EWTN News
Trusted global Catholic news, analysis, and multimedia coverage of the Church, Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican, and issues impacting Catholics worldwide.
Catholic, interfaith leaders press Ohio lawmakers to abolish death penalty
Mon, 04 May 2026 21:50:03 GMT
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, a Catholic, is expected to issue a statement on the death penalty after the May 5 primary election.
Vatican publishes 2024 letter prohibiting formal blessings for homosexual couples in Germany
Mon, 04 May 2026 21:15:00 GMT
As it was already circulating on the internet, the Vatican decided to go public with a 2024 letter to the German bishops reiterating that blessings for same-sex couples could not be formalized.
Christians comprise barely 2% of Holy Land: ‘Pray for a future,’ abbot urges
Mon, 04 May 2026 20:45:00 GMT
With a shrinking Christian population, the Holy Land could end up being a “Christian Disneyland” featuring the holy sites as tourist attractions but with no living Christian presence.
Supreme Court temporarily lifts ban on mail-order abortion drugs
Mon, 04 May 2026 20:15:38 GMT
At the behest of two abortion drug companies, the Supreme Court is temporarily lifting the ban on mail-order abortion drugs after a lower court ruled that the policy undermined Louisiana state law.
DePaul University conference on Pope Leo draws conversation about AI, human dignity
Mon, 04 May 2026 19:26:00 GMT
AI “machines do not have soul,” Jesuit Father Philip Larrey said. “Only God can be responsible for the creation of the soul.”
Catholic mental health professionals react to executive order removing barriers to psychedelic drugs
Mon, 04 May 2026 18:56:00 GMT
The executive order notes that more than 14 million American adults now suffer from serious mental illness, a large rise from a decade ago.
Bishop Chylinski urges compassion during Mental Health Awareness Month
Mon, 04 May 2026 18:12:00 GMT
“Know that no matter what you’re going through, no matter what you’re suffering, that in Christ there is always hope,” Auxiliary Bishop Keith Chylinski of Philadelphia said. “You are never alone.”
Who was Pope Leo XIV before he became pope?
Mon, 04 May 2026 17:42:00 GMT
A new book gathers writings and meditations from Leo’s years as Augustinian prior general, offering a look at the spirituality that shaped his pontificate.
Catholic community in shock after terrorists torch historic church in Mozambique
Mon, 04 May 2026 17:12:00 GMT
The bishop of the Pemba Diocese in northern Mozambique has expressed sadness and solidarity with victims of violence in a region where Islamist insurgency has persisted for nearly nine years.
Canadian priest offered euthanasia twice while recovering from hip fracture
Mon, 04 May 2026 16:42:00 GMT
A Vancouver priest says he was twice offered assisted death by hospital medical staff who knew he was a priest and opposed to euthanasia — a practice critics say is growing.
Pope Leo to meet Rubio following tensions with Trump
Mon, 04 May 2026 16:12:48 GMT
The Holy See Press Office confirmed that the pontiff will meet with the U.S. secretary of state on May 7.
Pope Leo XIV: U.S. charities face challenges, but Christ is with us
Mon, 04 May 2026 15:24:29 GMT
The pope met on Monday with representatives of Catholic Charities USA.
Pope Leo to visit a much more secularized Spain since Pope Benedict’s World Youth Day in 2011
Mon, 04 May 2026 14:46:08 GMT
Two experts analyze the state of the Catholic faith among Spanish youth today, noting that while Spain is increasingly secularized, the faith is growing among young people.
Ethics and Public Policy Center at 50: A part of America’s ‘secret sauce’
Mon, 04 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT
Several hundred supporters gathered to celebrate the ecumenical think tank that engages on public policy questions within the context of America’s historic Judeo-Christian moral framework.
Pope Leo XIV remembers journalists killed by war and violence
Sun, 03 May 2026 12:12:17 GMT
The pontiff said Christians reveal that "fraternity and peace are our calling" by loving as Christ loved.
In Syria, icon restoration becomes quiet fight to preserve Christian memory
Sun, 03 May 2026 11:00:00 GMT
A Syrian artist says restoration work on icons brings together history, chemistry, and art — and that protecting an icon is protecting history.
Race car driver’s gift fuels mobile ministry in Ohio diocese
Sun, 03 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT
A cargo van donated by a drag racing and stock car driver has become a mobile outreach ministry reaching Ohio communities in need.
Answering call to serve the poor: Papal Foundation announces more than $15 million in grants
Sat, 02 May 2026 15:00:38 GMT
The grants will fund initiatives across the globe including the construction and renovation of Catholic schools, monasteries, orphanages, and medical clinics in numerous countries.
Israel arrests man suspected of assault against French nun in Jerusalem
Sat, 02 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT
Israel arrests religious sister’s alleged attacker, Polish influencer honors JPII while raising money for charity, Indonesian cathedral turns 125, and more in this week’s world news roundup.
Toronto Catholic conference to explore breakdown of the social covenant
Sat, 02 May 2026 11:00:00 GMT
The inaugural conference, “Restoring the Covenant: Catholic Social Teaching as Common Social Ground,” will take place May 30 at De La Salle Oaklands College in Toronto.
22 miles of faith: Catholic family of 10 turns Walk to Mary pilgrimage into a tradition
Sat, 02 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT
This year an Illinois family will make the entire 22-mile trek to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin, which honors the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States.
The life and legacy of St. Athanasius, champion of the Nicene Creed
Sat, 02 May 2026 08:00:00 GMT
St. Athanasius, celebrated on May 2, was a fourth-century bishop who is known as “the father of orthodoxy” for his dedication to the doctrine of Christ’s divinity.
Court halts mailing of mifepristone prescriptions nationwide
Fri, 01 May 2026 23:44:22 GMT
A federal appeals court in New Orleans ruled to require in-person distribution of the abortion pill mifepristone, the most prevalent form of abortion in the U.S.
Pope Leo XIV responds to letter from victims of Minab girls’ school strike in Iran
Fri, 01 May 2026 22:59:00 GMT
“The issue is not whether there is regime change or not; the issue is how to promote the values we believe in without the death of so many innocent people," Pope Leo XIV said.
Former federal prosecutor: ‘I’d like to prosecute any nun who still wears the head habit’
Fri, 01 May 2026 22:29:00 GMT
The Senate Judiciary Committee released the texts by ex-prosecutors who were dismissed shortly after Donald Trump returned to the presidency.
U.S. House passes farm bill that would reshape global food aid program
Fri, 01 May 2026 21:59:00 GMT
The U.S. House advanced legislation that could change how the U.S. delivers international food assistance. Senate consideration is next.
New bill could end federal Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood
Fri, 01 May 2026 21:29:00 GMT
Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.
Vatican detected 78 suspicious activities in its financial system in 2025
Fri, 01 May 2026 20:59:00 GMT
The report by the Supervisory and Financial Information and Authority for 2025 detailed the efforts at transparency and accountability in Vatican financial affairs.
Lawmakers, activists rally behind proposed ban of ‘inhumane’ dismemberment abortion
Fri, 01 May 2026 20:29:08 GMT
Republican legislators have introduced a bill to protect the unborn from a form of second trimester abortion that involves dismembering the bodies of unborn children.
It’s the Good Friday of the pro-life cause in Mexico, lawyer says
Fri, 01 May 2026 17:41:57 GMT
As Mexico's highest court deliberates over a law that could legalize abortion on demand, a pro-life lawyer is promoting her book, which offers 20 of the best non-religious arguments against abortion.
This is Pope Leo’s prayer intention for the month of May
Fri, 01 May 2026 16:31:00 GMT
Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of May is that everyone might have food.
‘Truthful, respectful’: Czech bishop backs Sudeten German gathering in Brno
Fri, 01 May 2026 16:01:00 GMT
Bishop Pavel Konzbul of Brno, Czech Republic, is backing the late-May gathering despite a public backlash led by former Czech presidents Václav Klaus and Miloš Zeman.
Priest beaten, robbed at church amid wave of attacks on Catholics in Bangladesh
Fri, 01 May 2026 15:31:00 GMT
Authorities detained three men in connection with the late-night assault and theft at De Mazenod Catholic Church in Dhaka, the latest in a string of attacks on Bangladesh's small Christian minority.
New York Archdiocese agrees to nearly $1 billion settlement for sexual abuse victims
Fri, 01 May 2026 15:01:08 GMT
The proposal is subject to final approval by a committee of abuse victims.
Pakistani bishops welcome new child marriage law but warn enforcement is the test
Fri, 01 May 2026 14:31:00 GMT
Catholic leaders called the new law a “defining move” to safeguard childhood but said enforcement and unresolved consent rules will determine whether it actually protects vulnerable girls.
Pope Leo XIV appoints 4 new bishops to multiple U.S. dioceses
Fri, 01 May 2026 13:46:07 GMT
The Vatican announced new ordinaries and auxiliary bishops for dioceses in several American states on May 1.
London Marathon winner Sabastian Sawe ‘never misses Mass’
Fri, 01 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT
A parish staff member and former teacher speaks about the athletic champion’s strong Catholic roots, active participation in parish activities, and generosity to the Church.
Here’s why the month of May is dedicated to the Virgin Mary
Fri, 01 May 2026 09:00:00 GMT
The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God and spiritual mother of all.
The story behind the feast of St. Joseph the Worker
Fri, 01 May 2026 08:00:00 GMT
St. Joseph, the beloved spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and earthly father of Jesus, is celebrated twice by the Catholic Church every year — March 19 and May 1.
Vatican revokes multiple parish fund transfers in Buffalo Diocese amid disputed merger plan
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:32:00 GMT
The Dicastery for the Clergy struck down Buffalo Bishop Michael Fisher’s “assessment allocation decrees” after appeals from the parishes.
Lawsuit before Supreme Court seeks to force U.S. bishops to return ‘millions’ of papal donations
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:02:00 GMT
A Rhode Island man claims he was misled by Church leaders about Peter’s Pence, the ancient offering to the Holy See.
Advanced technology recovers 42 lost pages of ancient New Testament manuscript
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:32:00 GMT
Among the key findings are ancient lists of chapters considered the oldest known for St. Paul’s epistles, which differ notably from the current division of these texts.
U.S. bishops urge Congress to reject IVF mandate, citing harm to embryos and conscience rights
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:02:00 GMT
Bishops said mandating insurance coverage for IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies violates human dignity, threatens religious freedom, and ignores restorative medical alternatives.
Diocese of Oakland announces closure of 13 parishes amid declining resources
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:32:00 GMT
“The status quo is not sustainable nor is it serving God’s people,” Bishop Michael Barber said.
Catholic bishops warn against failure of nuclear treaty, urge renewed push for disarmament
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:02:00 GMT
“Clearly the nuclear threats are escalating,” the bishops said, “and we are sliding backwards with massive modernization programs to keep nuclear weapons forever.”
Our Lady of Christendom pilgrimage takes place in Italy for the sanctification of souls
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:32:00 GMT
The April 25–27 pilgrimage, one of several featuring the Traditional Latin Mass, set out from St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome and concluded at the Benedictine monastery in Subiaco, Italy.
Prosecutors say Oklahoma deacon stole more than $1.4 million from Tulsa parish
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:02:00 GMT
Deacon John Sommer allegedly transferred funds into a private bank account while serving as parish manager.
Bishops announce shrine honoring Father Augustine Tolton
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:32:00 GMT
The shrine will be a holy site of the first recognized Black Catholic priest in the United States.
Central Minnesota diocese to merge 131 parishes into 48 parish groups
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:02:00 GMT
Due to a shortage of priests and parishioners, the Diocese of Saint Cloud in central Minnesota is sharply reducing parishes as part of a long-term pastoral initiative.
Monsignor Robert Coll, creator of Operation Rice Bowl, dies at 95
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:32:00 GMT
Monsignor Robert Coll, a retired priest of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, died April 20 in Naples, Florida.