Catholic News

Meta blocks AI chatbot from discussing abortion with minors

Meta won't allow its AI chatbot to discuss abortion with minors, according to a report from the progressive outlet Mother Jones.

Citing internal Meta documents, Mother Jones reported that Meta's chatbot policy guidelines for interactions with minors prevent the chatbot from advising them on "content that provides advice or opinion" about "sexual health" or offering information helping them obtain an abortion.

According to the report, a Meta spokesperson disputed claims of bias, saying that "any claims of enforcement based on group affiliation or advocacy are baseless" and that the company allows "posts and ads promoting health care services like abortion, as well as discussion and debate around them, as long as they follow our policies. We also give people the opportunity to appeal decisions if they think we've got it wrong."

When asked about the leaked documents, a company spokesperson told EWTN News: "Our AIs are trained to engage in age-appropriate discussions with teens and to connect them with expert resources and support when appropriate."

"They provide factual information on sexual health but refrain from offering advice or opinions. We continuously review and improve our protections so that teens have access to helpful information with default safeguards in place."

The Meta spokesperson also responded to advertisement censorship claims.

"Every organization and individual on our platforms is subject to the same set of rules, and any claims of enforcement based on group affiliation or advocacy are baseless," the spokesperson said.

United Kingdom assisted suicide bill falters as local measures advance

A national assisted suicide bill is failing to pass in the United Kingdom this week, even as local measures advance.

According to a statement by the advocacy group Right to Life UK, on Feb. 26 the national bill was "widely pronounced as dead by commentators after it was revealed that it will 'almost certainly' run out of time."

In Wales, the regional Parliament voted on Feb. 24 in favor of the National Health Service to oversee assisted suicide if the Terminally Ill Adults Bill passes in the House of Lords.

Archbishop Mark O'Toole of Cardiff-Menevia in a Feb. 25 statement called the vote "a sad day for Wales' most vulnerable."

The island of Jersey similarly passed a law to legalize assisted suicide in a 32-to-16 vote on Feb. 26 by members of the States Assembly. The measure applies to "mentally competent" adults with terminal illnesses and who have been residents of Jersey for 12 months.

Before the bill can become law, it will need royal assent.

Ohio appeals court upholds ban on aborted baby burial requirement

Ohio judges on Wednesday upheld a ban on a law requiring abortion clinics to dispose of the remains of babies via burial or cremation.

The appellate court in Cincinnati upheld a lower court ruling permanently blocking the law.

Ohio in 2023 passed a constitutional amendment enshrining a right to abortion.

Executive Director of Ohio Right to Life Carrie Snyder condemned the decision.

"It's unfortunate, but not a surprise, that the First District Court of Appeals sided with the abortion industry to stop Ohio's fetal remains law from taking effect. Sadly, clinics will continue treating these precious little ones like garbage to be disposed of as cheaply as possible," Snyder said in a Feb. 26 statement.

"This really underscores that abortion is not health care and that clinics are going to do everything within their power to boost their profit margin."

A Planned Parenthood spokeswoman, meanwhile, celebrated the decision, claiming the burial law was "cruel" and "nothing more than an opportunity to shame and stigmatize" women who get abortions.

Texas attorney general sues mail-in abortion company for alleged illegal shipments

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued mail-in abortion company Aid Access along with California abortionist Remy Coeytaux and abortionist and founder of Aid Access Rebecca Gomperts for allegedly illegally shipping abortion drugs to Texas.

Aid Access' website advertises its shipping to all states including Texas, according to Paxton's press release.

"These unlawful shipments have had real and devastating consequences for Texas families," the press release read. "In 2025, a Nueces County man allegedly used abortion-inducing drugs obtained from an out-of-state provider to secretly poison his girlfriend, resulting in the death of their unborn child."

"Every unborn child is a life worth protecting," Paxton said, adding that he will "relentlessly enforce our state's pro-life laws against Aid Access and other radicals like it."

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Iran's retaliation to U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 quickly spilled beyond Israel, with missiles and drones aimed at multiple countries hosting U.S. forces and key regional infrastructure as the Middle East braced for a wider confrontation.

Reuters reported strikes or attempted strikes involving Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Jordan, with most incoming projectiles intercepted. 

In the UAE, Reuters said loud booms were heard in Abu Dhabi, blasts were reported in Dubai, and one of the city's "plush hotel districts" was hit, bringing the conflict into heavily populated civilian areas as residents reported shock and confusion during the holy month of Ramadan.

In Bahrain, authorities said a service center linked to the U.S. Fifth Fleet came under attack, and video footage showed smoke rising near the coastline.

Kuwait's official news agency reported that a drone targeted Kuwait International Airport, causing minor injuries to several employees and limited damage to a passenger terminal, underscoring the spillover risks to civilian aviation facilities. 

Beyond this, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said air defenses intercepted projectiles targeting the Riyadh region and the Eastern Province, condemning what it described as Iranian attacks.

In Iraq, regional and local reporting said drones attempted to target Erbil International Airport in the Kurdistan Region and were intercepted, an indication that the alert zone has widened even where independent confirmation differs by outlet. 

Earlier Saturday, Israel said it had launched a "preemptive" strike on targets in Iran, with U.S. action reported alongside it. Reuters reported that the Pentagon named the U.S. strikes "Operation Epic Fury."

A pastoral appeal from the Gulf: 'Remain calm and serene'

As regional anxiety rose, the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, which serves Catholic communities in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen, circulated an urgent message signed by Bishop Paolo Martinelli, OFM Cap.

In the statement, the bishop appealed to the faithful to "remain calm and serene" and to "carefully follow" the instructions issued by civil authorities.

He also urged Catholics to respond spiritually to the crisis, calling it a time to remain "united in prayer for peace" and inviting the faithful to pray the rosary daily for peace and reconciliation, with intentions for peace included at Masses across the vicariate.

According to the vicariate's published statistics, the Catholic population under its care totals 1,122,659, reflecting a large and diverse community, many of them expatriates, watching developments unfold with heightened concern.

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African American Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman's ability to bridge divides shines as a witness needed today, according to those who knew her, and her cause for canonization may create a pathway for other African Americans on their ways to sainthood.

More than three decades after her death, Bowman should be remembered for "her charism, gifts, prophetic voice, charismatic personality, and real strong commitment to the Church — truly being Catholic," Bishop Joseph Kopacz of the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, told EWTN News.

Bowman, the granddaughter of a slave, challenged the Church in the 20th century to confront its history of racial exclusion and to embrace Black Catholics through her work as a scholar, teacher, and speaker.

The Diocese of Jackson officially closed its proceedings regarding her potential sainthood on Feb. 9 after Kopacz opened her cause in November 2018. The records are now being sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican.

"People around the world will be very excited and will celebrate what we hope will be the occasion of her canonization. And that's because people, Catholic and non-Catholics alike, are drawn to her story," Veryl Miles, law professor and leader of the Sister Thea Bowman Committee at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News.

Sister Thea's life and legacy

Bowman was born Dec. 29, 1937, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, and was given the name Bertha Elizabeth Bowman. While her family was Methodist, Bowman was called to the Catholic faith at a young age.

"At 9 years old, she told her parents she wanted to be Catholic. The sisters who were teaching at the school, the parish where she was, had such an impact on her. Then six years later, she joined their religious community," Kopacz said.

She joined the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration at age 15 and enrolled in Viterbo University, which was run by the Franciscan sisters. Three years into formation, she took the religious name Thea, which means "of God" and is a version of her father's name, Theon.

"She was so focused on serving the Lord as a religious, and in this community, because they loved her as a young child," Kopaz said. Bowman knew: "This is who I know. This is who I love. This is where I want to be."

She was the first and only African American woman in her religious community, often facing racism both within and beyond the Church, leading her to become an advocate for the dignity of Black people, their culture, and Black Catholic spirituality.

Bowman went on to study at The Catholic University of America, earning a doctorate in English in 1972. Bowman helped found the National Black Sisters' Conference and taught the university's first Black literature course.

Bowman, who taught for many years, was "a master teacher," Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration Charlene Smith, a close friend of Bowman's and co-author of her biography "Thea's Song," told EWTN News.

Smith and Bowman met in 1954 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, at St. Rose Convent. "She was just like me. We both wanted to be Franciscans, we both wanted to teach, and we both wanted to major in English in college, and we did all three of those things," Smith said.

After having moved away for graduate school, Bowman returned to La Crosse to teach in the English Department at Viterbo University. Smith also returned to serve as the school's dean of students.

"When I got back to La Crosse, they told me that I should beware of Sister Thea Bowman because she was 'the most powerful woman on campus.' They didn't know that we were really good friends," Smith said.

"Being the dean, I was able to go to any classroom. I would go to Thea's classrooms, and she would always come bounding in with a song, and she would get everybody into a really good mood," Smith said.

Bowman would also teach at parishes about Black liturgy and music. Eventually she starting to speak at a national level, becoming the first African American woman to address the U.S. bishops' conference.

She often used music to help evangelize and bridge interracial divides, and became a major contributor to the development of "Lead Me, Guide Me," the Black Catholic hymnal published in 1987.

Smith reflected on Bowman's "marvelous" and "magnetic" personality. "We were invited to a dinner at a hotel, and she was going to give a speech. We got there early, so we went to sit down in the lobby … a pianist from Argentina was playing songs from 'Porgy and Bess,' and Thea got up and started singing 'Summertime.'"

"She got a standing ovation and an encore," Smith said. "I think one of the greatest gifts, graces, in my life was my friendship with her. She was very kind to me, and she was very kind to all the people that she met."

At age 54, on March 30, 1990, Bowman died of breast cancer. She was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee, alongside her parents.

Impact of Bowman's cause

Bowman's journey toward sainthood could have an especially effective impact today with the present division in the nation, as she would preach how we are "all human beings, and we should love everybody," Smith said.

"She was not interested in the melting pot at all," Smith said. "She was more interested in a salad bowl because she said: 'In a salad, people keep their identity, whereas in a melting pot, they're all mushed together.'"

Bowman "welcomed all in the universal body of Christ" Kopacz said. "She said the Church needs to truly be actively universal, and embrace different cultures and all the gifts that people bring."

"So today, more than ever, that voice is needed in our society as we can get more divisive," Kopacz said. "I just think it's perfect for our time and our Church."

"Her message is so universal," Miles said. Especially "understanding the relationship between faith and identity among its members."

"She really understood and articulated so beautifully that we are people of faith and we are people of identities. The Church is a global church. There's so many different people who are part of this Church  — people of different races, different ethnicities, and nationalities."

'An impetus' for other African Americans on their way to sainthood

Currently, there are no canonized African American saints, but the Church honors Black saints from other nations, including St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Martin de Porres, St. Monica of Hippo, and St. Augustine of Hippo, among others.

Bowman is among seven African American Catholics with active canonization causes — dubbed the "Saintly Seven." The group also includes Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Venerable Mother Mary Lange, Venerable Mother Henriette Delille, Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Julia Greeley, and Servant of God Friar Martin de Porres Maria Ward.

Even before her potential canonization, Bowman will "draw attention" to the group, Kopacz said. If she becomes venerable, which the bishop expects she will, he believes Bowman "will be an impetus" for the causes of other African Americans to move forward.

"She's going to be an important part, and she'll move the other causes along," he said.

Since people "can relate" to Bowman's story as it "is so contemporary and so special," Miles said she also hopes the other stories of the seven Catholics "will become highlighted" by her cause.

"People will be more interested in finding out about the other African Americans who are in the process of canonization, because their stories are very special and very unique, too," Miles said.

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Pope Leo XIV voiced concern on Sunday about developments in the Middle East and Iran, urging the parties involved to stop what he called a "spiral of violence" before it becomes an "unbridgeable chasm."

"Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue," the pope said March 1. He appealed for diplomacy to "regain its proper role" and for the "well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice," to be upheld.

The pontiff added: "And let us continue to pray for peace."

Leo also appealed for peace in the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, calling for an urgent return to dialogue. He asked Catholics to pray that concord may prevail in conflicts around the world, saying: "Only peace, a gift of God, can heal the wounds between peoples."

The pope also said he was close to the people of Brazil's state of Minas Gerais following severe flooding, offering prayers for victims, families who have lost their homes, and those engaged in rescue operations.

Earlier, before reciting the Angelus, the pope reflected on Sunday's Gospel account of the Transfiguration, describing Christ as the living wisdom who fulfills the law and the prophets. He said the Transfiguration foreshadows the light of Easter — an event of death and resurrection, of darkness and new light that Christ radiates on all bodies scourged by violence, crucified by pain, or abandoned in misery.

Pope Leo said the Lord "transfigures the wounds of history," illuminating minds and hearts with a surprising revelation of salvation. He added that grasping this mystery requires time: time of silence to listen to the Word, and time of conversion to savor the Lord's companionship.

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

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Erlin Pérez Vásquez was born on Dec. 8, 1999, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a coincidence that his family has come to see as a special sign of his vocation.

He lived much of his life in Alfombrilla, a small town in the Santa Cruz province in the Andean district of Cajamarca, Peru, where, as he recounted, "there isn't even a pharmacy."

As he finished high school, he was confirmed by then-Bishop Robert Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — and, at 26, has just been ordained a priest. Since childhood, he sensed a vocation, a call from God that was nurtured and encouraged by his family, especially his father.

"I feel that God has blessed me immensely, first with the priesthood, then with my family, with friends, acquaintances, and so many good people who have lived near me and prayed for me," the young priest, who was ordained in the Prelature of Yauyos on Feb. 13, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. The ordination Mass was celebrated by Bishop Ricardo García.

"I am overjoyed to have been ordained a priest," he said. "I lived in the countryside until I was 17, surrounded by nature, trees, rivers, and good friends."

He said the ways of God led him to the minor seminary in Yauyos in 2012, where he discovered that the Lord had called him to be one of his priests.

"This is where I began to get to know Jesus better through moments of prayer. And the example, the witness of life of the priests who accompanied us here at this seminary also helped me immensely," he continued.

Upon returning home to Alfombrilla, with his parents and four siblings, the calling continued to grow: "And my parents also helped me a lot regarding the faith. They helped us at home, we prayed together, the rosary too, and on Sundays as a family," he said.

Confirmed by the future Leo XIV

Pérez recalled that he was confirmed as he was finishing high school, after reminding his parish priest that the time for the sacrament was "slipping away." The priest gave him a catechism and told him to study, because the then-bishop of Chiclayo, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, would be going to Uticyacu, a neighboring town an hour and a half away by motorcycle.

There, they met Prevost, who was accompanied by some priests who introduced the future pope to Mr. Paco, Pérez's father, because he was the parish catechist.

"And then Bishop Prevost, very warmly, approached him and they talked. My father says that for him, those were unique, beautiful, and happy moments. And that's how I, at the confirmation Mass, received the sacrament from the hands of the now-pope. For me, it has been a special grace."

'Here comes the little priest'

When Pérez shared his desire to become a priest, there were various reactions, but the one he remembers best is that of his father.

"The reactions were huge. When I had to tell my dad I was going to be a priest, all he did was open his arms and give me a giant bear hug. I was truly overjoyed," the young priest recalled.

"Then, little by little, my mom found out, and then my whole family — I have four siblings — and they were very happy. Then my friends found out I was going to be a priest when I was in my last year of high school."

With a big smile, Pérez said that people started joking "and they would say to me, 'There goes the little priest.' Or also, when they passed in front of me they would make the sign of the cross. These were things that I found quite funny."

Ordination and first Mass

Pérez arrived at the Yauyos Seminary in 2017 to study philosophy and theology. He said he was welcomed by Bishop Ricardo García, who eventually ordained him.

"There's a moment during the ordination Mass when the bishop lays hands on me. I felt like the Holy Spirit completely filled my soul, penetrated my entire being, and I was truly moved. Tears came to my eyes, and then the priests were also laying hands on me, and I kept weeping and weeping," he recounted.

"When all the priests had passed by, I opened my eyes and there before me was the Virgin Mary, the image of Our Mother of Fair Love," he emphasized, highlighting the importance of the Mother of God in his life.

Regarding his first Mass, celebrated on Feb. 15, the young priest shared that "it has been a very special grace; I can't even imagine it. To have God in my hands, the creator of the entire universe, the creator of the visible and the invisible. My hands were trembling. It was very beautiful."

The priest and confession

Pérez also said he feels inspired by the example of great priests like St. John Paul II; St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars; and St. Philip Neri, and that he asks God to "help me have that charism because God needs it, he needs us."

He also said he wants to be "a priest of prayer who helps people with confession, spends several hours in the confessional, and lives the holy Mass well."

Regarding the sacrament of reconciliation, the young priest noted: "When a member of the faithful asks me, I'll be there because I know of cases where [a parishioner] approached a priest and asked, 'Father, can you hear my confession?' and because of time constraints or work, the priest wasn't able to hear his confession, and that person hasn't come back. I heard the testimony of someone a while ago who said, 'I approached the priest for confession, but he told me he couldn't,' and I'm returning [to make my first confession] after 30 years."

"Those experiences, those testimonies I've heard, have made me think and say, 'I have to attend to him right away; everything else can wait.'"

The priest offered this advice to those considering a possible vocation: "Let yourself be loved by Jesus Christ, let yourself be shaped by him, and also open your heart so that Christ may enter it."

"And," he added, "now I have a great mission: to lead souls to heaven."

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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Bishop Niall Coll of Raphoe, Ireland, said that new generations of Catholics are seeking "doctrinal solidity" during a presentation in Dublin this week.

Before a gathering at Holy Spirit Parish in Kimmage Manor, Dublin, the bishop reflected on the search for truth and the yearning for meaning among young people born after 1995.

According to Coll, these new generations are showing a renewed sense of seriousness regarding the faith, as reported by the national newspaper, The Irish Catholic.

The bishop discussed how these young people are growing up in a post-Christian culture, "digitally and morally fragmented," in which they "have no inherited memory of Catholic Ireland."

He emphasized that young people are seeking "clarity, coherence, and tradition," and noted that "they are drawn to doctrinal solidity, sacramental depth, and continuity with the Church's tradition."

The bishop suggested that, while synodal discussions often focus on structures and processes, many young people are asking themselves: "What does the Church actually believe?"

"Having grown up amid constant choice, information overload, and moral ambiguity, they are less interested in conversation and more in formation that produces conviction and confidence," he continued.

He warned that synodality, if not anchored in Scripture and doctrine, "risks endless discussion without direction."

He described the importance of strong catechesis and the formation of catechists, maintaining that "renewal cannot be sustained without formation" and pointing to "weak" catechesis as a central factor in the Church's current fragility.

He warned that many young people are being formed online, "often through fragmented and polarized sources," rather than through structured instruction in parishes or schools.

"A synodal Church requires not only participation but understanding, not only voice but formation. The people of God cannot discern together unless they can articulate what they believe and why," he pointed out.

For the bishop, this yearning for coherence and tradition could be received "as a gift for the Church, not as a problem to be managed." Synodality, he emphasized, "must hold together listening and teaching, discernment and authority. The task is not to choose between synodality and tradition but to integrate them."

He also cautioned that renewal "will be slow and sometimes uneven," as it "requires sustained theological clarity and spiritual depth."

"The future of Irish Catholicism will depend on whether the Church can become both synodal and coherent: a Church that listens deeply, teaches clearly, forms intentionally, and bears warm witness in a wounded world," he stated.

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

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Pope Leo XIV spent Sunday afternoon with parishioners in Rome's Quarticciolo neighborhood, meeting young people and families touched by addiction before celebrating Mass and urging Catholics to embrace what he called "the logic of unconditional love."

The pope arrived shortly before 4 p.m. at the Parish of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ and was welcomed by Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, along with the parish pastor and faithful gathered in the courtyard of the oratory.

Leo began by greeting parishioners one by one and then sat down with young people involved in a local initiative known as "Magis." A message painted on a wall captured the tone of the visit: "Those who love go forward." One young person described the group's identity as "fraternity" as the pope exchanged gifts and embraced members of the community.

In remarks during the encounter, Leo spoke of his concern about the conflict in the Middle East, mentioning children killed in the war in Gaza. He also pointed to a local crisis closer to home: drug abuse that, he said, continues to wound the Quarticciolo area. The visit included time with the sick and elderly as well as mothers of people struggling with addiction, reflecting the neighborhood's hardships and hopes.

During Mass, the pontiff's homily turned to the Transfiguration and to Abraham, whom he held up as a model for believers learning to trust God on an uncertain path.

"With Abraham, each of us can recognize ourselves on a journey," he said, describing life as a road that requires confidence in God's word — and sometimes the courage to "leave everything." The temptation, he warned, is to treat uncertainty as something to escape instead of a place where God's promise can be discovered.

"It happens every day — because the world thinks this way — that we measure everything, we strain to keep everything under control," Leo said. "But in this way we lose the chance to discover the true treasure, the precious pearl … which God has hidden in our field as a surprise."

Reflecting on the disciples and the road to Jerusalem, the pope said their lesson was that true blessing comes only by moving beyond self-protection and accepting what Jesus reveals in the Eucharist: the willingness to offer one's life for others.

Sunday worship, he added, is not an interruption of that mission but a rest stop that re-centers the journey. The Lord gathers his people, he said, to strengthen them "not to stop and not to change direction."

Leo also returned to St. Peter's impulse to "stop" and "control" events — a way of thinking he said can resemble clinging to a dream. The Transfiguration, he said, points instead to the destination: "a new world" filled with light, with the human and divine face of Christ.

For that reason, he told parishioners, the essential task is to listen to Jesus.

"He travels with us, even today, to teach us in this city the logic of unconditional love," the pope said, calling believers to lay down the defensive posture that can become "an offense." "Let us listen to him … to become light of the world — beginning with the neighborhood where we live."

The pope said the Gospel also entrusts the parish with a concrete mission in a place facing "numerous and complex problems": to cultivate a gaze of faith that "transfigures everything with hope" and to put "passion, sharing, and creativity" into circulation as a way of tending the neighborhood's wounds.

He cited the parish's motto, "Let's build community," urging an open-armed welcome "to everyone, truly everyone." He also highlighted the "Magis" program, linking it to St. Ignatius of Loyola's call to seek the "more" — a challenge to young people to reject mediocrity and choose a courageous, authentic life rooted in Jesus Christ.

"When we realize that so many things around us are not right, sometimes we start to ask: Does what we're doing even make sense?" Leo said, warning against discouragement. "It is precisely in the face of the mystery of evil that we must bear witness to our identity as Christians," he said, by making God's kingdom visible in the places and times where believers live.

Father Daniele Canali, the parish priest, said the visit was the third by a pope to the community: St. John XXIII came on March 3, 1963, and St. John Paul II visited on Feb. 3, 1980.

Quarticciolo, on Rome's eastern outskirts, developed as a public housing project between 1939 and 1940 and later became a center of Resistance activity during World War II. The parish was established in 1948, the church completed in 1954, and today it is entrusted to the Dehonians, the Priests of the Sacred Heart founded by Léon Dehon.

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

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The escalating conflict in the Middle East has drawn a strong call for peace from Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), who issued an urgent statement calling on the United States, Iran, and the international community to "return to dialogue and pursue every avenue for a just and lasting peace."

Coakley issued the statement on March 1 as joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran entered their second day.

"My brother bishops and I unite our voice with our Holy Father and make the heartfelt appeal to all parties involved for diplomacy to regain its proper role," he wrote.

"The growing conflict risks spiraling into a wider regional war," Coakley stated. "As the Holy Father has warned, we are faced with the possibility of a tragedy of immense proportions."

Echoing Pope Leo XIV's appeal during his March 1 Angelus address warning that continued violence could create a "spiral of violence" leading to "an unbridgeable chasm," Coakley emphasized restraint, multilateral diplomacy, and protection of innocent lives.

He called for "a return to multilateral diplomatic engagement that seeks to uphold the 'well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice.' All nations, international bodies, and partners committed to peace must exert every effort to prevent further escalation."

"At this critical moment, I invite Catholics and all people of goodwill to continue our ardent prayers for peace in the Middle East, for the safety of our troops and the innocent, that leaders may seek dialogue over destruction and pursue the common good over the tragedy of war. We implore the intercession of our Blessed Mother, Mary, Queen of Peace, to pray for our troubled world and for a lasting peace," the archbishop wrote.

On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched extensive airstrikes across Iran, targeting military installations, ballistic missile facilities, naval assets, and key leadership sites.

The operation resulted in the confirmed death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with other high-ranking officials and significant civilian casualties; as reported by the Associated Press, Iranian state TV said over 200 people have been killed with over 700 injured.

The White House described the campaign, called Operation Epic Fury, as "a precise, overwhelming military campaign to eliminate the imminent nuclear threat posed by the Iranian regime, destroy its ballistic missile arsenal, degrade its proxy terror networks, and cripple its naval forces."

President Donald Trump said in a speech on Feb. 28 of the "mass terror" that has resulted from Iran's support of terrorist groups: "We're not going to put up with it any longer."

Trump said Iran's nuclear missile program would be "totally annihilated" and the campaign was "ahead of schedule" and could last several weeks.

In retaliation, Iran launched waves of missiles and drones targeting Israel, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens and central regions — and U.S. military bases in Gulf countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.

At least three American service members have been killed and several more wounded, according to the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command. Explosions continued in Tehran and other sites, with Israel conducting fresh strikes on March 1, amid regional disruptions including flight cancellations and heightened alerts.

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A newly established nonprofit launched a crowdfunding effort to construct a papal tiara that will contain Catholic and American symbolism, with the plan to offer it to Pope Leo XIV as a gift from American Catholics for the first pontiff from the United States.

"Historically, the majority of papal tiaras are gifts, usually from the home diocese of the pope or from religious [communities] they may be affiliated with," Isaac Smith, a convert to Catholicism and the founder of Amici Vaticani, told EWTN News.

Smith said he was motivated to launch the project to provide Leo with a papal tiara based on the desire for "us, as Americans, to continue that tradition." He said the first American pope is "such a historical milestone" for Catholicism in the United States.

The history of papal crowns dates back to at least the eighth century with the word "tiara" first used in the 12th century. A second crown was added to the tiara in the 13th century to symbolize that the pope holds authority in both spiritual and temporal matters.

A three-crown tiara first appeared in the 14th century. One interpretation of the three crowns is that they represent the threefold office of Christ: priest, prophet, and king. Another suggests it represents the militant, the suffering, and the triumphant Church.

The proposed tiara commissioned by Amici Vaticani maintains the 14th-century tradition of three crowns. The tiara will be constructed with sterling silver and the crowns will be gold-plated.

Because the gift is meant to honor Leo's American heritage, the tiara will have red, white, and blue stones, which represent the colors of the American flag. It will incorporate other American symbols: oak leaves, representing the national tree; and corn stalks, representing the national crop.

Some of the symbols included in the tiara have dual meanings relevant to both the papacy and the United States. It will incorporate roses, which is a symbol of the Virgin Mary and the national flower; and it will incorporate olives, which is a symbol of the pontiff's commitment to peace and appears on the Great Seal of the United States.

A buttony cross will sit atop the crown as a symbol of American Catholicism. The cross is used in the coat of arms for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the country's first Catholic diocese, and is featured on the flag of Maryland, which is the location of the first English Catholic colonies.

The design, Smith explained, is meant to be "elegant and traditional" to honor the office of the papacy but is also meant to "incorporate distinctively American elements" to honor the pope's American heritage.

Smith said he hopes to fund the project through small donations from the American Catholic faithful so the pontiff can see "this was a group effort" and a gift from Catholics in his home country. This project, he said, provides "a tangible way for people to connect with the successor of Peter."

He also said he plans to compile the names of every person who donates more than $20 into a book, which would be presented to the Holy Father along with the crown and would say on the cover: "Holy Father, please pray for these people."

Smith said his intention is that the tiara can "hopefully [be] put on display in a place of honor" after it is constructed "and presented to the pope when he visits." When Leo met Vice President JD Vance, the pontiff said he would travel to the United States at some point, although the Holy Father does not have any specific publicly announced plans to visit as of yet.

The tiara will be constructed by a Maltese jeweler and artist named Gabriel Farrugia, who has a background in creating religious art, including an Our Lady of Fátima crown, which was used in a coronation ceremony in Guardamangia, Malta. He has also been commissioned by Catholic churches for artistic projects.

"Making sacred art is a type of thanksgiving to the One who created us," Farrugia told EWTN News.

"For the God that created us and gave us life, I think we should give him something," he said, adding that sacred art provides "something that will be left there for ages" and something for "people to admire, to enjoy, and to reflect [upon]."

The construction of the crown has not yet begun, as Amici Vaticani is still in the early stages of the crowdfunding effort.

Amici Vaticani was launched in 2025 for the purpose of constructing the tiara. According to its website, the nonprofit also seeks to build up "the awakening of a Catholic spirit in the United States."

"Our country, once defined by its Protestant heritage, is now witnessing a boon of conversions," the website notes. "Men and women rediscovering the depth, beauty, and authority of the Catholic faith."

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In Mexico's cities bordering the U.S., migration numbers have changed. Where there was once a constant flow of people traveling in caravans, today the numbers have slowed to "a trickle." However, Catholic shelters point out that, far from disappearing, migration has a new face.

In the southern Mexican city of Tapachula bordering Guatemala, known as the main entry point for migrants from Central and South America, the diocesan shelter Belén (Bethlehem) once had a constant population of 500 people.

However, that number began to decline gradually, explained Father César Augusto Cañaveral Pérez, director of the center, in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

"It decreased very slowly, little by little," the priest noted, saying the change began to be noticeable in the last two years, although the most notable change occurred after Jan. 20, 2025, when Donald Trump again was sworn in as president of the United States and immediately signed a series of executive orders to tighten immigration policies.

Although initially, Cañaveral thought the shelter would be empty, it has continued to serve between 80 and 120 people daily. However, he said he no longer sees what he described as "mass exoduses."

"Migration exoduses are no longer large," he noted, but rather there is "a trickle of migration."

A Pew Research Center study analyzed figures published by the U.S. Border Patrol on migrant apprehensions. The report states that "the 2025 total was the lowest in any fiscal year (October to September) since 1970."

In 2025, 237,538 encounters between the Border Patrol and migrants were recorded, a figure well below the more than 1.5 million in 2024 and the more than 2 million registered in 2022. The Pew report clarifies that these figures refer to events and not to individuals, because the same migrant may be counted more than once.

New realities of migration

According to Cañaveral, the continued presence of the migrant population in Tapachula is due to three factors. The first is that "migrant settlements have grown" in the city. This leads to "a slightly greater agglomeration of people within the city."

The second group is the return to what he called traditional, or transit migration, meaning "people who simply arrive at the shelter, shower, eat, and leave."

The third group consists of those awaiting immigration processing by the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance to legally remain in Mexico.

This scenario, he warned, is worrisome, since "Tapachula is not a town capable of responding to this major migration issue because we don't have the same infrastructure as Monterrey or Mexico City."

Repatriated from the United States

On the country's northern border with the U.S., there is also a change in the migration landscape, especially in Tijuana, a city known as one of the main border crossings.

Gilberto Martínez Amaya, administrator of the Scalabrinian Missionaries' Migrant Shelter located in Tijuana, stated in an interview with ACI Prensa that currently, the flow of people arriving from south to north has seen "a very significant decrease," although he clarified that "this does not mean there is no migration here on the border."

Since the beginning of 2026, the shelter has registered "a gradual increase in its resident population," composed mainly of repatriated individuals who had been living in the U.S. between five and 30 years.

The Mexican government reported that 160,000 people were repatriated during 2025, with the cities of Mexicali and Tijuana being the main points of return.

According to Martínez, the migrant shelter receives an average of 15 repatriated individuals daily, of whom "some stay with us for three days, a week, and then leave. Others want to settle here in Tijuana."

This reality presents a new challenge for those who care for them, as these are people who "need more time, they need lodging, they need food, they need employment, they probably need medical attention, they definitely need psychological support."

"Speaking of the migratory flow, well, it did decrease by 90% from south to north, but it increased from north to south with these repatriated individuals," he said.

In Tijuana, the shelter's services are primarily focused on repatriated men, while women and children are referred to the Madre Asunta center, run by the Missionary Sisters of St. Charles (Scalabrinian Sisters).

In addition to lodging and food, those who decide to stay receive support in finding employment, regularizing their immigration status, and integrating into the labor market.

They also receive assistance with child care, he said: "We take them to school, feed them, and pick them up. This way, the migrants arrive early, leave their children, and go to work."

Future challenges

Both in the north and south of the country, the main challenge remains securing support for the institutions serving migrants. Martínez pointed out that "our biggest challenge is financial sustainability, because we don't receive any aid."

He indicated that civil society organizations stopped receiving government funding years ago and that international aid has also decreased.

Cañaveral agreed that the lack of resources "is a very big challenge for a very poor local Church."

For this reason, he called on the Catholic Church throughout Mexico and the authorities not to let their guard down, especially during times like Lent, when faith calls for charity.

"We want to respond to the Gospel: 'I was hungry and you gave me food, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,'" he said. "This is God's work, and we must continue to provide support to our migrant brothers and sisters."

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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