Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Bishop Antoni Dziemianko of Pinsk described the “forced departure” of Fathers Paweł Kruczek and Adam Straczyński as “very painful.”

Belarus, an Eastern European nation of 9.5 million (map), is 82% Christian (63% Orthodox, 17% Catholic). An autocratic president, Alexander Lukashenko, has led the nation since 1994.

The exorcists, according to a statement issued by the association, discussed “the painful and increasingly widespread situation of people seriously disturbed by the extraordinary action of the devil as a result of frequenting occult sects,” as well as “the great suffering that the extraordinary action of the devil entails for those who suffer it and the Church’s commitment to eliminate or at least to alleviate, in the name of Christ, this suffering, through the sacramental of exorcism.”

They also spoke about the importance of educating seminarians, “in the light of the Gospel and the ecclesiastical Magisterium, on the real existence and nature of the demonic world and on the way in which the Church faces extraordinary diabolical action”; “the need for one or more exorcist priests to be present in every diocese in the world”; and “the modalities of collaboration between exorcists and doctors/ psychiatrists/ psychologists.”

The exorcists added that they “learned with joy that the Holy Father in the past knew and esteemed Father Gabriele Amorth,” the association’s founder.

“There is also concern about Holy Week,” Bishop Aldo Berardi, O.SS.T., the vicar apostolic of Northern Arabia, told Agenzia Fides, the news agency of the Pontifical Mission Societies. “We have not yet received any instructions [from civil authorities] as to whether celebrations can be held or whether access will have to be restricted.”

“His Holiness encourages the participants to consider how mathematicians can be hopeful signs to the wider world,” Cardinal Parolin wrote in his March 13 message. “In this regard, an especially fruitful area of research is the use of algorithms, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence.”

“Such a task requires not just intellectual effort and ingenuity but an integral growth of the whole person, in order to encompass the moral dimension of these emerging technologies,” Cardinal Parolin added, as he recalled the Pontiff’s “own time as a teacher of mathematics and physics.”

Father Roberto Pasolini, the Preacher of the Papal Household, devoted his second weekly Lenten sermon to “Fraternity: The grace and responsibility of fraternal communion” (full text).

“Jesus taught us that in discerning how to help our neighbor, we must imitate the example of the Good Samaritan, who selflessly gave of his time and resources to someone whom he had never previously met,” Pope Leo wrote in his message, dated February 27 and released by the Vatican on March 13.

“In this regard, your contributions to supporting programs that promote social justice, strengthen Catholic education, defend human dignity and care for the most vulnerable are truly a manifestation of divine charity,” the Pope added. “It is my hope that your work will likewise inspire others to a renewed encounter with Christ through service to the least of his brothers and sisters, and to an ever more conscious participation in the Church’s mission.”

Pope Leo XIV, in a March 13 audience, expressed his “gratitude to the Fondazione Cattolica and the Società Cattolica di Assicurazione (Catholic Insurance Society) for their constant commitment to fostering an active Catholic presence in Italian society.”

The Pope said that the Catholic Insurance Society was founded in 1896 with “broad popular participation” and “subsequently developed alongside the country, helping communities to overcome the traumas of the two world wars.”

“Twenty years ago, in a very different context but building on those same foundations, the Fondazione Cattolica was established, recognizing the fundamental role of the third sector in supporting communities, individuals and families living in conditions of greater vulnerability and social marginalization,” the Pope added.

“The fact that the Sacrament can be received repeatedly is not always matched by a willingness on the part of the baptized to make use of it: it is as though the infinite treasure of the Church’s mercy remained ‘unused,’ due to a widespread distraction among Christians who, not infrequently, remain in a state of sin for a long time, rather than approaching the confessional with simplicity of faith and heart to receive the gift of the Risen Lord,” the Pope said on March 13 to participants in an annual course on the internal forum offered by the Apostolic Penitentiary.

Pope Leo also spoke of the sacrament as a “workshop of unity,” explaining:

It restores unity with God through the forgiveness of sins and the infusion of sanctifying grace. This fosters the inner unity of the individual and unity with the Church; consequently, it also promotes peace and unity within the human family. One might well ask: do those Christians who bear grave responsibility in armed conflicts have the humility and courage to make a serious examination of conscience and to go to confession?

“This dynamism of unity with God, with the Church and within ourselves is a prerequisite for peace among people and nations: only a reconciled person is capable of living in an unarmed and disarming way,” the Pope added. “Those who lay down the weapons of pride and allow themselves to be continually renewed by God’s forgiveness become agents of reconciliation in everyday life. In him or her are fulfilled the words attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: ‘Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.’”

Archbishop Paolo Borgia, the apostolic nuncio to Lebanon, brought food to Christian villages in southern Lebanon that have been affected by the current war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The Vatican newspaper warned that the Iran war has disrupted the education of 52 million children.