Catholic News
- Pope appeals to President Trump and world leaders: Find solutions to end war (Vatican News)
Speaking with journalists as he concluded his weekly visit to Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo said, “I’m told that President Trump recently stated that he would like to end the war.” “Hopefully he’s looking for an ‘off-ramp,’” the Pope continued. “Hopefully he’s looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing, which would be a significant contribution to removing the hatred that’s being created and that’s increasing constantly in the Middle East and elsewhere.” The Pontiff urged world leaders to “come back to the table, to dialogue. Let’s look for solutions to problems, let’s look for ways to reduce the amount of violence that we’re promoting, that peace—especially at Easter—might reign in our hearts.” - Pope Leo to carry cross during Good Friday Via Crucis; Holy Land friar writes meditations (Vatican News)
The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV will carry the cross during the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome on Good Friday evening. Father Francesco Patton, O.F.M., is writing the meditations for the 14 stations; he served as the custos (Franciscan provincial) of the Holy Land from 2016 to 2025. - Vatican cancels 2026 World Children's Day (Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life)
The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life announced the cancellation of the Second World Children’s Day, originally scheduled to take place in Rome from September 25 to 27. “All initiatives aimed at the pastoral care of children may be celebrated, at the discretion of the Ordinaries, at a diocesan or parish level and with the involvement of families, the proper place for the human and spiritual growth of every child,” the dicastery said in its announcement. Last November, Pope Leo announced the dates of the Second World Children’s Day. (The first was held in 2024.) In February, the Pope abolished the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day. - White House responds to Pope Leo's words on the prayers of those who wage war (C-SPAN)
During his Palm Sunday homily, Pope Leo XIV preached, “Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood’ (Is 1:15).” Asked by a reporter about the Pope’s words, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded: I think our nation was a nation founded 250 years ago, almost, on Judeo-Christian values, and we’ve seen presidents, we’ve seen the leaders of the Department of War and we’ve seen our troops go to prayer during the most turbulent times in our nation’s history, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with our military leaders or with the president calling on the American people to pray for our service members in those who are serving our country overseas. In fact, I think it’s a noble thing to do, and if you talk to many service members, they’ll tell you they appreciate the prayers and support from the Commander in Chief and from his Cabinet. - Supreme Court strikes down Colorado conversion therapy ban (Religion Clause)
In an 8-1 decision, the United States Supreme Court struck down the State of Colorado’s ban on attempts by licensed counselors to change the perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of minors. “The First Amendment is no word game,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in his majority opinion. “And the rights it protects cannot be renamed away or their protections nullified.” The attorney for the Christian counselor who challenged the law said, “Kids deserve real help affirming that their bodies are not a mistake and that they are wonderfully made. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today is a significant win for free speech, common sense, and families desperate to help their children.” The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, joined by the Colorado Catholic Conference and the Catholic University of America, filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the counselor who challenged the ban. - Cardinal Reina expresses solidarity with the Iranian people, laments loss of innocent life (Vatican News)
Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome, expressed solidarity with the Iranian people as he spoke to journalists at a prayer vigil for peace. “We are close to the Iranian people and to all those who are suffering at this moment,” Cardinal Reina said. “History repeats itself, and there are so many innocent people being crucified.” The prayer vigil took place on the evening of March 30 in Rome’s Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. Cardinal Reina presided at the vigil, during which Cardinal Dominique Mathieu of Tehran prayed for peace. - Vatican diplomat praises EU for response to Ukrainian refugees (Holy See Mission)
Addressing a UN meeting on refugees in Europe, a Vatican diplomat praised the European Union for extending until March 2027 its temporary protection of Ukrainian refugees. “Becoming a refugee is never a choice,” said Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland. “The right to life must be prioritized, and the principle of non-refoulement must be upheld. No person in need of protection should die at sea or at land borders due to withheld, delayed, or conditional assistance.” Archbishop Balestrero added: The Holy See supports efforts to develop more predictable, route-based responses, including strengthened search-and-rescue coordination. However, such an approach must also address the root causes of forced displacement, so that no one is compelled to leave his or her home due to a well founded fear of persecution. - Vatican official: Vocation ministry should focus on the interior life (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Commenting on Pope Leo’s message for the upcoming World Day of Prayer for Vocations, a Vatican official emphasized the importance of fostering the interior life in vocation ministry. Archbishop Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli, the secretary of the Dicastery for the Clergy, told the Vatican newspaper that “pausing in prayer, spending time with the Lord Jesus, listening to and meditating on His Word, allowing ourselves to be captivated by His beauty, and fostering these dimensions within our initiatives—this is what those involved in youth, family, and, consequently, vocational ministry must absolutely keep firmly in mind.” Archbishop Redaelli added: Young people, in fact, thirst for truth, for authenticity, and for meaning in their lives; and they can find this only if they encounter the God of Jesus Christ. Here, then, I would ask myself to what extent this is present ... We must place great emphasis on this: our primary work must focus on the interior life—within that “inner room” where God sees us in secret, speaks to us, and from where our deepest and most authentic choices emerge. - Islamist terrorists threaten religious freedom in DR Congo, commission warns (US Commission on International Religious Freedom)
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom published a report on attacks on Christians by Islamist terrorists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The report, released on March 30, focuses on the Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamist rebel group. - Vice President Vance writes book on his Christian faith, conversion to Catholicism (HarperCollins)
HarperCollins announced the upcoming publication of Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, a book by US Vice President JD Vance on his Christian faith, including his conversion to Catholicism. “To summarize this book: I’m a Christian, and I became a Christian because I believe that Jesus Christ’s teachings are true,” Vice President Vance said. “But I didn’t always think that, and by sharing my journey I might be helpful to others—Catholic, Protestant, or otherwise—who are seeking reconciliation with God.” - Cardinal Sarah: The liturgy is not a place of battle (Catholic Herald)
Speaking with the French news channel CNews, Cardinal Robert Sarah said, “I understand that the Pope is concerned about this liturgical unity. It is not a place for battle. We have made it a place of battle, of combat. That is how we destroy the liturgy.” Cardinal Sarah, who served as the prefect of the Congregation (now Dicastery) for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2014 until 2021, added that “the Church is nothing without God.” “God must truly be placed at the center of our existence, at the center of our life, at the centre of our concerns,” he said. “If we detach the Church from this mission … the Church is useless.” - Pope's April prayer intention: for priests in crisis (@Pontifex)
The Pope’s April 2026 prayer intention, disseminated by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, is “let us pray together for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer.” - Ukrainian Catholic leader marks 15th anniversary of enthronement (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk marked the fifteenth anniversary of his enthronement as head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The prayer service took place on March 29 in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv. The apostolic nuncio, as well as representatives of the Latin-rite Ukrainian hierarchy and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, were present for the occasion. - Prelate hails India's new climate targets (UCANews)
The chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India’s Office for Environment and Climate Change welcomed the Indian government’s climate targets for 2035. “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,” said Bishop Allwyn D’Silva, a retired Mumbai auxiliary bishop. He told UCA News: As a faith-based leader, I believe in ecological stewardship, sustainable living, and development that is anchored in the sanctity of the deep web of interconnectedness between the Creator, nature, and human beings. This relationship has been disrupted, placing us on the brink of a planetary crisis. - Young people are more than 'cogs in the wheel of commercial success,' Pope tells Italian foundation (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo received members of the Ausilia Foundation, an Italian foundation that assists youth, on March 30, as the foundation, led by Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, held a conference in Rome. “Thank you for your generous commitment to helping young people in their formation and integration into the workplace,” Pope Leo said. “Investing not in objects, but in people, in their abilities and skills, constitutes a key strength of your work.” “Indeed, in this way, it is the young people themselves who become the protagonists of their own future, without being regarded as functional tools for a company or cogs in the wheel of commercial success,” the Pope added. - Cardinal Parolin, Israeli ambassador discuss incident at Church of the Holy Sepulchre (CWN)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, met with Yaron Sideman, Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, to discuss the Israeli police’s decision to bar the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. - Vatican newspaper laments massacre in Haiti (CWN)
The Vatican newspaper lamented a massacre committed by Haiti’s Gran Grif gang that claimed the lives of at least 70 people on March 29. - French bishops discuss traditional Latin Mass (La Croix)
French bishops spoke with the Catholic newspaper La Croix about the traditional Latin Mass after Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, encouraged them to develop “concrete proposals” to allow for the generous inclusion of persons attached to the extraordinary form. “There is a shared willingness to truly get to the bottom of things,” said Bishop Olivier de Cagny of Évreux, who led a discussion of the topic at the French bishops’ recent meeting. “It is the first time I have heard so clearly that the subject must be addressed at a theological level, and not merely in a pastoral and emotional way.” La Croix reported: While the majority of the Assembly showed itself determined to tackle the subject head-on, several positions emerged: some, aligned with the Motu Proprio of Francis, expect the same firmness from Leo XIV; others are open to accommodations, but only under certain conditions—a common lectionary and liturgical calendar, the celebration of the other sacraments (baptism, marriage, confirmation…) according to the new rite (possibly in Latin), a return to episcopal responsibility within each diocese, and above all, an end to “exclusivism”—that is, the strict refusal to celebrate according to the new missal, which the bishops consider “unacceptable” (and contrary to the spirit of Benedict XVI’s Motu Proprio, which called for “mutual enrichment”). - Pope pays tribute to the Benedictine charism (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV received monks and nuns from three Italian Benedictine communities on March 30 and reflected on the Benedictine charism, emphasizing lectio divina, community life, and intercession, as well as ongoing formation. “In identifying ‘the instruments of good works,’ Saint Benedict, in Chapter IV of the Rule, urges us to ‘keep guard over one’s every act,’” Pope Leo said. “You, contemplative Benedictine nuns, Benedictine monks, know well how much prayer and prayerful reading of the Word of God, especially in the lectio divina, assist in this vigilance, enabling those who practice them to understand the truth about themselves, in the recognition of their own weaknesses and sins and in the celebration of the Lord’s graces and blessings.” The Pope concluded: Dear brothers and sisters, thank you for the immense and hidden good you do for the Church, through your offering, your unceasing prayer, your service, and the witness of your life. Continue this work, which is “the work of God” (cf. Saint Benedict, Rule, 43, 3). I entrust you to Mary Most Holy, Mother of Silence, Woman of Listening, to Saint Benedict, to Saint Scholastica, and to the many Benedictine saints, and I bless you from my heart. - Pope encourages Illinois municipal leaders to serve others, listen to the poor (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV received members of the Illinois Municipal League and encouraged them to serve others as Christ did. “The victory born of Christ’s gift-of-self stands as both a beacon and a challenge for all of us today,” Pope Leo said during the audience, which took place on March 30 in Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace. “As men and women charged with the role of governance, you too are called to discover and to exemplify the gift of service.” “In a particular way, you are called to be attentive to the needs of the weakest and the most vulnerable in order to assist them towards an integral human development,” the Pope continued. “While there are many tasks that vie for your attention each day, I would encourage you to continue listening to the poor, to immigrants, to the least among you, seeking to accompany them in your work to promote the common good to the benefit of all.” - More...