- Pope returns to residence after 5-week hospitalization (CWN)
Pope Francis returned to his residence on March 23 following a 38-day stay in Gemelli Hospital. - Papal Angelus address: reflection on Lord's patience, hospitalization (Vatican Press Office)
In his Angelus address for the Third Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis reflected on the Lord’s patience with the barren fig tree, as recounted in the day’s Gospel reading (Luke 13:1-9).“This patient farmer is the Lord, who works the soil of our lives with care and waits confidently for our return to Him,” the Pope said in his address, which he prepared but did not deliver.“In this long period of my hospitalization, I have had the opportunity to experience the Lord’s patience, which I also see reflected in the tireless care of the doctors and healthcare workers, as well as in the care and hopes of the relatives of the sick,” the Pope added. “This trusting patience, anchored in God’s unfailing love, is indeed necessary in our lives, especially when facing the most difficult and painful situations.” - Diocesan jubilee pilgrimages foster unity, faith, charity, Pope tells pilgrims (Vatican Press Office)
In a brief message to pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Naples and other Italian dioceses, Pope Francis wrote that diocesan pilgrimages for the 2025 jubilee year “express the unity that gathers you as a community around your pastors and the bishop of Rome, as well as the commitment to embrace Jesus’ invitation to enter ‘through the narrow gate.’”“Love is like this: it unites and makes us grow together,” the Pope said in his March 22 message. “That is why, even though your paths are different, it has brought you here together at the tomb of Peter, from which you can depart even stronger in faith and more united in charity.” - Cardinal Parolin sees AI as 'exciting' but 'fearful' tool (Vatican News (Italian))
Addressing a Vatican conference on AI and children, the Pope’s Secretary of State described AI as an “exciting and fearful tool at the same time.”“It is essential that governments, technology companies, educators, civil society and religious institutions work together to reflect on ethical regulations and governance frameworks, as well as data transparency and child-centered policies,” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin. “It is not only essential to ensure children’s safety, privacy and respect for their dignity, but also to protect them from the harm caused by artificial intelligence.”“It is equally essential to ensure transparency, accountability and equity to make artificial intelligence more beneficial for every child,” he added. - Renewed papal appeal for peace in Gaza, elsewhere (Vatican Press Office)
At the conclusion of his March 23 Angelus address, Pope Francis renewed his appeal for prayer for peace.Turning first to Gaza, the Pope said: I am saddened by the resumption of heavy Israeli bombing on the Gaza Strip, causing many deaths and injuries. I call for an immediate halt to the weapons; and for the courage to resume dialogue, so that all hostages may be released and a final ceasefire reached. In the Strip, the humanitarian situation is again very serious and requires urgent commitment from the conflicting parties and the international community.The Pope then welcomed progress toward peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan before calling for prayer “for an end to wars and for peace, especially in tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” - 12-year decline in worldwide priestly vocations accelerates (CWN)
The number of major seminarians worldwide fell from 108,481 in 2022 to 106,495 in 2023, according to statistics published in the new Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae (CWN coverage)—a decline of 1.83% in a single year. - Seoul archbishop rues climate of 'hatred, conflict, and division' between North, South Korea (Fides)
Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-Taick of Seoul, South Korea, said in a recent homily that “the current situation on the Korean peninsula is dominated by the mechanism of hatred, conflict, and division, rather than love, reconciliation, and unity.”As he marked the 30th anniversary of an archdiocesan committee for Korean reconciliation, the prelate called on the faithful to “take courage so that we can continue on our path of national reconciliation and remember our mission for peace in this country: inter-Korean reconciliation and the evangelization of all people.”“Amid the current tensions and conflicts on the Korean peninsula, your efforts to open a new chapter of reconciliation are more valuable than ever,” said Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, who was also present at the Mass. “The Holy See follows these efforts with great attention and joins in prayer for the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula.” - Catholic, Orthodox prelates criticize Kerala's government over lax alcohol policy (AsiaNews)
Catholic and Orthodox leaders in the the southwestern Indian state of Kerala (map) criticized the state government’s alcohol policy for its laxity.“Many governments, after securing consecutive terms in power, resort to increasing revenue through measures such as the production and distribution of alcohol,” the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council stated, as they warned of an attempt to “drown Kerala in liquor.”Likewise, the head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (CNEWA profile) said that “despite the easy access to alcohol, the authorities are working to increase its flow even more and this is not the right approach ... The news of children and mothers being killed is terrifying. The cause of all this is alcohol and drugs,” - Pope creates new diocese in Paraguay (CWN)
Countering the trend of diocesan consolidations in Italy, Canada, and elsewhere, Pope Francis has created a new diocese in the South American nation of Paraguay. - At Mass for anniversary of Pope's election, Ecumenical Patriarch renews call for common Easter date (Orthodox Times)
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who holds a primacy of honor among the Orthodox churches, attended Mass at the Latin-rite cathedral in Istanbul for the 12th anniversary of the Pope’s election.“If our ultimate goal is the achievement of full doctrinal and sacramental unity, we cannot excuse any indifference or intolerance in removing unjustified barriers and divisions,” he said. “One of these obstacles which, if removed, would give more credibility and strength to all Christians in this fragmented world, is the different way of calculating the date of Easter.”Bishop Massimiliano Palinuro, the vicar apostolic of Istanbul, said in his homily that “during these 12 years Pope Francis, with courage and parrhesia, has called the entire Church to return to the simplicity of the Gospel and has warned the powerful of the Earth not to follow the path of selfishness and oppression.” - Synod official outlines vision for 3-year synodality implementation phase (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
In an article in the Vatican newspaper, Father Giacomo Costa, SJ, special secretary of the 2023 and 2024 sessions of the Synod on Synodality, discussed the synod’s three-year implementation phase (2025-28).“The areas of possible application of the conclusions of the Synod are many: for example, the assumption by lay and consecrated men and women of roles of responsibility that do not require the Sacrament of Orders; or the experimentation of forms of service and ministry that respond to pastoral needs in different contexts; or the institution or renewal of participation bodies in a synodal key; or the activation of decision-making processes based on ecclesial discernment and the adoption of reporting and evaluation practices in all dimensions of ecclesial life,” he wrote.Implementation, he continued, “cannot be limited to individual points, however prayerful, abstracting them from the relational ecclesiological perspective that emerged from the Synod ... Synodality is first and foremost a style of Church, a way of relating to the world. Adequate structures and norms are indispensable, but they are not enough.”Father Costa added, “Only through a concrete experience shared by the entire People of God, in the variety of their charisms and ministries, will we be able to learn to recognize the Lord who precedes us, accompanies us and guides us.” - Pope to leave hospital Sunday (CWN)
Pope Francis will be discharged from Gemelli Hospital on Sunday, and will return to his residence at the Vatican’s Casa Marta, the Vatican has announced. - Archbishop encourages Christians to remain in Syria (Aid to the Church in Need)
The Melkite Catholic archbishop of Homs encouraged Christians to remain in Syria following the killing of hundreds of Alawites and Christians.Archbishop Jean-Abdo Arbach told Aid to the Church in Need that amid an economic crisis, “we are supporting our faithful in every sense of the word: paying rent, providing medication, food, and clothing, and also sustaining them spiritually, so that they feel close to God, to encourage them to remain in their land.”He added: I encourage people to wait, and to stay firm, because without the Christians, there can be no future for Syria. Christians are the roots of Syria, and Syria is the cradle of Christianity. In Damascus, we can still find the places where Saint Paul converted to Christianity in the first century. We still have first-century churches and monasteries, and we have kept Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, alive. - Vatican 'foreign minister' decries 'culture of death' (Vatican News)
As he celebrated Mass on March 21 for ambassadors to the Holy See, who had gathered to pray for the health of Pope Francis, Archbishop Paul Gallagher used his homily to denounce “those who constantly feed the culture of death.” The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States pointed to warfare in “martyred Ukraine, in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in other places of conflict.” He lamented: “The world thus becomes a theater of clashes between ethnicities and civilizations, cultures, and religions.” The archbishop praised people “who have fought for human dignity, who struggled against dictatorships, tyranny, and injustices—even if they did not always share the Christian faith or a religious faith.” - USCCB reacts to President Trump's executive order closing Department of Education (USCCB)
Reacting to President Trump’s executive order on the closing of the Department of Education, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ executive director of public affairs said that “the Catholic Church teaches that parents are the primary educators of their children and should have the freedom and resources to choose an educational setting best suited for their child.”“The Conference supports public policies that affirm this, and we support the positive working relationships that the dioceses, parishes, and independent schools have with their local public school system partners,” said Chieko Noguchi.She added, “As this Executive Order is implemented, it is important to ensure that students of all backgrounds in both public and non-public schools, especially those with disabilities or from low-income backgrounds, will continue to receive the resources they need.” - After IVF nightmares, patients have few protections (NBC)
In an inside look at the business of in vitro fertilization (IVF)—a rarity for the mainstream media—NBC finds that clients have few protections in an industry that has avoided regulation. The NBC probe uncovered hundreds of lawsuits against IVF practitioners. - Italian president pays tribute to Pontiff (Quirinale (Italian))
Italian President Sergio Mattarella paid tribute to Pope Francis in a message for the 12th anniversary of the Pontiff’s election.Mattarella, who holds a ceremonial but influential position, praised Dilexit Nos, the Pope’s encyclical on the Sacred Heart, as well as the Pope’s statements for the G7, G20, and UN climate change conferences.“While at the international level the reasons for Law and for a proper articulation of coexistence among states seem to be fading, your voice is and remains more necessary than ever,” the Italian president added, as wished the Pontiff a speedy recovery. - Worldwide Catholic population up slightly to 1.4 billion (Vatican News)
The world’s Catholic population continues to grow by just over 1% annually, surpassing 1.4 billion, according to the latest data published in the Pontifical Yearbook, the Annuarium for 2025. The official statistics—covering 2023, the last year for which full figures are available—show rapid growth of the Catholic population in Africa, with slower growth in the Americas and Asia, and almost no growth in Europe. Africa, which saw a 3.3% growth rate in the Catholic population in 2023, now accounts for 20% of all the world’s Catholics—nearly as many as Europe, which is 20.4% Catholic. But with Europe’s Catholic population growing by only 0.2%, Africa is likely to outstrip Europe soon. The Americas—treated as a single continent in Vatican statistics—have the largest Catholic population, accounting for nearly half (47.8%) of the worldwide total. There the growth rate was 0.9%. Asia saw a 0.6% population increase among Catholics; Oceania, 1.9%. There were 406,996 Catholic priests in the world at the close of 2023: a decrease of 0.2% from the previous year. That trend is likely to continue, since the number of seminarians (106,495) has also sunk by 1.8%. But the figures show wide differences among the continents; Africa saw a 2.7% increase in the number of priests; Europe a 1.6% decrease. The number of women religious also dropped by 1.6%, continuing a long-term trend. But here too the numbers were different across the continents, with Africa reporting a substantial increase (2.2%) and Europe the largest decrease (3.8%). - Recalling Dr. Jerome Lejeune, advocate for Down Syndrome children (CNA)
On World Down Syndrome Day, March 21, Catholic News Agency recalls the enormous contributions of the late Dr. Jerome Lejeune, whose advocacy for Down Syndrome children probably cost him a Nobel Prize, but helped to make him a candidate for beatification. - Online giving cited for growth in church donations (Ministry Brands)
Slightly over half (51%) of all US Christian churches reported an increase in donations in 2025, according to a report from Ministry Brands. Ministry Brands—which furnishes software for church donation programs—says that online fundraising has not cut into traditional donations, but digital gifts now account for 42% of all church donations.