Hi, I'm Maggie Murray of OSV News, and this is your OSV newscast for Friday, March 6th,
Let's catch you up on the Catholic News of the day.
In a new video message released March 5th, Pope Leo XIV is calling on world leaders to
step back from war and choose peace.
The four-minute video, produced by the Pope's worldwide prayer network, as the Pope's monthly
prayer intention for March shows Pope Leo standing inside the Church of San Pellegrino
in Vatican City, holding an olive branch, a traditional symbol of peace.
In the message, the Pope invites people around the world to join him in praying for peace
and for political leaders to turn away from violence.
Today, we lift up our prayer for peace in the world, Pope Leo says in the video, asking
that nations renounce weapons and instead pursue dialogue and diplomacy.
The prayer comes as global tensions rise following the outbreak earlier this week of
the U.S. and Israel-Iran war.
During the prayer, the Pope specifically asks God to guide those in power.
Lord enlighten the leaders of the nations, he prays, so they may have the courage to abandon
projects of death, halt the arms race, and place the lives of the most vulnerable at the
He also warns against the growing nuclear threat, praying that it never again dictate
As conflict spreads across the Middle East, a Benedictine monastery in Jerusalem has become
what its abbot calls an island of hope.
In an interview with OSV News on March 6, Benedictine father Nicodemus Shinable described
how people of different faiths have taken shelter together at Dormitian Abbey on Mount
Zion as aerated sirens echo across the city.
Among those seeking safety were Muslim, Christian, and Jewish students who spent hours together
in the Abbey's shelter.
Father Shinable said the experience was powerful.
Young people from religious traditions often portrayed as enemies, sitting side by side
and discussing how their faiths respond to fear and crisis.
Rather than arguing, he said, the students focused on the suffering of others, especially
families and children caught in the violence.
None of us said, oh, my life, my life, Father Shinable recalled.
Instead, people were thinking about others.
The conflict has brought unusual restrictions to Jerusalem, with police temporarily closing
several major holy sites, including the Abbey.
Still, the Benedictine community continues daily prayer and mass, offering a witness of
Father Shinable says the moment reminds him that the conflict is not simply black and white,
and that he sees himself not as pro-Israel or pro-Palestine, but pro-human.
A sweeping new report from the Rhode Island Attorney General's office is shedding new light
on decades of clergy sexual abuse in the diocese of Providence.
The 284-page report, released March 4, concludes a six-year investigation launched in 2019
through a voluntary agreement between the diocese and the Attorney General, Peter Narona.
Investigators reviewed diocesan records dating back to 1950, and identified 75 credibly
accused clergy, including 61 diocesan priests and deacons, 13 religious order members,
and one extern priest.
According to the report, those clergy allegedly abused more than 300 victims between 1950
Criminal charges have been brought against four current or former priests, with three
cases still awaiting trial.
Responding in a video message, Bishop Bruce Lewandowski of Providence acknowledged the
painful reality for survivors.
Each time we hear about it, he said, the trauma and pain are made real once again for victim
survivors and their loved ones.
He also apologized for the failures of church leaders in past decades to protect children.
In a separate statement, the diocese noted that the investigation was the result of voluntary
cooperation and said the report found no evidence of recent child sexual abuse by clergy.
As artificial intelligence expands around the world, Catholic environmental advocates
are raising concerns about the growing impact of massive data centers on communities
and the environment.
That issue was the focus of a March 5th webinar hosted by the Washington-based Catholic
Climate Covenant, titled The Growing Impacts of Data Centers on Our Neighbors and God's
Experts said the enormous computing power required to run generative AI systems is placing
major demands on both electricity and water resources.
Some facilities use millions of gallons of water each day for cooling systems.
Amanda Garcia, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, warned that
the burden often falls on vulnerable communities.
She pointed to a powerful training computer called Colossus, built for the GROC program
by XAI, a subsidiary of SpaceX.
Garcia called it a stark example of the heavy-demand data centers can place on local resources.
Meanwhile, Robin Lewis of Interfaith Power and Light urged faith leaders to stay engaged
on the issue, saying people of faith should help examine the environmental and social
consequences of expanding AI infrastructure.
She emphasized the need to put people over profit when considering the future of these
At a White House ceremony honoring a fallen American soldier, a Polish military officer
shared how an act of heroism transformed his life and deepened his faith in God.
The ceremony recognized U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Michael H. Oles, who was awarded the Medal
of Honor for sacrificing his life to save another soldier during an attack in Afghanistan
During the assault on Forward Operating Base Ghazni, a suicide bomber approached Polish
Second Lieutenant Carol Serpica.
In the final moments before the blast, Oles ran toward the officer and shielded him with
his own body, saving Serpica's life.
Oles, just 24 years old, was killed in the explosion.
Serpica, now a captain, told OSV News the experience left him struggling with deep trauma.
I did not sleep, I did not speak, I had no emotions, he said, describing a dark period
His life began to change, he said, during a healing mass in Krakow, Poland.
Since then, Serpica says his faith has guided his life.
I cannot take a step or a breath without God, he said, God is my azimuth, my direction.
And that's your OSV News cast for today, I'm Maggie Murray of OSV News.
Check out the show notes for direct links to the stories in this episode.
Make sure to subscribe to this podcast, follow us on social media, and bookmark osvnews.com.
Thanks so much for listening and God bless.
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