Catholic News

U.S. officials are continuing to defend ongoing military actions in the Middle East amid criticism from top Catholic leaders around the world and after media reports that the Pentagon demanded the Vatican throw its support behind its ongoing military maneuvers.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin this week stressed the need for "more voices of peace, more voices against the madness of the rush toward rearmament" after several weeks of U.S.-led strikes against Iran have reportedly resulted in thousands of casualties and have raised the specter of a sustained global war.

The two countries agreed to a temporary ceasefire on April 7 while negotiations play out, but the agreement has been marred by subsequent Israeli strikes in Lebanon as well as disputes over Iran's reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route whose closure upended global markets and sent oil prices skyward.

Before the ceasefire, U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened the annihilation of the "whole civilization" of Iran if the country failed to accept U.S. terms — a vow that drew an explicit rebuke from Pope Leo XIV.

"Attacks on civilian infrastructure [are] against international law [and are] also a sign of the hatred, the division, the destruction that the human being is capable of," the pope said after Trump's threat. "We all want to work for peace. People want peace."

"I would invite citizens of all the countries involved to contact the authorities, political leaders, congressmen, to ask them, tell them to work for peace and to reject war," the Holy Father said.

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops President Archbishop Paul Coakley also condemned the threat, arguing on April 7 that such rhetoric "cannot be morally justified."

Coakley at the time "call[ed] on President Trump to step back from the precipice of war and negotiate a just settlement for the sake of peace and before more lives are lost."

'A victory for the United States of America'

Amid rebukes from Catholic leaders around the world, U.S. leadership has celebrated both the military action and the ceasefire that came after Trump's apparent willingness to destroy Iran, a threat that critics said pointed to the potential deaths of millions of civilians.

In a release on April 8 after the ceasefire was announced, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called the ongoing actions in Iran a "decisive military victory."

"President Trump forged this moment," Hegseth said. "Iran begged for this ceasefire — and we all know it."

The terms of the ceasefire are themselves in dispute, leaving open the question of whether military action will resume before the two-week window expires.

Iran has argued that the Israeli strikes in Lebanon violated the agreement. The U.S. government, meanwhile, said Iran agreed to reopen the critical Hormuz Strait amid ongoing peace negotiations, but United Arab Emirates industry minister Sultan Al Jaber said on April 9 that the strait has not been fully reopened.

Still, U.S. officials have continued to boast of the success of the mission. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said on April 8 that coalition forces "achieved the military objectives" they set out to accomplish in Iran, including the destruction of much of Iran's military forces.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly called the campaign "a victory for the United States of America," one that "the president and our incredible military made happen."

The putative victories after sharp criticism from Catholic leadership come as tensions between the U.S. and the Vatican appear to be strained.

Disputed report

On April 6 the Free Press reported that the government in January summoned then-Apostolic Nuncio Cardinal Christophe Pierre to the Pentagon, allegedly delivering to the diplomat a "bitter lecture" demanding that the Holy See "take [the United States'] side" in global military conflicts.

An official with the Department of Defense told EWTN News in a statement on April 9 that the Free Press report was "highly exaggerated and distorted."

"The meeting between Pentagon and Vatican officials was a respectful and reasonable discussion," the statement said. "We have nothing but the highest regard and welcome continued dialogue with the Holy See."

The apostolic nunciature in the United States of America on April 9 also confirmed the meeting, saying in a statement that Pierre visited the Pentagon on Jan. 22 and that the cardinal "discussed current affairs" with U.S. officials.

"Meetings with government officials are a standard practice for the nuncio, who serves as the Holy See's ambassador to the United States," the nunciature said. "The apostolic nunciature is grateful for the opportunities to meet and dialogue with government officials and others in Washington to discuss areas of mutual concern."

Brian Burch, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, likewise wrote on X on April 9 that Pierre told him the reports of a "bitter" meeting were "fabrications" that were "just invented."

"It was a frank and cordial meeting," Pierre said, according to Burch.

The Department of Defense's rapid response team similarly wrote on X on April 9 that the report was "grossly false and distorted." The account also shared images of the meeting between Pierre and government officials.

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Vice President JD Vance, himself a Catholic, was asked about the report on April 8 while in Hungary. He told media he would "like to talk to Cardinal Christophe Pierre and, frankly, to our people, to figure out what actually happened."

"I think it's always a bad idea to offer an opinion on stories that are unconfirmed and uncorroborated, so I'm not going to do that," the vice president said at the time.

Pierre retired in March; Pope Leo XIV subsequently appointed Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia to replace him. Caccia has thus far been silent about the Iran conflict, though in the recent past he has been an open critic of war and an outspoken proponent of peace.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, he told the United Nations Security Council in October 2023 that war "is always a defeat," and he lamented the "lasting end to the cycle of violence that has engulfed" the Holy Land.

U.S. leaders have justified the Iranian conflict by alleging that the Middle Eastern country represents a threat to the U.S. and to global peace. Ahead of the ceasefire, Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued that Iran was "violating every law known" by allegedly striking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

He described the country as "a regime that doesn't believe in laws or rules or anything like that."

Parolin, meanwhile, this week called for "more voices raised in favor of our poorest brothers and sisters" and urged the Catholic world — including Catholic universities — to seek out "new economic models inspired by justice."

"I am struck by how much determination ... with which the military option is presented as decisive, almost inevitable," the cardinal said.

This story was updated at 2:50 p.m. ET on April 9, 2026, with remarks from U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch and the Department of Defense's rapid response X account.

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Indiana's five bishops are urging Catholics to adopt an integral "faith-filled" approach to the challenge of caring for both creation and the poor.

"The social, economic, and political reality of human life and poverty is not disconnected from environmental issues concerning polluted air, water, and land, decreasing biodiversity, and habitat destruction," the Indiana Catholic Conference of Bishops wrote in a pastoral letter released April 8.

"Human ecology and natural ecology are united in what Pope Francis called 'integral ecology,'" the prelates said.

The pastoral letter, signed by Archbishop Charles Thompson of Indianapolis, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Bishop Robert McClory of Gary, Bishop Timothy Doherty of Lafayette, and Bishop Joseph Siegel of Evansville, was written during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, according to a press release from the bishops.

The prelates emphasized "Christian hope" amid ecological and societal challenges and called the faithful "to live Eucharistic lives as we care for both our human community and for God's good world."

They explained that integral ecology "recognizes that we are both ecological citizens and ecclesiological citizens. We belong to the earth and to the Church."

The letter encourages sustainable farming, enhanced development of renewable energy sources, and care for the state's water sources.

The Indiana faith leaders highlighted farming as "a vocation from God to feed the human community," noting that "our state is an agricultural leader in that regard." They called for the prioritization of "safe, affordable, and sustainable food supply" that "treats people, land, and animals in accord with their God-given way of being."

"At the core of the ecological and social crises is a human heart enclosed in upon itself, alienated from God, our neighbor, and creation," the bishops said. "The Sacred Heart of Jesus seeks to draw each human heart into communion with himself and through him into communion with the Trinity."

Beyond care of creation and the poor, the bishops encouraged Catholics to seek healing in relationships with God, oneself, and each other by restoring commitment to observing the sabbath, unplugging from the virtual world, and seeking encounter with each other and creation.

They further suggested that the faithful could take up gardening in order to become closer to God's world.

"Biblically, our human life originated in the Garden of Eden, a paradise of holy and just relationships among God, ourselves, and creation," the bishops said.

"Gardening is a way of life that requires humility, attentiveness, gratitude, and faithful obedience to cooperate with the ways of soil and plants."

Cardinal Michael Czerny, the prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, praised the bishops' letter in a separate message.

He called the letter a "thoughtful contribution to the Church's ongoing reflection on the relationship between integral human development and care for creation."

Czerny urged Catholics in Indiana to "continue fostering reflection and action regarding integral ecology in an attentive and balanced manner."

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As a ceasefire between the United States and Iran tentatively remains in place, President Donald Trump's rhetoric has sparked concerns from Catholic moral theologians about the safety of civilian populations if fighting resumes.

Trump announced a ceasefire agreement on April 7, hours after threatening the annihilation of the "whole civilization" of Iran if the country did not agree to U.S. terms.

Plans to destroy Iran's infrastructure by striking power plants and bridges were paused for two weeks. Yet disputes about the ceasefire's terms and the starting point of negotiations quickly raised tensions again.

William Newton, chair of the theology department at Franciscan University of Steubenville, told EWTN News: "It always seems best to sort out disputes by talking rather than fighting when this is possible."

He urged prayers "that a real peace can be established that makes the world safer and the people of Iran better off."

Joseph Capizzi, dean and ordinary professor of moral theology and ethics at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News he is "glad" the ceasefire is in place and believes pushback against the war prompted it.

Taylor Patrick O'Neill, a theology professor at Thomas Aquinas College, told EWTN News the ceasefire is "a cause for hope" but "still far from lasting peace."

He urged both sides to negotiate "in the spirit of using force as an absolutely last resort."

Peaceful intention

On April 8, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, a Catholic, told reporters that Trump's threat to destroy the Iranian civilization "was not an empty threat by any means." The Pentagon, she said, had a list of targets if a deal was not reached.

When asked about the morality of the threats, Leavitt said it was "insulting" to suggest Iran had a moral high ground. She accused Iran of "atrocities" against Americans and the military.

Catholic doctrine recognizes war can be justified under some circumstances. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, war is justified only to confront grave evil, and even then its harm must not exceed the evil it seeks to end and there must be a real chance of success, with all alternatives to war exhausted.

St. Augustine — the architect of just war doctrine — wrote to the Roman general Boniface: "Peace should be the object of your desire; war should be waged only as a necessity, and waged only that God may by it deliver men from the necessity and preserve them in peace."

Augustine, writing in A.D. 418, told the general that "even in waging war, cherish the spirit of a peacemaker." The theologian cited Christ's teaching in Matthew 5:9: "Blessed are the peacemakers."

Capizzi said Trump's rhetoric "is utterly alien to a peaceful intention" and, even if war is justified, "the intention of war must always be peace."

"We Catholics do not pray to be merciless," he said. "We do not invoke God in vengeance against our enemies. When we pray to God for victory, Catholics do so with humility and a desire for peace, a peace that ought to include our enemies whom Our Lord taught us to love."

Capizzi said the notion that power plants are "dual use" because it "fuels both civilian homes and military arms production factors" does not make it a legitimate military target.

"There's significant gray area in this, but the idea is to limit the conduct of war to legitimate military targets and reduce the expansion of war in ways that increase civilian suffering," he said.

O'Neill said it is not intrinsically evil to destroy a power plant or bridge, but the question must be: "Why are we striking it?"

Military officials, he said, must also ask: "How do the proportion of innocent deaths caused (directly and indirectly, with a bridge out of service in the coming weeks) by the strike compare to the good sought?"

He said Trump's rhetoric shows "the intention and the means employed to achieve the fruition of those intentions." He argued Trump's intentions "explicitly and directly threaten mass casualty strikes that make no determination between combatant and noncombatant."

Trump's remarks "border on the genocidal," he argued.

"What the Church provides is a clear moral reasoning for making difficult judgments about how to defend yourself and your nation justly," O'Neill said. "These comments are more or less a rejection of any kind of moral reasoning beyond 'win at all costs.' Under no circumstances is it just to attempt to wipe a nation off of the face of the earth."

According to Newton, distinguishing between military and civilian targets can be complex, but he offered his opinion that "a proper military target is one which is proximately ordered towards a military goal. By this I mean that the facility exists — or exists in the mode it currently does — because of military needs."

To determine morality, Newton said, it "is not merely what you do but why you do it" and "something can be evil on account of either or both these elements."

He said the president's threats to destroy Iran "imply targeting elements of the country which go way beyond military targets and would be immoral," but he added the caveat that "not knowing the intention means we cannot really interpret these [words] accurately."

Principle of double effect

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that a moral act requires "a good intention," but a good intention does not justify an intrinsically evil act. A bad intention always "makes an act evil," it states.

St. Thomas Aquinas explains in the "Summa Theologica" that some acts can have several effects — some good and some bad. If the act itself is morally neutral, the act can be justified only if the good result is intended, and the bad consequence is unintended.

Capizzi said the principle of double effect often applies to war because hitting a legitimate target can result in hitting something that is not legitimate. When necessary, it may be moral to accept "collateral damage" as a secondary, unintended effect, he said.

"The proportionality of military actions is always important," he said. "The bad secondary effects should not outweigh the good associated with the act. Again, the general idea is that war should be borne by combatants to the war and not be civilians."

Yet because bad intentions and intrinsically immoral acts cannot be justified, Capizzi said "the intentional targeting of the innocent is never permissible, no matter how much good might come of it."

O'Neill said this applies in the context of civilian infrastructure, noting the justification cannot just be "Does this harm the Iranian military?" and "Will this help us win the war?"

He said Trump must consider proportionality and cannot actively will the harm to civilians.

"If part of your decision to blow up a power plant is to cause suffering to the civilian population that depends upon it so that they are more likely to organize a coup, you are seeking a good effect through the evil means of civilian suffering," he said.

Newton also noted the importance of proportionality: "One does need to make a prudential judgment concerning whether the good that one is seeking is really sufficiently good to tolerate the unintended but foreseen negative outcomes."

He noted any intention to harm civilians "does not square with the principle of double effect" and expressed concern that Trump's comments "are at least in danger of giving the impression that the approach taken to seeking the military defeat of the enemy is the demoralization of the population as a whole."

"I'm not saying that this is the only way to interpret those statements but they are statements which definitely open up the possibility of an interpretation which is not compatible with the principle of double effect," Newton said.

Iranian and American officials, including Vice President JD Vance, are scheduled to meet in Pakistan this weekend to negotiate long-term peace. Lebanese and Israeli officials have both expressed interest in peace talks as well.

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Christians are called to live the Easter message of peace, especially during times of war and violence, said a Comboni missionary priest once kidnapped in Uganda.

"On the very day of Jesus' resurrection, on Easter day, Jesus appeared to the apostles [and] the message he delivered to them was, 'Peace to you!'" Father Giulio Albanese, MCCJ, said in an exclusive interview with EWTN News reporter Valentina Di Donato.

"Peace, from a Christian perspective, is not simply a wish, it's a gift, and we must be aware that this is our vocation, to bring peace to the world. What is shameful is that nowadays we are doing exactly the opposite," he said.

Albanese, who was kidnapped in northern Uganda by armed rebels in 2002 and witnessed several atrocities of war firsthand, said today's Christians cannot turn a blind eye to people's sufferings.

"We have to be aware that we are living in a society, at an international level, where there are many, many contradictions," he said.

"There are many innocent people who are slaughtered out of human selfishness. Look at what is taking place in Iran, in the Middle East, in Africa," he continued.

In order to address the obstacles to peace, Albanese said it is necessary for Christians to undergo a conversion and to take Jesus' Easter message of peace to heart.

"During Easter day and even in the following days we have to pray for peace because if there is a lack of peace in the world it's because our Christianity has become meaningless," he said.

After witnessing the violent killings of a woman and her young children in Uganda, Albanese shared with Di Donato how his faith in the risen Jesus was put to the test.

"I must be sincere, in that very moment, I started screaming against the Lord, I said, 'Lord where are you? Why are you allowing innocent people [to be] killed like that in that way? Why do they have to suffer in such a way? Lord have you forgotten us? Have you forgotten these people?" he said.

But it was through the help of an elderly priest that Albanese was able to sense the presence of God, when he was told: "You should ask yourself where is man, not where is God."

Describing his heartfelt conversion as a "story of resurrection," the Comboni missionary said these days of Easter can help Christians renew their commitment to work toward peace.

"We have to believe that our life is in the hands of God," he said. "The Lord is faithful, and in the very moment you live an experience like this you understand also the significance of life."

During Holy Week, Pope Leo XIV made several pleas to world leaders to bring all conflict and violence to an end.

Describing Jesus Christ as the "King of Peace" during the Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father said God does not listen to those who "wage war."

"Just as the Church contemplates the mystery of the Lord's passion, we cannot forget those who today are truly sharing in his suffering," he said in his March 29 homily.

On Easter Sunday, the pope renewed his prayerful petition for peace during his "urbi et orbi" blessing delivered from the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica.

"The peace that Jesus gives us is not merely the silence of weapons but the peace that touches and transforms the heart of each one of us!" he said. "Let us allow ourselves to be transformed by the peace of Christ! Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts!"

Pope Leo will preside over a prayer vigil for peace in St. Peter's Basilica on April 11.

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The Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic on April 1 found that parts of a treaty between the Czech Republic and the Holy See are inconsistent with the Czech constitution and therefore cannot be ratified.

"We disagree with the decision of the majority of judges at the Constitutional Court but accept it," the Czech Bishops' Conference wrote in a press release. The episcopate finds it "positive that the court did not reject the idea of the existence of a treaty with the Holy See but only limited itself to partial passages."

The agreement on certain legal issues was signed in 2024 by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and then-Prime Minister Petr Fiala. It was later approved by both chambers of the country's Parliament and was submitted to the president of the country for ratification.

However, a group of senators filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court, which on April 1 stated that two parts of the accord are problematic.

The ruling says that the concordat would "give Catholic Church legal entities a powerful tool to prevent their documents (archive materials) from being made available." Church archives are important sources of cultural wealth and history, but the accord would "exempt Catholic churches from the obligation to respect the Archives Act, which would, however, continue to apply to all other churches," the court explained.

The second objection deals with the seal of confession, which would be enacted without any exceptions and would be "a clear violation of the neutrality of the state and the principle of equal treatment of different churches."

Each side of the treaty understood it differently, the ruling observed, adding that the seal of confession would be more protected than professional secrecy.

Dissenting opinions

Three out of 15 judges of the Constitutional Court presented a different position, arguing the court did not deal with an important part of the legal file presented by senators, such as objections to "the alleged privilege of the Catholic Church in the provision of pastoral care in various types of institutions and facilities."

However, they admitted that "the Holy See is a subject of international law, which the Czech Republic has recognized," and so it is "undoubtedly an objective reason for the different treatment of the Catholic Church in various issues." They further argued that the two problematic passages in the majority decision are not in conflict with the constitution.

Another two judges presented a different position each. One of them, Judge Tomáš Langášek, argued that "the dissenting opinions show that it was possible to adopt a rational interpretation of the concordat in good faith that would not in any way conflict with the constitutional order."

He said he considers the decision "a paradigmatic change in the role and function of the constitutional judiciary." The Constitutional Court opposed the intention of the Parliament "to take on an international legal obligation to maintain" the already existing and "legally guaranteed standard of protection of fundamental religious rights and freedoms in [the] future," Langášek opined.

"The court's concern for equal treatment among churches and religious communities is only a proxy problem," the constitutional judge added.

'A legal defeat for people who consider religious freedom an important value'

"It is a political victory for some, and a legal defeat for people, believers and nonbelievers, who consider religious freedom an important value," commented Jakub Kríž, a lawyer who teaches at the Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University in Prague.

At the same time, he said he believes "the absence of a concordat is not a tragedy" either for religious freedom or "for Catholics who, after all, always benefit the most when the state does not get along with them."

The proposal "would have had no chance of success if" Czech President Petr Pavel "had not intervened and introduced new arguments," for example suggesting that "the agreement contradicts the sovereignty of the state and its secular and republican character," the scholar underscored.

The negotiated agreement was "poor in content, innocent, almost devoid of substance," and the Czech side did not try to "negotiate anything beyond what is already in force today," Kríž said, adding that it had "more a symbolic" value.

'A big disappointment'

The decision was a "big disappointment" and "a very unfortunate event," lamented Father Jirí Rajmund Tretera, a Dominican and professor of canon law at the Faculty of Law of Charles University.

On the seal of confession, there would be "no change to the current situation," as all believers "were guaranteed that the current legal provisions" regarding "confessional secrecy could not be so easily eliminated" if a religion-averse group "came to power in our democratic state," the priest said.

Tretera also said he believes the Constitutional Court committed "an unintentional attack against the ecumenical movement." It argued that the proposed agreement "was not in accordance with the principle of equality of all churches," yet "this is in conflict with the reality commonly recognized in non-Catholic churches."

Kríž clarified that "non-Catholic churches did not" oppose the treaty, and "many even welcomed it, seeing its role as a stabilizer of guarantees of religious freedom."

The only way to proceed is "to start negotiations from the beginning," as this is not "a bill where a sentence can be deleted," the lawyer warned.

Yet he said he is skeptical that the Holy See would risk another "embarrassment," as "the Czech Republic showed to be a rather unreliable international partner."

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DHAKA, Bangladesh — The archbishop of Dhaka is urging the Bangladeshi government to reconsider a proposal to introduce online classes for school students amid the country's ongoing energy crisis, warning that the move would undermine education at the hundreds of institutions run by the Catholic Church.

"We Christians in Bangladesh run many educational institutions," Archbishop Bejoy N. D'Cruze, OMI, of Dhaka said. "Along with academic subjects, we focus on morals, values, and good character. When we hear about online classes, we become worried about where this system will take our students."

The archbishop made the remarks while exchanging Easter greetings with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary-general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, on Easter Sunday. He said Catholic school principals and headmasters remain deeply concerned about the impact of online learning on children.

The proposal comes as Bangladesh faces energy shortages linked to global instability in the Middle East. To reduce electricity consumption and ease pressure on infrastructure, the government is considering partial online learning in selected educational institutions. However, Catholic leaders say the experience of online education during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed serious limits, especially for students' academic and moral formation.

Students and parents voice concerns

Students say online classes make it harder to understand lessons and stay focused.

"I have difficulty understanding lessons when classes are online," said Sonnet Gomes, a student at a missionary school in Dhaka. "I want to go to school and take classes physically."

Referring to her experience during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Gomes said online learning created both academic and health-related problems. "When we had online classes during corona, it was not good for us. Now there is no health risk. If needed, we can reduce class hours instead of moving everything online," she said.

Parents, especially Catholic parents, also strongly oppose online classes. They worry about screen addiction, lack of supervision, and the financial burden placed on families.

"I don't want online classes," said Priyanka Gomes, a Catholic mother in Dhaka. "During corona, I was forced to buy my son a smartphone. With online classes, children stay on their phones all day. They play games, use social media, and become addicted."

Teachers: 'Online classes are not effective'

Catholic teachers echo these concerns and say online learning often leads to poor attendance and weak engagement.

"If the government orders online classes, we will obey," said Cornelius D'Cruze, vice principal of Heed International School in Dhaka. "But honestly, online classes are not effective. Many students skip classes. Parents go to work, and children spend most of the time on their phones."

According to the Catholic Directory of Bangladesh, the Catholic Church in the country runs one university, 17 colleges, 60 high schools, and nearly 300 primary and technical schools. Well-known institutions such as Notre Dame College, Holy Cross College, St. Gregory's High School, and St. Joseph Higher Secondary School are among the country's most respected academic centers.

Government says proposal still under review

Government officials say the move toward online or blended learning is necessary under current conditions.

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education recently organized a seminar at the International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka to discuss how to continue education during the energy crisis.

Education Minister A.N.M. Ehsanul Hoque Milon and State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj attended the seminar. Students, teachers, and guardians from various institutions in the Dhaka metropolitan area shared their views on the proposal.

The education minister said online classes would not be introduced nationwide at once but would begin on an experimental basis in selected institutions.

"Various crises in world history have opened new possibilities," Milon said. "Education must continue in new ways. We should not see everything as a threat. We can also see opportunities."

The government is considering a hybrid system combining physical and online classes in selected schools and colleges, including Viqarunnisa Noon School and College and Ideal School and College in Motijheel.

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LOS ANGELES — When God told St. Francis in the early 13th century to "go and repair my house" — the Portiuncula chapel near Assisi, Italy, that had fallen into disrepair — who could have guessed that the ripples caused by that action would one day reach Southern California.

Francis, a rich man who embraced poverty and had a heart for the poor, begged and sold items for materials to rebuild the Portiuncula.

But that's not all of what was refurbished.

The saint asked God and Pope Honorius III for a special indulgence for those who visited the chapel. It was also there that St. Francis founded the Order of Friars Minor and later died in a small room that still exists today.

Now, as Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed 2026 as the Jubilee Year of St. Francis, Archbishop José H. Gomez has declared 15 sites in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as pilgrimage destinations, ensuring that L.A. Catholics don't have to travel all the way to Assisi to participate in the commemoration.

In a letter released on March 25, Gomez encouraged local Catholics to take part in the archdiocese's official jubilee events marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, including pilgrimages to area Franciscan parishes and sacred sites, prayer services, and community activities throughout the year. The archdiocese set up a special site for the observance: lacatholics.org/year-of-st-francis.

"During this time of grace, the Holy Father invites us to reflect on the witness of St. Francis and to grow in holiness through prayer, conversion, and works of charity," Gomez wrote.

"In this way, may this year deepen our love for Jesus Christ, strengthen our care for creation, and renew our commitment to peace."

As part of this observance, those who embark on the pilgrimages and meet certain spiritual conditions may receive a plenary indulgence, which removes the time a person might have spent in purgatory due to his or her sins, which have already been forgiven by God.

Many of the pilgrimage sites were chosen because of their ties to St. Francis or his Franciscan order. Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the oldest California mission in the archdiocese, was founded by St. Junípero Serra, the Spanish missionary priest who was a Franciscan.

The Monastery of Poor Clares in Santa Barbara is the religious order named after Francis' "spiritual sister," St. Clare of Assisi, while St. Lawrence of Brindisi Church in Watts is run by the Capuchins and named after the Franciscan saint.

The altar at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles features a relic of Francis sealed into it.

In a recent Angelus column, the archbishop noted the "deep spiritual ties that connect us with St. Francis" and how he can still bring us peace in a divided world.

"St. Francis used to greet people with a little prayer: 'May the Lord grant you peace,'" Gomez said. "As we reflect on his witness and teachings during this jubilee year, let us renew our commitment to bring the Lord's peace into all of our relationships and to work to promote reconciliation and understanding among our neighbors."

With a papal decree in January, Leo proclaimed a "Special Year of St. Francis" that will extend through Jan. 10, 2027. In his remarks, Leo hoped that the special jubilee year would promote a spiritual calm in a world currently tormented by war, starvation, and persecution.

"I wish to join spiritually with the entire Franciscan Family and with all those who will take part in the commemorative events, hoping that the message of peace may find a profound echo in the Church and society today," Leo wrote.

As part of the jubilee, the remains of St. Francis were moved from his tomb and exposed for public veneration from Feb. 22 to March 22 at the basilica bearing his name in Assisi, Italy — a rarity considering the saint's bones have seldom been publicly displayed. Hundreds of thousands signed up and waited in lengthy lines to get an up-close and personal view of the saint.

On Oct. 4, Francis' feast day will once again be a national holiday in Italy after lawmakers reinstated the celebration, which was repealed in 1977.

"It's an exciting year; I don't think any of us would have anticipated that Pope Leo would have declared this," Father Jonathan St. Andre, vice president for Franciscan Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, told OSV News. "We figured the pope would go to Assisi; there would be different events. But to make this a jubilee, and to offer an indulgence ... is just remarkable."

Full list of archdiocese jubilee sites

Santa Barbara Region

• St. Mark's University Church: 6550 Picasso Rd., Isla Vista
• St. Francis of Assisi Church: 1048 W. Ventura St., Fillmore
• Old Mission Santa Barbara: 2201 Laguna St., Santa Barbara
• Mission Santa Inés: 1760 Mission Dr., Solvang
• Poor Clare Monastery: 215 E. Los Olivos St., Santa Barbara

San Fernando Region

• Poverello of Assisi Retreat Center: 1519 Woodworth St., San Fernando
• Provincial House and Chapel (Glory to God): 13367 Borden Ave., Sylmar
• Mother Gertrude Balcazar Home: 11320 Laurel Canyon Blvd., San Fernando
• Poor Clare Missionary Sisters: 13026 Angeles Trail Way, Kagel Canyon

Our Lady of the Angels Region

• St. Francis of Assisi Church: 1523 Golden Gate Ave., Silver Lake
• St. Lawrence of Brindisi Church: 10122 Compton Ave., Watts
• Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels: 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles

San Gabriel Region

• Mission San Gabriel Arcángel: 428 S. Mission Dr., San Gabriel
• San Francisco de Asís Church: 4800 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles

San Pedro Region

• Our Lady of Guadalupe Church: 440 Massey St., Hermosa Beach

This story was first published by Angelus, the multimedia news platform of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It has been reprinted here with permission.

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VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Thursday praised athletes from the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games, saying sport "can and must truly become a space for encounter" in a world marked by "polarization, rivalry, and conflicts that escalate into devastating wars."

Speaking in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican on April 9, the Holy Father welcomed the athletes "with joy" shortly after the conclusion of the Winter Games and thanked them for their witness.

"Thank you for what you have shown," the pope said. "Truly, sport, when lived authentically, is not merely a performance: It is a form of language, a narrative made up of gestures, of effort, of anticipation, of falls, and of new beginnings."

Leo XIV said the games revealed not only athletic achievement but also "stories of sacrifice, of discipline, of tenacity."

"In particular, in Paralympic competitions we have seen how a limitation can become a source of revelation: not something that holds a person back but something that can be transformed, even transfigured into newfound qualities," he said. "You athletes have become life stories that inspire a great number of people."

The pope also emphasized the communal dimension of athletic success, saying: "No one wins alone."

"Your team spirit reminds us that no one wins alone, because behind every victory there are many people involved — from family to teams — as well as many days of training, pressure, and solitude," he said.

Quoting Psalm 18, he added: "It is often precisely in these moments that God reveals himself, as the psalmist sings: 'Thou didst give a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.'"

Leo XIV said sport helps mature the human person by fostering discipline, humility, and right relationships.

"Sport contributes to the maturing of our character, requires a steadfast spirituality, and is a fruitful form of education," he said. "By training the mind, along with the limbs, sport is authentic when it remains humane — that is, when it remains faithful to its first vocation: to be a school of life and talent."

"A school in which one learns that true success is measured by the quality of relationships: not by the amount of prizes but by mutual respect, by shared joy in the game," he continued.

Referring to his Feb. 6 apostolic letter "Life in Abundance," written for the occasion of the Olympics and Paralympics, the pope said the Gospel's vision of abundant life points to harmony between the physical and interior dimensions of the person.

Turning to the present global situation, Leo XIV said the athletes' witness carries special importance.

"At the present time, so marked by polarization, rivalry, and conflicts that escalate into devastating wars, your commitment takes on an even greater value: Sport can and must truly become a space for encounter!" he said. "Not a show of strength but an exercise in relationship."

Recalling the value of the Olympic truce, he thanked the athletes for making visible "this possibility of peace as a prophecy that is by no means rhetorical: breaking the logic of violence to promote that of encounter."

The pope also warned against distortions in sport, including doping, commercialism, and the reduction of athletes to mere spectacle.

"We are well aware that sport also brings with it certain temptations: that of performance at any cost, which can lead to doping; that of profit, which transforms the game into a market and the athlete into a star; that of spectacle, which reduces the athlete to an image or a number," he said. "Against these excesses, your witness is essential."

Leo XIV concluded by thanking the athletes for showing "an honest and beautiful way of inhabiting the world" and urged them to keep the human person at the center of sport in all its forms.

Following the audience, several of the athletes spoke to journalists about their experience of the audience and competing in the Winter Games, including speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida, who won two gold medals at Milan-Cortina this year.

"My goal was just to show that in my sport; I was able to combine, you know, being a mother and a top athlete," Lollobrigida told EWTN News. "I'm just doing this for the other women, you know, that maybe at some points during their career they want to stop to focus on the family and then to come back."

Nikko Landeros, an American-born Catholic who lost both his legs in 2007, represented Italy in ice hockey at the latest Paralympic games. He described to EWTN News the role of Catholicism in his athletic journey.

"At home, I started pretty much Catholic. You know, I went to Catholic school in the U.S. We've been going to church now... not as much as I should, but, you know, I still pray every day, and I'm thankful to be here. You know, if it weren't for God, I wouldn't be alive. So, you know, I'm super thankful," Landeros said.

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

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Two long-standing religious communities of San Diego are joining together, according to a recent announcement by the Order of St. Augustine in California.

The Sisters of Nazareth will be aggregated into the Augustinian family, a step that requires both Vatican approval and consent of the local bishop. The union enables the Sisters of Nazareth to keep their autonomy while being a part of the Augustinians.

"This union, formalized by a decree from Rome, establishes a deep spiritual bond between the two institutes while allowing the sisters to maintain their canonical autonomy," said Cindy Luyun, a spokesperson for the order.

Father Barnaby R. Johns, OSA, prior provincial of the Province of St. Augustine in California, told EWTN News that "this aggregation will only strengthen the present unity."

"Together, the Sisters of Nazareth (1925) and the Augustinians (1924) share over 200 years of service to the Church and the people of God of the Diocese of San Diego," he said. "Over those many years we have forged support and unity with each other and our ministries."

Johns noted several preexisting ties between the two groups.

"The sisters educate young children at Nazareth School in San Diego and many of their eighth grade graduate boys continue their education and faith journey at St. Augustine's High School run by the Augustinians," he said.

"In our assisted living home also in San Diego, we have received the spiritual support of the Augustinians for our residents and sisters while supporting Augustinians who need assisted living," Johns continued. "A number of Augustinian priests and brothers have spent their last days in the care of our Nazareth House."

The ties are present around the world. The motherhouse of the Sisters of Nazareth is based in Hammersmith, London, within an Augustinian parish. According to Johns, local Augustinian Bishop Michael Campbell prompted the aggregation, and the sisters agreed.

"The hope of the Sisters of Nazareth going forward is to strengthen and continue the spiritual bond we already share, as 'brothers and sisters in Christ,'" Johns explained.

The sisters will add the word "Augustinian" to their institution while also adopting the Augustinian liturgical calendar and other liturgical books and rituals belonging to the order, according to a March 18 press release shared with EWTN News.

"At the practical level, we remain autonomous religious congregations but share a close Augustinian bond of spiritual goods and indulgences, privileges under the patronage of our holy father, St. Augustine," Johns said.

The sisters will be in good company, as Pope Leo XIV is an Augustinian.

"We are of one soul and one heart turning towards God, to the same purpose of his rule, to build up the body of Christ," Johns said.

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"It's not about vengeance," said Cardinal Baltazar Porras, archbishop emeritus of Caracas, while reflecting on Venezuela's future following the ousting of President Nicolás Maduro by a U.S. military operation on Jan. 3.

The prelate made his remarks during an interview with Venevisión on Sunday, April 5. Porras acknowledged that, although there is much debate surrounding the legality of Maduro's capture and whether it violated Venezuela's sovereignty — "the important thing is to look forward."

Vengeance always "causes greater division" within a society, because "everything done through violence, war, or death invariably leaves wounds," he emphasized, noting that the Church's primary task in Venezuela now is to help heal those wounds.

Porras urged people to seek shared solutions and to strive for that which unites. Otherwise, he said, "we'll get nowhere."

"We must learn to foster fraternity. We must learn to be brothers and sisters," he said. "Learning how to coexist, learning the meaning of friendship; I believe this can subsequently lead us toward other expressions of love."

Justice and forgiveness in a post-Maduro Venezuela

Since Maduro's arrest on Jan. 3, Venezuelan authorities have repeatedly characterized this as a time of forgiveness and reconciliation, the cardinal said. In February, Venezuelan lawmakers passed an amnesty law that has benefited thousands of political prisoners, according to various independent organizations.

Porras emphasized that the amnesty process "has proceeded very slowly," however, because those who pushed for the legislation and those charged with approving the prisoner releases are often the same people "who committed, condoned, or were complicit in" the abuses by the socialist regime.

The prelate lamented that there is no separation of powers in the country. Freedom, he continued, is not a gift but rather "a matter of justice."

He said recent events in the country have opened a window of opportunity for Venezuelans to "seek ... balance" in a society that, if it wishes to maintain hope for the future, must do so by "moving beyond a scale that tips in only one direction."

Fundamental freedoms in the country

Porras noted that freedom of expression must be restored in Venezuela, "because we're not slaves," nor are people obliged to simply "do what others tell us to do."

He said this is necessary so people can conduct their own analysis and exercise personal discernment. Today, many lack that ability simply because they don't have enough information — or because the information they receive is manipulated by various interests, he noted.

The cardinal also pointed out that all authority "finds its raison d'être in service to the people," and its ultimate mission must be to seek the common good. "It is undoubtedly necessary to have regulations that ensure those services, which are fundamental to the development of a society … to serve precisely that common good which enables us to have a better life," he stated.

A possible transition to democracy

When asked his thoughts about interim president Delcy Rodríguez, Porras recalled words once spoken to him by St. John Paul II: "Do not speak to those in power, for they do not listen. Speak to the people."

The cardinal explained that the country must move toward a transition while simultaneously creating the conditions necessary to hold truly free elections.

"To move toward having elections, the first prerequisite is that citizens be able to decide for themselves, rather than simply accept what is dictated by those currently in power," he said.

The archbishop emeritus also emphasized the urgent need to improve the country's economy, a goal that can only be achieved through real and effective policies that guarantee legal certainty for investors.

"We are the ... ones who have gotten ourselves into this deep ditch, and together, we must figure out how to climb out of it," he said.

The cardinal pointed out the necessity of having hope and joy in the process, emphasizing that Venezuelans will have to shed "sweat and tears" in order "to envision a better future. He prayed: "May the Lord and the Virgin bless the entire Venezuelan people."

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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