Catholic News
- Pope Leo renews Middle East peace appeal: 'We cannot remain silent' (CWN)
At the conclusion of his midday Angelus address today, Pope Leo XIV renewed his appeal for peace in the Middle East. - Relive the events of the Passion and come out of your tombs like Lazarus, Pope tells pilgrims (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV reflected on the raising of Lazarus, recounted in the Gospel reading of the Fifth Sunday of Lent (John 11:1-45), as he addressed pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for today’s midday Angelus address (video). - Pope praises Focolare's charism of unity and peace, calls for transparency, respect for conscience (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV received participants in the Focolare Movement‘s general assembly and praised the movement for its charism of unity and peace. - Cardinal Müller strongly criticizes SSPX, defends Vatican II (Communio)
In an interview published in the theological journal Communio, Cardinal Gerhard Müller defended the Second Vatican Council and strongly criticized the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) and its arguments for ordaining new bishops without the Pope’s approval. Cardinal Müller, who served as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2012 to 2017, charged that the leaders of the SSPX wish to “convert the Church into their own conventicle.” “Everyone brings schism upon themselves through the free decision not to recognize the Pope’s authority, either in theory or in practice,” he said. “Canonical disobedience is not made any better by asserting that one is not opposing the Pope, even if one claims one must consecrate bishops for the sake of the salvation of souls.” Cardinal Müller added: Jesus Christ promised the continuation of the Church until the end of history only to the universal Church, which he built upon the rock of Peter, to whom he also handed over the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and, together with the other Apostles, the power to bind and loose. What God wants to say to the SSPX, in view of the advanced age of their two remaining bishops, is to turn away from the wrong path of distancing themselves from the Church and self-isolation amongst like-minded people, and to entrust themselves with confidence to the guidance of the Successor of Peter, to whom the Lord of the Church has personally entrusted the care of his flock. Cardinal Müller also criticized bishops, priests, and theologians who “give the people stones of agnostic ideologies instead of giving the bread of the Word of God and the grace of the sacraments,” and who “dabble around in sociology and psychology and remain silent about Jesus as the only Savior of the world.” - Pope pays tribute to late Georgian Orthodox Patriarch (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to Georgian Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II, who died on March 17 at the age of 93. “Throughout his long life, Patriarch Ilia II was a devoted witness to faith in the Risen Christ,” Pope Leo wrote in a message to His Eminence Shio (Mujiri), the Georgian Orthodox Church’s temporary leader. “His ministry accompanied the Georgian people through difficult times and profound epochal change, lovingly preserving tradition and opening hearts and communities to hope.” “I would also recall his deep passion for music, which is a stimulus to the search for the beauty of God and can unite peoples, bringing Churches closer together beyond cultural and theological differences,” Pope Leo added in his message, dated March 18 and released by the Vatican on March 23. - Nigerian archbishop calls on President Trump to give nation weapons to combat Islamist terrorism (ACI Africa)
The archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, said that he was grateful to President Donald Trump for drawing attention to Islamist terrorism in the West African nation but said that U.S. strikes there in December have proven counterproductive. “That incident, coupled with Donald Trump’s words, has greatly inflamed the passions of the Islamists,” Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama said during a briefing in Madrid. “The number of attacks, the number of kidnappings carried out by Boko Haram and other groups, has been rising ever since.” “So we say to Donald Trump: give us intelligence reports, give us weapons, collaborate with our government, and then find a way to eradicate all these military groups,” Archbishop Kaigama added. - Church leaders outline four priorities for Church in Amazon region (CEAMA (Spanish))
The leaders of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon outlined four “major pastoral horizons” for 2026-2030 in the final message of the body’s sixth general assembly. The four priorities are: “to proclaim the Gospel with an Amazonian face, promoting processes of inculturated formation and advancing in the adaptation of the liturgy in dialogue with the worldviews of the peoples” “to grow as a synodal Church, promoting the conversion of community practices, the recognition of the role of women, the protagonism of young people and the integral care of pastoral agents” “to live integral ecology, strengthening awareness and action in defense of the Common Home, especially on issues such as access to water and the formation of territorial leadership” “to encourage communion and sustainability, consolidating ecclesial ties, strengthening communication as a transversal axis and promoting formation processes and sustainable structures for the mission” - Pope Leo, Taizé prior discuss world peace, Christian unity (Taizé Community)
Pope Leo XIV received Brother Matthew, the prior of the Taizé Community, on March 21. “Both expressed their deep concern for peace, a topic dear to the pope’s heart, as well as for all the innocent victims of armed conflict across the world,” according to a Taizé statement. “They also shared a common desire to go further along the road to reconciliation among Christians, while reflecting on ways to transmit the faith to the younger generations.” The Taizé Community, an ecumenical French monastic community, was founded by Brother Roger Schütz in 1940. Its annual year-end gatherings attract tens of thousands of young adults. - Leading Pakistani prelate calls for investigation into death of Christian laborer (Aid to the Church in Need)
The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan called for an investigation into the death of Marqas Masih, 22, a Christian laborer whose death was ruled a suicide but whose body bore the marks of torture. Bishop Samson Shukardin of Hyderabad joined the executive secretary of the National Commission for Justice and Peace in calling on authorities to “conduct a full investigation into the incident, bring the facts to light, and ensure that justice is delivered to this vulnerable community.” - Cardinal Semeraro: St. Benedict's example is needed in today's world (Vatican News (Italian))
Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, celebrated Mass at the Benedictine monastery in Subiaco on March 21, the anniversary of St. Benedict’s death in 547. Today, “people think that life is fulfilled by acting alone, by making decisions autonomously,” Cardinal Semeraro preached. St. Benedict, in contrast, “shows another path: that of listening [to the Father], of welcoming, and of respect for the other.” “It is there that something new is born; it is there that spiritual generation takes place,” the prelate continued. “It is only through obedience to God, in fact, that one generates spiritually.” - Vatican newspaper warns of worldwide water crisis (CWN)
The Vatican newspaper warned that “globally, a threshold of natural resource exploitation has now been crossed—one sufficient to trigger ‘a global water bankruptcy.’“ - Amid wartime restrictions in Jerusalem, friars continue Easter preparations (Custody of the Holy Land)
The Franciscan friars who care for the shrines in the Holy Land are continuing to prepare for Easter despite wartime restrictions on public participation in worship in some areas. On March 18, friars of the Custody of the Holy Land celebrated Mass at the Shrine of the Flagellation; the following day, Father Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the custos (superior), celebrated the Mass of the Solemnity of St. Joseph in Nazareth. On March 20, friars made a pilgrimage to Bethany. - Excommunicated Louisiana deacon awaits response to Vatican appeal (The Guardian)
A Louisiana deacon who was excommunicated in 2024 for becoming an Anglican is awaiting a ruling on his appeal to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Deacon Scott Peyton of Lafayette, Louisiana, left the Church after his son was sexually abused by a priest of the same diocese; the priest pled guilty to the abuse and is now in prison. The deacon incurred the excommunication for the canonical crime of schism. In February, the deacon’s canon lawyer wrote to the dicastery for an update on the status of the appeal, as over a year has passed since the appeal was filed. - Jubilee year begins in Slovakia for Father Vendelin Javorka, first Russicum rector (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Bishop Tomáš Galis of Žilina, Slovakia, inaugurated a jubilee year in honor of Father Vendelin Javorka, S.J. (1882-1966) as his beatification process begins In 1925, the Jesuit superior general summoned Father Javorka to Rome to prepare for missionary work in Russia. Father Javorka became the first rector of the Russicum College and subsequently ministered to Russian émigrés in China and Greek Catholics in Romania, where he was captured by the Red Army. Following ten years in the Gulag for the crime of being a “Vatican spy,” Father Javorka spent the rest of his life under police surveillance in his native land. - Nicaraguan regime bans ordinations in four dioceses (The Tablet)
The regime of Nicaraguan strongman Daniel Ortega has banned ordinations to the priesthood and diaconate in four of the nation’s nine dioceses. The bishops of the four affected dioceses—Jinotega, Siuna, Matagalpa, and Estelí—are all in exile. - Vatican diplomat decries 'selective termination' of unborn children with Down syndrome (Holy See Mission)
Speaking at an event commemorating World Down Syndrome Day, a Vatican diplomat said that “discriminatory and eugenic practices linked to prenatal screening and the selective termination of pregnancies targeting babies diagnosed with Down syndrome must be firmly rejected.” Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, said that “persons with Down syndrome are more than a diagnosis, more than a condition, and certainly more than the limits others may imagine.” “All of them, like all of us, possess the same inherent dignity and sacred value, intentionally and lovingly imprinted by the Creator from the very first moment of conception,” he added. “Consequently, like everyone else, they hold the same fundamental rights.” - Pope encourages virtuous ecological practices, sustainable development research (Vatican News)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, sent a message in Pope Leo’s name to the 17th International Forum for Information on the Safeguard of Nature. In the message, Cardinal Parolin wrote that Pope Leo encourages “sustainable development research projects.” “Ecological responsibility is not fulfilled by technical data alone,” the Pope cautioned. “Such data are necessary, but not sufficient. What is needed is an education that engages the mind, the heart, and the hands; new habits, communal lifestyles, and virtuous practices.” - Belgian bishop announces plan to ordain married men as priests (Pillar)
The bishop of Antwerp, Belgium, wrote in a pastoral letter that he will “make every effort to ordain married men as priests for our diocese by 2028.” “The question is no longer whether the Church can ordain married men as priests, but when it will do so, and who will do it,” Bishop Johan Bonny wrote on March 20. “It is an illusion to think that a serious synodal-missionary process in the West still has a chance without also ordaining married men as priests.” “There is a historical shortage of local priests in many dioceses,” he added. “The number of unmarried men who want to become priests has fallen to just above zero.” - Vatican launches campaign to encourage divestment from mining industries (AP)
The undersecretary of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development announced a campaign to encourage divestment from the mining industry. “In many regions of the world, the expansion of the mining industry has generated profound social tensions and severe environmental impacts,” Cardinal Fabio Baggio, C.S., said at a press conference on March 20. “We know that minerals are essential for numerous aspects of contemporary life,” he added. “However, we also know that, all too often, their extraction has been carried out without listening to local communities, without respecting the rights of indigenous peoples, and without regard for the limits of the ecosystems that sustain life.” - Over 300,000 Germans left the Church in 2025 (Catholic Herald)
307,117 Germans formally left the Catholic Church in 2025, down slightly from the previous year’s figure of 321,659 and down significantly from the 2022 figure of 522,821. The Mass attendance rate increased slightly, from 6.6% in 2024 to 6.8% in 2025. The number of baptisms and weddings declined; the number of confirmations and First Communions rose slightly. - More...