Bishop Melchisedec Sikuli Paluku in the Democratic Republic of Congo has expressed sorrow following a deadly attack by rebels that reportedly left 43 people dead in the northeastern province of Ituri.
The attack occurred overnight from April 2 to April 3 in the village of Bafwakao in the Mambasa territory.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group affiliated with the Islamic State, reportedly stormed the village around 8 p.m., setting fire to nearly 60% of the homes.
Bodies were reportedly found along the main road and in burned houses, some mutilated with machetes and others shot.
By Thursday afternoon, local authorities reported at least 10 bodies discovered, while civic groups counted 32 deaths. The Congolese army later confirmed a total of 43 victims.
In his homily for Easter on Sunday, April 5, Paluku called for prayers for peace and urged authorities to ensure the protection of lives and property amid ongoing insecurity.
The bishop expressed solidarity with those affected by conflict, both within the region and beyond.
"I share the pain of the brothers and sisters of parishes such as Masoy, of Christians in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, as well as of countries like Israel that are unable to celebrate Easter in proper conditions due to the lack of peace and security," he said during the Mass on Easter.
"I therefore call on the authorities to invest in the search for peace to ensure national unity; they must protect citizens and their property," he said.
"The passion of Christ was not his defeat; he was not overcome. It is the greatest manifestation of his boundless love," the bishop said, encouraging believers to turn away from actions that diminish human dignity, noting that rising with Christ does not mean abandoning the world but fulfilling one's responsibilities faithfully.
"Each person must do their duty as it should be done," he said.
Human rights defender John Vuleveryo Musombolwa confirmed cases of kidnappings during the attack and highlighted the mass displacement of the population. Residents fled in panic to safer neighborhoods, including Afrique du Sud, Darsalam, Pays-Bas, and Hewabora.
Musombolwa praised the intervention of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) but urged authorities to strengthen security measures in the area.
"The enemy is already at the center of Mambasa. The chief town risks being emptied if the authorities do not take the situation seriously," he warned.
The attack in Bafwakao is unprecedented, as the village had previously been spared from jihadist incursions.
It comes amid a resurgence of violence since early March 2025 in the Bandaka chiefdom, to which the village belongs.
The ADF, originally from Uganda, has been operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since the 1990s, continuing to terrorize local communities despite joint military operations with the Ugandan army.
The effectiveness of the FARDC response has been questioned. While the territorial administrator said the army intervened the same night, civil society representatives denounced a delayed response that occurred the next morning without any exchange of fire. This discrepancy has fueled distrust between local communities and the military, highlighting long-standing concerns about government protection in rural areas.
In the wake of the attack, angry residents reportedly lynched a suspected ADF fighter in the Arua II neighborhood, located two kilometers (1.24 miles) from the center of Mambasa. The individual had allegedly been hiding in a residential house following the assault.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
The average American diocese saw about 38% more people joining the Church in 2026 compared with 2025, according to an analysis of data released by Hallow.
This Easter dioceses and archdioceses across the nation welcomed thousands of people into the Church with some noting elevated numbers of conversions compared with recent years.
The growth of people joining the Catholic Church is widespread, spanning across dioceses of all sizes and regions. Dioceses welcomed both catechumens (unbaptized people preparing for full initiation into the Church) and candidates (those already baptized who are entering into full communion through confirmation). The numbers are beginning to align more with pre-pandemic numbers after a decrease in conversions around the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on a survey completed before Easter by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, most dioceses and archdioceses expected to see increases in those entering the Church in 2026 compared with last year. Of the 71 U.S. dioceses in the survey, only five expected drops this year.
On average, American dioceses had 38% more people joining the Church in 2026 compared with 2025, according to an analysis of data by Hallow.
The four largest dioceses in the United States that witnessed significant increases were the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (139% increase), the Diocese of Phoenix (23%), the Archdiocese of New York (36%), and the Archdiocese of Chicago (52%).
Smaller dioceses also noted significant increases including the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota (145%); the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida (85%); the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota (96%); the Diocese of Honolulu (37%); and the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska (40%).
Archdiocese of Detroit
This year in the Archdiocese of Detroit there were 583 catechumens and 845 candidates received into the Church on Easter. A spokesperson for the archdiocese told EWTN News that 2026 was its largest class since 2005, when it received 584 catechumens and 905 candidates.
At the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament on April 4, Archbishop Edward Weisenburger of Detroit welcomed the newest members. Along with the dozens of individuals who entered the Church at the cathedral's Easter Vigil, at least 1,428 people were received into the Church across the archdiocese.
Sharon Khalil, 26, is baptized at the Easter Vigil at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit on April 4, 2026. | Credit: Izzy Cortese/Detroit Catholic
The archdiocese has been witnessing increases the past few years, with 793 people in 2024 and 977 in 2025.
Diocese of Boise
The Diocese of Boise, Idaho, is still compiling numbers to determine exactly how many people the city welcomed into the Church on Easter this year but said it could confirm that there was "a meaningful increase in the number of both catechumens and candidates who have been fully initiated into the Church," a spokesperson for the diocese told EWTN News.
The demographics of people differ across dioceses, but in Boise the growth was "especially evident among young people, many of whom are drawn to the transcendent beauty, clarity, and orthodoxy of the Catholic faith," the spokesperson said.
The "broader reality is already clear: The Holy Spirit is at work, and the Church in the Diocese of Boise is experiencing a renewed vitality through those responding to the call to discipleship," the spokesperson said.
Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles reported that it welcomed more than 8,500 people into the Church this Easter, with a 139% increase from last year.
In 2023, the city welcomed a combined 3,462 catechumens and candidates, including both children and adults. The following year, there was a slight growth to 3,596 people, and then the number jumped to 5,587 in 2025.
In 2026, the archdiocese had a large surge with 2,452 catechumens and 6,146 candidates for a total of 8,598 people.
While there is no clear answer to the large increase in the city or other areas, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles reported individuals in the archdiocese said it was God himself who brought them to their conversions.
Other notable numbers
While many areas saw increases, some did report slight decreases. The Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, and the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas, were among the dioceses that experienced decreases this year, according to the Register's survey.
The Diocese of Shreveport, Louisiana, welcomed about 257 combined candidates and catechumens this year. This was a decrease from 329 in 2025. But, its 2026 numbers are up considerably from 2021, when it only welcomed 89 people.
In the Diocese of Helena, Montana, diocesan officials believe this year's group of those entering the Church is the largest that the diocese has had since the Rite of Election was restored after Vatican II. It also witnessed a notable 60% increase from last Easter, Hallow reported.
Many dioceses saw record-breaking classes in 2025 but still managed to surpass the numbers this year. In 2024, the Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama, welcomed its largest group of candidates and catechumens in a decade. Both last year and this year it surpassed that number, even witnessing a 36% increase in 2026 from 2025.
The fastest-growing diocese was found to be the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, which grew 145%, with 186 combined catechumens and candidates in 2026, compared with just 76 last year.
The Diocese of Pittsburgh experienced a growth of 108%. The increase is especially notable after the diocese announced the permanent closure of seven churches, which went into effective March 12.
The Johnson Amendment remains in effect for now, though the new guidance, expected later this year, could offer churches more clarity on permissible political speech during religious services.
Following a federal judge's dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the Johnson Amendment, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have announced that they plan to issue additional guidance on the law's application to religious organizations.
The case, National Religious Broadcasters v. Bessent, was filed in August 2024 by the National Religious Broadcasters, two Texas churches, and Intercessors for America.
Plaintiffs argued the 1954 Johnson Amendment, which bars 501(c)(3) nonprofits from endorsing political candidates, violated the First Amendment and other protections.
On March 31, U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker dismissed the case for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction, citing the Tax Anti-Injunction Act and the Declaratory Judgment Act.
The forthcoming guidance "will provide clear, administrable standards for houses of worship, including how the law applies to certain communications made within the context of religious services," according to an April 3 press release from the Treasury Department.
"Religious liberty is foundational to our Constitution ... Treasury and the IRS will provide additional clarity and guidance to houses of worship that reflect these ideals and uphold the First Amendment," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, noting the administration's commitment to protecting religious freedom.
In July 2025, the Trump administration had agreed to a proposed consent judgment with the plaintiffs that would have allowed certain religious communications about electoral politics from the pulpit.
That agreement was never approved by the court, however.
Last summer the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reiterated that, despite that agreement, the Catholic Church will continue its long-standing policy of not endorsing or opposing political candidates.
The Johnson Amendment remains in effect for now, though the new guidance, which is expected later this year, could offer churches more clarity on permissible political speech during religious services.
Military Archbishop Timothy Broglio spoke about his support for the ceasefire agreement and his wish that Lebanon was included.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, expressed relief that the United States and Iran entered a two-week ceasefire but maintained concerns about Lebanon's exclusion from the deal.
"Obviously I'm happy for anything that might lead us toward peace," Broglio told anchor Veronica Dudo in an April 8 interview on "EWTN News Nightly" prerecorded at 11:30 a.m. ET.
"I'm happy that at least the two sides are talking to each other and perhaps looking for a solution to avoid any sort of armed conflict and perhaps pull back on the tensions in the area," he said.
President Donald Trump announced on April 7 that he would hold off on further attacks as both countries negotiate long-term peace.
Part of the ceasefire agreement is that Iran will keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Reports from Iranian media Wednesday afternoon claimed that Iran had again closed the strait because of Israeli strikes on Lebanon. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the reports "unacceptable," but as of the time of publication the ceasefire continues.
The ceasefire suspended Trump's plan to destroy Iran's power plants and bridges just hours after he threatened that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again."
Although he expressed some relief for the potential progress, Broglio said in the interview there is "genuine concern" about Lebanon's exclusion, and it is "problematic that it isn't a whole vision of the entire area," as the Middle East has been "a tinderbox for a long time."
"It would be helpful that any sort of peace dialogue involve all of the participants and all of those who might be either belligerents or victims of any sort of military action," Broglio said.
The archbishop said the dialogue "should have taken place before any sort of military action was taking place" and noted that the United States was not directly attacked before it launched the military strikes on Iran, and he believes some elements were missing to justify the American attack, based on Catholic just war doctrine.
"It's a long process because the tensions are so extreme and also the emotions in that part of the world are so strong," he said. "But I think that certainly what Pope Leo has said … is that we really have to sit down and dialogue rather than see men and women sacrifice their lives for an armed conflict. And I think it's essential to enter into a process of negotiation, which of course means that everyone's going to have to cede something."
Broglio said he hopes, in these negotiations, religious figures "could bring the notion of dialogue, the notion of understanding, the attempt to listen to one another."
"I think it would be a valuable contribution to the discourse because the three great monotheistic religions are all involved in that area," he said. "I think we could bring something to bear."
Broglio said the archdiocese is united with Pope Leo XIV's calls for Catholics to pray for peace in the region. The Holy Father announced on Easter that he will lead a prayer vigil for peace on April 11 at St. Peter's Basilica.
"We'll certainly encourage people to pray for peace," Broglio said. "We are more interested than most in peace because the men and women that I'm privileged to serve know what warfare costs firsthand."
Spiritual needs of the soldiers
With many American soldiers stationed throughout the Middle East as negotiations continue, Broglio said the archdiocese is working "to meet the spiritual needs with the chaplains who are actually in the Middle East right now."
"I know that they are working very hard to answer some of the questions that men and women might have," he said. "They're bringing the sacraments to them. And at the same time, most of the families that were in the area, such as the ones who were in Bahrain, have been brought home. So [families of the soldiers are] either in Europe or they're back in the United States."
"But obviously they're separated from their loved ones. So that is another area where there has to be some ministerial assistance," the archbishop said. "And there also has to be some, some ability to listen and to try to comfort them in this time of separation. If you think about people who have moved to a place and then are completely uprooted, it's a very drastic situation for them. And so they certainly need the comfort of the sacraments and also the counsel that chaplains can bring."
Bishop Samson Shukardin said government committees are often delayed so people forget, as protests continue over the marriage of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz.
LAHORE, Pakistan — The head of the Catholic Church in Pakistan has expressed a guarded response to government committees formed to review a recent ruling by the country's top constitutional court that upheld the marriage and conversion of a Christian minor.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar announced on Easter Sunday, April 5, that the government had constituted a committee to examine the March 25 judgment of the Federal Constitutional Court validating the marriage of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz to 30-year-old Shaheryar Ahmad.
A protest for Maria Shahbaz outside Hyderabad Press Club, organized by the Catholic Bishops' National Commission for Justice and Peace, on April 4, 2026, in Pakistan. | Credit: Bishop Samson Shukardin
Bishop Samson Shukardin of Hyderabad, president of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops' Conference (PCBC), voiced skepticism about the initiative.
"These issues often subside by the time such committees make their reports public. The process is deliberately delayed so that people forget," he told EWTN News.
"This is fundamentally a religious freedom issue. Consent is often coerced from minors. We await a genuine response from the government. Many Muslim clerics support us but have avoided joining public protests," he added.
A father's account
According to Maria's father, Shehbaz Masih, his daughter was abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married without consent.
A certificate issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) submitted by the family states that Maria was 13 at the time of the marriage — below the legal minimum age of 18. The family has since taken refuge in a shelter and was unavailable for comment.
The case dates back to July 2025, when Masih, a resident of Lahore, reported that his daughter had been abducted by a Muslim man after stepping out to a nearby shop.
Dismissing a petition filed by the father seeking custody, the court ruled that the marriage was valid under "Muhammadan law" and that the husband held lawful guardianship.
Protests and backlash
The judgment triggered widespread reaction on social media, along with protests, press conferences, and conventions across the country. At least three Catholic bishops, along with the PCBC, issued statements urging authorities to review the ruling.
The backlash prompted government engagement with the concerns of the country's Christian minority, estimated at 1.37% (3.28 million people).
Addressing an interfaith Easter gathering in Lahore, Tarar assured Christian leaders of his support, saying the committee's recommendations would be submitted to the Ministry of Law and Justice within a week.
Archbishop Azad Marshall, moderator/president bishop of the Church of Pakistan, a united Protestant denomination, meets with ecumenical leaders and Christian politicians following an April 6, 2026, consultation on the Maria Shahbaz case at Waris Road, Lahore. | Credit: Church of Pakistan
Legal dimensions
Meanwhile, Punjab Minister for Minorities Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora said his department was forming a parallel committee to examine the legal dimensions of the case.
Mary James Gill, a Christian lawyer, former lawmaker, and executive director of the Center for Law and Justice who serves on the committee, welcomed the move as a "genuine concern to find a way forward."
"It is highly encouraging that a state representative personally took up the issue. However, we are still in a consultative process," she told EWTN News, noting shortcomings in both the lower courts and within the affected community.
"The petition was filed under Section 491 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which pertains to habeas corpus, and not to determining the exact age of the girl — a question that remains disputed," Gill said.
"Regrettably, no such verification was carried out in the lower courts. In cases where documentation is ambiguous, magistrates and sessions judges tend to rely on in-person statements, consent, and their own observations."
She noted that the Christian Marriage Act of 1872 governs the solemnization of marriages involving one or more Christians.
"Similarly, the personal laws of both Christianity and Islam in Pakistan remain silent on the age of conversion. Church leaders need to revisit and update these frameworks. At the same time, parents must place greater emphasis on the ideological and moral formation of their children," she added.
In an April 6 letter to the law ministry, Anthony Naveed, deputy speaker of the Sindh Assembly, urged the federal government to address "serious legal gaps" exposed by the ruling and called for uniform amendments aligning provincial laws with Balochistan's legislation, which explicitly invalidates child marriages.
A pattern of abuse
For decades, rights advocates have called for stronger legal and administrative measures to prevent the abduction and forced religious conversion of girls from minority communities.
At least 515 cases of abduction and forced conversion of minority girls and women were reported between 2021 and 2025, according to the Center for Social Justice. Hindu girls accounted for 69% (353 cases), followed by Christian girls at 31% (160 cases). Most victims were under 18, with cases concentrated in Sindh and Punjab.
Shukardin said courts in the Muslim-majority country are not consistently applying laws prohibiting marriage under 18.
"The Church is not in favor of marriages involving conversion under such circumstances. We demand safety for our daughters and will continue to raise our voice for underage brides of any religion," he said.
The friar leaves behind a lasting legacy of service of the poor with a life modeled on St. Francis of Assisi. The community he co-founded has a presence in both Europe and the Americas.
French friar Jean-Claude Chupin, OFM, co-founder of the Community of the Lamb, passed away at the age of 95 on Easter Sunday, April 5, at Saint-Pierre, the order's motherhouse in France.
Born on Sept. 29, 1931, he founded the public association of the faithful, which is characterized by a Dominican spirituality, in 1981 together with "Little Sister Marie." The community is composed of missionary brothers and sisters who live out a contemplative vocation and an evangelizing presence, particularly among the poor.
He entered the Franciscan novitiate at the age of 21 and professed his first vows on Sept. 17, the feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis.
While serving as a parish priest in the villages near the French town of Vézelay, he met a group of Dominican sisters from the Roman Congregation of St. Dominic, to whom he preached during a retreat in 1974.
That encounter was providential: Among those attending the retreat was Sister Marie, with whom he shared a conviction regarding the urgency of returning to the Gospel, a sentiment in harmony with the spirit of renewal of the Second Vatican Council.
As a result of this experience and encouraged by his Franciscan brothers, who encouraged him to attend to the spiritual needs of the sisters, the foundations were laid for what would, over the years, become the Community of the Lamb.
Living with the poor on the streets
Nevertheless, Chupin never ceased to be a Franciscan. In fact, he was known as "the little brother who wears brown," as he continued to wear the habit of the Franciscan friars. It was not until 1994 that he assumed an official role within the Community of the Lamb.
His love for the poor played a decisive role in his life. After repeatedly requesting permission from his superiors, from 1982 to 1993 he was sent on mission to the streets alongside two Franciscan brothers.
During the 11 years he spent preaching and living alongside the poor of the streets, he never failed to attend the chapters of the Community of the Lamb in the French Pyrenees, becoming for the brothers and sisters a true spiritual father.
The community noted that his health had been in decline since last January, which allowed many brothers to accompany him, including spiritually, during this final stage of his life.
"Until the very end, in a way that edified us all, Brother Jean-Claude laid down his life, drawing on his last reserves of strength to offer each and every one of us his smile, a word of friendship, his kind gaze, and his fraternal and paternal attention," read the statement released following his passing.
The brothers and sisters of the Community of the Lamb highlighted their deep union with Jesus and the Gospel as well as their love for St. Francis of Assisi. "Gospel, Gospel, Gospel!" the friar used to say.
They also gave thanks for his life, which was "filled with the light of the Gospel," and for the gift "that he was and will always continue to be, for all those he accompanied with his faithful friendship: a father, a brother, a friend."
Currently, the Community of the Lamb consists of approximately 170 sisters and 40 brothers, present in countries such as France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Poland, Argentina, Chile, and the United States. Currently, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, archbishop emeritus of Vienna, is the bishop responsible for the community.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
EWTN News shines a light on Lebanon and its rich diversity in a new film.
EWTN News, in collaboration with its news partner in the Middle East and North Africa, ACI MENA, has launched a documentary titled "Christianity in Lebanon: Rock of Faith."
The documentary highlights Lebanon's religious diversity and richness, especially among members of its Christian community. It examines their history, the reality of their presence today, and the sources of their resilience amid a complex political landscape and the challenges of economic crisis, war, and emigration, as well as the role of the younger generation and its efforts to build a brighter future.
Opening with a sweeping scene from atop the statue of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa overlooking Beirut, journalist Colm Flynn begins his journey through a people known for their cultural richness, deep faith, and steadfast endurance, searching for an answer to one pressing question: What does the future hold for Lebanon?
Charbel and Leo
The documentary was filmed during Pope Leo XIV's historic visit to Lebanon, his first apostolic journey there, late last year. Its producers chose to focus on one of the visit's most prominent stops: the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya. In the documentary, Father Louis Matar, the monastery's caretaker, where Lebanon's best-known saint, St. Charbel, is buried, recounts the saint's life in its successive stages.
He points to the saint's special place among Lebanese people and believers more broadly as well as his worldwide renown. Many visit his tomb asking for his intercession, trusting that God will answer their prayers. The number of visitors to his shrine surpassed 4.5 million in 2025 — including Pope Leo.
An ancient history
The documentary traces the history of Christianity in Lebanon back to the first century, when the first apostles and their disciples brought the good news there. It shows how Christianity took root over the centuries, with religious orders flourishing and churches thriving, especially the Maronite Church, which remained in communion with Rome and helped shape the country's religious and cultural identity.
In this context, Bishop Michel Aoun, president of the executive committee of the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, in the documentary highlights the connection between the apostles Paul and Mark and the Lebanese cities of Tyre and Byblos as evidence of Christianity's presence in Lebanon from its earliest centuries. He notes that Christians made up nearly 60% of the population at the time of the country's founding, compared with about 30% today.
Lebanon's Christians and Muslims
Recalling the words of St. John Paul II, "Lebanon is more than a country; it is a message," Aoun says views differ regarding Christian-Muslim coexistence in Lebanon. Some believe what unites them is greater than what divides them and attribute the fragility of coexistence to Lebanon's being caught in conflicts larger than itself. Others warn that Christians' political role has shrunk, leaving them to pay the price for conflicts in which they are not a party.
Ongoing suffering
The documentary also revisits painful events that have shaken Lebanon, beginning with the civil war in the mid-1970s, which divided Beirut into eastern and western sectors, followed by the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, the financial and economic collapse, the Beirut port explosion, and the war now raging and its consequences for the country, especially the towns and villages of the south.
A shared bleeding
Successive wars and crises have forced Lebanese people, both Christians and Muslims, to emigrate. Notably, Lebanon's population is about 6 million, while nearly 15 million other Lebanese live abroad around the world. Some have returned in an attempt to build a new life in their homeland, but others, according to the documentary, do not seem to be thinking of returning.
Sharbel Bou Maroun, president of the Levant Center for Studies and Research, says the economic situation is going from bad to worse, and millions of Lebanese around the world feel there is no longer anything to return to. Mounting crises continue to push more people to leave, while others remain firmly attached to staying, saying, "This is our land, our roots are here, and we helped found this country."
Despair and witnesses of hope
In the face of the psychological harm and discouragement caused by repeated crises, especially among young people, some have turned to alcohol or drugs as a way to escape. But many more remain attached to hope.
The documentary offers life stories that embody this perseverance. Singer Rima Turk sees her talent as a blessing from God and has dedicated it to praising and glorifying him. Through her service with the Nasroto association, she works to help people struggling with addiction recover through psychological and spiritual support, which she describes as the most effective path.
William Noun lost his brother, firefighter Joseph, in the Beirut port explosion while he and his colleagues were trying to extinguish a fire that preceded the blast. But he did not lose hope. In the documentary, he recounts his pain and the "breath of peace" he felt when the pope met them at the port and prayed in silence. William continues to raise his voice in pursuit of justice for the victims of the explosion.
The experience of Dr. Amal Chaaya is also featured in the documentary. She speaks of how her faith helped her transform the suffering of losing her sight into insight, work, and creativity, thanking the Lord who gave her strength to carry that cross.
The documentary also presents the experience of Charbel and Giovanni Latif and their efforts through the Christians of the East platform to shed light on their history, current reality, and steadfastness, especially for members of the diaspora, so that they remain connected to their homelands.
Pope Leo's visit
Pope Leo XIV's visit to Lebanon receives in-depth attention in the documentary. It captures the atmosphere of joy and popular enthusiasm that accompanied it, especially among young people, both Christian and Muslim, and how prominently it featured across media and social platforms. It also presents differing views regarding the visit.
Lebanon's Christians do not deny the pain. Yet despite successive crises, wars, and their heavy consequences, their faith remains firm, their endurance steadfast, and their hope for a better tomorrow unbroken. In all of this, they offer the clearest answer to the pressing question about the future.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Police are searching for a truck driver who fled after plowing into a predawn Easter procession in Punjab, killing a 17-year-old and injuring more than 60.
LAHORE, Pakistan — Police in Pakistan are continuing their search for a driver who fled after a truck rammed into an Easter procession, killing a teenage boy and injuring more than 60 people, as concerns grow over accountability and safety lapses four days after the incident.
The crash occurred in the early hours of April 5 in Mariamabad in Punjab's Wazirabad district, where around 200 Catholics had gathered for a predawn Easter service. Irfan Bashir, a 17-year-old laborer, died of a head injury on April 6.
Officials said the suspect, identified as Muhammad Bilal, remains at large. The vehicle involved in the incident and the driver's assistant are in police custody, and a case has been registered.
"We are conducting daily raids to arrest the driver," said Muhammad Ahmad, the assistant sub-inspector who filed the case, attributing the incident to overspeeding.
He added that the vehicle was empty and heading to a poultry farm and claimed the procession was held without prior police notification.
At least 14 injured remain hospitalized in two hospitals in nearby Gujranwala, some in serious condition. Doctors said most victims suffered fractures and trauma caused by the impact and the ensuing panic.
The Punjab government set up a medical camp at the local Catholic church on April 6 to assist victims in Mariamabad, a village of about 100 families comprising both Christians and Muslims.
Disputed claims
Church representatives and community members have disputed police claims that authorities were not informed in advance. Organizers insist prior notice had been given, raising concerns over coordination failures.
Father Shahrukh Nathaniel, who led the sunrise service, said road processions have now been suspended following the tragedy.
"We have asked the government to install speed breakers [in some countries called speed bumps] and barriers outside the church, which is located on a main road," he told EWTN News. "The faithful usually gather outside after Mass, which increases the risk."
He said authorities have promised financial compensation for the victims and praised the establishment of a medical camp amid shortages in government hospitals, while urging the swift arrest of the driver.
'It was the worst Easter'
Among the injured is the father of Mark Mathew, a ninth-grade student who was setting off fireworks at the front of the procession when the truck struck. His father, a furniture maker, suffered a fractured leg and is bedridden, while his mother sustained injuries to her knee and eye.
"I feel lucky to be alive," Mark said. "It was the worst Easter, visiting injured relatives and friends in hospitals."
Rights advocates say the case highlights broader concerns over the safety of minority religious gatherings in Pakistan.
Capuchin friar condemns 'Christianophobia'
In an April 8 statement, Capuchin Father Lazar Aslam, convener of the Justice, Peace, and Ecology Commission, "vehemently condemned this irresponsible and heinous act," describing it as a "clear Christianophobia-driven hate crime."
"This was not a mere traffic accident; it was a targeted assault on innocent worshippers at the most sacred moment of their liturgical calendar," he said. "The driver's failure to stop or render aid, and his decision to flee the scene, further underscores the malicious nature of this crime."
He added that "the persistent silence and minimization of such incidents are as painful as the violence itself," warning that genuine interfaith dialogue cannot exist without truth and safety.
"Until the lives of Christians are treated with equal dignity and those responsible are held accountable, empty words of peace will remain insufficient to heal the wounds of the community," he said.
Aslam called for immediate justice for the victims and urged authorities to ensure comprehensive medical treatment for impoverished families most severely affected by the tragedy.
In September 2025, a Catholic pilgrim was killed and a teenager injured when gunmen attacked a van carrying devotees to the country's largest Marian shrine in Mariamabad. The group was traveling through the Sheikhupura district to attend the annual Sept. 8 feast of the Nativity of Mary, which draws thousands each year.
The New York State Department of Health warned the sisters about "refusing to assign a room to a resident other than in accordance with the resident's gender identity."
A group of Catholic religious sisters has taken care of terminal cancer patients free of charge in New York for almost 125 years without a problem.
Now, state officials are warning the sisters and other nursing home administrators about restricting rooms and bathrooms to one sex and failing to use preferred personal pronouns for patients who identify as transgender. The state is also requiring public postings of an antidiscrimination notice.
The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who operate Rosary Hill Home, a 42-bed facility, have received three letters from the state's public health agency, including one warning about "refusing to assign a room to a resident other than in accordance with the resident's gender identity," "prohibiting a resident from using a restroom available to other persons of the same gender identity," and "willfully and repeatedly failing to use a resident's preferred name or pronouns after being clearly informed of the preferred name or pronouns."
The letters took the sisters off guard; a state agency's website shows zero complaints against Rosary Hill Home, located in Hawthorne, a hamlet in the Westchester County town of Mount Pleasant, about 30 miles northeast of Manhattan.
But complying with the state's rules is not an option for them, since the directives contradict their Catholic faith, the sisters told the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News.
The Catholic Church teaches that sex can't be changed or separated from gender, although it also says people identifying as transgender must be treated with respect and compassion.
"I think the most important thing is that we are adamant in keeping our Catholic identity. Without that, there's no purpose for us to do what we're doing," Mother Marie Edward, OP, the superior of the religious congregation, told the Register.
Entrance to the Rosary Hill Home, a 42-bed facility located in Westchester County, about 30 miles northeast of Manhattan in New York. | Credit: "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly"/Screenshot
The sisters filed a lawsuit against the state on Monday, claiming the state is violating their rights under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in White Plains, names as defendants New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and four state administrators in the New York State Department of Health. All are sued in their official capacity.
The complaint claims that the state is violating the sisters' freedom of speech by requiring them to state a point of view they don't agree with and their free exercise of religion by requiring them to make statements against their Catholic faith.
The complaint also notes that the state statute appears to exempt institutions run by the Church of Christ, Scientist — it doesn't apply to those "whose teachings include reliance on spiritual means through prayer alone for healing" — which the complaint says violates the Catholic sisters' religious freedom by favoring one religion over another.
A spokesman for the governor did not respond to a request for comment by publication of this story.
Cadence Acquaviva, senior public information officer for the New York State Department of Health, also contacted by the Register, emailed the Register the following statement: "While the department does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation, the department is committed to following state law, which provides nursing home residents certain rights protecting against discrimination including, but not limited to, gender identity or expression."
New York law
The letters to the sisters from the state's public health agency stem from a statute that the New York Legislature passed in 2023 with little fanfare and almost no opposition, known as "The Long-Term Care Facility Residents' Bill of Rights for LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers and People Living with HIV."
The state Legislature's website shows no public hearing for the bill that created the law. When it was introduced on the floor of the lower chamber, the New York State Assembly, in June 2023, the bill drew questions from three Republicans over the course of about 10 minutes, mostly informational and none hostile. Religious liberty did not come up.
The Assembly passed the bill 144-2. The New York Senate passed the bill 55-7. Hochul signed the bill into law on Nov. 30, 2023, the eve of World AIDS Day.
"New York's seniors should be able to live their lives with the dignity and respect they deserve, free from discrimination of every kind," Hochul said, according to a press release issued by her office at the time. "LGBTQIA + and HIV-positive seniors are among our most vulnerable populations, and today we are taking steps to ensure that all New Yorkers — regardless of who they are, who they love, or their HIV status — find safety and support in places where they need it the most. Hate will never have a place in New York."
The sisters told the Register they had never heard of the bill until the letters from the state started arriving about two years ago. State officials have not taken steps against the sisters, but the sisters say they're worried that they will.
"Over 125 years, as far as they know, they've never once had a patient who was wanting to make the gender journey, to transition. And that's significant, because why are we going through this?" said L. Martin Nussbaum, the sisters' lawyer and a partner with First & Fourteenth, a law firm with an office in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in an interview. "This law imposed on the Dominican Hawthorne Sisters is a form of gender ideology virtue signaling, to require these sisters to be trained in an ideology entirely contrary to Catholic belief."
"Why are we doing this? We don't even have such patients," Nussbaum said. "It's the state requiring these holy nuns to bend the knee to an ideology contrary to their faith."
One letter from the state warned the sisters that their nursing home can't "restrict a resident's right to associate with other residents or with visitors, including the right to consensual expression of intimacy or sexual relations, unless the restriction is uniformly applied to all residents in a nondiscriminatory manner."
Rosary Hill Home belongs to the Catholic Benefits Association, which advocates for free exercise of religion rights of members in providing employee benefits. Nussbaum, who represents the association, said the state's gender-identity requirements are creating a problem where there was none.
"The sisters do not want to litigate. They want this resolved, and they want to focus on their ministry," Nussbaum said.
The congregation
The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne was founded by Mother Mary Alphonsa, who was known as Rose Hawthorne Lathrop (1851–1926) before she entered religious life. She was one of three children of the 19th-century novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of "The House of the Seven Gables" and "The Scarlet Letter."
Raised Unitarian, Rose converted to Catholicism during the 1890s. In 1896, she opened an apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan for patients with incurable cancer.
The foundress of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, Mother Mary Alphonsa, was the daughter of the renowned 19th-century American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. | Credit: "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly"/Screenshot
"I set my whole being to endeavor to bring consolation to the cancerous poor," she later wrote, according to a biography of her on the congregation's website.
She founded a religious congregation in 1900, which opened a nursing home in Hawthorne, New York, in June 1901.
Pope Francis in March 2024 declared her venerable, which is two steps below canonization. Her cause needs a miracle to proceed to beatification and another to qualify her to be declared a saint.
The congregation currently has 44 sisters, split between New York and another nursing facility in Atlanta called Our Lady of Perpetual Help Home.
In the New York facility, about 14 sisters tend to sick patients with the help of lay certified nursing assistants, sisters told the Register.
The home has no limit on the length of stay, and some patients stay for years, sisters told the Register, though the average stay is about two to three months. The vast majority of patients who come to the nursing home die there.
'We've given our life to God'
The New York facility was the subject of an admiring photographic essay and short article in The New York Times Magazine in May 2016, spearheaded by a photographer who appreciated the care the sisters had given to her Jewish mother-in-law when she was dying of cancer.
Mother Marie Edward, who joined the congregation in 1979, told the Register that living their Catholic faith and witnessing to it to others are essential for the sisters, whose work is only partly about taking care of the sick.
"Nursing is a marvelous work in and of itself, but our sisters are, we're all consecrated, we've taken vows, we've given our life to God, and certainly prayer is utmost, primary. That we consider a work, and the sisters live a very enclosed life of prayer first, and then it spills over into the care of the patients, so that we are to care for the patients as if they were Christ, the suffering Christ," she said.
"And to do that, we have to be very strong in our identity as Christians, and to follow the teachings of Christ," she added. "So to do something that goes contrary to that, it just wouldn't work."
The superior general cited John 14:6 as one of the reasons the sisters can't treat males as if they were females, or vice versa.
"Christ is the center, and the Eucharist sustains us. But Christ is also, as he said, the way, the truth, and the life. And if he's the truth, then we cannot practice what we do, incorporating something that is an untruth," she explained.
"And it is an untruth to say that a male should go into a female patient's room. You're just trying to contort things, for whatever reason. So we have to stand by the truth of what has been taught to us in the natural law. It is not to be changed," Mother Marie Edward said.
"For us, this is what sustains us," added Sister Stella Mary, the superior of Rosary Hill Home, who joined in 2006.
"This is our strength. If our faith wasn't there, the type of care we provide would not be the same," she said.
"I'm not saying that other people cannot do so, but the things and the environment that permeates in this place is very different because of our faith, because Christ is here present in the Eucharist," she continued.
"And anybody that comes in here will always say how peaceful it feels in here, the difference from any other place that they've been to," she said. "So I think there is no way we could do what we do day in and day out, with the difficulties that caring for the sick means, without having our faith."
Nussbaum, the congregation's lawyer, told the Register that the state's requirements on gender identity pose an existential threat to the nursing home, because both the home and the staff members who work there need to renew their licenses under state rules.
The Register asked the sisters if they are concerned that the state might force their nearly 125-year-old nursing home to shut down if they don't comply.
"I'm not really worried, because I know the Lord is going to take care of us," Mother Marie Edward said.
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
An Augustinian confrere of Pope Leo XIV discussed the pontiff's upcoming trip to four African countries.
When Pope Leo XIV visits Africa for the first time as pontiff next week, Catholics and others across the continent will be watching with interest for what it reveals about the pope's agenda and priorities for their region. One of those watching will be Bishop John Niyiring of Kano, Nigeria, a fellow Augustinian and longtime friend of the pope.
The pope is scheduled to visit Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon on his first apostolic journey to the continent April 13–23.
Growing conflict between African Muslims and Christians
Niyiring is concerned about the state of Christian-Muslim relations in Africa, particularly in Muslim-majority countries such as Algeria.
Niyiring described the situation as one of fear between the two religions. His comments on the situation echo those of several African prelates who have recently voiced concern over the plight of Christians on the continent, highlighting the struggle Christians often face to practice their faith in predominantly Muslim African countries.
"There is always that fear between Christianity and Islam," Niyiring told EWTN News. "Islam is becoming a religion that is quite strong in Africa, and we Christians will have to engage with Muslim leaders. … But it is dialogue that takes that fear out. Without dialogue, people will always be suspicious and afraid of one another. I am sure that the Holy Father will say something about that."
Niyiring said he hopes the pope's trip also raises awareness of other issues often ignored in the West, including poverty, political corruption, and the plight of young girls in Africa.
"In many countries, perhaps in the West, nobody discusses the issues facing young girls on the streets. We see many of them on our streets [as victims of sex trafficking], and there are situations where they don't get the attention they need, especially in education," he said.
Regarding politicians, the bishop said: "In Africa today, there are people who want to be in government, but they're hardly interested in the well-being of their people. We would like to hear Leo say more about [political corruption], encouraging our leaders to be leaders who love their people and are there to serve them."
Serving with the then-Father Robert Prevost
The future pope, then-Father Robert Prevost, served as prior general of the Augustinians from 2001 to 2013. During this period, Prevost played a key role in helping establish a new province for the Augustinians in Nigeria, an experience that greatly enhanced the future pope's knowledge of the country and the African continent.
"His trip to Nigeria in 2001 — one of several he made there — was the first canonical visit he made outside Rome as prior general. I worked closely with him after I became the provincial superior of the Augustinians in Nigeria in 2005, until I became a bishop in 2008. His presence there was crucial. There were also projects underway in Nigeria and across Africa, and he helped a lot in raising funds to build them. I brought many problems to his attention as the provincial of a young order. And he was always attentive and always emphasized the importance of finding new approaches to issues," Niyiring said.
Niyiring also praised the pope's leadership style while serving the Augustinians, noting his attentiveness and calm.
"He has a pleasant personality. He was always attentive and always emphasized the importance of finding new approaches to issues. He encouraged us to be open to the promptings of the spirit and willing to change in situations that needed it."
