Historic momentum is felt across the Middle East as thousands gathered Oct. 11 in Tel Aviv, Israel, for the last mass gathering before the hostage release expected to take place Oct. 13, and tens of thousands of Palestinians started to make their way back to their homes in northern Gaza Strip.

Christians must avoid using their faith to label those who are different — often the poor — as enemies to be avoided and rejected, Pope Leo XIV said.

With the start of the first phase of a peace deal between Israel and Gaza, Pope Leo XIV prayed for a just and lasting peace that respects all people.

To celebrate three occasions — the worldwide Jubilee 2025; the 10th anniversary of the 2015 release of Pope Francis’ landmark environmental encyclical “Laudato Si'”; and the annual ecumenical Season of Creation Sept. 1-Oct. 4 — Catholics across America have committed themselves to spiritual expeditions not on the well-worn pilgrimage routes of Europe, but in their own communities.

A nonprofit dedicated to supporting the U.S. Army has released a graphic novel highlighting the story and service of Father Emil Kapaun, the Catholic military chaplain who gave his life in a prisoner-of-war camp during the Korean War and has an active cause for canonization.

Spain’s socialist government is pushing for regional “blacklists” of doctors who object to performing abortions, sparking backlash from medical and Catholic leaders.

During the three-day gathering at Emory University in Atlanta, participants in the National Catholic Conference on Restorative Justice toured the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, immersing themselves in the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., before praying at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Later, they attended Mass celebrated by Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer.

The words of “Dilexi Te” (“I Have Loved You”) — the apostolic exhortation on love for the poor released by the Vatican Oct. 9 — come from the pen of two pontiffs, Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV.

Religious freedom is “a cornerstone of any just society” and contributes to building peace, Pope Leo XIV said.

Washington state’s government and its Catholic bishops reached an agreement Oct. 10 in a federal lawsuit over the state’s mandatory reporter law they said could force priests to violate the seal of confession.