The Vatican has called for a global ethical framework governing the use of animal organs in human transplants, warning that rapid advances in the field demand coordinated international oversight.

The Pontifical Academy for Life presented a new document examining the ethical challenges posed by xenotransplantation — the transplantation of animal organs into humans — an area that until recently was considered close to science fiction.

“It is an important contribution that the Church offers not only to believers but also to the scientific and ethical community, to see how to continue research, with protocols approved for human beings in this field,” said Msgr. Renzo Pegoraro, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, at a Vatican press conference introducing the volume “The Prospects for Xenotransplantation — Scientific Aspects and Ethical Considerations.”

The text, published in English in November and presented March 24, includes contributions from leading experts, including Harvard Medical School professor Jay A. Fishman, who has studied infectious risks linked to genetically modified pigs used for organ donation for three decades.

The 90-page document — the result of collaboration among scientists, clinicians, legal experts, theologians, and bioethicists — is intended as a “useful point of reference” for decision-makers at international, national, and local levels, Pegoraro said.

It updates a previous Vatican publication on the topic from 2001 and acknowledges that while some countries have already developed regulations, existing frameworks remain fragmented. The Vatican stresses the “importance” of achieving “substantial convergence of international legislation as soon as possible.”

Xenotransplantation has emerged in response to a global shortage of human organs. In the United States alone, between 13 and 17 people die each day while waiting for a transplant, and more than 100,000 patients remain on waiting lists — about 80% of them in need of a kidney.

“This is one of the possible solutions to alleviate the organ shortage we have, not only in the United States but globally,” said Dr. Daniel J. Hurst of Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, another contributor to the volume.

The document affirms that Catholics may morally accept animal organ transplants for medical treatment. “Catholic theology does not present obstacles, for religious or ritual reasons, to the use of any animal as a source of organs, tissues, or cells for transplantation into human beings,” it states.

However, it emphasizes that the use of animals is justified only when necessary to achieve a “significant benefit for human beings.”

Researchers involved in the project stressed the need to avoid unnecessary animal suffering and to establish clear ethical limits. Monica Consolandi, who coordinated the publication, said such procedures must be governed by strict criteria, ensuring “reasonable use, only out of necessity,” while avoiding “unnecessary suffering for the animal world.”

She also highlighted environmental concerns, warning that the use of genetically modified animals must not harm biodiversity and requires “a specific effort to preserve it.”

Beyond biological and environmental issues, the document addresses the psychological and spiritual impact on patients. Recipients of animal organs may experience emotional or identity-related challenges, Consolandi noted, making psychological support and comprehensive informed consent essential.

“We know that the human being is not determined by matter,” she said, adding that such procedures should not affect a person’s fundamental identity. Still, she stressed the importance of accompanying patients throughout the process, including after the transplant.

The document also notes that while the Catholic Church has articulated its position, other religious traditions — particularly Judaism and Islam — have yet to issue definitive guidance, though some openness has been observed in past discussions.

Experts involved in the project said a broader international consensus will be increasingly urgent as the technique moves closer to routine clinical use.

The Vatican also raised concerns about public health risks, particularly the potential transmission of diseases between species — known as xenozoonosis. “We must ask how to adequately protect both the patient and the public from this known but difficult-to-quantify risk,” Hurst said.

The document underscores that informed consent is “a cornerstone of ethics” in both research and clinical practice, requiring transparency not only about known risks and benefits but also about unknown factors.

Finally, the Vatican frames the issue within a broader moral vision of human responsibility toward creation. While humans are entrusted with stewardship over the natural world, Hurst said, “that does not mean we can do whatever we want with the earth, with resources, or with animal life.”

Instead, he added, such stewardship calls for responsible care — a central principle guiding the Vatican’s approach to emerging biomedical technologies.

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 appointed Bishop Anthony Randazzo of Broken Bay, Australia, as prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, granting him the personal title of archbishop, the Vatican announced Wednesday.

With the appointment, Randazzo will become the first Australian to head a dicastery of the Roman Curia since Cardinal George Pell, who served as prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy until his retirement in 2019.

Randazzo, 59, was born in Sydney on Oct. 7, 1966, to parents originally from the island of Lipari in Italy. He was ordained a priest in 1991 after studies in Brisbane and later earned a degree in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He has held a number of roles in Australia and at the Vatican, including service as an official at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2004 to 2008. He later served as rector of Holy Spirit Seminary in Brisbane and as auxiliary bishop of Sydney before being appointed bishop of Broken Bay in 2019.

Randazzo has also been a member of the permanent committee of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference and chaired its canonical affairs panel.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, welcomed the appointment, saying Randazzo’s “formation and long experience in canon law have been a precious gift to the Church.”

“His expertise and leadership in canonical matters have been invaluable to the work of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference,” Costelloe added.

In another appointment, Monsignor Renzo Pegoraro, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, was named titular bishop of Gabi and granted the personal title of archbishop.

The pope also named Major Archbishop Claudiu-Lucian Pop of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia of the Romanians as a member of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches. Pop, born in 1972 in Pişcolt, Romania, has served in various pastoral and academic roles, including studies in Rome and leadership positions within the Romanian Greek Catholic Church.

Additionally, the Vatican announced new members of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology: Alfonsina Russo, a senior official in Italy’s Ministry of Culture, and professors Lucrezia Spera and Francesca Romana Stasolla, both specialists in Christian and medieval archaeology at Roman universities.

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.

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday said priestly ministry in the Catholic Church, entrusted only to men, is understood in light of apostolic succession and called for priests who are “ardent with evangelical charity” and “courageous missionaries.”

During his March 25 catechesis dedicated to the dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium, from the Second Vatican Council, Leo explained that the Church “is founded on the apostles, whom Christ appointed as the living pillars of his mystical body.”

Speaking in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff emphasized that the Church possesses a “hierarchical structure that works in the service of the unity, mission, and sanctification of all her members,” and that it is not merely an organizational structure but an institution of divine origin.

The pope recalled that the apostles, as authoritative witnesses of the Resurrection, received from Christ the mission to teach, sanctify, and guide, and that this ministry “is handed on to men who, until Christ’s return, continue to sanctify, guide, and instruct the Church ‘through their successors in pastoral office.’”

This transmission, he explained, forms the basis of apostolic succession and of the sacrament of holy orders, which is structured in three degrees: the episcopate, the presbyterate, and the diaconate.

The pope quoted from chapter 3 of Lumen Gentium, which is about the hierarchical structure of the Church, and states that this structure “is not a human construct, functional to the internal organization of the Church as a social body,” but a divine institution through which Christ’s mission continues throughout history.

The essential difference of the ministerial priesthood

In his address, the pontiff highlighted that Vatican II teaches that the ministerial or hierarchical priesthood “differs ‘in essence and not only in degree’ from the common priesthood of the faithful,” while making clear that the latter are “nonetheless interrelated: Each of them in its own special way is a participation in the one priesthood of Christ.”

Thus, the ordained ministry is conferred on men who receive “sacra potestas,” or sacred power, for service in the Church, in continuity with the apostolic mission originally entrusted to the Twelve Apostles.

This link with the apostles — chosen by Christ from among men — constitutes the theological foundation explaining why the Church considers the ministerial priesthood to be reserved to men, in fidelity to tradition and to the mandate received from Christ.

A service born from charity

Leo insisted that this hierarchical structure must always be understood as service. Quoting the Second Vatican Council, he recalled that the duty entrusted to pastors “is a true service, which in sacred literature is significantly called ‘diakonia’ or ministry.”

He also recalled the words of St. Paul VI, who described the hierarchy as a reality “born of the charity of Christ, to fulfill, spread, and ensure the intact and fruitful transmission of the wealth of faith, examples, precepts, and charisms bequeathed by Christ to his Church.”

Call for new priests

In the final part of his catechesis, the pope invited Catholics to pray for priestly vocations.

“Let us pray to the Lord that he may send to his Church ministers who are ardent with evangelical charity, dedicated to the good of all the baptized, and courageous missionaries in every part of the world,” he said.

Spiritual adoption of unborn children

In his remarks to Polish pilgrims at the general audience, the pope praised an initiative in defense of human life, especially in an international context marked by conflicts and wars.

On March 25, Poland celebrates the “Day for the Sanctity of Life,” which was instituted in response to St. John Paul II’s call to promote respect for human life in the encyclical Evangelium Vitae.

“We really need initiatives like the spiritual adoption of an unborn child, which is being launched today. In a time marked by the madness of war, it is important to defend life from conception to its natural end,” Leo said.

Catholics in Poland are encouraging people to commit to pray for an unborn child in danger of abortion for nine months, from the March 25 solemnity of the Annunciation to Dec. 25.

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

Dani Dayan, chairman of Yad Vashem, said that remembering and honoring the Holocaust is essential to combating rising antisemitism worldwide.

Dayan, who met with Pope Leo XIV on March 23 together with Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, said their conversation focused on “two issues: the historical remembrance, the need to remember, to know about the Holocaust — but not just for the sake of history, also for the sake of the present and the sake of the future.”

We have to make sure that an “atrocity like this cannot happen again — not to the Jewish people, not to any other people,” he said.

He added that antisemitism is “raising its ugly head again all over the world” and that the two issues are closely linked.

“I think that knowing about the Holocaust, learning about the Holocaust, remembering, honoring the Holocaust is one of the tools to combat antisemitism,” Dayan said.

‘Antisemitism is bigotry’

Asked whether Israeli policy risks fueling antisemitism, Dayan rejected the premise.

“I think antisemitism should not have palliative reasons. Antisemitism is bigotry, antisemitism is racism, and it’s completely independent of anything that Israel does or does not,” he said.

He described antisemitism as a unifying force among otherwise opposed extremist groups.

“In many sectors in the world, antisemitism has become the common denominator, the lingua franca of all the extremists in the world — left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, religious extremists, Islamist extremists, and many others,” he said.

“They hate each other on any other issue… [but] they don’t only agree, they even collaborate.”

“Antisemitism should not be understood. It should be combated without any reservation,” he added, noting he found “full agreement” with Pope Leo XIV on the point.

Memory, politics, and responsibility

Dayan emphasized the distinction between Holocaust remembrance and contemporary political debates.

“The policy and Holocaust remembrance are two completely different things,” he said, while noting that the Holocaust remains “omnipresent in the back of our minds” for many Jews and continues to shape collective identity.

He said the obligation to remember the Holocaust is “threefold”: for the future, to build a world free of bigotry and genocide; for the present, amid resurging antisemitism; and as a moral duty to the victims.

“Six million victims that were massacred by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during the Shoah deserve to be remembered,” he said. “It’s a debt that we have to maintain.”

A shared history and a future visit?

Reflecting on relations between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people, Dayan pointed to the significance of papal visits to Yad Vashem.

He presented Pope Leo XIV with a painting by Jewish artist Carol Deutsch, created during the Shoah, depicting the biblical question “Adam, where are you?”

He linked the image to Pope Francis’ address at Yad Vashem, in which the late pope asked: “Where was humanity?”

Dayan expressed hope that Pope Leo XIV would visit Yad Vashem in the future, “when circumstances allow it.”

‘Peace is an imperative’

Asked about the role of believers in promoting peace, Dayan said the memory of the Holocaust underscores the urgency of that mission.

“To yearn for it and to act for it,” he said. “Learning about the Holocaust… is one of the greatest motivations a person can have to understand that peace is an imperative.”

He acknowledged that he once believed the devastation of World War II and the Holocaust would end war and antisemitism.

“Unfortunately… I was very naive in that respect. We have to work harder, all of us, in order to make that a reality in the future,” he said.

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

Representatives of the International Association of Exorcists (AIE) have asked Pope Leo XIV to ensure that every Catholic diocese worldwide has “one or more” trained exorcists, citing what they describe as a rise in cases linked to occult practices and spiritual distress.

The request was made during a private audience March 13 at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, where the pope met with Bishop Karel Orlita and Father Francesco Bamonte, president and vice president of the association. The meeting focused on what the group described as “unprecedented challenges” facing the ministry of exorcism.

During the half-hour meeting, the AIE presented the pope with a detailed report warning of a “painful and increasingly widespread situation of people seriously affected by the extraordinary action of the devil as a result of their involvement in occult sects,” according to a statement released after the meeting.

The group’s primary proposal was structural and educational. Given the “great suffering caused by the extraordinary action of the devil,” it emphasized “the need for each diocese in the world to have one or more priest exorcists” who are properly trained.

To that end, the AIE called for expanded formation at multiple levels of Church life: instruction in seminaries on the “real existence and nature of the demonic world” in light of the Gospel; a brief course in exorcism ministry for newly appointed bishops so they can oversee it in their dioceses; and mandatory prior training for priests designated as exorcists, in line with the Church’s official ritual.

In comments to ACI Prensa, Bamonte warned that ignoring the extraordinary action of the devil risks “leaving the faithful without defense against serious spiritual attacks,” potentially prolonging suffering or leading people to seek inappropriate solutions.

“The spread of occultism in its various forms, and of Satanism, unfortunately opens doors and windows to the extraordinary action of the devil in today’s world,” he said. “This can cause grave suffering in those who imprudently turn to these practices, through possible cases of possession, vexation, obsession, or diabolical infestation.”

Bamonte said it is “reasonable” to believe such cases are increasing, pointing to the rise of esoteric and magical practices in recent decades.

According to the group, this trend is also linked to a broader “turning away from God, the increase of sin, and the spread of esotericism and occultism.”

The presence of authorized exorcists, Bamonte said, allows the Church to “continue Christ’s mandate to cast out demons” and to assist those suffering from what it describes as extraordinary demonic influence.

“The Church, as the family of God, has the task of caring for its members in all their needs, even the most extreme at the spiritual level; the priest exorcist is a pastor who offers this help,” he said.

He added that the absence of exorcists in a diocese constitutes “a harm” to the faithful, depriving them of specific sacramental assistance and weakening the Church’s ability to function as a true “family of God.”

For that reason, he stressed the importance of preparing clergy to address such cases. “The future priest must be prepared to face the real pastoral situations he will encounter in his ministry, including the growing number of faithful who request the intervention of exorcists,” he said.

This formation, he added, should include criteria to discern when the intervention of an exorcist is necessary and should begin during seminary training.

One of the AIE’s recent initiatives has been the publication of “Guidelines for the Ministry of Exorcism,” a document reviewed by several Vatican dicasteries that offers doctrinal and practical guidance. The text was presented to the pope during the audience, along with an image of St. Michael the Archangel from the sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo.

During the meeting, Pope Leo XIV also told those present that he had known and appreciated Father Gabriele Amorth, the priest who founded the International Association of Exorcists in 1994.

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 warned that children must not come to see artificial intelligence chatbots as substitutes for real friendship, cautioning that such reliance could harm their intellectual and emotional development.

“We must not allow children to end up believing they can find in artificial intelligence chatbots their best friends or the oracle of all knowledge, dulling their intelligence and their capacity for relationships, and numbing their creativity and thinking,” the pope said.

Leo made the remarks in a message published Sunday in Popotus, the weekly supplement of the Italian newspaper Avvenire dedicated to children, marking its 30th anniversary.

In that context, he urged adults to “safeguard” childhood and guide “the growth of children so that they may become protagonists of a renewed world.”

The pope has consistently highlighted artificial intelligence as a central concern of his pontificate, framing it as an ethical challenge comparable to the industrial revolution addressed by Pope Leo XIII.

On May 10, 2025, in an address to cardinals in the New Synod Hall, he stressed the need to “respond to another industrial revolution — the digital one — and to developments in artificial intelligence, which pose new challenges in defending human dignity, justice, and work.”

In recognition of his engagement on the issue, Time magazine included him on Aug. 29 in its list of the 100 most influential people in the field of artificial intelligence, following several notable interventions on the topic in the early months of his pontificate.

In his message to Popotus readers, Leo encouraged children to rediscover the beauty of the world.

“I want to tell you that restoring the world’s beauty is possible and that you can help adults to see it — precisely through this newspaper designed for you — with renewed wonder, to think about it with trust, and to build it without prejudice,” he said.

He also emphasized fundamental values to be preserved in childhood: “Trust in those who love you, the universal language of love, the disarming power of a smile, the courage to ask forgiveness, the beauty of making peace.”

The Holy Father expressed “great concern” over wars threatening humanity’s future and underscored the need to recover a pure way of seeing reality.

Quoting Jesus’ words — “Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” — the pope explained that becoming like children does not mean going backward but rather “safeguarding a key to seeing what is essential in everything, to finding surprising answers even to the most difficult questions.”

“Perhaps only by looking into the lost eyes of children in the face of the barbarity of war can we be converted. We must learn again to look into one another’s eyes and to see the world with pure eyes,” he added.

Addressing parents and educators, Leo thanked them for “the care and love with which they educate children,” helping them “to draw out the beauty within them and to express it in ever new ways.”

“Today especially, in the digital age and the age of artificial intelligence, we all need ongoing education. And to remain human, we must preserve a childlike way of looking at reality,” he concluded.

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.

On March 23, thousands of athletes raced through the streets of Rome in the annual Rome Marathon. One of them, wearing the white habit of a Dominican friar under his jersey, was the Franco-Algerian Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, OP — the first cardinal to participate in the 44-year history of the event.

“Since I was a child, I have been running,” Vesco told EWTN News. “I love running and I have already run several marathons, like the New York Marathon 37 years ago.”

In a homily during Mass for participants of the Rome Marathon on March 21, the cardinal said competition teaches about the fragility of the human body and how this can be a “school of prayer” and of life.

“At some point in the race, our strength will fail, and we will have to take a leap of faith, going beyond our own strength. This is difficult. But it is precisely at this point that we can search deeper within ourselves for meaning, and perhaps it will be a moment of prayer,” he said.

The cardinal’s personal hero: A Muslim fellow runner

The cardinal completed the Rome Marathon with his longtime friend, Khaled Boudaoui. An Algerian Muslim, Boudaoui competed in the Rome Marathon last year and was awarded the trophy “La Coppa degli Ultimi” by the Vatican to recognize those who were “witnesses to hope” during the race.

Khaled was recently diagnosed with a tumor and began chemotherapy only 25 days before competing this year in Rome. Vesco praised his friend, saying his courage inspired him to run another public marathon.

“Khaled is my hero. He is sick, and we wanted to race and cross the finish line hand in hand. A marathon is beautiful because it’s a bit like life. In a marathon, we don’t run against each other but with each other — a race of brotherhood,” he said.

Khaled added in turn: “It was very difficult for me to run after starting chemotherapy. But I ran today thanks to my friend, Jean-Paul. I ran to show others, who may be going through similar illnesses, that they too can run. We ran to build bridges.”

A Catholic presence at the marathon inspired by Pope Francis

Vesco’s participation in the marathon was a highlight for Catholics already competing in the race. The Vatican’s sports team, Atletica Vaticana, has competed in the marathon since 2019, having been encouraged by Pope Francis. Giampaolo Mattei, president of Atletica Vaticana, described Francis’ impact on their mission of sports and service to others.

“We were inspired by Pope Francis’ example of inclusion,” Mattei said to EWTN News, recalling that the late pope asked them to include migrants in their team. “In our sports team, we are not looking for just Catholics. We look for core values — being together, community, and attention to the disabled and the poor.”

“La Coppa degli Ultimi” (“the Cup of the Last”) is one of several spiritual initiatives promoted by Atletica Vaticana. Another initiative was a prayer box for the participants, into which runners of all faiths were invited to place written prayer intentions before competing.

Valentina Giacometti, vice president of Atletica Vaticana, explained the initiative: “On the day before the race, we invited all runners to submit prayer intentions. Each card began with the phrase ‘I ran for,’ and we offered all of these intentions to the Lord during the Mass with Cardinal Vesco.”

Another noteworthy initiative of Atletica Vaticana is its service to Rome’s poor. After the race, the members of Atletica Vaticana and other volunteers go to Rome’s central train station, Roma Termini, to serve food to the homeless. Sister Marié-Theo Puybareau Manaud, who competed in the race, described it as a way of expressing universal fraternity as taught by Pope Francis.

“Service to the poor might seem disconnected to the idea of running. But I believe that connection is precisely that of universal brotherhood — ‘fratelli tutti,’” she said, alluding to the 2020 encyclical by Pope Francis. “In this race, we are not competitors but brothers. Sport and service together make up a movement of life, especially alongside the poorest, for whom we can offer hope.”

On the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Leo XIV met last week with some of his eighth grade classmates from St. Mary of the Assumption lower school in south Chicago, where he grew up.

Of the 82 eighth graders with whom he attended St. Mary’s in 1969, 10 greeted him after the general audience on March 18, exchanging laughs, gifts, and warm handshakes.

During the meeting, his former classmates gave him a photograph of the class of 1969, which he held up as he posed for another group shot more than 50 years later.

Jerome Clemens pointed out the young Robert Prevost standing among his classmates to the L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper: “Here he is, our friend, the pope,” showing the back of the photo with Prevost’s old autograph and his new one, which he signed, “Leo XIV.”

Another former classmate, Sherry Stone (née Blue), dropped a sign she held that read “God bless you Pope Leo” when the pope approached her.

“Sorry! I’m nervous!” she said, laughing, as he shook her hand.

Instagram post

Last spring, Stone told the Lansing Journal: “When he was in the conclave, I thought, ‘Could it be him? Could Bob be the new pope? No, probably not.’ When I saw that it was him, I was just amazed. I was crying tears of joy.”

“He was a super nice guy, but not nerdy,” she said.

After finishing eighth grade at St. Mary’s, Prevost attended boarding school at St. Augustine Seminary High School in Michigan, graduating in 1973. He then attended another Augustinian school, Villanova University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1977 before entering the Augustinian novitiate that September.

He was ordained a priest in 1982, earning a master of divinity degree from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago that same year. He earned a licentiate in canon law (JCL) in 1984 and completed a doctorate in canon law (JCD) in 1987, both from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

St. Mary’s church and school on Chicago’s ‘most endangered list’

St. Mary of the Assumption Church and School, where a young Prevost served as an altar boy and his mother, Mildred Prevost, worked as a librarian, was at the center of a vibrant Catholic community in the Riverdale neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side in the 1960s.

The property, which has been vacant since 2011 and is now privately owned, is located just a few blocks from the pope’s childhood home in Dolton, Illinois, but within Chicago city limits.

The neighborhood has seen significant decline since the pope’s childhood. Ward Miller of Preservation Chicago told EWTN News that St. Mary’s, which has a hole in the roof of the church building, broken windows, graffiti, and many other issues, was listed on Preservation Chicago’s 2026 “7 Most Endangered List" as of March 4.

Broken windows and graffiti on St. Mary of the Assumption School, where Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, attended eighth grade in 1969. | Credit: Matthew Kaplan

“We at Preservation Chicago are of the opinion that the church and school buildings of St. Mary’s are in need of immediate attention in order to secure temporary repairs, with a long-term goal of a full restoration of the campus of buildings, before everything is lost to deterioration,” Miller said.

The property’s current owner, Joel Hall, said last year he is open to a landmark designation by the city, according to Miller.

Preservation Chicago, a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to preserving historic sites in Chicago and encouraging landmark designations in the city, presented its case to designate it as such at a meeting in May 2025 of the Commission of Chicago Landmarks.

No decision has been made yet regarding the landmark designation, but Preservation Chicago has created an online petition to the city of Chicago to “Save the Pope’s Church!”

“This complex should become a visitors site, an oratory or shrine, as this is our first American pope — a world leader, and from Chicago!” Miller told EWTN News.

The interior of the dilapidated St. Mary of the Assumption Church, showing water damage to the floor and graffiti behind where the altar once stood. Pope Leo XIV served as an altar boy there during his childhood. | Credit: Ward Miller/Preservation Chicago

“We would very much like to see a partnership form to save these buildings and tell the story of this world leader,” reads an article on Preservation Chicago’s website. “An initial step in this process would be to consider a Chicago landmark designation of the buildings of this campus, with a plan to methodically restore and repurpose each of the buildings.”

Close-up of St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Riverdale, Chicago, Pope Leo XIV’s childhood parish, which was recently added to Preservation Chicagoʼs “7 Most Endangered” list of historic structures in the city. | Credit: Cristen Brown

Miller told EWTN News he would like to see the property “prepared [in time] for the pope’s return visits to Chicago!”

The pope does not yet have plans to visit the United States.

Questions about whether Pope Leo XIV must vote in Peru or pay taxes in the United States remain unresolved, with one canon law expert arguing that the pope’s unique status as a sovereign head of state likely exempts him in practice — even if the legal picture is not entirely settled.

The debate has gained attention following Leo XIV’s election, given that he holds both U.S. and Peruvian citizenship. In Peru, voting is mandatory, with elections scheduled for April 13. In the United States, citizens — including those living abroad — are generally required to file tax returns, including disclosures of foreign income.

The Holy See Press Office did not immediately respond to questions about whether the pope will vote in Peru or in the United States or file U.S. income tax returns.

According to Professor Antonio G. Chizzoniti, a canon law scholar at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, these questions arise from treating the pope as an ordinary dual citizen — an assumption he argues is incomplete.

“The issue of the pope’s citizenship lies at the intersection of distinct legal systems,” Chizzoniti told ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News, referring to canon law, Vatican law, and the laws of the countries from which popes originate. “None of these systems establishes uniform rules,” he said, noting that the pope’s legal status is the result of a “complex layering of norms” that has led to different outcomes in modern history.

Chizzoniti emphasized that canon law does not require a pope to renounce prior citizenship, nor does it forbid retaining it. He described this as an intentional gap, reflecting the Church’s focus on the pope’s spiritual and ecclesial role rather than his civil status.

At the same time, Vatican law grants the pope citizenship of Vatican City automatically upon his election. This “functional citizenship,” tied to office rather than birth or descent, exists alongside any prior nationality, which may still be retained depending on the laws of the country of origin.

As a result, modern popes have typically held multiple citizenships. Historical examples include St. John Paul II retaining Polish citizenship and Pope Francis maintaining Argentine nationality.

In principle, Chizzoniti said, obligations tied to original citizenship — such as taxes or voting — could still apply. However, he argued that the pope’s status as a foreign head of state introduces a decisive complication.

“It will be necessary to verify the applicability of such obligations to a foreign head of state,” he said, pointing to the well-established principle in international law that grants heads of state immunity from the jurisdiction of other countries.

This immunity, he explained, generally covers both official and private acts and prevents enforcement of civil or administrative obligations by foreign states.

For that reason, while the pope’s dual citizenship is not merely theoretical, “there are multiple reasons to consider these obligations not applicable or no longer enforceable” in his case, Chizzoniti said.

Still, his analysis reflects a legal interpretation rather than a definitive resolution. The interaction between citizenship obligations and head-of-state immunity — especially in cases as unique as the papacy — remains a matter of ongoing discussion rather than settled law.

Leo XIV’s situation is particularly notable because he holds three citizenships: U.S. citizenship by birth, Peruvian citizenship acquired in 2015 when he became bishop of Chiclayo, and Vatican citizenship by virtue of his election as pope.

Ultimately, Chizzoniti argues that the pope’s identity as both the Holy See and the sovereign of Vatican City distinguishes him fundamentally from ordinary citizens — even those with dual nationality.

But the broader questions — whether and how civil obligations tied to citizenship apply to a reigning pope — remain open, highlighting the unusual intersection of international law, state sovereignty, and the unique nature of the papal office.

A version of 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.

“After the tragic experiences of the 20th century, aerial bombardment should have been banished forever!” Pope Leo XIV said Monday during an audience with airline executives and staff.

“Instead, as we know, it still exists, and technological development, which is positive in itself, is being put at the service of war. This is not progress, it is regression!” he added.

The pope, speaking to representatives of Italy’s national airline, ITA Airways, along with a delegation from the Lufthansa Group, emphasized that aviation must serve peace rather than conflict.

“Aircraft should always be vehicles of peace, never of war! No one should fear that threats of death and destruction will come from the sky,” he said.

Leo XIV also underscored the importance of fostering peace through global travel and cooperation.

“In this context, it becomes even more important to chart courses of peace in the skies,” he said.

The audience highlighted the long-standing relationship between the papacy and Italy’s national airline, dating back to St. Paul VI’s historic 1964 pilgrimage to the Holy Land — the first papal journey by air. Since then, successive popes have continued the tradition of international apostolic travel.

The pope noted that he himself plans to rely on ITA Airways for his upcoming trip to Africa in about 20 days.

Reflecting on papal travel more broadly, Leo XIV described such journeys as a visible expression of the Church’s mission.

“The papal flights are one of the most eloquent symbols of the mission of the successors of Peter in the contemporary age,” he said. “In a particular way, in his apostolic journeys, the pope appears to everyone as a messenger of peace: His routes are what they should always be, namely bridges of dialogue, of encounter, and of brotherhood.”

He also praised airline personnel for their professionalism and spirit of service.

“My predecessors and the collaborators who accompanied them on their international journeys found in the personnel of Alitalia and ITA not only qualified and experienced professionals, but also people capable of creating a serene, I would say almost family-like, atmosphere, where respect goes hand in hand with devotion,” he said.

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 on Monday approved the advancement of the beatification cause for Boys Town founder Father Edward J. Flanagan, declaring him “Venerable.”

The Irish-born priest, revered for his revolutionary approach to caring for homeless and impoverished children in the 20th century, famously said there was “no such thing as a bad boy, only bad environment, bad modeling, and bad teaching.”

His life and legacy were immortalized in the 1938 movie “Boys Town,” starring Spencer Tracy, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of the priest.

Thanks to his ministry to young boys in Omaha, Nebraska, Flanagan was invited to review the child welfare conditions in Japan and Korea in 1947, and the following year in Austria and Germany.

While in Germany, Flanagan had a heart attack and died on May 15, 1948. His body rests at Dowd Memorial Chapel of the Immaculate Conception in Boys Town, Nebraska.

The pope declared the “heroic virtue” of Flanagan alongside four other holy men and women on March 23.

He also authorized the beatification of Italian Cardinal Ludovico Altieri, who died ministering to cholera patients during an epidemic in 1867.

Altieri was found to have made an “offering of life,” a legal path to sainthood created by Pope Francis in 2017.

The other sainthood causes advanced Monday are French diocesan priest Henri Caffarel (1903-1996), founder of Équipes Notre-Dame; Visionary and Polish Sister Barbara Stanisława Samulowska, who served for five decades as a missionary in Guatemala (1865-1950); Spanish Sister Maria Dolores Romero Algarín (Mother Belén) (1916-1977); and Italian husband and father of 12 Giuseppe Castagnetti (1909-1965).

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday voiced dismay over ongoing conflicts around the world, saying the suffering of innocent victims “hurts all of humanity” and urging an end to hostilities grounded in dialogue and respect for human dignity.

“We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many defenseless people who are victims of these conflicts. What hurts them hurts all of humanity,” the pope said after praying the Angelus on March 22.

“The death and pain caused by these wars is a scandal for the entire human family and a cry that rises to God,” he continued. “I strongly renew my appeal to persevere in prayer, so that hostilities may cease and paths to peace may finally open up, based on sincere dialogue and respect for the dignity of every human person.”

Earlier, in his reflection before the Angelus, the pope focused on the Gospel account of the raising of Lazarus, describing it as a sign of Christ’s victory over death and the promise of eternal life received through baptism.

“The account of the resurrection of Lazarus, then, invites us to listen to this profound need and, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to free our hearts from habits, conditioning, and ways of thinking which, like boulders, shut us away in the tomb of selfishness, materialism, violence, and superficiality,” he said.

“In these places there is no life but only confusion, dissatisfaction, and loneliness.”

Quoting Jesus’ command in the Gospel — “Come out!” — the pope said Christ calls believers to emerge from such “cramped spaces,” renewed by his grace, and to “walk in the light of love, as new women and men, capable of hoping and loving, without calculation and without measure, according to the model of his infinite charity.”

He also warned that the world seems “to constantly search for novelty and change, even at the cost of sacrificing important things — time, energy, values, affections,” as though “fame, material goods, entertainment, and fleeting relationships could fill our hearts or make us immortal.”

“It is a symptom of a longing for the infinite that each of us carries within us, a need that cannot be satisfied by passing things,” he said. “Nothing finite can quench our inner thirst, for we are made for God, and we find no peace until we rest in him.”

The pope concluded by entrusting the faithful to the Virgin Mary, praying that the experience of encountering the risen Christ may be renewed in them each day.

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.

ROME — A political science professor from the U.S. has used data analysis to show how Pope Francis differed from predecessors regarding policy, appointments, and papal trips, while notably omitting discussion of the deceased pontiff’s doctrinal differences.

The University of Notre Dame in Rome hosted the lecture “Francis and His Predecessors: Quantifying Continuity and Change in the Modern Papacy,” by Sean Theriault, on March 19.

Avoiding theological debate?

Theriault, a self-described sociologist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, told EWTN News that he became interested in studying Pope Francis’ legacy two years ago after discussing the papacy with his students and fellow Catholics.

“I had heard people suggest that Pope Francis was different, and I thought I could bring data to help assess how different he was. In other words, as a social scientist, I could actually supply some facts to the question at hand.”

He noted that his study avoids theological debate entirely, observing that while many theologians emphasize Francis’ doctrinal shifts, his study focuses on quantifiable patterns in the data.

What do the numbers say about Francis?

Examining the data reveals that Pope Francis was vastly different from his predecessors. The first metric used in the study was papal policy.

To quantify policy, Theriault analyzed papal addresses to the diplomatic corps — the so-called “State of the World address” — dating back to St. John XXIII. By parsing the words of each speech, he found that Francis had the lowest statistical correlation to any of his predecessors, focusing more on issues like immigration and refugees than traditional diplomatic concerns.

“I parsed out these speeches going back to the early 1960s by sentence or quasi-sentence, categorizing them,” Theriault said in his lecture. “If we separate international relations, Francis had the lowest correlation among his recent predecessors. For instance, in his 2025 address, though he did discuss the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, Francis touched on issues like artificial intelligence, respect for migrants, and the elimination of the death penalty.”

Increased diversity in cardinals and saints

The next metric analyzed was personnel, chiefly the makeup of the College of Cardinals and the canonization of new saints.

Theriault noted that while St. Paul VI was the first to diversify the demographics of the cardinals significantly, Francis had accelerated this trend toward a less Eurocentric cardinalate.

“The conclave that elected Paul VI was dominated by Europe (55 out of 80 cardinals), but he spread the reach of the college to other parts of the world. John Paul II continued this, Benedict, a bit less so, but Francis did it by far the most by 55%. He brought in cardinals from places like Laos, Sweden, and Brunei, and passed over traditional sees like Paris and Milan.”

Theriault also pointed out anomalies in Francis’ selection of cardinals from suffragan dioceses — rather than major archdioceses as done before — and his approach to canonization. “When Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles retired, we all expected the red hat to be given to the new archbishop, José Gómez. Instead, he gave the red hat to Bishop [Robert] McElroy, the bishop of San Diego, a suffragan diocese of Los Angeles.”

He added regarding canonizations: “Francis shortened the average time to canonization to 151 years. He canonized a vastly higher percentage of laypeople (18%) than his predecessors. He paired John XXIII with John Paul II for canonization, effectively blocking the canonization paths for Pius IX and Pius XII.”

Pilgrimages to the margins

Papal travel was the third metric Theriault analyzed. He observed that while previous popes spent their time abroad ministering primarily to Catholic audiences, Francis preferred to spend time with the marginalized.

“John Paul II loved meeting with everyday Catholics during his travels, especially the Polish and Hispanic communities. Benedict XVI focused on meeting with the Church hierarchy. Francis chose rather to visit prisons and homeless centers, focusing on the marginalized rather than exclusively Catholic audiences,” he said.

Looking ahead to Pope Leo XIV

Theriault concluded the lecture by predicting that Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate would reveal far more about Pope Francis’ time as pope than when he was still alive.

“Pope Leo is more of an institutionalist than Pope Francis, and significantly more reserved. In the long run, Pope Francis’ legacy is going to be far more pronounced precisely because he was succeeded by Leo, who is bringing along the whole Church and institutionalizing that vision in a way Francis just did not know how to do,” he said.

VATICAN CITY — King Felipe VI of Spain on Friday was installed as protocanon of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in a solemn ceremony that underscores the historic link of the Spanish monarchy with the oldest Marian church in the West.

“Protocanon” is an honorary title reserved exclusively for the Spanish head of state, recognizing the monarch as a collaborator of the pope without bestowing executive functions or decision-making power. The investiture March 20 renewed a relationship that dates back centuries and that last took place with Juan Carlos I of Spain in 1977.

The king arrived at the Marian basilica, one of four papal basilicas in Rome, after a 50-minute audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The meeting served as a prelude to the pontiff’s upcoming apostolic journey to Spain, scheduled for June 6–12.

Upon their arrival at the basilica, the king and his wife, Queen Letizia, were received at the Bronze Gate by the Spanish canon of the chapter, Monsignor José Jaime Brosel, and the archpriest of the basilica, Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas.

The king and queen viewed a statue of Philip IV of Spain, ancestor of the current monarch, a work designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and one of the pieces of evidence that show the centuries-old historical and spiritual relationship between Spain and the oldest Marian temple in the West.

During the ceremony, Makrickas stressed that “authentic tradition is not stagnation but the living transmission of a gift that transcends time” and recalled that the basilica is entrusted with prayer for Spain and its head of state.

Parts of the bull Hispaniarum Fidelitas were also read at the ceremony. Pope Pius XII signed the important document, which renewed and confirmed the historic ties of devotion and protection between the Spanish nation and the Basilica of St. Mary Major, in Rome on Aug. 5, 1953.

In a short speech, King Felipe VI reaffirmed his commitment to the historic Roman basilica and appealed for “clarity of deed and word, of heart and conscience” in the current context. He also invited people to overcome selfishness and indifference in order to become “a small beacon of concord, generosity, and dedication to the common good.”

Spain’s connection to the Basilica of St. Mary Major

Few know that the Basilica of St. Mary Major has close ties to the Spanish crown. Proof of this lies in the statue of Philip IV — an ancestor of the current king — which stands in the atrium.

The work was inaugurated in 1692 during the tenure of the Spanish ambassador, the Duke of Medinaceli.

The duke “was one of the main benefactors of St. Mary Major,” Brosel, a canon of the basilica and rector of the Spanish National Church of Santiago and Monserrat in Rome, told EWTN News ahead of the March 20 event.

“In fact, it was in 1647 that Pope Innocent X formally established the Spanish Charitable Foundation in this basilica. Furthermore, the pope established an annual income in exchange for certain privileges for the Spanish monarchy,” Brosel explained.

From that moment onward, the kings of Spain have held the title of “honorary protocanon.” This was a gesture of support for the pope during the Counter-Reformation but also a guarantee to safeguard the influence of the Spanish monarchy within the Holy See.

The last time a Spanish head of state took possession as protocanon of the basilica was the father of the current king, Juan Carlos I, on Feb. 10, 1977.

Brosel emphasized that Spain’s bond with the basilica “is born from the heart of Spain and its deep Marian devotion, where Spaniards feel St. Mary Major is their home.”

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on March 20, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Papal audience

The investiture ceremony for the king took place following a visit to the Vatican and private audience with Pope Leo XIV.

Leo’s upcoming trip to Spain — which is expected to include stops in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands — will be the first papal journey to Spain in 15 years.

Benedict XVI was the last pope to visit the country, traveling to Madrid for World Youth Day in 2011. At that time, Felipe VI was still a prince and the king was his father, Juan Carlos I.

Queen Letizia at Friday’s papal audience wore white, a privilege reserved for Catholic queens, although without a mantilla or hair comb.

The private conversation and exchange of gifts with Pope Leo was followed by talks with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher in the Secretariat of State.

This story was first published as three articles by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister agency of EWTN News. It was translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Vatican on Friday helped launch a campaign encouraging Catholic organizations, bishops’ conferences, and religious communities to divest from the mining sector for the sake of human ecology — one of several initiatives marking last year’s 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, which called for greater care toward environmental issues.

Sister Nina Krapić, MVZ, in her first press conference since Pope Leo XIV appointed her deputy director of the Holy See Press Office, noted how institutions have responded to environmental crises by incorporating Pope Francis’ teachings.

“In response to the reality of environmental crises, around 40 faith-based organizations have come together to launch the ‘Platform for Divestment in the Mining Industry,’” she said. “This initiative promotes ethical finance within the framework of integral ecology and Church documents on technology and responsible investment.”

Cardinal Fabio Baggio, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said that while the mining industry is necessary to access essential minerals, it has negatively impacted local communities.

“We know that minerals are necessary for many aspects of contemporary life. However, we also know that too often their extraction has been done without listening to local communities. It is important to listen to the voices of the communities that directly experience the challenges and conflicts due to both legal and illegal mining,” he said.

Guatemalan Cardinal Álvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imeri recounted how he was personally affected by mining in his Diocese of Huehuetenango.

“A Canadian mining company came to buy land after discovering it had gold and silver. It promised our people jobs, but environmental damages soon began. Destruction of nature, indiscriminate use of water, and use of cyanide,” he said. “Was it legal? Yes. Did it promote the development of these populations? No.”

Yolanda Flores, an Indigenous leader from Peru, expressed with emotion the need for clergy, religious, and lay faithful to accompany Indigenous peoples.

“Our agriculture, and especially our waters, our rivers, our streams, and our high-altitude wetlands are burned and destroyed by mining,” she said. “Why do these things happen? We want our bishops, our parish priests, not only to dedicate themselves to the sacraments but to be right there with us, guiding us, walking together to build new routes, new paths.”

Pope Leo XIV on March 12 appointed Spanish Augustinian Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín as papal almoner and prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, elevating him to the rank of archbishop at the same time.

Marín de San Martín replaces Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who will return to his native Poland as the new metropolitan archbishop of Łódź. Krajewski was named almoner in 2013, a cardinal in 2018, and prefect of the newly constituted charity dicastery in 2022.

The papal almoner is a key position in the Vatican, one that has played a vital role in the Church and its charitable undertakings for centuries. But what is the purpose of this office? What does an almoner do, and how does he fit into the complex structure of the Holy See?

Role emerged in earliest years of the Church

Matthew Bunson, vice president and editorial director of EWTN News, said the role of almoner dates back to the earliest days of the Church.

“This has always been a concern of the popes — to care for those most in need,” he said. Popular history holds that Pope Gregory I, also known as Gregory the Great, who took control of much of the civil authority in Rome in the absence of civil government, wept upon learning that an indigent citizen of Rome had starved to death, leading the sixth-century pope to emphasize ministries to the poor.

The position of almoner fully emerged under Innocent III, whose papacy took place in the late 1190s and early 1200s. “Subsequent centuries gave it more form,” Bunson said.

He noted that Pope Leo XIII sought more mechanisms for funding the charities overseen by the almoner. Among the fundraising mechanisms that emerged from his papacy was the custom of papal blessings; Catholics may be familiar with such blessings by seeing them framed and hung in the homes of the married couples to whom they are often given.

Though the papal alms office has for years headed global charity efforts at the behest of the pope, Bunson said Pope Francis during his papacy placed an “immense” amount of importance in the office, transforming it into a dicastery and making it what has been described as a “flagship initiative of the pontificate.”

Krajewski utilized the office to offer assistance to Ukrainians after the Russian invasion of their country in 2022. Domestically, meanwhile, the office oversees major charity initiatives in Rome, including the Mother of Mercy Clinic and the San Martino Outpatient Center.

Though commentators and analysts regularly opine on the authority and prestige of various Vatican appointments, the almoner position, Bunson said, is less one of power and more one of “pastoral care and spiritual care.”

The position’s importance is illustrated by the fact that it is one of the few Vatican offices that remains wholly uninterrupted in the event of a pope’s death or resignation.

Another such position is the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the so-called “tribunal of mercy,” the dicastery concerned with the internal forum and indulgences, especially the forgiveness of sins.

That official always keeps his job to ensure every Catholic always has an opportunity for God’s loving mercy. Similarly, the almoner retains his office because “everyone needs direct access to the Church’s pastoral care,” Bunson said.

He also noted that Marín de San Martín is an Augustinian. “Traditionally, the apostolic almoner is attached very closely to the papal household,” Bunson said. “Leo is continuing to surround himself with Augustinians.”

The charitable purpose of the position was perhaps best exemplified by a directive Pope Francis reportedly gave to Krajewski upon appointing him to the office. “You can sell your desk. You don’t need it,” the pope said, according to Krajewski himself.

“You need to get out of the Vatican,” Francis told him. “Don’t wait for people to come ringing. You need to go out and look for the poor.”

Cardinal Pietro Parolin urged an immediate halt to escalating conflict involving Iran, warning that the risk of a broader war in the Middle East is imminent and calling on world leaders to pursue dialogue and diplomacy instead of military action.

Speaking March 19 to journalists at the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Parolin said that if he were to meet Donald Trump, he would urge him “to stop as soon as possible, because the danger of escalation is imminent.” He added that the same appeal “should also be addressed to the Israelis,” encouraging them to seek “peaceful solutions.”

The cardinal also called for Lebanon to be “left in peace” and stressed that the urgent priority is “to truly try to resolve problems — whether real or perceived — through the peaceful means of diplomacy and dialogue.”

However, he acknowledged that amid the “dramatic events inflaming” one of the world’s most complex regions, there are currently no signs of de-escalation.

Parolin made the remarks during a book presentation on Pope Leo XIV titled “Leo XIV: Who Do You Say That I Am? I Am a Son of St. Augustine.”

He also reflected on the communication style of Pope Leo XIV, describing it as “disarmed and disarming,” measured in tone and content in contrast to a world where “the loudest voice often prevails.”

Addressing comparisons with Pope Francis, Parolin said each pope exercises the Petrine ministry in a unique way while maintaining continuity in the Church guided by the Holy Spirit.

He emphasized that Leo XIV’s repeated calls for peace — delivered “with serene and firm insistence every Sunday” — invite the world to “lay down arms” and abandon the “logic of profit, national interests, and power groups.”

Parolin highlighted “listening” as a central element of the current pontificate, describing it as a “great lesson” both within and beyond the Church. He said the pope’s vision of a “disarmed and disarming peace” continues the teaching of modern popes from Benedict XV to Paul VI.

Warning of growing global instability fueled by rising military spending and power-based international relations that disregard international law, Parolin said the pope instead proposes “listening, dialogue, and love” as the path forward.

He also pointed to the challenge of unity within the Church amid tensions, noting that Leo XIV promotes “patient dialogue” to preserve communion.

Finally, Parolin underscored the pope’s “synodal style” of governance, marked by shared decision-making and an understanding of authority as service. “It is not a weak form of primacy,” he said, but rather an expression of participation and co-responsibility.

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

VATICAN CITY — Amid increased religious violence and insecurity in Nigeria, a group of Nigerian bishops recently met Pope Leo XIV during their “ad limina” visit to Rome. The Nigerian bishops described it as an opportunity to amplify the “cries of their people” to the Vatican and to counter “false narratives” from government officials about the situation facing Nigerian Christians.

Under canon law, every diocesan bishop must visit Rome — ideally every five years — to meet the pope and report on the state of his diocese. The visit also includes meetings with the dicasteries of the Roman Curia.

The Nigerian bishops spoke of their visit March 1–16 as an expression of filial communion with Pope Leo and an opportunity for him to confirm the faith of their beleaguered people.

A pilgrimage to Rome with a nation under fire

Nigeria continues to be plagued by ethnic and religious violence, accounting for 72% of Christian killings, according to Open Doors’ World Watch List in 2026. A study by the World Watch List found the number of Christian killings and kidnappings in Nigeria was the highest in the world in 2024, underscoring the disproportionate targeting of Christians.

Pope Leo has raised awareness of religious violence in Nigeria. Last November, he commented to EWTN News on the issue that both “Christians and Muslims have been slaughtered.”

Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso, who was recently elected head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, told EWTN News that the bishops recounted the reality of the situation to the pope.

“Before we came to Rome, we bishops sent reports on our dioceses to the Vatican, and the summary was given to the Holy Father,” he told EWTN News. “But beyond what was written, we discussed with him the violence, the insurgencies, and the difficulties we face as apostles on the ground.”

Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso of Kaduna, Nigeria, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, stands in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on March 16, 2026. | Credit: Ishmael Adibuah/EWTN News

Archbishop Adewale Martins of Lagos added that “the issue of Christian violence came up very strongly with the pope, and he told us that he will use whatever possibilities he has to highlight our situation and see what he can do for us.”

Rebuttal to Nigerian first lady’s comments on Christian genocide

Several of the bishops spoke to EWTN News about the comments made in a recent interview by the Nigerian first lady, Oluremi Tinubu. In the face of growing concerns of Christian persecution in Nigeria, the first lady denied that Christians were being targeted for genocide. Cardinal Peter Okpaleke, however, insisted that the plight of Christians in Nigeria is concerning.

“There are many interpretations depending on what people understand as persecution,” Okpaleke said. “So, whatever vocabulary people want to use is not our concern. But the reality is that many people are dying.”

Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji of Owerri also noted the discrimination of Nigerian Christians in the federal constitution.

“When you look at the constitution, you see that it is lopsided in favor of Islam,” he told EWTN News. “Christians are often excluded. The Fulani militia has uprooted many communities. These groups are emboldened because of the government’s inability or unwillingness to act.”

Ndagoso also criticized the narrative denying the targeting of Christians in religious violence.

“For anyone to say there is no persecution of Christians in northern Nigeria is simply not living in reality. In some of our dioceses, the Muslim population is 98% or 99%. We Christians are an eternal minority. I can tell you that for over a century, we have been discriminated against and excluded from government and employment.”

The office of Sen. Oluremi Tinubu did not respond to a request for comment from EWTN News.

A stagnant canonization cause of Blessed Iwene Tansi?

The bishops rejected claims in the Nigerian press that the cause for the canonization of Blessed Iwene Tansi, whom Pope John Paul II beatified in 1998, is stalled. Archbishop Valerian Okeke of Onitsha assured EWTN News that the canonization process is ongoing for Nigeria’s only beatified person.

“It is not true that the cause has stalled,” he told EWTN News. “It is proceeding according to the style of the Church. The Church is still waiting for that miracle that will defy all doubt and alternative explanations. The supernatural reality of the event will be so clear even to the uninitiated. The Church is waiting for that, and we are hopeful that it will come.”

Cardinal Peter Okpaleke, bishop of Ekwulobia, Nigeria, speaks to EWTN News in the sacristy of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome on March 4, 2026. | Credit: Ishmael Adibuah/EWTN News

Okpaleke also addressed Blessed Tansi’s canonization. “We are not worried that others are ‘faster’ than us. In our own case, yes, we look forward to Blessed Iwene Tansi being canonized, but this also reminds us of the need to continue to invoke him in our prayers,” he said.

Looking ahead to 2027 general elections

Before their pilgrimage to Rome, the Nigerian bishops held their first plenary assembly from Feb. 19–26. They then issued a communiqué regarding the upcoming Nigerian general elections in 2027.

Ugorji, who formerly served as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, spoke of the need for political leaders to stop promoting their own interests ahead of those of the nation.

“Nigeria is a country where people get into leadership and put their private interests above the common good. So, we needed to emphasize the fact that the common good of society is tied to individual welfare,” he said.

Bishop John Niyiring, OSA, of Kano added: “All we want is for them to ensure security for all. Providing security is a constitutional responsibility. Instead of defending a narrative or their own interests, they should protect all citizens.”

Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, called upon the faithful worldwide to participate in the Good Friday collection aimed at assisting Christian communities in the Holy Land.

The Good Friday collection is one of the primary sources of support for the Custody of the Holy Land — the Franciscan institution that for centuries has safeguarded the sites connected to the life of Jesus Christ and accompanied the Christian communities living in the region.

The prefect called upon the faithful around the world to respond with a concrete gesture of solidarity. “I wish to propose a small gesture to you: to offer a little of our money to help our brothers and sisters who find themselves in extreme peril to live one more day, to find hope, and to find the possibility of starting anew.”

“How many times have I personally visited those Christian minorities who wake up every morning facing the danger of no longer having a place to exist!” Gugerotti wrote in the March 18 letter, which was also signed by the dicastery’s secretary, Archbishop Michel Jalakh.

“Help us to offer them concrete hope, not merely words of consolation — for we who visit them will leave, while they remain with their fears, even with the terror that, precisely because they are Christians, they may be eliminated,” the cardinal stated.

The cardinal explained that the Good Friday donations hold a twofold significance: on the one hand, providing material aid to those living amid war and poverty, and on the other, challenging the conscience of the faithful.

“It is also vital for us, because without sacrifice, without a real change in our way of living, we risk remaining inert before a world in flames — and thus complicit in its destruction,” he said.

Gugerotti noted that many Christians in the Holy Land have lost their means of livelihood, especially those who depended on religious tourism, which historically sustained a large portion of the local economy.

The conflict that began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, triggered a sharp decline in religious tourism.

“A great many Christians in the Holy Land have lost everything, even the work that came from serving pilgrims,” he pointed out.

In early 2025, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism characterized the year as a turning point, with 1.3 million international arrivals. However, 2026 has once again proven to be a highly problematic year for pilgrimages primarily due to the military escalation by the United States and Israel against Iran, which has thrown the entire region into crisis.

The drastic reduction in pilgrimages and the current climate of insecurity have  exacerbated the situation. “Now, out of fear, almost everyone tends to avoid venturing into those lands,” he said.

What is done with the money collected?

In 2023 — the most recent year for which official data are available — the Holy Land collection raised 6,571,893 euros ($7.5 million).

The Custody of the Holy Land typically receives 65% of the proceeds, while the remaining 35% goes to the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, which uses it for the formation of priests and for subsidies to the various dioceses and eparchies in Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq.

Of the money it receives, the Custody of the Holy Land normally invests 20% in the upkeep of the sites where Jesus Christ walked, while the remainder goes to Christian families, who, in 1948, constituted 20% of the local population but now make up less than 1.4%.

In the Gaza Strip, it collaborates with the Latin parish and the Atfa-Luna association to provide psycho-social support “to some 1,000 children and 300 adults,” as well as to distribute emergency kits and aid to families of people with disabilities.

In Lebanon, the Church responded to the 2024 crisis (the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah) by providing “hot meals for some 500 beneficiaries every day” and ensuring “drinking water for about 250 people daily.”

The Custody of the Holy Land also manages hundreds of housing units at nominal rents to prevent emigration.

“It has been said that peace has been achieved; however, even though the media speak of it much less today than before, the shooting continues, people continue to die, lands remain disputed, and Christians continue to emigrate to save their lives,” the cardinal noted.

According to the 2023 data released by the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, 2,376,167 euros ($2.7 million) was donated to seminaries, houses of religious formation, and cultural institutions.

The Franciscan Custody allocated more than 2 million euros ($2.3 million) to the education of young people in the Holy Land in 2023, funding scholarships at various universities in the region.

Nearly 1 million euros ($1.15 million) were allocated to the Pontifical Oriental Institute, which now encompasses, at Pope Francis’ direction, the Pontifical Gregorian University.

A portion was also invested in Bethlehem University, one of the prestigious foundations that underwrites the academic studies of 3,300 young people, both Muslim and Christian, with the aim of educating them to build a future of peace in the Holy Land.

A concrete gesture: Giving is a ‘strong sign of faith’

In his message, the cardinal invited bishops and pastoral leaders to raise awareness among the faithful regarding the importance of sustaining the Christian presence in the places where Christianity was born.

“Let us ensure that our people approach the collection with the awareness that giving is a strong sign of faith,” he wrote. “A Holy Land without believers is a lost land, for the living memory of salvation is lost,” he added.

“Pope Leo XIV never ceases to bring to our minds and hearts this commitment to be one, so that there may be peace — not a provisional truce, not perpetual hatred, not an immense expenditure on armaments, but a contribution to our common rebirth,” the cardinal wrote.

The prelate concluded his letter by acknowledging that the collection would be merely “a drop in the ocean” but that “the ocean, as a result of losing its drops, is turning into a desert.”

In addition to supporting the Franciscan mission in the Holy Land to safeguard the holy places, sustain local Christian communities, and foster peace in the region where Jesus lived, the cardinal said Christians can actively contribute by offering prayers to support this work and inspire new vocations, or by undertaking a pilgrimage to discover the roots of Christianity.

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.

VATICAN CITY — Ten years after Pope Francis issued a controversial document on families, Pope Leo XIV will meet with bishops from around the world to discuss the text’s application for today.

Amoris Laetitia, Francis’ apostolic exhortation on marriage and the family, followed two contentious synods at the Vatican dominated by debate over divorce.

Pope Leo on Thursday announced that he is calling the presidents of the world’s bishops’ conferences to Rome in October for “synodal discernment” on how “to proclaim the Gospel to families today, in light of Amoris Laetitia.”

The meeting is not part of the Synod on Synodality, which will conclude a three-year implementation phase with an assembly in October 2028.

Francis published Amoris Laetitia in 2016 following separate synods on the family in 2014 and 2015. The two monthlong assemblies prominently featured debates over divorce, and Francis’ postsynodal document sparked controversy with a footnote that said “in certain cases,” divorced and civilly remarried Catholics could receive Communion.

Previous popes had said such Catholics could not receive Communion unless they lived as brother and sister.

In his March 19 message, Pope Leo said societal changes make pastoral attention to families even more necessary than 10 years ago.

Amoris Laetitia is “a luminous message of hope regarding conjugal love and family life,” and “we ask God for the courage to persevere on this path, always welcoming the Gospel anew in the joy of being able to proclaim it to all,” he said.

Leo recalled the Second Vatican Council’s teaching that the family is “‘the basis of society,’ a gift from God, and ‘a school for human enrichment.’”

Since Vatican II, he added, “the two apostolic exhortations, Familiaris Consortio — issued by St. John Paul II in 1981 — and Amoris Laetitia (AL), have both strengthened the Church’s doctrinal and pastoral commitment to the service of young people, married couples, and families.”

The Lord has entrusted families with the task of participating in the Church’s mission to proclaim the Gospel, including in places where the Church can witness only through the lay faithful, the pope said.

“For this reason, the Church’s commitment in this area must be renewed and deepened, so that those whom the Lord calls to marriage and family life can, in Christ, fully live out their conjugal love, and that young people may feel attracted, within the Church, to the beauty of the vocation to marriage,” he said.

The pontiff also pointed out ”valuable teachings that we must continue to examine today” from Amoris Laetitia, including how to live through family crises, that love in marriage “always gives life,” and the need for new pastoral methods.