Catholic News

A majority of peers in the U.K.'s House of Lords voted late Wednesday to decriminalize women who terminate their own pregnancies. An amendment was agreed to in a clause in the Crime and Policing Bill.

The clause does not change the 24-week abortion limit but aims to remove criminal liability for women who end their own pregnancies at home.

The move comes after more than 100 women were prosecuted under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act in recent years, which campaigners argue is outdated and harmful.

Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool said he was "deeply distressed," saying "this move is likely to lead to more late-term abortions putting pregnant women and their babies at risk. Many women could likely also face even greater risks of isolation, coercion, and pressure."

He added: "I also recognize the many organizations who accompany women with practical support when faced with an unexpected pregnancy. The genuine hope they provide is now more urgent than ever. As we prepare to face this challenge, I encourage the faithful to support them in practical ways, including through prayer."

Baroness Rosa Monckton, MBE (member of the Order of the British Empire), tabled the amendment in the House of Lords, which aimed to overturn support for a previous amendment in the Commons, telling peers it had been "added to the bill after less than an hour of debate by MPs [members of Parliament], and without the necessary scrutiny required for an issue of such seriousness."

Her amendment was rejected by 185 votes to 148.

She told EWTN News: "I am profoundly sad but not surprised. Much emphasis is put on the vulnerability of the mother [but] almost none on the vulnerability of the unborn infant who has no voice. I will fight on."

Previously, if a woman was arrested for having an abortion after the 24-week limit, even when no charges had been brought, the arrest might still show up in an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, because abortion offenses are classed as violent crimes.

Archbishop John Wilson of the Southwark Diocese said: "This is a truly tragic moment for our nation. How can this frightening legislation, which, following royal assent [the approval of the monarch], will permit the abortion of children right up until the moment of birth for any reason, have any place in a civilized society?"

"We can never underestimate the challenges [of] women and men facing difficult decisions," he continued. "There is, however, another life involved which is now to be ignored and silenced."

Wilson added: "There are also serious concerns for the safety of women. While there is an even more difficult journey now to protect the unborn child, we must continue to speak up for the voiceless and work to protect the most vulnerable who are no longer protected by the law."

Louise McCudden, head of external affairs at MSI Reproductive Choices UK, said it would be "a huge relief to the women who have faced traumatic investigations as well as those still living with the anxiety and uncertainty created by the current law."

Peers also rejected a bid to move back to compulsory in-person consultations by 191 votes to 119, which would have reinstated a requirement for pregnant women to have an in-person consultation.

It is currently legal for a woman less than nine weeks and six days pregnant to take prescribed medication to terminate a pregnancy.

The change was made permanent in 2022 after being introduced as a temporary measure during COVID-19 in 2020 to allow women to have medical abortions at home following a virtual consultation.

Sarah Mullally, archbishop of Canterbury, said in the debate: "The Church of England's view on abortion is one of principled opposition, recognizing that there can be limited conditions under which abortion may be preferable to any available alternatives."

"The infinite value of human life is a fundamental Christian principle that underpins much of our legal system and has shaped existing laws on abortion."

She continued: "We therefore need to recognize that women confronted with the very complex and difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy deserve our utmost understanding, care, and practical support as they face what is often a heart-wrenching decision."

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The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said this week that "the manipulation of God's name to justify this and any other war is the gravest sin we can commit in this time."

The cardinal was commenting in response to the words of U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who quoted Psalm 144 during a press briefing on March 10 to invoke a divine blessing on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, according to Vatican News.

The prelate made his remarks during a March 15 webinar organized by the International Oasis Foundation and the Milan Cultural Center at a time when the Middle East is once again in turmoil due to the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.

In his remarks during the event, titled "War Devours the Middle East and Its Peoples," the prelate emphasized that "there are no new crusades, and God has nothing to do with any of this."

"If God is present in this war, he is among those who are dying, who are suffering," he stated.

Pizzaballa addressed the situation in the Gaza Strip, where "medicines are scarce — even basic antibiotics. People are literally living in sewers and tents. Almost all the schools have been destroyed."

"Fifty-three percent of the [Gaza] Strip where more than 2 million displaced persons live is under direct Israeli control; 47% — where the majority of Palestinians reside — is under Hamas control. Eighty percent of the Strip has been destroyed, and reconstruction has not even begun," he stated.

He also noted that the border crossings are virtually closed. Regarding the Board of Peace initiative promoted by President Donald Trump, the cardinal said: "It's not yet operational, and we don't know if it ever will be. Nor have I yet understood what it intends to do."

During his remarks, the cardinal noted that the situation in the Gaza Strip is also at a standstill because Hamas refuses to hand over its weapons until Israel withdraws, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government refuses to withdraw until the Islamist movement disarms.

Regarding the West Bank, he decried that "there are attacks by settlers against Palestinians — including Christians — almost daily."

Furthermore, he said there are Israeli legislative initiatives to re-register land to the detriment of the Palestinian population, and traveling to the area has become more difficult.

More than 200 Christian teachers living in the West Bank city of Bethlehem are no longer able to reach the 15 Christian schools in Jerusalem.

"We are always under constant tension," the cardinal added, "and the situation remains very complicated for all of us."

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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Here's a roundup of the latest Catholic education news in the U.S.:

Notre Dame announces tuition assistance plan

The University of Notre Dame announced it will cover the full tuition cost for students from families with an annual income below $150,000.

"With this announcement, we reiterate our unwavering commitment to ensuring that cost will never be a barrier between a promising student and a Notre Dame education, and we are ensuring that families have greater clarity as they consider this important and formative step for young scholars," Micki Kidder, Notre Dame vice president for undergraduate enrollment, said in the March 18 announcement.

The move comes as "a bold expansion" of its Pathways to Notre Dame Initiative, launched by Notre Dame President Father Robert A. Dowd, CSC, in September 2024.

Families who make under $60,000 per year will also receive need-based financial aid covering tuition, fees, housing, and food, while families who make under $200,000 can receive need-based aid that covers half of the cost of tuition, as part of the program's expansion.

"Navigating the financial aid process can often feel like the most daunting part of the college selection journey," Kidder said. "By implementing income-based scholarship thresholds, we are providing the clarity families need to see that a world-class education is within their reach."

Belmont Abbey College launches leadership and policy semester at D.C. campus

Belmont Abbey College announced a program that will allow its students to study for a semester at its campus in Washington, D.C.

"Open to college sophomores, juniors, and seniors, the American Semester Experience allows students to immerse themselves in specialized coursework on Catholic social teaching while completing full-time internships with congressional offices, federal agencies, and policy organizations," the college said in a March 16 press release.

The program will be housed at Belmont House, the college's formation center on Capitol Hill.

"The Belmont House exemplifies our mission as a Catholic Benedictine college, which is to order the hearts and minds of students to Christ as they serve in the world as competent professionals," Belmont Abbey President Jeffrey Talley said. "In a city where decisions shape the lives of millions, our students learn to act with conscience, courage, and conviction."

New York Archdiocese announces school closures as part of 'School Renewal Plan'

Three schools will be shut down at the end of the 2025-2026 school year, the Superintendent of Schools Office for the Archdiocese of New York said in a March 16 press release.

"These decisions were made after extensive reflection, study, and prayer, as we face significant challenges that make it impossible to continue our mission at these locations," Sister Mary Grace Walsh said in the press release. "It is our hope that all students will continue their Catholic school education in one of our other Catholic schools."

Incarnation School in Manhattan, Sacred Heart School in Hartsdale, and Most Precious Blood School in Walden will close, while St. Paul School in Valley Cottage will be consolidated with St. Anthony School in Nanuet.

Transfiguration School in Manhattan will also consolidate from three locations to two.

The move comes as a part of the archdiocese's School Renewal Plan, "a faith-filled initiative aimed at sustaining and strengthening Catholic education across the archdiocese."

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An annual Mass in the nation's largest Catholic diocese honoring legendary labor leader Cesar Chavez will not take place this year after a bombshell report alleged that the activist sexually abused multiple girls at the height of his popularity decades ago.

The explosive allegations came on March 18 in an investigation by the New York Times, one that alleged that Chavez abused multiple young girls in a "pattern" of sexual misconduct for years.

The revelations sent numerous organizations scrambling to distance themselves from Chavez, who has loomed large in U.S. politics for decades, including being honored by President Joe Biden with a bust in the Oval Office during his administration.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles said it would not be holding its regular Mass this year honoring Chavez's legacy. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels has held an annual Mass in March to acknowledge the advocate's "commitment to the struggle for justice and dignity for all workers," but an archdiocesan spokeswoman said the Mass would not take place in at least 2026.

"The Chavez family informed the archdiocese that they had decided not to move forward with having a Mass this year," the spokeswoman told EWTN News.

The United Farm Workers of America, a labor union founded in part by Chavez, said ahead of the Times' report that the allegations were "deeply troubling." The group said it would "not be taking part in any Cesar Chavez Day activities" amid the controversy.

Cesar Chavez Day is normally observed in the United States on March 31, the activist's birthday. It was first recognized by then-President Barack Obama in 2014.

Internal emails reviewed by the Times said that union leaders have been aware "for years" of allegations of misconduct regarding Chavez, while women he allegedly abused were reportedly discouraged from publicly revealing the allegations.

Openly Catholic during his life and labor efforts — including by regular Mass attendance — Chavez has been celebrated by Catholics for decades for seeking to apply the social teachings of the Church while advocating for better labor conditions for workers.

Chavez has drawn praise from U.S. Catholic leaders in the past. The California Catholic bishops in 2012 hailed the construction of a national monument to the labor advocate, noting that he was "profoundly influenced by Catholic social justice teaching."

He "strived to be a good disciple of the Lord Jesus by bringing the kingdom of God to the vineyards, fields, and groves of America," the bishops said at the time.

On its website, meanwhile, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in a resource for educators referred to Chavez as a "champion" of "life and dignity" alongside others such as Dorothy Day and St. Oscar Romero.

U.S. bishops spokesperson Chieko Noguchi told EWTN News that the abuse allegations were "distressing" and that the bishops were "in the process of reviewing our website to identify references to [Chavez] for the purpose of removing them."

"If the references to Chavez are part of historical archives, we cannot erase them, but the Catholic Church is committed to addressing the sin of sexual abuse," she said.

"No matter where the abuse took place, the Catholic Church is committed to keeping children safe, and accompanying survivors of abuse in their healing."

Day herself in 1966 hailed Chavez for his labor activities and urged readers to support his advocacy.

Chavez's activism on behalf of the plight of laborers, Day wrote at the time, is "a result of living for a lifetime with these problems, and the sense that God plays a hand in these events."

This story was updated at 6:50 p.m. ET on March 19, 2026 with a statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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WASHINGTON — Commentator Michael Knowles believes that the U.S. Constitution may be more closely aligned with Catholic political philosophy than commonly recognized, suggesting the nation's founding echoes ideas laid out centuries earlier.

Speaking as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Knowles on March 19 tied the American system to Aquinas' concept of the "mixed regime," which combines elements of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy — a framework that, he noted, is mirrored in the Constitution's balance of executive, legislative, and judicial powers.

The remarks came during a March 19 fireside chat at The Heritage Foundation, where Knowles appeared alongside Jay W. Richards, the foundation's William E. Simon senior research fellow in American principles and public policy, for a conference titled "Catholicism and the American Founding." The event explored the philosophical and religious influences behind the American experiment, highlighting how ideas from classical and Catholic thinkers helped shape the founders' vision.

"The government that they established," Knowles said, "is very closely in accord with the ideal regime laid out by St. Thomas Aquinas." He pointed to the Constitution's combination of a strong executive, a deliberative Senate, and a more directly representative House as reflecting the "kingly, aristocratic, and democratic" aspect of Aquinas' model.

Although the founders were largely Protestant and influenced by Enlightenment thought, Knowles emphasized that their ideas were part of a broader intellectual tradition that included Catholic thinkers.

"It's not that Madison and Jefferson were reading Thomas Aquinas," he said. "But they were reading him two degrees removed." He traced that influence through figures such as Francisco Suárez and Robert Bellarmine, whose work shaped Protestant theorists and ultimately informed the American founding generation.

Knowles also highlighted the language of the Declaration of Independence, particularly its appeal to "the laws of nature and of nature's God," as evidence of a moral and philosophical tradition extending beyond purely secular Enlightenment reasoning.

"There is something delightful in Providence," he said, "that this country, founded by a bunch of ardent Calvinists, would end up so beautifully resembling the regime of the common doctor [St. Thomas Aquinas] of the Catholic Church."

Prayer breakfast speaker

Earlier the same day, Knowles — who is Catholic and host of "The Michael Knowles Show" at The Daily Wire — spoke at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, noting the continued influence of Catholicism in the United States.

"Catholics today make up a little over 20% of the U.S. population," he cited, "but we make up 28% of congressmen, 38% of governors, and at least two-thirds of the Supreme Court … Not only is the sitting vice president Catholic, but every presently viable candidate for president in 2028 of both parties is a baptized Catholic."

"Not only can a Catholic become president," he added, "but an American can even be a pope."

Only a "firm faith in Providence" could have permitted this, he said.

During the Heritage discussion, Knowles reflected briefly on his own return to the faith after falling away as a teenager.

"I noticed the smartest people believe in God," he said, recalling his time at Yale and the influence of philosophical arguments and Christian writers such as C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton, who ultimately converted to Catholicism.

That experience, he suggested, parallels a broader renewed interest in objective truth and natural law, particularly among younger Americans. "There is a real desire to return to something like objective reality," he said.

The conversation also touched on the role of religion in public life. Knowles rejected the idea of a formal theocracy but argued that some shared moral framework is unavoidable. "We do have established religion in the country," he said, noting that cultural norms and public expectations function in practice like a civic creed.

Heritage panelists weigh in

Following the fireside chat, a panel of Catholic scholars — including Elizabeth Edwards Spalding of Pepperdine University, Matthew Mehan of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College, and Carson Holloway of the University of Nebraska at Omaha — led by Brenda Hafera of The Heritage Foundation, examined these themes in more detail, particularly the influence of natural law on the American founding.

Mehan described natural law as rooted in "the rule of right reason," drawing on Aristotle, Cicero, and Aquinas before shaping modern political thought. Spalding highlighted Jefferson's acknowledgment of a broad intellectual tradition in the Declaration, noting references to both ancient and modern sources.

Panelists debated whether the American founding is compatible with Catholic political thought.

Holloway acknowledged that the United States may not embody the "best regime" in a classical sense but emphasized it as "a regime for which we can be grateful" — one "worth preserving and worth understanding," especially as it enables the free practice and proclamation of faith.

Spalding stressed that early Americans distinguished between liberty and license, linking freedom to moral responsibility and the common good.

Several speakers also noted that concepts like natural rights predate the Enlightenment, emerging over centuries in classical and theological traditions. "Natural rights are very old … they're not a creature of the Enlightenment," Spalding said.

For Knowles, interpreting the founding in this broader philosophical and religious context helps Americans today understand the nation's enduring principles as it marks its 250th year.

"We can totally grant that these men were not endeavoring to establish a Catholic republic," he said. "But … what they have done has created a meaning that is very much in line with the natural law tradition."

The discussion at The Heritage Foundation, Knowles suggested, is not just about historical interpretation but also about how the founding principles might inform contemporary civic life.

"Catholics in America are an improbable community because this country was founded by people who did not take kindly to them," he told the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News. "And yet, paradoxically, Catholics have thrived in America and contributed to America perhaps more distinctly than any other group."

"This would have shocked many of our forefathers," he added. "But our most insightful ancestors saw it coming because America, despite her outward appearance, has a profoundly Catholic character."

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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"We're going to Cairo."

That's how husband and wife Father Albert and Abby Scharbach discovered that their pilgrimage in Israel had been cut short by the launch of the current Iranian conflict.

The Scharbachs — Father Albert is a priest of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, having originally served as a priest in the Anglican church — spent the morning of Feb. 28 on the Jordan River and at the Mount of Beatitudes. They were enjoying a lunch of "St. Peter's Fish" by the Sea of Galilee when their tour guide announced to the group that they needed to leave immediately for Cairo.

"We were given two hours to pack and then we were going across the Egyptian border that night," Abby said.

Unbeknownst to most of the group, the strikes in Iran had begun, making Israel a prime target for retaliation from the Iranian regime. Joint strikes by Israel and the United States starting on Feb. 28 brought destruction to major sites in Iran, including Tehran and Qom, and led to the deaths of major Iranian leadership including Ali Hosseini Khamenei. In retaliation, Iran has struck many sites in the Gulf region.

Father Albert said he was aware of the "high probability" that such an incident could occur during their pilgrimage, and the group had indeed been instructed earlier in the pilgrimage to proceed to bomb shelters in the event of any danger.

Once the military operations began, however, the group was quickly hustled out of Israel and into Egypt, though there was still danger there.

Father Albert said the route from the border crossing of Taba to their destination of Cairo normally might have taken four-and-a-half hours, but due to fears of ISIS in the region, the bus took a circuitous eight-hour route instead.

"We had a police escort," Abby said. The escort consisted of one man in a pickup truck and one man with a gun on one of the buses.

"I don't know what they could have done against a terrorist group, but they were there," she said.

The Sinai Desert is a monotonous landscape of "dark-colored rocks," they said, though the group passed close by Mount Sinai, where Moses is recorded as having received the Ten Commandments.

Meanwhile, "all along the Red Sea were resorts — resort after resort, all of them abandoned on this beautiful sea," Abby said. "There is nothing there."

The desolate region was visibly more Islamic than the surrounding urban environs, with Muslims dressed in traditional garb including keffiyeh and thawb. Father Albert said the group was warned "not to wear any Israeli symbols or American flags" during brief rest stops along the road.

Though the process to get to Cairo was a lengthy one, the Scharbachs said they got off relatively lucky. Crossing the border at Taba took three hours, they said, but had they waited another day, the process could have been drawn out to 48 hours or more given the huge crush of tourists converging on the site.

Once in Cairo, the groups were quickly routed to any available outbound flights. The Scharbachs took a flight from Istanbul and from there to the United States. "There were others going to Europe," Father Albert said. "Any airlines, any itinerary they could find, they were putting people on flights."

Still, during their brief stopover in Cairo, the Scharbachs were able to take in some of the historic city, including the Giza pyramid complex. "The tour group took good care of us," Abby said.

'This is not just going to be a couple of weeks'

While the Scharbachs were able to safely evacuate the region, others haven't been able to get out, and planned pilgrimages to the Holy Land have been postponed indefinitely amid the conflict.

John Hale, the president of Corporate Travel Service, said the organization is still trying to figure out what travel in the region will look like in the near future.

A broad-based travel enterprise, Corporate Travel Service includes an entire division devoted to faith-based experiences.

Hale, a Catholic, said that while the group has no pilgrimages to Iran, it sponsors trips to Israel, though the conflict is "disrupting future pilgrimages" there for the time being.

"We're right in the middle of it, so we don't have any concrete details," he said. "In the past what we've typically done is either postponed a pilgrimage and hopefully moved people to another one or else scheduled a future pilgrimage to the Holy Land when we're able to send people."

Steve Ray, a filmmaker who with his wife, Janet, launched the "Footprints of God" pilgrimage program after filming a documentary series of the same name, said pilgrimages in the region are often "fraught with danger" to begin with.

The Rays have been sponsoring trips to the region for over 20 years, since 2005, he said. Pilgrimages have been put on hold there numerous times in the past, including after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023. Ray said his tour group returned from a pilgrimage there on Oct. 5 of that year, just two days before the conflict broke out.

The organization resumed trips in December 2025, but with the Iranian conflict, tours are once again on hold. Ray said an affiliate in the region told him: "This is going to be protracted for a long time. It's not going to be over in a couple of weeks."

Ray admitted that pilgrimages to the Holy Land require flexibility. "We learned early on that with Israel you have to be adaptive," he said. The group has pilgrimages planned to holy sites in Europe, he said, as well as in Ireland and on the Mediterranean.

In spite of the harrowing experience of evacuating a country amid a military conflict, meanwhile, the Scharbachs expressed no regret about going in the first place.

"Even though there was danger, it was so important, and we were called to go," Father Albert said. "It wasn't an uncalculated risk. It was that important to go when we had the opportunity."

Abby said that among the holy sites the couple visited was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Father Albert was able to celebrate Mass.

"This was meaningful for us, besides the obvious [reasons], because the parish we serve is Mount Calvary," she said. "We offered Mass for the people of Mount Calvary on Mount Calvary."

"I would go back to the Holy Land in a heartbeat," she added. "It was that beautiful."

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Catholic parishes throughout the United States will request collection funds for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and other charitable groups during Masses on Sunday, March 15, and the vigil Masses on Saturday evening, March 14.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced the annual collection for the fourth Sunday in Lent. It will benefit six Catholic agencies and offices that provide charitable services, which primarily focus on support for migrants domestically and relief abroad.

"The Church in the United States was built on ministry among immigrants," Bishop Daniel H. Mueggenborg of Reno, Nevada, chair of the USCCB Committee on National Collection, said in a statement.

"We help all who are marginalized, including victims of war and disaster overseas," he said. "The Catholic Relief Services Collection combines all these kinds of assistance. Our Lord tells us to love our neighbors — those we know, those we don't, and those we think are very different from us. The Catholic Relief Services Collection is one way that we show that love. Today it is more vital than ever."

Along with CRS, the collections will support the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), the USCCB Secretariat of Migration, the USCCB Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, the USCCB Secretariat of Justice and Peace, and the Holy Father's Relief Fund.

According to the USCCB, the CRS funds support international development and relief efforts, which include those affected by war and disaster.

Funds for CLINIC help provide training and support for more than 400 community-based and Catholic immigration law providers in 49 states. Donations to the Secretariat of Migration will assist ministries for migrants and refugees, publish education resources, and promote policies that affirm their lives and dignity.

The Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church funds will support two initiatives. One focuses on pastoral ministry for migrant workers, travelers, and seafarers. The other focuses on pastoral needs for Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Funds for the Secretariat of Justice and Peace support advocacy for the poor in other countries, which includes work with government officials to end violent international conflicts abroad. The Holy Father's Relief Fund provides aid to areas in crisis.

"Together, these agencies help victims of war and natural disaster, support sustainable economic development overseas, advocate for international peace and human rights, help refugees and immigrants in the United States to obtain legal support, offer pastoral support to a wide variety of people who migrate for work and build cross-cultural understanding," Mueggenborg said.

The bishops said the Church received nearly $13.5 million from the collections in 2024 and $8 million supported CRS to support international relief and development efforts in places affected by war and natural disasters.

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The Middle East has once again surged to the top of global headlines as renewed fighting spreads across multiple fronts, placing several countries at risk of continued strikes and retaliation, with no clear end in sight.

Airstrikes on the Iranian capital, Tehran, and other major cities have raised serious concerns about the country's Christian communities.

Iran has already been grappling with instability following months of popular protests driven largely by economic hardship. Those demonstrations evolved into broader anti-government protests, during which many lives were lost.

In a previous report, Open Doors described Christians in Iran as consistently vulnerable, particularly converts to Christianity. The Islamic Republic officially recognizes only the Armenian Church (both Catholic and Orthodox branches) and the Assyrian and Chaldean Churches as recognized Christian communities with parliamentary representation.

Aside from remarks given to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, by Cardinal Dominique Mathieu, the Latin archbishop of Tehran, no official statements have been issued by churches inside Iran regarding the war and its repercussions.

This silence comes amid near-total internet blackouts and widespread mobile network disruptions across the country.

Iraq feels the heat of war

Several areas across Iraq have come under attack from different directions, despite assurances from the Ministerial Council for National Security that Iraq remains committed to preventing escalation and to ensuring that its territory is not used for external or internal conflicts. The stated goal is to safeguard the country's stability and its citizens.

Erbil has faced a series of repeated attacks. The Christian-majority town of Ankawa, adjacent to Erbil International Airport, has encountered growing challenges as the U.S. coalition base located at the airport, situated within Ankawa's municipal boundaries, has been targeted. The new U.S. consulate building nearby has also raised security concerns in the area.

Residents reported intercepts of rockets and drones in Ankawa's skies, with falling debris causing limited damage to buildings and property. In the Nineveh Plain, a "drone of unknown origin" struck a building affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces in the Syriac town of Bartella.

In response to the escalating violence, Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako called on all Chaldean churches to pray for peace "amid the rising war in our region and its repercussions for neighboring countries." The Patriarchate of the Assyrian Church of the East likewise issued a statement urging all parties to exercise maximum restraint to protect innocent civilians and asked Christians worldwide to pray for peace.

Syria and Lebanon

In Syria, Israeli air defenses intercepted an Iranian missile, which subsequently fell in Sweida, causing casualties. Additional scattered incidents of missile and drone debris were reported in several southern provinces.

As Israel intensifies troop deployments along its borders with Syria and Lebanon, Lebanon faces a dangerous escalation. Israeli airstrikes targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, as well as areas in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, following a rocket attack launched by Hezbollah toward northern Israel. Hezbollah described the attack as retaliation "for the blood of Imam Khamenei and in defense of Lebanon and its people."

Meanwhile, Lebanon's presidency and government rejected the rocket launches, reiterating that the country must not be dragged into war.

Waves of displacement

Fearing further escalation, residents fled Beirut's southern suburbs and parts of southern Lebanon, regions that include several Christian towns and villages. The scenes of displacement have repeated themselves as the government works to provide shelter and humanitarian assistance.

Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, the Maronite patriarch, emphasized that a nation cannot be healed by slogans or noise alone but through genuine faith. In his Sunday homily, he called for prayer "for our country, that the Lord may touch it with his healing hand and plant in the hearts of its people a living faith that leads to real healing and sincere renewal."

The Holy Land and Jordan

The Holy Land is also feeling the strain of war. Several cities have faced repeated rocket and drone attacks, resulting in 12 deaths and nearly 500 injuries in Israel to date. In Jordan, a senior military source confirmed that the armed forces continue to fulfill their national duty to protect the kingdom's airspace and sovereignty. Citizens were urged not to circulate rumors and to rely on official sources for information, as multiple areas witnessed falling debris from intercepted missiles.

Gulf states under fire

The Gulf countries, long regarded as among the region's safest, have experienced what officials described as unprecedented and reckless Iranian attacks. The strikes were strongly condemned by the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and the United States.

The attacks have damaged infrastructure and private property, and resulted in casualties. Since Feb. 28, five people have been killed in the Gulf, "all foreign nationals: one in Kuwait, three in the UAE [United Arab Emirates], and one in Bahrain," according to Bishop Eugene Nugent, the apostolic nuncio to Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar.

Nugent described the situation as grave and deteriorating by the day as air raid sirens, once unthinkable in the Arabian Peninsula, have become an alarming reality in countries long considered safe havens.

The Apostolic Vicariates of Northern Arabia and Southern Arabia both called on the faithful to remain steadfast in faith, calm, united in prayer, and attentive to civil safety instructions. Other churches across the Gulf echoed these appeals.

In his Angelus address March 1 in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV expressed deep concern over the unfolding events in the Middle East and Iran during these tense hours.

He stressed that stability and peace cannot be built on mutual threats or on weapons that sow destruction, pain, and death but rather through rational, sincere, and responsible dialogue.

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

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Archbishop Ronald Hicks of New York is hosting a program called "All Good Things with Archbishop Hicks" for SiriusXM's Catholic Channel.

About a month after Hicks was installed as New York's 11th archbishop at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Feb. 6, SiriusXM announced he is hosting the show. The program takes over the time slot previously held by former archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who hosted "Conversations with Cardinal Dolan."

Hicks will host the weekly program alongside Father Dave Dwyer, host of the daily call-in show "The Busted Halo Show" and executive director of Busted Halo Ministries. Dwyer also co-hosted the radio show with Dolan.

Hicks and Dwyer will discuss real-world issues, current events, and everyday life through a Catholic lens, according to a statement. The show will offer conversation rooted in Church teachings and lived pastoral experience. The program will highlight works of those fostering personal conversion and the transformation of society through evangelization, the statement said.

The show joins a number of other Catholic faith-based shows on the channel including "The Katie McGrady Show," "Catholic Guy with Lino Rulli," and "Frontiers of Faith."

The show is set to air at 2 p.m. ET Tuesdays on channel 129 and will be available on demand on the SiriusXM app. An inaugural episode aired March 3, according to the Archdiocese of New York.

Archbishop Hicks

Hicks was named archbishop of New York by Pope Leo XIV on Dec. 18, 2025, and brings a perspective from decades of service and ministry. He graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 1989 with a philosophy degree and went on to receive master of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.

He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 21, 1994. Prior to his appointment in New York, Hicks was appointed by Pope Francis on July 17, 2020, as bishop of Joliet, Illinois.

He has a history of ministerial experience in Latin America serving in El Salvador as the regional director of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, a charity that serves orphans in Latin America. He previously served as vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago and auxiliary bishop of Chicago.

Hicks also serves on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations and as the USCCB liaison to the Association of Ongoing Formation of Priests and the National Association of Diaconate Directors.

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Mexican priest José Dolores Aguayo González, known as Father Lolo, has received criticism from the archbishop of Guadalajara, Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, about letters Aguayo sent to a U.S. court on behalf of two convicted drug traffickers.

The letters concerning Jessica Johanna and Rubén Oseguera, adult children of drug trafficker Nemesio Rubén Oseguera, known as "El Mencho," were written at the request of the judge and the detainees' family as part of the priest's work providing spiritual ministry to people in prison.

The elder Oseguera was the founder and leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation drug cartel who was killed in a shoot-out with the Mexican military on Feb. 22.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the priest defended his actions, stating that "the Church cannot turn its back on those who seek reconciliation with God, even if they are public figures."

"Imagine if the Church slams the door on them, and I think the issue here is, if it had been any anonymous prisoner in Puente Grande [penitentiary], there wouldn't have been a problem. The problem is that the Church tried to fulfill its mission with these individuals," the priest stated.

Both letters, revealed last week by journalist Laura Sánchez Ley, were addressed to Judge Beryl A. Howell in Washington, D.C. The first, sent in March 2021, describes Jessica Johanna Oseguera as "a very kind person, an excellent mother, a very philanthropic woman."

Aguayo explained that he met the cartel leader's daughter because she actively participated in parish activities, years before she pleaded guilty in U.S. court to drug trafficking charges.

"When I wrote about this man's daughter, the judge was the one who asked for my personal opinion of her, how although she had already pleaded guilty to certain crimes, had taken responsibility, what was my personal assessment [of her]," the priest told ACI Prensa.

He sent the second letter to the same judge in January 2025, this time speaking favorably of Rubén Oseguera, known as "El Menchito" (Little Mencho), who was extradited to the U.S. in 2020 and sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking two months after the priest's letter.

In that letter, Aguayo said that he was Rubén Oseguera's "spiritual director" and that "he comes from a very devout Catholic family, has reflected a great deal on his future, and has read the holy Scriptures," adding that "despite any mistakes he may have made, he is a man who has been touched by God's mercy."

The priest clarified that he did not know "El Menchito" personally but rather maintained correspondence through letters and phone conversations with family members during Oseguera's imprisonment.

"His wife asked me to accompany them spiritually through letters … what did we talk about? Biblical themes, faith, personal growth, change — nothing out of the ordinary that could be discussed with a priest," he recounted.

"Having gotten to know this young man through the letters ... all I can say is that human beings make mistakes, they can change. I'm not saying he shouldn't be punished by human justice, because we will also be punished by divine justice for our sins, but there is an opportunity to remake ourselves. In the Church, we believe in remaking ourselves; in conversion, and that is the great calling we have as priests: the sacrament of reconciliation," he added.

Though visibly concerned about the public judgment of his actions, the priest said he has nothing to hide. He maintained that he has conducted his ministry in accordance with the precepts of the Church and that, to date, no authority in Mexico or the U.S. has contacted him regarding this matter.

The Archdiocese of Guadalajara on Feb. 28 issued a statement on the case, describing a lack of "prudence and good judgment on the part of this priest in addressing this matter ... given the nature of this relationship."

The archbishop said at a March 1 press conference that "the issue is much more complex and much broader than the issue of the imprudence or inexperience of a priest who wanted to act in good faith, but, as we say in slang, messed up."

Robles added that Aguayo continues to fulfill his pastoral duties as a parish priest and that the Church is committed to providing spiritual support to everyone, including criminals and their families.

"For example, if a family member of someone who was killed or cut down [in a confrontation with law enforcement] and whose involvement in criminal activity has been proven, requests, for instance, a Mass, they cannot be refused. If they request to take the body to the church, they cannot be refused," the cardinal 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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