On Ash Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV encouraged Catholics to ask the Lord for “the gift of true conversion” at the start of the 40-day penitential season of Lent.

A date for the beatification of five Franciscans known as the Georgia martyrs has been set for Oct. 31, according to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints’ website. It lists Cardinal Frank Leo of Toronto as the beatification Mass’ celebrant.

Dozens of national pro-life leaders are calling for the reinstatement of federal guidance that would generally prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement from detaining pregnant women and new mothers in a letter sent to the Trump administration.

The naming of a pro-abortion faculty member as head of a Catholic university research institute is “a direct slap in the face to the Church’s moral tradition,” an Illinois bishop said, while several recipients of the school’s top pro-life award have called it a “betrayal.”

As the U.S. prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has encouraged Catholics to participate in initiatives including a collective 250 Hours of Adoration and 250 Works of Mercy.

To celebrate the occasion, “America 250,” the initiatives encourage prayer for the unity and healing of the U.S., according to a resource guide the USCCB has

Former President Barack Obama said in a YouTube interview posted Feb. 14 he wants to meet Pope Leo XIV.

Catholics going to Mass on Ash Wednesday will leave church marked, but whether the ashes appear as a bold cross on the forehead or sprinkled atop the head depends largely on where in the world they worship.

A newly released clerical sexual abuse report in Poland’s Diocese of Sosnowiec is being described by investigators as a necessary step toward accountability, while Church leaders call it a painful but essential moment in rebuilding trust after years of scandals.

Why do so many people make an extra effort to get to church on Ash Wednesday — the first of Lent’s 40 days — when it is not a holy day of obligation, and they are not required to receive ashes?

Data showing most individuals in immigration detention do not have violent criminal records highlights ongoing concerns expressed by the nation’s Catholic bishops over the Trump administration immigration crackdown, said an official with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.