NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist hugs the Orion spacecraft in the well deck of USS John P. Murtha, Saturday, April 11, 2026.
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HOLLYWOOD, CA — It’s a simple formula: take an already wildly popular franchise and then tweak it a bit to attract even more fans.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the sudden resignation of California Representative Eric Swalwell over sexual assault charges, analysts speculated that there were now just 534 perverts remaining in the United States Congress.
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Solitary tree with frost and fields near Hausdülmen, Dülmen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
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Holy Mary, mother fair,
Filled with love for God,
Pray for us in all our needs.
Pray for us today.
The People of Hope Museum offers personal stories of Catholic Charities workers, an immersive poverty‑simulation experience, and interactive data displays.
Is this coincidence or coordination?
The post The Unholy Alliance? — Hal Lambert Raises Alarming Questions After Obama Strategist David Axelrod Spotted at Vatican as ‘American’ Pope Leo XIV Launches Attacks on President Trump appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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On September 23, 2021, an active-duty Air Force officer who has served for 18 years submitted a request for a religious accommodation for the COVID-19 shot mandate.
The post Application Denied: Another Dive into the Failures of Military Bureaucracy and COVID-19 Mandate Relief appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Trump further called on the UK to ‘get rid of windmills.’ By now, no one is surprised that US President Donald J.
The post Trump Calls British Labour Government ‘Crazy’ for Banning North Sea Oil Exploration appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Pro-lifers call the win “a huge victory for all Americans who want our right to speak our minds peacefully in a law-abiding way without fear of our own government.”
The lunar eclipse of Sept. 7/8, 2025, was not favorable to observers in the Americas or Europe, but was well-placed for viewers in Asia. Tianyao Yang took the opportunity to capture the silhouette of the Chinese space station Tiangong (or “heavenly palace”) as it crossed the Moon during the eclipse. The International Space Station hasContinue reading “A palace on the Moon”
The post A palace on the Moon appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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At the Basilica of St. Augustine, the pontiff urged Christians to bear witness through “simple gestures, genuine relationships and a dialogue lived out day by day.”
![Chicago priest resigns after archdiocese discovers misuse of parish funds #Catholic A priest in Chicago has resigned after the archdiocese found that he misused parish funds for “personal expenses,” Cardinal Blase Cupich told parishioners this month. Cupich told St. John Henry Newman Parish in Evanston that the archdiocese had launched a review of the parishʼs finances on March 30 amid “serious questions” about the parishʼs “fiscal administration.” The prelate said in an April 10 letter to the parish that the review found Father Kenneth Anderson “violated a number of core archdiocesan policies pertaining to the proper exercise of good stewardship of parish resources.” Among the reported violations included “the creation and maintenance of a separate bank account into which he deposited substantial parish funds,” Cupich said. Some of those funds “were used to cover costs unrelated to parish needs including his personal expenses.”Anderson resigned after being presented with the findings of the report, Cupich said. The priest also “accepted [Cupichʼs] instruction that, when the full accounting is complete, he is to make restitution for any funds clearly identified as covering his personal expenses.”The archdiocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the total amount of funds reportedly misused at the parish. Cupich in his letter said Father Wayne Watts, the pastor of Sts. Joseph and Francis Xavier Parish in nearby Wilmette, oversaw the administration of St. John Henry Newman Parishʼs finances during the review process. The archbishop further said that he had asked the archdiocesan placement board to recommend a new pastor for the parish by July 1. Retired priest Father Gerald Gunderson will serve as parish administrator until the new pastor is appointed, Cupich said. The parish was formed in 2022 after the merging of Sts. Athanasius and Joan of Arc parishes as part of the archdiocesan Renew My Faith campaign.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/chicago-priest-resigns-after-archdiocese-discovers-misuse-of-parish-funds-catholic-a-priest-in-chicago-has-resigned-after-the-archdiocese-found-that-he-misused-parish-funds-for-personal-expe.jpg "Chicago priest resigns after archdiocese discovers misuse of parish funds #Catholic A priest in Chicago has resigned after the archdiocese found that he misused parish funds for “personal expenses,” Cardinal Blase Cupich told parishioners this month. Cupich told St. John Henry Newman Parish in Evanston that the archdiocese had launched a review of the parishʼs finances on March 30 amid “serious questions” about the parishʼs “fiscal administration.” The prelate said in an April 10 letter to the parish that the review found Father Kenneth Anderson “violated a number of core archdiocesan policies pertaining to the proper exercise of good stewardship of parish resources.” Among the reported violations included “the creation and maintenance of a separate bank account into which he deposited substantial parish funds,” Cupich said. Some of those funds “were used to cover costs unrelated to parish needs including his personal expenses.”Anderson resigned after being presented with the findings of the report, Cupich said. The priest also “accepted [Cupichʼs] instruction that, when the full accounting is complete, he is to make restitution for any funds clearly identified as covering his personal expenses.”The archdiocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the total amount of funds reportedly misused at the parish. Cupich in his letter said Father Wayne Watts, the pastor of Sts. Joseph and Francis Xavier Parish in nearby Wilmette, oversaw the administration of St. John Henry Newman Parishʼs finances during the review process. The archbishop further said that he had asked the archdiocesan placement board to recommend a new pastor for the parish by July 1. Retired priest Father Gerald Gunderson will serve as parish administrator until the new pastor is appointed, Cupich said. The parish was formed in 2022 after the merging of Sts. Athanasius and Joan of Arc parishes as part of the archdiocesan Renew My Faith campaign.")
Father Kenneth Anderson violated “a number of core archdiocesan policies,” Cardinal Blase Cupich told parishioners.
![Celebrate Morris Plains carnival’s 50th anniversary with funnel cakes, faith #Catholic - Five decades of amusement rides and sugary, savory food, while promoting a sense of community and the Catholic faith, culminate in early May in Morris Plains, N.J. St. Virgil Parish there is set to attract nearly 10,000 festival-goers to its 50th carnival, which marks the start of the Catholic festival season in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey.
“I really enjoy and respect that the carnival has been part of the parish for 50 years,” said Father Lukasz Wnuk, the parish’s pastor. “It would have been easy for it to decline or even stop at any point, especially during COVID, when the parish could not hold it. Instead, it keeps growing, and we continue to invest in it.”
The St. Virgil Carnival is set to run on the parish grounds on Wednesday, May 6, through Friday, May 8, from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., and on Saturday, May 9, from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. The usual Saturday Mass of Anticipation at 5 p.m. will still take place inside the church.
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“We make money on the carnival, which helps keep us going as a parish,” said Terence Boyne, a 60-year parishioner at St. Virgil who has regularly volunteered since the carnival began.
Originally, one of the carnival’s purposes was to help a community recovering from a natural disaster.
Three years before the carnival started, a priest from St. Virgil’s visited the Bahamas. A natural disaster occurred in the area he visited, and the church there was badly damaged. A deacon from St. Virgil visited and reported that it would cost $10,000 to $12,000 to repair the church. According to Boyne, there was the thought that maybe St. Virgil’s could help them.
“Somebody said, ‘Why don’t we try doing a carnival? We’ll run it every year until we make up the cost.’ We ran it the first year, and they made $15,000 or $18,000. They couldn’t believe it. They sent the $10,000 to $12,000 down there, and the rest went to charities.”
The annual event has grown a lot, Boyne said. It started with 10 kiddie rides and only a few rides for older kids. Now it fills the parish property and fills the whole neighborhood with parked cars.
While the plethora of carnival rides attracts kids, the tasty food attracts thousands from across the diocese.
“I’d say the funnel cake line is never without at least a dozen people to 20 people at any given time during the carnival,” said Michael Scannelli, the carnival’s 2026 chair. He said the carnival added fried Oreos, fried pickles, chocolate brownies, and gelato, in addition to Dellano’s Food Trucks, pizza, soft pretzels, and other carnival staples.
Parish leaders emphasized that this kind of tradition doesn’t happen by accident, but through the dedication, hard work, and caring that countless people like Boyne and Scannelli have poured into it over the years.
Scannelli said the carnival allows St. Virgil’s to invite the wider community to experience the Catholic faith and the Eucharist at the parish throughout the rest of the year.
“I think the carnival-goers really see our faith-based community. I think they see all of us volunteering, coming together as one. Yes, we’re raising money, but we also feel like we’re giving back to the community and giving them a great four-day event,” said Scannelli. “You can’t help but see signs of faith like statues and crosses around St. Virgil’s, whether it’s outside the church or the Tracy Center (the parish hall). Our statue of Mary is right in the middle of where people eat and drink. You can’t help but feel some type of evangelization within the grounds itself,” he said.
Father Wnuk added, “Everyone is truly welcome. Whether you have been part of the parish for years or you are just stopping by for the first time, there’s a place for you here.”
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/celebrate-morris-plains-carnivals-50th-anniversary-with-funnel-cakes-faith-catholic-five-decades-of-amusement-rides-and-sugary-savory-food-while-promoting-a-sense-of-community-and-the-c.jpg)
Celebrate Morris Plains carnival’s 50th anniversary with funnel cakes, faith #Catholic – 
Five decades of amusement rides and sugary, savory food, while promoting a sense of community and the Catholic faith, culminate in early May in Morris Plains, N.J. St. Virgil Parish there is set to attract nearly 10,000 festival-goers to its 50th carnival, which marks the start of the Catholic festival season in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey.
“I really enjoy and respect that the carnival has been part of the parish for 50 years,” said Father Lukasz Wnuk, the parish’s pastor. “It would have been easy for it to decline or even stop at any point, especially during COVID, when the parish could not hold it. Instead, it keeps growing, and we continue to invest in it.”
The St. Virgil Carnival is set to run on the parish grounds on Wednesday, May 6, through Friday, May 8, from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., and on Saturday, May 9, from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. The usual Saturday Mass of Anticipation at 5 p.m. will still take place inside the church.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“We make money on the carnival, which helps keep us going as a parish,” said Terence Boyne, a 60-year parishioner at St. Virgil who has regularly volunteered since the carnival began.
Originally, one of the carnival’s purposes was to help a community recovering from a natural disaster.
Three years before the carnival started, a priest from St. Virgil’s visited the Bahamas. A natural disaster occurred in the area he visited, and the church there was badly damaged. A deacon from St. Virgil visited and reported that it would cost $10,000 to $12,000 to repair the church. According to Boyne, there was the thought that maybe St. Virgil’s could help them.
“Somebody said, ‘Why don’t we try doing a carnival? We’ll run it every year until we make up the cost.’ We ran it the first year, and they made $15,000 or $18,000. They couldn’t believe it. They sent the $10,000 to $12,000 down there, and the rest went to charities.”
The annual event has grown a lot, Boyne said. It started with 10 kiddie rides and only a few rides for older kids. Now it fills the parish property and fills the whole neighborhood with parked cars.
While the plethora of carnival rides attracts kids, the tasty food attracts thousands from across the diocese.
“I’d say the funnel cake line is never without at least a dozen people to 20 people at any given time during the carnival,” said Michael Scannelli, the carnival’s 2026 chair. He said the carnival added fried Oreos, fried pickles, chocolate brownies, and gelato, in addition to Dellano’s Food Trucks, pizza, soft pretzels, and other carnival staples.
Parish leaders emphasized that this kind of tradition doesn’t happen by accident, but through the dedication, hard work, and caring that countless people like Boyne and Scannelli have poured into it over the years.
Scannelli said the carnival allows St. Virgil’s to invite the wider community to experience the Catholic faith and the Eucharist at the parish throughout the rest of the year.
“I think the carnival-goers really see our faith-based community. I think they see all of us volunteering, coming together as one. Yes, we’re raising money, but we also feel like we’re giving back to the community and giving them a great four-day event,” said Scannelli. “You can’t help but see signs of faith like statues and crosses around St. Virgil’s, whether it’s outside the church or the Tracy Center (the parish hall). Our statue of Mary is right in the middle of where people eat and drink. You can’t help but feel some type of evangelization within the grounds itself,” he said.
Father Wnuk added, “Everyone is truly welcome. Whether you have been part of the parish for years or you are just stopping by for the first time, there’s a place for you here.”
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org] – Five decades of amusement rides and sugary, savory food, while promoting a sense of community and the Catholic faith, culminate in early May in Morris Plains, N.J. St. Virgil Parish there is set to attract nearly 10,000 festival-goers to its 50th carnival, which marks the start of the Catholic festival season in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey. “I really enjoy and respect that the carnival has been part of the parish for 50 years,” said Father Lukasz Wnuk, the parish’s pastor. “It would have been easy for it to decline or even stop at any point, especially during COVID,
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Angel of God
My guardian dear
To Whom His love
Commits me here
Ever this day
Be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide. Amen
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; left, Christina Koch, mission specialist; CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; and NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, right, pose for a group photo after viewing the Orion spacecraft in the well deck of USS John P. Murtha, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. The quartet splashed down Friday, April 10 at 5:07 p.m. PDT (8:07p.m. EDT).
Read MoreA reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 4:32-37
The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.
Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated "son of encouragement"),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.
From the Gospel according to John
3:7b-15
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"’You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
‘How can this happen?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
The scene unfolds at night: Nicodemus, one of the leaders of the Jews, a righteous and open-minded person (cf. Jn 7:50-51), comes to meet Jesus. He needs light and guidance: he seeks God and asks the Teacher of Nazareth for help because he recognizes him as a prophet, a man who performs extraordinary signs. The Lord welcomes him, listens to him, and eventually reveals to him that the Son of Man must be lifted up, “so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (Jn 3:15), adding: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (v. 16). Nicodemus, who perhaps does not fully comprehend the meaning of these words in the moment, will certainly do so when he helps to bury the Savior’s body after the crucifixion (cf. Jn 19:39). It is then that he will understand that God, in order to redeem humanity, became man and died on the cross (…) for the immense love with which God has transformed the means to death into an instrument of life, embracing it for our salvation, teaching us that nothing can separate us from him (cf. Rom 8:35-39) and that his love is greater than our own sin (cf. Francis, Catechesis, 30 March 2016). (Pope Leo XIV, Angelus, 14 September 2025)
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TULSA, OK — The security line ground to a halt this morning at the Tulsa International Airport as it took 42 minutes for a local dad to empty his cargo pants.
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U.S. — According to advertising experts, the reason television commercials no longer depict medicine as tiny little warriors murdering tiny little germs is because of "wokeness."
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Boy under waterfall in Phu Sang National Park, Thailand
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‘Cabrini’ screening to boost awareness of Eucharistic pilgrimage event #Catholic – 
“Cabrini,” the 2024 film about St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, America’s first Catholic saint and advocate for immigrants, will be screened Tuesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. at the Dolan Performing Arts Center, St. Elizabeth University in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J.
A week later, on Tuesday, April 28, at 7 p.m., executive producer J. Eustace Wolfington and his team will host a “talk-back” on the film’s creation, focusing on human rights, women’s leadership, and hope. Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio of the Brooklyn Diocese in New York, who advocates for immigrants’ rights, and Mother Cabrini’s family are also scheduled to appear.
Both events at St. Elizabeth’s will focus on St. Frances Cabrini as a model of women’s leadership, especially in her work with immigrants and the poor. They also promote the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (NEP) stops in Passaic and Paterson, N.J., on June 14 and 15. The St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route of the NEP will travel the Eastern Seaboard this summer.
Before the “Cabrini” screening, Father Cesar Jaramillo, pilgrimage stop delegate and pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J., will address attendees and invite them to join the local NEP event. Members of the Communications Department of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey will also be present to distribute NEP promotional materials.
Register now to secure your spot for the pilgrimage. See the schedule below for details.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“The pilgrimage in our diocese is an opportunity for Catholics to renew their love for Jesus and the Eucharist — a goal of the New Evangelization — and to show solidarity with immigrants,” Father Cesar Jaramillo said. “We invite all Paterson parishes and the broader community to attend and join us in this spiritual journey.”
The pilgrimage route honors Mother Cabrini, born in Italy in 1850. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1889, Pope Leo XIII sent her and her sisters to New York. They opened schools and orphanages for Italian immigrants despite many challenges. According to the Missionary Sisters, Mother Cabrini traveled across Europe, the Americas, and the U.S., founding 67 institutions.
Father Jaramillo described “Cabrini” as telling the story of “a remarkable woman who was passionate about social justice.”
“Mother Cabrini was steadfast in giving a voice to the voiceless. Most were Italian immigrants who were ignored. The movie reflects today’s immigrant crisis in the U.S. The pilgrimage will also honor the U.S.’s 250th birthday. Immigrants built much of our country in search of the American Dream,” Father Jaramillo said.
The “Cabrini” screening and “talk-back” are possible through the friendship between Carol Bezak — a St. Elizabeth’s alumna and president of the National Association of Shrine and Pilgrimage Apostolate — and one of the film’s executive producers. Other NEP stops will also host screenings of the films, said Andrea M. Adams, director of alumni engagement and annual giving.
All are welcome to attend the two “Cabrini” film events at St. Elizabeth’s. Admission is free.
The pilgrimage, themed “One Nation Under God,” includes 18 stops from Pentecost to Independence Day in Philadelphia. It calls for renewal, unity, and mission. Nine young adult Perpetual Pilgrims and their chaplains will carry the Blessed Sacrament through the original 13 colonies, 18 dioceses, and two Eastern Rite eparchies.
All are welcome to pray before the Blessed Sacrament during the pilgrimage. Admission to events is free, but advance registration is requested to assist organizers. Please register now to reserve your spot for one or more events using the QR code on this page.
For questions about events in this diocese, please contact:MMoncaleano@patersondiocese.org. For registration assistance, please contact:registration@eucharisticcongress.org.
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage activities in the Paterson Diocese, N.J., on June 14 and 15
Pilgrimage activities on June 14:
3:30–5 p.m.: Eucharist talk (English), Fr. Rafael Capo, Holy Rosary Church, 6 Wall St., Passaic, N.J.
3:30–5 p.m.: “Influenciados por la Eucaristía” opening talk (Spanish), P. Heriberto García, St. Nicholas, 217 President St., Passaic, N.J.
5–6:30 p.m.: Eucharistic Procession from Holy Rosary Church (6 Wall St, Passaic, N.J.) to Boverini Stadium (1.5 miles). The procession will end with the opening Mass.
6:30–8 p.m.: Opening Mass, Boverini Stadium, 262 River Dr., Passaic, N.J., with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.
Pilgrimage events on June 15:
3–5 p.m.: Divine Liturgy with Byzantine Catholic community, St. Michael Chapel, 415 Lackawanna Ave., Woodland Park, N.J.
5:30–7 p.m.: Eucharistic Procession (loop) for communicants and local faithful at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 381 Grand St., Paterson, N.J.
7–8:30 p.m.: Closing Mass with Bishop Sweeney and homily by Father Casey Cole, O.F.M., at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 381 Grand St., Paterson. The municipal parking lot opens at 5 p.m. across from the Cathedral. Watch the livestream at https://rcdopcathedral.org/
– “Cabrini,” the 2024 film about St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, America’s first Catholic saint and advocate for immigrants, will be screened Tuesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. at the Dolan Performing Arts Center, St. Elizabeth University in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J. A week later, on Tuesday, April 28, at 7 p.m., executive producer J. Eustace Wolfington and his team will host a “talk-back” on the film’s creation, focusing on human rights, women’s leadership, and hope. Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio of the Brooklyn Diocese in New York, who advocates for immigrants’ rights, and Mother Cabrini’s family are also
![‘60 Minutes’ takes stock of Catholic Church under Leo with top cardinals – #Catholic – Three influential American cardinals spoke about the Church under Pope Leo XIV in an interview on “60 Minutes” this week.In two segments of the show, Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C.; Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey; and Cardinal Blaise Cupich of Chicago spoke on the Church in America, from increased conversions and the meaning of patriotism to controversial topics like the Iran ceasefire and immigration enforcement.Why are young people joining the Church?Cupich said he does not entirely know what is behind the reported rise in young people entering the Catholic Church as U.S. dioceses report elevated numbers of Easter baptisms and confirmations.“We are doing some surveys about people who are coming to church to see whatʼs motivating them,” he said. “I do think, though, that research is showing that there really is a deep hunger in the hearts of young people for something that can help them with the meaning of life. But also thereʼs a woundedness on the part of young people that they are seeking healing for.”“We donʼt have all the answers, but we are going to try to drill down to find out more about that,” Cupich said.McElroy pointed to a need for “moral leadership in the world” as a partial explanation.“What a tragedy to have a world in which there are not moral leaders,” he said. “I think young people, and young adults particularly, are looking for a sense of that in their lives — and some of those are coming into the Church for that reason.”“The number of those joining the Church this year is a record for the archdiocese, which is a wonderful thing,” he said of the Archdiocese of Washington, which had 1,800 converts.Tobin credited some of the rising interest and attendance in the Catholic Church to Pope Leo.“Iʼve had the privilege of working closely with four popes: very different people in a lot of ways, but each one in some way was the right one for that moment in time,” Tobin said. “I believe that Pope Leo is the right man at this time.”When asked about the effect of the sex abuse scandal on people leaving the Church, Cupich noted that it “prompts us to be even more forthright in doing everything possible to protect children, but also to address the harm that was done.”“That, I think, is something thatʼs always on the front burner for us with regard to the fall off in terms of people practicing,” he said.Cupich noted, however, that other religions are seeing declines in membership as well.“Itʼs also part of the secularization thatʼs happening in society today,” he said. “People have a lot more options on Sunday, on the weekend, than they did before. So I think there are a number of factors that contributed to that decline.”What does patriotism look like for Catholics?In light of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the cardinals shared their thoughts on a Catholic understanding of patriotism.“For us as Catholic Americans, we love our country because of what it aspires to be and has for the past 250 years,” McElroy said.“We love our country not merely because we were born here, if we were, but rather because of its aspirations of democracy, justice, equality, of freedom that have been lived out with differing levels of success all through our history, and having to change it and readapt it to make it more true to its core,” he continued.“For me," Cupich said, "patriotism is about being united in the common task of creating the opportunities for everyone to flourish — that they would have the opportunity to be the person God intended them to be."“That is part of the aspirations that immigrants came here with; an opportunity to have a fresh start,” he said. “So how can we work together to make sure that everybody has an opportunity to flourish? I think thatʼs patriotism.”Pope Leo and politics: Iran and ICEWhen asked if he would like to see the first American pope be more outspoken on controversial issues, Tobin said: “Heʼs the pastor of the world; heʼs not a pundit.”“The distinction is heʼs not going to pronounce on everything, but heʼs going to pronounce on whatʼs important,” Tobin said.Recently, Pope Leo has called for an end to the war with Iran, advocating for peace and dialogue.When asked if the Iran war is a just war according to Catholic teaching, McElroy said it is not.“Catholic faith teaches us there are certain prerequisites for a just war,“ he said. ”You canʼt go for a variety of different aims. You have to have a focused aim, which is to restore justice and restore peace. Thatʼs it.”When asked about the destruction of the Iranian regimeʼs nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities as an aim of the war, McElroy agreed that the regime “should be removed.”“Itʼs an abominable regime and it should be removed,” McElroy said. “But this is a war of choice that we went to and I think itʼs embedded in a wider moment in the United States thatʼs worrying, which is this. Weʼre seeing before us the possibility of war after war after war.”Cupich criticized the Trump administrationʼs “gamification” of the war through social media posts and edits, calling it “sickening.”“Weʼre dehumanizing the victims of war by turning the suffering of people and the killing of children and our own soldiers into entertainment,” he said. “It is sickening. To splice together movie cuts with actual bombing and targeting of people for the purposes of entertainment is sickening. This is not who we are. Weʼre better than this.”The cardinals also shared pastoral concerns amid ongoing deportations, an issue about which Pope Leo has also spoken.Tobin criticized the tactics used by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, saying that when immigrants “have to hide their identities,” this “can actually violate other guarantees of our Constitution and Bill of Rights.”“I think somebodyʼs got to call that out,” he said. “And Iʼm not the only one.”McElroy shared his concern that many immigrants “live under fear.”He said attendance at Spanish Masses in his archdiocese went down 30% in the past year. “Thirty percent — thatʼs a lot, and itʼs all fear,” he said.McElroy said there "is a roundup of people throughout the country, people who have been living good, strong lives; [who have] been here a long time." These people "raised their children here; many of their children [were] born here and are citizens,” he said. “Thatʼs what our objection is.”But the cardinal, who for 10 years served as bishop of San Diego, added that he does believe in strong borders, noting that under Biden, “it got to a point where it was getting out of control.”Recalling the popeʼs recent words and actions (the pope is currently visiting Africa on his third international journey), Cupich said Leo is “sending a message that his top priority right now is to be with those who are downcast and marginalized.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/60-minutes-takes-stock-of-catholic-church-under-leo-with-top-cardinals-catholic-three-influential-american-cardinals-spoke-about-the-church-under-pope-leo-xiv-in-an-interview-on.jpg "‘60 Minutes’ takes stock of Catholic Church under Leo with top cardinals – #Catholic – Three influential American cardinals spoke about the Church under Pope Leo XIV in an interview on “60 Minutes” this week.In two segments of the show, Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C.; Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey; and Cardinal Blaise Cupich of Chicago spoke on the Church in America, from increased conversions and the meaning of patriotism to controversial topics like the Iran ceasefire and immigration enforcement.Why are young people joining the Church?Cupich said he does not entirely know what is behind the reported rise in young people entering the Catholic Church as U.S. dioceses report elevated numbers of Easter baptisms and confirmations.“We are doing some surveys about people who are coming to church to see whatʼs motivating them,” he said. “I do think, though, that research is showing that there really is a deep hunger in the hearts of young people for something that can help them with the meaning of life. But also thereʼs a woundedness on the part of young people that they are seeking healing for.”“We donʼt have all the answers, but we are going to try to drill down to find out more about that,” Cupich said.McElroy pointed to a need for “moral leadership in the world” as a partial explanation.“What a tragedy to have a world in which there are not moral leaders,” he said. “I think young people, and young adults particularly, are looking for a sense of that in their lives — and some of those are coming into the Church for that reason.”“The number of those joining the Church this year is a record for the archdiocese, which is a wonderful thing,” he said of the Archdiocese of Washington, which had 1,800 converts.Tobin credited some of the rising interest and attendance in the Catholic Church to Pope Leo.“Iʼve had the privilege of working closely with four popes: very different people in a lot of ways, but each one in some way was the right one for that moment in time,” Tobin said. “I believe that Pope Leo is the right man at this time.”When asked about the effect of the sex abuse scandal on people leaving the Church, Cupich noted that it “prompts us to be even more forthright in doing everything possible to protect children, but also to address the harm that was done.”“That, I think, is something thatʼs always on the front burner for us with regard to the fall off in terms of people practicing,” he said.Cupich noted, however, that other religions are seeing declines in membership as well.“Itʼs also part of the secularization thatʼs happening in society today,” he said. “People have a lot more options on Sunday, on the weekend, than they did before. So I think there are a number of factors that contributed to that decline.”What does patriotism look like for Catholics?In light of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the cardinals shared their thoughts on a Catholic understanding of patriotism.“For us as Catholic Americans, we love our country because of what it aspires to be and has for the past 250 years,” McElroy said.“We love our country not merely because we were born here, if we were, but rather because of its aspirations of democracy, justice, equality, of freedom that have been lived out with differing levels of success all through our history, and having to change it and readapt it to make it more true to its core,” he continued.“For me,\" Cupich said, \"patriotism is about being united in the common task of creating the opportunities for everyone to flourish — that they would have the opportunity to be the person God intended them to be.\"“That is part of the aspirations that immigrants came here with; an opportunity to have a fresh start,” he said. “So how can we work together to make sure that everybody has an opportunity to flourish? I think thatʼs patriotism.”Pope Leo and politics: Iran and ICEWhen asked if he would like to see the first American pope be more outspoken on controversial issues, Tobin said: “Heʼs the pastor of the world; heʼs not a pundit.”“The distinction is heʼs not going to pronounce on everything, but heʼs going to pronounce on whatʼs important,” Tobin said.Recently, Pope Leo has called for an end to the war with Iran, advocating for peace and dialogue.When asked if the Iran war is a just war according to Catholic teaching, McElroy said it is not.“Catholic faith teaches us there are certain prerequisites for a just war,“ he said. ”You canʼt go for a variety of different aims. You have to have a focused aim, which is to restore justice and restore peace. Thatʼs it.”When asked about the destruction of the Iranian regimeʼs nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities as an aim of the war, McElroy agreed that the regime “should be removed.”“Itʼs an abominable regime and it should be removed,” McElroy said. “But this is a war of choice that we went to and I think itʼs embedded in a wider moment in the United States thatʼs worrying, which is this. Weʼre seeing before us the possibility of war after war after war.”Cupich criticized the Trump administrationʼs “gamification” of the war through social media posts and edits, calling it “sickening.”“Weʼre dehumanizing the victims of war by turning the suffering of people and the killing of children and our own soldiers into entertainment,” he said. “It is sickening. To splice together movie cuts with actual bombing and targeting of people for the purposes of entertainment is sickening. This is not who we are. Weʼre better than this.”The cardinals also shared pastoral concerns amid ongoing deportations, an issue about which Pope Leo has also spoken.Tobin criticized the tactics used by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, saying that when immigrants “have to hide their identities,” this “can actually violate other guarantees of our Constitution and Bill of Rights.”“I think somebodyʼs got to call that out,” he said. “And Iʼm not the only one.”McElroy shared his concern that many immigrants “live under fear.”He said attendance at Spanish Masses in his archdiocese went down 30% in the past year. “Thirty percent — thatʼs a lot, and itʼs all fear,” he said.McElroy said there \"is a roundup of people throughout the country, people who have been living good, strong lives; [who have] been here a long time.\" These people \"raised their children here; many of their children [were] born here and are citizens,” he said. “Thatʼs what our objection is.”But the cardinal, who for 10 years served as bishop of San Diego, added that he does believe in strong borders, noting that under Biden, “it got to a point where it was getting out of control.”Recalling the popeʼs recent words and actions (the pope is currently visiting Africa on his third international journey), Cupich said Leo is “sending a message that his top priority right now is to be with those who are downcast and marginalized.”")
Three influential American cardinals spoke about the Church under Pope Leo XIV in an interview on “60 Minutes” that looked at rising conversions, patriotism, the Iran war, and immigration enforcement.
![President Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV sparks global reaction – #Catholic – President Donald Trump sharply criticized Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” and saying he is “not a fan” of the pope, prompting a wave of international reactions.Trump made the comments about the Holy Father in a lengthy April 12 post on Truth Social that appeared to be reacting to the pontiff’s recent appeals for peace and an end to the war in Iran. In comments to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, shortly afterward, Trump said: “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. … I am not a fan of Pope Leo.” He added: “He’s a very liberal person.”On Monday morning, the president doubled down on his comments, saying he would not apologize to the pontiff “because Pope Leo said things that are wrong.”In recent weeks, the pope has repeatedly called for an end to hostilities, crying out “Enough of war!” while presiding over a vigil for peace at St. Peterʼs Basilica at the Vatican on April 11. “Stop! Itʼs time for peace! Sit at tables of dialogue and mediation, not at tables where rearmament is planned and death actions are deliberated,” he continued.Iranian leadership spoke out against Trump’s comments, with both the current presidentʼs and the late Imam Sayyid Ali Khameneiʼs social media accounts issuing statements.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote in an April 13 social media post: “His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.”Pezeshkian’s statement comes after peace talks involving Vice President JD Vance collapsed on April 12. Vance, a Catholic convert and Iraq War veteran, blamed Iran’s refusal to commit to abandoning its nuclear program.Khamenei’s social media account posted an April 13 message invoking the teachings of Jesus against war: “Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) used to call people to the path of God, and forbade them from vice and injustice.”Tweet“The corrupt and tyrannical powers sought to assassinate that divine Messenger,” the post read, “for those steeped in their passions and the instigators of wars could not tolerate the religion, nor the Prophet, nor those who followed the divine path.”Romeʼs mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, wrote in an April 13 post: “Rome is close to Pope Leo. Donald Trump’s attacks on his high spiritual magisterium and on his commitment to peace are unacceptable and wound sensitivities and consciences. The city of Rome, uniquely bound to its bishop, firmly reaffirms the values of respect, dialogue, and peace.”Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has strong diplomatic ties to the Trump administration, has yet to make a statement.Father Nikodemus Schnabel, abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of the Dormition in Jerusalem, denounced Trump’s post, writing in German: “And then there are actually Catholics — even in the German-speaking world (!) — who still try to sugarcoat the words and actions of this morally bankrupt president and even defend him on moral grounds.”Catholic bishops in the United Kingdom condemned Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo and defended the Holy Father’s repeated calls for peace.“As Pope Leo has made clear, we cannot stand by and allow the message of the Gospel to be abused,” Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark, England, said in a statement shared with EWTN News. “As bishops, we are not politicians, nor statesmen, nor do we pretend to have all the answers. But as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we know that each of us is called to be a beacon of his peace."Wilson called Catholics in the U.K. to “be as courageous as our Holy Father in proclaiming the truth that God demands peace.”Cardinal Fernando Chomali of Santiago, Chile, also defended the Holy Father, writing in an April 13 post: “Pope Leo XIV is a good man, forged by years of prayer, study, and closeness to the poor.”Tweet“[Leo] prefers to obey God rather than men. His courage comes from his deepest convictions, from God, and not from passions. We have a coherent leader who charts a path of no return for us: to promote peace always and under all circumstances,” Chomali said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/president-trumps-criticism-of-pope-leo-xiv-sparks-global-reaction-catholic-president-donald-trump-sharply-criticized-pope-leo-xiv-on-sunday-calling-him-weak-on-crime-a.jpg "President Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV sparks global reaction – #Catholic – President Donald Trump sharply criticized Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” and saying he is “not a fan” of the pope, prompting a wave of international reactions.Trump made the comments about the Holy Father in a lengthy April 12 post on Truth Social that appeared to be reacting to the pontiff’s recent appeals for peace and an end to the war in Iran. In comments to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, shortly afterward, Trump said: “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. … I am not a fan of Pope Leo.” He added: “He’s a very liberal person.”On Monday morning, the president doubled down on his comments, saying he would not apologize to the pontiff “because Pope Leo said things that are wrong.”In recent weeks, the pope has repeatedly called for an end to hostilities, crying out “Enough of war!” while presiding over a vigil for peace at St. Peterʼs Basilica at the Vatican on April 11. “Stop! Itʼs time for peace! Sit at tables of dialogue and mediation, not at tables where rearmament is planned and death actions are deliberated,” he continued.Iranian leadership spoke out against Trump’s comments, with both the current presidentʼs and the late Imam Sayyid Ali Khameneiʼs social media accounts issuing statements.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote in an April 13 social media post: “His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.”Pezeshkian’s statement comes after peace talks involving Vice President JD Vance collapsed on April 12. Vance, a Catholic convert and Iraq War veteran, blamed Iran’s refusal to commit to abandoning its nuclear program.Khamenei’s social media account posted an April 13 message invoking the teachings of Jesus against war: “Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) used to call people to the path of God, and forbade them from vice and injustice.”Tweet“The corrupt and tyrannical powers sought to assassinate that divine Messenger,” the post read, “for those steeped in their passions and the instigators of wars could not tolerate the religion, nor the Prophet, nor those who followed the divine path.”Romeʼs mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, wrote in an April 13 post: “Rome is close to Pope Leo. Donald Trump’s attacks on his high spiritual magisterium and on his commitment to peace are unacceptable and wound sensitivities and consciences. The city of Rome, uniquely bound to its bishop, firmly reaffirms the values of respect, dialogue, and peace.”Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has strong diplomatic ties to the Trump administration, has yet to make a statement.Father Nikodemus Schnabel, abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of the Dormition in Jerusalem, denounced Trump’s post, writing in German: “And then there are actually Catholics — even in the German-speaking world (!) — who still try to sugarcoat the words and actions of this morally bankrupt president and even defend him on moral grounds.”Catholic bishops in the United Kingdom condemned Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo and defended the Holy Father’s repeated calls for peace.“As Pope Leo has made clear, we cannot stand by and allow the message of the Gospel to be abused,” Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark, England, said in a statement shared with EWTN News. “As bishops, we are not politicians, nor statesmen, nor do we pretend to have all the answers. But as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we know that each of us is called to be a beacon of his peace.\"Wilson called Catholics in the U.K. to “be as courageous as our Holy Father in proclaiming the truth that God demands peace.”Cardinal Fernando Chomali of Santiago, Chile, also defended the Holy Father, writing in an April 13 post: “Pope Leo XIV is a good man, forged by years of prayer, study, and closeness to the poor.”Tweet“[Leo] prefers to obey God rather than men. His courage comes from his deepest convictions, from God, and not from passions. We have a coherent leader who charts a path of no return for us: to promote peace always and under all circumstances,” Chomali said.")
Politicians and faith leaders around the world condemned President Donald Trump’s comments about the American pontiff.
Galaxy season is upon us — the time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere when Earth’s nightside faces out of the plane of the Milky Way. This week, Astronomy magazine Editor Emeritus Dave Eicher invites you to explore some of the best galaxies on offer in Leo, Ursa Major, Coma Berenices, and Virgo. ClearContinue reading “See spring’s best galaxies”
The post See spring’s best galaxies appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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The meeting in the Catholic Basilica of Our Lady of Africa concluded the first day of the pope’s journey to Africa.
Watch Wayne Allyn Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – including the failing communist state of Colorado… Democrats legalizing public sex in the gay Somali bathhouses of Minnesota… and NYC putting police officers in prison for stopping bad guys.
The post Wayne Root’s Top Ten Stories of the Week – Including the Failing Communist State of Colorado… Democrats Legalizing Public Sex in the Gay Somali Bathhouses of Minnesota… and NYC Putting Police Officers in Prison for Stopping Bad Guys (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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After unleashing police and military on protesters, Ireland government starts to partially agree to protesters’ demands.
The post Ireland Government Blinks, Partially Cuts Motor Fuel Tax as Protests Continue To Grow, Blockading Ports and Runways (VIDEOS) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Jackson Warne, the son of legendary Australian cricketer Shane Warne, joined 2WorldsPodcast to discuss his father’s untimely death at just 52 years old.
The post Son of Legendary Australian Cricketer Shane Warne Blames His Father’s Sudden Death on ‘Forced’ COVID Vaccine appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More![Trump’s comments on Pope Leo called ‘disrespectful’ as Americans react #Catholic Catholic bishops and U.S. elected officials have publicly criticized the president’s statements about Pope Leo XIV.President Donald Trump called Leo “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” in a lengthy social media post April 12 that drew response from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and elected officials.Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, called Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV “disrespectful." Barron, who serves on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, said in a post on X that Trump’s comments “were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful” and “I think the president owes the pope an apology.”“[Trump’s comments] don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation,” he said. “It is the pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life. In regard to the concrete application of those principles, people of goodwill can and do disagree.”Barron encouraged Catholic Trump officials to arrange a meeting with Vatican officials “so that a real dialogue can take place,” saying “this is far preferable to the statements on social media.”Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, said in a social media post: “Along with Archbishop [Paul] Coakley, president of the USCCB, and my brother bishops, I was disheartened by recent comments from President Trump concerning Pope Leo XIV and the Church. I pray that civility and respect are fully restored as together, with God’s grace, we work for peace and harmony among all people. May we also be united in our prayer for the end of war and violence so that Christ’s peace reigns throughout the world and in our hearts.”Palm Beach, Florida, Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez posted on X: “The @DiocesePB stands firm with our Holy Father, @Pontifex, and strongly rejects the disrespectful and violent attacks that Donald J. Trump has directed against the Holy Father.”Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher posted on X: “This is not about politics but the very cause of humanity.”The Catholic Association's Ashley McGuire said in a statement: “The Catholic Church does not in any way fit into American political boxes. It will always prioritize the protection of innocent life in all its stages as well as the cause of the poor and marginalized. Insulting the pope, and all Catholics by extension, with the hope of making the Church bend to American political agendas, is discouraging and counterproductive.” McGuire added: “We pray that President Trump apologizes to Pope Leo.”U.S. officials' reaction beginsRepublican Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, has not yet commented on the matter, nor has Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic.Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, who is Catholic, posted on X that “I find it abhorrent that the president of the United States would publicly attack the successor of St. Peter.”U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on X that Trump “shamefully attacked” the pope. Few Republican elected officials have spoken out.TweetDemocratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X: “Hey @GOP, you good with your guy directly attacking the pope now?”Rep. Lukas Schubert, a Republican Montana state lawmaker, disputed the presidentʼs statement that the pope is a “liberal person.”“Pope Leo is significantly further to the right than President Trump on abortion, gay marriage, and family values. Also he is more America First on the Iran War,” Schubert said.AI imageTrump also posted an AI-created image on Truth Social that appeared to portray himself as Jesus Christ, healing the sick, which led several Catholics to accuse the president of blasphemy.Edward Feser, a Catholic philosopher and professor at Pasadena City College, posted on X that Trump’s comments illustrate “how utter enslavement to the sin of pride makes a man unsuitable for the presidency.”“For all their faults, previous presidents had the visceral understanding of proper boundaries not to attack the vicar of Christ even when they disagreed with him,” he said.Feser quoted Daniel 11:36-37 in response to Trump’s AI image of himself as Christ, which reads: “And the king shall do according to his will; he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods … He shall not give heed to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.”In reaction to the AI photo, Matt Fradd, the host of “Pints With Aquinas,“ urged Catholics to “offer a rosary today for Donald Trump and all blasphemers. … Seriously. Do it. I will too.”TweetRep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, did not directly reference Trumpʼs remarks about the pope but criticized the AI-created image on X: “There aren’t enough words to denounce how wrong this is.”The comments came after Leo criticized the Iran war and Trump’s rhetoric about targeting the entire civilization of Iran. Leo said in response to the post: “I have no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Republican congresswoman who was a strong ally of Trump before splitting with him on the Iran war and his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, posted on X that Trump “attacked the pope because the pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus.”“This comes after last week’s post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization,” she said. “I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it!!!”‘Fuels division’Father Robert Sirico, the founder of the Acton Institute, said in a statement that Leo “has both the right and the duty to speak prophetically on matters of war and peace, the dignity of the human person, and the moral limits of force — even when his words discomfort political leaders.”He said Trump’s post does not “strengthen America’s moral standing but “merely fuels division.”Sirico also added that Catholics can disagree with popes on prudential judgments, such as foreign policy or crime, which he said are not infallible: “The Church herself teaches that such applications of principle admit of legitimate debate.”This story was updated at 11:50 a.m. ET on April 13, 2026, with comments from Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher and The Catholic Associationʼs Ashley McGuire.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/trumps-comments-on-pope-leo-called-disrespectful-as-americans-react-catholic-catholic-bishops-and-u-s-elected-officials-have-publicly-criticized-the-presidents-st.jpg "Trump’s comments on Pope Leo called ‘disrespectful’ as Americans react #Catholic Catholic bishops and U.S. elected officials have publicly criticized the president’s statements about Pope Leo XIV.President Donald Trump called Leo “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” in a lengthy social media post April 12 that drew response from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and elected officials.Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, called Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV “disrespectful.\" Barron, who serves on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, said in a post on X that Trump’s comments “were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful” and “I think the president owes the pope an apology.”“[Trump’s comments] don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation,” he said. “It is the pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life. In regard to the concrete application of those principles, people of goodwill can and do disagree.”Barron encouraged Catholic Trump officials to arrange a meeting with Vatican officials “so that a real dialogue can take place,” saying “this is far preferable to the statements on social media.”Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, said in a social media post: “Along with Archbishop [Paul] Coakley, president of the USCCB, and my brother bishops, I was disheartened by recent comments from President Trump concerning Pope Leo XIV and the Church. I pray that civility and respect are fully restored as together, with God’s grace, we work for peace and harmony among all people. May we also be united in our prayer for the end of war and violence so that Christ’s peace reigns throughout the world and in our hearts.”Palm Beach, Florida, Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez posted on X: “The @DiocesePB stands firm with our Holy Father, @Pontifex, and strongly rejects the disrespectful and violent attacks that Donald J. Trump has directed against the Holy Father.”Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher posted on X: “This is not about politics but the very cause of humanity.”The Catholic Association's Ashley McGuire said in a statement: “The Catholic Church does not in any way fit into American political boxes. It will always prioritize the protection of innocent life in all its stages as well as the cause of the poor and marginalized. Insulting the pope, and all Catholics by extension, with the hope of making the Church bend to American political agendas, is discouraging and counterproductive.” McGuire added: “We pray that President Trump apologizes to Pope Leo.”U.S. officials' reaction beginsRepublican Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, has not yet commented on the matter, nor has Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic.Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, who is Catholic, posted on X that “I find it abhorrent that the president of the United States would publicly attack the successor of St. Peter.”U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on X that Trump “shamefully attacked” the pope. Few Republican elected officials have spoken out.TweetDemocratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X: “Hey @GOP, you good with your guy directly attacking the pope now?”Rep. Lukas Schubert, a Republican Montana state lawmaker, disputed the presidentʼs statement that the pope is a “liberal person.”“Pope Leo is significantly further to the right than President Trump on abortion, gay marriage, and family values. Also he is more America First on the Iran War,” Schubert said.AI imageTrump also posted an AI-created image on Truth Social that appeared to portray himself as Jesus Christ, healing the sick, which led several Catholics to accuse the president of blasphemy.Edward Feser, a Catholic philosopher and professor at Pasadena City College, posted on X that Trump’s comments illustrate “how utter enslavement to the sin of pride makes a man unsuitable for the presidency.”“For all their faults, previous presidents had the visceral understanding of proper boundaries not to attack the vicar of Christ even when they disagreed with him,” he said.Feser quoted Daniel 11:36-37 in response to Trump’s AI image of himself as Christ, which reads: “And the king shall do according to his will; he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods … He shall not give heed to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.”In reaction to the AI photo, Matt Fradd, the host of “Pints With Aquinas,“ urged Catholics to “offer a rosary today for Donald Trump and all blasphemers. … Seriously. Do it. I will too.”TweetRep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, did not directly reference Trumpʼs remarks about the pope but criticized the AI-created image on X: “There aren’t enough words to denounce how wrong this is.”The comments came after Leo criticized the Iran war and Trump’s rhetoric about targeting the entire civilization of Iran. Leo said in response to the post: “I have no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Republican congresswoman who was a strong ally of Trump before splitting with him on the Iran war and his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, posted on X that Trump “attacked the pope because the pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus.”“This comes after last week’s post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization,” she said. “I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it!!!”‘Fuels division’Father Robert Sirico, the founder of the Acton Institute, said in a statement that Leo “has both the right and the duty to speak prophetically on matters of war and peace, the dignity of the human person, and the moral limits of force — even when his words discomfort political leaders.”He said Trump’s post does not “strengthen America’s moral standing but “merely fuels division.”Sirico also added that Catholics can disagree with popes on prudential judgments, such as foreign policy or crime, which he said are not infallible: “The Church herself teaches that such applications of principle admit of legitimate debate.”This story was updated at 11:50 a.m. ET on April 13, 2026, with comments from Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher and The Catholic Associationʼs Ashley McGuire.")
President Donald Trump called Leo “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” in a lengthy social media post April 12 that drew response from U.S. bishops and elected officials.
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The pontiff called for a world order that does not exclude the vulnerable and urged leaders to serve the common good.
St. Therese Ministry reignites powerful gatherings praying for America #Catholic – 
The rosary and prayer ministry of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as the “Little Flower,” at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Mountain Lakes, N.J., will restart its activities for the year with its first monthly meeting at the parish church on Tuesday, May 5, at 1 p.m.
The group will meet on Tuesdays until the end of the year. Members will pray the Novena to St. Therese, a PEACE prayer for the United States, the Memorare, and the rosary. Intentions will include prayers for peace in the Middle East.
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Upcoming St. Therese Ministry events at St. Catherine’s will include:
• Healing service on Tuesday, May 19 at 1 p.m. led by Father Edward Rama, pastor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish in Wharton, N.J. Those suffering serious illness will have the opportunity to be anointed with healing oil. A reception will follow in the gym.
• Musical performance on July 28 at 1 p.m. by, Karen Jaworski, vocalist, and Joe Tamburro, pianist, of St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Chester, N.J.
• Talk on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. by Father Jared Brogan, director of the Worship Office of the Paterson Diocese, N.J.
• Celebration of the Feast Day of St. Therese on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 2 p.m. led by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. It will not be a Mass. The celebration will feature five vocalists, the Knights of Columbus, an organist, and bagpipers. A reception will follow.
• Healing service on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 1 p.m. with Father Rama.
• A Christmas concert and final prayer service on Dec. 15 at 1 p.m.
For more information, call Carol Bsarany at 973-271-9252.
– The rosary and prayer ministry of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as the “Little Flower,” at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Mountain Lakes, N.J., will restart its activities for the year with its first monthly meeting at the parish church on Tuesday, May 5, at 1 p.m. The group will meet on Tuesdays until the end of the year. Members will pray the Novena to St. Therese, a PEACE prayer for the United States, the Memorare, and the rosary. Intentions will include prayers for peace in the Middle East. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Upcoming
Father in Heaven,
ever-living source of all that is good,
keep me faithful in serving You.
Help me to drink of Christ’s Truth,
and fill my heart with His Love
so that I may serve You in faith
and love and reach eternal life.
In the Sacrament of the Eucharist
You give me the joy of sharing Your Life.
Keep me in Your presence.
Let me never be separated from You
and help me to do Your Will.
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 4:23-31
After their release Peter and John went back to their own people
and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them.
And when they heard it,
they raised their voices to God with one accord
and said, "Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth
and the sea and all that is in them,
you said by the Holy Spirit
through the mouth of our father David, your servant:
Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples entertain folly?
The kings of the earth took their stand
and the princes gathered together
against the Lord and against his anointed.
Indeed they gathered in this city
against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed,
Herod and Pontius Pilate,
together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
to do what your hand and your will
had long ago planned to take place.
And now, Lord, take note of their threats,
and enable your servants to speak your word
with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are done
through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
From the Gospel according to John
3:1-8
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
Nicodemus said to him,
"How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?"
Jesus answered,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Jesus says to Nicodemus that in order to “see the kingdom of God”, one needs to be “born anew” from above (cf. v. 3). This does not mean starting over from birth, repeating our coming into the world, hoping that a new reincarnation will re-open our chance at a better life. This repetition makes no sense. Indeed, it would empty all meaning from the life we have lived, erasing it as if it were a failed experiment, an expired and lost value. No, this is not the rebirth that Jesus speaks of. It is something else. This life is precious in God’s eyes — it identifies us as creatures loved tenderly by Him. This “born anew” that allows us to “enter” the kingdom of God is a generation in the Spirit, a passage through the waters toward the promised land of a creation reconciled with the love of God. It is a rebirth from above with the grace of God. It is not being reborn physically another time. (…) Jesus says that faith, which welcomes the evangelical proclamation of the kingdom of God to which we are destined, has an extraordinary primary effect. It enables us to “see” the kingdom of God. We become capable of truly seeing the many signs of the approximation of our hope of fulfilment for that which in our life bears the sign of being destined for God’s eternity. (Pope Francis, General Audience, 8 June 2022)
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A stunning snapshot in time. The Artemis II crew captured this breathtaking photo of our galaxy, the Milky Way.
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KANSAS CITY, MO — Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro pinned the team’s loss on local fan Jim Greller, who failed to put on his lucky socks today.
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SACRAMENTO, CA — After being accused of multiple counts of sexual assault, Representative Eric Swalwell issued a fierce denial today, insisting that he never assaulted any of the Chinese spies he slept with.
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Coro delle Monache, fresco of Deposition by Paolo Caylina the Younger in the Museo di Santa Giulia in Brescia. Today is Good Friday in Western Christianity.
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“It is through the Eucharist that even our hands become ‘hands of the Risen One’,” the pope said.
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His appointment comes following the resignation of Cardinal Raphael Sako, who submitted his resignation to Pope Leo XIV on March 9 amid a legal and financial scandal surrounding a former bishop.
The high-level face-to-face talks in Pakistan followed weeks of military confrontation that began in late February and produced a tenuous two-week ceasefire, which ends April 22.
In 1972, President Nixon authorized the development of the space shuttle program, a new approach to space travel. By creating a reusable spacecraft, NASA aimed to establish a reliable system for ferrying personnel, supplies, and equipment. When Space Shuttle Columbia launched for the first time on April 12, 1981, on STS-1, it was the firstContinue reading “April 12, 1981: Columbia lifts of for the first space shuttle mission”
The post April 12, 1981: Columbia lifts of for the first space shuttle mission appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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America’s birth-rate decline reflects political choices, cultural priorities, and a left-wing worldview that has treated family life as optional, inconvenient, or even oppressive.
The post ONE-THIRD OF MY GENERATION ABORTED — America’s Birth Rate Collapsing as the Left Destroys the Family appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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This story originally was published by Real Clear Wire By Scott Taylor I’ve been in bar fights.
The post NATO and the Bar Fight: A Bar Tab Europe Expects America To Pay Forever appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The U.S.
The post Coast Guard Confiscates Over $33 Million of Cocaine in Major Bust appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The bishop of Palm Beach said the crisis in the neighboring island nation “has reached truly inhumane proportions … and our solidarity and response are urgently needed.”
![College students launch ‘Acutis AI’ to bring Catholic teaching to artificial intelligence – #Catholic – As artificial intelligence reshapes the world around us, two college students are aiming to provide people with an AI platform built on the teachings of the Catholic Church.Acutis AI has been developed by brothers Peter, 21, and Thomas, 19, Cooney — students who attend the University of Dallas and Baylor University — and strives to stand out as a search tool shaped by Catholic morality that provides responses users can trust. Additionally, the platform offers parents the ability to monitor their children’s chats, set time limits, and set alerts to be notified when concerning topics are detected.In an interview with EWTN News, Peter Cooney explained that after he and his brother used many of the other current AI platforms, they found they all had two issues in common: Responses to questions on morality are all built to be neutral, and the platforms cause young people to become dependent on them.He shared that while testing responses on ChatGPT, he asked the platform its thoughts on abortion — if it was OK to get an abortion and if it could affirm one’s decision in obtaining the procedure.“Itʼll say, ‘Yes, absolutely. I can affirm this. You made the best decision you could, etc., etc.,” Cooney said. “Thatʼs directly contrary to Church teaching. So, I think that’s the first big issue is that they try to be neutral, but at their core theyʼre not aligned with Church teaching and all the big platforms just have a small team of people who make all these moral decisions.”In regard to the issue of user dependency, Cooney said: “I think a lot of parents have realized at this point the dangers of social media for their children, and so theyʼve become much more cautious about social media. But, I think very few parents … are aware of the huge threat that AI companions and chatbots can pose to their kids because theyʼre built to hook users and keep them engaged.”“I think this is especially problematic for young people — like children [or] teenagers — because their brains arenʼt fully developed yet,” he added. “So, if thereʼs a teenager whoʼs lonely, maybe he doesnʼt have a ton of friends at school, maybe he doesnʼt see his parents much, the appeal of having an AI companion that will sound just like a human, and will also be super affirming and validating, thatʼs a huge appeal to those teenagers and they can easily get sucked into them.”With this in mind, the brothers — who have experience creating websites and other computer programs — grounded Acutis AI in Church teaching by uploading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, encyclicals, the “Summa Theologica,” and other Church documents into the platformʼs code. Additionally, through coding, Acutis AI is only allowed to answer questions regarding faith and morals from those sources. For any general questions, it is allowed to do a more broad web search.Cooney pointed out that while there are negatives in using AI, he believes the tool can be used responsibly.“I donʼt think the right answer is just saying OK, weʼre just not [going to] use AI at all, weʼre just going to ban it completely, because I think it can be a valuable tool if used correctly,” he said.He added: “I think the best way to use it is to automate things. It should not be a replacement for critical thinking. I think itʼs super important to keep critical thinking at the forefront in all of this.”The young Catholic also emphasized the importance of maintaining human relationships and preventing AI from taking the place of face-to-face interactions.For students, Cooney said he believes it can be a great tool in helping them study for tests by having the platform quiz the individual or help create study guides.Cooney said he hopes Acutis AI will help “teach young people how to use AI responsibly and give parents the guidance they need to help their kids use AI responsibly.”Looking to the saint who inspired the platformʼs name, Cooney highlighted how St. Carlo Acutis is a “great example of how you use technology to serve God —he used it to spread his love for the Eucharist and he brought so many people closer to Christ through that — so I think we can do the same thing.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/college-students-launch-acutis-ai-to-bring-catholic-teaching-to-artificial-intelligence-catholic-as-artificial-intelligence-reshapes-the-world-around-us-two-college-students-ar-scaled.jpg "College students launch ‘Acutis AI’ to bring Catholic teaching to artificial intelligence – #Catholic – As artificial intelligence reshapes the world around us, two college students are aiming to provide people with an AI platform built on the teachings of the Catholic Church.Acutis AI has been developed by brothers Peter, 21, and Thomas, 19, Cooney — students who attend the University of Dallas and Baylor University — and strives to stand out as a search tool shaped by Catholic morality that provides responses users can trust. Additionally, the platform offers parents the ability to monitor their children’s chats, set time limits, and set alerts to be notified when concerning topics are detected.In an interview with EWTN News, Peter Cooney explained that after he and his brother used many of the other current AI platforms, they found they all had two issues in common: Responses to questions on morality are all built to be neutral, and the platforms cause young people to become dependent on them.He shared that while testing responses on ChatGPT, he asked the platform its thoughts on abortion — if it was OK to get an abortion and if it could affirm one’s decision in obtaining the procedure.“Itʼll say, ‘Yes, absolutely. I can affirm this. You made the best decision you could, etc., etc.,” Cooney said. “Thatʼs directly contrary to Church teaching. So, I think that’s the first big issue is that they try to be neutral, but at their core theyʼre not aligned with Church teaching and all the big platforms just have a small team of people who make all these moral decisions.”In regard to the issue of user dependency, Cooney said: “I think a lot of parents have realized at this point the dangers of social media for their children, and so theyʼve become much more cautious about social media. But, I think very few parents … are aware of the huge threat that AI companions and chatbots can pose to their kids because theyʼre built to hook users and keep them engaged.”“I think this is especially problematic for young people — like children [or] teenagers — because their brains arenʼt fully developed yet,” he added. “So, if thereʼs a teenager whoʼs lonely, maybe he doesnʼt have a ton of friends at school, maybe he doesnʼt see his parents much, the appeal of having an AI companion that will sound just like a human, and will also be super affirming and validating, thatʼs a huge appeal to those teenagers and they can easily get sucked into them.”With this in mind, the brothers — who have experience creating websites and other computer programs — grounded Acutis AI in Church teaching by uploading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, encyclicals, the “Summa Theologica,” and other Church documents into the platformʼs code. Additionally, through coding, Acutis AI is only allowed to answer questions regarding faith and morals from those sources. For any general questions, it is allowed to do a more broad web search.Cooney pointed out that while there are negatives in using AI, he believes the tool can be used responsibly.“I donʼt think the right answer is just saying OK, weʼre just not [going to] use AI at all, weʼre just going to ban it completely, because I think it can be a valuable tool if used correctly,” he said.He added: “I think the best way to use it is to automate things. It should not be a replacement for critical thinking. I think itʼs super important to keep critical thinking at the forefront in all of this.”The young Catholic also emphasized the importance of maintaining human relationships and preventing AI from taking the place of face-to-face interactions.For students, Cooney said he believes it can be a great tool in helping them study for tests by having the platform quiz the individual or help create study guides.Cooney said he hopes Acutis AI will help “teach young people how to use AI responsibly and give parents the guidance they need to help their kids use AI responsibly.”Looking to the saint who inspired the platformʼs name, Cooney highlighted how St. Carlo Acutis is a “great example of how you use technology to serve God —he used it to spread his love for the Eucharist and he brought so many people closer to Christ through that — so I think we can do the same thing.”")
A new AI platform called Acutis AI has been developed by two brothers who want to create a search tool shaped by Catholic morality and teaching.
