National Eucharistic Pilgrimage 2026, Holy Land Violence, Astrologer Conversion, and More

0:00Hello, I'm Tina Christian, and you're listening to our OSV newscast for Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Let's catch you up on the Catholic News of the day, and here we go. We'll get your walking shoes on today, registration opened for public events during the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, and there are many opportunities for Catholics to join the nine perpetual pilgrims. Those pilgrims and their chaplains will set out on May 24, and as in the last two pilgrimages, they'll accompany the Eucharist on foot or in their van. They'll be traveling along the east coast, and the route will wrap up in Philadelphia on July 5, as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary. With the theme One Nation Under God, this year's National Eucharistic Pilgrimage celebrates key Catholic landmarks and events in American Catholic history. The public events will focus on the Eucharist with Mass, Adoration and Processions, as well

1:01as Charitable Service and Fellowship. Those events will take place in 18 Diocese and Archdiocese, as well as two Eastern-Rite Epochies in 13 states, and the District of Columbia, and if your diocesse or Epochie isn't one of them not to worry, pilgrimage organizers want to involve the entire church in the U.S., and they're calling on the faithful to offer 250,000 holy hours for the renewal and blessing of America. You can also access free weekly lectures that highlight Catholic and Christian ideals that define America's national identity. Those are available on the National Eucharistic Congress's Mana app. The public can register to attend the pilgrimage events at Eucharisticpilgrimage.org. Yesterday, the Vatican's top diplomat to the United Nations called for a holistic approach in securing access to justice for women and girls. Archbishop Gabriel Acacia, the Holy See's permanent observer to the U.N.,

2:04spoke yesterday during that body's 70th commission on the status of women. The Archbishop, who was recently named Papal Nuncio to the U.S., said ensuring access to justice for women and girls requires more than just formal legal protections. It also involves addressing the root causes that put them at risk, prevent them from seeking justice, and ultimately undermine their God-given human dignity. The Archbishop said poverty and violence, along with their numerous consequences, are significant barriers to justice access for women and girls. Another major obstacle is human trafficking for various forms of exploitation, such as prostitution, forced marriage, and surrogacy. The Archbishop quoted Pope Leo IV who, last year, said justice cannot be reduced to the mere application of the law or the work of judges, nor is it limited to its procedural aspects. In his address yesterday, Archbishop Acacia also stressed the need for effective systems of

3:05accountability and for fostering a culture of responsibility. And he assured the UN of the Catholic Church's support in this holistic approach. Invoking God to justify war is the greatest sin we can commit at this time. That's what Cardinal Pied Batista Pizabala, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, said during a March 15th webinar organized by Oasis Foundation. The Cardinals said that conflicts in the Middle East are driven by political and material interests, not faith, and he cautioned against what he called pseudo-religious language. Insisting, there are no new crusades. The Cardinals stressed that God is found among victims of war, in the suffering, the wounded, and the displaced, and not among those using religion for political gain. The Cardinals' comments come amid the ongoing US Israel and Iran war, which began on February 28th. Cardinal Pied Batista Pizabala also echoed repeated appeals for peace from Pope Leo XIV.

4:08Even as he acknowledged, those calls may go unheeded. Turning to Gaza, the Cardinal described a worsening humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced, widespread destruction, and severe shortages of basic medicines. The Cardinals said that in the West Bank, near daily attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian communities continue, along with movement restrictions and a growing number of checkpoints. He also urged journalists to report critically and to avoid becoming channels for propaganda, and he said accurate information is essential in times of war. In Scotland, Catholic bishops welcomed a major vote in Hollywood, the Scottish Parliament, where yesterday lawmakers rejected a bill that would have allowed assisted dying for terminally ill adults. The proposal was shelved after a closely watched debate. In a statement, Bishop John Keenan of Glasgow said members of Parliament chose a responsible

5:10course, protecting vulnerable people from pressure to end their lives prematurely. The Bishop emphasized that true compassion means caring for those who suffer, not ending life, and he called for stronger, better-funded, palliative care. The bill on assisted dying was introduced in 2024 by Liam MacArthur, and it would have allowed eligible adults over the age of 18 with terminal illness to request medical assistance to die. Advocacy groups opposing the measure, called the 69-57 vote, a decisive moment, possibly influencing future debates across the UK. Meanwhile, attention now turns to London, whose members of Parliament are set to consider controversial changes to abortion law, drawing fresh concern from pro-life advocates. Several pro-life campaign groups have planned to hold a demonstration, expected to gather hundreds, asking lawmakers to reject allowing abortion up to birth. And finally, after years of spiritual searching, a former astrologer is preparing to enter

6:15into full communion with the Catholic Church this Easter. Molly Curtis of Michigan was baptized to Catholic, but she drifted away from the faith as a child when her family stopped practicing. As an adult, she explored a wide range of spiritual paths, from new age beliefs to Eastern philosophies, and she eventually launched a career in astrology. Catholic teaching rejects all forms of divination, since as the Catechism states, they conceal a desire for power over time, history, and even other persons, and they contradict the love and honor we owe to God. Through her client sessions, Curtis tried to help others answer life's biggest questions, while she was still searching for her own sense of purpose and peace. Despite those efforts, Curtis said she felt stuck, constantly looking ahead without clarity. Bad unrest intensified, and she felt overwhelmed by what she described as a growing darkness. Helped by the witness of Christians in her life, she felt drawn to something deeper and more grounded. At St. Joseph

7:16Parish in Lake Orion, Michigan, she enrolled in classes for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, or OCIA. Curtis will receive her first communion at Easter. Her 14-year-old daughter is set to be baptized this May, and she's also in confirmation class. Curtis said her husband is not quite ready to take the next steps, but the family has entered a new chapter of faith. And that's your OSV newscast for today. I'm Gina Christian. Check out the show notes for a link to our website where you can find the stories in this episode. Make sure to subscribe to this podcast, follow us on social media, and be quick for it. Bookmark osvnews.com. Thanks so much for listening, and God bless. This has been an OSV News production. To learn more, visit osvnews.com.