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.

Modern popes of the last two centuries — from Pius IX to Francis — have sought the protection and intercession of St. Joseph in times of personal and societal need, elevating his status as a patron for all Catholics.

Here’s how some of the popes of the past have contributed to the Church’s devotion to the holy patriarch.

Pius IX

Early in his pontificate, Pope Pius IX saw the growing devotion to St. Joseph among Catholic faithful across Europe and abroad, according to theologian and Church historian Veronika Seifert.

“[He] ​​welcomed the growing spirituality towards St. Joseph and promoted these seeds,” she told EWTN News. “There were many religious congregations and dioceses that chose him as their protector and many confraternities formed with a strong devotion to him.”

This impetus from Catholic communities led Pius IX to approve the 1870 decree Quemadmodum Deus, which declared St. Joseph as universal patron of the Church, toward the end of the First Vatican Council.

Leo XIII

Quamquam Pluries, the first encyclical dedicated to St. Joseph, was published by Pope Leo XIII in 1889, nearly two decades after Pius IX declared the earthly father of Jesus the patron of the universal Church.

“Practically every pope has added a small piece to what was missing” in Pius’ 1870 decree, Seifert said.

Known for his devotion to the Virgin Mary, Leo XIII’s personal devotion to St. Joseph was subsequently connected to the Mother of God. Though his encyclical, he encouraged Catholics to jointly seek the aid of the two holy spouses.

“Joseph shines among all mankind by the most august dignity, since by divine will, he was the guardian of the Son of God and reputed as his father among men,” he wrote.

Pius X

Pope Pius X, who governed the Church for 11 years in the wake of the first world war, wrote a number of prayers dedicated to the holy patriarch and approved the Litany of St. Joseph in 1909.

Seeing in him a virtuous model for families and workers, he encouraged Catholics to imitate Joseph’s example as head of the Holy Family and as a laborer in his workshop in Nazareth.

Pius XII

Devotion to St. Joseph the Worker was further elevated when Pope Pius XII instituted a liturgical feast day in his honor in 1955.

“Pius XII instituted the feast day that Pius XI intended to [be celebrated] on the third Sunday after Easter. Pius XII moved it to May 1 — a date we now all know,” Seifert said.

Wanting to counter the influence of communism on the Church and its faithful, Pius XII wanted to emphasize a Christian vision of work that saw labor as a means of participating in the creative power of God.

May 1 is “Labor Day” or “International Workers Day” in over 80 countries, including most of Europe.

John XXIII

Describing Pope John XXIII as a “great devotee” of St. Joseph, Seifert said he was the first pope to decree his inclusion in the Mass.

“He inserted the name of St. Joseph into the [Roman] Canon, precisely in the First Eucharistic Prayer, placing it immediately after the Virgin Mary,” she said.

Announced just one month into the opening of the Second Vatican Council on Nov. 13, 1962, the liturgical change was the first to the Roman Canon since the seventh century, The New York Times reported.

John Paul II

Pope John Paul II wrote about the life and mission of St. Joseph when he published his apostolic exhortation Redemptoris Custos in 1989 to mark the centenary of Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Quamquam Pluries.

“May St. Joseph become for all of us an exceptional teacher in the service of Christ’s saving mission, a mission which is the responsibility of each and every member of the Church: husbands and wives, parents, those who live by the work of their hands or by any other kind of work, those called to the contemplative life and those called to the apostolate,” he wrote.

Seifert said the joyful and sorrowful experiences of the Holy Family are not distant to the human realities of the present day.

“By meditating on the feelings of St. Joseph, we can learn a lot and perhaps even put something right in our own lives,” the theologian and Church historian said.

Francis

Having inaugurated his pontificate on the March 19 feast day of St. Joseph in 2013, Pope Francis popularized devotion to the “Sleeping St. Joseph” following his 2015 apostolic journey to the Philippines.

During the papal journey, Francis revealed his love for the foster father of Jesus, saying: “Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church! … So when I have a problem, a difficulty, I write a little note and I put it underneath St. Joseph, so that he can dream about it!”

Pope Francis also proclaimed the Church’s first-ever Year of St. Joseph through his 2020 apostolic letter Patris Corde (“With a Father’s Heart”) to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the holy patriarch being named patron of the universal Church by Pope Pius IX.

Watch “Devotion to St. Joseph throughout the Centuries” on Vaticano here.

The Holy See has reaffirmed its position against surrogacy in a statement to the United Nations, urging the complete eradication of the practice and calling for the protection of women and children from exploitation.

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and permanent observer of the Holy See to the U.N., highlighted the urgency and sensitivity of the issue, lamenting that “technology and practice have run laps around the law and ethics.”

Although he acknowledged that many view surrogacy “as a compassionate solution for those wishing to be parents,” he urged the adoption of measures that respect the dignity and rights of women and children.

Women choose it due to financial need

Caccia lamented that because of financial need, many women agree to carry a child in their womb and subsequently hand the child over to others for money. This situation could be remedied through the development of “social protection, education, and economic opportunities,” he said.

The statement asked whether the surrogacy industry could survive if poverty were eradicated. It warned that the demand for this practice “already exceeds the supply” and that many women who do not wish to participate may find themselves pressured or even coerced into doing so by family members.

The text also addressed the rights of children, who are reduced to an item to be ordered “within an industrial and dehumanized logic.” The statement from the Holy See also denounced the commodification of babies and the fact that many are considered “a defective product” when they have a disability.

This attitude “runs contrary to a just society in which children can grow and flourish. Children, in fact, possess rights and interests that must be respected, beginning with “a moral right to be created in an act of love,” as well as the right “to know their parents and to be cared for by them,” according to the statement.

Although the Holy See acknowledged the “very real and understandable desire to have children,” it maintained that these issues cannot simply be resolved through the regulation of surrogacy.

The Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. commended the decision of the Hague Conference on Private International Law not to proceed with the drafting of a convention on legal parentage in cases of surrogacy.

Caccia also recalled the words of Pope Leo XIV, who affirmed that, by transforming gestation into a negotiable service, one “violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.”

The Holy See urged that new steps be taken “toward ending this practice in all its forms and at all levels,” with the aim of protecting women and children “from exploitation and violence.”

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 — Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday called for a rediscovery of the role of the laity in the Church.

“Let us rekindle in ourselves the awareness of and gratitude for having received the gift of being part of God’s people and also the responsibility that this entails,” Leo urged during the general audience in St. Peter’s Square on March 18.

In his catechesis, focused on chapter 2 of the constitution Lumen Gentium, one of the fundamental documents of the Second Vatican Council, the pontiff explained that the Church, as “the communion of the faithful — which naturally includes the pastors — cannot err in matters of faith.”

Leo maintained that the Church possesses a particular capacity to safeguard revealed truth, since it is grounded in “the supernatural sense of faith of the entire people of God, which is manifested in the consensus” of all the members of the Church.

From this unity, which the Church’s magisterium safeguards, Leo XIV said: “It follows that each baptized person is an active agent of evangelization, called to bear consistent witness to Christ in accordance with the prophetic gift which the Lord bestows upon his whole Church.”

Baptized are ‘obliged to spread and defend the faith’

The pontiff recalled that, according to the teaching of Vatican II, the people of God participate in Christ’s mission as priest, prophet, and king. “This common priesthood of the faithful,” the pope explained, arises from baptism and is strengthened through confirmation.

Through these sacraments, Christians “are more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith, both by word and by deed, as true witnesses of Christ,” he said, quoting from Lumen Gentium.

Leo also quoted Pope Francis, to recall that all members of the Church share the same fundamental dignity and “everyone forms the faithful holy people of God.”

The ‘sense of the faith’

One of the central points of Leo’s catechesis was the explanation of the so-called “sensus fidei,” that is, the “sense of the faith” and “consensus of the faithful.”

The pope noted that the council fathers who participated in the Second Vatican Council taught “that the holy people of God also participate in the prophetic mission of Christ.”

The doctrinal commission of the council clarified that this “sensus fidei” is “a faculty of the whole Church, by which she, in her faith, recognizes the revelation handed down, distinguishing between true and false in matters of faith, and at the same time penetrates it more deeply and applies it more fully in life.”

“The sense of faith therefore belongs to individual believers not in their own right but as members of the people of God as a whole,” he explained.

A living Church guided by the Spirit

The pontiff also emphasized that the Holy Spirit distributes gifts and charisms among all the faithful, contributing to the constant renewal of the Church.

The Holy Spirit “distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts he makes them fit and ready to undertake the various tasks and offices which contribute toward the renewal and building up of the Church,” Leo said, quoting from Lumen Gentium and pointing to the charismatic vitality of consecrated life in particular.

He also highlighted the different forms of ecclesial associations as another “shining example of the variety and fruitfulness of spiritual fruits for the edification of the people of God.”

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.

The Vatican Court of Appeal has ordered a partial retrial in the high-profile London property finance case, ruling that key parts of the original proceedings were invalid due to procedural issues.

The case stems from the Vatican Secretariat of State’s investment of approximately 350 million pounds in a luxury property in London’s Chelsea neighborhood on Sloane Avenue, an operation that generated estimated losses of up to 139 million euros for the Holy See.

In a March 17 decision, judges found a “relative nullity” in the trial involving the Secretariat of State’s investment in the London building, widely known as the “trial of the century.” The ruling does not overturn the original trial or its verdicts but requires that portions of the case be reheard.

The original trial concluded in December 2023 after 86 hearings. The Vatican tribunal sentenced Cardinal Angelo Becciu to five years and six months in prison, along with a lifetime ban from public office, marking the first time a cardinal had ever been convicted by a Holy See court. Nine of the 10 defendants were found guilty of various charges, including embezzlement, fraud, money laundering, and abuse of power.

The court determined that four decrees issued by Pope Francis during the investigation — which altered procedural rules and were not publicly promulgated — undermined the legitimacy of some investigative acts.

As a result, prosecutors must refile the full body of evidence by April 30, with a new timetable for proceedings to follow.

The original trial ended with prison sentences totaling more than 37 years and roughly 200 million euros (about $231 million) in damages ordered.

Defense attorneys had long argued that the case was compromised by incomplete evidence filings and procedural irregularities. The appeals court upheld many of those objections while maintaining that the first-instance judgment still carries legal effect.

The case centers on the Secretariat of State’s controversial London property investment along with related financial dealings involving Becciu and other defendants.

The ruling marks a major development in the Vatican’s most complex financial prosecution in recent history and raises fresh uncertainty about the durability of the original convictions.

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the recently appointed apostolic nuncio to the United States, takes up his new role at a time of heightened tension between the Vatican and the White House over issues including immigration to the U.S. and war in the Middle East.

Former collaborators say Caccia’s personal qualities and wide diplomatic experience — including in Lebanon and the Philippines — make him well suited for this crucial assignment.

The 68-year-old diplomat recently served as the permanent observer of the Holy See Mission to the United Nations in New York after Pope Francis appointed him there in 2019. His new job is important as a liaison between the Vatican and the U.S., where recent federal policies have faced growing resistance from Church leaders.

Pope Leo’s new man on a high-stakes mission

A veteran diplomat, Caccia will serve as Pope Leo XIV’s chief representative to the Trump administration. Like his predecessor, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, he assumes office amid ongoing tension between the administration and the Church, especially on immigration enforcement and foreign policy.

In a public statement in November 2025, U.S. bishops strongly opposed the administration’s treatment of migrants during mass deportations. Pope Leo expressed support for the statement and denounced the treatment of migrants as “extremely disrespectful, and with instances of violence.”

The U.S. bishops have also voiced concern over recent foreign policy moves, including interventions in the Middle East. In January of this year, three U.S. cardinals — Blase Cupich, Joseph Tobin, and Robert McElroy — jointly condemned the administration’s foreign policy in a public statement. In recent addresses, Pope Leo has also called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, deploring on March 15 a “widespread climate of hatred and fear.”

Monsignor Roger Landry, who served at the Holy See Mission from 2015 to 2022 and now heads the Pontifical Mission Societies, expressed confidence in the nuncio’s ability to communicate the Holy See’s concerns effectively to the U.S. government while supporting the bishops.

“He will represent Pope Leo very well to the U.S. government and the U.S. Church, be a great listener and effective relayer of what’s happening in the United States to Pope Leo, and be a steady source of counsel and support to U.S. bishops,” he told EWTN News.

Dálida Morales, who interned at the mission and now works at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the Dominican Republic, conveyed hope for the archbishop’s potential to build international dialogue.

“He is genuinely a bridge-builder for peace. At a time when dialogue, moral clarity, and principled leadership are urgently needed in the United States, his appointment there is both timely and hopeful,” she said.

A diplomat forged in complex geopolitics

Having worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1991, Caccia previously served in challenging posts before his appointment to the U.N. He served as apostolic nuncio to Lebanon and the Philippines, two countries with sensitive political climates.

His service in Lebanon occurred during the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. There, he helped coordinate the Church’s humanitarian response to support over 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. His service also included helping maintain peace in a country constitutionally divided among Maronite Christians, Muslims, and Druze.

He served in the Philippines at the height of President Rodrigo Duterte’s highly aggressive and controversial anti-narcotics campaign, which resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings. As the nuncio, he helped to support the bishops, who were vocal critics against the government, while maintaining the country’s diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

During his time at the U.N., he promoted the Vatican’s diplomatic stance. Father Mark Knestout, who served with Caccia as a former attaché for the Holy See Mission, noted the importance of his diplomatic experience in his new role.

“He was in Lebanon for eight years, which is a complex situation because you have multiple denominations of Catholics there, alongside the situation with Muslims,” he told EWTN News. “So I see him being personable and striving to get to know everyone in the United States as best he can.”

An inclusive leader and sports lover

Former staff of Caccia also shared with EWTN News some personal anecdotes from their time serving with him in New York. Vitória Volpato, a former intern at the mission who serves at the Prefecture of São Paulo in Brazil, noted with gratitude the archbishop’s insights on leadership.

“He said something that stayed with me: ‘I do not choose the people I work with, but I work with the people I have.’ That made me reflect on what a good leader must be, something the archbishop clearly is,” she said.

Ashley Campbell, who interned at the mission and now works at the Religious Freedom Institute, reflected on his love of sports. “I remember once walking with him back to the Holy See Mission building from the U.N., and we talked about how we both grew up playing sports and how amazing it would be if Vatican City could send athletes to the Olympics.”

Fidelity to the Holy Father

One trait consistently praised by those who have worked with the archbishop is his fidelity to the Holy Father. Knestout described the archbishop as a “true Churchman who wants to represent the desires and the intentions of the Holy Father.”

Morales added: “Every Wednesday, he would ask us about the Holy Father’s general audience. In this way, he reminded us that one of the most meaningful ways to remain united to the Church is by listening to the voice of the pope. It is a habit I continue to keep today thanks to him.”

During a meeting with Italian journalists Monday at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV warned that news reporting “must guard against the risk of becoming propaganda.”

When reporting on today’s “dramatic circumstances of war,” the Holy Father urged news professionals to verify the news “so as not to become a mouthpiece for those in power,” a task that is “even more urgent and delicate — I would say essential.”

He also emphasized that journalists must report on the suffering that war inflicts upon the population as well as reveal its human face and relate it “through the eyes of the victims, so as not to transform it into a video game.”

“It is not easy in the few minutes of a news program and its in-depth segments. But this is the challenge,” he told members of the Italian broadcaster RAI and the editorial team of its TG2 news program on March 16, on the occasion of the outlet’s 50th anniversary.

No technological innovation can replace creativity, critical discernment, and freedom of thought.

Pope Leo XIV

In his address, the pope also reflected on the challenges that television journalism has faced, such as the transition from analog to digital systems. In this context, he noted that “no technological innovation can replace creativity, critical discernment, and freedom of thought.”

The Holy Father addressed the “challenge of our time” — artificial intelligence — and underscored the need “to regulate communication according to the human paradigm and not the technological one,” something that, in his view, means “knowing how to distinguish between means and ends.”

He also highlighted laicity and pluralism as the traits that have characterized the Italian network. Specifically, he referred to laicity as “a rejection of ideological preconceptions and as an open-minded view of reality.”

“We all know how difficult it is to allow ourselves to be surprised by facts, by encounters, by the gazes and voices of others; how strong the temptation is to seek out, see, and listen only to what confirms our own opinions. But there can be no good communication, nor true freedom and healthy pluralism, without this openness,” he emphasized.

Finally, he invited journalists to promote diversity — animated by a spirit of friendship — “in an age dominated by polarization, ideological closed-mindedness, and slogans that prevent us from seeing and understanding the complexity of reality.”

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 — Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged the Church to listen to victims of sexual abuse, and called for the recognition of the pain caused and for the creation of “a culture of care.”

“It is about helping to form, throughout the Church, a culture of care, in which the protection of minors and persons in vulnerable situations is not seen as an obligation imposed from outside but as a natural expression of faith,” the pope said in an audience with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) on March 16.

He added that it calls “for a process of conversion where the sufferings of others are heard and move us to take action.”

Leo noted that the experiences of victims and survivors are “essential reference points,” adding that “while they are certainly painful and difficult to hear, these experiences powerfully bring the truth to light and teach us humility.”

He also warned bishops and the superiors of religious orders and communities that they “have a responsibility of their own that cannot be delegated” to “listening to victims and accompanying them” in every ecclesial institution and community.

He further stated that “it is precisely through the recognition of the pain that has occurred that a credible path for hope and renewal is opened.”

Prevention is not only a set of rules

The Holy Father explained that “prevention is never just a set of protocols or procedures.”

He also insisted that “the protection of minors and persons in vulnerable situations is not an isolated area of ecclesial life but a dimension that permeates pastoral care, formation, governance, and discipline.”

The pope also thanked the commission for its work in abuse prevention, describing it as “a demanding service, sometimes silent, often burdensome,” and asked its members to intensify “even greater cooperation” with other dicasteries and protection institutions.

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 met in a private audience with Gareth Gore, a British journalist whose work has criticized Opus Dei as abusive.

Gore said he spoke to the pope for more than 40 minutes and presented him with testimonies from alleged victims of the organization.

Gore is the author of the 2024 book “Opus,” which accuses Opus Dei of financial misdeeds and spiritual and physical abuse against its members.

Writing on his Substack after the March 16 meeting, the journalist said Pope Leo praised his book as a “rigorous piece of work.”

Gore also said he previously thought the Vatican did not want to seriously address accusations of abuse within Opus Dei but that his meeting with Leo “forces me to reassess those conclusions.”

The Vatican did not respond to a request for comment on the meeting.

A spokesman for Opus Dei said the group had no comment on the meeting or Gore’s statement and pointed to prior statements from Opus Dei about Gore’s book.

Opus Dei has previously denounced Gore’s book as “littered with twisted facts, errors, conspiracy theories, and even outright lies.”

The pope received Opus Dei’s prelate, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, in audience at the Vatican last month.

The Feb. 16 meeting came as the personal prelature’s proposed statutes — submitted to the Holy See on June 11, 2025 — remain under review.

Opus Dei’s draft is being examined by the Dicastery for the Clergy following the reforms to the governance of personal prelatures introduced under Pope Francis.

In Church structure, Opus Dei is a “personal prelature,” which, according to canon law, “consists of presbyters and deacons of the secular clergy” joined together to “accomplish particular pastoral or missionary works.”

The organization was founded by Spanish priest Father Josemaría Escrivá in 1928. Escrivá was canonized a saint in 2002.