Thousands of pilgrims are expected to gather in June in the Lithuanian capital for the sixth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy, or WACOM, a five-day event that has previously been held in cities such as Rome, Kraków, Bogota, and Manila.
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Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services questioned the legitimacy of America’s war in Iran, arguing that the war is likely not justified under Catholic teaching on legitimate defense by military means, sometimes called just war theory.
Church leaders in Jerusalem expressed sorrow over the news of the passage by the Israeli Knesset of a death penalty law — by hanging — for Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks on Israelis, noting that Easter, which celebrates life, represents the opposite.
A Catholic bishop in South Sudan says his people are living a real-life Way of the Cross, marked by suffering, violence, and deep wounds.
The enduring memory of Pedro Ballester, an English student whose life is being studied for a possible sainthood cause, is defined by joy and selflessness in the face of suffering, British Cardinal Arthur Roche said.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, and Father Francesco Ielpo, the custos of the Holy Land, were prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulcher by Israeli police on Palm Sunday, the Latin patriarchate said.
Over 20,000 catechumens in France are expected to be baptized during the Easter Vigil, marking a 20% increase compared to baptisms in 2025.
A historic Bernardine monastery complex and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the western Ukraine city of Lviv were hit by aerial drone strikes March 24, just ahead of the observance of Holy Week.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said wartime restrictions have forced the cancellation or postponement of key Holy Week observances, urging the faithful to remain united in prayer despite the inability to gather for traditional celebrations.
Israeli authorities closed Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher as part of wider closures for security concerns, beginning Feb. 28, when Israel and the United States launched attacks against Iran.