Jury delivers $16 million verdict against Oakland Diocese in bellwether sex abuse case

An Alameda County jury on Wednesday delivered a $16 million verdict against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, in a key lawsuit that could have far-reaching consequences for hundreds of people claiming decades of abuse by the church’s priests.

The jury ordered the payout to a former Union City altar boy — now a 61-year-old father of four — who claimed he had twice been molested in 1975 by a notorious priest, Stephen Kiesle, during church sleepovers. 

The lawsuit was one of six so-called “bellwether” cases against the diocese, which were allowed to proceed toward trial after years of delays brought on the diocese’s decision to file for bankruptcy protection in 2023.

On Wednesday, an attorney for that former altar boy hailed the verdict as a message to the Diocese to significantly increase their settlement offers, amid glacial progress toward reaching an accord in some 350 other lawsuits claiming similar abuse. 

The verdict “shows that our community recognizes how harmful – not just for a week or a month but for a lifetime – sexual abuse of a child is,” said the attorney, Rick Simons.

“People, parents and adults are tired of the bullshit coming from these institutions,” Simons said. “They’re tired of kids being abused, and they want it to stop.”

Attempts by this news outlet to reach representatives for the diocese were not immediately successful.

The jury found that the diocese was liable for $12 million in past non-economic damages, as well as $4 million in future non-economic damages.

That former altar boy, who is named as John Doe in the lawsuit, described during testimony this week being made to undress in Kiesle’s rectory bedroom during a sleepover as a fifth-grader, before being molested alongside another child as part of a role-playing bedtime story.

The repeated sexual assaults left the long-ago altar boy with decades of post-traumatic stress that he often buried “with two feet of concrete,” and led to thousands of dollars in therapy treatments, according to court testimony.

Until now, the case had ranked among the hundreds of lawsuits that had been placed on hold when the diocese declared bankruptcy in May 2023. 

But last year, a bankruptcy judge allowed six of those lawsuits to proceed to trial, so that each side could gauge how juries would react to their claims and potentially hasten an all-encompassing settlement. The next such case could begin in the coming months.

Both sides remain far apart on any potential deal. 

A committee representing the abuse victims most recently demanded $314.1 million over the course of three-and-a-half years from the diocese and a related corporation overseeing its schools. 

That compared with an offer of $180 million from the diocese and that corporation, including an additional $44.3 million from its insurers; the victims’ committee wants to negotiate its own settlement with those insurance companies, on the premise that they could secure significantly more money from them.

Kiesle is alleged to have abused victims in more than five dozen of the 350 or so pending lawsuits against the Oakland diocese.

The former priest pleaded no contest in 1978 to a misdemeanor charge of lewd conduct for tying up and sexually abusing two other boys at Our Lady of the Rosary in Union City. 

Yet despite his conviction — and the three-year sentence of probation that followed — he remained a part of the church during the 1970s and ’80s.

Kiesle continued working with the church after being defrocked in 1987; a subsequent wave of molestation charges led to a six-year prison sentence in 2004, after which he was forced to register as a sex offender. 

He has not appeared in court this month due to the fact he is currently serving another prison sentence in a 2022 vehicular manslaughter case.

During the trial, attorneys for the diocese do not dispute that Kiesle abused the boy. 

Rather, they questioned during opening statements whether the man’s decades-long mental struggles were caused by the abuse or by a series of other traumas he experienced in his life, including the death of his best friend from a brain tumor in fifth grade, bullying in middle school and his mother’s alcoholism.

Taking the stand, the former altar boy described being initially offered compensation by the diocese for therapy from 2002 through 2010.

Yet he testified that the the church ended that aid in 2010, after the man’s clinician objected to demands by the diocese to share information about his diagnosis and prognosis. 

The diocese’s demands for that information “hurt me,” the man testified, “because in a way, I felt like this was them not believing that something did happen to me.”

Limerick Diocese puts riverside site on the market for close to €3m

LIMERICK Diocese has put a five-acre riverside site in Corbally on sale for an asking price of almost €3m.

It comes after Bishop Brendan Leahy revealed it was bringing the land to market in order to tackle a funding deficit brought about by the drop in attendance at church Mass.

Located adjacent to the Diocesan Centre and St Munchin’s School, the site is zoned for residential, meaning housing is allowed to be constructed on site.

Offers are being invited for the land, with the bidding price starting from €2.275m.

Auctioneer PJ Power, based in O’Connell Street is carrying out the sale of the land.

As part of information to support the sale, the land is described as “primarily greenfield” and “bounded by mature woodland and the River Shannon to the north with the site bounding the main Corbally Road adjacent to the existing main entrance to St Munchin’s College.”

“The site boundaries are primarily regular in shape, with the site having extensive frontage onto both its boundary with the River Shannon and Corbally Road,” added the auctioneer.

The land is located just beside Athlunkard Bridge, which splits Limerick City from south-east Clare, with Westbury on the other side of the River Shannon.

Speaking last week, Bishop Leahy warned further land sales may be necessary in the future.

Bishop Leahy said the deficit facing the Diocese of Limerick is not sustainable in the long-term.

“The reality is that we are facing into a sustained position of a yearly deficit in our budget. While we are fortunate to have some reserves, this is not a situation that can continue indefinitely,” he warned.

The Diocese employs the equivalent of 13 full-time staff delivering a wide range of services to parishes and priests across Limerick.

Cork bishop oversees 46 Cloyne parishes dividing into 15 new areas

The Diocese of Cloyne has published plans outlining details of new pastoral areas that are to come into effect under agreed changes.

Following a series of meetings and discussions overseen by a Cloyne Diocesan review group, the aim of the revised areas is to provide a more effective pastoral service to all parishes in the diocese.

Under the plans, the 46 parishes across Cloyne will be divided into 15 separate pastoral areas.

While changes will see the individual parishes retain their autonomy and structures, the plan aims to improve pastoral care and support for the communities within these pastoral areas.

A timeline for the establishment of the pastoral areas has yet to be agreed upon, but the diocese has committed to sharing more information with the priests and pastoral councils in due course.

A draft map illustrates the agreed 15 pastoral areas. 

For example, the parishes of Macroom, Aghinagh and Aghabullogue are to come together to form one new pastoral area. 

While the parishes of Donoughmore, Grenagh, Blarney and Inniscarra would also come together under a new pastoral area.

The Bishop of Cloyne, William Crean, told The Echo “We have met with priests and we have met with representatives from all of the parishes, asking questions about how best we make sure that the pastoral life of the parishes will be services into the future.

“Really our development of the pastoral areas is to enable the leadership in all of the parishes to work together in a structured way. To make sure all of the areas in the various parishes are being looked after,” said Bishop Crean.

“We have been engaged in discussions right across the diocese for about 15 months now. It has been directed by a group, mostly of lay people, who I have invited to serve as a diocesan review group.

“They have looked at basically the status of the diocese just at this time, such as the number of priests, the number of schools and various organisations that we have at work and service in the diocese,” he added.

“The purpose of these adjustments is to support and strengthen one another and our families in the faith. As we move forward it is important for us not to focus on numbers alone. Rather the quality and depth of our commitment is what matters.

“We are grateful to all who are leading us on this path of renewal and adjustment.”

Vatican prepares new phases of the Synod and convenes key meetings for 2026 and 2028

The General Secretariat of the Synod has convened the XVI Ordinary Council to advance the implementation of the final document of the Synod on Synodality and to organize new international meetings scheduled for 2026 and 2028.

Synod Council Meeting

The meeting took place on April 17 in online format and was chaired by Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod. The session began with a prayer led by Undersecretary Nathalie Becquart.

During the meeting, the current status of the implementation phase of the final document of the Synod was addressed, as well as the work of the study groups, whose final reports are in the process of being published.

Preparation of New Continental Assemblies

Among the decisions adopted, the convening of a preparatory meeting to be held from June 23 to 25, 2026, stands out, aimed at organizing the continental evaluation assemblies scheduled for 2028.

Representatives from the Eastern Patriarchates, those responsible for international episcopal conferences, and the presidents of the episcopal conferences of the United States and Canada, accompanied by their synodal teams, are invited to this meeting.

Pope Leo XIV will participate in a specific working session within this meeting.

World Meeting on the Family in October

In addition, the Vatican has announced a meeting to take place from October 7 to 14, 2026, in which the presidents of episcopal conferences from around the world will participate to reflect on the family in light of the apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia.

This convening was previously announced by Pope Leo XIV on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the document. 

The objective, as indicated, is to advance in a joint discernment on the evangelization of families in the current context.

The organization of this meeting has been entrusted to the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, with methodological support from the Synod Secretariat.

A Consultative Process, Not a New Synodal Assembly

From the General Secretariat, it has been emphasized that this October meeting will not constitute a new synodal assembly, but rather a consultative meeting of the Pope with those responsible for the episcopal conferences and the Eastern Churches.

Progress on the Implementation Document

During the session, Jesuit Giacomo Costa presented a proposed document to guide the implementation phase of the Synod, especially regarding the organization of future evaluation assemblies.

The Council debated the text and approved its general structure. 

The definitive version will be reviewed in the coming weeks and is expected to be published before the summer, as a complement to the guidelines already disseminated in 2025.

APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF POPE LEO XIV TO ALGERIA, CAMEROON, ANGOLA AND EQUATORIAL GUINEA (13–23 April 2026) - VISIT TO BATA PRISON

GREETING OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV

Bata

Wednesday, 22 April 2026

_____________________________

Dear brothers and sisters,

In some places, it is said that rain is a sign of God’s blessing. Let us pray that this may indeed be the case. And let us also live this moment as a sign of God’s closeness, a God who never abandons us.

I have listened carefully to your words. Thank you for your sincerity, and for showing us that human dignity and hope are never lost, even in the midst of difficulties.

Today, I am here to tell you something simple: no one is excluded from God’s love! Each of us, with our unique stories, mistakes and sufferings, remains precious in the Lord’s eyes. 

We can say this with certainty, because Jesus revealed it to us in every encounter, every gesture and every word. Even when he was arrested, condemned and put to death through no fault of his own, he loved us to the very end. In doing so, he showed us that he believed in the power of love to change even the hardest of hearts.

On this journey, I have experienced Equatorial Guinea as a land rich in cultures, languages and traditions. Your families, communities and faith are a great source of strength for this nation. You, too, are also part of this country. The administration of justice aims to protect society. To be effective, however, it must always promote the dignity and potential of every person. 

True justice seeks not so much to punish as to help rebuild the lives of victims, offenders and communities wounded by evil. There is no justice without reconciliation. This is an immense undertaking. Part of it can happen within prisons, but the greater part must involve the entire national community, in order to prevent and heal the wounds caused by injustice.

Above all, I would like to speak to you about hope and change. Although prison may seem like a lonely and desolate place, as has been said, it can also become a space for reflection, reconciliation and personal growth. 

Every effort should be made to ensure that you are given the opportunity to study and to work with dignity while in prison. Life is not defined solely by one’s mistakes, which are often the result of difficult and complex circumstances. There is always the possibility to start over, learn and become a new person.

Brothers and sisters, you are not alone. Your families love you and are waiting for you. Many people outside these walls are praying for you. If any of you fear being abandoned by everyone, know that God will never abandon you, and that the Church will stand by your side. 

Think of your country and the young people of Equatorial Guinea who need examples of perseverance, responsibility and faith. Every effort toward reconciliation and every act of kindness can spark hope in others.

I would also like to thank the people who work at this correctional facility: the director, the officers and the chaplain. By combining security with respect and kindness, they provide an essential service that ensures the necessary conditions that allow inmates to reintegrate into society and rebuild their lives.

Dear brothers and sisters, God never grows tired of forgiving. He always opens a new door for those who recognize their mistakes and desire to change. Do not let the past rob you of hope for the future. Every day can be a new beginning.

Let us entrust this journey to the Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy. May she accompany you, console you and protect your families. Today, I wish to assure you of my closeness and of my prayers for you and all the people of Equatorial Guinea. 

Always remember that a person who gets back up after falling is stronger than before. May the Lord grant you peace, hope and strength to begin anew. 

Brothers and sisters, under this rain, which is a blessing from God, let us recite the prayer that Christ himself taught us, saying: Our Father ….

And may the Almighty God bless you, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

Church of Scotland confronts slavery legacy with unprecedented apology plan

The Church of Scotland is set to consider a formal apology for its historic links to transatlantic chattel slavery, in a move described as a “moment of honesty” for the national church.

The proposed apology will go before the General Assembly in May and acknowledges that the Church benefited, both directly and indirectly, through the actions of some of its members and their families. 

It also recognises that, before the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in the 1830s, some ministers and officials offered theological justifications for a system that treated human beings as property.

In a draft statement, the Church said: “We, the Church of Scotland, are sorry for the ways in which… we contributed to and benefitted from the enslavement of people of African descent.” 

It adds: “We are grieved beyond telling by the extraordinary suffering we have inflicted – through our actions and our inaction… We repent, committing ourselves to changing course and bearing fruit worthy of repentance.”

The report accompanying the apology stresses that the legacy of slavery continues to shape experiences of race and inequality today, and that the passage of time does not remove moral responsibility. 

It says the message of the cross speaks across generations “to sin, repentance, and hope,” even where the full extent of harm and intergenerational trauma cannot be fully captured.

The apology follows a 2023 decision by the General Assembly to prepare a formal response after research revealed historical financial links between the Church and the slave trade. 

The 2026 report entitled Church of Scotland and the Legacies of Slavery, now invites the Assembly not only to adopt the apology, but to explore further actions that demonstrate repentance, justice and reconciliation, with recommendations expected to continue into 2027.

Congregations across Scotland are also being encouraged to engage in ongoing reflection, education and local exploration of slavery’s legacy, as the Church seeks to respond not just in words, but through long-term change.

The Very Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, convener of the group that drafted the report, said: “This apology represents a moment of honesty for the Church of Scotland. It is about telling the truth about our past, and about how slavery’s legacy is still felt today. It recognises the harm done, listens to those most affected, and commits the Church to change, not just words.

“The apology is not an end point, but the beginning of a longer journey of justice, reconciliation and change. We bring it to the General Assembly for prayerful and responsible consideration.”

Archbishop of Canterbury to meet Pope Leo in landmark Vatican visit

Most Rev Sarah Mullaly, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will make her first overseas visit in office next week, travelling to the Vatican for a four-day trip that includes a meeting with Pope Leo XIV.

The visit, which begins on 25th April, is being seen as symbolically significant for Anglican–Roman Catholic relations as well as a show of unity after both figureheads have been very vocal against the US war in Iran.

Writing for the Religion Media Centre, Catherine Pepinster said the choice of Rome for Dame Sarah’s first foreign visit “makes a statement”, noting that while she will also travel to Africa later this year, her initial focus on the Vatican will be closely watched across both communions.

She pointed out that the meeting continues a pattern of dialogue stretching back decades, particularly the landmark 1966 encounter between Archbishop Michael Ramsey and Pope Paul VI in the Sistine Chapel, the first official meeting between the two churches since the Reformation.

That meeting, described at the time as a “friendship and introduction to union”, led to a series of common declarations over the years reaffirming theological agreement on issues such as baptism, the Trinity and the creeds, while also acknowledging persistent divisions.

Archbishop Sarah’s visit is also “in a different league” historically, as she becomes the first female Archbishop of Canterbury to meet a pope, a development that earlier ecumenical documents had flagged as a continuing obstacle to full unity.

Despite these differences, recent decades have seen increasingly close relations between the two Churches. 

Joint statements were issued following meetings between successive archbishops and popes, including Donald Coggan and Pope Paul VI in 1977, and Pope John Paul II’s UK visit in 1982, as well as discussions with Archbishop Robert Runcie in Rome in 1989 and Archbishop Rowan Williams in 2006.

More recently, Pope Leo XIV has indicated openness to expanding women’s roles in the Catholic Church, although a Vatican commission in 2025 ruled out the ordination of women as deacons.

Archbishop Sarah is expected to wear a historic episcopal ring during the visit, a tradition dating back to Pope Paul VI’s gift to Archbishop Ramsey in 1966.

Bishop Anthony Ball, the Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome and Representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Holy See, said: “I very much look forward to welcoming Archbishop Sarah during her visit in this 60th anniversary year for the Anglican Centre in Rome. 

"The Centre has continued to encourage dialogue and collaboration with the Catholic Church following Pope Leo’s election, in support of the vision for peace and social justice shared with the Anglican Communion. 

"The visible unity of the Church and the building of bridges in a time of division and insecurity brings hope to many people around the world, and will remain a strong commitment under Archbishop Sarah’s leadership.”

Australian Bishop Ordered to Resign

An Australian bishop has been ordered to resign his holy orders or be deposed, by May 1, after he secretly wed a woman he had ordained as priest.

The Rt. Rev. Keith Dalby, bishop of The Murray diocese in South Australia, has been suspended since February 2024, after the truth about his relationship with the Reverend Alison Dutton emerged in their diocese and the local press.

The Australian church’s Episcopal Standards Commission ruling said the bishop had failed to disclose their August 2023 marriage “at a civil ceremony in clandestine circumstances” until four months after it occurred, and over a period of eight months “while romantically involved with Ms Dutton, he participated in decisions involving her advancement in the diocese without disclosing that relationship”.

From March 2023 until December of that year, when the truth became known, Dutton was appointed as curate and assistant priest in two parishes, and ordained to the priesthood by Dalby, 10 days before they wed.

The Murray’s diocesan council (the standing committee of its synod) unanimously requested the bishop’s resignation in December 2023. He refused.

The ESC found that not only had Bishop Dalby concealed the true nature of the relationship, he had “made statements … that he would ‘punish’ those who opposed his views and also vented his anger towards others by belittling them.”

“Such is his breach of trust that Bishop Dalby is not fit to continue to hold the office of bishop,” the ESC report concluded.

Bishop Dalby had argued that their relationship had evolved over time, and struggled with when and how to disclose it “in circumstances of significant diocesan tension, rumours and intense scrutiny”.

It was not, he said, “a calculated scheme of deception but a failure of judgment,” the ESC report said.

The Australian Primate, Bishop Mark Short, said, “The board found that Bishop Dalby’s conduct clearly breached his ordination and consecration vows of honesty, fidelity, and integrity and that there had been a fundamental erosion of trust and confidence between the laity and clergy of The Murray and Bishop Dalby.”

In a statement after the finding, Bishop Dalby said he would respond within the required timeframe. A request for review of the finding may be possible.

The bishop said he accepted the seriousness of the commission’s findings, but considered the judgment “harsh and inappropriate”.

He expressed deep regret for the impact his actions on the diocese’s clergy and laypeople, and asked for their forgiveness, and “trust that our merciful God will continue to lead us toward reconciliation and healing”.

Dalby, 65 this year, had separated from his first wife in 2021. Dutton, nearly 20 years his junior, worked as an employment lawyer until her calling to the priesthood.

In his statement, Dalby said he had been in ordained ministry for over 30 years and had planned to devote the remainder of his working life “to serving the Church”.

“The Reverend Alison Dutton”, he added, “has potentially 30 years of ministry ahead of her and intended to devote this time to serving the church.”

Hundreds of Men to Be Ordained in US in 2026

More than 400 men will be ordained to the priesthood in the U.S. this year, and on average they are 33 years old and are lifelong Catholics, according to an annual CARA survey.

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) released its 2026 national survey of seminarians who are scheduled for ordination this year. The survey was administered between Feb. 12 and March 20.

Out of 428 ordinands invited to participate, 334 ordinands responded to the survey for a response rate of 78%. The responding ordinands represent 110 U.S. dioceses and eparchies and 34 religious institutes. Four in 5 (81%) are preparing for ordination to a diocese or eparchy, and 19% are preparing for religious institutes.

The report is created in collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations and CARA about seminarians scheduled for ordination to the priesthood in 2026.

On average, responding ordinands first considered priesthood when they were 16 years old and were scheduled for ordination at the age of 33. Ordinands reported they lived in their dioceses for 16 years before entering seminary and knew the members of their religious institute for five years prior.

Most 2026 ordinands are white (62%), with others identifying as Hispanic or Latino (17%), Asian or Pacific Islander (11%), and Black or African American (5%). While most respondents reported they were born in the United States (74%), others said they were born in Vietnam (5%), Mexico (3%), Colombia (2%), or elsewhere (16%).

While most respondents reported they were born in the United States, a third (35%) were born abroad and, on average, came to live in the U.S. at 22 years old. The most common countries of birth among the foreign-born ordinands were Vietnam (5%), Mexico (3%), and Colombia (2%).

Of the men surveyed, 35% attended seminaries in the Midwest, 28% in the Northeast, 19% in the South, 14% in the West, and 5% abroad.

Education

The report found that 11% of responding ordinands were home-schooled at some point in their education and they received various levels of education. Of respondents, 29% attended high school or less, 19% reported some college or trade school, 39% received a college undergraduate degree, and 13% earned a graduate degree.

Of the respondents who went to undergraduate or graduate school before entering seminary, 22% studied theology or philosophy. Other common fields of study included business (18%), engineering (17%), and science or math (11%).

Nearly half of the ordinands (45%) attended a Catholic elementary school, 38% attended Catholic high school, and 34% attended Catholic college. Of all ordinands, 63% also reported participating in religious education in their parish.

Prayer practices

Many ordinands (81%) reported participation in Eucharistic adoration when asked about their prayer practices before entering seminary. Many also reported praying the rosary on a regular basis (79%), prayer and Bible groups (52%), and lectio divina (48%).

Overall, 93% of ordinands participated in at least one parish ministry before entering the seminary. Many reported that they had been active in parish life by serving as altar servers (79%), lectors (49%), campus or youth ministers (34%), or as catechists (32%).

Most ordinands (92%) were encouraged by at least one person to join the priesthood. For many it was a parish priest (70%), friends (49%), or mother (46%). Some also noted discouraging influences including family members (22%) and classmates and friends (17%).

Family life

The report found that 4% of respondents had served in the U.S. armed forces, and 12% reported their parents had a military career in the U.S.

Most respondents were baptized Catholic as an infant (93%), with just 7% who reported they became Catholic later in life. Most ordinands also reported that both of their parents were Catholic (86%).

The majority of respondents (88%) reported that they were raised by a married couple living together, with 97% who were raised by both biological parents and 11% who were raised by grandparents.

Of respondents, 28% said they have a relative who is a priest or religious. Most also said they have a sibling or siblings (96%).

Parish priest of Aznalcázar reports harassment from the Brotherhood of the Incarnation and the Archdiocese suspends the cabildo

The parish priest of Aznalcázar (Seville), Rubén Blasco, publicly denounced during the Easter Sunday mass having suffered acts of harassment, damage to his vehicle, and a smear campaign, in the context of a conflict with the Encarnación brotherhood that has forced the Archbishopric to intervene.

Public denunciations by the parish priest during the Easter mass

The priest exposed to the faithful, at the end of the Eucharist, specific facts that he attributes to members of the brotherhood: the scratching of his car, the breaking of a side mirror, and a public pursuit.

The parish priest also responded to criticisms spread on social media about his actions during Holy Week, clarifying that he acted in his capacity as spiritual director and not as just another brother of the corporation, and that he had not even been given the brotherhood’s medal.

The intervention took place in a climate of growing tension, with interruptions during his speech inside the temple.

Spread of videos and pressure against the priest

The conflict escalated with the spread on social media of videos recorded that same day, in which the priest can be seen being heckled as he leaves the temple.

According to Blasco himself, these images are part of a harassment campaign against his person that “is not recent,” but rather stems from a prolonged conflict over time.

The origin: the suspension of the electoral chapter

The turning point occurred after the suspension of the brotherhood’s general electoral chapter, scheduled for April 17.

The decision was adopted by the Archbishopric after the parish priest presented a report on April 13 pointing out irregularities in the electoral process. 

Two days later, the ecclesiastical authority decreed the suspension.

This step, taken by the diocesan authority based on the priest’s report, intensified the tension within the brotherhood.

A conflict that goes back a long way

The parish priest himself has pointed out that the current situation is a consequence of previous confrontations with a specific group of faithful.

Among the background is the controversy generated in October after the dismissal of an image dresser, which provoked mobilizations in the municipality.

According to Blasco, both episodes are related and stem from the same source of conflict.

The case is already in the hands of the Archbishopric

According to ABC, the priest has confirmed that the matter is already in the hands of the Archbishopric, which is studying the situation.

No official resolution has been issued from the diocese at this time, while the brotherhood has chosen not to make public statements.

Ombudsman defines the agreement with the Church as a "protocol without legal effects"

The Ombudsman has clarified in a resolution dated April 14, 2026 - when the system for repairing victims of abuses in the ecclesiastical sphere was beginning to be implemented - that the agreement signed with the Church does not have legally binding character, but rather it is a “general protocol of action without legal effects”.

A clarification after the signing of the agreement

The precision comes after an agreement was signed on March 30 between the Ministry of the Presidency, the Ombudsman, the Spanish Episcopal Conference, and the Spanish Conference of Religious to organize the system for recognition and reparation of victims.

That mechanism came into force in mid-April. It is in that context that the Ombudsman now takes a position on the legal nature of the agreement.

According to the resolution, to which Religión Confidencial has had access, there is no agreement with the Church, but only a protocol that “entails statements of intent” and “does not imply the formalization of specific and enforceable legal commitments”.

Difference between agreement and protocol

The document insists on distinguishing between both figures. While an administrative agreement implies legal obligations between the parties, the protocol - according to Law 40/2015 - is limited to expressing a willingness to collaborate without legal effects.

The agreement’s own clause states that it does not generate enforceable obligations, which allows the Ombudsman to emphasize that its institutional independence remains intact.

Re-affirmation of institutional independence

In that same resolution, the institution recalls that article 6.1 of its organic law remains fully in force. This states that the Ombudsman “will not be subject to any imperative mandate” and “will not receive instructions from any authority”.

In this way, the body emphasizes that its participation in the reparation system does not imply subordination or legal linkage with any of the signing parties, including the Church.

Participation in a system already in operation

Despite that clarification, the Ombudsman is part of the system designed for the recognition of victims, in which it intervenes alongside public authorities and ecclesiastical institutions.

The signed protocol outlines a specific mechanism of action, in which the Ombudsman participates in the evaluation of cases, while the ecclesiastical entities assume the execution of the reparation measures.

APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF POPE LEO XIV TO ALGERIA, CAMEROON, ANGOLA AND EQUATORIAL GUINEA (13–23 April 2026) - HOLY MASS

 HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV

Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Mongomo)

Wednesday, 22 April 2026

_____________________

Words of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV before Holy Mass

Good morning. I warmly greet all of you and I thank you for your presence. How beautiful it is to be gathered together to praise the Lord, to give thanks for his gifts, and to receive his blessing!

It is a day blessed by the Lord. Now, at this moment, in the presence of all of you, we wish to ask for a blessing upon each of you and your families: we will do so during the celebration of Holy Mass. 

But now we wish to invoke the Lord’s blessing upon this cornerstone, which has been brought here and will be used to begin the construction of the future cathedral or church of the City of Peace.

We want to renew our faith; we want to renew our commitment to follow Jesus Christ faithfully in his Church - the Catholic Church. Let us all remain united together forever in the Catholic Church!

And so, let us ask for the Lord’s blessing.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pour out your blessing, Lord, upon all your people, especially today upon this stone that represents the strength of faith, the strength that unites us, the strength that makes us brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ and sons and daughters of the one God.

May God bless you on this day, may he bless this stone, may he help us to always be united in the love of the Lord: he who has created us, he who has made us his children, he who accompanies us always.

And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, descend upon this stone and upon all of you forever.

_____________________

Homily of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV 

Dear brothers and sisters,

We are gathered in this magnificent Cathedral Basilica, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, Mother of the Incarnate Word and Patroness of Equatorial Guinea, to listen to the Lord’s word and to celebrate the memorial that he has left us as the source and summit of the Church’s life and mission. 

The Eucharist truly contains every spiritual good of the Church: it is Christ, our Passover, who gives himself to us, he is the living Bread that nourishes us. His presence in the Eucharist reveals God’s infinite love for the entire human family and the way he encounters every woman and every man even today.

I am pleased to be able to celebrate with you and give thanks to the Lord for these 170 years of evangelization in Equatorial Guinea. It is a fitting occasion to recall all the good that the Lord has done, and at the same time, I wish to express my gratitude to the many missionaries, diocesan priests, catechists and lay faithful who have devoted their lives in service to the Gospel.

They have taken up the aspirations, questions and wounds of your people, and illuminated them with the Lord’s word, becoming themselves a sign of God’s love among you. Through the example of their lives, they have played their part in bringing about the Kingdom of God, unafraid of suffering for their fidelity to Christ.

It is a history that you must never forget. On the one hand, it links you to the universal and apostolic Church that came before you. 

On the other, it has made you protagonists in proclaiming the Gospel and bearing witness to the faith, fulfilling the prophetic words spoken by Pope Saint Paul VI on African soil: “Africans, from now on, you are missionaries to yourselves. The Church of Christ is well and truly planted in this blessed soil” (Homily at the Conclusion of the Symposium Organized by the Bishops of Africa, Kampala, Uganda 31 July 1969).

With this in mind, you are called upon today to follow in the footsteps of the missionaries, pastors and laypeople who have gone before you. Each and every one of you is invited to make a personal commitment that encompasses your entire life, so that the faith - celebrated so joyfully in your communities and in your liturgies - may also nourish your charitable works and the sense of responsibility toward your neighbor, for building up the common good.

Such a commitment requires perseverance; it demands effort and, at times, sacrifice. Yet it is the sign that we are truly the Church of Christ. In fact, the first reading we heard narrates in just a few verses how a Church that fearlessly and joyfully proclaims the Gospel is also a Church that, precisely for this reason, may be persecuted (cf. Acts 8:1–8). 

Nevertheless, the Acts of the Apostles tells us that, while Christians were forced to flee and were scattered, many drew near to the word of the Lord and could see with their own eyes how those who were sick in body and spirit were healed: these were the miraculous signs of God’s presence, which brought great joy to the whole city (cf. vv. 6–8).

Brothers and sisters, even when faced with personal, family and social situations that are not always favorable, we can trust that the Lord is at work, making the good seed of his Kingdom grow in ways unknown to us, including when everything around us seems barren, and even in moments of darkness. 

With such confidence, rooted in the power of his love rather than in our own merits, we are called to remain faithful to the Gospel, to proclaim it, to live it fully and to bear witness to it with joy. 

God will not fail to provide signs of his presence, and just as Jesus told us in the Gospel we heard, he once again will be for us “the bread of life” that satisfies our hunger (cf. Jn 6:35).

What is the hunger we feel? And what does this nation hunger for today? The motto chosen for my visit is “Christ, Light of Equatorial Guinea, Towards a Future of Hope.” 

Perhaps this is precisely the greatest hunger today. There is hunger for a future imbued with hope that is capable of engendering a new sense of justice and producing fruits of peace and fraternity. 

This is not an unknown future that we must passively await, but rather one that we ourselves are called to build with God’s grace. 

The future of Equatorial Guinea depends upon your choices; it is entrusted to your sense of responsibility and to your shared commitment to safeguarding the life and dignity of every person.

It is therefore necessary for all the baptized to feel that they are part of the work of evangelization, and so become apostles of charity and witnesses to a new humanity.

It is a matter of taking part, with the light and strength of the Gospel, in the integral development of this land, in its renewal and in its transformation. The Creator has endowed you with great natural wealth: I urge you to work together so that it may be a blessing for all. 

May the Lord help you to become a society in which everyone, each according to their respective responsibilities, works ever more fully to serve the common good rather than private interests, bridging the gap between the privileged and the disadvantaged. 

May there be greater room for freedom, and may the dignity of the human person always be safeguarded. My thoughts go to the poorest, to families experiencing difficulty and to prisoners who are often forced to live in troubling hygienic and sanitary conditions.

Brothers and sisters, there is a need for Christians to take the destiny of Equatorial Guinea into their own hands. For this reason, I would like to encourage you: do not be afraid to proclaim the Gospel and bear witness to it with your lives! Be builders of a future of hope, peace and reconciliation, carrying on the work begun by the missionaries 170 years ago.

May the Immaculate Virgin Mary be with you on this journey. May she intercede for you and help you to become generous and joyful disciples of Christ.

___________________

Words of the Holy Father before the final blessing

And we also wish to leave the chalice we used to celebrate the Eucharist at this altar as a gift to this community, to this church.  May we always be united in communion with Christ.

Catholic Church in Dublin trials funding plan for parishes

The Archdiocese of Dublin is preparing to launch the next phase of its strategic funding plan through a pilot programme in select parish partnerships which will shape a new funding model and strengthen how parishes across the diocese are supported financially.

Over the course of a year, three pilot partnerships will be rolled out to allow the diocese to see how funds are raised and monies are collected. Feedback from the participating parish partnerships, the diocese said, will help it refine its activities to “ensure they are both effective and sustainable into the future”.

The diocesan strategic funding plan is a practical roadmap designed to support the journey of Dublin’s parish partnerships.

A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Dublin told The Tablet that this part of the diocesan strategic funding plan “is at an early stage. We are currently in an active phase of consultation with three pilot partnerships.”

This involves sounding out the Council of Priests, clergy and laity. “This listening phase is crucial, it allows us to understand lived parish realities, identify what is working well, learn where existing systems place undue pressure on clergy and parish communities,” the spokesman said.

“Our hope is to implement the pilot initiative in September, informed by these consultations and shaped by real parish experience.” It will continue into 2027.

According to the diocese, learning from the pilot programme will be “critical” in shaping a comprehensive rollout plan across Dublin rooted in co-responsibility and reflecting the realities of its faith communities.

The diocese is structured into five pastoral areas catering for 53 partnerships of parishes for a Catholic population recorded in the 2022 census as 996,000 people.

The strategic funding plan and new pilot are part of a practical roadmap for the renewal of Dublin’s parishes under the three-year framework, ‘Building Hope’.

Narrative on Catholic schools is 'ill informed' - Bishop

The narrative on Catholic schools is "ill-informed and false", according to the Catholic Bishop of Meath.

Bishop Tom Deenihan has said the "discourse" on Catholic schools depicts them as "grim places of indoctrination" that children are "forced to attend" by Church and State.

The Catholic Bishop of Meath, who is chair of the Council for Education of the Irish Bishops' Conference, was speaking at the 50th anniversary celebration of St Oliver's primary school in Navan.

Bishop Deenihan said that rather than focusing on well supported schools that are "genuinely inclusive" the discourse and narrative was "ill-informed and false".

The Bishop's comments come two weeks after the results of a national survey by the Department of Education and Youth were published.

It showed that 40% of parents of children attending Catholic or other religious denomination primary schools, would prefer their child to attend a multi-denominational school.

Of those who participated nationally, 60% of parents in denominational schools wish to retain that ethos.

Bishop Deenihan said various groups, supported by funding from ideological philanthropical entities - mainly, he said, from outside the State - continue to lobby politicians and media with "a rather narrow, nuanced and distorted narrative".

"We have had the survey on divesting. We have achieved a result. Granted, it is not the result that some predicted or would have wished for.

"But democracy, maturity, pluralism, respecting parental choice and even inclusion itself, demand that we accept the result of that survey," he said.

St Oliver Plunkett school has almost 400 pupils from 12 different denominations, as well as non-faith backgrounds. 40% of the school's parents were not born in Ireland. Bishop Deenihan is patron of the school.

He said the school welcomed and catered for all students and "strives to make Jesus known and loved", and recognised that its students were "made in the image and likeness of Christ".

He cited St Oliver's as an example of a Catholic school that welcomed all local students - caring for them, allowing them to reach their full potential and catering for many and varied needs.

Catholic schools account for more than 90% of all primary schools across the country.

Two weeks ago, when it published the survey results, the Department of Education described the level of engagement from 41% of all households with children of primary school-going or pre-school children as exceptionally high.

However, the Bishop of Meath noted that 60% of parents did not participate in the survey, which he said suggested "a greater likelihood" that most of these would also be satisfied with the status quo, because he said those who want change are more likely to vote.

Parents were asked for their preferences regarding school ethos, and also whether they wanted education through English or Irish, or single-sex or mixed.

The preliminary findings, published on 7 April, related only to responses received from the parents of children currently enrolled in primary school.

The remaining findings from the Department are much anticipated.

A school divestment programme, aimed at reducing Catholic Church patronage to increase multi-denominational education, which has the support of Catholic Bishops, has been under way for a number of years.

The aim is to reach 400 multi-denominational schools by 2030, but only a small number of schools have transferred to date.

Acknowledging that there had been shameful atrocities, the bishop said independent and reputable research had indicated that Catholic schools are the most inclusive.

Enoch Burke seeks to appeal against judgment which found suspension lawful

Enoch Burke has argued that he should be granted an appeal against a High Court decision that his suspension from a Co Westmeath school was lawful.

In May 2023, Justice Alexander Owens ruled it was lawful for Wilson’s Hospital School to suspend the history and German teacher in 2022.

Following the judgment, Burke had 28 days in which to appeal, but on Wednesday, he appeared in front of the three judges of the Court of Appeal to make his case for an extension of time.

The school and Burke have been in a long-running legal dispute stemming from incidents over a request from the former’s then-principal to address a student by a new name and the pronoun “they”.

Burke, an evangelical Christian, argued that his suspension was unlawful and went against his right to express his religious beliefs.

He has spent more than 650 days in jail for contempt of court after repeatedly trespassing at the school.

Addressing the judges on Wednesday, he outlined a number of reasons for seeking an appeal two-and-a-half years after the original judgment.

They included his involvement in a number of legal actions, in which he represented himself, his imprisonment and because he had “lost confidence in the Court of Appeal” following a previous decision.

The barrister representing the school’s board of management, Rosemary Mallon, described the case as “unusual and extraordinary” and said an extension of time to allow an appeal should not be granted.

She said the reasons Burke gave for the delay were “not legitimate or valid reasons” and said there was a “need for finality” in the matter.

President of the court Justice Caroline Costello said judgment on the matter was reserved, and when asked for a timeline on when a decision might be made, she replied: “We will do it when we can, everybody has different pressures with work.”

One year ago today: The pope from the peripheries died on Easter Monday

One year ago today, Pope Francis died at 7:35 a.m., April 21, 2025.

It came the day after Easter, when - barely able to raise his hands - he gave his blessing urbi et orbi (to the city and the world). Looking drawn and worn, the 88-year-old pope from Argentina took his final ride in the popemobile, spending about 15 minutes among the crowd.

But then, the next morning, which was a major holiday in Italy, church bells tolled the death knell after U.S. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, announced that Francis had died just a few hours ago.

"His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and his church," Farrell said in a video announcement broadcast from the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where Francis lived.

The Wikimedia Foundation said that its "Deaths in 2025" entry, which included Francis, was their second most-read entry during the year. 

And plenty of people took the occasion to learn more about his life too, adding that "His English Wikipedia article was the 11th most-read (page) of the year."

Elected March 13, 2013, Francis was the first pope in history to come from the Southern Hemisphere, the first non-European to be elected in almost 1,300 years and the first Jesuit to serve as successor to St. Peter.

Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Francis was an untiring voice for peace, urging an end to armed conflict, supporting dialogue and encouraging reconciliation.

He gave new energy to millions of Catholics - and caused concern for some - as he transformed the image of the papacy into a pastoral ministry based on personal encounters and strong convictions about poverty, mission and dialogue.

His simple lifestyle, which included his decision not to live in the Apostolic Palace and his choice of riding around Rome in a small Fiat or Ford instead of a Mercedes sedan, sent a message of austerity to Vatican officials and clergy throughout the church.

Although he repeatedly said he did not like to travel, he made 47 foreign trips, taking his message of Gospel joy to North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

He was elected after Pope Benedict XVI retired in 2013. 

Then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was already a known and respected figure within the College of Cardinals, so much so that no-one disputed a respected Italian journal's report that he had received the second-highest number of votes on all four ballots cast in the 2005 conclave that had elected Benedict.

Elected on March 13, 2013, Bergoglio chose the name Francis to honor St. Francis of Assisi.

"Go out" was Francis' constant plea to every Catholic, from curial cardinals to the people in the pews. 

More than once, he told people that while the Bible presents Jesus as knocking at the door of people's hearts to get in, today Jesus is knocking at the doors of parish churches trying to get out and among the people.

Pope Francis revealed: His final days, intimate friends and a legacy to keep

Right after his death on April 21, 2025, everything that had belonged to Pope Francis was packed, in a matter of a couple of hours, into several specially sealed boxes, under the careful supervision of his closest collaborators.

The situation was dictated by the practical need to clear out Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican building that has always existed as a kind of guesthouse to accommodate the cardinals participating in a conclave.

In those days, there was a constant flurry with people doing repainting, cleaning and renovation work.

And yet, amid the hurried clearing of rooms one detail lingered.

As Vatican News journalist Salvatore Cernuzio tells it in his new book: "I was told that, during the general reordering, a photograph of me - with my wife and my children - was found in the pope's study." 

The image, taken during a Christmas trip to Assisi, Italy, had been donated to Francis and placed by him beneath a statue of St. Joseph, among the "cases" he entrusted to prayer every night. "So that he may pray for us."

"I always pray for you. You must do the same for me," Francis had told him repeatedly.

That small, intimate scene - part memory, part revelation - captures the essence of Padre: An Untold Portrait of Pope Francis, Cernuzio's book, published April 7, that in two weeks, climbed Italian bestseller lists. 

Neither a traditional biography nor a strictly journalistic account, Padre unfolds as something closer to a personal testimony, a narrative built from proximity, trust and the unusual, intimate relationship between its author and the late pope.

"Even now I still ask myself why I did it," Cernuzio said of his decision to write the book, after years spent covering the Vatican for official media and now continuing his work under Pope Leo XIV. 

Cernuzio said that he felt it "could be something good - not to add anything to what people already know, namely how extraordinary this pope was. The only added value is the fact that I truly experienced unique situations."

Those "unique situations" form the backbone of his book. Cernuzio's relationship with the pope began almost by accident - on a papal flight to Iraq in 2021, when the young journalist handed Francis a letter. 

Months later, he received an unexpected phone call: "Good morning, this is Pope Francis."

From there, a connection developed of regular conversations, emails, invitations and even gifts for Cernuzio's four children.

"I had nothing written down, but everything was engraved in my heart," he told the National Catholic Reporter. The impulse to write came later, prompted by a colleague's suggestion: "In time you'll grow old and forget, but you'll have to tell it to your children."

At its core, his book is a portrait of Francis who appears deeply engaged with the crises of his time. 

It also reveals how, in the final months of his life, the pope considered a series of symbolic and physically demanding journeys: to the Gaza Strip, where he had been calling the only local Catholic parish every evening during the bombings; to Cutro, in southern Italy, to honor dozens of migrants who died at sea; to Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, to confront firsthand the realities of migration.

At one point, Cernuzio revealed, Francis even entertained the idea of a solo diplomatic mission between Moscow and Kyiv, Ukraine, hoping - despite his age and declining health - to act as a mediator capable of ending the war.

These ambitions, as Cernuzio presented them, were not political calculations so much as extensions of a pastoral instinct. 

The same instinct that led Francis to maintain a nightly phone call with a small parish under bombardment, or to express a desire to spend Christmas "under any conditions" among its congregation. 

It was, in the author's words, part of a broader vision: "the importance of opening up and engaging in dialogue with the world and with uncomfortable realities."

But Padre is also equally concerned with the pope's everyday humanity. 

The anecdotes scattered throughout its pages - many of them drawn from moments the author witnessed firsthand - reveal a man at ease with humor and contradiction, such as Francis teasing heads of government, the pope watching viral clips and laughing, or rolling down a car window in Rome's busy traffic at a traffic light just to greet surprised strangers.

"He met so many people, spoke with everyone and opened his doors many times - perhaps even too many," Cernuzio said. "I myself thought I was just one of many. But I realized that I had actually lived something unique: experiencing him almost daily, the kindness of his gestures, his phone calls, his gifts. And above all, having a truly personal relationship that went beyond work."

That relationship also extended into the author's family life. Cernuzio's children, for instance, grew up with a pope who was a recurring presence. 

"For them, a pope calling the house during dinner to ask how we were doing was something normal," he said.

"My eldest son once used as an excuse at school that he hadn't done his homework because he was going to see the pope," he said.

The normalization of the extraordinary is one of the book's quiet themes. It surfaces again in a small but telling detail: the absence, after Francis' death, of the chocolate Easter eggs he used to send Cernuzio for his children.

The emotional center of Padre lies in its final chapters, where the narrative narrows to the last encounters between the journalist and the pope. 

Cernuzio was among the very few secretly admitted to Francis' private apartment after his final hospitalization.

In recounting those moments, Cernuzio's tone shifts - from observer to participant, from narrator to witness. "We often said, 'Ti voglio bene,' " which is an exquisitely Italian expression close to "I love you" but used in friendship contexts, "and that was the last thing I said to him," Cernuzio recalled.

The next day, Cernuzio accompanied the pope on what would be his final visit to a prison, on Holy Thursday. 

Four days later came the end.

The book does not attempt to redefine Francis' legacy in doctrinal or institutional terms. Instead, it reframes it through lived experience, suggesting that the essence of his pontificate might be found as much in private gestures as in public acts.

"I believe that what has not been understood at all about Francis' pontificate is its prophetic nature," Cernuzio said. "He has been described in every possible way. ... I think the only truly valid label is that he was prophetic." 

For the author, that prophecy was expressed in choices - whom to meet, where to go, what risks to consider - and in a consistent emphasis on human connection over ideological alignment.

The success of Padre has not unfolded in isolation. In these same weeks, another Italian volume has entered the public conversation, offering a different but complementary way of reflecting on Francis' legacy. 

Reactivating Pope Francis, edited by Italian theologians Piotr Zygulski, Andrea Bosio and Lucandrea Massaro, gathers the voices of 40 theologians, intellectuals, scholars and church leaders from around the world - prominent authors and theologians such as Massimo Faggioli, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, Gilles Routhier, Jesuit Fr. James Martin and Jesuit Fr. Antonio Spadaro, but also young religion teachers.

If Cernuzio's book is rooted in lived experience, this second work seeks to interpret, question and "reactivate" a papacy that still resists easy definition.

The project, Zygulski told NCR, was not meant to celebrate or criticize Francis in a simple way, but to take him seriously as a figure who opened processes rather than closing debates. That idea - of a pope who preferred movement over certainties - runs through the entire volume.

"Part of the Catholic world expected clear answers and firm positions from Pope Francis on many issues," Zygulski said. "Whereas Francis was the pope of open worksites, of the open door, of processes, of ongoing developments."

At the center of this reflection is the idea of "process." Francis, as Zygulski said, "initiated paths of synodality and dialogue. He made it possible to talk about certain topics that had been taboo, that were obstructed, and that were difficult to discuss openly. He opened doors, even if he did not always walk through them."

This emphasis helps explain why the debate around his legacy remains so alive. For some, the lack of definitive answers was frustrating. For others, it was precisely the point. 

The reflections of top theologians in the book suggest that Francis' real impact may not lie in single decisions he made, but in the habits he encouraged worldwide Catholics to practice: listening, questioning, engaging the world.

That outward movement - what Francis himself often called a "church that goes forth" - is another thread that connects the two books. 

In Padre, it appears in Francis' desire to travel to places of suffering forgotten by mainstream media. 

In Reactivating Pope Francis, it is framed as a historic theological and pastoral shift.

Popemobile child clinic yet to reach Gaza one year after Francis's death

On the first anniversary of the death of Pope Francis, one of his last wishes - to convert his popemobile into a mobile clinic for children and send it to war-torn Gaza - is still waiting to be granted.

"It was really the wish of the Holy Father to be able to do something for the children of Gaza," a close confidant of the late pontiff, Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden, tells me. "It's a symbol of hope."

The iconic popemobile - from which the pope waved at crowds of thousands of Palestinian Christians during his trip to the Holy Land in 2014 - was afterwards kept on display outside a Church-owned ice-cream parlour in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

Last November, I was shown the newly refitted vehicle equipped for trauma care and vaccinations and told it could treat up to 200 children a day. However, today it remains in a glass case in the same place.

Caritas Jerusalem - the local branch of the international Catholic charity, Caritas - carried out the work on the popemobile for the Vehicle of Hope project and planned to send the vehicle to Gaza.

Then, in December, it was included on a list of 37 foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) ordered to stop work by the Israeli authorities after they failed to comply with controversial new "security and transparency" requirements, including staff disclosures.

Since then, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has successfully made the case that the new regulations do not apply to Caritas Jerusalem because it has a long-standing, special legal status "operating under the aegis and governance of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land".

Regarding the Vehicle of Hope, a local Caritas spokesperson told the BBC that the organisation was "in dialogue with the authorities" and that a permit for the converted popemobile was being processed through the Church.

In a statement, Cogat, the Israeli defence body which controls the crossings to Gaza, said it had arranged for two mobile clinics to be sent by the Latin Patriarchate in February and was "not aware of any request to bring additional vehicles into the Strip."

It added: "Should an orderly request be submitted through the accepted channels, it will be examined accordingly."

Cardinal Arborelius hopes that permission will soon be given for the converted popemobile to enter Gaza. "It's a purely humanitarian action, it has nothing to do with politics," he says.

"We think it could be very important for everyone. It would show the goodwill of the authorities of Israel, it will give hope to the people, and it will show that somehow the spiritual heritage of Pope Francis is respected."

"That was his wish, to create good relationships between all peoples, all religions, and especially in favour of children who have a very, very difficult situation."

A short video released by the Vatican upon the death of Pope Francis showed his intimate relationship with Gaza's tiny Christian community, many of whom he came to know by name. He can be seen chatting with priests at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City.

After war broke out following Hamas's deadly attacks on Israel in October 2023, many displaced Christians moved into the church. The late pope took to calling almost nightly to check on their wellbeing and would talk to different members of the congregation.

In his Easter message last year – his last public appearance – Pope Francis repeated his call for peace and a ceasefire in Gaza. With his words read by an aide, he said: "The terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation.''

Two years of conflict in Gaza have severely weakened Gaza's health system. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only half of all hospitals are partly functional and specialised medical care is largely unavailable.

Since a ceasefire came into force in October, work has been slow to repair damaged healthcare facilities and increase medical supplies and services. 

The WHO says some 18,500 people, including 4,000 children, are on waiting lists for medical evacuations, in many cases for lifesaving treatment.

Church in Wales: New bishop needed to rebuild trust after cathedral controversy

The Church in Wales is advertising for a new Bishop of Bangor following the retirement of Archbishop Andrew John amid a safeguarding crisis at the cathedral.

Most Rev Andrew John stepped down in August 2025 after an independent review found "a culture in which sexual boundaries seemed blurred" and "promiscuity was acceptable" at Bangor Cathedral. 

The report also cited inappropriate language, rude jokes in the choir, and weak financial controls.

The diocese has said it is seeking a bishop who can "rebuild trust and relationships" and act as "a healer and pastor, with discernment and integrity".

A "mood board" published by the Church in Wales describes the ideal candidate as "a shepherd, pastor, with a geniune deep faith-loving people" who can offer "strategic thinking" while remaining sensitive to those affected by recent events.

Applicants are advised that the diocese has faced "considerable media attention and general external scrutiny" but is "recovering well".

Archbishop Andrew, who has served as Bishop of Bangor since 2008 and became Archbishop of Wales in 2021, acknowledged the findings were "hard to hear" but said they "must be faced if we are to move forward with integrity". 

There is no suggestion that he personally behaved inappropriately.

The Diocese of Bangor covers north-west Wales, including Gwynedd and Anglesey. 

Its mother church, St Deiniol's Cathedral, celebrated its 1,500th anniversary last year.

Message from His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to His Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, on the 1st Anniversary of the death of Pope Francis

 _________________________________

Al Signor Cardinale

Giovanni Battista Re

Decano del Collegio Cardinalizio

__________________________________

Nel primo anniversario della morte del caro Papa Francesco, è viva nella Chiesa e nel mondo la sua memoria. Assente da Roma per il Viaggio apostolico in Africa, mi associo spiritualmente a quanti si raccoglieranno nella Basilica Liberiana per offrire il Sacrificio eucaristico in suffragio del mio Predecessore. Saluto con affetto, insieme con i Cardinali, i Vescovi, i sacerdoti e i religiosi, i pellegrini giunti per testimoniargli affetto e riconoscenza.

La morte non è un muro, ma una porta che si spalanca sulla Misericordia che Papa Francesco ha instancabilmente annunciato. Il Signore lo ha chiamato a sé il 21 aprile dell’anno scorso, nel cuore della luce pasquale. Ha concluso il suo pellegrinaggio terreno nell'abbraccio di Cristo Risorto, in quella “gioia del Vangelo” che ha ispirato una tra le più incisive sue Esortazioni Apostoliche.

È stato successore di Pietro e pastore della Chiesa universale in un tempo che ha segnato e ancora sta segnando un cambiamento d’epoca, quel cambiamento di cui Egli è stato pienamente consapevole, offrendo a tutti noi una testimonianza coraggiosa, che rappresenta un significativo patrimonio per la Chiesa.

Il suo magistero è stato vissuto da discepolo-missionario, come amava dire. È rimasto discepolo del Signore, fedele al suo Battesimo e alla consacrazione nel ministero episcopale, fino alla fine. È stato anche missionario, annunciando il Vangelo della misericordia “a tutti, a tutti, a tutti”, come ebbe a dire più volte. I benefici suscitati dalla sua testimonianza di Pastore sollecito ha contagiato il cuore di tanta gente, sino agli estremi confini della terra, grazie anche ai pellegrinaggi apostolici e specialmente a quell'ultimo “viaggio” che è stata la sua malattia e la sua morte.

In sintonia con i suoi predecessori, ha raccolto l’eredità del Concilio Vaticano II e ha spronato la Chiesa ad essere aperta alla missione, custode della speranza del mondo, appassionata per l’annuncio di quel Vangelo che è capace di dare a ogni vita pienezza e felicità.

Ancora sentiamo risuonare le sue esortazioni, espresse con parole eloquenti, per rendere più comprensibile la lieta notizia: misericordia, pace, fratellanza, odore delle pecore, ospedale da campo e tante altre. Ognuna di queste espressioni ci riporta al Vangelo da Lui vissuto con un linguaggio nuovo che annuncia lo stesso Vangelo di sempre.

Papa Francesco ha nutrito una profonda devozione a Maria in tutta la sua vita; ricordiamo, infatti, che si è recato tante volte a Santa Maria Maggiore, luogo della sua sepoltura, e in molti santuari mariani sparsi nel mondo. La Vergine Maria, Madre della Chiesa, ci aiuti a essere in ogni circostanza apostoli infaticabili del suo divin Figlio e profeti del suo amore misericordioso.

Dal Vaticano, 12 aprile 2026

LEONE PP. XIV

Apostolic Journey to Equatorial Guinea: Visit to the Staff and Patients of the “Jean Pierre Olie” Psychiatric Hospital

Signor Direttore Generale,

distinte Autorità,

carissimi fratelli e sorelle!

Vi ringrazio di cuore per questa accoglienza, per la vostra ospitalità, per i canti, le danze. Grazie!

Ogni volta che visito un ospedale, una casa di accoglienza per persone che hanno magari alcune malattie o difficoltà, provo sentimenti contrastanti: da un lato, provo dolore o tristezza per le persone che stanno soffrendo, che spesso portano in sé un dolore molto grande, a volte con ferite visibili e a volte con ferite che nessuno vede, ma che la persona stessa sa di portare nel proprio cuore, nella propria vita. Provo dolore per le famiglie che spesso non sanno come accompagnare il paziente e aiutarlo.  

Ma al tempo stesso provo ammirazione e conforto per tutto ciò che lì ogni giorno si fa per servire la vita umana. Anche qui mi succede questo, ma oggi in me, e spero anche in tutti voi, prevale la gioia e la speranza: la gioia di incontrarci nel nome del Signore, la gioia e la speranza di sapere che ci stiamo prendendo cura di chi vive una condizione di fragilità.

Alcune parole che ho ascoltato adesso mi hanno commosso.

Il Direttore ha detto: “Una società veramente gande non è quella che nasconde le sue debolezze, ma quella che le circonda di amore”. Sì, è così. Questo è un principio di civiltà che ha radici cristiane, perché è Cristo che nella storia dell’umanità ha riscattato la disabilità dalla maledizione e l’ha restituita a piena dignità. Ma il Salvatore non vuole e non può salvarci senza la nostra collaborazione, sia sul piano personale che su quello sociale: perciò ci chiede di amare i nostri fratelli e le nostre sorelle non a parole ma nei fatti. Una casa di cura come questa, con l’aiuto di Dio e con l’impegno di tutti, può diventare un segno della civiltà dell’amore.

Il Signor Pedro Celestino ha voluto concludere con un’espressione toccante: “Grazie di amarci così come siamo”. Perciò dico: Grazie a Lei, per la Sua testimonianza! Grazie a tutti voi per essere qui a dare testimonianza, segno che qui in questo luogo c’è amore autentico.

Dio ci ama come siamo. Solo Dio, in realtà, ci ama totalmente così come siamo. Ma non perché rimaniamo come siamo! No, Dio non ci vuole sempre malati, sempre sofferenti, ci vuole guarire! Questo si vede mille volte nel Vangelo: Gesù è venuto ad amarci come siamo ma non per lasciarci così, per prendersi cura di noi! E un ospedale, specialmente se ha un’ispirazione cristiana, è proprio questo: un luogo dove la persona è accolta così com’è, rispettata nella sua fragilità, ma per aiutarla a stare meglio, in una visione integrale. A tale scopo la dimensione spirituale è essenziale – mi ha fatto molto piacere che il Direttore l’abbia sottolineato.

Infine, grazie al Signor Tarcisio per la sua poesia! Vorrei dire che in un ambiente come questo si compongono ogni giorno tante “poesie” nascoste, forse non con parole, ma con piccoli gesti, con sentimenti, con attenzioni nei rapporti tra di voi. È un poema che solo Dio sa leggere pienamente e che consola il Cuore misericordioso di 

Carissimi, vi prego di esprimere la mia vicinanza a tutti i malati dell’ospedale, specialmente a quelli più gravi e più soli. A ciascuno, pazienti, operatori sanitari e personale, imparto di cuore la mia benedizione, affidandovi alla protezione di Maria, Salute dei malati. Tante grazie!

Four commissioners appointed to historical sexual abuse in schools commission

Four commissioners have been appointed to the Commission of Investigation into the Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Schools.

Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring, senior legal consultant Roddy Bourke, and child safeguarding experts Kieran McGrath and Michele Clarke will join Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, who was appointed as chair last year, in leading the work of the Commission.

Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton, under whose department the commission was established, said the combined expertise of the appointees would be critical in underpinning the "independence and effectiveness" of the commission.

The commission was established following the Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools run by religious orders.

The scoping inquiry followed serious and troubling allegations of abuse which highlighted the need for a comprehensive, independent investigation.

Mr Justice McGrath was appointed to the role as head of the Commission of Investigation in July last year.

There is concern among survivors that the pace of the commission's work has been slow.

However, the commission's remit - investigating how concerns or allegations of child sexual abuse were handled in all day and boarding schools in Ireland, including special schools, between 1927 and 2013 - is widely acknowledged as extensive.

In addition to the appointment of the four commissioners, the Minister for Education has also approved the appointment of Mary O' Toole, who chaired the scoping inquiry, as senior legal advisor to the commission.

Under its terms of reference, the commission is required to investigate how concerns of child sexual abuse were handled by schools and other relevant bodies.

It is not tasked with investigating individual cases of child sexual abuse or making findings in this regard.

In a statement, Minister Naughton said survivors must be at the heart of the process.

"A survivor-centred, trauma-informed approach will guide all aspects of the Commission’s work. I am conscious that individuals may come forward with deeply personal and sensitive experiences.

"It is essential that their information is treated with the highest standards of care, confidentiality and respect. I welcome the Commission’s careful and considered approach to ensuring these protections are fully in place before engagement begins," she said.

Campaign to help mother-and-baby home survivors in UK

Survivors of mother-and-baby homes are stepping up their campaign to help those who now live in the UK.

There are concerns that former residents of these institutions are not claiming the redress they are entitled to because they risk losing out on means-tested benefits.

The British government has pledged to change this through what is known as Philomena's Law - but the legislation has not been enacted, leaving thousands of survivors in limbo.

Among them is Rosemary Adaser, who lived in a mother and baby home as a child, and later gave birth in a home. She now lives in west London and she is reluctant to claim the redress she is entitled to.

She said that it was a "major oversight" in the scheme not to consider the impact that payments would have on social welfare claims in the UK, where up to 17,000 eligible survivors live.

Speaking on RTÉ's News At One, she said: "We are scared because should we accept compensation, the state supports that we rely on will cease and then we're left in a state of poverty. And that's very scary at our age."

Ms Adaser said the group most impacted by this are people who were on lower incomes, who could not pay into private pensions.

"So the fear is actually that we can't afford to accept the pension because the social care that is free to us right now, the additional financial supports that we enjoy, can be removed and that taxation would also be a factor."

'Difficult to engage with the redress scheme itself'

Ms Adaser said while it was difficult for some survivors to be reminded of their past traumas, most believed that they were entitled to the compensation. She said there were more practical problems.

"It's actually quite difficult to engage with the redress scheme itself. You have to be computer literate for starters. The portal system they have there, is not very informative, doesn't give you a lot of information at all.

"So those of us are lucky to have access to Irish centres, like the Irish in Britain in Camden, Liverpool and Birmingham. We're very fortunate, but there'll be thousands who are living in rural areas without that kind of support. What are they going to do?"

Ms Adaser said her situation contrasted with that of her twin brother who lives in Ireland.

"He claimed his compensation - got it within weeks. And I think that's why he's feeling so aggrieved on my behalf, because we endured the same degree of abuse as very young children in Ireland's mother-and-baby institutions.

"But while he is sitting pretty with his little bit of compensation, I'm over in the UK too terrified to apply for mine."

Last month, the British government said it would support legislation known as Philomena's Law, named after Philomena Lee, to ensure that people do not lose their benefits.

"That was a very big win on the 13th of March 2026," said lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher.

"There was an acknowledgement at the UK-Ireland summit when the prime minister and the Taoiseach spoke together that there should be a disregard.

"So there's been a principled acceptance in March 2026 that this should happen."

'We don't yet have Philomena's Law on the statute book'

Ms Gallagher said there is a two-fold problem with the proposed disregard.

"Although there was that agreement in principle, we don't yet have Philomena's Law on the statute book.

"And that's why Rosemary (Adaser) followed up her earlier threat of legal action against the UK government, by asking them, now that they've made the in-principle agreement, to actually bring in guidance from the Department of Work and Pensions to make clear that people shouldn't have their benefits deducted while we're waiting for Philomena's Law to become law.

"I'm pleased to say she got that guidance last week, so that's positive, but it's only guidance and we don't yet have it on the statute books.

"That's why Rosemary's now asking for this to be in the King's Speech next month and she would like support from Irish politicians and from the Irish public, in putting pressure on the UK government to do right by these 13,000 survivors of institutional abuse in Ireland who've made their homes in Britain," she added.

Ms Gallagher also wants the disregard to apply retrospectively to those who already applied for compensation.

"The second thing is that we know that there were about 770 people who claimed compensation between February 2024 when the scheme opened and the 13th of March 2026 when the concession was made by Prime Minister Starmer in Cork.

"And we are very worried, that of those 770 people, a sizeable number of them are likely to have had a financial penalty. And that is not right."

Ms Gallagher said she thinks this is an issue for the Irish Government to address.

"That's why we're now saying the Irish Government, Irish politicians and the Irish people need to put pressure on the British government to do all they can to now convert this in practice into the resolution that survivors need.

"Just speaking very frankly, many of the survivors are elderly. They're not well. I'm aware of survivors who've died while waiting for this, who didn't claim their compensation.

"Survivors who are very, very elderly and unwell. And time is not on their side. We need to get a move on here," she added.