U.S.
Pope Leo urges Chicago students to be ‘co-workers for peace with Christ’
ROME — Pope Leo XIV is encouraging young people to become peacemakers. In a message sent to students gathered at Loyola University Chicago for a March 7 peacebuilding conference, the pope called on them to “be co-workers for peace with Christ.” “True peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but rather is God’s gift,” Pope Leo said. “This peace is not like the kind that the world offers us (cf. Jn 14:27), which unfortunately is often imposed with violence and deception.” The message, signed March 2 and released by the Vatican the day of the event, was addressed to participants in the Building Bridges Initiative: International Encounter for Peace and Reconciliation. “Christians are called today to be co-workers for peace with Christ,” he wrote, adding that global harmony requires cooperation for a common good that “transcends borders, faith traditions and cultures.” (OSV News)
El Paso Diocese declares bankruptcy to settle abuse claims
EL PASO, Texas — The Diocese of El Paso filed for bankruptcy March 6, citing financial strain from sexual abuse claims related to abuse alleged to have occurred decades earlier. The Chapter 11 petition was triggered by lookback laws in the state of New Mexico, in former diocesan territory that is now part of the Diocese of Las Cruces, which was created in 1982. The case involves 12 suits brought by 18 claimants who say they were sexually abused as minors between 1956 and 1982 in southern New Mexico. “It is my prayer that through this process, we can reconcile with each other and walk together toward the loving presence of Jesus Christ in our midst,” Bishop Mark J. Seitz said in a March 6 video statement.
WORLD
Christians ‘most persecuted religious community in the world,’ Vatican tells U.N.
GENEVA — The Vatican’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva warned that Christians remain the most persecuted religious group worldwide and called for stronger protections for religious freedom. Speaking at a March 3 event during the U.N. Human Rights Council’s 61st session, Archbishop Ettore Balestrero said nearly 400 million Christians face persecution or violence — roughly one in seven believers globally. He noted that almost 5,000 Christians were killed for their faith in 2025, about 13 each day. The event, organized in cooperation with the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians, brought diplomats, experts and civil society leaders together to highlight growing threats to Christians and broader religious freedom concerns. Archbishop Balestrero said governments have a “fundamental responsibility” to defend religious liberty and hold perpetrators accountable. He warned that persecution can also take subtle forms, including social marginalization or legal pressures against believers. “These are not superficial acts,” he said. “They are serious violations of the rights of Christians.” Also, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said in its 2026 annual report that Nigeria is facing “a terrifying crisis of religious violence.” USCIRF, an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission that monitors religious freedom around the globe, released the report at an event March 4 in the Capitol complex. (OSV News)
Sudanese bishops express distress at the massacre of 178 people in northern South Sudan
JUBA, South Sudan — Catholic bishops in Sudan and South Sudan are condemning a deadly attack that left 178 people dead in northern South Sudan on March 2. Local officials say unidentified armed youths — allegedly linked to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition — carried out the assault in the Ruweng Administrative Area. Authorities report at least 90 civilians, including women, children and the elderly, were killed, along with 79 soldiers. Many survivors fled to a nearby U.N. peacekeeping base for safety. In a joint statement, bishops led by Cardinal Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla of Juba condemned the killings as “heinous and senseless,” warning that cycles of revenge are tearing communities apart. (OSV News)
Pope Leo XIV accepts resignation of Iraqi Cardinal Louis Sako
BAGHDAD — Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Louis Sako, the Iraq-based patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, ending his 13-year tenure leading the largest Christian community in Iraq. The Vatican announced March 10 that the resignation was accepted under the Eastern Churches’ canon law governing patriarchs. In a statement from the Chaldean Patriarchate, Cardinal Sako said he submitted his resignation freely on March 9 so he could devote himself to prayer, writing and quiet service. In the same bulletin announcement, the Vatican said Pope Leo had also accepted the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Shaleta of the Chaldean Catholic Diocese of St. Peter the Apostle in San Diego. Bishop Shaleta was arrested at San Diego International Airport March 5. Authorities in California charged the bishop with multiple counts, including embezzlement and money laundering, and one count of “aggravated white collar crime enhancement.” Bishop Shaleta has pleaded not guilty to the charges. (OSV News)
