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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EWTN remembers Mother Angelica, 10 years after her death – #Catholic – The EWTN Global Catholic Network will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of its foundress, Mother Angelica, with a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on March 27.According to a press release, the memorial Mass will be celebrated by Father Michael Baggot, LC, at the basilica’s Choir Altar at 11 a.m. ET, marking a decade since the death of the Poor Clare nun who founded what would become the world’s largest Catholic media network.“Mother Angelica loved the beauty and grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica and wanted only the best for her beloved Jesus Christ,” said Michael P. Warsaw, EWTN chair and CEO. “It’s fitting that we honor her memory and commitment to sharing truth, beauty, and goodness with the world at the place that points all people toward the transcendent.”Special programmingIn addition to the Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, EWTN is marking the anniversary with special programming throughout the day, including “Remembering Mother Angelica, 10 Years Later.” Coverage will consist of events from the EWTN chapel, including:Mass in remembrance of Mother Angelica from the EWTN chapel at 8 a.m. ETHoly rosary in memoriam of Mother Angelica’s passing from the EWTN chapel at 9 a.m. ETStations of the Cross for Mother Angelica from the EWTN chapel at 3 p.m. ETThe network will air these events across its television and digital platforms, including its YouTube channel, the EWTN+ streaming platform, and live and on demand at www.ewtn.com, making the commemorations of Mother Angelica’s life and legacy accessible to viewers worldwide.Mother AngelicaBorn Rita Antoinette Rizzo in 1923, Mother Angelica entered religious life in Ohio as Sister Mary Angelica of the Annunciation and later founded a monastery of Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration in Our Lady of the Angels in Irondale, Alabama. From there, she launched the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in 1981, beginning with a small television studio built in the monastery’s garage. What began as a small local broadcasting effort developed into a global Catholic media network spanning across television, radio, publishing, print, and digital platforms.EWTN now operates 11 television channels broadcasting 24 hours a day in multiple languages, reaching audiences in more than 160 countries and territories. Its content is also distributed through hundreds of AM and FM radio affiliates worldwide, satellite radio services, and a range of digital platforms, including one of the most widely visited Catholic websites in the United States.Warsaw said the nun’s legacy continues to resonate across those platforms and with new generations of viewers.“While we all still miss her every day, her deep love of Our Lord resonates in the walls of the studios in Irondale still, as much as her laugh on YouTube, social media, and the new EWTN platforms inspire new audiences that encounter her story and advice,” he said.Mother Angelica died on March 27, 2016 — Easter Sunday — at the age of 92 after long suffering the aftereffects of a stroke. Her funeral was held at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama, drawing thousands of mourners.Her life was marked by a combination of contemplative religious devotion and entrepreneurial initiative. In the early years of her community, Mother Angelica and her fellow sisters supported their work of evangelization through small fundraising efforts, including selling fishing lures and roasted peanuts, before expanding into media production.EWTN’s founding in the early days of satellite television made it a pioneer in religious broadcasting in the United States. Over four decades, the network expanded its global footprint and established EWTN News, a multilingual news service, alongside its television and radio programming.Kathryn Jean Lopez, religion editor at National Review, described Mother Angelica as a “joy and inspiration — a gift to the United States and the world over.”“I was blessed and honored to be at her funeral Mass at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama,” she said. “The Eucharist was her reason for living — holding on for so long in reparation for her sins and the sins of the whole world.”
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EWTN remembers Mother Angelica, 10 years after her death – #Catholic – The EWTN Global Catholic Network will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of its foundress, Mother Angelica, with a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on March 27.According to a press release, the memorial Mass will be celebrated by Father Michael Baggot, LC, at the basilica’s Choir Altar at 11 a.m. ET, marking a decade since the death of the Poor Clare nun who founded what would become the world’s largest Catholic media network.“Mother Angelica loved the beauty and grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica and wanted only the best for her beloved Jesus Christ,” said Michael P. Warsaw, EWTN chair and CEO. “It’s fitting that we honor her memory and commitment to sharing truth, beauty, and goodness with the world at the place that points all people toward the transcendent.”Special programmingIn addition to the Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, EWTN is marking the anniversary with special programming throughout the day, including “Remembering Mother Angelica, 10 Years Later.” Coverage will consist of events from the EWTN chapel, including:Mass in remembrance of Mother Angelica from the EWTN chapel at 8 a.m. ETHoly rosary in memoriam of Mother Angelica’s passing from the EWTN chapel at 9 a.m. ETStations of the Cross for Mother Angelica from the EWTN chapel at 3 p.m. ETThe network will air these events across its television and digital platforms, including its YouTube channel, the EWTN+ streaming platform, and live and on demand at www.ewtn.com, making the commemorations of Mother Angelica’s life and legacy accessible to viewers worldwide.Mother AngelicaBorn Rita Antoinette Rizzo in 1923, Mother Angelica entered religious life in Ohio as Sister Mary Angelica of the Annunciation and later founded a monastery of Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration in Our Lady of the Angels in Irondale, Alabama. From there, she launched the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in 1981, beginning with a small television studio built in the monastery’s garage. What began as a small local broadcasting effort developed into a global Catholic media network spanning across television, radio, publishing, print, and digital platforms.EWTN now operates 11 television channels broadcasting 24 hours a day in multiple languages, reaching audiences in more than 160 countries and territories. Its content is also distributed through hundreds of AM and FM radio affiliates worldwide, satellite radio services, and a range of digital platforms, including one of the most widely visited Catholic websites in the United States.Warsaw said the nun’s legacy continues to resonate across those platforms and with new generations of viewers.“While we all still miss her every day, her deep love of Our Lord resonates in the walls of the studios in Irondale still, as much as her laugh on YouTube, social media, and the new EWTN platforms inspire new audiences that encounter her story and advice,” he said.Mother Angelica died on March 27, 2016 — Easter Sunday — at the age of 92 after long suffering the aftereffects of a stroke. Her funeral was held at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama, drawing thousands of mourners.Her life was marked by a combination of contemplative religious devotion and entrepreneurial initiative. In the early years of her community, Mother Angelica and her fellow sisters supported their work of evangelization through small fundraising efforts, including selling fishing lures and roasted peanuts, before expanding into media production.EWTN’s founding in the early days of satellite television made it a pioneer in religious broadcasting in the United States. Over four decades, the network expanded its global footprint and established EWTN News, a multilingual news service, alongside its television and radio programming.Kathryn Jean Lopez, religion editor at National Review, described Mother Angelica as a “joy and inspiration — a gift to the United States and the world over.”“I was blessed and honored to be at her funeral Mass at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama,” she said. “The Eucharist was her reason for living — holding on for so long in reparation for her sins and the sins of the whole world.”

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EWTN will commemorate its foundress with a Vatican Mass and daylong programming celebrating her life of faith and media innovation.

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Bible Receives Modern Update With ‘Morally Gray Edition’ #BabylonBee – CLEVELAND, OH — The Bible finally received a much-needed modern update called the Morally Gray Edition, which removes all outdated black-and-white morality that was found in prior editions.
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Bible Receives Modern Update With ‘Morally Gray Edition’ #BabylonBee – CLEVELAND, OH — The Bible finally received a much-needed modern update called the Morally Gray Edition, which removes all outdated black-and-white morality that was found in prior editions.

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CLEVELAND, OH — The Bible finally received a much-needed modern update called the Morally Gray Edition, which removes all outdated black-and-white morality that was found in prior editions.

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International Olympic Committee: Only ‘biological women’ allowed to compete in women’s category – #Catholic – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a new policy to protect women in sports, under which only “biological women” — and not “biological men” who self-identify as women — will be permitted to compete in the women’s category.The new policy, announced on March 26, will take effect starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games and, according to the organization’s website, “will not be retroactive.”Kirsty Coventry, an IOC member and two-time Olympic swimming champion, stated in a video that she is “aware that this is a very sensitive issue” and that, as a former athlete, she “firmly believes in the right of all Olympic athletes to participate in fair competition.”Coventry emphasized that “the policy we have announced is based on science and has been developed by medical experts, taking into account — above all — the interests of the athletes.”Tweet“The scientific evidence is very clear. Male chromosomes provide performance advantages in sports that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she underscored.“At the Olympic Games, even the slightest differences can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Therefore, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the women’s category. Furthermore, in some sports, it simply would not be safe,” the IOC member said.Testing of athletesThe IOC further indicated that Olympic athletes will be tested to detect the presence or absence of the SRY gene, which demonstrates that an athlete has undergone male sexual development — something that can be verified using a saliva or blood sample.Those who test negative on this test, the IOC emphasizes, “permanently meet the eligibility criteria of this policy to compete in the female category.” “Unless there are grounds to believe that a negative result is erroneous, this test will be performed only once in a lifetime,” it adds.No athlete who tests positive will be permitted to participate in the female category, with the “rare exceptions” of those holding a “diagnosis of Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or other rare differences/disorders of sex development (DSD) who do not benefit from the anabolic and/or performance-enhancing effects of testosterone.”Those who test positive — “including androgen-sensitive XY transgender and XY-DSD athletes” — may participate in the categories for which they qualify, the IOC clarifies, pointing to male or mixed categories, “or in sports and events that do not classify athletes by sex.”This policy, the IOC explains, was guided by its objectives “regarding equality (equal opportunities for female athletes in finals, on podiums, and in championships); enhancing Olympic value (including both women’s and men’s finals in all sports); and visibility and inspiration (celebrating female athletes on the Olympic podium to inspire and represent women and girls worldwide).”How was this new policy developed?The new policy is the result of an IOC review — conducted between September 2024 and March 2026 — of the IOC’s policy objectives concerning the women’s category. Within this framework, a working group was established in September 2025 to “specifically examine scientific, medical, and legal advancements made since 2021.”The members of the working group hail from five continents and include “specialists in sports science, endocrinology, transgender medicine, sports medicine, women’s health, ethics, and law.”Olympic athletes also participated through more than 1,100 survey responses, in-depth individual interviews with “affected athletes from around the world,” and a presentation and discussion with members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.The results of the consultation revealed that “while there are nuances depending on sex, gender, region, and the athlete’s status (active or retired), there was a strong consensus that fairness and safety in the women’s category require clear, science-based eligibility rules, and that protecting the women’s category is a shared priority.”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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International Olympic Committee: Only ‘biological women’ allowed to compete in women’s category – #Catholic – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a new policy to protect women in sports, under which only “biological women” — and not “biological men” who self-identify as women — will be permitted to compete in the women’s category.The new policy, announced on March 26, will take effect starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games and, according to the organization’s website, “will not be retroactive.”Kirsty Coventry, an IOC member and two-time Olympic swimming champion, stated in a video that she is “aware that this is a very sensitive issue” and that, as a former athlete, she “firmly believes in the right of all Olympic athletes to participate in fair competition.”Coventry emphasized that “the policy we have announced is based on science and has been developed by medical experts, taking into account — above all — the interests of the athletes.”Tweet“The scientific evidence is very clear. Male chromosomes provide performance advantages in sports that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she underscored.“At the Olympic Games, even the slightest differences can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Therefore, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the women’s category. Furthermore, in some sports, it simply would not be safe,” the IOC member said.Testing of athletesThe IOC further indicated that Olympic athletes will be tested to detect the presence or absence of the SRY gene, which demonstrates that an athlete has undergone male sexual development — something that can be verified using a saliva or blood sample.Those who test negative on this test, the IOC emphasizes, “permanently meet the eligibility criteria of this policy to compete in the female category.” “Unless there are grounds to believe that a negative result is erroneous, this test will be performed only once in a lifetime,” it adds.No athlete who tests positive will be permitted to participate in the female category, with the “rare exceptions” of those holding a “diagnosis of Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or other rare differences/disorders of sex development (DSD) who do not benefit from the anabolic and/or performance-enhancing effects of testosterone.”Those who test positive — “including androgen-sensitive XY transgender and XY-DSD athletes” — may participate in the categories for which they qualify, the IOC clarifies, pointing to male or mixed categories, “or in sports and events that do not classify athletes by sex.”This policy, the IOC explains, was guided by its objectives “regarding equality (equal opportunities for female athletes in finals, on podiums, and in championships); enhancing Olympic value (including both women’s and men’s finals in all sports); and visibility and inspiration (celebrating female athletes on the Olympic podium to inspire and represent women and girls worldwide).”How was this new policy developed?The new policy is the result of an IOC review — conducted between September 2024 and March 2026 — of the IOC’s policy objectives concerning the women’s category. Within this framework, a working group was established in September 2025 to “specifically examine scientific, medical, and legal advancements made since 2021.”The members of the working group hail from five continents and include “specialists in sports science, endocrinology, transgender medicine, sports medicine, women’s health, ethics, and law.”Olympic athletes also participated through more than 1,100 survey responses, in-depth individual interviews with “affected athletes from around the world,” and a presentation and discussion with members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.The results of the consultation revealed that “while there are nuances depending on sex, gender, region, and the athlete’s status (active or retired), there was a strong consensus that fairness and safety in the women’s category require clear, science-based eligibility rules, and that protecting the women’s category is a shared priority.”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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International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry emphasized that “the policy we have announced is based on science.”

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Religious sisters lose lawsuit against Smith & Wesson alleging ‘facilitation’ of mass shootings #Catholic Several congregations of religious sisters have lost their lawsuit against the iconic American gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson, which claimed the company has “facilitated” mass shootings in the United States. A version of the lawsuit was first filed in December 2023 in Nevada district court by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, the Sisters of Bon Secours USA, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, and the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, U.S.-Ontario Province.The filing alleged that Smith & Wesson is “intent on marketing and selling AR-15 rifles in whatever manner results in the most sales.” The suit claimed the company was pursuing such marketing even if it “is illegal and attracts a dangerous category of buyers [and] facilitates an unrelenting and growing stream of killings.”The sisters had filed the suit as shareholders in the company, claiming that Smith & Wesson’s marketing “causes the company to face an ever-increasing and substantial likelihood of liability that threatens its long-term existence.” The filing specifically targeted the company’s board of directors on behalf of the company and its shareholders in what is known as a “derivative lawsuit.”The sisters in the original lawsuit failed to meet a required $500,000 security bond deadline, leading to the suit’s dismissal. They subsequently refiled in federal court in February 2025. In a March 23 order dismissing the suit, U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro said the nuns failed to establish standing to bring the action against the board members.The judge said the nuns could amend the lawsuit if they wished, though the court reimposed the $500,000 security bond, ordering that the sisters must post the amount if they wished to continue the suit.Smith & Wesson was founded in 1852. It operates out of Tennessee and Nevada.The company makes and sells a wide array of firearms, including ArmaLite-type rifles, commonly referred to as “AR-15s,” which it has been selling since 2006.
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Religious sisters lose lawsuit against Smith & Wesson alleging ‘facilitation’ of mass shootings #Catholic Several congregations of religious sisters have lost their lawsuit against the iconic American gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson, which claimed the company has “facilitated” mass shootings in the United States. A version of the lawsuit was first filed in December 2023 in Nevada district court by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, the Sisters of Bon Secours USA, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, and the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, U.S.-Ontario Province.The filing alleged that Smith & Wesson is “intent on marketing and selling AR-15 rifles in whatever manner results in the most sales.” The suit claimed the company was pursuing such marketing even if it “is illegal and attracts a dangerous category of buyers [and] facilitates an unrelenting and growing stream of killings.”The sisters had filed the suit as shareholders in the company, claiming that Smith & Wesson’s marketing “causes the company to face an ever-increasing and substantial likelihood of liability that threatens its long-term existence.” The filing specifically targeted the company’s board of directors on behalf of the company and its shareholders in what is known as a “derivative lawsuit.”The sisters in the original lawsuit failed to meet a required $500,000 security bond deadline, leading to the suit’s dismissal. They subsequently refiled in federal court in February 2025. In a March 23 order dismissing the suit, U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro said the nuns failed to establish standing to bring the action against the board members.The judge said the nuns could amend the lawsuit if they wished, though the court reimposed the $500,000 security bond, ordering that the sisters must post the amount if they wished to continue the suit.Smith & Wesson was founded in 1852. It operates out of Tennessee and Nevada.The company makes and sells a wide array of firearms, including ArmaLite-type rifles, commonly referred to as “AR-15s,” which it has been selling since 2006.

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Multiple congregations of sisters alleged that the gun manufacturer was partly complicit in “an unrelenting and growing stream of killings.”

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Vatican bank names new president #Catholic The Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), often referred to as the Vatican bank, has announced that Luxembourg banker François Pauly will succeed Jean-Baptiste Douville de Franssu as president of its Board of Superintendence.According to a March 25 press release, Pauly “has been elected as the next president of the Board of Superintendence” and will formally take office following the board meeting scheduled for April 28, when the institute’s 2025 financial statements are approved.De Franssu, who has led the IOR since July 9, 2014, will remain in office until that date, concluding a tenure marked by significant internal reform and efforts to rebuild the institution’s international credibility.The need for reform stemmed from years of scrutiny over the Vatican bank’s management, transparency, and anti-money-laundering controls. In the past, the institute faced damaged credibility amid concerns about oversight and compliance, prompting a long push to strengthen governance, tighten internal procedures, and bring its operations into line with international financial standards.The transition “follows a carefully managed succession process conducted over the past 12 months in close collaboration between the Board of Superintendence and the Commission of Cardinals, ensuring continuity in the governance of the Institute,” the IOR said.Pauly, a Luxembourg national, has served on the board since 2024. His appointment was approved Jan. 28 by the Commission of Cardinals following a proposal by the board in December 2025, in accordance with the institute’s statutes.He brings decades of experience in the financial sector, having begun his banking career in the late 1980s. He previously served as deputy chief executive officer of Dexia Crediop in Italy and later as CEO and chairman of Banque Internationale à Luxembourg from 2011 to 2016. He also served on the board of the Vatican Pension Fund from 2017 to 2021.Currently, Pauly is chairman of La Luxembourgeoise Group and a member of the Commission for Economic Affairs of the Archdiocese of Luxembourg, while also serving on the boards of several financial firms across Europe.In a statement, de Franssu reflected on his tenure, saying the institute had undergone “a profound structural transformation” that restored credibility and strengthened financial performance.“This process has enabled the institute to achieve strong international credibility and to deliver solid financial results,” he said, noting that reforms improved governance, transparency, and compliance with international anti-money laundering standards.Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, president of the IOR’s Commission of Cardinals, expressed “deep gratitude” for de Franssu’s service and praised his “essential contribution” to the institute’s renewal.He also welcomed Pauly’s appointment, highlighting his “extensive professional experience” as key to consolidating recent progress and strengthening the institute’s ties with the global financial sector.“We hope that, under his leadership, the Board of Superintendence continues to effectively support the mission of the IOR in service of the universal Church,” Petrocchi said.The Commission of Cardinals will now appoint a new member of the Board of Superintendence to replace de Franssu, subject to regulatory approval.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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Vatican bank names new president #Catholic The Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), often referred to as the Vatican bank, has announced that Luxembourg banker François Pauly will succeed Jean-Baptiste Douville de Franssu as president of its Board of Superintendence.According to a March 25 press release, Pauly “has been elected as the next president of the Board of Superintendence” and will formally take office following the board meeting scheduled for April 28, when the institute’s 2025 financial statements are approved.De Franssu, who has led the IOR since July 9, 2014, will remain in office until that date, concluding a tenure marked by significant internal reform and efforts to rebuild the institution’s international credibility.The need for reform stemmed from years of scrutiny over the Vatican bank’s management, transparency, and anti-money-laundering controls. In the past, the institute faced damaged credibility amid concerns about oversight and compliance, prompting a long push to strengthen governance, tighten internal procedures, and bring its operations into line with international financial standards.The transition “follows a carefully managed succession process conducted over the past 12 months in close collaboration between the Board of Superintendence and the Commission of Cardinals, ensuring continuity in the governance of the Institute,” the IOR said.Pauly, a Luxembourg national, has served on the board since 2024. His appointment was approved Jan. 28 by the Commission of Cardinals following a proposal by the board in December 2025, in accordance with the institute’s statutes.He brings decades of experience in the financial sector, having begun his banking career in the late 1980s. He previously served as deputy chief executive officer of Dexia Crediop in Italy and later as CEO and chairman of Banque Internationale à Luxembourg from 2011 to 2016. He also served on the board of the Vatican Pension Fund from 2017 to 2021.Currently, Pauly is chairman of La Luxembourgeoise Group and a member of the Commission for Economic Affairs of the Archdiocese of Luxembourg, while also serving on the boards of several financial firms across Europe.In a statement, de Franssu reflected on his tenure, saying the institute had undergone “a profound structural transformation” that restored credibility and strengthened financial performance.“This process has enabled the institute to achieve strong international credibility and to deliver solid financial results,” he said, noting that reforms improved governance, transparency, and compliance with international anti-money laundering standards.Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, president of the IOR’s Commission of Cardinals, expressed “deep gratitude” for de Franssu’s service and praised his “essential contribution” to the institute’s renewal.He also welcomed Pauly’s appointment, highlighting his “extensive professional experience” as key to consolidating recent progress and strengthening the institute’s ties with the global financial sector.“We hope that, under his leadership, the Board of Superintendence continues to effectively support the mission of the IOR in service of the universal Church,” Petrocchi said.The Commission of Cardinals will now appoint a new member of the Board of Superintendence to replace de Franssu, subject to regulatory approval.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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François Pauly will succeed Jean-Baptiste de Franssu at helm of Institute for the Works of Religion.

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Russian drone strikes damage historic church, monastery in Lviv ahead of Holy Week #Catholic – LVIV, Ukraine (OSV News) — A historic Bernardine monastery complex and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the western Ukraine city of Lviv were hit by aerial drone strikes March 24, just ahead of the observance of Holy Week. They are the newest sacred space casualties of Russian attacks and part of what is described by officials as the largest attack in a single 24-hour period since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Local authorities confirmed that historic apartment buildings near the 16th-century Bernardine monastery — part of the city’s historic center listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site — were struck and caught fire and the tower of the monastery also experienced damage. The Church of St. Mary Magdalene also was damaged during the aerial strike, with windows broken and glass shattered around the church floor March 24, as shown in a video shared by Vatican News. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. “Thank God … it happened in the afternoon,” Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki of Lviv told Vatican News. “People were still at work, children had not yet returned from school, and there were no fatalities. There are only injured people,” he emphasized. As Russia fired almost 400 long-range drones on the war-torn country overnight, six people were killed and 46 injured, The Associated Press reported, citing Ukrainian officials. Elsewhere, in the neighboring Ivano-Frankivsk region, a maternity hospital was hit. In a March 25 statement, UNESCO said it was “deeply alarmed” by the strikes, noting that “cultural property is protected under the 1954 Hague Convention and the 1972 World Heritage Convention.” The agency added it “stands ready to support the authorities with assessments, protection measures and emergency assistance.” In a March 24 Facebook post, Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv — located just over a mile from the site of the attack — recapped the impact of the strikes across the nation, adding, “We express our condolences to all the victims. Eternal memory to the innocently killed.” “The attack by ‘shaheeds’ in Lviv shows that the enemy chooses densely located residential buildings,” the university said in the post, referring to Iranian-designed Shahed drones. According to the BBC, in his video address on March 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the scale of the latest attacks “clearly shows that Russia has no intention of really ending this war.” Russia’s military has not publicly commented on the attacks. Archbishop Mokrzycki said that the war, now in its fifth year, is taking a heavy toll among Ukrainians, used to aerial alarms and mourning large numbers of killed soldiers daily in cities across Ukraine. “This war is also ongoing on another front,” Archbishop Mokrzycki told the Polish section of Vatican News. He pointed out the experience of war affects residents not only during moments of attacks, but also in everyday life, marked by loss and uncertainty.  
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Russian drone strikes damage historic church, monastery in Lviv ahead of Holy Week #Catholic – LVIV, Ukraine (OSV News) — A historic Bernardine monastery complex and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the western Ukraine city of Lviv were hit by aerial drone strikes March 24, just ahead of the observance of Holy Week. They are the newest sacred space casualties of Russian attacks and part of what is described by officials as the largest attack in a single 24-hour period since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Local authorities confirmed that historic apartment buildings near the 16th-century Bernardine monastery — part of the city’s historic center listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site — were struck and caught fire and the tower of the monastery also experienced damage. The Church of St. Mary Magdalene also was damaged during the aerial strike, with windows broken and glass shattered around the church floor March 24, as shown in a video shared by Vatican News. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. “Thank God … it happened in the afternoon,” Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki of Lviv told Vatican News. “People were still at work, children had not yet returned from school, and there were no fatalities. There are only injured people,” he emphasized. As Russia fired almost 400 long-range drones on the war-torn country overnight, six people were killed and 46 injured, The Associated Press reported, citing Ukrainian officials. Elsewhere, in the neighboring Ivano-Frankivsk region, a maternity hospital was hit. In a March 25 statement, UNESCO said it was “deeply alarmed” by the strikes, noting that “cultural property is protected under the 1954 Hague Convention and the 1972 World Heritage Convention.” The agency added it “stands ready to support the authorities with assessments, protection measures and emergency assistance.” In a March 24 Facebook post, Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv — located just over a mile from the site of the attack — recapped the impact of the strikes across the nation, adding, “We express our condolences to all the victims. Eternal memory to the innocently killed.” “The attack by ‘shaheeds’ in Lviv shows that the enemy chooses densely located residential buildings,” the university said in the post, referring to Iranian-designed Shahed drones. According to the BBC, in his video address on March 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the scale of the latest attacks “clearly shows that Russia has no intention of really ending this war.” Russia’s military has not publicly commented on the attacks. Archbishop Mokrzycki said that the war, now in its fifth year, is taking a heavy toll among Ukrainians, used to aerial alarms and mourning large numbers of killed soldiers daily in cities across Ukraine. “This war is also ongoing on another front,” Archbishop Mokrzycki told the Polish section of Vatican News. He pointed out the experience of war affects residents not only during moments of attacks, but also in everyday life, marked by loss and uncertainty.  

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Russian drone strikes damage historic church, monastery in Lviv ahead of Holy Week #Catholic –

LVIV, Ukraine (OSV News) — A historic Bernardine monastery complex and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the western Ukraine city of Lviv were hit by aerial drone strikes March 24, just ahead of the observance of Holy Week.

They are the newest sacred space casualties of Russian attacks and part of what is described by officials as the largest attack in a single 24-hour period since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Local authorities confirmed that historic apartment buildings near the 16th-century Bernardine monastery — part of the city’s historic center listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site — were struck and caught fire and the tower of the monastery also experienced damage.

The Church of St. Mary Magdalene also was damaged during the aerial strike, with windows broken and glass shattered around the church floor March 24, as shown in a video shared by Vatican News.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

“Thank God … it happened in the afternoon,” Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki of Lviv told Vatican News. “People were still at work, children had not yet returned from school, and there were no fatalities. There are only injured people,” he emphasized.

As Russia fired almost 400 long-range drones on the war-torn country overnight, six people were killed and 46 injured, The Associated Press reported, citing Ukrainian officials.

Elsewhere, in the neighboring Ivano-Frankivsk region, a maternity hospital was hit.

In a March 25 statement, UNESCO said it was “deeply alarmed” by the strikes, noting that “cultural property is protected under the 1954 Hague Convention and the 1972 World Heritage Convention.”

The agency added it “stands ready to support the authorities with assessments, protection measures and emergency assistance.”

In a March 24 Facebook post, Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv — located just over a mile from the site of the attack — recapped the impact of the strikes across the nation, adding, “We express our condolences to all the victims. Eternal memory to the innocently killed.”

“The attack by ‘shaheeds’ in Lviv shows that the enemy chooses densely located residential buildings,” the university said in the post, referring to Iranian-designed Shahed drones.

According to the BBC, in his video address on March 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the scale of the latest attacks “clearly shows that Russia has no intention of really ending this war.”

Russia’s military has not publicly commented on the attacks.

Archbishop Mokrzycki said that the war, now in its fifth year, is taking a heavy toll among Ukrainians, used to aerial alarms and mourning large numbers of killed soldiers daily in cities across Ukraine.

“This war is also ongoing on another front,” Archbishop Mokrzycki told the Polish section of Vatican News. He pointed out the experience of war affects residents not only during moments of attacks, but also in everyday life, marked by loss and uncertainty.

 

– LVIV, Ukraine (OSV News) — A historic Bernardine monastery complex and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the western Ukraine city of Lviv were hit by aerial drone strikes March 24, just ahead of the observance of Holy Week. They are the newest sacred space casualties of Russian attacks and part of what is described by officials as the largest attack in a single 24-hour period since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Local authorities confirmed that historic apartment buildings near the 16th-century Bernardine monastery — part of the city’s historic center listed as a UNESCO World Heritage

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National Eucharistic Pilgrimage seeks to be a sacred journey for US at 250 years #Catholic – (OSV News) — The upcoming National Eucharistic Pilgrimage — which takes place as the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026 — marks a moment for “a country still in conversion,” and “a country still on pilgrimage,” said Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress organization. Shanks joined pilgrimage organizers, along with several of its nine perpetual pilgrims, for an online March 25 press conference announcing further details of the event, which takes place May 24 through July 5. With a theme of “One Nation Under God,” the route will run from Florida to Maine, spanning more than 2,200 miles in most of the nation’s 13 original colonies. Over the course of 43 days, pilgrims will travel through 18 dioceses and archdioceses, as well as two Eastern Catholic eparchies. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Nine perpetual pilgrims will accompany the Blessed Sacrament, with public events — including Masses, Holy Hours, sacred music concerts, talks and charitable outreach — taking place along the way. Pilgrimage organizers are inviting the faithful to participate in a spiritual bouquet of 250,000 Holy Hours, with a signup form available on the pilgrimage website, eucharisticpilgrimage.org/one-nation-under-god. The spiritual bouquet will be presented in the nation’s capital as a sign of “prayers for peace in our world, for unity and peace in our country, and for God’s hand to continue to guide all of those in the United States,” said Shanks. The 2026 pilgrimage, which continues the 2024 and 2025 journeys undertaken as part of the National Eucharistic Revival, has been placed under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the woman religious and Italian immigrant who became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized after a lifetime of work ministering to immigrants. Along with Mother Cabrini, other holy men and women who will be commemorated throughout the pilgrimage are St. Katharine Drexel, the Philadelphia banking heiress who founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and served Black American and American Indian communities; St. John Neumann, the Bavarian-born Redemptorist who as bishop of Philadelphia established the nation’s parochial school system, as well as the Forty Hours devotion; and the soon-to-be-beatified Georgia Martyrs, six Spanish Franciscans who were slain while missioning to the Indigenous Guale people in the late 16th century. The stops along the Cabrini Route will highlight sites significant to Catholicism’s contributions to U.S. history, said Shanks. “Before there was a Constitution, there was a consecration,” he said, pointing to Masses celebrated on the territory of what would later become the U.S. Historians have cited a number of such liturgies, including Masses reported to have taken place in 1541 in the future states of Kansas and Texas, and the Sept. 8, 1565, liturgy celebrated by Father Francisco López de Mendoza Grajales at the site of present-day St. Augustine, Florida. In 1664, the London-born Jesuit Father Andrew White celebrated Mass in the Maryland colony. “We’re excited to unite our country in memory of its history and to sort of explore the Catholic contribution to this American experiment,” Shanks said. Among the pilgrimage events honoring the nation’s development will be a Eucharistic procession through historical Williamsburg, Virginia; a blessing from Arlington Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River in Washington, with a procession past national landmarks in the capital; Eucharistic adoration in Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth, Massachusetts; and a crossing of the Delaware River into New Jersey — a nod to George Washington, who led 2,500 Continental Army troops across the body of water on Christmas night in 1776, surprising enemy Hessian troops, mercenaries of the British empire, and securing major U.S. victories in the Revolutionary War. The pilgrimage concludes with Mass and a Eucharistic procession over the July 4 holiday weekend in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and which served as the nation’s capital from 1790 to 1800, when the new city of Washington became the nation’s seat of government. Pilgrim Zachary Dotson said at the press conference that “the real beauty” of the theme “One Nation Under God” lies in “the great humility that it takes to truly believe that and follow that.” “There’s nothing more healing than God’s divine mercy and love, which is open and available to all people,” he said. Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.
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National Eucharistic Pilgrimage seeks to be a sacred journey for US at 250 years #Catholic – (OSV News) — The upcoming National Eucharistic Pilgrimage — which takes place as the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026 — marks a moment for “a country still in conversion,” and “a country still on pilgrimage,” said Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress organization. Shanks joined pilgrimage organizers, along with several of its nine perpetual pilgrims, for an online March 25 press conference announcing further details of the event, which takes place May 24 through July 5. With a theme of “One Nation Under God,” the route will run from Florida to Maine, spanning more than 2,200 miles in most of the nation’s 13 original colonies. Over the course of 43 days, pilgrims will travel through 18 dioceses and archdioceses, as well as two Eastern Catholic eparchies. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Nine perpetual pilgrims will accompany the Blessed Sacrament, with public events — including Masses, Holy Hours, sacred music concerts, talks and charitable outreach — taking place along the way. Pilgrimage organizers are inviting the faithful to participate in a spiritual bouquet of 250,000 Holy Hours, with a signup form available on the pilgrimage website, eucharisticpilgrimage.org/one-nation-under-god. The spiritual bouquet will be presented in the nation’s capital as a sign of “prayers for peace in our world, for unity and peace in our country, and for God’s hand to continue to guide all of those in the United States,” said Shanks. The 2026 pilgrimage, which continues the 2024 and 2025 journeys undertaken as part of the National Eucharistic Revival, has been placed under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the woman religious and Italian immigrant who became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized after a lifetime of work ministering to immigrants. Along with Mother Cabrini, other holy men and women who will be commemorated throughout the pilgrimage are St. Katharine Drexel, the Philadelphia banking heiress who founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and served Black American and American Indian communities; St. John Neumann, the Bavarian-born Redemptorist who as bishop of Philadelphia established the nation’s parochial school system, as well as the Forty Hours devotion; and the soon-to-be-beatified Georgia Martyrs, six Spanish Franciscans who were slain while missioning to the Indigenous Guale people in the late 16th century. The stops along the Cabrini Route will highlight sites significant to Catholicism’s contributions to U.S. history, said Shanks. “Before there was a Constitution, there was a consecration,” he said, pointing to Masses celebrated on the territory of what would later become the U.S. Historians have cited a number of such liturgies, including Masses reported to have taken place in 1541 in the future states of Kansas and Texas, and the Sept. 8, 1565, liturgy celebrated by Father Francisco López de Mendoza Grajales at the site of present-day St. Augustine, Florida. In 1664, the London-born Jesuit Father Andrew White celebrated Mass in the Maryland colony. “We’re excited to unite our country in memory of its history and to sort of explore the Catholic contribution to this American experiment,” Shanks said. Among the pilgrimage events honoring the nation’s development will be a Eucharistic procession through historical Williamsburg, Virginia; a blessing from Arlington Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River in Washington, with a procession past national landmarks in the capital; Eucharistic adoration in Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth, Massachusetts; and a crossing of the Delaware River into New Jersey — a nod to George Washington, who led 2,500 Continental Army troops across the body of water on Christmas night in 1776, surprising enemy Hessian troops, mercenaries of the British empire, and securing major U.S. victories in the Revolutionary War. The pilgrimage concludes with Mass and a Eucharistic procession over the July 4 holiday weekend in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and which served as the nation’s capital from 1790 to 1800, when the new city of Washington became the nation’s seat of government. Pilgrim Zachary Dotson said at the press conference that “the real beauty” of the theme “One Nation Under God” lies in “the great humility that it takes to truly believe that and follow that.” “There’s nothing more healing than God’s divine mercy and love, which is open and available to all people,” he said. Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.

unitedyam

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage seeks to be a sacred journey for US at 250 years #Catholic –

(OSV News) — The upcoming National Eucharistic Pilgrimage — which takes place as the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026 — marks a moment for “a country still in conversion,” and “a country still on pilgrimage,” said Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress organization.

Shanks joined pilgrimage organizers, along with several of its nine perpetual pilgrims, for an online March 25 press conference announcing further details of the event, which takes place May 24 through July 5.

With a theme of “One Nation Under God,” the route will run from Florida to Maine, spanning more than 2,200 miles in most of the nation’s 13 original colonies. Over the course of 43 days, pilgrims will travel through 18 dioceses and archdioceses, as well as two Eastern Catholic eparchies.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Nine perpetual pilgrims will accompany the Blessed Sacrament, with public events — including Masses, Holy Hours, sacred music concerts, talks and charitable outreach — taking place along the way.

Pilgrimage organizers are inviting the faithful to participate in a spiritual bouquet of 250,000 Holy Hours, with a signup form available on the pilgrimage website, eucharisticpilgrimage.org/one-nation-under-god.

The spiritual bouquet will be presented in the nation’s capital as a sign of “prayers for peace in our world, for unity and peace in our country, and for God’s hand to continue to guide all of those in the United States,” said Shanks.

The 2026 pilgrimage, which continues the 2024 and 2025 journeys undertaken as part of the National Eucharistic Revival, has been placed under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the woman religious and Italian immigrant who became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized after a lifetime of work ministering to immigrants.

Along with Mother Cabrini, other holy men and women who will be commemorated throughout the pilgrimage are St. Katharine Drexel, the Philadelphia banking heiress who founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and served Black American and American Indian communities; St. John Neumann, the Bavarian-born Redemptorist who as bishop of Philadelphia established the nation’s parochial school system, as well as the Forty Hours devotion; and the soon-to-be-beatified Georgia Martyrs, six Spanish Franciscans who were slain while missioning to the Indigenous Guale people in the late 16th century.

The stops along the Cabrini Route will highlight sites significant to Catholicism’s contributions to U.S. history, said Shanks.

“Before there was a Constitution, there was a consecration,” he said, pointing to Masses celebrated on the territory of what would later become the U.S.

Historians have cited a number of such liturgies, including Masses reported to have taken place in 1541 in the future states of Kansas and Texas, and the Sept. 8, 1565, liturgy celebrated by Father Francisco López de Mendoza Grajales at the site of present-day St. Augustine, Florida.

In 1664, the London-born Jesuit Father Andrew White celebrated Mass in the Maryland colony.

“We’re excited to unite our country in memory of its history and to sort of explore the Catholic contribution to this American experiment,” Shanks said.

Among the pilgrimage events honoring the nation’s development will be a Eucharistic procession through historical Williamsburg, Virginia; a blessing from Arlington Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River in Washington, with a procession past national landmarks in the capital; Eucharistic adoration in Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth, Massachusetts; and a crossing of the Delaware River into New Jersey — a nod to George Washington, who led 2,500 Continental Army troops across the body of water on Christmas night in 1776, surprising enemy Hessian troops, mercenaries of the British empire, and securing major U.S. victories in the Revolutionary War.

The pilgrimage concludes with Mass and a Eucharistic procession over the July 4 holiday weekend in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and which served as the nation’s capital from 1790 to 1800, when the new city of Washington became the nation’s seat of government.

Pilgrim Zachary Dotson said at the press conference that “the real beauty” of the theme “One Nation Under God” lies in “the great humility that it takes to truly believe that and follow that.”

“There’s nothing more healing than God’s divine mercy and love, which is open and available to all people,” he said.

Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.

– (OSV News) — The upcoming National Eucharistic Pilgrimage — which takes place as the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026 — marks a moment for “a country still in conversion,” and “a country still on pilgrimage,” said Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress organization. Shanks joined pilgrimage organizers, along with several of its nine perpetual pilgrims, for an online March 25 press conference announcing further details of the event, which takes place May 24 through July 5. With a theme of “One Nation Under God,” the route will run from Florida to Maine, spanning more than 2,200

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Life must be defended in a world wounded by warfare, pope says #Catholic - VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The sanctity of life, from conception to its natural end, must be defended, especially now, in a world marked by “the madness of war,” Pope Leo XIV said. When greeting Polish-speaking visitors during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square March 25, Pope Leo highlighted Poland’s pro-life celebration during his greetings, saying initiatives such as their “Spiritual Adoption of a Conceived Child” were truly needed. “In a time marked by the madness of war, it is important to defend life from conception to its natural end,” he said. Poland celebrates the Day of the Sanctity of Life every March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, which falls nine months before the Lord’s birth Christmas Day and celebrates Jesus’ incarnation in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Similar prayer initiatives exist around the world, including in the United States. The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who is set to be beatified Sept. 24 in St. Louis, also inspired a spiritual adoption program, in which participants pledge to pray daily for nine months for an unborn child whose mother is considering abortion. Sometimes “spiritual parents” are encouraged to name the unborn child and to pray for him or her daily, and, at the end of nine months, hold a baby shower to collect supplies and money to donate to local pregnancy centers. Marking the feast of the Annunciation, Pope Leo invited Catholics to follow the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary more closely and to “always be ready to do God’s will.” “As we continue our Lenten journey, let us ask the Lord to grant us the grace to imitate Our Blessed Mother in her total ‘yes’ to the Lord, and so open our hearts to his will for our lives,” he told English-speaking pilgrims and visitors. In his main catechesis, the pope continued his series of reflections on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, specifically, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, “Lumen Gentium.” Pope Leo explained that the hierarchical structure of the Church is not a “human construct” for fulfilling some kind of organizational function, but is “a divine institution whose purpose is to perpetuate the mission given by Christ to the apostles until the end of time.” The Catholic Church, he said, is “founded on the apostles, whom Christ appointed as the living pillars of his mystical body, and possesses a hierarchical structure that works in the service of the unity, mission and sanctification of all her members.” Since the apostles are called to faithfully preserve Christ’s “salvific teaching, they hand on their ministry to men who, until Christ’s return, continue to sanctify, guide and instruct the Church ‘through their successors in pastoral office,'” he said. While all the faithful make up “the one priesthood of Christ,” he said, those ordained ministers who have received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, that is, bishops, priests and deacons, do have a unique ministry. Endowed with “sacred power” for service in the Church, the bishops, “first and foremost, and through them the priests and deacons, have received tasks (‘munera’ in Latin), which lead them to the service of ‘all those who belong to the People of God,’so that, ‘working toward a common goal freely and in an orderly way, [they] may arrive at salvation,'” the pope said, citing the council document. This apostolic mission is “collegial and communal,” reflecting the Lord’s desire for “shepherds of His people” who serve with love, he said. That is why St. Paul VI presented the hierarchy as being “born of the charity of Christ, to fulfil, spread and ensure the intact and fruitful transmission of the wealth of faith, examples, precepts and charisms bequeathed by Christ to His Church.” “Dear sisters and dear brothers, let us pray to the Lord that He may send to His Church ministers who are ardent with evangelical charity, dedicated to the good of all the baptized, and courageous missionaries in every part of the world,” Pope Leo said.  
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Life must be defended in a world wounded by warfare, pope says #Catholic – VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The sanctity of life, from conception to its natural end, must be defended, especially now, in a world marked by “the madness of war,” Pope Leo XIV said. When greeting Polish-speaking visitors during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square March 25, Pope Leo highlighted Poland’s pro-life celebration during his greetings, saying initiatives such as their “Spiritual Adoption of a Conceived Child” were truly needed. “In a time marked by the madness of war, it is important to defend life from conception to its natural end,” he said. Poland celebrates the Day of the Sanctity of Life every March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, which falls nine months before the Lord’s birth Christmas Day and celebrates Jesus’ incarnation in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Similar prayer initiatives exist around the world, including in the United States. The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who is set to be beatified Sept. 24 in St. Louis, also inspired a spiritual adoption program, in which participants pledge to pray daily for nine months for an unborn child whose mother is considering abortion. Sometimes “spiritual parents” are encouraged to name the unborn child and to pray for him or her daily, and, at the end of nine months, hold a baby shower to collect supplies and money to donate to local pregnancy centers. Marking the feast of the Annunciation, Pope Leo invited Catholics to follow the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary more closely and to “always be ready to do God’s will.” “As we continue our Lenten journey, let us ask the Lord to grant us the grace to imitate Our Blessed Mother in her total ‘yes’ to the Lord, and so open our hearts to his will for our lives,” he told English-speaking pilgrims and visitors. In his main catechesis, the pope continued his series of reflections on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, specifically, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, “Lumen Gentium.” Pope Leo explained that the hierarchical structure of the Church is not a “human construct” for fulfilling some kind of organizational function, but is “a divine institution whose purpose is to perpetuate the mission given by Christ to the apostles until the end of time.” The Catholic Church, he said, is “founded on the apostles, whom Christ appointed as the living pillars of his mystical body, and possesses a hierarchical structure that works in the service of the unity, mission and sanctification of all her members.” Since the apostles are called to faithfully preserve Christ’s “salvific teaching, they hand on their ministry to men who, until Christ’s return, continue to sanctify, guide and instruct the Church ‘through their successors in pastoral office,’” he said. While all the faithful make up “the one priesthood of Christ,” he said, those ordained ministers who have received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, that is, bishops, priests and deacons, do have a unique ministry. Endowed with “sacred power” for service in the Church, the bishops, “first and foremost, and through them the priests and deacons, have received tasks (‘munera’ in Latin), which lead them to the service of ‘all those who belong to the People of God,’so that, ‘working toward a common goal freely and in an orderly way, [they] may arrive at salvation,’” the pope said, citing the council document. This apostolic mission is “collegial and communal,” reflecting the Lord’s desire for “shepherds of His people” who serve with love, he said. That is why St. Paul VI presented the hierarchy as being “born of the charity of Christ, to fulfil, spread and ensure the intact and fruitful transmission of the wealth of faith, examples, precepts and charisms bequeathed by Christ to His Church.” “Dear sisters and dear brothers, let us pray to the Lord that He may send to His Church ministers who are ardent with evangelical charity, dedicated to the good of all the baptized, and courageous missionaries in every part of the world,” Pope Leo said.  

unitedyam

Life must be defended in a world wounded by warfare, pope says #Catholic –

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The sanctity of life, from conception to its natural end, must be defended, especially now, in a world marked by “the madness of war,” Pope Leo XIV said.

When greeting Polish-speaking visitors during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square March 25, Pope Leo highlighted Poland’s pro-life celebration during his greetings, saying initiatives such as their “Spiritual Adoption of a Conceived Child” were truly needed.

“In a time marked by the madness of war, it is important to defend life from conception to its natural end,” he said.

Poland celebrates the Day of the Sanctity of Life every March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, which falls nine months before the Lord’s birth Christmas Day and celebrates Jesus’ incarnation in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Similar prayer initiatives exist around the world, including in the United States. The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who is set to be beatified Sept. 24 in St. Louis, also inspired a spiritual adoption program, in which participants pledge to pray daily for nine months for an unborn child whose mother is considering abortion.

Sometimes “spiritual parents” are encouraged to name the unborn child and to pray for him or her daily, and, at the end of nine months, hold a baby shower to collect supplies and money to donate to local pregnancy centers.

Marking the feast of the Annunciation, Pope Leo invited Catholics to follow the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary more closely and to “always be ready to do God’s will.”

“As we continue our Lenten journey, let us ask the Lord to grant us the grace to imitate Our Blessed Mother in her total ‘yes’ to the Lord, and so open our hearts to his will for our lives,” he told English-speaking pilgrims and visitors.

In his main catechesis, the pope continued his series of reflections on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, specifically, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, “Lumen Gentium.”

Pope Leo explained that the hierarchical structure of the Church is not a “human construct” for fulfilling some kind of organizational function, but is “a divine institution whose purpose is to perpetuate the mission given by Christ to the apostles until the end of time.”

The Catholic Church, he said, is “founded on the apostles, whom Christ appointed as the living pillars of his mystical body, and possesses a hierarchical structure that works in the service of the unity, mission and sanctification of all her members.”

Since the apostles are called to faithfully preserve Christ’s “salvific teaching, they hand on their ministry to men who, until Christ’s return, continue to sanctify, guide and instruct the Church ‘through their successors in pastoral office,’” he said.

While all the faithful make up “the one priesthood of Christ,” he said, those ordained ministers who have received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, that is, bishops, priests and deacons, do have a unique ministry.

Endowed with “sacred power” for service in the Church, the bishops, “first and foremost, and through them the priests and deacons, have received tasks (‘munera’ in Latin), which lead them to the service of ‘all those who belong to the People of God,’so that, ‘working toward a common goal freely and in an orderly way, [they] may arrive at salvation,’” the pope said, citing the council document.

This apostolic mission is “collegial and communal,” reflecting the Lord’s desire for “shepherds of His people” who serve with love, he said. That is why St. Paul VI presented the hierarchy as being “born of the charity of Christ, to fulfil, spread and ensure the intact and fruitful transmission of the wealth of faith, examples, precepts and charisms bequeathed by Christ to His Church.”

“Dear sisters and dear brothers, let us pray to the Lord that He may send to His Church ministers who are ardent with evangelical charity, dedicated to the good of all the baptized, and courageous missionaries in every part of the world,” Pope Leo said.

 

– VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The sanctity of life, from conception to its natural end, must be defended, especially now, in a world marked by “the madness of war,” Pope Leo XIV said. When greeting Polish-speaking visitors during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square March 25, Pope Leo highlighted Poland’s pro-life celebration during his greetings, saying initiatives such as their “Spiritual Adoption of a Conceived Child” were truly needed. “In a time marked by the madness of war, it is important to defend life from conception to its natural end,” he said. Poland celebrates the Day of the Sanctity of

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JWST reveals how dust becomes planets

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Astronomers typically describe the cosmos with numbers that are, well, astronomical. They measure distances within our galaxy in light-years, where 1 light-year equals 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion kilometers), while other galaxies lie millions or even billions of light-years away. And stars typically live billions of years within a universe some 13.7 billion years old.Continue reading “JWST reveals how dust becomes planets”

The post JWST reveals how dust becomes planets appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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British Labour Government Temporarily Blocks Crypto Donations for Political Parties in Blow to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK – Starmer seems to believe that if a policy hurts Reform UK, it’s a good one. The post British Labour Government Temporarily Blocks Crypto Donations for Political Parties in Blow to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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British Labour Government Temporarily Blocks Crypto Donations for Political Parties in Blow to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK – Starmer seems to believe that if a policy hurts Reform UK, it’s a good one. The post British Labour Government Temporarily Blocks Crypto Donations for Political Parties in Blow to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Starmer seems to believe that if a policy hurts Reform UK, it’s a good one.

The post British Labour Government Temporarily Blocks Crypto Donations for Political Parties in Blow to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘ONE VENGEANCE FOR ALL’: Iran Releases Provocative AI Propaganda Showing a Nuclear Bomb Destroying the Statue of Liberty with the Head of Baal — References Epstein Island and Far-Left Talking Points – The Iranian regime has just unleashed a deranged AI-generated propaganda video showing a nuclear missile slamming into the Statue of Liberty, whose head has been replaced by the horned idol of Baal. The post ‘ONE VENGEANCE FOR ALL’: Iran Releases Provocative AI Propaganda Showing a Nuclear Bomb Destroying the Statue of Liberty with the Head of Baal — References Epstein Island and Far-Left Talking Points appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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‘ONE VENGEANCE FOR ALL’: Iran Releases Provocative AI Propaganda Showing a Nuclear Bomb Destroying the Statue of Liberty with the Head of Baal — References Epstein Island and Far-Left Talking Points – The Iranian regime has just unleashed a deranged AI-generated propaganda video showing a nuclear missile slamming into the Statue of Liberty, whose head has been replaced by the horned idol of Baal. The post ‘ONE VENGEANCE FOR ALL’: Iran Releases Provocative AI Propaganda Showing a Nuclear Bomb Destroying the Statue of Liberty with the Head of Baal — References Epstein Island and Far-Left Talking Points appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

unitedyam

Diverse scenes featuring a Native American man in traditional attire, the Statue of Liberty, and a child in a pink dress against a colorful backdrop.

Diverse scenes featuring a Native American man in traditional attire, the Statue of Liberty, and a child in a pink dress against a colorful backdrop.

The Iranian regime has just unleashed a deranged AI-generated propaganda video showing a nuclear missile slamming into the Statue of Liberty, whose head has been replaced by the horned idol of Baal.

The post ‘ONE VENGEANCE FOR ALL’: Iran Releases Provocative AI Propaganda Showing a Nuclear Bomb Destroying the Statue of Liberty with the Head of Baal — References Epstein Island and Far-Left Talking Points appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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NASA Astronaut Responds to Online Panic Over “Tentacled” Object on ISS – A tentacled object seen in a viral photo from the International Space Station alarmed some viewers over the last few days. The post NASA Astronaut Responds to Online Panic Over “Tentacled” Object on ISS appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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NASA Astronaut Responds to Online Panic Over “Tentacled” Object on ISS – A tentacled object seen in a viral photo from the International Space Station alarmed some viewers over the last few days. The post NASA Astronaut Responds to Online Panic Over “Tentacled” Object on ISS appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

unitedyam

A close-up view of a space-grown purple potato with sprouting roots, floating inside the International Space Station's interior.

A close-up view of a space-grown purple potato with sprouting roots, floating inside the International Space Station's interior.

A tentacled object seen in a viral photo from the International Space Station alarmed some viewers over the last few days.

The post NASA Astronaut Responds to Online Panic Over “Tentacled” Object on ISS appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 26 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Genesis 17:3-9 When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him: “My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations. No longer shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations. I will render you exceedingly fertile; I will make nations of you; kings shall stem from you. I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are now staying, the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God.” God also said to Abraham: “On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”From the Gospel according to John 8:51-59 Jesus said to the Jews: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” So the Jews said to him, “Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.The Gospel (…) proposes for our meditation the last part of chapter eight of John, which contains as we heard a long discussion on the identity of Jesus. A little earlier he had presented himself as "the light of the world" (v. 12), using at least three times (vv. 24, 28, 58) the expression "I AM", that forcefully recalls God’s name as it was revealed to Moses (cf. Ex 3: 14). And he added: "If any one keeps my word, he will never see death" (Jn 8: 51), thus declaring that he had been sent by God, who is his Father, to bring men and women the radical freedom from sin and death that is indispensable for entering eternal life. However, his words wounded the pride of those with whom he was conversing and even the reference to the great Patriarch Abraham became a source of conflict. "Truly, truly, I say to you", the Lord said, "before Abraham was, I Am" (Jn 8: 58). Without mincing his words, he declared his pre-existence, hence his superiority as regards Abraham, provoking understandably a shocked reaction in the Jews. But Jesus cannot be silent about his identity; he knows that in the end the Father himself will account for him, glorifying him through his death and Resurrection because, precisely when he is raised on the Cross, he will be revealed as the Only-Begotten Son of God (cf. Jn 8: 28; Mk 15: 39). (Benedict XVI – Homily in the Holy Mass on the fourth anniversary of the death of John Paul II,  2 April 2009)   

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A reading from the Book of Genesis
17:3-9

When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him:
“My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile;
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you
and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;
and I will be their God.”

God also said to Abraham:
“On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”

From the Gospel according to John
8:51-59

Jesus said to the Jews:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
So the Jews said to him,
“Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

The Gospel (…) proposes for our meditation the last part of chapter eight of John, which contains as we heard a long discussion on the identity of Jesus. A little earlier he had presented himself as "the light of the world" (v. 12), using at least three times (vv. 24, 28, 58) the expression "I AM", that forcefully recalls God’s name as it was revealed to Moses (cf. Ex 3: 14). And he added: "If any one keeps my word, he will never see death" (Jn 8: 51), thus declaring that he had been sent by God, who is his Father, to bring men and women the radical freedom from sin and death that is indispensable for entering eternal life. However, his words wounded the pride of those with whom he was conversing and even the reference to the great Patriarch Abraham became a source of conflict. "Truly, truly, I say to you", the Lord said, "before Abraham was, I Am" (Jn 8: 58). Without mincing his words, he declared his pre-existence, hence his superiority as regards Abraham, provoking understandably a shocked reaction in the Jews. But Jesus cannot be silent about his identity; he knows that in the end the Father himself will account for him, glorifying him through his death and Resurrection because, precisely when he is raised on the Cross, he will be revealed as the Only-Begotten Son of God (cf. Jn 8: 28; Mk 15: 39). (Benedict XVI – Homily in the Holy Mass on the fourth anniversary of the death of John Paul II,  2 April 2009) 

 

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Visiting off-duty police prevent robbery at Roman church housing Passion relics – #Catholic – Three Spanish policemen who were visiting Rome as tourists prevented a robbery at one of the city’s most iconic churches — the Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem — on March 21.The policemen — one of whom is stationed at the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See — were off duty when they intervened in response to a priest’s call for help.After hearing the priest’s shouts, they managed to intercept the suspect, who — according to the clergyman — had just stolen several items.After questioning the suspect, the policemen recovered from the alleged thief two lockpicks (used to open locks), 480 euros (about 5), two watches, and five lottery tickets.The officers then proceeded to notify the Italian State Police of the incident, who took over the case.Home of Passion relicsThe Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem is one of the most renowned churches in the Eternal City, owing to the spiritual treasures it holds within its walls. Cross of Christ fragments reliquary in Rome’s Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem. | Credit: Almudena Martínez-Bordiú/ACI Prensa Access to the basilica’s “Chapel of Relics” is gained through one of the church’s side aisles; there, several relics associated with Christ’s passion are preserved, protected behind a glass display case.These objects were transported from Jerusalem to Rome thanks to St. Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine.According to tradition, the chapel houses three fragments of the cross of Christ — displayed in a reliquary dating from 1800 — as well as one of the nails with which soldiers affixed Christ to the cross and two thorns from Christ’s crown.Also venerated here is the sign known as the “Titulus Crucis,” which Pontius Pilate ordered to be placed at the top of Christ’s cross. It bears the inscription in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”There is also a fragment of the cross of the good thief, along with a relic of the finger of the apostle Thomas — the very finger with which he touched Christ’s wound to believe that he had risen.Additionally, in another side chapel — located next to the Chapel of the Relics of the Passion — a modern reproduction of the Shroud of Turin is on display.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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Visiting off-duty police prevent robbery at Roman church housing Passion relics – #Catholic – Three Spanish policemen who were visiting Rome as tourists prevented a robbery at one of the city’s most iconic churches — the Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem — on March 21.The policemen — one of whom is stationed at the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See — were off duty when they intervened in response to a priest’s call for help.After hearing the priest’s shouts, they managed to intercept the suspect, who — according to the clergyman — had just stolen several items.After questioning the suspect, the policemen recovered from the alleged thief two lockpicks (used to open locks), 480 euros (about $555), two watches, and five lottery tickets.The officers then proceeded to notify the Italian State Police of the incident, who took over the case.Home of Passion relicsThe Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem is one of the most renowned churches in the Eternal City, owing to the spiritual treasures it holds within its walls. Cross of Christ fragments reliquary in Rome’s Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem. | Credit: Almudena Martínez-Bordiú/ACI Prensa Access to the basilica’s “Chapel of Relics” is gained through one of the church’s side aisles; there, several relics associated with Christ’s passion are preserved, protected behind a glass display case.These objects were transported from Jerusalem to Rome thanks to St. Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine.According to tradition, the chapel houses three fragments of the cross of Christ — displayed in a reliquary dating from 1800 — as well as one of the nails with which soldiers affixed Christ to the cross and two thorns from Christ’s crown.Also venerated here is the sign known as the “Titulus Crucis,” which Pontius Pilate ordered to be placed at the top of Christ’s cross. It bears the inscription in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”There is also a fragment of the cross of the good thief, along with a relic of the finger of the apostle Thomas — the very finger with which he touched Christ’s wound to believe that he had risen.Additionally, in another side chapel — located next to the Chapel of the Relics of the Passion — a modern reproduction of the Shroud of Turin is on display.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 Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem contains objects that were transported from Jerusalem to Rome thanks to St. Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine.

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Louisville pays Christian photographer 0,000 after violating her religious freedom – #Catholic – The city of Louisville, Kentucky, will pay 0,000 to a Christian photographer and blogger who won a religious freedom lawsuit over an antidiscrimination ordinance that would have required her to photograph same-sex weddings in spite of her religious objections.In October 2025, a federal court ruled that the ordinance contained two provisions that violated the First Amendment rights of the photographer, Chelsey Nelson. The city agreed to pay the fee through a settlement negotiated by her legal counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).“The government cannot force Americans to say things they don’t believe,” ADF Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart said in a statement on March 24.“For almost six years, Louisville officials tried to do just that by threatening to force Chelsey to promote views about marriage that violated her religious beliefs,” he said. “Louisville’s threats contradicted bedrock First Amendment principles which leave decisions about what to say with the people, not the government.”“This settlement should teach Louisville that violating the U.S. Constitution can be expensive,” Neihart added.The ordinance prohibited “the denial of goods and services to members of protected classes,” which included people with same-sex attraction, according to the ruling last year. It also violated Nelson’s First Amendment rights through the publication provision, which prevented her “from writing and publishing any indication or explanation that she wouldn’t photograph same-sex weddings or that otherwise causes someone to feel unwelcome or undesirable based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.”The court found that both provisions “limit Nelson’s freedom to express her beliefs about marriage” and that the ordinance forced her to suffer “a First Amendment injury.”The ruling built on the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis ruling, which struck down a Colorado antidiscrimination law because it would have forced a web designer to create websites for same-sex weddings in spite of her religious beliefs.
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Louisville pays Christian photographer $800,000 after violating her religious freedom – #Catholic – The city of Louisville, Kentucky, will pay $800,000 to a Christian photographer and blogger who won a religious freedom lawsuit over an antidiscrimination ordinance that would have required her to photograph same-sex weddings in spite of her religious objections.In October 2025, a federal court ruled that the ordinance contained two provisions that violated the First Amendment rights of the photographer, Chelsey Nelson. The city agreed to pay the fee through a settlement negotiated by her legal counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).“The government cannot force Americans to say things they don’t believe,” ADF Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart said in a statement on March 24.“For almost six years, Louisville officials tried to do just that by threatening to force Chelsey to promote views about marriage that violated her religious beliefs,” he said. “Louisville’s threats contradicted bedrock First Amendment principles which leave decisions about what to say with the people, not the government.”“This settlement should teach Louisville that violating the U.S. Constitution can be expensive,” Neihart added.The ordinance prohibited “the denial of goods and services to members of protected classes,” which included people with same-sex attraction, according to the ruling last year. It also violated Nelson’s First Amendment rights through the publication provision, which prevented her “from writing and publishing any indication or explanation that she wouldn’t photograph same-sex weddings or that otherwise causes someone to feel unwelcome or undesirable based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.”The court found that both provisions “limit Nelson’s freedom to express her beliefs about marriage” and that the ordinance forced her to suffer “a First Amendment injury.”The ruling built on the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis ruling, which struck down a Colorado antidiscrimination law because it would have forced a web designer to create websites for same-sex weddings in spite of her religious beliefs.

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The city’s ordinance sought to force her to photograph same-sex weddings and restrict the opinions she could publish on her website.

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Chicago Catholic parents appeal to Vatican to keep school open – #Catholic – More than 100 Chicago-area Catholic parents are appealing to the Vatican to keep open what one school mom describes as “the only Catholic option in the largest elementary school district in Illinois,” the pope’s home state.St. Hubert Catholic School in northwest suburban Hoffman Estates is one of seven Chicago archdiocesan Catholic schools closing at the end of this year after the archdiocese announced in January that the schools were “no longer sustainable.” Parents across the archdiocese made efforts to fundraise for their schools, but with the short notice, were unable to raise enough money to keep the schools open in the archdiocese’s eyes. But at one Catholic school, families aren’t giving up.Jillian Bernas Garcia and a coalition of parents made an appeal to the Vatican to keep the school open. Under canon law, the Catholic Church’s legal structure, a “remonstratio” is an option of recourse for Catholics who disagree with a decision made by local Church hierarchy.‘We intend to be here for many more years to come’According to Garcia, families have been directed to enroll in public school while enrolling their children in catechesis at the parish. For Garcia, this isn’t good enough.“When the decision was made to close the school, the pastor and finance committee wrote that families can attend local public schools and utilize faith formation classes at the parish,” Garcia told EWTN News.“For us and our fellow school families, Catholic schools play an important role in youth faith formation,” she said, “and an emphasis should be placed on the school instead of shutting it down, especially considering the important growth the Catholic Church is seeing among young people who will turn to Catholic schools to educate their children.”Garcia’s oldest son and daughter attend early childhood education classes at St. Hubert. Jillian Bernas Garcia (center) is leading a coalition of parents striving to keep their local Catholic school open by appealing to the Vatican. She is pictured above with her husband, Angel, and their three children. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jillian Bernas Garcia What inspired her to appeal the decision, she said, is “the families whose children’s spiritual needs are met through their education at our school.”“Integrating faith into their daily lives is something we value and practice at home,” Garcia said.The parent coalition is working with a Pennsylvania-based canon lawyer, Laura Morrison, who has helped other schools appeal in the past.The archdiocese on Feb. 24 denied the initial appeal made by parents, but now, with the help of an experienced canon lawyer, the parents are appealing to the Vatican itself.“We selected St. Hubert after considering various schools,” Garcia said. “And we intend to be here for many more years to come and eventually send our youngest as well.”A financial audit found the school is ‘viable’As part of the remonstratio, a third party audited the school and found, according to Garcia, that the school could be financially viable if some changes are made.“A coalition of parents had a forensic auditor and certified fraud examiner prepare a financial report showing financial viability for the next five years,” she said. “With a decrease of 10% in costs or an increase in revenue-generating activities the school could be cash-flow-positive in two years.”The financial analysis found that “the school could operate for more than five years at its current deficit and became cash-flow-positive within two years with a modest 10% reduction in salary costs,” according to the financial report provided by the parents.The audit found the deficit is “driven primarily by staffing costs rather than enrollment decline, facilities, or debt service.”“Immediate closure is not financially required,” according to the financial analysis.Garcia said that part of the reason for the decline in enrollment was the removal of a large chunk of student tuition assistance the previous school year, leading to 48 students having to disenroll.“Parents had been successful last school year in lowering the deficit and increasing enrollment despite administration,” Garcia said. “Parish administration and the Archdiocese of Chicago then took drastic actions to put the school in a poor financial position to make an argument for closure.” St. Hubert operates in what Garcia described as “a diverse, strong working-class community.”“It should be a thriving school, but it suffers from poor administration and archdiocesan leadership that is quick to close the school instead of working to invest in it as an important center of youth faith formation,” Garcia said.The Archdiocese of Chicago and St. Hubert did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.In the January announcement of the closures, Greg Richmond, superintendent of schools for the archdiocese, said: “We made these decisions with heavy hearts after months of discussions with each school. We know the importance of these schools in each community. Unfortunately, the enrollment of each school is too low, and the ongoing deficits are too high. Many people have worked hard at each school to raise money and try to boost enrollment. We recognize and value those efforts but, in the end, the schools were not able to close the gaps and they are no longer sustainable.”In the meantime, the parents’ coalition awaits a decision on whether the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education will hear the case. It could take approximately six months for the Vatican to make a decision.
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Chicago Catholic parents appeal to Vatican to keep school open – #Catholic – More than 100 Chicago-area Catholic parents are appealing to the Vatican to keep open what one school mom describes as “the only Catholic option in the largest elementary school district in Illinois,” the pope’s home state.St. Hubert Catholic School in northwest suburban Hoffman Estates is one of seven Chicago archdiocesan Catholic schools closing at the end of this year after the archdiocese announced in January that the schools were “no longer sustainable.” Parents across the archdiocese made efforts to fundraise for their schools, but with the short notice, were unable to raise enough money to keep the schools open in the archdiocese’s eyes. But at one Catholic school, families aren’t giving up.Jillian Bernas Garcia and a coalition of parents made an appeal to the Vatican to keep the school open. Under canon law, the Catholic Church’s legal structure, a “remonstratio” is an option of recourse for Catholics who disagree with a decision made by local Church hierarchy.‘We intend to be here for many more years to come’According to Garcia, families have been directed to enroll in public school while enrolling their children in catechesis at the parish. For Garcia, this isn’t good enough.“When the decision was made to close the school, the pastor and finance committee wrote that families can attend local public schools and utilize faith formation classes at the parish,” Garcia told EWTN News.“For us and our fellow school families, Catholic schools play an important role in youth faith formation,” she said, “and an emphasis should be placed on the school instead of shutting it down, especially considering the important growth the Catholic Church is seeing among young people who will turn to Catholic schools to educate their children.”Garcia’s oldest son and daughter attend early childhood education classes at St. Hubert. Jillian Bernas Garcia (center) is leading a coalition of parents striving to keep their local Catholic school open by appealing to the Vatican. She is pictured above with her husband, Angel, and their three children. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jillian Bernas Garcia What inspired her to appeal the decision, she said, is “the families whose children’s spiritual needs are met through their education at our school.”“Integrating faith into their daily lives is something we value and practice at home,” Garcia said.The parent coalition is working with a Pennsylvania-based canon lawyer, Laura Morrison, who has helped other schools appeal in the past.The archdiocese on Feb. 24 denied the initial appeal made by parents, but now, with the help of an experienced canon lawyer, the parents are appealing to the Vatican itself.“We selected St. Hubert after considering various schools,” Garcia said. “And we intend to be here for many more years to come and eventually send our youngest as well.”A financial audit found the school is ‘viable’As part of the remonstratio, a third party audited the school and found, according to Garcia, that the school could be financially viable if some changes are made.“A coalition of parents had a forensic auditor and certified fraud examiner prepare a financial report showing financial viability for the next five years,” she said. “With a decrease of 10% in costs or an increase in revenue-generating activities the school could be cash-flow-positive in two years.”The financial analysis found that “the school could operate for more than five years at its current deficit and became cash-flow-positive within two years with a modest 10% reduction in salary costs,” according to the financial report provided by the parents.The audit found the deficit is “driven primarily by staffing costs rather than enrollment decline, facilities, or debt service.”“Immediate closure is not financially required,” according to the financial analysis.Garcia said that part of the reason for the decline in enrollment was the removal of a large chunk of student tuition assistance the previous school year, leading to 48 students having to disenroll.“Parents had been successful last school year in lowering the deficit and increasing enrollment despite administration,” Garcia said. “Parish administration and the Archdiocese of Chicago then took drastic actions to put the school in a poor financial position to make an argument for closure.” St. Hubert operates in what Garcia described as “a diverse, strong working-class community.”“It should be a thriving school, but it suffers from poor administration and archdiocesan leadership that is quick to close the school instead of working to invest in it as an important center of youth faith formation,” Garcia said.The Archdiocese of Chicago and St. Hubert did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.In the January announcement of the closures, Greg Richmond, superintendent of schools for the archdiocese, said: “We made these decisions with heavy hearts after months of discussions with each school. We know the importance of these schools in each community. Unfortunately, the enrollment of each school is too low, and the ongoing deficits are too high. Many people have worked hard at each school to raise money and try to boost enrollment. We recognize and value those efforts but, in the end, the schools were not able to close the gaps and they are no longer sustainable.”In the meantime, the parents’ coalition awaits a decision on whether the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education will hear the case. It could take approximately six months for the Vatican to make a decision.

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After the Archdiocese of Chicago closed St. Hubert Catholic School, parents are appealing to the Vatican, saying the school could still be viable.

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NASA’s $30B plan to build a Moon base

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Over the next decade, NASA plans to spend tens of billions of dollars on what one official called “humanity’s first deep-space outpost.” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman kicked off the space agency’s “Ignition” event Tuesday with the revelation that it will pause work on the Lunar Gateway space station, a sizable portion of which has alreadyContinue reading “NASA’s $30B plan to build a Moon base”

The post NASA’s $30B plan to build a Moon base appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Mysterious Investor ‘Pancy_Nelosi’ Makes Millions On Oil Trade Minutes Before Trump’s Iran Announcement #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Just minutes before President Donald Trump announced a peace deal with Iran was close, a mysterious investor named "Pancy_Nelosi" placed hundreds of millions on a speculative trade that oil prices would plummet.
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Mysterious Investor ‘Pancy_Nelosi’ Makes Millions On Oil Trade Minutes Before Trump’s Iran Announcement #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Just minutes before President Donald Trump announced a peace deal with Iran was close, a mysterious investor named "Pancy_Nelosi" placed hundreds of millions on a speculative trade that oil prices would plummet.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Just minutes before President Donald Trump announced a peace deal with Iran was close, a mysterious investor named "Pancy_Nelosi" placed hundreds of millions on a speculative trade that oil prices would plummet.

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U.S. bishops hold ecumenical meeting with evangelicals for joint migration initiative #Catholic The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) took part in an ecumenical meeting with the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) to engage in dialogue and collaborate on pastoral solutions to heightened immigration enforcement.The meeting was held on March 24 to launch the Evangelical-Catholic Dialogue on Immigration (ECDI) — a joint initiative focused on the subject.It builds on previous collaborations, particularly a report on how President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans could affect Christian families. According to a USCCB news release, Catholic and evangelical leaders continue to grapple with pastoral challenges related to the policy, such as an increase in fear and anxiety among members.“I view the ECDI as a means of growing in Christian unity with our evangelical brothers and sisters, while also furthering our shared goal of bringing the message of the Gospel to bear on one of the most pressing issues of our time,” Bishop Brendan Cahill, chair of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, said in a statement.Cahill co-chairs the ECDI with the Rev. Walter Kim, president of the NAE. It also includes five other Catholic and five other evangelical members and organizational observers.“Whatever theological differences exist between us, Catholics and evangelicals across our country are navigating many of the same complex realities — political and social — and the issue of immigration is an important example,” Cahill said. “Together, we place our hope in Jesus Christ, and we seek to live out his teaching in relation to this challenging topic.”Cahill cited Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on dialogue being necessary for “peace, understanding, and fraternity, especially between different faith traditions.” He expressed gratitude for Kim’s leadership and “willingness to collaborate in this way and for the commitment of all those participating.”In November, the USCCB voted 216-5 to oppose “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” The bishops have expressed concerns that the Department of Homeland Security rescinded guidelines that had previously limited immigration enforcement at “sensitive locations,” including churches.
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U.S. bishops hold ecumenical meeting with evangelicals for joint migration initiative #Catholic The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) took part in an ecumenical meeting with the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) to engage in dialogue and collaborate on pastoral solutions to heightened immigration enforcement.The meeting was held on March 24 to launch the Evangelical-Catholic Dialogue on Immigration (ECDI) — a joint initiative focused on the subject.It builds on previous collaborations, particularly a report on how President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans could affect Christian families. According to a USCCB news release, Catholic and evangelical leaders continue to grapple with pastoral challenges related to the policy, such as an increase in fear and anxiety among members.“I view the ECDI as a means of growing in Christian unity with our evangelical brothers and sisters, while also furthering our shared goal of bringing the message of the Gospel to bear on one of the most pressing issues of our time,” Bishop Brendan Cahill, chair of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, said in a statement.Cahill co-chairs the ECDI with the Rev. Walter Kim, president of the NAE. It also includes five other Catholic and five other evangelical members and organizational observers.“Whatever theological differences exist between us, Catholics and evangelicals across our country are navigating many of the same complex realities — political and social — and the issue of immigration is an important example,” Cahill said. “Together, we place our hope in Jesus Christ, and we seek to live out his teaching in relation to this challenging topic.”Cahill cited Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on dialogue being necessary for “peace, understanding, and fraternity, especially between different faith traditions.” He expressed gratitude for Kim’s leadership and “willingness to collaborate in this way and for the commitment of all those participating.”In November, the USCCB voted 216-5 to oppose “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” The bishops have expressed concerns that the Department of Homeland Security rescinded guidelines that had previously limited immigration enforcement at “sensitive locations,” including churches.

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Bishop Brendan Cahill noted the importance of ecumenical approaches to “one of the most pressing issues of our time.”

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Catholic bishops in Africa release final report addressing pastoral challenge of polygamy #Catholic NAIROBI, Kenya — Catholic bishops in Africa have released a final report addressing the pastoral challenge of polygamy across Africa. The 25-page document responds directly to the mandate that the multiyear XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the Synod on Synodality, gave to members of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) “to promote theological and pastoral discernment on the issue of polygamy.”Compiled by a SECAM commission made up of selected theologians and professionals from relevant ecclesiastical disciplines, the report presents a structured reflection on the phenomenon through what it describes as a process of “quadruple listening”: attentive engagement with African cultural realities, sacred Scripture, Church teaching on Christian marriage, and pastoral practices already operative within ecclesial communities across the continent.Polygamy within the context of the African familyThe report begins by situating polygamy within the broader cultural and religious context of the African family. According to the SECAM commission: “The African family is built on the covenant: an alliance between human groups, an alliance with ancestors, and an alliance with God.”Within this worldview, the birth of children is central. The commission members explained that “at the heart of this family, the child represents an inestimable treasure, a divine blessing. He perpetuates the name of the lineage while helping to consolidate the present life.”It is within this framework that members of the SECAM commission situated polygamy, defined as “a marital regime in which an individual is linked at the same time to several spouses.” They clarified that although the term technically includes both polyandry and polygyny, the latter — a man married to multiple women — remains by far the most common form in Africa.Historically, the practice emerged from specific social needs. In early agrarian and nomadic societies, large families provided economic stability and security, they noted, recalling: “Polygamous marriages were practiced not only for the sake of large families, but also for reasons of solidarity, alliances, and political objectives.”Marriage in traditional African societies also carried communal and spiritual dimensions that made divorce rare, they further noted, recalling that marriage ceremonies involved not only the spouses but entire families and even calling upon ancestors, reflecting a deeply communal understanding of family life. SECAM president Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo (left) and secretary-general Father Rafael Simbine Junior (right). | Credit: ACI Africa Biblical discernmentTurning to Scripture, the SECAM commission members noted that the Bible itself reflects diverse marital practices. In the Old Testament world, “forms of marriage varied, from polygamy to monogamy,” and several biblical figures lived in polygamous unions.Nevertheless, the commission members stressed in the report that monogamy gradually emerged as the biblical ideal. They pointed to the Book of Tobit as a text that strongly “exalts monogamy,” describing families that are “strictly monogamous” and characterized by fidelity and religious devotion.The commission members interpreted this development as part of what they call a “divine pedagogy.” According to their report, God allowed polygamy historically but ultimately revealed the ideal of monogamous marriage through Christ.“In his Son, he shows that polygamy is not the ideal couple desired by God,” they said, emphasizing Jesus’ teaching that marriage is a union between “one man and one woman.”This biblical reflection also addressed one of the most common cultural motivations for polygamy — infertility. The commission insisted that biological impediments to fertility do not justify polygamy.They explained that biblical tradition broadens the understanding of motherhood and fatherhood beyond biological reproduction. True fruitfulness, the commission members wrote, can consist in fidelity to God and virtuous life rather than biological offspring alone.Ethical questions raised by polygamyThe report on the pastoral challenges of polygamy raised ethical questions about whether the core meaning of Christian marriage can be reconciled with polygamous unions. The commission highlighted the Christian understanding of marriage as a total mutual gift between two persons.“If marriage translates into ‘the gift of oneself to another,’ one might wonder how a man or woman can experience this ‘gift of self’ by giving themselves to several wives or husbands at the same time,” they observed.Commission members also raised questions about emotional and psychological dimensions, asking whether shared marital relationships risk undermining authentic communion between spouses.The Christian understanding of marriage, they noted, is further illuminated by the apostle Paul’s comparison of marriage with the relationship between Christ and the Church — a singular and exclusive covenant of love.Pastoral challenges: Baptism and sacramental lifeThe commission acknowledged that polygamy has long posed pastoral challenges for the Church in Africa, especially when individuals living in polygamous unions seek baptism or integration into Catholic communities.Historically, missionaries often approached the issue by requiring monogamy as a condition for baptism, they recalled, adding that “monogamous marriage was therefore a requirement for being or becoming a Christian.”Today, however, pastoral practice has evolved in many African dioceses, they said, identifying several pastoral approaches currently used within local churches.One approach requires a man seeking full sacramental participation to choose one spouse while continuing to provide for the other women and their children.Another response is the “permanent catechumenate,” in which a polygamous individual participates in catechetical formation and community life without receiving baptism or the other sacraments due to the continuing marital situation.A third practice involves baptizing the first wife when she has been placed in a polygamous relationship without her consent. In such cases, she may be fully integrated into the Christian community while remaining within her family environment.Position on baptism for polygamistsOne of the clearest conclusions of the SECAM commission concerned the sacrament of baptism. The commission argued that baptizing someone who intends to remain in a polygamous union risks undermining the theological meaning of baptism itself.“Baptizing a polygamist who will continue to remain so would give every appearance of legitimizing this irregularity and could distort or even devalue baptism of its substance,” they stated.For this reason, the commission recommended that baptism should normally follow a clear commitment to monogamous marriage.According to their report, polygamous catechumens should undergo thorough preparation and be ready to “accept the Gospel message, adhere to the Christian ideal, and commit to monogamous marriage before receiving baptism.”Implications for Catholics living in polygamous familiesAt the pastoral level, the members of the commission stressed accompaniment rather than exclusion. The Church, the report says, must practice “a pastoral approach of proximity, listening, and accompaniment.”This approach acknowledges that many polygamous families cannot easily dissolve existing marital bonds. In such cases, pastoral accompaniment may maintain the family structure while gradually introducing the Christian vision of marriage.The commission noted that some members of polygamous families — particularly the first wife and children — may meet the conditions for full sacramental participation, while others may live their faith “in a penitent manner and in the hope of full integration into the community of Jesus’ disciples.”Ultimately, the commission members framed the issue as part of a broader process of inculturation. The challenge for the Church in Africa, they concluded, is to present the Gospel within cultural realities while remaining faithful to the Christian understanding of marriage.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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Catholic bishops in Africa release final report addressing pastoral challenge of polygamy #Catholic NAIROBI, Kenya — Catholic bishops in Africa have released a final report addressing the pastoral challenge of polygamy across Africa. The 25-page document responds directly to the mandate that the multiyear XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the Synod on Synodality, gave to members of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) “to promote theological and pastoral discernment on the issue of polygamy.”Compiled by a SECAM commission made up of selected theologians and professionals from relevant ecclesiastical disciplines, the report presents a structured reflection on the phenomenon through what it describes as a process of “quadruple listening”: attentive engagement with African cultural realities, sacred Scripture, Church teaching on Christian marriage, and pastoral practices already operative within ecclesial communities across the continent.Polygamy within the context of the African familyThe report begins by situating polygamy within the broader cultural and religious context of the African family. According to the SECAM commission: “The African family is built on the covenant: an alliance between human groups, an alliance with ancestors, and an alliance with God.”Within this worldview, the birth of children is central. The commission members explained that “at the heart of this family, the child represents an inestimable treasure, a divine blessing. He perpetuates the name of the lineage while helping to consolidate the present life.”It is within this framework that members of the SECAM commission situated polygamy, defined as “a marital regime in which an individual is linked at the same time to several spouses.” They clarified that although the term technically includes both polyandry and polygyny, the latter — a man married to multiple women — remains by far the most common form in Africa.Historically, the practice emerged from specific social needs. In early agrarian and nomadic societies, large families provided economic stability and security, they noted, recalling: “Polygamous marriages were practiced not only for the sake of large families, but also for reasons of solidarity, alliances, and political objectives.”Marriage in traditional African societies also carried communal and spiritual dimensions that made divorce rare, they further noted, recalling that marriage ceremonies involved not only the spouses but entire families and even calling upon ancestors, reflecting a deeply communal understanding of family life. SECAM president Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo (left) and secretary-general Father Rafael Simbine Junior (right). | Credit: ACI Africa Biblical discernmentTurning to Scripture, the SECAM commission members noted that the Bible itself reflects diverse marital practices. In the Old Testament world, “forms of marriage varied, from polygamy to monogamy,” and several biblical figures lived in polygamous unions.Nevertheless, the commission members stressed in the report that monogamy gradually emerged as the biblical ideal. They pointed to the Book of Tobit as a text that strongly “exalts monogamy,” describing families that are “strictly monogamous” and characterized by fidelity and religious devotion.The commission members interpreted this development as part of what they call a “divine pedagogy.” According to their report, God allowed polygamy historically but ultimately revealed the ideal of monogamous marriage through Christ.“In his Son, he shows that polygamy is not the ideal couple desired by God,” they said, emphasizing Jesus’ teaching that marriage is a union between “one man and one woman.”This biblical reflection also addressed one of the most common cultural motivations for polygamy — infertility. The commission insisted that biological impediments to fertility do not justify polygamy.They explained that biblical tradition broadens the understanding of motherhood and fatherhood beyond biological reproduction. True fruitfulness, the commission members wrote, can consist in fidelity to God and virtuous life rather than biological offspring alone.Ethical questions raised by polygamyThe report on the pastoral challenges of polygamy raised ethical questions about whether the core meaning of Christian marriage can be reconciled with polygamous unions. The commission highlighted the Christian understanding of marriage as a total mutual gift between two persons.“If marriage translates into ‘the gift of oneself to another,’ one might wonder how a man or woman can experience this ‘gift of self’ by giving themselves to several wives or husbands at the same time,” they observed.Commission members also raised questions about emotional and psychological dimensions, asking whether shared marital relationships risk undermining authentic communion between spouses.The Christian understanding of marriage, they noted, is further illuminated by the apostle Paul’s comparison of marriage with the relationship between Christ and the Church — a singular and exclusive covenant of love.Pastoral challenges: Baptism and sacramental lifeThe commission acknowledged that polygamy has long posed pastoral challenges for the Church in Africa, especially when individuals living in polygamous unions seek baptism or integration into Catholic communities.Historically, missionaries often approached the issue by requiring monogamy as a condition for baptism, they recalled, adding that “monogamous marriage was therefore a requirement for being or becoming a Christian.”Today, however, pastoral practice has evolved in many African dioceses, they said, identifying several pastoral approaches currently used within local churches.One approach requires a man seeking full sacramental participation to choose one spouse while continuing to provide for the other women and their children.Another response is the “permanent catechumenate,” in which a polygamous individual participates in catechetical formation and community life without receiving baptism or the other sacraments due to the continuing marital situation.A third practice involves baptizing the first wife when she has been placed in a polygamous relationship without her consent. In such cases, she may be fully integrated into the Christian community while remaining within her family environment.Position on baptism for polygamistsOne of the clearest conclusions of the SECAM commission concerned the sacrament of baptism. The commission argued that baptizing someone who intends to remain in a polygamous union risks undermining the theological meaning of baptism itself.“Baptizing a polygamist who will continue to remain so would give every appearance of legitimizing this irregularity and could distort or even devalue baptism of its substance,” they stated.For this reason, the commission recommended that baptism should normally follow a clear commitment to monogamous marriage.According to their report, polygamous catechumens should undergo thorough preparation and be ready to “accept the Gospel message, adhere to the Christian ideal, and commit to monogamous marriage before receiving baptism.”Implications for Catholics living in polygamous familiesAt the pastoral level, the members of the commission stressed accompaniment rather than exclusion. The Church, the report says, must practice “a pastoral approach of proximity, listening, and accompaniment.”This approach acknowledges that many polygamous families cannot easily dissolve existing marital bonds. In such cases, pastoral accompaniment may maintain the family structure while gradually introducing the Christian vision of marriage.The commission noted that some members of polygamous families — particularly the first wife and children — may meet the conditions for full sacramental participation, while others may live their faith “in a penitent manner and in the hope of full integration into the community of Jesus’ disciples.”Ultimately, the commission members framed the issue as part of a broader process of inculturation. The challenge for the Church in Africa, they concluded, is to present the Gospel within cultural realities while remaining faithful to the Christian understanding of marriage.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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SECAM has issued a 25-page final report addressing the pastoral challenge of polygamy across Africa, a direct response to a mandate given at the Synod on Synodality.

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Alaskan Chrism Masses: bishops and priests unite with joy #Catholic – In most parts of the world, Catholic dioceses celebrate the Chrism Mass during Holy Week as they prepare for the Sacred Triduum. However, in Alaska, this annual liturgy typically follows a different schedule. The Church in this vast state, covering 665,384 square miles, usually holds Chrism Masses a few weeks before Holy Week. That’s to enable the many missionary priests, who travel long distances to serve their remote faith communities, to receive the sacred oils, which are consecrated during the Mass, or to have them mailed to their parishes by around Eastertime. The packages contain the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of Catechumens, and the Oil of Chrism, which priests use throughout the year. Father Kamil Kiszka, moderator of St. Joseph Parish in Kotlik and Holy Family in Mertarvik, serves remote southwestern Alaska villages with populations ranging from 200 to 750. He is also a priest of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. This year, Father Kiszka had a satisfying spiritual moment during a noteworthy Chrism Mass on March 12, following the recent Alaska Priestly Convocation. Every year, priests ministering in Alaska gather for three days of priestly fraternity and spiritual development at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Anchorage, in the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. At the end of their convocation, priests from Anchorage-Juneau celebrate the Chrism Mass with Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, while priests from the Diocese of Fairbanks travel to Fairbanks to celebrate the Mass with Bishop Steven Maekawa, O.P. “It was wonderful to be in the presence of the two bishops and my brother priests for the time of convocation. I was even happier to celebrate the Chrism Mass in Fairbanks with the diocesan priests. During the Mass, we receive the sacred oils from the bishop, which unite us priests with the bishop in our ministry. It’s great to have a sense of spiritual support and unity,” said Father Kiszka. “The oils are a sign of the grace of God, which I pass on to the people as a priest to strengthen them spiritually.” Father Kiszka attended an “Oil Mass” last year in Bethel, which he said was unique but lacked the spiritual and fraternal elements of the Chrism Mass, where the bishop consecrates the holy oils and priests renew their promises. After the Chrism Mass in Fairbanks, large bottles of the sacred oils were taken by one of the priests to another city, Bethel. There, the oils were redistributed at a local church into many smaller bottles, which were sent to some remote parishes. Father Kiszka was able to pick up the set of oils for his parish in Kotlik, located on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta near the coast. However, the set for his parish in Mertarvik has to wait for his next trip to visit the village. Unpredictable winter flights make airmail deliveries of the oils difficult. Oils are mailed to parishes without resident priests. In some cases, one priest serves multiple parishes, so oils are mailed ahead when he cannot visit all of them before Easter. The considerable logistics of distributing and mailing the holy oils only hint at the difficulties faced by mission priests living and ministering in Alaska’s “bush” country. Father Kiszka started his full-time missionary work in Alaska in 2024 and is expected to return to Paterson this July. The Polish-born priest travels by snowmobile, boat, and four-wheel vehicle. Sometimes he faces sub-zero temperatures. He often lacks access to running water, showers, restrooms, phone service, the Internet, transportation, or food supplies. To reach Mertarvik, Father Kiszka takes three planes. He sleeps on the floor in the local school to celebrate Mass for parishioners the next day. He enjoys hearing confessions in Yugtun, the native language of the Yupik Indigenous peoples. He also enjoys singing the “Our Father” in Yugtun during Mass. This winter has been the toughest in Alaska since the 1990s. Illustrating the difficulties, pipes broke in his church in Kotlik, and the city of North Pole, near Fairbanks, experienced extreme temperatures of -66 degrees below zero, according to Father Kiszka. “Missionary priests like me are getting a sense that there is a wider Church in the world. It’s challenging, but with God’s grace, I see that I’m doing something here in Alaska that will continue: the building up of the Church,” Father Kiszka said. “I’m bringing God with me to the native people I have been serving. I want to help make their faith more alive than I have in myself and my priesthood.”  
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Alaskan Chrism Masses: bishops and priests unite with joy #Catholic – In most parts of the world, Catholic dioceses celebrate the Chrism Mass during Holy Week as they prepare for the Sacred Triduum. However, in Alaska, this annual liturgy typically follows a different schedule. The Church in this vast state, covering 665,384 square miles, usually holds Chrism Masses a few weeks before Holy Week. That’s to enable the many missionary priests, who travel long distances to serve their remote faith communities, to receive the sacred oils, which are consecrated during the Mass, or to have them mailed to their parishes by around Eastertime. The packages contain the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of Catechumens, and the Oil of Chrism, which priests use throughout the year. Father Kamil Kiszka, moderator of St. Joseph Parish in Kotlik and Holy Family in Mertarvik, serves remote southwestern Alaska villages with populations ranging from 200 to 750. He is also a priest of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. This year, Father Kiszka had a satisfying spiritual moment during a noteworthy Chrism Mass on March 12, following the recent Alaska Priestly Convocation. Every year, priests ministering in Alaska gather for three days of priestly fraternity and spiritual development at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Anchorage, in the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. At the end of their convocation, priests from Anchorage-Juneau celebrate the Chrism Mass with Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, while priests from the Diocese of Fairbanks travel to Fairbanks to celebrate the Mass with Bishop Steven Maekawa, O.P. “It was wonderful to be in the presence of the two bishops and my brother priests for the time of convocation. I was even happier to celebrate the Chrism Mass in Fairbanks with the diocesan priests. During the Mass, we receive the sacred oils from the bishop, which unite us priests with the bishop in our ministry. It’s great to have a sense of spiritual support and unity,” said Father Kiszka. “The oils are a sign of the grace of God, which I pass on to the people as a priest to strengthen them spiritually.” Father Kiszka attended an “Oil Mass” last year in Bethel, which he said was unique but lacked the spiritual and fraternal elements of the Chrism Mass, where the bishop consecrates the holy oils and priests renew their promises. After the Chrism Mass in Fairbanks, large bottles of the sacred oils were taken by one of the priests to another city, Bethel. There, the oils were redistributed at a local church into many smaller bottles, which were sent to some remote parishes. Father Kiszka was able to pick up the set of oils for his parish in Kotlik, located on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta near the coast. However, the set for his parish in Mertarvik has to wait for his next trip to visit the village. Unpredictable winter flights make airmail deliveries of the oils difficult. Oils are mailed to parishes without resident priests. In some cases, one priest serves multiple parishes, so oils are mailed ahead when he cannot visit all of them before Easter. The considerable logistics of distributing and mailing the holy oils only hint at the difficulties faced by mission priests living and ministering in Alaska’s “bush” country. Father Kiszka started his full-time missionary work in Alaska in 2024 and is expected to return to Paterson this July. The Polish-born priest travels by snowmobile, boat, and four-wheel vehicle. Sometimes he faces sub-zero temperatures. He often lacks access to running water, showers, restrooms, phone service, the Internet, transportation, or food supplies. To reach Mertarvik, Father Kiszka takes three planes. He sleeps on the floor in the local school to celebrate Mass for parishioners the next day. He enjoys hearing confessions in Yugtun, the native language of the Yupik Indigenous peoples. He also enjoys singing the “Our Father” in Yugtun during Mass. This winter has been the toughest in Alaska since the 1990s. Illustrating the difficulties, pipes broke in his church in Kotlik, and the city of North Pole, near Fairbanks, experienced extreme temperatures of -66 degrees below zero, according to Father Kiszka. “Missionary priests like me are getting a sense that there is a wider Church in the world. It’s challenging, but with God’s grace, I see that I’m doing something here in Alaska that will continue: the building up of the Church,” Father Kiszka said. “I’m bringing God with me to the native people I have been serving. I want to help make their faith more alive than I have in myself and my priesthood.”  

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Alaskan Chrism Masses: bishops and priests unite with joy #Catholic –

In most parts of the world, Catholic dioceses celebrate the Chrism Mass during Holy Week as they prepare for the Sacred Triduum. However, in Alaska, this annual liturgy typically follows a different schedule.

The Church in this vast state, covering 665,384 square miles, usually holds Chrism Masses a few weeks before Holy Week. That’s to enable the many missionary priests, who travel long distances to serve their remote faith communities, to receive the sacred oils, which are consecrated during the Mass, or to have them mailed to their parishes by around Eastertime. The packages contain the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of Catechumens, and the Oil of Chrism, which priests use throughout the year.

Father Kamil Kiszka, moderator of St. Joseph Parish in Kotlik and Holy Family in Mertarvik, serves remote southwestern Alaska villages with populations ranging from 200 to 750. He is also a priest of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

This year, Father Kiszka had a satisfying spiritual moment during a noteworthy Chrism Mass on March 12, following the recent Alaska Priestly Convocation. Every year, priests ministering in Alaska gather for three days of priestly fraternity and spiritual development at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Anchorage, in the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau.

At the end of their convocation, priests from Anchorage-Juneau celebrate the Chrism Mass with Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, while priests from the Diocese of Fairbanks travel to Fairbanks to celebrate the Mass with Bishop Steven Maekawa, O.P.

“It was wonderful to be in the presence of the two bishops and my brother priests for the time of convocation. I was even happier to celebrate the Chrism Mass in Fairbanks with the diocesan priests. During the Mass, we receive the sacred oils from the bishop, which unite us priests with the bishop in our ministry. It’s great to have a sense of spiritual support and unity,” said Father Kiszka. “The oils are a sign of the grace of God, which I pass on to the people as a priest to strengthen them spiritually.”

Father Kiszka attended an “Oil Mass” last year in Bethel, which he said was unique but lacked the spiritual and fraternal elements of the Chrism Mass, where the bishop consecrates the holy oils and priests renew their promises.

After the Chrism Mass in Fairbanks, large bottles of the sacred oils were taken by one of the priests to another city, Bethel. There, the oils were redistributed at a local church into many smaller bottles, which were sent to some remote parishes. Father Kiszka was able to pick up the set of oils for his parish in Kotlik, located on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta near the coast.

However, the set for his parish in Mertarvik has to wait for his next trip to visit the village.
Unpredictable winter flights make airmail deliveries of the oils difficult. Oils are mailed to parishes without resident priests. In some cases, one priest serves multiple parishes, so oils are mailed ahead when he cannot visit all of them before Easter.

The considerable logistics of distributing and mailing the holy oils only hint at the difficulties faced by mission priests living and ministering in Alaska’s “bush” country. Father Kiszka started his full-time missionary work in Alaska in 2024 and is expected to return to Paterson this July.
The Polish-born priest travels by snowmobile, boat, and four-wheel vehicle. Sometimes he faces sub-zero temperatures. He often lacks access to running water, showers, restrooms, phone service, the Internet, transportation, or food supplies.

To reach Mertarvik, Father Kiszka takes three planes. He sleeps on the floor in the local school to celebrate Mass for parishioners the next day. He enjoys hearing confessions in Yugtun, the native language of the Yupik Indigenous peoples. He also enjoys singing the “Our Father” in Yugtun during Mass.

This winter has been the toughest in Alaska since the 1990s. Illustrating the difficulties, pipes broke in his church in Kotlik, and the city of North Pole, near Fairbanks, experienced extreme temperatures of -66 degrees below zero, according to Father Kiszka.

“Missionary priests like me are getting a sense that there is a wider Church in the world. It’s challenging, but with God’s grace, I see that I’m doing something here in Alaska that will continue: the building up of the Church,” Father Kiszka said. “I’m bringing God with me to the native people I have been serving. I want to help make their faith more alive than I have in myself and my priesthood.”

 

– In most parts of the world, Catholic dioceses celebrate the Chrism Mass during Holy Week as they prepare for the Sacred Triduum. However, in Alaska, this annual liturgy typically follows a different schedule. The Church in this vast state, covering 665,384 square miles, usually holds Chrism Masses a few weeks before Holy Week. That’s to enable the many missionary priests, who travel long distances to serve their remote faith communities, to receive the sacred oils, which are consecrated during the Mass, or to have them mailed to their parishes by around Eastertime. The packages contain the Oil of the Sick,

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‘Everything’s possible in Christ’: EPIC group is transforming young lives at St. Anthony of Padua #Catholic – A youth ministry of the Diocese of Paterson gathers more than 40 young adults every week — people who are looking for something more than a meeting: they are looking for a family. Every week, at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, a group of young adults comes together to pray, share their faith, and grow side by side. The EPIC ministry — Everything’s Possible in Christ — has grown from humble beginnings into one of the most vibrant youth spaces in the Diocese of Paterson, drawing young adults from different cities and even from other states. The weekly gatherings combine faith reflection, Bible study, and prayer, but over time they have become something harder to put into words: a place where young people can arrive with their questions, their history, and their search — without fear of being judged. The group also organizes recreational activities — including a recent ski trip — that strengthen the bonds of community beyond the parish setting. A fire he didn’t want to let die For Danquiewiez González, it all began with a spiritual retreat and an experience he simply could not ignore. “I felt the fire of God’s love in my heart,” he recalls. “After the retreat ended, I didn’t want that fire to go out inside me — that’s why I decided to join the EPIC group, to keep learning more about God and strengthen my faith.” Since then, his involvement in the parish has only grown. He now serves as a lector at Mass and speaks about his faith with a clarity he traces directly to that moment of grace. “Now I see life from a different point of view. All of this is born from the fact that God is in my heart, and I want to serve Him with joy.” Jonathan Moran came to the group with a similar desire: to draw closer to his faith again and find accompaniment along the way. What he found was that — and more. “Since I joined the group, I’ve received many helpful resources and met people who are willing to help me in my discernment process,” he shares. Among the experiences that have marked him most is the group’s retreat. To describe what they lived during those days, Jonathan turns to the words of Psalm 133: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. An unexpected return Brenda Marte grew up in the Church. But like so many young people, her college years gradually drew her away from the practice of her faith. It was a personal experience of conversion that awakened in her the desire to come back. One day, she noticed an announcement in the parish bulletin for a young adult retreat. She decided to go. That seemingly small decision marked the beginning of a new chapter. “I have made friendships centered on God. My life has changed for the better,” she says today, with the simplicity of someone speaking from deep conviction rather than fleeting enthusiasm. Her commitment has continued to grow: she now serves as a catechist for the first year of Confirmation and participates in the Shalom missionary community in New York. What she treasures most about the group are the holy hours before the Blessed Sacrament. “There is something very special about being in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament together with all your friends. Knowing that there are so many young people seeking God, and that we have that mutual support — it is something truly beautiful.” Building a family, not just a group Behind EPIC’s growth are people who have invested their time and their hearts in building something that goes beyond a parish program. Kenneth Acevedo, one of the coordinators, describes his experience in EPIC as something deeply meaningful in his life. Reflecting on his involvement in the ministry, he explains that being part of the group was already a very valuable experience, but taking on the role of coordinator has been even more special. In his own words: “Being part of EPIC has been truly rewarding, but being a coordinator has been one of the best experiences of my life.” As he shares, the group has grown in recent years and now brings together young adults from different cities and even from other states. The goal of the ministry, he explains, is to offer a space where young people can feel heard and accompanied on their faith journey. With that purpose in mind, he adds: “We have created a place where young adults can come without feeling judged or alone.” Jessica Alvarez remembers the early days, when only a handful of people would show up to a given meeting. Today, it is not uncommon to see more than 40 young adults gathered on a single evening. For her, that growth cannot be explained by communication strategies or appealing programs — it comes down to something simpler: the human warmth of genuine welcome. “We strive to treat every person like a member of our family.” And to that family, the coordinators extend an open invitation to any young adult looking to deepen their faith, or who simply wants to find out whether there is something here for them. As Jessica puts it: “There is always a place for you in our family.” Visit the parish website or social media to learn more.        
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‘Everything’s possible in Christ’: EPIC group is transforming young lives at St. Anthony of Padua #Catholic – A youth ministry of the Diocese of Paterson gathers more than 40 young adults every week — people who are looking for something more than a meeting: they are looking for a family. Every week, at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, a group of young adults comes together to pray, share their faith, and grow side by side. The EPIC ministry — Everything’s Possible in Christ — has grown from humble beginnings into one of the most vibrant youth spaces in the Diocese of Paterson, drawing young adults from different cities and even from other states. The weekly gatherings combine faith reflection, Bible study, and prayer, but over time they have become something harder to put into words: a place where young people can arrive with their questions, their history, and their search — without fear of being judged. The group also organizes recreational activities — including a recent ski trip — that strengthen the bonds of community beyond the parish setting. A fire he didn’t want to let die For Danquiewiez González, it all began with a spiritual retreat and an experience he simply could not ignore. “I felt the fire of God’s love in my heart,” he recalls. “After the retreat ended, I didn’t want that fire to go out inside me — that’s why I decided to join the EPIC group, to keep learning more about God and strengthen my faith.” Since then, his involvement in the parish has only grown. He now serves as a lector at Mass and speaks about his faith with a clarity he traces directly to that moment of grace. “Now I see life from a different point of view. All of this is born from the fact that God is in my heart, and I want to serve Him with joy.” Jonathan Moran came to the group with a similar desire: to draw closer to his faith again and find accompaniment along the way. What he found was that — and more. “Since I joined the group, I’ve received many helpful resources and met people who are willing to help me in my discernment process,” he shares. Among the experiences that have marked him most is the group’s retreat. To describe what they lived during those days, Jonathan turns to the words of Psalm 133: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. An unexpected return Brenda Marte grew up in the Church. But like so many young people, her college years gradually drew her away from the practice of her faith. It was a personal experience of conversion that awakened in her the desire to come back. One day, she noticed an announcement in the parish bulletin for a young adult retreat. She decided to go. That seemingly small decision marked the beginning of a new chapter. “I have made friendships centered on God. My life has changed for the better,” she says today, with the simplicity of someone speaking from deep conviction rather than fleeting enthusiasm. Her commitment has continued to grow: she now serves as a catechist for the first year of Confirmation and participates in the Shalom missionary community in New York. What she treasures most about the group are the holy hours before the Blessed Sacrament. “There is something very special about being in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament together with all your friends. Knowing that there are so many young people seeking God, and that we have that mutual support — it is something truly beautiful.” Building a family, not just a group Behind EPIC’s growth are people who have invested their time and their hearts in building something that goes beyond a parish program. Kenneth Acevedo, one of the coordinators, describes his experience in EPIC as something deeply meaningful in his life. Reflecting on his involvement in the ministry, he explains that being part of the group was already a very valuable experience, but taking on the role of coordinator has been even more special. In his own words: “Being part of EPIC has been truly rewarding, but being a coordinator has been one of the best experiences of my life.” As he shares, the group has grown in recent years and now brings together young adults from different cities and even from other states. The goal of the ministry, he explains, is to offer a space where young people can feel heard and accompanied on their faith journey. With that purpose in mind, he adds: “We have created a place where young adults can come without feeling judged or alone.” Jessica Alvarez remembers the early days, when only a handful of people would show up to a given meeting. Today, it is not uncommon to see more than 40 young adults gathered on a single evening. For her, that growth cannot be explained by communication strategies or appealing programs — it comes down to something simpler: the human warmth of genuine welcome. “We strive to treat every person like a member of our family.” And to that family, the coordinators extend an open invitation to any young adult looking to deepen their faith, or who simply wants to find out whether there is something here for them. As Jessica puts it: “There is always a place for you in our family.” Visit the parish website or social media to learn more.        

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‘Everything’s possible in Christ’: EPIC group is transforming young lives at St. Anthony of Padua #Catholic –

A youth ministry of the Diocese of Paterson gathers more than 40 young adults every week — people who are looking for something more than a meeting: they are looking for a family.

Every week, at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, a group of young adults comes together to pray, share their faith, and grow side by side. The EPIC ministry — Everything’s Possible in Christ — has grown from humble beginnings into one of the most vibrant youth spaces in the Diocese of Paterson, drawing young adults from different cities and even from other states.

The weekly gatherings combine faith reflection, Bible study, and prayer, but over time they have become something harder to put into words: a place where young people can arrive with their questions, their history, and their search — without fear of being judged. The group also organizes recreational activities — including a recent ski trip — that strengthen the bonds of community beyond the parish setting.

A fire he didn’t want to let die

For Danquiewiez González, it all began with a spiritual retreat and an experience he simply could not ignore.

“I felt the fire of God’s love in my heart,” he recalls. “After the retreat ended, I didn’t want that fire to go out inside me — that’s why I decided to join the EPIC group, to keep learning more about God and strengthen my faith.”

Since then, his involvement in the parish has only grown. He now serves as a lector at Mass and speaks about his faith with a clarity he traces directly to that moment of grace. “Now I see life from a different point of view. All of this is born from the fact that God is in my heart, and I want to serve Him with joy.”

Jonathan Moran came to the group with a similar desire: to draw closer to his faith again and find accompaniment along the way. What he found was that — and more. “Since I joined the group, I’ve received many helpful resources and met people who are willing to help me in my discernment process,” he shares.

Among the experiences that have marked him most is the group’s retreat. To describe what they lived during those days, Jonathan turns to the words of Psalm 133: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity.”

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

An unexpected return

Brenda Marte grew up in the Church. But like so many young people, her college years gradually drew her away from the practice of her faith. It was a personal experience of conversion that awakened in her the desire to come back.

One day, she noticed an announcement in the parish bulletin for a young adult retreat. She decided to go. That seemingly small decision marked the beginning of a new chapter.

“I have made friendships centered on God. My life has changed for the better,” she says today, with the simplicity of someone speaking from deep conviction rather than fleeting enthusiasm. Her commitment has continued to grow: she now serves as a catechist for the first year of Confirmation and participates in the Shalom missionary community in New York.

What she treasures most about the group are the holy hours before the Blessed Sacrament. “There is something very special about being in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament together with all your friends. Knowing that there are so many young people seeking God, and that we have that mutual support — it is something truly beautiful.”

Building a family, not just a group

Behind EPIC’s growth are people who have invested their time and their hearts in building something that goes beyond a parish program.

Kenneth Acevedo, one of the coordinators, describes his experience in EPIC as something deeply meaningful in his life. Reflecting on his involvement in the ministry, he explains that being part of the group was already a very valuable experience, but taking on the role of coordinator has been even more special. In his own words: “Being part of EPIC has been truly rewarding, but being a coordinator has been one of the best experiences of my life.”

As he shares, the group has grown in recent years and now brings together young adults from different cities and even from other states. The goal of the ministry, he explains, is to offer a space where young people can feel heard and accompanied on their faith journey. With that purpose in mind, he adds: “We have created a place where young adults can come without feeling judged or alone.”

Jessica Alvarez remembers the early days, when only a handful of people would show up to a given meeting. Today, it is not uncommon to see more than 40 young adults gathered on a single evening. For her, that growth cannot be explained by communication strategies or appealing programs — it comes down to something simpler: the human warmth of genuine welcome. “We strive to treat every person like a member of our family.”

And to that family, the coordinators extend an open invitation to any young adult looking to deepen their faith, or who simply wants to find out whether there is something here for them. As Jessica puts it: “There is always a place for you in our family.”

Visit the parish website or social media to learn more.

 

 

 

 

– A youth ministry of the Diocese of Paterson gathers more than 40 young adults every week — people who are looking for something more than a meeting: they are looking for a family. Every week, at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, a group of young adults comes together to pray, share their faith, and grow side by side. The EPIC ministry — Everything’s Possible in Christ — has grown from humble beginnings into one of the most vibrant youth spaces in the Diocese of Paterson, drawing young adults from different cities and even from other states. The weekly

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Reminders of Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going – Moon rocks are seen during a March 24, 2026, event where NASA is outlining how the agency is executing the National Space Policy and accelerating preparations for America’s return to the surface of the Moon by 2028.

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Moon rocks are seen during a March 24, 2026, event where NASA is outlining how the agency is executing the National Space Policy and accelerating preparations for America’s return to the surface of the Moon by 2028.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 25 March 2026 – A reading from the Book of Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10 The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us!”   A reading from the letter to the Hebrews 10:4-10 Brothers and sisters: It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins. For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, O God.’” First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law. Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.From the Gospel according to Luke 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.The Annunciation, recounted at the beginning of St Luke’s Gospel, is a humble, hidden event – no one saw it, no one except Mary knew of it -, but at the same time it was crucial to the history of humanity. When the Virgin said her "yes" to the Angel’s announcement, Jesus was conceived and with him began the new era of history that was to be ratified in Easter as the "new and eternal Covenant". In fact, Mary’s "yes" perfectly mirrors that of Christ himself when he entered the world, as the Letter to the Hebrews says, interpreting Psalm 40[39]: "As is written of me in the book, I have come to do your will, O God" (Heb 10: 7). The Son’s obedience was reflected in that of the Mother and thus, through the encounter of these two "yeses", God was able to take on a human face. This is why the Annunciation is a Christological feast as well, because it celebrates a central mystery of Christ: the Incarnation. "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your Word". Mary’s reply to the Angel is extended in the Church, which is called to make Christ present in history, offering her own availability so that God may continue to visit humanity with his mercy. (Benedict XVI – Angelus, 25 March 2007)

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A reading from the Book of Isaiah
7:10-14; 8:10

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us!”

 

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews
10:4-10

Brothers and sisters:
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.’”

First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

From the Gospel according to Luke
1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

The Annunciation, recounted at the beginning of St Luke’s Gospel, is a humble, hidden event – no one saw it, no one except Mary knew of it -, but at the same time it was crucial to the history of humanity. When the Virgin said her "yes" to the Angel’s announcement, Jesus was conceived and with him began the new era of history that was to be ratified in Easter as the "new and eternal Covenant". In fact, Mary’s "yes" perfectly mirrors that of Christ himself when he entered the world, as the Letter to the Hebrews says, interpreting Psalm 40[39]: "As is written of me in the book, I have come to do your will, O God" (Heb 10: 7). The Son’s obedience was reflected in that of the Mother and thus, through the encounter of these two "yeses", God was able to take on a human face. This is why the Annunciation is a Christological feast as well, because it celebrates a central mystery of Christ: the Incarnation. "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your Word". Mary’s reply to the Angel is extended in the Church, which is called to make Christ present in history, offering her own availability so that God may continue to visit humanity with his mercy. (Benedict XVI – Angelus, 25 March 2007)

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Luxembourg’s Cardinal Hollerich says women’s ordination essential to Church’s future – #Catholic – Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, SJ, the former general relator of the Synod on Synodality, has publicly called for the ordination of women, arguing that the Church cannot long endure if half of the people of God lacks access to ordained ministry.“I cannot imagine in the long run how a Church can survive if half of the people of God suffers because they have no access to ordained ministry,” Hollerich said Thursday at a symposium on synodality and Praedicate Evangelium at the University of Bonn, according to news agency KNA.The archbishop of Luxembourg, who previously described himself as more conservative on the question, said his views had changed. “I have also learned as a bishop that this is not just a desire of a few left-wing women’s associations,” he claimed.While calling for patience with other cultures who may see the ordination debate as an “artificial problem,” Hollerich cited what he asserted was widespread support for women’s ordination in his parishes.“When I speak with the women in the parishes, 90% among us have the same opinion,” he said, adding that bishops are obliged to listen to such voices.Church’s definitive teachingIn his 1994 apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, Pope John Paul II declared definitively that “the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.”Since holy orders is a single sacrament with three degrees, that ruling covers the diaconate and episcopate equally.Curia reform and papal successionHollerich also praised the late Pope Francis’ impact on the Roman Curia. Through his apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, Francis — who served as pope from 2013 until his death in 2025 — opened leadership positions in the Vatican to women. Hollerich said this trajectory would continue under Pope Leo XIV. “It would be my deepest wish that the whole Church rejoices in this,” he said.The symposium was organized by the University of Bonn’s Department of Moral Theology under theologian Jochen Sautermeister. Also speaking were Cardinals Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga and Oswald Gracias, along with Bishops Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen, Germany, and Klaus Krämer of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Germany.This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Luxembourg’s Cardinal Hollerich says women’s ordination essential to Church’s future – #Catholic – Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, SJ, the former general relator of the Synod on Synodality, has publicly called for the ordination of women, arguing that the Church cannot long endure if half of the people of God lacks access to ordained ministry.“I cannot imagine in the long run how a Church can survive if half of the people of God suffers because they have no access to ordained ministry,” Hollerich said Thursday at a symposium on synodality and Praedicate Evangelium at the University of Bonn, according to news agency KNA.The archbishop of Luxembourg, who previously described himself as more conservative on the question, said his views had changed. “I have also learned as a bishop that this is not just a desire of a few left-wing women’s associations,” he claimed.While calling for patience with other cultures who may see the ordination debate as an “artificial problem,” Hollerich cited what he asserted was widespread support for women’s ordination in his parishes.“When I speak with the women in the parishes, 90% among us have the same opinion,” he said, adding that bishops are obliged to listen to such voices.Church’s definitive teachingIn his 1994 apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, Pope John Paul II declared definitively that “the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.”Since holy orders is a single sacrament with three degrees, that ruling covers the diaconate and episcopate equally.Curia reform and papal successionHollerich also praised the late Pope Francis’ impact on the Roman Curia. Through his apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, Francis — who served as pope from 2013 until his death in 2025 — opened leadership positions in the Vatican to women. Hollerich said this trajectory would continue under Pope Leo XIV. “It would be my deepest wish that the whole Church rejoices in this,” he said.The symposium was organized by the University of Bonn’s Department of Moral Theology under theologian Jochen Sautermeister. Also speaking were Cardinals Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga and Oswald Gracias, along with Bishops Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen, Germany, and Klaus Krämer of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Germany.This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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At a symposium titled “Synodality and Praedicate Gospel” at the University of Bonn, the cardinal said he used to be more conservative on this issue but changed his mind.

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Supreme Court hears case on asylum seekers’ rights – #Catholic – The Supreme Court heard arguments on whether asylum starts at a port of entry or only after someone steps onto U.S. soil under the Immigration and Nationality Act.The justices, hearing arguments March 24 in Noem v. Al Otro Lado, painstakingly interrogated the legal and linguistic meaning of “arrives in” and “arrives at,” with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Amy Coney Barrett signaling that they support the Trump administration’s “arrives in” definition, which would prevent migrants from crossing the border to claim asylum.Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued that her colleagues were missing the context and spirit of the statute in question, which sought to protect refugees from persecution.“They’ve arrived. They are knocking at the door,” Sotomayor said.Nicole Elizabeth Ramos, an attorney for Al Otro Lado, a legal and humanitarian aid group for migrants, argued: “You cannot ask someone fleeing rape, torture, or death threats to wait in danger indefinitely because a government has decided their lives are inconvenient.”The United States Conference of Bishops agree, as they explained in an amicus curiae brief: “The turnback policy is not just a flawed piece of statutory interpretation but an historical aberration — one that, during the period it was enforced, left vulnerable asylum seekers stranded in encampments on the border while lawfully trying to seek asylum at a port of entry.”“Metering,” or placing border crossers into various lines based on their status, was stopped by the Biden administration in 2021, but the Trump administration, represented in court by Vivek Suri, an assistant to the solicitor general, said it may be necessary to reinstate because of overwhelming demand for entry at the border, when asked by Barrett if reinstating metering was in the offing.A decision is expected by July.
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Supreme Court hears case on asylum seekers’ rights – #Catholic – The Supreme Court heard arguments on whether asylum starts at a port of entry or only after someone steps onto U.S. soil under the Immigration and Nationality Act.The justices, hearing arguments March 24 in Noem v. Al Otro Lado, painstakingly interrogated the legal and linguistic meaning of “arrives in” and “arrives at,” with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Amy Coney Barrett signaling that they support the Trump administration’s “arrives in” definition, which would prevent migrants from crossing the border to claim asylum.Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued that her colleagues were missing the context and spirit of the statute in question, which sought to protect refugees from persecution.“They’ve arrived. They are knocking at the door,” Sotomayor said.Nicole Elizabeth Ramos, an attorney for Al Otro Lado, a legal and humanitarian aid group for migrants, argued: “You cannot ask someone fleeing rape, torture, or death threats to wait in danger indefinitely because a government has decided their lives are inconvenient.”The United States Conference of Bishops agree, as they explained in an amicus curiae brief: “The turnback policy is not just a flawed piece of statutory interpretation but an historical aberration — one that, during the period it was enforced, left vulnerable asylum seekers stranded in encampments on the border while lawfully trying to seek asylum at a port of entry.”“Metering,” or placing border crossers into various lines based on their status, was stopped by the Biden administration in 2021, but the Trump administration, represented in court by Vivek Suri, an assistant to the solicitor general, said it may be necessary to reinstate because of overwhelming demand for entry at the border, when asked by Barrett if reinstating metering was in the offing.A decision is expected by July.

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A decision is expected by July.

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NBC Disgracefully Buries Gold Star Father’s Account of Meeting with Trump and Hegseth, Claiming Hegseth Lied About Meeting with Families of Fallen Troops – Far left NBC on Thursday attempted to use comments made by the father of a fallen Airman, who tragically died on board a refueling aircraft earlier this month, to discredit War Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump’s account of a meeting with Gold Star families at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.  The story sought to debunk Hegseth’s remarks during a Pentagon press briefing with Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine last Thursday, where he honored the fallen troops in the ongoing Iran conflict. The post NBC Disgracefully Buries Gold Star Father’s Account of Meeting with Trump and Hegseth, Claiming Hegseth Lied About Meeting with Families of Fallen Troops appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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NBC Disgracefully Buries Gold Star Father’s Account of Meeting with Trump and Hegseth, Claiming Hegseth Lied About Meeting with Families of Fallen Troops – Far left NBC on Thursday attempted to use comments made by the father of a fallen Airman, who tragically died on board a refueling aircraft earlier this month, to discredit War Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump’s account of a meeting with Gold Star families at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.  The story sought to debunk Hegseth’s remarks during a Pentagon press briefing with Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine last Thursday, where he honored the fallen troops in the ongoing Iran conflict. The post NBC Disgracefully Buries Gold Star Father’s Account of Meeting with Trump and Hegseth, Claiming Hegseth Lied About Meeting with Families of Fallen Troops appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Collage of six military personnel portraits, showcasing diverse service members in uniform and casual settings, highlighting their dedication and camaraderie.

Collage of six military personnel portraits, showcasing diverse service members in uniform and casual settings, highlighting their dedication and camaraderie.

Far left NBC on Thursday attempted to use comments made by the father of a fallen Airman, who tragically died on board a refueling aircraft earlier this month, to discredit War Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump’s account of a meeting with Gold Star families at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.  The story sought to debunk Hegseth’s remarks during a Pentagon press briefing with Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine last Thursday, where he honored the fallen troops in the ongoing Iran conflict.

The post NBC Disgracefully Buries Gold Star Father’s Account of Meeting with Trump and Hegseth, Claiming Hegseth Lied About Meeting with Families of Fallen Troops appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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NEW: Senate Confirms First Ever Assistant Attorney General to Investigate Fraud Nationwide – The US Senate on Tuesday confirmed the first ever Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald to investigate fraud nationwide in a 52-47 vote. The post NEW: Senate Confirms First Ever Assistant Attorney General to Investigate Fraud Nationwide appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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NEW: Senate Confirms First Ever Assistant Attorney General to Investigate Fraud Nationwide – The US Senate on Tuesday confirmed the first ever Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald to investigate fraud nationwide in a 52-47 vote. The post NEW: Senate Confirms First Ever Assistant Attorney General to Investigate Fraud Nationwide appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Colin McDonald testifies at a congressional hearing, seated at a table with water bottles and a nameplate, discussing important policy issues.

Colin McDonald testifies at a congressional hearing, seated at a table with water bottles and a nameplate, discussing important policy issues.

The US Senate on Tuesday confirmed the first ever Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald to investigate fraud nationwide in a 52-47 vote.

The post NEW: Senate Confirms First Ever Assistant Attorney General to Investigate Fraud Nationwide appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Judicial Watch pushes for transparency in 2023 FBI memo linking extremist risk to some Catholics – #Catholic – The conservative legal group Judicial Watch is continuing to push for more transparency around a memo targeting traditionalist Catholics, which was issued in early 2023 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Richmond field office.The memo detailed an investigation into a purported connection between “radical traditionalist” Catholics and “the far-right white nationalist movement.” It recommended “trip wire or source development” in Catholic parishes that offer the Traditional Latin Mass and “radical traditionalist” Catholic communities online.In a federal district court hearing March 20, lawyers for Judicial Watch complained that the FBI has not been fully compliant in its release of records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit against the FBI along with CatholicVote Civic Action.Although the FBI released more than 200 documents to Judicial Watch, the attorney handling the case, Meredith DiLiberto, told EWTN News they were heavily redacted. Although she said some redactions may be legitimate, “they didn’t provide any justification” for any redactions, in spite of the legal requirement that each redaction be justified.DiLiberto said “without that [justification], we really can’t narrow the issues” and determine what redactions are legitimate and what redactions should be challenged in court. She said the judge hearing the case, Judge Amir H. Ali, appeared sympathetic to the concerns raised by Judicial Watch and scheduled a status report for March 27.Judicial Watch is concerned about redactions related to “a lot of internal communication,” which DiLiberto said “is a lot of the cover-up.”“If they were to release the information, we would see kind of how intentional this was, [and] that this wasn’t [just] one or two agents,” she said.The Richmond FBI memo was initially drafted under former President Joe Biden’s administration, and DiLiberto said “we’re not surprised [the redactions] happened under the last administration,” but said the FBI “continues to withhold this information” throughout President Donald Trump’s administration.DiLiberto said the organization is disappointed because FBI Director Kash Patel had seemed “very emotionally invested” in promising more transparency. She recalled his statements at his confirmation hearing about how he would conduct himself.“There’s not been any difference,” DiLiberto said, adding that simply by following this case, “you would not have known that there was a dramatic shift in the political atmosphere.”The FBI’s National Press Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.After the memo was leaked to the public in early February 2023, the FBI retracted it and removed it from its systems for not meeting “the exacting standards of the FBI.” Over the past three years, Judicial Watch and the House Judiciary Committee have sought more information about the memo and the broader scope of the inquiry into traditionalist Catholics.This uncovered FBI surveillance of a Catholic priest for refusing to divulge information about a parishioner who was suspected of planning political violence. The priest cited priest-penitent privilege. It also uncovered that the FBI sent at least one undercover agent into a church and that the inquiry was discussed among several field offices.Several bishops criticized the memo, including Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout, who called it a “threat to religious liberty” and said lawmakers should “ensure that such offenses against the constitutionally protected free exercise of religion do not occur again.”The FBI memo focused on allegations about violent extremism that sometimes included racist or white supremacist ideas. It was assessing whether a subset of Catholics might overlap with racially motivated violent extremism.The Catholic Church rejects racism. According to the Second Vatican Council’s Gaudium et Spes: “Every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, color, social condition, language, or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God’s intent.” White nationalism directly conflicts with Catholic principles of human dignity, solidarity, justice, and the common good.In a statement prior to the hearing, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton expressed frustration over continued redactions in documents it has received.“Why won’t this DOJ and FBI reveal the full record on one of the most notorious abuses of power under Biden — the FBI’s targeting of Catholics for their Christian religious beliefs,” Fitton said. “This concerns the First Amendment, and the Biden Justice Department’s flagrant abuse may be criminal.”
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Judicial Watch pushes for transparency in 2023 FBI memo linking extremist risk to some Catholics – #Catholic – The conservative legal group Judicial Watch is continuing to push for more transparency around a memo targeting traditionalist Catholics, which was issued in early 2023 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Richmond field office.The memo detailed an investigation into a purported connection between “radical traditionalist” Catholics and “the far-right white nationalist movement.” It recommended “trip wire or source development” in Catholic parishes that offer the Traditional Latin Mass and “radical traditionalist” Catholic communities online.In a federal district court hearing March 20, lawyers for Judicial Watch complained that the FBI has not been fully compliant in its release of records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit against the FBI along with CatholicVote Civic Action.Although the FBI released more than 200 documents to Judicial Watch, the attorney handling the case, Meredith DiLiberto, told EWTN News they were heavily redacted. Although she said some redactions may be legitimate, “they didn’t provide any justification” for any redactions, in spite of the legal requirement that each redaction be justified.DiLiberto said “without that [justification], we really can’t narrow the issues” and determine what redactions are legitimate and what redactions should be challenged in court. She said the judge hearing the case, Judge Amir H. Ali, appeared sympathetic to the concerns raised by Judicial Watch and scheduled a status report for March 27.Judicial Watch is concerned about redactions related to “a lot of internal communication,” which DiLiberto said “is a lot of the cover-up.”“If they were to release the information, we would see kind of how intentional this was, [and] that this wasn’t [just] one or two agents,” she said.The Richmond FBI memo was initially drafted under former President Joe Biden’s administration, and DiLiberto said “we’re not surprised [the redactions] happened under the last administration,” but said the FBI “continues to withhold this information” throughout President Donald Trump’s administration.DiLiberto said the organization is disappointed because FBI Director Kash Patel had seemed “very emotionally invested” in promising more transparency. She recalled his statements at his confirmation hearing about how he would conduct himself.“There’s not been any difference,” DiLiberto said, adding that simply by following this case, “you would not have known that there was a dramatic shift in the political atmosphere.”The FBI’s National Press Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.After the memo was leaked to the public in early February 2023, the FBI retracted it and removed it from its systems for not meeting “the exacting standards of the FBI.” Over the past three years, Judicial Watch and the House Judiciary Committee have sought more information about the memo and the broader scope of the inquiry into traditionalist Catholics.This uncovered FBI surveillance of a Catholic priest for refusing to divulge information about a parishioner who was suspected of planning political violence. The priest cited priest-penitent privilege. It also uncovered that the FBI sent at least one undercover agent into a church and that the inquiry was discussed among several field offices.Several bishops criticized the memo, including Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout, who called it a “threat to religious liberty” and said lawmakers should “ensure that such offenses against the constitutionally protected free exercise of religion do not occur again.”The FBI memo focused on allegations about violent extremism that sometimes included racist or white supremacist ideas. It was assessing whether a subset of Catholics might overlap with racially motivated violent extremism.The Catholic Church rejects racism. According to the Second Vatican Council’s Gaudium et Spes: “Every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, color, social condition, language, or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God’s intent.” White nationalism directly conflicts with Catholic principles of human dignity, solidarity, justice, and the common good.In a statement prior to the hearing, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton expressed frustration over continued redactions in documents it has received.“Why won’t this DOJ and FBI reveal the full record on one of the most notorious abuses of power under Biden — the FBI’s targeting of Catholics for their Christian religious beliefs,” Fitton said. “This concerns the First Amendment, and the Biden Justice Department’s flagrant abuse may be criminal.”

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Lawyers for Judicial Watch complained the FBI has not been fully compliant in its release of records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

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Justice Samuel Alito SCHOOLS Left-Wing Lawyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Proper Use of Prepositions in Major Border Case – Justice Samuel Alito dismantled a key argument pushed by a left-wing immigration attorney, while directly calling out Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson for repeatedly mischaracterizing the plain language of federal asylum law. The post Justice Samuel Alito SCHOOLS Left-Wing Lawyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Proper Use of Prepositions in Major Border Case appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Justice Samuel Alito SCHOOLS Left-Wing Lawyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Proper Use of Prepositions in Major Border Case – Justice Samuel Alito dismantled a key argument pushed by a left-wing immigration attorney, while directly calling out Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson for repeatedly mischaracterizing the plain language of federal asylum law. The post Justice Samuel Alito SCHOOLS Left-Wing Lawyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Proper Use of Prepositions in Major Border Case appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Portrait of a smiling U.S. Supreme Court Justice in judicial robes against a wooden backdrop.

Portrait of a smiling U.S. Supreme Court Justice in judicial robes against a wooden backdrop.

Justice Samuel Alito dismantled a key argument pushed by a left-wing immigration attorney, while directly calling out Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson for repeatedly mischaracterizing the plain language of federal asylum law.

The post Justice Samuel Alito SCHOOLS Left-Wing Lawyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Proper Use of Prepositions in Major Border Case appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Artemis 2 on track for April 1 launch

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NASA is targeting April 1 for the launch of Artemis 2, with additional opportunities through April 6. The agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft completed their second rollout of the year to Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 20, and the four-person crew entered quarantine twoContinue reading “Artemis 2 on track for April 1 launch”

The post Artemis 2 on track for April 1 launch appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Pakistan Christian prisoners rebuild lives after church bombings #Catholic LAHORE, Pakistan — Every year during Lent, Sunil Masih remembers his elder brother as churches in Youhanabad — Lahore’s largest squatter settlement for poor Christians — mark the anniversary of the 2015 church bombings.The four Catholic brothers were among more than 150 Christians arrested by police days after twin suicide attacks on St. John’s Catholic Church and Christ Church on March 15, 2015, which killed at least 19 people and injured hundreds. The attacks were claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, an offshoot of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.The bombings sparked mob violence that mistakenly killed two Muslim men, who were later identified and detained through raids and video evidence. Sunil Masih stands beside his vegetable cart in front of his family’s former milk shop in Youhanabad, Lahore, Pakistan, on March 15, 2025. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry Masih, now 28, said the trauma of prison changed him forever.“They hurled abuses at us, beat us with strips cut from vehicle tires, and in jail we were given old dried roti [flat bread],” he told EWTN News. “Water from the greasy toilet taps was served for drinking. Family meetings were allowed only after a month. It was a hellhole on earth.”He and his brother Sadaqat Perwaiz — popularly known as Monty — were released after six months in Central Jail Lahore. One brother, however, remained among 42 Christians and one Muslim charged in the lynching case.Devastation beyond prisonThe protracted court proceedings devastated the family’s four-decade-old milk business, saddled them with mounting debts, and forced the sale of their 680-square-foot home.Their worries deepened after two Christian inmates, Inderyas Masih, 36, and Usman Shaukat, 29, died in custody under suspicious circumstances during the trial. Police claimed tuberculosis and a heart attack, respectively, while families and the British Pakistani Christian Association reported bruises and unexplained injuries. Pakistani police stand guard outside St. John’s Catholic Church in Youhanabad, Lahore, on March 15, 2025. Posters of Servant of God Akash Bashir flank the entrance gate on the 10th anniversary of twin suicide bombings that struck the neighborhood. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry In January 2020, an anti-terrorism court acquitted the remaining 39 accused after blood money (Diyat) of 25 million rupees ($89,800) was paid to the victims’ families by Pastor Anwar Fazal, a prominent Christian televangelist.Under the Qisas and Diyat Ordinance 1990, introduced during Gen. Ziaul Haq’s Islamization process, courts calculate compensation based on the financial capacity of the convict and the victim’s heirs, with a minimum value linked to 30,630 grams of silver.Monty died of a heart attack in 2022, leaving behind two children aged 10 and 14. His faded poster still hangs in front of the family’s closed milk shop.“He was a stout man, known for his strong community ties and friendly nature in our neighborhood. Prison left him very lean and weakened by an infection that caused his legs to swell beneath the knees and bleed,” Masih said.Today, Sunil Masih sells vegetables from a wooden cart in front of the same shop, now leased to a real estate dealer. He hopes to marry once his new business stabilizes.‘The gift of a hero’On March 15, police guarded churches in Youhanabad, which houses more than 150,000 Christians, as the community observed the 11th bombing anniversary.At St. John’s, parishioners lit candles and placed flowers beneath a banner honoring Akash Bashir, the 20-year-old security volunteer who died preventing a suicide bomber from entering the church during that Sunday Mass.“Salute and gratitude to the martyrs of Youhanabad,” read the banner near the Marian grotto. In January 2022, the Vatican recognized Bashir as a servant of God, making him the first Pakistani Catholic on the path to canonization. Father Akram Javed (fifth from right), parish priest of St. John’s Catholic Church, lights a memorial candle for Servant of God Akash Bashir at a commemoration in Youhanabad, Lahore, Pakistan, on March 15, 2025. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry Father Akram Javed, parish priest of St. John’s, thanked police for security.“A group of 30 local volunteers carry on Akash’s mission, protecting the church and worshippers. The bombings were a terrible tragedy, but in that darkness, we received the gift of a hero,” he told EWTN News.‘The bombing was a national tragedy’Pentecostal politician Aslam Pervaiz Sahotra, who spent five years in prison, sees the anniversary as a moment of reflection for Pakistan’s 3.3 million Christians, many of whom continue to face discrimination, economic hardship, and lingering trauma. A man prays outside a church in Youhanabad, Lahore, Pakistan, on March 15, 2025, during commemorations marking the anniversary of the twin suicide bombings. Banners honoring Akash Bashir are visible in the background. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry “The bombing was a national tragedy from which the authorities learnt nothing. We continue to suffer losses due to terrorism, with sporadic attacks targeting minority communities and security forces,” said the 65-year-old head of the Massiha Millat Party (Christian Nation Party).He alleged prison authorities tried to manipulate him, introducing Muslim prisoners to persuade him to stay passive.“Despite back pain from four displaced vertebrae, my time in prison strengthened my faith and resolve for activism. The trend of arresting Christians for alleged blasphemy to appease angry crowds will continue unless investigations are conducted on merit,” he added. Pakistani bishops demand probe into death of Christian farmworker The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, in its 2025 annual report, said religious freedom in Pakistan continued to deteriorate, recommending it be designated a “country of particular concern,” citing blasphemy-related prosecutions, mob violence, and forced conversions targeting Christians and other minorities, and a growing climate of fear and impunity.
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Pakistan Christian prisoners rebuild lives after church bombings #Catholic LAHORE, Pakistan — Every year during Lent, Sunil Masih remembers his elder brother as churches in Youhanabad — Lahore’s largest squatter settlement for poor Christians — mark the anniversary of the 2015 church bombings.The four Catholic brothers were among more than 150 Christians arrested by police days after twin suicide attacks on St. John’s Catholic Church and Christ Church on March 15, 2015, which killed at least 19 people and injured hundreds. The attacks were claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, an offshoot of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.The bombings sparked mob violence that mistakenly killed two Muslim men, who were later identified and detained through raids and video evidence. Sunil Masih stands beside his vegetable cart in front of his family’s former milk shop in Youhanabad, Lahore, Pakistan, on March 15, 2025. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry Masih, now 28, said the trauma of prison changed him forever.“They hurled abuses at us, beat us with strips cut from vehicle tires, and in jail we were given old dried roti [flat bread],” he told EWTN News. “Water from the greasy toilet taps was served for drinking. Family meetings were allowed only after a month. It was a hellhole on earth.”He and his brother Sadaqat Perwaiz — popularly known as Monty — were released after six months in Central Jail Lahore. One brother, however, remained among 42 Christians and one Muslim charged in the lynching case.Devastation beyond prisonThe protracted court proceedings devastated the family’s four-decade-old milk business, saddled them with mounting debts, and forced the sale of their 680-square-foot home.Their worries deepened after two Christian inmates, Inderyas Masih, 36, and Usman Shaukat, 29, died in custody under suspicious circumstances during the trial. Police claimed tuberculosis and a heart attack, respectively, while families and the British Pakistani Christian Association reported bruises and unexplained injuries. Pakistani police stand guard outside St. John’s Catholic Church in Youhanabad, Lahore, on March 15, 2025. Posters of Servant of God Akash Bashir flank the entrance gate on the 10th anniversary of twin suicide bombings that struck the neighborhood. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry In January 2020, an anti-terrorism court acquitted the remaining 39 accused after blood money (Diyat) of 25 million rupees ($89,800) was paid to the victims’ families by Pastor Anwar Fazal, a prominent Christian televangelist.Under the Qisas and Diyat Ordinance 1990, introduced during Gen. Ziaul Haq’s Islamization process, courts calculate compensation based on the financial capacity of the convict and the victim’s heirs, with a minimum value linked to 30,630 grams of silver.Monty died of a heart attack in 2022, leaving behind two children aged 10 and 14. His faded poster still hangs in front of the family’s closed milk shop.“He was a stout man, known for his strong community ties and friendly nature in our neighborhood. Prison left him very lean and weakened by an infection that caused his legs to swell beneath the knees and bleed,” Masih said.Today, Sunil Masih sells vegetables from a wooden cart in front of the same shop, now leased to a real estate dealer. He hopes to marry once his new business stabilizes.‘The gift of a hero’On March 15, police guarded churches in Youhanabad, which houses more than 150,000 Christians, as the community observed the 11th bombing anniversary.At St. John’s, parishioners lit candles and placed flowers beneath a banner honoring Akash Bashir, the 20-year-old security volunteer who died preventing a suicide bomber from entering the church during that Sunday Mass.“Salute and gratitude to the martyrs of Youhanabad,” read the banner near the Marian grotto. In January 2022, the Vatican recognized Bashir as a servant of God, making him the first Pakistani Catholic on the path to canonization. Father Akram Javed (fifth from right), parish priest of St. John’s Catholic Church, lights a memorial candle for Servant of God Akash Bashir at a commemoration in Youhanabad, Lahore, Pakistan, on March 15, 2025. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry Father Akram Javed, parish priest of St. John’s, thanked police for security.“A group of 30 local volunteers carry on Akash’s mission, protecting the church and worshippers. The bombings were a terrible tragedy, but in that darkness, we received the gift of a hero,” he told EWTN News.‘The bombing was a national tragedy’Pentecostal politician Aslam Pervaiz Sahotra, who spent five years in prison, sees the anniversary as a moment of reflection for Pakistan’s 3.3 million Christians, many of whom continue to face discrimination, economic hardship, and lingering trauma. A man prays outside a church in Youhanabad, Lahore, Pakistan, on March 15, 2025, during commemorations marking the anniversary of the twin suicide bombings. Banners honoring Akash Bashir are visible in the background. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry “The bombing was a national tragedy from which the authorities learnt nothing. We continue to suffer losses due to terrorism, with sporadic attacks targeting minority communities and security forces,” said the 65-year-old head of the Massiha Millat Party (Christian Nation Party).He alleged prison authorities tried to manipulate him, introducing Muslim prisoners to persuade him to stay passive.“Despite back pain from four displaced vertebrae, my time in prison strengthened my faith and resolve for activism. The trend of arresting Christians for alleged blasphemy to appease angry crowds will continue unless investigations are conducted on merit,” he added. Pakistani bishops demand probe into death of Christian farmworker The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, in its 2025 annual report, said religious freedom in Pakistan continued to deteriorate, recommending it be designated a “country of particular concern,” citing blasphemy-related prosecutions, mob violence, and forced conversions targeting Christians and other minorities, and a growing climate of fear and impunity.

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Eleven years after twin suicide bombings struck two Pakistan churches, survivors of mass arrests still bear the scars as a young martyr who died stopping the attack moves toward sainthood.

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Yad Vashem chief: Holocaust memory is key to fighting antisemitism #Catholic Dani Dayan, chairman of Yad Vashem, said that remembering and honoring the Holocaust is essential to combating rising antisemitism worldwide.Dayan, who met with Pope Leo XIV on March 23 together with Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, said their conversation focused on “two issues: the historical remembrance, the need to remember, to know about the Holocaust — but not just for the sake of history, also for the sake of the present and the sake of the future.”We have to make sure that an “atrocity like this cannot happen again — not to the Jewish people, not to any other people,” he said.He added that antisemitism is “raising its ugly head again all over the world” and that the two issues are closely linked.“I think that knowing about the Holocaust, learning about the Holocaust, remembering, honoring the Holocaust is one of the tools to combat antisemitism,” Dayan said.‘Antisemitism is bigotry’Asked whether Israeli policy risks fueling antisemitism, Dayan rejected the premise.“I think antisemitism should not have palliative reasons. Antisemitism is bigotry, antisemitism is racism, and it’s completely independent of anything that Israel does or does not,” he said.He described antisemitism as a unifying force among otherwise opposed extremist groups.“In many sectors in the world, antisemitism has become the common denominator, the lingua franca of all the extremists in the world — left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, religious extremists, Islamist extremists, and many others,” he said.“They hate each other on any other issue… [but] they don’t only agree, they even collaborate.”“Antisemitism should not be understood. It should be combated without any reservation,” he added, noting he found “full agreement” with Pope Leo XIV on the point.Memory, politics, and responsibilityDayan emphasized the distinction between Holocaust remembrance and contemporary political debates.“The policy and Holocaust remembrance are two completely different things,” he said, while noting that the Holocaust remains “omnipresent in the back of our minds” for many Jews and continues to shape collective identity.He said the obligation to remember the Holocaust is “threefold”: for the future, to build a world free of bigotry and genocide; for the present, amid resurging antisemitism; and as a moral duty to the victims.“Six million victims that were massacred by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during the Shoah deserve to be remembered,” he said. “It’s a debt that we have to maintain.”A shared history and a future visit?Reflecting on relations between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people, Dayan pointed to the significance of papal visits to Yad Vashem.He presented Pope Leo XIV with a painting by Jewish artist Carol Deutsch, created during the Shoah, depicting the biblical question “Adam, where are you?”He linked the image to Pope Francis’ address at Yad Vashem, in which the late pope asked: “Where was humanity?”Dayan expressed hope that Pope Leo XIV would visit Yad Vashem in the future, “when circumstances allow it.”‘Peace is an imperative’Asked about the role of believers in promoting peace, Dayan said the memory of the Holocaust underscores the urgency of that mission.“To yearn for it and to act for it,” he said. “Learning about the Holocaust… is one of the greatest motivations a person can have to understand that peace is an imperative.”He acknowledged that he once believed the devastation of World War II and the Holocaust would end war and antisemitism.“Unfortunately… I was very naive in that respect. We have to work harder, all of us, in order to make that a reality in the future,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Yad Vashem chief: Holocaust memory is key to fighting antisemitism #Catholic Dani Dayan, chairman of Yad Vashem, said that remembering and honoring the Holocaust is essential to combating rising antisemitism worldwide.Dayan, who met with Pope Leo XIV on March 23 together with Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, said their conversation focused on “two issues: the historical remembrance, the need to remember, to know about the Holocaust — but not just for the sake of history, also for the sake of the present and the sake of the future.”We have to make sure that an “atrocity like this cannot happen again — not to the Jewish people, not to any other people,” he said.He added that antisemitism is “raising its ugly head again all over the world” and that the two issues are closely linked.“I think that knowing about the Holocaust, learning about the Holocaust, remembering, honoring the Holocaust is one of the tools to combat antisemitism,” Dayan said.‘Antisemitism is bigotry’Asked whether Israeli policy risks fueling antisemitism, Dayan rejected the premise.“I think antisemitism should not have palliative reasons. Antisemitism is bigotry, antisemitism is racism, and it’s completely independent of anything that Israel does or does not,” he said.He described antisemitism as a unifying force among otherwise opposed extremist groups.“In many sectors in the world, antisemitism has become the common denominator, the lingua franca of all the extremists in the world — left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, religious extremists, Islamist extremists, and many others,” he said.“They hate each other on any other issue… [but] they don’t only agree, they even collaborate.”“Antisemitism should not be understood. It should be combated without any reservation,” he added, noting he found “full agreement” with Pope Leo XIV on the point.Memory, politics, and responsibilityDayan emphasized the distinction between Holocaust remembrance and contemporary political debates.“The policy and Holocaust remembrance are two completely different things,” he said, while noting that the Holocaust remains “omnipresent in the back of our minds” for many Jews and continues to shape collective identity.He said the obligation to remember the Holocaust is “threefold”: for the future, to build a world free of bigotry and genocide; for the present, amid resurging antisemitism; and as a moral duty to the victims.“Six million victims that were massacred by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during the Shoah deserve to be remembered,” he said. “It’s a debt that we have to maintain.”A shared history and a future visit?Reflecting on relations between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people, Dayan pointed to the significance of papal visits to Yad Vashem.He presented Pope Leo XIV with a painting by Jewish artist Carol Deutsch, created during the Shoah, depicting the biblical question “Adam, where are you?”He linked the image to Pope Francis’ address at Yad Vashem, in which the late pope asked: “Where was humanity?”Dayan expressed hope that Pope Leo XIV would visit Yad Vashem in the future, “when circumstances allow it.”‘Peace is an imperative’Asked about the role of believers in promoting peace, Dayan said the memory of the Holocaust underscores the urgency of that mission.“To yearn for it and to act for it,” he said. “Learning about the Holocaust… is one of the greatest motivations a person can have to understand that peace is an imperative.”He acknowledged that he once believed the devastation of World War II and the Holocaust would end war and antisemitism.“Unfortunately… I was very naive in that respect. We have to work harder, all of us, in order to make that a reality in the future,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Dani Dayan speaks after meeting Pope Leo XIV, says antisemitism is “bigotry” independent of Israeli policy.

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