The greatest proof of Christ's charity was given on the Cross. With Christ our gift of ourselves will be given to God as an expression of our love. Communion will lift our human activities up to God's level, not only in will and intention, but in the reality of the sacrament. Let us offer then, and believe, and change our lives into more loving. --St. Andrew Bible Missal

Pope Francis has sent a message of condolence to victims of a fire that left 59 dead and another 150 injured in a nightclub in Kocani, Macedonia.

Police in Wichita, Kansas have arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with the vandalization of a Catholic church, charging him with criminal descration.

The vandal had smashed statues, broke glass, and defaced the sanctuary of St. Patrick’s church, a predominantly Hispanic parish. All services were cancelled after the attack as the parish began to repair the damage.

The attack—which the Kansas Catholic Conference characterized as a “hate crime”—came amid tensions over plans for a Black Mass at the state’s capitol building.

Doctors report that the condition of Pope Francis remains stable, with therapy producing some improvement, but caution that his clinical outlook remains “complex.”

On March 16 the Vatican released the first photo of the Pontiff in over a month, showing him at prayer before the altar of his chapel in the Gemelli Hospital, wearing an alb, after the celebration of Sunday Mass. The press office reports that the Pope is now spending much of his days in prayer and work, along with periods of therapy and rest.

Doctors have revealed that they are decreasing the use of “non-invasive mechanical ventilation” to assist the Pope’s breathing at night. He still requires high-flow supplemental oxygen, delivered through a nasal tube. No date has been set for his release from the hospital.

On the third anniversary of Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), historically affiliated with the Patriarchate of Moscow, issued a statement denouncing the invasion.

Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev said that “our Motherland has been suffering from the horrible bloodshed that the Russian army... has brought to our Ukrainian land.” He added: “Nothing can be an excuse for those who break the blessed peace.”

The UOC—the ecclesiastical rival of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which has no canonical ties with Moscow—has been subject to legal restrictions by the Ukrainian government, which has charged that UOC clerics have undermined the national effort. Metropolitan Onufriy lamented the “slander, speculation, and artificial accusations” directed against the UOC, and offered prayers “for all the Ukrainian servicemen, who carry on their self-sacrificing feat every day, courageously defending Ukraine and her residents.”

The Vatican’s weekly Lenten Sermons, traditionally delivered by the papal preacher to the Pontiff and members of the Roman Curia, will be open to the public this year.

Father Roberto Pasolini, the Franciscan preacher, will deliver the weekly sermons in the Paul VI auditorium, rather than in one of the Vatican chapels, in order to accommodate the larger congregation. Tickets are not required for the sermons, which will be given each Friday morning in Lent.

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