Cardinal Anthony Poola has been elected president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), becoming the first Dalit — a member of India’s historically marginalized “untouchable” castes — to lead the nation’s bishops. The election took place during the CBCI’s General Body Meeting, held Feb. 4–10 at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences…

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced that Carrie Prejean Boller has been removed from President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission. “No member of the commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue,” said Patrick, who serves as chair of the commission, in a post on…

On Feb. 11, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. In Lourdes, France, in 1858, 13-year-old Bernadette Soubirous was collecting pieces of wood as part of her daily chores when she noticed a startling wind and rustling sound. The noise came from a nearby grotto. When Bernadette looked toward it, she…

Pope Leo XIV wants to travel to Jerusalem in 2033 to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. The Jubilee of Redemption is an event that is shaping up to be a historic opportunity to advance toward the full and visible unity of Christians. However, the main obstacle to this…

The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced the permanent closure of seven churches, effective March 12. The decision was formally communicated to parishioners during Masses on Feb. 8 at St. Joseph the Worker Parish, where a letter from Bishop Mark A. Eckman was read aloud. In the letter, Eckman explained that St. Joseph the Worker Parish…

Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Archbishop Gregory Aymond on Wednesday, paving the way for coadjutor Archbishop James Checchio to assume the leadership of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Leo appointed Checchio, 59, coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans in September 2025 to automatically succeed Aymond upon his retirement. After Checchio arrived in mid-November 2025,…