US-Iran Memorandum, Pope Leo in the Polls, Juneteenth, and More

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. God bless!Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for June 19, 2026.  Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.Read the stories in this epsiode:Catholic leaders expressed cautious optimism about an end to the conflict in the Middle East after members of the Trump administration and Iranian officials signed a memorandum of understanding, a tentative framework to end the war in Iran. A majority of U.S. Catholics view Pope Leo XIV favorably, and just over half say President Donald Trump has been too critical of the pontiff, according to new data from the Pew Research Center. Juneteenth and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence provided the context for a June 15 online discussion on the importance of acknowledging the nation's racial history honestly so the work of justice and equality can continue.Archbishop James F. Checchio of New Orleans said his archdiocese's June 13-14 consecration to the Sacred Heart, which followed a consecration of the U.S. by the nation's Catholic bishops, is a way of bringing healing and hope to the New Orleans faithful after long-running clerical abuse scandals and bankruptcy.