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Hello, I'm Maggie Murray of OSV News, and this is your OSV Newscast for Thursday, October 15th, 2026. Let's catch you up on the Catholic News of the Day. Here we go. The execution will still go forward by firing squad in December, he said, but this event will not be streamed. Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the USCCB, had denounced Defense Secretary Pete Heggseth's plan as a barbaric promotion of a culture of death that must be reconsidered. A new Washington Post ABC News Ipsos poll released the same day found eight in ten Americans opposed the live stream, while 53% supported Hassan's execution by firing squad and 46% opposed it. Doctors at Realm's Gemelli Hospital report encouraging signs two days after Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery for lung cancer. In an update this morning, physicians said routine tests were normal and a chest x-ray showed good recovery of the operated lung. The 71-year-old Pope completed physical therapy that included a full range of movement, and his post-operative recovery is progressing as expected. The Vatican said Pope Leo continues to carry out his daily activities independently and has even done some light work from the hospital. Yesterday, he can celebrated Mass in the hospital chapel. The Pope underwent a 90-minute video assisted procedure on October 13th, during which doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung. He had announced in his October 11th Angelus that a well-contained nodule had been detected at a very early stage. Additional tests on the removed tissue are pending. Poplio is expected to remain hospitalized for at least a week, and all people audiences have been canceled through October 20th. Students from Poplio's hometown of Chicago are sending a heartfelt getwell gift as he recovers from lung cancer surgery. A student group called Team 14 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy, named in honor of the Pope, is assembling a care package that includes getwell cards and a Chicago White Sox blanket. The group first gained attention last year when a mock conclave went viral on social media, and several students later traveled to Rome to meet the Pope in person. The roughly 40 member group regularly gathers for prayer and service projects, including food drives for people in need. Students said the Pope's illness hit close to home because of the personal connection they feel with him. One sixth grader described Pope Leo as like a close friend, while an eighth-grade student said that having met him made the news of his illness especially concerning. With the November 3rd midterm elections quickly approaching, Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Bishops Conference, is urging Catholics to vote and to let their faith lead. In an October 14th statement, he said participation in public life, including voting, is both a right and a responsibility. In the time of deep political division, he acknowledged the temptation is to be discouraged and stay home, but discouragement is not a Christian virtue. He called on Catholics to support free and fair elections and to ensure citizens don't face unnecessary delays in registering or voting. Archbishop Coakley also asked Catholics to put their faith before politics, stressing that the Church's contribution to public life is not a political or partisan program, but reflects a commitment to the dignity of every person. He warned of a danger of the moment, the belief that any criticism of our party strengthens opponents. A well-formed conscience, he said, does not operate on those terms. With participants ending the gathering in prayer for Pope Leo's recovery. Bishops, patriarchs, families, and experts spent more than 42 hours in discussion, with accompaniment emerging as a recurring theme, according to the organizer, Jesuit Father Giacomo Costa. Archbishop Charles Sacluna of Malta said the meeting renewed his commitment to place families at the center of the church's pastoral mission. At the Pope's request, the final synthesis report will remain private until he has personally reviewed it during his recovery. In a message sent the day of his surgery, Pope Leo encouraged participants to share the meeting's insights with diocese and bishops' conferences. Topics ranged from cohabitation and social media trad wife culture to annulments, divorce, poverty, migration, and declining marriage and baptism rates. Speakers stressed the need for a church that listens, accompanies, and integrates families in every circumstance. 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. Be 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.