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Zambia’s PMS Diocesan Directors gather for the 2026 National Council Meeting

The Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Zambia have just concluded their Annual National Council Meeting for Diocesan Directors, held from 13th to 16th March 2026 at Kasisi Retreat Centre in the Archdiocese of Lusaka.

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St. Patrick: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Discover More About St. Patrick with Journey with the Saints St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints. He was born in Roman Britain and when he was fourteen or so, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. At the time, Ireland was a land of Druids and pagans but Patrick turned to God and wrote his memoir, The Confession. In The Confession, he wrote: "The love of God and his fear grew in me more and ...

Pope Leo to receive Liberty Medal for promoting religious liberty

The US-based National Constitution Center announces it will award Pope Leo XIV with the 38th annual Liberty Medal on July 3, 2026, in an award ceremony on Independence Mall in Philadelphia.

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Ethiopian Bishops express solidarity after deadly flooding in Gamo zone

Following the deaths of dozens of people in southern Ethiopia, the country’s Catholic Bishops offer their spiritual and material support for the thousands affected by deadly flooding and landslides in the Gamo Zone.

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Franciscan Brother in Lebanon: God does not give permission to kill

Brother Tony Choukri, Guardian of the Franciscan Monastery of St. Joseph in Beirut, tells Vatican News about life under war and calls for peace, emphasising that “human beings are not an object, and death is neither a path nor a tool to change strategies, demography, or borders.”

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Synod releases Report on Mission in the Digital Environment

A final report from Study Group 3 of the Synod of Bishops underscores the need for the Church to engage the digital environment as a vital space for evangelization, dialogue, and pastoral accompaniment.

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Heavy overnight bombing reported in Tehran

The Israeli military said Monday it launched a “wide-scale” series of strikes on targets in Iran, escalating a conflict now entering its third week.

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Pope Leo calls for ceasefire in Middle East, special prayers for Lebanon

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Marking the two weeks since the U.S. and Israel launched their first attacks on Iran and since the Israeli military resumed strikes in Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV called for an immediate ceasefire.

"On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East, and of all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict: cease fire!" he said March 15. 

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Thousands gather to pray the Angelus with Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 15, 2026. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

"May paths of dialogue be reopened! Violence can never lead to the justice, stability and peace for which the people are waiting," he said after praying the Angelus with people gathered in St. Peter's Square.

"For two weeks now, the people of the Middle East have been suffering the horrific violence of war," the pope said. "Thousands of innocent people have been killed, and countless others have been forced to flee their homes. I renew my prayerful closeness to all who have lost loved ones in the attacks, which have struck schools, hospitals and residential areas."

"The situation in Lebanon is a cause for great concern," he added. "I hope that avenues for dialogue will emerge to support the country’s authorities in implementing lasting solutions to the serious crisis currently unfolding, for the common good of all the Lebanese people." 

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In this file photo, Pope Leo XIV welcomes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to a meeting in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Nov. 6, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

The next day, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Pope Leo about the "alarming developments in the conflict in the Middle East and the living conditions of the Palestinian people," according to a communique released by the Vatican press office.

"During the conversation, the Holy Father reaffirmed the Holy See's commitment to achieving peace through political and diplomatic dialogue, as well as through full respect for international law," the press office said.
 

Vatican releases mottos and logos for Pope's Apostolic Journey to Africa

The Holy See Press Office releases the logos and mottos for Pope Leo XIV's Apostolic Journey to Africa, on the same day as the official programme is released for his visits to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.

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Pope Leo speaks by phone with Palestinian President Abbas

The Holy See Press Office informs journalists that Pope Leo XIV received a call from Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, regarding recent developments in the Middle East conflict.

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