Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt knelt in prayer before an icon of Saint Jude, seeking the intercession of the patron saint of impossible causes.
Image: Spencer Pratt
Costa Rican President Laura Fernández, a Catholic, began her presidential term by attending a Mass in which she entrusted her government to God and to the Virgin Mary.
Video: Presidential office
"This is the monster I made. I was angry. I thought I was punishing my dad, but now I miss him. I was always looking for love in all the wrong places. I have been to four different universities, and I always run away. I dropped out of Covenant University because I tested positive for drǔgs. I have been to four rehabs." - Lady shares her experience with drug use
History has officially been made. Catholics are now almost 18% (~17.7%) of the world population 🇻🇦 at a record number of 1.42B
According to the Vatican’s latest official records, the global Catholic population has just reached a staggering 1.422 billion baptized members for the very first time.
That’s a remarkable jump of 16 million people in just one single year.
A woman orders an Uber Black after a night out. The car arrives, everything looks right, and she gets in. A few minutes later, a police officer knocks on the driver’s window and asks him to show his app. Instead of cooperating, the driver locks the doors and rolls up the windows; with her still in the back seat.
Her heart starts racing. She quietly starts recording on her phone and firmly tells him to follow the officer’s instructions. The driver turns to her and says, “Tell them you got in the car by mistake.” She agrees; but only if he unlocks the doors.
More police units arrive. After a tense few minutes, he finally unlocks the car and she gets out. Officers ask to see her app. The name and photo on her phone don’t match the driver. They tell her this is happening more often; people using or buying Uber accounts because they can’t pass background checks, don’t have a license, or aren’t safe to drive.
This situation could have gone very differently. Matching the car isn’t enough; always verify the driver’s name and photo before getting in. And if something feels off, trust that instinct immediately. Safety isn’t about being polite; it’s about being aware and ready to act.
Do you always double-check your ride details before getting in, or would you assume the car is safe if everything “looks right”?
Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth. #ApostolicJourney#Cameroon https://t.co/bKteFZ3iWE
🚨 JUST NOW: Pope Leo drops this line in Cameroon
"Jesus told us, 'Blessed are the peacemakers,' but woe to those who manipulate religion in the very name of God for their own military, economic, or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth."
BREAKING:
Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane to Algeria on Monday, Pope Leo XIV said:
“I think that the people who read will be able to draw their own conclusions: I am not a politician, I have no intention of entering into a debate with him. Rather, let us always seek peace and put an end to wars. I am not afraid of the Trump administration. I speak about the Gospel, I am not a politician. I do not think the message of the Gospel should be abused in the way some people are doing. I will continue to speak out loudly against war, to try to promote peace, multilateral dialogue between states in order to seek the right solution to problems. The message of the Church is the message of the Gospel, blessed are the peacemakers; I do not see my role as that of a politician, I do not want to enter into a debate with him. Too many people are suffering in the world.”
She came in like a plot twist, handed out more combos than a fast-food menu, and left those two dudes questioning their life choices, with a side of humility.😏
Cervical cancer doesn’t announce itself until it’s too late.
That’s why early screening matters. We’re reaching 1,000 women in Abuja, but we need your support.
Every donation saves a life. Kindly click the link in my bio or send to:
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Two new miracles attributed to St. Charbel Makhlouf have been reported since the beginning of 2026 — one in the United States and one in Lebanon — each involving the healing of a woman against all medical expectation.
Revered by the faithful as the “doctor of the sky,” St. Charbel, a Lebanese Maronite monk and priest, is now associated with more than 30,000 reported miracles. From his hermitage in the mountains of Lebanon to hospital rooms across continents, his intercession continues to reach those in need, transcending borders, cultures, and generations.
Attorney Georgianne Walker, born in South Bend, Indiana, in 1975, reported that she underwent abdominal surgery in December 2024, which was soon followed by a serious infection in the lower abdomen. The infection caused severe pain and persistent anxiety, requiring six weeks of antibiotic treatment. While the symptoms gradually subsided, the surgical wound remained open, inflamed, and unhealed.
Despite close monitoring by her surgeon and other medical professionals, the wound showed no improvement. For 10 months, Walker changed her dressings daily due to continuous bleeding. With no progress, her surgeon ultimately concluded that a second operation was necessary to remove the inflamed tissue and scheduled a new surgery.
In September 2025, Walker said she was visited by George Issa, a Lebanese friend who had been healed through the intercession of St. Charbel Makhlouf three years earlier. Issa brought with him a small vial of oil associated with the saint and encouraged her to pray for his intercession and anoint her wound with the oil.
The use of blessed oil has long been an established practice in the Eastern Christian tradition and continues to this day. In the case of St. Charbel, this ancient custom remains actively observed. Monks at the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya continue to bless oil using the saint’s relics and distribute it to the faithful who request his intercession for healing and other graces.
Walker stated that she prayed and applied the oil to the wound, after which it healed completely. She reported a full recovery and no longer required the scheduled surgery. She said she believed the healing occurred through the intercession of St. Charbel and expressed gratitude to both the saint and Issa for what she described as a life-changing event.
The healing was officially recorded on Jan. 17.
The second reported miracle of the year was recounted by Racha Charbel (no known relation to St. Charbel) born in 1987 in Jezzine, a mountain town in south Lebanon.
Racha was admitted to the hospital on Oct. 1, 2025, after experiencing severe back pain. An MRI scan conducted under the supervision of her treating physician, Dr. Christian Atiya, a specialist in neurosurgery and vascular surgery, revealed a tumor on the spinal column identified as a meningioma, measuring 2.3 centimeters in length and 0.3 centimeters in thickness.
According to her physician, the tumor was unresponsive to medication, posed a risk to the spinal nerves and blood vessels, and could only be treated through surgical removal. A follow-up MRI was scheduled three months later to monitor its progression, and a provisional hospital admission date of Jan. 7, 2026, was set should surgery be required.
Racha reported that on the night of Jan. 6, a picture of St. Charbel was hanging above her bed. She said she placed her hand on the image and asked for healing before falling asleep.
On the morning of Jan. 7 she returned to the hospital for the repeat MRI. She was informed that the examination would take approximately 45 minutes and could take longer if needed. The scan was completed in about 20 minutes and revealed an unexpected finding: The tumor had completely disappeared.
According to Racha, her doctor told her that there was no medical explanation for the disappearance and that such a tumor could not vanish without surgical intervention.
On Jan. 17, Racha Charbel made a thanksgiving visit to the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, where she officially registered the healing and submitted the relevant medical reports. She later stated that the experience marked a turning point in her life and deepened her faith.
The Lebanese saint, a priest and hermit monk of the Maronite rite, was widely known for intercessions attributed to him by Catholics, Muslims, and followers of other religions like the Druze.
St. Charbel died on Dec. 24, 1898. He was beatified by Pope Paul VI on Dec. 5, 1965, and was canonized by the same pontiff on Oct. 9, 1977.
In December 2025, Pope Leo XIV became the first pope to visit St. Charbel’s tomb during his trip to Lebanon.
During the visit, the pope described the saint’s intercession as “a river of mercy,” recalling in particular the monthly pilgrimage held on the 22nd of each month in memory of a miracle granted to a woman named Nouhad El Chami — a devotion that continues to draw thousands of pilgrims.
https://t.co/THlbz9bfkI
If you love your daughter, please watch this.
Cervical cancer takes futures quietly and permanently, but the HPV vaccine can stop this.
Add your voice, spread the word, be it through a post or a repost. I'm tagging @chef_amakaa@__black_currant to join this.
Tag two people in the comments too. So, they can also be a part of this. Let’s keep this going.
"When you provide for your kids; that's duty, not charity. We have to stop treating basic parenting like a loan the child has to pay back with interest for the rest of their lives." - Lady says
Hundreds of Catholics, including priests, gathered at the National Basilica to pray for the unborn ahead of the March for Life rally in Washington, D.C.
Video: National Basilica