These stories have been handpicked from blogs and news sites around the Web -- some Catholic, some not.https://www.newadvent.org/news/feedburner.xml tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-2784086835813111139Headhttps://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-04/pope-leo-xiv-appeal-to-journalists-castel-gandolfo-7-april-2026.htmlnull@newadvent.org (null)Addressing journalists in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV asks "all people of goodwill to always search for peace and to reject war," calls for a return to the negotiating table to pursue peaceful solutions, and notes that attacks on civilian infrastructure are against international law. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-35534722087593009Lefthttps://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/atlanta-archdiocese-makes-wyd-bidnull@newadvent.org (null)The Archdiocese of Atlanta has asked the Vatican to consider it as a prospective host for the 2030 World Youth Day.A successful bid would mean the certainty of a 2030 papal visit to the U.S., and make Atlanta the second U.S. city to host the international World Youth Day gathering. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-7930819467369179234Centerhttps://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/pope-leo-xiv-remembers-those-tormented-by-war-on-easter-monday-the-truth-does-not-remain-hiddennull@newadvent.org (null)On his first Easter Monday as pope, Leo XIV appeared at the window of the Apostolic Palace under bright sunshine and clear skies to lead the Regina Caeli with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Happy Easter!“ he exclaimed... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-6506306638427726975Lefthttps://thegoodnewsroom.org/why-catholic-underground-fills-the-church-month-after-month-in-nyc/null@newadvent.org (null)On Saturday night, while much of the city rushed past on East 90th Street, another kind of gathering was taking place at Our Lady of Good Counsel. Catholic Underground, a monthly event hosted by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, brought hundreds of young adults, families, and neighbors together for an evening centered on Eucharistic adoration, prayer, and music... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-1748378657906583373Centerhttps://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-04/pope-leo-urbi-et-orbi-easter-2026-peace-weapons-war-dialogue.htmlnull@newadvent.org (null)Pope Leo warned that the world is “growing accustomed to violence”. We are “becoming indifferent”, he said, not only to the deaths of thousands of people, but to the “hatred and division” war causes, as well as its “economic and social consequences”. Borrowing a phrase from the late Pope Francis, Pope Leo warned of... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4163539477196448015Lefthttps://media.benedictine.edu/this-sunday-christ-rose-and-will-convince-the-world-if-we-tell-themnull@newadvent.org (Tom Hoopes)On Sunday, the day after the Saturday Sabbath, Mary Magdalene set out for Jesus’s tomb before the sun had even risen. When she found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty, the Gospel reading tells us she “ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple,” John. In other words, her first thought was... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-323469612948413082Centerhttps://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-04/pope-leo-xiv-leads-way-of-the-cross-colosseum.htmlnull@newadvent.org (null)Pope Leo XIV became the second Pope to carry the Cross for the entire Via Crucis on Good Friday at Rome’s Colosseum. Joined by around 30,000 faithful and countless people across the world on social media, television, and radio, the Pope led the Way of the Cross through the candlelit ruins of the ancient Roman edifice, which witnessed the martyrdom of many early Christians. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-274701630976082425Lefthttps://www.catholicworldreport.com/2026/04/03/did-jesus-have-to-suffer-to-save-us/null@newadvent.org (David Deavel)Late in his life, St. John Henry Newman declined an offer from a Protestant to explain the Atonement fully. He replied that the Atonement is a theological mystery, far too complicated to be reduced to human reason. He was correct. The reason there are many competing (sometimes only partial) explanations for how Jesus Christ made us sinners at-one again with the Father is that it is complex—both literally and figuratively a thorny topic. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-5934503806768037144Centerhttps://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/facing-away-franciscan-horseshoenull@newadvent.org (Ed Condon)I intend this to be a short newsletter, since this of all days is better spent in contemplation before the Cross than reading (or writing) my opinions on anything. For myself, the great temptation of the day is to give in to a kind of pious sentimentality, to consider the Cross only as mawkish spectacle and Christ as a figure somehow deserving of, or interested in, my pity. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-7343079814949513562Lefthttps://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-04/way-of-the-cross-meditation-father-francesco-patton.htmlnull@newadvent.org (null)As Pope Leo XIV leads the Way of the Cross on Good Friday evening, Christians gathered at the Colosseum and spread across the globe will be led in spirit by the reflections of Fr. Francesco Patton, former Custos of the Holy Land, OFM. At each of the fourteen stations of the Via Crucis, Fr. Patton’s words explore different aspects of Christian life... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4614916213724100175Centerhttps://theologyofhome.substack.com/p/hamnet-and-the-quiet-triumph-of-thenull@newadvent.org (Carrie Gress)A few weeks ago, Jessie Buckley videos saturated my social media feed. I guess I lingered too long on the video of her receiving an academy award. But who could blame me? It isn’t every day that you see an award-winning actress telling her husband she loves him... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-6709760541235207177Lefthttps://hallow.com/blog/catholic-church-sees-massive-growth-in-new-members/null@newadvent.org (null)The Catholic Church in the United States is seeing a significant increase in people entering the Church this Easter season. Hallow, the #1 prayer app, today announced the release of new original data showing a significant rise in catechumens and candidates across the United States in 2026. Based on data compiled exclusively by Hallow... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-1909153708647185105Centerhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/style/trends/2026/04/02/catholicism-gen-z/null@newadvent.org (null)About 100 young adults dressed in business casual were packed into a pizza shop. “Come to church with us!” they shouted in unison. “In New York City!” added Anthony Gross. He flashed a wide, white grin and raised the roof. Gross had helped organize this meetup at the Pizza Box in Greenwich Village. Soon, he would lead these Catholic and Catholic-curious young people to a Mass at St. Joseph’s Church a few blocks away. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-7210911954822049217Lefthttps://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/nasa-s-artemis-ii-begins-easter-week-mission-around-the-moonnull@newadvent.org (null)More than half a century after humans last traveled beyond Earth’s orbit, a new National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) project for lunar exploration has begun, marking a historic day in the United States. “The feeling is really palpable that now America is on its way back to the moon after more than five decades of waiting and planning,” Jonathan Lunine, chief scientist at NASA... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4822680705939067738Centerhttps://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/gallagher-artemis-returnnull@newadvent.org (null)NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) thundered into the Florida skies yesterday evening with four crew members aboard. None of them will descend to the lunar surface this time, but they will execute key tests to pave the way for Artemis IV to touch down in 2028. On board the Orion crew module are the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4965500572823577955Lefthttps://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/editorial-holy-week-in-a-time-of-warnull@newadvent.org (null)This Holy Week began on an intense but blessedly brief note of controversy, when Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Franciscan Father Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land, were denied entry to the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass there. Initial concerns that this denial of entry constituted an intentional violation... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-1991123646775508097Centerhttps://www.denvercatholic.org/via-crucis-2026null@newadvent.org (George Weigel)The Way of the Cross — and the third, seventh, and ninth stations in particular — has been an especially appropriate Lenten devotion this year. Every day, it seems, some new craziness erupts in the world, the country, or the Church. Every time we think we see rays of hope and possibility, we take another fall. So it’s good to remember this Holy Week... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4606856987409335866Lefthttps://life-craft.org/the-word-that-towers-over-betrayal/null@newadvent.org (John Cuddeback)Wednesday of Holy Week is a day traditionally focused on the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. One of the great gifts of the story of the Passion, and our commemoration of it in Holy Week, is the various characters with whom we can identify ourselves, and who reveal different aspects of Our Lord. The drama of the betrayal, almost incomprehensible in its horror, brings out as nothing else this week certain features of the heart of Our Lord. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-7415504042867017836Centerhttps://popes.substack.com/p/when-the-pope-maybe-invented-aprilnull@newadvent.org (Matthew Sewell)Before we get to the invention of April Fool’s Day, we first need to pay homage to the only pontiff to have died on this particular day of the year. Pope John XV served as Bishop of Rome for a decade at the end of the 10th Century, one of the most fraught and, frankly, dark periods of the papacy the Catholic Church has ever seen. Not much of John’s reign was remarkable... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-8414605667633427610Lefthttps://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-04/pope-leo-general-audience-second-vatican-council-lay-people.htmlnull@newadvent.org (null)During his weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV highlights the important role that lay people play in the Church’s mission in bearing witness to the Gospel, as he continues his reflection on the conciliar document "Lumen gentium." tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-8164623968271842605Centerhttps://weirdcatholic.substack.com/p/the-nails-of-the-crucifixionnull@newadvent.org (Thomas McDonald)It seems like an easy question to answer, but the Gospels are silent on this moment of the crucifixion. If you look at the four Gospel accounts of the crucifixion itself, nowhere do they specify that Jesus was nailed to his cross. We have such specific images in our minds of this scene that this may come as a shock to some, but let’s look at the passages. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4394380170253076044Lefthttps://amac.us/newsline/lifestyle/estranged-families-walk-the-way-of-the-cross/null@newadvent.org (null)Many people whose children or parents have decided to “go no contact” with them see themselves in these famous words of the Prophet Isaiah. Their own way of the cross may not include the physical torture of the Lord, but they bear His loneliness, rejection, and desolation. For most Christians, today marks the celebration of Palm Sunday and the beginning of what is called Holy Week... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-6568136201667729300Centerhttps://knowingisdoing.org/blog/something-beautiful-has-changednull@newadvent.org (Marlon De La Torre)The moment someone recommends a change in your life, the reaction can either be met with resignation, realizing that change is necessary, or resistance because you simply do not want to. The human perspective on change in relation to God involves a tension between a personal human desire and the desire for God in our lives. When Israel was liberated from Egyptian bondage, as recorded in the book of Exodus, change was about to occur... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-8226936473951308512Lefthttps://nautil.us/how-we-walk-might-reveal-our-risk-of-death-1279240null@newadvent.org (null)Current risk predictors of premature death, like the kinds used by life insurance companies, typically include demographic factors, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, and so on. However, research into human aging suggests that other measures of frailty may improve estimates. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-7075877547855020265Centerhttps://www.wsj.com/world/fake-cops-fake-judges-the-hollywood-style-scam-poised-to-go-global-e1e339a3?st=fXpKE6&mod=1440&user_id=66c4c4bf600ae150759922b7null@newadvent.org (null)Last Christmas Eve, a 77-year-old woman in New Delhi got an unexpected call from what she thought was the police. Contacting her by WhatsApp video, the team of uniformed cops inside a police station said she was under arrest on suspicion of money laundering. A few days later, she attended a virtual hearing before a Supreme Court judge, seated in his book-lined chamber... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-6713028715373253436Lefthttps://stpaulcenter.com/posts/seeing-and-believing-scott-hahn-reflects-on-easter-sundaynull@newadvent.org (Scott Hahn)Jesus is nowhere visible. Yet today’s Gospel tells us that Peter and John “saw and believed.” What did they see? Burial shrouds lying on the floor of an empty tomb. Maybe that convinced them that He hadn’t been carted off by grave robbers, who usually stole the expensive burial linens and left the corpses behind. But notice the repetition of the word... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-1200601355814225839Centerhttps://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/vatican-affirms-future-of-anglican-ordinariates-a-precious-gift-and-a-treasure-to-be-sharednull@newadvent.org (null)The Vatican has reaffirmed its support for the Anglican ordinariates, confirming that these communities have a permanent and valued place within the Catholic Church. On March 24, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a document — the fruit of a meeting held March 1–3 in Rome, during which Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the dicastery, invited the ordinariate bishops tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-5473999271781767800Lefthttps://www.denvercatholic.org/an-invitation-to-know-jesusnull@newadvent.org (Archbishop James Golka)When I began my time in the Diocese of Colorado Springs, I said I was fascinated by Jesus Christ, and I have been for much of my life. What was true then, and what was true in the Scriptures, is only truer today. I am fascinated by the way that Jesus makes himself present in our world today. I am fascinated by Jesus’ words... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-2739169292367518449Centerhttps://www.ewtnnews.com/world/middle-east/jerusalem-churches-reach-temporary-deal-with-israeli-authorities-over-holy-week-accessnull@newadvent.org (null)In a notable development, a joint statement was issued Monday by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land announcing an agreement had been reached with the Israeli authorities regarding arrangements for Holy Week and Easter celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-7873060008656578213Lefthttps://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-891522null@newadvent.org (null)Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, was prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre by the Israel Police, the Patriarchate announced on Sunday.Pizzaballa, accompanied by the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Father Francesco Ielpo, had been proceeding to the church to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass when police stopped the pair and forced them to turn back. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-5838371018677308789Centerhttps://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-03/pope-leo-xiv-celebrates-palm-sunday-mass-rome.htmlnull@newadvent.org (null)On Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass for the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square. In his homily, the Pope reflected on Jesus’ revelation of Himself as the King of Peace, even as violence loomed around Him. As Jesus walked the Way of the Cross, we walk with Him and contemplate His passion which He bore for the sake of humanity as a gift of love. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-2149728190117778747Lefthttps://media.benedictine.edu/this-sunday-palm-sunday-means-the-innocent-die-for-the-guilty-even-nownull@newadvent.org (null)Christianity is set up such that the innocent die for the guilty. That is the shocking but ultimately comforting lesson of the readings for Palm Sunday of the Passion, Year A. Here are six takeaways drawn from Sunday Readings columns at this site and the Extraordinary Story podcast. First: Palm Sunday Mass is a mini-Holy Week. None of the other Holy Week Masses is obligatory for Catholics... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-2449441062210231338Centerhttps://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/alfie-accidental-pro-life-filmnull@newadvent.org (K.V. Turley)Inadvertently, is Alfie (1966) the most pro-life film ever made? Abortion is a key plot device — but it is also far more than that in what unfolds on screen. On release, Alfie — famously marketed with the line, “What’s it all about, Alfie?” — was billed as a romantic comedy. Watched 60 years on, however, there is only tragedy. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-3030131114002094414Lefthttps://stpaulcenter.com/posts/all-is-fulfilled-scott-hahn-reflects-on-passion-sundaynull@newadvent.org (null)“All this has come to pass that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel (see Matthew 26:56). Indeed, we have reached the climax of the liturgical year, the highest peak of salvation history, when all that has been anticipated and promised is to be fulfilled. By the close of today’s long Gospel, the work of our redemption will have been accomplished... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-2157681912615701105Centerhttps://stpaulcenter.com/posts/mary-frodo-and-the-cross?mc_cid=d0b6e2dbc0&mc_eid=76031b1787null@newadvent.org (Clement Harrold)This week we celebrated the Solemnity of the Annunciation on March 25. But March 25 is also significant for another reason: it’s the traditional date of Our Lord’s crucifixion. Someone who knew this tradition very well was the novelist J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien was a devout Catholic. It’s therefore no coincidence that in his literary world of The Lord of the Rings... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-5346470958541218951Lefthttps://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/holy-week-reveals-human-dignitynull@newadvent.org (Larry Chapp)I am just back home from an unexpected trip to my hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, where I was needed by my siblings to aid in getting my 90-year-old mother, who has advanced Alzheimer’s, into a nursing home. She had fallen at home in the bathroom and cracked five ribs and punctured a lung, which, beyond her major injuries, indicated that my father... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-5293720598075099528Centerhttps://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/live-updates-pope-leo-xiv-visits-monaconull@newadvent.org (null)The pope during his homily at Monacoʼs Louis II stadium references the small nation-stateʼs famed history as a center of luxury gambling in continental Europe. The Monte Carlo Casino is among the more iconic gambling destinations in the world, featuring prominently in pop culture for years... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-8468550709483545975Lefthttps://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cuba-looks-vatican-help-ease-104310171.htmlnull@newadvent.org (null)Cuban officials have petitioned the Vatican to ‌help persuade the administration ‌of U.S. President Donald Trump to ​ease its oil embargo in senior-level meetings with Vatican officials including Pope Leo, the Washington ‌Post reported ⁠on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4220040393317923385Centerhttps://www.ncregister.com/news/catholic-converts-surge-usnull@newadvent.org (Matthew McDonald)Many U.S. dioceses are expecting heavy increases in people joining the Catholic Church at Easter 2026, including some with record highs, a survey by the Register found. “Something’s happening,” said John Helsey, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, which is expecting a 57% increase in unbaptized people becoming Catholics at Easter — from 635 in 2025 to nearly 1,000 in 2026. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-8398617704664956004Lefthttps://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/living-lent-the-single-life-and-thenull@newadvent.org (null)As we head into Holy Week, this is the traditional point at which many of us start expressing shock and dismay that Lent is almost over and we — me — have failed to make the most of it. I had lofty ambitions just under 40 fasting days ago, to be sure, and a penitent’s sincere desire to live the season fully. But, not for the first time, I’ve found myself living Lent as a period of rather dry exercises, rather than clearing space and time... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-8434099325363063150Centerhttps://www.osvnews.com/spanish-bishops-experts-say-euthanasia-for-young-noelia-a-social-defeat-collective-failure/null@newadvent.org (null)The proper response to human suffering should not be to cause death to provide adequate care and closeness to the most vulnerable, the Spanish bishops’ conference said in response to the case of a 25-year-old woman who chose to end her life by euthanasia March 26, despite her father fighting to stop the procedure. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-6823311770937384035Lefthttps://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/military-archdiocese-hegseth-insignia-changenull@newadvent.org (null)The Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, expressed its approval of a plan for military chaplains to display insignia on their uniforms that reflects their religious faith as opposed to their military rank. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on March 24 that he will sign a memo... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-1764263314026922082Centerhttps://www.denvercatholic.org/the-donatist-comebacknull@newadvent.org (null)My Lenten reading has included an interesting, if somewhat odd, book about the greatest of the Latin Fathers of the Church: Augustine the African by Catherine Conybeare, a philologist currently teaching at Bryn Mawr. The interesting part of the book reframes Augustine as a North African provincial who sees the world differently... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4566922004963665016Lefthttps://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/our-quest-to-live-forever/null@newadvent.org (Fr. Jerry Pokorsky)“Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves.” God created us to live forever. Our longing for eternal life unfolds as a continuum of human love finding its fulfillment in divine union... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4095945645864392617Centerhttps://weirdcatholic.substack.com/p/marys-way-of-the-cross-f2cnull@newadvent.org (null)In the numerous pilgrim accounts up through the early 13th century, there is no indication of a fixed Way of the Cross as we know it today. By the late 13th and 14th century there are some hints of a route taken by Christ to Calvary, with certain moments noted. These include the earliest mentions of the place where Simon helps carry the cross, where Jesus met the weeping women, and where Mary swooned, but they are merely noted as holy places, not as a unified Way to follow... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4506598383954718549Lefthttps://www.denvercatholic.org/mission-received-mission-given-archbishop-golka-installed-as-archbishop-of-denvernull@newadvent.org (null)March 25: a day of intense joy for the global Church. The day when Mary’s “yes” echoed through eternity, bringing forth humanity’s savior. In a homily on this very day, St. Bernard of Clairvaux emphatically describes how the world waited with bated breath for Mary’s response. Her “yes” evoked an explosive, near-incomparable joy in Heaven. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-8225792748979577963Centerhttps://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/venerable-fulton-sheen-beatification-set-for-sept-24-in-st-louisnull@newadvent.org (null)The Vatican announced that Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen will be beatified on Sept. 24 in St. Louis.Sheen “is an inspiration not only to all of us who continue his work of prayer and support for the Church’s missionary work across the globe, but for all those whose faith has been strengthened by his preaching, broadcasting, writing, and holy Catholic life,” Monsignor Roger Landry, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies U.S., told EWTN News. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-391926007801796114Lefthttps://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/pope-urges-liturgical-unity-inclusion-of-traditional-latin-mass-faithfulnull@newadvent.org (null)Pope Leo XIV has called for renewed unity in the Church’s liturgical life, urging French bishops to seek “concrete solutions” to include Catholics attached to the Traditional Latin Mass while preserving communion. In a message sent through Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, to the French bishops’ spring plenary assembly in Lourdes... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-365725265696451358Centerhttps://nicenews.com/environment/austin-texas-bats-bridge/null@newadvent.org (null)Every March, hordes of creatives flock to Austin, Texas, for the famed South by Southwest music and film festival. But another annual event is unfolding there this month as well. The city is home to the world’s largest urban bat colony, and just after sunset each evening, hundreds of thousands of the winged creatures emerge from beneath a bridge to soar into the night across Lady Bird Lake. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-3876588481467012981Lefthttps://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2026/03/19/what-do-americans-consider-immoral/null@newadvent.org (null)Across a wide range of issues, Americans express morally permissive views. Nearly all U.S. adults (96%) say that eating meat is either morally acceptable or not a moral issue, and 91% take similar positions on using contraceptives to prevent pregnancy. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-1903941635926683203Centerhttps://www.ncregister.com/news/nazir-ali-iran-shia-martyr-ideologynull@newadvent.org (Edward Pentin)Western governments misread Iran if they assume its theocratic regime will quickly capitulate under military pressure, because the country’s leaders are sustained by a Shia religious worldview that exalts suffering and martyrdom as supreme virtues. This is the view of Msgr. Michael Nazir-Ali, a member of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, a former Anglican bishop and an expert in Islamic history. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-3312419926197806969Lefthttps://www.ncregister.com/features/steal-a-lemon-find-a-spousenull@newadvent.org (Gigi Duncan)St. Joseph’s Day has come and gone. The novenas are finished, the festive outfits retired and perhaps most tragically, the brief Lenten excuse to eat pastries without guilt has expired. But Catholics aren’t meant to forget St. Joseph after one day. The Church dedicates the entire month of March to him, after all. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-8994590259485716820Centerhttps://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/boys-town-founder-father-flanagan-moves-one-step-closer-to-sainthoodnull@newadvent.org (Hannah Brockhaus)Pope Leo XIV on Monday approved the advancement of the beatification cause for Boys Town founder Father Edward J. Flanagan, declaring him “venerable.” The Irish-born priest, revered for his revolutionary approach to caring for homeless and impoverished children in the 20th century, famously said there was “no such thing as a bad boy, only bad environment, bad modeling, and bad teaching.” His life and legacy were immortalized... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-8387557623793435863Lefthttps://catholicreview.org/why-does-the-annunciation-loom-so-large-in-catholicism/null@newadvent.org (Elizabeth Scalia)Non-Catholic friends are often puzzled by our calendar of memorials and solemnities, particularly the solemnity of the Annunciation — a moment that usually only hits their awareness in the days leading up to Christmas. I have been asked more than once why we remember it in March or, in fact, at all... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-6448886299951251119Centerhttps://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-03/pope-like-lazarus-may-we-hear-the-lord-s-call-to-new-life.htmlnull@newadvent.org (null)Greeting the visitors and pilgrims in Saint Peter's Square for the midday Angelus on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Pope Leo spoke about Lord's raising of Lazarus, "a sign that speaks of Christ’s victory over death and of the gift of eternal life, which we receive through Baptism." In his reflections, the Pope said Jesus tells us today... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-7865258024035434538Lefthttps://www.ncregister.com/features/premium-bible-market-catholicnull@newadvent.org (null)Premium Bibles are all the rage on YouTube, with many channels reviewing them: from the quality of the paper used to the “bleed through,” from the page layout to the craftsmanship of the final product. However, most of the Bibles reviewed are Protestant as are most of the reviewers, but increasingly on these channels there are reviews of Catholic Bibles. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-5007655538675607799Centerhttps://media.benedictine.edu/this-sunday-the-5-lines-you-may-have-missed-reveal-the-meaning-of-lazarusnull@newadvent.org (null)The text of Scripture is inspired, and that means that its words can reveal more to you even if you have read them before. When you notice and receive an insight into a line from a Gospel passage that you never noticed before, you can thank the Holy Spirit’s gift of “understanding.” Here are four lines and insights that can go unnoticed in the Gospel reading about the raising of Lazarus, on the Fifth Sunday of Lent Year A... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4116072521131363376Lefthttps://spiritualdirection.com/2026/03/15/100-questions-jesus-asked-and-you-should-answernull@newadvent.org (Msgr. Charles Pope)One of the bigger mistakes one can make is to read Scripture as a spectator, treating it as merely a collection of stories and events that took place thousands of years ago. While these are historical accounts, they are much more than that. Truth be told, these ancient stories are our stories. We are in the narrative. We are Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Deborah, Jeremiah, Ruth, Peter, Paul, Magdalene, Mother Mary... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-5012414674671953427Centerhttps://www.wordonfire.org/articles/the-american-catholic-philosophical-association-at-100/null@newadvent.org (Christopher Kaczor)In 1926, Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth II were born. President Calvin Coolidge was in the White House, Pope Pius XI was in the Vatican, and Babe Ruth was in the World Series, hitting three home runs in a single game. Also in 1926, Fr. Edward A. Pace founded the American Catholic Philosophical Association... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-8111501393848169256Lefthttps://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/pope-leo-calls-bishops-to-rome-to-discuss-families-amoris-laetitia-in-octobernull@newadvent.org (null)Ten years after Pope Francis issued a controversial document on families, Pope Leo XIV will meet with bishops from around the world to discuss the text’s application for today. Amoris Laetitia, Francis’ apostolic exhortation on marriage and the family, followed two contentious synods at the Vatican dominated by debate over divorce. Pope Leo on Thursday announced that he is calling the presidents of the world’s bishops’ conferences to Rome in October... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-1961565023942665063Centerhttps://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-registration-opens-and-events-schedule-releasednull@newadvent.org (null)The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage has opened registration for the 2026 pilgrimage and announced the schedule for its public events. In celebration of the 2026 theme, “One Nation Under God,” and the nation’s 250th anniversary, many of the events will not only bring the faithful together in prayer but also will reflect U.S. history... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-3478658091786974527Lefthttps://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/monster-in-room/null@newadvent.org (null)In 1510, Dominican friars arrived in Santo Domingo and refused absolution to colonists who would not repent of their exploitation of the Indians. The refusal was not cruelty; it was spiritual medicine. Among those shaken was Bartolomé de las Casas, a landowner whose estates relied on forced Indian labor... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4392533336856738515Centerhttps://apnews.com/article/italy-colosseum-restoration-tourism-rome-032cac4377572b89263247a038395c11null@newadvent.org (null)The Colosseum has a bright new look following a restoration using the same travertine marble of ancient Rome to recreate parts of columns from 2,000 years ago.Thousands of Romans once flocked to this arena to watch gladiators battle each other and wild animals. The structure still captures the public’s imagination; it is Italy’s most popular tourist destination, with 9 million visitors in 2025 alone. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-1112538909964506500Lefthttps://interestingengineering.com/ai-robotics/humanoid-robot-tennis-shots-with-accuracynull@newadvent.org (null)Galbot Robotics has released a video on its official X handle on March 16 showing a humanoid robot rallying tennis shots with a human player in real time. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-5218942146920069465Centerhttps://life-craft.org/pleasure-in-working-and-resting-kindly/null@newadvent.org (null)Several principles that shape how I live I learned from Wendell Berry. He has an astounding share of common sense and an ability to cut through to what matters. He finds extraordinary beauty in the ordinary—often an ordinary that as a people we have set aside or lost. These days, ever darkening shadows in the world along with our own sufferings and those of the people closest to us can start to crush and overwhelm us... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-180708311903822325Lefthttps://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/what-the-vatican-court-ruling-meansnull@newadvent.org (null)Finding that prosecutors had no right to redact the findings of their original investigation into the London property scandal, the judges ordered effectively an unusual trial-within-an-appeal, opening up the original investigation and charges to new litigation. But even more seismic... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-7491766171972574321Centerhttps://www.ncregister.com/news/john-breen-cci-boardnull@newadvent.org (Jonathan Liedl)Nearly six months after publicly criticizing Cardinal Blase Cupich’s plan to give a “lifetime achievement” award to a pro-abortion-rights senator, a long-serving lay member of the Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI) board of directors is being involuntarily phased out of his role. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-4544282876442746923Lefthttps://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/pray-for-gina-and-the-florida-feastnull@newadvent.org (J.D. Flynn)The big news out of the Vatican this morning is a report claiming that the sprawling financial trial that convicted Cardinal Angelo Becciu has been “overturned,” and that judges have ordered a “new trial.” But we’re not so sure that’s the right way to put things, or that it reflects the reality of a complicated legal decision. At The Pillar this morning... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-6895356876412807733Centerhttps://substack.com/home/post/p-186543518null@newadvent.org (Tim Clark)This past month, my children had many occasions to hear me say things like, “Watch this!” and “Look at that!” In Virginia, the world was adorned in a frozen gown. And when something or someone is covered in white, it’s a sign to us that something awe-inspiring is happening. A baby is clothed with white in baptism. Little girls wear white gowns to receive their Lord for the first time in Holy Communion... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-8919477453027519510Lefthttps://stpaulcenter.com/posts/at-lazarus-tomb-scott-hahn-reflects-on-the-fifth-sunday-of-lentnull@newadvent.org (null)As we draw near to the end of Lent, today’s Gospel clearly has Jesus’ passion and death in view. That’s why John gives us the detail about Lazarus’ sister, Mary — that she is the one who anointed the Lord for burial. His disciples warn against returning to Judea; Thomas even predicts they will “die with Him” if they go back... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-6237813331788475068Centerhttps://apnews.com/article/vatican-trial-of-century-mistrial-cardinal-e82536c82130531f1e1341c047f15682null@newadvent.org (null)The Vatican appeals tribunal declared a mistrial Tuesday in the Holy See’s big “trial of the century,” a stunning blow to both Pope Francis’ legacy and Vatican prosecutors who had put a cardinal and several other people on trial over alleged financial crimes. tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-5114722897977744654Lefthttps://thecatholicherald.com/article/reports-emerge-on-pope-leo-xivs-first-encyclicalnull@newadvent.org (null)Reports from Rome suggest that the first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV is approaching publication and could appear shortly after Easter, just weeks before the first anniversary of his election to the papacy. The document, widely reported to carry the working title Magnifica Humanitas... tag:newadvent.org,1999:blog-3972000218521616682.post-979774975826708155Centerhttps://www.osvnews.com/st-patricks-breastplate-and-the-terrors-of-mid-lent/null@newadvent.org (null)The effort is not confined to the season; in fits and starts I work at it during the year, but the task is always re-embraced in these dreary days when the weather goes fickle, and spring’s arrival seems like a trickster’s promise. Easter looks so far off, right now, because our Lenten practices, begun with such a sense of adventure and optimism...