EWTN News
Trusted global Catholic news, analysis, and multimedia coverage of the Church, Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican, and issues impacting Catholics worldwide.
Filipino bishops urge faithful to begin ‘digital media fasting’
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 22:37:00 GMT
“In stepping back from digital excess, we reclaim interior silence, deepen relationships, and rediscover God’s presence in daily life,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said.
Cardinal Parolin: The Vatican ‘will not participate in Trump’s Board of Peace’
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 22:07:56 GMT
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, announced that the Holy See “will not participate in the Board of Peace," promoted by the U.S. president to address Gaza and other conflicts.
Ahead of U.S. premiere, EWTN Studios launches behind-the-scenes series of Bernadette musical
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 20:08:00 GMT
The behind-the-scenes series can be seen on EWTN+, EWTN.com, EWTN’s YouTube Channel, and on EWTN’s broadcast channel.
Historic Irish Confirmation Pledge updated to include vaping and smoking
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 19:38:31 GMT
To mark Temperance Sunday and the Lenten season, Armagh Archdiocese Auxiliary Bishop Michael Router welcomed the rewording of Ireland’s traditional Confirmation Pledge.
St. Peter’s marks 400 years with newly opened areas and digital access
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 18:15:00 GMT
The Vatican will open new parts of St. Peter’s — including the full terrace — and roll out a “SmartPass” digital entry system as it marks the basilica’s 400th anniversary.
‘Aventine procession’: A centuries-old tradition Pope Leo XIV will lead for the first time
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 17:45:28 GMT
The brief Ash Wednesday walk between two hilltop basilicas marks the start of Lent in Rome.
Did Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance represent Latinos and their cultural values?
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 17:30:00 GMT
Bad Bunny’s halftime show at Super Bowl LX drew mixed reactions. For some, it was a Latino triumph while for others it contained obscene lyrics that did not represent the best of Latin America.
Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist who urged Vatican to address humanitarian crises, dies at 84
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 16:15:00 GMT
The longtime activist was a fixture in U.S. politics for decades, including two presidential runs.
Vatican official says Notre Dame controversy shows need for dialogue on abortion
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:30:00 GMT
The Church should engage with universities about how to take “an ethical approach” to the dignity of unborn life, the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life said.
Meet the priest serving ‘even nonbelievers’ at the Milan Winter Olympics
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMT
“My service is much more individual and open to everyone, even nonbelievers,” Father Oldřich Chocholáč, chaplain of the Czech Olympic team, told EWTN News.
What impact has the Cristero War had on religious freedom in Mexico today?
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:00:00 GMT
Rubén Quezada, author of the book “For Greater Glory,” released along with the film of the same name in 2012, assesses the impact of the Cristero War on religious freedom in Mexico today.
Bodybuilder previously totally hostile to the faith has radical conversion
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 13:00:00 GMT
Former bodybuilder Bruno Toral shared his personal conversion story from being totally hostile to the faith to becoming a dedicated disciple of Christ.
Cardinal Newman Society to accredit Catholic schools
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT
A leading voice from the Cardinal Newman Society shares how the new accreditation program will accelerate Catholic education reform and help support Catholic families to pass on the faith.
Lent 2026: 5 programs to help you grow in your faith
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, beginning a season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in the Catholic Church.
43 Catholic Democrats pledge migrant solidarity, invoke Leo XIV, Francis
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 22:27:49 GMT
Catholic U.S. House Democrats cited Church teaching in defense of the dignity of migrants as Trump administration officials defend immigration enforcement.
Bishop Barron lauds U.S. secretary of state’s speech to Munich Security Conference
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:36:00 GMT
Marco Rubio’s speech elicited a standing ovation and widespread accolades, including from the bishop of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.
Pope Leo XIV eliminates committee created by Francis for World Children’s Day
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:06:00 GMT
Pope Leo XIV has eliminated the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day, transferring the committee’s functions to the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life.
Apostolic vicariate in Rome dedicates its day of arts to Gaza
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 20:36:17 GMT
The humanitarian situation in Gaza was the focus of a day of the arts at the Lateran Apostolic Palace on Feb. 14, drawing attention to the ongoing suffering of residents in the Gaza Strip.
Catholic priest who was abducted in Cameroon appointed auxiliary bishop
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:46:00 GMT
Father John Berinyuy Tatah was among six Catholic priests abducted in Cameroon’s Bamenda Archdiocese last year and later released.
Pope appoints Catholic Harvard professor to Vatican social sciences academy
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:01:09 GMT
Tyler J. VanderWeele, a Catholic, is an epidemiologist and director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University.
Pope Leo XIV tells Opus Dei no decision yet on revised statutes
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:10:00 GMT
Pope Francis moved the prelature’s Vatican oversight from the office for bishops to that of clergy, triggering an ongoing review and rewrite of its governing norms.
Pope Leo XIV: ‘All lives are not equally respected’ amid war and inequality
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:40:00 GMT
The pope told the Pontifical Academy for Life it is hypocritical to call health a universal value while ignoring policies that drive disparities.
Catholic bishop calls on Bangladesh’s new leaders to protect minorities
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:30:00 GMT
A Catholic bishop calls on Bangladesh’s newly elected government to protect minority rights after the BNP’s landslide victory in the country’s first election since the 2024 uprising.
Lawmakers urge White House to restore visas for international adoptions
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:10:58 GMT
“Adoption visas are not guaranteed” amid a travel freeze, said lawmakers who have asked the State Department to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas.”
European Parliament votes to condemn Turkey’s expulsion of Christian workers
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:35:30 GMT
The near-unanimous resolution calls on Ankara to respect religious freedom and allow expelled Christian workers to return.
Just what does it mean to be named a ‘chaplain of His Holiness’?
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT
Father Fermín González Melado, who was recently named a “chaplain of His Holiness” by Pope Leo XIV, explains the qualifications and purpose of bestowing this honorary title.
Pope Leo to mark start of Lent with historic procession on ancient Roman hill
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT
Pope Leo XIV will preside over the traditional Ash Wednesday procession and Mass on Feb. 18 on Rome’s Aventine Hill, an important place of Christian pilgrimage for more than 1,500 years.
DC bishop: Catholics should ‘get the facts’ on immigration, Church teachings
Sun, 15 Feb 2026 22:42:10 GMT
Washington, D.C., Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala talks immigration and dialogue with high-ranking Catholics in the Trump administration.
Pope Leo XIV, in first Roman parish visit, calls for ‘disarming’ meekness
Sun, 15 Feb 2026 17:04:40 GMT
The pontiff urged “coherence between faith and life” and persistent prayer for peace.
Catholic thinkers, tech experts reflect on promise and perils of AI at New York Encounter
Sun, 15 Feb 2026 16:25:58 GMT
“The pope encouraged us to use AI responsibly, to use it in a way that helps us grow, not to let it work against us, ” said Davide Bolchini, the moderator of an AI panel at the weekend conference.
Pope Leo XIV prays for Madagascar after twin cyclones
Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:07:54 GMT
In his catechesis before the Angelus, Leo said Jesus fulfills the Law by calling Christians beyond minimal righteousness to great love.
‘It was the best thing I’ve ever done’: Abuse victim details papal meeting
Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:00:00 GMT
David Ryan, a 61-year-old Irishman who suffered sexual abuse as a teenager, shared his story face-to-face with Pope Leo XIV, the first time the pope met with a victim individually.
Historic murals in Iraq emerge from the ruins of ISIS destruction
Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT
Restoration work is progressing rapidly on two 13th-century historic mural reliefs at the ancient Mar Behnam and Sarah Monastery.
The Good Maharaja who sheltered Polish children during World War II
Sun, 15 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT
During World War II, the unexpected intervention of the Maharaja of Nawanagar, known as “the Good Maharaja,” provided hundreds of Polish children a home at his personal estate in India.
Ukraine bishop at New York Encounter: War begins when man rejects God from his heart
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 21:26:09 GMT
“We can say that, thanks to God, thanks to our faith, we have a strong foundation,” Bishop Pavlo Honcharuk said.
Slowing of religious decline points to ‘shifting’ faith landscape, experts say at New York Encounter
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 21:15:28 GMT
According to Pew data, the share of U.S. adults identifying as Christian is down from 2007 levels but has held steady since 2020.
Archbishop Moth calls the faithful to courageous witness at Westminster installation Mass
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT
Archbishop Richard Moth served as bishop of Arundel and Brighton in southern England for the past decade until Pope Leo XIV nominated him in December.
Pope Leo XIV appoints Texas cardinal as administrator of Amarillo until new bishop chosen
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 17:00:00 GMT
The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Amarillo Bishop Patrick Zurek, who has reached retirement age.
Ave Maria University to open campus in Ireland
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 16:00:00 GMT
Ave Maria University, a Catholic liberal arts university in Florida, is opening a new campus at a former monastery in rural Ireland. Learn more in this Catholic education news roundup.
Mother of boy healed through intercession of Fulton Sheen celebrates his upcoming beatification
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMT
Bonnie Engstrom, the mother of boy healed through the intercession of Fulton Sheen, provides an update on her son following the announcement of the archbishop’s upcoming beatification.
Mexican priest appeals to violent criminals to repent and convert this Lent
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 14:00:00 GMT
With Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, Mexican priest Father Manuel Corral called on those involved in criminal violence to use this liturgical season as an opportunity for inner conversion.
What this 115-year-old Catholic youth movement can teach a secular Europe
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 13:00:00 GMT
Founded under Russian imperial rule in 1910, Lithuania's Ateitis federation has survived occupations and secularization to become a rare model of sustained Catholic youth engagement in Europe.
Head of U.S. bishops joins call for Notre Dame to drop appointment of pro-abortion professor
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:30:00 GMT
The school has indicated it will stick by its decision for Professor Susan Ostermann to lead a university institute.
New film brings to life the Book of Revelation
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT
Written, created, and directed by Simón Delacre, “The Apocalypse of St. John” will air in theaters across the United States Feb. 15–17.
On Valentine’s Day, Boston Archdiocese welcomes marriages into Church with convalidation ceremony
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT
The archdiocese has seen growing interest in the ceremony for several years.
Pro-lifers rally for baby left to die after failed abortion
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT
Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.
U.S. clergy celebrate Masses in detention centers, urging humane treatment
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 23:37:23 GMT
Archbishop Alexander Sample issued a statement stressing the Church’s duty to safeguard detainees’ access to the sacraments.
ICE must allow Communion, distribution of ashes at Illinois processing facility, judge says
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 22:47:00 GMT
Clergy had argued they “have lost their own religious freedom, by blanket denial of any opportunity to provide spiritual consolation.”
British archdiocese announces exit from social media platform X
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 22:16:00 GMT
The Archdiocese of Liverpool says it’s ditching X, kidnappings continue in Nigeria, and World Youth Day preparations are in full swing. All this and more in this week’s world news roundup.
Amid criticism by bishops, Notre Dame says pro-abortion professor ‘well prepared’ to lead institute
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 20:39:25 GMT
Multiple U.S. bishops have criticized the school’s decision and urged it to rescind the appointment.