TRUMP'S WAR ON CATHOLICISM

Leo XIV and Macron meet: peace is both a ‘duty and a requirement’

Leo XIV and Macron meet: peace is both a ‘duty and a requirement’ The two leaders expressed their common conviction on the necessity of dialogue and negotiations to resolve conflicts between nations.

Poll: Catholic support for President Donald Trump drops below 50% amid Iran war A poll shows Catholics disapprove of President Donald Trump’s performance as president, overall, including on how he has handled the conflict with Iran.

Tehran cardinal breaks silence: ‘I celebrated the Easter Vigil carrying you all in my heart’ The archbishop of Tehran reflects on being separated from his flock on Easter, a Filipino bishop speaks out for doves, a French church is vandalized, and more in this week’s world news roundup. ‘No one felt safe’: Catholics continue aid in Lebanon amid deadly Israeli strike Catholic aid workers in Beirut offer details on Israel’s deadliest attack on the country, which took place this week.

Alabama updates law allowing students time for off-campus religious instruction The measure adds clearer guidelines and protections requested by school superintendents.

The art of celebrating the Easter season

The art of celebrating the Easter season By Dr. R. Jared Staudt on Apr 09, 2026 04:26 pm Easter is the feast of all feasts, and its fifty-day season stands atop the liturgical year as its climax. While we might recognize this reality, the Easter season can seem like a letdown. While the [...] Read in browser » The implications for religious freedom in Zinski v. Liberty University By Charles J. Russo on Apr 09, 2026 02:30 pm The latest battle in the sexual revolution, placing religious freedom at risk, emerged in Zinski v. Liberty University (Feb. 2025). Controversy arose after Liberty officials hired Jonathan Zinski, who agreed to follow the school’s Doctrinal [...] Read in browser » Concordat with Vatican halted in Czech Republic over seal of confession By Bohumil Petrík on Apr 09, 2026 11:30 am Experts say the ruling is a setback for religious freedom in one of Europe’s most secular countries, where a concordat had been decades in the making. [...] Read in browser » In gratitude for the Ordinariate By Larry Chapp on Apr 08, 2026 04:43 pm Recently, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a document on the importance of the Anglican Ordinariates. The text has a long and rather awkward title: “Characteristics of the Anglican Heritage as Lived [...] Read in browser » Why Pakistan’s bishops doubt government will act on minor’s forced marriage By Kamran Chaudhry on Apr 08, 2026 11:06 am Bishop Samson Shukardin said government committees are often delayed so people forget, as protests continue over the marriage of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz. [...] Read in browser » What the Wall Street Journal didn’t print By George Weigel on Apr 08, 2026 04:00 am On March 21, the Wall Street Journal published a lengthy profile of the Pope as its “Saturday Essay.” The subtitle—“Pope Leo XIV pushes back against President Trump. Can the pontiff from Chicago make a difference in an [...] Read in browser » Extra, extra! News and views for Wednesday, April 8, 2026 By CWR Staff on Apr 08, 2026 03:00 am Orwell, Lewis, and Us: What Contemporaries Share Without Seeing (Miller’s Book Review): “In a 1944 issue of Tribune, George Orwell took a jab at C.S. Lewis. His target was Beyond Personality, the collected radio talks that would later become [...] Read in browser » Napa Institute’s 16th annual summer conference to focus on “A More Perfect Union” By Jim Graves on Apr 07, 2026 01:39 pm The 16th Annual Napa Institute Summer Conference will be held at The Meritage Resort and Spa, 875 Bordeaux Way, Napa, California, July 22-26, 2026. The event features presentations by a variety of prominent Catholic clergy and [...] Read in browser » Punk space odyssey with a deeper—and providential—purpose By Nick Olszyk on Apr 07, 2026 10:44 am FCC Rating: PG-13 Reel Rating: 4 out of 5 reels Note: Some spoilers ahead! There are few things as remote, extreme, or beautiful as outer space, despite it comprising most of our universe. Space has [...] Read in browser » How much emphasis on politics? And to what end? By James Kalb on Apr 07, 2026 03:00 am People today expect politics to give more than it can, often to the point of secular utopianism. There are two basic reasons for that. The first is a decline in transcendental faith. People need an [...] Read in browser » Children’s stories should prepare children for reality By David Warren on Apr 06, 2026 11:50 pm Authors of today’s children’s stories want to help little ones approach big questions. They have no apprehension about raising questions of existence, self-worth, and purpose in life. Although these are not light topics that can [...] Read in browser » French priest Henri Caffarel, founder of Teams of Our Lady, declared venerable by Pope Leo XIV By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú on Apr 06, 2026 09:17 am A married couple that leads the Teams of Our Lady, founded by newly-declared Venerable Father Henri Caffarel, explains how this lay apostolate helps couples grow together in holiness. [...] Read in browser » Disenchantment or Desecration? An interview with Carl R. Trueman By Carl E. Olson on Apr 06, 2026 03:00 am Carl R. Trueman is a professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College and a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, as well as a prolific author. Last year, we conversed [...] Read in browser » The Relevance of the Resurrection By Dr. Randall B. Smith on Apr 05, 2026 02:00 pm Christ’s glorified body tells us that the promise of eternal life which Jesus’s death and resurrection has opened up for us results not in obliteration [...] Read in browser » What Exactly is Easter? By James V. Schall, S.J. on Apr 05, 2026 04:30 am I. As a general principle, an honest man will want to know what something is, or is said to be, before he decides whether he thinks it is true or that he must do anything [...] Read in browser » Resurrection and Witness By Carl E. Olson on Apr 05, 2026 04:00 am Imagine for a moment that the Apostle Peter, standing before the Roman centurion Cornelius, had said, with a somewhat embarrassed grimace, “Well, it’s my personal opinion that Jesus rose from the dead—whatever that means. But that’s [...] Read in browser » Claire Lai: “My dad wants people to reflect on Our Savior’s suffering for us…” By Jim Graves on Apr 04, 2026 03:30 pm Claire Lai, daughter of imprisoned Hong Kong democracy advocate and devout Catholic convert Jimmy Lai, has become a prominent advocate for the release of her 78-year-old father, believing his conviction for colluding with foreign Chinese [...] Read in browser » Government of Cuba announces release of more than 2,000 prisoners for Easter By Walter Sánchez Silva on Apr 04, 2026 11:00 am The government said it was making the release "in the context of the religious celebrations of Holy Week." [..] Read in browser » To overcome death or to see it By David G. Bonagura, Jr. on Apr 04, 2026 04:00 am The events of Holy Week conquered the deepest fear of mankind: death. Human beings have been trying to outrun death for as long as they have been alive, but only through Jesus Christ, crucified and [...] Read in browser » PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV carries the cross at the Via Crucis in the Colosseum By EWTN News Staff on Apr 03, 2026 04:45 pm The pope personally carried the cross through every station of the Good Friday Way of the Cross at the Colosseum. [...] Read in browser »

3 realities the Catholic church must face

As Jerusalem holy sites reopen, Jews, Muslims and Christians flock to pray
Religion News Service: Thousands of Jews, Muslims and Christians flocked to the Old City of Jerusalem Thursday to pray at the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the day after a two-week ceasefire was announced.

 

The Iranian church persists*
Christianity Today: Amid war, some Christians are evangelizing, preparing food for neighbors, and displaying other acts of generosity.

 

Pope Leo’s visit to Africa: theology scholar outlines 3 realities the Catholic church must face
The Conversation: Pope Leo’s visit offers a powerful historical reminder of the continent’s foundational role in shaping the church, particularly in its first five centuries.
Religion Unplugged: Augustine: The man who forever rewired Christianity

 

DNA analysis claiming new origins for the Shroud of Turin doesn't hold up, experts say
Scientific American: A metagenomic study of this cloth, controversially purported to bear the imprint of the body of Jesus Christ, has little to say about the relic’s origins.

 

In historic first, Baylor will allow gay Christian advocates on campus
Baptist News Global: Faced with a mounting backlash against a Turning Point USA rally, Baylor University has granted student groups permission to hold a counter-event on campus with two well-known gay Christians as speakers.