Pope Leo Declines to Join Trump's Board of Peace

 Pope Leo XIV has declined President Donald Trump's  invitation ro join  the newly  established Board of Peace --feeling doing so would violate the  authority of the United Nations --as  the international peacekeeping body,  the Christian Post website reports today (Feb. 20, 2026).

While speaking to reporters on Feb.17, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin announced that the  Vatican "will not participate in the  Board of Peace because of its particular nature, which is not that  of other States."Parolin elaborated on the Vatican's concerns about the Board of Peace.

"There are points that leave us somewhat perplexed," Parolin said."There are some critical points that would need to find explanations."

"At the international level,it should above all be  the UN that manages these crises situations," he said. "This is one of the points on which we have insisted."

Other sovereign  states that have declined Trump's invitation to join the Board of Peace include  Denmark, France, Norway, Slovenia, and Sweden. A TOTAL OF 62 NATIONS HAVE BEEN  INVITED TO JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL BODY. 

The Board of Peace was officially  unveiled last month at the  World Economic  Forum in  Switzerland. Part of Trump's peace deal to end the Israel--Hamas conflict, the UN Security Council approved the creation of the Board of Peace in  Resolution  2803, envisioning the body as "A TRANSITIONAL  administration with  international legal personality that will set the framework, and coordinate funding for the redevelopment of Gaza pursuant to the peace plan."

The war in Gaza Strip began after Hamas' Oct. 7,2023 terror attack on  civilian  and military targets in  southern  Israel, which prompted an Israeli military offensive to eradicate Hamas and secure the release of hostages.

The charter of the Board of Peace says it seeks to "promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance,and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict."

8 Skiers Killed in Deadliest Avalanche in Calif. History

Eight skiers were killed on Feb. 17 in a massive avalanche near Lake Tahoe, marking the deadliest avalanche in California's recorded history. the USA Today website reports today (Feb. 19, 2026).

The avalanche struck late Tuesday morning in the Castle Peak area of the Sierra Nevada, norrthwest of  Lake Tahoe. A group of 15 skiers on a multi--day back--country trip  was caught in the slide, which witnesses described as fast--moving and overwhelming.  

The avalanche occurred around 11:30 a.m. , sweeping skiers down the mountainside and burying several under deep snow and debris.

One skier remains missing, with officials stating the individual is presumed deceased.

Six skiers survived, with some injuries requiring hospitalization.

Officials noted that the victims had "little time to react"once the slide began. 

This event is considered the deadliest avalanche in  Calif. history. It is also the deadliest avalanche in the  U.S. since 1981, when  11 climbers were killed on  Mount Rainier.

Putin Uses Russian Orthodox Church to Control Rel. Life

 Russia, under President Vladmir Putin, is increasingly using the Russian Orthodox Church as a tool to control religious life, limit dissent, and expel state influence, both inside and outside the country, the Christian Daily  website reports today (Feb. 16, 2026). 

The Kremlin and the Church are deeply intertwined. Putin presents the Russian Orthodox Church as the guardian of "traditional values" and Russian identity. 

This partnership gives the Church privileged status, while minority Christian groups and other faiths face restrictions. 

Groups facing pressure include: Evangelical Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses,  Muslims, Independent Orthodox communities not aligned  with the Moscow Patriarchate.

These groups are often labeled "extremist" or "foreign agents."

Love Is a Choice We Need to Make

God commands us to live one another, the Crossmap website reports today (Feb. 18, 2026).

We need to love those who love us back. These are kind,  caring,and compassionate people.

But what about that co--worker who always complains and puts you  down? What about the spouse who  cheated on you or lied about where they'd been for the last 24 hours? What about the neighbor who does nothing  but  cause chaos in your town?Is it easy to love them?

The short and truthful answer is no. It's not easy to love those who  don't treat you with love and respect. And yet, God calls us  to love and do good to all people, and that includes those  who have and will continue to hurt you.

In John 13, Jesus tells us that we are called to love one another, just as He loved us. If we are truly His Disciples, then we love without cause. Why?  Because Jesus loved us to  death. While we were still sinners, spitting in His face, cursing Him, and crucifying His body, He looked down on us with love. He chose to die for us because  of His  great, sacrificial,eternal, and never--ending love.

Rev. Jesse Jackson,Civil Rights Activist, Dies at 84

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a longtime civil rights activist and former candidate for President, has died at the age of 84, the Christian Post website reports today (Feb. 17, 2026).

The Jackson family released a statement announcing that the Baptist minister died on Feb.17morning, being survived by his wife, six children, and multiple grandchildren.

"Our father was a servant leader -- noy only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world," stated the Jackson family. 

"We shared him with the world, and in return,  the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice,equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to   honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by."

Jesse Louis Jackson was born Oct.8, 1941in Greenville, South Carolina. The son  of a single teenage mother, Jackson  was an honor student in high school and later earned a bachelor's degree in  sociology from the Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina in  1964.  He completed graduate work at the Chicago Theological  Seminary in the 1960s and later received honorary degrees from the institution.

Jackson first engaged as an  activist while  a student at CTS when the Rev. Martin  Luther King Jr. came to Chicago to launch a northern chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Theology and Society blog of George Patsourakos