Catholic News

The centuries-old devotion to Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno of Quiapo, Manila, in the Philippines has formally reached the U.S. West Coast as an official replica of the revered image was turned over to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and entrusted to Holy Family Parish in Artesia and the archdiocese's Filipino ministry.

The replica, gifted by the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesús Nazareno in Manila, will be enthroned at Holy Family Parish and serve as a pilgrim image, visiting parishes across the archdiocese's five pastoral regions as part of a broader evangelization initiative.

The arrival of the image marks the fruit of an evangelization effort spearheaded by then-rector of Quiapo Church, now Bishop Rufino Sescon of Balanga, Bataan. According to Father John Cordero of the Marian Missionaries of the Holy Cross, pastor of Holy Family Parish, the development unfolded providentially.

"The real starting point of this development was the evangelization initiative of the National Shrine of Jesús Nazareno in Manila, spearheaded by then-rector and now bishop of Balanga, Rufino 'Jun' Sescon," Cordero told EWTN News.

The replica was initially offered to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles through Father Rodel Balagtas, priest liaison to the Filipino Ministry. Although another parish had first expressed willingness to host the image, no final arrangements had been made.

Months later, Sescon personally contacted Cordero — a former graduate school classmate — to reestablish communication between Quiapo Church and a receiving parish. What seemed at first a closed matter reopened, and Cordero discerned that the parish could accommodate the image by converting a religious goods store in the vestibule into a shrine.

"I noticed something that had slipped my attention: We have space," Cordero said. After consultation with Filipino Ministry leaders, including its president and parishioner Noel Motus, the parish agreed to receive the image. "It is a gift from the national shrine, and our parish was merely chosen to be the caretakers."

Formal reception and Mass

Sescon will celebrate the Mass marking the official arrival and reception of the replica in Los Angeles on Feb. 14. Later this year, the image will also be brought to the annual Religious Education Congress, further expanding its exposure to thousands of catechists and ministry leaders.

Bishop Oscar Solis of Salt Lake City — the first Filipino-born bishop to lead a diocese in the United States — is also scheduled to celebrate a Mass in connection with the image's visit.

While there was no prior organized clamor among parishioners for a Nazareno image, Cordero said the parishioners' response after learning that their parish will be the home of the replica has been one of "sheer joy," with Filipino and Hispanic faithful alike rallying around the new shrine.

"As a pastor explaining this new devotion to my multicultural parish, I would like to point to our mutual interconnectedness with this image," he said. "This is primarily an image of Jesus, the focal point of our Christian unity."

Historical connections

The original image of the Jesús Nazareno, which arrived in Manila from Mexico in 1606, bears deep historical ties to both the Philippines and the Americas. California itself was once part of Mexico, and devotion to Jesús Nazareno has long-standing roots throughout Latin America.

"The image, touched by hundreds of millions of pilgrims throughout its four centuries of devotional history, connects us with the everyday faith stories of all who identify with the suffering of Our Lord," Cordero said.

In a gesture underscoring that spiritual continuity, "like the Galileans who were content with touching the tassels of the cloak of Jesus for their healing," Cordero requested Father Jade Licuanan, the current Quiapo Basilica rector, to have the replica be touched to the original image in Quiapo before being shipped to the United States. Cordero described this as an "intimate act of blessing and sending."

Mass devotion in Manila

The devotion to the image once known as the "Black Nazarene" is among the largest Catholic expressions of popular piety in the world. Each January, millions of barefoot devotees join the Traslación procession in Manila, accompanying the dark wooden image of Christ carrying the cross through the streets of Quiapo.

Cordero, who recently visited the basilica, described the scale of devotion as "mind-boggling," noting that even hourly Masses draw thousands of worshippers.

Now, he believes, the image comes to Los Angeles at a providential moment.

"Amid a sociopolitical climate marked by fear and division, this symbol of our connection in the Lord and with one another, embodied in this rustic image of Jesus carrying the cross, offers us consolation and mission," he said.

Citing the U.S. bishops' pastoral letter "A Treasured Presence," which describes Filipino Catholics as a vital but often unseen minority in the United States, Cordero said the Nazareno highlights the "prophetic resiliency and joy" they bring to the Church.

"The Jesús Nazareno reassures us that we are not alone in bearing our crosses," he said. "In this strange new world, our Catholic faith has been our familiar refuge of connection, support, and strength."

Revitalizing faith

Balagtas said he hopes the popular Filipino icon that has a rich tradition in Latin America will help revitalize the faith of the people of the largest and most ethnically diverse archdiocese in the United States, thanks to the vibrant devotion of Filipino Catholics.

"The people who are filling the pews of the churches in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as in other dioceses, are Filipino Catholics."

From Quiapo, Manila's narrow streets, where millions gather each year for the Traslación, to the sprawling parishes of Southern California, the cross-bearing Christ now stands in a new land — inviting the faithful not only to venerate but also to follow him.

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The annual three-day cultural event hosted by Communion and Liberation, a movement within the Church founded by Father Luigi Giussani, begins this Friday evening with a video message from Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa.

This year's New York Encounter will center on the theme "Where Everything Is Waiting for You," focusing on "the reemerging human desire for authentic belonging amid global isolation, emphasizing how freedom, truth, forgiveness, and dignity foster certainty and openness in true community."

The event is set to take place Feb. 13–15 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood. Several of the presentations will be livestreamed, but for those who wish to attend in person, the event is free and open to all.

Holly Peterson, one of the event's moderators, told "EWTN News Nightly" on Feb. 10 that amid life's challenges and "the angst of the world we live in," the New York Encounter is "a place to go where everything is waiting for you."

"We'll have amazing speakers who will be able to address some of the challenges that we have today, whether it be social media or AI or whatnot," she said. "But it's a place where everyone is welcome."

Peterson said the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem has recorded a "phenomenal" video that will be aired at the event. She further highlighted several panels and discussions set to take place at the event, including one on just war theory and another featuring Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, who will be interviewing two Ukrainian bishops about the situation on the ground in Ukraine.

Dialogue and reflection will focus on urgent questions shaping common life, according to the event's website. The Encounter plans to bring together leading voices from culture, academia, faith, and the arts to explore how human flourishing is possible in today's world.

Peterson said she hopes participants will leave the event with "curiosity" and motivated to ask "deep questions and not necessarily find answers, but to be able to address some of the topics that are discussed with friends and family."

"There'll be thousands of people there, but it's all free and everyone will be welcome," she said.

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani broke a long-standing New York tradition when he missed the Feb. 6 installation Mass for Archbishop Ronald Hicks at St. Patrick's Cathedral and met with the archbishop four days later.

Joseph Zwilling, director of communications for the Archdiocese of New York, told EWTN News that "the mayor and the archbishop were together at a [New York Police Department] event" Feb. 10 and "then spoke by phone later in the day."

The archdiocese confirmed that Mamdani was invited to the installation Mass. Prior to Hicks' installation, a sitting mayor was present for at least the past five archbishop installations, which were in 2009, 2000, 1984, 1968, and 1939. Hicks replaced Cardinal Timothy Dolan following his retirement.

In Mamdani's absence, Helen Arteaga, deputy mayor for Health and Human Services, attended the Feb. 6 installation Mass. Prior to the meeting and phone call, Mamdani congratulated Hicks on social media.

"Congratulations to Archbishop Ronald Hicks on today's installment and welcome to New York City," Mamdani said in a post on X. "I know that Archbishop Hicks and I share a deep and abiding commitment to the dignity of every human being and look forward to working together to create a more just and compassionate city where every New Yorker can thrive."

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The mayor's press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mamdani became the first Muslim and first democratic-socialist mayor of the city on Jan. 1.

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, a Catholic advocacy group, criticized Mamdani for missing the Mass, saying in a statement that Mamdani "ghosted the event."

"He could easily have been there," Donohue said. "Instead, he attended to business as usual."

"One in 3 New Yorkers are Catholic, making them the largest faith community in the city," he added. "Mamdani's professed interest in diversity and inclusion obviously hits a brick wall when it comes to Catholics. He wants nothing to do with them."

Donohue also criticized some of Mamdani's policy positions, which he said includes "rabid support for abortion, gay marriage, and transgenderism (including the child abuse inherent in sex-reassignment surgery for minors)."

During his campaign, Mamdani vowed to increase public funding for abortion, hormone therapy drugs, and surgeries designed to make a person appear like the opposite sex.

Mamdani defeated two candidates with nearly 51% of the vote in the November 2025 election. His plans include free buses, city-owned grocery stores, no-cost child care, raising the minimum wage to $30 per hour, and freezing the rent for people in rent-stabilized apartments.

"Mamdani has been in office for just over a month, and already he is signaling to Catholics that they are not welcome," Donohue said.

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On the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes — the Church's World Day of the Sick — Prince George Bishop Stephen Jensen called people of faith to prayer and penance following Tuesday's mass school shooting in Tumbler Ridge in northern British Columbia, Canada.

"The unimaginable tragedy that struck the community of Tumbler Ridge yesterday has traumatized us all," Jensen said in a statement released Wednesday morning.

At least 10 people were confirmed dead, with dozens injured, after a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby residence.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the suspected shooter, an 18-year-old whom authorities said was born a biological male but identified as female, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted wound. Lockdowns and an emergency alert were lifted as officers secured the town and moved students to safety. Investigators continue examining connections between the shooter and victims.

School District 59 announced that Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and Tumbler Ridge Elementary School will remain closed for the rest of the week as the community mourns and recovers.

Tumbler Ridge, a northeastern British Columbia community of about 2,500 people, is located roughly 400 kilometers (249 miles) northeast of Prince George within the Diocese of Prince George. The town has one Catholic parish, Holy Cross Mission, served by Our Lady of Peace Parish in Chetwynd, about an hour northwest. There is no Catholic school.

Messages of prayer and solidarity poured in from across the country to the parish's Facebook page. Father Jeevan Bandanadham, SAC, pastor of Holy Cross Mission in Tumbler Ridge and Our Lady of Peace Parish in Chetwynd, reached out to parishioners Tuesday evening, saying he was "deeply saddened" to hear of the shooting.

"I am very concerned for each of you. I sincerely hope that you and your families are safe and doing well. Please know that you are in my heartfelt thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. May God surround you with his peace, comfort, and protection. Good night, and may God bless you all."

Jensen said in his statement: "The most effective response we can offer for the intentions of the dead and the survivors, their families, the emergency responders, the parish community and town, is our own prayer and penance, which God has provided that we can use to address suffering and help bring mercy and healing to all."

Other Catholic leaders across British Columbia echoed that call to prayer. In Vancouver, Archbishop Richard Smith expressed solidarity with the Diocese of Prince George and the grieving community.

"I was deeply saddened to learn of yesterday's tragic violence in Tumbler Ridge," he said. "Together with everyone in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, I offer my prayers for all who have lost loved ones and for the entire community in mourning."

His message ended: "In this time of grief, may the Lord draw close to those who suffer and grant strength to all who care for them. Let us join together in prayer for peace and healing in our province."

Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster and state chaplain for the British Columbia and Yukon Knights of Columbus said he had reached out to clergy in his eparchy immediately.

"We are shocked and saddened by the horrific event that took place in the northern community of Tumbler Ridge," he wrote to priests. "Please offer a prayer for this intention in these days in your parish liturgies together with your parishioners."

He added that while there is a Catholic mission parish in Tumbler Ridge, there is no local Knights of Columbus council, though Knights are exploring ways to assist the community.

Jensen noted the start of Lent in one week, "a time for more intense prayer and penance — personal sacrifice — to beg God's healing grace for our lives and for the world."

Jensen closed his message by stating: "Today is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. In the words of the familiar prayer, we turn to her 'mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.' May we all unite our prayers to Our Lady's intercession to ask for God's presence and mercy in our suffering world."

This story was first published by The B.C. Catholic and is reprinted here with permission. The story has been updated with the age of the alleged shooter and the information that the shooter was born a biological male but identified as female.

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The Archdiocese of Corrientes, Argentina, announced it will take appropriate canonical disciplinary measures following the celebration of a marriage between two persons who identify as "transgender" in a local parish.

The ceremony took place on Jan. 28 at Our Lady of Pompeii Parish between the two individuals, one biologically male and the other biologically female, each of whom legally changed their names and genders to the opposite sex on their national identity documents under Argentina's gender identity law.

One of the persons involved, Solange Ayala, an LGBT activist from Corrientes, said in an interview with Radio Sudamericana: "We are a trans couple who were able to receive the blessing of the Church."

Ayala noted that although getting married in a church seemed "impossible" to them, the couple explored other options. "Several people told us that this church was quite open to welcoming the community," she said in reference to Our Lady of Pompeii Parish.

"We completed the process like anyone else, we started a marriage application, we went to speak with the priest, and he received us very well," she explained.

"We had a chat, he explained the steps to follow and he himself went to speak with the archbishop and told us that there was nothing he could object to against us being able to get married, because if we spoke like this, transparently, biologically we were a man and a woman, then we could be blessed under the sacrament of marriage," she recounted in the interview.

However, the Archdiocese of Corrientes later denied having given approval for the sacrament to be administered, stating that "this archdiocese at no time received the ecclesiastical documentation corresponding to the formalities required for processing these cases."

In a statement, the archdiocese reiterated that Christian marriage "requires compliance with certain essential conditions for its validity and licitness, as established by canon law and the living tradition of the Church."

The text added that "the omission of these conditions not only distorts the profound meaning of the sacrament but can also generate confusion within the community of the faithful."

In that context, the archdiocese announced that, after consulting with the relevant authorities, it will act ex officio in accordance with canon law to take any "formal canonical disciplinary measures that may be appropriate."

At the same time, the archdiocese reaffirmed the commitment "of a Church that welcomes, accompanies, and walks alongside people, always in fidelity to the Gospel, to Church doctrine, and to the legal order that ensures the proper and fruitful celebration of the sacraments."

The parish priest of Our Lady of Pompeii, Friar Fernando Luis Gómez, also issued a statement in which he affirmed that the parish "acted following the pastoral guidance and ecclesial norms of the ordinary (the bishop)."

In that context, the archdiocese affirmed that "Christian marriage, as a sacrament, requires essential canonical conditions for validity and licitness."

"It's not just a matter of a ceremony or documentation: It requires that the contracting parties be legally competent to marry, that there be no canonical impediment, and, crucially, that they give genuine consent; that is, that they wish to enter into marriage as the Church understands it, with integrity and good faith," the explained.

Furthermore, "out of respect for the privacy of those involved," the archdiocese clarified that "no details will be provided nor will speculation be fueled" and reiterated its commitment "to an authentic pastoral reception, always united to the truth of the sacrament."

Finally, the archdiocese announced that going forward, "the interview, preparation, and verification procedures will be strengthened to safeguard the sanctity of the sacraments and avoid confusion in 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.

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The Vatican's doctrinal office said Thursday it is willing to begin a structured theological dialogue with the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), but warned that any plan by the traditionalist group to consecrate bishops without a papal mandate would constitute a break in communion and would immediately halt the talks.

In a statement following a Feb. 12 meeting between Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Father Davide Pagliarani, the SSPX's superior general, the dicastery said the two sides agreed on a "specifically theological" process with a defined methodology to address questions it said have not yet received sufficient clarification.

The dicastery also warned that if the SSPX proceeds with episcopal consecrations it has announced for July 1 without authorization from the Holy See, the move would "imply a decisive rupture of ecclesial communion (schism)," carrying "grave consequences" for the fraternity as a whole and would bring the dialogue to an immediate end.

The statement did not explicitly mention excommunication, which canon law prescribes for all bishops involved in episcopal consecrations without a papal mandate.

The dicastery said Pagliarani told Vatican officials he would present the proposal to the fraternity's council and later communicate a response. If the response is positive, the statement said, both sides would jointly establish the steps, stages, and procedures to follow.

The SSPX did not immediately respond to a request for comment from EWTN News.

What the Vatican says the talks would cover

According to the dicastery, the theological dialogue would address contested questions tied to the interpretation of post–Second Vatican Council teaching, including God's will regarding the plurality of religions; the distinction between an act of faith and "religious submission of mind and will"; and the differing levels of assent required by various Vatican II texts and their interpretation.

The underlying issue is whether the SSPX must accept Vatican II as doctrinally binding or whether it can treat it as primarily pastoral and therefore open to critique.

The dicastery also said the discussions would seek to identify "minimum conditions" required for full communion with the Catholic Church and, consequently, for outlining a canonical status for the SSPX, alongside other questions to be studied further.

Why the meeting happened now

The meeting followed Pagliarani's Feb. 2 announcement that the SSPX intends to consecrate new bishops on July 1, arguing the move is needed to preserve continuity.

The consecrations would reportedly be carried out by Bishop Bernard Fellay, Pagliarani's predecessor as superior general, with Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta as co-consecrator. Pagliarani has said an exchange of letters with the Holy See did not produce the response the fraternity sought.

The shadow of 1988

The Vatican warning recalls the 1988 rupture, when Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without a pontifical mandate after negotiations with Rome collapsed, triggering a formal declaration of excommunication and a long-running break in full communion.

In 1988, a solution had appeared within reach after an agreement would have given the fraternity a recognized place in the Church and permission to celebrate exclusively the Traditional Latin Mass, in exchange for acceptance of Vatican II and recognition of the validity of the reformed rites. Lefebvre ultimately proceeded with the consecrations anyway.

Benedict XVI later lifted the excommunications of the bishops consecrated in 1988 in 2009. Under Pope Francis, the Holy See extended certain pastoral faculties to SSPX priests, while also restricting broader use of the Traditional Latin Mass through the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The Pew Research Center released a report examining the most and least religiously diverse countries and territories across the globe.

The Feb. 12 report found that the United States is not among the 10 most religiously diverse countries in the world, but when examining only the 10 most populous nations, the U.S. ranks first in religious diversity.

The report, "Religious Diversity Around the World," describes levels of religious diversity in 201 countries and territories. It measures how evenly each country's population is distributed among seven groups including Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, adherents of all other religions, and people with no religious affiliation.

The research is part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures project, which analyzes religious change and its impact on societies around the world.

Most of the analysis is from Pew's Religious Diversity Index (RDI). Pew calculated the religious diversity of 201 areas that together are home to 99.98% of the world's population based on the size of seven religious groups to give them scores for religious diversity.

Overall, religious diversity levels around the world did not substantially change  between 2010 and 2020, as the religious composition of most countries remained fairly stable, the report said. The research found that while some places around the world have diverse populations of religious groups, it is more common for nations to primarily consist of a single religious group.

In 194 countries and territories, 50% or more of the population falls into one religious category, the report said. This includes 43 places where at least 95% of the population is in the same religious group. These places are predominantly Muslim (25), Christian (17), or Buddhist (1).

Most religiously diverse countries

The research found that Singapore is the most religiously diverse country overall, while the United States ranks 32nd.

In the world's most religiously diverse places, Christians are often the largest group. Out of the 10 most religiously diverse counties overall, half have a majority Christian population, the report said.

Singapore is the world's most religiously diverse country as of 2020, with Buddhists (31%) as the largest religious group, the report said. Its population also includes substantial shares of religiously unaffiliated people (20%), Christians (19%), Muslims (16%), Hindus (5%), and adherents of all other religions (9%), the report said.

Most of the other places in the top 10 are in the Asia-Pacific region or sub-Saharan Africa region including Suriname, Taiwan, South Korea, Mauritius, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Benin, Australia, and France.

France is the only European country in the top 10 list. Its population is largely Christian (46%) and religiously unaffiliated (43%). In Suriname, another country in the top 10, about half of its residents (53%) are Christians and the rest are mainly Hindus (22%), Muslims (13%), and religiously unaffiliated people (8%).

Christians are also the largest groups in Togo (57%), Benin (53%), and Australia (47%), which all fall in the top 10 most diverse places, the report said.

Least religiously diverse countries

The Middle East-North Africa region was found to be the least diverse of the regions Pew studied, with a population that is 94% Muslim. This region includes five of the world's 10 least religiously diverse countries and territories.

Eight of the least religiously diverse places have populations that are almost entirely Muslim, including Tunisia, Iraq, Western Sahara, Morocco, Iran, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Yemen, which all have a Muslim population of more than 99%, the report said.

The other two countries with the least diverse scores were found to have very high majorities of Christians including Moldova and Timor-Lester, which both have populations made up of 99.5% of Christians.

U.S. ranks high for religious diversity among largest nations

The United States is not among the 10 most religiously diverse countries in the world, ranking 32nd overall. However, the U.S. is the most religiously diverse nation among the most populous countries, each of which has a population of at least 120 million. It is followed by Nigeria, Russia, India, and Brazil, the report said.

Christians make up an estimated 64% of the U.S. population as of 2020, while religiously unaffiliated people account for about 30%, the report said. The remaining 6% are Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and people who practice other religions, the report said.

The research showed the growth of religiously unaffiliated people and the decline of the Christian majority by 14% in the U.S. yielded an increase in the country's religious diversity between 2010 and 2020.

Nigeria is the second-most religiously diverse of the largely populated countries and is among the nations where 90% of the population is fairly evenly divided between two religious categories, the report said. The most populous religious groups in Nigeria are Muslims (56%) and Christians (43%), the report said.

Out of the other nine countries where most of the population falls most into a pair of religious categories, seven include Christianity among the two religious groups. Eritrea, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Uruguay, Estonia, Chad, Ivory Coast, and Ethiopia, all include Christianity and one other group as their top religious groups as of 2020, the report said.

Pakistan was found to be the least religiously diverse among the most populous countries, with Muslims making up a high majority (97%) of its residents.

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Pope Leo XIV may get the opportunity to watch his alma mater play basketball in person during the 2026-2027 season. According to a report from CBS Sports, the Villanova and Notre Dame men's and women's basketball teams have received special clearance from the NCAA to open their seasons in Rome for a doubleheader on Nov. 1.

The college basketball season officially starts on Nov. 2 but, according to the report, the NCAA approved a waiver in January to allow the teams to start one day before given the precedence of these games.

Both universities are prominent Catholic schools that have ties to the pope. Pope Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, is a 1977 alumnus of Villanova University. As for the University of Notre Dame, it is regarded as the most prominent Catholic institution of higher learning in the world and has an outpost in Rome.

It is well known that Pope Leo is an avid sports fan. He has already welcomed several athletes to the Vatican during his papacy, including the SSC Napoli soccer team after its league championship in May 2025 and Italian professional tennis player Jannik Sinner. Many have also seen the viral image of the pope attending game 1 of the Chicago White Sox's World Series run in 2005.

The teams will play the doubleheader at the Palazzetto dello Sport, also known as the PalaTiziano. The arena seats 3,500 people and was built in the late 1950s for the 1960 Olympics in Rome. It is about 30 minutes away from the pope's residence in Vatican City.

The director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told EWTN News it was "too early to tell" if Leo will participate in the historic game.

According to the report, officials from both universities have been in contact with the pope and people around the Holy See. Leadership from Notre Dame had a private meeting with Pope Leo in November 2025 and Villanova officials attended the pope's inaugural Mass.

For the men's teams, it is believed this will be the first season opener outside of the U.S. in men's college basketball history.

For the Notre Dame women, this will be their second regular season game outside of the country. They opened the 2023-2024 season against South Carolina in Paris.

Hannah Brockhaus contributed to this report from Rome.

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A growing chorus of U.S. bishops on Feb. 11 called on the University of Notre Dame to rescind the controversial appointment of a pro-abortion advocate to lead one of the revered Catholic institution's academic departments.

Earlier in the day Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades issued a statement criticizing the university for appointing global affairs Professor Susan Ostermann as director of the school's Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.

Rhoades said the school's appointment of Ostermann — in spite of her public and uncompromising support for abortion — had caused a scandal and threatened Notre Dame's Catholic identity and mission. He urged the school to rescind the nomination before it goes into effect on July 1.

Several of Rhoades' fellow prelates subsequently joined the call for Notre Dame to reverse Ostermann's appointment. Among them was Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila, who in a post on X thanked Rhoades for his statement and said that the school's decision "tarnishes Our Lady's university and what it means to be Catholic."

"I pray that those who can rescind this terrible appointment will do so! Pray for the conversion of hearts!" the archbishop wrote.

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Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron similarly offered his "strong support" for Rhoades' statement, arguing that Ostermann is "not simply 'pro-choice'" on the question of abortion.

Rather, "she is a sharp critic of the pro-life position and those who advocate it," Barron said, pointing out that Ostermann has "characterize[d] the anti-abortion stance as rooted in white supremacy and racism" and "insinuated that the Catholic commitment to integral human development implies the support of abortion rights."

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Barron said he has "strong connections to and deep affections" for the university. "I believe that going ahead with this appointment is repugnant to the identity and mission of that great center of Catholic learning," he wrote.

Fort Worth, Texas, Bishop Michael Olson also offered his support for Rhoades "in his carrying out of his pastoral responsibility."

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The bishop called for prayers that the university might "reconsider this distressing decision."

Support for Rhoades did not just come from his brother bishops. Actress and outspoken Catholic pro-life advocate Patricia Heaton thanked both Barron and Rhoades for their statements on Feb. 11.

Former U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, who was named as a Pope Leo XIII Fellow on Social Thought at the University of Dallas in 2023, also thanked Rhoades, writing on X: "Public witness is extremely powerful and must be used to point all to the truth."

Though backlash to the appointment has been growing for weeks, the university has not backed off the controversial decision. The school told the Irish Rover as recently as Feb. 8 that it had "not changed its position" on Ostermann's leadership of the department.

Ostermann herself told the National Catholic Register on Jan. 29 that her role at the school "is to support the diverse research of our scholars and students, not to advance a personal political agenda."

"I respect Notre Dame's institutional position on the sanctity of life at every stage," she told the Register, describing herself as "inspired by the university's focus on integral human development, which calls us to promote the dignity and flourishing of every person."

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The state-sanctioned Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCC) backed the government's ban on unregistered clergy engaging in pastoral work and using unapproved sites for worship.

The BCCC said in a Feb. 4 statement that "religious groups must comply with relevant laws and regulations when conducting religious activities," describing compliance as a matter of "national and public interest." The statement aligned with the Chinese Communist Party's controls over the region.

Nina Shea, Hudson Institute senior fellow, called on Pope Leo XIV to summon the Chinese Catholic bishops' conference for supporting the "suppression of Chinese Catholicism."

"That the heads of these entities are the bishops of Beijing and Shanghai, China's most important dioceses, is shameful," she told EWTN News. "Pope Leo should immediately summon them to Rome to review their episcopal authority."

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) controls stipulate that religious activities occur in "registered" religious venues by "certified and registered religious personnel."

Though the bishops noted religious groups may request to carry out their activities in a temporary location with prior permission from the government, no unauthorized clergy may ever preside over such activities for any reason, according to Article 40 of the Regulations on Religious Affairs.

Shea, who also directs the Center for Religious Freedom, said: "Supporting the CCP ban on unregistered clergy and churches directly conflicts with Vatican policy."

"[Pope Leo] should disclose the content of the Holy See's provisional agreement with China and review whether this new Chinese policy constitutes a breach of the agreement's terms or even of its spirit," she said.

Shea cited a 2007 letter from Pope Benedict XVI to the Chinese Catholic Church in which the late pontiff described the Chinese government's bid to impose its own structure on the Church in China as "incompatible with Catholic doctrine."

Shea said the Vatican's 2019 pastoral guidance to members of the Chinese Catholic Church affirmed that a cleric had the right to "individually follow one's conscience on whether to refuse to take the pledge renouncing foreign influence, such as papal influence — a pledge required to register with the state's Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and its bishops' conference."

"This new position in support of banning and criminalizing those clergy who refuse to take the pledge renouncing papal authority lays bare these entities as mere party tools for communist control and suppression of Chinese Catholicism," Shea said.

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