Pope Francis prophetically said that “we are already fighting a piecemeal third world war.” Tonight, the Middle East is on fire. Francis also warned that “war is madness.” There is a foreboding sense this time around, with no clear plan for peace in sight. Now is time for intense prayer.

Pope Leo at Roman parish this afternoon: “I'm deeply concerned, and we don't know how many days it will last, about the situation in the Middle East. War again! We must pray much for peace, live in unity, and reject the temptation to harm others; violence is never the right choice.”

Pope Leo: "I am following with deep concern what is happening in the Middle East and in Iran in these dramatic hours. Stability and peace are not built with mutual threats or with weapons, which sow destruction, pain, and death, but only with reasonable, authentic, and responsible dialogue.”

“War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading. The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined.” - Pope Leo

“There is no such thing as a just war: they do not exist.” - Pope Francis

“War is always a defeat for humanity.”

The Vatican made the right decision in rejecting the invitation to the “Board of Peace.” The Holy See does not want to get caught up in endless wars, under the guise of “Peace.” And now a totally unnecessary, unjust war with Iran.

Known for her tireless work in advocating for immigrants in Rio Grande Valley, Pope Francis’ “favorite nun” Sr. Norma Pimentel named TIME Woman of the Year. time.com/collections/...

Santa Fe’s Archbishop Wester: “We’re living in ‘a Dietrich Bonhoeffer moment,’ invoking the 20th-century Lutheran pastor killed for his anti-Nazi activism.” www.ncronline.org/news/border-...

Catholic bishops push for end to ‘immoral’ birthright citizenship order at Supreme Court www.courthousenews.com/catholic-bis...

“No, internet (and Tom Homan) the Vatican is not a walled city.” cruxnow.com/church/2016/...

Pope Leo has named 4 new auxiliary bishops for the Diocese of Rome; included in the list is Fr. Stefano Sparapani, a “street-priest” who has ministered to the poor on Rome’s “peripheries.” press.vatican.va/content/sala...

The Vatican has announced Pope Leo’s upcoming travel schedule: Monaco on March 28, Africa from April 13 to 23 visiting 4 countries: Algeria, Angola, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, and Spain from June 6 to 12.

Ahead of tonight’s State of the Union,” 18 (Arch)bishops release statement on immigration: “The use of tactics to intimidate and create fear in the community should be halted. The use of certain tactics by immigration enforcement officials are designed to intimidate immigrants and create fear…”

As Ukraine endures its fourth brutal winter of war, Pope Leo XIV has stepped in to answer a desperate plea from local bishops, sending a truckload of critical medical supplies and electric heaters to those most in need. www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news...

The Lenten Spiritual Exercises of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia have begun.The meditations are held in the Pauline Chapel and are led by His Excellency Monsignor Erik Varden of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance-Trappists and Prelate of Trondheim.

Pope Leo: “Peace cannot be postponed. It is an urgent necessity that must find a home in our hearts and be translated into responsible decisions.”

Pope: “In just a few meters, one can touch the contradictions of this time: the carefreeness of those come and go with all the comforts and those without a roof; the many potentials for good and the widespread violence; the desire to work honestly and the illicit trades of drugs and prostitution.”

Pope Leo at Angelus: “There is always the risk of discouragement or of being drawn to easier paths to satisfaction, such as wealth, fame and power. These temptations…are merely poor substitutes for the joy for which we were created. Ultimately, they leave us dissatisfied, restless and empty.”

You cannot manipulate every single word and action of the Pope in order to fit your political narrative. There are misleading and factually inaccurate stories circulating. The attempt to pigeonhole the Pope to fit your own story is disingenuous, risks spreading false news about the Pope.

Pope Leo tells priests not to use AI to write homilies or seek likes on TikTok www.ncronline.org/vatican/pope...

“The Thought of Holding Thousands of Families in Massive Warehouses Should Challenge the Conscience of Every American,” Says Bishop Cahill https://ow.ly/HzJN50Yj12e

Vatican releases message for the Feast of Ramadan: “Indeed, we — Christians and Muslims, together with all people of good will — are called to imagine and to open new paths by which life may be renewed.” press.vatican.va/content/sala...

A breakaway Catholic traditionalist group on Thursday rejected the Vatican’s offer of talks, suggesting a collision course with Pope Leo XIV over its planned consecrations of new bishops without his consent. apnews.com/article/vati...

The Vatican has released several day trips that Pope Leo will make over the coming months; among them is a July 4 visit to Lampedusa, a major entry point for migrants in the Mediterranean. Pope Francis visited the island in July 2013, the first trip of his pontificate outside of Rome.

Cardinal Cupich: “Today is a day that speaks to all those who live in the shadows and in secret. Our immigrant friends know what it is like to live in the shadows, fearing a knock at their door…God does not need papers to see who you are.”

Cardinal Cupich arrives for Ash Wednesday Mass and Procession in solidarity with immigrants. It was announced that 3 pastoral ministers entered the Broadview ICE facility today, where they brought ashes, communion, and offered confession to detainees; ICE agents also received communion and ashes.

Pope Leo: “We perceive in the ashes imposed on us the weight of a world that is ablaze, of entire cities destroyed by war. This is also reflected in the ashes of international law and justice among peoples, the ashes of entire ecosystems and harmony among peoples, the ashes of critical thinking.”

Pope Leo at General Audience: “Indeed, when God works in history, he involves in his activity the people who are the objects of his action. It is through the Church that God achieves the aim of bringing people to him and uniting them with one another.” www.vatican.va/content/leo-...

Parolin says Vatican 'perplexed' about Italy's participation in Board of Peace. 'The Vatican will not be present, there are critical issues that need to be resolved' www.ansa.it/english/news...

A new pope's first Lent offers a glimpse into his pastoral instincts and how he situates himself in relation to his predecessors.

New on my Substack: Lay People Exercising Authority Over Clergy: Prophetic and Problematic. This is why Leo XIV Will Do It Anyway open.substack.com/pub/hendromu...

Previewed tonight on Rachel Maddow, Cardinal Cupich to celebrate Ash Wednesday Mass and Procession in solidarity with immigrants; the move comes just days after a judge ruled that priests and ministers must be allowed into Broadview Detention Center to minister to migrants. Official invitation here…

Letter of Cardinal Cupich to Archdiocesan priests: “We fail in living up to our faith if we claim to follow Christ, while dismissing the suffering of migrants.”

In first pastoral visit to the Diocese of Rome, Pope Leo sends a liturgical message to the world: yes, female altar servers are allowed and encouraged. Both John Paul and Benedict said as much.

Pope Leo to Pontifical Academy for Life: “It is often said that life and health are equally fundamental values for all, but this statement is hypocritical if, at the same time, we ignore the structural causes and policies that determine inequalities.” www.vatican.va/content/leo-...

Heading to Rome’s “peripheries” - a crime-ridden neighborhood in Ostia, Pope calls for the parish to be a “place where people can come and be heard,” adding “Do not stay inside and say, ‘Those who come are enough.’ It is never enough. Invite, welcome, accompany.” www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news...

Pope Leo: “Even after all this time, many dark clouds still obscure the world, as logics contrary to the Gospel spread—logics that exalt the supremacy of the strongest, encourage arrogance and arrogance, and feed the seduction of victory at any cost, deaf to the cry of those who suffer.”

Pope Leo: “Jesus teaches us that true righteousness consists in love and that, within every precept of the Law, we must learn to identify a call to love.  Indeed, it is not sufficient to refrain from killing a person physically if one then kills with words and undermines the dignity of the other.”

Cardinal Cupich will celebrate an outdoor Ash Wednesday Mass and procession in solidarity with immigrant families…a judge ordered the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to grant the Christian advocacy group access to the Broadview detention center near Chicago. religionnews.com/2026/02/13/j...

“Among his many other tasks, Leo also finds himself having to navigate the shifting relationship between the United States and Europe, as well as the question of European identity, as Donald Trump dismantles the international order…” www.commonwealmagazine.org/massimo-fagg...

Steve Bannon discussed opposition strategies with Jeffrey Epstein against Pope Francis, with Bannon saying he hoped to “take down” the pontiff, according to newly released files from the US Department of Justice. t.co/xSeyLZ6Fd2

Pope Leo has named Sister Simona Brambilla, M.C, Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life , as a member of the Dicastery for Bishops. Additionally, the Pope has reconfirmed Cardinals Cupich and Tobin and members of the same Dicastery.

Pope Leo in message for Lent 2026: “Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves.” www.vatican.va/content/leo-...

Pope Leo has named Sister Nina Benedikta Krapić, M.V.Z., as Deputy Director of the Holy See Press Office, Sister Nina has been an official at the Dicastery for Communication. She has worked as a journalist and as a legal counselor for women victims of domestic violence and other marginalized people.

Statement from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith following the meeting between Cardinal Fernández and Lefebvrist superior Pagliarani “The possibility of conducting this dialogue presupposes that the Fraternity suspend the decision regarding the episcopal ordinations announced”

Pope Leo at General Audience: “Indeed, we live surrounded by so many words, but how many of these are empty! At times we even listen to wise words, which do not however affect our ultimate destiny.” www.vatican.va/content/leo-...

NEW via me and @alejacorazonhm.bsky.social: Cardinal Blase Cupich, who runs the Archdiocese of Chicago, says that DHS has stopped priests under his purview and demanded proof of citizenship “because of their color.” religionnews.com/2026/02/10/c...

Detroit’s Archbishop Weisenburger: “It is very disturbing that anyone, much less the President of the United States or his staff members, should see racist memes as humorous or appropriate expressions of political discourse.” www.aod.org/announcement...

Statement of Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, calling for an apology from the White House for a racist social media post. www.archchicago.org/statement/-/...