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Hello, I'm Gina Christian, and you're listening to our OSV newscast for Wednesday, May 13th, 2026. Today is the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, the first of several Marian apparitions that took place in 1917 in Portugal. Those apparitions marked a call for conversion and peace amid a world in conflict. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us. Now let's catch you up on the Catholic news of the day. Here we go. Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, head of the Vatican's doctrinal office, said the traditionalist society of St. Pius X would commit a schismatic act if it proceeds with plans to consecrate new bishops on July 1st without papal approval. In a statement today, Cardinal Fernandez said the society lacks the required pontifical mandate, and he warned that formal adherence to schism is a grave offense that carries excommunication as a penalty under church law. The Cardinal said Pope Leo XIV is praying the Holy Spirit will guide the Society's leaders to reverse course. The Society's superior general, Father Davide Pagliorani, announced the planned consecrations in February, citing a grave necessity for souls after failed attempts to secure an audience with the Pope. The Vatican offered continued dialogue if the society suspended the consecrations, but Father Pagliorani rejected that condition, pointing to ongoing disputes over the Second Vatican Council and post-conciliar reforms. The current dispute recalls Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre's 1988 unauthorized bishop ordinations, which led to excommunications. The Diocese of Las Cruces filed a May 8th response to a federal government lawsuit claiming eminent domain over some 14 acres that include Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, New Mexico. The mountain, which is more than 4,600 feet high, is capped by a 29-foot limestone statue of Jesus Christ, and it's been a place of prayer for close to a century, drawing tens of thousands annually. The federal administration has been seeking to acquire the site for several months, with the land valued at about $183,000. But diocesan attorneys told the court that the seizure of the site, which was established by a parish priest back in the 1930s, would endanger a place regarded by the faithful as not just a monument, but also as a place of prayer where faith transcends borders. Ruben Escandon, a third-generation volunteer caretaker of the site, told OSV News that some pilgrims even trek up the mountain barefoot or on their knees to give thanks for prayers answered. Pope Leo XIV's upcoming address to Spain's Parliament is being seen as a historic and potentially unifying moment in one of Europe's most politically polarized countries. The speech, part of the Pope's apostolic visit to Spain, will mark the first time a Pope has addressed the Spanish Parliament. Archbishop Luis Arguello of Valladolid, who is president of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, said the Pope's presence is significant even before the content of the speech is known. He noted that the invitation from both chambers leadership was unanimous. Scholars say Pope Leo is likely to avoid partisan specifics while speaking from the church's moral and social teaching. Issues such as immigration, abortion, euthanasia, corruption, and war are expected to shape how Spaniards hear his message. Religious historians Alejandro Rodriguez de la Peña and Joseba Lucal said the Pope's challenge will be to offer a calm, gospel-centered appeal for human dignity, peace, and unity without being claimed by either the left or the right. Both professors said that in the fractured context of Spain's political and ideological divide, Pope Leo's speech could serve as a unifying voice of serenity. Well, as I mentioned at the top of this podcast, today marks the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, and it also marks the 45th anniversary of the assassination attempt on St. John Paul II. Pope Leo XIV paused in St. Peter's Square today to pray at the spot where the Polish pontiff was shot in 1981 by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Aja. The fact that the shooting took place on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima was a connection John Paul II believed to be providential. The Pope credited Mary with saving his life, later saying, One hand fired, another guided the bullet. Historians and witnesses interviewed by OSV News said the assassination attempt deepened John Paul II's spiritual message on suffering, forgiveness, and human dignity, while also strengthening his moral authority during the Cold War. Two years after the assassination attempt, the Pope in 1983 visited Ali Asha at a Roman prison and publicly forgave him. The gesture became one of the defining images of his pontificate. Scholars say the attack also became a turning point in the eventual collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. Father Miroslav Cion, director of the John Paul II Pontificate Documentation Center in Rome, said the assassination attempt was a threshold moment, giving the Pope's ministry a more distinctly martyr-like and mystical dimension. And finally, sharing the gospel means we must be present in digital spaces. And the annual Catholic Communications Campaign collection by the nation's Catholic bishops, which takes place this year on May 16th and 17th, aims to bolster those efforts. This year's funding campaign comes as the Catholic Church in the U.S. faces increasing attacks in the public forum, targeting Catholic charities, pro-life ministries, and Pope Leo himself. Bishop William Byrne of Springfield, Massachusetts is the chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Communications, and he said when you give to the campaign, you shed light on the work of the church and help the church to shed the light of Christ on everyone. If you can't get your envelope in your parish collection basket, you can make a donation online at iGiveCatholic.org. Look for the full link in our show notes. Each contribution is evenly split between local diocesan and national communications efforts. I spoke with Greg Erlinson, longtime columnist and former director of Catholic News Service, and he told me the critical need for the Catholic press has only gotten stronger. He added, we need to be able to look at what's happening in the world and see it in the context of faith, and that's the one thing that can't be provided by secular news media. Metropolitan Archbishop Oryskutziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archieparchy of Philadelphia told me the Church's communications are crucial for our Catholic unity and for disseminating the gospel message. He added, our media bring to those in and outside the church the beautiful, freeing, salvific words of our Lord, his blessings, and the witness of so many of his followers, which inspires us. 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 well as that link to give online to the Catholic Communications campaign. Make sure to subscribe to this podcast, follow us on social media, and as always, bookmark osvnews.com. Thanks so much for listening, and God bless.

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