Congressmen renew push to make Easter Monday a federal holiday
Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, is once more calling on Congress to pass his bill to enshrine Easter Monday as a federal holiday.
“In just seven years, we mark the 2,000th anniversary of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That milestone will be one of the most significant moments in the history of the world. We should be preparing for it,” Moore wrote in an April 6 social media thread.
Tweet
The post comes a year after Moore, alongside Sen. Eric Schmitt, introduced legislation that would make the day after Easter Sunday a federal holiday. No hearings have been held on the House and Senate measures, which have been referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Senate Judiciary Committee respectively.
“More than 80% of Americans — Democrats and Republicans — celebrate Easter,” Moore said. “Most other Western nations already observe Easter Monday as a public holiday. The U.S. is the outlier. It’s time to fix that.”
Moore also pointed out the “practical benefits” of the bill, which he named the Easter Monday Act, saying it would give families who travel for Easter “the breathing room to be fully present — with their relatives, in their churches, and at their dinner tables” rather than having “to rush home Sunday night to make it to work Monday morning.”
“Just as Christ continued appearing to his apostles for 40 days after his resurrection, our celebration of Easter should not end at the strike of midnight,” he said. “Easter Monday is an invitation to carry the meaning of Easter into our daily lives — and into the public life of our nation, which has been gripped by a culture of death for far too long.”
U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch responded to Moore’s post, writing: “It’s actually quite shocking Easter has never been a national holiday, owing only to the fact that it’s always on a Sunday.”
Tweet
“For all the reasons here, including the fact that our civilizational identity would be greatly enhanced, I hope this is given serious consideration,” Burch said.
Schmitt also called for passage, writing on social media: “Christ is risen. Today of all days, we should be focused on celebrating and not the work week ahead. Let’s make a federal holiday to celebrate Easter.”
Good Friday
While Good Friday is not a federal holiday, state offices in 16 states mark the day by early- or all-day closure, including Connecticut, California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin, according to the Library of Congress.
So far, there have been no legislative efforts to make Good Friday a federal holiday in the U.S.
Good Friday is a public holiday in many countries around the world, including Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Finland, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, according to Time and Date.
Defense Secretary Hegseth removes top Army chaplain amid Iran war, chaplaincy reform
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed the head of the Army’s chaplain corps and two other generals during Holy Week as he navigates the ongoing conflict with Iran and continues reforms of the chaplaincy.
Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., who belongs to the National Baptist Convention, began serving as chief of chaplains for the Army on June 20, 2023, and was formally appointed to the position on Dec. 5, 2023. He was the third Black American to hold the position.
Green was formally removed on April 2, 2026, three days before Easter. A Defense Department official confirmed his removal with EWTN News but did not offer a reason for his removal. No reason has been publicly stated, and Green has not publicly commented on his removal.
The Rev. Razz Waff, executive director of the Military Chaplains Association, told EWTN News that Green’s removal is “unprecedented,” noting that chiefs are appointed to “four-year statutory, written-in-law terms.”
“Really, there should be a for-cause reason, and in this case there is no for-cause reason,” Waff said, adding that he believes Green “was doing an absolutely great job.”
With the conflict in Iran ongoing, Waff said “changing senior leaders is always a little risky.” He said the stable leadership provided by Green “will be missed” but that “Army senior chaplains will meet the challenge — I’m sure of that.”
The removal of Green — and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Army Transformation and Training Command Commanding Gen. David M. Hodne — comes more than a month after President Donald Trump began military attacks on Iran. Over the past 14 months, Hegseth has removed more than a dozen senior military officials.
It’s unclear whether Green’s removal is related to Iran policy, whether it is related to Hegseth’s broader efforts to reform the chaplaincy, or whether the reason is entirely different.
In mid-2025, Green introduced “The Army Spiritual Fitness Guide,” which Hegseth scrapped in December. At the time, Hegseth said the guide promoted “secular humanism,” only referenced God once, and never referenced virtue.
When Hegseth halted use of the guide, he said: “Our chaplains are chaplains, not emotional support officers, and we’re going to treat them as such.”
In January, Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, spoke in favor of Hegseth removing the guide, similarly condemning efforts to “reduce the chaplaincy to either … social work or cheerleading, none of which is really the chaplain’s job.”
“[Hegseth] definitely wants to return the chaplaincy to responsibility for religious services, religious instruction, and advising the commanders,” Broglio said at the time.
The archdiocese did not respond to a request for comment about Green’s removal.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, criticized Hegseth’s removal of Green in a post on X, noting it was done “without explanation” and called Green “a decorated leader who tended to our military’s spiritual health with honor and distinction.”
“This purge of senior military leaders should alarm every American,” Coons said. “With no clear path to ending the war in Iran, experience and trusted leadership matter more than ever. Instead, Trump and Hegseth are pushing out senior officers for seemingly no valid reason.”
Pentagon omits Catholic Good Friday service
The Pentagon, which headquarters the Department of Defense (DOD), which Hegseth has called the Department of War, held Protestant services on Good Friday but did not hold a Catholic Good Friday service.
A Pentagon official told EWTN News that the Pentagon chaplain office’s priest was not in town on Good Friday, so no service was scheduled. However, Catholic Masses are routinely offered to employees.
“Catholic Masses are held on a daily basis in the Pentagon,” the official said. “Additionally, the Pentagon Chaplain Office holds weekly services for several major religions. ... Every service is open to all department employees.”
The board of the Catholic Military Apostolate of the United States (CMA-US) said in a statement to EWTN News: “We understand that the regular Catholic chaplain assigned to the Pentagon was not present that day. If a Catholic liturgical service is normally offered there and could not be held because other arrangements were not made, that is disappointing.”
“At the same time, moments like this demonstrate precisely why the work of lay apostolates such as CMA-US is so essential,” the statement read. “When chaplains are unavailable to lead formal services, actively involved Catholic lay people living in community within the military can — and must — come together to pray, learn, and sustain the faith life of their brothers and sisters in uniform.”
In January, Broglio said the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, has been facing a priest shortage. At the time, he said the archdiocese has about 190 priests, but “we should probably have about 500 to actually meet the needs.”
Vittorio Messori dies, Italian Catholic journalist and author, defender of the faith
Vittorio Messori, a renowned Italian Catholic journalist, convert, and author of over 20 books in which he defended the faith and made it accessible to the general public by offering reasons for it, passed away at the age of 84 on April 3 at his home in Desenzano del Garda, Italy.
Messori was the author of the books “The Ratzinger Report” (1985) — produced after interviewing then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI — and “Crossing the Threshold of Hope” (1994), written after interviewing St. John Paul II. Both works became global bestsellers and were translated into a number of languages.
In a post on X, Spanish Bishop José Ignacio Munilla remembered Messori as “a journalist to whom we owe a great deal in the Catholic Church” and highlighted that “The Ratzinger Report” is a book he has “underlined and reread many times, and which has helped me enormously to understand the postconciliar crisis and to navigate through turbulent waters.”
Messori first gained international recognition in 1976, when he published his book “Hypotheses on Jesus,” a work that sought to counter skepticism using historical and rational arguments regarding Christ, thereby becoming a global touchstone for the Catholic faith.
Messori was born on April 16, 1941, in Sassuolo, Italy. He was raised in an agnostic family, with a mother who put him “on guard” against priests.
Between June and August 1964, while studying political science at the university, he decided to convert to the Catholic faith.
“I entered into what felt like a new dimension, where the truth of that Gospel, which until then I had known nothing about, became crystal clear and tangible to me. Even though I had never attended church and had never undertaken any religious studies, I discovered that my perspective — previously secularist and agnostic — had suddenly become Christian. More than that: Catholic,” Messori told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, in a 2009 interview.
The Italian journalist made the comments in Spain, where he had gone to present his book “Why I Believe,” in which he recounted how he went from being an agnostic to becoming the most prestigious Catholic apologist of the era.
Messori also authored “They Say He Is Resurrected,” in which he delved into the facts and data that substantiate the historicity of the Gospel passages concerning the Resurrection.
He also wrote “Black Legends of the Church,” in which he responded to various historical myths concerning the Church, such as those related to the Inquisition, Galileo, the conquest of the Americas, and the Crusades, among others.
In a 2022 statement to ACI Prensa, Messori emphasized that being a convert “has been my drama, but it has also been my advantage, in the sense that I cannot be swayed by human respect when, in reality, for me, the discovery of the Church has been the discovery of a home.”
He further underscored that in his books and articles, faith in Christ has “never” been an “ideology, or something cultural or sociological. It has been a living person.”
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.
Latin patriarch of Jerusalem on Easter: ‘The Risen One is not where we left him’
“The Risen One is not where we left him; he goes before us.”
With this affirmation, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, proclaimed in the the Church of the Holy Sepulchre that Easter does not confirm human certainties but rather unsettles them to open the believer to a living faith.
From the very place where Jesus conquered death, the cardinal said: “Here, inside this sepulcher, we are not facing a symbol: We are facing a real emptiness. An emptiness that is not an absence but a proclamation.”
He explained that the Gospel account depicts Mary Magdalene confronting uncertainty, uttering the first expression of authentic faith: “We do not know where they have laid him.”
“God does not allow himself to be possessed. The Risen One is not where we expected him to be. He is not confined by the boundaries of our certainties,” he emphasized, pointing out that “it is not we who protect God; it is God who sets us free.”
In his reflection, the patriarch warned against a comfortable or routine religiosity. “We, on the other hand, would like a kind of faith that does not turn our world upside down,” he said, noting that in the Resurrection, “God does something we did not ask for: He withdraws. Not to flee, but to save us from a misunderstanding — that faith is something to be possessed.”
Reflecting on the empty tomb, the cardinal said that signs such as the folded burial cloths indicate that the Resurrection is not a magical act but a manifestation of freedom: “Death is no longer a garment that conceals but a garment that has been carefully set aside, no longer needed.”
The cardinal also linked the Easter message to the current political reality in the Holy Land, which is marked by conflict. “We know all too well that many stones remain sealed around us,” he lamented, referring to “hatred, violence, and retaliation.”
In that context, he issued a warning: “It seems that we place the Lord back in a tomb every time we believe that death has the final word over history.”
In light of this, he affirmed that Easter “is not a distant dogma but a defiance of resignation. It is the only hope that can still open, here and now, the gates of peace.”
The patriarch further emphasized the universal character of Christianity, reminding people that “God shows no partiality” and that “no life is ‘too lost’ to be sought.”
He maintained that Christianity is not reduced to contemplation but rather consists of actually following Christ: “The Risen One is not an object of worship; he is a person who calls. He is not merely to be contemplated; he is to be followed.”
Likewise, he warned of the risk of stripping Christian life of its meaning: “Even holy places can become museums if they do not become an exodus [a going forth] ... the liturgy can become routine if it does not lead to conversion.”
Finally, Pizzaballa called for living out Easter concretely in daily life, saying that “stepping out [of the empty tomb] means choosing forgiveness when it would be easier to harden our hearts; choosing truth when it would be more comfortable to conform; choosing hope when everything suggests the opposite.”
“Easter is not a phrase to be repeated; it is a door to be walked through. The stone has been rolled away. The passage is open. But we must decide whether to stay inside or go out,” he affirmed.
The patriarch concluded with the central proclamation of the Christian faith: “The Lord is risen! And precisely because he has risen, we will never find him where we left him. We will find him standing before us, calling us out.”
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.
Divine Mercy Novena begins on Good Friday
The Divine Mercy Novena begins each Good Friday and ends on the first Sunday after Easter.
The novena originates with Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament, OLM, canonized a saint in April 2000, a Polish religious sister and mystic who experienced apparitions of Jesus, who gave her a novena prayer to his mercy. She was to start it on Good Friday, the day Christians mark Jesus’ crucifixion.
St. Faustina wrote in her diary that she began the novena for the conversion of the whole world that all may recognize God’s mercy and that all souls may speak of his goodness.
Jesus reportedly said to St. Faustina: “I desire the confidence of my people. Let not even the weak and very sinful fear to approach me; even if their sins be as numerous as all the sands of the earth, they will be forgiven in the fathomless pit of my mercy.”
St. Faustina received instructions on how to make the novena: “During these nine days I want you to lead souls to the fount of my mercy, in order that they may draw from it strength, refreshment, and all the graces they need in the trials of their lives, especially at the hour of death. Each day you will lead a different group of souls and immerse them in the sea of my mercy. Each day you will beseech the Father through my bitter passion for graces for these souls.”
This novena can be made at any time, but it is recommended to begin it on Good Friday in preparation for the feast of Divine Mercy, which is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter.
Jesus told Faustina that “the souls that will go to confession, in preparation, and Communion on this day will obtain a complete remission of all sin and all punishment. .... On each day you will bring to my heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of my mercy, and I will bring all these souls into the house of my Father ... on each day you will beg my Father, on the strength of my bitter passion, for graces for these souls.”
How to pray the Divine Mercy Novena
The novena consists of praying a daily Chaplet of Divine Mercy and daily prayer intentions. The novena is prayed as follows:
The Lord’s Prayer
Hail Mary
Apostles’ Creed
On each of the large rosary beads say:
Eternal Father, I offer to you the body and blood, soul and divinity of your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
On each of the small rosary beads say:
For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Conclude by saying three times:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
First day
“Today bring to me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of my mercy. In this way you will console me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges me.” Most merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust, which we place in your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of your most compassionate heart, and never let us escape from it. We beg this of you by your love, which unites you to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Eternal Father, turn your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the most compassionate heart of Jesus. For the sake of his sorrowful passion, show us your mercy, that we may praise the infinite power of your mercy, forever and forever. Amen.
Second day
“Today bring to me the souls of priests and religious and immerse them in my unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure my bitter passion. Through them, as though channels, my mercy flows out upon mankind.” Most merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase your grace in men and women consecrated to your service that they perform worthy works of mercy, and that all who see them may glorify the father of mercy who is in heaven. Eternal Father, turn your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in your vineyard — upon the souls of priests and religious — and endow them with the strength of your blessing. For the love of the heart of your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation, and with one voice sing praise to your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.
Third day
“Today bring to me all devout and faithful souls and immerse them in the ocean of my mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were that drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness.” Most merciful Jesus, from the treasury of your mercy, you impart your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of your most compassionate heart and never let us escape from it. We beg this grace of you by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which your heart burns so fiercely. Eternal Father, turn your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of your Son. For the sake of his sorrowful passion grant them your blessing and surround them with your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of angels and saints, may they glorify your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.
Fourth day
“Today bring to me those who do not believe in God and those who do not yet know me. I was thinking also of them during my bitter passion, and their future zeal comforted my heart. Immerse them in the ocean of my mercy.”
Most compassionate Jesus, you are the light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of your most compassionate heart the souls of those who as yet do not believe in you or do not know you. Let the rays of your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol your wonderful mercy, and do not let them escape from the abode that is your compassionate heart.
Eternal Father, turn your merciful gaze upon the souls who do not believe in your Son, and of those who as yet do not know you, but who are enclosed in the most compassionate heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love you. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of your mercy for endless ages. Amen.
Fifth day
“Today bring to me the souls who have separated from my Church and immerse them in the ocean of my mercy. During my bitter passion they tore at my body and heart; that is, my Church. As they return to unity with the Church, my wounds heal, and in this way they alleviate my passion.” Most merciful Jesus, goodness itself, you do not refuse light to those who seek it of you. Receive into the abode of your most compassionate heart the souls of those who have separated from your Church. Draw them by your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of your most compassionate heart, but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who are separated from your Son’s Church, especially those who have squandered your blessings and misused your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors but upon the love of your own Son and upon his bitter passion, which he underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in his most compassionate heart. Bring it about that they may glorify your great mercy for endless ages. Amen.
Sixth day
“Today bring to me the meek and humble souls and the souls of little children and immerse them in my mercy. These souls most closely resemble my heart. They strengthened me during my bitter agony. I saw them as earthly angels, who will keep vigil at my altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is capable of receiving my grace. I favor humble souls with my confidence.” Most merciful Jesus, you yourself have said “Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart.” Receive into the abode of your most compassionate heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy, and they are the heavenly Father’s favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in your most compassionate heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy.
Eternal Father, turn your merciful gaze upon meek and humble souls and upon the souls of little children, who are enfolded in the abode which is the most compassionate heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg you by the love you bear these souls and by the delight you take in them. Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of your mercy for endless ages. Amen.
Seventh day
“Today bring to me the souls who especially venerate and glorify my mercy and immerse them in my mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my passion and entered most deeply into my spirit. They are living images of my compassionate heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death.” Most merciful Jesus, whose heart is love itself, receive into the abode of your most compassionate heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness of your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward confident of your mercy. These souls are united to Jesus and carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this life.
Eternal Father, turn your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate your greatest attribute, that of your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the most compassionate heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of deeds of mercy and their spirits, overflowing with joy, sing a canticle of mercy to you, O Most High! I beg you O God: Show them your mercy according to the hope and trust they have placed in you. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who said to them that during their life, but especially at the hour of death, the souls who will venerate this fathomless mercy of his, he himself, will defend as his glory. Amen.
Eighth day
“Today bring to me the souls who are detained in purgatory and immerse them in the abyss of my mercy. Let the torrents of my blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are really loved by me. They are making retribution to my justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all indulgences from the treasury of my Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt for my justice.” Most merciful Jesus, you yourself have said that you desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of your most compassionate heart the souls in purgatory, souls who are very dear to you, and yet, who must make retribution to your justice. May the streams of blood and water that gushed forth from your heart put out the flames of purgatory, that there, too, the power of your mercy may be celebrated.
Eternal Father, turn your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in purgatory, who are enfolded in the most compassionate heart of Jesus. I beg you, by the sorrowful passion of Jesus your Son, and by all the bitterness with which his most sacred soul was flooded: Manifest your mercy to the souls who are under your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the wounds of Jesus, your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to your goodness and compassion. Amen.
Ninth day
“Today bring to me souls who have become lukewarm and immerse them in the abyss of my mercy. These souls wound my heart most painfully. My souls suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: ‘Father, take this cup away from me, if it be your will. For them the last hope of salvation is to run to my mercy.’” Most compassionate Jesus, you are compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of your most compassionate heart. In this fire of your pure love let these tepid souls, who, like corpses, filled you with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O most compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of your love; and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond your power.
Eternal Father, turn your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the most compassionate heart of Jesus. Father of mercy, I beg you by the bitter passion of your Son and by his three-hour agony on the cross, let them too, glorify the abyss of your mercy. Amen.
This story was based on a story from CatholicExpert.com and printed here with permission. It was first published on March 31, 2021, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
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.