An Article by Father Dr. Rif’at Bader

When it was announced in the Vatican and in Algeria of  His Holiness Pope Leo XIV’s intention to undertake an official visit to Algeria in April, I felt a particular joy, not only because it concerns a papal visit to a brotherly Arab country, but because I came to know Algeria closely during two personal stops that left a deep impression on me.

My first visit was in 2008 to bid farewell to Bishop Ghaleb Bader, when Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as archbishop of Algiers, thus making him the first Arab to sit on that episcopal seat. The second visit was a transit visit to the Diocese of Algiers, during which I had the opportunity, in the company of a bishop friend, to closely observe the religious and human reality of this vast country, a country that has nearly 48 million people, with an overwhelming Muslim majority and a modest Christian presence numerically, yet one that is active through educational, healthcare, and social institutions serving people without distinction of religion or ethnicity.

From this premise, the papal visit appears to be an event that transcends an internal ecclesial dimension to become a national and humanitarian message of encouragement. As has been the case during previous visits to Lebanon and Turkey, the media are expected to shed light on Algeria’s true face, namely as a country of ancient civilization, a deep-rooted history, as well as being marked by cultural and religious diversity, and a constant striving for stability and common living…

On March 3 and 4, 2026, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), held consultations with representatives of the Armenian community in Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Cyprus regarding the current regional situation.

He was informed that there had been no casualties among Armenian communities and only minor material damage. Community and Diocesan Leaders are closely monitoring developments, while schools remain temporarily closed with classes conducted online.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I also convened a special online meeting of the Lay Assembly of the Central Executive Council of the Catholicosate to assess the situation across the Middle East, especially the recent attacks in Lebanon, and to discuss support measures for Armenian Communities.

Emphasizing that the security of Middle Eastern Communities remains a priority, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I continues to follow developments closely and will provide updates as necessary.

The International Theological Commission (ITC) publishes “Quo vadis, humanitas (“Humanity, where are you going?”): The epochal challenge of Christian anthropology in the era of artificial intelligence and posthumanism.”

“Quo vadis, humanitas?” is the title of a new document published Wednesday by the International Theological Commission, following the approval of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, which was granted on 9 February.

The title captures the underlying rationale and ultimate purpose of the document: faced with unprecedented technological advancement, theology seeks to offer “a theological and pastoral proposal” which, in the light of the Gospel, considers human life as an “integral vocation” and involves “co-responsibility with regard both toward others and towards God.”

During his weekly General Audience, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV continues reflecting on 'Lumen gentium,' suggesting there is no opposition between the human and divine dimensions of the Church, and reminding that the Church is not some ideal apart but that of Christ throughout history.

"An ideal and pure Church, separated from the earth, does not exist; only the one Church of Christ, embodied in history."

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV expressed this during his weekly General Audience in the Vatican on Wednesday morning.

“They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks.” (Isaiah 2:4)

In the face of escalating violence in the Middle East, the World Communion of Reformed Churches raises its voice with urgency and moral clarity: the war must end immediately. We call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. The bombing must stop. The destruction must stop. The cycle of retaliation must stop.

No political objective, no claim of security, no invocation of history can justify the relentless loss of life, the devastation of communities, or the collective trauma now engulfing the region. Every bomb that falls buries not only bodies, but also the fragile hope of peace…

Bishops across Asia are calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, expressing their concern that escalating violence could trigger “incalculable human and economic consequences” worldwide.

The Central Committee of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) issued a statement from Bangkok, Thailand, on March 3, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East.

The Asian Bishops expressed “deep anguish and grave concern over the renewed escalation of violence in the Middle East,” citing recent cycles of bombardment and retaliation involving major global and regional powers.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV gave a brief statement to journalists in Castel Gandolfo, outside the residence of Villa Barberini, once again repeating his appeal to “work for peace” and to “promote dialogue.”

“Pray for peace, work for peace, less hatred. Hatred in the world is constantly increasing.” This is the appeal that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV shared with a group of journalists outside Villa Barberini, the residence in Castel Gandolfo, where he spent his customary day of rest and work between yesterday and today.

The Secretariat for the Economy and the Holy See’s Labour Office organize an event on the potential and challenges of artificial intelligence, with the 'appreciation and encouragement' of the Pope.

“An abundance of means and a confusion of ends.” This phrase, attributed to Albert Einstein, offers a snapshot of a world challenged and shaped by new technologies. The interests at stake are multiple and not “neutral.” In this context, the Holy See — which has no military or commercial objectives — can play a key role in promoting global governance capable of developing systems that are “ethical from their design stage.”

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV addresses Italian Theologians from the Theological Faculty of Puglia and the Theological Institute of Calabria and insists that Theology must work to proclaim the Gospel, deepen the mystery of the faith, and resist the temptation to turn backward.

“Theology serves the proclamation of the Gospel; therefore it is an integral and fundamental part of the Church’s mission.”

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV expressed this when meeting representatives of the Theological Faculty of Puglia and the Theological Institute of Calabria on Monday morning in the Vatican.

Offering reflections concerning the path of formation offered by the respective institutions, the Pope encouraged them to move forward and backward, and to do Theology together.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV visits the Ascension of the Lord Parish in eastern Rome, and encourages residents in the suburban neighborhood to be a leaven of goodness in the midst of frailty and criminality.

On Sunday, March 1, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV made his third visit to a Parish in his diocese, spending the afternoon at the Ascension of the Lord Parish in the eastern “Quarticciolo” neighborhood of the Italian capital.

He followed in the footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II, who visited 46 years ago on February 3, 1980, and was welcomed by Cardinal Baldo Reina, Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome.

The Pope first met the Parish’s children in the oratory courtyard, and lamented the renewed outbreak of war in the Middle East, saying God desires peace for all people.

On Saturday morning, February 28, 2026, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), received the members of the Armenian National Chamber Orchestra at the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia. The ensemble, visiting Lebanon for a highly anticipated concert, was accompanied by representatives of the Hamazkayin Lebanon Executive Committee and the concert’s organizing committee.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I warmly welcomed the Orchestra members and their accompanying guests and offered his pontifical blessing. In his remarks, he highlighted the critical importance of preserving, enriching, and promoting Armenian cultural values and emphasized the collective responsibility of cultural institutions in both Armenia and the Diaspora. His Holiness urged the Armenian community to actively support organizations dedicated to cultural advancement and the strengthening of Armenian heritage.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV reflects on the mystery of the Transfiguration at the Angelus for the Second Sunday of Lent, noting that Christ the Redeemer transfigures the wounds of history and reveals God's gift of salvation.

Jesus’ Transfiguration, recounted in Sunday’s Gospel, “foreshadows the light of Easter: an event of death and Resurrection, of darkness and new light that Christ radiates on all bodies scourged by violence, crucified by pain, or abandoned in misery,” His Holiness Pope Leo XIV said in his catechesis at the Sunday Angelus.

His Eminence Bishop Professor Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm said the meeting clearly strengthened his hope for increasing unity amongst the churches. “We wholeheartedly agreed upon the necessity to put Christ in the center to move us to visible unity,” he said. “We also agreed that a strong prophetic voice against the unscrupulous instrumentalisation of Christian faith for political purposes is needed.”

Bedford-Strohm added: “Whether it is about aggressive invasion, chasing migrants, or putting down whole groups of people, the churches must lift up the voice of the preacher of the sermon on the mount who encouraged us to practice, love, even of the enemy and advocacy for the most vulnerable in society. It was encouraging that we are united in giving this witness of love and empathy to the world in a time where division and violence seem to triumph.”

On February 27, 2026, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), met with His Excellency Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, at his official residence in New Delhi.

His Beatitude Mor Baselius Joseph, Catholicos of India, and His Eminence Mor Eusebios Kuriakose, Metropolitan of New Delhi, accompanied His Holiness during this visit.

During the meeting, His Holiness discussed with His Excellency matters related to the current situation as well as matters related to the Syriac Orthodox Church.

On Clean Monday, 23 February 2026, at midday, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I received, according to established tradition, the hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne residing in Constantinople. On the occasion of the beginning of Holy and Great Lent, they exchanged brotherly greetings in a spirit of mutual forgiveness.

Later the same day, he presided from the Patriarchal Throne at the sacred service of Great Compline in the venerable Patriarchal Church at the Phanar…

Mt 17:1–9

Last Sunday, we saw that temptation enters the human heart, always seeking to diminish, or belittle in our eyes the work of God in the life of His creatures. 
The serpent does this by entering into dialogue with the woman and implies that God had forbidden them to eat from all the trees in the garden (Gen 3:1). In reality, we know that this is not the case: God had allowed them to eat from all the trees in the garden except one (Gen 2:16-17). 

The Tempter does the same thing with Jesus. At the time of His baptism in the Jordan, the Father addressed the Son by calling Him “Beloved Son” (Mt 3:17), and in the desert the Tempter merely calls Him “son.” 
And he tempts Him precisely on this point: “If you are the Son...” (Mt 4:3, 5). 
The devil certainly cannot deny that Jesus is the Son of the Father: he knows this very well and, throughout the Gospel accounts, he is always the first to want to reveal Jesus' identity, to the point that Jesus himself commands him to be silent. Jesus is therefore the Son. But is He the beloved Son? Will God take care of him or leave him at the mercy of pain, human violence, and death?…

The Holy See reiterates the moral imperative of disarmament amid massive expansion of arms budgets, and warns against the militarization of outer space, which must remain the “province of all mankind.”

Msgr. Daniel Pacho, Undersecretary for the Holy See’s Multilateral Sector of the Secretariat of State, has renewed the Church’s call for disarmament.

Addressing the UN-led 2026 Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Wednesday, he said humanity is at “a critical juncture,” recalling His Holiness  Leo XIV’s warning in January that war is “back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading.”

Msgr. Pacho lamented that diplomacy based on force is replacing dialogue and consensus-seeking, saying this shift has undermined multilateral discussions on disarmament, including the Conference on Disarmament.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV names four new Auxiliary Bishops for his Diocese, all of whom were already active as Parish Priests in Rome.

The Bishop of Rome has appointed four new Auxiliaries for his Diocese: Stefano Sparapani, Alessandro Zenobbi, Andrea Carlevale and Marco Valenti.

All four were already Parish Priests in Rome.

The Holy See Press Office announces His Holiness Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming Apostolic Journeys: ten days in Africa, between Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, in April; one day in the Principality of Monaco at the end of March; and six days in Spain, between Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands archipelago, in June.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will make a ten-day Apostolic Journey to Africa and two others in Europe, the Holy See Press Office announced on Wednesday.

The first visit will be a day trip at the end of March to the Principality of Monaco, followed by the Africa Journey in April, and finally the six-day Journey to Spain and in the Spanish archipelago of the Canary Islands in June.

After the significant journey to Türkiye and Lebanon at the end of 2025 and after the announcement of the upcoming pastoral visits in Italy that will take him as far as Lampedusa, Pope Leo is resuming his pilgrimages throughout the world. 

On February 24, 2026, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), consecrated St. Mary Church in Dandenong - Melbourne.

His Holiness was assisted by their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Malatius Malki Malki, Patriarchal Vicar of Australia and New Zealand, and Mor Augeen Al-Khoury Nemat, Patriarchal Secretary.