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Hello, I'm Gina Christian, and you're listening to our OSV newscast for Monday, April 20th, 2026. Let's catch you up on the Catholic news of the day. Here we go. Pope Leo XIV has personally donated$100,000 to provide access to clean water in El Salvador, supporting a program launched by the Papal Nuncio to that nation and by Catholic Relief Services, the official humanitarian and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The gift was announced today in a press release issued by CRS and the Apostolic Nunciature in El Salvador. The funds will help expand the Clean Water Project Agua Segura, or safe water, into four of the eight dioceses of El Salvador: Chatalanango, Santa Ana, San Miguel, and Sonsonate. They'll be installing chlorination devices and constructing water treatment plants. CRS president and CEO Sean Callahan said clean water is life, adding that he and the agency were deeply honored by Pope Leo's donation. An estimated 50,000 living in rural areas are ultimately expected to benefit from the Agua Segura Initiative, and about 7,500 will be directly impacted by the Pope's contribution. Archbishop Luigi Roberto Cona, the Apostolic Nuncio to El Salvador, launched Agua Segura in December of 2025 with his own$35,000 in seed money. He did that after witnessing firsthand the devastating effects of water insecurity on human health. Archbishop Cona said that Aguasegura quickly produced results after its launch, and now more families will benefit thanks to some significant help from the first U.S.-born pope who spent more than two decades ministering in Peru. Callahan said this gift demonstrates the Holy Father's personal experience with families and communities struggling to keep themselves healthy. Colorado has argued the Catholic preschools ran afoul of a non-discrimination rule in the program that prohibits participating schools from refusing admission on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity of the child or the child's family. Dan and Lisa Sheeley, Catholic parents of seven, said in a statement today, All we want is the freedom to choose the best preschool for our kids without being punished for our faith. Colorado promised families a universal preschool program, then cut out families like ours because we chose a Catholic education. The couple, represented by the religious liberty law firm Beckett, added, We pray the Supreme Court will remind Colorado that universal means everyone. According to Beckett, the Supreme Court is expected to hear the case in the fall. The incident sparked widespread outrage, especially among Christians, amid reports of rising harassment against Christian symbols in the region. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an ex post today, I condemn the act in the strongest terms. He added, We express regret for the incident and for any hurt this has caused to believers in Lebanon and around the world. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee took to X to say swift, severe, and public consequences are needed after the incident. Reuters news agency confirmed that the cross smashed by the soldier was part of a small shrine in the garden of a family living on the edge of the village. Father Fadi Falfel, a priest in Dabel, told Reuters, one of the Israeli soldiers broke the cross and did this horrible thing, this desecration of our holy symbols. Pope Leo continues his apostolic visit to Africa, and yesterday he celebrated an outdoor mass in the city of Kilamba, located in the nation of Angola. The mass drew an estimated 100,000 faithful, with pilgrims traveling long distances, reflecting a young, vibrant church. Pope Leo delivered a message of hope to a nation still marked by civil war. Speaking in Portuguese, he connected the gospel story of the road to Emmaus with Angola's struggles, urging Catholics to rediscover hope in the Eucharist. He said, The history of your country, the ongoing difficult consequences you endure, the social and economic problems, and the various forms of poverty call for a church that knows how to walk alongside you. The Pope described Angola as a beautiful yet wounded country which hungers and thirsts for hope, peace, and fraternity, and he warned against discouragement. He said, When one is long immersed in a history so characterized by pain, one can risk losing hope and remaining paralyzed by discouragement, just like the two disciples on the way to Lemaus. The Pope also cautioned against syncretism or the merging of various religious traditions into one. He said, Remain faithful to what the church teaches, trust your pastors, and keep your gaze fixed on Jesus. Pope Leo closed his homily by entrusting the nation to Mary, Our Lady of Moshima. And finally, today Pope Leo traveled to the heart of Angola's diamond country, urging the tens of thousands gathered at the papal mass in the country's northeast to trust that Christ hears the cry of the people in the face of evil. The Mass was held in Saurimo, a city near the country's border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and about 20 miles from Angola's largest diamond mine, Cotoka. Amid the exploitation long associated with Angola's diamond industry, the Pope delivered a homily in Portuguese that did not shy away from the social realities of a region long marked by resource extraction and inequality. He said, We can see today how the hope of many people is frustrated by violence, exploited by the overbearing, and defrauded by the rich. Consequently, when injustice corrupts hearts, the bread of all becomes the possession of a few. In the face of these evils, Christ hears the cry of the people and renews our history by lifting us up from every fall, comforting us in every suffering, and encouraging us in our mission. Popleo also warned against seeking Christ as a guru or a good luck charm. Yet he said the Lord does not reject this insincere search, but encourages its conversion. Before the Mass, Popleo visited a nursing home with 74 residents, ranging in age from 60 to 93. Many arrive in poor physical condition, brought by police who intervene after family members abandon them, often accusing them of witchcraft. Poplio told the staff and residents that the care of the most vulnerable is a measure of a society's moral health. And that's your OSV Newscast for today. I'm Gina Christian. Check out the show notes for a link to our website where you can find the stories in this episode. As always, make sure to subscribe to this podcast. Give us a follow on social media, and you know what I'm going to say: bookmark osvnews.com. We see you out there checking in from around the world. Thanks so much for listening, and God bless.

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