Catholic News
- Russia attacks Kyiv neighborhood during Vatican archbishop's stay (Vatican News)
The Russian military launched heavy missile strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, from 1:25 to 2:45 AM on July 19. Some of its missiles and drones struck the neighborhood of the apostolic nunciature, where Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, and members of his delegation were spending the night. “The blasts caused the building’s glass doors to shake and forced much of its staff—as well as the author of this report—to spend the night in a designated shelter,” Roberto Paglialonga of Vatican News reported. Archbishop Gallagher began a four-day visit to Ukraine on July 17. While in Kyiv on July 18, Archbishop Gallagher visited bombed sites and encouraged prayer for peace. - Pope visits Monte Cassino, prays for peace (Vatican News)
Pope Leo XIV visited the Abbey of Monte Cassino today and had lunch with Benedictine monks there. Prior to lunch, the Pontiff “paused to pray at the tomb of St. Benedict, entrusting to him his plea for peace in those regions of the world marked by bloodshed and conflict,” according to a statement from the Holy See Press Office. - God favors smallness and acts in a hidden way, Pope tells pilgrims (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV told pilgrims today that “God favors smallness, a sign of his discreet love, by which he leaves us free to accept or reject him.” - Pope renews appeal for peace (CWN)
At the conclusion of his Sunday Angelus address, delivered today at Liberty Square in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV expressed gratitude to the town’s residents, greeted various groups of pilgrims, and renewed his appeal for peace. - Music, art, beauty help us look to God, Pope says after concert (CWN)
At the conclusion of a concert held in his honor, Pope Leo XIV said that “music, art, and beauty are means that help us look upward, moving toward God.” - Archbishop Gallagher preaches on prayer's power at anniversary of restoration of Ukraine's Latin-rite hierarchy (CWN)
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher marked the 35th anniversary of the restoration of the Latin-rite hierarchy in Ukraine at a solemn Mass on July 19 at the National Shrine of the Mother of God of the Scapular in Berdychiv. - SSPX leader decries 'wholly unjust' Vatican response to episcopal consecrations (Society of Saint Pius X)
In a July 19 letter addressed to the faithful of the Society of Saint Pius X, Father Davide Pagliarani decried the Vatican response to the consecration of four bishops without a pontifical mandate. “Right up until the last day, I hoped for a gesture of goodwill, or at least of simple understanding, on the part of the Holy See,” said Father Pagliarani, the Society’s superior general. “But the consecrations were condemned, and the harshness of the sanctions imposed is unprecedented.” “This condemnation, wholly unjust, represents an immense humiliation for people who have no other aim than to defend the true Faith and to work for the salvation of souls,” he continued, adding: The sanctions are intended to strike you too, in a rather cruel way. This is certainly painful, but do not be too surprised by it. Ultimately, it is Tradition itself, which we cherish above all else, that is excommunicated in all those who embody it. It is evident that, before God, such a condemnation cannot be valid. - French government: 843 anti-Christian incidents in 2025 (OIDAC Europe)
A French government report found that there were 843 anti-Christian incidents in France in 2025, up 9% from the previous year. The report, issued by the minister of the interior, found 734 attacks on property and 109 attacks on individuals. “Physical violence targeting members of the Christian community doubled,” according to the report. - Combat the dysfunctions that have attended economic growth, Vatican diplomat urges (Holy See Mission)
Addressing a recent forum on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, a Vatican diplomat acknowledged that “economic growth has been real and has lifted billions out of extreme poverty,” but said that such growth “is marred by serious dysfunctions such as increasing inequalities (both between and within countries) and new forms of poverty.” Msgr. Marco Formica, interim chargé d’affaires of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, said on July 13 that “for the international community to deliver on the sustainable development, it must combat these disfunctions. In this regard, my Delegation wishes to reiterate that every truly just society is built upon the recognition of the inviolable dignity of the human person.” “Such dignity precedes any concession by the State and cannot be subordinated to shifting social consensus,” he continued, as he quoted from a recent address by Pope Leo. “This conviction must underpin every urgent and transformative action.” - As US nuns age, more congregations turn to pontifical commissaries (National Catholic Reporter)
Because of declining vocations, at least 20 women’s religious institutes in the United States are now led by Vatican-appointed commissaries who belong to other communities. Sister Dawn Tomaszewski, superior of the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, is also commissary for the Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters. She “said one of the great joys of the commissary process is that the receiving congregation gets to retain its identity until the last member dies,” according to the Global Sisters Project of the National Catholic Reporter. “This avoids the pain of being subsumed in a merger or the complexities of a covenant relationship.” - Ukraine's leading prelates, in interviews, stress prayer, forgiveness (CWN)
Ukraine’s leading prelates emphasized prayer and forgiveness in separate interviews with Vatican News, the news agency of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication. - Be leaven that transforms society, Cardinal Czerny tells African Catholic youth (ACI Africa)
At the opening Mass of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., called on African Catholic youth to build “authentic bridges of communion.” “That does not mean indiscriminately imitating or assimilating the ways of the world, diluting our Christian identity or watering down the demands of the Gospel,” Cardinal Czerny preached at the Mass, celebrated on July 19 at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. “It is, rather, to be in the world as a transforming vitality like yeast.” “It is not a matter of making a flashy show of ourselves, but rather of living daily lives, quietly transforming the world from within in deep communion with God and with others,” Cardinal Czerny added. “A prudent and patient approach, characteristic of God’s Kingdom, should lead us, disciples of Jesus, to develop an everyday diplomacy, building bridges among ourselves and with everyone, both within the Church and in society.” - Bishop Barron, VP Vance discuss political philosophy (Bishop Barron Presents)
In a wide-ranging discussion with Bishop Robert Barron, Vice President JD Vance discussed political philosophy, Pope Leo, Pope Francis, Catholic social teaching, and prayer. “Every time the Pope says something mildly critical of a Trump administration policy it’s like, ‘Oh the Pope hates the Trump administration,’” the vice president told the bishop of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota. “Actually, no. Maybe the Pope is trying to provide the moral teaching that is inherently part of his job and then we have to take that and try to apply it which is part of our job.” - US bishops' NFP Awareness Week begins (USCCB)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ NFP Awareness Week began on July 19 and concludes on July 25, the anniversary of Humanae Vitae, Pope St. Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical letter on the regulation of birth. This year’s theme is “Natural Family Planning, Designed by God, Guided by Love, Open to Life.” The bishops’ conference has published biblical reflections, in the form of lectio divina, for each day of the week. - Cardinal Sarah calls for more generous availability of traditional Latin Mass (Diane Montagna's Substack)
Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, called upon bishops around the world to be more generous in allowing the celebration of the extraordinary form of the Mass. Cardinal Sarah made his remarks in a wide-ranging interview (transcript) with Diane Montagna, a journalist accredited to the Holy See Press Office. The prelate also discussed the liturgy in general, the recent extraordinary consistory of cardinals, synodality, homosexuality, the Pachamama incident, and the Church in 2050. - Vatican newspaper highlights plight of workers on fishing vessels (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
The Vatican newspaper devoted the most prominent article in its July 18 edition to the challenges faced by maritime workers. L’Osservatore Romano reported that workers aboard fishing vessels in countries like Indonesia often “fall victim to financial fraud, psychological abuse, and physical violence.” Father Ansensius Guntur, C.S., a chaplain of the Apostleship of the Sea (Stella Maris) in Batam, Indonesia, described the work as “3D”: dirty, dangerous, and difficult. Workers “are vulnerable because most have only an elementary school education; consequently, they are unfamiliar with fishing industry regulations and their own contractual rights,” said Father Guntur. “There have even been cases of fishermen who went 14 months without receiving any wages.” - Vatican newspaper recalls Israeli attack on parish, highlights Gaza's suffering; Catholic school to reopen (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
In the most prominent article in its July 17 edition, L’Osservatore Romano recalled the first anniversary of the Israeli attack on Gaza’s sole Catholic parish. Beatrice Guarrera reported that a year later, “fighting has not ceased, nor has the humanitarian emergency in Gaza.” A year after he was injured in the attack, Father Gabriel Romanelli, I.V.E., the parish’s pastor, said that “Gaza’s roads are destroyed,” that diesel costs $13 per liter, and that gasoline costs $27 per liter. “80% of the infrastructure remains destroyed; this involves not just buildings, but also water and electricity networks,” added Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali of Jerusalem. “Many schools and universities no longer exist.” This fall, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem plans to reopen the Gaza parish school for 1,000 students. Bishop Shomali said that “the children will at least not be left on the streets. It is important that they return to their studies, to try to slowly bring them back to normality and attempt to overcome the trauma of war.” - Vatican financial authority, Deutsche Bundesbank sign cooperation agreement (Vatican News)
The Vatican’s Supervisory and Financial Information Authority (ASIF) and Germany’s central bank signed a cooperation agreement on July 17. “By signing this memorandum of understanding, we reaffirm our shared commitment to the principles of integrity, transparency, and international cooperation,” said Burkhard Balz of Deutsche Bundesbank. “This agreement provides a framework for ongoing exchange and mutual support, reflecting our common aspiration to serve the common good through a stable and fair financial system.” Last month, Pope Leo XIV promulgated new statutes for ASIF. Pope Benedict XVI established the Financial Information Authority in 2010; Pope Francis issued new statutes in 2013 and 2020, when he gave the body its current name. - Archbishop Gallagher begins visit to Ukraine; Cardinal Zuppi concludes mission there (CWN)
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, began a four-day visit to Ukraine on July 17. Archbishop Gallagher is Pope Leo’s special envoy for the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the renewal of the structures of the Latin-rite Church in Ukraine. - Bishop hopes for compromise in Jerusalem property tax dispute (Aid to the Church in Need)
Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali of Jerusalem expressed hope that the Church and municipal authorities can reach a compromise in a long-standing property tax dispute. “A distinction must be made between for-profit activities, such as certain guesthouses for pilgrims and institutions with a strictly religious, educational or social purpose,” Bishop Shomali said in an interview. “If an agreement were reached regarding for-profit activities, it is likely that the Churches would only be required to pay the tax in the future, without retroactive effect,” he continued. “As for schools, hospitals, social centers and purely religious institutions, the Churches hope that they will continue to benefit from [the] traditional exemption.” - More...