“Here was an almond tree in bloom before me”
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EWTN News
Pope Leo XIV breaks with decades of secrecy on his lung cancer
By Victoria Cardiel, October 13, 2026
Pope Leo XIV’s decision to personally announce that he will undergo surgery to remove a nodule from one of his lungs has been welcomed as an unprecedented gesture of transparency in the recent history of the papacy. By speaking directly about his health, the pontiff departed from a long-standing Vatican practice of limiting information about papal illnesses and medical treatment. Traditionally, the health of popes has been shrouded in considerable secrecy. For decades, illnesses and hospitalizations were disclosed only in limited terms and sometimes incompletely. In 1992, for example, St. John Paul II announced that he would enter the hospital for medical tests but did not explain why. Only three days later did the Vatican disclose that he had undergone surgery to remove a benign tumor from his colon. Under Pope Francis, a greater degree of openness began to emerge. Nevertheless, the information still came primarily through official Vatican channels rather than directly from the pope.
Related: Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer after successful surgery, press office announces, by McKenna Snow, Zeale News, October 13, 2026
Related: Vatican: Nodule was cancerous, surgery a success, by Kathleen N. Hattrup, Aleteia, 10/13/26
Zenit
Scammers used an AI-created amputee priest to raise funds
By Rafael Manuel Tovar, October 13, 2026
Cybercriminals orchestrated a scam in Brazil by generating an AI-created video featuring a priest with both legs amputated, soliciting urgent donations to purchase prosthetics. The fake “Father Mateus” and other fictional characters in the recording showed video-synchronization issues. Reginaldo Jesus Flor, 80, noticed the errors and asked his son, Felipe Zangari, a journalist and theologian, for help. They identified lip-sync flaws and simulated a “Pix” transfer using the campaign's link, uncovering the suspected scheme. Other fictional characters in the recording also showed video-synchronization issues. The Facebook page “Short Walk” promoted the video, created on August 18, 2026. It also features 72-year-old ”Doña Lourdes” and 14-year-old altar server Enzlo, who make statements supporting the story. Comments noted that there was only a few-month window to buy the prosthetics before the risk of permanent muscle atrophy set in in the thighs.
The Catholic Weekly
Telehealth for assisted dying adds more danger
By Catholic Weekly Staff, September 8, 2026
Australia’s Northern Territory parliament recently passed legislation to legalize voluntary assisted dying (VAD), making it the last jurisdiction in the country to do so. But supporters say too many barriers still prevent people from accessing VAD. Currently, Federal law prohibits using a carriage service, such as a phone, video link or email, to counsel or incite suicide or provide instructions on a method of suicide. Supporters of telehealth VAD are lobbying the Federal Parliament to permit it. “The concern for doctors is that extending carriage services (such as telehealth) to VAD will induce more people to end their own lives. Furthermore, no honest clinician believes that telehealth consultations are as effective and as comprehensive as an in-person assessment. For one, you cannot do a physical examination on a patient. How is it therefore possible to exclude treatable conditions, which might only be diagnosable by physical examination?” asked Dr John Obeid, a consultant physician and geriatrician, working in Western Sydney.
Zeale News
California ‘anti-hate speech’ training doesn’t define hate
By David Uebbing, October 13, 2026
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills Sept. 27 that add “anti-hate speech” instruction to the harassment training required for most employers and for elected officials, beginning Jan. 1, 2028. The laws do not define hate speech, and critics charge that this could result in Christian or other beliefs being treated as hate speech. “What does it mean to vilify? What speech actually humiliates?” asked Greg Burt, vice president of the California Family Council, during Washington Watch with Tony Perkins. “Many times legislators consider many Christian beliefs when they’re expressed — especially regarding sexuality or gender — they accuse us of hating people. That’s [the] farthest thing from my mind. But we are simply advocating for our view that sex is determined by biology, and God created us both male and female. Well, to many people that is humiliating and that incites hatred. And so that’s the problem with this legislation.”
The PIllar
Indian Catholic lay group decries intimidation of election protesters
By Luke Coppen, October 13, 2026
India’s largest Catholic lay organization expressed “grave alarm” Tuesday over a police crackdown on protesters calling for the resignation of the country’s chief election official. The All India Catholic Union called for the immediate release of all protesters detained while protesting alleged irregularities in updating electoral rolls in the world’s biggest democracy. The AICU, which represents lay Catholics from the Latin Catholic, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara Churches, said: “What began as a legitimate democratic expression by young Indians — supported by opposition parties, civil society, lawyers and journalists — has been met with prohibitory orders, mass detentions, and police action that appears designed to intimidate rather than protect.” It asked for the restoration of Jantar Mantar in New Delhi as a protest site where the right to peaceful assembly is respected.
Related: Maharashtra High Court: Promoting one’s religion not a criminal offense, by Nirmala Carvalho, Pime Asia News October 14, 2026
Pime Asia News
Missing Russian scholar found, sentenced to Russian labor camp
By Vladimir Rozanskij, October 14, 2026
The Supreme Court of the Komi Republic, in northern Russia, has sentenced the philosopher Nikolai Zjuzev to seven years’ imprisonment in a maximum-security labor camp for high treason. Zjuzev, a Russian and Canadian citizen, is a renowned scholar of the legacy of the Russian-American sociologist Pitirim Sorokin; after the war began, he left Russia, but in the summer of 2025 he returned to his home village in Komi, where he was arrested. According to the FSB, the philosopher trained leaders of national liberation movements for Russia’s indigenous peoples and received funding for his project from foreign organizations. In the summer of 2025, the professor traveled from Europe to his home village of Podelsk, in Komi, to visit relatives, and then disappeared. For about a month, no one heard from him; his relatives refused to speak to anyone, and his acquaintances knew nothing of his fate. Zjuzev had publicly expressed his views on the situation of the Komi people and on the relationship between Russia’s regions and the central government.
Graphs about Religion
Canada’s predicted religious revival never happened
By Ryan Burge, October 12, 2026
In 2002, the Canadian sociologist Reginald W. Bibby published Restless Gods: The Renaissance of Religion in Canada. His thesis follows from the title: despite huge drops in religious attendance and involvement in Canada, a deep well of spirituality remained in the population. Churches would just need to adapt a bit to bring in these seekers. Bibby couldn’t have been more wrong. In 2003, 80% of Canadians identified with some kind of religious tradition. Today, that number is closer to 66%—a fourteen-point drop in seventeen years. The share of Canadians who say religious beliefs matter to them was 71%, but it has dropped to 56%. This is exactly what projection models would have predicted by simply tracing trend lines from previous decades: a slow, methodical decline in overall religiosity. In 2003, 26% of Canadians indicated they attended religious services at least once a week. By 2020, that had dropped by more than half to just 12%. The largest decline was in the share who had attended church at all in the prior year—75% in 2003 and just 40% in 2020.
Aleteia
Catholics, Evangelicals join on call for immigration reform
By Theresa Civantos Barber, October 14, 2026
Catholic and Evangelical leaders often find themselves in alliance on modern-day cultural issues, especially since the landmark 1994 declaration Evangelicals & Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium articulated their shared moral mission. The latest issue bringing together both traditions is a reiterated plea for compassionate immigration reform, as outlined in a first-of-its-kind statement published October 13, 2026. The statement, “A Call for Christian Compassion and Wisdom in the Immigration Debate,” is the first time in U.S. history that senior leaders of the Catholic and evangelical traditions jointly issued a statement on immigration. The statement came from the co-chairs of the Evangelical-Catholic Dialogue on Immigration — Bishop Brendan Cahill, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, and Reverend Dr. Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals.
Keep informed - 10/14/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from Loop, Formed, & The Pillar
Zeale’s LOOP
Read daily news and political impact stories at the “LOOP”
Elections and politics matter. The LOOP gives you daily gems on the news that seek “to renew our country and culture.”
16-YEAR-OLD VOLLEYBALL PLAYER SUES OVER MALE OPPONENT - A 16-year-old Michigan volleyball player and her father filed a federal lawsuit Oct. 9 accusing school officials of knowingly allowing her to compete against a male athlete and allowing him to use the girls’ locker room facilities without informing her or her parents. Briley Lechner said that her goal “is to preserve opportunities and safety for female athletes.”
DOJ ANNOUNCES NEW SET OF 16 CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL VOTING - Since President Donald Trump returned to office, the DOJ has charged 104 people with voting-related offenses, while Democrats say such voting is rare and polls show majority support for requiring proof of citizenship.
ANALYSIS: SANCTUARY NEW YORK RELEASED 16,000+ ILLEGAL ALIENS FROM JAIL - The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that officials in Democrat-run New York have ignored federal requests to detain illegal aliens convicted of or charged with serious crimes, instead releasing more than 16,000 illegal aliens onto the street in the past 15 months.
Augustine Institute
Formed Series Programs
Formed guides Catholics and those they evangelize to a fully Catholic life through faith-informed content, drawing people closer to Christ. The Formed platform provides a captivating experience that empowers and satisfies curiosity by forming Catholics for life.
The Joyful Mysteries | Paradisus Dei - The Mysteries of the Rosary is a four-part film series hosted by Mark Hartfiel, Vice President of Paradisus Dei and current developer of That Man is You! men's program. The series began because Mark Hartfiel wanted to deepen his spiritual life as a father and husband, including taking steps to protect his family from evil. Saint Padre Pio said, “The Rosary is the ‘weapon’ for these times,” and Hartfiel ultimately became convicted to pray the ancient prayers of the Rosary daily.
How to Fight Discouragement (With God’s Help) - Taylor Kemp and Dr. Scott Hefelfinger, joined by guest producer Madison Frank, talk about how to fend off discouragement, one of the devil's favorite tools. Taylor shares the sting of being sent down after his first-round draft pick and missing a penalty kick in the Final Four.
Practicing Catholic Podcast - Taylor Kemp and Dr. Scott Hefelfinger as they explore topics such as work, family life, prayer, and Catholic culture. Each episode offers timeless wisdom from Scripture, the lives of the Saints, and the Tradition of the Church, with practical ways to grow in holiness amid daily life.
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — October 14, 2026
EWTN News provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and the activities of the Holy See, and is available to anyone with internet access.
Vatican reaffirms intention of Pope Leo XIV to travel to Latin America - By EWTN News Staff - When journalists asked whether Leo’s trip to South America would be modified or canceled, the director of the Holy See Press Office said the pope’s intention to travel remains unchanged.
Nigeria Catholic parish, hospital and 3 schools suspend activities indefinitely amid insecurity - By Silas Isenjia - The Catholic Diocese of Gboko has suspended operations at several Catholic institutions in Ihugh and withdrawn all diocesan personnel because of ongoing violence, attacks, and threats.
Pew midterm poll: Catholics prefer Democratic House candidates by 3-point margin - By Tyler Arnold - The survey found that a narrow plurality of Catholics prefer Democrats in the midterm elections as Catholic approval of President Donald Trump continues to plummet.
October 14, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE or read HERE:
Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Crisis Magazine
How to solve the vocations crisis and restore fatherhood
By Scott L. Smith, Jr., October 14, 2026
“To raise the possibility of an all-male liturgical ministry is to invite tribulation,” wrote Michael Foley in a previous Crisis article. Each of his “Eight Reasons Why Men Only Should Serve at Mass” is valid. But we’re missing something more. Not a ninth reason, but another level altogether. It’s not boys or girls. It’s fathers and sons. Pope St. John Paul II taught us the Theology of the Body. How does a father best catechize with the language of his body? He kneels before God. A father should teach reverence from the pew, but he will banish irreverence from the altar. To lead at home, fathers should serve at the altar. Make the altar the cornerstone of every domestic church. Restore the priesthood by reclaiming the priesthood of fathers. Altar serving has always been the main artery for vocations to the priesthood. This pipeline is not unique to Jesus' priesthood. It is ancient. The modern plague of gay priests now seems to be in its twilight, despite the last gasps of Fr. James Martin.
National Catholic Register
The culture of Christ is alive in New York City
By Jeffrey Bruno, October 13, 2026
In 2023, I found myself in Father Duffy Square, surrounded by thousands of people praying before the Blessed Sacrament. At the center of it all was Bishop Espaillat, his energy and joy unmistakable. The atmosphere was electric. In a place the world knows for its lights and spectacle, people had gathered to adore Christ. I was standing in the middle of Times Square, trying to take in something utterly breathtaking. And now, another invitation to follow Him into the streets. On October 13, 2026, the Napa Institute returned to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for its annual Eucharistic procession. That same Bishop Espaillat, whose anointing filled this cathedral with laughter and whose joy I encountered in Father Duffy Square, celebrated the 4 p.m. Mass and preached the homily. Dominican Father Gregory Pine and Father John Burns joined him and led Eucharistic meditations before Mass. In a city that stands as the world's cultural capital, a new culture is emerging: The Culture of Christ.
The Jerusalem Post
Dublin hotel cancels rooms booked for antisemitism delegates
By Mathilda Heller, October 14, 2026
The Herbert Park Hotel in Dublin canceled a reservation for 70 rooms intended for delegates attending an international conference on combating antisemitism, after learning the purpose of their visit. This was first revealed by Maurice Cohen, Chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, during a reception at the Irish Foreign Ministry. According to Cohen, hotel management canceled the booking after asking whether the gathering was connected to the Israel Defense Forces, even though it was a civilian conference. The European Jewish Congress called the incident “deeply disturbing. That a hotel would cancel accommodation for participants in a conference dedicated to combating antisemitism, while raising questions about supposed links to the Israeli military, reflects precisely the kind of prejudice and suspicion that such gatherings seek to confront.”
Related: Irish author Sally Rooney’s books no longer sold in UK over support for banned Palestine Action, By Reuters, October 14, 2026
Church Life Journal
Is embryo adoption consistent with Catholic teaching?
By Melissa Moschella, October 13, 2026
The Catholic Church unequivocally affirms that all human beings, from conception to natural death, are made in God’s image and possess profound, equal, and intrinsic dignity. Biology makes clear that a new, complete (though immature) human being, distinct from either parent, comes into existence at fertilization, when sperm and egg fuse. Yet there are currently millions of human beings frozen in cryopreservation tanks, the vast majority of whom are likely to languish there indefinitely and eventually die. Some have proposed embryo adoption as the best way to respond to the plight of these frozen orphans. Catholics are divided on the issue, with some arguing that, like postnatal adoption, it is praiseworthy if done in the right way and with the right intentions, while others claim that embryo adoption is inherently immoral because, like IVF, it involves an attempt to procreate apart from marital union.
Image of Almonds by Monfocus from Pixabay
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