Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square this morning (booklet, video) and emphasized in his homily that Jesus is the King of Peace.

Pope Leo XIV presided at the celebration of Midday Prayer in Monaco’s Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate today (video) and preached on St. John’s teaching that “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).

“In each episode, a host, typically Sister Miriam, 44, interviews a guest, usually another sister, about her life, covering subjects like her education—several of the women have Ph.D.s—or her conversion journey,” the Times reported. “While the topics themselves might sound weighty, the conversations are often quite wide-ranging, like a dialogue between two, well, sisters.”

Following a two-hour helicopter flight from Vatican City, during which papal telegrams were sent to the Italian and French presidents, Pope Leo XIV arrived this morning in Monaco, where he was welcomed by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene at the Monaco Heliport (video).

Pope Leo XIV celebrated an outdoor Mass this afternoon in Monaco’s Stade Louis II (video) and preached that “in the world’s prolonged Lent, when evil rages and idolatry makes hearts indifferent, the Lord prepares his Easter.”

A proponent of changes to Catholic teaching on sexual morality, Bishop Wilmer was once rumored to be under serious consideration for appointment as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. He was elected chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference last month.

The appointment of the Münster bishop is governed by the Prussian Concordat (1929). The Pillar explained:

Under the concordat, members of the cathedral chapter compile a list of candidates that is submitted to the Vatican via the nuncio. After the Vatican sends back a list of three names, the cathedral chapter’s 16 voting members choose the next Bishop of Münster.

Pope Leo encouraged Monaco’s young people to look to St. Devota and St. Carlo Acutis as examples of faith and charity.

“Initial assessments indicate that portions of the church were desecrated in the incident,” the Diocese of Alexandria said in a statement. “Local authorities have confirmed that suspects have been identified and arrested in connection with the crime.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has documented over 400 acts of vandalism, arson, and other destruction at parishes and other Catholic sites in the United States since 2020. A tracker at CatholicVote.org lists additional attacks.