Rowan Williams: ‘I don’t know whether the Anglican Communion will survive’

It is, Rowan Williams assures me, a coincidence that his new book will be published three days after the installation of Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury. 

“I will not be attending,” he says. “You don’t want to be Marley’s ghost.”

Yet, fittingly – since that book takes solidarity as its theme – this priest, poet and critic is keen to empathise with Mullally, the first female Archbishop, in the weight of challenges she faces. 

“Every archbishop starts, like every president or prime minister: with expectations being thrown at them,” he recalls of his time at Lambeth Palace from 2002 to 2012. 

“Realising you’re not going to be able to meet them is part of the job. It is no walk in the park.”

Williams, who now lives in Cardiff with his theologian wife Jane, comes across as gentler, kinder and more self-deprecating than I remember him from his episcopal tenure. 

He used to make regular headlines, his every utterance and act picked apart. 

His 2011 dismissal of David Cameron’s “Big Society” initiative as “painfully stale” had the Conservative benches in uproar. 

Today, as we sit talking in a book-lined reception room at his publisher’s London office, he stands out from the colourful backdrop in his black clerical shirt and trousers, with a simple cross hanging round his neck. 

Those monkish eyebrows remain as untamed as ever.

The two biggest issues in Mullally’s in-tray, Williams tells me, are the same ones he tried but failed to settle during his turbulent decade in post: women’s ordination and what he refers to as “the same-sex question”. 

With the first, he feels, at least in England, “some of the bitterness has gone out of it”. 

Not, though, in much of the 85-million-strong worldwide Anglican Communion, over which the Archbishop of Canterbury also presides, with some provinces muttering about schism. 

“I honestly don’t know whether the Communion will survive,” he says bluntly.

Closer to home, in 2023 the Church of England bishops – Mullally included – agreed to a trial of same-sex blessing services. 

But conservative Anglicans loudly objected that such a move would be akin to allowing same-sex marriage, when Church teaching states that marriage is only for a man and a woman. 

Late last year, after three years of wrangling over how the new services would work, the bishops – Mullally included – performed a very public U-turn.

Was that the wrong decision? “The job of the archbishop is to bring people together,” Williams says quietly and carefully. 

For one of such famously formidable intelligence – he was Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge for seven years after leaving Lambeth – he sounds like a politician side-stepping a question.

The same reluctance appears when Williams talks (eloquently) about our shared human dignity. 

I can’t help reminding him that Mullally is replacing Justin Welby, who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury to be forced to resign, when a safeguarding report showed he had failed to listen to child victims of abuse by his friend, the Anglican lay reader John Smyth.

“It is a terrible Christian failure,” Williams acknowledges, grimacing. He considers it an example of how that belief in human dignity is something that the Church “has singularly failed to communicate, and not only failed to communicate but actively modelled the opposite, in the past and now”.

Is there anything in his own tenure as archbishop on which he now looks back with regret? “There was so much, day by day, [where] I thought I was not getting this right.” Such as? “My handling of the nomination of Jeffrey John, which had to be cancelled. I still lose sleep over that.”

In 2003, Williams – who had, prior to arriving at Lambeth Palace, taken a liberal view towards same-sex clergy – appeared set to confirm the nomination as Bishop of Reading of John, a priest in a same-sex relationship. 

But he retreated under pressure from more conservative Anglicans. 

It is claimed he put pressure on John to drop out of the appointment process. He clearly doesn’t want to go back over that ground in detail.

More generally, it has often been said – and with Mullally’s appointment, it’s being said again – how overwhelming and nigh-impossible the job of Archbishop of Canterbury can be. 

“I don’t think there were moments when I ever thought, ‘This isn’t worthwhile’,” Williams says. 

But, he admits, “there were moments when I certainly thought, ‘I can’t do this.’ And even more moments when I thought, ‘I really don’t want to do this.’”

Perhaps nurturing greater solidarity among Anglicans could just give the new Archbishop a sporting chance of pulling it off. Williams’s new book on the subject is based on a series of academic lectures delivered over more than 10 years, and ranges widely through history and around the globe. 

In a nutshell, Williams argues that solidarity can take many forms, from interdependence and mutual respect to serving the needs of the poor. It was evident, he believes, in Polish shipyard workers in the 1980s rising up against communism under the banner of Solidarność, but also in those who don a Palestinian keffiyeh today to stand up for those dying in Gaza.

Among his reasons for wanting to kindle a conversation about solidarity’s benefits – besides a wish that Anglicanism be less fractious – is his broader perception that, right now, “people are running for the corners of the room. The implication of something like an America First policy is, we will benefit if you don’t. And so you rule out from the start the idea that it might be that you can only benefit together.”

Such fragmentation – in a society, between nations, within churches – seems to him a pernicious trend. 

“There is a way of approaching a conflict, or even rivalry, with at least the possibility left open that we might find something that is the common good… [that] you are only secure when your neighbour is secure.”

But why, I wonder, is society so fragmented? 

“The pace of social change, the environmental crisis, a sense of a loss of control on lots of people’s parts – of decisions being made elsewhere. And particularly that sense of powerlessness – ‘I do not know where the levers are that will give me some control.’”

He appears, I suggest, to be talking about a Left-leaning concept of solidarity, and setting it against a more individualist approach on the Right. 

“I don’t think solidarity is a partisan thing at all,” he comes back strongly. “It’s about a fundamental belief around what constitutes our humanity.”

Talk of humanity brings us to human rights, and the issue of immigration. There’s political momentum behind the idea of loosening, or even breaking, ties with the European Court of Human Rights. 

Williams becomes more passionate here. 

“There is a way of coming round to understand human rights as something other than just a ready-made goodie-bag of individual entitlements. It seems very easy, as it has happened in history, to say [to someone else], ‘For this reason or that, you don’t really count.’”

For all his energy, however, his view is far from rose-tinted. 

On the Church of England, which many unhappy members fear is in terminal decline, he sounds almost resigned. 

“I keep going to mass in my parish church in Cardiff, and making the most of that. What reassures me, what anchors me, is ultimately an act of faith, of theological conviction, that if God wants the Church to exist, the Church will exist.”

Reform has recently pledged to ban the conversion of Christian churches into mosques. Might that sort of action help to sustain the Church? 

He sighs audibly. 

“It is often deployed as a very good way of consolidating the ‘enemy syndrome’. ‘Let’s be quite clear we are Christians, and we are not whatever else, especially Muslims.’ And that’s where I get a bit suspicious. Using Christianity just as a cultural marker, a line in the sand, looking out at your enemy, saying ‘This is where we are’.”

Is he saying that British public life has lost its moral centre? 

“Yes,” he replies, boldly and without any caveat. “Increasingly, we permit and collude with dishonourable forms of behaviour, and we don’t seem very concerned about that.”

I press him to be more specific. 

“I’m thinking of truth-telling in public life, and even more so when I look across the Atlantic – the venting, coarsening of the whole fabric of public office, with no sense that to hold public office requires a certain level of maintaining public dignity.”

I think we all know who he is referring to. Can he give me a name? “Satan,” he replies, with a laugh.

Lute reappears publicly in Chiclayo alongside a priest closely linked to León XIV

The priest Eleuterio Vásquez, known in Chiclayo as “Lute” and denounced by three victims for serious abuses against minors - to whom he took alone to spend the night at a ranch in the mountains - has reappeared publicly last week at a parish celebration accompanied by the priest Edward Tocto, a canonist close to Prevost who also acted as his defense lawyer in the controversial failed canonical process regarding the abuses in Chiclayo.

The scene, in which both appear on March 8 last celebrating with the faithful the anniversary of parish activities, has caused bewilderment among many Catholics who know the seriousness of the case and the way in which the ecclesiastical processing ended, with the dispensation from the clerical state granted last October and without a sentence on the merits of the facts.

The «Lute» Method

Eleuterio Vásquez was denounced for seriously improper behavior with minors. 

The victims’ testimonies describe trips to the mountains with girls between nine and eleven years old, with whom the priest spent the night alone while a driver remained outside, sleeping in the vehicle that had transported them. 

The statements that the victims submitted in 2022 to the then Bishop Prevost recount episodes in which the priest undressed in front of the minors and performed sexual rubbings, facts that became public when the complainants, after years of institutional silence, went to the Peruvian media.

The precautionary measures taken by the then Bishop Prevost against Lute, as confirmed by Infovaticana through a recording of the instructor Giampiero Gambaro, never included the suspension of the abuser from public ministry, but only his transfer and a prohibition on hearing confessions. 

The lack of investigations: the driver who took the victims and their abuser to the mountains was not even identified, and a strange request to archive the case linking it to the civil prescription of the same, place the Lute case as an unresolved blot on Prevost’s trajectory prior to the papacy.

A Canonical Process Marked by Irregularities

The ecclesiastical procedure that followed the complaints was surrounded from the beginning by controversial decisions. 

At first, the file was archived invoking the civil prescription of the facts, a decision contrary to the logic of the canonical order itself and which was later exposed when the serious deficiencies of the preliminary investigation became known, described by the instructor himself as «a sham, superficial and riddled with errors.»

Later the procedure was reopened, but for years it remained practically paralyzed. The victims denounced a total blockade of information, without access to the file and without knowing the real status of the case. 

That situation was reflected when they formally requested to see the documents that the Church had been withholding from them for years. 

To this day, the case continues to leave the complainants without a minimally reparative response.

During the investigation, another particularly disturbing element also came to light: the priest himself admitted to abusive conduct, although he tried to downplay its severity by claiming there was no penetration. 

That statement was recorded in the information published by this medium under the title “Lute admitted to abusing girls but does not consider it a crime because there was no penetration”.

The Dispensation That Closed the Process Without Trial

The most delicate episode came when Leo XIV granted the grace of dispensation from the clerical state requested by Eleuterio Vásquez himself. 

With that decision, the canonical penal process was extinguished without a trial being held or a sentence being issued on the denounced facts.

Before that measure was adopted, the victims had expressly asked the Pope not to grant the dispensation until the case concluded, a request recorded when they publicly requested that the canonical trial be allowed to continue. 

Finally, the dispensation was granted, attempting to leave the case without judicial resolution, as explained by Infovaticana in the information about the decision adopted in Rome that closed the procedure.

Edward Tocto, the Central Link in the Case

Lute’s public reappearance alongside Edward Tocto is not a secondary detail. It is, in fact, the axis of the news. 

Tocto was not only the canonist who took on the defense of Eleuterio Vásquez in the ecclesiastical process. 

Tocto is also part of Robert Francis Prevost’s personal circle from the years in Chiclayo and maintains an evident closeness with him, accredited by concrete facts and by the priest’s own public testimonies.

The image disseminated on social networks last week is therefore particularly significant: it shows Eleuterio Vásquez’s canonical defender in public celebration alongside the denounced priest himself, in a festive atmosphere and surrounded by the faithful, as if nothing that happened had existed. 

It is not just an uncomfortable photograph. 

It is the visualization of a network of personal and ecclesiastical ties that runs through the case from beginning to end.

The situation is even more serious due to the institutional position that Edward Tocto holds within the Diocese of Chiclayo. 

Tocto is currently deputy judicial vicar of the diocesan ecclesiastical tribunal. 

That condition is incompatible with his role as defender in the process against Eleuterio Vásquez, because the judicial vicar and his deputies are part of the very structure in charge of administering justice in the diocese. 

That dual position contaminates the cleanliness of the procedure and aggravates the sense of disorder that already surrounded the entire case.

A Close Friendship with the Current Pope

The relationship between Edward Tocto and Robert Francis Prevost is not tangential or protocolary. It is a close, longstanding friendship known in the Chiclayo circle. Tocto himself has recounted it publicly. 

After the conclave, he recalled on the Spanish radio network COPE an episode that occurred in Rome on the occasion of Prevost’s creation as a cardinal. 

According to his account, he arrived at night without lodging and ended up meeting the then cardinal near the obelisk in St. Peter’s Square. 

Tocto said that Prevost recognized him immediately, hugged him, inquired about his situation, and got him a place to sleep that same night.

But there is an even more expressive fact about that closeness. 

In February 2015, when Prevost was bishop of Chiclayo, he personally drove from Madrid to Pamplona to visit Tocto, who at that time was studying Canon Law at the University of Navarra. 

He made the round trip in the same day - nearly eight hundred kilometers- just to wish him a happy birthday, spend a few hours with him, and then return to Madrid. 

This is not a distant relationship between bishop and priest. It is an intense, sustained, and singularly close personal friendship.

That fact is key to understanding the photograph now circulating in Chiclayo. Tocto does not appear next to Lute as an ordinary priest. 

He appears as the canonical defender of the denounced priest and, at the same time, as a person very close to the current pontiff. 

And that same Tocto is, moreover, a figure known for his closeness to both Prevost and Lute’s own circle. 

There lies the true center of gravity of the news: Eleuterio Vásquez’s public reappearance takes place hand in hand with a priest who connects the case to the diocese’s judicial structure and to the Pope’s personal circle.

This image does not just reopen a poorly closed wound. 

It also reopens a fundamental question about how the case was managed from the beginning, who was close to whom in each phase of the procedure, and why an abusive priest with such solid testimonies and an overwhelming context ends up reappearing publicly accompanied precisely by one of the men closest to the current Pope within the Diocese of Chiclayo.

The Procedural Situation of the Lute Case

The victims demand access to the file

The victims of the Lute case demand to see the documents that the Church has been hiding from them since 2022

The evidence that was never gathered

The evidence that Prevost did not gather and that the victims demand to clarify their case

The deficiencies of the preliminary investigation

The Church admitted negligence in the Lute case

The priest’s own admission of abuses

Lute admitted to abusing girls but does not consider it a crime

A church in Vienna will open its doors to a “silent disco” with the approval of the parish priest

A Catholic church located in Vienna’s central cemetery will host a “silent disco” type event on April 17. 

For six hours, the temple will be used as a dance floor, with electronic music and a nightclub atmosphere.

If this is already scandalous, even more so are the words of the rector, who has supported the event by stating that faith is not limited to contemplation, but also includes “lightness” and “joy of living”.

A nightclub inside a consecrated church

The initiative, driven by the company Friedhöfe Wien , responsible for the management of the city’s cemeteries, will turn the Church of St. Charles Borromeo into a dance floor for several hours.

The event will take place between 8:00 PM and 2:00 AM. Two DJs will broadcast music on different channels and attendees, equipped with wireless headphones, will be able to switch between them while dancing inside the temple.

The repertoire will include genres such as house, electronic, hip-hop, pop, indie or rock, in a format that, despite its apparent ambient silence, follows the logic of a nightclub. 

The organizers argue that the “silent” nature of the event —based on the use of headphones— allows preserving respect for the place.

The organizers insist that the goal is to promote encounters and create new formats that bring the cemetery closer to society, overcoming “fears” or resistances towards these spaces.

The justification: “joy” and “encounter”

The rector of the church, Jan Soroka, has defended the initiative by stating that faith is not limited to silence and contemplation, but also includes “lightness” and “joy of living”. 

According to his words, “a ‘silent disco’ can also show that faith does not only know silence and contemplation”, adding that where people “laugh, dance and are together, there the Church becomes visible”.

A temple in a cemetery turned into an “events space”

The  of St. Charles Borromeo, built between 1908 and 1911 in the heart of Vienna’s Central Cemetery, is not a desecrated building or a cultural venue, but a consecrated temple linked to prayer for the deceased and the celebration of funerals.

However, the proposal is framed within a broader strategy of reconverting the cemetery into a multifunctional space, where activities such as yoga, concerts, cafes or leisure initiatives have already been introduced.

In this context, the church is presented as a meeting place or a “historical location” suitable for hosting events, integrating into a broader cultural offer.

In recent years, several churches and cathedrals, especially in northern European countries like Germany or the United Kingdom, have hosted events of this type, presented as initiatives to attract new audiences - especially young people - and generate income for the maintenance of the temples.

In the end, this is not about a one-off excess or a simple cultural initiative. 

It is the reflection of a mentality that has stopped distinguishing between the sacred and the profane. 

The problem is no longer just in the event, but in the loss of the sense of the temple and the presence of God in it.

A priest in Iceland under criminal threat for saying that homosexuality is contrary to Catholic morality

The Catholic Church in Iceland is at the center of a growing controversy following statements by priest Jakob Rolland, chancellor of the diocese, which have led authorities to consider opening a criminal investigation for alleged “conversion therapy”.

An interview that unleashes the storm

According to The Catholic World Report, the conflict was triggered after the priest gave an interview to Iceland’s public television (RÚV), in which he explained the Church’s teaching on sexual morality and homosexual relationships.

In response to his words4, the police in the Reykjavik region have announced that they will analyze his statements to determine if they violate a law passed in 2023 that prohibits so-called “conversion therapies”.

Various sectors have accused the priest of promoting an alleged conversion of sexual orientation, claiming that refusing to bless same-sex unions or to administer the Eucharist to people living in such relationships would constitute a covert form of that practice.

“When human law clashes with God’s law”

In the face of these accusations, Father Rolland has maintained a clear stance: obedience to civil laws has a limit when they conflict with divine law.

“Yes, as long as the laws are aligned with God’s law, it’s fine. But when the laws of the land and those of God clash, God’s law prevails,” he stated.

This is not the first time the priest has taken this position. 

As early as 2019, he declared that if he refused to celebrate a marriage between people of the same sex, he would even face legal consequences: “If I have to go to prison, I will, but that won’t change my stance”.

What the Church really says

Far from any coercive approach, the priest explained that the Church speaks of “conversion” in a spiritual sense: an inner change that is part of Christian life.

“Sexual orientation is just one factor among many that can lead to a lifestyle that is not good for the person or for society,” he noted. And he added: “Conversion—the change of heart—is a key word in the daily life of Catholics”.

Father Rolland also emphasized that all the faithful, without exception, come to the Church with their own struggles and sins, seeking spiritual help. 

In that context, he clarified that people with homosexual inclinations can receive the Eucharist, as long as they do not live in relationships contrary to Catholic moral teaching.

He also rejected the existence of any organized form of “conversion therapy”: “There are no organized suppression therapies, only people who talk to a priest, seek advice and support in their spiritual life”.

Political reaction and social pressure

The statements have provoked a strong reaction in the Icelandic political and media spheres. 

LGBT organizations have demanded that the case be investigated as a crime, while political figures have openly criticized the Church’s stance.

From Parliament, Social Democratic deputy Sigmundur Ernir Rúnarsson questioned the message that, in his view, is being sent to homosexual and transgender people.

For her part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir—a Catholic—expressed her concern and asked the Church not to come into conflict with current legislation or diversity policies.

A minority Church in a secularized country

The case occurs in a very particular context. Iceland, traditionally Lutheran, has become deeply secularized in recent decades, to the point that LGBT activism has become, de facto, one of the dominant cultural pillars.

The Catholic Church, which represents only about 4% of the population, is mostly made up of immigrants from countries like Poland, Slovakia, or the Philippines. 

Its priests, including Rolland—who is of French origin—are largely missionaries.

This minority and foreign character contributes to the Catholic presence being perceived as alien in the public debate, although its growth is beginning to be visible, especially in cities like Reykjavik.

Silent growth amid pressure

Despite the adverse climate, the Catholic Church in Iceland is experiencing sustained growth. 

Masses, celebrated in several languages, bring together faithful from different nationalities, and it is not uncommon to see temples full, even with attendees standing.

The priest himself recently highlighted the growing interest of young people in the Catholic faith, in a social context marked by the search for meaning: “Many are looking for an anchor, answers to life’s questions, a safe place, and a community”.

Inquest into death of Father Vimalraj Antonyadimai to examine parish conflict before Murray Bridge priest’s suicide

A Catholic priest found dead inside his own living quarters has sparked a court probe that will include a focus on a conflict with parishioners within his church.

The death of a “gentle” Murray Bridge Catholic priest will be probed after claims he took his own life due to a conflict with a parishioner who allegedly made racial remarks and undermined his authority in the church.

Pope Leo XIV urges media to show human face of war, not propaganda

Pope Leo XIV has urged the media to show the human face of suffering amid war and to verify news so as not to recirculate “propaganda” or become a “mouthpiece for those in power.”

“Always, but especially in the dramatic circumstances of war, such as those we are currently experiencing, the media must guard against the risk of becoming propaganda,” the pope said in an address to broadcast journalists who produce the  TG2 news programs for the Italian state-owned television channel, Rai 2.

‘Verifying the news’

The pope underlined that the essential and delicate task for journalists is “verifying the news so as not to become a mouthpiece for those in power.”

“It is up to you to show the sufferings that war always brings to the people; to show the face of war and to relate it through the eyes of the victims, so as not to transform it into a videogame,” Pope Leo said.

The pope acknowledged that “it is not easy in the few minutes of a news broadcast and its in-depth segments,” but underlined that “this is the challenge.”

Reflecting on the challenge of artificial intelligence today, Pope Leo underlined the need to “the need to regulate communication according to the human paradigm and not the technological one.”

An age of polarization, iedeologies

People today are living in “an age dominated by polarization, ideological closed-mindedness and slogans,” the pope said, adding that makes it more difficult to see and understand “the complexity of reality.”

There is a “temptation,” he added, “to seek out, see and listen only to what confirms our own opinions.”

“But there can be no good communication, nor true freedom and healthy pluralism, without this openness,” he said.

‘The saint’s colours would actually have been blue’

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated by thousands of people across the world, yet there is a lot we don’t know about the saint.

Donna Fox, an Armagh historian and tour guide, said many of the commonly held beliefs we have about St Patrick are false.

“St Patrick is associated with green, but his colours would have actually been blue. His bishop robes would have actually been blue, not green,” she said.

It’s believed that later depictions of St Patrick see him dressed in green due to the colour being synonymous with Ireland — but Ireland isn’t the only country with a connection to the saint.

“Some people think he’s just the patron saint of Ireland, but he is also the patron saint of Nigeria and engineers,” Donna explained.

She said some people believe March 17 was St Patrick’s birthday, but that isn’t true either.

Donna explained: “St Patrick’s Day was the death of St Patrick. People wouldn’t have had birth certificates back in those days. They may have been unsure about the date they were born, but we know that he died on March 17 and that’s why we remember it.”

Most people know that St Patrick originally came to Ireland as a slave and later returned to spread the gospel, but there is confusion surrounding the saint’s birthplace.

“He’s not Irish. He came from a Roman family. We don’t know the exact location — it could be northern Britain, it could have been Scotland or Wales, we just aren’t sure,” she said.

“There is not much of his life that we know about prior to him being kidnapped and becoming a slave in Ireland at the age of 16.”

The idea that St Patrick got the snakes out of Ireland is also false: “There have never been snakes in Ireland, so the story about him banishing the snakes was just a story used to explain him bringing Christianity to Ireland.”

From the stories we do know about St Patrick, we know he studied in France before moving to Ireland to spread the gospel. He built his first church in Downpatrick before building his first stone church in Armagh.

Two of Armagh City’s cathedrals are named after St Patrick: the Catholic and Church of Ireland cathedrals. Donna said this represents the saint’s impact on the city.

“Armagh is a popular pilgrimage for people. St Patrick called Armagh ‘my sweet hill’ and he established monasteries here, which were a magnet to scholars studying the gospels. He actually decreed that only those studying in Armagh could spread the gospel, so Armagh was a very important place to him.”

It isn’t just stories about St Patrick’s life and death that are plagued with misconceptions. Donna said many people don’t understand the history of St Patrick’s Day. Traditionally, it was celebrated a lot more solemnly than it is now.

“We didn’t always have a parade for St Patrick’s Day. In fact, the first St Patrick’s Day parade was in the USA,” she explained.

It’s believed St Patrick’s Day became the celebration it is now thanks to Irish immigrants.

“People who moved abroad wanted a way to remember and honour home. St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many ways across the world. We see buildings across the world ‘going green’ and there was even a St Patrick’s Day parade in Antarctica.

“It’s such a significant day for so many people across the world. We are always eager to help people learn about St Patrick, whether it’s through our tours or the vigil or any of the St Patrick’s Day workshops that are running in Armagh.”

St. Patrick was never canonized a saint by the Catholic Church

While millions around the world celebrate St. Patrick's Day every March 17, the sad fact is that Patrick has never been canonized by the Catholic Church and is a saint in name only. 

As writer Ken Concannon stated: "There was no formal canonization process in the Church during its first millennium. 

In the early years of the Church, the title saint was bestowed first upon martyrs, and then upon individuals recognized by tradition as being exceptionally holy during their lifetimes." 

"Consequently, these Irish saints, including St. Patrick, were never actually formally canonized -- save one. The exception was Fergal, also known as St. Virgil of Salzburg, an 8th-century missionary scholar who was officially canonized in 1233 by Pope Gregory IX. Virgil is one of only four Irish saints to be canonized by Rome."

"There was no formal process for canonization in place when Patrick died. He was proclaimed a saint by popular acclaim, probably with the approval of a bishop. The official process for canonization did not come until about the 12th century." 

Patrick was actually the grandson of a priest back when marriage for clerics was not frowned upon. 

His genius was bringing together the old pagan traditions and the new religion together in harmony in Ireland in the 5th century. 

Patrick was the first major figure to reject slavery and for that alone, he deserves proper canonization. 

Patrick is renowned for his missionary work and dedication to spreading the message of Christianity throughout Ireland. 

While he is already recognized as a saint in the Catholic Church, some may wonder why he should be considered for sainthood. Here are several reasons why St. Patrick of Ireland should be a saint.

Firstly, St. Patrick was a tireless advocate for the Christian faith. Despite facing significant opposition from pagan Irish chieftains, St. Patrick never wavered in his commitment to spreading the gospel. 

He traveled throughout Ireland, preaching and converting thousands of people to Christianity, and establishing churches and monasteries throughout the country. 

His unwavering dedication to his mission is a testament to his deep faith and commitment to serving God. Secondly, St. Patrick is credited with many miracles and acts of divine intervention. 

According to legend, St. Patrick is said to have banished all the snakes from Ireland, using his staff to drive them into the sea. 

He is also credited with healing the sick, raising the dead, and performing other miraculous deeds. 

While some of these stories may be embellished or exaggerated, they serve as a testament to St. Patrick's faith and the power of his message.

Thirdly, St. Patrick's legacy has had a lasting impact on Irish culture and identity. 

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated not just in Ireland, but around the world, as a symbol of Irish culture and heritage. St. Patrick's work in converting the Irish to Christianity

also played a role in the development of the Irish language and literature. His influence can be seen in the rich tradition of Irish storytelling and the many legends and myths that have been passed down through the generations.

Finally, St. Patrick's life and teachings continue to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds. His message of love, forgiveness, and redemption is as relevant today as it was in his own time. 

St. Patrick's commitment to serving others, even in the face of adversity, is a powerful example for all of us to follow.

Archbishop Martin’s 2026 St Patrick’s Day message to people in Ireland and abroad

Saint Patrick tells us that he was only fifteen or sixteen years of age when he was trafficked into Ireland as a slave.  

Even though he had been raised in a Christian home and family, he describes himself as a poor sinner who had little knowledge of the true God. 

But in the isolation and loneliness of his captivity in Ireland, Patrick turned to God in prayer, and he began to experience God’s love and protection in a deeply personal way.

Before long, Patrick had the courage to share with others how much his faith in God meant to him. After six years in slavery, he escaped home to his family who wanted him never to leave them again.  

But God had other plans. One night, in a dream, he heard the ‘voice of the Irish’ calling him: ‘Come back, holy youth, and walk among us once more.’

Patrick returned years later to Ireland as a missionary bishop. He concentrated his efforts on baptising and confirming thousands of people for Christ, and ordaining and consecrating others to help him spread the Good News.

For Patrick, baptism was not just a once-off event; it was the gateway to a personal journey of faith and friendship with God.

New research tells us that young adults in Ireland are becoming more curious and searching for faith. Many young people are struggling to find hope nowadays. They seek nourishment for their interior lives, their well-being and mental health. I met young people recently who spoke of the emptiness they are feeling in this fragile and troubled world, which on the one hand celebrates advances in technology and artificial intelligence, while at the same time it seems to be tearing itself apart through war and aggression and the killing and displacement of innocent civilians and families.

Our families and young people have to navigate a complex world where good and evil – like the wheat and the darnel in the Gospel story – exist and grow alongside one another. We cannot insulate ourselves from the world in some kind of ‘cocoon’ of faith. Our country and our troubled world need us to be like Saint Patrick, strong and active witnesses of Peace, Faith, Hope and Love.

As a boy, Saint Patrick had experienced violence and displacement at the hands of traffickers. His loneliness and vulnerability on the hills of Ireland brought him face to face with suffering. He found solace and courage in a new relationship with God, sensing that God was close to him in adversity. This experience shaped Patrick’s vocation and his sense of mission. Later in life he returned to Ireland to bring the Good News that God is with us, even in the midst of pain, trauma and isolation.

We turn to Saint Patrick, especially this year, to intercede for all those who are suffering from war and violence in our troubled world – and to give courage and determination to peacemakers.

Beanneachtai na Feile Padraig oraibh go leir. Agus go dtuga Naomh Pádraig aire daoibh, go dtreoraí sé sibh agus bhur gclanna; go dtuga sé a dhea-mhéin chun bhur muintire agus chun cairde uilig na hÉireann ar fuaid an domhain, inniu agus i gcónaí.

From Hippo to Luanda’s 'Chinese' satellite city: Leo XIV's stops in Africa

The Holy See Press office today released the schedule of the apostolic visit that will take Leo XIV to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea from April 13 to 23.

The journey will echo the name of Saint Augustine, with the historic first visit by a sitting pope to Algeria, followed by three countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with major stops in places still hurting from wounds left open by forgotten conflicts of yesterday and today, but also filled with the hopes of the people who live on this great continent.

This will be Pope Leo XIV’s third trip outside of Italy, after his visit to Turkey and Lebanon in November 2025 and his one-day visit to the Principality of Monaco on 28 March.

The journey begins in Algiers on the morning of 13 April, with a visit to the Maqam Echahid Martyrs' Monument, the which commemorates the fallen of the Algerian War of Independence, erected in 1982 to mark the 20th anniversary of the country’s independence from France.

From there, Leo XIV will proceed to the Presidential Palace for a courtesy visit to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, followed by a public meeting with the authorities.

In the afternoon, he will visit the Great Mosque of Algiers, followed by a private visit to the community of the Augustinian Missionary Sisters in the neighbourhood of Bab El Oued, home to Sister Esther Paniagua Alonso and Sister Caridad Álvarez Martín, two nuns killed in 1994 by the GIA Islamists and among the 19 Algerian martyrs beatified in Oran in 2018.

The first day will end with a meeting with the Algerian community at Notre Dame d'Afrique, the large basilica overlooking the sea consecrated in 1872 by Cardinal Charles Martial Lavigerie, as ​​an ideal bridge with Notre Dame de la Garde in Marseille, on the French shore of the Mediterranean.

Tuesday, 14 April, will be the day of Pope Leo's homage to Saint Augustine, a central figure in the life and teaching of Robert Prevost. The pontiff will travel to Annaba, the ancient city of Hippo, which he had already visited when he was superior of the Augustinians.

Here, he will stop at the archaeological site of Hippo and at the nursing home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, before meeting privately with members of the Augustinian order. In the afternoon, he will lead the only public Mass to be held in Algeria at the Basilica of Saint Augustine.

Upon his return to Algiers on the morning of Wednesday, 15 April, he will leave for Cameroon, arriving in the afternoon. In Yaoundé, after a courtesy visit to Paul Biya, the 93-year-old president who has been in office for more than 40 years, the pontiff will meet with the authorities, civil society groups, and the diplomatic corps, before visiting the Ngul Zamba orphanage.

Thursday, 16 April, will also be an important day, when Leo XIV will travel to Bamenda, in the country’s Anglophone northwest, a region ravaged by one of the world's most forgotten conflicts. Here, he will hold a peace meeting and preside over a Mass at the international airport.

On Friday, 17 April, it will be the turn of Douala, Cameroon's economic capital, where Leo will preside over another Eucharistic celebration at the stadium, but will also visit the sick at Saint Paul Catholic Hospital and meet with the university community at the Catholic University of Central Africa.

On Saturday, 18 April, the pope will travel to Angola, the third country on this long journey. In Luanda, as per custom, he will meet with President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, before delivering his address to the authorities and civil society groups.

In the Portuguese-speaking country, Sunday, 19 April, will be marked by Mass in Kilamba (the new, modern city built from scratch by a Chinese public investment company about 20 kilometres from the centre of the capital), and the rosary in the esplanade in front of the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima, built by the Portuguese in the 16th century and very dear to Angolan popular devotion.

On Monday, 20 April, also in Angola, Leo will travel to Saurimo, a city that is an important centre for diamond mining.

Finally, on Tuesday, 21 April, the pope will depart for Equatorial Guinea, landing in Malabo, until recently the country's capital, where he will meet with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, in power since 1982, before delivering his customary address to the country's civil authorities. 

Also in Malabo, in the afternoon, he will travel to the National University, where he will inaugurate a campus dedicated to him, before visiting the Jean Pierre Olié Psychiatric Hospital.

Wednesday, 22 April, will be particularly intense, when the pontiff, after celebrating Mass in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mongomo, will travel to Bata, the city devastated on 7 March 2021 by four horrific explosions in an army weapons depot, resulting in the deaths of 107 people and hundreds of injured.

Also in Bata, Leo XIV will visit the prison, a technical school dedicated to Pope Francis, and finally meet young people and families at the stadium. 

The last appointment in Equatorial Guinea will be on Thursday 23 April, a Mass in the Malabo stadium, before leaving for Rome.

Holy See on surrogacy: Always protect women and children

Combating violence and exploitation linked to surrogacy and strengthening the protection of the dignity of women and children.

This is the message at the centre of a statement issued by the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations on the occasion of a side event of the 70th Commission on the Status of Women, dedicated to the theme “Protecting Women and Children: Combating Violence and Exploitation in Surrogacy.”

A debate at the Commission on the Status of Women

The statement first expresses appreciation for the partners of the initiative — the Government of Italy, Türkiye and Paraguay — and draws attention to an issue described as “urgent,” in which “the technology and practice have run laps around the law and ethics.”

While acknowledging that many view surrogacy as “a compassionate solution for those wishing to be parents,” the note emphasises that “the whole context must be taken into account” in determining whether the practice is compatible with “respect for the dignity and rights of women and children.”

Economic pressures and risk of exploitation

Among the concerns raised is the economic dimension of the phenomenon. Many women who agree to become surrogates cite “economic need as their primary reason” for doing so. 

It is therefore not surprising, the statement notes, that “stories of the rich and famous commissioning surrogates are common, whereas stories of wealthy women serving as surrogates are rare.”

The demand for children born through this practice, the document continues, “already exceeds the supply,” while measures such as “social protection, education, and economic opportunity” — which could reduce the risk of exploitation — would likely lead many women “to refuse to enter such arrangements.”

For this reason, the statement asks whether “the surrogacy industry could survive if poverty were eradicated.”

The note also highlights that where commercial arrangements are permitted, potential surrogates may find themselves in “a perverse competition for commissioning parents.” 

Even in countries where commercial surrogacy is prohibited, compensation for costs or supposed “gifts” may sometimes “disguise payments.”

In some cases, the text adds, women who would not otherwise enter such agreements may be “pressured or even forced into them by family members,” while those living in poverty are unlikely to be able to afford “independent legal or medical advice.”

The rights of children

The statement also refers to concrete cases in which “over a dozen babies” were found being cared for by nannies in rented homes, while commissioning parents continued to employ additional surrogates.

The commodification of children, it adds, can also intersect with prejudice, for example, in cases of prenatal diagnoses of disability. 

In such situations, the child risks being treated as “a flawed ‘product’ or a problem to be solved” rather than welcomed as a gift.

This attitude, the note states, runs contrary to a just society in which children can grow and flourish. 

Children, in fact, possess rights and interests that must be respected, beginning with “a moral right to be created in an act of love.”

Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child — described as “the most widely ratified human rights instrument” — children also have “a right to know and be cared for by their parents.”

That this right cannot always be fulfilled, the document observes, “should not be used to excuse a practice which deliberately violates them.”

The position of the Holy See

While recognising “the very real and understandable desire to have children,” the statement maintains that these concerns cannot be resolved simply through regulation.

In this context, it welcomes the decision of the Hague Conference on Private International Law not to pursue, at least for the time being, further work on a convention concerning legal parentage in cases of surrogacy.

The document concludes by recalling a recent statement by Pope Leo XIV, who said that “by transforming gestation into a negotiable service, [surrogacy] violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.”

The text also cites Pope Francis, who said that “a child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract.”

In light of these considerations, the Permanent Mission of the Holy See expresses the hope that the discussion initiated within the Commission will encourage further steps “toward ending this practice in all its forms and at all levels,” with the aim of protecting women and children “from exploitation and violence.”

In defamation case, Ouellet denies old and new allegations

Cardinal Marc Ouellet took the witness stand in a Montreal court this month to reject claims of sexual assault.

While the case involves allegations from one woman, two witnesses in the case raised new allegations of sexual misconduct by the cardinal, including the claim that he once shoved his hand down a woman’s shirt without her consent.

Ouellet emphatically denied any sexual misconduct.

The case, currently being heard before the Superior Court of Quebec, is a defamation suit filed by Ouellet against the woman who initially alleged that he had assaulted her. 

Her allegations were first made public in a class-action lawsuit against the Quebec archdiocese.

What were the initial allegations?

In 2022, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the Archdiocese of Quebec, including 101 individuals saying they had been sexually abused by priests or employees of the archdiocese.

As part of that class-action lawsuit, a woman who was identified at the time only as “F.” said Cardinal Ouellet had touched her inappropriately at several occasions in 2008 and 2010, including one instance in which he touched her buttocks.

How did Ouellet respond?

Ouellet has adamantly denied the allegations. Shortly after the class-action lawsuit was filed, he sued the woman making the accusation – who was later identified as Paméla Groleau, a pastoral assistant in the archdiocese – for 100,000 Canadian dollars for defamation.

In August 2022, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had ordered a preliminary investigation into the claims, but that it found “insufficient elements” to open a formal canonical trial. 

Groleau’s attorney told The Pillar at that time that she believed the Vatican had mishandled her complaint.

The cardinal was never charged criminally over the allegations. He remained in his role as head of the Dicastery for Bishops until his retirement at age 78.

What is the latest development in the story?

Ouellet and Groleau both testified in the defamation case in recent weeks. 

Groleau said the cardinal forcefully massaged her shoulders without consent after Mass one day, and that she subsequently felt that he was hunting her down and seeking her out at events for more than a year, until he eventually sexually assaulted her in the empty cathedral after an ordination Mass, touching her lower back and buttocks.

Ouellet said during his testimony that he considers it unfair that he is placed in the same category as priests who abuse children. 

He said he filed the defamation suit to defend his integratory and honor, and that any money he is awarded in the case will be given to indigenous victims of sexual assault.

What else happened during the hearings?

Three women who worked with Ouellet defended his character, describing him as caring, warm, and “fraternal in his contacts.” One woman described the archdiocese as a “family” and said warm physical greetings are common.

“We shake hands, we hug, we take each other by the shoulders, we embrace,” she said.

However, two other women who were called as witnesses for Groleau described additional incidents of what they said was inappropriate conduct from Ouellet.

One woman said that while she was preparing books for Mass one day in 1992, Ouellet, who was then a seminary rector, “rubbed his hands on my derrière.” 

Another woman said that in 2014, Ouellet pushed his hand inside the front of her sweater, and placed a 50-dollar bill there.

Ouellet denied wrongdoing in response to both testimonies. 

In the second case, he acknowledged putting the money in the woman’s sweater, but called it a “clumsy mistake” during a hug.

Were other bishops named in the initial class-action lawsuit? What happened to them?

Yes, Bishop Jean-Pierre Blais of Baie-Comeau was accused of sexual abuse of a minor in the 2022 lawsuit. 

He denied the claims against him, and remained in office until 2025, when he turned 75 and submitted his resignation, per ordinary Church protocol.

Two deceased bishops – Bishop Clément Fecteau of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière and Auxiliary Bishop Jean-Paul Labrie of Quebec – were also named in the lawsuit.

German Church ‘exits’ fall, Mass attendance rate rises

The number of Catholics formally disaffiliating from the Church in Germany has fallen for the third year in a row, while the percentage of Catholics attending Mass has risen for the fourth consecutive year.

New German bishops’ conference chairman Bishop Heiner Wilmer welcomed preliminary figures released March 16 that showed a growth in the rate of Mass attendance, but he lamented that formal Church “exits” remained more than 300,000 per year.

He said: “It is a welcome sign that church attendance is once again showing a slight increase. And I see it as a positive sign that the numbers for First Communion and confirmation have remained stable. At the same time, I regret the continuing high number of people leaving the Church.”

“The reasons vary, and yet I say — because we are a community of believers through baptism and confirmation — that every departure from the Church pains us. There are fewer and fewer Christians in Germany, but that does not prevent us — despite all the necessary measures involved — from bearing witness to our faith with great personal dedication.”

According to the new statistics, the number of people leaving the Catholic Church in Germany fell to 307,117 in 2025, down from 321,659 in 2024, 402,694 in 2023, and 522,821 in 2022.

To formally leave the Church, a baptized Catholic must book an appointment at a local registry office or court, provide official documents, and pay a fee of $33-$66. 

They are given a certificate confirming they are no longer registered and therefore not liable for the country’s church tax.

They also receive a letter from local Church officials, informing them they can no longer receive the sacraments, hold Church posts, or serve as baptismal or confirmation sponsors.

The number of Church exits varied widely between dioceses in 2025. 

The eastern German Diocese of Görlitz recorded only 329, while the Archdiocese of Cologne registered 27,595. 

The disparity is explained by the difference in size between the two dioceses. 

The Görlitz diocese serves only 28,000 Catholics, while there are 1.6 million in the Cologne archdiocese.

The percentage of Church exits increased in five dioceses — Speyer (1.8%), Paderborn (2.3%), Magdeburg (3%), Görlitz (4.8%), and Passau (9.1%) — while the biggest decreases were in Eichstätt (-15%), Aachen (-9%), and Limburg (-9%).

Meanwhile, the percentage of baptized Catholics attending Mass in Germany has fallen from 10.4% in 2015 to 6.8% in 2025. The figure reached a low point in 2021, when Mass attendance was hit by COVID-19 restrictions, but has risen modestly each year since.

The percentage of Catholics attending Mass in 2025 remained well below the level before the pandemic, when around 10% attended.

The number of Catholics in Germany shrank in 2025 to 19.2 million, meaning that 23% of the total German population is now Catholic. Protestants comprise around 20%, Muslims approximately 7%, and those with no religious affiliation roughly 40-50%.

The total number of Catholics in Germany decreased by 549,636 last year, when deaths, baptisms, new admissions, and resumptions of church membership are accounted for.

In a development that is likely to worry the country’s diocesan bishops, Germany recorded a new record low for priestly ordinations in 2025. Only 25 new priests were ordained for Germany’s 27 dioceses last year, compared to 29 in 2024.

The number of ordinations to the diocesan priesthood has declined steadily in Germany since 1962, when there were 557. But the annual figure never fell below 30 before 2024.

There was mixed news regarding other sacraments. First Communions increased slightly from 151,702 in 2024 to 152,357 in 2025. Confirmations also rose from 105,041 to 105,334.

But baptisms declined again from 116,274 in 2024 to 109,028 in 2025. Church weddings also fell significantly, from 22,513 to 19,478. There were also fewer church funerals, with 213,046 in 2024, but only 203,496 last year.

The number of people joining the Church rose from 1,839 in 2024 to 2,269 in 2025. The number resuming their Church membership also grew, from 4,743 in 2024 to 5,443 in 2025.

According to the German Church’s official news site, katholisch.de, 87% of the new members previously belonged to the Protestant Church.

The Protestant Church in Germany — a federation of 20 Lutheran, Reformed, and United regional churches — announced March 16 that it lost around 350,000 members in 2025. 

That is roughly the same as in 2024, when there were 351,664 exits, but lower than in 2023, when there were around 380,000.

Commenting on the new Catholic statistics, Bishop Wilmer paid tribute to the volunteers who serve in the Church in Germany but do not feature in the annual figures.

“There are around 600,000 of them who ensure that the Church, with its diverse offerings, is even possible in society in the first place,” he said.

“Despite all the upheavals, I encourage us not to bury our heads in the sand, but to look ahead and seek ways together — including in ecumenical solidarity — to ensure that being a Christian today leads to greater acceptance in society.”

Doubts emerge over ‘super project’ to redevelop old convent in Laois Offaly town

A “super project” to redevelop an old convent in Portarlington "could do with getting started", according to a county councillor, but an Offaly County Council official has said the voluntary housing body involved may have "overstretched" .

Plans to convert the Presentation Convent on Patrick Street in Portarlington into social housing were first announced in 2021. 

Planning permission for the development of 37 units was granted in 2023, but construction is yet to begin on the project.

Independent councillor Eddie Fitzpatrick spoke on the subject at the March meeting of the Edenderry Municipal District. 

Cllr Fitzpatrick said Sophia Housing have purchased the property and planning was granted. He asked Offaly council officials what has happened since. 

“To date, no work has started on site. I’m just wondering have you been in contact with them or is there any update on what they are proposing to do with the building.

“It’s a fine building and there is a good development plan there for the area, so it would be great to see that progressing as soon as possible,” he said.

In response, John Mitchell, Senior Executive Engineer at Offaly County Council, highlighted the potential of the project.

 “On the convent in Portarlington, I suppose that’s a super project, it really is. The Department [of Housing] has shown its commitment to it by allocating over €14 million of its budget for it.

“It has got planning [permission] so there’s lots of projects there, lots of ingredients there to bring about a super project. If it’s combined with other funding sources, I think that whole area could be amazing.

“That same AHB (Approved Housing Body) has been involved in a very similar project in Portlaoise and as I understand, it’s supposed to be a very good outcome," he said.

However, he went on to outline the issues facing the Sophia Housing Association and the reasons why the redevelopment hasn’t started.

“I suppose from their point of view, maybe they’ve overstretched themselves a little bit in relation to how much they can take on. They haven’t let that one go, and from my point of view, I’ll be pushing very hard to get that through,” he said.

Mr Mitchell said that while the original plan was for 37 housing units, there are now plans for a total of 45 units.

In most cases, such a change would require another planning application to be submitted. However, no such application has been lodged.

“The project on paper is getting better but as you say, it could do with getting started there,” Mr Mitchell added.

He concluded by reassuring the elected members that Offaly County Council remains focused on ensuring the project comes to fruition.

Court dismisses Indian nun’s plea against conversion charge

The top court in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has declined to quash a case accusing a Catholic nun of illegal religious conversion, which she and her supporters dismiss as fabricated.

The Jabalpur bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court said the case against Sisters of Destitute Sister Bhagya, working in Satna diocese, “is not fit for quashing.”

The court sought criminal proceedings against the nun, former principal of Sacred Heart Convent High School in Khajuraho, Chhatarpur district.

The single-judge bench of Justice Vinay Saraf also said that “the allegations are sufficient to put the petitioner on trial” in the March 9 ruling, which was publicly released on March 14.

The case was filed against the nun in February 2021, when the nun was the school principal. 

Ruby Singh, a teacher of the school, whose services were terminated in 2020, allegedly complained to the police against the nun.

The school authorities say Singh was dismissed following complaints about her poor teaching quality.

But Singh, who joined in 2016, alleged that she was dismissed for refusing to the nun’s pressure to abandon her Hindu faith and become a Catholic.

She complained that the nun had violated the state’s stringent anti-conversion law that criminalizes religious conversion through any force, allurement, or fraudulent means.

The nun denied the allegations as fabricated and accused the teacher of taking revenge for the dismissal.

Sisters of the Destitute provincial Sister Smitha Vembilly, based in the national capital New Delhi, said they would continue to fight for justice.

“Now we have the option to challenge the order in the Supreme Court, the top court in the country, or face the trial as directed by the high court and prove her innocence in the trial court,” the nun told UCA News.

A Catholic priest who is monitoring the case told UCA News on March 16 that  “the High Court order does not mean that the nun is guilty."

The priest who sought anonymity alleged that the case is “based on a false statement from the complainant, and the probe agency had not found any material evidence to substantiate the charges.”

Madhya Pradesh is among the 12 Indian states that enacted strict anti-conversion laws.

Christian leaders alleged that hardline Hindu groups and activists abuse the laws to file false conversion cases against Christians who work among the poor and the downtrodden in society.

Bishops, priests, nuns, and laypeople are among those facing a series of such cases in Madhya Pradesh and other states, mostly ruled by the pro-Hindu Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).

About 80 percent of Madhya Pradesh’s estimated 72 million people are Hindus, as per official records. Less than one percent are Christians.

Pope, Palestine president discuss ‘alarming’ situation in Middle East

Pope Leo XIV and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke over the phone Monday to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, with the pope reiterating the need for peaceful dialogue amid escalating conflict.

A March 16 communique from the Vatican said the pope received a phone call from Abbas that day “concerning the alarming developments in the conflict in the Middle East and the living conditions of the Palestinian people.”

“During the conversation, the Holy Father reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to achieving peace through political and diplomatic dialogue, as well as through full respect for international law,” the statement said.

The phone call comes after some 16 people died over the weekend in Israeli strikes on the West Bank, according to health officials.

Several police officers were killed and over a dozen bystanders injured in a strike near the entrance to the town of Zawayda in the center of the Gaza Strip Sunday, while a missile strike in the refugee camp of Nuseirat in central Gaza struck a house and killed four people, including a young couple and their 10-year-old son. 

The nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirmed that the woman had been pregnant with twins.

His appeal also comes amid rising international dispute over the U.S. and Israeli-led war in Iran, which flared up in recent weeks and has expanded to Lebanon, where Israel is conducting strikes against Hezbollah forces.

Leo XIV on Sunday had made an appeal for an end to the conflict, lamenting that “For two weeks now, the peoples of the Middle East have been suffering the horrific violence of war.”

“Thousands of innocent people have been killed, and countless others have been forced to flee their homes,” he said, asking that dialogue be resumed, as “violence can never lead to the justice, stability and peace for which the peoples are waiting.”

He also voiced “prayerful closeness to all who have lost loved ones in the attacks, which have struck schools, hospitals and residential areas.”

The remark alluded to a strike on an Iranian girls’ school that left at least 175 people, mostly children, dead in what is believed to have been a U.S. missile attack.

Pope Leo Sunday also issued a special appeal for Lebanon, where he traveled last year after visiting Turkey, saying the current situation in Lebanon is “a cause for great concern.”

Israeli military forces have said their troops launched “limited and targeted ground operations” in southern Lebanon amid intensified fighting with Hezbollah.

This latest spat between Israel and Hezbollah came after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, bringing an end to a ceasefire brokered between the two in 2024.

Leo in his appeal for Lebanon voiced hope that “avenues for dialogue will emerge to support the country’s authorities in implementing lasting solutions to the serious crisis currently unfolding, for the common good of all the Lebanese people.”

Previously, during a March 13 audience with participants in the 36th Course on the Internal Forum of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the pope had urged those responsible for waging war to go to confession.

“One might ask: do those Christians who bear grave responsibility in armed conflicts have the humility and courage to undertake a serious examination of conscience and confess?” he said.

The remark was widely taken as an indirect rebuke of Catholic politicians such as U.S. Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who have been the architects of the current war in Iran and the recent forced removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Prior to Monday’s phone call, Abbas and Pope Leo held their first meeting in November, when Abbas visited the Vatican on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the global agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine.

During that meeting, the two discussed the need to provide assistance to civilians in Gaza and the pursuit of a two-state solution as a means of ending conflict in the region.

Catholic parishioners protest ‘missing’ funds from Indonesian bank

Hundreds of parishioners, along with priests and nuns, took to the streets to protest alleged “missing parish funds” to the tune of 28.5 billion rupiah (about US$1.7 million) from an Indonesian state-owned bank’s branch in North Sumatra province.

Members of the St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Aek Nabara in Rantau Parapat, the capital of Labuhan Batu Regency, held demonstrations outside the Indonesia State Bank (Bank Negara Indonesia, BNI) branch on Jalan Ahmad Yani street on March 12.

Branch Head Muhammad Kamel met with the priests and representatives of the congregation and later assured the protesters that the bank would restore 7 billion rupiah to the parish account by March 30.

“The bank will also verify and make the rest of the payments,” he assured.

Father Yonas Sandra Mallissa, parish priest of the St. Francis of Assisi Parish, which falls under the jurisdiction of Medan archdiocese, said bank officials provided no adequate explanation for the funds' disappearance.

“We learned about the embezzlement of our parish funds about 18 days ago,”  the priest from the Francis Xavier Foreign Mission Society (SX) noted, while explaining that the funds were accumulated through “congregational cooperative savings, collected gradually by members and through other church initiatives.”

Mallissa said the parish members suspected the funds were “embezzled by the BNI’s Aek Nabara management.”

This came as a shock to the small parish of 4,830 members, he said, while adding that the members then decided to hold demonstrations at the bank’s branch.

His colleague, Father Ino, who identified himself by a single name, said: “The deposited funds disappeared gradually, and we only learned about it at the end of February.”

Ino said the parish has sought “a more complete chronology of the missing funds” from the bank officials.

The parish leaders, though, agreed to wait for the fulfilment of the assurance given by Branch Head Muhammad Kamel.

However, they would also consider “legal options, if necessary,” Ino added.

A protester, who requested anonymity, said the bank official’s assurance gave “a sense of relief,” but added the parishioners will continue to “demand accountability.”

“We are satisfied at the moment, but will yet be vigilant,” he stressed.

The Catholic Church in rural North Sumatra has pioneered cooperatives, which typically support farming, education, and health among the poor communities.

The cooperatives focus on economic empowerment, social support, and disaster recovery, often through local diocesan efforts, lay organizations, and religious orders.

Bangladesh’s state allowance for clergy triggers mixed reactions

A state-funded monthly allowance scheme for clergy from all major faiths in Bangladesh has sparked mixed reactions from religious leaders in the Muslim-majority South Asian nation.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman launched the scheme during a March 14 event in the national capital, Dhaka.

The scheme was a pre-election pledge of Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which won the national election by a landslide on Feb. 12 and formed the government.

“This program seeks to recognize the sacrifices and services of religious leaders and ensure their financial well-being,” Rahman said during the launch.

Under the scheme, each mosque is entitled to receive 10,000 taka (US$81) a month. 

The amount includes 5,000 taka for an imam, 3,000 taka for a muezzin (prayer caller), and 2,000 taka each for khadems (caretakers).

The head priest in Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian worship places would also receive 5,000 taka a month, and the assistant is entitled to 3,000 taka.

In Bangladesh, religious clergymen sustain themselves on donations and contributions from their people.

Mosque committees support imams, Hindu priests receive the temple offerings, Buddhist monks get donations, and Christian clergy receive contributions from local Christians.

Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist leaders have welcomed the scheme. 

However, Christian clergy, particularly Catholic officials, declined the allowance.

Oblate Archbishop Bejoy N. D’Cruze of Dhaka, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB), addressed the launch event and said the Church appreciates the scheme but would not accept the offer.

The prelate said that Christian clergy, especially Catholic priests, traditionally rely on voluntary donations from believers, fostering a close spiritual relationship with the faithful and encouraging a simple lifestyle.

However, he said the church would welcome government support for social and community development, such as infrastructure construction and repair, and stipends for poor students.

Father Joy Joseph Quiah, a parish priest based at Rangamati district in southeastern Bangladesh under the Chattogram Archdiocese, said donations and contributions from Catholics are enough for priests.

Other faith leaders welcomed the move.

“Our priests live on a limited income, so it is sometimes difficult for us to manage our livelihood,” Subhash Chakraborty, a priest at Chanakutia Kalibari Temple in Keraniganj on the outskirts of Dhaka, told UCA News.

“Receiving a monthly grant from the government will be helpful,” he said.

Mohiuddin Kasem, an imam at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, described the decision as a positive step.

“We are very pleased with this initiative and appreciate the government,” he told UCA News, expressing hope that the benefits would gradually reach imams across the country.

Sunanda Priyo, general secretary of the Bangladesh Buddhist Federation, said state support for religious leaders was a positive development.

“Our religious leaders have not received much financial support from anywhere. Therefore, the state’s patronage is certainly a positive step,” he told UCA News.

About 90 percent of Bangladesh’s more than 170 million people are Muslims, according to official data. Hindus account for 8 percent, and the rest belong to other faiths, including Christianity and Buddhism.

Pope Leo to receive Liberty Medal for promotion of religious liberty, human dignity

As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary, Pope Leo XIV will be honored in the nation’s former capital of Philadelphia for his efforts to promote religious liberty as well as freedom of expression and conscience.

The National Constitution Center will bestow its Liberty Medal on Pope Leo July 3 during a public ceremony outside its location at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, part of Independence National Historical Park, home to several sites of historical significance in the nation’s founding.

Following the ratification of the Constitution, Philadelphia was the nation’s capital from 1790 until 1800, when that designation was transferred to Washington.

Established in 1988 to mark the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, and hosted by the center since 2006, the Liberty Medal honors both individuals and organizations “who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe,” said the National Constitution Center in its press release. 

The center — a private nonprofit that promotes constitutional education and civic debate — announced its decision March 16, noting that the ceremony will take place amid the Independence Week events set to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Pope to deliver live remarks

The pope is set to deliver live acceptance remarks from the Vatican, which will be livestreamed to in-person attendees and online at the center’s website.

Vince Stango, the center’s interim president and CEO, described Pope Leo as a “consistent advocate for religious liberty, freedom of conscience, and human dignity.”

“In formal Vatican statements and public addresses, His Holiness has affirmed that peace cannot exist without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, and freedom of expression, principles that closely align with constitutional protections guaranteed by the First Amendment,” Stango said in a statement.

In its release, the center also noted that since his May 2025 election, the pope “has made interfaith and ecumenical dialogue a defining priority of his pontificate, engaging leaders from Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and other religious communities to promote mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.”

“His outreach reflects a broader moral vision that frames religious liberty not as an abstract right, but as a lived expression of human dignity, particularly for marginalized communities, including religious minorities and those affected by conflict,” said the center.

“As the first American pope, Pope Leo XIV brings a distinctive perspective shaped by democratic ideals and a lifelong commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue,” it added.

Pope Leo XIV waves to pilgrims holding a flag of the United States as he arrives in St. Peter’s Square on the popemobile for his general audience at the Vatican June 18, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Pope Leo second religious leader honored

Pope Leo is only the second religious leader to receive the award, preceded by 2015 recipient the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.

Other past recipients include Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Senator John McCain, U.S. Representative John Lewis and human rights advocate Malala Yousafzai.

The Liberty Medal is typically accompanied by a prize sponsored by philanthropists Ira Lubert and Pamela Estadt, with contributions from corporations, foundations, and individuals. 

In a statement to OSV News, the center confirmed that the medal “traditionally includes a $100,000 prize,” adding that “the Holy See has not yet indicated how it may be used.”

“Any decisions regarding the prize will be made by the Vatican, and we will share additional information when it becomes available,” the center told OSV News.

A statement in the center’s press release attributed to the Holy See Press Office said Pope Leo was “deeply grateful” for the award during “such a meaningful anniversary for the American people, as they are called to reflect on the 250 years of their history holding the Constitution of the United States and Liberty as hallmarks of their heritage for future generations.”

Ave Maria University to send first student group to new Ireland campus at former abbey

Ave Maria University in Florida is setting out to make its students a fixture in the historically Catholic community surrounding Mount Melleray Abbey in County Waterford, Ireland.

“We are not here to give our students a cultural exchange; we’re here to have a campus that is steeped both in our culture and the tradition of Ireland,” Daniel Schreck, chief strategy officer for Ave Maria University, told EWTN News.

“That means understanding the people of Ireland, County Waterford, the town of Cappoquin, and the Cistercian order,” he said. “I think that’s how you really make this a permanent home and not just a building we’re coming to once a semester with our given cohort of students.”

Ave Maria University acquired the abbey after it closed in January 2025, prompted by dwindling numbers among the Cistercian community, which announced its plans to consolidate with monks from St. Joseph Abbey in Roscrea and Mellifont Abbey in Louth in December 2024.

Ave Maria plans to bring its first cohort of 100 students to the abbey for the fall 2026 semester. 

The university had a launch event for the campus earlier this year, which Schreck said was attended by roughly 500 students, and saw 300 applications to the program. The university has accepted 150 so far and hopes one day to accept Irish students as well.

Schreck appeared on “EWTN News Nightly” on March 5.

An American liberal arts encounter with Irish tradition

“The program will be a sort of encounter between the charisms and liberal arts curriculum at Ave Maria University, and the practices and charisms of the Cistercian community,” Mount Melleray Campus Executive Director Samuel Shephard told EWTN News.

Students who participate in the program will take classes from Ave Maria’s liberal arts core curriculum of theology, philosophy, and science, as well as Ireland-specific courses, including Irish language courses, Irish Church history, and a course on Irish saints and their holy places.

In addition to their studies, Shephard said, students will live the Cistercian tradition of not only study but also work and prayer. The university is planning to rehabilitate the monastery’s farm so students can work on it. Shephard said he hopes to have animals on the land again and restore the abbey’s workshops.

The campus will have a live-in priest, either from the university or the local diocese, and students will have access to two Masses per day as well as adoration, confession, and hopefully, Shephard said, Cistercian chant.

“One thing I find so wonderful is [the Cistercians] make a vow of stability,” Shephard said. “They’re really focused on this rhythm of life in a particular place. So that’s one of the things we love to jump into, is that real sense of place, and history, and prayer.”

Maintaining a local ‘beacon of faith’

Shephard, who is originally from Ireland, emphasized the monastery’s historic importance as “a beacon of faith” to the town of Cappoquin. “It was very sad for them [when] the monks moved out,” he said of the local community. “Now that they know another authentic Catholic institution is coming back, and that we’re going to embrace that history, they seem to be generally very excited about the project.” 

The abbey was first established in 1832 by a group of Cistercian monks who were expelled from France during the French Revolution. “The townspeople of Cappoquin built Mount Melleray by hand, and so did the Cistercians,” Schreck said. “So, it’s important for the people of Ireland and our students who go there and for Americans reading this article to realize we’re part of that continuity of the faith that’s happened there in that county in Ireland.”

Shephard also noted the shop, café, and pilgrim’s hostel located on the campus will remain open to those traveling along the Declan’s Way pilgrimage that runs through the property. “For us is very symbolic that there’s still this very public statement and purpose of Mount Melleray, even well beyond our students studying there,” he said regarding the pilgrimage.

“We’re going to keep those open, but not in a proselytizing manner, just in the quiet friendship, ‘come and see’ type of quiet,” he said: “Come and see what we’re doing, come and meet the students, come and go to Mass. Just keep that Cistercian tradition of welcome.”

A hope for vocations

One aspect Schreck said is close to the hearts of Ave Maria University President Mark Middendorf and the university’s founder and chancellor, Tom Monaghan, is vocational discernment.

Schreck emphasized that students will be encouraged to discern their vocations more clearly while studying at the Ireland campus, with limited Wi-Fi access, opportunities for silent retreats, and a prohibition on inter-visitation between men and women’s dorms.

Ultimately, he said, “we hope this benefits the Cistercians because part of the reason the Cistercians have now moved from Mount Melleray is because there weren’t enough vocations.”

“We feel like bringing 200 students per year, and in their case, 100 young men per year that believe in the Catholic Church and are happy and are smart, I’m sure we’ll get a few vocations for them each year,” Shephard said.