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National Catholic Register

Pope Leo XIV Honors 2 Spanish Nuns Murdered in Algeria in 1994

Esther Paniagua Alonso (left) and Caridad Álvarez Martín, Augustinian nuns murdered in Algeria in 1994, beatified in 2018.

The Augustinian nuns were about to enter a Catholic chapel in Algiers when they were gunned down. Pope Leo previously visited their community in 2009 when he was prior of the Order of St. Augustine.

A Pause, a Peace, and a ‘Cup of Poison’: How Wars End in Iran

Atta Kenare
A woman walks past a giant billboard reading ‘The Strait of Hormuz remains closed’ at Revolution Square in Tehran on April 12.

COMMENTARY: The Iran-Israel-United States war that began Feb. 28 is closer to the end than the beginning. But exactly how it ends remains murky.

‘60 Minutes’ Takes Stock of Catholic Church Under Leo With Top Cardinals

Courtesy photo
Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, distributes ashes outside at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church at Ash Wednesday Mass, Feb. 18, 2026.

Three influential American cardinals spoke about the Church under Pope Leo XIV in an interview that looked at rising conversions, patriotism, the Iran war, and immigration enforcement.

President Trump’s Criticism of Pope Leo XIV Sparks Global Reaction

Smialowski/AFP
President Donald Trump speaks to the press outside the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 13, 2026. Trump refused to apologize Monday for criticizing Pope Leo XIV, after the pontiff called for an end to violence in the Iran war.

Politicians and faith leaders around the world condemned President Donald Trump’s comments about the American pontiff.

Repairing the Ruins: Why AI Can’t Replace Education

O. Cook, “John Milton (1608-1674),” engraving from the 1800s. Background: St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, the patron saint of teachers, visits a school in Paris on Rue Princesse, after a work by Giovanni Gagliardi (1838–1924) created in 1901.

COMMENTARY: In an era when AI can write anything, authentic education must go beyond the mere production of words.

Our Catholic Moment

Daniel Ibáñez
Swiss Guards stand in St. Peter’s Square as Pope Leo XIV celebrates Easter Sunday Mass on April 5.

COMMENTARY: People do not convert in meaningful numbers to an institution that has nothing to offer. Something is being offered here — and received.