Local Church•Testimonies

Colombia’s President-elect Appoints a Dominican Friar as Director of the National Learning Service

The new director’s appointment also reflects the incoming government’s intention to raise the status of technical and technological education, which De la Espriella says should no longer be treated as a second-tier alternative to university studies

Jul 23, 2026 12:06

Enrique Villegas

Local Church•Young People

Research reveals what young Brazilian Catholics are like and what they are looking for: formation, liturgy, and keeping their faith free from politics

Their answers point toward an unexpected conclusion. In an age in which young people are often assumed to be primarily attracted by novelty, many of these Catholics are searching for depth, formation and continuity

Jul 22, 2026 14:49

Enrique Villegas

Local Church•Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV to Visit Uruguay: Cardinal Sturla Reveals Details About the Pope’s Upcoming Trip to South America

The tentative trip would also include Argentina and Peru and could take place between November 5 and 15, with the official schedule expected to be confirmed by the Holy See toward the end of July

Jul 16, 2026 06:49

Enrique Villegas

Good News•Local Church•Testimonies

Cuban and Panamanian nuns save Cuba from literally being left without Mass due to a shortage of Hosts for consecration

The situation was particularly serious because the Eucharist occupies a unique place in Catholic Church. While many pastoral activities can be adapted during difficult times, the celebration of Mass depends upon the availability of bread and wine consecrated according to the Church’s liturgical norms. Without sufficient hosts, parish communities face practical obstacles in sustaining their sacramental life

Jun 25, 2026 17:26

Enrique Villegas

Pope Leo XIV•Vatican Diplomacy

The Argentine government has announced that Pope Leo XIV will visit the country: here’s everything we know

Argentine President Javier Milei stated on May 26 that, “unless a tragedy occurs,” it is “highly probable” that the Pope will visit the country later this year. He credited the progress largely to the efforts of Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, describing the negotiations as having successfully aligned the necessary positions.

May 27, 2026 17:28

Enrique Villegas

Local Church•Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV will visit Uruguay, according to statements from the Uruguayan government: here’s what we know

Uruguay’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that preparations are underway, while the country’s bishops have stated that progress toward the visit is advancing «with hope» and that there is a high probability of the Pope’s arrival

May 22, 2026 09:37

Enrique Villegas

Testimonies

The positive effects of Mass on people’s health, as explained by a medical specialist

From a clinical standpoint, the logic is coherent. Lower rates of smoking and alcohol abuse translate into reduced incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Improved mental health reduces vulnerability to a range of chronic conditions

Apr 29, 2026 10:30

Enrique Villegas

Local Church

Bishops speak out on tensions between Colombia and Ecuador over the trade war and its impact on border communities

The bishops’ intervention reflects mounting concern that what began as a policy dispute over security cooperation has evolved into a multidimensional crisis—economic, diplomatic, and increasingly social

Mar 26, 2026 19:22

Enrique Villegas

Justice and Peace•Vatican Diplomacy

Results of Vatican diplomacy: Amid conflict with the U.S., Cuba will release prisoners

The decision underscores the continued relevance of Vatican diplomacy in Cuba. By combining moral appeals with patient negotiation, the Holy See has repeatedly succeeded in encouraging humanitarian gestures that might otherwise have remained politically impossibl

Mar 13, 2026 13:41

Enrique Villegas

Analysis Opinion•Local Church•Pope Francis

This is how Catholicism declined in Latin America during Pope Francis’ pontificate

The pastoral challenge facing the Catholic Church in Latin America is therefore not the disappearance of faith, but the erosion of the institutional bonds that once sustained it.

Mar 05, 2026 09:47

Enrique Villegas

Local Church

Mexico After “El Mencho”: Bloodshed, Blockades and a Church Plea to “Recover Courage”

Mexico’s homicide rates and the territorial control exerted by criminal groups have for years placed the country among the most violent in the Western Hemisphere. The death of Oseguera, often described as one of the world’s most significant fentanyl traffickers, may mark the end of a chapter

Feb 23, 2026 22:05

Enrique Villegas

Local Church•Persecuted Christians

Exile as Policy: Nicaragua Expels Another Priest as Pressure on the Catholic Church Intensifies

With 309 religious already displaced and over a thousand documented acts of hostility, the pattern is no longer episodic. It has become structural

Feb 19, 2026 17:12

Enrique Villegas