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Pope Francis has asked people around the world to fast and pray for peace in Ukraine on March 2, Ash Wednesday.
After meeting Pope Francis on Monday, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris invited Muslims in France to pray for peace in Ukraine. In a statement after his private audience at the Vatican on Feb. 28, Chems-Eddine Hafiz said that the pope expressed deep concern about the fate of migrants arriving in Europe and the conflict in Ukraine.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250518/after-meeting-pope-francis-leader-invites-france-s-muslims-to-pray-for-peace-in-ukraine
March 5 will mark the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ historic trip to Iraq, as the first pope to do so. In a meeting with Iraqi Christian leaders at the Vatican on Monday, Pope Francis called it an “unforgettable visit” and emphasized the importance of the Christian presence in the Middle Eastern country. The Christian population in Iraq, a country of around 40 million people, has been steadily dwindling for decades, from around 1.4 million in 2003 to about 250,000 today.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250515/pope-francis-remembers-historic-iraq-visit-1-year-later
The Women’s Health Protection Act failed in the U.S. Senate on Monday. Pro-life groups had called it the most radical abortion bill in U.S. history. The Feb. 28 vote needed 60 votes to proceed, with all but one Senate Democrats voting for the Act, and no Republicans. The vote marked the first time that the Senate voted on a standalone bill to proactively codify Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250523/pro-abortion-womens-health-protection-act-fails-in-us-senate
Today, the Church honors Saint David of Wales, the patron of the Welsh people, who is remembered as a missionary bishop and the founder of many monasteries during the sixth century.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-david-of-wales-163
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Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.
Today, there are several saints honored. Saint Angela of the Cross, a 19th-century Spaniard, is the Foundress of the Institute of the Sisters of the Company of the Cross, a group dedicated to prayer and silence, as well as to serving the poor and dying.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-angela-of-the-cross-165
St. Agnes of Prague, a European who lived in the 13th century, entered the monastery after turning down the Holy Roman emperor’s overtures of marriage. Emperor Frederick is said to have remarked: "If she had left me for a mortal man, I would have taken vengeance with the sword, but I cannot take offense because in preference to me she has chosen the King of Heaven."
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-agnes-of-prague-170
And finally, Blessed Charles the Good was a Flemish warrior and ruler known for his just, compassionate, and wise actions.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-charles-the-good-412