OSV Newscast

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Maggie Murray of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for Mar. 10, 2026. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

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• A Chaldean Catholic bishop in California pleaded not guilty to 16 felony counts of embezzlement and money laundering, as the Vatican confirmed Pope Leo XIV had accepted his resignation and appointed an apostolic administrator for the San Diego-based eparchy.
• Wyoming’s governor signed a “heartbeat” abortion ban into law despite concerns it may face legal challenges, while Catholic leaders in the state voiced support for the measure as a step toward protecting unborn life.
• Mexico’s bishops condemned vandalism against churches during International Women’s Day protests, as Catholics formed human chains to protect cathedrals while acknowledging the serious concerns over violence against women driving the demonstrations.
• A Maronite Catholic priest in southern Lebanon was killed by Israeli tank fire while rushing to help neighbors wounded in an initial strike, after publicly declaring he would remain with his parishioners despite evacuation orders.
• Pope Leo XIV encouraged students gathered at Loyola University Chicago for a peacebuilding conference to become “co-workers for peace with Christ,” urging young people to reject despair and work together for the common good across cultures and faiths.

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Maggie Murray of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for Mar. 9, 2026. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

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1. The Vatican’s representative to the United Nations warned that Christians remain the most persecuted religious community in the world, with nearly 400 million believers facing violence, discrimination or pressure for their faith.
2. Catholic leaders are urging caution and continued dialogue after a growing split within the Anglican Communion prompted new doubts about prospects for restored unity between Anglicans and Catholics.
3. Pope Leo XIV appealed for peace and urged world leaders to halt the escalating Iran-linked conflict in the Middle East, warning the growing violence risks plunging the region into deeper instability.
4. Catholic ministry leaders from several U.S. dioceses brought migrants’ stories to Capitol Hill, urging lawmakers to pursue comprehensive immigration reform while sharing the struggles faced by detained families.
5. A national shrine in Wisconsin is planning a nine-day “Catholic Saints of America” celebration this summer, highlighting U.S. saints and causes for canonization as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

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Maggie Murray of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for Mar. 6, 2026. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Read the stories in this episode:

• In a March 5 video prayer, Pope Leo XIV urged world leaders to renounce violence, halt the arms race and pursue dialogue as global tensions rise following the outbreak of the U.S. and Israel-Iran war.
• As war spreads across the Middle East, Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem has become a place of shelter, prayer and interfaith solidarity, where Muslim, Christian and Jewish students gathered together during air-raid sirens.
• A six-year investigation by the Rhode Island attorney general identified 75 credibly accused clergy linked to more than 300 abuse victims in the Diocese of Providence between 1950 and 2011.
• Catholic environmental advocates say the rapid growth of AI data centers is straining water and power resources while placing pollution burdens on vulnerable communities.
• A Polish officer saved by the sacrifice of a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan said the experience led him through trauma to a renewed faith and mission to testify to God’s grace.

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Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for March 5, 2026. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

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• President Donald Trump announced March 5 that Kristi Noem is leaving her post as head of the Department of Homeland Security, and that he had chosen Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to replace her.
• Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio told OSV News that politics and profits are helping to drive inhumane treatment of migrants in the U.S.
• Catholic patriarchs and bishops in Lebanon are urging an end to escalating violence across the Middle East and calling for renewed diplomacy. 
• Catholic bishops in Sudan and South Sudan are condemning a deadly attack that left nearly 178 people dead in northern South Sudan on March 2.
• Legendary Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz, who died March 4, is being remembered for his skills, virtue, example of faith and humor.

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Maggie Murray of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for Mar. 4, 2026. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

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1. A new document from the Vatican’s International Theological Commission warns that unchecked reliance on artificial intelligence and transhumanist ideas could lead society to replace faith in the “living God” with trust in machines.
2. A Catholic University of America law professor is warning that a violent online network known as 764 is exploiting vulnerable youth through coercion and blackmail, highlighting a rapidly growing threat fueled by digital platforms.
3. As war tensions intensify in the region, two Palestinian Christian sisters staying at a Jerusalem hospital say prayer and faith sustain them as missile strikes and air-raid sirens disrupt daily life.
4. A Catholic bishop serving the Gulf region is urging prayer, unity and interreligious dialogue as the expanding Israel-Iran conflict raises fears of broader instability across the Middle East.
5. Nine young Catholics have been chosen to travel thousands of miles as “perpetual pilgrims” during the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, inviting Catholics across the U.S. to deepen devotion to the Eucharist.

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Maggie Murray of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for Mar. 3, 2026. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

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• A Melkite Catholic archbishop in Lebanon warns that civilians are “paying the price” as escalating violence between Israel, Iran and Hezbollah triggers displacement and deepens fears for fragile Christian communities across the Middle East.
• Church leaders across Africa say Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming April trip to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea could bring a powerful message of peace, reconciliation and hope to nations facing conflict and social challenges.
• The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily blocked California from enforcing policies that generally prohibit teachers from informing parents about a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation while legal challenges continue.
• A Synod on Synodality study group has proposed creating a Vatican “Pontifical Commission for Digital Culture and New Technologies” while another report calls for greater roles for women in the formation of future priests.
• An Irish bishop says many young Catholics today are seeking doctrinal clarity, strong catechesis and sacramental depth rather than a Church that adapts to modern cultural trends.

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Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for March 2, 2025. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

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• Catholics across the Middle East are reeling with shock and sorrow, and responding with prayer, amid joint strikes Israeli and U.S. forces launched on Iran Feb. 28, plunging the region into war. 
• President Donald Trump's decision to initiate major combat operations against Iran in concert with Israel has raised debate within Congress over its war powers prerogatives, and questions about the justice of committing the U.S. to a Middle East war.
• What started out as a Feb. 27 student-led protest at the University of Notre Dame turned into a prayer gathering of thanksgiving, as a pro-abortion faculty member declined an institutional appointment after weeks of outcry.
• Life is a journey that requires trust and reliance on Jesus, who sometimes asks his disciples to leave everything behind, Pope Leo XIV said in a March 1 homily at a small parish in Rome.
• An Ohio mom and social worker has founded a new project to educate others about Catholic social teaching, while fostering conscience formation and spiritual solidarity.

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Gina Christian catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for Feb. 27, 2026. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

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• The U.S. bishops and a Catholic immigration advocacy group were among those who offered their support to a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship. 
• A Jesuit priest and clergy of other faiths filed a lawsuit Feb. 23 against the Department of Homeland Security over being barred from giving spiritual care to those being detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in the Twin Cities area. 
• Legislation to legalize assisted suicide in the United Kingdom appears headed for collapse, but local measures are advancing -- drawing sharp criticism from Catholic leaders. 
• Restoration work is underway on Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement” in the Sistine Chapel. 
• At the Vatican's Lenten retreat, Norwegian Bishop Erik Varden on Trondheim told Pope Leo XIV and senior curial officials that the Church's governance depends less on bureaucratic skill and more on holy, prayerful leaders.

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Maggie Murray of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for Feb. 26, 2026. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Read the stories in this episode:

• A University of Notre Dame professor declined a leadership role at a campus institute after backlash from bishops and Catholic leaders over her public advocacy for legal abortion.
• The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops ended its lawsuit against the Trump administration after recovering more than $24 million in refugee resettlement funds.
• Pope Leo XIV called Our Lady of Guadalupe a model of “perfect inculturation,” urging the Church to proclaim the Gospel without imposing or diluting its truth.
• Spain’s bishops clarified that Pope Leo warned against subjecting faith to ideology, pushing back on reports that he singled out specific political parties.
• Christian family businesses in Jerusalem’s Old City are struggling to survive amid low pilgrim numbers, saying preserving centuries-old traditions is about more than business — it’s family history.

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Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for Feb. 25, 2026. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Read the stories in this episode:

• Pope Leo XIV will travel to six countries over the next four months, including a 10-day tour of Africa and trips to Monaco and Spain, the Vatican announced Feb. 25.
• After calling on the University of Notre Dame to withdraw its appointment of pro-abortion professor Susan Ostermann as head of one of the school's research centers, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend joined about 50 students, faculty and staff to pray for life at the university's Marian grotto the evening of Feb. 24. 
• Jonathan Roumie, the actor known for portraying Jesus Christ in the hit series "The Chosen," is calling attention this Lent to the 21 Christian martyrs who died in Libya for their faith in Jesus 11 years ago.
• The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney announced it is welcoming a record number of catechumens and candidates in 2026. In a Feb. 24 press release, the archdiocese announced that 338 catechumens are preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil, with another 119 candidates set to be received into full communion.
• Olympic gold medal winner Haley Winn says family and faith are at the heart of her success.