Welcome to Wisdom Wednesday, March 18. In times of war and injustice, you may be seeking relief. We offer a poem, “Merton, Laughing,” by Theodore Deppe, published by Sojourners, November 2023, and some tongue-in-cheek theories of “Chaos Muppets” and “Order Muppets” — causing frequent stress for our everyman (everyfrog?) manager, Kermit, and others who fervently wish the show would just go the way it’s “supposed to go.”
Pope Leo calls for a ceasefire
Pope Leo XIV issued an urgent call for a ceasefire in the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran during prayers before tens of thousands gathered on St Peter’s Square in Rome on Sunday. How various media outlet reported the pope’s action. “In the name of the Christians of the Middle East and of all women and men of goodwill: Cease the fire! Let paths of dialogue be reopened,” the pontiff was quoted as saying by the Vatican’s news website. On YouTube.
Pope appeals for ceasefire and dialogue in Middle East war. Pope Leo XIV urges all those responsible for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East to agree to a ceasefire and reopen paths of dialogue. Select from sites, including Sojourners, Fox and YouTube.
Speaking at his Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV urged Christians to bring the Gospel to a world marked by violence and injustice. From EWTN.
Civilians feel the brunt of brutal Iran conflict. Twelve medical workers were killed on Friday when an Israeli strike hit a health centre in southern Lebanon. The head of the World Health Organization condemned the attack, describing the deaths as “unacceptable”. Lebanon’s health ministry says more than 800 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes since the fighting escalated, and more than 800,000 have been displaced from their homes. From the Catholic Telegraph.
On the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Pope Leo XIV held an audience on Friday with participants in the 36th Course on the Internal Forum, organized annually by the Apostolic Penitentiary. The course offers priests and seminarians extended training regarding issues connected with the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and typically concludes with a papal audience. In his address to future confessors, Pope Leo reflected on the power of Confession to foster peace and unity in the human family. From Vatican News.
“God Cannot Be Enlisted in Darkness”
Days after Pete Hegseth said the U.S. war in Iran is protected by God, Pope Leo XIV denounced those who “involve the name of God in choices of death.” Opinion piece by Christopher Hale.
Evacuations from Palestine and Israel
The World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel has safely evacuated its 11 accompaniers from their posts in the Holy Land, but they will continue their work from their home countries to accompany and document human rights violations and the voices of communities facing great challenges. From Independent Catholic News.
We have never faced anything like this,’ say Holy Land Christians. From Independent Catholic News.
Canada bishops call for prayers for peace in Middle East
The Permanent Council of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has issued a Statement Calling the Catholic Faithful to Prayer for Peace in the Middle East. The statement affirms that we cannot remain indifferent to an armed conflict that risks escalating into a prolonged war. From Independent Catholic News.
Pope’s new apartment
Pope moves into historic apartment in Apostolic Palace. From Independent Catholic News. On Saturday afternoon, 14 March, Pope Leo XIV took possession of the apartment in the Apostolic Palace, moving with some of his closest collaborators, into rooms used by his predecessors. The news was announced by Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office. From Independent Catholic News.
Happy Springtime
In the Northern Hemisphere, the official astronomical spring begins on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 10:46 a.m. EST. This date, known as the spring or vernal equinox, marks the moment the sun moves directly over the Earth’s equator, bringing nearly equal day and night. Meteorological spring begins on March 1. From Google.
On the AntiChrist
One of the hottest tickets in the Vatican’s backyard these days is for a four-lecture series on the Antichrist being given by Silicon Valley tech billionaire Peter Thiel. The invitation-only conference in Rome, from Sunday to Wednesday, has proven so controversial that the Catholic universities initially associated with it have all denied official involvement. From Religion News Service.
‘A lie from the pit of hell’
The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church is tired of hearing that his church is doomed. The denomination has lost about half of its baptized membership since the 1960s, but the church is not ready to give up. “I believe that — as a final word and as a final story — is a lie from the pit of hell,” a feisty Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe told church leaders. “That is not the teaching of Jesus.” From Religion News Service.
Thought pieces
Following are articles and items, positing ideas for faith and thought beginning with “A reflection on the Bible as a ‘political accessory.’” A society that treats the Bible as a political accessory will eventually treat human beings the same way. How Left and Right misuse Scripture in an age of moral confusion, from Baptist New Global.
‘When the bombs fall on other people’s children.’ From Religion News Service. If we cannot feel the death of an Iranian child with the same moral clarity as the death of a child in the United States, then something in us has been deformed.
Phyllis Zagano writes, ‘In Trump’s Iran conflict, it’s prosperity gospel vs. the Quran.’ From Religion News Service. “The face of the United States is the narcissistic — some say sociopathic — president who, though elected, can only be said to reign from the Oval Office, surrounded by gold leaf and billionaires. The face of Iran is the third in a series of hard-line clerics, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has replaced his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But “do not kid yourself. [this war] is about money.”
Notions of ‘Christendom’ often miss the mark – medieval Europe’s ideas about faith and power were not so simple. Brett Whalen writes, in Religion News Service, “there has never been a singular Christian perspective on how religion, power and politics ought to relate to each other – not even in medieval ‘Christendom.’”
‘Whom Does Your God Love? A Jewish Case for the Stranger.’ Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, with Shai Held, discuss: “Who is the stranger in the Bible? Some Americans would be surprised.” From Religion News Service.
We have an ‘Arbitrary president, a trustworthy God.’ Michael Woolf writes in Christian Century, “Our leaders have made it impossible to trust them. God is different.”
Latino Christians and the Latino community
More than 100 Latino Christians leaders signed a statement saying the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, an evangelical adviser to President Donald Trump and a go-to voice for Hispanic evangelical perspectives, and news media have exaggerated the size of Rodriguez’s reach as president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. From Religion News Service.
Islamic schools in Texas
Islamic schools, more parents sue Texas over exclusion from the voucher program. From Religion News Service, “Another Muslim parent whose children’s school was allegedly excluded earlier this month from the program filed a lawsuit against Texas state officials over religious discrimination.”
A grim list
Some notable attacks on houses of worship around the world in recent years, compiled by the Associated Press. An ambush Thursday targeting one of the nation’s largest synagogues — the latest in a spate of recent attacks targeting religious buildings — has intensified fear among clergy and worshippers worldwide.
Politics and pro-Life
On YouTube, Pope Leo responds to questions about Cardinal Cupich and Senator Dick Durbin. There are “very complex issues.” In case you missed it.
Entertainment
News Word, News Mix, News Crossword and News Quiz are four games from Religion News Service. A little levity for your Lent. From Religion New Service.
Jim Martin on the Late Show. In case you missed it, or if you want to see it again, here is an interview of Jesuit Jim Martin on the Stephen Colbert on the CBS Late Show, almost a year ago, on YouTube.
Here’s another video, just for fun, with Jimmy Fallon on NBC interviewing Henry Louis Gates about Pope Leo’s genealogy. Pope Leo is Related to Madonna, Angelina Jolie and others.
Fitness meets faith. Religious coaches and influencers are reshaping wellness culture according to a report from Religion News Service. Around the world, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist coaches and influencers are creating their own faith-based platforms for fitness.
The global smash hit “The Chosen,” the speculative biographical series about Jesus and his disciples, has inspired major streaming channels to tap other biblical sources. Moses is getting his close-up on Netflix, while King David has two shows, Prime Video’s “House of David” and Fox Nation’s docudrama “David: King of Israel.” Religion News Service examines a recent Academy Award nomination for “Forevergreen,” a 12-minute movie from Disney animators that conveys the Christian gospel through allegory.
Holi, Holi, Holi
Wednesday (March 4) was Holi, the prominent Hindu holiday recognized for its colorful celebrations. Across South Asia and its diaspora, revelers gathered in large groups to throw colored powder at one another, dance to Bollywood hits and wash the pigment away with water guns and balloons. For many, Holi simply marks a farewell of winter and the arrival of spring’s abundant blooms. The day falls on the last full moon, or purnima, in the Hindu lunar month of Phalguna. From Religion News Service.
Lent or Advent?
Lent at the Vatican this year feels like Advent in some ways, with the prevalent mood one of anticipation. People inside and around the institution are waiting, with varying degrees of curiosity and enthusiasm, for long-expected moves by Pope Leo XIV. The first anniversary of Leo’s election is approaching on May 8. While popes don’t work on deadline, some observers are surprised that he hasn’t yet put more of his stamp on Vatican leadership, replacing the team he inherited from Pope Francis. From the National Catholic Register.
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