Catholic News
- Pope names Lebanese prelate to key diplomatic post (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV today named Archbishop Christophe Zakhia El-Kassis as the new Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York. - Promote a Eucharistic spirituality, Pope tells Asia's bishops (CWN)
In a video message released today, Pope Leo XIV asked the bishops of Asia to promote a Eucharistic spirituality. - Cardinal Grech calls on Asian dioceses to be synodal (Vatican News)
Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the General Secretariat of the Synod, called upon Asian dioceses to become more synodal with a view to exchanging their gifts with other dioceses in the universal Church. “If a local church fails to contribute, it deprives the universal Church of something vital,” Cardinal Grech told the plenary assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, which is taking place in Jakarta, Indonesia. “It is not a matter of talking about synodality, but of seeking how to live it in the ordinary life of our Churches.” - UN commissioner laments persecution of Church in Nicaragua (Office of the High Commissioner)
The UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights lamented the persecution of the Church in Nicaragua. “I am disturbed by the reports of repression against the Catholic Church and other religious denominations, including by the absence of official information regarding the fate or whereabouts and condition of 80-year-old Bishop Abelardo Mata Guevara, who was detained on 29 June,” Volker Türk said on July 22. Türk called on the Nicaraguan regime to “release immediately all individuals who have been arbitrarily detained and to ensure that all those detained are treated with humanity and dignity.” - Bishops are called to humble service, Cardinal Poola tells Asian confrères (Catholic Connect)
Preaching to bishops from across Asia, Cardinal Anthony Poola of Hyderabad, India, said today that “the apostolic office is not a seat to occupy but a cup to receive. It is not first about a visible position, but about participating in Christ’s self-offering.” “For the Church in Asia, leadership is not supervision from a distance but missionary closeness; not self-centered administration but pastoral conversion,” Cardinal Poola, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, preached at Mass during the plenary assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences in Jakarta. “The Church cannot proclaim Christ through power, but through humble service, sincere dialogue, courageous witness, and compassionate presence.” - Paraguay's Cardinal Martínez deplores attack on police station (Ultima Hora (Asunción))
Cardinal Adalberto Martínez Flores of Asunción, Paraguay, condemned a brutal armed attack on a police station in Canindeyú. As he called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice, Cardinal Martínez expressed “spiritual closeness to the great police family, especially to the colleagues, relatives and friends of the deceased officers, who offered their lives in the faithful fulfillment of their duty.” The nation’s defense ministry said that the Marxist-Leninist Paraguayan People’s Army, acting in partnership with drug traffickers, perpetrated the attack. - English bishops warn against assisted-suicide bill (CBCEW)
The English bishops’ lead bishop for life issues issued a statement on the dangers of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would legalize assisted suicide. “Assisted suicide is a matter of life and death, and it is wholly unsatisfactory that this divisive and flawed bill is being put to parliament again,” said Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool. “This matter is urgent. I urge people to contact their Member of Parliament and ask them to vote against this deeply flawed bill.” “As Christians we oppose medical killing in principle,” Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury wrote in a subsequent message to the faithful of his diocese. “The sanctity of human life is one of the great gifts which Christianity brought to human civilization.” - New Mexico man charged with pulling gun amid priest's argument with his girlfriend (KOB-TV)
A New Mexico man was charged with two counts of aggravated assault after he reportedly pulled a gun amid a priest’s argument with his girlfriend. Father Vincent Paul Chavez of the Shrine of the Little Flower in Albuquerque had engaged in a public dispute with a woman over ICE and the approval of a mosque in the area—with the priest going so far as to post the message “Racism, grave sin against God’s love, Katrina G” on the church’s outdoor sign. During an argument with the woman outside the church, Father Chavez recalled saying, “Katrina, I know you’re a follower of Jesus, as I am. I know for myself I would not want to hear from our Lord Jesus, ‘Out of my sight, you condemned into that eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,’ because of your racism.” When the woman’s boyfriend came with a gun, Father Chavez recalled saying, “Shoot me. I don’t care. I’m ready to go. We have a good God over here.” - Vatican newspaper highlights European wildfires (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
L’Osservatore Romano devoted the most prominent article in its July 24 edition to the wildfires afflicting parts of Europe. “From France to Spain, and across vast areas of the Mediterranean, fires of unprecedented violence are devouring forests, countryside, homes, and infrastructure, fueled by an increasingly explosive combination of fierce winds, extreme heat, and prolonged drought,” the newspaper reported. “The flames are advancing with alarming speed, turning entire landscapes into expanses of ash within a matter of hours.” The unsigned article concluded: Every burned hectare represents lost biodiversity, destroyed habitats, carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere, and landscapes that will take decades to regenerate. It also means farms brought to their knees, economic activities paralyzed, families forced to leave everything behind, and communities watching the landscape that has defined their lives for generations vanish in a matter of hours. - Background: World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (CWN)
On July 26, the Church commemorates the 6th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Pope Leo XIV’s message for the day is entitled “I will never forget you“ (Isaiah 49.15). - India's bishops call for prayer, solidarity with youth amid anti-government protests (Catholic Connect)
Amid youth protests against India’s government, the Youth Commission of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India declared this coming Sunday to be a Day of Prayer and Solidarity with the Youth of Our Nation. Catholic Connect, a website of the bishops’ conference, reported that the commission described the day of prayer as “neither political nor partisan,” but rather as “the compassionate and prayerful response of a Church that loves her young people, shares their hopes and anxieties, and walks with them in their journey.” - Venezuela's bishops insist earthquakes are not a punishment from God (Conferencia Episcopal Venezolana)
Venezuela’s bishops marked the one-month anniversary of the devastating earthquakes there with a pastoral message, “Samaritans, Witnesses of Hope.” The bishops wrote, “In recent days, many people have approached us asking: ‘Where is God in the midst of such anguish?’ To this question, which runs through the history of humanity, we respond: God is precisely in and with the victims; they are the favored ones of the Lord Jesus, the true Good Samaritan ... Following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, we are all called to be compassionate Samaritans.” “We must reject the manipulation of those who, driven by superstition and fundamentalism, have claimed that earthquakes are a punishment from God, a kind of divine vengeance,” the bishops added. “This interpretation was refuted by Jesus Christ himself (cf. Lk 13:4-5).” The bishops also issued a pointed remark about past government “corruption and indifference”: Reconstruction also requires us to echo the indignation of the earthquake victims who were neglected by public institutions. As previously stated, natural disasters are unpredictable; however, it is the obligation of State authorities to be prepared to face them. Moving forward, we must all ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated during reconstruction efforts; otherwise, the most vulnerable will once again suffer the consequences of corruption and indifference. - 22% of US bishops favor ordination of men with deep-seated same-sex attraction, survey finds (CWN)
Twenty-two percent of bishops in the United States are “comfortable ordaining a man who experiences deep-seated same-sex attraction, provided he is firmly committed to celibacy,” according to survey data that appeared in a newly published report. - Pope sends birthday wishes to Italian president (Vatican News)
Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram to Sergio Mattarella on July 23 as Italy’s president celebrated his 85th birthday. Entrusting the president to the intercession of the nation’s patron saints, the Pontiff thanked him for his “constant attention” to Italy’s “ecclesial and social life.” - Trump administration issues updated guidance on religious liberty (EWTN News)
Taking into account recent Supreme Court rulings on church autonomy and parental rights, the U.S. Department of Justice updated its 2017 guidance to federal agencies on religious liberty. “Except in the narrowest circumstances, no one should be forced to choose between living out his or her faith and complying with the law,” the guidance states. “Therefore, to the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law, religious observance and practice should be reasonably accommodated.” - Vatican newspaper shines spotlight on disappearances in Mexican state (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
L’Osservatore Romano devoted a prominent front-page article in its July 23 edition to the 4,281 people who have disappeared in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. “Ciudad Juárez [the state’s largest city] holds the record for victims of enforced disappearance in the state of Chihuahua,” the newspaper reported, as it cited data from a report published by the Mexican Institute of Human Rights and Democracy. “For many families, searching for their missing loved ones on their own is the only way to keep hope alive.” The unsigned article concluded: Consequently, caminatas de búsqueda (search walks) have become a widespread practice in Mexico, reflecting the sheer scale of the disappearance crisis. In most instances, the initiative originates with the family members themselves, as official investigations are perceived as too slow or inadequate. When authorities take part, these are referred to as acompañadas (accompanied) searches, or searches coordinated with the State. - Kansas priest arrested for alleged abuse of 6-year-old (OSV News)
A priest of the Diocese of Salina, Kansas, was arrested for allegedly abusing a six-year-old last year. Father Ryan McCandless, 44, was ordained to the priesthood in 2017. - Bishop appointed, consecrated in China (Vatican Press Office)
The Holy See Press Office announced the July 22 consecration of Father Joseph Chang Yanfeng, 42, as bishop of Chifeng, China. Typically, the Holy See Press Office announces a bishop’s appointment, rather than his consecration. In announcing the prelate’s consecration, the press office stated that Pope Leo, “having approved his candidature within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China,” made the appointment on June 15. The principal celebrant at Bishop Chang’s episcopal ordination Mass was Bishop Meng Qinglu of Hohhot, vice chairman of the government-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. - Missouri's bishops discourage elimination of state income tax (Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph)
Missouri’s bishops issued a statement discouraging the faithful from voting for Amendment 5, a ballot initiative that would eliminate the state income tax and raise sales taxes. “While the Church does not prescribe any particular tax model, she teaches that every system of taxation must serve the common good, be guided by justice and equity, and take into account each person’s ability to contribute,” the bishops of the state’s four dioceses said. “Tax systems that rely heavily on regressive forms of taxation, such as sales taxes, should be approached with prudence because they can place a disproportionate burden on those with lower incomes.” While conceding that the amendment’s supporters have “legitimate considerations,” the bishops said that such considerations ‘should be weighed alongside the potential effects on those who are most vulnerable.” - Cardinal Parolin renews call for peace, dialogue (Vatican News)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, renewed his call for peace and dialogue amid continued fighting in the Iran war and in Ukraine. Cardinal Parolin also criticized the construction of a barrier in Gaza and appealed for calm in Bologna following the death of a Moroccan man under police restraint. Cardinal Parolin made his remarks on July 22 at the Italian Embassy to the Holy See, where he was speaking at the presentation of Antonio Preziosi’s book Easter of Peace: From John XXIII to Leo XIV Towards the Jubilee of 2033. - More...