Browsing News Entries
Churches still barred from making political endorsements as federal judge dismisses case
Posted on 04/1/2026 14:37 PM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Judge permits access for clergy at Illinois immigration facility for Holy Week
Posted on 04/1/2026 13:57 PM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Pope Leo’s personal secretary: ‘He hasn’t changed; he’s still the same’ since his time in Peru
Posted on 04/1/2026 13:23 PM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Michigan ban on ‘conversion therapy’ could be dismissed amid SCOTUS ruling, Catholic Charities suit
Posted on 04/1/2026 11:40 AM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Bangladesh Christians form human chain demanding Easter public holiday
Posted on 04/1/2026 08:54 AM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
European soccer body says Red Star fine was for profanity, not Orthodox icon
Posted on 04/1/2026 08:09 AM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
How does Pope Leo choose his monthly prayer intentions?
Posted on 04/1/2026 07:39 AM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Pope Leo on the dignity and mission of the laity: They are the body of Christ
Posted on 04/1/2026 07:09 AM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Archbishop Coakley Emphasizes Support for Holy Father’s Renewed Call for Peace in Iran
Posted on 04/1/2026 06:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)
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 Administration’s indications that the war with Iran may soon be coming to an end. And I join our Holy Father’s urgent calls for the Administration and all parties involved to take decisive action toward an immediate ceasefire, and for effective dialogue to resolve this dangerous impasse.
“Pope Leo XIV made clear: ‘Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war.’
“Emboldened by Easter’s powerful, transformative grace, I urge the faithful to continue praying ardently for mutual respectful and effective dialogue, and that we Christians be true to our vocation as peacemakers, the ‘light of the world’ and the ‘salt of the earth’ (Matthew 5:13-14).”
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All Catholics share in Church’s mission, not just clergy, pope says
Posted on 04/1/2026 06:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)
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 state of life, the council affirms the equality of all the baptized," the pope said.
He said the People of God is not a “formless mass,” but the body of Christ, uniting clergy and laity. By being baptized, the laypeople "participate in the very priesthood of Christ," he said.
The pope also referenced St. John Paul II and Pope Francis, highlighting their emphasis on the active role of laypeople in the Church’s mission.
He went on to say that the responsibility of laypeople is not confined to the Church, but rather includes the whole world. He said the world must be permeated by the spirit of Christ — something made possible through the “contribution, service and witness” of laypeople.
"Indeed, the Church is present wherever her children profess and bear witness to the Gospel: in the workplace, in civil society and in all human relationships, wherever they, through their choices, show the beauty of Christian life, which foretells here and now the justice and peace that will be accomplished in the Kingdom of God," he said.
In his address to Arabic-speakers, the pope continued his calls for prayers for innocent victims of war, following weeks of condemning the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.