The bill was first introduced in June 2025 and completed its final stage on June 30 of this year.

The inquiry will investigate issues raised in the Truth Recovery Independent Report, which was also published this week.

Both the report and the bill focus on institutions that for over 60 years housed unmarried pregnant women who were sent to the homes by a variety of authorities — welfare, priests, family members — to have their babies. The children born there were typically adopted or sent to baby homes, while some returned home with their mothers.

Over 15,000 women and girls are estimated to have passed through mother and baby homes, as well as Magdalene laundries — institutions in both the north and south of Ireland operated by Catholic religious orders in which thousands of women and girls were confined and forced to perform unpaid hard labor. The last one closed in 1996.

The Truth Recovery Independent Panel report was commissioned to gather evidence in a nonconfrontational setting and includes the testimonies of over 300 survivors. Seventy recommendations were made, including the specific investigation of “Sister Z,“ a nun at the Good Shepherd Sisters-run Marianvale Mother and Baby Home in Newry, County Down, for sexual abuse.

The report highlights serious systemic failures of the state to exercise oversight in Magdalene laundries and other homes.

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill said: “Within their walls, women and girls were stripped of dignity, silenced, and shamed. Their children, now adults, are still living with that impact today, carrying unanswered questions and loss.”

Conor Brogan, who was born at Marianvale and placed for adoption as an infant, told EWTN News that the bill and the public inquiry are incredibly significant because they were developed with survivors' input.

“It has survivors at the forefront, and that is something that victims and survivors have campaigned for for a long time,” he said. “It is a massive step in the right direction to clearly understand where accountability lies and to ensure that those who are accountable are seen in the public eye as such.”

He continued: “Girls and women who went into these institutions were publicly shamed. It was barbaric in terms of how they were treated. Institutions themselves didnʼt exist in a vacuum. Society was, in those days, very ‘puritan,’ and the whole facilitation of these institutions was by the broader society. There isnʼt a single case of a mother or baby being connected to one of these institutions without some form of government involvement. They all played a part in it.”

Brogan’s birth mother, Geraldine, now deceased, was a resident at Marianvale. He was born there in February 1969 and adopted several weeks later. He says of the redress scheme: “For my mother itʼs getting back to lifting the shame off her shoulders. In todayʼs society, where shame doesnʼt exist, I think education and support for young girls who find themselves in this situation is the biggest legacy that could come out of it.”

Brogan was reunited with Geraldine in his 30s, and he said they established a good relationship. “She had never talked to anybody about it — not her own sisters and brothers. Her children didnʼt know about it. Her spouse did. The trauma that was associated with that weighed heavily on her,” he said.

Geraldine’s time in the Good Shepherd home from November 1968 to April 1969 was too painful for her to ever talk about to Brogan. “That was very hard for her to even sort of go near it at all. She just couldnʼt; it was too painful, too raw, even after all those years, 35 to 40 years later, she couldnʼt. She just said it wasnʼt very nice and didnʼt want to elaborate. Meeting me and having me in her life went some way to, to sort of easing that trauma; I donʼt think it ever fully healed the wound.”

Brogan always knew he was adopted and describes a happy childhood with his adoptive family. He told EWTN News that he, as a child, returned to visit the nuns in Marianvale with his adoptive parents. His brother and sister, also adopted, were born there too.

“There was the convent at the front, but there were other smaller outbuildings around the back, where, looking back now, I realize that’s where the women and girls were quartered.”

He recalled his dad putting money in the collection box there. “I have clear memories of that visit, but I had absolutely no understanding of the other side of it. The trauma of the birth mothers, knowing that youʼre giving up your baby as soon as itʼs born, of the baby being taken away, and then after that, I think, is the most impactful on peopleʼs lives.”

Brogan also embarked on a different journey to make contact with his birth father’s family. Unaware that he had a biological son who had been adopted, his biological father died in 1982.

Brogan said of both journeys: “You donʼt know where youʼre going to end up. You donʼt know if youʼre going to have an open door, a closed door, or visit a graveyard. When I found my fatherʼs family, the connection was fantastic. I did visit his grave, and that was quite tough. The realization that I would never meet my father.”

“I have met every sort of combination a survivor has gone through,” he said. “So, whether that’s a birth mother never able to meet her child, or one who found their child, but the child, now an adult, didnʼt want to have a relationship, and vice versa. Where the mother has locked that away, doesnʼt want it disturbed, hasnʼt told her family, and really doesnʼt want to acknowledge that it happened.”

He added: “I feel incredibly fortunate [that] Iʼm able to talk about it; Iʼm able to talk with others about it. And, you know, if my talking can help one other person, then itʼs worth it.”

He explained that “everybody will automatically think, ‘Oh, the Catholic Church is at fault again,’ but there were more accounts of women from a Protestant background who went through institutions than from a Catholic background. I think thatʼs important to state because the number of people who have come forward from the Protestant community is significantly less than the Catholic community. And I think there has to be some level of outreach to those people who feel that they canʼt come forward.”

Brogan said that beginning this journey was difficult. “But for me to have a better understanding of who I am, and where I came from, itʼs very, very important. And to be able to spend some level of time with my birth mother, and get an understanding of her and what she went through and everything else was pretty priceless.”

In a statement dated July 8 following the publication of the Truth Recovery Independent Report, the Good Shepherd Sisters said: “We respect the courage and strength of all who have come to share their experiences and have contributed to this research. We deeply regret the pain and hurt women in our care experienced, as outlined in their testimony to the panel.”

The statement continued: “We also acknowledge the women who expressed their appreciation to the Sisters they met while in our care in the past, even when they reflect on a time of deep crisis in their lives. We will continue to fully cooperate with the impending work of the public inquiry.”

The Vatican declared July 2 that six prelates involved in the SSPX’s unauthorized July 1 episcopal consecrations incurred automatic excommunication. Despite repeated warnings, SSPX bishops consecrated four new bishops without a pontifical mandate — an act of open disobedience to the authority of the pope that carries automatic excommunication for the six bishops involved.

Lay faithful who formally adhere to SSPX are also considered schismatic and can incur excommunication by continuing to attend SSPX services after the Church’s formal pronouncement of a schism.

Various Catholic bishops with SSPX locations in their dioceses are explicitly forbidding Catholics from attending SSPX Masses, instructing them to avoid the now-illicit sacraments and to withdraw their children from SSPX-affiliated schools while also urging frequent attendees and SSPX priests to seek spiritual guidance and return to the Catholic Church.

Abuse of the Eucharist

Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, instructed Catholics to “avoid participating in the activities of the SSPX.”

Burbidge emphasized in a July 8 letter to his flock that “as a result of the SSPXʼs schismatic act, any celebrations of the sacraments of confession and matrimony by the SSPX are invalid, and the administration of other sacraments is illicit.”

Bishop John Iffert of Covington, Kentucky, explained what it means for these sacraments to be “illicit.”

“This means that the celebrations are not permitted by the law of the Church and the cleric offering the sacrament commits the canonical and moral fault of disobedience in each instance,” Iffert said.

“The Masses these priests celebrate are an abuse of the Eucharist, insofar as they make the sacrament of unity into an occasion of division within the Church, and so they should be firmly rejected and avoided by all the Catholic faithful,” Iffert said.

“Together with the priests of the diocese, I invite all Catholics who have been attending the SSPX liturgy to practice their faith in one of the parishes, missions, or chapels of the diocese,” Iffert said. “You will find the Catholic Mass and the sacramental life celebrated faithfully and respectfully throughout the Diocese of Covington.”

Who is in schism?

Burbidge clarified that not all attendees of SSPX are necessarily in schism but must simply return to sacraments and ministries in union with the Church.

“I encourage any persons locally who have been attached to the SSPX and who desire the spiritual nourishment of the Church and the extraordinary form of the Mass to become active in any one of the eight locations in our diocese where this is currently possible,” Burbidge said.

“Although lay faithful who formally adhere to the SSPX are considered schismatic and excommunicated, this does not apply to lay faithful ‘who do not reject the magisterium of the authority of the Roman pontiff’ and have engaged with the SSPX for solely liturgical or spiritual reasons,” Burbidge said. “Such persons must simply resolve not to continue to participate in future SSPX sacramental worship or pastoral ministries.”

“The Holy See, in the spirit of conciliation, has outlined the procedure necessary for SSPX priests and lay faithful to return to Catholic communion,” Burbidge explained.

Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez of Palm Beach, Florida, issued a decree reiterating the Holy See’s excommunication and instructing the faithful to separate from SSPX in any "ecclesiastical ministry” or “diocesan entity.”

Rodríguez also provided instructions for any Catholics who wish to leave SSPX “and enter into full communion with the Catholic Church."

How SSPX’s schism affects education

The schismatic acts of SSPX have a trickle-down effect, even affecting the education of children.

In Covington, Kentucky, two schools are affiliated with SSPX. Iffert has instructed Catholics to withdraw their children from the schools due to the schismatic nature of the group.

“Because Assumption Academy and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Academy are associated with the SSPX, Catholic parents should not enroll their children in these schools,” Iffert said in a letter. “To do so is to entrust the religious formation of children to those who participate in schism against the Roman Catholic Church.”

He encouraged parents to reach out to the diocesan Catholic schools office for “appropriate placement in a local Catholic school.”

Praying for return

The bishops prayed for union and for society members to return to the Church.

“I pledge to pray for the bishops and priests of the SSPX and for their faithful return to regular order in the Catholic Church,” Iffert said. “I also assure the lay faithful who have been attached to the SSPX of my prayer for their good and for the restoration of unity in the Church.”

Burbidge prayed especially for SSPX priests.

“To my brother priests in the SSPX, please know of my prayers for you and my heartfelt desire for your return to full communion with the Church,” Burbidge said. “I invite all the faithful to join me in prayer for the end of all division and schism and for the unity of the Church, so that she may better fulfill the divine commission to make disciples of all nations.”

“I ask all faithful Catholics to pray for restored unity and order in the Church and in our diocese,” Iffert said. “Please beg the intercession of Pope St. Pius X, that his name may always give glory to God and never be a sign of division in the Eucharistic community that he cherished.”

In practice, this means that if the victim is an adult who has received formation, it is assumed she can defend herself or that she consented. However, signs of change are beginning to emerge from the Vatican.

In addressing this issue, “it cannot simply be a label of ‘vulnerable adult,’” said Claudia Giampietro, an Italian canon lawyer working at the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM).

“We must understand that there are situations of imbalances of power … and situations involving abuse, and so it is these situations of vulnerability that we need to examine more deeply,” she told EWTN News on July 1.

One of the functions of the PCPM is to collaborate with the various dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the conferences and unions of religious men and women, and the institutes of consecrated life.

This enables them to gain firsthand knowledge of a complex reality: “There are a great many circumstances, situations, and people that can also affect women religious, including older ones, and so it is necessary to understand the contexts in which they work and carry out their ministry, both within their communities and also outside them,” Giampietro said.

The situation in Latin America

The Vatican helped break the taboo surrounding abuse against women religious by dedicating an extensive report to it in January 2020, published in Donne, Chiesa, Mondo (Women, Church, World), the monthly women’s supplement to L’Osservatore Romano. Issues covered include abuse of power, sexual abuse, and the difficulties faced by many nuns both within and outside consecrated life.

In subsequent years, there has been a proliferation of studies aimed at gauging the scale of a phenomenon that was traditionally hidden. Notable among them is the research published in 2022 in the Spanish-language book “Vulnerability, Abuse, and Care in Womenʼs Religious Life,” edited by Sister María Rosaura González Casas, who at the time was coordinator of the Commission for the Care and Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons for the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious.

Based on a survey of 1,417 women religious, the study revealed that 19.8% reported having suffered sexual abuse, and more than half stated they had experienced some form of abuse of power at the hands of superiors, priests, formators, or bishops. Additionally, 14.3% of respondents indicated having been harassed by a priest, 9.7% by laypeople, and 8% by other religious women, figures that highlight the scope and complexity of an issue that remained largely silenced for decades.

González Casas, dean of the Institute of Anthropology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, explained that since the study was published four years ago, “greater awareness of what abuse entails has grown at all levels” in the region.

“The sisters are more aware, and bishops and priests are also more alert to it. When we conducted the survey, many women religious did not want to respond, even though it was anonymous. There was fear of speaking out. Now there is greater awareness, although clear codes of conduct are still lacking. Unconscious and internalized machismo persists in society and has permeated religious and priestly life,” she explained in comments to EWTN News.

A conference in Rome on abuse prevention

In order to promote dialogue to prevent abuse against women religious, the PCPM will organize the second annual meeting on abuse prevention, focusing on consecrated life. It will be held in Rome on Dec. 9–11, centering on the theme “Communion, Care, and Justice: Mutual Relationships for a Shared Mission.”

This is not an academic conference but a synodal “learning lab” geared toward concrete results. Over the course of three days, bishops, representatives from institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, conferences and unions of major superiors, officials from Roman Curia dicasteries, and experts in abuse prevention will collaborate through roundtables, sessions on canon law, and working groups.

“The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has already taken up this issue, and with their involvement, superiors and women religious will take it more seriously,” said Sister Jacinta Ondeng of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Kenya, who has been invited to participate in the forum.

“Safeguarding must be an essential part of community life,” emphasized the religious sister, director of the Safeguarding Initiative for Catholic Sisters, a project based at Tangaza University in Nairobi that provides training on abuse prevention across various African countries.

Many situations are covered up due to a lack of oversight

Ondeng emphasized the need for effective case follow-up. “It’s important for the relevant Vatican offices to oversee these situations because cases from Africa, and perhaps other parts of the world, are often covered up precisely due to a lack of oversight. If the relevant bodies of the Holy See intervene and evaluate cases when congregations fail to resolve them, that will help.”

She also proposes developing clear guidelines for handling abuse cases within consecrated life — similar to those established by Pope Francis in Vos Estis Lux Mundi for allegations of abuse against minors — which require bishops and superiors to take action when faced with complaints or concerning indications.

“Once it becomes clear that the Vatican is involved in matters affecting members of consecrated life, there will be changes. Human nature responds to clear rules: When they exist, people tend to act with greater prudence,” she observed.

The sister also led a revealing, as-yet-unpublished study in Africa that brought to light harrowing testimonies from consecrated women, such as:

• “Sisters leave not because they lack a vocation but because of abuse; superiors are abusing their authority.”
• “Sisters suffer in silence rather than reporting it because they love the Church and fear damaging the reputation of a priest, bishop, or superior.”
• “I told my superior what was happening, and since the sister in question was her friend, she did nothing.”

The study’s results were presented at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome during the 2026 International Safeguarding Conference, held June 16–19 under the theme “One Commitment, Many Contexts: Safeguarding Across Cultures.” The study was based on an anonymous online survey conducted between February and March in which more than 140 religious sisters from various African countries participated.

Fear of stigma and self-blame

The findings are revealing: 35.5% of congregations lack a formal safeguarding policy; 67.4% of those surveyed identify fear of stigma and self-blame as the main obstacles to reporting abuse; and 60.3% point to the absence of confidential reporting channels.

Personal factors such as “shame, guilt, and self-reproach are very prevalent among many women religious who wish to take the step of reporting abuse,” explained Ondeng, who dedicates her ministry to conducting workshops and training on safeguarding in Africa, with a particular focus on Catholic women religious.

Her goal is to raise awareness about abuse and its consequences, empower consecrated women to break the culture of silence, and promote safe environments for all. She also emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability as fundamental pillars for the success of safeguarding policies within the Church.

The religious also warned of the tendency toward cover-ups that can arise in certain ecclesial contexts.

“As numerous studies on abuse and the abuse of authority have shown, the Church hierarchy commands immense respect in many African societies,” she noted. While this is a positive cultural value, it also helps explain why individuals in positions of authority are rarely reported when involved in abusive behavior.

This phenomenon is reflected in several of the testimonies gathered during the investigation:

• “Many sisters do not want to air dirty laundry. They do not wish to publicly expose these problems, in order to protect the institute’s reputation.”
• “Some fear that if they speak out, they will be expelled from religious life, and they do not want to leave,” Ondeng added.

Lack of training in abuse prevention

Ondeng’s study also reveals that, when faced with situations of injustice or abuse, some women religious choose to leave consecrated life. Abuse can take many forms — sexual, spiritual, physical, emotional, or institutional — and, in certain cases, becomes unbearable.

However, the majority of victims remain in their communities, often out of fear of the social stigma or rejection they might suffer if they returned to their families.

Others are aware that leaving the convent could entail serious financial difficulties, as they lack employment or the means to support themselves, the religious explained.

Of the 141 women religious surveyed, more than 95% stated they had received some form of training on the prevention of sexual abuse. However, in many cases, this preparation proves insufficient.

“Most have taken short courses, but we cannot say that this 95% has received comprehensive training in safeguarding. At most, some have participated in one- or two-day sessions. That is very little, and it poses a problem,” the Kenyan religious sister noted in a statement to EWTN News.

For this reason, she insists on the need to strengthen safeguarding training as a true ministry within the Church.

“Much more preparation is needed for Catholic women religious to have the courage to speak about their experiences in their communities. Currently, training is very limited and must be ramped up to empower consecrated women,” she stated.

Added to this challenge is a significant cultural component. “People do not want to make their problems public. It is something deeply rooted in African culture, although it also occurs in European and American contexts,” she stated.

For its part, the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life does not publish aggregate figures on apostolic visitations conducted worldwide, as these are carried out on an occasional rather than a systematic basis.

The only large-scale investigation for which detailed data exist was the one conducted in the United States from 2008 to 2014, which involved 341 institutes of consecrated life and about 50,000 religious women.

“The entire Church must understand that safeguarding is a Gospel value. It’s not something imposed from the outside. The Gospel calls us to promote the dignity of every person, support those who suffer, and care for those who are hurting,” Ondeng pointed out.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit on July 2 ruled against St. Dominic Academy in the Diocese of Portland, denying the school’s request for an injunction against Maine’s LGBT-related nondiscrimination rules. If granted, the injunction would have allowed the school to access public funding streams.

The school had argued against requirements that it facilitate student “gender transitions” and had said it would not require staff to refer to students by opposite-sex pronouns.

The court, however, said that “combatting sexual-orientation and gender-identity discrimination” is a “legitimate governmental pursuit” and that requiring publicly funded schools to follow those rules “rationally relates” to that pursuit.

Such schools are also required to publicly affirm the “gender identity” of their students, the court said.

The ruling comes several years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Maine could not ban students from using public student aid to attend religious schools. The high court ruled that the state in its policy “identif[ied] and exclude[d] otherwise eligible schools on the basis of their religious exercise.”

A “neutral benefit program in which public funds flow to religious organizations through the independent choices of private benefit recipients” does not violate the U.S. Constitution, the court held in the 2022 case Carson v. Makin.

Adèle Keim, an attorney with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing the Catholic school in the suit, told EWTN News that ahead of the Carson decision Maine moved to alter its public funding policy to include the rules regarding gender and sexuality nondiscrimination.

“They knew it would be a red line for the schools that had been suing the state,” she said.

Keim said this month’s appeals court ruling was partially favorable to St. Dominic Academy; it found, for instance, that the state cannot dictate faith-related hiring practices and cannot dictate religious expression rules on school campuses.

Yet the appeals court ruled that schools enjoy “no constitutional protection” related to the nondiscrimination policies, she said. She argued that the decision runs afoul of multiple Supreme Court decisions, including the Carson ruling along with the landmark 2025 decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor.

The schools could mount a bid to the Supreme Court over the appeals decision, she said.

A similar lawsuit had been brought by the nondenominational Crosspoint Church, which runs a K–12 Christian school. The appeals court had partly combined the suits of the respective churches into one ruling.

Keim said that Catholic education had been publicly funded for decades in Maine before lawmakers in the early 1980s targeted Catholic schools for exclusion.

“It’s a [sparsely populated] state,” she said. “Its population is spread out over a large territory. The government has always partnered with private schools to get the job done of meeting the state constitutional guarantee of free education for all kids.”

She said the parts of the appeals court ruling that found in favor of the Catholic schools were “terrific.” But the nondiscrimination portion of the ruling “really jumped off a cliff,” she argued.

On X, meanwhile, Becket attorney Eric Rassbach said after the appeals ruling that the Supreme Court will consider a similar case in October related to nondiscrimination rules and public funding of religious schools.

Governments “cannot evade [Supreme Court precedent] by relabeling discrimination against religion as ‘nondiscrimination,’” he wrote. “The Constitution demands more.”

Father Davide Cito, professor of canon law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, emphasized that the answer has to do with profoundly different juridical and ecclesial realities.

As he explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, although the Orthodox churches are not in full communion with Rome, they are not currently in a state of formal schism comparable to that of the Society of St. Pius X.

“These are two different situations. The Orthodox are not in full communion with the Catholic Church, but they are not excommunicated. In contrast, the fraternity has committed a formal act of breaking ecclesial communion,” he explained.

The canon lawyer noted that, prior to the recent declaration of schism, the situation of the SSPX was different. Although there were serious doctrinal and disciplinary tensions with Rome, it was not juridically in its current situation.

“The society could perform valid marriages because it was not in a state of formal schism,” he noted.

In fact, during the pontificate of Pope Francis, the society’s priests received faculties to validly hear confessions and, under certain circumstances, to witness marriages with the authorization of the competent ecclesiastical authority.

However, following the formal declaration of schism, the Vatican has made it clear that those faculties can no longer be exercised.

Specifically, sources in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) emphasized to ACI Prensa “the invalidity of those two sacraments" (referring to confession and marriage), which Pope Francis had previously granted them permission to administer in 2019 as a gesture of pastoral outreach.

The DDF source went on to confirm that the dicastery’s July 2 explanatory note on the matter “was published with the pope’s approval. The pontiff himself formally warned that this would happen if they ordained bishops in the letter he sent to [SSPX Superior General Father Davide] Pagliarani just hours before the episcopal ordinations took place without a papal mandate. There is no doubt whatsoever regarding his will. That is the decision of the Holy See.”

The DDF, led by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, also clarified that, in declaring the schism, it did not get into considering the SSPXʼs past situation following the lifting of the excommunications by Benedict XVI in 2009 and the concessions subsequently made by Francis. Instead, it focused “on the fact that the new ordinations — a schismatic act — have undoubtedly created a situation of excommunication and schism, and that what they were clearly warned about is now being applied.”

Regarding this point, Cito explained that “a schismatic cannot validly hear confessions or validly witness a marriage, because since the Council of Trent, these sacraments require a canonical faculty or authorization.”

Why are Orthodox sacraments recognized?

Relations between Catholics and the Orthodox underwent a decisive shift during the Second Vatican Council and the pontificate of St. Paul VI. In December 1965, Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I signed a joint declaration lifting the mutual excommunications pronounced in 1054, events traditionally regarded as the beginning of the Great Schism between East and West.

Although that gesture did not restore full communion, it put an end to centuries of mutual condemnations and excommunications and opened a new chapter of ecumenical dialogue.

“We are in communion, though not in full communion,” Cito summarized. “That is why there are areas where it is possible to share sacramental life, something unthinkable in a situation of formal rupture caused by a schism, such as the situation of the fraternity,” he observed.

The Catholic Church recognizes the validity of Orthodox sacraments because it maintains that the Eastern churches have preserved apostolic succession and a valid priesthood. For this reason, Cito explained, there is the possibility of a certain “communicatio in sacris” — participation in certain sacraments among the faithful of different churches as provided for by canon law.

“Canon 844 allows Catholics and Orthodox, in certain cases, to receive some sacraments from one another. I myself have seen this in pastoral practice. This is possible because there is authentic sacramental communion, even if it is not full,” he stated.

The expert pointed out that the situation is very different for those affected by excommunication or who knowingly participate in a schismatic group.

Excommunication is a canonical penalty that prohibits the administration and reception of certain sacraments. Schism, on the other hand, entails the rejection of communion with the Church and the authority of the Roman pontiff — in other words, a formal separation from the Catholic Church.

In the case of the Society of St. Pius X, the Holy See considers that there is now a formal rupture of that communion, which entails juridical and sacramental consequences.

“When someone rejects an ecumenical council or denies essential elements of communion with the pope and the college of bishops, the situation becomes very complex from a canonical standpoint,” Cito said.

The professor pointed out that some traditionalist communities that emerged from the SSPX, such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), have remained in full communion with Rome and continue to celebrate the traditional liturgy without any difficulty.

“The problem has never been simply the liturgy. The issue touches upon fundamental doctrinal aspects related to the Second Vatican Council and ecclesial communion,” he stated.

How those who leave the SSPX might return to Catholic unity

New regulations issued by the Holy See establish that the faithful and priests who decide to leave the SSPX and return to full communion with the Church will no longer depend on a specific structure like the Ecclesia Dei Commission, created by St. John Paul II in 1988.

Going forward, they may turn directly to diocesan bishops or to the heads of traditionalist institutes that are fully integrated into the Church. The new protocol from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith aims to facilitate this return.

"The procedures for doing so are very simple because, ultimately, these are people who want to be Catholic and desire to be in communion with the Church," Cito added.

The Vatican document warns that those wishing to fully rejoin the Catholic Church may not continue to regularly attend activities of an institution now considered schismatic.

“The explanatory note from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, attached to the decree of excommunication, is very clear on this point: The sacred ministers administer the sacraments illicitly and, regarding penance and matrimony, also invalidly. Therefore, dioceses and their pastors are urged to be vigilant and to exhort the faithful to remain steadfast in ecclesial communion and not to participate in celebrations or activities promoted by the SSPX,” noted Father Pierpaolo dal Corso, who teaches at the St. Pius X department of penal canon law in Venice, Italy.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Italian automaker said the vehicles will be used for internal operations and will help improve transportation within the Vatican through low-emissions mobility.

The initiative is part of the Ecological Conversion 2030 program launched by the Governorate of Vatican City State in 2023. The plan calls for the gradual decarbonization of the Vatican’s official fleet, with the goal of reaching zero emissions by the end of the decade.

The first phase of the project took place June 30 with the delivery of 20 Fiat Topolino vehicles. The handover was held on the esplanade in front of the Governorate Palace and was attended by Archbishop Emilio Nappa and lawyer Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, secretaries-general of the governorate, as well as Olivier François, CEO of Fiat and chief marketing officer of Stellantis.

The fleet will be completed with the addition of 10 Fiat TRIS vehicles, also fully electric.

The Ecological Conversion 2030 plan goes beyond the renewal of the Vatican’s vehicle fleet. The project includes a range of measures aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the Holy See’s activities, including the responsible use of natural resources, improved energy efficiency, and the modernization of technological infrastructure.

The initiative also seeks to promote cleaner energy sources for transportation, strengthen waste management policies, and support future reforestation projects as Vatican City State works toward climate neutrality.

After launching the program in 2023, the Governorate of Vatican City State said it intended to place itself among the leading states in sustainability by adopting innovative solutions that contribute both to care for the environment and to the transformation of its work and management practices.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York said in a press release that Father Jeffrey Nowak of Lackawanna, New York, was arrested and charged with both the receipt and possession of child pornography.

The charges “carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years,” the attorney’s office said.

Nowak has been the subject of investigations by authorities as far back as 2019, when he was placed on administrative leave that year after a seminarian reported that the priest had sexually harassed him.

The U.S. attorney’s office said Nowak was also the subject of “allegations of inappropriate contact with children.”

The priest was also linked to an email address reportedly connected with child sexual abuse material, according to the prosecutor’s office. A two-year FBI investigation into the matter was ultimately closed.

The FBI reopened its investigation into Nowak in March of this year, the prosecutor said. On July 8 a search warrant was executed at Nowak’s residence during which investigators found child pornography on his electronic devices.

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo said in the release that the priest “hid behind a keyboard and took part in the tragic exploitation of one of society’s most vulnerable populations, our children.”

“Nowak has now been exposed and can no longer hide and will be held accountable for his disgraceful behavior,” the prosecutor said.

A spokesman for the Diocese of Buffalo, meanwhile, said in a statement on July 9 that Nowak “was placed on permanent leave in 2019 and has not been permitted to function as a priest since then.”

“We are not aware of any attempt by law enforcement officials to contact the diocese regarding these allegations,” the statement said.

The diocese “has just learned of the allegations against him and will cooperate fully with any inquiry by law enforcement officials,” it added.

In May, the Republican governor suspended Carruthers’ execution for one year after the medical team failed to find a vein when trying to set up the backup IV line of lethal drugs. They tried to set up the IV line for more than an hour.

“The Department of Corrections did exactly what they were supposed to,” Lee told reporters. “I decided to suspend the execution. I have the authority to do that. I’m the only one who can.”

“Given the circumstances of not being able to find a vein, I made that decision,” the governor added. “But the protocol itself and the process for the death penalty in this state — which is the law of Tennessee that the people have decided — but the protocol itself still stands, as it should.”

After the botched execution, eight Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to the governor, which urged him to review the death penalty protocol, according to the Tennessee Lookout. The letter called the incident a failure “to carry a lawful sentence of its own courts,” but the lawmakers still expressed support for the death penalty.

Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network — a group that works with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on opposition to the death penalty — expressed disappointment in Lee’s comment in a statement to EWTN News.

“Tony Carruthers’ botched execution reminds us that every execution — regardless of the method or the procedures that take place — is a barbaric act that disregards the sanctity of life,” she said. “I am heartbroken to hear that Gov. Bill Lee has decided to let current lethal injection procedures stand.”

Murphy noted that Republican lawmakers urged the governor to commission an independent review of how the execution was botched.

“It is helpful to pause in times like this and ask ourselves: To what lengths will the state go to seek revenge?” she said. “There is nothing appropriate in this situation. The only way to avoid perpetuating more violence and harm is to step back from executing people altogether.”

The study — titled “Under the Bench: Mapping Corruption Risks in Pakistanʼs Justice System” — was released July 8 by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

“Ethnic and religious minorities continue to face rampant discrimination in Pakistan — issues that are compounded by the fact that they also come from low-income communities,” the report states.

“Many of the victims in cases targeting Christians, for example, are sanitation workers or daily laborers, meaning that their resources to pay legal representation with necessary social and political connections or to pay bribes are very limited, if not absent, in effect widening the gap in access to justice.”

The report is based on 30 interviews conducted by FIDH and HRCP in February and March with lawyers, journalists, civil society activists, academics, and judges.

Several interviewees said anti-minority and anti-poor bias was evident in the language used by some judges in their rulings.

Bribes and stalled trials

Its findings echo those of a 2025 report by Human Rights Watch, which said blasphemy accusations were increasingly being used for financial gain, with some police officials allegedly demanding bribes from victims to avoid the registration of false first information reports.

The report also cited figures from the National Commission for Human Rights, a government human rights body, showing a sharp increase in blasphemy prosecutions. It said 767 people were detained on blasphemy charges as of July 25, 2024, compared with 213 in 2023, 64 in 2022, nine in 2021, and 11 in 2020.

Behram Francis, legal adviser for the Catholic bishops' National Commission for Justice and Peace, said the findings matched what he has seen on the ground.

“Police start dealing with families of blasphemy victims after an accusation is made and the case is publicized. Given the security risk, sensitivity, and public sentiment associated, the usual bribe rate in such cases starts from at least 50,000 rupees [$180],” Francis told EWTN News.

“Trials in lower courts can drag on for years, and the victim continues suffering in prison, as the accuser can easily get the next hearing postponed by paying 15,000 rupees to the court reader. Our lawyers usually encounter prejudice against Christians during trials.”

Concerns in the courtroom

Riaz Anjum, president of the Christian Lawyers Association of Pakistan, said procedural delays and intimidation inside courtrooms remained among the biggest obstacles to defending Christians accused of blasphemy.

“These cases are often not listed in the regular cause list, forcing us to file separate applications just to obtain a hearing,” Anjum told EWTN News.

“Muslim lawyers sometimes openly threaten us in front of judges and mobilize madrassa students outside courtrooms. The risk of external pressure and mob intimidation influencing judicial proceedings remains very high.”

Pakistan ranked 123rd out of 143 countries in the World Justice Projectʼs 2025 Rule of Law Index for absence of corruption, placing it second from the bottom in its regional rankings.

The report, titled ”The Demographic Dead End: 2026 State of Fertility Report,” presents estimates of fertility trends for every state dating back to 1917. As part of the nation’s 250th anniversary, researchers also reconstructed birth rates in Massachusetts dating to 1660, offering one of the longest historical views of American fertility ever compiled.

According to the report, the U.S. fertility rate has fallen to about 1.6 children per woman, well below the replacement level of about 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population without immigration. Researchers said the decline is no longer a temporary consequence of delayed childbearing but reflects a sustained demographic shift.

The authors projected that if trends continue, the U.S. population will likely peak during the 2050s before entering a prolonged period of decline. They contend that many mainstream demographic forecasts underestimate the pace of falling fertility and assume a rebound that has yet to materialize.

The report notes fertility has declined in nearly every state over the past two decades, though the pace varies geographically. States with higher levels of religious participation, marriage, and family stability generally continue to post comparatively higher birth rates than states with lower rates of marriage and family formation.

Although Americans’ desired family size has remained relatively stable, the gap between how many children they want and how many they ultimately have continues to widen. Surveys consistently show Americans expect to have about two children and ideally would like to have an average of 2.4.

Catherine Pakaluk, professor at The Catholic University of America and author of “Hannahʼs Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth,” cautioned against interpreting that gap as entirely unmet demand.

“I’d be careful treating that gap as pure unmet demand — people fall short of almost everything they say they want, and stated desires are aspirations measured before the real tradeoffs arrive,” Pakaluk told EWTN News. “What ‘I want 2.4’ mostly reflects is a preference stated in the abstract, which softens once a child is weighed against everything else a life can hold.”

Why are fewer Americans having children?

Pakaluk said economic pressures and delayed marriage play a role but are not the primary cause of declining birth rates.

“Cost and later marriage matter at the margin, but they aren’t the engine,” she said. “The driver is a shift in the relative value placed on children.”

She added that prolonged low fertility could reshape American society, leading to “an older population, a thinner worker-to-retiree ratio that strains Social Security and Medicare” as well as “thinner kin networks and more people aging without family nearby.”

Limits of government policy

Researchers argue reversing the trend will require more than financial incentives for parents. Pakaluk agreed that public policy has limits.

“The most honest thing I can say is that the levers government actually controls aren’t the ones that move completed family size,” she said. “Policy can clear obstacles at the margin, but the decisive factors live in culture, faith, and community, where government has a light touch.”

She said measures such as expanding housing supply, strengthening the child tax credit, and removing marriage penalties may help families but cautioned that “no wealthy country has policy-engineered its way back to replacement.”

Global demographic challenge

The findings come as concerns over declining birth rates are growing worldwide. More than two-thirds of countries have fertility rates below replacement, prompting governments across Europe, Asia, and North America to examine ways to encourage family formation.

For the Catholic Church, concern over declining birth rates has long been connected to its teaching on marriage, openness to life, and support for families. Recent popes have repeatedly warned that demographic decline carries not only economic consequences but also cultural and social implications for future generations.

Wise — who was born in 1888 in Cadiz, Ohio, and died in 1948 in Canton, Ohio — was a laywoman and a mystic who received visions of Jesus Christ and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. In 1939, she reported a miraculous healing of her stomach cancer and a wound that doctors told her was incurable.

She was raised Protestant but was introduced to Catholicism by religious sisters during her hospital stay, where she developed a strong devotion to the rosary and St. Thérèse.

After news of the miracle spread, hundreds of people visited her home weekly, with whom she would pray. Hundreds of those who visited her home both during and after her lifetime reported miraculous, unexplained healings, including EWTN Founder Mother Angelica, who developed a close friendship with Wise after being healed of a stomach ailment.

Wise also had a visible stigmata — which resembles the wounds Christ had at the Crucifixion — that appeared on her body from noon until 3 p.m. for two and a half years, from 1942 to 1945.

On July 7, Father John Sheridan — liaison between the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, and the Rhoda Wise House in Canton, Ohio — announced that the Vatican had received the formal “positio,” which is a collection of documents that details the holiness of her life and makes the case for why Pope Leo XIV should consider her beatification.

Valentina Culurgioni, the postulator tasked with preparing the document, gave the paperwork to the dicastery several months ago, but it was first announced by Sheridan during the Diocese of Youngstown’s annual Mass for the cause of beatification of Wise.

Following the Mass, Sheridan delivered the news to the faithful gathered by reading a letter he received from Culurgioni.

“Testimonies of healings and graces received through the intercession of Rhoda Wise continue to arrive at the shrine, which testify [to] her growing reputation of holiness and signs, and I would like to entrust to all of you two prayer intentions for this year, related to the progress of the cause in the Vatican,” Culurgioni wrote in the letter.

“First, that all the experts — historians and theologians — who will be called upon to study and evaluate the ‘positio’ may be enlightened by the Holy Spirit in their valuable and delicate work,” she added. “Second, that among all the reports of graces and healings we receive, suitable cases may be identified for investigation as alleged miracles.”

“Do not stop praying to God, asking for the spiritual or material graces you need through the intercession of Rhoda, and continue to share and bear witness to the wonders of his powerful love in your lives,” Culurgioni wrote.

Next steps

Ryan Schweitzer, assistant director of the Rhoda Wise House and Grotto, told EWTN News that the next step is the dicastery’s review of the “positio,” which includes evaluations by theologians, historians, and Catholic hierarchy. The dicastery will provide its conclusions to the Holy Father, who will determine whether to beatify her and grant her the title “venerable.”

He said there’s no real estimate for the timeline of this process but asked Catholics to “continue to pray for Rhoda’s intercession and continue to pray for her beatification.”

Schweitzer called the news of this development “exciting.” He said if Leo elevates her status to “venerable,” “that’s a very small group of individuals on their pathway to canonization.” He said that would increase her visibility and “Our Lord can utilize that visibility and knowledge of Rhoda to pray for her intercession.”

Rhoda Wise’s legacy

The Rhoda Wise House and Grotto continues to host visitors and frequently receives reports of miraculous healings on a regular basis, now nearly 80 years after her death

According to Schweitzer, hundreds of people still visit Wise’s home weekly, many of whom come “because they’re seeking healing,” whether that be physical, mental, or spiritual. He said many of the visitors come because “they heard that something happened to a friend, some healing” and some visitors return to share stories of their healing.

Wise had a strong friendship with Mother Angelica — then Rita Rizzo — when she was just 19 years old, before entering religious life. Schweitzer noted that Rizzo “suffered from a really debilitating stomach ailment,” and her mother took her to see Wise.

Rizzo began praying a nine-day novena to St. Thérèse of Lisieux with Wise and continued to pray it each day until its conclusion, at which point she was healed of her ailment. Schweitzer said this experience served as “a catalyst to become serious about her spiritual life” and Rizzo became close friends with Wise, who served as a mentor to her.

Schweitzer said one of the most important things to know about Wise is that she was “a very humble housewife,” a person who is “not someone who is unreachable” for the average person.

“She really reflects troubles that many people today are associated with,” Schweitzer said.

It was Wednesday, June 24, the feast day of St. John the Baptist and a national holiday commemorating the anniversary of the decisive Battle of Carabobo. At 6:05 p.m., the peaceful atmosphere created by the stunning ocean view from the top of the hotel was shattered by the thunderous violence of two consecutive earthquakes that took everyone by surprise, sowing anguish and confusion.

Speaking with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Galíndez, a 53-year-old lawyer, recalled how the heavy gym machines began moving from one side to the other, much like an air hockey puck. Disaster struck within seconds.

“The floor split, and immediately I saw half the building tilting forward while the section I was in collapsed straight down; I felt my feet were no longer standing on anything, and the next thing [I knew], I was trapped in the rubble,” he recounted.

Faced with imminent death: ‘Lord, have mercy!’

Galíndez recounted that the only thing he managed to do was to seek protection beside a nearby wall. As he felt the building collapsing, what came to his mind was the image of the Lord Jesus as he first appeared to St. Faustina Kowalska on Feb. 22, 1931.

“I remember thinking of the merciful Christ and praying, ‘Lord, have mercy,’” he said, on the verge of tears. “The next thing was feeling the building collapse because with that violent shaking, I kept saying, ‘It’s going to fall,’ and of course, it did.”

Galíndez never lost consciousness. He said he felt every blow but that “amid the shock and fear, physical sensations become secondary.” Once the confusion of the collapse subsided, he realized he was alive, though his body was completely buried in the rubble and pinned by a massive beam crushing his chest.

He couldn’t breathe properly. His head had not been buried, and through that immense mountain of twisted metal, bricks, and earth, he could see the sky, still lit by the last rays of the evening sun. All around, the desperate screams of other people trapped in the rubble could be heard.

Galíndez wiped his face and tried to move to free himself. Then he realized his left arm was broken: “A lot of desperation, a lot of fear” is what he recalled feeling, yet amid the suffering, he didn’t hesitate to entrust himself to God’s protection.

“Then I prayed to stay calm. What I did was to pray a lot: ‘OK, Father God, help me get out of here. Keep me calm’ was the first thing I prayed. ‘Keep me calm and tell me what I need to do,’” he recounted.

He signaled for help as best he could. He said he has no idea how long he was underneath the rubble, but he knows it “felt like an eternity.” Finally, a man who had climbed the mountain of debris helped him break free.

‘The Miraculous Medal saved me’

Galíndez made his way down the remains of the collapsed building on his own. Upon realizing the magnitude of the tragedy, which claimed thousands of lives in a split second, he is positive that emerging virtually unharmed was a miracle, one he attributes to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, to whom he has always been devoted.

“I was wearing a small chain with a crucifix and a tiny medal of the Miraculous Virgin. Among the things I lost track of, the chain broke, though, of course, I hadnʼt noticed it at the time,” he recalled.

On his way to his home, which was also completely destroyed, a couple of young people helped Galíndez with first aid. While they were tending to him, he became aware of one of those small miracles that holds profound meaning for someone with sincere faith.

He asked the young people to help him put his watch into one of the pockets of his shorts, as he needed to remove it to hold his fractured arm still. And then, the inexplicable happened.

“I was wearing shorts with a small zippered pocket, and when I looked — don’t ask me where from, don’t ask me how — a piece of the chain and the Miraculous Medal were caught inside.”

"Of course, I told the boy: ‘Please, put that little medal away for me too, because that was what saved me,’” he said. “I havenʼt the slightest doubt.”

“Absolutely, absolutely,” he replied when asked if he truly believes his life is a miracle obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.

Many people didn’t make it out of what was left of the hotel. For Galíndez, having survived is the work of the mercy of God, who listened to his pleas in every instant and granted him his request for a reason he still does not know.

“In the greatest adversity, you begin to see it in terms of what is most basic, because the most basic thing becomes impossible. When the most basic thing is impossible and you manage to do it anyway, you say: ‘Only God can do that,’” he reflected.

“There is a God who looks after you in that moment, attending to what you are asking of him and what you need. From freeing up an arm or reminding you of his presence by leaving a small medal hanging from your [shorts],” he said.

He then emphasized what he considers most important following his harrowing experience: "I have the greatest gift God [my dear] Father gave me, which is life.”

Galíndez said he feels deeply grateful to be alive. For him, what happened serves as a humbling reminder that what we have comes from the will and mercy of God, who does not abandon his people; who does not abandon Venezuelans, especially during times of greatest suffering.

At the time of publication, the official death toll in Venezuela from the double earthquake has risen to 3,535, while the number of injured has reached 16,740. Estimates by independent organizations indicate that tens of thousands of people are still missing.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Johnson sent a formal letter July 1, shared exclusively with EWTN News, that welcomed the nuncio to his diplomatic mission in the United States and affirmed Congress’ respect for the Holy See’s role in promoting peace, human dignity, and care for vulnerable communities.

“On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I’d like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on your recent appointment as apostolic nuncio to the United States of America,” Johnson wrote. “It is my great honor to welcome you to Washington, D.C., during this semiquincentennial year as we commemorate 250 years of American independence.”

The letter follows Caccia’s appointment to the position in March, succeeding Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who turned 80, the retirement age for cardinals, in January.

“As our country celebrates its 250th anniversary, we are reminded of our long-standing commitment to the principles of human dignity and religious liberty, enshrined most famously in the Declaration of Independence,” Johnson said. “These ideals were shared and practiced by Archbishop John Carroll, our nation’s first Catholic bishop.”

Johnson cited Carroll’s commitment to integrating faith into American civil life, stating that he believed the bishop “would be proud to know that today, nearly 150 members of Congress and six of our nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court are Catholic.”

“In a spirit of goodwill, I pray that your service and mission as apostolic nuncio will continue to foster a deep friendship between the United States and the Holy See,” he said, adding: “Please accept my warmest welcome and congratulations.”

According to the report of the Ministry of Health, more than half of all medical aid in dying (MAID) cases in the province that year were found to have had errors requiring government follow-up.

Page 3 of the “Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) Oversight 2024 Year End Report” states 4,169 individuals requested MAID in 2024 — a nearly 10% increase since 2023.

However, a bar graph from the report indicates a total of 4,190 MAID cases in 2024. It also indicates the MAID Oversight Unit found 2,807 errors among 51.9% of “MAID case outcomes” requiring corrective “follow-up.” The report says “follow-up” means obtaining missing information or clarifying existing information.

Among these thousands of errors, 353 cases — or about 12.5% — raised compliance concerns and “required education” of practitioners and pharmacists “to ensure they understand legal requirements and the professional standards associated with MAID,” the report says.

Other data associated with 4,169 total MAID cases indicate 72% of these individuals died by MAID; 23% died of other causes, and 4% were found ineligible to access MAID. Only 1.4% of individuals withdrew their request.

The 2024 findings closely mirror those from 2023, which included 2,833 errors in the management of 3,808 MAID cases, as reported in The B.C. Catholic last year. These findings suggest that concerns identified in 2023 persisted in 2024.

“It’s all very shocking that you have such a large amount and percentage of errors in British Columbia,” said Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition based in London, Ontario. “It’s clear there are huge problems.”

The situation is particularly acute because British Columbia (B.C.) leads the country in percentage of deaths caused by MAID, Schadenberg told CCN. In 2024, 6.5% of B.C. deaths were attributed to euthanasia, compared with the national average of 5.1%.

Amanda Achtman, ethics director of Canadian Physicians for Life, said the report has troubling implications, indicating MAID is not medical care “but rather abandonment.”

“The staggering level of errors surrounding the practice of euthanasia in Canada betrays a level of indifference and callousness toward Canadian patients at end of life,” Achtman said in an interview. “At the same time, every euthanasia death is a medical ‘error’ because it is an aberration of sound medical practice rooted in the Hippocratic oath to ‘do no harm.’”

The impact of the errors is far-reaching and goes beyond mere gaps in paperwork, she said. Each mistake represents “negligence with which their loved ones were dismissively treated at the height of their greatest vulnerability.”

B.C. Minister of Health Josie Osborne did not respond to a CCN interview request, nor has she answered questions raised in the B.C. Legislature in May by Opposition health critic Dr. Anna Kindy about the need for better and more-public oversight of B.C.’s MAID regime.

“Will B.C. commit to public annual reporting, not just of MAID volume but of compliance concerns, referrals … [MAID] trends, and recommendations for system improvement?” Kindy asked Osborne.

Kindy’s questions were based in part on The B.C. Catholic’s article in July 2025 of the MAID Oversight Unit’s 2023 report, which found 2,833 errors in the management of 3,808 MAID cases.

Dr. Kevin Sclater, who in 2022 resigned from his position at a hospice in Port Moody, British Columbia, in part because of the “moral distress” caused by having to discuss MAID with patients, said he is “shocked” by the high error rate and called for the health ministry to “tighten up” regulations.

CCN asked B.C.’s professional medical association Doctors of B.C. for comment on MAID management and was told the evaluation of “clinical outcomes falls outside our scope.” A spokesperson said answers to “questions related to regulatory oversight” were best directed to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia.

When reached by CCN, the college said its mandate is to regulate physicians and surgeons, not to “comment on clinical, health, or health system matters,” and suggested contacting the health ministry.

Sclater said the health ministry should be responsible for MAID oversight. He said a euthanasia assessment is only a “superficial competency” evaluation that “doesn’t evaluate and document a person’s competence” for making a medical decision.

“The entire evaluation process is really a sham,” he said.

The process leaves the public “vulnerable to the whims” of euthanasia providers who may consider it their “mission to help” individuals who have “restricted capacity to object,” he said.

The overlapping concerns of inadequate oversight, lack of any agency responsibility for regulatory enforcement, and enthusiastic euthanasia specialists also arose in a June 17 report by the Special Joint Parliamentary Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying. The committee recommended the government “indefinitely exclude” patients from MAID for the sole condition of mental illness.

Committee co-chair Dr. Marcus Powlowski, a Liberal Party member of Parliament from Thunder Bay-Rainy River, wrote in a “supplementary opinion” to the main report that the committee “heard disturbing stories of questionable conduct by some MAID providers.”

“It is not hard to conclude that some providers take an exceedingly expansive interpretation” of MAID eligibility rules and exhibit “a seemingly cavalier attitude towards end of a life,” he wrote.

The committee heard “scant, if any evidence” to indicate that any regulatory bodies “provide adequate safeguards” or have “seriously pursued allegations of misconduct by MAID providers,” he continued.

“Several witnesses suggested the criminal system, the medical colleges, and at times the government ministries responsible for MAID provision … all allegedly treat enforcement as someone else’s responsibility,” he wrote.

Release of the B.C. government document to CCN coincides with the 10th anniversary of legalized euthanasia in Canada this year. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Standing Committee for Family and Life marked the anniversary with a statement urging Catholics to “remain steadfast in opposing euthanasia and assisted suicide, to pray for the conversion of hearts and minds away from this practice, and to be present to persons who are sick and vulnerable.”

While eliminating legal euthanasia is the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition’s ultimate goal, Schadenberg said there is also urgent need for tighter control, better oversight, and public reporting on MAID in B.C. and elsewhere.

This story was first published by Canada’s The Catholic Register and has been  adapted by EWTN News and reprinted with permission.

In a video message published by the Vatican on July 8 for the Ankawa Youth Meeting in Ankawa, Iraq, the pope greeted the young Christians present and encouraged them to trust in God during these challenging times for the country.

“Dear young people, never doubt the goodness of God, and do not be afraid of the plan the Lord has for each of your lives,” Leo said in the video message. “The prophet Jeremiah also had to face difficult moments, and he
bears witness that the Lord’s plans are ‘for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope’ (Jer 29:11).”

Prolonged Christian persecution and emigration from Iraq

Iraq continues to experience sectarian violence and terrorist attacks, forcing waves of Christians to emigrate. As reported by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, and the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Baghdad, two-thirds of Christians have left the country, with most fleeing to the United States and Australia.

The report also states that since the Iraq War in 2003, the Christian population has declined from 1.5 million to approximately half a million. The patriarchate attributed this to the number of Christians who were kidnapped and killed by the Islamist militant organization al-Qaida.

Encouragement from Pope Leo

Leo XIV encouraged the Iraqi Christians gathered in Ankawa to persevere in faith, assuring them of his closeness and that of the Church in these times.

“I am with you; the Church is with you. Place your trust in Jesus; listen to him in prayer and through the guidance of others, and allow him to lead you,” Leo said.

The pope also called on them to radiate the light of Christ and to work for peace at a time of conflict.

“Rooted in charity, you are particularly called to be peacemakers, to unite those around you, and to instill in others the hope of a future marked by lasting peace.”

“It is not always easy to be a light in the world (cf. Mt 5:13). Indeed, at the present time, you are called to radiate this light in a situation that has often been marked by war and instability. The Lord has placed great trust in you in bestowing upon you this mission, and I too have great confidence in all of you,” the pope said.

Recent changes by Leo restore autonomy to his appointed leaders of the diocese after Pope Francis had centralized much of the power at the Vatican.

Born in Rome, Stolfi, 55, has previously held an array of administrative positions in the diocese’s hierarchy — including vice rector of both the minor and major seminaries, director of the Office for Religious Buildings, and head of the Section for Sacred Art and Cultural Heritage — before serving as pastor of St. Linus Parish in west Rome since 2020.

Adding the position of moderator of the curia was one of several changes Leo made last week to the constitution In Ecclesiarum Communione of the vicariate, or hierarchy, of the Diocese of Rome — of which he is the head.

The pontiff, as bishop of Rome, does not manage the diocese like a typical diocesan bishop. A cardinal vicar general, vice regent (deputy), and auxiliary bishops are responsible for the ordinary running of the diocese.

Last year, Leo brought back the central sector, one of five total sectors, of the diocese, which had been eliminated by Pope Francis, and in February of this year, the pontiff appointed four new auxiliary bishops — filling yearslong vacancies in the vicariate’s top administration.

On Feb. 25, the pope also announced the creation of a working group to revise In Ecclesiarum Communione, introduced by Pope Francis in January 2023.

“After carefully considering the guidance I have received, I believe it is appropriate to make some amendments,” Leo wrote on June 30, “so that the Vicariate of Rome may respond ever more effectively to the needs of the evangelizing mission, foster a deeper ecclesial communion, and support the pastoral ministry of the Church in Rome.”

The letter motu proprio, Confirma Fratres Tuos (“Strengthen Your Brothers”), takes its title from Jesus’ direction to his disciples in Luke Chapter 22, that he has “prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.”

Pope Francis’ reform of the Diocese of Rome

Pope Francis’ reform of the vicariate centralized everything, at least formally, under the control of the pontiff.

When In Ecclesiarum Communione was first promulgated in 2023, it was the first major change in 25 years and launched a series of organizational shifts for the ecclesiastical territory, many involving personnel. For some priests of the diocese, who spoke to EWTN News last year, the changes and instability in the diocesan curia were challenging.

The constitution also deeply diminished the role of the cardinal vicar general and made the pope the formal presider over the episcopal council, a new body established as an “expression of synodality,” expected to meet at least three times a month and to report all meeting minutes to the pope. If the cardinal vicar wanted to take a different decision from the unanimous opinion of the council, he needed to discuss it first with the pope.

With the 2026 modifications introduced by Leo, the episcopal council becomes an “advisory body” convoked by the cardinal vicar and presided over by him.

Moderator of the curia

The moderator of the curia, appointed by the pope for a five-year renewable term, oversees the performance of the duties of the diocesan staff.

According to universal Church law, the moderator of the curia is a priest “who, under the authority of the bishop, is to coordinate those things which pertain to the treatment of administrative affairs and to take care that the other members of the curia properly fulfill the office entrusted to them.”

In many dioceses, the vicar general, or one of them if there are more than one, is also the moderator of the curia.

In Rome, Leo decided to add the moderator as a separate figure, giving him the responsibility over the administrative functions formerly carried out by the vice regent, whose position will now be more closely tied to the cardinal vicar, assisting him in his duties and exercising his powers in his absence when necessary.

An additional change: An Independent Supervisory Commission established by Pope Francis, in the new version of the constitution, removes the detailed requirements for members and the requirement to report to the pope once a year after monthly meetings, simply stating that the regulations of the internal oversight body are to be approved by the pope.

In Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy ordained Bishop Gary Studniewski and Bishop Robert Boxie III into the order of bishops there. Both prelates will serve auxiliary roles in the archdiocese.

McElroy at the ordination Mass said the archdiocese had “been blessed by our Holy Father,” Pope Leo XIV, who made the appointments on May 1. Studniewski and Boxie had previously served as priests in the archdiocese.

“All of us gathered today have the joy and the privilege of witnessing the grace of Spirit come upon these two men and set them aside in their new ministry as bishops,” McElroy said at the ordination, which was livestreamed.

The Mass was held at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and was attended by around 2,500 people. Among the attendees were Apostolic Nuncio Gabriele Caccia; Cardinal Donald Wuerl; Richmond, Virginia, Bishop Barry Knestout; Baltimore Archbishop William Lori; and numerous other local Church leaders, along with hundreds of lay faithful.

Speaking to the new bishops, Caccia at the Mass told them: “Each of you have followed the Lord along a distinctive path of service.”

He urged them to “always walk in faith, hope, and love.”

Wheeling-Charleston receives new bishop from Washington

Also in attendance at the archdiocesan ordination Mass was Bishop Evelio Menjívar-Ayala, who himself formerly served as an auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese and who was installed as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, on July 2.

Pope Leo XIV had also announced Menjívar-Ayala’s appointment on May 1. The newly installed bishop is a native of El Salvador and is the first Salvadoran bishop in the history of the United States.

At his own installation Mass, the bishop referenced the classic John Denver folk song “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” which in its opening strains refers to West Virginia as “almost heaven.”

He joked that the scorching heat wave affecting much of the U.S. made West Virginia feel “more like purgatory.” But he said the song’s lyrics “express something deeply present in every human heart — the longing to be at home, the longing to belong.”

Reflecting on his decades-long journey that began in Central America, Menjívar-Ayala said God “brought me from a distant life in El Salvador, the land of St. Oscar Romero, to this country.”

“I could never have imagined then the path he was preparing for me,” he said.

The prelate said he prayed that the faithful would “walk together in ministry, not merely along country roads, but along the way of the Gospel.”

In taking the role of bishop in Wheeling-Charleston, Menjívar-Ayala replaced Bishop Mark Brennan, who served in that role from 2019 until this year.

The meeting will take place Saturday, July 11, as part of a day of welcome, prayer, and fraternity organized at Borgo Laudato Si’, the ecological project promoted by the Holy See in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, a town on Lake Albano about 18 miles south of Rome.

The initiative, titled in Italian “A pranzo con il Papa” (“Lunch with the Pope”), is intended to offer a space of closeness and fellowship for people facing economic or social hardship in an atmosphere inspired by fraternity, care for creation, and solidarity.

The day will bring together homeless people and others assisted by parishes, Caritas, and various Church organizations that work with people facing poverty, exclusion, forced migration, or social fragility.

The gathering will begin with the celebration of Mass using the “Missa pro custodia creationis,” or “Mass for the Care of Creation,” an official addition to the Roman Missal made by Pope Leo XIV that includes new readings and prayers focused on integral ecology.

Afterward, participants will take part in a time of fellowship and a guided visit to Borgo Laudato Si’ before the most anticipated moment of the day: lunch with the Holy Father.

More than a shared meal, the organizers said, the event is intended to become a concrete sign of the pastoral style Leo has sought to give his pontificate: a Church close to those living on the human and social peripheries.

The initiative is rooted in an experience that marked the first months of Leo’s pontificate. On Aug. 17, 2025, Leo shared a meal with people living in poverty from the Diocese of Albano. That experience led to the decision to make the gathering an annual event promoted by the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, which is responsible for the development of Borgo Laudato Si’.

Each year, a different diocese will be invited to bring vulnerable people for a day of contact with nature, fraternity, and encounter with the pope, the organizers said in a statement.

Cardinal Fabio Baggio, director general of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, said the project seeks to show that “care for creation and attention to the human person are part of one mission.”

“After Lampedusa, this day represents a new stage on Pope Leo XIV’s path toward the social peripheries of our time,” Baggio said. “At Borgo Laudato Si’, the Holy Father meets people living in situations of vulnerability, reaffirming that the Church is called to be present wherever human dignity calls for listening, closeness, and hope.”

Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, said the pope’s gesture recalls that “charity consists of closeness, encounter, and sharing.”

“When the Church places the most vulnerable people at the center, it makes the Gospel visible and bears witness that no one is on the margins of God’s heart,” he said.

Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the pope’s vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, said the main participants in the day will be people who are accompanied each day by the Christian communities of the Italian capital.

“The meeting with the Holy Father restores a leading role to those who too often remain on the margins and reminds the entire Christian community of its responsibility to welcome,” Reina said.

Among the organizations collaborating in the initiative are the diocesan Caritas of Rome, the Community of Sant’Egidio, Centro Astalli, ACLI Rome, the Vincentian Family, and numerous parishes and associations dedicated to accompanying vulnerable people.

With the event, Borgo Laudato Si’ again presents itself as a living laboratory where the integral ecology promoted by the Church is translated into concrete acts of inclusion, encounter, and human development. Once again, Leo seeks to place at the center those who often remain outside the spotlight, recalling that attention to the most fragile is not a secondary activity of the Church but an essential expression of the Gospel.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Bishop Fredrik Hansen of Oslo has moved to reassure Catholics attached to the Traditional Latin Mass while warning of the grave ecclesial consequences of the society’s latest schismatic act.

In a letter issued after the illicit episcopal consecrations, Hansen said the four bishops along with their two consecrating bishops “removed themselves from ecclesial communion and from unity with the pope” by taking part in the consecrations without a papal mandate, thereby incurring “the most grave ecclesiastical penalty: ‘latae sententiae’ excommunication.”

The Norwegian prelate then expressed willingness to expand access to the traditional liturgy within the Diocese of Oslo for Catholics who may now find themselves disoriented by the SSPX crisis.

Keeping the old Mass within the Church

Hansen turned directly to Catholics in his diocese who have attended SSPX chapels because of their attachment to the preconciliar liturgy and spirituality. Acknowledging that “these are difficult and distressing days for you,” he urged them first of all to “hold fast to unity with our Holy Father, the bishop of Rome, and with me as bishop of Oslo.”

Rather than simply warning the faithful away from the SSPX, Hansen paired his appeal with a concrete pastoral offer. He pointed out that Mass according to the 1962 Missal is already celebrated every Sunday at St. Joseph Church in Oslo and added that “if there is a need for it, and if it would be for the good of the Church and of souls, I will also expand this form of Mass celebration in our local Church.”

This makes Norway one of the first places in Europe where a diocesan bishop has responded to the SSPX crisis not only by reaffirming Rome’s judgment but also by signaling greater provision for Catholics attached to the older liturgy within full communion with the Church.

Hansen also urged Catholics to pray rosaries for Church unity while reminding the laity to “refrain from participating in Masses and other activities run by the Society of St. Pius X.”

A wider Scandinavian response

In neighboring Denmark, speaking to CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, Bishop Czesław Kozon of Copenhagen strongly condemned the SSPX consecrations, calling them “tragic and completely pointless.”

“It also shows that this is about more than just the old Mass,” Kozon said. “People who previously praised the magisterium, emphasized obedience, and promoted the unity of the Church are suddenly doing something like this, which is a clear sign of disobedience and harms the unity of the Church.”

At the same time, Kozon defended continued space for the traditional liturgy within the Church. Having recently celebrated a pontifical Mass in the traditional rite, he said the older form “should be preserved as long as there are believers who love it and feel connected to it.”

Kozon also cautioned against framing the old and new rites as rivals. “There shouldn’t be any competition between the two forms of Mass,” he said, noting instead a pastoral approach that allows room for Catholics attached to the traditional liturgy while affirming the postconciliar liturgy as the Church’s ordinary form.

His remarks were delivered in a July 8 message sent through Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin to the participants in the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. The annual summit is the primary platform for AI at the United Nations (U.N.), taking place this year from July 7–10.

In the message, the pontiff assured participants of the Holy See’s continued openness to dialogue with secular organizations on AI.

The letter, in explaining the aims of Magnifica Humanitas, stated that the pope had written this document as a result of conversations on AI with scientists, political leaders, and parents.

The letter also explained that the encyclical was born out of persistent concerns over AI misuse.

Magnifica Humanitas “was also impelled by troubling accounts of the potential misuses of algorithms and by the loss of human agency in critical areas,” the message stated.

The AI for Good Global Summit is an annual U.N. conference on artificial intelligence gathering academics, civil leaders, and industry leaders to discuss how to safely govern AI systems while maximizing its positive impact on humanity.

The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. in Geneva has also participated in the summit, publishing a statement on the need to increase human oversight over AI autonomous systems.

Hansen made the announcement during Mass on the island of Selja, off the west coast of Norway, on July 8. As pilgrims gathered on Selja to celebrate the feast of St. Sunniva — 100 years after Undset herself first visited the island — Hansen presented her not simply as a Nobel laureate or one of Norwayʼs greatest writers but as a Catholic convert whose life of faith, suffering, intellectual depth, and moral seriousness still speaks powerfully to the Church in a secular age.

The move is a notable one for Norwayʼs small Catholic minority. Undset, a literary giant of Scandinavian and Norwegian culture, lived a life of literary brilliance, personal turbulence reminiscent of St. Augustine, and opposition to totalitarianism — all while remaining an uncompromising witness to Catholicism.

Opening of her cause

Hansen framed Undset first and foremost not as a literary icon but as a model of Christian holiness. “She is far more than an author and Nobel Prize laureate,” he said. “For us, she is a model of Christian faith, of a life lived in virtue, and of the pursuit of holiness.”

Hansen situated the decision within the Churchʼs broader teaching that holiness is the calling of every Christian, stressing that sanctity is not reserved to a select few.

In Undset, he suggested, the Catholic Church in Norway has a concrete example of that calling lived out in public life, suffering, motherhood, and conversion.

He pointed to several aspects of her witness: her defense of the Catholic faith, her opposition to Nazism and her work for Norwayʼs freedom during the war, and her “constant and practical concern for the poor.” He also highlighted her care for her disabled daughter, which he described as part of her “commitment to life and to the sanctity of life.”

Undsetʼs books, Hansen added, have shaped generations of believers, inspiring them to live in Christ and keeping alive the witness of Norwayʼs medieval saints.

Observers have noted that Undsetʼs early life does not fit a conventional image of sanctity. Her path was marked by personal turmoil, public controversy, and choices that drew social scandal. Yet supporters of the cause point precisely to that complexity as part of her witness.

She did not lead a life of moral perfection from the outset. Rather, she walked a path of gradual conversion, repentance, and a growing commitment to Catholicism.

In that sense her story reflects the conviction that holiness is not the absence of weakness or mistakes but the work of Godʼs grace in a life, transforming it over time in the pursuit of holiness.

Undsetʼs story

Born in Denmark in 1882 and raised in Norway by largely atheist parents, Undset went to work as a secretary at 16 after her father died and the family fell into financial hardship. She began writing during these years.

At 25 she made her literary debut with “Fru Marta Oulie,” a novel about adultery whose opening line — “I have been unfaithful to my husband” — scandalized Norway even as it thrust her into the public eye.

Literary historians have noted that her life was unconventional for a woman of her time. Undset smoked, drank, swore, and was known for a sharp tongue and a strong personality.

While in Rome, she began a relationship with the painter Anders Castus Svarstad while he was still married, and later married him. Together they had three children, one of whom was disabled, and Undset also helped raise Svarstadʼs children from his first marriage.

In 1924, at the age of 42, Undset entered the Catholic Church, a decision that was controversial in overwhelmingly Lutheran Norway. Critics saw it as a step backward, but she embraced the faith publicly, later becoming a Lay Dominican and writing openly about her conversion in essays and fiction.

Some Norwegian critics dismissed her later works as “Catholic propaganda,” reflecting unease that one of the countryʼs most prominent writers had embraced Catholicism.

She also admired G.K. Chesterton; she reportedly met him and translated some of his work into Norwegian.

Four years after her conversion, in 1928, she won the Nobel Prize in literature, recognized for her depictions of medieval Scandinavia and best known for “Kristin Lavransdatter,” the historical trilogy that secured her international reputation.

The novels were steeped in medieval Christianity and its themes of sin, grace, suffering, and repentance — concerns that increasingly mirrored her own spiritual journey.

Undset used her writing and her standing as one of Scandinaviaʼs most prominent Catholic voices to defend Christian belief and to challenge the ideological currents reshaping Europe. An early critic of Adolf Hitler and Nazism, she fled Nazi-occupied Norway during the Second World War and eventually reached the United States, where she spoke out against totalitarianism and in defense of her homeland.

An inspiring figure for Norwayʼs Catholic future

Hansenʼs decision also comes as the Catholic Church in Norway continues to grow through immigration and adult conversions, even as it seeks deeper roots in the countryʼs own history.

If the cause advances, Undset could emerge not merely as a celebrated novelist under ecclesial study but as a singular model of holiness for the modern age: flawed, formidable, intellectually serious, and ultimately transformed by grace into a witness to Christ.

The diocesan phase of Undsetʼs cause is expected to formally open this fall, a step Hansen said is driven by his conviction that her witness reaches far beyond Norwayʼs literary history.

“I believe that Sigrid Undsetʼs life and work have much to offer both the Church in Norway and the universal Church,” he said — a judgment that now places Undset on the long path toward possible sainthood.

The available icons include fundamental Christian elements such as the cross and the Bible as well as liturgical references such as a chalice, a host, and an altar.

The library also includes imagery related to Jesus’ parables: wheat, fishing nets, and fish. It also has sacramental or devotional symbols such as a rosary and the Sacred Heart, and items linked to the sacraments or liturgical vestments, including a stole, a confessional, a clerical collar, and a mitre, among others.

As stated in a press release: “Christicons fills a gap that any designer or developer who has worked for a parish, a devotional app, or a publisher of religious books knows firsthand: There is a lack of high-quality, consistent, and free-to-use SVG [scalable vector graphics] icons that speak the visual language of the Christian world.”

The graphics scale to any size without losing quality and can be colored, resized, or modified with a single line of code.

Their use “is completely free for personal and commercial projects. No attribution is required … The only restriction, a clear and reasonable one, is that they cannot be redistributed as a standalone collection or used to train artificial intelligence models,” the statement specifies.

This Christian iconographic library is part of an ecosystem of digital ventures by Dimconex Media, which aims to “equip Catholicism — and Christianity in a broad sense — with the digital resources that the secular world takes for granted.”

Christicons.com joins the Catholic image library Cathopic; the online learning platform Holydemia; the digital tool supporting consecration to the Virgin Mary, Mater Coeli; and the digital Catholic magazine dedicated to culture, thought, and spirituality, Tolkian.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Late last month, Lourdes Grosso, director of the conference’s Office for the Causes of Saints, and Father Fernando del Moral, its deputy director, presented a report on the Spanish causes that are underway for heroic virtue  to Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

The report complements the one presented in 2024 regarding causes based on martyrdom during the religious persecution in 20th-century Spain, both before and during the 1936–1939 civil war. The martyrdom causes are almost always group causes: One diocese or religious order bundles all its members killed in the same persecution episode into a single joint case rather than filing separate causes for each martyr.

Together, these reports made it possible to compile material that had previously been scattered, following a three-year process of research and inter-diocesan collaboration in which documentation from the dicastery was cross-referenced with that of each Spanish diocese.

Thus, a comprehensive overview of the causes in Spain has been presented for the first time, excluding those involving Spanish nationals that are being promoted by dioceses outside the country.

Of the 349 causes, 53 are based on martyrdom (48 occurring during the religious persecution in 20th-century Spain); 292 are based on the practice of virtues, one on the offering of oneʼs life, and one is an equivalent canonization, which, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, occurs when the pope, in an exercise of his infallibility, “bypassing the judicial process and the ceremonies, orders that a certain servant of God be venerated in the universal Church.” Fifty-seven dioceses are involved out of a total of 70.

Of these, 42 are still in the diocesan phase. Among those already in Rome, the heroic virtues of 148 candidates have been declared. This group represents the Church in its entirety: bishops, priests, deacons, religious, seminarians, laypeople, parents, young people, and children.

Also notable is that 82 are founders: 71 from religious institutes and 11 from secular institutes. The number of blesseds stands at 2,449, the vast majority of whom are martyrs of the religious persecution of the 20th century.

In addition, there are 45 causes concerning heroic virtue involving two cardinals, one diocesan bishop, seven diocesan priests, four religious priests, two male religious, 21 female religious, and seven laypeople.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The devastating fire that significantly damaged the iconic cathedral on April 15, 2019, led to an unprecedented wave of international solidarity to ensure its restoration.

Although the cathedral reopened for worship in December 2024, restoration work is not yet complete. French authorities recently unveiled a final phase of work to be carried out from 2027 to 2033, which will require a new fundraising campaign aiming to raise 130 million euros ($148.5 million).

The planned investment amounts to 150 million euros ($171.3 million). Of that sum, nearly 20 million euros ($22.8 million) has already been secured, while the remainder is to come from donations from individuals, companies, and partner organizations, following the funding model used to rebuild the monument after the fire.

“Our goal is to fully complete the cathedral’s restoration,” stated Philippe Jost, president of Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris (Rebuilding Notre Dame in Paris), in an interview with the French Catholic newspaper La Croix.

The program consists of around a dozen projects aimed both at repairing damage done by the fire and at restoring elements of cultural heritage that were already in a fragile state of preservation prior to 2019.

The western rose window: The central focus

The planned works feature the complete restoration of the great western rose window, one of the most iconic examples of European Gothic architecture. This historic 13th-century stained-glass window has not undergone a complete restoration since the work directed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century.

The plans also include the restoration of the north transept façades, various medieval sculptures, and other architectural elements showing signs of wear. Project leaders believe these works will be crucial for ensuring the cathedralʼs long-term preservation.

A functioning cathedral, yet still under construction

The reopening of Notre Dame in late 2024 allowed the resumption of the cathedralʼs ordinary liturgical life. Since then, thousands of the faithful and tourists have once again passed through its doors each day.

However, the fire also made evident conservation issues that had accumulated over decades in a building with more than eight centuries of history. Consequently, the new phase of work aims not only to repair fire damage but also to address broader structural and heritage-related needs.

The reopening ceremony, held in December 2024, was considered one of the most significant cultural and religious events in Europe in recent years.

Furthermore, those responsible for the restoration hope to rekindle the spirit of solidarity that emerged following the 2019 tragedy. At that time, financial pledges totaling nearly 1 billion euros ($1.14 billion) were secured, funds that made the reconstruction possible and left resources for future conservation work.

Debate persists over new stained-glass windows

The unveiling of this final phase does not put an end to one of the most notable controversies surrounding Notre Dame: the proposal, backed by President Emmanuel Macron, to replace six 19th-century stained-glass windows created by Viollet-le-Duc with contemporary works by French artist Claire Tabouret.

The project remains subject to a court ruling following challenges filed by various heritage preservation associations. Their representatives argue that the historic stained-glass windows sustained minimal damage during the fire and consider their replacement unjustified.

The issue has divided restoration experts, public officials, and figures from the world of culture. While some advocate for the complete preservation of the cathedralʼs historic legacy, others view the proposal as an opportunity to incorporate a new artistic expression into one of Franceʼs most recognizable monuments.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The dispute goes back to a 2011 federal regulation imposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which requires employers to include coverage of contraception in healthcare plans offered to employees, as part of rules implementing the Affordable Care Act.

Although the Little Sisters of the Poor already won two Supreme Court cases — which found the federal government must protect the religious freedom of those who object to contraception and that the federal government has the authority to create exemptions — the state governments of Pennsylvania and New Jersey are challenging federal exemptions on grounds that the Supreme Court has not yet ruled on.

A lower court ruled in favor of the two states, against the Little Sisters of the Poor, finding that the federal exemptions are arbitrary and capricious. The sisters filed an appeal, which is being considered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.

Aimee Thomson, who represented the two states, argued that the broad exemptions — which allow both religious and moral objectors to avoid the mandate — are “arbitrary and capricious” and that the exemptions “swept well beyond all religious employers” who first objected to the mandate.

Under the rule, employers who have moral or religious objections can opt in to an accommodation in which the federal government subsidizes contraception coverage in their plans. Employers who also have moral or religious objections to the accommodation can sidestep contraception coverage altogether.

She told the panel of judges that the exemption exceeds the scope that is required under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). She said the regulators failed to show that these exemptions were necessary to solve the religious liberty issue and expressed concerns over employers potentially getting exemptions even though their objections are not sincere.

Thomson said it’s unclear “how many women have been impacted” by insincere objections, but “expecting female employees” to study policies and litigate an employer’s insincere objections is burdensome.

“That is an incredible burden to place on employees and on women,” she said.

Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and lead attorney for the Little Sisters, argued that the federal government sought to “choose a middle ground” that created a mandate but protected religious freedom, based on Supreme Court guidance: “Nothing about that is even close to arbitrary and capricious.”

“This law is about the federal government … accommodating religion with its own mandate,” he said.

Rienzi said a rule does not become arbitrary and capricious just because the scope is “a hair more than what’s required” under RFRA.

The Little Sisters of the Poor are also receiving support from the Department of Justice. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Eric McArthur argued on behalf of the federal government, in favor of the exemptions, saying RFRA does not require the exemptions to be the “bare minimum.”

He said HHS chose to “set everything aside and take a fresh look at everything” and decided “an exemption was the most appropriate administrative response” to objections. He said this was adopted “as a policy matter … even if RFRA does not compel it.”

McArthur argued there is “no good reason” for someone to insincerely request an exemption because the employer can request the accommodation “at zero cost.” Yet, if the court decides the exemptions are too broad, the court could strike down “one line in the rule” rather than “take down the entire rule,” as the two states have requested.

Mother Loraine Marie Maguire of the Little Sisters of the Poor said in a statement after the oral arguments that the states’ lawsuit to eliminate the exemptions is threatening their mission to serve the poor and the elderly.

“This is our God-given mission,” she said “For nearly 200 years we have welcomed the elderly poor and dying into our homes, and with the population of seniors rapidly growing we cannot allow a government lawsuit to stop us from carrying out our mission. Pennsylvania and New Jersey can keep fighting if they want. All we want is to keep serving.”

“The recent passage of House Bill 2632 by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives poses a serious threat to school children and families throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia said in a June 23 statement. If passed, the bill would eliminate the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs, a change he described as “devastating for school children and their families.”

State Rep. Nikki Rivera, D-Lancaster, introduced the bill, which the Pennsylvania House passed on June 22. Senate consideration is next.

Rivera said in a statement: “A $680 million annual scholarship tax program should be transparent and include detailed reporting. This bill would ensure that everyone can see how well EITC programs are working, whom they are helping, and whether students in private and parochial schools are receiving tuition relief.”

“This bill would not cut one penny from the $680 million EITC program,” she said.

While Rivera said the bill would only change reporting and oversight requirements, not the program’s funding authorization, Catholic education leaders said eliminating the statutory framework for EITC and OSTC effectively ends the programs.

“If enacted into law, this bill would negatively impact tens of thousands of students across Pennsylvania who currently rely on these scholarship programs. EITC and OSTC scholarships are funded by companies and individuals who see value in providing families with educational choice,” Pérez said. “These programs are vibrant, successful, and reduce taxpayer burdens when it comes to educating our young people, particularly those who come from challenging financial circumstances and live in underserved communities.”

The archbishop called on elected officials to preserve the programs, saying they are “vital” and that “no one can afford to see them disappear.”

Victor D’Ascenzo, vice president for development at the Foundation for Catholic Education, which partners with the archdiocese and the Office of Catholic Education in advancing the mission of Catholic education, said his office has reached out to state representatives in Philadelphia “but have received very little response.”

Noting that while he does not have statewide figures, D’Ascenzo said the Foundation for Catholic Education supports the 102 elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the approximately 33,000 students who attend them. About one-third of those students receive EITC funds for tuition assistance, he said.

“We are hopeful that any resolution that is passed in Harrisburg will have as little negative effect [as possible] on those wishing to pursue a Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia,” he said.

In the shadow of this global spectacle, however, the Catholic Church in Argentina is increasingly concerned about online betting and the gambling addiction it can trigger among users, many of whom are children and adolescents.

Just back from the ordinary consistory convened by Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Ángel Rossi, archbishop of Córdoba in Argentina, gave an interview in which he emphasized the need to listen to “the cries of the world.”

In this context, he spoke about young people, who are often victims “of those who exploit them for drugs, drug trafficking, or betting and gambling.”

“You have children or young people more concerned about whether a goal is scored or if there’s a corner kick, that is, about the bet they placed, than about enjoying the match. It’s sad,” he commented.

Dante Braida, the bishop of La Rioja and president of the bishops’ committee for pastoral ministry to society, also warned of the dangers of betting and the consequences it entails for families.

“Any mobile phone can turn into a casino,” he pointed out, noting how easy it is for minors to access betting platforms.

According to a Red Cross survey, the prelate pointed out, 83% of adolescents who bet do so using digital wallets, and six out of 10 cannot distinguish between a legal and an illegal platform.

Moreover, most of them enter the world of betting influenced by advertising, Braida noted. Although the International Federation of Football Association Football (FIFA, by its French acronym) enforces a “clean venue” policy during the tournament by eliminating advertisements for bookmakers, in Argentina, betting commercials are broadcast repeatedly during hydration breaks and halftime.

The bishop of La Rioja called on those in positions of authority to “do much more to set boundaries and support efforts to change,” and extended this appeal to parents, educators, catechists, and parish communities, urging them to foster environments of dialogue and support.

Currently, the prelate lamented, “casinos are no longer found only around the town square but in young peopleʼs pockets.” Recalling the teachings of Pope Leo XIV in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, he said that technological development can only be considered true progress when it’s at the service of the person and his dignity.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Estrella del Paso, formerly known as Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services, has seen its cash reserves depleted since payments stopped arriving in December 2025, according to executive director Melissa Lopez.

Lopez told EWTN News Estrella del Paso offers a broad range of services, providing every type of legal immigration representation, including aiding asylum seekers, those in immigration detention seeking to be released on bond, and people applying for residency and naturalization.

The organization serves more than 40,000 people annually and is one of the largest providers of legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children in the country.

The group is currently providing legal help to around 300 minors, though the number fluctuates frequently, Lopez said.

She warned that “a significant number of people will be impacted if the program ceases to exist,” leaving tens of thousands of immigrants without representation in complex immigration proceedings.

“Navigating the immigration system right now is incredibly difficult,” she continued. “Even when someone is represented, outcomes are not always ideal.”

Many of those currently being helped would face deportation and even worse consequences, Lopez said.

“The outcome of many cases without some form of legal assistance is very dire,” she said. “We are talking about life and death consequences for some individuals we currently provide services to, if we were to cease to exist.”

The ministry was founded in 1986 and began specializing in cases involving unaccompanied children in 2007. It operates as one of the primary nonprofit immigration legal aid providers in the El Paso region.

A preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín in the Northern District of California in April 2025 had blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to cut funding for legal services for unaccompanied minors. However, advocates say the government has continued to withhold payments in violation of that order.

Estrella del Paso and 10 other legal aid providers have asked Martínez-Olguín to hold the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in contempt of court. A hearing on the request is scheduled for July 16.

A 2008 federal law aimed at protecting victims of human trafficking requires the government to ensure, “to the greatest extent practicable,” that unaccompanied children in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security have access to legal counsel in immigration proceedings. Without the access the law provides, minors would be responsible for navigating the immigration court system by themselves.

However, the Trump administration has argued that funding for these services is discretionary rather than mandatory.

The situation is particularly urgent because unaccompanied minors are reportedly being detained and deported at roughly three times the rate seen during the first Trump administration, according to a recent analysis by ProPublica.

Lopez emphasized the broader issues impacting not only minors but also “all of the vulnerable people who come to us seeking legal representation.”

“It is an issue of family unity, keeping families together, and ensuring people are treated with dignity and respect,” she said.

Estrella del Paso has launched an emergency fundraising campaign to try to bridge the funding gap caused by the withheld reimbursements.

Lopez said she hopes to raise about $500,000 through private donations as well as through grants and requests to philanthropic organizations.

“We don’t want people to feel they have to make a huge donation,” she said. “Even a small donation makes an impact.”

The Administration for Children and Families at HHS told EWTN News it does not comment on matters subject to ongoing litigation.

López Romero asserted his innocence in a brief statement carried by the EFE news agency. “I have not committed any assault, violence, or sexual harassment,” he said.

The prelate himself announced the decision in a message to his archdiocesan community at the end of the pastoral year. In the text, López Romero explains that the Church has initiated a preliminary investigation into the allegations and that the case is currently in the hands of the competent authorities of the Holy See.

“I am accused of inappropriate behavior toward adult women,” the cardinal archbishop noted in the statement, in which he also affirms that he is fully cooperating with the ongoing ecclesiastical process.

While the investigation is underway, López Romero indicated he will not preside at public celebrations or participate in pastoral activities so as not to interfere with the inquiry.

“During this period of investigation, and so as not to hinder it, I am stepping back — refraining from presiding over any public celebration or participating in any pastoral activity, as you will undoubtedly understand,” he emphasized in the statement obtained by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

The prelate also acknowledged the impact the situation might have on the faithful and expressed his awareness of the difficulties and questions the case could raise within the local Catholic community. For this reason, he explained that he considered it important to inform the members of the archdiocese at this stage.

López Romero asked for prayers for all those affected by the situation, for the Church, and for himself, as the decisions to be adopted by ecclesiastical authorities upon the conclusion of the proceedings are awaited.

“While awaiting the decisions the Church will make, let us pray together for those suffering through this situation, let us pray for our Church, let us pray for one another, and please pray for me,” the statement indicated.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Trump administration defunded Planned Parenthood via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but the defunding was scheduled for one year rather than the permanent or 10-year defunding hoped for by activists.

Advocates for unborn children criticized the administration for failing to maintain the defunding of the abortion giant.

“As we celebrated the 250th anniversary of our nation founded on the right to life, funding resumed to the Big Abortion businesses that profit from stripping that right away from a record number of Americans and increasing our top cause of death year after year,” Kelsey Pritchard, communications director at SBA Pro-Life America, told EWTN News.

“It is the default expectation of the pro-life movement for Congress to renew the defunding of Planned Parenthood and abortion businesses, and the politically smart thing for Republicans who must energize the base to win in November,” Pritchard said.

Pritchard noted that her organization is investing “$160 million in 2026 and 2028 for Republican pro-life candidates.”

“[N]ow Republicans must do their part in doing everything they can to once again defund Big Abortion,” Pritchard said.

Dr. Christina Francis, president of the American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs, said she “sees Congress' failure to keep our tax dollars from subsidizing the abortion mill of Planned Parenthood as a blow to the essential liberties of preborn children.”

“Adding insult to injury, their funding stream resumed on Americaʼs 250th birthday,” Francis told EWTN News. “Guided by our commitment to our profession and our patients, AAPLOG will continue to oppose the funding of Planned Parenthood, the abortion industry, and the medical institutions that have traded sound medical practice for abortion ideology that is antithetical to the true purpose of medicine — health and healing.”

Live Action President Lila Rose criticized the refunding in a statement shared with EWTN News.

“On America’s 250th birthday, Congress had the chance to honor the founding promise that every human being has a God-given right to life,” Rose said. “Instead, by failing to extend the defunding of Planned Parenthood, lawmakers have allowed taxpayer dollars to flow back to the largest abortion chain in the nation.”

“This is a moral failure and an urgent betrayal of preborn children, women, and American taxpayers,” Rose said.

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, urged advocates for unborn children to continue fighting abortion.

“Planned Parenthood is once again eligible to receive taxpayer dollars after Congress failed to keep them out of our healthcare spending,” she said in a post on X. “That isnʼt the end of the story. Itʼs a reminder that the fight for life isnʼt won in a single vote. Itʼs won by refusing to quit. It’s time for us to get back to work.”

Planned Parenthood did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

The priest, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons and to avoid reprisals, spoke with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, on July 3 immediately following the second time the bishop emeritus of Estelí, Abelardo Mata, was detained.

According to a source consulted by ACI Prensa who is close to the Church in Nicaragua, the bishop “is reportedly not under house arrest, and his whereabouts are unknown,” as he has not returned to his residence.

The priest stated that “it’s true that from the outside it can look like apparent silence; this should not be confused with indifference or paralyzing fear. It is in reality a silence born of prudence and profound pastoral responsibility.”

After noting that the dictatorship “has relegated the faith to the private sphere” or “within the walls of the churches,” the priest pointed out that several bishops are in exile.

“The absence of bishops in such important dioceses as Estelí, Jinotega, Matagalpa, and Siuna is also a direct blow to our Church and our community. Although we place our full trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the lack of a visible [head] hinders administration, pastoral ministry, and ecclesial cohesion,” the priest noted.

For some time now, the dictatorship has banned the ordination of priests and deacons in these dioceses.

The priest emphasized: “We are carrying on then, but under the weight of fragmentation, and we also live in a state of constant uncertainty.”

‘Even the walls have ears’

The priest recounted that currently in Nicaragua “the proclamation of the Gospel and daily preaching take place under enormous pressure with the knowledge that any word or message can be misinterpreted or used to label us as opponents or destabilizers.”

“The surveillance is real; it’s constant. We say here that ‘even the walls have ears.’ And this has even taken its toll on internal communication, often sowing mistrust, something almost bound to happen in an environment where control is the norm,” he added.

Indeed, the police harass the priests, taking their photographs and demanding to be informed of every time they leave their parishes or go outside their parish boundaries. If any social issue is mentioned in their homilies, they risk imprisonment or exile.

The Church’s ‘silence’

The priest also explained to ACI Prensa that “we bishops and priests who remain in the country must act discreetly, with extreme discretion. This is not cowardice — no. It’s astuteness, I would say — like the cunning of the serpent and the simplicity of the dove that Jesus Christ speaks of in the Gospel.”

“Every step, every word, must be calculated so as not to cross that invisible line that would justify an accusation of insurrection, allowing us to continue accompanying the people entrusted to us. Ultimately, the Church in Nicaragua has not disappeared. No, it has not surrendered. It is resisting. We are resisting in silence,” he emphasized.

“We are sustaining the people’s faith from the catacombs of prudence, awaiting times of greater freedom.”

The priest said he also understands “the Vatican’s silence. In this regard, ecclesial communion does not depend solely on public statements. We know there are prayers and diplomatic gestures that do not draw attention; at this moment, the last thing the people of Nicaragua need is to create further divisions — rather, they need to keep hope alive within the Church.”

‘We don’t feel alone’

“When one member suffers, the whole body suffers with it. We don’t feel alone. Because of this we know that the Church suffers with us. The Church feels with us, and the entire universal Church sustains us, even though the forms and ways of that support must be discreet; that’s something that must be understood,” the Nicaraguan priest reflected.

“Those who apply pressure or claim we are doing nothing from within [the country] should also understand this. We are protecting that very pastoral work on the ground so that the people of God are not left abandoned,” he added.

The priest said he hopes “to be able to act freely one day and live out our faith in freedom, but for now, this is the reality we are living.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

From June 22 to July 1, the EWTN Vatican Bureau hosted 43 young journalists and media professionals from 26 countries, training them in journalism, video editing, and storytelling to support the Church’s mission of evangelization.

The program took place at the Centro Internazionale di Animazione Missionaria (CIAM) on the campus of the Pontifical Urban University, where participants enjoyed a scenic view of St. Peter’s Basilica and Square from above.

Training journalists to be peacemakers

Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly highlighted the importance of the media for the Church and the world. In several of his public speeches to journalists, he challenged them to work for peace in a world marked by polarization, war, and fake news.

“In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaimed: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Mt 5:9). This is a beatitude that challenges all of us, but it is particularly relevant to you [journalists],” Leo said in a speech to journalists after the 2025 conclave.

Anthony Johnson, a co-founder and program director of the EWTN Summer Academy, emphasized the importance of training young journalists at the academy to respond to the pope’s call.

“We as journalists need to be peacemakers first, because the truth is what is ultimately going to set us free,” Johnson told EWTN News.

Johnson also explained the academy’s aims and its connection to the vision of Mother Angelica, who founded the EWTN Global Catholic Network in 1981.

“In the academy here, we’re bringing in people from all around the world — 43 people from 26 countries more or less — and we put them in small groups from all different continents, and we put them through these exercises with the goal of finishing a final project at the very end of the academy.”

“We expect people to be 100% bought into the mission [of proclaiming Jesus Christ]. Mother Angelica knew it. I think people today know it, and our audience can tell from a mile away,” Johnson said.

In service of the truth

The academy participants were taught by Vatican journalists, clergy, producers, and art historians about the fundamentals of Catholic journalism.

Several of those participants reflected on this experience as a service to truth. One of those was Jonél Roos from South Africa, a religious educator and a convert to Catholicism.

“I think [this program] is of the utmost importance because it gives people the tools necessary to grow in their faith and also in order to grow within their professions,” Roos told EWTN News. “The whole point of all of this is to convey truth to people and to allow people to be guided towards the truth.”

George Cuesta, a filmmaker based in Austin, Texas, added: “I think forming young Catholic creators in [the journalistic] realm is extremely important because thatʼs really the language that the faithful are using to communicate with each other, to consume media, whether entertainment or education.”

An experience in the Eternal City through the eyes of faith

Several participants reflected on the importance of learning about Catholic journalism in Rome.

Ana Belén Hurtado, a communications professional from Ecuador, described her time in Rome as faith-filled.

“Being here in the heart of the Church makes it a whole new level for us. Having the amazing view [of St. Peter’s Square] every day definitely makes you aware of the history and the whole legacy that we have received through the gift of faith,” Hurtado said.

Lemmy Ogbonnaya Ijioma, a Nigerian photographer, videographer, and tutor at the academy, also highlighted Rome’s importance to one’s formation in Catholic journalism.

“I would say Rome renews my faith and allows me to experience the Catholic faith up close and personal — things I would ordinarily experience from a distance,” Ijioma told EWTN News.

Kevin Mario, a communications professional from India, added: “Returning to India, I carried with me not only new skills but also a renewed love for the Church. Walking through the basilicas of Rome and contemplating the masterpieces of Michelangelo, Bernini, Raphael, and countless other artists reminded me that beauty has always been one of the Churchʼs greatest evangelists.”

In a joint appeal issued June 29, three Polish prelates — Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, and Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz — together with two Ukrainian Church leaders, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and Cardinal Mykola Bychok, urged both governments to pursue reconciliation, as EWTN News reported.

The bishops said they “are saddened to observe the growing tensions and resurgent hostility between Poles and Ukrainians.”

Echoing Pope Leo XIV, they called for a “disarmament of language,” arguing that words, symbols, and public gestures can either deepen divisions or foster peace.

The tensions revolve around wounded national sentiments over the contested memory of the Volhynia massacres during World War II.

Cause of diplomatic tensions

Poland and Ukraine have long-standing social and diplomatic tensions over their conflicting national narratives of World War II.

The current dispute began on May 26, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named a military unit after the “heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).”

The UPA was a nationalist partisan formation that waged guerrilla warfare in the mid-1940s against Nazi Germany, Soviet-backed forces, and the underground Polish resistance movement.

Ukrainians view the UPA as a symbol of resistance to foreign occupation in the fight for national independence.

In Poland, however, it is associated with the Volhynia massacres, in which the UPA led the targeted slaughter and ethnic cleansing of around 100,000 ethnic Polish civilians, mostly women and children, from 1943 to 1945.

The campaign was driven largely by a nationalist effort to secure territory for a future Ukrainian state by removing the minority Polish population from lands that had belonged to prewar Poland but were claimed by Ukrainian nationalists. In the chaos of World War II, the UPA sought to ensure that Poland could not reassert control over the region after the war on the basis of the Polish minority living there.

Poland has officially recognized the Volhynia massacres as a genocide, a label Ukraine has rejected.

Diplomatic aftermath

In response to Zelenskyy’s decision to name a unit after the UPA, Polish President Karol Nawrocki on June 19 stripped the Ukrainian president of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honor, which had been awarded to him in 2023.

An opinion poll published on the day Nawrocki announced his decision showed that 51% of Poles supported rescinding Zelenskyy’s honor, while only 36% were opposed. Among Nawrocki’s support base, 80% favored withdrawing the order.

In response and in solidarity with Zelenskyy, on June 21 three former Ukrainian presidents, along with various other government officials and diplomats, returned the state awards they had been given by Poland.

This was followed by Polish government officials on June 22 returning awards they had received from Ukraine.

Adding further fuel to the dispute were statements made in February, when Oleksandr Alfyorov, the head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINR), described the Volhynia tragedy as “one of Poland’s state myths.”

Poland’s own Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) replied by declaring that “the Volhynia genocide is a documented fact” while criticizing the Ukrainian state for building elements of its identity on “the cult of individuals and organizations responsible for these crimes.”

The path toward reconciliation

The Polish and Ukrainian prelates also invoked the memory of St. John Paul II, most notably his words marking the 60th anniversary of the Volhynia massacres in 2003, in which he called for “Ukrainians and Poles not to remain enslaved by their sad memories of the past.”

The Polish pontiff also noted that Christians are called to acknowledge the errors of the past while needing the strength to “ask forgiveness for their own shortcomings” and to “forgive one another for the wrongs they have suffered.”

In that spirit, the prelates urged Poles and Ukrainians to “humbly ask for forgiveness and to courageously forgive” while extending “a hand of reconciliation” despite wounds that remain raw.

They also warned against pursuing narrow national interests, saying true reconciliation requires both nations to seek the common good rather than impose their own vision of history on the other.

Future implications

A day before the Church’s joint appeal for peace, Zelenskyy declared that “no one will dictate” to Ukraine which heroes the country honors as he announced plans for a national pantheon celebrating notable Ukrainians.

This was widely read in Poland as a hardening of Kyiv’s position, prompting warnings from politicians across the spectrum that the issue could spill over into Ukraine’s European Union ambitions.

That matters because Ukraine’s path into the European Union ultimately requires the consent of every member state, including Poland.

In the long term, Warsaw is likely to seek a clearer acknowledgment from Ukraine’s highest political levels of the scale and character of the Volhynia massacres and of the role played by the UPA.

With Zelenskyy unwilling even to remove the UPA name from a military unit and Nawrocki escalating the issue in turn, any workable compromise now appears more difficult to reach.

He is also, according to Brian Burch, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, a pope keenly aware of his role as pastor of the universal Church, careful not to give the impression of being merely an American pope and frustrated that his actions are sometimes interpreted as anti-Trump or anti-U.S. gestures.

Burch offered that personal portrait of the Holy Father in a conversation with a small group of Italian journalists about the historic July 4 dinner he hosted for Leo at Villa Richardson, the U.S. ambassador’s residence.

The pope came in person to the residence, prayed with Burch’s family, and shared a meal that included American charcuterie, watermelon salad, Chicago-style hot dogs, apple pie, and gelato. According to Burch, Leo approved of the menu. The evening was informal rather than bilateral: The pope arrived without secretaries, accompanied only by two Vatican gendarmes.

Burch said he had wanted to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States by inviting the first U.S.-born pope in history to dinner. The invitation was sent about two months ago, and confirmation came about one month ago, the ambassador said.

The dinner took place on the same day Leo made a brief visit to Lampedusa, a trip that some had interpreted as a symbolic gesture aimed against the Trump administration. Burch said the pope rejected that interpretation in their conversation.

The ambassador said the idea was to create an occasion to celebrate July 4. He noted that when Vice President JD Vance visited the pope for the Mass inaugurating his pontificate, Vance also invited Leo to visit the United States. While awaiting such a visit, Burch said, the embassy wanted to create a moment of celebration, and the pope’s acceptance of the invitation was received with gratitude and joy.

Burch stressed that the dinner at his residence should not be understood as an effort to resolve major political questions. Rather, he said, it was an extraordinary sign of the pope’s affinity with and warm closeness to the United States.

The pope arrived at about 7:30 p.m., according to the ambassador. He posed for a photo with Burch’s family, gave them his blessing, and joined them for an aperitif. Burch said he and Leo, both from Chicago, spoke about the city and the many friends they have in common.

After dinner, Burch also had time to speak privately with the pope in the garden. The ambassador said they discussed a wide range of subjects. Before leaving the embassy at about 10 p.m., the pope sang the patriotic song “God Bless America” and signed several baseballs, marking each one with the date.

Burch said Leo was relaxed and that the two laughed about many things. He added that people in the Church and in the world sometimes hold only an image of the pope and forget that the pope is also a man like everyone else.

The pope told Burch he had recently spent a sleepless night and ended up watching the Argentina-Cape Verde match. He also spoke about the White Sox and about his vocation, including why he chose to become a missionary priest.

Burch said Leo told him that he loves the United States, where he was born, and has great affection for the country, but he also wants to be careful not to appear too favorable or too close to the United States. The ambassador said the pope made the same point when Burch presented his credentials.

The Church in the United States is vibrant and growing, Burch said, but it is not the only place where the Church is present, and Leo is aware of the need not to appear too American.

Burch said there is also some hesitation regarding a possible papal trip to the United States. That hesitation, he said, is not because of hostility toward the president but because of the need to choose the right moment and to situate such a visit after a number of trips that demonstrate the pope’s apostolic commitment.

The ambassador said Leo also spoke about his frustration with the way every papal gesture can be attacked or interpreted through the lens of the United States. Burch said the pope’s July 4 visit to Lampedusa was not intended as an attack on the United States.

According to Burch, the pope’s role is to be pastor of the world and to point to the global challenges of migration, which is not only a U.S. issue. Through the Lampedusa visit, Burch said, Leo appealed to humanity and asked leaders to focus on migrants during a difficult moment.

The ambassador said relations between the Holy See and the United States are marked by a strong desire for cooperation. He added that his conversation with the pope did not delve deeply into areas of disagreement.

Burch noted that the Holy See supports nuclear nonproliferation, is attentive to the situation in Cuba, wants peace between Russia and Ukraine, and has opposed the exploitation of the Venezuelan people. On migration, he said, there is generally a broad sense of the need for processes through which nations can manage migration in a safe, orderly, and legal way.

The pope respects that balance, Burch said, because he understands that when tension arises, resolving that tension is the responsibility of nations.

According to the ambassador, the main differences concern how to reach shared goals: how to build peace in the Middle East, how to fight narco-trafficking in Central America, and how to protect people facing the challenges of mass migration. Burch characterized these as prudential differences.

Burch acknowledged that Leo and President Donald Trump have not yet spoken. He said Trump has not spoken with many leaders and that, when a conversation is necessary, he expects they will speak. He added that the pope does not simply pick up the phone to discuss politics with world leaders.

Migration remains one area of difference. Burch said the pope’s message in Lampedusa is not inconsistent with the U.S. view of migration. The United States, he said, has always set rules and removed people who did not respect them, while the Trump administration is responding to a situation in which millions of people have entered outside the legal framework.

Burch said the pope does not argue that rules should be set aside in order to welcome migrants. Rather, he said, Leo asks people to look toward an ideal in which they are as welcoming as possible. The pope, Burch said, speaks as universal pastor of the Church and not as someone proposing a specific political implementation.

For Burch, differences of opinion over migration are not a serious problem. He said it is normal for leaders to have disagreements and that there will always be differences over how to reconcile U.S. policy with Catholic social teaching. Such differences, he said, do not mean relations must be difficult.

On the contrary, Burch said, there is much work the Holy See and the United States continue to do together, including on Cuba and peace in the Middle East. Looking at the past year and a half, he pointed to what he described as peace between Israel and Hamas, the removal of narco-terrorists, talks between Israel and Lebanon, cooperation among Arab states, conditions for real cooperation, the removal of the nuclear threat in Iran, and the removal of financing for terrorists. He also said there is much the two sides can do together for persecuted Christians.

In short, Burch said, the issue is not whether the pope and the president can become friends but whether there is a chance to achieve results together.

Asked what he took away from the dinner and what struck him most, Burch said there is great respect for the pope, whether one is Catholic or not. But then, he said, one meets a gentleman who is a human person like everyone else, someone who enjoys himself.

Above all, Burch said, the pope is highly informed. Leo had deep knowledge of everything they discussed, the ambassador said. When Burch asked how he manages that, the pope mentioned daily briefings he receives. Burch said he told Leo that surely those were not his only sources of information. The ambassador described the pope as a serious reader, very bright, and very well informed.

CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this article contained a reference to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The reference has been removed to prevent misunderstanding.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Memorials in Ranchi and Mumbai

Archbishop Vincent Aind of Ranchi led supporters in garlanding Swamy’s bust at “Bagaicha,” meaning “garden,” the Jesuit social action center Swamy founded near Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.

After the floral tribute, Bagaicha director Jesuit Father P.M. Antony told EWTN News: “All of us proceeded to our program hall to discuss about the present socioeconomic and political situation in the country and the state of Jharkhand today.”

The commemoration featured a screening of “Carrying the Cross,” a roughly 100-minute documentary on Swamy’s life and work.

In Mumbai, where Swamy died, the anniversary was marked in the hall of St. Peter’s Church in Bandra, where his funeral was held in 2021. The Bombay Catholic Sabha, the lay wing of the archdiocese, organized the gathering with civil society groups, at which activists paid tribute to the priest, whom they praised as a fearless advocate for the oppressed tribal communities of Jharkhand.

“We are living in times when if you do anything to fulfill either the words or the spirit of the constitution you are likely to be the next martyr,” said senior advocate Mihir Desai, who led Swamy’s legal defense.

Desai repeatedly petitioned the Bombay High Court for the elderly Jesuit’s release on bail after he was brought to Mumbai following his October 2020 arrest at Bagaicha, in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case, in which he was charged along with 15 others.

“If you speak with passion about equality, about nondiscrimination, about freedom of speech — all these are fundamental rights … If you speak about these things in the spirit in which they are incorporated in the constitution, you will be treated as an anti-national,” said Desai, who had worked with the Jesuit for three decades as a civil rights lawyer.

The Bhima Koregaon case

As the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, reported at the time of his arrest in October 2020, the priest, who championed the rights of oppressed tribal communities, was detained along with 15 other activists, academics, and lawyers on terrorism charges related to the “Bhima Koregaon conspiracy.”

The arrests, carried out on the grounds that the accused were allegedly linked to a banned Maoist organization, drew condemnation abroad, including a posthumous resolution honoring Swamy’s life and work in the U.S. Congress in July 2022.

Describing Swamy’s death as “institutional murder,” Desai said “why they wanted to arrest him was because they did not want any urban or rural voice … a dissenting voice of the marginalized to be heard” and alleged that documents had been planted on his computer by hackers, about which the priest had “no clue.”

In December 2022, Arsenal Consulting, a U.S.-based digital forensics firm engaged by Swamy’s lawyers, reported that “incriminating files” had been planted on his computer through a yearslong malware campaign — a finding his supporters said showed he had been framed. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has disputed the analysis, and the trial court declined to consider it.

“Father Stan is gone. But we want the court to declare him not guilty,” said Desai, who said he is preparing a fresh petition to that end after a judicial magistrate’s inquiry concluded that the priest had died of natural causes. “Compensation [must] be paid. Accountability has to be fixed and he has to be declared as innocent,” he said.

The NIA maintains its case, alleging that Swamy aided the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) through the civil society groups he worked with; the special NIA court repeatedly denied him bail, citing what it called “prima facie” evidence.

A judicial magistrate’s inquiry, mandatory in custodial deaths, ruled his death a “natural death” and found no wrongdoing, and in May 2025 the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission accepted those findings, concluding there was nothing “unnatural” in his death and no medical negligence.

In December 2025, the Bombay High Court disposed of a petition by Swamy’s family to clear his name but granted them liberty to file a fresh challenge to the magistrate’s report.

Speakers noted that all 15 surviving co-accused have since been granted bail, while Swamy did not live to see trial.

Teesta Setalvad, who heads Citizens for Justice and Peace, described Swamy as “a priest who jumped out beyond [clerical] culture and took up perverted cases [against the poor tribals] and worked for the release of prisoners, exposing fabricated cases.”

Activist Irfan Engineer read out a protest letter from Surendra Gadling — the last of the 16 accused still jailed, now over a separate case — who was staging a one-day hunger strike at Taloja Central Jail, where Swamy had also been held.

“Father Stan Swamy was a victim of institutional murder because he refused to surrender before those in power and chose to stand firmly for the rights of Adivasis [tribals], Dalits, and the marginalized and oppressed masses,” Gadling wrote. “He fearlessly raised his voice against injustice, repression, and attacks on democratic rights. This one-day hunger strike is to protest against the institutional repression that led to his death.”

Anand Teltumbde, a former professor at the Goa Institute of Management who was released on bail after 31 months in the case, told EWTN News: “July 5 has become a historic day for the country with 84-year-old Father Stan Swamy’s death in custody.”

Dolphy D’Souza, a Bombay Catholic Sabha spokesman, recalled: “During Father Stan Swamy’s funeral at peak COVID time, only 25 people were allowed inside the church here and many of us had to wait outside. Today we are all here to remember him.”

Across India, the anniversary drew commemorations in several cities, including New Delhi, along with a spontaneous wave of social media posts remembering the priest’s imprisonment and death in custody and pressing for his name to be cleared.

Rai warned in his Sunday homily that Lebanon “must not become the price of any international or regional understanding, nor an arena for settling scores, but rather a message of peace.” He expressed hope that the efforts involving the United States, Lebanon, and Israel would bear fruit and lead to an agreement that removes “the specter of war” from Lebanon.

His remarks come as Lebanon finds itself at the center of two parallel diplomatic tracks: a U.S.-Iran agreement and a direct trilateral framework involving Lebanon, Israel, and the United States. In both, Lebanon’s future is at stake and the country’s Christians remain a central part of the national conversation on peace and sovereignty.

For many Christians in Lebanon, the fear is that their country’s future could once again be treated as part of a broader regional bargain rather than as a sovereign national question.

This concern was reflected in a letter sent by Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea to U.S. Vice President JD Vance, in which he urged Washington to separate the Lebanese issue from negotiations with Iran. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem described the agreement as “a great victory” and “a pivotal point for Lebanon.”

Speaking to EWTN News, Lebanese member of Parliament Pierre Bou Assi said that, as the Lebanese Forces leader stated in his letter to the U.S. vice president, their project remains the establishment of a real state in Lebanon. But he said such a state cannot fulfill its role as long as Hezbollah remains armed and continues to drag Lebanon into wars and suffering in service of Iran.

“We want to be freed from Hezbollah’s weapons in order to build a state that protects everyone, Christians and Muslims alike,” he said.

Bou Assi added that he does not believe the U.S.-Iran understanding will have a direct impact on Hezbollah’s behavior in Lebanon. According to U.S. sources, he said, the talks did not focus specifically on this point but rather on the Strait of Hormuz and a monitoring mechanism for Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. Many in Lebanon stress that including the Lebanese issue in these regional negotiations has allowed Iran to regain leverage over the Lebanese political sphere.

Moreover, President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that Syria could play a role in addressing the issue of Hezbollah has touched a deep nerve among many Lebanese Christians. For them, any talk of Syrian involvement in Lebanon triggers the memory of nearly three decades of Syrian military and political occupation, which only ended in 2005.

Bou Assi said that, as a Lebanese and Christian member of Parliament belonging to the largest Lebanese and Christian parliamentary bloc, and despite respect for the United States as a friendly country, “we cannot accept the return of the Syrian army to Lebanon.”

“The Lebanese suffered greatly under the occupation of the Assad regime, which lasted for 30 years between 1975 and 2005,” he said. “For this reason, as a sovereignist component that resisted that occupation, we cannot accept the repetition of this bitter and destructive experience.”

At the same time, Bou Assi pointed to repeated statements by the Syrian president that Syria has no intention of entering Lebanon again, out of respect for Lebanese sovereignty.

He said such positions are in line with the Lebanese Forces’ desire for the best possible relations with Syria, relations based on respect for the sovereignty, stability, and interests of both countries and peoples.

Toni Nissi, president of the Committee for the U.N. Security Council Resolutions on Lebanon and secretary-general of the National Council for the Cedar Revolution, echoed similar concerns in a conversation with EWTN News.

“For many Lebanese, and certainly for many Lebanese Christians, such remarks inevitably awaken painful memories,” Nissi said.

He explained that his generation remembers a period in which Lebanon’s sovereign institutions were overshadowed by external tutelage. For that reason, he said, any suggestion that Syria might once again assume a political or security role inside Lebanon naturally provokes concern.

Nissi also stressed that diplomacy becomes problematic when nations become objects of negotiation instead of subjects of their own history.

“For far too long, Lebanon has been treated as a battlefield where others settle their disputes and as a diplomatic mailbox through which regional powers exchange messages,” he added.

There are growing concerns in Lebanon, especially among Christians, that the U.S.-Iran memorandum and the wider diplomacy surrounding it could overshadow the Lebanon-Israel talks promoted by President Joseph Aoun as an effort to return decisions of war, peace, and sovereignty to state institutions.

For many Lebanese Christians, those talks carry a deeper meaning. They are not only a diplomatic opening with Israel but also a possible step toward restoring the authority of the Lebanese state after years in which Hezbollah’s weapons and Iran’s influence have shaped the country’s security choices.

Lebanese officials have described the move toward direct negotiations with Israel as a historic step through which the state could reclaim responsibility for Lebanon’s foreign and security policy. Yet the government now faces the delicate reality of seeing Iran negotiate with Washington over issues that directly affect Lebanon’s future, raising fears that Beirut could once again be treated as a secondary actor in decisions concerning its own sovereignty.

Nonetheless, last week’s signing of the Trilateral Framework Agreement between Lebanon, Israel, and the United States, announced by U.S. Secretary of ‌State Marco Rubio, marked a major milestone, offering a possible path toward placing Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, and state authority back at the center of the diplomatic process.

Nissi explained that the framework “establishes a phased mechanism intended to strengthen security, extend the authority of the Lebanese state across its entire territory, and create a practical pathway for implementing long-standing international commitments while reducing the risk of renewed conflict.”

“It is neither a final peace treaty nor merely another ceasefire,” Nissi added. “It is a roadmap for restoring state authority through implementation.”

For Nissi, the framework also carries a deeper national significance. “Perhaps the greatest opportunity created by this framework is that Lebanon can finally stop being a battlefield for others,” he said. “For decades, Lebanon functioned less as an independent strategic actor than as an arena through which regional powers projected their rivalries.”

What these parallel diplomatic tracks will ultimately achieve for Lebanon remains uncertain. For now, the country’s sovereignty continues to be violated from both directions: by Hezbollah’s weapons and decision-making outside the authority of the state and by Israel’s continued occupation of Lebanese territory and military actions inside Lebanon.

“Christian villages in Lebanon, some of them have actually asked to be annexed to Israel, because we protect them against the Hezbollah, Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them, and we do the same things with Christians everywhere,” Netanyahu said during an appearance on Fox News’ show “The Sunday Briefing” on July 5.

“It’s ridiculous that [Netanyahu] would say such a thing,” said Alberto Fernández, a former U.S. ambassador and contributor to EWTN News on Middle East topics. “It’s something that only makes sense within the context of him trying to look good to his own Israeli audience. Within the context of Lebanon, it’s ridiculous.”

Fernández noted Netanyahu’s claims have been repeatedly denied in the Arab and Lebanese press. Lebanese officials have rejected Netanyahu’s claims, including senior members of the Kataeb party, and Hanna al-Amil, the mayor of Rmeich, a Christian village in southern Lebanon, according to several Arab news outlets.

“We canʼt forget that itʼs Hezbollah that keeps plunging Lebanon into war with Israel,” he said. “And one thing that Christian villagers do not want is, they may not want to be part of Israel.”

They donʼt want to be at war with Israel either, Fernández said.

“They want peace. They want to be left alone. They want to be able to live their lives and their villages and farm their land and be left alone,” he said.

The Vatican declared July 2 that six prelates involved in the SSPX’s unauthorized July 1 episcopal consecrations incurred automatic excommunication. Despite repeated warnings, SSPX bishops consecrated four new bishops without a pontifical mandate — an act of open disobedience to the authority of the pope that carries automatic excommunication for the six bishops involved.

The SSPX is a fraternity of priests known for its celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass and opposition to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

Various Catholic bishops with SSPX locations in their areas are explicitly forbidding Catholics from attending SSPX services while also urging frequent attendees or SSPX priests to seek spiritual guidance and return to the Catholic Church.

Invited ‘home’

Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis urged SSPX families in his community to stay with the Catholic Church.

“In the 10 years that I have led this local Church, I have met many sincere people who worship regularly or occasionally at the chapels of the SSPX within the territory of our archdiocese,” Hebda said. “I have been impressed by the strength of their families and their commitment to traditional Catholic values.”

“It is my hope they will not follow the above-mentioned bishops in separating themselves from the successor of Peter, Pope Leo XIV, and from the Church that he humbly leads,” Hebda continued. “Throughout the centuries, our Catholic Church has consistently echoed the teaching of St. Ambrose: Ubi Petrus ibi ecclesia (Where there is Peter, there is the Church).”

“At this difficult moment, we are blessed that the same traditional Eucharistic liturgy beloved by those who have worshipped with the SSPX in the past continues to be celebrated in six locations throughout the archdiocese,” Hebda said. “I am confident that those who prefer the Traditional Latin Mass could find a home here."

Bishop Terry LaValley of Ogdensburg, New York, noted that in light of the “formal schism,” the disobedience “gravely harms the unity of the Church for which Christ so fervently prayed the night before he died.”

LaValley said in a statement that Catholics are “forbidden” to participate in SSPX sacraments, the only exception being “when there is danger of death.” He noted that the schism “is not simply about the celebration of the Mass.”

“The SSPX repudiates and denounces the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, in particular, ecumenism, religious liberty, collegiality of the bishops with the pope, and the Church’s understanding of and relationship with Judaism,” LaValley noted.

LaValley instructed the faithful to avoid participation with SSPX and invited SSPX priests to remain with the Church.

In a similar vein, Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, invited anyone who previously worshipped with SSPX to come “home.”

“The Holy See has made clear that the clergy of the society are now to be regarded as schismatic,” Caggiano said in a statement. “This means that, from this day forward, the sacraments they celebrate are illicit and, most significantly for the faithful, the confessions they hear and the marriages at which they preside are considered invalid by the Church.”

“I know these words are difficult to hear, especially for those among us who have worshipped, whether regularly or on occasion, at liturgies celebrated by priests of the society,” Caggiano said. “Over the years I have come to know some of these families. I have been moved by their love for the beauty of the sacred liturgy, their devotion to our Catholic tradition, and the seriousness with which they seek to raise their children in the faith.”

“My heart goes out to them at this painful moment, and I want them to know that they remain very much a part of our diocesan family,” Caggiano said.

“I also wish to offer a word of reassurance. This excommunication does not fall upon those who have simply attended these liturgies out of a sincere desire to worship and who have never intended to reject the authority of the Holy Father or the teaching of the Church,” Caggiano said. “What the Church now asks is straightforward: Knowing the situation as it now stands, the faithful of the Catholic Church can no longer take part in the liturgies of the society, for to do so knowingly would be to share in a separation from the successor of Peter.”

Caggiano noted that the “vetus ordo,” also known as the Traditional Latin Mass, is still celebrated in his diocese at several parishes throughout the diocese.

He emphasized that the diocese also welcomes any SSPX priest who wants to return to full communion “with open arms and great tenderness.”

Bishop James Johnston of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, said he will “be preparing guidance to assist our clergy, lay faithful, and especially any of the lay faithful who have worshipped locally with the SSPX at St. Vincent de Paul Kansas City.”

“While it is imperative to not abandon future efforts toward full communion and to fervently pray for such, those who wish to maintain communion with the Catholic Church, including valid reception of the sacraments of matrimony and penance (confession), will no longer find that possible within the SSPX,” Johnston said in the statement.

“In this moment, I wish to reassure the members of the SSPX within this diocese of my pastoral concern as a shepherd with a desire to assist you in this time of crisis,” Johnston said.

Schism ‘wounds’ the body of Christ

Bishop Douglas Lucia of Syracuse, New York, emphasized that the announcement “forbids Roman Catholics of good standing to participate in and to receive the sacraments from bishops and priests associated with the Society of St. Pius X.”

“[F]ormal adherence to schism is a grave offense against God and carries the penalty of excommunication decreed by the Churchʼs law,” Lucia wrote July 2.

“I grieve over the wound that has been inflicted on Christʼs body, the Church, and its effect on the spiritual good of the faithful,” Lucia said. “Although todayʼs action relates to a specific event, I would caution that such wounds occur in the Church, when peopleʼs pain and concerns are ignored and the universal call to holiness is subjugated to personal agenda.”

“I regret that the communion and trust that has been built in my seven years as bishop here in Syracuse is now so imperiled, but there cannot be accord when discord has been sown,” Lucia said.

Bishop Donald Hying of Madison, Wisconsin, instructed Catholics “to refrain from attending Mass at any SSPX chapels.”

“The Catholic faithful should attend Mass at a Catholic church with a Catholic priest where they can receive licit and valid sacraments,” Hying said.

“For many years, the Church has been in dialogue with the leadership of SSPX in the hope that the group would return to full communion with the Catholic Church,” Hying said. “Their continued rejection of papal authority and decision to undertake blatantly schismatic acts have harmed these discussions and wounded the path to unity.”

Archbishop Shawn McKnight of Kansas City, Kansas, called the bishopʼs consecrations "a source of profound sorrow for the whole Church because it wounds the visible unity that Christ desires for his body.” He noted that Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI took several steps toward communion and acceptance of the society.

“Fidelity to sacred tradition is never opposed to fidelity to the successor of Peter,” McKnight said in his letter. “Rather, both are gifts entrusted by Christ to his Church and serve together to safeguard the deposit of faith and promote the salvation of souls.”

“The Church’s living tradition is preserved by remaining close to the successor of Peter, by adhering to the apostolic faith handed down through the centuries and safeguarded within the communion of the Church,” McKnight said.

Jin, who was arrested by Chinese authorities on Oct. 10, 2025, was reunited with his family in Los Angeles on July 3 ahead of America 250 celebrations.

“I am profoundly grateful that Pastor Ezra Jin has been released and reunited with his family,” Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, a Catholic, said in a July 5 statement. “I especially thank President Trump for personally raising Pastor Jin’s case with CCP [Chinese Communist Party] General Secretary Xi Jinping and for ensuring that U.S. diplomats remained committed in pressing for his freedom.”

Trump said following his visit to China in May that President Xi Jinping was “giving very serious consideration to the pastor,” referring to Jin. Congress had urged Trump to use the U.S.-China summit to advocate for Jin’s release alongside Jimmy Lai, the jailed Catholic media tycoon and democracy advocate. Trump noted China’s president was less likely to release Lai.

A statement issued to reporters by the pastor’s family said: “We truly witnessed a miracle and we are feeling so overwhelmed with joy. We thank God for this tremendous miracle. We also thank President Trump and his administration for their tremendous leadership. We hope this is a signal of a positive turn for people of faith in China and relations between our two nations.”

Jin was among nearly 30 people arrested by Chinese Communist Party authorities during a sweeping crackdown across nine cities on the underground Zion Church, of which he is the founder.

Frances Hui, policy and advocacy manager at the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, wrote on social media: “Incredible to hear that [Jin] is free, has just arrived in L.A., and is finally reunited with his family.” Hui was among advocates who rallied on behalf of those imprisoned in China ahead of Trump’s visit.

Hui described standing beside Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, as “a privilege,” noting that she and her husband, Bill Drexel, had advocated for Jin’s release while preparing for the birth of their third child.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said in a statement: “Despite months of imprisonment, Pastor Jin stayed true to his faith. Yet again, President Trump has demonstrated his ability to stand up for persecuted Christians worldwide.”

Former vice president Mike Pence said in a statement: “President Trump should be commended for securing Ezra Jin’s release by raising the case with Xi Jinping in Beijing this year. Truly treasure in heaven to see this godly man of faith set free.”

The case, St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, challenges Colorado’s requirement that schools participating in its universal preschool program comply with state policies that the Catholic schools say would force them to violate religious beliefs about marriage, sexuality, and employment to receive public funding.

The U.S. solicitor general joined more than 20 states and 43 Republican members of Congress urging the high court to rule against Colorado’s “discriminatory exclusion” of the faith-based schools. The solicitor general argued that Colorado’s policy discriminates against religious exercise, imposes unconstitutional conditions on participation in a public benefit, and conflicts with recent precedents.

Colorado forces petitioners to choose, the solicitor general wrote. “They can either adhere to their faith, which precludes enrolling families who refuse to adhere to Catholic teachings, and lose the subsidy, or obtain the subsidy but abandon their religious beliefs,” the brief said.

Supreme Court to hear case

Represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton and St. Bernadette Catholic Parish in Lakewood, part of the Archdiocese of Denver, along with several Catholic families, argue that the state cannot deny otherwise available public benefits simply because the schools remain faithful to their religious mission.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case this fall after the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Colorado’s policy in September 2025 to exclude Catholic preschools because of their religious beliefs.

Broad coalition of support

Support for the Catholic families has continued to grow ahead of oral arguments. A total of 29 friend-of-the-court briefs have been filed urging the justices to rule in favor of the schools, including briefs by more than 20 states, religious liberty scholars, education advocates, and a broad coalition of faith groups.

Among those filing briefs is the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).  U.S. bishops stated that “if that decision stands, it will provide a roadmap for governments to circumvent this court’s decisions, directly threatening the free exercise rights of religious adherents and organizations.”

Dan and Lisa Sheley, Catholic parents of seven whose children attend St. Mary’s, said they were encouraged by the widespread support.

“We’re grateful that so many people from across the country are rallying behind our case,” they said in a statement provided by Becket. “Colorado promised preschool for all but then showed Catholic families the door. That’s unfair to parents, unfair to children, and contrary to the spirit of the Constitution’s promise of religious freedom.”

Previous religious liberty cases

Eric Rassbach, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, said in a statement the coalition demonstrates the significance of the case.

“Colorado has united a diverse array of Americans around a simple point: It’s wrong to promise preschool support to every family in the state and then yank it away from Catholic families,” Rassbach said. “This broad coalition shows just how egregious and unlawful Colorado’s religious discrimination has become. We’re confident the court will remind Colorado — once again — that the First Amendment protects religious people too.”

The case follows a series of Supreme Court decisions strengthening protections for religious schools, including Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, and Carson v. Makin, all of which held that states generally may not exclude religious institutions from publicly available benefits because of their religious identity. A decision in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy could further define the constitutional protections afforded to religious schools participating in government education programs.

The faithful from St. Francis Xavier Parish in Gujranwala arrived in eight buses on July 4 at the archaeological site of Sirkap, where Christian tradition holds that St. Thomas preached at the court of King Gondophares before continuing his mission to India.

“The Gospel reached the far corners of the world through the companions of Christ, and that same mission has been entrusted to us,” Father Yousaf Yaqoob, the parish priest who celebrated the Mass, told the pilgrims.

He encouraged the faithful to visit Christian pilgrimage sites across Pakistan.

“The relics and even the air at pilgrimage sites are a source of blessing. In this digital age, people speak of the Gospel but have largely forgotten the great sacrifices and miracles behind it,” he said. “A nation that forgets its history is forgotten by history.”

After the Mass, pilgrims toured the Taxila Museum and the sacred sites at Sirkap, through which, according to Christian tradition, St. Thomas passed in the first century while proclaiming the Gospel in the Indo-Parthian kingdom ruled by King Gondophares.

Why Taxila draws Christian pilgrims

The Acts of Thomas, an early Syriac Christian text, recounts that the king gave the apostle money to build a royal palace. Instead, Thomas distributed the money among the poor. Enraged, the king ordered his execution. However, after the king’s brother, Gad, miraculously returned to life and described a heavenly palace built through the apostle’s charity, Gondophares pardoned Thomas and, according to tradition, embraced Christianity along with many of his subjects.

The Punjab Archaeology Department also preserves a local tradition that St. Thomas built a 3-foot-high stone throne at Sirkap and preached there for four decades. Two brick baptismal basins near the throne are still used for infant and adult baptisms.

According to archaeology officials, more than 25,000 visitors had visited the site by July 4.

The parish charged each pilgrim 1,700 Pakistani rupees (about $6), covering transportation, refreshments, and visits to Sirkap and Shahdara Valley, a popular tourist destination in the Margalla Hills near Islamabad.

Braving the summer heat

Sagar Rahat, the parish choir leader, joined fellow pilgrims in collecting small twigs and stones from around the stone throne.

“We keep them as souvenirs and blessings. Our hearts are filled with pride, passion, and honor simply by standing at a place visited by one of Christ’s apostles,” the 34-year-old told EWTN News.

Rahat, who has made the pilgrimage annually for the past decade, said the lack of basic facilities continues to trouble visitors. With the mercury climbing to 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius), the water in pilgrims’ bottles quickly turned warm under the blazing sun.

“There is no shade, so we have to bring umbrellas. There are no water coolers, and the water in our bottles becomes warm in the direct sunlight,” he said.

In a July 2 message marking the feast, Archbishop Joseph Arshad of Islamabad-Rawalpindi said St. Thomas’ witness continues to inspire Christians, especially young people and families, to remain courageous in bearing witness to Christ.

“The example of St. Thomas invites us to profess our faith courageously, remain committed to sincerity and sacrifice, continue proclaiming the good news, and persevere despite opposition and hardship,” the archbishop said.

Taxila, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its Buddhist and Gandharan ruins, also occupies a unique place in Christian tradition because of its association with St. Thomas and King Gondophares.

Although historians continue to debate the historical details of the apostle’s visit, the tradition remains an important part of South Asia’s Christian heritage.

In 1935, a farmer plowing a field near the ruins discovered a cross that was later presented to the Anglican bishop of Lahore. The relic, known as the Taxila Cross, is now preserved in the Cathedral Church of the Resurrection in Lahore, the Punjab capital.

“Both you and I have received the most beautiful gift of life — your breath, your heartbeat, your smile, all that you are is God’s work of love,” Pope Leo said in a video shared on Instagram.

The Holy Father asked the faithful: “Will you help me protect this precious gift?”

“This month I invite you to pray for our commitment to respecting and protecting human life in all circumstances,” he said.

In the full video shared on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website, Pope Leo recites an original prayer written specifically for this month’s prayer intention:

“Lord of life,

You created us in love and called us to live in fullness.

Each person is a sacred gift that reflects your face,

from the first instant of existence

to the final breath of their journey on earth.

Today we ask for the grace to recognize and protect

the unique and unrepeatable value of every human being.

May we learn to welcome life unconditionally,

to tenderly care for fragility,

to accompany each stage with respect,

and to bravely defend those who have no voice.

Forgive us, Lord,

when we fall into indifference or the culture of discard,

when we fail to see in others a being worthy of love.

Give us a new heart, always ready to choose life,

and generous hands that protect it through concrete actions.

Make your Church a living witness of the Gospel of life,

an open home where every life is celebrated,

where no one feels unwanted,

and where dignity is always honored and protected.

Lord Jesus,

may we love life as you love it:

with tenderness, fidelity, and self-giving.

May we proclaim, in words and actions,

that every human life is worth the total gift of ourselves.

Amen.”

“Pray with the Pope” is accessible on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website and its digital platforms.

At this year’s Canadian Catholic News’ “God in the City: Catholic Journalism Summer Seminar,” taking place Aug. 9–15 in Toronto, the students are given just that opportunity.

A newsroom lets students learn “how we really learn from each other and build off each other’s ideas and resourcefulness and creativity to help each other along and really get the best stories that we can,” Ieraci said.

A veteran Catholic journalist with more than two decades of experience, Ieraci serves as the founding coordinator of the intensive one-week seminar, which launched in 2025.

The program grew out of online classes starting in 2023. A group of students and instructors in that program met at a bar one night where one student remarked: “Wouldn’t it be great if we could have classes like this in person?”

“That’s where we decided we would try to do that,” Ieraci said.

The weeklong course is held in the largest city in Canada. “The reason we call it ‘God in the City’ is because the participants have to go out in the city and find stories on the Church, or a Church organization, or a Church apostolate, or some issue of importance to the Church, and bring those stories back and report on them,” Ieraci said.

Most of the students in the program are “not local to Toronto,” she said, and “some of them are a little nervous about being in a foreign city.” Facilitators in the program help students navigate both the city and the newswriting process.

“The instructors will accompany the students in finding sources,” she said. “If they run into any snags with their stories, we’ll help them adjust, pivot, course-correct, find other sources, and work alongside them.”

Some of the students in the course are just starting out in journalism, but others “aren’t necessarily novices,” Ieraci said.

“Some just want that extra formation, that extra knowledge,” she said. “Perhaps they’ve come into journalism from another discipline and they have to navigate it by themselves. Perhaps they’ve studied it but haven’t worked in journalism for a long time and just want to freshen up their skills.”

‘A dream I’ve had for a long time’

Among past participants in the program is Charlotte Taillon, an Edmonton, Alberta, resident who previously took a webinar with Canadian Catholic News.

“When I first saw the flyer for the summer intensive I was about 20 weeks pregnant with my sixth daughter and thought there was no way,” she told EWTN News.

“But about a month and half before the summer intensive, Laura reached out to me to see if I was interested,” she continued. “I kept trying to talk myself out of it, but the opportunity just wouldnʼt leave me alone. I was surprised how supportive my husband had been as well.”

Currently a communications professional, Taillon said the seminar was her “first experience in the world of journalism,” a vocation she said she’s always aspired to pursue.

She described the experience as “very informative” and one that gave her “the confidence to pursue a dream I’ve had for a long time.”

Upon arriving in Toronto, “they immediately put us to work finding a story, and it was intimidating at first but there was always someone ready to answer a question or encourage us,” she said. 

“That support made all the difference. Even at 34 weeks pregnant I was able to get a story on the streets of Toronto” even in near-90-degree heat, she said.

She described the group of journalists as “very supportive and encouraging” and has remained in touch with them via a group chat. “We came from different backgrounds, but we all shared a passion for telling stories that matter,” she said.

Taillon said she will pursue journalism further after returning from maternity leave. Reflecting on how she happened to join the seminar, she said: “Looking back, I think God was gently reminding me that he has bigger plans for me.”

‘The basics’

Ieraci said part of the course involves teaching “a sense of the basics” to those considering journalism.

“We teach them the fundamental skills for journalism — making sure they have a basic skill set, how to write a news story, how to do interviews, along with the ethics of journalism,” she said.

The seminar does not include an explicit faith formation component, she said, but “we encourage people to be formed in their faith and practice it. We have daily Mass, daily prayer, reflection, a chapel on-site.”

Students have reported that they “get a lot out of it,” Ieraci said.

“One of them said, ‘Now I know I don’t want to be a journalist,’” she said with a laugh. “Another said it was instrumental in helping him get his current job.”

The program does not function as a “job-placement agency,” she noted, but “we’re happy to help our students navigate possible job opportunities.”

Above all, the program helps prospective journalists to consider the craft “from a Catholic point of view.”

“How will you interview someone as a Catholic journalist?” she said. “What kind of questions might you ask in that context of a faith-based reporter?”

“Because that’s what we’re doing,” she said. “We’re doing faith-based reporting, and our particular faith is Catholic.”

Application deadline for this year’s summer seminar is July 10. For more information visit here.

The gathering of presidents of the world’s bishops’ conferences will be a forum to discuss the application today of Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ controversial 2016 apostolic exhortation on marriage and the family.

The Vatican announced July 6 that the Oct. 7–14 meeting will center on five themes, including accompanying and supporting families “in the difficulties of life.”

The gathering will include a discussion about “walking with families in complex situations,” such as “abandonment, separation, and divorce,” so that they can feel listened to and involved in the Church, according to a press release from the Secretariat General of the Synod and the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life.

It will also discuss cohabiting couples, openness to welcoming children, the decline in marriage among young people, and the transmission of the faith to new generations.

Pope Leo announced at the end of his second consistory of cardinals on June 27 that several families will also take part in the meeting with the Roman and Eastern Catholic bishops.

The presence of families “is essential,” he said. “At the same time, I hope that all those who come will prepare by listening closely to, and bringing with them, the experience of the families in their own Churches.” The pope also explained that the purpose of the event will be “to assess the progress made since Amoris Laetitia.”

In Amoris Laetitia, Leo’s predecessor Pope Francis sparked controversy when he wrote that even people in an “objective state of sin” could be eligible to receive the “help of the sacraments.” He later authorized an interpretation of that language that made it possible for some people in irregular unions to receive Communion after a process of discernment with a priest.

Previous popes had said divorced and civilly remarried Catholics could not receive Communion unless they lived as brother and sister.

According to a July 6 press release, the October gathering, while not a synodal assembly, will be carried out in a synodal style “because it shares the spirit of the Synod’s implementation process, marked by listening, prayer, and discernment.”

While organizers of the meeting did not specify, by a “synodal style” they likely meant a methodology used at the Vatican during the Synod on Synodality, and at the pope’s two consistories of cardinals this year, of breaking participants into small groups for highly moderated discussions at round tables.

Released the same day, the meeting’s “thematic framework” is intended to prepare and guide the discussions at the Vatican in October.

“The aim is to discern the direction in which the Holy Spirit is leading us today, so as to recognize, support, and foster what He is already accomplishing within families and to appreciate their contribution to the mission of the Church,” the framework document states.

The rapid changes of our era, the document continues, call “for attentive listening to the concrete lives of families and to the experience of those who accompany them, recognizing together both the beauty of love as it takes shape in daily life and the fragilities that often affect it, including precarious employment and housing, illness, the challenges of raising children, emotional loneliness, and the care of family members with disabilities, the elderly, or those who are not self-sufficient.”

“Failure, fragility, the gap between the ideal and reality, and the complexity of life situations also become places in which the work of God’s grace may be recognized and where persons can be accompanied with respect, patience, and hope,” the preparatory document says.

The full titles of the five themes of the meeting, as found in the text, are:

1. Families today: reality, beauty, and challenges — Discerning the signs of the times through the experience of families and the Church’s pastoral commitment today

2. Young people and the discovery of the vocation to marriage — Listening to young people and accompanying them in discovering the value of marriage

3. Married life. The first years of marriage: a decisive time — Listening to and accompanying couples in the early years of married life and at every stage of life

4. In the difficulties of life: accompanying and supporting — Walking with families in complex situations

5. Christian families as subjects of the Church’s mission — Embracing conjugal and family love as an impetus for mission

The feast, July 5, is a public holiday in both countries. The main celebrations took place in Nitra, home to the oldest diocese in present-day Slovakia, founded in 880, and in Velehrad in the Czech Republic.

The Byzantine brothers, who devised an alphabet for the Old Slavonic spoken across Great Moravia, are believed to have been active in Nitra, Velehrad, or both in the ninth century.

Nitra’s national pilgrimage

In 2025, Cardinal Robert Prevost had been expected to preside over the Nitra Mass. He was instead elected Pope Leo XIV that May and was unable to attend.

This year, the Mass on Saturday, July 4, on the main square in Nitra was celebrated by Nemet, the archbishop of Belgrade, Serbia. Slovak bishops and the apostolic nuncio to Slovakia, Nicola Girasoli, concelebrated, while the current and former presidents of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini and Ivan Gašparovič, joined several thousand people for the liturgy.

Girasoli delivered the papal blessing. Citing Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, the nuncio said Christians are called to “disarm” their words and temper aggression in public life and the media.

In his homily, Nemet said the feast is an opportunity to reflect on one’s own roots and on the mission of Christians today, who should not live in isolation but bear witness to the faith and values of the Gospel.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius were able to proclaim the Gospel in the mother tongue of the people of Great Moravia, which, the cardinal explained, opened the way to a deeper acceptance of the Christian faith among the Slavs.

“Culture must be respected and developed,” he said. “Culture is created by man, and therefore we have a calling to shape our own culture — to bear witness to how we believe in God and to live as good Christians in peace and cooperation with all.”

The mission, Nemet said, “belongs to every baptized person,” begins “where we are” in everyday life, and shows itself in “how we speak, how we forgive, how we live, how we love.”

During the traditional three-day celebration, which featured an artistic, cultural, and spiritual program, the local bishop, Viliam Judák, unveiled a milestone marker on the Sts. Cyril and Methodius pilgrimage route, which crosses Europe.

Organizers also set a national record when 32 people named after the saints gathered in one place. Each received a T-shirt reading “I am Cyril” or “I am Methodius.”

A concert by church choirs presented works inspired by the saints, and the bishop’s palace opened its doors to visitors as usual.

Across the border in the Czech Republic

In Velehrad, Czech Republic, Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl of Prague celebrated Mass on the feast itself, July 5. Alongside other Czech bishops, including one from Slovakia, organizers counted approximately 20,000 pilgrims.

The bishop of Brno, Pavel Konzbul, who was entrusted with the homily, pointed to the legacy of the learned St. Cyril, also known as Constantine. Konzbul quoted what he called a contemporary American journalist who said a nation that reads little knows little and makes poor decisions “at home, at the shop, in court, and at the ballot box.”

“St. Cyril knew that language and education are the means by which faith becomes a personal, comprehensible, and intimate matter,” Konzbul said.

The bishop advised pilgrims to take a book on holiday to help them enter “the realm of silence, about which St. Augustine wrote: ‘Entering silence means entering joy.’”

Konzbul said society is “facing individualism reinforced” by social media and “a crisis of values and meaning,” and that “many are beginning to realize again that freedom must be defended.” He acknowledged that it is hard not to be afraid at such a time, yet said fear need not paralyze people and can be turned into a driving force.

“Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to give us courage, as he did to St. Methodius, to make the right decisions even in the realm of fears and uncertainties.”

During the two-day celebration in Velehrad, Archbishop Josef Nuzík of Olomouc, president of the Czech Bishops’ Conference, presented the “Velehrad Appeal” for reconciliation and understanding. It responds, he said, “to the growing polarization, aggression, and mistrust in society” and calls on people of goodwill to respect one another “even if they think differently,” to look for what unites them, and to “strive for reconciliation, hope, and peace.”

The text stresses that “our country does not need more division” but “more people who will look for what unites them,” and it presents reconciliation, dialogue, and mutual respect not as a sign of weakness but as “a condition for a good future for our country.” The appeal was supported by the Ecumenical Council of Churches in the Czech Republic.

“People want to know why they are braving the heat to follow a canopy,” he explained to EWTN News. “I’ve already explained to three people what the Eucharist is. They are curious about the monstrance, and this gives a chance to evangelize.”

Evangelization was the chief mission of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage 2026, which ended Sunday after passing through 18 dioceses since it began on May 24 in St. Augustine, Florida.

The final stop in Philadelphia took on a patriotic theme in the City of Brotherly Love as about 2,000 believers squeezed into the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul for Mass. Beforehand, sisters knelt before the relics of St. Katharine Drexel, one of America’s first saints. This year’s pilgrimage placed special emphasis on the American saints who have contributed not only to the Church but also to the American story.

Pope Leo XIV delivered remarks by video at the beginning of Mass encouraging his fellow Americans to “cultivate a Eucharistic life … with eyes fixed on the heavenly one.” Leo mentioned Sts. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Katharine Drexel, and John Neumann, among others.

The pilgrimage has drawn both believers and those who want to believe in something higher than themselves. This is what drew Erin Daly and her two daughters, Elsa and Lydia, to join the procession immediately following the Mass on Sunday. They were at Pope Leo’s first Corpus Christi Mass in Rome last June and wanted to be in town for this special occasion. Elsa, a student at the University of Dallas, was one of many young people holding signs with spiritual messages of hope and faith.

Another banner waver, Amear Mottley, explained that he had been to Mass that weekend, was curious to know more, and joined the procession because he wanted to be close to Jesus. Asked if he was Catholic, he responded: “I don’t know what I am.”

Marchers came from neighboring dioceses and from across the country. Deacon Dave Matour was with his wife, Sue, and 25 people from their parish in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and the Diocese of Oakland, California, was represented by 28 Catholics in matching pink T-shirts.

Many chose to wave American flags and wear their patriotism on their sleeves. Kevin and Janet Daly from Michigan were among those who wore the “One Nation Under God” motto.

The procession eased down Broad Street under a sweltering sun with Philadelphia’s City Hall behind it. A loudspeaker bellowed the Hail Mary in English and Spanish through the air while pilgrims withstood the heat, not complaining, and offering one another water, being vigilant of the elderly walkers who may have needed extra attention.

The procession turned on Girard Avenue for the final stretch to the National Shrine of St. John Neumann, the pilgrimage’s final stop where the final Benediction would take place. Trumpets greeted marchers as they made their way up the steps into the church, waving their Mass programs as makeshift fans.

When the monstrance was held aloft and blessed the crowd, the heat inside the church subsided for a moment, and the exhausted gatherers got a sense of refreshment.

“We made it,” joked Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Perez, who carried the Blessed Sacrament for the entire last leg of pilgrimage on Sunday and concluded the day with remarks mixed with levity and awe at the impact the processions have had on the communities visited: “The pilgrimage is over, “he said, “but our journey continues because Christ walks with us.”

Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago recently announced a major partnership with Catholic Charities Fort Worth (CCFW) to bring the innovative Padua program to the greater Englewood community in south Chicago.

Named after St. Anthony of Padua, patron saint of the poor, the program pairs participants with a team of two dedicated caseworkers for long-term, client-led support, with no arbitrary time limits. The only eligibility requirements for the program are that the client be 18 years old and willing to work.

The collaboration marks a significant expansion of the model, which was developed in 2015 by CCFW and validated through a randomized controlled trial by the University of Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO).

Participants in the study were 25% more likely to achieve full-time employment, earned 46% higher incomes, and were 64% more likely to secure stable housing.

Brendan Perry, director of Padua National at Catholic Charities Fort Worth, told EWTN News that the program was in response to the nonprofit “seeing a lot of repeat customers,” which, “in the nonprofit world is not a good thing.”

“We weren’t truly creating economic mobility,” Perry recalled of the organization’s earlier efforts. “Padua was our answer to that challenge.”

Perry said the program was born from a simple but powerful question: What if?

“What if the way we’ve always addressed poverty isn’t the way it has to be?” he explained. “What if we created a program where clients set their own goals, timelines were built around people instead of funders, and we holistically addressed a client’s root issues instead of just the symptoms of their poverty? And what if we could prove it through research and create a model that was replicable?”

Unlike many short-term workforce programs, Padua’s two-person case management teams (a case manager and caseworker) provide holistic support in employment, housing, education, and emotional resilience. Clients define their own goals and remain in the program for as long as needed.

Perry said that people begin their journey with Padua from many different places and often come from a place of crisis. While Padua “is not a crisis program,” Perry said the program helps clients get to a place of stability.

“Once theyʼre there, weʼre gonna be sticking with you for the long haul to get to a point of strength and of prosperity.”

One client who has benefited from the Padua program is Lisa, a divorced mother of three who faced single parenthood, housing instability, unemployment, and mental health issues among her children.

“When I was in my marriage, there was a lot of breaking up and getting back together,” Lisa said. “There was a lot of moving around, and I believe thatʼs how my son developed separation anxiety, which led to depression, and [he] became highly suicidal.”

Lisa’s caseworker helped her find counseling for her son as well as for Lisa, who learned coping skills that helped her better care for her son.

“I pour into his life daily by reminding him that you are handsome, you are smart, you are capable, you have a mum and a family that loves you. You are loved, you deserve to be alive. This world needs you,” she said.

The Padua program helped her attend culinary school and taught her financial skills like budgeting and saving.

Lisa is now employed, has a stable home for her children, and has attended a culinary arts program with dreams of becoming a catering and private chef.

She gives credit to her caseworker, Taelor: “I call her my guardian angel because … sheʼs just been so loving and supportive.”

Perry added that the partnership with Goodwill reflects a shared commitment to human dignity.

“We’re not just expanding the program — we’re ensuring more families have access to the tools they need to build bigger, brighter futures.”

Clayton Pryor, chief mission officer for Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago, emphasized how naturally the program aligns with their existing work.

“At Goodwill, we believe lasting change starts with meeting people where they are,” Pryor told EWTN News. “Padua allows us to go deeper with individuals who need more intensive, long-term support. It’s client-led, research-backed, and focused on real stability — not just a job, but a foundation for life.”

The Illinois program is scheduled to launch in October out of Goodwill’s new Neighborhood Opportunity Center in Englewood. Pryor said the organization aims to serve 50 clients in the first year, scaling to more than 200 over five years.

The pilgrimage, which carried the theme “One Nation, Under God,” began in St. Augustine, Florida, in May and went as far north as Portland, Maine, before turning south and finishing in Philadelphia.

In a video message played at the concluding Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, Leo XIV — the first pope in Catholic Church history from the United States — said the pilgrimage, which traced a route through the original 13 colonies that rebelled against England in 1776, was “particularly appropriate” to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary of its founding.

The U.S., the pope said, “has been imbued with a sense of faith that recognizes God’s sovereignty even before its formal establishment.” The Holy Father cited a Mass of Thanksgiving held in 1583 in St. Augustine, Florida, by Spanish explorers.

“This historical event, accompanied by many others, attests to the strong, though largely unknown, Eucharistic heritage of the United States of America,” the pope said. “This heritage, far from being forgotten, must continue to serve as a source of both renewal and unity.”

That history, the pope told the pilgrims, “has continued to bear fruit by leading new generations of American Catholics to Jesus Christ.” He also cited the examples of U.S. martyrs and U.S.-born saints, including St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and St. Katharine Drexel.

“The intense apostolic activity of these holy men and women, and others like them, would not have been possible without the strength they drew daily from moments of silent prayer before the tabernacle,” he said.

The pope said the Eucharistic pilgrimage helps “carry on this great legacy of faith.” The Eucharist is “an invaluable gift,” he said, one that the Church in the U.S. will use to “find strength to carry on her charitable service to the wider society.”

Leo urged the pilgrims to “place your lives under God’s loving providence as you return to your homes.” He also urged them to “cultivate a strong Eucharistic life among your families, friends, and communities.”

After the U.S. pilgrimage began on Pentecost in St. Augustine — the site of the 1583 Thanksgiving Mass referenced by Pope Leo XIV — it worked its way up the Eastern Seaboard, stopping at multiple U.S. dioceses and holy sites.

The route drew thousands of pilgrims in locations including Williamsburg, Virginia; Baltimore; and Boston. On June 6 the pilgrimage passed through the streets of Washington, D.C.

Along the way the pilgrimage gave recognition to uniquely American aspects of Catholicism, such as the Georgia Martyrs, who are scheduled for beatification on Oct. 31.

The dinner took place at the ambassador’s residence on the Janiculum Hill in Rome on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

“I am deeply honored to celebrate this special day with a fellow American and the bishop of Rome,” Burch said.

The pope’s visit came after a day trip to Lampedusa, where he addressed migration and prayed for those who have died crossing the Mediterranean. Images of Pope Leo XIV standing on the island’s rocks and looking out over the sea circulated widely after the visit.

After returning to the Vatican, the pope went to the ambassador’s residence for the evening meal. Photos released by the embassy showed Pope Leo XIV with Burch and members of his family.

Burch, a Catholic and father of nine, is co-founder of CatholicVote, an organization that says its mission is to encourage Catholics in the United States to live their faith in public life through education, advocacy, and civic engagement.

Burch presented his credentials to Pope Leo XIV as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See in September 2025.

Speaking at the July 5 Angelus in a sunny and hot St. Peter’s Square, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel, Matthew 11:25–30, in which Jesus praises the Father, “Lord of heaven and earth.”

“The Son of God made man reveals his love by including all creatures in this act of thanksgiving,” Pope Leo XIV said.

The pope said the Gospel reveals God’s preference for the humble and the small.

“The simplicity of such a spontaneous and joyful gesture reflects God’s way of acting: He delights in revealing himself ‘to infants,’ while remaining hidden ‘from the wise and the intelligent,’” he said.

Those who are “filled” with their own ideas, the pope said, fail to recognize Christ.

“Human wisdom thus becomes arrogance, and doctrine degenerates into pride,” he said. “By contrast, God’s true wisdom is revealed in the humility of the Incarnation, and his teaching is addressed above all to those who struggle: ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,’ says the Lord.”

Pope Leo XIV said going to Jesus “means responding to his love and sharing in his life, even to the cross.”

“How can the weight of the cross be ‘easy’ and ‘light’?” the pope asked. “For one reason alone: because the Lord himself carries it with us, never leaving us alone in what burdens us.”

The pope said Christ takes upon himself “humanity wounded by evil in order to heal and care for it.”

“For this reason, our journey of following Christ is not an asceticism that mortifies,” he continued. “Rather, it is a school of freedom that takes seriously the drama of history and continually sheds light on its meaning, especially in its darkest moments.”

“Indeed, only in the cross of Jesus is evil overcome; only in his passion does our mortal weariness find consolation and redemption,” he said.

The pope then pointed to Christ as the answer to the world’s deepest suffering.

“In slavery, Christ is liberation. Amid the scourge of war, Christ is hope. In the hour of sin, Christ is forgiveness,” Pope Leo XIV said. “This is true wisdom and the path that we wish to walk together, united as disciples in his name.”

After the Angelus, the pope recalled the July 2 beatification of Father Francis Xavier Tru’o’ng Bǚu Diêp at the Shrine of Tac Say in Vietnam. The Vietnamese diocesan priest was killed in 1946 in hatred of the faith.

“Amid oppression and violence, he defended the rights of the people and did not abandon his parishioners,” the pope said. “May his intercession and prayers strengthen all those who proclaim the Gospel in situations of persecution today.”

Pope Leo XIV also greeted pilgrims from Brazil and the Choir of the University of Mérida in Venezuela, and renewed his prayers for the Venezuelan people.

“I continue to remember in my prayers the victims of the earthquake and all the Venezuelan people,” he said. “May the Lord sustain them in this time of great hardship.”

The Angelus came shortly before the Prefecture of the Papal Household announced that Pope Leo XIV would transfer Sunday afternoon to the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo for a period of rest until Monday, July 27.

During that period, all general, private, and special audiences will be suspended. General audiences will resume Wednesday, Aug. 5.

The Prefecture of the Papal Household also said the Sunday Angelus prayers during July will be prayed in Piazza della Libertà in Castel Gandolfo.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.