St. Joseph Church

Texas capitol building, Austen. / Gang Liu/Shutterstock

Austin, Texas, Apr 19, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Texas House of Representatives this week approved a sweeping school choice bill, one hailed by the state’s Catholic bishops and which could significantly reshape how families access private and religious education in the state.

Senate Bill 2 passed 86–63 after intense debate. The bill would create a $1 billion Education Savings Account (ESA) program, giving eligible families up to $10,000 per student to spend on tuition, transportation, therapy, and other education-related expenses. It previously passed the state senate in February. 

The measure now heads to a conference committee where lawmakers will reconcile differences between the house and senate versions.

Texas Catholic leaders welcomed the bill’s passage this week. 

“Thank you to all who worked so hard for passage of this legislation that will give parents a true choice for the education of their children,” Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth said on X.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops likewise praised the vote, calling it the result of sustained collaboration. 

“We have worked alongside you & so many others for this day,” the bishops wrote, naming state house Speaker Dustin Burrows, state Gov. Greg Abbott, and other legislative champions of parental choice.

Abbott, who has made school choice a central plank of his legislative agenda, praised the bill’s passage. “I look forward to this school choice legislation reaching my desk, when I will swiftly sign it into law,” he posted on Instagram.

The vote was also celebrated by longtime school choice advocates. The Texas Public Policy Foundation, which has supported ESA legislation for years, called the bill’s passage a generational victory.

Growing share of Catholic students take part in school choice

This week the National Catholic Educational Association reported that nearly one in five Catholic school students across the U.S. now participate in a school choice program—up nearly five percentage points from last year. 

In states with robust choice legislation, Catholic schools are seeing enrollment stabilize and even grow after decades of decline.

Texas’s 230 Catholic schools serve around 75,000 students, many from working-class and immigrant families. With tuition averaging more than $7,000 per year, schools have long relied on parish subsidies and scholarship funds to make education accessible, meaning the proposed ESA could make Catholic education a sustainable option for many families. 

While Catholic leaders and school choice advocates cheered the vote, others in the legislature criticized the measure. Every state house Democrat opposed the bill, arguing that it would siphon funds away from public schools already facing budget shortfalls.

State Rep. James Talarico proposed putting the issue to a statewide vote. His amendment failed.

“Private school vouchers will take money out of our public schools and give it to wealthy parents who are already sending their kids to private school,” he claimed after the vote.

Amendments to expand the bill’s eligibility and support lower-income families were also rejected, drawing further criticism from Democrats and public school advocates.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Thursday that he would recommend the state senate concur with the house version without changes. 

“I’ve fought for school choice for my entire legislative career. Now, in consultation with Senator Brandon Creighton, I am recommending the Senate concur with Senate Bill 2—the largest school choice launch in American history,” Patrick wrote on X.

The bill also expands vocational training pathways. State Rep. Gary Gates told CNA the ESA framework aligns with House Bill 20, which he authored to allow high school students to attend Texas State Technical College full time.

“We have an incredible shortage of highly skilled labor in this country,” Gates said. “Here, a high school student could come out of school with no debt.”

If enacted, the ESA program could launch as early as the coming academic year.

Vice President J.D. Vance shares a moment of laughter with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, during their meeting at the Vatican on Holy Saturday, April 19, 2025. / Screenshot / Vatican Media

CNA Newsroom, Apr 19, 2025 / 07:35 am (CNA).

Vice President J.D. Vance of the United States was received at the Vatican Secretariat of State by Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Holy Saturday morning, where the two discussed international relations, religious freedom, and humanitarian concerns.

The April 19 meeting included Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, according to a statement from the Holy See Press Office.

“During the cordial talks, satisfaction was expressed for the good existing bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America, and the common commitment to protect the right to freedom of religion and conscience was reiterated,” the Vatican statement noted.

The discussions centered on the pressing problems of the global stage, “especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners.”

Both parties expressed hope for continued positive collaboration between the U.S. government and the Catholic Church in America, with the Vatican acknowledging the Church’s “valuable service to the most vulnerable people.”

During his time in Rome, Vance and his family participated in the Solemn Liturgy for the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday evening at St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Holy Saturday meeting took place at a time when the Vatican and President Donald Trump’s administration have traded back-and-forths over plans to deport large numbers of immigrants who entered the country illegally.

The administration has received praise from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for its efforts to curtail gender ideology and government mandates that jeopardize religious freedom. However, the bishops have also sued the administration over its decision to cut funding for nongovernmental organizations that provide services to migrants, which has affected numerous Catholic organizations.

Hannah Brockhaus contributed to this report.

The custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Patton, anoints the statue of Jesus on the Stone of Anointing during the ceremony known as the “funeral procession” on Good Friday night 2024. According to the tradition and the Status Quo, on the evening of Good Friday — both Catholic and Orthodox — the rite of preparing Jesus’ body for burial is reenacted on this stone during the so-called “funeral procession.” / Credit: Marinella Bandini

ACI MENA, Apr 19, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

This year’s Easter celebrations in the Holy Land are expected to unfold under a complex and emotional landscape marked by sorrow and hope as war continues in Gaza and security tensions escalate across the West Bank and Jerusalem. 

For Christians in Gaza, full participation in Easter rituals is impossible due to the blockade and closed crossings. Meanwhile, many West Bank Christians face significant hurdles in obtaining Israeli permits to enter Jerusalem amid increasingly tight security restrictions.

Despite these challenges, churches in Jerusalem and across Palestine insist on observing Holy Week traditions — even if on a smaller scale and under exceptional circumstances. For the Christian community here, Easter is not merely a religious tradition but an act of faith and resistance — a cry for life in the face of death and destruction.

In this spirit, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has announced the schedule for this year’s Holy Week celebrations, presided over by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The celebrations began on April 13 with Palm Sunday and will culminate on April 20 with a solemn entry into the Holy Sepulcher followed by Easter Mass and the traditional procession inside the church.

A season without pilgrims

Despite the difficult circumstances, churches in the Holy Land remain committed to marking Holy Week — even in its most modest expressions.

For many local Christians, Easter is not just about rituals and festivities but a profound declaration of faith, belonging, and hope — a message that confronts daily sorrow and uncertainty.

The burden of emigration

What weighs even heavier on this year’s celebrations is the continued absence of pilgrims and tourists for a second consecutive year. 

This absence has dealt a painful blow not only spiritually but also economically to hundreds of Christian families who rely on religious tourism as their main source of livelihood. 

In cities like Bethlehem and Jerusalem, markets are nearly stagnant, olive wood carving workshops are struggling with unsold inventory, and hotels, restaurants, and shops are witnessing an unprecedented slowdown, leaving many without work and facing serious financial hardship.

This dire reality has led more Christian families to consider emigration in search of stability and survival, raising real concerns about the future of the Christian presence in the very land where the Gospel was first proclaimed.

Hope amid crisis

Still, the tone of hope has not been absent from Church leaders’ messages. 

Pizzaballa issued a heartfelt appeal to pilgrims not to hesitate in coming to the Holy Land. “Your presence is a presence of peace... and we need peace,” he said in his message.

Father Francesco Patton, custos of the Holy Land, echoed this call, describing visits to the sacred sites as “an act of faith and a tangible expression of support for local Christians,” who, despite everything, remain deeply rooted in their land.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Joseph Lovskiy (left), the only Catholic in his Russion Orthodox family, with his wife (right) and their youngest son, a Russian Orthodox priest, and his family. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Joseph Lovskiy

Rome Newsroom, Apr 19, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Two families of mixed Catholic and Orthodox Christian members are looking forward to celebrating Easter together on the same date in 2025 as they also hope to one day see greater unity among all Christians.

Joseph Lovskiy, who is the only Catholic in his Russian Orthodox family, summed it up with one word: “joy.” 

From the city of Yekaterinburg in Russia, Lovskiy’s wife, three children, and six grandchildren are all Russian Orthodox. His youngest son is a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church.  

“Since Easter falls on the same date this year, the only feeling one can have is joy,” he told CNA in a written interview translated from Russian. 

Like Lovskiy, Father Richard Sofatzis, a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia, also grew up in a mixed Catholic and Orthodox environment, since his father is Greek Orthodox and his mother, who died in 2017, was Catholic.

“Unity between ... as John Paul II said, the two lungs of Christianity, East and West, has been something that’s been very dear to me. I’ve prayed for it many times,” Sofatzis told CNA by phone. “I guess I think it’s something we can work towards, aspire to, but it does seem at times very difficult to obtain."

This year marks the 1,700th anniversary of an important Church council, the Council of Nicaea, which was held from May to August 325. Among other important decisions, the council established a unified way to calculate the date of Easter each year. Pope Gregory XIII enacted further reforms in 1582, which gave the Catholic Church the Gregorian calendar it follows today. 

But because the Catholic and Orthodox had split in 1024, the Orthodox countries did not accept the changes to the calendar made by Pope Gregory. And so, the two churches often celebrate major feasts such as Christmas and Easter on different days — because they are calculated using different calendars. There are exceptions, however, when occasionally the calendars align, as will happen for Easter in 2025.

Sofatzis said the Council of Nicaea and other Church councils that followed are admirable for the way they overcame fierce and difficult debates to give a clear, unified expression of the faith and its teachings — an example for all Christians seeking unity. 

“It’s good that we’re celebrating the occasion,” he said. “The fact that Easter is the same this year is, I think, really important. I’m really hoping more than anything else, even if [Catholics and Orthodox] can’t achieve full unity, we could work towards that common date for Easter — something I’ve been looking forward to for many years.”

But the Catholic priest added that the full unity of the “two lungs” must be worked out by the hierarchies, and that is quite difficult due to political and cultural pressures. Meanwhile, however, his family and others live out ecumenism in their relationships every day.

Sharing Easter, sharing traditions

Lovskiy, who was raised by a Catholic mother and Russian Orthodox father, said he agreed with his wife before their marriage to raise their children in the Orthodox Church. Despite being the only Catholic in his family, he said he has never felt lonely: “We support one another.” 

After attending Easter Vigil Mass and liturgy in their respective churches, on Easter Sunday this year, the family will gather to enjoy a homemade meal of traditional Russian Orthodox dishes, including pies, dyed eggs, and “pashka,” a cheesy custard dessert with fruit, honey, and almonds, served with slices of a sweet Easter bread called “kulichi.” 

They will also feast on various meat dishes, including roasted and smoked meat and homemade Belarusian sausage.

Lovskiy said it is customary to have the food served at Easter blessed, but in the Orthodox Church, only eggs and “kulichi” are blessed — meat cannot be brought into the church — while in the Catholic Church, meat, sausage, salt, and bread are all brought for the Easter blessing.

Sofatzis’ family, including most of his seven siblings, three in-laws, and five nephews, will also have a big family lunch on Easter Sunday — but Greek Orthodox style.

The priest, who is an assistant at St. Patrick’s in Sutherland, a suburb of Sydney, will meet his extended Greek family at his aunt and uncle’s house after celebrating Easter Mass on Sunday morning.

“They’ll put on a big Easter spread with lamb; that’s the classic meat to eat … We all gather together, have a really large meal, and spend the afternoon catching up and talking and spending good quality time together,” he said. 

Another important food item for the Greek Orthodox is Easter cookies called “koulouria” (also known as “koulourakia”), which are butter-based pastries flavored with orange zest and vanilla and often topped with sesame seeds. 

Sofatzis said he taught himself how to make the braided or spiral-shaped cookies so he could keep the tradition alive. “You roll them out and spend a whole day in Holy Week making all the cookies, and then you give them to your friends and family,” he explained. 

When he was young, Sofatzis said there was one Greek tradition he looked forward to with particular joy every year: dying hardboiled eggs red, which are then used in an Easter Sunday egg tapping competition. 

“As a child, I would actually do the dying,” he said. “I would learn from my grandmother, and I would watch how she dyes the eggs, and how she patterned them with leaves and other things, puts the decorations on them.” 

“We say, ‘Jesus Christ is risen.’ And then you tap the heads of the eggs together, the tops of them, and you see who cracks the other. And then you go round until there’s the champion who has the strongest egg,” Sofatzis described, adding that he will compete against his cousins again this year. 

‘Double celebrations’

While for feast days Lovskiy attends Mass at his church, and his wife attends Divine Liturgy at hers, the rest of the celebrations are always shared, he noted. 

“In our families, both my parents’ and my own, there have never been any distinctions — whether a holiday is Catholic or Orthodox, we celebrate all holidays without any restrictions,” he said. 

Sofatzis’ family would also have “double traditions and double celebrations,” he said, noting that as children, he and his siblings “always enjoyed celebrating Easter twice” — doing all the usual things, like chocolate eggs, for Catholic Easter, and a few weeks later, the Greek traditions for Greek Easter. 

The priest’s Catholic mother, who was born in England, and Greek Orthodox father, who was born on the Greek island of Limnos, agreed before their marriage to baptize and raise their children in the Catholic faith but to send them to a Greek Orthodox primary and secondary school. 

“So it was a very mixed environment. … We grew up with an immersion, you could say, into the Orthodox tradition. We would go to the Divine Liturgy every month with school, sometimes on Thursdays, or sometimes on the weekend, the big feast days,” he said, adding that they took Greek dance lessons and participated in a lot of Greek cultural traditions.

But as a high schooler, doing his own study into papal authority, different understandings of certain scriptural passages, and the historical disputes, Sofatzis knew he wanted to remain Catholic. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 2023. He also has an older brother who is a priest.

While being part of different churches could have been a source of contention, Sofatzis said for his parents, and for him and his dad, there’s always been mutual understanding and support.

Sofatzis said his Greek father has “always been very supportive of me in my vocation. I’ve always known that whatever I wanted to do in life, dad would always support me.”

Thousands of faithful bearing candles surround the illuminated Colosseum in Rome during the traditional Via Crucis ceremony on Good Friday, April 18, 2025, where Cardinal Reina presided over the solemn procession. / Credit: Zofia Czubak / EWTN News

CNA Newsroom, Apr 18, 2025 / 18:05 pm (CNA).

Against the ancient backdrop of Rome’s Colosseum, thousands gathered Friday evening for the solemn Via Crucis procession, where Cardinal Baldassare Reina carried the cross on behalf of Pope Francis, who remains in recovery from pneumonia but whose spiritual presence was palpably felt through his powerful meditations.

The 88-year-old pontiff, unable to attend the Good Friday ceremony in person for the third consecutive year due to ongoing recovery from bilateral pneumonia, prepared deeply reflective texts that accompanied the 14 stations. Though absent physically, his words provided a particular presence as participants proceeded through the traditional commemoration of Christ’s passion.

In his meditations, Pope Francis contrasted “God’s economy, which does not kill, discard, or crush” with today’s world built on “calculation and algorithms, cold logic and implacable interests.” This divine economy, he noted, “is lowly, faithful to the earth” and follows “the way of the Beatitudes” that “does not crush but cultivates, repairs, and protects.”

The liturgical ceremony began at 9:15 p.m. local time with Reina, the pope’s vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, carrying the cross for the first station. Various groups representing different aspects of the Church and society took turns bearing the wooden cross through subsequent stations, including youth, Caritas volunteers, families, people with disabilities, migrants, health care workers, religious, educators, and jubilee volunteers.

Pope Francis described the Way of the Cross as “the prayer of people on the move” that “disrupts our usual routine” to lead from “weariness to joy.” His meditations stressed how Christ’s path through suffering represents “a change of course and a change of pace — a conversion that restores joy and brings us home.”

“The road to Calvary passes through the streets we tread each day,” the pope wrote in his introduction.

“Usually, Lord, we are walking in the other direction, and so it may just happen that we encounter you, catch sight of your face, meet your gaze.”

Several meditations focused on human fragility and God’s response to it. At the seventh station, where Jesus falls for the second time, the pope reflected: “Fall and get up again; fall and get up again. That is how you taught us, Jesus, to approach the adventure of human life.” He added that humans “are not mass-produced but handcrafted: We are unique treasures, a blend of grace and responsibility.”

When addressing Jesus being stripped of his garments in the 10th station, Francis noted: “You are the Bridegroom who lets himself be taken and touched, who turns everything to good... You know each of us singly, so as to save us together: all of us, each and every one.”

The ceremony concluded with St. Francis’ prayer: “Most high and glorious God, cast your light into the darkness of my heart. Grant me right faith, firm hope, perfect charity, and profound humility.”

Sts. Peter and Paul, the patron saints of Rome, guard the entrance to Ponte Sant’Angelo, welcoming pilgrims as they begin their journey toward St. Peter’s Basilica. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Rome Newsroom, Apr 18, 2025 / 15:10 pm (CNA).

Each year, thousands of faithful pilgrims purposefully pass over the Tiber River via Rome’s Ponte Sant’Angelo, where marble messengers lining the bridge recall Christ’s passion through the sacred symbols they solemnly hold.

In 1535, Pope Clement VII ordered the placement of statues of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patrons of Rome, at the bridge’s entrance. However, it wasn’t until 1669 that Pope Clement IX commissioned a new balustrade designed by the renowned Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Ten angels, each bearing an element of the Passion, were placed atop this structure, sculpted by Bernini’s students under his meticulous direction.

Today, on Good Friday, the Catholic Church commemorates the crucifixion of the Lord. The bridge has undergone extensive restoration in recent months, and this jubilee Holy Week unveils its newly refreshed marble.

The iconic bridge, connecting the “Ponte” district with the Borgo and the castle that once served as a papal residence, a fortress in times of war, and a prison for criminals was reopened to pedestrians in January to mark the beginning of the Jubilee of Hope and the inauguration of the new Piazza Pia, which now links Via della Conciliazione directly to Vatican City.

The angels of Ponte Sant’Angelo were designed to serve as a spiritual guide for pilgrims on their journey toward St. Peter’s Basilica.

Looking up while walking along the bridge, visitors first encounter an angel holding a column in its arms, a reminder of Christ’s scourging. At its base, the inscription reads: “Tronus meus in columna” (“My throne is upon a column”), a work attributed to Antonio Raggi.

Directly opposite stands an angel carrying whips with the inscription: “In flagella paratus sum” (“I am ready for the scourging”), sculpted by Lazzaro Morelli.

Further along, an angel holds the Veil of Veronica, the cloth used to wipe Christ’s sweat and blood, on which his face was imprinted. The base of this sculpture, created by Cosimo Fancelli, bears the inscription: “Respice faciem Christi tui” (“Look upon the face of your Christ”).

Notably, its pedestal bears a dent from a cannonball impact during the defense of the Vatican in 1870.

On the opposite side, an angel holds the crown of thorns placed on Christ’s head, sculpted by Paolo Naldini and completed by Bernini himself. The original sculpture is now housed in the Roman church of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte. The inscription reads: “In aerumna mea dum configitur spina” (“In my affliction, while the thorn is driven in”).

Next, an angel presents Christ’s tunic along with the dice used by the soldiers to cast lots for his garments. The inscription on this sculpture reads: “Super vestimentum meum miserunt sortem” (“They cast lots for my tunic”), a work by Paolo Naldini.

Another angel carries a cross, a piece sculpted by Ercole Ferrata, inscribed with “Cuius principatus super humerum eius” (“And the dominion is upon his shoulder”), referring to Christ as the prophesied messiah and king.

Following this, a second Bernini-designed angel holds a plaque with the inscription “INRI.” The sign above the cross explains the reason for his execution: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”

The inscription at the sculpture’s base reads: “Regnavit a ligno Deus” (“God has reigned from the tree”), referring to Christ’s cross. The original piece was also moved to Sant’Andrea delle Fratte.

Another angel holds a set of nails, symbolizing those used to pierce Christ’s hands and feet. The accompanying inscription, “Aspicient ad me quem confixerunt” (“They will look upon the one they have pierced”), frames this sculpture by Girolamo Lucenti.

Opposite stands an angel carrying a sponge, recalling the one used by the soldiers to give vinegar to Jesus. Its inscription reads “Potaverunt me aceto” (“They gave me vinegar to drink”), a piece by Antonio Giorgetti.

Finally, there is the angel sculpted by Domenico Guidi, holding a lance — the weapon used by St. Longinus to pierce Christ’s side, from which blood and water flowed. At its base, the inscription reads: “Vulnerasti cor meum” (“You have wounded my heart”).

Father Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, gives the homily during a two-hour Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica on Good Friday, April 18, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, Apr 18, 2025 / 13:29 pm (CNA).

Rather than an “artificial” intelligence, Christ’s death teaches us the authentic “intelligence of the cross,” which is the freedom to choose self-giving love in relationship with God and others, the papal preacher said at the Vatican on Good Friday.

Preaching during a two-hour Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica, Father Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, underlined how, “in a time like ours, so rich in new intelligences — artificial, computational, predictive — the mystery of Christ’s passion and death proposes to us another kind of intelligence: the intelligence of the cross, which does not calculate, but loves; which does not optimize, but gives itself.”

The intelligence of the cross, he continued, is not artificial “but deeply relational, because it is entirely open to God and to others. In a world where it seems to be algorithms that suggest to us what to desire, what to think, and even who to be, the cross restores to us the freedom of authentic choice, based not on efficiency but on self-giving love.”

According to custom, the preacher of the papal household writes and delivers the homily at the Vatican’s Good Friday liturgy. This year, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches, celebrated the liturgy in Pope Francis’ place as the 88-year-old pontiff continues his slow recovery from double pneumonia and other respiratory infections.

Pasolini, in his homily, emphasized the importance of self-gift over self-reliance and on surrender of one’s life and suffering to God.

“The expression ‘full surrender,’ with which the Letter to the Hebrews describes Christ’s conduct, could also be translated as the ability to accept with confidence what happens, to take well even what initially appears hostile or incomprehensible,” he said. “In his passion, in fact, Christ did not simply suffer events but welcomed them with such freedom that he transformed them into a path of salvation. A path that remains open to anyone who is willing to trust the Father to the fullest, allowing himself to be guided by his will even in the darkest passages.”

“Jesus reveals to us that it is not strength that saves the world but the weakness of a love that holds nothing back,” the preacher added. “The time in which we live, marked by the myth of performance and seduced by the idol of individualism, struggles to recognize moments of defeat or passivity as possible places of fulfillment.”

In fact, when suffering hits us, he continued, we tend to feel inadequate and out of place. We try to endure, gritting our teeth, but “the last words of the crucified Jesus offer us another interpretation: They show us how much life can flow from those moments when, with nothing left to do, there actually remains the most beautiful thing to accomplish: to finally give of ourselves.”

The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on April 18 opened in silence, as Gugerotti processed to the altar to lie prostrate before the crucifix for one minute. The service proceeded with readings from Scripture, including the sung proclamation of the Passion account from the Gospel of St. John.

During veneration of the holy cross, first, a crucifix was carried down the main aisle of the Vatican basilica while the choir chanted three times in Latin, “Ecce lignum Crucis, in quo sales Mundi pependit,” which means, “This is the wood of the cross, on which hung the Savior of the world.” Together, the choir and congregation responded in Latin: “Come, let us worship.”

Afterward, some people in attendance at the liturgy approached the cross to make a sign of veneration, which was followed by the reproaches and a hymn.

The third, and final, part of the two-hour service was the reception of holy Communion.

In his homily, delivered after the Gospel, Pasolini also drew attention to three phrases Christ uttered during his Passion — “I am,” “I thirst,” and “it is finished” — and what they can teach us about abandonment to God.

Pointing out the freedom with which Jesus offered himself at the moment of his arrest, identifying himself to the soldiers, the preacher said this confident surrender to God can be an example for us “at times when our lives suffer some setbacks — a painful setback, a serious illness, a crisis in relationships.”

“How is it possible to do this? By taking a step forward. By presenting ourselves first to the encounter with reality,” he said. “This attitude hardly ever changes the course of events — in fact, Jesus is arrested soon after — but if lived with faith in God and trust in the history he leads, it enables us to remain inwardly free and steadfast. Only then does the burden of life become lighter, and suffering, while remaining real, stops being useless and begins to generate life.”

When Jesus cried out from the cross, “I thirst,” he demonstrated his human need, Pasolini said, noting that “when pain, weariness, loneliness, or fear lay us bare, we are tempted to close ourselves off, to stiffen up, to feign self-sufficiency. … Asking for what we need, and allowing others to offer it to us, is perhaps one of the highest and most humble forms of love.”

Full trust and abandonment to God, as Christ exemplified in his final words, “it is finished,” are also part of the theme of the jubilee year, Pasolini said.

Pope Francis wanted to remind us, he recalled, “that Christ is the anchor of our hope, to whom we can remain firmly united, tightening the rope of faith that binds us to him beginning from our baptism.”

But this is not easy, the preacher emphasized, especially when we experience evil, suffering, or loneliness. Which is why it is important “to accept the invitation of the Letter to the Hebrews: to approach the cross with full confidence, recognizing in it the ‘throne of grace in order to receive mercy and find grace, so as to be helped at the appropriate time.’”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance (right) and his family attend the Vatican’s Liturgy for the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica on Good Friday, April 18, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, Apr 18, 2025 / 12:05 pm (CNA).

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his family attended the Vatican’s Liturgy for the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica on Good Friday during the first day of an April 18–20 visit to Rome.

On his trip, Vance — who is a convert to Catholicism — will also be visiting cultural and religious sites and meet with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state. He met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday after landing in Rome.

“Vice President Vance looks forward to meeting with Prime Minister Meloni and Church officials while in Italy and is grateful for the opportunity to visit some of Rome’s amazing cultural and religious sites with his family during Holy Week,” the vice president’s press secretary, Taylor Van Kirk, told CNA earlier on Friday.

There is no formal meeting scheduled between the vice president and Pope Francis, who, despite still recovering from double pneumonia, has resumed some informal public appearances — including a short visit to Rome’s Regina Coeli prison on Holy Thursday.

The 88-year-old pontiff, who left the hospital on March 23 after 38 days, also had a brief private encounter with King Charles III and Queen Camilla during their state visit to Italy on April 9.

Vance posted on X shortly before the liturgy on Friday that he “had a great meeting” with Meloni and was “headed to church soon with my family in this beautiful city.”

“I’m grateful every day for this job, but particularly today where my official duties have brought me to Rome on Good Friday,” he wrote. “I wish all Christians all over the world, but particularly those back home in the U.S., a blessed Good Friday.”

The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica on April 18 was celebrated by Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches, who was delegated to lead the service in the pope’s place. Following Vatican custom, the preacher of the papal household, Father Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, delivered the homily.

The vice president’s trip comes as the Vatican and President Donald Trump’s administration have traded back-and-forths over plans to deport large numbers of immigrants who entered the country illegally.

The administration has received praise from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for its efforts to curtail gender ideology and government mandates that jeopardize religious freedom. However, the bishops have also sued the administration over its decision to cut funding for nongovernmental organizations that provide services to migrants, which has affected numerous Catholic organizations.

Vance’s meeting with Meloni comes as the Trump administration continues to negotiate trade policies and tariffs with countries around the world, including countries in the European Union. Meloni also met Trump at the White House on April 17.

A damaged bus and vehicles after a Russian missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. / Credit: AP Photo/Volodymyr Hordiienko

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 18, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news that you might have missed this week:

Palm Sunday bombing in Ukraine claims 34 victims, including 15 children 

Two Russian ballistic missiles struck the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy on the morning of Palm Sunday, claiming at least 34 victims, including 15 children, as many were preparing to attend liturgies to mark the beginning of Holy Week.

More than 100 others were also injured in the attack, according to a Vatican News report. “There’s nothing left but to turn to the Lord to defend us, because it seems that no other force is capable of protecting peace and life,” the apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, told Vatican News Service.

Catholic college in India fights back against allegations of conversion, discrimination 

St. Dominic Savio College in Lucknow, the capital city of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, is fighting back against allegations that it discriminated against Hindu students and violated the state’s anti-conversion laws, according to UCA News. 

A group of Hindu activists staged a protest in front of the school on Tuesday, claiming the institution had “detained some students on the campus with an ulterior motive to convert them” and prevented Hindu students from wearing religious symbols.

In a statement, the school called the allegations “misleading and disturbing,” clarifying that the decision to detain certain students “was based purely on academic performance.” It further noted that two of the students detained were Christian, three were Muslim, and two were Hindu. “This clearly contradicts the totally false narrative being spread,” the college added. 

Abuse report reveals 43 offenders since 1945 in German diocese 

A study on sexual abuse in the Diocese of Würzburg in Germany published on Tuesday revealed 43 offenders, or 51 people total, who have committed abuse within the diocese since 1945, CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, reported. 

According to the 800-page study prepared by lawyer Hendrik Schneider, the 51 offenders found to be active between 1945 and 2019 were found to have committed at least 449 acts of abuse. The study also found that the acts of these perpetrators came to be known by the diocese on average 25.7 years after the fact. The acts of only 12 perpetrators became known within one year. Bishop Franz Jung described the sex abuse crisis as a “permanent wound” for the Church and a “perversion of the liberating message of the Gospel” by its clergy. 

Islamist Fulani herdsmen slaughter 40 Nigerian Christian farmers on Palm Sunday

In a brutal massacre on Palm Sunday, Islamist Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region shot and killed at least 40 Christians. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack and directed security agencies to investigate and identify those responsible. “Enough is enough,” he wrote.

The attack was carried out in the farming community of Zike, located in Bassa, Plateau state, according to a CBN report. The Islamist attackers also looted and burned down several Christian homes, many of which still had people inside. A resident of Zike, Andy Yakubu, told CBN that the total number of deaths could exceed 50.

Catholics in Egypt join pope’s global ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ initiative

For the first time, Egyptian Catholics joined Pope Francis’ global initiative “24 Hours for the Lord,” organizing a full day of Eucharistic adoration and confession from April 15-16 as part of the Church’s jubilee celebrations, according to CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, ACI MENA. 

Held at the Basilica of Heliopolis in Cairo, the event featured continuous prayer, reflection, and music, with participation from various church groups, choirs, and clergy, all united in fostering reconciliation and hope. Simultaneous prayer events were also held in monasteries, parishes, and lay communities across Egypt. Designed as a spiritual encounter, the event was also meant to encourage unity with the universal Church and saw strong participation.

Grave desecration of Christian man in Mauritania sparks outcry

An incident in Mauritania has drawn widespread condemnation after the grave of a Christian man, identified as Suleiman, was exhumed and his body dragged through the streets by locals in the city of Sélibabi, ACI MENA reported. 

The Mauritanian government swiftly responded by dismissing the regional governor and several local security officials. It also launched a formal investigation, calling on top defense and interior officials to uncover the full details. Conflicting reports emerged about Suleiman’s faith, with some sources claiming he had converted to Christianity while others noted an imam had approved his burial due to lack of clear evidence of apostasy. Western embassies have since urged Mauritanian authorities to take accountability and uphold human rights.

Youth project bridges Syria and Italy

A cultural and humanitarian initiative has brought together young members of the Chaldean St. Joseph Scout Group in Aleppo and the Italian secular association Life Paths in a cross-border project called “Yalla Aleppo–Italy.”

Syrian youth handcrafted and decorated 1,200 traditional laurel soaps, each accompanied by a heartfelt message and artwork, before sending them to Italy as gifts for children, ACI MENA reported. The initiative was launched to foster solidarity and creativity, especially among young people in postwar Syria, and all proceeds are invested in furthering humanitarian efforts in the region.

A Senákulo performance in Marinduque, Philippines. / Credit: Brahma C. Foz

Manila, Philippines, Apr 18, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Every Holy Week, streets across the Philippines transform into open-air stages for one of the country’s most unique and deeply rooted Catholic traditions: the “Senákulo,” a dramatic reenactment of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This age-old practice is not just theater but an opportunity to evangelize people right where they are — on the streets. Families, parishes, and entire “barangays” spend weeks preparing for the street plays, which have become a powerful expression of Filipino faith and cultural identity.

“The Senákulo is more than a performance,” said Brother Elmer Reyes, a longtime director and scriptwriter of Holy Week plays in Bulacan. “It’s a way of catechizing the people. It’s how many come to know the Gospel — not just in their heads but in their hearts.”

Rooted in the Spanish colonial period, the word “Senákulo” comes from the Spanish “cenáculo,” meaning “upper room” — the place where Jesus and his disciples shared the Last Supper before his crucifixion. The tradition has evolved through the centuries, but its purpose remains the same: to bring the story of Jesus’ sacrifice to life, allowing people of all ages to encounter the mystery of the cross in a vivid, unforgettable way. 

The cast is made up of volunteers, many of whom return year after year to take on roles that have become part of their personal faith journey. For many young people, participating in the “Senákulo” has kept them off drugs and gangs.

“I’ve been playing Mary Magdalene for 12 years,” shared 29-year-old Jessa from Pampanga. “Each year, it humbles me. It makes me cry. Because in her, I see my own conversion story.”

“There were moments of doubt, overthinking, and even wanting to give up as I prepared for the role — but the will of God is greater than mine,” shared James Harold Gaffud, who portrayed Jesus in the city of Echague, Isabela. “It brings me sorrow and anguish to reenact the Passion, but it’s an opportunity to express our utmost love and sacrifice, and to commemorate the passion, life, and death of Our Lord. During the Stations, I knew it wasn’t me — it was God’s spirit moving through me, helping me act naturally and express the emotions beautifully.”

For others, playing Jesus becomes a form of penance and personal offering.

“Jesus is everyone’s hero,” said Mark Akino, who portrays Jesus and serves as assistant director in a Senákulo in Makati City. “There’s a joy and blessing I feel after every performance. I really feel every lash and the weight of the cross. None of us are perfect — we all sin in different ways. But for me, this is one way to make up for my sins and say thank you to God for the gift of life.”

In San Fernando, Pampanga — dubbed the “Lenten Capital of the Philippines” — reenactments go much further. Some devotees allow themselves to be literally nailed to wooden crosses in front of thousands of spectators. An estimated 30,000 visitors gather to witness the “Passion of Christ” street plays held in the city every Good Friday.

One of the most well-known devotees is 64-year-old Ruben Enaje, a construction worker who has been nailed to a cross 35 times since the first time in 1986. A day prior, he goes around town carrying a life-sized cross to do the Stations of the Cross with his community. He began this tradition after surviving a near-fatal fall from a building, believing that God had spared his life for a reason. Determined to honor this second chance, he made a promise to reenact the suffering of Christ every Good Friday.

“I told myself, if I survive, I will let myself be crucified for God. That will be my thanksgiving,” Enaje told a local news outlet.

For many communities, the Senákulo is also a moment of unity and reconciliation. Months of rehearsals foster camaraderie, healing of past wounds, and a shared sense of mission. Youth, elders, and entire families bond over sewing costumes, preparing props, and praying together before every show.

“This is our ‘panata’ [personal vow to God],” said Mang Andres, a 55-year-old carpenter who has built the cross used in his town’s Good Friday scene for over three decades. “As long as I live, I will keep doing this for Jesus.”

For the audience, many of whom line the streets barefoot or holding candles, the experience is powerful and emotionally stirring. The Senákulo has a way of reaching even those who may rarely go to Mass, bringing the love and sacrifice of Jesus right where they are — on the streets.

These physical reenactments are considered “penitensya” (penance) or a panata in the Philippines. Many do it barefoot under the scorching sun, wearing crowns of thorns, whipping their own backs with bamboo lashes until they bleed — reenacting Christ’s suffering in an intensely personal way, to ask forgiveness for sins or in gratitude for miracles received. They say they do this to fulfill their “personal vow” to God. While the Catholic Church does not officially endorse these extreme acts, it acknowledges the personal expression of faith behind them.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) encourages the faithful to see the Senákulo as a complement to the liturgy, not a replacement for it. Priests remind communities to participate in the paschal Triduum — Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil — even as they take part in street plays and devotions. 

The faithful are also reminded of other ways to commemorate Christ’s sacrifice during Holy Week, especially through the Stations of the Cross, fasting and abstinence, receiving the sacrament of confession, or “Visita Iglesia,” a Filipino tradition of visiting seven churches on Good Friday while doing the Stations of the Cross.

The Senákulo has been around since 1947 and remains an effective tool of evangelization — especially when it is Christ-centered and leads people to a deeper conversion. While the life story of Jesus is often read or heard within church walls or classrooms, the Senákulo brings his story to life in the public square.

“It’s not just a play,” said 26-year old Paula, who watches every year. “It’s the Gospel — and it’s alive, right here on our streets.”