Pope Leo Wraps Up Africa Trip, Crucifix Destroyed in Lebanon Replaced, New Study on the Class of 2026 Priests, and More

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Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for April 23, 2026. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Read the stories in this episode:

• Pope Leo XIV wrapped up an 11-day visit to Africa with a vibrant Mass in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, urging Catholics to find strength, justice and hope in the Gospel and the sacraments.
• A national garden proposed by survivors of clergy sexual abuse promises to foster healing not only for survivors but also for the Catholic Church as a whole in the nation's capital.
• Lebanese Christians in Debel are celebrating the gift of a new statue of Jesus on the cross after a recent act of desecration by two Israeli soldiers drew global outrage. 
• An Indigenous coalition filed an updated lawsuit in federal district court in Phoenix on April 22, their latest attempt to block a land transfer including their sacred site at Oak Flat, Arizona, and protect the site from destruction by a copper mining giant. 
• This spring, the U.S. will see more than 400 men ordained to the priesthood, and an annual report conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University for the U.S. bishops takes a look at what factors shaped the priestly class of 2026.