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Hello, I'm Gina Christian, and you're listening to our OSD Newscast for Thursday, June 4th, 2026. Let's catch you up on the Catholic news of the day, and here we go. Pope Leo XIV will visit Spain from June 6th through the 12th, and the country is preparing a warm and unmistakably Catholic welcome. It's been 15 years since a Pope has visited Spain, and organizers say the excitement is overwhelming, with volunteers offering everything from music and artwork to local food and wine. The trip will take Pope Leo to Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands, highlighting both Spain's deep Catholic traditions and signs of renewed faith among younger generations. In Madrid, Pope Leo will lead a major Corpus Christi procession through the city center, accompanied by elaborate flower carpets crafted by hundreds of volunteers. More than 200,000 young people are expected for a prayer vigil and an encounter with the Pope. In Barcelona, Pope Leo will celebrate Mass at the Sagrada Familia Basilica and he'll bless its Tower of Jesus Christ. The visit concludes in the Canary Islands, where meetings with migrants and aid groups will underscore the church's focus on hospitality and human dignity. During the closing Mass in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, three wooden callos, the boats used by migrants to reach the archipelago, will be anchored beside the altar. And now a closer look at the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona, where Pope Leo will celebrate Mass. The structure has a rich papal history. Its cornerstone was laid 144 years ago in 1882 during the pontificate of Pope Leo XIII. Now, his namesake will dedicate the 564-foot tower, crowning architect Antony Gaudi's masterpiece. St. John Paul II visited the partially built church in 1982, and in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated its altar for public worship. Pope Francis sent a video message in 2021, inaugurating the Tower of the Virgin Mary. Looking ahead to Pope Leo's upcoming trip, Barcelona's Cardinal Juan José Omeja noted the visit's motto is Alfa La Mirada, lift up your eyes. He said Pope Leo's presence will point faithful toward the cross, celebrating the truth, goodness, and magnificent beauty of the church. The Cardinal said, I believe that in some way the Pope's visit symbolizes these things. A Catholic priest from Nigeria, convicted of sexually abusing several women under his spiritual care, has been sentenced in a Texas court to life in prison, as well as to two 20-year prison terms plus $30,000 in fines. Father Anthony Odeong had been charged under Texas state law with several felony counts of sexual assault. He's a priest of the Diocese of Uyo, Nigeria, and he'd once served in the Diocese of Austin and in other U.S. dioceses, including the Archdiocese of New Orleans. After listening to graphic testimony from several witnesses, the jury found the 57-year-old priest guilty of one charge of sexual assault in the first degree and two in the second degree. The May 29th verdict was delivered at the 19th State District Court in Waco, Texas. After deliberating for 90 minutes on June 1st, the jury recommended its sentence to presiding judge Thomas West. Father Odeong, who'd pleaded not guilty on May 27th, will serve the two 20-year prison terms concurrently, and the judge gave the priest credit for time served in the McClennan County Jail, where Father O'Dion had been incarcerated since 2024 after rejecting a proposed 20-year plea deal in December of that year and unable to make the $5.5 million bond. Father Odion can't seek parole until he's been credited with at least 30 years of his sentence. His attorney, who'd asked for the priest to receive probation, indicated he intends to appeal. There are currently 321 confirmed cases, including 48 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with another 116 cases suspected. In Uganda, 11 cases have been confirmed, with one confirmed death, one probable case, and one probable death. Those statistics were released earlier this week by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak in Congo is the first since the Trump administration shuttered the U.S. Agency for International Development and withdrew from the World Health Organization last year. USAID's remaining functions were absorbed into the State Department. Rafa Malala Ovolonorisowa, CRS head of office in Congo, told OSV News that CRS mobilized quickly to help its local partners, and she said her team is raising funds for food and medical supplies as well as water. She added there is a huge need for water, water to clean, clean beds, clean wards, clean hands. She praised the efforts of entities on the ground, but said there are really some gaps in the absence of USAID, particularly regarding disease surveillance data. But she said despite a delayed start, the distribution of that data has started to improve. She said other challenges to containing the outbreak are the cultural practices surrounding burial, reduced capacity of treatment centers to provide routine care with Ebola patients in quarantine, and misinformation surrounding the virus and its risks. Volonorisowa said CRS has been in communication with the bishops and priests of local dioceses to ask them to speak up and communicate in church that yes, Ebola is real. And finally, Pope Leo is encouraging Catholics to continue the public witness of faith expressed through Eucharistic processions. That's as the church prepares to celebrate the solemnity of the most holy body and blood of Christ, a feast known as Corpus Christi. Addressing Italian pilgrims at the end of his general audience yesterday, the Pope highlighted the centrality of the Eucharist. He urged the pilgrims to keep alive this beautiful public manifestation of faith. Corpus Christi is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, although most U.S. dioceses transfer the observance to the following Sunday, which this year falls on June 7th, to allow greater participation. In his audience, Pope Leo also offered prayers and encouragement to priests and religious serving in the Middle East. He greeted several religious communities, urging them to be a sign of hope for all who thirst for God, for his truth, and for his peace. 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, please make sure to subscribe to this podcast. Give us a follow on social media and bookmark osvnews.com. And wherever you are in the world as you're tuning in, and we do see you. Thanks so much for listening and God bless.

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