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Hello, I'm Gina Christian, and you're listening to our OSV Newscast for Friday, April 24th, 2026. Let's catch you up on the Catholic news of the day. Here we go. Well, as I'd mentioned yesterday, Pope Leo XIV has wrapped up his first trip to Africa, closing out an 11-day Four Nation visit marked by urgent appeals for peace, justice, and unity. He traveled through Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea from April 13th through the 23rd. And during that time, he met leaders, celebrated masses, and encouraged Catholics to be faithful gospel witnesses. The trip unfolded amid tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump, whose criticism the Pope declined to escalate, reaffirming his mission to preach peace. On the ground, Pope Leo addressed conflict in Cameroon, inequality and corruption in Angola, and interreligious dialogue in Algeria. In Equatorial Guinea, he urged ethical governance and care for the common good. And throughout his visit, he emphasized that faith offers hope amid suffering, calling Africa an invaluable treasure of faith, hope, and charity, and a vital force in the church's future. As the final mass of his trip concluded in Malabo, Pope Leo said, Today Africa is called to contribute significantly to the holiness and missionary character of the Christian people. Church leaders in Cameroon say Pope Leo's recent visit there during his African trip could mark a turning point for peace in a nation strained by conflict. As he arrived in Cameroon on April 15th, the Pope faced a country grappling with Boko Haram violence, regional refugee crises, and a deadly separatist war in its English-speaking regions, with that conflict killing more than 6,500 and displacing over half a million. Despite the turmoil, the bishops described the papal visit as a kairos moment, a window of grace. A temporary ceasefire during the Pope's trip signaled growing fatigue with war. On April 16th, preaching to tens of thousands in Bamenda, in the heart of the conflict zone, the Pope urged immediate change and hope rooted in faith. Church leaders now stress that words must lead to action through dialogue, justice, ceasefires, and reforms. Their message is simple. Cameroon must seize this rare moment or risk sliding back into violence. Bishop George Nakuo of Kombo told OSV News the Pope's visit provided a rare, God-given space for the nation to begin healing. The bishop said, I am convinced the Holy Father's visit and his call for peace touched everyone, including separatist fighters and government officials. Stop the infighting and embrace unity. Speaking at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lujan, he criticized officials who avoided greeting one another, or even sharing pews, during the April 21st liturgy. The discord in Lujan made national headlines, with Argentine media focusing on the politicians attending the Mass, who they were and weren't greeting, and where they were sitting. President Javier Millet was abroad in Israel, and Vice President Victoria Vijoruel skipped the Mass, calling it politicized. In his homily, Archbishop Garcia Cuerva urged leaders to reject hostility and to recover the culture of encounter championed by Pope Francis, which he said Argentina needs more than ever. The Archbishop warned that division begins in the human heart, and he called for a renewed commitment to peace. Despite political divides, priests working in Buenos Aires' poorest neighborhoods say Pope Francis' legacy remains strong, especially among the marginalized, those the late Pope consistently placed at the center of the gospel. Cardinal Frank Leo, the Archbishop of Toronto, is urging Canada's leaders not to further expand that nation's assisted suicide program to persons with mental illness. On April 20th, the Cardinal wrote to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and all members of Parliament from the Toronto area, saying that a vote for the Right to Recover Act would be a vote to choose life and not death, and to build a civilization that cares. The measure looks to amend Canada's criminal code to permanently prohibit medical assistance in dying, or MAID, for individuals solely on account of living with a mental illness. The bill aims to reverse an expansion of MAID eligibility scheduled for next March. Parliament was supposed to debate the legislation in April, but its order of precedence in the House has been pushed back. No date for debate has been set. In his April 20th letters, Cardinal Leo reminded the Prime Minister and the MPs that a society is rightly judged by its care for its most vulnerable members. The Cardinal said many Canadians are increasingly troubled by the expansion of MAID since the legislation was passed legalizing the practice in 2016. An official government report from Canada confirmed in November that 76,475 lives have been ended through MAID since the start of the program. Catholic teaching states that intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is murder. And finally, supporters of Marinal Father Vincent Capodano's sainthood cause are marking a milestone with cautious optimism. Sixty years after the Navy chaplain arrived in Vietnam during Holy Week in April 1966, they learned that the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints is expected to decide next month whether to recommend that Pope Leo declare Father Capodano venerable, the next step on the path to sainthood. Archbishop Timothy Brolio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services recently approved a special novena to support the cause that took place from March 30th to April 7th. Father Daniel Mode, himself, a Navy chaplain and the author of the novena, encouraged Catholics to keep praying it. Father Capodano was from Staten Island, and he served troops during the Vietnam War. The priest earned the nickname of the Grunt Padre for living, eating, and sleeping in the same conditions as the Marines, known as grunts, with whom he served. The priest was killed in 1967 while ministering on the battlefield. He was named a servant of God in 2006 when his cause was formally opened. If he's declared venerable, the cause would advance, though miracles, verified as occurring through his intercession, are still required for beatification and canonization. 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. Make sure to subscribe to this podcast, follow us on social media, and wait for it. Bookmark Osvnews.com. We'll be back on Monday. Thanks as always for listening and God bless.

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