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Hello, I'm Maggie Murray of OSV News, and this is your OSV Newscast for Tuesday, October 20th, 2026. Let's catch you up on the Catholic News of the Day. Here we go. Pope Leo XIV spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday over the phone, expressing hope that Ukraine and Russia will cooperate to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate civilians from Oleshki, a southern Ukrainian city under Russian occupation since 2022. The Vatican said the conversation focused on the city's grave situation. The call came less than a week after the Pope spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, requesting a humanitarian ceasefire while recovering from lung surgery at Rome's Jameli Hospital. Pope Leo reaffirmed the Holy See's commitment to promoting dialogue and peace. In a separate statement, Zelensky wished the Pope a full recovery, thanked him for praying for Ukraine, and briefed him on Russian strikes, communications disruptions, and Deleski's humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, Major Archbishop Svyatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, condemned Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Any agreements, he said, should be judged by the extent to which they alleviate the suffering of the people, not by the political or economic benefits they yield. Christian leaders in the Holy Land are condemning recent Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank, including an October 17th assault on Palestinian civilians and European diplomats during the olive harvest near Taipei, one of the last remaining Christian villages there. In a statement earlier today, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said the attack reflects broader settler violence affecting Palestinian villages, which peaks during harvest season, when families gather olives that support their livelihoods and their ties to the land. Reuters reported that masked settlers ambushed a convoy, including diplomats from Belgium, Poland, and France. One of them, French mayor Bernard Badeau, said he was violently thrown to the ground. A day earlier, settlers allegedly burned olive trees and threw rocks, injuring several people, including a Washington Post photographer. Church leaders welcomed Israeli President Isaac Herzog's condemnation, but said the attacks continue because of the impunity enjoyed by those who commit them, and they called for accountability. Mexico's Catholic bishops have taken the country's disappearance crisis directly to Pope Leo. On October 8th, Bishop Ramon Castro Castro, president of Mexico's Bishops Conference, presented the Pope with a 200-page book titled One Name: A Thousand Voices. It documents a national tragedy affecting more than 132,000 missing persons and includes the names, photos, and stories of 1,152 individuals. If it were an episode, this story would have ended, the book's introduction says. The bishops have increasingly supported the Madres Buscadoras, family-led groups that search for missing relatives, often in the face of official inaction. Jesuit father Jorge Atiolano said the book aims to express solidarity with victims' families and make the Pope aware of the country's suffering. The advocacy comes despite government claims of lower homicide rates. Church leaders warn that disappearances are rising, cartel control remains widespread, and clergy who speak out continue to face threats and violence. The bishops say they will keep defending human dignity despite intimidation. Archbishop James Golka of Denver has asked Father Chad Ripper, a priest known for his high-profile exorcism ministry, to step back from the spotlight. According to an October 19th statement from the Archdiocese, the Archbishop asked him to consider a one-year fast from public speaking and interviews. The request came during a recent meeting to discuss Father Ripper's ministry and his community, the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother. The Archdiocese confirmed that he remains a priest in good standing there, and said the Archbishop and the priest will review the arrangement at the one-year mark. The statement said Archbishop Golka is grateful for Father Ripper's priestly service and exorcism ministry, and for the generous spirit in which he received the request. The Archdiocese asked the faithful to join in praying for Father Ripper and for the Society. On October 31st, five 16th century Spanish Franciscan missionaries who served the Guale people of what is now Georgia will be beatified. Ahead of the Mass in Savannah, OSV News spoke with Cardinal Frank Leo of Toronto, who will preside at the liturgy. The Georgia martyrs, he said, remind the faithful that we all have that same command from the Lord Jesus to go make disciples. That mission, he explained, requires strength drawn from prayer and the sacraments. And even in everyday life with family, it is an act of self-gift sustained by the Holy Spirit. Pointing to the Second Vatican Council, the cardinal also stressed the need to honor what is true, beautiful, and good in other cultures. At the same time, the martyrs, who were killed for refusing to sanction polygamy among the Guale, show that faith sometimes requires the sacrifice of one's earthly life. Above all, he said, love others with the love of Jesus Christ, which will certainly touch hearts even today, as it did in 16th century Georgia. 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.