Catholic News
- Pope Leo confirms Cardinal Marx as coordinator of Council for the Economy, appoints new members (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV confirmed Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, Germany, in his position as coordinator of the Council for the Economy. Cardinal Marx has been the Council’s coordinator since its inception in 2014. - Pope mourns Colombian earthquake victims, prays for the dead (Holy See Press Office (Spanish))
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, sent a telegram in Pope Leo’s name to Archbishop Francisco Javier Múnera Correa, the president of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia, following a severe earthquake that left hundreds dead and thousands injured and missing. “The Holy Father, deeply saddened to learn the painful news of the earthquake that has severely affected various areas of Colombia, causing fatalities and numerous injuries, as well as serious material damage, including to many churches, offers prayers for the eternal rest of the deceased and lifts up his prayers to the Lord for the speedy recovery of those affected by this tragedy,” Cardinal Parolin wrote in his August 11 telegram. “Likewise, he asks Your Excellency to convey the heartfelt condolences of His Holiness to the families who, in this hour of profound sorrow, mourn the loss of their loved ones,” Cardinal Parolin continued. “He also assures them of his spiritual closeness and expresses his gratitude to all those who, with generous dedication, are working in search, rescue, and relief efforts for the victims.” - Theme announced for 2027 World Day of Peace: 'Disarming Technology, Serving Peace' (Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development)
The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced the theme for the 2027 World Day of Peace: “Disarming Technology, Serving Peace: Politics as Preventive Responsibility.” The World Day of Peace (background) is commemorated each year on January 1. - Colombia's bishops appeal for solidarity, hope following severe earthquake (Conferencia Episcopal de Colombia)
The Episcopal Conference of Colombia called for solidarity and hope following a severe earthquake that left hundreds dead and thousands injured and missing. In a message to the Colombian people, leading bishops encouraged recourse to the Blessed Virgin Mary’s maternal care, to “teach us to remain united, care for each other, and sustain hope in the middle of adversity.” The bishops emphasized that “an emergency of this magnitude cannot be faced individually, but requires that Colombia recognize itself as a single family and respond to suffering with generosity, responsibility and solidarity.” Numerous churches in the Archdiocese of Manizales and the Archdiocese of Cali suffered damage, including St. Peter the Apostle Cathedral in Cali. - Ukrainian Catholic leader warns against Russian propaganda (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church urged Ukrainians not to be swayed by Russian propaganda. Calling on the faithful to pray and work for the end of the war, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said in his weekly message: They want to tempt Ukrainians into believing that a horrible end is better than endless horror. They want to convince Ukrainians that Ukraine is inevitably headed—especially this winter—for economic collapse, an energy crisis, and many other apocalyptic scenarios that in reality have no basis and carry no weight. - Pakistan's Christians, other minorities call for recognition of rights (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Representatives of the Pakistan’s Christian, Sikh, and Hindu communities, joined by Muslims, commemorated National Minorities Day on August 11. The Servant of God Shahbaz Bhatti (1968-2011), a Catholic cabinet minister who was assassinated, established the day. Father Qaisar Feroz, spokesman for the bishops’ conference, told the Vatican newspaper that the nation’s founding vision, articulated by Mohammed Ali Jinnah (1876-1948), was “the vision of a Pakistan where citizenship took precedence over religious affiliation; an approach in which Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and members of other minorities held equal dignity and could contribute to building the country.” “Over the decades, however, that vision has had to contend with the rise of fundamentalist currents, social discrimination, and laws that have left non-Muslim communities vulnerable,” said Father Feroz. Islam is the official religion of the South Asian nation of 257 million (map), the fifth most populous in the world. 95% of Pakistan’s people are Muslim, 2% are Christian, and 1% are Hindu. - Florida bishops advocate for Haitian community as ICE prepares for deportations (America)
Following the recent ending of temporary protected status for Haitians in the United States, the bishops of Florida advocated on their behalf. In Doe v. Mullin, a 6-3 decision issued in June, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration has the authority to end temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians and Syrians whom an earlier Secretary of Homeland Security had permitted to live temporarily in the United States—in the Haitians’ case, since the 2010 earthquake; in the Syrians’ case, since 2012, because of repression under then-President Bashar al-Assad. Florida’s bishops said that “this leaves families who have been residing in the United States under TPS with very few, if any, options to lawfully remain in the country, no matter how long they have called this land their home, the contribution they have made to its prosperity, or the community and family ties they have established. Only Congress is empowered to create these legal pathways, and such reform is long overdue.” - Massachusetts legalizes abortion through 9 months of pregnancy (Deseret News)
Following a 121-35 vote in the state house, Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts signed into law An Act Prioritizing Patient Access to Care, which removes previous limits on abortions after the 24th week of pregnancy. “The proposed elimination of any legal restraint on late-term abortion is, in our judgement, a radical measure which is gravely immoral.” the state’s bishops said in a July 29 statement. - Pittsburgh bishop ends traditional Latin Mass at parish (Knights of Columbus Latin Mass)
Bishop Mark Eckman of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, announced the end of the celebration of the extraordinary form of the Mass at a parish in Aliquippa, a small town of 9,000. “I have decided that I will not be seeking a renewal of permission” from the Dicastery for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments “to use the 1962 Roman Missal at Mary, Queen of Saints Parish,” wrote Bishop Eckman. “Rather, I will allow the current permission to cease as the allotted time period runs out.” The extraordinary form is celebrated at a Pittsburgh parish entrusted to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. The bishop said that “if, after this point, any members of the faithful still desire to worship the Lord according to the 1962 Roman Missal, I would invite and encourage them to attend” that parish. The prelate’s decision comes five months after Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, encouraged the bishops of France to be generous to those attached to the traditional Latin Mass. - Relics of St. Martin stolen from German parish (Katholisch.de)
Relics of St. Martin of Tours were stolen from St. Martin’s Church in Neuss, Germany, during a recent break-in. The German bishops’ news agency reported that the perpetrator smashed a pane of glass near the altar, injuring himself and leaving traces of his blood on the altar. The vandal then stole the relics and a missal; the missal was later found under a car. - Ceuta's bishop criticizes Moroccan and Spanish officials, calls for prayer (Diócesis de Cádiz y Ceuta)
In the aftermath of the Ceuta migrant crisis, the local bishop criticized Moroccan and Spanish officials: the former for their slogans and “malicious promises,” the latter for failing to protect the city. Bishop Ramón Valdivia Jiménez, auxiliary bishop of Seville and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta, wrote on August 8: On one side of the border were young people with no future who threw themselves into the unknown, driven only by political slogans or malicious promises; adults who took advantage of the chaos to flee criminal charges in their country, perhaps thanks to some premeditated pardon devised for this occasion; and boys and girls who, abandoned by their families, became cannon fodder for predators; on the other, there are people who have felt their personal space violated; families fearful that, whether at night or in broad daylight, these individuals would enter their homes and demand food or a charge for their cell phone batteries; closed businesses, fear in people’s eyes, uncertainty about the possibility that they might reappear; and, above all, the anger stemming from the lack of protection that those in power are supposed to guarantee. Bishop Valdivia also thanked Our Lady of Africa for her maternal care and called the faithful to a prayer vigil on August 14. “I believe it is necessary to turn our gaze to God,” he wrote. “When neighboring powers threatened Israel’s frailty, the Patriarchs and Prophets raised their hands and begged for divine mercy. So too, Jesus Christ wept at the destruction of Jerusalem. For this reason, I urge you to hold a Prayer Vigil for Peace, Stability and Justice in Ceuta in all the parishes of the Diocese, as suggested by Pope Leo XIV on the evening of the vigil of the Assumption of Mary.” - Jordan's government begins preparations for 2000th anniversary of Christ's Baptism (Petra)
Jordan’s state-run news agency reported that Prime Minister Jafar Hassan chaired the first meeting of the National Committee for the Preparation of the Celebration of the Second Millennium of the Baptism of Jesus Christ in 2030. Prime Minister Hassan “said commemorating the second millennium of the Baptism of Jesus Christ reflects Jordan’s historical and religious standing and its role as a global destination for Christian pilgrimage, while highlighting the Kingdom’s message of coexistence, respect for others, peace, love and human fraternity,” Petra reported. In 2025, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, consecrated the Church of the Baptism of Jesus in Jordan, at what is believed to be the site of the Lord’s Baptism, on land donated by King Abdullah II. - West Bank Christians face increasing intimidation from Israeli settlers, priest says (Vatican News)
The parish priest for Latin-rite Catholics in Taybeh, a Palestinian Christian village in the West Bank, said that residents there face increasing harassment from Israeli settlers, including trespassing and setting fire to land. Father Bashar Fawadleh told Vatican News that “legal options exist, but they are unfortunately very limited and rarely effective. That is why international presence and pressure are vital right now. We need concrete protection for civilians and genuine political will to bring an end to this violence.” “I invite every Catholic diocese worldwide to speak out about the situation here, to talk about these Christian brothers and sisters who are living in terror,” he continued. “The birthplace of the Christian community must not vanish into silence.” Father Fawadleh also appealed to Pope Leo to “intervene for this last Christian village in the West Bank, so that these settler attacks cease and the occupation of our land stops. We simply want to live in peace, with justice and dignity.” - Schools should be 'laboratories of synodality,' leading Philippine prelate says (CBCP News)
The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines called upon Catholic schools to become “laboratories of synodality.” “I propose that our Catholic schools become laboratories of synodality—living environments where young people do not merely learn about communion, participation, and mission, but actually experience and practice them,” Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa said in an August 10 address to school superintendents. “If we truly believe that young people are the ‘now’ of God, then we must not treat them merely as recipients of formation,” he continued. “They must also become participants and co-responsible protagonists in the mission of our schools and of the Church.” - Report: CDF members, in 2016, voted against supernatural origin of Medjugorje events (Catholic Herald)
An Italian journalist who did not name his source (or sources) reported that in 2016, the majority of members of the Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith believed that the alleged Marian apparitions in Medjugorje were not of supernatural origin. David Murgia, who has a show on the occult on the Italian bishops’ TV2000 network, reported that 21 members of the congregation voted that the events were not of supernatural origin; nine voted that the events were of supernatural origin; and three believed that evidence for a decision was insufficient. In 2024, Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, in its Note About the Spiritual Experience Connected with Medjugorje, granted cautious approval to Medjugorje devotions. - Chaldean Patriarch discusses current situation of Iraq's Christians (Vatican News (Italian))
The head of the Chaldean Catholic Church (CNEWA profile) discussed the challenges that Iraqi Christians currently face, from corruption and fears that the Iran-U.S. conflict will spread to lack of employment opportunities that lead young people to emigrate. In discussing these challenges, Patriarch Paul III Nona also told Vatican News that Iraq is much safer for Christians than it was a decade ago. Security, he said, “is generally good across the country. In the regions historically inhabited by Christians, the security problems of the past are no longer present.” - Philippine nuns rescue women from human trafficking (Fides)
The Pontifical Mission Societies’ Fides News Agency highlighted the work of the Missionaries of Mary Queen of Heaven, a Philippine women’s religious institute whose members rescue girls and women from human trafficking and provide employment and rehabilitation programs. Sister Corazon Salazar founded the community in the Archdiocese of Cebu in 1996 and remains the superior general. Archbishop Alberto Uy of Cebu described the order’s work as a “beautiful and urgently needed apostolate.” - Listen to God, 'dare to obey the Holy Spirit,' and 'be new saints,' Pope Leo preaches in Assisi (CWN)
As his brief pastoral visit to Assisi today drew to a close, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels (video) and challenged the young people present to listen to God and “dare to obey the Holy Spirit.” - More...