News from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

• Bishops Representing Latin America, Canada, and United States Gather to Pray, Discuss, and Reaffirm Their Unity as One Church February 19, 2026
  TAMPA, Fla. - Concluding a biennial gathering, the officers and members of the Episcopal Conferences of the Americas met from February 15-17 at a retreat center to pray and discuss their shared ministry as pastors. The eleven bishops attending included bishops from the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), the Canadian Conference of Catholic […]
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• The Church is proof of God's plan to unite humanity, pope says February 18, 2026
  VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic Church is not merely an institution, but a visible sign of God’s plan to unite all humanity in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, Pope Leo XIV said in his weekly general audience.The pope continued his series on the Second Vatican Council, emphasizing one of its principal […]
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• Dare to be free, join exodus away from stagnation, pope says on Ash Wednesday February 18, 2026
  VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- During Lent, people of faith come together to recognize their sins, which are not external evils to be solved by pointing fingers, but are evils residing inside one's heart requiring conversion, Pope Leo XIV said."We need to respond by courageously accepting responsibility" for one's own sins, he said in his homily […]
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• From Foreheads to Crowns: How Ash Wednesday looks different worldwide February 17, 2026
  VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholics going to Mass on Ash Wednesday will leave church marked, but whether the ashes appear as a bold cross on the forehead or sprinkled atop the head depends largely on where in the world they worship.While Catholics in the United States typically receive a visible cross of ashes traced on […]
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• Religious Liberty Report Aims to Help Catholics Bring the Spirit of the Gospel to Public Life February 17, 2026
  WASHINGTON—The Committee for Religious Liberty of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has issued its annual report on the state of religious freedom in the United States. The report summarizes developments on national questions and federal policies affecting religious liberty in the U.S., including the role of religion in American public life, and the challenges and opportunities of the present moment.  The report identified six areas […]
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