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All Catholics share in Church’s mission, not just clergy, pope says
Posted on 04/1/2026 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Laypeople are not passive members but active participants in the Church's mission, called to live and spread the Gospel in everyday life, Pope Leo XIV said.
Continuing his series on the documents of the Second Vatican Council during his weekly general audience, the pope emphasized that all the baptized, not just the clergy, are missionary disciples of Christ.
"For this reason, lay men and women are particularly called to carry Christ’s presence to all spheres of life and so transform them from within by bearing witness to the beauty of a life in Christ and the elevating power of his grace," he said April 1 in his address to English-speakers.
Pope Leo delved into the Dogmatic Constitution "Lumen Gentium," saying that Vatican II shed light on the dignity of laypeople, after centuries of being defined as "simply as those who are not part of the clergy or the consecrated life."
"Before any distinction of ministry or state of life, the council affirms the equality of all the baptized," the pope said.
He said the People of God is not a “formless mass,” but the body of Christ, uniting clergy and laity. By being baptized, the laypeople "participate in the very priesthood of Christ," he said.
The pope also referenced St. John Paul II and Pope Francis, highlighting their emphasis on the active role of laypeople in the Church’s mission.
He went on to say that the responsibility of laypeople is not confined to the Church, but rather includes the whole world. He said the world must be permeated by the spirit of Christ — something made possible through the “contribution, service and witness” of laypeople.
"Indeed, the Church is present wherever her children profess and bear witness to the Gospel: in the workplace, in civil society and in all human relationships, wherever they, through their choices, show the beauty of Christian life, which foretells here and now the justice and peace that will be accomplished in the Kingdom of God," he said.
In his address to Arabic-speakers, the pope continued his calls for prayers for innocent victims of war, following weeks of condemning the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
Bishop Thomas Supports Bill to End FDA Approval of Chemical Abortion Pills
Posted on 04/1/2026 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)
WASHINGTON – “The abortion pill represents an isolating and harmful response to women in need,” said Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. On Wednesday, Bishop Thomas wrote a letter to Congress in support of the “Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act,” which was recently introduced by Senator Josh Hawley and Representative Diana Harshbarger. The bill (S.4066/H.R.7902) would withdraw the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone for abortions.
In his letter, Bishop Thomas stated that the bill would likely save lives by curtailing the incidence of chemical abortion itself as well as its associated risks to the mothers. He emphasized the bishops’ opposition to the chemical abortion drug not only for its purpose of terminating life, but that the abortion pill represents an isolating and harmful response to women in need.
Read Bishop Thomas’ letter here.
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Bishop Shomali: Let us not forget Gaza and the West Bank
Posted on 04/1/2026 08:23 AM ()
In an interview with Vatican News, the vicar general of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem calls for continued attention to Gaza and the West Bank as “two million people are still suffering.”
84-year-old woman speaks out after being offered euthanasia while visiting Canadian ER for back pain
Posted on 04/1/2026 08:00 AM (CNA Daily News)
Fr. Patton: Good Friday meditations are not to judge, but to inspire change
Posted on 04/1/2026 07:19 AM ()
Father Francesco Patton, author of the meditations for the Pope's Good Friday 'Via Crucis' at the Colosseum in Rome, notes that even today, many people are living a Way of the Cross.
Pope Leo to wash the feet of 12 Roman priests on Holy Thursday
Posted on 04/1/2026 06:07 AM ()
During the Mass "in Coena Domini" on Holy Thursday, Pope Leo will wash the feet of twelve priests - eleven of whom he ordained last year.
Syria’s churches scale back Easter celebrations after attack on Christian town
Posted on 04/1/2026 06:00 AM (CNA Daily News)
Chrism Mass in Chicago: Cardinal Cupich calls priests to be 'sacraments of peace'
Posted on 04/1/2026 04:37 AM ()
During Chrism Mass at the Holy Name Cathedral, Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, reflects on mission, war, and the quiet language of the holy oils, urging the Church to reject violence and bear witness to peace that transforms hearts rather than dominates them.
Catholic entrepreneurs in Asia urged to align business with mission and justice
Posted on 04/1/2026 04:26 AM ()
As the Church prepares for Easter during Holy Week, Asian Catholic business leaders attend an online UNIAPAC Asia event to explore their vocation as missionary disciples in the marketplace.
Nigerian dioceses to hold Easter Vigil earlier for security concerns
Posted on 04/1/2026 03:23 AM ()
Following an attack on a community on Palm Sunday, a number of Catholic dioceses in Nigeria decide to move their Easter Vigil Masses earlier in the day, to avoid holding the celebration at night.