Christians, they may be eliminated,” the cardinal stated. The cardinal explained that the Good Friday donations hold a twofold significance: on the one hand, providing material aid to those living amid war and poverty, and on the other, challenging the conscience of the faithful.“It is also vital for us, because without sacrifice, without a real change in our way of living, we risk remaining inert before a world in flames — and thus complicit in its destruction,” he said. Gugerotti noted that many Christians in the Holy Land have lost their means of livelihood, especially those who depended on religious tourism, which historically sustained a large portion of the local economy. The conflict that began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, triggered a sharp decline in religious tourism.“A great many Christians in the Holy Land have lost everything, even the work that came from serving pilgrims,” he pointed out.In early 2025, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism characterized the year as a turning point, with 1.3 million international arrivals. However, 2026 has once again proven to be a highly problematic year for pilgrimages primarily due to the military escalation by the United States and Israel against Iran, which has thrown the entire region into crisis.The drastic reduction in pilgrimages and the current climate of insecurity have  exacerbated the situation. “Now, out of fear, almost everyone tends to avoid venturing into those lands,” he said.What is done with the money collected?In 2023 — the most recent year for which official data are available — the Holy Land collection raised 6,571,893 euros ($7.5 million). The Custody of the Holy Land typically receives 65% of the proceeds, while the remaining 35% goes to the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, which uses it for the formation of priests and for subsidies to the various dioceses and eparchies in Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq.Of the money it receives, the Custody of the Holy Land normally invests 20% in the upkeep of the sites where Jesus Christ walked, while the remainder goes to Christian families, who, in 1948, constituted 20% of the local population but now make up less than 1.4%.In the Gaza Strip, it collaborates with the Latin parish and the Atfa-Luna association to provide psycho-social support “to some 1,000 children and 300 adults,” as well as to distribute emergency kits and aid to families of people with disabilities.In Lebanon, the Church responded to the 2024 crisis (the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah) by providing “hot meals for some 500 beneficiaries every day” and ensuring “drinking water for about 250 people daily.” The Custody of the Holy Land also manages hundreds of housing units at nominal rents to prevent emigration.“It has been said that peace has been achieved; however, even though the media speak of it much less today than before, the shooting continues, people continue to die, lands remain disputed, and Christians continue to emigrate to save their lives,” the cardinal noted.According to the 2023 data released by the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, 2,376,167 euros ($2.7 million) was donated to seminaries, houses of religious formation, and cultural institutions. The Franciscan Custody allocated more than 2 million euros ($2.3 million) to the education of young people in the Holy Land in 2023, funding scholarships at various universities in the region. Nearly 1 million euros ($1.15 million) were allocated to the Pontifical Oriental Institute, which now encompasses, at Pope Francis’ direction, the Pontifical Gregorian University.A portion was also invested in Bethlehem University, one of the prestigious foundations that underwrites the academic studies of 3,300 young people, both Muslim and Christian, with the aim of educating them to build a future of peace in the Holy Land.A concrete gesture: Giving is a ‘strong sign of faith’In his message, the cardinal invited bishops and pastoral leaders to raise awareness among the faithful regarding the importance of sustaining the Christian presence in the places where Christianity was born.“Let us ensure that our people approach the collection with the awareness that giving is a strong sign of faith,” he wrote. “A Holy Land without believers is a lost land, for the living memory of salvation is lost,” he added.“Pope Leo XIV never ceases to bring to our minds and hearts this commitment to be one, so that there may be peace — not a provisional truce, not perpetual hatred, not an immense expenditure on armaments, but a contribution to our common rebirth,” the cardinal wrote.The prelate concluded his letter by acknowledging that the collection would be merely “a drop in the ocean” but that “the ocean, as a result of losing its drops, is turning into a desert.”In addition to supporting the Franciscan mission in the Holy Land to safeguard the holy places, sustain local Christian communities, and foster peace in the region where Jesus lived, the cardinal said Christians can actively contribute by offering prayers to support this work and inspire new vocations, or by undertaking a pilgrimage to discover the roots of Christianity.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.

Now more than ever, the Christian minority in the Holy Land needs the support it receives through the annual Good Friday collection as ongoing violence in the Middle East has curtailed pilgrimages.

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Mathematicians can become ‘signs of hope for the world,’ Pope Leo XIV says #Catholic In a message conveyed through Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV on Friday said that mathematicians can become “signs of hope for the world,” particularly in a context marked by rapid technological advancements and challenges facing humanity.The pope’s message was addressed to the Turkish mathematician and university professor Betül Tanbay, chair of the International Day of Mathematics, which was observed March 13. Tanbay had informed the pontiff of a webinar dedicated to the theme “Mathematics and Hope.” In response, the pope sent a letter extending his cordial greetings and best wishes to all participants in the initiative.In the text, Leo XIV invited reflection on the role that mathematics can play in the face of “the multiple challenges confronting the human family,” citing rapid technological development, with all its potential “for both good and evil.”The pontiff encouraged participants to consider how mathematicians can offer a positive witness to society. “A particularly fruitful area of ​​research is the use of algorithms, especially in the field of artificial intelligence,” he noted.However, the pope emphasized that work in these fields demands something more than technical competence. As he pointed out, this task requires “not only intellectual effort and ingenuity but also the integral growth of the whole person,” capable of taking into account the moral dimension of emerging technologies.Recalling his own experience as a mathematics and physics teacher, Leo XIV quoted words he addressed to students during the Jubilee of the World of Education, held on Oct. 30, 2025: “Possessing vast knowledge is not enough if we don’t know who we are or what the meaning of life is.”Along these lines, the pontiff expressed his hope that participants would be attentive “to the profound spiritual needs of the human heart” and seek ways to humanize the digital realm so that it may become an opportunity for fraternity and creativity.Likewise, he encouraged mathematicians to be “prophets of hope, truth, and goodness in the world.”The message concluded with a prayer from the pope for all participants in the International Day of Mathematics, upon whom he invoked “abundant divine blessings of wisdom, joy, and peace.”Pope Leo XIV’s mathematical backgroundRobert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, graduated in 1977 from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, earning a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics alongside studies in philosophy. This preceded the beginning of his theological studies upon his formal entry into the Augustinian novitiate that same year.During his time at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Prevost combined his religious formation with teaching: He taught mathematics part time at Mendel Catholic High School in Chicago and worked occasionally as a substitute physics teacher at St. Rita of Cascia High School.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.

Mathematicians can become ‘signs of hope for the world,’ Pope Leo XIV says #Catholic In a message conveyed through Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV on Friday said that mathematicians can become “signs of hope for the world,” particularly in a context marked by rapid technological advancements and challenges facing humanity.The pope’s message was addressed to the Turkish mathematician and university professor Betül Tanbay, chair of the International Day of Mathematics, which was observed March 13. Tanbay had informed the pontiff of a webinar dedicated to the theme “Mathematics and Hope.” In response, the pope sent a letter extending his cordial greetings and best wishes to all participants in the initiative.In the text, Leo XIV invited reflection on the role that mathematics can play in the face of “the multiple challenges confronting the human family,” citing rapid technological development, with all its potential “for both good and evil.”The pontiff encouraged participants to consider how mathematicians can offer a positive witness to society. “A particularly fruitful area of ​​research is the use of algorithms, especially in the field of artificial intelligence,” he noted.However, the pope emphasized that work in these fields demands something more than technical competence. As he pointed out, this task requires “not only intellectual effort and ingenuity but also the integral growth of the whole person,” capable of taking into account the moral dimension of emerging technologies.Recalling his own experience as a mathematics and physics teacher, Leo XIV quoted words he addressed to students during the Jubilee of the World of Education, held on Oct. 30, 2025: “Possessing vast knowledge is not enough if we don’t know who we are or what the meaning of life is.”Along these lines, the pontiff expressed his hope that participants would be attentive “to the profound spiritual needs of the human heart” and seek ways to humanize the digital realm so that it may become an opportunity for fraternity and creativity.Likewise, he encouraged mathematicians to be “prophets of hope, truth, and goodness in the world.”The message concluded with a prayer from the pope for all participants in the International Day of Mathematics, upon whom he invoked “abundant divine blessings of wisdom, joy, and peace.”Pope Leo XIV’s mathematical backgroundRobert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, graduated in 1977 from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, earning a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics alongside studies in philosophy. This preceded the beginning of his theological studies upon his formal entry into the Augustinian novitiate that same year.During his time at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Prevost combined his religious formation with teaching: He taught mathematics part time at Mendel Catholic High School in Chicago and worked occasionally as a substitute physics teacher at St. Rita of Cascia High School.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.

On the International Day of Mathematics, Pope Leo XIV sent a message inviting reflection on the role good mathematics can play in today’s world.

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