In his Urbi et Orbi Easter message, Pope Leo XIV greeted the faithful around the world in ten languages. "Happy Easter! Bring the joy of the risen Jesus, who is present among us, to everyone.” Click on the video to hear him in Italian, French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese and Latin.
Leo XIV. wünscht den Gläubigen frohe Ostern in zehn Sprachen: Italienisch, Französisch, Englisch, Deutsch, Spanisch, Portugiesisch, Polnisch, Arabisch, Mandarin-Chinesisch und Latein
Enoch Burke @EnochBurke BREAKING: Enoch Burke’s mother and sister arrested and jailed Martina and Ammi Burke were arrested by Gardaí today at Castlerea Prison after visiting jailed schoolteacher Enoch Burke, their son and brother. Judge Brian Cregan sentenced them to two weeks in prison after they spoke out against his lies and unlawful actions in the case of Enoch Burke. Martina and Ammi Burke had been teaching in Castlebar this morning before travelling to Castlerea for their scheduled visit at 2.15pm. As they left the prison after concluding the visit, Gardaí were waiting outside to arrest them. Lies have been told from the bench since September 2022 when Enoch Burke was first taken from his teaching post at Wilson’s Hospital School and thrown into a jail cell. He refused to call a student by a new name and the “they” pronoun. He was subsequently suspended and has now spent over 600 days in prison. Ireland’s church leaders have maintained a treacherous silence on this issue. …Zaidi
Following government directives, public Easter services in Dubai have been cancelled since Good Friday. The regime's excuse is that tensions in the Middle East are escalating. Dubai has two Catholic parishes - Saint Mary's and Saint Francis of Assisi in Jebel Ali. Both have confirmed the closures on their websites and will remain closed "until further notice". Saint Mary’s Church is one of the largest Catholic parishes in the world, with around 30,000 members, many of whom are Filipino workers. On Good Friday, many Catholics who had not been informed of the closure were seen praying outside on the pavement instead. Easter liturgies were only being streamed online. Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, acknowledged worshippers' disappointment at missing Holy Week celebrations. #newsAfvbsxvwah
On the Easter Vigil of 4 April 2026, His Beatitude, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over a solemn celebration at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre before the empty tomb. This concluded the Sacred Triduum and proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Many dioceses across Europe, North America, and Asia have seen significant increases in Catholic baptisms and conversions this Easter. The strange thing is that anti-Catholic media including New York Times, Washington Post or CNN advertised this trend. The most significant increase was reported in France, where 21,386 catechumens were baptized during the Easter Vigil. The total included more than 13,000 adults and over 8,000 adolescents, marking the highest figure ever recorded in the country. Outside Europe, large numbers were also reported in parts of Asia. In Hong Kong, approximately 2,500 catechumens were baptized, while Singapore reported 1,089 catechumens entering the Church. In North America, several major dioceses published substantial baptism figures. The Archdiocese of Toronto reported 1,584 catechumens, while Vancouver recorded around 650 catechumens. In the United States, diocesan figures included approximately 900 catechumens in Richmond (Virginia), more than 680 in …Zaidi