Resurrection of the Lord Catholic Church

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV will not travel to the United States this year, the head of the Holy See Press Office said Feb. 8.

Vatican observers had speculated about whether the first American pope would return to the United States during his first full year as pontiff, particularly as some news outlets reported that he might visit in September to coincide with the U.N. General Assembly in New York, a meeting attended by each of his three most recent predecessors during their pontificates.

But, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, told reporters that no U.S. trip is planned for 2026 when asked about the pope’s travel schedule.

Recent popes have all traveled to the United States at least once, making such visits an expected trip for modern papacies. 

St. John Paul II visited the United States frequently, traveling to the country seven times during his pontificate and making stops across the nation. During those visits, he met with President Jimmy Carter at the White House and President Ronald Reagan in Alaska.

Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States once, spending six days in April 2008, during which he met with President George W. Bush in Washington and addressed the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Pope Francis also made a single six-day visit in 2015, becoming the first pontiff to address a joint session of Congress. He also traveled to Washington D.C., New York and Philadelphia.

St. Paul VI was the first pope to visit the United States in 1965. He made a historic address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, met with President Lyndon B. Johnson and celebrated Mass at Yankee Stadium.

Since his election in May 2025, Pope Leo has taken one international trip to Turkey and Lebanon, a six-day trip previously planned before his predecessor's passing last year. The November trip included meetings with civil and religious leaders, visits to holy sites, and prayer at the Port of Beirut, where a 2020 explosion killed 218 people and injured more than 7,000.

While the Vatican has not made any official announcements, a number of local sources have suggested how Pope Leo’s 2026 calendar may already be taking  shape with potential trips to Africa, Spain and South America.

Last month, Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers told reporters outside the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall Jan. 8 that a papal visit to Algeria was “on track” and would occur in “the first part of 2026.” Archbishop Kryspin Witold Dubiel, the apostolic nuncio to Angola, has also said the pope accepted invitations from both Church and government officials to visit the country.

Spanish Cardinal José Cobo of Madrid told reporters in January that Pope Leo is also expected to visit Spain this year, and will likely include stops in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands.

The president of Peru's Catholic bishops, Bishop Carlos Garcia Camader, told reporters in Lima Feb. 4 that a papal trip to Peru was "very probable" in November or the first week of December, according to Reuters. The Vatican typically makes an official announcement of a papal trip at least a month before the expected departure.

On the occasion of a presbyteral assembly taking place in Madrid, Spain, Pope Leo XIV invites priests to not be daunted by challenges and secularism, but rather to realize that their prayerfulness and closeness to Christ can help others recognize that the Lord will help them fill their hearts' greatest desires.

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In a world where depression, addiction, and broken families are becoming increasingly common, Sr. Jacqueline Githiri, VDM, has made it her mission to be a beacon of hope and healing, quietly transforming lives through counselling, compassion, and spiritual restoration.

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The surge in attacks has contributed to a deepening humanitarian crisis across Nigeria’s northwest and north‑central regions.

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At the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV expresses "sorrow and concern" over the latest wave of deadly attacks in Nigeria, which have claimed dozens of lives, and expresses his hope that authorities will "continue to work with determination to ensure the safety and protection of the life of every citizen."

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Reflecting on Jesus’ words after the Beatitudes, Pope Leo XIV highlights how encountering Jesus brings true joy, flavor, and light into daily life, and even when we feel downcast, God the Father “cares for our names and our uniqueness.”

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Before his Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV greets directors, staff, and family members of the Vatican's florist office and building services, and urges them to remember that “faith and prayer give full meaning to everything we do.”

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As the Church marks World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Trafficking in Persons on February 8, Talitha Kum’s International Coordinator, Sr Abby Avelino, outlines current challenges and priorities in the fight against human trafficking.

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WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Samuel J. Aquila, 75, from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Denver, and has appointed Most Reverend James R. Golka, currently bishop of Colorado Springs, as his successor. 

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on February 7, 2026, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Bishop Golka’s biography may be found here.

The Archdiocese of Denver is comprised of 40,154 square miles in the State of Colorado.

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In a rescript, Pope Leo XIV approves the new statute of the academy established in 1946 by the Order of Friars Minor to promote and coordinate mariological and Marian studies worldwide.

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