Catholic News
- Jewish settlers attack Palestinian Christian village (CWN)
Jewish settlers in the West Bank attacked the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh (Taibeh) and set fires near the cemetery and a fifth-century church. The priests of the village’s three churches—Latin-rite Catholic, Melkite Catholic, and Greek Orthodox—appealed to the international community for an “immediate and transparent investigation.” - Vatican approves public devotion to alleged 1990s Slovak Marian apparitions (CWN)
The prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has authorized the head of an Eastern Catholic church to grant a nihil obstat to alleged Marian apparitions in Litmanová, Slovakia, between 1990 and 1995. - Pope encourages Latin American catechists to evangelize (Vatican Press Office)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, has sent a telegram in the Holy Father’s name to the president of the Sociedad de Catequetas Latinoamericanos (Society of Latin American Catechists) on the occasion of a conference in Paraguay. Citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church (426-429), the Pontiff encouraged the catechists “to renew, from this loving knowledge of Christ, the wish to proclaim Him, to ‘evangelize,’ and to bring to others the ‘yes’ of faith in him, [and] to manifest his living presence.” - 'Children have the right to an authentic, just, and lasting peace,' Pope writes in letter (CWN)
Responding to a letter from a mother expressing anguish at the lack of peace, Pope Leo XIV called for prayer and dialogue and said that “children have the right to an authentic, just, and lasting peace.” - Pope celebrates 'Mass for the Care of Creation,' cites urgency (Vatican News)
Pope Leo XIV celebrated the “Mass for the Care of Creation” at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, using the new “formulary”—a collection of special prayers—approved for the Roman Missal. In his homily the Pontiff underlined the urgency of addressing climate change, and asked for prayers “for the conversion of many people, both inside and outside the Church, who still do not recognize the urgency of caring for our common home.” He said that natural disasters are “often caused, at least in part, by human excess and our way of life.” - Vatican diplomat raises concern about AI's threat to intellectual property rights (Holy See Mission)
Addressing a meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a Vatican diplomat on July 9 praised the “remarkable reliability, usefulness, and resilience” of the organization’s “registries for trademarks, industrial designs, and patents.” Citing a recent papal address, Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, then sounded a cautionary note about AI: AI poses complex challenges to IP [intellectual property] systems, pushing the boundaries of traditional IP frameworks and raising questions about authorship, inventorship, and the protection of human creativity. In this regard, the Holy See reiterates that “AI must function as a tool for the good of human beings, not to diminish them, not to replace them.” As AI reshapes the very landscape of innovation, safeguarding the God-given human dignity becomes increasingly vital. - Federal judge temporarily blocks 1-year defunding of Planned Parenthood (The Hill)
A district court judge has temporarily halted the one-year federal defunding of Planned Parenthood that was part of the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act. “We’re grateful that the court acted swiftly to block this unconstitutional law attacking Planned Parenthood providers and patients,” Planned Parenthood stated after the ruling by Judge Indira Talwani, who was appointed to the bench by President Barack Obama. The halt on the defunding of Planned Parenthood lasts until July 21, when the judge will decide whether to issue another injunction. - Cardinal McElroy, USCCB committee chairman call for increased federal funding for DC opportunity scholarships (USCCB)
Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, joined by the chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on Catholic Education, called upon Congress to increase federal funding for the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, which offers scholarships to low-income children to attend private schools. “The Catholic Church teaches that parents are the first and primary educators of their children and, therefore, have the right to select the best educational environment for their child,” Cardinal Robert McElroy and Bishop David O’Connell, CM, of Trenton, New Jersey, wrote in a recent letter to leaders of the House Appropriations Committee. “To assist them with this sacred duty, the Church has clearly articulated that the state has a fundamental obligation to support parents in fulfilling such a right.” - Facing 153 abuse claims, California diocese files for bankruptcy (Los Angeles Times)
The Diocese of Fresno, California, has filed for bankruptcy. “I am clear-sighted that this path is the only path that will allow us to handle claims of sexual abuse with fair, equitable compassion while simultaneously ensuring the continuation of ministry within our Diocese, Bishop Joseph Brennan said in an open letter. In January 2020, the State of California enacted legislation lifting the statute of limitations for abuse suits until December 2022. The Diocese of Fresno faces 153 abuse claims. - Australian bishop steps aside while denying abuse claim (Pillar)
Auxiliary Bishop Richard Umbers of Sydney, Australia, has stepped aside from his duties after the plaintiff in a civil suit alleged he had committed “historical abuse.” “Bishop Umbers emphatically denies the allegation,” the Archdiocese of Sydney said in a statement. “In conformity with the archdiocesan protocol for managing safeguarding complaints and relevant legislation, Bishop Umbers has agreed to stand aside from public ministry while this allegation is investigated.” The New South Wales police said in a statement that “we have not received any notification” from the archdiocese, adding, “Without a victim statement or complainant, police can’t investigate.” - Signaling end of Syro-Malabar liturgical dispute, Leo XIV concludes pontifical delegate's mandate (CWN)
The Dicastery for the Eastern Churches announced on July 7 that Pope Leo XIV has ended the mandate of Archbishop Cyril Vasil’, SJ, as pontifical delegate in liturgical matters for the Syro-Malabar Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, India. - French archbishop names convicted rapist as chancellor (Pillar)
Archbishop Guy Andre Marie de Kerimel of Toulouse has named Father Dominique Spina—a priest whose ministry has been restricted following a criminal conviction on a rape charge—as chancellor of the archdiocese. Father Spina was sentenced to a five-year prison term after his 2006 conviction for raping a teenage boy. Archbishop Kerimel said that because Father Spina “no longer exercises any pastoral responsibility,” he had “taken the side of mercy” by giving him a chancery assignment. - Virginia court halts enforcement of state's ban on 'conversion therapy' (Virginia Mercury)
Citing state constitutional rights to freedom of religion and freedom of speech, a Virginia court halted enforcement of the state’s 2020 ban on “conversion therapy” for minors. “This is a major victory for free speech, religious freedom, and parental rights in Virginia,” stated the Founding Freedoms Law Center, which filed the challenge. The law “silenced licensed counselors from speaking the truth about gender and sexuality, and effectively prevented minors from getting the help they and their parents were seeking to resolve unwanted feelings of same-sex attraction or gender confusion.” - Pope meets with Ukraine's Zelensky (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Leo XIV met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican on July 9. A brief Vatican statement released after the meeting said that the “cordial” discussions focused on “the importance of dialogue as the preferred means of ending hostilities.” Pope Leo expressed his sorrow for the suffering of the Ukrainian people, and promised the assistance of the Vatican in efforts to secure the release of prisoners. He also confirmed that the Vatican would be willing to host negotiations. - 'Take action against Christianophobia,' Vatican diplomat urges UN Security Council (Holy See Mission)
During a recent UN Security Council discussion of children in armed conflict, a Vatican diplomat strayed from the topic at hand to plead for international action against the persecution of Christians. After offering several considerations related to the plight of children in armed conflict, Msgr. Marco Formica said: The Holy See cannot remain silent in the face of the terrorist attack that took place at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus on 22 June 2025, and expresses its profound concern and unequivocal condemnation of the attack. The Holy See calls on this Council to address the persecution of Christians and take action against Christianophobia. - Look at world from children's perspective, Vatican spokesman counsels (Vatican News)
Alessandro Gisotti, a vice director of the Editorial Directorate of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, has written an article, “Pope Leo XIV and a world in the measure of children,” to mark the two-month anniversary of the Pontiff’s election. Recalling a photograph of Pope Leo with a child, Gisotti mused: Why is this image so striking? Because in that simple act of bending down, the Pope points us toward a direction that all people—especially those who hold the fate of the world in their hands—should follow: to meet children at their level, to look at the world through their eyes. “Imagine, just for a moment, if children from the nations of the Great Powers sat on the UN Security Council,” Gisotti added. “Who knows how international relations might change.” - Reacting to new IRS stance, USCCB emphasizes that Church does not endorse, oppose candidates (CWN)
A spokeswoman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops emphasized that “the Catholic Church maintains its stance of not endorsing or opposing political candidates,” following a new IRS interpretation of the Johnson Amendment. - Following factory explosion, Indian bishops call for protection of workers (Fides)
Following a chemical factory explosion that left 42 dead, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India called for a transparent investigation and respect for workers’ dignity. “The explosion at a chemical factory in the state of Telangana once again raises the serious problem of exploitation and disregard for the dignity of workers,” said Father Stephen Alathara, the conference’s deputy secretary general. Father Alathara noted that “the victims are mostly poor people, members of tribal communities, migrant workers, and daily laborers, who are the most vulnerable.” - Bombs, machine gun fire draw closer to Gaza's Catholic parish (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Writing “from the parish of the Holy Family in a Gaza that is now totally destroyed,” a young local Catholic said that “every day and every night, we continue to hear the terrifying noise of bombs and the crackle of machine guns.” “They are ever closer to us,” said Suhail Abo Dawood. “And inevitably, fragments from these explosions also fall on the roof of our church and in the compound where we are barricaded.” “We all live in fear, but especially the children are terrified,” he added. “Despite this constant suffering, which has become a horrible routine, only one thing continues to give us some consolation: prayer.” - Nickel mining threatens Philippine island's ecosystem, Vatican newspaper warns (CWN)
L’Osservatore Romano devoted the most prominent front-page coverage in its July 8 edition to the “deforestation, heavy metal contamination, and health problems” that are “the main effects of nickel mining” on the Philippine island of Palawan. - More...