Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word –  John 3:7-15 – 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.’ 8 The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can this be?”10 Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. …

By Paul Kengor, Crisis Magazine – This escalating battle between the American president and American pope is prompting many conservative Catholics to choose a side… It was only a matter of time before President Donald J. Trump exploded at Pope Leo XIV… Unfortunately, Trump seems to eventually explode at most people critical of him or his policies. It’s a lamentable character trait. You may have noticed that since Trump entered the political scene in 2015, not many of his advisers have lasted. They tend to run afoul of him and invoke his wrath. …

By Carole Novielli, Live Action News – A U.S. District Court sided with the FDA by issuing a “motion to stay” an abortion pill lawsuit filed by the State of Louisiana while the FDA completes a safety review of the drug, but said the state is likely to succeed in its lawsuit… The Court also denied “without prejudice” a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the drug’s manufacturers, Danco and GenBioPro, while the FDA conducts a safety review of the abortion pill… The ruling surprisingly affirmed that the State of Louisiana not only has standing to sue ….

By Alexandra Bedner, LifeNews – Led by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, 78 pro-life groups sent a letter to acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche urging the Department of Justice to stop siding with the abortion drug industry against pro-life states… Louisiana, Florida and Texas, and Missouri, Idaho and Kansas sued the FDA in three separate cases to protect their citizens from the harms of abortion drugs and to stop policies that undermine their state laws, and the DOJ previously moved to dismiss all three cases. …

By Catholic Culture – Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter: Enable us, we pray, almighty God, to proclaim the power of the risen Lord, that we, who have received the pledge of his gift may come to possess all he gives when it is fully revealed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – 2026 is shaping up to be an important year in the fight over the rights of the preborn in the United States. In the past week, three significant stories related to abortion have captured my attention… The first story is encouraging: eight Planned Parenthood facilities have closed so far in 2026, continuing a four-year trend of declining abortion clinic numbers across the United States.

By Daniel McCarthy, Chronicles – President Trump and Pope Leo are in a war of words right now—when they should be allies, not enemies. Both want peace, but the president intends to get it by winning a war against Iran, while the pope thinks the war isn’t worth fighting… “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump said Sunday on his Truth social-media network, in a post blasting the pontiff as “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy.”… With midterm elections just seven months away, Catholic voters suddenly find themselves in the crossfire between the Vatican and the White House. …

By Diane Montagna, Substack – In a letter dated April 13, which is being sent to the cardinals today, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the Sacred College, informs cardinals that that the meetings will be held on the morning and afternoon of Friday and Saturday, June 26–27, beginning at 9:00 a.m. This is one day earlier than previously anticipated and allows for two full days of sessions without extending into Sunday.

By Mike Robertson, The American Spectator – Democrats are repackaging progressive politics as Christian faith in the Texas Senate race… In the wake of President Trump’s decisive second-term victory, the Democratic Party finds itself in full retreat mode. The old playbook, full of shoving Woke extremism, drag queen story hours, and open borders down America’s throat — backfired spectacularly. So now they’re trying a new tactic: pretending to be one of us. No more rainbow flags and “defund the police” chants in public

By Randall Smith, The Catholic Thing – Many readers here likely witnessed Baptisms recently, especially if they went to the Easter Vigil Mass. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, we seem to have been blessed with a good number of Baptisms this year. Let’s pray that this undeserved gift continues and grows like the proverbial mustard seed… That prayer is one we must make for ourselves too, of course, for our own Baptism is like the weeding and preparation of “good soil” into which the seeds of grace are planted. But we must cooperate with that grace for the new growth to flourish.

By George Caldwell, Daily Signal – Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales, who was facing allegations of sexual misconduct with subordinates, announced his intention to resign on Monday… “There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,” Gonzales, a Republican, wrote on X… Gonzales’ announcement came an hour after Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who has also been accused of sexual misconduct, announced he would resign from Congress. Swalwell fully denies the accusations.

By Brooke Brandtjen, The Federalist – Canada’s dominant Liberal Party has introduced legislation that may soon make Christian speech illegal… In March, the Canadian House of Commons passed Bill C-9, also known as the “Combatting Hate Act.” The bill was introduced under the guise of mitigating antisemitic attacks in the wake of Hamas’ violent attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Liberals claimed it was developed to protect religious communities, but C-9 eagerly expanded to prohibit public displays of “hate,” including “Islamophobia, homophobia, and transphobia.” …

By Mark G. Brennan, Chronicles – That day, President Trump issued Executive Order No. 14,160, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.” Trump’s edict sought to stop further issuance of citizenship documents to the children of either illegal aliens or temporary visitors. In other words, birthright citizenship—the granting of citizenship to babies born on U.S. soil regardless of their parents’ legal status—would be no more… Not surprisingly, the left erupted in priggish indignation in response to Trump’s frontal assault on their utopian plan to undermine the republic.

By Joseph Pearce, National Catholic Register – If you give the devil enough rope, he’ll hang himself. This is true but it’s not the whole truth. The problem is that he’ll hang you first. The devil hangs his own disciples, which is tragic enough, but he also hangs the innocent. These timeless cautionary thoughts should be kept in mind as we survey the way that the culture of death in the decadent West is collapsing in its own hedonistic too-muchness.

By S.A. McCarthy, The American Spectator – A surprising rise in Catholic conversions points to shifting cultural and spiritual currents in the United States… Over the Easter weekend, the Catholic Church in the U.S. saw a surge in adult conversions. According to an analysis from the Catholic prayer app Hallow, the Church in the U.S. saw a 38 percent increase in conversions from 2025 to 2026, predominantly driven by men in their 20s. …