U.S. bishops mark 100th anniversary of Black History Month
February 2026 marks 100 years of commemorating Black History Month in the United States and Catholic bishops are marking the milestone.
Bishop Daniel E. Garcia, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, and Bishop Roy E. Campbell, chairman of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on African American Affairs, marked the anniversary by urging the faithful to “be faithful stewards of memory” and “courageous witnesses to truth.”
In a statement released Feb. 3, the bishops highlighted the anniversary and called the milestone “an opportunity for us to prayerfully reflect on the ways history has been preserved, honored, and passed on across generations.”
Reflecting on the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter against racism, “Open Wide Our Hearts,” the bishops recognized “that the lived experience of the vast majority of African Americans bears the marks of our country’s original sin of racism.”
“During this year’s observance of Black History Month, we encourage the faithful to consider the lessons of history, honoring our heroes of the past and learning from the mistakes of the past,” the bishops said.
“Although we may at times encounter people or situations in our country that seek to erase ‘memory’ from our minds and books, it can never be erased from our hearts. May our reflections strengthen our faith and communities.”
The bishops concluded: “Let us be faithful stewards of memory. Let us be courageous witnesses to truth. Let us pray and work to honor the inherent dignity of every person and the sacred stories of every people.”
Black History Month first began in February 1926. At the time it was called Negro History Week and was created by Carter G. Woodson, who founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH).
After attending a national celebration of the 50th anniversary of emancipation in 1915, Woodson was left inspired and decided to form an organization to promote the scientific study of Black life and history.
From there, he formed ASNLH, launched The Journal of Negro History in 1916, and then in 1924 started Negro History and Literature Week, which was renamed Negro Achievement Week. Finally, in 1926, Woodson sent out a press release announcing Negro History Week, which was later renamed Black History Month by President Gerald Ford in 1976.
Black History Month aims to honor the contributions of Black individuals to history, culture, and society. Additionally, it serves to educate the public, challenge systemic racism, highlight Black leaders, and celebrate the ongoing journey toward equality.
Church fresco angel that resembled Italian prime minister painted over to end controversy
The recent restoration of a fresco in an ancient baroque church in central Rome, just a short distance from the Spanish consulate and the Italian Parliament, has sparked an unexpected controversy after one of the angels depicted in the restoration bore a striking resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The figure in question holds a scroll with a map of Italy and is one of a pair of angels flanking the marble bust of Umberto II, the last king of Italy, who reigned briefly in 1946. The funerary monument includes the inscription “Acting like a Christian, resigned to the divine will.”
Tweet
The fresco is located in a side chapel of St. Lawrence Basilica in the Lucina area of Rome, which was built in the fourth century. In recent days, the cherub with features similar to those of Meloni became the focus of unexpected attention from numerous visitors, many of whom came out of curiosity rather than for religious reasons.
The Italian prime minister herself reacted with irony on social media. In a message posted on Instagram, accompanied by a smiling emoji, she wrote: “No, I certainly don’t look like an angel.”
Instagram post
The image unleashed a flood of memes on the internet, where Meloni was even depicted as a version of the Mona Lisa.
However, the fresco is not an ancient work of art but a relatively recent one: It was painted in 2000 as part of the funerary complex dedicated to Umberto II, installed in 1985 at the initiative of the then-parish priest, Pietro Pintus. Over the years, the painting had deteriorated and required restoration.
The person responsible for the restoration was the church’s sacristan, Bruno Valentinetti, 83, who described himself to the Italian media as an amateur painter. Valentinetti insisted that he never intended to portray the prime minister and downplayed the resemblance, attributing it to a coincidence.
On Jan. 31, the parish priest, Father Daniele Micheletti, was one of the first to speak publicly about the matter.
Although he acknowledged the resemblance between the angel and the Italian leader, he initially downplayed the controversy. However, a few hours later, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar of the Diocese of Rome, intervened, distancing himself from those remarks in an official statement.
The cardinal expressed his “deep dismay” over what had happened and announced immediate measures. “It is firmly reiterated that images of sacred art and Christian tradition cannot be subject to improper use or instrumentalization, as they are intended exclusively to support liturgical life and personal and communal prayer,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the church had been transformed into an impromptu tourist attraction, with dozens of people flocking there every day to see and photograph the angel, often for nonreligious reasons — without attending Mass or participating in prayer.
The controversy finally came to an end on the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 3, when according to Italian newspapers, the restorer himself covered over the angel’s face with a layer of white paint. Micheletti later explained that the decision was made because the image had become divisive and because “there was a continuous stream of people coming in just to see it, not to pray or attend Mass; it was impossible to go on like this.”
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.
Archbishop Coakley urges U.S., Russia to renew nuclear arms control pact
Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), called upon policymakers to pursue diplomatic negotiations to maintain limitations of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) ahead of its expiration on Feb. 5.
New START is the treaty between the United States and Russia that enhances U.S. national security by placing limits on Russian-deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons. The treaty was signed in 2010 by then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and is the last major nuclear arms control pact signed by the two nations.
“The dangers posed by current conflicts around the world, including the devastating war in Ukraine, make the forthcoming expiration of New START simply unacceptable,” Coakley said in a Feb. 3 statement.
He urged policymakers to “courageously pursue diplomatic negotiations” in order to maintain New START’s limits and open pathways toward disarmament.
“I call on people of faith and all men and women of goodwill to ardently pray that we, as an international community, may develop the courage to pursue an authentic, transformative, and lasting peace,” Coakley said.
“International policy disagreements, as serious as they are, cannot be used as excuses for diplomatic stalemates; on the contrary, they should spur us on to more vehemently pursue effective engagement and dialogue.”
“May the Prince of Peace enlighten our hearts and minds to pursue peace around the world in a spirit of universal fraternity,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV warns of ‘new global arms race’
Pope Leo XIV has also called attention to the importance of renewing the treaty. In his address to the diplomatic corps this year, the Holy Father said there is a “need to follow up on the New START Treaty” and warned that “there is a danger of returning to the race of producing ever more sophisticated new weapons, also by means of artificial intelligence.”
He also addressed the danger of a “new global arms race” at his general audience on Wednesday, Feb. 4. He urged world leaders not to allow the agreement to end without a credible and effective alternative.
“Tomorrow the New START treaty reaches its expiration,” the pope said, noting that the agreement helped contain nuclear arsenals and strengthen international security. He called for “every constructive effort in favor of disarmament and mutual trust.”
The pope stressed that the world must abandon “the logic of fear and distrust” and embrace “a shared ethic capable of guiding decisions toward the common good and making peace a heritage safeguarded by all.”
During the same audience, Pope Leo also renewed his call for prayers for the people of Ukraine who are being “harshly tested” by continued Russian bombardments.
Why Slovak bishops are defending 25-year-old agreement with Holy See
The main opposition party in the Slovak Parliament, Progressive Slovakia, has questioned aspects of the Basic Agreement with the Holy See signed on Nov. 24, 2000.
The critique came shortly after the visit of Archbishop Paul Gallagher, secretary for relations with states of the Holy See, to the Central European country to mark the 25th anniversary of the accord.
According to the progressives, the state should not have a special contract with one church. They argue that the contract is costly financially and in terms of obligations — for instance, the teaching of religion in public schools is state-funded, but its contents are determined by the Catholic Church.
Other churches should be offered a similar option, progressive member of the Parliament Ondrej Prostredník proposed. Yet it would not be a solution, as “there are many different groups of believers” currently “excluded from this right to have, for example, such activities in public schools,” continued the politician, who served as dean of the Evangelical Faculty of Theology (Lutheran) of Comenius University in Bratislava.
In response, the Slovak Bishops’ Conference underscored that the accord “is not about privileges,” as it ensures a legal framework and “clear rules for cooperation between the state and the Church.”
In this way, the Catholic Church can “freely fulfill its mission in service to the common good of not only believers, but all citizens” in areas such as “education, social solidarity, health care, culture, protection of human dignity,” the Slovak episcopate explained.
“A democratic state should not ignore the spiritual and religious dimension in society,” the Catholic bishops stressed, adding that “stable and correct relations between institutions contribute to social cohesion and a culture of trust.”
During his visit to Slovakia last weekend, Gallagher described Holy See–Slovakia relations as “very positive,” also thanks to the agreement. He recalled that “some provisions still require further implementation and interpretation.”
Mainly conscientious objection has not been applied, said Archbishop Cyril Vasiľ, eparch of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Košice. The prelate warned about a “tendency in some countries to weaken this principle” when they propose “new claims as rights,” which “creates moral and sometimes even labor-law pressure” on medical staff “to participate in procedures that are contrary to their moral convictions or professional ethics.”
The 2000 Basic Agreement regulates various aspects of the Catholic Church’s life and legal status in the Slovak Republic.
New York Archdiocese says longtime insurer waged ‘shadow campaign,’ posed as victims’ rights group
The Archdiocese of New York is arguing in state court that its longtime insurer has secretly been “waging a shadow campaign” and posing as a victims’ rights group in order to “undermine and weaken” the archdiocese amid an ongoing insurance dispute.
In a Jan. 31 legal filing at the New York State Supreme Court obtained by EWTN News, the archdiocese said that Chubb Insurance — which the archdiocese sued in 2024 over an alleged failure to pay out financial claims for sex abuse victims — has for several years been “secretly” posing as the “Church Accountability Project,” allegedly encouraging abuse victims to “pursue claims against the [archdiocese].”
The archdiocesan filing said the insurer has secretly run the website in order to “elevate Chubb’s own financial interests” and improve its leverage in the ongoing lawsuit.
As of Feb. 4 the “Church Accountability Project” website prominently displays the Chubb logo at the top of its page. But archives of the website from around a year ago make no mention of the site’s alleged alignment with Chubb.
“The Archdiocese of New York tolerated and covered up horrific sexual abuse against children for decades,” the older, un-branded version of the website states. The project said it was “committed to holding the Archdiocese of New York accountable.” The current version of the website contains partly similar language.
A Chubb spokesman on Feb. 4 described the filing as “the latest desperate tactic to delay justice and distract from the decades of horrific child sexual abuse the Archdiocese of New York enabled and concealed.”
“It’s quite telling that the archdiocese is more outraged about the facts coming to light on a platform we created than they are about the abuses they condoned, concealed, and covered up,” the statement said. “The archdiocese is delaying payment to deserving victims and failing to provide insurers needed information.”
In 2024 amid the newly filed lawsuit against the insurer, New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan told the faithful that Chubb was “attempting to evade their legal and moral contractual obligation to settle covered claims which would bring peace and healing to victim-survivors.”
The insurer in turn argued that the archdiocese “tolerated, concealed, and covered up rampant child sexual abuse for decades, and despite having substantial financial resources, they still refuse to compensate their victims.”
In its Jan. 31 filing the archdiocese requested punitive damages against Chubb. It described the alleged “Church Accountability Project” maneuver as “wanton sabotage” and “just the latest in an example of the depths to which Chubb is willing to stoop.”
The rebranded “accountability” website, meanwhile, alleges that the archdiocese “repeatedly refused to share crucial details regarding what they knew and when” regarding child abuse.
“The insurance purchased by the archdiocese is designed to cover accidents, not to compensate for deliberately concealing a pattern of abuse,” the website says.
American sister ends 40 years in Bangladesh forming priests, founding school
For nearly four decades, Sister Miriam Francis Perlewitz has lived a quiet but extraordinary missionary life in Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation where Catholics represent a tiny minority.
An American missionary sister, Scripture scholar, and educator, she has shaped generations of Catholic priests while also transforming grassroots education for children of all faiths. Today, she stands as one of the last American nuns still serving in the country — and as her advanced age signals an imminent departure, her story emerges as a rare testimony to missionary perseverance, women’s leadership, and faith lived from the margins.
Sister Miriam arrived in Bangladesh in 1985, initially to teach sacred Scripture part time at Holy Spirit Major Seminary in Dhaka. At the time, Bangladesh faced daunting challenges: widespread poverty, limited access to education, and pervasive illiteracy. The idea of a woman teaching future priests — let alone in South Asia — was uncommon and controversial.
Yet what she encountered immediately disarmed hesitation. “The friendliness and welcoming attitude of the students, as well as the questions I had about applying the message of Scripture in a Muslim environment, deeply touched me,” she told EWTN News.
For several years, she divided her time between Maryknoll’s major seminary and Bangladesh. When Maryknoll closed its school of theology in 1992, she made a decisive choice: She would remain full time in Bangladesh. That decision would shape the Church in the country in lasting ways.
Forming shepherds in a Muslim-majority nation
For more than two decades, Sister Miriam taught sacred Scripture at Holy Spirit Major Seminary, forming generations of priests — including men who would later become bishops and archbishops. Her presence itself was a quiet challenge to convention.
“First of all, the fact that I was a woman, involved in a ministry that was considered to be a man’s field, was questioned,” she recalled. Initially, some Church authorities hesitated. But the seminarians themselves defended her role. “When the students supported and spoke in my favor, the ‘powers that be’ decided to allow me to continue.”
What followed was a deeply collaborative ministry. Sister Miriam describes her seminary years not simply as academic formation but as a shared spiritual journey. “We became ‘one’ in the endeavor,” she said, united by the goal of passing on the Gospel — “the good news that God became man so that man may become one again with God.” For her, the word “man” was always inclusive, embracing all humanity.
Her approach to teaching remained consistent across decades, even as Bangladeshi society changed. “I believe the answer is in every individual,” she said. “The key to learning is to find out what lies hidden in the depths of each person.” Creating a space where students could speak openly about hopes and desires, she believed, was essential for both faith and transformation.
A school of values and inclusion
Sister Miriam’s missionary vision was never confined to the seminary classroom. In her early years, she balanced teaching Scripture with running sewing classes for women recovering from drug addiction. Witnessing their determination deeply influenced her educational philosophy.
“Seeing the desire of these afflicted souls to overcome their addiction gave me the incentive to motivate, encourage, and pass on the tools to achieve their hopes,” she said.
This conviction later found fuller expression in the 1990s, when she co-created an innovative “Education for Life” curriculum with Sister Joan Cordis Westhues, MM. The program addressed self-esteem, anger management, communication, and personal responsibility — topics largely absent from traditional rote-based education.
“In the process of reform, one must begin with the ‘self,’ then ‘others,’ and finally ‘the world,’” Sister Miriam explained. She piloted the lessons with students at St. Gregory’s School in Dhaka. One young boy’s reaction stayed with her. “He told me these lessons had changed his whole life,” she said, smiling at the memory.
This vision ultimately took institutional form through BACHA English Medium School, an inclusive education initiative Sister Miriam co-founded to prioritize human values, critical thinking, and life skills over memorization. BACHA brings together Christian, Muslim, and Hindu children in the same classrooms — a quiet but powerful witness to interfaith harmony in a divided world.
As an English-medium school located in the heart of Dhaka, BACHA is also remarkably affordable. Khokan Gomes, father of a sixth-grade student, told EWTN News that tuition is “half that of other English medium schools” while maintaining high academic standards.
“Children quickly learn English from speaking to writing,” he said. “This school is a blessing for people like me.” He added that discipline and moral values are integral to the school’s culture.
For former student Sifat Ahmad, a Muslim who studied at BACHA from nursery through O Levels, the impact was profound. “I not only got good results in exams,” he said, “I also developed confidence, English-language skills, and leadership qualities.” He credits the school with shaping him “into a global person, beyond just academic achievement.”
Sister Miriam insists that interfaith harmony comes naturally among children. “This is a question that adults will ask,” she said. “Children do not differentiate on the basis of religious background. They are friends and companions on the journey of life.”
A legacy of quiet transformation
Now in advanced age, Sister Miriam is preparing to leave Bangladesh, closing a chapter that few will replicate. She is among the last American nuns serving in the country — a fact that underscores both her singular witness and the changing landscape of global mission.
Looking ahead, she said she hopes BACHA’s legacy will be collective rather than individual. “One person cannot achieve what 20 persons can achieve,” she said. Her message to students is simple but ambitious: Equipped with values and tools, they can together make Bangladesh “productive and a model for future generations.”
Rooted in her religious congregation’s charism to proclaim God’s goodness and provident care, Sister Miriam carried that vision beyond U.S. borders. “I wanted to bring that knowledge of God to those who perhaps would never hear it,” she said.
Monastic-style retreat planned for pope and Roman Curia at start of Lent
A week of spiritual exercises for Pope Leo XIV and the Roman Curia at the start of Lent will take on a distinctly monastic character, with the retreat returning to the Apostolic Palace but relocating to the Renaissance-era Pauline Chapel, decorated with frescoes by Michelangelo.
In previous years, the retreat was held in the palace’s Redemptoris Mater Chapel, known for mosaics associated with Father Marko Rupnik, who has been accused of sexual and spiritual abuse.
The preacher for the exercises will be Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, a Cistercian of the Strict Observance (Trappist). A Norwegian who was baptized as a Lutheran by nonpracticing parents, Varden studied at Cambridge and later converted to Catholicism, a change he has linked to the inspiration of music. He has served as bishop of the Diocese of Trondheim since 2020.
“It is a responsible task. I hope, in one way or another, to be of service,” Varden told EWTN News.
A prolific author of spiritual books, Varden will offer two meditations a day. The first is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 22, at 5 p.m. Thereafter, each morning begins at 9 a.m. with the Liturgy of the Hours, and another meditation follows at 5 p.m. The final session will be on Friday, Feb. 27, concluding with afternoon Eucharistic adoration.
The theme of the retreat is “Illuminated by a Hidden Glory, a Lenten Itinerary,” centered on the figure of St. Bernard — described as both idealist and realist — and will also include reflections on the angels of God.
Pål Johannes Nes contributed to this report.
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.
Pope Leo’s liturgical celebrations for February, March, and Holy Week
The Vatican has published the schedule of liturgies that Pope Leo XIV will celebrate in February, March, and the beginning of April, a period that includes the start of Lent and the preparation for Holy Week and Easter.
According to the calendar published by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations, the pontiff will begin his pastoral visits to various churches in Rome on Feb. 15, when he will celebrate Mass at Holy Mary Queen of Peace Parish, located near the beach in Ostia Lido.
With this initiative, Leo XIV begins a tour of five parishes in Rome — one for each pastoral sector — to strengthen his connection with the diocese of which he is bishop.
Ash Wednesday
On Feb. 18, Ash Wednesday, the pope will preside over a penitential procession from St. Anselm Church followed by Mass with the blessing and imposition of ashes in St. Sabina Basilica on Aventine Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome. This tradition dates back to Pope Gregory the Great, shortly after the construction of the basilica in 422, thus marking the beginning of the Lenten season.
On Sunday, Feb. 22, Pope Leo XIV will visit Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in the Roman neighborhood of Castro Pretorio, near the Termini train station, where he will celebrate morning Mass. In the afternoon, the spiritual exercises for the Holy Father and the Roman Curia will begin, continuing until Feb. 27.
These meditations will take place in the Apostolic Palace, as confirmed by the Vatican. Under Pope Francis’ pontificate, this practice changed and was moved to the House of the Divine Master, a secluded and quiet convent located in the town of Ariccia about 28 miles from Rome.
Previously, these reflections took place in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel, a space that allowed numerous prelates to attend and made it easy for the pope and his secretaries to follow the meditations from a side area next to the altar.
The Vatican has not specified whether the spiritual exercises will take place in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel or in the Pauline Chapel, dedicated to Sts. Peter and Paul, which was conceived as a small palace chapel in contrast to the Sistine Chapel and has historically been linked to the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament and the pope’s private prayer.
The latter is not usually open to the public and, during the conclave, it was the starting point for the procession of the cardinal electors to the Sistine Chapel. It was also the place where Leo XIV stopped to pray just after being elected successor of Peter.
Pastoral visits to various churches in Rome
During the month of March, the pope will continue his pastoral visits to parishes in Rome, visiting Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ Parish on March 1, where he will celebrate Mass in the afternoon. The following week, on March 8, he will visit Holy Mary of the Presentation Parish to celebrate a 5 p.m. Mass. Finally, on March 15, Leo XIV will visit Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Ponte Mammolo, celebrating Mass there as well.
Holy Week
His schedule of commitments for Holy Week, one of the busiest periods for the pontiff, will begin with the celebration of Palm Sunday in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican in the morning, commemorating Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
On Holy Thursday, April 2, Leo XIV will celebrate the chrism Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at 9:30 a.m. local time in the presence of all the priests of Rome.
In the afternoon, the pontiff will go to St. John Lateran Basilica, the cathedral of the bishop of Rome, to celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
Leo XIV thus revives this historical tradition after Pope Francis had chosen for 12 years to celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in other places marked by suffering, such as prisons or immigrant centers.
The following day, Good Friday, the pontiff will preside over the service for the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica at 5 p.m. local time, and in the evening at 9:15 p.m., he will lead the traditional 14 Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum that commemorate Jesus’ passion, from his being condemned death to his burial, in one of the most widely followed ceremonies by the faithful in Rome.
This tradition also commemorates the persecution suffered by the early Christians under the Roman Empire and is usually led from a platform set up in the open air on Palatine Hill.
On Holy Saturday, April 4, the pope will celebrate the Easter Vigil, which will take place in the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica with the brief ceremony of the lighting of the fire and blessing of the paschal candle. In previous years, Pope Francis usually baptized and gave first Communion to a group of adults, although whether Pope Leo will do the same has not yet been confirmed by the Vatican.
The pontiff’s Holy Week will conclude on Easter Sunday, April 5, with the celebration of Mass in St. Peter’s Square followed by the lengthy Easter discourse and the urbi et orbi (“to the city and the world”) blessing from the central balcony of the basilica, praying for peace in the world.
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.
Bishop offers guidance amid ‘staggering’ mental health crisis, especially among the young
“In talking to my pastors, it became crystal clear that there really is a crisis right now regarding mental health and emotional well-being, and in a special way for young people,” Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, told EWTN News in an interview discussing a pastoral letter he issued recently.
“The scale and scope of this crisis are staggering,” he said in the letter titled “The Divine Physician and a Christian Approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing.” Burbidge explained that he hopes “to offer encouragement and guidance, in light of the teachings of Christ and the Gospel, to all who wish to confront and overcome the modern world’s challenges to mental health and well-being.”
With depression now the leading cause of disability worldwide, and 1 in 5 American adults experiencing mental health challenges each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which the bishop cites in his letter, Burbidge told EWTN News that “there’s a real pastoral need for mental health counseling, and my pastors told me they don’t have the expertise” that many families need.
The importance of counselors with a Christian perspective
Many Catholic parents and couples seek out counseling, he said, but often the counseling “isn’t coming from a Christian or Catholic understanding of the world, where persons are oriented to God and to authentic human relationships and the development of virtue.”
Understanding the world through the lens of faith is “the crucial factor — even in circumstances where such faithfulness seems in the eyes of the wider world to be desperate, foolish, or even absurd. Faith and trust in God are shown to be the keys to everlasting health and well-being for humanity,” Burbidge wrote in his letter.
Faith, he told EWTN News, “helps us to get a glimpse of heaven even now … If that’s not a part of the counseling being provided, it won’t bring about the healing we’re seeking.”
Regarding efforts in his diocese, the bishop told EWTN News he formed a mental health commission about a year ago, on which sit experts in psychology, theology, and mental health counseling.
He said with the commission’s help, he hopes to soon issue an extensive list of counselors who have been vetted and recommended for the Catholic faithful in his diocese.
Father Charles Sikorsky, LC, the president of Divine Mercy University, a Catholic school that offers graduate degrees in psychology and clinical mental health and whose graduates work in various capacities in the Diocese of Arlington, told EWTN News that psychology cannot be addressed properly without a “a Christian view, a Catholic view of the person.”
“We’re incarnational beings,” Sikorsky said, “so we need to address the human but also the spiritual dimension of the person, who needs to be treated in a holistic way.”
“The word psyche comes from Greek and means soul,” he continued,” so psychology is the science of the soul, and Christ is the divine physician. Any way of looking at or treating people that doesn’t include the entirety of the interior, spiritual life is not going to work. If you reduce a human person to just biology or experiences, it’s not going to work.”
Lack of community the ‘culprit’ in the crisis
In his letter, Burbidge named a lack of community as a culprit in the mental health crisis.
“We must be willing to connect with others. We are made for community and find purpose when given the chance to cultivate authentic relationships with others and practice virtues like compassion,” he wrote.
“As people of faith, Christians have a particular responsibility to address the stigmas that prevent people from seeking help and to remove barriers that keep so many stuck in patterns of isolation and misery,” he wrote.
Burbidge told EWTN News about community-building initiatives that leaders in his diocese have begun, especially since the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People learned quickly from COVID that being isolated, not being part of a caring fellowship, was a detriment to their growth and affected mental health,” he said.
He described an increase in new programs throughout the Diocese of Arlington such as Bible studies, lectures, and programs such as That Man is You, a Catholic men’s leadership program.
Sikorsky also cited a lack of connection and loneliness that are particularly prevalent in a society rife with “marriage and family breakdown” and in which technology separates people.
“So many people are afraid to say they need help,” he said. “If the Church is what it needs to be and should be, it will be a place to experience a sense of belonging to something higher, where people can come to be loved and to be understood.”
‘Suffering can be the cross’ that leads us to holiness
The bishop said that in addition to being in communion with others, those suffering from mental health problems must also realize they are beloved children of God, and their “severe distress, depression, or whatever it is, does not define who you are.”
“You’re a child of God — that never changes,” Burbidge said. “Don’t identify yourself with that suffering.”
“You don’t necessarily need to run away from the suffering, however,” he continued. “That could be the cross that can lead you to holiness. It doesn’t have to completely disappear for you to be well. Maybe you can get help, and still live a healthy, balanced life living with the anxiety or whatever it is you’re struggling with. If it causes a little suffering, it can be united to the Lord’s, and you can see it as a path to holiness.”
Sikorsky echoed the bishop, telling EWTN News: “Our dignity is rooted in being children of God. Your dignity is much more than your struggle or the difficulties that you’ve had.”
Burbidge is the latest American Catholic bishop to draw attention to the widening mental health crisis in the United States. In 2025, ahead of World Mental Health Day in October, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced an addition to its ongoing National Catholic Mental Health Campaign.
“As pastors, we want to emphasize this point to anyone who is suffering from mental illness or facing mental health challenges: Nobody and nothing can alter or diminish your God-given dignity. You are a beloved child of God, a God of healing and hope,” the U.S. bishops said at the time.
Pope warns against new arms race
Pope Leo XIV warned Wednesday of the grave danger of a “new global arms race” as the New START nuclear weapons treaty between the United States and Russia reached its expiration, urging world leaders not to allow the agreement to lapse without a credible and effective alternative.
Speaking at the conclusion of his general audience at the Vatican, the pope recalled that the treaty — signed in 2010 by then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev — represented a significant step in limiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
“Tomorrow the New START treaty reaches its expiration,” the pope said, noting that the agreement had helped contain strategic nuclear arsenals and strengthen international security. He called for “every constructive effort in favor of disarmament and mutual trust,” insisting that the current international climate demands urgent action to prevent escalation.
The pope stressed that the world must abandon “the logic of fear and distrust” and instead embrace “a shared ethic capable of guiding decisions toward the common good and making peace a heritage safeguarded by all.”
Without a replacement framework, he warned, the end of New START opens a period of growing uncertainty, raising alarms across the international community about the weakening of nuclear arms control mechanisms.
Prayers for Ukraine amid winter hardship
During the same audience, the pope also renewed his appeal for prayers for the people of Ukraine, who he said are being “harshly tested” by continued Russian bombardments, including attacks on energy infrastructure during the winter months.
Citing reports of severe cold and widespread shortages of electricity, heating, and water, he urged the faithful not to forget the suffering of civilians, particularly children, the elderly, and the most vulnerable. The pope expressed gratitude for solidarity initiatives organized by Catholic dioceses in Poland and other countries assisting the Ukrainian population.
Evangelization must speak to real lives
Earlier in his catechesis, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the Church’s mission of evangelization, cautioning against the use of language that is “incomprehensible, poorly communicative, or anachronistic,” which he said renders the proclamation of the Gospel ineffective.
When the word of God becomes detached from the concrete lives, hopes, and sufferings of people, he explained, it loses its power to reach hearts. The pope encouraged the Church to adopt “creative methods” that allow the Gospel to take flesh in history.
Continuing his catechetical series on Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council’s constitution on divine revelation, the pope described sacred Scripture as a “privileged space of encounter” where God continues to speak to men and women of every age.
He warned against both fundamentalist readings that ignore the human authors of Scripture and purely technical interpretations that deny its divine origin, emphasizing that a correct understanding must hold both dimensions together.
“The Gospel cannot be reduced to a merely philanthropic or social message,” the pope said. “It is the joyful proclamation of the fullness of life and eternal life that God has given us in Jesus.”
This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.