Madalaine Elhabbal

Madalaine Elhabbal is a staff reporter for Catholic News Agency based at EWTN’s Washington, D.C., bureau. She has been published by CatholicVote and has also worked as foreign language assistant in France. She is a graduate of Benedictine College.

Political advocacy and media organization CatholicVote announced on June 19, 2025, that Kelsey Reinhardt will be its new president. | Credit: CatholicVote

CatholicVote Names Kelsey Reinhardt New President

CatholicVote has named Kelsey Reinhardt to serve as its new president effective June 19, following the appointment of the organization’s...

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, the archbishop of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, asked President Donald Trump for aid to Africa an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, June 8, 2025. / Credit: François-Régis Salefran CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED

"Africa is important to the U.S": Cardinal Ambongo Appeals to President Trump to Reinstate Foreign Aid

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, the archbishop of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, asked President Donald Trump this weekend to...

Pew’s latest research released June 5, 2025, found that while Christianity still remains the world’s largest religion, Islam’s growth outpaced every religion over the course of a decade. / Credit: Arthimedes/Shutterstock

How the Global Religious Landscape Changed from 2010 to 2020: Pew Report

The latest Pew report found that Islam outpaced every world religion in population from 2010 to 2020, though Christianity remained...

Pope Leo XIV meets with delegates to the annual meeting of moderators of associations of the faithful, ecclesial movements, and new communities on June 6, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

"Christian life is not lived in isolation": Pope Leo XIV to Leaders of Ecclesial Movements

Christians must not attempt to live out the promises of Christ alone, Leo told a delegation in Rome for the...

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, June 1, 2025 for the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

In Phone Call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pope Leo XIV Appeals for Russia to "favour peace, dialogue"

“The pope made an appeal for Russia to take a gesture that would favor peace, emphasizing the importance of dialogue,”...

Doug Burton of Truth Nigeria speaks to “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Erik Rosales on May 27, 2025, about the brutal massacre in Nigeria that occurred May 25. / Credit: “EWTN News Nightly” screenshot

Massacre in Nigeria Follows Catholic Bishop’s U.S. Testimony on Christian Persecution

A brutal attack by extremist Muslim herdsmen in Nigeria on Sunday left dozens dead and resulted in the kidnapping of...

Pope Leo XIV smiles as a jubilant crowd joins in prayer on Sunday, May 11, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Being American, Pope Leo XIV's Pontificate Could Mean Increased Charitable Giving: Papal Foundation President

President of the Papal Foundation, which carries out the Holy Father’s humanitarian aid projects, thinks Leo XIV’s papacy might increase...

Michael Warsaw, CEO of EWTN. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

EWTN’s Michael Warsaw Celebrates "momentous" Election of First American Pope

“It is with great joy that I welcome the election of Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV,”...

A member of the Papal Foundation greets Pope Francis with a personalized New Orleans Saints jersey, Friday, April 12, 2024. | Credit: Vatican Media

Papal Foundation’s Annual Grant Distribution to Honor the Legacy of Pope Francis

Following the death of Pope Francis last month, the Papal Foundation’s annual distribution of humanitarian aid will be in memory...

Pope Francis prays at the “Garden of Angels” section of the Laurentino Cemetery in Rome on All Souls’ Day, Nov. 2, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

"Death is not the end of everything": Vatican Releases Pope Francis' Reflections on Aging, Dying

“We must not be afraid of old age, we must not fear embracing becoming old,” wrote Francis in the preface...

In a prerecorded audio message, Pope Francis thanked those gathered for the rosary prayer service in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday night, March 6, 2025.

In Prerecorded Message, Pope Francis Voices Thanks to Participants in Prayer in St. Peter’s Square Thursday Night

The Holy Father’s voice was hoarse, and he was noticeably out of breath in the brief audio message, which the...

In 2023, over half a million migrants headed toward the United States crossed the Darien Gap, the inhospitable jungle region between Colombia and Panama. / Credit: Gonzalo Bell/Shutterstock.com

Jesuit Refugee Service Says Trump Funding Freeze Will Impact More than 100,000 Refugees

In 2024, JRS received $24,049,039 in government funding and $9,224,422 in private donations, according to its financial statements from last year.

Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica before Mass on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2024, officially launching the Jubilee Year 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

U.S.-based Jubilee Network Partners with Caritas International in Debt Relief Campaign for Needy, Including in Africa

Representatives from Caritas Internationalis and Jubilee USA Network announced the five-year campaign, “Turn Debt into Hope,” on Dec. 23.

Nigerian Christian mother of five Rhoda Jatau was acquitted of blasphemy charges after a two-and-a-half-year legal battle. / Credit: Photo courtesy of ADF International

Major Religious Freedom Win for Nigeria: Christian Mother Acquitted of Blasphemy Charges

Rhoda Jatau was arrested by Nigerian authorities on May 20, 2022, after forwarding a video of a Muslim denouncing the mob killing...

The custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Patton, lights the first candle of the Advent wreath at the site of the manger inside the Nativity Grotto on Nov. 30, 2024, during the first vespers of the first Sunday of Advent. / Credit: Marinella Bandini

Heads of Christian Churches in Holy Land Call for End of War in Gaza in Christmas Message

Invoking the spirit of Christmas, leaders of Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Syriac, Armenian, and other churches gave thanks to God for...

John Traynor is believed to be the first British Catholic to be cured at Lourdes. / Credit: Courtesy of Hospitality of Our Lady of Lourdes

Healing at Lourdes of British World War I Soldier Declared "miraculous"

Archbishop Malcolm McMahon of Liverpool, England, declared the miraculous healing of John Traynor, a soldier of the British Royal Navy,...

The historic city of Aleppo, Syria. / Credits: STEPANOV ILYA/Shutterstock

Church Leaders Express "hope" that Syrian Regime Will Respect Christian Communities

Rebel forces met with bishops in Aleppo “immediately” after capturing the city, “assuring them that they would respect the various...

The Papal Foundation, a U.S.-based organization that provides funding for Catholic projects around the world, recently announced that it has awarded $800,000 to recipients of its scholarship fund. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Papal Foundation

Papal Foundation Announces $800,000 of Scholarship Awards to 110 Religious and Laypeople

The awards were distributed across 42 countries and helped enable priests, brothers, sisters, and laypeople to pursue their studies at 14 pontifical...

Soren and Ever Johnson run Trinity House + Cafe and Trinity House Communications in Leesburg, Virginia, and shared with CNA how their mutual love of St. John Paul II led them to open Trinity House and dedicate their lives to full-time ministry. / Credit: Migi Fabara

John Paul II-inspired Cafe Celebrates 10 years of "bringing riches of the faith" to Public Square

Last month, Soren and Ever Johnson marked the 10th anniversary of one of the fruits of their ministry: Trinity House...

The rose window of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral is seen on Oct. 25, 2024, in Paris a few weeks before its reopening to the public scheduled for Dec. 8, 2024. / Credit: Chesnot/Getty Images

Notre Dame Bells Ring for the First Time Since Devastating Fire 5 Years Ago

Notre Dame of Paris passed the major milestone today at about 10:30 a.m., just one month away from its highly...