As the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity unfolded, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of the Holy Land warned that Christian Zionism was among the “damaging ideologies” being pushed that ultimately harmed the presence and unity of Christians in the Holy Land.

Adding some sweetness to the usual general audience-focused Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV was presented with two lambs Jan. 21 as part of an ancient Roman Catholic tradition marking the feast of St. Agnes of Rome.

Pope Leo XIV said that God is revealed through Jesus’ humanity, not solely through a “channel of transmission of intellectual truths.” It is through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection that one can come to know God.

Amid division and geopolitical turmoil, an ecumenical expert is encouraging the faithful to remain steadfast as they observe the international Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 18-25.

May she, Our Lady of Altagracia, our model of faith and charity, rekindle our hope and lavish us with her maternal consolation. And may she accompany us on our pilgrimage to heaven where she, crowned as queen, intercedes for our souls and awaits us.