Podcasts about Pope Francis

Through his gentle but direct words, Carlo helped his parents rediscover and return to their Catholic faith. In 2006, he died from leukemia at age 15. He was Beatified in 2020 by a delegate of Pope Francis, and declared a Saint by Pope Leo XIV in 2025. Pier Giorgio Michelangelo Frassati was born in Turin, Italy on April 6, 1901.Just before receiving his university degree, Pier Giorgio contracted poliomyelitis, which doctors later speculated he caught from the sick whom he tended. Neglecting his own health because his grandmother was dying, after six days of terrible suffering Pier Giorgio died at the age of 24 on July 4, 1925. Join Fr. Wade and the Church in celebration for our newest Saints!

It's hard to believe, but Pope Leo XIV just passed the four-month mark of his papacy. That's more than a full season. After the incredible amount of press coverage here in North America reacting in shock to the election of a pope originally from Chicago, the media frenzy quieted quickly and starkly. It's fair to say Pope Leo doesn't have a big, splashy personality, and add to that all the wild political headlines in the months since his election, it's not surprising that Pope Leo has receded from the spotlight a bit. That's probably a good thing; celebrity culture and Catholic culture don't go all that well together anyway. But Pope Leo has certainly been busy despite fading from the headlines, filling his days with meetings and setting about the work of governing the church. At this point in his papacy, we thought it was worthwhile to check in on these four months, and today's guest is among the most qualified people on the planet to talk about it. Christopher White is the associate director for strategic initiatives and senior fellow of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, and he's also the author of the recent book “Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy,” published by Loyola Press. Before Chris started his job at Georgetown this past summer, he spent four years as the Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter. He lived in Rome and spent his days meeting with Vatican sources and attending big papal events. He visited more than 20 countries with Pope Francis as part of the press corps. He is one of most astute and thoughtful church observers and commentators. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Chris about these first months of Leo's papacy and what we might want to be looking out for in the months ahead. We also talked about life as a Vatican reporter and what it's like to cover an institution that is also your own spiritual home. We think you'll learn a lot from Chris about Pope Leo's priorities and how the institutional Church operates. "Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy": https://bookshop.org/p/books/pope-leo-xiv-inside-the-conclave-and-the-dawn-of-a-new-papacy-christopher-white/a5f501d1c6a575db?ean=9780829459470&next=t Chris' page at the Georgetown Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life: https://catholicsocialthought.georgetown.edu/people/christopher-white www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

Prayers poured in after conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was reportedly shot at a campus event at Utah Valley University. Meanwhile, European leaders condemned Russia for sending drones into Poland. And, a new exhibit has opened outside Rome, honoring a key priority of the late Pope Francis.

Through his gentle but direct words, Carlo helped his parents rediscover and return to their Catholic faith. In 2006, he died from leukemia at age 15. He was Beatified in 2020 by a delegate of Pope Francis, and declared a Saint by Pope Leo XIV in 2025. Pier Giorgio Michelangelo Frassati was born in Turin, Italy on April 6, 1901.Just before receiving his university degree, Pier Giorgio contracted poliomyelitis, which doctors later speculated he caught from the sick whom he tended. Neglecting his own health because his grandmother was dying, after six days of terrible suffering Pier Giorgio died at the age of 24 on July 4, 1925.

In this thought-provoking episode of "Father and Joe," hosts Father Boniface and Joe Rockey dive into the complexities of artificial intelligence and its impact on human relationships, work, and spirituality. They continue their discussion from the previous week, sharpening their focus on the socio-economic reasons behind AI's rapid growth and its ethical implications.Joe opens the conversation by exploring how AI is often implemented to replace high turnover roles rather than enhance employee productivity or improve workplace conditions. He raises concerns about using AI as a substitute for ethical treatment of employees, emphasizing that enhancing productivity should not come at the cost of human relationships and well-being. Automation, while beneficial for producing goods, should not be a means to avoid accountability for treating employees with dignity and respect.Father Boniface offers a spiritual perspective, reminding listeners that work's intrinsic value lies not in the outward results but in its ability to form character and virtue in individuals. He emphasizes the eternal significance of personal growth over material production, advocating for an economy that centers around people rather than profits.The episode explores the ancient wisdom that human dignity and relationships must remain paramount. With anecdotes from sales and real-world applications of AI, Joe and Father Boniface discuss how an ethical application of these technologies can serve humanity. They caution against reducing people to mere production agents, a theme resonant with historical reflections from Pope Leo XIII and Pope John Paul II, urging listeners to consider how automation should be integrated thoughtfully into both personal and professional spheres.In a world where AI can deliver B+ answers, they argue, the objective shouldn't be to automate love and human interaction. Instead, they propose fostering environments where development is experiences-based, incorporating AI as a tool rather than a replacement for personal engagement. Father Boniface shares his unique experiences of leveraging AI for personal intellectual growth while maintaining the primacy of human relationships and critical thinking.As the episode concludes, Father Boniface and Joe reinforce the notion that the economy should pivot around human growth and ethical practices—not monitory gain. Encouraging listeners to engage in thoughtful dialogue and explore AI's potential responsibly, they hope to inspire a culture that truly values love and human interaction above technological efficiency.Tags:AI Discussion, Automation, Human Relationships, Spiritual Growth, Ethical AI, Artificial Intelligence, Economic Impact, Work Ethics, Podcast Discussion, Father and Joe, Technology and Humanity, Moral Philosophy, AI Ethics, Labor and AI, Workplace Well-being, Team Dynamics, Human Dignity, Pope Francis, Pope John Paul II, Sales Ethics, Personal Growth, Spiritual Reflection, Podcast Episode, Father Boniface, Joe Rockey, Love and Production, Human-Centered Economy, Virtue Development, Intellectual Growth, AI Mistakes, Public Discourse, AI Advisory, Tech in Society, Socio-economic Debate, Moral Implications, AI Integration, Ethical Conversations, Understanding AI, Relationship Building, Modern Challenges, Hashtags:#ArtificialIntelligence #AIandEthics #HumanRelationships #AutomationImpact #SpiritualGrowth #WorkplaceEthics #PodcastDiscussion #FatherAndJoe #TechAndHumanity #MoralPhilosophy #AI #EconomicImpact #LaborAndAI #Teamwork #HumanDignity #PopeFrancis #PopeJohnPaulII #SalesEthics #PersonalGrowth #SpiritualReflection #PodcastEpisode #LoveAndProduction #HumanCentered #Economy #VirtueDevelopment #IntellectualGrowth #PublicDiscourse #AIAdvisory #TechSociety #SocioEconomicDebate #MoralImplications #AIIntegration #Conversations #UnderstandingAI #ModernChallenges #CommunityGrowth #EthicalAI

Family, this week on Queer News Anna DeShawn continues to bring you the stories that matter most to our community. In top news, Pope Leo plans to continue the welcoming tradition of Pope Frances for LGBTQ folks. In politics, Texas state representatives decide to take their state mandated police escorts to a gay bar. And down in Florida, Floridians are being arrested for coloring in the Pulse memorial rainbow crosswalk. In culture & entertainment, beloved social media icon Raymond Harper aka Rolling Ray passed away at 28, actress Chloë Grace Moretz and model Kate Harrison got married over the Labor Day weekend and the StudBudz are still winning and this time in Vogue no less. Let's get into it.  Want to support this podcast?

LGBTQ+ Catholics processed a rainbow cross into St. Peter's Basilica during their Jubilee pilgrimage in Rome. Even more shocking, Pope Francis (through Cardinal Leo) personally sent a bishop to celebrate their LGBTQ Mass. The Vatican even listed the event on the official Holy Year calendar, sparking worldwide outrage. In this episode, I unpack what happened, […]

The Catholic Church will acquire its first millennial saint today, when Pope Leo XIV canonises someone who, if he were alive today, would be young enough to be his son. Carlo Acutis, a ‘computer geek' from a prosperous Italian family, died aged just 15 in 2006. In this episode of Holy Smoke, Damian Thompson talks to Mgr Anthony Figueiredo and the Italian-based journalist Nicholas Farrell about the extraordinary phenomenon of St Carlo, the miracles associated with him – and the scepticism they arouse – and a mean-spirited attack on him by one of the late Pope Francis's closest advisers. Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's program, Tom launches a two-part series with guest, Greg Durel. Here's TBC Executive Director, Tom McMahon.Tom: Thanks, Gary. Our topic is Roman Catholicism, and, in particular, this is a follow up to the visit of the present head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis. My guest to talk about this is Greg Durel. He is pastor of Heritage Bible Church of Gretna, Louisiana, and he has a weekday radio ministry that's devoted to educating Catholics in biblical doctrine.Greg is no theoretical or academic reviewer of the faith taught by the Catholic Church. Like me, he grew up as a Roman Catholic, so he knows Catholicism experientially as well as from his study of the Catholic Church tradition and its dogmas. Greg, welcome to Search the Scriptures 24/7.Greg: Always great to be here, Tom.

On Sunday the Catholic Church will acquire its first millennial saint, when Pope Leo XIV canonises someone who, if he were alive today, would be young enough to be his son. Carlo Acutis, a ‘computer geek' from a prosperous Italian family, died aged just 15 in 2006. In this episode of Holy Smoke, Damian Thompson talks to Mgr Anthony Figueiredo and the Italian-based journalist Nicholas Farrell about the extraordinary phenomenon of St Carlo, the miracles associated with him – and the scepticism they arouse – and a mean-spirited attack on him by one of the late Pope Francis's closest advisers. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

01:00:44 – RFK Jr. Torches Senate RFK Jr. clashes with senators, calling Maggie Hassan a liar and exposing CDC corruption. He slams pharma influence and cites data showing suppressed autism risks. 01:07:55 – Autism Cover-Up Exposed RFK Jr. details a 2002 CDC study showing black boys had a 260% higher autism risk with early MMR shots—data destroyed by officials to protect pharma. 01:11:10 – Cassidy Traps RFK Jr. Sen. Bill Cassidy forces RFK Jr. to endorse Trump's Operation Warp Speed, calling it Nobel-worthy. RFK caves, exposing his compromise with Trump's ego. 01:16:10 – Senators Bought by Pharma Discussion lists senators pocketing millions from vaccine makers: Warren, Sanders, Romney, Cassidy, and others. Both parties are shown as fully captured by pharma. 01:23:16 – Spike Protein = Bioweapon Listener analysis ties vaccine harms to spike protein's destruction of ACE2, fueling myocarditis, clotting, and turbo cancers. Critics call the jabs a Pentagon-DARPA bioweapon. 01:27:33 – Trump, Gates, and Zuckerberg Dinner Trump dines with Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg at the White House. Commentary frames it as proof Trump embraces technocrats pushing AI, depopulation, and new mRNA delivery systems. 01:51:24 – Tim Kaine: Rights From Government Sen. Tim Kaine claims rights come from government, not God—sparking outrage. Ted Cruz rebukes him with Jefferson's words, while critics tie Kaine's stance to Marxist liberation theology. 01:59:42 – Liberation Theology = KGB Ops Discussion traces Kaine's worldview to “liberation theology,” described as a KGB psyop to destabilize the West. Parallels are drawn to Pope Francis and modern Marxist infiltration in religion. 02:03:47 – DOJ Pushes Gun Ban for Transgender People DOJ considers labeling transgender individuals as mentally ill to strip gun rights. Critics warn it's a Trojan horse for red flag gun laws and Trump-style “due process later” policies. 02:07:47 – Trans Militancy & Socialist Rifle Association Zero Hedge report links trans shooters with the far-left Socialist Rifle Association, whose rainbow-AR-15 imagery echoes recent killings. Hosts warn conservatives are being baited into cheering gun control. 02:17:13 – Trump's Asylum Agenda Trump and Melania push reopening mental institutions and mandatory mental health screenings. Critics warn this echoes totalitarian regimes weaponizing psychiatry to silence dissent. 02:19:54 – John Rich vs. TVA Land Grab Country singer John Rich helps Tennessee locals fight the TVA's eminent domain scheme for a methane gas plant. After massive pushback, TVA cancels plans—framed as a rare grassroots victory against corporate-government overreach. 03:05:52 – Gold Soars on Weak Jobs Gerald Celente joins to discuss gold hitting $3,600 amid dismal job numbers. Weak labor markets signal looming rate cuts, sinking the dollar and driving investors to safe havens. 03:09:12 – Trump's Crypto Empire Exposed Discussion shifts to how Trump's family quietly moved massive wealth into Bitcoin and crypto mining. His stake is now larger than his global resorts, raising conflict-of-interest concerns. 03:12:54 – Dragflation & Debt Heart Attack Celente predicts “dragflation”—declining growth plus surging inflation—as debt tops $220 trillion. Ray Dalio's warning of a “debt-induced heart attack” within three years is echoed as inevitable. 03:14:42 – Gold Goes Digital The World Gold Council prepares to tokenize bullion for global trading. Analysts warn it could wipe out unstable cryptocurrencies and challenge U.S. dollar dominance. 03:26:02 – H-1B Scam & Cheap Labor Conversation turns to H-1B visas, tracing back to Bill Clinton and expanded under Trump and Biden. Both parties are accused of flooding the U.S. with cheap foreign labor to suppress wages. 03:36:02 – Venezuela Strike = Oil Grab Trump's shoot-first policy in Venezuela is blasted as a false “drug war” pretext to seize oil. Comparisons are drawn to Duterte's Philippines and past regime-change coups. Follow the show on Kick and watch live every weekday 9:00am EST – 12:00pm EST https://kick.com/davidknightshow Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHTFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

01:00:44 – RFK Jr. Torches Senate RFK Jr. clashes with senators, calling Maggie Hassan a liar and exposing CDC corruption. He slams pharma influence and cites data showing suppressed autism risks. 01:07:55 – Autism Cover-Up Exposed RFK Jr. details a 2002 CDC study showing black boys had a 260% higher autism risk with early MMR shots—data destroyed by officials to protect pharma. 01:11:10 – Cassidy Traps RFK Jr. Sen. Bill Cassidy forces RFK Jr. to endorse Trump's Operation Warp Speed, calling it Nobel-worthy. RFK caves, exposing his compromise with Trump's ego. 01:16:10 – Senators Bought by Pharma Discussion lists senators pocketing millions from vaccine makers: Warren, Sanders, Romney, Cassidy, and others. Both parties are shown as fully captured by pharma. 01:23:16 – Spike Protein = Bioweapon Listener analysis ties vaccine harms to spike protein's destruction of ACE2, fueling myocarditis, clotting, and turbo cancers. Critics call the jabs a Pentagon-DARPA bioweapon. 01:27:33 – Trump, Gates, and Zuckerberg Dinner Trump dines with Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg at the White House. Commentary frames it as proof Trump embraces technocrats pushing AI, depopulation, and new mRNA delivery systems. 01:51:24 – Tim Kaine: Rights From Government Sen. Tim Kaine claims rights come from government, not God—sparking outrage. Ted Cruz rebukes him with Jefferson's words, while critics tie Kaine's stance to Marxist liberation theology. 01:59:42 – Liberation Theology = KGB Ops Discussion traces Kaine's worldview to “liberation theology,” described as a KGB psyop to destabilize the West. Parallels are drawn to Pope Francis and modern Marxist infiltration in religion. 02:03:47 – DOJ Pushes Gun Ban for Transgender People DOJ considers labeling transgender individuals as mentally ill to strip gun rights. Critics warn it's a Trojan horse for red flag gun laws and Trump-style “due process later” policies. 02:07:47 – Trans Militancy & Socialist Rifle Association Zero Hedge report links trans shooters with the far-left Socialist Rifle Association, whose rainbow-AR-15 imagery echoes recent killings. Hosts warn conservatives are being baited into cheering gun control. 02:17:13 – Trump's Asylum Agenda Trump and Melania push reopening mental institutions and mandatory mental health screenings. Critics warn this echoes totalitarian regimes weaponizing psychiatry to silence dissent. 02:19:54 – John Rich vs. TVA Land Grab Country singer John Rich helps Tennessee locals fight the TVA's eminent domain scheme for a methane gas plant. After massive pushback, TVA cancels plans—framed as a rare grassroots victory against corporate-government overreach. 03:05:52 – Gold Soars on Weak Jobs Gerald Celente joins to discuss gold hitting $3,600 amid dismal job numbers. Weak labor markets signal looming rate cuts, sinking the dollar and driving investors to safe havens. 03:09:12 – Trump's Crypto Empire Exposed Discussion shifts to how Trump's family quietly moved massive wealth into Bitcoin and crypto mining. His stake is now larger than his global resorts, raising conflict-of-interest concerns. 03:12:54 – Dragflation & Debt Heart Attack Celente predicts “dragflation”—declining growth plus surging inflation—as debt tops $220 trillion. Ray Dalio's warning of a “debt-induced heart attack” within three years is echoed as inevitable. 03:14:42 – Gold Goes Digital The World Gold Council prepares to tokenize bullion for global trading. Analysts warn it could wipe out unstable cryptocurrencies and challenge U.S. dollar dominance. 03:26:02 – H-1B Scam & Cheap Labor Conversation turns to H-1B visas, tracing back to Bill Clinton and expanded under Trump and Biden. Both parties are accused of flooding the U.S. with cheap foreign labor to suppress wages. 03:36:02 – Venezuela Strike = Oil Grab Trump's shoot-first policy in Venezuela is blasted as a false “drug war” pretext to seize oil. Comparisons are drawn to Duterte's Philippines and past regime-change coups. Follow the show on Kick and watch live every weekday 9:00am EST – 12:00pm EST https://kick.com/davidknightshow Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHTFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.

Tune into the second episode of AJC's newest limited podcast series, Architects of Peace. Go behind the scenes of the decades-long diplomacy and quiet negotiations that made the Abraham Accords possible, bringing Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and later Morocco, together in historic peace agreements.  Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, U.S. Army General Miguel Correa, and AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson unpack the first Trump administration's Middle East strategy, share behind-the-scenes efforts to engage key regional players, and reveal what unfolded inside the White House in the crucial weeks before the Abraham Accords signing. Full transcript: https://www.ajc.org/news/podcast/behind-the-breakthrough-architects-of-peace-episode-2 Resources: AJC.org/ArchitectsofPeace - Tune in weekly for new episodes. AJC.org/AbrahamAccords - The Abraham Accords, Explained AJC.org/CNME - Find more on AJC's Center for a New Middle East Listen – AJC Podcasts: AJC.org/ForgottenExodus AJC.org/PeopleofthePod Follow Architects of Peace on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/ArchitectsofPeace You can reach us at: podcasts@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript: Donald Trump: I think we're going to make a deal. It might be a bigger and better deal than people in this room even understand. Manya Brachear Pashman: In September 2020, the world saw what had been years – decades – in the making: landmark peace agreements dubbed the Abraham Accords -- normalizing relations between Israel and two Arabian Gulf states, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain. Later, in December, they were joined by the Kingdom of Morocco. Five years later, AJC is pulling back the curtain to meet key individuals who built the trust that led to these breakthroughs. Introducing: the Architects of Peace. Shortly after he was elected in 2016 and before he took office, President Donald Trump nominated his company's former bankruptcy attorney David Friedman to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Israel. He gave Friedman two simple tasks.  Task No. 1? Build peace across the Middle East by normalizing relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Task No. 2? Solve the Israeli Palestinian conflict that a half dozen previous White House residents had failed to fix.  After all, according to conventional wisdom, the first task could not happen before the second. The future of cooperation between Israel and 20-plus other Arab countries hinged on peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.  Here's former Secretary of State John Kerry. John Kerry: There will be no advance and separate peace with the Arab world without the Palestinian process and Palestinian peace. Everybody needs to understand that. Manya Brachear Pashman: Ambassador Friedman disagreed with this conventional wisdom. David Friedman: We were told initially by most countries that the road to peace began with the Palestinians. This was a hypothesis that I rejected internally, but I thought: ‘OK, well, let's just play this out and see where this can go. And so, we spent a couple of years really working on what could be a plan that would work for Israel and the Palestinians. The Palestinians, you know, rejected discussions early on, but we had a lot of discussions with the Israelis. Manya Brachear Pashman: The son of a rabbi who grew up in Long Island, Ambassador Friedman had been active in pro-Israel organizations for decades, He had advised Trump on the importance of the U.S.-Israel bond during the 2016 presidential election and recommended nothing less than a radical overhaul of White House policy in the region. Not long after his Senate confirmation as ambassador, that overhaul commenced. In February 2017, President Trump invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House – his first invitation to a foreign leader —  and a symbolic one. After their meeting, they held a joint press conference. Donald Trump: With this visit, the United States again reaffirms our unbreakable bond with our cherished ally Israel. The partnership between our two countries, built on our shared values. I think we're going to make a deal. It might be a bigger and better deal than people in this room even understand. That's a possibility. So, let's see what we do.  He doesn't sound too optimistic. But he's a good negotiator. Benjamin Netanyahu: That's the art of the deal. Manya Brachear Pashman: Nine months later, President Trump made another symbolic gesture -- recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital city and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Though such a move had been approved by Congress in 1995, no president had ever acted upon it. When Trump's son-in-law, businessman, and senior White House advisor Jared Kushner opened conversations about that ‘bigger and better deal,' Palestinians refused to participate, using the pretext of the Jerusalem decision to boycott the Trump administration. But that didn't stop Ambassador Friedman and others from engaging, not only with Israel, but with Arab countries about a new path forward. AJC's Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson, who has been building bridges in the region since the early ‘90s, recalls this strategy at the time. Jason Isaacson: It was very clear for many months, 2019 on into early 2020, that there was a team working under Jared Kushner in the White House that was going from country to country in the Gulf and North Africa, looking to make a deal, looking to make deals that would lead to normalization with Israel, would involve various benefits that the United States would be able to provide. But of course, the big benefit would be regional integration and a closer relationship with the United States. Manya Brachear Pashman: The pitch for a new path forward resonated in the United Arab Emirates, a Gulf country of 10 million residents, some 11% of whom are Emiratis — the rest expats and migrants from around the world. The UAE had designated 2019 the Year of Tolerance, an initiative aimed at promoting the country as a global capital for tolerance and respect between diverse cultures and nationalities. That year, the Emirates hosted a historic visit from Pope Francis, and 27 Israeli athletes competed in the 2019 Special Olympics World Games held in the capital city of Abu Dhabi.  The pitch also resonated in Bahrain. In June of that year, during a two-day workshop in Bahrain's capital city of Manama, the Trump administration began rolling out the results of its Middle East tour – the economic portion of its peace plan, titled "Peace to Prosperity." Jason Isaacson: The White House plan for Peace to Prosperity was a kind of an early set of ideas for Israeli Palestinian resolution that would result in a small, but functional Palestinian state, created in a way that would not require the displacement of Israelis in the West Bank, and that would involve large scale investment, mostly provided by other countries, mostly in the Gulf, but not only, also Europe, to advance the Palestinian economy, to integrate the Palestinian and Israelis' economies in a way that had never happened. And there was discussion that was taking place that all led up to the idea of a very fresh approach, a very new approach to the regional conflict. Manya Brachear Pashman: The 38-page prospectus set ambitious goals — turning the West Bank and Gaza into tourism destinations, doubling the amount of drinkable water there, tripling exports, earmarking $900 million to build hospitals and clinics. The Palestinians, angered by Trump's recognition of Jerusalem and viewing the Manama workshop as an attempt to normalize Arab-Israel ties while sidelining their national rights, boycotted the meeting and rejected the plan before ever seeing its details.  But the workshop's host Bahrain, as well as Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the Emirates participated, to varying degrees. Trump's team rolled out the rest of the plan in January 2020, including a map of land carved out for Palestinians and for Israel. The plan enabled Palestinians and Arab countries to expand economic opportunities. It enabled Israel to demonstrate that it was open to cooperation. It enabled the Trump administration to illustrate the opportunities missed if countries in the region continued to let Palestinian leadership call the shots. David Friedman: The expectation was not that the Palestinians would jump all over it. We were realistic about the possibility, but we did think it was important to show that Israel itself, under some circumstances, was willing to engage with the Palestinians with regard to a formula for peace that, you know, had an economic component, a geographic component, a governance component.  Manya Brachear Pashman: The Palestine Liberation Organization accused the United States of trying to sell a "mirage of economic prosperity.” Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh criticized the Arab leaders attending the al-Manama conference, saying "The (Palestinian) people, who have been fighting for 100 years, did not commission anyone to concede or to bargain.” But that's the thing. Arab leaders weren't there solely on behalf of the Palestinians. They wanted to learn how their own countries' citizens could enjoy peace and prosperity too. David Friedman: The real point of all this that got the Abraham Accords jump started was not the fact that the Palestinians embraced this, but more so that they rejected it in such a way that enabled these other countries to say: ‘Look, guys, you know what? We can't be more pro-Palestinian than you.' Here you have, you know, the U.S. government putting on a table a proposal that gets you more than halfway there in terms of your stated goals and aspirations. Maybe you don't like all of it, that's fine, but you're never going to get everything you wanted anyway. And here's the first government in history that's willing to give you something tangible to talk about, and if you're not going to engage in something that they spent years working on, talking to everybody, trying to thread the needle as best they could. If you're not willing to talk to them about it, then don't ask us to fight your fight. There's only so far we can go. But we thought that putting this plan out on a table publicly would kind of smoke out a lot of positions that had historically been below the surface. And so, beginning right after the 28th of January of 2020 when we had that ceremony with the President's vision for peace, we began to really get serious engagement. Not from the Palestinians, who rejected it immediately, but from the countries in the region. And so that's how the Abraham Accords discussions really began in earnest. Manya Brachear Pashman: AJC had been saying for years that if Arab leaders truly wanted to foster stability in the region and help the Palestinians, engaging with Israel and opening channels of communication would give them the leverage to do so. Isolating Israel was not the answer. Nothing underscored that more than the COVID-19 pandemic, the worst global health crisis in a century. As everyone around the world donned N95 masks and went into self-imposed isolation, some governments in the Middle East concluded that isolating innovative countries like Israel was perhaps not the wisest or safest choice.  In May 2020, UAE Ambassador to the United Nations Lana Nusseibeh said as much during a virtual webinar hosted by AJC. Lana Nusseibeh: Of course, we've had Israeli medics participate in previous events in the UAE, that wouldn't be unusual. And I'm sure there's a lot of scope for collaboration. I don't think we would be opposed to it. Because I really think this public health space should be an unpoliticized space where we all try and pool our collective knowledge of this virus. Manya Brachear Pashman: A month later, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash echoed that sentiment, during AJC Global Forum. Anwar Gargash: I think we can come to a point where we come to a given Israeli government and we say we disagree with you on this, we don't think it's a good idea. But at the same time there are areas, such as COVID, technology, and other things that we can actually work on together. Manya Brachear Pashman: Not surprisingly, the UAE was the first Arab country to begin negotiating with the White House to normalize relations with Israel. However, talks that summer hit a stalemate. Israel was moving forward with a plan to annex a significant portion of the West Bank, including Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley. Even though President Trump himself had cautioned Prime Minister Netanyahu to hold off, Ambassador Friedman was not about to stop them.  David Friedman: I thought that the idea of Israel walking away from its biblical heartland. Anything that required Israel to make that commitment was something I couldn't support. I was so dead set against it. Israel cannot, as a price for normalization, as great as it is, as important as it is, Israel cannot agree to cede its biblical heartland. Manya Brachear Pashman: Not only was this personal for Ambassador Friedman, it was also a major incentive for Israel, included in the Peace to Prosperity plan. The ambassador didn't want to go back on his word and lose Israel's trust.  But annexation was a dealbreaker for the Emirates. In June, UAE's Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba wrote a column speaking directly to the Israeli public. He explained that the UAE wanted diplomatic relations with Israel – it really did – but unilateral annexation of land that it considered still in dispute would be viewed as a breach of trust and undermine any and all progress toward normalization.  David Friedman: It was a kind of a tumultuous period, both internally within our own team and with others, about what exactly was going to happen as a result of that Peace to Prosperity Plan. And even if there was an agreement by the United States to support Israeli annexation, was this something that was better, at least in the short term? Manya Brachear Pashman: Otaiba's message got through, and the team ultimately agreed to suspend the annexation plan — not halt, but suspend — an intentionally temporary verb.  In addition to writing the column, Otaiba also recommended that a friend join the negotiations to help repair the trust deficit: General Miguel Correa, a U.S. Army General who had spent part of his childhood in the Middle East, served in the Persian Gulf War and as a peacekeeper maintaining the treaty between Israel and Egypt. General Correa had joined the National Security Council in March 2020 after serving as a defense attaché in Abu Dhabi. He had earned the respect of Emiratis, not as a dealmaker so much as a lifesaver, once orchestrating a secret rescue mission of wounded Emirati troops from inside Yemen. Among those troops, the nephew and son-in-law of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed, the then-de facto ruler and now the current president of the UAE. Kushner and Friedman had never met Correa.  Miguel Correa: I didn't know them, and they didn't know me. No one else had any military experience on the team. I had a unique perspective of the Arab side of the equation.  And had relationships. So, it was a match made in heaven.  Jared, David Friedman, these guys obviously understood Israeli politics and understood the Israeli side, and somewhat Jewish American side. I could provide a different dynamic or a different view from the Arab side, as someone who's kind of grown up with this. It really got serious when the team came together and, and we could start working on real, concrete things. Manya Brachear Pashman: Months of negotiations had already unfolded. It was already late July, first of August, when General Correa became the last person to join the tiny circle of a half dozen negotiators – kept intentionally small to keep a lid on the conversations. It's hard to keep a secret in Washington. David Friedman: The secrecy here was very, very important, because to be honest with you, I think anything bigger than that group of six or seven, we would have put it in jeopardy. Manya Brachear Pashman: In this situation, leaks not only threatened the deal, they could threaten lives. Though word trickled out that a deal was in the works, no one guessed just how transformational the result might be. In General Correa's opinion, the UAE had the most to lose. Miguel Correa: That was the concern that, frankly, guys like me had, that, I hurt a nation of good people that is incredibly tolerant, that builds synagogues and churches and Sikh temples, or Hindu temples, and tolerance 101, that everybody can pray to who they would like to pray to.  And I was worried that all these extremists were going to come out of the woodwork and hurt that trajectory in the UAE, that was going to be a great nation with or without the normalization. But this ruler said: ‘No, no, it's the right thing to do. Peace is the right thing to do.' Manya Brachear Pashman: General Correa actually had quite a few concerns. He didn't want the negotiations to be hijacked for political gain. He wanted leaders to have a security and public relations response in place before anything was announced. And the agreement? It lacked a name. Miguel Correa: A lot of it has to do with my military side. We love to name cool task forces, and things like that. And then I felt like: ‘Hey, it has to be something that rolls off the tongue, that makes sense and that will help it, you know, with staying power. Let's do something that ties the people together. There was going to be a shock, a tectonic shock that was going to occur. From 1948, we're going to do a complete 180, and wow. So what do we do to take the wind away from the extremists? As a guy who's fought extremism, militant extremism, for most of his military career, I figured, hey, we've got to do what we can to frame this in a super positive manner. Manya Brachear Pashman: To the general's dismay, no one else shared his concern about what to call their project. A lot was happening in those last few weeks. Landing on a name – not a priority. On the morning of August 13, once all the details were hammered out, the team sat in the Oval Office waiting to brief the President before it was announced to the world. David Friedman: It came about 10 minutes before the end, we were all sitting around the Oval Office, waiting for this announcement about the UAE. And somebody, not me, said: ‘Well, we need a name for this,' and I said, why? And they said, ‘Well, you know, you have the Oslo Accords, you have the Camp David Accords. You need a name.' And I said, you know, Who's got an idea? And General Miguel Correa, he said: ‘How about the Abraham Accords?' And I said: ‘That's a great name.' And then we had a rush to call the Israelis and the Emiratis to make sure they were OK with it.  Five minutes later we're broadcasting to a few hundred million people this groundbreaking announcement. And the President looks at me and says, ‘David, explain why you chose the Abraham Accords?' So that was when we explained what the name was, which I hadn't really thought of until that point. We just thought it was a good name.  So at that point I said, ‘Well, you know, Abraham was the father of three great religions. He's referred to as Abraham in English, and Ibrahim in Arabic, and Avraham in Hebrew. And no single individual better exemplifies the opportunity and the benefits of unity among all peoples than Abraham.' And that was sort of on the fly how we got to the Abraham Accords. Manya Brachear Pashman: General Correa said he chose a name that would remind people of all faiths that what they have in common far outweighs what separates them. It was also important that the name be plural. Not the Abraham Accord. The Abraham Accords.  Even if only one country – the UAE – was signing on at that moment, there would be more to come. Indeed, Bahrain came on board within a month. Morocco joined in December.  Miguel Correa: I felt in my heart that this has to be more than one. As a guy that's been affected by this extremism and it allowed this, this craziness and that people decide who can get to know who and and I felt like, No, we can't allow this to be a one-shot deal. We have to prove that this is an avalanche. This could be sustained, and this is the way it should be. Everyone has to come into this one way or another. And it's not, by the way, saying that, hey, we're all going to walk lockstep with Israel. That's not the point. The point is that you have a conversation, the leaders can pick up the phone and have that conversation. So it has to be, has to be plural. By the way, this is the way that it was. This isn't new. This isn't like a crazy new concept. This is the way it was. It's not an introduction of Jews in this region, in society. This is a reintroduction. This is the way it's supposed to be. This is what's happened for thousands of years. So why are we allowing people to take us back, you know, thousands of years? Let's go back to the way things should be, and develop these relationships. It makes us all better. Manya Brachear Pashman: Next episode, we step out from behind the scenes and on to the South Lawn of the White House where leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Israel and the U.S. signed the Abraham Accords, while the world watched in awe. Atara Lakritz is our producer. T.K. Broderick is our sound engineer. Special thanks to Jason Isaacson, Sean Savage, and the entire AJC team for making this series possible.  You can subscribe to Architects of Peace on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and you can learn more at AJC.org/ArchitectsofPeace.  The views and opinions of our guests don't necessarily reflect the positions of AJC.  You can reach us at podcasts@ajc.org. If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to spread the word, and hop onto Apple Podcasts or Spotify to rate us and write a review to help more listeners find us. Music Credits: Middle East : ID: 279780040; Composer: Eric Sutherland Frontiers: ID: 183925100; Publisher: Pond5 Publishing Beta (BMI); Composer: Pete Checkley (BMI) Meditative: ID: 115666358; Composer: DANIELYAN ASHOT MAKICHEVICH (IPI NAME #00855552512), UNITED STATES BMI Arabian: Item ID: 214336423; Composer: MusicForVideos Arabian Strings: ID: 72249988; Publisher: EITAN EPSTEIN; Composer: EITAN EPSTEIN Desert: Item ID: 220137401; Publisher: BFCMUSIC PROD.; Composer: Andrei Marchanka Middle East Violin: ID: 277189507; Composer: Andy Warner Arabic Ambient: ID: 186923328; Publisher: Victor Romanov; Composer: Victor Romanov Oriental: Item ID: 190860465; Publisher: Victor Romanov; Composer: Victor Romanov Mystical Middle East: ID: 212471911; Composer: Vicher    

As Catholics, we're familiar with the seasons of the Church year. We know to mark the days of Advent and Lent. We know that Easter lasts fifty days and that Christmas, too, is more than just a 24-hour period of time. We know that we spend most of our time in days called ordinary — and of course, we're reminded of all of these seasons by the colors the priests wears at Mass. But here's a season you may have missed — it's a green season, yes. But I wouldn't call it ordinary. And right now, we're celebrating — we're in it! I'm talking about the Season of Creation. I know — it's not a liturgical season. But as of 2019, Pope Francis has invited us to mark this important moment of the year as a time to recall our Gospel mission to care for creation. The season begins on September 1 with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and runs through October 4, which is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. What's more, the Season of Creation isn't just a Catholic thing. In fact, the Orthodox Church as been commemorating this season in some way since 1989. And so, the Season of Creation is a time not just to seek God out in the created world, but to do so in the company of others — people of other denominations, other faiths. We care for our common home, and we necessarily do so together. Today's guests are here to talk to us about this important season — and to invite us to participate in a Pilgrimages of Hope to mark both this particular moment on the calendar and this Jubilee Year. Dan Misleh is the founder of the Catholic Climate Covenant and has been working at this intersection of ecology and the Catholic church for decades. Prior to beginning the Covenant, he worked at the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Annie Fox is the provincial assistant for social ministry organizing in the Jesuits US West Province. She has more than thirteen years of grassroots organizing experience, and is passionate about interfaith relationship building. You'll hear Annie speak quite powerfully about the importance of these pilgrimages, and so as you listen, if you find yourself moved to organize one of your own, I hope you'll check out the links below. We have a lot of good stuff to resource you and your communities during this Season of Creation. Pilgrims of Hope for Creation: https://catholicpilgrimsofhope.org/ Catholic Climate Covenant: https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/ Video on Youth Pilgrims: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucyABWXcYEQ Register for high school workshops: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kVzdNfLoPggBfuttCulaP8q6SA0uQbo_DcwoB2g9Cog/edit?tab=t.0 Register for college and university workshops: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7aGaPyAgQSOP0O0y52xRSg#/registration More about the Season of Creation: https://seasonofcreation.org/about/

In September 2021, Pope Francis made his first—and only—visit to Slovakia. Despite strict COVID-19 restrictions, thousands of Slovaks traveled across the country for a chance to see the beloved pontiff. Among them were filmmakers Stanislav Piatrik and Mária Piatriková, who documented the historic visit through powerful footage and interviews with notable Slovaks. Their work culminated in the new documentary Návšteva (The Visit). In the first half of this episode, we sit down with the directors to discuss the significance of Pope Francis's visit and their experimental approach to storytelling. In the second half, we continue our series Diaspora on the Airwaves, exploring Slovak media abroad—this time from Szeged, Hungary.

Today we're diving into a major prophecy headline: Pope Leo is continuing Pope Francis's legacy of so-called “openness,” pushing LGBTQ inclusion deeper into the Catholic Church.   Jesuit priest James Martin says the Pope is committed to this agenda—and many believe it's laying the groundwork for the prophesied One World Religion. Revelation warns of a False Prophet who looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon, and these moves sound eerily familiar.  Add to that Macron's war rhetoric, Jordan's stance against Israel, and the UN's globalist agenda—it all points to the rise of the end-time system.   📱: It's never been easier to understand. Stream Only Source Network and access exclusive content: https://watch.osn.tv/browse 📚: Check out Jerusalem Prophecy College Online for less than $60 per course: https://jerusalemprophecycollege.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eucharist is the source a summit of our Catholic Faith. Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. We who know this are called to spread devotion to the Eucharist in our daily lives. This blogcast explores “Being a Eucharistic Missionary" from the Ad Infinitum blog, written by Patrick Laorden and read by Meghan Abando.I did not have a chance to attend the Eucharistic Congress last month. However, I did have the pleasure of reading the book For the Life of the World: Invited to Eucharistic Mission by Bishop Andrew Cozzens and Tim Glemkowski. The book outlines four essential pillars to being a Eucharistic missionary: Eucharistic encounter, Eucharistic identity, Eucharistic life, and Eucharistic mission. On the feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta, a great example of a Eucharistic missionary, let us seek her intercession to bear a Eucharistic presence in the world!Eucharistic EncounterThe life of a Eucharistic missionary starts with an encounter. We are reminded of what Pope Benedict XVI said in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction,” (no. 1). Bishop Cozzens notes four essential elements to an encounter with Jesus: realizing that Jesus is God, experiencing one's own unworthiness, discovery that one is intimately loved, and being invited to follow him in a new life. We see these elements unfold in St. Teresa's own life when she encountered Jesus in the poor.Eucharistic IdentityOur identity is essential to our mission. Bishop Cozzens noted that Jesus never had an identity crisis. Before Jesus began his public ministry, he submitted himself to God to be baptized. Bishop Cozzens highlights three essential principles to Eucharisic identity: relationship, identity, and mission. He writes, “This is the basic point: We were created by God to be in relationship, and from our relationship we know who we are — our identity. When we know who we are, then we know how we should act and what we should do — our mission,” (pg. 50). When St. Teresa encountered Jesus in the poor, she experienced a call within a call: to assume a new identity by leaving the Sisters of Loretto and founding the Missionaries of Charity.Eucharistic LifeWe are called to a Eucharistic life, to be in communion with Christ. Bishop Cozzens notes that this communion with Christ is how we mark ourselves as the Church. Fr. Roger Landry in a 2022 article in the National Catholic Register entitled, “The Eucharistic Life of St. Teresa of Calcutta,” noted how St. Teresa compared the Missionaries of Charity's work to the Blessed Mother: ​“Every Holy Communion fills us with Jesus and we must, with our Lady, go in haste to give him to others. For her, it was on her first Holy Communion day that Jesus came into her life and so for all of us, also. He made himself the Bread of Life so that we too, like Mary, become full of Jesus. We too, like her, should be in haste to give him to others. We too, like her, serve others.”We receive Jesus in the Eucharist at Mass, and we are called to give him to others through a life of service. Bishop Cozzens explains that receiving Holy Communion is a covenantal act. “This is why we say ‘Amen,' which is a covenantal act. To receive Holy Communion is to say: ‘I want to live in this covenant with you. I want to live in communion with you, Lord.' This means I must also live in communion with the Church, Christ's Body,” (pg. 62).Eucharistic MissionThe Church, in her essence, is missionary. Bishop Cozzens notes that our mission was not invented or decided by us, rather given to us from Jesus. This mission is ad gentes or “to the nations”. The challenge today is that we no longer live in a Christian world. Pope Francis, in a 2019 address to the Roman Curia, said, “We are no longer living in a Christian world, because faith – especially in Europe, but also in a large part of the West – is no longer an evident presupposition of social life; indeed, faith is often rejected, derided, marginalized and ridiculed.”We, who have experienced an encounter with Christ, whose identity has been revealed through this encounter, and who have been called to share in this Eucharistic life, are to be a beacon of light to those who have fallen away from their faith or have never experienced Christ. St. Teresa once said, “We must know that we have been created for greater things, not just to be a number in the world, not just to go for diplomas and degrees, this work and that work. We have been created in order to love and to be loved.” This is what it means to be a Eucharistic missionary.St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us! Author:​Patrick Laorden serves as a Grants Associate for the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving in Hartford, CT. Resources:Listen to On Mission: Eucharistic Revival: Year of MissionRead and learn about Eucharistic RevivalRead the Ad Infinitum blog Follow us:The Catholic Apostolate CenterThe Center's podcast websiteInstagramFacebookApple PodcastsSpotify Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. also appears on the podcast, On Mission, which is produced by the Catholic Apostolate Center and you can also listen to his weekly Sunday Gospel reflections. Follow the Center on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and YouTube to remain up-to-date on the latest Center resources.

They made a pilgrimage to Washington to mark the 10th anniversary of the late Pope Francis' groundbreaking call to protect the Earth. Learn more at https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/ 

In this episode, the monthly series called “What Are the Sisters Reading?” continues. My guest for the month of September is from the Daughters of Saint Paul. Sister Julia Darrenkamp, FSP, shares about a book called “The Life of Jesus” by Andrea Tornielli, which interlaces the Gospels, the author's impactful and imaginative reflections, and includes the inspiring insights of Pope Francis.  To check out more books on the Catholic faith and religious items of interest at the Pauline Books and Media Center at 1025 King Street in Alexandria, please click here.

AP's Lisa Dwyer reports on a meeting between the Pope and a leading LGBTQ+ church advocate.

On healing our emotional biography, the unwounded soul within, and the choices we keep making to evolve. (0:00) — Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's Introduction and Background (3:35) — The Importance of Holding Ourselves (7:02) — Navigating Addiction and Hyper-Vigilance (8:33) — The Science of Happiness and Integrity (10:56) — Understanding Human Behavior and Emotional Intelligence (14:38) — The Role of Nature and Playfulness (15:32) — Navigating Personal Relationships and Trauma (40:01) — The Impact of Patriarchy and Toxic Masculinity (45:42) — The Importance of Self-Care and Emotional Regulation (46:00) — The Role of Playfulness and Humor in Emotional Health (49:08) — The Impact of Menopause and Andropause on Relationships Through the years, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has had the occasion to meet inspiring world leaders — Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron, Pope Francis, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Michelle and Barack Obama, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, First Lady Jill Biden and President Joe Biden, and more — who've inspired her to bring about change and justice in the world. Sophie studied commerce at McGill University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Montreal, as well as a certificate from the Promedia School of Television and Radio. Deeply passionate about exploring the great outdoors, she loves sports, movement, and yoga. She's the former First Lady of Canada, and she's also certified to teach yoga for children and adults, practicing and guiding meditation and yoga nidra sessions to reset the nervous system and find calm. Her first book, Closer Together (Penguin Random House and KO Éditions), encourages us to better understand the mechanisms of our own personality and the quality of all our relationships — most importantly, the relationship we have with ourselves.

This week, the Catholic Church installs Pope Leo XIV—an American pontiff advancing Pope Francis's globalist reforms, from open borders to climate policy. At the same time, a Muslim figure claiming to be the “Messiah” calls on Arabs to help rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. As the Real ID rolls out and Europe pulls away from U.S. influence, the prophetic puzzle pieces are shifting fast. Don't miss this open-line edition of The Endtime Show! 📱: It's never been easier to understand. Stream Only Source Network and access exclusive content: https://watch.osn.tv/browse 📚: Check out Jerusalem Prophecy College Online for less than $60 per course: https://jerusalemprophecycollege.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The observances of National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, Feb. 12) are an opportunity to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family. This year's theme is "Marriage...one flesh, given and received." Learn more at https://www.usccb.org/topics/marriage... The annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering (CSMG), organized by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and 20 collaborating organizations, attracted hundreds of participants from around the country this week. The conference equips current and emerging leaders in Catholic social ministry and advocacy to cultivate God's justice as they engage in their communities and around the world. World Day for Consecrated Life is celebrated in the Church on Thursday, February 2, 2023, and in parishes over the weekend of February 4-5, 2023. Please pray for all those who have made commitments in the consecrated life and be sure to thank them on their special day. Pope Francis heard horrifying stories of cruelty and violence February 1 during a meeting in Kinshasa with victims from eastern Congo, a region the pope had to cancel his plans to visit because of the worsening security situation.

Pope Francis and thousands of visitors and pilgrims at his general audience prayed for the victims of the earthquakes that devastated the region along the border of Turkey and Syria. Bishop David Malloy, International Justice and Peace Chairman, called for prayer and financial aid for the victims and relief workers. The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Union of Superiors General designated February 8 as an annual day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. February 8 is the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, patron saint of victims of modern slavery and human trafficking. Pope Francis recently concluded his historic visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. He prayed with South Sudan's Christians for peace and spoke about the important role of women in peacebuilding.

During Mass for the Sunday of the Word of God, Pope Francis said that the Church should have an expansive heart. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTGwhXjQzwQ Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt invites the Catholic faithful to view a new series of video seminars to learn more about Scripture. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz8FAZqeBK8 January 22 also marked the twentieth anniversary of Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, a pastoral letter on migration from the bishops of the United States and Mexico.https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/immigration/strangers-no-longer-together-on-the-journey-of-hope Bishop Mark Seitz, chairman of the Committee on Migration, issued a statement to celebrate the anniversary. Read the statement: https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/us-church-marks-twenty-years-release-strangers-no-longer-together-journey-hope For the National Prayer Vigil for Life, the homily of Bishop Michael Burbidge, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, reflected on the work ahead. https://www.usccb.org/resources/1-19-23%20HOMILY_Vigil%20Mass%20for%20Shrine.pdf Speaking separately with Catholic Current, he encouraged young people not to feel alone in their beliefs.

Retired Pope Benedict XVI passed away December 31, 2022, in his residence at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican Gardens. On January 5, 2023, Pope Francis presided over the funeral Mass for his predecessor: https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/funeral-pope-remembers-benedicts-wisdom-tenderness-devotion Read USCCB President, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio's reflection on Pope Benedict XVI: https://www.usccb.org/news/2022/reflection-usccb-president-death-pope-benedict-xvi, as well we reflections and tributes from other U.S. bishops: https://www.usccb.org/pope-benedict-xvi-tributes Starting January 5, you can also pray the novena that has been prepared in Pope benedict XVI's memory: https://www.usccb.org/novena-pope-benedict-xvi

On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Bishop Mark Seitz, Chair of the Committee on Migration, issued a statement in solidarity with migrants and invited all people of faith to pray for those forced to move from their homes. Read the statement: On Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, U.S. Bishops' Migration Chairman Reaffirms Church's Solidarity with Immigrants. Pope Francis also celebrated Mass for the occasion on December 12, 2022. Watch the CNS video: Pope: Guadalupe's message of hope. Learn more about the U.S. bishops' Committee on Migration: https://www.usccb.org/committees/migration While praying on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Francis broke down while speaking of the suffering in Ukraine. Watch the CNS video: Pope weeps for Ukraine. On Gaudete Sunday, Pope Francis prayed for the children of Ukraine. Watch the CNS Video Pope: May Christmas bring hope to Ukrainians.

President of the USCCB Archbishop Timothy Broglio wrote a column published in America Magazine, calling for unity: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2022/12/07/archbishop-broglio-pope-francis-unity-244275 During his general audience Nov. 30, Pope Francis encouraged a daily examination of conscience. Watch the video. December 8th is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Read Pope Francis's Prayer for the Immaculate Conception. The Vatican unveiled its Nativity scene and lit the Christmas tree in St. Peter's Square on December 3, 2022. Watch the video.

This week the Senate passed H.R. 8404, the “Respect for Marriage Act.” Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee for Religious Liberty, and Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, issued a joint letter and analysis urging Congress to oppose the measure. Read the press release. The USCCB Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs issued a statement emphasizing its recommitment to relationship with the Jewish committee. Read the press release. Pope Francis reminded the faithful that the Lord is always present and to look for signs of God's nearness this Advent. Watch the video.

The North American Final Document for the Continental Stage of the 2021-2024 Synod was recently released. It marks the end of the Continental Stage of the 2021-2024 Synod: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission. Read the document and learn more at https://www.usccb.org/synod. Before reciting the "Regina Caeli" prayer April 16, Pope Francis spoke about the day's Gospel reading and how the wounds still visible on the Risen Lord are signs of God's love and a call to the church to welcome all who have been wounded into the church, the body of Christ. Read more at CNS Rome: https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/people-wounded-life-should-find-welcome-church-pope-says.

Looking back three years ago this week, Pope Francis gave his “Urbi et Orbi” to an empty St. Peter's square during the Covid-19 pandemic. This message will be embedded in a satellite and launched into orbit around the Earth, where it will transmit the Holy Father's message every day. Read more at https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/popes... Holy Week begins next week, as well as the Jewish celebration of Passover. Chairman of USCCB's Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Bishop David P. Talley joined the show to discuss the work of the bishops to combat antisemitism in the United States. Find more information at: https://www.usccb.org/committees/ecum... The Dicastery of Culture and the Dicastery for Integral Human Development released a joint statement rejecting the Doctrine of Discovery, a series of 15th-century papal bulls that were used to justify colonization of indigenous peoples. The statement came after a 2022 papal visit to Canada, during which Pope Francis visited indigenous communities and met with leaders. The statement renounces the Doctrine of Discovery, saying “the church acknowledges that these papal bulls did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of indigenous peoples”. Read more at: https://www.usccb.org/committees/ecum...

The Catholic Church celebrated the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' election. Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Promoting Integral Human Development, reflected on Pope Francis' vision for the Church. This year, on March 19, many dioceses in the United States will observe the traditional Lenten practice of almsgiving by participating in The Catholic Relief Services Collection. Funds from this collection support the work of Catholic organizations that aid victims of war and natural disaster, provide pastoral care to migrant workers, and help welcome refugees fleeing violence and persecution. Bishop Seitz spoke about the role that this collection plays in vital Catholic programs that share in the Catholic mission of promoting the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person. Read the CRS Collection annual report. https://usccb.cld.bz/crs-2021-annual-report

We were joined by Jen Maez from CRS Rice Bowl – the Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services. March 13, 2023, marks the 10-year anniversary of Pope Francis's papacy. To mark the occasion, a few cardinals reflected on Pope Francis' legacy so far.

On February 17th, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City dedicated a new shrine to Blessed Stanley Rother. We were joined by Most Rev. Paul Coakley to learn more about Blessed Stanley's story and the new shrine dedicated to him. Visit https://rothershrine.org/ to learn more. February 24th marks one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Pope Francis spoke about the occasion, which he called a sad anniversary. He encouraged us to stay close to the Ukraine people who continue to suffer. Bishop David Malloy, Chair of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, also released a statement calling on the faithful to continue to pray for peace and to give generously to humanitarian organizations that are provided continued and much needed assistance. The full statement is available at usccb.org. Bishop David O'Connell, auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, was found murdered in his home on Saturday, February 18th. We join Archbishop Gomez and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in grieving his death and praying for the repose of his soul. May he rest in peace.

President Biden recently visited the border where he met with Bishop Mark Seitz, Chair of the Committee on Migration and Bishop of El Paso. Bishop Seitz issued a statement on January 6th expressing his dismay about the administration's “ continued reliance on harmful policies over humane solutions.” Read more about the Committee on Migration: https://www.usccb.org/committees/migration Read more of Bishop Seitz' statement: https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/us-bishops-migration-chairman-dismayed-continued-reliance-harmful-policies-over-humane January is Poverty Awareness Month. Daily reflections prepared by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (also en Español) are available that include ways to learn about poverty, get inspired by how communities are responding, and take action with others. You can also sign up to receive daily reflections by email. Learn more about the state of poverty in the United States by visiting PovertyUSA.org (or en Español at PobrezaUSA.org). Pope Francis underlined the importance of knowing the date of one's baptism as he celebrated Mass and baptized 13 babies in the Sistine Chapel. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIo4tTb89io

May is the month of Mary. In this week's episode we visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to learn about the history of the month of Mary and popular Marian devotions, such as praying the rosary. The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer. It begins with the Apostles' Creed, which summarizes the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Our Father, which introduces each mystery, is from the Gospels. The first part of the Hail Mary is the angel's words announcing Christ's birth and Elizabeth's greeting to Mary. St. Pius V officially added the second part of the Hail Mary. The Mysteries of the Rosary center on the events of Christ's life. There are four sets of Mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and––added by Saint John Paul II in 2002––the Luminous. Learn more about how to pray rosary. https://www.usccb.org/how-to-pray-the-rosary May is also Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In this week's episode we highlight a story out of the Diocese of Tulsa which reflects the diversity and richness of our faith! Fr. Samuel Perez, Pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Miami, Oklahoma celebrates mass every weekend in Chuukese for local Micronesian Catholics in addition to five other masses in English and Spanish. People in the pews wear brightly colored traditional clothing and hairstyles. One Micronesian family from southwest Missouri makes the almost two-hour drive to hear Scriptures, prayers and songs in Chuukese. Adding a weekly Mass in Chuukese has improved not just Mass attendance but religious education enrollment at Sacred Heart, from 30 students to 120. Baptisms are up too: Father Perez's calendar in May had 11 baptisms for members of the Micronesian community. Farming jobs attracted many of Oklahoma's Micronesian natives from the island of Chuuk in the South Pacific. For their part, the community members are grateful that Father Perez has worked to learn their language and integrate their culture into the worship experience. “It shows that he really cares,” one altar server said. Father Perez points out that he made a lot of pronunciation mistakes early on, and he's still learning. There was no textbook; he caught on by repeating words his parishioners taught him. “They were very patient with me,” he said. “My accent is thick. I don't know how much they understand me, but it looks like they're OK with it.” Father Perez wants every Catholic to feel welcome and included in their Church home. “When God calls you to be a priest, you are called to serve all people.” The Diocese of Tulsa is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary jubilee year. Click here learn more about the Diocese and the Chuukese Catholic Community at Sacred Heart Church: https://dioceseoftulsa.org/ Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, was at the Vatican to mark the 50th anniversary of a joint declaration signed by St. Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III in 1973 outlining the beliefs shared by their churches. Pope Tawadros II called for unity between Catholics and Copts during Pope Francis' general audience. Read the CNS Rome story: https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/pope-pope-let-our-churches-be-united-christs-love Watch the video of this historic meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCTAC7dE_uI

The working document for the Synod of Bishops in October was released by the Vatican on June 20th. The document will form the basis for the discernment and discussion for the participants of the first session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to be held in October 2023 in the Vatican. Read the CNS story (https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/synod-document-asks-how-increase-unity-participation-mission-outreach). Press release (https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/usccb-welcomes-release-instrumentum-laboris-first-session-xvi-ordinary-general-assembly). The Archdiocese of St. Louis held its second annual ‘Forgive Us Our Trespasses' Maafa and prayer service to remember enslaved persons and acknowledge the archdiocese's involvement with the institution of slavery. Read the story from the St. Louis Review (https://www.archstl.org/-forgive-us-our-trespasses-maafa-and-prayer-service-remembers-enslaved-persons-8740). Learn about the USCCB Subcommittee on African American Affairs (https://www.usccb.org/committees/african-american-affairs) and the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism (https://www.usccb.org/committees/ad-hoc-committee-against-racism). Pope Francis blessed a four-foot-tall monstrance for the U.S. National Eucharistic Congress in 2024 and spoke about how at Mass that morning he was thinking about Jesus' great gift of himself in the Eucharist, a gift that nourishes and consoles believers. Read the CNS story. Learn more about the Eucharistic Revival at (https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/) Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, spoke with Catholic Current about the gifts and challenges of the Catholic Church in the United States.

May 22nd is the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Mariners and Seafarers. Bishop Brendan Cahill discusses the ministry of the church to seafarers through the work of Stella Maris. The day is intended to remember the men and women seafarers. Many seafarers are Catholic Christians and largely a migrant population in the world. Because of the nature of their work, they are not always a visible community presence. In over 50 ports, there are more than 100 Stella Maris chaplains, maritime deacons, and lay ecclesial ministers who minister to seafarers. They welcome, network, and reach out to seafarers, fishermen and women, their families, and all who work or travel on the seas. Through the celebration of the Eucharist and the Word of God, the chaplaincy team helps seafarers discover the loving presence of God in an often-challenging world. Their continued presence is a clear indication of their dedication to this vital pastoral ministry and love for the people of the sea. https://www.usccb.org/committees/pastoral-care-migrants-refugees-travelers/stella-maris-who-we-are On Wednesday, May 10, a panel of advisors to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted unanimously to make the birth-control drug, Opill, available to consumers over-the-counter in the United States. The FDA is reportedly poised to make a final decision this summer. In response to the FDA panel's recommendation, Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, urged the government agency to reject this advice as “not good medicine” and continue their efforts to protect women's health. Read the full statement. https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/fda-acknowledges-harm-oral-contraceptives-while-its-own-panel-advisors-push-make-drug After literally hundreds of public prayers for peace in Ukraine and 443 days after Russia launched an all-out war on the Eastern European country, Pope Francis welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Vatican. This was their first face-to-face meeting since the war began. Read the Catholic News Service Rome story. https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/pope-ukrainian-leader-talk-about-humanitarian-situation-provoked-war

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has appointed Bishop Joseph N. Perry, auxiliary bishop of Chicago, to serve as the next chairman of the USCCB's Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism. Read the pastoral letter against racism, Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love. https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/racism/upload/open-wide-our-hearts.pdf Laudato Si' Week is an eight-day campaign held annually in May to mark the anniversary of Pope Francis' landmark encyclical on creation care. Find prayer and action resources to engage your community. https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/environment/index.cfm Archbishop Broglio sent a special message for Memorial Day. Watch the video and pray for those who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Prayer: https://www.usccb.org/prayers/prayer-memorial-day-last-monday-may

At the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, Cardinal Wilton Gregory and Archbishop Timothy Broglio celebrated a special Mass on the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for the Synod, as requested by Pope Francis. The Synod enters its global phase in October of this year. Learn more about the Synod at www.usccb.org/synod. The Vatican Dicastery for Communication has provided a new reflection on social media. Find that document at www.vatican.va/roman_curia/dpc/documents/20230528_dpc-verso-piena-presenza_en.html. During his General Audience on May 31, Pope Francis spoke about the need to live a life that is consistent with our faith.

The Catholic bishops of the United States are preparing to meet in Orlando, Florida for their spring plenary assembly. Agenda items include the upcoming Synod on Synodality, a new national pastoral plan for Hispanic ministry, a plan for the ongoing formation of priests, the 2025-2028 USCCB strategic plan, revisions to certain English liturgical texts, and more. Watch the plenary assembly either live or as video-on-demand at www.usccb.org. The bishops of Florida have appealed a planned execution. Catholic Current spoke with Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy of the Catholic Mobilizing Network about alternatives to the death penalty. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the USCCB, asks for prayers as Pope Francis recovers from recent abdominal surgery.

In preparing for the observation of Labor Day in the United States on September 4, Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued a statement calling for radical solidarity with working families. Read the 2023 Labor Day statement (also available in Spanish). Learn more USCCB's work on Economic Justice and Domestic Poverty. Each year on September 1, the Catholic Church commemorates the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. This day of prayer also marks the beginning of a month-long ecumenical awareness initiative known as the “Season of Creation,” which concludes on October 4 with the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. The theme chosen for this year's Season of Creation is “Let Justice and Peace Flow,” and it calls on the faithful to reflect on the relationship between justice and creation. Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, chairman of the USCCB's Committee on International Justice and Peace issued a reflection: https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/laudato-si-20-pope-announces-new-document-ahead-season-creation. Pope Francis announced this week he would publish a follow-up document to his 2015 encyclical on the environment “Laudato Si'” on the October 4 feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Read the story from Catholic News Service in Rome.

In May, Pope Francis created the Ecclesiastical Province of Las Vegas, comprised of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Las Vegas, and the suffragan dioceses of Reno and Salt Lake City. At the same time, he named Most Reverend George Leo Thomas, as the first Metropolitan Archbishop of Las Vegas. On June 19th, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Archbishop Thomas received the pallium in Rome. Watch the CNS Rome video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L27V8k6tMqk&t=3s The Vatican Observatory resumed its biennial summer school program for young scientists around the world. Read the CNS Rome story: Rising stars: Vatican hosts astronomers of tomorrow for summer school. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QnnUx_ymYk&t=28s Beginning June 22, the feast of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher, the USCCB invited Catholics to pray, reflect, and act to promote religious freedom. Visit the Religious Freedom Week website. Statement from the Chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace released a statement on religious persecution in Nicaragua in April. Read the statement. https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/us-bishops-international-justice-and-peace-chairman-ongoing-religious-persecution

On July 9, Pope Francis named twenty-one new cardinals, including two with deep ties to the United States: U.S.-born Archbishop Robert Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, and Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. The cardinals-designate will be installed during a consistory in Rome on September 30. The Vatican has released names of several hundred participants in the upcoming Synod on Synodality in October. Along with bishops and cardinals from around the world, the Holy Father personally appointed other participants, including some non-bishop voting members. Catholic Current spoke with Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle, one of delegates appointed by Pope Francis.

The fourth African National Eucharistic Congress was held in Washington, DC on July 19-23. It brought together African Catholics from across the United States for worship, fellowship, and workshops. Learn more at https://anec-us.org. The National Black Catholic Congress, which meets every five years, also gathered on July 20-23. An estimated 3,000 Black Catholics from 80 dioceses renewed their mission and worked on a pastoral plan for local implementation. https://nbccongress.org/ Bishop Robert Barron, chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, offers his thoughts on Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, which is an annual educational campaign. https://www.usccb.org/topics/natural-family-planning/national-nfp-awareness-week At the recitation of the Angelus on July 23 following a Mass in commemoration of the Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, Pope Francis was joined at the papal balcony by a young person and his grandmother. The young man will attend World Youth Day in Lisbon next week, and the Holy Father noted the significance of the proximity of these two days, seeing it as an invitation to promote an alliance between generations.

Upon the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, issued a statement in remembrance and support of nuclear arms control. Visit www.usccb.org/nuclear for more information and resources on the bishops' teachings related to nuclear disarmament. Pope Francis spoke about the observance of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30th. The USCCB's Anti-Trafficking Program aims to educate on the scourge of human trafficking as an offense against the fundamental dignity of the human person, to advocate for its end, and to provide training and technical assistance to support survivors. Learn more and get involved at https://www.usccb.org/topics/anti-trafficking-program. More than 28,600 young people and 60 bishops travelled from the United States to Lisbon, Portugal for World Youth Day. Follow the latest stories from the global celebration at https://www.usccb.org/newsroom.

Pope Francis prayed for Hawaii, Ukraine, and migrants during his Angelus address on August 13. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC6oCoQoRO4 Recovery efforts continue following the catastrophic wildfires that burned the historic town of Lahaina on the island of Maui. Pope Francis sent a papal message to Bishop Larry Silva of the Diocese of Honolulu expressing his closeness and solidarity with all those affected. Bishop Silva shared his thoughts and how to help those in need on Maui in a letter on August 11, 2023. You can also read and reflect on his homily delivered on August 13th in Kapalua, Maui, after visiting Lahaina. To help the people of Maui recover, please prayerfully consider contributing to the Hawai'i Catholic Community Foundation at https://tinyurl.com/MauiCatholic or Catholic Charities USA at https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/?form=hawaii23

We spoke with Kim Burgo, Vice President of Disaster Operations at Catholic Charities USA, about the devastation in Maui and ongoing emergency disaster relief operations. The mission of Catholic Charities is to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same. Learn more at https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/. Pope Francis traveled to Mongolia and met with the country's small Catholic community which is buoyed by the presence of missionaries from dozens of countries. Read the Catholic News Service story: https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/pope-encourages-little-mongolian-flock-faith-unity-witness The Catholic Biblical Federation has elected Mary Elizabeth Sperry as its first woman and first lay person to serve as moderator. Learn more about fruitful Scripture reading: https://www.usccb.org/bible/understanding-the-bible.

Recently the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of State announced a series of actions being taken in response to the anticipated end of the Title 42 public health order on May 11 and increased migration throughout the Western Hemisphere. Read about the response of the U.S. Migration Chair at https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/us-bishops-migration-chairman-addresses-new-regional-migration-mitigation-efforts On May 3rd, Pope Francis asked the faithful to renew their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and met with a Russian Orthodox leader. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLYsCsVFLQU&t=11s