Lebanon: more than 30,000 displaced by escalating violence

Mar 03, 2026 08:41

Evacuation warnings were reportedly sent to around 50 villages, prompting thousands of families onto the roads. Photo: UNICEF/UNI561764/Sánchez

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

Cardinals and Bishops•Local Church

Cardinal Dolan reveals that the US Vice President apologized to him for a false and defamatory comment

Regarding New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim and self-described democratic socialist, Dolan struck a mixed tone. He expressed disappointment at not being invited to Mamdani’s inauguration and noted the limited Catholic presence in the mayor’s transition team

Feb 23, 2026 21:57

Tim Daniels

Amid the polarization between Trump and Leo XIV, U.S. police respond to a bomb threat at the home of the Pope’s brother

Police in New Lenox, a suburban community outside Chicago, responded on the evening of April 15 at approximately 6:30 p.m. to reports of a bomb threat at the home of John Prevost, one of the Pope’s two older brothers

Leo XIV on TIME magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people

Pope Benedict XVI appeared three times, while Francis was featured on six occasions, reflecting different phases in the Church’s engagement with global issues

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”

Cardinal Dolan reveals that the US Vice President apologized to him for a false and defamatory comment