Pope Leo XIV warns children should not look to chatbots for friendship
Pope Leo XIV warned that children must not come to see artificial intelligence chatbots as substitutes for real friendship, cautioning that such reliance could harm their intellectual and emotional development.
“We must not allow children to end up believing they can find in artificial intelligence chatbots their best friends or the oracle of all knowledge, dulling their intelligence and their capacity for relationships, and numbing their creativity and thinking,” the pope said.
Leo made the remarks in a message published Sunday in Popotus, the weekly supplement of the Italian newspaper Avvenire dedicated to children, marking its 30th anniversary.
In that context, he urged adults to “safeguard” childhood and guide “the growth of children so that they may become protagonists of a renewed world.”
The pope has consistently highlighted artificial intelligence as a central concern of his pontificate, framing it as an ethical challenge comparable to the industrial revolution addressed by Pope Leo XIII.
On May 10, 2025, in an address to cardinals in the New Synod Hall, he stressed the need to “respond to another industrial revolution — the digital one — and to developments in artificial intelligence, which pose new challenges in defending human dignity, justice, and work.”
In recognition of his engagement on the issue, Time magazine included him on Aug. 29 in its list of the 100 most influential people in the field of artificial intelligence, following several notable interventions on the topic in the early months of his pontificate.
In his message to Popotus readers, Leo encouraged children to rediscover the beauty of the world.
“I want to tell you that restoring the world’s beauty is possible and that you can help adults to see it — precisely through this newspaper designed for you — with renewed wonder, to think about it with trust, and to build it without prejudice,” he said.
He also emphasized fundamental values to be preserved in childhood: “Trust in those who love you, the universal language of love, the disarming power of a smile, the courage to ask forgiveness, the beauty of making peace.”
The Holy Father expressed “great concern” over wars threatening humanity’s future and underscored the need to recover a pure way of seeing reality.
Quoting Jesus’ words — “Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” — the pope explained that becoming like children does not mean going backward but rather “safeguarding a key to seeing what is essential in everything, to finding surprising answers even to the most difficult questions.”
“Perhaps only by looking into the lost eyes of children in the face of the barbarity of war can we be converted. We must learn again to look into one another’s eyes and to see the world with pure eyes,” he added.
Addressing parents and educators, Leo thanked them for “the care and love with which they educate children,” helping them “to draw out the beauty within them and to express it in ever new ways.”
“Today especially, in the digital age and the age of artificial intelligence, we all need ongoing education. And to remain human, we must preserve a childlike way of looking at reality,” he concluded.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Archbishop of Bamenda reflects on planned papal visit to Cameroon
BAMENDA, Cameroon — Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea of Cameroon’s Archdiocese of Bamenda has described the planned apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Cameroon next month as an unexpected moment of grace for the nation, saying the decision can only be understood in light of divine providence.
Speaking at a press conference on March 20 ahead of the Holy Father’s April 15–18 visit, Nkea expressed gratitude for the opportunity to brief journalists and begin preparing the faithful for what he characterized as a significant pastoral moment for the Church in the Central African nation.
“I’m very happy that I have this chance to meet the press before the visit of the Holy Father… You will discover that this came to us as very good news that the Holy Father is going to come to Bamenda within the first year of his pontificate,” the Cameroonian archbishop said.
The planned papal visit is set to bring Pope Leo XIV to Bamenda less than a year after the beginning of his pontificate.
Nkea recalled that the relationship between the Church in Cameroon and the newly elected pontiff began shortly after the pope’s installation on May 18, 2025, when a delegation of six Cameroonian bishops traveled to Rome to participate in the ceremony.
“From that moment we have had a very cordial relationship with the new Holy Father,” he said, adding that early speculation about a possible papal trip in mid-2025 remained unconfirmed until the Holy See formally announced the visit in March 2026.
Reflecting on the choice of Cameroon as a destination, the archbishop acknowledged that the decision surprised many within the local Church.
“Why the choice of Cameroon? … I will say to you that it is God. Nobody understands why the pope is coming to Cameroon,” said Nkea, who also serves as president of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC).
He added that the news came as a surprise even to Church leaders in the country. “None of us expected it… And he has chosen Cameroon as one of the places he wants to come first.”
Nkea explained that papal visits require formal invitations from both the Church and the state, revealing his personal involvement in the process.
“When I was going to attend the installation of the new pope, I carried two letters with me. The first was a letter of congratulations on his election and installation. The second letter I carried with me was a letter of invitation to the pope to come to Cameroon,” Nkea said.
He added: “Later on, the Vatican services contacted our local Church and asked for an invitation from the state, because the pope cannot come here without the state. The pope is the head of the Catholic Church… at the same time, the pope is the head of Vatican State.”
“You saw some of us hanging around the presidency sometimes. It was to negotiate for a better invitation. At the time we were doing this, it was under pontifical secret. So no matter what you commented about us on your media pages, we were not obliged to tell you why we were going there. And therefore, the state of Cameroon invited Pope Leo XIV to come to Cameroon,” the archbishop said.
He added: “He is coming here as the spiritual leader of all Catholics. At the same time, he is coming as the head of state of the Vatican.”
Reflecting on the theme of the visit, “May They All Be One,” Nkea said it was chosen in response to national challenges.
“We chose this theme in the backdrop of the things that are happening within our country, in the backdrop of political disturbances, ethnic divisions, spread of hate speech, and the violence in some regions of our country,” he said.
“This oneness has nothing to do with politics,” he continued. “This oneness has to do with the human person, with the Church of Christ, and the creatures of God to love one another.”
Nkea revealed that each stop on the pope’s itinerary is expected to focus on a specific message. For Bamenda, a region affected by prolonged unrest, the them is: “My Peace I Leave You, My Peace I Give You.”
For Douala, the focus will be on youth and unemployment with the theme “Give Them Yourselves Something to Eat… Don’t Wait for Somebody Else to Give Them Something to Eat.”
For Yaoundé: “Love and Truth Have Met, Justice and Peace Have Embraced.”
Nkea also revealed that the NECC organized the various ecclesiastical provinces to give the Holy Father a befitting reception in the three towns he is expected to visit.
Reflecting on the program of the visit, the NECC president said that during his visit to Bamenda, the pope is to meet a diverse group at St. Joseph Cathedral in Mankon.
“He is going to meet traditional rulers, members of the civil society, elites of the Northwest region, members of the Islamic and Protestant communities, and a great section of the Catholic community,” the archbishop said.
He added: “All these will form part of the group that the pope will meet in the cathedral.”
The gathering will also include internally displaced persons and civil authorities, reflecting the inclusive nature of the visit.
Following the meeting, the pope will celebrate Mass at the Bamenda airport.
Nkea addressed concerns about access to events, firmly rejecting claims that passes are being sold. “The pass is free. There is no money transacted for passes,” he emphasized.
He also pointed to visible infrastructural developments in preparation for the visit.
“The airport has been renovated, streets are being carved and fixed up, and everywhere is being renovated,” Nkea observed.
Expressing confidence that the visit will have a profound impact, he added: “The Holy Father cannot go anywhere without impacting the community.”
He went on to express hope that the pope’s message — especially in Bamenda— will bring healing. “Some hearts that have been hardened for the past 10 years… this is going to impact and soften some hearts,” he said.
The archbishop urged journalists to report responsibly and objectively.
“We encourage you all to report this visit in the most objective way that you can. The Church does not have any intention to politicize this visit. It is a pastoral visit. The pope, as the universal pastor… is coming out to visit his flock,” Nkea said.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
From the altar to the track: Marathon-running cardinal highlights spirituality of sport
On March 23, thousands of athletes raced through the streets of Rome in the annual Rome Marathon. One of them, wearing the white habit of a Dominican friar under his jersey, was the Franco-Algerian Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, OP — the first cardinal to participate in the 44-year history of the event.
“Since I was a child, I have been running,” Vesco told EWTN News. “I love running and I have already run several marathons, like the New York Marathon 37 years ago.”
In a homily during Mass for participants of the Rome Marathon on March 21, the cardinal said competition teaches about the fragility of the human body and how this can be a “school of prayer” and of life.
“At some point in the race, our strength will fail, and we will have to take a leap of faith, going beyond our own strength. This is difficult. But it is precisely at this point that we can search deeper within ourselves for meaning, and perhaps it will be a moment of prayer,” he said.
The cardinal’s personal hero: A Muslim fellow runner
The cardinal completed the Rome Marathon with his longtime friend, Khaled Boudaoui. An Algerian Muslim, Boudaoui competed in the Rome Marathon last year and was awarded the trophy “La Coppa degli Ultimi” by the Vatican to recognize those who were “witnesses to hope” during the race.
Khaled was recently diagnosed with a tumor and began chemotherapy only 25 days before competing this year in Rome. Vesco praised his friend, saying his courage inspired him to run another public marathon.
“Khaled is my hero. He is sick, and we wanted to race and cross the finish line hand in hand. A marathon is beautiful because it’s a bit like life. In a marathon, we don’t run against each other but with each other — a race of brotherhood,” he said.
Khaled added in turn: “It was very difficult for me to run after starting chemotherapy. But I ran today thanks to my friend, Jean-Paul. I ran to show others, who may be going through similar illnesses, that they too can run. We ran to build bridges.”
A Catholic presence at the marathon inspired by Pope Francis
Vesco’s participation in the marathon was a highlight for Catholics already competing in the race. The Vatican’s sports team, Atletica Vaticana, has competed in the marathon since 2019, having been encouraged by Pope Francis. Giampaolo Mattei, president of Atletica Vaticana, described Francis’ impact on their mission of sports and service to others.
“We were inspired by Pope Francis’ example of inclusion,” Mattei said to EWTN News, recalling that the late pope asked them to include migrants in their team. “In our sports team, we are not looking for just Catholics. We look for core values — being together, community, and attention to the disabled and the poor.”
“La Coppa degli Ultimi” (“the Cup of the Last”) is one of several spiritual initiatives promoted by Atletica Vaticana. Another initiative was a prayer box for the participants, into which runners of all faiths were invited to place written prayer intentions before competing.
Valentina Giacometti, vice president of Atletica Vaticana, explained the initiative: “On the day before the race, we invited all runners to submit prayer intentions. Each card began with the phrase ‘I ran for,’ and we offered all of these intentions to the Lord during the Mass with Cardinal Vesco.”
Another noteworthy initiative of Atletica Vaticana is its service to Rome’s poor. After the race, the members of Atletica Vaticana and other volunteers go to Rome’s central train station, Roma Termini, to serve food to the homeless. Sister Marié-Theo Puybareau Manaud, who competed in the race, described it as a way of expressing universal fraternity as taught by Pope Francis.
“Service to the poor might seem disconnected to the idea of running. But I believe that connection is precisely that of universal brotherhood — ‘fratelli tutti,’” she said, alluding to the 2020 encyclical by Pope Francis. “In this race, we are not competitors but brothers. Sport and service together make up a movement of life, especially alongside the poorest, for whom we can offer hope.”
Kermit Gosnell, ‘America’s biggest serial killer,’ dies in prison
Abortionist and convicted serial killer Kermit Gosnell, believed to have murdered thousands of infants and convicted of involuntary manslaughter of a woman, died in prison at 85.
Gosnell died two weeks ago of unknown causes, but his death went unreported until March 23, when Irish husband‑and‑wife documentary filmmaking team Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney reported it.
For 30 years, Gosnell operated out of an abortion clinic with conditions so disturbing it was nicknamed the “house of horrors” after law enforcement raided the clinic that had gone unchecked.
Gosnell hoarded baby body parts in the abortion facility in Philadelphia, where law enforcement found blood-stained rooms, rusting and unsanitary medical equipment, flea-infested cats and cat feces, as well as severed feet of unborn babies preserved in specimen jars and body parts in the freezer next to staff lunches.
Convicted in 2013 of first-degree murder of three infants, Gosnell was sentenced to three consecutive life terms without parole, among other concurrent sentences. Gosnell would “snip” the spinal cords of the children born alive during illegal late-term abortions after inducing labor in pregnant women, according to employee testimony. Former clinic staff testified that this occurred hundreds of times.
Gosnell was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter of Karnamaya Mongar, a 41-year-old refugee from Bhutan, who died of a lethal overdose of anesthesia administered by unlicensed staff in 2009.
Gosnell earned an estimated $1.8 million per year.
The Department of Health in Pennsylvania did not intervene in spite of the death of two women, injuries of many more, and years of complaints from staff and patients. Two high-ranking health department officials were fired after the clinic was exposed. The crimes were uncovered when Detective Jim Wood led a raid, along with the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration, of the clinic on Feb. 18, 2010.
A 2018 film about Gosnell’s trial named him “America’s biggest serial killer.”
“May God have mercy on his soul but his soul was filled with evil so there may be no mercy for him, like there was no mercy for the babies,” said Wood, the detective who brought Gosnell to justice.
Maria V. Gallagher, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation of National Right to Life, said: “We continue to grieve the loss of the babies and women who fell victim to Gosnell’s violent crime spree. And we hold out hope that the lessons learned from Gosnell’s reign of terror will not be forgotten."
“Tragically, public officials allowed his House of Horrors abortion facility to operate for years without being inspected,” Gallagher said. “As the grand jury stated, hair and nail salons received greater scrutiny than Gosnell’s catastrophic abortion center.”
“We at Students for Life pray that he repented before dying,” said a statement from Students for Life of America. “His operation was profit-driven, dangerous, and even led to the death of a mother.”
Molotov cocktail thrown at participants at March for Life in Lisbon, Portugal
A 39-year-old man was arrested on Saturday, March 21, for throwing an incendiary device at participants at the March for Life in front of the country’s Parliament building in Lisbon, Portugal.
According to the police, at the time of the attack “the demonstration comprised approximately 500 participants,” including families with young children and babies. The man approached the scene and “hurled an improvised incendiary device — a ‘Molotov cocktail’ containing gasoline — in the direction of the people present; the device struck the ground but failed to ignite, thereby averting potentially more serious consequences.”
The suspect was apprehended and arrested at the scene. The police stated that other “individuals who were allegedly part of a group with anarchist leanings” fled, but three members were subsequently identified.
The authorities also seized the device, “consisting of a glass bottle containing flammable liquid and textile material — as well as other items of evidentiary value.”
Commenting on the case, Portugal’s minister of internal administration, Luís Neves, said on social media: “We do not tolerate any form of violent extremism, and we will continue to act firmly to prevent and combat it, safeguarding democratic values.”
Act of terrorism
The Portuguese Federation for Life, which organized the March for Life, issued a statement on March 23 classifying Saturday’s incident as a “terrorist attack.”
In recounting the event, the federation emphasized that while the incendiary device did not ignite, “the fuel used in the device” splashed on “several people, including two babies.”
“Had the ignition not failed, we would be talking today about the deaths of children and infants,” the federation stated. However, the group emphasized that “the failure of the attack cannot obscure the fact that a political organization planned and sought to carry out an attack using an incendiary device against a public event packed with families, youths, and children.”
The Portuguese Federation for Life urged “that this attack be treated by the authorities as the act of terrorism that it is.” The group also requested that if any link between the attackers and a political organization is established, that organization should “be declared a terrorist organization, as provided for in the counterterrorism law.”
Furthermore, the federation called upon “all those who, especially in the exercise of public office, have in recent years employed a tone of hatred against the pro-life movement, accusing us of countless evils, to search their consciences and understand the consequences of their rhetoric.”
The federation announced that it will request a meeting with the minister of internal administration and the prosecutor general of the republic to address the incident and that, “at the appropriate moment,” it will “join as an amicus curiae [friend of the court] in the ensuing judicial proceedings.”
Gravely unacceptable incident
The patriarch of Lisbon, Rui Manuel Sousa Valério, condemned the attack against the March for Life.
“Such events are gravely unacceptable,” Sousa Valério said. He emphasized that “violence is never the way,” that it “harms human dignity and does not serve the truth.”
“And it becomes even more painful when it threatens the most vulnerable, especially children, who should always be a sign of hope and never exposed to fear,” he pointed out.
The patriarch expressed “his closeness to all those who participated in this initiative and, in particular, to the families and children who may have felt fear and insecurity.”
“The Church is close to everyone; it accompanies and prays for each person. No incidence of violence can erase the good accomplished, the witness given, and the hope sown,” he said.
The March for Life
The March for Life took place in 12 Portuguese cities on Saturday. In addition to Lisbon, demonstrators took to the streets to take a stand against abortion and euthanasia in Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Bragança, Coimbra, Faro, Guarda, Lamego, Porto, Setúbal, and Viseu.
This year, the March for Life adopted the theme “The Pro-Life People Take to the Streets” and aimed to be a march “for the dignity of all human beings, for life from the moment of conception until natural death, and for families.”
Abortion was legalized in Portugal in 2007 after a national referendum.
Pope Leo XIV sent a message to the participants of the March for Life, stating that “the family is, by divine design, the natural guardian of life” and therefore, it is necessary “to ensure that it does not lack the conditions required to welcome nascent life and to care, with renewed commitment, for that which is in decline (ailing or elderly persons).”
“May public resources sustain Portuguese families, specifically supporting women who are about to become mothers and fostering the implementation of authentic policies of solidarity that draw citizens closer to the most needy, the marginalized, the lonely, and migrants in whom the face of Christ shines,” the pope said.
Of the culture of death, Leo said that “mere declarations of good intentions, and least of all, illusory forms of compassion such as euthanasia and, ultimately, abortion, do not serve the development of our societies.”
In his view, “ideas and words that inspire actions and gestures that raise up human dignity are indispensable, a goal to which friendship with Christ, fostered through the prayerful reading of the Gospel within the family, contributes immensely.”
The pope also encouraged newlyweds to “welcome God’s love and allow it to bear fruit, thereby mirroring the joy of marriage and parenthood.”
This story was first published by ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Bishops urge action on bill to examine Indian boarding school policies
Four bishops have written to Congress urging them to investigate the federal Indian boarding school system.
Archbishop Shelton Fabre of the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky, with Bishops John Folda of the Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota; Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York; and Barry Knestout of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, sent a letter to lawmakers in support of a bill (HR 7325) that would establish a commission to investigate, document, and report on the history and lasting impacts of Indian boarding schools.
Christian missionaries sought to educate Native American children to initiate them into the Christian faith through catechesis and spiritual formation, but the schools, which were overseen by the federal government in the mid-19th century, involved many hardships for Native American populations. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has acknowledged the Church’s involvement in this history.
“The forced removal of children from their tribal lands and communities as part of federal boarding school policies was a moral failure that disregarded the unique culture and dignity of Indigenous peoples,” the four bishops wrote to bill sponsor Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, and Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas. “Accounts from this era illustrate lasting trauma among those who were involuntarily brought to these schools. The pain from the Native American boarding school era continues to echo today.”
The four bishops addressed the same letter to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.
Sponsored by Murkowski, the Senate’s identical version of the bill (SB 761) would create a commission to investigate the impacts and ongoing effects of the Indian Boarding School Policies and develop ways to protect unmarked graves and accompanying land protections. The bill also would support repatriation and identify the tribal nations from which children were taken and put an end to the removal of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children from their families and tribal communities by state social service departments, foster care agencies, and adoption agencies.
The bishops urged creation of a Truth and Healing Commission to acknowledge the moral failures that harmed Indigenous children and communities and promote accountability. Under the bill, the commission would work toward reconciliation through a cooperative process involving government and religious institutions.
No hearings have been set on the legislation in the House or Senate.
The bishops’ letter said “the Catholic Church in the United States remains committed to transparency, to listening, and to humility. We remain dedicated to working with Native communities, government actors, and other religious traditions in efforts to bring about authentic healing and reconciliation. As one means of promoting this, we urge the House to favorably advance this legislation.”
Fabre serves as chair of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Folda is chair of the Subcommittee on Native American Affairs; Brennan is chair of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church; and Knestout is chair of the Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People.
Before becoming bishop, Pope Leo kept an all-night vigil with this saint
The day before he became the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, Pope Leo XIV spent the night in prayer — but not in the diocese’s main cathedral.
Instead, the American missionary traveled 30 miles outside the city to the dusty, half-forgotten town of Zaña.
The purpose of his visit wasn’t just to get some solitude before his busy ministry began. It was also to keep vigil with a beloved Peruvian saint.
On that day in December 2014, the future pope prayed before a relic of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, the 16th-century archbishop of Lima who is known today as “the Apostle of Peru.” The local parish in Zaña is named for St. Turibius and keeps a large leg fragment of the saint in a small chapel.
As Father David Farfán, a friend of Pope Leo’s and now the pastor of the local parish, told EWTN News, the soon-to-be bishop even asked to borrow pajamas so he could spend the entire night in prayer before the saint.
“He was so happy for that,” Farfán said. “And the following day, he officially took office as bishop in Chiclayo.”
A special connection
Why did Pope Leo have such a strong devotion to the Peruvian saint?
Because, in many ways, he was following in his footsteps.
Like Pope Leo, St. Turibius was sent to Peru as a missionary. Born in 1538 in Spain, Turibius wasn’t even a priest before becoming a Peruvian bishop — he was a lay canon lawyer.
But in 1579, King Philip II nominated the Spaniard to serve as the second archbishop of Lima. It was a vital assignment, given the centrality of Peru to the Spanish empire’s presence in the New World, and Turibius was selected for both his integrity and administrative abilities.
Pope Gregory XIII approved, and in 1580, Turibius was ordained to the priesthood, consecrated to the episcopate, and sent to Peru. He arrived in 1581 and spent the next 26 years leading what was then the largest archdiocese in all of South America.
St. Turibius’ time in Peru was marked by his profound love for the Indigenous people, who had suffered harsh treatment under Spanish rule. He translated the catechism into native languages like Quechua, founded the first seminary in the New World and opened it to local men, and protected the rights of Indigenous Peruvians from Spanish government officials. The saint even made three separate pastoral journeys across his massive archdiocese — a territory that spanned roughly 180,000 square miles — traveling mostly on foot.
Farfán said he sees several similarities between the Peruvian saint and how Pope Leo led as bishop of Chiclayo.
“Both of them were foreigners,” he said. “And the kind of approach you have when you are a foreigner … is not imposing things, but understanding, listening, and having a wide-open way of allowing people to tell what they feel.”
Marian spirituality, a focus on community, and attentiveness to social problems are other traits that Farfán said he believes the two figures have in common. For instance, he highlighted Pope Leo’s concern over the way mining companies impacted the local community in Chiclayo, an issue that is now being taken up in the Vatican.
And even though he is no longer in Peru, Pope Leo’s devotion to St. Turibius is alive and well.
When the Peruvian bishops came to Rome in January for their ad limina visit, Pope Leo told them it was “providential” they were visiting during the 300th anniversary of St. Turibius’ canonization. He held up the Peruvian saint as a model of evangelistic zeal and fidelity to God’s will.
And, quoting from documents from St. Turibius’ canonization in 1726, Pope Leo told the Peruvian bishops that they should be close to their people, so that what was said about the saint could be said of them: that he felt “so much love for everyone, that he held them in his heart as if he were the father of each one.”
The bishops left Pope Leo with a gift: a tondo depicting the saints of Peru, including St. Rose of Lima and the archbishop who confirmed her, St. Turibius.
The story of Zaña
During his nearly 10 years as bishop in Chiclayo, Pope Leo returned often to Zaña, including for a special Turibius-related celebration. Although St. Turibius’ feast day is March 23, he is also celebrated in Peru on April 27, the date that marks the transfer of the saint’s body to Lima.
And Zaña doesn’t just house a relic of the Apostle of Peru — it was also a pivotal place in St. Turibius’ ministry. In fact, although his final resting place is in the capital city’s cathedral, he actually died in Zaña in 1606 — an important reminder of how pivotal the now-provincial town was in the Church’s early missionary activity in Peru.
According to Alfredo Pérez Samamé, a local historian, St. Turibius made Zaña his initial base of operations, drawing 14 different religious orders to the valley, including Dominicans, Jesuits, and Pope Leo’s own Augustinians.
“According to history, the town once had 18,000 inhabitants — a city that was 100% religious,” Pérez said.
At one point, Zaña was even known as the “Seville of Peru.” However, a series of disasters, including pirate attacks, floods, and earthquakes, destroyed much of it, turning the older parts of Zaña into little more than a ghost town.
A papal homecoming?
However, with Pope Leo expected to make a Peruvian homecoming later in 2026, there is hope that he will make another pilgrimage to Zaña.
The regional government has even started designs for a visitor center and event venue at the original tomb of St. Turibius to not only accommodate a papal visit but also provide a hub for pilgrimage activity going forward.
Locals like Pérez are excited about the potential impact of a papal visit.
“God willing, if the pope visits Peru again and comes to our region of Lambayeque, it would bring significant development,” he told EWTN News. “Tourism would greatly increase due to the town’s religious importance, something that is already happening in Zaña.”
And if Pope Leo does return, he’s likely to stop by the small chapel in the local parish to see his old friend, St. Turibius — a local saint whom Peruvians believe continues to inspire their former bishop, now pope in Rome.
“He already is following his steps,” Farfán said. “And I believe and I pray to Toribio [to show] what he needs to do more for our Church. Because still we have a long, long way to continue offering Jesus Christ to the people.”
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
Belgian bishop plans to ordain married men by 2028, violating Church canon law
A Catholic bishop in Belgium wrote an 11-page pastoral letter that included a plan to ordain married men into the priesthood by 2028, even though such actions would violate the Code of Canon Law.
Bishop Johan Bonny, head of the Diocese of Antwerp since 2009, noted that the topic of ordaining married men was discussed in the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality (2023-2024). Although the topic was openly discussed, neither the late Pope Francis nor the authors of the final document authorized the ordination of married men or recommended any future changes to canon law to authorize it.
Despite this, Bonny wrote in the pastoral letter that in every synodal discussion “the question arises of ordaining married men … for the priesthood.” He claimed “the consensus on this question is almost total … especially among the most faithful and devout” and “has existed for many years.”
“The question is no longer whether the Church can ordain married men as priests but when it will do so, and who will do it,” the bishop said. “Any delay comes across as an excuse.”
Contrary to the asserted consensus, Canon 1042 prohibits the ordination of married men in the Latin rite under most normal circumstances. It states clearly that the only holy orders “a man who has a wife” is eligible for is the permanent diaconate — not the priesthood. A married man can enter the permanent diaconate with the consent of his wife if he is at least 35 years old, but a permanent deacon who is a widower cannot remarry.
The rule is not completely universal in the Catholic Church. The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches permits the ordination of married men in Eastern-rite Catholic Churches, which have long practiced it.
There are also limited exceptions in the Latin rite. A married Anglican priest who converts to Catholicism is allowed to be ordained as a Catholic priest and remain married. The Church makes some limited exceptions for other Protestant ministers who are married and also wish to convert to Catholicism and be ordained into the priesthood.
However, apart from rare exceptions, married men are not permitted to be ordained into the priesthood in the Latin rite.
Bonny does not address the relevant canons in his letter. He also did not cite any approval from the Vatican or reveal any insight about a potential change in canon law.
The bishop did not state that he will first seek approval before the ordinations, but he did say he would ensure “the necessary communication and arrangements” with the Vatican and Belgian Bishops’ Conference, “as we can learn from each other’s experiences and insights.”
“I will make every effort to ordain married men as priests for our diocese by 2028,” he said. “I will approach them personally and ensure that by then they have the necessary theological training and pastoral experience, comparable to that of other priest candidates. This preparation will be transparent but discreet, away from the media spotlight.”
“For many a bishop, the ordination of married men has become a matter of conscience,” he wrote. “At that level, too, transparency, accountability, and evaluation are important for the credibility of the Church.”
Bonny makes several cases for why he intends to ordain married men, such as the “historical shortage of local priests in many dioceses.” He said many foreign-born priests fill the gap now, but “it would not be fair to place the burden of our shortages on their shoulders.”
He noted that the Church in Belgium already works “with a number of married Catholic priests,” citing the Eastern-rite Catholic priests and converts who fell under the limited exceptions.
Bonny also said “there is a cluster of experiences related to the psychosocial health of priests and the transparency of their lifestyle.” He said “the issue of sexual abuse continues to weigh heavily” and “clerical subcultures and lifestyles have had their day.”
“The fact that almost no domestic candidates are coming forward for ordination seems to me undoubtedly related to the absence of synodal discernment in classical vocation ministry,” the bishop continued. “When I visit parishes or pastoral unities, I regularly meet people whom the community would consider to be a good priest. Just as I myself know several co-workers who would be well suited as candidates for ordination.”
Tom Nash, a staff apologist for Catholic Answers, told EWTN News that he hopes Bonny “is docile to the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.”
“It is the pope alone, the successor of St. Peter, who has God-given primacy in definitively teaching on faith and morals, and also the divinely given primacy of authority in binding and loosing on matters of discipline, and thus one must be very wary of going forward in a manner that would gravely violate that divinely ordained papal primacy of governance,” he said.
Nash explained that married men can be validly ordained to the priesthood, as one can see in the Eastern rite and the rare exceptions in the Latin rite. However, without approval from the pope and a change to canon law, such ordinations would be “illicit” under the circumstances discussed by the bishop in the pastoral letter.
If Bonny ordained married men to the priesthood, Nash said the situation would be similar to the Society of St. Pius X, which illicitly consecrated bishops in 1988 and are threatening to do so again. Such consecrations, he explained, were “valid but illicit.”
A priest who is ordained validly but illicitly would be a real priest and could validly celebrate Mass, according to Nash. However, such celebrations would be illicit, and in defiance of the Holy See, and sinful, he said. Other priestly faculties, however, may not be valid, he said.
“Just because such ordained priests could validly but illicitly celebrate Mass, they would need delegated priestly faculties from the pope to validly absolve sins in the confessional and also to receive the consent of the parties during the Church’s marriage rite, lest they marry each other invalidly,” Nash said.
“It’ll be interesting to see how this matter develops in the coming two years, and I pray that Bishop Bonny is docile to the Holy Father,” he added.
David Long, director of the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies at The Catholic University of America and a canonist, told EWTN News that the question of ordaining married men “does not lie within the authority of a diocesan bishop acting on his own.”
“Any current change in practice in a Latin diocese would require action by the Holy See and could not be accomplished by a unilateral decision by a diocesan bishop, no matter how pastorally urgent the circumstances may be,” he said.
Irish immigrant who built the White House celebrated in Washington, DC
In 1792, a young architect from Kilkenny, Ireland, began what would become one of the most famous landmarks in the world. Centuries later, James Hoban, who designed and oversaw the building of the White House, is now being remembered alongside other Irish Americans who made significant contributions to American history.
At a reception on March 20 at the newly opened Irish embassy on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., Ireland’s ambassador to the U.S., Geraldine Byrne Nason, highlighted Hoban’s life, saying he is among those Irish Americans who have left their “Irish fingerprints” on American’s founding.
“Irish immigrants helped to shape the very ideas at the heart of this great country,” Nason told approximately 200 guests, pointing out that 23 American presidents are of Irish heritage.
According to historian Matthew Costello with the White House Historical Association, Hoban relied on other Irish immigrants, as well as enslaved laborers, to bring his vision — based on Leinster House in Dublin — to life in 1800.
John Adams would be the first president to move into the White House, but the British sent Hoban’s work up in flames, burning the mansion down during the War of 1812.
Costello told EWTN News that Hoban would return to rebuild the White House, using the same Irish brethren as his stalwarts. His camaraderie with Irish immigrants was fostered not only by their shared origins but also by their Catholic faith during a time when Catholics were viewed with great suspicion — and often hostility. Many state constitutions forbade Catholics from holding public office.
Although the Jesuits brought Catholicism to America before the Revolution and founded Georgetown University in what was then Georgetown, Maryland, Hoban is celebrated as a founding father of the Irish Catholic community in the Federal City, which he nurtured and built like one of his renowned buildings.
In 1794, in anticipation of more Irish immigrants arriving in Washington, D.C., Hoban — along with fellow immigrant Father Anthony Caffry from County Mayo — started building St. Patrick’s Church, which is today the oldest Catholic parish in Washington, D.C.
Like the White House, the church was damaged by fire by British invaders but continues in its current iteration in the heart of the capital. Pope Francis visited the church in 2015.
By the time of Hoban’s death in 1831, Irish Catholics had made great progress in American society. The heralded architect would go on to serve as a captain in the Washington militia and on the city council. He is credited with the Octagon House in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, various public buildings and city projects, and became superintendent of the construction of the U.S. Capitol.
Hoban’s personal papers were burned in a fire after his death, which has obscured historians from discovering more about the man. Nevertheless, every year, the White House Historical Association gathers at Hoban’s grave at Mount Olivet Cemetery to keep his memory alive.
At this year’s ceremony on March 20, Hoban’s contributions were honored in view of America’s 250th commemoration. Monsignor Veceslav Tumir, first counselor from the apostolic nunciature, was there to salute Hoban’s ongoing connection to the Catholic community.
After a wreath placement ceremony at the cemetery hosted by the White House Historical Association and featuring Mark Carney of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, guests of the Irish ambassador gathered at the embassy, where Nason praised Hoban and other Irish patriots for their impressive contributions to historic architectural buildings as well as for lending their “Irishness” to the ideals of a young nation.
The embassy has brought together many examples of these contributions in a new exhibit called “The Emerald Thread,” which depicts how Ireland’s diaspora has been woven into American history. The artifacts are on display in a room overlooking the city and will will run through the America 250 celebrations this summer.
A large portrait of Hoban — a gift to the ambassador from the White House Historical Association — is among the exhibition’s many treasures.
Among other Irish-American heroes being highlighted by the embassy in the exhibit is Stephen Moylan of Cork, an Irish Catholic who became part of George Washington’s inner circle and served as his aide-de-camp during the Siege of Boston.
New attacks by Israeli settlers on last entirely Christian village in West Bank
The Latin parish priest of the last entirely Christian village in the West Bank appealed for the solidarity of Christians worldwide in the face of new attacks by “fanatical Israeli settlers” seeking to displace the local population.
Father Bashar Fawadleh issued an appeal on Saturday, March 21, telling ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that the lands seized this week by Israeli settlers “belonged to the people of Taybeh and were, moreover, our private property.”
These incursions, he continued, in addition to constituting “a violation of international law and of the rights of the local community,” represent an affront that, for the village’s inhabitants, goes far beyond a mere legal or political matter.
“This story is about the life of a Christian community that has been present in this land for more than 2,000 years,” Fawadleh said.
Taybeh is the modern name of the biblical village of Ephraim, where Jesus went to rest shortly before his passion (cf. John 11:54). In addition to being the only entirely Christian village in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza, it is also renowned for its beer.
In recent days, Israeli settlers have seized areas near the village’s quarry and cement factory. These encroachments have been ongoing for some time. In July 2025, settlers set fire in the area near the ruins of St. George Church, built in the historic Byzantine style and dating back to the fifth century, where the local community typically holds religious celebrations.
Several vehicles were also set ablaze, and the attackers “painted hateful graffiti,” according to sources in Taybeh. Christian leaders have demanded immediate action from Israeli authorities and called upon the international community to halt the escalating violence.
When asked what message he would like to send to Pope Leo XIV and to all Christians around the world, he said: “We ask not only for compassion, but for solidarity.”
Fawadleh, whose mother was born in Venezuela but returned to the West Bank at the age of 16, told ACI Prensa: “As a church, our mission is to help people remain in their land, to live with dignity, and to keep the Christian presence alive in the Holy Land. Our presence here is a living testament to the roots of Christianity — where it all began.”
According to the parish priest, “when the land is threatened, people become fearful.” The local community simply wants “to live in peace, with dignity, and on our own land,” he said, noting that the farmers of Taybeh are even afraid to go out to their fields.
“This is a matter that concerns the entire Church. We ask for your prayers, and for your visits to the Holy Land and to the ‘living stones’ in Taybeh and throughout the Holy Land,” he said.
“And your support, so that Christians may remain here through education, housing, and employment opportunities. For the Christian presence in the Holy Land is not merely a local matter,” he pointed out.
“For the truth is one; it is not a matter of distorting it. Thank you; we will remain in contact and united in prayer,” the priest said.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.