Pope Leo Appoints Jesuit Father Michael Castori as Bishop of Honolulu

Pope Leo appoints Jesuit priest as bishop of Honolulu: Pope Leo XIV appointed Father Michael T. Castori, SJ, as the new bishop of Honolulu on May 6. He is a member of the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits. The pontiff accepted the resignation of Bishop Clarence R. Silva, 76, who has led the diocese since 2005. According to a press release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Castori was born on Oct. 21, 1960, in Sacramento, California. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1998.

‘Would It Matter If I Told You I’m Pope Leo?’

Bank clerk shows Pope Leo no mercy and hangs up on him: When it comes to dealing with the bank on the phone, even popes have problems. Despite being elected to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics last May, the Pope was defeated by a tough clerk and a computer that said “no” when he called his bank in the United States to change his contact details, a friend has revealed.

Vatican Publishes 2024 Letter Rejecting Formal Blessings for Homosexual Couples in Germany

Vatican publishes 2024 letter rejecting formal blessings for homosexual couples in GermanyCARDIEL: The Vatican released a letter May 4 but dated November 2024 in which the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) categorically rejected a proposal from the German episcopate to introduce ritualized blessings for couples in same-sex unions and irregular situations, warning that such blessings could be interpreted as the legitimization of unions incompatible with Church doctrine...

The Pro-Life Movement Is Turning on Trump [WSJ Paywall]

The Antiabortion Movement Is Turning on Trump - WSJ: The antiabortion lobby expected to be more triumphant by now: A conservative Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Republicans control both chambers of Congress, and the self-styled “most pro-life president in history” again occupies the Oval Office.

Alive in the Spirit: A Reflection on the Sixth Sunday of Easter

Alive in the Spirit: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Sixth Sunday of Easter - St. Paul CenterHAHN: Jesus will not leave us alone. He won’t make us children of God in Baptism only to leave us “orphans,” He assures us in today’s Gospel. He asks the Father to give us His Spirit, to dwell with us and keep us united in the life He shares with the Father. We see the promised gift of His Spirit being conferred in today’s First Reading...

Pope Leo XIV to Meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday

Pope Leo XIV to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio amid rift with U.S. governmentADIBUAH: On Monday, the Holy See Press Office confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on May 7. The meeting follows a period of tension between the Holy See and U.S. President Donald Trump. In April, Trump publicly attacked the pontiff on social media, calling him...

Pope Leo XIV Remembers Journalists Killed by War and Violence

Pope Leo XIV remembers journalists killed by war and violence: Pope Leo XIV on Sunday remembered journalists and reporters killed by war and violence, warning that press freedom is often violated around the world. Speaking after the May 3 Regina Caeli in St. Peter’s Square, the pope noted that the day marked World Press Freedom Day, promoted by UNESCO. The pope’s appeal came as press freedom faces growing pressure worldwide...

Cleveland’s Echo on the Edge of Darkness and Light: “Love Will End Abortion”

Cleveland%u2019s%20Echo%20on%20the%20Edge%20of%20Darkness%20and%20Light%3A%20%u201CLove%20Will%20End%20Abortion%u201D%20-%20Crisis%20MagazineWELLS: Just steps from Preterm, Ohio’s blue-ribbon winner each year for most murdered babies, the scene outside resembles a kindly pop-up country fair. Slices of pepperoni pizza, snack bags, racks of sharp-looking maternity wear, shiny new toys, rosaries, and Miraculous Medals circulate like borrowed cups of sugar...

Former Federal Prosecutor: ‘I’d Like to Prosecute Any Nun Who Still Wears the Head Habit’

Former%20Federal%20Prosecutor%3A%20%u2018I%u2019d%20Like%20to%20Prosecute%20Any%20Nun%20Who%20Still%20Wears%20the%20Head%20Habit%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Text messages released by the Senate Judiciary Committee show two former federal prosecutors discussing desires to prosecute nuns during investigations of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Joseph Cooney and Molly Gaston, career prosecutors at the Justice Department rather than political appointees, played a role in prosecuting President Donald Trump during former President Joe Biden’s administration...

Israeli Police Arrest Man in Nun Attack Near Jerusalem’s Old City

Israeli police arrest man in nun attack near Jerusalem's Old City | AP News: Israeli police said Friday that they arrested a 36-year-old caught on video attacking a nun in the latest incident targeting Christians near Jerusalem’s Old City. Police said the unnamed man was arrested after the attack Wednesday near David’s Tomb, a holy site outside Zion’s Gate on the southern side of the Old City, “on suspicion of a racially motivated attack,” and remained in custody.

How Preoccupation with Sexual Sin Can Stunt Holiness

How preoccupation with sexual sin can stunt holiness | Catholic CultureMIRUS: In the rising tide of sexual immorality, or in judging the pitiful state of the world, devout Catholics tend to remember the famous statement by Our Lady of Fatima that “More souls go to hell for sins of the flesh than for any other reason.” Ever since that time, we have been citing this statement as an indication that more souls go to hell for sexual sins...

Pope Leo’s Peru: An EWTN News Special Report

Watch Pope Leo's Peru: An EWTN News Special ReportLIEDL: EWTN News presents Pope Leo’s Peru, a one-hour special report by Jonathan Liedl examining the missionary roots of Pope Leo XIV’s ministry. Filmed on location in northern Peru, the program highlights Pope Leo's years of pastoral services as a missionary in rural Chulucanas, a pastor in the port city of Trujillo, and bishop of the diocese of Chiclayo...

Building His House: A Reflection on the Fifth Sunday of Easter

Building His House: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Fifth Sunday of Easter - St. Paul CenterHAHN: By His death, Resurrection, and Ascension, Jesus has gone ahead to prepare a place for us in His Father’s house. His Father’s house is no longer a temple made by human hands. It is the spiritual house of the Church, built on the living stone of Christ’s body. As Peter interprets the Scriptures in today’s Epistle, Jesus is the “stone” destined to be rejected by men but made the precious cornerstone of God’s dwelling on earth

Is Jesus Your Savior or Your Friend?

Is Jesus my Savior or my Friend? | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: When the angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would bear a son and that her son was to be called Jesus, which means Savior, and that he was to be the ruler of a kingdom that would never end, one could only imagine what she was thinking at that very moment. Since the blessed Mother is the Immaculate Conception, she responded by submitting to the will of the Father...

3 Reasons to Seek Self-Knowledge

3 Reasons to Seek Self-Knowledge - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Though self-knowledge has been praised by great thinkers from ancient times to the present, we don’t give this all-too-rare quality the attention it demands. The importance of self-knowledge is probably most noticeable precisely when it is absent. And alas, often we become aware of this absence in others without noticing it in ourselves. So we lack knowledge of our own lack of knowledge, of ourselves!

Here Is the Missing Step in Parish Renewal

The Missing Step in Parish Renewal - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: Working on parish renewal is a very good thing. It comes from an attitude of “okay isn’t okay” or “we can be better” or “God wants more”. These are gifts. We got here because the Lord stirred hearts to reach more souls. So, the conferences have been attended...

Entering May With Mary

(3) Entering May With Mary - by Deacon TomTOMMCDONALD: Spring lands differently in modern times. Our electric lights, insulated homes, glass windows, and push-button heat all take some of the bite out of winter. Even our long journeys overland are conducted in warmth and light. Not so for our ancestors, particularly in the northern latitudes, who greeted the deliverance from the cold and dark of winter with celebrations second only to Christmas...

What It Would Be Like to Surf Five Distant Planets

What It Would Be Like to Surf Five Distant Planets: The waves on Earth are pretty crowded these days. Surfing has gotten so popular that shredding the gnar has almost become a contact sport in many parts of the world. It takes a lot of work to find a quiet break where you can carve up a swell with just a handful of your favorite surf homies and a pod of dolphins.

Overthinking, Who Do You Love, and Ride of the Weirdos

(3) Overthinking, who do you love, and ride of the weirdosCONDON: For a lot of families, this is peak sacramental season, full of First Communions and Confirmations — we’re packing the car and heading off this afternoon to be there for one of our godchildren’s big day tomorrow. While I am keenly aware I ought to do and say something, I’m always slightly on the horns about how best to emphasize the importance of a First Communion to a godchild.

This Sunday, Jesus Is the Way Out of the Jungle of Death

This%20Sunday%2C%20Jesus%20is%20the%20Way%20Out%20of%20the%20Jungle%20of%20Death%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Imagine Jesus has taken you with his apostles into the middle of the South American jungle. On one side, you hear a drug cartel loading their guns. On the other, you hear frantic monkeys warning of a jaguar’s approach. The sun is setting and the darkness is becoming total. “Okay. I’m leaving you right here,” Jesus says...

Is the Church Dying or Reviving? Yes...

Is%20the%20Church%20dying%20or%20reviving%3F%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportDEAVEL: What is going on in the Church in America? Is She singing a swan song, or is She rising again from the ashes like the legendary phoenix? In the spirit of legendary Yankee catcher Yogi Berra, who said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it,” allow me to answer the latter question...

Following the Trail of the Holy Father in ‘Pope Leo’s Peru’

Following%20the%20Trail%20of%20the%20Holy%20Father%20in%20%u2018Pope%20Leo%u2019s%20Peru%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: I was on a bus somewhere between Chiclayo and Trujillo, sleep-deprived and increasingly irritable, when the significance of having a missionary pope finally clicked for me. By that point, I’d been in Peru for about seven days, filming an EWTN News documentary, Pope Leo’s Peru, that will debut Friday, May 1. And although initially excited to be in the Land of the Incas...

Video Shows Shark Chasing Hydrofoil Surfer Off Coast of California

Shocking video shows shark chasing California man at sea: A Santa Barbara man lives to tell the tale after a shark stalked him miles away from the California coast. Ron Takeda and a friend were traveling between UC Santa Barbara and Carpinteria on hydrofoil boards on Saturday when a shark approached Takeda and tailed him within inches of his feet, according to a video Takeda’s friend posted to YouTube...

In Thanksgiving for the Gift of Baptism

In thanksgiving for the gift of baptismWEIGEL: Three-quarters of a century ago, on April 29, 1951, I was baptized by Father Thomas Love, SJ, in Baltimore’s Church of Saints Philip and James. Old Scratch must have thoroughly sunken his claws into my infant self; according to family tradition, I sent up such a howl when he was ousted by water and the Holy Spirit that my cousin Judy hid in a confessional.

On Shame, Sex and Sacredness: A Theology of the Body Reflection

On Shame, Sex and Sacredness: A Theology of the Body ReflectionBONACCI: Back when I was giving talks to teenagers, there was always a point in the presentation where the audience knew we were getting dangerously close to discussing s-e-x. At that point, I would say, “I know what you’re thinking. ‘Oh no, she’s going to talk about sex. Please don’t let her talk about the details. I get so embarrassed.’ And then...

Archdiocese of New York Agrees to Pay Out Nearly $1 Billion to Abuse Victims

New York Archdiocese agrees to pay out nearly $1 billion to abuse victims: The Archdiocese of New York has agreed to a nearly $1 billion settlement for victims of clergy abuse, one of the largest abuse settlements in U.S. Church history that comes after more than half a decade of litigation. The New York-based law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates said in a press release on May 1 that the archdiocese had agreed...

On Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, Pope Leo XIV Appoints 4 New Bishops to Multiple U.S. Dioceses

Pope Leo XIV appoints 4 new bishops to multiple U.S. dioceses: Pope Leo XIV has appointed multiple new bishops to lead several dioceses around the United States, the Vatican announced on May 1. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a press release that Father John Gomez was appointed bishop-designate of the Diocese of Laredo, Texas, upon the retirement of Bishop James Tamayo from the position.