The universityʼs College of Arts and Humanities announced April 24 that the codex, a sixth-century copy of St. Paul’s epistles, had been partially lost after being disassembled in the 13th century at the Great Lavra Monastery, located on Mount Athos in northern Greece.

Its pages were repurposed as binding material and flyleaves in other books, causing fragments of the manuscript to become scattered across libraries in various European countries.

“The breakthrough came from an important starting point: We knew that at one point, the manuscript was re-inked. The chemicals in the new ink caused ‘offset’ damage to facing pages, essentially creating a mirror image of the text on the opposite leaf, sometimes leaving traces several pages deep barely visible to the naked eye but very clear with latest imaging techniques,” explained Allen, as quoted by the University of Glasgow.

Thanks to a technique called multispectral imaging, researchers were able to recover texts that no longer physically exist.

This allowed them “to retrieve multiple pages of information from every single physical page,” the expert added. To ensure historical accuracy, the team also turned to radiocarbon dating analyses conducted in Paris, confirming the parchmentʼs origin in the sixth century.

Although the recovered texts contain passages already known from the Pauline epistles, the discovery offers new clues regarding how the New Testament was transmitted and understood in antiquity. In Allen’s words: “Given that Codex H is such an important witness to our understanding of Christian Scripture, to have discovered any new evidence, let alone this quantity, of what it originally looked like is nothing short of monumental.”

Among the key findings are ancient lists of chapters considered the oldest known for St. Paul’s epistles, which differ notably from the current division of these texts. Furthermore, the fragments reveal how sixth-century scribes corrected and annotated sacred texts, as well as the medieval practice of reusing and repurposing manuscripts once they fell into disrepair.

The project was made possible thanks to funding from the Templeton Religion Trust and the U.K.’s Arts and Humanities Research Council in collaboration with the Great Lavra Monastery.

A printed edition of Codex H will be published shortly, while a digital version is already available to the public for the first time in centuries.

As highlighted by the University of Glasgow, this discovery not only recovers a portion of an ancient manuscript but also provides a better understanding of the living history of the transmission of the Bible throughout the centuries.

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 purpose of NSC Italy is to offer a way to grow spiritually centered on prayer, sacramental life, and fellowship, fostering a personal relationship with God and a sense of belonging to the Church.

These young people, who attend the Traditional Latin Mass and do not belong to any religious organization or community, also seek to contribute to the restoration of the spirit of Christendom and to rekindle the faith within a contemporary context marked by secularization, by offering opportunities where Christianity can be rediscovered in a living, concrete, and shared manner.

Giacomo Mollo, an Italian and one of the organizers, explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that the idea for organizing a pilgrimage in Italy came from his participation in the one held in Spain, whose route goes from Oviedo to the shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga.

“After that long, three-day trek spent with many other traditionalist Catholic youths following in the footsteps of the heroes of the Reconquista [the liberation of Spain from Muslim control], and blessed by the holy Mass, we decided that this beautiful form of evangelization, the pilgrimage of faith, which for millennia has converted Catholics throughout Europe, should also be held in Italy, and particularly in Rome,” he explained.

Mollo, together with his friend Nicolò Toppi, launched the initiative with the support of a large group of young volunteers and priests.

The pilgrimage, held April 25–27, brought together 160 people, including laypeople, priests, and seminarians hailing from countries such as France, Spain, Argentina, Ireland, England, Hungary, Mexico, the United States, and Portugal.

“The experience was truly beautiful,” Mollo related. “Beyond the smooth execution, we traversed magnificent places, remarkable both for their scenic beauty and for their spiritual significance for Catholics.”

A route laden with meaning

The pilgrimage set out from the papal basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome and proceeded to St. John Lateran, passing in front of the “Quo Vadis” church and traversing the Old Appian Way until reaching Castel Gandolfo square, surrounding the papal residence.

The pilgrims visited the shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano, to whom Pope Leo XIV has a special devotion, and attended Mass at the Colonna Castle, the birthplace of Pope Martin V.

Their destination was Subiaco, where Mass was offered at St. Scholastica Church, concluding with a visit to the cave where St. Benedict, the primary patron saint of Europe, developed his rule and laid the foundations of Western monasticism.

“All of this combined with the penitential meaning of the journey, the universality of the Church demonstrated by the participation of pilgrims from many parts of the world, and the communion of faith experienced while participating in the holy Mass according to the ‘Usus Antiquior’ [older or ancient usage] of the Roman rite, filled us all with an unimaginable sense of gratitude, beauty, and faith,” Mollo highlighted.

Currently, organizers are working on next yearʼs pilgrimage, as they expect a larger number of pilgrims.

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 light of the dramatic global events currently unfolding, Pope Leo XIV, following in the footsteps of his predecessors, stands out for his firm condemnation of all war and his heartfelt appeals for dialogue,” the exorcists declared in an Italian-language statement titled “The Courage of Pope Leo.”

Since the beginning of his pontificate, the Holy Father has issued many calls for dialogue and for striving for a peace that is “unarmed and disarming,” especially in the face of the wars in Iran, the Holy Land, and Ukraine, among other conflicts including those in Africa, a continent he visited April 13–23, where he did not cease in his calls to put an end to the violence.

The trip was marked by some tensions between the Vatican and the U.S. government, as President Donald Trump on social media openly attacked Pope Leo XIV, who put the matter to rest by stating that he has no fear of the current U.S. administration and is fulfilling his mission to proclaim the Gospel, adding that he has no interest in entering into a debate with Trump.

The AIE noted that the current global situation is marked “by a dynamic of evil that runs through history: in which despite the presence of the devil whom Jesus called the ‘prince of this world’ (Jn 14:30) and the ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44), man’s moral responsibility ultimately remains, for he remains free and called to choose the good.”

“Added to the responsibility and culpability of those participating in the escalation of violence is a deeper crisis affecting the human heart wounded by sin and often incapable of recognizing truth and goodness,” the exorcists pointed out.

After recalling that it is the Church’s mission to proclaim that “Christ is our peace,” the International Association of Exorcists said it “renews its filial closeness and support for Pope Leo XIV in the universal mission of peace and justice that belongs to the Church by mandate of its Divine Founder.”

How to achieve peace?

In its exhortation, the AIE called for “never tiring of working for peace, above all through prayer, and by beginning from within our hearts, our families, and our communities to promote concrete and sincere gestures of mutual forgiveness and authentic reconciliation with all.”

In this regard, the association called for various spiritual means such as “Eucharistic adoration, the recitation of the rosary, fasting, and works of mercy,” which serve as “concrete ways for building peace.”

The exorcists emphasized that “authentic peace is inseparable from liberation from sin and from the action of the evil one, and that spiritual combat is an intrinsic part of the Church’s journey through history.”

The AIE invoked the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, to “enlighten the leaders of peoples and nations and grant humanity the gift of reconciliation and true peace, which has its foundation in Christ and its full realization in eternal 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.

Meeting in Nicosia from April 22–24 under the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, delegates of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) endorsed a declaration that echoed Pope Leo XIVʼs recent appeal: “Let those who have weapons lay them down.”

In his opening address, Maronite Archbishop Selim Sfeir called Cyprus a “natural bridge” between Europe and the Middle East and named greed as the root of wars “that are regional only in name.”

The Church, he told the assembly, citing Paul VI, is “an expert in humanity.”

Support for Christians

On April 23, the feast of St. George, the bishops celebrated Mass in the Maronite rite in Kormakitis, Cyprus.

In his homily, Sfeir said the once-flourishing Cypriot Maronite community had been reduced to four villages and that the unresolved Cyprus question continued to deprive the faithful of access to their properties, including — according to Sfeir — two parishes and the historic Monastery of the Prophet Elijah.

The bishops past occupied homes and churches under restricted access; they pledged to advocate within EU institutions for the rights and heritage of Cyprus' Christians.

Cypriot Deputy Minister of Culture Vasiliki Kassianidou used her address to the assembly to set out Nicosiaʼs EU agenda, citing more than 550 religious monuments under occupation, over 20,000 stolen icons, and looted cemeteries since 1974. Combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property, she said, is a Cypriot presidency priority.

The plenary also heard from Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, who joined by video link and described the daily reality of Christians in the Holy Land since October 2023.

He urged the European bishops to invest in interreligious dialogue at home as a model for the region.

EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica briefed the assembly on the new EU Pact for the Mediterranean, with its 21 initiatives focused on youth, investment, and migration, and on Europeʼs “demographic winter.” A separate meeting with His Beatitude Georgios III, Greek Orthodox archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus, completed the ecumenical program.

COMECEʼs autumn plenary convenes in Brussels from Oct. 14–16.

Wendy Duffy told the New York Post she paid $13,500 to the Swiss assisted-dying nonprofit the Pegasos clinic.

Duffy’s son, Marcus, died at age 23 four years ago after choking on a tomato lodged in his windpipe while sleeping. Nine months later, unable to cope with her grief, she attempted suicide by overdose and was placed on a ventilator for two weeks.

She told the Daily Mail suicide is the only way her “spirit can be free.” She also said no amount of medication or therapy can make her whole again, and she “can’t wait” to die. She added: “I could step off a motorway bridge or a tower block but that would leave anyone finding me dealing with that for the rest of their lives.”

She said she has chosen her deathbed outfit and requested that Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile” play as she dies. Her belongings will be donated afterward.

Duffy said she plans to call her four sisters and two brothers from Switzerland to say goodbye. “It will be a hard call where I’ll say goodbye and thank them,” she said. “But they will get it. They know. Honestly, 100%, they know that I’m not happy, that I don’t want to be here.”

Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, even for physically healthy people. On its website, Pegasos says it “believes that it is the human right of every rational adult of sound mind, regardless of state of health, to choose the manner and timing of their death."

Duffy’s case follows the recent death by euthanasia of 25-year-old Noelia Castillo in Spain. On March 26, the young woman was euthanized over her father’s objections. The case sparked national debate in Spain, where euthanasia has been legal since 2021.

The Church in Spain called Castillo’s death “a societal defeat.”

In a statement, members of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference’s Subcommittee for the Family and Defense of Life said Castillo’s “story reflects an accumulation of personal suffering and institutional failings that challenge the whole of society.”

Timeʼs up for right-to-die bill in UK

Meanwhile, a right-to-die bill has stalled in the U.K. Parliament. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ran out of parliamentary time and therefore failed in the House of Lords on April 24.

The archbishop of Liverpool, John Sherrington, said he was grateful to “all those Parliamentarians who have worked tirelessly to preserve the dignity of every human life and ensure that end-of life care remains rooted in compassion and respect until the natural end of life.”

The Catholic Church teaches that suicide and euthanasia are gravely immoral.

In a 2024 message to a palliative care symposium, Pope Francis called euthanasia “a failure of love.” He recalled when he said previously that assisted suicide and euthanasia constitute a “false compassion.”

“‘[C]ompassion,’ a word that means ‘suffering with,’ does not involve the intentional ending of a life but rather the willingness to share the burdens of those facing the end stages of our earthly pilgrimage,” he said.

In St. John Paul II’s 1999 address to the Pontifical Academy for Life, “Love and Solidarity for the Dying,” he said: “No one can arbitrarily choose whether to live or die; the absolute master of such a decision is the Creator alone.”

In his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae, he said: “suicide ... involves the rejection of love of self and the renunciation of the obligation of justice and charity towards one’s neighbor … In its deepest reality, suicide represents a rejection of God’s absolute sovereignty over life and death.” Euthanasia is likewise condemned as “a grave violation of the law of God.”

He also calls euthanasia “a false mercy, and indeed a disturbing ‘perversion’ of mercy. True ‘compassion’ leads to sharing anotherʼs pain; it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear.”

He continued: “Moreover, the act of euthanasia appears all the more perverse if it is carried out by those, like relatives, who are supposed to treat a family member with patience and love, or by those, such as doctors, who by virtue of their specific profession are supposed to care for the sick person even in the most painful terminal stages.”

While the Church says euthanasia and assisted suicide are never permissible, it supports palliative care. According to Dian Backoff, former executive director of Catholic Hospice for Catholic Health Services, palliative care is meant to address “what the whole patient wants during the treatment of an illness,” whether or not the patient is terminally ill or dealing with a long-term affliction.

“Palliative care, then, is a genuine form of compassion, for it responds to suffering, whether physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual, by affirming the fundamental and inviolable dignity of every person, especially the dying, and helping them to accept the inevitable moment of passage from this life to eternal life,” Pope Francis said in 2024.

This is the first time that the top EU court found an infringement of Article 2 of The Treaty of the European Union, which contains the values on which the union is founded and are shared by all the member states, including Hungary.

Several of the amendments of the Hungary law, the CJEU said, “constitute a coordinated series of discriminatory measures” against “the rights of non-cisgender persons — including transgender persons — or nonheterosexual persons,” the judges argued. The problematic parts are also against respect for human dignity, equality, and human rights, “including the rights of persons belonging to minorities,” according to the decision.

The Hungary law contained amendments strengthening penalties against pedophilia, protecting minors, as well as limitations on promoting LGBTQ and gender-related issues and themes for minors, mainly in schools.

The law was passed by outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has been in power since 2010 and lost recent elections held on April 12. It was the European Commission, one of the main institutions of the EU, that brought an action for “failure to fulfill obligations” before the Court of Justice.

The court also lamented “the offensive and stigmatizing nature of the amending law” as well as “discrimination based on sex or sexual orientation,” and “a preference for certain identities and sexual orientations to the detriment of others.” 

Moreover, the court underlined “a particularly serious interference with several fundamental rights” such as private and family life and found a breach of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) as well as the right to the protection of data.

Orbán reacted to the decision saying: “Our patriotic government protected Hungarian children from aggressive LGBTQ propaganda. Brusselian empire now strikes back.” The politician promised he would “not give up the fight for the soul of Europe!”

The Hungarian Conservative media outlet noted that “Western mainstream media and politicians welcomed the ruling,” while “many right-wing activists and political commentators criticized the court’s decision.”

The case “raises great concerns about whether courts are narrowing the space” for “states to legislate on moral or child-protection grounds,” a global network of natural law scholars said in response to the ruling. 

The International Society of Natural Law Scholars also noted that the courtʼs ruling exposes a “tension between national authority over education, culture, and family policy” on one hand and “supranational enforcement of rights and nondiscrimination norms” on the other.

Some have questioned the timing of the ruling, coming shortly after the parliamentary elections in Hungary. The winning party, Tisza, is led by former government insider Péter Magyar, who is expected to succeed Orbán.

Hungarian analysts told the National Catholic Register on April 10 that Magyar was a conservative, while others suggested he may bring “dangerous trends,” leading to “worse legislation” in favor of “abortion, euthanasia, and LGBTQ issues.”

The Hungarian Conservative also noted that “the future of the child protection law remains unclear” as Magyar largely avoided speaking about the gender issues during his campaign but said after his election: “Everyone can live with whoever they love as long as they do not violate laws and are not harmful to others.’”

Priests who do not want to carry out such blessing celebrations for homosexual marriages or remarried divorced people must refer the couples to the dean or other staff.

A letter from the cardinal, which Die Tagespost reported on Monday, indicates that the handout should be “the basis of pastoral care” and beginning in June, various offices within the archdiocese are to offer further training as to the design of the blessing celebrations for all full-time officials in pastoral care.

Marx emphasized that "the blessing is not the celebration of a sacramental marriage.” However, this does not mean that the blessing of a non-sacramental union, which in many cases is already a civil marriage, moves the couple to the margins of the community and the Church.

According to Tagespost, Marx instructed that the "theological meaning" of the text be explained to all those "who still struggle with this blessing.”

The handout “Blessing Gives Strength to Love” is the result of a process that emerged from a vote at the Synodal Way. In March 2023, the fifth synodal meeting adopted the text of the handout with 92% of the votes. The Joint Conference of the German Bishops' Conference (DBK) and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) presented the text of the handout in spring 2025.

In the Church in Germany, the handout is highly controversial. Official recommendations were issued by the dioceses of Limburg, Osnabrück, Rottenburg-Stuttgart, and Trier. However, the Archdiocese of Cologne and the dioceses of Augsburg, Eichstätt, Passau, and Regensburg all rejected the application and referred to Fiducia Supplicans for justification.

According to Fiducia Supplicans, the Vatican declaration on the pastoral meaning of blessings issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (formerly the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, or CDF) in December 2023, blessings of connections in irregular situations and of homosexual couples are possible — although the CDF claimed the opposite only two years earlier.

Paragraph 31 of the document states that the form of the blessings may not be "ritually determined by the ecclesiastical authorities ... so as not to cause confusion with the blessing of the sacrament of marriage.”

According to paragraph 38, one should neither promote the blessing of couples who are in an irregular situation nor provide a ritual for it. Blessings according to No. 39 are expressly excluded “in direct connection with a civil celebration.” Also “the clothes, the gestures, and the words that are the expression for a marriage” are therefore to be refrained from.

Numerous bishops — including entire bishops' conferences — have rejected the Vatican approval of blessings for same-sex unions. Thus, there is a struggle for direction in the Church between those who adhere to the Church’s traditional teaching on homosexuality and those who consider blessings of same-sex couples to be possible in principle — whether in the form outlined by the Vatican or in the form that is largely common in Germany.

The Catholic Church in the catechism, basing its teaching in sacred Scripture and tradition, distinguishes between homosexual inclinations or tendencies and homosexual acts, calling such acts “intrinsically disordered” and contrary to natural law. “They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved,” the catechism says in No. 2357.

The Church at the same time strictly forbids discrimination against homosexuals, saying they must always be accepted with “respect, compassion, and sensitivity.” Furthermore, the Church calls persons with same-sex attraction to chastity — as all are called to according to their state in life — and to “fulfill God’s will in their lives” (No. 2358).

According to Catholic doctrine, marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman, and their union has a twofold end: “the good of the spouses themselves, and the transmission of life” (No. 2363). The catechism says these two values of marriage may never be separated.

This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN New English.

The event combined religious observance, civic participation, and pro-life advocacy, drawing families, clergy, activists, and public figures to central Warsaw. The day began with Mass celebrated in two of the cityʼs major churches.

In the Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Bishop Piotr Jarecki presided over the liturgy, while Bishop Tomasz Sztajerwald celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian in Warsaw-Praga.

Participants later gathered at Castle Square, where the march officially began. Organizers described the event as a public expression of support for life and family, rooted in Poland’s Christian tradition. Metropolitan Archbishop Adrian Galbas of Warsaw encouraged participation ahead of the event, framing it as a testimony to human dignity. “We want to testify that we are lovers of life. Bring your family along! Life triumphs over every death,” he declared.

March through Warsaw highlights pro-life message

The procession moved through central Warsaw streets under the historic slogan marking Poland’s Christian heritage. As participants approached the Presidential Palace, Polish President Karol Nawrocki spoke, linking the march to broader social concerns.

“I support initiatives that serve Poland, and this initiative certainly serves Poland,” he said. “It is also a response to the deep demographic crisis. Today, the answer to many Polish problems lies precisely in Polish families, in our identity, in remembering where we come from and where we are going.”

Organizers said the march was intended not only as a demonstration of pro-life conviction but also as a broader reflection on national identity and social cohesion.

A prominent symbol carried during the march was a copy of the icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, which has been traveling internationally for 14 years as part of the From Ocean to Ocean pilgrimage in defense of life. The icon has traveled more than 220,000 kilometers (almost 137,000 miles) and visited 32 countries across five continents.

Shifting abortion attitudes among younger Poles

The National March for Life is organized by the St. Benedict Foundation alongside dozens of pro-life groups from across Poland and takes place under the honorary patronage of the Polish Episcopal Conference.

Patrycja Michońska-Dynek, director of the Press Center of the Archdiocese of Warsaw, told EWTN News that there are shifting public attitudes toward abortion in Poland, including growing societal acceptance and increased calls for liberalization, attributing these changes to secularization, cultural pressures, and differing interpretations of freedom.

Michońska-Dynek also observed that while pro-life values remain important in Polish society, younger generations often approach the issue with more nuanced perspectives, particularly in complex or exceptional situations. Fostering a “culture of life” must include practical support for families, such as assistance for single mothers and couples in crisis, Michońska-Dynek said.

Not a single-issue agenda

Lidia Sankowska-Grabczuk, one of the organizers of the National March for Life, told EWTN News that the pro-life movement in Poland extends beyond a single-issue focus on abortion.

“In a nutshell, the pro-life movement is [often] the anti-abortion movement. In our view… it’s a bit different. We don’t reduce it to a single-issue agenda,” she said, warning that such a narrow framing “strips it of its true meaning.” While protecting unborn life remains central, she described it as part of a broader vision rooted in what she called “the public voice of Polish Christianity.”

She outlined three core pillars underpinning the movement. The first is “respect for life,” encompassing not only the unborn but also solidarity with the elderly, families, and those in need. The second is the family as society’s foundation, grounded in the traditional understanding of marriage and its role in Poland’s social stability. The third pillar is “a state serving the common good,” reflecting a view of politics as service and a call for greater social solidarity.

Sankowska-Grabczuk also discussed the importance of Poland’s historical and Christian identity in shaping the movement. She noted that recent marches have intentionally marked major national milestones, including the 1,000th anniversary of Poland’s first royal coronation in 2025.

These commemorations, she said, highlight how the movement sees its mission as inseparable from Poland’s historical development, where Christianity has long informed both national identity and social values.

Pro-life voices and public participation

Among international participants was Tonio Borg, president of the European Federation One of Us. He urged participants to remain steadfast in their convictions despite criticism or public pressure.

“Do not be afraid of being slandered and ridiculed because you seek to protect life from the moment of conception,” he said, encouraging continued public engagement and advocacy.

He also called on supporters to make their voices heard in the public sphere, stressing the importance of influencing lawmakers and demonstrating that “the unborn child is one of us.”

Marcin Perłowski, director of the Centre for Life and Family, said participants gathered at the march out of a shared conviction that “human life begins at conception” and must be defended. He stated that the National March for Life serves as a public demonstration of that belief, describing it as a stand “against all those who raise a hand against unborn children.”

Pro-life activist Emilia Mędrzecka told EWTN News that her position is grounded in a belief in universal human dignity. “Children in the womb are as human as we are… they are more dependent and need time to grow,” she said while adding that the march reflected a strong presence of families, young people, and older generations united in support of life.

While official attendance figures have not been released, estimates provided to EWTN News suggested more than 10,000 people participated, with organizers placing peak attendance between 25,000 and 30,000.

In addition to offering a reflection on the popeʼs upcoming June 6–12 apostolic journey to Spain, the archbishop of Valladolid devoted a large portion of his address to analyzing the issue of polarization, which carries significant consequences both within and outside the Catholic Church.

Drawing upon a doctrinal note published by the CEE in March, which warned of the dangers of emotivism, a phenomenon he defined as fundamentally based on emotions. Argüello said that “reductionism based on emotivism poses a genuine risk,” one that spreads to social, ecclesial, and political coexistence through polarization.

This polarization based on emotions “transforms opinions into identities,” such that fear becomes “the strongest factor undergirding polarization. One’s opponent is no longer viewed as someone with whom one disagrees, but rather as a threat,” which leads to dehumanization.

Argüello emphasized that this phenomenon “denies the polarities that constitute us and make us fruitful,” namely, the Trinitarian polarity, which is “foundational to all others”; the anthropological polarity, male and female; the polarity of “you and I, ourselves and society”; and the polarity of “history and eternal life.”

Polarization affects the life of the Church

The prelate addressed how this phenomenon affects the life of the Catholic Church, alluding to a “typically polarizing controversy” that arose in various media outlets regarding a conversation held by members of the CEE executive committee with Pope Leo XIV in November 2025.

The controversy surrounded leaked comments from the meeting attributed to Pope Leo, who purportedly said that his greatest concern in Spain is the "far right," according to some media outlets. The CEE explained, however, that “in the dialogue, the Holy Father reflected, among other things, on the risks of subjecting faith to ideologies, without mentioning any specific group."

“Ideologies in postmodern societies participate in the interplay of identity, belonging, and polarization, serving the struggle for power. Theological thought — and, stemming from it, ecclesial life and pastoral action — are also affected by ideological reductionism,” Argüello noted.

The consequence is that these positions “wound the deposit of faith, cause division within the Church, and anesthetize the missionary power of the Gospel,” he added.

Polarization and synodality

Argüello also listed other negative fruits of polarization in various spheres, such as human anthropology, attitudes toward immigrants, the Churchʼs role in public life, whether Spain is a single nation or a nation composed of nations, and ecclesiology.

Argüello pointed out that “democracy, when lived as an ideology, seeks to be applied to all dimensions of existence; it disrupts genuine synodality — a shared discernment aimed at being more faithful to the missionary mandate of the Lord — and transforms it into an exercise in the distribution of power based on the theological-pastoral preferences of the participants.”

“By way of contrast, clericalism, both ideological and emotional, views every form of participation with suspicion and rejects synodality under the pretext that it threatens legitimate authority, yet this merely masks the ambition to retain absolute power over the Christian community,” he stated.

Government forcing agreements

The president of the CEE also addressed relations with public authorities and denounced certain attitudes on the part of the government. Although the Spanish state is defined in its constitution as “non-confessional,” the prelate remarked ironically that the executive branch “tends to adopt ‘confessional’ stances” — for instance, in matters of anthropology.

“It also adopts a confessional perspective on history, and a selective one regarding victims,” he added. Furthermore, it “manifests an excessive desire to intervene in civil society and to control institutions,” as well as “double standards, depending on who is affected by matters of abuse of power or corruption. All of this is done in an effort to secure control over the media.”

Argüello stated that “several of these characteristics would apply to almost all governments” and renewed his commitment to cooperation, though not without first noting that despite having engaged in dialogue with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez regarding various matters, “this government’s priority interest, the only one on which it has sought to force agreements, has been the issue of the abuse of minors committed solely within the Church, and the re-signification of the Valley of the Fallen,” the monumental complex dedicated to combatants on both sides of the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War.

The prelate further took issue with Justice Minister Félix Bolaños’ assertion made following the signing of the protocol to assist victims of abuse, that “the government decides and the Church pays,” pointing out that the Church “has provided compensation, in many cases, without any government or court ruling having imposed it.”

Regarding the situation of the Basilica of the Holy Cross at the Valley of the Fallen, Argüello invited "the government and the monks of the Abbey of the Valley of Cuelgamuros to reach a reasonable and satisfactory agreement for both parties — one that, moreover, serves as a testament that it is possible to overcome polarization and find paths for reconciliation.

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.

When remembering St. Anselm in a general audience on Sept. 23, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI said he was “a monk with an intense spiritual life, an excellent teacher of the young, a theologian with an extraordinary capacity for speculation, a wise man of governance and an intransigent defender of the Churchʼs freedom.”

St. Anselm, Benedict said, stands out as “one of the eminent figures of the Middle Ages who was able to harmonize all these qualities, thanks to the profound mystical experience that always guided his thought and his action.”

Anselm was born in Aosta, part of the Piedmont region of present-day Italy, around 1033. While his father provided little in the way of moral or religious influence, his mother was a notably devout woman and chose to send Anselm to a school run by the Benedictine order where he received a classical education and reportedly became a great Latinist of his time. 

The boy felt a profound religious calling during these years, spurred in part by a dream in which he met and conversed with God. At 15, he wanted to be a monk, but his father forbade it, wishing his son to have a political career. This disappointment was followed by a period of severe illness for Anselm as well as his motherʼs early death.

Unable to join the monks, and tired of mistreatment by his father, Anselm left home and wandered throughout parts of France and Italy for three years. His life regained its direction in Normandy, where he met the Benedictine prior Lanfranc of Pavia and became his disciple.

Lanfranc recognized his pupilʼs intellectual gifts and encouraged his vocation to religious life. Accepted into the order and ordained a priest at age 27, Anselm succeeded his teacher as prior in 1063 when Lanfranc was called to become abbot of another monastery. Anselm became abbot of his own monastery, Bec, in 1079.

Just prior to that, in 1077, Anselm wrote the “Monologian” (“Monologue”), which was both an apologetic and religious treatise attempting to demonstrate the existence of God using reason alone.

With Anselm at the helm, Bec became a center of monastic learning.

By this time, the Normans had conquered England and sought to bring monks from Normandy to influence the Church there. Lanfranc became archbishop of Canterbury and asked Anselm to come and assist him.

The period after Lanfrancʼs death, however, in the late 1080s, was a difficult time for the English Church. King William Rufus, the son of William the Conqueror, refused to allow the appointment of a new archbishop. Anselm went back to his monastery and did not want to return to England, but in 1092, he was persuaded to do so.

The following year, the king changed his mind and allowed Anselm to become archbishop of Canterbury, but the monk was extremely reluctant to accept the charge, which would involve him in further struggles with the English crown in subsequent years.

For a three-year period in the early 12th century, Anselmʼs insistence on the self-government of the Church — against the claims of the state to its administration and property — caused him to be exiled from England. But he was successful in his struggle and returned to his archdiocese in 1106.

Anselm continued to develop theological ideas and teaching. His doctrine of the atonement eventually became part of the theology of the Latin Church, forming the basis of both the Catholic and Protestant understanding of the work of Christ.

In his last years, Anselm worked to reform the Church and continued his theological investigations — following the motto of “faith seeking understanding.” After his death in 1109, his influence on the subsequent course of theology led Pope Clement XI to name him a doctor of the Church in 1720.

This story was first published on April 15, 2012, and has been updated.

News of the network’s long-planned expansion comes ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s June 6–12 visit to Spain, the first papal visit to the country since Pope Benedict XVI visited in 2011, EWTN Global Catholic Network said in an April 20 press release.

“If faith is truly part of our lives, it cannot be confined to a single moment — it must be present in all of them. Expanding to 24/7 programming allows us to walk with people throughout their day, offering a constant point of encounter with Christ,” EWTN Spain president José Carlos González-Hurtado said. “It strengthens our ability to serve the Church in Spain and to partner more deeply with EWTN’s global mission, especially as we prepare for comprehensive coverage of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Spain.”

EWTN Spain began broadcasting four hours daily on three television platforms, including Movistar+ (channel 143), Vodafone (channel 212), and Orange (channel 92), in addition to the network’s YouTube channel and website.

The network’s adoption of digital terrestrial television more than doubles its viewership capacity, the release said.

Since its founding in 2020, EWTN Spain’s programming has included content adapted and translated from programming produced in EWTN studios in the U.S. and Latin America. With the expansion of the network, all future content will be produced in Spain for Spanish audiences.

“At a time when Spain is grappling with profound questions surrounding the dignity of life and participation in the Church, EWTN is stepping forward in a larger way — accompanying those who are searching and offering the clarity and hope of the Gospel to every soul hungry for the truth,” said EWTN Chairman of the Board and CEO Michael Warsaw.

“Launching on what would have been Mother Angelica’s 103rd birthday is a powerful sign that this expansion in Spain builds on her enduring legacy and vision to proclaim the Gospel without compromise,” he said.

Mother Angelica is the foundress of EWTN, the world’s largest Catholic media organization, with 11 global TV channels and numerous regional channels that broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours per day, seven days per week in over 160 countries and territories.

EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SiriusXM, iHeartRadio, and more than 600 domestic and international AM and FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division; and EWTN News, its global, multilingual news service.

The Dicastery for Culture and Education announced the participation of several influential figures in contemporary art and culture — including American singer Patti Smith and Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao — in the Holy See Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, which will be held May 9 through Nov. 22.

This edition of the Italian cultural event, titled “In Minor Keys,” is a sensory and meditative experience that seeks to reconnect participants with the emotional and affective roles of art in society.

In a press release, the Dicastery for Culture and Education announced the 24 artists who will form part of the Holy See’s selection this year, reflecting the eventʼs concept for 2026, which invites visitors to slow down the pace of life and open up spaces for reflection and silence.

This edition is marked by the unexpected death in May 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, of its curator, Koyo Kouoh, a Cameroonian-Swiss artist globally recognized as one of the most powerful voices in the promotion of contemporary African art.

Patti Smith is popularly known as the “Godmother of Punk.” Her 1975 debut album “Horses” marked a turning point in New York punk by fusing rock and poetry.

The prestigious Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao, internationally renowned for her humanist and social approach to architecture, will also participate in the project. She designed the pavilion for the 2025 Venice Biennale, a project titled “Opera Aperta” (“Open Work”), which received a special mention from the jury.

Inspired by a medieval saint

Inspired by the life and spiritual legacy of St. Hildegard of Bingen, the Holy See’s pavilion as explained by the Vatican is conceived as a space for contemplation and deep listening.

Titled “L’orecchio è l’occhio dell’anima” (“The Ear Is the Eye of the Soul”), the pavilion will be hosted across two historic venues in the city: Cannaregio and Castello.

It has been curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers in collaboration with the Soundwalk Collective and draws upon the life and spiritual legacy of St. Hildegard, a 12th-century Benedictine nun, mystic, composer, and thinker who was proclaimed a saint and doctor of the Church in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.

The works commissioned from the participating artists are conceived as a “sonic prayer”: an art form that unites music, spoken word, film, and silence, and invites the visitor to an experience of contemplative listening.

As explained by the Vatican, the proposal reflects a curatorial vision that conceives of sound as a path to inner knowledge and spiritual experience, reviving a central insight of the thought of Hildegard of Bingen.

The project is curated by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education.

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.

An international committee for the centenary celebrations established by the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation is coordinating the initiatives, the foundation announced.

“The centenary of Ratzingerʼs birth is an opportunity to fully present his thought and his approach to reality as significant contributions to the current ecclesial and cultural debate,” said Father Roberto Regoli, president of the foundation and of the centenary committee.

“His legacy concerns the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council, the personal experience of Christ, which becomes the key to all branches of theology, and reasonableness as the criterion underlying human reflection on reality,” the priest noted.

Events marking 100 years since the beloved German pontiffʼs birth on April 16, 1927, will take place in several countries in Europe as well as in the U.S., India, Colombia, and Kenya.

Events across the globe

On the first day of the centenary celebrations next April, the fourth volume of selected texts by Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI titled “The Faith of the Future: The Future of the Church” will be presented in Rome at Italy’s embassy to the Holy See.

Two events will take place in the U.S. next year. On Nov. 3, at Saint Mary’s University in Minneapolis, the presentation of Volume 6 of the “Collected Works” of Joseph Ratzinger will take place; and on Nov. 4–6, in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, a conference will be held on the theme “Joseph Ratzinger and His Sources.”

On July 10–11 in Bangalore, the bishops of India will hold a colloquium on the theme “A Rereading of the Theological Journey of Joseph Ratzinger.”

On Sept. 10, Péter Pázmány Catholic University in Budapest, Hungary, will host a study day to mark the presentation of Volume 3 of Joseph Ratzinger’s complete works in Hungarian: “The God of Faith and the God of Philosophers: Philosophical Reason, Culture, Europe, Society.”

On Sept. 24–26, the international conference “For the Centenary of Joseph Ratzinger: Paths of Faith, Hope, and Charity” will take place at the University of La Sabana in Bogotá, Colombia.

On Oct. 14 in Paris, the Collège des Bernardins, the Académie Catholique de France, the Institut de France, the journal “Communio,” and the television channel KTO will host an international symposium provisionally titled “The Major Lectures of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI in France.”

The international congress “The Beauty of the Liturgy” will be held in Almería, Spain, on Oct. 28–30, and a statue dedicated to Benedict XVI will be unveiled.

In Nairobi, Kenya, a symposium titled “Constellations of Hope: Africa and the Renewal of the Church in the Vision of Benedict XVI” will be held at Tangaza University on Nov. 18–21.

A schedule with more events will be announced at a later date.

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.

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

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

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

And that moment marked the beginning of it all.

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

‘I’ve had an experience with God’

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

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

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

A love ‘not of this world’

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

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

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

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

‘He was in love with God’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Embracing illness as a gift

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘No ordinary peace’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The secret behind his heroic life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘A writer’s master is his readers’

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

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

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

Speak to the seeker, not the convinced

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

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

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

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

The balance between reason and the Holy Spirit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Counterprotesters and police response

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coordinated Church-state response

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

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

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

Role of parishes on the front line

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

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

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

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

Broader regional context

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

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

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

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

Organized by the Finnish pro-life group Oikeus elämään ry, the “Muistamme” (“In remembrance”) event featured 8,645 candles, one for each abortion performed in Finland in 2024.

Johannes Laitinen, one of the eventʼs organizers, said approximately 100 preselected participants were invited to light the candles, chosen because of their personal connection to the loss of children through abortion. Members of the public were also given the opportunity to take part in the candle lighting during the vigil.

After the candles were lit, participants observed a minute of silence, while volunteers remained through the night as the display continued glowing in central Helsinki.

A public witness in the heart of Helsinki

Speaking to EWTN News, Kirsi Morgan-MacKay, chairman of Finlandʼs Right to Life Association, said the vigil sought both to honor the unborn and to confront the public with the scale of abortion in the country.

“The event created a visual that touched peopleʼs hearts and perhaps made them stop and think about how many children are actually lost every year through abortion,” she said.

Morgan-MacKay added that the vigil also aimed to acknowledge the often-unspoken grief experienced by women and families affected by abortion.

She noted that leaders from multiple Christian denominations attended the event, which organizers viewed as an encouraging sign of broader ecclesial engagement.

“We have always hoped that churches would come together to defend the lives of unborn children,” she said, explaining that abortion is not merely political but “a spiritual, ethical, and moral issue.”

A prayer gathering was also held in connection with the vigil at Luther Church in Helsinki, where clergy from Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Catholic communities offered prayers. Representing the Catholic Church, Jean Claude Kabeza, vicar general of the Diocese of Helsinki, conveyed greetings from Bishop Raimo Goyarrola.

Finlandʼs welfare state and the limits of social support

While happy about Finlandʼs reputation for its strong social welfare system, Morgan-MacKay noted that many women facing crisis pregnancies still experience profound isolation. “Many women and families are still left alone in the midst of a crisis,” she said, adding that loneliness and lack of support often persist even within families.

She also observed that in Finland, the lives of unborn children often go unvalued when a pregnancy is unwanted. She pointed out that women confronted with an unplanned pregnancy, sometimes in shock, may see abortion as an “easy” way out, particularly since medical abortion is frequently presented as a simple “procedure.”

Morgan-MacKay also drew attention to Finlandʼs liberalized abortion framework, particularly the increased accessibility of medical abortion, arguing that women may be pressured into rushed decisions without adequate counseling.

“Sometimes the health care system offers abortion as the only option,” she said. “Many times, these women need space to pause, think everything through, and receive real support.”

She added that while Finlandʼs pro-life movement remains relatively small, it is gradually growing, with increased awareness of abortionʼs broader social and personal consequences. She expressed particular encouragement at the involvement of younger supporters, especially young men, saying she believes “God is raising up a new generation of pro-lifers” as more Finns begin speaking openly about the issue.

A bishopʼs medical perspective on abortion

EWTN News also spoke with Goyarrola, who said he remains hopeful that Finland can become more receptive to pro-life values, despite abortion remaining a sensitive and often taboo topic in public life.

Goyarrolaʼs comments carry added weight in Finlandʼs abortion debates because of his medical background. Before entering the priesthood, he trained as a physician, graduating with a degree in medicine and surgery from the University of Navarra in Spain in 1992, and has pursued doctoral research in palliative care at the University of Eastern Finland since 2022.

Drawing on his medical knowledge, he has also written extensively on social issues for general audiences, authoring “Ihmiselämää äidin kohdussa” (“Human Life in the Womb”), on abortion, and “Arvokas kuolema” (“A Dignified Death”), on euthanasia. Both books were widely praised for making complex bioethical questions accessible to ordinary readers.

Reflecting on his experience, Goyarrola said that with regard to discussing abortion, conversations require clarity and compassion rather than confrontation.

“I believe that positive language is what truly reaches people and opens hearts to reflection,” he said. “The Church speaks in defense of life by offering real solutions to real problems and proposing ways to prevent abortion.”

“No one celebrates abortion as a joyful experience,” he added.

Signs of change among younger Finns

Assessing the broader cultural climate, Goyarrola said abortion has historically remained difficult to discuss openly in Finnish society. “Abortion has long been a taboo subject in Finland, and to a large extent it still is,” he said, noting that public discourse is often narrowly framed around “the womanʼs right to her own body.”

Yet the bishop said younger generations appear increasingly willing to engage the issue more thoughtfully. “Among young people, the topic is beginning to be discussed more openly, and with many serious questions,” he noted.

Goyarrola explained that because over 90% of abortions in Finland are carried out for social rather than medical reasons, the underlying causes must be addressed socially as well. He called for “better education, access to information, healthier lifestyles, and more personal responsibility and support for marriage and family life.”

He added that the Church must continue promoting a concrete vision of family and human dignity, saying: “We aim to promote a culture that values life, family, and hope.” He also noted that the Catholic Church in Finland tries to speak about the “need for more children in society,” not for economic or labor-related reasons but rather for the future of Finnish society itself.

“I hope that we can speak about abortion and about life in the motherʼs womb without prejudice, in a rational and thoughtful way,” Goyarrola added. “Only through open and respectful conversation can we better understand the complexity of the issue and seek humane and responsible solutions.”

According to official information released by the shrine, the celebrations will be marked by liturgical observances and moments of prayer in response to the request of St. Faustina Kowalska, who conveyed the words of Jesus: “I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the feast of mercy.”

Mass and vigil celebration

Under this year’s theme, “God, the Merciful Father... To You We Entrust the Destiny of the World,” the organizers invite the faithful to the commencement of celebrations on Saturday, April 11, with a vigil Mass in the basilica to be celebrated by the archbishop emeritus of Kraków, Marek Jędraszewski.

After the Mass, a prayer vigil will take place, continuing through the early morning hours. At midnight, another Mass will be celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Janusz Mastalski of Kraków. Afterward, the faithful will continue to participate in the vigil until 5 a.m.

On Divine Mercy Sunday, the Mass will be celebrated at the outdoor altar by the archbishop of Kraków, Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, who also serves as the honorary patron of the event.

During this celebration, the so-called “Bell of Hope” destined for the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Vilnius, Lithuania, will be blessed.

One of the most significant moments will be the solemn hour of mercy, a practice deeply connected to this devotion, which will be observed in the basilica at 3 p.m., coinciding with the hour of Christʼs death.

A shrine marked by history and faith

The shrine’s current basilica was built from 1999 to 2002 and was consecrated on Aug. 17, 2002, by St. John Paul II, who at that site entrusted the entire world to divine mercy.

The basilica is noted for its symbolism: Its shape evokes an ark, a sign of salvation for those who place their trust in God. Inside, a tabernacle shaped like a globe representing humanity in need of mercy is situated alongside the image of the merciful Jesus.

It also houses depictions of St. Faustina Kowalska and St. John Paul II — great apostles of this devotion — as well as one of the largest stained-glass windows in Kraków, which symbolizes the light of divine mercy radiating upon the world.

Mass schedule

The shrine has scheduled multiple Eucharistic celebrations throughout the day:

6 a.m. (basilica), celebrated by Father Tomasz Szopa

8 a.m. (basilica), celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Damian Muskus

10 a.m. (outdoor altar), principal Mass with Cardinal Ryś

12:30 p.m. (basilica), celebrated by Father Robert Woźniak

4 p.m. (outdoor altar), celebrated by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, who served as secretary to St. John Paul II for over 40 years.

6 p.m. (basilica), with the participation of young people

7 p.m. (convent chapel)

Broadcasts and global participation

All celebrations will be broadcast on television and digital platforms. The main Mass will be aired on TVP1, while the hour of mercy can be followed on EWTN.

Additionally, the shrine will offer online broadcasts via its official website and YouTube channel, enabling the participation of the faithful from around the world.

The shrine has implemented various logistical measures to accommodate the crowds expected to attend the celebration.

Confessions will be available throughout the night and on Sunday, including in several languages, and Communion will be distributed between Masses.

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.

“We disagree with the decision of the majority of judges at the Constitutional Court but accept it,” the Czech Bishops' Conference wrote in a press release. The episcopate finds it “positive that the court did not reject the idea of the existence of a treaty with the Holy See but only limited itself to partial passages.”

The agreement on certain legal issues was signed in 2024 by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and then-Prime Minister Petr Fiala. It was later approved by both chambers of the countryʼs Parliament and was submitted to the president of the country for ratification.

However, a group of senators filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court, which on April 1 stated that two parts of the accord are problematic.

The ruling says that the concordat would “give Catholic Church legal entities a powerful tool to prevent their documents (archive materials) from being made available.” Church archives are important sources of cultural wealth and history, but the accord would “exempt Catholic churches from the obligation to respect the Archives Act, which would, however, continue to apply to all other churches,” the court explained.

The second objection deals with the seal of confession, which would be enacted without any exceptions and would be “a clear violation of the neutrality of the state and the principle of equal treatment of different churches.”

Each side of the treaty understood it differently, the ruling observed, adding that the seal of confession would be more protected than professional secrecy.

Dissenting opinions

Three out of 15 judges of the Constitutional Court presented a different position, arguing the court did not deal with an important part of the legal file presented by senators, such as objections to “the alleged privilege of the Catholic Church in the provision of pastoral care in various types of institutions and facilities.”

However, they admitted that “the Holy See is a subject of international law, which the Czech Republic has recognized,” and so it is “undoubtedly an objective reason for the different treatment of the Catholic Church in various issues.” They further argued that the two problematic passages in the majority decision are not in conflict with the constitution.

Another two judges presented a different position each. One of them, Judge Tomáš Langášek, argued that “the dissenting opinions show that it was possible to adopt a rational interpretation of the concordat in good faith that would not in any way conflict with the constitutional order.”

He said he considers the decision “a paradigmatic change in the role and function of the constitutional judiciary.” The Constitutional Court opposed the intention of the Parliament “to take on an international legal obligation to maintain” the already existing and “legally guaranteed standard of protection of fundamental religious rights and freedoms in [the] future,” Langášek opined.

“The courtʼs concern for equal treatment among churches and religious communities is only a proxy problem,” the constitutional judge added.

‘A legal defeat for people who consider religious freedom an important value’

“It is a political victory for some, and a legal defeat for people, believers and nonbelievers, who consider religious freedom an important value,” commented Jakub Kříž, a lawyer who teaches at the Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University in Prague.

At the same time, he said he believes “the absence of a concordat is not a tragedy” either for religious freedom or “for Catholics who, after all, always benefit the most when the state does not get along with them.”

The proposal “would have had no chance of success if” Czech President Petr Pavel “had not intervened and introduced new arguments,” for example suggesting that “the agreement contradicts the sovereignty of the state and its secular and republican character,” the scholar underscored.

The negotiated agreement was “poor in content, innocent, almost devoid of substance,” and the Czech side did not try to “negotiate anything beyond what is already in force today,” Kříž said, adding that it had “more a symbolic” value.

‘A big disappointment’

The decision was a “big disappointment” and “a very unfortunate event,” lamented Father Jiří Rajmund Tretera, a Dominican and professor of canon law at the Faculty of Law of Charles University.

On the seal of confession, there would be “no change to the current situation,” as all believers “were guaranteed that the current legal provisions” regarding “confessional secrecy could not be so easily eliminated” if a religion-averse group “came to power in our democratic state,” the priest said.

Tretera also said he believes the Constitutional Court committed “an unintentional attack against the ecumenical movement.” It argued that the proposed agreement “was not in accordance with the principle of equality of all churches,” yet “this is in conflict with the reality commonly recognized in non-Catholic churches.”

Kříž clarified that “non-Catholic churches did not” oppose the treaty, and “many even welcomed it, seeing its role as a stabilizer of guarantees of religious freedom.”

The only way to proceed is “to start negotiations from the beginning,” as this is not “a bill where a sentence can be deleted,” the lawyer warned.

Yet he said he is skeptical that the Holy See would risk another “embarrassment,” as “the Czech Republic showed to be a rather unreliable international partner.”

Born on Sept. 29, 1931, he founded the public association of the faithful, which is characterized by a Dominican spirituality, in 1981 together with “Little Sister Marie.” The community is composed of missionary brothers and sisters who live out a contemplative vocation and an evangelizing presence, particularly among the poor.

He entered the Franciscan novitiate at the age of 21 and professed his first vows on Sept. 17, the feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis.

While serving as a parish priest in the villages near the French town of Vézelay, he met a group of Dominican sisters from the Roman Congregation of St. Dominic, to whom he preached during a retreat in 1974.

That encounter was providential: Among those attending the retreat was Sister Marie, with whom he shared a conviction regarding the urgency of returning to the Gospel, a sentiment in harmony with the spirit of renewal of the Second Vatican Council.

As a result of this experience and encouraged by his Franciscan brothers, who encouraged him to attend to the spiritual needs of the sisters, the foundations were laid for what would, over the years, become the Community of the Lamb.

Living with the poor on the streets

Nevertheless, Chupin never ceased to be a Franciscan. In fact, he was known as “the little brother who wears brown,” as he continued to wear the habit of the Franciscan friars. It was not until 1994 that he assumed an official role within the Community of the Lamb.

His love for the poor played a decisive role in his life. After repeatedly requesting permission from his superiors, from 1982 to 1993 he was sent on mission to the streets alongside two Franciscan brothers.

During the 11 years he spent preaching and living alongside the poor of the streets, he never failed to attend the chapters of the Community of the Lamb in the French Pyrenees, becoming for the brothers and sisters a true spiritual father.

The community noted that his health had been in decline since last January, which allowed many brothers to accompany him, including spiritually, during this final stage of his life.

“Until the very end, in a way that edified us all, Brother Jean-Claude laid down his life, drawing on his last reserves of strength to offer each and every one of us his smile, a word of friendship, his kind gaze, and his fraternal and paternal attention,” read the statement released following his passing.

The brothers and sisters of the Community of the Lamb highlighted their deep union with Jesus and the Gospel as well as their love for St. Francis of Assisi. “Gospel, Gospel, Gospel!” the friar used to say.

They also gave thanks for his life, which was “filled with the light of the Gospel,” and for the gift “that he was and will always continue to be, for all those he accompanied with his faithful friendship: a father, a brother, a friend.”

Currently, the Community of the Lamb consists of approximately 170 sisters and 40 brothers, present in countries such as France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Poland, Argentina, Chile, and the United States. Currently, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, archbishop emeritus of Vienna, is the bishop responsible for 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.

A new report published by the French Bishops’ Conference presents the latest statistical data from Easter 2026, during which approximately 8,200 adolescents and 13,200 adults embraced the Catholic faith.

The report indicates that the majority of converts are young adults between the ages of 18 and 25, closely followed by the 26-to-40 age group. Women constitute the largest segment, accounting for approximately 62% of the total.

In general, the new catechumens have no prior religious tradition, driven primarily by difficult life experiences, a profound search for meaning, or spiritual encounters that left a lasting mark on their lives, according to the report.

The ecclesiastical provinces with the highest number of baptisms were Paris, with 3,184, followed by Marseille with 1,437 and Lyon with 1,200. The report highlights a notable increase in the military diocese, headquartered in the French capital, particularly during the military pilgrimage to Lourdes.

The ‘magnitude of the thirst for God’

Olivier de Germay, archbishop of Lyon and the official responsible for the catechumenate in the country, reflected on this new reality, one that “never ceases to surprise and challenge us.”

Although society has long been aware of the world’s failure to provide answers to “the deep aspirations of the human being,” the French prelate expressed his surprise at the “rapidity and magnitude of the thirst for God manifesting itself today.”

This phenomenon opens up a new horizon and presents a “major challenge” for the Church, he said, which must offer appropriate guidance for initiation into the Christian life.

For De Germay, the situation also calls upon the “seasoned veterans of the Christian life,” who are invited “to once again become aware of how God can break into [a person’s life] and transform it.”

Among some new initiatives to address the increasing numbers, the regional council launched by the eight dioceses of the Île-de-France region stands out. Titled “Catechumens and Neophytes: New Perspectives for the Life of Our Church in Our Dioceses,” the council will run until May 2027. After gathering feedback from Catholics, including the newly baptized, the council aims to develop an appropriate response to the growing number of converts and to establish common guidelines at the provincial level.

The provincial council is encouraging the other dioceses outside the Île-de-France region to launch other initiatives focused on specific proposals to increase the participation of the newly baptized in the liturgy.

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.

Flanagan, who was born and raised in the small village of Ballymoe, Ireland, before emigrating to the United States, was declared venerable on March 23 by Pope Leo XIV.

Fidelma and Alan Croghan of the Father Flanagan Group in Ballymoe provided insight into the Irish priest’s formative years to EWTN News. “He was the fourth-youngest of 11 children. His father was a herdsman looking after an absentee landlord’s livestock on the estate. They lived in a cottage here at Leabeg,” Fidelma said.

“From birth Father Flanagan’s life was bathed in the warm embrace of a loving family. On the night he was born, they didn’t think that he would survive because he was quite ill. He was a very sickly person all of his life in terms of bad lung health. The story goes that his grandparents also lived in the house with them. So the grandfather took the tiny newborn baby and put the baby skin to skin, against his own heart for the night, and Eddie survived.”

Fidelma shared that from the moment of his birth, Flanagan “knew love and the loving bond of a family; he had a very happy upbringing. Their home was full of music and happiness, neighbors came in and they played music and danced on the stone flagstones of the kitchen floor before a big open fire.”

She added: “He worked with his dad as a shepherd boy tending to the sheep. He was into prayer and reading from a young age, and he wrote about going out on the land with his rosary beads and reading Dickens.”

Following primary education at the nearby Drumatemple National School, Flanagan attended the Diocesan College of the Immaculate Conception, Summerhill College, Sligo, to complete his secondary education and prepare for life as a priest.

Alan Croghan said he has no doubt that the future priest’s upbringing and the family values he espoused throughout his life were formed by his origins and his upbringing in Ireland.

“Our purpose in Ireland here is to educate people and tell them about this man, going on to America to do what he did in Boys Town. He took what he learned here in Ballymoe, how a family should be run,” he said.

Bishop Kevin Doran of Achonry and of Elphin told EWTN News: “Father Flanagan’s life and virtue have much to say to us today, in a wealthy country where so many children are forced to live with homelessness, and in a world in which we still find it so easy to define people as ‘hostile aliens.’”

Boys Town families and descendants often visit Ballymoe and the Father Flanagan Visitor Centre to see the famous priest’s hometown. Fidelma Croghan said: “We had a woman come two or three years ago, and she knelt on the floor of the house, and she cried, and cried, and cried, and said, ‘Only Father Flanagan saved my father; I wouldn’t be here.’ Another visitor told me: ‘I would have been dead as a young man, or would have spent my life in jail, only for Boys Town.’”

If Flanagan’s experiences growing up in Ireland shaped his compassionate approach to the social issues he encountered in Nebraska, his experiences there dealing with troubled boys and young men subsequently influenced his reactions during a return trip to Ireland in 1946, when he visited the country’s reform schools.

He was profoundly troubled at the desperately poor conditions and treatment they encountered. Speaking about the schools in Cork, he told the audience: “You are the people who permit your children and the children of your communities to go into these institutions of punishment. You can do something about it.” He described his country’s penal institutions as “a disgrace to the nation.”

Flanagan had received letters from Ireland drawing attention to the brutal regimes in these schools and wanted to see for himself how bad conditions really were.

In response to his prophetic warnings, the Irish government minister for justice at the time, Gerald Boland, told the Dáil (Irish legislative chamber) “that he was ‘not disposed to take any notice of what Monsignor Flanagan said while he was in this country, because his statements were so exaggerated that I did not think people would attach any importance to them.’”

The schools Flanagan visited included Artane and Letterfrack, institutions that became notorious after the truth of the abuses inflicted on students there eventually emerged.

Messori was the author of the books “The Ratzinger Report” (1985) — produced after interviewing then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI — and “Crossing the Threshold of Hope” (1994), written after interviewing St. John Paul II. Both works became global bestsellers and were translated into a number of languages.

In a post on X, Spanish Bishop José Ignacio Munilla remembered Messori as “a journalist to whom we owe a great deal in the Catholic Church” and highlighted that “The Ratzinger Report” is a book he has “underlined and reread many times, and which has helped me enormously to understand the postconciliar crisis and to navigate through turbulent waters.”

Messori first gained international recognition in 1976, when he published his book “Hypotheses on Jesus,” a work that sought to counter skepticism using historical and rational arguments regarding Christ, thereby becoming a global touchstone for the Catholic faith.

Messori was born on April 16, 1941, in Sassuolo, Italy. He was raised in an agnostic family, with a mother who put him “on guard” against priests.

Between June and August 1964, while studying political science at the university, he decided to convert to the Catholic faith.

“I entered into what felt like a new dimension, where the truth of that Gospel, which until then I had known nothing about, became crystal clear and tangible to me. Even though I had never attended church and had never undertaken any religious studies, I discovered that my perspective — previously secularist and agnostic — had suddenly become Christian. More than that: Catholic,” Messori told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, in a 2009 interview.

The Italian journalist made the comments in Spain, where he had gone to present his book “Why I Believe,” in which he recounted how he went from being an agnostic to becoming the most prestigious Catholic apologist of the era.

Messori also authored “They Say He Is Resurrected,” in which he delved into the facts and data that substantiate the historicity of the Gospel passages concerning the Resurrection.

He also wrote “Black Legends of the Church,” in which he responded to various historical myths concerning the Church, such as those related to the Inquisition, Galileo, the conquest of the Americas, and the Crusades, among others.

In a 2022 statement to ACI Prensa, Messori emphasized that being a convert “has been my drama, but it has also been my advantage, in the sense that I cannot be swayed by human respect when, in reality, for me, the discovery of the Church has been the discovery of a home.”

He further underscored that in his books and articles, faith in Christ has “never” been an “ideology, or something cultural or sociological. It has been a living person.”

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 March 23, Pope Leo XIV recognized the heroic virtues of the newly declared venerable, who maintained that couples are made for happiness and that marriage is a path toward it.

With this deep conviction, and conscious of the challenges faced by couples, Caffarel, who was born in Lyon, France, in 1903, founded the movement for marital spirituality known as “Teams of Our Lady” in Paris in 1939.

The beginning of a living legacy

Spaniards Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, the couple in charge of the Teams of Our Lady internationally, have been married for 35 years and have three children. In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, they said the ministry started “with four couples who approached Father Caffarel to ask him how they could live out their faith as a couple.”

“He didn’t have an answer at that moment, so he proposed that they embark on a journey of discovery together rooted in the sacrament of holy orders and the sacrament of matrimony. And that‘s how it all began,” Alberto explained.

Following World War II, the movement, which is primarily lay-led, grew rapidly; today, it is present in 92 countries and is comprised of more than 15,000 teams.

Marital communication and prayer

Mercedes emphasized that from the very beginning, Caffarel saw the need to foster the essentials of marital communication and prayer, convinced that by sharing their problems with one another, many couples could avoid estrangement that sometimes occurs in marriage.

The priest, Alberto recalled, said that “the sacrament of matrimony is an image of God” and “probably the most perfect one there is.” The priest said married couples are called to holiness through a life of “work, personal growth, love, patience, and building a life together.”

“It‘s not an overnight process but rather a journey undertaken over the course of a lifetime. Father Caffarel invited couples to embark on this path and to attain holiness through their work and their life together,” Alberto emphasized.

Mercedes said the priest thought of marriage as a sign “that reflects the love of God” because the relationship of communion that exists between spouses is analogous to the relationship existing among the three Divine Persons: Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.

In the priest’s view, the image of marriage allowed for a clearer expression of the idea of ​​a God who is love “and who communicates and expands within his own nature.” From this perspective, “holiness ceases to be understood as a matter of individual effort or moral perfection and is situated instead within the dynamic of love that transforms and animates life,” Mercedes explained.

A continuous path of spiritual growth

The organization of the Teams of Our Lady is based on a specific methodology “that goes beyond monthly meetings,” encompassing prayer, dialogue, and personal commitment. Each team consists of five or six married couples, fostering “listening to the word, personal prayer, prayer as a couple and family prayer, and a profound dialogue in the presence of the Lord that we also have every month,” Mercedes explained.

Ultimately, it is a matter of “having a rule of life, a set of elements through which you strive to improve your Christian life,” she said. There is also a yearly retreat and a specific study theme each month.

Alberto emphasized that the Teams of Our Lady are, in a sense, “precursors of the synodality” promoted by Pope Francis. “It’s a movement that is very nonclerical — though, it must be said, the accompaniment of married couples by priests is essential.”

He also noted that “married couples place their time, their skills, their charisms, and their gifts at the service of others in order to build community.”

Mercedes, who had the opportunity to meet the now-venerable, recalled that in 1973 he stepped aside after founding the teams, convinced that “if it was a work of the Holy Spirit and possessed a charism for the Church, there was no need for him to stay on.”

Leaving the ministry in the laity’s hands, he retired to a house of prayer on the outskirts of Paris, where he began his other “great work”: teaching people how to pray. Mercedes noted that “one of the things he desired most was to teach people how to draw closer to Christ and to serve as an intermediary so that every person could have a personal encounter with God.”

The challenges facing married couples today

Alberto and Mercedes explained how married couples today confront new challenges stemming from the pace of life, particularly the “massive entry of women into the workforce,” which has brought different challenges, such as “finding time to be together and talk.”

They highlighted Caffarel’s enduring counsel: “Seek out these moments; don’t let them slip away,” for life “sweeps us along like a fast-moving river.

They also highlighted the movement’s impact in countries such as Lithuania, with a past marked by communist repression, or in African nations where the teams foster equality, participation, and changes such as abandoning polygamy. This is also true in Europe, where the Teams of Our Lady help strengthen families within increasingly secularized societies.

Both highlight the universal impact of the movement: Couples from diverse cultures agree on the benefits received, particularly the “opportunity to pray together” and the realization of “how difficult it would have been without the presence of Christ in their married life.” Ultimately, this is a way of life that responds to a profound desire: Even as sacramental marriages decline, “there is no diminishing of people’s desire to live as a couple.”

Mercedes also warned of a growing way of dealing with problems: “At the slightest setback, people are right off tempted to give up,” and the couple is not taught how to “persevere and forgive.” Added to this is “a great fear of commitment” and a tendency to avoid lasting bonds or communities despite the fact that, deep down, people “want to be happy and want to stay together.”

For this reason, she emphasized the importance of mutual support and community life: “It‘s fundamental to allow oneself to be helped,” since in her view navigating married life in isolation “is extremely complex.”

The teams offer precisely the necessary tools and support: a setting where married couples share their problems and solutions. Drawing upon their own experiences, they particularly encourage young couples to embark on this path of holiness.

Both expressed their joy that Caffarel has been declared venerable, a long-awaited recognition following nearly 20 years of going through the beatification process, which continues, awaiting a miracle wrought through his intercession.

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 documentary, directed by Andrés Garrigó, is set to premiere in Spain on April 10. It is headed to Mexico and Central America later this month, followed by distribution in the United States later in the year.

The film traces the journeys of figures from both the present day and recent history who, from their Jewish origins, traveled the path toward recognizing Jesus as the Messiah.

The film takes an approach that is in keeping with the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate. That document emphasizes that “the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospelʼs spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.”

Following that declaration, St. Paul VI became the first pope to travel to the Holy Land in the modern era. Subsequently, St. John Paul II visited Rome’s synagogue and established diplomatic relations with Israel. Both St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI visited the Auschwitz death camp. Pope Francis and Leo XIV further developed the path charted by Nostra Aetate.

In a statement to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Goya Productions indicated that in the version of the film to be distributed in the United States, “only the testimonies originally in French, Spanish, and Portuguese will require dubbing” and that “more than half of the film will remain in its original English.”

The U.S. version will also feature an additional testimony from Dr. Robin Pierucci, a Jewish convert and neonatologist who lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Other testimonies to be highlighted inlude those of French philosopher Fabrice Hadjadj, Harvard Business School professor Roy Schoeman, Brazilian philosopher Edgar Leite Ferreira, British literary critic Robert Asch, American author Dawn Eden Goldstein, and Argentine professor of biblical pastoral studies Luciana Rogowicz.

Garrigó told ACI Prensa that the subject of the film is one “that hasn’t been explored in cinema; people are a bit wary of it.”

He said the idea for the film originally came from a person in Mexico. “We didn’t think it would be possible, but after reflecting on it and later conducting research, we discovered that there were amazing people who had things to say about the Messiah and about discovering [him] from the point of view of Judaism,” he said.

‘Our greatest loves are Jewish’

Garrigó said the core narrative theme of the film is particularly captured in a recording of St. Josemaría Escrivá. In it, the Spanish saint, during one of his well-known informal gatherings, responds to a question from a young Jewish girl whose parents will not allow her to be baptized.

“As St. Josemaría himself says, our greatest loves are Jewish, aren’t they? They are Jesus and the Virgin,” Garrigó observed.

From that standpoint, “everything else is an attitude of openness; and they — the moment they discover Jesus — become deeply committed, the ones who feel called to fulfill an eternal design: that of a chosen people who in the end complete their journey,” the director said.

“They still feel Jewish after their conversion, yet Jewish in a way that fulfills what Jesus had envisioned for them,” he added.

“Searching for the Messiah” also explores other figures of Jewish origin who embraced the Catholic faith, particularly during the last century: Rome’s chief rabbi, Eugenio Zolli; St. Edith Stein, a German philosopher who became a Carmelite nun and was canonized by St. John Paul II, who named her a patroness of Europe and a doctor of the Church; Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who before his conversion was known as one of the most staunch abortion advocates in U.S. history; and the French poet Max Jacob, whose baptismal godfather was his friend Pablo Picasso.

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.

Cerro noted that questions about the seminary’s success lead him and his team to live in “profound humility and sincere gratitude” for what God has granted them through “the heart of Jesus Christ, eternal high priest,” both for the good of the Church and for “a humanity incapable of finding a way back to the Lord, marked by apostasy and, above all, weary and burdened because it lacks the Love of loves.”

In a recent letter, Cerro offered 10 points he said have shaped the seminary’s strong vocation culture — points “strengthened by the pastors who have served this primatial see, watered by the blood of martyrs, and sustained by the witness of holiness of so many lives.”

1. “Reasons of faith”

“We enter the seminary for reasons of faith, not for human reasons, and we remain for reasons of faith,” explained the prelate, who — drawing inspiration from the words Pope Leo XIV addressed to Spanish seminarians in February — added that “when we lose the supernatural dimension of our vocation, we lose everything.”

2. The Church confirms the vocation

Cerro explained that “in the seminary, the vocation — which we place in the hands of the Church — is discerned.” Thus, priestly ordination “takes place when that call has been confirmed by the Church, which is the body of Christ.”

3. A transformed heart

The archbishop of Toledo, recalling his days as a seminarian, said: “I must allow the seminary to pass through me, to enter deep within me, and to gradually form and transform me. Formation must help us to live with the sentiments of the heart of Jesus. We cannot be like those smooth stones we see in mountain rivers: The water flows over them, but it does not penetrate their interior.”

4. Human, not worldly

Another factor contributing to the success of the Toledo seminary is awareness of having “seminarians who are deeply human, yet not at all worldly,” Cerro said, men who share in “the joys, hopes, sorrows, and anxieties of our brothers,” for “the world awaits holy priests who know how to accompany people on the journey of life.”

5. Solid in-depth formation

The prelate said the Toledo seminary offers “solid in-depth formation,” grounded in the magisterium of the Church, “so as not to turn our seminaries into a laboratory for all manner of experiments, the outcome of which we all know.”

6. Based on the word of God and the lives of the saints

“Based on the living word, on the doctrine of the Church, on the experience of the saints, and in dialogue with a world that needs the Redeemer of the world more than ever” — this is how the formation process is carried out, the prelate emphasized.

7. Living in the present

Cerro said the seminary approaches its work “without nostalgia for a past that will not return. With eyes of faith, living in the present in communion with Peter, we form ourselves to live out what is essential: to be holy and blameless before God out of love.”

8. Fraternity and unity in diversity

“The seminary — as a presbyterate in formation — must be a community that lives like a family,” the prelate added, “for this fraternity strengthens that which unites us, enabling us to live with one heart while respecting the healthy plurality of sensibilities that reaffirm one faith, one baptism, and one Lord, in communion with Peter in [Christ’s] Church.”

9. Devoted to Mary

“We place the seminary in the heart of the Immaculate One. She watches over every seminarian so that he may attain the goal of a life of priestly dedication and generosity,” the archbishop shared.

10. Entrusted to the saints and martyrs

Finally, Cerro said he considers the final characteristic of the seminary is that it is entrusted to “St. Ildefonsus, to Blessed Sancha, and to so many holy pastors who have passed through it” as well as “to the martyrs of the religious persecution in Spain.”

He appealed to them to “grant us many holy vocations, so that the Church journeying in Toledo may never lack pastors after the heart of Christ.”

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 Bishop’s Brewery at St. Stephen’s took home top honors at the Czech Brew Star 2026 competition held in Brno on Feb. 6, the diocese announced March 16.

The brewery’s amber lager, Jezule 15%, won gold, while its flagship Czech pale lager, Děkan 11%, was named the overall winner in the Czech light lager category and received a diamond medal — the competition’s highest distinction.

Days later, the brewery’s Easter special — a dark stout brewed from five types of malt — won a gold medal at an international beer festival in Litoměřice, along with the main prize for best beer among all microbreweries in the Ústí nad Labem region of northern Bohemia.

Archbishop-designate Stanislav Přibyl of Prague blessed the Easter stout a few days before the fifth Sunday of Lent, March 22.

“God, you never cease to care for what you have created, you send the abundance of your blessing and give the earth its fruitfulness. We praise you for your infinite goodness and ask your blessing for this batch of beer,” Přibyl prayed. “Beer is a precious drink; through it, people meet and friendships deepen. Grant that whoever drinks it may receive protection of body and soul.”

Why a stout?

Head brewer Robert Kříž said the choice to brew a stout as the Easter special was deliberate.

“Everyone makes green beer before Easter, so we said we’d do something completely different — and the decision fell on a strong dark beer,” Kříž explained.

The stout, a bottom-fermented dark beer made from five types of malt, draws its distinctive flavor primarily from chocolate malt. Kříž described the result as similar to Guinness but noted: “We definitely don’t want to compare ourselves with them. We have our own taste, and that needs to be tried.”

Not 1 but 3 awards

The Czech Brew Star is an international competition that evaluates exclusively unfiltered and unpasteurized beers. The 2026 edition in Brno attracted 113 breweries from six countries — the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Cyprus, Greece, and Italy — with 52 tasters from nine countries judging 444 entries.

The Jezule 15% lager takes its unusual name from the affectionate Czech diminutive for the Infant Jesus. The name was inspired by the children’s book “The Flight Into Egypt Through the Kingdom of Bohemia” by the German-Bohemian author Otfried Preußler, a favorite of Přibyl’s. The beer was originally brewed as a Christmas special and was produced for only the second time in the brewery’s 11-year history.

“The judges praised the perfect harmony of flavors, aroma, and overall quality of this beer,” Kříž said.

Richard Kirbs, the brewery’s director, called the Děkan lager’s diamond medal “a fantastic success in unprecedented competition.”

“This is also the best reward for our brewer and the whole team,” Kirbs said. “The 11-degree Děkan can be tried in the brewery restaurant practically at any time.”

The Bishop’s Brewery at St. Stephen’s was established in 2015 in the Diocesan House of the Diocese of Litoměřice. It is one of a small but growing number of Church-owned breweries in Europe, continuing a monastic and ecclesial brewing tradition that dates back centuries in the Czech lands.

Přibyl, a Redemptorist, was named archbishop of Prague by Pope Leo XIV on Feb. 2 and remains administrator of the Diocese of Litoměřice until his installation in Prague on April 25.

On the night of the Easter Vigil, April 4, more than 700 adults across the French capital will be received into the Catholic Church as part of a sudden nationwide surge.

Across France, more than 13,000 adults will be baptized this Easter, according to data released by the French Bishops’ Conference — an increase of 28% compared with 2025.

The “boom” in adult baptisms in France is a relatively recent phenomenon. It has intensified over the past decade, with a marked acceleration following the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching record levels since 2024.

Within this national picture, Paris stands out as a beating heart of such renewal. According to figures provided by the archdiocese, 788 adult catechumens will be baptized in the city during the Easter Vigil, a 17% increase from the previous year.

These baptisms will take place across 94 parishes and several communities, mobilizing more than 1,000 accompanying members, mostly laypeople. The age distribution is characterized by a predominance of younger people, with nearly one-third under the age of 25, about half between the ages of 26 and 40, and 1 in 5 over the age of 40, with candidates ranging in age from 18 to 73.

Women remain the majority among catechumens, accounting for 58% in Paris, a proportion consistent with national patterns.

The list of Parisian parishes with particularly high numbers of catechumens reveals a landscape that cuts across ecclesial sensibilities and social geographies. Parishes where the Traditional Latin Mass is regularly celebrated such as Saint-Roch in the 1st arrondissement or Saint-Eugène Sainte-Cécile (9th) stand alongside parishes in more working-class or mixed neighborhoods, including Notre-Dame de Clignancourt (18th), Notre-Dame de la Gare (13th), or Saint-Ambroise (11th).

Many of these communities, often led by young and dynamic clergy, have become vibrant centers of parish life.

Robin, a 30-year-old catechumen preparing to be baptized at Saint-Ambroise this Saturday, embodies this trend. Raised in a nonbelieving family with no religious background, he began his spiritual journey through a gradual process of questioning the purpose of life. 

“In a world where everything moves so fast, where we lose sight of what matters, the Church has done me a world of good,” he told EWTN News. “It has helped me put the ‘why’ back at the center of everything.”

His path has been shaped by a growing desire for silence and contemplation as well as a yearning for beauty. “I would go to churches to find a moment of calm, where time would stop,” he explained. “I was looking for a place where you can listen to yourself and reflect on what you want to do with your life.”

“What moves me deeply,” he added, “is the beauty that surrounds my church — its architecture, its music… that’s where I feel something powerful.”

Like many catechumens, Robin described an experience of welcome that proved decisive. At an early stage in his journey, he met a young parish priest who, despite a busy schedule, took the time to speak with him.

“We talked for an hour. It was incredibly reassuring,” he recalled. He was then introduced to a group of parishioners who accompanied him throughout his catechumenate, forming what he describes as a “deep bond of humanity.”

This communal dimension appears to be a key factor in the current surge. While the French model of catechumenate has traditionally been more individual, the growing number of candidates is prompting parishes to rethink their approach, often favoring group dynamics that foster a sense of belonging from the outset.

Many catechumens come from families with little or no Christian background, reflecting a broader shift from cultural Catholicism toward a more deliberate, conviction-based faith. On a national level, the number of catechumens identifying as having no religious tradition now represent a proportion comparable with those from Christian backgrounds.

The scale of the phenomenon is now prompting serious reflection among French Church leaders. In response to the steady increase in adult baptisms, the eight dioceses of the Île-de-France region, together with the Diocese for the Armed Forces, have convened a provincial council set to open on May 31 at Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Under the theme “Catechumens and Neophytes: New Perspectives for the Life of Our Church,” the council will seek to discern how local structures and pastoral practices should adapt to this unexpected growth.

“There are people, politicians, and countries that continue to actively help our country, Ukraine, stand its ground,” the bishop told “EWTN News Nightly” on April 1. “Will there be fewer such people now that the war in the Middle East has begun? Most likely, yes.”

He continued: “I believe that this situation in the Middle East could demonstrate that if we do not put an end to this war and end it justly, then in reality, the conflict could spread even to countries that never even imagined it reaching them.”

Christian town in Lebanon mourns father and son killed in strike

In the Christian town of Debel, Lebanon, grief deepened after an Israeli strike killed a father and his son, an attack residents described as another blow to a civilian population already living under constant fear, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Sunday.

Eli Zognoun, a 27-year-old architect from Debel, said the community is reeling with shock and sorrow over the deaths, adding that the local priest called for prayers for the victims and for the protection of civilians who have stayed behind. He said the two men, George and Elie Soueid, were peaceful civilians deeply attached to their land and families and had been using the only humanitarian road open between Debel and Rmeish in an effort to return home safely.

The Israeli army and Hezbollah have been clashing for days near Debel, where more than 1,700 people still live, according to L’Orient Today, which reported that the Christian villages in south Lebanon remain mostly populated “despite the ongoing Israeli invasion and intense skirmishes with Hezbollah in many regions.”

The report also said “the president of the Dibil municipal council, Akl Naddaf, told the LBCI channel that the residents had ‘asked the authorities to grant them permission to move about safely, but without success.’ Naddaf added that the situation in the village is deteriorating day by day and that the residents are no longer able to meet their most basic needs.”

Chinese cardinal’s Easter message urges hope, care for young people amid wars

Cardinal Stephen Chow, SJ, has called on the Chinese government to give young people who have committed minor crimes a “second chance” and for parents to protect their children from the country’s competitive culture.

“Allow me to call on parents and schools to protect our children by not allowing them to go under the life-sapping and blindingly competitive culture, although a relatively small number of students may thrive in it,” Chow said in his Easter Message 2026, which was addressed to the faithful of Hong Kong. Citing steadily high suicide rates among young people, Chow also called on the government to “reduce the use of ‘Key Performance Indicator’ (KPI) so as to allow our educators more time and space to better accompany their students.” The message came as Chow noted “the spreading of hate and violence” on social media and around the world ahead of Easter.

Cameroon airport carries out test flights ahead of Pope Leo’s visit

Two aircraft operated by Cameroon’s national airline, Camair-Co, successfully landed at Bamenda Airport on Sunday, March 29, in a major step toward final preparations for the planned apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to the country planned to take place April 15–18.

“This deployment serves as a convincing full-scale rehearsal to ensure maximum safety during the visit of the sovereign pontiff, scheduled for April 16,” said Adolphe Lele Lafrique, governor of the Northwest Province of the Republic of Cameroon, after the test, according to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on Tuesday.

Missionaries travel 2 by 2 into Albania countryside

Missionaries with the National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies traveled across the the Diocese of Rrëshen to provide pastoral care to rural communities throughout March.

Traveling in pairs — one religious priest and either a religious or layperson — the missionaries traversed to rural areas across the mountains of northern Albania, where only six priests minister to a region of about 10,000 people, according to a Fides News Agency report.

“A blessing, a word of comfort, a simple gesture are essential tools that have made the mission concrete,” said Father Agustin Margjoni, a Vincentian missionary and Pontifical Mission Societies national director. “In a time dominated by digital communication, human contact has once again proven irreplaceable.”

Irish diocese apologizes after visiting priest says ‘evil demons’ cause autism

The Diocese of Kerry issued a statement after a visiting member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal said during a homily at a local parish that “evil demons” were the source of autism.

“At the recent parish mission in Boherbue Parish, a visiting missioner, a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal based in Limerick, made a comment during a talk,” the diocese said, according to a report from the Irish Times on Wednesday. “The remark, which referenced autism, was intended as an illustrative example but was poorly expressed and inappropriate. It was acknowledged that the comment was not appropriate, and a sincere apology was offered at the time for any hurt or offense caused.”

The statement said the priest in question “deeply regrets that the remark caused upset,” adding: “We again apologize to anyone who may have been hurt by it.”

Church in India offers praise for country’s new climate objectives

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India Chairman Bishop Allwyn D’Silva is celebrating India’s new plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2070.

“I commend the government’s updated climate commitments as they build on the success of surpassing renewable energy targets ahead of time and commit to increasing carbon sinks through expanded forest and tree cover,” D’Silva said, according to an UCA News report Wednesday.

Under the new plan, India said it plans to achieve 60% non-fossil-fuel electricity capacity, expand carbon sinks through forests and tree cover, and reduce the intensity of emissions by 47% by 2035, the report said.

Mozambique bishop urges solidarity with flood and conflict victims during Holy Week

Bishop Osório Citora Afonso of the Quelimane Diocese in Mozambique is calling for the faithful to approach Holy Week with mercy toward those impacted by natural disasters and ongoing violence in the country.

“The celebration of Holy Week should be marked by a spirit of solidarity, especially toward those affected by the recent floods and the conflict in Cabo Delgado,” he said in a March 28 statement, according to an ACI Africa report on Monday.

The bishop urged the faithful to support the vulnerable through visits, assistance, and acts of charity. “Christ walks with us,” he said. “In the cross, we see the pain of families who have lost everything, the cries of children, and the exhaustion of those trying to rebuild their lives.”

St. Martin’s Day tradition officially recognized by German UNESCO commission

Martinsfest, held on St. Martin’s Day (“Martinstag”) on Nov. 11 every year, is a major cultural tradition in the Rhineland and is now officially recognized by the German Commission for UNESCO, according to a report by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News.

“The Conference of Ministers of Culture of the Länder and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media have today included five further traditions in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage,” the commission announced on March 27.

St. Martin’s traditions include lantern parades, traditional songs, bonfires, and the telling of the story of St. Martin. “Today, the Martin’s tradition is a firmly anchored part of the public and cultural life of many places in the Rhineland,” the UNESCO commission said.

The altars of repose are a popular devotion in the Catholic Church during Holy Week. The practice begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on the evening of Holy Thursday, when Catholics commemorate the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood.

Afterward, a priest carries the Eucharist in solemn procession from the altar where Mass was celebrated to a decorated side altar lit with candles and sometimes plants and flowers, where it remains for adoration until midnight.

In Rome, many churches open their doors at night to welcome pilgrims to pray before the Blessed Sacrament at the altar of repose.

The tradition recalls Jesus’ request to his disciples to “keep watch with me” in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion.

Lucía Dero Herrero, a pilgrim to Rome from Madrid, Spain, described her experience of the tradition at the Basilica di Sant’Apollinare as a profound moment of connection with God.

“The ceremony and the church were so beautiful,” Lucia told EWTN News. “It helped me to pray and to realize that this is the night it all begins. In a sense, [Jesus] has already been captured, and the next day, he will be crucified.”

Many pilgrims participated in the tradition for the first time. Maureen Finnegan, a 75-year-old woman from Liverpool, United Kingdom, was one. She described visiting the altar of repose at the Venerable English College as a true testament to our faith.

“It was lovely to see the church just absolutely packed. The singing was amazing. It’s certainly a different experience from back home in Liverpool. The whole thing was traditional, and I feel so privileged to have been a part of it.”

As originally reported by the official Vatican News outlet, the recent study, now available as a preprint, was made by several geneticists, including Dr. Gianni Barcaccia of the University of Padua.

In their study, researchers explained that DNA testing could not definitively date the Shroud of Turin but revealed its extensive handling by many individuals over its centuries-long existence. They described it as a “diverse mosaic of genetic traces,” including those from the Mediterranean, India, and even from North America.

“In brief, a reappraisal of those outcomes from the analysis of the DNA traces found on the Shroud of Turin suggests the potentially extensive exposure of the cloth in the Mediterranean region,” the researchers wrote. “DNA traces from various species and regions, including the Middle East, Mediterranean, Europe, America, and Asia, indicate that the shroud was exposed to different environments and peoples.”

The Shroud of Turin has been venerated for centuries by Christians as the burial shroud of Jesus and is among the most famous relics associated with his passion. The authenticity of the Shroud of Turin and its connection to Christ have been the subjects of scientific debate.

In 1988, researchers traced it to medieval origins around 1350, casting doubt on whether it was the actual burial cloth of Christ and on whether it came from the Holy Land.

However, the researchers assert in their recent article that the presence of H33, a rare genetic strand, supports their claim that the relic passed through the Middle East at some point in its history.

“H33 is a rare haplogroup found today mainly in the Near East, especially among the Druze, an Arabic-speaking ethnoreligious minority currently present in the Holy Land, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. In particular, the Druze population shares common genetic ancestry with Jews and Cypriots and has historically intermixed with other Levantine populations, including Palestinians and Syrians,” they said.

The Catholic Church has no official position on the relic’s authenticity. It is presently located at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy.

At the center of the route stands the Church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross, located in the city’s Jeruzalė (Jerusalem) neighborhood. Unlike the familiar 14 Stations of the Cross found in many Catholic parishes, Vilnius Calvary leads pilgrims through 35 stations, making it one of Europe’s largest outdoor Stations of the Cross ensembles.

A Lithuanian ‘Jerusalem’ built for pilgrims

The devotion of the Stations of the Cross, strongly promoted across Europe through Franciscan tradition, developed in part as a spiritual alternative for Christians unable to make the long, costly, and dangerous journey to the Holy Land.

Vilnius Calvary gave that tradition a local form by integrating prayer with geography: Pilgrims walk a route laid across hills and valleys, with places bearing biblical names creating a pilgrimage experience shaped by movement as well as meditation.

In practice, planners modeled the route using pilgrimage accounts, devotional guides, early maps of Jerusalem, and traditions preserved by the Franciscans, who long served as custodians of holy sites in the Holy Land. These descriptions were then adapted to Vilnius’ natural landscape so that pilgrims could experience the Via Dolorosa not only through prayer but also through the physical rhythm of walking, ascent, and pause.

Founded in gratitude

Vilnius Calvary took shape in the late 17th century following the wars that brought severe destruction to Vilnius and the surrounding region. At the time, Vilnius belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and was seized during the mid-1600s conflicts involving Muscovite (tsarist Russian) forces. Lithuanian forces and their allies later recaptured the city, and Church leaders established the Calvary as a public act of thanksgiving for the restoration of the capital.

The project was initiated by Vilnius Bishop Jurgis Bialozoras, who allocated roughly 140 hectares of land from his Verkiai Manor estate to build a church, various chapels, and the pilgrimage path. The area was chosen because its terrain allowed for a symbolic “Jerusalem” in Lithuania: Hills were assigned biblical names such as Golgotha, Zion, and the Mount of Olives, while a nearby stream recalled the Kidron Valley.

The church and the Way of the Cross were solemnly consecrated on June 9, 1669, on the feast of Pentecost.

Why 35 stations of the cross?

The 35-station structure reflects an older “Passion route” tradition in which the devotion extends beyond the standard 14 stations. In such traditions, the pilgrimage includes additional moments associated with Christ’s final hours as well as devotional scenes linked to the Church’s meditation on the Passion.

In Vilnius Calvary, the route begins not with Christ’s condemnation but reaches back to earlier moments of the Passion, including the Last Supper, Christ’s journey toward the Mount of Olives, and his interrogation before Annas and Caiaphas.

The pilgrimage then continues through the later stages of the Passion and extends beyond the Crucifixion. It also draws meaning from the church’s title, the Discovery of the Holy Cross, linking the devotion not only to Christ’s suffering but  also to the Church’s proclamation of the cross as the source of salvation.

Destruction and rebuilding

For centuries, Vilnius Calvary served as a major site of popular devotion, especially at Pentecost, when large crowds traditionally gathered for prayer and preaching along the route.

The site was damaged during the Napoleonic Wars, when French forces occupied the Verkiai forest area and used the church as a barracks and a hospital. Some chapels were damaged, and the church was plundered during the army’s retreat following their failed invasion of Russia.

The most severe destruction came under Soviet rule. In 1962, communist authorities demolished most of the chapels, leaving only a small number of structures nearest the church intact.

After Lithuania regained independence in 1990, reconstruction began. The restored chapels were solemnly blessed again at Pentecost in 2002. Over roughly a decade, the ensemble was rebuilt with 16 masonry chapels, seven wooden gates, one masonry gate, and a bridge structure, restoring the route as a full pilgrimage path.

The church at the center of the pilgrimage

The Church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross is not simply a landmark along the route. It is also the spiritual center of the ensemble and the culmination of the pilgrimage. Its position on a high hill is intended to correspond symbolically to Golgotha, and the main altar, dedicated to the crucified Christ, is treated as the central devotional point of the Way of the Cross.

The church also contains an 18th-century silver gilded reliquary containing a relic of the holy cross, which is decorated with rhinestones.

A living devotion in modern Vilnius

Vilnius Calvary remains active as a place of prayer. The route is used throughout the year for organized Stations of the Cross, including regular Friday devotions and monthly pilgrimages. The Secular Franciscans in Vilnius also unite their prayer with the Franciscans in Jerusalem, reflecting the devotion’s historical connection to the Holy Land.

Elzbieta Uckuronyte, a lifelong parishioner at the church, told EWTN News that the Stations of the Cross at Vilnius Calvary had become deeply personal to her over time.

“The first time I went, I didn’t fully understand it,” she said. “But as my faith has grown, I’ve come to see the value in the discomfort — kneeling on stones, walking in rain or snow, crossing hills and streams. It isn’t easy, but it reflects the hardship Christ endured, and there is a quiet beauty in that.”

For many pilgrims, Vilnius Calvary offers something rare in a modern European capital: a sustained Passion pilgrimage shaped not only by texts and stations but also by distance, landscape, and public religious memory.

Preaching at the chrism Mass at Cologne Cathedral on Monday evening — the annual liturgy at which priests renew their ordination promises before their bishop — the archbishop of Cologne urged the priests of his archdiocese to resist what he described as a troubling trend: the replacement of Sunday Mass with Communion services.

“I am concerned that Communion services — often with the distribution of holy Communion — are increasingly replacing the celebration of the Eucharist on Sundays,” Woelki said. “That, dear brothers, is no longer Catholic, and I urgently ask you to counteract this from the outset!”

The services in question are Liturgy of the Word celebrations in which previously consecrated hosts are distributed to the faithful but no Mass is celebrated.

A call to daily Mass

Woelki devoted much of his homily to the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the priest. The celebration of the Mass is “ultimately irreplaceable and cannot be substituted,” he said, according to Cologne’s Domradio.

The daily Mass is not merely a devotional practice but is “constitutive of our priestly being and activity,” Woelki told the priests gathered in the cathedral, Domradio reported. He cautioned that if priests neglect the daily celebration, they risk further distancing the faithful from the opportunity to participate in the Eucharist.

“Even if only a few faithful or even no faithful at all should come to celebrate, its daily celebration is meaningful for us priests and spiritually essential for our very survival,” the cardinal said.

Woelki appealed for a conscious return to the central role of the Eucharist, pointing to the practice of the early Church in which the community gathered around a single Sunday celebration. Reviving that spirit, he said, could strengthen parish unity and set in motion a “spiritual and Eucharistic renewal.”

Cologne’s challenges

By the number of registered Catholics, the Archdiocese of Cologne is one of the largest dioceses in Germany. Yet only about 6% of its Catholics regularly attend Sunday Mass, below the German national average of 6.8%.

Sunday Communion services have been an option in the archdiocese only in recent years. Woelki himself proposed the step as early as April 2022, according to reports from June 2023. The services were introduced in 2024.

This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

After his mother died, he paid tribute on Instagram to her, writing under a photograph of them together: “You’ll always be the boss.”

The Requiem Mass for Marie Keane took place in the Church of the Resurrection in Farranree, Cork City, the same church where she and her late husband, Mossie, were married in 1963. He died in 2019. Their wedding photograph was placed on her coffin during the Mass.

In his eulogy, Keane said: “From a selfish point of view, we weren’t ready for my mam to go yet. Today, we feel like the heart has been ripped out of our chest. Our mam would not want us to make a fuss today.”

He continued: “Our mam played so many different roles in our lives. She was a wife, mother, sister, daughter, mother-in-law, and grandmother. She was pretty cool at all of them. We can take comfort in knowing she was so deeply loved. We mourn her, but we have to celebrate her life as well. Ultimately, our mam and dad were at their happiest when they were together. And they are together. God bless, mam — and thanks for everything you did for us.”

Marie Keane passed away peacefully in the presence of her family at Marymount Hospice in Cork after suffering a long illness.

Roy Keane, who captained Manchester United during their most successful era and played for Ireland at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, is one of Ireland’s most famous sportsmen. He grew up in Cork City. After a period managing and coaching at club and international level, he is now a soccer pundit on television.

In his autobiography, Keane talked about his faith. “Sometimes I don’t know what’s best for myself, and that’s why I’ve got great faith; the man upstairs looks after me. I just have to trust him a bit more.”

Notoriously private, Keane previously said in an interview that he attended Mass most Sundays. “I have to drag the kids along sometimes, but they are all very well-grounded because that is what my life is,” he said.

In his address, he looked back on the parenting skills of his late mother and father with great affection: “Our mam didn’t always [give] what we wanted but always gave us what we needed. She was pretty strict with us, and if we were up to no good, she had an amazing skill of throwing a shoe, and no matter where we were in the house, she would always hit the target.”

Recalling a happy childhood growing up with his parents, Keane said: “Summer holidays to Garretstown were always special. In the evening, we would get a bag of chips. We thought life was great, just so simple. They would both be in great form. It was like going to Australia. We would also enjoy trips up to Dublin to the All-Ireland back in the days when Cork used to win. The only disappointment was our dad telling us once we got up to Dublin that we had no tickets for the match. But you can’t have everything.”

Thanking the wider family circle for their care, Keane said: “I have never known a closer family. Your help and support over the last couple of years has been a great example to us all. We will never be able to thank you enough. The turnout today has not surprised us. Our mam always looked out for other people. Not only was she kind and caring, but she had a good sense of humor, right up until the end.”

Father Sean O’Sullivan, who celebrated the Requiem Mass, told mourners that Marie Keane was everything to her family. She cherished them “not for anything they had done or achieved” but simply for who they were.

“While our hearts expand to love others as we grow, there is a place in our hearts that forever belongs to our mother. That is what makes them so special. It also makes it hard to lose them,” O’Sullivan said.

Keane’s praise for his family, faith, and upbringing follows the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood last month where his fellow Irish star, Best Actress winner Jessie Buckley, paid a warm tribute to her parents and the beauty of motherhood in her acceptance speech.

When thousands of Muslims took part in a prayer service in London’s Trafalgar Square in March to mark Iftar, the meal that breaks the Ramadan fast, the event was hosted by London Mayor Sadiq Khan. It was also welcomed by political leaders, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighting the Trafalgar Square event as an example of “the great strength of our diverse city and country.”

Starmer added that he would sack anyone from his “team” who said “Muslims praying in public … are not welcome.” Defending the event against outside criticism, Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Stella Creasy said: “Muslims should be as free as Christians, Sikhs, and Jews to celebrate their faith in Trafalgar Square.”

Criticizing the response to the event, Paul Sapper, ADF International communications officer, told EWTN News: “There is a two-tier bias in how many in our political class view public prayer and freedom of religion. Mass Islamic prayer is defended and celebrated as characteristic of ‘our tolerant and diverse country,’ while the silent prayer of solitary Christians is criminalized.”

Many Catholics have taken particular issue with the comments made by Creasy, the pro-abortion MP who was responsible for pushing a law that banned silent prayer outside abortion facilities. Under Section 9(1)(a) of the Public Order Act, which became law in October 2024, “influencing” any person wishing to access an abortion facility became illegal, leaving pro-life activists concerned that silent prayer would be considered a crime.

These concerns were realized when British army veteran Adam Smith-Connor was found guilty of breaching a local buffer zone in October 2024 by praying silently outside an abortion clinic and given a fine of almost $12,000. This was followed, in December 2025, by police charging Catholic campaigner Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, 48, from Worcestershire, for silently praying in an abortion clinic “buffer zone” under the Public Order Act 2023. The date for her trial has been set for October.

Sapper complained that the celebration by “the political establishment” of “mass Islamic prayer” while supporting buffer zones “shows a clear bias against Christianity,” adding: “The undeniable reality is that ‘buffer zone’ legislation is being used in this country to ban silent Christian prayer in what is the most egregious example of censorship in Britain today. ‘Buffer zones’ are used to censor not only speech but also people’s most intimate thoughts, as the examples of Adam and Isabel show. This is real-life thought-crime.”

ADF International is a Christian legal advocacy organization that defends fundamental freedoms. ADF has legally supported Vaughan-Spruce and Smith-Connor as victims of ‘buffer zone’ censorship, with Sapper describing them as “peaceful Christians who merely silently prayed in a public space, as is their lawful right in a free country.”

Highlighting Creasy’s role in particular, Sapper added: “Stella Creasy introduced Section 9 of the Public Order Act (POA) 2023, which introduced ‘buffer zones’ around all abortion facilities in England and Wales. Creasy also voted against a specific amendment to POA 2023 which would have made it clear that silent prayer is not a crime.”

“ADF International and many others warned that this would lead to the criminalization of silent prayer, and we sadly have been proved right. If anyone supports the criminalization of silent prayer and pretends to care about freedom of religion, they simply should not be believed,” he said.

Backing Sapper’s point, Vaughan-Spruce complained of the praise given to the Islamic event. She told EWTN News: “Politicians suddenly seem to be lining up to defend the right to pray in public — but only when it’s Muslims doing the praying. I’ve been charged three times in connection with my silent prayers, arrested twice, and am now facing court again. Where are those same voices when it comes to defending my rights as a Christian?”

“We were told that buffer zones were needed to prevent harassment and intimidation, yet the only people being charged under this law are peaceful, prayerful Christians.”

Responding to Creasy’s comment that “buffer zones don’t ban prayer,” Vaughan-Spruce said: “If Ms. Creasy truly believes buffer zones don’t ban prayer, then why has she been silent throughout my ordeal? I face court again for doing nothing more than silently praying on a public street. I would welcome support from Ms. Creasy if, true to her word, she believes buffer zones don’t ban prayer.”

Looking to the future, Vaughan-Spruce urged Catholics “to recognize the rights we do have and use them,” adding: “So often it’s our own fear or complacency which limits us. God himself tells us in Joshua 1:9: ‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’”

The case follows a Europa League match between Red Star Belgrade and LOSC Lille (Lille Olympique Sporting Club) on Feb. 26, when UEFA’s Control, Ethics, and Disciplinary Body imposed multiple fines on the Serbian club totaling 95,500 euros (about $110,000). These included a 40,000-euro penalty for transmitting a message deemed not fit for a sports event and bringing the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute.

The sanction drew political attention after reports suggested it may have been connected to a stadium display featuring an Orthodox Christian icon alongside a religious message invoking faith and victory.

In response to an inquiry from EWTN News, UEFA said the fine was linked to a banner containing the phrase “F*** UEFA” and not to the religious display. It added that there is no sanction related to the choreography itself.

MEP raises concerns

Greek member of European Parliament (MEP) Emmanouil Fragkos said the case raised broader concerns about the application of rules governing religious expression in European football.

“UEFA and all UEFAs must learn to be accountable to the football fans and all the real people,” Fragkos told EWTN News, adding that he supports religion, tradition, and the right of people to speak freely. He also emphasized the need for greater awareness among supporters of their “collective power” in shaping how such decisions are received.

In a letter to Glenn Micallef, the European commissioner for intergenerational fairness, youth, culture, and sport, Fragkos said the case “raises serious concerns” about UEFA’s approach, questioning how “a peaceful expression of faith and identity” could be deemed inappropriate and calling for “consistent and transparent application” of the rules governing messages displayed at matches.

Christian symbolism debate

Reports had also pointed to a separate sanction involving LOSC Lille following its Europa League match against Aston Villa on March 12, where a banner depicting St. Joan of Arc was displayed. UEFA told EWTN News those claims were inaccurate, stating that any sanction in that case was related to insulting chants directed at an opposing goalkeeper and not to the imagery.

The episode comes amid ongoing debates in Europe over the place of religious symbols in public life, including a case before the European Court of Human Rights, Union of Atheists v. Greece, concerning the display of Orthodox Christian icons in Greek courtrooms. The applicants argue that such imagery may affect perceptions of judicial neutrality and religious freedom.

The agreement does not establish specific parameters for financial compensation — neither minimums nor maximums — because it is not intended to be the sole avenue for reparation. Furthermore, as agreed upon by the signatories, the aim is to address each case on an individualized basis.

The signing of the new protocol, which will enter into force on April 15, took place at the ombudsman’s office on March 30. Present at the ceremony were the president of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference (CEE, by its Spanish acronym), Archbishop Luis Argüello; the president of the Spanish Confederation of Religious (CONFER, by its Spanish acronym), Dominican Father Jesús Díaz Sariego; the minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with the Cortes (legislature), Félix Bolaños; and the people’s ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo.

Alluding to the liturgical season, Argüello expressed at the beginning of his remarks the hope that the agreement would serve to “alleviate the passion (suffering) of so many victims of abuse,” specifically those whose cases have passed the statute of limitations or whose abusers have died.

The prelate underscored that this new system is an extension of the efforts undertaken for years by ecclesiastical institutions, efforts that more than a year ago took concrete form in the PRIVA plan for the comprehensive reparation of abuse victims. This plan has already resolved over a hundred cases, offering, among other measures, financial compensation to more than 80 individuals, totaling 2.5 million euros ($2.86 million).

Under this new protocol, the system implemented by the Catholic Church “is never replaced; rather, it is complemented by collaboration with the public authorities,” an arrangement whose concrete realization has been delayed beyond initial expectations, yet which Argüello views as “an opportunity for collaboration, while naturally respecting the scope and jurisdiction” of each signatory institution.

Sariego remarked that “an agreement — even an imperfect one — is preferable to no agreement at all” and expressed the hope that this day would “serve to alleviate that pain and suffering which we know is immense and runs deep.”

Bolaños noted that this constitutes a model “that involves the victims,” in which “comprehensive reparation is guaranteed” and which is structured as “a collaborative effort”; however, he underscored that “the final say will rest with the state” in the event of a disagreement between the experts from the Catholic Church’s PRIVA Plan and the team appointed by the people’s ombudsman.

Bolaños also commended and acknowledged the work of the experts appointed by the Catholic Church, “even though the PRIVA Plan contained an ‘original sin,’” namely, that it was the Church itself that determined what compensation victims of abuse within its own ranks would receive, a factor that led “many victims to lack confidence” in the system.

During his remarks, Gabilondo stated that the signatories had debated “every comma” of the 14-page protocol. “I cannot recall anything that was not complicated, nor anything that proved insurmountable,” he stated when asked about the difficulties encountered during this process.

End of a phase

The signing of the protocol marks the conclusion of a phase that began in March 2022, when the legislature tasked the ombudsman with investigating abuses within the Catholic Church. In October 2023, the ombudsman presented his report, which included a recommendation to establish a state-run reparations system.

In April 2024, the executive branch approved an implementation plan for measures proposed by the ombudsman, a plan that the CEE rejected on the grounds that it was based on “a condemnatory judgment of the entire Church, rendered without any form of legal safeguards,” and amounted to “the state publicly targeting the Church in a discriminatory manner.”

Despite this rejection, a preliminary agreement was reached in January 2026, an agreement in which the Vatican secretariat of state was reportedly involved, as acknowledged by both Argüello and Bolaños. The minister confirmed on March 30 that on March 20 he held a further meeting at the Vatican Secretariat of State while in Rome accompanying the king and queen of Spain, who were received by Pope Leo XIV.

How the system will work

Effective April 15, any victim of abuse within the Church may contact an office established for this purpose within the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with the Cortes, which will forward the information to the ombudsman.

The Ombudsman’s Victims Unit will review the case within a maximum period of three months — extendable by one additional month if necessary. If the case is accepted, the Ombudsman’s Victims Unit will submit a proposal for redress to the PRIVA Plan Advisory Commission, which will have a maximum of two months to evaluate and respond to it.

The ombudsman will then have 15 days to convey these assessments to the victim.

If all parties are in agreement, the decision shall be deemed final. Otherwise, the dispute is referred to a joint body comprising representatives from the ombudsman, the CEE, and CONFER as well as associations of abuse victims, which will have an additional 15 days to reach a resolution.

If an agreement is still not reached, “the ombudsman and the representatives of the ecclesiastical institutions will make a final attempt to reach a consensus within a maximum period of one month.”

Ultimately, it would be the Ombudsman’s Victims Unit that makes the decision, which the Catholic Church must abide by.

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 position focuses on promoting FoRB in the EU’s external relations, including engagement with third countries, international organizations, and civil society.

McGuinness brings senior institutional experience to the role. During her time in the European Parliament, she led dialogue with churches, religious organizations, and philosophical groups under Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which provides a formal framework for engagement between EU institutions and faith communities.

The European Parliament’s Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief welcomed the appointment, with co-chairs Miriam Lexmann and Bert-Jan Ruissen saying it was “high time” the post was filled after remaining vacant for over a year.

Ruissen pointed to ongoing global challenges, including serious violence and persecution faced by Christians in Nigeria and surrounding countries, the situation of religious minorities in Syria, and anti-conversion laws in Pakistan and India.

Lexmann emphasized the envoy’s importance in today’s turbulent world: “In the rough sea that characterizes today’s geopolitical reality, the protection of freedom of religion or belief, which is a fundamental human right, must remain our compass. It is precisely in moments of global uncertainty and conflict that the European Union must stand firm in defending human dignity, religious freedom, and the values on which the European project was founded.”

The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) welcomed the appointment. The COMECE president, Italian Bishop Mariano Crociata, noted that the bishops’ conferences have worked closely with McGuinness in the past.

Crociata underlined that the role is a key component of the EU’s external action and is essential for advancing the protection and promotion of freedom of religion or belief worldwide.

COMECE reiterated its call for the position to be supported by a strong mandate and adequate resources, especially amid rising global discrimination and persecution of religious communities.

The special envoy post was created in 2016 following calls from the European Parliament to strengthen the EU’s response to global religious persecution, including attacks by ISIS against Christians and other religious minorities.

The first holder was Slovak politician Ján Figeľ, who served from 2016 to 2019. He was actively involved in international advocacy efforts on behalf of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman who spent eight years on death row after being falsely accused of blasphemy. She was acquitted in 2018 and now lives in Canada.

While previous popes had carried experiential “baggage” with respect to the Orthodox church into their pontificates, Weigel said Pope Leo XIV “gets it in terms of what is actually going on” and predicted renewed promise for Orthodox-Catholic relations under his pontificate.

While he acknowledged Leo has only been pope for less than 11 months, Weigel said: “This is a deliberate man. I believe that he will work deliberately to try to reformulate this, but we’re going to have to give him time.”

Weigel’s remarks came during a panel at an event organized by the Center of Ukrainian Studies at The Catholic University of America, the Ukrainian University, and the St. Gabriel Institute titled “The Pseudo-Sobor 80 Years Later: The Persecution Continues.”

Weigel said in his own interactions with the Holy Father, he has suggested that the approach to dialogue with Orthodox churches should not center on theological primacy as heavily as in the past.

Rather, he said, it should focus on the fact that Orthodoxy “does not have a credible 21st-century church,” with a fully formed approach to church-state relations, particularly in light of the Russia-Ukraine war.

“It needs to get one,” he said. “And the people who actually have a fully developed social aspect are the Catholics, and that should be where the focus should be,” Weigel said.

“It would be a matter of Rome saying, ‘Look, it took us 200 years at least to figure out the post-Constantinian period to understand religious freedom within our own theological framework as a fundamental human right … Maybe we can help you with this. Maybe we can learn something from you,” he said.

Weigel said the dialogue will need to happen outside of formal settings and that with Leo, he believes “there will be over time an opening” to such discussions.

Under this approach, he said, Rome can move on from previously unsuccessful efforts to engage with the Orthodox church.

The panel discussion comes amid the 80th anniversary of the 1946 Pseudo-Sobor on March 8–10.

After Ukraine came under Soviet control during World War II, the Stalin regime began a campaign against the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), arresting its leader, Metropolitan Josyf Slipyj, in April 1945 along with other bishops in the Slovak territory, panelist Katerina Budz recounted.

With their bishops imprisoned and faced with their own arrest if they refused to comply, priests and lay members of the UGCC were summoned by a Soviet initiative group to participate in the 1946 Pseudo-Sobor, in which a vote was cast to officially sever ties with the Vatican and “reunify” with the Russian Orthodox Church.

“Imagine,” Budz said, “your bishop is imprisoned, and unless you agree to join the initiative group, most likely you will be too. After your arrest, the church will be closed, your parishioners will have no pastoral care, and your wife and children will no longer be able to count you as a family provider.”

“It was in this particularly challenging environment that the Greek Catholic clergy had to make life-changing decisions,” she said, noting the clergy also faced backlash from the nationalist underground forces and from their parishioners.

Tucked along the Mediterranean coast, the principality of Monaco — whose official language is French — is often associated with Formula 1, wealth, glamor, and the famed Monte Carlo Casino. Yet beneath its polished exterior lies a profoundly Catholic heritage that continues to shape its laws, culture, and monarchy.

Here are 10 key things to know about Monaco and its enduring Catholic identity:

1. Monaco is the last European country that is Catholic by law.

Unlike many modern European nations, Monaco officially recognizes the Catholic Church as the state religion. Only a tiny handful of countries still have Catholicism as their official state religion in law including Vatican City, Malta, Costa Rica, and Liechtenstein. Monaco is the last European country whose constitution declares “the Catholic, apostolic, and Roman religion” as the state religion, making Pope Leo’s visit a spotlight on Europe’s final officially Catholic state.

Currently, more than 90% of the population — roughly 38,000-39,000 people — identifies as Catholic.

Monaco also has an older population. Roughly a third or more of residents are over 65. Life expectancy in Monaco is among the highest in the world — often estimated in the late 80s — which means the Church here walks with a very elderly population.

2. The current sovereign has deep Catholic roots.

The ruling family of Monaco, the House of Grimaldi, has long been closely tied to Catholicism. Prince Albert II of Monaco, the current sovereign, was baptized and raised in the faith, as were his predecessors. Prince Albert is the son of Prince Rainier III and American actress Grace Kelly, who was also Catholic.

Prince Albert II is 68 and has been married to Charlene Wittstock, a former Olympic swimmer, since 2011. They have two children — twins Jacques and Gabriella.

Before marrying Wittstock, Albert had two children out of wedlock — Jazmin and Alexandre. While both are recognized as children of Prince Albert, they are not in the line of succession for the throne because their parents never married.

3. Monaco is the second-smallest country in the world.

Believe it or not, Monaco is smaller than New York City’s Central Park. Only Vatican City is smaller than Monaco. The principality covers just about 2 square kilometers (less than 1 square mile), yet it packs in a dense population and world-class infrastructure.

It should be noted that Monaco is both a principality and a country. It is a sovereign, independent city-state and its status as a “principality” relates to its form of government — a constitutional monarchy ruled by a prince.

4. Monaco has only one Catholic diocese and one archbishop.

The small country only has one diocese, the Archdiocese of Monaco, and the Guiness World Records recognizes it as the smallest diocese in the world by territory.

During his visit, Pope Leo will meet with Archbishop Dominique‑Marie David — a French priest ordained in Nantes, France, and appointed to Monaco in 2020 — the only archbishop in the country.

5. Catholicism by the numbers in Monaco

Monaco has a surprisingly rich parish life: Six parishes and about 15 churches and chapels serve this tiny country.

There are 29 priests in active ministry — including one official exorcist: Canon Alain Goinot, who was appointed in 2015 — as well as 14 religious sisters. The four communities of religious sisters include Dominicans, Oblates of the Virgin Mary of Fátima, Filles du Saint‑Cœur de Marie, and Sœurs de Notre‑Dame de l’Incarnation.

Additionally, if you were to look at a map of Monaco you would see that on each corner of the principality there is a church: the Cathedral on the Rock, Saint‑Charles with the Dominicans, Saint‑Martin–Sacré‑Cœur, Sainte‑Dévote, Saint‑Nicolas in the port, and the Prince Palace’s own chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

6. Monaco is where a billionaire and a housemaid can sit in the same pew.

Monaco has one of the highest GDPs per capita in the world. Its economy thrives on luxury tourism, banking, and real estate, attracting millionaires and billionaires from across the globe.

One major reason the wealthy flock to Monaco is that it does not levy personal income tax (with a few exceptions). This has helped establish it as a global tax haven.

Abbé Christian Venard, episcopal vicar for communications of the principality’s archdiocese, told EWTN News in an interview that “while there are very wealthy people, ordinary people, sometimes even very simple ones, are also needed to make the system work. This social mix gives our diocesan Church a truly unique character. Sometimes in church, a billionaire and a housemaid can sit on the same pew. The Church is one of the rare places of social intermingling in the principality and must take this important aspect into account in its daily apostolate.”

7. Monaco hosted one of the most-watched royal Catholic weddings.

The Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate — formerly the Cathedral of St. Nicholas — is where Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly were married in 1956 and where many princes and princesses, including Kelly, are buried. Their wedding Mass is still one of the most-watched royal Catholic weddings in history.

8. Monaco’s patron saint is St. Devota.

Monaco’s patroness, St. Devota (Sainte Dévote), is so important that her feast — Jan. 27 — is a solemnity and day of precept in the archdiocese. Her relic is even kept in the palace chapel.

St. Devota is a revered early Christian martyr believed to have lived in the late third or early fourth century. According to tradition, she was born in Corsica and killed for her faith during Roman persecution. Her body was said to have been placed on a boat by fellow Christians, which miraculously drifted to Monaco, where she became the principality’s patron saint.

9. It is a pro-life country.

One of the clearest reflections of Monaco’s Catholic identity is its legal stance on abortion. Influenced by Catholic moral teaching, the country has historically prohibited abortion except in very limited circumstances. This legal framework reflects a strong cultural commitment to the dignity of human life.

Last November, Prince Albert refused to sign a bill that would further liberalize abortion in the principality, even though it passed in Parliament 19-2. Albert said he understands “the sensitivity of this issue” but insisted the current law better respects Monaco’s Catholic identity and the special place of the Church while still ensuring “safe and more humane” support for women.

10. A princess was removed from the British line of succession for becoming Catholic.

In 2018, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, a member of the royal family of Monaco, was removed from her distant place in the British line of succession after becoming a Catholic.

Princess Alexandra was born in Austria and baptized a Lutheran two months after her birth. She is the daughter of Caroline, Princess of Hanover, and Prince Ernst August of Hanover. Through her father she is descended from Victoria, Princess Royal, the eldest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Alexandra is the granddaughter of Grace Kelly, who in 1956 became Princess of Monaco when she married Rainier III. So in addition to having been in the British line of succession, Alexandra was the 12th in line to the Monegasque throne.

Because the British monarch is head of the Church of England, which is the established church there, British law bars Catholics from succeeding to the throne.

The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 allowed heirs to the throne to marry Catholics, among other changes. However, the law still stipulates that the acting British sovereign must not be a Catholic. Catholics have been barred from the English throne since the Act of Settlement 1701.

During the brief visit to the chapel, the pope will meet with young people and catechumens from Monaco outside the church.

Located in the Ravin de Sainte-Dévote, the chapel devoted to St. Dévote dates back to before 1070 and is a key site for Monegasque traditions, including the annual burning of a boat and the royal bride’s bouquet-laying.

Although relatively unknown beyond Monaco, St. Dévote remains a deeply admired figure in the small city-state where her legacy has been honored for centuries after her martyrdom. But who was this beloved young woman whom Monaco still celebrates?

Legend of St. Dévote

The sources of the legend of St. Dévote have survived in the form of manuscripts. The oldest known version dates back to the early 12th century and is now housed at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France.

According to the ancient legend, Dévote lived in the third century in Corsica, a small mountainous Mediterranean island. She was a young Christian when openly following Jesus could mean prison, torture, or death. As a devout follower of her faith, she consecrated her virginity and life to Christ.

When persecution rose, Dévote was arrested. The young woman refused to deny Christ, so she was brutally tortured and killed. It is believed she was martyred by the prefect Barbarus during the reign of Emperors Diocletian and Maximian in 303 or 304.

Her persecutors planned to burn her body so Christians would have no relics or body to venerate, but a small group of Christians secretly recovered her body. They placed it on a boat sailing to North Africa, hoping to bring her relics to a community that would bury her with honor and invoke her as a martyr.

The legend says that as the boat journeyed, a mysterious dove appeared and guided it along the coast, but a violent storm broke out and the sailors prayed for Dévote’s intercession and the storm suddenly calmed. The boat finally made its way to a port in Monaco.

The Christians believed the diversion was a sign that God had chosen Monaco as Dévote’s final resting place. She was buried there and a small and simple oratory was built over her tomb.

The faithful in Monaco never forgot the teenage martyr whose body arrived on their shore in the storm‑tossed boat. St. Dévote became the patron of Monaco and of the ruling Grimaldi family — which has reigned in Monaco since 1297.

She is also a protector for sailors, fishermen, and all who travel by sea.

Monaco’s deep devotion to the young martyr

The legend of St. Dévote is one of Monaco’s oldest traditions, influencing a deep devotion to the faith and to the saint. It has also shaped national life in Monaco including its literature, arts, music, coins, and stamps.

The Chapel of St. Dévote, where Pope Leo will visit, is first mentioned around  1070 as belonging to the Abbey of St. Pons. The chapel was rebuilt and expanded several times. It became a priory in the 13th century and then was acquired by Honoré I, Lord of Monaco, in 1536. It later became a parish church in 1887.

St. Dévote’s feast day falls on Jan. 27 and has become an important day for Catholics in Monaco. It is celebrated as a solemnity and a national public holiday.

Her feast day is honored in many ways, but most notably with the burning of the boat. On the evening of Jan. 26, the prince and royal family, the archbishop, clergy, locals, and visitors gather at the chapel. The group prays as the prince and archbishop set a small wooden boat on fire outside the church. The crowd prays, sings, and watches the boat burn, which serves as a reminder of the boat that once carried the martyr to safety and the fire that threatened to erase her memory.

The day after the burning of the boat, on Jan. 27, the faithful continue to celebrate. Catholics attend Mass and then process with relics of St. Dévote past the Prince’s Palace of Monaco and through the Rock of Monaco.

Throughout the year the saint is also honored with statues, artwork, and symbols around Monaco, especially near the port where her legend is centered.

In St. Dévote’s honor, it is also customary for brides to offer their wedding bouquet to the saint as a way of asking her to bless their marriages. It is a long-standing tradition for the bride of the sovereign prince to lay her bridal bouquet at the Chapel of St. Dévote after the royal wedding ceremony.

At the outset of her message, Postigo acknowledged that the young woman’s story has deeply affected her: “I have been profoundly moved,” she noted, before summarizing the tragedy of Castillo’s life.

“A young woman — the daughter of divorced parents facing severe difficulties — was taken into the care of Social Services and placed in a juvenile detention center. There, she was gang-raped and received neither the psychological care nor the human support she so desperately needed. Following a failed suicide attempt, she was left wheelchair-bound, plunging even deeper into her pain,” Postigo explained.

This story “lays bare the deepest fissures within our system: It reveals a victim of institutional abandonment who was left utterly alone to face her suffering,” the specialist asserted.

Her request for euthanasia “is presented as an act of freedom, yet in reality, it expresses the hopelessness of someone who was never truly embraced or treated with the dignity she deserved. We are not dealing with a case of euthanasia here but rather one of assisted suicide.”

‘A grave failure that sets a precedent’

The Pontifical Academy of Life member emphasized that Castillo did not “suffer from a terminal illness but rather from profound depression stemming from unhealed trauma. Even so, the law permits opening that door without distinguishing between irreversible physical suffering and psychological suffering that can be treated and alleviated.”

In her view, this consideration constitutes “a grave failure that sets a precedent: a regulation that is today being applied to individuals who could regain their lives if they received the appropriate help, therapy, and support.”

The law — rather than offering genuine compassion — ends up legitimizing the renunciation of life by those who most need support and hope.

Elena Postigo

corresponding member of the Pontifical Academy for Life

“The law — rather than offering genuine compassion — ends up legitimizing the renunciation of life by those who most need support and hope,” Postigo observed. “Noelia didn’t need to be offered death but rather someone to restore her sense of purpose, provide assistance, and offer the possibility of healing.”

Postigo further maintained that Castillo’s case is “the reflection of a profound collective failure. When life hurts, what is truly human is to care, to accompany, and to sustain — not to kill.”

Sharing her personal perspective, the bioethics specialist said that in such cases, compassion “ought to translate into presence, accompaniment, and care, not into authorization to die.”

“The fact that the state would even contemplate assisted suicide for such a young person strikes me as a grave error and, above all, a moral defeat.”

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 3-2 decision, the court said Räsänen’s criminal conviction over the distribution of a 2004 pamphlet alongside her Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola was for “making and keeping available to the public a text that insults a group” under a section of the Finnish criminal code titled “War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.”

“I am shocked and profoundly disappointed that the court has failed to recognize my basic human right to freedom of expression,” Räsänen said in a March 26 press release from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International. “I stand by the teachings of my Christian faith, and will continue to defend my and every person’s right to share their convictions in the public square.”

The court acquitted Räsänen of charges related to the 2019 Bible verse tweet that sparked the parliamentarian’s legal battle.

In it, she quoted Romans 1:24–27 and questioned how the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland could sponsor an LGBT Pride event, asking how what Scripture calls “shame and sin” could be presented as “a matter of pride.”

Räsänen said she is looking into appealing her case to the European Court of Human Rights.

“This is not about my free speech alone but that of every person in Finland. A positive ruling would help to prevent other innocent people from experiencing the same ordeal for simply sharing their beliefs,” she said in a statement.

The latest decision comes after Räsänen was previously acquitted on all charges by two lower courts in early 2022 and 2023 over the tweet, pamphlet, and a 2019 radio debate.

The Supreme Court heard Räsänen’s case again in October 2025 following a third appeal by the prosecution regarding the tweet and pamphlet, delivering its latest decision on March 26. The prosecution did not appeal the radio debate.

Social media reactions

ADF Senior Legal Counsel Sean Nelson described the Finnish Court’s decision as “Truly Year Zero, Orwellian thinking” in a March 26 social media post.

“I can’t express how enraging and unjust this decision is,” he said. “No one ever filed a complaint about her pamphlet written 20 years ago. The prosecutors only found out because of a witch hunt after her Bible tweet, dredging anything they could up.”

Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, reacted to the news on social media, describing the conviction as “part of a broader trend I’ve been warning about where Western countries are prosecuting Christians.”

“As a Christian country, the U.S. cannot stand idly by and watch as the Christian foundations of the West are destroyed,” he said.

Father Benedict Kiely, founder of Nazarean.org, also weighed in on the decision, writing that Räsänen “is the canary in the coal mine for freedom of expression and religious freedom in Europe.”

“And now the canary — and the Bible — have been found guilty,” he said.

Since it became known that Castillo was scheduled to undergo euthanasia on March 26 at 6 p.m. local time, the Catholic Church in Spain expressed its views on the case in various ways. Prayer vigils were held outside the hospital where she was injected with a lethal cocktail of drugs.

In a statement, members of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference’s Subcommittee for the Family and Defense of Life expressed that they view “with deep sorrow the situation of Noelia — this 25-year-old young woman whose story reflects an accumulation of personal suffering and institutional failings that challenge the whole of society.”

Her situation, the prelates added, “cannot be interpreted solely through the lens of individual autonomy; rather, it demands a deeper perspective — one capable of recognizing the weight of psychological suffering, loneliness, and hopelessness.”

The Spanish bishops underscored that “euthanasia and assisted suicide are not medical acts but rather a deliberate rupture of the bond of care; furthermore, they constitute a societal defeat when presented as a response to human suffering.”

In Castillo’s specific case, “we are not dealing with a terminal illness but rather with deep wounds that cry out for attention, treatment, and hope,” they added.

Secondly, the prelates recalled that “the dignity of the human person does not depend on their state of health, nor on their subjective perception of life, nor on their degree of autonomy” but rather is “an intrinsic value that demands to be recognized, protected, and promoted under all circumstances.”

Consequently, the response to suffering “cannot be to bring about death but rather to offer closeness, accompaniment, appropriate care, and comprehensive support.”

The bishops further expressed their closeness to Castillo and her family members, assuring them of their “prayers, affection, and commitment to a culture of care that abandons no one.”

Finally, they issued “an appeal to society as a whole to strengthen resources for psychological care, human accompaniment, and support networks — especially for the most vulnerable.”

“When life hurts, the answer cannot be to cut the journey short but rather to walk it together. Only in this way can we build a truly just society, where no one feels alone or cast aside,” they concluded.

Archbishop Argüello: ‘Your true relief is not suicide’

The president of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Luis Argüello, stated via his personal account on X that “if induced death is the solution to problems, then everything is permitted.”

“A physician cannot serve as the executing arm of a death sentence, no matter how legal, empowering, or compassionate it may appear. Let us pray for Noelia; her suffering is harrowing, but her true relief lies not in suicide,” he emphasized.

Through their account on the same social network, the country’s Catholic bishops summarized the case by noting: “Today in Spain, death is presented as the solution to suffering — an infinite dignity consigned to death by a ‘welfare society’ incapable of caring and loving. In contrast to this stands the hope that springs from an encounter with life.”

Meanwhile, Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of Orihuela-Alicante shared three reflections “in the face of Noelia’s euthanasia, which has been turned into a spectacle,” to which he added a prayer.

The prelate noted that “when the law sanctions the taking of a life, something essential within the law has been broken” and offered another consideration he deems fundamental: “While the matter is being debated on social media, Jesus Christ draws near to everyone and offers his mercy... It is our duty to embrace it and to pray that it may be embraced by others.”

Consequently, he invited the faithful to join in a prayer asking for the Lord’s merciful gaze upon Castillo, her parents, the politicians and social workers involved, the judges who ruled in favor of her death, and the health care professionals involved in carrying it out.

He also prayed for those who “wounded this young woman’s heart throughout her life — especially those who raped her”; for the media outlets “that view this news story as an opportunity to boost their ratings”; and, finally, for “all of us, who run the risk of becoming frivolous spectators, forgetting that we, too, will soon stand before you.”

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 Spanish law, to request euthanasia, an individual must be of legal age and be both mentally capable and fully conscious at the time of the request; they must also hold Spanish citizenship or have maintained legal residency for more than 12 months and “be suffering from a serious and incurable disease or a serious, chronic, and disabling condition, as certified by the attending physician.”

On March 24 it was reported that the European Court of Human Rights rejected the interim measures requested by Castillo’s family to halt her euthanasia, bringing an end to a legal battle spanning nearly two years.

The following day, an interview with Castillo aired on the Spanish television network Antena 3 in which she described how she feels: “I have no desire to do anything — not to go out, not to eat, not to do anything at all. ... Sleeping is very difficult for me; furthermore, I suffer from back pain as well as leg pain.”

“I have always felt alone, because I have never felt understood; no one has ever empathized with me, and I have always struggled with interpersonal relationships,” she recounted.

“Even before requesting euthanasia, I viewed my world as very dark; I saw a very dark ending ahead of me. I had no goals, no objectives — nothing at all — and I still have no goals, no objectives,” she acknowledged.

Life challenges

Castillo’s life has been full of many challenges. While under the guardianship of public services following her parents’ separation, she was subjected to multiple sexual assaults.

According to Abogados Cristianos (Christian Lawyers) — the organization representing Castillo’s father in his efforts to prevent his daughter’s euthanasia— at that time, the young woman had been officially recognized as having a 67% disability due to mental illness.

In October 2022, she attempted suicide by throwing herself from a balcony, sustaining injuries that left her in a wheelchair; this increased her disability rating to 74% — a fact that, according to the Christian Lawyers organization, “demonstrates that the underlying issue is psychiatric.”

“This is key: The Constitutional Court itself (Ruling STC 94/2023) makes it clear that euthanasia cannot be administered when the source of suffering is a mental illness and that the state has an obligation to protect these individuals from the risk of suicide,” Christian Lawyers emphasized to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Although reports have circulated claiming she was left paraplegic, Castillo herself refuted this: “I am not bedridden or anything of the sort; I get out of bed. I shower all by myself. As you have seen, I apply my own makeup and manage my own affairs,” she stated.

According to her own testimony, Castillo had been admitted to psychiatric facilities at least twice previously, and during those stays, she made several suicide attempts. She was discharged in June 2023.

In April 2024, she requested euthanasia in accordance with the procedure established by law, and it was approved for August 2024. This marked the beginning of a legal battle waged by her father, supported by the Christian Lawyers organization.

During the proceedings, they succeeded in halting the procedure and securing recognition of the family members’ right to object to the euthanasia request.

Concurrently, Christian Lawyers filed a criminal complaint against the physician and the lawyer who had initially evaluated Castillo’s request in accordance with the protocol.

The organization alleged that, despite agreeing to authorize the euthanasia, the two “feigned disagreement in order to refer the decision to the Guarantees and Evaluation Commission, thereby ‘forcing’ a supposedly higher level of assurance in the decision-making process” — a point noted by the Supreme Court in a ruling.

In September 2025, Christian Lawyers also filed a complaint against seven members of the guarantees commission for conflict of interest as well as against the former Catalan minister of health, Josep María Argimón, for having appointed them.

Subsequently, in January of this year, the Supreme Court upheld the request for euthanasia — a decision that was appealed to the Constitutional Court, which rejected the appeal in February.

The Christian Lawyers organization also took the case to the European Court of Human Rights, which rejected the request for interim measures without ruling on the merits of the case on March 24.

Following this, it was announced that the euthanasia procedure would be carried out on March 26 at 6 p.m. local time. The procedure lasts approximately 15 minutes and involves the use of three chemical substances. Per Castillo’s decision, her parents were not permitted to be present.

‘This case exposes the failure of the euthanasia law’

According to Christian Lawyers, “this case exposes the failure of the euthanasia law. It facilitates suicide without the individual having received prior mental health treatment.”

Consequently, the legal organization emphasized that “it is imperative to establish protocols mandating an attempt at psychological and psychiatric treatment before authorizing euthanasia. Without treatment, there is no free decision; there is abandonment.”

Finally, they hold the health authorities of the Catalan regional government responsible: “Before offering death, they must ensure that they have offered every alternative for life. In cases of mental illness, they should be investing in the most advanced psychiatric treatments and in recovery.”

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 happens a lot,” Steven Moore, executive producer of the war documentary “A Faith Under Siege,” told “EWTN News Nightly” on March 25, live from Kyiv. 

Russia carried out missile strikes on March 24 that hit the UNESCO-protected Bernardine Monastery and its St. Andrew’s Church.

Moore said Russia’s targeting of Christian churches — even Orthodox ones — in Ukraine is a regular occurrence. St. Andrew’s, a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, “is probably the most historic church they have targeted so far,” he said.

Moore described Russia’s targeting of churches as part of the Kremlin’s “holy war,” noting that the Russian Orthodox Church and its Patriarch Kirill of Moscow act as an extension of the Kremlin.

“Patriarch Kirill, their version of the pope, has said, ‘If you die fighting in Ukraine, all your sins will be washed away,’” he said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the Russian Orthodox Church as having more in common with Islam than Catholicism.

Intersection of Ukraine and Iran wars

Moore said there are concerns the war involving Iran will drive up the price of oil, leaving Russia — “a gas station with an army” — with an increased revenue stream that Putin may in turn use against Ukrainians.

“We’re in a mess as a world right now,” he said, citing the war in the Middle East and in Ukraine. “And you know, China is backing all of this,” he said. “North Korea is waiting to go into South Korea; there’s tens of thousands of North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine right now.”

“The good news, though, about this invasion into Iran is that the Iranians have been supplying the Russians with drones, these Shahed drones, and it will limit their ability to cooperate with the Russians in the future,” he said.

Shahed drones are Iranian-developed unmanned combat aerial vehicles.

Ukrainians have sent drone experts to help Middle Eastern nations to cope with these Russian drone attacks. “American weapons are built with an innovation cycle of months or years. Here in Ukraine, the innovation cycle is days or weeks. And they’ve been fighting against the same weapons in Ukraine that Russia has sent to Iran,” Moore said. “No one in the world right now is as good at drone warfare and anti-drone warfare as the Ukrainians.”

Moore further noted the Trump administration’s toppling of the Venezuelan regime, a Russian ally, as well as Syria. 

“When we’re looking at a global war, taking pieces off the board for the bad guys is a really positive thing in the long run,” he said.

The policemen — one of whom is stationed at the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See — were off duty when they intervened in response to a priest’s call for help.

After hearing the priest’s shouts, they managed to intercept the suspect, who — according to the clergyman — had just stolen several items.

After questioning the suspect, the policemen recovered from the alleged thief two lockpicks (used to open locks), 480 euros (about $555), two watches, and five lottery tickets.

The officers then proceeded to notify the Italian State Police of the incident, who took over the case.

Home of Passion relics

The Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem is one of the most renowned churches in the Eternal City, owing to the spiritual treasures it holds within its walls.

Access to the basilica’s “Chapel of Relics” is gained through one of the church’s side aisles; there, several relics associated with Christ’s passion are preserved, protected behind a glass display case.

These objects were transported from Jerusalem to Rome thanks to St. Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine.

According to tradition, the chapel houses three fragments of the cross of Christ — displayed in a reliquary dating from 1800 — as well as one of the nails with which soldiers affixed Christ to the cross and two thorns from Christ’s crown.

Also venerated here is the sign known as the “Titulus Crucis,” which Pontius Pilate ordered to be placed at the top of Christ’s cross. It bears the inscription in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”

There is also a fragment of the cross of the good thief, along with a relic of the finger of the apostle Thomas — the very finger with which he touched Christ’s wound to believe that he had risen.

Additionally, in another side chapel — located next to the Chapel of the Relics of the Passion — a modern reproduction of the Shroud of Turin is on display.

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

At the Radiodays Europe conference in Riga, Latvia, EWTN News correspondent Colm Flynn on March 23 asked Studio Brussel hosts Sam De Bruyn, Eva De Roo, and Dries Lenaerts about the January segment, which featured the violent destruction of several objects including the Christian statuary.

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De Roo said the segment was in observance of “Blue Monday.”

“We were beating the blue out of the Monday,” she said. “So people could text us like, ‘I’m having really a blue Monday because my car broke and everything.’ OK, I will smash something for you!”

Asked by Flynn if Christian viewers might find the destruction of the Jesus and Mary statues “deeply offensive,” De Bruyn acknowledged that it “might” be offensive, but “in Belgium, not really.”

“We’re not a very religious country, definitely not the listeners of Studio Brussels,” he said. He noted that “all the things we smashed” were “all things that were already broken.”

De Bruyn admitted he would have been “more careful in another country, definitely.” But “in Belgium, it is not a big issue.”

Asked if the hosts would consider smashing a statue of the Islamic prophet Muhammed, De Bruyn said such a proposal was “dangerous.”

De Roo argued that the hosts were “all from the Christian tradition,” and De Bruyn pointed out that they were all “raised Catholic,” which, he claimed, “gives us a little more credit to do this.”

De Roo directly apologized during the interview, and the news network formally issued an apology on March 24, telling media that the company “misjudged” the segment.

“Eva and Dries offer their apologies. The video was intended as a humorous piece, and they underestimated how sensitive religious symbols can be,” the network said.

The station said it “considers it important that all its staff show respect for every religion. We are not concerned with comparing religions but with treating everyone’s beliefs with care.”

Data show that Belgium is a majority-secular country. About 59% of the population says it does not belong to any religion.

The majority of religious adherents in the country identify as Roman Catholic, while 15% identify as Muslim.

On the occasion, Pope Leo XIV wrote a letter to the Diocese of Banská Bystrica, saying: “The diocesan community has remained faithful also in a time of trial, protected the Gospel, and passed it on from generation to generation.” The pope expressed hope the diocese will grow as a community and in mission “to witness Christ, serve the weakest, and pass on the joy of the Gospel.”

The letter was presented on March 14 as Archbishop Nicola Girasoli, apostolic nuncio to Slovakia, celebrated a Mass in Banská Bystrica.

The three dioceses were officially established on March 13, 1776, carved out of the vast territory of the Archdiocese of Esztergom.

“It was not just an administrative decision but a pastoral response” to be “closer to people, to their daily lives,” and “to preach the Gospel more effectively and with greater proximity,” the current bishop of Spiš, František Trstenský, wrote in a pastoral letter. On March 13, he inaugurated a special diocesan jubilee.

He hopes for his parishes to become “places of closeness” and “united community.”

“Let us not be afraid to talk about faith and the Gospel in public life,” as it is not a private matter, he said. Faith “manifests concretely in forgiveness, honesty, service, and peace in the midst of turmoil,” the bishop underscored.

Events are also planned in the other two dioceses, including historical conferences, special Masses, pilgrimages, and an exposition of a replica of the Shroud of Turin.

The empress, the archdiocese, and a dubious document

Back in the 18th century, “The Esztergom Archdiocese did not want to separate,” Cardinal Jozef Tomko (1924–2022), former prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, noted in his book “Na životných cestách” (“On Life’s Roads”).

The reorganization was the initiative of Habsburg sovereign Maria Theresa, archduchess of Austria and queen of Hungary. She was a devout Catholic who “had information from good priests that it was absolutely necessary for effective pastoral work of those territories,” wrote Tomko, who as a priest completed doctoral research on the question.

At the time, some invoked a dubious claim regarding the “right” of the Hungarian sovereigns: that Pope Sylvester II had allegedly granted in a bull the right to the first king of Hungary, St. Stephen, and to his successors, to found dioceses and nominate bishops. The document is now generally considered a forgery.

Yet, “it credibly imitated the style of the Roman Curia, which could have easily misled people,” Tomko wrote.

“A custom had existed since the Middle Ages, respected by the Apostolic See, that a Hungarian king appointed bishops who were subsequently confirmed by the Apostolic See,” Dominican Father Viliam Štefan Dóci, president of the Historical Institute of the Order of Preachers in Rome, told EWTN News.

Over time, “the kings increasingly claimed not only the right to appoint Church dignitaries but also to regulate Church affairs in other ways,” Dóci continued.

Although the title “apostolic king” for King Stephen “does not correspond to historical reality, the fact is that Pope Clement XIII granted this title” to Maria Theresa and “to her successors in 1758,” the Dominican priest explained.

Maria Theresa was thus “encouraged” to pursue the reform of the Church’s organization in the Central European monarchy, where she also founded other dioceses, Dóci said.

The whole matter “was complicated from a Church and legal viewpoint,” since the monarchs asked the popes “for the confirmation of their acts.” At the same time, “the founding documents, issued by the Apostolic See, were formulated” in a way that made it appear “as if it was the pope who came up with the initiative,” stressed Dóci, who teaches at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

Both the historian and Tomko agree it was primarily Maria Theresa who drove the creation of the three dioceses — and that formal approval from Rome followed.

Similar patterns existed in other monarchies, where sovereigns at times intervened “even more radically” in Church affairs “out of the conviction that it was part of their royal authority — and that it also belonged to their duties — to take care of the functioning of the Church on their lands,” Dóci concluded.

8 centuries of faith

Slovakia has another ancient Church province worth noting: the Diocese of Nitra, founded — according to historians — in A.D. 880 as the oldest Slavic diocese and later renewed as a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Esztergom.

Today, there are eight Roman Catholic dioceses and three Greek Catholic church provinces in Slovakia.

During the communist regime in Hungary in the 20th century, certain historians took an interest in the question of the Hungarian royal “right,” Tomko recalled. They attempted, he said, to “prove” that the dubious privilege of the kings had passed, after the end of the monarchy in 1918, to the leaders of a totalitarian regime in Hungary — which “would be a strong argument for communists,” Tomko said, implying they could have used it to legitimize state control of the Church.