USCCB News

USCCB NEWS

Pope at Colosseum: Follow Christ's path, including the Way of the Cross, to bring peace

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ROME (CNS) -- Life must be lived as a journey seeking to follow in Jesus' footsteps, Pope Leo XIV said after completing the Stations of the Cross at Rome's Colosseum."Let us make our own the prayer by which St. Francis invites us to live our lives as a journey of ever-deepening participation in the communion of love that unites the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit," he said at the conclusion of the nighttime service April 3.It was the first time since 2022 that a pope presided in person at the candlelit ceremony; several bouts of poor health had prevented Pope Francis from attending the ceremony in his final years. It was also the first time since 1994 a pope carried the cross for all 14 stations -- something St. John Paul II had started at the beginning of his pontificate.Pope Leo told reporters March 31 that carrying the cross for the entire route would be "an important sign because of what the pope represents -- the spiritual leader of the world today -- and becaus

Good Friday liturgy underscores need to break 'this chain' of violence

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A message of nonviolence and quiet endurance marked the Good Friday liturgy at the Vatican, during which the Passion of Christ offers an example of breaking the cycle of violence that continues today.Delivering the homily during the solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion ahead of the evening Via Crucis, Capuchin Father Roberto Pasolini, the preacher of the papal household, urged the faithful not to give in to violence, but rather find the "discreet and stubborn song that invites (us) to love.""We are all constantly tempted to use a little bit of aggressiveness, a little bit of violence, thinking that without these means things will never be resolved," he said April 3 in St. Peter's Basilica. "The servant of the Lord cannot give in to this instinct."The rite began with Pope Leo XIV's silent procession down the central nave. Dressed in red vestments, symbolizing the blood of Christ’s Passion, he somberly lay prostrate before t

Jesus shows how to give life and freedom, not dominate and destroy, pope says

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ROME (CNS) -- God doesn't exist to grant victories or to be useful by providing wealth or power, Pope Leo XIV said.Through Jesus, he serves humanity by offering himself in a way that transforms human hearts so that they may then be inspired to love others unconditionally, in turn, he said in his homily during Mass of the Lord's Supper in the Basilica of St. John Lateran."Jesus purifies not only our image of God -- from the idolatry and blasphemy that have distorted it -- but also our image of humanity," he said April 2, Holy Thursday. "For we tend to consider ourselves powerful when we dominate, victorious when we destroy our equals, great when we are feared." Pope Leo XIV gives his homily during the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome April 2, 2026. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) However, he said, "Christ offers us the example of self-giving, service and love" so that humankind can learn how to l

'In this dark hour of history,' do not shy away from your mission, pope says

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to reject comfort, power and domination and instead embrace a mission rooted in self-giving love, even when it requires risk, vulnerability and suffering.As Catholics prepare for Easter on Holy Thursday, Pope Leo also called on the faithful in his homily to overcome fear and a sense of powerlessness in responding to the world’s crises. "In this dark hour of history, it has pleased God to send us to spread the fragrance of Christ where the stench of death reigns," he said April 2 at St. Peter's Basilica during Mass. "Let us renew our 'yes' to this mission that calls for unity and brings peace."While grounding his remarks in the teaching of his predecessors, saints and clergy, the pope in this homily placed particular emphasis on the Church’s mission through his own eyes as a missionary. The first step of accepting the Christian mission, he said, is to risk leaving behind what is familiar and cer

Archbishop Coakley Emphasizes Support for Holy Father’s Renewed Call for Peace in Iran

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WASHINGTON - “During this holiest of weeks, let us continue to pray ardently for mutually respectful and effective dialogue that leads to a cease-fire and a negotiated end to the conflict with Iran,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. On Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week when Christians commemorate Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, Pope Leo XIV said, “Just as the Church contemplates the mystery of the Lord’s Passion, we cannot forget those who today are truly sharing in his suffering.”Archbishop Coakley expressed support for the Administration’s indication that war with Iran may end soon, and emphasized the renewed call made by the Holy Father for peace, saying:“The longer the conflict with Iran continues, including the risk of deploying ground troops to the region, the greater the risk of a dramatic escalation risking an ever-greater regional conflict. I welcome the Administrati

Bishop Thomas Supports Bill to End FDA Approval of Chemical Abortion Pills

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WASHINGTON – “The abortion pill represents an isolating and harmful response to women in need,” said Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. On Wednesday, Bishop Thomas wrote a letter to Congress in support of the “Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act,” which was recently introduced by Senator Josh Hawley and Representative Diana Harshbarger. The bill (S.4066/H.R.7902) would withdraw the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone for abortions.In his letter, Bishop Thomas stated that the bill would likely save lives by curtailing the incidence of chemical abortion itself as well as its associated risks to the mothers. He emphasized the bishops’ opposition to the chemical abortion drug not only for its purpose of terminating life, but that the abortion pill represents an isolating and harmful response to women in need.Rea

All Catholics share in Church’s mission, not just clergy, pope says

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Laypeople are not passive members but active participants in the Church's mission, called to live and spread the Gospel in everyday life, Pope Leo XIV said.Continuing his series on the documents of the Second Vatican Council during his weekly general audience, the pope emphasized that all the baptized, not just the clergy, are missionary disciples of Christ."For this reason, lay men and women are particularly called to carry Christ’s presence to all spheres of life and so transform them from within by bearing witness to the beauty of a life in Christ and the elevating power of his grace," he said April 1 in his address to English-speakers. Pope Leo delved into the Dogmatic Constitution "Lumen Gentium," saying that Vatican II shed light on the dignity of laypeople, after centuries of being defined as "simply as those who are not part of the clergy or the consecrated life.""Before any distinction of ministry or sta

'Lay down your weapons,' pope says in Palm Sunday Mass, calling for peace

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV used his first Palm Sunday Mass to issue a forceful plea for peace, urging an end to war as he reflected on Christ’s Passion.During his homily opening Holy Week at St. Peter's Square, the pope said the faithful must follow Jesus, as he embraced humanity "even as others raise swords and clubs." "We turn our gaze to Jesus, who reveals himself as King of Peace, even as war looms around him," he said March 29. "He remains steadfast in meekness, while others are stirring up violence." Pope Leo continued, recounting Jesus' final words to God, saying that in that moment we can see a "crucified humanity." "Above all, we hear the painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war," he said. "Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters!"In his appeal a

Pope in Monaco: Wealth of the Gospel, riches of the earth must be shared

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MONACO (CNS) -- Built behind fortresses and perched on precipitous rock, the tiny principality of Monaco has survived centuries of invasions, revolutions and world wars, but now this prestigious Mediterranean haven must reach out and share its faith and its riches, Pope Leo XIV said."You are among the few countries in the world to have the Catholic faith as a state religion," he said at the start of his one-day visit March 28 to the world's second smallest independent state, almost five times larger than Vatican City.Jesus calls Christians to become "a kingdom of brothers and sisters -- a presence that does not cast down but raises up, that does not separate but connects, always ready to protect every human life with love, at any time and in any condition, so that no one is ever excluded from the table of fraternity," he said from a small window of the Prince's Palace to the hundreds of residents and visitors gathered in the huge square below. Pope Leo

Vatican Palm Sunday recalls early Christian martyrs, brave sea captain

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Palm Sunday procession at the foot of an 85-foot-tall Egyptian obelisk in St. Peter's Square recalls the martyrdom of many early Christians and the fast-thinking foresight of an Italian Renaissance sea captain.Palm Sunday at the Vatican begins with a procession of young people carrying olive branches and large green palm fronds, followed by clergy holding tall, intricately woven palm leaves. The participants circle the base of the obelisk in the center of the square, while the pope blesses them with holy water.Starting the ceremony in the center of the square recalls the martyrdom of the early Christians because the 2,000-year-old solid granite obelisk marks the center of a grand arena built in 37 AD by the Roman emperor Caligula. Later, emperors introduced the execution of Christians as a form of entertainment there and St. Peter was among those martyred in the arena. At the base of the Egyptian obelisk, an olive tree adorns St. Peter's Square be

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