The seminary was founded on Aug. 31, 1999, by the then-primate archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Norberto Rivera, after the Catholic Church recognized the need to form priests capable of understanding the cultural richness of Hispanics in North America.

Rivera was inspired by the call issued by St. John Paul II in the January 1999 apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America, which called the American Church to a new evangelization.

The seminary opened in August 2000 with the arrival of five seminarians from the archdioceses of Los Angeles and Milwaukee. Since then, more than 200 graduates from at least 55 dioceses across the U.S. have passed through the formation center.

‘A Church without borders’

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Father Juan Antonio Vértiz Gutiérrez, the seminary’s rector, explained that the learning experience goes beyond language. The seminarians gain firsthand insight into what the Church in Mexico is like as well as its ecclesial and cultural traditions, particularly through apostolates.

According to the priest, this enables them to “better serve our fellow countrymen and our brothers and sisters of Hispanic origin” in their home dioceses in the U.S. He emphasized that this formation helps these young men understand two distinct cultural realities that, while united in faith, have different cultural expressions.

For Vértiz, one of the greatest beauties of Catholicism is that it “doesn’t have any borders.” In a time marked by tensions stemming from immigration policies, he noted that the experience of the Hispanic seminary demonstrates that for the Catholic Church, regardless of one’s background, every person “already belongs to the family of the children of God.”

The program

Life at the seminary follows the rhythm of any house of priestly formation but with a particular emphasis on cultural encounter. Mornings are dedicated to philosophical and theological studies at Lumen Gentium Catholic University, while in the afternoons, seminarians delve deeper into language learning and spiritual formation.

During Holy Week, seminarians are often sent to communities outside Mexico City.

The admissions process is typically conducted through diocesan vocations offices in the U.S. “We do not accept young men who do not belong to a diocese,” the rector explained.

Currently, the seminary hosts 16 young men hailing from California, Nevada, Washington, Texas, Illinois, Alabama, and Georgia.

Diverse testimonies of faith

Ramsés Yates, originally from the Diocese of Yakima, Washington, arrived at the seminary a year and a half ago to complete his theological formation and learn Spanish.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, he said his experience in Mexican communities has filled him with “much hope and much joy.” In them, he said, it’s possible to witness what it means to “be a community that lives out Catholicism to the fullest.”

He noted that he is eagerly preparing to return to Yakima, knowing that he will now be able to speak “with many more people in my diocese, people with whom I previously could not communicate effectively. That fills me with great enthusiasm.”

Ramón Pérez, originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, migrated to Fresno, California, at the age of 17. There, his life was defined by work until he felt “the call to the priesthood, to a more complete dedication to the service of the Church.”

He told ACI Prensa that following a lengthy process of discernment, he requested admission to the seminary. His diocese decided to send him to Mexico “to continue nurturing my culture and to support the various people entering the United States” from Spanish-speaking countries.

The seminarian said the experience has enabled him “to know and become conscious of my origins, my roots, and my culture, of where I was born and where I come from.” Growing up in two different cultures, he acknowledged, can be challenging, but it has also “profoundly shaped this aspect of my vocation.”

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.

This measure was granted after a “pardon approved by the government of Cuba” and after the analysis of a series of circumstances of the prisoners, such as “good behavior maintained in prison, having extinguished an important part of their sanction and state of health,” according to a note from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Among the released prisoners are young people, women, and people over 60 years old. Excluded from the release were those who have committed crimes such as sexual assault, pedophilia with violence, murder, robbery with violence or force with weapons, and “crimes against authority.”

Specifying that it was the “second release” of 2026, the ministry said the pardons were announced “in the context of the religious celebrations of Holy Week.”

The statement pointed out that this is the government’s “fifth pardon” since 2011, by which a total of “more than 11,000 people have been released.”

In March, the Cuban government announced that it would release 51 prisoners “in the spirit of goodwill, of close and fluid relations between the Cuban state and the Vatican.”

The release comes as the United States has been cutting off the oil supply in Cuba as a way to pressure the regime to make various political and economic reforms.

Much of the Cuban population has also been experiencing a serious humanitarian emergency due to a lack of food, medicine, and health, among other shortcomings.

Palm Beach, Florida, Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez, a native of the Dominican Republic, recently wrote in a March 27 column that he found in Cuba “a deep and increasing humanitarian crisis: raw, visible, and deeply human.”

The prelate said that “prayer must lead to action.” To that end, the Diocese of Palm Beach is collaborating with the Cuban bishops to find “all possible ways to provide concrete assistance, especially in urgent areas of food and medical care.”

“This job is not optional. It is a moral imperative,” he said.

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 bishops were among more than 50 intervenors presenting arguments at a landmark Supreme Court of Canada hearing into the constitutionality of Quebec’s 2019 secularism law. The hearing, one of the longest in the court’s history, ran from March 23–26. The court reserved its decision, with a ruling expected later this year.

The secularism law, which lower courts have twice upheld, prohibits certain public employees — such as teachers and police officers — from wearing religious symbols while at work.

Toronto lawyer Phil Horgan, president and general counsel of the Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL), argued on behalf of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), summarizing a factum that argued the “purpose and effect” of Quebec’s legislation is to “amend Canada’s federal constitution by imposing an anti-religious, non-neutral ideology, which goes beyond Québec’s jurisdiction.”

Such a “drastic” change can only be made by the federal government using its authority over criminal law or its constitutional “peace, order, and good government” powers, according to the bishops’ argument.

Quebec preemptively invoked the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms when it drafted Bill 21 to shield it from judicial review.

Federal and provincial governments can invoke the notwithstanding clause of the Constitution to temporarily prevent courts from invalidating legislation as unconstitutional.

The timing and impact of the use of Charter Section 33 became a significant issue during the four days of hearings and will likely be central in the court’s analysis, Horgan told The Catholic Register.

The appellants challenging Bill 21 include individual teachers directly affected by it as well as advocacy groups including the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), and the Legal Committee of the Coalition Inclusion Québec. They argue Bill 21 is “ultra vires,” beyond the powers of provincial jurisdiction.

In a five-minute oral argument, Horgan told the seven justices that “Canada’s existing federal constitution is pluralist and pro-religion.” Although “the doctrine of state neutrality is well established, Canada has never adopted laicity or an absolutist separation of church and state,” he said.

Justice Malcolm Rowe questioned Horgan on the point, asking: “Other than the reference to the supremacy of God in the preamble to the Charter, would you direct me to the provision in the Constitution which is pro-religion?”

Horgan cited Section 93 of the Constitution Act, 1867, which protects denominational school rights and privileges, and noted federal charity law recognizes religion as a public good.

Horgan said he wasn’t concerned by the pushback, noting judges often ask questions “not so much to get the answers from counsel but to help … persuade other members of the bench on some of the merits of the argument.”

In its factum, the CCCB said Bill 21 “turns the expression of religious belief, through the wearing of symbols, into something to be punished because such expression now conflicts with the dominant philosophical posture of laïcité.”

Just as religious symbols are an illustration of underlying personal faith, “the prohibition of religious symbols manifests an outlook from the provincial government that denies the divine,” the bishops said.

Quebec has argued the notwithstanding clause disqualifies courts from weighing in on matters deemed political debates. Isabelle Brunet, a lawyer for the Quebec government, told the justices: “It is not up to a court to answer a question that doesn’t concern the courts.”

Quebec received support from the attorneys general of Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, who maintain the courts should not interfere once the notwithstanding clause is invoked.

Alberta and Ontario take a contrary position, arguing there is nothing in the notwithstanding clause that precludes judicial scrutiny of legislation.

Guy J. Pratte, a lawyer for the attorney general of Canada, said Section 33 gives legislatures the power to override Charter rights but does not nullify the rights altogether or prevent judges from issuing an opinion if freedoms are violated.

‘Imposing an anti-religious, non-neutral ideology’

The following excerpts are from the factum submitted to the Supreme Court of Canada by the Canadian bishops:

• “The purpose and effect of the act is unilaterally to amend Canada’s federal constitution by imposing an anti-religious, non-neutral ideology, which goes beyond Québec’s jurisdiction.”
• “When a province makes itself laïc, it is adopting a non-neutral stance on religion. The provinces do not have that power.”
• “Québec is attempting to impose an atheistic posture on religious believers.”
• “Our constitution is founded on a political theory that sees fundamental rights and freedoms as God-given. To adopt an expressly anti-religious viewpoint, as the act purports to do, is an amendment of our existing federal constitution.”
• “In the place of a genuinely neutral, pluralist, and pro-religious approach, the act substitutes an anti-religious constitutional settlement where symbols of religion worn by individuals are not permitted.”
• “Just as religious symbols manifest an underlying personal faith, the prohibition of religious symbols manifests an outlook … that denies the divine.”

This story was first published by The B.C. Catholic and is reprinted here with permission.

At the March 31 chrism Mass celebrated at Miami’s St. Mary Cathedral, Wenski noted that during Holy Week 2026, “we find ourselves surrounded by people who desperately need good news.”

After lamenting the current climate of mass deportations in the U.S., violence in Haiti, and repression in Cuba, the prelate turned his attention to the situation facing Nicaraguan Catholics.

“In Nicaragua — a country that has expelled more than 300 bishops, priests, seminarians, and religious in recent years — the regime has banned priestly ordinations in four dioceses,” he pointed out.

With the expulsion of Father José Concepción Reyes Mairena of the Diocese of León in February, the number of religious forced to leave Nicaragua now stands at 309.

Furthermore, the dictatorship has banned priestly and diaconal ordinations in the four dioceses whose bishops are absent because they were forced into exile: Matagalpa, Estelí, Siuna, and Jinotega. The chrism Mass, during which the oil, or chrism, to be used in the sacraments is blessed, was also not celebrated in those dioceses.

In his homily, Wenski encouraged the faithful to prepare for the “Paschal Triduum, the commemoration of the passion, death, and resurrection of Our Lord,” reminding them that “we cannot look upon the crucified Christ without looking at those being crucified before our very eyes and seeing him in them.”

“It struck me as a very prophetic homily,” said Father Edwing Román, a Nicaraguan priest in exile who now serves as vicar of St. Agatha Parish in Miami, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

“As an exiled Nicaraguan priest, I value and appreciate that a pastor of his stature during such a significant celebration as the chrism Mass in the very midst of Holy Week included our people who are suffering and yearning for their freedom, as well as our persecuted Church,” the priest said.

“Thank you, Archbishop Wenski, for your prophetic defense and for demonstrating once again your closeness to Nicaragua. Your archdiocese has served as a refuge for us and for Bishop Silvio Báez,” he added.

Joining Wenski at the chrism Mass was the auxiliary bishop of Managua, Báez, who went into exile from Nicaragua in 2019 and whose position was confirmed in August 2025 when he was received at the Vatican by Pope Leo XIV. The prelate celebrates Mass and ministers to the community at St. Agatha in Miami.

Román told ACI Prensa that in total four exiled priests participated in the chrism Mass including himself and Father Marcos Somarriba, a parish priest at St. Agatha, along with six other priests who arrived in the United States as children or young adults and a deacon who will soon be ordained a priest, all of Nicaraguan origin.

Dearth of religious freedom in Nicaragua

Also on March 31, Landau denounced the Nicaraguan dictatorship’s stifling of religious freedom in the country.

He noted that “Nicaragua has historically hosted some of the most beautiful and famous processions in the region (for example in Granada and Leon) and I look forward to the day when our Nicaraguan friends reclaim their religious freedom.”

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Martha Patricia Molina, researcher and author of the report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church,” has documented the thousands of processions and public events banned by the country’s dictatorship in recent years, a phenomenon that is even more severe during this Holy Week.

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.

In a March 28 video message, the Mexican bishops said that “Holy Week invites us to contemplate the mystery of God’s love, which is given for us in Jesus Christ.”

“During these days, we remember his passion, his death, and his resurrection; yet this is not merely about recalling an event from the past — it’s about opening our hearts so that Christ may once again transform our lives and the history of our people,” they said.

“The Church in Mexico walks with its people; it walks with those who suffer, with those who seek hope, with those who cry out for peace, and with those who cry out for justice,” the bishops assured.

The Mexican prelates told the faithful that Holy Week “calls us to pause, to examine our lives with sincerity, and to return to God.” They noted that Pope Leo XIV has reminded us that “this spiritual journey begins by learning once again to listen: to listen to God who speaks to us in his word, to listen to the hearts of our brothers and sisters, to listen to the cry of the poor, of the victims, of those who cannot find their loved ones, or of those who live in despair.”

“God continues to walk with us, even amid trials,” they reminded, noting that “in the face of this reality, the cross of Christ is raised up as a sign of love and hope.”

They further encouraged the faithful to renounce speaking “hurtful words” and to sow “words that build communion.”

“In a world where insults, accusations, and polarization easily multiply, we, the disciples of Christ, are called to speak with truth, with respect, and with charity. The cross of Christ does not divide; it reconciles,” they emphasized.

“Holy Week reminds us of a profound truth: Evil does not have the final word. The suffering of the cross does not end in the darkness of the tomb,” they pointed out, for “God always opens a new path of life.”

“That is why Easter is humanity’s great hope. The risen Christ shows us that life is stronger than death, that love is stronger than hatred, and that hope is stronger than fear,” they 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.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes signed the decision on March 20 — 12 days after the priest’s defense attorney, Miguel Vidigal, requested the permanent closure of the investigation.

The priest, from Osasco in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, was named as a suspect by the Federal Police in November 2024, under suspicion of being part of a “legal core” responsible for advising on and drafting decrees intended to serve alleged coup-related interests.

Others under investigation for the attempted coup d’état include the country’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, along with advisers, allies, military personnel, and former ministers of his administration. However, on Feb. 18, the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Republic did not file charges against the priest before the Supreme Federal Court.

“It is to be hoped that the investigation against Father José Eduardo was an isolated incident on the part of the Brazilian state and that the religious freedoms enshrined in the Federal Constitution and in the Brazil-Holy See Agreement (Federal Decree No. 7.107/2010) will be guaranteed by the Judiciary. Had these norms been observed, unfounded and slanderous messages — as well as aggressive outbursts — could have been avoided, whether coming from the media or from private individuals who were quick to unjustly accuse the clergyman of illicit acts,” Vidigal told ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News.

“Father José Eduardo’s defense team consistently alerted the Judiciary and the Federal Police — the agency in charge of the investigation — that the visits the clergyman made in Brasilia were never of a conspiratorial nature but rather strictly fulfilled what is expected of a Catholic priest: spiritual care and guidance — nothing more than that,” Vidigal said. “The Father had his private life exposed, yet he was never charged with any of the irregularities initially imputed to him; even so, the Judiciary had not requested the formal dismissal of the investigation.”

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 date was established in Argentina in December 1998 by President Carlos Saúl Menem. A few days before the observance of this day in 1999, the president encouraged leaders throughout Latin America to join the initiative.

At the time, St. John Paul II sent a letter to the Argentine president, encouraging that “the celebration of the ‘Day of the Unborn Child’ foster a positive choice in favor of life and the development of a culture oriented in this direction — one that ensures the promotion of human dignity in all situations.”

In 1999, the observance was also adopted by law in Guatemala and Costa Rica, while Nicaragua embraced it the following year. Bolivia joined in 2000; the Dominican Republic followed in early 2001; in Peru, it was established by law in 2002; and Paraguay joined in 2003.

The observance is also celebrated on March 25 in El Salvador, Uruguay, Spain, Mexico, Austria, Slovakia, Cuba, and the Philippines. Ecuador joined in 2006, Chile in 2014, and it was enacted by law in Puerto Rico in 2018.

This date typically coincides with the solemnity of the Annunciation, usually celebrated on March 25. On this day, the Catholic Church commemorates the announcement made by Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary as well as her momentous yes to God — an assent that led her to conceive, at that very instant, the Child who saved humanity, becoming his most holy mother.

Catholic bishops in various countries are joining the celebration by organizing events in defense of the lives of unborn children. In addition, in recent years, memorials have been erected in memory of the millions of unborn child victims of abortion.

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.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Francisco Javier Acero, OAR, auxiliary bishop of the Primatial Archdiocese of Mexico and a member of the Latin American council of the Center for the Protection of Minors, emphasized the importance of the Church returning “to the essentials, to Jesus,” to ensure that “as members of the Church, we stand with the weakest and most vulnerable ... the victims.”

“We must create spaces for them so we can listen to them. We cannot engage in prevention if we are not capable of listening with empathy and without prejudice,” he stated.

The prelate said that “when we listen, we are directing all our faculties toward grasping, attending to, and interpreting the verbal messages and other expressions such as body language and tone of voice of that victim who has been scarred for life.” It means finding the meaning behind the sound of their voice “within the deep wound they carry, and putting ourselves in their shoes.”

Resistance to recognizing and confronting abuse

According to Acero, who prior to his episcopal ordination in 2022 served as major superior of the Augustinian Recollects for Mexico and Costa Rica, the resistance within the Church to recognizing and confronting abuse “lies in clericalism as well as in its structures.”

“There is a hidden clericalism among the laity that does great harm preventing our people of God from being holy and faithful,” he said — a phenomenon that also affects “bishops, priests, and those in consecrated life.”

“There is also an exacerbated clericalism caused by formation systems outwardly embellished with a profound spirituality that at their core revert to a nostalgia for the past; a nostalgia that prefers a Church that’s a museum to a Church that embodies the Gospel alongside faces that suffer and weep over injustices,” he noted.

“Pope Francis spoke of a ‘spiritual worldliness’ that manifests itself in self-satisfaction, a desire for applause, and careerism aimed at personal advancement,” he recalled, warning against a “worldly mentality centered on money, pride, and selfishness rather than living in accordance with the cross of Christ.”

Acero pointed out that “the structures of the Church, if they do not lead to processes of personal conversion and healthy relationships with others, become ossified; and we become more like bureaucrats of the altar than servants of charity.”

The challenge of discernment

For Acero, “the pain of a victim is to be believed from the very first moment. It is a wound that is sensed and doesn’t require verification, because the wound itself seeps forth when you listen to the victim.”

“Systematic suspicion persists and takes root when there is a false sense of fatherhood and a flawed understanding of what the Church is,” he continued.

He noted that “in this change of epochs with the new digital culture that has become integrated into our lives, we have access to such a vast amount of information such that we have never been as vulnerable to deception as we are today.”

“We are enamored of the superfluous, and we are increasingly incapable of delving deeper to reach the underlying essence of people and issues. We remain at the level of headlines, rumors, and superficial comments about others which shape our judgments.”

The prelate emphasized that “suspicion and careerism go hand in hand; negative influences along with a type of Church that is scarcely missionary and highly self-referential cause one to fall into a world of complicity and covering up cases.”

Unfortunately, the proclamation of the good news becomes corrupted when allegations arise and we turn a blind eye to them because they are inconvenient, he said.

The key: Staying centered on Jesus

When asked how a bishop can make sure victims are cared for in a warm, loving manner, Acero emphasized that it helps for the victim to feel “supported by God in prayer, by a person who assists him in spiritual direction, and by a group of brothers who look out for and protect him.”

“Valor and courage don’t come from human gifts; the momentum comes from within the Spirit. Only the Spirit restores harmony to the heart, for he is the one who creates that ‘intimacy with God’ of which St. Basil spoke.”

According to the auxiliary bishop, “when we are centered on Jesus,” we go through life “without getting caught up in dynamics that seek to polarize, or to deny the harm we have caused through our misconduct and our inability to empathize with those who suffer all manner of abuse.”

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.

Passed on March 19 by the unicameral state Legislature, the measure was introduced by state legislator Humberto Montero de Alba of the National Action Party in collaboration with the citizen signature-gathering platform Actívate (“Get active”).

The declaration designates March 25 as a day dedicated to promoting “the early initiation of prenatal care” as well as promoting campaigns for improved maternal nutrition and fostering “shared paternal and family responsibility.”

In a statement, the state Legislature said the legislation is not symbolic but rather is “a strategic instrument of preventive public policy, aligned with the constitutional mandate for the progressive protection of human rights and with international best practices in providing health care information."

The state also noted that the declaration represents “an affirmative action for maternal health” and seeks to promote “preventive measures for the benefit of early childhood development” in addition to constituting “an institutional recognition of the dignity of motherhood.”

Defending life ‘will never be a mistake’

During the debate, Rep. Arlette Muñoz of the National Action Party emphasized that “being a mother is not merely a role in life; it is a profound transformation” and underscored that every life “is unique, irreplaceable, and profoundly valuable.”

Muñoz urged that the issue be approached with empathy toward women facing pregnancies under adverse circumstances, noting that “they do not need judgment; rather, they need love.”

Furthermore, she argued that the declaration does not impose a particular viewpoint but rather calls for the development of public policies centered on support: “It’s not about pointing fingers; it is about offering support.”

Rep. Jedsabel Sánchez — also of the National Action Party — said speaking of human rights entails including “those who have no voice” and called for this date to become “not merely a commemoration but a commitment to life, to women, and to our future generations” while insisting that “defending girls and boys will never be a mistake.”

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.

Instead, the American missionary traveled 30 miles outside the city to the dusty, half-forgotten town of Zaña.

The purpose of his visit wasn’t just to get some solitude before his busy ministry began. It was also to keep vigil with a beloved Peruvian saint.

On that day in December 2014, the future pope prayed before a relic of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, the 16th-century archbishop of Lima who is known today as “the Apostle of Peru.” The local parish in Zaña is named for St. Turibius and keeps a large leg fragment of the saint in a small chapel.

As Father David Farfán, a friend of Pope Leo’s and now the pastor of the local parish, told EWTN News, the soon-to-be bishop even asked to borrow pajamas so he could spend the entire night in prayer before the saint.

“He was so happy for that,” Farfán said. “And the following day, he officially took office as bishop in Chiclayo.”

A special connection

Why did Pope Leo have such a strong devotion to the Peruvian saint?

Because, in many ways, he was following in his footsteps.

Like Pope Leo, St. Turibius was sent to Peru as a missionary. Born in 1538 in Spain, Turibius wasn’t even a priest before becoming a Peruvian bishop — he was a lay canon lawyer.

But in 1579, King Philip II nominated the Spaniard to serve as the second archbishop of Lima. It was a vital assignment, given the centrality of Peru to the Spanish empire’s presence in the New World, and Turibius was selected for both his integrity and administrative abilities.

Pope Gregory XIII approved, and in 1580, Turibius was ordained to the priesthood, consecrated to the episcopate, and sent to Peru. He arrived in 1581 and spent the next 26 years leading what was then the largest archdiocese in all of South America.

St. Turibius’ time in Peru was marked by his profound love for the Indigenous people, who had suffered harsh treatment under Spanish rule. He translated the catechism into native languages like Quechua, founded the first seminary in the New World and opened it to local men, and protected the rights of Indigenous Peruvians from Spanish government officials. The saint even made three separate pastoral journeys across his massive archdiocese — a territory that spanned roughly 180,000 square miles — traveling mostly on foot.

Farfán said he sees several similarities between the Peruvian saint and how Pope Leo led as bishop of Chiclayo.

“Both of them were foreigners,” he said. “And the kind of approach you have when you are a foreigner … is not imposing things, but understanding, listening, and having a wide-open way of allowing people to tell what they feel.”

Marian spirituality, a focus on community, and attentiveness to social problems are other traits that Farfán said he believes the two figures have in common. For instance, he highlighted Pope Leo’s concern over the way mining companies impacted the local community in Chiclayo, an issue that is now being taken up in the Vatican.

And even though he is no longer in Peru, Pope Leo’s devotion to St. Turibius is alive and well.

When the Peruvian bishops came to Rome in January for their ad limina visit, Pope Leo told them it was “providential” they were visiting during the 300th anniversary of St. Turibius’ canonization. He held up the Peruvian saint as a model of evangelistic zeal and fidelity to God’s will.

And, quoting from documents from St. Turibius’ canonization in 1726, Pope Leo told the Peruvian bishops that they should be close to their people, so that what was said about the saint could be said of them: that he felt “so much love for everyone, that he held them in his heart as if he were the father of each one.”

The bishops left Pope Leo with a gift: a tondo depicting the saints of Peru, including St. Rose of Lima and the archbishop who confirmed her, St. Turibius.

The story of Zaña

During his nearly 10 years as bishop in Chiclayo, Pope Leo returned often to Zaña, including for a special Turibius-related celebration. Although St. Turibius’ feast day is March 23, he is also celebrated in Peru on April 27, the date that marks the transfer of the saint’s body to Lima.

And Zaña doesn’t just house a relic of the Apostle of Peru — it was also a pivotal place in St. Turibius’ ministry. In fact, although his final resting place is in the capital city’s cathedral, he actually died in Zaña in 1606 — an important reminder of how pivotal the now-provincial town was in the Church’s early missionary activity in Peru.

According to Alfredo Pérez Samamé, a local historian, St. Turibius made Zaña his initial base of operations, drawing 14 different religious orders to the valley, including Dominicans, Jesuits, and Pope Leo’s own Augustinians.

“According to history, the town once had 18,000 inhabitants — a city that was 100% religious,” Pérez said.

At one point, Zaña was even known as the “Seville of Peru.” However, a series of disasters, including pirate attacks, floods, and earthquakes, destroyed much of it, turning the older parts of Zaña into little more than a ghost town.

A papal homecoming?

However, with Pope Leo expected to make a Peruvian homecoming later in 2026, there is hope that he will make another pilgrimage to Zaña.

The regional government has even started designs for a visitor center and event venue at the original tomb of St. Turibius to not only accommodate a papal visit but also provide a hub for pilgrimage activity going forward.

Locals like Pérez are excited about the potential impact of a papal visit.

“God willing, if the pope visits Peru again and comes to our region of Lambayeque, it would bring significant development,” he told EWTN News. “Tourism would greatly increase due to the town’s religious importance, something that is already happening in Zaña.”

And if Pope Leo does return, he’s likely to stop by the small chapel in the local parish to see his old friend, St. Turibius — a local saint whom Peruvians believe continues to inspire their former bishop, now pope in Rome.

“He already is following his steps,” Farfán said. “And I believe and I pray to Toribio [to show] what he needs to do more for our Church. Because still we have a long, long way to continue offering Jesus Christ to the people.”

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

The measure, Bill 18, titled “Protecting Vulnerable Albertans Seeking MAID,” would “increase oversight, introduce necessary safeguards, and provide greater clarity around eligibility requirements for medical assistance in dying,” the legislation states.

The measure would limit assisted suicide in Alberta to patients 18 years old and over, and would prohibit the procedure for those who are suffering solely from a mental illness as well as “individuals without the capacity to make their own health care decisions.”

Also outlawed would be “advance requests,” a controversial policy in which patients agree ahead of time to be euthanized when they are unable to give consent for the procedure.

Under the new proposal, doctors would also be required to make a “reasonable effort” to review a patient’s health history prior to approving assisted suicide.

And doctors would be forbidden from bringing up discussions about MAID with their patients, requiring the patients themselves to initiate the conversation.

The legislation “would help ensure MAID in Alberta is provided compassionately and in line with federal law, while protecting vulnerable persons, including those with a mental illness,” the proposal says.

Suicide numbers have raised alarm

The proposal comes amid heightened concerns over Canada’s assisted suicide program, which was first legalized in 2015 and has become widely popular in subsequent years.

The country’s most recent report on its MAID program found that 16,499 people received assisted suicide there in 2024, a roughly 7% increase from the year before.

The report also said that the number of assisted suicides in the country — which Canada refers to as “MAID provisions” — may be “stabilizing” after years of double-digit growth, including a 36.8% jump from 2019 to 2020.

The vast majority of individuals who received MAID had what the government calls a “reasonably foreseeable death.” Most of those individuals had cancer.

Advocates have raised alarms about the lack of safeguards in Canada’s assisted suicide laws beyond the risk of suicide itself. An advocacy group in 2025 found that the country’s laws have led to disproportionately high rates of premature deaths among vulnerable groups, including those who are suffering from mental illness.

The country for years has debated expanding the program nationally to individuals suffering solely from mental illness, though the government tabled that proposal in 2024 for three years.

Still, local expansions of the law have raised red flags with watchdog groups, including a Quebec measure in 2024 that allowed assisted suicide for individuals who cannot consent at the time of the procedure.

Catholic bishops and advocates in the country have worked for years to both roll back MAID and pass safeguards for existing programs. In February, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops urged support of a national measure to prohibit MAID for those suffering solely from mental illness.

On March 19 the Archdiocese of Edmonton said the newly proposed legislation in Alberta “marks an important moment for reflection” in the province.

“While public discussion continues, the Church remains committed to a vision centered on accompaniment, compassion, and care,” the statement said.

“In every circumstance, Catholics are called to ensure that no one feels abandoned or without hope, affirming that each life is a gift worthy of dignity and love until natural death,” the archdiocese added.

Father Massimo Miraglio, parish priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the remote village of Pourcine Pic Makaya, told Vatican news agency Fides that despite the chaos, a resilient faith community continues to place the Lord at the center of its life and strives for a more dignified future.

The last presidential elections in Haiti were held in 2016 and were deeply controversial, with widespread allegations of fraud and extremely low voter turnout. Businessman Jovenel Moïse was declared the winner and took office in February 2017, serving until his assassination in July 2021.

Since then, Haiti has spiraled into political chaos and violence — particularly in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs operate unchecked and control a large portion of the territory.

The elections scheduled for later this year will determine the new president, fill every seat in the Senate and the lower House, and elect all local and municipal officials.

“The year 2026 is likely to be a turning point for Haiti, with elections planned ... and the inauguration of the new president and Parliament in February 2027. But everything is still very vague and very, very uncertain,” Miraglio said.

In late February, Bishop Pierre-André Dumas, vice president of the Haitian Bishops’ Conference, said that these elections would be neither “transparent” nor “democratic” due to the economic and political problems facing the Caribbean nation.

Miraglio shares this view, noting that the country’s economic situation is “dire,” as inflation and the cost of living are “extremely high.” The country’s supply chain faces severe challenges due to the “complicated” and “arduous” routes involved in transporting goods.

“Everything that does arrive comes at a shocking cost in a country at a standstill, where there are no jobs, and where people struggle daily to scrape together the bare necessities. People live from day to day, and hope is gradually fading, as no significant changes are in sight to halt this terrible decline into which the country has plunged,” he said.

“There is a frightening institutional vacuum that has led to this situation,” he continued, “a truly tragic development in which millions of people are suffering and forced to live in the shadows in total fear because gangs continue to control the capital.”

Nevertheless, the priest highlighted the importance of religious celebrations in uplifting his community and fostering communion: “These are moments when we share what is most important: faith in God, a generous God who loves us and gives us hope and strength to face life’s challenge,” he said.

“The goal is to create a Christian community filled with the Holy Spirit, a community that strives to live the values of the Gospel daily; a community that places the Lord at the center of its life and seeks a dignified life in which everyone has what is necessary for their own well-being,” the missionary said.

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.

“You have made me keenly aware of the sufferings and hopes of the region’s inhabitants, as well as the growing deterioration of their natural environment. To all those suffering from this situation, I wish to express my closeness,” the pope said in the message for the gathering, which is being held in Bogotá from March 17–19 and which marks a new step in the ecclesial journey of the Amazon region.

The gathering brings together pastors, men and women religious, and lay faithful from the Amazonian territories with the aim of laying the foundations to promote synodality within local Churches during the 2026–2030 period, foundations that could serve as an instrument to guide the evangelizing mission in the Amazonian territory.

The pontiff also referenced another key part of the meeting: the election of the presidency of the CEAMA for the 2026–2030 term.

He noted that the new team’s tasks will include continuing to advance the implementation of the Synod for the Amazon and preparing contributions drawn from the Amazonian experience for the ecclesial assembly scheduled to take place in Rome in 2028.

“Know that I accompany you with my prayers in this important step,” assured the pope, who also described the assembly as “a privileged time of listening to the Holy Spirit” to discern the path of Christian communities in the Amazon region.

In this regard, he cited Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonía, recalling that the Church’s mission is to proclaim “a God who loves every human being infinitely, a love he has fully manifested in Christ.”

‘Something new is being born’

The participants in CEAMA’s sixth assembly have chosen as their theme a verse from the prophet Isaiah: “I am about to do something new: It is already springing forth, do you not perceive it?” (Is 43:19).

The pope revisited this image to highlight the process currently underway within the Amazonian Church. “It’s true: Something new is being born; it is still fragile, but it is already in process,” he affirmed.

To illustrate this, he drew upon the image of the “shihuahuaco” — known as the “giant of the jungle” — a tree that grows slowly but can live for over a thousand years and become an ecosystem in itself, serving as a sanctuary for numerous species.

Through this metaphor, the pope explained that the Church must “be a sign of unity in diversity and a safe haven that generates and protects life.”

Furthermore, he noted that the current context demands an “adequate response to the numerous social, environmental, cultural, and ecclesial challenges that persist in the Amazon — a region threatened by situations of abuse and exploitation.” In this context, he made reference to the passion flower, “whose distinctive shape makes a striking allusion to the passion of Christ” and which the participants have chosen as the symbol of the assembly.

“It represents the prophetic role of the Church and of all its members — each according to their own mission: to proclaim the ‘kerygma’ [Gospel message] and new life in Christ, to accompany those who suffer, and to safeguard creation and respect for life in all its forms, especially human life,” he stated.

A Church with an Amazonian face

Another objective of the ecclesial conference, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, is to advance toward the construction of a Church with an “Amazonian face,” one of the great aspirations that emerged during the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region.

According to the Holy Father, this process is achieved through the inculturation of the faith, which allows the Church to be enriched by new cultural expressions and to manifest the mystery of Christ with greater fullness.

However, he warned that it is a demanding path. “Inculturation is a difficult, yet necessary, path,” he affirmed, encouraging the participants to “courageously embrace the newness of the Spirit, capable of always creating something new with the inexhaustible treasure of Jesus Christ.”

At the conclusion of his message, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the Amazonian communities to continue strengthening the identity of missionary disciples in the region, recalling the witness of so many men and women who gave their lives for the Gospel in those territories.

“I encourage you to press forward together — pastors and faithful alike — in strengthening the identity of missionary disciples in the Amazon. Continue sowing in the furrow that has been watered even with the blood of so many men and women who have preceded you, and who, united to the passion of Christ, have become the root of a ‘giant tree’ growing in the Amazon,” the pontiff said.

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.

Mindful of this reality, Pope Leo XIV recently advised the priests of Rome to use “their brains more” rather than AI when preparing homilies, a practice that appears to be beginning to spread among some members of the clergy.

What do priests think about this trend? To delve deeper into this dynamic, ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, consulted several of them on the matter. Drawing from their different vocations and apostolates, they all shared the same conclusion: AI can be a useful tool, but it “can never replace grace.”

Conveying the word just as Christ himself did

Father Alfonso Peña, who serves at the Cathedral of Seville in southern Spain, said that AI can serve as a tool for coming up with ideas and even as a source of inspiration. However, he pointed out that it cannot replace “the priest’s pastoral discernment or spiritual experience.”

In Peña’s view, “the homily must flow from the heart of the pastor and from his relationship with God and with his people”; therefore, preaching cannot be reduced to a well-written text, “since it is born of the Word and of a concrete knowledge of the community one serves.”

“Christian preaching,” he said, “remains a living encounter with the Gospel and with people. Technology can assist, but the authenticity of faith and ministry cannot be delegated to a machine.”

Along these same lines, Spanish priest Fernando Gallego, one of the founders of the “Jóvenes Católicos” (Young Catholics) platform, emphasized that the primary mission of priests is to transmit the word of God “just as Christ himself transmitted it.”

He further pointed out that it is indispensable for words to be accompanied by deeds. “AI will always be inferior to the preaching of a priest who is consistent and authentic, one who preaches based on his own experience.” For the diocesan priest, the key — and that which “truly moves the heart” — is the “authenticity of consistency.”

God’s people ‘need more than algorithms’

On the occasion of the solemnity of St. Joseph, Alberto Figueroa, the bishop of the Diocese of Arecibo in Puerto Rico, was asked to deliver the homily just minutes before the start of the Mass, which was celebrated during a regional gathering of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM, by its Spanish acronym) in Santo Domingo.

“Upon seeing my consternation, a priest approached me and said: ‘If you like, I can ask the AI ​​to prepare a homily on St. Joseph for you.’ I thought it was a joke, for until then, I hadn’t known that such a thing was possible. I absolutely refused. I will never accept a machine writing my homilies!” he told ACI Prensa.

Due to the limited time he had available, he used the tool to review Patris Corde — Pope Francis’ apostolic letter on St. Joseph. “And with the help of the Holy Spirit, I was able to rise to the challenge of preaching that day quite acceptably.”

After sharing this personal anecdote, the prelate said that “it’s one thing to seek a reference, a text, or up-to-date information, and quite another to rely on it to do what can only be done respectably through personal effort and prayer, he said. God’s people “need more than algorithms,” he emphasized.

The machine has neither a soul nor the capacity to love

Father Ignacio Amorós, known for his commitment to digital evangelization, highlighted the “wisdom” with which Pope Leo XIV has issued guidance regarding these new challenges, which he considers to be “a vital warning” in the world of preaching.

In his view, the utility of AI as a tool is undeniable, as it enables rapid analysis, finding specific biblical texts, or the synthesis of ideas in seconds, thereby “saving the time otherwise spent physically searching through books.”

However, he emphasized that the time spent searching is also a space for God and that “there is something sacred in the very human ‘process’ of searching, reading, and reflecting.” For the priest, this effort and preparation time is “what creates space for God, allowing his ideas to be imprinted upon our own hearts. God and love are always creative and original.”

“We must leave room for him in prayer to speak to us about what we must preach, always maintaining unwavering fidelity to sacred Scripture, tradition, and the magisterium. If we outsource the entire search process to an algorithm, we miss out on that intimate, prior conversation with the Lord,” he noted.

The priest also pointed out that AI can also “overload us with information to the point of paralysis,” running the risk of falling “into a superficial intellectualism,” one that constructs discourses that are “theologically perfect, but there’s no heart in it.”

Amorós likened this situation to “the danger we sometimes face in our own spiritual lives, when we turn prayer into an intellectual discourse rather than an exchange of affection with God. The machine processes data and simulates empathy, but it has no soul, no conscience, nor the capacity to love.”

The ‘God-incidences’ of the Holy Spirit

He also emphasized that, nowadays, “people are thirsting for authenticity; they listen to and welcome whatever has truly been sifted through the heart of the priest.” For this reason, he pointed out that it is absolutely necessary to pass everything through prayer.

“Ultimately, you convey what you have inside. If the homily has not been prayed, it cannot truly penetrate the hearts of the faithful,” he said.

Amorós stated with conviction that AI “will never be able to replace the grace and the irreplaceable action of the Holy Spirit, who touches hearts.” This is something, he assured, that he has witnessed countless times in his personal experience and in his evangelization efforts on social media.

“At times, God has placed on my heart to share a specific detail, one that from a human perspective, I believed to be unimportant — only for it to turn out to be exactly what people needed to hear and the message went viral,” he said. “Or I have preached on a specific inspiration during Mass and, upon finishing, realized that there was a particular person in the pews who desperately needed to hear precisely that. These ‘God-incidences,’ this profound spiritual connection, are the exclusive work of the Holy Spirit, and no technology will ever be able to replicate them.”

For Father Francisco Javier “Patxi” Bronchalo, a priest of the Diocese of Getafe in Spain, AI can never replace a homily or a personal testimony, since priests deliver these “from experience and from what we carry in our hearts at any given moment and that is irreplaceable.”

“We should not ask ChatGPT to do that, because it impoverishes the word we offer to the faithful,” he pointed out.

Father Mario Fernández Torres, a diocesan priest from Madrid, invited priests to employ “supernatural intelligence,” which he said is the Holy Spirit, in order “to breathe pastoral life into the text after having taken it to prayer and imbued it with a more personal and spiritual dimension.”

Father Antonio Torres, a Spanish Trinitarian priest, contributed a similar idea, encouraging the use of the advantages offered by artificial intelligence, albeit “within its proper bounds.”

“The homily is an act of the spirit; therefore, it must be meditated upon and prayed over, taking into account the circumstances surrounding us and the situation of the community,” he said.

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.

In his most recent column, “I’ve Been Thinking,” the priest noted that Cubans “are fed up with so much deception,” deception that has accumulated over the 67 years of the communist revolution, led initially by Fidel Castro, then by his brother Raúl, and currently by Miguel Díaz-Canel.

“We were told that this revolution would be as green as the palm trees, even while the shackles of Marxist ideology were already being readied and we had already been sold out to Soviet imperialism,” he stated.

Reyes noted that despite the efforts of state-run media to uphold the regime’s narrative, reality demonstrates that the average Cuban goes hungry, suffers, and dies due to a lack of medications, and that schools fail to provide a quality education.

Added to this are repression, police harassment, and the intimidation of anyone who dissents. “Don’t tell me that human rights are respected in Cuba, or that there are no political prisoners... because it’s a lie,” he declared.

The priest stated that it can’t be claimed “that [the 1962 U.S. sanctions] are to blame for everything, because not only is that a lie, but it’s an insult to our intelligence.”

“And don’t tell me that this government cares about the people; don’t tell me that they just need us to give them more time; don’t keep urging me to practice ‘creative resistance’; don’t keep repeating that ‘this time, we really are going to build socialism’; don’t ask me to place my trust in them and hand over another 70 years of this people’s lives; don’t swear to me that the situation will be resolved shortly because it’s a lie,” he declared.

Reyes said that “the only thing that can save this people — in addition to faith in Jesus Christ — is for those who govern us today to finally depart and for there to be a total, absolute, and radical change of the political system to one that defends freedom and democracy in a real way, a system that chooses to speak the truth, even if it’s the hard truth.”

Talks between U.S. and Cuba

On March 13, Cuban President Díaz-Canel confirmed that regime officials “have recently held talks with representatives of the United States government” aimed at “seeking solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences that exist between the two nations.”

Díaz-Canel made this announcement against the backdrop of new protests on the island, such as the one that took place in Morón, a city in Ciego de Ávila province, where a group of demonstrators attacked and set fire to the headquarters of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC, by its Spanish acronym) in the early hours of March 14.

The media outlet Diario de Cuba reported that protests have spread to several cities, including Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Holguín. The regime’s response has been to militarize the streets and protect the headquarters of the PCC.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on March 15 that “Cuba also wants to make a deal, and I think we will pretty soon either make a deal or do whatever we have to do.”

“We’re talking to Cuba, but we’re going to do Iran before Cuba,” the president added, according to a report by USA Today.

The director of the Convivencia (Living Together) Center for Studies, Dagoberto Valdés, warned that what occurred in Morón is a warning sign of the people’s desperation.

“The regime must listen, pay attention, and respond effectively to these ‘signals,’ which serve as a warning call regarding just how far this state of collapse could go,” he said.

The Cuban academic said none of the people want violence but that “the only way to avoid violence and chaos is by opening the doors to the change Cuba needs, in a climate of serenity and peace — yet with the urgency that this critical moment demands.”

In this regard, he noted that as St. John Paul II stated during his 1998 visit, Cubans are called to be “the protagonists of our own personal and national history.”

“It is better to do this among ourselves, all Cubans, both on the Island and in the diaspora,” he said.

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 priests — Father Alfonso Avilés Pérez, a member of the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest and parish priest of St. Albert the Great Parish in the Diocese of Daule, and Father Pedro Anzoátegui, who served in the Diocese of San Jacinto — did not hesitate to rush to the rescue of the youths, who were participating in a Lenten retreat for altar servers being held in the coastal town of Playas, where the minors had gone out into the water.

Martha de Murillo, who served as Avilés’ secretary for over 20 years, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that during the Mass celebrated March 14 at 11 a.m. at St. Albert the Great, the superior of the late priest’s community — Father Lope Pascual — recounted the events.

“In his homily, Lope explained how it all unfolded: Two altar servers were in danger of drowning, and the priests went to rescue them; the altar servers made it out — thank God — but, tragically, the priests did not,” she explained.

All the young people who participated in the retreat are physically well, out of danger, and have been taken home, according to the Ecuadorian newspaper El Mercurio.

During the Mass he celebrated on March 14, Cardinal Luis Cabrera, archbishop of Guayaquil, entrusted the priests to God and, visibly moved, asked the congregation to pray for “our brothers Alfonso and Pedro whom the Lord, in these circumstances, today fills with his grace and blessing.”

A statement from St. Albert the Great Parish said that Avilés “departed for the Father’s House, generously giving himself for those entrusted to his care.”

Avilés was born in 1966 in Murcia, Spain. After studying philosophy and theology, he was ordained a priest in 1990. “With more than 30 years of priesthood and nine years of service in our parish, he leaves behind a legacy of faith, closeness, and love for the community,” the parish highlighted.

Prior to his arrival at the St. Albert the Great Parish, he also served as parish priest at St. Therese of the Child Jesus in Entre Ríos in the Guayaquil metro area, where he served the community and strengthened the life of faith of many families, noted a press release from the former parish.

He promoted initiatives for family catechesis, Eucharistic adoration, and altar server formation — fundamental pillars of his evangelizing mission. In 2021, he received an award from the town of Samborondón for his spiritual and community contributions.

A phrase he constantly repeated was: “Charge! For the goal is heaven!”

A large number of the faithful congregated at St. Albert the Great Parish — including the first lady and wife of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Lavinia Valbonesi, along with the president’s mother, Annabella Azín. They spent a few minutes in prayer at the church, where the funeral Mass was celebrated March 14, before proceeding to the burial at the Panteón Metropolitano.

“The holiest priest I have ever known has passed away: Alfonso Avilés. His homilies were spectacular. He was my friend. We met only a few times, but the spiritual bond that united us was very strong,” Carlos Polo, director of the Ibero-America Office of the pro-life Population Research Institute, told ACI Prensa.

“Even as years went by, every time I saw him he would tell me that he was still praying for my son, just as I had asked him the first time we spoke. He died living his law — the law of love,” added Polo, recalling the passage from the Gospel of John (15:13): “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

A young professional who served at the altar for Avilés told ACI Prensa that the priest loved the sea. “He raised us with temperance; he instilled in us the aspiration to be gentlemen, heroes, warriors — upright individuals and good sons of God. He always said that the very best among us should be at God’s service, and that we could not be wimps. His flame was always burning — at any hour, in any conversation, no matter how brief. I am so deeply saddened,” he shared.

Anzoátegui was born in 1982. He was ordained on Nov. 20, 2010, at the Guayaquil cathedral. He served at Holy Cross Parish in the town of Durán in the Diocese of San Jacinto. He also served in Guayaquil.

‘Jesus, I trust in you’

“Dear brothers, I trust you will understand that I will not speak many words, for we are all reeling from this shock — this blow — and it is difficult to say something at such a moment. But when our human words fall short, we must heed God,” Bishop Cristóbal Kudławiec of Daule said during the Mass he celebrated at St. Albert the Great Parish for the eternal repose of Avilés.

“And for these occasions — so difficult, so hard — the Lord sends us some important words; not to console us — for at times it is very difficult to find consolation after such a powerful shock — but rather to help us understand, in some small measure, what he wishes to show us through these events, illuminated by his word,” he continued.

Addressing the questions the faithful might ask themselves regarding the late priest’s projects or the reasons behind his death, the prelate reminded them that God “makes no mistakes, and his will is holy. And we, as mere human beings, must always affirm this — even in those moments when our very souls are shattered.”

The bishop emphasized that “without love for God and neighbor, life has no meaning.”

“In the face of this news — so sorrowful, so shocking — we can only say: ‘I believe in you, Lord Jesus. I trust in you, Jesus. And I trust that what you offer me as a teaching — even through certain shocking events — is for my good,’” he reflected.

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.

“In the spirit of goodwill, and of the close and smooth relations between the Cuban state and the Vatican — with which communication regarding processes for the review and release of persons deprived of liberty has historically been maintained — the government of Cuba has decided to release, in the coming days, 51 individuals sentenced to deprivation of liberty [prison],” the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported in a March 12 statement.

The director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, on March 13 that “conversations regarding the release of prisoners have recently taken place.”

The statement from the Cuban ministry notes that all these individuals “have served a significant portion of their sentences and have maintained good conduct in prison”; however, it does not indicate whether the group includes political prisoners.

The communist regime states that since 2010, it “has granted pardons to 9,905 inmates, while — over the last three years, as part of Cuban practice and pursuant to the provisions of our legislation — another 10,000 individuals sentenced to deprivation of liberty were released based on certain conditions.”

This announcement comes amid renewed tensions between Cuba and the United States, which began in January, and the recent meetings that representatives from both countries have held with Vatican officials.

On Feb. 20, the U.S. chief of mission in Cuba, Mike Hammer, held a meeting at the Vatican with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s secretary for relations with states.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin stated on March 9 that the Holy See has taken “the necessary steps” regarding the situation in Cuba, “always with a view to a solution to the existing problems through dialogue.”

In January 2025, the Cuban regime also announced the release of 553 prisoners following mediation by Pope Francis and “in the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025.”

Victoria Cardiel, EWTN News correspondent in Rome, contributed to this report.

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 measure exacerbates a pastoral crisis already marked by years of religious persecution, although vocations continue.

The four dioceses without a bishop present in the country are Jinotega, Siuna, Matagalpa, and Estelí. Bishop Carlos Herrera of Jinotega, president of the bishops’ conference, was expelled in November 2024 after criticizing a mayor aligned with the regime who had interfered with a Mass Herrera was celebrating by blasting loud music outside.

Months earlier, in July of that year, Herrera had ordained a priest and seven deacons in the neighboring Diocese of Matagalpa, whose bishop, Rolando Álvarez, after spending 18 months in detention, was deported to Rome by the regime in January 2024.

This ordination represented a “liturgical oasis” for the Church, in the words of Martha Patricia Molina, author of the report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church.” “It occurred six months after Álvarez, who is also apostolic administrator of Estelí, and Bishop Isidoro Mora of Siuna were deported by the dictatorship.”

The dictatorship’s ‘hatred’ of Álvarez prevents ordinations

ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, spoke with three Nicaraguan priests in exile who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals from the regime.

“The government is the one affecting the ordinations. And besides the ordinations, there are many other things, like a little more surveillance” of the priests, said one of the clergy.

He pointed out that “the police are the ones enforcing all of this” and attributed the ban in Matagalpa to “the dictatorship’s hatred of Bishop Rolando.”

The same priest charged that the regime seeks to “supplant the bishops” and that some clergy “don’t put up a fight to avoid making their lives more difficult, with the idea of ​​saving their dioceses, but in the end they are surrendering their mandate to whatever the government says.”

The priest noted that Matagalpa is probably the most affected diocese, with at least 32 of its priests outside the country.

‘More extreme surveillance’ where there is no bishop

“Especially in dioceses without a bishop, surveillance is even more extreme to prevent a bishop from another diocese from coming” for some liturgical event, the second priest contacted by ACI Prensa stated.

According to this priest, there are currently about seven candidates for the priesthood in Siuna who completed their studies in 2025, plus another group that finished in 2024, and both groups are still waiting to be ordained. Despite this situation, the phenomenon “does not seem to have affected new admissions” to the seminary.

Why can some dioceses perform ordinations while others cannot?

The third priest explained that “León, Granada, Juigalpa, and Bluefields are dioceses that have their diocesan bishop there and maintain a very prudent approach, even though some media outlets have labeled one of [the bishops] as an ally of the regime. That’s not true; they are simply more practical for the good of their pastors and their flock.”

He also explained that to carry out an ordination, a letter of authorization from the bishop is required, which “can be easily obtained because it can be sent by email, and they can allow candidates to be ordained in other dioceses.”

However, the obstacle is political. “The problem is that the government interprets that permission, those letters, as an intrusion into their sovereignty and sees as a threat a bishop who is away but continues to govern his diocese,” he explained.

Problems caused by the lack of ordinations

For Molina, the ban on ordinations has an “alarming” impact since, for example, “Matagalpa is currently operating with barely 30% of its active clergy. Seven out of 10 priests have been forced into exile or banishment,” while “Estelí and Jinotega have experienced reductions of up to 50% in their pastoral capacity, leaving entire communities without the regular celebration of the Eucharist.”

“The human drama is concentrated in the seminaries. Dozens of young men who have successfully completed their studies in philosophy, theology, and pastoral training find themselves in a legal and spiritual limbo. They possess the aptitude and the calling, but they cannot receive the sacrament [of holy orders],” the researcher told ACI Prensa.

“Without replacements for the priests who have been banished, expelled, or who have died, the Catholic Church in Nicaragua faces the real possibility of a gradual closure of parishes,” she warned, adding that “the absence of a priest means” for the faithful “the end of social support and the loss of [the graces of] the sacraments.”

ACI Prensa contacted the five dioceses where priestly and diaconal ordinations are permitted to inquire why they are allowed there but not in the other four but has not yet received a response.

The dioceses where ordinations are permitted are the Archdiocese of Managua along with the dioceses of León, Juigalpa, Granada, and Bluefields. In December 2025, three deacons were ordained in Juigalpa, and in January of this year, two were ordained in Bluefields.

In June 2025, eight deacons were ordained in Managua, and in November they were ordained priests. Six of them were assigned their pastoral missions in February, while in León a deacon was ordained on Feb. 28.

ACI Prensa also contacted the dioceses where ordinations are prohibited to inquire about the issue but has not yet received a response.

Vocations continue to flourish

One point on which the three exiled priests agree is that vocations continue to flourish in Nicaragua and “the Lord continues to raise up courageous young men who listen to him and enter into the process of vocational discernment.”

The third priest contacted by ACI Prensa emphasized that “even though the government wants to prevent priestly ordinations, there have been ways in which the Church, the bishops, have managed and sought to make them happen without the government noticing. This demonstrates the Church’s resourcefulness in the face of adversity, how it reinvents itself, how it continues to evangelize.”

Mosaico CSI reported in February that “two Nicaraguans were ordained priests in the Diocese of Limón, Costa Rica, in a secretly held ceremony” to avoid reprisals from the Nicaraguan regime.

The third priest emphasized that “obstacles are not a problem for the Church, but rather a cross that the Church bravely embraces, as Our Lord taught us, and that propels it on this path to resurrection.”

The Church is ‘crucified but not immobilized’

This last priest offered a reflection on the dictatorship’s persecution of the Catholic Church, which has intensified since the anti-regime protests of 2018.

“One day, those people who ordered us not to celebrate these ordination rites will also find that glorious cross in the Church and will realize the harm they are doing, but in the meantime, the Church has continued working,” he emphasized.

“The Church in Nicaragua is crucified, but it’s not immobilized; that is to say, the cross continues to bear even more fruit because the Church is not complacent, it’s not static. It’s on the move,” he said.

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.

Recalling his youth, the prelate noted that intelligence was measured according to mathematical and verbal abilities. Later, at the university, he became aware of the existence of emotional intelligence, “through which one can perceive, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and those of others,” he recalled.

However, citing psychologist Howard Gardner, he referred to “multiple intelligences,” different forms that include: linguistic-verbal, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, musical-auditory, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, emotional, existential, creative, and collaborative.

“Naturally, this list does not include artificial intelligence, which is not a human capacity but a computer tool that is beginning to dominate information searches,” the prelate clarified.

However, Flock emphasized a type of intelligence that he considers “the most important”: spiritual intelligence.

“At first glance, it sounds like existential intelligence, No. 10, which is defined as ‘meditation on existence, including the meaning of life and death,’ but this would be a superficial understanding, ironically lacking in intelligence, because spiritual intelligence is being attuned to God,” he explained.

“Spiritual intelligence allows us to move from a mere understanding of things to true wisdom. It is the only one that can unite and harmonize all the others and ensure that they are used wisely,” he added.

“All the phrases in the Lord’s Prayer emanate from the spiritual intelligence of Jesus Christ, as do his parables and other teachings, his miracles, and his final sacrifice.”

Jesus, the prelate noted, “embodied all forms of intelligence, except for artificial intelligence, which he did not need.”

“The risen Jesus opened the intellect of his disciples so they could ‘understand the Scriptures’; that is, he gave them the gift of spiritual understanding so that they could not only understand the Bible but also converse with God at all times,” he emphasized.

“This is not the opiate of the masses, as someone lacking spiritual understanding has said. It is life in abundance. This is what Lent is for!” he 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.

In a statement, the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutiérrez stated that the priest’s body was found near Laguna Verde, an ecotourism center located about 12 miles from his parish.

The priest served as vicar at St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in the town of Ocotepec. According to local reports, the priest had left to celebrate Mass in another community; however, after the Mass his whereabouts became unknown.

According to the Ocotepec city council, the municipal public security directorate activated a search operation after receiving the report of his disappearance around 9 p.m. local time on Sunday.

The search efforts were carried out in coordination with neighboring townships; however, “during the first hours of the search, the results were negative, until the tragic discovery made near the ecotourism center today,” the city council stated.

The Chiapas state attorney general’s office reported that it has opened an investigation to determine what happened in coordination with local authorities.

In its statement, the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutiérrez expressed confidence that the pertinent authorities will carry out “the necessary procedures to clarify what happened.”

The archdiocese also expressed its “closeness, solidarity, and condolences” to Zavala’s family as well as to his parish community and all the faithful “who are today dismayed by this painful loss.”

No signs of violence were found

On the evening of March 9, the Chiapas state attorney general’s office released updates on the investigation into Zavala’s death.

According to the attorney general’s office, after celebrating Mass, the priest contacted a colleague around 11 p.m. local time, telling him that he was lost, his vehicle was stuck on a road, and he didn’t know where he was.

The attorney general’s office also indicated that there is a video showing him “wandering alone on one of the streets, near where he was found.”

According to the autopsy report, no injuries or blows were found. The cause of death was “asphyxiation by submersion in water”; that is, drowning.

In a subsequent statement, the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutiérrez also reported that Zavala “had a medical history of bivascular coronary artery disease, information that is part of his medical record.”

Both the attorney general’s office and the archdiocese indicated that the investigations are ongoing and that more evidence and expert reports will be gathered to accurately determine the facts.

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.

This story was updated at 3:57 p.m. on March 11, 2026, with the information from the attorney general’s office.

President Donald Trump asserted that “Cuba’s going to fall” after being asked by Politico on March 5 about the U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran, which began last weekend, killing the Iranian supreme leader and his top military leaders and triggering an escalation of violence throughout the Middle East.

“We cut off all oil, all money, or we cut off everything coming in from Venezuela, which was the sole source. And they want to make a deal,” Trump said.

These measures have resulted in “acute shortages of fuel and essential supplies causing widespread power cuts, disruptions to hospitals and water systems, and serious threats to food security and basic public services,” the Caribbean bishops said.

On March 4, a blackout left two-thirds of Cuba without electricity. Authorities of the Castro regime, which has ruled the country for 67 years, reported that the “fundamental cause” of the blackout was “the weakness of the electrical system due to the unavailability of fuel” to power backup generators.

These power outages have become increasingly frequent in recent weeks, severely impacting the daily lives of Cubans. The AEC noted that these conditions could “deepen the anguish and suffering among ordinary citizens who have already endured much.”

“While Cuba stands in need of renewal and positive changes, it does not need more pain. Nor should our brothers and sisters on the island feel isolated from us in their suffering, especially when we have been recipients of their own generosity in the past,” the Caribbean bishops said.

“The Church cannot remain silent when dignity is threatened and access to food, health care, and basic necessities becomes increasingly uncertain,” they added. For the AEC, the priority is “families, the elderly, children, and the most vulnerable,” who are the ones “who bear the heaviest burden of circumstances beyond their control.”

The bishops reaffirmed “the fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence” in responding to human needs, especially those of the most vulnerable, to whom aid must reach “without political manipulations or delays.”

“The care we offer to those who are hurting reflects the works of mercy by which we will be judged,” they stated, also expressing their closeness to all the Cuban people and the local Church.

“Disagreements among nations must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, rather than by coercion or conflict. Humanitarian considerations must never be overshadowed by political or strategic interests,” they stated.

The Caribbean bishops invited all the faithful of the region to join in prayer for the relief of Cuban suffering, for wisdom for political leaders, and for finding “paths to peace, justice, and reconciliation.”

“May solidarity replace indifference and may charity overcome division,” they urged.

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.

Oswaldo Payá was killed in a car crash in 2012 that had all the markings of a state security-staged accident.

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The document, signed in the Father Varela Hall of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre (the patroness of Cuba) in Miami, bears the signatures of the Cuban Resistance Assembly and Steps for Change coalitions, led respectively by Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat and Rosa María Payá, along with various opposition organizations inside and outside Cuba.

The text states that it was signed “with faith in God, inspired by the founding ideals and values ​​of the Cuban nation and the Accord for Democracy,” a document published on Feb. 20, 1998, that also establishes 10 points for a peaceful transition to democracy.

The Accord for Liberation outlines four phases for the transition: liberation, stabilization, reconstruction, and democratization of the country as well as the “dismantling of the criminal enterprise that is the Communist Party of Cuba, as well as the dismantling of all its repressive mechanisms and organizations.”

It also prioritizes the release of political prisoners and emphasizes the need to end “the humanitarian catastrophe and immediately address basic needs, beginning a limited transition period leading to free elections, during which the country will be administered by a provisional government.”

“Once the provisional government’s term has ended, general elections will be held: the first free, fair, and multiparty elections of Cuba’s new republican era,” the text emphasizes, encouraging all Cubans to join in this effort.

Payá: ‘The only way out of the crisis is the end of dictatorship’

During the presentation of the Accord for Liberation in Miami, Payá said: “Today we are promoting the democratic alternative to the barbarity that governs our country. Today we know that the only way out of the crisis is the end of the dictatorship.”

“And it’s urgent because the human suffering of our family, the human suffering of our people on the island right now is brutal. The blackouts last for days, there’s no medicine in the hospitals, there is no food in the stores,” she stated.

Payá pointed out that from 2021 to 2024, Cuba’s population decreased by 1.6 million, including Cubans who have died due to the crisis caused by the Cuban regime.

“Cubans are demanding freedom, and protests continue daily on the island. The network of opposition organizations across the island is growing, despite operating under extreme conditions,” she said.

According to the Global Affairs section of the University of Navarra, more than 1 million people have left Cuba since 2021 due to the economic crisis and the intensified repression of citizen protests that year; and according to Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information, some 480,000 people died on the island from 2021 to 2024.

The role of the United States

A few days ago, U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration was in talks with Cuba. “Maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba,” the president told reporters.

“Cuba is, to put it mildly, a failed nation. Right now, it really is a country with serious problems, and they want our help,” he added. Trump made these statements after he had ordered a blockade of oil shipments to the island on Jan. 29, which has triggered a severe fuel shortage.

Meanwhile, the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, Mike Hammer, stated in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News, in late February that Cuba is at a pivotal moment and that the country will soon achieve “the freedom it hasn’t had in 67 years.”

Hammer said that “there are exchanges with people within the Cuban regime at a high level” as well as “conversations to see what can be done to take the country in a new direction” that would allow for a transition to democracy.

A ‘transition ‘without violence’ and without suffering

When asked about the Accord for Liberation, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, on March 4 that he “finds it good, especially because its tone looks more to the future than to the past. As I said to some media outlets there at the shrine, the words of José Martí should guide us: The homeland is agony and duty. We all know the agony of the homeland; let us all fulfill our duty.”

Martí (1853–1895) was a renowned Cuban poet, essayist, and patriot who advocated, fought, and died for Cuba’s independence from Spain.

Regarding the Archdiocese of Miami’s support for the agreement, the prelate emphasized that “the Church here, as there in Cuba, wants to accompany the Cuban people toward a future of hope. Thus, we must be a sign of charity and solace.”

“We want, in any transition,” he emphasized, “a soft landing: without violence, without more pain and suffering.”

This story was updated on March 6, 2026, with the comments from Archbishop Wenski.

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 letters concerning Jessica Johanna and Rubén Oseguera, adult children of drug trafficker Nemesio Rubén Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” were written at the request of the judge and the detainees’ family as part of the priest’s work providing spiritual ministry to people in prison.

The elder Oseguera was the founder and leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation drug cartel who was killed in a shoot-out with the Mexican military on Feb. 22.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the priest defended his actions, stating that “the Church cannot turn its back on those who seek reconciliation with God, even if they are public figures.”

“Imagine if the Church slams the door on them, and I think the issue here is, if it had been any anonymous prisoner in Puente Grande [penitentiary], there wouldn’t have been a problem. The problem is that the Church tried to fulfill its mission with these individuals,” the priest stated.

Both letters, revealed last week by journalist Laura Sánchez Ley, were addressed to Judge Beryl A. Howell in Washington, D.C. The first, sent in March 2021, describes Jessica Johanna Oseguera as “a very kind person, an excellent mother, a very philanthropic woman.”

Aguayo explained that he met the cartel leader’s daughter because she actively participated in parish activities, years before she pleaded guilty in U.S. court to drug trafficking charges.

“When I wrote about this man’s daughter, the judge was the one who asked for my personal opinion of her, how although she had already pleaded guilty to certain crimes, had taken responsibility, what was my personal assessment [of her],” the priest told ACI Prensa.

He sent the second letter to the same judge in January 2025, this time speaking favorably of Rubén Oseguera, known as “El Menchito” (Little Mencho), who was extradited to the U.S. in 2020 and sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking two months after the priest’s letter.

In that letter, Aguayo said that he was Rubén Oseguera’s “spiritual director” and that “he comes from a very devout Catholic family, has reflected a great deal on his future, and has read the holy Scriptures,” adding that “despite any mistakes he may have made, he is a man who has been touched by God’s mercy.”

The priest clarified that he did not know “El Menchito” personally but rather maintained correspondence through letters and phone conversations with family members during Oseguera’s imprisonment.

“His wife asked me to accompany them spiritually through letters … what did we talk about? Biblical themes, faith, personal growth, change — nothing out of the ordinary that could be discussed with a priest,” he recounted.

“Having gotten to know this young man through the letters ... all I can say is that human beings make mistakes, they can change. I’m not saying he shouldn’t be punished by human justice, because we will also be punished by divine justice for our sins, but there is an opportunity to remake ourselves. In the Church, we believe in remaking ourselves; in conversion, and that is the great calling we have as priests: the sacrament of reconciliation,” he added.

Though visibly concerned about the public judgment of his actions, the priest said he has nothing to hide. He maintained that he has conducted his ministry in accordance with the precepts of the Church and that, to date, no authority in Mexico or the U.S. has contacted him regarding this matter.

The Archdiocese of Guadalajara on Feb. 28 issued a statement on the case, describing a lack of “prudence and good judgment on the part of this priest in addressing this matter ... given the nature of this relationship.”

The archbishop said at a March 1 press conference that “the issue is much more complex and much broader than the issue of the imprudence or inexperience of a priest who wanted to act in good faith, but, as we say in slang, messed up.”

Robles added that Aguayo continues to fulfill his pastoral duties as a parish priest and that the Church is committed to providing spiritual support to everyone, including criminals and their families.

“For example, if a family member of someone who was killed or cut down [in a confrontation with law enforcement] and whose involvement in criminal activity has been proven, requests, for instance, a Mass, they cannot be refused. If they request to take the body to the church, they cannot be refused,” the cardinal stated.

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.

On Feb. 26, Carter visited the basilica, the site that houses the original tilma of St. Juan Diego, upon which the Virgin of Guadalupe’s image is imprinted.

Carter’s visit last week follows the operation carried out on Feb. 22 in the state of Jalisco, which resulted in the capture and subsequent death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

At a press conference on Feb. 23, Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s secretary of security and citizen protection, indicated that the capture of the drug kingpin was also made possible thanks to information provided by U.S. authorities.

Faith, a ‘cornerstone’ against addiction

The released photographs show Carter at various points within the Marian shrine, accompanied by Father Martín Muñoz López, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Mexico City and canon of the basilica.

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The post was accompanied by a message in which the official stated that “faith remains a cornerstone in the fight against drug addiction — guiding prevention, healing, and recovery for communities everywhere.”

In another image, in which she appears at the feet of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Carter affirmed that faith “is not only the cornerstone of my life, but our National Drug Control strategy.”

“I pray for the people of the United States and Mexico who are under the protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe. With God’s blessings and his providence, we will overcome the plague of cartels and the poisons they inflict on us and our children,” Carter said.

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Bilateral security meetings

The day before, on Feb. 25, Carter met with Mexico’s security cabinet, along with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson.

Those participating in the meeting included Secretary of National Defense General Ricardo Trevilla; Secretary of the Navy Admiral Raymundo Morales; Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch; Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez; and Attorney General of the Republic Ernestina Godoy, as well as members of the U.S. delegation.

Following the meeting, Johnson stated that both governments are working “together to stop the scourge of fentanyl and dismantle the networks that are poisoning our communities.”

It was also reported that the director met with Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and Undersecretary Roberto Velasco Álvarez as part of the bilateral agenda on cooperation and combating drug trafficking.

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.

In the southern Mexican city of Tapachula bordering Guatemala, known as the main entry point for migrants from Central and South America, the diocesan shelter Belén (Bethlehem) once had a constant population of 500 people.

However, that number began to decline gradually, explained Father César Augusto Cañaveral Pérez, director of the center, in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

“It decreased very slowly, little by little,” the priest noted, saying the change began to be noticeable in the last two years, although the most notable change occurred after Jan. 20, 2025, when Donald Trump again was sworn in as president of the United States and immediately signed a series of executive orders to tighten immigration policies.

Although initially, Cañaveral thought the shelter would be empty, it has continued to serve between 80 and 120 people daily. However, he said he no longer sees what he described as “mass exoduses.”

“Migration exoduses are no longer large,” he noted, but rather there is “a trickle of migration.”

A Pew Research Center study analyzed figures published by the U.S. Border Patrol on migrant apprehensions. The report states that “the 2025 total was the lowest in any fiscal year (October to September) since 1970.”

In 2025, 237,538 encounters between the Border Patrol and migrants were recorded, a figure well below the more than 1.5 million in 2024 and the more than 2 million registered in 2022. The Pew report clarifies that these figures refer to events and not to individuals, because the same migrant may be counted more than once.

New realities of migration

According to Cañaveral, the continued presence of the migrant population in Tapachula is due to three factors. The first is that “migrant settlements have grown” in the city. This leads to “a slightly greater agglomeration of people within the city.”

The second group is the return to what he called traditional, or transit migration, meaning “people who simply arrive at the shelter, shower, eat, and leave.”

The third group consists of those awaiting immigration processing by the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance to legally remain in Mexico.

This scenario, he warned, is worrisome, since “Tapachula is not a town capable of responding to this major migration issue because we don’t have the same infrastructure as Monterrey or Mexico City.”

Repatriated from the United States

On the country’s northern border with the U.S., there is also a change in the migration landscape, especially in Tijuana, a city known as one of the main border crossings.

Gilberto Martínez Amaya, administrator of the Scalabrinian Missionaries’ Migrant Shelter located in Tijuana, stated in an interview with ACI Prensa that currently, the flow of people arriving from south to north has seen “a very significant decrease,” although he clarified that “this does not mean there is no migration here on the border.”

Since the beginning of 2026, the shelter has registered “a gradual increase in its resident population,” composed mainly of repatriated individuals who had been living in the U.S. between five and 30 years.

The Mexican government reported that 160,000 people were repatriated during 2025, with the cities of Mexicali and Tijuana being the main points of return.

According to Martínez, the migrant shelter receives an average of 15 repatriated individuals daily, of whom “some stay with us for three days, a week, and then leave. Others want to settle here in Tijuana.”

This reality presents a new challenge for those who care for them, as these are people who “need more time, they need lodging, they need food, they need employment, they probably need medical attention, they definitely need psychological support.”

“Speaking of the migratory flow, well, it did decrease by 90% from south to north, but it increased from north to south with these repatriated individuals,” he said.

In Tijuana, the shelter’s services are primarily focused on repatriated men, while women and children are referred to the Madre Asunta center, run by the Missionary Sisters of St. Charles (Scalabrinian Sisters).

In addition to lodging and food, those who decide to stay receive support in finding employment, regularizing their immigration status, and integrating into the labor market.

They also receive assistance with child care, he said: “We take them to school, feed them, and pick them up. This way, the migrants arrive early, leave their children, and go to work.”

Future challenges

Both in the north and south of the country, the main challenge remains securing support for the institutions serving migrants. Martínez pointed out that “our biggest challenge is financial sustainability, because we don’t receive any aid.”

He indicated that civil society organizations stopped receiving government funding years ago and that international aid has also decreased.

Cañaveral agreed that the lack of resources “is a very big challenge for a very poor local Church.”

For this reason, he called on the Catholic Church throughout Mexico and the authorities not to let their guard down, especially during times like Lent, when faith calls for charity.

“We want to respond to the Gospel: ‘I was hungry and you gave me food, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,’” he said. “This is God’s work, and we must continue to provide support to our migrant brothers and sisters.”

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.

He lived much of his life in Alfombrilla, a small town in the Santa Cruz province in the Andean district of Cajamarca, Peru, where, as he recounted, “there isn’t even a pharmacy.”

As he finished high school, he was confirmed by then-Bishop Robert Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — and, at 26, has just been ordained a priest. Since childhood, he sensed a vocation, a call from God that was nurtured and encouraged by his family, especially his father.

“I feel that God has blessed me immensely, first with the priesthood, then with my family, with friends, acquaintances, and so many good people who have lived near me and prayed for me,” the young priest, who was ordained in the Prelature of Yauyos on Feb. 13, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. The ordination Mass was celebrated by Bishop Ricardo García.

“I am overjoyed to have been ordained a priest," he said. “I lived in the countryside until I was 17, surrounded by nature, trees, rivers, and good friends.”

He said the ways of God led him to the minor seminary in Yauyos in 2012, where he discovered that the Lord had called him to be one of his priests.

“This is where I began to get to know Jesus better through moments of prayer. And the example, the witness of life of the priests who accompanied us here at this seminary also helped me immensely,” he continued.

Upon returning home to Alfombrilla, with his parents and four siblings, the calling continued to grow: “And my parents also helped me a lot regarding the faith. They helped us at home, we prayed together, the rosary too, and on Sundays as a family,” he said.

Confirmed by the future Leo XIV

Pérez recalled that he was confirmed as he was finishing high school, after reminding his parish priest that the time for the sacrament was “slipping away.” The priest gave him a catechism and told him to study, because the then-bishop of Chiclayo, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, would be going to Uticyacu, a neighboring town an hour and a half away by motorcycle.

There, they met Prevost, who was accompanied by some priests who introduced the future pope to Mr. Paco, Pérez’s father, because he was the parish catechist.

“And then Bishop Prevost, very warmly, approached him and they talked. My father says that for him, those were unique, beautiful, and happy moments. And that’s how I, at the confirmation Mass, received the sacrament from the hands of the now-pope. For me, it has been a special grace.”

‘Here comes the little priest’

When Pérez shared his desire to become a priest, there were various reactions, but the one he remembers best is that of his father.

“The reactions were huge. When I had to tell my dad I was going to be a priest, all he did was open his arms and give me a giant bear hug. I was truly overjoyed,” the young priest recalled.

“Then, little by little, my mom found out, and then my whole family — I have four siblings — and they were very happy. Then my friends found out I was going to be a priest when I was in my last year of high school.”

With a big smile, Pérez said that people started joking “and they would say to me, ‘There goes the little priest.’ Or also, when they passed in front of me they would make the sign of the cross. These were things that I found quite funny.”

Ordination and first Mass

Pérez arrived at the Yauyos Seminary in 2017 to study philosophy and theology. He said he was welcomed by Bishop Ricardo García, who eventually ordained him.

“There’s a moment during the ordination Mass when the bishop lays hands on me. I felt like the Holy Spirit completely filled my soul, penetrated my entire being, and I was truly moved. Tears came to my eyes, and then the priests were also laying hands on me, and I kept weeping and weeping,” he recounted.

“When all the priests had passed by, I opened my eyes and there before me was the Virgin Mary, the image of Our Mother of Fair Love,” he emphasized, highlighting the importance of the Mother of God in his life.

Regarding his first Mass, celebrated on Feb. 15, the young priest shared that “it has been a very special grace; I can’t even imagine it. To have God in my hands, the creator of the entire universe, the creator of the visible and the invisible. My hands were trembling. It was very beautiful.”

The priest and confession

Pérez also said he feels inspired by the example of great priests like St. John Paul II; St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars; and St. Philip Neri, and that he asks God to “help me have that charism because God needs it, he needs us.”

He also said he wants to be “a priest of prayer who helps people with confession, spends several hours in the confessional, and lives the holy Mass well.”

Regarding the sacrament of reconciliation, the young priest noted: “When a member of the faithful asks me, I’ll be there because I know of cases where [a parishioner] approached a priest and asked, ‘Father, can you hear my confession?’ and because of time constraints or work, the priest wasn’t able to hear his confession, and that person hasn’t come back. I heard the testimony of someone a while ago who said, ‘I approached the priest for confession, but he told me he couldn’t,’ and I’m returning [to make my first confession] after 30 years.”

“Those experiences, those testimonies I’ve heard, have made me think and say, ‘I have to attend to him right away; everything else can wait.’”

The priest offered this advice to those considering a possible vocation: “Let yourself be loved by Jesus Christ, let yourself be shaped by him, and also open your heart so that Christ may enter it.”

“And,” he added, “now I have a great mission: to lead souls to heaven.”

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.

“If there is freedom, there will be no suffering because there will be the necessary change. How will it happen? Well, that’s what we’re working on,” the diplomat stated in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.

Hammer confirmed that there are currently “high-level exchanges with people within the Cuban regime” as well as “conversations to see what can be done to take the country in a new direction” that would allow for a transition to democracy.

The interview took place shortly after his Feb. 20 meeting with the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, and Vatican Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.

According to official statements from the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, the meeting addressed the political, economic, and social crisis in Cuba and the role the Catholic Church can play acting as a facilitator or mediator.

Church support for a peaceful transition in Cuba

Hammer said he conveyed to the Church in Cuba the need for it to openly denounce the Castro regime’s disrespect for the human rights of the Cuban people.

“It doesn’t do so openly, publicly; it does so through Masses, but the perception is that it is not declaring itself in favor of the dignity and rights of the people,” the diplomat said.

He also addressed the situation of political prisoners: “More than hundreds are imprisoned because they dared to complain about the economic situation, the lack of electricity, the lack of water, and because of those peaceful demonstrations. It’s important that the Vatican, that the Church, give them a voice so they can speak out and say: These political prisoners must be freed.”

The Vatican’s role in the Cuban equation has a historical dimension that Washington is well aware of. The Holy See mediated the diplomatic thaw between Cuba and the United States initiated by President Barack Obama in 2014, and Pope Francis facilitated part of the negotiations.

In fact, although the United States has not had an ambassador in Cuba since 1960, diplomatic relations were reestablished in 2015. However, the U.S. mission is headed by a chargé d’affaires, a position that does not hold the rank of ambassador.

A diplomat out on the streets

During his 15 months in Havana, Hammer has displayed an unusual diplomatic approach. He has traveled the island — to all its provinces — to listen directly to citizens and learn firsthand about their concerns and aspirations.

“Many feel that the revolution has betrayed them, and why? Because their parents, grandparents, fought with Fidel, and what happened? When they reached adulthood, there was no state to protect them, to take care of them, it abandoned them, and at the same time they see how members of the Castro regime go to stroll along the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid or to be educated in Europe,” he said.

This closeness with the Cuban people has not pleased the Castro regime, which has tried to scare off onlookers of these encounters by organizing staged harassment by groups tied to the regime. However, the diplomat maintains that the message he receives on the street is unequivocal: “The people want change, that’s what they tell me.”

Along the same lines, he questioned the privileges of the ruling elite: “How is it that the luxury cars driven by the elite get in [the country]? Where do they come from? How is it that there are restaurants, paladares [high end restaurants], as they say there, frequented by the upper class? This is a dictatorship where those who are part of it live well and the rest of the people are abandoned.”

Hammer also denounced a climate of control and restrictions that extends to various aspects of daily life: “They control everything. There is no freedom of the press, of expression, of religion. That has to change. And the world has to see it.”

When asked specifically about the degree of religious freedom on the island, he said: “They are arresting women who want to go to Mass.”

Humanitarian aid channeled through the Church

Since late 2025, the United States has channeled $9 million worth of humanitarian aid through the Catholic Church and Catholic Relief Services without any mediation from the communist regime. Hammer noted that this is an alternative to prevent the misappropriation of funds.

“Experience has taught us throughout history that one cannot rely on the regime to allow assistance to reach those who need it most, and that is why, I regret to say, this is the reality of Cuba today,” he said, after confirming that humanitarian aid from the United States will continue to be distributed through nongovernmental channels to ensure it reaches the most vulnerable sectors.

“Now at least they are allowing the United States to send humanitarian aid, and through the Church — the Church’s role. In fact, the Church has been supporting the Cuban people for decades now, and the role of the Church remains extremely important,” he indicated.

Washington’s objective, he insisted, is a peaceful transition that avoids bloodshed and guarantees the release of those imprisoned for political reasons.

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.

In a Feb. 23 statement, the abortion advocacy group stated that the Foreign Agents Law, enacted by the Salvadoran government in 2025, “limits the work of legally constituted associations by restricting freedom of expression and criminalizing social organizations that defend human rights.”

“In this context, and given the structure of an NGO, our work is no longer compatible [with the new law], so we decided to dissolve and not register with the Foreign Agents Registry,” they stated.

However, far from disappearing, they affirmed that they will become “a broad, activist movement” called “The Regional Movement for the Right to Abortion and Motherhood.”

“Together, we together (masculine, feminine, and neuter pronouns) will overcome authoritarian populism and anti-gender groups,” they added.

In El Salvador, abortion is a crime, and according to Article 1 of its constitution, the country “recognizes every human being as a human person from the moment of conception.”

To further its agenda in the country, the now-dissolved Citizens’ Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion promoted on an international level controversial cases such as the Beatriz Case, the Manuela Case, and the Case of the 17.

New law ‘will guarantee transparency’

The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador approved the Foreign Agents Law on May 21, 2025, and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele enacted it nine days later.

A statement from the legislative body emphasized that the new law “will guarantee transparency in the financial transactions that NGOs receive from foreign individuals or agents in the country and will allow citizens to know about the activities these agents carry out.”

The assembly also noted that, according to the new law, a 30% tax will be applied to all financial transactions and imports received from abroad by Salvadoran NGOs.

In response to criticism from NGOs that charge that the law represses civil society organizations, in his Message to the Nation address to the Legislative Assembly on June 1, 2025, Bukele warned that “there are foreign organizations that claim to come to help but really come to engage in politics, to move millions for political campaigns, to operate in the shadows, without rules, without limits, without paying anything [as they are tax exempt].”

“The foreign agents law guarantees that those who truly want to come and help our people are able to maintain the great privilege of not paying taxes like everyone else does,” Bukele said, adding that the law “also guarantees that those who come to look after political interests at least pay their tax obligations like everyone else.”

Pro-life success measured by saved lives

While there is some joy among pro-life organizations in El Salvador, caution prevails regarding the news of the dissolution of the NGO that promoted the decriminalization of abortion.

Although “we are happy about any progress in favor of life,” explained Norma de Milán, a member of the international fasting and prayer campaign 40 Days for Life in El Salvador, “we don’t measure success by the number of institutions that have closed but rather by the lives and souls that have been saved.”

De Milán, leader of the campaign at Gabriela Mistral Square — one of the places where people pray for the end of abortion in San Salvador, the country’s capital — sees the legal dissolution of the pro-abortion platform as a “fruit of that silent, peaceful, and visible prayer” offered by 40 Days for Life in the face of the “vast structure” that promotes abortion. At times, volunteers ask themselves: “What can three people do on a street with a sign and a rosary against this entire structure?”

However, she emphasized that “not all the fruits of our prayer will be seen on earth.”

For De Milán, the hope for the pro-life cause in El Salvador “remains that life be respected and defended in the country,” as recognized in the constitution.

“We are convinced that any lasting transformation begins in the heart, and we contribute [to that end] through our prayer,” she said, adding that “we give educational talks and respectfully accompany those who allow us to.”

“Everything we do is not a political strategy, but rather it’s basically our spiritual mission, and our primary mission is to awaken consciences,” she stated.

Desperate measures

Julia Regina de Cardenal, president of the Yes to Life Foundation in El Salvador, said she sees the change adopted by the Citizens’ Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion as “a new strategy to stay afloat.”

“They’re desperately flailing about drowning, trying to reinvent themselves, as they say, in what they deceptively call the defense of women’s rights,” she told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

She also stated that “the truth is that their fight is to legalize a very lucrative business that does the exact opposite of what they claim: a business that exploits women with difficult pregnancies, deceiving them, convincing them that killing their children in the womb is the only solution, putting their physical and mental health, and even their lives, at serious risk.”

“This is the worst barbarity invented by humankind against women and their defenseless children. They need support, not violence and death,” she emphasized.

The pro-life leader denied that the Citizens’ Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion had “secured the freedom of 80 women who claim they were criminalized by the absolute criminalization of abortion.”

“Forensic evidence shows that babies were struck with a rock, stabbed, strangled, and thrown alive into septic tanks,” she said. “Each story is more horrific than the last.”

“They even lie about that,” she added, emphasizing that in El Salvador there are “several organizations where we provide free assistance to these pregnant women.”

Faced with the tragedy of a high-risk pregnancy and abortion, she emphasized, “the answer should always be ‘yes to life.’”

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.

“La Zapopana,” as she is also known, is deeply intertwined with the devotion and faith of the people of Jalisco. Every year, some 3 million faithful participate in a pilgrimage to accompany her image back to her basilica after several months of veneration at various churches in the city.

Arriving in Mexico in 1530, her image accompanied the Franciscan Antonio de Segovia on his evangelizing mission. Since then, Our Lady has earned various titles, including that of “Peacemaker,” because throughout her long history the calming of storms and wars and the granting of many miracles have been attributed to her intercession.

Her image is kept in the basilica bearing her name by the Franciscan Province of Sts. Francis and James. The Franciscans brought her image to the balcony on Sunday so that, as they said, her presence might bring peace to the city and the country experiencing a wave of violence stemming from the arrest and death of Ocegueda and seven members of his cartel, known as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG, by its Spanish acronym).

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City also joined in the day of prayer, asking the “the Morenita of Tepeyac” for her protection during those hours of violence. Throughout Mexico, Our Lady of Guadalupe is known as “La Morenita,” an affectionate title that refers to the mixed race (meztiza) skin color of the miraculous image of a Spanish-Indian woman who symbolizes the peaceful unity of these two peoples in one faith in Christ.

Before authorities officially confirmed the drug lord’s death, Jalisco awoke to dozens of burning vehicles, convenience stores, supermarkets, and some banks — actions that were replicated in other states as a reaction by the CJNG to the death of its leader, according to authorities.

The federal government reported a total of 252 roadblocks put up by cartel members in 20 states and said that by Sunday night, 90% of them had been cleared.

Due to the unrest, parishes in Jalisco suspended religious services and churches closed their doors, with some priests broadcasting their homilies via social media.

A video went viral because it showed the moment when Father Pedro Martínez Navarro of Holy Cross Parish in El Salto, a town outside Guadalajara, with the Blessed Sacrament in his hands and on the roof of the church, prayed for peace in those moments of unrest.

Instagram post

Catholic bishops in Mexico also joined the call for peace and participated in the day of prayer held amid the violence and uncertainty gripping the country.

The Archbishop Primate of Mexico, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, issued a statement calling on the Catholic community to work together to build social peace in Mexico.

“We are aware of the difficult times we are facing as a society; therefore, I am sending this message to revive our courage and to call on everyone to be collaborators for the common good, promoting the justice and social peace we need,” he said in the statement.

Cardinal José Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Guadalajara, also posted an official statement on his social media, calling on the faithful to remain calm and follow the instructions of the authorities.

“Let us lift up our supplications with faith and persistence to God the Father, Lord of history, to Our Lord Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, so that there may be no lives of innocent people to be mourned, and that tranquility may return to our land,” he said in his letter.

The Society of Jesus also joined in the call for prayers for peace in Mexico while sending a message to the people and communities affected by Sunday’s events.

“We know that pain, fear, and uncertainty can feel very close, especially when daily life is disrupted by events beyond our control. Let us pray for peace in Mexico. May the God of life sustain those who suffer most, those who have lost the peace of their homes, and those who walk in fear through their cities and on their roads,” they said in their statement.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed at a press conference on Feb. 23 that the operation in which the Mexican drug lord was killed by the military had intelligence support from the United States.

“Today there is more peace, and there is government, there are armed forces, there is a security cabinet, and there is a great deal of coordination, so you can rest assured that peace, security, and normalcy are being safeguarded in the country,” she emphasized.

Secretary of National Defense of Mexico General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo said in the violence that ensued following the death of the cartel leader, 25 members of the National Guard, a prison guard, and a member of the attorney general’s office were also killed, as well as a woman uninvolved in the events.

The military officer was filled with emotion as he offered his condolences to the families of the security personnel killed in the fighting and recognized the military personnel who participated in the operation.

“It can be viewed from many perspectives, but it is clear that they fulfilled their mission, and what was demonstrated was the strength of the Mexican state — of that there is no doubt,” he emphasized as he spoke to the media.

As of Monday morning, Jalisco remained under the highest level of alert, which activates coordination among the various law enforcement agencies.

The streets remained nearly empty, and education officials in the state ordered the suspension of classes at all levels, while financial institutions, businesses, and some shops announced they would not yet reopen.

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 situation has not only remained serious and difficult since our message for the past jubilee, but it has worsened,” the prelate noted during Sunday Mass on Feb. 15 in which he also explained the reasons why the Cuban bishops postponed their ad limina visit to the Vatican.

González said the bishops decided to postpone the trip — which had been scheduled for Feb. 16–20 — due to the “complex” situation the country and the region are experiencing. The bishops were concerned that if they all left Cuba and were absent, some “difficult or painful” situation might occur. “This is what motivated us to ask the Holy Father” to postpone the visit, he explained.

“We bishops made a choice: Where should fathers be? Where are they when there is difficulty? By the side of their children. By the side of our people,” he said.

The bishop of Santa Clara said the ad limina visit was initially scheduled for 2027, but Pope Leo XIV, in a gesture of closeness, had moved it forward to February 2026.

“Of course, we bishops were eager to meet with the pope, and the pope had a deep desire to meet with the entire bishops’ conference, but how could we leave our people and everything we are going through? ... So we are at peace, we seek the truth, we seek to serve, and this is done by accompanying and praying in our own place, with our people,” the prelate explained during Mass at St. Clare of Assisi Cathedral.

González recalled the Cuban bishops’ appeal to establish a “sincere and effective dialogue.”

“We must sit down, we must talk, we must listen,” the bishop said, “and when we see the suffering of our brothers and sisters, we must take real steps for the common good. We must allow ourselves to be challenged by the suffering of this people and do something for them.”

Cuban model has been a failure

Father Alberto Reyes of the Archdiocese of Camagüey called on the Latin American and European left to accept that “the Cuban model has been a failure,” because “while you refuse to acknowledge this and boast of continuing to tell a dead man, ‘Cheer up, you can go forward!’, my people keep on suffering; my people are dying.”

In a post he published on Facebook, the priest said that Cuba suffers “a life similar to that of nations at war,” in which the population has no control over its present or its future.

He said that members of the left must accept “that Cuba is not what you would have wanted it to be, and that 67 years is more than enough time to demonstrate that it never will be.”

“If you believe that Marxism-Leninism is the solution to the problems of this world, you have every right to seek solutions from it, and I will respect that, but don’t applaud the failure of socialism in my land with speeches of feigned pride. And if you don’t want to say, because it’s so clear, that we have failed, at least remain silent, learn to be quiet, which can also be a respectable option,” he said.

The priest said that, for their part, Cubans “will continue trying to build a Cuba where one can live in truth and freedom, remembering, from time to time, Oscar Wilde when he said: ‘We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.’”

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.

Military forces were deployed on Feb. 22 to the town of Tapalpa in the state of Jalisco with the objective of capturing Oseguera.

“During this operation, military personnel were attacked, and in self-defense they repelled the aggression, resulting in the deaths of four members of the CJNG crime gang at the scene. Three others who were seriously wounded died during their air transport to Mexico City; among them was Ruben ‘N,’ alias Mencho,” the Mexican government stated.

Following the operation, the Mexican cartel reacted by setting vehicles on fire on several highways to block the entry of law enforcement. According to the newspaper Milenio, this occurred in the states of Jalisco, Michoacán, Tamaulipas, Colima, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Veracruz, and Guerrero.

In a statement, the bishops expressed their solidarity with the people “amid the episodes of violence occurring in various regions of our country, in response to the operation against the leader of a crime gang.”

“We urge you, in a pastoral and fraternal spirit, to reinforce personal and community security measures, to stay in your homes when necessary, and to avoid unnecessary travel, always following the instructions of civil authorities,” they stated.

The bishops also invited Mexicans to continue praying for peace in the country, which they entrusted “to the maternal intercession of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of Peace, so that she may cover us with her mantle, protect our families, and help us to build paths of justice, peace, and hope.”

“May the Lord strengthen us and grant us to live through these moments united, with prudence, solidarity, and faith,” the bishops stated.

According to the Mexican government, the operation, “in addition to the work of central military intelligence, within the framework of bilateral coordination and cooperation with the United States, relied on supplementary information from authorities in that country.”

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.

Eleven bishops representing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), and the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM) participated in a meeting of “prayer, dialogue, and pastoral discernment” Feb. 15–17, according to ADN Celam.

In addition to migration, the bishops discussed the poor and vulnerable, the dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples, human trafficking, and the growing polarization “that wounds public discourse and weakens social cohesion.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, the bishops released a “Message to the People of God on Pilgrimage in the Americas,” in English and Spanish, in which they emphasized that there is “one Church on pilgrimage throughout the Americas.”

After emphasizing their commitment to providing “coordinated, compassionate, and profoundly evangelical responses” to these challenges, the bishops highlighted their renewed “commitment to walk together in a synodal way as a Church that embraces the north and south of the continent, bearing clear and consistent witness to Jesus Christ.”

In every migrant is ‘the very face of Christ on the move’

The bishops specified that “in every person who leaves their homeland seeking safety, opportunities, or dignity, we recognize a brother, a sister; we recognize the very face of Christ on the move.”

“Human mobility cannot be reduced to a merely political or economic issue; it is a profoundly human reality that challenges our Christian conscience and the ethical responsibility of nations,” they emphasized.

In this regard, the prelates invited “civil authorities to promote policies that safeguard the lives, rights, and dignity of migrants.”

“We recognize the responsibility of states to regulate migration and ensure the common good; however, we reiterate that all legislation must place at its center the inalienable dignity of the human person and the respect that person deserves,” they stated.

The group expressed a desire that “the Church may be a concrete sign of hope, a place of welcome and protection” for migrants.

The bishops encouraged living unity “in a concrete and daily way: in the generous welcome of migrants, in the defense of the most vulnerable, in respectful dialogue even amidst differences, in the patient building of bridges.”

1 Church in the Americas

“We are one Church in the Americas. From this unity, we wish to serve with greater dedication, to accompany with greater closeness, and to proclaim with renewed courage the hope that springs from the heart of the Savior,” the bishops emphasized.

In closing, they entrusted their renewed commitment to the Virgin Mary, asking her to “sustain us in communion and inspire us to respond together, with charity and evangelical courage, to the challenges of our time.”

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 ceremony was performed on Jan. 28 at Our Lady of Pompeii Parish between two transgender persons, one biologically male and the other biologically female, who legally changed their names and genders on their national identity documents under Argentina’s gender identity law.

On Feb. 8, the Archdiocese of Corrientes issued a statement announcing that it would apply the corresponding “canonical disciplinary measures.”

In that context, Larregain explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that the annulment of the sacrament had already been promulgated and explained that the decree “specifically considers that the Church, by virtue of safeguarding the sacraments entrusted by Christ, establishes through the Code of Canon Law and Church discipline the essential conditions for the validity and licitness of the sacrament of marriage, and that the omission of such requirements prevents this aforementioned celebration from being considered sacramental.”

The prelate pointed out that the marriage lacks canonical validity and that its public nature “generated confusion among the faithful.”

The annulment was based on two reasons, Larregain explained, noting that “every sacrament is constituted by matter and form. In this case, the sacrament of marriage consists of the contracting parties and the marital exchange of consent. Here, the matter and the form are absent. Why? First, for ontological reasons, and second, for phenomenological reasons. The ontological aspect relates to what is; the phenomenological aspect, to what is seen or what is shown.”

“Here there is a contradiction, a dissonance between the ontological and the phenomenological. And so, for that reason, it is declared null ipso facto. What does that mean? It is null at that very moment, because it does not effect the sacrament; that is, there is no sacrament as such,” he emphasized.

Based on these facts, and by virtue of his ordinary authority, the bishop “acts ex officio to safeguard the good of souls, the juridical order of the Church, and the correct understanding of the sacraments,” he added.

Thus, the promulgated decree “simply formally declares what happens ipso facto, precisely because it does not have a sacramental character nor meet the conditions required by the Code of Canon Law.”

Larregain also considered it very important “to take into account sacramental theology when celebrating the sacraments and their correct administration.” To this end, he also highlighted the importance of the provisions in the 2023 declaration Fiducia Supplicans, a document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on the pastoral meaning of blessings.

“It clearly specifies these situations so that there is no confusion regarding the administration of sacraments,” he pointed out.

Regarding the disciplinary aspect, the archbishop clarified, “action was taken in accordance with the law,” so “this process is now concluded,” he stated.

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 Vatican press office did not provide further details of the unscheduled meeting. The prelate is one of the 17 bishops who comprise the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Cuba, distributed among 11 ecclesiastical jurisdictions — three archdioceses and eight dioceses — covering the entire country.

The Cuban bishops’ ad limina visit to Rome was originally scheduled for Feb. 16–20 but was postponed due to the energy crisis the country is going through. Initially, the bishops announced they could not travel because of pastoral priorities amid the severe fuel shortage, in a context marked by tightened U.S. sanctions and uncertainty regarding oil supplies.

“The shepherds have prayed and understood that this is a time to be with the flock: praying, accompanying, serving,” Father Ariel Suárez, assistant secretary of the Cuban Bishops’ Conference, explained in an interview with Avvenire, the Italian bishops’ newspaper.

Ultimately, Bishop Pedroso Montalvo was able to travel to Rome and meet with the Holy Father during the traditional ad limina visit, the meeting bishops make periodically with the pope to inform him about the pastoral situation in their dioceses and to strengthen communion with the Holy See.

The prolonged economic and social crisis in Cuba — marked by a cumulative decline in GDP, shortages of basic goods, prolonged blackouts, and rising inflation — has complicated travel within and outside the country in recent months.

On Feb. 1, after reciting the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV expressed his concern about the escalating tensions between Cuba and the United States. “Dear brothers and sisters, I have received with great concern news of increased tensions between Cuba and the United States of America, two neighboring countries,” the pope stated.

In his address, the pope explicitly joined the call of the Cuban bishops and urged the parties involved to choose the path of dialogue. “I join the message of the Cuban bishops, inviting all those responsible to promote a sincere and effective dialogue to avoid violence and any action that could increase the suffering of the beloved Cuban people,” he emphasized.

The pontiff’s words came after Washington issued an executive order by which President Donald Trump intensified economic pressure on Cuba through a strategy of cutting off oil shipments to the island.

On Feb. 18, the United States called on Cuba to address “very drastic changes very soon,” as it increases pressure on an island experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades. “It’s a regime that is collapsing. The country is collapsing, and we believe that what is best for them is to make very drastic changes very soon,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated at a press conference.

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.

According to the Cuban constitution, the Communist Party is the only political party allowed.

In an interview with Avvenire, the Italian bishops’ newspaper, the priest explained that Cuba is currently experiencing “a very difficult moment,” and this is what motivated the bishops to ask Pope Leo XIV to postpone the ad limina visit that had been scheduled for Feb. 16–20.

“The deterioration affects every aspect of life in the country. The departure of a single bishop is not the same as that of an entire bishops’ conference. The shepherds have prayed and understood that this is a time to be with the flock: praying, accompanying, serving,” he stated.

Suárez described how, at this time on the island, public and private transportation is at a halt, school and work hours have been reduced, and tourism is at a standstill, leaving thousands of people unemployed.

Furthermore, while medical care has been reduced to only essential lifesaving interventions, the number of vulnerable and homeless people is increasing, and more people cannot afford food and medicine.

“Many lack water because the water trucks — which deliver water to areas where there is none — can’t operate. Inflation is rising, and the currency is devaluing. The psychological impact is enormous,” he pointed out.

During the interview, he recalled the Jan. 31 message from the Cuban bishops in which they stated that Cuba requires urgent changes, not more anguish or suffering.

“We need to be able to express ourselves and live with freedom, commitment, and consistency,” to be able to “combine genuine freedom with responsibility,” and to “put the common good of Cuba before partisan interests,” he said.

“We need spaces for human fulfillment where we can develop personal and family projects,” he added. “We need to respect one another without excluding or stigmatizing anyone.”

Furthermore, the priest said, “we need to produce and enjoy the fruits of our labor,” to rebuild damaged infrastructure, and to “take advantage of the enormous human capital and great goodness present among Cubans, many of whom have left or wish to do so.”

“We need and desire that Cuban families be able to reunite, come together, and find each other,” he said.

Regarding Pope Leo XIV’s call for the United States and Cuba to overcome new tensions through dialogue, the assistant secretary of the bishops’ conference expressed hope that dialogue would be possible.

“Pope Leo spoke of a ‘sincere and effective’ dialogue,’ two important adjectives. With dialogue, one always wins. With conflict, one loses because it creates wounds that are difficult to heal, such as hatred, anger, and revenge,” he said.

Suárez said he is not a politician, sociologist, or economist, but as a priest, he speaks about what he sees every day: “The retiree who now has nothing, the hungry, the unjustly detained, the mother who is alone because her children have emigrated, the sick without medicine, the drug-addicted teenager, the priest who cannot reach his parishioners due to lack of fuel, the people without hope.”

“To the international community, I say: Put an end to all this suffering.”

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.

“With this expulsion, the number of priests and nuns who have been exiled, expelled, or denied entry has reached 309. More than 95% are Nicaraguan,” exiled researcher Martha Patricia Molina told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Molina is the author of the report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church,” which, in its latest installment in August 2025, states that the dictatorship has carried out 1,070 attacks against the Catholic Church and has banned 16,500 processions since 2018 — figures that continue to rise daily.

The Nicaraguan researcher further states that the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and his wife and co-president, Rosario Murillo, “speaks of love and reconciliation in their rhetoric, but their actions are not consistent with their words. They continue to attack the Catholic Church.”

Concepción Reyes was expelled last week after being detained and interrogated by Nicaraguan immigration officials at Managua International Airport. The priest was returning to the country after spending two years in Spain, according to the Nicaraguan newspaper Despacho 505.

A priest from the Diocese of León whom the newspaper did not identify said that Reyes, who was a seminary formator, “was detained, interrogated about his trip to Spain and why he had returned to the country, and after a lengthy interrogation, was denied entry and sent back to Spain.”

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There was no mediation from the bishop of León, Sócrates René Sándigo Jirón, the only Nicaraguan bishop who voted in the 2021 presidential elections — the rest abstained — in which Ortega was reelected, a process that international observers described as a farce.

ACI Prensa contacted the Diocese of León to inquire about Reyes’ case. The diocese did not respond by the time of publication.

Ordination of new deacons or priests not allowed

Molina also warned that “the most serious aspect of this matter is the replacement of those priests who are no longer in the country, because the dictatorship is also not allowing new ordinations of deacons and priests in Jinotega, Matagalpa, Estelí, and Siuna.”

The four dioceses mentioned by Molina do not have their bishops present in Nicaragua. Bishop Carlos Herrera of Jinotega and president of the bishops’ conference was expelled from the country in November 2024 after criticizing a mayor aligned with the dictatorship for interfering with Mass by blasting loud music outside the church.

Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of Estelí, a critic of the dictatorship, was deported to Rome in January 2024 after having spent more than 18 months in detention. At the same time, Bishop Isidoro Mora of Siuna was also deported.

These three bishops, along with Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Báez of Managua, who had to leave Nicaragua in 2019, met with Pope Leo XIV in 2025.

Báez: Totalitarian regimes have ‘many ways’ to ‘take life and kill’

“Complicit silence also kills. In social life, to remain silent and not denounce injustice is to kill the dignity of individuals and the hope of nations ... In the totalitarian regimes of our countries, there are many ways in which they take life and kill,” Báez said in his homily for Sunday Mass on Feb. 15 at St. Agatha Church in Miami.

The prelate emphasized that “depriving people of their freedom, denigrating them with falsehoods, and treating them with cruelty are homicidal actions. Those who imprison innocent people simply for thinking differently are criminals.”

“So are those who force people into exile or strip them of their citizenship, taking away their lives as citizens. It is a form of homicide and a crime against humanity that does not have a statute of limitations. In dictatorships like the one in my country, don’t think we will forget these crimes,” he emphasized.

“I am a victim of death in the civil realm; they stripped me of my citizenship. It’s as if I don’t exist. And this crime, like the one committed against other Nicaraguans who have suffered the same fate, will be punished sooner or later,” the bishop stated.

“These are all real crimes,” he said, “and these abominable acts are not merely the whims of deranged and wicked people. They are not simply legal irregularities or violations of international norms. They are real crimes, and those who have committed them must face justice sooner or later.”

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.

In an interview with EWTN News, Father Mario Arroyo, who holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, observed that the event was the setting for a “political message” in which Bad Bunny asserted “that the United States is a multicultural nation” with some 70 million Latinos.

According to various sources, the Puerto Rican artist chose his stage name based on a photo of himself when he was a boy in a bunny outfit with an angry look on his face.

“That is also a political message that confronts the political agenda of current President Donald Trump,” Arroyo added.

The priest considered the show an expression of “the Latino community in the United States that has felt harassed by the measures taken by the U.S. administration,” sparking protests against violent raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In separate incidents last month, ICE agents killed two people in Minneapolis, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. ICE raids led to the arrest of some 400,000 people in 2025, of whom less than 14% had violent criminal records, according to CBS News.

When Bad Bunny received the Grammy Award for Best Urban Music Album on Feb. 2 for “Debí tirar más fotos” (“I should have taken more photos”), he began his acceptance speech by saying “ICE out.”

It’s not Latin America’s ‘best act’

After clarifying that he is not a fan of Bad Bunny or reggaeton, because it is “a style of music that sexualizes women a lot” and degrades “human behavior,” Arroyo lamented that the artist’s show was not Latin America’s “best act” but rather a “vulgar spectacle wIth nothing uplifting about it.”

The priest noted that “there is a moral principle that says the end does not justify the means; it’s a basic principle,” even though Bad Bunny’s intention was “to send a positive message,” highlighting various images of Puerto Rico and Latin America.

Super Bowl LX, in which the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, Feb. 8, was the second most-watched in history, surpassed only by the 2025 game, according to data by the Nielsen audience ratings company.

As for the halftime show, according to Nielsen, the average viewership was 128.2 million, more than seven million fewer than last year’s Kendrick Lamar show, which averaged 133.5 million viewers.

In addition to Bad Bunny, the show featured Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, along with other celebrities who appeared during the performance, such as actors Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal, and singer Karol G.

“I think the goal of the NFL is more economic than political: to broaden the spectrum of people who enjoy and are interested in American football,” Arroyo told EWTN News.

President of the Puerto Rican Bishops’ Conference weighs in

Bishop Eusebio Ramos of Caguas, president of the Puerto Rican Bishops’ Conference, also spoke out about the show.

“Certainly, one can have something to say about the musical genre, and I clearly state that I am not expressing my support for it but hearing the voice of a young man who prioritizes a language of love fills us with joy,” Ramos told the Italian news agency SIR.

“There is no doubt that the words of Benito, of this singer, have touched hearts, have reminded us of Christian values, such as fraternity and the primacy of love,” the prelate added, referring to Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.

Ramos said that “it gives us hope to hear the message of someone who, at this moment when the world order has broken down in so many ways, calls for tearing down walls, challenging the collective conscience.”

After commenting that Bad Bunny “has his own political vision,” the Puerto Rican bishop emphasized that “he is undoubtedly a voice that reminds us of the value of the dignity of every human being, who must be respected. The current wave of deportations, on the contrary, disregards that dignity.”

Regarding the political situation of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States whose people are American citizens but lack voting representation in the U.S. government, the bishop commented that “for 125 years we have suffered, in practice, colonialism. The United States is the superior interlocutor; we, the Puerto Ricans, are at an inferior level. An unjust relationship, tainted by sin. But Puerto Rico has survived, has kept its identity and culture alive.”

Regarding President Donald Trump’s critical reaction to Bad Bunny’s performance, the bishop said: ”I wasn’t surprised; it’s his style.” The U.S. president called the halftime show ”absolutely terrible, one of the worst ever!” and also said on Truth Social that ”nobody understands a word this guy is saying and the dancing is disgusting.”

‘Not all success has value,’ Puerto Rican senator says

Puerto Rican independent and pro-life senator Joanne Rodríguez-Veve, a mother of two, also commented on her compatriot’s performance.

“I believe Bad Bunny is not a musical phenomenon but a political phenomenon within the culture,” she told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. “His message, with its clear woke undertones, made him an icon of the cultural left,” she added.

After commenting that “there is no doubt that Bad Bunny is not alone” and that there are many economic interests surrounding him, Rodríguez said that, “ironically, Bad Bunny, the favorite son of capitalism — an economic platform without which he would not have achieved his much-venerated personal success — is the new idol of the political left. It turns out that, when it suits them, capitalist success is good.”

After acknowledging that “Bad Bunny’s achievements are undeniable,” such as his Grammy Awards and his Super Bowl halftime performance, the senator clarified that “we would fall short in our capacity for reflection if the value of something or someone were measured solely by success. Success in saying what? Success in promoting what? Success in exhibiting what? No, not all success has value. That’s the point.”

“As a Puerto Rican woman, I do not feel represented by anyone who objectifies women and portrays us to the world as animals at a bacchanal,” the senator emphasized.

“He can wave the single-starred [Puerto Rican] flag” and “sing about what happened to Hawaii in Hawaii (loss of native cultural identity and heritage), and it won’t be enough. Because,” she pointed out, “Puerto Rican identity is simplicity and bravery, but it is also the elegance of the jíbaro [traditional peasant], the mother who gives birth to the homeland, the hardworking family, the children who await the Three Kings, and knees bent before God,” she maintained.

Junk food isn’t the best for the soul

Arroyo also drew attention to the stark contrast between Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance and the recent opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, where Andrea Bocelli and Laura Pausini sang: “It was a show of great human and cultural quality … and of course, an artistic level infinitely superior to Bad Bunny’s music, which, in my opinion, is garbage.”

“That Olympics show was watched by only 21 million people. That is to say, more than six times as many people watched the Super Bowl,” he lamented, adding that it seems people prefer to feed their soul with “junk food.”

The priest encouraged teaching children “to be discerning” about what they see and to “critically evaluate what they are communicating to us and try to understand what they want communicated and what the underlying intentions are.”

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.

Available in Spanish and English, the book is authored by Rubén Quezada, a Catholic of Mexican origin living in California, and features a foreword by the archbishop of Los Angeles, José Gomez. Actor and producer Eduardo Verástegui wrote the introduction, and the book also contains an essay by Carl Anderson, who at the time of publication was the supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus.

Although “For Greater Glory” tells the story of a historical event that marks its centenary this year, the anti-Catholic sentiment it portrays “still persists, in a certain way,” in present-day Mexico, Quezada shared in a telephone interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Quezada, 59, now a renowned international speaker, recalled that during his childhood in Mexico, the Cristero War was not included in the history curriculum in elementary school.

The author explained that this widespread ignorance was a consequence of a state policy that lasted for decades. Following the 1929 “arrangements” between the Church and the federal government, which formally ended the Cristero War, he recounted, there was “a government order that nothing could be published, nothing could be disseminated,” effectively making the Cristero War a taboo subject, while many Catholics avoided speaking about it for fear of being arrested.

Thus many generations were unable to access information about the religious persecution of the early 20th century, he explained.

It was not until later in life, when he immersed himself in the writing of the Franco-Mexican historian Jean Meyer — compiled in his three-volume work “La Cristiada” — that Quezada “began to study the Cristero War in greater depth.”

The situation of enforced silence lasted until 1992, when relations between the Catholic Church and the Mexican state were officially restored. “We’re talking about [a diplomatic break that lasted] 60 years,” he emphasized.

That same spirit of silence surrounding the history of the Cristero War was even present during the production of the film starring Andy García, he pointed out. Quezada noted that during the making of “For Greater Glory,” “many governors or mayors wouldn’t allow the movie to be filmed” in their locale and that once it was in theaters, it faced subtle boycotts: “We received reports from all over that they didn’t want to show the film in certain theaters.”

“They would close the theater,” he added, and claim that tickets had sold out “when there weren’t many people” inside.

Currently, he indicated, although “it cannot be said to be at that same level,” the sustained persecution of the Church in Mexico has put down “roots that remain within government platforms.”

At the same time, he lamented, there is a “profound silence” in contemporary Mexican society regarding the Cristero War. In his travels throughout Mexico to participate in various events and conferences, the author said he has encountered many people who “prefer not to talk about that subject, or are unaware of it, or simply don’t care.”

Given this situation, Quezada argued that the Catholic response must be active and informed participation in public life. “We have a responsibility to vote with a Catholic conscience,” he emphasized, noting that leaders should not be elected “simply based on personal preference or family tradition.”

For the author, religious freedom hinges on the ability of the laity to place in positions of authority those who respect faith and human dignity.

“We must carefully examine each candidate ... knowing that we are choosing what is best for humanity, for society, for the world,” he added, emphasizing that, ultimately, “we are the ones who put those elected officials in that position.”

Finally, Quezada posed a challenge that draws the connection between the sacrifice of the Cristeros with contemporary Christian adherence to the faith.

After years of studying figures like Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro — whose impact changed Quezada’s life when he was just a young man in California — the author posed a key question 100 years after the Cristero War: “Would we be willing today to rise up with that faith, with that heart that burned for the passion of Christ? Would we be willing today to act in such a way if we were ever confronted with something?”

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.

During a Feb. 6 press conference, the priest explained that Lent is a 40-day liturgical season of preparation for Easter in the Catholic Church, beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding before Holy Thursday.

He emphasized that this is a privileged period for undergoing a profound transformation of attitudes, as it is an opportune moment to “be disposed to change.”

He also reminded everyone that, although many Christians like to visibly wear the ash cross on their foreheads, its essential meaning should not be lost, since “it is a symbol of repentance” that invites us to examine our lives and turn our hearts back to God.

In this context, he made an explicit appeal to those who perpetrate violence in the country. He acknowledged that this exhortation is particularly complex regarding those involved in organized crime, since the cartels, he said, “are in such a huge spiral of violence that making an appeal” for an end to violence during Holy Week “is very difficult.”

Nevertheless, he affirmed that “prayer, as recollection, can bring us peace, provided there is dialogue and that encounter with Christ.”

As an example, he recalled when in 2011 the relic of St. John Paul II was being taken from place to place both in San Fernando in Tamaulipas state, and in Apatzingán in Michoacán state. In both cases, he explained, it was possible to create a period of calm amid contexts marked by violence.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the cathedral canon noted that, although it is not common, there are criminals who approach the Church seeking reconciliation. He acknowledged that this process is not easy, since receiving sacramental forgiveness requires taking responsibility, because “you have to repent,” and sometimes that means “going and turning yourself in to the authorities.”

“It’s not easy,” he admitted, “but I tell you there have been [cases]… I can attest to people who have changed.”

Beyond armed violence, Corral emphasized that the call to conversion is also personal and daily. In this regard, he urged the faithful to examine those attitudes that create conflict in daily life, reminding them that each person must “do what you have to do within yourself to foster and create a peaceful environment.”

He also called for recognizing behaviors that harm others, such as “selfishness, not cooperating, or annoying others.”

Begin Lent reconciled

To begin Lent reconciled with Christ, the priest pointed out that the most important thing is to approach the sacrament of confession.

As a sign of hope, Corral shared that during the opening of the Jubilee of Hope door at the metropolitan cathedral, he witnessed long days of confessions in which thousands of people came “moved by a real desire for change.”

“Confession is like a blank check the Lord gives us, and we fill it with whatever we want, but having this [disposition], to say: Lord, here I am, and I want to have different attitudes, give me the strength so that my life is transformed, so that my life is changed,” he said.

Along with confession, the priest reminded everyone that Lent is lived concretely through fasting, prayer, and charity.

He clarified that fasting is not a meaningless deprivation but rather “means self-discipline”; that prayer is not simply repeating formulas but rather involves “above all, silence… that is, ‘speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’”

He also emphasized that charity goes beyond giving alms, as it involves living with genuine generosity, since “to be charitable is to be generous, but generous in giving the best of myself, yes, taking responsibility for my life; that is carrying the cross, as I was saying, that is what it means to be charitable.”

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

The dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega and his wife and co-president, Rosario Murillo, maintains “a discourse of reconciliation and love, but their words are not consistent with their actions: They are afraid of the faith and love for God that the people feel,” explained the author of the report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church” in a Feb. 10 statement to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

The latest installment of Molina’s report in August 2025 stated that the dictatorship has perpetrated 1,070 attacks against the Catholic Church and has banned 16,500 processions since 2018, figures that are only increasing.

Molina also stated that “the dictatorship has on occasion sent the police to pull priests out of religious activities or Masses to threaten them; they don’t care if the priests are celebrating Mass.”

Priests were already subject to various methods of police control including weekly reports of their activities and even demands to see their cellphones to find out with whom they are in contact.

Pastoral missions banned in Diocese of León

On Jan. 21, Molina reported on X that the dictatorship had banned pastoral missions in the Diocese of León, which encompasses the districts of León and Chinandega, led by Bishop René Sándigo, the only bishop in Nicaragua who voted in the 2021 presidential elections in which Ortega was reelected, a process that was described as a farce by international observers.

“Do your business indoors” and stay in “your parishes” was the order the dictatorship gave to the clergy, according to Molina, who explained that this would prevent the diocese from carrying out its mission to “bring the Word of God from house to house.”

ACI Prensa contacted the Diocese of León but did not received a response by the time of publication.

Félix Maradiaga, president of the Foundation for Freedom in Nicaragua, warned that the dictatorship “no longer limits itself to harassing religious leaders or canceling processions, but now seeks to silence faith in daily life and punish any spiritual expression that it does not control.”

Maradiaga was campaigning to get on the ballot for the 2021 presidential election but was arrested by the Ortega regime. He spent almost two years in jail until he was released and deported to the United States by the dictatorship in 2023.

In a statement to ACI Prensa, Maradiaga pointed out that the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship is “prohibiting popular festivities with deep cultural and religious roots — such as the traditional festival honoring the patron saints of several towns held in Diriamba — and restricting celebrations of great community significance, such as that of the Divine Child in Matagalpa.”

It is also “prohibiting door-to-door and house-to-house preaching,” which also affects other Christian denominations, he said.

The heavily attended procession and pilgrimage of the Divine Child in Matagalpa — the diocese of Bishop Rolando Álvarez, expelled to Rome in January 2024 after spending 18 months in detention — has been prohibited and restricted by the dictatorship for the past several years.

Traditional ‘Meeting of Saints’ banned

In her statement to ACI Prensa, Molina noted that the ban on processions imposed by the dictatorship dates back to 2022 and that in 2026, “these religious activities are prohibited again.”

She was referring specifically to the prohibition of the “Meeting of Saints” in Diriamba in honor of St. Sebastian, a festival that brings together several images of saints and in which many faithful participate. “The dictatorship only allows the [images of the] saints to be taken out to the church atrium,” she lamented.

“The same thing happened with the celebration of the Virgin of Candelaria [in Managua], which was confined to the walls of the church [in her honor] to prevent greater participation from the faithful,” the researcher added.

The Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa reported Feb. 7 that this year, for the first time, the dictatorship also canceled the traditional procession of saints — St. John the Baptist, St. Mark, and St. James — at Immaculate Conception of Mary Parish in the town of La Concepción in the Masaya district known as La Concha Parish.

The Sandinista (pro-Ortega) mayor of La Concepción, María Esperanza Mercado Hernández, declared Feb. 9 a holiday and authorized “a multitude of activities to counterbalance the parish’s religious festival,” the newspaper reported.

Father Edwing Román, a Nicaraguan priest and parochial vicar of St. Agatha Parish in Miami, explained to ACI Prensa that in addition to St. Sebastian in Diriamba, similar prohibitions were issued in St. James Parish in Jinotepe, St. James Parish in Boaco, and St. Jerome Parish in Masaya.

This has happened “in all the departmental capitals (instead of states Nicaragua is divided into departments) and in most of the towns,” said the priest, where pro-government municipalities organized secular entertainments instead.

“For greater control, the Sandinista municipalities, with all their organizational apparatus and sound equipment, take over the church atriums to put on their shows: They choose queens, organize open-air dances to distract and sell a façade of joy, but the reality is quite different in every Nicaraguan home,” pointed out the priest, who has been living in exile for more than four years.

Regarding religious activities, Román explained that they are carried out “under police surveillance and with plainclothes paramilitaries. The religious images are no longer carried in the arms of the faithful but rather in vehicles escorted by police to prevent people from carrying them.”

“The dictatorship fears the crowds (even religious ones) that will take over the city streets,” he explained, emphasizing that despite everything, “people hold on to their faith, and the people of God hope in the intercession of their patron saints before Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Nicaragua is in a spiritual battle

Arturo McFields Yescas, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) who also lives in exile, told ACI Prensa that “Nicaragua is experiencing a spiritual battle that manifests itself in the earthly realm through repression, persecution, censorship, and spying on people.”

“The regime’s ferocity against the people’s faith is most evident among the Catholic community, but also among the evangelical community, because [the regime’s] enemy is the people’s faith, their belief in God, because they know that God is stronger than any of these earthly threats,” he emphasized.

“But I believe the people of Nicaragua are convinced that this is the Church of God, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. It’s a true spiritual battle, and the dictatorship is losing it, thank God,” he said.

Unmasking ‘the darkness of despotic and cruel power’

In his homily for Sunday Mass at St. Agatha Parish in Miami on Feb. 8, the auxiliary bishop of Managua, Nicaragua, Silvio Báez, who also lives in exile, said “there is much darkness in the world that must be illuminated by the Gospel. We are the light of the world when we unmask the darkness of despotic and cruel power that threatens, intimidates, and oppresses.”

The prelate urged the congregation to be “beacons of hope in a world that often seems dominated by darkness. We are called, therefore, to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. That is our mission as disciples of Jesus: to preserve life and give it meaning, to be witnesses of the Gospel, and to illuminate with its light.”

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.

Through a new apostolic exhortation, titled “Your Light Will Break Forth Like the Dawn” (Is 58:8), the bishops summarized the reflections of their 125th ordinary plenary assembly, held Feb. 4–9 in Caracas.

In the document, the bishops quoted Pope Leo XIV from his Jan. 4 Angelus prayer in which he affirmed that “the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail above any other consideration and lead to overcoming violence and embarking on paths of justice and peace.”

Solidarity with political prisoners and their families

The Venezuelan bishops emphasized that the country in recent years has experienced a profound economic, social, and political crisis, within which “violations of human and civil rights, including freedom of expression and the right to due process and defense,” have become particularly prominent.

In this regard, they reaffirmed “their closeness and solidarity” with the more than 600 political prisoners currently being held in Venezuela and with their families. The bishops described the hundreds of releases that have occurred since Jan. 3 as “a positive sign” and called for the full release of those still detained or those released from prison with restrictions.

“We are following with interest the proposal and the process for approving a general amnesty law, which must necessarily be broad and inclusive, the result of extensive consultation with all sectors of civil society. It would be an important step toward embarking on the long and difficult road to national reconciliation and the restoration of social and democratic coexistence,” the bishops stated.

Furthermore, they joined the demands of various sectors of Venezuelan society for the repeal of laws “that restrict fundamental rights enshrined in the national constitution and international conventions,” especially those related to freedom of expression.

Guaranteeing national sovereignty

Once again, the bishops reiterated that popular sovereignty, as expressed in the results of the July 28, 2024, presidential elections, was disregarded by the socialist regime.

Following the election, the campaign organization for Edmundo González, who ran against Maduro for president, said that they had over 70% of the voting tallies from the polling stations that proved González won by a wide margin. However, the National Electoral Council controlled by the entrenched socialist government of Maduro declared Maduro the winner with 51% of the vote.

The consequences of this culminated in the capture of Maduro by U.S. forces on drug trafficking charges, which, although some have interpreted it as a violation of international law, others believe opens “paths to achieving the democratization of the country,” the prelates stated.

“For several years, Venezuela has suffered undue interference from external factors that have seriously affected its sovereignty,” they said, calling on state actors to take the necessary actions to “guarantee sovereignty and self-determination over our destiny.”

Building the future with special attention to the poorest

To build a future of justice and peace, the bishops said it is necessary to achieve a national reconciliation in which citizens can identify themselves “as one people, making it once again a place of opportunities for progress and happiness, especially for the poorest.”

“We must strengthen the family as the primary place for the integral development of individuals and society, and overcome the barriers that prevent us from building the reality of “we” as a nation with the participation and inclusion of all sectors of the country,” they affirmed.

“It is necessary to promote spaces for dialogue that lead to a broad national agreement on the future we want to build,” they noted.

A fundamental aspect for achieving this task, the prelates said, is overcoming the “impoverishment that currently afflicts a majority of the population” and which has been one of the main causes of the exodus of millions of Venezuelans.

To help achieve this goal, they recalled the commitment of the Catholic Church, in its various forms, to be an entity that fosters “encounter, listening, and accompaniment” and that produces “clear and credible signs of fraternity and reconciliation.”

“We invite everyone to find in daily prayer light and strength to face with determination the situation we are experiencing today,” they stated, asking Venezuelans to intensify their acts of piety during Lent.

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 commercial vessel docked at the port in eastern Cuba five days after the U.S. government announced a second aid package valued at $7 million. In January, the United States sent an initial aid package of $3 million.

The arrangements are being made directly between the Trump administration and the Catholic Church in Cuba, without the intervention of the communist regime.

On its website, Caritas Cuba reported that the shipment contains food and hygiene kits. “Once the supplies leave the port, their final destination will be the dioceses of Bayamo-Manzanillo, Holguín, and Santiago de Cuba, where they will be distributed with the usual organization, care, and respect for the recipients,” Caritas stated.

“The Catholic Church, through its humanitarian arm Caritas Cuba, reaffirms with this work its commitment to accompany, serve, and support those most in need, especially during the most difficult times,” the organization stated.

The chargé d’affaires of the United States Embassy in Cuba, Mike Hammer, reported on X that he was in Santiago de Cuba yesterday to verify the arrival of the aid and “see if we can continue sending it to alleviate suffering and improve the conditions of the people a bit.”

The economic crisis in Cuba has been ongoing for several years, with shortages of food and medicine as well as prolonged power outages that sparked street protests in 2021.

In recent days, the situation has worsened with an oil shortage, following Trump’s announcement that as a way to pressure the communist regime, he would impose tariffs on countries that send fuel to the island.

The Cuban government’s response has been to enact even more restrictions on the population. One example is the notice published by the official newspaper Vanguardia that, for the time being, bread will only be guaranteed for children under 13 and adults over 65.

Likewise, the regime announced a few days ago that it no longer has fuel for commercial aircraft, so some airlines have indicated they will no longer be able to operate flights to the island, directly impacting tourism, one of the government’s main sources of income.

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 ceremony took place on Jan. 28 at Our Lady of Pompeii Parish between the two individuals, one biologically male and the other biologically female, each of whom legally changed their names and genders to the opposite sex on their national identity documents under Argentina’s gender identity law.

One of the persons involved, Solange Ayala, an LGBT activist from Corrientes, said in an interview with Radio Sudamericana: “We are a trans couple who were able to receive the blessing of the Church.”

Ayala noted that although getting married in a church seemed “impossible” to them, the couple explored other options. “Several people told us that this church was quite open to welcoming the community,” she said in reference to Our Lady of Pompeii Parish.

“We completed the process like anyone else, we started a marriage application, we went to speak with the priest, and he received us very well,” she explained.

“We had a chat, he explained the steps to follow and he himself went to speak with the archbishop and told us that there was nothing he could object to against us being able to get married, because if we spoke like this, transparently, biologically we were a man and a woman, then we could be blessed under the sacrament of marriage,” she recounted in the interview.

However, the Archdiocese of Corrientes later denied having given approval for the sacrament to be administered, stating that “this archdiocese at no time received the ecclesiastical documentation corresponding to the formalities required for processing these cases.”

In a statement, the archdiocese reiterated that Christian marriage “requires compliance with certain essential conditions for its validity and licitness, as established by canon law and the living tradition of the Church.”

The text added that “the omission of these conditions not only distorts the profound meaning of the sacrament but can also generate confusion within the community of the faithful.”

In that context, the archdiocese announced that, after consulting with the relevant authorities, it will act ex officio in accordance with canon law to take any “formal canonical disciplinary measures that may be appropriate.”

At the same time, the archdiocese reaffirmed the commitment “of a Church that welcomes, accompanies, and walks alongside people, always in fidelity to the Gospel, to Church doctrine, and to the legal order that ensures the proper and fruitful celebration of the sacraments.”

The parish priest of Our Lady of Pompeii, Friar Fernando Luis Gómez, also issued a statement in which he affirmed that the parish “acted following the pastoral guidance and ecclesial norms of the ordinary (the bishop).”

In that context, the archdiocese affirmed that “Christian marriage, as a sacrament, requires essential canonical conditions for validity and licitness.”

“It’s not just a matter of a ceremony or documentation: It requires that the contracting parties be legally competent to marry, that there be no canonical impediment, and, crucially, that they give genuine consent; that is, that they wish to enter into marriage as the Church understands it, with integrity and good faith,” the explained.

Furthermore, “out of respect for the privacy of those involved,” the archdiocese clarified that “no details will be provided nor will speculation be fueled” and reiterated its commitment “to an authentic pastoral reception, always united to the truth of the sacrament.”

Finally, the archdiocese announced that going forward, “the interview, preparation, and verification procedures will be strengthened to safeguard the sanctity of the sacraments and avoid confusion in the community.”

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 unimaginable tragedy that struck the community of Tumbler Ridge yesterday has traumatized us all,” Jensen said in a statement released Wednesday morning.

At least 10 people were confirmed dead, with dozens injured, after a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby residence.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the suspected shooter, an 18-year-old whom authorities said was born a biological male but identified as female, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted wound. Lockdowns and an emergency alert were lifted as officers secured the town and moved students to safety. Investigators continue examining connections between the shooter and victims.

School District 59 announced that Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and Tumbler Ridge Elementary School will remain closed for the rest of the week as the community mourns and recovers.

Tumbler Ridge, a northeastern British Columbia community of about 2,500 people, is located roughly 400 kilometers (249 miles) northeast of Prince George within the Diocese of Prince George. The town has one Catholic parish, Holy Cross Mission, served by Our Lady of Peace Parish in Chetwynd, about an hour northwest. There is no Catholic school.

Messages of prayer and solidarity poured in from across the country to the parish’s Facebook page. Father Jeevan Bandanadham, SAC, pastor of Holy Cross Mission in Tumbler Ridge and Our Lady of Peace Parish in Chetwynd, reached out to parishioners Tuesday evening, saying he was “deeply saddened” to hear of the shooting.

“I am very concerned for each of you. I sincerely hope that you and your families are safe and doing well. Please know that you are in my heartfelt thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. May God surround you with his peace, comfort, and protection. Good night, and may God bless you all.”

Jensen said in his statement: “The most effective response we can offer for the intentions of the dead and the survivors, their families, the emergency responders, the parish community and town, is our own prayer and penance, which God has provided that we can use to address suffering and help bring mercy and healing to all.”

Other Catholic leaders across British Columbia echoed that call to prayer. In Vancouver, Archbishop Richard Smith expressed solidarity with the Diocese of Prince George and the grieving community.

“I was deeply saddened to learn of yesterday’s tragic violence in Tumbler Ridge,” he said. “Together with everyone in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, I offer my prayers for all who have lost loved ones and for the entire community in mourning.”

His message ended: “In this time of grief, may the Lord draw close to those who suffer and grant strength to all who care for them. Let us join together in prayer for peace and healing in our province.”

Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster and state chaplain for the British Columbia and Yukon Knights of Columbus said he had reached out to clergy in his eparchy immediately.

“We are shocked and saddened by the horrific event that took place in the northern community of Tumbler Ridge,” he wrote to priests. “Please offer a prayer for this intention in these days in your parish liturgies together with your parishioners.”

He added that while there is a Catholic mission parish in Tumbler Ridge, there is no local Knights of Columbus council, though Knights are exploring ways to assist the community.

Jensen noted the start of Lent in one week, “a time for more intense prayer and penance — personal sacrifice — to beg God’s healing grace for our lives and for the world.”

Jensen closed his message by stating: “Today is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. In the words of the familiar prayer, we turn to her ‘mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.’ May we all unite our prayers to Our Lady’s intercession to ask for God’s presence and mercy in our suffering world.”

This story was first published by The B.C. Catholic and is reprinted here with permission. The story has been updated with the age of the alleged shooter and the information that the shooter was born a biological male but identified as female.

According to the Argentine news agency AICA, what can be seen is not a flat image but rather a relief, a three-dimensional image with folds in the garment. It is also not a psychological illusion resulting from the exaggerated devotion of some pilgrims. Everyone — believers or not — sees it.

The image also appears in photos and while clearly seen from the front door of the church, it fades as one slowly approaches the altar.

Sources from Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Alta Gracia told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that although there is no official statement from the Archdiocese of Córdoba, where the shrine is located, “everything is still the same. The image can be seen just as on the first day or more, a little more.”

Pilgrimage, Masses on Feb. 11

Since it was built at the beginning of the 20th century, the shrine has been an important pilgrimage site. In 2023, about 30,000 pilgrims came from the city of Córdoba, 22 miles away.

In a Mass he offered there on Feb. 11, 2024, for the World Day of the Sick, Cardinal Ángel Sixto Rossi, the archbishop of Córdoba, pointed out that “the experience of weakness and illness are part of our path; they don’t exclude us from the people of God, but they take us to the center of the attention of the Lord, who is Father and does not want to lose any of his children along the way.”

When did the phenomenon begin?

The chapel of the Virgin of Alta Gracia is located on a large property where in 1916 a replica was dedicated of the Massabielle grotto in Lourdes, France, where the Virgin appeared in 1858 to St. Bernadette Soubirous.

In 1922 a commission was formed to build a chapel near the grotto. The first stone was laid in 1924, and in 1927 the bishop of Córdoba blessed the chapel. For many years there was a statue of Our Lady Lourdes of Córdoba in the center of the church’s altarpiece.

In mid-2011 it was removed from its niche or base to be restored and is currently located at the foot of the niche that was left empty.

One day one of the priests in charge of the shrine was going to close the chapel and from the main door he saw an image in the empty space that looked like it was made of plaster.

He approached several times, and each time he did he noticed that the image he saw from a certain distance faded. The truth was that there was actually no image, but he saw it.

Because of the phenomenon, visible to anyone, the Discalced Carmelite friars of the shrine issued a statement in 2011 noting that “the manifestation of the image of the most holy Virgin Mary has no explanation at the moment.”

“It must be interpreted by the people of God as a sign to increase and deepen the Christian faith and to inspire in the hearts of men conversion to the love of God and their participation in the life of the Church,” they said.

“The only message of the Virgin is none other than that which she has manifested in her life among men and is recorded in the Gospel as a divine revelation and kept in the deposit of the Catholic faith,” the priests stated.

First published in 2015 by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, this story was updated by ACI Prensa with new information in 2025 and has been translated, adapted, and updated by EWTN News English.

In the early morning of Saturday, Jan. 31, more than 1,700 vehicles crowded the roads leading to Guanajuato. They came from different parts of the country and had the same destination: John Paul II Valley, at the foot of Cubilete Hill, where the pilgrimage would begin.

The organizers later acknowledged that the pilgrimage’s 70,000 participants surpassed all predictions: They had initially expected just over 45,000.

Testimonies

For the attendees, the ascent was not only a physical challenge but also a spiritual necessity. David Andrés, who traveled more than 230 miles from the state of Nuevo León, explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that he wanted to offer his effort as a gift to Christ.

He pointed out that if it is possible to take a weekend off for a vacation, it is also possible to “place yourself at the feet of the Lord, literally, and say: ‘Here I bring everything, I offer you my life, what I have given, and everything that may come from you we will receive with much love.’”

For Norberto Ríos, a novice of the Missionary Disciples of Emmaus, this was the first time he had participated in this faith experience. In an interview with ACI Prensa, he expressed his joy at being able to witness that “there are still young people who want to respond to the Lord.”

For him, the challenge now is “to help others encounter Christ. Without that encounter, it is difficult to get close to the Church. Our witness can open that path.”

Living memory of the Cristero War

The pilgrimage also held historical significance. This year, the youth march was marked by the commemoration of the centenary of the beginning of the 1926–1929 Cristero War, an episode of religious persecution experienced by the Catholic Church in Mexico.

The memory of the war was present throughout the journey: posters with quotes from martyrs, images such as that of the teen martyr St. José Sánchez del Río, and reliquaries of saints and blesseds accompanied the ascent.

Discerning one’s vocation

For some, the pilgrimage was also a time for silence and discernment. Antonio Centeno Cuarenta, a young man from Guanajuato, told ACI Prensa that he made the pilgrimage hoping to understand what Christ wants for his future.

He offered his effort so that the Holy Spirit would help him “to contemplate what the Lord is asking of me ... in one of the beautiful vocations he offers us: either in marriage, the priesthood, or religious life.”

‘Onward, dear young people’

At midday, the apostolic nuncio to Mexico, Archbishop Joseph Spiteri, celebrated Mass. His message was a call to overcome “apathy,” “virtual appearances,” and “challenges.”

“Onward, dear young people. As Pope Leo XIV has told you many times already, the Church is grateful for your generosity and trusts in the strength of your witness, as sincere friends of Jesus, who want to build with him his kingdom of fraternity, respecting the life of every person and always promoting reconciliation and true peace,” he said.

Many arrived with different motivations, but at the end of the day, the 70,000 pilgrims descended from the mountain with tired feet and the conviction that faith continues to move their hearts.

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 main place he will visit after Lima is Chiclayo. That’s definite, 100%,” said Bishop Carlos García during a press conference presenting the results of the recent ad limina apostolorum visit of the Peruvian bishops to the Vatican, which took place Jan. 26–31.

Although he clarified that the papal visit is still in the planning stages and has a probability of approximately 80%, he emphasized the pontiff’s strong desire to return to the country. “How much he would like to be in Peru already! Because he loves Peru. He’s eager. His face lit up when we talked to him about it,” García recounted.

García, the president of the country’s bishops’ conference, explained that the possible visit is scheduled for “between November and the first week of December,” although he emphasized that the final decision depends on the Holy See organizing it and diplomatic aspects inherent to a state visit.

“It’s a whole structure that’s set in motion... it has to go through a dicastery that prepares the visit... now it’s up to those in charge to process and organize it,” he said.

In this regard, García announced that the Church in Peru will begin logistical preparations in March. “Starting in March, we must have the organizing committee for the event established,” he indicated, noting that the work will begin even while awaiting official confirmation.

Chiclayo, a special place

The eventual return of Pope Leo XIV to Chiclayo would have strong symbolic value, since he served as bishop there before being elected pope.

When asked by the media about other possible cities, García indicated that the rest of the itinerary would depend on the time available and logistical factors. “The other locations will depend on how many days he has available to visit us... it could be the [Amazon region]... Cusco... but it doesn’t depend entirely on the Holy Father but rather on the time and geographical possibilities,” he explained.

However, the bishop reiterated that Chiclayo stands out as a priority destination. “The most definite place I can tell you right now is Chiclayo,” he affirmed.

‘Peru is in the pope’s heart’

During the ad limina visit, the bishops held various meetings with the pontiff, including an official meeting and times for fellowship, such as a lunch where — according to the prelate — they talked about shared memories and experiences in the country.

“He arrived in an atmosphere of such fraternity that we felt like we were in Peru while being in Rome, and the pope felt like he was in Peru while being in Rome,” he recounted.

García underscored the pope’s deep spiritual connection with the country. “Peru is in the pope’s heart.” He added that Leo XIV keeps an image of the Lord of Miracles with him, which he uses during his daily prayers before Mass.

A visit marked by hope

The head of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference noted that the pope’s desire to return to Peru stems from his closeness to the people and his interest in strengthening faith and hope amid the current social and political challenges.

“He wants to come to Peru because he loves Peru... there is a sense of gratitude towards Peru... and also a desire to strengthen us in hope and renew the love he has always shown us,” he said.

Meanwhile, the bishops returned from Rome, as he stated, “with hearts full of gratitude, renewed in faith and strengthened in our pastoral mission,” after a visit he described as “a true time of grace, blessing, and discernment.”

Finally, he invited the entire country to prepare spiritually for the possible papal visit. “We are not going to prepare for this or that specific location; we are going to prepare for a visit to Peru,” he 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.

Genuis introduced a private member’s bill Feb. 5 that would amend the Criminal Code to prohibit any federal or provincial government employee in a position of authority, other than a doctor or nurse, from initiating a discussion about medical aid in dying.

Genuis said Bill C-260, “An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying — protection against coercion),” comes in response to numerous stories of counselors suggesting MAID to persons such as military veterans or disabled men and women who are seeking support, not death.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) issued a statement the same day strongly supporting Langley MP Tamara Jansen’s private member’s Bill C-218, which would prevent persons whose sole medical condition is mental illness from accessing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (MAID).

The statement from the CCCB’s permanent council, its most authoritative body between annual plenary assemblies, said Bill C-218 “would be a constructive step” toward limiting euthanasia and protecting individuals with mental illness.

The bishops noted the U.N. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has called on Canada to rescind “Track 2 MAID,” which allows euthanasia for those whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable, and to permanently exclude MAID for persons whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness.

The bishops also called on the federal government “to allow free conscience voting on this matter, given its profound moral and social implications.”

They said current research indicates mental illness is “not necessarily irremediable” and called for improved access to mental illness treatment and palliative care.

At a news conference in Ottawa, Genuis said his Bill C-260 would clarify MAID laws by explicitly covering coercive situations such as counseling sessions.

The member of Parliament for Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan said the bill is aimed at countering the “discrimination and coercion” that “undermine the experience of persons trying to access supports that they are entitled to.”

He cited the example of Nicolas Bergeron, a 46-year-old Quebec man who was not interested in medically-facilitated death. “But a social worker, who came to his house for an entirely different reason, repeatedly tried to push him to change his mind,” Genuis said.

Genuis said the counselor presented Bergeron with “a very bleak, worst-case scenario for his illness and told him that sometimes you just have to stop fighting ... This is wrong and this is not a one-off. This MAID coercion by nonexperts in positions of authority is part of a troubling pattern.”

The bill states: “Every person who, being an officer or employee of the government of Canada or of a province, other than a medical practitioner or a registered nurse, including a nurse practitioner, initiates a discussion with a person about the availability to that person of medical assistance in dying is guilty of an offense punishable on summary conviction if they (a) by virtue of their profession, are in a position of trust or authority towards that person; and
(b) know that the person has not specifically requested to have such a discussion with them.”

While current law requires that a request for MAID be voluntary and free from external pressure, supporters of the bill argue that consent can be compromised when individuals feel they have no meaningful alternatives to relieve their suffering. Supporters say inadequate access to palliative care, disability supports, mental health treatment, or stable housing amounts to “systemic coercion.”

The Criminal Code in Canada currently requires that individuals requesting MAID give informed consent and be advised of available means to relieve suffering, including palliative care. Proponents of Bill C-260 argue that explicitly naming coercion in the MAID context would make it a more enforceable criminal consideration rather than relying primarily on administrative checks and professional judgment.

Genuis has repeatedly argued that MAID cannot be considered a genuine choice when people lack access to life-affirming supports. That concern was underscored during a House of Commons committee exchange last fall with Krista Carr, chief executive officer of Inclusion Canada.

Appearing before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, Carr told MPs that people with disabilities are already being placed at a disadvantage by public policy decisions that erode supports. Asked by Genuis whether people with disabilities would be “net worse off” as a result of proposed changes to disability tax credits, Carr replied: “Yes. I think it’s an unintended consequence of a bill meant to make life more affordable for Canadians. As a consequence of that, yes, in a net position they will be worse off than they are now.”

The bill is being introduced amid ongoing debate over the scope and safeguards of Canada’s MAID regime, particularly for people whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable. Disability advocates and organizations, including Inclusion Canada, have repeatedly warned that the expansion of MAID has outpaced the development of adequate social supports, placing people in precarious living situations at risk.

As a private member’s bill, Bill C-260 must pass second reading in the House of Commons before proceeding to committee study.

This story was first published by The B.C. Catholic on Feb. 5, 2026, and is reprinted here with permission.

On its website, the U.S. State Department informed on Feb. 5 that the decision was made “following the success of the partnership” with the Catholic Church in Cuba in distributing the first $3 million in aid.

The department explained that this second round of assistance “will be delivered through the same channel as the first $3 million, with prepackaged commodities transported from Miami and delivered by local parish representatives.”

“This method has proven highly effective at ensuring that the failed Cuban regime cannot interfere with, or divert, assistance intended for the island’s needy population,” said the department, headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants.

As with the first delivery, “the regime must not make any effort to interfere with the provision of this lifesaving support. We remain vigilant in tracking any diversion or frustration of U.S. assistance efforts, and the regime will be accountable to the United States and its own people for any interference,” the statement warned.

“Beyond this tranche of assistance, the United States stands ready to surge even greater direct support to the Cuban people. The corrupt regime must simply permit it,” it added.

Following the announcement, Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, wrote on X that it was “hypocritical to apply coercive measures” and “then announce soup and canned goods for a few.”

The official was referring to the tariffs announced by the United States on countries that send oil to the island as a way to further pressure the communist regime that has governed Cuba since 1959.

On Jan. 14, Caritas Cuba — the charitable arm of the Church — received the first shipment of aid to assist those still suffering the consequences of Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island on Oct. 29, 2025.

On the same day the first shipment arrived, the Cuban ministry of foreign affairs stated that there had been “no official communication” between the two governments to confirm the shipment.

U.S. bishops’ role

“It was the Cuban Catholic Church that contacted the country’s authorities with the information that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) intended to serve as the channel for sending material assistance to Cuba, which would be provided by the U.S. government,” the ministry reported in a statement published in the official newspaper Granma.

For its part, Caritas Cuba stated that day that the material assistance “will be distributed by the Catholic Church” and that it worked together “with Catholic Relief Services in organizing this shipment. Technical support from Caritas Germany was also received in the process.”

The chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, Mike Hammer, also reported that he had met with the president of the Cuban Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Arturo González Amador, and the archbishop of Havana, Cardinal Juan de la Caridad García, to “review the progress of the distribution of humanitarian aid.”

The fact that international humanitarian aid is not passing through the regime’s controls marks an unprecedented event in Cuban history, since previous assistance had always required the participation and approval of the state.

On Oct. 31, 2025, before this U.S. initiative began, the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH, by its Spanish acronym) reported that the regime had “established ‘checkpoints’ at the exit of Las Tunas province and at the entrance to Granma province, to prevent the passage of people from the western and central parts of the island carrying food and other aid, especially from Christian churches,” intended to support those affected by Hurricane Melissa.

“The OCDH demands that the Cuban government allow the flow of aid from civil society and refrain from attempting to control social initiatives,” the organization stated.

Continued support for humanitarian channels

The Christian Liberation Movement (MCL, by its Spanish acronym) expressed its support for the U.S. humanitarian aid effort and said that providing assistance to the population through humanitarian channels is the way to “break the relationship of forced dependence that the dictatorship has imposed for decades as a mechanism of domination.”

“For the first time in history, this aid disconnects the dictatorship’s direct control over the people” and is truly humanitarian and not ideological, since “it doesn’t involve slogans” or require political allegiance. “For the first time, a Cuban can receive aid without supporting the regime, without thanking the regime, without being politically dependent on the regime,” the organization stated in a press release.

The MCL recalled that in July 2021 — after the protests that the government responded to with repression — it called on the international community to implement “11 concrete actions to isolate the Cuban regime, in solidarity with the freedom of the Cuban people.”

“In point 10 of those actions, we requested the creation of a humanitarian channel that would allow aid to be sent directly to the Cuban people while isolating the regime,” the MCL pointed out.

The Christian Liberation Movement noted that “this aid, distributed by the Church and supervised by the donors, not by the Cuban state, makes concrete an essential idea: international pressure must be directed at the oppressive power, and solidarity must reach — without political intermediaries — those who are suffering.”

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 American diplomat has been documenting these visits and meetings on the U.S. Embassy in Cuba’s X account.

The first meeting publicized was the one he held with the president of the Cuban Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Arturo González Amador, and Cardinal Juan de la Caridad García, archbishop of Havana.

The diplomat reported on Jan. 30 that the meeting was to “review the distribution of humanitarian aid that the U.S. government is sending through Caritas Cuba to those affected by Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba.”

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“If everything goes well and the aid is reaching those most in need, the Trump administration is ready to send more assistance given the great needs of the average Cuban citizen,” the embassy stated.

On Feb. 1, Hammer posted a video on X showing him with Father José Conrado in the municipality of Trinidad. Conrado is known for denouncing injustices in Cuba for many years.

“I had the pleasure of meeting Father Conrado again in Trinidad,” Hammer wrote on X. “He inspires me every time I talk to him. And when I left the parish, a few communists, surely frustrated by how badly the revolution is going, shouted obscenities at me — but aren’t they the ones who always insist on being treated with respect?”

In response, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs demanded that the “illegitimate Cuban regime” immediately cease “its repressive acts of sending individuals to interfere with the diplomatic work of Chargé d’Affaires Hammer and the members” of the embassy team.

“Our diplomats will continue to meet with the Cuban people, despite the regime’s failed intimidation tactics,” the U.S. government office stated.

The U.S. embassy noted on X that Hammer is meeting with “ordinary Cubans” who “contacted us by email.”

“If you would like us to visit you, send us your phone number and we will contact you when we are in your province,” the diplomatic mission in Havana said.

The representative also visited the provinces of Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey. In the latter, he met with Archbishop Wilfredo Pino. Although he did not disclose the content of the conversation, Hammer noted on Feb. 2 that, “like the U.S., the Church has an important role in supporting ordinary Cubans.”

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“The acts of repudiation organized by the regime will not prevent us from continuing to meet with Cubans concerned about the crisis facing the country,” the embassy stated on X.

On Feb. 4, Hammer reported on his meeting with the bishop of Holguín, Emilio Aranguren, to whom he presented a miniature “replica of our ‘Liberty Bell’” to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States.

During his visits, the diplomat also visited the homes of several citizens, including opposition figure Iván Hernández Carrillo and the family of Félix and Sayli Navarro, who were imprisoned because of the mass protests of July 2021.

“We continue to insist that they and all political prisoners be released,” the U.S. Embassy stated.

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.