By Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo, The American Spectator – The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who have been caring for patients with terminal cancer for over 125 years, are being sent warning letters from the state of New York for refusing to adhere to the Long-Term Care Facility Residents’ Bill of Rights for LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers and People Living with HIV Act… The Spectator P.M. Podcast hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo give insight into the case and how these nuns are being attacked by the state for their religious beliefs.

By Grace Porto, Zeale – A soldier from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on April 19 desecrated a statue of Jesus, located in a family’s personal backyard shrine, in a small Lebanese village. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack… Reuters reported April 20 that Netanyahu said the soldier’s actions went against the Jewish value of tolerance and wrote on X, “I was stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier ​damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon. I condemn the act in the strongest terms.”

By Scott McKay, The American Spectator – To this day, well more than a decade after the deed was done, an empty pedestal stands in one of New Orleans’ most prominent locations… The pedestal, some 50 feet high, once housed one of the great triumphs of public art. It was a magnificent statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee built in 1884, and the small park around the statue was known — and still is known — as Lee Circle… (and then) in the 2010s, it suddenly became a “public nuisance” in the eyes of the city’s mayor… Whose name was Mitch Landrieu. …

By Richard Cassleman, First Things – Just war is again being discussed in the public square by policymakers and prelates alike. Recently, the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine, Bishop James Massa, made a clarification about just war in response to comments from the president and vice president. Given the war in Iran, there is no better time for such conversation. While much of Bishop Massa’s statement could be interpreted as a defense of the pope, I feel compelled to correct the record on the just war tradition.

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture – Fundamentally, every human being has one purpose in life: to figure out reality. There are two aspects to our God-given quest. What narrative makes the most sense—and how do I fit within it? The Rubik’s Cube is a helpful metaphor… A Rubik’s Cube is a handheld 3D puzzle composed of colored squares. Each face of the cube is one solid color when solved. The goal is to twist and turn the layers until each face is back to a single, uniform color. Despite its simple appearance, it’s surprisingly complex… Like life.

By  David Paul Deavel, Catholic World Report – But what conservatives–and Catholic conservatives especially–must realize is that the Left does not suddenly care about defending the Pope or Catholic teaching. Rather, they hope that by pretending to be on “Team Pope”, they can manipulate Catholics into voting against their own interests–and undermine President Trump in the process.

By John Horvat II, Crisis Magazine – As the number of adult baptisms grows, many Catholics rejoice in the prospect of what is being called a quiet revival. It is a cause of great hope to see so many young people eager to learn more about the Faith… t is also a cause of great mystery. The bishops have announced themselves confounded and “stymied” by the flood of new converts entering their churches this Easter. It does not fit into any new evangelization scheme. No one seems to have an explanation for why Catholicism, especially traditional Catholicism, is suddenly popular among Gen Z. ….

By Gigi Duncan, National Catholic Register – When Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Catholic Church’s top authority in the Holy Land, was blocked by Israeli police from entering Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher this past Palm Sunday, the incident set off a wave of criticism in the U.S. — including from many Generation Z Catholics… Users of the social-media platform X led the charge, accusing the Israeli government of hostility toward Christians and even calling into question American support for the Jewish nation-state.

By Peter Giersch, Catholic Exchange – C. S. Lewis points out that the reason the saints know more about sin than the sinners do is that you don’t really understand rules until you obey them. How many times have you said, under your breath, after a moral struggle, in a flash of understanding, “Oh that’s why…” Understanding is possible. Understanding may come, but obedience comes first… Now of course all of this can be applied to daily temptations. Why can’t I get angry in traffic? Why can’t I watch this video? Why shouldn’t I join in this conversation? Because it’s not allowed. Just obey.

Bellarmine Forum – ANSELM was a native of Piedmont. When a boy of fifteen, being forbidden to enter religion, he for a while lost his fervor, left his home, and went to various schools in France. At length his vocation revived, and he became a monk at Bec in Normandy. The fame of his sanctity in this cloister led William Rufus, when dangerously ill, to take him for his confessor, and to name him to the vacant see of Canterbury. …

By Deacon Frank, Catholic Exchange – “Deacon Frank” is a permanent deacon in the United States. He is involved in the Eucharistic Revival… Everything I am going to reveal to you in this article is true. It happened to me, and it changed the very trajectory of my life for the good. It occurred in the summer of 1995… My grandfather, who helped raise me, was in the final months of his life. His body was riddled with cancer. As his death approached, I had a strong intuition that on his deathbed my grandfather would see his mother, who had died thirty years prior, and that my father would witness it.

By Saint Michael Center for the Blessed Virgin Mary – 3. Offers Powerful Spiritual Protection – The Blessed Mother herself said to St. Dominic: “One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, I will save the world.”… Praying the Rosary protects against temptation, evil, and spiritual attack… It’s often described as a spiritual armor in the battle against sin. …

By Michael Haynes, PerMariam, (Substack) – The watchdog agency Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that the controversial 2018 deal between China and the Vatican has “helped the Chinese government to pressure underground Catholic communities to join the official church.”… According to a detailed new report issued by HRW, the Chinese state is only increasing its persecution of underground Catholics, and is doing so aided by the framework of the 2018 deal between Beijing and the Holy See regarding the appointment of bishops.

By Mary Rose, Zeale – Trump (stated) … “Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz. A total violation of our ceasefire agreement.” He added that the shots targeted vessels including a French ship and a United Kingdom freighter… Trump also detailed the seizure of the Iranian-flagged cargo ship TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman… “The U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the TOUSKA,” he wrote on Truth Social.

By Catholic World News – The typical member of the priestly ordination class of 2026 is a 33-year-old cradle Catholic, according to a newly released survey of 334 of the 428 men slated to be ordained to the priesthood in the United States this year. The survey was conducted for the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations of the USCCB by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate and posted on the USCCB’s website… The typical ordinand regularly took part in Eucharistic adoration and prayed the Rosary before entering seminary, according to the survey. …