Catholic News
- 'We recognize our sins so that we can be converted,' Pope preaches at Ash Wednesday Mass (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Mass of Ash Wednesday at the Basilica of Saint Sabina late this afternoon, following the customary penitential procession that began at the Church of Saint Anselm (booklet, video). - Pope, in audience on Vatican II, reflects on the mystery of the Church (CWN)
Continuing his series of Wednesday general audiences on the Second Vatican Council and its documents, Pope Leo XIV spoke this morning on the theme of “the mystery of the Church, sacrament of the union with God, and the unity of all humanity.” - Pope Leo: Peter's Successor must retain his sovereign freedom (Dicastery for Communication)
In a February 18 audience with members of the Pro Petri Sede association, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of the Roman Pontiff’s sovereign freedom. Recalling the Belgian association’s support for the papacy since its 19th-century founding, Pope Leo said that “the Bishop of Rome has received from Christ the task of gathering the faithful people into unity and proclaiming the Gospel of Salvation throughout the earth; and the charism of his Successors implies the sovereign freedom to do so.” “Yet the proclamation of the Kingdom is hindered in many places throughout the world, and in many ways,” Pope Leo continued. “How important it is, therefore, in the troubled times in which we live, that ‘Peter’ retain his complete freedom to speak the truth, denounce injustice, defend the rights of the weakest, promote peace, and above all proclaim Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, the only possible hope for a reconciled humanity.” - Pope Leo recalls Christ's 1st appearance to St. Faustina (Dicastery for Communication (Italian))
At the conclusion of his February 18 general audience, Pope Leo XIV told Polish-speaking pilgrims: February 22 marks the 95th anniversary of the first apparition of the Merciful Jesus to St. Faustina Kowalska. Since then, a new chapter has begun in the spread of the cult of Divine Mercy through the Chaplet and the painting “Jesus, I trust in You.” May Lent be a time of encounter with Christ through the Sacrament of Penance and the works of mercy. My blessing to you all! These words of the Pontiff were omitted from the Vatican’s English translation of his remarks. - Papal encouragement for Brazilian bishops' Lenten campaign (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV encouraged Brazil’s faithful to support the episcopal conference’s annual Lenten campaign, which is devoted this year to assisting those without adequate housing. “In this time of intense prayer, we are also invited to practice with renewed commitment the virtue of charity towards the poorest and most in need, with whom Christ himself identifies,” Pope Leo wrote in his message, dated February 11 and released on Ash Wednesday. “Sharing the gifts generously granted to us by the Lord cannot be restricted to a period of the year, a campaign or a few specific actions, but must be a constant attitude that commits us to encountering Christ present in those who have nowhere to live.” - USCCB issues invitation to ecological conversion (USCCB)
The chairmen of two committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a four-page reflection, “An Invitation to Ecological Conversion for U.S. Catholics.” “Our world is hurtling toward unsustainable climate conditions that will affect the flourishing of people all over the planet,” Archbishop Shelton Fabre, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, warned on February 17. “This Lent is an opportunity for discernment and action,” the prelates added. “May we quiet our hearts and enter the solitude of the desert, that we might hear the voice of God and listen to the cries of his children around the world whose livelihoods are impacted by our own actions and lifestyles.” - Church desecrated in DR Congo (Fides)
Unknown perpetrators desecrated a church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ituri Province on the night of February 15-16. The church attack took place in Bulé; the area has seen recent fighting between the nation’s army and a rebel group, the Convention for the Popular Revolution. - Cardinal Zuppi issues message to Muslims for Ramadan (Chiesa di Bologna)
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, the president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, issued a message to local Muslims for Ramadan. “May this be our concrete way of doing penance in Ramadan and Lent: concrete gestures of mercy, small, possible for all,” Cardinal Zuppi wrote in his February 17 message. “There the world begins to change and we can make it what God wants: the world of the human family, of all brothers and sisters in the name of the Merciful and Clement God.” - Ukrainian women tell Pope of prisoners of war (EWTN News)
Pope Leo XIV met on February 18 with a group of wives, mothers, and daughters of Ukrainian prisoners of war. “Shaking the Pope’s hand, feeling his closeness to all the families who suffer because of the war, and entrusting him with all our concern has been a great opportunity to put our hearts into action and fill them with hope and deep spiritual consolation,” said Kateryna Muzlova. - Custos highlights importance of Good Friday collection for the Holy Land (Custody of the Holy Land)
Father Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the custos (Franciscan provincial) of the Holy Land, highlighted the importance of the international Good Friday collection for the Church there. “Many Christian families, who lived thanks to pilgrimages, now struggle to support themselves,” Father Ielpo wrote on February 18. “Young people find it increasingly difficult to imagine a future here, in their own land ... On Good Friday, as we contemplate the Crucified Christ, we ask you not to forget the Holy Land.” - US bishops, in religious liberty report, find 6 areas of 'critical concern' (USCCB)
The US bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty issued its 2026 annual report, “The State of Religious Liberty in the United States.” The report, released on February 17, identified “six areas of critical concern—threats and opportunities—for religious liberty in 2026”: Political and anti-religious violence Unjust terms and conditions on federal grants, and unreliability of government Access to sacraments for ICE detainees and immigration enforcement at houses of worship School choice and the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Repeal of provisions that prevent religious organizations from participating in government programs Further repudiation of gender ideology - New Jersey diocese announces $180M abuse settlement (WPVI-TV)
The Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, announced it has reached a $180-million abuse settlement with more than 300 plaintiffs. “For the survivors of South Jersey, this day is long overdue and represents a milestone in their journey toward restored justice and the healing and recognition they have long sought and deserve,” said Bishop Joseph Williams. The settlement came six years after the diocese declared bankruptcy. - Holy Land's Franciscan superior says young people are filling Syria's churches (Vatican News (Italian))
Father Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the custos (Franciscan provincial) of the Holy Land, hailed the rebirth of faith in Syria, and especially in the nation’s Idlib Governorate. Father Ielpo, who visited Syria from February 9-13, told Vatican News that “the greatest tragedy [Idlib families] say they have experienced is the forced expulsion of young people after the arrival of the jihadists. The elderly who remained confided in me: we were convinced we would die without seeing our children again. Instead, the fact that they returned was an indescribable joy for them.” In Syria, churches “are filling up especially with young people,” he continued. “There are also children in catechism who want to start over. In short, on the one hand, there is a crisis that is also economic, with the cost of basic necessities having increased significantly, and on the other, there is the sense that a rebirth is underway.” - Remains of St. Francis to be visible for veneration in Assisi (Vatican News)
From February 22 to March 22, the remains of St. Francis will be exposed for veneration in the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Pope Leo has proclaimed a Year of Saint Francis in commemoration of the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death. Vatican News, the news agency of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, reported that the saint’s relics have not previously been exposed. - Holy See declines invitation to join President Trump's Gaza Board of Peace (CWN)
As expected, the Holy See has declined President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his Board of Peace for Gaza. - 'Still without peace': Vatican newspaper publishes impassioned plea for Gaza (CWN)
L’Osservatore Romano published an impassioned plea for peace in Gaza as the most prominent article in its February 17 edition. - Cardinal Parolin praises financial giving, organ donation (Vatican News)
In a visit to the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital, the Secretary of State of His Holiness praised financial and organ donation. Financial giving is “a silent yet immensely powerful language through which men and women express the best of themselves,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin said on February 17, as he recalled the widow’s mite. In praising organ donation, Cardinal Parolin said that “human life is relationship and communion; in a donated body there beats a love that does not surrender to death.” - New president of Pontifical Academy for Life defends focus on universal health care (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Msgr. Renzo Pegoraro, appointed president of the Pontifical Academy for Life last May, defended the academy’s focus on universal health care at its 2026 plenary assembly. “The theme chosen for this year, Healthcare for All: Sustainability and Equity,” is consistent with “the work undertaken in recent years: the defense of life cannot be limited to the fundamental responsibilities that arise at its beginning and end, but requires an active and proactive presence, from prevention to treatment,” Msgr. Pegoraro said yesterday, in a text published by the Vatican newspaper. “We live in a challenging historical moment, characterized by inequalities that are not diminished but are instead exacerbated by wars, environmental crises, and the growing difficulty of maintaining the level of essential services even in the most fortunate countries,” he added. “Sustainability and equity are not just two slogans. They are realities that must be carefully and precisely understood if we truly want no one to be excluded.” - Jerusalem cardinal, in Lenten letter, calls for conversion and reconciliation (Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
In his Lenten letter to his diocese, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said that “with the beginning of Lent, the Church invites us to set out on a shared journey of prayer, penance, and conversion, a journey that will lead us to the beating heart of our faith: the solemnity of Easter.” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa’s brief Lenten letter has five sections: “The Passion of Christ: Path of Conversion and Mercy,” “Prayer: Breath of the Soul,” “Fasting and Charity: Two Wings of the Same Offering,” “The Holy Land: Vocation to Peace and Reconciliation,” and “With our gaze fixed on the Resurrection.” - Stop the slaughter, Nigerian bishops' conference pleads (Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos)
Decrying the “relentless wave of killings and abductions that continue to plague our nation,” the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria issued a statement, “The Cry of the Innocent: Stop This Slaughterhouse.” “Silence in the face of such horror as we now have in Nigeria can hardly escape being labelled as complicit,” the administrative staff of the bishops’ conference said in its February 7 statement. “Every unaddressed attack, every unpunished crime, and every unfulfilled promise deepens the wound of mistrust between the people and those entrusted with their protection.” - More...