VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Thursday praised athletes from the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games, saying sport “can and must truly become a space for encounter” in a world marked by “polarization, rivalry, and conflicts that escalate into devastating wars.” Speaking in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican on April 9, the…

A Vatican humanitarian convoy carrying the apostolic nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, was forced to turn back Tuesday, April 7, after becoming trapped in heavy crossfire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon. “The fighting between Hezbollah and Israel was intense. We waited a long time three kilometers from the village while…

The Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic on April 1 found that parts of a treaty between the Czech Republic and the Holy See are inconsistent with the Czech constitution and therefore cannot be ratified. “We disagree with the decision of the majority of judges at the Constitutional Court but accept it,” the Czech Bishops’…

DHAKA, Bangladesh — The archbishop of Dhaka is urging the Bangladeshi government to reconsider a proposal to introduce online classes for school students amid the countryʼs ongoing energy crisis, warning that the move would undermine education at the hundreds of institutions run by the Catholic Church. “We Christians in Bangladesh run many educational institutions,” Archbishop…

LOS ANGELES — When God told St. Francis in the early 13th century to “go and repair my house” — the Portiuncula chapel near Assisi, Italy, that had fallen into disrepair — who could have guessed that the ripples caused by that action would one day reach Southern California. Francis, a rich man who embraced…

Christians are called to live the Easter message of peace, especially during times of war and violence, said a Comboni missionary priest once kidnapped in Uganda. “On the very day of Jesus’ resurrection, on Easter day, Jesus appeared to the apostles [and] the message he delivered to them was, ‘Peace to you!’” Father Giulio Albanese,…

Two long-standing religious communities of San Diego are joining together, according to a recent announcement by the Order of St. Augustine in California. The Sisters of Nazareth will be aggregated into the Augustinian family, a step that requires both Vatican approval and consent of the local bishop. The union enables the Sisters of Nazareth to…