World News

This Pillar Post is available entirely for free to all readers through a sponsorship from Source and Summit.Listen to Ed read this Pillar Post here: The Pillar TL;DRHappy Friday friends,I got to do a fun thing yesterday.Our pastor had the idea to bring back the tradition of walking the entirety of o...

Welcome to Starting Seven, The Pillar’s daily newsletter.I’m Luke Coppen and I seek to guide you each weekday morning to the most interesting Catholic news and commentary. Read more

It is the end of the school year at most colleges and universities. Having spent many, many years as a student and as a professor, I know that this is an exciting time on campus. But not everywhere.We already know the doors of at least eight schools are closing permanently, while six others are merg...

The proportion of Russians identifying as Orthodox has fallen from 78% to 65% in the past 15 years, according to a new survey.The Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, Russia. Credit: Юрий Д.К./wikimedia CC BY 4.0.The survey, conducted by Russia’s Public Opinion Foundation on behalf of St. Tikho...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets Indian External Affairs Minister J. Jaishankar. Credit: US State Dept.If you listen, the accounts of religious persecution against Catholics in India are difficult to ignore.Many of those working with and for Catholics in the country have to speak carefully, and...

When Pope Leo travels to Spain in June, he’ll find himself in the middle of a complex situation involving the Spanish bishops and the country’s socialist government.The Valley of the Fallen. Credit: Godot13 / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0Subscribe nowWhile the focuses of tension are varied, perhaps the la...

Written by JD Flynn and published May 12, 2026.ShareAre you a paying subscriber?Visit pillarcatholic.com/listen on your phoneCheck the top right corner of the webpage to ensure you are logged into your Substack account.Tap ‘set up podcast’ next to The Pillar TL;DRHaving issues? Email our producer Ka...

Welcome to Starting Seven, The Pillar’s daily newsletter.I’m Luke Coppen and I aim to guide you each weekday morning to the most interesting Catholic news and commentary. Read more

One year ago, Joe Kuebler decided he wanted to start taking dating seriously.A 25-year-old software engineer, Joe struggled to find a long-term relationship, so he took his desire to prayer. Later that month, he met a woman named Cameron at a parish retreat.Now, a year later, the two are engaged.Joe...

The Vatican welcomed Monday the election of a new head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, one of the 14 universally recognized self-governing Eastern Orthodox Churches.Shio III of Georgia. Credit: President.ge/wikipedia CC BY 4.0.Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Uni...

The Vatican press office has clarified that an award given to the Iranian ambassador to the Holy See is not an exclusive honor, but a customary award routinely given to ambassadors after two years of service.The clarification came after several Iranian outlets reported May 12 that Pope Leo XIV had g...

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith reiterated Wednesday that if the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X carries out plans to illicitly consecrate bishops in July, those involved will commit an act of schism and be subject to the canonical penalty of excommunication.Cardinal Víctor Manuel F...