Catholic News
- 'You are not forgotten,' Jerusalem cardinal preaches at Gaza parish (CWN)
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem celebrated Sunday Mass at Gaza’s Catholic parish on July 20, three days after an Israeli strike on the parish left three dead and ten injured. - Pope Leo reflects on hospitality offered by Abraham, Mary, and Martha (CWN)
On July 20, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at the cathedral in Albano and delivered his Sunday Angelus address in Castel Gandolfo, two miles away. - Vatican spokesman: Hamas attack on Israel cannot justify mass killing of Gaza's civilians (Vatican News)
Following the Israeli military attack on Gaza’s sole Catholic parish, a Vatican spokesman denounced earlier Israeli attacks on a Greek Orthodox church and mosques in Gaza. “All innocent victims cry out for vengeance in the sight of God, every life is sacred, and Christians of every denomination in Gaza share in all things the fate of their people, the martyred Palestinian people,” said Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the Dicastery for Communication. “The inhumane massacre against Israel perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, was condemned by the Holy See with unambiguous words,” he continued. “However, that inhuman massacre—to the detriment of so many innocent civilians—cannot justify 60,000 dead and cities razed to the ground.” “It is time for the international community to finally regain the courage to intervene with all the tools that the law makes available: to silence weapons, to stop the massacres, and to put an end to power games whose price is paid by thousands of innocent victims,” he concluded. - Naming Cardinal Sarah as envoy, Pope recalls French apparition of St. Anne (Vatican Press Office)
In a Latin-language letter dated June 25 and released July 19, Pope Leo XIV named Cardinal Robert Sarah as his envoy to the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the apparition of St. Anne in Sainte-Anne-d’Auray, France. Describing Cardinal Sarah as “endowed with learning and piety,” as well as a “zealous, diligent, and eminent worker in the vineyard of the Lord.” Pope Leo wrote that “St. Anne, mother of the most sweet Blessed Virgin Mary, appeared miraculously to the farmer Ivoni Nicolazic, so that the faith of the Armorica people might be enkindled with a renewing spiritual flame.” (Armorica is a reference to the people of the region.) “A small chapel was built, which, due to the frequent gathering of devotees, became a notable shrine dedicated to St. Anne d’Auray and, over time, a much-desired place for countless pilgrims,” the Pope added. The 400th anniversary celebrations at the shrine will take place on July 25 and 26. - Papal encouragement for America's Ruthenian Catholics (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Leo XIV has written a message, dated July 12 and released July 19, to Ruthenian Catholics attending the 3rd Metropolitan Assembly of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. “Your Assembly, held under the theme ‘Come, let us worship and bow before Christ,’ offers a precious opportunity to grow in unity and to reaffirm your commitment to the Lord,” Pope Leo wrote. “Through your liturgical celebrations, prayerful reflection and fraternal dialogue, you will surely renew your faithful witness to Christ and deepen your proclamation of the Gospel in the rich tradition of the Byzantine Catholic Churches.” “I give thanks for the witness of your forebears, who built vibrant Byzantine communities in North America amidst various challenges and uncertainty,” he continued. “Their legacy continues in your courageous embrace of pastoral renewal, which is rooted in fidelity to your heritage.” The Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church (CNEWA profile), an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See, includes two European eparchies immediately subject to the Holy See, as well as five North American jurisdictions under the purview of the Ruthenian Metropolitan Archbishop of Pittsburgh. - Pope and Netanyahu talk after attack on Gaza church (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Leo XIV spoke at length with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 18, the day after shells from an Israeli tank killed three people and injured several others at the only Catholic parish in Gaza. During the telephone conversation, which lasted more than an hour, the Pope renewed his appeal for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations to end bloodshed in Gaza. “He again expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose children, elderly and sick are paying an agonizing price,” the Vatican reported. He also stressed the need to protect the security of sacred sites and houses of worship throughout the Holy Land. Pope Leo placed a call the same day to Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, who was visiting the devastated Holy Family parish in Gaza. - Vatican dicastery publishes document on food security (Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development)
The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development has published a 16-page document, “Seeds of Hope: The Church at the Service of Food Security: Good Practices.” “Pope Francis denounced one of the most serious contradictions of contemporary societies: while a part of humanity lives in abundance, another part continues to suffer from a lack of or an inadequate access to water and food that qualitatively and quantitatively meets their needs, as a violation of the intrinsic dignity of the human person and his or her fundamental rights,” the dicastery stated. The document continued: This Magisterial statement, while underscoring the Church’s enduring commitment to addressing hunger, makes clear that overcoming the unjust differences between poverty and wealth is seen as a moral imperative rooted in the Gospel, not simply as a social or economic issue. “It is necessary to ensure, on the one hand, that the rights of agricultural workers are fully respected and promoted and that the full participation of local communities is involved and, on the other hand, that food is produced with respect for creation, our common home, with special attention to the preservation of biodiversity,” the dicastery added. - 'Environmental justice is closely linked to social justice,' Vatican cardinal tells Latin American bishops (CELAM (Spanish))
In a video message to the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, said that “environmental justice is closely linked to social justice.” Discussing the effects of mining, the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development lamented “environmental degradation, human rights violations, forced displacement, violence and loss of means of subsistence.” He also said that “the human being should not despotically dominate what is created, but establish a relationship based on respect, balance, and reciprocity.” Cardinal Czerny made his remarks as CELAM released pastoral guidelines related to mining. - Jerusalem's Christian leaders deplore 'heinous' Israeli attack on Gaza's Catholic parish (CWN)
The patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem denounced the Israeli military attack on Gaza’s sole Catholic parish. - Church in South Africa advocates for miners (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Father Peter John Pearson, who leads the Parliamentary Liaison Office of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, lamented the “huge inequality between the wealth that remains trapped in the hands of mine owners and the few pennies that end up in the pockets of the miners.” Interviewed for a Vatican newspaper article entitled “La Chiesa sta con i minatori” [The Church stands with the miners], Father Pearson discussed the Church’s advocacy on their behalf. “We took collective action to obtain compensation for those who had fallen ill but had received no compensation,” he said. “In the end, we won.” Referring to human trafficking, Father Pearson spoke of an “evil syndicate that promises people the illusion of good jobs but actually conceals unregulated, poorly paid, and dangerous exploitation.” - Papal condolences for Iraqi fire victims (Vatican News)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, has sent a telegram in the Holy Father’s name for the victims of a shopping mall fire in Kut, Iraq. Cardinal Parolin wrote that Pope Leo “commends the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of the Almighty, and offers his prayers for the emergency personnel who continue to provide assistance.” - Vatican consultor pays tribute to Blessed Carlo Acutis (Vatican News (Italian))
A theological consultor to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints discussed the significance of the upcoming canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis 1991-2006). Father Arturo Elberti, SJ, also recalled visiting Acutis’s Jesuit high school before the young man’s death; a priest there described him as a “spiritually committed boy with a sunny disposition.” “Throughout his life, he discovered a singular Person very early on: Jesus Christ, and as he grew older, he fell deeply in love with Him,” Father Elberti wrote. “From an early age, his encounter with the Lord changed his life. Carlo found in Him his Friend, his Teacher, his Savior, the very Reason for his existence.” Stating that Pope Francis “strongly desired” the canonization, Father Elberti said that Blessed Acutis “not only attended Eucharistic celebrations and adoration, but also drew strength from them to bear witness to the Gospel, the central focus of his young life. Witnesses highlighted the cornerstones of his faith: his love for the Eucharist, the sacraments, the Virgin Mary, and his witness and fidelity to Catholic doctrine.” - 'The cross remained,' Franciscan official says after attack on Gaza parish (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Reflecting on the Israeli attack on Gaza’s sole Catholic parish, the vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land (the Franciscan province there) said that “the white stone cross, placed on the Latin church in Gaza, remained intact, firm and steadfast, watching over a suffering and fearful community. This was my first thought when I saw the images of the facade of the parish church in Gaza struck by a missile.” Father Ibrahim Faltas, OFM, recalled that over 600 people have been housed in the parish complex since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023. In discussing casualties from the attack, Father Faltas said that “the conditions of the parish’s 53 disabled residents are also of particular concern: in addition to the lack of medicines and specialized care, there is also the loss and malfunction of medical equipment and respirators, which were damaged by the explosion.” “The Church of Gaza, outraged by the violence, welcomes prayers imploring peace and asking for a return to life in safety and dignity,” he concluded. “A white stone cross, with clean, essential lines, watches over the parish. White, essential, clean, like peace.” - Vatican official jailed for child pornography returns to work in Secretariat of State (Pillar)
A Vatican diplomat who completed a five-year prison sentence for child pornography returned to work in the Secretariat of State and is listed as an official there in the new edition of the Annuario Pontificio, the Holy See’s annual directory. Father Carlo Alberto Capella, an Italian priest who worked in the nunciature in Washington, was sentenced by a Vatican court in 2018 and released in 2023. His return to work at the Vatican after his release “was clearly presented as an act of mercy,” an official of the Secretariat of State told The Pillar. “The intention was that this man, who had not been laicized but clearly could not return to his diocese or serve in a parish, could collaborate in the office, and remain in the Vatican where he is effectively secluded, but without a formal office.” - Catholic parish, Christian homes set aflame in Syria (CWN)
Fire was set to a church and dozens of Christian homes in As-Sawra al-Kabira (Al-Sura al-Kabira), a small village in southern Syria, according to multiple media reports. - Israeli forces hit Catholic parish in Gaza; two killed (Vatican News)
Two people were killed when an Israeli tank fired on Holy Family parish church in Gaza on July 17. Four people were injured in the morning attack, including the pastor, Father Gabriel Romanelli. Holy Family Church is the only Catholic parish in Gaza. During the last months of his life, Pope Francis had made it his practice to speak with Father Romanelli every day, offering encouragement to the little Catholic community. The Latin-rite Catholic Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the attack as “a flagrant violation of human dignity and a blatant violation of the sanctity of life and the sanctity of religious sites.” The patriarchate noted that the parish complex is now sheltering “approximately 600 displaced persons, the majority of whom are children, and 54 people with special needs.” Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, reporting on the shelling, said: “What we know for sure is that a tank—the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure of this—they hit the church directly.” Pope Leo XIV issued a statement expressing his “spiritual closeness” to the parish, entrusting the souls of the deceased to God, and renewing his call for an immediate ceasefire. - Benedictine abbey in Belgium temporarily dissolved following abuse allegations (CNA)
Citing abuse allegations involving adults, the abbot president of the Benedictine Subiaco Cassinese Congregation temporarily dissolved community life at Keizersberg Abbey in Belgium and dispersed its monks to other monasteries. The ministry of a deacon at the abbey was also suspended because of “defects of form in his ordination to the diaconate,” CNA reported. In addition, Abbot President Ignasi Fossas, OSB, suspended the abbot of a Dutch abbey, barred him from public ministry, and referred his case to the Vatican. In doing so, he cited “transgressive behavior between adults.” - Vatican diplomat calls for immediate debt relief, says poverty is 'central' international priority (Holy See Mission)
Addressing a UN forum, a Vatican diplomat said that “my Delegation reaffirms that poverty must remain the central and urgent priority of the international community. Poverty eradication is not merely an economic exercise; it is a moral imperative.” Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, said earlier this week that “efforts to eradicate poverty are undermined by the unbearable burden of repaying sovereign debts. It is impossible to eradicate poverty when 3.4 billion people live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on healthcare and education combined.” “Accordingly, my Delegation calls for immediate debt relief” for impoverished nations, “including cancellation and debt restructuring, as well as access to concessional financing,” he added. - EU, US bishops lament attack on Gaza parish (CWN)
The presidents of COMECE (the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union) and the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued statements mourning the Israeli military attack on Gaza’s sole Catholic parish. - James Hitchcock, Catholic historian and commentator, dead at 87 (CNA)
James Hitchcock, a noted historian and leading figure in an American Catholic intellectual revival of the late 20th century, died on July 14 at the age of 87, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Raised in St. Louis, Hitchcock earned his undergraduate degree from St. Louis University and a doctorate from Princeton. He returned to St. Louis University to join the history department, teaching there for decades before his retirement in 2013. With his books—including Recovery of the Sacred, Catholicism and Modernity, and The Decline and Fall of Radical Catholicism, Hitchcock earned wide following among American Catholics searching for stability during tumultuous years following Vatican II. He was a key figure in the growth of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, and a regular contributor to orthodox Catholic journals. James and his wife Helen Hitchcock—herself a key figure in American Catholic history, as the founder of Women for Faith and Family—had four daughters. Helen Hitchcock died in 2014. - More...