Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Pope Leo XIV received members, trustees, and stewards of the Papal Foundation this morning and thanked them for assisting the Pope’s ministry by funding humanitarian aid, scholarships, and development projects around the world.

A brutal Islamist insurgency began in Cabo Delgado province in 2017. ACI Africa reported that “at least 117 churches and chapels had been destroyed in the Diocese of Pemba, including 23 in 2025 alone.”

“Although much work remains to be done before a settlement can be finalized and consummated, I am cautiously optimistic about the path we are on,” Archbishop Ronald Hicks said in a May 1 statement.

“This is not an isolated incident, but part of a troubling pattern of growing hostility toward the Christian community and its symbols,” the Faculty of Humanities at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a statement.

“The plan to replace these windows with contemporary creations by French artist Claire Tabouret—unveiled to the public at the Grand Palais late last year—has drawn unusually broad opposition over the past two years, from heritage experts to Catholic figures,” the National Catholic Register reported. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich supports the contemporary design.