The bishop of the Pemba Diocese in northern Mozambique has expressed sadness and solidarity with victims of violence in a region where Islamist insurgency has persisted for nearly nine years.
MAPUTO, Mozambique — The bishop of Mozambique's Catholic Diocese of Pemba has expressed sorrow following a terrorist attack that destroyed the historic St. Louis de Montfort Parish in Cabo Delgado province, saying the local community "remains in shock" after the assault.
In a message sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, a Catholic charity foundation that supports the suffering Church all over the world, on May 1, Bishop António Juliasse Ferreira Sandramo said the parish in Meza, northern Mozambique, was completely burned down during an attack carried out by insurgents on April 30.
"The terrorists arrived around 4 p.m. and entered the parish of St. Louis of Montfort, a symbol, since 1946, of the Catholic presence in the region," the bishop said.
He added: "The parish was attacked and completely burned down by the insurgents. The scene was one of terror: Houses and infrastructure destroyed, the historic parish reduced to rubble."
According to Sandramo, civilians were captured during the attack and forced to listen to hate speeches delivered by the assailants.
The Cameroonian missionaries serving the parish were not present at the time of the attack and are safe.
"The missionaries are safe, but the community remains in shock," the bishop said.
The Catholic Church leader appealed for international solidarity with the victims of violence in Cabo Delgado, where Islamist insurgency has persisted for nearly nine years.
"We ask for attention and solidarity with the victims of Meza. For almost nine years now, chapels and churches have been burned in the Diocese of Pemba," the bishop said.
Despite the destruction, he expressed hope and resilience among the Christian faithful.
"But the faith of this people of God will never be burned; it is rebuilt daily!" he emphasized.
According to ACN, the church building, which dates back to colonial times, was vandalized and reduced to ashes. The attack is the latest in a series of assaults attributed to militants linked to the Islamic State in Mozambique.
During a December 2025 visit to Mozambique by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Sandramo shared the extent of the devastation caused by the insurgency in Cabo Delgado.
"More than 300 Catholics were killed, most by decapitation," the bishop said at the time, referring to catechists, parish animators, and ordinary faithful.
He also reported that since the insurgency began in October 2017, at least 117 churches and chapels had been destroyed in the Pemba Diocese, including 23 in 2025 alone. The destruction of St. Louis de Montfort Parish adds to that toll.
Parolin visited Cabo Delgado during his Dec. 5–10 trip to Mozambique, where he met victims and heard testimonies from communities affected by the violence.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
A new book gathers writings and meditations from Leo's years as Augustinian prior general, offering a look at the spirituality that shaped his pontificate.
The faithful curious about who Pope Leo XIV was before his election to the papacy now have a new window into the Augustinian spirituality that shaped him.
The Order of St. Augustine and the Vatican Publishing House have published a book by Pope Leo XIV titled "Free Under Grace: Writings and Meditations 2001–2013," a collection of texts written during his years as prior general of the Augustinian order.
The volume includes for the first time speeches, homilies, letters, messages, and meditations written during the more than 10 years in which Robert Francis Prevost led the Order of St. Augustine. According to a statement, the book offers readers a "closer look at his spirituality," deeply marked by the Augustinian tradition.
The first copy of the Italian edition, which arrived in bookstores Monday — four days before the first anniversary of Leo XIV's pontificate — was presented to Pope Leo XIV by Father Joseph Lawrence Farrell, OSA, the current prior general of the Order of St. Augustine and promoter of the publication.
Also taking part in the presentation were Father Rocco Ronzani, OSA, prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archive and one of the book's editors, and Lorenzo Fazzini, editorial director of the Vatican Publishing House.
In addition to Ronzani, the book was edited by Augustinian Fathers Miguel Ángel Martín Juárez and Michael Di Gregorio. The official presentation of the volume took place last October during the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, though its commercial distribution in Italy began Monday.
The Vatican Publishing House confirmed to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that the text will be published in the coming months in several languages, including Spanish and English, and is currently being translated in nearly 30 countries.
"The book, which compiles many of the communications of then-Prior General Robert Francis Prevost, OSA, offers an overview of some of the important themes developed during his years at the head of the Order of St. Augustine," Farrell said.
The pages include spiritual reflections, meditations, and homilies that anticipate central aspects of the thought and spirituality of the man who is now Pope Leo XIV.
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.
"Know that no matter what you're going through, no matter what you're suffering, that in Christ there is always hope," Auxiliary Bishop Keith Chylinski of Philadelphia said. "You are never alone."
Auxiliary Bishop Keith Chylinski of Philadelphia called for the rejection of stigma around mental health, emphasizing that God "wants us to be healthy mind, body, and soul."
"Sometimes when we think about mental health, and there could be a stigma, there could be fear, there could be shame in addressing wounds that we have, illnesses that we have," Chylinski said in an April 30 video message on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to mark Mental Health Awareness Month, observed in May.
"But it's so important that God loves the whole person," Chylinski said. "He loves us body and soul. And so, it's so important for us as members of the Church to reach out to those who are suffering, who are struggling, and to know that there is a great hope in the Lord."
Know that no matter what you're going through, no matter what you're suffering, that in Christ there is always hope. You are never alone."
Auxiliary Bishop Keith Chylinski
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Chylinski, who studied clinical psychology as a priest, praised advances in medical science and psychotherapy over the past 50 years. He also encouraged those struggling with mental health challenges to seek resources offered by the Church.
"There is no shame in asking for help," he said. "Because the Lord wants us to be healthy, mind, body, and soul, and the way that we live our spiritual lives affects us physically and vice versa, the way that we take care of our bodies, of our minds, affects us spiritually."
"Know that no matter what you're going through, no matter what you're suffering, that in Christ there is always hope," he concluded. "You are never alone."
The executive order notes that more than 14 million American adults now suffer from serious mental illness, a large rise from a decade ago.
Catholic mental health professionals have welcomed the federal government's move toward potential approval of psychedelic drugs for clinical treatments, describing it as a hopeful response to the nation's growing mental health crisis while urging caution.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April directing federal agencies to accelerate research, regulatory review, and limited patient access to psychedelic drugs as potential treatments for serious mental illnesses, including depression, PTSD, and other treatment-resistant conditions.
Titled "Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness," the executive order defines serious mental illness as "having a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that substantially interferes with a person's life and ability to function."
"Despite massive federal investment into researching potential advancements in mental health care and treatment, our medical research system has yet to produce approved therapies that promote enduring improvements in the mental health condition" of the most complex patients, the order says.
"Innovative methods are needed to find long-term solutions for these Americans beyond existing prescription medications."
The order promotes research into psychedelics such as ibogaine, a naturally occurring psychoactive alkaloid derived primarily from the root bark of an African shrub. It has shown promise in treating opioid addiction (by reducing withdrawal and cravings), as well as PTSD, depression, and traumatic brain injury in treatment-resistant cases.
In addition to ibogaine, most classic psychedelics — including psilocybin (magic mushrooms), LSD, DMT, and mescaline — remain illegal at the federal level. They are classified as Schedule I substances, meaning they have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use according to the Controlled Substances Act.
However, psychedelics are not known to produce the physical dependence, compulsive drug-seeking behavior or withdrawal syndromes seen with drugs like opioids, alcohol, stimulants, or nicotine. The potential for abuse comes from the recreational use of the drugs for their psychoactive effects.
Psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin work mainly by activating certain serotonin receptors in the brain's cortex, which can create chaotic, highly connected brain activity — producing vivid altered states, emotional breakthroughs, and ego dissolution. The experience is followed by days of heightened neuroplasticity that can rewire thinking patterns.
Ibogaine works through multiple brain systems at once. It affects glutamate, opioid, serotonin, and dopamine pathways while promoting brain repair in reward centers. This produces long dreamlike visions and a profound neurological "reset" that can dramatically reduce addiction cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
The Catholic response
Greg Bottaro, a psychologist and founder of the CatholicPsych Institute and creator of the CatholicPsych Model of Applied Personalism, told EWTN News he is "glad" the Trump administration is "bringing the conversation to the table."
Bottaro has researched psychedelic drugs for a decade, has four years of professional training with psychedelics, and has a natural medicine license in Colorado, which along with Oregon is one of two states where some of the drugs are legal. He said he believes the therapeutic use of the drugs could make "real healing possible for people with deep suffering."
Bottaro said he has seen "things are getting worse in many ways for some mental illnesses."
The executive order notes that more than 14 million American adults now suffer from serious mental illness, a large rise from a decade ago, and suicide rates have rebounded after declining during Trump's first term. Veterans are disproportionately affected, with a suicide rate more than double that of non-veteran adults.
Bottaro acknowledged, however, that new interventions such as psychedelics can be "dangerous if mishandled."
"The world of the subconscious and interior life and psyche is uncharted territory," he said. "Psychedelic drugs can activate neural pathways that give unqualified 'certainty' about a spiritual insight that isn't measured against a person's actual worldview."
"You don't want someone being treated to realize 'love is all that matters' and then leave his wife," Bottaro said.
"A lot of protective factors need to be in place" to ensure "a Catholic anthropology" guides those treating patients.
Trump's executive order instructs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue priority funding to psychedelic drugs that have received Breakthrough Therapy designation, speeding up reviews that could otherwise take months. The order says the FDA and the Drug Enforcement Administration must create a pathway for eligible patients to access investigational psychedelics under the Right to Try Act once basic safety requirements are met.
If any psychedelic drug completes Phase 3 trials and wins FDA approval, the attorney general must promptly review it for possible rescheduling under the Controlled Substances Act.
Justin Hendricks, a Catholic psychiatrist, told EWTN News that while he thinks Catholics can use drugs to treat serious mental illness, more research and time is needed regarding psychedelics. "Haste is not the best idea," he said regarding pushing through FDA approvals. He said rushing to treat patients without more and thorough testing would be like "playing with fire."
These drugs can "rewire" neural pathways affected by trauma, he said. "How do you standardize that? It's tricky. We have to be careful. What are we 'rewiring' the brain to do?"
Terry Braciszewski, the president-elect of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association, agreed, telling EWTN News he supports the careful use of psychedelics but cautions against speeding up reviews or clinical trials.
"If a neurochemical substance can help a person, I'm all for it," he said. "But slowing things down so we can establish appropriate safety measures and controls is important."
Ibogaine can cause serious side effects, including cardiac arrhythmias (heart rhythm problems), which have led to fatalities in unsupervised settings.
Still, he sees potential in the use of psychedelics such as ibogaine, citing a 2024 Stanford study showing a reduction in symptoms from traumatic brain injuries in veterans, which he called "very promising."
"When we think of being created in the image and likeness of God, it is remarkable that everything is produced by neurochemistry," he said.
"We know from Catholic theology, whatever we can do to maintain the temple of our body is an act of stewardship over our life, our health, involvement with loved ones, and our contribution to the greater body of the Church," he said.
AI "machines do not have soul," Jesuit Father Philip Larrey said. "Only God can be responsible for the creation of the soul."
Catholic scholars discussed Pope Leo's first year of papacy, including his dedication to addressing artificial intelligence (AI), at a DePaul University conference in Chicago.
Jesuit Father Philip Larrey, an associate professor of theology at Boston College and past dean of the philosophy department at the Vatican's Pontifical Lateran University, said Pope Leo has a "fresh" and "humane" take on AI.
"Pope Leo XIV took his name because of Pope Leo XIII, who in the 19th century did for the Church in the industrial revolution what Pope Leo XIV wants to do for the Church and the world ... in what he calls the digital revolution," Larrey said in his talk, "Pope Leo and the Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence."
Larrey, author of "Artificial Humanity: An Essay on the Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence," has collaborated with industry leaders, Vatican scholars, and the United Nations about the intersection of ethics and digital advancements.
The pope has a unique perspective as he is "very American, but he's also very Latin American," Larrey said. "He's very Peruvian. He loved his time as a missionary there."
"Remember, Pope Leo is very, very savvy. He was the head of bishop[s] under Pope Francis, and so he knows a lot about politics within the Church," Larrey said. "He knows a lot about … where the Church needs to go."
"He's a very complex person," Larry said. In "his first message ... the day after he was elected pope, he says, 'I want to help the world in this transition of artificial intelligence.'"
Then during the summer he wrote a series of messages, "when he referred to AI as 'soulless machine,'" Larrey said. "It really conveys a profound message: 'These machines do not have soul.'"
The matter of the soul
Larrey discussed the "urgent concerns" of AI replacing human interactions. As a professor on a college campus, he said "a lot of students have difficulties forming relationships." They turn to AI rather than human connection.
"With an AI, it's artificial, it's not real," Larrey said. Ultimately, it "does not have a soul."
The Catholic Church "uses Aristotle's vision of the creation of a soul," Larrey said. "Now I have to specify ... Aristotle, of course, was brought into the Catholic Church by Thomas Aquinas."
"Now, Aristotle also believed that the man and the woman were not sufficient to cause a human being. You needed another principle, and that principle was the sun," he said. "In ancient Greece, the sun was a divine entity. Look at how cool that translates into the Catholic theology, where you have the mother and the father, and then God."
"Only God can be responsible for the creation of the soul," Larrey said.
God "infuses the soul" in a new being, "and that is what distinguishes human beings from all other beings," he said. "Aristotle said that all living beings have souls, but only the human being has an immortal soul."
"Pope Leo has said machines can never have a soul," Larrey said. At the World Day of Communications Pope Leo said: "If we fail in this task of preservation … digital technology threatens to alter radically some of the fundamental pillars of human civilization that at times are taken for granted."
"By simulating human voices and faces … wisdom and knowledge, consciousness and responsibility, empathy and friendship — the systems known as artificial intelligence not only interfere with information ecosystems but also encroach upon the deepest level of communication, that of human relation."
Consciousness and immortality
Larry detailed two matters Pope Leo has talked about "that are philosophical, but have profound ramifications in the area of AI" — consciousness and immortality.
With consciousness, "human beings are self-aware, which means that we know that we know," Larrey said. "Other living animals are conscious, but they're not self-conscious, which means they don't know that they know."
"Now, some in … the tech industry are talking about consciousness with these machines. They are getting very good at simulating what we understand as conscious behavior," he said.
"When a machine exhibits behavior we associate with consciousness, we will attribute consciousness to the machine," he said. "That doesn't mean the machine is conscious. It just means that we will probably attribute consciousness to that machine."
"The more sophisticated and the more complex these machines get, the more likely that is to happen," he said.
Another issue is that there are many people who "are spending a lot of money for the search for immortality."
"Now, according to Catholic tradition, the human being is not immortal. The soul is immortal. The human being dies, and the soul continues to live. And … at the end of time, there will be the resurrection of the body, which is when the soul will create its body once again," he said.
Death "is part of life," Larrey said. "Death is a meaningful part of it. And if you take that away… I think we're gonna lose a lot of meaning and purpose."
Other panels at the DePaul conference discussed Pope Leo's connections across the globe, the future of the Church under his leadership, his recent papal trip to Africa, and his missionary work in Peru. Numerous speakers spoke about his perspective as the first American pope and a member of the Augustinian order.
Two experts analyze the state of the Catholic faith among Spanish youth today, noting that while Spain is increasingly secularized, the faith is growing among young people.
Pope Benedict XVI drew more than a million young people to World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, an event that left its mark on an entire generation. Fifteen years later, Spain is preparing to welcome a new pontiff, Leo XIV, in a profoundly different religious landscape.
Over this period, the faith and religious practice of Spanish society have undergone significant changes. Ahead of the pope's upcoming visit in June, two experts reflected on this development and the spiritual reality that Leo XIV will encounter upon his arrival in Spain.
A less religious society
Rafael Ruiz Andrés, a professor who holds a doctorate in sociology from the Complutense University of Madrid, explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that Benedict XVI arrived in Spain during what he called "the third wave of secularization" since the beginning of the 21st century.
He noted that in today's society and especially among young people, this secularization has accelerated and intensified: "Undoubtedly, we are in a less religious society," he stated.
According to the latest data released by the Pluralism and Coexistence Foundation in its 2025 Barometer on Religion and Beliefs in Spain, nearly half of all Spaniards (42%) no longer identify with any religion, while the percentage of religious individuals — predominantly Catholic — stands at around 50% to 56%.
Ruiz noted that just a few decades ago, the majority of the Spanish population identified as Catholic, a fact that in his view also underscores "our sense of secularization." Nevertheless, he emphasized that half the population still represents a significant number of people.
Pope Benedict XVI greets the crowd at World Youth Day on Aug. 18, 2026, in Spain. | Credit: Vatican Media
Catholic youth in 2011 and today
Though there are currently fewer young Catholics than in 2011, Ruiz emphasized that among the youth of 2026, there are signs "that Catholicism once again interests and challenges them."
Reflecting this trend are the findings of the "Young Spaniards 2026" report by the SM Foundation, which reveals an increase in the importance young people attach to religion: 38.4% state that it is "quite or very important" in their lives.
The number of young people who identify as Catholic has also grown notably: In 2020, it stood at 31.6%, and by 2025, it had risen to 45%.
Bishop Emeritus César Augusto Franco Martínez of Segovia was responsible for coordinating Pope Benedict XVI's World Youth Day as well as writing the lyrics for the hymn "Firmes en la Fe" ("Firm in the Faith"), which was composed for the event.
The prelate noted the similarities between the two generations. "They are young people who wish to live happily, who desire to achieve the goals they may have set for themselves, and who possess faith," he said in a conversation with ACI Prensa.
Reflecting on young people's faith, the prelate alluded to World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon in 2023: "There, I thought that even though time has passed, it seems that young people have not changed."
"In Lisbon, too, there were a million and a half young people, and their conduct, their dedication, generosity, and joy was truly spectacular," he said.
Young people living out their faith without inhibitions
Ruiz said the Catholic youth of 15 years ago were marked by polarization surrounding debates on sexual and reproductive rights, abortion, or same-sex marriage legislation. "One could say that at that time the Church had a more marginalized position with respect to young people."
"I believe that the young person of 2026 is, generally speaking, less inhibited when discussing their faith and religiosity with their peers. The current generation takes being Catholic more naturally. It has become more normalized and, consequently, is also more visible," he noted.
He also emphasized that the phenomena of youth apostolates such as Hakuna, Effetá, and their extensive impact on social media "point to that increased visibility in 2026 compared to 2011."
Ultimately, he stated that although the number of young Catholics in 2026 is lower than in 2011, "a new dialogue is now opening up between the Catholic Church and Spanish youth, one that moves beyond those polarizations and is in fact fostered by the very context of secularity."
Pope Benedict XVI arrives at World Youth Day on Aug. 18, 2011, in Spain. | Credit: Vatican Media
Ruiz emphasized that religion continues to be "a very important issue" in Spain as well as tradition, culture, spirituality, and the search for meaning — elements that have not disappeared despite secularization.
The professor also said that secularization in Spain "is not an inevitable destiny."
Catholic 'awakening' needs maturity and depth
According to the bishop emeritus of Segovia, today's youth are marked by a "tsunami" culture; that is, "they seek to live somewhat through their senses, through whatever impacts them immediately, enjoying the present day without harboring many expectations for tomorrow, even though the future also worries them."
"Faith," he added, "is not a fleeting sentiment that is here today and gone tomorrow; faith is something far more profound; it is entering into a relationship with Christ in a vital, existential way. This requires depth, requires personal engagement, requires prayer, requires living in community, and not letting oneself be carried away solely by trends that may end up being more or less passing."
He said that many young people express their religious yearnings, even if they do not know how to articulate them or put them into practice. "We also live in a multicultural and multireligious society ... many say they believe in God, yet they also believe in reincarnation and in other trends coming from Asia."
The prelate emphasized that man "is a religious being by nature, even if he denies it, because imprinted within his very being is a yearning for transcendence that only God could have put there: a yearning for the infinite, for boundless happiness, for beauty, and for truth; and that's something that young people have."
He also pointed to the increase in adult baptisms: "It's a phenomenon that must be examined closely, without allowing oneself to be carried away by facile slogans."
A message of hope for Spanish youth
Ruiz emphasized that Pope Leo XIV's visit to Spain could serve as a "compass for Catholicism in Spain." He highlighted in particular the pope's trip to the Canary Islands as a gesture of solidarity with the migration situation in the country: "The social dimension is one of the challenges facing certain sectors of the Church," he noted.
He emphasized that the pope's dialogue with contemporary society will differ from the one maintained by Benedict XVI. "I believe it will be post-secular in nature, that of a religious leader belonging to a denomination of immense significance in our country, yet one who speaks to a diverse, pluralistic society and who offers a vital message capable of being heard by audiences wider than the Church itself."
He said he hopes his visit will "encourage young people and everyone to follow Christ with fidelity and to love the Church without prejudice, despite the failings that we Christians may have."
"For me, this is a trip filled with hope, and I am certain that it will encourage us to be better Christians and to live in today's world as witnesses to the Gospel," he added.
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.
The pope met on Monday with representatives of Catholic Charities USA.
Pope Leo XIV praised the work of Catholic Charities USA on Monday, encouraging the organization not to be discouraged despite institutional challenges.
In his address to the board of directors during a private audience, the pontiff expressed gratitude for their work with the less fortunate in the United States and noted the current funding difficulties the organization and similar organizations face from the United States government.
"As was the case with the apostles and with the early Church, the proclamation of the Gospel through caring for the poor and for those most in need will always present certain difficulties on both the personal and the institutional levels," Leo said. "I am fully aware that the Catholic Charities agencies in the United States of America are by no means immune from these challenges that continue to manifest themselves in our own day. Yet it is precisely when we are confronted with such obstacles that we must learn to hear Jesus' voice saying to us once again, 'I am with you always!'"
Kerry Robinson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, described the audience with Leo as encouraging for their work in helping disadvantaged people. In a press briefing after the audience, she discussed her organization's recent funding cuts from the U.S. government, citing policy differences on migration and donor skepticism following cases of abuse in the U.S. Catholic Church.
"Agencies that have had decades-long relationships with the USCCB to resettle refugees continue to care for the people in their charge, even in light of across-the-board federal cuts," Robinson told EWTN News. "Catholic Charities USA at the national level is almost entirely privately funded, so we did not see direct cuts. For 20 years, we have been working to usher in a culture of contemporary best practices, accountability, and financial transparency to restore trust in the Church. Because of the hard work of the last two decades, we do not see that crisis negatively affecting Catholic Charities' fundraising today."
During the audience, Robinson gave the pope a book detailing the "People of Hope: Faith-Filled Stories of Neighbors Helping Neighbors" initiative in which a museum of hope, outfitted in a car, will embark on a three-year nationwide tour, encouraging visitors to the car museum to look for ways to help the less fortunate.
Robinson described the initiative as not merely making a difference in one's life but as a cause to "actually end generational cycles of violence and poverty."
Several hundred supporters gathered to celebrate the ecumenical think tank that engages on public policy questions within the context of America's historic Judeo-Christian moral framework.
WASHINGTON — As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) is also celebrating an auspicious anniversary this year: its 50th.
Several hundred supporters of this uniquely ecumenical think tank, which explicitly engages on pressing public policy questions within the context of the country's historic Judeo-Christian moral framework, celebrated the milestone at an April 30 gala at the cavernous National Building Museum.
The event was headlined by New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, a Catholic, as keynote speaker. In an interview with EWTN News just prior to the event, Douthat credited the EPPC for both its success and resilience in "maintaining a place for a serious religious conservativism in American political discourse."
Douthat contrasted the influence of EPPC's scholars and the American experience with that of Western Europe, which he said suffers severely from a "suffocating secular-liberal, social and cultural liberal consensus in which religious arguments don't find any purchase and in which ethical norms are all basically utilitarian, in which abortion and increasingly euthanasia are sort of taken for granted."
For his part, EPPC President Ryan Anderson, also a Catholic, told EWTN News the think tank is part of the "secret sauce" of a country whose founders, such as President John Adams, firmly held that "our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
Citing the U.S. Declaration of Independence during his speech to the assembly, Anderson said EPPC stands for "the proposition that all men are created equal, that we're endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights, and that amongst these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Current EPPC President Ryan Anderson (at right end) is pictured here with former EPPC presidents (from left to right) George Weigel, Elliott Abrams, and Ed Whelan. | Credit: Photo courtesy of EPPC/Rui Barros Photography
"Our guiding lights 50 years ago remain the same today: the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, the natural law tradition, Western Civilization in general, and the American constitutional order in particular," Anderson said.
Anderson pointed out that as the country celebrates its 250th and EPPC its 50th, "EPPC is needed now more than ever, to bear witness to the truth about the human person."
He said EPPC conducts its work in an "intentionally ecumenical way" as a community of Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic scholars "developing and deploying the Jewish and Christian traditions to contemporary questions of law, culture, and politics."
As they do in the country at large, Catholic scholars and related initiatives play a major role in the EPPC's work. The institution runs ongoing programs in fields including bioethics, technology and human flourishing, and Catholic studies, and runs the Catholic Women's Forum, the Person and Identity Project, and the Life and Family Initiative, among others.
In addition to Anderson, Catholic scholars who continue to occupy leadership roles at the EPPC include two of the institution's former presidents, George Weigel and Ed Whelan, along with Mary Hasson, Stephen White, O. Carter Snead, Noelle Mering, Aaron Kheriaty, Theresa Farnan, Mary FioRito, Francis Maier, Jennifer Bryson, and Clare Morell, among others.
The pontiff said Christians reveal that "fraternity and peace are our calling" by loving as Christ loved.
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday remembered journalists and reporters killed by war and violence, warning that press freedom is often violated around the world.
Speaking after the May 3 Regina Caeli in St. Peter's Square, the pope noted that the day marked World Press Freedom Day, promoted by UNESCO.
"Unfortunately, this right is often violated — sometimes blatantly, sometimes in more subtle ways," Pope Leo said. "Let us remember the many journalists and reporters who have fallen victim to wars and violence."
The pope's appeal came as press freedom faces growing pressure worldwide. According to the 2026 World Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders, global press freedom has deteriorated to its lowest point in at least 25 years, with more than half of the world's countries now classified as being in a "difficult" or "very serious" situation for journalism.
The organization has warned that journalists face mounting economic pressure, direct violence, legal threats, and other restrictions that compromise the independence of the media.
The pope also marked the beginning of May, a month traditionally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, inviting Catholics to pray the rosary.
"The month of May has begun: throughout the Church, the joy of gathering in the name of Mary, our Mother, is renewed, especially by praying the Rosary together," he said.
Leo entrusted his intentions to Mary, "particularly for communion within the Church and for peace in the world."
Earlier, in his catechesis before the Marian prayer, the pope reflected on Sunday's Gospel from the Last Supper, in which Jesus tells his disciples: "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also."
Leo said this promise "involves us from this moment onwards in the mystery of his Resurrection" and reveals that "God has a place for everyone."
"Even now, faced with death, Jesus speaks of a home, but this time a very large one," he said. "It is the house of his Father and our Father, where there is room for all."
The pope contrasted the world's attraction to exclusive places and privileges with the new world opened by the risen Christ.
"In the new world into which the risen One leads us, however, what is most valuable is within everyone's reach," he said. "Gratitude takes the place of competition; welcome overcomes exclusion; and abundance no longer entails inequality."
Leo said faith frees the heart "from the anxiety of possessing and acquiring" and from the illusion that human worth depends on prestige.
"Each person already has infinite worth in the mystery of God, which is the true reality," he said.
By living Christ's new commandment of love, the pope said, Christians already "anticipate heaven on earth."
"By loving one another as Jesus has loved us, we impart this awareness to one another," he said. "This is the new commandment; in this way, we anticipate heaven on earth and reveal to all that fraternity and peace are our calling."
The pope concluded by asking Catholics to pray to Mary Most Holy, Mother of the Church, "that every Christian community may be a home open to all and attentive to each person."
After the Regina Caeli, Leo greeted pilgrims from Rome and many countries, including Spain, the United States, Malaysia, and Peru. He also thanked the Meter Association, which for 30 years has worked to defend minors from abuse, support victims, and promote prevention.
"Thank you for your service!" the pope said.
This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated, combined, and adapted by EWTN News English.
A cargo van donated by a drag racing and stock car driver has become a mobile outreach ministry reaching Ohio communities in need.
A cargo van donated to the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, has taken on a new purpose by becoming a mobile outreach ministry delivering food, resources, and the Gospel message to communities in need.
Toward the end of 2025, the diocese received the vehicle from Cody Coughlin, a drag racing and stock car driver from Delaware, Ohio. The race car driver "reverted" to the Catholic faith and entered into full communion with the Church a few years back at St. Paul the Apostle in Westerville, Ohio, and was eager to give back to the community.
The Diocese of Columbus, Ohio's new mobile outreach ministry van, which was donated by drag racing and stock car driver Cody Coughlin. | Credit: Ken Snow, courtesy of the Diocese of Columbus
"I'm deeply humbled and moved to be able to donate a vehicle to help nourish those in need throughout the Catholic Diocese of Columbus," Coughlin said in the Catholic Times. "It's a small way to support a mission that truly changes lives, and I'm grateful to be part of something that helps bring food and hope to families who need it most."
From there, the diocese worked to come up with a plan on how the van could be properly used.
Deacon Dave Bezuko, director for Catholic Charities in the area and a permanent deacon at Our Lady of Lourdes in Marysville, Ohio, told EWTN News in an interview that they wanted it to be "something that would be useful for the parishes because … we didn't want to step on the toes of any of our established diocesan charities and our goal here was twofold: No. 1 let's equip parishes with something that they could use to support existing ministries, and [No. 2] take ministry off campus."
Bezuko shared that it was important that the van also be covered in Catholic imagery so that it "could be like a rolling billboard of Catholicism and a sign of the Church's presence out in the community, a sign of Christ's presence in the community, a sign of hope."
The van now features an image of Jesus at the feeding of the 5,000, an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the divine mercy image, a portrait of Mother Teresa, and the words from Matthew 25:40: "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."
The Diocese of Columbus, Ohio's new mobile outreach ministry van. | Credit: Ken Snow, courtesy of the Diocese of Columbus
The mobile outreach van was then blessed by Bishop Earl Fernandes on March 8 outside of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption in Lancaster, Ohio.
In its first couple months of service, the van has been used for a trip to support Mary's Mission, which serves the needs of the homeless population, and transported approximately 6,000 food items collected by Fisher Catholic High School in Lancaster and the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption. The van was also used to transport furniture donated through a furniture ministry run by a deacon at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Logan, Ohio.
Students from Fisher Catholic High School in Lancaster, Ohio, stand outside the mobile outreach ministry van. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Deacon Matt Shaw
The diocese also hopes to use the van as an evangelization tool by taking it to the local Fourth of July parade, high school football games, visits to nursing homes, the annual county fair, and more.
"There's so many different opportunities to be an evangelization tool as well," Bezuko said.
As for what he hopes the impact on the community will be, Bezuko said: "The hope on the impact of the community is No. 1, again, to share that Christ is present in our communities and not just where we have our churches and our schools and our properties."
He added: "One of those things that happens at the end of Mass, the deacon says 'Go forth, the Mass has ended.' We're sent out into the community to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world and to be his presence and to take that elsewhere. So, this is a literal opportunity to take Christ, to take our Church, to take that love, that compassion on the road and express it."
The deacon said he hopes this mobile outreach ministry will continue to grow and that one day they will have a "whole fleet of these running around here before too long."
