CNS photo/Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV meets with former classmates who graduated from the lower school of St. Mary of the Assumption in Chicago in 1969 after the general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Wednesday, March 18. Pope Leo greeted 10 of his 82 former classmates. The pope proudly held up their old graduation photo as they posed for another photo together, almost 60 years later. The group came to Rome and the general audience to show their camaraderie and embrace once again their former classmate – now the 266th successor of St. Peter. Pope Leo Calls Bishops to Rome to Discuss Marriage, Family in October VATICAN CITY (OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV announced on Thursday, March 19, that he will convene the presidents of all bishops’ conferences in Rome this October to deepen the Church’s reflection on marriage and family in light of Amoris Laetitia. The pope issued the invitation at the end of a message marking the 10th anniversary of the signing of “Amoris Laetitia,” Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation on the pastoral care of families published after the 2014 and 2015 synods on the family. “Our era is marked by rapid changes which make it necessary, even more than 10 years ago, to give particular pastoral attention to families, to whom the Lord entrusts the task of participating in the Church’s mission of proclaiming and witnessing to the Gospel,” Pope Leo said. The pope said he is calling the bishops to Rome “in an effort to proceed, in mutual listening, to a synodal discernment on the steps to be taken in order to proclaim the Gospel to families today, in light of Amoris Laetitia and taking into account what is currently being done in the local Churches.” Registration Opens for National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Public Events WASHINGTON, D.C. (OSV News) – Registration for public events during the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage opened on Wednesday, March 18, revealing abundant opportunities for Catholics to join the nine “perpetual pilgrims” traveling the East Coast route from Florida to Maine that culminates in an Independence Day weekend celebration in Philadelphia. The pilgrimage runs May 24-July 5. As in the two previous pilgrimages held in 2024 and 2025, the pilgrims and their chaplains will accompany the Eucharist throughout the route, even as they travel in their van. Public pilgrimage events focus on the Eucharist with Mass, adoration and processions, as well as charitable service and fellowship. The pilgrimage’s route includes public events in 18 dioceses and archdioceses and two Eastern Rite eparchies in 13 states and the District of Columbia. With the theme “One Nation Under God,” the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage route celebrates key Catholic landmarks and events in American Catholic history as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary. This year’s pilgrimage also aims to broadly involve the Church in the U.S. through a campaign to offer 250,000 Holy Hours “for the renewal and blessing of America.” It also includes free, weekly lectures that highlight Christian and Catholic ideals that define America’s national identity, available on the National Eucharistic Congress’s Manna app. The public can register to attend pilgrimage events at eucharisticpilgrimage.org. Every Church Institution Must Listen to Victims of Abuse, Pope Leo XIV Says VATICAN CITY (Vatican News) – Pope Leo XIV on Monday, March 16, urged Church leaders to take direct responsibility for preventing abuse, telling members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors that safeguarding must be rooted in a culture of care across the Catholic Church. Speaking at the Vatican, Pope Leo thanked the commission for its work protecting children, adolescents, and vulnerable people, calling it “a demanding service, sometimes silent, often burdensome, but one which is essential for the life of the Church and for the building of an authentic culture of care.” Pope Leo stressed that preventing abuse cannot simply be handled through policies or delegated to others. “Your mission is to help ensure that abuse is prevented. Yet prevention is never just a set of protocols or procedures,” he said. The pope also highlighted the importance of listening to victims and survivors and said the commission’s annual report is a tool of “great importance,” since “it represents an exercise in truth and responsibility, as well as in hope and prudence, which must go hand in hand for the good of the Church.” Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem Remains Closed JERUSALEM (OSV News) – Israel has closed Jerusalem’s holiest sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, citing security concerns amid escalating conflict with Iran. The shutdown began on February 28 as Israeli and U.S. forces launched attacks and regional tensions surged. Officials say the closures are precautionary, pointing to a recent missile strike near the Old City, home to the Western Wall and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Church leaders warn the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, revered as the site of Jesus’ tomb, could remain closed until the conflict subsides. With Holy Week approaching, officials expect limited celebrations, possibly restricted to clergy, echoing COVID-19-era protocols. Jesus’ tomb is governed by the Status Quo, the 19th-century agreement that governs Jerusalem’s holy places. Meanwhile, access to the Old City has also been restricted for Muslims during Ramadan, raising concerns among Christian and Muslim leaders about access to sacred spaces during a volatile moment. Pope Leo: Death, Pain of War a Scandal for Entire Human Family VATICAN CITY (OSV News) – As the United States and Israel-Iran war enters its fourth week, and amid a deep humanitarian crisis throughout the region, Pope Leo XIV appealed during his Sunday Angelus prayer on March 22: “Persevere in prayer, so that hostilities may cease and paths of peace may finally open up, based on sincere dialogue and respect for the dignity of every human person.” He said he continues to follow “with dismay” the situation in the Middle East, “which like other regions of the world is torn apart by war and violence.” He added: “We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many people – defenseless victims of these conflicts. What wounds them wounds all of humanity. The death and pain caused by these wars are a scandal for the entire human family, and a cry that rises to God.” Judge Grants Injunction for Clergy Ministry in Minneapolis ICE Facility MINNEAPOLIS (OSV News) – A federal judge has ruled that clergy must be allowed to provide spiritual care inside an ICE processing facility in Minneapolis. On Friday, March 20, U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell granted an injunction permitting access to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, siding with an ecumenical group of Minnesota clergy who filed suit in February. The judge found the group is likely to succeed in arguing that restricting ministry violates religious freedom and causes “irreparable harm.” The case came amid heightened immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities under “Operation Metro Surge,” which began in December and wound down mid-February. Federal officials had cited safety concerns for limiting entry. Clergy argued the government failed to provide clear protocols, even as some detainees were reportedly held longer than typical processing times. The lawsuit states, “By prohibiting faith leaders from providing essential pastoral care … the federal government unconstitutionally obstructs their sacred obligation to exercise their faith through ministry.” Among those denied access was Jesuit Father Chris Collins, parochial administrator of St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, who described being turned away during a December prayer gathering and later in February. Visiting those in prison, the plaintiffs said in the lawsuit, “is a core and non-negotiable religious obligation rooted in Scripture and centuries of practice.” Judge Blackwell ordered both sides to negotiate access and security details within days. The post News Briefs: March 29, 2026 appeared first on Today's Catholic. ...read more read less