In a marked return to long‑standing Vatican tradition, Pope Leo XIV celebrated this year’s Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. The liturgy, which commemorates the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood, included the washing of the feet of twelve priests — a practice that had been set aside under his predecessor. For decades, popes washed the feet of clergy only. Pope Francis broke with that custom by including laypeople, often choosing prisoners, the sick,…

Holy Thursday—often called Maundy Thursday—is one of those days in the Christian calendar that quietly carries enormous weight. It doesn’t have the somber drama of Good Friday or the triumphant joy of Easter Sunday, yet it holds the very core of what Catholic life is built on: service, sacrifice, and love made tangible. At its essence, Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus shared with His disciples before His arrest. But for Catholics, it’s far more than a historical remembrance. It’s a living moment that shapes the…

Easter Sunday falls this year on April 5 — a date that, for Christians around the world, marks far more than the arrival of spring. It is the celebration that gathers together the core of the Christian faith: the remembrance of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Within the rhythm of the liturgical year, Easter stands as the summit, the feast of feasts, the moment when the Christian story reaches its decisive turning point. A Feast Rooted in the Earliest Church Easter is the oldest and most tradition‑rich…

The Catholic Church continues to grow — but not evenly. New Vatican statistics released in the Annuario Pontificio 2026 and the Statistical Yearbook of the Church reveal a global Catholic population of 1.422 billion people in 2024, an increase of 1.14 percent compared to the previous year. Catholics still make up 17.8 percent of the world’s population, a share that has remained stable even as demographic shifts reshape the Church’s internal landscape. Africa Emerges as a New Center of Gravity The most striking development: Africa has surpassed Europe in its…

The Eurovision Song Contest is taking a major step beyond its traditional borders. After the brief experiment of the American Song Contest and years of discussion about an Asian counterpart, the vision is finally becoming reality. On 14 November, Bangkok will host the first-ever Eurovision Song Contest Asia, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced from its headquarters in Geneva. Ten countries have already confirmed their participation, and the event will be produced in cooperation with regional partners. A New Stage for a Pan‑Asian Music Community According to the EBU, the…

The decade from 2015 to 2025 will be remembered as a turning point in the history of Earth’s climate—though not for reasons that inspire comfort. According to the latest State of the Global Climate report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), these eleven years were the hottest since systematic temperature measurements began in 1850. The data paints a stark picture: the planet is warming faster, the oceans are absorbing unprecedented amounts of heat, and the balance of Earth’s energy system is slipping further out of equilibrium. A Decade of Relentless…