Vatican & World News 26.03.2026

0:00In the headlines this Thursday, March 26, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Paroline called for peace and an end to violence, particularly in the Middle East. In a message to the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Leo appelled the progress made on the path to full Christian unity, and the presidency of the leadership conference of women religious speak to Vatican radio about their meeting with the Pope. In the Vatican, I'm Isabella de Carvalho. With Holy Week and Easter approaching, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Paroline repeated once again the Vatican's appeal for peace and an end to violence, particularly in the Middle East. On the sidelines of a study day at the Vatican Apostolic Library, the Cardinal responded to journalist's questions, expressing his hope that in the Holy Land, the Holy Week rituals can at least be celebrated inside sacred sites.

1:00Kelsey Gassi tells us more. Put an end to this foolishness that is war. This is what Cardinal Pietro Paroline urged to a group of journalists. He shared his thoughts are with the Holy Land, which is preparing to live through a Holy Week with significant limitations and restrictions due to the war. The Cardinal expressed hope that at least within the Holy Sites, such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the ceremonies may still be celebrated, looking ahead Cardinal Paroline renewed the call to end violence. He highlighted how Easter is the feast of peace, the peace of the risen Lord. Therefore he said, it is a special occasion to renew this invitation. Turning to Italian current events, the Secretary of State responded to a question about the news of a teacher being stabbed by a 13-year-old student in Bergamo. He noted that in the face of these situations, there is a need for regulatory intervention, which, as much as possible, can prevent and stop these incidents. At the same time Cardinal Pietro

2:01Paroline highlighted how the question is one of values. The values that inspire young people, and those that adults are transmitting to the youth to prevent these degeneration from occurring, he added that it is fundamentally a matter of education, hoping that schools will become places where we learn to live together, respect one another and be constructive. Lastly, the journalist asked the Secretary of State about the traditional Latin Mass, following the publication of the Pope's message signed by the Secretary of State to the French bishops during their plenary assembly, in the letter Pope Lear the 14th Express Concern that a painful wound continues to open in the church regarding the celebration of the Mass, and he encouraged everyone to generously include those sincerely attached to that form of Mass. The Cardinal reiterated that the liturgy must not become a cause of conflict and division among us. He stressed the importance of finding a formula that can meet the legitimate needs, which he believes can exist without making the liturgy a battleground. I'm Kelsey Gussi.

3:03The Holy See has expressed a deep concern over escalating violence in the Middle East, warning of its serious human rights and humanitarian consequences. Speaking at the United Nations in Geneva, Archbishop Ethore Balistreiro called for an immediate halt to the spiral of violence and a renewed commitment to dialogue. Francesca Merlot reports. Addressing the Human Rights Council, Archbishop Ethore Balistreiro, Apostolic Nuzio and permanent observer of the Holy See lamented the tragic events unfolding in the Middle East, expressing profound sorrow for innocent victims, especially for children and displaced families. He condemned a tax on civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and homes, some reportedly AI enabled, and warned that such suffering cannot be ignored. Quoting Pope Leo XIV, he stressed that the pain of the defenseless hurts all of humanity. He reiterated that peace cannot be achieved through violence or retaliation, but only through diplomacy, dialogue and full respect for international law. Echoing the Pope, he urged all parties

4:06to halt the spiral of violence before it becomes irreversible and to assume their moral responsibility in seeking peace. Earlier at the UNHCR Standing Committee, Archbishop Bellistreiro highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and North Africa. He noted the growing gap between rising humanitarian needs and shrinking resources, contrasting funds spent on war with those devoted to sustaining life. Emphasizing the human dignity of displaced people, he insisted that refugees are not statistics, but individuals with names, faces and stories. He also drew attention to the long-term impact on children deprived of stability, education and normal childhood experiences, and the Holy See called for greater international solidarity, noting that most refugees are hosted by developing countries, and he urged more predictable funding and expanded resettlement opportunities. The Holy See also stressed the need to address root causes, insisting that war is never

5:06inevitable, but the result of human decisions and called for an end to hateful rhetoric and a renewed commitment to dialogue. In a further intervention on Europe, the Holy See highlighted the ongoing humanitarian consequences of the war in Ukraine, calling for an immediate ceasefire and affirming that peace cannot be delayed. I'm Frances Camerlo. Over 3,000 people have been killed across the Middle East as the conflict in the region continues for 27th day, with Iran leban on an Israel still under attack. In the latest news, Israel's Defence Minister has claimed that the commander overseeing Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has been killed. Nathan Morley has the story. The Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Kat, said that Tsang Ziri was directly responsible for the effective closure of the Strait and had been blown up. He said several other senior navy officers were also killed. The announcement came as a leading global policy group warned that the blockade was raising costs and weighing on demand and adding to inflation repressures

6:10around the world. Meanwhile, the US President Donald Trump says Iran has been militarily obliterated. He claimed the Iranian negotiators had been begging to make a deal. Iran, however, has denied that any talks with Washington are underway at all. On Wednesday, an Iranian official outlined five conditions to end the war, following reports that Tehran had received a 15-point proposal from the United States. On Thursday, though, President Trump renewed his criticism of NATO allies on social media, saying that they've done absolutely nothing to help with the crisis in Iran. Meanwhile, regional attacks continued, including strikes in Iran and Lebanon. In Abu Dhabi, two people were killed by debris from an intercepted missile, believed to have originated in Iran. Inside Iran itself, a government-imposed digital blackout entered its 27th day, according to the monitoring group Netblocks. The group

7:11said Iran has now been largely cut off from the global internet for 624 hours. For Vatican radio, this is Nathan Morley reporting. On a message to the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Molleli, on the occasion of her installation, Pope Leo XIV held the progress made on the path to full Christian unity and acknowledge the challenge challenges in Catholic-Anglican relations, delivering the message on Thursday morning at a common prayer service in Canterbury Cathedral on the day following the installation where Colonel Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastry for Promoting Christian Unity, and a high-level Catholic delegation, Linda Bordoni reports. The humble wooden nila used by John Paul II during a historic liturgy in Canterbury Cathedral in 1986, with the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Ronsi, was again today the seat of prayer as Cardinal Kurt Koch, knelt, to celebrate a common prayer with the

8:14new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Molleli. The service took place on the day following the official installation of the private of the Anglican Communion, which took place in the presence of some 2,000 guests, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, and marking the symbolic start of Dame Sarah's public ministry. That nila is a powerful symbol of the journey to full Christian unity, to which the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion committed themselves as far back as 1966, and that was upheld in a message from Pope Leo XIV to Archbishop Molleli on this solemn occasion. Assuring her of his prayers, the Pope said he invokes grace, mercy, and peace in a common journey of truth and love. He observed to that she begins her ministry at a challenging moment in the history of the Anglican family, and prayed that she may be strengthened with wisdom and guided by the Holy Spirit, and referring to the work of the Anglican Roman Catholic International

9:15Commission, the Pope said it continues to support a more effective common witness, particularly in the face of contemporary global challenges. At the same time, he acknowledged that the ecumenical journey has encountered difficulties, which however he said do not prevent Christians from recognising one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, by virtue of their common baptism. Thus, the Pope continued, dialogue must continue, so that Christians may come to know together the grace, mercy, and peace of God, and offer these to the world. I'm Linda Buroni. Always keep the good of the patient as your guiding principle, suggested Pope Leo XIV on Thursday in the Vatican when meeting with the participants in a meeting organised by Italy's National Transplant Centre. The Pope said he was pleased to welcome them on the occasion of the General Assembly of the National Transplant Network, noting their presence bears witness to the commitment of many healthcare workers, professionals and volunteers who, with competence and dedication, serve human life in its most fragile

10:17moments. He recalled that they are commemorating 70 years since the first organ donation in Italy took place. On Thursday, March 26, Pope Leo XIV met with the Presidency of the Leadership Conference of Women Religion, or LCWR, and spoke with them about tensions and polarisations touching the United States. LCWR is a US Association of Leaders of Catholic Women Religious Congregations. The President of LCWR, Sister Vicki Larson, and Executive Director Sister Carl Zinn spoke to Vatican Radio about their meeting with the Pope and their work on the ground. One of the things that he said to us was to express gratitude to all the sisters who conveyed their greetings to him and who promised prayer for him every day, and I could tell that was a very important message for him to be aware of those prayers. I feel really a close connection to him because part of his life was lived in the United States and part in Peru, so there's definitely a connection that one feels.

11:18It was a wonderful experience, absolutely wonderful. You received us very warmly, but I would say when he listened to our story of the heart about how painful it is right now in the United States about the treatment of human beings, not even US citizens, just human beings themselves. I could see the pain on his face also, and of course he has spoken eloquently about how just a degree just that behavior is. He thanked us for the work that we are doing. We work at the grassroots level where our sisters are actually doing everything that they can to help at the grassroots level, people needing baby food and shoes. I mean, it's that basic accompanying them to court, and we also work at the advocacy level of the federal government. So we kind of have a foot in both worlds. He thanked us for that advocacy and agreed about how hard it is, how difficult it is, and how worried he is. He shares our worry about such a young democracy in the United States and how we might actually come out on the other side of this. He shares that concern. Definitely, we have a shared concern for the plight of the immigrant,

12:23and the gospel call to welcome the stranger. And I appreciated his concern about democracy, and he did point out to us that this is not the only country in the world that's struggling with this. My sense of what he said what I heard was, maybe it's because he's from the United States, but there was a different felt sense of concern about the United States because it's so young, but because it is so hopeful and has been so hopeful how this could happen in this period of time, seemingly rather quickly. It could kind of devaluate itself to this kind of treatment of each other. He like us. We're kind of shocked at it. Not surprised, but shocked that this is happening. So many people say, I can't believe this is happening in our country. That was Sister Vicki Larson and Sister Carol Zinn, President and Executive Director of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. That brings us to the end of this edition of Vatican and World News. For more on these and other

13:26stories, visit www.vaticannews.va and or a lot our Facebook, X and Instagram accounts, where you can follow along with Pope Leo XIV during all his upcoming events. Many thanks today. Go to Daniela Georgi or Sound Engineer in the studio. And of course, a special thanks to all of you for listening and be sure to join us again tomorrow at the same time for more. In the Vatican, I'm Isabella De Carvalho.