On Sept. 23, the date of their liturgical memorial, the Diocese of Tlaxcala inaugurated the Jubilee of Holiness and Mission with a Mass. The jubilee will conclude on Sept. 23, 2027.

Cristóbal died a martyr in 1527, at around the age of 12, after his own father punished him for destroying idols. Antonio and Juan gave their lives two years later in 1529 while participating in an evangelization mission.

They were beatified on May 6, 1990, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and canonized by Pope Francis on Oct. 15, 2017, in St. Peterʼs Square at the Vatican.

‘They didn’t wait until they were adults’ to evangelize

In his homily for the Mass on Sept. 23, Bishop Julio César Salcedo Aquino of Tlaxcala highlighted that the celebration seeks to highlight the testimony of the three young martyrs as an example of holiness and renew “missionary zeal.”

The prelate pointed out that Cristóbal, Antonio, and Juan, even as children, “embodied to the letter the words of Christ.”

“God’s protection does not mean an absence of physical hardships or persecution” but rather the grace to “persevere in the faith,” he noted.

In this regard, Salcedo recalled that Cristóbal “did not fear threats from his own family,” while Antonio and Juan “maintained the joy of the mission despite knowing the danger they were in.”

“The protomartyrs of the Americas did not wait until they were adults or had some official title to become evangelizers,” he stated. Educated by Franciscan friars, he added, “they became the first catechists of their people [and thus] shared their experience of faith.”

The bishop pointed out that this commitment to evangelization ultimately led them to lay down their lives. “They were beaten with clubs and burned for bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel.” That they willingly shed their blood for Christ “was a very moving example to the Indigenous communities and opened the way for the faith on the continent,” he added.

Salcedo pointed out that “children, adolescents, and young people exposed to so many secularist ideologies need models of piety and of apostolic and missionary generosity rooted in Gospel values.”

The Apostolic Penitentiary granted a plenary indulgence for the jubilee year at the Shrine of the Child Martyrs in the town of Atlihuetzia.

To obtain it, the faithful must fulfill the usual conditions: confession, Communion, prayer for the pope’s intentions, and detachment from all sin, even venial sin.

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.

Tabares is a member of the Binational Pro-Family Pro-Life League, the organization behind the conference “¡Viva Cristo Rey! 100 Years of Faith and Freedom,” taking place on Saturday, Oct. 3, in both El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

While the enforcement of draconian anticlerical laws in Mexico a century ago drew both nonviolent resistance and the armed Cristero uprising, defending the Catholic faith today in both the U.S. and Mexico often involves pro-life and pro-family advocacy.

In explaining why they decided to hold the event on both sides of the border, Tabares highlighted that “we are a cross-border faith community that witnessed the effects of this historic event.”

“By reflecting on it together, we can not only relive the testimony of those who came before us but also rekindle our commitment as Christians,” she stated.

In the morning, from 9 a.m. to noon, the event will take place at the Starlight Event Center in El Paso, featuring speakers Father Rafael Becerra, a priest of the Archdiocese of San Antonio who has extensively studied the history of the Cristero War; Rodrigo Iván Cortés, president of Mexico’s National Front for the Family; and Ivonne Kuri, a member of the Mexican Center for Sindonology (study of the Shroud of Turin).

Starting at 4 p.m., the conference will continue in Ciudad Juárez at Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) Parish. There, the panel will consist of Cortés, Kuri, and historian José Mario Sánchez.

The ‘Cristero legacy’ on the other side of the border

Tabares highlighted that “Hispanic Catholics in the United States have received as a legacy from the Cristeros a commitment to fidelity, witness, and mission.”

It involves, she said, “fidelity to the faith that was defended; the witness of a life consistent with the example of Christ; and the mission to bring the Gospel to all nations, beginning with this land that has welcomed so many Hispanic Christians.”

A safe haven

Tabares recalled that during the Cristero War (1926–1929), “the northern border between Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and El Paso, Texas, served as a safe haven for Mexican Catholics” who, in face of the anticlerical restrictions imposed by the government of President Plutarco Elías Calles, crossed the border into El Paso “to receive the sacraments.”

“A notable case is that of St. Pedro de Jesús Maldonado, a Cristero-era martyr and native of Chihuahua, who was ordained a priest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in El Paso due to the anticlerical persecution in Mexico,” she said.

“Likewise, during this period, certain religious communities from Mexico established themselves in El Paso after being expelled, such as the Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament. The sisters settled in the city and founded the Monastery of Christ the King.”

These, she emphasized, are merely “a few examples of the border’s role during the Cristero War,” topics that will be explored in greater depth during the Oct. 3 conference.

‘Those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it’

Tabares explained that the organizers hope conference participants “return home with the earnest desire to educate themselves and delve deeper into the history and the example of courage and zeal for the faith and religious freedom of the Cristeros, because those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it.”

“With this event, we seek to help attendees not only learn about the events of this chapter in Church history but also gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the importance of religious freedom,” she said.

In drawing “a parallel between the sociopolitical context” of the Cristero War years and present-day threats to religious freedom, she noted, “we wish to urge participants to be prepared to defend it not through an armed uprising, as the Cristiada was, but rather through formation and active civic participation grounded in the Church’s social doctrine.”

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 report by the Transparency Commission (TC), a pilot project and the first from an interdisciplinary group of independent experts on addressing and preventing abuse within ecclesial settings, was presented on Sept. 22 at the Santa María La Antigua University auditorium in Panama City.

Speaking during the presentation, Ulloa emphasized: “It has already been said here, and we know it: Our Panamanian culture often prefers to remain silent, but in the face of abuse, we cannot remain silent.”

“We want to listen; we want to take every complaint seriously, with respect, and confidentiality, protecting the individuals involved and acting in accordance with established procedures,” he added.

The prelate explained that the archdiocese he leads “remains committed to reporting relevant allegations to the competent civil authorities in accordance with current legislation” and acknowledged the need to ask what can be done better to move forward in the prevention of abuse.

“A culture of protection is not built solely through written rules; it is built when every priest, religious, pastoral worker, collaborator, and member of our communities understands that protecting minors and vulnerable persons is an ongoing, shared responsibility,” the archbishop emphasized.

Asking forgiveness of the victims

The prelate also addressed “in a special way victims and survivors. We are deeply pained by the suffering you have endured.”

“It pains us to know that those who should have found a place of welcome, care, and trust within the Church experienced situations that caused them such deep wounds,” he continued.

Ulloa emphasized that “wherever members of our Church caused harm, and wherever our institutional response fell short of what the victims needed and had a right to expect, we ask for forgiveness in the name of the Church.”

The archbishop also noted that “over this 25-year period, and I wish to highlight this especially for the media, more than 18 priests have been removed from priestly ministry due to situations involving the Sixth Commandment, offenses against property, or other issues they have experienced.”

The Transparency Commission

According to its website, the Transparency Commission (TC) was established to conduct comprehensive investigations “in a holistic, professional, independent, and rigorous manner regarding cases of abuse of minors and vulnerable persons within the Church.” It is funded by the University of Notre Dame Law School in Indiana and Villanueva University in Madrid.

“This group of experts focuses its work on places where crises related to ecclesial abuse have not yet occurred or have not come to light,” notes the TC website.

The report indicates that in cases of sexual abuse, the AIR “must place victims at the center of the analysis, since the way the institution protects their rights, addresses their needs, and fosters their reparation constitutes the primary criterion for evaluating the quality of the response provided.”

The Transparency Commission is composed of 17 individuals coordinated by Father Jordi Pujol, a lawyer who holds a doctorate in moral theology and is also a professor of law and communication ethics at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.

Its members include Father Thomas Berg, a professor and researcher at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame; Yago de la Cierva, a professor of preventive and crisis communication at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross; and Irma Patricia Espinosa, a psychiatrist, member of the National Council for the Protection of Minors of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference, academic director and founding partner of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Training for the Protection of Minors (CEPROME) Latin America, and a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors since 2022.

Also serving on the Transparency Commission are María Inés Franck, professor of canon law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina and a member of the Pastoral Council for the Protection of Minors of the Argentine Bishops’ Conference; Monsignor John Paul Kimes, professor of canon law at the University of Notre Dame Law School; and Father Daniel Portillo, dean of the psychology department at Lumen Gentium Catholic University in Mexico. He is the director and a founding member of CEPROME Latin America.

The Panama Report

The request for the report goes back to October 2025, when the archbishop of Panama requested an assessment of institutional response from the TC “on his own initiative, without a court order or a request from the Holy See.”

The commission stated that it accepted the assignment subject to three conditions: full access to information, total independence in the investigation, and a commitment to publish the findings. The archdiocese did not intervene in the compilation of the report and only saw it days before its presentation.

The TC states that it operated with financial independence: Its members received no remuneration from the archdiocese, and costs were covered by Notre Dame Law School and the Villanueva University Foundation. The archdiocese only covered transportation and accommodation and provided workspace.

The commission reported that, during the period under review, the archdiocese received 37 complaints of which it analyzed 24, while the remaining 13 were excluded from the analysis “because they referred to events that occurred outside the archdioceseʼs territory or the time frame examined, or because they did not involve abuse against minors or vulnerable persons.”

The report reveals that case management improved thanks to two initiatives by the archdiocese: the approval of guidelines in 2015 and the creation in 2024 of the Pastoral Care and Prevention Office and the Listening Office.

The report, currently available only in Spanish, identifies five areas requiring improvement: listening to and accompanying victims; recordkeeping; prevention; justice for victims; and reparation.

“Making reparation requires acknowledging the harm, accepting personal and institutional responsibility, and addressing the physical, psychological, moral, spiritual, and social needs of each victim,” the commission emphasizes.

The pilot project

In a FAQ section about the report, the TC explains that this work is a pilot project because “it is the first time that a comprehensive methodology has been applied that can be replicated in other dioceses or ecclesial organizations.”

“This first project has allowed us to test a methodology and a work system, based on professional listening, research in archives, conducting interviews with various audiences of interest, and media analysis and the sociocultural context of the country,” it adds.

The Transparency Commission further specifies that the working methodology aims to “place victims at the center, protecting their rights, and guarantee due process for the accused,” applying a clear standard of prudence to avoid “revictimizing a victim or blaming an innocent person.”

The Transparency Commission also noted that “the Vatican has been kept informed of the workʼs progress at all times; both the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America are aware of the TC’s work. Furthermore, some members of the commission work or have worked with both the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.”

The TC concludes by noting that anyone who has suffered abuse within the Church may, at any time, turn to the Archdiocese of Panama’s Listening Office and file a report with the public prosecutorʼs office.

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.

During a Sept. 16 meeting at the Planalto Palace (president’s office) in the capital, Brasília, with Americans and Brazilians from the Evangelical Front for the Rule of Law, Da Silva said he had “the opportunity to speak to Pope Francis” about these topics.

“As long as the Catholic Church doesn’t end celibacy and allow women to be priests, to be bishops — allow women to speak, you know? — we’re going to see the Catholic Church face difficulties,” he said. In Da Silva’s view, the fact that a woman can “be whatever she wants” is what “has caused the evangelical church to grow so much in Brazil.”

Catholics currently make up about 57% of the population, down from about 90% in 1970.

On Sept. 19, Araújo da Fonseca posted a video on his social media channels featuring a homily he had delivered the previous night in Santa Bárbara dʼOeste (São Paulo state), in which he responded to the president.

“We are seeing politicians trying to tell the Church what it should do. They even try to speak about priestly celibacy, when they ought to be looking after the country. And they are doing a very poor job of it,” he said.

The bishop of Piracicaba emphasized the need to “be attentive” at the time of the election, the first round of which will take place on Oct. 4, with a runoff, if necessary, scheduled for Oct. 25.

“Let us not have a short memory, for the future depends on the choices we make in the present. And if we, as Christians, turn a blind eye to this, we will pay the price,” he said.

Araújo da Fonseca addressed those who “were thinking of staying home on Election Day and not voting because it isn’t worth it.” He urged them to vote as “an act of sacrifice and penance.”

“But make your choice. Remember that we all bear the consequences. Do not choose those who wish to destroy our freedom. Do not make choices for which we will later have to pay the price,” he added.

The bishop of Formosa (Goiás state), Adair José Guimarães, also commented on Da Silva’s statements. He said he was not surprised by them, “because usually leaders, when they are ignorant, want to meddle in everything. They think they have a monopoly on the truth about everything.”

Guimarães stated that “the Catholic Church is not something just anyone can understand,” as “it is an institution of divine right, over 2,000 years old, with its incredibly rich tradition, its magisterium, and sacred Scripture.”

In the view of the bishop of Formosa, “the nation’s leader needs to take good care of the nation” rather than “meddle in Church affairs.”

He recalled an incident in 2005 when Lula, “in his first term,” said: “I am a Catholic, Apostolic and Roman.” At the time, the then-archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Cardinal Eusébio Oscar Scheid, was asked about the Workers' Party leaderʼs statement and remarked: “Look, he says he is a Roman Apostolic Catholic, but my take is this: He is chaotic, apostate, and romantic.”

“So, I share that same view held by our late cardinal regarding the matter. I need say no more than that,” Guimarães said.

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

De la Cruz, 48, the parish priest of Santa Cruz in Huejutla, Hidalgo, was found dead on a road in the Lolotla district on Sept. 15.

On Sept. 17, Francisco Ángel Fernández Hasbun, chief of staff for the Hidalgo state attorney generalʼs office, stated in a video that the agency is “conducting the appropriate investigations.”

According to local media, the priestʼs body was found with gunshot wounds near a pickup truck, accompanied by a placard bearing a message whose content has not been disclosed by the authorities.

The Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM) has demanded a “thorough investigation” of the case, while Bishop José Hiraís Acosta Beltrán of the Diocese of Huejutla lamented “the alarming situation of violence being experienced in our country.”

Around 600 people marched for peace in Huejutla on Sunday, Sept. 20, and attended a Mass for De la Cruz. During the homily, Acosta called for “a culture of peace and reconciliation,” asking for the crime to be solved and urging that "neither this event nor the other crimes that have wounded our Mexican nation be allowed to go unpunished.”

On the afternoon of Sept. 21, Acosta and Fernández met and delivered a brief joint statement.

Fernández said important information regarding the case was provided during the meeting and said the two believe the case will resolve quickly, noting the Church’s collaboration with the authorities during the inquiries.

‘The telltale signs of organized crime’

According to the Catholic Multimedia Center, a group that documents violence against Church members in Mexico, four priests have been murdered so far during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s term in office. The total number of priests murdered since 1990 exceeds 60.

The center’s director, priest and journalist Father Omar Sotelo, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that the murder “bears the telltale signs of organized crime.”

Sotelo noted that “extortion and threats against priests in the country are an ongoing reality.”

He noted that, among those recorded and analyzed by the group, “more than 80% of cases remain unsolved,” including the 1993 murder of Cardinal Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampo, archbishop of Guadalajara, a case that stands as “a monument to impunity.”

In a 2016 Facebook video, Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez, then-archbishop emeritus of Guadalajara and Posadas’ successor, declared the murder “a crime by the state, perpetrated by the Federal Judicial Police.” He even named Rodolfo León Aragón, then-director of the police, as the one behind the murder, who Sandoval said probably got his orders from then-Attorney General Jorge Carpizo, whose death in 2012 ended the investigation.

‘This could happen to us, too’

Julieta Appendini, director of the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Mexico, told ACI Prensa “it is important not to view these murders merely as isolated criminal acts.”

The impact of a crime against a priest “goes far beyond the loss of an individual,” she said, noting that “the priest often has a very close presence in the life of the community: He knows the families, ministers to the sick, listens to people’s problems, celebrates the sacraments, and can also serve as a figure of trust and mediation.”

“When he is murdered, the community loses someone who fulfilled many of those roles, and an even greater sense of fear and helplessness can take hold.”

She warned that the murder could serve as a warning to other priests: ‘This could happen to us, too.’”

‘The goal is to sow fear’

“The goal is to sow fear,” Sotelo said. The community of Huejutla “is afraid; they have already told us so.”

Despite this, he affirmed that, “the clergy of Huejutla will continue working and carrying out their pastoral mission just as they are doing now.”

According to Sotelo, this type of murder demonstrates “the ruthless power” of organized crime in the country, “where, regrettably, the authorities have been ineffective in managing the situation and ensuring the safety of the Mexican people.”

Appendini pointed out that “a priest working in a community affected by violence does not merely celebrate the sacraments. Often, he is one of the individuals who remains when others have had to leave; he ministers to the families, listens to the victims, defends the vulnerable, and can become a voice denouncing these acts of violence.”

“That can place him in a vulnerable position vis-à-vis those seeking to control territory or impose silence,” she said.

Appendini noted that ACN’s 2025 Religious Freedom Report “points to threats, extortion, murders, assaults, and pressure to remain silent directed at priests and other religious leaders in Mexico.”

However, she clarified that “not every attack on a priest is necessarily motivated by an intent to attack religion. In Mexico, violence can be linked to territorial control, drug trafficking, extortion, or land disputes.”

Religious freedom “comes into play when a person is put at risk precisely for carrying out their mission and ministering to their community,” she said.

‘We must not normalize these situations’

“Fear also has consequences for religious freedom,” Appendini warned, noting that “a person may legally have the right to practice their faith, but if doing so publicly, serving their community, or speaking out against violence puts him in danger, then that right is not being fully exercised.”

“That is why, at ACN, we believe we must not normalize these situations or reduce them merely to statistics. When a priest who serves his community is threatened or murdered, we must also ask ourselves what is happening to that community and to the freedom of the people living there,” she noted.

Sotelo acknowledged that, in both his priestly ministry and his work as a journalist, “we sometimes feel fear; we know that at any moment we could even lose our lives for speaking about these kinds of circumstances.”

However, he affirmed that “God is with us, the Master Jesus is with us, and in the face of that, we have no choice but to continue carrying out our pastoral work as a priest, a journalist, as a reporter.”

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 pope’s visit will be a renewal of faith; many people may sometimes have a faith that is a bit dormant, or they are very practicing Catholics who will come and listen attentively to the message the pope will bring to us,” the bishop stated in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News, following his Sept. 18 meeting with the pontiff at the Vatican.

“I believe it will bring about a renewal, a kind of spiritual springtime, for all of Uruguay,” Tróccoli emphasized.

Uruguay’s bishops were in Rome last week for their ad limina visit to the Vatican, a trip that included various meetings at the dicasteries of the Roman Curia.

The pope received them for an hour and shared one of his primary concerns: how to transmit the Gospel.

“Today, we see a sort of breakdown in the transmission of the Gospel, especially within the family. We can no longer take for granted that families are the ones encouraging their children or teenagers to attend church or receive the sacraments; indeed, the number of child baptisms in Uruguay has dropped significantly,” the Uruguayan prelate noted.

However, he noted that much like in other secularized countries such as France, Uruguay is also experiencing an unprecedented phenomenon: a rise in young adults seeking Christian initiation.

“Baptisms for adults are on the rise, specifically young adults requesting the sacrament of baptism and the full process of Christian initiation: baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist. For us, this is very encouraging,” he commented.

An increasingly secularized country

Uruguay is often described as one of the most secularized countries in Latin America. For instance, it is the only country in the region where Holy Week is not recognized by the government; instead, it was renamed “Tourism Week” by law in 1919.

According to data from the Uruguayan Bishops’ Conference, in a country of barely 3 million inhabitants, approximately 35% of the population identifies as Catholic. Within that group, according to Tróccoli, “we can say that approximately 10% attend Mass every Sunday or frequently receive the sacraments.”

There are also “many who call themselves believers without a religion, that is, without institutional affiliation, who believe in God but do not belong to any specific religion; this is a group that has been growing in recent years.”

He also noted that approximately “40% of the population currently falls into this category, while others declare themselves agnostic or nonbelievers.”

In this context, evangelization constitutes, according to the bishop, “a very great challenge.” The local Church considers Uruguay “a mission country where we must proclaim the Gospel extensively.”

“We must place strong emphasis on the initial proclamation of the Gospel, while the Church also works extensively through various social and human development initiatives, naturally bringing the Gospel and acting out of faith in Jesus Christ, and working for the common good, though these efforts often go unnoticed,” Tróccoli explained.

Drug trafficking, childhood poverty, and suicides

During his meeting with the Uruguayan bishops, Leo XIV showed interest in learning firsthand about the countryʼs social situation.

Tróccoli lamented the extent of “social fragmentation” and the fact that Uruguay is “a society tending toward polarization, just as our world is polarized.”

He also noted the issue of “rising violence stemming from drug trafficking, something we were not accustomed to experiencing. Well, perhaps the rate is very low compared to other countries, but for our society, it is something new and something that deeply affects families."

The bishop also highlighted concerns regarding children living in poverty and the rise in youth suicides, issues he linked to “a lack of a more transcendent perspective.”

“The number of suicides, especially among young people, represents a high percentage, the highest in Latin America. This deeply questions and challenges us as a Church,” he stated.

For the Uruguayan Church, this reality presents the challenge of proclaiming a message of hope. “We must do a better job of proclaiming the Gospel so that it can offer hope, give meaning to life, and provide reasons, truth, for living, growing, and developing as a person.”

A visit marked by devotion to the Virgin of the 33

The visit of the Uruguayan bishops to the Vatican took place less than two months before the apostolic journey with which Pope Leo XIV will begin his Latin American tour.

The pontiff will arrive in Latin America on Nov. 6, lead an event in Montevideo, and meet with President Yamandú Orsi. The following day, he will travel to Paysandú and subsequently return to Montevideo to visit various charitable works of the Church and celebrate a Mass at Centenario Stadium.

On Sunday, Nov. 8, before departing for Argentina, he will celebrate the Mass of the Virgin of the 33, Uruguay’s national patroness, in the city of Florida.

The National Shrine of the Virgin of the 33 is located there, situated about 60 miles from Montevideo. Indeed, the coincidence of dates with the countryʼs principal Marian celebration was one of the factors influencing Leo XIVʼs decision to begin his tour of Latin America there.

The feast of the Virgin of the 33 is celebrated every Nov. 8, although the national pilgrimage traditionally takes place on the second Sunday of the month. In 2026, the two dates coincide, and the pope did not want to miss the occasion.

“For us, it is truly a tremendous gift that the pope could come at this time, especially since it coincides with the feast of the Virgin of the 33, who is the patroness of Uruguay, and the national pilgrimage. The feast day of the Virgin falls on Nov. 8, which is a Sunday this year, and the pope himself will celebrate the Eucharist,” Tróccoli explained.

Memories of St. John Paul II

The Uruguayan bishops presented the pope with two books featuring images of various churches from across the country. They also gave him a collection of letters and drawings prepared by both the faithful and nonbelievers.

Leo XIV has never visited Uruguay. However, some Uruguayans knew him when he was still Father Robert Prevost. During his time as superior general of the Order of St. Augustine, he traveled to Argentina on several occasions, where he met Uruguayan Augustinians.

However, memories of St. John Paul II’s visits remain very much alive among Uruguayan Catholics. The Polish pontiff visited the country twice — in 1987 and 1988 — at a particularly significant time of democratic consolidation following the military dictatorship.

Tróccoli said he believes the visit of Leo XIV could have a similar impact. “It created a sense of unity not only within the country but also a resurgence of faith and personal devotion. We saw an immediate increase, for instance, in the number of people attending Mass or drawing closer to the faith,” the prelate noted.

In this regard, he said he believes Pope Leo XIV’s visit will awaken “the most genuine aspects of the search for faith and of religious sentiment, and from there, more people will want to draw closer.”

The president of the bishops' conference also stated that the trip will mark a turning point for Uruguayan society: “It will be a visit filled with hope. The pope isn’t going to come just for some people; he comes for everyone, and everyone is also invited to feel part of this celebration of encountering him.”

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.

“We have a well-structured routine. We value sound pedagogical planning. Each child has a plan tailored to their age, and we prioritize personalized education for each of them,” the family explained to “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language nightly newscast of EWTN News.

For the Vieiras, home schooling is not merely an academic alternative but a mission directly linked to Christ’s call to become holy.

“That is the goal of Catholic education: heaven, the pursuit of virtue, the pursuit of holiness, and the acquisition of wisdom to truly contemplate the truth,” they stated.

Personalized family-based education

The children’s daily schedule is organized according to their needs. In the mornings, they study the subjects in their educational plan, while in the afternoons, they engage in musical, athletic, and cultural activities, as well as practice chess.

However, this form of home schooling ended up in court.

In late July, a trial court judge ordered that four of Diego and Patricia’s children be enrolled in and attend a traditional school. Additionally, the couple was ordered to pay a fine of nearly $13,000.

The parents said they believe the decision is linked to their public role in advocating for home schooling.

“Because we are public figures and are actively pushing for regulation, we firmly believe this is a case of persecution against leaders of the movement, as the persecution has escalated with each passing year,” they stated.

They also noted that their Catholic identity has influenced how their stance is perceived.

“Because, whether we want to or not, we always uphold the banner of canon law, parental authority, and the family’s authority in the education of children. And when we demonstrate this, we encounter a great deal of prejudice in various situations,” they explained.

‘Home schooling is unstoppable’

Diego Vieira is the president of the Santa Catarina Association of Homeschooling Families and serves on the board of the National Association for Homeschooling. For years, he has supported other families facing legal challenges for educating their children at home.

Together with Patricia, he also spearheads the “Educating for Heaven” project, which offers guidance and materials to families interested in home schooling.

The couple has been promoting this educational approach for over a decade. Their eldest son, Igor, 19, was home-schooled and is currently studying literature and history at a university; he also teaches classes and is a national chess master.

The young man noted that being home-schooled allowed him to develop his abilities at his own pace.

“I was taught to read and write at home, and from a very young age, my parents encouraged me to study. Being able to study at home gave me the freedom to develop at my own pace and have a flexible routine; I could devote more or less effort to tasks I found difficult and truly focus on studying what I enjoyed most,” he stated.

A family active in their community

Despite criticisms leveled at home schooling, members of the Blumenau community highlighted the Vieira family’s social engagement.

City councilman Flavio José Linhares stated that the family maintains an active presence in the city, particularly through sports and culture.

“In chess, the family has already won over 300 medals representing the municipality in the game. So, they lead an active life in the community,” he noted.

The official also expressed his opposition to the court ruling against the family.

“When we saw the decision ordering the family to pay a fine equivalent to 40 minimum wages, we were outraged. We appreciate the quality, care, and love they show for their childrenʼs education,” he stated.

The debate on home schooling in Brazil

There are no official statistics in Brazil regarding the number of families who home-school. The National Association for Homeschooling estimates there are more than 75,000 families and 150,000 students, although these figures come from the organization itself rather than government records.

Currently, home schooling is not regulated by federal law.

In 2018, Brazilʼs Supreme Federal Court ruled that, for the time being, families do not have a recognized legal right to educate their children exclusively at home. However, the court also noted that the constitution does not prohibit home schooling and that it is up to the congress to establish regulations.

A bill to regulate home schooling was approved by the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) and is proceeding through the Senate.

For Diego and Patricia, their defense is grounded in religious and legal principles as well as a matter of conscience.

“We base our position on our faith, our beliefs, Church law, natural law, and human rights. All treaties guarantee this freedom, as well as the primacy of parents,” they stated.

“We’re not doing anything wrong. Therefore, we have a clear conscience regarding this matter and will continue to fight. Home schooling is unstoppable,” they added.

The family has already filed an appeal against the ruling and stated that, if the decision stands, they will take the case to higher courts.

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.

In a Sept. 16 statement, the Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM, by its Spanish acronym) expressed its indignation and sadness over the crime as well as its solidarity with the Diocese of Huejutla, Hidalgo, to which De la Cruz belonged

According to the bishops' conference, the priest’s murder took place on Sept. 15. The newspaper El Universal reported that the body of De la Cruz was found with gunshot wounds along a stretch of the Tolago-Tetlapaya highway in the Lolotla district of Hidalgo.

“We stand in fraternal solidarity with José Hiraís Acosta Beltrán, bishop of Huejutla, his priests, consecrated religious, and the entire people of God of this local Church,” the CEM stated while “calling upon the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to clarify the facts and ensure that justice is served swiftly.”

The Mexican bishops also prayed “for the eternal rest of Father Román,” asking God “to grant strength and comfort to his family, friends, parishioners, and all those who shared in his ministry and his life.”

The CEM statement joins that of Acosta, who urged against speculating about the crime “to allow the relevant authorities to conduct the investigation and report on the tragedy.”

At the same time, the bishop of Huejutla denounced “the alarming situation of violence going on in our country.”

The prelate asked the faithful to work to build “a culture of peace and reconciliation, seeking the eradication of violence, and not to lose respect for the life of any person.”

“Let us allow God, in his infinite goodness, to help us root out from the human heart every destructive sentiment of resentment, vengeance, and hatred that threatens the most precious gift he has bestowed upon us: life,” he emphasized.

According to the Catholic Multimedia Center, 28 incidents of violence against Church members, including the murders of four priests, have been recorded during Claudia Sheinbaum’s term as president of Mexico so far.

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 embassy made the announcement following a meeting between U.S. Chargé dʼAffaires Mike Hammer and the director of Caritas Cuba, Carmen María Nodal Martínez.

In a post on X, the embassy stated that the additional aid will be directed to the provinces of Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, and Pinar del Rio.

Collaboration between the U.S. government and the Catholic Church in Cuba began in November 2025, when the bishops announced they had received an offer of $3 million in aid for those affected by Hurricane Melissa.

This initial humanitarian assistance began arriving in January 2026, and since then, the United States has made further offers of aid, which have been distributed by Caritas Cuba without the involvement of the Cuban communist regime.

On Feb. 5, the U.S. State Department announced a new shipment of humanitarian aid worth $6 million, “following the successful collaboration” with the Catholic Church in Cuba in distributing the initial $3 million in aid.

On May 13, the State Department announced its intention to provide $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Cuba, $60 million of which would be distributed through Caritas.

The first shipment of this aid package arrived in late July.

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.

Dinorah Figuera, who leads the opposition delegation, arrived in Venezuela on Sept. 13 and before national and international media explained that once this weekʼs discussions conclude, the country could expect an announcement regarding the agreements reached.

Meanwhile, Jorge Millán, who is also part of the opposition delegation, stated that they would continue “pursuing a Supreme Court of Justice with honorable, independent, and impartial judges capable of providing Venezuela with an upstanding judicial system after so many years. At the end of the cycle [of talks], we will present clear and verifiable objectives.”

He also stated that this round of negotiations would also address the status of political parties, political guarantees, and “the dismantling of the repressive apparatus” established by Chavismo (the socialist government established by President Hugo Chávez and continued by President Nicolás Maduro) for over two decades. The state of freedom of expression in Venezuela will also be one of the items on the agenda.

“The foundation for achieving a full democracy requires creating the conditions for elections to be held in Venezuela as soon as possible, as quickly as possible. We are laying the groundwork to reach those important areas that will enable all Venezuelans to elect our leaders very soon, with the speed we desire but also allowing for the time this will take,” Millán added.

Concerns and proposals from the Catholic Church

Last week, Cardinals Baltazar Porras and Diego Padrón, together with Bishop Emeritus Ramón Ovidio Pérez Morales, once again spoke out regarding the political and social situation in Venezuela. The prelates had previously raised their voices at the start of negotiations, offering to serve as guarantors of the process.

On this occasion, they addressed the state of “indeterminacy, confusion, and uncertainty” prevailing in the country, offering “certain opinions, judgments, and proposals” that seek to “open the way” to help overcome the current crisis and achieve solid institutional stability and the national common good.

Following the capture and extradition of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, by U.S. forces on Jan. 3, the prelates noted that “changes have occurred, yet neither the desired and expected change nor a shift toward the structuring and functioning of the country in line with the preamble and fundamental principles of the 1999 Constitution is perceptible.”

The cardinals and the bishop cite as examples of this lack of change that there are still political prisoners and a climate of repression as well as a state monopoly on the media and the continued centralization of power. Although these issues have been placed on the negotiating tableʼs agenda, the prelates maintain that these talks “operate within a framework of limited scope and authority.”

In this regard, they pointed out that the state is operating on “shaky and legally undefined ground,” while the executive branch is “illegitimate regarding both its origins and its exercise of power.” Consequently, they emphasized the urgent need to call for elections soon.

Oil deals with few details

A few weeks ago, the Trump administration and the Chavista regime signed a massive energy deal granting the United States effective control over approximately one-third of Venezuelan oil, some 65 billion barrels of proven reserves.

Beyond the economic aspects, the agreement has sparked particular controversy by including Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt López as an intermediary. He has been the subject of several investigations regarding alleged corruption, inflated prices in electricity contracts, and money laundering linked to the oil sector.

Within Venezuela, Betancourt is singled out as one of the key figures responsible for the serious deterioration of the electrical grid, which has led to daily, hourslong blackouts across the country for years, severely impacting the populationʼs daily lives and even resulting in loss of life due to various causes.

While acknowledging they are not experts in the field, Porras, Padrón, and Pérez Morales call for greater transparency in the negotiations and recommend “prudence and a gradual approach regarding commitments.” This, they state, reflects the prevailing sentiment among the Venezuelan people, who are concerned about the fate and use of the “vast sums of money” the state is set to receive.

Greater emphasis on the need to call elections

In light of the foregoing, the cardinals and the bishop underscored the priority of allowing the sovereign people of Venezuela to have a “a defined and clear mandate” regarding the nation’s future, a step that would also offer a sure path toward “encounter, social reconciliation, and peace.”

“God has given us this country as a setting in which to build a ‘new society,’ the ideal of the civilization of love. We Venezuelans, through our own efforts and by invoking divine assistance, must keep hope alive and continue working on this compelling task, striving to reap its fruits of peace, freedom, justice, and fraternity,” the prelates stated.

Delcy Rodríguez in New York?

According to a Sept. 14 Bloomberg report, Venezuelaʼs interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, is considering a trip to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, which takes place next week.

If the trip goes ahead, Rodríguez would be in the same city where Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores are in U.S. custody. When asked about a possible meeting with the Chavista leader, President Donald Trump simply replied: “Maybe, maybe.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that an in-person meeting “probably will happen” if the presence of the interim regimeʼs president is confirmed.

Rodríguezʼs presence on U.S. soil would mark a milestone in relations between Washington and Caracas, following more than two decades of tension and discord.

Within Venezuela, the growing rapprochement between the U.S. government and the remnants of Chavismo is fueling concern and uncertainty regarding the possibility of real political change.

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.

Every year, on the night of Sept. 15, Mexico begins its independence day celebrations by reenacting the “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”). On Sept. 16, 1810, in the town of Dolores, Father Miguel Hidalgo rang the church bells and urged the assembled people to take up arms against the Spanish colonial government.

Mexico’s independence was finally achieved on Sept. 27, 1821, with the entry of Agustín de Iturbide into Mexico City at the head of the Army of the Three Guarantees. The army got its name for its defense of the three “guarantees” of the Plan of Iguala: the Catholic faith as the national religion, independence from Spain, and social and legal equality between between all citizens regardless of ethnic origin.

‘Celebrating independence does not mean turning a blind eye’

In a Sept. 14 statement, the CEM said that in Mexico, “we have made progress in recognizing people’s rights, women’s participation, the strengthening of institutions, solidarity in the face of disasters, and a societal yearning for peace that can no longer be ignored.”

“At the same time, the country continues to bleed from violence, persons inexplicably gone missing, impunity, humiliating inequality, and the forced displacement of entire communities,” the bishops lamented.

For the Catholic Church in Mexico, “celebrating independence does not mean turning a blind eye; it means remembering where we come from so we have the resolve to keep on building.”

In their message, the bishops called on leaders at all levels to ensure “that freedom is not [viewed as] a concession, but is a guarantee; that security and justice cease to be mere promises; and that victims are heard.”

“Furthermore, on the eve of a new election season, we call for public debate to be worthy of the [nation that] sustains it,” they stated, with an eye toward the June 2027 elections, in which the entire federal house of representatives will be elected as well as local officials across Mexico’s 31 states.

The bishops also urged citizens “to love Mexico by acting uprightly every day,” participating politically, fulfilling their personal responsibilities, and “by caring for those who have the least.”

Our Lady of Guadalupe, ‘the heart and soul of our people’

The bishops emphasized that Mexican independence “was born clasping a standard,” noting that “the image of Holy Mary of Guadalupe became the banner of a people realizing that it had become a nation.”

“It was the recognition that this people already had a mother and with her, a common identity capable of uniting the Indigenous person, the person of European descent born in Mexico, and the mestizo in a single home. Even the first president of the republic chose to call himself Guadalupe,” they noted, referring to Guadalupe Victoria, Mexico’s first president.

Originally known as José Miguel Fernández y Félix, the independence fighter adopted that name due to his devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and his confidence in the victory of the independence cause, according to the General Archive of the Nation.

“Two centuries later, she continues to be the heart and soul of our people,” the bishops stated, pointing out that Our Lady of Guadalupe “continues to ask for the same thing as she did on Tepeyac: that her sacred little house [chapel] be built in order to show and give all her love, her compassion, her help and her protection to her littlest children, to hear their cries and remedy their sorrows, their miseries, their pain.”

With a view to the upcoming fifth centenary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which will be celebrated in 2031, the bishops pointed out that "the Intercontinental Guadalupana Novena calls us to make that love an encounter, reconciliation and justice."

‘Protecting and safeguarding’ freedom of expression and religion

Noting that “independence evokes a decisive word: freedom,” the bishops called for “protecting and safeguarding” two human rights in particular: freedom of expression and religion.

The former, they pointed out, “requires media representing various viewpoints, the personal safety of journalists, and a public debate that does not dismiss those who think differently,” while religious freedom “is not limited to worship within a temple but encompasses the right to believe, to educate in accordance with one’s own convictions, to associate, to serve, and to contribute publicly to the common good.”

“This national anniversary finds us amid the centennial remembrance of the Religious Conflict (the Cristero War). We recall it during these celebrations because it was a fratricidal conflict between brothers who shared the same faith, heart, and culture, and because its lesson is urgent: When freedom of conscience is restricted, the entire nation suffers.”

This remembrance, they affirmed, “calls upon us to always call for religious freedom to be fully recognized and exercised as a fundamental human right — for Catholics and for all religious denominations in our country.”

‘The Church is not a guest in Mexico’

The Mexican Bishops’ Conference further emphasized that “the Church is not a guest in Mexico: It has been part of the country’s fabric since before the state even existed.”

The Church in the country, the bishops noted, established and “sustained the first schools, hospitals, and shelters; it educated many of those who envisioned what the nation would be; and it has never ceased to be present where the suffering is greatest.”

“Today, that presence has concrete names: Caritas and its thousands of volunteers in every emergency; schools, universities, and educational foundations; migrant centers, soup kitchens, clinics, and shelters for women and children; human rights advocacy centers; support for victims and their families; the rebuilding of the social fabric; and constant work for peace,” the CEM stated.

The bishops noted that “the social fabric, freedom, and peace in Mexico are also sustained by the quiet, effective work of believers.”

“As the Church, we offer who we are: open communities, hands ready to serve, a voice to speak out without hatred, and the ability to build bridges where others erect walls,” they affirmed.

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 request was submitted to the U.N. special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and human trafficking, Katarina Schwarz, to mark the centennial of the 1926 Slavery Convention and the upcoming Human Rights Council session dedicated to the occasion, “the agenda of which includes, among other issues, new forms of slavery.”

The request is based on the argument that surrogacy reduces the child in utero to an object of disposal, which corresponds to the definition of slavery set forth in the 1926 Geneva Convention, namely, the exercise of the attributes of the right of ownership.

In the case of the woman carrying the baby, her body is subjected to the will of third parties, which includes control over her diet and medical care as well as, potentially, embryo reduction or abortion, the statement explains.

The Casablanca Declaration experts and Juristes Pour l’Enfance point out that "at the international level, several United Nations bodies have already characterized surrogacy as the sale of children, including the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children in 2018 and the Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2019."

Furthermore, in her July 2025 report, the special rapporteur on violence against women and girls called for the eradication of all forms of surrogacy and the adoption of a binding international instrument to abolish this practice. Finally, a June 22 joint statement by states calls for a moratorium with a view to the universal abolition of surrogacy.

In their statement, the Casablanca Group of Experts and Juristes Pour l’Enfance also called on Schwarz to urge states to put an end to this practice within their territories and to commit to its universal abolition.

The Catholic Church also condemns the practice of surrogacy.

In his 2024 address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, Pope Francis described the practice of so-called surrogacy as "deplorable," noting that it is "a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother’s material needs. A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract.”

The Holy Father urged the international community “to prohibit this practice universally,” as “human life must be preserved and defended” at every stage of its existence.

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 artwork, which bears the unmistakable hallmarks of Rupnik’s style, completes the “Biblical Journey” project, an initiative that covered the shrineʼs four façades with mosaics depicting biblical scenes.

Rupnik faces accusations of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse against dozens of nuns — incidents that, in some cases, occurred within the context of his artistic work. He was expelled from the Society of Jesus in June 2023 for disobeying a superiorʼs order not to preach publicly and is currently facing a canonical trial before the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In contrast to the basilicaʼs decision to retain Rupnikʼs art, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France plans to cover all of Rupnikʼs mosaics on the façade of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary ahead of the visit by Pope Leo XIV, scheduled for Sept. 26–27.

The bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, Jean-Marc Micas, stated that the measure was taken out of consideration for abuse victims and that the mosaics will remain covered following the popeʼs visit.

Works by Rupnik and the Aletti Center can be found in various religious sites, such as the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Vaticanʼs Apostolic Palace as well as the shrines of St. Pio of Pietrelcina in Italy and Fátima in Portugal.

Biblical Journey Project

Work on the Brazil shrineʼs exterior began in 2019. The north façade, inaugurated in 2022, depicts the Exodus and the liberation of the people of Israel; the south façade, completed in 2024, portrays the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ; and the east façade, inaugurated in 2025, presents scenes of creation from the Book of Genesis.

The west façade, set to be inaugurated Sept. 12, is dedicated to the Book of Revelation, the Second Coming of Christ, and the Last Judgment. According to the shrine, the scenes represent “Godʼs victory over evil.”

The most recent façade work began in 2025. It features nearly 4,000 square meters of mosaics designed and executed by 39 artists associated with the Aletti Center. The stones used in the project come from countries such as Brazil, Italy, Greece, and Afghanistan.

Rupnik remains listed as part of the team on the Aletti Center’s website. The institution identifies him as the director of the Spiritual Art Atelier since 1995 and head of the Theology Atelier since 2008.

The project was funded by the “Devotees' Campaign,” consisting of donations from Our Ladyʼs devotees across Brazil. The shrine announced that the unveiling of the façade would take place during a “catechetical celebration,” featuring a special program and a live broadcast by the Rede Aparecida media network.

In 2024, when ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News, asked the National Shrine about the projectʼs continuation following the allegations against Rupnik, the institution did not directly answer the questions but issued a statement noting that the “work on the façades of the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida continues under the leadership and execution of the Aletti Center."

The shrine went on to indicate that since 2020, the project has been directed by Italian artist and theologian Maria Campatelli. “Its leadership team comprises 12 women and nine men, alongside dozens of artists of various nationalities who are directly involved in the project,” the shrine added in a statement.

In addition, the shrine noted that the Vicariate of Rome — to which the Aletti Center is accountable — issued “a finding following a canonical visitation, attesting ‘clearly to a healthy community life at the Aletti Center, free from specific issues.’”

ACI Digital contacted the shrine’s press office to request information regarding the inauguration and to inquire about Rupnik’s role in creating the mosaics as well as the criteria that led Aparecida to retain the artwork, whereas Lourdes decided to cover them out of consideration for abuse victims.

The press office stated that coverage would be restricted to the shrine’s official channels and requested that questions be submitted via email. However, no response was received by the time of publication.

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

The announcement was made by President Abelardo de la Espriella, who thanked the outgoing minister and stated that Hoyos is distinguished by “her talent, strength, integrity, and steadfast defense of values.”

In her new role, Hoyos will have to make decisions regarding the measures left by her predecessor, including the review of school textbooks to remove “woke” ideology from schools and a draft decree that would allow private entities — including religious organizations — to support the provision or administration of educational services in areas with limited state presence.

The proposal sparked a debate regarding the role of churches in public education and the secular nature of the state.

“We are interested because religious education, moral education, and ethical aspects have not received due attention in recent years,” Father Edilberto Estupiñán, director of the Bishops' Conference Department of Education, told EWTN News.

However, the appointment of Hoyos has drawn criticism from feminist and leftist circles, including former President Gustavo Petro, due to her past work with former Inspector General Alejandro Ordóñez, Colombiaʼs current ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) and a staunch opponent of abortion.

The new minister also faces the challenge of improving educational quality, particularly following recent national test results that showed Colombian youth regressing in reading and mathematics, with only slight improvement in science.

Additionally, she will face the challenge of restoring infrastructure damaged by the Aug. 10 earthquake, which affected more than 3,500 educational centers and left nearly 400,000 students without classrooms.

Who is Ilva Hoyos Castañeda?

Hoyos was born in Bogotá on Oct. 19, 1959. A lawyer who also holds a doctorate in law, she previously served as dean of the law school and director of the Institute of Humanities at the University of La Sabana. She has also taught at various higher education institutions in Colombia and abroad.

Between 2009 and 2016, Hoyos served as the delegate inspector general for the defense of the rights of children, adolescents, and the family. She also served as an adviser to the Pontifical Council for the Family, participating as a lay expert in the fifth general conference of the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean held in 2007 in Aparecida, Brazil. In addition, she served as an auditor at the first Synod on the Family convened by Pope Francis in 2014.

In Colombia, Hoyos chaired the Episcopal Conference’s National Council for the Culture of Care for seven years, participating in the design and implementation of strategies for the prevention of and response to abuse and violence, as well as in the training of diocesan teams and religious communities.

Hoyos is the author of books such as “Religious Freedom in the 1991 Constitution,” “Freedom and Fidelity in University Education,” “On Dignity and Human Rights,” and “The Legal Dimension of the Human Person,” among others.

Stance on family and abortion

More than a decade ago, during the legal debate regarding same-sex unions, Hoyos stated before the Constitutional Court that “marriage and the family, as institutions and fundamental units of society, are central pillars of the legal system.”

On the subject, she noted that “the characteristics of heterosexuality and procreation — which have been heavily criticized here and which define marriage in Colombia both constitutionally and legally — should not be viewed as grounds for suspecting unjust discrimination against the fundamental rights of individuals or couples with a homosexual orientation.”

Hoyos has consistently expressed opposition to the decriminalization of abortion and defended the right to freedom of conscience, noting that it is “expressly recognized in Article 18 of the Constitution.”

Throughout her career, both academically and professionally, she has been closely linked to the defense of the rights of children and the family as a central part of society.

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.

Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, primate archbishop of Mexico, announced that the grant was issued by the pontiff through the Apostolic Penitentiary.

The jubilee year will begin on Oct. 12, 2026, and end on Oct. 12, 2027. Aguiar indicated that this celebration will also coincide with the 131st anniversary of the pontifical coronation of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The cardinal invited the faithful to attend the Mass officially marking the start of this “time of jubilee grace,” which will take place on Oct. 12 at noon at the Basilica of Guadalupe.

Plenary indulgence during the jubilee year

The archbishop explained that the plenary indulgence will be granted to the faithful who visit “with devotion and a contrite spirit the aacred house of St. Mary of Guadalupe and participate in a liturgical act or spend time in prayer at the basilica.”

To receive it, they must also fulfill the usual conditions established by the Church: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, recitation of the Creed, and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father.

The primate archbishop of Mexico encouraged Catholics to use this period as an opportunity for “spiritual renewal and conversion” under the protection of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

“May St. Mary of Guadalupe, mother of the true God through whom we live, help us to make the most of this jubilee and accompany us on this journey of spiritual renewal and conversion,” he said.

The ‘new basilica’

According to the Nican Mopohua account recording the apparitions of St. Mary of Guadalupe, the Virgin chose St. Juan Diego to convey a request to the first bishop of Mexico, Fray Juan de Zumárraga: the construction of a church “on the plain of Tepeyac.”

Following the miraculous appearance on Juan Diego’s tilma (cloak), de Zumárraga took the image to his private oratory, but a few days later, he placed it out for the veneration of the Mexican people.

By 1695, a simple hermitage had been established; its structure can still be seen today beside the altar of the Old Parish Church of the Indians. The tilma remained there until 1709, when it was moved to what is now called the Expiatory Temple of Christ the King — also known as the Old Basilica of Guadalupe.

By the 20th century — as Father Guillermo Schulenburg Prado, the former abbot of the Basilica of Guadalupe who championed the construction of the new church, explains in his memoirs — the “inadequacy of the old temple to meet liturgical, pastoral, and administrative needs” was evident.

Construction of the new basilica began in 1974, and on Oct. 12, 1976, the image of the Virgin was transferred to its new home.

This is how the Guadalupan jubilee year will begin

Celebrations will commence on Sunday, Oct. 11. Morning prayer (Lauds) and Mass will be celebrated at 8:30 a.m. local time, while Aguiar will celebrate the Sunday Mass at noon. Vespers for the dedication of the new basilica of Guadalupe will take place at 5 p.m.

On Monday, Oct. 12 — the day the jubilee begins — activities will start at 8:30 a.m. with morning prayer and the celebration of Mass.

At 11 a.m., a commemorative video regarding the transfer of the image of St. Mary of Guadalupe to the New Basilica and its dedication will be shown.

At noon, Aguiar will celebrate the traditional Mass of the roses and the opening of the Holy Door, formally marking the beginning of the Guadalupan jubilee year.

The day’s events will continue at 5 p.m. with the archdiocesan rosary; at 6 p.m., a commemorative concert marking the 50th anniversary of the New Basilica will take place; and at 7 p.m., the rosary of Guadalupan love will be held.

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.

“It is the Church’s mission to exhort the faithful to bear witness to the virtues and to avoid vices,” Cota stated in two decrees establishing the new rules. According to the bishop, “the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that vices can be classified according to the virtues they oppose.”

“The virtue of temperance disposes one to avoid every kind of excess, including the abuse of alcohol,” the bishop said. The catechism also states that “it is praiseworthy to impose restitution "to correct vices and maintain justice.”

Sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages

Cota cited Document 100 of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB, by its Portuguese acronym), which states: “The sale and consumption of alcohol at patron saint festivals and other religious events stand in contrast to the Churchʼs efforts to combat drug abuse. There is an urgent need for the conversion of parish communities to avoid the counter-witness of promoting alcohol consumption at stalls and other community recreational activities.”

According to the bishop, "Pope Francis' encyclical Amoris Laetitia, on the family, views drug addiction as one of the scourges of our time — one that causes suffering for many families and, not infrequently, ends up destroying them."

Ban on bingo games and raffles with cash awards

In a second decree, Cota stated that “bingo games and other raffles offering cash awards tend to lead people into addiction to various forms of gaming and betting.” He further pointed out that, “under current legislation, holding unauthorized raffles and conducting bingo games constitute criminal misdemeanors, as defined in Article 51 of Law 3.688/41 and Article 50 of Law 3.688/41, respectively.”

The bishop noted that Amoris Laetitia regards "games of chance and other addictions as scourges of our time that cause suffering for many families and, not infrequently, end up destroying them.” The bishopʼs decree also cites CNBB Document 114, which draws attention to gambling addiction, noting that it “causes great suffering and indebtedness within countless families and in society.”

According to Cota, “tithe offerings and spontaneous contributions from the faithful are the proper means for the Church’s financial maintenance.”

“Should it become necessary to conduct a donation drive offering prizes to participants, or to hold recreational raffles, the prizes must consist of small gifts and household items,” the bishop decreed.

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

During the Mass, the "Creed of the Ecclesial Base Communities” (known as CEBs, by their synonym in Portuguese) was read. This creed, developed in 2016, professes belief in “a God/Goddess present in the diverse experiences of the communities: a God who is close, a liberating and revolutionary God, a God who is a member of the CEBs, who works and struggles just as Jesus of Nazareth did.”

Following the distribution of the Eucharist but before the final blessing, the bishop — who chairs the Episcopal Commission for Social-Transformative Action of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CEPAST-CNBB, by its Portuguese acronym) — introduced the referenced creed. He called it a “supplication from the youth of Latin America, who stand before God asking him to come to meet us,” and entrusted the creed’s recitation to two young men.

“We do not believe in a static, patriarchal, clerical, and hierarchical Church,” stated the text read by the young men at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Conception. “We believe in an inclusive, intergenerational community with a voice of its own. We believe in this Church that struggles, ‘casting its lot with the poor of the earth’ in the face of a dominant capitalist system.”

“We believe we are daughters and sons of a ‘Great Homeland’ free from racism and free from rules governing love — embracing all sexual diversity, women, youth, Indigenous peoples, Black people, minorities, and all those at the bottom of the social order.”

The Creed of the Ecclesial Base Communities is part of a suggested liturgy outline for Masses, worship services, and public gatherings marking the 32nd Cry of the Excluded — a mobilization bringing together pastoral groups, Catholic organizations, and social movements, held annually on Brazil’s Independence Day. CEPAST has called upon dioceses, pastoral groups, and grassroots movements to strengthen this mobilization within their respective jurisdictions this year.

In a message released in June regarding the 2026 elections, the CNBB (National Conference of Bishops of Brazil) stated that “the Catholic Church does not endorse candidates or political parties” but affirmed that the Church, “driven by the Gospel and the mission to proclaim it, promotes life and human dignity, and serves the building of the common good.”

Elections, the CEB Creed, and prayers

During the penitential rite, Mass participants asked for forgiveness for “times when we did not take the country’s destiny seriously during elections” and for failing to speak out against “candidacies backed by economic power that will harm the people and potentially even impose authoritarian regimes.”

The other parts of the penitential rite address wars, people living on the streets, real estate speculation, housing movements, violence against women, and femicide.

During the Prayers of the Faithful, an intention regarding the elections was also included: “For this election season, that we may have the discernment not to vote for anyone who seeks to jeopardize Brazil’s sovereignty or harbors plans for a coup. May we not vote for politicians and parties that wish to turn the public good into an object of profit. Sovereignty is not negotiable.” The assembly’s response was: “Deliver us, Lord, from all those who use politics to betray the Brazilian people!”

CEPAST states it did not draft the liturgy guide

CEPAST’s communications office told ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News, that the CNBB commission did not participate in drafting the document. “The ‘Cry of the Excluded’ is a coalition formed by various organizations, and CEPAST did not participate in drafting the liturgy guide,” said Juce Rocha of the commission’s communications team.

The National Coordination of the Cry of the Excluded includes among its participants Catholic pastoral groups, organizations, and social movements such as the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), Caritas Brazil, the Workers' Pastoral, the Migrants' Pastoral Service, Base Ecclesial Communities (CEBs), the Landless Rural Workers' Movement (MST), the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), the Central of Popular Movements (CMP), and the National Confederation of Education Workers (CNTE).

The national map for this year’s “Cry” documented activities in all regions of the country. In Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Espírito Santo, a march brought together the faithful, pastoral groups, and representatives of social movements, concluding at St. Peterʼs Cathedral, where Bishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa participated in the mobilization. In Santos, São Paulo, the “Cry” was part of the dioceseʼs official agenda and was attended by Bishop Joaquim Giovani Mol Guimarães.

The same order of service was not followed at all Masses linked to the Cry. At the National Shrine of Aparecida in São Paulo, for instance, the Sept. 7 Mass was celebrated within the context of both the 39th Workers' Pilgrimage and the 32nd Cry of the Excluded. The Mass was celebrated by the archbishop of Aparecida, Mário Antonio da Silva; among the concelebrants was the bishop of the Prelature of Marajó, Pará, José Ionilton Lisboa de Oliveira, president of the Pastoral Land Commission.

The Cry was mentioned during the Mass and the homily, but the program used in Brejo was not adopted for the celebration.

The Cry of the Excluded first emerged during the evaluation of the second Brazilian Social Week — promoted by the CNBB in 1993 and 1994 — as a way to continue the reflections from that process. The initiative was also inspired by the 1995 Fraternity Campaign, which featured the theme “Fraternity and the Excluded” and the motto “Was it you, Lord?”

The first edition took place on Sept. 7, 1995, in 170 locations. In 1996, the CNBB adopted the Cry during its general assembly as part of the Toward the New Millennium Project.

Today, the mobilization is led by a National Coordination body comprising the CNBB’s Commission 8, Catholic pastoral groups and organizations, and various social movements and entities — including the CPT, Cáritas Brasileira, the Workers‘ Pastoral, the Migrants’ Pastoral Service, CEBs, the MST, MAB, CMP, and CNTE.

According to the event’s organizers, the choice of Sept. 7 is intended to provide a “counterpoint” to the official Independence Day commemoration. The date has also been identified by the event’s organizers as a moment for “political awareness” and the struggle for a “new national and global order.”

While the movement’s longtime theme is “Life Comes First!”, the slogan for 2026 is: “In defense of the land, peace, and housing, we raise our voices: Women alive and sovereignty!” National demands include ending the “6x1” (six days of work and one day off) work schedule, ensuring dignified housing, agrarian reform, quality public education, and the defense of the SUS (Unified Health System), as well as combating femicide, racism, and what is termed as “LGBTphobia.”

The event’s website states that the choice of Sept. 7 seeks to offer a “counterpoint to the official history of Brazilʼs independence. Contrasting with the civic and military parades that have traditionally marked the day, it calls upon the people — especially the poor and the excluded — to step down from the grandstands, leave passive patriotism behind, and occupy public squares and streets in defense of their rights.”

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

The basilica, located in the city of Buga in the Valle del Cauca department (administrative district), sustained damage to its dome. As a safety precaution, Masses inside the church have been suspended and are currently being held in the town’s central square.

In addition, as the basilica has the legal designation of an asset of cultural interest, any restoration work must be supervised by the Ministry of Culture.

During his Sept. 5 visit to Valle del Cauca, De la Espriella expressed the governmentʼs commitment to “protecting the spiritual symbols of the Colombian people.”

“We already have 1.2 billion pesos [approximately $320,000] to repair our Basilica of the Lord of Miracles, and we are working with the private sector to secure another 5 billion [$1.6 million] to rebuild and repair the basilica so that Masses can be held there,” he announced Sept. 5.

Referring to the image of Christ crucified in the church, which depicts the Savior with dark-colored skin, the president stated the state-funded repairs are intended to “honor our beloved [Black Christ],” as the Lord of Miracles of Buga is also known, “and to defend that symbol of faith and spirituality that means so much to us Colombians.”

The announcement comes just days before the feast of the Lord of Miracles in Buga, celebrated on Sept. 14, which draws thousands of pilgrims.

In a Facebook video, Father Alcides de Jesús Orozco, rector of the basilica, explained that although the basilica is closed, the part of the church where the image of Christ is enthroned suffered no damage and the faithful may enter there.

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.

In its latest editorial, titled “Before taking away their cellphones, let’s look at our own [use],” Desde la Fe (From a Faith Perspective), the archdiocese’s weekly publication, addressed the debate surrounding the use of mobile devices at schools as millions of students return to class this fall.

According to the publication, 19 states in the country (about 60%) already regulate or prohibit students’ use of such devices in schools, except when teachers allow their use for educational purposes.

A ban ‘just by itself’ won’t solve the problem

The archdiocese acknowledged that younger generations “have grown up connected to a screen” and that social media in particular “is part of how they communicate, entertain themselves, and stay informed.”

However, it warned that excessive use of these devices can lead to “distraction, dividing one’s attention, and hindering concentration.” It also warned of the risk that digital content may gain “greater authority than the words of parents or teachers simply because it is more attractive or popular.”

While the archdiocese stated that it is “appropriate to discuss the regulation of mobile phones in schools,” it noted that “it would be a mistake to think that banning them by itself will solve the problem.”

The editorial highlighted the challenge of teaching students the technical use of digital tools while also helping them engage “responsibly” with “the vast amount of information, stimuli, and content to which they provide access.”

A challenge for parents and teachers

The editorial noted that the responsibility cannot solely fall upon children or schools; rather, parents need “tools to set boundaries, give guidance to their children, and learn to manage the use of technology” themselves.

“If a child spends several hours without a cellphone at school but returns to a home where every family member remains absorbed in their own screen, we will have made little progress,” the editorial pointed out.

The Archdiocese of Mexico invited adults to ask themselves: “How often do we ask [our children] to get off their phones while we look at ours? How many conversations do we interrupt to check a notification? How often are we physically present with them, but our attention is elsewhere?”

The archdiocese acknowledged that digital tools “allow us to learn, work, communicate, and connect with others,” but maintained that the challenge lies in “keeping them at the service of the person and not the person at the service of the screen.”

“Regulating cellphones in schools may be a good start, but let’s not make banning them a way to ease our consciences, nor set ourselves up as judges of the younger generations,” the editorial advised.

The archdiocese emphasized that “educating for the digital world requires time and presence,” inviting parents to ask themselves if they are willing to sit down with their children to “get to know what they are viewing, listen to their concerns, and help them establish the criteria needed to discern what they encounter on a screen.”

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 reform was “unanimously approved in general terms,” ​​Assembly President Gustavo Porras stated on Sept. 1 during a special session held in the city of León, according to the Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa.

The reform amends the constitution, which extends the presidential term, as well as those of other high-ranking officials, from six to seven years, with the possibility of renewal.

Ortega has governed Nicaragua for about 30 years: since 2007, and previously, from 1979 to 1990. On July 19, he stated that there would be no further elections in Nicaragua, and on July 31, he proposed the reform — set to take effect in 2027 — that excludes “coup plotters” and “terrorists,”, terms he uses to refer to the political opposition, from participating in elections.

Reforms are a ‘formalization of the usurpation of power’

Ruta del Cambio (Pathway for Change), an organization which defends human rights and the rule of law, declared in a Sept. 2 statement that it “categorically rejects and and gives no legal recognition to the partial reform to the Political Constitution [of the Republic of Nicaragua] approved during the first legislative session on Sept. 1, 2026, by a National Assembly stripped of all independence and reduced to a mere rubber stamp for the will of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.”

Ruta del Cambio counts among its leaders Félix Maradiaga, a former presidential candidate and former political prisoner now living in exile.

“What has been approved is not a constitutional reform. It is the formalization of the usurpation of power through a text drafted in secret, approved without opposition, and voted for with unanimous obedience by those who owe their positions, privileges, and impunity to the couple that has hijacked the state,” Ruta del Cambio charged.

“Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo have turned the constitution into a family’s title deed. They have transformed the state into personal property, the law into an instrument of vengeance, and the republic’s [law enforcement apparatus] into tools of terror against the very people they swore to serve,” the organization emphasized.

Ruta del Cambio called for “rejecting the legal validity of this reform and of any act, mandate, extension, or appointment derived from it, and formally declaring it without force under international law.”

Elections ‘without legitimacy’

“What we are seeing in Nicaragua right now is a reform attempting to hold elections without competition, without legitimacy, and without any possibility of change. In other words, Ortega controls the judges and the playing field, and seeks to firmly establish his authoritarian model without any competition,” stated Arturo Mcfields Yescas, Nicaragua’s former ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), in a Sept. 3 interview with EWTN Noticias, the Spanish-language edition of EWTN News.

“This further undermines not only civil and political freedoms but also another fundamental freedom: religious freedom,” he pointed out.

McFields explained that when the regime speaks of “traitors to the homeland,” it is referring to those who dissent from its rule. “People who questioned Ortega’s authority immediately became traitors to the homeland,” as did those who “simply thought differently” or called for “international mediation.”

“This means,” he charged, “that anyone who does not applaud Ortega becomes a traitor to the homeland.”

U.S. reaction

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on X that “the Murillo-Ortega’s National Assembly gutted what remained of Nicaragua’s democracy in the second constitutional rewrite in two years. The U.S. will implement measures at the next @OAS_official [meeting of foreign ministers] to ensure that our hemisphere stops business as usual with this dictatorship.”

Regarding the United States’ call for countries to sever diplomatic and commercial ties with Nicaragua, McFields called it “an extraordinary start.”

“For the first time, Ortega is facing pressure of this nature. For the first time, the OAS has approved a resolution on Nicaragua almost unanimously,” by convening a meeting of foreign ministers to address the situation, McFields said.

Likewise, neighboring Costa Rica expressed its “deep concern regarding the ongoing deterioration of democracy in Nicaragua, exacerbated by the recent constitutional reform that further limits political and electoral participation,” and stated that it “will support a firm and coordinated response” with the OAS.

The government of Peru, led by President Keiko Fujimori, also rejected the approval of the constitutional reform. In a Sept. 2 statement, it declared that it “will stand with the Nicaraguan people, their political prisoners, their exiles, and all those who are currently persecuted for dreaming of free elections.”

Persecution of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua

McFields questioned the stance of countries like Brazil and Mexico, which did not support the resolution against Nicaragua, stating that “it’s surprising, painful, and something that ought to change. There should be empathy for the suffering of the Nicaraguan people, for persecuted politicians, for priests who have been imprisoned, exiled, or banished, and for the churches that have, at times, been burned down. It is truly grotesque, yet ideology seems to be prevailing over democracy.”

Since 2018, the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship has waged a fierce campaign of persecution against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. Its latest known victim is the bishop emeritus of Estelí, Abelardo Mata (80), who suffers from diabetes, a heart condition, and vision problems. His condition remains uncertain, despite the regime’s claim that he is at home.

In mid-August, the regime released a video of an interview with the prelate, who recently celebrated his 50th anniversary as a priest, without specifying when the footage was recorded.

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.

“Whenever we try to place ourselves ahead of Jesus, instead of following behind him, we cease to be his disciples and lose our way. That is why worn-out dictatorships that hypocritically hide behind religion profane the name of Jesus when they invoke him from their position of power and attribute to him the dominion they exercise over the people, yet never speak of the cross,” the prelate said during an Aug. 30 Mass he celebrated at St. Agatha Parish in Miami.

In view of his past statements, the bishop would appear to be including in that category the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship that controls his country. Indeed, the pro-government news media El 19 Digital proclaims the country is governed in a Christian manner. 

These dictatorships, the prelate continued, “appropriate the name of Jesus to legitimize their authoritarianism while silencing the Crucified One, because a messiah who humbles himself, who serves, and who lays down his life for others unmasks their arrogance and condemns their aspirations to remain in power forever.”

“One cannot profess Jesus as Messiah and Son of God without following him along the path of the cross,” Báez pointed out.

Auxiliary bishop of Managua since 2009, Báez was forced to leave Nicaragua in April 2019 due to his defense of protesters opposing the regime of President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, a crackdown that left more than 350 people dead in 2018, according to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Since 2018, the Nicaraguan dictatorship has relentlessly persecuted the Catholic Church in the country, controlling priests, expelling religious sisters, confiscating church funds and property, banning ordinations, and exiling bishops — such as Bishop Carlos Enrique Herrera Gutiérrez of Jinotega, president of the Nicaraguan Bishops’ Conference, who was expelled in 2025. 

Báez himself had to leave Nicaragua at the request of Pope Francis in 2019 due to serious concerns for his personal safety and now resides in Miami. In August 2025, Pope Leo XIV confirmed him in his role as auxiliary bishop of Managua, albeit in exile.

The bishop celebrates Mass every Sunday at St. Agatha Parish, where the pastor and the parochial vicar, Fathers Marcos Antonio Somarriba and Edwing Román, are also exiled Nicaraguans.

Taking up the cross

Báez explained that “taking up the cross” does not merely mean “accepting setbacks and suffering. The cross is the price of all authentic love”; rather, it also refers to “choosing a life like Jesus’, overcoming the fear of loving, loving without limits, and becoming weak and vulnerable out of love.”

“Taking up the cross means humbling ourselves to enter the world of the poor and the victims in order to stand with them, share in their anguish, and restore the dignity and hope that God desires for them,” he added.

“Taking up the cross means accepting the consequences, almost always painful, of striving to eliminate the suffering of those whom society crucifies, just as Jesus did,” the Nicaraguan bishop emphasized.

The prelate further highlighted that “in a world built on lies, those who speak the truth are persecuted and silenced; in a society rife with injustice, the righteous are shunned and even condemned to death; in a system where the powerful exalt themselves as gods and turn their whims into law, anyone who is critical and refuses to live in submission becomes a target of slander, insults, and persecution.”

‘Thinking like Peter’

Báez also referred to certain situations where one might “think like Peter,” failing to grasp Jesus’ announcement regarding the sacrifice he had to make to save humanity.

“We think like Peter when we do not accept that there are moments in life when the only way to set things right is to go unnoticed, forget about ourselves, be the last, and sacrifice what we cherish most,” he said.

“We also think like Peter when we are unwilling to be inconvenienced for the good of others, to make sacrifices so that others may fare better, or to fight for a society built on justice,” he pointed out.

“We think it’s better not to complicate our lives,” the bishop remarked.

“Many consider it imprudent to speak out against the abuses of the powerful, preferring instead to remain silent or strike a deal with them. Others believe that the world’s problems can only be solved with money, power, or miracles. Jesus, however, teaches us that things change only when we choose the path of littleness and self-forgetfulness; only when we sacrifice ourselves to put God and others first,” Báez explained.

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 cardinal, retired since April 2024, had been under a cloud of suspicion since Paméla Groleau accused him of touching her without consent on three occasions between 2008 and 2010 while she was training or working as a lay pastoral agent. She also told the court she felt “hunted” at another event, saying Ouellet came from across the room to sit next to her.

“The court finds that the allegations describing the four events cited by Ms. Groleau in the context of the class action are false,” Superior Court Justice Martin Castonguay wrote in a decision released Aug. 31.

Castonguay concluded that Groleau’s testimony against the now-82-year-old Ouellet “was neither credible nor reliable,” noting in his judgment that she had changed her story several times.

Two other women testified against Ouellet at the trial, but the judge ruled their testimony was not pertinent to the question of whether Groleau defamed Ouellet. He also concluded Ouellet was “not the author of the gestures” brought into evidence by one of the women.

The allegations against the cardinal surfaced in 2022 as part of a class-action lawsuit launched against the Archdiocese of Quebec and dozens of clergy and lay members. In response, Ouellet publicly denied any wrongdoing and countered with a CA$100,000 defamation countersuit against his accuser, claiming she had damaged his reputation, honor, and dignity.

After the lawsuit was filed, the Vatican chose not to launch its own investigation into the cardinal. In a statement issued Aug. 18, 2022, by Matteo Bruni, then-director of the Press Office of the Holy See, the Vatican found there were “insufficient elements to open a canonical investigation for sexual assault by Cardinal Ouellet against person F,” as Groleau was identified at the time.

In his ruling, Castonguay said the damage to Ouellet — former archbishop of Quebec who would serve as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis — and his reputation was “amplified by the chosen vehicle, meaning that of a class action aimed principally at religious pedophiles, thereby equating Cardinal Ouellet, in the eyes of the ‘ordinary citizen,’ with that group of individuals.” He said it “is difficult to quantify” the true impact of the allegations against Ouellet and awarded him the CA$100,000 he sought.

The class action was ratified Aug. 12, with the Quebec Superior Court approving a CA$31.5 million out-of-court settlement.

In a statement, Ouellet’s lawyers were pleased the court recognized the injustice suffered by the cardinal.

“This judgment reaffirms a fundamental principle: even in the context of judicial proceedings, serious allegations must be based on accurate and relevant facts and advanced with the rigour required by their gravity,” Dominique Ménard said in the statement.

The cardinal has promised to donate the award to organizations fighting against sexual abuse experienced by Indigenous Canadians.

The class action also accused Quebec’s current archbishop, Cardinal Gérald Lacroix, of sexual misconduct. After stepping aside for six months in early 2024, Lacroix resumed his role after a Vatican-mandated investigation found no evidence to support the accusations.

This story was first published by Canada’s The Catholic Register and is reprinted here with permission.

Bishop Ramón Castro Castro of Cuernavaca, president of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM, by its Spanish acronym) was the main celebrant of the Mass. Concelebrating alongside various priests, along with Flores, were Bishop Oscar Cantú of San José, California, chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on Hispanic/Latino Affairs; and Bishop Pierre Goudreault of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

In a brief message, Flores expressed gratitude for “Bishop Ramón’s inspiration in inviting us to this gathering to strengthen this ecclesial communion.”

“In the times we are living through, it will become increasingly important — indeed, urgent — for the Catholic Church in the Americas to speak with one voice, defending the honor of Our Lord and the dignity of the human person — especially the poor and immigrants, who often have nowhere to lay their heads, just like the Lord Jesus himself,” he said.

“We need to preach together and united as one Church, under the guidance of our Holy Father, Pope Leo, and in communion with all the bishops of the world,” he added.

3 distinct countries ‘but one and the same faith’

In his homily, Castro highlighted that this meeting of leaders from North American episcopal conferences is “the first of its kind in our history.”

“We are three distinct countries. We are three Churches with different histories and realities, yet we share one and the same faith, one baptism, one Eucharist, and one mission,” the Mexican prelate affirmed.

Regarding the role of bishops, Castro emphasized that “before being leaders, we are disciples,” and “before having responsibilities, we are men called by the Lord.”

“Perhaps this can be the profound spirit of this gathering of the Church in North America: for all of us to place ourselves once again behind Jesus.”

‘Enormous challenges’

The president of the CEM emphasized that “our peoples face enormous challenges, particularly Mexico,” and pointed to issues such as “violence, demagoguery, corruption, loneliness, secularization, individualism, materialism, polarization, wounded families, and young people seeking reasons for hope.”

He further noted that “perhaps one of the most common themes among the three of us as countries and conferences is migration.”

“Over the coming days, we will have the opportunity to share our perspectives on these realities, not in a spirit of judgment or confrontation but rather out of the pastoral responsibility that falls to us as shepherds,” the bishop of Cuernavaca said.

“We want to better understand the lives of our people. To what end? To be able to serve them better,” he stated.

Castro emphasized that “migration must not be reduced to statistics, public policies, or economic obligations,” because “behind every migrant there is a face, a story, a family, a hope, and, unfortunately, often many wounds.”

“The Church must view these people as brothers and sisters whose dignity must be recognized and protected,” he said.

The Mexican bishop also expressed his wish “that from Cuernavaca we might send a simple yet powerful sign to our churches, churches on pilgrimage in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.”

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 principal resources used by Menezes are the message for the 60th World Communications Day and the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, both by Pope Leo XIV, regarding the safeguarding of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence; the document Antiqua et Nova, a joint note from the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and Dicastery for Culture and Education, signed by Pope Francis concerning the relationship between artificial intelligence and human intelligence; and a reflection by Father Doriano Vincenzo De Luca, head of the social communications service for the Archdiocese of Naples, Italy.

“The starting point for all the Church’s reflection on artificial intelligence is the unconditional defense of the dignity of the human person,” the archbishop of Aracaju explained. The prelate highlighted that the note Antiqua et Nova “places human dignity at the center of discernment regarding artificial intelligence and reminds us that technology must be guided by the good of the person and of society” and that “human intelligence must guide the use of technology for the sake of the ‘authentic good of the person.’”

Therefore, “in light of the guidelines of the Church’s magisterium and with the aim of guiding discernment regarding the proper use of artificial intelligence tools, ensuring respect for the principle of human dignity by ‘preserving faces and voices,’ and ensuring these tools serve as an aid rather than replacing the responsible work that only a human being can perform, we hereby establish” certain guidelines within the territory of our Archdiocese of Aracaju, the bishop said.

Review and transparency

Menezes mandated that “all art produced with the aid of artificial intelligence” within the archdiocese must “undergo a mandatory human review before publication” and that “any and all content generated or manipulated by artificial intelligence” must also “be labeled and clearly distinguished from content created by humans, especially when the use of AI could affect the perception of the reality being presented.”

Prohibited uses for clergy

Regarding the clergy, Menezes directed that “generative artificial intelligence must not be used to reconstruct or simulate the appearance of a bishop, priest, or deacon when the result replaces their actual photograph or could be interpreted as an authentic representation of their appearance or of a situation they experienced.”

He also established that “generative artificial intelligence must not be used to reconstruct or simulate the voice of a bishop, priest, or deacon in a message or speech not originally delivered by them” and that “one must not attribute to a real person an appearance, speech, action, or situation that does not correspond to reality.”

In addition, the archbishop prohibited the use of artificial intelligence to “reconstruct a real person’s face, replacing their photograph”; to “significantly modify a real person’s features”; to “create an artificial appearance presented as their actual appearance”; to “produce images placing a member of the clergy in situations that did not occur”; to “produce a synthetic representation that could be mistaken for a real photograph”; and to “create audio files attempting to simulate a person’s voice in a message or speech not actually delivered by that person.”

AI as an auxiliary tool

According to the archbishop of Aracaju, “artificial intelligence can be used as an auxiliary tool” in nine situations: creating backgrounds, creating textures, generating abstract elements, creating illustrations, suggesting layouts, working with colors, assisting with composition, assisting with editing, and helping to create visual concepts.

“These guidelines are based particularly on the message from Pope Leo XIV for the 60th World Communications Day, in which the Holy Father warns that the simulation capabilities of artificial intelligence can fabricate ‘parallel realities,’ usurp faces and voices, and make it increasingly difficult to distinguish between reality and fiction,” Menezes explained.

According to the archbishop, “the same document” also “draws attention to the need to protect people’s images, photographs, audio recordings, faces, and voices, preventing harmful uses such as digital fraud, cyberbullying, and deepfakes that can violate privacy and personal intimacy without consent.”

At the end of the decree, Menezes exhorted “all pastoral workers, communicators, and the faithful to act with prudence, always consulting their respective ordinaries and respecting current regulations, so that technology may serve the mission and never distort it.” He further emphasized that “everything the Church communicates must be truthful in content and responsible in its manner of representation.”

The archbishop ended his directive with the prayer “May Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of our archdiocese, intercede for us and help us preserve, in every communication, the dignity and beauty of human faces and voices called to reflect Christ.”

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

In the world of video games, “farming” means collecting points toward a goal. Under the Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s “Slang and Trending” category, aura farming means “the act of doing something to look cool, impressive, stylish, etc.” To “farm aura,” the dictionary further explains, means to “do something in order to enhance one’s coolness.”

The expression spread rapidly on social media platforms like TikTok, sparking curiosity and a following, primarily among Gen Z youth. However, the phenomenon’s viral nature quickly moved from screens to the streets.

Through specific gestures that have become hallmarks of the trend, young people gather to “farm aura” and even hold competitions featuring distinctive poses, facial expressions, or ways of walking, with the surrounding crowd deciding who performed best.

Reflecting on this trend, Cardinal Fernando Chomali, archbishop of Santiago, Chile, has observed that "‘Aura farming’ is a desperate cry from young people to be seen, heard, valued, loved, and acknowledged.”

“It’s a different version of the ‘therian’ trend [a person who psychologically identifies with an animal], reflecting the same worrying phenomenon: Many young people feel lonely! And, regrettably, little is said about that," Chomali commented on X.

In another post, the cardinal advised young people: “The best way to aura farm is to approach life with hope and joy. I invite you to study assiduously and to prepare your body and soul well to serve others. What better way to aura farm than by thinking big and building a more just country! Aura for and by Chile!” he encouraged.

Towards that end, on Aug. 27, the cardinal highlighted a relevant social service in Santiago: “The Franciscans of Recoleta, day after day, provide lunch for 150 people. The soup kitchen is very orderly and has a wholesome atmosphere.” The stories the guests “tell of so many people without a home, without family, with nothing, except a lunch served with love by the friars and their collaborators. I love the Church and am happy to have given my life to it! Purely aura farming with Christ,” Chomali indicated.

Tweet

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 term “cenotaph” comes from a Greek expression meaning “empty tomb” and traditionally refers to a monument built to honor a person whose remains are buried elsewhere.

It is common to find these small structures on streets, sidewalks, medians, and highways in countries such as Peru, Colombia, or Mexico, usually placed to mark the location where a person lost his or her life.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Father Roberto Delgado Suárez, a priest of the Diocese of Nezahualcóyotl  in Mexico specializing in grief ministry and palliative care, explained that through Christ’s sacrifice, the cross was transformed from “a sign of condemnation into a sign of salvation.”

He noted that such memorials can help people reinterpret the site where their loved one died, turning a space associated with sorrow into “a sacred place.” He pointed out that, especially for families, the cenotaph serves as a way to express “This is where I last saw my son; this is where my son was — here in this world.”

On the other hand, Delgado noted that for some people, a cenotaph can represent a “call for justice,” as is the case with “mothers or families searching for their children.” In this way, the memorials can take on a dual meaning: an expression of faith, but also “a sign [calling for] justice.”

Although the cenotaphs are neither cemetery monuments nor crypts, the priest urged people to show them due respect, as they are “signs that point us toward God.”

The memorials are built in a variety of ways. Some consist solely of a cross and a plaque bearing the deceased personʼs name; others include photographs, flowers, candles, or religious images. In some cases, families erect larger structures resembling a cemetery monument along the roadside.

Guillermina Hernández Martínez, a psychologist and specialist in thanatology (the study of death, dying, loss, and grief), said the significance of these memorials varies.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, she noted that “sometimes, out on the streets, the crosses are now forgotten,” while others remain tended for years.

Hernández warned that in some cases, too much of a bond to the location of the memorial could hinder emotional healing, as “people often continue to idealize [the deceased] and do not allow themselves to process their grief.” She emphasized the importance of psychological and thanatological support, particularly in the wake of a violent death.

Grief, she explained, is a process requiring time and support, yet one must always remember that “it is part of life,” and for Catholics it is “another step toward being with God.”

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.

Nothing happened the way either of them had imagined.

They arranged to meet on a Wednesday at 3 p.m., the Hour of Mercy, at the very spot where they had courted years before. When Mariela appeared, Harold frantically searched for the sheet of paper containing his complaints. It had vanished.

“I was expecting a war. She opened her arms to embrace me, and I realized that I was the only one who wanted to fight,” Harold recalled in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Mariela said she made that gesture because she had already begun a process of conversion and was holding onto one last hope.

That embrace did not immediately restore the marriage, however. It would still be nearly a month before he ended the other relationship he was in and decided to return to his family. But on that day, they both attest, Jesus won the first great battle.

A marriage marked by woundedness

Harold and Mariela met in 1998 at the Venezuelan College of Engineers. He worked in systems; she was a young lawyer running a legal consultation firm with dozens of professionals under her supervision.

While Mariela had grown up in a Catholic family and frequently prayed the rosary, Harold was completely indifferent to the faith.

“I used to make fun of priests. For me, getting married in the Church was simply a matter of fulfilling a social formality,” he admitted.

They were married in a civil ceremony and on Sept. 2, 2000, received the sacrament at marriage at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Barranco, Peru. However, they acknowledged that they came to the altar without truly understanding the meaning of the vocation of marriage.

“We began our life together without God at the center. That was the first major mistake,” Harold explained.

Over the years, deep-seated wounds began to surface: abandonment, loneliness, pride, an inability to communicate, and unrealistic expectations about love. Venezuela’s economic crisis further aggravated the situation. Harold traveled constantly between the two countries until, one day, he simply stopped coming back.

Mariela was left alone in Lima with her young daughter.

‘Mom, teach me to pray’

Paradoxically, the restoration did not begin when Harold changed. It began when Mariela got down on her knees.

Estranged from the Church and filled with resentment, the young mother had abandoned the practice of her faith after being hurt by a bad experience at a parish. Everything changed thanks to an unexpected request from her 7-year-old daughter: “Mom, grandma says you know how to pray. Teach me the rosary.”

Mariela agreed, more out of a sense of obligation than anything else. Shortly after that, her daughter insisted on making her first Communion and said something that pierced her mother’s heart: “You know what it’s like to have Jesus in your heart… so why don’t you [go to Communion]?”

Those words led Mariela back to the confessional.

From then on, she began a routine that would change her life: daily Mass before work, Eucharistic adoration at midday, and the rosary every night with her daughter.

“I was looking for God to change my husband. The Lord ended up changing me,” she related.

‘Look at me’

During Eucharistic adoration, an experience occurred that would, years later, give its name to the retreat the couple now leads as part of the Peruvian Catholic movement “Jesus and Mary Are Restoring My Family.”

Mariela was praying, seeing herself as the victim in her story: “Lord, look at me. Look at how good I am. Look at what he did to me.”

Then, she raised her eyes toward the monstrance.

“I no longer saw the monstrance. I saw Jesus, wounded and bloodied. And he said to me only: ‘Look at me.’”

In that moment, she experienced a personal encounter with Jesus. She began to recall her own sins from childhood and realized that, for years, she had been unable to recognize her own wounds.

“I realized that God wasn’t going to ask me about Harold’s sins. He was going to ask me how much I loved my husband within the sacrament.”

Her prayer changed completely, and she no longer asked for Harold to return. She only prayed: “Lord, bring him back to you.”

The hell of the occult

While Mariela was deepening her prayer life, Harold was heading down a completely opposite path.

Seeking better financial prospects, he began consulting tarot cards. Next came syncretist Santería practices, and finally Palería, a witchcraft practice involving human remains and animal sacrifices.

“I entered a dark room containing skeletal remains. I felt an indescribable fear, yet I kept looking for answers where they weren’t to be found,” Harold recalled.

Amid that emptiness, he began to notice something strange. Mariela kept calling him, but no longer to get him back.

One afternoon, in a mocking tone, he asked her: “What’s wrong? Don’t you need me anymore?”

Her answer baffled him.

“No. Whatʼs going on is that I have someone here who loves me.”

Harold thought she had another romantic partner, but today he knows his wife was speaking of Christ himself.

Welcomed back with love

After that encounter with his wife in Venezuela, Harold eventually returned to Peru.

He admitted he was terrified of facing Mariela’s family and above all, their daughter. He imagined reproaches, humiliation, and rejection. Yet, he found exactly the opposite.

“They all hugged me as if I had just stepped out to buy bread,” he recounted.

A few days later, he accompanied Mariela to the Oblate Fathers’ church in the Barranco neighborhood of Lima. He had no thought of even going inside. He was standing near the doorway when, as he tells it, he felt an inner impulse that led him straight to the confessional.

“I told the priest: ‘Father, I’ve been separated from my wife for five years, and I don’t know why I’ve come back.’”

The priest invited him to attend a spiritual retreat. It was there that Harold experienced his own conversion.

Before the Blessed Sacrament, after resisting for hours, Harold looked up: “I no longer saw the monstrance. I saw two honey-colored eyes that pierced my heart. I began to weep as I never had in my life.”

From that moment on, he abandoned the occult and began a journey of faith that continues to this day.

An ongoing miracle

More than 15 years have passed since that reconciliation.

Harold and Mariela maintain that the true miracle was not simply living together again but discovering that marriage is a daily path to holiness.

“Restoring the marriage takes your whole life. It doesn’t stop when the husband returns. It begins there,” Mariela said.

That experience gave rise to the “Jesus and Mary Are Restoring My Family” movement, an initiative that supports spouses who are separated or on the verge of divorce. The path they propose begins with oneʼs own conversion rather than an attempt to change oneʼs spouse.

Those who come to the mission begin with what’s called “Mary’s Workshop,” a preparation for consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary that focuses on the sacrament of marriage. There, the aim is for each person to acknowledge his or her own wounds and receive the tools to discern how to handle their issues as a family.

However, Harold and Mariela noted that not all journeys end the same way. Some married couples manage to reunite, while others go their separate ways, including through the process of a declaration of nullity. What remains, they maintain, is the call to conversion and to seek God’s will.

“The Lord wants us to be holy,” Mariela explained. She said that even when a person goes through a process different from what she or he hoped for, suffering can become an opportunity to draw closer to Christ and offer that pain for the holiness of the Church.

Today, when they look back, the couple no longer see themselves as the same people who had separated. Mariela describes Harold as a man more committed to knowing Godʼs love and capable of giving of himself to his family.

For his part, he acknowledged that the woman he reunited with after five years was no longer the same one he had left behind.

For this reason, their testimony does not aim to offer a formula for restoring a lost marriage. It is, above all, the story of two people who discovered that, before asking God to change the other person, they had to allow themselves to be transformed by him.

“Many people come saying, ‘I want my husband to come back.’ We tell them: First, let Jesus return to the center of your heart,” Harold explained.

Their message to couples in crisis stems from that experience: Don’t hide your wounds, don’t let shame defeat you, and don’t confuse restoration with a simple return to the life you had before.

For as they discovered that Wednesday afternoon in 2009, some marital battles are not won by defeating the other person but by allowing oneself to be conquered by God’s merciful love.

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.

While the event has captured the attention of the Catholic community in the country, the Church has urged the faithful to exercise “prudence and restraint.”

A consecrated host that reportedly failed to dissolve

The Niño Dios (Child God) Cathedral of the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima announced in a statement that the occurrence took place on July 30 during a Mass for Eucharistic Missionary Week held at a private school in Cuilapa, a city located approximately 40 miles southeast of Guatemala City.

According to the statement, during Communion, the priest celebrating the Mass noticed that one of the young people who had received the Eucharist “was taking the sacred host out of his mouth; he quickly approached him and was able to prevent him from discarding it on the floor.”

“Following the guidelines for such cases, the priest placed the sacred host in a glass vessel containing water in the rectory chapel,” the statement explained.

The intention was for the host to dissolve naturally. However, according to the statement, “the following Thursday [Aug. 13], while cleaning the chapel, a parish volunteer noticed that the host had not dissolved and bore red stains that could be blood.”

The discovery was reported to the parish priest, who questioned and took a statement from the volunteer who had noticed the situation. Subsequently, the matter was reported to Bishop José Cayetano Parra Novo of the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima.

‘Prudence and restraint’

The cathedral explicitly urged the faithful to exercise “prudence and restraint.”

“Throughout history, the Church has received testimony regarding the real and substantial presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, under this unique form of manifestation,” the cathedral noted in its statement, cautioning that such cases “have been neither common nor easy to discern; therefore, they cannot be called miracles until a full investigation, which must be carried out and will take time, is concluded.”

The cathedral also announced that the host is being reserved “in a special place and will not be on public display,” while Parra Novo is providing “guidelines for the necessary discernment and to enable a study of this possible Eucharistic manifestation” of the Real Presence.

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.

Saint-Simon Catholic Church near the town of Caraquet was reduced to ashes and was considered a “total loss,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said on Aug. 25.

The fire, which consumed the church on Aug. 24, had been “intentionally set,” according to authorities. Police said in a news release that they arrested 68-year-old Gilles Mallet on suspicion of starting the blaze.

In a Facebook post, meanwhile, the town of Caraquet called the parish “a true emblem of our heritage.”

“Far more than just a building, this church held a significant place in our region’s collective memory and cultural life,” the town’s post said.

The parish “welcomed generations of families, hosted gatherings and performances, and was the setting for countless moments that brought our community to life.”

Monica Albert Légère, who lives near the parish, echoed those remarks when she told EWTN News on Aug. 26 that the church was “more than just a building.”

“It was a gathering place — it was the soul and the heart of Saint-Simon,” she said.

She said some commentators blamed immigrants for the blaze, though “no one in Saint-Simon” has leveled such blame. She described local immigrants as “all very kind.”

“We are all heartbroken, of course, but we are united and standing together, and we will get back on our feet as one,” she said.

In an Aug. 24 statement, Bathurst Bishop Michel Proulx, O Praem, said he was “devastated” by the blaze.

“This event has plunged us into deep sorrow,” the bishop wrote, describing the burned parish as an “immeasurable loss.”

“So many memories are tied to this beautiful wooden church: baptisms, weddings, funerals, and so many other significant events,” he said. “Several generations of Christians celebrated their faith there, and it was the precious legacy of our ancestors.”

The bishop said he was offering prayers and support to the Saint-Simon community.

The parish’s roots stretch back more than a century. News reports indicated the church dated to 1918, while the Bathurst directory says that the parish began as a mission in 1910.

The consecration of Brazilian dioceses to St. Michael the Archangel is part of the “Great Reconquest” initiative promoted by the Hesed Institute, a religious institute “dedicated to perpetual adoration and devotion to the blood of Christ, whose charism is to experience, live, and sing of Godʼs mercy through prayer and humble, simple works that transform into powerful intercession.”

The initiative began in July 2025 with the arrival in Brazil of the pilgrim statue of St. Michael from the shrine dedicated to the archangel on Monte Gargano in Italy, the site of the archangelʼs apparitions. To date, 35 Brazilian dioceses have been consecrated.

“Consecrating the diocese to the archangel aims to renew faith and seek spiritual protection against adversities,” Borges explained on the Diocese of Foz do Iguaçu’s website. The diocese noted that the consecration is in response to a request from the bishop.

Diocesan pilgrimage

The 20th diocesan pilgrimage aims “to bring the Catholic community together for a moment of faith and devotion to the Most Holy Mother of God,” the Diocese of Foz do Iguaçu stated.

The event begins with a triduum Aug. 26–28 held across 30 parishes in 14 cities within the diocese.

On Aug. 29, the day the Church commemorates the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, patron saint of the Diocese of Foz do Iguaçu, a Mass with the participation of the youth ministry will be celebrated at 7 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Parish in downtown Foz.

On Aug. 30, the day of consecration, the program begins with a gathering at 7 a.m. at Mitre Square. At 7:30 a.m., pilgrims will walk in procession to the cathedral carrying the pilgrim images of Our Lady of Guadalupe (the cathedralʼs patron saint) and St. John the Baptist.

The Mass consecrating the Diocese of Foz do Iguaçu to St. Michael the Archangel will take place at 9:30 a.m.

Afterward, there will be the recitation of the rosary and confessions. The Mass for the Sick will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Starting at 3 p.m., the Hesed Institute will lead a time of praise, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and the “Combat Rosary.”

The Diocese of Foz do Iguaçu invited everyone to donate "clothing in good condition, nonperishable food, and personal hygiene and cleaning products for those in need.

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

The symposium drew 240 participants, 76% of whom were laypeople. According to Rebouças, the event was open to this audience because its goal was not “to provide training for performing exorcisms” but rather “to reflect theologically in light of Scripture, tradition, and the magisterium on the reality of the angelic beings who chose damnation.”

“We are convinced that this perspective is highly beneficial for deepening the faith of any and every Christian,” he said.

The gathering was organized by Marian Community Oasis of Peace with the support of the Archdiocese of Fortaleza and took place in the central auditorium of the Catholic College of Fortaleza.

Among the speakers were Bishop André Vital of Limoeiro do Norte in Ceará state; Father Pedro Paulo Alexandre, exorcist from the Archdiocese of Florianópolis in Santa Catarina state and member of the International Association of Exorcists (AIE, by its Portuguese acronym); Father Fellinto de Oliveira Britto, exorcist from the Diocese of Tianguá in Ceará state and a psychologist; Father Antônio Gomes Macedo Júnior, assistant exorcist; medical doctor Mauro Martins, also an assistant exorcist; and Father David Piter, exorcist from the Diocese of Quixadá in Ceará state and Rebouças.

The lectures dealt, among other topics, with demonology in the Gospels and the liberating ministry of Christ, the Churchʼs guidelines for the ministry of exorcisms, the distinction between prayer for deliverance and exorcism, and the discernment between psychiatric pathologies and possible spiritual phenomena.

Appointment by the bishop required

According to Rebouças, the meeting presented the AIE’s guidelines to “make it clear that only priests duly appointed by the bishop may perform solemn exorcisms.”

The priest stated that the guidance highlights “the Catholic Church’s commitment to pastoral ministry focused on discernment and mercy, rather than fear and sensationalism.”

The symposium also addressed the necessary precautions during prayer for healing and deliverance, particularly regarding individuals who become highly distressed during such prayer.

“Talks by both exorcists and mental health professionals addressed the need for prudence during prayer for healing and deliverance as it is frequently observed that highly suggestible individuals become emotionally destabilized during events that strongly appeal to the emotions,” Rebouças said.

According to him, participants were instructed on “what procedure to follow when a member of the faithful experiences a crisis during [such prayer], in order to protect him from unnecessary exposure and avoid leading to hasty conclusions about possible activity by the evil one.”

Moral certainty required

Another topic addressed was the discernment between possible extraordinary action by the devil and illnesses or other conditions of natural origin.

“The guidelines for the exorcism ministry state that it is not permissible to perform an exorcism on a member of the faithful until the exorcist possesses moral certainty that the case involves extraordinary action by the evil one, rather than merely an illness or condition of natural origin,” Rebouças explained.

Therefore, according to him, “mutual collaboration among the exorcist, family members, and healthcare professionals, especially mental health professionals, is extremely important.”

“It is certainly not the exorcist’s role to provide a psychiatric diagnosis for the person nor is it the role of scientists to say whether the devil exists or not,” he said. “Each performs their respective role, observing signs of improvement or deterioration in the person throughout the process of accompaniment.”

“Sometimes, a deeply devout but mentally ill believer refuses to take their medication until the priest comforts them by saying, ‘I will bless your medicines!’” he said. “And faith encourages the person to follow the treatment and therapies through which they find healing.”

“An exorcist will never discourage a believer from making use of scientific therapeutic resources,” the priest added.

“It is also not uncommon, in cases of genuine extraordinary demonic activity, for a doctor to tell the family: ‘We have done everything within our power!’ or even: ‘This defies scientific explanation!’” he said.

“In this sense, the Church’s faith offers an explanation that addresses the human need regarding spiritual realities,” Rebouças said.

The priest highlighted the importance of the training sessions for assistant exorcists offered by the Portuguese-language secretariat of the AIE in which laypeople and healthcare professionals may participate. The next training session will take place Nov. 27–29 at St. Benedict Monastery in Rio de Janeiro.

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

However, religious tourism is far from reaching its full potential, according to Adrián Lomello, director for the Americas of the World Religious Tourism Network. The situation, he said, represents an opportunity that the Church should not let slip by.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Lomello explained that while pilgrimages constitute a phenomenon that has existed for centuries, the question is what pilgrimage destinations effectively provide visitors and how such sites can be enhanced to better welcome pilgrims while maintaining the integrity of their religious identity.

A phenomenon that attracts millions

According to data from the World Religious Tourism Network, around 400 million people travel to faith-based destinations each year, accounting for approximately 20% of global tourism.

Pilgrimage tourism alone generates economic activity worth nearly $18 billion, according to the network.

Latin America in particular plays a significant role in this sector. The region receives around 80 million pilgrims annually, and the segment is seeing estimated yearly growth of between 6% and 8%, based on data from the World Religious Tourism Network.

A few examples illustrate​​ the scale of the phenomenon.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, for example, receives nearly 22 million visitors each year. In Brazil, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida annually draws approximately 12 million pilgrims.

Another lesser-known example is La Tirana in northern Chile. During its religious celebrations, a town of about 1,500 inhabitants receives more than 150,000 pilgrims, coming mainly from Chile, Peru, and Bolivia.

“Regardless of how they are organized, those people will keep coming year after year because they are driven by a deep spiritual motivation,” Lomello explained.

Latin America specifically has over 3,000 registered shrines, hundreds of pilgrimage routes, major religious celebrations, and a heritage built up over centuries.

However, that heritage is not always accompanied by the infrastructure, information, services, or policies needed to make the most of it.

“Today, it’s an invisible sector. It goes unnoticed by churches, the public sector, and businesses alike,” Lomello stated.

The specialist noted that dioceses tend to focus on maintaining their churches and carrying out pastoral work. Governments, meanwhile, address other needs, while businesses seek out commercial opportunities.

The result is a constant flow of pilgrims, yet often no one takes charge of organizing everything that happens around them.

“We have extraordinary resources, but a resource on its own does not create development. It must be transformed into a tourism product,” he noted.

This does not mean turning a shrine into just another tourist attraction. It means, Lomello explained, “creating the conditions so that visitors can get around, find food, rest, explore the site, and understand its history.”

Having a shrine is not enough

Lomello emphasized that a church, a basilica, or a pilgrimage with huge numbers of participants is not enough to build a religious tourism destination. “You need to have products; you need to develop products,” he explained.

“The product consists of a narrative, a presence on social media, signage, adequate infrastructure, restrooms, good cuisine, the route itself, transportation, and communication,” he replied.

For example, a person might visit a shrine to attend a celebration and return home shortly after. However, if the surrounding area offers museums, tourist routes, local cuisine, heritage sites, cultural activities, and other attractions to explore, the experience can be extended.

“This is what we want cities to do, offer other things: good cuisine, engaging activities, museums, and events,” he stated.

The money doesnʼt just stay at the shrine

For Lomello, one of the advantages of religious tourism is precisely that the money can be distributed among various sectors of the community.

“The pilgrim arrives, spends money locally, buys handicrafts, stays overnight — perhaps an extra day — and visits a museum. The economic benefits spread throughout the entire community,” he explained.

This can benefit hotels, restaurants, merchants, artisans, transportation providers, and other workers. It can also help preserve the churches and religious sites themselves.

“Religious tourism is not going to take away the Churchʼs leading role, it is going to give it resources,” he said.

However, Lomello emphasized that religious tourism cannot be reduced to an economic issue, since “the spiritual benefit is fundamental.”

Religious tourism is not going to take away the Church’s leading role, it is going to give it resources.”

Adrián Lomello

World Religious Tourism Network

A pilgrim who arrives at a shrine may be looking for more than just getting to know a place. He may want to pray, go to confession, attend a Mass, or simply reconnect with his faith.

“The impact of a good spiritual narrative is conversion. It’s when someone, through religious tourism, arrives and is deeply moved by the story [behind the place] and the religious images, and asks for confession. That’s conversion,” he noted.

The Camino de Santiago model

One of the experiences that can serve as a model is the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

According to data shared by the network, the route welcomes around 530,000 pilgrims annually and generates an estimated annual economic impact of over $580 million, following decades of planning.

This comparison is of particular interest to Latin America, where there are numerous religious routes and destinations that attract large numbers of people but still lack planning.

“The difference lies not only in its heritage. It lies in policy decisions. Destinations that ignore their spiritual heritage are not making a cultural mistake; they are making a strategic economic development mistake,” Lomello asserted.

‘Lift up your gaze’

Lomello said he believes the Church has an important role to play in this process, but it cannot do it alone. Coordination is needed between dioceses, parishes, authorities, businessmen, and local communities.

Data is also needed. The region needs to know how many pilgrims it receives, where they come from, how long they stay, what services they use, and what their needs are.

The World Religious Tourism Network proposes, among other measures, doing market analysis, developing specific public policies, putting the destinations online, training those who work with pilgrims, and creating avenues for exchanging information among the various stakeholders.

For Lomello, the first step is to change the way the phenomenon is viewed.

“As the pope said in Spain: ‘Lift up your gaze.’ Lift up your gaze. Look at the religious tourism sector: an opportunity for development,” he urged.

And that opportunity, he emphasized, should not be viewed as competing with the Churchʼs mission.

“This is a time to lift up our gaze, to say: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, there is an opportunity here.’ Let us all work together, because this is for the benefit of all,” he affirmed.

Top 10 destinations in Latin America

According to data compiled by the World Religious Tourism Network, these are the top 10 religious destinations and celebrations in Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean, ranked by estimated annual visitor numbers:

1. Mexico — Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe: 20 million

2. Brazil — Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida: 12 million

3. Argentina — Shrine of Our Lady of Luján: 10 million

4. Peru — Shrine of the Lord of Miracles: 5 million

5. Colombia — Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá: 4 million

6. Guatemala — Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary: ​​3.5 million

7. Ecuador — Shrine of Our Lady of El Quinche: 2.5 million

8. Venezuela — Basilica of Our Lady of Coromoto: 2 million

9. Chile — Shrine of the Virgin of Lo Vásquez: 1.5 million

10. Dominican Republic — Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia: 1.5 million

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.

His remarks followed the death due to a pregnancy complication of Stefano, the son of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and his wife, Lavinia Valbonesi.

On Aug. 15, Interior Minister Nataly Morillo announced the news and offered her condolences to the presidential family.

Many comments appeared on social media questioning the characterization of the loss as the death of a “child” rather than an embryo or fetus, or arguing that the matter should have remained private.

For Proaño, a lawyer with the firm Dignidad y Derecho (Dignity and Law), these reactions reveal “a lack of understanding regarding pregnancy loss and a lack of empathy that goes beyond the political debate over the way the president is running the country.”

“Many people approached this topic by first claiming it’s a ‘fake news’ story — arguing that it’s not a child, but rather an embryo or a fetus — and secondly, by insisting that it’s a matter that should remain private. And this reveals, as I said, a profound lack of empathy,” he noted in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

‘There’s already an expectation’ of welcoming the child

The lawyer explained that regardless of gestational age, “parents who already know, long for, and look forward to welcoming this baby are already forming an expectation, both on the psychological and social level.”

He said there can be “severe psychological impact following the loss” but also “long-term effects when the time comes to decide whether or not to try for another child.”

The lawyer also noted that this suffering can arise in everyday situations, particularly when the mother encounters other women with babies.

Proaño said he believes the scale of the phenomenon makes it important for society to learn how to support those going through this type of grief. “According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 women has experienced pregnancy loss at some point in her life,” he stated.

The lawyer noted that while the circumstances of a miscarriage or an abortion may differ, both situations can involve suffering and grief.

“Induced abortion often entails a greater sense of guilt,” he said.

Regarding miscarriage, he said there is also “a great deal of suffering regarding why the pregnancy could not be carried to term.”

“Many questions remain unanswered, and this creates a great deal of anxiety and can even lead to cases of severe depression in women and families going through this grief,” he continued.

The need for protocols regarding pregnancy loss

Proaño said he believes healthcare systems should have protocols in place to care for women who lose their babies during pregnancy.

“The first and most important aspect is institutional support from a medical standpoint. In many Latin American countries, there are protocols known as ‘butterfly protocols’ for the care of women experiencing pregnancy loss,” he explained.

In this practice, the silhouette of a butterfly is placed on the headboard of the patient’s bed, alerting the hospital staff to be particularly sensitive to her emotional state. The butterfly symbolizes a brief life, fragility, and transformation.

Ecuador does not currently have an official protocol from the Ministry of Health. “There are foundations promoting these types of protocols, and individual hospitals may implement them, but it largely depends on whether the hospital authorities choose to adopt them,” Proaño stated.

These protocols, he explained, aim to prevent situations that could increase the suffering of a woman who has just lost her child.

“What do these ‘butterfly protocols’ mean? It means healthcare staff are sensitized that they don’t say things like, ‘Oh, right. Well, it would have been better if you’d done this or that, and then you wouldn’t have lost the baby,’” he explained.

He also emphasized the need to avoid placing a woman who has just suffered a loss “in the maternity ward, where you can hear and see other women with their babies.”

Proaño even proposes identifying these patients: “They should be given a separate room and identified by a symbol or a sign on the door, so that when a nurse or doctor walks by, no one makes the mistake of asking, ‘And where is your baby? Why haven’t they brought your baby to you?’” he said.

In addition, the woman should receive psychological care, he noted.

Employers should also have to make allowances

According to Proaño, families also need “social recognition that extends to the workplace.”

“In Ecuador, these cases often only qualify for three days of leave for a family emergency, and three days is not enough,” he maintained.

“Many of these people go through episodes of severe depression, return to work, and are then fired because the enhanced job protection afforded to pregnant women because they are carrying a child does not apply. But if the baby dies, they don’t benefit from this leave,” he added.

Parents' right to say goodbye to their child

Another aspect the lawyer deems necessary to review is what happens to the babyʼs remains following a pregnancy loss.

Measures should be in place “to ensure the baby can be given a proper burial," he stated.

Proaño explained that, according to Ecuadorian regulations, there is a distinction regarding the release of remains based on whether the pregnancy has reached 22 weeks of gestation.

“In Ecuador, up to the 22nd week of pregnancy, hospitals are not required to hand over the child — the body or remains of the fetus — and may simply dispose of it, donate it for research, or even sell it to institutions,” he stated.

He said this situation can deprive parents of a step that is important for the grieving process.

“This baby is the child of a family that deserves and needs, for the sake of their grieving process, to bury him and have a place to go to mourn his death,” he noted.

In his view, families should receive clear information about their rights and be able to decide what happens to their childʼs remains.

“Parents should be provided with informed consent that explains this possibility and their rights, so they can make a decision. And if they ultimately decide not to take the fetus, they should also be able to decide on its final disposition,” he explained.

‘An unborn child is a child’

Beyond the legal and medical aspects, Proaño said he believes there is a cultural challenge: “A great deal of work to raise awareness and foster understanding” needs to be done, he noted.

“Because an unborn child is a child; it’s not merely a fetus,” he emphasized.

The lawyer lamented that many families do not even receive condolences after losing a child during pregnancy. He also questioned certain responses that may seem well-intentioned but ultimately minimize the pain.

For example, he said, “there are many doctors who say, ‘You can get pregnant again; there’s no problem.’ As if that loss could simply be erased from a mother’s heart.”

An issue that also involves the state

Proaño maintained that the response should include public policies focused on prevention, support, and family protection.

“At the state level, there are these three points: promoting the implementation of support protocols; ensuring proper informed consent when the disposition of the fetuses is to be decided; and enacting workplace reforms to grant parents more time to grieve the loss of their child in accordance with the law,” he explained.

“And also, having awareness-raising campaigns. Furthermore — taking it a step further — it would be very important for the state to take up this issue as a public policy necessity,” he added.

Proaño said he also believes that proper preventive care during pregnancy can help reduce some pregnancy losses. He cited, among other factors, medical monitoring during pregnancy and the detection of potential vitamin or hormonal deficiencies.

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.

Friar Luis Enrique Ramírez, a Dominican priest and rector of the basilica located in Lima’s historic center, explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, how the relic is preserved and where it is kept within this historic church entrusted to the Order of Preachers.

“St. Rose’s skull has been here in the basilica since the late 1800s, around the time this neoclassical altarpiece was created,” the priest explained, standing before the reliquary housing the first-class relic. The reliquary, which also holds significant relics of St. Martin de Porres and St. John Macías, “consists of two parts: One section holds the skull itself, which wears a crown of roses that was originally gold but is now silver,” the priest noted, adding that the original crown was stolen.

The other part is a small box containing some of her bones, he said.

There is also a tablecloth she embroidered, which serves as an example “of the work she used to do.”

The Dominican friar also noted that over time, her bones “have been divided into minuscule fragments, and relics of St. Rose of Lima are found in a great number of places all over the world.”

St. Rose’s house, located very close to St. Dominic Convent, preserves 10 objects belonging to the first saint of the Americas, such as her betrothal ring to the Lord, soil from her grave, and a handwritten letter.

Why are there relics of saints like St. Rose of Lima?

Ramírez explained that the relics of saints represent “a way for the faithful to share in the holiness of the person they venerate. Being close to the saint is a very ancient tradition in the Church.”

By being near saints’ relics, the faithful can “share in their holiness; it’s a way to find encouragement. It’s also a way to help you, in some sense, to strive to live your life in a state of grace.”

The Dominican priest noted that given the current trade in relics and the risk of counterfeits, the Holy See has established clearer and stricter regulations for handling requests for a saintʼs relics, particularly to verify their authenticity. This process requires authorization from a bishop and, in the case of St. Rose, from the Dominicans.

Plaque commemorating the mystical betrothal of St. Rose of Lima

Inside the basilica, on the left side of the nave, there is a plaque on the floor marking the exact spot where St. Rose of Lima’s mystical betrothal took place in 1617 — the moment she consecrated herself entirely to the Lord after hearing the words “Rose, be my spouse.”

According to Ramírez, the saint had come to the site of the former Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary to bid farewell, as she was preparing to become a Poor Clare nun; her friends had raised funds to enable her to enter the convent with the required dowry, as was the custom at the time.

“She came to bid farewell to Our Lady of the Rosary represented by the image that at that time was in her chapel, right where the plaque is now, and that is where the phenomenon occurred in which she became so heavy she could not be lifted, and where the mystical betrothal to the Infant Jesus also took place,” the Dominican friar explained.

“She realized that God did not want her to be a nun but rather a laywoman, so she decided to join the Dominican Third Order as a laywoman, here at St. Dominic Convent in Lima,” he added.

The ‘new’ chapel of St. Rose of Lima and another first-class relic

During a tour of the St. Dominic Convent Museum, Ramírez showed EWTN News a “new” chapel, erected about 10 years ago in a space that had previously been the room of another Dominican friar.

“On the main altar stands the image of St. Rose of Lima, the patron saint of Peru, America, and the Philippines, which is carried on a litter during the Aug. 29–30 processions,” the priest explained.

Beneath the image “lies a relic: the shoulder blade of St. Rose of Lima. And everything in the chapel is dedicated to her. We have paintings, both old and new, including of St. Catherine of Siena, to whom St. Rose was devoted, as well as images of St. Rose’s ‘Doctorcito’ [‘Little Doctor,’ her affectionate name for the Child Jesus], the image to which she held great devotion.” There is also Our Lady of the Rosary of the Creoles’ Confraternity and “the most important sculpture: the marble work by Melchiorre Cafà, which was present at St. Rose’s beatification ceremony at Santa Sabina Basilica” in Rome in 1668.

What lessons can Catholics today learn from St. Rose of Lima?

“Let’s remember that St. Rose of Lima was a laywoman; that is, she was not a religious sister but someone who lived in her own home,” the Dominican priest noted.

Ramírez recalled how the saint worked at various tasks such as embroidery and helping in other households to contribute to the support of her family. At the same time, he continued, “St. Rose was fully aware of God’s presence in her life and engaged in profound mystical prayer, imitating St. Catherine of Siena in what is known as the inner cell.”

This, he said, means that “she did not have a physical cell to retreat to, as in a monastery, but she did have an inner cell where she could take refuge, and indeed she had many mystical experiences in that regard.”

Rose of St. Mary, as she is also known, lived a life “deeply committed to the suffering and the needy in her society, to the poor who needed her help not just with her counsel but also with medical care, comforting, and assistance in general.”

In this way, Ramírez emphasized, St. Rose of Lima is “a very contemporary example” for any Catholic today. Like St. Rose, he said, “you can work to earn a living, you can commit yourself to mystical prayer, and you can commit yourself to social work in the service of the needy,” living a “committed life within our Church and, furthermore, in the spirit of our Dominican charism.”

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 production was screened last month during the third edition of Cinema ExpoCatólica at the ExpoCatólica 2026 event in São Paulo, where Alvarez also gave a talk titled “Lola and the Phenomenon of Genuine Brazilian Faith.”

Who is Lola?

Her inexplicable ability to live only on the Eucharist certainly draws attention to her, but for Dr. Claudio Bomtempo, who was her attending physician during the final five years of her life and is now a leading advocate for her cause of beatification, that was never the most important aspect of her person. According to Bomtempo, Lola’s mission was to make the Sacred Heart of Jesus better known and loved.

“Lola did not want to be remembered herself; rather, she wanted the Sacred Heart of Jesus to be better known and loved,” Bomtempo told ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News.

The Church dedicates the month of June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as well as the first Friday of every month. According to Bomtempo, Lola “knew she was the one who could get people in Brazil to reflect on the power of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

“All that matter of not eating, drinking, or sleeping does not, in reality, constitute the essence of Lola’s holiness; rather, it is a sign — a way of drawing attention — that I believe the heart of Jesus allowed, so that she could simply be recognized as a manifestation of the presence of the heart of Jesus,” he said.

For him, “her holiness is due to her virtues and her sacrifice, to the martyrdom of all those years … and to her intimacy with the heart of Jesus, which was truly awe-inspiring.”

According to the doctor, Lola would often interrupt conversations to pray and ask Jesus, “What do you want from me, Lord? What do you want me to do? What do you want me to say?”

Devotion to the Sacred Heart

Lola was born on June 27, 1912, in Mercês, Brazil, and as a child moved with her family to Rio Pomba, where she died in 1999.

When she was about 16 years old, she fell from a jabuticaba tree, fractured two lumbar vertebrae, and was left a paraplegic.

“Finding herself in that situation — knowing she would never walk again and would not realize the dreams she might have cherished, such as becoming a mother or a religious, Lola decided to dedicate the rest of her life to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the heart of Mary. This was Lola’s initial response to a difficult situation, to terrible news,” Bomtempo related.

Following this decision, changes began to occur in her body that would mark the rest of her life. According to the doctor, she ceased to feel hunger, thirst, or the need for sleep.

“Over the next five or six years, they insisted that she eat, but she felt no hunger,” the doctor explained. On Good Friday in 1943, “she decided she would eat no more. From that moment on, she received only the holy Eucharist each day.”

The phenomenon, known as inedia, total abstinence from food, sparked the interest of doctors, researchers, the curious, and pilgrims. According to Bomtempo, this never diverted Lola from what she considered her true mission: leading people to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“People began coming in large caravans and receiving graces, always through the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” he said.

To him, Lola was “simply a secretary of the heart of Jesus.”

“She only pointed to Jesus. She also possessed many gifts of the Holy Spirit — gifts of revelation, prophecy, and knowledge — and she always used them for the good of others,” he continued.

Allowed to keep the Blessed Sacrament in her room

Since she did not sleep, Lola received permission from the then-bishop of Mariana, Oscar de Oliveira, to keep the Blessed Sacrament in her room.

“Lola remained confined to her bed for those 64 years. She kept a 24-hour vigil before the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Eucharist,” Bomtempo recounted.

He recalled asking her once why she never left the room, not even to go out into the courtyard.

“My place is here, before the Blessed Sacrament, before the heart of Jesus,” Lola replied.

A devotion that endures

In the Church, the first Friday of each month is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion that spread widely, particularly following the revelations received by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century.

Recommended practices include confession, Communion, and making reparation for sins committed against the love of Christ.

According to Bomtempo, it was this devotion that Lola sought to spread throughout her life.

The cause for her beatification was opened in 2005 by the then-archbishop of Mariana, Luciano Mendes de Almeida, who had known Lola personally.

According to Bomtempo, the archbishop once told him: “Lola possesses more virtues than are necessary for sainthood. That will happen at the right moment.”

The cause stalled for years due to bureaucratic issues and was resumed just last year, when the current archbishop, Airton José dos Santos, appointed Father Rodney Francisco Reis da Silva as the postulator for the diocesan phase.

Once that phase is concluded, the cause will be sent to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, where it can advance toward the recognition of heroic virtues, the stage at which the person could be declared venerable. Subsequently, the recognition of a miracle is required for beatification and a second miracle for canonization.

For Bomtempo, Lola’s entire life pointed toward this devotion. “What she spoke of most was trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

Pilgrimage site

Today, Recanto Sítio da Lola (Lola’s Retreat Place) in Rio Pomba is under the care of Father Jamilson Inácio da Silva, pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, who administers the site at the request of the archdiocese.

The site has become a place of pilgrimage, welcoming the faithful from across Brazil on the first Friday and third Sunday of every month for Masses and times of prayer.

The room where Lola lived for over 60 years remains preserved and can be viewed through a glass partition.

In May, the site was reopened for a special occasion — the celebration of the first Mass since the death of the servant of God in 1999 — celebrated by the archbishop emeritus of Juiz de Fora, Gil Antônio Moreira, and concelebrated by Father Rodney Francisco Reis da Silva, the postulator for the cause of beatification.

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 bill’s explanatory statement notes that the initiative responds to calls from the Constitutional Court, which has urged Congress in four separate rulings to legislate on surrogacy, as the lack of regulation “has direct consequences for the fundamental rights of the pregnant women and the children born through this practice.”

Rep. Luis Miguel López Aristizábal, the bill’s author, noted that this legal loophole has caused the country to become “one of the main destinations for so-called ‘reproductive tourism,’ where couples come from abroad to buy babies in Colombia.”

The bill states that, “for example, the Tammuz Family agency, which works with the Celagem Clinic and four other clinics in Bogotá, claims on its website that ‘surrogacy in Colombia is accessible to same-sex couples and single men seeking a more affordable path to fatherhood.’”

The proposed legislation also indicates that “costs for plans in Colombia start at USD $63,500 (for the basic plan involving donation of ova/eggs). At an exchange rate of 3,400 pesos [63,500 x 3,400], this equates to 215.9 million pesos (for a basic plan), of which the surrogate receives between 25 million and 40 million pesos. This demonstrates that more than 85% of the profits from this business remain with the clinics and intermediaries.”

What the bill establishes

A statement from López Aristizábal’s office notes that "the bill does not criminalize the pregnant woman.” Instead it establishes the criminal offense of "reproductive exploitation through surrogacy" — whether altruistic or commercial — and penalizes those who promote, broker, finance, or organize it with "prison sentences of 120 to 192 months [10-16 years] and fines ranging from 500 to 1,500 times the minimum wage, with aggravating factors applicable in cases involving the womanʼs vulnerability."

These sanctions also apply to Colombian citizens who have engaged in surrogacy abroad, whether in whole or in part.

In addition to protecting the surrogate mother from having to return payments received, the law establishes that “for all legal purposes, the mother of children gestated or born in Colombia is the woman who carries and gives birth to them,” i.e., not the individual or couple buying the baby.

The introduction of the measure was attended by international activist Olivia Maurel, author of the Spanish-language book “Where Are You, Mom?” who was born via surrogacy. During a forum, Maurel contributed to the debate “her own experience and the perspective of someone born through this procedure.”

“It is crucial that this law be passed at this time, as it will protect Colombia’s most vulnerable women” and “prevent children from being born through this practice and having to suffer the consequences of the surrogacy lobby,” she noted.

“Do this for your country, for your women, and for your children,” said Maurel, spokeswoman for the Casablanca Declaration for the universal abolition of surrogacy.

During the presentation, López Aristizábal stated that the bill has the backing of 15 lawmakers from various parties, such as the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the National Salvation Movement, the Democratic Center, the Historic Pact, and Dignity and Commitment.

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.

In an editorial titled "Let no baby go without burial," published on Aug. 16 in the archdiocesan publication Desde la Fe (From a Faith Perspective), the archdiocese stated that regardless of the circumstances of a babyʼs death, "the dignity with which we treat the body" must be upheld.

Death can occur “during pregnancy, at birth, or in the first days of life; it can result from illness, an unexpected complication, an abortion, or an act of violence,” the editorial noted.

The archdiocese said the bodies of deceased newborns and babies who die late in pregnancy are often “abandoned in public places, in hospitals, or even among the trash.”

In light of this situation, the archdiocese reiterated that “the human body, after death, must be treated with respect, due to its inherent human dignity.”

Unclaimed remains

The archdiocese explained that there are associations and apostolates in Mexico that have agreements with local authorities to “receive the bodies of babies who were miscarried, aborted, or went unclaimed, in order to provide them with a proper burial.”

The associations “do not seek to replace families or hinder judicial or healthcare investigations. Their valuable work is to care for those little ones that no one else is doing anything for,” the editorial stated.

The archdiocese called on the governing authorities to establish mechanisms that, “once all corresponding legal and forensic procedures have been completed, allow for the bodies or remains of unclaimed babies to be turned over to duly accredited institutions and associations prepared to provide them with burial.”

Places for remembrance and prayer

The Archdiocese of Mexico also said it is necessary to “have places specifically set aside for these little ones,” places where the remains of babies “whose families could not bury them or whose bodies were never claimed” could be laid to rest.

“Such a site could also become a place of remembrance, prayer, and comfort for the many mothers, fathers, and families who have endured a loss that they often carry with them in silence,” the archdiocese noted.

The editorial concluded by stating that every person “deserves respect and dignity,” regardless of how “brief their time on this world may have been” or how “difficult the circumstances of their death may have been.”

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.

“This multitude is saying: We want spirituality, we want Jesus, and we love Our Lady because she leads us to Jesus,” the bishop told the website Juruá 24 Horas.

“Our Lady is like a mother who takes us to school; the teacher — the master — is Jesus, and Our Lady leads us to him,” he said.

The devotees walked about two miles in a procession lasting nearly two hours. Holding candles, they followed the image of Our Lady, praying and giving thanks.

“We came to give thanks for the harvest and for our family’s health. Being here among so many people sharing the same purpose is something indescribable,” farmer Renilson Fox said to news website G1.

“We spend the whole year waiting for this moment,” veterinarian Douglas Vasconcelos told G1. He said that for him, this “is a day to renew our faith and give thanks for so many graces received.”

Mary is our ‘prototype’

“Today, we celebrate Our Lady of Glory, who is already there [in glory], a gift from God,” Giovenale said during the Mass at the Cruzeiro do Sul cathedral prior to the procession. The bishop recalled Jesus’s words: “I am going to the Father’s glory, and after I prepare a place, I will return and take you with me.”

“We say that at the end of time, we will all rise again and be reunited in body and soul to live in heaven, body and soul. But for Our Lady, Jesus chose to make an exception, a gift. In his freedom, he said: ‘Our Lady was the first to say yes to me; she will also be the first to rise again,’” he explained.

The bishop recalled that the Dormition of Mary, although not found in the Bible, has been a tradition “since the early years” of Christianity. It says “that Our Lady fell asleep in the Lord and Jesus came and took her, body and soul.”

“She is there in heaven, body and soul, as the first Christian, the first to say ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord,’ and the first to rise again, body and soul. She is, as it were, our prototype,” he said.

In his homily, Giovenale said that before attaining glory, Mary served, and Christians must follow her example to reach the kingdom of heaven.

“We’re going to walk in procession, why? Because Mary — after receiving the angel’s announcement that she would be the Mother of the Savior, and after saying, ‘I am the servant of the Lord’ — what did she do? She went to serve Elizabeth,” he said.

“To serve, to be Christians, to be a faithful people, we can’t afford to slack off. Jesus promised us happiness, not ease. It requires effort; it requires saying, ‘I want to serve,’ just as Mary did,” he said.

The bishop recalled that it was Jesus who said, “I came into the world not to be served, but to serve.”

“Mary was the one who, in so many ways, anticipated this, because she is the first to be faithful to Jesus,” he added.

Giovenale cited the theme of this year’s novena to Our Lady of Glory: “Our Lady of Glory, Mother of the Faithful People.”

“If we want to be faithful to Jesus, faithful to God, we must imitate Mary — to journey forth and go serve others,” he said.

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

Yet behind these figures lie the stories of people who don’t know what they will eat the next day, the sick who can’t get their medications, and families surviving thanks to aid received from abroad.

Osvaldo Gallardo, a writer and Catholic layman originally from Camagüey, emigrated to the United States but maintains frequent contact with family and friends who remain on the island. From abroad, as a religious freedom activist, he closely follows a situation he says has become increasingly unbearable.

“What strikes me most is the infinite sadness, the absolute hopelessness, the listlessness, the desperation, and the anguish with which my relatives and everyone I know in Cuba live their daily lives,” Gallardo stated in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

“It’s immeasurable; it’s a total lack of meaning in life, a loss of any sense of where we are headed or what our goals are,” he added.

The study, based on 1,318 interviews conducted across the country’s 15 provinces and the special district of Isla de la Juventud, reveals a severe deterioration in such fundamental areas as food, healthcare, housing, and public services.

Sixty-eight percent of the households surveyed report monthly incomes of less than 20,000 Cuban pesos, approximately $30. Furthermore, 80% state that they have skipped breakfast, lunch, or dinner due to a lack of money or food shortages.

Power outages are the primary issue cited by respondents (70%), followed by the food crisis (52%), the cost of living (45%), and the state of public health, including access to medicine and medical care (34%).

For Gallardo, these figures reflect a reality that can be confirmed simply by speaking with those who remain on the island.

“Hardships on the island have always been immense, but right now, the outlook is bleaker than at any other time in the history of Cuba’s nearly 70-year dictatorship,” he stated.

8 out of 10 Cubans go without a meal

One of the most concerning findings of the study relates to food. Eighty percent of Cubans report having gone without a meal during the day, compared with 70% the previous year.

Gallardo said this reality comes up constantly in conversations with his relatives and on social media.

“I couldnʼt tell you what people do to survive. I donʼt know how. There are people who manage to survive. And I donʼt think Iʼm wrong to say that there are people who arenʼt surviving. There are people who are starving to death,” he stated.

He said he personally makes an effort to periodically send food, medicines, and hygiene products to his relatives. However, he acknowledged that there are limits to the help he can give.

“Given my financial situation, I can’t provide everything they need,” he lamented.

The study indicates that 63% of respondents struggle to acquire even the most essential goods, while another 30% have incomes that barely cover basic needs. All told, nine out of 10 Cuban households are in a state of economic survival.

“I imagine that 90% of Cubans right now wake up without knowing what they’re going to have for lunch, without knowing what they’re going to eat, without knowing what they’re going to have for breakfast,” Gallardo said.

In his view, there is no need to wait for an investigation to confirm this reality.

“That is a reality one can sense the moment one looks at social media. You don’t need to conduct a study; you need do nothing more than check social media in the morning to see for yourself that the 94% poverty rate cited in the report is an undeniable fact,” he pointed out.

‘It’s a country that’s dying every day’

Food shortages are not the only problem. The crisis is also hitting hard those in need of medical care.

The study identifies public health and the lack of medicines as top concerns for Cubans. Gallardo warned that the situation is particularly difficult for the chronically ill and the elderly.

“People are dying. The chronically ill are dying. People are dying of hunger. There are photos of elderly people in truly pitiful conditions. There are reports. People are dying. It’s a country that’s dying every day,” he lamented.

“Young people are also dying due to health issues. People who see no future and commit suicide,” he added.

Precarious conditions are also evident in housing. According to the study, 47% of homes need repairs, 25% require urgent repairs, and 7% are at risk of collapse. Another 4% of respondents report living in shelters or makeshift camps, while 2% live on the street.

Public services have not escaped this deterioration either. Ninety-five percent rate the condition of the electrical grid as poor, while garbage collection receives a negative rating from 87% of respondents. Dissatisfaction is at 86% regarding internet and telephone services; 84% for water and sewage systems; and 82% for hospitals and healthcare centers.

The Church is trying to respond to the crisis

Amid the situation, the Catholic Church appears to many people as one of the few places where they can find help.

Gallardo highlighted the charitable work carried out by the Catholic Church and other Christian communities in Cuba, especially through the distribution of aid sent from the United States.

“There are many people for whom, if they had a substantial meal once a week, or a pill or medication once a week to relieve pain, it was thanks to the Church,” he noted.

However, he also warned that the needs are too great for the Church to meet on its own.

“It’s not enough, because the Church in Cuba itself needs help and has often survived on aid from abroad,” he stated.

For Gallardo, the Church offers something that goes beyond material aid.

“People in Cuba can find solace in the Church; they can find a helping hand, a listening ear, and sometimes material aid, though that will never be enough,” he noted.

The writer also pointed out the limitations the Church faces in expanding its social work.

“The Church doesnʼt have the autonomy to run a soup kitchen. The Church doesn’t have the autonomy to run a nursing home; it does operate them, but under very tight state control, and this cannot expand because the Church doesn’t have the financial capabilities,” he explained.

95% disapproval rating

Economic deterioration is accompanied by strong disapproval of the way the government is running things.

The study indicates that 95% of respondents view the governmentʼs economic and social management negatively, while only 3% rate the performance of President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz positively.

Furthermore, 84% have no confidence in the latest economic measures announced by the authorities and don’t believe they will contribute to improving the countryʼs situation.

For Yaxys Cires, director of strategy at the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights, these results reflect “the Cuban regime has completely exhausted its political and economic capabilities.”

“Their administration is widely rejected by the public, and their measures fail to inspire confidence. Yet, it is the people who bear the burden of this decline, especially the elderly and the chronically ill,” Cires pointed out.

A desire for change also clearly emerges from the respondents' answers. Seventy-six percent want both political and economic transformations. Only 7% believe that lifting the U.S. embargo should be the primary change, and virtually no one favors maintaining the status quo.

‘The Cuban people are alone’

Gallardo said he believes Cuban discontent is nothing new. For decades, he said, successive generations have sought ways to express their rejection of the political system.

In this context, the protests of July 11, 2021, marked in his view a turning point.

“For a long time, the Cuban people have been told that they haven’t done enough. That’s not true. When you look at history, there have been many forms of rebellion among the Cuban people and in the diaspora since the Cuban dictatorship was imposed in 1959,” he pointed out.

“But if there was one thing that changed the game, it was July 11, 2021. Since then, protests in Cuba have not stopped,” he noted.

The study shows that there is still an expectation that things could change. Half of the respondents believe that a significant and favorable change for the Cuban people could occur within the next six months.

Gallardo, however, warned of the vulnerable situation facing the population.

“It is an unarmed people, a hungry people, a repressed people. And Cuba’s rulers — the dictatorship — will not yield,” he stated.

For this reason, he believes that international pressure could be decisive.

“People are waiting for something to happen, and without outside help, without significant international pressure on the Cuban dictatorship, it’s unlikely that anything will, because the people could rise up only to be ruthlessly suppressed in the streets,” he explained.

“But the reality is that the Cuban people are dying, and while the Cuban people are dying, people are looking the other way,” he added.

Christian hope

Despite everything he observes and hears from his relatives and compatriots, Gallardo said he still holds onto hope.

He places that hope, at least for now, not in immediate political change but in his faith.

“If you ask me today whether I have hope, I believe I have the Christian hope that God, the Lord of history, will look upon us with mercy,” he said.

“But that is my hope. My hope does not lie in any human event right now, at least not in the medium term. I hope and trust in the Lord,” he affirmed.

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.

Archbishop Joseph Spiteri, apostolic nuncio to Mexico and representative of Pope Leo XIV in the country, presided over the celebration that concluded the centenary jubilee year.

The Archdiocese of Durango shared images of the crowd gathered at the site where Sts. Luis Bátis Sáinz, Manuel Morales, Salvador Lara Puente, and David Roldán Lara were killed.

The four martyrs were shot to death on Aug. 15, 1926, at Puerto de Santa Teresa, a town located in the state of Zacatecas and under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Durango.

‘God does not die’

“God does not die,” Spiteri said at the beginning of his homily, echoing the words spoken by St. Manuel Morales before his execution.

The nuncio recalled that the four martyrs “offered their lives while freely and peacefully professing their faith in God.”

“Their crime was wanting to profess publicly, freely, and peacefully their faith in the God of life and in the Church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ,” he stated.

Spiteri noted that the four saints were victims of “an ideology that did not admit freedom of thought and conscience,” which some sought to “impose with violence.”

In the face of this violence, he continued, the martyrs bore witness to the value “of peaceful resistance.” He emphasized that authentic freedom “is not wanting to do whatever we feel like, but being able to choose freely, consciously; choosing good and not evil.”

He said that “choosing to respond to bad actions, violence, and injustice” by doing good and extending forgiveness “is true freedom.”

The Vatican diplomat also encouraged Catholics to work “to build a more just society grounded in solidarity.”

He emphasized that the Church relies not on “the force of power” but on “the power of service,” and he encouraged the faithful to renew their commitment to offering a witness “of dialogue, understanding, and listening to the most vulnerable and those on the margins, in order to build the kingdom of God.”

Who were the 4 martyrs?

St. Luis Bátis Sáinz was a priest in San Pedro Parish in Chalchihuites and was particularly noted for his work with young people, according to the Vatican website. He was arrested just 15 days after the suspension of public worship in Mexico, amid the intensification of religious persecution under the government of Plutarco Elías Calles.

St. Manuel Morales, a husband and father of three, was a member of the Mexican Catholic Youth Action and president of the National League for the Defense of Religious Liberty, an organization that sought the repeal of the federal governmentʼs anticlerical provisions.

When Bátis asked the soldiers to spare Morales’ life because he had a wife and children, Morales replied: “Father, I am dying, but God does not die. He will look after my wife and my children.”

St. Salvador Lara Puente, who had just turned 21, worked for a mining company and was an active member of Catholic Action. When soldiers arrived looking for him, he replied: “Here I am.”

St. David Roldán Lara, 24, also worked for a mining company and was actively involved in the parish apostolate. He and Lara were cousins.

Bátis and Morales were the first to be shot to death. A few feet away, soldiers subsequently executed Salvador Lara and David Roldán.

The four were beatified by St. John Paul II on Nov. 22, 1992, and canonized by the same pontiff on May 21, 2000, alongside St. Cristóbal Magallanes and other Mexican martyrs.

The Archdiocese of Durango also counts among its martyrs St. Mateo Correa Magallanes, a priest murdered on Feb. 6, 1927, in the city of Durango.

Religious freedom and freedom of conscience

On Friday, Aug. 14, during a press conference held upon his arrival in Durango, the nuncio said his message for the local Church was one “of peace and communion, as the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, also asks of us.”

Spiteri highlighted the martyrs of Durango as examples of freedom of conscience.

“Whenever the respect for freedom of conscience has been lacking … the results have always been very sad and tragic,” he warned.

The pope’s representative clarified that religious freedom protects not only Catholics or those who profess a particular faith but also an individualʼs right not to adhere to any religion.

“When this freedom of thought is restricted … it is always a step in the wrong direction; we are moving backward, not forward,” he stated.

During his visit, Spiteri had the opportunity to visit the Museum of the Holy Martyrs and attend the opening of the photographic exhibition "Centenary of the Beginning of the Cristero Movement in Mexico and Durango."

A shrine dedicated to the martyrs is currently being built at the Holy Places of Chalchihuites.

The celebration was preceded by an eight-day archdiocesan pilgrimage that traveled the road to the Holy Places.

At its conclusion on Aug. 14, the archbishop of Durango, Faustino Armendáriz Jiménez, stated: “Blessed are those who have traveled this path, because those of us who live this experience have experienced God.”

The archdiocese also shared images of the pilgrims after completing the pilgrimage, “tired, but happy,” and with their “hearts full of gratitude and joy.”

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.

In an Aug. 13 statement, the Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM, by its Spanish acronym) warned that the proposal could make freedom of expression contingent upon the government’s criteria of “truth” and also compromise religious freedom and the editorial independence of the media.

The public consultation, open from July 27 to Aug. 21 and conducted by the country’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, addresses a regulation that, according to the bishops, “will touch the daily lives of millions of Mexicans: what we hear on the radio, what we watch on television, and the spaces where information, culture, faith, opinion, and constructive criticism find a voice.”

The CEM acknowledged positive aspects of the proposal, such as the explicit prohibition of prior censorship, nondiscrimination based on religion, and the protection of vulnerable groups against manipulation, misleading advertising, and content that degrades human dignity.

“That these rights have clear mechanisms to be enforced is a good thing for everyone,” the conference highlighted.

However, the bishops warned that, although the purpose of protecting the rights of audiences is legitimate, the way in which the goal is attempted to be achieved also matters.

The CEM statement joins others made by the Catholic Church in Mexico. On Aug. 1, the Primatial Archdiocese of Mexico stated that “there can be no prior censorship” and that no administrative authority should determine the veracity or acceptability of opinions.

A week later, an editorial in Semanario, a publication of the Archdiocese of Guadalajara, questioned who would have “the authority to decide when information is true, false, or presented out of context,” and highlighted the importance of balancing state regulation with media independence.

No authority can act as an ‘arbiter of truth’

The bishops emphasized that “freedom of expression is a fundamental pillar of the democratic order” and noted that “no administrative authority can set itself up as an arbiter of truth, particularly regarding ideas, opinions, convictions, and beliefs, whether religious or otherwise.”

The CEM drew a distinction between the veracity required of journalistic information and personal convictions, which cannot be subjected to administrative verification.

“The truthfulness legitimately required of journalistic information is a duty of due diligence: to cross-check, verify, distinguish fact from opinion, and rectify errors,” the CEM explained.

Something different, the conference noted, is “the truth of convictions, which admits of neither administrative verification nor sanction, and whose assessment by the state would be, in itself, incompatible with freedom of conscience and freedom of expression.”

The episcopate expressed particular concern regarding the possibility that a governmental authority might classify and potentially sanction the dissemination of information deemed “false” or “taken out of context,” given that the bill does not clearly define the boundaries of these concepts.

In the bishops' view, such a mechanism could “make freedom of expression contingent upon the government’s criteria for truthfulness” — something “incompatible” with the Mexican constitution, international treaties, and “various judicial precedents.”

Religious freedom and editorial independence

The CEM pointed out that by Mexican law “religious associations may not own or manage radio and television licenses.” Consequently, it called for the pluralism envisioned by the guidelines to “also include the pluralism of religious convictions and beliefs.”

This protection, they added, must benefit all faiths as well as those who profess no religion, to prevent them from being subjected to “administrative judgments regarding truthfulness” or “compulsory labels.”

The bishops also expressed reservations regarding the powers the bill would grant the governmental authority “to review and validate media codes of ethics,” review the decisions of audience ombudsmen, and order the rectification or modification of content.

“Ethical self-regulation is a good that flourishes in freedom; when permanently subject to governmental validation, it ceases to be self-regulation,” they pointed out.

Participation in consultation encouraged

The CEM deemed it “essential” for the public to participate in the consultation before Aug. 21.

“Citizen participation is not merely a procedural step in the regulatory process, but an exercise of co-responsibility for the common good; a democracy is strengthened when citizens participate, not when they remain silent,” it stated.

The bishops also expressed their “willingness to engage in frank and constructive dialogue” with authorities and license holders, and offered their educational and pastoral network “to collaborate on media education and literacy programs, the development of audiences that exercise critical thinking, and the dissemination of mechanisms for defending rights.”

The CEM also noted that no regulation can replace the responsibility to discern information, verify it before sharing, and avoid spreading content that harms others or creates confusion.

“The primary defense of the truth is not a regulation; it is a well-formed conscience,” they emphasized.

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 archdiocese said in a press release that the agreement was ratified on Aug. 12 by Quebec Superior Court Judge Danye Daigle. The law firm Dufresne Wee, which had originally brought the lawsuit in 2020, also confirmed the settlement on its own website.

An Aug. 12 filing in the superior court said the agreement would consist of $31.5 million “to compensate the class members covered by [the] class action.”

The agreement also stipulated that a “letter of apology” would be delivered to abuse victims.

In its press release the archdiocese said its leaders “welcome this news.” The archdiocese said Church officials were “aware that [the settlement] can help members continue on their path to peace and healing.”

Announcing the settlement, Auxiliary Bishop Jean Tailleur told victims: "Faced with the suffering you are carrying, there is little that my words can relieve or heal.”

“However, something must be said,” the prelate continued. “On behalf of the Catholic Church of Quebec, I would like to offer you our most sincere apologies.”

The archdiocese said alleged abuse victims would have a final chance to join the class action settlement prior to the distribution of the funds.

The payout signals the looming end of a process that has taken place over more than half a decade, starting in August 2020 when the first filing in the class action suit was made in the superior court.

Filings in the lengthy lawsuit had accused two major Church leaders in Quebec of committing abuse. In January 2024, Archbishop Cardinal Gerald Lacroix was accused of abusing a 17-year-old teenager decades before. Lacroix was ultimately cleared by the Vatican after an investigation.

In 2022 the Vatican also said it would not pursue a trial against Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who had been accused of abuse in a 2022 filing in the class action suit that was settled this month.

The Vatican said it found “no elements to initiate a trial” against the cardinal regarding the allegations.

The quake severely damaged Our Lady of the Rosary chapel, which dates back to the 17th century. Inside the chapel’s tabernacle was the ciborium containing the consecrated hosts left over from the Mass celebrated the previous Saturday by Father Germán Andrés Clavijo, the pastor of St. Sebastian Parish, the parish to which the chapel belongs.

Immediately after the quake, which struck at 7:34 a.m. local time, the priest entered the chapel with Sister Marcela, a member of the Community of the Blessed Sacrament. They went straight to the wall where the tabernacle had been located. Falling debris had knocked the tabernacle down from its place.

“I said to her, ‘Help me look, because the consecrated hosts are there,’” the priest recounted to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. “We found the ciborium, but it was completely smashed,” Clavijo said, adding that “some of the hosts were badly broken,” so they began gathering them up with great care.

As they picked them up by hand, both recited the “litanies to the Blessed Sacrament, to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,” and placed them into a smaller ciborium. Afterward, they sprinkled water over the debris and the areas where particles of the hosts that could no longer be gathered up might have remained.

Regarding the hosts that were mixed in with dirt and debris, Clavijo said: “I told her they must be placed in a container of water so that they would dissolve” and the water could later be poured by a tree or into a potted plant.

No. 1377 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “the Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist” in the physical appearance of bread and wine.

The priest from Roldanillo said it was “very sad” to see the hosts scattered on the ground, for the Eucharist “is the life of the priest; that is the life of the Church; it is our center.”

However, he said he had to be “very strong, because I had to find a solution,” adding: “It wasn’t the time for lamenting; after all, the earthquake had just happened, and we were in a very unsafe spot, fearing that an aftershock or something else might cause debris to come crashing down on us.”

Instagram post

The quake’s effects in Roldanillo

Roldanillo was one of the areas hardest hit areas by the earthquake. Located about 90 miles from Cali and founded in 1576, many of its buildings date back to the colonial era and the early days of the republic.

The day after the natural disaster, the Valle del Cauca governorʼs office reported that two people had died and 112 were injured. In addition, nearly 1,300 homes were affected, “some of which have completely collapsed,” and “60% of the hospital sustained structural damage.”

Regarding the parish church, the priest said that it is has closed due to the effects of the earthquake, so Masses are being celebrated in the town square. The chapel cannot be used either, and its restoration will depend on the Colombian government as it is classified as a national heritage building.

In the video he shared on the day of the earthquake, Clavijo expressed his solidarity with the residents of Roldanillo: “Amid the rubble left behind, I also wish to offer a prayer of hope and encouragement for those who have lost everything, especially those who have lost a loved one.”

The priest affirmed that, although it is not easy, “with hope and God’s hand, all of us united, will overcome this storm. As the Gospel said yesterday [Sunday, Aug. 9], sometimes we walk amid strong winds and turbulent waves, and our boat seems to be sinking, but God reaches out his hand to us. Like Peter, we all cry out: ‘Lord, save us.’”

“And that is what we pray for today. To all of you, I offer my blessing and words of encouragement and hope during these times. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” he said, blessing the viewers.

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 process is being overseen by the United States government, with the primary objectives of restoring the countryʼs institutions, reinstating civil and political liberties, and eventually calling for elections to enable a democratic transition in the aftermath of the capture and extradition to the U.S. of former President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3.

On Wednesday, Aug. 12, the leaders of both factions — Dinorah Figuera, representing the 2015 National Assembly, and Jorge Rodríguez, representing the ruling socialist government — addressed the nation to announce the outcome of the five working sessions that were held beginning Aug. 6.

Rodríguez said both sides had committed to working toward the recovery of Venezuelan gold held by the Bank of England, assets that had been frozen due to sanctions imposed during the Maduro regime.

Additionally, the negotiating team agreed to work on addressing the needs of those affected by the double earthquake that struck the country on June 24.

Figuera announced that the initial agreements also include a sweeping reform of the Venezuelan judicial system, initiating a new nomination process to replace the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice.

According to the parties involved, these resolutions will be implemented immediately, operating under a “continuous working mechanism to ensure strict compliance with every commitment.”

Throughout the more than 20 years of Chavez’s socialist regime, Venezuelaʼs state institutions, particularly the judiciary and the electoral authority, were completely controlled by the ruling party, giving rise to numerous abuses denounced by domestic and international activists and organizations over the years.

The start of the talks has elicited mixed reactions within Venezuelan society. María Corina Machado, an opposition leader who currently commands the greatest share of popular support, was excluded from the negotiations.

The delegations are scheduled to meet again in September to advance the three-phase plan outlined by the Trump administration in January: stabilization, economic recovery, and transition to democracy.

Earlier this week, two cardinals and a bishop emeritus said they viewed the start of the talks “with approval,” although they pointed to deficiencies in the process.

In a joint statement, they offered to serve as guarantors of the process from a “religious and moral standpoint” and pledged to monitor the work of the commissions, which, they emphasized, must ultimately aim to benefit the entire Venezuelan people.

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.

In the video, whose recording date is unknown, the 80-year-old prelate, who celebrates his golden jubilee of priesthood on Aug. 15, is seen conversing with a journalist and pro-government lawmaker Adolfo Pastrán.

Among other things, Pastrán remarks that the bishop looks “full of vitality,” to which the bishop briefly replies that “prayer helps a great deal” and that he is doing well.

‘I’m in my element here, living a monastic life’

Throughout the nine minutes of footage, the two are seen discussing personal anecdotes, Mata’s fondness for tending to his crops and plants, and his reading habits at the estate where he lives in Tisma, Masaya district, the location where the dictatorship says the bishop has been since July 4 following his detention in late June.

Tweet

Regarding whether he receives visitors, the bishop mentions that “a brother and a niece” have come to see him and that he enjoys “silence, study, and prayer. I am in my element, leading a monastic life; that is what I am doing — prayer and intellectual work.”

‘Pro-government propagandist’

Speaking on Aug. 14 to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Father Edwing Román, vicar of St. Agatha Parish in Miami, criticized the release of the video. He described Pastrán as a “pro-government propagandist” who fails to mention “anything about the bishop being intercepted by police as he left a clinic in Estelí.”

“They kept him under restrictions and incommunicado for weeks in addition to trying to tarnish his reputation for integrity by questioning him about his property,” he added.

When Mata was detained, the dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, issued a statement noting that the prelate had been subjected to a “necessary inquiry regarding the origin of properties and family ties inconsistent with his priestly status” and that, subsequently, “he has returned to his home, where he remains in perfect condition.”

Tweet

Román also noted that “Bishop Mata has always been a critical voice and deeply attuned to the suffering of the Nicaraguan people. His arbitrary detention — being confined to his own home — is part of the pattern of harassment the Church in Nicaragua is facing.”

“This video,” the priest emphasized, “appears in response to pressure from Nicaraguans and, above all, the United States; yet it neither shows nor mentions the police patrols stationed at the property, where the bishop is not free to leave.”

In mid-July, the U.S. government reiterated its demand for the “immediate and unconditional release of Bishop Abelardo Mata” in a statement by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Riley Barnes.

‘The same script’ used with Bishop Rolando Álvarez

Arturo McFields Yescas, Nicaragua’s former ambassador to the Organization of American States, told ACI Prensa that “Nicaragua’s dictatorship has repeated the same script they used with Bishop Rolando Álvarez. They changed the scenery and the persons being interviewed a bit, but it’s the same script.”

“The dictatorship presents a bishop who is being held captive, who is a ‘disappeared’ person deprived of his freedom, yet who appears well, healthy, in excellent physical condition, and well nourished,” he noted.

In November 2023, as various institutions were demanding proof of life from the Nicaraguan regime regarding Rolando Álvarez, the bishop of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of Estelí, the dictatorship released a series of images showing the prelate, who had been unjustly imprisoned since February of that year. In January 2024, he was expelled from the country and now lives in exile in Rome.

In McFields’ view, the release of the video featuring Mata demonstrates that “we are living under a regime of terror and lies. Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata remains held against his will, and people want to see him free. They do not want partial or illusory freedom. What we are witnessing is another staged performance.”

“No one believes the charade they put on, claiming that Bishop Mata was calm, relaxed, and in robust health. No one believes that lie. The video most likely dates back several weeks or months. It lacks credibility, and so does the interviewer,” he added.

“Free the bishop and put an end to religious persecution in Nicaragua,” urged the former Nicaraguan ambassador. “The life of Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata is in grave danger as long as he remains held captive by the dictatorship,” he declared.

Day of prayer for Mata

Mata led the Diocese of Estelí for more than 30 years, from April 1990 to July 2021.

Mata was ordained a priest on Aug. 15, 1976. To mark this anniversary, a group of Nicaraguans in exile is encouraging a day of prayer for the prelate this Saturday, Aug. 15, “in all parishes and Catholic centers in Nicaragua and around the world.”

The exiles are calling for Masses to be celebrated and the rosary to be prayed, as well as for the offering of the traditional “thousand Hail Marys” for Mata “for his life, his well-being, and his freedom,” and “for his swift release and protection.”

“On this Aug. 15, the Nicaraguan Church gives thanks for his golden jubilee of priesthood and lifts up prayers for the priest, the shepherd, and the brother who today also needs to be accompanied and upheld in prayer,” the group stated.

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.

“His Holiness' visit is great news for the entire country,” President Keiko Fujimori stated Aug. 12, according to the official newspaper El Peruano.

The decision will enable the government to take the necessary measures to organize activities in Lima, Callao, Chiclayo, Cusco, and Pucallpa — the cities the pontiff will visit. The government will also facilitate customs procedures for the entry of goods.

Additionally, a high-level extraordinary commission will be established to set the guidelines, strategies, and actions necessary to ensure the apostolic visit is a success.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be responsible for national coordination and will serve as the commissionʼs technical secretariat. The various ministries will designate their representatives, while regional and local governments may also join in.

The Peruvian Church welcomes the pope with joy

The confirmation of the visit was also received with joy by the Peruvian bishops.

“We are very happy because we have received the news that the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, is coming to visit his beloved homeland, his beloved Peru,” Bishop Edinson Farfán of Chiclayo recently stated.

The prelate particularly highlighted that the pontiff will return to the diocese he once shepherded in Peru. “We are filled with joy because he will visit his beloved Diocese of Chiclayo, which has given him so much, so much to continue being a faithful Church of Jesus Christ,” he said, quoting the first words of Leo XIV to the faithful gathered in St. Peterʼs Square at the Vatican after his election as pontiff.

“We pray for the Holy Father’s intentions and await him with open arms,” he concluded.

The president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Carlos García Camader, stated that the presence of Leo XIV “among us will be a true gift for our people and an opportunity to renew our faith, strengthen hope, and walk together.”

More than 700,000 people

According to estimates presented during the Council of Ministers meeting, the apostolic journey could draw at least 700,000 people across the country.

Of this total, approximately 350,000 people are expected to participate in Lima, between 100,000 and 150,000 in Cusco, and around 75,000 in both Pucallpa and Chiclayo.

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.

In images that have gone viral, Dr. Germán Somoyar is seen holding the infants outside the medical center alongside colleagues and the families of other patients who had to evacuate the building.

Speaking with Noticias Telemundo, Somoyar recounted that he was with his colleagues when everything began to shake and as the intensity increased, “everyone started evacuating the clinic immediately.”

He said that at that moment, he thought he had to go get the babies — the ones the nurses or parents might not be able to reach in their cribs. “In my line of work, the children always have 100% absolute priority,” Somoyar stated.

The doctor added that “there were two mothers in their rooms who were paralyzed with fear and werenʼt evacuating. I had to quickly explain the situation, calm them down, and tell them we’re going to evacuate.”

“After they proceeded to leave, I headed to the room where the newborns are, the neonatal unit” and picked up the babies, carrying them down from the sixth floor to the street, ensuring their safety.

So far, the deaths of 234 people have been confirmed as a result of the 7.4-magnitude earthquake. The hardest-hit cities are Cali, with 95 fatalities, and Pereira, with 72.

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.

As seen in the livestream of the Mass starting at 53:30 in the video, Father Oscar Aguirre Calderón had just consecrated the body and blood of Christ and was distributing the Eucharist to those assisting with the celebration of the Mass. As he was preparing to give Communion to the rest of the congregation, the ground began to shake and the churchʼs stained-glass windows started vibrating.

Without losing his composure, the priest said, “Our Father, pray for us all; help us, Lord, holy and mighty God” and then told the people to leave the church in an orderly manner while he carried the ciborium containing the consecrated hosts, guiding the faithful to safety.

“We were able to leave with the Blessed Sacrament, which was a blessing for us all, making our way to one of the arches of the doorway; we stayed there, and the entire community gathered in the small plaza,” the priest recounted in a video shared by the Diocese of Palmira.

Although people were safe, the church tower partially collapsed, as did part of the cupola. Bricks also fell inside the church: “In the area of ​​the Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima and the Just Judge, some bricks fell and smashed through the ceiling and damaged everything there,” Aguirre added.

However, “thank God no one was harmed; there were no injuries and no fatalities, thank God,” he said.

The priest noted that “Most Holy Trinity Parish is part of the municipality’s cultural heritage” and that many residents of Palmira have been baptized and received various sacraments there.

Aguirre said there is work to be done to restore the church following the earthquake but that while repairs are being made “the Eucharist cannot be celebrated; yet, thank the Lord, we are all safe.”

Other churches in Palmira also damaged

The Diocese of Palmira reported that in addition to Most Holy Trinity church, the following parishes were also affected: Our Lady of La Candelaria, St. Peter the Apostle, Our Lady of Perpetual Hope, Immaculate Conception in Yotoco, Our Lady of the Rosary in Vijes, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Restrepo, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Rozo, and Our Lady of the Rosary in Chiquinquirá, as well as old St. Anthony of Padua chapel.

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.

That was one of the key points presented at the First Specialized Conference on Religious Tourism held Aug. 3 and organized by the National Chamber of Tourism of Peru (CANATUR, by its Spanish acronym) and the World Religious Tourism Network, where experts agreed that the Holy Fatherʼs apostolic journey, scheduled for Nov. 11–17, could serve as a starting point.

Speaking to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Adrián Lomello, the World Religious Tourism Network’s director for the Americas, stated that “Peruʼs potential is limitless.”

“The country’s resources are enormous, and it also possesses something no one else has: the blend of Catholicism and Andean cultures. That syncretism is unique in Latin America, and here it occurs quite naturally,” he stated.

For Lomello, the challenge now lies in looking beyond the pope’s upcoming visit and establishing Peru as a regular destination for pilgrimages.

During the event, a proposal was made to strengthen the “Paths of Pope Leo XIV” tourist route, which encompasses cities such as Chiclayo, Piura, Trujillo, and Callao, where the Holy Father carried out a significant part of his pastoral ministry.

“The idea is for these destinations to outlast the time of the visit and become a permanent offering” to pilgrims, he explained.

Religious tourism benefits the entire community

Lomello highlighted that religious tourism does not benefit only shrines or churches but also stimulates the economies of the cities that welcome pilgrims.

“Religious tourism has a direct impact on the community because the pilgrim arrives, spends money locally, buys handicrafts, stays overnight, perhaps extending their visit by a day, and visits a museum,” he explained to ACI Prensa.

“We have demonstrated that the financial investment yields a sixfold return. The state invests 1 sol [Peru’s unit of currency] and gets 6 back, a 600% return,” he emphasized.

He noted that cities must prepare to offer experiences that complement the pilgrimage, including “excellent cuisine, engaging activities, museums, and events.”

He noted that Peru possesses numerous destinations with great potential beyond those that are already well established.

“Cusco no longer needs further promotion. It even faces limitations in accommodating more visitors, and that’s fine. However, there are other destinations that offer the same impact and need to be developed,” he pointed out.

Waldin Durán, one of the speakers at the event and a specialist in innovation and digital transformation for tourism, told ACI Prensa that Leo XIV’s visit should be understood not just as a one-time event but “the precedent and the beginning,” positioning Peru as an international destination for religious tourism.

Durán noted that religious tourism represents about 20% of world tourism, and according to data from the World Tourism Organization, a pilgrim can generate up to 10% more income than a conventional tourist. He said the challenge will be to take advantage of Leo XIV’s upcoming itinerary to attract visitors on an ongoing basis.

The event organized by CANATUR also provided an update on the progress of preparations for the papal visit.

CANATUR general manager Carlos Loayza said the tourism sector is already working to engage hotels, travel agencies, tour operators, guides, restaurants, transportation providers, artisans, and local authorities.

A country shaped by faith

Lomello also encouraged Peruvian authorities to promote religious tourism as a matter of state policy.

“We would be delighted to see the government commit to this and make religious tourism a flagship initiative. I believe some steps have already been taken, and a commission has been established that strikes me as very promising,” he noted, referring to the alliance formed between the World Religious Tourism Network, CANATUR, and the Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Exports and Tourism, which are making initial preparations for the apostolic journey.

At the same time, he acknowledged that “the political transition Peru is undergoing,” with the election of Keiko Fujimori as the new president, “calls for a bit of patience” while the new government gets itself established.

‘Leo XIV is Peruvian’

For Lomello, one of the elements that will make the papal visit historic is the deep bond Leo XIV shares with the country.

“He is of U.S. origin, but his mindset is Peruvian. His spiritual formation is Peruvian. His tastes are Peruvian,” he noted.

In his view, that bond will give the visit a special significance. “The benefits in terms of Peruvian identity will be immense. The benefits regarding spiritual conversion will be enormous,” he added.

“Let’s have the finest banquet prepared,” he said. “Peru is beginning to experience a celebration. And when there is a celebration, the people rejoice; everyone’s heart is full of joy.”

“May no one be left out. That is the great challenge: making this a celebration for everyone,” he added.

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.

“Pray for those who are out there in the rescue process,” Gomez, who was born in Colombia, said in a statement shared with EWTN News. “I’m praying that they will find those who are still there, trapped, so that we could save some lives.”

Gomez confirmed that his family members are safe but that his friends and neighbors have faced hardship due to the earthquake.

“So please pray for the fire departments and those rescue people and the volunteers of the communities so that we could find more lives and that we could save some who are waiting for the help,” he said.

Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn, New York, echoed Gomez in a statement on Aug. 11, saying: "Please join us in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Colombia. We have seen the horrifying images. Homes reduced to rubble, rescuers trying to save the trapped — and the falling tower at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manizales.”

Instagram post

“At times like this, we must remember, even as a tower falls, the Church remains — one Body, holding her suffering members in prayer,” he said. “For those who have died, eternal rest. For the injured and the trapped, deliverance and healing.”

Bishop David O’Connell of Trenton, New Jersey, also sought prayers, especially for “the families and other loved ones of some of our Colombian-born priests serving here in the diocese.”

Pope Leo XIV sent his condolences to Colombians affected by the earthquake in a telegraph signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

“The Holy Father,” the telegram said, is “deeply saddened to learn of the sorrowful news of the earthquake that has severely affected several areas of Colombia, causing casualties and numerous injuries, as well as serious material damage, including to many churches.”

Conditions on the ground

Camila Gomez, deputy director of programs for Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), told “EWTN News Nightly” on Aug. 11 that their representatives in Colombia are in the process of assessing the extent of the damage.

“As it happens, we have been receiving information both from official sources [and] from our partners on the ground as well as IRC,” Gomez said. “We have had presence in Colombia since 2018, and we have some ongoing programs in parts of the regions where the earthquake took place.”

Gomez noted that many of the schools in Buenaventura that IRC works with in Colombia have been “severely impacted.” She said some of the schools’ walls have fallen and that classes have been suspended for the time being. “So that is one of the areas that we continue to track very, very closely,” she said. “Not just the infrastructure but most importantly the children, the families, the school communities.”

“We’re also tracking very strong needs as it relates to access to basic health services,” she said. “And we know that there is a need for mobile health units in all of the places where the earthquake impacted.”

Describing the response of the Colombian people to the disaster, Gomez said “there is a lot of solidarity.”

“We are very close to the twin earthquakes that took place in Venezuela a little over a month ago,” Gomez said. “So that is still very much in our minds and in our hearts. And we as a nation, we are in solidarity with our other fellow members of the country who are affected by this.”

“I think people have come together to try to provide support,” she said. “And to the extent that they can, whether itʼs gathering and sending over food items or first-necessity items, or reaching out to the authorities or to the organizations that they work with as IRC.”

Catholic aid response

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is partnering with Caritas Colombia to provide relief to those impacted by the damage caused by the earthquake.

“With collapsed buildings, many families are left without shelter,” CRS said in a statement. “Many families are in urgent need of shelter, clean water, food, medical care, and other essential support.”

“CRS is supporting our local Church partner, Caritas Colombia, with its nationwide network across affected areas, to identify immediate needs for urgent relief, including safe shelter, food, clean water and protection. Thanks to Caritasʼs nationwide diocesan and parish reach, we have access to communities in urgent need,” CRS said.