Amid the rubble and suffering of a population exhausted by war, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch begin meeting with clergy, religious communities, local Christian families, and people affected by the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Starting on June 22, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, began a pastoral visit to Gaza aimed at healing the wounds of thousands of men, women, and children worn down by the atrocities of war.

The two were accompanied by Dr. Josef Blotz, Grand Hospitaller of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and representatives of Malteser International, the Order’s humanitarian organization, which operates in many regions around the world.

In a statement, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said the visit “expresses the pastoral responsibility of the Churches of Jerusalem toward the local churches and toward the whole population of Gaza, where families continue to endure grave humanitarian suffering, fear, loss, and uncertainty.”

It also emphasized the indispensable value of prayer in a context devastated by suffering—one that seems to drain all hope.

“The presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III and His Beatitude Cardinal Pizzaballa carries the prayer of Jerusalem to Gaza’s wounded faithful and to all who suffer, in a ministry of consolation, mercy and steadfast Christian witness rooted in the Gospel and in the sacred vocation of the Holy City.”

According to the official program, the Cardinal and the Patriarch are meeting with clergy, religious communities, local Christian families, and those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Through prayer and pastoral presence, they seek to offer spiritual strength, comfort, and renewed hope.

Their mission also aims to reaffirm the Churches’ commitment to healthcare, relief efforts, and the protection of human dignity.

The situation remains difficult, the Cardinal said, but the presence of Church leaders demonstrates the attention and concern the Churches continue to devote to Gaza, which remains a priority. Cardinal Pizzaballa had previously visited the people of Gaza on December 19, 2025. Two days later, on December 21, he celebrated Christmas Mass in advance at the Holy Family parish, attended by many faithful who were deeply touched by the celebration. During their time there, the two patriarchs appealed to world leaders to bring an end to the war and to begin a path of healing and reconciliation for the whole of the Holy Land.

While current trends show that 1 in 4 young women today will remain childless, Iona Instituteʼs Breda OʼBrien said the huge question is “whether this will be by choice or circumstance.” One in 4 members of Ireland’s Gen Z demographic are expected to be childless by age 45, according to a new report from Dublin’s Iona Institute, which promotes marriage, freedom of conscience, and religion in society. Gen Z generally refers to people born between 1997 and 2012. Drawing on cohort-level data from the Human Fertility Database (HFD), as well as using demographic modelling, the institute’s “Choice of Circumstance? Rising Childlessness in Ireland” report, released in May, charts a huge increase in the number of Irish women who are childless. Among those born in the late 1950s, only 30.9% were childless by age 30, rising to 63.6% for those born in the early 1990s. This trend suggests 25% of women born in the late 1990s will be childless when they reach age 45. Breda OʼBrien of the Iona Institute told EWTN News that “a huge question is whether this will be by choice or circumstance.” Much will be unplanned and forced by circumstance, such as the cost of living,” she said.

“It’s worrying and weʼre sliding into it without too much discussion. Before the 1930s, we had similar rates of childlessness in Ireland, but that was because of extreme poverty, late marriage, and low marriage rates. Weʼre supposed to be in an era where women have every possible choice.”  “The choice to have children, which is fundamental, is being taken away from young women. Itʼs being painted as a kind of freedom. I don’t think young women themselves consider it to be a type of freedom, and I think a lot of them are worried about it.” According to Central Statistics office data, the average man’s age at marriage is now nearing 38 and the average women’s age is almost 36. O’Brien that there needs to be debate about why this is happening as a society. “It is a phenomenon we should discuss far more widely if our aim is to help people achieve their eventual life goals. I think among people of faith, they are still prioritizing children and family, and marriage. The Catholic Church needs to support those young families in every way possible.”

The Institute for Family Studies and Communioʼs study suggests the most influential ministry is at the family dinner table, bedtime prayers, and the everyday witness of a home centred on Christ. Parental practice is the strongest predictor of whether children remain Christian as adults, a study found. The study, “Passing the Torch: How Faith Moves Across Generations”, released in June examined data from four national studies involving tens of thousands of Americans raised in Christian households. Researchers sought to identify which behaviors most strongly influence whether children retain their faith into adulthood. The study found that the family home is the single-most critical factor in determining whether faith is successfully passed on from one generation to the next.

According to the report, children whose parents regularly attended church, prayed consistently in front of them, spoke openly about their faith, and fostered strong family relationships were significantly more likely to remain active Christians as adults. The results showed that adults whose parents attended church weekly were more than twice as likely to attend church regularly themselves decades later (26% versus 12%). The effect was even stronger when both parents participated in religious life together. The study also highlighted the importance of simple spiritual practices within family life. Saying grace before meals, evening or morning prayers together, and having frequent conversations about faith all corresponded with higher levels of religious belief and practice in adulthood. Children raised in homes where religion was discussed several times a week were substantially more likely to identify as Christian, pray daily, and consider faith an important part of their lives as they went through adulthood.

For Catholics, the findings reflect what the Church has always taught regarding the role of Parents as the primary educators of their children in the faith. The Church has often referred to the family as the ‘domestic Church’ emphasizing that parents are called not only to teach religious truths but also to model a life of discipleship through daily prayer, sacramental participation, and Christian witness.

The quality of family relationships had a tremendous impact on children as well. Adults who reported having strong and loving relationships with both parents were more likely to remain religious than those who experienced distant or conflict-ridden family environments. About 41%of children who attend church weekly with both parents go on to attend church weekly as an adult. This percentage drops to 29% if children attend with only one parent. In particular, researchers noted the significant role fathers play in shaping the spiritual lives of their children.

Bishop Osório Citora Afonso has been found dead in his residence after a gunshot incident during the early hours of June 6. He was 54. The National Criminal Investigation Service in Mozambique’s Zambézia Province has confirmed that the fourth bishop of the Quelimane Diocese succumbed to gunshot wounds at his official residence. According to spokesperson Maximino Amílcar, an undetermined number of assailants gained entrance to the bishop’s residence and opened fire, striking Afonso in the chest. “The Service has already initiated investigative procedures to clarify the case and identify the perpetrators,” President of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique Archbishop Inácio Saúre reported that Afonso “was found dead under unusual circumstances that are still to be clarified. “At this very troubled moment, I appeal for serenity in faith and fraternal solidarity, in the hope that we will be able, in due course, to provide accurate and detailed information regarding this sad event”.

As a priest he served in various capacities, including parish vicar and bursar of St. Hilaire Parish in Kinshasa Archdiocese, formator and bursar of the Theological Seminary of Kinshasa, and collaborator at the apostolic nunciature in the Democratic Republic of Congo, among other priestly services. In 2017 Afonso was appointed as an official at the Dicastery for Evangelization in the section for the first evangelization and new particular churches. In September 2023 he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Maputo and was consecrated a bishop by Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle on January 28, 2024. He was appointed the bishop of the Quelimane Diocese in July 2025.

The pontiff warned against subordinating human dignity to shifting majorities and called for stronger protections for life, migrants, families, peace and religious freedom

Pope Leo XIV made history Monday by becoming the first pope to address Spain’s Congress of Deputies, delivering a forceful appeal to the country’s political class to defend human dignity and protect life “from conception to its natural end.” Given before about 700 guests amid tight security, drew a standing ovation that lasted nearly seven minutes, with shouts of “Long live the pope!” echoing through the chamber.

In his speech, Pope Leo warned lawmakers not to subordinate human dignity to “shifting social consensus or the whims of the majority at any given moment,” insisting that “every truly just society is built upon the recognition of the inviolable dignity of the human person…In this sense, if life ceases to be recognized as a fundamental value, what future can our societies have?” the pope asked. “Can a community that casts into the shadows the unborn child, the elderly, the sick, those who suffer in silence, or those who depend entirely on the care of others be called fully just?”

The defence of human life is neither a partisan issue nor a confessional interest: it is a goal of civilization,” The pope’s remarks came as Spain’s socialist-led government has been advancing efforts to enshrine abortion protections in the country’s Constitution. Such a reform would require broad parliamentary consensus, including support from the center-right People’s Party.

“Every human life must be recognized and safeguarded from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its existence,” Pope Leo said. “When this certainty is obscured, the most vulnerable are the first victims, and the law loses its deepest meaning: to serve and protect every person. For this reason,” he added, “the moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are most fragile.”

“The family will always be the first school of humanity, where one learns, before anywhere else, the basic grammar of living together: welcoming life, caring for others, forgiving, serving and belonging,” The pope also defended the family as “the primary human reality and the natural foundation of the community,” saying that “where the family is upheld, the spiritual and social stability of nations is also strengthened.

Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical ‘Magnifica humanitas’ offers AI developers a valuable anthropological contribution as they design systems with which human beings interact at a deeply personal level, according to Taylor Black, Microsoft’s Director of AI and Venture Ecosystems.

Massive advances in consumer-facing artificial intelligence systems in recent years have led the Church to engage more deeply with companies building the technologies of the future.

That movement has led to criticism of the Church’s engagement with tech companies to help direct the development of AI, as well as to criticism within the tech world of those who dialogue with the Church.

But by pushing religion and theology to an “optional realm,” developers risk missing out on more deeply understanding how their customers think, according to Taylor Black.

Mr. Black serves as the Director of AI and Venture Ecosystems in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft and as the inaugural Director of the Leonum Institute for AI and Emerging Technologies at the Catholic University of America.

These dual roles—along with his deaconal studies for the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix—offer Mr. Black the opportunity to reflect philosophically on the future of AI while helping direct Microsoft’s capital investments in AI start-ups. Speaking to Vatican News in his personal capacity, Mr. Black pointed out that technology has no anthropology or specific view on the human person. Rather, generative or agentic AI products are probabilistic, guessing the next word in a sequence, every action based on data on which it has been trained and the user’s prompt.

The result is that users are co-creating their experiences, and products must be based on a good understanding of the user’s way of thinking. In response to this new tech development paradigm, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education released “Antiqua et nova: Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence”. Then, Pope Leo XIV exercised his papal magisterium with the publication of his first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.  Both documents seek to apply the Catholic Church’s deep experience and understanding of the human person to the emerging technology of AI. Mr. Black said Pope Leo’s encyclical recognizes that AI can shape its users’ development if they forego critical thinking and accept whatever the AI chatbot proposes without verification. This risk is especially relevant for children, whose prefrontal lobe continues developing into their mid-20s, said Mr. Black.

He gave the example of a parent who leaves their child with a morally dubious adult, who may be very knowledgeable but may also give information the parent would not want their child to have, even if not in a malicious way. In an attempt to be helpful, AI can also change our voice or our face, sometimes pushing our real self to the side in favour of an ideal version.

“It’s forming us in a way that we can assent to if we feel like it,” said Mr. Black. “But again, if we’re children, then we can’t really fully assent to that shaping without our own creative input to it, of our voice, of our way of being in the world, as well as adults can.”

Addressing U.S. Catholic college presidents and rectors, Pope Leo XIV said Catholic education must cultivate not only a love of learning but also a deep passion for Christ, “the Truth,” warning that without this, students will be less prepared to recognize truth and shape their lives accordingly.

“Unless Catholic education instills in students a true passion for the truth — and not only intellectual truth, but the Truth that is Christ Himself (cf. Jn 14:6) — we can hardly expect people to be willing to put forth the effort required to recognize truth and adapt one’s life accordingly.”

Pope Leo XIV made this point on Wednesday morning in the Vatican when addressing a delegation of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities from the United States, in Rome for their 2026 Rome seminar.

The Holy Father underscored that “Catholic institutions are called to be a living environment in which the Christian vision permeates every discipline and every interaction.” 

Encouraging the university presidents and rectors, he said, “Your authenticity as true disciples of Christ will certainly assist you in transmitting the living Gospel in such a way that those entrusted to you can truly encounter the Lord and discover in the Catholic faith the unifying vision that Truth alone can provide.”

The Pope expressed his wish that their hearts “be all the more captivated by the beauty of truth and the grandeur of humanity, created by God and redeemed by Christ.”

The Pope offered the educators words concerning the decisive importance of Catholic education in today’s world in light of the Encyclical Letter Magnifica  humanitas on safeguarding the human person in the age of artificial intelligence’ published on May 25. First, he observed that the world of education is currently facing is the increasing fragmentation of knowledge. 

While it is easy to find people who are experts in a particular field of study, many of these individuals “struggle to find direction in their lives” and “often lack a global vision of reality that is capable of uniting not only the various fields of knowledge, but also the multiple aspects of life and the inner longings of the human heart.” He said that Catholic education has a particularly significant role to play in this regard.   The Holy Father recognized that young men and women study at colleges and universities to earn a specific degree, oftentimes motivated by future job perspectives, and therefore encouraged educators to embrace their “noble task of guiding that desire for knowledge so that they may also learn to seek and love the truth, to reflect on the meaning of life and to recognize the dignity of every person.” 

Currently President and COO of EWTN News, Maria Montserrat Alvarado will succeed Paolo Ruffini in November, continuing the path of reform and renewal initiated by Pope Francis.

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Maria Montserrat Alvarado, currently President and Chief Operating Officer of EWTN News, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, effective from 1 November 2026. Born in Mexico City, Alvarado earned academic degrees from Florida International University and George Washington University. From 2009 to 2023, she held leadership positions at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, serving in initiatives dedicated to the defense of religious freedom and the promotion of human dignity.

Since 2023, she has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of EWTN News, the news division of the Eternal Word Television Network, overseeing international media platforms producing content in seven languages across television, radio, print, digital, and social media.

With the appointment of Alvarado, Pope Leo XIV continues the path of reform and renewal of the Roman Curia initiated by Pope Francis, which has seen lay faithful, men and women, entrusted with positions of leadership and responsibility in the service of the universal Church. Alvarado is the first non-religious woman to be appointed prefect of a dicastery of the Holy See.

Established by Pope Francis on 27 June 2015 as part of the reform of the Roman Curia, the Dicastery for Communication oversees the Holy See’s communications systems, including Vatican News, Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano, Vatican Media (photo, audio & video services), the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican publishing house, the Vatican Printing press, and the Filmoteca Vaticana. In addition to the operational and technological functions assigned to it, the Dicastery also deepens and develops the properly theological and pastoral aspects of the Church’s activity in the field of communication. Alvarado will succeed Paolo Ruffini, whom Pope Francis appointed in 2018 as the first lay prefect of a dicastery of the Roman Curia, who will be 70 next October.

In a statement released following the announcement, Alvarado said: “While this appointment was unexpected, I receive it with a sincere desire to serve the Holy Father as he begins his pontificate. And I am grateful to Paolo Ruffini for his leadership throughout the last years and look forward to continuing, in friendship and hope, the important work of strengthening the dicastery so it may continue to serve the Church in Rome and everywhere to communicate Christ to the world.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will gather for the 2026 Spring Plenary Assembly in Orlando, Florida, June 10-12. In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. bishops will consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Thursday, June 11. The public portion of the assembly will begin with an address by Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, who will deliver his first remarks as president of the Conference. Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, the Papal Nuncio to the United States, is also expected to deliver an address to the body of bishops.

The plenary agenda is expected to include votes on a number of action items: Two items pertain to a consultation on causes of beatification and canonization: Monsignor Joseph Francis Buh and John Rick Miller.  The Committee on Divine Worship will also present elements of a new edition of the Lectionary for Mass and the 2025 Roman Missal-Liturgy of the Hours Supplement for approval by the body of bishops.  A revision to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which was first discussed by bishops in regional meetings in November 2022. Also expected to be addressed at the plenary are updates on the following: Synod implementation and evaluation; The feedback received during the bishops’ fraternal dialogues at the November 2025 plenary about Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship; Catholic prison ministry; World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, South Korea; The 25th anniversary of the implementation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae in the United States. The presentation is expected to provide a reflection on Pope John Paul II’s apostolic constitution to guide Catholic colleges and universities on theological and pastoral principles.

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. bishops will consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Thursday, June 11. To prepare for this occasion, the bishops will have time to hear reflections on the Sacred Heart from several of their brother bishops before the special Mass of consecration. The bishops’ live stream event is intended to be a catalyst to encourage parishes and individuals to participate in the America 250 commemoration by contributing to 250 Hours of Adoration and/or 250 Works of Mercy.

The live stream of the public portions of the plenary on June 10 and 11, and the bishops’ Mass consecrating the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be available at www.usccb.org/meetings. 

Christ is present in the liturgy — in the word that is proclaimed, in the sacraments, in the ministers, in the community and most of all in the Eucharist,. “Let us allow ourselves to be shaped from within by the rites, symbols, and gestures and above all by the living presence of Christ in the liturgy. Pope Leo XIV said. Before the pope began his catechesis, he welcomed Armenian Apostolic Catholicos Aram I of Cilicia, who sat next to him during the audience.  In his main talk, Pope Leo continued his series of catechesis on the Second Vatican Council, but introduced the conciliar document Sacrosanctum Concilium.

In drafting this constitution, he said the “Council Fathers sought not only to undertake a reform of the rites, but to lead the Church to contemplate and deepen that living bond which constitutes and unites her: the mystery of Christ…Indeed, the liturgy touches the very heart of this mystery: it is at once the space, the time and the context in which the Church receives her very life from Christ”. “The Christian mystery: the Paschal event, that is to say, the passion, death, resurrection and glorification of Christ, which is made sacramentally present to us precisely in the liturgy, so that every time we take part in the assembly gathered ‘in his name’ we are immersed in this mystery,” The liturgy that is celebrated must be translated into and lived throughout one’s daily life, “in an ethical and spiritual dynamic,” he said. It demands “a faithful existence, capable of making concrete what has been experienced in the celebration: it is in this way that our life becomes a “living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,” fulfilling our “spiritual worship.”