On 8 April, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Bishop Giam-battista Diquattro, the Pope’s Nuncio to Brazil, and Arch-bishop Jaime Spengler of Porto Alegre (RS) and President of the National Con-ference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), were received by the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, at the Palácio do Planalto in Brasília (DF).
Cardinal Pietro Parolin was in Brazil to lead the retreat for the Brazilian episcopate on April 10 and 11, within the context of the 61st General Assembly of the National Con-ference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), taking place at the Pedro Vítor Coelho de Almeida Events Centre, in the National Shrine, in Aparecida (SP), until April 19. After meeting with the Head of State of the country, Cardinal Parolin visited the headquarters of the CNBB in Brasília, where he toured the workspaces and was received by the conference’s collaborators. Subsequently, Cardinal Parolin presided over the opening of the Plenary Assembly of the Brazilian Episcopate.

Pope Francis releases his message for the 61st World Day of Prayer for Vocations, celebrated on April 21, and urges Christians to welcome our shared vocation to sow the seeds of hope and peace in our world. The Pope’s message focuses on the theme: “Called to sow seeds of hope and to build peace.”
The Holy Father noted that all Christians are called to welcome our God-given vocation to serve Him in the world, whether it be through the consecrated life, the priesthood, marriage, or even as a single person.
Gratitude, he said, should characterize World Vocations Day celebrations, as we recall the countless Christians who serve God in all walks of life. He especially invited young people to make room for God, so that they might find happiness in His call, which always respects our freedom. “Let Jesus draw you to Himself,” said the Pope. “Bring Him your important questions by reading the Gospels; let Him challenge you by His presence, which always provokes in us a healthy crisis.”
Pope Francis went on to invite Christians to be “pilgrims of hope” as the Church journeys toward the 2025 Jubilee. “In this sense,” he added, “the World Day of Prayer for Vocations has a synodal character: amid the variety of our charisms, we are called to listen to one another and to journey together in order to acknowledge them and to discern where the Spirit is leading us for the benefit of all.”
The Pope also urged everyone to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, so that the Lord may “send out labourers into His harvest.” As the Church prepares for the Jubilee with a Year of Prayer, Christians should engage daily in a prayer that listens for the voice of God and helps us become “pilgrims of hope and builders of peace.”
Turning to the heart of his message, Pope Francis recalled that Christian pilgrimage means keeping our eyes, minds, and hearts fixed on our goal–which is Christ–and set out every day anew. “Our pilgrimage on this earth is far from a pointless journey or aimless wandering,” he said. “On the contrary, each day, by responding to God’s call, we try to take every step needed to advance towards a new world where people can live in peace, justice, and love.”
In conclusion, the Pope invited Christians to “rise up” and awaken from our indifference by embracing our vocation and letting Christ guide our steps. “Let us be passionate about life,” he said, “and commit ourselves to caring lovingly for those around us, in every place where we live.”

With a chirograph, Pope Francis has approved the new Statutes and Regulations for the Chapter of the Liberian Basilica and entrusted Lithuanian-born Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas with all the faculties to apply the new norms until a new Administrative Council is established. Following the commissioning process assigned to Archbishop Makrickas, who was appointed as the Extraordinary Commissioner in December 2021, Pope Francis completed the restructuring of the Basilica he has visited over a hundred times and where he hopes to be buried someday. In his chirograph, Pope Francis recalled having entrusted Archbishop Makrickas, assisted by a special Commission, with the task of reordering the Chapter and the Basilica, “for the greater good of the people of God.”
For centuries, the Chapter has safeguarded the treasures of St. Mary Major–such as the icon of the Salus Populi Romani (to which the Pope entrusts every Apostolic Journey abroad) and the relic of the Holy Crib–overseen the decorum of liturgical celebrations, and welcomed the faithful making pilgrimages to the basilica.
“Today, at the end of the commissioning process,” wrote the Pope, “I deem it appropriate to relieve the Canons from any economic and administrative responsibilities, so they can fully and with renewed vigour dedicate themselves to the spiritual and pastoral accompaniment that pilgrims from all over the world seek and hope to find, crossing the threshold of the first Marian Shrine of the West.”

Bishop Earl Fernandes, bishop of the US Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, said that 16 men entered the seminary last year, adding that the diocese has recorded an in-crease in the number of Catholics.
The diocese expects almost a dozen more young men to enter the seminary this year as well, he noted, attributing the rise in numbers to prayer and renewed pastoral outreach efforts.
“We chose young priests to meet once a month with young men in the area, and they discern their vocation to the diocesan priesthood or religious life, as well as read Fr. Brett Brannan’s book “To Save a Thousand Souls: A Guide for Discerning a Voca-tion to Diocesan Priesthood,” said Bishop Fernandes.
As part of the vocations drive, the Diocese of Columbus has also organized retreats called “Quo vadis?” for high school students. “The young people spend three days in prayer, listening to testi-monies, talking to priests who understand what priestly forma-tion is but also enjoy fraternity to see that it involves more than just prayer, study, and work. This has also been very fruitful,” said Bishop Fernandes.
He also highlighted the importance of prayer on the part of lay faithful, as well as women and men religious, in the diocese. “We constantly urge people to pray and fast in the intentions of vocations,” he said.

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.