Pope Leo XIV: Eucharist is 'indispensable for Christian life'
“The Sunday Eucharist is indispensable for Christian life,” said Pope Leo XIV before reciting the Marian prayer of the Regina Caeli on April 12 in St. Peterʼs Square.
Speaking to crowds gathered in the square, the pope noted his upcoming departure for Africa, where “some martyrs of the early African Church, the Martyrs of Abitene, have left us a beautiful testimony in this regard."
"Faced with the offer to save their lives on the condition that they renounce celebrating the Eucharist, they replied that they could not live without celebrating the Lord’s Day. It is there that our faith is nourished and grows,” the Holy Father said.
“Because it is through the Eucharist that even our hands become ‘hands of the Risen One,’ witnesses of his presence, of his mercy, and of his peace, in the signs of work, of sacrifices, of illness, and of the passing of the years, which are often engraved upon them — just as in the tenderness of a caress, a handshake, or a gesture of charity," he said.
In his commentary on the April 12 Gospel for the second Sunday of Easter — dedicated by Pope John Paul II to Divine Mercy — the pope spoke about the faithfulʼs encounter with Jesus: “Where can we find him? How can we recognize him? How can we believe?”
“Certainly, it is not always easy to believe. It was not easy for Thomas, and it is not easy for us either. Faith needs to be nourished and supported. For this reason, on the ‘eighth day,’ that is, every Sunday, the Church invites us to do as the first disciples did: to gather together and celebrate the Eucharist as one," he said.
The pope concluded: “In a world that is in such great need of peace, this commits us more than ever to be assiduous and faithful in our Eucharistic encounter with the Risen Lord, so that we may depart from it as witnesses of charity and bearers of reconciliation."
“May the Virgin Mary help us to do this — she who is blessed because she was the first to believe without seeing,” he said.
After the prayer, Pope Leo XIV returned to the theme of peace. Recalling the Easter celebration of the Orthodox Churches, he said: “I accompany those communities with even more intense prayer for all those who suffer because of the war, in particular for the dear people of Ukraine.”
“May the light of Christ bring comfort to afflicted hearts and strengthen the hope of peace. May the attention of the international community toward the drama of this war not diminish. I am also more than ever close to the beloved people of Lebanon in these days of sorrow, fear, and invincible hope in God.”
“The principle of humanity, inscribed in the conscience of every person and recognized in international law, entails the moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the atrocious effects of war. I appeal to the conflicting parties to cease fire and to urgently seek a peaceful solution," he said.
Next Wednesday marks three years since the beginning of the bloody conflict in Sudan. “How much the Sudanese people are suffering — innocent victims of this inhuman tragedy!“ the pope said. ”I renew my heartfelt appeal to the warring parties to silence the weapons and to begin, without preconditions, a sincere dialogue aimed at ending as soon as possible this fratricidal war.”
The pope then greeted everyone: “I extend a warm welcome to all of you, Romans and pilgrims, especially to the faithful who have celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday at the Shrine of Santo Spirito in Sassia.”
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.
Chaldean Church chooses Archbishop Amel Nona as patriarch, succeeding Cardinal Sako
The Chaldean Synod has elected Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona as the new Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, succeeding Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, who submitted his resignation to Pope Leo XIV on March 9 amid a financial and legal scandal concerning a former Chaldean bishop in San Diego.
The election took place during the synod’s meetings held in Rome since April 9.
This election comes at a critical time for both the Chaldean Church and the wider region, amid ongoing political challenges in Iraq and the Middle East, as well as internal ecclesial issues related to unity and the organization of Church life both locally and in the diaspora.
Following the election, the Chaldean bishops issued a statement saying:
“After deep spiritual and fraternal deliberations, conducted in a spirit of prayer and ecclesial discernment, and mindful of the apostolic responsibility entrusted to them, the Fathers of the Synod elected the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church according to the established canonical procedures. After completing the required ballots, and in accordance with the will expressed by the Synod, His Excellency Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona was elected Patriarch of the Chaldean Church and chose for himself the name His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Paul III Nona.”
The statement continued: “His Beatitude accepted the election in accordance with canonical norms, expressing his reliance on God’s grace and his commitment to exercise his patriarchal ministry with fidelity and responsibility, in full communion with the Fathers of the Synod, in service of the unity of the Chaldean Church and its mission in the homeland and the diaspora.”
“The Fathers of the Synod raise their prayers to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, asking that He grant the elected Patriarch wisdom and strength,“ the statement continued. ”They affirm their confidence that this ministry will contribute to strengthening the faithful in their faith, enhancing their unity, and revitalizing the Church’s mission in bearing witness to the Gospel.”
The Synod also called on all members of the Chaldean Church — clergy and faithful alike — to unite around the new Patriarch and support him through prayer and shared responsibility for the good of the Church and the growth of its mission.
Archbishop Nona was born in Alqosh in northern Iraq in 1967. He was ordained a priest in 1991 after completing his studies at the Patriarchal Seminary in Baghdad. He later pursued higher studies in Rome, earning a doctorate in theological anthropology from the Pontifical Lateran University.
He served in the parishes of Alqosh before being appointed Archbishop of Mosul in 2009, during a period marked by escalating violence against Christians in Iraq.
During the events of 2014, he left Mosul along with his faithful following the takeover of the city by the terrorist group ISIS, marking a pivotal moment in the modern history of the Chaldean Church.
In 2015, the Holy See appointed him head of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle in Australia and New Zealand, where he continued his pastoral ministry among the Chaldean diaspora.
His appointment comes following the resignation of Cardinal Raphael Sako, who announced that he submitted his resignation to Pope Leo XIV of his own free will on the morning of March 9 so he could “dedicate himself quietly to prayer, writing, and simple service.”
The timing sparked controversy within the Chaldean community.
Pope Leo XIV on March 10 accepted the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Shaleta, a Chaldean Catholic bishop arrested in San Diego in March on charges of embezzling Church funds.
Sako had allegedly attempted to support or transfer the embattled bishop to a higher position, leading many to question whether the financial scandal played a role in the patriarch’s decision.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
U.S.-Iran talks collapse as Vance cites nuclear impasse and Catholic leaders call for peace
U.S.-Iran peace talks collapsed on Sunday after a 21-hour marathon session, with Vice President JD Vance blaming Iranʼs refusal to commit to abandoning its nuclear program, even as Catholic leaders in Rome and Washington condemned the broader conflict as immoral and pleaded “Enough of war!”
“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” Vance told reporters in Islamabad, where the meetings took place. “We’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news.”
He added that the core impasse remained Iran’s nuclear ambitions: “But the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon. That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.”
Vance emphasized that the U.S. side negotiated “in good faith,” but Iran “has chosen not to accept our terms.” He further noted, “We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”
Iran has insisted the aims of its nuclear program are civilian.
The high-level face-to-face talks in Pakistan, a mediator between the two countries, followed weeks of military confrontation that began in late February and produced a tenuous two-week ceasefire, which ends April 22. With no deal secured, the future of that truce now hangs in greater uncertainty.
Despite the breakdown in negotiations, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar pushed both sides to continue to "uphold their commitment to ceasefire."
Vance, a Catholic convert and Iraq War veteran, has reflected on the moral weight of these national security decisions in the context of his faith. Speaking to the Washington Post last week about U.S. actions to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, he said, “I certainly hope that God agrees with the decision that Iran shouldn’t have a nuclear weapon, but I’ll keep praying about it.” He added that his approach has been “to pray that we are on God’s side” because “that would mean a lot of innocent people dead.”
Catholic leaders in the U.S. and at the Vatican have responded to the broader conflict with strong calls for peace and a return to dialogue.
In Rome, Pope Leo XIV led a peace vigil at the Vatican April 11, where he delivered a forceful appeal against the violence.
“Enough of war!” he declared, lamenting the human and spiritual cost of the fighting. He stressed that prayer is “the most free, universal and disruptive response to death," and is among the things that “break the demonic chain of evil and put themselves at the service of the Kingdom of God; a kingdom in which there is no sword, no drones, no revenge, no trivialization of evil, no unfair profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness.”
He and other Catholic leaders have drawn on the Church’s just war tradition, which holds that the use of force must meet strict moral criteria, including just cause, right intention, last resort, proportionality, and discrimination between combatants and non-combatants.
The Holy Father called on all parties to reject escalation and instead commit to patient, honest dialogue aimed at genuine coexistence and the protection of civilians.
“Stop! Itʼs time for peace! Sit at tables of dialogue and mediation, not at tables where rearmament is planned and death actions are deliberated,” he said.
At a special Mass for Peace held in Washington, also on April 11, Cardinal Robert McElroy argued that the current war fails to meet the strict criteria of just war theory, particularly in light of civilian suffering and the risk of disproportionate harm.
The cardinal urged the faithful to pray for an immediate end to hostilities and for diplomats to pursue a just settlement that protects human life.
Predicting the failure of negotiations “because of recalcitrance on both sides” and the United States’ reentry into hostilities after the ceasefire, he said:
“At that critical juncture, as disciples of Jesus Christ called to be peacemakers in the world, we must answer vocally and in unison: No,” he said. “Not in our name. Not at this moment. Not with our country.”
He warned of the “expansion of the war far beyond Iran, the disruption of the world economy, and the loss of life.”
Florida bishop advocates for greater access to internet, political freedom for Cubans
Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez of Palm Beach, Florida, advocated for greater internet access within Cuba and for Cubans to be able to exercise political freedom and freedom of expression, because this “forms part of human dignity.”
The Dominican-born prelate made the appeal in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News, after a March visit to Cuba to attend the installation of Osmany Massó Cuesta as bishop of Bayamo-Manzanillo.
Speaking with “EWTN Noticias,” Rodríguez addressed recent events in the Caribbean nation, including the government’s Holy Week announcement that it would release more than 2,000 people from prison.
The bishop stated that this was “a first step toward a long-term and more stable solution.”
“It is certainly neither the definitive nor the complete solution, but it is a sign that should be appreciated as a positive step,” he said.
He noted that this step “must be followed by other measures” capable of “increasingly guaranteeing the growing integral development of Cuban men and women at the social level.”
“In Cuba,” he stated, “a process must take place wherein Cubans are granted increasingly greater access to the internet, where the exercise of freedom of expression is made possible, and where political freedom — naturally — can also be exercised, for that is part of human dignity.”
“However,” he noted, “all of this must always proceed from an attitude of dialogue and collaboration.”
Regarding the Catholic Church in Cuba, the prelate stated that in recent years, the bishops have been granted the opportunity “to speak on the radio,” thereby enabling them to evangelize and provide moral support to the people “within the limitations inherent to the prevailing situation and circumstances.”
In Cuba, where a one-party system is imposed, the internet is monopolized by the state-owned company ETECSA. The most affordable data plan available to citizens costs 120 Cuban pesos ($5) and offers only 2 GB. In contrast, a person arriving from abroad can access a minimum plan of 10 GB, although the cost is not listed on the website.
The state also holds a monopoly over print, television, and radio media. Those wishing to establish independent media outlets have the internet as their only alternative, albeit at the risk of being harassed and detained by the communist regime, as documented on March 11 by the Inter American Press Association.
The Catholic Church ‘is no one’s enemy’
Rodríguez first visited Cuba as a young man in 1998 on the occasion of the historic apostolic journey of St. John Paul II. He returned in 1999 as a missionary and lived on the island until 2000.
“Upon returning after 25 years, I have found a people who still possess the same faith, a people filled with hope, and a Church that has continued to grow and renew itself. However, suffering and distress in general have multiplied. When I was here more than 25 years ago, the humanitarian and social situation was already appalling.”
“But now, the crisis has reached truly inhumane proportions … and our solidarity and response are urgently needed,” Rodríguez emphasized.
The blackouts and shortages of food and medicine plaguing the island intensified starting in January, after the United States effectively stopped oil shipments from Mexico and Venezuela, a measure that has further complicated daily life, affecting, among other things, transportation, the accumulation of trash on the streets, and foreign tourism.
And although a Russian vessel arrived in late March carrying 730,000 barrels of oil and the U.S. government is sending donations to be distributed by Caritas Cuba, this is not enough.
Rodríguez therefore called upon the Cuban authorities to understand that the Catholic Church “is no one’s enemy,” for it is not married “to any ideology or to any political party” but rather preaches “Jesus Christ and his message of love, fraternity, respect for human dignity, peace, and hope.”
“By working with the Church, they will be safeguarding the dignity of the Cuban people and will also be collaborating in a deliberate process aimed at implementing measures to restore the people’s dignity,” he stated.
“Therefore, I invite the authorities of Cuba — the government of Cuba — not to be afraid to collaborate” with the Church, Rodríguez urged, who assured that “we, the Catholic bishops of the United States, are here to support the bishops of Cuba in whatever is needed.”
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.
College students launch ‘Acutis AI’ to bring Catholic teaching to artificial intelligence
As artificial intelligence reshapes the world around us, two college students are aiming to provide people with an AI platform built on the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Acutis AI has been developed by brothers Peter, 21, and Thomas, 19, Cooney — students who attend the University of Dallas and Baylor University — and strives to stand out as a search tool shaped by Catholic morality that provides responses users can trust.
Additionally, the platform offers parents the ability to monitor their children’s chats, set time limits, and set alerts to be notified when concerning topics are detected.
In an interview with EWTN News, Peter Cooney explained that after he and his brother used many of the other current AI platforms, they found they all had two issues in common: Responses to questions on morality are all built to be neutral, and the platforms cause young people to become dependent on them.
He shared that while testing responses on ChatGPT, he asked the platform its thoughts on abortion — if it was OK to get an abortion and if it could affirm one’s decision in obtaining the procedure.
“Itʼll say, ‘Yes, absolutely. I can affirm this. You made the best decision you could, etc., etc.,” Cooney said. “Thatʼs directly contrary to Church teaching. So, I think that’s the first big issue is that they try to be neutral, but at their core theyʼre not aligned with Church teaching and all the big platforms just have a small team of people who make all these moral decisions.”
In regard to the issue of user dependency, Cooney said: “I think a lot of parents have realized at this point the dangers of social media for their children, and so theyʼve become much more cautious about social media. But, I think very few parents … are aware of the huge threat that AI companions and chatbots can pose to their kids because theyʼre built to hook users and keep them engaged.”
“I think this is especially problematic for young people — like children [or] teenagers — because their brains arenʼt fully developed yet,” he added. “So, if thereʼs a teenager whoʼs lonely, maybe he doesnʼt have a ton of friends at school, maybe he doesnʼt see his parents much, the appeal of having an AI companion that will sound just like a human, and will also be super affirming and validating, thatʼs a huge appeal to those teenagers and they can easily get sucked into them.”
With this in mind, the brothers — who have experience creating websites and other computer programs — grounded Acutis AI in Church teaching by uploading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, encyclicals, the “Summa Theologica,” and other Church documents into the platformʼs code.
Additionally, through coding, Acutis AI is only allowed to answer questions regarding faith and morals from those sources. For any general questions, it is allowed to do a more broad web search.
Cooney pointed out that while there are negatives in using AI, he believes the tool can be used responsibly.
“I donʼt think the right answer is just saying OK, weʼre just not [going to] use AI at all, weʼre just going to ban it completely, because I think it can be a valuable tool if used correctly,” he said.
He added: “I think the best way to use it is to automate things. It should not be a replacement for critical thinking. I think itʼs super important to keep critical thinking at the forefront in all of this.”
The young Catholic also emphasized the importance of maintaining human relationships and preventing AI from taking the place of face-to-face interactions.
For students, Cooney said he believes it can be a great tool in helping them study for tests by having the platform quiz the individual or help create study guides.
Cooney said he hopes Acutis AI will help “teach young people how to use AI responsibly and give parents the guidance they need to help their kids use AI responsibly.”
Looking to the saint who inspired the platformʼs name, Cooney highlighted how St. Carlo Acutis is a “great example of how you use technology to serve God —he used it to spread his love for the Eucharist and he brought so many people closer to Christ through that — so I think we can do the same thing.”
Pope Leo XIV urges ceasefire, protection of civilians in war zones
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday renewed appeals for peace in Ukraine, Lebanon, and Sudan, calling on the international community not to look away from the suffering caused by war and insisting that civilians must be shielded from its devastation.
Speaking before and after the Regina Caeli on Divine Mercy Sunday, the pope appealed for an end to fighting and urged those involved in conflicts to pursue peaceful solutions without delay.
“The principle of humanity, inscribed in the conscience of every person and recognized in international law, entails the moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the atrocious effects of war,” Leo said. “I appeal to the parties in conflict to cease fire and to seek with urgency a peaceful solution.”
Marking Easter as celebrated by the Orthodox Churches, the pope said he was accompanying those communities with more intense prayer “for all who suffer because of war, especially for the beloved Ukrainian people.”
He added: “May the light of Christ bring comfort to afflicted hearts and strengthen the hope of peace. May the attention of the international community not fail toward the drama of this war.”
Leo also expressed closeness to Lebanon, saying: “To the beloved Lebanese people too I am more than ever close in these days of sorrow, fear, and invincible hope in God.”
Turning to Sudan, the pope noted that Wednesday marks three years since the start of the bloody conflict there and lamented the suffering of the Sudanese people, whom he described as innocent victims of an inhuman tragedy.
“I renew my heartfelt appeal to the warring parties to silence the weapons and begin, without preconditions, a sincere dialogue aimed at ending this fratricidal war as soon as possible,” he said.
Before the Marian prayer, Leo reflected on the Gospel for the Second Sunday of Easter, also known as Divine Mercy Sunday, and said faith must be nourished and sustained through the Church’s weekly Eucharistic gathering.
“Sunday Eucharist is indispensable for Christian life,” the pope said.
Recalling the witness of the Martyrs of Abitene ahead of his departure for Africa, he said the early African martyrs had left the Church “a beautiful testimony” when, faced with the offer of saving their lives if they renounced celebrating the Eucharist, they answered that they could not live without celebrating the Lord’s Day.
“It is there that our faith is nourished and grows,” he said.
Leo said that, like St. Thomas, Christians today can find belief difficult, but that the Church invites the faithful every Sunday, the “eighth day,” to gather and celebrate the Eucharist together, as the first disciples did.
“In a world that has such great need of peace, this commits us more than ever to be assiduous and faithful in our eucharistic encounter with the Risen One, so that we may set out again from it as witnesses of charity and bearers of reconciliation,” he said.
The pope also said that “it is through the Eucharist that our hands too become ‘hands of the Risen One,’ witnesses of his presence, his mercy, his peace.”
At the end of the Regina Caeli, Leo greeted pilgrims and asked for prayers ahead of his 10-day apostolic journey beginning Monday to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.
This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News' Italian-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
At Washington Mass for peace, Cardinal McElroy condemns Iran war as immoral
Washington Archbishop Cardinal Robert McElroy celebrated a Mass for peace on April 11 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in response to Pope Leo XIV’s call for prayer amid ongoing global conflict.
The liturgy, livestreamed from Washington, D.C., was part of a broader global observance of Masses for peace following the pope’s appeal — first made during his Easter “urbi et orbi” blessing — for intensified prayer as tensions escalated and a fragile ceasefire emerged between the United States and Iran.
In his homily, McElroy began with the account of the Resurrection in the Gospel of John, where the Risen Christ’s first words to the disciples are: “Peace be with you.”
He said this greeting is not incidental but central to Christian belief, noting that “peace is the ultimate fruit and gift of the Resurrection: an inner conviction that Christ has conquered death once and for all.”
Peace, he added, is also a responsibility.
“For as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said, “we are called profoundly to be peacemakers in the world in which we live.”
He argued that the United States entered the current Iranian conflict by choice rather than necessity, adding that leaders had “no clear intention,” but instead moved between aims such as “unconditional surrender to regime change to the degradation of conventional weapons to the removal of nuclear materials.”
“And we blinded ourselves to the cascade of global destructiveness that would flow from our attacks,” he added, citing the “expansion of the war far beyond Iran, the disruption of the world economy, and the loss of life.”
These “policy failures,” he said, amount to a “moral failure," as Catholic just war principles render both “the initiation of this war and any continuation of it morally illegitimate.”
He pointed to Church teaching as articulated by Pope Leo XIV, saying that “the only pathway which Catholic teaching allows at this moment is the permanent cessation of hostilities and vigorous steps to build up the conditions for a lasting peace.”
McElroy invoked the United States’ approaching 250th anniversary as a moment for national reckoning, warning against allowing division and violence to define the country’s identity.
He called on “citizens and believers in this democracy” to advocate for peace both in prayer and with elected representatives.
“For it is very possible that negotiations will fail because of recalcitrance on both sides,” he said, “and the president will move to reenter this immoral war.”
“At that critical juncture, as disciples of Jesus Christ called to be peacemakers in the world, we must answer vocally and in unison: No,” he said. “Not in our name. Not at this moment. Not with our country.”
The cardinal’s homily concluded to sustained applause inside the cathedral.
“Cardinal McElroy’s homily affected me very deeply,” said Timothy Rush, a participant in the Mass. “I particularly applaud the idea that prayer serves to focus our energies, but then we have to apply them and reverse this hideous descent into war by talking to our representatives and others.”
“We have to fight the desensitization that is going on that normalizes the cruelties and violence of war,” he added.
‘True strength is shown in serving life’
A longtime advocate for the Church’s just war doctrine, McElroy has frequently warned that modern conflicts often fail to meet the rigorous criteria for a morally legitimate war.
In a March 9 interview with the Catholic Standard, he said the U.S. decision to engage in war with Iran does not meet key requirements, particularly regarding “just cause,” “right intention,” and proportionality.
He emphasized that Catholic teaching rejects preventative war, noting that the U.S. was not responding to a direct or imminent threat from Iran. “You cannot satisfy the just war tradition’s criterion of right intention,” he explained, pointing to what he described as a lack of clarity surrounding U.S. objectives.
In response to Pope Leo XIV’s call for a global prayer vigil for peace, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) encouraged the faithful to join in prayer, uniting with Catholics worldwide in seeking peace and reconciliation.
Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the USCCB, made an urgent plea in an April 7 statement, writing: “Let us entrust to the Lord ‘all hearts that suffer and await the true peace that only he can give. Let us entrust ourselves to him and open our hearts to him! He is the only one who makes all things new (cf. Rev 21:5).’”
Pope Leo XIV’s message during the vigil, held at St. Peter’s Basilica on April 11, echoed these calls for peace. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!” he told the nearly 10,000 gathered. “True strength is shown in serving life.”
In his reflection, the pope reminded the Church of its role as a beacon of peace, calling on all people to reject the culture of war and to “unite the moral and spiritual strength of the millions and billions of men and women, young and old, who today choose to believe in peace.”
“Let us believe once again in love, moderation and good politics,” he said. “We must form ourselves and get personally involved, each following our own calling. Everyone has a place in the mosaic of peace!”
9 things to know about Pope Leo XIV’s Africa visit
On the heels of his first apostolic visit of 2026 to Monaco on March 28 and after presiding over Holy Week and Easter events and celebrations, Pope Leo XIV is making final preparations for his 10-day papal visit to four countries in Africa from April 13–23.
The pontiffʼs first apostolic trip to Africa comes at a time when the continent accounts for about 20% of Catholics worldwide and is experiencing significant growth in priestly vocations.
Here are nine important facts to know about Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Africa:
1. The pope will visit four countries and 11 cities in 10 days.
Pope Leo will spend 10 days in Africa and will visit four countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, with stops in 11 cities across those nations. The Vatican estimates he will travel more than 11,000 miles on 18 separate flights during this single trip, underscoring how demanding modern papal travel has become.
Leo will celebrate eight public Masses and deliver 24 speeches and homilies during the visit. He is expected to speak French in Algeria and Cameroon, Portuguese in Angola, and Spanish in Equatorial Guinea as well as English throughout the trip.
2. He follows in the footsteps of other modern popes.
This is Pope Leo’s third international trip and his first apostolic journey to Africa — taking place less than a year after his election.
In his 12 years of pontificate, Pope Francis made five trips to Africa and visited 10 countries. Benedict XVI made two apostolic trips, visiting three countries, and Pope John Paul II made 11 trips to Africa, visiting 41 countries during his 26‑year pontificate.
Pope Paul VI was the first reigning pope ever to visit Africa when he traveled to Uganda from July 31 to Aug. 2, 1969.
3. Pope Leoʼs polyglot talent will be on full display.
Pope Leo speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, and he can read Latin and German, which makes it very likely he will use several of these languages during his visit. It is also likely that Arabic will appear in greetings or prepared texts.
According to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, the popeʼs Africa itinerary will showcase the main languages of the four host countries: Arabic and French in Algeria, English and French in Cameroon, Portuguese in Angola, and Spanish in Equatorial Guinea, which is the only African country that has Spanish as its official language.
4. This is the first-ever papal visit to Algeria.
Pope Leo will become the first pope in history to visit Algeria, the largest African country and where Islam is the state religion. Algeria has roughly 45 million to 48 million people, but only a few thousand Catholics — often estimated at no more than 10,000, a fraction of 1%. Most Catholics are expatriates, sub-Saharan African students, migrant workers, diplomats, and religious.
5. The visit will highlight the popeʼs Augustine connection.
The Algerian leg of the journey intentionally traces the footsteps of St. Augustine of Hippo, connecting Pope Leo’s trip to one of the most influential doctors of the Church who lived and died in North Africa.
He will visit Annaba, a place that underlines his personal devotion to St. Augustine and his Augustinian identity. While there, he will visit the archaeological site of Hippo, meet Augustinian religious, and celebrate Mass in the Basilica of St. Augustine, which makes this first leg of the trip a kind of pilgrimage to his “father” in faith, echoing his own description of himself as “a son of St. Augustine.”
6. The pope will visit a mosque for the second time.
In Algiers, the pope is scheduled to visit the Great Mosque of Algiers — one of the largest mosques in the world — as a concrete gesture of interreligious dialogue. This will be his second visit to a mosque as a pope. He visited the Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, during his first international trip in November 2025.
7. His journey will be marked by works of mercy.
Throughout the pope’s papal visit to Africa there will be several encounters that explicitly highlight the Church’s works of mercy. These include the popeʼs plan to visit an orphanage and a hospital in Cameroon, a nursing home in Angola, the Little Sisters of the Poor in Algeria, and a psychiatric hospital and prison in Equatorial Guinea.
8. A record-breaking rosary is expected to take place in Angola.
In Angola, local authorities expect to host a record-breaking event at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Conception of Muxima, a Marian shrine in Angola’s Diocese of Viana and one of the country’s most important pilgrimage sites. The pope will lead a public rosary where roughly 2 million pilgrims are expected to attend.
Additionally, this will be the first time a pope visits the Muxima shrine since its founding in 1599.
9. The trip will end with a visit to one of Africaʼs smallest countries — Equatorial Guinea.
The last leg of the pope’s trip will be to Equatorial Guinea. One of the smallest countries of Africa, it’s similar in size to the state of Maryland. In this country nearly 90% of the population is Catholic, making it one of the most heavily Catholic nations on the African continent.
The small nation is welcoming a pope after 44 years. Pope John Paul II visited Equatorial Guinea in 1982.
Pope Leo plans to visit Bata Prison, a facility criticized internationally for its conditions, signaling a clear concern for prisoners and human rights.
He will also pray at a monument for the victims of the Bata explosions, a disaster that killed about 100 people and injured 500, bringing a strong message of consolation and remembrance.
Pope Leo XIV at Vatican peace vigil: 'Enough of war!'
“Enough of war!” Pope Leo XIV cried out while presiding over a vigil for peace at St. Peterʼs Basilica in the Vatican on April 11.
Prior to the vigil in the basilica — which the pope announced on Easter Sunday, April 5, amid ongoing war in Iran and in the Holy Land — the Holy Father briefly addressed the thousands of faithful present in St. Peterʼs Square to participate in the vigil, whom he thanked for their presence while reminding them that it is possible to build peace.
The pope then entered the basilica to direct the prayer of the rosary, meditating on the glorious mysteries, each accompanied by a biblical reading and a reflection of Saint Cyprian of Cartagena, Saint Caesar of Arles, Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Ambrose of Milan and, as is customary, Saint Augustine, all Fathers of the Church.
In addition, and as a sign of peace, before each of the mysteries, a delegation from each of the five continents lit a candle at the foot of the image of Mary, Queen of Peace.
In his speech, the pope said that “war divides, hope unites. Arrogance tramples, love lifts. Blind idolatry, the living God illuminates.”
“A little faith is enough — a pinch of faith, dear brothers — to face together, as humanity and with humanity, this dramatic hour of history.”
"Prayer, in fact, is not a refuge to evade our responsibilities, it is not a painkiller to avoid the pain that unleashes so much injustice," the pope said. "It is, on the other hand, the most free, universal and disruptive response to death: We are a people who are already resurrected!”
“Letʼs get up from the rubble again!” the pope said. “Nothing can lock us in an already-written destiny, not even in this world in which the graves seem not to be enough, because life continues to be crucified, annihilated, without right and without mercy.”
Leo XIV then recalled the message of St. John Paul II in January of 2003 amid the burgeoning conflict in Iraq in which — while referencing his having survived World War II — the Polish-born pope said: "Never again war!"
Pope Leo stressed that prayer is among the things that “break the demonic chain of evil and put themselves at the service of the Kingdom of God; a kingdom in which there is no sword, no drones, no revenge, no trivialization of evil, no unfair profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness.”
With prayer, he continued, there is "a barrier against that delirium of omnipotence that becomes increasingly unpredictable and aggressive around us. The balances in the human family are severely destabilized.”
After lamenting that “the Holy Name of God — the God of life — is dragged into death speeches,” Leo XIV said that an individual is subjected to this death if he “has turned his back on the living God, to make himself and his own power the mute, blind and deaf idol (cf. Ps 115,4-8), to whom to sacrifice all value and pretend that the whole world bends before him.”
“Enough of self-idolation and money! Enough of the show of strength! Enough of the war! True strength is manifested in the service to life,” the pope said.
The pontiff encouraged the world to overcome the “madness of war” and urged rulers: “Stop! Itʼs time for peace! Sit at tables of dialogue and mediation, not at tables where rearmament is planned and death actions are deliberated.”
Pope Leo specified that this is not only the responsibility of the rulers but of all, since “each one has his place in the mosaic of peace!”
The strength of the rosary
“The rosary, like other very old forms of prayer, has united us this afternoon in its regular rhythm, based on repetition,” the pope said. “This is how peace makes its way, word after word, gesture after gesture. Like a rock, it is sculpted drop by drop. As in a loom, the fabric advances movement after movement. They are the long times of life, a sign of Godʼs patience.”
After urging the faithful not to fall into the “acceleration of a world that does not know what it pursues, to return to serve the rhythm of life, the harmony of creation, and heal its wounds,” Leo recalled that the Church “is a great people at the service of reconciliation and peace, which advances without hesitation, even when the rejection of the logic of war can cost incomprehension and contempt.”
The Church “announces the Gospel of peace and educates to obey God before men, especially when it comes to the infinite dignity of other human beings, endangered by the continuous violations of international law,” he said.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Minnesota bishop: Singer Gracie Abrams helps young people confront 'gaping wounds in their hearts'
Hereʼs a roundup of the latest Catholic education news in the U.S.
Minnesota bishop cites Gracie Abrams in speech on educators’ role in healing wounds
Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston shared a video performance of pop singer Gracie Abrams during his keynote speech at the National Catholic Educational Association convention.
While discussing the role of educators in helping young people to heal from their wounds, Cozzens played a video of Abrams performing her song “Camden."
“The poetry that she sings about expresses the depth of pain that she carries in her heart, and whatʼs even more clear is that it resonates with tens of thousands of people in the stadium all her same age,” Cozzens said during his April 7 keynote, according to UCA News. "Many people in the stadium also feel like singing.”
In the song, an extended reflection on insecurity and personal struggles, Abrams sings, in part, “All of me, a wound to close / But I leave the whole thing open / I just wanted you to know / I was never good at coping.”
“This is the height of popular culture,” he said. “This is what our young people are singing about, the gaping wounds in their hearts."
Catholic educators must invite young people to encounter Christ in their wounds, rather than seeking value from social media, artificial intelligence, popular culture, or politics, he said.
The National Catholic Educational Association convention took place April 7-9. Other highlights at the event included a live butter sculpture of Pope Leo XIV, and “Puppy Love” sessions sponsored by Safe Hands Rescue and Healing Hearts Rescue, according to the event schedule.
Chicago Archdiocese says public school system abruptly cut off funding for students with disabilities
More than 800 students with disabilities attending Chicago Catholic schools will be affected after the city’s public school system suddenly suspended funding to social services before the end of the school year.
The Chicago Archdiocese said in an April 10 statement that Chicago Public Schools (CPS) targeted only Catholic schools in terminating services for individuals with special needs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The statement noted students with learning differences will lose access to math, reading, and writing tutoring, which will create “severe hardship for hundreds of students” who were relying on the services through the end of the year.
“We are not aware of any other non-public school system or individual school, religious or secular, whose IDEA services have been terminated,” the archdiocese said. “It is not clear why Catholic schools are being treated differently, but Catholic school students have the right to be treated equally under the law.”
Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich said the archdiocese "cannot allow this shocking and possibly discriminatory action by CPS to stand, not only given its affront to Catholics, but even more so since this injustice would disenfranchise the students we serve.”
The archdiocese said efforts to reach CPS Superintendent Macquline King “have not yielded a response.”
The archdiocese said the Chicago school system had verbally confirmed funding for the services would continue through the end of the school year “as recently as March 25" before informing the archdiocese during Holy Week that the services would be suspended.
“While federal funding for these services was provided to CPS for the full school year, we were informed that the last day of services would be [April 10],” the archdiocese said.
Georgia archdiocese launches virtual Catholic high school
The Archdiocese of Atlanta is starting a fully online Catholic high school program this fall in partnership with Catholic Education Services.
The launch of Sacred Heart Virtual Academy comes amid increased demand among homeschooling families, according to an April 8 report from the Georgia Bulletin.
Curriculum will be provided by Catholic Education Services, whose mission “is to partner with Catholic school leaders and provide services that extend the reach and impact of your school’s mission through a faith-centered, rigorously academic education with a flexible learning platform,” according to its website.
“We knew that we were not filling the needs of a group of kids that were in our parishes,” Kim Shields, the archdiocesan associate superintendent of schools, said in the report. “This allows a child that doesn’t want to go to a brick-and-mortar school to have that opportunity.”
The school will serve grades 9-12, according to its website, and is open to students outside of the archdiocese.
“My hope is that it serves what we’re about — to provide programs for students to help them develop in all areas of their life,” Shields said. “The premise is that everything is centered around the mission of the Catholic Church.”