Catholic News
- Pope pays tribute to Saints Monica, Augustine; recalls Blessed Wyszyński's Jasna Góra vows (CWN)
At the conclusion of his August 26 general audience, Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to Saints Monica and Augustine. - Archbishop Gallagher in Moscow: The war must end (Vatican News)
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, visited Moscow and met with Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations. “The position of the Holy See is clear: the conflict [with Ukraine] cannot be resolved by military means,” Archbishop Gallagher said in Moscow. “It is urgent and necessary to end the hostilities and plan future relations so as not to remain prisoners of the wrongs of the pass.” - Cardinal Reina, French archbishop differ over funerals for Freemasons (CWN)
Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome and archpriest of the Lateran Basilica, halted a planned August 7 funeral Mass for a Freemason after the rector of the church where the Mass was scheduled learned of the deceased’s Masonic affiliation and asked Cardinal Reina how to proceed. - Ghana's bishops issue pastoral letter on relics in wake of Cardinal Parolin video (Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference )
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference issued a pastoral letter on the veneration of relics after a video of Cardinal Pietro Parolin crowning the skull of St. Agatha in Catania, Italy, disturbed some of the faithful. “We write because this video has troubled many of the faithful,” the bishops said in their letter, released yesterday. “For most, the discomfort was not merely at seeing a human skull handled and displayed; it brought to mind necromancy and occultism—the attempt to communicate with the dead, or to seek hidden supernatural power through ritual, outside the worship of God.” The bishops added: The crowning of St Agatha’s relic is an act of Christian veneration, not idolatry, and certainly not necromancy or occultism. To anyone asking what it means to crown the skull of St Agatha, the Catholic answer is this: the ceremony honors a woman who, by tradition, remained faithful to Christ rather than renounce her faith. The crown represents a martyr’s victory and heavenly reward; the relic recalls the person who lived that life; and the honor ultimately points to God, the source of her holiness. - Israeli man who attacked nun sent to psychiatric facility (EWTN News)
An Israeli man who attacked a French religious sister in Jerusalem this spring was acquitted because of mental illness and sent to a psychiatric facility for up to six years. Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge Ophir Tischler ruled that the assailant could not be held responsible for the assault. - Fire destroys historic Canadian church; man charged with arson (CBC Radio-Canada)
A 68-year-old man was charged with arson after a fire destroyed the Catholic church in Saint-Simon, New Brunswick, in Canada. CBC Radio-Canada reported that the church was “believed to be the largest wooden church left in New Brunswick.” “This event has plunged us into deep sorrow,” said Bishop Michel Proulx, O. Praem., of Bathurst. “What an immeasurable loss! So many memories are tied to this beautiful wooden church: baptisms, weddings, funerals, and so many other significant events. Several generations of Christians celebrated their faith there, and it was the precious legacy of our ancestors.” - Chicago's Father Pfleger cleared of abuse allegation, reinstated to ministry (Archdiocese of Chicago)
Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago announced the reinstatement of Father Michael Pfleger to ministry, a month after the activist priest was accused of abuse. “The Review Board has concluded there is no reason to believe Father Pfleger is guilty of this allegation,” said Cardinal Cupich. “After careful consideration I have accepted their conclusion and have reinstated Father Pfleger to ministry at St. Sabina, effective immediately.” - Vatican hosts meeting on drugs, criminal recruitment of youth (Vatican News)
The Pontifical Commission for Latin America helped organize a three-day conference devoted to “Faith-Based Response to Drugs and the Criminal Recruitment of Young People: A Dialogue from Latin America and the Caribbean to the World.” The Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council’s Latin American Ministry for Accompaniment and Prevention of Addictions and the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission also helped organize the meeting, which began on August 25 and concludes today. - Tennessee diocese issues statement on Dolly Parton's passing (Diocese of Knoxville)
The Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee, issued a statement on the passing of country music singer-songwriter Dolly Parton (1946-2026). “She first sang in a small Pentecostal church, long before the world knew her name,” the diocese said in its statement. “She never hid her faith. It showed up in the hymns she recorded across six decades, in how openly she talked about God.” “As Catholics, we entrust her to the mercy of Almighty God,” the statement continued. “We pray that Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life, will receive her into His eternal kingdom ... May God grant her eternal rest. May perpetual light shine upon her.” - Pope, in audience on Vatican II, reflects on motivations for liturgical reform (CWN)
Continuing his series of Wednesday general audiences on the Second Vatican Council and its documents, Pope Leo XIV today reflected on the motivations for liturgical reform. - Let us together promote peace and justice, Pope tells Norway's Lutheran leaders (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV received bishops of the Lutheran Church of Norway this morning and prayed that “we may always grow together in our service to the promotion of peace and justice.” - Papal message: Christ transforms us in the liturgy (Vatican News)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, sent a message in Pope Leo’s name to the Church in Italy’s 76th National Liturgical Week, which is taking place in Catania. In the message, dated August 6 and released on August 25, Pope Leo said that in the liturgy, “the mystery of Christ takes hold of us, transforms us, and causes us to be born as new creatures.” The message also said there is a need to recover a “more profound sense” of actuosa participatio (active participation) in the sacred liturgy. - Leading German bishop has 'great concern' AfD could win election, 'great respect' for lay homilies (Kirche+Leben)
The president of the German bishops’ conference expressed “great concern” that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party could win the state election in Saxony-Anhalt next month. “Ethnic nationalism and Christianity are incompatible,” said Bishop Heiner Wilmer, S.C.J., of Münster. “I am already very grateful for prophetic voices and for people who take to the streets. But I think we should become even more courageous overall. I can imagine even more resistance.” Asked how he would implement the Vatican’s recent reaffirmation that only clergy are permitted to preach homilies during Mass, Bishop Wilmer said: Even though I am still quite new as Bishop of Münster, I know that many baptized women and men in our diocese have dealt with this topic for years and have incorporated a culture. I have great respect for this tradition and feel deep gratitude. Of course, I also have respect for the feedback from Rome. At the same time, I am firmly convinced that the wonderful female and male pastoral workers in our diocese will find a good way to deal with the circumstances. I have great confidence in them and am very grateful to them for their outstanding work and witness. - Vatican gives aid to food initiative for Ukrainian soldiers (Vatican News)
The Dicastery for the Service of Charity responded positively to a request for aid from the Ukrainian village of Berestia, where women volunteer to prepare meals for soldiers on the front lines. “I didn’t expect them to place so much emphasis on having received the assistance specifically from the Office of Papal Charities,” said Father Viktor Bilous, a staff member of the apostolic nunciature in Ukraine. “Even when they welcomed us, they told us, ‘Representatives of the Pope have come to us.’ ... We prayed together, I blessed the food, and we also prayed for our soldiers.” - US dioceses vary in granting, denying religious exemptions to vaccines (National Catholic Register)
The National Catholic Register examined the varying diocesan policies on vaccination and admission to Catholic schools. According to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s note on the morality of COVID vaccines, “practical reason makes evident that vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral obligation and that, therefore, it must be voluntary ... Those who, however, for reasons of conscience, refuse vaccines produced with cell lines from aborted fetuses, must do their utmost to avoid, by other prophylactic means and appropriate behavior, becoming vehicles for the transmission of the infectious agent.” - Edmonton archbishop condemns attack on Sikh temple (Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton)
Archbishop Stephen Hero of Edmonton, Alberta, condemned an attack on a Sikh temple in the Canadian city. “That such an attack could take place in a house of worship in our city, during a time of prayer, is most disturbing,” said Archbishop Hero. “Please be assured of our love and concern for the men injured in this event, their families, and your entire Gurdwara community as you contend with the repercussions of this senseless act of violence.” - Knights of Columbus' Supreme Knight named to Vatican dicastery (OSV News)
Pope Leo XIV named Patrick Kelly, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, as a member of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. Praedicate Evangelium, the 2022 apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia, provides that members of the dicasteries meet (typically) every two years in plenary session to discuss “matters and questions of greater importance.” Other American members of the dicastery include Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington and Helen Alvare, a law school professor known for her pro-life commitment. - Conversions surge on US college campuses (EWTN News)
Conversions to the Catholic faith surged in 2025-26 on college campuses in the United States, according to data obtained from nearly 60 college chaplaincies by the Hallow app. The number of catechumens and candidates at Texas A&M University grew from 121 in 2024-25 to 204 in 2025-26. After Texas A&M, schools with the largest number of participants in the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults included Arizona State University, the University of Illinois, the University of Oklahoma, and Kansas State University. - Archbishop Gallagher begins 3-day visit to Russia (@TerzaLoggia)
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, began a three-day visit to Russia today. Archbishop Gallagher is scheduled to meet with Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; and Yuri Ushakov, the Assistant to the President of Russia for Foreign Policy. On the final day of his visit, Archbishop Gallagher will meet with clergy and religious, celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow, and meet with the nation’s bishops. Last month, Archbishop Gallagher visited Ukraine and hailed Ukrainians’ faith and courage. During the visit, the Russian military launched a missile and drone attack that struck the neighborhood of the apostolic nunciature, where the prelate was staying. - Pope to celebrate Mass for Care of Creation in Pontifical Gardens (Vatican News)
The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Laudato Si’ Centre for Higher Education announced that Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the Mass for the Care of Creation at Borgo Laudato Si’, within the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo. The Mass will take place on September 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (background). The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments recently approved the English and Spanish translations of the Mass for the Care of Creation, promulgated in Latin last year. Cardinal Fabio Baggio, C.S., pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development said that “for the Church, safeguarding Creation and promoting human dignity are two sides of a single mission, strongly rooted in the Christian faith. We believe God created the world and the human family out of love, and precisely out of love, He entrusted us with the care of our brothers and sisters and the custody of Creation.” - More...