People pray during a worship service on the day of “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise Thanksgiving” at the National Mall in Washington, May 17, 2026. (OSV News photo/Seth Herald, Reuters) Consecration to Sacred Heart Affirms ‘Our Reliance on God’ WASHINGTON, D.C. (OSV New s) — As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, the nation’s Catholic bishops are planning a historic spiritual gesture aimed at a country facing deep political division and uncertainty. On June 11, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will formally dedicate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus — the first national consecration of its kind in American history. The decision was approved during the bishops’ fall plenary assembly in Baltimore last November. Church leaders described the move as a meaningful way to commemorate the nation’s semiquincentennial and reflect on the unlikely rise of the world’s first large-scale self-governing republic in the modern era. The consecration comes at a moment of heightened political tension across the country, giving the ceremony added symbolic weight. Supporters say the act is intended as both a prayer for national healing and a reminder of the country’s spiritual foundations. “Our reliance on God — really was the foundation that our Founding Fathers placed this nation on,” said Archbishop Alexander K. Sample of Portland, Oregon, who chairs the USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty. The USCCB encourages family, parish and diocesan consecrations and offers numerous resources at usccb.org. Minnesota Archbishop Encourages Families to ‘Take Heart’ in Pastoral Letter ST. PAUL, Minnesota (OSV News) — Marking 10 years since his installation as archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis on May 13, 2016, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda is renewing his focus on Catholic family life and vocations by releasing a new pastoral letter aimed at parents and families. The letter, titled “Only One Thing Is Necessary,” draws from the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus tells Martha that amid anxiety and distraction, “There is need of only one thing.” Archbishop Hebda writes that Jesus Himself is “that one true thing” capable of uniting families in this life and the next. In a May 4 video about the letter, the archbishop said many parents in the archdiocese deeply desire to lead their children to Jesus. He encouraged families to “take heart,” including the words of St. John Paul II in his letter: “The future of humanity passes by way of the family.” Supreme Court Allows Mail Order Distribution of Mifepristone WASHINGTON, D.C. (OSV News) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, May 14, blocked an appeals court ruling that sought to pause a federal policy permitting mifepristone, sometimes called the abortion pill, to be dispensed through the mail. The ruling effectively leaves in place a Food and Drug Administration policy issued by the Biden administration that permitted mifepristone to be distributed by mail. The Trump administration has thus far left that regulation in place, prompting frustration from pro-life groups, and has sought to block state challenges to mifepristone, such as Louisiana’s. A lower court previously granted the Trump administration’s request to pause Louisiana’s lawsuit challenging the FDA’s approval of mifepristone pending the FDA’s promised safety review of that drug, indicating the state could continue its challenge after that review. However, the status and timeline of the FDA’s review are still unclear. Vatican Creates Interdicasterial Commission on AI VATICAN (Vatican News) — Pope Leo XIV has approved the creation of an Interdicasterial Commission on Artificial Intelligence, according to a rescript dated Tuesday, May 12, and released by the Vatican on May 16. The document was signed by Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The pope approved the new body in response to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and concerns about its impact on humanity. The rescript said he considered “the development in recent decades of the phenomenon of Artificial Intelligence and the most recent accelerations in its widespread use” along with “the Church’s concern for the dignity of every human person.” The commission will include representatives from seven Vatican institutions, including the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Dicastery for Culture and Education and the Pontifical Academy for Life. During its first year, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development will coordinate the group’s work, which will help oversee collaboration, policies and projects related to artificial intelligence within the Holy See while promoting “dialogue, communion, and participation.” Artificial intelligence has remained a recurring theme in Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate. Days after his election, he said the Church seeks to respond “to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.” Pope Leo to Visit France VATICAN CITY (Vatican News) — Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to make an apostolic journey to France from September 25-28 according to a May 16 announcement from Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office. The visit will be the first time a pope has traveled to France on an official papal state visit since Pope Benedict XVI’s 2008 journey to Paris and Lourdes. The May 16 announcement noted Pope Leo will visit the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). On May 6, the French bishops’ conference had announced a September visit was anticipated and suggested Pope Leo would travel to Paris and to the Marian Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. “Leo XIV is coming to France: It is a great joy, but also a great responsibility!” said Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline in a May 16 news release. Pope Leo XIV Thanks Catholic Extension for Supporting Poor U.S. Dioceses VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV encouraged Catholic Extension Society in its mission of supporting poor and remote Catholic communities across the United States, telling the group on Monday, May 18, that “love for our neighbor is tangible proof of the authenticity of our love for God.” Meeting members of the organization’s board at the Vatican, the pope thanked them for serving underserved dioceses and immigrant families in the United States and abroad. “The early Church bears witness to the fact that wherever there is a true faith community, Christian charity inspires its members to alleviate the suffering of others and tend to those in need, especially the poor,” the pope said. He said the missionary spirit that inspired founder Father Francis Clement Kelley in 1905 “is still needed today.” Pope Leo also highlighted the society’s outreach in Cuba and Puerto Rico and encouraged continued pastoral care for disadvantaged people and immigrants, saying, “It is imperative that our brothers and sisters experience the warmth of a community which is marked by the presence of Christ.” The post News Briefs: May 24, 2026 appeared first on Today's Catholic. ...read more read less