Pope Leo XIV visited the Sanctuary of Mama Muxima in Angola, a Catholic shrine with deep spiritual significance and a painful history as a hub in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. During his visit, he prayed for healing and acknowledged the suffering endured by Angolans over centuries, while scholars and observers reflected on the Catholic Church’s historical role in slavery and the need for further acknowledgment and reconciliation.
Tag: Pope Leo XIV
Posted inReligion
Many US Catholics are dismayed by No. 47’s unprecedented broadside at the first American pope
Many U.S. Catholics and some evangelical leaders are expressing dismay after the 47th U.S. president launched an unprecedented verbal attack on Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, highlighting growing tensions between the White House and key religious constituencies ahead of the midterm elections.
Posted inNational News
2025 highlights: Historic elections, social movements and global shifts
The year 2025 was marked by historic firsts, social movements and major political and economic events. From the election of the first Black mayor in Omaha, Neb. to the longest federal shutdown in history, the Target boycott and funding for historically Black colleges and universities, the year left a lasting impact on communities across the United States and around the world.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Pope calls on kidnappers in Nigeria to free 265 students and teachers after 50 pupils escape
Fifty of the more than 300 students and staff abducted from a Catholic school in Niger state have escaped, as Pope Leo XIV urged the immediate release of the 265 victims still in captivity amid growing alarm over Nigeria’s persistent mass kidnappings. Officials and analysts say weak security responses and a lack of consequences continue to fuel ransom-driven attacks across northern Nigeria, even as the government vows not to relent in securing hostages.
Posted inReligion
Black America celebrates African heritage of Pope Leo XIV
The election of Pope Leo XIV—formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago—has sparked pride across Black America, as genealogical records confirm his Creole and Haitian roots trace back to New Orleans’ 7th Ward, making him the first pope with verifiable African-American ancestry.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Robert Prevost, first American pope in history of the Catholic Church, will take the name Leo XIV
By Nicole Winfield Robert Prevost, a missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and leads the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church. Prevost, a 69 member of the Augustinian religious order, took the name Leo XIV. He appeared on the loggia […]