CatholicCulture.org - Catholic World News

Appeals court temporarily halts mail-order delivery of abortion pill (CWN)

Sat, 02 May 2026 12:05:44 GMT

In a 3-0 decision, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted one of the most common forms of abortion in the United States: the delivery by mail of the abortion pill mifepristone.

Vatican prosecutors defy appeals-court order [News Analysis] (CWN)

Fri, 01 May 2026 06:05:05 GMT

Vatican prosecutors have refused to comply with an order from a Vatican appeals court, in the latest stunning development in the long-running “trial of the century.”

Pope Leo thanks US-based Papal Foundation for worldwide charitable assistance (CWN)

Sat, 02 May 2026 11:05:08 GMT

Pope Leo XIV received members, trustees, and stewards of the Papal Foundation this morning and thanked them for assisting the Pope’s ministry by funding humanitarian aid, scholarships, and development projects around the world.

Pope emphasizes service, belonging, and mission in address to Italian bishops' conference employees (CWN)

Sat, 02 May 2026 12:05:18 GMT

Pope Leo XIV emphasized service, belonging, and mission in a midday address today to employees of the Italian Episcopal Conference and their families.

Supreme Court, in unanimous decision, grants procedural victory to NJ faith-based pregnancy centers (CWN)

Sat, 02 May 2026 12:05:24 GMT

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a network of faith-based pregnancy centers has the legal standing to challenge the New Jersey attorney general’s subpoena of donor records of pro-life pregnancy centers.

Lambeth Palace denies that Anglican primate described Catholic teaching on women's ordination as injustice (Catholic Herald)

Sat, 02 May 2026 01:05:09 GMT

Lambeth Palace, the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, denied that Dame Sarah Mullally, the new archbishop, described Catholic teaching on women’s ordination on injustice.

“The Archbishop of Canterbury categorically did not say—or suggest—that the ban on women’s ordination in the Catholic Church is ‘an injustice,’” Lambeth Palace said in a statement.

The statement “further explains that an interview given by Sarah Mullally to PA Media while in Rome was manipulated by a YouTube channel, APT, in a way that substantially and materially altered its meaning,” The Catholic Herald reported. “This was then picked up by a number of media outlets.”

Vatican: Suspicious financial reports rose in 2025 (Pillar)

Sat, 02 May 2026 01:05:22 GMT

The Vatican’s Supervisory and Financial Information Authority reported that it received 78 reports of suspicious financial activity in 2025—up from 43 the year before.

“Although the watchdog announced last year that it received 79 suspicious activity reports in 2024, the new report revised the 2024 figure downward to 43,” The Pillar reported. “It is not unusual for annual compliance reports to make retrospective adjustments of figures.”

Vatican diplomat warns against AI in nuclear weapons systems (Holy See Mission)

Sat, 02 May 2026 01:05:23 GMT

A Vatican diplomat expressed concern about the incorporation of AI into nuclear weapons systems.

Addressing a UN discussion of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968), Msgr. Robert D. Murphy, Chargé d’Affaires of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, said:

Integrating advanced systems, including artificial intelligence, into nuclear decision-making processes introduces new layers of complexity, reducing the time available for deliberation and increasing the risk of miscalculation. At the same time, the opacity of such systems may obscure the basis on which critical assessments are made, thereby undermining the conditions necessary for clear and accountable human judgement.

Decisions of such gravity must be firmly rooted in human responsibility; otherwise, instability and ethical concerns will worsen. Bearing this in mind, progress in disarmament must not be delayed and requires a renewed commitment to concrete, mutually reinforcing steps.

Archdiocese of New York proposes $800M settlement for abuse claims (OSV News)

Sat, 02 May 2026 02:05:36 GMT

The Archdiocese of New York proposed an $800-million settlement with some 1,300 plaintiffs who allege that they were sexually abused by clergy when they were minors.

“Although much work remains to be done before a settlement can be finalized and consummated, I am cautiously optimistic about the path we are on,” Archbishop Ronald Hicks said in a May 1 statement.

Islamist terrorists burn down another church in Mozambique (ACI Africa)

Sat, 02 May 2026 02:05:45 GMT

Islamist terrorists burned down a church in Meza, a town in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province.

A brutal Islamist insurgency began in Cabo Delgado province in 2017. ACI Africa reported that “at least 117 churches and chapels had been destroyed in the Diocese of Pemba, including 23 in 2025 alone.”

Religious sister attacked in Jerusalem; suspect arrested (AP)

Sat, 02 May 2026 01:05:36 GMT

Israeli police arrested a man who pushed over and attacked a French religious sister in Jerusalem. The sister is a researcher at the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research.

“This is not an isolated incident, but part of a troubling pattern of growing hostility toward the Christian community and its symbols,” the Faculty of Humanities at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a statement.

Notre-Dame stained-glass dispute enters new legal phase (National Catholic Register)

Sat, 02 May 2026 01:05:34 GMT

A heritage preservation organization, Sites et Monuments, filed a legal appeal with the Paris Administrative Court to prevent the replacement of historic stained-glass windows in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame with contemporary designs.

“The plan to replace these windows with contemporary creations by French artist Claire Tabouret—unveiled to the public at the Grand Palais late last year—has drawn unusually broad opposition over the past two years, from heritage experts to Catholic figures,” the National Catholic Register reported. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich supports the contemporary design.

Pope, in video, prays that we may learn to thank God for food and share it with joy (CWN)

Fri, 01 May 2026 07:05:02 GMT

In a video associated with his May 2026 prayer intention, Pope Leo XIV prayed that we may learn to share our food with those in need.

Justice Department: Biden administration 'demonstrated anti-Christian bias throughout the federal government' (CWN)

Fri, 01 May 2026 08:05:21 GMT

The U.S. Department of Justice released a new report, “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias within the Federal Government,” that found that “the Biden Administration’s prosecutions, policies, and practices demonstrated anti-Christian bias throughout the federal government.”

Pope thanks Cologne archdiocese for its worldwide charitable assistance (CWN)

Fri, 01 May 2026 07:05:36 GMT

Pope Leo XIV received officials of the Archdiocese of Cologne’s Office for the Universal Church and Dialogue and thanked them for the office’s fifty-year legacy of charitable assistance to Christians around the world, including oxygen machines for the Pope’s former Peruvian diocese during the COVID pandemic.

Australian bishops' commission highlights youth unemployment; praises apprenticeships, trades (Australian Catholic Bishops Conference)

Fri, 01 May 2026 08:05:29 GMT

In a message for the memorial of St. Joseph the Worker, the chairman of the Australian bishops’ Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service highlighted the plight of unemployed youth.

“We are living through a period of rapid transformation,” wrote Bishop Tim Harris of Townsville. “In this changing environment, it is vital that we recognize and promote diverse pathways into work. Apprenticeships, trades, and technical vocations are essential to our society and deserve greater recognition and support.”

“St, Joseph himself was a tradesman,” Bishop Harris added. “St. Joseph was also a mentor. He accompanied Jesus with patience, wisdom, and quiet strength, showing us the importance of guidance and formation. Today, young people need mentors in families, workplaces, parishes, and communities—people who will walk alongside them, offering encouragement and direction.”

South Korean Catholics hit 6 million, confront aging, declining vocations (UCANews)

Fri, 01 May 2026 06:05:54 GMT

The number of Catholics in South Korea soared from one million in 1975 to over six million in 2025, according to statistics recently published by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea. 28.9% of them are 65 or older.

The Sunday Mass attendance rate fell from 25% in 2015 to 15% in 2025. The bishops’ conference also reported declining numbers of seminarians and religious vocations.

“The recovery of lapsed and inactive believers is an urgent task,” the bishops’ conference stated in its report. “How to invite back into the community those who have been unable to continue their sacramental life… is a pastoral question that can no longer be ignored.”

The nation of 51.5 million (map) is 32% Christian, 25% Buddhist, 15% ethnic religionist, 14% new religionist, and 11% Confucian.

Ukrainian Catholic leader reflects on Chernobyl disaster, warns world is at 'dangerous precipice' (CWN)

Fri, 01 May 2026 06:05:49 GMT

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church warned in a recent address that the world is “at a dangerous precipice where human pride and irresponsibility can lead to new disasters” reminiscent of the Chernobyl disaster.

Vatican newspaper highlights suffering of Ethiopians who are fleeing for Yemen (CWN)

Fri, 01 May 2026 06:05:15 GMT

In the most prominent front-page article in its April 30 edition, L’Osservatore Romano drew attention to the plight of Ethiopians who are fleeing their strife-torn nation for Yemen via Djibouti (map).

Bishop Barron weighs in on recovering the university's soul (First Things)

Fri, 01 May 2026 08:05:02 GMT

Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, discussed the crisis of the university in “Recovering the University’s Soul,” a lecture published by First Things.

“The university must recover the capacity to address students in a language of hope,” Bishop Barron said. “The point of such language is not to evade the reality of suffering or injustice, but to refuse the pedagogy of despair.”

“A truly humane education affirms that truth is not a mere construct, that beauty is not reducible to private sentiment or self-expression, and that goodness is not simply a function of power or consensus,” he added. “It assures students that their desire to understand is both real and just, and that to take this desire seriously is not naivete but the beginning of wisdom.”