EWTN News
Trusted global Catholic news, analysis, and multimedia coverage of the Church, Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican, and issues impacting Catholics worldwide.
Bangladesh Christians form human chain demanding Easter public holiday
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:54:00 GMT
Christian leaders and Catholic clergy in the Muslim-majority South Asian nation are urging Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to add Easter Sunday to the government holiday calendar.
European soccer body says Red Star fine was for profanity, not Orthodox icon
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:09:00 GMT
UEFA told EWTN News its fine on a Serbian soccer club was for offensive language, not a massive Orthodox Christian display — contradicting widespread reports the sanction targeted religious imagery.
How does Pope Leo choose his monthly prayer intentions?
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:39:00 GMT
The head of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network offers a look behind the scenes.
Pope Leo on the dignity and mission of the laity: They are the body of Christ
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:09:20 GMT
The pope’s reflection at the general audience was inspired by the Second Vatican Council’s dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium.
84-year-old woman speaks out after being offered euthanasia while visiting Canadian ER for back pain
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT
An advocate said “simply having euthanasia offered already kills a person, because it deflates and defeats a person’s sense of self-worth, self-esteem, and of value.”
Syria’s churches scale back Easter celebrations after attack on Christian town
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT
After an assault on Syria’s town of Al-Suqaylabiyah, questions linger over security and accountability, causing Syria’s Christian communities to change Holy Week and Easter services.
Trump to continue supplying Title X grants to Planned Parenthood for another year
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:34:00 GMT
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said the agency will issue Title X grant notices for 2027 “matched with agency priorities.”
Pope Leo makes Holy Week appeal to Trump, world leaders to end Iran war
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:14:00 GMT
The pope expressed hope that President Donald Trump is seeking a way to decrease violence in the Middle East.
Catholic priest fundraises, gives gift cards to unpaid TSA workers amid partial shutdown
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:54:00 GMT
Father Jim Sichko raised $20,000 for gift cards for TSA workers while they were working without pay amid congressional negotiations about funding.
Religious freedom panel warns of attacks against Christians in central Africa
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:24:00 GMT
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) sounded the alarm over Islamic State groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo after escalating violence against Christians.
Apostleship of the Sea: 20,000 sailors stranded near Strait of Hormuz ‘living in constant anguish’
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:54:23 GMT
The logjam of vessels unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz has created a challenging situation for the Apostleship of the Sea, which provides pastoral care for sailors.
This is Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of April
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:37:00 GMT
In a video released on X, the Holy Father posed a question for the faithful: “Have you ever been in a crisis?”
Catholic Church in Holy Land rejects death penalty, calls for mercy and human dignity
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:52:00 GMT
The Church in Jerusalem is calling for respect for the sanctity of life after the Israeli Knesset recently approved a law permitting the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners.
Vatican official warns of ‘Christianophobia’ in Muslim world and secular West
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:07:00 GMT
A Nigerian archbishop said African missionaries can evangelize a Europe uneasy with its Christian past.
JD Vance announces book exploring his conversion to Catholicism
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:37:05 GMT
“I’m glad I found my way back to the Church. I learned much along the way. But if you believe as I do, you know I’ve been fortunate and touched by God’s grace,” Vance said.
Supreme Court strikes down Colorado ban on ‘conversion therapy’ for minors
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:49:53 GMT
The state’s strict law runs afoul of the First Amendment, the high court said in a near-unanimous ruling.
Vatican cancels 2026 World Children’s Day
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:28:08 GMT
Rome event set for Sept. 25–27 is scrapped as the Vatican says children’s pastoral initiatives should instead be held locally with families.
Catholic bishops ‘won’t be silent’ as security, humanitarian situation worsen in DR Congo
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:00:00 GMT
Members of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo have pledged not to remain silent in the face of the worsening security and humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Church and Spanish government sign protocol for compensating abuse victims
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT
After lengthy negotiations, the Church and the Spanish government established a system in order to compensate victims of abuse within the Catholic Church.
Before Pope Leo lands in Algeria, advocates want the world to know what Christians face there
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT
Ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s expected visit to Algeria in April, advocates told the U.N. Human Rights Council that Christians there face laws that criminalize conversion and shutter churches.
Plaintiff discusses landmark settlement curbing government social media censorship
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT
Dr. Aaron Kheriaty spoke with EWTN News about the precedent-setting outcome of the Missouri v. Biden case, which restricts government agencies from censoring the plaintiffs’ free speech.
Leo XIV: The most difficult circumstances can be transformed by the power of love
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:51:00 GMT
In an audience with the Illinois Municipal League, the pontiff said that Gospel values can be applied to city government to the benefit of the most vulnerable and for the common good.
White House defends praying for U.S. troops after pope condemns using prayers to justify war
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:21:00 GMT
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said there is nothing wrong with the president and military leaders “calling on the American people to pray for our service members.”
Pope names members with U.S. ties to Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:51:00 GMT
Pope Leo XIV has chosen four U.S. Catholics to serve in a Vatican office that focuses heavily on immigration.
Vatican affirms future of Anglican ordinariates: ‘A precious gift and a treasure to be shared’
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:21:00 GMT
Bishop Steven Lopes welcomed a Vatican document as a significant encouragement, calling it “an exhortation to live this patrimony in all of its richness.”
Cardinal of Tehran prays in Rome for ‘end to violence’ in Persian Gulf
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:51:30 GMT
In the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome, Cardinal Dominique Mathieu, archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan, on Monday evening stood in prayer for peace.
Mexican bishops: Holy Week reminds us that ‘evil does not have the last word’
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:29:29 GMT
Mexico’s bishops emphasized the transformative power of the cross of Christ and that, despite the trials of this life, Jesus has the final victory.
Palm Sunday attack in Nigeria’s Jos Archdiocese leaves 11 dead, curfew imposed
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:36:58 GMT
A deadly attack has left at least 11 people dead and several others injured following an attack by suspected gunmen in Gari Ya Waye community, Angwan Rukuba, served by Nigeria’s Archdiocese of Jos.
Adult conversions soar in dioceses across U.S.
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:17:31 GMT
The National Catholic Register contacted all 175 Latin-rite territorial dioceses in the United States, seeking numbers of people planning to join the Catholic Church at Easter 2026.
Bishops’ commission considers social, cultural, and pastoral factors behind polygamy in Africa
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:49:19 GMT
The final report addressing the pastoral challenge of polygamy in Africa draws attention to a wide range of social, cultural, and pastoral realities shaping the practice across the continent.
Jerusalem churches reach temporary deal with Israeli authorities over Holy Week access
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:55:00 GMT
The announcement came after the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem and the custos of the Holy Land were restricted from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday.
Pope names Vatican diplomats to key positions in Secretariat of State, papal household
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:25:28 GMT
Archbishop Paolo Rudelli is the new head of the general affairs section of the Secretariat of State and Archbishop Petar Rajič is the new prefect of the Papal Household.
EU appoints McGuinness as special envoy for religious freedom after 16-month vacancy
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:30:00 GMT
EU bishops and lawmakers welcomed the appointment of veteran Irish politician Mairead McGuinness to lead the bloc’s global religious freedom diplomacy, a post left unfilled for more than a year.
Dialogue between Orthodox and Catholic churches could see opening, George Weigel says
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT
John Paul II’s biographer, George Weigel, said Pope Leo XIV could offer a meaningful olive branch to Orthodox churches as the war in Ukraine continues.
Criminals pose as Catholic Charities in ‘nationwide’ scam targeting immigrants in the U.S.
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT
Criminals are using phone calls and the internet to steal thousands of dollars from “desperate” immigrants.
Israeli police block cardinal, custos from entering Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:37:38 GMT
Police stopped the two Church leaders on their way as they were proceeding privately “without any ceremonial or liturgical manifestations” and forced them to turn back.
Pope Leo XIV says God ‘does not listen’ to prayers of those who wage war
Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:42:44 GMT
At Palm Sunday Mass and the Angelus following it, the pope prayed for Middle East Christians, victims of war, and migrants who died at sea off Crete.
Ahead of Angola papal visit, journalists urged to ‘deepen knowledge’ of Catholic Church
Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT
Bishop António Francisco Jaca emphasized that credible coverage of the papal events requires familiarity with the Church’s structure, mission, and foundational texts.
‘The Christ’: First-of-its-kind audio drama retells Jesus’ life this Holy Week
Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT
The new podcast will be released during Holy Week — beginning March 30 and ending on April 2.
Here is Pope Leo XIV’s schedule for Holy Week and Easter 2026 at the Vatican
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 20:00:00 GMT
Palm Sunday marks the start of the one of the busiest and fullest liturgical periods of the year for the Catholic Church and the Vatican.
PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV’s one-day trip to Monaco
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 17:13:59 GMT
The Holy Father met with the country’s royalty, addressed Catholic youth, and celebrated Mass at Louis II Stadium.
Pope Leo XIV at Monaco stadium Mass: Wars are ‘the result of the idolatry of power and money’
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 15:54:50 GMT
The Holy Father during his homily at Monaco’s Louis II Stadium urged the faithful to “not get used to the rumble of weapons or the images of war.”
Pope Leo XIV warns of a faith reduced to 'custom', asks for Church to reflect the love of God
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 13:06:51 GMT
The Holy Father urged Catholics in Monaco to "announce the Gospel of life, hope and love" and defend the dignity of human beings from birth to death.
Pope Leo XIV to youth of Monaco: 'Do not be afraid to give everything to God'
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:30:00 GMT
The Holy Father described the Monacan patron Saint Devota as "a courageous young woman who knew how to bear witness to her faith."
Bangladesh bishops say ‘no’ to government financial support
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT
Bangladesh bishops say “no” to government support, Seoul archbishop urges defense of life amid war, second church built in Mosul after ISIS, and more in this week’s roundup of Catholic world news.
Read Pope Leo XIV’s homily to Catholics at Monaco’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 11:52:12 GMT
The Holy Father arrived in Monaco as part of a one-day visit on March 28.
Pope Leo XIV tells Monaco: ‘It is the humble who shape history’
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:29:07 GMT
The pope’s whirlwind visit to Monaco began with a meeting with the country’s royal family and an address to the small city-state.
Pope Leo XIV visits Monaco
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:01:28 GMT
The Holy Father's one-day trip includes a meeting with the country's royal family along with a stadium Mass.
10 Catholic facts about Monaco: Billionaires, martyrs, and Europe’s last Catholic state
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT
Pope Leo XIV will make a historic one-day visit to the principality of Monaco on March 28. Here are 10 key things to know about the tiny nation and its enduring Catholic identity.
Mother Angelica’s enduring legacy celebrated at Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica
Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:30:44 GMT
Mother Angelica knew from experience that “God works through humble, unexpected instruments to spread his Gospel,” said the principal celebrant at the Mass, Father Michael Baggot, LC.