Catholic News
- Leading Nigerian bishops meet with nation's president, challenge him on erosion of democracy (CSN Media)
The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria “raised serious concerns over the state of the nation’s democratic situation, issuing a direct warning against the narrowing of political opposition and the creeping fear of a single-party dominant state,” according to a report from the episcopal conference’s media network. Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso of Kaduna made his remarks during a July 28 meeting with Bola Tinubu, the nation’s president since 2023. The report added: Beyond political freedoms, Archbishop Ndagoso presented a stark assessment of the severe economic and security challenges threatening the nation’s stability, restating what the Conference has severally said in the past; that Nigeria is bleeding, and its citizens are suffering and crying, not only due to incessant security threats, but also because of government policies whose promised relief has been delayed for too long. In an address to the Catholic prelates, President Tinubu touted his economic record and added, “I have just approved the expansion of the armed forces. We are getting more equipment, building new barracks. We will defeat terrorism.” Located in West Africa, Nigeria, a nation of 243 million (map), is the most populous in Africa and sixth most populous in the world. It is 47% Muslim, 46% Christian (11% Catholic), and 7% ethnic religionist. - In Medjugorje, vandals deface Marian statue, site fire to outdoor altar (Rome Reports)
Vandals defaced a statute of the Blessed Virgin Mary and set fire to an outdoor altar at the pilgrimage site of Medjugorje, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Medjugorje parish office asked the faithful to respond “with prayer, fasting, and forgiveness. We pray for the conversion of the hearts of those who committed this act, that the Lord may touch them with His grace and lead them on the path of goodness.” In 2024, Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith granted cautious approval to Medjugorje devotions in its Note About the Spiritual Experience Connected with Medjugorje. - Vandalism, burglary at Melkite Catholic Patriarchate (Syriac Press)
The office of the Patriarchate of the Melkite Catholic Church, headquartered in Damascus, Syria, was vandalized during a July 28 burglary. “Unidentified individuals entered the Patriarchate’s Olive Church [the Patriarch’s cathedral] during the early morning hours, stealing items from the Vicar’s Office before intentionally damaging the premises and destroying a number of furnishings and other belongings inside the building,” Syriac Press reported. The Melkite Catholic Church (CNEWA profile) is an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See. - Another bishop appointed, consecrated in China (Vatican Press Office)
The Holy See Press Office announced today that Father Francis Xavier Duan Yongkun, 45, was consecrated coadjutor bishop of Bameng, China, earlier today. Bameng is located in Inner Mongolia (map). 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 candidacy within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China,” made the appointment on June 15. Today’s announcement and episcopal consecration followed a similar announcement and consecration on July 22. - Vatican Bank publishes sustainability report (Institute for the Works of Religion)
The Institute for the Works of Religion (Institutum pro Operibus Religionis, or IOR), colloquially known as the Vatican Bank, released its 2025 Sustainability Report on July 28. The Institute stated that in 2025, the “IOR generated economic value amounting to € 67.6 million [$77 million], up from € 50 million in the previous year, with net profit of € 51 million [$57 million]. The value created was distributed among the Holy Father (36%), employees (23%) and suppliers (14%), while the remaining share contributed to strengthening the Institute’s capital, ensuring its long-term solidity and sustainability.” - USCCB calls for prayer, action against abortion pills (USCCB)
The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities invited the faithful to “join a focused effort of prayer and action to stop the spread of abortion pills.” “The Food and Drug Administration has enabled a nationwide mail-order abortion industry by allowing abortion pills to be prescribed in telehealth appointments and sold both at neighborhood pharmacies and online, circumventing state laws that protect life in the womb,” Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City and Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, said in their announcement, posted on the USCCB website on July 27. “This leaves women vulnerable to suffering an abortion alone at home, without any medical supervision,” the bishops added. “It also sets up additional opportunities for exploitation by violent partners or human traffickers.” The initiative continues through the end of October (Respect Life Month). - Papal message encourages wise, responsible reflection on AI (Conferencia Episcopal de Chile)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, sent a message in Pope Leo’s name to the president of the Episcopal Conference of Chile, on the occasion of a seminar on the challenges of artificial intelligence. Cardinal Parolin wrote that Pope Leo encouraged participants to foster “a communication that, in the face of the new opportunities offered by technological development, knows how to safeguard the dignity of the human person and place every tool at the service of truth and the common good.” “Likewise, he asks the Holy Spirit to enlighten their reflections and help them face the challenges of artificial intelligence with wisdom and responsibility, so that ecclesial communication may foster encounter among people and contribute to the proclamation of the Gospel,” Cardinal Parolin added. - Santa Fe archbishop defends mosque construction, condemns anti-Muslim sentiment (Archdiocese of Santa Fe)
The archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico, issued a statement defending the right of Muslims to construct a mosque in Albuquerque. “As Archbishop of Santa Fe and a resident of Albuquerque, I feel compelled to speak clearly and pastorally: our Muslim neighbors have the same God-given and constitutionally protected right to worship freely as every other faith community, including our own,” Archbishop John Wester said in a July 27 statement. “Defending that right is not only a civic duty but a core element of Catholic teaching.” “I must also speak plainly: anti-Muslim sentiment has no place in the heart of a Christian,” Archbishop Wester added. “Any hostility toward Muslims—whether expressed through rhetoric, suspicion, or opposition to their places of worship—is incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who commands us to love our neighbor without exception.” - Vatican prefect: Pope's charitable assistance extends worldwide (Vatican News)
The prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity discussed the geographical breadth of the Pope’s charitable assistance. Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, O.S.A., told Vatican News that the assistance extends to Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, Cyprus, Georgia (the Caucasus nation), Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Zambia, Tanzania, Argentina, and Venezuela. “Solidarity knows no borders and is not constrained by nationalism,” the prefect said. “It must reach wherever there is suffering and urgent need. That is why we ensure it is swift, practical and well coordinated, with particular attention to the poorest, so that they may experience the Holy Father’s closeness and tenderness—as the Church’s loving embrace, accompanying and sustaining them.” - New Mexico diocese responds to Trump administration in ongoing legal battle over Mount Cristo Rey (KOB-TV)
The Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, filed a court document on July 28 as part of its ongoing effort to halt the seizure of 14 acres of its land, under eminent domain, for construction of a border wall. “The Government has already begun blasting activity at the base of the mountain and has stated that it intends to give Mount Cristo Rey a ‘face lift,’” the diocese stated. “Such destructive activity—and callous attitude toward it—only heightens the Diocese’s concern that damage to the heart of the shrine—the statute of Christ on the mountaintop, the trails leading to it, or the natural landscape surrounding it—will result from the Government’s planned activity on Diocesan property.” The diocese also stated that “the Government has declined to build the border wall along various stretches of the U.S.-Mexico border based on secular considerations, but it has not treated the Diocese’s religious exercise as favorably.” Mount Christo Rey is the site of a shrine to Christ that was dedicated in 1939. - Vatican newspaper recalls 75th anniversary of international refugee treaty (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
In the most prominent article in its July 28 edition, L’Osservatore Romano recalled the 75th anniversary of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The article, entitled “Chi li protegge?” (Who protects them?), noted that 75 years after the signing of the treaty, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees called upon “the international community to renew the commitment made in the wake of the Second World War: to guarantee protection for those forced to leave their homes to escape war, persecution, and violence.” “Indeed, the anniversary falls during a period marked by a proliferation of conflicts, an unprecedented rise in the number of displaced persons, and asylum systems facing mounting pressure,” added the article’s author, Stefano Leszczynski. - Dicastery to host Confucian-Christian dialogue in South Korea (UCANews)
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, in conjunction with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea and two universities, is organizing a Confucian-Christian colloquium in South Korea—the first such event to take place there, according to UCA News. The title of the event, which will take place on August 4-5 at Sogang University in Seoul, is “Dialogue on the Contribution of Christianity and Confucianism to an Ideal Society: New Heaven, New Earth, and Great Unity.” The event follows a similar dialogue that took place in Taiwan in 2024. - Vatican approves liturgical texts for martyrs of Najran (Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia)
The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments approved liturgical prayers and hymns for the memorial of St. Arethas and his companions, the martyrs of Najran. Najran is located in what is now Saudi Arabia. The Church in the Arabian Peninsula will celebrate the martyrs’ memorial on October 24. The dicastery granted its approval on July 16; the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia announced it on July 28. - Draw closer to Christ and pray about your vocation, Pope tells Portuguese youth (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV encouraged Portuguese Catholic youth to draw nearer to Christ and pray about their vocation. - President Trump pays tribute to Blessed Stanley Rother (White House)
President Donald Trump paid tribute to Blessed Stanley Rother (1935-1981) in a message published on July 28, the 45th anniversary of his martyrdom. “We acknowledge with deep pride that America’s missionary zeal and generous spirit were, are, and will continue to be among the greatest forces of peace, justice, and flourishing in human history,” the presidential message concluded. “Above all, we pray that every soul of faith, every lover of freedom, and every seeker of truth will forever remember the name and treasure the story of Father Stanley Rother.” - Pope concludes period of rest in Castel Gandolfo (Vatican News)
Pope Leo XIV concluded a 23-day period of rest in Castel Gandolfo last evening and returned to the Vatican. Since 1626, many popes have spent at least a portion of their summers in Castel Gandolfo. Pope Francis spent time in Castel Gandolfo in the summer of 2013, but did not do so during the remaining years of his pontificate; Pope Leo revived the custom in 2025. - Pope sends message to Gaza parish (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Father Gabriel Romanelli, I.V.E., the pastor of Gaza’s sole Catholic parish, said that Pope Leo sent the parish a brief message on July 26. The Pontiff, Father Romanelli recounted, said he was “thinking of, and praying for, those who are suffering. And, specifically to us priests and all religious, he entrusted this exhortation: ‘Thank you for standing by their side. May God help and strengthen you. Blessings, a fraternal embrace.’” - Synod publishes preparatory document for 2027 assemblies in world's dioceses (CWN)
As the implementation phase of the 2021-2024 Synod on synodality continues, the General Secretariat of the Synod published a document to guide bishops and synodal teams in preparing for the synodal assemblies that will take place in the world’s dioceses during the first half of 2027. - Asia's bishops pledge to witness to the Gospel by building bridges (AsiaNews)
At the conclusion of the plenary assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences—the twelfth such gathering since 1970—representatives of the continent’s bishops pledged to witness to the Gospel by building bridges. “A broad consensus emerged that, now more than ever, the Church in Asia is called to be a bridge and a bridge-builder through ongoing synodal conversion, embracing the rich diversity of our cultures and peoples,” the bishops said in their final statement, issued on July 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The bishops added: The challenges we face—polarization, the collapse of global institutions, culture of power, rapid technological change, migration, ecological degradation, shrinking democratic spaces, and widening social and economic inequalities—are not viewed merely as obstacles to overcome. Rather, they are recognized as opportunities for renewed missionary witness, inviting the Church to embody the Gospel more authentically through education, interreligious dialogue, hospitality, care for our common home, and a deeper commitment to human dignity and solidarity. - Cardinal Müller raps SSPX, German dissenters (Catholic Herald)
In a wide-ranging interview, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (2012-17), criticized the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) and German dissenters from Catholic teaching. Referring to the SSPX, Cardinal Müller said: This group is saying: “We are the best Catholics and therefore we have the right to defend ourselves against the Pope.” This is the deepest destruction of the principle of catholicity. Luther also said: “I am Catholic and the last interpretation of the Gospel belongs to me, not to the Pope.” That’s the typical Protestant attitude. “In Germany we have the Central Committee of German Catholics, which is a group of ideologues—not all, surely, but certainly the leaders,” the prelate added. “They want to have another Church according to their ideas coming out of woke ideology and feminism.” - More...