St. Torquatus, beheaded in the first century, was one of the seven reputed disciples of the apostle James, known as the apostolic men, who were the first to preach Christianity in Spain.

Carlos Andrés, Óscar Eduardo, Osmar Moisés, and Emilio José have taken up residence at Face Retama, a desert area within the Granada Geopark and the location of the hermitage of St. Torquatus, the patron saint of the Diocese of Guadix.

The four Venezuelans have formed a community known as the Hermits of Sts. Torquatus, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, receiving their habits in early May.

According to the Diocese of Guadix, this diocesan foundation was established through the efforts of Bishop Francisco Jesús Orozco, who wants to ensure that the diocese “keep[s] the memory of the place alive and pray[s] for the Church proclaimed by St. Torquatus in the first century and that endures to this day.”

In recent years, the hermitage of Face Retama has been restored and designated a diocesan shrine, with plans for regular Masses and pilgrimages.

The four new hermits have been preparing for their arrival for three years and, prior to establishing the community, underwent a period of acclimatization to the location.

“They arrive guided by and inspired by the charism of the Congregation of Martha and Mary, which already has two communities of women religious in the diocese, one in Castril and the other in the city of Guadix,” the diocese explained.

The ceremony consecrating the four men as hermits held at the Guadix Cathedral was attended by numerous religious sisters from this community, including its founder, Mother Ángela, and the superior general, Mother Rutilia.

Signs of their commitment as hermits

Several signs of the new communityʼs eremitic life were present during the celebration: a white tablecloth, recalling the table Martha prepared for Jesus, the purity of Lazarus’s resurrection, and the Eucharist they will celebrate daily; a cross with its nails, a symbol of the self-offering of the family of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, “seeking nothing other than to unite with the sufferings of Christ in order to share in his glory”; and a staff, a water gourd, and sandals, reminding that “the hermit through his seclusion upholds the mission of the Church through prayer.”

During the homily, Orozco reminded the newly consecrated men of their new commitments: “In the perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, you will be the beating heart of our diocese, interceding ceaselessly for the needs of the Church and, very especially, for the needs of our Holy Father, the pope.”

He also reminded them that their new way of life “is not a flight from the world. It is much more; it is personal intimacy with Christ.”

“In the desert of Face Retama you will never be alone. Where a Christian or where a hermit lives, he gives himself, suffers, makes sacrifices, and lives in fidelity to prayer and contemplation; there the entire Church is with him. That is the desert, that is your vocation,” he continued.

“In you, dear hermits, we place our rich history of 21 centuries of faith; may Face Retama, through your fidelity, be heaven on Earth,” the bishop told them.

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 new regulation aims to unify and streamline procedures for the expulsion of individuals in an irregular situation (who are illegally present) within the European Union, strengthening cooperation among member states and facilitating returns to ensure the effectiveness of the common migration system.

Migration affects people who possess inviolable dignity

While acknowledging the legitimate responsibility of public authorities to manage migration, ensure border integrity, and combat human trafficking, the president of COMECE expressed “deep concern” regarding certain aspects of the new regulation.

Speaking on behalf of the Church in the EU, he noted that the extension of detention, limitations on legal remedies, and the increasing externalization of responsibilities to third countries raise “serious ethical and humanitarian questions” and could undermine “effective protection of fundamental rights and the dignity of vulnerable persons.”

Crociata warned that migration “is not merely a matter of procedures, statistics, or border management” but rather affects human beings “with an inviolable dignity that must remain at the center of every policy decision.”

‘Security and solidarity are not opposing principles’

In response to Pope Leo XIV’s call not to remain indifferent to the suffering of migrants, Crociata noted that the EU “was founded on the conviction that human dignity is inviolable” and therefore urged that migration and asylum policies respect that dignity.

The commission also reiterated that “security and solidarity are not opposing principles” but rather “must advance together” and appealed to the affected countries’ responsibility “to address the root causes that force people to migrate and to protect those who are on the move.”

Furthermore, Crociata insisted that everyone has “the right to seek protection when life is threatened” as well as the right “not to be forced to leave their homeland because of war, persecution, poverty, corruption, or environmental collapse.”

Crociata pointed out that the vote held on June 17 concerns not only migration policy but also raises “a broader question about the kind of Europe we wish to build.”

“At this decisive moment, Europe is called not to retreat from its founding values but to reaffirm them with courage, wisdom, and humanity,” he 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.

The monastery’s numbers dwindled in recent years from nine to four sisters — one of them with Alzheimerʼs.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, five have passed away due to old age and various medical conditions.

According to the apostolic constitution Vultum Dei Quaerere, promulgated by Pope Francis in 2016, the minimum number of sisters required to maintain a community is six; otherwise, the remaining members must join other, larger communities.

The nuns have not been able to find two more sisters despite efforts to publicize their need. As a result, the four remaining sisters from Ronda will move to other communities, and the most important relic housed in their convent will have to be relocated.

Since 1924, the Carmelites have occupied a former Mercedarian convent founded in the 16th century but which was expropriated in the 19th century during the processes known in Spain as “desamortización,” the confiscation and sale of Church properties by the government.

An incorrupt relic after 444 years

The relic of the incorrupt left hand of St. Teresa, a Carmelite reformer and doctor of the Church, was separated from her body in 1582. Following various historical twists and turns, it wound up with a religious community in Portugal.

In 1910, a decree expelled religious orders from that country; consequently, the Carmelites fled to Spain, taking the relic to Ávila. When the Portuguese community was reestablished in Ronda, they requested the relic’s return.

With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, militiamen from the Red Army forced the nuns to hand over the relic. Shortly thereafter, it was recovered by General Francisco Franco’s Nationalist Army and was moved to Burgos, the general’s headquarters, where he kept it until his death.

In January 1976, the relic returned to the convent in Ronda, which now faces closure.

The relic’s final destination remains uncertain, although there has been speculation about its return to Alba de Tormes, the saintʼs birthplace and the location of the rest of her body, which also remains incorrupt after 444 years.

If the left hand were to return to Alba de Tormes, all of St. Teresa’s mortal remains would be reunited once more, after more than four and a half centuries.

However, sources from the Iberian Province of the Discalced Carmelites have told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that a definitive decision has not been made on the matter.

The canonical process for closing the Ronda monastery has not yet concluded and ultimately depends on the Vatican. The process is expected to be completed by early 2027.

Also, the remaining nuns in Ronda, who will determine the fate of the relic, must now discern if they want to remain together and, if so, must ask to join one of the convents of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Federation to which they belong.

Likewise, they must determine the fate of the other belongings owned by the community.

St. Teresa’s left hand could go to one of the monasteries where the four nuns settle or be entrusted to a diocese or the Carmelite motherhouse.

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.

On Wednesday, Labour member of Parliament (MP) Lauren Edwards reintroduced the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which passed a vote in the House of Commons in June 2025 but failed to pass the House of Lords when it ran out of time in April.

The bill today received its first reading in the House of Commons, officially marking the return of the bill in Westminster.

Responding to the news that it would be reintroduced, in a June 15 statement Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, lead bishop for life issues at the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, expressed his deep disappointment and criticized the “flawed” legislation, saying: “The Catholic Church opposes this bill in principle and joins with many other people of faith and none in arguing that we should not cross this watershed.”

He added: “The recent debate about this bill showed how many people found the proposed legislation, even if they accepted it in principle, to be flawed and full of unresolved matters.”

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, originally sponsored by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, proposes to legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales for people with a prognosis of six months or less to live and has received extensive criticism for posing a threat to vulnerable people.

In bringing back the exact same bill, Edwards could use the Parliament Act to bypass future opposition from the House of Lords. In the U.K., bills become law after both the House of Commons and the House of Lords agree on a bill. The Parliament Act enables MPs to pass an unchanged bill, with the House of Lords unable to prevent the bill from becoming law a second time.

Edwards urged the House of Lords not to “block” the bill and to pass it, saying: "Itʼs perfectly reasonable for us to ask the House of Lords to finish the job … to refine the legislation the House of Commons has introduced.”

However, Sherrington challenged the criticism of the House of Lords, saying the Lords had “identified many shortcomings and bad legislation.”

“The bill was criticized for a lack of safeguards and as a danger to vulnerable people, with a number of respected professional bodies highlighting unsafe aspects within the bill,” he said.

Sherrington added that reintroducing the bill “places the most vulnerable at risk,” adding: “Many professional bodies argued against this bill, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians, whose members would be required to be involved under the provision of the bill. Disability rights groups, those fighting against eating disorders and against domestic abuse, were highly concerned and considered it dangerous.”

Sherrington pinpointed further concerns about the bill, which he urged MPs to reject, saying: “The bill undermines freedom of conscience for medical professionals and care workers. It also requires care homes and hospices to participate in assisted suicide, threatening not only their future existence but also the well-being of their more vulnerable staff.”

Pro-life groups have also criticized the move by Edwards. Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right to Life UK, said reintroducing the same bill would be a “serious mistake.” Robinson told EWTN News that the bill contained “serious flaws” that have been exposed by “peers and experts.”

She said: “At a time when the Labour Party is already divided and the country is facing so many real problems, reviving this bill would be a serious mistake. It would create further division, waste precious Parliamentary time, and distract from the very real challenges facing our country.”

Robinson added: “If it is brought back, it is likely to fail” and commented that further debate on the bill would be “divisive and distracting.”

Further criticism has come from bishops in England and Wales.

Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark told EWTN News: “Assisted suicide has no place in a civilized society. It violates the God-given dignity of human life and puts the vulnerable — especially elderly and disabled people — in grave danger.”

Wilson called on Catholics to take action against the bill through prayer and action, saying: “As followers of the Lord Jesus, we have a duty to speak out and to act when the lives of so many people are at risk. That is why I urge Catholics to pray and to campaign to stop this deadly bill from becoming law.”

Welsh Archbishop Mark OʼToole of Cardiff-Menevia said it is “immensely disappointing that the bill to legalize assisted suicide is being reintroduced to Parliament.”

OʼToole added: “It does nothing to uphold the dignity of every person or encourage investment in good palliative care.”

OʼToole’s call for greater investment in palliative care was echoed by Sherrington, who said: “Surely what is now needed to help the terminally ill is an improvement in compassionate, high-quality palliative care and proper hospice funding.”

Catholic peer Lord David Alton shared his concerns about what he described as a “deeply flawed and dangerous assisted suicide bill,” saying: “The wisest thing which MPs can do is to reject this bill.”

Sherrington concluded his statement with a calI “on all people of goodwill to join me in work and prayer to prevent this flawed bill from succeeding.”

As the discussion spread across social media platforms, a familiar claim resurfaced alongside it — that Iceland has effectively eliminated Down syndrome births through abortion, with virtually every baby diagnosed prenatally with the condition terminated before birth.

The claim has circulated for years in media and social commentary, often stated as established fact. EWTN News went looking for current, primary sourcing and reached out to Catholic organizations on the ground in Iceland to find the truth of these claims.

How the narrative took hold

The origin of the claim about Iceland mostly comes from a 2017 CBS News report, which mentioned that since prenatal screening tests were introduced in Iceland in the early 2000s, close to 100% of women who received a positive test for Down syndrome terminated their pregnancy.

By law, Icelandic doctors are required to inform pregnant mothers about the availability of a screening test that can indicate (among many other things) the presence of Down syndrome in the babies they are carrying.

The piece quoted a leading Icelandic geneticist, Kári Stefánsson, saying “we have basically eradicated, almost, Down syndrome from our society — that there is hardly ever a child with Down syndrome in Iceland anymore.”

That report is now nearly nine years old. It is, nonetheless, the source most frequently referenced in the current wave of social media posts and the one used as a jumping-off point for other articles.

A more complete picture

When EWTN News contacted Caritas Iceland and the Chancery of the Catholic Church in Iceland, both groups referred EWTN News to April Frigge, who sits on the board of Lífsvernd, the pro-life group of the Diocese of Reykjavík.

Frigge highlighted a response that Dr. Hulda Hjartardóttir, chief of obstetrics at Iceland’s National University Hospital, gave to Morgunblaðið, Iceland’s most prominent newspaper, within days of the CBS report airing.

Hjartardóttir had been one of the doctors CBS interviewed, and she was direct about what had been left out. “I went over this with CBS’ journalists, but then they decided to publish one thing and not the other,” she told the paper.

What CBS had omitted, Hjartardóttir explained, was that the 100% termination figure applied only to a specific subset of women.

She explained that 80% to 85% of pregnant women in Iceland choose to undergo prenatal screening, while 15% to 20% decline it altogether. Among those who receive screening results indicating a higher risk of Down syndrome, about 75% to 80% proceed with additional testing, but roughly 20% to 25% decide against further tests and continue their pregnancies. Hjartardóttir noted that these were women who, after counseling and discussions, couldn’t “bear the thought of ending the pregnancy despite the Down syndrome emerging.”

Taken together, she estimated that about one-third of Icelandic mothers either decline screening from the outset or choose not to pursue further testing after an initial positive result, opting instead to continue their pregnancies regardless of the outcome.

Frigge noted that this fuller account received a fraction of the attention that the original CBS report generated and that it remains largely absent from the online debate nearly a decade later.

These figures were also addressed by Iceland’s Ministry of Welfare, which rejected claims that the government encourages mothers carrying children diagnosed with Down syndrome to terminate their pregnancies. The ministry stated that prenatal screening for Down syndrome is voluntary and that women are neither required to undergo testing nor mandated to have an abortion if a diagnosis is confirmed.

What this means is that children with Down syndrome are being born in Iceland precisely because a significant portion of mothers either decline pregnancy screening or choose not to pursue confirmatory testing after an initial positive result.

What research shows

A 2020 study drawing on Icelandic prenatal screening data from 2012 to 2016 adds context to the situation. During that period, 79% of pregnant women chose to undergo a first-trimester screening test, amounting to 16,649 screenings.

Of the women screened, 333 received high-risk results and were offered further testing. Down syndrome was subsequently confirmed in 44 pregnancies. Of those, 43 ended in abortion, while one woman chose to carry her child to term.

Over the same five-year period, 12 children with Down syndrome were born in Iceland. Five were born to women who declined prenatal screening, six followed false-negative test results, and one was born to the woman who continued her pregnancy after receiving a confirmed diagnosis.

What the current data does and does not show

Iceland recorded 4,311 births and 1,147 abortions in 2024, the most recent year for which official figures are available. However, publicly available data does not specify how many of those births or abortions involved a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, making precise assessment difficult.

What can be said with reasonable confidence is that the pattern documented in 2017 has not fundamentally changed.

A March 2026 article published through the U.N.’s regional information network noted that approximately 80% to 85% of pregnant women in Iceland still undergo prenatal screening and that nearly all pregnancies with a confirmed Down syndrome diagnosis continue to be terminated, resulting in only two to three children with Down syndrome born in Iceland each year.

EWTN News attempted to contact Downs félagið (The Downs Society), an Icelandic association that advocates for the rights of individuals with Down syndrome, but was unable to obtain a response.

“Remember all those who have built and protected this temple for centuries, also the generous patrons of this instrument, and especially those who did not live to see its completion and todayʼs blessing,” Graubner said during the blessing.

He asked the Lord to accept this work of the patrons and benefactors and “to give them a share in the heavenly harmony that never ceases.”

The ceremony, which featured the Czech Philharmonic, was broadcast live by Czech public television.

‘Awakening’ the organ

The current archbishop of Prague, Stanislav Přibyl, who is himself an organist, presided over a Mass on the occasion. In his homily, the chief pastor of the capital city of the Czech Republic said the organ does not exist independently of the space around it. It becomes part of it, as “it is not just the organ playing, but the entire cathedral, literally every stone playing,” he stressed.

He also performed the ceremony of “awakening the organ,” addressing the instrument and asking it, literally, to “wake up” and fill the space with music. The organist responded by playing the wind instrument.

“It is the moment when the instrument sounds praise to God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The organ can rejoice, cry, calm down, and stir our hearts, express the emotions that are within us,” Přibyl underscored.

This awakening, in which one can behold and listen to beauty and experience spiritual reality, is a dialogue, according to the prelate: “First, a word is spoken, a challenge, and the response is music. It is a beautiful picture of the relationship between God and man.” When God speaks, it evokes a reaction in man, be it a word, silence, tears, laughter, and so on.

Music and singing transcend the boundaries of words, and “our new instrument will also serve this purpose: liturgy, prayer, the uplifting and joy of the human spirit,” Přibyl concluded.

Years in the making

The organ has undergone a few restoration works over the last 100 years, yet they did not bring the desired results. In 2012, Duka brought up the idea and won the support of high-ranking public figures to assume the patronage of the public collection. Approximately 12,000 people have contributed 135 million Czech crowns so far toward the final cost of roughly 160 million.

The new instrument was completed by the German organ builder Gerhard Grenzing and designed by Slovak designer Peter Olah, who also designs within the once-Czech automobile brand Škoda, now part of Volkswagen.

The organ weighs 45 tons and has about 6,000 pipes. The cathedral will host an organ concert in the coming days, and the instrument will be played during liturgy.

The first stone of the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslaus, and Adalbert was laid in the 14th century, though the first church at the same place stood in the 10th century. The coronation of the Czech kings took place within the church, which is one of the most important in the Czech Republic.

Representatives from the Catholic Church and European Union, as well as diplomats, academics, and experts, gathered at the event in Brussels on June 9 to reflect on the ethical, political, and strategic implications of outer space governance and sustainability in an increasingly interconnected world.

As COMECE noted in a statement, the conference took place against the backdrop of “a rapidly evolving global space sector. In recent years, outer space has become an increasingly prominent area of strategic, economic, and scientific interest.”

“Alongside the growing ambitions of established space powers,” COMECE stated, “an increasing number of countries are seeking to develop or expand their presence in space.”

At the same time, the sector has also seen a significant rise in private actors, “whose expanding role in satellites, deployment, space exploration, and commercial activities is reshaping the governance landscape.”

The developments highlight the urgent need to foster international dialogue and cooperation to ensure that outer space continues to serve the common good and that its exploration and use remain the “province of humankind,” accessible for peaceful and sustainable purposes, “for the benefit and in the interest of all countries in accordance with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.”

Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and president of the Caritas in Veritate Foundation, opened the event together with Father Manuel Barrios Prieto, secretary-general of COMECE.

Both men stressed the profound moral dimension of these issues, since “they concern peace, justice, and the dignity of present and future generations.”

Balestrero stated that “we must not turn space into a jungle,” as it is not “a lawless frontier” governed by the principle of “first come, first served.”

The prelate emphasized that it offers humanity “an invitation to avoid repeating many of the mistakes made on Earth. Space therefore must be explored with responsibility, solidarity, and respect for subsidiarity, for the benefit of present and future generations.”

Barrios noted that, in an increasingly polarized world, “the European Union and its institutions have a significant role to play in guiding humanity in navigating such questions wisely.”

He also highlighted several initiatives such as the proposal for an EU Space Act, the development of a European Space Shield, and investments in various programs that, in his view, “reflect the EU’s growing responsibility in shaping the governance of space activities.”

During the conference, the Caritas in Veritate Foundation presented its publication “Outer Space and Humanity at a Crossroads: Reflections on a New Frontier of the Common Good." It offers interdisciplinary, ethical reflections and recommendations regarding the opportunities and responsibilities associated with humanityʼs growing presence in outer space.

Conference participants also reflected on the increasing importance of outer space for communications, security, environmental monitoring, and technological development while addressing emerging challenges such as “space debris, the congestion of low-Earth orbit and the risk of the militarization of space.”

Furthermore, special attention was paid to “the ethical dimensions of space activities and the need for governance frameworks capable of balancing technological innovation, security considerations, and the responsibility to safeguard the common good for present and future generations.”

The conference “reaffirmed the importance of promoting a human-centered approach to scientific and technological progress, guided by ethical responsibility, international cooperation, and a commitment to peace,” COMECE noted.

“As humanity’s presence beyond Earth continues to expand, participants emphasized the need to ensure that outer space remains a shared heritage whose exploration and use should contribute to the flourishing of the entire human family,” the statement reads.

The event forms part of COMECE’s “ongoing efforts to foster dialogue between the Catholic Church, the EU institutions, and civil society on emerging policy challenges affecting the future of humanity and the common good.”

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 prayer event kicked off a worldwide Eucharistic procession honoring the Blessed Mother including more than 550 parishes and 15 prominent shrines across six continents in what organizers say is the first-ever united and coordinated global Marian Eucharistic procession.

Participating Marian shrines included Knock, Fátima, Lourdes, La Salette and Pontmain Shrine in France, Garabandal in Spain, Beauraing Shrine in Belgium, and the Coimbra convent in Portugal, where Our Lady is believed to have appeared to Sister Lucia, one of the Fátima seers.

Barry Mallett from the Guardians of the Faith group, who organized the Derry procession, spent over a year contacting parishes, dioceses, and Marian shrines around the world to bring them together for this remarkable global outpouring of Eucharistic adoration, held in unison at the same time in each area of the world.

“Fruits from the last Eucharistic processions [held in February and November 2025 in Derry] are an increase in Mass attendance and vocations, with a real hunger and desire to see these continue to help lead our youth back to God,” Mallett told EWTN News. “We have seen an increase in conversions and an uplift in faith amongst the Gen Z population locally.”

He added: “There isn’t any coincidence that this is all taking place so shortly after Archbishop Eamon Martin, a Derry man, reconsecrated Ireland to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June 2025 and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the Rosary Rally in Knock on the 6th of June.”

Mallett said he has been getting messages from around the world from participants in the procession who say “they were overwhelmed and that it was such an honor to be part of this synchronized event to honor the holy mother of God.”

“Locally here in Derry the buzz is incredible; people were saying it’s absolutely beautiful. As the procession wound its way through the city, devotional items were handed out to passersby, and people came out of shops, restaurants, and public houses to watch the very significant event,” Millet explained.

“There’s a very famous prophecy by St. Patrick in 433 about a light rising and shining from the north of Ireland, spreading throughout the whole of Ireland, on to Britain, Europe, and the whole world.”

The city of Derry is remembered for some of the most notorious incidents of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

During the opening Mass before the procession, Father Roland Colhoun, curate in the Derry Diocese, Parish of Ardstraw East, said: “A procession visually and spiritually transforms streets and sanctuaries into places of contemplative peace. The exercise of communal prayer elevates the district into a place of holiness. We walk under banners with messages of faith, carrying our rosary beads as instruments of prayer. We venerate the image of Our Lady, adore the Eucharist, and meditate on the mysteries of the faith as we process. By taking part in the worldwide Marian procession today, you and I are making our contribution to world peace. May the Prince of Peace reign in our hearts and in the hearts of our brothers and sisters across the world.”

After Mass, celebrated in the Creggan estate, a well-known housing development built for working-class Catholics, where the 1972 Bloody Sunday civil rights march started, the route of the procession followed that of the march, culminating at the Long Tower church — the site of the last Penal mass in the city in 1784 and now known as the home parish church of Servant of God Sister Clare Crockett, an Irish sister who died in an earthquake in Ecuador at the age of 33. The church is also close to the site of St. Columba’s original church in Derry.

Sister Clare Crockett’s uncle, Danny Doyle, said: “Clare would have loved today and been thrilled to have this on her own patch where she was born and reared.”

Sisters from the Letterkenny convent of Sister Claire Crockett’s congregation, Home of the Mother, were present in Derry, and other sisters participated from their convent in Spain.

Among the procession participants was Father Patrick Desmond, OP, from the Dominican congregation in Newry, who told EWTN News: “It’s great to be here. It was so well organized, and everyone played their part. So many young people. So many young families. It would just give you confidence and encourage you to remember that the Lord is in control and it’s his Church!”

Desmond said he believes the Lord “is going to renew the Church in the world in his way and in his time, and it’s happening. It’s very exciting to be at the heart of it. I’m very encouraged, and I’m going to go back to my congregation, and I’m going to try to encourage them with some of the joy that I’ve experienced here and remind them that God will have the victory ultimately! This needs to be multiplied and magnified!”

Participants in the “Scegliamo la Vita” (“Letʼs Choose Life”) March — an annual pro-life march since 2011 — gathered at the Piazza della Repubblica to voice support for promoting a culture of life in Italy and for respecting the human dignity of every person at all stages.

Current abortion legislation in Italy

Abortion first became legal in Italy in May 1978, allowing women to terminate a pregnancy up to 12 weeks of gestation.

This has since been followed by certain measures in favor of abortion by the Italian Ministry of Health, including permitting abortions as an essential healthcare service during the COVID-19 pandemic and allowing chemical termination of pregnancy up to 63 days.

Maria Rachele Ruiu, a prominent Italian pro-life advocate and participant in the march, expressed her hope to EWTN News that the march will persuade the Italian government to repeal current legislation permitting abortion.

“In Italy, unfortunately, we have Law 194, which governs abortion. It allows abortion up to the 12th week, but it is also permitted beyond that if a specific medical diagnosis is made,” Ruiu told EWTN News. “We want to show that choosing and protecting life is not only right, important, and necessary but also beautiful.”

Potential legislation permitting euthanasia and assisted suicide

Other participants voiced concerns about rumors that the Italian government would enact laws permitting euthanasia and assisted suicide more broadly.

Massimo Gandolfini, spokesperson for the Scegliamo la Vita March, expressed opposition to such laws and discussed the role that men have in promoting a pro-life culture.

“We see that this right [to life] today is deeply wounded and heavily attacked with abortion law, and with this rumored law on assisted suicide, to which we are totally opposed,” Gandolfini said.

“We [men] want to demonstrate to keep attention high on a fundamental issue, which is the right to life. The right to life is the right that underpins every other right of a civil society and a democratic society.”

Ruiu added that the participants at the march would “ask Parliament not to legislate.”

A future of marriages and children

Looking to the future, Ruiu stated that young people can support a culture of life by getting married and having families of their own.

"We want to bear witness to the fact that choosing life is worth it, especially for those who choose it; that having a child is wonderful news for the family and for society; that people can get married. Young people, get married and have children!

“They always portray us, even in the press, as ugly and bad; we want to parade through Rome to show our true face: happy people,” Ruiu said.

The event began with a rally at 11 a.m. in Seventh June Square before participants marched through the capitalʼs streets singing Christian hymns, concluding outside the Norwegian Parliament at 12:30 p.m. There, speakers from medical, social, religious, and political walks of life delivered addresses on the dignity and protection of human life, before the crowd joined together to sing “Navnet Jesus” (“The Name of Jesus”), widely regarded as Norwayʼs most beloved Christian hymn.

Banners bearing slogans such as “A Voice for the Voiceless,” “Choose Life,” and “650,000 Since 1978” — a reference to the number of abortions recorded in Norway since the countryʼs abortion law was liberalized — defined the marchʼs central message: that every child has a right to life.

The discussion is not over

The march was organized by Velg Livet, a pro-life organization whose director, Cecilie Marie Røinås, told EWTN News the event was driven by a growing interest among younger Norwegians and a determination to respond to recent expansions of the countryʼs abortion laws.

“Since it has been around 40 years since the last major March for Life in Norway, we felt it was time for a new public witness,” she said. “With recent expansions of Norwayʼs abortion laws, it is important that we continue to be a voice for unborn life and not act as if the discussion is over.”

The strong presence of young people behind the initiative, many of them in their early 20s, was, for Røinås, one of the marchʼs most significant features.

“The fact that so many young people are involved shows that the issue of abortion is not a lost cause,” she said. “We want to show that there are many in our generation who are willing to stand up for unborn life.”

Røinås said the marchʼs success would ultimately be measured not by attendance figures alone but by its impact on hearts.

“Our prayer is that people would experience Godʼs love,” she said, “because real change begins in the hearts of the people.”

A sign of growing engagement

Bishop Fredrik Hansen of Oslo, who was unable to attend due to pastoral commitments, described the march to EWTN News as evidence of a broader shift in Norwegian society.

“The Oslo March for Life attests to the increasing interest in and engagement for the defense of life and the dignity of life in Norway,” he said, expressing hope that it would become an annual event and serve to build bridges among the countryʼs pro-life organizations.

Asked whether he viewed the march as a form of healthy political advocacy or as genuine Christian witness, Hansen said it was both.

“The march will serve to witness to Norwegian society about the sacredness of life and to the need to challenge the many threats to life,” he said. “In so doing, it will send a firm message to our politicians and to the media that many Norwegians are deeply committed to a pro-life culture and wish their voices to be heard.”

He also pointed to what he described as quiet but real signs of religious renewal in a country better known for its secularism. “Interest in Christianity is increasing, notably among the young. Pro-life and broader social engagement is increasing in both the Catholic Church and other Christian communities, and public discussion on issues of life and faith are becoming more and more common.”

He closed with a direct appeal to Catholics abroad: “Remember Norway in your prayers.”

Unity among Christians

The Catholic Church was represented at the march by Catholics from several parishes, as well as Ragnhild Helena Aadland Høen, public affairs officer for the Norwegian Catholic Bishops' Conference.

Høen drew an immediate contrast with the last such demonstration in 1986, which was met with large and sometimes violent counterprotests. “This time, we were allowed to walk in peace,” she told EWTN News.

For Høen, the marchʼs most striking feature was not its size but its unity. “Catholics, Lutherans, Pentecostals, and evangelicals stood side by side,” she said, describing this cross-denominational cooperation as “one of the most hopeful signs in Norway today.”

She also highlighted the participation of American worship leader Phil King, whose address centered on Christian unity: “The impossible is not impossible with Jesus.”

Høen was careful to situate the march as a beginning rather than a culmination. “I have the distinct sense that God is gathering his people in Norway,” she said. “It felt like the opening lines of a new chapter,” one in which both Christian ecumenism and the pro-life movement, she believes, will continue to grow.

“I left with such a strong sense of expectation and joy,” she noted.

The fundamental question remains

Among the speakers at the Parliament steps was Ingrid Olina Hovland, chairwoman of the youth wing of Norwayʼs Christian Democratic Party, who was candid about the political landscape facing pro-life advocates in the country.

Pro-life politicians, she acknowledged, remain a minority in Norway and frequently face opposition from fellow lawmakers and the wider public alike. She explained that national debates have become too narrowly focused.

“The public discussion focuses primarily on healthcare and womenʼs rights while giving less attention to the unborn child,” she told EWTN News.

Hovland also challenged a common assumption underpinning arguments that economic hardship is a primary driver of abortion. Norwayʼs extensive welfare state, she argued, makes that case difficult to sustain.

“Even in a society with generous welfare benefits, the fundamental question remains: What moral value do we assign to unborn human life, and how should that value be weighed against other interests and rights?”

She expressed cautious optimism about the direction of her generation. Younger Norwegians, she said, appear increasingly willing to engage seriously with the moral dimensions of abortion rather than treating the debate as settled, a willingness that, for those gathered in Oslo on Saturday, the march itself was designed to reflect.

The court’s decision, based on the Judicial Rehabilitation Act, confirms that the prelate was a victim of unlawful deprivation of liberty in the 1950s by the communist regime in what was then Czechoslovakia. He was not formally convicted, yet he was forced to remain in the archbishop’s palace under surveillance by the State Security, and this was recognized as imprisonment.

The current archbishop of Olomouc, Josef Nuzík, said he is “very happy that after so many years we have managed to complete this procedural step and achieve justice” in civil law as well.

Matocha is “constantly present in our palace and in the hearts of believers,” and guests “are often moved when they realize that these beautiful spaces were his prison,” said Nuzík, who is also president of the Czech Bishops’ Conference.

The rehabilitation is an important sign “also for the entire society,” he added, one that shows “the heroism and suffering of people who did not let themselves be broken must not be forgotten.”

Ladislav Müller filed the initial motion for rehabilitation at the request of Jan Kratochvil, director of the Museum of Czech, Slovak, and Ruthenian Exile of the 20th Century in Brno.

Decades of isolation

Matocha, who held doctorates in philosophy and theology, was appointed archbishop of Olomouc by Pope Pius XII in 1948. He was deeply dedicated in his pastoral visits, initiated the beatification process of Archbishop Antonín Stojan, and secretly ordained František Tomášek as a bishop, who later became a cardinal and archbishop of Prague, according to the Archdiocese of Olomouc.

After his internment in 1950, he could not read newspapers or listen to the radio, and visits to the garden were permitted only sporadically. The isolation lasted until his death from a heart attack in 1961, which was also due to the denial of medical care. In 1999, then-Czech President Václav Havel posthumously awarded Matocha the first class of the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk for outstanding services to democracy and human rights.

The press office of the Archdiocese of Olomouc told EWTN News that no special event regarding Matocha is planned at present, but it noted that a rehabilitation process is underway for Cardinal Štěpán Trochta. Trochta also suffered internment as the bishop of Litoměřice, but “we consider him ours,” the press office said, because he was born within the Archdiocese of Olomouc.

A wider reckoning

The unjust treatment of two other churchmen by the communist regime in Czechoslovakia has recently been recognized.

Cardinal Josef Beran, the former archbishop of Prague, who was interned in several locations, was rehabilitated in February, the District Court of Prague confirmed to EWTN News.

In 2024, the regional court in Hradec Králové rehabilitated the priest Josef Toufar, who was illegally arrested and tortured to death.

The civil unrest followed a brutal knife attack in Belfast carried out by a Sudanese national. Footage of the incident has been widely circulated globally and on social media. Bishop Alan McGuckian, SJ, of Down and Connor said: “My thoughts and prayers are firstly with Stephen Ogilvie, who sustained life-changing devastating injuries in a brutal and horrific attack.”

Referring to the rioting, intimidation, and vandalism toward immigrant people that followed, he said: “So many newcomers make an outstanding contribution to our communities, including our parishes. They are our friends. Shame on all those who have sought to mobilize, agitate, weaponize, and politicize the fear and concerns of others over the last few days. All of us have a responsibility to de-escalate societal tension rather than stoke the flames of racism.”

Lebanese priest says ‘situation drastically deteriorating’ for Christians

Father Youssef Semaan, parish priest of Kfour, Nabatieh District, in Lebanon, said the situation for Christians remaining in the country is continuing to worsen.

“Every week is more dangerous than the last. The situation has become unbearable,” Semaan said, according to a press release from Aid to the Church in Need on Thursday.

The priest, who was forced to leave Kfour due to safety reasons, said he has managed to return on two occasions. He said many Christians have been faced with the difficult decision to “stay and risk their lives or abandon our land without any guarantee that we will ever get our houses or our goods back.”

In Kfour, the Christian population has dropped from 120 to around 12, ACN noted. “We still have hope,” Semaan said. “But hope itself is not enough. It has to be based on solid foundations that allow us to rebuild and go on living. We are human after all.”

Zimbabwe bishops consecrate nation to Mary, a ‘model of courage’ in difficult times

Members of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) have consecrated the Southern African nation to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, entrusting the country to her maternal protection and presenting her as a model of faith, hope, courage, and love amid ongoing challenges.

The consecration took place during a Mass marking the conclusion of the bishops’ 2026 plenary assembly at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Harare on June 10, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Thursday.

In his homily, ZCBC president Bishop Raymond Tapiwa Mupandasekwa said the bishops identified Mary as a fitting patroness for Zimbabwe, saying: “The act of surrender to God is indeed an imitation of this Holy Virgin. She is the woman who not only shows her total surrender to God in faith, but she is also a woman of great hope. At the foot of the cross she stands. A great sign of courage in a very difficult moment.”

Legislation threatening the seal of confession in France fails

A provision in a bill proposed to the French National Assembly that would have compelled priests to violate the seal of confession to report instances of abuse against minors has failed.

The bill, aimed at preventing and combating violence in schools in the wake of a sex abuse scandal at a Catholic boarding school in southern France, was adopted on June 1 without the proposed clause that would have removed exemptions for priests from mandatory reporting of information regarding sexual abuse heard during the sacrament of confession.

The French Bishops’ Conference expressed “grave concern” ahead of a debate on the bill, noting several articles in the bill that “call into question several fundamental freedoms,” including the right to secrecy under the seal of confession.

Christians in Tyre face new wave of uncertainty

The Christian community in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre is watching recent developments with growing concern after the area was included in an Israeli evacuation warning for the first time, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Thursday.

Church leaders fear that any military escalation could have lasting consequences for one of Lebanon’s oldest Christian communities, which has already endured years of economic hardship and emigration.

Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop Georges Iskandar called for urgent efforts to protect civilians and preserve the city’s historic and religious character, warning that further instability could accelerate the decline of the local Christian presence.

Victims of clergy abuse in Australia clash with diocese over memorial

A group representing victim survivors of clergy abuse has announced its agreement with the Diocese of Ballarat in Australia to build a memorial for victims “null and void” after an alleged communication breakdown with the diocese.

“Throughout the memorial process, we have sought to engage with Church representatives in a respectful, transparent, and constructive manner. We have acted in good faith and demonstrated a genuine willingness to work collaboratively towards memorials at both sites: St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Alipius Old Boys School,” the Ballarat and District Survivors Memorial Committee said in a June 6 Facebook post. “Regrettably, we do not believe the same level of transparency and good faith has been demonstrated by the Church during these negotiations.”

British National Trust reopens 420-year-old Catholic lodge

Lyveden, a three-story Tudor lodge in Northamptonshire, England, known for its Catholic symbolism, has been reopened following conservation work.

“Weʼre very excited to open Lyveden Lodge after 18 months and welcome visitors back inside this remarkable building,” Matthew Glasgow, senior building surveyor, said in a BBC News report on Friday. “While further conservation work will be needed in the coming years, the completed repairs mean visitors can once again enjoy this extraordinary unfinished vision of Sir Thomas Tresham.” Conservationists conducted repairs to the lodge’s stonework, replaced timber, and restored its Elizabethan garden.

Constructed in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Tresham, a practicing Catholic who faced persecution for refusing to attend Anglican church services during the late 1500s and early 1600s, Lyveden is built in the shape of a Greek cross and features references to Christian numerology, according to the National Trust’s website.

Rebaptisms raise questions in Syria’s Maronite community

Reports that several Maronites in the Latakia countryside of Syria joined Protestant groups and underwent “rebaptism” have sparked discussion within the local Church about the challenges facing parish life in the region.

The situation came to light in the village of Ain Halaqim, where community members pointed to years of pastoral difficulties, including the absence of a resident priest and limited opportunities for ongoing catechesis, ACI MENA reported Friday.

Rather than focusing solely on the individuals who left, many local voices are asking broader questions about how the Church can better accompany the faithful, especially in communities affected by economic struggles and migration.

“The devotion to the ‘Saint of the Peoples’ is truly universal perhaps because he himself desired to consider all the world his as his home,” Father Oliviero Svanera, rector of the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, Italy, told EWTN News.

“He was Portuguese by birth, he went to Morocco to spread the faith, he landed in Sicily by shipwreck, then he went back up the Italian peninsula all the way to Assisi and joined the friars of St. Francis, who sent him all the way to France.”

Once St. Anthony returned to Italy he was appointed provincial superior and served in Padua, where he died in 1231.

“It is told that he would speak one language made of a thousand accents but which was understandable to all,” Svanera said. “As such, he was a neighbor to all: to the poor, to people in difficulty, to the sick. In this, his being ‘brother of all’ is perhaps his universality, something that renders him a friend of all the peoples of the world, beyond nationality, culture, and even religions, given that St. Anthony is respected even by those who do not profess the Catholic faith.”

St. Anthony was born as Fernando Martins in Lisbon around 1195, and when he was 15 he entered the Abbey of St. Vincent with the Canons Regular of St. Augustine and was ordained a priest.

In 1220 he was deeply moved when he encountered the relics of five Franciscan missionaries who had been martyred in Morocco. He was allowed to leave the Augustinians to join the Order of Friars Minor, where he took the name Anthony. He worked as a preacher and laid the foundations of Franciscan theology.

He was canonized in 1232, only a year after his death, by Gregory IX, who had heard him preach and called him the “Ark of the Testament.”

It was also in 1232 that construction of the basilica that houses St. Anthony’s body was begun. It was finished at the beginning of the 14th century.

Svanera explained the famous “Tredicina” that takes place before St. Anthony’s feast day.

“The word ‘Tredicina’ [refers to] the 13 days of meditation and spiritual preparation for the solemnity of the saint — that is, from May 31 to June 13. Every day those devoted to St. Anthony invoke the intercession of the saint through a particular prayer ... to entrust themselves to the mercy of God the Father. These are the days in which the basilica becomes the goal of pilgrims, both individuals and those organized in groups, and our sanctuary becomes truly universal, as in these days of veneration and prayer there are tens of thousands of pilgrims who come here from every country of the world.”

The priest also explained the story behind another popular tradition related to the famous saint called the “Bread of St. Anthony.”

“The birth of this tradition of charity has its roots in one of the ‘miracles’ of the saint, that of Tommasino, a baby of 20 months who drowned in a washtub,” Svanera said. “The desperate mother invoked the help of the saint and vowed that if she would obtain this grace, she would give to the poor the child’s weight in bread. And the little one returned miraculously to life.”

This gave rise, he said, to two Antonian works faithful to the spirit of St. Anthony: the Bread Work of the Poor (“l’Opera Pane dei Poveri”) — an organization in Padua that works to bring bread and other necessities to people in difficulty; and also Caritas Sant’Antonio, which supports many development projects in dozens of countries around the world.

Svanera also highlighted the key lessons of St. Anthony’s life.

“St. Anthony’s preaching was always capable of provoking the hearts of everyone,” he said. “And this too is thanks to his exemplary life and his humility, which he learned from Most Holy Mary, to whom he was profoundly devoted.”

He continued: “St. Anthony proclaimed the Gospel which conquers the temptation of power, the temptation of pride, the temptation ... of worldliness ... Through his love, St. Anthony knew to stoop for the other (refugee, migrant, unemployed, alone, sick, imprisoned, marginalized, poor) and to take care of him. We will thus be effective Christians of a Church which goes forth if, like St. Anthony, we manage to go forth from ourselves to preach Christ crucified, following him with a style of humility, of true humility, a humility full of love.”

This story was first published on June 13, 2017, and has been updated.

The proposed legislation would fast-track euthanasia requests, allowing only a single hearing in a lower court before the decision could be appealed solely to the Constitutional Court, effectively reducing the opportunities for extended legal challenges.

The vote to consider the proposal, spearheaded by the Catalan regional parliament, took place just three days after members of both houses of Spain’s legislature gave a seven-minute standing ovation to Pope Leo XIV, who in his historic address asked: “If life ceases to be recognized as a fundamental value, what future can our societies have?”

Coinciding with this legislative initiative, the Christian Lawyers Foundation has released a video featuring the father of Noelia Castillo, the young woman who was euthanized on March 23 following a two-year legal battle led by her father, Javier Castillo.

‘An injustice has been done to Noelia’

Sources at the foundation told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that this marks the “first and only” time Castillo will make a public statement, since from the time his daughter’s case became known and even after her death, he hasn’t spoken out.

“An injustice has been done to Noelia,” declared Castillo, who emphasized that “more resources could have been allocated” to address her psychological and psychiatric ailments. In contrast, he said the state was “very efficient” when it came to administering euthanasia, essentially “to get the problem off their hands.”

In his opinion, Noelia managed to convince the doctors that her case met the criteria set out in the euthanasia law passed in 2022: “She deceived them very effectively, and they let themselves be deceived,” said Castillo, who also argued that the assessment of euthanasia cases should include the parents' perspective.

Castillo decried the fact that, when he was in Noeliaʼs room before her death and the members of the Guarantees Committee provided for in the euthanasia law arrived, “they kicked me out of the room” and didn’t give him information when he asked for it.

No one in the family wanted euthanasia for her

Recalling his daughterʼs death, Castillo burst into tears, and overcome with emotion, said: “I was able to see her in the box, I said goodbye to her and here I have her” he said, pointing to his head, indicating he will remember her forever.

“I would be the happiest man alive if she had wanted to keep living with me and if I could have continued looking after her until the day I died,” he said, lamenting that as soon as he decided to turn over the case to the Christian Lawyers Foundation, his daughter decided to shut him out.

“The moment she saw that her father was opposed, that I was trying to stop the euthanasia, she completely cut me off, even though up until then, I had been with her every day of the week,” he recounted.

“Right up to the last moment, none of us in the family lost hope … not one of us,“ he said. ”Neither mother, nor father, nor sisters wanted euthanasia; each of us, in our own way and with our own lives, tried to prevent this from happening.”

Following Noelia’s death, which came after a long legal battle, Castillo admitted to having mixed feelings: “Powerless, like a failure. We lost, yet we won. I have to say that Christian Lawyers has prevailed over all those people who did nothing for her. Yes, they certainly did their homework,” he said.

Castillo expressed his conviction that “my daughter is now in heaven,” while also acknowledging that the legal battle “gave to me two years of my daughter’s life. Two years. Do you know what two years of life means? A lot. A whole lifetime.”

‘Fast track’ procedure

The legislative proposal taken under consideration June 11 aims to mandate a “fast track” procedure for appeals in euthanasia cases.

Furthermore, under the proposed legislation, such appeals would only be filed with the Administrative Disputes Chamber of the High Court of Justice of an autonomous community, thereby bypassing trial courts and the provincial courts.

Spain has 17 autonomous communities, the rough equivalent of states in a federal system.

The appeals process would be conducted in only one court without any right of appeal, save for an “amparo” appeal before the Constitutional Court, which is a type of appeal that is rejected in 98% of cases, as detailed in the explanatory memorandum of the bill.

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 young girl had the opportunity to describe to the Holy Father and the king and queen of Spain how she perceives the tower, which was completed earlier this year and is the tallest of the basilicaʼs 14 completed towers, with the help of a tactile model of the basilica.

She offered details about its structure, shapes, and volumes based on the information she gathered through her sense of touch, a demonstration that particularly moved the pope.

The National Organization of the Blind of Spain (ONCE, by its Spanish acronym), said that moments before the encounter, Valentina said she was “excited and enthusiastic but not nervous to meet one of the most important people in the world."

Valentina suffers from a hereditary optic atrophy known as Leber’s disease, which allows her to distinguish only light and shadow. Since being diagnosed at barely a year old, she has been a member of ONCE, which has helped her with her education.

Valentina lives a short distance from the basilica and is in her first year at a neighborhood high school. Like her, more than 7,000 students with disabilities are assisted by ONCE in attending classes alongside sighted students in traditional schools. She also attends the Barcelona Educational Resource Center to supplement her education.

The young girl studies the violin and aspires to become a concert performer. Her hobbies include traveling with her family and reading in Braille. In fact, her ONCE teacher, Ramon Coma, noted that she “devours books.”

A family with ties to the Sagrada Família

The connection between Valentinaʼs family and the Sagrada Família is not just a matter of living in the same neighborhood, where construction has been ongoing for over a century. Her father, Francisco, an engineer by profession, worked at the basilica for years.

According to ONCE, Francisco shared a wish with his daughter: “It would be wonderful to see the Sagrada Família together one day, once it is finished.”

Although that moment is still some time away, this week they were able to realize part of that dream when they attended the pope’s blessing of the tower together and Valentina gave the pope a drawing she made that shows how she sees the Tower of Jesus Christ “with her heart.”

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.

“Martyrdom truly belongs to the heart of Christianity,” said the Swiss prelate, who made his remarks in late May during the annual pilgrimage for persecuted Christians organized by the Swiss branch of ACN at the Einsiedeln Benedictine Abbey.

Koch, who has led the organization since November 2025, when he was appointed by Pope Leo XIV, is also the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity at the Vatican.

Reaffirming the pontifical foundation’s commitment to helping persecuted Christians, Koch emphasized that martyrdom is not merely a phenomenon of the past but remains “a lived reality for countless Christians around the globe,” ACN reported.

The cardinal also highlighted the witness of the many Christians persecuted worldwide: “Dictators do not distinguish between Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, Anglicans, or Protestants.”

“Christians are not persecuted because they belong to a particular church but because of their faith in Christ. The blood that has been shed unites Christians beyond their divisions,” he noted, recalling Pope Francis’ expression the “ecumenism of blood.”

During the pilgrimage, prayers were offered for the victims of persecution and violence in countries such as Iraq, Haiti, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

In January, the organization Open Doors published a report revealing that more than 388 million Christians worldwide suffer persecution and discrimination and that 4,849 were killed between October 2024 and September 2025.

The majority of these crimes took place in Nigeria, where Christian persecution is so severe the U.S. redesignated it as a “country of particular concern” in October 2025.

Of his role as president of ACN, Koch said: “I accepted this mission with great joy because ACN has always been very close to my heart. It is a pontifical foundation that does immense good while constantly reminding us how many parts of the Church are living in situations of great need. To contribute to this mission is something very important to me.”

Donations were also collected during the pilgrimage, which will support ACN projects in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon, where the pontifical foundation assists displaced families and Catholic schools serving vulnerable communities.

What is ACN?

According to the foundation, ACN supports “the Catholic Church in its evangelization work among the world’s most needy, discriminated-against, and persecuted communities,” funding more than 5,000 pastoral and humanitarian emergency projects across 137 countries.

It has 23 offices worldwide dedicated to raising awareness about the reality facing these Christians, fostering prayer, and fundraising. ACN receives no grants from public institutions.

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 case was brought by members of the group, who argued that local authorities had unlawfully prevented them from carrying out their missionary work.

Judges found that regulations adopted by the city of Shumen unlawfully restricted religious activity and failed to clearly define what constituted prohibited religious propaganda. The ruling concluded that the ban violated Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

Nicolas Bauer, a doctor of law and advocacy director at the European Centre for Law and Justice, which intervened in the case as a third party, said the judgment reaffirms a fundamental principle of religious liberty.

“Evangelizing is often viewed with suspicion in a secularized Europe,” Bauer told EWTN News. “The ECHR ruling reaffirms a basic requirement of religious freedom for believers: the right to the same freedom of expression as everyone else.”

Understanding the situation

At the center of the dispute was what the court viewed as unequal treatment of religious speech. Under Shumen city regulations, residents and organizations were permitted to go door-to-door for commercial and political purposes, but religious outreach alone was prohibited.

“It was permitted to knock on the door of the cityʼs inhabitants to sell a vacuum cleaner or promote a political program,” Bauer explained, “but forbidden to hand out a Bible or a pious image.”

Municipal authorities justified the ban by claiming it protected the privacy of residents against “abusive or coercive proselytism.” The court rejected that argument and dismissed the need for a blanket ban on door-to-door evangelization. It also noted that authorities had not “demonstrated the existence of concrete or repeated disturbances” to justify such a broad measure.

The court stressed that exposure to differing beliefs is part of life in a democratic society, noting that “being exposed to religious ideas or beliefs that one does not share cannot, in itself, justify a blanket ban on peaceful missionary activities.”

Bauer also highlighted that individuals already possess practical means of avoiding unwanted contact, including declining to answer the door, politely dismissing visitors, or indicating that they do not wish to receive canvassers.

Implications beyond Bulgaria

For Bauer and other legal experts, the judgment reinforces the principle that religious expression enjoys the same protection as other forms of speech in democratic societies.

Bauer also noted that restrictions on evangelization affect not only those who wish to share their faith but also those who may want to hear it. “If the court recognizes the importance of the right to try to convince oneʼs neighbor,” he said, “it is also so that this neighbor can exercise their freedom to change religion.”

The judgment does not prevent authorities from acting against coercive, abusive, or intrusive conduct. Rather, it draws a distinction between peaceful evangelization and harassment, making clear that governments cannot impose blanket bans on religious outreach simply because some members of the public may find it unwelcome. Bauer noted that “the role of public authorities is to punish visitors who enter a home against the will of its occupant.”

For Christian communities engaged in missionary work, the decision offers reassurance that peaceful evangelization remains protected under European human rights law.

Religious freedom debates across Europe

The ruling arrives amid broader debates across Europe over the limits of religious expression in public life.

While Bulgariaʼs case centered on door-to-door evangelization, Bauer said Christians increasingly encounter legal and political challenges in other contexts.

He pointed to the controversial “buffer zone” laws surrounding abortion facilities in countries such as the United Kingdom and Spain. Pro-life advocates contend that some of these measures have been used to restrict activities ranging from conversations and leafleting to silent prayer, if authorities believe they could influence individuals approaching clinics.

Other disputes have involved public manifestations of Christian belief. Finnish Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen faced years of legal proceedings after publicly expressing Christian views on sexuality. In France, legal controversies have emerged over the display of crosses, Nativity scenes, and religious statues in public spaces.

According to Bauer, these cases reflect a growing tension between traditional expressions of Christianity and increasingly secular societies. “Christian faith in the public sphere stands in stark contrast to the values of modern society,” he said. Yet Bauer also explained that responsibility does not rest solely with governments or courts. Christian communities themselves, he suggested, sometimes contribute to the gradual disappearance of religious expression by ceasing to exercise freedoms they already possess.

He pointed to the decline of public Eucharistic processions in some parts of Europe as an example of a practice that once visibly expressed Christian faith in the public square.

“A freedom that is not exercised eventually erodes,” Bauer said.

As European societies continue to debate the role of religion in public life, the ECHRʼs decision serves as a reminder that religious freedom includes not only the right to hold beliefs privately but also the right to share them peacefully with others. For many Christians, that principle remains at the heart of the Churchʼs missionary mission and witness in the public square.

According to online reports, they were released on the evening of June 8.

The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed to AFP that the six were detained following disturbances by a group of approximately 30 individuals outside and inside the church on boulevard Magenta.

Two of those held are suspected of voluntary violence against Alexandra Cordebard, the Socialist mayor of the 10th arrondissement, and Pouria Amirshahi, an Ecologist member of the National Assembly, both of whom reported being jostled and said they intended to file complaints.

The four others were held for participating in an unlawful assembly after refusing to disperse following official warnings.

The City of Paris announced Saturday night that it would also file a complaint, accusing “far-right fundamentalist militants” of attempting to prevent the presentation of one of the festivalʼs works.

Authorization for the use of Saint-Laurent was granted by the parish and the Archdiocese of Paris through their established cultural partnership with the association Art, Culture et Foi, which regularly facilitates artistic events in Parisian churches.

Titled “Sous la peau du ciel” (“Under the Skin of the Sky”), artist Marie-Luce Nadal’s immersive sound installation was conceived as an invisible membrane stretched between what represented the atmosphere and human beings. It consisted of playing recordings of wishes from anonymous people collected from around the world, mixed and blended with the sounds of thunder and lightning and then played inside the church. 

Among the recorded wishes shared during the evening were: “I hope the true left comes to power”; “I hope everyone’s soul takes over”; “I hope to be happy and in love all the time”; and “more pasta in the school cafeteria.” 

The broader controversy, however, centered on the Nuit Blanche’s artistic director, Barbara Butch, a French DJ and LGBT activist who became a polarizing figure after her appearance in a tableau during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The scene, which featured drag queens and dancers seated along a long table with Butch at the center — wearing a silver headdress resembling a halo — was widely interpreted on social media as a mockery of Leonardo da Vinciʼs famous painting “The Last Supper.” Butch later posted a caption on Instagram reading “Oh yes! Oh yes! The New Gay Testament!”

Against that backdrop, the appointment of Butch to lead the 2026 Nuit Blanche — an event that included programming inside several Parisian churches — drew organized objection from some Catholic groups weeks before the festival opened.

Civitas International, along with the Knights of Our Lady (Militia Sanctae Mariae), had publicly called on Catholics to protest the use of church buildings for the festival. Civitas International is distinct from the French political party Civitas, which was dissolved by the French government in late 2023. It remains active in Switzerland and Belgium and continues to operate online.

In a statement issued Sunday, Civitas International president Alain Escada denied that the group had organized a “collective” action and rejected the accusations of violence.

“We challenge anyone to produce a single image of any aggression carried out against Alexandra Cordebard or deputy Pouria Amirshahi by Catholics during this action,” the statement read, calling the accusations an attempt to “intimidate, stigmatize, or even criminalize” Catholics.

Escada also cited the opinion of jurist Grégor Puppinck, director of the European Centre for Law and Justice, that using a place of worship for purposes unrelated to worship constitutes a violation of both Article 13 of France’s 1905 Law on the Separation of Church and State and Canon 1210 of the Code of Canon Law.

Whether physical violence occurred remains contested. The mayor stated on X that she “personally received blows” from individuals who wanted to prevent entry to the church. Those detained offer a sharply different account.

Mathieu Goyer, president of the association Sainte-Geneviève Paris, who was among those arrested, said in a June 9 interview that he was held for 44 hours across three different police stations.

“The mayor of the 10th accused us of violence — that is why our custody was extended,” he said. “But when police reviewed the surveillance footage, the mayor can be seen on the other side of the church gate. She simply wanted her media moment.”

The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on the evening of June 9 that it had closed the case against the six activists, concluding that “there was insufficient evidence of any offense.”

The Archdiocese of Paris, for its part, has not issued any public statement on the events.

Conservative Catholic commentators, including Olivier Frèrejacques of the political review Liberté Politique, described this silence as “incomprehensible” and questioned why Church authorities had agreed to host a festival directed by Butch in the first place.

Speaking to EWTN News after the rally, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Eamon Martin said: “It was a very special joy for me to preside at the Eucharist in Knock at the rosary rally. I felt a tremendous sense of joy and hope among the people who were gathered there. And it was especially gratifying to see many young people, including the childrenʼs rosary group, who made a very important and beautiful contribution to the day.”

The archbishop added: “I really felt that Knock was alive, and it makes me realize that our Blessed Mother continues to speak into the troubled world in which we live, with many new problems and new challenges. From the point of view of Ireland, itʼs very important for us to have a gathering like this, to affirm the very many people who have remained strong and steadfast in their faith and who need this kind of gathering in order to give them encouragement and a strong sense of mission.”

Martin said the word “mission” stayed with him after leaving the rally. “Thatʼs a word that I went home with in my head,“ he said. ”There is a wonderful mission involved in the rosary rally. Itʼs about gathering people but also about sending them back into their homes, parishes, and communities, to continue to make the beautiful graces of our Blessed Mother well known, to continue to pray for peace.”

Turning to the practical ways in which people can make a difference in their local parishes, Martin said: “I personally would invite people to restore the practice of the First Saturday devotions. This would be in fulfillment of our Blessed Motherʼs own wish, but it would also provide a new and further structure for parishes to gather, to pray the rosary, to have adoration, to have the sacrament of reconciliation available.”

Martin also expressed hope that other countries might be inspired by the example of the All Ireland Rosary Rally.

In his sermon during the Mass at the shrine on the day of the rally, the archbishop encouraged the congregation of thousands to pray often, in union with Mary, for the protection of humanity in this technological age.

Echoing the words of Pope Leo XIV in his recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, he said: “Artificial Intelligence is already shaping human life in homes, workplaces, and communities; in hospitals, public services, and economies. AI can do remarkable and helpful things. It can even mimic human behavior and voices, but it cannot love, suffer, forgive, pray, or hope as humans can, nor can it be truly ‘wise.’ AI does not have a conscience.”

Together with Bishop Donal McKeown and Bishop John Buckley, Martin led the renewal of the consecration of Ireland to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the culmination of the rosary procession.

Speaking to EWTN News, Christine O’Hara, a secondary schoolteacher in Cork, Ireland, said: “The rosary rally was a very blessed and grace-filled day, and thereʼs a number of things that weʼre really hoping people will take away from the event. The first being that people will feel inspired to pray the rosary every day.”

O’Hara, who runs a childrenʼs rosary group and two First Saturday communities, added: “Our Lady said in Fátima, pray the rosary every day to obtain peace in the world and an end to the war. Itʼs the desire of Archbishop Eamon Martin that the renewal of the First Saturday devotion would happen in this country. Weʼre really hoping and praying that one of the fruits, and Iʼm sure there will be many fruits from this rosary rally, but weʼre really hoping and praying that people will feel inspired to start the First Saturday devotion in their parish.”

OʼHara also said she hopes more people will be inspired to start childrenʼs rosary groups as well as rosary groups for adults in their parishes.

The huge crowd also heard from an inspiring panel of international speakers. Bishop Oliver Doeme spoke to the crowds about the power of the rosary in strengthening the faith and courage of the people of his diocese in Nigeria who live in daily fear of murder at the hands of Boko Haram terrorists.

Nikki Kingsley shared her remarkable conversion journey from the Muslim faith in her native Pakistan to being received into the Catholic faith. Her moving and inspiring story focused on the power of the rosary and her devotion to Our Lady.

Other speakers included Father Chris Alar, the provincial superior of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, who talked of the importance of Marian devotion, and Sister Ângela de Fátima, vice postulator for the cause of the three Fátima children.

The prelate made the announcement via his official X account, noting also that the pontiffʼs presence would be “a source of comfort and encouragement for many.”

The confirmation coincides with an announcement from the French Bishops' Conference, which stated via social media that the pope will participate in five major gatherings during the visit.

On Sept. 25, the pope will preside over vespers at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame and take part in an evening event with young people; on the 26th, he will celebrate an open-air Mass in Paris; on the 27th, he will celebrate the Eucharist at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes; and on the 28th, he will preside over Mass at Metz Cathedral.

“We can now give free rein to our joy, as we are able to publicly confirm that Paris will welcome the Holy Father on Sept. 25 and 26 as part of his apostolic journey to France!” Ulrich wrote.

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The archbishop noted that the announcement follows several weeks of preparation in his archdiocese and highlighted the importance of the Holy Fatherʼs “pastoral and fatherly care” for French Catholics.

Ulrich expressed pride in the choice of Paris as one of the key stops on the journey: “We know that Paris is just one of the dioceses in France and that each particular Church reflects the face of Christ in its own way.”

He added that the Church in Paris must prepare itself and “work wholeheartedly to create the conditions for a true encounter that transcends our own boundaries.”

Encounters with young people and a large-scale Mass

As the archbishop explained, on Friday, Sept. 25 — prior to vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris with priests, deacons, consecrated religious, and seminarians from across France — the pope will have an encounter with the faithful.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, the pope “will preside over an open-air Mass in the heart of Paris, to which I invite you to join — either by attending in person, if you are able, or through prayer,” Ulrich stated.

Call for volunteers and prayer

The archbishop noted that many logistical details are still being finalized, but he invited the faithful to get involved in organizing the visit.

He also asked for financial support to help welcome the many pilgrims expected to attend the events. Finally, he urged Catholics to support the preparations through prayer.

"Above all, I ask you to join in this preparation through prayer: prayer for the Holy Father ... and prayer for all those ... who will be involved in organizing this visit,” he wrote.

Ulrich concluded by asking for prayers for the Church in France, that it may remain “united behind the bishops in full communion with the successor of Peter” and preserve, “amid all the storms of our time, its faithful joy in the Lord’s Gospel.”

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

In early March, two priests of the Diocese of Pinsk in southern Belarus were refused permission to continue their ministry. In May, three priests of the northern Diocese of Vitebsk lost their permits, followed later that month by five priests and a monk of the Archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev. All were Polish citizens who had ministered in Belarusian parishes for years, several of them for decades.

A number of the affected priests held parish leadership and deanery-level roles in the Archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev, the metropolitan see that includes the capital, Minsk.

The move follows a pattern in which the Belarusian government has steadily increased pressure on the Catholic Church in Belarus, a community with long-held Polish ties.

Administrative pressure on foreign priests

Belarus operates one of the most restrictive frameworks for foreign clergy in the region. Priests may serve only with explicit approval from the Plenipotentiary for Religious and Ethnic Affairs, a state office in Minsk headed by Aleksandr Rumak. Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized Rumak for refusing residency permits without explanation and for declining to engage with the foreign clergy affected.

Permits are tied to a specific parish and are typically granted for just three to six months, though some are issued for a year. Regulations forbid individual parishes from applying for permits on their own; requests must instead pass through registered national religious bodies, a slow and bureaucratic process.

Foreign clergy must also demonstrate proficiency in Belarusian or Russian and are forbidden to carry out religious activities outside the specific localities where their inviting parish is registered. If a priest wishes to celebrate Mass in another parish, further government permission is required.

State security services also closely monitor the sermons, websites, and social media activity of foreign priests, while authorities in Minsk can deny, revoke, or refuse to renew residency permits without giving an official reason.

A notable example is Polish priest Father Józef Geza, who in 2022 was forced to leave Belarus after 25 years of ministry when authorities declined to renew his permit without publicly explaining the decision.

Growing clergy shortages

Metropolitan Archbishop Iosif Staneuski of Minsk-Mohilev acknowledged the impact of these restrictions in a May 28 interview with Vatican News, warning that the number of priests serving in Belarus is steadily declining, particularly in the countryʼs eastern regions.

He said some priests are now required to travel hundreds of kilometers to serve multiple parishes because of the growing shortages.

The archbishop also noted that foreign priests — especially Poles who have ministered in Belarus for decades — are increasingly unable to remain in the country because of residency-permit restrictions, placing additional strain on already limited pastoral resources.

Staneuski said the Church remains open to priests from around the world, stressing that the Catholic Church has no borders and that differences in language, nationality, or skin color are no obstacle to Christian ministry. Yet he explained that the most sustainable solution to Belarus' shrinking number of priests is the development of local vocations, as restrictions on foreign clergy increasingly leave parishes understaffed.

Political roots of the crackdown

Relations between the Belarusian state and the Catholic Church deteriorated sharply after President Alexander Lukashenkoʼs disputed reelection in 2020, which triggered the largest wave of anti-government protests in the countryʼs history.

During the crackdown that followed, Catholic churches sheltered protesters and human rights activists fleeing security forces, while senior clergy publicly condemned the violence. Since then, dozens of priests have faced threats, deportation, administrative penalties, or imprisonment on charges of espionage and treason that the Church and rights groups say were fabricated.

The rift widened after Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which Belarus helped facilitate by allowing its territory to be used by Russian forces. In line with the Vatican, Belarus' Catholic hierarchy repeatedly called for peace and urged Minsk not to deepen its involvement in the war, placing the Church at odds with a government closely aligned with the Kremlin.

Prominent critics of Lukashenko have also emerged from Belarus' Catholic community. Among them is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, a practicing Catholic and one of the countryʼs most prominent human rights advocates. During a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on May 27, Bialiatski raised concerns about ongoing human rights violations in Belarus.

Polish ties and geopolitical tensions

In September 2020, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Chief Sergey Naryshkin accused the United States of using Belarus' Catholic communities to foment unrest and sow domestic divisions. Although no evidence was presented, the claims reinforced a narrative promoted by Moscow and Minsk that portrays the Catholic Church as a vehicle for foreign influence.

Those suspicions are amplified by the Belarusian Churchʼs long-standing ties to Poland. Many Belarusian Catholics are concentrated in the western regions of Grodno and Brest near the Polish border, while a significant number of priests either have Polish roots or were educated in Polish seminaries.

At the same time, Warsaw has remained one of the most outspoken critics of both Lukashenko and the Kremlin, frequently condemning repression in Belarus and raising concerns about the treatment of the countryʼs Polish minority.

Against this backdrop, Belarusian authorities have increasingly viewed the Catholic Churchʼs cross-border links as a political liability rather than a religious or cultural connection, making it a recurring target in the governmentʼs broader campaign against independent institutions and civil society.

Pilgrims arrived from more than 50 countries around the world, including Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Wallis and Futuna, Guam, Chile, Argentina, the United States, Spain, Italy, and Poland.

The congress opened with public Mass in Vilnius Cathedral Square at 12:30 p.m., which was followed by a Eucharistic procession through the streets of Vilnius Old Town at 2 p.m.

A procession through Lithuania’s wounded past

During his homily, Archbishop Gintaras Grušas told pilgrims that the procession route had been deliberately chosen to pass sites that reflect both the suffering and resilience of the Church in Lithuania.

“As we walk through the city, we will stop to pray at the stations that remind us of the city’s wounds and at the same time testify to healing,” he explained.

He referenced the Church of St. Casimir, once converted into a museum of atheism by the Soviets, and the Gate of Dawn, a Marian shrine that communist authorities had planned to demolish. He highlighted their continued existence as a testament to God’s mercy and the endurance of faith despite decades of Soviet attempts to suppress it.

Among those attending the opening Mass were Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda; Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the apostolic nuncio to the Baltic States; Fra' John Timothy Dunlap, grand master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta; Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization; and Cardinal Sigitas Tamkevičius. They were joined by Lithuanian Ambassador to the Holy See Sigita Maslauskaitė-Mažylienė, bishops from across Lithuania, and diplomats from neighboring countries.

Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims

Later in the evening at 6 p.m., the congress officially opened on the Hill of the Savior, beside the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the former Visitation Monastery, both of which suffered under Soviet persecution. The venue is located just steps away from the former convent where St. Faustina received many of her visions and where artist Eugeniusz Kazimirowski painted the first divine mercy image.

Pope Leo XIV addressed participants by video message, stressing the relevance of divine mercy in a world marked by war, violence, and growing anxiety. “Amid the vortex of violence that poisons relationships and destroys lives, the mercy of God asks to be allowed into our hearts with its amazing power of renewal,” the Holy Father said.

The pope also urged the faithful to welcome God’s mercy as a force of personal renewal, saying it has the power to transform lives through love and forgiveness. “The peace that we so deeply desire cannot be attained without mercy,” the pope said.

He concluded by encouraging pilgrims to unite their trust in God’s infinite mercy with a commitment to building a more compassionate and welcoming society, beginning within their own families.

In his message, Pope Leo XIV offered special greetings to Grušas, Nausėda, and Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The orthodox leader’s participation highlighted the congress’ international and ecumenical significance.

Building a city of mercy

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nausėda said the event’s message was particularly relevant at a time of growing global uncertainty, conflict, and anxiety about the future. He presented the gathering in Vilnius as a source of hope and spiritual renewal, expressing confidence that its message of mercy would resonate far beyond Lithuania and reach people searching for peace in troubled times.

Meanwhile the grand master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta highlighted the enduring significance of the original image of the merciful Jesus, painted in Vilnius, describing it as a continuing call for believers to carry the message of divine mercy into the modern world.

Grušas likewise stressed that the congress theme, “Building a City of Mercy,” was intended as a practical challenge rather than a symbolic slogan. He said a truly merciful society is built through forgiveness, solidarity with the vulnerable, care for those who suffer, and a commitment to unite truth with charity, with Christians called to serve as witnesses of hope in public life.

The opening ceremony concluded with performances of traditional Lithuanian music and dance, highlighting the host nation’s cultural heritage. The congress will continue throughout the week, ending on June 12, with workshops, testimonies, prayer gatherings, and other events examining the role of divine mercy in the modern world.

The event was broadcast live by EWTN.

The procession is an established Cork tradition, and it made its way through the city from the North Cathedral to the Grand Parade, the vibrant heart of the city, even if — in the words of Cork Bishop Fintan Gavin — “the weather couldn’t have been much worse.”

Speaking just before the procession set off, Gavin told EWTN News: “Today we have the unique opportunity to participate in the 100th anniversary of the first Eucharistic procession here in our city. Of course, it really is unique to Cork.”

“Thereʼll be people of all ages, from parishes all over the diocese, from our new Irish — someone described them recently as the ‘new Corconians’ — from all over the world, from the different communities, will join us as we walk with Jesus and the Blessed Sacrament down to Grand Parade.”

Organizers estimated the 2026 procession attracted approximately 5,000 people as the Eucharist was carried along the route by Gavin followed by a throng of faithful under a canopy of umbrellas as they braved the unseasonable wind and heavy rain.

In his words to the large gathering, the bishop said of the procession: “It was born in a time when people longed for unity after division, for peace after conflict, and for healing after wounds that were still very raw. The people of Cork wanted Jesus in the Eucharist to be brought through the streets of the city. They wanted to say, in faith, ‘Lord, walk with us. Bless our homes. Heal our divisions. Stay with us.’”

He added: “One hundred years later, that prayer has lost none of its urgency. Today our city streets become an aisle. The concrete beneath our feet is blessed by the One who once walked the roads of Galilee and who now walks the streets of Cork.”

The bishop said the procession is "the fruit of much prayer, preparation, and mission across our diocese in these past two weeks. Today the procession ends here, but the mission does not. May we go from here with hearts burning too, not simply proud of a tradition we have inherited but with a love for Christ who is with us now and ready to hand on a living faith; not only carrying Christ through Cork today but allowing Christ to carry Cork into tomorrow.”

Sheila Kelleher, coordinator of youth ministry in the Cork and Ross Diocese, told EWTN News the event is "a great opportunity for us to come together and show our faith in a very public way, walking through the streets of our city with the Eucharist and bringing Jesus to the people of the city.”

“I think to give hope to people and to be able to continue that tradition even today, showing that the Catholic faith is very much still alive, and people of all ages are willing to get involved, from young and old, no matter what your background, whether youʼre Irish or you are new Irish and all the different faith communities coming together.”

In the weeks leading up to the anniversary procession, a series of faith events took place across the Diocese of Cork and Ross to mark the occasion — including the presentation of the relics of the first millennial saint, St. Carlo Acutis.

There were 100 hours of adoration for the 100th anniversary and a two-week diocesan mission led by young people from the Diocese of Cork and Ross as well as a mission from Canadaʼs Catholic Christian Outreach.

The celebration also included special blessings for individuals competing in the Cork City Marathon and for students taking their state exams this summer.

The Eucharistic procession is now one of the longest-running traditions in Cork.

The beatification Mass of two priests killed by the communist regime in Czechoslovakia was not “the Church moralizing” but “an offer of forgiveness and hope,” as the martyrs showed that “conscience is not luxury.”

That is what Cardinal Michael Czerny said in a homily on June 6 in his hometown of Brno, where, as papal legate for Pope Leo XIV, he declared Jan Bula and Václav Drbola the first beatified of the diocese and the first martyrs of the past totalitarian regimes on the territory of todayʼs Czech Republic. The two will be commemorated annually on June 17 in the Churchʼs liturgical calendar.

“Blessed Jan and Václav call us not to sell truth for comfort or to avoid conflict, not to exchange faith for the approval of others, not to choose silence where witness should be given, not to sacrifice conscience for comfort, career, or conformism,” the cardinal stressed.

“These all look like good sense,” the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development admitted, yet they “are really foolish betrayals of human dignity, freedom, and integrity.”

The priests Jan Bula (1920–1952) and Václav Drbola (1912–1951) were popular with their parishioners, active in community life, and loyal to the bishops. They were imprisoned without cause and accused of complicity in the killing of three communists, although they were already in prison at the time. They were executed after a staged trial in the early 1950s.

“Their guilt, in the eyes of the regime, did not consist in violence but in the fact that they refused to betray their priestly conscience. They did not wish to become instruments of ideology and repression,” the cardinal clarified.

“Each of us is invited to identify with them, with their time and place,” he suggested, adding that “when they were martyred, I was a 5-year-old boy with my family who had fled [communist Czechoslovakia] in 1948 and taken refuge in Montreal, Canada.”

Czerny was born in Brno 80 years ago and was naturalized in Canada. As he told EWTN News, celebrating Mass for the occasion in his hometown was “very moving.”

He even practiced Czech in recent months to read the homily in the Slavic language. The Mass drew 13,000 people and was widely covered by national media in one of the most secular countries in Europe.

Asked by a local outlet whether other Czech priests killed by communists might be beatified, the cardinal responded that “you can assume that it will happen, but we cannot comment,” referring to the strict criteria for beatification, which fall to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

Gen Z generally refers to people born between 1997 and 2012.

Drawing on cohort-level data from the Human Fertility Database (HFD), as well as using demographic modeling, the instituteʼs "Choice or Circumstance? Rising Childlessness in Ireland" report, released in May, charts a huge increase in the number of Irish women who are childless.

Among those born in the late 1950s, only 30.9% were childless by age 30, rising to 63.6% for those born in the early 1990s. This trend suggests 25% of women born in the late 1990s will be childless when they reach age 45.

Breda OʼBrien of the Iona Institute told EWTN News that “a huge question is whether this will be by choice or circumstance."

"Much will be unplanned and forced by circumstance, such as the cost of living," she said. "It’s worrying and weʼre sliding into it without too much discussion. Before the 1930s, we had similar rates of childlessness in Ireland, but that was because of extreme poverty, late marriage, and low marriage rates. Weʼre supposed to be in an era where women have every possible choice.”

She continued: “The choice to have children, which is fundamental, is being taken away from young women. Itʼs being painted as a kind of freedom. I donʼt think young women themselves consider it to be a type of freedom, and I think a lot of them are worried about it."

According to Central Statistics Office data, the average man’s age at marriage is now nearing 38 and the average womanʼs age is almost 36.

A 2022 Amarach Research poll for Iona showed that 85% of people want to have at least two children and only 2% expressed a wish for no children.

Births in Ireland have fallen by almost 18% in the last decade, according to Central Statistics Office.

With clear indications that the longer a person delays having children, the less likely he or she will have any, O’Brien said “itʼs part of the whole growth of individualism and this idea for kids, from the time theyʼre tiny, [that] you get your education, you travel, you have your career in order, you have fun, you donʼt tie yourself down, and then sometimes in your 30s, you think about settling down. But a lot of women in their mid-30s realize that it is increasingly difficult to conceive.”

She added: “The fertility industry is booming, which does show us that people are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to have children, but the life script theyʼve been presented with is actually working against their best interests. Nature has no knowledge of this life script that young people are being presented with.”

“The longer you leave it, the more chances there are of miscarriage, of complications in labor, and of medical intervention during birth, if you get that far. So itʼs not consequence-free,” she said.

O’Brien told EWTN News that there needs to be debate about why this is happening as a society. "It is a phenomenon we should discuss far more widely if our aim is to help people achieve their eventual life goals. I think among people of faith, they are still prioritizing children and family, and marriage. The Catholic Church needs to support those young families in every way possible.”

She pointed out that having fewer children “has very significant social and economic consequences because of the effects of an aging population and growing loneliness.”

The report highlights a series of demographic issues related to childlessness and to Ireland’s already-aging population. Lower fertility rates, combined with rising childlessness, mean that the ratio of working-age adults to elderly dependents is set to worsen. Fewer births today mean fewer workers in 20 to 30 years.

O’Brien said: “In Ireland, thereʼs still a degree of respect for older people, but one of the awful possible consequences is that younger people will start to resent older people.”

The Iona report highlights the situation where a smaller working-age population will be asked to support a larger elderly population, putting pension sustainability, healthcare, and long-term care provision under growing financial pressure.

The instituteʼs findings also highlight the effect on housing and household-formation patterns. A rise in the proportion of adults who never have children increases demand for smaller dwellings and single-person households.

Additionally, in recent decades, inward migration to Ireland has been an effective and economically rational response in periods of strong demand. However, it is not a response to childlessness.

O’Brien pointed to other countries and the demographic shifts they are facing with an increasing aging population.

“Other countries are further along the road than we are. South Korea, or even Japan, where theyʼre repurposing childcare facilities for eldercare facilities, moving from baby formula to fortified drinks from the elderly, and from producing diapers for children, to producing incontinence products for the elderly — this is not a good road that weʼre on,” she said.

The choice of these holy men and women is related to the venues of the pontifical visit and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, given that the Holy Father will celebrate the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) on Sunday, June 7, in Madrid.

The project presents 10 people who “searched for God in the world” and “found the extraordinary in the ordinary.”

Representing Madrid, St. Isidore the Laborer (or Farmer) and St. Mary of the Head have been selected as “examples of holiness in marriage, at work, and in ordinary life,” as well as St. Soledad Torres Acosta, founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Mary Ministers of the Sick.

Representing Barcelona are Venerable Antonio Gaudí, architect of Sagrada Família Basilica, and St. Eulalia, a martyr and co-patroness of the city.

The saints selected from the Canary Islands are St. Peter of St. Joseph Betancourt, the first native of the islands to be canonized, and St. Joseph of Anchieta, a Jesuit missionary born in Tenerife who is known as the “Apostle of Brazil.”

Three other saints are highlighted for their Eucharistic devotion: St. Teresa of Ávila, reformer of the Carmelite order; St. Paschal Baylon, patron of Eucharistic congresses; and St. Manuel González, bishop of Palencia and founder of the Eucharistic Reparation Union, an apostolate that includes both lay and consecrated persons.

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

Bishop Xabier Gómez of Sant Feliu de Llobregat, which lies west of Barcelona, has been in his own words “blessed” to be designated to accompany the Holy Father during his visit to the inmates of Brians 1 prison and the Virgin of Montserrat Shrine, both located within the diocese he has led since 2024.

Speaking with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the prelate highlighted the pontiff’s “clarity, authenticity, and ability to communicate,” and underscored the importance of paying attention to both his words and his gestures during this apostolic visit, trusting that “they will serve as an impetus and invite us to deepen our conversion into being missionaries, because our priority as a Church is to proclaim Jesus Christ.”

‘The Church’s path is mercy’

One of the most anticipated moments of the Holy Father’s visit to Barcelona is his stop at the correctional facility in the Diocese of Sant Feliu, which houses the largest prison population in Catalonia.

“It’s a highly anticipated visit,” he noted, “one that has brought great joy to the hearts of the parishioners and believers within the prison who make up, as I put it, a parish within the correctional facilities.”

Since the pontiffʼs visit was confirmed, the diocese has worked tirelessly and “with great enthusiasm” with the prison pastoral care team. Their efforts have encompassed the spiritual preparation of the inmates, the welcoming song for the pope, and the testimonies to be shared by several women regarding “how faith is being for them a powerful light and hope amid the hardships and environment of the prison.”

“The fact that he would want to come and meet the inmates already says a lot. It signals that the Church’s path is mercy, that the Church’s name is mercy,” Gómez noted.

The family as a pastoral priority

Regarding the long-awaited visit to the Basilica of the Sagrada Família (Holy Family) where the pope will bless the Tower of Jesus that crowns the basilica, Gómez noted that the cross atop the tower will rise “like a beacon,” illuminating not only Catalonia but also the Mediterranean.

For the prelate, Sagrada Família calls to mind not only the Holy Family of Nazareth to whom the church is dedicated but also the need to accompany and care for families. He further emphasized that the Church “seeks to be a family within the human family, a sacrament and sign of salvation.”

In this regard, he reminds us that the family as a domestic Church also constitutes a pastoral priority and a subject of special attention for the pilgrim Church in Spain and throughout the world.

A missionary impetus for Spain

The bishop said the pope “is keenly aware of the social and ecclesial reality in Spain; he is very well informed, he knows it and knows us very well, he loves and appreciates us, and he comes to confirm us in faith and in hope.” Above all, he emphasized that his visit will confirm the “missionary impetus that the Church in Spain wants to take center stage.”

Regarding the “religious awakening in Spain,” he noted there is also an awakening within other religions and that this phenomenon should be approached with prudence as a reality that “sociology will gradually be able to confirm.”

“This is not solely a Catholic phenomenon. There is a generation of young people who have or are demonstrating an interest; they are asking questions, an interest in religious and spiritual matters and many of them, thank God, find a welcome and a response within the Catholic Church,” he said. He said he hopes these young people will find, within the Catholic Church, the experience of friendship with Jesus Christ.

‘The Church is mercy and communion'

The bishop of Sant Feliu emphasized that “the Church is mercy and communion,” two dimensions to which Pope Leo XIV constantly alludes.

“I believe that the fact that the Church deepens its identity as communion in diversity, that the Church delves deeper into catholicity, and is also capable of broadening this concept of catholicity to embrace universality and difference within harmony, and is capable of maintaining harmony amid diversity, is a message that is sorely needed for civil, cultural, and political society in Spain,” he added.

The bishop pointed out that the message of the Gospel is a message of peace, reconciliation, and fraternity. “In the Gospel, we do not find that others are adversaries or enemies.”

“Others are brothers, they are our brothers. We pray to a Father who is the Father of all. The kingdom of God [is] that kingdom of fraternity, justice, and love, the kingdom we serve in the Church, and of which Pope Leo XIV will surely speak to us,” Gómez said.

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 first of his trips to Spain dates back to July 1982. Robert Prevost was 26 years old at the time and had been a priest for just over a month and a half. Together with several companions from St. Monica International College run by the Augustinians in Rome, he embarked on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in a van, a journey not without its adventures. They ended up sleeping in tents and enjoying the Spanish landscape and cuisine.

“It was a holy year, and he traveled as a pilgrim to Santiago de Compostela with four other Augustinians in a van. They spent a month and a half traveling, taking the opportunity to visit Ávila and see the sites associated with St. Teresa. In Galicia, after gaining the jubilee indulgence, they traveled on to Pontevedra, Vigo, Ourense, and Lugo. And then they headed south to Madrid,” Boo told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

That very same year — months later, in October — Spain would receive a visit from St. John Paul II. Since then, Father Robert Prevost has cultivated his relationship with Spain, to the point of having visited at least 34 cities.

“His knowledge of Spain is quite extensive and not merely because of what he has witnessed firsthand, but because during his time as a missionary in Peru, first in Chulucanas and later in Trujillo, and subsequently as a bishop in Chiclayo, he saw directly what the Spanish had built in terms of culture and evangelization,” explained the veteran correspondent, who just published the book “Leo XIV: The Pope of the New Era” (Espasa Publishing, currently available only in Spanish).

Boo described the pope’s personality, which entirely shapes his style of governance, through what he terms “the triads”: the convergence of three cultures, three educational backgrounds, and three dimensions related to his life experiences.

“He has the best of three cultures: the American culture of Chicago and the Midwest, the most humane, serene, and European in the United States; the Latin American culture of Peru, which expands the heart especially if you’re serving people with problems, as was the case for Father Robert there in the different stages of service during 22 years; and the best of Roman culture, because he came to the Italian capital as a student in canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas and lived at the Augustinian General House near the Vatican.

Added to those cultural roots are three distinct educational backgrounds: a degree in mathematics from Villanova University, a background in theology from the Chicago Theological Union, and legal training, specifically a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, the Angelicum.

The third triad is his life journey: a strong missionary spirit, extensive experience as an international traveler, and a profound understanding of the inner workings of the Holy See. “For 12 years, as prior general of the Augustinians, he resided directly across from the Vatican and was a firsthand witness to its inner life. Subsequently, Pope Francis progressively appointed him to various bodies of the Curia, until he eventually served in as many as nine dicasteries including the Commission for Vatican City State, a level of involvement rarely seen in the career of a single prelate,” Boo noted.

Visits to Spain during his time as prior of the Augustinians

From 2001 to 2013, during his time as prior general, Prevost traveled across Spain from north to south. Visits taking place from 2002 to 2011, in addition to later trips, are documented. These journeys took him from Navarre to Andalusia (north to south), with stops in cities such as Barcelona, ​​Valencia, Madrid, and Valladolid.

“My impression is that he knows Spain much better than the vast majority of Spaniards, because he has visited more than 30 cities, whereas many Spaniards havenʼt even visited half that number,” Boo explained.

Many of these journeys were undertaken for pastoral, educational, and community visits for the Order of St. Augustine. In 2002, he visited Oropesa in Toledo province for the canonization of Alonso de Orozco, as well as the city of Talavera de la Reina and León, the city where the centenary of the Augustinian school was being celebrated. From then on, Valladolid became one of his bases of operations; he stayed at the Royal Seminary of the Philippine Augustinians and traveled from there to monasteries such as the one in Madrigal de las Altas Torres in Ávila province.

In 2003 he traveled to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, where he stayed in the Augustinian community in the town of Puerto de la Cruz. That same year he also visited the Sant Roc neighborhood in the town of Badalona, ​​one of the most disadvantaged areas of metro Barcelona, to which he would later return. In 2011 he also made a private visit to the Montserrat monastery.

In 2004 he traveled to Most Holy Trinity Monastery in Aldaz in Navarra province, and the Augustinian school in Calahorra in La Rioja province. Years later, in 2015, he returned to Pamplona as bishop of Chiclayo.

His visits continued in 2005 with stays in Zaragoza and Valencia, where he visited the Basilica of the Virgin of the Forsaken and the cathedral. Two years later, in 2007, he toured the Balearic Islands and several Andalusian cities: Seville, Huelva, Cádiz, and Málaga, maintaining a particularly strong presence within the educational and community spheres of his order.

Finally, in 2010, he returned to Madrid for the 50th anniversary of St. Augustine School, an institution with which he maintained a close relationship, and in 2011, he returned to the capital for World Youth Day.

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 article published on his dioceseʼs website, Bishop Michael Gerber of Fulda recalled that "just a few months ago" he had "the privilege of conveying Pope Leo XIVʼs blessing to Father Bruno Kant on the occasion of his 110th birthday."

"My encounter with him left a deep impression on me. Even at his advanced age, he radiated the humility, kindness, and spiritual depth that characterized his entire priestly life. The Diocese of Fulda remembers his work and service with great gratitude," he added.

Father Guido Pasanow of the parish in Eichenzell-Löschenrod, where Kant lived until his death, said that with the priest’s death, the parish “loses a person who was fundamental to it for many years.”

“Even after retiring from active ministry, he remained a confidant, pastor, and spiritual guide deeply cherished by many parishioners. We are grateful for all that he contributed to our community,” he added.

As reported by the Catholic news outlet katholisch in November 2025, Kant, born near Danzig in what is now Poland, had aspired to become a priest since the age of 9. He was able to begin his theological studies, but the Nazi regime thwarted his plans by conscripting him for forced labor and making him a soldier.

Kant spent four years as a prisoner of war in Russia before reuniting with his family, who had fled to the West.

He was finally ordained a priest in 1950. After decades of priestly service, he considerably curtailed his activities. He stopped driving at the age of 102, according to a report published on katholisch.de in November.

“Over the last few years, he has refrained from celebrating holy Mass with the congregation on Wednesday evenings. However, he continued visiting the sick for as long as he was able. Now, that is no longer possible for him.”

On that occasion, Kant said: “I expect to die every day. I am not far from it.” In his final years, he spent his days solving Sudokus, watching television, reading newspapers, and, of course, praying.

“Praying keeps me young,” he said.

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

In the town of Postoloprty in May and June 1945, the Czechoslovak army killed at least 763 people, according to a 1947 Czechoslovak parliamentary commission, though the total number is estimated by some to be 1,000-2,000. They were mostly civilians put into mass graves, and no one was ever convicted.

Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl; Rüdiger Heinrich, a military attaché from the German embassy; the faithful; and students from local schools and from Prague marched 10.5 miles from Postoloprty to Žatec. The marchers had the names of the victims written on a scarf, a stone, or a piece of cardboard to make them more visible and present.

The pilgrimage concluded at the Church of the Coronation of the Virgin Mary, where Přibyl celebrated Mass. German Ambassador Peter Reuss joined the ceremony.

In his homily, Přibyl admitted they were tired and sweaty. It was not just a walk from one city to another, but one through “the land of memory, through places where the history of our country touches on pain, guilt, helplessness, silence, and the desire for healing.”

The topic of reconciliation is not raised to accuse anyone, “but because God invites us to the truth which is the first step towards reconciliation,” the religious leader clarified and continued: “In a time when everyone believes he has his own truth and when our truths sometimes differ diametrically, we are invited to the truth that is known and spoken, but which is accompanied by mercy, because what good would it be for us to be right if we were left alone with it?”

The prelate saw the pilgrimage as a reminder that “peace is not created only by words, but sometimes by steps.” It is “a quiet step” that says “I do not want to forget, I do not want to hate,” the archbishop said.

The faithful bring to the Lord “the dead, known and unknown, families whose stories have been broken, silence that has often lasted too long,” Přibyl recalled, adding: “We also bring our own fear of the truth and our own unwillingness to forgive.”

He characterized the Eucharist and the Mass as “the deepest place of reconciliation.” There, Christ does not proclaim that “the past does not matter or that sin is not sin,” yet he does not reproach us, the prelate explained.

“The risen Lord had been crucified before and so comes among us not without wounds,” Přibyl said. “But his wounds are healed, and by his wounds we are healed,” the archbishop concluded.

Part of a Year of Reconciliation

The event was part of the Year of Reconciliation in the Diocese of Litoměřice, which borders Germany. Přibyl declared it for 2026 while he was bishop of the diocese; he has since been appointed archbishop of Prague but remains its apostolic administrator.

Each month, a gathering takes place in a different location linked to atrocities before and after World War II. In May, for example, Přibyl presided over an ecumenical ceremony in Terezín (Theresienstadt), which served as a Nazi transit camp and propaganda showpiece during the war.

When Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, it established the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. After Germanyʼs defeat in 1945, some ethnic Germans were killed or died by suicide, and approximately 3 million were expelled from Czechoslovakia.

Organizations working for the abolition of surrogacy are using this moment to challenge both countries' surrogacy frameworks. The practice was among 13 violations of human dignity condemned in the Vatican declaration Dignitas Infinita, issued in April 2024.

Among the groups raising concerns is Juristes pour lʼEnfance, a French association of legal professionals dedicated to defending childrenʼs rights. The group has submitted two formal observations to the Human Rights Council, arguing that Ireland and Greece have repackaged what is fundamentally a commercial arrangement in the language of compassion and altruism, while children ultimately bear the consequences.

EWTN News spoke with Matthieu Le Tourneur, a French jurist with Juristes pour lʼEnfance. He said the organizationʼs central concern is that “a child must never be the object of a contract” since that commodifies them. He added that “surrogacy, whether commercial or presented as altruistic or regulated, involves treating a human being as goods. This is unacceptable.”

‘Children are not contracts,’ advocates say

Of the European Unionʼs 27 member states, 16 explicitly prohibit surrogacy and seven have no clear legal framework. Only four — Greece, Ireland, Cyprus, and Portugal — formally permit it.

Greece and Ireland are viewed as having the broadest legal openings for surrogacy, while both heavily describe their systems as “altruistic,” meaning no direct payment is made to the surrogate mother for carrying and delivering the child.

Juristes pour lʼEnfance disputes that characterization. Le Tourneur explained that under Irelandʼs Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024, a surrogate may receive compensation for up to 12 months of lost income as well as reimbursement for a wide range of expenses. In Greece, fixed payments of 10,000 euros — rising to 15,000 euros for multiple pregnancies — are permitted as compensation for what the law calls “suffering” or “fatigue.”

“Altruistic for whom?” Le Tourneur asked. “It is never altruistic for the child, who will carry for life the invisible mark of having been sold or given away, of having been the object of a contract. The term ‘altruistic surrogacy’ concerns only adults; it does not concern the child.”

Advocates for abolition frequently cite the 1989 U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically Article 7, which guarantees a childʼs right to know and be raised by its parents. They argue that surrogacy deliberately severs the childʼs maternal bond at birth and constitutes a form of child sale under Article 35 and its Optional Protocol, even when the arrangement bears no overt price tag.

Trafficking, vulnerability, and the limits of regulation

The limits of surrogacy regulation became starkly visible in 2023, when Greek authorities uncovered an alleged criminal network operating out of the Mediterranean Fertility Institute in Crete. Investigators found evidence of trafficked migrant women, primarily from Eastern Europe, who had been recruited as surrogates. The case involved falsified documents, fraudulent embryo transfers, and what prosecutors described as industrial-scale handling of embryos.

“Legalizing a practice never eliminates trafficking outside the legal framework,” Le Tourneur said. “In some cases, the existence of a legal market even strengthens illegal trafficking.” He drew a parallel to debates around drug legalization, where legal supply has not always suppressed black markets.

He further noted that legalization can act as a pull factor for vulnerable women, since they know that for roughly 12 months they will receive financial support, care, and “sometimes accommodation.”

These concerns have increasingly been echoed by U.N. experts. Le Tourneur pointed to the 2018 findings of former special rapporteur Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, a 2019 report by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and a 2025 report by Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem — all of which raised concerns about surrogacy as a form of exploitation affecting women and children.

A defining debate for Europe

This focus on surrogacy comes at a time when Europe is increasingly split on the topic. While surrogacyʼs proponents frame it as an act of generosity between willing adults, the majority of EU member states — including France, Germany, Spain, and Poland — continue to treat it as a form of exploitation incompatible with human dignity.

Italy has taken one of Europeʼs toughest stances, classifying surrogacy as a universal crime. Under a law that took effect in November 2024, Italian citizens can face prosecution for obtaining surrogacy services abroad, even in countries where the practice is legal. Convictions carry prison sentences of up to two years and fines ranging from 600,000 euros to 1 million euros.

Against that backdrop, Le Tourneur said Greece and Ireland matter not only for what is happening within their borders but also for the precedent they set. If the Human Rights Council issues recommendations against their surrogacy laws, it would send a powerful signal to other governments weighing similar legislation.

“We hope that, thanks to our alerts, the council will urge the countries concerned to amend their national legislation,” Le Tourneur said. “Such recommendations may also deter other countries from adopting laws that the Human Rights Council would consider to be violations of human rights.”

The French Bishops' Conference contends the legislative initiative infringes upon several fundamental freedoms, including freedom of conscience, freedom of education, and freedom of worship.

Although the bishops support the governmentʼs intention to combat psychological, physical, and sexual violence perpetrated against children and adolescents, they specifically expressed concern that the proposed legislation could compromise the seal of confession and the autonomy of Catholic education.

The bishops point to Article 9 of the bill, which mandates the obligation to report acts of violence against minors even if knowledge of such acts was acquired in the exercise of the priestly ministry and adds that no “seal of confession” may be invoked to override said obligation.

The prelates further warned that the measure would jeopardize the autonomy of Catholic schools, as it provides for an expansion of state control over government-subsidized private institutions.

The French bishops maintain that these new oversight measures could open the door to greater state intervention in areas such as moral formation, affective and sexual education, or even teaching Christian anthropology.

They point out that the state would also have the authority to impose administrative sanctions and even order the closure of schools that fail to comply with the established regulations.

What does the Church say regarding the seal of confession?

The sacramental seal is governed by canons 983, 984, and 1388 as well as No. 1467 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states: “Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him.”

“He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives. This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the 'sacramental seal,' because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains 'sealed' by the sacrament,” the catechism adds.

In July 2019, the Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary published a note regarding the importance of the private nature and the inviolability of the sacramental seal in order to highlight the importance and foster a better understanding of these concepts, “which today seem to have become more alien to public opinion and sometimes to civil juridical systems.”

“The inviolable secrecy of confession comes directly from the revealed divine right and is rooted in the very nature of the sacrament, to the point of not admitting any exception in the ecclesial sphere, nor, least of all, in the civil one,” the note states.

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 jubilee year provides us the opportunity to be more than a tourist … to be a pilgrim, joining the millions of pilgrims expected in Assisi for the jubilee, with even more pilgrims who will travel to Franciscan churches throughout the world,“ explained Father John Puodziunas, OFM , the new Franciscan commissary of the Holy Land USA based in Washington, D.C. “The pilgrim returns changed … they see themselves, their world, God differently.”

A must-see is the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, a vast church overlooking his Umbrian hometown. In the crypt, pilgrims rest their hands on the saint’s neo-Romanesque tomb, where a votive lamp softly illuminates the dim space and only the shuffle of footsteps breaks the silence.

In February and March, many viewed his skeletal remains in the basilica, displayed for the first time in honor of the jubilee year. Vatican News estimates that 400,000 people came to pay their respects and venerate the relics of this extraordinary Christian saint.

His epic life is told through the artistic genius of Giotto in frescoes painted above the crypt in the upper basilica: Francis hears the voice of Christ while praying to the San Damiano cross; his surrender of all his clothes and worldly goods back to his wealthy father; his meeting with Pope Innocent III; his creation of the first Christian manger scene at Greccio; Francis preaching the Gospel to the birds; Francis receives the stigmata.

Father David Wathen, OFM, also of the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, D.C., is a veteran guide who has led more than 200 pilgrimages to the Holy Land but took a detour to Italy this year in honor of the jubilee.

Wathen celebrated Mass with 10 pilgrims from all over the country in April in the Portiuncula, the small chapel where St. Francis acted on Christ’s call: “Francis, Francis, go and repair my house, which, as you can see, is falling into ruins…” Francis responded by giving up his family’s wealth and status and embracing a life of chastity, poverty, and obedience with his small band of brothers. Today there are 35,000 Franciscan friars worldwide spread across 100 countries.

The Portiuncula became the spiritual center of the new Franciscan community and the place where Francis welcomed the young woman who would become St. Clare of Assisi, founder of the Poor Clares.

Today the Portiuncula, housed inside the Papal Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, is another major pilgrimage site, right outside Assisi. A bronze statue of Francis in the basilica’s rose garden commemorates his conversations with turtle doves, inviting them to join him in worshipping the Lord. Today doves still nest in the hands of the statue while birdsong creates a symphony of praise.

It was also in this garden that St. Francis, in an act of penance, rolled through the brambles, which mysteriously turned into dog roses on contact with his body. This hybrid of rose is still flourishing centuries later.

“A pilgrim experiences the spirituality of space, where the location … a chapel, a cave, a town square, a garden ... speaks to the inner yearnings of the individual. In Assisi, we not only encounter Francis, but we step into his personal encounter with God formed on medieval streets or on the side of a mountain,” Puodziunas said.

Asceticism, bodily mortification, and fasting were constant reminders to St. Francis of Christ’s suffering. At the Carceri hermitage, a favorite retreat of St. Francis, pilgrims can see the small stone alcoves where he slept, often using a wooden board as a pillow.

Being close to sites strongly associated with St. Francis and St. Clare has inspired pilgrims to deepen their faith and to serve others.

“Some of my neighbors in the Florida retirement community where I now live are dying,” said Regina Brown, one of Wathen’s pilgrims who volunteers with St. Timothy Catholic Church Ministry to the Sick and Homebound in Florida. Brown explained that the Franciscan pilgrimage has fortified her practice of taking Communion to her bedridden friends.

“Itʼs the closest I can get to keeping in mind and expressing my (our) hope in Christ, the promise of eternal life, the Mass, our glimpse into heaven,” she said.

Wathen’s pilgrimage concluded in Rome, where everything his group had learned about St. Francis came into focus. At a papal audience in St. Peter’s Square, they witnessed its grandeur as Pope Leo reflected on the living mystical body of Christ, the Church.

Throughout the jubilee year, pilgrims are granted plenary indulgences by making a visit to any Franciscan church — including the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, D.C. — or to any site dedicated to St. Francis, receiving holy Communion on the day of the visit, reciting the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Creed, and the Glory Be for the intentions of the Holy Father, and making a confession within eight days.

On the occasion of the apostolateʼs 60th anniversary — originally scheduled for 2025 but postponed due to the death of Pope Francis — Pope Leo XIV sent a special message to those who attended a Mass marking the occasion that was celebrated by Cardinal José Cobo, archbishop of Madrid, at the Almudena Cathedral.

“It is essential to remember that the evangelizing mission is a fundamental task of the entire Church — which, with joy and humility, seeking the unity of all its members (cf. Lumen Gentium, 7) and docile to the action of the Holy Spirit, strives to bring the gift of salvation to all,” the pope noted in a message signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

“May this conviction serve as an inspiration to undertake this missionary work on behalf of God’s beloved children,” the Holy Father emphasized, concluding with his apostolic blessing for the members of the Neocatechumenal Way.

In January, Pope Leo XIV received the leaders of the Neocatechumenal Way at the Vatican and highlighted that their charism, as well as their works of evangelization and catechesis, constitute “a valuable contribution to the life of the Church.”

Kiko Argüello: ‘Christian initiation inspired by the Holy Spirit’

“History is important — calling to mind how the Lord has acted throughout all these years,” said Argüello before the start of the Eucharist, beneath the icons he himself painted in the apse of the Madrid cathedral.

In the presence of several bishops and cardinals, and after asking for a round of applause for the 130 priests attending the Mass, Argüello expressed his joy at the conclusion of the diocesan phase of the canonization process for Hernández — the formal closing of which is scheduled to take place on June 2 in the Spanish capital.

“In the Way, we do nothing without the pope and without the bishops. If the Way has spread so remarkably, it is due to the support of all the popes, who have regarded it as a gift of the Holy Spirit for the good of the Church,” he affirmed.

Argüello — as noted on the Neocatechumenal Way’s website — explained that this apostolate “is a Christian initiation raised up by the Holy Spirit as one of the fruits of the council. What was being drafted in writing at Vatican II, Carmen and I were putting into practice in the shantytowns of Palomeras Altas.”

‘God tends to sow his most fruitful works in places that the world barely notices’

In his homily, Cobo referred to the place of origin of the Neocatechumenal Way, emphasizing that “it is no coincidence that it emerged there: God tends to sow his most fruitful works in places that the world barely notices, and through specific individuals such as Kiko, Carmen, and so many others who have followed in their footsteps.”

The cardinal expressed his gratitude for the evangelizing work of the Neocatechumenal Way over these past 60 years, highlighting that it “continues to inspire new paths for proclaiming the Gospel and calls upon the Church to confront the challenges of every era through the word of God, liturgical life, and community.”

‘Filial obedience to the Church’s pastors’

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, also sent a message in which he noted that “Spain has gifted the Church with luminous examples of Christian life and spiritual renewal — through saints, martyrs, evangelization initiatives, schools of prayer, ecclesial movements, and spiritual currents. Among these fruits, the Neocatechumenal Way can undoubtedly be included.”

After highlighting the “innumerable conversions” and the many vocations that the Neocatechumenal Way has given to the Church, the cardinal invited its members to “live out their charism with renewed impetus and creativity, interpreting the spiritual needs of the men and women of today, and bringing them the ever-relevant treasure of the faith and of ecclesial tradition.”

“Emulate their example of creativity, courage, and candor, of filial obedience to the pastors of the Church, and of tireless zeal for the good and salvation of souls,” he encouraged.

The Neocatechumenal Way

Argüello and Hernández met in the mid-1960s in the Palomeras Altas neighborhood of Madrid, where the former — despite a promising career as a painter — gave it all up to live in a shack and proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ among the poorest of the poor.

This Christian initiation for adults soon spread to numerous parishes, driven by the encouragement of the then-archbishop of Madrid, Casimiro Morcillo.

The Neocatechumenal Way was officially approved by the Holy See in 2008 — “not as an association or movement but as a post-baptismal catechumenate, as an instrument to assist parishes and dioceses in the work of evangelization” — according to the organization.

The Neocatechumenal Way is present in 138 countries, has more than 115 seminaries, and comprises some 25,000 communities, totaling over 1 million members.

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.

“To go and be there, near where I was born and where my family is from, is of course a very moving experience, and I am looking forward very much to it,” Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, told EWTN News.

Czerny was born 80 years ago, but due to a communist threat his family soon emigrated to Canada. Though he remembers the 1950s in Montreal, he said, “I never imagined what was happening behind the Iron Curtain.”

Getting to know Jan Bula and Václav Drbola

The Diocese of Brno, which will mark its 250th anniversary next year, will celebrate the first beatifications in its history. The diocese expects thousands of visitors at the cityʼs exhibition center, where a spiritual and cultural program will run all day, and it prepared a novena for the nine days leading up to the beatification.

“The coming days should help us get to know Jan Bula and Václav Drbola personally better, so that they will be close to us and become our spiritual friends,” Bishop Pavel Konzbul explained, stressing that he does not want “the beatification to be a one-time event.”

Jan Bula (1920–1952) and Václav Drbola (1912–1951) faced increasing pressure from the communist regime that took power in 1948 in Czechoslovakia. The regime imprisoned them without cause and accused them of complicity in a shooting that killed three communists, although both were already in prison at the time. They were condemned to death in staged trials in the early 1950s.

To prepare the faithful, the diocese has published educational, prayer, and catechetical materials. A six-minute animated film about the martyrs' lives was produced using AI, along with a documentary. Around 40 catechists also went on a pilgrimage this year to places linked with the two priests.

The organizer said the catechists were given “firsthand experience to get to know the churches, parishes, and other places where both martyrs worked” to “spread the story and legacy of Jan Bula and Václav Drbola among children and youth.”

Life as a hymn of praise

The two priests' witness was also recounted at a May 20 conference in Rome, “The Blessed Martyrs of Communism,” organized by the Embassy of the Czech Republic to the Holy See at the Czech Pontifical College Nepomucenum, where Czerny reflected on their martyrdom. The date marked the anniversary of Bulaʼs execution in 1952.

“Their life was a hymn of praise that burst out of the depths of promise and rose up above the tumult of the world,” Czerny said at the opening, adding that the two priests “turned the courtroom into a pulpit and the prison into an altar.”

When the bishops in Czechoslovakia decided to inform the faithful about the worsening situation in 1949 through pastoral and circular letters, many priests did not read them out. “They were afraid of the consequences,” said Father Karel Orlita, head of the diocesan phase of the beatification process. Bula and Drbola, however, read the pastoral letter in church, which testified to their courage, Orlita underscored.

The postulator of the Roman phase of the process, Maria Bresciani, said “the profound reason for their persecution was their Christian identity, influence on the faithful, loyalty to the pope and the Church, and their ability to shape peopleʼs consciences, mainly of the young.”

Both speakers agreed that Bula and Drbola were not stubborn or fanatics but simply decided to remain faithful to Christ, in peace and without hatred. Communists even singled out Bulaʼs influence on peopleʼs consciences as problematic, claiming he “abused the trust among people that he had as a priest.”

“They were popular with their parishioners and active in community life, and the reverence for them has a long tradition after their death,” said Eva Vybíralová of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes.

She noted that Bishop Felix Davídek, who was secretly ordained in Czechoslovakia and had known Bula from the seminary, considered him a “candidate for canonization and one of the protectors of the secret Church.”

Bula and Drbola were rehabilitated in 1990 and will become the first beatified victims of the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century on the territory of todayʼs Czech Republic.

In a statement issued May 26, the bishops said they reject conversion measures in all their forms. “Practices aimed at changing or suppressing sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression contradict the dignity of the person as the image of God and can cause considerable harm,” the conference said (translated from German).

The bishops defined conversion measures as targeted influence intended to make a person change or suppress his or her sexual orientation or “gender identity,” exercised through means such as pressure, blame, threats, isolation, devaluation, or religious fear.

Open-ended, respectful conversation and accompaniment, in which a person reflects on his or her situation and decides in freedom, does not fall under that definition, they said.

The conference reserved its sharpest language for religious settings. “In a religious context, such practices can become spiritual abuse when people are shamed, threatened, or manipulated in the name of God,” the bishops said. Church pastoral care must never exert pressure or shame people, they added, and conversion measures are incompatible with Catholic pastoral care.

Pastoral care is legitimate, the bishops said, “when it preserves the dignity and freedom of the person, protects personal integrity, and exercises no undue influence.”

The statement backs the aim of Motion 22.3889, now before the Swiss Parliament, which would prohibit and penalize the offering, facilitating, and advertising of conversion measures, the bishops said, “especially to protect minors and vulnerable persons.”

They set three conditions for any law: a clear definition that captures targeted “conversion” practices; a precise delineation so that open-ended pastoral care, counseling, and professional psychotherapy are not criminalized; and ready access for those affected to support, counseling, and channels for filing complaints.

A long-running Swiss debate

A federal ban has been debated in Switzerland for years. The National Council, the larger chamber of Parliament, adopted Motion 22.3889 on Dec. 12, 2022, instructing the government to create a criminal provision against conversion practices.

The Federal Council recommended rejection, with then-Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter arguing that a ban at the federal level was not feasible and that some acts could already be punishable under existing law.

The motion remains in committee in the Council of States, which has awaited a federal report on the scope of the practices. Several cantons have already enacted their own bans.

The bishops were not alone in weighing in. The Protestant Church in Switzerland, the countryʼs main Reformed body, issued its own statement the same day, also backing a legal ban.

The debate extends beyond Switzerland: In late April the European Parliament voted in favor of an EU-wide ban, and on May 13 the European Commission said it would recommend, without binding force, that member states outlaw such practices. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union.

Bishops say position is grounded in Catholic teaching

The bishops argued that they were grounding their position in the teaching of Pope Leo XIV, citing his inauguration homily of May 18, 2025, in which he said the Church is called “to offer Godʼs love to everyone, in order to achieve that unity which does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person.”

That pastoral emphasis sits within the wider framework of Catholic moral teaching. The Catechism of the Catholic Church holds that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered” and that “under no circumstances can they be approved” (No. 2357), while teaching that persons with homosexual inclinations are called to chastity and, through prayer and sacramental grace, “can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection” (No. 2359).

In its 1986 “Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons,” what was then the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith — now the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith — then led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the future Benedict XVI), wrote that pastors “should have the confidence that they are faithfully following the will of the Lord by encouraging the homosexual person to lead a chaste life and by affirming that personʼs God-given dignity and worth.”

The same letter taught that those who experience the inclination should not be led to believe that “the living out of this orientation in homosexual activity is a morally acceptable option,” adding: “It is not.”

A caution over religious freedom

The Swiss bishops' insistence on protecting pastoral care echoes a concern raised by their Austrian counterparts.

As CNA Deutsch, EWTN News‘ German-language news partner, has reported, the Institute for Marriage and the Family of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference warned in 2023, when Austria considered a similar ban, that an overly broad prohibition could sweep in serious counseling for people experiencing conflicted sexuality and could restrict religious freedom where it touched pastoral accompaniment by confessors, pastoral workers, or laypeople.

The divided political climate coincides with an unprecedented event in Spanish democracy: the indictment on charges of alleged corruption by a former prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, who held the office when Pope Benedict XVI visited the country 15 years ago.

Zapatero’s scheduled court appearance in connection with his alleged involvement in a scheme linked to the 2021 public bailout of the airline Plus Ultra, originally set for June 2, has been postponed by the judge to June 17–18.

The cardinal archbishop of Madrid, José Cobo, downplayed the impact the case will have on the popeʼs June 6–12 visit. “We are accustomed to operating amid many events in political life. That is simply part of life, and the headlines keep shifting,” he stated in an interview with EWTN News.

The stability of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchezʼs government is also being called into question by some of its coalition partners, such as the Basque Nationalist Party, which has labeled the decision not to call general elections before the end of the year “irresponsible.”

Polarization is not limited to the political sphere, however. According to the Atlas of Polarization by More in Common (2025), nearly 5 million Spaniards have broken off a personal relationship in the past year due to ideological differences, a figure equivalent to 14% of the population. Furthermore, three out of every five citizens say they avoid discussing politics to avoid creating conflict.

According to jurist Rafael Domingo Oslé, professor at the University of Navarra in Spain, this phenomenon reflects a grave deterioration of society at large. “Spain is experiencing a moment of profound social fragmentation, exacerbated by a political class incapable of lowering the tone,” he said in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. In his view, the volume of personal breakups “is a symptom that we are losing the respect necessary to prevent a society from fragmenting.”

A shared language

In this context, the pope’s visit takes on a particular significance as the emergence of a voice capable of introducing a different language into the public debate.

“A papal visit does not, in and of itself, resolve a crisis of this nature. But it can accomplish something that politics, by its very logic, is no longer able to achieve: offering a common framework and a shared language,” Domingo explained.

The key, he added, lies in the pontiff’s unique position: “The pope arrives not as an arbiter of an ideological debate but as a shepherd reminding a weary society that every person, regardless of whom they vote for, possesses a dignity that precedes their opinions.”

This circumstance has prompted an unusual gesture in recent Spanish politics: a unanimous invitation to the pope extended by both the House and the Senate.

“In a country where parliamentary consensus is nearly impossible, all political forces have agreed to listen to the same voice. That, in itself, is already a healthy gesture,” Domingo emphasized.

Leo XIV will address a joint session of the Legislature on June 8, marking the first time a pontiff has spoken before both Spanish legislative chambers.

The motto of the trip, “Lift Up Your Eyes,” encapsulates the spirit of the visit, according to Domingo, who said he hopes Spaniards will "cease focusing solely on immediate conflict and look toward what truly matters.”

Concurrently, the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas has met with a remarkable reception in the Spanish political world.

In a message posted on X, Sánchez emphasized: “Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas challenges us all. AI is not neutral, and digital power could lead us to new atrocities if it is not directed toward the common good. The text is also a defense of peace, human dignity, and multilateralism. Spain is clear on this: In this moment of change, we cannot be resigned spectators. Everything that makes us human is at stake.”

Along the same lines, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told the press, following his audience with the pope on May 4: “There is a great convergence between the Vatican’s positions and Spain’s humanist foreign policy at this time.”

Despite these points of convergence, tensions between the Church and the political realm remain.

One of the most visible flashpoints is the re-signification of the Valley of the Fallen (Cuelgamuros), a monument to the victims from both sides of the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War comprising a basilica, a cemetery, and a guesthouse.

For 44 years, the mortal remains of dictator Francisco Franco lay buried there until their exhumation in 2019. Franco was the general who led the victorious right-wing Nationalist side against the leftist Republican side in the conflict.

The current government has led the drive to transform the site into a political memorial, while the Church has advocated for the preservation of the monumentʼs religious dimension.

Italian constitutional scholar Marco Olivetti warned during a press conference at LUMSA University in Rome that “historical memory has been used as a divisive element that shapes public perception of the Church.”

Added to this are legislative clashes such as the attempt to enshrine abortion rights in the Spanish Constitution or proposals to eliminate military chaplains, efforts in direct confrontation with Church doctrine.

However, criticism of the Church does not stem solely from the left. The bishops' defense of immigrants, including their support for the government’s plan to give legal status to undocumented immigrants, which would benefit nearly half a million people already residing in Spain, has also drawn reproaches from conservative quarters.

Santiago Abascal, the leader of the Vox party, which declares itself Catholic, lashed out at the secretary-general of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Francisco César García Magán: “This character never dares to criticize the mafioso government. Because the government provides him with his business through the invasion [the influx of illegal immigrants]. And that’s his priority: the business. And a profound contempt for the Spaniards who wish to defend their homeland.”

The risk of instrumentalizing the pope’s words

The papal visit is not without risks in a climate of high polarization, Domingo warns. “One party will highlight whatever suits its agenda while remaining silent on the rest; another will try to do the opposite. It’s inevitable.”

Nevertheless, he underscored the Holy See’s experience in “writing speeches that stand as a cohesive whole.”

“Taking the pope out of context is relatively easy; refuting him is much more difficult,” he said.

Cobo shared this concern regarding the pontiffʼs address before the joint session. “I believe this is a gesture that is also very characteristic of the Church, for it entails listening to the Christian tradition speaking about politics, but ‘Politics with a capital P’ [the noble art or statesmanship]. In a society where we are accustomed to talking about political parties, that moment is significant. The fear, indeed, is that we might attempt to make a discourse on ‘Politics with a capital P’ to fit into a partisan narrative, effectively pitting one against the other,” he noted in his interview with EWTN News.

Moreover, the context is exacerbated by the rise of identity-based discourses that conflate politics and faith.

Sociologist Rafael Ruiz Andrés, a professor at Complutense University in Madrid, warned in an interview with ACI Prensa that “there is a whole range of sectors, located primarily within the far-right spectrum, and specifically in Spain within the Vox party, that seek to portray the defense of Christian culture as a central tenet of their platforms.” However, he qualified this by noting that “it’s not necessarily a defense based on religion” but is rather linked to “identity-based culture, and in many instances, positioned in opposition to Islam.”

In his view, one of Pope Leo XIV’s concerns is precisely “that there be this sort of hijacking of Christianity by politics.” In line with this, reports published following a meeting of the executive committee of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference with the pope pointed to the Vatican’s unease regarding attempts to “instrumentalize the Church,” although the bishops subsequently clarified that the pontiff spoke in general terms about “the risks of subjecting faith to ideologies,” without referring to any specific group.

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.

“Respect for each person does not mean giving up the truth about marriage that the Church has been preaching from the beginning,” the Family Council of the Polish Bishops' Conference (KEP) said in a May 22 statement signed by its chairman, Archbishop Wiesław Śmigiel.

Warsaw and Wrocław have begun transcribing same-sex “marriage” certificates into Polandʼs civil registry after Prime Minister Donald Tusk pledged to implement a November 2025 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union requiring member states to recognize such unions contracted elsewhere in the bloc.

In their reaction, the bishops recall that Article 18 of the Polish Constitution states that “marriage, being a union of a man and a woman, as well as the family, motherhood, and parenthood, shall be placed under the protection and care of the Republic of Poland.”

This is not a formality, the bishops say, warning that “expansive interpretations of law may lead to the weakening of the constitutional understanding of marriage.” They contend that “such fundamental issues should not be resolved through interpretations that raise serious social and constitutional concerns,” pointing instead to a deeply rooted reality in “the Polish legal system, cultural tradition, and the Christian understanding of marriage and family, which for centuries have co-shaped European understanding of humanity.”

The episcopate stressed that the debate on marriage “should be conducted with responsibility, calm, and genuine concern for the common good.”

Meanwhile, Slovak lawmaker Michal Šabo “married” his male partner in Hainburg, Austria, just across the Slovak border, where same-sex marriage is legal. He wants Slovakia to recognize the marriage, but the countryʼs constitution has defined marriage as a union of a man and a woman since 2014, and a September 2025 amendment recognized only two sexes, male and female.

Šabo knows Slovakia cannot register the union and would eventually sue the country over it, former minister Milan Krajniak warned. The progressives “do not want tolerance” but want others “to have to accept their idea of the world,” the former minister claimed.

In April, after elections in Hungary, the EUʼs top court ruled that the countryʼs 2021 law limiting the promotion of LGBT and gender-related issues to minors, passed under outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, breached the EUʼs founding values.

A few grams of an unidentified substance were found in the vehicle, though the discovery “does not answer the central question: how the items ended up in the vehicle,” Hilarion said, denying “any involvement in the illegal possession or transportation of prohibited substances.”

He was released May 26 after protests from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which called the detention a “deliberate, orchestrated provocation” and summoned a Czech diplomat in Moscow. The Russian Orthodox Church likewise defended him, saying the incident “looks like a classic farce” since drug smuggling is often used by “unscrupulous police officers around the world.”

No charges have been brought, and Hilarion is free without restrictions while the investigation continues, according to a statement on his Telegram account. His team also called the arrest “a provocation,” claiming he had received anonymous death threats demanding he leave the country.

Who is Hilarion?

Metropolitan Hilarion, whose secular name is Grigory Alfeyev, headed the Moscow Patriarchateʼs Department for External Church Relations from 2009 to 2022, a role often described as the Russian Orthodox Churchʼs “foreign minister.” He was widely regarded as a close ally of Patriarch Kirill and a possible successor.

In June 2022, he was removed from the post and appointed to the Budapest diocese, a move widely interpreted as a demotion. During Pope Francis' apostolic trip to Budapest in April 2023, the two held a private meeting at the apostolic nunciature.

In July 2024, Hilarion was accused of sexual harassment by George Suzuki, a former personal attendant. Hilarion denied the allegations. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church subsequently declared “the inconsistency of the nature of his relations with his immediate environment and his life with the image of a monk and clergyman” and removed him from the Budapest diocese on Dec. 27, 2024. He has since been serving at the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Karlovy Vary, a spa town in western Czech Republic.

Rising tensions over the Russian Orthodox Church in Czech Republic

Sergei Chapnin, a Russian church affairs scholar at Fordham University and former employee of the Moscow Patriarchate, offered two possible explanations for the incident. First, Hilarion may serve “as a high-level courier” who “moves sensitive documents and other items around Western Europe” since “Russian diplomats are closely monitored and constrained in their movements.” Second, Hilarion was operating “inside a very rough political and ecclesiastical game ... over assets and influence” involving local Orthodox communities.

The Church of Sts. Peter and Paul was recently registered under the Russian Orthodox Church in Hungary to prevent Czech authorities from freezing Russian assets. Patriarch Kirill, the churchʼs head, is personally listed on the Czech national sanctions list for his support of Russiaʼs invasion of Ukraine.

Concerns about the churchʼs role in Czech Republic have been escalating. The Czech security agencyʼs annual report said the Russian Orthodox Churchʼs local representatives are loyal to the Moscow leadership and their “support for the Russian official line is evident.”

A study titled “Security Risks of the Orthodox Church,” published by the Czech Academy of Sciences in 2025, called for systematic monitoring of the Russian Orthodox Church in the country. The authors recommended investigating “activities with regard to the danger of money laundering, purposeful export of funds and property, smuggling of goods and people, passing information to the enemy, for example the Russian side, [and] influencing the opinions of Czech society through social networks.”

The study also noted that the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Karlovy Vary allegedly hosted meetings involving Russian military intelligence (GRU) officials.

In a related case, a Prague court recently convicted former Orthodox abbess Taťána Hanhur for the unauthorized transfer of a monastery and property worth 73 million Czech crowns (approximately $3.2 million). The property had belonged to the autocephalous Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia.

The event organized by lay association Notre-Dame de Chrétienté concluded Monday, May 25, with a closing Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres. Organized under the theme “You Will Be My Witnesses to the Ends of the Earth,” the pilgrimage drew participants from 22 countries.

The growing numbers have posed recurring logistical and safety challenges in recent years, forcing organizers to turn away applicants once capacity limits were reached. Organizers said they are working to accommodate a greater number of pilgrims for 2027.

To better understand the profile of these pilgrims, Notre-Dame de Chrétienté conducted an internal study this year, surveying 4,610 participants — close to a quarter of all pilgrims — on their faith, practice, and motivations.

Young, practicing, and doctrinally formed

The picture that emerges challenges the standard portrait of French Catholicism.

The average age of respondents was 22 — against an average of 57 for practicing Catholics in France more broadly, according to IFOP (French Institute of Public Opinion) data cited in the study. More than half are under 25, and a third are attending for the first time, suggesting the pilgrimage is increasingly attracting a generation with no lived memory of the preconciliar Church. 

Nearly 90% of them identify as practicing Catholics, with many attending Mass both on weekdays and Sundays, and nearly 40% going to confession at least once a month.

The vast majority also report a solid doctrinal foundation, with more than 90% affirming their full belief in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, the resurrection of the body, the Holy Trinity, and the existence of hell — dogmas that, according to several surveys, the majority of French Catholics no longer adhere to.

Beyond the pilgrimage itself, 77% report active engagement in parishes, scouting, or charitable work — a figure the study estimates at roughly seven times the national average for French Catholics. In this light, this year’s missionary theme appears to align with the realities on the ground.

The liturgical question

The study also addressed the controversial topic of liturgy.

Its organizers state that the majority of respondents (63%) expressed a strong attachment to the extraordinary form of the Roman rite, citing primarily spiritual and doctrinal reasons: a sense of the sacred, the liturgical expression of the Real Presence, as well as the emphasis placed on silence and interior prayer.

This runs counter to the idea that young participants are primarily motivated by the physical challenge of this demanding trail or by the fraternal atmosphere rather than by a liturgical preference.

Since Pope Francis’ motu proprio Traditionis Custodes significantly restricted the use of the traditional rite, the pilgrimage has found itself at the center of recurring tensions with ecclesial authorities.

This year, as in 2025, the opening Mass — a Traditional Latin Mass — was held at Saint-Sulpice in Paris rather than at the recently restored Notre-Dame Cathedral, where the pilgrimage had historically begun prior to the 2019 fire. The Archdiocese of Paris attributed this decision to logistical considerations, but the pilgrimage’s president publicly stated that Archbishop Laurent Ulrich had informed him that he did not wish for a Latin Mass to be celebrated at Notre-Dame.

Pope Leo XIV’s recent appeal to French bishops to generously welcome the faithful attached to the vetus ordo could, however, encourage a different approach in the future.

Transmission and renewal 

The issue of religious transmission is another key theme of this study. Sociologists of religion have long highlighted the decline in the intergenerational transmission of Catholicism in France, with traditional Catholic communities often cited as one of the exceptions to the rule. The data collected in Chartres appear to confirm this trend. Six out of 10 pilgrims discovered this pilgrimage through their family or friends, and 18% through their parish or religious community.

At the same time, the fact that one-third were attending for the first time suggests the pilgrimage is not sustained solely by inherited religious networks. This finding fits into the broader religious revival currently underway in France, where the number of adult catechumens baptized at Easter has increased significantly over the past decade, according to the French Bishops’ Conference. A large proportion of them come from secular or non-Christian backgrounds.

The Regional Episcopal Council of Île-de-France is set to meet beginning May 31 to address the sudden influx of catechumens in the Paris region — a meeting that comes less than a week after the largest pilgrimage to Chartres ever recorded.

The archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal José Cobo, will offer a Mass of Thanksgiving at Our Lady of Almudena Cathedral to mark the 60th anniversary of the birth of the Neocatechumenal Way on May 30.

The ceremony, which was originally scheduled to take place last year but was postponed due to the death of Pope Francis, will be concelebrated by other Spanish prelates, and more than 100 priests will attend.

The Neocatechumenal Way, also known as the Neocatechumenate, was founded in 1964 and is a post-baptismal formation program within the Catholic Church designed to help baptized adults rediscover and deepen their faith.

“It is a moment of joy that encompasses the entire reality of the Neocatechumenal Way: this itinerary of Christian Initiation lived out in small communities and currently present in over 6,250 parishes across some 1,400 dioceses worldwide, which was born in one of the poorest areas of the Spanish capital,” states a press release from the apostolate.

The celebration will continue on June 2, when the closing rite for the cause of canonization of Carmen Hernández will take place. As a young woman, she and Argüello founded the Neocatechumenal Way with the encouragement of the archbishop of Madrid-Alcalá, Casimiro Morcillo González.

The cause for canonization began on Dec. 4, 2022, after postulator Carlos Metola gathered nearly 30,000 pages of documentation, and will conclude almost 10 years after her death on July 19, 2016.

The event will feature addresses by Cobo, Metola, and Argüello himself, who shared his evangelizing mission with Hernández for over 50 years. It will take place at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Madrid, where Hernández is buried.

According to the Neocatechumenal Way, over the past decade, more than 118,000 people have visited her tomb, “and favors are continually received through her intercession.”

Hernández’s contribution was “fundamental,” the Neocatechumenal Way states, particularly “thanks to her studies regarding the renewal of the Second Vatican Council.”

“This contribution was made in many aspects: the formation of the small Christian community, the liturgy, Easter, the relationship with the word of God, including the Old Testament and patristic and Jewish sources,” the press release notes.

Argüello and Hernández met in the mid-1960s in the Palomeras Altas neighborhood of Madrid, where the former, despite a promising career as a painter, abandoned everything to live in a shack and begin proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the poor.

This Christian initiation for adults soon spread to the parishes through the impetus of Morcillo, and today it is present in 138 countries across five continents and has 116 diocesan missionary seminaries in which nearly 3,500 priests have been formed.

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 also here, deep in the catacombs that lie beneath the extant basilica, where St. Philip Neri had his spiritual epiphany on the eve of Pentecost in 1544. It is here where the beloved Second Apostle of Rome committed himself to a life of charity.

Early life, arrival in Rome, and the catacombs

Born in 1515 to a wealthy Florentine family, the young Filippo Neri was brought up with a classical education by the Dominicans of the Monastery of San Marco. While displaying great promise, intelligence, and business acumen he ultimately rejected his familial inheritance to follow a spiritual vocation of service. After a brief sojourn in San Germano, he arrived in Rome in 1534, which unknown to him at the time would be his final destination.

Upon his arrival, he witnessed an ecclesiastical climate that was characterized by corruption, vice, and decadence. However, it was in the Catacombs of San Sebastiano (St. Sebastian) where Neri spent hours in quiet contemplation and intense prayer.

There was perhaps no better place. After all, the silence of the catacombs (the burial site of Christians who died for their faith, among them once the remains of Sts. Peter and Paul, as well as St. Sebastian) provided a stark contrast to the squalor and vice of the streets above.

The catacombs, in a sense, were representative of the evolution of the Church’s life in Rome — persecution and dominance, faith and apostasy, splendor and squalor. Neri’s spiritual exercises stood at the intersection between the ancient and the old — a return to the earliest traditions of the paleo-Christian age, for it was this martyr’s unwavering faith, persistence, and death that paved the way for a Christian Rome.

It is fitting, then, that his spiritual epiphany happened there at Pentecost. Asking God for the gift of the Holy Spirit, it came down as a great ball of fire, entering through his mouth and settling into his heart (this experience was so intense it caused an enlarged heart and lifelong palpitations when engaging in his spiritual exercises). It is (just as it was for the Lord’s disciples in the upper room) representative of spiritual zeal — the burning fire of God’s love that animated both the apostles and, later, Neri, to go out and evangelize.

Founding of the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Trinity

In 1540, Neri, while he was still a layman — it wasn’t until 1551, at the age of 36, that he was ordained a priest — established the Confraternita della Santissima Trinità (the Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity), given canonical status by Pope Paul III.

It was in the jubilee of 1550 that Neri invoked what is now an archconfraternity to care for the many pilgrims who traveled from afar, especially those who were the most needy.

The archconfraternity is still active today in the Church of Santissima Trinita dei Pellegrini (built in 1614 over the site of an older church dedicated to St. Benedict), a personal parish of the Fraternity of St. Peter (an Ecclesia Dei community dedicated to the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass). Through their numerous activities for Rome’s poor, they continue to embody Neri’s example by providing a living example of faith and charity.

A model of contemporary Christian life

This year St. Philip Neri’s feast day (May 26) falls on the Tuesday after Pentecost. He holds a special place in the city of Rome’s heritage and made an indelible mark upon the spiritual life of the city and the universal Church through his founding of the Congregation of Oratorians, his popularization of the 40-hour devotion, and the Roman pilgrimage of the Seven Churches. Underscoring all of his deeds was love and charity.

In 2015, the Church celebrated the fifth centenary of Neri’s birth. On this occasion Pope Francis remarked: “St. Philip Neri also remains a luminous model of the Church’s ongoing mission in the world. The perspective of his approach to neighbor in witnessing to all to the love and mercy of the Lord can serve as a valuable example to bishops, priests, consecrated people, and lay faithful.”

This story was first published on May 26, 2023, and has been updated.

Pedro Ballester, who was born in Manchester, died on Jan. 13, 2018, at the age of 21 of bone cancer after a life of prayer, sacrifice, and virtue. In a May 13 statement, the Diocese of Salford announced: “We are pleased to announce the opening of the cause for the beatification and canonization of Pedro Ballester, a young Manchester man whose life of faith and witness continues to inspire many.

“The opening of this cause marks an important step in recognizing the life and witness of a young man whose example of faith, especially in the face of suffering, continues to resonate with many people today.”

The announcement marks the first step on the path to sainthood, with the diocese calling for “accounts, memories, writings attributed to Pedro, including diaries, letters,” which “may help establish Pedro’s reputation for holiness.” Over 60 people who knew Ballester, including family and friends, have already been interviewed by Church authorities.

Speaking to EWTN News, Father Joseph Evans, chaplain of Greygarth Hall, Manchester, who accompanied Ballester during the last year of his life, welcomed the announcement, saying: “This is great news. Many young people today, particularly young men, are showing a renewed interest in faith and theyʼre looking for authentic models. Theyʼre tired of a society based on softness and falsehood where comfort and ease are presented as the ultimate goals.”

Ballester was born into a Catholic family and his Spanish parents, who moved to England for professional reasons, are married members of Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church founded in Spain by St. Josemaría Escrivá in 1928. Ballester himself joined Opus Dei in 2013 as a “numerary” member — meaning he made a commitment to celibacy for life and living out the charism of Opus Dei in the world.

After winning a place at Imperial College in London to study chemical engineering in 2014, Ballester experienced intense back pain during his first semester, after which he was diagnosed with advanced cancer of the pelvis. He then went to Christie’s Hospital, Manchester, for cancer treatment, where his faith and kindness were noticed as he sought to bring his frequent visitors closer to God.

Evans underlined how Ballester’s life can empower people to follow Christ in the midst of suffering, saying: “Pedroʼs three years of suffering were very far from comfort and ease. He suffered enormously but also with enormous faith.”

Ballester’s suffering worsened after his cancer diagnosis and he regularly experienced acute pain leading up to his death, yet Evans pointed out that the young man “found happiness in deep self-giving and deep suffering.”

He said: “He truly found Christ along the hard way, but he followed him with great joy.”

The Diocese of Salford is now in the process of reviewing Ballester’s life, acknowledging that “over the years since his death, his reputation for holiness has grown significantly.” This information-gathering exercise is the first step to canonization, prior to an extensive investigation by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, who will explore whether Ballester lived a life of “heroic virtue and holiness” and should become a saint.

Jack Valero from Opus Dei, which is promoting Ballester’s cause for sainthood, told EWTN News he is “delighted” at the announcement, adding that young people are “very inspired” by Ballester’s life.

“We have had reports from many different countries of people who obtain favors from God after praying through Pedro’s intercession,” Valero said. “Many young people are very inspired by Pedro, a man who was always happy and thinking of others even in the midst of terrible suffering.”

Valero also commented that some of these reports can be found on the website dedicated to Ballesterʼs life and cause. In one account, Blanca, 15, from Asturias, Spain, was in a life-threatening condition after she suffered a serious stroke in November 2023. Following major brain surgery, family and friends called for Ballester’s intercession. Blanca made a significant recovery, which doctors called “a miracle,” and she left hospital on Dec. 11, 2023. 

The Diocese of Salford paid tribute to Ballester’s “remarkable serenity and faith,” and Evans said he is hopeful that this first step will lead to his canonization and inspire young people in their “search for Christ.”

“Pedro offers young people today a model of an authentic search for Christ, knowing that this also has to mean embracing the cross. Yet if we do so, this brings joy,” he said.

Within this context, Polish Catholics have launched an international initiative to assist Lebanon’s most vulnerable families. “Lebanon in Need” was launched by the Maronite Missionary Foundation in Poland in partnership with 4fund.com, one of Poland’s largest licensed financial institutions specializing in humanitarian fundraising, as part of the broader international campaign “Europe for Lebanon.”

The initiative operates as a voluntary crisis committee that combines pastoral mission with regulated European financial infrastructure, with the aim of ensuring that every euro donated in Europe reaches Lebanon safely, transparently, and in full.

Addressing gaps in humanitarian aid to Lebanon

“Lebanon in Need” was launched at the beginning of March to address a specific challenge: how to transfer European generosity to Lebanese families without the complications, losses, and regulatory ambiguity that often weaken cross-border Catholic humanitarian campaigns.

Having already worked in Lebanon in 2020, the foundation knew that many Catholics in Poland, Italy, Portugal, and other European countries were willing to help. At the same time, it understood that smaller Catholic initiatives often lack the financial and regulatory infrastructure necessary to receive donations on a large scale and transfer them quickly and transparently during times of war.

This led to an unusual partnership between the foundation, through its Church networks and ties with Lebanese Christian institutions, and 4fund.com, the international arm of the Polish crowdfunding platform zrzutka.pl. Together, the two entities launched “Lebanon in Need” as the operational arm of the wider “Europe for Lebanon” campaign, creating a model that combines pastoral mission with organized European financial systems.

While Catholic humanitarian initiatives traditionally rely on parish networks and volunteer work, crowdfunding platforms rely on technology and modern financial systems. This initiative brings both worlds together with the goal of ensuring that aid reaches its beneficiaries with greater transparency and credibility.

Support reaching the most vulnerable families

In Lebanon, field operations rely on a network of trusted institutions that have played a key role throughout the country’s successive crises, including Caritas Lebanon, the Lebanese Red Cross, as well as a wide network of parishes, dioceses, and local Church institutions, where priests and social workers personally know the families most in need.

Aid is directed toward the groups most affected by the crisis, with particular attention given to families displaced by bombardments, elderly people living alone, women and children in vulnerable conditions, sick and disabled persons, as well as families living in extreme poverty and residents of collective shelters, remote villages, and under-resourced host communities.

Although the initiative is rooted in Christian values and gives particular attention to Christian families who have lost everything, assistance is provided to all those in need, regardless of religion, background, or political affiliation.

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

The event, now in its 18th year in the Czech Republic, invites believers and nonbelievers alike to explore churches, chapels, and synagogues through concerts, exhibitions, talks, guided tours, and prayer — often until late at night. Some participating sites grant access to towers, crypts, and spaces that are otherwise closed to the public. This yearʼs theme in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia is “Courage.”

Last year, more than 460,000 visitors and 25,000 volunteers took part across the Czech Republic, an increase of 40,000 visitors and 5,000 volunteers compared with the year before. In Austria, organizers counted around 300,000 visitors in each of the last two years. In Slovakia, where precise figures were not available for 2025, several cities reported record attendance, according to the press agency of the Slovak Bishops' Conference.

‘Sometimes it takes courage’

Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl of Prague, writing in the periodical Kostelní Noviny published for the occasion, acknowledged that “sometimes it takes courage to even cross the threshold of a church.” The prelate invited readers to enter and “get to know each other,” noting that “churches and chapels were created as spaces for people to meet each other and with God.”

Archbishop Josef Grünwidl of Vienna said he appreciated the growing popularity of the Night of Churches in neighboring Czechia, calling it “a challenge for all people to further explore their own religious and spiritual tradition, enter new spaces, and not be afraid to open up to the unknown.”

In Vienna, Grünwidl and Bishop Cornelia Richter of the Evangelical (Lutheran) Church invited guests from church, society, business, and politics for dinner and discussion at the archbishopʼs palace. A limited number of seats were available through a public lottery.

Organizers in the Austrian capital alone expect more than 100,000 visitors, who will be able to choose from more than 170 participating churches — including a police chapel — and performances ranging from Gregorian chant to a Korean choral concert.

In Slovakia, Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice, president of the Slovak Bishops' Conference, called on people to come, saying that “open temples will become a place of prayer, meeting, and courage to seek God in silence and in community.” He described the event as an “opportunity to rediscover the beauty of faith and the openness of our churches to everyone.”

Several Czech regional governors encouraged residents to enjoy the Night of Churches for its “unique atmosphere” and “openness and sharing,” or simply to pause inside centuries-old buildings and reflect “on how we live and what we can do for us and for others.”

A buried villageʼs night of memory

The initiative has also provided unexpected settings for faith and reconciliation. In 2023, former parishioners of the village of Radovesice in the Czech Republic gathered above the site of their buried village — including its Church of All Saints — on the 40th anniversary of the villageʼs demolition.

The village was one of several in northwestern Czechoslovakia destroyed during the communist era to make way for mining.

“We brought archive documents, paintings, and statues which had belonged to the temple [church],” Robert Kotyšan, caretaker of the Diocese of Litoměřice, explained in Kostelní Noviny.

“We commemorated the deceased parishioners and debated our relationship and responsibility to the place in which we live,” Kotyšan told EWTN News.

The former parishioners also unlocked a padlock from the church that had been preserved, which Kotyšan described as “a symbolic opening of a better future for this once beautiful country and an effort to return at least part of its memory and dignity to it.”

A considerable part of the artifacts brought to the 2023 gathering are now kept in a still-standing church in Kostomlaty pod Milešovkou, which is itself considered a “dead parish” because no parishioners attend.

The next gathering is planned for 2028, the 45th anniversary of the demolition.

From Frankfurt to 8 countries

The concept of opening churches at night originated in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in 1995. It spread to Austria in 2005 and to the Czech Republic in 2009 and has since expanded to Slovakia, Hungary, Estonia, South Tyrol in Italy, and Switzerland. The initiative usually takes place at the end of May.

“The challenge is that it is not an event. We are used to concerts, which are prepared, closed, and thatʼs it," he said in an interview with EWTN News about the preparations for the trip of Pope Leo XIV, who will visit Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands from June 6–12.

Cobo expressed hope that the visit will be “a moment of experience and ... a moment also that will be slow, that it helps us to look up and take a step forward.”

Preparations in record time

Cobo explained that the visit has been organized in “record time,” with just three months of work and with a much greater social and ecclesial response than expected.

“We have had three scarce months to prepare a trip, during which we have also found that there is a great desire and an incredible expectation. I think we thought it was going to be something [for which] we had to motivate [Catholics] a lot, but nothing was needed,” he said.

As he highlighted, the popeʼs program in Madrid has been designed as a “pastoral triptych” with three major components: the celebration of the Eucharist on the feast of Corpus Christi, the great meeting with the Church of Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, and a space for dialogue with leaders of culture, economy, and sport.

“The celebration of the Eucharist, [especially on] Corpus Christi — which is a very important holiday for us — and celebrating it with the successor of Peter is a gift for the whole Church of Madrid and for the whole Church of Spain, because they will come from all places. This is the most celebratory central moment,” the cardinal said.

The pope and ‘politics with capital letters’

In Coboʼs opinion, one of the most delicate moments will be the appearance of the Holy Father in the Cortes, or the Spanish Parliament, before a joint session of both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.

Cobo warned that he is concerned that a message about “politics with capital letters” may be reduced to a partisan reading.

“In a society where we are used to talking about political parties, that moment is important,” he said.

“Of course the intention is that the pope will come, that he will support politicians, that he will support politics, and that he will thus be able to reinforce democracy from the experience and tradition of the Church,” he said.

Asked if the recent accusation of alleged corruption of the former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero could have any impact on the visit, Cobo indicated it was unlikely.

“We are used to working with many events in political life. Thatʼs already part of life and the headlines are moving,” he said. “I think the good thing about a papal visit is that ... it can help us look up and see that despite the political situation that is painful ... there is a higher level.”

“There is another level, a level that speaks to us of hope, it is a level that speaks to us of responsibility, that speaks to us of ethics,” he said.

“I believe that we are not going to contradict one thing with another, but we are going to get used to being also in another space, which is that of non-confrontation and welcoming wounds and difficulties and putting them in front of the space of meaning that life gives and that faith tells us.”

The hope of the young and not so young

The cardinal also noted that for young people the visit could represent a response to a climate of “disorientation,” “uprooting,” and “hopelessness.”

He maintained that many are looking for “anchors” and answers about the meaning of life, something that, in his opinion, explains the renewed interest in the figure of the pope among new generations.

“I think it is a response to a longing that young people have ... and not only young people, I think it is from a very broad generation, I believe that there is an experience of a certain discomfort, a disorientation ... a certain de-rooting. People need anchors that they donʼt have.”

A meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Bad Bunny?

Regarding the coincidence of the popeʼs presence in Madrid occurring at the same time as the rapper Bad Bunnyʼs concerts, Cobo did not close the door to a possible meeting, although he left it in the hands of both parties.

“The pope is never closed to talking to anyone who wants to enter into dialogue with him,” he said.

“If at some point that can happen, we wouldnʼt rule it out of course, but that depends on the two of them. What is certain is that indeed Madrid is very big and can have different events on the same day,” he said.

The timing is politically advantageous. Abelaʼs Labour government holds a comfortable parliamentary majority, and opinion polls hint the party is on track to win a record fourth consecutive term.

Yet the election has forced an uncomfortable conversation about abortion, a topic observers note that Maltese politicians often keep deliberately vague.

A country deeply divided on abortion

Since Maltaʼs constitution explicitly names Catholicism as the state religion, the nationʼs legal framework reflects that foundation by having a near-total prohibition on abortion. In line with Church teaching, treatment for ectopic pregnancies is permitted.

Critics have often labeled the nation as having the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe and regularly called for more abortion rights. As external pressure for liberalization continues to mount, there is also deep internal division between younger, more urban voters who support some abortion access and a significant portion of the electorate that opposes it on moral or religious grounds.

Some note that this tension has made abortion a political minefield. Rather than clearly stating whether they are “pro-life” or “pro-choice,” Maltese politicians allegedly employ careful ambiguity. They frame positions using broader language centered on “womenʼs health,” “medical emergencies,” “human rights,” or “legal clarity.” The use of such technical language allows them to address sensitive cases without explicitly endorsing wider abortion access.

Pro-life advocates demand clarity

Ahead of the May 30 election, one of Maltaʼs largest and most prolific pro-life groups, the Life Network Foundation, issued a direct question to all political parties.

It demanded that each of Maltaʼs six major political parties participating in the elections clearly state whether they will support changes to Maltese law that would introduce abortion and voluntary assisted euthanasia in the next legislature. The foundation asked for a simple yes-or-no answer.

Notably, the Labour government has already broken ranks on one issue. On May 15, it pledged to hold a referendum on voluntary assisted euthanasia if reelected but remained silent on abortion.

As of May 22, four of the six parties had responded to the Life Network Foundationʼs questionnaire. The foundation has pledged to publish all responses or publicly note which parties refused to answer.

By asking for a direct answer on pro-life issues, it gives Maltaʼs political factions no room to avoid stating their values directly to voters on these key issues. It also allows for more accountability and transparency in the political arena ahead of elections.

Pro-abortion encroachment

Given Maltaʼs strong anti-abortion history and stance, there has been increased activity by pro-abortion organizations to slowly increase abortion rights in the country. Most notably, Women on Waves, a Dutch pro-abortion organization, announced in mid-April that it had installed approximately 15 abortion lock safes around Malta.

Each safe contains one mifepristone pill and four misoprostol pills, collectively making up the chemical abortion pill regimen. Women interested in accessing abortion would email the organization, which would provide the location of the abortion safes and the code to unlock the safe.

In response to this, the National Council of Women Malta called for legal action into the placement of these abortion pill safes. “Any initiative which appears to facilitate access to abortion pills in Malta raises serious concerns about respect for the law, public safety, the protection of vulnerable women, and the protection of unborn life,” the council stated, requesting authorities investigate the placement of these safes.

Questions were also raised about the verification aspects of obtaining these abortion pills and what medical safeguards were in place to ensure they did not fall into the wrong hands. In response, Rebecca Gomperts, the founder of Women on Waves, noted that her organization was simply fulfilling an “unmet demand.”

Women on Waves has operated in Malta since 2007. It gained notoriety and visibility in recent years through high-profile campaigns, including at the Malta Maritime Museum, featuring pro-abortion art. The organization has faced backlash in Spain and Poland from citizens and municipalities alike, but its Malta operation is particularly provocative given the countryʼs near-total prohibition on abortion.

The landscape architecture student hiked upward for 14 hours, carrying on his back a 77-pound walnut cross that he had sculpted following the disappearance of the iron cross that had crowned the summit since 1951.

After covering over 17 miles and ascending 6,230 feet with the help of a friend, the 18-year-old managed to reach the highest peak in the Pyrenees, situated at an elevation of 9,840 feet.

Instagram post

Following a report by a group of mountaineers last April, the Spanish Civil Guard confirmed that the original 10-foot cross, weighing 220 pounds, had been toppled and thrown down the slope.

The original cross was installed at the summit of Aneto 75 years ago by a hiking club from Catalonia. Subsequently, the Mountaineers of Aragón also placed an image of the Virgin of the Pillar (the patroness of Spain) and a carving of St. Martial, the patron saint of Benasque, the valley within the Aragonese region where the peak is located inside the Posets-Maladeta Nature Park.

This symbol of faith, situated atop Spainʼs second-highest peak, has been the subject of controversy and various acts of vandalism. In 1999, it was torn from its base by a storm, and more recently, in 2018, it was found painted yellow, a color associated with the Catalan independence movement.

The mayor of the town of Benasque, Manuel Mora, applauded the initiative and stated that the wooden cross would remain until the original is restored. A group called “Movement Towards a Secular State” denounced the installation of the new cross, however, and urged that disciplinary proceedings be opened against Le Lagadec.

For his part, Le Lagadec took to social media to call for an end to the “degradation of this type of heritage,” having documented the entire process from the creation of the cross to its installation atop Aneto.

He also recounted that he had the help of several people who encouraged him throughout the entire ascent, recalling a woman who lent him her hiking stick during the most difficult sections.

“Upon reaching the summit, I still struggled to fully grasp what I had just accomplished,” he wrote in one of his posts, calling his feat “an extraordinary human and athletic adventure, culminating in the installation of the cross at the very summit.”

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 move comes amid growth of the Catholic Church in Sweden. The nation, which historically restricted religious freedom, has 130,000 registered Catholics.

The Stockholm office will produce news from the Vatican along with devotional and catechetical content for local audiences and beyond.

“EWTN’s mission has always been to bring the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith to people wherever they are,” said Michael P. Warsaw, chairman of the board and CEO of EWTN.

Founded by Mother Angelica 45 years ago, EWTN is the largest Catholic media organization in the world. EWTN is the parent company of EWTN News.

“The opening of our Stockholm office is an important step in serving a growing Catholic community in Sweden driven by immigration and conversions,” Warsaw said. “For EWTN, the Catholic Church in Sweden represents a dynamic and expanding audience for faithful Catholic media and local-language evangelization.”

EWTN looks to reach the growing online audience in Sweden, where 93% of people go online daily, according to a 2025 report by the Swedish Internet Foundation.

“EWTN Sweden is built for the way people in Sweden live and consume media today,” said Ulf Silfverling, director of EWTN Sweden. “Through EWTN.se and our media channels, we want to provide faithful, accessible, and relevant Catholic content that speaks to Swedish audiences in their own language and context.”

“This office represents more than a new location; it is a commitment to Scandinavia, Sweden, and its growing community of faithful as EWTN continues to work on reaching every home and every heart,” said Andreas Thonhauser, chief global officer of EWTN.

“By producing native Swedish content and collaborating more closely with Catholics in the region, EWTN can help deepen the faith and connect northern Europe more fully with the life of the universal Church,” Thonhauser added.

‘An attack on human dignity’

Speaking to EWTN News, Irish Member of European Parliament Michael McNamara, one of the European Parliamentʼs lead lawmakers on the AI Act, said negotiators pushed for an outright ban on systems used to generate nonconsensual intimate imagery and AI-generated child sexual abuse material, which he described as “an attack on the fundamental rights of real people, particularly the inviolability of human dignity and the right to privacy.”

McNamara previously participated in an interfaith Brussels delegation on AI governance led by former Irish ambassador to the Holy See Professor Philip McDonagh.

“We were insistent that these prohibitions sit in Article 5, among the absolute bans in the AI Act,” McNamara added.

Following the agreement, he said the new provisions would ensure authorities had “the tools to act if providers do not address AI systems that compromise fundamental rights or human dignity.”

Under the agreement, companies will have until Dec. 2 to comply with the new restrictions.

Delays to ‘high-risk’ AI rules

The legislation also postpones the application of some obligations for “high-risk” AI systems until 2027 and 2028, a move lawmakers say was necessary because technical standards required for implementation were not ready in time.

Under the act, high-risk systems include AI used in healthcare, education, employment, law enforcement, and border management, where algorithmic decisions can directly affect human rights and access to essential services.

“To be frank, my preference would have been no extension,” McNamara said, while acknowledging lawmakers faced pressure to ensure the rules could be implemented with legal certainty.

“Certainty matters: for industry, yes, but also for citizens and for the authorities that will enforce these rules,” he said.

EU bishops welcome restrictions

The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) welcomed the ban. Speaking to EWTN News, Friederike Ladenburger, COMECE adviser on ethics, research, and health, said the restrictions are “legally justified” because such systems process biometric and intimate personal data in ways that undermine fundamental rights, particularly human dignity, privacy, consent, and the protection of minors.

“From an ethical perspective, nudifier applications constitute a form of technological exploitation that objectifies the person,” she added. Such systems conflict with principles of “dignity, solidarity, and the safeguarding of vulnerable individuals” that should guide implementation of the AI Act, she said.

Alessandro Calcagno, COMECE assistant general secretary and adviser on fundamental rights, said the organization has consistently called for stronger protections for children in AI regulation.

“In its 2020 contribution to the EU White Paper on AI, COMECE stressed that children are the most vulnerable in the context of AI use and application,” he told EWTN News.

Interfaith and Vatican dialogue on AI

The anticipated papal encyclical follows several years of Vatican engagement on AI ethics through the Pontifical Academy for Life, the Rome Call for AI Ethics, and repeated interventions from previous popes warning against technologies that risk reducing the human person to data, manipulation, or simulation.

McDonagh, who serves as director of the Centre for Religion, Human Values, and International Relations at Dublin City University, said the debate surrounding AI reflects a technological transformation of “profound historical and civilizational significance,” comparable to the agricultural and industrial revolutions, which also produced “dramatic new forms of inequality and violence.”

Following the provisional agreement, he said the rapid emergence of AI raises deeper questions about human coexistence and the moral foundations of society.

“The anthropological question of how we make sense of our existence and co-existence is more urgent than ever,” he said.

Ahead of the encyclicalʼs release, members of the COMECE presidency held private talks with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on AI governance, the future of the EU, and wider global challenges.