French priest Henri Caffarel, founder of Teams of Our Lady, declared venerable by Pope Leo XIV
Father Henri Caffarel, a French priest whose apostolate centered on accompanying and guiding married couples on the path to holiness, is one step closer to being canonized.
On March 23, Pope Leo XIV recognized the heroic virtues of the newly declared venerable, who maintained that couples are made for happiness and that marriage is a path toward it.
With this deep conviction, and conscious of the challenges faced by couples, Caffarel, who was born in Lyon, France, in 1903, founded the movement for marital spirituality known as “Teams of Our Lady” in Paris in 1939.
The beginning of a living legacy
Spaniards Alberto Pérez Bueno and Mercedes Gómez-Ferrer Lozano, the couple in charge of the Teams of Our Lady internationally, have been married for 35 years and have three children. In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, they said the ministry started “with four couples who approached Father Caffarel to ask him how they could live out their faith as a couple.”
“He didn’t have an answer at that moment, so he proposed that they embark on a journey of discovery together rooted in the sacrament of holy orders and the sacrament of matrimony. And that‘s how it all began,” Alberto explained.
Following World War II, the movement, which is primarily lay-led, grew rapidly; today, it is present in 92 countries and is comprised of more than 15,000 teams.
Marital communication and prayer
Mercedes emphasized that from the very beginning, Caffarel saw the need to foster the essentials of marital communication and prayer, convinced that by sharing their problems with one another, many couples could avoid estrangement that sometimes occurs in marriage.
The priest, Alberto recalled, said that “the sacrament of matrimony is an image of God” and “probably the most perfect one there is.” The priest said married couples are called to holiness through a life of “work, personal growth, love, patience, and building a life together.”
“It‘s not an overnight process but rather a journey undertaken over the course of a lifetime. Father Caffarel invited couples to embark on this path and to attain holiness through their work and their life together,” Alberto emphasized.
Mercedes said the priest thought of marriage as a sign “that reflects the love of God” because the relationship of communion that exists between spouses is analogous to the relationship existing among the three Divine Persons: Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.
In the priest’s view, the image of marriage allowed for a clearer expression of the idea of a God who is love “and who communicates and expands within his own nature.” From this perspective, “holiness ceases to be understood as a matter of individual effort or moral perfection and is situated instead within the dynamic of love that transforms and animates life,” Mercedes explained.
A continuous path of spiritual growth
The organization of the Teams of Our Lady is based on a specific methodology “that goes beyond monthly meetings,” encompassing prayer, dialogue, and personal commitment. Each team consists of five or six married couples, fostering “listening to the word, personal prayer, prayer as a couple and family prayer, and a profound dialogue in the presence of the Lord that we also have every month,” Mercedes explained.
Ultimately, it is a matter of “having a rule of life, a set of elements through which you strive to improve your Christian life,” she said. There is also a yearly retreat and a specific study theme each month.
Alberto emphasized that the Teams of Our Lady are, in a sense, “precursors of the synodality” promoted by Pope Francis. “It’s a movement that is very nonclerical — though, it must be said, the accompaniment of married couples by priests is essential.”
He also noted that “married couples place their time, their skills, their charisms, and their gifts at the service of others in order to build community.”
Mercedes, who had the opportunity to meet the now-venerable, recalled that in 1973 he stepped aside after founding the teams, convinced that “if it was a work of the Holy Spirit and possessed a charism for the Church, there was no need for him to stay on.”
Leaving the ministry in the laity’s hands, he retired to a house of prayer on the outskirts of Paris, where he began his other “great work”: teaching people how to pray. Mercedes noted that “one of the things he desired most was to teach people how to draw closer to Christ and to serve as an intermediary so that every person could have a personal encounter with God.”
The challenges facing married couples today
Alberto and Mercedes explained how married couples today confront new challenges stemming from the pace of life, particularly the “massive entry of women into the workforce,” which has brought different challenges, such as “finding time to be together and talk.”
They highlighted Caffarel’s enduring counsel: “Seek out these moments; don’t let them slip away,” for life “sweeps us along like a fast-moving river.
They also highlighted the movement’s impact in countries such as Lithuania, with a past marked by communist repression, or in African nations where the teams foster equality, participation, and changes such as abandoning polygamy. This is also true in Europe, where the Teams of Our Lady help strengthen families within increasingly secularized societies.
Both highlight the universal impact of the movement: Couples from diverse cultures agree on the benefits received, particularly the “opportunity to pray together” and the realization of “how difficult it would have been without the presence of Christ in their married life.” Ultimately, this is a way of life that responds to a profound desire: Even as sacramental marriages decline, “there is no diminishing of people’s desire to live as a couple.”
Mercedes also warned of a growing way of dealing with problems: “At the slightest setback, people are right off tempted to give up,” and the couple is not taught how to “persevere and forgive.” Added to this is “a great fear of commitment” and a tendency to avoid lasting bonds or communities despite the fact that, deep down, people “want to be happy and want to stay together.”
For this reason, she emphasized the importance of mutual support and community life: “It‘s fundamental to allow oneself to be helped,” since in her view navigating married life in isolation “is extremely complex.”
The teams offer precisely the necessary tools and support: a setting where married couples share their problems and solutions. Drawing upon their own experiences, they particularly encourage young couples to embark on this path of holiness.
Both expressed their joy that Caffarel has been declared venerable, a long-awaited recognition following nearly 20 years of going through the beatification process, which continues, awaiting a miracle wrought through his intercession.
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.
On Easter Monday, Pope Leo XIV remembers those ‘tormented’ by war: ‘The truth does not remain hidden’
On his first Easter Monday as pope, Leo XIV appeared at the window of the Apostolic Palace under bright sunshine and clear skies to lead the Regina Caeli with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
“Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Happy Easter!“ he exclaimed. “This greeting, full of wonder and joy, will accompany us throughout the week. As we celebrate this new day that the Lord has made for us, the liturgy celebrates the entrance of all creation into the time of salvation: The despair of death has been banished forever, in the name of Jesus.”
He continued: “Today’s Gospel asks us to choose between two accounts: that of the women, who encountered the Risen One, or that of the guards, who were bribed by the leaders of the Sanhedrin.”
The women proclaim “the victory of Christ over death,” while the guards “proclaim that death always wins, no matter what,” the pope said, illustrating two opposing versions of the same event. In the guards’ version, Christ did not rise, “but his body was stolen,” the pope recalled. From this comes the fact that “from the same event — the empty tomb — two interpretations spring forth: One is a source of new and eternal life, the other of certain and definitive death,” he explained.
This contrast “makes us reflect on the value of Christian witness and the honesty of human communication. Often, in fact, the telling of the truth is obscured by what we today call fake news — that is, lies, insinuations, and baseless accusations. Yet in the face of such obstacles, the truth does not remain hidden; on the contrary, it comes to meet us, alive and radiant, illuminating even the densest darkness,” he continued.
Christ is the good news to be proclaimed to the world, he said: “The Lord’s passover is our passover, the passover of humanity, because this man, who died for us, is the Son of God, who gave his life for us.”
Leo then turned his thoughts to “peoples tormented by war, to Christians persecuted for their faith, and to children deprived of education. To announce the passover of Christ in words and deeds means giving new voice to hope, otherwise stifled by the hands of the violent.”
Finally, he remembered Pope Francis, “who exactly one year ago, on Easter Monday, entrusted his life to the Lord. As we recall his great witness of faith and love, let us pray together to the Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom, so that we may become ever brighter heralds of the truth.”
After reciting the Marian prayer, Pope Leo XIV added a few more words: “I thank the initiatives promoted for the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, and I renew the appeal that sport, with its universal language of fraternity, may be a place of inclusion and peace. I thank all those who in these days have sent me Easter greetings. I am especially grateful for the prayers. Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, may God reward each one with his gifts.”
He concluded: “I wish you a joyful and faithful celebration of this Easter Monday and these days of the Octave of Easter, during which the celebration of Christ’s resurrection continues. Let us persevere in invoking the gift of peace for the whole world.”
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.
‘Searching for the Messiah’ explores experiences of recent Jewish converts
The latest film from Goya Productions, “Searching for the Messiah” explores the experiences of people of Jewish origin who have embraced Jesus as the Anointed One (the Christ), in whom God’s promises to his people are fulfilled.
The documentary, directed by Andrés Garrigó, is set to premiere in Spain on April 10. It is headed to Mexico and Central America later this month, followed by distribution in the United States later in the year.
The film traces the journeys of figures from both the present day and recent history who, from their Jewish origins, traveled the path toward recognizing Jesus as the Messiah.
The film takes an approach that is in keeping with the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate. That document emphasizes that “the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospelʼs spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.”
Following that declaration, St. Paul VI became the first pope to travel to the Holy Land in the modern era. Subsequently, St. John Paul II visited Rome’s synagogue and established diplomatic relations with Israel. Both St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI visited the Auschwitz death camp. Pope Francis and Leo XIV further developed the path charted by Nostra Aetate.
In a statement to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Goya Productions indicated that in the version of the film to be distributed in the United States, “only the testimonies originally in French, Spanish, and Portuguese will require dubbing” and that “more than half of the film will remain in its original English.”
The U.S. version will also feature an additional testimony from Dr. Robin Pierucci, a Jewish convert and neonatologist who lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Other testimonies to be highlighted inlude those of French philosopher Fabrice Hadjadj, Harvard Business School professor Roy Schoeman, Brazilian philosopher Edgar Leite Ferreira, British literary critic Robert Asch, American author Dawn Eden Goldstein, and Argentine professor of biblical pastoral studies Luciana Rogowicz.
Garrigó told ACI Prensa that the subject of the film is one “that hasn’t been explored in cinema; people are a bit wary of it.”
He said the idea for the film originally came from a person in Mexico. “We didn’t think it would be possible, but after reflecting on it and later conducting research, we discovered that there were amazing people who had things to say about the Messiah and about discovering [him] from the point of view of Judaism,” he said.
‘Our greatest loves are Jewish’
Garrigó said the core narrative theme of the film is particularly captured in a recording of St. Josemaría Escrivá. In it, the Spanish saint, during one of his well-known informal gatherings, responds to a question from a young Jewish girl whose parents will not allow her to be baptized.
“As St. Josemaría himself says, our greatest loves are Jewish, aren’t they? They are Jesus and the Virgin,” Garrigó observed.
From that standpoint, “everything else is an attitude of openness; and they — the moment they discover Jesus — become deeply committed, the ones who feel called to fulfill an eternal design: that of a chosen people who in the end complete their journey,” the director said.
“They still feel Jewish after their conversion, yet Jewish in a way that fulfills what Jesus had envisioned for them,” he added.
“Searching for the Messiah” also explores other figures of Jewish origin who embraced the Catholic faith, particularly during the last century: Rome’s chief rabbi, Eugenio Zolli; St. Edith Stein, a German philosopher who became a Carmelite nun and was canonized by St. John Paul II, who named her a patroness of Europe and a doctor of the Church; Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who before his conversion was known as one of the most staunch abortion advocates in U.S. history; and the French poet Max Jacob, whose baptismal godfather was his friend Pablo Picasso.
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.
Pope Leo XIV: Every vocation is a ‘path of beauty’
The Vatican has published Pope Leo XIV’s message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated on April 26, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, or Good Shepherd Sunday.
Titled “The Interior Discovery of God’s Gift,” the Holy Father in the message reflects on the interior dimension of vocation, understood as “the discovery of God’s free gift that blossoms in the depths of our hearts.”
In his message, the pope refers to vocation as “a path of beauty” — one along which, if traveled, life becomes “truly beautiful.” He notes, however, that to perceive this beauty, it is necessary to cultivate one’s interior life.
“The distinctive trait of the saint is the luminous spiritual beauty that radiates from his or her life in Christ,” the pope affirms.
Citing the experience of St. Augustine, the Holy Father invites everyone to discover the presence of God in the innermost recesses of the soul by cultivating prayer and silence. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the gift of vocation is “never an imposition or a one-size-fits-all model to which one merely conforms; instead, it is an adventure of love and happiness.”
“Only when our surroundings are illumined by living faith, sustained by constant prayer, and enriched by fraternal accompaniment can God’s call blossom and mature, becoming a path of happiness and salvation for individuals and for the world,” he noted.
The pope also reminds us that God “knows us profoundly” and points out that this knowledge must be mutual: “We are invited to know God through prayer, listening to the word, the sacraments, the life of the Church, and works of charity for our brothers and sisters.”
He clarifies that this is not a matter of abstract intellectual knowledge or academic learning but rather of “a personal encounter that transforms one’s life.”
“Dear young people, listen to this voice! Listen to the voice of the Lord who invites you to a full and fruitful life, calling you to put your talents to use (cf. Mt 25:14-30) and to unite your limitations and weaknesses with the glorious cross of Christ.”
The pope recommends dedicating time to Eucharistic adoration and meditating on the word of God in order to come to know the Lord and give oneself fully to one’s vocation — whether it be to marriage, the priesthood, or consecrated or religious life.
Life is a continual act of ‘trusting in the Lord’
To know the Lord, Leo XIV continues, means “above all learning to entrust oneself to him and to his providence.” He proposes St. Joseph as a model of this trust and encourages the faithful to cultivate it without ever yielding to despair: “We must overcome fears and doubts, confident that the Lord of history — both of the world and of our own personal story — is risen.”
“He does not abandon us in our darkest hours but comes to dispel every shadow with his light. Through the light and strength of his Spirit, even amid trials and crises, we can see our vocation grow and mature, reflecting ever more fully the beauty of the One who has called us — a beauty shaped by fidelity and trust, despite our wounds and failures,” he affirms.
At the conclusion of his message, the Holy Father recalls that a vocation “is not a fixed point” but rather “a dynamic process of maturation.” Therefore, he explains, the “places” where God’s will is revealed — and where we experience his infinite love — are “often the authentic and fraternal bonds we establish throughout our lives.”
Consequently, he underscores the need to have a good spiritual guide and, finally, encourages everyone — especially young people — to cultivate their personal relationship with God. “Pause, listen, entrust yourselves. In this way, the gift of your vocation will mature, bringing you happiness, and yielding abundant fruit for the Church and for the world.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Why the Catholic Church celebrates Easter Monday under the title ‘Monday of the Angel’
On Easter Monday, the Catholic Church celebrates what is called “Monday of the Angel.” In many countries in Europe and South America, this day, also known as “Little Easter,” is a national holiday.
In a Vatican Radio recording in 1994, Pope John Paul II gave an explanation for Monday of the Angel.
“Why is it called that?” the pope asked, highlighting the need for an angel to call out from the depths of the grave: “He is risen.”
These words “were very difficult to proclaim, to express, for a person,” John Paul II said. “Also, the women that were at the tomb encountered it empty but couldn’t tell ‘he had risen’; they only affirmed that the tomb was empty. The angel said more: ‘He is not here, he has risen.’”
The Gospel of St. Matthew puts it this way: “Then the angel said to the women in reply, ‘Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you” (Mt 28:5-7).
Angels are servants and messengers of God. As purely spiritual beings, they have intellects and wills. They are personal and immortal. They surpass all visible beings in their perfection.
Christ himself gave testimony to the angels when he said: “The angels in heaven always see the face of my father who is in heaven!” (Mt 18:10).
Christ is the center of the universe and angels belong to him. Even more so, because he made them messengers of his plan of salvation: An angel announced his conception to the Blessed Mother at the Annunciation and an angel proclaimed his resurrection to Mary Magdalene.
From Easter Monday until the end of Easter at Pentecost, the Church prays the Regina Caeli instead of the Angelus at the noon hour.
On Monday of the Angel in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI said the text of the Regina Caeli “is like a new ‘Annunciation’ to Mary, this time not made by an angel but by us Christians who invite the Mother to rejoice because her Son, whom she carried in her womb, is risen as he promised.”
He continued: “Indeed, ‘rejoice’ was the first word that the heavenly messenger addressed to the Virgin in Nazareth. And this is what it meant: Rejoice, Mary, because the Son of God is about to become man within you. Now, after the drama of the Passion, a new invitation to rejoice rings out: ‘Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia, quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia’ — Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. Rejoice because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia!”
Regina Caeli (English)
V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
R. For he whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.
V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia.
R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
V. Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of thy son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ, Our Lord.
R. Amen.
Regina Caeli (Latin)
V. Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.
R. Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.
V. Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.
R. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.
V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.
R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.
V. Oremus. Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus; ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum.
R. Amen.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, then translated and adapted by the National Catholic Register on March 4, 2021, and updated for EWTN News English on March 28, 2024, and again on April 5, 2026.
Official delegation announced for Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to Equatorial Guinea
EBEBIYÍN, Equatorial Guinea — Preparations for the planned apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Equatorial Guinea have gained momentum, with Church authorities unveiling details of the high-level delegation expected to accompany the Holy Father during his visit scheduled for April 21–23.
The announcement was made by Father Cristino Ela Engonga, secretary-general of the Episcopal Conference of Equatorial Guinea (CEGE) and general coordinator of the Church commission for the papal visit, during a strategic meeting that was held on March 28 at the bishop’s house in Bata Diocese.
The meeting brought together members of various subcommissions from the dioceses of Bata, Ebibeyín, Evinayong, and Mongomo to assess ongoing preparations and receive updates from the Holy See regarding the historic visit, which will mark Pope Leo XIV’s first trip to Africa.
According to Engonga, nearly 50 Vatican officials are expected to accompany the pontiff, including five cardinals. Among them is Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
The pope is expected to visit key cities, including Malabo, Mongomo, and Bata, accompanied by senior Vatican officials such as Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.
Other prominent members of the papal entourage include Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
They will be joined by 42 additional Vatican officials, including Monsignor José Nahúm Jairo Salas, who is responsible for coordinating papal international travels, as well as leading Vatican communicators such as Paolo Ruffini and Matteo Bruni.
Beyond the papal entourage, the meeting also highlighted the participation of special guests, including Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), as well as Archbishop Luis Javier Argüello García, president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE).
Engonga further said that more than 40 Catholic bishops from six central African countries have expressed their intention to attend the event.
During the meeting, participants also received a report from the masters of ceremonies of CEGE, Fathers Julio Enrique Meheme and Diosdado Márquez Sabadell, who recently traveled to Rome to prepare the liturgical celebrations the pope will preside over.
The Holy Father is expected to arrive in Malabo on Tuesday, April 21, the final leg of his four-nation African trip. Following the official welcome ceremony, he will meet the president of Equatorial Guinea and address political leaders, civil society representatives, and the diplomatic corps.
In the afternoon, the pope will engage with academics and artists during a meeting with representatives of the world of culture at the León XIV Campus of the National University. A pastoral visit to patients and staff at the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital is also scheduled for this day.
On Wednesday, April 22, the pope will travel to Mongomo to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception before visiting the Pope Francis Technology School.
Later in the day, the Holy Father will continue to Bata, where he is scheduled to visit a prison; pray at a memorial dedicated to victims of the March 7, 2021, explosion; and meet young people and families at Bata Stadium.
The apostolic journey to Africa is to conclude on Thursday, April 23, with a final Mass celebrated by the pope at Malabo Stadium.
Following the farewell ceremony at Malabo International Airport, the Holy Father will depart for Rome, arriving later that evening at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
U.S., Canadian seminarians prepare in Mexico to serve Hispanic community
In response to the growing Hispanic Catholic community in the United States and Canada, seminarians from both countries are being sent to study in Mexico at the Hispanic Seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a multicultural formation center for future priests.
The seminary was founded on Aug. 31, 1999, by the then-primate archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Norberto Rivera, after the Catholic Church recognized the need to form priests capable of understanding the cultural richness of Hispanics in North America.
Rivera was inspired by the call issued by St. John Paul II in the January 1999 apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America, which called the American Church to a new evangelization.
The seminary opened in August 2000 with the arrival of five seminarians from the archdioceses of Los Angeles and Milwaukee. Since then, more than 200 graduates from at least 55 dioceses across the U.S. have passed through the formation center.
‘A Church without borders’
In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Father Juan Antonio Vértiz Gutiérrez, the seminary’s rector, explained that the learning experience goes beyond language. The seminarians gain firsthand insight into what the Church in Mexico is like as well as its ecclesial and cultural traditions, particularly through apostolates.
According to the priest, this enables them to “better serve our fellow countrymen and our brothers and sisters of Hispanic origin” in their home dioceses in the U.S. He emphasized that this formation helps these young men understand two distinct cultural realities that, while united in faith, have different cultural expressions.
For Vértiz, one of the greatest beauties of Catholicism is that it “doesn’t have any borders.” In a time marked by tensions stemming from immigration policies, he noted that the experience of the Hispanic seminary demonstrates that for the Catholic Church, regardless of one’s background, every person “already belongs to the family of the children of God.”
The program
Life at the seminary follows the rhythm of any house of priestly formation but with a particular emphasis on cultural encounter. Mornings are dedicated to philosophical and theological studies at Lumen Gentium Catholic University, while in the afternoons, seminarians delve deeper into language learning and spiritual formation.
During Holy Week, seminarians are often sent to communities outside Mexico City.
The admissions process is typically conducted through diocesan vocations offices in the U.S. “We do not accept young men who do not belong to a diocese,” the rector explained.
Currently, the seminary hosts 16 young men hailing from California, Nevada, Washington, Texas, Illinois, Alabama, and Georgia.
Diverse testimonies of faith
Ramsés Yates, originally from the Diocese of Yakima, Washington, arrived at the seminary a year and a half ago to complete his theological formation and learn Spanish.
In an interview with ACI Prensa, he said his experience in Mexican communities has filled him with “much hope and much joy.” In them, he said, it’s possible to witness what it means to “be a community that lives out Catholicism to the fullest.”
He noted that he is eagerly preparing to return to Yakima, knowing that he will now be able to speak “with many more people in my diocese, people with whom I previously could not communicate effectively. That fills me with great enthusiasm.”
Ramón Pérez, originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, migrated to Fresno, California, at the age of 17. There, his life was defined by work until he felt “the call to the priesthood, to a more complete dedication to the service of the Church.”
He told ACI Prensa that following a lengthy process of discernment, he requested admission to the seminary. His diocese decided to send him to Mexico “to continue nurturing my culture and to support the various people entering the United States” from Spanish-speaking countries.
The seminarian said the experience has enabled him “to know and become conscious of my origins, my roots, and my culture, of where I was born and where I come from.” Growing up in two different cultures, he acknowledged, can be challenging, but it has also “profoundly shaped this aspect of my vocation.”
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.
Pope Leo XIV announces April 11 peace vigil at St. Peter’s
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV announced Sunday that he will lead a prayer vigil for peace on April 11 at St. Peter’s Basilica, using his first Easter urbi et orbi message to make a forceful appeal for an end to war and a renewed embrace of dialogue.
In a departure from the traditional Easter survey of major international flashpoints, Leo focused his message on the spiritual roots of peace, presenting Christ’s resurrection as the answer to a world wounded by violence, hatred, and indifference.
“Easter is the victory of life over death, of light over darkness, of love over hatred,” the pope said. Yet it is also “a victory that came at a very high price”: Christ “had to die — and die on a cross — after suffering an unjust condemnation, being mocked and tortured, and shedding all his blood.”
Leo said the strength behind Christ’s triumph over death was not worldly power but divine love. “This strength, this power, is God himself, for he is love who creates and generates, love who is faithful to the end, and love who forgives and redeems,” he said.
“Christ, our ‘victorious king,’ fought and won his battle through trusting abandonment to the Father’s will, to his plan of salvation,” the pope said.
He added that Jesus “walked the path of dialogue to the very end, not in words but in deeds: to find us who were lost, he became flesh; to free us who were slaves, he became a slave; to give life to us mortals, he allowed himself to be killed on the cross.”
Leo stressed that “the power with which Christ rose is entirely nonviolent,” comparing it to “a human heart which, wounded by an offense, rejects the instinct for revenge and, filled with compassion, prays for the one who has committed the offense.”
“That is the true strength that brings peace to humanity,” he said, because it “fosters respectful relationships at every level: among individuals, families, social groups, and nations.”
The pope described the Resurrection as the foundation of a renewed human family. “Yes, Christ’s resurrection is the beginning of a new humanity; it is the entrance into the true promised land, where justice, freedom, and peace reign, where all recognize one another as brothers and sisters, children of the same Father who is love, life, and light.”
At the same time, Leo warned against becoming desensitized to violence.
“We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent,” he said. “Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people. Indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow. Indifferent to the economic and social consequences they produce, which we all feel.”
Recalling what he called an expression dear to Pope Francis, Leo lamented an ever-increasing “globalization of indifference” and urged Christians not to accept evil as inevitable.
“We cannot continue to be indifferent! And we cannot resign ourselves to evil!” he said.
Quoting St. Augustine — “If you fear death, love the Resurrection!” — Leo said Christians must cling to the hope of the risen Christ, who has conquered evil and offers true peace.
“The peace that Jesus gives us is not merely the silence of weapons but the peace that touches and transforms the heart of each one of us!” the pope said. “Let us allow ourselves to be transformed by the peace of Christ! Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts!”
He then made his appeal in direct terms: “Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!”
Leo concluded by inviting the faithful to join him on April 11 for the peace vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica.
“On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars and marked by a hatred and indifference that make us feel powerless in the face of evil,” he said.
The pope ended the message with Easter greetings in several languages before concluding in Latin.
This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Pope at Easter: ‘May Christ, our Passover, bless us and give his peace to the whole world!’
Pope Leo XIV on Easter Sunday called for peace throughout the world, urging Christians to carry the hope of the Resurrection into a world wounded by war, violence, and injustice.
“May Christ, our Passover, bless us and give his peace to the whole world!” the pope said at the end of his homily during Easter morning Mass in St. Peter’s Square on April 5.
Celebrating his first Easter as pontiff before a packed St. Peter’s Square decorated with traditional Dutch flowers, Leo centered his homily on the Resurrection as God’s answer to sin, death, and despair.
“Today all of creation is resplendent with new light, a song of praise rises from the earth, and our hearts rejoice: Christ is risen from the dead, and with him, we too rise to new life!” he said.
The pope said the Easter proclamation “embraces the mystery of our lives and the destiny of history,” reaching humanity even “in the depths of death, where we feel threatened and sometimes overwhelmed.”
“It opens us up to a hope that never fails, to a light that never fades, to a fullness of joy that nothing can take away: Death has been conquered forever; death no longer has power over us!” he said.
Leo acknowledged that this Christian message is not always easy to accept because “the power of death constantly threatens us, both from within and without.”
“From within, this power threatens us when the weight of our sins prevents us from ‘spreading our wings’ and taking flight, or when the disappointments or loneliness we experience drain our hope,” he said. “It likewise looms over us when our worries or our resentments suffocate the joy of living, when we are sad or tired, or when we feel betrayed or rejected.”
He added that death also appears in the world around us.
“From without, death is always lurking. We see it present in injustices, in partisan selfishness, in the oppression of the poor, in the lack of attention given to the most vulnerable,” he said. “We see it in violence, in the wounds of the world, in the cry of pain that rises from every corner because of the abuses that crush the weakest among us, because of the idolatry of profit that plunders the earth’s resources, because of the violence of war that kills and destroys.”
Against that backdrop, the pope said Easter calls Christians to rediscover hope in the risen Christ.
“In this reality, the passover of the Lord invites us to lift our gaze and open our hearts,” he said. “It sets us in motion, like Mary Magdalene and the Apostles, so that we may discover that Jesus’ tomb is empty, and therefore in every death we experience there is also room for new life to arise.”
“The Lord is alive and remains with us,” Leo continued. “Through the cracks of resurrection that open up in the darkness, he entrusts our hearts to the hope that sustains us: The power of death is not the final destiny of our lives.”
The pope also cited Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, recalling that the Resurrection is not simply a past event but a living power at work in the world even amid injustice and cruelty.
Looking to the Gospel of John’s account of Easter morning, Leo said Christ’s Resurrection took place on “the first day of the week,” linking Easter to the first day of creation and the dawn of a new humanity.
“Brothers and sisters, Easter gives us this hope, as we remember that in the risen Christ a new creation is possible every day,” he said.
“Easter is the new creation brought about by the risen Lord; it is a new beginning; it is life finally made eternal by God’s victory over the ancient enemy.”
He concluded by exhorting Christians to become witnesses of that hope in the world.
“We need this song of hope today,” the pope said. “It is ourselves, risen with Christ, who must bring him into the streets of the world.”
“Let us then run like Mary Magdalene, announcing him to everyone, living out the joy of the Resurrection, so that wherever the specter of death still lingers, the light of life may shine.”
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.
The miraculous origin story of Italy’s famous Easter dove bread
The quintessential Easter treat in Italy is a dove-shaped sweet bread known as the “Colomba di Pasqua” — or “Easter dove” in English. The fluffy dough can include nuts, chocolates, or candied fruit and is often topped with sugar or a flavored icing glaze.
The dessert, like the traditional Christmas treats of panettone and pandoro, is said to come from northern Italy. But a popular legend also recounts the sweet bread’s possibly miraculous origins.
The incredible story dates to the sixth or seventh century and includes a queen, a feast, and a group of Irish monks.
According to the legend, Queen Teodolinda, who was living where the town of Pavia, Italy, now lies, had heard the great reputation for holiness of an Irish missionary and abbot who had arrived in her kingdom.
In Italy, the saint is called Colombano, but he is also variously known as Columba, Columbkille, Columcille, or Colmcille.
The name Colmcille means “dove of the Church,” providing a hint to how this legend may have originated.
According to an account on the Italian website saintcolumban.eu, Queen Teodolinda really wanted to meet the Irish abbot she had heard so much about. So when she knew he was in her lands, she invited him and his fellow missionaries to visit her castle for lunch.
Given the importance of her guests, Queen Teodolinda ordered the best food to be served at her table that day, including roasted meats with gravies, sausages, and platters of fresh game.
St. Colmcille’s monks were shocked at the sight of all the rich food, especially given their practice of poverty and fasting.
There was also another problem: It was Lent.
As Queen Teodolinda, her husband, King Agilulfo, and their courtiers began to dig into the feast, the monks sat still, waiting for a sign from their abbot about what to do. They were hungry after their long travels but saw there was only meat at the table.
Colmcille bowed his head to the monarchs in thanks for the meal but did not reach for any food.
The queen was offended by her guests’ refusal of her meal. She said, in a sardonic tone, “You aren’t eating, brothers?”
A young monk piped up in response: “We are monks: We can’t eat this.”
St. Colmcille interrupted his rude confrere. He told the queen they could not eat food that had not been blessed and humbly asked for permission to bless the meal.
Given the queen and king’s permission, Colmcille pulled toward him the nearest plate of food and bowed his head in prayer.
He then held his hand over the platter — which held a large roasted dove — to bless it.
As he concluded, everyone present was shocked to see that the roasted bird and its fragrant dressings had been transformed into a simple loaf of bread.
The only trace of what had been there before was the bread’s shape, which was the form of a dove.
This, St. Colmcille said, is food appropriate for the season of Lent, and he and his followers began to eat the loaf.
Although most biographies do not record the great Irish missionary St. Colmcille’s visit to Italy, the Colomba bread is associated with Easter and is usually sweetened in order to be fitting for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.
This story was first published on April 8, 2023, and has been updated.