Posted on 04/12/2026 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)

WASHINGTON – Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a brief response to a social media post by President Trump on Sunday evening. 

“I am disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father. Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”

Posted on 04/11/2026 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Warning against an increasingly unpredictable and aggressive "delusion of omnipotence" threatening the globe, Pope Leo XIV called on world leaders and individuals to empty their hearts and minds of hatred and violence, and to start serving life.

"Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life," he said during a special evening prayer vigil for peace in St. Peter's Basilica April 11.

Posted on 04/9/2026 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)

WASHINGTON – The Catholic faithful who give to the annual Catholic Home Missions Appeal are imitating Jesus, who “spent little time in cities but built his ministry in fishing villages and rural areas,” said Bishop Chad W. Zielinski, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions.

Posted on 04/9/2026 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)

WASHINGTON - “As the United States seeks a negotiated end to the war in Iran, I call on President Trump and the international community to ensure that the people of Lebanon receive greater access to humanitarian assistance, including food and medical supplies, especially in the south,” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace.  

Posted on 04/8/2026 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV welcomed the newly announced ceasefire in the Middle East as “a sign of genuine hope” after what he described as “hours of extreme tension,” while urging a return to negotiations and calling the faithful to prayer.

“Only by returning to negotiations can the war be brought to an end,” he said in remarks in Italian following his April 8 general audience in St. Peter's Square.

Posted on 04/7/2026 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)

WASHINGTON - “I call on President Trump to step back from the precipice of war and negotiate a just settlement for the sake of peace and before more lives are lost,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. With the threat of increased military action, including the targeting of civilian infrastructure in Iran, Archbishop Coakley underscored Pope Leo XIV’s appeals during Holy Week and Easter for peace. 

Posted on 04/5/2026 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Appealing to those in power to end all conflicts through dialogue and not domination, Pope Leo XIV urged humanity to stop growing accustomed to wars and violence and announced a prayer vigil for peace April 11.

Posted on 04/4/2026 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- God's love is stronger than any evil, capable of "driving out hatred" and "bringing down the mighty," Pope Leo XIV said.

Posted on 04/3/2026 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)

ROME (CNS) -- Life must be lived as a journey seeking to follow in Jesus' footsteps, Pope Leo XIV said after completing the Stations of the Cross at Rome's Colosseum.

Posted on 04/3/2026 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A message of nonviolence and quiet endurance marked the Good Friday liturgy at the Vatican, during which the Passion of Christ offers an example of breaking the cycle of violence that continues today.