U.S. bishops recount year since Pope Leo XIV’s election
U.S. bishops marked the first anniversary of Pope Leo XIV’s election by recalling the moment they learned he had been chosen, describing their reactions in a video message.
“When we were watching the white smoke come out of the chimney at the Vatican, the last thing that any of us were thinking of as we were watching on TV back in Chicago was that there would be a native of Chicago who was elected the Holy Father,” Auxiliary Bishop Robert Lombardo of Chicago said in a May 7 video message marking Pope Leo XIV’s first anniversary as pope.
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The message also included testimonies from Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois; Bishop Ronald Hicks of New York; Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago; Bishop Paul Etienne of Seattle; Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski of St. Louis; Auxiliary Bishop Christopher Cooke of Philadelphia; Bishop Douglas Lucia of Syracuse, New York; Bishop Robert McClory of Gary, Indiana; and Bishop Michael Barber, SJ, of Oakland, California.
Several bishops recalled their shock at learning the new pope was an American.
“When I heard of Pope Leoʼs election, I couldnʼt believe it. I really had to do a double take because conventional wisdom has been that there will never be a pope from the United States,” Rozanski said.
“I remember my reaction to his election being one of surprise because everybody said, ‘Well, it could never be an American,’” Lucia said. “So when his name was announced, I was actually in a diocesan admin meeting and everybody said, ‘Whoʼs that?’ And I go, ‘Itʼs an American.’”
McClory described his reaction as “a tremendous kind of excitement and joy” and echoed his brother bishops, saying: “Never in my lifetime did I think we would have a pope from the United States. I just didn’t think it was a possibility.”
Bishop William Byrne of Springfield, Massachusetts, recalled “flying home” from the grocery store when he heard the news that a new pope had been elected, and that he “was so excited” when he made it to his computer to watch the results.
“Being from Chicago, we also have a double sense of pride,” Cupich said. “After all, we like to say that Chicago produced a pope, and that we take great pride in.”
Leo was elected as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on May 8, 2025.
‘Families fight, but family is forever’: Pope Leo’s brother says the brothers limit political talk
John Prevost, Pope Leo XIV’s older brother, said he, Leo, and Louis, the eldest of the three, talk every week, but “we keep politics to a limit.”
CNN’s Erin Burnett on her show “OutFront” on May 6 asked Prevost to talk about how the brothers, who have differing political views, can still “be brothers and family” and have love.
“Can you just talk about that, because I think so many people want to hear how they, too, can have that in their lives?” she asked.
Prevost told her that when the brothers talk, topics about which they disagree “may come up, but nothing” his brother might say “is going to change my opinion, and nothing I say is going to change his opinion, so why discuss it?”
“Families fight, but family is forever,” Prevost, who said he speaks to Leo every day, told her.
He said the brothers discuss “what we’re doing, what’s new in our lives, what we’re doing next … There is that brother connection. And really, what brothers do not fight? You know?”
“That’s fair,” Burnett said.
The CNN host also asked how Prevost rises above President Donald Trump’s recent accusation that Leo is “endangering a lot of Catholics; [is] terrible for foreign policy,” and asked how his “life has changed because of your brother’s role?”, mentioning the death threats Prevost has received.
“You just keep going,” Prevost said. “There is a matter of what is known as faith, and it deepens our faith, because we do what we’re doing because itʼs a role we’ve been put into, and we just go ahead and do it.”
Prevost told “EWTN News in Depth” in an April interview that faith “starts in the home,“ saying that ”periodically our dad would take the Bible out and read Bible stories. We always prayed before dinner. Our parents always, every evening after dinner, prayed the rosary.”
In April, police in New Lenox, Illinois, responded to a “reported bomb threat at a private residence” that local media said belonged to Prevost. After an investigation, the police determined the threat was “unsubstantiated and that no explosive devices or hazardous materials were present.”
The hoax threat came several days after President Donald Trump praised Pope Leo XIVʼs eldest brother, Louis, in a Truth Social post in which he derided Pope Leo XIV as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” after Leo repeatedly criticized the ongoing U.S.-led war in Iran.
Burnett also noted how Trump has talked about Louis, who visited the president at the White House last year, calling him “a supporter, a MAGA all the way.”
“I like [Leoʼs] brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!” Trump said in April.
India’s religious liberty on ‘downward trajectory,’ commission says
WASHINGTON — Witnesses called for U.S. intervention to end the ongoing persecution of religious minorities in India, including Christians, at a hearing on Capitol Hill.
“Religious freedom in India is abysmal. Religious minority communities and their places of worship remain particularly vulnerable to discriminatory legislation, surveillance, and harassment,” U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Vice Chair Asif Mahmood said during a May 7 hearing. “Members of the clergy are also routinely arrested and released under accusation of conducting forced conversions.”
USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler also highlighted persecution in India on the national, state, and local level through discriminatory legislation, arbitrary detention of religious leaders, failure to intervene in attacks against religious minorities, anti-conversion laws in 13 out of 28 states, anti-terrorism laws targeting minorities, and citizenship laws. She described religious freedom in India as continuing in “a downward trajectory.”
The hearing comes as the commission warns of escalating attacks against Christians in India, including mob violence and property destruction. The Catholic population in India is about 23 million, about 1.6% of the countryʼs population, according to the Vatican.
Raqib Naik, founder and executive director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate, called for the State Department to designate India as a country of particular concern (CPC).
“I believe that acknowledging the problem is the first step,” Naik said. “I think the U.S. should designate India as a CPC. I think that should be the first step because you cannot have a solution without acknowledging the problem.” Naik further called for sanctions and heightened awareness of transnational repression, which he said poses a “national security threat.”
Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Stephen Rapp called for “methods that have a bite to them” to place pressure on the Indian government to end religious persecution in the country. Rapp encouraged heightened reporting of religious freedom violators to “build cases” against them so that it may be possible to prosecute them internationally in the future.
“Maybe many of the perpetrators may never travel, but basically you send a signal that if you commit crimes like these there will be no rest in this life,” Rapp said. “It’s not enough, but it’s something.”
Religious freedom advocate David Curry called for the State Department to demand that its international partners uphold religious liberty as a preliminary requirement in all negotiations.
“The international religious freedom infrastructure within the State Department should be part of every discussion and negotiation,” Curry said. “Human rights and international religious freedom should be part of these discussions.”
Indian anthropologist Angana Chatterji echoed Curry, urging the U.S. “to examine seriously the impossibility of economic benefit and profit from relations with India under the current extreme conditions.”
Georgetown Law professor Arjun Sethi noted that India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was banned under the George W. Bush administration from entering the U.S. from 2005 to 2014. “And now he’s courted by this country,” he said.
“I think we should just have a much deeper understanding of who he is, what he stands for, and what he’s about,” Sethi said.
Commission sees opportunities to expand targeted sanctions on religious liberty offenders
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a fact sheet on May 6 that highlights opportunities to expand targeted sanctions against religious liberty violators.
“There are various opportunities to expand the usage of targeted sanctions, particularly in countries that rank among the world’s worst violators of religious freedom,” the USCIRF document said.
In the fact sheet, the USCIRF recommended the U.S. federal government not simply sanction entire countries but impose targeted sanctions against individuals and entities directly responsible for the violations.
“While countrywide trade embargoes impose broad restrictions on countries to exert maximum pressure, these can cause collateral damage on civilian populations,” it states.
“In contrast, targeted sanctions focus narrowly on the individuals or entities responsible for abuses,” it adds. “Depending on the program, these measures can include banning visas, freezing assets, and blocking financial transactions.”
Specific perpetrators
The document lays out certain perpetrators who violate religious liberty in foreign countries, which was detailed in the USCIRF’s 2026 annual report published in March.
In Afghanistan, for example, the USCIRF recommends sanctions against high-ranked Taliban officials of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which is the body tasked with enforcing Sharia law.
People involved in Iraqi militias, like the Popular Mobilization Forces, are recommended for sanctions, as are non-state actors and those affiliated with transnational authorities in Syria, which perpetuate religious freedom violations. It also lists government and non-state actors in Libya.
It recommends targeted sanctions against government agencies and officials in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
Individuals in two sub-Saharan African countries are also included: Nigerian government and military officials who tolerate or are complicit in attacks on religious communities and Eritrean government officials, including those in the police, judiciary, and correctional system.
The fact sheet recommends targeted sanctions against Chinese government agencies, entities, and officials. It also suggests sanctions against individuals and entities in neighboring India, like intelligence officials and the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Two Latin American countries are included. It suggests sanctions against Nicaraguan officials who tolerate or are complicit in targeting religious communities. It encourages sanctions against Cuban officials, including Caridad Diego Bello, the head of the Office of Religious Affairs.
Russia is the only European country listed. It suggests sanctions against officials and state agencies, including the Federal Security Service, which is an intelligence agency.
Ways to sanction
The document notes that several policies can be used to implement targeted sanctions related to human rights abuses.
The policies permit economic sanctions and visa bans against any foreign individual or entity engaged in “extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights” and those involved in “serious human rights abuse.”
Other policies permit visa bans on individuals and — when appropriate — immediate family members for participating in religious freedom violations or gross violations of human rights.
“The primary goal of these programs is to drive behavior change by altering perpetrators’ cost-benefit calculations, reducing their sense of impunity, and publicly naming and shaming,” the document reads.
“These measures signal international expectations, restrict access to the resources needed to continue violations, and demonstrate solidarity with victims and survivors,” it adds. “Generally, visa sanctions are legally required to be issued confidentially, which can diminish some of the impacts from ‘naming and shaming’ and decrease transparency.”
Pope Leo XIV urges Catholics to read printed books
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday underscored the enduring value of printed books in the digital age, saying reading “nourishes the mind” and offers Christians a valuable opportunity to proclaim Christ.
The pope made the remarks May 7 during an audience at the Vatican with employees of the Vatican Publishing House, or Libreria Editrice Vaticana, which was founded in 1926 and is celebrating its centenary this year.
The Holy Father said the book “is an opportunity to think,” defending the physicality of printed books in an increasingly digital culture because, he said, they remind readers of the importance of “thought, reflection, and study.”
“Reading nourishes the mind; it helps to foster a conscious and well-formed critical sense, guarding us against fundamentalism and ideological shortcuts,” Pope Leo said.
“For this reason, I urge everyone to read books, as an antidote to closed-mindedness, which is reflected in rigid attitudes and reductive views of reality,” he added.
The pope also emphasized that books offer an opportunity for encounter.
“When we hold a book in our hands, we ideally encounter its author,” he said. “But at the same time, we meet those who have read it before us, or who are reading it now or will read it in the future.”
Pope Leo noted that Pope Francis had taught Catholics “to practice the culture of encounter,” adding that “a book is a bridge to others, a source of dialogue that enriches us, a stimulus to expand our own perspective.”
For Christians in particular, the pope said, books can be “an opportunity to proclaim Christ.”
“We know well how reading a saint’s biography or a well-written spiritual reflection can touch the heart,” he said.
He also pointed to the Virgin Mary, who is often depicted in the Annunciation “intent on reading the holy Scriptures,” and to St. Anthony of Padua, who is commonly shown holding “the open Book of the Gospels, upon which the Infant Jesus stands.”
“We often see St. Augustine seated at a desk before a large book and, at times, holding a heart in his hand: truth and charity,” the pope said.
“At the school of Mary and the saints, let us nourish ourselves with the word of God, so that it may shape our way of thinking and acting,” Pope Leo added.
The pope concluded by recalling the words of St. Paul VI, who in 1976 met with employees of the Vatican Publishing House for its 50th anniversary and urged them to “look ahead, to refine ideas and plans for the future.”
“I thank you for your work, which I hope you will carry out with dedication and passion,” Pope Leo said. “And I cordially bless each of you and your loved ones.”
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.
‘A breath of hope’: Pope Leo XIV encourages Lebanese priests through video call
Pope Leo XIV spoke via video call with about 10 priests working in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel, encouraging them to press ahead with their pastoral work and acts of solidarity while facing the hardships caused by the war.
The call took place May 6 during Pope Leo’s audience in Rome with the apostolic nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia.
During the video call, which took place around 9:45 a.m. Rome time, the Holy Father, who visited Lebanon in December 2025 on his first international trip, reiterated his “encouragement” to the priests “for the work they are doing,” assured them of his prayers, and imparted his blessing, according to Vatican News.
The archbishop, well aware of the suffering endured by the priests there, has been working in the border region with Israel for several months delivering food, basic necessities, and the pope’s encouragement.
Father Toni Elias, parish priest in Rmeish, a village separated from Israel by a forest, said the video call “was beautiful. The pope encouraged us; he told us that he prays for us and supports us, and he gave us his blessing with the hope that peace would soon be achieved.”
“It was a breath of hope and trust that was much needed,” he emphasized.
Regarding Borgia, the priest remarked that “he brings charity; he walks through danger, through bombed-out streets and houses that have been destroyed and razed to the ground. I see in him the mission of his patron saint, St. Paul.”
A priest killed in March
On March 9, Pope Leo XIV expressed his sorrow over the death of Father Pierre al-Rahi, a victim of Israeli shelling that took place that day in southern Lebanon.
“Pope Leo XIV expresses his profound sorrow for all the victims of the bombings in the Middle East these past few days, for the many innocent people, including numerous children, and for those who were helping them, such as Father Pierre al-Rahi, a Maronite priest killed this afternoon in Qlayaa,” stated a communiqué that day from the Vatican Press Office.
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.
Fidelity, enthusiasm, and faith: Pope Leo XIV welcomes Swiss Guard recruits
Recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard took their oath of allegiance to Pope Leo XIV, solemnly pledging to serve and protect him.
The ceremony took place May 6 in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican in the presence of the pontiff, members of the Holy See Diplomatic Corps, and the family and friends of the 28 recruits.
At the high point of the ceremony, in a gesture laden with tradition, each recruit held the banner of the Pontifical Swiss Guard with his left hand, raised three fingers with his right, and recited the oath swearing to protect the pope, even at the cost of his life.
This gesture, more than just an oath of allegiance, also commemorates the 147 Swiss Guards who died defending Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome on May 6, 1527.
In his address after the ceremony, Leo thanked the recruits, describing their future service as a “commitment of fidelity, inspired by youthful enthusiasm and grounded in faith in God and love for the Church.”
On Thursday, the pope held a private audience with the new Swiss Guards and their families. Leo took this occasion to remind them of the beauty of their calling and described them as servants of Christ, called not only to serve the Holy See but also those most in need.
“More than soldiers, you are servants who, in the image of Christ, go out to meet those who need your help: not only members of the Curia or officials visiting the Vatican but also pilgrims and tourists,” the pope said. “Always remember these words of Jesus: ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these, my brothers, you did for me’ (Mt 25:40).”
Bethsaida excavation turning ‘Bible stories into Bible realities’
WASHINGTON — The academic director of one of the most celebrated current archaeological digs in Israel was in Washington, D.C., this week to provide an update on the ongoing excavation of Bethsaida, the town the Gospel of John (1:44) records as the home of the apostles Peter, his brother Andrew, and Philip and where Jesus performed various miracles.
In a May 5 presentation at the Catholic Information Center, Steven Notley, the academic director of the El Araj Excavation Project, said the excavation of the last town of apostolic times to be discovered, which began in 2016 and has been ongoing since then, has essentially confirmed that the site, known as El Araj, is indeed the location of the Galilean seaside town of Bethsaida, which is referenced several times in the New Testament.
Notley, who is also executive director of the Center for the Study of Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins, lived in Jerusalem with his wife and four children for 16 years and has been leading groups of students and laypeople to Israel and the eastern Mediterranean region for over 35 years.
Melissa Overmyer, a Catholic evangelist who has participated in the dig at Bethsaida, shared her own testimony at the event, saying being a part of such experiences in the Holy Land turns “Bible stories into Bible realities.”
Notley said excavations at the site in 2018 uncovered the remains of a Byzantine-era basilica and in 2023 a first-century house was located directly under its apse.
These remains, he said, match the historic account of Willibald, an eighth-century bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria, Germany, who traveled to the Holy Land in 725 A.D. and wrote about a church in Bethsaida that was built over the home of Sts. Peter and Andrew.
Among the discoveries made at this basilica is a mosaic, uncovered in 2022, with the inscription “Chief of the apostles and keeper of the keys of heaven, intercede for him and his children George and Theophano."
Last year, the site also endured a wildfire, the results of which Notley said have subsequently allowed the team to uncover evidence of columns and other structures previously overlooked due to dense underbrush.
Notley told EWTN News that the archaeological team was able to identify a structure underneath the apse of the basilica by identifying pottery they discovered there as first-century pottery. The team also found first-century fishing weights.
“So, we have a first-century house wall under the apse. It doesnʼt have a plaque on it that says ‘Peter slept here,’ but from a perspective of archaeology, it doesnʼt get much better than that,” Notley said.
Notley said he welcomes volunteers to participate in the ongoing dig, which he said is entirely privately funded. Information about how to volunteer may be found on the excavation’s website.
Pope Leo meets U.S. Secretary of State Rubio amid tensions with President Trump
On Thursday Pope Leo XIV met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican, with the meeting coming amid tensions between the Holy See and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump has expressed his disapproval of Leoʼs public statements denouncing the U.S.-led war on Iran. The Holy Father has repeatedly called for peace amid the ongoing conflict.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Department of State, the pontiff and Rubio discussed “the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere.”
It also stated that their meeting “underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity.”
The Holy See published its own statement of the meeting, which, according to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni, lasted for 45 minutes.
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The statement described the meeting as an encounter where “cordial discussions” took place regarding the “fostering of strong bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America.”
This week Trump expressed his desire that Rubio tell the pope that "Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.” The president has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that Leo wants the Middle Eastern country to develop nuclear armaments.
Leo has rejected those allegations. On May 5 at Castel Gandolfo he stated that the Church "has spoken for years against all nuclear weapons." On Wednesday, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin stated that the Holy See "has always worked, and will continue to work, on nuclear disarmament."
Parolin, who also met Rubio on May 7, also described Trumpʼs recent verbal attacks against the pope as "strange."
Pope Leo XIV accepts Filipino priest’s withdrawal as bishop-designate
TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Father Gerardo F. Saco Jr., the priest appointed by Pope Leo XIV to become the next bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran in the Philippines, has decided not to proceed with his episcopal ordination, a move that surprised many clergy and faithful in Bohol province and across the Philippine Church.
In an official statement released by the Diocese of Tagbilaran on May 5, Saco said that after “much prayer and careful discernment,” he had decided not to continue with the episcopal ordination scheduled for May 26.
“I sincerely ask for your understanding regarding this change of heart,” Saco said in the statement. “It comes from a deep awareness of my own human limitations and inadequacies.”
Saco, who had been serving as diocesan administrator since October 2025 following the appointment of Bishop Alberto Uy as archbishop of Cebu in 2025, was appointed bishop of Tagbilaran by Pope Leo XIV on March 25.
The Archdiocese of Cebu, the metropolitan see of Tagbilaran, later confirmed that the Vatican had accepted Sacoʼs decision.
In a statement, Uy said that Saco had communicated his decision directly to the Holy Father.
“Bishop-elect Gerardo ‘Jingboy’ Saco Jr. has communicated to the Holy Father his decision not to proceed with his episcopal ordination,” Uy said. “The papal nuncio has informed me that the Holy Father has accepted his decision.”
Uy acknowledged that while he respects Sacoʼs decision, it “has brought sadness to many of us, especially the faithful of the Diocese of Tagbilaran.”
Despite widespread public interest surrounding the rare decision, Saco has declined interview requests from journalists. Sources interviewed by EWTN News said the priest has requested privacy and told those seeking interviews that he “just needs more time for himself.”
One priest from the Diocese of Tagbilaran, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said many clergy were initially “shocked and saddened” upon hearing the news but that he respected the decision of Saco, whom he described as “a simple man, kind and has a big heart for the poor and marginalized.”
“We have a very thriving diocese. We are not in debt. We have so many vocations. We send out priests to do mission work because we have many priests here. I donʼt know why he declined.”
Online, many Catholic faithful and netizens reacted with surprise and sympathy. Some described the decision as “courageous,” noting that stepping away from such an appointment required humility and honesty. Others promised prayers for Saco and for the Diocese of Tagbilaran, which remains “sede vacante” pending a new episcopal appointment.
Difficult role
Catholic apologist and pro-life advocate Carlos Antonio Palad cautioned against “dark and baseless speculations” about Sacoʼs reasons, noting that “the pope has accepted his decision, so he cannot be accused of disobedience, as some have implied.”
Palad added that the leadership of a diocese “is very heavy, and it is not a secret that many priests refuse the office when it is offered to them,” urging respect for Sacoʼs “conscience and his decision.”
Catholic commentators also noted that, while rare, there have been instances in Church history where priests or bishops-elect declined episcopal appointments before ordination.
The Diocese of Tagbilaran comprises 60 parishes, served by 126 diocesan priests across 1,734 square kilometers (670 square miles) of the southern half of the island province of Bohol, according to the latest statistics.
Saco remains the diocesan administrator as the Holy See restarts the selection process for a new bishop of Tagbilaran.