U.S. Catholic bishops have consecrated the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, marking the country's 250th anniversary. The ceremony took place Thursday in Orlando with bishops and worshippers kneeling before relics of St. Mary Margaret Alacoque. Her visions inspired the devotion. The service celebrated the nation's history and acknowledged its failures, including slavery and racism. Earlier in the day, the bishops approved minor revisions to policies on responding to sexual abuse, maintaining a ban on priests found to have abused children. Some bishops wanted a delay for broader feedback, but they were outvoted.
Pope Leo XIV has celebrated the Sagrada Familia Basilica as a masterpiece of “stones, colors and light.” He is marking the centenary of the death of its architect, Antoni Gaudí, with a Mass. Leo called Gaudí’s unfinished temple, one of the world’s most visited monuments, a “sign of unity and harmony for all of Spain.” The service marked the highlight of Leo’s weeklong visit to Spain. It's the first by a pope in 15 years to the once staunchly Catholic European country that, like many others, has experienced secularizing trends. The trip, though, has shown the country still has plenty of faithful Catholics who have turned out in droves to welcome the American pope.
The Pentagon’s recent revision to its list of Christian religions has reignited a long-standing debate about whether The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Christian denomination. Latter-day Saints identify as Christian. But some core beliefs, particularly involving the Trinity, differ from Catholic and mainline Protestant denominations. Utah U.S. Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis, both Republicans and Latter-day Saints, challenged the Pentagon’s exclusion of their faith from its list of Christian religions. The Pentagon removed the Christian label from 20 traditions, including Catholic and Lutheran, and stated the new rubric is not meant to question any faith’s legitimacy.
US Catholic bishops are consecrating the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Here's what that means
Catholic bishops from across the U.S. come together Thursday to consecrate the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This event marks the 250th anniversary of the United States and is part of the bishops’ spring assembly in Orlando, Florida. The mainstream, centuries-old Catholic devotion focuses on Jesus’ sacrificial love for humanity. In some instances, the consecration has political overtones. Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, says the consecration aims to promote service to God, country and the needy. This is the first time U.S. Catholic leaders have held such a service, though other countries have done so since 1874.
The Vatican says that Pope Leo XIV has met with six survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Madrid and vowed to consider their suggestions for how the Catholic Church can improve its response to the crisis. The meeting on Monday, which followed in the tradition of popes meeting with abuse survivors during their foreign trips, lasted about an hour and took place at the Vatican Embassy in Madrid, the Vatican said in a statement. Spain’s Catholic hierarchy has only recently begun reckoning with its legacy of abuse and cover-up after long dismissing the severity of the scandal that came to light thanks to reporting by the newpaper El País.
Pope Leo XIV is urging Spaniards to stop “fanning the flames of polarization” as he arrived in Spain. Leo opened his weeklong trip in Madrid and was greeted at the airport by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Leo visited Spain dozens of times before as a priest. But this visit is the first by a pope in 15 years. It signals Leo is returning papal attention to Europe’s Christian roots after Pope Francis largely stayed away from the traditional centers of Christianity in favor of smaller Catholic communities farther away. It’s a moment of political turmoil for the Socialist-led government and a credibility crisis for the Catholic Church.
Vatican City’s been a popular spot for Illinois dignitaries since Chicago native Robert Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, ascended to the papacy last year. Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs visited the Vatican this week and delivered the pontiff a certificate to reclaim $8.65 of his own money, a sum the successor of St. Peter had held in a now-closed PayPal account. Frerichs was invited to accompany a delegation organized by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and he and his wife Erica decided to make it a personal trip. They paid for the trip personally, Frerichs said, using no campaign or state funds. Frerichs first became treasurer in 2015, and his office has since returned more than $2.5 billion to more than 2.5 million people.
Spain is addressing sexual abuse within the Catholic Church with a new reparations program. Victims like Paula Alonso-Pimentel, who was abused by a priest over 50 years ago, can now seek compensation. The program, launched this year, offers a one-year window for claims, with Spain's government deciding on awards the church will pay. This initiative follows years of controversy and reporting by the newspaper El País on widespread abuse. Some victims are hopeful, while others question the program's effectiveness and transparency. Critics worry about the short time frame and lack of a clear reparations scale.
The Catholic archbishop of Washington has removed a well-known priest who said UFO sightings were the work of demons. The archdiocese says the priest is an exorcist and they will be cutting ties with the Washington-based nonprofit he heads, the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal. The archbishop says the priest's public statements linking UFOs to a demonic presence and the center’s recent use of social media "gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism.”
Pope Leo XIV has issued a manifesto calling for robust regulation of artificial intelligence. His first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” has sparked widespread online reactions. Many young people appreciate his stance, seeing few leaders addressing AI's rapid rise. Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, often engages with contemporary culture. He recently participated in a viral meme and wore Nike sneakers under his vestments. His approach reflects the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Leo's engagement comes at a crucial time for the Catholic Church, as it reckons with past abuses.