USCCB News

USCCB NEWS

Pope Leo XIV Accepts Resignation of Bishop Patrick Zurek of Amarillo and Appoints Cardinal Daniel DiNardo as Apostolic Administrator

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

WASHINGTON - Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Patrick J. Zurek, 77, from the Office of Bishop of Amarillo. At the same time, he has appointed His Eminence Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, archbishop emeritus of Galveston-Houston, as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Amarillo to serve until the appointment and installation of the new bishop.The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on February 14, 2026, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States. The Diocese of Amarillo is comprised of 25,800 square miles in the State of Texas.###

Pope invites Catholics to 'disarm' language and build kindness, respect for Lent

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican released Pope Leo XIV's message for Lent, which begins Feb. 18 on Ash Wednesday.Titled, "Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion," the papal message asked Catholics to come together as a community to listen to the word of God and to the vulnerable.The pope also invited the faithful to engage in a "very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor." "Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgment, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves." Instead, he asked, "let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at wor

Pope supports solidarity with immigrants in US, Catholics must stand together, archbishop says

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- All Catholics are called to stand together by reaching out to their brothers and sisters in the faith of all ethnicities, especially those of Hispanic heritage, Archbishop Alexander K. Sample of Portland, Oregon, said."They are our brothers and sisters, we love them, and we stand with them in these difficult times," he told Catholic News Service Feb. 11 during a visit to Rome and the Vatican, which included a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV Feb. 9."Our Holy Father has been a great source of encouragement and support for the United States bishops, I think, to be very strong in our statements and in our support for the immigrant community back home," he said. "Our Holy Father feels very strongly about this.""I had the opportunity to speak with him, and I can say in the conversation, you could see that this was a matter of great concern for him," said the archbishop whose archdiocese had seen sustained activity by Immigration

In a world of empty words, sacred Scripture offers nourishment, healing, pope says

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Ignorance of sacred Scriptures is ignorance of Jesus Christ, Pope Leo XIV said during his weekly general audience."The ultimate purpose of reading and meditating on the Scriptures," he said Feb. 11, is "to get to know Christ and, through Him, to enter into a relationship with God, a relationship that can be understood as a conversation, a dialogue."Also, with the season of Lent beginning in one week, Feb. 18, the pope said the season "is a time for deepening our knowledge and love of the Lord, for examining our hearts and our lives, as well as refocusing our gaze on Jesus and his love for us." Pope Leo XIV smiles before the start of his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican Feb. 11, 2026. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) "May these coming days of prayer, fasting and almsgiving be a source of strength as we daily strive to take up our own crosses and follow Christ," he said during his audienc

Pope Leo XIV Accepts Resignation of Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans; Succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop James Checchio

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond, 76, from the Office of Archbishop of New Orleans. On the same day, Coadjutor Archbishop James F. Checchio, will assume the pastoral governance of the archdiocese.The announcement was publicized in Washington, D.C. on February 11, 2026, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.Archbishop Checchio’ biography may be found here.The Archdiocese of New Orleans is comprised of 4,208 square miles in the State of Louisiana.###

Pope has no plans to travel to U.S. in 2026, Vatican says

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV will not travel to the United States this year, the head of the Holy See Press Office said Feb. 8.Vatican observers had speculated about whether the first American pope would return to the United States during his first full year as pontiff, particularly as some news outlets reported that he might visit in September to coincide with the U.N. General Assembly in New York, a meeting attended by each of his three most recent predecessors during their pontificates.But, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, told reporters that no U.S. trip is planned for 2026 when asked about the pope’s travel schedule.Recent popes have all traveled to the United States at least once, making such visits an expected trip for modern papacies. St. John Paul II visited the United States frequently, traveling to the country seven times during his pontificate and making stops across the nation. During those visits, he met with President Jimmy

Pope Leo XIV Accepts Resignation of Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver; Appoints Bishop James Golka as Successor

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Samuel J. Aquila, 75, from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Denver, and has appointed Most Reverend James R. Golka, currently bishop of Colorado Springs, as his successor. The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on February 7, 2026, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.Bishop Golka’s biography may be found here.The Archdiocese of Denver is comprised of 40,154 square miles in the State of Colorado.###

Church can help sports by flexing values, strengthening human dignity, pope says

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Just as the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina were about to begin, Pope Leo XIV called on the Catholic Church to recognize sport as an opportunity to offer much-needed human and spiritual guidance.With so many dangers and distortions threatening the integrity of athletics and the dignity of players, the Church can help strengthen the needed harmony between people's physical and spiritual development, he wrote, helping sport become a place "for athletes to learn to take care of themselves without falling prey to vanity, to push themselves to their limits without harming themselves and to compete without losing sight of fraternity."Pope Leo, who considers himself "a decent amateur tennis player," issued a letter on "the value of sport," Feb. 6, titled "Life in Abundance," from Jesus' declaration, "I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly," from the Gospel according to St. John (10:10).

Pope warns little progress has been made to protect children worldwide

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The world continues to fall short of protecting and caring for its children, leaving them with few opportunities to succeed and at greater risk of suffering abuse, Pope Leo XIV said in a speech Feb. 5. In his address to the steering committee of the project "From Crisis to Care: Catholic Action for Children," Pope Leo praised the Catholic organizations for their work with children, and he shared concerns about the lack of progress globally. "Regrettably, I see that the situation of children today has not improved during the past year, and it is also of deep concern to learn of the lack of progress in protecting children from danger," he said in the Apostolic Palace's Clementine Hall at the Vatican.Pope Leo expressed further worry over international priorities."One must question whether global commitments for sustainable development have been cast aside when we see in our global human family that so many children still live in ext

Scripture is intended to speak to believers 'in every age,' pope says

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV said Scripture is meant to speak directly to believers in today's world, emphasizing that the Bible is the word of God expressed through human authors during his weekly general audience."In every age, the Church is called to re-propose the Word of God in a language capable of being embodied in history and reaching hearts," he said Feb. 4. He warned that when Scripture “loses touch with reality, with human hopes and sufferings,” or is proclaimed in language that is “incomprehensible, uncommunicative or anachronistic,” it becomes "ineffective."Continuing his catechesis series on Vatican II, the pope said the Bible is not a relic of the past but a living dialogue meant to lead people to know and love God. God chose to communicate through his people, demonstrating his mercy and desire to be close to humanity, the pope said.Citing the Second Vatican Council’s document "Dei Verbum," the pope s

Holy Angels Parish

345 E. Acton Ave. Wood River, IL 62095

Share by: