Catholic Community (English)

Optimam partem elegit sibi Maria, quae non auferetur ab ea in aeternum.

‘Mary has chosen for herself the best part, which shall not be taken from her forever.’ (Luke 10:42)

The Harvest Feast of Heaven

As we near the end of the summer, we begin to enjoy the fruits of the harvest. We blessed some of those fruits of the harvest this morning after Prime: the many berries and figs and plums and other first fruits of the good things that our land is giving us. Meanwhile, the Church, having contemplated since Pentecost the work of the Holy Ghost in the field of the world, celebrates today the first fruits of the harvest of Heaven. This is a feast celebrated in particular by the Church Triumphant—the Church in Heaven, which tastes today the fruits grown by the work of the Holy Ghost in the garden of the Church on earth. Today, the blessed enjoy in a new way the fruits of redemption, as the body of the Blessed Virgin Mary is assumed into Heaven. Our Lord’s risen Body, the true human Body which His Divine Person had assumed into union with Himself, had already ascended, but today it is the body of a mere human person which is assumed into heavenly glory.*

And so today, in a unique way, it is the angels who rejoice, as this Mass reminds us numerous times. In the Introit we heard that ‘on account of [Mary’s] assumption the angels rejoice’, and again in the Alleluia, ‘the army of angels rejoices.’ We will repeat once more in the Offertory, ‘Mary is taken up into Heaven; the angels rejoice.’ Today the angels rejoice because the bodily assumption of Mary adds a new dimension to their happiness. They are essentially already perfectly happy in the vision of God, but in seeing the Mother of God taken up into heavenly glory, there is an accidental perfection added to their joy. The angels rejoice in a new way, seeing Mary assumed to heaven.

Made for Eternity

But then what about us, still down here on earth? For us, the assumption of Our Lady and the joy of the angels today is a reminder of what is truly real, although we can so easily lose sight of it. It reminds us that, despite all that the contemporary world tries to tell us, we are made for eternity. This is why it was so fitting that the dogma of Our Lady’s bodily assumption into Heaven—a truth which the Church had always believed, which had been passed down through Tradition from the time of the Apostles, which is spoken of in the Liturgy and by the Fathers of the Church as something that is taken for granted and uncontroversial—it was especially fitting that this should be solemnly defined by the Church in the twentieth century, at a time when the world needed to be reminded of the truth of what we are made for.

Ever since the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution, Western society had begun to seek happiness by limiting its view to the things of this world. God was still acknowledged by most, but He was only needed as a watchmaker, as Someone Who wound up the world and established reasonable norms for it. But He was not Someone Who could intervene, Someone with Whom man wanted to live and be in communion. The supernatural world was dismissed as superstitious, as irrelevant to the business of constructing human happiness on earth.

But as is now clear, the happiness that was promised by the Enlightenment didn’t work out. Its first attempted implementation in the French Revolution resulted very shortly in the first systematic genocide of modern times, followed by the Napoleonic Wars which devastated Europe and destroyed much of Christian civilization. Even so, the nineteenth century continued to believe that reason and secularism would bring progress and universal peace, till finally the Great War of 1914 to 1918 shattered this myth.

As Europe tried to pick up the pieces after the Great War, the various totalitarian ideologies—Soviet Communism, German National Socialism—promised redemption, a new humanity. The Second World War showed how empty all of this was. And yet the promise of a secular paradise continued and continues to tantalise human society, whether in the form of atheistic communism and socialism or of liberal capitalism—various ideologies which all promise in some way that, if we just set up things right here on earth, then we will be able to achieve happiness.

Eternal Life: The One Thing Necessary

In the end all such dreams leave humanity disillusioned, sollicita et turbata erga plurima (cf. Luke 10:41)—worried and disturbed about many things. In the face of all this, the bodily assumption of Our Lady holds up before us the unum necessarium, the one thing needful. It reminds all of us that we are made for eternal life, and that eternal life is not just an abstract idea—it’s something as real as a human body. There are already human beings in eternal life. Indeed, the souls of the vast majority of the human race are already in the life to come, and their bodies after a brief sleep will soon be with them forever, either in the glory of Heaven or in the torments of Hell. We tend to think of this visible world as being what’s truly real. But from the vantage point of eternity, we will realize just how brief this life was, and how what is truly real is the eternal life for which this life is simply a preparation.

And so our Lady comes to us today, to each of us troubled by the many things of this life, to show us what is the one thing needful: to teach us that so much of what we spend our time worrying about is not worthy of our attention—or at least not worth surrendering the peace that God wants to be always in our souls as a result of His life in us, which is the beginning of eternal life. Eternal life is this: to know God and His Son (Cf. John 17:3), to have His life dwelling in our souls. It is to live the life of the theological virtues: of faith by which we already share dimly in God’s knowledge of Himself; of hope by which we are assured of His promises and the help that we need to attain our eternal goal; of charity, which already in this life unites us to Him in a union that will be completed when faith gives way to sight.

This is what is truly real. This is the life that we are made for. This is why it makes sense to ‘put nothing before the work of God’ (Rule of Saint Benedict, Ch. 43): because the life of Heaven, which we anticipate in the work of God—that is, in the Sacred Liturgy—is what truly matters. And it is that which gives meaning to all the other duties of charity which, like Martha, we still have to carry out here on earth.

Here and now, upon the Altar, Our Lord will soon come with his risen and glorified Body, hidden beneath the sacramental veil, to unite our bodies to Himself so that we may one day be risen with Him. We ask our Mother, who has been assumed into Heaven so as to plead for us more effectively, to lift up our eyes from all the troubles, all the worries, all the trivia that distract us here, and to help us to see our true home, our true identity—the ‘best part’ that will not be taken away from us forever. * It is possible, as many Fathers and theologians maintain, that the bodies of the Saints who were raised at the time of the Crucifixion (Matt 27:52-53) were assumed into Heaven at the time of Our Lord’s Ascension. In this case, Our Lady’s Assumption would not be the first arrival of a complete human person in Heaven, but, given her dignity and her unique holiness as Mother of God, her assumption would have been a particular source of joy to the angels, more than that of any other Saint.

Pope Leo XIV reminds young people participating in the Third National Youth Day taking place this weekend in Monterrey, Mexico, that the purpose of our lives is to unite ourselves to Jesus and thus, by sharing in His life, attain the holiness to which we are called.

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Forty-five years ago today, Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation launched the first broadcast of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) from a converted garage in Alabama. What began as a humble television venture would grow into the world’s largest Catholic media network.

With $200 and 12 nuns with no television experience, Mother Angelica turned the monastery garage into a television studio. EWTN received its Federal Communications Commission license on Jan. 27, 1981, making it the first Catholic satellite television station in the United States.

Just a few months later, on Aug. 15, 1981, EWTN began broadcasting four hours a day to 60,000 homes.

The anniversary, Aug. 15, also marks the feast of the Assumption, a solemnity commemorating the end of the Virgin Mary’s earthly life and her assumption, body and soul, into heaven.

As EWTN commemorates 45 years of spreading the Eternal Word, here’s a look back at the work and progress of the organization that all started with the mission of one cloistered nun.

EWTN starts growing rapidly

In 1983, the network launched its flagship talk show, “Mother Angelica Live.” Despite innumerable challenges and millions in debt, the network grew, supported only by viewer contributions.

Around the same time, cable channels began to pick up EWTN. Within a short period, the network went from tens of thousands of homes to hundreds of thousands.

It quickly expanded from the original four hours of broadcasting to all day content. In 1987, programming expanded to a 24-hour daily schedule, reaching 10 million American subscribers.

EWTN branched out of television by launching a worldwide shortwave radio service in 1992. Its worldwide AM/FM radio services began just four years later.

Soon the network started establishing a global presence. In 1995, EWTN launched its first international television service for Latin America. That same year, the network provided live coverage of Pope Saint John Paul II’s visit to the U.S., in both English and Spanish, on television and radio.

By 1996 EWTN programming was also reaching Europe and the Pacific Rim, including Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, and the Philippines. A big year for the network, 1996 also marked when EWTN.com went live.

In 1998, EWTN launched satellite television service to Africa. By 2009, the network was reaching the extraordinary number of 150 million television homes.

The vast expansion marked an important transition from an American Catholic television network to an international Catholic media network, which would continue to grow in the years to come.

Expansion to print and digital media

Mother Angelicaʼs early series of small pamphlets and books eventually grew into electronic and print news services. In 2011, the network acquired The National Catholic Register, one of the countryʼs oldest Catholic newspapers.

The acquisition was part of a broader effort to expand EWTNʼs presence in Catholic journalism.

EWTN continued this effort when it launched “EWTN News Nightly” in 2013, a daily television news program from Washington, D.C. This was significant because it moved EWTN further into daily news production rather than religious programming and coverage of Church events.

In 2014, EWTN acquired Catholic News Agency as well as its Spanish-language sister agency, ACI Prensa. Today, EWTN News includes agencies covering global Catholic news in Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, French, English, and Arabic.

In 2026, EWTN News announced a rebrand and is currently in the process of bringing most of its news entities — print, digital, and broadcast — under the global brand of EWTN News.

EWTN moves forward

Forty-five years later, EWTN is now reaching more than 435 million television households across more than 160 countries and territories. The recently established EWTN Studios continues the EWTN legacy of developing the most impactful content in the Catholic space, and EWTN Digital is building the platforms to distribute EWTN Studios content to new generations.

EWTN Radio reaches a global audience through more than 500 domestic and international AM and FM radio affiliates, satellite radio, and digital streaming platforms.

EWTN Publishing publishes books in both print and electronic form to a worldwide audience and has now released around 100 books by renowned Catholic authors who have profoundly influenced the faithful.

Through live coverage, documentaries, and more, EWTN has covered four pontificates and numerous historic Church events and has shared the lives and faith of Catholics across the globe. It also reaches millions of online users through its social media including its presence on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

EWTN’s story began with a television network and continues to be guided by Mother Angelicaʼs vision of using modern technology to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and truths of the Catholic faith with millions around the world.

At least 38 people have died and thousands have been displaced after a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s predominantly Catholic island of Flores. The Diocese of Labuan Bajo canceled the closing celebrations of the Golo Koe Maria Assumpta Nusantara Festival, while a major priestly formation celebration in Ledalero was moved outdoors after earthquake damage made the chapel and reception hall unsafe.

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Representatives of Venezuela’s 2015 National Assembly — recognized by the Trump administration as the last democratically elected authority in the country — along with representatives of interim President Delcy Rodríguez’s government announced the first agreements reached during their negotiations this week.

The process is being overseen by the United States government, with the primary objectives of restoring the countryʼs institutions, reinstating civil and political liberties, and eventually calling for elections to enable a democratic transition in the aftermath of the capture and extradition to the U.S. of former President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3.

On Wednesday, Aug. 12, the leaders of both factions — Dinorah Figuera, representing the 2015 National Assembly, and Jorge Rodríguez, representing the ruling socialist government — addressed the nation to announce the outcome of the five working sessions that were held beginning Aug. 6.

Rodríguez said both sides had committed to working toward the recovery of Venezuelan gold held by the Bank of England, assets that had been frozen due to sanctions imposed during the Maduro regime.

Additionally, the negotiating team agreed to work on addressing the needs of those affected by the double earthquake that struck the country on June 24.

Figuera announced that the initial agreements also include a sweeping reform of the Venezuelan judicial system, initiating a new nomination process to replace the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice.

According to the parties involved, these resolutions will be implemented immediately, operating under a “continuous working mechanism to ensure strict compliance with every commitment.”

Throughout the more than 20 years of the Chavez’s socialist regime, Venezuelaʼs state institutions, particularly the judiciary and the electoral authority, were completely controlled by the ruling party, giving rise to numerous abuses denounced by domestic and international activists and organizations over the years.

The start of the talks has elicited mixed reactions within Venezuelan society. María Corina Machado, an opposition leader who currently commands the greatest share of popular support, was excluded from the negotiations.

The delegations are scheduled to meet again in September to advance the three-phase plan outlined by the Trump administration in January: stabilization, economic recovery, and transition to democracy.

Earlier this week, two cardinals and a bishop emeritus said that they viewed the start of the talks “with approval,” although they pointed to deficiencies in the process.

In a joint statement, they offered to serve as guarantors of the process from a “religious and moral standpoint” and pledged to monitor the work of the commissions, which, they emphasized, must ultimately aim to benefit the entire Venezuelan people.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

As the Church marks the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jenny Kraska reflects on the theme: "Good luck ignoring mom!"

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Media outlets aligned with the Nicaraguan dictatorship released a video showing Bishop Abelardo Mata, bishop emeritus of Estelí, whose whereabouts have been unknown since late June.

In the video, whose recording date is unknown, the 80-year-old prelate, who celebrates his golden jubilee of priesthood on Aug. 15, is seen conversing with a journalist and pro-government lawmaker Adolfo Pastrán.

Among other things, Pastrán remarks that the bishop looks “full of vitality,” to which the bishop briefly replies that “prayer helps a great deal” and that he is doing well.

‘I’m in my element here, living a monastic life’

Throughout the nine minutes of footage, the two are seen discussing personal anecdotes, Mata’s fondness for tending to his crops and plants, and his reading habits at the estate where he lives in Tisma, Masaya district, the location where the dictatorship says the bishop has been since July 4 following his detention in late June.

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Regarding whether he receives visitors, the bishop mentions that “a brother and a niece” have come to see him and that he enjoys “silence, study, and prayer. I am in my element, leading a monastic life; that is what I am doing — prayer and intellectual work.”

‘Pro-government propagandist’

Speaking on Aug. 14 to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Father Edwing Román, vicar of St. Agatha Parish in Miami, criticized the release of the video. He described Pastrán as a “pro-government propagandist” who fails to mention “anything about the bishop being intercepted by police as he left a clinic in Estelí.”

“They kept him under restrictions and incommunicado for weeks in addition to trying to tarnish his reputation for integrity by questioning him about his property,” he added.

When Mata was detained, the dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, issued a statement noting that the prelate had been subjected to a “necessary inquiry regarding the origin of properties and family ties inconsistent with his priestly status” and that, subsequently, “he has returned to his home, where he remains in perfect condition.”

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Román also noted that “Bishop Mata has always been a critical voice and deeply attuned to the suffering of the Nicaraguan people. His arbitrary detention — being confined to his own home — is part of the pattern of harassment the Church in Nicaragua is facing.”

“This video,” the priest emphasized, “appears in response to pressure from Nicaraguans and, above all, the United States; yet it neither shows nor mentions the police patrols stationed at the property, where the bishop is not free to leave.”

In mid-July, the U.S. government reiterated its demand for the “immediate and unconditional release of Bishop Abelardo Mata” in a statement by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Riley Barnes.

‘The same script’ used with Bishop Rolando Álvarez

Arturo McFields Yescas, Nicaragua’s former ambassador to the Organization of American States, told ACI Prensa that “Nicaragua’s dictatorship has repeated the same script they used with Bishop Rolando Álvarez. They changed the scenery and the persons being interviewed a bit, but it’s the same script.”

“The dictatorship presents a bishop who is being held captive, who is a ‘disappeared’ person deprived of his freedom, yet who appears well, healthy, in excellent physical condition, and well nourished,” he noted.

In November 2023, as various institutions were demanding proof of life from the Nicaraguan regime regarding Rolando Álvarez, the bishop of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of Estelí, the dictatorship released a series of images showing the prelate, who had been unjustly imprisoned since February of that year. In January 2024, he was expelled from the country and now lives in exile in Rome.

In McFields’ view, the release of the video featuring Mata demonstrates that “we are living under a regime of terror and lies. Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata remains held against his will, and people want to see him free. They do not want partial or illusory freedom. What we are witnessing is another staged performance.”

“No one believes the charade they put on, claiming that Bishop Mata was calm, relaxed, and in robust health. No one believes that lie. The video most likely dates back several weeks or months. It lacks credibility, and so does the interviewer,” he added.

“Free the bishop and put an end to religious persecution in Nicaragua,” urged the former Nicaraguan ambassador. “The life of Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata is in grave danger as long as he remains held captive by the dictatorship,” he declared.

Day of prayer for Mata

Mata led the Diocese of Estelí for more than 30 years, from April 1990 to July 2021.

Mata was ordained a priest on Aug. 15, 1976. To mark this anniversary, a group of Nicaraguans in exile is encouraging a day of prayer for the prelate this Saturday, Aug. 15, “in all parishes and Catholic centers in Nicaragua and around the world.”

The exiles are calling for Masses to be celebrated and the rosary to be prayed, as well as for the offering of the traditional “thousand Hail Marys” for Mata “for his life, his well-being, and his freedom,” and “for his swift release and protection.”

“On this Aug. 15, the Nicaraguan Church gives thanks for his golden jubilee of priesthood and lifts up prayers for the priest, the shepherd, and the brother who today also needs to be accompanied and upheld in prayer,” the group stated.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Thousands of people, hundreds of miles, and successive generations walking the same road. On August 15, the season of walking pilgrimages reaches its peak at Jasna Góra – a tradition that remains a vivid expression of faith and community in Poland.

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The Europe’s tallest statue of Mary was blessed on August 15 in Konotopie, Poland. During the ceremony, Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski said the more than 55-meter (180-foot) monument is meant to turn people’s thoughts toward God and serve as a place of prayer.

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Pope Leo XIV on Aug. 15 called on Catholics to look to Mary, the Mother of God as an example of “true beauty,” with the Holy Father pointing to her youthful appearance in sacred art as a sign of “love that never ends.”

The Holy Father delivered the homily during Mass at the Pontifical Parish of Saint Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo, directly adjacent to the papal summer residence there. The small chapel was full for the 10 a.m. liturgy of the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In his homily reflecting on Mary’s assumption into heaven, Leo noted that “many works of art depict her as a beautiful young woman physically rising from the earth toward the heavens at the end of her earthly life.”

These depictions of a youthful Mary at the end of her life offer a contrast with “our experience of what the passing of years does to us,” the pope said. He asked rhetorically: “What do we have in common with the beautiful young woman depicted on the altarpieces of our churches?”

Mary’s glorification, the pope said, “teaches us that our true beauty does not lie in hiding the signs of aging, but in revealing the signs of love that never end, and are even impressed on our flesh.”

The pope said this sign of faith invites Catholics to “reexamine many of the aesthetic standards, predominantly hedonistic and consumerist in nature, that the world imposes on us.”

He contrasted those who look aged but who radiate “serenity, kindness and peace” with those who “are perhaps outwardly attractive but hard and cold at heart.”

“It is easy to see where true beauty lies and where, on the other hand, there is still a need for conversion, forgiveness and healing,” he said.

Love “is humanity’s most beautiful adornment,” the pope said. He urged Catholics to “follow the light of the Risen Lord” in part by “looking to Mary, whom God has crowned with glory in body and soul.”

In remarks during his midday Angelus after the Mass, Leo said viewing a depiction of Mary being assumed into heaven “allows us to contemplate our ultimate destiny” as followers of Christ.

He described the Blessed Mother as “a sign of hope and consolation” for the faithful and he invoked her blessing on “those communities that are particularly in need of consolation,” including the faithful in Ukraine and Russia, as well as those suffering from the recent earthquake in Colombia.

Spanish priest Father Fernando Cuevas has helped 1,280 single people find a spouse and get married over the past 15 years using WhatsApp and a simple questionnaire.

“There are many people longing for true and everlasting love in Christ,” he told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Now over 70, the priest, who is from the island of Ibiza and is a member of Opus Dei, acknowledges that this providential pastoral work has transformed his ministry: “This has totally changed my life,” he said.

In addition to serving as chaplain for two schools near Valencia and two youth clubs, for the past 15 years he has been receiving dozens of requests from single Catholics — “on a normal day, 60 WhatsApp messages” — at the number +34 609 765 284.

Despite the sheer volume, he said he approaches it with great peace of mind: “I don’t let myself get overwhelmed,” he said.

“The two requirements I set are that they be over 25 and attend Mass on Sundays,” he explained. From there, he asks about their age, their level of church involvement, and where they live, cross-referencing the information whenever possible.

At times, he has to ask those who come to him for patience. “Wait — your turn will come,” he tells those who express a particularly strong desire to find a life partner.

When it comes to exchanging numbers, the first thing he looks at is the city where they live, as this usually makes things easier, though not always. He also tries to ensure the men are taller and two or three years older than the women.

Then there are “people with a strong sense of spirituality” — another factor that really helps ensure that the candidates hit it off.

‘I’m a priest; I completely trust in Providence’

Cuevas sets no limits on divine plans and serves people of all ages, though men are scarce in certain age groups. “I have few men in their 30s. A great many in their 40s. And fewer from age 50 onwards.” Women are less scarce.

Despite his success, the priest approaches this pastoral work with humility: “I have no special gift,” he said.

“I’m a priest; I completely trust in Providence and know that God calls every person, that there is a specific plan from the Lord for them from before they were born. Just as someone might have a vocation to a religious order, a movement, or anything else, God has someone in mind for that person, so that they may attain holiness.”

The priest, dubbed the “Tinder priest” or a matchmaker, is clear that the vocation to marriage is no less significant than others: “It’s a call to total self-giving. Just as a priest or a nun has discovered that deep longing of the human heart.”

It has happened on occasion that phone numbers got mixed up during the exchange. Someone called the wrong person, not the one originally intended. They met up, had a meal, and got to know each other. Obviously, they realized the photos and certain profile details didnʼt match, but they didnʼt mind. “I donʼt know what happened, but itʼs perfect,” one of them wrote to him.

Requests from around the world

At the start of this pastoral work, Cuevas sought to help people in his immediate circle within the Archdiocese of Valencia. However, many people write to him from other countries, particularly from Spanish-speaking America.

To better handle these requests, he relies on the assistance of another priest, Father Vicente Huerta, who is based in Spain and spends many nights speaking with people in Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru, among other places.

But they have also had candidates from places that might seem unexpected at first glance, such as India.

‘People want to love truly’

In a society like Spain’s, which is experiencing a major crisis regarding marriage and the family, Cuevas said he draws a clear lesson from this apostolate: “People are looking for true love. There is a yearning, an enormous need to love. People are in great need. They want to love truly, to forget themselves, to give of themselves, and to bring Christ into their lives.”

He continued: “The vast majority are looking for someone who places Christ at the center of their lives. There are so many people longing for that. It moves me to see the number of people who say: ‘It doesn’t matter to me if he has blue eyes, is very handsome, or is very smart. If he doesn’t have Christ at the center of his life — forget it.’ That is the hierarchy of values.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV reflects on how Mary’s Assumption reveals humanity’s destiny of eternal life, and prays for those suffering in the Holy Land, Ukraine, Russia and earthquake-stricken Colombia.

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The solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Aug. 15 is an opportune time to deepen our love for the Mother of God by understanding the “place” God has assigned her for our spiritual benefit and eternal salvation.

Mary’s assumption into heaven is a dogma of faith for Catholics.

Church dogmas encompass truths concerning God, Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Church, the sacraments, and the ultimate destiny of human beings. With regard to Mary, the Church has defined four dogmas.

Below is a review of the dogmas proclaimed regarding Mary, a helpful reminder of the role she plays in God’s plan of salvation for us.

1. The Immaculate Conception

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception states that the Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved by a singular grace of God and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ from all stain of original sin from the very first moment of her conception.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) summarizes it thus: The Virgin was “preserved immune from all stain of original sin” such that her “entirely unique holiness” was enriched “from the first instant of her conception,” which God granted her to prepare within her a dwelling place for the Incarnate Word.

This dogma was defined by Pope Pius IX on Dec. 8, 1854, through the papal bull Ineffabilis Deus. Church teaching emphasizes that this grace comes from Jesus Christ, not apart from him: Mary was redeemed in a “prevenient” (or “preceding”) and perfect manner in virtue of her Sonʼs merits.

2. Divine motherhood

Mary’s divine motherhood means that the Virgin is truly the mother of God, because Jesus Christ, her son, is one divine person with two natures, the human and the divine. Therefore, the child born of Mary according to the flesh is the eternal Son of God made man; in this sense, Mary is truly Theotokos, the Mother of God (cf. CCC, 495).

This truth was solemnly proclaimed by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431 under the pontificate of Pope Celestine I. In the 20th century, the Second Vatican Council reaffirmed this doctrine by noting that “from the most ancient times, the Blessed Virgin is honored with the title of Mother of God” (Lumen Gentium, 66).

3. Her perpetual virginity

The dogma of perpetual virginity affirms that Mary was a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. This truth has been part of the Catholic faith since the early centuries.

It is not merely a matter of noting that Mary remained a virgin up to a certain point but of professing that her virginity was perpetual. St. John Paul II recalled that the Church has consistently regarded this truth as part of the faith received and deepened throughout its history.

Unlike the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption, this dogma was not defined in a single papal bull. Maryʼs perpetual virginity was formally defined through the Second Council of Constantinople (553) and the Lateran Synod (649).

4. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary states that the Blessed Virgin, having completed the course of her earthly life, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory. The Church does not define the exact manner in which her earthly life ended, but it does proclaim with certainty that she was fully glorified by God (cf. CCC, 966).

This dogma was solemnly proclaimed by Pope Pius XII on Nov. 1, 1950, through the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus. That document reaffirms that the Immaculate Mother of God was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.

Important to remember

Marian dogmas do not detract in any way from Jesus Christ; on the contrary, they reveal the greatness of God’s saving work in the Virgin Mary. Therefore, authentic Marian devotion never separates Mary from Jesus Christ but rather contemplates her as the Lord’s first and most perfect disciple.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

During Mass in Castel Gandolfo for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Leo XIV marvels how the Blessed Virgin Mary, through God's grace, leads us toward Heaven, insisting that love is "humanity’s most beautiful adornment," stressing that it "transfigures, transforms, ennobles and lifts us up, making us light, free and close to God, even amid life’s ups and downs."

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The glory and honor of Mary in body and soul. The glory and honor of the traditional Catholic in 2026. -Donate = https://www.padreperegrino.org/donate/ -Telegram: https://t.me/padreperegrino

The head of the U.S. bishops is criticizing the state of Massachusetts for what he said was its “shocking” decision to remove any limits to abortion there.

State Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill into law on Aug. 10 making Massachusetts the 11th state to impose no limits on abortion. The law removes all of the state’s restrictions on abortion, leaving the decision to perform a late-term abortion up to the “judgment of the physician” carrying it out.

Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called the decision “shocking” and “horrendous.”

“Itʼs an affront against the dignity of life,” he said in an interview on “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo” on Aug. 13.

“I hope it will not stand, but weʼll see,” the archbishop added, describing the decision as “a shocking blow to the pro-life movement and to everyone whoʼs concerned about the dignity and sanctity of human life.”

Meanwhile, the political advocacy group CatholicVote is calling for the excommunication of Healey, who is Catholic.

CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt said in a letter that CatholicVote believes that Healey is an “accomplice” to the procurement of abortions by signing the law. Reinhardt added that the signing caused “scandal” and “was not a private sin.”

“The logic of medicinal punishment is ancient and coherent and teaches that you do not withhold medicine from a sick person to protect their feelings,” Reinhardt wrote. “You administer it because you love them and because you take their illness seriously. Governor Healey is a Catholic in a state of grave sin. She has publicly and now legislatively cooperated in the destruction of innocent human life.”

“Governor Healey did not sign this legislation reluctantly or with any expression of the gravity of what she was authorizing,” Reinhardt said. “She signed it at a celebratory public event. She was met with applause. The ceremony was festive.”

When asked about calls for Healey’s excommunication, Coakley said that the law constitutes a “scandal” but that the matter is between the governor and her bishop.

“Itʼs an affront against the teaching of the Church,” Coakley said of the law. “But truly, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops or any episcopal conference really does not have that kind of authority” to excommunicate Healey.

“This is really a matter that will have to be addressed between the governor and her bishop and the bishops of Massachusetts,” Coakley continued.

The Massachusetts Catholic bishops decried the bill before it was signed, saying that the “elimination of any legal restraint on late-term abortion is, in our judgment, a radical measure which is gravely immoral.”

Pro-lifers praise attorney general for pledging to review mail-order abortion

Pro-life advocates are praising then-Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche for his promise to review the legality of sending abortion pills through the U.S. mail.

During his confirmation hearing on July 15, Blanche pledged to review the Comstock Act, a law already on the books that prohibits the mailing of abortion-related materials. If enforced, the law would halt mail-order abortions.

An Aug. 7 letter signed by 35 pro-life leaders commended Blanche for his promise to “carefully evaluate” the law and whether or not it is being properly enforced.

Lawsuit against Virginia abortion amendment rises to appeals court

A lawsuit against a Virginia state constitutional amendment to establish an unlimited right to abortion is currently before a state appeals court.

Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit Christian legal group, said on Aug. 13 that it had appealed to the Court of Appeals of Virginia about a court order dismissing a legal challenge to the ballot measure.

The lawsuit argues that the Virginia government neglected proper legal processes for proposed amendments, rendering the abortion amendment itself  ineligible for inclusion on the ballot.

Two parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, have won reprieves from the Vatican and will not have to close amid a diocesan-wide closure and merger plan.

Mary Pruski, the leader of the advocacy group Save Our Buffalo Churches, told EWTN News on Aug. 14 that the parishes of St. Josaphat and Our Lady of the Rosary both won appeals at the Holy See over closures that were mandated by the diocese’s “Road to Renewal” plan.

That plan was announced in May 2024, with Bishop Michael Fisher revealing that the diocese would merge about a third of its parishes amid declines in attendance and financial struggles.

The Save Our Buffalo Churches group has advocated against multiple closures in the diocese since the announcement. In December 2025 the Vatican said multiple parishes in the diocese that had petitioned the Vatican would not have to close.

Pruski told EWTN News on Aug. 14, meanwhile, that the St. Josaphat Parish “won their appeal to not merge and close,” while Our Lady of the Rosary “won their appeal against being reduced to common use and sold.”

She said a few parishes represented by the group “continue to await their appeal decision from the Dicastery for the Clergy,” while several other parishes have raised their appeals to the Apostolic Signatura.

“These cases may take up to another year for a final decision,” she said.

Diocesan spokesman Gregory Tucker confirmed to EWTN News on Aug. 14 that per the Vatican’s decision the parishes would not be forced to close.

Fisher “respects the decision of the dicastery and will not appeal these decisions,” Tucker said. “That said, these parishes will be closely monitored to ensure that they can remain viable and self-sustaining going forward.”

The Buffalo parish group’s fight against the closure plan made it all the way to the New York Supreme Court in 2025. The court in July of that year ordered a brief halt to some diocesan-mandated parish payments into the diocese’s abuse settlement fund. The New York Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the case, saying it did not have jurisdiction over internal Church matters.

In April, however, the Vatican issued a revocation of multiple “assessment allocation decrees” against parishes in the diocese, citing canon law violations regarding parish fund procurement “as well as the amounts and methods undertaken to procure those monies.”

Elsewhere in New York state, parishioners in the Diocese of Rochester are petitioning the Vatican to let them save a 160-year-old parish that has been locally recognized for its historic significance.

Advocates hope to preserve Holy Family Parish in Auburn in part to preserve the memory and legacy of Bishop Patrick Byrne, an apostolic delegate to Korea who was martyred in 1950 during a four-month-long forced march while in the captivity of communist forces in North Korea. Byrne was confirmed at the parish in 1900.

During the regular session of the Council of Ministers on Aug. 12, the government of Peru declared the Nov. 11–17 apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to the country to be a matter of national interest.

“His Holiness' visit is great news for the entire country,” President Keiko Fujimori stated Aug. 12, according to the official newspaper El Peruano.

The decision will enable the government to take the necessary measures to organize activities in Lima, Callao, Chiclayo, Cusco, and Pucallpa — the cities the pontiff will visit. The government will also facilitate customs procedures for the entry of goods.

Additionally, a high-level extraordinary commission will be established to set the guidelines, strategies, and actions necessary to ensure the apostolic visit is a success.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be responsible for national coordination and will serve as the commissionʼs technical secretariat. The various ministries will designate their representatives, while regional and local governments may also join in.

The Peruvian Church welcomes the pope with joy

The confirmation of the visit was also received with joy by the Peruvian bishops.

“We are very happy because we have received the news that the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, is coming to visit his beloved homeland, his beloved Peru,” Bishop Edinson Farfán of Chiclayo recently stated.

The prelate particularly highlighted that the pontiff will return to the diocese he once shepherded in Peru. “We are filled with joy because he will visit his beloved Diocese of Chiclayo, which has given him so much, so much to continue being a faithful Church of Jesus Christ,” he said, quoting the first words of Leo XIV to the faithful gathered in St. Peterʼs Square at the Vatican after his election as pontiff.

“We pray for the Holy Father’s intentions and await him with open arms,” he concluded.

The president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Carlos García Camader, stated that the presence of Leo XIV “among us will be a true gift for our people and an opportunity to renew our faith, strengthen hope, and walk together.”

More than 700,000 people

According to estimates presented during the Council of Ministers meeting, the apostolic journey could draw at least 700,000 people across the country.

Of this total, approximately 350,000 people are expected to participate in Lima, between 100,000 and 150,000 in Cusco, and around 75,000 in both Pucallpa and Chiclayo.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Catholics celebrate the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary each year on Aug. 15. The solemnity commemorates the Church’s teaching that Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was taken body and soul into heaven.

In 1950, Pope Pius XII confirmed this belief about the Virgin Mary when he defined it formally — “ex cathedra” — as a dogma of the Catholic faith. In his apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus, it states “that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”

So, is this solemnity a holy day of obligation? It depends on what day it falls on.

In the United States, Latin-rite Catholics are bound by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) canon law norms, which require Mass attendance on Sundays and six specific holy days of obligation. However, regional exceptions and calendar-based rule adjustments can apply depending on the day of the week a feast lands.

The six holy days of obligations are: Jan. 1, solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; Thursday of the sixth week of Easter, solemnity of the Ascension; Aug. 15, solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Nov. 1, solemnity of All Saints; Dec. 8, solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; and Dec. 25, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

However, when Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption; or Nov. 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is lifted.

According to Canon 1246, paragraph 2, of the Code of Canon Law, “the conference of bishops can abolish certain holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday with prior approval of the Apostolic See.”

Since the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on a Saturday this year, 2026, Catholics are not required to attend Mass in addition to the regular Sunday obligation.

The Catholic Church and Indigenous Christian leaders in Bangladesh have called on the authorities to protect families terrified by an attack on a Christian village and to bring those responsible to justice.

On Aug. 12, houses in the village of Gazarikura, a community in the Diocese of Mymensingh in the north of the Muslim-majority country, were attacked, looted, and vandalized. Local Indigenous Garo people said the stolen property included cash, cows, goats, and other valuables.

The Indigenous families said the attack and looting were carried out by people from a neighboring Muslim village after the body of a Muslim man was found in their village.

Father Simon Hacha, vicar general of the Diocese of Mymensingh, visited the village together with other priests, sisters, Garo Indigenous leaders, and local leaders.

“We never want unrest; we are for peace,” Hacha, who is himself a Garo, told EWTN News.

“We pray for the soul of the deceased person around whom this problem has arisen and we offer our condolences to his family,” he said.

He urged police not to harass those who are not guilty and to identify the culprits and take appropriate action.

“I hope that the administration will provide security to the Garo Indigenous of this village and that the villagers will maintain good relations with each other so that peace can prevail in the future,” Hacha added.

Losses and arrests

Village leaders told EWTN News that six houses in Gazarikura were vandalized and that the furniture of one house was burned. The attackers took away seven cows, 10 goats, a motorcycle, cash, and expensive furniture. The incident spread panic among local residents.

Father Lawrence Ribeiro, the parish priest of Mariamnagar, told EWTN News by telephone during a visit to the village on Aug. 14 that 11 houses had been looted and that televisions, refrigerators, cows, and goats had been taken away. The families do not have enough food, he said. “So, we brought food, soap, and other items for these families.”

Ribeiro said the families had been calculated to have suffered losses of about 4 million taka (about $32,000). “We are preparing to file a case of looting for this,” he said.

The body of a rice trader, Billal Hossain, 40, was recovered by police. Nineteen people, including men and women from the Garo community, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the case. Police later released 14 of them.

According to police sources, Hossain, a resident of the Jarultala area of the upazila, or subdistrict, went missing on Aug. 4. On the afternoon of Aug. 12, local farmers working in a field smelled a foul odor near a canal, searched the surroundings, and found the body buried in the ground. Police went to the spot and recovered it after being informed.

An organization of Garo Indigenous students said in a statement: "We want to say very clearly that the responsibility for the crime of an individual can never be imposed on an entire ethnic group, community, or population.”

“If someone is involved in any crime, his involvement will be determined through an impartial and fair investigation. If the crime is proven, he will be tried according to the prevailing law. But suspecting, harassing, or victimizing another innocent person on the basis of an individualʼs identity, ethnic identity, or community identity is against justice,” the student organization said.

S.M. Noor Mohammad, officer in charge of the Jhenaigati police station, said the atmosphere in the village is now calm and that police have been deployed.

“The police are investigating the incident and are continuing their efforts to identify the criminals involved in the incident,” Mohammad said.

On Aug. 9, Indigenous people had rallied for their rights and to protest atrocities against them on the occasion of the International Day of the Worldʼs Indigenous Peoples.

In the communities of the Peruvian Amazon, anticipation is growing over Pope Leo's arrival in the country that shaped his missionary journey. The bishops of Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado hope that the papal visit to Pucallpa will be much more than a celebration: a call to conversion, unity, and renewed defense of the peoples of the Amazon.

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Pope Leo XIV has appealed to all people to recognize the suffering of child migrants, noting that they are often the most vulnerable during mass migration.

In a message published by the Vatican on Aug. 14, the pope reflected on the theme for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, “Even Just One of These Children,” drawn from Matthew 18:5. The initiative is organized by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

Leo highlighted the growing challenges faced by minors forced to migrate from their home countries, including human trafficking, loss of parents, and sexual violence.

“Sadly, migrant children are more easily ignored, because they lack adults capable of protecting and supporting them,” Leo said in his message.

“To this already appalling situation are added further tragedies: deaths along migration routes, trafficking and exploitation, the recruitment of minors for use in armed conflicts, sexual violence, forced marriages, and the atrocities they have suffered or witnessed during their travels.”

He also noted the contributions of families, civil society, and Church communities in helping child migrants.

“We think of the families who open the doors of their homes in order to restore to these children the warmth of a family hearth; the educators who serve in reception centers; the volunteers and aid workers who each day devote themselves to healing the invisible wounds of these little ones along migration routes and in our cities,” Leo said.

The pope then appealed to civil institutions to work to improve protections for migrant children to uphold the dignity of every child.

“Even just one of these children, in the context of civil institutions, calls us to reaffirm the principle of the best interests of the child. Public and private institutions are bound to prioritize the protection and dignity of every single child and adolescent,” he said.

Romania and neighboring Hungary are facing an energy crisis linked to a record heat wave and the related low level of the Danube River, with Romania forced to shut down its last operating nuclear reactor while Hungary struggles to keep the only one of its four Paks reactors still operating online.

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Three death-row inmates were executed by lethal injection in the United States on Thursday, August 13, in three different states. According to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), an organization that advocates for the abolition of the death penalty, this was the first time in more than sixteen years that three executions had taken place in the country on the same day.

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Pope Leo XIV has emphasized the need for priests to remain faithful to the texts and instructions of the Mass and to receive the proper formation to celebrate the sacred liturgy with dignity.

“I have called attention to the respect that all those called to prepare the celebration of the divine mysteries, and priests in particular, must show toward the rites promulgated by Pope Saint Paul VI and Pope Saint John Paul II,” the pontiff wrote in a letter addressed to Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, published Aug. 14.

“It is vital that this respect ‘springs from an inner attitude of openness and trust in God, manifesting humility before his greatness and sincere fidelity to ecclesial communion,’" Leo added.

Roche is participating in a conference on liturgical formation organized by his dicastery at the Benedictine Abbey of Mount Angel in Oregon from Aug. 14–19. Other participants include cardinals, bishops, and laypeople with diverse Church experiences.

According to the dicastery, the meeting is intended to be “a joint reflection with the aim of defining shared, concrete, and practical proposals.”

“The choice of a monastic community signifies the intention to engage in dialogue within a prayerful setting,” the press release states. “Rather than a scholarly conference, it will be a time of spiritual discernment on the theme of liturgical formation, to continue along the path charted by Sacrosanctum Concilium.”

In Leo’s letter, he stressed the need for clergy and laity to receive ongoing liturgical formation, citing Pope Francis’ apostolic letter on the liturgy, Desiderio Desideravi.

“In his Apostolic Letter Desiderio Desideravi … Pope Francis emphasized the need for an attentive and ongoing formation of clergy and laity alike in revitalizing the liturgical life of the universal Church,” Leo said. “I would therefore encourage you to explore concrete paths for liturgical formation at every level in the Body of Christ.”

One practical opportunity for liturgical formation, he said, is in the regular gathering for Mass on Sundays.

“These celebrations are anchored in the annual rhythm of the liturgical year, with the Paschal Mystery at its center. For this reason, it is essential that they also be profoundly formative, promoting an ever deeper understanding of the ars celebrandi, expressed not only by the celebrant of the liturgy, but also by the entire assembly,” the pope said. “In this way, through proper education and reverent worship, Catholics will be formed both for the liturgy and by the liturgy.”

As the pontiff also noted in his letter, his remarks follow his recent addresses on the Second Vatican Council’s constitution on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, during Wednesday general audiences.

In his Aug. 12 audience, Leo encouraged the faithful to attend Sunday Mass and warned that virtual gatherings cannot replace in-person attendance.

Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), addressed the loss of federal grant money for refugee resettlement and ongoing deportation efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration during an EWTN interview Aug. 13.

In 2024, the USCCB received more than $180 million in funding for government contracts, most of which supported services for migrants and refugee resettlement. When Trump took office, the president ended most of those contracts.

In an interview on “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” the archbishop said “we are no longer receiving those dollars, and we have, as a result, discontinued our resettlement services.”

“I donʼt think it has affected … our ability to continue our core mission, thatʼs for sure,” Coakley said. “But weʼll have to adjust our budgets and act accordingly.”

Coakley also addressed Trump’s immigration policy, saying nations have a right to control their borders but they should also be welcoming to immigrants.

“Every nation has a right to protect its sovereign borders, and we bishops have emphasized that again and again,” he said. “... People have a right to live in security in their own land.”

However, he also pointed to a USCCB special message on immigration, which the U.S. bishops approved in a 216-5 vote, which expressed opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”

“[The message] called upon the bishops to continue to accompany and support migrants and assured migrants of our continued support and accompaniment,” Coakley said. “And thatʼs happening around the country in different places and certainly along the border in different ways.”

“Itʼs obviously a challenging situation, both for the people who are concerned about their safety and security within the borders of the United States, but also those who are seeking peace and security and safety by striving to become a part of our people and our culture, our nation,” he said.

“Weʼve always been a nation welcoming of immigrants,” the archbishop said.

“Weʼre all — all but a few of us — are from migrant immigrant families,” Coakley said. “So we have a sensitivity as Americans to the plight of immigrants on both sides of the border.”

The powerful earthquake that struck western Colombia on Aug. 10 also put to the test those who look after the most vulnerable, such as those working at the Panamericana Clinic in the town of Apartadó where in the urgency to evacuate, a doctor, not thinking of himself first, grabbed up two newborns to carry them to safety outside the building.

In images that have gone viral, Dr. Germán Somoyar is seen holding the infants outside the medical center alongside colleagues and the families of other patients who had to evacuate the building.

Speaking with Noticias Telemundo, Somoyar recounted that he was with his colleagues when everything began to shake and as the intensity increased, “everyone started evacuating the clinic immediately.”

He said that at that moment, he thought he had to go get the babies — the ones the nurses or parents might not be able to reach in their cribs. “In my line of work, the children always have 100% absolute priority,” Somoyar stated.

The doctor added that “there were two mothers in their rooms who were paralyzed with fear and werenʼt evacuating. I had to quickly explain the situation, calm them down, and tell them we’re going to evacuate.”

“After they proceeded to leave, I headed to the room where the newborns are, the neonatal unit” and picked up the babies, carrying them down from the sixth floor to the street, ensuring their safety.

So far, the deaths of 234 people have been confirmed as a result of the 7.4-magnitude earthquake. The hardest-hit cities are Cali, with 95 fatalities, and Pereira, with 72.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Church, representatives of social organizations, Indigenous peoples and communities, grassroots groups, and human rights defenders from nine regions of southern Peru gathered in Cusco to share experiences, hear about the different realities across the territories, and develop common proposals in favor of dignity, justice, peace, and the common good, as part of the Southern Macro-Regional Meeting, “Weaving Voices for Dignity.”

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The surrogate mother who refused to abort her baby after the biological parents allegedly called for an abortion gave birth two weeks early.

The child, called Gabriel by his surrogate mother, McKenna West, was born in Dallas on Aug. 12. He was born amid an ongoing legal dispute after his biological parents, identified in court documents as Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, allegedly demanded West undergo an abortion.

At about 20 weeks, Gabriel was diagnosed in utero with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) — a serious congenital heart condition. Treatment for HLHS typically involves three surgeries, beginning with one procedure shortly after birth.

“Itʼs horrific to think that so-called intended parents, when they found out that their baby had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, told the surrogate mother that they wanted her to abort that child,” Amy O’Donnell, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, said in an interview with “EWTN News Nightly.”

“Thatʼs horrific at any stage to want to abort a child simply because of a disability or a diagnosis, but late term after 20 weeks is even more so,” she said.

West traveled to Texas from Alaska to ensure that Gabriel could be near doctors experienced in treating his condition. She allegedly offered to take full responsibility of the baby, but the baby’s biological parents reportedly refused.

Gabriel was born “just 24 hours after Attorney General Ken Paxton initiated legal action,” O’Donnell said.

Paxton filed an intervention in the case on Aug. 11 asking the Texas district court to enter orders directing the child’s care upon birth, prohibiting his removal from the state, and setting an expedited hearing on any refusal of treatment.

“According to the district court, because McKenna [West] so bravely fled to Texas from Alaska to ensure that baby Gabriel had lifesaving care, baby Gabriel, now born in Texas, is a Texas resident,” O’Donnell said.

The order stated that UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas were legally obligated to care for Gabriel.

Gabriel has “received the lifesaving treatment available” at Dallas Children’s, O’Donnell said. He is “in great hands and he has either had a heart surgery or itʼs pending.”

“Due to HIPAA, we probably wonʼt get information on the unfolding care, but we are certain that nobody can deny treatment, can demand transfer, and nobody can request that he receive anything less than the best that Texas has to offer.”

“Our laws protect every child born in Texas and guarantee their right to life. The Department of Family and Protective Services [DFPS] holds authority under Texas law to protect children from medical neglect,” Andrew Mahaleris, press secretary for Texas Gov. Gregory Abbott, said in a statement.

“DFPS will be closely monitoring this case and will take any action necessary to safeguard those rights,” he said.

Pope Leo says surrogacy reduces a child to a ‘product’

While acknowledging infertility is an immense cross to bear, the Catholic Church has a clear stance against surrogacy. The practice requires conceiving a child through in vitro fertilization (IVF) or artificial insemination and then transferring the embryo to the uterus of the surrogate.

Pope Leo XIV has affirmed that, by transforming gestation into a negotiable service, one “violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.”

“Techniques that entail the dissociation of husband and wife, by the intrusion of a person other than the couple (donation of sperm or ovum, surrogate uterus), are gravely immoral,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states.

“These techniques (heterologous artificial insemination and fertilization) infringe the childʼs right to be born of a father and mother known to him and bound to each other by marriage. They betray the spouses' ‘right to become a father and a mother only through each other’” (CCC, 2376).

“There are a lot of concerns with surrogacy, and the more we look into it, the more concerns we have,” O’Donnell said.

“We believe that no contract should be able to require death of a child due to a disability or an imperfection. And so we believe that there should be … nationwide protections there,” she said.

“We need to protect the dignity of mothers who are involved in surrogacy as well, as long as it is legal in our nation and in our state,” she said.

Pope Leo XIV encourages priests to respect the liturgical norms for the celebration of Mass, in a message to participants in a Vatican-organized meeting in the US state of Oregon.

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In his Message for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees to be observed 27 September 2026 on the theme "Even Just One of These Children," Pope Leo XIV says that the cry of displaced appeals to the conscience of all.

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From August 14 to 17, 2026, the diocese of Bougainville is celebrating 125 years of Catholic missionary presence in the North Region of the country. They honor the generations of missionaries, catechists, and local faithful who sustained the Church through war, crisis, and social change.

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Thousands gathered in the city of Chennai in southeast India on Aug. 8–9 for the country’s fifth National March for Life, bringing together Catholic bishops, clergy, religious, families, young people, and pro-life advocates for two days of prayer, formation, and public witness to the dignity of human life.

Organized by CHARIS India and hosted by the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore, the event featured Catholic leaders including Cardinal Anthony Poola, archbishop of Hyderabad and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.

JCD Prabhakar, speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, opened the event. According to march organizers, he is the first Indian politician to publicly express his commitment to the protection and promotion of human life. At the march, he unveiled a memorial dedicated to unborn children. India’s National March for Life has previously been held in Delhi (2022), Pune (2023), Thrissur (2024), and Bengaluru (2025).

UK bishop urges prime minister to push for Jimmy Lai’s release

Auxiliary Bishop James Curry of Westminster, England, has written a letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging him to do everything possible to secure the release of jailed China democracy activist Jimmy Lai.

“Jimmy Lai’s ‘crime’ was to voice concerns, engage in peaceful protest, and publish a newspaper which was critical of oppressive new laws,” Curry said, expressing concern that Lai “has no access to the sacraments” and about his deteriorating health conditions.

“Around 200,000 migrants have come to the U.K. from Hong Kong since 2020, many of whom are Catholic. The Church in England and Wales continues to provide pastoral support to all those from Hong Kong who seek it,” he said. “I also offer my prayers for those who are persecuted because of their faith or political beliefs throughout the world. I ask Catholics in England and Wales to join with me in seeking the intercession of St. Maximilian Kolbe for Jimmy Lai, and in seeking the intercession of St. Alban and St. Frances Cabrini for all those who have had to leave their own country because of persecution.”

Lebanon’s general amnesty law raises concern among Christians

Lebanon’s Parliament approved a sweeping general amnesty law on Aug. 12, drawing support from a majority of lawmakers, including representatives of Christian parties.

The vote came shortly after the country abolished the death penalty, but the amnesty has proved far more divisive, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Aug. 11.

Critics, particularly within Christian circles, fear the release of large numbers of prisoners without adequate rehabilitation programs could deepen Lebanon’s security problems. They argue that the measure does little to address overcrowded prisons, prolonged pretrial detention, slow judicial proceedings, or the rights of victims.

The law also permits some Lebanese who fled to Israel after 2000 to return, provided they did not participate in military or security activities. Lebanese activist Maryam Younes, who was deported to Israel, rejected the measure as inadequate, saying returnees could not be certain of their safety from Hezbollah.

Young Russian Catholics gather to discuss Christianity in a digital world

Around 80 young Russian Catholics participated in the 24th annual Catholic Youth Meeting in the Diocese of St. Joseph in Irkutsk, Siberia, the largest geographical diocese in the world.

Participants in the program, titled “Nets of Jesus: Towards Dull Presence,” included young people from Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Transbaikalia, and Buryatia, Vatican News reported Aug. 10.

The Aug. 6–9 event included reflections on the parable of the good Samaritan, discussions on remaining Christian in a digital age, and discussions of their experiences and plans for future projects at their respective parishes. Participants were also guided in a daily spiritual reflection centered on young saints of the Church, including St. Carlo Acutis.

Ireland’s Mayo Gaelic football team carries trophy to Croagh Patrick in thanksgiving

Footballers from the All Ireland winning Mayo Gaelic football team carried the Sam Maguire cup to the summit of Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holy mountain, in thanksgiving. They won a historic All Ireland match on July 26, breaking the legend of a 75-year curse by a parish priest placed on the last Mayo team that won for disrespecting a funeral procession during homecoming celebrations.

Mayo won their all Ireland Championship on Reek Sunday, traditionally a day of pilgrimage in the western county, when thousands of Catholics climb the mountain, many barefooted.

The group of Mayo players led by manager Andy Moran and captain Jack Coyne brought the famous trophy to the summit, where there is a small oratory. There they greeted other pilgrims and said a prayer of thanksgiving for their victory.

Kidnappings heighten anxiety among Syrian Christians

A series of reported kidnappings involving Syrian Christians has renewed concern over security in the region.

The cases include the abduction of a deacon near Homs and the disappearance of a young Christian man in Saidnaya, ACI MENA reported Aug. 11.

Elias Khazal, a farmer and deacon at the Syriac Orthodox Church of St. George in Zaidal, was seized by masked gunmen while working about two miles north of his village. His captors held him for 41 days near Tall Manin, between Damascus and Saidnaya, and demanded a ransom of $1 million. Father Hamid Masouh of Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic Church said security forces eventually raided the building where Khazal was being held. They freed him without a ransom payment and arrested members of the gang. Although the deacon endured several forms of torture, he returned home in good physical condition.

In Saidnaya, local sources reported that armed men abducted jeweler Fadi Samaan after entering a parking area in vehicles without license plates and opening fire. His fate remains unknown.

Mauritius religious leaders pledge united action against drug abuse

Leaders from several religious communities across Mauritius expressed their commitment to closer collaboration in confronting the country’s growing drug crisis in a meeting at Bishop Jean Michaël Durhône’s residence in the Diocese of Port-Louis.

At the Aug. 11 meeting, Durhône emphasized the importance of the family, which he described as “the foundation of society,” and called on Mauritians not to lose hope, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Aug. 12. “We are not giving up,” he said, inviting the different religious communities to pool “their experiences, programs, and strengths.”

In a statement issued after the meeting, participants described the drug situation as “alarming,” noting that drugs, particularly “synthetic drugs,” are affecting all sectors of Mauritian society, with young people becoming increasingly involved.

“Families, both rich and poor, are directly affected, while communities are facing a growing deterioration of their social fabric,” the religious leaders said in their statement.

Roman pilgrims prepare to return to the Holy Land

After months of suspended pilgrimages because of war in the Middle East, the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, the Diocese of Rome’s pilgrimage office, is preparing to return to the Holy Land. Its first trip is scheduled to depart Monday, Aug. 17.

Father Giovanni Biallo, the organization’s spiritual assistant, told ACI MENA on Aug. 13 that preparations resumed after fighting between Lebanon and the Galilee region ceased and direct flights between Rome and the Holy Land began returning during the past two months. He said European pilgrims have been slower to return than groups from Asia and Latin America, partly because of widespread fears about instability across the region.

The priest welcomed the resumption as a sign of solidarity with local Christian communities whose livelihoods have been devastated. In Bethlehem alone, he said, 100 hotels had been closed and are now waiting for pilgrims to return.

Kevin Mario and Patrick J. Passmore contributed to this report.

Thousands gathered in the city of Chennai in southeast India on Aug. 8–9 for the country’s fifth National March for Life, bringing together Catholic bishops, clergy, religious, families, young people, and pro-life advocates for two days of prayer, formation, and public witness to the dignity of human life.

Organized by CHARIS India and hosted by the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore, the event featured Catholic leaders including Cardinal Anthony Poola, archbishop of Hyderabad and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.

JCD Prabhakar, speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, opened the event. According to march organizers, he is the first Indian politician to publicly express his commitment to the protection and promotion of human life. At the march, he unveiled a memorial dedicated to unborn children. India’s National March for Life has previously been held in Delhi (2022), Pune (2023), Thrissur (2024), and Bengaluru (2025).

UK bishop urges prime minister to push for Jimmy Lai’s release

Auxiliary Bishop James Curry of Westminster, England, has written a letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging him to do everything possible to secure the release of jailed China democracy activist Jimmy Lai.

“Jimmy Lai’s ‘crime’ was to voice concerns, engage in peaceful protest, and publish a newspaper which was critical of oppressive new laws,” Curry said, expressing concern that Lai “has no access to the sacraments” and about his deteriorating health conditions.

“Around 200,000 migrants have come to the U.K. from Hong Kong since 2020, many of whom are Catholic. The Church in England and Wales continues to provide pastoral support to all those from Hong Kong who seek it,” he said. “I also offer my prayers for those who are persecuted because of their faith or political beliefs throughout the world. I ask Catholics in England and Wales to join with me in seeking the intercession of St. Maximilian Kolbe for Jimmy Lai, and in seeking the intercession of St. Alban and St. Frances Cabrini for all those who have had to leave their own country because of persecution.”

Lebanon’s general amnesty law raises concern among Christians

Lebanon’s Parliament approved a sweeping general amnesty law on Aug. 12, drawing support from a majority of lawmakers, including representatives of Christian parties.

The vote came shortly after the country abolished the death penalty, but the amnesty has proved far more divisive, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Aug. 11.

Critics, particularly within Christian circles, fear the release of large numbers of prisoners without adequate rehabilitation programs could deepen Lebanon’s security problems. They argue that the measure does little to address overcrowded prisons, prolonged pretrial detention, slow judicial proceedings, or the rights of victims.

The law also permits some Lebanese who fled to Israel after 2000 to return, provided they did not participate in military or security activities. Lebanese activist Maryam Younes, who was deported to Israel, rejected the measure as inadequate, saying returnees could not be certain of their safety from Hezbollah.

Young Russian Catholics gather to discuss Christianity in a digital world

Around 80 young Russian Catholics participated in the 24th annual Catholic Youth Meeting in the Diocese of St. Joseph in Irkutsk, Siberia, the largest geographical diocese in the world.

Participants in the program, titled “Nets of Jesus: Towards Dull Presence,” included young people from Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Transbaikalia, and Buryatia, Vatican News reported Aug. 10.

The Aug. 6–9 event included reflections on the parable of the good Samaritan, discussions on remaining Christian in a digital age, and discussions of their experiences and plans for future projects at their respective parishes. Participants were also guided in a daily spiritual reflection centered on young saints of the Church, including St. Carlo Acutis.

Ireland’s Mayo Gaelic football team carries trophy to Croagh Patrick in thanksgiving

Footballers from the All Ireland winning Mayo Gaelic football team carried the Sam Maguire cup to the summit of Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holy mountain, in thanksgiving. They won a historic All Ireland match on July 26, breaking the legend of a 75-year curse by a parish priest placed on the last Mayo team that won for disrespecting a funeral procession during homecoming celebrations.

Mayo won their all Ireland Championship on Reek Sunday, traditionally a day of pilgrimage in the western county, when thousands of Catholics climb the mountain, many barefooted.

The group of Mayo players led by manager Andy Moran and captain Jack Coyne brought the famous trophy to the summit, where there is a small oratory. There they greeted other pilgrims and said a prayer of thanksgiving for their victory.

Kidnappings heighten anxiety among Syrian Christians

A series of reported kidnappings involving Syrian Christians has renewed concern over security in the region.

The cases include the abduction of a deacon near Homs and the disappearance of a young Christian man in Saidnaya, ACI MENA reported Aug. 11.

Elias Khazal, a farmer and deacon at the Syriac Orthodox Church of St. George in Zaidal, was seized by masked gunmen while working about two miles north of his village. His captors held him for 41 days near Tall Manin, between Damascus and Saidnaya, and demanded a ransom of $1 million. Father Hamid Masouh of Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic Church said security forces eventually raided the building where Khazal was being held. They freed him without a ransom payment and arrested members of the gang. Although the deacon endured several forms of torture, he returned home in good physical condition.

In Saidnaya, local sources reported that armed men abducted jeweler Fadi Samaan after entering a parking area in vehicles without license plates and opening fire. His fate remains unknown.

Mauritius religious leaders pledge united action against drug abuse

Leaders from several religious communities across Mauritius expressed their commitment to closer collaboration in confronting the country’s growing drug crisis in a meeting at Bishop Jean Michaël Durhône’s residence in the Diocese of Port-Louis.

At the Aug. 11 meeting, Durhône emphasized the importance of the family, which he described as “the foundation of society,” and called on Mauritians not to lose hope, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Aug. 12. “We are not giving up,” he said, inviting the different religious communities to pool “their experiences, programs, and strengths.”

In a statement issued after the meeting, participants described the drug situation as “alarming,” noting that drugs, particularly “synthetic drugs,” are affecting all sectors of Mauritian society, with young people becoming increasingly involved.

“Families, both rich and poor, are directly affected, while communities are facing a growing deterioration of their social fabric,” the religious leaders said in their statement.

Roman pilgrims prepare to return to the Holy Land

After months of suspended pilgrimages because of war in the Middle East, the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, the Diocese of Rome’s pilgrimage office, is preparing to return to the Holy Land. Its first trip is scheduled to depart Monday, Aug. 17.

Father Giovanni Biallo, the organization’s spiritual assistant, told ACI MENA on Aug. 13 that preparations resumed after fighting between Lebanon and the Galilee region ceased and direct flights between Rome and the Holy Land began returning during the past two months. He said European pilgrims have been slower to return than groups from Asia and Latin America, partly because of widespread fears about instability across the region.

The priest welcomed the resumption as a sign of solidarity with local Christian communities whose livelihoods have been devastated. In Bethlehem alone, he said, 100 hotels had been closed and are now waiting for pilgrims to return.

Kevin Mario and Patrick J. Passmore contributed to this report.

In 2022, the Catholic Church in Poland shared a photo commemorating the 81st anniversary of St. Maximilian Kolbe’s arrest by the Nazis. The image, the last one taken of the saint before his final arrest, was notable for what it didn’t show — his signature long beard.

By the time the photo was taken, Kolbe had already been arrested by the Nazis once but was clearly resolved to continue his nationwide evangelization efforts. The monastery he had established at Niepokalanów, 25 miles west of Warsaw, had become a major Catholic publishing center.

The beard with which Kolbe is often pictured is notable for several reasons, one of which was the fact that not many of his Franciscan counterparts in Poland sported them. He shaved his signature beard in order to blend in with his fellow Franciscans and with society at large.

The second reason is that Kolbe’s beard is the only first-class relic that exists of him. The rest of his body was incinerated in the ovens of Auschwitz after he was murdered by the Nazis in 1941.

Father James McCurry, a Conventual Franciscan and minister provincial of the Our Lady of the Angels Province, gave a homily in 2016 commemorating the 75th anniversary of Kolbe’s martyrdom in which he mentioned the saint’s beard.

McCurry, author of the book “Maximilian Kolbe: Martyr of Charity,” said Kolbe chose to keep the beard upon his return from six years of missionary work in Japan. In those days, it was customary for missionaries to grow long beards, and Kolbe wanted to keep it as a reminder of his missionary days and as a reminder to always be a “missionary” of the Gospel.

McCurry said Kolbe’s beard made him unusual among his Conventual Franciscan counterparts, who generally did not wear them. Kolbe’s fame was spreading in Poland thanks to his publishing work, and his unique beard helped him to stand out all the more.

It was for this reason that Kolbe eventually, after the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, made the decision to shave it, McCurry said, so as not to stand out. Kolbe’s founding of the Militia Immaculata (MI), an evangelization movement identifying with Mary, put him high on Nazi watchlists.

One book on his life offers this quote from the saint: “Beards provoke the enemy who rapidly is approaching our friary. Our Franciscan habits also will provoke him. I can part with my beard. I can’t sacrifice my habit.”

After a fellow brother cut off Kolbe’s beard for him, the brother at first tried to save the beard, but Kolbe objected and told him to throw it in the stove. So, obediently, the brother threw it into the stove, but the fire was not lit, so the brother later retrieved it and stored it in a pickle jar.

Today, Kolbe’s beard is his only surviving first-class relic.

McCurry was also a friend of Franciszek Gajowniczek, the man for whom Kolbe laid down his life at Auschwitz in late July 1941, following his arrest on Feb. 17.

Gajowniczek was one of the 10 men selected to be executed in reprisal for one prisoner’s escape from the barracks. He cried out: “What will happen to my wife and children?” And in response, Kolbe stepped forward and offered to take his place. The 10 were placed, naked, in a starvation chamber.

All 10 of those condemned that day died eventually; six starved, and the deaths of the rest, including Kolbe, were hastened by an injection of carbolic acid.

This story was first published in August 2021 and has been updated.

A major new biography is inviting readers to reconsider the life of Fr John Joseph Therry, one of the pioneering priests of colonial Australia. 

Written by award-winning historian Dr Damian Gleeson, John Joseph Therry: Irish Landlord, Merchant and Priest in the Australian Colonies is billed as the first full-length scholarly biography of Fr Therry by a professional historian.  

Drawing on thousands of previously unpublished letters and archival documents from Ireland and Australia, Gleeson argues that the new evidence presents a fresh perspective on the prominent challenges more than a century of largely uncritical biography. 

Fr Therry arrived in Sydney from Cork in 1820 with Fr Philip Conolly as one of Australia’s first official Catholic chaplains.  

For more than four decades he ministered to convicts, settlers and Aboriginal communities across New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land, and is widely regarded as one of the founders of the Catholic Church in Australia. 

Gleeson a former Australian Religious History Fellow at the State Library of New South Wales, spent several years researching the extensive Therry Collection held by the library. 

His earlier work has examined the experiences of Irish Catholics, convicts and the early colonial church. 

Gleeson says the biography explores not only Fr Therry’s celebrated pastoral ministry but also his role as a landholder, merchant and influential colonial figure, examining disputes over property, conflicts with church authorities and the complex legacy he left behind. 

Published by Colonial Press, the book is available now. Email colonialpressorders@gmail.com; PO Box 343, Goulburn NSW 2583

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The former Bishop of Broome Christopher Alan Saunders has been found guilty of sexually abusing young Aboriginal men, prompting the diocese to apologise to victims and acknowledge a wider “betrayal of trust” across the Kimberley. 

Saunders, 76, had been on trial for more than three weeks in the District Court of Western Australia in Perth. He was accused of sex offences against three young men while he was Bishop of Broome, a remote diocese covering the Kimberley region. On 13 August, the jury found him guilty of abusing two of the men. 

In a pastoral letter following the verdict, current Broome Bishop Tim Norton SVD acknowledged the “courage of victims, survivors and other witnesses” who came forward. 

“They deserved to be heard with compassion and treated with dignity,” Bishop Norton wrote. 

“We are deeply sorry for the hurt they have experienced. We are sorry for the shame they have endured. We are sorry that it has taken so long for their voices to be heard and for their pain to be acknowledged.” 

Bishop Norton also thanked Western Australia Police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for their work. He acknowledged that the damage extended beyond those who gave evidence against Saunders. 

“Trust has been broken and wounds of betrayal and division have been exposed across the diocese,” he wrote. 

“The hurt extends to those who have placed their trust in our leadership and our church.” 

The victims were young Aboriginal men living in the Kimberley, where Indigenous people make up more than 40 per cent of the population. 

Outside court, defence lawyer David Manera told reporters Saunders appeared to be “deeply affected” by the verdicts and said he had not yet discussed a possible appeal with him, the ABC reported. 

Bishop Norton said the verdict raised painful questions for Catholics across the Kimberley about how such a betrayal could have occurred within the diocese and its leadership. 

“How could such a proud, caring and determined diocese that features such remarkable communities and people be home to such a betrayal of trust?” he wrote. 

“How could our diocesan leadership be involved in such heartless events?” 

He said the diocese would respond with a renewed commitment to ensuring the church was “a place of safety, respect and accountability”. 

Over coming months, Bishop Norton said he would visit communities for “a time of grieving, listening and walking together on a synodal journey into a compassionate next stage for our diocese”. 

He encouraged people to raise concerns during the period of healing and said diocesan and parish staff could connect those affected by the verdict and trial with independent support services. 

Saunders remains in custody and will face a sentencing hearing in September.

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Fr Leander Gonsalves MGL was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Peter Comensoli at St Benedict’s parish in the Melbourne suburb of Burwood, after nearly a decade of service as a religious brother, missionary and deacon. 

Fr Gonsalves now joins more than 40 priests and perpetually vowed brothers of the MGLs – which was founded in 1986 by Fr Ken Barker MGL. The order is understood to be Australia’s first order of priests. 

Fr Gonsalves said his long path to the priesthood, which he attributes to the intercession of St Francis of Assisi, was a “challenging but very rewarding journey.” 

“All is God’s grace at the end,” he told the congregation. 

Speaking to The Catholic Weekly in the days following the 7 August ordination, MGL seminary rector Fr Steven Tynan MGL praised Fr Gonsalves’ reliability and relatability, but said his perseverance along his vocational journey was a particularly standout quality. 

Fr Barker said he was very grateful for another MGL priestly ordination, telling The Catholic Weekly that Fr Gonsalves joined the order from Mumbai. There are MGL missions in Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines, with plans to establish a mission in India in 2027. 

“However, our heart for Australia is as strong as ever,” he explained, with three parishes in Sydney, two in Melbourne, one in both Canberra and Darwin, and a “wonderful mission” in the Northern Territory. 

At the ordination, moderator Fr Stephen Fletcher MGL outlined Fr Gonsalves’ missionary work and formation. The ordinand had been ordained a deacon in November 2025, serving in the parishes of Burwood and Bentleigh. 

As a member of the Disciples of Jesus lay community, Gonsalves previously served in the MGL Darwin mission, working with youth and Indigenous people. There he developed a firm commitment to collaborative leadership in the church.  

“In the Missionaries of God’s Love, he has consecrated himself to the heart of Jesus, wounded in love for the world, and has dedicated himself to preaching the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit,” Fr Fletcher said. 

“He has a committed prayer life, both personal and communal.  

“He’s committed to the brotherhood and the mission of the Missionaries of God’s Love; to bring the fire of God’s love to the ends of the earth.” 

Ordinations within the Missionaries of God’s Love bring together priests, brothers and sisters from their placements around Australia and internationally. Perpetually professed MGL members are lifelong members of the Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community. Many members of the lay community also joined family and friends for the special occasion. 

At the conclusion, Fr Gonsalves paid particular tribute to Fr Fletcher, who had attended despite a recent personal bereavement. 

“Thank you, Fr Steve Fletcher. Even in your difficult time, you have come here to support me, to be with me,” Fr Gonsalves said. 

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Pope Leo XIV sent a donation of 100,000 euros (approximately $US 115,321) for humanitarian relief efforts in Colombia, which is still reeling in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake early this week.

According to Vatican News, the financial contribution was sent through the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and will go to the dioceses affected by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the country 10 August.

Further aid will come following discussions between the papal almoner, Spanish Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, the apostolic nunciature in Colombia and the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, Vatican News reported.

According to The Associated Press, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in to office just three days before the quake, said the death toll had reached 265.

Although de la Espriella said the number of missing was at 500, civilian-run databases estimated more than 4,000 missing, AP reported.

Pope Leo’s donation is one of several the country has received following the disaster. The US State Department said it deployed a disaster assistance response team to help coordinate relief efforts and offered $15.5 million in humanitarian aid.

Other countries in the region, including Mexico and El Salvador, have also contributed tons of food, medicines and other humanitarian aid to Colombia.

Meanwhile, the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council, known as CELAM, urged bishops’ conferences across Latin America “to accompany, pray and collaborate in solidarity so that communities can rebuild not only their homes and infrastructure, but also hope and confidence in the future.”

Addressing Spanish-speaking pilgrims during his weekly general audience 12 August, Pope Leo expressed his solidarity with the people of Colombia.

“As I pray to the Lord for the eternal rest of the deceased, I assure my prayers for their families and all those who have been affected by this tragedy. I express my gratitude to all those working in rescue efforts and assistance to the victims,” the pope said.

In a statement published 12 August, the Colombian Bishops’ Conference expressed its gratitude to Pope Leo and said the pope’s words and the initial donation reflected his closeness to those suffering in the country.

“The Colombian Episcopal Conference receives with profound gratitude this new gesture of closeness from Pope Leo XIV and the solidarity of the universal Church with the Colombian people,” the conference said. “In communion with the Holy Father, it reaffirms its commitment to accompany the affected families and communities, strengthen solidarity networks, and contribute, through the pastoral and charitable work of the Church, to caring for those most in need.”

According to the bishops’ conference, the donation was a “result of the ongoing communication that has been maintained between the Holy See and the Church in Colombia since the first hours after the earthquake.”

The pope’s donation, the bishops said, will be used to address the most pressing needs, and the Vatican said it would provide additional assistance once “new needs are identified and promptly communicated to the Dicastery for the Service of Charity.”

The Colombian Bishops’ Conference said that it is compiling a report on the needs of the affected communities “with the aim of directing aid to those who need it most.”

“For the Church, this response expresses an essential dimension of its mission: to be close to those who suffer and to transform solidarity into concrete actions of fraternity and service,” the bishops’ conference said.

“The pope’s prayer, the Church’s support, and concrete aid thus come together in a single response: to be close to Colombia in this time of sorrow and to help communities face the emergency with hope and solidarity,” it said.

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Jordan announced the start of its preparations for the historic 2,000th anniversary of the Baptism of Jesus Christ in 2030 at the site where it took place at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, also known as Al-Maghtas.

So far, four popes have visited the site of great religious importance, including St. Paul VI in 1964, followed by St John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Jordan is the only country to host visits of the four popes, all affirming the site’s significance.

Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan signed agreements 12 August to begin work on the development of the lands adjacent to the Baptism Site to commemorate the second millennium of Christ’s baptism in 2030 at the direction of Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

Projects totaling $120 million include the construction of a Baptism museum and a pilgrim’s and visitor’s village as well as the development of ecological walking trails near the World Heritage site, in line with UNESCO recommendations for the site’s conservation.

King Abdullah and his government are working with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the Council of Church Leaders in Jordan, including Auxiliary Bishop Iyad Twal, the Latin Patriarchal Vicar in Jordan, while coordinating with churches and Christian institutions worldwide.

Organisers said they hope to see millions of Christian pilgrims and other participants coming to Jordan to engage in this historic commemoration of the Baptism Site, the starting point of Christ’s earthly mission after his baptism in the Jordan River.

During a 18 May meeting with King Abdullah and the country’s clerics, Cardinal Pizzaballa stressed that “baptism of the Lord is not just an historical event of the past, but an eternal moment that still speaks to each of us.”

“In it we see the humility of the Son of God who entered the waters of Jordan to sanctify creation and open to all of us the way of salvation,” the cardinal said.

“Baptism marks the beginning: the beginning of the mission of Christ and the beginning of our new life in it,” he said.

Acknowledging King Abdullah’s custodianship of Christian holy sites and peacemaking efforts, Cardinal Pizzaballa said that through the commemoration of Christ’s baptism, “we can make 2030 not just a memory of the past, but a prophetic sign of unity, peace and living faith for the whole world.”

“May God accompany us all on this preparatory process for this important event,” he said.

Hassan, Jordan’s prime minister, highlighted Jordan’s message of coexistence, respect for others, peace, love and human fraternity. He also said 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,

Hassan said the government is mobilizing all available resources to support the occasion, describing it as an opportunity to reinforce Jordan’s position as a land of religious heritage and a global destination for Christian pilgrims.

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Claims circulating widely on social media that Finland’s first Catholic school will open this month, or that it is already operational, are inaccurate.

The Helsinki Catholic School, which was scheduled to begin operations in August, has postponed its opening until next year, according to Bishop Raimo Goyarrola of Helsinki.

The planned school gained attention after the Helsinki Diocese announced the project in its diocesan magazine last November. By the time of the announcement, groundwork was already underway, with fundraising efforts and the necessary administrative and bureaucratic processes being pursued.

Once completed, the school would be the first Catholic school in Finland in roughly 500 years, following the near disappearance of Catholic institutional life in the country after the Reformation and the adoption of Lutheranism as Finland’s state religion in the 16th century.

The school’s planned model

Goyarrola previously described the project to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, as an important step in rebuilding Catholic educational life in Finland.

He said the school was intended to open in August 2026 and would initially operate on the second floor of a Lutheran church dedicated to St. James the Apostle on Lauttasaari, an island in Helsinki. The bishop had also expressed hope that, if finances permitted, the diocese could acquire the building within three years.

The Helsinki Catholic School is planned as a small, inclusive school initially serving grades 1–3, following Finland’s national and Helsinki city curricula while incorporating Catholic values. Its approach focuses on personal attention, a calm learning environment, initiative, and a strong character foundation.

Opening delayed until 2027

In response to an inquiry from EWTN News, Goyarrola clarified that the school has not opened and that its launch has been postponed.

“The school will open once everything is fully in place,” Goyarrola said. “We had hoped to begin this August, but after careful consideration we have decided to postpone the opening until next year, as there are still several important matters to resolve.”

He also went on to say: “The administrative procedures, logistics, and financing alone are challenging.” He further noted that “when the school is also Catholic and privately run, the work and the requirements become even more demanding.”

Social media accounts and online posts have recently presented the Helsinki Catholic School as though it is already operating in an educational sense. This is inaccurate. The school is not currently teaching any students, and it is not open in the capacity that formal classes or regular educational activities are being conducted. The project remains in development.

The Diocese of Helsinki continues to work with its partners toward establishing the school and remains hopeful that it will become a reality in 2027.

Goyarrola asked the faithful to pray for the project as the diocese works through the remaining requirements. “We would be deeply grateful for your prayers as we continue working to make this project a reality,” he told EWTN News.

A Pew Research Center survey found that 65% of American Catholics favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder, with 28% who “strongly” favor it.

The research showed that support for the death penalty among U.S. adults is 6 percentage points higher than it was in April 2021, and it is about equal to where it was in August 2020 (65%).

It found that about two-thirds of all Americans (66%) favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder.

Pew surveyed 3,554 U.S. adults from July 6–12. Participants were all members of Pew’s American Trends Panel, which is a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults. The margin of sampling error for the sample of respondents was plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.

The report, “Most Americans Favor the Death Penalty for Those Convicted of Murder,” found that 32% of Americans oppose the death penalty for people convicted of murder, 13% of whom reported they "strongly oppose” it.

While most Catholics favor it, 34% said they oppose it, with 15% who "strongly oppose” it.

When asked in the context of morality, 68% of all respondents said they see the death penalty as morally justified for those who have committed murder, while 28% believe it is morally wrong.

Of Catholics, 64% believe the death penalty is morally justified when someone commits murder, and 32% said it is morally wrong.

A 59% majority of all Americans said the death penalty is not a crime deterrent, while 39% said that it is. A majority of Americans (73%) also said there is some risk that an innocent person could be put to death, but a quarter said that there are safeguards in place to prevent this.

Since the start of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly spoken out in strong opposition of the death penalty.

“I condemn capital punishment. I believe that human life is to be respected and that all people — from conception to natural [death] — their lives should be respected and protected,” the pope said in April.

His remarks against the death penalty echo a relatively new magisterial teaching in the Catholic Church, which was promulgated by Pope Francis in 2018. The Church teaches that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2267).

Views differ by political party, age, and education

The poll showed partisan divides on the death penalty persist among U.S. adults.

Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party overwhelmingly support the death penalty with 84% in favor, including 47% who “strongly favor” it. Democrats and Democratic leaners were about split between support (51%) and opposition (48%).

Most Republicans (85%) also said the death penalty is morally justified for a crime like murder, while Democrats are more split on the issue with 55% who believe it is morally justified and 42% who do not.

Republicans and Democrats were most divided over whether the death penalty is fairly applied to different races.

Most Republicans (77%), said white and Black people are equally likely to be sentenced to the death penalty for similar crimes, and only 23% of Democrats reported the same.

The report also noted that younger adults are slightly less supportive of the death penalty than older adults. Of adults ages 18 to 29, 58% said it is morally wrong, compared with 47% of those 65 and older.

Adults with a college degree, especially those with a postgraduate degree, are also slightly less likely than those with a high school degree or only some college education to favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder.

A United Nations report published Aug. 12 found an increase in migrant deaths and missing migrants along two European routes during the first four months of 2026, as the Vatican and bishops continue to voice concerns about safety.

The report, published by the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), found that many migrants fall victim to human traffickers and scams along the journey. A majority of the increase in deaths, however, were caused by drownings in the Mediterranean Sea.

“Attention tends to settle on a handful of routes, but nearly half of the world’s 304 million international migrants live within their own region, moving for work, family, education and safety,” IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels said in a statement.

“Good data is not a substitute for solutions, but there are no solutions without it,” she said. “... When everyone is working from the same clear picture, better decisions follow.”

The two routes with a sharp increase in migrant deaths were the Central Mediterranean Route and the Eastern Mediterranean Route. The central route mostly reflects migrants arriving in Italy from northern Africa and the eastern route mostly reflects routes from western Asia into Greece, Cyprus, and Bulgaria.

According to the report, the number of migrants who died or went missing along the Central Mediterranean Route was at least 821, which is 111% higher than the same time last year. It found that the primary cause of death was drowning. About 430 migrants died or went missing in January, primarily due to Cyclone Harry.

The number went up by 259% on the Eastern Mediterranean Route, reaching at least 244. The report found the primary cause to be drowning. This was caused by “a series of fatal incidents” near Crete — a Greek island in the Mediterranean Sea.

“This data highlights the risks faced by migrants along these routes, even as the estimates presented in this report are likely much lower than the real number of casualties,” the report states.

In July, Pope Leo XIV visited the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, saying migrants who died in the sea are “victims both of decisions that were made and of decisions that were not made.”

“Indifference to the common good and corruption in their countries of origin; a global economic system that generates poverty and exclusion; fear that fuels prejudice and contempt; the belief that such problems do not concern us; the criminal calculations of those who profit from the suffering of others; the slow and difficult transition from mere emergency management to the development of comprehensive and shared policies — all are present-day echoes of the haste to ‘pass by’ in the Gospel narrative,” the Holy Father said.

The Aug. 10 earthquake in Colombia caught countless people by surprise while attending Mass at various parishes including Most Holy Trinity in Palmira, Valle del Cauca, where the priest ensured everyone’s safety by calmly exiting the church with the faithful, taking the Blessed Sacrament with him.

As seen in the livestream of the Mass starting at 53:30 in the video, Father Oscar Aguirre Calderón had just consecrated the body and blood of Christ and was distributing the Eucharist to those assisting with the celebration of the Mass. As he was preparing to give Communion to the rest of the congregation, the ground began to shake and the churchʼs stained-glass windows started vibrating.

Without losing his composure, the priest said, “Our Father, pray for us all; help us, Lord, holy and mighty God” and then told the people to leave the church in an orderly manner while he carried the ciborium containing the consecrated hosts, guiding the faithful to safety.

“We were able to leave with the Blessed Sacrament, which was a blessing for us all, making our way to one of the arches of the doorway; we stayed there, and the entire community gathered in the small plaza,” the priest recounted in a video shared by the Diocese of Palmira.

Although people were safe, the church tower partially collapsed, as did part of the cupola. Bricks also fell inside the church: “In the area of ​​the Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima and the Just Judge, some bricks fell and smashed through the ceiling and damaged everything there,” Aguirre added.

However, “thank God no one was harmed; there were no injuries and no fatalities, thank God,” he said.

The priest noted that “Most Holy Trinity Parish is part of the municipality’s cultural heritage” and that many residents of Palmira have been baptized and received various sacraments there.

Aguirre said there is work to be done to restore the church following the earthquake but that while repairs are being made “the Eucharist cannot be celebrated; yet, thank the Lord, we are all safe.”

Other churches in Palmira also damaged

The Diocese of Palmira reported that in addition to Most Holy Trinity church, the following parishes were also affected: Our Lady of La Candelaria, St. Peter the Apostle, Our Lady of Perpetual Hope, Immaculate Conception in Yotoco, Our Lady of the Rosary in Vijes, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Restrepo, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Rozo, and Our Lady of the Rosary in Chiquinquirá, as well as old St. Anthony of Padua chapel.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

A joint letter from U.N. human rights experts warning Nigerian officials of the heightened risk of violence against Christian women and girls in the country has been made public after the government failed to respond within 60 days.

The June 1 letter cited attacks against Christian women and girls in northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt region, including killings, forced conversion, and sexual violence. The letter was signed by Reem Alsalem, U.N. special rapporteur on violence against women and girls; Gabriella Citroni, chair-rapporteur of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; Morris Tidball-Binz, U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions; Nicolas Levrat, U.N. special rapporteur on minority issues; and Alice Jill Edwards, U.N. special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

“With respect to the situation of religious or belief minorities, we wish to raise serious concern regarding patterns of religiously motivated violence and persecution or otherwise disproportionately targeting persons belonging to religious minority communities within affected federated states or local areas, especially Christians, including women and girls,” the letter said.

The U.N. experts attributed the rising violence to armed extremist groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani herder militias operating across the north and Middle Belt region and pointed to “acquiescence” and “negligence” on the part of Nigerian officials to counter them.

The letter cited the abduction and sexual assault of two women by armed militants, the forced conversion and marriage of a 13-year-old girl, and the abduction of a pastor’s two daughters along with several members of a church by Boko Haram, as well as a 16-year-old girl whose hand was cut off after her family refused a marriage proposal by armed militants.

“While we do not wish to prejudge the accuracy of these allegations reported to us, we would like to especially express our grave concern regarding the alleged abduction and sexual assault of girls, the intimidation by armed groups and subsequent abduction and acts tantamount to enforced disappearance of the church members in Shikarkir,” the U.N. experts said.

“We are also disturbed by reports of the inaction and complicity of government officials in the face of these abuses, the slowness of investigations and search actions aimed at determining the fate and whereabouts of abducted girls,” they said.

The letter further called on Nigerian officials to respond to the allegations and to provide status updates on investigations and measures taken to combat violence against women and girls. They also asked for status updates on “any laws that affect the exercise of freedom of religion or belief and freedom of opinion and expression, including so-called ‘blasphemy’ laws.”

The letter asked the Nigerian government to provide information on measures taken to protect the rights of religious minorities, particularly in northern states, and urged authorities to take immediate steps to halt violence against women and girls.

The experts concluded by calling for interim measures to protect abductees, victims of sexual violence, and victims of forced conversion and forced marriage, particularly minors and those who have not been reunited with their families. The experts also urged Nigerian officials to prevent further violations and hold accountable those responsible if the allegations are substantiated.

Pope Leo XIV has directed the Office of Papal Charities to send 100,000 euros ($115,345) to the Catholic Church in Colombia to aid those affected by the Aug. 10 earthquake, which struck several cities in the western part of the country.

As reported by Vatican News, the donation was confirmed on the website of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference (CEC, by its Spanish acronym). The aid was made possible through the coordination of the prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, with the apostolic nunciature in the country and the president of the CEC, Archbishop Javier Múnera.

The CEC announced that the funds will be sent to the National Secretariat for Social Pastoral Care-Caritas Colombia, the entity acting “as a coordination center for the collection and distribution of aid, with the aim of helping to address the most urgent needs of the affected communities.”

“The €100,000 in aid constitutes an initial response to address the most urgent emergencies. According to information provided by the Holy See, additional assistance will be made available as new needs are identified and promptly communicated to the Dicastery for the Service of Charity,” the CEC reported.

Given the extent of the damage in various dioceses such as Pereira, Cali, and Quibdó, among others, the CEC said that “in the coming days, work will continue on compiling a report regarding the priority needs of the affected communities, with the aim of directing aid to those who need it most.”

During his Aug. 12 general audience, Pope Leo XIV once again expressed his closeness “to our brothers and sisters in Colombia who have suffered the consequences of the recent earthquake, which has caused many deaths and injuries, as well as extensive material damage.”

“As I pray to the Lord for the eternal rest of the deceased, I assure you of my prayers for their families and all those affected by this tragedy. I express my gratitude to all those working on rescue and relief efforts for the victims,” the pope said.

Meanwhile, the Colombian government declared three days of national mourning “in memory of the people who lost their lives as a result of the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that occurred on Aug. 10.”

The Ministry of the Interior noted in a statement that Mondayʼs earthquake “is the greatest-magnitude quake recorded in Colombia during the 21st century, causing damage in various departments [administrative districts] and giving rise to a profound sense of solidarity throughout the country.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Last Sunday, I had two conversations that seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with each other. The first was with a family member and fellow Bulldogs supporter. We were talking about the NRL finals race and, in particular, the Brisbane Broncos. 

The Broncos won’t feature in September this year. But that doesn’t mean they are irrelevant. In fact, they could still have a significant say in who does make the finals – particularly when they eventually meet the Bulldogs. 

It struck me as an interesting quirk of sport: a team can be out of the race itself and yet still have a major influence on the race. Later that same day, I was having a completely different conversation with someone about the power of a single interaction between two people. 

What if one conversation could change the direction of someone’s life? What if one encounter could be the reason someone thought differently about God? What if it was the moment they became open to the Church, returned to the sacraments, or simply realised that they were loved? 

At the time, I didn’t realise those two conversations were connected. Now I do. Because perhaps we need to start looking at our own lives a little differently. 

We can become so consumed by what we are doing, achieving and trying to accomplish that we forget there are people around us whose lives we are affecting simply by being there. 

We tell ourselves we’ll have that conversation next time. I’ll tell them I love them next time. I’ll invite them to Mass next time. I’ll ask them how they’re really going next time. I’ll apologise next time. 

But what if there isn’t a next time? That isn’t meant to be morbid. It’s meant to be a reality check. 

As Catholics, we believe that eternity is real. We believe that salvation is real. We believe that every human person has an eternal destiny. So what if we actually lived as if that were true? 

What if, every time we encountered someone, we remembered that this person isn’t simply another customer, colleague, teammate,  stranger or friend? 

They are persons made in the image and likeness of God. And perhaps, in God’s providence, this particular conversation is the opportunity  we’ve been given to help them take one step closer to Him. 

That doesn’t mean every conversation needs to become a sermon, nor does it mean forcing our faith into every interaction. Sometimes evangelisation looks like an invitation to Mass. Sometimes it looks like answering a question about faith. Sometimes it looks like saying the thing we’ve been putting off. 

And sometimes it simply looks like being the person who treats someone with enough love that they begin to wonder why. 

The Broncos might not make the finals, but they can still influence who gets there. And perhaps that’s a useful reminder for the rest of us. We’re not in heaven yet, but we can still help people get there. 

We don’t need a platform, a title, a successful career or thousands of followers. We just need to recognise the opportunities God has already placed in front of us. 

Because while we’re busy worrying about our earthly race, there is another race taking place – one that ends not with a premiership, but with eternity. And the person standing in front of us might just need us to help them get there. 

The post The Broncos are out of the finals – but they still have a say appeared first on The Catholic Weekly.

Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley this week lamented Oklahoma’s execution of a condemned murderer, calling for prayers for both the killer’s victims and the killer himself while urging a “more humane form of justice.”

The state on Aug. 13 put to death Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, who was convicted of killing Olimpia Fisher in Oklahoma City in 2003. The execution was carried out at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary shortly after 10 a.m. CT.

Tennessee executed Anthony Darrell Hines, who was convicted of killing Catherine Jenkins in 1985, on Aug. 13, and later that day Alabama planned to execute Jeremy Tremaine Williams for the rape and murder of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland in 2021.

The last time three U.S. states carried out executions on the same day was in 2010, when Louisiana, Ohio, and Texas put inmates to death, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

In a press release also posted to X, Coakley — who serves as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops — expressed “sadness” over the execution and said he was “disheartened” as Oklahoma “continues along an ominous path.”

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The archbishop said the state was “carrying out executions with a frequency and regularity that places it among the nation’s leaders” in capital punishment.

Coakley has regularly urged authorities to end the death penalty. In 2022, after a federal court dismissed a challenge to the state’s capital punishment regime, Coakley called on lawmakers to end executions there. He argued that an execution devalues human life and “does not ultimately bring closure and peace to those who have lost a loved one.”

The archbishop has also repeatedly lamented specific executions in the state, including that of Kendrick Simpson, who was put to death in February.

On Aug. 13, he noted that the execution of Cuesta-Rodriguez constituted the 132nd time Oklahoma has killed someone since 1990.

“Capital punishment does not provide justice,” he said. “Our modern prisons are secure. Life imprisonment offers assurance that citizens are not at risk. And it allows for a conversion of hearts.”

He asked readers to “join me in praying for the victim of this crime, Olimpia Fisher, and her family, as well as Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez and his family.”

Coakley is among the numerous U.S. bishops that regularly advocate against the death penalty. The Death Penalty Information Center says that among the 50 U.S. states since 1976 Oklahoma has had far and away the most executions relative to its population, though Texas has executed nearly five times as many people overall as Oklahoma.

I have always wondered how the church grew so fast in the early centuries in spite of the persecutions. Can you help me? 

First, let us look at the facts. Historians and sociologists calculate that the early church grew at a steady rate of some 3.4 to 4 percent a year, resulting in exponential growth that was truly extraordinary.  

The estimated number of Christians in 40AD was some 1000, in 200 AD 200,000, and in 300 AD 6 million, some 10 percent of the population of the Roman Empire. This growth took place in the midst of bitter persecutions, when it was exceedingly dangerous to be a Christian.  

It should be understood that the persecutions were not a continuous, empire-wide campaign, but were rather sporadic, depending on who was the emperor, and often localised, depending on the attitude of the regional governor.  

The persecutions lasted for some 250 years, from that of Nero, who was emperor from 64 to 68 AD and who put Saints Peter and Paul to death, to that of Diocletian (303-311 AD).  

An especially severe and widespread persecution was that of Decius (249–251 AD), who required all citizens to obtain a certificate that they had offered sacrifice to the Roman gods, under pain of imprisonment or execution.  

The last and most severe persecution was that of Diocletian, who ordered the destruction of churches, the burning of scriptures, and the execution of Christian leaders. The persecutions ended, at least officially, when emperors Constantine and Licinius, with the Edict of Milan in 313, granted Christianity legal status and toleration.  

Such was the growth of the Church that in 380 co-emperors Theodosius I, Gratian and Valentinian II issued the Edict of Thessalonica, which declared Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire.  

Why did the Romans persecute Christians? The answer is principally because they viewed them as a threat to public order and civic duty,  since Christians refused to worship the Roman gods and goddesses and the emperor, whom the Romans regarded as divine. For this reason, they were considered guilty of treason. 

Paradoxically, the Roman efforts to destroy the church actually accelerated its growth. The early ecclesiastical writer Tertullian summarised it in his Apologeticus around 197AD: “The more you mow us down, the more we grow. The blood of Christians is seed.”  

There are various reasons for the rapid growth of the church during the persecutions. Among them are the following.  

First, persecution gave the small, little-known church wide-spread public exposure, making it known to people who had never heard of it. The Romans executed Christians in huge amphitheatres to deter others from becoming Christian. Instead, the courage of the martyrs, including women and children, was a powerful witness to the faith, drawing pagans to want to be like them.  

Second, persecution acted as a natural filter, attracting to the faith only those with firm convictions and courage. When being Christian could result in the loss of property, liberty, or life, outsiders saw the church as a community of absolute integrity and conviction, making it highly attractive to those seeking genuine spiritual truth. 

Third, every time a localised persecution broke out, many Christians fled from the cities to rural towns and provinces, and even beyond the borders of the Roman Empire, establishing new communities in regions where the Gospel might otherwise not have reached for decades. 

Fourth, when deadly plagues struck the empire, pagans fled and abandoned their sick relatives to die, while Christians stayed behind, nursing both their own and their pagan neighbours. As a result, Christian survival rates were much higher, and many pagans converted to the faith out of gratitude.  

Fifth, by strictly banning common Roman practices like infanticide, abortion, and the abandonment of female newborns, Christian communities experienced higher birth and survival rates. 

Sixth, unlike the case in Roman society, Christianity taught that everyone – slaves, women, and the poor – had equal worth before God, making it very attractive. 

The post Why did the early church grow so quickly? appeared first on The Catholic Weekly.

Christopher Saunders, the former bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Broome, Australia, was convicted on Aug. 13 of sexually abusing two young Aboriginal men between 2008 and 2017.

Saunders, who is 76 years old, led the northwest Australian diocese from 1996 until 2021 when he resigned. He was convicted of 13 charges, which included nonconsensual sexual penetration. He originally faced 26 charges, but seven were dropped and he was not found guilty for the other six.

Bishop Tim Norton of the Diocese of Broome published a pastoral letter to the faithful after his predecessor was convicted.

Norton thanked the police and the prosecutors “for their commitment to bringing this matter before a jury.” He acknowledged “the courage of victims, survivors and other witnesses” who “showed extraordinary resilience and commitment through a long and difficult process.”

“They deserved to be heard with compassion and treated with dignity,” he said.

On behalf of the diocese, Norton apologized for “the hurt [the victims] have experienced,” for “the shame they have endured,” and “that it has taken so long for their voices to be heard and for their pain to be acknowledged.” He said the diocese would “do all we can to reach out to them for hope and healing.”

“We are acutely aware that the victims of this betrayal are not just those who have told their stories to police and before the court,” Norton said.

“Trust has been broken and wounds of betrayal and division have been exposed across the diocese,” he said. “The hurt extends to those who have placed their trust in our leadership and our Church. Many who have served their parishes and their communities selflessly have been left with difficult questions and unresolved feelings.”

Norton said he is committed to ensuring that the diocese is “a place of safety, respect and accountability.” He said leaders “will do all we can to create an environment of trust and openness” and will move to “ensure that people are treated with dignity and compassion and continue to seek authentic and peaceful relationships, even if we do not always agree with each other.”

Norton said diocesan and parish staff can connect people to independent support services if any person requests support.

“We ask Our Lady Queen of Peace, the patroness of our diocese, to intercede for us and to accompany us on this journey of reconciliation, healing and hope,” the bishop concluded.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), prosecutors said Saunders hosted “shirts off” gatherings with young men who would wear only boxer shorts. They said he supplied alcohol and food with church funds and would touch the men sexually and in at least one case engaged in oral sex without consent.

ABC reported that Saunders’ defense lawyer acknowledged "boozy" and "sleazy” behavior, but they rejected claims of nonconsensual sexual activity. The former bishop maintained his innocence in the trial.

The initial charges accused Saunders of sexual activity with minors, but he was not convicted of any charges related to victims who were minors.

The Western Australia Police Force first investigated Saunders in 2018 but chose not to file any charges in 2021. The Vatican launched its own investigation in 2022 and submitted its findings to the police in 2023. The police reopened their investigation in 2023 and arrested him in 2024.

Although the Vatican did not release its findings to the public, it was leaked to Seven News in Australia, which reported that the investigation found Saunders likely sexually assaulted four youths and possibly groomed 67 others.

HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP) announced Aug. 10 the launch of Harper Catholic, a new imprint serving Catholic readers, authors, booksellers, parishes, and organizations.

The new branch of HCCP will be led by associate publisher Kristi McDonald, who has over 15 years of experience in Catholic publishing, spending 14 years at Ave Maria Press.

McDonald told EWTN News in an interview that Harper Catholic comes at a time where the company recognizes “the unique spiritual needs of Catholics and the tremendous opportunity to serve a Church that is growing and changing in the United States and around the world.”

“We’re seeing new converts coming into the Church, Catholics rediscovering their faith, and readers at every stage looking for resources that can help them go deeper,” she said. “That inspires us to publish books that feed that spiritual hunger, answer meaningful questions, and accompany people in the ordinary realities of Catholic life.”

The creation of Harper Catholic also comes after the success seen in Catholic Bible Press, which is HCCP’s first Catholic imprint and publishes editions of the Bible such as the New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition and the New American Bible, Revised Edition.

“Harper Catholic is also a natural next step in the work HarperCollins Christian Publishing has already been doing in the Catholic market. Catholic Bible Press has experienced rapid growth and success over the past six years, demonstrating both the need for excellent Catholic resources and the opportunity for HCCP to serve this audience with care and purpose,” McDonald explained.

She added: “Harper Catholic builds on that strong foundation by expanding our Catholic publishing program beyond Bibles and represents our continued investment in serving Catholic readers, authors, parishes, booksellers, and institutions.”

Harper Catholic aims to expand HCCP’s Catholic publishing beyond Bibles and into spiritual classics, theology, devotionals, memoirs, cultural engagement, and books from leading voices in the Church today.

“We plan to publish a broad range of accessible, faithful, relevant, and intellectually substantial books for Catholics across generations and stages of spiritual life,” McDonald shared.

“The goal is to reflect something of the richness and breadth of Catholicism itself while remaining attentive to the real questions and spiritual longings people are bringing to their faith today.”

McDonald said the publication’s primary goal “is to share the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith with the world through powerful writing and authentic, trustworthy voices.”

“We want Harper Catholic to become a publishing home where established and emerging Catholic authors can bring faithful, compelling ideas to readers, and where Catholics know they can find books that help them grow closer to God, live the sacramental life more fully, and encounter Christ in the ordinary rhythms of their days,” she said.

In terms of HCCP’s perspective, McDonald said, “this is a long-term commitment.”

“The success of Catholic Bible Press has given us a strong foundation and shown us what is possible when we serve Catholic readers with excellence and intentionality,” she said. “Harper Catholic allows us to build on that success, broaden the ways we serve the Church, and continue investing in Catholic publishing for years to come.”

The imprint is actively accepting proposals from authors and agents and will announce its first acquisitions and publishing plans in the coming months.

Guaranteed Rate Field was transformed into a sea of white-and-black novelty miters on Tuesday night as the Chicago White Sox celebrated “Pope Night,” honoring Chicago native and Sox fan Pope Leo XIV.

To pull off the unique promotion respectfully, the White Sox marketing team collaborated early on with Chicago priest Father Tom Hurley. “We didnʼt want to do anything sacrilegious or offend people,” said Mike Downey, senior director of marketing and promotions for the White Sox, on “EWTN News Nightly.” “We wanted to do something fun and tasteful that celebrates the fact that Pope Leo is a White Sox fan.”

The collaboration paid off in a memorable ballpark moment when thousands of fans joined together for an impromptu “sign of peace.” Wearing their White Sox-branded novelty miters, fans turned to neighbors in nearby seats, exchanging handshakes, high-fives, and blessings across the concourses.

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Hurley, who joined the crowd in the stands, reflected on what the pontiff would have wanted to come of such a night.

“A few more home runs,” Hurley joked, motioning to his own branded miter. “But hereʼs what he really would love to see. The pope is a guy who promotes peace. In the Catholic tradition, we offer a sign of peace during Mass because we want to bring peace to the world. I think the pope would love seeing everyone stand, find a new friend, and offer that same peace — whether theyʼre Catholic or not."

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The idea for the tribute took root shortly after May 8, 2025, when Pope Leo XIV — formerly Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost — was elevated to the papacy. Known for wearing a White Sox cap at the Vatican and having attended Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, the pontiff’s lifelong allegiance inspired the team to act once news of his fandom broke.

Originally planned as a targeted promotion for a designated section of 10,000 fans, overwhelming demand after its announcement prompted the organization to expand the giveaway to all 40,000 attendees.

The spiritual energy in the stands mirrored the action on the field. The first-place White Sox kept the momentum going against the Cincinnati Reds, starting off with a first-pitch leadoff home run by Brenton Doyle.

“It seems like there’s a little magic happening on the South Side right now,” Downey added. “Fans like to comment that we’ve got the pope on our side. My message for him is just to keep an eye out for the South Siders and say a prayer for us in October.”

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

Bishop Timothy Norton of Broome Diocese expresses his deep sorrow to victims and survivors following the conviction of Australian Bishop Christopher Saunders, pledging a diocesan path marked by listening, accountability, and hope.

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From September 10 to 13 and September 17 to 20, the cultural event promoted by the friars of the Sacred Convent returns. In the 800th anniversary year of St. Francis' death, this edition places life at the center, explored through relationships, culture, spirituality, well-being, and new technologies.

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The Lilly Endowment has given the University of Notre Dame a $5 million grant to support the Department of Theology’s Master of Arts and Master of Divinity programs.

“This grant connects Notre Dame’s world-class Department of Theology with leading partners where the Catholic Church is growing and in need of well-formed, dynamic Church leaders,” Father Kevin Grove, CSC, an associate professor of theology at Notre Dame, said in a July 27 press release. “Together, we will work to recruit, form, educate, support and place these future ministers. We are exceptionally grateful to the Lilly Endowment for providing us the chance to reimagine how lay church leaders are raised up, formed and placed.”

The grant will serve the university’s New Horizons program, which provides full tuition support for M.A. students and stipends for M.Div. students as well as postgraduate job placement assistance. 

California Catholic school replaces pride flags with rainbow symbol

Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, California, has opted to take down its pride and progress flags for the upcoming school year, replacing them with a custom rainbow “Inclusive O” symbol.

“Many of you know that over the last few years, questions about Pride and Progress flags have become part of a much larger conversation taking place throughout the Catholic Church in the United States. Across the country, Catholic schools have been working to navigate these tensions while remaining united as communities, caring for students, and living their Catholic values,” Bishop O’Dowd President Kim Walsh said in a statement posted to the school’s website.

Bishop O’Dowd High School is a diocesan school that operates under the Diocese of Oakland and superintendent of Catholic schools.

Local news outlet KQED reported that the new symbol came after the diocese asked the school to take down its pride flag after someone informed Bishop Michael Barber about it. Barber spoke out about sex and gender issues in a joint letter with Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco in 2023, calling on Catholics to respond to gender ideology with “truth and charity.”

Walsh said this conversation “became a lightning rod within our own community,” which prompted the school to develop the new symbol, a rainbow-colored O in the style of the school’s branding. “Our Inclusive O now appears in lieu of the Pride and Progress flags that had previously been displayed in some classrooms, and is now displayed campus-wide,” she said.

Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, house of formation to become seminary

The Diocese of Wichita in Kansas has announced that its St. Joseph House of Formation will be transformed into St. Philip Neri Seminary.

“The Most Reverend Carl A. Kemme will formally establish a new seminary for priestly formation on Aug. 26, 2026, marking an historic milestone in the life of the diocese, and fulfilling a vision first explored more than two decades ago,” the diocese said in an Aug. 6 announcement.

“Effective August 26, the institution will be known as St. Philip Neri Seminary, honoring the 16th-century saint renowned for his joyful spirit, deep holiness, and dedication to forming priests and evangelizing through authentic friendship,” Kemme said.

“For the last nine years, we have been able to form our men during their college years here with such success that we now think it’s important to officially recognize the house of formation as a true canonical seminary,” he said in a Q&A posted on the diocese’s website.

“It was a seminary, but it was called the St. Joseph House of Formation,” he continued. “Now it is going to be established officially as a seminary, a place of formation for the priests of our diocese.”

Milwaukee debuts first new Catholic school buildings in 60 years

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 11 for the first newly constructed Catholic school buildings in nearly 60 years.

The ceremony comes two years after Seton Catholic Schools announced the two buildings would be constructed by early 2026. St. Rafael the Archangel and Prince of Peace School will officially open at the start of the school year on Aug. 24.

“St. Rafael and Prince of Peace have been integral to Milwaukee’s educational landscape for years,” Seton said in the press release. “These new buildings will offer modern, student-centered environments designed to foster learning, creativity, and spiritual growth. These will be more than just schools — they will be vibrant hubs for student engagement, community gatherings and faith development.”

“As one of the first new Catholic school buildings in Milwaukee in nearly 60 years, this investment reflects our deep commitment to our students, families, and the future of our community,” a statement posted on both of the schools’ websites reads. 

Raleigh, North Carolina, Catholic school students top national, state benchmarks

Students in Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, Catholic schools surpassed national and state benchmarks in both math and reading.

“The data reveals that 47% of Diocese students are performing at or above grade level in math, compared to 32% nationally and 32% across North Carolina,” the diocese revealed in an Aug. 10 statement. “The gap is even more pronounced in reading, where 59% of Diocese students are scoring at or above grade level, well ahead of the 38% national norm and 35% state average.”

The data comes from spring 2026 i-Ready diagnostic results, the diocese said.

“These results reflect what happens when dedicated teachers, engaged families, and a strong academic foundation come together,” Michael Mastrocinque, director of instruction for diocesan Catholic schools in Raleigh, said. “Our students arenʼt just meeting expectations — theyʼre exceeding them at a level that puts them well ahead of their peers across the state and the country. This is a direct result of the hard work happening in our classrooms every single day, and it reaffirms our commitment to academic excellence rooted in the Catholic tradition.”

Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz, Germany, who chairs the pastoral commission of the German Bishops’ Conference, said the Vatican’s reasoning on the ban on lay preaching is, in his view, “not entirely consistent” on some points.

The Vatican — specifically Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments — rejected a request from the German bishops in June arising from the Synodal Way for permission to let a commissioned layperson preach in place of the homily at Mass in exceptional cases.

Kohlgraf said the Diocese of Mainz observes the ban but that lay preaching has become customary in some of its parishes and that he will neither authorize it nor move to stop it.

“The letter from the liturgy prefect says that the only one who preaches at Mass is the priest who celebrates it,” Kohlgraf told the official news portal of the German bishops’ media arm, katholisch.de. “But a priest who concelebrates, or a deacon who takes part, would then logically also not be permitted to preach at that Mass.”

“In any case, in the Diocese of Mainz we abide by the Church’s directive that laypeople do not preach a homily at Mass,” the bishop said, before qualifying: “In practice, though, it has become established that this happens from time to time nonetheless. I am not going to change that there.”

Pressed on the point, Kohlgraf made clear that a woman employed by the diocese as a personnel officer, for example, could not preach “according to the Roman requirements.” Nor could he as bishop “issue such a permission”: “Canon law does not allow it, and that remains our basis.”

“Nevertheless, it is the case that in some parishes here it is customary for laypeople to preach,” he added. “When I learn of it, I will not intervene disciplinarily or sanction it under canon law. But I do not promote it either, and I cannot permit it. I simply take note that in some parishes such a practice has become established.”

Concern about ‘denunciation’

“I do argue, though, for using all the other forms of proclamation that canon law makes possible,” Kohlgraf said. “Perhaps one would have to collect all these possibilities of proclamation for laypeople in the liturgy since the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). In the Diocese of Mainz, the liturgical commission published a set of guidelines on this last year, compiling the many possibilities of the preaching ministry.”

For the Diocese of Mainz, the bishop summarized, the Roman letter changes “nothing in concrete pastoral practice.” He was more troubled, he said, “that the ban on lay preaching from Rome is now encouraging denunciation,” because there are “people who report liturgical violations to the bishop immediately and write directly to me.”

“That existed before as well, that individual people complained to me, but now they demand that I must intervene. Some even write to the nuncio or directly to Rome,” he said.

He reacts to such reports in a friendly and unruffled way, Kohlgraf said: “I take note of it and pass it on, usually to the respective pastor or pastoral leader of the parish concerned.”

In principle, the bishop of Mainz underlined, permission for lay preaching at Mass would be welcome to him, and he regards it as an enrichment for the Church where pastoral workers are theologically qualified to preach. “But I can still only choose the forms that canon law permits,” he said.

This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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