Catholic theologians explain why war is a ‘matter of morality’ after Vance comments on Pope Leo XIV
With President Donald Trump criticizing Pope Leo XIV for comments on the ongoing Iran war, Catholic Vice President JD Vance has taken a more nuanced tone — welcoming some input from clergy but discouraging them from wading into certain matters.
In an interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier” on April 13, Vance said it’s good the pope discusses what he cares about, but added: “In some cases it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of whatʼs going on in the Catholic Church, and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.”
At a Turning Point, USA event the next day at the University of Georgia, Vance said he respects and admires Leo, likes “that the pope is an advocate for peace,” acknowledging it as “certainly one of his roles.” He disputed Leo’s understanding of just war doctrine and said the pope should be “careful when he talks about matters of theology.”
The comments come as Leo calls for peace and Church officials question the justification of the war on the basis of just war doctrine. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy have said they do not believe the war fits just war criteria.
Three Catholic theologians who spoke with EWTN News disputed the notion that public policy matters — especially as they relate to war — can be separated from “matters of morality” and affirmed the Church’s role in these topics.
EWTN News reached out to Vance’s office to ask whether he believes justifications for entering a war or conduct in war are “matters of morality” but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
‘Matters of morality’
The Church has long held concerns about war to be a moral subject, with St. Augustine writing extensively about it in the early fifth century and popes and theologians both commenting on just war doctrine generally and speaking out about specific wars for centuries.
Joseph Capizzi, dean and ordinary professor of moral theology and ethics at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News that Vance is “just wrong” to draw a line between matters of morality and matters of public policy.
“For people to be moral, they need a good, healthy, stable political community,” he said. “All of us, men, women, children, priest and religious, lay, and so on have a stake in the moral good of the political communities we inhabit.”
The Church, Capizzi said, has been around for more than 2,000 years, and “her experience, her wisdom, her tradition are critical resources for helping us live in good communities.”
“The plea that bishops and popes and priests should ‘stick to morals and avoid politics’ is old, and rightly rejected by all Catholics, lay or otherwise,” he said. “Itʼs what many relied on in the past to try to quiet Catholics about immigration, abortion, poverty, and many other issues. The overlap of politics and morality is expansive.”
Taylor Patrick O’Neill, theology professor at Thomas Aquinas College, told EWTN News he thinks Vance’s comment “was very uncareful.”
“There is no amoral arena,” he said. “There’s no aspect to our … life where moral aspects don’t come into play.”
O’Neill said the pope’s role to speak on matters of faith and morals “includes politics,” adding: “It would be a mistake to think that public policy does not touch upon the moral.”
The Holy Father’s statements, he said, are part of his role “to guide and to teach,” and if Leo were to avoid the Iran war, “it would be quite odd … and not in step with the tradition of the papacy” because it touches on “the faith and the morals of believing people worldwide.”
O’Neill said the pope’s role is not to “dictate public policy” like “directing the [government] in regard to what sort of military formations to use.” But he said the pope’s role is to explain that “certain policies are intrinsically contrary to human flourishing and dignity” and to comment on “moral truths that should affect policy.”
Ron Bolster, dean of the School of Theology and Philosophy at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, told EWTN News he wishes Vance “hadn’t taken his disagreement with the Holy Father publicly” and said it is not helpful to set up a dichotomy between the moral realm and the public policy realm.
“One would certainly hope that you would bring the Gospel to bear on public policy,” he said. “I would like to think [Vance] knows better than that, but his position is not very uncommon.”
A role of the pope, Bolster said, is to “try to bring public servants to a better appreciation for how the Gospel would be advanced in their policies” and to help and guide them “when they’re out of line in that regard.”
“The Gospel and morality [should] drive all policy and any action that we would take,” he said.
Just war doctrine
At Tuesday’s Turning Point event, Vance challenged Leo’s understanding of just war doctrine in a response to the pope’s post on X that read: “God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”
Vance asked: “Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated France from the Nazis?” and “Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated Holocaust camps and liberated those innocent people…?” The vice president said: “I certainly think the answer is yes.”
Capizzi said Vance “misses the point” because Leo is “aware of the Churchʼs understanding of the just war.” When Catholics must wage war, they should “pray in the hope that they are doing Godʼs will … with humility and even a fear of God that they have rightly judged [the] situation,” he said.
“They try to avoid praying with hubris or arrogance about their judgment, because they know Godʼs judgment alone matters,” he said.
Capizzi said Leo’s comments are “about the rise in recourse to violence to attempt to solve problems” and “those who ‘wage wars’ are those turning to violence rather than looking for other solutions.”
O’Neill said Catholics should not interpret Leo’s comments as “throwing out” just war doctrine but understand it the same way they understand Christ saying that “all who take the sword will perish by the sword” in Matthew 26:52.
“Even when a Christian has to take up the sword, he doesn’t live by the sword,” O’Neill said.
Even when a Christian has to take up the sword, he doesn’t live by the sword.
Taylor Patrick ONeillTheology professor at Thomas Aquinas College
If a Christian must engage in war, O’Neill said, “he does so as if it’s a tragedy.” He said glee or indifference toward war is “not living in accordance with the spirit of Christ” and noted concerns with the administration splicing together videos of the war with action movies, treating it like “a joke” or like “it’s cool.”
“The spirit should always be turned away from warfare,” he said.
Bolster said he read the pope’s comment in the context of Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization: “The threats were made against the culture, the civilians, and the innocents.” He said the pope “has a responsibility to all of the souls entrusted to him and to protect the innocents and call out an escalation that would go beyond the military targets.”
Yet, he also said Vance is in a tough position because when someone “questions whether [the soldiers are] involved in something that’s morally legitimate, you jeopardize their ability to do their job and you jeopardize their safety.”
The U.S. and Iran entered a temporary two-week ceasefire on April 8. So far, a long-term peace deal has not been reached.
Miami archbishop urges U.S. government to reconsider funding cut for children’s program
MIAMI — “We ask the U.S. government to reconsider the cancellation of an $11 million federal contract with Catholic Charities, given the immediate and long-term impact on services for unaccompanied minors and the broader humanitarian mission of the archdiocese,” said Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami at a press conference on April 15.
For decades, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami has partnered with the federal government to serve vulnerable children and families. The sudden termination of this contract ends a more than 65-year relationship that began with Operation Pedro Pan, which resettled approximately 14,000 Cuban children who were fleeing the Castro regime in the United States.
Wenski called for a review of the decision to cut funding for the Unaccompanied Minors Program of Catholic Charities.
“It is baffling that the U.S. government would shut down a program that would be hard-pressed to replicate at the level of competence and excellence that Catholic Charities has achieved, if and when future waves of unaccompanied minors reach our shores,” he said.
The U.S. government oversees the care of unaccompanied minors and partners with organizations such as Catholic Charities to provide services.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has long funded Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami through the Unaccompanied Minors Program since 1960 to provide shelter and services to thousands of unaccompanied minors.
Federal spending data shows that Catholic Charities received $11 million from HHS in fiscal year 2025, but the award ended March 31. The abrupt end will force the organization to shut down services within three months.
The decision comes as President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Pope Leo XIV. However, Wenski said the funding decision is unrelated to those tensions.
The Msgr. Bryan O. Walsh Children’s Village, formerly known as Boys Town —established during the Pedro Pan exodus in the early 1960s — can house up to 81 children today.
“Our track record in serving this vulnerable population is unmatched. Yet Catholic Charities’ services for unaccompanied minors have been stripped of funding and will be forced to shut down within three months,” Wenski said.
Reps. María Elvira Salazar and Carlos Giménez of Florida, both Republicans, also issued a letter to ORR urging the agency to reconsider.
“South Florida has always been the front line of humanitarian migration in our hemisphere,” the April 3 letter stated. They also warned of potential future migration from Cuba and Haiti.
“Catholic Charities provides what cannot be quickly replaced: trained staff, proven infrastructure, and decades of expertise,” they wrote. “Losing this capacity now will make future response efforts more costly, slower, and less effective.”
For those who lived it, today’s crisis is personal
Javier Llorens, first vice president of the Pedro Pan board of directors, arrived in the United States in 1962 as part of Operation Pedro Pan, years before his parents could join him. He spent five years in shelters run by the Catholic Welfare Bureau, the predecessor of Catholic Charities.
“It wasn’t just shelter — it was care, education, and formation,” said Llorens, now a dentist. “That model showed how to care for refugee children the right way.”
With federal funding now cut for programs serving unaccompanied minors, Llorens warned today’s children risk losing that support.
“I understand budgets can be evaluated,” he said. “But what matters is the care of the children. Without it, they are left without assistance and without support to integrate into this country.”
Graciela Anrrich, director of the Pedro Pan board of directors, shared a similar experience. She arrived in the United States from Cuba in 1961 with her sister and spent months in the program before reuniting with her parents.
“The care we received was extraordinary,” said Anrrich, now a professor at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami. “We were placed with a wonderful foster family and supported during a very difficult time.”
Both say the program changed their lives — and fear others may now miss that opportunity.
“We have to call the attention of the government,” Llorens said. “They are making a mistake. We only want to help the children.”
Contract funded care for unaccompanied migrant children
Recently, the Msgr. Bryan O. Walsh Children’s Village shelter was housing five children.
Four minors were transferred to a new center, and the last one is expected to reunite with his or her family. After that, the facility will no longer house children.
Peter Routsis-Arroyo, executive director of Catholic Charities, said similar programs across the country are also being affected.
“Programs that received funding starting April 1 will continue. We are currently seeking a 90-day no-cost extension, not yet officially approved, to provide proper notice to staff, severance pay, and the transfer of cases dating back to the 1960s. We may request an additional extension if needed,” he said.
Routsis-Arroyo said the organization received no warning.
“We were negotiating a new budget right up to the time of the cancellation letter. We were even approved for staff hiring the week before notification arrived,” he said.
He added that the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Refugee Resettlement informed them by email March 24 that their application was not selected for funding.
“It appears we scored very well but were not awarded bonus points,” he said.
Catholic Charities has no alternative funding to continue the program.
“Children are referred to us by ORR. Without a contract, ORR will not send children to us,” Routsis-Arroyo said.
The Unaccompanied Minors Program has operated continuously since 1960, making it the longest-running facility of its kind in the country. Contracts are currently awarded every three years.
Routsis-Arroyo said no other agency has provided this level of care for more than 65 years, beginning with Operation Pedro Pan. The Msgr. Bryan O. Walsh Children’s Village was specifically designed, in collaboration with ORR, to provide optimal care for unaccompanied minors.
“If funding is not restored, we will have to transition to other residential programs. Once we do, ORR will lose our capacity to serve this population,” he said.
The current federal process does not allow for an appeal, leaving reconsideration or legal action as the only options.
This story was first published by the Florida Catholic and is reprinted here with permission.
Australian diocese unveils new cathedral as archbishop prepares for Rome
SYDNEY — An Australian diocese north of Sydney is building the countryʼs first purpose-built Catholic cathedral in more than 100 years, appointing an award-winning architect to design a sprawling precinct that will house everything from the bishopʼs seat to a parish hall and disability services.
The Diocese of Broken Bay announced April 14 that it has appointed London-based Níall McLaughlin Architects to design the new cathedral and surrounding campus at Waitara, on Sydneyʼs upper north shore. The diocese describes the project as the first Roman Catholic cathedral in Australia in more than a century to be master-planned from inception as a complete, integrated complex.
The announcement was the final major project decision taken under Archbishop Anthony Randazzo before his expected relocation to Rome.
Pope Leo XIV named Randazzo, 59, prefect of the Vaticanʼs Dicastery for Legislative Texts on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, also granting him the personal title of archbishop. He continues to serve as apostolic administrator of Broken Bay until the move.
“While my responsibilities have expanded to serve the universal Church in Rome, my commitment to this vision is unwavering,” Randazzo said in a statement issued through the diocese. “The appointment of Níall McLaughlin Architects signals we are moving ahead with confidence to create a community legacy for generations to come.”
The 7.7-hectare Cathedral Precinct Project will succeed the dioceseʼs current cathedral, Our Lady of the Rosary, which was designated as the bishopʼs seat in February 2008 after succeeding the smaller Corpus Christi Church at St. Ives.
The new precinct will rise on the same Yardley Avenue site and integrate the existing St. Leoʼs Catholic College campus, a pastoral center, parish hall, a new home for the diocesan charity CatholicCare, residences for the bishop and clergy, and diocesan offices.
Erected as a diocese in April 1986 by Pope John Paul II, Broken Bay this year marks its 40th anniversary and serves around 250,000 Catholics across 26 parishes spanning Sydneyʼs North Shore, the Northern Beaches, and the upper Central Coast — a territory of 2,763 square kilometers (1,067 square miles).
A ‘virtuous circle’ of faith and education
In its own communications, the diocese has framed the project around what it calls a “virtuous circle” of Catholic life — the integration of liturgy, formation, and education on a single site, from baptism through secondary schooling.
The architectural concept draws on the natural setting of the Hawkesbury River, which unites the dioceseʼs parishes, and on the local sandstone bluffs of the surrounding bushland.
Renderings released by the practice show twin slender sandstone-clad spires rising above a public forecourt, with a timber-framed entrance portal centered on a cross. Inside, an exposed lattice of cross-braced timber members vaults the length of the nave, with raw sandstone walls and geometric stained glass.
The diocese said the design draws explicitly on the spirit of Laudato Si', the 2015 encyclical of Pope Francis on care for creation, prioritizing sustainable timber and stone and preserving the existing Blue Gum High Forest on the site as a public amenity.
A practice known for sacred architecture
Níall McLaughlin Architects, established in 1990, was selected following an invited international design process. Its founder, the Irish-born and London-based Níall McLaughlin, received the Royal Institute of British Architects' Royal Gold Medal in January — one of the disciplineʼs highest international honors, awarded annually in recognition of a lifetime contribution to architecture.
The practice has built several sacred and contemplative spaces, including the Bishop Edward King Chapel for Ripon College in Oxford, a 2013 Stirling Prize finalist; the New Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge; and the Auckland Castle Faith Museum in northern England.
In February the firm was announced as winner of the international competition to design the Museum of Jesus' Baptism at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the UNESCO World Heritage site on the east bank of the River Jordan traditionally identified as the place of Christʼs baptism. That museum is targeted to open in 2030 to mark the bimillennial of the baptism of Jesus.
McLaughlin spoke about the Broken Bay project on April 14 at the Rothwell Public Lecture series at the University of Sydney. “We are delighted to work on this significant project to help create an enduring spiritual, civic, and cultural precinct that places the faithful at its center,” he said.
The Australian firm Hayball has been appointed as executive architect on the project. Funding will be drawn from a combination of institutional capital and a dedicated philanthropic appeal, and the diocese said design work will now move into approval pathways that will determine the construction timeline.
Pope Leo XIV in Cameroon: The Eucharist sustains us amid fear, suffering
DOUALA, Cameroon — Physical food is not enough; the soul needs the nourishment of the Eucharist, which sustains us in times of fear and suffering, Pope Leo XIV said at a Mass in Douala, Cameroon, on Friday.
Celebrating Mass for more than 120,000 people outside Japoma Stadium, in Cameroon’s economic capital, the pope said in his homily that Jesus’ miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes is a sign he came to serve with love, not domination.
The miracle “shows us not only how God provides humanity with the bread of life but how we can share this sustenance with all men and women who, like ourselves, hunger for peace, freedom, and justice,” Leo said.
“Each act of solidarity and forgiveness, every good effort, becomes a morsel of bread for humanity in need of care,” the pope added.
“Yet this alone is not enough: The food that sustains the body must be accompanied, with equal charity, by nourishment for the soul — a nourishment that sustains our conscience and steadies us in dark hours of fear and amid the shadows of suffering. This food is Christ himself, who always gives his Church abundant sustenance and strengthens us on our journey by giving us his Eucharistic body," he said.
Leo celebrated Mass in French in Douala on his third day in Cameroon. On April 18, he will celebrate Mass in the country’s capital, Yaoundé, before departing for the third country of his apostolic journey in Africa — Angola.
In his homily, delivered mostly in French, the pope reflected on the miracle of the loaves and fishes, comparing the crowd in the Gospel to those present at the Mass.
“The Gospel we have heard (John 6:1-15) is the word of salvation for all humanity. This good news is proclaimed today throughout the world; for the Church in Cameroon, it resounds as a providential proclamation of God’s love and of our communion,” he said.
Describing the scene in the Gospel, Pope Leo focused on the crowd and the lack of food: “Jesus asks us today, just as he asked his disciples then: How will you solve this problem? Look at all these hungry people, weighed down by fatigue. What will you do?”
The pope stressed that this question concerns everyone: “It is posed to the fathers and mothers who care for their families. It is directed to the shepherds of the Church, who watch over the Lord’s flock, and also to those who bear social and political responsibility for the people and seek their well-being. Christ asks this question to the powerful and the weak, to the rich and the poor, to the young and the elderly, because we all hunger in the same way.”
“Our necessity reminds us that we are creatures,” he continued. “We need to eat in order to live. We are not God: but where is God in the face of people’s hunger?”
Turning to Christ’s response, Leo underlined the meaning of thanksgiving and sharing: “While awaiting our answers, Jesus gives his own: ‘Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.’ A serious problem was solved by blessing the little food that was present and sharing it with all who were hungry.”
He said the miracle is that “there is bread for everyone if it is given to everyone. There is bread for everyone if it is taken, not with a hand that snatches away, but with a hand that gives.”
Pointing to the Mass being celebrated, the pope highlighted its transforming power as “a source of renewed faith, because Jesus becomes present among us. The sacrament [of the Eucharist] does not merely revive a distant memory; it brings about a ‘companionship’ that transforms us because it sanctifies us.”
“This very altar, around which we gather for the Eucharist, becomes a proclamation of hope amid the trials of history and the injustices we see around us. It is a sign of God’s love; in Christ, the Father invites us to share what we have, so that it may be multiplied in ecclesial fellowship,” Leo said.
Switching to English, Pope Leo addressed young people, asking them to “be the first faces and hands that bring the bread of life to your neighbors, providing them with the food of wisdom and deliverance from all that does not nourish them, but rather obscures good desires and robs them of their dignity.”
Acknowledging the realities of poverty, he issued a warning against violence and corruption, urging them to “not give in to distrust and discouragement” and to “reject every form of abuse or violence, which deceives by promising easy gains but hardens the heart and makes it insensitive.”
“Do not forget that your people are even richer than this land, for your treasure lies in your values: faith, family, hospitality, and work,” he said.
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.
Carmelite sisters ask for prayers, donations after fire destroys retreat house
Carmelite sisters in Los Angeles are asking the Catholic faithful for prayers — and donations if they are able — after a fire destroyed one of their retreat houses April 11.
“[The] No. 1 [way to help] is just to pray with us, to be attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit right now, especially in this time of rebuilding, that we move according to what the Lord wants,” Sister Meredith Boquiren, OCD, directress of the Sacred Heart Retreat House in Alhambra, California, told anchor Veronica Dudo in an April 16 interview on “EWTN News Nightly.”
Early Saturday afternoon during a four-day Healing the Whole Person retreat, a fire broke out on the second floor of one of the two retreat houses on the campus, which is operated by the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles.
No one was injured in the fire, but the damaged building is inoperable and will need to be rebuilt.
Three fire departments responded to the scene and prevented the fire from spreading further throughout the campus, which includes the motherhouse, where all the sisters begin formation. The sisters have operated the campus for 85 years.
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and the sisters believe the source may have been electrical.
Boquiren said in the interview that the fire alarm went off shortly after the conclusion of the final retreat Mass, which the sisters hosted during the latter half of the Easter Octave, just ahead of Divine Mercy Sunday.
“Weʼve had some false alarms before, so I just went and ran to the place that the source indicated,” Boquiren said. “So I ran up the second floor of the building and saw a bunch of billowing black smoke and realized it was real. And then I ran outside to see, and at that moment the window had burst open with flames.”
She said it was “a strange experience because we had just finished some powerful testimonies” and within the next 10 minutes, “I experienced a sense of weight and darkness at the same time.”
“It was just quite strange to … experience the paschal joy and resurrection of our Lord through the suffering, right? The actual healing journey that we were experiencing on retreat,” she said. “So it was, it was quite a strange contradiction of emotions.”
Boquiren said “the damage was pretty expensive,” noting it is “a two-building, two-floor building with 25 rooms.”
“The water, smoke, and fire damage is pretty extensive,” she said. “The firemen had to make holes through the building on the top, and so itʼs basically unusable and irreparable at this time.”
In addition to asking for prayers, Boquiren said: “If you are willing and able to provide a gift, we would greatly appreciate that.”
Sister Mary Scholastica, OCD, director of advancement for the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, told EWTN News “it is too early for estimated cost of damages” but “an entire building will need to be rebuilt and construction in Southern California is costly.”
She said the retreat house serves more than 13,000 people annually.
Although one building is unusable, Boquiren noted in her “EWTN News Nightly” interview that retreats are still happening, but “it’s just with less capacity.”
“Blessed be God, they are [still happening], because we still have two of the buildings that we use in operation,” she said.
Diocese of Phoenix pioneers role for priestly well-being: No priest should walk ‘alone’
Bishop Peter Dai Bui believes priests are not just “workers in the vineyard” but “sons and brothers who need to be accompanied,” and this conviction has led to a new role in the Diocese of Phoenix that will help ensure all priests are supported spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
“I believe that a priest who is known, accompanied, and cared for brings that fullness to everything he does: to the altar, to the confessional, to the bedside of the dying,” Bui, auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Phoenix, told EWTN News.
Father Greg Schlarb, who is currently a pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Scottsdale, Arizona, will pioneer the role of vicar for priestly life and ministry for the diocese, working with Bui, the vicar for clergy, to care for priests in the diocese.
While Bui’s role is practical — handling priestly assignments and personnel management — Schlarb will take a “more proactive and personal approach,” according to the diocese.
“I want to be a sounding board, a listening ear, and a compassionate brother who is there to support and assist them,” Schlarb told EWTN News.
No priest has to walk alone
“Priestly formation does not end at ordination,” Bui said. “It is a lifelong journey, and every priest needs someone walking alongside him in that journey. Father Schlarbʼs role exists to make sure no priest in the Diocese of Phoenix has to walk it alone."
“When our priests are well — humanly, spiritually, pastorally — their people feel it,” Bui continued.
The new role is one of several mental health efforts established by Bishop John Dolan of Phoenix. Dolan, who has lost four family members to suicide, is known for his mental health advocacy.
“Bishop Dolan has always understood that the health of the diocese depends on the health of its priests, and as that conviction deepened, it became clear that priestly life and ministry deserved its own dedicated focus, that is, as a distinct and primary pastoral priority,” Bui said.
“How do we make sure our priests have what they need, that they are healthy: spiritually, physically, mentally; that they constantly are formed and transformed in their relationship with Christ?” Dolan asked in his monthly podcast, "Tilma," which highlighted the new role.
“Youʼre not just ordained a priest, but youʼre ordained a priest in the presbyterate — that means there’s a community of priests of which you belong,” Dolan said.
The Diocese of Phoenix spans 44,000 square miles and is the fastest-growing diocese in the U.S. It is home to more than 2 million Catholics and 94 parishes.
“It’s my hope that all of our priests, no matter how far away they are from the Phoenix metropolitan area, will feel supported, heard, and loved,” Schlarb said.
“Just as the parishioners they serve understand that the presence of a priest shepherding in the farthest parts of our diocese demonstrates the care, concern, and love of our bishop, so these heroic priests who serve in these remote parishes will also experience that same care, concern, and love through the presence and support I am able to offer them,” Schlarb said.
A pastor’s heart
“Priests can often face challenges when their life is ‘out of balance,’” Schlarb said. “Sometimes there are personnel issues that cause great concern, or ‘actively disengaged’ parishioners are placing stumbling blocks for our pastors, or there’s little to no opportunity to create community in these remote areas.”
But Bui said he believes Schlarb has “exactly the right gifts to this work.”
“He has a pastorʼs heart, a brother priestʼs credibility, and a genuine love for his fellow priests,” he said.
Even though he does not start in the role until July 1, Schlarb said priests have already begun to reach out.
“There have been priests reaching out for guidance with pastoral challenges, new assignment excitement, and concerns and guidance on applying for sabbaticals or ongoing formation opportunities,” Schlarb said.
“I am grateful to God for this assignment that Bishop John Dolan has entrusted to me and with the guidance of the word or God and the Holy Spirit, I hope to serve our priests to the best of my ability,” he said.
China pressures underground Catholics to join state church, rights group says
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is increasing its pressure campaign on underground Catholics, according to a report from Human Rights Watch.
“A decade into Xi Jinping’s Sinicization campaign and nearly eight years since the 2018 Holy See-China agreement, Catholics in China face escalating repression that violates their religious freedoms,” Yalkun Uluyol, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in an April 15 report. “Pope Leo XIV should urgently review the agreement and press Beijing to end the persecution and intimidation of underground churches, clergy, and worshippers.”
Human Rights Watch said it conducted interviews with “nine people outside the country who had firsthand knowledge of Catholicism in China” for its report, who said the 2018 Vatican-China agreement has “provided an overarching structure for the authorities to pressure underground Catholics.”
Witnesses in the report said Catholics in China felt the agreement left them with “no other choice but to join the official church” and that those who have remained in the underground Church “felt betrayed by the Vatican.”
Human Rights Watch also highlighted the Chinese government’s persecution of Catholic bishops and clergy, citing instances of detention and forced disappearance as well as China’s move to ban Catholic priests from teaching or evangelizing online.
“Catholic clergy released from detention continue to face harassment,” the report said. “One person said in January that a priest he knew was barred from having bank accounts, SIM cards, and a passport, and thus has ‘no means of survival and can barely make ends meet for even a day or two.'”
“The Vatican’s agreement and policy regarding the Catholic Church in China in recent years has been disastrous,” Nina Shea, Hudson Institute senior fellow, told EWTN News. “Faithful Catholic bishops are subjected by the government to being disappeared, detained indefinitely without due process, sidelined but ‘recognized’ or being actively threatened with detention if they resist swearing fealty to only the Chinese Communist Party and not Rome.”
Shea, who also serves as director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, urged Pope Leo XIV to lead a global prayer vigil for Chinese bishops who have been forcibly disappeared or detained.
“Pope Benedict XVI designated May 24 as the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China but it’s been virtually forgotten in the last few years and never robustly embraced by the Vatican, which probably sees it as implicit criticism of the CCP, something it is loath to do,” she said.
Bishop reminds Venezuelan people: ‘Christ’s resurrection is a source of solace and strength’
To Venezuelans gripped by anxiety and fear after years of political violence, economic collapse, famine, and family separation, the newly-appointed bishop of Caracas said the hardships they have endured for too long can be faced with the certainty that the Lord has triumphed over sin and death.
José Dionisio Gómez, who was recently appointed by Pope Leo XIV as auxiliary bishop of Caracas, reminded the Venezuelan people that Christʼs resurrection is “a source of solace and strength.”
“In Venezuela, we have the hope of rising again at every moment in the face of every suffering and obstacle that confronts us,” Gómez said in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.
“To rise with Christ is to strive to be better people and better witnesses to his resurrection,” Gómez said. “Throughout history, it has been demonstrated that human beings possess the capacity through the grace of God and with the solidarity of their brothers and sisters to overcome situations of suffering caused by wars, pandemics, holocausts, abuses of power, and harassment.”
The capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the United States military in the early hours of Jan. 3 ushered in “a new political era," presenting a scenario that was previously unimaginable.
The prelate cited the episcopate’s latest pastoral exhortation, published in mid-February, in which the bishops stated that “Jesus Christ consoles us and encourages us to move forward with hope.”
Gómez noted that Venezuelans are not alone amid their daily lives: “We are all aware of [the need to] and are eager to move our country forward, a country we love so much.”
On March 18, Gómez and José Manuel León were named the two new auxiliary bishops-elect of Caracas. They join Auxiliary Bishop Carlos Márquez in assisting Archbishop Raúl Biord in the governance of the Church in the Venezuelan capital.
Venezuelans ‘bear signs of Christ’s passion’
Reflecting on Venezuelaʼs political situation, Gómez, who also serves as rector of St. Rose of Lima archdiocesan seminary in Caracas, said that, regrettably, “all Venezuelans bear signs of Christ’s passion, whether through imprisonment, exile, or migration under duress; through acute poverty as wages aren’t enough to have a decent life; or because we witness others suffering even more and we are powerless to help them.”
“Indeed, Jesus came to have compassion on us. That is why he drew near to and remained alongside the abandoned and suffering members of society, inviting them to bear that suffering with love and patience,” he noted.
Gómez also referred to Pope Leo’s Lenten message, which echoed the words God addressed to Moses: “I have seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cries of pain” (Ex 3:7).
Law on amnesty and national reconciliation
In mid-February, the National Assembly, which is controlled by the ruling socialist party, approved the Law on Amnesty and National Reconciliation, which led to the release of hundreds of political prisoners.
However, various independent organizations have said the new law has not benefited all detainees and have charged that its application serves the interests of the regime. According to the Foro Penal, 485 people remain unjustly detained in Venezuela.
“There is not the slightest doubt that we all wish to live in justice and truth. The amnesty law is also the law of God’s mercy, who desires that all men be saved. For this reason, he offers his forgiveness to all,” Gómez explained.
“A wounded country and a wounded human being are healed through forgiveness and reconciliation by setting aside interests of any kind and always seeking paths toward the common good and brotherhood, where we are all one despite our differing ways of thinking, accepting one another. Therefore, it is important to set aside what divides us and embrace what unites us,” he said.
‘Let us make our lives a journey of peace and reconciliation’
Gómez noted that “the new era” for Venezuela coincides with the Franciscan Jubilee Year, which serves as “a good opportunity to embark on a path of education for peace, one that entails nonviolence and reconciliation.”
“It’s not about forgetting but rather about remembering, repairing the damage, and building bonds of fraternity. A society achieves reconciliation and rebuilds itself not with heroes but with free, responsible people capable of living together with dignity and building a future worthy of hope,” the auxiliary bishop-elect emphasized.
Finally, he prayed that Catholics might make their “great contribution” to Venezuela, following the example of St. José Gregorio Hernández, who offered his life for the end of World War I.
“Let us make our lives a journey of peace and reconciliation so that all Venezuelans may return to the source of our essence: a people of solidarity — friendly, humorous, and joyful — with a simple faith and fervent religious expressions, and ready to help anyone in need,” he urged.
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.
Young U.S. men overtake women in saying religion is ‘very important’
Young men in the United States surpass young women in regard to the importance of religion in their lives.
Findings from 2024-2025 Gallup data revealed that 42% of young men ages 18 to 29 said religion is “very important” to them, up 14 percentage points since 2022-2023. This jump pushes them above the 29% of young women who reported the same.
Gallupʼs data comes from 4,015 interviews with U.S. adults, including 295 men under 30 and 145 women under 30. The survey had a margin of error of between plus or minus 7 and 10 percentage points. It also used information from separate reports of 26,601 U.S. adults, including 1,905 men under 30 and 832 women under 30, and a report of 27,616 U.S. adults, including 1,839 men 18 to 29 and 796 women 18 to 29. The margin of error was between plus or minus 3 and 4 percentage points.
Gallup found that young women are significantly the least likely age group of women to report religion is “very important” to them, compared with 47% of women ages 30 to 49, 53% of women ages 50-64, and 64% of women 65 or older.
While young women’s stance on religion has held steady at about 30% since 2020-2021, young menʼs has been less stable. In 2020-2021, 34% of young men said religion was “very important” in their lives; this declined to 28% in 2022-2023 and has increased again.
Further findings from Gallup’s religious data also found that from 2000-2001 through 2024-2025, young men have returned to the high point of how many find religion important.
The percentage of young men who reported monthly or more frequent attendance at religious services has risen. In 2022-2023, 33% of young men reported attending, compared with 40% in 2024-2025.
According to Gallup’s monthly measurement of religious attendance in 2026 so far, 40% of young men continue to attend religious services weekly or monthly, consistent with 2025.
Young women’s attendance has also increased since 2022-2023, rising three points to 39% in 2024-2025. However, this rate remains below the levels recorded in the early 2000s, when the group was at 54%.
Impact of political party and religious affiliation
The research looked at how political affiliation affects how often young men and women attend religious services.
Republican women and men are far more likely to attend religious services than Democratic women and men, with 58% of Republican women and 52% of men attending at least monthly, compared with 31% of Democratic women and 26% of men.
The report noted that the partisan shifts affect the trends among young men and women differently, because of differences in party identification between them.
In 2024-2025, 48% of young men identified as or leaned Republican, compared with 41% who identified as or leaned Democratic. Among young women, 27% identified as or leaned Republican, compared with 60% who identified as or leaned Democratic.
The report also examined trends in how many young adults practice specific religions. The data found that as young men have become more religious since 2022-2023, more identify with a specific religion, but they still remain the least likely male age group to do so.
In 2024-2025, 63% of young men reported identifying with a specific religion including Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or another religion. This was nearly the same as the 61% who reported the same in 2022-2023. However, it is the highest number reported by young men since 2012-2013, when the group was at 67%.
Donald Trump on tensions with Pope Leo XIV: ‘I have nothing against the pope’
U.S. President Donald Trump on April 16 downplayed his recent public criticism of Pope Leo XIV, stating that he has “nothing against the pope” while continuing to falsely suggest that Leo wants Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
While speaking to the press on April 16, Trump was asked why he was “fighting with the pope.” Trump responded that he himself “[has] to do whatʼs right.”
“Itʼs very simple, I have nothing against the pope,” Trump said. “... Iʼm not fighting with him. The pope made a statement, he says Iran can have a nuclear weapon. I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
The president had slammed Leo as “weak on crime” and “weak on nuclear weapons” in an April 12 social media post while suggesting that the pope “thinks itʼs OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Leo has several times in recent weeks called for peace while criticizing the ongoing U.S.-led war against Iran, but it is unclear why Trump has repeatedly claimed that Leo has advocated for nuclear weapons in Iran.
The pope has spoken out explicitly against the expansion of global nuclear armaments in the recent past.
‘I want him to preach the Gospel’
Asked at the April 16 press gaggle about the popeʼs obligation to preach the Gospel, the president responded: “I want him to preach the Gospel.”
“Iʼm all about the Gospel,” Trump told reporters. “But I also know that you cannot let [Iran] have a nuclear weapon. If they did, they would use it, and I think theyʼd use it quickly, and they would kill many millions of people.”
“As president of the United States of America, I canʼt allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “And hereʼs the story: They wonʼt have [it]. Theyʼve already agreed not to have [it]. Thatʼs good news. And I think the pope will be very happy.”
Asked by a reporter if he would meet with the pope “to even out your differences,” Trump said: “I donʼt think thatʼs necessary.”
During a press conference at the White House on Monday, Trump claimed that Iranian officials had contacted him seeking a peace deal. “Theyʼd like to make a deal very badly,” the president said.
Earlier peace talks in Islamabad, led by Vice President JD Vance, collapsed last weekend after Iran refused to meet U.S. demands to end its nuclear program.
Trumpʼs support among Catholics dipped notably after the launch of the Iran war, with bipartisan polling finding that 48% of Catholic voters approve of the job Trump is doing as president and 52% disapprove. The president won 55% of the Catholic vote in the 2024 election.
The poll found that most Catholics disapprove of Trump’s actions in Iran and the use of military force against the country but still favor some American influence in the region.