Catholic News

VATICAN CITY — King Felipe VI of Spain on Friday was installed as protocanon of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in a solemn ceremony that underscores the historic link of the Spanish monarchy with the oldest Marian church in the West.

"Protocanon" is an honorary title reserved exclusively for the Spanish head of state, recognizing the monarch as a collaborator of the pope without bestowing executive functions or decision-making power. The investiture March 20 renewed a relationship that dates back centuries and that last took place with Juan Carlos I of Spain in 1977.

The king arrived at the Marian basilica, one of four papal basilicas in Rome, after a 50-minute audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The meeting served as a prelude to the pontiff's upcoming apostolic journey to Spain, scheduled for June 6–12.

Upon their arrival at the basilica, the king and his wife, Queen Letizia, were received at the Bronze Gate by the Spanish canon of the chapter, Monsignor José Jaime Brosel, and the archpriest of the basilica, Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas.

The king and queen viewed a statue of Philip IV of Spain, ancestor of the current monarch, a work designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and one of the pieces of evidence that show the centuries-old historical and spiritual relationship between Spain and the oldest Marian temple in the West.

During the ceremony, Makrickas stressed that "authentic tradition is not stagnation but the living transmission of a gift that transcends time" and recalled that the basilica is entrusted with prayer for Spain and its head of state.

Parts of the bull Hispaniarum Fidelitas were also read at the ceremony. Pope Pius XII signed the important document, which renewed and confirmed the historic ties of devotion and protection between the Spanish nation and the Basilica of St. Mary Major, in Rome on Aug. 5, 1953.

In a short speech, King Felipe VI reaffirmed his commitment to the historic Roman basilica and appealed for "clarity of deed and word, of heart and conscience" in the current context. He also invited people to overcome selfishness and indifference in order to become "a small beacon of concord, generosity, and dedication to the common good."

Spain's connection to the Basilica of St. Mary Major

Few know that the Basilica of St. Mary Major has close ties to the Spanish crown. Proof of this lies in the statue of Philip IV — an ancestor of the current king — which stands in the atrium.

The work was inaugurated in 1692 during the tenure of the Spanish ambassador, the Duke of Medinaceli.

The duke "was one of the main benefactors of St. Mary Major," Brosel, a canon of the basilica and rector of the Spanish National Church of Santiago and Monserrat in Rome, told EWTN News ahead of the March 20 event.

"In fact, it was in 1647 that Pope Innocent X formally established the Spanish Charitable Foundation in this basilica. Furthermore, the pope established an annual income in exchange for certain privileges for the Spanish monarchy," Brosel explained.

From that moment onward, the kings of Spain have held the title of "honorary protocanon." This was a gesture of support for the pope during the Counter-Reformation but also a guarantee to safeguard the influence of the Spanish monarchy within the Holy See.

The last time a Spanish head of state took possession as protocanon of the basilica was the father of the current king, Juan Carlos I, on Feb. 10, 1977.

Brosel emphasized that Spain's bond with the basilica "is born from the heart of Spain and its deep Marian devotion, where Spaniards feel St. Mary Major is their home."

Papal audience

The investiture ceremony for the king took place following a visit to the Vatican and private audience with Pope Leo XIV.

Leo's upcoming trip to Spain — which is expected to include stops in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands — will be the first papal journey to Spain in 15 years.

Benedict XVI was the last pope to visit the country, traveling to Madrid for World Youth Day in 2011. At that time, Felipe VI was still a prince and the king was his father, Juan Carlos I.

Queen Letizia at Friday's papal audience wore white, a privilege reserved for Catholic queens, although without a mantilla or hair comb.

The private conversation and exchange of gifts with Pope Leo was followed by talks with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher in the Secretariat of State.

This story was first published as three articles by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister agency of EWTN News. It was translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Abuja, Nigeria, has requested intelligence assets and weaponry from U.S. President Donald Trump to combat violence in the country.

The Nigerian prelate made his remarks during an informational briefing in Madrid, where the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) presented the campaign "May Persecution Not Have the Last Word: Heal Nigeria," which aims to strengthen faith, heal the trauma caused by violence, and protect the persecuted.

Kaigama noted that the U.S. president was "the first head of state to declare as a global leader, clearly and unequivocally, that Christians in Nigeria are being persecuted."

"We thank him," noted the archbishop, who lamented that for years, only organizations like ACN had spoken out against the situation amid the silence of Western nations.

"I was glad when I heard Donald Trump say, 'We are going to go to Nigeria; we are going to put an end to Boko Haram' ... at Christmas, we received a gift — a bomb that fell on Nigerian soil — and, truth be told, I could not say whether it did any good," the prelate commented.

He explained that, initially, they welcomed Trump's condemnation of the violence but in the long run it has proven counterproductive: "We thought he would come to strike at the root of the problem, utilizing intelligence, equipment, everything necessary to eradicate Boko Haram and allow us to live in peace. But a single bomb hasn't accomplished much."

"On the contrary, these people are now more emboldened; they attack with regular frequency and are making things worse," he said. "That incident, coupled with Donald Trump's words, has greatly inflamed the passions of the Islamists in that territory. 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," stated the prelate, who also sent a message to the leaders of other Western nations: "Stop ignoring what is happening in Africa, especially in Nigeria."

Deliberate Islamist effort to reduce Christian presence

"Nigeria is bleeding," Kaigama continued. "Nigeria is wounded. Nigeria is being destroyed by multiple factors. And we must ask God to help us heal Nigeria."

"There is a deliberate program by Islamists to reduce the Christian presence in this country," he continued. "They are instilling fear into the laity who gather to celebrate Mass — bombarding them, shooting at them, threatening them, and preventing them from assembling."

He charged that "there is a deliberate strategy to thwart the growth of the Church, as well as the expansion of evangelization in Nigeria."

The archbishop warned that "if this continues, we will be in danger of losing our faith and also of being unable to remain strong enough to promote the faith and identity of our Church."

"If we are left alone, we will become sickened in mind and spirit. We are suffering," he lamented.

Heal Nigeria

During the campaign launch, José María Garrido, the director of ACN Spain, described the dire situation facing Nigeria, where Boko Haram's terrorism in the north is compounded by the criminal actions of extremist Fulani herdsmen groups and kidnapping gangs.

From 2015 to 2025 alone, more than 200 priests were kidnapped across 70% of the country's dioceses. Of these, 183 were released, 12 were murdered, and three others died as a result of the conditions of their captivity.

More than 80 communities have been attacked, and there are over 3 million internally displaced persons in the country due to the violence.

To strengthen the faith of persecuted Christians, ACN Spain is fundraising for the construction of centers for psychological and spiritual assistance in the dioceses of Makurdi and Abuja.

Furthermore, aid has been planned for the seminary in Kaduna — one of the dioceses hardest hit by kidnappings — to ensure that one of the universal Church's greatest sources of vocations can carry on despite the prevailing fear and hardships.

ACN Spain also seeks to provide support through various security projects, including the installation of alarm systems in parish centers and the provision of vehicles, enabling priests to minister to rural communities without the risk of being kidnapped.

ACN Spain supports the persecuted Church in Nigeria through contributions that have steadily increased in recent years — exceeding 3 million euros ($3.48 million) in 2025 — and which the organization aims to sustain through its "Heal Nigeria" campaign.

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.

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The Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama, has been awarded more than $25 million in a dispute with a termite company after a panel found that the company provided "deficient treatments" against termites on archdiocesan property.

A press release from the law firm of Alabama attorney Tom Campbell said an arbitration panel ordered Terminix to pay $25,878,087.84 to the archdiocese over "clear and convincing evidence of fraud and systemic misconduct."

Terminix "knew it was required to provide additional termite treatment services" at archdiocesan properties but "failed to disclose or perform them," according to the press release.

Significant damage occurred at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mobile, according to the panel. Over the course of eight years from 2018, the cathedral experienced "multiple termite infestations, causing substantial structural damage in multiple locations."

The damage was severe enough that the archdiocese closed a portion of the cathedral in April 2025. At the time the archdiocese said it was "in ongoing arbitration with a major termite control company regarding damage to the cathedral."

The eight-figure payout includes $8.6 million in punitive damages, the law firm said.

Campbell, known locally as "Termite Tom" for his specialty focus on termite litigation, said the ruling demonstrates a pattern in which consumers "paid for protection that was never properly delivered."

"If Terminix will cheat a church, it will swindle anyone," the attorney said.

The termite company, meanwhile, told EWTN News in a statement that it "acknowledge[d] the resolution of this long-standing case ... involving a unique, historic structure."

"While we respect the arbitration process, we are disappointed with the specific outcomes and maintain our position regarding these past events," the company said, adding that its "focus remains on supporting our team members and providing exceptional care to our customers."

Terminix says on its website that Alabama is among the worst states in the country for termite infestations, ranking 11 out of the 25 most termite-heavy states. Half of the top 10 worst states are in the southern U.S.

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ROME — A political science professor from the U.S. has used data analysis to show how Pope Francis differed from predecessors regarding policy, appointments, and papal trips, while notably omitting discussion of the deceased pontiff's doctrinal differences.

The University of Notre Dame in Rome hosted the lecture "Francis and His Predecessors: Quantifying Continuity and Change in the Modern Papacy," by Sean Theriault, on March 19.

Avoiding theological debate?

Theriault, a self-described sociologist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, told EWTN News that he became interested in studying Pope Francis' legacy two years ago after discussing the papacy with his students and fellow Catholics.

"I had heard people suggest that Pope Francis was different, and I thought I could bring data to help assess how different he was. In other words, as a social scientist, I could actually supply some facts to the question at hand."

He noted that his study avoids theological debate entirely, observing that while many theologians emphasize Francis' doctrinal shifts, his study focuses on quantifiable patterns in the data.

What do the numbers say about Francis?

Examining the data reveals that Pope Francis was vastly different from his predecessors. The first metric used in the study was papal policy.

To quantify policy, Theriault analyzed papal addresses to the diplomatic corps — the so-called "State of the World address" — dating back to St. John XXIII. By parsing the words of each speech, he found that Francis had the lowest statistical correlation to any of his predecessors, focusing more on issues like immigration and refugees than traditional diplomatic concerns.

"I parsed out these speeches going back to the early 1960s by sentence or quasi-sentence, categorizing them," Theriault said in his lecture. "If we separate international relations, Francis had the lowest correlation among his recent predecessors. For instance, in his 2025 address, though he did discuss the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, Francis touched on issues like artificial intelligence, respect for migrants, and the elimination of the death penalty."

Increased diversity in cardinals and saints

The next metric analyzed was personnel, chiefly the makeup of the College of Cardinals and the canonization of new saints.

Theriault noted that while St. Paul VI was the first to diversify the demographics of the cardinals significantly, Francis had accelerated this trend toward a less Eurocentric cardinalate.

"The conclave that elected Paul VI was dominated by Europe (55 out of 80 cardinals), but he spread the reach of the college to other parts of the world. John Paul II continued this, Benedict, a bit less so, but Francis did it by far the most by 55%. He brought in cardinals from places like Laos, Sweden, and Brunei, and passed over traditional sees like Paris and Milan."

Theriault also pointed out anomalies in Francis' selection of cardinals from suffragan dioceses — rather than major archdioceses as done before — and his approach to canonization. "When Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles retired, we all expected the red hat to be given to the new archbishop, José Gómez. Instead, he gave the red hat to Bishop [Robert] McElroy, the bishop of San Diego, a suffragan diocese of Los Angeles."

He added regarding canonizations: "Francis shortened the average time to canonization to 151 years. He canonized a vastly higher percentage of laypeople (18%) than his predecessors. He paired John XXIII with John Paul II for canonization, effectively blocking the canonization paths for Pius IX and Pius XII."

Pilgrimages to the margins

Papal travel was the third metric Theriault analyzed. He observed that while previous popes spent their time abroad ministering primarily to Catholic audiences, Francis preferred to spend time with the marginalized.

"John Paul II loved meeting with everyday Catholics during his travels, especially the Polish and Hispanic communities. Benedict XVI focused on meeting with the Church hierarchy. Francis chose rather to visit prisons and homeless centers, focusing on the marginalized rather than exclusively Catholic audiences," he said.

Looking ahead to Pope Leo XIV

Theriault concluded the lecture by predicting that Pope Leo XIV's pontificate would reveal far more about Pope Francis' time as pope than when he was still alive.

"Pope Leo is more of an institutionalist than Pope Francis, and significantly more reserved. In the long run, Pope Francis' legacy is going to be far more pronounced precisely because he was succeeded by Leo, who is bringing along the whole Church and institutionalizing that vision in a way Francis just did not know how to do," he said.

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News reports circulated this week claiming that a Georgia woman was charged with murder for having an illegal abortion, but Georgia's pro-life law doesn't criminalize women who have abortions — in fact, no U.S. state does.

EWTN News took a closer look at the matter and found that the woman, Alexia Moore, was arrested for allegedly ingesting illegal opioids into her system while pregnant, leading to the death of her infant an hour after the baby was born.

Why was Alexia Moore arrested?

"Baby Girl Moore," the infant daughter of Alexia Moore, died an hour after she was born, her system filled with oxycodone.

"I know my infant is suffering, because I am the one who did the abortion. I want her to die," Moore said of her newborn baby girl, according to the arrest warrant.

Moore took eight misoprostol pills and "introduced illegal oxycodone into the infant's system," the arrest warrant read.

"Moore unlawfully and with malice aforethought caused the death of Baby Girl Moore, a human being who was born alive and survived for one hour," the arrest warrant alleges.

The warrant defines personhood as occurring at the moment of birth, not conception or fetal cardiac activity.

"Under Georgia law, the victim became a person at the moment of live birth," the warrant stated. "Moore's intent to kill is established by her own verbal admission that she wanted the infant to die and her knowledge that the infant was suffering due to her actions."

"By intentionally ingesting high doses of misoprostol at 22-24 weeks of gestation and introducing illegal oxycodone into the infant's system, Moore committed an unlawful act that directly resulted in the infant's respiratory failure and death," the warrant read.

Survival rates are low for babies born prematurely, and her baby was born at 22-24 weeks' gestation, or about five-and-a-half to six months pregnant.

Moore allegedly acquired the misoprostol from Access Aid, an abortion pill provider that sends abortion drugs to anywhere in the U.S., according to the website. The pill bottle was not prescribed by a licensed physician, according to the arrest report.

The warrant said Moore said she'd had three previous abortions, two in recent years and one when she was 15 years old. Moore told staff she had taken the pills "so many times, I do not remember," according to the warrant.

Local pro-life group responds to 'misleading' reports

Under the headline "Woman charged with attempted murder under Georgia abortion law," a local news article claimed that the Baby Girl Moore story has to do with "the complex and fraught nature of Georgia's controversial law, known as the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act." Other outlets made similar claims.

Georgia's LIFE Act, a pro-life law passed in 2019, protects unborn children when their heartbeats are detectable. This law was not mentioned in the arrest report; instead, the arrest warrant cited Georgia's law that a baby is a person at the moment of live birth, prompting law officials to make an arrest for alleged murder.

The LIFE Act, which went into effect in 2020, defines an unborn child with a detectable heartbeat as a "natural person" under the law but did not repeal already-existing codes that bar the prosecution of women for having abortions. Claims that the Georgia LIFE Act, also known as a "heartbeat bill," would enable law enforcement to arrest women for having abortions have been repeatedly debunked.

Georgia Life Alliance Executive Director Elizabeth Edmonds told EWTN News that the arrest involved "the application of laws that have existed for decades."

"Ms. Moore is not being charged with crimes under Georgia's LIFE Act," Edmonds said. "This innocent baby girl was born alive and under Georgia law, her death is being investigated and prosecuted like any other."

"Efforts to mischaracterize this case as an attack on women or as a consequence of pro-life laws are intentionally misleading and purposefully serve to create further fear and confusion," Edmonds continued. "This is about the death of a child who was born alive and the application of laws that have existed for decades."

"The death of this innocent newborn child is a tragic, deeply troubling, and criminal act," Edmonds said. "According to the arrest warrant, the baby was born alive and fought for her life for more than an hour before tragically dying."

"The evidence available shows her death was the result of respiratory distress caused by illegally-obtained oxycodone (a schedule II drug) taken by her mother shortly before giving birth," Edmonds said.

"We grieve the loss of this child and remain committed to advancing a culture where both women and their children are supported, valued, and protected under law," Edmonds said.

There are no states that criminalize abortion.

Marjorie Dannenfelser

president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America

The pro-life movement overwhelmingly opposes the criminalization of women who have abortions. After the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade leaked, more than 70 pro-life leaders, including Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, who at the time led the U.S. bishops' pro-life committee, urged lawmakers to not criminalize women who have abortions.

When asked about criminalizing women who abort, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, called that view "a hypocrisy."

"There are no states that criminalize abortion," Dannenfelser said. "There are some in the movement who are making a lot of noises about criminalizing women who have had abortions. Our approach has always been that we must fight for justice and mercy for women and justice and mercy for children."

"We've been living in a regime for decades that allowed unlimited abortion and to move to pro-life requires, I believe, an attitude not of criminalizing but of serving women and doing everything we can to meet them where they are," Dannenfelser said.

To women who have had abortions, Dannenfelser encouraged pro-lifers to say: "We will help you. We want to identify all the concerns you have in your life that are often very complicated and sticky and intertwined. We want to be there for you to help you."

"If you say to them, on the other hand, 'We're just going to put you in jail,' then there's a hypocrisy at the center of that message," Dannenfelser said.

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Father Jakob Rolland could face imprisonment in Iceland for defending Catholic doctrine regarding homosexuality and for providing support to individuals with the inclination who seek spiritual guidance within the Church.

The French-born priest, chancellor of the Diocese of Reykjavík, strongly maintained that his duty is to defend the truth and "fight for the Lord." In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, he said his aim is to awaken citizens to what he characterizes as an "LGBT dictatorship" against which many are afraid to raise their voices.

The persecution begins

In early March, Rolland was invited to a radio program where the host asked him about the requirements necessary to receive Jesus in the Holy Sacrament. Specifically, she wanted to know whether homosexual individuals could receive Communion. The priest simply explained the Catholic Church's doctrine on the matter.

"If a person has a tendency or inclination toward homosexuality, that's not a sin. It becomes a sin when such an inclination is lived out in a sinful manner. First, one must undergo conversion, go to confession, and truly consider the possibility of changing one's life and living in chastity in order to receive Communion," he explained.

Rolland also noted that many people with same-sex attraction turn to the Church seeking help and that they "are in the process of changing their lives."

"Of course, we are there to help people," he added.

In response to questions from the host, the priest clarified that the Church does not speak of "conversion therapies" but rather of spiritual accompaniment. It was at that point that the controversy erupted.

Since 2023, Iceland's penal code has stipulated that anyone who attempts to change or suppress a person's sexual orientation may face prison sentences of up to three years.

Following the broadcast of the interview, LGBT groups across the country launched a vigorous campaign demanding that the priest be sanctioned. The case has garnered media attention and was even brought up for parliamentary debate.

The Samtökin '78 National Queer Organization of Iceland is leading the campaign against Rolland. According to its arguments, even if the measures the priest alluded to do not constitute "conversion therapy," the law would also prohibit providing support or assistance to homosexual individuals seeking spiritual guidance within the Church.

Socialist member of Parliament Sigmundur Rúnarsson denounced the priest's remarks before Parliament, emphasizing that Icelandic society "has nothing to do with the Catholic Church."

The Ministry of Justice came to the priest's defense, arguing that "never in Iceland's history has an accusation been leveled against an individual in Parliament, an institution whose mandate is to enact laws."

The priest maintains that from a legal standpoint, "there are no grounds for arrest."

A duty to speak the truth

In Iceland, between 8% and 10% of the population identifies as Catholic. "Most of the reactions to my statements have been positive; there are even people who have written to me because they wish to draw closer to the Church," noted the priest, 70, who maintains that he does not fear a potential prison sentence for his words: "I must fight for the Lord," he emphasized.

"If we don't speak up, no one does. Everyone is afraid to do so even if they disagree due to the laws and prevailing mindset here in Iceland; and because the country is so isolated, the outside world remains unaware of what is happening," he said.

The priest also lamented that the Church no longer has a place in schools to teach catechism, whereas LGBT ideology, he pointed out, is being introduced into classrooms at ages as young as 5.

"I believe we have a duty to speak the truth and to protect children. That's the great danger in Iceland: People are sleeping amidst a dictatorship. They don't dare to speak out," he lamented.

Rolland lamented that the prevailing mentality in the country "is destroying our youth," though he remains hopeful seeing that every year, more young people turn to the Church and wish to receive baptism.

The priest said that his faith and the support he has received from Catholics and other religious groups in the country keeps him going, as well as his love for the people of Iceland, his adopted homeland for over four decades.

"I want to bring the Church and the message of Christ to them, so that they may draw closer to the Lord. It's not easy, because this is a highly secularized country, but I see that it is yielding results," he noted.

"I thought it was necessary to speak the truth. People are being pushed toward a wrongful lifestyle, and we must help them wake up. I have always been this way since childhood. I have fought for the faith, so I see no reason to stop now," he stated.

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

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As pressure grows on the Christian presence in Jerusalem, George Akroush, director of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem's Development Office and head of the Church's social and educational projects in the Holy Land, is warning that a series of Israeli measures affecting both land and education could reshape the city's Christian community and threaten its geographic and social continuity.

Akroush's comments come amid broader concerns recently voiced by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, over the consequences of Israeli land-registration measures and the nonrecognition of Palestinian academic qualifications.

In an interview with ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Akroush described a series of interconnected challenges facing Church institutions and the Christian community, especially in Jerusalem. These developments are unfolding within a complex legal and political environment in East Jerusalem, where residents and institutions face growing restrictions related to property, movement, and employment.

On the issue of land, Akroush expressed deep concern over the Israeli government's February decision to resume settlement and registration procedures for lands that had not been formally recorded since before 1967. He said the mechanism, which is used to define and consolidate ownership, goes beyond a routine administrative step.

"This is not just an administrative procedure but a legal tool that could reclassify large areas as state lands," he said, warning that it "opens the door to the seizure of private and Church properties, fundamentally altering the reality on the ground."

His remarks echoed concerns raised by Pizzaballa in a recent address in which the patriarch noted that many Palestinian lands have remained unregistered since before 1967, making their legal status "complex" and heightening the risks for local communities if that status changes.

Akroush said the policy could reproduce conditions seen in Hebron, where the introduction of settler groups into Palestinian neighborhoods has led to persistent tension.

"When settlers are placed in the heart of neighborhoods, permanent points of friction emerge, affecting daily life, the local economy, and gradually fragmenting the social fabric," he said.

Akroush added that such policies could further isolate Jerusalem from its natural ties to Bethlehem and Ramallah, with serious consequences for community cohesion and long-term continuity.

The Israeli authorities' refusal to recognize Palestinian university degrees for teachers in Jerusalem is also "a serious challenge to the identity of educational institutions," Akroush said, explaining that the decision leaves Christian schools facing painful choices.

"We face a reality in which schools may be compelled either to change their curricula or to lose qualified teaching staff," he said, emphasizing that these institutions serve a mission that extends well beyond denominational boundaries.

Pizzaballa has likewise highlighted the schools crisis, noting that hundreds of Christian educators from Bethlehem are no longer able to reach their schools in Jerusalem.

"They will no longer be able to attend, and this will create not only financial hardships for their families but also challenges for the schools that cannot find Christian teachers," the patriarch said. "These are just examples that illustrate how complicated the situation remains for all of us."

Akroush said roughly 300 Christian institutions provide a wide range of services — including education, health care, and social support — to a significant portion of the Palestinian population."

"These institutions are not solely for Christians; they serve everyone and are a vital part of the social fabric of the Holy Land," he said.

Akroush noted that these developments are taking place while international attention is divided by multiple regional crises, reducing global focus on Jerusalem. Recalling the 2018 closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in protest against similar measures, he said the current challenges "take a different form, extending beyond property to include the human resources themselves."

Regarding the education crisis, Akroush said barring 232 teachers from Bethlehem from reaching their schools in Jerusalem has directly affected 12 Christian schools.

"These teachers are the backbone of the educational process, and their sudden absence creates a gap that is difficult to fill," he said.

He added that estimates from the patriarchate and educational institutions suggest that replacing this loss of specialized teaching experience could take at least 15 years because of the unique expertise those teachers possess.

Akroush said the fallout extends beyond education into the social and economic spheres, particularly at a time of limited job opportunities and rising unemployment.

"When a teacher loses their job without alternatives, families face difficult choices, including migration," he said, noting that young families are especially vulnerable. He stressed that the Church in the Holy Land, as Pizzaballa has repeatedly said, "is not merely a guardian of sacred places but a living community serving people."

"Targeting schools is targeting the future," Akroush said, calling on the international community and Churches around the world to monitor developments closely, protect historic properties, and ensure teachers can reach their workplaces freely. He said the Church seeks only "to preserve its natural right to remain, serve, and educate in its sacred city."

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The Vatican on Friday helped launch a campaign encouraging Catholic organizations, bishops' conferences, and religious communities to divest from the mining sector for the sake of human ecology — one of several initiatives marking last year's 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si', which called for greater care toward environmental issues.

Sister Nina Krapic, MVZ, in her first press conference since Pope Leo XIV appointed her deputy director of the Holy See Press Office, noted how institutions have responded to environmental crises by incorporating Pope Francis' teachings.

"In response to the reality of environmental crises, around 40 faith-based organizations have come together to launch the 'Platform for Divestment in the Mining Industry,'" she said. "This initiative promotes ethical finance within the framework of integral ecology and Church documents on technology and responsible investment."

Cardinal Fabio Baggio, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said that while the mining industry is necessary to access essential minerals, it has negatively impacted local communities.

"We know that minerals are necessary for many aspects of contemporary life. However, we also know that too often their extraction has been done without listening to local communities. It is important to listen to the voices of the communities that directly experience the challenges and conflicts due to both legal and illegal mining," he said.

Guatemalan Cardinal Álvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imeri recounted how he was personally affected by mining in his Diocese of Huehuetenango.

"A Canadian mining company came to buy land after discovering it had gold and silver. It promised our people jobs, but environmental damages soon began. Destruction of nature, indiscriminate use of water, and use of cyanide," he said. "Was it legal? Yes. Did it promote the development of these populations? No."

Yolanda Flores, an Indigenous leader from Peru, expressed with emotion the need for clergy, religious, and lay faithful to accompany Indigenous peoples.

"Our agriculture, and especially our waters, our rivers, our streams, and our high-altitude wetlands are burned and destroyed by mining," she said. "Why do these things happen? We want our bishops, our parish priests, not only to dedicate themselves to the sacraments but to be right there with us, guiding us, walking together to build new routes, new paths."

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The provincial government of Alberta, Canada, is considering new safeguards for its assisted dying program (known as medical assistance in dying — MAID) that would offer protections to underage citizens and those suffering from mental illnesses.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Suicide numbers have raised alarm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Pope Leo XIV on March 12 appointed Spanish Augustinian Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín as papal almoner and prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, elevating him to the rank of archbishop at the same time.

Marín de San Martín replaces Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who will return to his native Poland as the new metropolitan archbishop of Lódz. Krajewski was named almoner in 2013, a cardinal in 2018, and prefect of the newly constituted charity dicastery in 2022.

The papal almoner is a key position in the Vatican, one that has played a vital role in the Church and its charitable undertakings for centuries. But what is the purpose of this office? What does an almoner do, and how does he fit into the complex structure of the Holy See?

Role emerged in earliest years of the Church

Matthew Bunson, vice president and editorial director of EWTN News, said the role of almoner dates back to the earliest days of the Church.

"This has always been a concern of the popes — to care for those most in need," he said. Popular history holds that Pope Gregory I, also known as Gregory the Great, who took control of much of the civil authority in Rome in the absence of civil government, wept upon learning that an indigent citizen of Rome had starved to death, leading the sixth-century pope to emphasize ministries to the poor.

The position of almoner fully emerged under Innocent III, whose papacy took place in the late 1190s and early 1200s. "Subsequent centuries gave it more form," Bunson said.

He noted that Pope Leo XIII sought more mechanisms for funding the charities overseen by the almoner. Among the fundraising mechanisms that emerged from his papacy was the custom of papal blessings; Catholics may be familiar with such blessings by seeing them framed and hung in the homes of the married couples to whom they are often given.

Though the papal alms office has for years headed global charity efforts at the behest of the pope, Bunson said Pope Francis during his papacy placed an "immense" amount of importance in the office, transforming it into a dicastery and making it what has been described as a "flagship initiative of the pontificate."

Krajewski utilized the office to offer assistance to Ukrainians after the Russian invasion of their country in 2022. Domestically, meanwhile, the office oversees major charity initiatives in Rome, including the Mother of Mercy Clinic and the San Martino Outpatient Center.

Though commentators and analysts regularly opine on the authority and prestige of various Vatican appointments, the almoner position, Bunson said, is less one of power and more one of "pastoral care and spiritual care."

The position's importance is illustrated by the fact that it is one of the few Vatican offices that remains wholly uninterrupted in the event of a pope's death or resignation.

Another such position is the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the so-called "tribunal of mercy," the dicastery concerned with the internal forum and indulgences, especially the forgiveness of sins.

That official always keeps his job to ensure every Catholic always has an opportunity for God's loving mercy. Similarly, the almoner retains his office because "everyone needs direct access to the Church's pastoral care," Bunson said.

He also noted that Marín de San Martín is an Augustinian. "Traditionally, the apostolic almoner is attached very closely to the papal household," Bunson said. "Leo is continuing to surround himself with Augustinians."

The charitable purpose of the position was perhaps best exemplified by a directive Pope Francis reportedly gave to Krajewski upon appointing him to the office. "You can sell your desk. You don't need it," the pope said, according to Krajewski himself.

"You need to get out of the Vatican," Francis told him. "Don't wait for people to come ringing. You need to go out and look for the poor."

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