Vatican & World News Vatican & World News 10.03.2026
Mar 10, 2026
Guest
Sister Alessandra Smerilli / Father Daniel Grudi
Guest
Deborah Castellano-Luboff
Guest
Francesca Merlo
Guest
Devin Watkins
Sister Alessandra Smerilli, a Vatican official promoting integral human development, and Father Daniel Grudi, a Notre Dame academic on universities and sustainability, join reporting from Devin Watkins on a Maronite priest’s death. Francesca Merlo analyzes regional tensions and energy fallout. Deborah Castellano-Luboff outlines a major synod report on women's roles in Church leadership.
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Maronite Priest Killed While Helping Parishioners
- Father Pierre Al-Rahi stayed in his mountainous parish despite evacuation orders and rushed to help parishioners when their house was hit by a tank shell.
- He was wounded while assisting young people at the struck house, taken to a local hospital, and died from his wounds, prompting local fear and displacement concerns.
Iran Threatens Oil Chokehold Amid Leadership Shift
- Iran threatened to block Middle Eastern oil exports after tensions with the United States escalated, raising fears for global energy markets amid new regional leadership changes.
- Statements from Ali Larijani and Iran's Revolutionary Guards referenced influence over the Strait of Hormuz and followed Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment after recent strikes.
Synod Report Presents Women As A Sign Of The Times
- The Synod Study Group No. 5 frames women as a sign of the times and highlights Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV appointing women to governance roles as a model for the Church.
- The report synthesizes grassroots testimonies, the Marian and Petrine principles, and six appendices documenting biblical, historical, and contemporary female contributions.