Catholic News
- Christ walking on water teaches us to avoid presumption and despair, Pope tells pilgrims (CWN)
In his August 9 Sunday Angelus address (video), Pope Leo XIV reflected on Christ walking on the waters of the Sea of Galilee, an event recounted in the Gospel reading of the day (Matthew 14:22-23). - Pope issues appeal for Sudanese civilians amid prospect of mass atrocities (CWN)
Amid the prospect of mass atrocities in El Obeid, Sudan—a nation at civil war since 2023—Pope Leo XIV offered prayers and issued an appeal for peace. - Pope laments killing of civilians in Ukraine, Russia (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV lamented the killing of civilians in Ukraine and in Russia and renewed his appeal for peace. - Be inspired by August saints, Pope tells young people (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV encouraged young people to be inspired by the saints who are commemorated liturgically at this time of year. - Pontiff recalls 700th anniversary of origin of Marian shrine in Calabria (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV named Cardinal Francesco Montenegro, the archbishop emeritus of Agrigento, Italy, as his special envoy to the upcoming celebration of the 700th anniversary of the arrival of a Marian image on the shore near Praia a Mare, a small town in Calabria. The image, which arrived on August 14, 1326, is venerated in the Shrine of Our Lady of the Grotto. - Pontiff marks 900th anniversary of return of St. Agatha's relics to Catania (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV named Cardinal Pietro Parolin, his Secretary of State, as his special envoy to the celebrations marking the 900th anniversary of the return of St. Agatha‘s relics to the Sicilian city of Catania. - Indian Christian organization leader arrested for remarks on Hinduism (Catholic Connect)
Arun Pannalal, president of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum and a noted local religious-freedom advocate, was arrested on allegations of making social media posts critical of Hinduism. Pannalal was charged with “promoting enmity between groups, deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings, and intentional insult with the alleged intent of provoking a breach of peace,” according to Catholic Connect, a website of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India. The east-central Indian state of Chhattisgarh (map) is 93% Hindu, 2% Muslim, and 2% Christian. - Report: Nigerian seminarian, other kidnapping victim released (Daily Post (Lagos))
A seminarian and another worshipper who were abducted from a church in Udi, Nigeria, have been released, the Lagos-based Daily Post reported. The report has not been confirmed by local police. The seminarian and two other worshippers were abducted on August 2; one of the other worshippers soon escaped. The remaining victims were released on August 9, according to the report. - Texas diocese announces additional location for traditional Latin Mass (Catholic Herald)
The vocation director of the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas, announced that the extraordinary form of the Mass will be celebrated in a second location. The extraordinary form is currently celebrated weekly in San Angelo; it now will also be celebrated monthly in Midland, a city where the Society of Saint Pius X has a chapel. “This is just a beginning as the diocese discerns a path forward to provide for our people,” said Father Ryan Rojo. “Other priests of the diocese will be learning the Mass in the weeks and months ahead.” - Rhode Island bishop to celebrate Masses for 'LGBTQ+ individuals, families, and friends' (Diocese of Providence)
The Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, announced two upcoming parish events for “LGBTQ+ individuals, families, and friends.” Each event includes Mass celebrated by Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, a “dedicated time for listening humbly to the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, families, and friends,” and a community dinner. - Msgr. Rossetti resumes deliverance ministry after removal as DC exorcist (OSV News)
Msgr. Stephen Rossetti announced that he will conduct an online deliverance prayer session in September, months after Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington ended his ministry there. Cardinal McElroy originally said that “statements made by Monsignor Rossetti linking UFOs to demonic presence and the [St. Michael] Center’s recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism.” The prelate later said that the dismissal ultimately “wasn’t touching on the question of UFOs” and that “my major objection is that I think the traditional role of an exorcist is a very private one. It’s a sacred one.” Msgr. Rossetti remains a priest in good standing in his home Diocese of Syracuse, New York. - 66% of Americans favor the death penalty (Pew Research Center)
66% of Americans favor the death penalty for murder, according to a survey of 3,554 U.S. adults conducted last month—up from 60% in 2021. The Pew Research Center broke down survey results by race, age, education level, and political party, but not by religion. - Nigerian priest elected SIGNIS president (SIGNIS)
Members of the World Catholic Association for Communication (SIGNIS) elected a new president for a four-year term. Father Walter Chikwendu Ihejirika, who earned a doctorate at the Pontifical Gregorian University, is professor of Development Communication and Media Studies at the University of Port Harcourt. - Patriarch Kirill, in new book, calls on Russians not to shirk 'duty to be victors' (CWN)
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church argued in a new book that the Russian people have a “great responsibility not to shirk their historical duty to be victors.” - Leading Spanish prelate calls Ceuta migrant surge an 'invasion' (@MonsArguello)
The president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference described the surge of 60,000 Moroccans into Ceuta, a Spanish city of 84,000, as an “invasion.” “Biopolitics is key in the current world power structure,” Archbishop Luis Argüello of Valladolid said in a social media post. “Life is played with, and people—their dreams, hunger, sexuality, and data—are used in favor of profit and power. “Migrations are part of this strategy,” he added. “The Ceuta invasion is a test. Demography is a weapon.” - Mexico's President Sheinbaum meets with Cardinal Parolin, hails Pope's humanitarian vision (@Claudiashein)
President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico received the Secretary of State of His Holiness on August 5 and afterwards praised Pope Leo XIV’s humanitarian vision. “We discussed topics such as Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, in which he asserts that the development of artificial intelligence must be guided by ethical criteria, human dignity, justice, and shared responsibility, with the aim that its benefits contribute to the well-being of peoples,” President Sheinbaum said following her meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin. “The Pope’s calls for peace, fraternity, and closeness to the most vulnerable represent a humanitarian vision, indispensable at a time when the world needs to strengthen dialogue, solidarity, and cooperation among nations,” President Sheinbaum added. - The dominant culture has 'permeated ecclesial circles,' Cardinal Sarah warns in wide-ranging interview (Il Foglio)
The prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments warned that “the dominant culture has permeated ecclesial circles, and even preachers are not immune to this influence.” Lamenting “banal preaching, completely irrelevant, which does not meet the deep desires of man,” Cardinal Robert Sarah said in a wide-ranging interview that “man, even contemporary man, absolutely needs God, to hear about the Gospel, about eternal life, about spirituality.” “It is never licit to reduce the Gospel to social and horizontal themes, however relevant, because it is a failure in the very will of Christ, who sent us to preach eternal salvation, and not social redemption,” Cardinal Sarah said. He added: “I think there can be a reciprocity between Africa and Europe: Africa with its contribution of young, fresh, enthusiastic faith, wide open to martyrdom, and Europe with its two-thousand-year-old strength of holiness and doctrine.” “I think that Europe is terribly afraid to recognize that anti-Christian persecution is taking place, and often, more generally, anti-religious persecution. But persecution is crueler in Europe. Faith is marginalized, moral and Christian values are fought. The West has killed God, or rather, despised him, or rather fought him openly.” “Pope Leo, in this first year of pontificate, has shown great balance, a great ability to listen, a concrete desire to mend those tensions that had been created.” “It is a tragedy, indeed a real shame, that on an essential issue like the liturgy there is a kind of war ... Rituals cannot be arbitrarily abolished, and no one can say that a rite no longer exists, from one day to the next. I think that the theme must be taken into serious consideration, recovering the balanced, pastoral, and theologically founded position of Benedict XVI, who allowed both forms of the Latin rite to live, to influence each other, to be known by the holy people of God who, over the decades, will be able to choose which form corresponds most to their need for faith, silence, spirituality.” “The faithful have the sacrosanct right to participate in Holy Masses celebrated as the Church wants, and not according to the arbitrariness or whim of the individual priest.” - 'You are disciples before being influencers,' Vatican official tells communicators (Fides)
The secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization told members of the World Catholic Association for Communication (SIGNIS) that “Catholic communicators are first and foremost disciples before being influencers.” Addressing participants in SIGNIS World Congress 2026, which is taking place in Kigali, Rwanda, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu said that “today, the nations, the ‘panta ta ethne’ of the Lord’s mandate [Mt. 28:18-20], gather also on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and the countless platforms that did not exist only a generation ago.” “If these platforms are now where people search for truth, meaning, and belonging, then they are also where the Church’s communicators must also stand—not to chase attention, but to bear witness with wisdom and love,” said Archbishop Nwachukwu. - USCCB warns new Medicaid regulations will lead to administrative burdens, coverage loss (USCCB)
The general counsel of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), joined by officials of the Catholic Health Association of the United States and Catholic Charities USA, criticized aspects of the Trump administration’s interim Medicaid regulations. Referring to the regulations (the interim final rule with comment, or IFC), general counsel William Quinn and the other signatories wrote: We are troubled by the extent to which certain portions of the IFC are contrary to the statute, and by the significantly increased administrative burden the IFC will impose on providers. But most of all, we are profoundly concerned that requirements of the IFC will result in coverage loss for eligible individuals who rely on Medicaid to address their health care needs and to achieve their highest possible degree of self-sufficiency. The signatories discussed their concerns in a 13-page letter to Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The letter, dated July 31, was posted on the USCCB website this week. - New Vatican coin set features Pope Leo, St. Francis (Vatican City State)
The Vatican City State unveiled a new coin set, the first of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate. On higher denominations, the Pope’s portrait appears for the first time since 2014. On lower denominations, the papal coat of arms appears, as was customary under Pope Francis. In this Year of Saint Francis, the €5 bimetallic coin also portrays the saint’s spoliation. - More...