Barcelona’s Basilica of the Holy Family Becomes Officially The Tallest in Europe

Mar 03, 2026 09:07

The piece installed is a large cross with a double-twist geometry method Gaudí used in the columns of the Basilica. Photo: Basilica of the Holy Family

Local Church•Pope Leo XIV

For the first time, a Pope will address the Spanish Parliament: it will be Leo XIV during his visit to Madrid in June 2026

According to converging confirmations from parliamentary and ecclesial sources, the Vatican and the Spanish Congress have agreed to convene a joint session of both chambers of the Cortes Generales so that the Pope may address deputies and senators gathered in the hemicycle

Feb 28, 2026 12:45

Covadonga Asturias

Local Church•Pro Life

Notre Dame University Backs Away from a Contested Appointment

On February 26, the administration of University of Notre Dame confirmed that Professor Susan Ostermann will not assume the directorship of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, a post she had been scheduled to take up in July 2026

Feb 27, 2026 12:34

Tim Daniels

Cardinals and Bishops•Local Church

Heiner Wilmer takes the helm of the German Bishops’ Conference: he will present the controversial Synodal Conference to the Vatican

During the same plenary assembly, the bishops approved the statutes of the future Synodal Conference, intended as a permanent body bringing together bishops and representatives of the Central Committee of German Catholics. The text has been sent to Rome for recognitio, the formal approval required for canonical validity.

Feb 25, 2026 22:44

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Local Church•Pope Leo XIV

Did Pope Leo XIV speak out against the Spanish party Vox, which is aligned with the Trump administration?

The episode underscores how quickly nuanced papal language can be refracted through national political debates—and how carefully episcopal conferences now feel compelled to guard the boundary between pastoral guidance and partisan interpretation

Feb 24, 2026 23:20

Covadonga Asturias

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

Under the agreement with China, Leo XIV appoints a new bishop

Chang Yanfeng, 42, was ordained bishop today under the Sino-Holy See agreement to a diocese that has been without its own pastor for 20 years. Just three weeks ago, the new prelate had to publicly commit the local Church to a controversial law designed to eliminate minorities.

Leo XIV encourages religious to view community life as a source of inspiration and sanctification

Message from Leo XIV to the Conference of Major Superiors of Men’s Religious Orders in the United States

L	M	X	J	V	S	D
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

Barcelona’s Basilica of the Holy Family Becomes Officially The Tallest in Europe

Lebanon: more than 30,000 displaced by escalating violence

Beyond emotion: Spanish bishops publish a critique of the emotionalism of spiritual retreats

German bishops ask Vatican to allow lay people to give homilies, despite rejection in 2023

USA: Bishops take a stand against Trump before the Supreme Court and argue in favor of birthright citizenship

One in three Mexican bishops will be replaced by Pope Leo XIV between 2026 and 2027

Brazilian bishop declares excommunication for Catholics who participate in “traditional” Masses

For the first time, a Pope will address the Spanish Parliament: it will be Leo XIV during his visit to Madrid in June 2026

Notre Dame University Backs Away from a Contested Appointment

Heiner Wilmer takes the helm of the German Bishops’ Conference: he will present the controversial Synodal Conference to the Vatican

Did Pope Leo XIV speak out against the Spanish party Vox, which is aligned with the Trump administration?

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