Leo, speaking in English, expressed his “gratitude to all the authorities in Algeria, who made this visit possible. As youʼve seen, theyʼve even granted us the full honor of an escort as we fly over Algerian airspace.”

This, the pope said, is “a sign of the goodness, of the generosity, of the respect that the Algerian people and the Algerian government have wished to show to the Holy See, to myself. And so I want to say a word of thanks to them, as well as a word of thanks to the very small but very significant presence of the Catholic Church in Algeria.”

The pontiff then reflected on the journey.

“We had, as you know,” he said, “some very special visits both in the Basilica Notre Dame dʼAfrique as well as in Annaba yesterday, in the Basilica of St. Augustine on the hill overlooking both the modern city of Annaba and the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Ippona. And that in itself, I would say, is also symbolically significant, because St. Augustine, who was bishop, as you know, of Hippo for more than 30 years, actually is a figure which is very much from the past and speaks to us of tradition, speaks to us of the life, the Church, as the Church grew in the early centuries.”

Continuing to speak about St. Augustine, Leo said that he is “a very important figure today as his writings, his teaching, his spirituality, his invitation to search for God and to search for truth is something that is very much needed today — a message that is very real for all of us today, as believers in Jesus Christ, but for all people. And as youʼve seen, even the people of Algeria, the vast majority of whom are not Christian, they very much honor and respect the memory of St. Augustine as one of the great sons of their land."

"So it was a special blessing for me personally to return once again to Annaba yesterday," he said, "but also to offer to the Church and the world a vision that St. Augustine offers us in terms of the search for God and the struggle to build community, to seek for unity among all peoples and respect for all peoples in spite of the differences.”

The pope concluded: “In two days in Algeria I think weʼve really had a wonderful opportunity to, if you will, continue to build bridges, to promote dialogue. I think the visit to the mosque was significant and to say that it showed that although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshipping, we have different ways of living, we can live together in peace. And so I think that promoting that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today, and that together we can continue to offer in our witness through as we continue on this apostolic voyage.”

Pope Leo XIV is the third pope to visit Cameroon.

Leo will first meet with 92-year-old President Biya, elected to an eighth term and in power for 40 years. After his address to the diplomatic corps — a standard stop at the beginning of every trip — the pope will visit the Ngul Zamba orphanage, a historic point of reference for the care and education of orphaned children and minors in situations of serious social vulnerability.

In addition to Yaoundé, Leo XIV will also visit the city of Bamenda, around 230 miles from the capital, at the center of the Anglophone crisis — a complex situation in which English-speaking separatists have also called for the formation of their own state.

The pope will also visit Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, thus touching all the major realities of the country before departing for Angola on April 18.

Celebrating the chrism Mass on Holy Thursday at the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, commonly known as Manila Cathedral, Advincula quoted a recent study, saying: “About 18% reported that they are psychologically distressed,” meaning “almost one in every five priests is undergoing a mental difficulty or emotional burden.”

He reminded clergy to acknowledge their human vulnerabilities and weaknesses, calling on the faithful to support clergy through prayer and understanding.

According to data from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), as of 2025, there are more than 10,000 priests serving 73.6 million Catholics. The Philippines is Asiaʼs largest Catholic country.

Lay faithful support for the clergy

Advincula urged lay Catholics to stand with priests as they carry out their ministry.

“To be faithful, we need your understanding and your prayers,” he said.

Advincula thanked communities for their continued support, despite what he described as the “obvious limitations” of clergy, which include challenges such as limited resources and the need for more active engagement from the laity.

The cardinal thanked priests and the faithful for their shared responsibility in continuing the Churchʼs life and mission.

He said human connections are essential to restoring hope and sustaining missionary work.

Pope Leo XIVʼs April prayer intention

Advinculaʼs remarks coincided with the Holy Fatherʼs April prayer intention, which is “for priests in crisis.”

“Let us pray for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer,” Pope Leo XIV said.

Echoing the popeʼs words, Advincula urged Catholics to pray for priests, especially those facing loneliness, doubt, and exhaustion.

“When a pastor faces some kind of weariness at any time, the Church is not supposed to judge but rather to walk beside him,” he said.

A parish priestʼs struggle with addiction

EWTN News spoke with two priests who have faced mental health challenges and described how they overcame them.

Father Mark (a pseudonym used to protect his identity), a 52-year-old parish priest in the southern Philippines, serves a parish with more than 40,000 Catholics. He has been there for the last five years.

Over the years, Father Mark felt exhausted by pastoral duties. He gradually developed loneliness and distress, which affected his mental well-being. Over time, he began to consume alcohol more frequently and eventually became addicted.

As his health conditions and addictions affected his personal life and pastoral duty, his religious superiors made him take a break from pastoral care and placed him in a Church-run rehabilitation center near Manila for a year.

After a year of medication along with prayer, social connections, and discernment, he is free of addiction and back to pastoral work in a different parish in the central Philippines.

He said he learned a valuable lesson from his imperfections, especially about balancing personal care — physical, spiritual, and emotional.

A rural missionaryʼs ordeal

Father Marcilino, a 47-year-old priest, used to be a rural missionary in the northern part of the country.

He used to minister to 70,000 Catholics across eight chapels and one parish, alongside two younger priests.

“At some point, I got disinterested in my pastoral work and lost zeal for it,” he said.

“I did not have any vices as such. I felt a kind of spiritual dryness in my priestly life,” he said.

When his priest companions noticed his mental distress and lack of participation in community prayers and mealtime presence, they encouraged him to take a few months' break from pastoral responsibility with the knowledge of their superiors.

His superiors sent him for a three-month refresher course on psycho-spiritual enrichment.

After spending three months in the program, he returned to the parish with renewed zeal as a person and pastor.

“I have realized that priests like me face pastoral exhaustion or compassion fatigue caused by many factors,” he said. “It is necessary that we take precautions and efforts to monitor our mental well-being as we are interested in rendering our pastoral service to others with hope and compassion,” he added.

He thanked his superiors and those who continually support him in his missionary endeavors.

“My struggles with mental health issues taught me a valuable lesson that I am not a superhuman being,” he said. “I need to be aware of my limitations, especially worry, anxiety, stress, and depression to some extent.”

“We are all works in progress and rely on Godʼs grace to carry out our pastoral work for the common good,” he said.

Mental health in the Philippines

An estimated 7 million to 12.5 million Filipinos suffer from mental health conditions, according to research published in the Lancet Regional Health.

The National Capital Region Police Office reported on March 25 that suicide cases in Metro Manila more than doubled in the first three months of 2026, with many cases stemming from emotional distress, financial pressure, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues.

Meanwhile, the country does not have adequate mental health professionals, and the government is making efforts to strengthen mental health services, such as increasing funding for mental health programs and training more professionals to meet the growing demand.

Everyone must take care of their mental health amid the many challenges of life and work, Christopher Lim, a professional psychologist, told EWTN News.

Over the years, Lim has counseled several people, including priests and religious sisters, who have faced mental health challenges.

One piece of advice he gives is that anyone can develop mental health concerns at any time, regardless of their current mental well-being.

“Timely professional help is key to mental health,” Lim said.

Although she grew up in a Catholic family, Virginia said she felt that “something was missing”: a spark, an impulse of faith that would dispel her doubts regarding the existence of God. What she never could have imagined was that this longed-for certainty would come with the illness of her husband, Miguel, a dentist whom she met while volunteering in Cambodia 14 years before.

Although Miguel never doubted, she said, faith did not occupy a central place in their lives. But everything changed one day in July 2024 while they were enjoying a vacation with their three children: Virginia, 5; Miguel, 4; and María, 3.

After suffering severe headaches and a loss of mobility in his left arm, Miguel decided to go to the emergency room.

And that moment marked the beginning of it all.

“While waiting, Miguel was incredibly nervous, because he sensed that something was wrong. He was very agitated the entire time, saying, ‘I want to get out of here, I want to get out of here — I can’t breathe,’” Virginia told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. After several tests and a long wait, the doctors confirmed what the couple feared most: Miguel had a brain tumor and required emergency surgery.

‘I’ve had an experience with God’

Gripped by fear and uncertainty, Virginia left the room to tell her parents what was happening. Upon her return, Miguel was no longer the same: His nervousness had vanished, and his face reflected a surprising peace and serenity. “When I came back, they had already moved him into an emergency bay, and I saw him there, laughing and talking with the other patients,” she recalled.

Then, Miguel took his wife’s hands and said: “Virginia, be at peace; I’ve had an experience with God.”

Miguel told her that, after being left alone in the room once the nurse had gone, he got down on his knees and pleaded: “My God, please, don’t leave me alone.”

A love ‘not of this world’

After praying, Miguel felt as though someone were embracing him, and in that instant, a warmth coursed through his entire body: “From head to toe, he felt a kind of electricity, of love, love, love. A love so pure, a love so profound, that he said it was not of this world.”

She recalled how her husband recounted to her every detail of the embrace he felt in the empty room, where he heard someone say to him: “Be at peace; I am with you, and I bear your cross with you.”

“And in that moment, he began to weep; not out of sorrow, not because of the tumor, but out of happiness. Then, he took my hands once more and said to me: ‘Virginia, you, who have sometimes had doubts — never, never, never doubt again, for God exists. I no longer merely have faith; I am certain that God exists.”

From that moment, Miguel experienced a profound peace and an absolutely radical transformation, “even physically,” recalled Virginia, whose friends and family told her that he looked even “more handsome” than before his illness because of the happiness he radiated.

‘He was in love with God’

Although her husband was “a very good person,” Virginia recalled, with a smile, that he complained at times. Nevertheless, he offered up all his suffering and illness. “He would tell me that he was in love with God and that he didn’t want to complain, he wanted to do everything for God.”

“He used to tell me that he felt just like a typical teenager waiting outside school for his girlfriend to come out,” she recalled.

She said that her husband never stopped talking about God and would tell her: “In time, you will come to see this as a blessing, because thanks to the tumor, God has granted me this experience; and thanks to this experience, my eyes have been opened — for before, I was blind.”

Miguel was discharged from the hospital 15 days after the emergency operation. “He was happy,” his wife remembered. During his stay at the hospital, they prayed the rosary daily, and Miguel made a point of visiting some of the patients in nearby rooms, accompanied by the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Virgin statue.

Following the biopsy, they were informed that the tumor was one of the most aggressive types — incurable and fast-progressing. Yet, Miguel accepted the diagnosis with serenity, never questioning why this was happening to him.

“It was a profound acceptance of his illness,” Virginia continued. “And the truth is, we were always side by side, like a team, always believing that we were in God’s hands and that we simply had to accept his will. If a miracle occurred and he was cured, that would be wonderful; and if not — well, then whatever he decides, for we will never understand his ways.”

Friends and parents from their childrenʼs school in Madrid formed a prayer group that grew to nearly 500 people, “almost none of whom we knew,“ Virginia said. ”That gave us a great deal of strength: So many good people who, without even knowing us, cared and prayed for us.”

Embracing illness as a gift

As time went by, although Miguel no longer felt the same powerful impact of the experience he had undergone in the hospital, he still saw God’s love in the everyday “little signs” and gestures of the people praying for him. “It also brought me much closer to God," Virginia said.

In July 2025, the tumor recurred, returning with greater force and in a much more aggressive manner. “He always faced it with great courage, with great strength, and with immense faith. We always used to say: ‘Whatever God wills.’”

The tumor progressed rapidly, all treatment options exhausted. In February, Miguel was admitted to palliative care at the Navarra Clinic in Madrid, where he remained until he died on March 10.

“Throughout that entire month Miguel spent in the hospital, he never once complained; even the palliative care doctors themselves told us they were astonished by the sense of peace we radiated,” Virginia said.

Miguel was able to say goodbye to his children. "Watching how he faced his illness and how he faced death has set the bar very high for me,” Virginia recounted.

‘It’s true that God exists, that he rose again, and that he is with us’

Drawing upon her experience, Virginia hopes to reach out to those who are going through a similar illness: “God desires that very same love and that very same faith for them, too.”

“Even if they haven’t felt it within their own bodies, let them lean on the testimonies of others,“ she said, ”because he is real; because it is true that God exists, that he rose again, that he is with us; and that even when you call out to him and it feels at times as though God isn’t listening, he is indeed listening to you.”

“That very same strength God has given us, he is also giving to other people ... Obviously, I would have preferred for Miguel to remain with me, to grow old alongside him, for our lives to continue on, free of illness and trouble. But I think that had we simply continued on in that same manner, would we have remained so close to God? Well — no; probably not,” she reflected.

‘No ordinary peace’

Virginia shared what she considers the most important thing of all: “I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to say that my husband is in heaven — because I know it; because he had immense faith, he had such deep love for God, and he demonstrated it in so many ways, such as by praying the rosary every day.”

Shortly before her husband died, the chaplain at the Navarra Clinic administered the anointing of the sick. 

"I said to Miguel: ‘Do you realize how many people have drawn closer to God because of your illness? I truly believe there is nothing more important you could have done,’” she said.

With tears in her eyes, Virginia said that if one sets aside “human selfishness,” her husband has already achieved his goal: “To be with God — and in such a way.”

“For Miguel, this has been the greatest gift God could have given him. Miguel is with God; he’s happy, and that’s what truly matters,“ she said. ”And if you hold onto that thought, your life changes.”

“The peace we experienced throughout the entire process of his illness and his death was no ordinary peace,“ she said. ”I know it because we were enveloped by so many people’s prayers, and because we were enveloped by God.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

A statement from the Order of St. Augustine said the meeting reflected the joy of brothers dwelling together in unity.

“After visiting the ruins of Hippo and the home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, the pope arrives in Annaba as a brother among brothers,” the statement said. “Here he meets the Augustinian friars who care for the Basilica of St. Augustine, sharing with them one common heart rooted in the spirit of St. Augustine of Hippo.”

The gathering was marked by a shared meal, smiles, and fraternity, according to the statement.

Also present with the pontiff were Father Joseph Farrell, prior general of the Order of St. Augustine, and Father Martin Davakan, OSA, vicar general.

The statement highlighted the international character of the Augustinian community in Annaba, saying it reflects unity amid the diversity of nations.

“The community of Annaba (Hippo) itself reflects this diversity, with the presence of Father Dominic Juma Habakuk from South Sudan, Father Shailong Leviticus Longzem from Nigeria, and the rector, Father Frederick Wekesa from Kenya,” the statement said. “They are brothers, coming from different lands, but united in heart and soul.”

Father Augustine Ugbomah, who serves in the Pontifical Sacristy, was also present.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News’ Italian-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo is visiting Algeria April 13–15 for the first part of his African papal trip. The popeʼs presence has been “widely viewed by the Christian community as a success,” Kelsey Zorzi said in an April 14 interview with “EWTN News Nightly.”

Zorzi, director of global advocacy at Alliance Defending Freedom, discussed religious freedom in Algeria and the governmentʼs move to stop the spread of Christianity.

“Algeria is 99% Muslim; less than 1% of the population is Christian," she said. "So for many years, Christians and Muslims have been living side by side. Muslims have been hearing the Gospel and steadily converting to Christianity."

“As of 2017, there were 50 thriving Protestant evangelical churches operating across the country, and these churches were growing, and the government took note of this,” she said.

“To combat what it perceived as an increasing threat,” the government “started enforcing an old 2006 ordinance that required the association of Protestant churches to be licensed,” she said. “These associations tried numerous times to apply for a license, but the government has refused to this day to acknowledge these applications or to grant the licenses.”

“So they have shut down, over the course of the last nine to 10 years, almost 50 churches across the country,” she said.

The government has claimed the closures were due to problems including safety permits and zoning laws, but Zorzi said “these claims are a mere pretext, and the governmentʼs actual motivation is to stop the spread of Christianity in Algeria.”

In the nation, there has been "a long history of pretextual and manipulative tactics that have been used to keep the churches closed,” she said.

“Weʼve seen the government allege that some of the churches have building code violations, and after these alleged violations are remedied, the government still refuses to reopen the churches,” she said.

The government also has asked “the Evangelical Association to meet to discuss the license, and when the invitation for these meetings arrives, itʼs often for a date that has already passed,” she said.

Pope Leo’s visit to Algeria

The pope met with the president of Algeria on April 13, “and we are hearing he did raise the issue of the Protestant church closures as well as the criminal charges that are being brought against pastors,” she said.

Pope Leo also said Mass where the archbishop of Algiers "pointed out that the Christian community in Algeria is comprised of several denominations" and he "specified that several Protestant church leaders were present at the Mass,” she said.

“The pope visited the eastern portion of the country, which is where St. Augustine lived, and planted an olive tree as a symbol of peace,” she said. “The Protestant communityʼs general sense of the popeʼs visit has been highly positive.”

“Theyʼre very encouraged and theyʼre hoping that this might be the thing that leads to change,” she said.

If Algeria represents the Church as a small minority navigating a Muslim-majority society, Cameroon presents a different ecclesial landscape. The Catholic Church there is demographically significant, institutionally entrenched, socially influential, and politically attentive.

Cameroon stands not only as the second stop on the Holy Father’s African itinerary but also as a microcosm of the contemporary African Catholic experience — complex, vibrant, and consequential.

Here are eight things to know about the Church in Cameroon and what is expected of Pope Leoʼs visit:

1. It has a significant and growing Catholic population.

Cameroon’s population is religiously diverse, made up of Christians, Muslims, and practitioners of African traditional religions. Within the Christian bloc, Catholics constitute one of the largest denominations. Current estimates place Catholics at roughly 30% to 35% of the national population, translating into several million Catholics.

This scale gives the Catholic Church measurable public presence. Parishes are numerous, Catholic diocesan structures are well developed, and lay movements are active across urban and rural areas. The Church is not a marginal actor; it is a central stakeholder in national life.

Growth trends remain steady rather than explosive. Unlike some East African contexts where Catholic numbers have surged, Cameroon’s expansion is incremental and closely tied to demographic growth. Nonetheless, vocations to the priesthood and Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL) continue at levels that sustain ecclesial institutions.

In Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV will encounter a people of God neither defensive nor peripheral but fully embedded in national society.

2. It has a robust ecclesiastical structure and metropolitan sees.

The Catholic Church in Cameroon is organized into five ecclesiastical provinces, each headed by a metropolitan archbishop. These include Yaoundé, Bamenda, Douala, Garoua, and Bertoua.

The Archdiocese of Yaoundé serves the political capital and functions as a strategic center for Church-state engagement. Douala, the country’s economic hub, anchors the Littoral region and reflects the Church’s engagement with commerce, urbanization, and migration.

Bamenda, in the Anglophone Northwest Region, carries particular pastoral and political weight due to ongoing instability in that part of the country. Garoua Archdiocese is in the north of the country, while Bertoua Archdiocese is in the east.

The bishops collectively operate through the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, which regularly issues pastoral letters on social, political, and moral issues.

Pope Leo XIV’s decision to visit three metropolitan sees signals a recognition of Cameroon’s regional diversity and ecclesial complexity.

3. The Church in Cameroon has deep historical roots.

Catholic missionary activity in Cameroon dates to the late 19th century, particularly under German colonial administration and later French and British rule. Missionaries established schools, clinics, and parishes that became foundational to local communities.

Over time, ecclesial leadership transitioned from missionary congregations to Indigenous clergy. Today, Cameroonian Catholic bishops and priests lead the Church across the country, and missionary institutes have shifted toward collaboration rather than control.

This historical trajectory — from missionary implantation to local ownership — has shaped a confident Church. Catholic institutions in education and health care are not peripheral supplements; they are pillars of national infrastructure.

The historical memory of missionary sacrifice and local perseverance still informs Catholic identity in Cameroon. Papal visits are therefore received not as external interventions but as moments of communion within an already mature ecclesial body.

4. The Church leads in education and health.

Few institutions in Cameroon rival the Catholic Church in educational reach. Catholic primary and secondary schools are widespread, often regarded for discipline and academic performance. The Church also sponsors tertiary institutions and teacher training colleges.

Health care is similarly significant. Catholic hospitals and clinics serve urban centers and remote areas alike. In regions where public health systems are strained, Catholic Church-run facilities frequently fill service gaps.

This social footprint gives the Catholic Church influence but also responsibility. It must negotiate regulatory frameworks, maintain quality standards, and manage financial sustainability.

This also means that papal messaging on social justice, youth formation, and health care ethics resonates concretely rather than abstractly.

In Cameroon, the Church’s credibility is measured as much by service delivery as by liturgical vitality.

5. Catholic leaders play a role in political and social realities.

Cameroon’s Catholic bishops have consistently engaged in public discourse on governance, elections, corruption, and national unity. Pastoral letters issued around electoral cycles often emphasize transparency, accountability, and peaceful participation.

This engagement places the Church in a delicate position. While she does not function as a political party, she operates as a moral voice. Her statements can attract both public support and governmental scrutiny.

The Anglophone crisis in the northwest and southwest regions — marked by tension between separatist groups and state forces — has intensified the Church’s mediating role. Bishops in affected regions, particularly in Bamenda, have appealed for dialogue and protection of civilians.

Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Bamenda is therefore not merely ceremonial. It unfolds against a backdrop of social fragility and political complexity. Any public remarks in that region will be closely analyzed for diplomatic nuance.

6. The Cameroon Church sees many religious vocations.

Cameroon is considered one of the more fruitful Churches in central Africa in terms of religious vocations. Major seminaries in the country train diocesan clergy, and religious congregations attract local candidates.

The presence of Indigenous clergy has allowed the Church to contextualize liturgy, catechesis, and pastoral strategy. Inculturation — integrating elements of local culture within Catholic worship and life — has developed within the framework permitted by universal Church norms.

However, vocations also present governance challenges: ensuring adequate formation, preventing clericalism, and addressing global concerns about safeguarding and accountability. As elsewhere, the Cameroonian Church must navigate expectations of transparency and ethical leadership.

A papal visit often includes meetings with clergy and religious. In Cameroon, such encounters are likely to reinforce standards of pastoral responsibility and ecclesial communion.

7. The Church here enjoys linguistic, cultural, and religious pluralism.

Cameroon is frequently described as “Africa in miniature” due to its linguistic and cultural diversity. The country officially operates in both French and English, with numerous Indigenous languages in daily use.

This diversity shapes ecclesial life. The Church must minister across Francophone and Anglophone regions, urban and rural contexts, and varied ethnic identities. Liturgies may incorporate local languages and music while maintaining doctrinal unity.

Religiously, Cameroon is pluralistic. Alongside Catholics are Protestants, Pentecostals, Muslims, and adherents of traditional religions. Inter-Christian competition — particularly with rapidly growing Pentecostal movements — poses pastoral challenges. The Catholic Church must articulate its identity in an environment where charismatic worship and prosperity preaching attract large followings.

Interreligious coexistence with Muslim communities, particularly in northern regions, remains a factor in national stability. The Church has often collaborated with Muslim leaders to promote peace and counter extremism.

For Pope Leo XIV, this pluralistic setting requires calibrated messaging — affirming Catholic identity without undermining interreligious harmony.

8. Cameroon hosted a previous papal visit.

In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI visited Cameroon, marking a major ecclesial event that included the promulgation of the Instrumentum Laboris for the Second Synod for Africa. That visit reinforced Cameroon’s role within the continental Church.

Pope Leo XIV’s 2026 journey will inevitably be compared with past papal engagements. Expectations will be shaped by memory: large public liturgies, strong doctrinal messages, and calls for ethical governance.

This story was first published on March 12, 2026, by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been updated.

The reorganization, which began in September 2024 in response to declining numbers of priests and churchgoers, is now in its third and final phase. The archdiocese will be organized into 24 “pastorates,” or groups of parishes that work closely together and share resources and ministries. Merged parishes will not yet be closed and may still be used for liturgical celebrations such as funerals, weddings, and weekday Masses.

The archdiocese, in which there are about 182,000 Catholics, has only one priest for every two parishes. The reorganization plan is designed to prevent burnout among the 85 priests actively serving in the archdiocese, a number that is expected to continue to decline.

Many dioceses across the United States have taken similar steps to reorganize parishes in recent years, including the archdioceses of St. Louis, Detroit, and Seattle.

‘Stepping forward in courageous honesty’

Archbishop Thomas Zinkula said the new plan was based on “extensive data” from every parish, according to a statement shared with EWTN News.

Mass attendance is down by almost half as of 2006, according to the archdiocese’s numbers. Catholic marriages are down more than 50% over the same time period, while infant baptisms are down by 22%.

“Like many dioceses across the country, we are facing sobering realities,” the archbishop said. “The number of faithful attending Mass has declined by 46% in 20 years and the number of priests available for ministry has been decreasing.”

“Demographic realities, the decline in the number of priests and religious, and the need for priests to serve more than one parish aren’t signs of failure. They are signs of change,” Zinkula said. “And change in the life of the Church has always called the faithful to deeper trust.”

According to the pastorate website, when parishes merge, the assets will transfer to the new parish where the affected parishioners are assigned.

“I envision us not as separate parts, but as one body — stepping forward in courageous honesty,” the archbishop said.

‘In a state of shock’

Zinkula described the archdiocese as “a vast and diverse Church.”

“Our priests and parish communities serve both rural towns and large cities — each with its own history and traditions, yet all united in the one mission of Christ,” he said.

One of the Catholic parishes that will no longer hold weekend Masses come summer is Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Founded in 1958, Immaculate Conception was the first Catholic parish in the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Father Aaron Junge, pastor of Immaculate Conception, told EWTN News: “I am choosing to focus on being with my people in their grief.”

“My people are still in a state of shock, as well as grief, but I have also seen signs of hope and a willingness to consider what new realities God may be inviting us to,” Junge said.

“This weekend, we heard about Jesus meeting the grief and doubt of St. Thomas with access to his wounds, and so it is to those wounds that I am doing my best to point my people with their own,” he said.

Junge said he hopes parishioners in the merger can bring Christ to the downtown area of the city of Cedar Rapids.

“Ultimately, my hope for the future is that the people of Immaculate Conception will join with the other people of our new pastorate to form a community that is greater than the sum of its constitutive parts and be focused on the worship of Our Lord in the sacraments and witnessing to him,” Junge concluded.

Continuing the Gospel mission

Zinkula acknowledged the difficulty of the coming changes while urging parishioners to think of this as a continuation of the Gospel mission.

“Our mission calls us to look beyond what is comfortable and familiar and ask how we can best proclaim the Gospel in the years ahead,” Zinkula said.

“Every parish church is a place where Christ is made present in the Eucharist. A place filled with memories — baptisms, weddings, funerals, and generations of family faith,” he said. “Every Catholic school has sent forth generations of graduates formed in the faith."

“The sacrifice of those who built these institutions — the immigrant families who gave from what little they had to lay a cornerstone, the priests who served faithfully in small rural parishes, the sisters who formed generations in the classroom — isn’t diminished when a building is used infrequently or not at all,” Zinkula continued. “Their sacrifice lives on in the mission we now carry forward.”

The archbishop urged parishioners to remain united throughout the change.

“There are voices and concerns that risk dividing us, particularly around Sunday Mass in some communities,” he said. “Even so, I am confident that, as we remain united in the Holy Spirit and grounded in the Eucharist — wherever we gather for worship — the Lord will bring this process to a good and grace-filled outcome.”

“And so I ask you to continue walking this journey with me — and with one another — with courage and trust,” Zinkula continued. “May we be worthy of the sacrifices of those who have gone before us, by carrying it forward, together, in faith and in mission.”

In response to Trump’s social media post Monday calling Leo “terrible for foreign policy” and claiming responsibility for his election to the papacy, Alexander John Paul Lutz, a policy fellow at the Helsinki Commission, said during the April 13 hearing that Leo’s message, and the Holy See’s, is unique from other world powers.

“To all of this, the force, the bellicosity, the transactionalism, the insistence that every actor on the world stage must really be angling for or towards something political, Pope Leo responded with a different vision,” Lutz said.

Citing Leo’s address to the diplomatic corps in January, Lutz emphasized that unlike other global powers, Leo’s message asserts that “the protection of the principle of the inviolability of human dignity and the sanctity of life always counts for more than any mere national interest.”

“These are the grounds on which the Holy See conducts its diplomacy,” Lutz said, noting the Vatican engages all parties, but “never fully endorses any state’s political platform.” Rather, he said, the Holy See “will subject every policy it encounters, including those of the United States, to an intellectual and moral rigor that is likely to improve it,” and “insists on speaking the truth for the record, even when doing so may lead to misunderstanding and scorn.”

“What is clear is that no other state on earth is even attempting to do what the Holy See is trying to do, to address the world as it is while insisting that it answer to something higher than power,” Lutz said.

Victor Gaetan, senior correspondent for the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, echoed Lutz during his testimony and gave context for the Holy See’s diplomatic approach.

“The Vatican has bilateral relations with 184 nations and operates 124 nunciatures or embassies around the world,” Gaetan said. “The popeʼs right-hand man is the secretary of state, who is typically a diplomat, a priest diplomat. Because the diplomats are priests who take vows of silence regarding what they know, they often approach tasks as pastors, which helps explain why Vatican diplomats are notoriously discreet and why they are willing to meet even with dictators. No one is beyond salvation.”

Gaetan explained that Vatican diplomacy has four dimensions: representation, mediation, preservation, and evangelization. He emphasized mediation as “the most important element in Vatican diplomacy,” highlighting several instances of the Holy See’s success in resolving conflicts between nations.

He also noted Leo’s outspoken advocacy for peace is grounded in “the priorities and pragmatism of his predecessors,” including Pope John Paul II, whom Leo echoed in his recent vigil for piece, saying: “Enough of war!”

“The popeʼs critique of war in Iran and bombing in Lebanon should not be understood as a political,” Gaetan said. “Rather, it is a theological position grounded in what is called ‘just war theory,’ developed by none other than St. Augustine in the early fifth century and studied in all United States military academies.”

For a war to be justified, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it must be waged to fight against a grave evil, the damage caused by waging the war cannot be graver than the evil it is meant to eliminate, there must be a serious prospect of success, and all alternatives to war must have already been tried.

Other panelists at the briefing included Peter G. Martin, a former U.S. diplomat at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, and Jackie Aldrette, executive director of AVSI USA, a humanitarian aid organization that has projects in 41 countries.

"I love the Catholic Church. I just wish theyʼd stick to fixing the Church, because thereʼs issues. I know because Iʼm a member. And stay out of politics,
Homan said.

Homan, a Catholic, commented after Trump initiated a direct, personal denunciation of Pope Leo, escalated it publicly, and doubled down in media appearances. Pope Leo responded briefly and calmly, declining to engage in debate and reframing his remarks as moral teaching rather than rebuttal.

Trump had called the pontiff “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy."

Homan said he wished Church leaders would sit down with him to understand his experiences as border czar.

“Maybe theyʼd understand why a secure border saves lives. A secure borderʼs the most humane thing this country can do,” Homan said.

More Catholic bishops respond

Several American Catholic bishops have responded to Trumpʼs criticism, defending Pope Leo XIV.

Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez defended Leoʼs role in preaching “the Gospel of peace.”

“Pope Leo XIV has consistently spoken with clarity and compassion with calls for peaceful resolutions to complex challenges in a manner that upholds the sanctity and dignity of all human life as our world continues to be afflicted with division, conflict, and suffering,” he said. “Both the pope and his message deserve respect and admiration.”

Earlier, Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, called Trumpʼs comments “disrespectful” and urged the president to apologize. U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops president Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City said he was “disheartened” by the comments.

Archbishop Mark S. Rivituso of Mobile, Alabama, said in a statement posted to social media that he echoes the views Coakley expressed and added that he affirms the popeʼs role “as a spiritual leader who speaks from the Gospel and for the care of souls.”

"I encourage all the faithful to be one with the Holy Father in praying for and witnessing to the Gospel of Christ’s peace and care for all peoples," he said. "I ask for all to pray for our president and all in public office to work for a greater peace and justice in our world.”

Catholic Charities announced the 2026-2027 tour in April 2025 after it received a $5 million grant from the Lilly Endowment as part of its Christian Storytelling Initiative.

When considering what stories the charitable organization would like to tell, Catholic Charities USA Vice President for Communications Kevin Brennan told “EWTN News Nightly” on April 10: “Ultimately, it was the story of the people, the men and women of the Catholic Charities network, staff, and volunteers, and the profound and merciful service work that they perform day in and day out.”

The purpose, he said, is “to tell the story through their perspective, which is a bit of a change from how we would normally do it, and to show the rest of us around the country the profound impact this service has not only on the one being served but on the person doing the service.”

The exhibit, housed in a retrofitted tractor-trailer, contains 42 stories from Catholic Charities staff serving around the country, each “telling the story of the one person or one family whom they have served through their work who had the most profound impact on them,” Brennan said.

“The stories call the rest of us who experience the museum to act in kind, to find ways in ways big and small, to help our neighbors and to serve as the Gospel calls us to,” he said.

The museum also has a “poverty simulator,” according to Brennan, where participants take on the persona of someone “living on the margins” and “experience the types of decisions they make.”

The experience, Brennan said, helps participants to grow in “understanding and empathy” for those living in poverty.

In addition, the museum has an interactive data wall on poverty and other challenges facing Americans across the country as well as a learning library and recording booth to record reactions to the museum “and talk about those who give you hope in your life.”

The museum will travel through 21 states, from Texas to Ohio and from Maine to Florida, mostly in the eastern half of the United States, by December.

“Weʼre going to be all over the country for the next two and a half years,” Brennan said, noting the schedule for 2026 is available to view while dates for 2027 will be announced soon.

The Holy Father is scheduled to continue his visit with trips to Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon on his first apostolic journey to the continent lasting April 13–23.

Here is a look at the popeʼs time in Algeria in photos:

The Houck home, located in rural eastern Pennsylvania, was raided by 20 armed federal agents in the early hours of the morning on Sept. 23, 2022. Houck was arrested in front of his family and interrogated for six hours.

Houck and his wife, Ryan-Marie, sued the DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in November 2023 after Houck was acquitted in January of that same year of the incident that prompted the raid.

While praying at a Planned Parenthood facility in October 2021, Houck had defended his 12-year-old son during an altercation with an aggressive, elderly Planned Parenthood volunteer.

Upon his arrest, Houck was charged with alleged violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, a 1994 federal law that protects access to abortion services and places of worship. If convicted, Houck faced up to 11 years in federal prison and up to $350,000 in fines. Under the Biden administration, many pro-life activists were charged with violating the FACE Act in what the Justice Department now claims was a weaponization of the law.

In the lawsuit, the Houcks alleged that they and their children suffered post-traumatic stress, economic loss, and loss of reputation after the event. They also said their children suffered from intense anxiety, constant fear of losing their parents, and inability to sleep, and that the stress from the trial led Ryan-Marie to have three miscarriages and receive an infertility diagnosis.

‘Huge victory for free speech'

Two organizations involved in the case are celebrating the victory as a win for the pro-life movement and for freedom of speech.

40 Days for Life President Shawn Carney called the win a “huge legal victory for free speech, not just for pro-life Americans,” in a video statement.

“Itʼs a huge victory for all Americans who want our right to speak our minds peacefully in a law-abiding way without fear of our own government,” Carney said.

Peter Breen, Thomas More Society executive vice president and head of litigation, said the organization was “thrilled with the outcome.”

“The Biden Department of Justice’s intimidation against pro-life people and people of faith has been put in its place,” Breen said.

“We took on Goliath — the full might of the United States government — and won,” Breen said. “The jury saw through and rejected the prosecution’s discriminatory case, which was harassment from Day 1. This is a win for Mark and the entire pro-life movement.”

Carney said the victory was a “long shot.”

“They have a 98% conviction rate at the DOJ, so heʼs part of the 2% that got acquitted,” Carney said. “And then to go on offense and to say, weʼre not going to stand for this from our government, and to sue them, and for them to settle and win is a huge, huge victory.”

Carney said that, as pro-lifers, “we got so much persecution from the DOJ under Biden, and President Trump has corrected that.”

“It has been absolutely night and day. Under Biden, at one point, we were getting one to two inquiries from the FBI per week at different 40 Days for Life locations,” Carney said. “This is absolutely ridiculous, and that has stopped, and we have been victorious in our lawsuit against the DOJ.”

“So, be not afraid, go out, peacefully pray to end abortion,” Carney concluded.

The relationship between editor Álex del Rosal and Messori, one of the most successful Catholic writers of the last half-century, began in 1993, when the publishing house Planeta embraced del Rosalʼs idea to launch “Planeta Testimonio.”

The idea was to collect Catholic books that offered “engaging themes and authors that would consistently appeal to everyone from the student to the shopkeeper to the taxi driver,” del Rosal said in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

With this goal in mind, del Rosal contacted Messori and proposed compiling his articles from the “Vivaio” column in the newspaper Avvenire into a book. In that column, Messori often defended the Catholic Church. The result was the bestseller “Black Legends of the Church.”

Other titles followed, and in 1984, when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was still prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Messori conducted a lengthy and candid interview with the future Pope Benedict XVI. Published in 1985 as “The Ratzinger Report,” the book became an international bestseller. The two men remained friends over the years.

Messori achieved another historic milestone in 1994 with “Crossing the Threshold of Hope,” a book-length interview with St. John Paul II. He was the only journalist ever commissioned to prepare questions for such a project with the pontiff. John Paul II personally wrote detailed written responses to Messori’s questions, and the resulting volume became one of the most successful papal bestsellers in history.

Del Rosal, who described Messori as “extraordinary and deeply human,”  maintained a friendship with the Italian writer that spanned more than three decades and lasted till his death on April 3.

The Spanish editor shared in an interview with ACI Prensa some key insights into Messoriʼs work and life.

The secret behind his heroic life

Beyond Messoriʼs public image as a friend of popes and a world-renowned author, del Rosal revealed a little-known aspect of the writerʼs life that, in many ways, defined him even more profoundly as a son of the Church. “It was the great cross that Vittorio bore in profound silence,” the editor remarked.

While he was still an agnostic, Messori entered into a canonical marriage with a young woman. Shortly thereafter, they separated, and he initiated the process to have the marriage declared null — a process that lasted two decades.

In that time, the writer met the woman who would remain his wife until his death: Rosanna Brichetti. The two met within the circles of Pro Civitate Christiana, a group founded in Assisi in 1939 by Father Giovanni Rossi, characterized by a great openness toward the secular world.

Messori disclosed his canonical situation to Brichetti with complete candor. "For 20 years," del Rosal said, "he lived with Rosanna in chastity — together, like brother and sister — in a truly heroic manner, precisely because he was so serious about living out his faith.”

The annulment process lasted from 1975 to 1995. The first ruling, which affirmed the validity of the marriage, came in Turin; the second, in Milan. It was only after his appeal to Rome that he finally received the response he had been hoping for from the Church: His first marriage was declared null.

During one of his visits to Messori, del Rosal discussed this matter with the writer: “He would say to me with great pain: ‘I am convinced. First, my conscience tells me that that first marriage is null and void. Second, I am almost certain that my success has slowed down this proceeding and made things more difficult for me.’”

“Thirdly — I, who am friends with Cardinal Ratzinger, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith who oversees these matters, and with the pope [St. John Paul II], who is ultimately the one who can also make the decision — nevertheless, I do not wish to use my friendship for a matter of this nature,” the editor recalled.

“Vittorio’s greatest attribute is not his literary success, nor his apologetic work, nor even how formidable he was in his defense of the Church; rather, it is the immense heroism he displayed in loving the Church despite — one might say — having been mistreated,” del Rosal said.

‘A writer’s master is his readers’

Messori was one of the most successful Catholic authors in recent decades, selling "somewhere between 30 and 40 million copies of his various works worldwide,” del Rosal noted.

Part of this success was based on a maxim he upheld not merely in theory, but through great personal effort: “He was the writer who most earnestly lived out his own words: ‘A writer’s master is his readers. Therefore, one must always answer them,’” del Rosal recalled.

With the help of his wife, Rosanna, Messori replied to every one of the more than 100 letters that arrived in his mailbox each week, until the use of email became widespread.

Speak to the seeker, not the convinced

Another of Messori’s strengths was that he addressed himself “not to the convinced Catholic, but to the seeker, to the one asking questions, even if they were at the opposite ends of ideological or doctrinal positions.” Messori himself was raised in a communist and deeply anticlerical family. It is not without reason that his mother, upon learning of his conversion, “wanted to send him to a psychiatrist,” the editor added.

This approach was evident in the publication of his first book, “Hypothesis About Jesus," for which he asked prominent Italian Communist Party member Lucio Lombardo Radice, an agnostic, to write the prologue.

“He didn’t write or speak for a closed circle within the Catholic Church; rather, he sought to address every type of audience,” del Rosal emphasized.

Every morning in the small Italian town on the shores of Lake Garda, Desenzano del Garda, Messoriʼs work routine involved visiting what he called the “center of the town’s opinion,“ a bar where ”the television was on and people chatted about this and that. While having breakfast and reading the newspaper, he would listen to the people’s conversations. This gave him a great deal of inspiration for taking the pulse of public opinion,” del Rosal said.

The balance between reason and the Holy Spirit

Messori’s manner of expression “maintained a balance between the two lungs of the Church: the Spirit and reason,” according to the editor.

Messori really disliked “the terminology of the Vaticanologist” and rejected that label, despite having interviewed two pontiffs. To him, the Vaticanologist “is incapable of moving beyond merely gazing at the exterior of the vessel containing the deposit of faith” and concerns himself solely “with superficial or flashy matters.”

“He always approached apologetics from the standpoint of reasoned faith, not morality. He argued that when morality is proclaimed without first having presented the faith, the result is not acceptance, but rejection,” del Rosal explained.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The basilica, dedicated to the bishop of ancient Hippo, was built between 1881 and 1907 at the initiative of Algiers Archbishop Charles-Martial-Allemand Lavigerie and was elevated to the rank of minor basilica on April 24, 1914, by Pope Pius X. Restoration work was completed in 2013, with support that included a personal donation from Pope Benedict XVI.

In his homily, the pope reflected on the Gospel account of Jesus’ nighttime encounter with Nicodemus, presenting it as a summons to renewal for the whole Church and especially for Algeria’s Christian community.

“Today we listen to the Gospel, the good news for all time, in this basilica in Annaba dedicated to St. Augustine, bishop of the ancient city of Hippo,” the pope said. “Over the centuries, the names of the places that welcome us have changed, but the saints continue to serve as our patrons and faithful witnesses of a connection to the land that comes from heaven.”

Leo said Jesus’ words to Nicodemus — “You must be born from above” — are not a burden but an invitation to freedom and new life in God.

“Such is the invitation for every man and woman who seeks salvation!” he said. “Jesus’ invitation gives rise to the mission of the whole Church, and consequently to the Christian community in Algeria: to be born again from above, that is, from God. In this perspective, faith overcomes earthly hardships and the Lord’s grace makes the desert blossom.”

The pope acknowledged that Christ’s command can sound impossible at first but said it reveals God’s power to renew human life.

“On the contrary, the obligation expressed by Jesus is a gift of freedom for us, because it reveals an unexpected possibility: We can be born anew from above thanks to God,” Leo said. “We should do so, then, according to his loving will, which desires to renew humanity by calling us to a communion of life that begins with faith. While Christ invites us to renew our lives completely, he also gives us the strength to do so.”

He then asked whether life can truly begin again and answered with hope rooted in the cross and Resurrection.

“Yes! The Lord’s response, so full of love, fills our hearts with hope,” the pope said. “No matter how weighed down we are by pain or sin: The crucified One carries all these burdens with us and for us. No matter how discouraged we are by our own weaknesses: It is precisely then that God manifests his strength, the God who has raised Christ from the dead in order to give life to the world.”

“Each one of us can experience the freedom of new life that comes from faith in the Redeemer,” he added. “Once again, St. Augustine offers us an example of this: We revere him for his conversion even more than for his wisdom.”

Turning to the Acts of the Apostles, Leo said the life of the early Church remains the model for genuine ecclesial reform.

“Even today, we must embrace this apostolic rule and put it into practice, meditating on it as an authentic criterion for ecclesial reform: a reform that must begin in the heart, if it is to be genuine, and must encompass everyone if it is to be effective,” he said.

The pope said the first Christian community was not founded on a merely human agreement but on communion in Christ.

“The early Church, therefore, was not based on a social contract but rather on the harmony of faith, affections, ideas, and life decisions centered on the love of God who became man to save all the peoples of the earth,” he said.

That unity, he said, must bear fruit in charity, especially amid poverty and oppression.

“Therefore, in the face of poverty and oppression, the guiding principle above all for Christians is charity: Let us do to those around us, as we would have them do to us,” Leo said. “Inspired by this law, inscribed in our hearts by God, the Church is continually reborn, for where there is despair she kindles hope, where there is misery she brings dignity, and where there is conflict she brings reconciliation.”

Addressing bishops and priests, the pope said pastors are called above all to bear witness to God without fear or compromise.

“The primary task of pastors as ministers of the Gospel is therefore to bear witness to God before the world with one heart and one soul, not permitting our concerns to lead us astray through fear, nor trends to undermine us through compromise,” he said.

“Together with you, brothers in the episcopate and the priesthood, let us constantly renew this mission for the sake of those entrusted to us, so that through her service, the whole Church may be a message of new life for those we encounter,” he added.

In his closing appeal, Leo addressed Algeria’s Christians directly, praising their fidelity and urging them to continue witnessing to the Gospel in ordinary life.

“Dearest Christians of Algeria, you remain a humble and faithful sign of Christ’s love in this land,” he said. “Bear witness to the Gospel through simple gestures, genuine relationships, and a dialogue lived out day by day: In this way, you bring flavor and light to the places where you live.”

He also praised their perseverance through hardship and invoked the example of the martyrs and of St. Augustine.

“Your history is one of generous hospitality and resilience in times of trial,” the pope said. “Here the martyrs prayed; here St. Augustine loved his flock, fervently seeking the truth and serving Christ with ardent faith. Be heirs to this tradition, bearing witness through fraternal charity to the freedom of those born from above as a hope of salvation for the world.”

Several cardinals concelebrated the Mass with the pope, including Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, archbishop of Algiers; Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, archbishop of Rabat; and curial cardinals Pietro Parolin, George Koovakad, Luis Antonio Tagle, Peter Turkson, and Robert Sarah. Also among the concelebrants were Archbishop Paul Gallagher and Father Joseph Farrell, prior general of the Augustinians.

Before the Mass, the pope visited the Augustinian community house and later had lunch with his confreres.

At the end of the celebration, Bishop Michel Jean-Paul Guillaud of Constantine offered words of thanks to the pope.

“Holy Father, your visit to this place, a source of your Augustinian roots, was brief, but it was an encouragement for us,” Guillaud said. “First of all, it strengthened our Christian community in its faith and in its trust in the goodwill and respect of the Algerian people. We could not have welcomed you without the support and active collaboration of the authorities and the joyful hospitality of our Algerian brothers and sisters.”

The exchange of gifts followed: The pope received a ceramic work made by an Algerian artist, and he in turn gave a chalice.

Leo then offered brief words of thanks of his own.

“This journey has been for me a particular gift of God’s providence, a gift that the Lord has wished to make to the whole Church,” the pope said. “And it seems to me that I can sum it up this way: God is love; he is the Father of all men and women. Let us return to God with humility…”

He continued: “We acknowledge that the current situation of the world is caught in a negative spiral that ultimately depends on our pride. We need him, we need his mercy, because only in him is the peace of the human heart found, and with him we will all be able to live together.”

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.

Cupich told St. John Henry Newman Parish in Evanston that the archdiocese had launched a review of the parishʼs finances on March 30 amid “serious questions” about the parishʼs “fiscal administration.”

The prelate said in an April 10 letter to the parish that the review found Father Kenneth Anderson “violated a number of core archdiocesan policies pertaining to the proper exercise of good stewardship of parish resources.”

Among the reported violations included “the creation and maintenance of a separate bank account into which he deposited substantial parish funds,” Cupich said.

Some of those funds “were used to cover costs unrelated to parish needs including his personal expenses.”

Anderson resigned after being presented with the findings of the report, Cupich said. The priest also “accepted [Cupichʼs] instruction that, when the full accounting is complete, he is to make restitution for any funds clearly identified as covering his personal expenses.”

The archdiocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the total amount of funds reportedly misused at the parish.

Cupich in his letter said Father Wayne Watts, the pastor of Sts. Joseph and Francis Xavier Parish in nearby Wilmette, oversaw the administration of St. John Henry Newman Parishʼs finances during the review process.

The archbishop further said that he had asked the archdiocesan placement board to recommend a new pastor for the parish by July 1.

Retired priest Father Gerald Gunderson will serve as parish administrator until the new pastor is appointed, Cupich said.

The parish was formed in 2022 after the merging of Sts. Athanasius and Joan of Arc parishes as part of the archdiocesan Renew My Faith campaign.

The event began with a Mass in St. Vitus Cathedral, where around 2,000 people gathered before joining the pro-life march. Archbishop Emeritus Jan Graubner of Prague said in his homily that “the path to the revival of the Church and society is not possible without the revival of families.”

Graubner praised a culture based on love, “which does not live for itself,” on the acceptance of the Holy Spirit, interior freedom, and forgiveness.

Some resist this culture, Graubner acknowledged, saying that they “consider their own self to be the center and summit of everything.” Such a perspective “encloses in bubbles and creates boundaries,” he said, adding that it also “causes poverty because there is a lack of love that can divide.”

It “threatens peace because there is a lack of love that seeks the good of others,” he continued. Finally, it “leads to depression because there is a lack of hope for eternity and the disappointed person experiences” that “he is not the omnipotent god he had” thought, Graubner concluded.

Counterprotesters and police response

Pro-abortion protesters attempted to block the marchers, screaming and accusing them of denying women the right to choose. Police arrested five people, but no serious incident occurred. Last year, pro-abortion demonstrators blocked the march at one point, so this time participants walked through the city in separate groups to avoid a repeat disruption.

Typically, the number of marchers doubles once they reach Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí), one of the cityʼs main squares, where the programʼs final portion takes place. This year, however, police blocked the square and allowed entry only to those who insisted on getting in — a barrier that was especially difficult for families with small children. As a result, the total number of participants was hard to estimate, and the turnout in Wenceslas Square was much lower than expected.

The organizer, Hnutí Pro život ČR (Movement for Life of the Czech Republic), told EWTN News that it is considering a legal complaint against the police department.

“The leadership of local police disabled a public gathering for which the public has a right,” the organizer said. The group stressed that the march is held to show support for women facing unexpected pregnancies, adding: “We welcome among us even those with another viewpoint.”

However, those responsible lacked the "political will" to secure the march by blocking the square, while letting “the radicals run wild and intimidate the participants," the organizer said.

The press office of the Police of the Czech Republic wrote to EWTN News that it has “no information suggesting that the police officers acted improperly in any way.” The Regional Directorate of Police in Prague did not respond to an enquiry for comment.

“It was Father Francis who recommended that all the charitable and welfare programs of the archdiocese be named under ‘Sathwanam’ (Compassion). His aim was to provide the best treatment with the least expense, and he worked hard for that,” said Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Thrissur, inaugurating the memorial at the Jubilee Mission Medical College (JMMC) that Alappatt established at the archdiocesan hospital in the heart of Thrissur.

Alappatt, who died of complications from diabetes at the age of 72 on April 8, was a singular figure in the Catholic Church in India: He was ordained in 1995 at the age of 41 after joining the seminary to fulfill a childhood dream, having already earned a medical degree from Kozhikode Medical College.

‘Half priest’

“Even when he was a medical student, he was called ‘padi achan’ (half priest) for his lifestyle, and I was also touched by him,” recounted Dr. Susheela Jacob, who was a professor at Kozhikode Medical College when Alappatt was a medical student in the 1980s, during the memorial.

“Scenes of trade in blood around the hospital prompted him to launch a blood donation campaign with batchmates [classmates], and he founded the Kerala Blood Donors Forum as a medical student,” Jacob recalled.

“I was regularly in touch with him, and when he started the medical college, he invited me, and I gladly joined in 2005,” said Jacob, a pathologist who is presently lab director at the JMMC Hospital. She spoke to EWTN News on April 14.

After his ordination, Alappatt transformed even remote parishes into centers of blood donation awareness and paved the way for the Kerala state government to record the blood group of each student in school certificates.

As director of Jubilee Mission Hospital, he expanded it into a medical college — approved by the central government — in 2004 and doubled the hospitalʼs beds to more than 1,500, making it one of the largest hospitals in Kerala. The facility is known for subsidized treatment for the poor and free medicines for snakebite victims.

Interreligious tributes

“Father Alappatt had a special doctorate in human relations. He knew how to move people,” said K. Rajan, a Hindu and minister in the Kerala state government, at the memorial. “Whenever he invited me for a program, I could not decline.”

“Father Francis was my classmate in school and surprised me [in the late] 1990s coming back to me as a priest. Then he turned my guru (teacher) in life,” said T.S. Pattabhiraman, a leading Hindu businessman of Thrissur.

“He became a family friend and had a unique marketing strategy [to get financial support]. Whenever I went to invite him for a family marriage or other functions, he would seek support for his free dialysis, treatment for snakebite victims. Whenever he needed help, he would call me. I could never say ‘no’ to him,” recalled Pattabhiraman, who is one of the trustees of the interreligious forum Alappatt founded to promote religious harmony.

Popular for his pioneering blood donation movement in Kerala — as well as his interreligious and health awareness programs, in addition to his role as founding director of the Catholic medical college — Alappatt was named chairman of the Indian Red Cross Society.

“In honor of Father Alappattʼs compassion for those affected by kidney disease, I am happy to announce today that Jubilee Mission has decided to set up a renal transplant center, and it will be called the Father Francis Alappatt Memorial Renal Transplant Centre,” announced Auxiliary Bishop Tony Neelankavil at the memorial, evoking thunderous applause.

Free dialysis and parish support

“Father Alappatt introduced and motivated parishes and families to support free dialysis as part of parish feasts and family celebrations like marriage or baptism. We got support for more than 12,000 free dialysis [treatments] in 2025,” Father Reny Mundankurian, the JMMC Hospital director, told EWTN News.

After leaving Jubilee Hospital in 2010, Alappatt served as vicar general of the Archdiocese of Thrissur and also helped improve smaller diocesan hospitals and health care initiatives in the archdiocese.

A prolific writer, he authored 50 books on health, social harmony, the environment, and human relations. A dozen of these were written after he became seriously ill, restricting his movement.

‘He showed God to the world’

“Father Alappatt showed God to the world through his loving service,” said Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, in his homily during the April 10 funeral service at the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours parish in the heart of Thrissur.

“He never worked in mission centers, but he showed with his life how life can be turned into missionary work,” said Thattil about his fellow parishioner, as both of them hail from the Dolours Basilica parish, which is celebrating its centenary year.

True to his commitment to health care, Alappatt donated his eyes, and after the funeral service — attended by half a dozen bishops — his body was not taken to the cemetery but placed in the JMMC mobile ambulance to be transported to the hospitalʼs anatomy department.

In an address to the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the pontiff discussed authority in the context of Catholic social teaching and described it as grounded not in strength but in moral virtue.

“Catholic social teaching regards power not as an end in itself but as a means ordered toward the common good,” the pope wrote in his message. “This implies that the legitimacy of authority depends not on the accumulation of economic or technological strength but on the wisdom and virtue with which it is exercised.”

Leo’s message follows his remarks at a Vatican prayer vigil for peace on April 11, where he denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” among global leaders amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. In his letter, he criticized the imbalance of economic and military power among nations, calling it a threat to democracy.

“The concentration of technological, economic, and military power in a few hands threatens both democratic participation among peoples and international concord. Divine power does not dominate but rather heals and restores. It is precisely this logic of charity that must animate history, for human activity inspired by charity helps to shape the ‘earthly city’ in unity and peace,” Leo wrote.

Referring to Centesimus Annus, St. John Paul II’s encyclical on Catholic social teaching, Leo stated that legitimate power “finds one of its highest expressions in authentic democracy,” a democracy that recognizes human dignity and is not dominated by “economic and technological elites.”

“Far from being a mere procedure, democracy recognizes the dignity of every person and calls each citizen to participate responsibly in the pursuit of the common good,” Leo wrote. “Reflecting this conviction, St. John Paul II affirmed that the Church values democracy because it ensures participation in political choices and ‘the possibility both of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate.’”

“In the light of faith, we know, conversely, that pain and illness can make a person wiser and more mature, helping him to discern in his own life what is not essential, in order to turn toward, or return to, the Lord,” Leo observed in a letter signed March 27 and published April 13 as he began his 11-day tour of Africa.

The Pontifical Biblical Commission, which is meeting April 13–17 in Vatican City, operates under the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and is based in Rome. Its annual plenary assemblies consistently take place in the Vatican.

The pope cited several passages from the Gospel in which Jesus’ compassion toward those in need and the sick is made manifest, such as when the Lord takes pity on a leper who asks to be healed, or on the two blind men he heals after they implore him to restore their sight.

“Christ’s compassion toward all who suffer is so profound that he himself identifies with them,” noted the pope, adding that Jesus “commanded his disciples to care for the sick, to lay hands upon them, and to bless them in his name.”

“Through the experience of fragility and illness, we too can and must learn to walk together, in human and Christian solidarity, in accordance with the way God does, which is [through] compassion, closeness, tenderness, and solidarity,” the pontiff said.

In his letter, he noted that human nature “bears inscribed within itself the reality of limitations and finitude.”

“Why illness? Why suffering? Why death? Faced with these questions, even believers sometimes falter, coming to experience bewilderment and even despair and rebellion against God,” he wrote to the assembled experts, whom he exhorted to shed light on life’s most difficult aspects in the light of sacred Scripture.

The commission consists of about 20-30 leading Catholic biblical scholars from around the world, appointed by the pope, who serve in scholarly and advisory capacities, helping the Church interpret and apply Scripture faithfully to contemporary questions.

The pope invited the experts to consider in their exegetical work — in addition to illness, physical pain, and death — “also the sufferings of the poor, of migrants, and of the marginalized in society, which are present in so many pages of sacred Scripture.”

Finally, he endorsed the initiative of the Pontifical Biblical Commission to study various biblical figures who suffered. “Taken together, they will certainly become a beautiful symbol of hope for every person who unites their sufferings to the crucified Christ, renewing the manifestation of his face of love,” the Holy Father wrote.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

A day after the end of their historic journey, the four astronauts gave brief yet powerful reflections of their experience during an event at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

During her remarks, Koch — Artemis IIʼs mission specialist — shared that she has learned what the true meaning of a crew is.

“A crew is a group that is in it, all the time, no matter what, that is stroking together every minute with the same purpose, that is willing to sacrifice silently for each other, that gives grace, that holds accountable,” she said. “A crew has the same cares and the same needs and a crew is inescapably, beautifully, dutifully linked.”

With this in mind and looking down at Earth from space, Koch shared that what struck her wasn’t necessarily just looking down at Earth, but “it was all the blackness around it — Earth was just this lifeboat, hanging undisturbingly in the universe.”

She added: “I know I haven’t learned everything that this journey has yet to teach me, but there’s one new thing I know and that is, planet Earth, you are a crew.”

Reflecting on his experience, Wiseman — who served as the Artemis II mission commander — highlighted the important role the astronauts' families played in supporting them.

“No one knows what the families went through. This was not easy being 200,000-plus miles away from home,” he said. “Before you launch it feels like it’s the greatest dream on earth and when you’re out there you just want to get back to your families and your friends.”

He added: “It’s a special thing to be a human and itʼs a special thing to be on planet Earth.”

During his remarks, Glover — who served as the pilot on the mission — said: “When this started on April 3, I wanted to thank God in public and I want to thank God again, because even bigger than my challenge trying to describe what we went through, the gratitude of seeing what we saw, doing what we did, and being with who I was with, it’s too big to just be in one body.”

Glover shared another powerful message outside of his home in Houston to a group of neighbors who gathered to welcome him back. The video was shared on social media.

“Some of us have never met before, and you know whose fault that is? Ours,“ he said. ”So letʼs choose to do this. Letʼs be this more; letʼs be neighbors. I donʼt know if you heard me say it, but God told us to love him with all that we are, and love our neighbors as ourselves.”

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Hansen also touched on three human experiences that left a lasting impact on him — gratitude, joy, and love.

The Canadian astronaut thanked his family, NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, and the many teams that were involved throughout the entire process of the Artemis II mission. He also highlighted the crewʼs commitment to always remain joyful — even during the difficult moments — and the love they each carried for the mission and one another.

“You havenʼt heard us talk a lot about the science, the things weʼve learned, and thatʼs because theyʼre there and theyʼre incredible but itʼs the human experience that is extraordinary for us,” he said.

In a letter to the members of the College of Cardinals dated April 12 and made public Tuesday, the Holy Father looked back on the first consistory of his pontificate, held Jan. 7–8, and highlighted the importance of the cardinals’ exchanges there.

“I greatly appreciate the work carried out in the groups, which facilitated free, concrete, and spiritually fruitful exchanges as well as the notable quality of the interventions made during the plenary,” Pope Leo wrote.

At that January meeting, the cardinals chose two of four topics proposed by the pope to guide their work. Setting aside the liturgical question — specifically the rite used before the Second Vatican Council — and the issue of relations between the Holy See and episcopal conferences, they opted to focus on “the mission of the Church in the world today” and on “synod and synodality as an instrument and style of collaboration.”

The pope also placed special emphasis on Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis’ first apostolic exhortation, published Nov. 24, 2013, and centered on proclaiming the kerygma — the Gospel with Christ at the center.

Referring to the cardinals’ contributions, Pope Leo said: “This exhortation continues to be a significant point of reference. In addition to introducing new content, it refocuses everything on the kerygma as the heart of our Christian and ecclesial identity.”

He added that it was recognized as “a ‘breath of fresh air,’ capable of initiating processes of pastoral and missionary conversion — rather than producing immediate structural reforms — and thus profoundly guiding the Church’s journey.”

The pope said this perspective challenges the Church at every level.

“On a personal level, it calls every baptized person to renew their encounter with Christ, moving from a faith merely received to a faith truly lived and experienced,” he wrote. “This journey affects the very quality of spiritual life, expressed in the primacy of prayer, in the witness that precedes words, and in the coherence between faith and life.”

At the community level, he said, the Church must move “from a pastoral approach of maintenance to one of mission.”

“This requires communities to be living agents of the proclamation — welcoming communities that use accessible language, attentive to the quality of relationships, and capable of offering places for listening, accompaniment, and healing,” he wrote.

At the diocesan level, Pope Leo stressed the duty of bishops and priests to foster missionary zeal.

“The responsibility of pastors to resolutely support missionary boldness emerges clearly, ensuring that such boldness is not weighed down or stifled by organizational excesses but is guided by a discernment that helps us to recognize what is essential,” he said.

The pope also underlined a Christ-centered understanding of mission, one that spreads “through attraction rather than conquest.”

“It is an integral mission, holding in balance explicit proclamation, witness, commitment, and dialogue, and yielding neither to the temptation of proselytism nor to a merely institutional mentality of preservation or expansion,” he wrote. “Even when the Church finds herself in a minority, she is called to live with confident courage, as a small flock bringing hope to all, mindful that the aim of mission is not its own survival but the communication of the love with which God loves the world.”

Among the proposals that emerged from the January consistory, the pope said several deserve further reflection. These include “the need to relaunch Evangelii Gaudium through an honest assessment of what has actually been embraced over the years and what, by contrast, remains unfamiliar or unimplemented,” with particular attention to “the necessary reforms of the processes of Christian initiation.”

He also pointed to “the importance of valuing apostolic and pastoral visits as authentic opportunities for kerygmatic proclamation and for a growth in the quality of relationships” and called for a reassessment of Church communications — including at the level of the Holy See — “from a more explicitly missionary perspective.”

The letter concludes with the formal announcement of the next consistory, to be held June 26–27, with further details to come later to help cardinals prepare.

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.

After leaving the archaeological site of Hippo, the pope traveled to the home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, where he visited residents and greeted those gathered there.

“I am pleased to make this visit because God dwells here,” Leo said. “Indeed, wherever there is love and service, God is there.”

The pope thanked the Little Sisters of the Poor, the home’s staff, Mother Philomena, and Archbishop Emeritus Paul Desfarges of Algiers.

“Having listened to you, and seeing your presence here amongst our elderly brothers and sisters, it is natural to praise God and give thanks to him,” the pope said to Desfarges. “Just as Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said: ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.’”

Leo also thanked Salah Bouchemel, an elderly Algerian Muslim, for what he called a “beautiful and comforting” testimony.

“I think that the Lord, looking down from heaven upon a house like this, where people strive to live together in fraternity, would say, ‘There is hope!’” the pope said.

“Yes, because God’s heart is torn apart by wars, violence, injustice, and lies. But our Father’s heart is not with the wicked, the arrogant or the proud. God’s heart is with the little ones, with the humble, and with them he builds up his kingdom of love and peace day by day, just as you are striving to do here in your daily service, in your friendship and life together.”

The pope concluded by thanking those present for the gathering.

“I will keep you in my prayers and I gladly impart my blessing,” he said.

Later Tuesday afternoon, Leo was scheduled to conclude his visit to Hippo by celebrating Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine before returning to Algiers.

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.

Co-hosted by CUAʼs Center for the Constitution and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and Carroll Forum for Citizenship and Public Life, along with the University of Notre Dameʼs Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government, the conference included a video address by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighting Catholics' presence and influence on the nation.

“It has been 250 years since a new people declared themselves to the world. At the time, less than 2% were Catholic, but the nation they built would come to serve as one of the proudest and most enduring testaments to the eternal truth of our faith," Rubio, himself a Catholic, stated.

Rubio recalled a 1790 letter from the nationʼs first president, George Washington, to the countryʼs first Catholic bishop, John Carroll, in which he spoke of the “patriotic part” American Catholics played in the accomplishment of the American Revolution.

In that same letter, Washington also anticipated that “America, under the smiles of a Divine Providence, the protection of a good government, and the cultivation of manners, morals, and piety, cannot fail of attaining an uncommon degree of eminence, in literature, commerce, agriculture, improvements at home, and respectability abroad.”

Summing it up, Rubio said: “To look upon the history of this golden land is to see the face of God.”

‘Catholic Social Thought and the American Experiment’

One of the symposiumʼs central panels was titled “Catholic Social Thought and the American Experiment” and featured Russell Hittinger, executive director of the Institute for Human Ecology at CUA; Kenneth Grasso, professor and department chair of political science at Texas State University; Ryan T. Anderson, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC); and CUA professor Sarah Gustafson.

Grasso focused his presentation on the late Father John Courtney Murray, SJ, an American Jesuit priest and theologian known for his work on the reconciliation of Catholicism with American democratic pluralism and religious freedom.

“Murray in some sense was a celebrant of the American experiment, admired the Founding Fathers, somebody who celebrated Americaʼs success; he also thought that America was in deep trouble.”

The moral tradition “provided the justification and substance of the American experiment and had been the source of its success,” Grasso said. However, Murray also saw that “the very moral tradition which made American democracy compatible with Catholicism no longer lives in the minds and hearts of Americans.”

“And as a result, he worried that America was on the verge of becoming a mass democracy," he said. "Murray approaches this crisis from three different dimensions."

Murrayʼs first approach was how “the Church and Catholic thought played a critical role in creating a new tradition in political thought,” Grasso said. Murray referred to the tradition as “the Western liberal tradition."

“The Western liberal tradition is committed to a government thatʼs limited in scope, subject in its operations to a rule of law, and which acknowledges the sovereignty of God and its duty to conform its actions with the universal moral law, which includes protecting the rights of the person.”

Murrayʼs second approach was “political or sociopolitical,” Grasso said. Murray argued “there is a limit to how much, and what kinds of, pluralism a pluralist society can stand while remaining a functioning body politic.”

“If you have different religious groups holding different convictions about the nature of man, about the precepts of morality, itʼs going to be hard to form that underlying consensus that the body politic needs,” he said.

Lastly, Murrayʼs approach was “theological in nature,” he said. “‘Is America an example of the modern political experiment?’ Yes and no.”

“As America evolved more and more we retheorized our public life along the dimensions of modern political experiment. At the heart of the American experiment, or rather the modern political experiment, is secularity."

“Absent Christian revelation” and “modern cultureʼs rejection of the Christian mode of existence" have created a spiritual vacuum "that will be filled by an explicitly non-Christian mode of existence. This mode of existence will manifest itself in violence ... a violence that threatens to destroy freedom, order, and justice," Grasso said.

"The American experiment will not long survive the revelation that was its ultimate inspiration. Where does this leave us? Murray says it leaves the body politic in a grave crisis,” Grasso said.

‘Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’

The EPPCʼs Ryan Anderson focused his remarks on the contemporary application in America of Catholic social teaching (CST).

“There are four fundamental basic principles of Catholic social thought,” Anderson said. “Human dignity, the common good, subsidiarity, solidarity.”

The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church “talks about the ‘imago Dei’ ... so thereʼs a transcendent source of our dignity, but it also talks about a transcendent orientation. Weʼre all created for friendship with God. And so itʼs both the origin and the end of the human person that explains the nature of humanity.”

“There is a Catholic account for this that is distinct from the secularist or the Enlightenment. This should easily, whether working from within the Catholic social thought perspective or the Declaration perspective, speak directly to the abortion issue.”

Recognition of the right to life

“Public opinion has gone really, really badly for the pro-life side in the past decade after having been stable for relatively 30 or 40 years. In the past decade, weʼve seen wide divergences,” he said. “I think itʼs too quick to say that American political culture has nothing to do with this.”

When it comes to social thought and the Declaration regarding “the account of liberty and religious liberty in particular,” there are “tensions” between the two, Anderson said.

“But thereʼs also surprising overlap and harmonization between the account that [James] Madison gives us in [‘Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments’], in which he says ‘the reason that we have rights to religious liberty is because we have duties to the Creator.’”

“Then he says, ‘before any man can be considered a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the universe.’ Nice rejection of any secularism,’” Anderson noted.

Today, the matter of religious liberty has become a major issue. While on the presidentʼs Religious Liberty Commission for the past year, Anderson said he has heard "horror story after horror story during our hearings for the past 12 months,” Anderson said.

“The most heated religious liberty issues” often affect Catholics and Christian values. Anderson specifically mentioned the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who “have pursued the state of New York because they are forcing them to engage in transgender nursing homes for the elderly who are dying.”

Lastly, Anderson discussed the pursuit of happiness in regard to the family unit. Marriage and the family, “from a Catholic social perspective, is the basic cell of civilization and is the source of some of the deepest happiness and contentment for most people,” he said.

“When you read through some of the scholars of the founding of what they thought about marriage and the family, thereʼs virtually no daylight between the founderʼs vision for marriage and the family and contemporary Catholic social bodyʼs vision for marriage and the family.”

“It’s a man, woman, husband and wife, mother and father, a nuclear family, extended family. Yes, there are going to be disagreements about contraception, but thatʼs much later,” Anderson said. “Thereʼs a huge agreement on the nature of the human person, nature of human family."

Today there are now developments that have altered this understanding of the family. Anderson highlighted the effects of Obergefell and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Next steps

In addressing these issues impacting human dignity, Anderson laid out several next possible steps for the nation.

He referenced the Craddock article, which outlines a federal legislative strategy for banning abortion and argues that in "the original public meeting of the 14th Amendment, the word ‘person’ would apply to every human being and that would include the unborn child in the womb.”

“From a … proper understanding of the 14th Amendment, this would empower Congress to pass legislation under Section 5 of the 14th Amendment to protect the unborn. I donʼt see Congress doing that," he said.

Therefore, “more immediately, the Trump administration could simply reinstate the safety provisions for the abortion pill that were in existence throughout the entirety of the first Trump administration that Biden got rid of," he said.

Lawmakers are “afraid that if they do anything bold on life right now, it will hurt them in the upcoming midterms,” Anderson said. But, he explained, “thereʼs not a single pro-life elected official who has lost reelection.”

He also explained the need for marriage, because “the root cause of abortion is not the cost of diapers, nor is it the cost of childbirth,” but rather it is premarital pregnancies.

“If youʼre the child and youʼre conceived outside of marriage, 40% of the time youʼre going to die of an abortion. If youʼre conceived inside of marriage, 4% of the time,” Anderson said. “Marriage is the best protector of the unborn."

After a flight of about an hour, Leo arrived in the city most closely associated with St. Augustine, who served as bishop of Hippo from 396 to 430. For the pope, a son of St. Augustine, the visit marked a homecoming of sorts.

It was in Hippo that St. Augustine died at about age 75 while the city was under siege by the Vandals. His remains were first buried in the basilica there. To protect them from desecration, Augustine’s body was later moved first to Cagliari and then, around 723, transferred to Pavia by the Lombard king Liutprand. His relics are now venerated in the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, which Pope Leo is scheduled to visit on June 20.

Over the centuries after Augustine’s death, Annaba — once Hippo — was conquered first by the Byzantines and later destroyed by the Arabs in the seventh century before being rebuilt under the name Annaba.

Among the surviving remains from the Roman era are the paved forum surrounded by columned porticoes, the theater, the market, Severan baths, cisterns, and figurative mosaics. Christian-era elements also remain, including the Basilica Pacis, where St. Augustine carried out his episcopal ministry, and its adjoining baptistery.

Upon arriving at the archaeological site, Pope Leo XIV was greeted by a local official. Despite driving rain and a shorter visit than originally planned because of the weather, the pope walked through the ruins and, at the end of the route, laid a wreath of flowers.

The choir of the Annaba Institute of Music then performed songs in Latin, Berber, and Arabic based on texts by St. Augustine dedicated to peace and fraternity. After a brief prayer, the pope departed the archaeological site.

Leo was then set to continue to the Little Sisters of the Poor’s home for the elderly, where he was to stop briefly to greet residents.

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.

The initiative follows discussions held during the 404th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops' Conference. On March 17, Poland Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Minister of the Interior and Administration Marcin Kierwiński met with bishops at the conferenceʼs general secretariat in Warsaw.

In an April 7 interview with the Polish Press Agency, Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, president of the Polish Bishops' Conference, said the preparations were driven by widespread concern over regional instability.

“There are fears that the war will reach Poland, which is understandable,” Wojda said. “Fortunately, we are not standing idly by, waiting for events to unfold.”

Coordinated Church-state response

At the center of the effort is a newly established working group within the bishops' conference composed of representatives from multiple institutions, including Caritas Poland. The group is collaborating with both the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of the Interior to develop coordinated responses to crisis scenarios.

According to Wojda, the plan includes provisions for assisting civilians, supporting refugees, and ensuring access to essential resources such as generators, water, medical supplies, and hygiene products. Government authorities have indicated that such materials would be made available to parishes in the event of a national emergency.

The working group is also developing protocols for the evacuation of cultural and religious heritage sites, the establishment of humanitarian corridors, and the identification of safe locations where civilians could seek shelter.

Role of parishes on the front line

Church leaders expect that parishes will play a critical role in any crisis response. Poland has more than 10,000 Catholic parishes nationwide, making the Church one of the countryʼs most extensive and trusted local networks.

Wojda explained that the Polish government realizes that in a crisis situation, “most Poles will first turn to the Church for help, and only then to municipal institutions and offices.” Therefore, it is important to have access to resources that will allow civilians to survive in a crisis.

To prepare for this responsibility, the conference is developing practical guidelines for clergy. Training sessions and workshops are already underway in some dioceses, often in collaboration with Caritas Poland, which has extensive experience in humanitarian aid.

Wojda stressed that priests are aware of the potential challenges. “They understand the problem they may have to face,” he said, adding that bishops are being kept regularly informed of the preparations.

Broader regional context

The initiative reflects heightened awareness in Poland of security risks linked to the ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine and broader geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe.

While Poland has not been directly involved in armed conflict, its proximity to the front lines and its role as a key NATO member and logistical hub for Ukraine have heightened concerns about potential spillover effects.

Church and state officials have framed the preparations as a precautionary measure aimed at safeguarding civilians and maintaining social stability. Observers have largely viewed the development positively, noting that the Catholic Churchʼs extensive parish network and centralized structure position it as a uniquely effective partner in crisis response.

This evolving role raises broader questions about the place of religious institutions in modern European societies: whether the Church can serve not only as a moral authority but also as a stabilizing force in times of crisis, and how such cooperation between ecclesial and state structures may shape future responses to conflict and humanitarian emergencies.

The nationwide effort provides essential financial assistance for dioceses and eparchies that are unable to sustain core pastoral and evangelizing ministries on their own due to limited financial resources, small Catholic populations, or communities spread across wide geographic areas.

Coordinated by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB), the appeal supports nearly 75 Latin-rite dioceses and Eastern Catholic eparchies in the United States and its current and former territories. These mission dioceses are often located in rural regions or small cities where priests often serve multiple parishes separated by long distances.

Seasonal employment, economic challenges, and shifting demographics can further complicate efforts to maintain consistent parish life and diocesan ministry.

The appeal is intended to help bridge those gaps by supporting core areas of diocesan life, including priestly formation, catechesis, evangelization, and parish-based ministry. Grants also assist with practical needs that vary by region, such as transportation for clergy serving remote communities and resources for dioceses responding to changing cultural realities. 

In announcing this year’s appeal, Bishop Chad W. Zielinski, chair of the bishops' Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions, pointed to the missionary pattern of Christ’s own ministry.

The Catholic faithful who give to the Catholic Home Missions Appeal are mirroring Jesus, who “spent little time in cities but built his ministry in fishing villages and rural areas,” Zielinski said in an April 9 statement.

He also highlighted the spiritual dynamic at the heart of the mission, drawing on the Gospel account of the Samaritan woman at the well, commonly known in Eastern Christian tradition as St. Photina.

“The work of the Catholic Home Missions Appeal reflects Jesus’s encounter with the ‘woman at the well,’ whom Eastern Christians call St. Photina,” Zielinski said. “She was an outcast in a community that was considered heretical and that many of Jesus’ followers avoided. After talking with him, Photina evangelized her neighbors (John 4).”

He added that many of today’s mission dioceses reflect the same openness to the Gospel despite difficult circumstances.

“Most of our mission dioceses are in remote, rural areas, or communities with economic and social challenges,” he said. “Yet they are filled with people like St. Photina, who thirst for the Gospel and are eager to spread its life-changing message.”

Recent funding from the Catholic Home Missions Appeal has provided more than $8.1 million in assistance to mission dioceses, the USCCB noted. The grants support a wide range of pastoral needs that reflect the diversity of Church life across the country and its territories.

In Alaska, assistance helps cover the cost of fuel for seaplanes used by priests traveling to island villages, enabling access to the sacraments in remote communities. According to the release, in the Diocese of Dodge City in Kansas, funding has supported the expansion of Spanish-language ministry, including printed resources, diocesan retreats, and bilingual personnel serving growing Hispanic populations.

Other dioceses have used grant support to strengthen targeted pastoral initiatives. For instance, the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, has deepened its outreach to vulnerable expectant mothers through the USCCB’s Walking with Moms in Need initiative, engaging parishes in local support. The Diocese of Belleville in Illinois has supported a full-time college campus minister who accompanies students in faith formation and vocational discernment, including encouragement toward the priesthood.

In American Samoa, the Diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago continues to operate five Catholic schools across seven islands, providing educational opportunities in a territory where geographic isolation and economic pressures remain significant challenges.

As parishes prepare for the collection, Church leaders are encouraging Catholics to see the appeal as a practical expression of solidarity with mission dioceses that depend on shared support to sustain parish life and evangelization efforts.

“Your generosity shows Catholics in remote areas that the Church stands with them,” Zielinski said, “and that Jesus is calling them to embrace his mercy and share his message as St. Photina did.”

“I think the president was posting a joke and, of course, he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people werenʼt understanding his humor in that case,” Vance told Fox News' Bret Baier on “Special Report.”

“I think the president of the United States likes to mix it up on social media,” Vance added. “And I actually think thatʼs one of the good things about this president, is that he is not filtered.”

Earlier Monday, the president told reporters at the White House that the image depicted him as “a doctor” and “a Red Cross worker,” not as Jesus, as many understood it. He added: “Only the fake news could come up with that one.”

“I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with the Red Cross as a Red Cross worker there, which we support,” Trump said.

The deleted post

The apparently AI-generated image, posted to Trumpʼs Truth Social account on Sunday evening on Orthodox Easter, showed the president in a white robe and red sash. Both hands emitted a golden light, with one resting on the forehead of a man in a hospital bed. The American flag, the Statue of Liberty, military jets and floating human figures in the sky filled the background. The post contained no caption.

Trump shared the image shortly after publishing a series of posts attacking Pope Leo XIV, calling the pontiff “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy” over his opposition to U.S. military operations in Iran.

The now-deleted image drew swift backlash from across the political spectrum, including from prominent conservative and Christian commentators who are typically supportive of the president. The post was deleted later on Monday.

Vance addresses U.S.-Vatican tensions

In his Fox News appearance, Vance — a Catholic convert — also addressed the broader friction between the White House and the Vatican.

“When it comes to the disagreements with the Vatican, look, weʼre going to have disagreements, from time to time,” Vance said. “I think itʼs a good thing, actually, that the pope is advocating for the things that he cares about.”

He added: “We can respect the pope. We certainly have a good relationship with the Vatican. But weʼre also going to disagree on substantive questions from time to time. I think thatʼs a totally reasonable thing. It isnʼt particularly newsworthy.”

Pope Leo XIV, speaking to journalists aboard the papal flight to Algiers on Monday, responded to the controversy: “I have no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel,” the pope said.

The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, said he was “disheartened” by Trumpʼs remarks about the pope, calling Leo “the vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”

It is not the first time a Trump social media post depicting himself in religious imagery has caused controversy.

In May 2025, the president posted an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope shortly after the death of Pope Francis. That post drew condemnation from Catholic leaders, including Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Vance at the time dismissed that controversy as well, saying he was “fine with people telling jokes.”

Chair Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Vice Chair Ben Carson hosted the April 13 meeting with members Ryan Anderson; Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota; and Allyson Ho among others on the panel that was created by President Donald Trump to advocate for freedom of religious belief.

They discussed recommendations to Trump on how to protect religious freedom and reflected on the past year of sessions. While the hearing was the last scheduled meeting, many proposed that it continue to meet in some capacity as “threats to religious freedom both at home and abroad are not disappearing anytime soon,” Barron said.

Reiterating a statement he said at the first hearing, Barron said: “The principal enemy of religious liberty in our country is what I call the ideology of self invention.”

“This is the philosophical program that denies the objectivity of moral values and the stability of human nature, and which proposes consequently that individual choice alone is the determiner of purpose and meaning,” he said.

“This dictatorship of relativism has taken hold in many of our institutions of government, education, and health care and its advocates correctly recognize that their most important intellectual opponents are precisely those who subscribe to traditional religion,” he said.

“Itʼs no exaggeration to say that the proponents of the culture of self invention want religion out of the pivotal institutions of our society,” he said.

“This philosophical opposition manifests itself in a number of concrete ways,” Barron said. He detailed “the anti-religious violence thatʼs been increasing dramatically in our country over the past five to 10 years,” including attacks on churches, statues, and religious peoples.

“In regard to health care, the culture of self invention expresses itself in an aggressive attitude toward those physicians and nurses who refuse on religious grounds to participate in certain medical procedures,” he said.

It is seen in “mandates regarding abortion and contraception, IVF insurance mandates to which Catholics strenuously object, and the requirement to perform so-called gender transition surgeries," Barron said.

Also, “under this health care rubric, we should continue to advocate for pro-life demonstrators who simply want the right to pray at sites where abortions are being performed,” Barron said. Criminalizing such righteous activity is a gross violation of religious liberty, he said.

Barron detailed the need to protect religious social service organizations, including Catholic Charities, promote parents as most important educators of their children, and never require priests to break the seal of confession because it is a “gross violation of the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.”

Barron also noted the need to continue to work against the rise of antisemitism, which is “encouraged by figures on both the left and the right sides of the political spectrum.”

The bishop concluded by addressing immigration, saying the Church "insists that those Catholics who are incarcerated in connection to immigration violations have a right to humane treatment and access to the sacraments,” he said.

Catholics who are incarcerated in connection to immigration violations have a right to humane treatment and access to the sacraments.

Bishop Robert Barron

Member, Religious Liberty Commission

“I … urge the president to allow this commission to continue in some form going forward,“ Barron said. He added: ”I believe itʼs very much in the national interest to persevere in monitoring them.”

"Yes, we would like to continue,” Patrick said in agreement. “Our charter expires in a couple of months, and I think if we all sent a letter and signed it to the president, weʼd like to continue to monitor the outcome and to continue to have hearings as needed as stories break and news breaks would be a great privilege.”

Protection of faith-based organizations

At the final session, the commission also welcomed two panels of witnesses to discuss how religious liberty has facilitated human flourishing in American history and how faith communities help to combat problems facing the U.S. today.

The panel included testimony from Sister Mary Elizabeth, SV, a Sister of Life ministering to women and children in need, who spoke about the important work faith ministries accomplish and the threats facing them today.

“Ours is just one of thousands of religious ministries seeking to be such a light in the world to create a society in which people are cared for, valued, and protected,” Sister Mary Elizabeth said.

The Sisters of Life engage “in a variety of works in order to share this love" through ministering to women and children in need, helping women facing crisis pregnancies, and assisting those who are recovering from abortion, she said.

She detailed legal issues the sisters have faced including in 2022, when “the state of New York passed a law targeting our ministry to pregnant women,” she said. “It allowed government officials to force pregnancy centers, but only those that do not perform abortion, to turn over internal documents, including sensitive information about the women we serve.”

She also addressed the “dangerous” situation facing the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne in New York who have provided comfort and nursing for patients with incurable cancer for 125 years, but the government is warning them about restricting rooms and bathrooms to one sex and failing to use preferred personal pronouns for transgender patients.

“Jesus said, ‘Whatsoever you do to the least of these, you do to me.’ So our religion actually impels us forth to charitable service to others,” she said.

Sister Esther Paniagua Alonso, 45, was the first to die. She was shot three times in the head just as she was about to enter the Chapel of St. Joseph in the residence of a small community of French nuns.

Also shot was Augustian Sister Caridad Álvarez Martín, 61, who accompanied Sister Esther to the chapel. A native of Burgos, Spain, she passed away hours later in the emergency department of Ain Naya military hospital, where she had been transported by ambulance.

Doctors spent three hours attempting to save her life, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Sister Caridad, as she was known in religious life, died on the operating table with one bullet lodged in her brain and another in her neck, after suffering three cardiac arrests and hemorrhaging.

The murder of Esther and Caridad was not an isolated incident; rather, it occurred within a context of escalating violence against religious personnel. Months earlier, in May 1994, two other missionaries had been killed.

A year earlier, the Armed Islamic Group had declared it would kill all foreigners.

The political crisis in Algeria during the 1990s triggered the Algerian Civil War, in which between 100,000 and 200,000 people were killed.

Sister Maria Jesús Rodríguez, who at the time served as the provincial superior of the Augustinian Missionaries, told the Pontifical Mission Societies that it was because of this heightened danger that the bishops of Algeria requested that religious communities ensure “no one remain in Algeria unless they did so in complete freedom and having made that decision on a personal level.”

In October 1994, Rodríguez traveled to Algiers and engaged the 12 nuns living there in a process of discernment regarding the course of action they would take.

For several days, accompanied by the then-archbishop of Algiers, Henri Teissier, the nuns undertook a process of personal and communal discernment.

The issue was clear: Should they stay or leave? Both options were “legitimate,” but the decision entailed assuming an obvious risk. “The threat was threefold,” according to Rodríguez: The sisters could be killed “for being foreigners, for being Christians, and for simply being there.”

On Oct. 7, 1994, each of the sisters freely expressed her decision. All of them chose to stay. They commended to God their choice during the Eucharist. “We felt freer after having made that decision,” Rodríguez noted.

‘No one takes our lives from us, for we have already given them up’

“The question ‘And what if something happens to you?’ would invariably come up during meals, to which the sisters would reply: ‘If something happens to us, no one takes our lives from us, because we have already given them up,’” recalled Rodríguez, who remained in Algiers for a few weeks and was still there when Esther and Caridad were killed. The two died on World Mission Sunday.

The two murdered consecrated women were among the 19 Martyrs of Algeria who were beatified by Pope Francis in 2018.

Following the recognition of their martyrdom, their families and fellow sisters were able to return to Bab El Oued in 2018. Among them was Ana Maria Guantay, the current superior general of the Augustinian Missionaries.

“After a very long time, we were able to return to the house, and in the chapel we celebrated the first Eucharist since their martyrdom. I get emotional when I recall it, because it was a place made sacred by the lives of the sisters; one could say that even the walls exuded their presence, for it was there that they prayed, discerned, and wept over the people’s suffering and [their own sense of] powerlessness,” she told the Pontifical Mission Societies.

Currently, the Augustinian Missionary Sisters have transformed the house into a center for welcome and friendship for Algerian women and children.

“We help these children experience peace; that it’s possible to live together, regardless of our cultures or religious traditions: God makes us brothers and sisters through goodness, through love, and through our capacity to help one another get back on our feet,” she explained.

Pope Leo visited the community in 2009 when he served as prior of the Augustinians.

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.

“No matter one’s immigration status, there is no overarching justification for separating nursing infants from their mothers or endangering the health and safety of pregnant women or their preborn babies,” Diocese of Toledo, Ohio, Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Diocese of Victoria, Texas, Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration, said in a letter.

No matter one’s immigration status, there is no overarching justification for separating nursing infants from their mothers...

Bishop Daniel Thomas and Bishop Brendan Cahill

“In this regard, we urge you in the strongest possible terms to extend the administration’s commitments on life to all vulnerable mothers, infants, and children in the womb,” the Ohio and Texas bishops added.

The bishops said they wrote the letter due to “alarming reports of pregnant mothers not getting the medical care they need while in immigration detention, tragically resulting in miscarriage in some cases, as well as reports of nursing mothers being separated from their babies” during detentions by U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE), which DHS oversees.

DHS responds

A DHS spokesperson said, “Pregnancy in ICE detention is exceedingly rare—making up 0.18% of all illegal aliens currently in custody. Pregnant women receive regular prenatal visits, mental health services, nutritional support, and accommodations aligned with community standards of care.”

The percentage DHS cited means hundreds of pregnant women have been imprisoned in the past year. Medical, dental, and mental health intake screening occurs within 12 hours of arriving at a detention facility, the spokesperson said. The agency told U.S. senators that ICE has deported 363 pregnant, postpartum, or nursing women between Jan. 1, 2025 and Feb. 16, 2026, but does not keep full information about numbers of lactating women in detention.

More than a dozen miscarriages were recorded in detention between late 2025 and early 2026, according to a DHS response to senators’ inquiry.

“This is the best healthcare many of these individuals have received in their entire lives,” the DHS spokesperson said.

Facilities also provide women with pregnancy services such as pregnancy testing, routine or specialized prenatal care, postpartum follow-up, and nursing services, the spokesperson said.

The DHS spokesperson encouraged pregnant persons lacking legal status to live in the United States to leave the country: “Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return,” the spokesperson said.

‘Gospelʼs call to uphold the dignity of human life’

In their letter, the bishops said they are writing “as pastors compelled by the Gospel’s call to uphold the dignity of human life.”

“Agency policy still recognizes the vulnerability of these women and their children by generally discouraging their arrest and detention; unfortunately, that policy seems to no longer be followed in practice,” they wrote.

The bishops asked that ICE adhere to Directive 11032.4 on the “Identification and Monitoring of Pregnant, Postpartum, or Nursing Individuals,” which states that ICE should generally avoid the detention of pregnant women and nursing mothers for an administrative violation of immigration laws.

“[Following this directive] would be consistent with this administration’s recent pro-life actions, including those explicitly welcomed by the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities in January,” the bishops wrote.

The bishops also reiterated their concerns from last year when they said U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rescinded certain protections for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Last May, both committees wrote that the CBP change was “deeply troubling and inexcusable.”

The USCCB has been at odds with President Donald Trump on immigration policies throughout his presidency. Trump has voiced support for mass deportations of immigrants who entered the country unlawfully, while the bishops have echoed Pope Leo XIV’s calls for immigration policies that are less harsh.

In November, the bishops voted 216-5 to approve a message that opposes “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” In February, the USCCB urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold birthright citizenship, calling the Trump administration’s efforts to take it away “immoral.”

Mullin is replacing former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was removed from her post and given a role as special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas.” In March, the USCCB told EWTN News that the bishops planned to advocate for “just immigration policies that recognize the God-given dignity of all involved” when Mullin took over as secretary.

In their letter on concerns for pregnant women and nursing mothers in detention, the bishops also congratulated Mullin on his confirmation.

“We pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you in your continued service to our country,” the bishops wrote.

This story was updated at 11:05 a.m. ET on April 15, 2026 to include comments from DHS.

Mark Walker, U.S. principal adviser for global religious freedom, said the U.S. is following through on its commitment to restrict visas for perpetrators of religious persecution abroad.

In December 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced restriction of U.S. visas under the Immigration and Nationality Act for "those who have directed, authorized, funded, significantly supported, or carried out violations of religious freedom,” Walker said in an April 10 post. “We have already executed on this policy and we will continue to subject perpetrators to additional scrutiny.”

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“If you engage in persecution, you are not welcome in America. The United States is safer when we keep those responsible for religious persecution from entering our homeland,” he said.

Rubio said in a Dec. 3, 2025, statement: “The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and beyond.”

Rubio said the policy would hold accountable “individuals who have directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom and, where appropriate, their immediate family members.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In two segments of the show, Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C.; Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey; and Cardinal Blaise Cupich of Chicago spoke on the Church in America, from increased conversions and the meaning of patriotism to controversial topics like the Iran ceasefire and immigration enforcement.

Why are young people joining the Church?

Cupich said he does not entirely know what is behind the reported rise in young people entering the Catholic Church as U.S. dioceses report elevated numbers of Easter baptisms and confirmations.

“We are doing some surveys about people who are coming to church to see whatʼs motivating them,” he said. “I do think, though, that research is showing that there really is a deep hunger in the hearts of young people for something that can help them with the meaning of life. But also thereʼs a woundedness on the part of young people that they are seeking healing for.”

“We donʼt have all the answers, but we are going to try to drill down to find out more about that,” Cupich said.

McElroy pointed to a need for “moral leadership in the world” as a partial explanation.

“What a tragedy to have a world in which there are not moral leaders,” he said. “I think young people, and young adults particularly, are looking for a sense of that in their lives — and some of those are coming into the Church for that reason.”

“The number of those joining the Church this year is a record for the archdiocese, which is a wonderful thing,” he said of the Archdiocese of Washington, which had 1,800 converts.

Tobin credited some of the rising interest and attendance in the Catholic Church to Pope Leo.

“Iʼve had the privilege of working closely with four popes: very different people in a lot of ways, but each one in some way was the right one for that moment in time,” Tobin said. “I believe that Pope Leo is the right man at this time.”

When asked about the effect of the sex abuse scandal on people leaving the Church, Cupich noted that it “prompts us to be even more forthright in doing everything possible to protect children, but also to address the harm that was done.”

“That, I think, is something thatʼs always on the front burner for us with regard to the fall off in terms of people practicing,” he said.

Cupich noted, however, that other religions are seeing declines in membership as well.

“Itʼs also part of the secularization thatʼs happening in society today,” he said. “People have a lot more options on Sunday, on the weekend, than they did before. So I think there are a number of factors that contributed to that decline.”

What does patriotism look like for Catholics?

In light of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the cardinals shared their thoughts on a Catholic understanding of patriotism.

“For us as Catholic Americans, we love our country because of what it aspires to be and has for the past 250 years,” McElroy said.

“We love our country not merely because we were born here, if we were, but rather because of its aspirations of democracy, justice, equality, of freedom that have been lived out with differing levels of success all through our history, and having to change it and readapt it to make it more true to its core,” he continued.

“For me," Cupich said, "patriotism is about being united in the common task of creating the opportunities for everyone to flourish — that they would have the opportunity to be the person God intended them to be."

“That is part of the aspirations that immigrants came here with; an opportunity to have a fresh start,” he said. “So how can we work together to make sure that everybody has an opportunity to flourish? I think thatʼs patriotism.”

Pope Leo and politics: Iran and ICE

When asked if he would like to see the first American pope be more outspoken on controversial issues, Tobin said: “Heʼs the pastor of the world; heʼs not a pundit.”

“The distinction is heʼs not going to pronounce on everything, but heʼs going to pronounce on whatʼs important,” Tobin said.

Recently, Pope Leo has called for an end to the war with Iran, advocating for peace and dialogue.

When asked if the Iran war is a just war according to Catholic teaching, McElroy said it is not.

“Catholic faith teaches us there are certain prerequisites for a just war,“ he said. ”You canʼt go for a variety of different aims. You have to have a focused aim, which is to restore justice and restore peace. Thatʼs it.”

When asked about the destruction of the Iranian regimeʼs nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities as an aim of the war, McElroy agreed that the regime “should be removed.”

“Itʼs an abominable regime and it should be removed,” McElroy said. “But this is a war of choice that we went to and I think itʼs embedded in a wider moment in the United States thatʼs worrying, which is this. Weʼre seeing before us the possibility of war after war after war.”

Cupich criticized the Trump administrationʼs “gamification” of the war through social media posts and edits, calling it “sickening.”

“Weʼre dehumanizing the victims of war by turning the suffering of people and the killing of children and our own soldiers into entertainment,” he said. “It is sickening. To splice together movie cuts with actual bombing and targeting of people for the purposes of entertainment is sickening. This is not who we are. Weʼre better than this.”

The cardinals also shared pastoral concerns amid ongoing deportations, an issue about which Pope Leo has also spoken.

Tobin criticized the tactics used by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, saying that when immigrants “have to hide their identities,” this “can actually violate other guarantees of our Constitution and Bill of Rights.”

“I think somebodyʼs got to call that out,” he said. “And Iʼm not the only one.”

McElroy shared his concern that many immigrants “live under fear.”

He said attendance at Spanish Masses in his archdiocese went down 30% in the past year. “Thirty percent — thatʼs a lot, and itʼs all fear,” he said.

McElroy said there "is a roundup of people throughout the country, people who have been living good, strong lives; [who have] been here a long time." These people "raised their children here; many of their children [were] born here and are citizens,” he said. “Thatʼs what our objection is.”

But the cardinal, who for 10 years served as bishop of San Diego, added that he does believe in strong borders, noting that under Biden, “it got to a point where it was getting out of control.”

Recalling the popeʼs recent words and actions (the pope is currently visiting Africa on his third international journey), Cupich said Leo is “sending a message that his top priority right now is to be with those who are downcast and marginalized.”

Trump made the comments about the Holy Father in a lengthy April 12 post on Truth Social that appeared to be reacting to the pontiff’s recent appeals for peace and an end to the war in Iran. In comments to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, shortly afterward, Trump said: “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. … I am not a fan of Pope Leo.” He added: “He’s a very liberal person.”

On Monday morning, the president doubled down on his comments, saying he would not apologize to the pontiff “because Pope Leo said things that are wrong.”

In recent weeks, the pope has repeatedly called for an end to hostilities, crying out “Enough of war!” while presiding over a vigil for peace at St. Peterʼs Basilica at the Vatican on April 11.

“Stop! Itʼs time for peace! Sit at tables of dialogue and mediation, not at tables where rearmament is planned and death actions are deliberated,” he continued.

Iranian leadership spoke out against Trump’s comments, with both the current presidentʼs and the late Imam Sayyid Ali Khameneiʼs social media accounts issuing statements.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote in an April 13 social media post: “His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.”

Pezeshkian’s statement comes after peace talks involving Vice President JD Vance collapsed on April 12. Vance, a Catholic convert and Iraq War veteran, blamed Iran’s refusal to commit to abandoning its nuclear program.

Khamenei’s social media account posted an April 13 message invoking the teachings of Jesus against war: “Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) used to call people to the path of God, and forbade them from vice and injustice.”

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“The corrupt and tyrannical powers sought to assassinate that divine Messenger,” the post read, “for those steeped in their passions and the instigators of wars could not tolerate the religion, nor the Prophet, nor those who followed the divine path.”

Romeʼs mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, wrote in an April 13 post: “Rome is close to Pope Leo. Donald Trump’s attacks on his high spiritual magisterium and on his commitment to peace are unacceptable and wound sensitivities and consciences. The city of Rome, uniquely bound to its bishop, firmly reaffirms the values of respect, dialogue, and peace.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has strong diplomatic ties to the Trump administration, has yet to make a statement.

Father Nikodemus Schnabel, abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of the Dormition in Jerusalem, denounced Trump’s post, writing in German: “And then there are actually Catholics — even in the German-speaking world (!) — who still try to sugarcoat the words and actions of this morally bankrupt president and even defend him on moral grounds.”

Catholic bishops in the United Kingdom condemned Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo and defended the Holy Father’s repeated calls for peace.

“As Pope Leo has made clear, we cannot stand by and allow the message of the Gospel to be abused,” Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark, England, said in a statement shared with EWTN News. “As bishops, we are not politicians, nor statesmen, nor do we pretend to have all the answers. But as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we know that each of us is called to be a beacon of his peace."

Wilson called Catholics in the U.K. to “be as courageous as our Holy Father in proclaiming the truth that God demands peace.”

Cardinal Fernando Chomali of Santiago, Chile, also defended the Holy Father, writing in an April 13 post: “Pope Leo XIV is a good man, forged by years of prayer, study, and closeness to the poor.”

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“[Leo] prefers to obey God rather than men. His courage comes from his deepest convictions, from God, and not from passions. We have a coherent leader who charts a path of no return for us: to promote peace always and under all circumstances,” Chomali said.

“It is with profound joy and fatherly affection that I meet with you today, you whose discrete and precious presence in this land is marked by an ancient heritage and by luminous witnesses of the faith," Pope Leo said after listening to several testimonies.

"Your community has deep roots indeed. You are the heirs of a host of witnesses who gave their lives, motivated by love for God and neighbor," he continued. "I am particularly reminded of the 19 men and women religious who were martyred in Algeria, choosing to stand alongside this people in its joys and sorrows. Their blood is a living seed that never ceases to bear fruit.”

After fulfilling the more formal engagements — beginning with the late‑morning meeting with the president of the Algerian Republic, authorities, and the diplomatic corps — Leo on Monday afternoon received the embrace of the Algerian Catholic community, present despite heavy rain.

At the opening of the meeting, the pope knelt in adoration in front of a tabernacle containing the Eucharist.

“You are also heirs to a still more ancient tradition, dating back to the early centuries of Christianity," he said in a speech delivered in French. "In this land resounded the fervent voice of Augustine of Hippo, preceded by the testimony of his mother, St. Monica, and of other saints. Their memory shines as a call to be authentic signs of communion, dialogue, and peace today."

“To all of you, dear friends, and to those who are not able to be present but are following this meeting from afar,“ he added, ”I express my gratitude for your daily commitment to manifest the maternal heart of the Church.”

After thanking Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga and a religious sister, Pentecostal student, basilica guide, and Muslim woman who had spoken, the pope invited those present to reflect on three essential aspects of Christian life.

“First, prayer. We all need to pray. … Prayer unites, humanizes, strengthens, and purifies the heart. Through prayer, the Church in Algeria sows humanity, unity, strength, and purity, reaching places known only to the Lord," he said.

Turning to charity, Leo emphasized that mercy and service are not merely practical assistance but places of grace and mutual growth.

“After all, it is precisely love for their brothers and sisters that inspired the witness of the martyrs we have commemorated. In the face of hatred and violence, they remained faithful to charity even to the point of sacrificing themselves alongside many other men and women, Christians and Muslims. They did so without ostentation or fanfare, with serenity and steadfastness, neither falling into presumption nor despair, for they knew the One in whom they had placed their trust.”

Addressing peace and unity, Pope Leo recalled that this was the central theme of his visit.

“In a world where division and wars sow pain and death among nations, in communities, and even within families, your experience of unity and peace is a compelling sign. Together, you spread fraternity and inspire a deep longing for communion and reconciliation with a powerful and clear message that is borne in simplicity and humility," the pope said.

“A considerable part of this country’s territory is desert, and in the desert, no one can survive alone. The hostile environment dispels any presumptions of self‑sufficiency, reminding us that we need one another, and that we need God,“ he said. ”When we acknowledge our fragility, our hearts become open to supporting one another and to invoking the One who can grant what no human power can ensure: the profound reconciliation of hearts and, with it, true peace.”

Before reaching the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, Pope Leo XIV stopped at the Great Mosque of Algiers and earlier at the center of hospitality and friendship of the Augustinian Missionary Sisters in Bab El Oued.

There, the pope paid homage to the memory of several religious sisters of this community killed during the civil war in the 1990s. After praying with the sisters and listening to the words of their superior, Leo XIV recalled the martyrs as a precious presence in the land and as a sign of the heart of Augustinian life: witness, even unto martyrdom.

“Your presence here means a great deal,” the Holy Father said, recalling a previous visit and highlighting the legacy of St. Augustine in the region: promoting respect for the dignity of every person and affirming that it is possible to live in peace while valuing differences.

Before departing, he thanked the sisters and encouraged them to persevere, recalling that the feast of the 19 martyrs of Algeria falls on May 8 — the day of his election.

Tomorrow, Pope Leo XIV will make what he described as a true return to his roots, with a visit to Hippo, where St. Augustine — founder of the order to which the pope belongs — served as bishop from A.D. 396 to 430.

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.

President Donald Trump called Leo “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” in a lengthy social media post April 12 that drew response from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and elected officials. On April 13, Trump said he would not apologize to Pope Leo. “Because Pope Leo said things that are wrong,” Trump said.

Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, called Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV “disrespectful." Barron, who serves on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, said in a post on X that Trump’s comments “were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful” and “I think the president owes the pope an apology.”

“[Trump’s comments] don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation,” he said. “It is the pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life. In regard to the concrete application of those principles, people of goodwill can and do disagree.”

Barron encouraged Catholic Trump officials to arrange a meeting with Vatican officials “so that a real dialogue can take place,” saying “this is far preferable to the statements on social media.”

Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, said in a social media post: “Along with Archbishop [Paul] Coakley, president of the USCCB, and my brother bishops, I was disheartened by recent comments from President Trump concerning Pope Leo XIV and the Church. I pray that civility and respect are fully restored as together, with God’s grace, we work for peace and harmony among all people. May we also be united in our prayer for the end of war and violence so that Christ’s peace reigns throughout the world and in our hearts.”

Palm Beach, Florida, Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez posted on X: “The @DiocesePB stands firm with our Holy Father, @Pontifex, and strongly rejects the disrespectful and violent attacks that Donald J. Trump has directed against the Holy Father.”

Denver Archbishop James R. Golka said in a statement, “I join my brother bishops in stating clearly that the recent remarks directed at Pope Leo by President Trump are not acceptable. Such language fails to reflect the respect owed to the Successor of Peter and does not serve the common good.”

Golka added, “Even in moments of disagreement, we are called to speak with charity and to seek dialogue that builds up, rather than tears down.”

Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher posted on X: “This is not about politics but the very cause of humanity.”

The Catholic Association's Ashley McGuire said in a statement: “The Catholic Church does not in any way fit into American political boxes. It will always prioritize the protection of innocent life in all its stages as well as the cause of the poor and marginalized. Insulting the pope, and all Catholics by extension, with the hope of making the Church bend to American political agendas, is discouraging and counterproductive.”

McGuire added: “We pray that President Trump apologizes to Pope Leo.”

U.S. officials' reaction begins

Republican Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, has not yet commented on the matter, nor has Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, who is Catholic, posted on X that “I find it abhorrent that the president of the United States would publicly attack the successor of St. Peter.”

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on X that Trump “shamefully attacked” the pope. Few Republican elected officials have spoken out.

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Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X: “Hey @GOP, you good with your guy directly attacking the pope now?”

Rep. Lukas Schubert, a Republican Montana state lawmaker, disputed the presidentʼs statement that the pope is a “liberal person.”

“Pope Leo is significantly further to the right than President Trump on abortion, gay marriage, and family values. Also he is more America First on the Iran War,” Schubert said.

AI image

Trump also posted, and later deleted, an AI-created image on Truth Social that appeared to portray himself as Jesus Christ, healing the sick, which led several Catholics to accuse the president of blasphemy.

Edward Feser, a Catholic philosopher and professor at Pasadena City College, posted on X that Trump’s comments illustrate “how utter enslavement to the sin of pride makes a man unsuitable for the presidency.”

“For all their faults, previous presidents had the visceral understanding of proper boundaries not to attack the vicar of Christ even when they disagreed with him,” he said.

Feser quoted Daniel 11:36-37 in response to Trump’s AI image of himself as Christ, which reads: “And the king shall do according to his will; he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods … He shall not give heed to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.”

In reaction to the AI photo, Matt Fradd, the host of “Pints With Aquinas,“ urged Catholics to “offer a rosary today for Donald Trump and all blasphemers. ... Seriously. Do it. I will too.”

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Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, did not directly reference Trumpʼs remarks about the pope but criticized the AI-created image on X: “There aren’t enough words to denounce how wrong this is.”

The comments came after Leo criticized the Iran war and Trump’s rhetoric about targeting the entire civilization of Iran. Leo said in response to the post: “I have no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Republican congresswoman who was a strong ally of Trump before splitting with him on the Iran war and his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, posted on X that Trump “attacked the pope because the pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus.”

“This comes after last week’s post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization,” she said. “I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it!!!”

‘Fuels division’

Father Robert Sirico, the founder of the Acton Institute, said in a statement that Leo “has both the right and the duty to speak prophetically on matters of war and peace, the dignity of the human person, and the moral limits of force — even when his words discomfort political leaders.”

He said Trump’s post does not “strengthen America’s moral standing but “merely fuels division.”

Sirico also added that Catholics can disagree with popes on prudential judgments, such as foreign policy or crime, which he said are not infallible: “The Church herself teaches that such applications of principle admit of legitimate debate.”

Toby Capion contributed to this story.

This story was updated at 11:50 a.m. ET on April 13, 2026, with comments from Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher and The Catholic Associationʼs Ashley McGuire. It was further updated at 1:45 p.m. ET on April 13, 2026, to indicate that Trump refused to apologize and that the AI post was deleted. It again was updated at 5 p.m. ET on April 13, 2026 to include a statement from Denver Archbishop James R. Golka.

Peace remained the central theme of the pope’s first day in Algeria, following his earlier stop at the Martyrs’ Memorial, where he delivered an appeal for peace and reconciliation.

Speaking in French at the Djamaa el Djazair Conference Center, Leo recalled his previous visits to Algeria in 2001 and 2013 to Annaba, the ancient see of St. Augustine, whose spiritual legacy has long shaped the Augustinian order to which the pope belongs.

“I am here among you as a pilgrim of peace, eager to meet the noble Algerian people,” the pope said. “We are brothers and sisters, for we have the same Father in heaven.”

Leo said the “profound religious sense of the Algerian people” fosters “a culture of encounter and reconciliation,” adding that his visit also seeks to be a sign of that spirit.

“In a world full of conflicts and misunderstandings, let us meet and strive for mutual understanding, recognizing that we are one family!” he said. “Today, the simplicity of this awareness is the key to opening many doors that are closed.”

Addressing an audience of about 1,400 people from civil society and the diplomatic corps, the pope praised the resilience of the Algerian people, saying they had never been defeated by their trials because of their spirit of solidarity, hospitality, and community.

“They are the truly strong ones, to whom the future belongs: those who do not allow themselves to be blinded by power or wealth, and those who refuse to sacrifice the dignity of their fellow citizens for the sake of personal or collective gain,” he said.

Leo also highlighted the Algerian understanding of hospitality and almsgiving, reflected in the word “sadaka,” which he noted can also mean justice.

“The one who accumulates wealth and remains indifferent to others is unjust,” the pope said, calling this vision of justice both “simple and radical” because it recognizes the image of God in others. “Indeed, a religion without mercy and a society without solidarity are a scandal in God’s eyes.”

At the same time, he warned that many societies that consider themselves advanced are falling ever deeper into inequality and exclusion, while “people and organizations that dominate others destroy the world.” He said Africa knows this reality well and suggested that Algeria’s historical experience gives it a critical perspective on global power balances.

“If you are able to engage in dialogue regarding the concerns of all and show solidarity with the sufferings of so many countries near and far, then you will be able to contribute to both envisioning and bringing about greater justice among peoples,” Leo said.

He added that this task is especially urgent “in the face of continuous violations of international law and neocolonial tendencies.”

Drawing on the teaching of Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, Leo called on Algeria’s authorities not to fear a broader social participation by those on the margins.

“I therefore urge those of you who hold positions of authority in this country not to fear this outlook but to promote a vibrant, dynamic, and free civil society, in which young people in particular are recognized as capable of helping to broaden the horizon of hope for all,” he said.

“The true strength of a nation lies in the cooperation of everyone in pursuing the common good,” he continued. “Authorities are called not to dominate but to serve the people and foster their development.”

The pope also pointed to Algeria’s unique role as “a bridge between North and South, and between East and West,” describing the Mediterranean and the Sahara as geographical and spiritual crossroads rich with human and cultural meaning.

“Woe to us if we turn them into graveyards where hope also dies!” he said. “Let us multiply oases of peace; let us denounce and remove the causes of despair; and let us oppose those who profit from the misfortune of others!”

“For illicit are the gains of those who exploit human life, whose dignity is inviolable,” he added.

Leo then broadened his reflection to the place of religion in modern society, noting that Algeria, like much of the world, experiences tensions between religious sensibility and modern life. He warned against both fundamentalism and secularization when they distort the true sense of God and human dignity.

“Religious symbols and words can become, on the one hand, blasphemous languages of violence and oppression, or on the other, empty signs in the immense marketplace of consumption that does not satisfy us,” he said.

Still, the pope insisted that such polarization should not lead to despair.

“We must educate people in critical thinking and freedom, in listening and dialogue, and in the trust that leads us to recognize in those who are different fellow travelers and not threats,” he said. “We must work toward the healing of memory and reconciliation among former adversaries.”

In his introduction, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called Leo’s presence the first visit of a pope to Algeria and said it gave the occasion “a unique resonance.” He invoked both St. Augustine and Emir Abdelkader as enduring models at a time of accelerating change and weakening moral values.

Tebboune also praised the pope’s moral authority and his support for social justice while reaffirming Algeria’s commitment to working with the Holy Father to promote dialogue, coexistence, and cooperation over division and conflict.

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.

The prelate, who is also a member of the Social Pastoral Commission, noted in his letter that politics is “one of the noblest tasks” and is “charity exercised at its highest level.”

“It means administering what belongs to everyone; it means engaging in dialogue, listening, enduring tensions, and always seeking what is just, good, and appropriate while looking out for the most vulnerable, working for the common good, and fostering processes of friendship and social dialogue,” he explained.

He asked that anyone who “enters politics” be a person of integrity, someone “who does not toy with the dreams and hopes of a people.”

He outlined several essential qualities and habits that aspiring politicians should cultivate.

According to the bishop, such a person should be austere, possess a deep spirituality, and be firmly rooted in values and principles.

The bishop advised that politicians should always keep close at hand a list of their campaign promises and deepest aspirations, so they can periodically hold themselves accountable and undertake a sincere examination of conscience.

He emphasized the importance of humility, urging politicians not to become enamored of their own image. Instead, they should know how to “renounce and die” to themselves and to their own petty interests.

They should be quick to ask for forgiveness and know how to step away from their work each day to rest, pray, and reflect, enjoying with sobriety the simple things in life — nature, family, wholesome friendship, and serene prayer.

Liébana added that politicians must never lose their tenderness, their smile, or their simplicity and should make time to play with their own children and visit their elders.

He warned against the allure of luxury, stating that politicians should not be enamored of travel, the “high life,” or extravagant living, as these temptations often lead to the misuse of power and distance them from the realities of ordinary people.

The bishop also stressed the need for good and honest companions, recommending that politicians surround themselves with true friends who are willing to correct them directly and honestly. He advised always having a wise person nearby to consult, listen to, and learn from.

Finally, Liébana called for a clear understanding of one’s innermost motivations for entering politics. If the goal is to make money, become famous, have a good time, or gain recognition, he said, then the person is mistaken about the nature of the vocation.

“The temptations are many; that’s why one must stand firm,” the prelate emphasized. In his view, politics “should be a place for the best, the most virtuous, and not ‘a den of thieves.’”

“We cannot continue to toy with the future of our people, who are already weary and fed up with so much narcissism and mediocrity. This applies equally to every public servant, including us who are consecrated religious,” he pointed out.

“Let us ask God to raise up vocations of public servants who are enthusiastic and passionate, sober and austere, simple and humble — ordinary men and women who are approachable, and filled with tenderness and love for our beloved Argentina. Our homeland deserves it,” he emphasized.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The visit marked the first time a pope has set foot in Algeria. After a roughly two-hour flight, Leo traveled first not to meet diplomats or civil authorities but to the national monument honoring those who died in Algeria’s struggle for independence.

In intermittent rain, the pope laid a wreath at the monument and paused in prayer as a military band played. He then addressed those gathered, opening with the greeting: “Peace be with you! As-salamu alaykum!”

Leo said he had come to Algeria “as the successor of the apostle Peter” but “first and foremost as a brother” seeking to renew bonds of affection. Looking at the Algerian people, he said, “I see the face of a strong and young people, whose hospitality and fraternity I have experienced frequently.”

“In the Algerian heart, friendship, trust, and solidarity are not merely words but values that matter and give warmth and strength to your life together,” the pope said.

Reflecting on Algeria’s history, Leo acknowledged both its deep traditions and its painful periods of violence. “Our presence here at this monument pays tribute to this history of Algeria and to the very spirit of a people who fought for the independence, dignity, and sovereignty of this nation,” he said.

The pope then turned to his central theme: peace rooted in justice, dignity, and forgiveness.

“God desires peace for every nation: a peace that is not merely an absence of conflict but one that is an expression of justice and dignity,” he said. “This peace, which allows us to face the future with a reconciled spirit, is possible only through forgiveness.”

“The true struggle for liberation will be definitively won only when peace in our hearts has finally been achieved,” Leo added. “I know how difficult it is to forgive. However, as conflicts continue to multiply throughout the world, we cannot add resentment upon resentment, generation after generation.”

He continued: “The future belongs to men and women of peace. In the end, justice will always triumph over injustice, just as violence, despite all appearances, will never have the last word.”

Speaking in a country shaped by multiple cultures and religions, Leo said “mutual respect is the path that enables everyone to walk together” and expressed hope that Algeria would continue contributing “to stability and dialogue within the international community and along the shores of the Mediterranean.”

The pope also praised the place of faith in Algerian society, saying that “faith in God has a central place in your heritage.”

“A nation that loves God possesses true wealth, and the Algerian people cherish this jewel as one of their treasures,” he said. “Our world needs believers like this — men and women of faith who thirst for justice and unity.”

Leo warned against the false promise of material wealth, saying there are those who “search for riches that fade away, deceive, and disappoint, and which sadly often end up corrupting the human heart, giving rise to envy, rivalry, and conflict.” Quoting Christ, he asked: “For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?”

He said the dead honored at the monument had already answered that question: “They lost their lives but in doing so, they gave them up for the love of their own people.”

“May their example sustain the people of Algeria and all of us on our journey, for true freedom is not merely inherited, it is chosen anew every day,” the pope said.

Leo concluded by reading the beatitudes.

The pope landed in Algiers at about 10:30 a.m. local time and was welcomed at the airport before a private greeting with Algeria’s president. Because Catholics make up only a small minority in the country, the visit is not expected to feature large crowds.

Still, the city prepared carefully for the papal arrival, with some facades refreshed, roads repaved, green spaces embellished, and large flower pots placed along part of the route.

Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, archbishop of Algiers, welcomed Leo by describing the Algerian people as proud yet marked by a painful history. He said they are “strong in their youth” while still bearing the memory of martyrs from different eras, including the colonial period, the war of independence, and the violence of the 1990s and 2000s.

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.

As reported by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in an April 9 statement, the title chosen by the pontiff makes direct reference to the Gospel of St. Matthew: “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Mt 18:5).

In doing so, the Holy Father wishes to express the Church’s concern for minors who, due to various circumstances, are compelled to undergo the experience of migration.

Through this theme, Pope Leo XIV appeals to the responsibility of the Church and of all the faithful, “recalling the duty to welcome each one of them, as the Gospel teaches us,” according to the statement.

As the dicastery pointed out, the current migration landscape poses new challenges that seriously threaten the rights and dignity of children, thereby requiring urgent and effective responses.

“It is not a matter of discussing numbers or percentages, because ‘even just one’ has the highest value,” the dicastery emphasized.

The Catholic Church has observed this day since 1914 to demonstrate its concern for vulnerable people who are forced to flee their homes.

The dicastery also invited the faithful to reflect and to pray for all those individuals facing numerous challenges and to raise awareness regarding the opportunities that migration can offer.

In his message for the 2025 World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the Holy Father affirmed that Catholic refugees “can become missionaries of hope in the countries that welcome them” while emphasizing their capacity to "revitalize ecclesial communities that have become rigid and weighed down.”

On the occasion of the World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking in February, the pope also denounced the “the same logic of dominion and disregard for human life,” particularly toward displaced persons, migrants, and refugees.

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.

Here are seven key things to know about the tiny but lively Catholic Church he’s about to meet:

1. Catholics are a tiny flock in this huge country.

Algeria has roughly 45 million to 48 million people but only a few thousand Catholics — often estimated at no more than 10,000, a fraction of 1% of the population.

Most Catholics are expatriates, sub-Saharan African students, migrant workers, diplomats, and religious; Indigenous Algerian Catholics are very few because conversion from Islam is both sensitive culturally and regulated legally. Yet, the Church maintains dioceses, parishes, and regular sacramental life, showing a qualitative rather than numerical impact.

2. Algeria has one of the largest dioceses in the world.

The Church is organized into four jurisdictions: the Archdiocese of Algiers and the Dioceses of Oran, Constantine and Hippone, and Laghouat‑Ghardaïa.

The pope is set to visit Algiers and Annaba (ancient Hippo); however, Laghouat‑Ghardaïa covers a massive Sahara territory, making it one of the largest dioceses in the world by land area.

Because Catholics are so scattered, priests and religious often serve several communities at once, relying on close-knit, relational ministry more than big programs.

3. This is the homeland of St. Augustine.

Considering that the pope is a member of the Order of St. Augustine, this visit will have very special and personal moments. Algeria once hosted a vibrant Latin Christian world; its greatest son is St. Augustine of Hippo, bishop and doctor of the Church.

Annaba — a city the pope will visit — was once called Hippo Regius and is home to the Basilica of St. Augustine, which physically links the early Church to today’s small Catholic community.

4. The Catholic Church in Algeria lives under a tightly regulated religious framework.

Islam is the state religion in Algeria, and while the constitution affirms freedom of conscience, non-Muslim worship is closely regulated. Non-Muslim communities must register places of worship, public proselytism is restricted, and conversion from Islam can bring serious social consequences.

Recent years have seen some closures and administrative pressures on Christian worship spaces and ministries, underscoring how fragile this small Church’s institutional space is.

Despite this, the Catholic Church in Algeria runs schools, cultural centers, and charitable initiatives, often through institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life.

5. The 1990s martyrs still mark Catholic life in this country.

During Algeria’s civil conflict in the 1990s, several priests, religious, and the Trappist monks of Tibhirine were killed, along with Bishop Pierre Claverie of Oran. In 2018, 19 martyrs of that period were beatified in Oran in a ceremony attended by Muslim leaders and framed as a sign of reconciliation for the whole nation.

These martyrs are remembered not as political actors but as friends who chose to stay with the Algerian people, shaping today’s Catholic identity of fidelity and solidarity.

6. Interreligious dialogue is not optional but the heart of the mission.

As a tiny minority in a Muslim-majority country, the Catholic Church defines much of its mission through respectful dialogue with Islam. Priests and religious engage in academic exchanges, social projects, and cultural encounters that build trust rather than confrontation.

7. Marian devotion is a bridge amid differences.

Places like the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers have become strong symbols of coexistence, where Marian devotion is a bridge even amid deep theological differences.

This is a unique site of interreligious coexistence where many Muslims visit to pray to Mary, whom they call “Lalla Meriem.”

A famous inscription behind the altar reads: “Our Lady of Africa, pray for us and for the Muslims.”

Speaking to journalists aboard the papal flight to Algiers on April 13, the pope responded to a question about a post by U.S. President Donald Trump.

“I think people who read it will be able to draw their own conclusions. I am not a politician, and I have no intention of entering into a debate with him,” Leo said.

The pope said he would remain outspoken in condemning war and promoting peace.

“I have no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel,” he said in comments to a different journalist. “That’s what I believe I am called to do and what the Church is called to do. Weʼre not politicians. Weʼre not looking to make foreign policy, as [Trump] calls it, with the same perspective that he might understand it.”

“But I do believe that the message of the Gospel, ‘blessed are the peacemakers,’ is a message that the world needs to hear today.”

The pope also reflected on the meaning of his trip to Algeria, describing it as both a personal blessing and an important opportunity for the Church and the wider world.

“As you know, I am very happy to visit once again the land of St. Augustine,” he said. He noted that the saint offers “a very important bridge in interreligious dialogue” and remains deeply loved in his homeland.

Leo said the visit would allow him to see the places associated with the life of St. Augustine, including the places where he served as bishop.

“Today is truly a blessing for me personally, but I believe also for the Church and for the world, because we must always seek bridges in order to build peace and reconciliation,” he said.

The trip, he added, is “a most precious opportunity” to continue proclaiming the same message with the same voice: “We want to promote peace, reconciliation, and respect and consideration for all peoples.”

He concluded by thanking the journalists traveling with him.

“Welcome, everyone. I am happy to greet you,” the pope said. “Have a good trip, and thank you for the service you offer to all the people.”

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.

Correction: Quotations attributed to Pope Leo XIV in this article have been revised based on audio recordings of his comments.

The pope’s April 13–23 visit will also include stops in Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, making it the longest trip of his pontificate so far. After earlier visits to Turkey and Lebanon and a brief trip to the Principality of Monaco, Leo is now traveling to four African nations with distinct histories, cultures, and pastoral realities.

The first stop is Algeria, where Leo will be from April 13–15. The visit is expected to focus especially on encounter and fraternity. Catholics in Algeria number only a few thousand in a country of about 48 million Muslims.

For the first time, a pope is visiting the land of St. Augustine — a fitting destination for Leo XIV, who described himself on May 8, 2025, when he first appeared as pope from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, as “a son of St. Augustine.”

From Algeria, Leo will travel April 15 to Cameroon, where he will remain until April 18. His itinerary there includes the capital, Yaoundé, as well as Douala, the country’s economic center, and Bamenda, which lies at the heart of the so-called Anglophone conflict. Douala and Bamenda are also considered strongholds of political opposition to the government of President Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1982.

Leo XIV will be the third pope to visit Cameroon, after St. John Paul II, who traveled there in 1985 and 1995, and Benedict XVI, who visited in 2009.

Like Benedict XVI during that 2009 trip, Leo will also visit Angola. He is scheduled to be in Luanda, Muxima, and Saurimo from April 18–21.

The pope’s final stop will be Equatorial Guinea, where he will be from April 21–23 to mark the 170th anniversary of the country’s evangelization.

The flight to Algeria was expected to last about two hours, with the papal plane crossing over Italy and France before arriving in Algiers.

Before his departure, Leo sent a telegram to Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

“At the moment when I am preparing to make the apostolic journey to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea,” the pope wrote, “moved by the lively desire to meet the brothers and sisters in the faith and the inhabitants of those dear nations, I am pleased to address to you, Mr. President, the expression of my respectful greeting, which I accompany with fervent prayers for the good and prosperity of the entire Italian people.”

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.

In comments to reporters at Joint Base Andrews shortly afterward, Trump said: “I donʼt think heʼs doing a very good job. … I am not a fan of Pope Leo.” He added: “Heʼs a very liberal person.”

Trump accused Leo of being soft on Iran and criticized the popeʼs opposition to U.S. military operations. “I donʼt want a pope who thinks itʼs OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” the president wrote. He also criticized the pope for opposing the U.S. intervention in Venezuela that ousted President Nicolás Maduro in January.

Leo has not said Iran should possess nuclear weapons. He has called the U.S.-Israel war in Iran “unjust” and on April 7 called Trumpʼs threat to destroy an entire “civilization” in Iran “truly unacceptable.”

Trump also claimed credit for Leoʼs election to the papacy in May 2025, writing: “He wasnʼt on any list to be pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American.” He added: “If I wasnʼt in the White House, Leo wouldnʼt be in the Vatican.”

The post on Truth Social came hours before Leo was scheduled to depart Monday for an 11-day trip to four African countries and one day after the pope presided over a globally broadcast prayer vigil for peace at St. Peterʼs Basilica.

U.S. bishops' leader: Pope 'is not his rival'

The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said he was “disheartened” by Trumpʼs public attack on Pope Leo XIV, defending the pontiff as the vicar of Christ who speaks for the Gospel and the care of souls.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City issued a brief statement late Sunday in response to Trumpʼs lengthy social media post calling the pope “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy.”

“I am disheartened that the president chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father,” Coakley said. “Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the pope a politician. He is the vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”

The president said he preferred the popeʼs older brother, Louis Prevost, a Port Charlotte, Florida, resident who has described himself as a “MAGA type.” “I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA,” Trump wrote.

Trump also criticized Leo for meeting April 9 with David Axelrod, a former chief strategist for President Barack Obama, calling Axelrod “a loser from the left.” The Vatican has previously confirmed the audience but did not disclose what was discussed.

Trump also posted an image that commentators said depicted him as Jesus Christ, wearing a biblical-style robe and laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers, while admirers look on and eagles and military jets fill the sky above an American flag.

The public clash comes after weeks of growing friction between the White House and Catholic leaders since the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on Feb. 28.

Pope Leoʼs appeals for peace intensified over Holy Week, culminating in Saturdayʼs vigil, where he denounced a “delusion of omnipotence” and warned that “the holy name of God” was being “dragged into discourses of death.”

At a special Mass for peace held in Washington on April 11, Cardinal Robert McElroy argued that the current war fails to meet the strict criteria of just war theory, particularly in light of civilian suffering and the risk of disproportionate harm.

The Vatican has not yet publicly responded to Trumpʼs post. The pope is expected to arrive in Algiers on Monday.

This story was last updated on April 13, 2026, at 12:31 a.m. ET.

Speaking to crowds gathered in the square, the pope noted his upcoming departure for Africa, where “some martyrs of the early African Church, the Martyrs of Abitene, have left us a beautiful testimony in this regard."

"Faced with the offer to save their lives on the condition that they renounce celebrating the Eucharist, they replied that they could not live without celebrating the Lord’s Day. It is there that our faith is nourished and grows,” the Holy Father said.

“Because it is through the Eucharist that even our hands become ‘hands of the Risen One,’ witnesses of his presence, of his mercy, and of his peace, in the signs of work, of sacrifices, of illness, and of the passing of the years, which are often engraved upon them — just as in the tenderness of a caress, a handshake, or a gesture of charity," he said.

In his commentary on the April 12 Gospel for the second Sunday of Easter — dedicated by Pope John Paul II to divine mercy — the pope spoke about the faithfulʼs encounter with Jesus: “Where can we find him? How can we recognize him? How can we believe?”

“Certainly, it is not always easy to believe. It was not easy for Thomas, and it is not easy for us either. Faith needs to be nourished and supported. For this reason, on the ‘eighth day,’ that is, every Sunday, the Church invites us to do as the first disciples did: to gather together and celebrate the Eucharist as one," he said.

The pope concluded: “In a world that is in such great need of peace, this commits us more than ever to be assiduous and faithful in our Eucharistic encounter with the Risen Lord, so that we may depart from it as witnesses of charity and bearers of reconciliation."

“May the Virgin Mary help us to do this — she who is blessed because she was the first to believe without seeing,” he said.

After the prayer, Pope Leo XIV returned to the theme of peace. Recalling the Easter celebration of the Orthodox Churches, he said: “I accompany those communities with even more intense prayer for all those who suffer because of the war, in particular for the dear people of Ukraine.”

“May the light of Christ bring comfort to afflicted hearts and strengthen the hope of peace. May the attention of the international community toward the drama of this war not diminish. I am also more than ever close to the beloved people of Lebanon in these days of sorrow, fear, and invincible hope in God.”

“The principle of humanity, inscribed in the conscience of every person and recognized in international law, entails the moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the atrocious effects of war. I appeal to the conflicting parties to cease fire and to urgently seek a peaceful solution," he said.

Next Wednesday marks three years since the beginning of the bloody conflict in Sudan. “How much the Sudanese people are suffering — innocent victims of this inhuman tragedy!“ the pope said. ”I renew my heartfelt appeal to the warring parties to silence the weapons and to begin, without preconditions, a sincere dialogue aimed at ending as soon as possible this fratricidal war.”

The pope then greeted everyone: “I extend a warm welcome to all of you, Romans and pilgrims, especially to the faithful who have celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday at the Shrine of Santo Spirito in Sassia.”

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.

The election took place during the synod’s meetings held in Rome since April 9.

This election comes at a critical time for both the Chaldean Church and the wider region amid ongoing political challenges in Iraq and the Middle East, as well as internal ecclesial issues related to unity and the organization of Church life both locally and in the diaspora.

Following the election, the Chaldean bishops issued a statement saying: “After deep spiritual and fraternal deliberations, conducted in a spirit of prayer and ecclesial discernment, and mindful of the apostolic responsibility entrusted to them, the fathers of the synod elected the patriarch of the Chaldean Church according to the established canonical procedures. After completing the required ballots, and in accordance with the will expressed by the synod, His Excellency Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona was elected patriarch of the Chaldean Church and chose for himself the name His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Paul III Nona.”

The statement continued: “His Beatitude accepted the election in accordance with canonical norms, expressing his reliance on God’s grace and his commitment to exercise his patriarchal ministry with fidelity and responsibility, in full communion with the fathers of the synod, in service of the unity of the Chaldean Church and its mission in the homeland and the diaspora.”

“The fathers of the synod raise their prayers to the Lord Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, asking that he grant the elected patriarch wisdom and strength,“ the statement continued. ”They affirm their confidence that this ministry will contribute to strengthening the faithful in their faith, enhancing their unity, and revitalizing the Church’s mission in bearing witness to the Gospel.”

The synod also called on all members of the Chaldean Church — clergy and faithful alike — to unite around the new patriarch and support him through prayer and shared responsibility for the good of the Church and the growth of its mission.

Nona was born in Alqosh in northern Iraq in 1967. He was ordained a priest in 1991 after completing his studies at the Patriarchal Seminary in Baghdad. He later pursued higher studies in Rome, earning a doctorate in theological anthropology from the Pontifical Lateran University.

He served in the parishes of Alqosh before being appointed archbishop of Mosul in 2009, during a period marked by escalating violence against Christians in Iraq.

During the events of 2014, he left Mosul along with his faithful following the takeover of the city by the terrorist group ISIS, marking a pivotal moment in the modern history of the Chaldean Church.

In 2015, the Holy See appointed him head of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle in Australia and New Zealand, where he continued his pastoral ministry among the Chaldean diaspora.

His appointment comes following the resignation of Cardinal Raphael Sako, who announced that he submitted his resignation to Pope Leo XIV of his own free will on the morning of March 9 so he could “dedicate himself quietly to prayer, writing, and simple service.”

The timing sparked controversy within the Chaldean community.

Pope Leo XIV on March 10 accepted the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Shaleta, a Chaldean Catholic bishop arrested in San Diego in March on charges of embezzling Church funds.

Sako had allegedly attempted to support or transfer the embattled bishop to a higher position, leading many to question whether the financial scandal played a role in the patriarch’s decision.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” Vance told reporters in Islamabad, where the meetings took place. “We’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news.”

He added that the core impasse remained Iran’s nuclear ambitions: “But the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon. That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.”

Vance emphasized that the U.S. side negotiated “in good faith,” but Iran “has chosen not to accept our terms.” He further noted: “We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”

Iran has insisted the aims of its nuclear program are civilian.

The high-level face-to-face talks in Pakistan, a mediator between the two countries, followed weeks of military confrontation that began in late February and produced a tenuous two-week ceasefire, which ends April 22. With no deal secured, the future of that truce now hangs in greater uncertainty.

Despite the breakdown in negotiations, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar pushed both sides to continue to "uphold their commitment to ceasefire."

Vance, a Catholic convert and Iraq War veteran, has reflected on the moral weight of these national security decisions in the context of his faith. Speaking to the Washington Post last week about U.S. actions to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, he said: “I certainly hope that God agrees with the decision that Iran shouldn’t have a nuclear weapon, but I’ll keep praying about it.” He added that his approach has been “to pray that we are on God’s side” because “that would mean a lot of innocent people dead.”

Catholic leaders in the U.S. and at the Vatican have responded to the broader conflict with strong calls for peace and a return to dialogue.

In Rome, Pope Leo XIV led a peace vigil at the Vatican on April 11, where he delivered a forceful appeal against the violence.

“Enough of war!” he declared, lamenting the human and spiritual cost of the fighting. He stressed that prayer is “the most free, universal, and disruptive response to death" and is among the things that “break the demonic chain of evil and put themselves at the service of the kingdom of God; a kingdom in which there is no sword, no drones, no revenge, no trivialization of evil, no unfair profit but only dignity, understanding, and forgiveness.”

He and other Catholic leaders have drawn on the Church’s just war tradition, which holds that the use of force must meet strict moral criteria, including just cause, right intention, last resort, proportionality, and discrimination between combatants and noncombatants.

The Holy Father called on all parties to reject escalation and instead commit to patient, honest dialogue aimed at genuine coexistence and the protection of civilians.

“Stop! Itʼs time for peace! Sit at tables of dialogue and mediation, not at tables where rearmament is planned and death actions are deliberated,” he said.

At a special Mass for peace held in Washington, D.C., also on April 11, Cardinal Robert McElroy argued that the current war fails to meet the strict criteria of just war theory, particularly in light of civilian suffering and the risk of disproportionate harm.

The cardinal urged the faithful to pray for an immediate end to hostilities and for diplomats to pursue a just settlement that protects human life.

Predicting the failure of negotiations “because of recalcitrance on both sides” and the United States’ reentry into hostilities after the ceasefire, he said: “At that critical juncture, as disciples of Jesus Christ called to be peacemakers in the world, we must answer vocally and in unison: No,” he said. “Not in our name. Not at this moment. Not with our country.”

He warned of the “expansion of the war far beyond Iran, the disruption of the world economy, and the loss of life.”

The Dominican-born prelate made the appeal in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News, after a March visit to Cuba to attend the installation of Osmany Massó Cuesta as bishop of Bayamo-Manzanillo.

Speaking with “EWTN Noticias,” Rodríguez addressed recent events in the Caribbean nation, including the government’s Holy Week announcement that it would release more than 2,000 people from prison.

The bishop stated that this was “a first step toward a long-term and more stable solution.”

“It is certainly neither the definitive nor the complete solution, but it is a sign that should be appreciated as a positive step,” he said.

He noted that this step “must be followed by other measures” capable of “increasingly guaranteeing the growing integral development of Cuban men and women at the social level.”

“In Cuba,” he stated, “a process must take place wherein Cubans are granted increasingly greater access to the internet, where the exercise of freedom of expression is made possible, and where political freedom — naturally — can also be exercised, for that is part of human dignity.”

“However,” he noted, “all of this must always proceed from an attitude of dialogue and collaboration.”

Regarding the Catholic Church in Cuba, the prelate stated that in recent years, the bishops have been granted the opportunity “to speak on the radio,” thereby enabling them to evangelize and provide moral support to the people “within the limitations inherent to the prevailing situation and circumstances.”

In Cuba, where a one-party system is imposed, the internet is monopolized by the state-owned company ETECSA. The most affordable data plan available to citizens costs 120 Cuban pesos ($5) and offers only 2 GB. In contrast, a person arriving from abroad can access a minimum plan of 10 GB, although the cost is not listed on the website.

The state also holds a monopoly over print, television, and radio media. Those wishing to establish independent media outlets have the internet as their only alternative, albeit at the risk of being harassed and detained by the communist regime, as documented on March 11 by the Inter American Press Association.

The Catholic Church ‘is no one’s enemy’

Rodríguez first visited Cuba as a young man in 1998 on the occasion of the historic apostolic journey of St. John Paul II. He returned in 1999 as a missionary and lived on the island until 2000.

“Upon returning after 25 years, I have found a people who still possess the same faith, a people filled with hope, and a Church that has continued to grow and renew itself. However, suffering and distress in general have multiplied. When I was here more than 25 years ago, the humanitarian and social situation was already appalling.”

“But now, the crisis has reached truly inhumane proportions … and our solidarity and response are urgently needed,” Rodríguez emphasized.

The blackouts and shortages of food and medicine plaguing the island intensified starting in January, after the United States effectively stopped oil shipments from Mexico and Venezuela, a measure that has further complicated daily life, affecting, among other things, transportation, the accumulation of trash on the streets, and foreign tourism.

And although a Russian vessel arrived in late March carrying 730,000 barrels of oil and the U.S. government is sending donations to be distributed by Caritas Cuba, this is not enough.

Rodríguez therefore called upon the Cuban authorities to understand that the Catholic Church “is no one’s enemy,” for it is not married “to any ideology or to any political party” but rather preaches “Jesus Christ and his message of love, fraternity, respect for human dignity, peace, and hope.”

“By working with the Church, they will be safeguarding the dignity of the Cuban people and will also be collaborating in a deliberate process aimed at implementing measures to restore the people’s dignity,” he stated.

“Therefore, I invite the authorities of Cuba — the government of Cuba — not to be afraid to collaborate” with the Church, Rodríguez urged, who assured that “we, the Catholic bishops of the United States, are here to support the bishops of Cuba in whatever is needed.”

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.

Acutis AI has been developed by brothers Peter, 21, and Thomas, 19, Cooney — students who attend the University of Dallas and Baylor University — and strives to stand out as a search tool shaped by Catholic morality that provides responses users can trust.

Additionally, the platform offers parents the ability to monitor their children’s chats, set time limits, and set alerts to be notified when concerning topics are detected.

In an interview with EWTN News, Peter Cooney explained that after he and his brother used many of the other current AI platforms, they found they all had two issues in common: Responses to questions on morality are all built to be neutral, and the platforms cause young people to become dependent on them.

He shared that while testing responses on ChatGPT, he asked the platform its thoughts on abortion — if it was OK to get an abortion and if it could affirm one’s decision in obtaining the procedure.

“Itʼll say, ‘Yes, absolutely. I can affirm this. You made the best decision you could, etc., etc.,” Cooney said. “Thatʼs directly contrary to Church teaching. So, I think that’s the first big issue is that they try to be neutral, but at their core theyʼre not aligned with Church teaching and all the big platforms just have a small team of people who make all these moral decisions.”

In regard to the issue of user dependency, Cooney said: “I think a lot of parents have realized at this point the dangers of social media for their children, and so theyʼve become much more cautious about social media. But, I think very few parents … are aware of the huge threat that AI companions and chatbots can pose to their kids because theyʼre built to hook users and keep them engaged.”

“I think this is especially problematic for young people — like children [or] teenagers — because their brains arenʼt fully developed yet,” he added. “So, if thereʼs a teenager whoʼs lonely, maybe he doesnʼt have a ton of friends at school, maybe he doesnʼt see his parents much, the appeal of having an AI companion that will sound just like a human, and will also be super affirming and validating, thatʼs a huge appeal to those teenagers and they can easily get sucked into them.”

With this in mind, the brothers — who have experience creating websites and other computer programs — grounded Acutis AI in Church teaching by uploading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, encyclicals, the “Summa Theologica,” and other Church documents into the platformʼs code.

Additionally, through coding, Acutis AI is only allowed to answer questions regarding faith and morals from those sources. For any general questions, it is allowed to do a more broad web search.

Cooney pointed out that while there are negatives in using AI, he believes the tool can be used responsibly.

“I donʼt think the right answer is just saying OK, weʼre just not [going to] use AI at all, weʼre just going to ban it completely, because I think it can be a valuable tool if used correctly,” he said.

He added: “I think the best way to use it is to automate things. It should not be a replacement for critical thinking. I think itʼs super important to keep critical thinking at the forefront in all of this.”

The young Catholic also emphasized the importance of maintaining human relationships and preventing AI from taking the place of face-to-face interactions.

For students, Cooney said he believes it can be a great tool in helping them study for tests by having the platform quiz the individual or help create study guides.

Cooney said he hopes Acutis AI will help “teach young people how to use AI responsibly and give parents the guidance they need to help their kids use AI responsibly.”

Looking to the saint who inspired the platformʼs name, Cooney highlighted how St. Carlo Acutis is a “great example of how you use technology to serve God —he used it to spread his love for the Eucharist and he brought so many people closer to Christ through that — so I think we can do the same thing.”

Speaking before and after the Regina Caeli on Divine Mercy Sunday, the pope appealed for an end to fighting and urged those involved in conflicts to pursue peaceful solutions without delay.

“The principle of humanity, inscribed in the conscience of every person and recognized in international law, entails the moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the atrocious effects of war,” Leo said. “I appeal to the parties in conflict to cease fire and to seek with urgency a peaceful solution.”

Marking Easter as celebrated by the Orthodox churches, the pope said he was accompanying those communities with more intense prayer “for all who suffer because of war, especially for the beloved Ukrainian people.”

He added: “May the light of Christ bring comfort to afflicted hearts and strengthen the hope of peace. May the attention of the international community not fail toward the drama of this war.”

Leo also expressed closeness to Lebanon, saying: “To the beloved Lebanese people too I am more than ever close in these days of sorrow, fear, and invincible hope in God.”

Turning to Sudan, the pope noted that Wednesday marks three years since the start of the bloody conflict there and lamented the suffering of the Sudanese people, whom he described as innocent victims of an inhuman tragedy.

“I renew my heartfelt appeal to the warring parties to silence the weapons and begin, without preconditions, a sincere dialogue aimed at ending this fratricidal war as soon as possible,” he said.

Before the Marian prayer, Leo reflected on the Gospel for the Second Sunday of Easter, also known as Divine Mercy Sunday, and said faith must be nourished and sustained through the Church’s weekly Eucharistic gathering.

“Sunday Eucharist is indispensable for Christian life,” the pope said.

Recalling the witness of the Martyrs of Abitene ahead of his departure for Africa, he said the early African martyrs had left the Church “a beautiful testimony” when, faced with the offer of saving their lives if they renounced celebrating the Eucharist, they answered that they could not live without celebrating the Lord’s Day.

“It is there that our faith is nourished and grows,” he said.

Leo said that, like St. Thomas, Christians today can find belief difficult, but the Church invites the faithful every Sunday, the “eighth day,” to gather and celebrate the Eucharist together, as the first disciples did.

“In a world that has such great need of peace, this commits us more than ever to be assiduous and faithful in our Eucharistic encounter with the Risen One, so that we may set out again from it as witnesses of charity and bearers of reconciliation,” he said.

The pope also said that “it is through the Eucharist that our hands too become ‘hands of the Risen One,’ witnesses of his presence, his mercy, his peace.”

At the end of the Regina Caeli, Leo greeted pilgrims and asked for prayers ahead of his 10-day apostolic journey beginning Monday to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.

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.