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National Catholic Register

‘Apostle of Peace’ Heads to Algeria: Bishop Prepares for Pope Leo XIV’s Historic Visit

Victor Gaetan
Bishop Diego Sarrió Cucarella, 54, a member of the Missionaries of Africa, celebrates Mass in a chapel in Ouargla, Algeria, in the Sahara Desert.

Bishop Diego Sarrió Cucarella hopes the pastoral visit will lead to 'hearts opening to peace, a renewed commitment to coexistence, and a living witness to God’s glory through fraternity and mutual understanding.’

The Parish Priest Who Shaped Blessed Michael McGivney

James Smyth Francis Kelly / Farragutful
Bishop Thomas Francis Hendricken and the interior of Sts. Peter and Paul in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Long before Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus, he encountered a dynamic pastor whose zeal and leadership left a lasting mark on his life.

Pakistani Christians Join Muslims for Ramadan Meals Amid Iran War Fallout

Father James Channan
Dominican Father James Channan presents a framed photo of Abdul Khabeer Azad, the Badshahi Mosque’s prayer leader, who met Pope Leo XIV in October 2025, at the mosque’s iftar in Lahore on Feb. 27, 2026.

Church leaders and Muslim clerics shared Ramadan fast-breaking meals across six Pakistani dioceses this year as the overlap of Lent and Ramadan inspired joint prayers for peace.

Pope Leo XIV Warns of Wider Middle East Conflict

Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for the recitation of the Angelus on March 8, 2026.

At his Sunday Angelus, the Pope voiced alarm over violence and fear spreading from Iran across the region. Leo also reminded the faithful that the encounter with Christ stirs in the depths of each person ‘a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’