Barron, Cordileone warn pro-life Catholics face pressure in health care
Bishop Robert Barron and Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone spoke out against the U.S. government’s past targeting of pro-life Catholics in health care at the U.S. Religious Liberty Commission’s fifth hearing.
Cordileone, who serves on the commission’s Advisory Board of Religious Leaders, highlighted the ongoing legal battle being fought by the Little Sisters of the Poor over government contraceptive mandates during his remarks at the March 16 hearing.
“These are women who deserve our utmost respect and esteem, and I can vouch for this from personal experience,” Cordileone said. “Why then would these humble, holy, and self-giving women have to find themselves in a multiyear, burdensome litigation with the federal government over a contraception insurance mandate that was part of the Affordable Care Act?”
The prolonged court battle of the Little Sisters of the Poor dates to 2011 when the Obama administration required employers to provide cost-free coverage for contraceptives, sterilizations, and “emergency birth control” in employee health plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Although the Supreme Court decided in the sisters’ favor in 2020, a federal court ruled against them in August 2025 when the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled in favor of both New Jersey and Pennsylvania in finding that the federal government had not followed protocol when issuing exemptions to contraceptive requirements, including for the Little Sisters. They appealed the decision in December 2025.
“The courage of this poor religious community to take on the federal government with its endless resources cannot be overstated,” the San Francisco archbishop said.
Cordileone further highlighted California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s lawsuit against Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka for refusing to perform abortions and a lawsuit against a Catholic hospital in Sacramento that refused to perform a hysterectomy for the purposes of gender transition.
Cordileone warned that if the courts rule against the Catholic hospitals in either case, that “all Catholic hospitals in California will be threatened.”
“Every year there are bills introduced into our state Legislature to expand private insurance coverage for sterilization, IVF, abortion, surrogacy, gender-affirming care, and so forth,” he said. “If these bills include a religious exemption, the exemption usually only covers organizations that fit a very narrow definition: employs people of their same faith, serves people of their same faith, and has the primary purpose of inculcating religious values. So here we have the secular government defining for religious communities what it means to be religious.”
“If we lose this fight, we will have lost the soul of our country,” he said.
Barron, who serves as a commissioner on the religious liberty panel, echoed Cordileone and said Catholics are increasingly being pushed out of health care and social services.
“I think they want us out of health care,” he said. “They want us out of education.”
The bishop of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, said that for a long time, religious leaders articulated their mission in terms of love, which he defined, citing St. Thomas Aquinas, as “to will the good of the other.” He said that as the faith has been pushed out of public life, religious leaders “have become more reticent” to express the Church’s position publicly.
“We’ve got to come forward in the public space, articulate what is the human good. I think we’ve become more reticent, and we’ve succumbed to the pressures from the secular ideology,” he said. “We’ve got to keep articulating what the good is, because otherwise we won’t know what love really is.”
President Donald Trump established the Religious Liberty Commission in 2025 to advise the White House on threats to religious freedom and ways to strengthen religious liberty protections in the United States. A coalition of multifaith advocacy groups, including the Interfaith Alliance, Muslims for Progressive Values, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Hindus for Human Rights, have sued to challenge the commission’s creation, arguing its membership is overwhelmingly Christian and not “fairly balanced” as required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
Leo XIV to journalists: War is not a video game; guard against propaganda, verify the news
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.
St. Patrick’s hidden years in captivity explored in new EWTN docudrama
A new EWTN docudrama called “Saint Patrick: The Hidden Years,” set to air globally on St Patrick’s Day, is the latest film by award-winning Irish director Campbell Miller. His previous works for EWTN includes films focusing on Knock Shrine, Father Willie Doyle, and the Catholic faith in Ireland in penal times.
The film on St. Patrick spans the period of time from Patrick’s abduction to Ireland by slave traders to his eventual escape of the island by boat.
Miller shared with EWTN News the inspiration behind his latest project, which he cowrote with his wife, Kristi.
“Not a lot of people know what actually happened to [Patrick] during this period,” Miller said. “They know that he was brought to Ireland, but they don’t understand what he had to go through. We made sure that we got that across to the audience so that they can understand his conversion.”
He added: “It wasn’t until he had to go through hardship and endure working as a shepherd on remote Slemish mountain that he took ownership of his faith and turned towards God.”
There is a lot that has been written about St. Patrick over the years, but Miller said he anchored his script and story in Patrick’s own autobiography. “We built the story on what he said in his ‘Confessio,’” he said.
Miller explained: “Patrick came from a Roman family. His grandfather and father were both clerics, and his father worked in collecting taxes for the Roman government of the time. Patrick’s family would have had slaves themselves. They would have treated them much better than the way the Irish treated slaves. He would have had teachers come in for him and his family.”
“So he ate very well. He dressed very well. He came from a lovely family. Being torn abruptly away from that when he was 16 and brought to Ireland to live on his own, looking after sheep on Slemish mountain, would have been a major change.”
Miller said a number of people were very helpful the the process of making the film.
“I managed to get help from the St. Patrick Centre, Tim Campbell, who manages the center and is a fountain of knowledge on St. Patrick, as well as Martina Purdy and Elaine Kelly, and Father Feargal McGrady. They are all historians, knowledgeable about St. Patrick and what Ireland and Britain were like at that time. Their contribution is invaluable.”
Miller also said that the cast and crew are from Ireland. “St. Patrick is played by two actors — the young Patrick is played by Kasper Andreasen, and older St. Patrick by Michael Sullivan. I worked with them before and I knew how capable they are.”
He added: “We had a very talented crew that have worked on major productions here in Ireland on the likes of ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Hope Street,’ and ‘How to Train Your Dragon.’ To be able to get that quality of workmanship in EWTN projects, I feel absolutely blessed. It’s the exact same crew that work with me in every production, it’s like a family coming back together again, and that makes it all somewhat simpler. I would also thank John Elson and the acquisitions team at EWTN.”
Scriptwriting was a joint effort between Campbell and his wife, of whom he said admiringly and simply: “She put a lot of time and effort into writing this.”
Most of the docudrama scenes were shot on location at the former British army barracks in Ballykinler County Down. Miller said the remaining army personnel there were incredibly helpful and accommodating, providing every assistance Miller and his team required. They also filmed in the scenic mountains of Mourne and in Donard forest, literally outside Campbell’s back door.
Although St. Patrick has been the best known saint of Ireland for many years, Miller spoke about the importance of his story for today’s Catholics.
“St. Patrick is very relevant today. There we have someone who was brought to his knees. He was taken away from his family. He had to live alone. He was made a slave, enduring ridiculous amounts of hardship that we just couldn’t fathom.”
He added: “And at that point when you’re at your lowest, like Patrick, there’s only one person you can turn to and that is God. God gives you hope that things will get better, and I believe that’s a message that people need to hear today, that things can get better. Just turn towards Christ and ask for his help. Patrick did that, he called out, and God answered, directing him: ‘There’s a boat there to take you home.’”
Hope is a distinct theme that runs through Miller’s work.
“It’s not intentional; it’s something that seems to be there with the characters and situations we end up making films about,” he said. “Hope is something that we all need and no matter who you are, when your back is against the wall, when you’re down on your knees and you feel there’s nothing else, that’s what a lot of people turn to at that point.”
He added: “God sees everything at one time, he knows that it’s going to get better for us. We need that faith in him and we need that hope.”
Miller’s next project is a new TV series for EWTN for later 2026, which will be based in Ireland. “It involves two priests working out of a small rural parish. One being a priest of 40 years, and the other just out of seminary. There’s going to be a lot of comedy moments within it,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV to accept Liberty Medal from National Constitution Center via telecast on July 3
Pope Leo XIV will offer live remarks via telecast to a crowd in Philadelphia when he accepts the Liberty Medal award from the National Constitution Center (NCC) on July 3 during a celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The Holy Father, a Chicago native who earned a bachelor’s degree at Villanova University in the Philadelphia suburbs, will be given the award to honor his commitment to religious freedom and freedom of conscience and expression around the world, according to a news release from the NCC.
The event will be held on Independence Mall, which is near the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. His remarks will also be livestreamed on NCC’s website.
“From its founding, America has understood liberty of conscience as essential to human freedom and self-government,” Mike George, chair of the NCC Board of Trustees, said in a statement.
“Pope Leo XIV’s moral leadership and his defense of religious freedom and free expression embodies these enduring principles,” he said. “Honoring him with the Liberty Medal affirms the universal power of these ideals and their relevance far beyond our borders.”
The NCC announced on March 16 that Leo would be the recipient, and a spokesperson for the Vatican confirmed with EWTN News that the pope would address the event live. The event is set for July 3, but the specific time has not yet been announced.
Vince Stango, NCC interim CEO and president, told EWTN News that Leo was the first choice for the award and the pontiff’s quick acceptance “made for a very efficient process.” The board of trustees “really wanted to make sure it was an especially meaningful award recipient” given that the nation is celebrating its 250th anniversary, he added.
Throughout Leo’s service as a priest, a bishop, a cardinal, and the pope, Stango said Leo has been devoted to promoting “religious liberty, human liberty, [and] freedom of consciousness” and consistently advocated for “his belief in dignity for all people, inclusion for all people, regardless of their faith.”
Stango said religious freedom is a “bedrock of the founding of this country,” which is “codified in the Constitution and in the protections of the First Amendment.” He said “the first American pope … really represents those ideals.”
“We’re honored to be hosting this event,” Stango said. “We’re honored to be giving Pope Leo this award.”
Stango said the NCC also plans to bring other faith leaders into the event to contribute to interfaith dialogue and discussions of religious liberty in the United States.
Leo’s alma mater, Villanova University, helped connect the NCC to the Vatican and eventually to Leo directly to offer him the award, according to Stango, who also attended Villanova. The NCC is partnering with the City of Philadelphia and Wawa Welcome America to put on the event.
According to the NCC, the event is part of the Independence Week celebrations in Philadelphia, which was the first capital of the United States. The city was the location of the first and the second Continental Congress and where the founders debated and adopted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
The Liberty Medal has been given since 1988 and hosted by the NCC since 2006. The award honors those who strive for liberty globally. Past recipients include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sen. John McCain, and documentarian Ken Burns.
The weeklong celebration will have other guests, including free concert performances by Queen Latifah, Idina Menzel, Eve, and Kirk Franklin. The events also include fireworks and a parade.
Over the Fourth of July weekend, Leo will also visit the southern Mediterranean island of Lampedusa — a major migrant landing point for people seeking to enter Europe.
Pope urges Church to see abuse prevention as ‘a natural expression of faith’
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.
2 priests save 2 altar boys from drowning in sea but die in the effort
Two priests died on Friday, March 13, after saving two altar servers who were in danger of drowning off a beach in Ecuador.
The priests — Father Alfonso Avilés Pérez, a member of the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest and parish priest of St. Albert the Great Parish in the Diocese of Daule, and Father Pedro Anzoátegui, who served in the Diocese of San Jacinto — did not hesitate to rush to the rescue of the youths, who were participating in a Lenten retreat for altar servers being held in the coastal town of Playas, where the minors had gone out into the water.
Martha de Murillo, who served as Avilés’ secretary for over 20 years, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that during the Mass celebrated March 14 at 11 a.m. at St. Albert the Great, the superior of the late priest’s community — Father Lope Pascual — recounted the events.
“In his homily, Lope explained how it all unfolded: Two altar servers were in danger of drowning, and the priests went to rescue them; the altar servers made it out — thank God — but, tragically, the priests did not,” she explained.
All the young people who participated in the retreat are physically well, out of danger, and have been taken home, according to the Ecuadorian newspaper El Mercurio.
During the Mass he celebrated on March 14, Cardinal Luis Cabrera, archbishop of Guayaquil, entrusted the priests to God and, visibly moved, asked the congregation to pray for “our brothers Alfonso and Pedro whom the Lord, in these circumstances, today fills with his grace and blessing.”
A statement from St. Albert the Great Parish said that Avilés “departed for the Father’s House, generously giving himself for those entrusted to his care.”
Avilés was born in 1966 in Murcia, Spain. After studying philosophy and theology, he was ordained a priest in 1990. “With more than 30 years of priesthood and nine years of service in our parish, he leaves behind a legacy of faith, closeness, and love for the community,” the parish highlighted.
Prior to his arrival at the St. Albert the Great Parish, he also served as parish priest at St. Therese of the Child Jesus in Entre Ríos in the Guayaquil metro area, where he served the community and strengthened the life of faith of many families, noted a press release from the former parish.
He promoted initiatives for family catechesis, Eucharistic adoration, and altar server formation — fundamental pillars of his evangelizing mission. In 2021, he received an award from the town of Samborondón for his spiritual and community contributions.
A phrase he constantly repeated was: “Charge! For the goal is heaven!”
A large number of the faithful congregated at St. Albert the Great Parish — including the first lady and wife of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Lavinia Valbonesi, along with the president’s mother, Annabella Azín. They spent a few minutes in prayer at the church, where the funeral Mass was celebrated March 14, before proceeding to the burial at the Panteón Metropolitano.
“The holiest priest I have ever known has passed away: Alfonso Avilés. His homilies were spectacular. He was my friend. We met only a few times, but the spiritual bond that united us was very strong,” Carlos Polo, director of the Ibero-America Office of the pro-life Population Research Institute, told ACI Prensa.
“Even as years went by, every time I saw him he would tell me that he was still praying for my son, just as I had asked him the first time we spoke. He died living his law — the law of love,” added Polo, recalling the passage from the Gospel of John (15:13): “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
A young professional who served at the altar for Avilés told ACI Prensa that the priest loved the sea. “He raised us with temperance; he instilled in us the aspiration to be gentlemen, heroes, warriors — upright individuals and good sons of God. He always said that the very best among us should be at God’s service, and that we could not be wimps. His flame was always burning — at any hour, in any conversation, no matter how brief. I am so deeply saddened,” he shared.
Anzoátegui was born in 1982. He was ordained on Nov. 20, 2010, at the Guayaquil cathedral. He served at Holy Cross Parish in the town of Durán in the Diocese of San Jacinto. He also served in Guayaquil.
‘Jesus, I trust in you’
“Dear brothers, I trust you will understand that I will not speak many words, for we are all reeling from this shock — this blow — and it is difficult to say something at such a moment. But when our human words fall short, we must heed God,” Bishop Cristóbal Kudławiec of Daule said during the Mass he celebrated at St. Albert the Great Parish for the eternal repose of Avilés.
“And for these occasions — so difficult, so hard — the Lord sends us some important words; not to console us — for at times it is very difficult to find consolation after such a powerful shock — but rather to help us understand, in some small measure, what he wishes to show us through these events, illuminated by his word,” he continued.
Addressing the questions the faithful might ask themselves regarding the late priest’s projects or the reasons behind his death, the prelate reminded them that God “makes no mistakes, and his will is holy. And we, as mere human beings, must always affirm this — even in those moments when our very souls are shattered.”
The bishop emphasized that “without love for God and neighbor, life has no meaning.”
“In the face of this news — so sorrowful, so shocking — we can only say: ‘I believe in you, Lord Jesus. I trust in you, Jesus. And I trust that what you offer me as a teaching — even through certain shocking events — is for my good,’” he reflected.
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.
Church institutions in Jerusalem remain active despite increasing security threats
Concerns have grown in Jerusalem and Bethlehem following the recent escalation in military tensions after rocket fragments fell near Christian and educational sites in densely populated areas and along the paths of falling debris and rockets. No injuries were reported.
Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali, patriarchal vicar, told ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, that fragments landed “on the roof of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem, above the parking area, and near the entrance.” He added that some debris also fell near the Frères, Terra Sancta, and St. Joseph Sisters schools.
“The center of the explosion was not directly above us but slightly farther away,” he said, noting that a large fragment fell at the Shepherds’ Field Church in Beit Sahour, east of Bethlehem, highlighting the wide spread of the debris.
Joseph Hazboun, regional director of the Pontifical Mission in Jerusalem, also told ACI MENA that the situation in the city is “tense and worrying.” He explained that the greatest danger comes from rocket fragments resulting from interception systems, since it is impossible to predict where they may land.
Hazboun also mentioned that fragments had previously fallen near Al-Makassed Hospital on the Mount of Olives and along roads frequently used by the mission’s team, including the road leading to the Pater Noster Monastery, the Benedictine Sisters’ convent, and the Notre Dame des Douleurs elderly care center, where a major project is currently underway and visited daily by staff.
The Latin Patriarchate is located inside Jerusalem’s Old City, about a 500-meter (.3-mile) walk from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Most Christian churches, institutions, and schools in the area are situated within a radius of roughly 250 to 300 meters (820 to 984 feet) from the Holy Sepulchre, underscoring the close geographic proximity of many religious and educational sites in the heart of the Old City.
Patriarchate continues its services
Despite ongoing threats, rockets, and repeated calls to seek shelter, Sami El-Yousef, general administrator of the Latin Patriarchate, emphasized the dedication of employees who continue to work at the patriarchate’s headquarters in Jerusalem’s Old City.
He explained that their commitment ensures the continuation of pastoral, humanitarian, and financial services on which thousands of families depend.
“The war will not stop us from providing our services,” El-Yousef said. “We will continue to remain here to ensure the continuity of our work and to support the Christian community in the Holy Land.”
This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Attack on one faith wounds all, Detroit archbishop says after synagogue attack
Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Detroit offered prayers and “profound sorrow” for the Jewish community after an attack on Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
“We stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters, holding in prayer all those affected by this act of violence, especially those who are wounded, grieving, or shaken, including the congregation, first responders, and the greater community,” Weisenburger said in a statement.
On March 12, an attacker drove a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, near Detroit, and opened fire.
“An attack on one faith community wounds us all,” Weisenburger said. “As details continue to emerge, we remain united with our partners in faith, particularly our Jewish friends and neighbors.”
“Together, we pray for an end to violence and for deeper peace in our world. May God’s abundant love and mercy guide us toward compassion, justice, and peace,” he said.
Synagogue attack
Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office, said in a statement the FBI “forensically confirmed the assailant responsible” was 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali of Dearborn Heights, Michigan. He “has no previous criminal history and registered weapons. He also has never been the subject of an FBI investigation.”
In a timeline released by Runyan, the FBI reported Ghazali drove his vehicle into the synagogue building, injuring a security officer in the process. Ghazali then began firing a gun, starting a gunfight between him and security guards, the FBI said.
Ghazali’s vehicle’s engine compartment caught fire and at some point during the gunfire, Ghazali suffered “a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Runyan said.
In the bed of his truck, law enforcement found “a large quantity of commercial grade fireworks and several jugs filled with a flammable liquid we believe to be gasoline, some of which was consumed in the fire,” she said.
The FBI confirmed the suspect is deceased, but “thankfully, the brave officers and security personnel who protected the Temple … are recovering, and we continue to pray for their speedy healing,” Runyan said.
Rohingya refugees learn about Lent as Caritas Bangladesh bridges faiths in camps
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh — As more than 1 million Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh observe the final days of Ramadan, the Catholic charity Caritas Bangladesh is building bridges between the two faiths by sharing the meaning of Lent with refugees and host communities in the sprawling camps of Cox’s Bazar.
“We at Caritas Bangladesh are building a bridge between the two religions by highlighting the significance of Lent for our Christians with the Rohingya refugees and the host community so that they can understand the meaning of Lent,” said Liton Luis Gomes, project director of Caritas Bangladesh’s Emergency Response Program.
“We have been sharing with the Rohingya refugees the significance of our fasting, which is to eat less and distribute it to the poor, to listen to people, or to serve those who really deserve it,” Gomes told EWTN News.
Caritas is sharing the theme of its 2026 Lenten campaign — “Prayer, Listening, and Fasting: A Holy Call of Inner Transformation” — with the Rohingya and host communities, Gomes said.
The pope and the Rohingya
Pope Francis met a group of Rohingya refugees during his apostolic visit to Bangladesh on Dec. 1, 2017. The refugees traveled to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar to meet the pope during an interreligious gathering at the archbishop’s residence.
“The presence of God today is also called Rohingya,” Francis told the gathering in remarks that marked the first time during his visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh that he publicly used the word “Rohingya” to describe the persecuted Muslim minority.
Most of the Rohingya in the Cox’s Bazar camps arrived from Myanmar since August 2017, when the military began conducting clearance operations after a series of rebel attacks in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. The Rohingya are Muslims who have long faced discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, including being denied citizenship since 1982.
The military coup in Myanmar, formerly Burma, in February 2021 further heightened their vulnerability.
The population density of the camps is staggering — roughly 103,600 people per square mile, more than 40 times the average population density of Bangladesh as a whole. Refugees live in side-by-side plastic and bamboo shelters, each just a little larger than 100 square feet, some holding a dozen residents.
‘We are not in a festive mood’
Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam’s most important religious celebrations, is expected to begin later this week, but refugees say they are not able to celebrate.
Abdur Rahim, 55, a Rohingya father of five, told EWTN News that food in the camps is not sufficient but that refugees are “still surviving, thanks to the Bangladesh government and the Almighty.”
“We have no money to buy new clothes for my child and grandchild for this festival. Eid is joyful to Muslims, but we are not in a festive mood, because if we can go to our motherland Myanmar, we will be happy,” Rahim said.
Rahim said the Caritas initiative had given him a new understanding of the season of fasting.
“I didn’t know that Ramadan is not just about not eating. Now, through Caritas, I’ve learned that Ramadan is about helping people and reducing your expenses,” Rahim said.
Between 2017 and 2023, Caritas provided $45 million in emergency efforts for Rohingya and host community members in Cox’s Bazar, according to Caritas Internationalis. During that period the charity assisted nearly 1.7 million individuals with shelter support, protection, disaster risk reduction, education, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
Caritas Bangladesh is the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh.
Pope Leo meets author critical of Opus Dei
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.