Mike Hammer, chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, is conducting visits throughout the island, during which he has met with bishops, opposition figures, and local residents. The American diplomat has been documenting these visits and meetings on the U.S. Embassy in Cuba’s X account. The first meeting publicized was the one he held…

Pope Leo XIV and the founder of the Sant’Egidio Community, Andrea Riccardi, met at the Vatican this week and discussed the role Christians and the Church are called to play in promoting peace in the midst of various conflicts around the world. According to a statement, the Feb. 5 meeting took place on the eve…

Here’s a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news: Irish bishop says abortion is driving down population An Irish bishop has observed that the nation has lost the equivalent of 300 primary school classes of children to abortion in one year. Bishop Kevin Doran of Achonry and Elphin drew attention to the impact of abortion…

The U.S. government announced that it will send a new shipment of humanitarian aid to Cuba worth $6 million, which will be delivered directly to the population through the Catholic Church. On its website, the U.S. State Department informed on Feb. 5 that the decision was made “following the success of the partnership” with the…

Catholic business leaders gathered on Saturday, Jan. 31, at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, California, where James Olson, retired CIA chief of counterintelligence, spoke at Legatus’ The Summit. Legatus, an organization for Catholic executives launched by Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan in 1987 with chapters throughout North America, hosts The Summit annually. Other speakers…

The history of astronomy’s most famous comet may need to be revised. New research suggests that six centuries before astronomer Edmond Halley scientifically described in 1705 the periodic appearance of the comet that now bears his name, another person had already understood that it was the same celestial object observed at different times. It cannot…

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Stanislav Přibyl of Litoměřice as the new archbishop of Prague, selecting a prelate known for championing reconciliation between ethnic Germans and Czechs to lead the Czech capital’s historic archdiocese. The 54-year-old Redemptorist returns to his hometown to succeed Archbishop Jan Graubner, who submitted his resignation upon reaching the canonical…