Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem remains closed March 20, 2026By Barb Fraze OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, News, World News Israeli authorities closed Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher as part of wider closures for security concerns, beginning Feb. 28, when Israel and the United States launched attacks against Iran.
Childhood classmates from the United States reunite with Pope Leo March 20, 2026By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Schools, Vatican, World News Pope Leo XIV, who graduated from the lower school of St. Mary of the Assumption on the city’s South Side in 1969, greeted and reminisced with 10 of his 82 former classmates after the general audience in St. Peter’s Square March 18.
Pope Leo XIV meets Spanish royals at Vatican, renewing crown’s historic bond with Basilica of St. Mary Major March 20, 2026By Courtney Mares OSV News Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News Pope Leo XIV received King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace March 20, ahead of a solemn ceremony in which the Spanish king renewed a centuries-old bond with the Basilica of St. Mary Major by taking possession of his hereditary title as its protocanon.
House speaker defends role of religion in public life at National Catholic Prayer Breakfast March 20, 2026By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, U.S. Congress, World News House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defended the role of religion in public life during comments March 19 at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington.
‘People are hungry for the Lord,’ says catechist as record numbers prepare to join Church March 20, 2026By D. Hunter Reardon The Catholic Virginian Filed Under: Lent, News, World News, Worship & Sacraments After the Rite of Election, the catechumens are called “the elect” until they are baptized at the Easter Vigil Mass.
Trump issues presidential messages for feast of St. Joseph, St. Patrick’s Day March 20, 2026By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: News, Saints, World News President Donald Trump issued two messages marking prominent Catholic feast days, the feast of St. Joseph on March 19 and St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.
Catholic hoops at the highest level take over this year’s March Madness March 19, 2026By John Knebels OSV News Filed Under: Colleges, Feature, News, Sports, World News Catholic universities have quietly taken over March Madness, blending history, talent, and the kind of coaching that shapes every game into an unpredictable contest.
UK church leaders, pro-life advocates say Britain now has ‘most extreme’ abortion legislation March 19, 2026By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News Filed Under: News, Respect Life, World News Religious leaders and pro-life advocates are raising alarms about changes to abortion laws in Britain after the House of Lords advanced legislation that would remove penalties for women who terminate their pregnancies.
Pope Leo XIV calls bishops to Rome to discuss marriage and family in October March 19, 2026By Courtney Mares OSV News Filed Under: Bishops, Marriage & Family Life, News, Vatican, World News Pope Leo XIV announced March 19 that he is asking the presidents of all bishops’ conferences around the world to convene in Rome in October to renew and deepen the Church’s discussion on marriage and family in light of “Amoris Laetitia.”
Annunciation shooting showed online violent radicalization at work, expert says March 19, 2026By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Gun Violence, News, World News More than six months after the deadly mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, a law enforcement investigation remains ongoing — but security analysts report that a cluster of violent online communities played a role in the attacker’s motivation.
Easter boom: U.S. dioceses say rise in new Catholics may point to regional ‘revivals’ March 19, 2026By Kimberly Heatherington OSV News Filed Under: Easter, Feature, News, World News, Worship & Sacraments While the religiously unaffiliated are on the rise globally, something curious is also happening: Some dioceses have reported significant upticks in adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church this Easter.
Cardinal Pizzaballa: Using God’s name to justify war is ‘the gravest sin’ March 18, 2026By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said the use of God’s name to justify war is a grave sin, stressing that God is present with those who suffer and die in conflict, not with those who exploit religion for political ends.
