Catholic News
- As Jesus washed our feet, let us serve others, Pope preaches at Holy Thursday evening Mass (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper in the Lateran Basilica this evening (video) and reflected on Christ’s act of washing the feet of His apostles. - Cardinal Pizzaballa celebrates Holy Thursday Mass in Church of Holy Sepulchre, days after he was denied entry (CWN)
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem celebrated the Holy Thursday evening Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (video), four days after Israeli police denied him access to the church on Palm Sunday. - Vatican issues Holy Thursday message to priests, deacons, and seminarians (Dicastery for the Clergy)
The prefect and secretary of the Dicastery for the Clergy issued a message to priests, deacons, and seminarians for Holy Thursday. Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik and Archbishop Carlo Redaelli began by thanking priests: First of all, we wish to say to you: thank you! Thank you for your daily fidelity, often silent and hidden. Thank you for your “yes,” renewed each day, even amid hardships, loneliness and misunderstandings. Thank you because, through your ministry, Christ continues to draw near to His people, to heal, to forgive and to nourish them. The prelates then reflected on sacrifice and service. “Sacrifice, in its deepest truth, is not first of all renunciation, but gift: it is offering one’s life so that it may be wholly oriented to the love of God and of our brothers and sisters,” they wrote. “We are called to live as men given over, consecrated, who find in the Eucharist the source and summit of our existence. It is at the altar that we allow ourselves to be conformed to Christ, receiving the strength to accompany, to forgive and to console.” - Archbishop Broglio: It's hard to believe Iran war is 'sponsored by the Lord' (CBS News)
In a television interview that will be broadcast on Easter Sunday, Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, was asked to comment on “the rhetoric of say the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, who openly invokes Jesus repeatedly when talking about the war with Iran ... What do you make of—of that sort of focus and—and sort of trying to cast this war as something that perhaps Jesus would justify?” Archbishop Broglio replied: It’s—it’s a little bit problematic in the sense that the Lord Jesus certainly brought a message of—a message of peace and—and also, I think war is always a last resort. Now, you know, they may have information that led them to think that that was the only choice they had. I’m not making a judgment about that because I really don’t know, but I do think that it’s hard to—to cast this war, you know, as—as—as something that would be sponsored by—by the Lord. Archbishop Broglio was also asked, “And so if you’re hearing from a service member who says, if your teachings, if your guidance is this is not justified, what am I to do as a Catholic who’s in the service?” He replied: Obviously, you know, the Marine who’s given an order, he’s not in a position really, to resist that order. I mean, he has to obey unless it’s, it’s—unless it’s clearly immoral. And then he would probably have to speak to his, you know, to his chaplain, to his chain of command. The question might be, would, you know would—would—would generals or admirals have space to perhaps say, can we look at this a different way? But having spoken to some of them too, they’re—they’re also in the same—in the same dilemma. So I guess my counsel would be to do as little harm as you—as you can, and to try and preserve innocent lives. - Pope, in video, prays for priests in crisis (The Pope Video)
In a video associated with his prayer intention for April, Pope Leo XIV prayed for priests in crisis. Pope Leo began, “Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd and companion on the journey, today we place in your hands all priests, especially those going through moments of crisis, when loneliness weighs heavily, when doubt clouds their hearts, and when exhaustion seems stronger than hope.” - Churches in Dubai closed until further notice (Khaleej Times)
Heeding a government directive, Catholic, Orthodox, and other Christian churches in Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, have closed their doors until further notice. At least one parish will be livestreaming its Masses and other services. The directive comes amid Iranian strikes on the United Arab Emirates. Hindu and Sikh houses of worship have also been closed. Islam is the official religion of the Middle Eastern nation of 10.1 million (map); 75% of its residents are Muslim, 13% are Christian (12% Catholic), 6% are Hindu, and 3% are Buddhist. - Citing security concerns, Nigerian bishops reschedule Easter Vigil Masses (Fides)
Citing security concerns, bishops in several Nigerian dioceses have directed that Easter Vigil Masses be celebrated at an earlier time than the typical nightfall. Bishop Jude Arogundade of Ondo, for example, directed that all Easter Vigil Masses in his diocese begin at 5:00 PM on Holy Saturday. - Archbishop Coakley calls for ardent prayer for end of Iran war (USCCB)
The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops called on the faithful to “pray ardently for mutually respectful and effective dialogue that leads to a cease-fire and a negotiated end to the conflict with Iran.” “The longer the conflict with Iran continues, including the risk of deploying ground troops to the region, the greater the risk of a dramatic escalation risking an ever-greater regional conflict,” Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City said on April 1, as he joined “our Holy Father’s urgent calls for the Administration and all parties involved to take decisive action toward an immediate ceasefire, and for effective dialogue to resolve this dangerous impasse.” - Nicaraguan regime again restricts Holy Week processions (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
The Nicaraguan regime has again restricted Holy Week processions, the Vatican newspaper reported. “For the third consecutive year, Daniel Ortega’s government has banned Holy Week processions in the streets of Nicaragua, imposing severe restrictions on religious celebrations,” according to L’Osservatore Romano. “This measure affects traditional rites—such as the Via Crucis—confining them to the interior spaces of churches. The few activities that are permitted take place under strict police supervision, with officers stationed at places of worship.” - Cardinal Parolin welcomes formation of Italian Catholic healthcare consortium amid opposition (Vatican News (Italian))
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, welcomed the formation of Sette Pani (Seven Loaves), an Italian Catholic healthcare consortium, as a means to foster Catholic identity and economic efficiency and sustainability. Cardinal Parolin, who is also president of the Pontifical Commission for the Activities of Public Juridical Persons of the Church in the Healthcare Sector, said that the “grave conditions of difficulty” in Italian Catholic healthcare institutions were “plainly visible” a decade ago, when the commission was formed. The formation of Sette Pani encountered “resistance, obstacles, and opposition both within and outside the Church,” Cardinal Parolin said in his message for the March 30 signing ceremony establishing the consortium. In Italy, “the Catholic healthcare sector comprises nearly 300 facilities, employs over 50,000 staff members, and offers 11,669 accredited beds—accounting for 5.3% of the national total,” according to Vatican News. - French President Macron to meet with Pontiff (Vatican News)
The director of the Holy See Press Office confirmed a French government announcement that Pope Leo XIV will receive President Emmanuel Macron at the Vatican on April 10. President Macron met six times with Pope Francis: three times at the Vatican, and three times in other locations. The April 10 meeting will be his first with Pope Leo, as then-Prime Minister François Bayrou represented France at the Pope’s inaugural Mass. - USCCB backs Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act (USCCB)
The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities lent his support to the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, introduced in the House by Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) and in the Senate by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). “Catholic teaching holds that all human life is sacred from the moment of conception until natural death and that both the life of the mother and the preborn child possess equal, inherent dignity,” Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, wrote in an April 1 letter. “The U.S. bishops have frequently stressed how the abortion pill represents an isolating and harmful response to women in need, who deserve better in the form of compassionate accompaniment and meaningful support to help them welcome their child.” “Chemical abortions now account for almost two-thirds of all abortions in the United States, resulting in hundreds of thousands of preborn children lost each year,” Bishop Thomas added. “Since mifepristone was first approved over twenty-five years ago, a growing body of evidence has emerged suggesting that the use of this drug, as part of the two-drug regimen for chemical abortion, not only ends the lives of preborn children but also poses significant dangers to mothers.” - Choose God's ways, not the world's, Holy Land custos writes in Easter message (Custody of the Holy Land)
In his Easter message, the custos (Franciscan provincial) of the Holy Land contrasted God’s ways and the world’s ways. “The judgment of the world sees in the cross a defeat, a loss, a humiliation, a folly; the judgment of God, with the resurrection, proclaims that precisely there true wisdom manifests itself, there true victory manifests itself: the victory of the love that gives itself without reserve,” said Father Francesco Ielpo, O.F.M. Father Ielpo added: In this land, where even today we experience the weight of war, of violence, of fear, and of uncertainty, the resurrection of Christ is not a distant word, but a concrete fact that asks us to change our gaze: not to let ourselves be determined by the judgment of the world, but to learn to read history with the eyes of God. Easter invites us to believe that renouncing violence is not weakness, that forgiving is not a defeat, that death is not the end. In the 14th century, the Holy See entrusted the care of the holy sites in the Holy Land to the Franciscan order. Father Ielpo became custos in 2025. - Catholic pro-life prayer group attacked in Vermont (WCAX-TV)
Members of a Catholic pro-life group in Brattleboro, Vermont, were attacked with spray paint on March 31 as they prayed near a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic. An image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was damaged beyond repair. “I was appalled because we love this image,” said one parishioner. “I think the Lord gave us peace to just continue to do what we started out to do, which was pray the Rosary.” “We get screamed at, we had rocks thrown at us one time, and we have had the finger many times,” she added. “I just want them to know that they have a mother that loves them.” - Jerusalem bishop laments suffering in Gaza, plight of Christians in West Bank (Vatican News)
Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali of Jerusalem said that the suffering in Gaza and the West Bank should not be forgotten amid the Iran war. In Gaza, “two million people are still suffering: the issue is unresolved,” he told Vatican News. “80% of the infrastructure is still destroyed.” Referring to the Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank, Bishop Shomali said that Israeli settlers “enter whenever they want, set fire to vehicles, and prevent farmers from working their fields.” A “new settlement will now be built near Bethlehem, in Beit Sahour, in an area called Osh Ghrab, on land that belongs to Christian families,” he added. “They cannot even approach it.” - Pope Leo, at Holy Thursday Chrism Mass, preaches on the Christian mission in 'this dark hour of history' (CWN)
Stating that “mission is not a heroic adventure reserved for a few, but the living witness of a Body with many members,” Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica this morning (booklet, video) and reflected on the “mission to which God calls us as his people,” in a time the Pope described as “this dark hour of history.” - Hate crime reported at Queens parish (Shore News Network)
The New York Police Department is seeking a suspect who vandalized St. Anastasia Church in Queens. The suspect “poured a drink into the baptismal font, removed an undisclosed amount of money from a donation box, and took a cloth from the altar” on March 28, according to a local media report. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has documented over 400 acts of vandalism, arson, and other destruction at parishes and other Catholic sites in the United States since 2020. A tracker at CatholicVote.org lists additional attacks. - Syria's churches scale back Easter celebrations after attack on Christian town (EWTN News)
Armed groups attacked the Christian town of Al-Suqaylabiyah, Syria, on March 27 and 28. The March 28 attack was thwarted by security forces. Following the attacks, the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate announced that “Easter celebrations would be reduced to prayers inside churches,” EWTN News reported. - Pope taps outsider as Holy See's new HR director (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV named Paola Fanelli, who has not previously worked for the Vatican, as the director of the Holy See’s Department of Human Resources. - Israel denies Cardinal Pizzaballa access to Church of the Holy Sepulchre, then backtracks (CWN)
Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M., from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass. Following international condemnation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would permit Cardinal Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to enter the church. - More...