The laity are not “a formless mass, but the body of Christ,” endowed with dignity and responsibility in the Church and in the world, Pope Leo XIV said in his catechesis at the general audience on Wednesday.

After riding around a packed St. Peter’s Square in the popemobile on April 1, the Holy Father recalled the nature and mission of the laity, who for centuries had been defined simply as “those who are not part of the clergy or the consecrated life” in a reflection based on the Second Vatican Council’s dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium.

Dignity and mission of the laity

The pope explained that Vatican II broke with the former understanding of the laity by affirming the equality of all the baptized and emphasizing both the dignity and the mission of the laity in the Church and in the world.

“Naturally, the greater the gift, the greater the commitment too,” the pontiff said.

In light of Lumen Gentium, Leo affirmed that, by virtue of baptism, “the lay faithful participate in the very priesthood of Christ.”

He recalled the apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici, in which St. John Paul II emphasized that “the council, with its rich doctrinal, spiritual, and pastoral patrimony, has written as never before on the nature, dignity, spirituality, mission, and responsibility of the lay faithful.” In this way, the saintly pope “relaunched the apostolate of the laity,” Leo noted.

He also stressed that the vast field of the lay apostolate “is not confined to the Church but extends to the world” and that the Church is present “wherever her children profess and bear witness to the Gospel.”

As examples, he cited workplaces, civil society, and all human relationships, “wherever they, through their choices, show the beauty of Christian life, which foretells here and now the justice and peace that will be accomplished in the kingdom of God.”

Quoting Lumen Gentium, the Holy Father stated that “the world needs to be permeated by the spirit of Christ, and more effectively fulfill its purpose in justice, charity, and peace.” He added: “And this is possible only through the contribution, service, and witness of the laity!”

This, the pontiff explained, is the invitation to be the “outgoing” Church spoken of by Pope Francis: “a Church embodied in history, always open to mission, in which we are all called to be missionary disciples, apostles of the Gospel, witnesses of the kingdom of God, bearers of the joy of Christ whom we have encountered!”

During his greeting to pilgrims, Pope Leo XIV encouraged them to remain close to the tomb of Christ and to be faithful in the hour of silence and trial.

He also encouraged the faithful to strengthen their faith during Holy Week and to ask the Lord that the paschal mystery renew in them the grace to be joyful witnesses of the Risen One, confident that love and peace are stronger than death.

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.

Pope Leo XIV has renewed his appeal for peace in a world wounded by conflict and violence.

In remarks to journalists on March 31 outside the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo, the pope reminded that “Easter should be the holiest, most sacred time of the year. It is a time of peace, a time for much reflection, but as we all know, once again in the world, in so many places, we are seeing so much suffering, so many deaths, even innocent children.”

The pope said he had been told President Donald Trump wants to end the war in the Middle East and expressed hope that Trump is seeking a way to decrease the violence.

Pope Leo asked everyone, “especially Christians,” to “live these days recognizing that Christ is still crucified today, that Christ still suffers today in the innocent, especially those who are suffering from violence, hatred, and war.”

“Let us pray for them, for the victims of war, let us pray that there may truly be a new, renewed peace, which can give new life to all,” Pope Leo urged.

“We make continuous appeals for peace, but unfortunately many people want to promote hatred and violence, war,” the pope said.

Hope for a truce

He expressed hope for a truce during Easter, saying: “I’m told that President Trump recently stated that he would like to end the war. Hopefully he’s looking for an ‘off ramp.’ Hopefully he’s looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing, which would be a significant contribution to removing the hatred that’s being created and that’s increasing constantly in the Middle East and elsewhere.”

The pope addressed all world leaders, urging them: “Come back to the table, to dialogue. Let’s look for solutions to problems, let’s look for ways to reduce the amount of violence that we’re promoting, that peace — especially at Easter — might reign in our hearts.”

In response to a question about his plans, announced today, to carry a cross during the Good Friday Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome, the pope said: “I think it will be an important sign because of what the pope represents: a spiritual leader in today’s world, a voice to say that Christ still suffers. And I carry all these sufferings in my prayers as well.”

He asked “all people of goodwill, to people of faith, to walk together, to walk with Christ who suffered for us, to give us salvation, and to seek to be bearers of peace ourselves.”

Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of April is for priests in crisis.

In a video released on X, the Holy Father posed a question for the faithful: “Have you ever been in a crisis?”

“In moments of fragility, it’s so important that we are there for one another,” he said. “This April, I invite you to join me in prayer for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find accompaniment and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer.”

In the full video shared on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website, Pope Leo recites an original prayer written specifically for this month’s prayer intention.

Lord Jesus,

Good Shepherd and companion on the journey,

today we place in your hands all priests,

especially those going through moments of crisis,

when loneliness weighs heavily,

when doubt clouds their hearts,

and when exhaustion seems stronger than hope.

You who know their struggles and wounds,

renew in them the certainty of your unconditional love.

Let them feel they are not mere functionaries or lonely heroes,

but beloved sons, humble and cherished disciples,

and pastors sustained by the prayer of their people.

Good Father,

teach us as a community to care for our priests:

to listen without judging,

to give thanks without demanding perfection,

to share with them the baptismal mission

of proclaiming the kingdom in word and deed,

and to accompany them with closeness and sincere prayer.

May we support those who so often support us.

Holy Spirit,

rekindle in our priests the joy of the Gospel.

Grant them healthy friendships, networks of fraternal support,

a sense of humor when things don’t go as expected,

and the grace to always rediscover the beauty of their vocation.

May they never lose trust in you,

nor the joy of serving your Church with a humble and generous heart.

Amen.

“Pray with the Pope” is accessible on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website and its digital platforms.

Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu is alarmed about rising hostility toward Christians, both in parts of the Islamic world and in Europe’s increasingly post‑Christian culture.

Nwachukwu, who serves as secretary of the Section of First Evangelization at the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, told EWTN News that any serious conversation about peace and coexistence must begin with clear condemnation of anti‑Christian violence, particularly from Muslim leaders in places where Christians lack full religious freedom.

The Nigerian prelate also warned of a growing cultural aversion to Christianity in the West, where Christian expression is often treated with suspicion even as societies insist on defending the religious symbols of others.

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit four countries in Africa, including the Muslim-majority Algeria, on his first apostolic journey to the continent April 13–23.

A diplomat urges Muslims to confront anti‑Christian violence

Drawing on decades of diplomatic service in Ghana, Paraguay, Algeria, and Switzerland, Nwachukwu described the anti‑Christian discrimination he witnessed firsthand — experiences he believes continue to be overlooked.

“I do not criticize Islam; I criticize the way some people practice their Islam,” he said. “People just shout about Islamophobia, but its main cause is not to be sought in the West. It is to be sought in the way some Muslims practice their religion. We are calling our Muslim friends to condemn the wrong use of their religion as a religion of violence.”

He recalled that during his service in Algeria, Christians were openly labeled “enemies of Islam.” In one incident, a shopkeeper refused to serve him because he was wearing a Roman collar.

“Christians still do not have full liberty to practice their religion,” he said.

A West increasingly uncomfortable with its Christian roots

But Nwachukwu also directed sharp criticism toward Europe, where he sees a growing reluctance to defend Christianity even as Western societies emphasize religious tolerance.

“Everybody denounces Islamophobia, but nobody denounces Christianophobia,” he said. “We are in a post‑Christian Europe and a post‑Christian West.”

He noted that Christian symbols face discrimination not applied to other religions: “You enter a hall and see a symbol of Buddhism — nobody touches it. You see a Muslim in a hijab — nobody says to remove it. But you see a cross, and they say, ‘Remove it.’ Why?”

This, he argued, reflects a cultural embarrassment about Europe’s Christian heritage:

“It is like feeling guilty for having a mother who is ugly and then forgetting that she also has rights. The Christianity that gave them their education, culture, and society — they now feel uncomfortable with it.”

Reverse missionaries and a hopeful response to Europe’s secular drift

Nwachukwu said this situation makes the growing presence of African and Asian missionaries in Europe all the more significant, as a hopeful sign that the global Church can help rekindle the continent’s Christian identity.

“The West often forgets that we are the result of sacrifices made by their own brothers and sisters who became missionaries,” he said. “But the sheaves — the children of those missionaries — are now returning.”

Nwachukwu described this movement as a gift that can strengthen Western Christianity in places where secularism has taken deep root.

“We want to see the mother Churches in Europe accept and be proud of their missionary children from the global south.”

Encouragement for persecuted Christians

To Christians facing persecution — whether under hostile regimes, extremist movements, or secular cultural pressures — Nwachukwu offered a message of strength: “If you are encountering persecution, it means that the message you have is important. If your message were not important, people wouldn’t even think of you. So, the message is: Do not feel you are alone. Know what you are worth.”

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has canceled the second World Children’s Day, which had been scheduled to take place in Rome Sept. 25–27, about six weeks after Pope Leo XIV dissolved the commission responsible for its organization.

The Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life announced the decision March 27, saying it had “considered it appropriate to cancel the celebration of the Second World Children’s Day, initially scheduled to take place in Rome from Sept. 25 to 27, 2026.”

According to the official statement, the dicastery opted not to hold the international gathering in Rome and instead pointed to a more decentralized approach rooted in local communities.

“All initiatives aimed at the pastoral care of children may be celebrated, at the discretion of the ordinaries, at a diocesan or parish level and with the involvement of families, the proper place for the human and spiritual growth of every child,” the statement said, adding that the decision was made “after careful consideration and in agreement with the Holy Father.”

The text underscores the role of the family as central to the human and spiritual development of children, in keeping with the pastoral emphasis of the current pontificate.

The Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life also reaffirmed that it continues “its commitment to promoting the pastoral care of the family in all its components.”

The cancellation of the second World Children’s Day follows another decision made in February that brought a structural change by placing the initiative under the integrated management of the Roman Curia. Leo XIV dissolved the Pontifical Commission for World Children’s Day, a body created in 2024 by his predecessor, Pope Francis, for organizational matters.

As a result, the president, vice president, and all members of the body — including Father Enzo Fortunato, who had served as president of the committee — automatically ceased their functions.

Full responsibility then passed to the dicastery led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, whom the pope entrusted with general coordination, resolving pending matters, and presenting the final liquidation balance to the Secretariat for the Economy.

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.

At the Vatican on Monday of Holy Week — known in some places as “Authority Monday” — Pope Leo XIV recalled Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple in Matthew 23:21-27, saying that through the paschal mystery, the Lord shows “that even the most difficult and challenging circumstances can be transformed from within by the power of love.”

‘The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate source of hope’

“The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate source of hope for all who believe in Christ and await the promise of eternal life,” the pontiff said during an audience with the Illinois Municipal League, an association of municipalities that advocates for the interests of local governments in Illinois, the pope’s home state.

Acknowledging that suffering cannot be avoided or eliminated, the Holy Father affirmed that one can “find a redemptive meaning” in it that restores lost dignity and “opens the door to a new life.”

The Holy Father also recalled that “the victory of the risen Lord over death” reveals that the heart of authentic authority is service: “His service and obedience to the will of the Father have led to a sure hope and lasting peace for all humanity.”

“Thus,” the pontiff added, “the victory born of Christ’s gift of self stands as both a beacon and a challenge for all of us today.”

He invited members of the state association “to be attentive to the needs of the weakest and most vulnerable in order to assist them toward integral human development.”

He cited as an example the Venerable Giorgio La Pira, who served as mayor of Florence, Italy, encouraging the group “to reduce and alleviate the suffering and hardships of their citizens in every possible way, through every measure that love suggests and the law provides.”

“The dignity of every individual must be recognized and upheld, because their municipalities are not anonymous places but rather possess faces and stories that must be cherished as valuable treasures,” he said.

Listening to the poor and to immigrants

The pope asked the group to listen to the poor, to immigrants, “and to all the least among you” in order “to promote the common good for the benefit of all.”

In this way, he emphasized, “each of your municipalities can become a place of genuine encounter among all citizens, providing opportunities for every individual to flourish.”

Pope Leo XIV also recalled that “those who exercise authority are also servants of God” and entrusted the association members to the intercession of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, who for many years assisted the most vulnerable in Chicago “with great love and dedication.”

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 Vatican has reaffirmed its support for the Anglican ordinariates, confirming that these communities have a permanent and valued place within the Catholic Church.

On March 24, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a document titled “Characteristics of the Anglican Heritage as Lived in the Ordinariates Established Under the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus.”

The document is the fruit of a meeting held March 1–3 in Rome, during which Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the dicastery, invited the ordinariate bishops — including Bishop Steven J. Lopes of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, Bishop David Waller of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in England, and Bishop Anthony Randazzo of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross — to reflect on how they have lived and integrated their Anglican spiritual and liturgical heritage within the Catholic Church.

The document highlights key characteristics of the Anglican patrimony as lived in the ordinariates, including a distinctive “ecclesial ethos” in which both the laity and the clergy participate actively in church governance, and a focus on evangelization through beauty in worship, music, and art.

Direct outreach to the poor is “a defining element of the patrimony,” according to the document, as is a pastoral culture that connects divine worship with daily life in what the document calls an “almost monastic rhythm drawn from the English spiritual tradition” that characterizes ordinariate parish communities.

The bishops said a strong emphasis on the family as the “domestic church,” as “the home is … the first place where the faith is learned and lived” is strongly emphasized.

The document also highlighted Scripture-centered preaching and the importance of spiritual direction and the sacrament of penance.

The bishops noted that, despite the great geographical distances between the three ordinariates, they share “a core shared identity” and offer “a unique reflection of the face of the Church and a distinctive contribution to the living richness of her identity as ‘one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.’”

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston serves as the mother church and cathedral of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, which spans the U.S. and Canada. Established by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, the ordinariate was given its own cathedral when Lopes was ordained and installed on Feb. 2, 2016.

In a message sent to parishioners, Lopes welcomed the document as a significant encouragement, calling it “an exhortation to live this patrimony in all of its richness. We have been given a unique set of tools — the way we worship, the way we structure parish life, the centrality of family life, etc. — which add to the vitality of the Catholic Church. Our ordinariate identity arises from fidelity to this patrimony and this mission. Our diversity does not detract from the underlying communion of the Church… it strengthens it.”

Bishop Steven J. Lopes processes into Mass at Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston on All Souls’ Day, Nov. 2, 2025. | Credit: Amira Abuzeid/EWTN News

Lopes encouraged parishioners to share the document with family and friends who may wonder why the ordinariate’s experience of Catholic life looks different from the norm.

“Prior to today’s publication of this document, you had to glean descriptions of our patrimony from rather dry legal documents,” he wrote. “Now the Holy See is offering us a much more organic reflection on our identity and mission — and clearly stating that the ordinariate is not just a means to an end but has a long and bright future ahead of it!”

The ordinariates: A brief history

The Anglican ordinariates trace their origins to 1980, when St. John Paul II approved the Pastoral Provision, which allowed married former Episcopal clergy to be ordained as Catholic priests and permitted the formation of Anglican-use communities within existing Roman Catholic dioceses.

This was the first major step in preserving elements of Anglican liturgical and spiritual heritage for those entering full communion with Rome.

In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI took this further by issuing the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, which created the personal ordinariates as permanent structures within the Catholic Church.

Each of the three Anglican ordinariates is a personal (non-territorial) jurisdiction, similar to a diocese but defined by people (those with an Anglican background who have entered full communion with the Catholic Church) rather than by strict geographical boundaries.

“Any Catholic may attend ordinariate liturgies and functions, just as members of the ordinariate can attend liturgies and functions at any Catholic parish,” according to the website for the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter.

The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross encompasses Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Guam, Philippines, and surrounding areas.

The Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham is located in London and encompasses England, Scotland, and Wales.

During a vigil for peace on Monday evening in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome, Cardinal Dominique Mathieu, archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan Mathieu, invoked God as “great and merciful,” affirming his designs of peace and rejection of war.

The cardinal called for an end to violence, describing war as a “spiral” and an “adventure without return,” and pleaded for the cessation of conflict in the Persian Gulf. He also urged divine action in the hearts of leaders, calling for an end to retaliation and vengeance, and emphasized dialogue, patience, and the hope for “days of peace” in the present time.

The vigil was presided over by Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, at the basilica, which houses ancient relics of the cross of Christ, on the first day of Holy Week. The gathering was part of a broader spiritual initiative promoted by the diocese, titled “Mission of Peace, Journey in the Spirit,” and was organized in this instance by Azione Cattolica of Rome and Italia Solidale.

The prayer vigil was presided over by Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, at the basilica, which houses ancient relics of the cross of Christ, on the first day of Holy Week. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News

Mathieu’s presence carried particular significance. Recently evacuated from Tehran following the outbreak of conflict, he arrived in Rome after witnessing the first days of tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

The Belgian cardinal leads a small Catholic community in Iran. The Latin-rite Church there has approximately 2,000 faithful — mostly non-Iranians — in a population of around 90 million, largely Shia Muslim. Mathieu is the only priest in his diocese, and his arrival in Rome followed an urgent evacuation from the Iranian capital amid escalating military tensions.

In a meditation following the reading of the Gospel of Christ’s crucifixion according to Luke, Reina greeted Mathieu, “who joins us silently in this moment of prayer, strengthening it and bringing with him the prayer of his people.”

Reina then offered a reflection on the passion of Christ, focusing on the peace the Lord brings. He emphasized that those who suffer because of war are truly brothers and sisters to all, and urged the faithful not to grow weary in praying for peace, addressing Christ as the prince of peace.

The vigil also included different readings, hymns, and moments of silence, maintaining a clear focus on peace rooted in faith.

Pope Leo XIV on Monday appointed Italian Archbishop Paolo Rudelli the new head of the general affairs section of the Secretariat of State — one of the most influential positions in the Roman Curia. The so-called “sostituto” (“substitute”) is commonly considered the third most powerful position in the Vatican, after the Holy Father and the secretary of state.

The pontiff also named Archbishop Petar Rajič the new prefect of the Papal Household, the body of the Roman Curia responsible for organizing the pope’s schedule, audiences, and ceremonies — a position considered one of the highest levels of trust.

Rajič, who is Canadian and Croatian, has been serving as apostolic nuncio to Italy and the Republic of San Marino. His appointment places him in a key role for managing the day-to-day public activities of the pope.

The new “sostituto,” 55-year-old Rudelli, has been apostolic nuncio to Colombia since 2023. He replaces Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, a Venezuelan who has been in the role since 2018 and who will replace Rajič as the pope’s envoy to Italy and San Marino.

In a farewell speech delivered on March 30 at the Apostolic Palace, Peña Parra recalled some of the most significant moments of his tenure in the Secretariat of State, including the Vatican trial over the department’s investment in a London property, which subjected Peña Parra and his colleagues “to unprecedented media and judicial scrutiny, requiring rigor, transparency, and a sense of responsibility on our part.”

The appointment to the No. 2 position in the Secretariat of State is the biggest change to Vatican leadership made by Pope Leo since his election on May 8, 2025.

The “sostituto” is responsible for key functions in the internal coordination of the Holy See, especially at the operational level in the day-to-day management of the Secretariat of State and in the direct oversight of the pope’s documents, speeches, and activities.

These duties are accompanied by the task of publishing and disseminating official communications regarding the activity of the pope and the Holy See as well as organizing apostolic journeys.

Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, head of the general affairs section at the Secretariat of State. | Credit: Screenshot of a video from the Bishops’ conference of Colombia Rudelli: From northern Italy to South America

The Italian archbishop, born in 1970 in the province of Bergamo in northern Italy, has extensive experience in the Holy See’s diplomatic service, which has brought him to posts in Europe, Africa, and South America.

He entered the Vatican’s diplomatic service in the early 2000s. Between 2001 and 2003 he worked at the apostolic nunciature in Ecuador and, later, from 2003 to 2006, at the pontifical representation in Poland.

From 2006 to 2014 he served as secretary and later counselor of the nunciature in the first section of the Secretariat of State, gaining direct experience at the heart of Vatican governance.

He was later named permanent observer of the Holy See to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

In 2019 he was ordained archbishop in St. Peter’s Basilica by Pope Francis, who in January 2020 sent him as apostolic nuncio to Zimbabwe. In 2023, he was transferred to Colombia.

Rajič: Posts in Muslim-majority countries

Rajič was born in Toronto on June 12, 1959, into a family of Bosnian-Croatian origin. He was ordained a priest on June 29, 1987, and was incardinated in the Diocese of Trebinje, connected to his parents’ roots, after having studied at the seminary in Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1993 and served in various posts, including Iran and Lithuania. He also worked in the general affairs section of the Secretariat of State.

On Dec. 2, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Rajič apostolic nuncio to Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar as well as apostolic delegate to the Arabian Peninsula.

His episcopal consecration took place on Jan. 23, 2010, in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, a choice rich in symbolism in a city still marked by divisions between Muslim and Christian communities, coinciding with his mission to countries with Muslim majorities.

Two months later, his diplomatic mission was expanded to Yemen and the United Arab Emirates. On June 15, 2015, Pope Francis appointed the archbishop nuncio to Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe.

During his diplomatic service in Angola, Rajič played a significant role in achieving the framework agreement between the Holy See and the African country in 2019, particularly regarding broadcasts of the Catholic station Radio Ecclesia.

That same year he was transferred to the apostolic nunciature in Lithuania and, on Aug. 6, 2019, he was also entrusted with being the papal representative to Estonia and Latvia.

This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. They have been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV on Palm Sunday sharply condemned war and the use of religion to justify violence, saying during Mass in St. Peter’s Square that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”

At the start of Holy Week, the pope tied the Church’s contemplation of Christ’s Passion to the suffering of people caught in today’s conflicts, especially Christians in the Middle East.

In his Palm Sunday homily, Leo repeatedly presented Christ as the “King of Peace,” contrasting Jesus’ meekness with the violence surrounding him as he entered into his Passion.

“We turn our gaze to Jesus, who reveals himself as King of Peace, even as war looms abounds him,” the pope said. “He remains steadfast in meekness, while others are stirring up violence.”

Leo said Christ “did not arm himself, or defend himself, or fight any war” but instead “revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence.”

“Rather than saving himself, he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross, embracing every cross borne in every time and place throughout human history,” the pope said.

The pope then issued one of the strongest lines of his homily, rejecting any attempt to invoke God in support of armed conflict.

“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.’”

The Palm Sunday liturgy, which opened Holy Week, began with the traditional procession in St. Peter’s Square with cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, and thousands of faithful carrying palms and olive branches.

In his homily, Leo reflected on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey rather than a war horse, saying the moment fulfilled the prophecy of a king who would “command peace to the nations.”

Recalling the Gospel account of Peter drawing a sword to defend Jesus, Leo cited Christ’s rebuke: “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

The pope said that in the crucified Christ “we can see a crucified humanity.”

“In his wounds, we see the hurts of so many women and men today,” he said. “Above all, we hear the painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war.”

“Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters!”

Following the Mass, Leo returned to the theme of war during the Angelus, praying in particular for Christians in the Middle East who have been prevented in some places from fully taking part in Holy Week rites.

“At the beginning of Holy Week, our prayers are more than ever with the Christians of the Middle East, who are suffering the consequences of a brutal conflict and, in many cases, are unable to observe fully the liturgies of these holy days,” he said.

“Just as the Church contemplates the mystery of the Lord’s Passion, we cannot forget those who today are truly sharing in his suffering. Their ordeal challenges all our consciences.”

The pope added: “Let us raise our prayer to the Prince of Peace that he may sustain the peoples wounded by war and open concrete paths to reconciliation and peace.”

Leo also remembered “the maritime workers who have fallen victim to the conflict,” adding: “I pray for the deceased, the wounded and their families. Land, sky and sea were all created for life and peace!”

He further called attention to migrants who died in the Mediterranean, saying: “Let us also pray for all the migrants who have died at sea, especially those who lost their lives in recent days off the coast of Crete.”

Near the end of his homily, the pope entrusted his plea for peace to the intercession of Mary, quoting the Servant of God Bishop Tonino Bello and praying that “the tears of all the victims of violence and pain will soon be dried up.”

He concluded the Angelus by asking the Virgin Mary to accompany the faithful through the days ahead.

“May she guide us during these holy days, so that we may follow Jesus, our Savior, with faith and love,” he said.

This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the liturgies of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum for the first time as pope this week.

Palm Sunday marks the start of the one of the busiest and fullest liturgical periods of the year for the Catholic Church and the Vatican, where Leo will celebrate five Masses and preside over several other liturgies and devotions between March 29 and April 6.

Here is the Vatican’s full schedule for Holy Week and Easter 2026:

Palm Sunday A solemn procession of cardinals and bishops carrying intricately woven palm fronds enters St. Peter’s Square during Palm Sunday celebrations in Vatican City, April 13, 2025. | Credit: Bénédicte Cedergren/EWTN News

On Sunday morning, March 29, the pope will celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Square for Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday or the Commemoration of the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem.

The 10 a.m. Mass will begin with a grand procession of the pope with deacons, priests, bishops, cardinals, and laypeople carrying large palms.

The procession, which will wind around the square and its central obelisk, includes olive tree branches, palm fronds, and the large, weaved palms called “palmureli.” The Vatican expects to distribute 120,000 olive branches at the Mass.

Afterward, Leo will lead the Angelus prayer, as he does every Sunday.

Holy Thursday

Pope Leo will begin Holy Thursday, April 2, with the celebration of the chrism Mass at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Many of the cardinals, bishops, and priests living in Rome typically concelebrate this Mass, in which the pope, as bishop of Rome, blesses the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumens, and the chrism oil to be used in the diocese during the coming year.

At 5:30 p.m., Leo will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

Celebrating the Mass at the cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome restores a long-standing practice that Pope Francis set aside in favor of demonstrating closeness to prisoners by offering the Mass at some of the city’s prisons.

Good Friday

Continuing the liturgies of the Triduum, Leo is scheduled to preside over a service for the passion of the Lord on Good Friday at 5 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.

During this liturgy, which is not a Mass, it is the custom for the papal preacher —  currently Father Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap — to give a sermon on Christ’s crucifixion.

In the evening, the pope will lead the Stations of the Cross devotion at the Colosseum starting at 9:15 p.m.

Thousands of faithful holding candles surround the illuminated Colosseum in Rome during the traditional Stations of the Cross devotion on Good Friday, April 18, 2025. | Credit: Zofia Czubak/EWTN News Holy Saturday

Leo will celebrate the Easter Vigil Mass at 9 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Easter Vigil, which takes place on Holy Saturday night, “is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities,” according to the Roman Missal.

The liturgy begins in darkness with the blessing of the new fire and the preparation of the paschal candle. At the Vatican, cardinals, bishops, and priests process through the dark basilica carrying lit candles to signify the light of Christ coming to dispel the darkness.

The pope also typically baptizes new Catholics at this Mass.

Easter Sunday

The morning of Easter Sunday, Leo will preside over Mass in St. Peter’s Square at 10:15 a.m. on a flower-decked parvise.

After Mass, he will give the annual Easter “urbi et orbi blessing” from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

“Urbi et orbi” means “to the city [of Rome] and to the world” and is a special apostolic blessing given by the pope every year on Easter Sunday, Christmas, and other special occasions.

For Easter Sunday, the square will be decorated with thousands of flowers from the Netherlands, a custom spanning 40 years.

This year, the arrangements will include 65,000 tulip, daffodil, hyacinth, and mini daffodil bulbs; 220 white and orange violets; 7,800 roses, delphiniums, anthuriums, chrysanthemums, gerberas, and matthiolas; 600 branches of plumosa; 80 azaleas; and 600 long branches of willow catkins, long branches of eucalyptus, and various types of foliage.

Easter Monday

Pope Leo will mark Easter Monday, also called “Monday of the Angel,” by praying the Regina Caeli, a Marian prayer recited during the Easter season, at noon from a window of the Apostolic Palace.

Pope Leo XIV concluded his one-day trip to Monaco on March 28, wrapping up a whirlwind visit that included meeting with the countryʼs royalty and holding Mass in Louis II Stadium.

The Holy Father became the first pope to visit the European micro-state in nearly 500 years. He appealed to the wealthy nation to spread the Gospel and become vessels of Godʼs love and generosity.

Pope Leo XIV flies into Monaco aboard the papal helicopter, Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV meets Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV shakes the hand of Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès, in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds in Monte Carlo in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV prays at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets crowds in Monaco on Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV greets a baby on the streets of Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV views dancers during public festivities in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV processes during Mass at Louis II Stadium in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV elevates the chalice during Mass at Louis II Stadium in Monaco, Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV waves from aboard his helicopter upon departure from Monaco Heliport in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Credit: Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images)

Pope Leo XIV on March 28 condemned all military conflicts, which he argued are the result of the “idolatry of power and money” and which “bloody” Godʼs gift of grace to men.

Godʼs grace “illuminates our present, because the wars that bloody it are the result of the idolatry of power and money,” said Leo in the homily he delivered during the Mass at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco.

Four months after his first apostolic trip to Turkey and Lebanon, the pontiff ended his lightning visit to the Principality of Monaco with the Mass in the stadium dedicated to Prince Louis II, who reigned between 1922 and 1949.

The stadium has a capacity for more than 18,000 spectators, which makes it a prominent place for sporting and entertainment events, in addition to being an ideal place for the papal Mass.

Upon his arrival, Leo toured the venue in a golf cart, from which he greeted and blessed the cheering faithful who were waiting for him while waving flags of the Vatican City and of Monaco.

The logic of power versus innocence

In his homily, the pope highlighted the biblical account in which the members of the Sanhedrin decide to kill Jesus.

From this passage, he explained that the face of God is revealed alongside those who, moved by power interests, are willing to eliminate the innocent.

As he pointed out, Caiphas' verdict is born from a political calculation based on fear: “Forgetting Godʼs promise to his people, they want to kill the innocent, because behind their fear is the attachment to power.”

“Isnʼt that what happens today?” the pope asked. “Even today, how many calculations are made in the world to kill innocent people; how many false reasons are used to get them out of the way!”

Not getting used to war

The pontiff called for the purification of the “idolatry” that feeds wars and turns men into slaves of other men, while urging the faithful to not get used to violence.

“Every truncated life is a wound to the body of Christ. Letʼs not get used to the rumble of weapons or the images of war!” he exclaimed.

In this sense, he stressed that peace cannot be reduced to a balance of power: “It is not a mere balance of forces, but the work of purified hearts, of those who see in the other a brother to take care of, not an enemy to bring down.”

Mercy, response to evil

Faced with the persistence of evil, the pope recalled that Godʼs justice acts as a source of hope and renewal: “The Lord frees from pain by infusing hope, he converts the hardness of the heart by transforming power into service, precisely while manifesting the true name of his omnipotence: mercy.”

In this way, he assured that it is “mercy that saves the world” because it takes charge of all human existence, “in each of its weaknesses, from the moment it is conceived in the womb until it ages,” he added.

A message on the eve of Easter

The popeʼs visit to Monaco, just eight hours long, was made at the invitation of Albert II of Monaco.

It took place on the eve of Holy Week, a context to which the pope referred during his homily. “The Lord changes the history of the world by calling us from idolatry to true faith, from death to life,” he said.

In this context, he also evoked the prophet Jeremiah: “In the face of the numerous injustices that destroy the peoples and the war that plagues the nations, the voice of the prophet Jeremiah is constantly raised: I will change their mourning into joy, I will make them happy and I will console them with their affliction” (Jer 31,13).

The joy that is born of charity

Finally, the pontiff called the faithful to be witnesses of hope, making “many happy with their faith” and sharing a joy that is not acquired as a prize, but is born of charity.

“The source of this joy is the love of God: love for the nascent and fragile life, which must always be welcomed and cared for; love for young and old life, which must be encouraged in the trials of each stage; love for healthy and sick life, sometimes alone, always in need of being accompanied with care,” he concluded.

At the end of the celebration, the Archbishop of Monaco, Monsignor Dominique-Marie David, thanked Pope Leo XIV for his visit, emphasizing that God is “the source of all good” and that the pontiff, as the successor of Peter, has come to remind the local Church of this.

In this sense, he stressed that the pope has encouraged the faithful to face “fearlessly” the current challenges, aware that they have “a treasure capable of sustaining hope, ours and that of the world.”

On the eve of Holy Week, David said that the popeʼs visit has served to “confirm the faith of his brothers,” reinforcing the commitment of the Christian community.

Pope Leo XIV gave the Archdiocese of Monaco a contemporary sculpture by St. Francis of Assisi. The work represents the Italian saint, one of the most beloved figures of the Christian tradition and universally recognized as a messenger of peace, fraternity and reconciliation.

Francis in the sculpture appears dressed in the simple Franciscan habit, a symbol of evangelical poverty and inner freedom, girded by the characteristic cord with three knots.

In the sculpture the saint holds a white dove in his left hand, while the right hand opens in a gesture of welcome and donation.

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.

During his meeting with Catholics in Monaco, the second appointment of his whirlwind trip to the small country, Pope Leo XIV warned about the risks of reducing faith “to custom” and called on the faithful to be like Christ, defending the poor and marginalized against individualistic secularism.

The pontiff supported his reflections in the document Quo vadis, humanitas? of the International Theological Commission, published on March 4, 2026. The Latin phrase means “Where are you going, humanity?”

The pope met Catholics at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Monaco, built between 1875 and 1903 in the neo-Romanesque style.

The temple houses the tomb of some sovereigns of the principality, including Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace Kelly, an iconic American actress who became royalty after marrying Rainier III in 1956.

The Principality of Monaco is one of the last European countries to maintain Catholicism as a state religion, though its 1962 constitution guarantees freedom of worship and expression. In practice it means that Catholicism is taught in schools and that state ceremonies include a Mass.

In November of 2025 Prince Albert II vetoed a law passed by the National Council that sought to legalize abortion up to 12 weeks. He justified his decision by citing the Catholic identity of the principality and the need to maintain the current legal framework, which decriminalizes the termination of pregnancy only in exceptional cases

Based on the episode of the Gospel in which the Apostle John describes Jesus Christ as the righteous (cf. 1 Jn 2,1-2), the pope explained that the Church is called to be “lawyer”, that is, to defend man in his integrity and all human beings, promoting a comprehensive development that respects the dignity and ultimate goal of the person.

He asked the faithful to contemplate Christ as a “lawyer” and urged Christians to provide “passionate and generous” service in evangelization.

“Announce the gospel of life, hope and love; bring to all the light of the Gospel so that the life of every man and woman is defended and promoted from their conception to their natural end,” he said.

The pope arrived at the cathedral after his visit to the Princeʼs Palace, where the Monegasque sovereign family resides.

A living and prophetic faith

It is important, the pope pointed out, that the proclamation of the Gospel and the forms of faith “are preserved from the risk of being reduced to habit, even if it is good.”

“A living faith is always prophetic, capable of raising questions and offering provocations: Are we really defending the human being? Are we protecting the dignity of the person in the protection of life in all its phases? Is the current economic and social model really fair and inspired by solidarity?” he said.

Leo cited Pope Benedict XVIʼs encyclical Caritas in veritate published in 2009: “Is this model inhabited by the ethics of responsibility, which helps us to go beyond the ‘logic of the exchange of equivalent things and profit as an end in itself?’” he said.

Alert against secularism

The pontiff also warned about the “impulses of secularism,” which can reduce man to individualism and orient social life only towards the production of wealth.

The Holy Father asked for a new orientation based on the Gospel and to adopt the compassionate and merciful love of Christ.

Christ, he said, became a “lawyer” to defend the poor and sinners, freeing them from oppression and making them children of God and brothers among themselves.

“He does not come to condemn, but to offer mercy that purifies, heals, transforms and makes us part of the only family of God,” he stressed.

The Church, reflection of Godʼs love

The Pope praised the hospitality of Monaco, a small cosmopolitan state with cultural and socioeconomic diversity.

He recalled that in the Church there are no social classes: “Everyone is welcomed as people and children of God, and all are recipients of a gift of grace that drives communion, fraternity and reciprocal love.”

According to the pontiff, the first service that the Gospel must provide is “to enlighten the person and society, so that they discover their identity, the meaning of human life, the value of relationships and solidarity, as well as the ultimate end of existence and the destiny of history.”

Pope Leo XIV met with young people and catechumens of Monaco at the Church of Saint Devota, the third public engagement of his one-day trip to the micro-state on March 28.

After listening to the testimonies of several young people, Leo XIV spoke of the figure of Saint Devota, the patroness of Monaco, describing her as “a courageous young woman who knew how to bear witness to her faith in the face of the violence of her persecutors, even unto martyrdom.”

“Good is stronger than evil, even when, at times, it may seem — in the immediate moment — to be getting the worst of it,” the pope said. “Moreover, [Devota] reminds us that the witness of faith is a seed capable of reaching and bearing fruit in distant hearts and places, far beyond our own expectations and capabilities.”

“In this very church, quite recently,” the pope said, “the memory of the Holy Martyr Devota has been joined by that of Saint Carlo Acutis — another young person deeply in love with Jesus, faithful to his friendship with Christ until the very end, albeit in a completely different era and in completely different ways.” 

“These two saints encourage us and urge us to imitate them,” the Holy Father said.

In the modern world, “faith encounters challenges and obstacles,” the pope said, “yet nothing can dim its beauty or obscure its truth.”

Responding to the testimonies of the youth, the pope highlighted “a fundamental aspect of the Christian life: the vitality of one’s relationship with Christ and, within that relationship, the sense of unity that is forged both within ourselves and with others."

“The modern and post-modern eras have enriched us with many good things; yet, they also confront us with significant challenges — challenges we cannot ignore and which we must face with clarity and awareness,” he said.

“What gives solidity to life is love: first and foremost, the fundamental experience of God’s love, and then — as a reflection of that — the illuminating and sacred experience of mutual love.”

“And loving one another — while on the one hand requiring an openness to growth, and thus to change — on the other demands fidelity, constancy, and a readiness to make sacrifices in the daily rhythm of life,” the pope added.

“Only in this way does restlessness find peace, and the inner void become filled — not with material and fleeting things, nor with the virtual validation of thousands of ‘likes,’ nor with restrictive, artificial, or at times even violent forms of belonging.”

“We must clear these things away from the threshold of the heart, so that the healthy, oxygenating air of grace may once again return to refresh and revitalize its chambers, and so that the strong wind of the Holy Spirit may resume filling the sails of our existence, propelling it toward true happiness,” he said.

Earlier in the day the pope met with Monacoʼs royal family before meeting with Catholics at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Leo XIV is the first pope to visit the costal European nation-state in nearly 500 years.

The following is a homily given to the faithful by Pope Leo XIV at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

Dear brothers and sisters:

Before God and in the presence of God we have a lawyer: Jesus Christ, the righteous (cf. 1 Jn 2,1-2). With these words, the apostle John helps us to grasp the mystery of salvation. In our fragility, carried with the weight of sin that marks our humanity, unable to embrace with our own forces the fullness of life and happiness, we have been reached by God himself through his Son Jesus Christ. He — says the Apostle — as a victim of atonement, carried upon himself the evil of man and the world, took it with us and for us, passed by him transforming it and freeing us forever.

Christ is the dynamic center, the heart of our faith, and it is from this centrality that I would like to address you, while I cordially greet His Highness Prince Albert, His Excellency Mons. Dominique-Marie David, the priests and the religious present, expressing to all of you the joy of being here and sharing your ecclesial path.

Contemplating Christ as a “lawyer”, in reference to the reading we have heard, I would like to offer you some reflections.

The first refers to the gift of communion. Jesus Christ, the righteous, interceding for humanity before the Father, reconciles us with Him and among us. He does not come to make a condemning judgment, but to offer to all his mercy that purifies, heals, transforms and makes us part of the only family of God. His compassionate and merciful tenter makes him a “lawyer” for the defense of the poor and sinners, certainly not to support evil, but to free them from oppression and slavery and make them children of God and brothers among themselves.

It is no coincidence that the gestures performed by Jesus are not limited to the physical or spiritual healing of the person, but also comprise an important social and political dimension; the healed person is reintegrated, with all his dignity, to the human and religious community from which, often precisely because of his condition of illness or sin, he had been excluded.

This communion is the sign par excellence of the Church, called to be in the world a reflection of the love of God that shows no partiality (cf. Ach 10:34). In this sense, I would like to say that the Church, here in the Principality of Monaco, has a great wealth: to be a place, a reality in which everyone finds welcome and hospitality, in that social and cultural mixture that is a typical trait of you.

The Principality of Monaco, in fact, is a small state inhabited, however, in a varied way by Monegasques, French, Italians and people of many other nationalities. A small cosmopolitan state, in which the variety of origins is also associated with other socioeconomic differences. In the Church, such differences never become an occasion of division into social classes; on the contrary, all are welcomed as persons and children of God, and all are recipients of a gift of grace that drives communion, fraternity and reciprocal love.

This is the gift that comes from Christ, our advocate before the Father. Indeed, we have all been baptized in Him and, for this reason, says St. Paul, “there is no longer a Jew or a pagan, slave or free, man or woman, because all of you are only one in Christ Jesus” (Ga 3:28).

However, I think it is necessary to underline a second aspect: the proclamation of the Gospel in defense of man. Wishing that everyone will accept the good news of the Fatherʼs love, Jesus places himself as a “lawyer” mainly for defense of those who were considered abandoned by God and who are judged as forgotten and marginalized, becoming the voice and face of the merciful God who “grants the right to the oppressed” (Ps 103,6).

I then think of a Church called to become a "lawyer", that is, to defend man: man in his integrity, and all human beings. It is a path of critical and prophetic discernment aimed at promoting an "integral development" of humanity, which respects its authentic dignity and identity, as well as its ultimate purpose, which refers to a mystery of full communion with the God Trinity and among us" (INTERNATIONAL THEOLOGICAL COMMISSION, Quo vadis, humanitas?, 22).

This is the first service that the proclamation of the Gospel must provide: to enlighten the human person and society so that, in the light of Christ and his Word, they may discover their own identity, the meaning of human life, the value of relationships and social solidarity, the ultimate end of existence and the destiny of history.

In this regard, I wish to encourage you to provide a passionate and generous service in evangelization. Announce the Gospel of life, hope and love; bring to all the light of the Gospel so that the life of every man and every woman is defended and promoted from their conception to their natural end; offer new maps capable of curbing those impulses of secularism that run the risk of reducing man to individualism and basing social life on the production of wealth.

It is important that the proclamation of the Gospel and the forms of faith, so rooted in your identity and society, are preserved from the risk of being reduced to habit, even if it is good. A living faith is always prophetic, capable of raising questions and offering provocations: are we really defending the human being? Are we protecting the dignity of the person in the protection of life in all its phases? Is the current economic and social model really fair and inspired by solidarity? Is this model inhabited by the ethics of responsibility, which helps us to go beyond the “logic of the exchange of equivalent things and profit as an end in itself” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter enc. Caritas in veritate, 38), to build a fairer society?

Dear friends, keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, our advocate before the Father, generates a faith rooted in the personal relationship with Him, a faith that becomes a testimony, capable of transforming life and renewing society. This faith needs to be announced with new instruments and languages, also digital, and all must be introduced and trained in it with continuity and creativity. This applies in particular to those who are opening up to the encounter with God - the catechumens - and to those who start again, to whom I ask them to have special attention.

May your patron saint, the Virgin and martyr Devota, inspire you with her example, and may Mary Most Holy, Immaculate Virgin, intercede for you and always guide you along this path.

The popeʼs homily was published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV addressed Monaco at the outset of his brief one-day visit there on March 28, telling the tiny micro-state that the “gift of smallness” and a “living spiritual heritage” lets the country “serve the cause of law and justice.”

The Holy Father touched down in the city-state at 9 a.m. The brief journey to Monaco was undertaken by helicopter to ensure the pope would not have to set foot on French soil, thereby absolving him of the institutional obligation to pay a visit to the president of the French Republic.

The pope was welcomed by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlotte; the prince had extended the invitation for the pope to visit the country following a private audience held on Feb. 17th.

Upon the popeʼs arrival a cannon fired a twenty-one-gun salute, church bells pealed in celebration, and the Vatican flag was raised.

In an address from the Palace of Monaco, Leo XIV said the country should be particularly attentive to the need for justice “at a historical juncture when the ostentation of force and the logic of domination harm the world and jeopardize peace.”

"In the Bible, as you know, it is the small who make history!” the pope said.

The Holy Father told the country that “the Catholic faith — which yours is among the few nations in the world to hold as its state religion — places us before the sovereignty of Jesus, a sovereignty that calls upon Christians to become, within the world, a kingdom of brothers and sisters.”

Monaco is the last nation in Europe where Catholicism remains the official state religion. In November of 2025, Prince Albert declined to promulgate an abortion law that would have broadened the grounds for terminating a pregnancy within the principality.

After the meeting between Leo XIV and the prince, there was a meeting with both the prince and princess in the Salon de Famille, followed by an exchange of gifts, the signing of the Book of Honor, and a papal introduction to the royal family.

At the conclusion of the ceremonies, Leo XIV and the prince joined together in prayer.

 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.

Leo is the first pope to visit the tiny country in nearly half a millennium.

A memorial Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica was held on the 10th anniversary of the death of Mother Angelica, the foundress of EWTN, the world’s largest Catholic media network.

The principal celebrant at the Mass, Father Michael Baggot, LC, a bioethics professor, recalled in his homily in the basilica’s Chapel of the Choir that Mother Angelica “conveyed the faith with wit and wisdom.”

“Her message was both consoling and challenging,” he said.

Father Michael Baggot, LC, delivers the homily at the memorial Mass for Mother Angelica celebrated at St. Peter’s Basilica on March 27, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

“Mother Angelica understood that the fruitfulness of the apostolate depends on union with the Lord. What she proclaimed on air, she first pondered in adoration,” Baggot continued. “Mother Angelica also knew from experience that God works through humble, unexpected instruments to spread his Gospel.”

During the homily, Baggot praised Mother Angelica’s determination and repeated one of her famous quotes about serving the Lord, even when it seems difficult and frightening.

“As Mother said, ‘You want to do something for the Lord … do it. Whatever you feel needs to be done, even though you’re shaking in your boots, you’re scared to death — take the first step forward. The grace comes with that one step and you get the grace as you step. Being afraid is not a problem; it’s doing nothing when you’re afraid.’”

Baggot said it is “fitting” to honor Mother Angelica just two days after the celebration of the Annunciation and in a chapel “dedicated to Our Lady.” He said the Blessed Mother was also “deeply troubled by the angel’s message” and both “afraid” and “scared,” but she trusted God.

“Before such a daunting mission, she abandoned herself to Divine Providence. She was sustained by a love greater than any fear,” he said.

Attendees at the memorial Mass for Mother Angelica at the Vatican on March 27, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

In view of the testimony of the Virgin Mary — whom he defined as the “definitive bearer of the Eternal Word” — the priest highlighted that Mother Angelica’s life also reflected the paschal mystery, including her suffering following a stroke in 2001. “Mother knew from Mary that the ‘fiat’ given in youth must be renewed at the foot of the cross,” Baggot noted.

Baggot added that because Mother Angelica followed God’s calling, EWTN is accessible in hundreds of millions of homes in more than 160 countries and territories, and “its programs reach areas where conflict or persecution deprives citizens of other means of religious formation.”

He further commended the network for continuing to be a beacon of beauty and inspiration.

Although EWTN “has outgrown its first Alabama garage,” he said, “it has never outgrown — and could never outgrow — the reliance on Divine Providence that characterized Mother Angelica’s life.”

In addition to the Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, EWTN marked the anniversary with special programming throughout the day, including “Remembering Mother Angelica, 10 Years Later.”

The EWTN Global Catholic Network is broadcasting these events across its television and digital platforms — including its YouTube channel, the streaming platform EWTN+, and live and on-demand at www.ewtn.com — making the tribute to Mother Angelica’s life and legacy accessible to viewers worldwide.

Pope Leo XIV is set to meet with Sarah Mullally, the first female archbishop of Canterbury, as part of Mullally’s planned visit to Rome from April 25–28.

The announcement of the visit came from Lambeth Palace just two days after Mullally’s installation, which made her the first woman to hold the highest-ranking role in the Church of England.

It is also notable that the ascension of Mullally to that post continues to have significant repercussions within Anglicanism. Earlier this month, the Global Anglican Future Conference — which represents approximately 80% of Anglicans worldwide — announced that its member churches should “remove any reference to being in communion with the See of Canterbury.”

On the occasion of her March 25 installation as the highest spiritual authority in Anglicanism, Pope Leo sent a message to Mullally in which he underscored the responsibilities of the office, particularly during “a challenging moment in the history of the Anglican family.”

The pope also recalled the progress made in ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Anglicans and emphasized the need to continue advancing toward Christian unity.

For her part, Mullally expressed her gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for his closeness and prayers, and acknowledged the value of ecumenical dialogue between churches as well as unity among Christians.

She also asked the pope for prayers for the Church of England and for the Anglican Communion as a whole, “so that we may be guided by the Holy Spirit in faithfulness, unity, and charity.”

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.