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Hello, I'm Maggie Murray of OSV News, and this is your OSV Newscast for Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Let's catch you up on the Catholic News of the Day. Pope Leo XIV made a deeply personal pilgrimage today, climbing to the mountain monastery of Montserrat near Barcelona to place his pontificate under the care of the Virgin Mary. At the centuries-old shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, known affectionately in Catalonia as La Moroneta, the Black Madonna, the Pope prayed before the 12th century statue, led the rosary, and joined pilgrims in singing the Salve Regina. The visit carried a personal dimension for Pope Leo, who recalled serving as pastor of a parish dedicated to Our Lady of Montserrat during his missionary years in Trujillo, Peru. He urged Catholics to seek conversion, set aside division, and reject gossip, slander, and harsh judgment. Drawing on Montserrat's connection to St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Pope highlighted Mary's role in guiding believers toward renewal. Today, Pope Leo's Barcelona visit culminates with Mass inside the Sagrada Familia on the centennial anniversary of Antony Gaudi's death and the inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ, which makes the iconic basilica the tallest Catholic church in the world. Earlier today, Pope Leo XIV stepped inside a Barcelona prison and brought with him a message that no mistake has the final word. The Pope visited the Brian's I penitentiary, speaking to more than a thousand pretrial detainees and ministry volunteers and delivering a direct message of mercy and hope. The past does not condemn the future, he told the crowd, encouraging inmates to trust in divine grace and keep dreaming of a new beginning. The prison's chaplain, Father Jesus Bell, thanked the Pope for bringing global visibility to the inmates' suffering and their desire for spiritual freedom. Pope Leo also paused to listen to personal testimonies from two female inmates, Monse and Josefina, who shared their struggles with grief and faith behind bars. The Pope concluded by reminding the crowd that God always allows human beings to start anew through repentance and reconciliation, a message that drew an emotional response from those gathered inside the facility. Gathered in Orlando for their spring plenary assembly, the U.S. Catholic bishops took a moment this morning to formally thank Pope Leo for his first encyclical and to assure him of their prayers as he marks one year as Pope. In a message read to the assembly, the bishops praised Magnifica Humanitas as a timely and essential contribution, calling it a reminder that human life and dignity must remain at the center of all technological development. They thanked the Holy Father for shining the light of the gospel on the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. The bishops also echoed their own November pastoral message on immigration, calling for meaningful reform and stressing that protecting human dignity and ensuring national security can go hand in hand when pursued in a spirit of goodwill. As your papacy marks its first year, the bishops wrote to Pope Leo, we pray that you continue to be a guiding light for the church and for the world. With millions of visitors set to descend on the U.S. for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Catholic leaders are sounding an urgent warning about human trafficking and calling the faithful to action. During a June 9th webinar hosted by the New Jersey Catholic Conference in partnership with the USCCB and the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, panelists highlighted the particular vulnerability that major sporting events create for trafficking victims. Match venues, including MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, put the issue squarely in the church's backyard. James King, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference, said it's essential to understand both the opportunities and the challenges the tournament will bring to the region. Felicitas Brugo Onetti of the USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services tied the issue directly to Catholic social teaching, saying it upholds the dignity and rights of every person and calls the faithful to see trafficked persons not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters whose suffering is our shared responsibility. Thousands of Catholics gathered this week in Vilnius, Lithuania, a city with a unique claim on the world's Catholic imagination for the sixth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy. And Pope Leo XIV had a clear message for them: lasting peace is impossible without mercy. In a video message opening the June 7th to 12th Congress, the Pope pointed to a world gripped by fear, conflict, and uncertainty, saying that compassion and forgiveness are not optional extras, but the very foundation of genuine peace. The event, themed Building the City of Mercy, drew roughly 7,000 pilgrims from around the globe for masses, prayer events, and conferences. Vilnius holds special significance for the devotion. It is the city where St. Faustina Kowalska received the revelations linked to divine mercy. Sister Mikhaila Rock, founder of the Blessed Father Michal Sapochko Hospice in Vilnius, captured the heart of the Congress with a simple but challenging definition of mercy. To look with the same love of the heart at the one who is my enemy and at the one who loves me. And that's your OSV Newscast for today. I'm Maggie Murray of OSV News. Check out the show notes for direct links to the stories in this episode. Make sure to subscribe to this podcast, follow us on social media, and bookmark osvnews.com. Thanks so much for listening and God bless. This has been an OSV News production. To learn more, visit osvnews.com.