Pope Leo Explains God Does Not Listen To People Who Wage War So Long As You Don’t Count Moses, David, Joshua, Elijah, Saul, Gideon, Samson, Or Anyone Else In Bible #BabylonBee – VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo boldly proclaimed today that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, so long as you don’t count King David, or Joshua, or Gideon, or Samson, or Elijah, or Hezekiah, or any of those other people in the Bible.
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Pope Leo Explains God Does Not Listen To People Who Wage War So Long As You Don’t Count Moses, David, Joshua, Elijah, Saul, Gideon, Samson, Or Anyone Else In Bible #BabylonBee – VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo boldly proclaimed today that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, so long as you don’t count King David, or Joshua, or Gideon, or Samson, or Elijah, or Hezekiah, or any of those other people in the Bible.

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VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo boldly proclaimed today that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, so long as you don’t count King David, or Joshua, or Gideon, or Samson, or Elijah, or Hezekiah, or any of those other people in the Bible.

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Prayers ascend at Legion of Mary Acies in Clifton #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided at the annual Acies of the Legion of Mary on March 22 in Sacred Heart Church in Clifton, N.J. The Legion of Mary is a worldwide organization in which members join in prayer and apostolic work in union with the Blessed Mother under the guidance of a priest. The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was held at the Acies, followed by a rosary recitation. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Prayers ascend at Legion of Mary Acies in Clifton #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided at the annual Acies of the Legion of Mary on March 22 in Sacred Heart Church in Clifton, N.J. The Legion of Mary is a worldwide organization in which members join in prayer and apostolic work in union with the Blessed Mother under the guidance of a priest. The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was held at the Acies, followed by a rosary recitation. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Prayers ascend at Legion of Mary Acies in Clifton #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided at the annual Acies of the Legion of Mary on March 22 in Sacred Heart Church in Clifton, N.J.

The Legion of Mary is a worldwide organization in which members join in prayer and apostolic work in union with the Blessed Mother under the guidance of a priest. The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was held at the Acies, followed by a rosary recitation.

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

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided at the annual Acies of the Legion of Mary on March 22 in Sacred Heart Church in Clifton, N.J. The Legion of Mary is a worldwide organization in which members join in prayer and apostolic work in union with the Blessed Mother under the guidance of a priest. The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was held at the Acies, followed by a rosary recitation. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI  

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New US global health policy seen as a way to eliminate malaria in concert with faith leaders #Catholic – WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The future of efforts to eliminate malaria in sub-Saharan Africa may depend in part on a U.S. policy shift now drawing mixed reactions. In September, the State Department unveiled the Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy, which it described as “a comprehensive vision to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous” and also claimed it “will protect the homeland by preventing infectious disease outbreaks from reaching U.S. shores.” In a February report, an interfaith coalition of malaria-fighting groups warned that progress against the disease has “slowed in several regions,” calling the current moment a “crossroads.” But the strategy is considered one feasible path forward in eliminating the deadly disease spread by mosquitoes, the coalition said in its report titled “Making Country-Led Malaria Control a Reality.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. For a Methodist bishop from Mozambique who was on a March 19 panel sponsored by Georgetown University’s Global Health Institute in Washington, the inclusion of “America First’ in the State Department strategy is puzzling. “It’s tricky, because what do we mean by America First?” Bishop Dinis Matsolo of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Mozambique Synod, said in an interview with OSV News. “It would be interesting to hear a clarification as to what that means. We all belong to the same world. We need each other.” He added, “I think the Catholic community in the United States should know that in other countries, including Mozambique, we have religious leaders who are profoundly involved in the issues of health and climate change that require support in order to sustain. Those activities have stopped now because of the cuts (in U.S. aid).” The U.S. government’s relief efforts for malaria were devastated by the elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development under the second Trump administration. By July 2025, USAID effectively ceased to exist, with 85% of its programs cut. However, “I always want to be optimistic,” Bishop Matsolo said. “We want to encourage the involvement of all the state quarters (agencies).” Bishop Matsolo is the executive director of Programa Inter-Religioso Contra a Malaria, or PIRCOM, a faith-based organization focused on eliminating malaria that was launched in 2006 with U.S. funding. The Catholic Church in Mozambique is a founding member of PIRCOM and is represented on the board. The group works directly with the Archbishop João Carlos Hatoa Nunes of Maputo, Mozambique, and other Catholic representatives at provincial and district levels across the country. According to the World Health Organization, in 2024, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases in 80 malaria-endemic countries — an increase of about 9 million cases from 2023. Three countries — Ethiopia (+2.9 million), Madagascar (+1.9 million) and Yemen (+378,000) — accounted for 58% of the estimated case increase from 2023 to 2024. The America First Global Health Strategy, the interfaith coalition report states, “recommits the U.S. to achieving the globally agreed goals by 2030. It endorses the vision of reducing global malaria mortality and case incidence by at least 90% from 2015 levels, eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries, and preventing the reestablishment of the disease in all countries that are malaria-free.” The response, according to the coalition report and the panel discussion, has to be “country-led malaria control.” The strategy “envisions a future in which public and private funders in malaria-endemic countries are responsible for their own national efforts to end the disease,” the report said. This awaits memorandums of understanding, or MOUs, negotiated by the State Department with 70 countries over the coming months to specify what entity will provide funding, and for what. The coalition’s report emphasizes, “Continued strategic U.S. financial and technical support for endemic countries during this transition will determine, to a large extent, the trajectory of the global fight against malaria in this historic moment.” In profiling five countries — El Salvador, Indonesia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Tanzania — and key factors in each one’s malaria response, the coalition notes in particular that across Mozambique, “over 4,000 faith leaders … are using their unique influence to advocate for policy change, deliver public health messaging, mobilize volunteers and monitor medicine supplies — trusted voices mobilizing communities.” The State Department’s 40-page report on the newly launched America First Global Health Strategy, complained of “significant inefficiency and waste” in U.S. health foreign assistance programs. As an example, the report asserted that data from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, “shockingly” shows “that only about 40% of PEPFAR’s budget goes directly to finance on-the-ground service delivery.” But a number of Catholic organizations, including Catholic Relief Services — the overseas relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S. — support the aims of PEPFAR, the largest global health program devoted to a single disease. It is credited with saving 25 million lives from AIDS and with scaling back the epidemic’s spread. Kurt Jensen writes for OSV News from Washington.  
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New US global health policy seen as a way to eliminate malaria in concert with faith leaders #Catholic – WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The future of efforts to eliminate malaria in sub-Saharan Africa may depend in part on a U.S. policy shift now drawing mixed reactions. In September, the State Department unveiled the Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy, which it described as “a comprehensive vision to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous” and also claimed it “will protect the homeland by preventing infectious disease outbreaks from reaching U.S. shores.” In a February report, an interfaith coalition of malaria-fighting groups warned that progress against the disease has “slowed in several regions,” calling the current moment a “crossroads.” But the strategy is considered one feasible path forward in eliminating the deadly disease spread by mosquitoes, the coalition said in its report titled “Making Country-Led Malaria Control a Reality.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. For a Methodist bishop from Mozambique who was on a March 19 panel sponsored by Georgetown University’s Global Health Institute in Washington, the inclusion of “America First’ in the State Department strategy is puzzling. “It’s tricky, because what do we mean by America First?” Bishop Dinis Matsolo of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Mozambique Synod, said in an interview with OSV News. “It would be interesting to hear a clarification as to what that means. We all belong to the same world. We need each other.” He added, “I think the Catholic community in the United States should know that in other countries, including Mozambique, we have religious leaders who are profoundly involved in the issues of health and climate change that require support in order to sustain. Those activities have stopped now because of the cuts (in U.S. aid).” The U.S. government’s relief efforts for malaria were devastated by the elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development under the second Trump administration. By July 2025, USAID effectively ceased to exist, with 85% of its programs cut. However, “I always want to be optimistic,” Bishop Matsolo said. “We want to encourage the involvement of all the state quarters (agencies).” Bishop Matsolo is the executive director of Programa Inter-Religioso Contra a Malaria, or PIRCOM, a faith-based organization focused on eliminating malaria that was launched in 2006 with U.S. funding. The Catholic Church in Mozambique is a founding member of PIRCOM and is represented on the board. The group works directly with the Archbishop João Carlos Hatoa Nunes of Maputo, Mozambique, and other Catholic representatives at provincial and district levels across the country. According to the World Health Organization, in 2024, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases in 80 malaria-endemic countries — an increase of about 9 million cases from 2023. Three countries — Ethiopia (+2.9 million), Madagascar (+1.9 million) and Yemen (+378,000) — accounted for 58% of the estimated case increase from 2023 to 2024. The America First Global Health Strategy, the interfaith coalition report states, “recommits the U.S. to achieving the globally agreed goals by 2030. It endorses the vision of reducing global malaria mortality and case incidence by at least 90% from 2015 levels, eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries, and preventing the reestablishment of the disease in all countries that are malaria-free.” The response, according to the coalition report and the panel discussion, has to be “country-led malaria control.” The strategy “envisions a future in which public and private funders in malaria-endemic countries are responsible for their own national efforts to end the disease,” the report said. This awaits memorandums of understanding, or MOUs, negotiated by the State Department with 70 countries over the coming months to specify what entity will provide funding, and for what. The coalition’s report emphasizes, “Continued strategic U.S. financial and technical support for endemic countries during this transition will determine, to a large extent, the trajectory of the global fight against malaria in this historic moment.” In profiling five countries — El Salvador, Indonesia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Tanzania — and key factors in each one’s malaria response, the coalition notes in particular that across Mozambique, “over 4,000 faith leaders … are using their unique influence to advocate for policy change, deliver public health messaging, mobilize volunteers and monitor medicine supplies — trusted voices mobilizing communities.” The State Department’s 40-page report on the newly launched America First Global Health Strategy, complained of “significant inefficiency and waste” in U.S. health foreign assistance programs. As an example, the report asserted that data from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, “shockingly” shows “that only about 40% of PEPFAR’s budget goes directly to finance on-the-ground service delivery.” But a number of Catholic organizations, including Catholic Relief Services — the overseas relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S. — support the aims of PEPFAR, the largest global health program devoted to a single disease. It is credited with saving 25 million lives from AIDS and with scaling back the epidemic’s spread. Kurt Jensen writes for OSV News from Washington.  

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New US global health policy seen as a way to eliminate malaria in concert with faith leaders #Catholic –

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The future of efforts to eliminate malaria in sub-Saharan Africa may depend in part on a U.S. policy shift now drawing mixed reactions.

In September, the State Department unveiled the Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy, which it described as “a comprehensive vision to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous” and also claimed it “will protect the homeland by preventing infectious disease outbreaks from reaching U.S. shores.”

In a February report, an interfaith coalition of malaria-fighting groups warned that progress against the disease has “slowed in several regions,” calling the current moment a “crossroads.”

But the strategy is considered one feasible path forward in eliminating the deadly disease spread by mosquitoes, the coalition said in its report titled “Making Country-Led Malaria Control a Reality.”

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

For a Methodist bishop from Mozambique who was on a March 19 panel sponsored by Georgetown University’s Global Health Institute in Washington, the inclusion of “America First’ in the State Department strategy is puzzling.

“It’s tricky, because what do we mean by America First?” Bishop Dinis Matsolo of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Mozambique Synod, said in an interview with OSV News. “It would be interesting to hear a clarification as to what that means. We all belong to the same world. We need each other.”

He added, “I think the Catholic community in the United States should know that in other countries, including Mozambique, we have religious leaders who are profoundly involved in the issues of health and climate change that require support in order to sustain. Those activities have stopped now because of the cuts (in U.S. aid).”

The U.S. government’s relief efforts for malaria were devastated by the elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development under the second Trump administration. By July 2025, USAID effectively ceased to exist, with 85% of its programs cut.

However, “I always want to be optimistic,” Bishop Matsolo said. “We want to encourage the involvement of all the state quarters (agencies).”

Bishop Matsolo is the executive director of Programa Inter-Religioso Contra a Malaria, or PIRCOM, a faith-based organization focused on eliminating malaria that was launched in 2006 with U.S. funding.

The Catholic Church in Mozambique is a founding member of PIRCOM and is represented on the board. The group works directly with the Archbishop João Carlos Hatoa Nunes
of Maputo, Mozambique, and other Catholic representatives at provincial and district levels across the country.

According to the World Health Organization, in 2024, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases in 80 malaria-endemic countries — an increase of about 9 million cases from 2023. Three countries — Ethiopia (+2.9 million), Madagascar (+1.9 million) and Yemen (+378,000) — accounted for 58% of the estimated case increase from 2023 to 2024.

The America First Global Health Strategy, the interfaith coalition report states, “recommits the U.S. to achieving the globally agreed goals by 2030. It endorses the vision of reducing global malaria mortality and case incidence by at least 90% from 2015 levels, eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries, and preventing the reestablishment of the disease in all countries that are malaria-free.”

The response, according to the coalition report and the panel discussion, has to be “country-led malaria control.”

The strategy “envisions a future in which public and private funders in malaria-endemic countries are responsible for their own national efforts to end the disease,” the report said.

This awaits memorandums of understanding, or MOUs, negotiated by the State Department with 70 countries over the coming months to specify what entity will provide funding, and for what.

The coalition’s report emphasizes, “Continued strategic U.S. financial and technical support for endemic countries during this transition will determine, to a large extent, the trajectory of the global fight against malaria in this historic moment.”

In profiling five countries — El Salvador, Indonesia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Tanzania — and key factors in each one’s malaria response, the coalition notes in particular that across Mozambique, “over 4,000 faith leaders … are using their unique influence to advocate for policy change, deliver public health messaging, mobilize volunteers and monitor medicine supplies — trusted voices mobilizing communities.”

The State Department’s 40-page report on the newly launched America First Global Health Strategy, complained of “significant inefficiency and waste” in U.S. health foreign assistance programs. As an example, the report asserted that data from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, “shockingly” shows “that only about 40% of PEPFAR’s budget goes directly to finance on-the-ground service delivery.”

But a number of Catholic organizations, including Catholic Relief Services — the overseas relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S. — support the aims of PEPFAR, the largest global health program devoted to a single disease. It is credited with saving 25 million lives from AIDS and with scaling back the epidemic’s spread.

Kurt Jensen writes for OSV News from Washington.

 

– WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The future of efforts to eliminate malaria in sub-Saharan Africa may depend in part on a U.S. policy shift now drawing mixed reactions. In September, the State Department unveiled the Trump administration’s America First Global Health Strategy, which it described as “a comprehensive vision to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous” and also claimed it “will protect the homeland by preventing infectious disease outbreaks from reaching U.S. shores.” In a February report, an interfaith coalition of malaria-fighting groups warned that progress against the disease has “slowed in several regions,” calling the current moment a “crossroads.”

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March 29, 1807: Heinrich Olbers discovers Vesta

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When Heinrich Olbers spotted asteroid Pallas on March 28, 1802, it called into question the recent discovery of Ceres as the “missing” planet between Mars and Jupiter. The Titius-Bode law, a mathematical formula that predicted the expected distances of planets from the Sun and had accurately posited the location of Uranus, suggested there should beContinue reading “March 29, 1807: Heinrich Olbers discovers Vesta”

The post March 29, 1807: Heinrich Olbers discovers Vesta appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Israeli police block cardinal, custos from entering Church of the Holy Sepulchre #Catholic In an incident described as unprecedented, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, along with Father Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land and the official responsible for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the church as they made their way to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.According to a joint statement issued March 29 by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land, police stopped the two church leaders on their way as they were proceeding privately “without any ceremonial or liturgical manifestations,” and forced them to turn back.The statement noted that, for the first time in centuries, this action prevented church leaders from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It described the incident as a “serious and dangerous precedent,” adding that it “disregards the sentiments of millions of believers around the world whose eyes turn to Jerusalem during this week."Isaac Herzog, president of Israel, said in a statement on social media that he called Pizzaballa the Patton to express sorrow over the incident. “I clarified that the incident stemmed from security concerns due to the continuous threat of missile attacks from the Iranian terror regime against the civilian population in Israel, following previous incidents in which Iranian missiles fell in the area of the Old City of Jerusalem in recent days,” Herzog wrote. “I reaffirmed the State of Israelʼs unwavering commitment to freedom of religion for all faiths and to upholding the status quo at the holy sites of Jerusalem.”Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel, expressed gratitude for Herzogʼs “conciliatory” and “gracious” statement in a post on social media.TweetThe March 29 statement by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land emphasized that church leaders had acted with full responsibility, noting that since the beginning of the war they had complied with all imposed restrictions, including canceling public gatherings and limiting attendance, while relying instead on broadcast celebrations reaching hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide during the Easter season. It further stressed that preventing the patriarch and the custos of the Holy Land—who represent the highest ecclesiastical authorities responsible for the Catholic Church and the holy sites—from entering the church constitutes a measure that is “clearly unreasonable and disproportionate.”The decision, the statement added, was “hasty and based on flawed grounds,” “tainted by inappropriate considerations,” and represents “a serious departure from the fundamental principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the status quo.” In conclusion, the two church leaders expressed their “deep regret” to Christians in the Holy Land and around the world after “prayer on one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar was prevented in this manner.” Celebrations under restrictionsOn the security front, Jerusalem and the wider Holy Land continue to experience heightened tensions amid the ongoing regional conflict, which has directly affected daily life and the practice of religious rites. According to media reports, preparations for religious celebrations such as Easter and Holy Saturday have been accompanied by strict security measures, with some traditional events canceled due to security threats and reports of rockets landing near religious sites in the Holy City. Authorities have imposed limits on gatherings and restricted access to certain holy places.Pizzaballa has repeatedly highlighted the deep suffering of Christians in the region amid the ongoing conflict, calling for prayer and support for Christian communities facing increasing challenges due to war and insecurity. In previous statements, he emphasized the importance of providing spiritual and moral support to Christians in the Holy Land, underscoring the need for them to remain in their homeland and affirming that the Church continues its mission and services despite ongoing risks.Reports from religious and community sources have also pointed to a rise in attacks against Christians and Christian properties in the West Bank and Jerusalem, including acts of violence by settlers. These developments, according to various reports, reflect the deteriorating security conditions for Palestinian Christian communities amid ongoing settlement expansion, increasing the risk of displacement and further diminishing their historic presence in the Holy Land.This story was updated at 1 p.m. ET on March 29, 2026, to include comments from Isaac Herzog, president of Israel, and Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel.
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Israeli police block cardinal, custos from entering Church of the Holy Sepulchre #Catholic In an incident described as unprecedented, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, along with Father Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land and the official responsible for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the church as they made their way to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.According to a joint statement issued March 29 by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land, police stopped the two church leaders on their way as they were proceeding privately “without any ceremonial or liturgical manifestations,” and forced them to turn back.The statement noted that, for the first time in centuries, this action prevented church leaders from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It described the incident as a “serious and dangerous precedent,” adding that it “disregards the sentiments of millions of believers around the world whose eyes turn to Jerusalem during this week."Isaac Herzog, president of Israel, said in a statement on social media that he called Pizzaballa the Patton to express sorrow over the incident. “I clarified that the incident stemmed from security concerns due to the continuous threat of missile attacks from the Iranian terror regime against the civilian population in Israel, following previous incidents in which Iranian missiles fell in the area of the Old City of Jerusalem in recent days,” Herzog wrote. “I reaffirmed the State of Israelʼs unwavering commitment to freedom of religion for all faiths and to upholding the status quo at the holy sites of Jerusalem.”Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel, expressed gratitude for Herzogʼs “conciliatory” and “gracious” statement in a post on social media.TweetThe March 29 statement by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land emphasized that church leaders had acted with full responsibility, noting that since the beginning of the war they had complied with all imposed restrictions, including canceling public gatherings and limiting attendance, while relying instead on broadcast celebrations reaching hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide during the Easter season. It further stressed that preventing the patriarch and the custos of the Holy Land—who represent the highest ecclesiastical authorities responsible for the Catholic Church and the holy sites—from entering the church constitutes a measure that is “clearly unreasonable and disproportionate.”The decision, the statement added, was “hasty and based on flawed grounds,” “tainted by inappropriate considerations,” and represents “a serious departure from the fundamental principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the status quo.” In conclusion, the two church leaders expressed their “deep regret” to Christians in the Holy Land and around the world after “prayer on one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar was prevented in this manner.” Celebrations under restrictionsOn the security front, Jerusalem and the wider Holy Land continue to experience heightened tensions amid the ongoing regional conflict, which has directly affected daily life and the practice of religious rites. According to media reports, preparations for religious celebrations such as Easter and Holy Saturday have been accompanied by strict security measures, with some traditional events canceled due to security threats and reports of rockets landing near religious sites in the Holy City. Authorities have imposed limits on gatherings and restricted access to certain holy places.Pizzaballa has repeatedly highlighted the deep suffering of Christians in the region amid the ongoing conflict, calling for prayer and support for Christian communities facing increasing challenges due to war and insecurity. In previous statements, he emphasized the importance of providing spiritual and moral support to Christians in the Holy Land, underscoring the need for them to remain in their homeland and affirming that the Church continues its mission and services despite ongoing risks.Reports from religious and community sources have also pointed to a rise in attacks against Christians and Christian properties in the West Bank and Jerusalem, including acts of violence by settlers. These developments, according to various reports, reflect the deteriorating security conditions for Palestinian Christian communities amid ongoing settlement expansion, increasing the risk of displacement and further diminishing their historic presence in the Holy Land.This story was updated at 1 p.m. ET on March 29, 2026, to include comments from Isaac Herzog, president of Israel, and Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel.

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Police stopped the two church leaders on their way as they were proceeding privately “without any ceremonial or liturgical manifestations,” and forced them to turn back.

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Iranian Proxy Group the Houthis from Yemen Say They May Close Bab El Mandeb Strait – The Houthis, an Iranian proxy group from Yemen, announced on Saturday they may close Bab El Mandeb Strait. The post Iranian Proxy Group the Houthis from Yemen Say They May Close Bab El Mandeb Strait appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Iranian Proxy Group the Houthis from Yemen Say They May Close Bab El Mandeb Strait – The Houthis, an Iranian proxy group from Yemen, announced on Saturday they may close Bab El Mandeb Strait. The post Iranian Proxy Group the Houthis from Yemen Say They May Close Bab El Mandeb Strait appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Map showing the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, located between Yemen and Djibouti, highlighting key geographic features and nearby countries in the Horn of Africa.

Map showing the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, located between Yemen and Djibouti, highlighting key geographic features and nearby countries in the Horn of Africa.

The Houthis, an Iranian proxy group from Yemen, announced on Saturday they may close Bab El Mandeb Strait.

The post Iranian Proxy Group the Houthis from Yemen Say They May Close Bab El Mandeb Strait appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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JD Vance Wins CPAC’s 2028 GOP Presidential Straw Poll, Here Are The Full Results –   In a new straw poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Vice President JD Vance led the field, positioning himself as a top contender for the next Republican presidential nominee. The post JD Vance Wins CPAC’s 2028 GOP Presidential Straw Poll, Here Are The Full Results appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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JD Vance Wins CPAC’s 2028 GOP Presidential Straw Poll, Here Are The Full Results –   In a new straw poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Vice President JD Vance led the field, positioning himself as a top contender for the next Republican presidential nominee. The post JD Vance Wins CPAC’s 2028 GOP Presidential Straw Poll, Here Are The Full Results appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Man in a suit holding a microphone, delivering a speech at a conference with colorful stage lights in the background.

Man in a suit holding a microphone, delivering a speech at a conference with colorful stage lights in the background.

  In a new straw poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Vice President JD Vance led the field, positioning himself as a top contender for the next Republican presidential nominee.

The post JD Vance Wins CPAC’s 2028 GOP Presidential Straw Poll, Here Are The Full Results appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘Absolute Carnage’: Driver Mows Down ‘Numerous’ Pedestrians in Busy UK Derby City Centre, Man in 30s Arrested on the Scene (VIDEO) – A driver plowed a black Suzuki Swift into a crowd of pedestrians in the heart of the UK’s Derby city centre late Saturday night, injuring “numerous” people, some seriously, in what police are describing as a “major incident.” The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. The post ‘Absolute Carnage’: Driver Mows Down ‘Numerous’ Pedestrians in Busy UK Derby City Centre, Man in 30s Arrested on the Scene (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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‘Absolute Carnage’: Driver Mows Down ‘Numerous’ Pedestrians in Busy UK Derby City Centre, Man in 30s Arrested on the Scene (VIDEO) – A driver plowed a black Suzuki Swift into a crowd of pedestrians in the heart of the UK’s Derby city centre late Saturday night, injuring “numerous” people, some seriously, in what police are describing as a “major incident.” The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. The post ‘Absolute Carnage’: Driver Mows Down ‘Numerous’ Pedestrians in Busy UK Derby City Centre, Man in 30s Arrested on the Scene (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Emergency responders assist individuals on a busy street at night, with some people on the ground and others observing the scene.

Emergency responders assist individuals on a busy street at night, with some people on the ground and others observing the scene.

A driver plowed a black Suzuki Swift into a crowd of pedestrians in the heart of the UK’s Derby city centre late Saturday night, injuring “numerous” people, some seriously, in what police are describing as a “major incident.” The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m.

The post ‘Absolute Carnage’: Driver Mows Down ‘Numerous’ Pedestrians in Busy UK Derby City Centre, Man in 30s Arrested on the Scene (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Pope Leo XIV says God ‘does not listen’ to prayers of those who wage war #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Palm Sunday sharply condemned war and the use of religion to justify violence, saying during Mass in St. Peter’s Square that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”At the start of Holy Week, the pope tied the Church’s contemplation of Christ’s Passion to the suffering of people caught in today’s conflicts, especially Christians in the Middle East.In his Palm Sunday homily, Leo repeatedly presented Christ as the “King of Peace,” contrasting Jesus’ meekness with the violence surrounding him as he entered into his Passion.“We turn our gaze to Jesus, who reveals himself as King of Peace, even as war looms abounds him,” the pope said. “He remains steadfast in meekness, while others are stirring up violence.”Leo said Christ “did not arm himself, or defend himself, or fight any war” but instead “revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence.”“Rather than saving himself, he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross, embracing every cross borne in every time and place throughout human history,” the pope said.The pope then issued one of the strongest lines of his homily, rejecting any attempt to invoke God in support of armed conflict.“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.’”The Palm Sunday liturgy, which opened Holy Week, began with the traditional procession in St. Peter’s Square with cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, and thousands of faithful carrying palms and olive branches.In his homily, Leo reflected on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey rather than a war horse, saying the moment fulfilled the prophecy of a king who would “command peace to the nations.”Recalling the Gospel account of Peter drawing a sword to defend Jesus, Leo cited Christ’s rebuke: “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”The pope said that in the crucified Christ “we can see a crucified humanity.”“In his wounds, we see the hurts of so many women and men today,” he said. “Above all, we hear the painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war.”“Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters!”Following the Mass, Leo returned to the theme of war during the Angelus, praying in particular for Christians in the Middle East who have been prevented in some places from fully taking part in Holy Week rites.“At the beginning of Holy Week, our prayers are more than ever with the Christians of the Middle East, who are suffering the consequences of a brutal conflict and, in many cases, are unable to observe fully the liturgies of these holy days,” he said.“Just as the Church contemplates the mystery of the Lord’s Passion, we cannot forget those who today are truly sharing in his suffering. Their ordeal challenges all our consciences.”The pope added: “Let us raise our prayer to the Prince of Peace that he may sustain the peoples wounded by war and open concrete paths to reconciliation and peace.”Leo also remembered “the maritime workers who have fallen victim to the conflict,” adding: “I pray for the deceased, the wounded and their families. Land, sky and sea were all created for life and peace!”He further called attention to migrants who died in the Mediterranean, saying: “Let us also pray for all the migrants who have died at sea, especially those who lost their lives in recent days off the coast of Crete.”Near the end of his homily, the pope entrusted his plea for peace to the intercession of Mary, quoting the Servant of God Bishop Tonino Bello and praying that “the tears of all the victims of violence and pain will soon be dried up.”He concluded the Angelus by asking the Virgin Mary to accompany the faithful through the days ahead.“May she guide us during these holy days, so that we may follow Jesus, our Savior, with faith and love,” 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.
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Pope Leo XIV says God ‘does not listen’ to prayers of those who wage war #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Palm Sunday sharply condemned war and the use of religion to justify violence, saying during Mass in St. Peter’s Square that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”At the start of Holy Week, the pope tied the Church’s contemplation of Christ’s Passion to the suffering of people caught in today’s conflicts, especially Christians in the Middle East.In his Palm Sunday homily, Leo repeatedly presented Christ as the “King of Peace,” contrasting Jesus’ meekness with the violence surrounding him as he entered into his Passion.“We turn our gaze to Jesus, who reveals himself as King of Peace, even as war looms abounds him,” the pope said. “He remains steadfast in meekness, while others are stirring up violence.”Leo said Christ “did not arm himself, or defend himself, or fight any war” but instead “revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence.”“Rather than saving himself, he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross, embracing every cross borne in every time and place throughout human history,” the pope said.The pope then issued one of the strongest lines of his homily, rejecting any attempt to invoke God in support of armed conflict.“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.’”The Palm Sunday liturgy, which opened Holy Week, began with the traditional procession in St. Peter’s Square with cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, and thousands of faithful carrying palms and olive branches.In his homily, Leo reflected on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey rather than a war horse, saying the moment fulfilled the prophecy of a king who would “command peace to the nations.”Recalling the Gospel account of Peter drawing a sword to defend Jesus, Leo cited Christ’s rebuke: “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”The pope said that in the crucified Christ “we can see a crucified humanity.”“In his wounds, we see the hurts of so many women and men today,” he said. “Above all, we hear the painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war.”“Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters!”Following the Mass, Leo returned to the theme of war during the Angelus, praying in particular for Christians in the Middle East who have been prevented in some places from fully taking part in Holy Week rites.“At the beginning of Holy Week, our prayers are more than ever with the Christians of the Middle East, who are suffering the consequences of a brutal conflict and, in many cases, are unable to observe fully the liturgies of these holy days,” he said.“Just as the Church contemplates the mystery of the Lord’s Passion, we cannot forget those who today are truly sharing in his suffering. Their ordeal challenges all our consciences.”The pope added: “Let us raise our prayer to the Prince of Peace that he may sustain the peoples wounded by war and open concrete paths to reconciliation and peace.”Leo also remembered “the maritime workers who have fallen victim to the conflict,” adding: “I pray for the deceased, the wounded and their families. Land, sky and sea were all created for life and peace!”He further called attention to migrants who died in the Mediterranean, saying: “Let us also pray for all the migrants who have died at sea, especially those who lost their lives in recent days off the coast of Crete.”Near the end of his homily, the pope entrusted his plea for peace to the intercession of Mary, quoting the Servant of God Bishop Tonino Bello and praying that “the tears of all the victims of violence and pain will soon be dried up.”He concluded the Angelus by asking the Virgin Mary to accompany the faithful through the days ahead.“May she guide us during these holy days, so that we may follow Jesus, our Savior, with faith and love,” 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.

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At Palm Sunday Mass and the Angelus following it, the pope prayed for Middle East Christians, victims of war, and migrants who died at sea off Crete.

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Ahead of Angola papal visit, journalists urged to ‘deepen knowledge’ of Catholic Church – #Catholic – LUANDA, Angola — The coordinator of the communications commission of the preparatory committee for the planned apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Angola has urged journalists to deepen their understanding of the Catholic Church to ensure accurate and responsible reporting on the upcoming papal trip.Speaking on March 21 during the Jubilee of Angolan Journalists and Communication Professionals at the Journalists’ Training Center in Luanda, Bishop António Francisco Jaca emphasized that credible coverage of the papal events requires familiarity with the Church’s structure, mission, and foundational texts.The event, which gathered about 120 journalists, forms part of the preparations for the apostolic visit scheduled for April 18–21.Jaca encouraged media to consult key ecclesial documents such as the Code of Canon Law, the social doctrine of the Church, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church when covering Church-related matters.“These documents are not necessarily for continuous reading like a novel but for consultation whenever necessary, enabling journalists to deepen their knowledge and speak more precisely on religious matters,” said Jaca, who leads Angola’s Benguela Diocese and doubles as the president of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications of the Bishops’ Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe. He is also a member of the Society of the Divine Word.Jaca said the availability of Church resources on digital platforms has made it easier for journalists to access authoritative information while also increasing their responsibility to verify facts and avoid superficial interpretations.He warned that insufficient knowledge of ecclesial realities can undermine the quality and credibility of media reporting.“Understanding the Church is also understanding an important dimension of the lives of many Angolan citizens,” he said.Reflecting on the ethical responsibilities of journalists, he stressed that communication should promote truth, justice, and social cohesion. Misuse of media, he cautioned, can foster division and even trigger conflict, particularly in a digital environment shaped by social media and artificial intelligence.“To communicate means to create harmony and promote the common good,” Jaca said, urging journalists to resist misinformation, sensationalism, and hate speech as they cover Church events and public affairs.The 62-year-old bishop also noted that journalists play a significant role in shaping public perception and must respect human dignity in their work.“Truth must always be the guiding criterion of journalistic work,” he said, noting that responsible reporting contributes to a more just and balanced society.The training program at the Journalists’ Training Center is part of the jubilee celebration that began on March 20 with reflections on its spiritual significance and concluded on March 22 with a closing Mass.Explaining the meaning of the jubilee, Jaca described it as a biblical time of renewal, reconciliation, and restoration, symbolizing a return to justice, freedom, and equality.He encouraged journalists to use the moment for self-examination and professional growth.Also addressing participants was the apostolic nuncio in Angola and São Tomé, Archbishop Kryspin Witold Dubiel, who described preparations for the papal visit as a “school of humility,” requiring reflection, adaptability, and continuous learning.Dubiel noted that organizing such a major event involves complex challenges that demand both professional rigor and civic responsibility, contributing to both personal and collective growth.Encouraging constructive reporting, the nuncio urged journalists to adopt positive and value-driven language, noting that “to bless Angola essentially means to speak well.”“Words have power and can either build up or destroy,” he said, calling on media professionals to highlight messages that promote unity, hope, and social development.Dubiel also emphasized that the way the papal visit is reported will shape collective memory, underscoring the need for responsible, balanced, and mission-oriented coverage.The Vatican diplomat further encouraged Angolans to use the occasion to strengthen patriotism and commitment to national development, fostering a renewed sense of collective responsibility for the common good.“The fruits of the visit should be both intellectual and spiritual,” the native of Poland’s Diocese of Przemyśl said, urging a balance between critical thinking and faith, and sustained reflection beyond the event.This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
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Ahead of Angola papal visit, journalists urged to ‘deepen knowledge’ of Catholic Church – #Catholic – LUANDA, Angola — The coordinator of the communications commission of the preparatory committee for the planned apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Angola has urged journalists to deepen their understanding of the Catholic Church to ensure accurate and responsible reporting on the upcoming papal trip.Speaking on March 21 during the Jubilee of Angolan Journalists and Communication Professionals at the Journalists’ Training Center in Luanda, Bishop António Francisco Jaca emphasized that credible coverage of the papal events requires familiarity with the Church’s structure, mission, and foundational texts.The event, which gathered about 120 journalists, forms part of the preparations for the apostolic visit scheduled for April 18–21.Jaca encouraged media to consult key ecclesial documents such as the Code of Canon Law, the social doctrine of the Church, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church when covering Church-related matters.“These documents are not necessarily for continuous reading like a novel but for consultation whenever necessary, enabling journalists to deepen their knowledge and speak more precisely on religious matters,” said Jaca, who leads Angola’s Benguela Diocese and doubles as the president of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications of the Bishops’ Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe. He is also a member of the Society of the Divine Word.Jaca said the availability of Church resources on digital platforms has made it easier for journalists to access authoritative information while also increasing their responsibility to verify facts and avoid superficial interpretations.He warned that insufficient knowledge of ecclesial realities can undermine the quality and credibility of media reporting.“Understanding the Church is also understanding an important dimension of the lives of many Angolan citizens,” he said.Reflecting on the ethical responsibilities of journalists, he stressed that communication should promote truth, justice, and social cohesion. Misuse of media, he cautioned, can foster division and even trigger conflict, particularly in a digital environment shaped by social media and artificial intelligence.“To communicate means to create harmony and promote the common good,” Jaca said, urging journalists to resist misinformation, sensationalism, and hate speech as they cover Church events and public affairs.The 62-year-old bishop also noted that journalists play a significant role in shaping public perception and must respect human dignity in their work.“Truth must always be the guiding criterion of journalistic work,” he said, noting that responsible reporting contributes to a more just and balanced society.The training program at the Journalists’ Training Center is part of the jubilee celebration that began on March 20 with reflections on its spiritual significance and concluded on March 22 with a closing Mass.Explaining the meaning of the jubilee, Jaca described it as a biblical time of renewal, reconciliation, and restoration, symbolizing a return to justice, freedom, and equality.He encouraged journalists to use the moment for self-examination and professional growth.Also addressing participants was the apostolic nuncio in Angola and São Tomé, Archbishop Kryspin Witold Dubiel, who described preparations for the papal visit as a “school of humility,” requiring reflection, adaptability, and continuous learning.Dubiel noted that organizing such a major event involves complex challenges that demand both professional rigor and civic responsibility, contributing to both personal and collective growth.Encouraging constructive reporting, the nuncio urged journalists to adopt positive and value-driven language, noting that “to bless Angola essentially means to speak well.”“Words have power and can either build up or destroy,” he said, calling on media professionals to highlight messages that promote unity, hope, and social development.Dubiel also emphasized that the way the papal visit is reported will shape collective memory, underscoring the need for responsible, balanced, and mission-oriented coverage.The Vatican diplomat further encouraged Angolans to use the occasion to strengthen patriotism and commitment to national development, fostering a renewed sense of collective responsibility for the common good.“The fruits of the visit should be both intellectual and spiritual,” the native of Poland’s Diocese of Przemyśl said, urging a balance between critical thinking and faith, and sustained reflection beyond the event.This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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Bishop António Francisco Jaca emphasized that credible coverage of the papal events requires familiarity with the Church’s structure, mission, and foundational texts.

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‘The Christ’: First-of-its-kind audio drama retells Jesus’ life this Holy Week – #Catholic – A new audio podcast is bringing the Gospels to life through a new kind of experience. “The Christ,” a four-part audio dramatization of Jesus’ life — from his birth in the manger to his triumphant resurrection — is the first-ever full-scale dramatization of Jesus’ life and ministry produced in this format. With over 100 distinct characters and the use of cinematic production technology, the podcast features actors Tom Pelphrey as Jesus, David Oyelowo as Pontius Pilate; Paul Walter Hauser as John the Baptist; Courtney Hope as Mary, the mother of Jesus; Patricia Heaton as host; and John Rhys-Davies as the series narrator.The four episodes will be released during Holy Week — starting on March 30 and ending on April 2.Mark Ramsey, co-director and producer of the podcast, told EWTN News that he was inspired to create it because “it had yet to be done” and they “wanted to create something that was encouraging, that was thoughtful, that was familiar, that was exciting and fresh, something that supported everything you were hearing in church.”He added that he was also interested in it because his background is in creating projects that “are as cinematic as possible.” Mark Ramsey during the production of “The Christ.” | Credit: Ember Pictures “I’ve always argued that the ears are underappreciated in terms of their contribution to our overall sensory experience,” he said. “I wanted to make audio projects that leverage the power of sound, the power of the ear, that created pictures that didn’t require video just like back in the day, except better and more modern.”Ramsey highlighted their commitment to be “as faithful as possible” to Scripture when writing the script.He added that they “wanted to be very faithful to the Gospels because we realize we’re literally dealing with sacred material. And people’s response to it — they will have an expectation that we will be faithful to that material. So, we were committed to that faithfulness.”“The scenes were all from the Bible, all from the Gospels. How we chose those scenes and how we wove them together was really an artistic process, and it was a function of how well does this translate to audio,” he explained. “There were certain miracles that wouldn’t translate as well as certain other miracles. The miracle of enabling the deaf man to hear is perfect for this kind of vehicle. Enabling blind people to see not nearly so much.”While the podcast remains faithful to the Gospel stories, they took creative liberties in the sequence in which they are told. Ramsey said the first episode of the podcast actually culminates in the crucifixion of Jesus and then goes back to tell the story of his years in ministry.For the producer, the most impactful part is the ending — in which Jesus tells his disciples to follow him.“That gave a lasting message to not only the disciples but anyone listening. And that was ultimately the climax of the story that lives with us today. It is the message today — follow me. And the whole two hours is the why, but that message at the end is the ask. That’s the question. That’s the challenge,” he shared.Ramsey said he hopes the podcast “creates more hope in Holy Week.”“We hope it enhances the experience of Holy Week. We hope it brings a new dimension to a familiar story so that people can experience it in a new way and also in a way that’s convenient to them wherever they are,” he said.“We wanted something that introduced people to the story who had never read the Bible and gave it to them in a convenient way. We wanted something that gave a deeper experience to those who knew the story inside out, had seen or read it many times, but maybe had never heard it unless they were hearing the words of the Bible.”“The Christ” can be heard wherever listeners get their podcast or directly on the podcast’s website.
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‘The Christ’: First-of-its-kind audio drama retells Jesus’ life this Holy Week – #Catholic – A new audio podcast is bringing the Gospels to life through a new kind of experience. “The Christ,” a four-part audio dramatization of Jesus’ life — from his birth in the manger to his triumphant resurrection — is the first-ever full-scale dramatization of Jesus’ life and ministry produced in this format. With over 100 distinct characters and the use of cinematic production technology, the podcast features actors Tom Pelphrey as Jesus, David Oyelowo as Pontius Pilate; Paul Walter Hauser as John the Baptist; Courtney Hope as Mary, the mother of Jesus; Patricia Heaton as host; and John Rhys-Davies as the series narrator.The four episodes will be released during Holy Week — starting on March 30 and ending on April 2.Mark Ramsey, co-director and producer of the podcast, told EWTN News that he was inspired to create it because “it had yet to be done” and they “wanted to create something that was encouraging, that was thoughtful, that was familiar, that was exciting and fresh, something that supported everything you were hearing in church.”He added that he was also interested in it because his background is in creating projects that “are as cinematic as possible.” Mark Ramsey during the production of “The Christ.” | Credit: Ember Pictures “I’ve always argued that the ears are underappreciated in terms of their contribution to our overall sensory experience,” he said. “I wanted to make audio projects that leverage the power of sound, the power of the ear, that created pictures that didn’t require video just like back in the day, except better and more modern.”Ramsey highlighted their commitment to be “as faithful as possible” to Scripture when writing the script.He added that they “wanted to be very faithful to the Gospels because we realize we’re literally dealing with sacred material. And people’s response to it — they will have an expectation that we will be faithful to that material. So, we were committed to that faithfulness.”“The scenes were all from the Bible, all from the Gospels. How we chose those scenes and how we wove them together was really an artistic process, and it was a function of how well does this translate to audio,” he explained. “There were certain miracles that wouldn’t translate as well as certain other miracles. The miracle of enabling the deaf man to hear is perfect for this kind of vehicle. Enabling blind people to see not nearly so much.”While the podcast remains faithful to the Gospel stories, they took creative liberties in the sequence in which they are told. Ramsey said the first episode of the podcast actually culminates in the crucifixion of Jesus and then goes back to tell the story of his years in ministry.For the producer, the most impactful part is the ending — in which Jesus tells his disciples to follow him.“That gave a lasting message to not only the disciples but anyone listening. And that was ultimately the climax of the story that lives with us today. It is the message today — follow me. And the whole two hours is the why, but that message at the end is the ask. That’s the question. That’s the challenge,” he shared.Ramsey said he hopes the podcast “creates more hope in Holy Week.”“We hope it enhances the experience of Holy Week. We hope it brings a new dimension to a familiar story so that people can experience it in a new way and also in a way that’s convenient to them wherever they are,” he said.“We wanted something that introduced people to the story who had never read the Bible and gave it to them in a convenient way. We wanted something that gave a deeper experience to those who knew the story inside out, had seen or read it many times, but maybe had never heard it unless they were hearing the words of the Bible.”“The Christ” can be heard wherever listeners get their podcast or directly on the podcast’s website.

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The new podcast will be released during Holy Week — beginning March 30 and ending on April 2.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 29 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 50:4-7 The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.   A reading from the Letter to the Philippians 2:6-11 Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.From the Gospel according to Matthew 26:14—27:66 One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, "My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples."’" The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, "Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me." Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, "Surely it is not I, Lord?" He said in reply, "He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born." Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" He answered, "You have said so." While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father." Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, "This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed; but after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee." Peter said to him in reply, "Though all may have their faith in you shaken, mine will never be." Jesus said to him, "Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." Peter said to him, "Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you." And all the disciples spoke likewise. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me." He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will." When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, "So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again, "My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!" Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open. He left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing again. Then he returned to his disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand when the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners. Get up, let us go. Look, my betrayer is at hand." While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd, with swords and clubs, who had come from the chief priests and the elders of the people. His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying, "The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him." Immediately he went over to Jesus and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and he kissed him. Jesus answered him, "Friend, do what you have come for." Then stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. And behold, one of those who accompanied Jesus put his hand to his sword, drew it, and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father and he will not provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels? But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must come to pass in this way?" At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to seize me? Day after day I sat teaching in the temple area, yet you did not arrest me. But all this has come to pass that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him and fled. Those who had arrested Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. Peter was following him at a distance as far as the high priest’s courtyard, and going inside he sat down with the servants to see the outcome. The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward who stated, "This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God and within three days rebuild it.’" The high priest rose and addressed him, "Have you no answer? What are these men testifying against you?" But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, "I order you to tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus said to him in reply, "You have said so. But I tell you: From now on you will see ‘the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power’ and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’" Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! What further need have we of witnesses? You have now heard the blasphemy; what is your opinion?" They said in reply, "He deserves to die!" Then they spat in his face and struck him, while some slapped him, saying, "Prophesy for us, Christ: who is it that struck you?" Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. One of the maids came over to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about!" As he went out to the gate, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazorean." Again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man!" A little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of them; even your speech gives you away." At that he began to curse and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately a cock crowed. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: "Before the cock crows you will deny me three times." He went out and began to weep bitterly. When it was morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the governor. Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply regretted what he had done. He returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned in betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? Look to it yourself." Flinging the money into the temple, he departed and went off and hanged himself. The chief priests gathered up the money, but said, "It is not lawful to deposit this in the temple treasury, for it is the price of blood." After consultation, they used it to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why that field even today is called the Field of Blood. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of a man with a price on his head, a price set by some of the Israelites, and they paid it out for the potter’s field just as the Lord had commanded me. Now Jesus stood before the governor, and he questioned him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so." And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?" But he did not answer him one word, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Now on the occasion of the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them, "Which one do you want me to release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?" For he knew that it was out of envy that they had handed him over. While he was still seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man. I suffered much in a dream today because of him." The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus. The governor said to them in reply, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They answered, "Barabbas!" Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" But he said, "Why? What evil has he done?" They only shouted the louder, "Let him be crucified!" When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves." And the whole people said in reply, "His blood be upon us and upon our children." Then he released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about him. Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify him. As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon; this man they pressed into service to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha —which means Place of the Skull —, they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall. But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink. After they had crucified him, they divided his garments by casting lots; then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And they placed over his head the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left. Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, if you are the Son of God, and come down from the cross!" Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. So he is the king of Israel! Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he wants him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’" The revolutionaries who were crucified with him also kept abusing him in the same way. From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some of the bystanders who heard it said, "This one is calling for Elijah." Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge; he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink. But the rest said, "Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him." But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. Here all kneel and pause for a short time. And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, "Truly, this was the Son of God!" There were many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him. Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be handed over. Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained sitting there, facing the tomb. The next day, the one following the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember that this impostor while still alive said, ‘After three days I will be raised up.’ Give orders, then, that the grave be secured until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him and say to the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ This last imposture would be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "The guard is yours; go, secure it as best you can." So they went and secured the tomb by fixing a seal to the stone and setting the guard. or Matthew 27:11-54 Jesus stood before the governor, Pontius Pilate, who questioned him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so." And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?" But he did not answer him one word, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Now on the occasion of the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them, "Which one do you want me to release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?" For he knew that it was out of envy that they had handed him over. While he was still seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man. I suffered much in a dream today because of him." The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus. The governor said to them in reply, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They answered, "Barabbas!" Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" But he said, "Why? What evil has he done?" They only shouted the louder, "Let him be crucified!" When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves." And the whole people said in reply, "His blood be upon us and upon our children." Then he released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about him. Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify him. As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon; this man they pressed into service to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha — which means Place of the Skull —, they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall. But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink. After they had crucified him, they divided his garments by casting lots; then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And they placed over his head the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left. Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, if you are the Son of God, and come down from the cross!" Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. So he is the king of Israel! Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he wants him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’" The revolutionaries who were crucified with him also kept abusing him in the same way. From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some of the bystanders who heard it said, "This one is calling for Elijah." Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge; he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink. But the rest said, ‘Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him." But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. Here all kneel and pause for a short time. And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, "Truly, this was the Son of God!"In today’s Gospel, Jesus says one thing from the Cross, one thing alone: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46). These are powerful words. Jesus had suffered the abandonment of his own, who had fled. But the Father remained for him. Now, in the abyss of solitude, for the first time he calls him by the generic name “God”. And “in a loud voice” he asks the question “why?”, the most excruciating “why?” (…) Why did all this take place? Once again, it was done for our sake, to serve us. So that when we have our back to the wall, when we find ourselves at a dead end, with no light and no way of escape, when it seems that God himself is not responding, we should remember that we are not alone. Jesus experienced total abandonment in a situation he had never before experienced in order to be one with us in everything. (Pope Francis – Homily in the celebration of Palm, 5 April 2020)

unitedyam

A reading from the Book of Isaiah
50:4-7

The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
that I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

 

A reading from the Letter to the Philippians
2:6-11

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
26:14—27:66

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
"What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?"
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity
to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?"
He said,
"Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
‘The teacher says, "My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples."’"
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
"Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
"Surely it is not I, Lord?"
He said in reply,
"He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born."
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
"Surely it is not I, Rabbi?"
He answered, "You have said so."

While they were eating,
Jesus took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and giving it to his disciples said,
"Take and eat; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
"Drink from it, all of you,
for this is my blood of the covenant,
which will be shed on behalf of many
for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it with you new
in the kingdom of my Father."
Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Then Jesus said to them,
"This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken,
for it is written:
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed;
but after I have been raised up,
I shall go before you to Galilee."
Peter said to him in reply,
"Though all may have their faith in you shaken,
mine will never be."
Jesus said to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
this very night before the cock crows,
you will deny me three times."
Peter said to him,
"Even though I should have to die with you,
I will not deny you."
And all the disciples spoke likewise.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,
and he said to his disciples,
"Sit here while I go over there and pray."
He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
and began to feel sorrow and distress.
Then he said to them,
"My soul is sorrowful even to death.
Remain here and keep watch with me."
He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying,
"My Father, if it is possible,
let this cup pass from me;
yet, not as I will, but as you will."
When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep.
He said to Peter,
"So you could not keep watch with me for one hour?
Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again,
"My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass
without my drinking it, your will be done!"
Then he returned once more and found them asleep,
for they could not keep their eyes open.
He left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time,
saying the same thing again.
Then he returned to his disciples and said to them,
"Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
Behold, the hour is at hand
when the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners.
Get up, let us go.
Look, my betrayer is at hand."

While he was still speaking,
Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived,
accompanied by a large crowd, with swords and clubs,
who had come from the chief priests and the elders
of the people.
His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying,
"The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him."
Immediately he went over to Jesus and said,
"Hail, Rabbi!" and he kissed him.
Jesus answered him,
"Friend, do what you have come for."
Then stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.
And behold, one of those who accompanied Jesus
put his hand to his sword, drew it,
and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear.
Then Jesus said to him,
"Put your sword back into its sheath,
for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father
and he will not provide me at this moment
with more than twelve legions of angels?
But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled
which say that it must come to pass in this way?"
At that hour Jesus said to the crowds,
"Have you come out as against a robber,
with swords and clubs to seize me?
Day after day I sat teaching in the temple area,
yet you did not arrest me.
But all this has come to pass
that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled."
Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Those who had arrested Jesus led him away
to Caiaphas the high priest,
where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
Peter was following him at a distance
as far as the high priest’s courtyard,
and going inside he sat down with the servants
to see the outcome.
The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin
kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus
in order to put him to death,
but they found none,
though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward who stated,
"This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God
and within three days rebuild it.’"
The high priest rose and addressed him,
"Have you no answer?
What are these men testifying against you?"
But Jesus was silent.
Then the high priest said to him,
"I order you to tell us under oath before the living God
whether you are the Christ, the Son of God."
Jesus said to him in reply,
"You have said so.
But I tell you:
From now on you will see ‘the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power’
and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’"
Then the high priest tore his robes and said,
"He has blasphemed!
What further need have we of witnesses?
You have now heard the blasphemy;
what is your opinion?"
They said in reply,
"He deserves to die!"
Then they spat in his face and struck him,
while some slapped him, saying,
"Prophesy for us, Christ: who is it that struck you?"

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.
One of the maids came over to him and said,
"You too were with Jesus the Galilean."
But he denied it in front of everyone, saying,
"I do not know what you are talking about!"
As he went out to the gate, another girl saw him
and said to those who were there,
"This man was with Jesus the Nazorean."
Again he denied it with an oath,
"I do not know the man!"
A little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter,
"Surely you too are one of them;
even your speech gives you away."
At that he began to curse and to swear,
"I do not know the man."
And immediately a cock crowed.
Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken:
"Before the cock crows you will deny me three times."
He went out and began to weep bitterly.

When it was morning,
all the chief priests and the elders of the people
took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
They bound him, led him away,
and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned,
deeply regretted what he had done.
He returned the thirty pieces of silver
to the chief priests and elders, saying,
"I have sinned in betraying innocent blood."
They said,
"What is that to us?
Look to it yourself."
Flinging the money into the temple,
he departed and went off and hanged himself.
The chief priests gathered up the money, but said,
"It is not lawful to deposit this in the temple treasury,
for it is the price of blood."
After consultation, they used it to buy the potter’s field
as a burial place for foreigners.
That is why that field even today is called the Field of Blood.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah
the prophet,
And they took the thirty pieces of silver,
the value of a man with a price on his head,
a price set by some of the Israelites,
and they paid it out for the potter’s field
just as the Lord had commanded me.

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and he questioned him,
"Are you the king of the Jews?"
Jesus said, "You say so."
And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders,
he made no answer.
Then Pilate said to him,
"Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?"
But he did not answer him one word,
so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now on the occasion of the feast
the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd
one prisoner whom they wished.
And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them,
"Which one do you want me to release to you,
Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?"
For he knew that it was out of envy
that they had handed him over.
While he was still seated on the bench,
his wife sent him a message,
"Have nothing to do with that righteous man.
I suffered much in a dream today because of him."
The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds
to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus.
The governor said to them in reply,
"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"
They answered, "Barabbas!"
Pilate said to them,
"Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?"
They all said,
"Let him be crucified!"
But he said,
"Why? What evil has he done?"
They only shouted the louder,
"Let him be crucified!"
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all,
but that a riot was breaking out instead,
he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd,
saying, "I am innocent of this man’s blood.
Look to it yourselves."
And the whole people said in reply,
"His blood be upon us and upon our children."
Then he released Barabbas to them,
but after he had Jesus scourged,
he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium
and gathered the whole cohort around him.
They stripped off his clothes
and threw a scarlet military cloak about him.
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head,
and a reed in his right hand.
And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying,
"Hail, King of the Jews!"
They spat upon him and took the reed
and kept striking him on the head.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the cloak,
dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him off to crucify him.

As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon;
this man they pressed into service
to carry his cross.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha
—which means Place of the Skull —,
they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.
But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
After they had crucified him,
they divided his garments by casting lots;
then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And they placed over his head the written charge against him:
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Two revolutionaries were crucified with him,
one on his right and the other on his left.
Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
"You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself, if you are the Son of God,
and come down from the cross!"
Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said,
"He saved others; he cannot save himself.
So he is the king of Israel!
Let him come down from the cross now,
and we will believe in him.
He trusted in God;
let him deliver him now if he wants him.
For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’"
The revolutionaries who were crucified with him
also kept abusing him in the same way.

From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"
which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
"This one is calling for Elijah."
Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge;
he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed,
gave it to him to drink.
But the rest said,
"Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him."
But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice,
and gave up his spirit.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

And behold, the veil of the sanctuary
was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened,
and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection,
they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus
feared greatly when they saw the earthquake
and all that was happening, and they said,
"Truly, this was the Son of God!"
There were many women there, looking on from a distance,
who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him.
Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph,
and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

When it was evening,
there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph,
who was himself a disciple of Jesus.
He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus;
then Pilate ordered it to be handed over.
Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen
and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock.
Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb
and departed.
But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
remained sitting there, facing the tomb.

The next day, the one following the day of preparation,
the chief priests and the Pharisees
gathered before Pilate and said,
"Sir, we remember that this impostor while still alive said,
‘After three days I will be raised up.’
Give orders, then, that the grave be secured until the third day,
lest his disciples come and steal him and say to the people,
‘He has been raised from the dead.’
This last imposture would be worse than the first."
Pilate said to them,
"The guard is yours;
go, secure it as best you can."
So they went and secured the tomb
by fixing a seal to the stone and setting the guard.

or
Matthew 27:11-54
Jesus stood before the governor, Pontius Pilate, who questioned him,
"Are you the king of the Jews?"
Jesus said, "You say so."
And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders,
he made no answer.
Then Pilate said to him,
"Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?"
But he did not answer him one word,
so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now on the occasion of the feast
the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd
one prisoner whom they wished.
And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them,
"Which one do you want me to release to you,
Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?"
For he knew that it was out of envy
that they had handed him over.
While he was still seated on the bench,
his wife sent him a message,
"Have nothing to do with that righteous man.
I suffered much in a dream today because of him."
The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds
to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus.
The governor said to them in reply,
"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"
They answered, "Barabbas!"
Pilate said to them,
"Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?"
They all said,
"Let him be crucified!"
But he said,
"Why? What evil has he done?"
They only shouted the louder,
"Let him be crucified!"
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all,
but that a riot was breaking out instead,
he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd,
saying, "I am innocent of this man’s blood.
Look to it yourselves."
And the whole people said in reply,
"His blood be upon us and upon our children."
Then he released Barabbas to them,
but after he had Jesus scourged,
he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium
and gathered the whole cohort around him.
They stripped off his clothes
and threw a scarlet military cloak about him.
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head,
and a reed in his right hand.
And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying,
"Hail, King of the Jews!"
They spat upon him and took the reed
and kept striking him on the head.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the cloak,
dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him off to crucify him.

As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon;
this man they pressed into service
to carry his cross.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha
— which means Place of the Skull —,
they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.
But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
After they had crucified him,
they divided his garments by casting lots;
then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And they placed over his head the written charge against him:
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Two revolutionaries were crucified with him,
one on his right and the other on his left.
Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
"You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself, if you are the Son of God,
and come down from the cross!"
Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said,
"He saved others; he cannot save himself.
So he is the king of Israel!
Let him come down from the cross now,
and we will believe in him.
He trusted in God;
let him deliver him now if he wants him.
For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’"
The revolutionaries who were crucified with him
also kept abusing him in the same way.

From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"
which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
"This one is calling for Elijah."
Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge;
he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed,
gave it to him to drink.
But the rest said,
‘Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him."
But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice,
and gave up his spirit.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

And behold, the veil of the sanctuary
was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened,
and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection,
they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus
feared greatly when they saw the earthquake
and all that was happening, and they said,
"Truly, this was the Son of God!"

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says one thing from the Cross, one thing alone: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46). These are powerful words. Jesus had suffered the abandonment of his own, who had fled. But the Father remained for him. Now, in the abyss of solitude, for the first time he calls him by the generic name “God”. And “in a loud voice” he asks the question “why?”, the most excruciating “why?” (…) Why did all this take place? Once again, it was done for our sake, to serve us. So that when we have our back to the wall, when we find ourselves at a dead end, with no light and no way of escape, when it seems that God himself is not responding, we should remember that we are not alone. Jesus experienced total abandonment in a situation he had never before experienced in order to be one with us in everything. (Pope Francis – Homily in the celebration of Palm, 5 April 2020)

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Here is Pope Leo XIV’s schedule for Holy Week and Easter 2026 at the Vatican - #Catholic - VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the liturgies of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum for the first time as pope this week.Palm Sunday marks the start of the one of the busiest and fullest liturgical periods of the year for the Catholic Church and the Vatican, where Leo will celebrate five Masses and preside over several other liturgies and devotions between March 29 and April 6.Here is the Vatican’s full schedule for Holy Week and Easter 2026:Palm Sunday A solemn procession of cardinals and bishops carrying intricately woven palm fronds enters St. Peter’s Square during Palm Sunday celebrations in Vatican City, April 13, 2025. | Credit: Bénédicte Cedergren/EWTN News On Sunday morning, March 29, the pope will celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Square for Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday or the Commemoration of the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem.The 10 a.m. Mass will begin with a grand procession of the pope with deacons, priests, bishops, cardinals, and laypeople carrying large palms.The procession, which will wind around the square and its central obelisk, includes olive tree branches, palm fronds, and the large, weaved palms called “palmureli.” The Vatican expects to distribute 120,000 olive branches at the Mass.Afterward, Leo will lead the Angelus prayer, as he does every Sunday.Holy ThursdayPope Leo will begin Holy Thursday, April 2, with the celebration of the chrism Mass at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.Many of the cardinals, bishops, and priests living in Rome typically concelebrate this Mass, in which the pope, as bishop of Rome, blesses the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumens, and the chrism oil to be used in the diocese during the coming year.At 5:30 p.m., Leo will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Basilica of St. John Lateran.Celebrating the Mass at the cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome restores a long-standing practice that Pope Francis set aside in favor of demonstrating closeness to prisoners by offering the Mass at some of the city’s prisons.Good FridayContinuing the liturgies of the Triduum, Leo is scheduled to preside over a service for the passion of the Lord on Good Friday at 5 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.During this liturgy, which is not a Mass, it is the custom for the papal preacher —  currently Father Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap — to give a sermon on Christ’s crucifixion.In the evening, the pope will lead the Stations of the Cross devotion at the Colosseum starting at 9:15 p.m. Thousands of faithful holding candles surround the illuminated Colosseum in Rome during the traditional Stations of the Cross devotion on Good Friday, April 18, 2025. | Credit: Zofia Czubak/EWTN News Holy SaturdayLeo will celebrate the Easter Vigil Mass at 9 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.The Easter Vigil, which takes place on Holy Saturday night, “is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities,” according to the Roman Missal.The liturgy begins in darkness with the blessing of the new fire and the preparation of the paschal candle. At the Vatican, cardinals, bishops, and priests process through the dark basilica carrying lit candles to signify the light of Christ coming to dispel the darkness.The pope also typically baptizes new Catholics at this Mass.Easter SundayThe morning of Easter Sunday, Leo will preside over Mass in St. Peter’s Square at 10:15 a.m. on a flower-decked parvise.After Mass, he will give the annual Easter “urbi et orbi blessing” from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.“Urbi et orbi” means “to the city [of Rome] and to the world” and is a special apostolic blessing given by the pope every year on Easter Sunday, Christmas, and other special occasions.For Easter Sunday, the square will be decorated with thousands of flowers from the Netherlands, a custom spanning 40 years.This year, the arrangements will include 65,000 tulip, daffodil, hyacinth, and mini daffodil bulbs; 220 white and orange violets; 7,800 roses, delphiniums, anthuriums, chrysanthemums, gerberas, and matthiolas; 600 branches of plumosa; 80 azaleas; and 600 long branches of willow catkins, long branches of eucalyptus, and various types of foliage.Easter MondayPope Leo will mark Easter Monday, also called “Monday of the Angel,” by praying the Regina Caeli, a Marian prayer recited during the Easter season, at noon from a window of the Apostolic Palace.
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Here is Pope Leo XIV’s schedule for Holy Week and Easter 2026 at the Vatican – #Catholic – VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the liturgies of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum for the first time as pope this week.Palm Sunday marks the start of the one of the busiest and fullest liturgical periods of the year for the Catholic Church and the Vatican, where Leo will celebrate five Masses and preside over several other liturgies and devotions between March 29 and April 6.Here is the Vatican’s full schedule for Holy Week and Easter 2026:Palm Sunday A solemn procession of cardinals and bishops carrying intricately woven palm fronds enters St. Peter’s Square during Palm Sunday celebrations in Vatican City, April 13, 2025. | Credit: Bénédicte Cedergren/EWTN News On Sunday morning, March 29, the pope will celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Square for Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday or the Commemoration of the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem.The 10 a.m. Mass will begin with a grand procession of the pope with deacons, priests, bishops, cardinals, and laypeople carrying large palms.The procession, which will wind around the square and its central obelisk, includes olive tree branches, palm fronds, and the large, weaved palms called “palmureli.” The Vatican expects to distribute 120,000 olive branches at the Mass.Afterward, Leo will lead the Angelus prayer, as he does every Sunday.Holy ThursdayPope Leo will begin Holy Thursday, April 2, with the celebration of the chrism Mass at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.Many of the cardinals, bishops, and priests living in Rome typically concelebrate this Mass, in which the pope, as bishop of Rome, blesses the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumens, and the chrism oil to be used in the diocese during the coming year.At 5:30 p.m., Leo will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Basilica of St. John Lateran.Celebrating the Mass at the cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome restores a long-standing practice that Pope Francis set aside in favor of demonstrating closeness to prisoners by offering the Mass at some of the city’s prisons.Good FridayContinuing the liturgies of the Triduum, Leo is scheduled to preside over a service for the passion of the Lord on Good Friday at 5 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.During this liturgy, which is not a Mass, it is the custom for the papal preacher —  currently Father Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap — to give a sermon on Christ’s crucifixion.In the evening, the pope will lead the Stations of the Cross devotion at the Colosseum starting at 9:15 p.m. Thousands of faithful holding candles surround the illuminated Colosseum in Rome during the traditional Stations of the Cross devotion on Good Friday, April 18, 2025. | Credit: Zofia Czubak/EWTN News Holy SaturdayLeo will celebrate the Easter Vigil Mass at 9 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.The Easter Vigil, which takes place on Holy Saturday night, “is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities,” according to the Roman Missal.The liturgy begins in darkness with the blessing of the new fire and the preparation of the paschal candle. At the Vatican, cardinals, bishops, and priests process through the dark basilica carrying lit candles to signify the light of Christ coming to dispel the darkness.The pope also typically baptizes new Catholics at this Mass.Easter SundayThe morning of Easter Sunday, Leo will preside over Mass in St. Peter’s Square at 10:15 a.m. on a flower-decked parvise.After Mass, he will give the annual Easter “urbi et orbi blessing” from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.“Urbi et orbi” means “to the city [of Rome] and to the world” and is a special apostolic blessing given by the pope every year on Easter Sunday, Christmas, and other special occasions.For Easter Sunday, the square will be decorated with thousands of flowers from the Netherlands, a custom spanning 40 years.This year, the arrangements will include 65,000 tulip, daffodil, hyacinth, and mini daffodil bulbs; 220 white and orange violets; 7,800 roses, delphiniums, anthuriums, chrysanthemums, gerberas, and matthiolas; 600 branches of plumosa; 80 azaleas; and 600 long branches of willow catkins, long branches of eucalyptus, and various types of foliage.Easter MondayPope Leo will mark Easter Monday, also called “Monday of the Angel,” by praying the Regina Caeli, a Marian prayer recited during the Easter season, at noon from a window of the Apostolic Palace.

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Palm Sunday marks the start of the one of the busiest and fullest liturgical periods of the year for the Catholic Church and the Vatican.

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PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV’s one-day trip to Monaco #Catholic Pope Leo XIV concluded his one-day trip to Monaco on March 28, wrapping up a whirlwind visit that included meeting with the countryʼs royalty and holding Mass in Louis II Stadium. The Holy Father became the first pope to visit the European micro-state in nearly 500 years. He appealed to the wealthy nation to spread the Gospel and become vessels of Godʼs love and generosity. Pope Leo XIV flies into Monaco aboard the papal helicopter, Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV meets Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV shakes the hand of Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès, in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds in Monte Carlo in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds in Monaco on Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets a baby on the streets of Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV views dancers during public festivities in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV processes during Mass at Louis II Stadium in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV elevates the chalice during Mass at Louis II Stadium in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves from aboard his helicopter upon departure from Monaco Heliport in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Credit: Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images)
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PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV’s one-day trip to Monaco #Catholic Pope Leo XIV concluded his one-day trip to Monaco on March 28, wrapping up a whirlwind visit that included meeting with the countryʼs royalty and holding Mass in Louis II Stadium. The Holy Father became the first pope to visit the European micro-state in nearly 500 years. He appealed to the wealthy nation to spread the Gospel and become vessels of Godʼs love and generosity. Pope Leo XIV flies into Monaco aboard the papal helicopter, Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV meets Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV shakes the hand of Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès, in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds in Monte Carlo in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds in Monaco on Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets a baby on the streets of Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV views dancers during public festivities in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV processes during Mass at Louis II Stadium in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV elevates the chalice during Mass at Louis II Stadium in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves from aboard his helicopter upon departure from Monaco Heliport in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Credit: Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images)

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The Holy Father met with the country’s royalty, addressed Catholic youth, and celebrated Mass at Louis II Stadium.

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Pope Leo XIV at Monaco stadium Mass: Wars are ‘the result of the idolatry of power and money’ #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on March 28 condemned all military conflicts, which he argued are the result of the “idolatry of power and money” and which “bloody” Godʼs gift of grace to men.Godʼs grace “illuminates our present, because the wars that bloody it are the result of the idolatry of power and money,” said Leo in the homily he delivered during the Mass at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco.Four months after his first apostolic trip to Turkey and Lebanon, the pontiff ended his lightning visit to the Principality of Monaco with the Mass in the stadium dedicated to Prince Louis II, who reigned between 1922 and 1949.The stadium has a capacity for more than 18,000 spectators, which makes it a prominent place for sporting and entertainment events, in addition to being an ideal place for the papal Mass.Upon his arrival, Leo toured the venue in a golf cart, from which he greeted and blessed the cheering faithful who were waiting for him while waving flags of the Vatican City and of Monaco.The logic of power versus innocenceIn his homily, the pope highlighted the biblical account in which the members of the Sanhedrin decide to kill Jesus. From this passage, he explained that the face of God is revealed alongside those who, moved by power interests, are willing to eliminate the innocent.As he pointed out, Caiphas' verdict is born from a political calculation based on fear: “Forgetting Godʼs promise to his people, they want to kill the innocent, because behind their fear is the attachment to power.”“Isnʼt that what happens today?” the pope asked. “Even today, how many calculations are made in the world to kill innocent people; how many false reasons are used to get them out of the way!”Not getting used to warThe pontiff called for the purification of the “idolatry” that feeds wars and turns men into slaves of other men, while urging the faithful to not get used to violence.“Every truncated life is a wound to the body of Christ. Letʼs not get used to the rumble of weapons or the images of war!” he exclaimed.In this sense, he stressed that peace cannot be reduced to a balance of power: “It is not a mere balance of forces, but the work of purified hearts, of those who see in the other a brother to take care of, not an enemy to bring down.”Mercy, response to evilFaced with the persistence of evil, the pope recalled that Godʼs justice acts as a source of hope and renewal: “The Lord frees from pain by infusing hope, he converts the hardness of the heart by transforming power into service, precisely while manifesting the true name of his omnipotence: mercy.”In this way, he assured that it is “mercy that saves the world” because it takes charge of all human existence, “in each of its weaknesses, from the moment it is conceived in the womb until it ages,” he added.A message on the eve of EasterThe popeʼs visit to Monaco, just eight hours long, was made at the invitation of Albert II of Monaco. It took place on the eve of Holy Week, a context to which the pope referred during his homily. “The Lord changes the history of the world by calling us from idolatry to true faith, from death to life,” he said.In this context, he also evoked the prophet Jeremiah: “In the face of the numerous injustices that destroy the peoples and the war that plagues the nations, the voice of the prophet Jeremiah is constantly raised: I will change their mourning into joy, I will make them happy and I will console them with their affliction” (Jer 31,13).The joy that is born of charityFinally, the pontiff called the faithful to be witnesses of hope, making “many happy with their faith” and sharing a joy that is not acquired as a prize, but is born of charity.“The source of this joy is the love of God: love for the nascent and fragile life, which must always be welcomed and cared for; love for young and old life, which must be encouraged in the trials of each stage; love for healthy and sick life, sometimes alone, always in need of being accompanied with care,” he concluded.At the end of the celebration, the Archbishop of Monaco, Monsignor Dominique-Marie David, thanked Pope Leo XIV for his visit, emphasizing that God is “the source of all good” and that the pontiff, as the successor of Peter, has come to remind the local Church of this.In this sense, he stressed that the pope has encouraged the faithful to face “fearlessly” the current challenges, aware that they have “a treasure capable of sustaining hope, ours and that of the world.”On the eve of Holy Week, David said that the popeʼs visit has served to “confirm the faith of his brothers,” reinforcing the commitment of the Christian community.Pope Leo XIV gave the Archdiocese of Monaco a contemporary sculpture by St. Francis of Assisi. The work represents the Italian saint, one of the most beloved figures of the Christian tradition and universally recognized as a messenger of peace, fraternity and reconciliation.Francis in the sculpture appears dressed in the simple Franciscan habit, a symbol of evangelical poverty and inner freedom, girded by the characteristic cord with three knots.In the sculpture the saint holds a white dove in his left hand, while the right hand opens in a gesture of welcome and donation.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV at Monaco stadium Mass: Wars are ‘the result of the idolatry of power and money’ #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on March 28 condemned all military conflicts, which he argued are the result of the “idolatry of power and money” and which “bloody” Godʼs gift of grace to men.Godʼs grace “illuminates our present, because the wars that bloody it are the result of the idolatry of power and money,” said Leo in the homily he delivered during the Mass at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco.Four months after his first apostolic trip to Turkey and Lebanon, the pontiff ended his lightning visit to the Principality of Monaco with the Mass in the stadium dedicated to Prince Louis II, who reigned between 1922 and 1949.The stadium has a capacity for more than 18,000 spectators, which makes it a prominent place for sporting and entertainment events, in addition to being an ideal place for the papal Mass.Upon his arrival, Leo toured the venue in a golf cart, from which he greeted and blessed the cheering faithful who were waiting for him while waving flags of the Vatican City and of Monaco.The logic of power versus innocenceIn his homily, the pope highlighted the biblical account in which the members of the Sanhedrin decide to kill Jesus. From this passage, he explained that the face of God is revealed alongside those who, moved by power interests, are willing to eliminate the innocent.As he pointed out, Caiphas' verdict is born from a political calculation based on fear: “Forgetting Godʼs promise to his people, they want to kill the innocent, because behind their fear is the attachment to power.”“Isnʼt that what happens today?” the pope asked. “Even today, how many calculations are made in the world to kill innocent people; how many false reasons are used to get them out of the way!”Not getting used to warThe pontiff called for the purification of the “idolatry” that feeds wars and turns men into slaves of other men, while urging the faithful to not get used to violence.“Every truncated life is a wound to the body of Christ. Letʼs not get used to the rumble of weapons or the images of war!” he exclaimed.In this sense, he stressed that peace cannot be reduced to a balance of power: “It is not a mere balance of forces, but the work of purified hearts, of those who see in the other a brother to take care of, not an enemy to bring down.”Mercy, response to evilFaced with the persistence of evil, the pope recalled that Godʼs justice acts as a source of hope and renewal: “The Lord frees from pain by infusing hope, he converts the hardness of the heart by transforming power into service, precisely while manifesting the true name of his omnipotence: mercy.”In this way, he assured that it is “mercy that saves the world” because it takes charge of all human existence, “in each of its weaknesses, from the moment it is conceived in the womb until it ages,” he added.A message on the eve of EasterThe popeʼs visit to Monaco, just eight hours long, was made at the invitation of Albert II of Monaco. It took place on the eve of Holy Week, a context to which the pope referred during his homily. “The Lord changes the history of the world by calling us from idolatry to true faith, from death to life,” he said.In this context, he also evoked the prophet Jeremiah: “In the face of the numerous injustices that destroy the peoples and the war that plagues the nations, the voice of the prophet Jeremiah is constantly raised: I will change their mourning into joy, I will make them happy and I will console them with their affliction” (Jer 31,13).The joy that is born of charityFinally, the pontiff called the faithful to be witnesses of hope, making “many happy with their faith” and sharing a joy that is not acquired as a prize, but is born of charity.“The source of this joy is the love of God: love for the nascent and fragile life, which must always be welcomed and cared for; love for young and old life, which must be encouraged in the trials of each stage; love for healthy and sick life, sometimes alone, always in need of being accompanied with care,” he concluded.At the end of the celebration, the Archbishop of Monaco, Monsignor Dominique-Marie David, thanked Pope Leo XIV for his visit, emphasizing that God is “the source of all good” and that the pontiff, as the successor of Peter, has come to remind the local Church of this.In this sense, he stressed that the pope has encouraged the faithful to face “fearlessly” the current challenges, aware that they have “a treasure capable of sustaining hope, ours and that of the world.”On the eve of Holy Week, David said that the popeʼs visit has served to “confirm the faith of his brothers,” reinforcing the commitment of the Christian community.Pope Leo XIV gave the Archdiocese of Monaco a contemporary sculpture by St. Francis of Assisi. The work represents the Italian saint, one of the most beloved figures of the Christian tradition and universally recognized as a messenger of peace, fraternity and reconciliation.Francis in the sculpture appears dressed in the simple Franciscan habit, a symbol of evangelical poverty and inner freedom, girded by the characteristic cord with three knots.In the sculpture the saint holds a white dove in his left hand, while the right hand opens in a gesture of welcome and donation.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The Holy Father during his homily at Monaco’s Louis II Stadium urged the faithful to “not get used to the rumble of weapons or the images of war.”

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Passaic parish celebrates its patron, St. Joseph, with Bishop #Catholic - Bishop Sweeney joined St. Joseph Parish in Passaic, N.J., to celebrate its patron’s feast on March 19. Father Dariusz Kaminski, pastor, and Father Adam Stanislaw Wasowski, parochial vicar, were among the concelebrants. Bishop Sweeney also blessed the food and baked goods on the parish’s St. Joseph’s Table, a tradition linked to the feast. St. Joseph’s, the mother church of Polish parishes in the Diocese, was organized in 1892. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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Passaic parish celebrates its patron, St. Joseph, with Bishop #Catholic – Bishop Sweeney joined St. Joseph Parish in Passaic, N.J., to celebrate its patron’s feast on March 19. Father Dariusz Kaminski, pastor, and Father Adam Stanislaw Wasowski, parochial vicar, were among the concelebrants. Bishop Sweeney also blessed the food and baked goods on the parish’s St. Joseph’s Table, a tradition linked to the feast. St. Joseph’s, the mother church of Polish parishes in the Diocese, was organized in 1892. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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Passaic parish celebrates its patron, St. Joseph, with Bishop #Catholic –

Bishop Sweeney joined St. Joseph Parish in Passaic, N.J., to celebrate its patron’s feast on March 19. Father Dariusz Kaminski, pastor, and Father Adam Stanislaw Wasowski, parochial vicar, were among the concelebrants.

Bishop Sweeney also blessed the food and baked goods on the parish’s St. Joseph’s Table, a tradition linked to the feast.

St. Joseph’s, the mother church of Polish parishes in the Diocese, was organized in 1892.

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

– Bishop Sweeney joined St. Joseph Parish in Passaic, N.J., to celebrate its patron’s feast on March 19. Father Dariusz Kaminski, pastor, and Father Adam Stanislaw Wasowski, parochial vicar, were among the concelebrants. Bishop Sweeney also blessed the food and baked goods on the parish’s St. Joseph’s Table, a tradition linked to the feast. St. Joseph’s, the mother church of Polish parishes in the Diocese, was organized in 1892. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI  

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Shrine is a place of prayer, pilgrimage and ‘encounter’ with St. John Paul II’s life, legacy #Catholic – WASHINGTON (OSV News) — St. John Paul II “changed the Church and the world, and you can encounter that here” at the national shrine in Washington named for the Polish pope, said Grattan Brown, the shrine’s director of mission and ministry. “Here, one can encounter Christ through the life and legacy of John Paul II. We appeal to both the head and the heart,” Brown said. The St. John Paul II National Shrine in Northeast Washington is marking its 25th anniversary this March. The 118,000-square-foot shrine is located in the city’s Brookland section, affectionately called “Little Rome” for the many Catholic institutions located there. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Its neighbors include the Archdiocese of Washington’s St. John Paul II Seminary, the Jeanne Jugan Residence operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, Capuchin College, the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, The Catholic University of America and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. When approached with the idea of creating a cultural center in his name, Pope John Paul told organizers he wanted a place where “people come to a greater understanding of the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition and its relevance for the critical issues facing American society.” Originally established as the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, it was dedicated in 2000, during the Great Jubilee Year, and inaugurated on March 22, 2001. Then-President George W. Bush attended the dedication. Originally, it offered exhibits, talks and other special events. Later for a time, it operated as a kind of academic think tank and was open by appointment only. In 2011, the Knights of Columbus purchased the center and renovated the structure to its present form where it offers a permanent exhibit called “A Gift of Love: The Life of St. John Paul II.” It includes videos, photographs, artifacts and other displays honoring the life and legacy of the saintly pope. Over the years, visitors to the shrine have included Pope Benedict XVI, presidents, many American cardinals and bishops, and the faithful from across the country and throughout the world. While offering exhibits and special events, the St. John Paul II National Shrine is an important place of prayer and pilgrimage, and that includes the Redemptor Hominis Church where Mass is offered daily, and a chapel dedicated to the luminous mysteries of the rosary where a first-class relic of St. John Paul is displayed. “Our mission has expanded and we are also a place of pilgrimage,” Brown told the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington. “A pilgrimage expresses first devotion to the Lord, and this is a place honoring God’s special activity in the world.” On March 14, 2014, the U.S. bishops formally designated the center a national shrine. On April 17, 2014 — the day Pope Francis canonized Pope John Paul — the shrine hosted a live broadcast of the canonization Mass, and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center officially changed its name to the St. John Paul II National Shrine. “The shrine is a place dedicated to the cultural and intellectual legacies of Pope John Paul II. But it has also grown over the years into a place of pilgrimage, devotion and veneration,” said Stephen P. White, the incoming executive director of the shrine. “St. John Paul II, like all the communion of saints, is much more than a cherished memory or a role model; he is alive in Christ, part of the living Church.” Recently the shrine purchased the Washington Retreat House next door that was formerly run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement. Brown said the shrine will renovate that facility and will be offering spiritual retreats there beginning around Advent. Currently, the shrine is hosting an exhibit titled “Lord, You Could Not Love Me More! St. John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin.” Continuing throughout Lent, the exhibit includes a full-scale replica of the Shroud of Turin and more than 30 gallery panels featuring the holy object’s historical significance, scientific study and spiritual impact. Richard Szczepanowski is managing editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington. This story was originally published by the Catholic Standard and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.  
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Shrine is a place of prayer, pilgrimage and ‘encounter’ with St. John Paul II’s life, legacy #Catholic – WASHINGTON (OSV News) — St. John Paul II “changed the Church and the world, and you can encounter that here” at the national shrine in Washington named for the Polish pope, said Grattan Brown, the shrine’s director of mission and ministry. “Here, one can encounter Christ through the life and legacy of John Paul II. We appeal to both the head and the heart,” Brown said. The St. John Paul II National Shrine in Northeast Washington is marking its 25th anniversary this March. The 118,000-square-foot shrine is located in the city’s Brookland section, affectionately called “Little Rome” for the many Catholic institutions located there. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Its neighbors include the Archdiocese of Washington’s St. John Paul II Seminary, the Jeanne Jugan Residence operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, Capuchin College, the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, The Catholic University of America and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. When approached with the idea of creating a cultural center in his name, Pope John Paul told organizers he wanted a place where “people come to a greater understanding of the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition and its relevance for the critical issues facing American society.” Originally established as the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, it was dedicated in 2000, during the Great Jubilee Year, and inaugurated on March 22, 2001. Then-President George W. Bush attended the dedication. Originally, it offered exhibits, talks and other special events. Later for a time, it operated as a kind of academic think tank and was open by appointment only. In 2011, the Knights of Columbus purchased the center and renovated the structure to its present form where it offers a permanent exhibit called “A Gift of Love: The Life of St. John Paul II.” It includes videos, photographs, artifacts and other displays honoring the life and legacy of the saintly pope. Over the years, visitors to the shrine have included Pope Benedict XVI, presidents, many American cardinals and bishops, and the faithful from across the country and throughout the world. While offering exhibits and special events, the St. John Paul II National Shrine is an important place of prayer and pilgrimage, and that includes the Redemptor Hominis Church where Mass is offered daily, and a chapel dedicated to the luminous mysteries of the rosary where a first-class relic of St. John Paul is displayed. “Our mission has expanded and we are also a place of pilgrimage,” Brown told the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington. “A pilgrimage expresses first devotion to the Lord, and this is a place honoring God’s special activity in the world.” On March 14, 2014, the U.S. bishops formally designated the center a national shrine. On April 17, 2014 — the day Pope Francis canonized Pope John Paul — the shrine hosted a live broadcast of the canonization Mass, and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center officially changed its name to the St. John Paul II National Shrine. “The shrine is a place dedicated to the cultural and intellectual legacies of Pope John Paul II. But it has also grown over the years into a place of pilgrimage, devotion and veneration,” said Stephen P. White, the incoming executive director of the shrine. “St. John Paul II, like all the communion of saints, is much more than a cherished memory or a role model; he is alive in Christ, part of the living Church.” Recently the shrine purchased the Washington Retreat House next door that was formerly run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement. Brown said the shrine will renovate that facility and will be offering spiritual retreats there beginning around Advent. Currently, the shrine is hosting an exhibit titled “Lord, You Could Not Love Me More! St. John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin.” Continuing throughout Lent, the exhibit includes a full-scale replica of the Shroud of Turin and more than 30 gallery panels featuring the holy object’s historical significance, scientific study and spiritual impact. Richard Szczepanowski is managing editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington. This story was originally published by the Catholic Standard and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.  

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Shrine is a place of prayer, pilgrimage and ‘encounter’ with St. John Paul II’s life, legacy #Catholic –

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — St. John Paul II “changed the Church and the world, and you can encounter that here” at the national shrine in Washington named for the Polish pope, said Grattan Brown, the shrine’s director of mission and ministry.

“Here, one can encounter Christ through the life and legacy of John Paul II. We appeal to both the head and the heart,” Brown said.

The St. John Paul II National Shrine in Northeast Washington is marking its 25th anniversary this March.

The 118,000-square-foot shrine is located in the city’s Brookland section, affectionately called “Little Rome” for the many Catholic institutions located there.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Its neighbors include the Archdiocese of Washington’s St. John Paul II Seminary, the Jeanne Jugan Residence operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, Capuchin College, the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, The Catholic University of America and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

When approached with the idea of creating a cultural center in his name, Pope John Paul told organizers he wanted a place where “people come to a greater understanding of the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition and its relevance for the critical issues facing American society.”

Originally established as the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, it was dedicated in 2000, during the Great Jubilee Year, and inaugurated on March 22, 2001. Then-President George W. Bush attended the dedication. Originally, it offered exhibits, talks and other special events. Later for a time, it operated as a kind of academic think tank and was open by appointment only.

In 2011, the Knights of Columbus purchased the center and renovated the structure to its present form where it offers a permanent exhibit called “A Gift of Love: The Life of St. John Paul II.” It includes videos, photographs, artifacts and other displays honoring the life and legacy of the saintly pope.

Over the years, visitors to the shrine have included Pope Benedict XVI, presidents, many American cardinals and bishops, and the faithful from across the country and throughout the world.

While offering exhibits and special events, the St. John Paul II National Shrine is an important place of prayer and pilgrimage, and that includes the Redemptor Hominis Church where Mass is offered daily, and a chapel dedicated to the luminous mysteries of the rosary where a first-class relic of St. John Paul is displayed.

“Our mission has expanded and we are also a place of pilgrimage,” Brown told the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington. “A pilgrimage expresses first devotion to the Lord, and this is a place honoring God’s special activity in the world.”

On March 14, 2014, the U.S. bishops formally designated the center a national shrine. On April 17, 2014 — the day Pope Francis canonized Pope John Paul — the shrine hosted a live broadcast of the canonization Mass, and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center officially changed its name to the St. John Paul II National Shrine.

“The shrine is a place dedicated to the cultural and intellectual legacies of Pope John Paul II. But it has also grown over the years into a place of pilgrimage, devotion and veneration,” said Stephen P. White, the incoming executive director of the shrine. “St. John Paul II, like all the communion of saints, is much more than a cherished memory or a role model; he is alive in Christ, part of the living Church.”

Recently the shrine purchased the Washington Retreat House next door that was formerly run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement. Brown said the shrine will renovate that facility and will be offering spiritual retreats there beginning around Advent.

Currently, the shrine is hosting an exhibit titled “Lord, You Could Not Love Me More! St. John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin.” Continuing throughout Lent, the exhibit includes a full-scale replica of the Shroud of Turin and more than 30 gallery panels featuring the holy object’s historical significance, scientific study and spiritual impact.

Richard Szczepanowski is managing editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington. This story was originally published by the Catholic Standard and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.

 

– WASHINGTON (OSV News) — St. John Paul II “changed the Church and the world, and you can encounter that here” at the national shrine in Washington named for the Polish pope, said Grattan Brown, the shrine’s director of mission and ministry. “Here, one can encounter Christ through the life and legacy of John Paul II. We appeal to both the head and the heart,” Brown said. The St. John Paul II National Shrine in Northeast Washington is marking its 25th anniversary this March. The 118,000-square-foot shrine is located in the city’s Brookland section, affectionately called “Little Rome” for the many

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Pope Leo XIV warns of a faith reduced to ‘custom’, asks for Church to reflect the love of God – #Catholic – During his meeting with Catholics in Monaco, the second appointment of his whirlwind trip to the small country, Pope Leo XIV warned about the risks of reducing faith “to custom” and called on the faithful to be like Christ, defending the poor and marginalized against individualistic secularism.The pontiff supported his reflections in the document Quo vadis, humanitas? of the International Theological Commission, published on March 4, 2026. The Latin phrase means “Where are you going, humanity?”The pope met Catholics at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Monaco, built between 1875 and 1903 in the neo-Romanesque style. The temple houses the tomb of some sovereigns of the principality, including Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace Kelly, an iconic American actress who became royalty after marrying Rainier III in 1956.The Principality of Monaco is one of the last European countries to maintain Catholicism as a state religion, though its 1962 constitution guarantees freedom of worship and expression. In practice it means that Catholicism is taught in schools and that state ceremonies include a Mass.In November of 2025 Prince Albert II vetoed a law passed by the National Council that sought to legalize abortion up to 12 weeks. He justified his decision by citing the Catholic identity of the principality and the need to maintain the current legal framework, which decriminalizes the termination of pregnancy only in exceptional casesBased on the episode of the Gospel in which the Apostle John describes Jesus Christ as the righteous (cf. 1 Jn 2,1-2), the pope explained that the Church is called to be “lawyer”, that is, to defend man in his integrity and all human beings, promoting a comprehensive development that respects the dignity and ultimate goal of the person.He asked the faithful to contemplate Christ as a “lawyer” and urged Christians to provide “passionate and generous” service in evangelization.“Announce the gospel of life, hope and love; bring to all the light of the Gospel so that the life of every man and woman is defended and promoted from their conception to their natural end,” he said.The pope arrived at the cathedral after his visit to the Princeʼs Palace, where the Monegasque sovereign family resides.A living and prophetic faithIt is important, the pope pointed out, that the proclamation of the Gospel and the forms of faith “are preserved from the risk of being reduced to habit, even if it is good.”“A living faith is always prophetic, capable of raising questions and offering provocations: Are we really defending the human being? Are we protecting the dignity of the person in the protection of life in all its phases? Is the current economic and social model really fair and inspired by solidarity?” he said.Leo cited Pope Benedict XVIʼs encyclical Caritas in veritate published in 2009: “Is this model inhabited by the ethics of responsibility, which helps us to go beyond the ‘logic of the exchange of equivalent things and profit as an end in itself?’” he said.Alert against secularismThe pontiff also warned about the “impulses of secularism,” which can reduce man to individualism and orient social life only towards the production of wealth. The Holy Father asked for a new orientation based on the Gospel and to adopt the compassionate and merciful love of Christ.Christ, he said, became a “lawyer” to defend the poor and sinners, freeing them from oppression and making them children of God and brothers among themselves. “He does not come to condemn, but to offer mercy that purifies, heals, transforms and makes us part of the only family of God,” he stressed.The Church, reflection of Godʼs loveThe Pope praised the hospitality of Monaco, a small cosmopolitan state with cultural and socioeconomic diversity. He recalled that in the Church there are no social classes: “Everyone is welcomed as people and children of God, and all are recipients of a gift of grace that drives communion, fraternity and reciprocal love.”According to the pontiff, the first service that the Gospel must provide is “to enlighten the person and society, so that they discover their identity, the meaning of human life, the value of relationships and solidarity, as well as the ultimate end of existence and the destiny of history.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV warns of a faith reduced to ‘custom’, asks for Church to reflect the love of God – #Catholic – During his meeting with Catholics in Monaco, the second appointment of his whirlwind trip to the small country, Pope Leo XIV warned about the risks of reducing faith “to custom” and called on the faithful to be like Christ, defending the poor and marginalized against individualistic secularism.The pontiff supported his reflections in the document Quo vadis, humanitas? of the International Theological Commission, published on March 4, 2026. The Latin phrase means “Where are you going, humanity?”The pope met Catholics at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Monaco, built between 1875 and 1903 in the neo-Romanesque style. The temple houses the tomb of some sovereigns of the principality, including Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace Kelly, an iconic American actress who became royalty after marrying Rainier III in 1956.The Principality of Monaco is one of the last European countries to maintain Catholicism as a state religion, though its 1962 constitution guarantees freedom of worship and expression. In practice it means that Catholicism is taught in schools and that state ceremonies include a Mass.In November of 2025 Prince Albert II vetoed a law passed by the National Council that sought to legalize abortion up to 12 weeks. He justified his decision by citing the Catholic identity of the principality and the need to maintain the current legal framework, which decriminalizes the termination of pregnancy only in exceptional casesBased on the episode of the Gospel in which the Apostle John describes Jesus Christ as the righteous (cf. 1 Jn 2,1-2), the pope explained that the Church is called to be “lawyer”, that is, to defend man in his integrity and all human beings, promoting a comprehensive development that respects the dignity and ultimate goal of the person.He asked the faithful to contemplate Christ as a “lawyer” and urged Christians to provide “passionate and generous” service in evangelization.“Announce the gospel of life, hope and love; bring to all the light of the Gospel so that the life of every man and woman is defended and promoted from their conception to their natural end,” he said.The pope arrived at the cathedral after his visit to the Princeʼs Palace, where the Monegasque sovereign family resides.A living and prophetic faithIt is important, the pope pointed out, that the proclamation of the Gospel and the forms of faith “are preserved from the risk of being reduced to habit, even if it is good.”“A living faith is always prophetic, capable of raising questions and offering provocations: Are we really defending the human being? Are we protecting the dignity of the person in the protection of life in all its phases? Is the current economic and social model really fair and inspired by solidarity?” he said.Leo cited Pope Benedict XVIʼs encyclical Caritas in veritate published in 2009: “Is this model inhabited by the ethics of responsibility, which helps us to go beyond the ‘logic of the exchange of equivalent things and profit as an end in itself?’” he said.Alert against secularismThe pontiff also warned about the “impulses of secularism,” which can reduce man to individualism and orient social life only towards the production of wealth. The Holy Father asked for a new orientation based on the Gospel and to adopt the compassionate and merciful love of Christ.Christ, he said, became a “lawyer” to defend the poor and sinners, freeing them from oppression and making them children of God and brothers among themselves. “He does not come to condemn, but to offer mercy that purifies, heals, transforms and makes us part of the only family of God,” he stressed.The Church, reflection of Godʼs loveThe Pope praised the hospitality of Monaco, a small cosmopolitan state with cultural and socioeconomic diversity. He recalled that in the Church there are no social classes: “Everyone is welcomed as people and children of God, and all are recipients of a gift of grace that drives communion, fraternity and reciprocal love.”According to the pontiff, the first service that the Gospel must provide is “to enlighten the person and society, so that they discover their identity, the meaning of human life, the value of relationships and solidarity, as well as the ultimate end of existence and the destiny of history.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The Holy Father urged Catholics in Monaco to “announce the Gospel of life, hope and love” and defend the dignity of human beings from birth to death.

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March 28, 1802: Heinrich Olbers discovers Pallas

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In the 18th century, an international group of astronomers referred to as the “Celestial Police” devoted themselves to the search of the “missing” planet between Mars and Jupiter. A planet was expected in that zone based on the extrapolations of the Titius-Bode law, a mathematical formula developed by Johann Titius in 1766 and popularized byContinue reading “March 28, 1802: Heinrich Olbers discovers Pallas”

The post March 28, 1802: Heinrich Olbers discovers Pallas appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Pope Leo XIV to youth of Monaco: ‘Do not be afraid to give everything to God’ – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV met with young people and catechumens of Monaco at the Church of Saint Devota, the third public engagement of his one-day trip to the micro-state on March 28.After listening to the testimonies of several young people, Leo XIV spoke of the figure of Saint Devota, the patroness of Monaco, describing her as “a courageous young woman who knew how to bear witness to her faith in the face of the violence of her persecutors, even unto martyrdom.” “Good is stronger than evil, even when, at times, it may seem — in the immediate moment — to be getting the worst of it,” the pope said. “Moreover, [Devota] reminds us that the witness of faith is a seed capable of reaching and bearing fruit in distant hearts and places, far beyond our own expectations and capabilities.”“In this very church, quite recently,” the pope said, “the memory of the Holy Martyr Devota has been joined by that of Saint Carlo Acutis — another young person deeply in love with Jesus, faithful to his friendship with Christ until the very end, albeit in a completely different era and in completely different ways.”  “These two saints encourage us and urge us to imitate them,” the Holy Father said. In the modern world, “faith encounters challenges and obstacles,” the pope said, “yet nothing can dim its beauty or obscure its truth.” Responding to the testimonies of the youth, the pope highlighted “a fundamental aspect of the Christian life: the vitality of one’s relationship with Christ and, within that relationship, the sense of unity that is forged both within ourselves and with others." “The modern and post-modern eras have enriched us with many good things; yet, they also confront us with significant challenges — challenges we cannot ignore and which we must face with clarity and awareness,” he said. “What gives solidity to life is love: first and foremost, the fundamental experience of God’s love, and then — as a reflection of that — the illuminating and sacred experience of mutual love.”“And loving one another — while on the one hand requiring an openness to growth, and thus to change — on the other demands fidelity, constancy, and a readiness to make sacrifices in the daily rhythm of life,” the pope added. “Only in this way does restlessness find peace, and the inner void become filled — not with material and fleeting things, nor with the virtual validation of thousands of ‘likes,’ nor with restrictive, artificial, or at times even violent forms of belonging.” “We must clear these things away from the threshold of the heart, so that the healthy, oxygenating air of grace may once again return to refresh and revitalize its chambers, and so that the strong wind of the Holy Spirit may resume filling the sails of our existence, propelling it toward true happiness,” he said. Earlier in the day the pope met with Monacoʼs royal family before meeting with Catholics at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Leo XIV is the first pope to visit the costal European nation-state in nearly 500 years.
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Pope Leo XIV to youth of Monaco: ‘Do not be afraid to give everything to God’ – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV met with young people and catechumens of Monaco at the Church of Saint Devota, the third public engagement of his one-day trip to the micro-state on March 28.After listening to the testimonies of several young people, Leo XIV spoke of the figure of Saint Devota, the patroness of Monaco, describing her as “a courageous young woman who knew how to bear witness to her faith in the face of the violence of her persecutors, even unto martyrdom.” “Good is stronger than evil, even when, at times, it may seem — in the immediate moment — to be getting the worst of it,” the pope said. “Moreover, [Devota] reminds us that the witness of faith is a seed capable of reaching and bearing fruit in distant hearts and places, far beyond our own expectations and capabilities.”“In this very church, quite recently,” the pope said, “the memory of the Holy Martyr Devota has been joined by that of Saint Carlo Acutis — another young person deeply in love with Jesus, faithful to his friendship with Christ until the very end, albeit in a completely different era and in completely different ways.”  “These two saints encourage us and urge us to imitate them,” the Holy Father said. In the modern world, “faith encounters challenges and obstacles,” the pope said, “yet nothing can dim its beauty or obscure its truth.” Responding to the testimonies of the youth, the pope highlighted “a fundamental aspect of the Christian life: the vitality of one’s relationship with Christ and, within that relationship, the sense of unity that is forged both within ourselves and with others." “The modern and post-modern eras have enriched us with many good things; yet, they also confront us with significant challenges — challenges we cannot ignore and which we must face with clarity and awareness,” he said. “What gives solidity to life is love: first and foremost, the fundamental experience of God’s love, and then — as a reflection of that — the illuminating and sacred experience of mutual love.”“And loving one another — while on the one hand requiring an openness to growth, and thus to change — on the other demands fidelity, constancy, and a readiness to make sacrifices in the daily rhythm of life,” the pope added. “Only in this way does restlessness find peace, and the inner void become filled — not with material and fleeting things, nor with the virtual validation of thousands of ‘likes,’ nor with restrictive, artificial, or at times even violent forms of belonging.” “We must clear these things away from the threshold of the heart, so that the healthy, oxygenating air of grace may once again return to refresh and revitalize its chambers, and so that the strong wind of the Holy Spirit may resume filling the sails of our existence, propelling it toward true happiness,” he said. Earlier in the day the pope met with Monacoʼs royal family before meeting with Catholics at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Leo XIV is the first pope to visit the costal European nation-state in nearly 500 years.

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The Holy Father described the Monacan patron Saint Devota as “a courageous young woman who knew how to bear witness to her faith.”

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Bangladesh bishops say ‘no’ to government financial support – #Catholic – Bangladesh bishops say ‘no’ to government financial supportAfter the government of recently elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of Bangladesh announced on March 14 that it would offer a monthly allowance for priests, the Bangladesh Catholic Bishops’ Conference has officially decided to decline it, according to Crux.“We humbly decline to accept the proposed allowance for priests,” said Archbishop Bejoy D’Cruze of Dhaka, president of the conference. The allowance is meant for all clergy, no matter the religion or denomination, and is the first in the country of 180 million inhabitants — only about 600,000 of whom are Christian.The bishops said they were grateful for the government’s effort but that they prefer to rely on the generosity of the faithful to continue their spiritual and pastoral work.Seoul archbishop delivers Easter message urging Christians to ‘defend life amid war’In an Easter message, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, who leads the Archdiocese of Seoul in South Korea, urged Christians to “defend life amid war, suffering, and moral uncertainty,” calling the faithful to make concrete, life-giving choices rooted in the hope of the Resurrection.LiCAS news reported that Chung quoted from the Gospel of Luke as well as from Pope Leo XIV and urged the faithful “‘to remember all who suffer, pray for them, and stand in solidarity,’ especially those facing threats to life amid war and violence.”Chung called for “the faithful to become witnesses of the Resurrection” and highlighted the upcoming World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027, saying it “will be a time of grace for us to newly experience the joy of the Resurrection.”Young Catholics in Central Java trained in Laudato Si’Young Catholics recently gathered in Yogyakarta, Central Java, from various cities, including Surabaya, Jakarta, Cilacap, Surakarta, Semarang, Malang, and Yogyakarta for a three-day training aimed at “forming a new generation of ecological advocates grounded in faith,” according to LiCAS news. The training was provided by the Laudato Si’ Movement Indonesia in collaboration with the Catholic Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta as part of a broader effort to teach young people how to be ecologically aware and responsible while also deeply grounded in their Catholic faith.Indonesian becomes 57th language of Holy See’s official news platformVatican News has announced that Indonesian will become the 57th language by which news will be available on Vatican News, the news portal of the Holy See. The decision, made on March 25 with a Memorandum of Understanding agreement between representatives of Indonesia and the Holy See’s Dicastery for Communication, will mean “more people will be able to receive the pope’s message in their own language.”Angola opens registration for 2027 World Youth Day in South KoreaAngola, where Pope Leo will visit April 18–21, has officially launched the registration process for participation in World Youth Day (WYD) 2027 scheduled to take place in Seoul, South Korea, with Church leaders urging young people to approach the international gathering as a profound spiritual experience rather than a simple opportunity for travel, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Thursday.Speaking during the unveiling of the official registration website on Tuesday, March 24, Francisco Bernardo, a member of the national organizing committee, underscored that participation in WYD is fundamentally an experience of faith.Second church built in Mosul after ISISIn Iraq’s Christian heartland of Qaraqosh, the recent consecration of St. Ephrem Syriac Catholic Church and its altar has become more than a liturgical milestone, according to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News.Syriac Catholic Archbishop Benedictus Younan Hano of Mosul said opening the church in a time of war is itself an answer to destruction, a declaration that Christians remain committed to building rather than tearing down. Celebrated on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25, the dedication of the second church to be built after ISIS occupation also carried a message of perseverance for Iraq’s Christians, who continue to affirm their roots and presence in their historic homeland. Pope Leo XIV sent his blessing for the occasion, encouraging the faithful to remain steadfast in faith and hope as they rebuild their churches, their country, and their future.Freedom restrictions in Christian area in Syria In Damascus, Syria, a sit-in at Bab Touma drew Syrians from different religious and social backgrounds who said they were pushing back against measures they see as an assault on public freedoms and the country’s plural character. ACI MENA reported that protesters insisted their action was not about alcohol, despite public speculation, but about what they described as an expanding pattern of interference in personal life and an overreach of authority during Syria’s transitional period. Their slogans rejected sectarian sorting of neighborhoods and warned against imposing a single social model on a historically diverse society. Church leaders were largely absent from the protest, though the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Bosra, Hauran, and Jabal al-Arab issued a statement cautioning that such decisions risk undermining citizenship, social cohesion, and the long-standing unity of Damascus.
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Bangladesh bishops say ‘no’ to government financial support – #Catholic – Bangladesh bishops say ‘no’ to government financial supportAfter the government of recently elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of Bangladesh announced on March 14 that it would offer a monthly allowance for priests, the Bangladesh Catholic Bishops’ Conference has officially decided to decline it, according to Crux.“We humbly decline to accept the proposed allowance for priests,” said Archbishop Bejoy D’Cruze of Dhaka, president of the conference. The allowance is meant for all clergy, no matter the religion or denomination, and is the first in the country of 180 million inhabitants — only about 600,000 of whom are Christian.The bishops said they were grateful for the government’s effort but that they prefer to rely on the generosity of the faithful to continue their spiritual and pastoral work.Seoul archbishop delivers Easter message urging Christians to ‘defend life amid war’In an Easter message, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, who leads the Archdiocese of Seoul in South Korea, urged Christians to “defend life amid war, suffering, and moral uncertainty,” calling the faithful to make concrete, life-giving choices rooted in the hope of the Resurrection.LiCAS news reported that Chung quoted from the Gospel of Luke as well as from Pope Leo XIV and urged the faithful “‘to remember all who suffer, pray for them, and stand in solidarity,’ especially those facing threats to life amid war and violence.”Chung called for “the faithful to become witnesses of the Resurrection” and highlighted the upcoming World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027, saying it “will be a time of grace for us to newly experience the joy of the Resurrection.”Young Catholics in Central Java trained in Laudato Si’Young Catholics recently gathered in Yogyakarta, Central Java, from various cities, including Surabaya, Jakarta, Cilacap, Surakarta, Semarang, Malang, and Yogyakarta for a three-day training aimed at “forming a new generation of ecological advocates grounded in faith,” according to LiCAS news. The training was provided by the Laudato Si’ Movement Indonesia in collaboration with the Catholic Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta as part of a broader effort to teach young people how to be ecologically aware and responsible while also deeply grounded in their Catholic faith.Indonesian becomes 57th language of Holy See’s official news platformVatican News has announced that Indonesian will become the 57th language by which news will be available on Vatican News, the news portal of the Holy See. The decision, made on March 25 with a Memorandum of Understanding agreement between representatives of Indonesia and the Holy See’s Dicastery for Communication, will mean “more people will be able to receive the pope’s message in their own language.”Angola opens registration for 2027 World Youth Day in South KoreaAngola, where Pope Leo will visit April 18–21, has officially launched the registration process for participation in World Youth Day (WYD) 2027 scheduled to take place in Seoul, South Korea, with Church leaders urging young people to approach the international gathering as a profound spiritual experience rather than a simple opportunity for travel, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Thursday.Speaking during the unveiling of the official registration website on Tuesday, March 24, Francisco Bernardo, a member of the national organizing committee, underscored that participation in WYD is fundamentally an experience of faith.Second church built in Mosul after ISISIn Iraq’s Christian heartland of Qaraqosh, the recent consecration of St. Ephrem Syriac Catholic Church and its altar has become more than a liturgical milestone, according to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News.Syriac Catholic Archbishop Benedictus Younan Hano of Mosul said opening the church in a time of war is itself an answer to destruction, a declaration that Christians remain committed to building rather than tearing down. Celebrated on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25, the dedication of the second church to be built after ISIS occupation also carried a message of perseverance for Iraq’s Christians, who continue to affirm their roots and presence in their historic homeland. Pope Leo XIV sent his blessing for the occasion, encouraging the faithful to remain steadfast in faith and hope as they rebuild their churches, their country, and their future.Freedom restrictions in Christian area in Syria In Damascus, Syria, a sit-in at Bab Touma drew Syrians from different religious and social backgrounds who said they were pushing back against measures they see as an assault on public freedoms and the country’s plural character. ACI MENA reported that protesters insisted their action was not about alcohol, despite public speculation, but about what they described as an expanding pattern of interference in personal life and an overreach of authority during Syria’s transitional period. Their slogans rejected sectarian sorting of neighborhoods and warned against imposing a single social model on a historically diverse society. Church leaders were largely absent from the protest, though the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Bosra, Hauran, and Jabal al-Arab issued a statement cautioning that such decisions risk undermining citizenship, social cohesion, and the long-standing unity of Damascus.

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Bangladesh bishops say “no” to government support, Seoul archbishop urges defense of life amid war, second church built in Mosul after ISIS, and more in this week’s roundup of Catholic world news.

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JUST IN: House Passes Short-Term DHS Funding Bill in Late Night Vote – The House of Representatives late Friday night passed a short-term DHS funding bill. The post JUST IN: House Passes Short-Term DHS Funding Bill in Late Night Vote appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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JUST IN: House Passes Short-Term DHS Funding Bill in Late Night Vote – The House of Representatives late Friday night passed a short-term DHS funding bill. The post JUST IN: House Passes Short-Term DHS Funding Bill in Late Night Vote appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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The House of Representatives late Friday night passed a short-term DHS funding bill.

The post JUST IN: House Passes Short-Term DHS Funding Bill in Late Night Vote appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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This Blunt Comment About Communism Explains Why so Many People on the Right Love Marco Rubio 2.0 (VIDEO) – When it comes to Trump’s second administration, Marco Rubio has been a pleasant surprise for conservatives. The post This Blunt Comment About Communism Explains Why so Many People on the Right Love Marco Rubio 2.0 (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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This Blunt Comment About Communism Explains Why so Many People on the Right Love Marco Rubio 2.0 (VIDEO) – When it comes to Trump’s second administration, Marco Rubio has been a pleasant surprise for conservatives. The post This Blunt Comment About Communism Explains Why so Many People on the Right Love Marco Rubio 2.0 (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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When it comes to Trump’s second administration, Marco Rubio has been a pleasant surprise for conservatives.

The post This Blunt Comment About Communism Explains Why so Many People on the Right Love Marco Rubio 2.0 (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Los Angeles Times Columnist Says if a Republican Wins the Race for Governor of California, ‘A Recall Would Begin Immediately’ – In 2017, on the same day that Donald Trump was first sworn in as president, the Washington Post ran a story with the headline “The Campaign to Impeach President Trump has begun.” FLASHBACK: 19 minutes after Trump was inaugurated this was the headline in the Washington Post… pic.twitter.com/vl9KVBVqXh— @amuse (@amuse) January 5, 2025 That’s right, the people on the left who have been telling all of us for years that Trump doesn’t respect our democracy or accept election results are dealing purely in projection. The post Los Angeles Times Columnist Says if a Republican Wins the Race for Governor of California, ‘A Recall Would Begin Immediately’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Los Angeles Times Columnist Says if a Republican Wins the Race for Governor of California, ‘A Recall Would Begin Immediately’ – In 2017, on the same day that Donald Trump was first sworn in as president, the Washington Post ran a story with the headline “The Campaign to Impeach President Trump has begun.” FLASHBACK: 19 minutes after Trump was inaugurated this was the headline in the Washington Post… pic.twitter.com/vl9KVBVqXh— @amuse (@amuse) January 5, 2025 That’s right, the people on the left who have been telling all of us for years that Trump doesn’t respect our democracy or accept election results are dealing purely in projection. The post Los Angeles Times Columnist Says if a Republican Wins the Race for Governor of California, ‘A Recall Would Begin Immediately’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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In 2017, on the same day that Donald Trump was first sworn in as president, the Washington Post ran a story with the headline “The Campaign to Impeach President Trump has begun.” FLASHBACK: 19 minutes after Trump was inaugurated this was the headline in the Washington Post… pic.twitter.com/vl9KVBVqXh— @amuse (@amuse) January 5, 2025 That’s right, the people on the left who have been telling all of us for years that Trump doesn’t respect our democracy or accept election results are dealing purely in projection.

The post Los Angeles Times Columnist Says if a Republican Wins the Race for Governor of California, ‘A Recall Would Begin Immediately’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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12 Tips For Dads Babysitting Their Own Kids #BabylonBee – Don’t be alarmed, but there may be times when your wife will leave you home along with the kids for hours — or even days — on end. Knowing what to do in these situations is vital for their survival, and yours.
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12 Tips For Dads Babysitting Their Own Kids #BabylonBee – Don’t be alarmed, but there may be times when your wife will leave you home along with the kids for hours — or even days — on end. Knowing what to do in these situations is vital for their survival, and yours.

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Don’t be alarmed, but there may be times when your wife will leave you home along with the kids for hours — or even days — on end. Knowing what to do in these situations is vital for their survival, and yours.

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49 States Enact Legislation Banning Immigrants From California #BabylonBee – U.S. — To get ahead of the expected surge of migrants seeking refuge and freedom in the safety of America, 49 states banded together this week to enact legislation banning immigrants from California.
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49 States Enact Legislation Banning Immigrants From California #BabylonBee – U.S. — To get ahead of the expected surge of migrants seeking refuge and freedom in the safety of America, 49 states banded together this week to enact legislation banning immigrants from California.

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U.S. — To get ahead of the expected surge of migrants seeking refuge and freedom in the safety of America, 49 states banded together this week to enact legislation banning immigrants from California.

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Picture of the day Saint Joseph depicted holding a staff with lily blossoms and the Christ Child on a stained-glass window in the Saint Antony church in Urtijëi. Today is St. Joseph’s feast day in Western Christianity. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day Saint Joseph depicted holding a staff with lily blossoms and the Christ Child on a stained-glass window in the Saint Antony church in Urtijëi. Today is St. Joseph’s feast day in Western Christianity. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
Saint Joseph depicted holding a staff with lily blossoms and the Christ Child on a stained-glass window in the Saint Antony church in Urtijëi. Today is St. Joseph’s feast day in Western Christianity.
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Gospel and Word of the Day – 28 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Ezekiel 37:21-28 Thus says the Lord GOD: I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to which they have come, and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land. I will make them one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols, their abominations, and all their transgressions. I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God. My servant David shall be prince over them, and there shall be one shepherd for them all; they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees. They shall live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where their fathers lived; they shall live on it forever, they, and their children, and their children’s children, with my servant David their prince forever. I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD, who make Israel holy, when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever.From the Gospel according to John 11:45-56 Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to kill him. So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves. They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the temple area, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?”The way that the doctors of the law proceed is precisely a model of how temptation works in us, because it was truly the devil who was behind this, who wanted to destroy Jesus, and temptation in us truly works like this: it begins with something small, a desire, an idea, it grows, it infects others and in the end it justifies itself. (…) We should have the custom of identifying this process within us. That process that changes our hearts from good to bad, that leads us to a downward slope. A thing that grows, grows, grows slowly, then it infects others, in the end it justifies itself. It is rare that temptations come all at once, the devil is astute. And he knows how to take this path, the same one he took to arrive at Jesus’ condemnation. (…) The life of Jesus is always an example for us. The things that happened to Jesus are things that also will happen to us: the temptations, the justifications, good people around us –– and perhaps we do not listen to them – and bad people in the moment of temptation. We surround ourselves with them in order to allow the temptation to get stronger.  But let us never forget: always, behind a sin, behind a fall, there is a temptation that began small, that grew, that infected us, and in the end we find a justification to fall. May the Holy Spirit enlighten us in this interior awareness. (Francis – Homily Santa Marta, 4 April 2020)  

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A reading from the Book of Ezekiel
37:21-28

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will take the children of Israel from among the nations
to which they have come,
and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land.
I will make them one nation upon the land,
in the mountains of Israel,
and there shall be one prince for them all.
Never again shall they be two nations,
and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.

No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols,
their abominations, and all their transgressions.
I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy,
and cleanse them so that they may be my people
and I may be their God.
My servant David shall be prince over them,
and there shall be one shepherd for them all;
they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees.
They shall live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob,
the land where their fathers lived;
they shall live on it forever,
they, and their children, and their children’s children,
with my servant David their prince forever.
I will make with them a covenant of peace;
it shall be an everlasting covenant with them,
and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever.
My dwelling shall be with them;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD,
who make Israel holy,
when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever.

From the Gospel according to John
11:45-56

Many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him.
But some of them went to the Pharisees
and told them what Jesus had done.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees
convened the Sanhedrin and said,
“What are we going to do?
This man is performing many signs.
If we leave him alone, all will believe in him,
and the Romans will come
and take away both our land and our nation.”
But one of them, Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year, said to them,
“You know nothing,
nor do you consider that it is better for you
that one man should die instead of the people,
so that the whole nation may not perish.”
He did not say this on his own,
but since he was high priest for that year,
he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,
and not only for the nation,
but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.
So from that day on they planned to kill him.

So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews,
but he left for the region near the desert,
to a town called Ephraim,
and there he remained with his disciples.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near,
and many went up from the country to Jerusalem
before Passover to purify themselves.
They looked for Jesus and said to one another
as they were in the temple area, “What do you think?
That he will not come to the feast?”

The way that the doctors of the law proceed is precisely a model of how temptation works in us, because it was truly the devil who was behind this, who wanted to destroy Jesus, and temptation in us truly works like this: it begins with something small, a desire, an idea, it grows, it infects others and in the end it justifies itself. (…) We should have the custom of identifying this process within us. That process that changes our hearts from good to bad, that leads us to a downward slope. A thing that grows, grows, grows slowly, then it infects others, in the end it justifies itself. It is rare that temptations come all at once, the devil is astute. And he knows how to take this path, the same one he took to arrive at Jesus’ condemnation. (…) The life of Jesus is always an example for us. The things that happened to Jesus are things that also will happen to us: the temptations, the justifications, good people around us –– and perhaps we do not listen to them – and bad people in the moment of temptation. We surround ourselves with them in order to allow the temptation to get stronger.  But let us never forget: always, behind a sin, behind a fall, there is a temptation that began small, that grew, that infected us, and in the end we find a justification to fall. May the Holy Spirit enlighten us in this interior awareness. (Francis – Homily Santa Marta, 4 April 2020)

 

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Mother Angelica’s enduring legacy celebrated at Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica – #Catholic – A memorial Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica was held on the 10th anniversary of the death of Mother Angelica, the foundress of EWTN, the world’s largest Catholic media network.The principal celebrant at the Mass, Father Michael Baggot, LC, a bioethics professor, recalled in his homily in the basilica’s Chapel of the Choir that Mother Angelica “conveyed the faith with wit and wisdom.” “Her message was both consoling and challenging,” he said. Father Michael Baggot, LC, delivers the homily at the memorial Mass for Mother Angelica celebrated at St. Peter’s Basilica on March 27, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News “Mother Angelica understood that the fruitfulness of the apostolate depends on union with the Lord. What she proclaimed on air, she first pondered in adoration,” Baggot continued. “Mother Angelica also knew from experience that God works through humble, unexpected instruments to spread his Gospel.”During the homily, Baggot praised Mother Angelica’s determination and repeated one of her famous quotes about serving the Lord, even when it seems difficult and frightening.“As Mother said, ‘You want to do something for the Lord … do it. Whatever you feel needs to be done, even though you’re shaking in your boots, you’re scared to death — take the first step forward. The grace comes with that one step and you get the grace as you step. Being afraid is not a problem; it’s doing nothing when you’re afraid.’”Baggot said it is “fitting” to honor Mother Angelica just two days after the celebration of the Annunciation and in a chapel “dedicated to Our Lady.” He said the Blessed Mother was also “deeply troubled by the angel’s message” and both “afraid” and “scared,” but she trusted God.“Before such a daunting mission, she abandoned herself to Divine Providence. She was sustained by a love greater than any fear,” he said. Attendees at the memorial Mass for Mother Angelica at the Vatican on March 27, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News In view of the testimony of the Virgin Mary — whom he defined as the “definitive bearer of the Eternal Word” — the priest highlighted that Mother Angelica’s life also reflected the paschal mystery, including her suffering following a stroke in 2001. “Mother knew from Mary that the ‘fiat’ given in youth must be renewed at the foot of the cross,” Baggot noted.Baggot added that because Mother Angelica followed God’s calling, EWTN is accessible in hundreds of millions of homes in more than 160 countries and territories, and “its programs reach areas where conflict or persecution deprives citizens of other means of religious formation.”He further commended the network for continuing to be a beacon of beauty and inspiration. Although EWTN “has outgrown its first Alabama garage,” he said, “it has never outgrown — and could never outgrow — the reliance on Divine Providence that characterized Mother Angelica’s life.”In addition to the Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, EWTN marked the anniversary with special programming throughout the day, including “Remembering Mother Angelica, 10 Years Later.” The EWTN Global Catholic Network is broadcasting these events across its television and digital platforms — including its YouTube channel, the streaming platform EWTN+, and live and on-demand at www.ewtn.com — making the tribute to Mother Angelica’s life and legacy accessible to viewers worldwide.
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Mother Angelica’s enduring legacy celebrated at Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica – #Catholic – A memorial Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica was held on the 10th anniversary of the death of Mother Angelica, the foundress of EWTN, the world’s largest Catholic media network.The principal celebrant at the Mass, Father Michael Baggot, LC, a bioethics professor, recalled in his homily in the basilica’s Chapel of the Choir that Mother Angelica “conveyed the faith with wit and wisdom.” “Her message was both consoling and challenging,” he said. Father Michael Baggot, LC, delivers the homily at the memorial Mass for Mother Angelica celebrated at St. Peter’s Basilica on March 27, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News “Mother Angelica understood that the fruitfulness of the apostolate depends on union with the Lord. What she proclaimed on air, she first pondered in adoration,” Baggot continued. “Mother Angelica also knew from experience that God works through humble, unexpected instruments to spread his Gospel.”During the homily, Baggot praised Mother Angelica’s determination and repeated one of her famous quotes about serving the Lord, even when it seems difficult and frightening.“As Mother said, ‘You want to do something for the Lord … do it. Whatever you feel needs to be done, even though you’re shaking in your boots, you’re scared to death — take the first step forward. The grace comes with that one step and you get the grace as you step. Being afraid is not a problem; it’s doing nothing when you’re afraid.’”Baggot said it is “fitting” to honor Mother Angelica just two days after the celebration of the Annunciation and in a chapel “dedicated to Our Lady.” He said the Blessed Mother was also “deeply troubled by the angel’s message” and both “afraid” and “scared,” but she trusted God.“Before such a daunting mission, she abandoned herself to Divine Providence. She was sustained by a love greater than any fear,” he said. Attendees at the memorial Mass for Mother Angelica at the Vatican on March 27, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News In view of the testimony of the Virgin Mary — whom he defined as the “definitive bearer of the Eternal Word” — the priest highlighted that Mother Angelica’s life also reflected the paschal mystery, including her suffering following a stroke in 2001. “Mother knew from Mary that the ‘fiat’ given in youth must be renewed at the foot of the cross,” Baggot noted.Baggot added that because Mother Angelica followed God’s calling, EWTN is accessible in hundreds of millions of homes in more than 160 countries and territories, and “its programs reach areas where conflict or persecution deprives citizens of other means of religious formation.”He further commended the network for continuing to be a beacon of beauty and inspiration. Although EWTN “has outgrown its first Alabama garage,” he said, “it has never outgrown — and could never outgrow — the reliance on Divine Providence that characterized Mother Angelica’s life.”In addition to the Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, EWTN marked the anniversary with special programming throughout the day, including “Remembering Mother Angelica, 10 Years Later.” The EWTN Global Catholic Network is broadcasting these events across its television and digital platforms — including its YouTube channel, the streaming platform EWTN+, and live and on-demand at www.ewtn.com — making the tribute to Mother Angelica’s life and legacy accessible to viewers worldwide.

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Mother Angelica knew from experience that “God works through humble, unexpected instruments to spread his Gospel,” said the principal celebrant at the Mass, Father Michael Baggot, LC.

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U.S. chemical abortions as a result of telehealth rise by 25%, report finds – #Catholic – The U.S. saw a slight increase in all abortions in 2025 and a more than 25% increase in chemical abortions obtained through telehealth, according to a report from the Guttmacher Institute.There were 1,126,000 total abortions recorded in 2025 in the U.S., a less than 1% increase from 2024. The report concedes, however, that the numbers are an “underestimate” of the total number of abortions nationally because abortions that are not provided by U.S. clinicians are not included.The report also found that women traveled less frequently to obtain an abortion, coinciding with an increase in the number of chemical abortions obtained through telehealth provision.“What’s really concerning is that we see a big increase in telehealth abortions,” Michael New, a scholar at The Catholic University of America, told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.” “They found that in states with abortion bans, over 91,000 women obtained abortions by telehealth. That was over a 25% increase from the previous year.”“This really shows telehealth abortions are increasing abortion numbers,” New said. “Putting some limits on these telehealth abortions needs to be a top priority for pro-lifers.”U.S. senators launch investigation into chemical abortion drug manufacturersFive U.S. senators launched an investigation this week into chemical abortion drug manufacturers’ compliance with FDA safeguards, urging the FDA to take action on issues surrounding chemical abortions obtained through telehealth.Led by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the senators in a March 25 letter pressed the FDA to “take immediate action,” citing concerns about women’s safety, fraud risks, and illegal sales of abortion drugs.Cassidy and Sens. Steve Daines, R-Montana; James Lankford, R-Oklahoma; Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi; and Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, requested records from abortion drug manufacturers Danco Laboratories, GenBioPro and Evita Solutions.“It is unclear how the three FDA-approved chemical abortion drug manufacturers, Danco, GenBioPro, and Evita, ensure that prescribers and pharmacies comply with the few remaining [Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy] requirements, especially when pills are sold online and without the in-person oversight of a medical professional,” the press release from the senators read.U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley investigates abortion drug manufacturersU.S. Sen. Josh Hawley launched his own investigation into abortion drug manufacturers last week, requesting records from Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro.Hawley is concerned that drug companies profited from abortion pills while knowing the risks to women.“Mounting evidence suggests that mifepristone poses grave risks to women,” Hawley wrote in the letter. “Yet your company has continued to profit from the widespread distribution of this drug even as serious questions have emerged about hemorrhage, infection, sepsis, and other dangerous complications associated with its use.”Judge grants $1 murder bail, $2,000 for drug possession for Georgia woman after infant daughter diesA Georgia judge granted a $1 bond for a woman accused of murder after introducing oxycodone into her infant daughter’s system and also ordered a $1,000 bond for each of two drug charges.In late December 2025, Alexia Moore allegedly took eight misoprostol pills when she was between 22 and 24 weeks pregnant and “introduced illegal oxycodone into the infant’s system,” according to the arrest warrant. She gave birth prematurely to a baby girl who died within the hour. Moore was arrested on March 4, facing one count of murder for unlawfully causing the death of the infant with “malice aforethought” and two drug-related charges.Reports circulated blaming Georgia’s pro-life law for the arrest, but the Georgia law does not criminalize women who have abortions — no U.S. state does.Ohio bill would recognize unborn babies with heartbeats with certificate of lifeA recently proposed Ohio bill would require a certificate of life for unborn babies whose heartbeats are detectable.The bill, backed by Republican state Rep. Jean Schmidt, would recognize unborn babies with detectable heartbeats through a certificate of life.In Ohio, if an unborn baby dies, a death certificate is only required after 20 weeks’ gestation. The new bill would also move this requirement date to when the unborn baby has a heartbeat.The bill would amend the law to “require the registration of all fetal deaths” and “the filing of a certificate of life after the detection of a fetal heartbeat.”Another recent Ohio bill, backed by state Reps. Johnathan Newman and Jennifer Gross, would inform women who obtain abortion pills about abortion pill reversal.“More than 8,000 babies have been saved from the abortion reversal pill,” Newman said. “This is important legislation that supports women and protects life.”Missouri bishops urge prayer, fasting for passage of pro-life amendmentMissouri bishops are urging people to pray and fast for the passage of a pro-life amendment.An amendment enshrining a right to abortion in the state constitution passed in 2024, eliminating pro-life laws and other safeguards.“This year, Missourians will have the opportunity to restore those safeguards by voting for Amendment 3,” the bishops wrote. “The proposed constitutional amendment will protect women’s health and safety and restore protections for the unborn.”The bishops encouraged the faithful to pray the nine-month “Novena for the Dignity of Human Life” on the 25th day of each month. The novena began in February.“We ask the faithful and all people of goodwill to join us in prayer and fasting for the success of Amendment 3 and to support each human person from conception to natural death,” the bishops wrote.
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U.S. chemical abortions as a result of telehealth rise by 25%, report finds – #Catholic – The U.S. saw a slight increase in all abortions in 2025 and a more than 25% increase in chemical abortions obtained through telehealth, according to a report from the Guttmacher Institute.There were 1,126,000 total abortions recorded in 2025 in the U.S., a less than 1% increase from 2024. The report concedes, however, that the numbers are an “underestimate” of the total number of abortions nationally because abortions that are not provided by U.S. clinicians are not included.The report also found that women traveled less frequently to obtain an abortion, coinciding with an increase in the number of chemical abortions obtained through telehealth provision.“What’s really concerning is that we see a big increase in telehealth abortions,” Michael New, a scholar at The Catholic University of America, told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.” “They found that in states with abortion bans, over 91,000 women obtained abortions by telehealth. That was over a 25% increase from the previous year.”“This really shows telehealth abortions are increasing abortion numbers,” New said. “Putting some limits on these telehealth abortions needs to be a top priority for pro-lifers.”U.S. senators launch investigation into chemical abortion drug manufacturersFive U.S. senators launched an investigation this week into chemical abortion drug manufacturers’ compliance with FDA safeguards, urging the FDA to take action on issues surrounding chemical abortions obtained through telehealth.Led by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the senators in a March 25 letter pressed the FDA to “take immediate action,” citing concerns about women’s safety, fraud risks, and illegal sales of abortion drugs.Cassidy and Sens. Steve Daines, R-Montana; James Lankford, R-Oklahoma; Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi; and Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, requested records from abortion drug manufacturers Danco Laboratories, GenBioPro and Evita Solutions.“It is unclear how the three FDA-approved chemical abortion drug manufacturers, Danco, GenBioPro, and Evita, ensure that prescribers and pharmacies comply with the few remaining [Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy] requirements, especially when pills are sold online and without the in-person oversight of a medical professional,” the press release from the senators read.U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley investigates abortion drug manufacturersU.S. Sen. Josh Hawley launched his own investigation into abortion drug manufacturers last week, requesting records from Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro.Hawley is concerned that drug companies profited from abortion pills while knowing the risks to women.“Mounting evidence suggests that mifepristone poses grave risks to women,” Hawley wrote in the letter. “Yet your company has continued to profit from the widespread distribution of this drug even as serious questions have emerged about hemorrhage, infection, sepsis, and other dangerous complications associated with its use.”Judge grants $1 murder bail, $2,000 for drug possession for Georgia woman after infant daughter diesA Georgia judge granted a $1 bond for a woman accused of murder after introducing oxycodone into her infant daughter’s system and also ordered a $1,000 bond for each of two drug charges.In late December 2025, Alexia Moore allegedly took eight misoprostol pills when she was between 22 and 24 weeks pregnant and “introduced illegal oxycodone into the infant’s system,” according to the arrest warrant. She gave birth prematurely to a baby girl who died within the hour. Moore was arrested on March 4, facing one count of murder for unlawfully causing the death of the infant with “malice aforethought” and two drug-related charges.Reports circulated blaming Georgia’s pro-life law for the arrest, but the Georgia law does not criminalize women who have abortions — no U.S. state does.Ohio bill would recognize unborn babies with heartbeats with certificate of lifeA recently proposed Ohio bill would require a certificate of life for unborn babies whose heartbeats are detectable.The bill, backed by Republican state Rep. Jean Schmidt, would recognize unborn babies with detectable heartbeats through a certificate of life.In Ohio, if an unborn baby dies, a death certificate is only required after 20 weeks’ gestation. The new bill would also move this requirement date to when the unborn baby has a heartbeat.The bill would amend the law to “require the registration of all fetal deaths” and “the filing of a certificate of life after the detection of a fetal heartbeat.”Another recent Ohio bill, backed by state Reps. Johnathan Newman and Jennifer Gross, would inform women who obtain abortion pills about abortion pill reversal.“More than 8,000 babies have been saved from the abortion reversal pill,” Newman said. “This is important legislation that supports women and protects life.”Missouri bishops urge prayer, fasting for passage of pro-life amendmentMissouri bishops are urging people to pray and fast for the passage of a pro-life amendment.An amendment enshrining a right to abortion in the state constitution passed in 2024, eliminating pro-life laws and other safeguards.“This year, Missourians will have the opportunity to restore those safeguards by voting for Amendment 3,” the bishops wrote. “The proposed constitutional amendment will protect women’s health and safety and restore protections for the unborn.”The bishops encouraged the faithful to pray the nine-month “Novena for the Dignity of Human Life” on the 25th day of each month. The novena began in February.“We ask the faithful and all people of goodwill to join us in prayer and fasting for the success of Amendment 3 and to support each human person from conception to natural death,” the bishops wrote.

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

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Republican lawmakers oppose former Chilean president’s UN bid over abortion views – #Catholic – Republican lawmakers are actively opposing the nomination of Dr. Michelle Bachelet for United Nations secretary-general due to her “pro-abortion zealot intent.”Bachelet, a Chilean politician, supported abortion access during her time in leadership positions including her two terms as the 33rd and 35th president of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018.The next secretary-general will begin a five-year term on Jan. 1, 2027. To be elected, a candidate must receive at least nine votes from the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council, and none of the five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States — can veto the decision. Chile’s newly elected president withdrew support for Bachelet on March 24.“Nevertheless, out of respect for former President Bachelet’s distinguished career — and should she decide to proceed with her candidacy — Chile will refrain from supporting any other candidate in this electoral process,” according to the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Nearly 30 Republican lawmakers are urging the U.S. to “use its veto power” to prevent Bachelet from being selected “to preserve the role for a more qualified candidate,” they wrote in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on March 25.In the letter, the 23 representatives and five senators outlined their “deep concern” with Bachelet’s past performance and priorities in her previous roles, arguing that her selection would only harm the Trump administration’s vision for the U.N.A State Department spokesperson outlined what the U.S. is seeking in a secretary‑general.“The United States is looking for a practical, driven, and reform-focused candidate who will safeguard the valuable contributions of member states, restore competent management, and streamline the organization significantly,” a spokesperson for the State Department told EWTN News.“Any new secretary-general needs to return the U.N. to its primary purpose — maintaining peace and security in the world rather than the absurd, politicized, woke ideology that has undermined the institution’s effectiveness,” the spokesperson said.“The United States will be actively assessing the candidate field to determine the best individual with the most exceptional qualifications and will not be prejudging a candidate based on immutable characteristics,” the spokesperson said.No woman has ever held the post of U.N. secretary-general.Lawmakers list concerns about Bachelet’s stance“In her previous roles with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as executive director of UN Women, and as president of Chile, Dr. Bachelet has repeatedly prioritized an extreme abortion agenda at the expense of state sovereignty,” lawmakers wrote to Rubio.They specifically noted when she called the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision a “huge blow to women’s human rights” and referred to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade as “a major setback.”She also expressed her view that “abortion is firmly rooted in international human rights law and is at the core of women and girls’ autonomy,” in an OHCHR statement.“The truth is that killing an unborn child by abortion can never be construed to be a human right,” lawmakers said. “Every person — born and unborn — deserves to have his or her human rights secured and protected.”When Bachelet was appointed to be the first executive director of UN Women, “Planned Parenthood Federation of America celebrated,” they said. In her position, “Bachelet declared that ‘reproductive rights,’ a euphemistic term that encompasses elective abortion, was ‘absolutely fundamental’ to that mission,” they said.During her second race for president, “Bachelet campaigned on weakening Chile’s pro-life law protecting unborn life in all circumstances,” they said. After her reelection, she authored “a bill to legalize abortion in certain situations.”The U.S. lawmakers also addressed Bachelet’s “failure to oppose coerced abortion in China” and other violations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).In May 2022, Bachelet traveled to China at the invitation of the CCP “to investigate years of reports of severe human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,” they wrote. Instead of identifying “the atrocities committed by the CCP against the Uyghurs as a genocide,” she “released a watered-down report literally minutes before her term expired,” lawmakers wrote.“She has demonstrated that she is not a candidate who will respect state sovereignty, refrain from divisive ideologies,” or focus on mutual concerns of U.N. member states, lawmakers concluded.Signers included Republicans Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, chair of the Select Committee on Ethics; Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa; and Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies.
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Republican lawmakers oppose former Chilean president’s UN bid over abortion views – #Catholic – Republican lawmakers are actively opposing the nomination of Dr. Michelle Bachelet for United Nations secretary-general due to her “pro-abortion zealot intent.”Bachelet, a Chilean politician, supported abortion access during her time in leadership positions including her two terms as the 33rd and 35th president of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018.The next secretary-general will begin a five-year term on Jan. 1, 2027. To be elected, a candidate must receive at least nine votes from the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council, and none of the five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States — can veto the decision. Chile’s newly elected president withdrew support for Bachelet on March 24.“Nevertheless, out of respect for former President Bachelet’s distinguished career — and should she decide to proceed with her candidacy — Chile will refrain from supporting any other candidate in this electoral process,” according to the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Nearly 30 Republican lawmakers are urging the U.S. to “use its veto power” to prevent Bachelet from being selected “to preserve the role for a more qualified candidate,” they wrote in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on March 25.In the letter, the 23 representatives and five senators outlined their “deep concern” with Bachelet’s past performance and priorities in her previous roles, arguing that her selection would only harm the Trump administration’s vision for the U.N.A State Department spokesperson outlined what the U.S. is seeking in a secretary‑general.“The United States is looking for a practical, driven, and reform-focused candidate who will safeguard the valuable contributions of member states, restore competent management, and streamline the organization significantly,” a spokesperson for the State Department told EWTN News.“Any new secretary-general needs to return the U.N. to its primary purpose — maintaining peace and security in the world rather than the absurd, politicized, woke ideology that has undermined the institution’s effectiveness,” the spokesperson said.“The United States will be actively assessing the candidate field to determine the best individual with the most exceptional qualifications and will not be prejudging a candidate based on immutable characteristics,” the spokesperson said.No woman has ever held the post of U.N. secretary-general.Lawmakers list concerns about Bachelet’s stance“In her previous roles with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as executive director of UN Women, and as president of Chile, Dr. Bachelet has repeatedly prioritized an extreme abortion agenda at the expense of state sovereignty,” lawmakers wrote to Rubio.They specifically noted when she called the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision a “huge blow to women’s human rights” and referred to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade as “a major setback.”She also expressed her view that “abortion is firmly rooted in international human rights law and is at the core of women and girls’ autonomy,” in an OHCHR statement.“The truth is that killing an unborn child by abortion can never be construed to be a human right,” lawmakers said. “Every person — born and unborn — deserves to have his or her human rights secured and protected.”When Bachelet was appointed to be the first executive director of UN Women, “Planned Parenthood Federation of America celebrated,” they said. In her position, “Bachelet declared that ‘reproductive rights,’ a euphemistic term that encompasses elective abortion, was ‘absolutely fundamental’ to that mission,” they said.During her second race for president, “Bachelet campaigned on weakening Chile’s pro-life law protecting unborn life in all circumstances,” they said. After her reelection, she authored “a bill to legalize abortion in certain situations.”The U.S. lawmakers also addressed Bachelet’s “failure to oppose coerced abortion in China” and other violations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).In May 2022, Bachelet traveled to China at the invitation of the CCP “to investigate years of reports of severe human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,” they wrote. Instead of identifying “the atrocities committed by the CCP against the Uyghurs as a genocide,” she “released a watered-down report literally minutes before her term expired,” lawmakers wrote.“She has demonstrated that she is not a candidate who will respect state sovereignty, refrain from divisive ideologies,” or focus on mutual concerns of U.N. member states, lawmakers concluded.Signers included Republicans Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, chair of the Select Committee on Ethics; Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa; and Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies.

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Nearly 30 lawmakers are urging the U.S. to “use its veto power” to prevent Michelle Bachelet from being selected as U.N. secretary-general and “to preserve the role for a more qualified candidate.”

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March into this month’s new astronomy products

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Sol 100mm Dedicated Solar Telescope DayStar FiltersWarrensburg, Missouri DayStar’s Sol 100 Hydrogen-alpha telescope is a 4-inch instrument that allows safe viewing of normally invisible solar features. The design offers a ¾° field of view and unique coatings, optimizing the Sol 100 for the Hα wavelength $4,9951-866-680-6563www.daystar.comShop at High Point Scientific SkyMaster Pro ED 15x70mm PorroContinue reading “March into this month’s new astronomy products”

The post March into this month’s new astronomy products appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Bangladesh gets ninth diocese as Pope Leo XIV appoints first bishop #Catholic DHAKA — Pope Leo XIV has erected a new diocese in northern Bangladesh, naming a veteran seminary rector as its first bishop in what local Catholics are calling an Easter gift to the region’s predominantly Indigenous faithful.The Diocese of Joypurhat was established March 25, carved out of territories belonging to the dioceses of Rajshahi and Dinajpur and made a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Dhaka. The announcement was made by Archbishop Kevin Randall, apostolic nuncio to Bangladesh.Father Paul Gomes, 63, a priest of the Diocese of Rajshahi and rector of the Holy Spirit Major Seminary in Banani, Dhaka, has been appointed the diocese’s first bishop.Gomes was born in the Diocese of Rajshahi on Sept. 3, 1962. He studied philosophy and theology at the Holy Spirit Major Seminary and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Notre Dame College in Dhaka. He later completed a master’s degree and licentiate in dogmatic theology at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. He was ordained a priest on Dec. 29, 1992, and has served in pastoral and academic roles across the Rajshahi Diocese ever since, including as vicar general and rector of the Good Shepherd Cathedral in Rajshahi before returning to seminary leadership.Speaking to Radio Veritas after the announcement, Gomes said he would work to strengthen the faith, education, moral and social values, and overall development of the faithful in the new diocese.“There is no infrastructure here except for the parishes. I have to build a new bishop’s house and other infrastructure, and I hope to complete it with everyone’s cooperation,” Gomes said.‘An Easter gift from Pope Leo XIV’The new Joypurhat Diocese has 10 parishes and two quasi-parishes, serving approximately 23,000 Catholics, the majority of whom belong to Indigenous communities.“I think the new bishop and the diocese are an Easter gift from Pope Leo XIV to us. I hope the new bishop will carry out his pastoral work properly with our laypeople,” said Hilarius Mardy, a father of two.Mardy told EWTN News that lay Catholics would provide every kind of support within their means to the new bishop, but he added that the development of the diocese would require cooperation from Catholics across Bangladesh, not only within the new diocese.Questions over Indigenous representationWith the erection of Joypurhat, Bangladesh now has nine Catholic dioceses. Less than 1% of Bangladesh’s approximately 180 million people are Christian; the country’s roughly 400,000 Catholics include a large proportion from Indigenous communities.However, the appointment has prompted some differences of opinion. A 55-year-old Catholic who asked not to be named said an Indigenous bishop would have encouraged more Indigenous people to enter religious life.“I think the bishop who has been appointed is qualified, but was there no qualified Indigenous priest? If not, then it is a failure of the Church,” the Catholic said.Although Gomes has been formally appointed, his episcopal consecration is scheduled for June 5 in Joypurhat, Chancellor Father Premu T. Rozario of the Diocese of Rajshahi told EWTN News. Since no bishop’s house yet exists, the installation will take place at a local parish church near the city of Joypurhat.
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Bangladesh gets ninth diocese as Pope Leo XIV appoints first bishop #Catholic DHAKA — Pope Leo XIV has erected a new diocese in northern Bangladesh, naming a veteran seminary rector as its first bishop in what local Catholics are calling an Easter gift to the region’s predominantly Indigenous faithful.The Diocese of Joypurhat was established March 25, carved out of territories belonging to the dioceses of Rajshahi and Dinajpur and made a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Dhaka. The announcement was made by Archbishop Kevin Randall, apostolic nuncio to Bangladesh.Father Paul Gomes, 63, a priest of the Diocese of Rajshahi and rector of the Holy Spirit Major Seminary in Banani, Dhaka, has been appointed the diocese’s first bishop.Gomes was born in the Diocese of Rajshahi on Sept. 3, 1962. He studied philosophy and theology at the Holy Spirit Major Seminary and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Notre Dame College in Dhaka. He later completed a master’s degree and licentiate in dogmatic theology at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. He was ordained a priest on Dec. 29, 1992, and has served in pastoral and academic roles across the Rajshahi Diocese ever since, including as vicar general and rector of the Good Shepherd Cathedral in Rajshahi before returning to seminary leadership.Speaking to Radio Veritas after the announcement, Gomes said he would work to strengthen the faith, education, moral and social values, and overall development of the faithful in the new diocese.“There is no infrastructure here except for the parishes. I have to build a new bishop’s house and other infrastructure, and I hope to complete it with everyone’s cooperation,” Gomes said.‘An Easter gift from Pope Leo XIV’The new Joypurhat Diocese has 10 parishes and two quasi-parishes, serving approximately 23,000 Catholics, the majority of whom belong to Indigenous communities.“I think the new bishop and the diocese are an Easter gift from Pope Leo XIV to us. I hope the new bishop will carry out his pastoral work properly with our laypeople,” said Hilarius Mardy, a father of two.Mardy told EWTN News that lay Catholics would provide every kind of support within their means to the new bishop, but he added that the development of the diocese would require cooperation from Catholics across Bangladesh, not only within the new diocese.Questions over Indigenous representationWith the erection of Joypurhat, Bangladesh now has nine Catholic dioceses. Less than 1% of Bangladesh’s approximately 180 million people are Christian; the country’s roughly 400,000 Catholics include a large proportion from Indigenous communities.However, the appointment has prompted some differences of opinion. A 55-year-old Catholic who asked not to be named said an Indigenous bishop would have encouraged more Indigenous people to enter religious life.“I think the bishop who has been appointed is qualified, but was there no qualified Indigenous priest? If not, then it is a failure of the Church,” the Catholic said.Although Gomes has been formally appointed, his episcopal consecration is scheduled for June 5 in Joypurhat, Chancellor Father Premu T. Rozario of the Diocese of Rajshahi told EWTN News. Since no bishop’s house yet exists, the installation will take place at a local parish church near the city of Joypurhat.

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Pope Leo XIV erected the Diocese of Joypurhat on March 25, appointing Father Paul Gomes as first bishop of a region whose Catholics are largely Indigenous.

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California grandmother aims for 10,000 signatures on petition against second-trimester abortions #Catholic Mary Waldorf didn’t know anything about organizing petitions, but when a hospital worker and fellow parishioner told her that staff were forced to participate in second-trimester abortions, she felt called to do something.Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California, about 80 miles north of Sacramento, is the primary hospital in the area.“It’s the only hospital in a huge county. We all have to use it,” Waldorf told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.”Waldorf still remembers how she felt the day she found out about the abortions being performed there.“I spent the rest of the day just bawling because I know what a second-trimester abortion is,” she said.“Everybody was shocked,” she added.Waldorf went with a small group to peacefully protest in front of the hospital, holding signs. Hospital staff approached, asking why they were there.“They didn’t even know” about the later-term abortions being performed at the facility, Waldorf said.Waldorf claimed that local media will not cover the controversy. She said she has sent several letters to the editor of local papers but described the situation as a “media blackout.”A pediatrician at the hospital told her the hospital administration might reconsider if there was enough concern. “Why she told me, God only knows,” Waldorf said. “But I thought, well, if that’s the case, then what if we do a petition?”“I’m just somebody who goes to church, has grandkids, goes to work — I don’t know how to do [a petition],” she told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.” “I am not a media [figure]. But when God gives you an opportunity, you got to go for it.”The petition had about 800 signatures as of March 27. Waldorf is aiming for 10,000 — 10% of the size of the town.Waldorf said staff members have told her that the hospital allegedly has refused to allow some medical workers to opt out of assisting with abortion procedures.“They were told that the pre-op and the post-op nurses and personnel could not opt out,” Waldorf said.Waldorf runs a local chapter of 40 Days for Life, a nationwide effort aimed at praying for women seeking abortions and for their children, usually in front of abortion clinics during Lent. She says she wants women to have “true choice.”“If the mindset of people is about death, they don’t consider the child — and you have to consider both,” Waldorf said. “They’re not counseling these women. What about giving them true choice?”“The dignity of the human person is so paramount,” Waldorf added. “And I think that that is what’s being lost here completely.”
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California grandmother aims for 10,000 signatures on petition against second-trimester abortions #Catholic Mary Waldorf didn’t know anything about organizing petitions, but when a hospital worker and fellow parishioner told her that staff were forced to participate in second-trimester abortions, she felt called to do something.Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California, about 80 miles north of Sacramento, is the primary hospital in the area.“It’s the only hospital in a huge county. We all have to use it,” Waldorf told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.”Waldorf still remembers how she felt the day she found out about the abortions being performed there.“I spent the rest of the day just bawling because I know what a second-trimester abortion is,” she said.“Everybody was shocked,” she added.Waldorf went with a small group to peacefully protest in front of the hospital, holding signs. Hospital staff approached, asking why they were there.“They didn’t even know” about the later-term abortions being performed at the facility, Waldorf said.Waldorf claimed that local media will not cover the controversy. She said she has sent several letters to the editor of local papers but described the situation as a “media blackout.”A pediatrician at the hospital told her the hospital administration might reconsider if there was enough concern. “Why she told me, God only knows,” Waldorf said. “But I thought, well, if that’s the case, then what if we do a petition?”“I’m just somebody who goes to church, has grandkids, goes to work — I don’t know how to do [a petition],” she told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.” “I am not a media [figure]. But when God gives you an opportunity, you got to go for it.”The petition had about 800 signatures as of March 27. Waldorf is aiming for 10,000 — 10% of the size of the town.Waldorf said staff members have told her that the hospital allegedly has refused to allow some medical workers to opt out of assisting with abortion procedures.“They were told that the pre-op and the post-op nurses and personnel could not opt out,” Waldorf said.Waldorf runs a local chapter of 40 Days for Life, a nationwide effort aimed at praying for women seeking abortions and for their children, usually in front of abortion clinics during Lent. She says she wants women to have “true choice.”“If the mindset of people is about death, they don’t consider the child — and you have to consider both,” Waldorf said. “They’re not counseling these women. What about giving them true choice?”“The dignity of the human person is so paramount,” Waldorf added. “And I think that that is what’s being lost here completely.”

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Mary Waldorf is rallying her town to petition against second-trimester abortions offered by Enloe Medical Center.

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Artemis II Crew’s Suits – The Orion Crew Survival System suits that Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency) will wear on the Artemis II test flight are seen in the suit-up room of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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The Orion Crew Survival System suits that Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency) will wear on the Artemis II test flight are seen in the suit-up room of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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West Milford recognizes St. Joseph for ‘trust in God’ #Catholic - On March 18, St. Joseph Parish in West Milford, N.J., held a Vigil Mass, celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, to mark the feast day of its patron, St. Joseph. Although the universal Church celebrates St. Joseph’s feast day on March 19, the parish observed it the evening before. During the Mass, the bishop censed a statue of St. Joseph. Father Jakub Grzybowski, pastor of St. Joseph’s, concelebrated the liturgy with several priests with Bishop Sweeney. Serving as master of ceremonies was Father Jared Brogan, who directs the Worship Office for the Paterson Diocese. Deacon Stephen McKenzie of St. Joseph’s assisted with the Mass, and the Knights of Columbus participated as well. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. St. Joseph Parish honored its patron on social media, describing him as “a model of quiet strength, faithful service, and trust in God” on his feast day, March 19. As the guardian of the Holy Family, St. Joseph, they wrote, “reminds us that holiness is often found in humble, everyday acts of love and responsibility. Through his intercession, they asked that their parish family grow in faith, courage, and devotion to Christ: St. Joseph, pray for us.” St. Joseph’s is the oldest Catholic community in the diocese and in New Jersey. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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West Milford recognizes St. Joseph for ‘trust in God’ #Catholic – On March 18, St. Joseph Parish in West Milford, N.J., held a Vigil Mass, celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, to mark the feast day of its patron, St. Joseph. Although the universal Church celebrates St. Joseph’s feast day on March 19, the parish observed it the evening before. During the Mass, the bishop censed a statue of St. Joseph. Father Jakub Grzybowski, pastor of St. Joseph’s, concelebrated the liturgy with several priests with Bishop Sweeney. Serving as master of ceremonies was Father Jared Brogan, who directs the Worship Office for the Paterson Diocese. Deacon Stephen McKenzie of St. Joseph’s assisted with the Mass, and the Knights of Columbus participated as well. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. St. Joseph Parish honored its patron on social media, describing him as “a model of quiet strength, faithful service, and trust in God” on his feast day, March 19. As the guardian of the Holy Family, St. Joseph, they wrote, “reminds us that holiness is often found in humble, everyday acts of love and responsibility. Through his intercession, they asked that their parish family grow in faith, courage, and devotion to Christ: St. Joseph, pray for us.” St. Joseph’s is the oldest Catholic community in the diocese and in New Jersey. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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West Milford recognizes St. Joseph for ‘trust in God’ #Catholic –

On March 18, St. Joseph Parish in West Milford, N.J., held a Vigil Mass, celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, to mark the feast day of its patron, St. Joseph. Although the universal Church celebrates St. Joseph’s feast day on March 19, the parish observed it the evening before. During the Mass, the bishop censed a statue of St. Joseph.

Father Jakub Grzybowski, pastor of St. Joseph’s, concelebrated the liturgy with several priests with Bishop Sweeney. Serving as master of ceremonies was Father Jared Brogan, who directs the Worship Office for the Paterson Diocese. Deacon Stephen McKenzie of St. Joseph’s assisted with the Mass, and the Knights of Columbus participated as well.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

St. Joseph Parish honored its patron on social media, describing him as “a model of quiet strength, faithful service, and trust in God” on his feast day, March 19. As the guardian of the Holy Family, St. Joseph, they wrote, “reminds us that holiness is often found in humble, everyday acts of love and responsibility. Through his intercession, they asked that their parish family grow in faith, courage, and devotion to Christ: St. Joseph, pray for us.”

St. Joseph’s is the oldest Catholic community in the diocese and in New Jersey.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– On March 18, St. Joseph Parish in West Milford, N.J., held a Vigil Mass, celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, to mark the feast day of its patron, St. Joseph. Although the universal Church celebrates St. Joseph’s feast day on March 19, the parish observed it the evening before. During the Mass, the bishop censed a statue of St. Joseph. Father Jakub Grzybowski, pastor of St. Joseph’s, concelebrated the liturgy with several priests with Bishop Sweeney. Serving as master of ceremonies was Father Jared Brogan, who directs the Worship Office for the Paterson Diocese. Deacon Stephen McKenzie of St. Joseph’s

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The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Collapsed Two Years Ago – The Rebuild is Going a Little Slow (VIDEO) – Do you remember when the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship? The post The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Collapsed Two Years Ago – The Rebuild is Going a Little Slow (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Collapsed Two Years Ago – The Rebuild is Going a Little Slow (VIDEO) – Do you remember when the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship? The post The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Collapsed Two Years Ago – The Rebuild is Going a Little Slow (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Do you remember when the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship?

The post The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Collapsed Two Years Ago – The Rebuild is Going a Little Slow (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Chicago Democrat Closes Her Office After Backlash for Saying Student Murdered by Illegal Alien Was in ‘Wrong Place at Wrong Time’ – Last week , when a college student in Chicago named Sheridan Gorman was murdered by an illegal immigrant, a Democrat Chicago Alderwoman named Maria Hadden blamed the victim, suggesting that Gorman was in the wrong place at the wrong time, or that she might have startled the shooter. The post Chicago Democrat Closes Her Office After Backlash for Saying Student Murdered by Illegal Alien Was in ‘Wrong Place at Wrong Time’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Chicago Democrat Closes Her Office After Backlash for Saying Student Murdered by Illegal Alien Was in ‘Wrong Place at Wrong Time’ – Last week , when a college student in Chicago named Sheridan Gorman was murdered by an illegal immigrant, a Democrat Chicago Alderwoman named Maria Hadden blamed the victim, suggesting that Gorman was in the wrong place at the wrong time, or that she might have startled the shooter. The post Chicago Democrat Closes Her Office After Backlash for Saying Student Murdered by Illegal Alien Was in ‘Wrong Place at Wrong Time’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Last week , when a college student in Chicago named Sheridan Gorman was murdered by an illegal immigrant, a Democrat Chicago Alderwoman named Maria Hadden blamed the victim, suggesting that Gorman was in the wrong place at the wrong time, or that she might have startled the shooter.

The post Chicago Democrat Closes Her Office After Backlash for Saying Student Murdered by Illegal Alien Was in ‘Wrong Place at Wrong Time’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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HILARIOUS! Trump Dunks on Liberal Host Jessica Tarlov During Call-In to ‘The Five’ on FOX News (VIDEO) – President Trump called in to The Five on FOX News today and talked about a number of topics. The post HILARIOUS! Trump Dunks on Liberal Host Jessica Tarlov During Call-In to ‘The Five’ on FOX News (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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HILARIOUS! Trump Dunks on Liberal Host Jessica Tarlov During Call-In to ‘The Five’ on FOX News (VIDEO) – President Trump called in to The Five on FOX News today and talked about a number of topics. The post HILARIOUS! Trump Dunks on Liberal Host Jessica Tarlov During Call-In to ‘The Five’ on FOX News (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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President Trump called in to The Five on FOX News today and talked about a number of topics.

The post HILARIOUS! Trump Dunks on Liberal Host Jessica Tarlov During Call-In to ‘The Five’ on FOX News (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 27 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Jeremiah 20:10-13 I hear the whisperings of many: “Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!” All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. “Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.” But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, Let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, For he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!From the Gospel according to John 10:31-42 The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, ‘You are gods”‘? If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power. He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said, “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” And many there began to believe in him.Jesus Christ reveals the Father with his own humanity. Precisely because he is the Word incarnate that dwells among men, Jesus reveals God to us with his own true and integral humanity: “To see Jesus is to see His Father (Jn 14:9). For this reason, Jesus perfected revelation, fulfilling it through his whole work of making Himself present and manifesting Himself through His words and deeds, His signs and wonders, but especially through His death and glorious resurrection from the dead and final sending of the Spirit of truth” (DV, 4). In order to know God in Christ, we must welcome his integral humanity: God’s truth is not fully revealed where it takes something away from the human, just as the integrity of Jesus’ humanity does not diminish the fullness of the divine gift. It is the integral humanity of Jesus that tells us the truth of the Father (cf. Jn 1:18). It is not only the death and resurrection of Jesus that saves us and calls us together, but his very person: the Lord who becomes incarnate, is born, heals, teaches, suffers, dies, rises again and remains among us. Therefore, to honour the greatness of the Incarnation, it is not enough to consider Jesus as the channel of transmission of intellectual truths. If Jesus has a real body, the communication of the truth of God is realized in that body, with its own way of perceiving and feeling reality, with its own way of inhabiting and passing through the world. (Leo XIV – General Audience, 21 January 2026)

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A reading from the Book of Jeremiah
20:10-13

I hear the whisperings of many:
“Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!”
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
“Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him.”
But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked!

From the Gospel according to John
10:31-42

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?”
The Jews answered him,
“We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.
You, a man, are making yourself God.”
Jesus answered them,
“Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, ‘You are gods”‘?
If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,
and Scripture cannot be set aside,
can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world
blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me;
but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
Then they tried again to arrest him;
but he escaped from their power.

He went back across the Jordan
to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
Many came to him and said,
“John performed no sign,
but everything John said about this man was true.”
And many there began to believe in him.

Jesus Christ reveals the Father with his own humanity. Precisely because he is the Word incarnate that dwells among men, Jesus reveals God to us with his own true and integral humanity: “To see Jesus is to see His Father (Jn 14:9). For this reason, Jesus perfected revelation, fulfilling it through his whole work of making Himself present and manifesting Himself through His words and deeds, His signs and wonders, but especially through His death and glorious resurrection from the dead and final sending of the Spirit of truth” (DV, 4). In order to know God in Christ, we must welcome his integral humanity: God’s truth is not fully revealed where it takes something away from the human, just as the integrity of Jesus’ humanity does not diminish the fullness of the divine gift. It is the integral humanity of Jesus that tells us the truth of the Father (cf. Jn 1:18). It is not only the death and resurrection of Jesus that saves us and calls us together, but his very person: the Lord who becomes incarnate, is born, heals, teaches, suffers, dies, rises again and remains among us. Therefore, to honour the greatness of the Incarnation, it is not enough to consider Jesus as the channel of transmission of intellectual truths. If Jesus has a real body, the communication of the truth of God is realized in that body, with its own way of perceiving and feeling reality, with its own way of inhabiting and passing through the world. (Leo XIV – General Audience, 21 January 2026)

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Finnish court finds Christian parliamentarian guilty of ‘hate speech’ – #Catholic – The Finnish Supreme Court has convicted parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen on one charge related to her expression of her Christian beliefs on marriage and sexual ethics.In the 3-2 decision, the court said Räsänen’s criminal conviction over the distribution of a 2004 pamphlet alongside her Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola was for “making and keeping available to the public a text that insults a group” under a section of the Finnish criminal code titled “War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.”“I am shocked and profoundly disappointed that the court has failed to recognize my basic human right to freedom of expression,” Räsänen said in a March 26 press release from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International. “I stand by the teachings of my Christian faith, and will continue to defend my and every person’s right to share their convictions in the public square.”The court acquitted Räsänen of charges related to the 2019 Bible verse tweet that sparked the parliamentarian’s legal battle.In it, she quoted Romans 1:24–27 and questioned how the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland could sponsor an LGBT Pride event, asking how what Scripture calls “shame and sin” could be presented as “a matter of pride.”Räsänen said she is looking into appealing her case to the European Court of Human Rights.“This is not about my free speech alone but that of every person in Finland. A positive ruling would help to prevent other innocent people from experiencing the same ordeal for simply sharing their beliefs,” she said in a statement.The latest decision comes after Räsänen was previously acquitted on all charges by two lower courts in early 2022 and 2023 over the tweet, pamphlet, and a 2019 radio debate.The Supreme Court heard Räsänen’s case again in October 2025 following a third appeal by the prosecution regarding the tweet and pamphlet, delivering its latest decision on March 26. The prosecution did not appeal the radio debate.Social media reactionsADF Senior Legal Counsel Sean Nelson described the Finnish Court’s decision as “Truly Year Zero, Orwellian thinking” in a March 26 social media post.“I can’t express how enraging and unjust this decision is,” he said. “No one ever filed a complaint about her pamphlet written 20 years ago. The prosecutors only found out because of a witch hunt after her Bible tweet, dredging anything they could up.”Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, reacted to the news on social media, describing the conviction as “part of a broader trend I’ve been warning about where Western countries are prosecuting Christians.”“As a Christian country, the U.S. cannot stand idly by and watch as the Christian foundations of the West are destroyed,” he said.Father Benedict Kiely, founder of Nazarean.org, also weighed in on the decision, writing that Räsänen “is the canary in the coal mine for freedom of expression and religious freedom in Europe.”“And now the canary — and the Bible — have been found guilty,” he said.
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Finnish court finds Christian parliamentarian guilty of ‘hate speech’ – #Catholic – The Finnish Supreme Court has convicted parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen on one charge related to her expression of her Christian beliefs on marriage and sexual ethics.In the 3-2 decision, the court said Räsänen’s criminal conviction over the distribution of a 2004 pamphlet alongside her Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola was for “making and keeping available to the public a text that insults a group” under a section of the Finnish criminal code titled “War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.”“I am shocked and profoundly disappointed that the court has failed to recognize my basic human right to freedom of expression,” Räsänen said in a March 26 press release from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International. “I stand by the teachings of my Christian faith, and will continue to defend my and every person’s right to share their convictions in the public square.”The court acquitted Räsänen of charges related to the 2019 Bible verse tweet that sparked the parliamentarian’s legal battle.In it, she quoted Romans 1:24–27 and questioned how the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland could sponsor an LGBT Pride event, asking how what Scripture calls “shame and sin” could be presented as “a matter of pride.”Räsänen said she is looking into appealing her case to the European Court of Human Rights.“This is not about my free speech alone but that of every person in Finland. A positive ruling would help to prevent other innocent people from experiencing the same ordeal for simply sharing their beliefs,” she said in a statement.The latest decision comes after Räsänen was previously acquitted on all charges by two lower courts in early 2022 and 2023 over the tweet, pamphlet, and a 2019 radio debate.The Supreme Court heard Räsänen’s case again in October 2025 following a third appeal by the prosecution regarding the tweet and pamphlet, delivering its latest decision on March 26. The prosecution did not appeal the radio debate.Social media reactionsADF Senior Legal Counsel Sean Nelson described the Finnish Court’s decision as “Truly Year Zero, Orwellian thinking” in a March 26 social media post.“I can’t express how enraging and unjust this decision is,” he said. “No one ever filed a complaint about her pamphlet written 20 years ago. The prosecutors only found out because of a witch hunt after her Bible tweet, dredging anything they could up.”Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, reacted to the news on social media, describing the conviction as “part of a broader trend I’ve been warning about where Western countries are prosecuting Christians.”“As a Christian country, the U.S. cannot stand idly by and watch as the Christian foundations of the West are destroyed,” he said.Father Benedict Kiely, founder of Nazarean.org, also weighed in on the decision, writing that Räsänen “is the canary in the coal mine for freedom of expression and religious freedom in Europe.”“And now the canary — and the Bible — have been found guilty,” he said.

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The Supreme Court of Finland has acquitted Päivi Räsänen over her 2019 Bible verse tweet and found her guilty of hate speech over a pamphlet she wrote more than 20 years ago.

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