Archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan Cardinal Dominique Mathieu met with the pope March 11 after witnessing the first days of military clashes in the Iranian capital. Mathieu had been leading the Roman Catholic Church in Iran, which has about 2,000 members, despite the ongoing anti-government protests, U.S. and Israeli threats against the regime, and his own recovery…

The final report of the Synod on Synodality’s study group “Women’s Participation in the Life and Leadership of the Church” raises the possibility of “reformulating” certain competencies and functions of priests, deacons, and bishops to give women greater responsibility in the Church, while noting that the issue of the female diaconate “is not ripe.” “It…

Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan urged people to “pray for peace” during a March 11 interview with “EWTN News In Depth” as war continues to engulf several nations in the Middle East, including his home country of Lebanon. Zaidan, who serves as the Maronite Eparch of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, is also chair…

Pope Leo XIV announced this week that he had accepted the resignation of Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako from the leadership of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and throughout the world after more than a decade of service marked by major pastoral and political challenges. The resignation raises questions about the timing of the…

After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration removed in-person dispensing, the dangers of abortion drugs increased for women, according to a March 10 report. The FDA used to require an in-person visit for the prescription of abortion drugs — a requirement that was in flux in 2020 and has been revoked since 2021. The Ethics…

Political advocacy group CatholicVote has unveiled a national initiative encouraging Catholics in prayer, patriotism, and pilgrimage on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. With the participation of Cardinal Raymond Burke, the campaign, branded as “Zeale for America 250,” invites Americans to cultivate patriotic virtue by joining a virtual prayer pilgrimage…