“I have loved you.” The Lord speaks these words to a Christian community that, unlike some others, had no influence or resources, and was treated instead with violence and contempt: “You have but little power. ... I will make them come and bow down before your feet.” This text reminds us of the words of the canticle of Mary: “He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty”...

The first major document of a pontificate is highly anticipated as an indication of the new Pope’s agenda. Pope Leo XIV has chosen to place his first document, the apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You) into a Franciscan framework. The Vatican press office, unusually, carried a news item that Dilexi Te had been signed on Saturday, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Oct. 4...

What does the Catholic Church believe about Islam and about Muslims? This question flares up periodically on the internet and sometimes in real life. Clearly, Muslims reject Jesus and are not a part of the Church. On the other hand, what (some will ask) about certain statements made in the Second Vatican Council’s dogmatic constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium? There, they read (or are told), Muslims worship the one God with Catholics and are even included in the “plan of salvation.”

Pope Leo XIV will visit Turkey and Lebanon in the first apostolic journey of his pontificate, to take place from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2, the Vatican announced Tuesday. Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said the pope accepted the invitations of the “Head of State and Ecclesiastical Authorities” of both countries in an Oct. 7 statement released by the Vatican.

That Pope Leo would add Lebanon to his first international trip is a signal of both the country’s importance and crisis situation. Lebanon may not be very important on the world stage. But what gives it weight in the Vatican is that it is indeed a real bastion of Eastern Christianity, especially Catholic Christianity. With a Christian percentage of “only” 37% of the population, it has an influential critical mass of Christians within the population as a whole...

It’s the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary — and you’re reading The Tuesday Pillar Post. You probably know the story of Our Lady of Victory, and the Oct. 7, 1571, Battle of Lepanto. A European armada of warships aimed to defend Venetian outposts on the island of Cyprus. The Ottoman Empire wanted Cyprus, so that it could use the island as a launching point to invade Italy and take the city of Rome...

Earlier this year we released Messages from Our Lady #1, a new comic book series that follows two middle school students, Adele and Francisco, as they struggle to find their place in the world. Included in each issue of this series is a visual illustration of Marian apparitions or remarkable miracles associated with Our Lady. This second issue will include the origin of the Rosary, the Battle of Lepanto and more...

For Americans wishing they could participate in The Great Canadian Treasure Hunt, there is a new opportunity stateside. This month, the rare coin dealer and auction house Stack’s Bowers Galleries is inviting the public to join in on a treasure hunt to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the firm’s first auction.

The United States Constitution had been in effect for little more than a year when Congress first moved to amend it. On September 25, 1789, the legislature sent a dozen proposed amendments to the then-13 states (soon to be 14) for ratification, as the law required. By December 15, 1791, the necessary three-fourths of states had ratified 10 of the 12 amendments, which collectively became known as the Bill of Rights.

In Respect Life Month, Kylie Kelce did the impossible: She upstaged Taylor Swift, who is engaged to become her sister-in-law. And she did it by talking about how deeply we mourn unborn children. Taylor Swift’s new album should have been the talk of the week, but for many families, its risqué photography and explicit lyrics made it a nonstarter.