Spain's president congratulates Pope Leo XIV on Magnifica Humanitas

Spainʼs president congratulates Pope Leo XIV on Magnifica Humanitas

Spanish President Pedro Sánchez offered his praise for Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on Wednesday.

“No technology is neutral, AI isnʼt either. And even less so those who use it and the purposes for which they use it,” Sánchez wrote in a social media post on X. “I have congratulated Pope Leo XIV for centering his first encyclical on this topic. Only multilateralism and international governance can ensure that technology serves humanity, and not the other way around,” he said.

Catholic and Coptic dialogue resumes after tensions over same-sex blessings

After nearly two years of tension, the Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church are moving back toward theological dialogue, ACI MENA, EWTN News’ Arabic language service, reported.

Following renewed contact between Pope Leo XIV and Pope Tawadros II, the Coptic Orthodox Holy Synod announced that dialogue with the Catholic Church would resume. The move comes after the Coptic Orthodox Church strongly rejected Vatican guidance on blessings for people in same-sex relationships.

The continuation of dialogue protects a decades-long ecumenical relationship at a time when Christians in the Middle East face severe, shared pressures.

Catholic agency in South Sudan issues Ebola alert

The Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CODEP) of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY) in South Sudan has issued an alert and advisory notice urging heightened preparedness against Ebola following reports of the outbreak in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), ACI Africa, a sister EWTN News service, reported Thursday.

In the May 26 advisory addressed to staff of the Wholeness and Wellness Health Service Department, St. Theresa Mission Hospital, health workers, community leaders, and the public, CODEP Director, Father Charles Mbikoyo warned that “the risk of cross-border transmission remains serious due to frequent population movement within the region.”

Mbikoyo said that “although no confirmed case has yet been reported in our area, the risk of cross-border transmission remains serious due to frequent population movement within the region. We therefore cannot remain passive or unprepared.”

Aleppo Catholics bid farewell to beloved archbishop

The Melkite Catholic Church in Aleppo celebrated the funeral of Archbishop Emeritus Jean Jeanbart, whose name became closely linked with rebuilding, education, and pastoral resilience in the city.

At his funeral on Tuesday, church leaders remembered him as a bishop who invested in schools, housing, youth formation, and the future of Christians in Aleppo, even during years of war, ACI MENA reported. His legacy was presented not only as a record of service, but as a practical answer to fear and displacement.

Belarusian Noble laureate meets Pope Leo XIV

Ales Bialiatski, a Catholic and Nobel laureate, met Pope Leo XIV on and delivered a letter to the pontiff raising concerns over human rights issues facing believers in Belarus.

“There are around a thousand political prisoners in prisons, including Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant priests. That is why I asked him to pray for the release of political prisoners in Belarus, to pray for the Church and for the priests who are imprisoned, as well as for democratic change in Belarus,” Bialiatski said in a social media post on Wednesday.

Bialiatski has been detained multiple times, including in 2021 amid government crackdowns on nationwide protests following President Alexander Lukashenko’s contested election. He has previously said, “if I get to meet the pope, I’ll inform him of our Church’s needs.”

Chaldean patriarch meets Iraq’s new Prime Minister ahead of installation

Chaldean Patriarch-elect Paul III Nona received Iraq’s new prime minister in Baghdad just days before his installation, ACI MENA reported Tuesday.

The meeting between the newly elected leaders touched on Iraq’s diversity, the place of Christians in public life, and the need to face the country’s challenges through cooperation rather than division. The patriarch, Paul III Nona, was installed on Friday at St. Joseph Cathedral in central Baghdad.

Christians in northern India arrested on mass conversion charges

Authorities in Uttar Pradesh arrested three Christians on Thursday, alleging that the individuals organized “mass conversion events,” according to a UCA report on Friday.

The three men, Pastor Vivek Kumar, Mohit Chaudhary, and a man identified in the report as “Amit” were arrested after hardline Hindu activists stopped their vehicle while they were traveling with a group of about 30 people to the state capital of Lucknow for a prayer gathering.

The activists said in the First Information Report (FIR) that the men were “conducting religious conversion activities and were found carrying Bibles and other Christian literature,” according to UCA.

Lebanese choir brings Zahle’s sacred music to Rome

Lebanon’s WATAR Choir brought the sound of Zahle to Rome in a recital that blended prayer, memory, and Lebanese musical heritage, ACI MENA reported Thursday.

Performing in several languages, the choir offered a program rooted in church tradition while also carrying the emotional weight of Lebanon’s story abroad. The evening drew clergy, diplomats, and members of the Lebanese community, turning the concert into a moment of faith, culture, and belonging far from home.

Source: https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/spain-s-president-congratulates-pope-leo-xiv-on-magnifica-humanitas