Saint Joseph Catholic Church

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During his Palm Sunday homily, Pope Leo XIV preached, “Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood’ (Is 1:15).”

Asked by a reporter about the Pope’s words, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded:

I think our nation was a nation founded 250 years ago, almost, on Judeo-Christian values, and we’ve seen presidents, we’ve seen the leaders of the Department of War and we’ve seen our troops go to prayer during the most turbulent times in our nation’s history, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with our military leaders or with the president calling on the American people to pray for our service members in those who are serving our country overseas.

In fact, I think it’s a noble thing to do, and if you talk to many service members, they’ll tell you they appreciate the prayers and support from the Commander in Chief and from his Cabinet.

In an 8-1 decision, the United States Supreme Court struck down the State of Colorado’s ban on attempts by licensed counselors to change the perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of minors.

“The First Amendment is no word game,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in his majority opinion. “And the rights it protects cannot be renamed away or their protections nullified.”

The attorney for the Christian counselor who challenged the law said, “Kids deserve real help affirming that their bodies are not a mistake and that they are wonderfully made. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today is a significant win for free speech, common sense, and families desperate to help their children.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, joined by the Colorado Catholic Conference and the Catholic University of America, filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the counselor who challenged the ban.

Addressing a UN meeting on refugees in Europe, a Vatican diplomat praised the European Union for extending until March 2027 its temporary protection of Ukrainian refugees.

“Becoming a refugee is never a choice,” said Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland. “The right to life must be prioritized, and the principle of non-refoulement must be upheld. No person in need of protection should die at sea or at land borders due to withheld, delayed, or conditional assistance.”

Archbishop Balestrero added:

The Holy See supports efforts to develop more predictable, route-based responses, including strengthened search-and-rescue coordination. However, such an approach must also address the root causes of forced displacement, so that no one is compelled to leave his or her home due to a well founded fear of persecution.

Speaking with journalists as he concluded his weekly visit to Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo said, “I’m told that President Trump recently stated that he would like to end the war.”

“Hopefully he’s looking for an ‘off-ramp,’” the Pope continued. “Hopefully he’s looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing, which would be a significant contribution to removing the hatred that’s being created and that’s increasing constantly in the Middle East and elsewhere.”

The Pontiff urged world leaders to “come back to the table, to dialogue. Let’s look for solutions to problems, let’s look for ways to reduce the amount of violence that we’re promoting, that peace—especially at Easter—might reign in our hearts.”

Speaking with the French news channel CNews, Cardinal Robert Sarah said, “I understand that the Pope is concerned about this liturgical unity. It is not a place for battle. We have made it a place of battle, of combat. That is how we destroy the liturgy.”

Cardinal Sarah, who served as the prefect of the Congregation (now Dicastery) for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2014 until 2021, added that “the Church is nothing without God.”

“God must truly be placed at the center of our existence, at the center of our life, at the centre of our concerns,” he said. “If we detach the Church from this mission … the Church is useless.”

The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life announced the cancellation of the Second World Children’s Day, originally scheduled to take place in Rome from September 25 to 27.

“All initiatives aimed at the pastoral care of children may be celebrated, at the discretion of the Ordinaries, at a diocesan or parish level and with the involvement of families, the proper place for the human and spiritual growth of every child,” the dicastery said in its announcement.

Last November, Pope Leo announced the dates of the Second World Children’s Day. (The first was held in 2024.) In February, the Pope abolished the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day.

Commenting on Pope Leo’s message for the upcoming World Day of Prayer for Vocations, a Vatican official emphasized the importance of fostering the interior life in vocation ministry.

Archbishop Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli, the secretary of the Dicastery for the Clergy, told the Vatican newspaper that “pausing in prayer, spending time with the Lord Jesus, listening to and meditating on His Word, allowing ourselves to be captivated by His beauty, and fostering these dimensions within our initiatives—this is what those involved in youth, family, and, consequently, vocational ministry must absolutely keep firmly in mind.”

Archbishop Redaelli added:

Young people, in fact, thirst for truth, for authenticity, and for meaning in their lives; and they can find this only if they encounter the God of Jesus Christ. Here, then, I would ask myself to what extent this is present ...

We must place great emphasis on this: our primary work must focus on the interior life—within that “inner room” where God sees us in secret, speaks to us, and from where our deepest and most authentic choices emerge.

The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV will carry the cross during the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome on Good Friday evening.

Father Francesco Patton, O.F.M., is writing the meditations for the 14 stations; he served as the custos (Franciscan provincial) of the Holy Land from 2016 to 2025.