Our #SJES50years delegation with @Pontifex — such a powerful experience which was so affirming of #Jesuit social ministry throughout the world, including the work my colleagues and I do at @IGsolidarityNET! @JesuitsUCS @jesuitswest @MidwestJesuits @JesuitsEast

Such bombing would undoubtedly cause great human suffering for unknown numbers of people. There are other ways to accomplish diplomatic goals that don’t require innocent people to live in fear. Truly effective negotiators do not have to make threats like these.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church on Just War Doctrine.

Yes, he really said that. Yesterday Vice President JD Vance criticized Pope Leo XIV for not knowing enough theology: "I think it's very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology ... If you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful, you’ve got to make sure it’s anchored in the truth," he said, at a Turning Point conference. One of the many, many, ironies about that statement is that it came in response to Pope Leo's comments about war and peace and, specifically, the concept of "just war," which originated with St. Augustine. As many have already noted, when the Vice President was making his comments, Pope Leo XIV, a member of the Augustinian Order, and twice Prior General of the Augustinians before his election as Pope, was visiting the hometown of St. Augustine, then called "Hippo," now in Annaba, a town in modern-day Algeria. For good measure, Pope Leo XIV, the man critiqued for insufficient theological education, earned not only a master's degree in divinity, but also licentiate and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. JD Vance's recent conversion to Catholicism is beside the point, because many converts are of course not only highly intelligent (and learned in theology) but faithful and energetic Catholics. We rejoice over everyone entering the church. What most of us do not rejoice over, however, is a deadly combination of inaccuracy and hubris. Pace, Vice President Vance, but the current war in Iran is not a just war under Catholic doctrine. You can hear that from church leaders from across the theological spectrum, from Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the head of the military vicariate and former head of the @USCCB, to Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington who holds doctorates in both theology and political science. You can look all that up online. Suffice to say, the Vice President doesn't seem to understand the tenets of just war. Nor does he seem to understand the fundamental position of the church, which is for peace. "War is always a defeat for humanity," as St. John Paul II said. If that authority isn't enough, then turn to Jesus who said, "Blessed are the peacemakers," not "Blessed are the warmongers." And after the Resurrection, the Risen Christ says to the frightened disciples not "Vengeance is mine" but "Peace be with you." Incidentally, the day before, the Vice President said that the Pope (and the Vatican) should stick to teaching about morality, also seeming to forget that war and peace are profoundly moral issues. For his part, Pope Leo was focused yesterday on his spiritual father, St. Augustine. After what seemed like an emotional visit to Hippo, he celebrated Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine in Annaba. During his homily he said, "The primary task of pastors as ministers of the Gospel is therefore to bear witness to God before the world with one heart and one soul, not permitting our concerns to lead us astray through fear, nor trends to undermine us through compromise." Amen. Let's all continue to pray for the Holy Father as he works for peace. (Image: Pope Leo XIV prays at the archeological ruins of Hippo, home of St. Augustine, in current-day Algeria. CNS photo).

Dear friends: I don’t know any Catholic in the United States, from the most traditional to the most progressive, who does not have strong feelings about the comments from President Trump and Vice President Vance about Pope Leo XIV. These include not only President Trump’s initial disrespectful Truth Social post about the Holy Father, but also Vice President Vance’s similarly disrespectful comments about Pope Leo having to be “careful” when he speaks about theology. Let me share some of my own feelings. First of all, it is shocking that a President and Vice President would treat such a good, holy and learned man with such disdain. Imagine telling a man with the Holy Father’s learning and experience (and authority) that he doesn’t understand theology sufficiently. What’s more, imagine attacking him as, ridiculously, “weak on crime” or somehow not understanding foreign policy. Second, I’m edified by Pope Leo’s charitable and courageous response to all this. Charitable because he has not responded in any way other than with charity and respect. As some of you may know, I know the Holy Father slightly, thanks to our being seated together at the Synod for two weeks, and know him to be a kind, reserved, discerning and highly intelligent person. In a word, holy. But courageous too: as we have seen during his time in Algeria and Cameroon, Pope Leo has not shied away from continuing to preach the Gospel, and speaking out in favor of peace (and yes, he understands St. Augustine’s concept of the “just war”) and against, as he said today, tyrants and those who would use God’s name to support violence of bloodshed. So, where will this all end? It’s hard to say. But I would imagine that now that the taboo has been broken, politicians will continue to denigrate him and thus try to persuade people, without saying it explicitly, to think that the Pope’s words do not need to be listened to. But this will be in vain for two reasons. First, Pope Leo is clearly fearless. A few hours after he was elected as pope, I spoke with a fellow Augustinian priest who had known “Bob” for decades. “He’s a great listener, very kind and much loved.” Then he paused. “But he’s no pushover.” But the main reason that the Pope’s words will be heard is less about Robert Prevost’s own many virtues but something else: the Vicar of Christ will be heard because he is preaching the Gospel. As Jesus told his disciples, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will never pass away.” So, in these strange times, fear not.

For the first time, three of America's most influential cardinals and archbishops agreed to a joint interview, sharing their candid take on war in Iran, immigration, and the future of the Catholic Church. Sunday on 60 Minutes. 60Minutes.com

Border Patrol apprehensions of migrants jumped 25% at the US-Mexico border from February to March. It's a spring seasonal increase, typical when there are few asylum seekers (who would seek to turn themselves in to US authorities regardless of weather). cbp.gov/document/stats/natio…

Some Trump aides and supporters cloak the war on Iran in religious terms, but Pope Leo challenges their portrayal of a warlike God saying God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.” wapo.st/4e2gK6h

El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz called mass detention and deportation a “grave moral evil” in a Lenten pastoral letter, urging Catholics in immigration enforcement to follow the Gospel over immoral orders, and expressing solidarity with migrants. elpasomatters.org/2026/03/15…

“It scares me for our society that you can be scrolling through social media looking at dog photos and suddenly you’re seeing someone blown up.” washingtonpost.com/politics/…

As violence escalates following the U.S. attack on Iran, we hold fast to the Church’s call to peace.

As violence escalates and lives are lost, many of us feel grief, fear, and helplessness. At such moments, our Catholic faith does not look away from suffering — it invites us to remain rooted in a deeper peace.

Hindering commerce and travel seems like a poor strategy for a president who campaigned on the economy. washingtonpost.com/nation/20…

@JamesMartinSJ: #Lent is not simply about outward signs of devotion but an inner transformation. So for the next 40 days, think about this word: metanoia. And ponder what kind of conversion you’re called to. Read the entire reflection at: ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/…

I am glad to see that the egregious post has been taken down. As my brother bishops and I have said in our pastoral letter against racism: “Every racist act—every such comment, every joke, every disparaging look as a reaction to the color of skin, ethnicity, or place of origin—is a failure to acknowledge another person as a brother or sister, created in the image of God.” - Bishop Daniel Garcia, Chairman, Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation

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There is NO PLACE in our country for President Trump's actions today regarding the spoof video he posted of the Obamas. EVERY AMERICAN should be contacting the White House and their Members of Congress and DEMANDING that PRESIDENT TRUMP ISSUE a FORMAL APOLOGY. #ZeroTolerance

We grieve the killing of a protester Alex Pretti, in Minnesota and stand with all who are mourning, outraged, and afraid. Violence carried out by the state is a grave injustice and a violation of human dignity. In this moment, we are called to bear public witness as people of faith. Our Catholic tradition demands that we raise our voices, refuse silence, and proclaim the sacred worth of every human life. Love compels us not only to grieve, but to speak, to show up, and to resist systems that rely on fear and force. Together, we commit to building beloved community through courageous, faithful witness rooted in justice and love. #Minnesota #Minneapolis #TwinCities #AlexPretti #HumanDignity

Three of the top leaders of the U.S #Catholic Church are speaking out clearly and boldly about President Trump’s foreign policy actions in #Venezuela, #Greenland, and #Ukraine.

Top #Catholic cardinals say U.S. foreign policy raises moral questions washingtonpost.com/politics/…

Medical examiner believes death of man in ⁦@ICEgov⁩ custody was homicide, recording says washingtonpost.com/immigrati…