Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Cardinal Gerhard Müller, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2012 to 2017, said that “in this specific case, it must be clearly stated that no one has the right to criticize the Pope when he faithfully follows the mission he received from Christ to bear witness to the Gospel of peace.”

“Christ’s message transcends political interests, and God is our judge,” he added. “And no mortal may presume to exploit the name of God for his own interests. Even a good end does not justify bad means. We can only work and pray for peace, but not at any price; rather, for a just peace—including for the Iranian people, that they may be freed from a reign of terror.”

Following a farewell ceremony in Algiers (video), Pope Leo XIV departed this morning on a five-hour flight to Cameroon (map).

Addressing a gathering organized by Turning Point USA at the University of Georgia, Vice President Vance took issue with a papal tweet that “anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”

The vice president said, “Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated France from the Nazis? I certainly think the answer is yes.”

“I have a lot of respect for the pope. I like him. I admire him. I’ve gotten to know him a little bit,” Vance added. “It doesn’t bother me when he speaks on issues of the day—frankly, even when I disagree with how he’s applying a particular principle.”

“Differences must be resolved through dialogue and mutual respect, not through aggression or inflammatory rhetoric,” the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) said in its statement.

The CCBI summarized the statement in a press release, but did not provide the full text.

“There is a way, and I pray the Senate will endeavor to discover it, whereby legislative mechanisms are introduced to eliminate the dreadful expressions of hatred all while assuring that violation of acquired and recognized freedoms, especially of people and communities of faith, are preserved and enshrined, honored and protected,” Cardinal Leo wrote in a letter to Canadian senators.

“The number of faithful attending Mass has declined by 46% in 20 years, and the number of priests available for ministry has been decreasing,” said Archbishop Thomas Zinkula. “Demographic realities, the decline in the number of priests and religious, and the need for priests to serve more than one parish aren’t signs of failure. They are signs of change.”

According to The Official Catholic Directory (2025 edition), the archdiocese has 163 parishes, 69 diocesan priests in active ministry, and 23 religious-order priests.

The Biennale, a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place every two years, will begin on May 9 and conclude on November 22. The curators of the Holy See’s exhibit, entitled “The ear is the eye of the soul,” are Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers.

The diocese is also using the “methodology of the conversation in the Spirit” to make decisions, said Bishop John Dolan. “We were trying to not go conservative or liberal on this. We were just trying to open up the doors for a conversation.”