Daily Readings

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father.For which of these are you trying to stone me?”The Jews answered him,“We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.You, a man, are making yourself God.”Jesus answered them,“Is it not written in ... read more

It is one week before Good Friday. Today's Mass is a further reminder of how hatred against Christ escalated in those final days before Holy Week. Fridays of Lent have a special penitential quality. --The Vatican II Weekday Missal ... read more

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The Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, expressed its approval of a plan for military chaplains to display insignia on their uniforms that reflects their religious faith as opposed to their military rank.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on March 24 that he will sign a memo that directs military chaplains, all of whom are ... read more

Bishops and other members of the Catholic Church in Spain called for prayers and offered reflections in light of the euthanasia of 25-year-old Noelia Castillo Ramos following a two-year legal battle by her family to try to obtain treatment for her psychiatric issues rather than having her death induced.Since it became known that Castillo was ... read more

The administration of euthanasia for 25-year-old Noelia Castillo Ramos took place in Spain on March 26 — an event occurring after she faced immense life challenges since childhood and following nearly two years of a legal battle waged by her parents to preserve her life.According to Spanish law, to request euthanasia, an individual must be ... read more

Catholic Relief Services has joined a coalition dedicated to using sustainable means to eradicate hunger and poverty around the world.“CRS is delighted to join the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty,” said Sean Callahan, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) president and CEO, in a press release. “Ending hunger and poverty requires more than goodwill. It requires ... read more

Several congregations of religious sisters have lost their lawsuit against the iconic American gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson, which claimed the company has “facilitated” mass shootings in the United States. A version of the lawsuit was first filed in December 2023 in Nevada district court by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, the Sisters of Bon Secours ... read more

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, said on Thursday that the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran does not meet the Catholic Church’s criteria for a just war.“No, it does not seem to meet the conditions,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an academic conference at the Vatican Apostolic Library.When asked by EWTN News ... read more

LAHORE, Pakistan — Catholic bishops in Pakistan have voiced support for the military amid an Eid al-Fitr ceasefire following weeks of deadly cross-border violence with neighboring Afghanistan.In a March 23 message, Archbishop Joseph Arshad of Islamabad-Rawalpindi praised the army “for their sacrifices in defending the country’s borders, saying the nation will always remember the bravery ... read more

A 400-year-old Bernardine monastery and UNESCO World Heritage site in “the heart of Ukraine’s Catholic region” will require significant repairs following Russian attacks.“This happens a lot,” Steven Moore, executive producer of the war documentary “A Faith Under Siege,” told “EWTN News Nightly” on March 25, live from Kyiv. Russia carried out missile strikes on March 24 ... read more

DHAKA, Bangladesh — As Lent calls Catholics around the world to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, many faithful in Bangladesh are embracing a fourth practice this year: serving the country’s street children.On a recent Sunday at Tejgaon Church in Dhaka, Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) missionary Brother Lucio Beninati invited parishioners to join Potho Shishu ... read more

Jesus said to the Jews:“Amen, amen, I say to you,whoever keeps my word will never see death.”So the Jews said to him,“Now we are sure that you are possessed.Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?Or the prophets, who ... read more

The weekday Masses towards the end of Lent are like a Passion Play. The Gospels, as one scene after the other, show the mounting hatred and growing tension. This is the "Abraham Mass," telling of the inheritance received through Abraham. The Opening Prayer reminds us of our great inheritance received from Christ. --The Vatican II ... read more

Three Spanish policemen who were visiting Rome as tourists prevented a robbery at one of the city’s most iconic churches — the Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem — on March 21.The policemen — one of whom is stationed at the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See — were off duty when they intervened ... read more