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Pope meets with several Muslim leaders in Cameroon (Vatican News)

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:04:12 GMT

The director of the Holy See Press Office announced that Pope Leo XIV met with twelve Muslim leaders at the apostolic nunciature in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital, on the evening of April 16. The leaders have collaborated with the nation’s bishops in assisting the poor.

The Pope “encouraged those present to continue along this path of dialogue and to bring the same message and dream to others, to Muslims, and to all those who do not understand but can learn to see the beauty of fraternity, bringing great benefit to all of Cameroon,” according to Vatican News, the news agency of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication.

The central African nation of 31.8 million (map) is 58% Christian (28% Catholic), 22% Muslim, and 19% ethnic religionist.

Papal message to Italian Church officials: Respect freedom to prevent abuse (CWN)

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:04:14 GMT

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, sent a message in Pope Leo’s name to a meeting of Italian Church officials devoted to abuse prevention.

Justice Department report confirms selective prosecution of pro-life activists [News Analysis] (CWN)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:04:30 GMT

The US Department of Justice has released a report confirming that during the Biden administration, federal prosecutors “weaponized” their enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinics (FACE) Act, aggressively pursuing pro-life activists while downplaying criminal offenses by abortion supporters.

Technology should not replace the family, Vatican diplomat says at UN meeting (Holy See Mission)

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:04:19 GMT

Addressing a UN meeting devoted to “Population, technology and research in the context of sustainable development,” a Vatican diplomat said that “particular vigilance is required to ensure that technology complements authentic human encounters rather than substituting them.”

“Care, education and the transmission of values cannot be fully delegated to digital technology,” said Chargé d’Affaires of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations. “They are rooted in presence, responsibility and love.”

Msgr. Murphy added:

These realities are most fully expressed within the family, which remains the primary place of care, education and solidarity, even as technology evolves. Therefore, efforts should be made to ensure that technology complements, rather than replaces, the family and authentic human relationships.

Vatican halts Father Ciszek's sainthood cause (The Shenandoah Sentinel)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:04:22 GMT

The Vatican informed the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, that it has ended the sainthood cause of Father Walter Ciszek, S.J., a missionary who was tortured by the Soviet secret police and imprisoned in Russia from 1941 to 1963.

After his release in a prisoner exchange, Father Ciszek, a Pennsylvania native, returned to the United States and wrote With God in Russia and He Leadeth Me.

USCCB launches America 250 video series (USCCB)

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:04:58 GMT

The United States Conference of Catholic launched a video series devoted to the 250th anniversary of the American founding.

In the first episode, Dr. Michael Breidenbach, a history professor at Ave Maria University, discussed Catholics and the founding.

Does a new survey show potential for a Confession revival? (OSV News)

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:04:41 GMT

A survey conducted by the Vinea Research Group found that 67% of Catholics who have not been to Confession in the past year are open to going to Confession again.

Father Josh Johnson, coauthor of the Pocket Guide to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, said:

Anybody can do the Bible study. Anybody can facilitate a retreat. Anybody can work in the food pantry. I think we [priests] should do all those things, but I think we ought to always prioritize, above everything else, the sacraments ...

Sometimes what keeps people away is the practical thing of it’s not available. And if we make it more available, people will begin to come. If you add confession times, I guarantee you, people are going to start coming.

Canadian bishops' conference weighs in on just war, image of President Trump as Christ figure (Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:04:14 GMT

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) today reiterated “several principles of Catholic teaching that remain especially relevant in times of war and international tension.”

“Catholic teaching holds that war is subject to strict conditions of moral legitimacy,” the episcopal conference’s Communications Service stated. “The use of force cannot be presumed to be just a priori; it must satisfy grave and demanding criteria, and may be considered only as a last resort.”

“Even where force is judged permissible, the protection of civilians remains a fundamental obligation,” the CCCB continued. “The destruction of essential civilian infrastructure and the resulting suffering of non-combatants are to be avoided.”

In an implicit but clear reference to President Donald Trump’s decision to post an AI-generated image of himself that appeared to depict him as Jesus, the CCCB stated:

It is also important to recall that imagery or rhetoric presenting political leaders in terms that belong uniquely to Christ and His saving work is wholly unfitting. In addition to being disrespectful, such representations blur the proper distinction between faith and political power, distorting the meaning of both.

Now is the time to change this country, Pope preaches in Cameroon (CWN)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:04:26 GMT

Pope Leo XIV issued a resounding call for change during an outdoor Mass this afternoon in Bamenda, Cameroon (video).

US bishops' doctrine chairman issues clarification on just war theory (USCCB)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:04:18 GMT

The chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine issued a statement on just war theory “In light of recent public comments regarding the Catholic Church’s teaching on war and peace.”

“For over a thousand years, the Catholic Church has taught just war theory and it is that long tradition the Holy Father carefully references in his comments on war,” said Auxiliary Bishop James Massa of Brooklyn. “A constant tenet of that thousand-year tradition is a nation can only legitimately take up the sword ‘in self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2308).”

Bishop Massa explained, “That is, to be a just war it must be a defense against another who actively wages war, which is what the Holy Father actually said: ‘He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.’”

“When Pope Leo XIV speaks as supreme pastor of the universal Church, he is not merely offering opinions on theology, he is preaching the Gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ,” Bishop Massa added. “The consistent teaching of the Church is insistent that all people of good will must pray and work toward lasting peace while avoiding the evils and injustices that accompany all wars.”

Vatican spokesman: It is increasingly difficult to claim that a just war exists (Vatican News)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:04:13 GMT

In an editorial entitled “Popes and wars in the contemporary era,” a Vatican spokesman wrote that “as people return to speaking about a ‘just war,’ it is worth recalling the teaching on peace of the Popes who have succeeded one another on the Chair of Peter over the past hundred years.”

“This teaching has gradually been enriched and deepened, to the point of recognizing how increasingly difficult it is to claim that a ‘just war’ exists,” said Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the Dicastery for Communication. He added:

Reflections based on the theology of past centuries and possible justifications for war fail to take into account that when theologians of earlier times wrote about these issues, wars were fought with swords and clubs—not with deadly weapons and machine-guided drones, a reality that raises moral questions of dramatic intensity. There has been a growing awareness that war is not a path to be followed.

Pope hails peacemaking efforts of Christian, Muslim leaders in Cameroon (CWN)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:04:39 GMT

Pope Leo XIV traveled today from Cameroon’s capital of Yaoundé to Bamenda (video), where he praised the efforts of local Christian and Muslim leaders to promote peace amid the Anglophone Crisis, an armed conflict that began in 2017.

Vatican diplomat calls for protection of religious and cultural sites in wartime (Vatican News (Italian))

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:04:20 GMT

In a wide-ranging address to the UNESCO executive board, a Vatican diplomat spoke of the obligation, in wartime, “to respect and protect cultural property, including places of worship, as expressions of the identity of peoples.”

“Adherence to these norms constitutes an essential legal and moral responsibility, particularly in contexts of conflict,” said Msgr. Roberto Campisi, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

“Always, but particularly in the dramatic circumstances of war, such as those we are currently experiencing, information must be careful not to transform itself into propaganda,” Msgr. Campisi added. “And the mission of journalists—to verify information so as not to become a megaphone for power—becomes even more urgent and delicate; indeed, I would say essential.”

Trump administration cancels $11M in funding for Catholic Charities in Miami (Miami Herald)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:04:52 GMT

The Trump administration cancelled an $11-million contract with Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami.

The Miami Herald reported that the federal funds were used “to shelter and care for migrant children who enter the U.S. alone, ending a relationship between the Catholic Church and the U.S. government dating back to the first arrivals of Cuban exiles in South Florida.”

“The U.S. government has abruptly decided to end more than 60 years of relationship with Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami,” said Archbishop Thomas Wenski. “The Archdiocese of Miami’s services for unaccompanied minors have been recognized for their excellence and have served as a model for other agencies throughout the country.”

Human Rights Watch: Vatican agreement with China has facilitated crackdown on Catholics (Human Rights Watch)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:04:56 GMT

A leading international human rights advocacy organization charged that the “2018 Provisional Agreement Regarding the Appointment of Bishops between the Holy See and China, which ended a decades-long dispute over the appointment of bishops in China, has facilitated repression of Catholics in China.”

“A decade into President Xi Jinping’s ‘Sinicization’ of religion campaign, Catholic communities across China face tightened ideological control, strict surveillance, and travel restrictions,” Human Rights Watch stated on April 15. “The Holy See and other governments should press Beijing to end the persecution of Catholic communities and respect the rights to freedom of religion for all Catholics and other religious beliefs.”

Vatican foundation announces global events ahead of centenary of Benedict XVI's birth (OSV News)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:04:12 GMT

The Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation announced a series of commemorative events ahead the 100th anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s birth.

Pope Benedict was born on April 16, 1927. The initiatives over the course of the next year “look to the past, to Ratzinger’s thought, but they want to take it up again not in a merely preservative way, but in dialogue with today’s problems and debates because, ultimately, Ratzinger’s thought is still relevant,” said Father Roberto Regoli, the foundation’s president.

Catholic groups slam President Trump's attacks on Pope Leo (OSV News)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:04:39 GMT

The Knights of Columbus, Leadership Conference of Women Religious, and other Catholic organizations came to the defense of Pope Leo XIV following President Donald Trump’s social media post blasting Pope Leo.

“The Successor of Saint Peter is not a politician—he is the Vicar of Christ, entrusted with proclaiming the Gospel and shepherding souls,” said Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly. “Whether one agrees or disagrees with particular policy judgments, the Holy Father’s prophetic voice deserves to be heard with respect and engaged seriously.”

Leading North African prelate reflects on historic papal visit to Algeria (Vatican News)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:04:37 GMT

The president of the North African Conference of Bishops said in an interview that Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Algeria was “a historic event, not only because no Pope had ever come to Algeria before, but above all because it is Pope Leo XIV, an Augustinian Pope, who has come in the footsteps of Augustine.”

Archbishop Nicolas Lhernould of Tunis added, “I experienced a very strong atmosphere of peace, based on the interculturality that characterizes our communities, but with a gentleness and meekness, which radiated from the Holy Father himself, from his way of being and from his words.”

Florida Catholic school principal avoids jail time after stealing more than $238,000 (CBS News)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:04:48 GMT

The former principal of a Catholic school in Pompano Beach, Florida, was sentenced to ten years’ probation after she was convicted of stealing more than $238,000 from the school over a nine-year period.

Judge Tim Bailey said that Lori St. Thomas is “not likely to reoffend” and is not a danger to the community. He ordered her to pay $121,548 to the school in restitution.

Library of Congress highlights work of Thomas Merton (Library of Congress)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:04:25 GMT

In an April 15 social media post, the Library of Congress highlighted the life and work of Father Thomas Merton (1915-1968), the author of The Seven Storey Mountain and other works.

“In 2025, the Rare Book and Special Collections Division acquired a Thomas Merton Collection comprising 143 items and containing first editions, uncorrected proofs, artwork, manuscripts, recordings, and portraits of this fascinating figure,” wrote Mark Manivong, who said that his post “includes a short biography of Merton and showcases some of the materials in this new collection.”