On 15 March 2024, Fr. Mark Lewis S.J., Rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University, received a decree from Fr. Arturo Sosa S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus and Vice Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Gregorian University. The decree states that the new General Statutes of the University, which permanently incorporate the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Pontifical Oriental Institute, will come into effect on 19 May 2024, which is Pentecost Sunday.
The three institutions share a common bond as they were all entrusted to the Society of Jesus by the Pope. The Gregorian, established in 1551 by St. Ignatius of Loyola, served as the academic hub known as the ‘Roman College’ for centuries. The Pontifical Biblical Institute, founded in 1909, serves as a centre for advanced studies of sacred Scripture. The Pontifical Oriental Institute, established in 1917, is focused on higher studies in the ecclesiastical sciences and the canon law of the Eastern Churches.
The Statutes were created following the Chirograph signed by Pope Francis on December 17, 2019. In this letter the Holy Father ordered that the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Pontifical Oriental Institute be joined to the Gregorian University, while still retaining their own names and missions. This was done in such a way that they are now part of “the same juridical person, as academic units of the University”. The request aims to improve the ability of the two Pontifical Institutes to carry out their specific missions in the present context.

As the 21st anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq approaches, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, patriarch of the Chaldean Church, has called for a re-evaluation of the country’s entire political process, which is currently based on secta-rianism and quota-sharing.
Advocating for the establishment of a new consensus formula, Cardinal Sako argued that adopting a formula based on full citizenship would guarantee a better future for Iraqis, preserving the mosaic of its communities and their rights, which he described as “the beauty of Iraq.”
Referencing Ramadan, Sako expressed regret that “this holy month arrives while the destructive war continues in the holy lands, with conflicts here and there, and violations of human rights, freedom, and dignity.”
Sako underscored that peace is not merely an idea but a vital life project that must be cultivated and embodied in our daily lives.
Sako called for the establishment of a democratic civil state in Iraq, founded on equal rights and duties for all citizens, capable of embracing everyone.
The patriarch is known for frequently voicing his concerns about the “spread of corruption and hypocrisy, and the lack of serious attention to building a sovereign state, a state of law, justice, equality, and citizenship, and ensuring a safe and dignified life for citizens.”
As a Chaldean Christian figure in Iraq and globally, Sako has consistently advocated for the rejection of division and hatred, respect for Iraqi human rights, and the promotion of values of coexistence.

“Do not distort fraternity.” This is the response of the French bishops to President Emmanuel Macron, who mentioned “a revolution of fraternity” regarding the bill dedicated to end-of-life issues.
On the first day of their plenary assembly in Lourdes on Monday, March 18, around 100 bishops of France adopted a strong opposition to the bill, which plans to legalize active assistance in dying under certain strict conditions. This opposition was expressed in a statement published on Tuesday, March 19, as the bill has just been submitted to the Council of State for review.In a statement, the bishops reaffirm their “commitment to the French approach of refusing induced death and giving priority to palliative care,” following the recommendations of the National Consultative Ethics Committee.
The Bishops’ Conference also calls on French Catholics to engage with people with disabilities, the elderly, or those at the end of life. “The request for assisted suicide or euthanasia is often an expression of a feeling of loneliness and abandonment to which we cannot, and must not, resign ourselves,” explain the bishops.
The French bishops hope to influence the parliamentary discussions that will open in committee next month. Some 81% of French people support the bill, according to a survey conducted by the Ifop-Fiducial institute for Sud Radio following the announcement made by the French president.

Pope Francis urges Bishops from the border regions of Colombia and Costa Rica, along with the Bishops of Panama, to “eradicate the indifference” toward migrants and refugees passing through the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia.
The bishops from the three countries have met in Panama for an encounter entitled “Easter with our migrant brothers and sisters,” focusing especially on the Church’s pastoral outreach to the hundreds of thousands of migrants who attempt to cross the treacherous “Darien Gap” that connects Central and South America. In 2023, more than 500,000 migrants are estimated to have crossed the jungle corridor between Colombia and Panama. More are expected to make the dangerous journey in 2024.
In his message to the Bishops, Pope Francis highlighted the efforts of the Church in Latin America and the Caribbean, which he said has always sought to be a Church without borders, “the Mother of all.” “Every refugee and migrant who leaves his or her homeland challenges us as Christians,” the Pope said. He lamented the “indifference that bloodies the Darien,” which exists alongside the “hospitable fraternity” in our cities.
“I encourage you to work tirelessly to eradicate this indifference,” Pope Francis said, “so that when a migrant brother or sister arrives, they will find in the Church a place where they will not feel judged, but welcomed; where hunger and thirst can be quenched, and hope revived.”
Concluding his message, Pope Francis insisted, “We form a Church ready to welcome, protect, promote, and integrate all, without distinction and without leaving anyone out, recognizing the right of each one to offer their contribution, through work and personal commitment, for the good of all and the protection of our common home.”

In a Pastoral Letter, “With Deep Surprise: On the Freedom of Sunday Worship,” the Catholic Bishops of the Episcopal Confe-rence of Angola and Sao Tome (CEAST) condemned the practice of holding political party activi-ties and events on days of worship where the faithful, especially civil servants, were obliged to attend. Many locals attend the party acti-vities out of fear of victimisation or reprisals from authorities and local party functionaries.
Presenting the Pastoral Letter at a press conference, on behalf of CEAST, Archbishop Luzizila Kiala of Malanje Archdiocese reiterated that Sunday is a special day of the week dedicated for worship.
Quoting from the Pastoral Letter, the Archbishop denounced the prohibition of “sacred mini-sters – priests and catechists from carrying out any worship and compulsorily forcing them to take part in party political activities.” This, the Archbishop said, goes against the country’s “constitu-tion, human rights, hurts common sense and is out of date.”

For the first time in Norway’s history, the Norwegian Bible Society has announced the publication of a Catholic edition of the Bible, marking a significant milestone for the country’s Catholic community. Published on 15th March 2024, this edition is distinguished not only by its inclusivity; the project saw linguists and Scripture experts collaborating with poets and other literary authors, including Nobel laureate Jon Fosse.
“The inclusion of the Deuterocanonical books represents a move toward a more inclusive, ecumenical approach to Scripture in Norway:” says the Catholic editor Heidi Haugros Oyma, who was deeply involved in the project.
The new publication corrects a long-standing omission influenced by historical pressures, presenting a genuinely ecumenical Bible that reflects the entire Christian canon. Expressing linguistic inclusivity, ecumenical collaboration, and cultural enrichment, the new Catholic Bible edition promises to be a source of pride and a beacon of unity for Norway’s Christian community.

Vatican Radio–Vatican News now speaks the language of Mo-ngolia. Mongolian joins the 51 languages already present, both written and spoken, thanks to a collaboration with the local Chur-ch. All Sunday Angelus and Wed-nesday catechesis will be translat-ed and published on the Vatican portal’s new dedicated language page.
“We are happy about this new possibility to read the words of the Holy Father in Mongolian,” emphasizes Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar. “It is one of the fruits of his recent visit to the land of the eternal blue sky, which touched the hearts of Mongolian Catholics, but also of many people of other religious beliefs, positi-vely impressed by the great hu-man and spiritual testimony of Pope Francis.
“His words have stuck with us,” the cardinal reiterated, “ma-ny people have commented, ‘high-lighting the values of our tradi-tion.’ Now the ordinary magi-sterium of the Successor of Peter is available in the Mongolian language. A new tool for evange-lization, which we hope will un-leash its full potential through to-day’s communication channels.”
“It seems like a small thing,” said Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, “but to us, it seems and is as great as Mongolia itself. Speaking all languages, as many languages as possible, is our mission, our service. Doing it not alone, but with those living in the territories where our words reach, teaches us the importance of facing challenges together, walking together, doing ‘great things’ in the daily effort of seemingly small things. Step by step.”
“In the Church,” Dr. Ruffini emphasized, “there is no great and no small. Speaking Mongolian will also help the entire Church rediscover the importance of what seems small in the world’s eyes and of planting little seeds. We will receive more than we give. As Pope Francis often repeats, God’s revelation occurs in littleness: ‘The Spirit chooses the small, always; because it ‘cannot enter the big, the proud, the self-sufficient.’”

In a letter dated March 21, Pope Francis addressed a group of migrants gathered in Lajas Blancas, Panama. The Pope spoke of wanting to accompany them personally, and expressed his understanding for their situation.
“I too am a child of migrants,” he said, “who set out in search of a better future.” He thanked the bishops and pastoral workers who take his place in serving them. The Pope said they represent “the face of a mother Church who walks with her sons and daughters, in whom she discovers the face of Christ and, like Veronica, lovingly offers relief and hope on the Way of the Cross of migration.”
The Holy Father added that migrants “represent the suffering body of Christ when they are forced to leave their country, to face the risks and tribulations of a difficult journey, when they find no other way out.”
He appealed to the migrants to never forget their human dignity, and not to “be afraid to look others in the eye,” as they are “not disposable.” He reassured them that they “are also part of the human family and the family of God’s children.”