Pope Leo XIV tells new priests: 'You are a channel, not a filter'
VATICAN CITY, April 26, 2026 — Pope Leo XIV ordained 10 new priests in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, urging them to keep the doors of the Church open and to remember that their mission is to welcome, not to exclude.
“Today more than ever, especially when statistics seem to indicate a divide between people and the Church, keep the door open! Let people in, and be prepared to go out,” the pope said in his homily for the Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday.
“This is another secret for your life: you are a channel, not a filter,” he told the ordinands.
Eight of the new priests were ordained for the Diocese of Rome, of which the pope is bishop: Guglielmo Lapenna, Giorgio Larosa, Jos Emanuele Nleme Sabate, Giovanni Emanuele Nunziante Salazar, Antonino Ordine, Yordan Camilo Ramos Medina, Daniele Riscica, and Cristian Sguazzino.
The pope also ordained Armando Roa Núñez, born in Mexico and incardinated in the Diocese of Miao in India, and Selwyn Pinto Loyce, born in Saudi Arabia and incardinated in the Institute of Christ the Redeemer, Idente Missionaries.
Reflecting on the Gospel in which Jesus says, “I am the gate,” Leo told the new priests to see themselves as servants of a suffering humanity that awaits abundant life.
“Never hide this holy door. Do not block it; do not be an obstacle to those who wish to enter,” he said. Quoting Jesus’ rebuke in Luke’s Gospel, he added: “You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”
The pope said priestly ministry should be marked by communion and openness. “You belong to everyone and are for everyone!” he said. “Let this be the fundamental purpose of your mission: to keep the threshold open and direct others to it, without using too many words.”
Leo also urged the ordinands not to reduce Christian life to parish structures or ecclesial groups.
“The Church’s doors are open, but not to cut us off from life: life does not end in a parish, in an association, in a movement, in a group,” he said. “Whoever is saved can ‘go out and find pasture.’”
“Dear brothers, go out and discover culture, people and life!” the pope continued. “Marvel at the things that God makes grow without our having sown them.”
The pope also spoke about celibacy, comparing it to the love of spouses.
“Certainly, like the love of spouses, the love that inspires celibacy for the Kingdom of God must also be guarded and constantly renewed, for every true affection matures and becomes fruitful over time,” he said.
He told the new priests that the deeper their bond with Christ, “the more radical” their belonging to humanity becomes, adding that they are called to be “not only good priests but also honest, helpful citizens, builders of peace and social friendship.”
The pope warned against fear and the search for scapegoats, saying that the need for security today can make people aggressive and cause communities to close in on themselves.
“May your security not lie in the role you hold, but in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as well as in your participation, along with your people, in the story of salvation,” he said.
The communities to which the priests will be sent, he said, are already places where the risen Christ is present.
“These communities will also help you to become saints!” Leo said. “For your part, help them to walk together, following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, so that they may become places — gardens — of life that rise anew and share themselves with others.”
He added: “Facilitating encounters, helping to bring together those who would otherwise never meet, and conciliating division is one and the same as celebrating the Eucharist and Reconciliation. Coming together always means planting the Church anew.”
Later on Sunday, before leading the Regina Caeli from the window of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo returned to the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the gate of the sheepfold.
“Jesus does not come as a thief to take away our life and our freedom, but to lead us along the paths of righteousness,” he said. “He does not come to ensnare or deceive our conscience, but to illuminate it with the light of his wisdom. He does not come to taint our earthly joys, but to open them to a fuller and more lasting happiness.”
“Those who entrust themselves to him have nothing to fear,” the pope said, “for he does not deprive us of life, but comes to give it to us in abundance.”
Leo urged the faithful to be vigilant about who or what enters “the gate” of their hearts.
“‘Thieves’ can take many forms,” he said, citing those who “suppress our freedom or fail to respect our dignity,” as well as “beliefs and biases,” “mistaken ideas,” and “superficial and consumeristic lifestyles” that leave people empty inside.
He also pointed to those who harm humanity by “pillaging the earth’s resources, waging blood-thirsty wars, or fueling evil in any form,” saying they “do nothing but rob each of us of the possibility of a future marked by peace and serenity.”
The pope invited the faithful to examine their consciences: “Who do we want to guide us in life? Which ‘thieves’ have tried to break into our fold? Have they succeeded, or have we managed to ward them off?”
After the Regina Caeli, Leo recalled the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, calling it a warning about the risks of powerful technologies.
“Let us entrust those who died and all who still suffer from the aftermath of the disaster to God’s mercy,” he said. “I hope that discernment and responsibility will always prevail at every level of decision-making so that all use of atomic energy may be placed at the service of life and peace.”
The pope also offered a special greeting to the relatives and friends of the new priests of the Diocese of Rome.
“Please continue to accompany these young ministers of the Gospel with your prayers,” he said.
This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
U.S. to finance restoration of ‘Sistine Chapel of the Andes’ in Bolivia
St. James (Santiago) Church in the town of Curahuara de Carangas in Bolivia, which has earned the popular moniker the “Sistine Chapel of the Andes” due to the murals adorning its interior walls, is going to be restored.
The project was announced April 21 during a press conference given by Bolivia’s deputy minister for the Promotion of Sustainable Tourism, Andrés Aramayo; the bishop of Oruro, Cristobal Bialasik; architect Josefina Matas, who will direct the restoration; and Debra Hevia, chief of mission at the U.S. embassy.
The U.S. will make an investment of $66,240 toward the restoration of the historic church, which dates back to the early 17th century.
Hevia said the funding comes from the U.S. Department of State’s Cultural Preservation Fund, which has a history spanning more than 26 years of protecting Bolivian cultural heritage.
“This church is beautiful. Its architectural style and murals tell the story of Bolivia, and we want to protect them to share with the world,” she said, highlighting the importance of preserving Bolivia’s history and combating the illicit trafficking of cultural heritage objects.
“As the Ministry of Sustainable Tourism, Cultures, Folklore, and Gastronomy, we view culture as a catalyst for our national pride, of our essence, but also for the social cohesion and peace we so urgently need to truly understand where we come from and where we wish to go,” Aramayo said at the press conference.
The project, which entails the repair and waterproofing of the thatched roof as well as the reconstruction of the buttresses that support the building, will respect the churchʼs architectural style and unique construction materials, the deputy minister explained. In addition, the exterior walls and façades, which have deteriorated with age, will be restored.
The building, constructed between 1587 and 1608, is located in the Andean province of Sajama at an elevation of 12,788 feet above sea level.
It is a large structure built of stone and adobe, featuring stone buttresses and a gated entrance to the church compound composed of two pilasters and a semicircular arch executed in a Renaissance style.
Inside the church, the walls and ceilings feature paintings depicting biblical scenes, which were completed in 1777 according to period documents belonging to the town of Curahuara de Carangas.
In 1960, the church was declared a national monument. With this restoration, the town hopes to become a hub for economic and social development through tourism, as part of a national religious tourism strategy.
At the press conference, the local bishop expressed his gratitude to the United States, as well as to Germany, which funded previous restoration work on the church.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
The laywoman who has quietly formed a generation of priests and sisters in South Asia
MYMENSINGH, Bangladesh — In a country where Catholic vocations often emerge from modest rural communities, the quiet influence of lay Catholics can be decisive. For decades, Lobdine Chisim, a lay teacher and catechist from Mariamnagar Parish in Bangladesh’s Diocese of Mymensingh, has been one such influence — helping shape a generation of priests and religious sisters through personal sacrifice, faithful accompaniment, and maternal care.
Chisim, 65, received the papal honor “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” in 2025 in recognition of her lifelong service to the Church. The award highlighted a vocation lived not in vows or ordination but in persistent support of Catholics discerning consecrated life.
Mariamnagar Parish, founded in 1937 by American Holy Cross missionaries, has produced at least eight priests and seven religious sisters over the years. According to clergy and religious from the parish, Chisim has played a role — both direct or indirect — in nearly all of those vocations.
A member of the parish, Chisim teaches at the local Catholic school and serves as a catechist. Known for her fidelity to Church teaching and firm moral guidance, she has long accompanied young people considering the priesthood or religious life, often stepping into roles usually filled by parents or formal formation staff.
Though never officially assigned to a seminary or formation house, Chisim has acted quietly and become what local clergy call a “caregiver of vocations,” introducing boys and girls to seminaries and religious congregations, helping them navigate formation, and supporting them materially when poverty threatened to derail their calling.
Chisim, the mother of one child, personally financed the seminary education of her younger brother — now Father Joseph Chisim. Beyond her family, she has continued to follow the progress of seminarians and candidates, remaining in contact with them through letters, visits, and phone calls, particularly during moments of doubt or crisis.
Father Sanchaya Ignatius Chisim (no relation to Lobdine Chisim), rector of St. Paul’s Minor Seminary in Jalchatra, Tangail, credits the influence of the laywoman as decisive in his own discernment. Speaking to EWTN News, he said she first inspired him while teaching catechism classes during his school years.
“She encouraged me to enter the seminary and continued to guide me after I joined,” he said. “She gave me advice and counseling, and many times helped me financially while I was a seminarian.”
During vacations home from the seminary, Father Chisim recalled, she would regularly check on him. “She protected me like a mother and warned me against temptation. She played an important role in my becoming a priest, and I am grateful to her.”
Religious sisters from Mariamnagar Parish offer similar testimony.
Sister Mary Hima of the Associates of Mary, Queen of Apostles, now headmistress of St. Lawrence School in Dhaka, said she first encountered Chisim as a child in catechism classes.
“She inspired us to become sisters even then,” Hima told EWTN News. “When I later entered the formation house, she was very happy and continued to motivate me, saying that as a sister I would be able to serve very well.”
Hima said Chisim’s support did not end after first profession. During a difficult period in her early religious life, when she felt unable to confide in her community or family, she turned to Chisim for guidance.
“She gave me honest advice and counseling, which helped me continue my religious life with strength,” Hima said, adding that she remains deeply grateful.
Beyond individual discernment, Chisim has become a respected figure throughout her village. She regularly leads evening prayers and is known for encouraging priests, sisters, and laypeople to live faithfully and ethically.
Speaking to EWTN News, Chisim said her motivation comes from a simple conviction about the life of the Church.
“Priests and sisters provide wonderful service. They keep the Church alive,” she said. “That is why we need many of them.”
She explained that she offers financial assistance only to those pursuing religious vocations, not for marriage. “Many families live below the poverty line,” she said. “Some boys and girls lose enthusiasm because they cannot afford books, exam fees, or school costs. I help them as much as I can.”
Although she does not consider herself wealthy, Chisim said she finds peace in supporting vocations. “I spend less on the world so that I can help them,” she said.
Her role has even extended to assisting diocesan leadership. She recalled being asked by Bishop Ponen Paul Kubi, CSC, of Mymensingh to counsel seminarians struggling with hesitation shortly before ordination.
“I talk to them and encourage them to return to the seminary,” she said. “Many have continued and are now serving the Church beautifully.”
For those who know her, Chisim’s life stands as a testimony to the often-unseen power of lay witness — a vocation of fidelity that, quietly and persistently, has helped sustain the Church in Bangladesh.
Melkite priest finds consecrated host intact after 47 days in damaged church
Amid widespread destruction and amid the rubble in the southern Lebanese village of Tbenine, what some call a “miracle” in St. George Church offered renewed hope and reminded parishioners that Christ’s presence does not fade, even in war.
Melkite Greek Catholic priest Father Marios Khairallah told ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, that he returned to the Lebanese town of Tbenine on April 17 following the ceasefire that had come into effect. Entering the church, surrounded by shattered glass, he found the consecrated bread exactly where he had left it weeks earlier — unchanged despite the absence of people for 47 days. He described the discovery as a confirmation of God’s enduring presence amid suffering.
“After 47 days, there is no scientific explanation for why the bread did not spoil,” Khairallah said. “But for us, this is not strange, because we believe this is the body of Christ. This is our faith, it is neither new nor unfamiliar. We believe in God’s presence in the Eucharist.”
He said the story was a “message of hope for the parish,” adding: “It is true that there is destruction in Tbenine. But there is also an encounter with Jesus… Jesus waited for us for 47 days, without human presence.”
Khairallah also noted that a statue of the Virgin Mary remained standing amid the devastation, describing her as “the mother who awaits her children.”
Khairallah also spoke about the situation of residents, noting that the town is home to around 55 Melkite Catholic families who were forced to leave due to the war. After the ceasefire, some returned temporarily to retrieve clothes and belongings, while most are now staying with relatives, in rented apartments, schools, monasteries, or with friends.
The priest pointed out that aid remains almost nonexistent so far, except for assistance that arrived through a papal mission, while some individuals have helped provide medication.
He also praised the role of the apostolic nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, describing him as “a true shepherd and father who cares for everyone” and noting that “he does what no one else does, visiting us even under shelling.”
As for the town itself, he said it suffers from an almost complete lack of basic necessities: no water, no electricity, and no internet, along with harsh cold that worsens the already difficult conditions. He explained that most of Tbenine’s residents are of limited means: retirees, teachers, soldiers, and farmers with no affluent class able to absorb the impact of the crisis.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Israeli, Polish foreign ministers spar on X about destroyed Jesus statue
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and his Polish counterpart, Radosław Sikorski, sparred on X over an incident involving an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier who was caught on video destroying a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon.
The online confrontation began after Sikorski responded to Sa’ar’s post apologizing for the destruction of the statue, which he called “grave and disgraceful.” Sikorski wrote that the IDF soldier “should be punished” and that “IDF soldiers themselves admit to war crimes. They killed not only civilian Palestinians but even their own hostages.”
Sa’ar condemned the response, describing the IDF as “a professional and ethical army” adding: “One should be cautious about making irresponsible statements that can ultimately lead to dangerous consequences.”
Catholic Church in South Korea surpasses major population milestone
South Korea’s Catholic population has surpassed 6 million people for the first time, according to statistics released by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.
The numbers released on Tuesday indicated that while the total population of Catholics in the country did not change from the previous year at 11.4%, the total number of Catholics rose by 9,178 from the year prior to 6,006,832, according to a Seoul Economic Daily Report Thursday.
Jesus mosaic created by refugee fleeing Nazis to be preserved
A mosaic of Jesus created by a refugee of Nazi persecution will be preserved, along with the historic Catholic church it is housed in, according to The Tablet.
The mural depicting Jesus on the cross created by Jewish Hungarian emigre artist George Mayer-Marton in 1955 will remain at Holy Rosary Church in Manchester, England, after the Oldham Mural & Cultural Heritage Trust launched a plan to turn the church into an arts and culture center.
Report alleges violations during Syria cost-of-living protest
A report on the April 17 protest in Damascus, Syria, says a peaceful civic demonstration calling for better living conditions, anti-corruption measures, justice, and accountability was met by intimidation, incitement, and multiple violations, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Sunday.
The “Justice for All” report said five people were injured, journalists were targeted in attacks, and a car attempted to drive into the protest, where between 900 and 1,200 Syrians staged a sit-in in Yusuf al-Azma Square.
The report also noted verbal threats against the protesters, who remained peaceful and carried only the Syrian flag, while some opponents used inflammatory slogans, filmed demonstrators, and challenged them over their political history. It urged independent investigations, prosecution of those responsible for incitement and abuse, stronger protections for journalists, and better safeguards for the right to peaceful assembly.
Beloved Italian missionary in Indonesia dies after five decades of ministry
Father Natalino Belingheri, the last surviving member of the first group of Italian missionaries assigned to Indonesia’s North Kalimantan province, has died.
“Thousands” of Indigenous Dayak in North Kalimantan attended Belingheri’s funeral, according to a Licas News report on Monday.
Belingheri, who was known locally by his Dayak name, “Wan Abung,” died April 10. He had been serving in remote areas across the northern province of Indonesia since 1977 and played a significant part in the establishment of the Diocese of Tanjung Selor in 2001, according to the report.
Catholic Nobel laureate urges Church not to ignore political prisoners in Belarus
Ales Bialiatski, a Catholic and Nobel laureate, is calling on Church leaders to intervene on behalf of political prisoners in Belarus in the wake of recent crackdowns on religious freedom.
“Western Church leaders and Vatican diplomats should be helping more against current restrictions,” Bialiatski told OSV News Thursday.
Bialiatski’s remarks come after the March 16 arrest of Father Anatoly Parakhnevich, a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev, by KGB agents and the closure of his church.
Bialiatski has been detained multiple times, including in 2021 amid government crackdowns on nationwide protests following President Alexander Lukashenko’s contested election. “I know from my own experience how good it is to be free, with time to recover and rebuild oneself — and if I get to meet the pope, Iʼll inform him of our Churchʼs needs,” Bialiatski said.
Thailand Catholics mourn seminarians killed in car accident
A funeral for four teenaged boys, including two seminarians, in Thailand drew hundreds of attendees, according to a report from Licas News on Monday.
“With their character and faith, they were the hope of their families and of the Thabom community, who longed to see them become priests,” said Father Nicholas Sarawut Sahaikaen, rector of the Prince of Peace Seminary in Udon Thani, in his eulogy for the two seminarians. He noted that one of the boys had also applied to seminary but was unable to attend due to family circumstances.
7 powerful moments from Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Africa
Pope Leo XIV recently completed an 11-day trip visiting the faithful in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. With stops in 11 cities across those countries, the Holy Father met with the youth, political leaders, prisoners, families, and many more to share the Gospel message.
Here are seven powerful moments from Pope Leo’s trip to Africa:
1. Moving visit to the land of St. Augustine
Pope Leo XIV traveled from Algiers to Annaba — ancient Hippo — in what for the Augustinian pontiff amounted to a return to the roots of his faith and vocation.
After a flight of about an hour, the pope arrived in the city most closely associated with St. Augustine, who served as bishop of Hippo from 396 to 430.
Despite pouring rain, the pope walked through the ruins and, at the end of the route, laid a wreath of flowers and stopped for a moment of prayer, visibly moved.
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2. Visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers
While in Algeria, the pope visited the Great Mosque of Algiers (Djamaa el Djazaïr), often referred to as the “Mosque of Algeria.” Featuring the world’s tallest minaret — rising approximately 265 meters (about 870 feet) — and ranking as the third-largest mosque after those in Mecca and Medina, the monumental complex can accommodate up to 120,000 worshippers.
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The tradition of popes visiting mosques began with Pope John Paul II, who in 2001 became the first pope in history known to have entered a mosque when he visited the Great Mosque of Damascus in the capital of Syria.
Pope Leo addressed criticism directed toward him on April 15 on board the papal plane after leaving Algiers bound for Cameroon.
“I think the visit to the mosque was significant [and showed] that although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshipping, we have different ways of living, we can [still] live together in peace,” the Holy Father said.
“I think that to promote that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today,” he said, arguing that such visits show that “together we can continue to offer in our witness as we continue on this apostolic voyage.”
3. Joy-filled children welcome Pope Leo in Cameroon
Pope Leo XIV was welcomed by the songs and dances of children at the Ngul Zamba Orphanage in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
“Dear children, I know that many of you have endured difficult trials. Some of you have known the pain of loss through the death of parents or loved ones. Others have experienced fear, rejection, abandonment, deprivation, and uncertainty. Yet, you are called to a future that is greater than your wounds. You are bearers of a promise," the pope said.
Run for 40 years by the religious congregation the Daughters of Mary, the Ngul Zamba Orphanage — whose name means “Strength of God” — provides food, lodging, and education to poor or abandoned children.
In another heartfelt moment, at the end of the afternoon Mass in Bamenda, Cameroon, as the pope was preparing to leave the airport and get into his car, a little girl ran up to hug him. This spontaneous gesture, amid the joy and emotion of the 20,000 present, captured the hearts of millions around the world.
4. Rosary gathering at the Mama Muxima Shrine
While in Angola, Pope Leo took part in a rosary gathering at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima.
The shrine, whose name means “Mother of the Heart” in Kimbundu, is one of Angola’s best-known Marian sanctuaries. Built by the Portuguese in the 17th century on a hill overlooking the Kwanza River, it has long been a place of pilgrimage and prayer for Angolan Catholics.
The crowd in attendance erupted into applause when the Holy Father spoke in Kimbundu, a Bantu language spoken in Angola.
He said: “Mama Muxima, tueza kokué, Mama Muxima, tutambululé,” which means: “Mother of the heart, we come to you; Mother of the heart, receive us.”
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5. Pope Leo visits psychiatric hospital
The Holy Father visited the Jean-Pierre Olié Psychiatric Hospital in Equatorial Guinea. With its six pavilions, it represents a major development in the treatment of mental illness in Equatorial Guinea, where psychiatric disorders were historically neglected. Founded in 2014, it is the country’s first modern center of its kind and has become a symbol of the national commitment to integrating patients into society.
The event included songs, dancing, and testimonies from both the hospital’s director and a patient, Pedro Celestino Nzerem Koose. A moving poem by a former patient was also recited.
“Whenever I visit a hospital, I have mixed feelings: on the one hand, I feel sorrow for the patients and their families. On the other, I admire and am comforted by all that is done there each day to serve human life,” the pope said in an address delivered in Spanish. “I feel the same way here, but today, I find — and I hope the same is true for you — that joy prevails. It is the joy of meeting in the name of the Lord and of caring for those who are in frail health.”
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6. Pope Leo visits a prison
The pope paid a visit to the Bata penitentiary in Equatorial Guinea and told inmates that “no one is excluded from God’s love” and urged them to see that even behind bars, there remains the possibility of change, reconciliation, and hope.
This local prison is one of the country’s harshest and long known for difficult detention conditions.
One of the more than 600 inmates thanked the pope for his visit and support.
“We wish to thank you for your visit and your support,” the prisoner said. “Your presence reminds us of the importance of faith and redemption. We ask for your blessing to keep moving forward and to come out of this as better people. We are grateful for your compassion and for your message of hope.”
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7. The final Mass in Africa
Pope Leo XIV celebrated the final Mass of his Africa trip at Malabo’s stadium, urging the Church in Equatorial Guinea to continue proclaiming the Gospel “with passion” and to bear witness through lives shaped by faith, service, and solidarity.
The Mass in the stadium, where about 30,000 faithful were expected, marked the pope’s last major public event in Equatorial Guinea, the fourth and final African nation on his 11-day journey.
After riding through the crowd in the popemobile, Leo began Mass amid flags, songs, and colorful hats, with music and dance accompanying the liturgy.
The Holy Father also prayed before an image of Our Lady of Bisila, mother and patroness of Equatorial Guinea.
Clothed in white and blue, carrying the child Jesus on her back in the traditional African way, the Virgin of Bisila shows a mother who walks with her people in every struggle and hope. According to local tradition, she appeared to a humble Bubi woman on Bioko Island in the early 20th century (exact year is not clearly attested), and love of her grew until she became the beloved icon of the nation’s Marian devotion.
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‘A profound experience’: Voices from Africa reflect on Pope Leo’s papal visit
The final moments of Pope Leo XIV’s 11-day apostolic journey to Africa were more than the Eucharistic celebration at Equatorial Guinea’s Malabo Stadium; they were a convergence of lived testimonies captured in one phrase: “a profound experience of faith.”
At the packed event at the stadium on April 23, the Holy Father formally concluded his visit with Mass, closing a four-nation pastoral visit that took him to 11 cities in northern, central, and southern Africa.
“The time has come for me to say farewell to Equatorial Guinea and also to Africa,” Pope Leo XIV said at the end of the Mass, situating his departure within what he termed a grace-filled journey “that God has allowed me to make.”
He reflected on the significance of his April 13–23 encounters in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, stating: “I carry from Africa an invaluable treasure of faith, hope, and charity.”
Those who spoke to ACI Africa at the concluding Mass expressed a comparable assessment, also characterizing Pope Leo XIV’s presence on the continent as a treasure.
‘A profound experience of faith’
For Father Jose Fernando Liso, 44, the defining takeaway lay less in the logistical success than in its spiritual benefits.
“I believe it has been a profound experience of faith,” he told ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa.
Situating the events of the papal visit within the collective effort of the clergy, women and men religious, and the lay faithful, the parish priest of St. Anthony Abad Parish of the Archdiocese of Malabo said the experience “has involved fatigue, hard work, ups and downs.”
Yet for Liso its real significance will be measured in its aftermath, he said, emphasizing the virtue of responsibility.
“The responsibility, the growth of our nation as a Church and of our nation as a whole, depends on the responsible decisions that each of us … make,” he said, referencing a key theme he attributed to the Holy Father’s broader reflections during his maiden trip to Africa as pope.
Also at Malabo Stadium for the closing Mass was Maria Lourdes Ndong Esono, 57, who framed her experience through a recollection that links two papacies across decades.
“We were thrilled with the pope’s visit; it couldn’t have come at a better time,” she said.
Esono recalled “walking from Malabo to the airport to see Pope John Paul II” alongside her pregnant mother in February 1982 and expressing gratitude, adding: “Today I got to see Leo XIV.”
Encouragement amid loss and uncertainty
For Sister Gertrude Ehizokhale of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary, Pope Leo XIV’s impact was both affective and pastoral.
Having served in Equatorial Guinea for nearly two years, the native of Nigeria interpreted the papal visit through the lens of missionary presence and local context.
“I’m so happy because the pope came all the way from Rome to visit us,” she said.
Her reaction to the Holy Father’s homily focused on its motivational dimension: “His words … really gave me that more encouragement.”
More specifically, she pointed to the pope’s reference to the death, in controversial circumstances, of Father Fortunato Nsue Esono, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Malabo, just days before the arrival of the Holy Father in Equatorial Guinea.
For Ehizokhale, the pope’s words of consolation and call for truth and justice at the beginning of his homily functioned as a stabilizing intervention. “That encouraged us … [who] were a bit discouraged,” she said.
From the papal homily, she highlighted a call to generosity, “not to be attached to only to ourselves but to others also, learn to give” as well as a preferential concern for the poor, which she interpreted as a source of consolation and the assurance “that we have God on our side.”
Peace, joy, and national framing
Narciso Pedro Nsue, the president of Radio Maria Equatorial Guinea, situated the papal visit within a broader communicative and national context.
“The pope brings peace, joy, and hope to the entire country,” Narciso told ACI Africa.
He emphasized that Equatorial Guinea as “the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa,” suggesting that the presence of Pope Leo XIV in his native country carries representational significance beyond strictly ecclesial boundaries.
For 19-year-old Ricardo Bibang Bonsundi, a representative of the Bixió tribe who was at the stadium adorned in traditional attire, he attended “to extend greetings and welcome to the people and to Pope Leo XIV.”
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
Nebraska pro-life ministry brings ultrasounds to classrooms across the U.S.
On the 2012 anniversary of Roe v. Wade, during a Holy Hour, Nikki Schaefer and her 7-year-old daughter, Grace, were inspired to begin a simple ministry selling hand-sewn pro-life pillows to raise money for pregnancy centers. Today, Heart of a Child Ministries has expanded into a fetal development education program present in K–12 classrooms across the country.
The ministryʼs initial sale of the pro-life pillow raised roughly $40,000 shortly after they began, Schaefer told EWTN News. “With the sale of the pillow, we were featured in an article, and that’s how the first invitations to schools started to emerge in 2015.”
“So, itʼs been 11 years since weʼve been in schools,” Schaefer said. “Since that first presentation, all kinds of things have come forth: We have presented in eight different states, we are all over the state of Nebraska, we have developed a K-4 Celebration of Life program, a fifth through sixth program, a middle school, and a high school and beyond program.”
Founded in Omaha, Nebraska, Heart of a Child Ministries is growing into a multistate presence, with two new fetal certified educators in Illinois, one in Springfield and another set to be trained in Mokena in October. The organization also now has certified educators in Alabama and Idaho.
Fetal development education for every level
Heart of a Child’s fetal development education brings live ultrasounds to classrooms in a way that is specially tailored to suit each grade level. Its K–4 program centers on “fun fetal facts for kids” and includes “all kinds of hands-on things,” such as a team of musicians who play songs, according to Schaefer. “The kids absolutely love it,” she said. “We’re just putting the joy of life in front of them.”
Having the foundation of a K–4 program is crucial, according to Schaefer. “It really solidifies the deal — it puts the truth in their hearts from the very beginning so that when the lies start coming in middle school through social media, through their friends, they’ve already seen an ultrasound; they’ve already learned all these amazing facts about what’s happening.”
Through middle school, the curriculum progresses with more detailed fetal development facts, adoption stories, and begins addressing the abortion issue. In high school, the live ultrasound and fetal development education is supplemented with more detailed information about abortion, a testimonial speaker, and a panel discussion.
The ministry’s first college event on March 30, sponsored by Turning Point USA, utilized this format. The event took place at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska, and included a panel of two OB-GYN doctors, a representative for the abortion pill reversal (APR), Teresa Kenney, host of the Hormone Genius podcast, and other pro-life experts.
“We feel confident that when kids walk away from that, their hearts are changed, their hearts are moved, and we have the statistics to prove that,” Schaefer said, noting their events have had “a 56% conversion rate on average” among students regarding the topic of abortion.
Schaefer emphasized that the root of the program’s success is its holistic approach, acknowledging that each child processes information differently depending on age, personality, and maturity.
“Every piece that we do is extremely important because it hits kids at different levels,” she said. “Some kids are more logical, right? They want the facts. Some kids are more heart. They want to hear a testimonial for some from someone who had an abortion, and it affected them. That’s what’s going to touch their hearts.”
9 months of pregnancy for 9 months of school
Apart from its latest multistate expansion, Heart of a Child has also debuted a fetal development curriculum for teachers to implement in their classrooms year-round.
Titled “The Journey Within,” the teacher-led curriculum takes students through nine months of pregnancy during nine months of the school year, with posters, fetal development PowerPoints, ultrasound videos, studies, and images of babies in the womb.
A version of the curriculum is available for both public and Catholic schools and has been vetted by a medical panel for accuracy, Schaefer noted.
“For Catholic schools, we have a spiritual component where each month the teachers go through Scripture readings or a Church teaching, and the kids reflect on that, write about that, and go deeper,” she said. The faith-based curriculum operates under a “4S model” that incorporates Scripture, science, stories, and service. Each faith-based school that Heart of a Child presents to completes a service project, such as raising money to buy diapers for pro-life pregnancy centers.
Schaefer emphasized the importance of fetal development curriculum today, noting that “right now the buzz in pro-life education and the pro-life movement in general is that different states have passed a law requiring fetal development education.”
States that have laws requiring fetal development education in public schools include Tennessee, Idaho, North Dakota, Indiana, West Virginia, Iowa, and Ohio. Lobbying efforts in Nebraska to pass similar legislation have yet to be successful, Schaefer said, citing difficulty in finding a senator to prioritize a bill with precise language.
“We’ve been meeting with senators, and unfortunately the bill they came up with [had] the potential for a Planned Parenthood to get in there and do fetal development education because it was too loose,” she said. “So weʼve recommended the senators to go back and redo the language, and it might be where certain fetal development programs are required in the state of Nebraska.”
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has signaled his support of efforts to pass legislation requiring education on fetal development in Nebraska public schools, telling EWTN News in an interview earlier this year: “I am 100% behind it and am supportive of it.”
Catholic Relief Services urges lawmakers to prioritize global hunger as farm bill vote nears
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the U.S. House of Representatives nears a crucial vote on the farm bill, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is urging lawmakers not to sideline international hunger relief.
In a recent advocacy appeal, the organization called on Americans to contact their representatives in support of global food aid programs, emphasizing that such efforts reflect a commitment to human dignity, solidarity, and the common good. The House is expected to take up the farm bill (H.R. 7567) during the week of April 27.
“Hunger is a daily reality for families around the world — and the decisions Congress makes right now will shape the future of our global family,” the statement reads. “With the House vote approaching, a narrow window offers a critical opportunity to speak up.”
In an emailed statement to EWTN News, CRS emphasized that U.S. international food assistance — particularly Food for Peace — must remain strong and flexible as “around the world, needs are rising, and these programs are often the difference between families getting through a crisis or not.”
The organization said it is “particularly concerned about anything that would limit flexibility or reduce resources at a time when global hunger is already at historic levels.”
“Programs like Food for Peace have a long track record of saving lives,” it continued, “and it’s critical they remain well funded and able to adapt to complex emergencies.”
It added that in “fast-moving crises, delays or limitations can mean families go without food when they need it most” and framed the issue more broadly: “At its core, this is about human dignity. Hunger isn’t just a policy issue — it’s a moral one.”
“CRS is encouraging both Catholics and policymakers to keep the needs of the most vulnerable at the center of these decisions,” the organization said.
The push comes as lawmakers will decide whether to vote on more than 300 amendments to the legislation, revealing sharp disagreement over whether the bill should focus primarily on domestic nutrition programs or maintain a significant role in global humanitarian food assistance.
Much of the debate has centered on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest anti-hunger initiative. Some proposed changes would tighten eligibility requirements, alter benefit structures, or restrict the types of foods eligible for purchase, including sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods. Other proposals would expand access through measures such as universal school meals, increased nutrition incentives, and additional support for food-insecure communities.
Together, the competing proposals highlight differing visions for federal food policy — whether it should be narrowly focused on alleviating hunger or also used to influence dietary outcomes and public health.
Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pennsylvania, chair of the House Agriculture Committee, has led Republican negotiations on the bill, while Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, the committee’s ranking Democrat, has served as the lead Democratic negotiator.
In a statement shared with EWTN News, a House Agriculture Committee aide for Thompson said the “Food for Peace program has a long history of helping both American farmers and hungry communities around the world.”
“The House Committee on Agriculture was proud to include a provision in the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 that designates the United States Department of Agriculture as this program’s permanent home,” the statement continued. “Chairman Thompson continues to advocate for this program in the halls of Congress as debate on the farm bill advances.”
Craigʼs office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Catholic teaching frames hunger as global responsibility
Catholic organizations have long emphasized that hunger policy extends beyond national borders, a theme reflected in recent advocacy surrounding the farm bill.
In February, a joint Catholic letter to Congress from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), CRS, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Rural Life, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul urged lawmakers to strengthen both domestic and international food assistance programs.
The letter highlighted initiatives such as Food for Peace, which provides U.S. food aid abroad; McGovern-Dole Food for Education, which supports reducing hunger and improving literacy and primary education in low-income countries; and Food for Progress, which helps developing nations strengthen agricultural systems.
The letter’s emphasis on global responsibility reflects broader Catholic teaching on hunger, echoed in recent remarks by Pope Leo XIV.
Speaking at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome for World Food Day in October 2025, the pope noted that “whoever suffers from hunger is not a stranger. He is my brother, and I must help him without delay.”
He expanded on that theme more recently while speaking to reporters aboard the papal flight returning from Africa on April 23, reflecting on the responsibility of wealthier nations to address conditions in poorer regions of the world.
“I ask myself: What are we doing in richer countries to change the situation in poorer countries?” he said. “Why can we not try, both through state aid and through the investments of large wealthy companies and multinationals, to change the situation in countries like those we visited on this visit?”
I ask myself: What are we doing in richer countries to change the situation in poorer countries?”
Pope Leo XIV
Faith-based organizations, including CRS, have pointed to such statements in urging policymakers to maintain international food assistance as part of U.S. humanitarian leadership.
Amendments reflect long-standing debates
Several amendments reflect long-standing debates — often highlighted in Catholic advocacy — over how U.S. policy should balance domestic nutrition programs with international hunger relief.
An amendment by Rep. Jim Costa, D-California, would increase funding for the administration of Food for Peace, a program that provides U.S. food aid abroad, often using uses American agricultural commodities.
Introduced by Reps. Gregory Meeks, D-New York, and Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, another amendment would extend Food for Peace through 2031 and expand its scope to address child wasting, a severe form of malnutrition, through the use of specialized therapeutic foods.
Other amendments focus on domestic programs such as one introduced by Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tennessee, that would expand allowable SNAP purchases to include sliced meats and cheeses from delis.
Reps. Kim Schrier, D-Washington, and Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, proposed creating a grant program under the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to support purchases from small and undeserved agricultural producers for distribution through emergency feeding organizations.
The House Rules Committee is set to decide April 27 whether to allow floor votes on any of the amendments.
Expert highlights food system links
Speaking more broadly about the farm bill debate, Stephanie Scott, a senior policy analyst at the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, said domestic nutrition programs and international food assistance are more closely linked than they are often treated in policy discussions.
“I think when it comes to the food priorities for both domestic and international, they’re kind of the same in what we as a nation would like,” she told EWTN News, noting that programs such as SNAP and international food aid both function as core tools for addressing hunger.
Scott said international food assistance programs also respond to crises driven by conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability, and raised concerns about whether funding levels are sufficient to meet rising need both domestically and abroad.
“Prioritizing international food security,” she added, “is not only a human right and a basic need but a strategic one.”
British mother to travel to Switzerland to die by assisted suicide after son’s death
A 56-year-old British mother is traveling to Switzerland to end her life by assisted suicide after the death of her only son.
Wendy Duffy told the New York Post she paid $13,500 to the Swiss assisted-dying nonprofit the Pegasos clinic.
Duffy’s son, Marcus, died at age 23 four years ago after choking on a tomato lodged in his windpipe while sleeping. Nine months later, unable to cope with her grief, she attempted suicide by overdose and was placed on a ventilator for two weeks.
She told the Daily Mail suicide is the only way her “spirit can be free.” She also said no amount of medication or therapy can make her whole again, and she “can’t wait” to die. She added: “I could step off a motorway bridge or a tower block but that would leave anyone finding me dealing with that for the rest of their lives.”
She said she has chosen her deathbed outfit and requested that Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile” play as she dies. Her belongings will be donated afterward.
Duffy said she plans to call her four sisters and two brothers from Switzerland to say goodbye. “It will be a hard call where I’ll say goodbye and thank them,” she said. “But they will get it. They know. Honestly, 100%, they know that I’m not happy, that I don’t want to be here.”
Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, even for physically healthy people. On its website, Pegasos says it “believes that it is the human right of every rational adult of sound mind, regardless of state of health, to choose the manner and timing of their death."
Duffy’s case follows the recent death by euthanasia of 25-year-old Noelia Castillo in Spain. On March 26, the young woman was euthanized over her father’s objections. The case sparked national debate in Spain, where euthanasia has been legal since 2021.
The Church in Spain called Castillo’s death “a societal defeat.”
In a statement, members of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference’s Subcommittee for the Family and Defense of Life said Castillo’s “story reflects an accumulation of personal suffering and institutional failings that challenge the whole of society.”
Timeʼs up for right-to-die bill in UK
Meanwhile, a right-to-die bill has stalled in the U.K. Parliament. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ran out of parliamentary time and therefore failed in the House of Lords on April 24.
The archbishop of Liverpool, John Sherrington, said he was grateful to “all those Parliamentarians who have worked tirelessly to preserve the dignity of every human life and ensure that end-of life care remains rooted in compassion and respect until the natural end of life.”
The Catholic Church teaches that suicide and euthanasia are gravely immoral.
In a 2024 message to a palliative care symposium, Pope Francis called euthanasia “a failure of love.” He recalled when he said previously that assisted suicide and euthanasia constitute a “false compassion.”
“‘[C]ompassion,’ a word that means ‘suffering with,’ does not involve the intentional ending of a life but rather the willingness to share the burdens of those facing the end stages of our earthly pilgrimage,” he said.
In St. John Paul II’s 1999 address to the Pontifical Academy for Life, “Love and Solidarity for the Dying,” he said: “No one can arbitrarily choose whether to live or die; the absolute master of such a decision is the Creator alone.”
In his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae, he said: “suicide ... involves the rejection of love of self and the renunciation of the obligation of justice and charity towards one’s neighbor … In its deepest reality, suicide represents a rejection of God’s absolute sovereignty over life and death.” Euthanasia is likewise condemned as “a grave violation of the law of God.”
He also calls euthanasia “a false mercy, and indeed a disturbing ‘perversion’ of mercy. True ‘compassion’ leads to sharing anotherʼs pain; it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear.”
He continued: “Moreover, the act of euthanasia appears all the more perverse if it is carried out by those, like relatives, who are supposed to treat a family member with patience and love, or by those, such as doctors, who by virtue of their specific profession are supposed to care for the sick person even in the most painful terminal stages.”
While the Church says euthanasia and assisted suicide are never permissible, it supports palliative care. According to Dian Backoff, former executive director of Catholic Hospice for Catholic Health Services, palliative care is meant to address “what the whole patient wants during the treatment of an illness,” whether or not the patient is terminally ill or dealing with a long-term affliction.
“Palliative care, then, is a genuine form of compassion, for it responds to suffering, whether physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual, by affirming the fundamental and inviolable dignity of every person, especially the dying, and helping them to accept the inevitable moment of passage from this life to eternal life,” Pope Francis said in 2024.