Read & Reflect
Articles, reflections, news, and homilies — thoughtful Catholic content for the faithful, published regularly.
World News
World News
National Eucharistic Congress announces return to Indianapolis for 2029 gathering
The next National Eucharistic Congress will be held in Indianapolis in 2029, a return to the city that hosted the last gathering in 2024.2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Credit: JD Flynn / The Pillar.ShareBishop Andrew Cozzens, chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., a...
World News
Rochester bishop: Fulton Sheen is a model of Eucharist-centered evangelization
The current bishop of Rochester encouraged Catholics to remain close to the Eucharist as the source of their efforts to evangelize, following the example of Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen.Mass of Thanksgiving for the Beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Credit: Pillar Media.Subscribe now“Long...
World News
Zambian archbishop pleads not guilty in pickup truck case
A court granted bail to a Zambian archbishop Monday after he pleaded not guilty to a charge of possessing a vehicle suspected of being unlawfully obtained from the country’s tax authority.Archbishop Alick Banda of Lusaka, Zambia. Credit: Screenshot from @ADL1st YouTube channel.Archbishop Alick Banda...
World News
Syriac patriarch: Planned synodal meeting ‘unlawful’
An Eastern Catholic patriarch said Monday that a meeting called for bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church to vote on his potential removal is unlawful.In a statement released Sept. 28, Ignatius Youssef III Younan said that since he had already issued a convocation of the sui iuris Church’s synod, an...
World News
Pope Leo in France: A highlight reel
Pope Leo visited France this weekend, the first state trip to the country by a pope in nearly 20 years.In a short trip, Leo traveled to Lourdes, addressed UNESCO, and visited Notre-Dame Cathedral, among other events on the papal agenda.In case you missed it, here are some highlights from the trip:Po...
World News
Why does ‘Blessed Fulton’ matter?
Archbishop Fulton Sheen was beatified last Thursday at a celebratory Mass involving some 50,000 Catholics, who traveled from across the United States because of their devotion to the famous evangelist and catechist.So why does Fulton Sheen matter? Why are Catholics interested in what he had to say,...
World News
Pilgrimage of dignity, the news, and head-to-head combat
Hey everybody,The Roman Pontiff is so back.He’s back from France, I mean.Pope Leo just spent the weekend on a Franco-pilgrimage that’s making headlines around the world.It was a pilgrimage of human dignity.During his few days in France, Leo met with abuse victims. He told the world that life means m...
World News
Rome’s gathering Middle East crisis
A meeting is set to begin Tuesday in Lebanon. All the bishops of the synod of the Syriac Catholic Church have been invited to attend, though it is not clear how many will come — or if they will be joined by their patriarch, Ignatius Youssef III Younan.Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicas...
World News
‘We operate with principles’ - head of bishops’ AI task force chats Goals, Purpose, Themes
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced earlier this month the creation of a Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, in response to Pope Leo XIV’s repeated calls for a responsible approach to the rapidly developing field of AI.Bishop Oscar Cantu of San...
World News
St. Francis: ‘The pressing demand of a profoundly human archetype’
The Church celebrates in 2026 the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, which has been commemorated with exposition of the saint’s relics, plenary indulgences in Franciscan churches or churches dedicated to his name, and several conferences in Rome and beyond.Cardinal Jaime Spen...
World News
Pope Leo’s educational initiative
Credit: Wyoming Catholic CollegeIn ”The Magician’s Nephew,” C. S. Lewis tells the story of Uncle Andrew, a pompous, self-important magician who finds himself present at the creation of Narnia as it is sung into being by the great lion, Aslan.Initially repelled, Uncle Andrew’s perspective changes whe...
World News
German impatience rises over synodal conference delay
German bishops’ conference chairman Bishop Heiner Wilmer said Monday that he hoped the Vatican would respond to a request to approve a new national body known as the synodal conference by the end of 2026.Bishop Heiner Wilmer, chairman of the German bishops’ conference. Credit: Deutsche Bischofskonfe...