Bishop Iyad Akram Twal, auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said Christians face an increasingly precarious situation in the Middle East. War, economic instability, and continued emigration are placing increasing pressure on the Christian presence in the region, driving a significant decline in communities across the Holy Land and neighboring countries, Twal said…
As the Trump administration moves to seize a diocesan pilgrimage site for the border wall, bishops from New Mexico and Texas called on the faithful to join them for a June 28 Mass on the mountain. In a June 23 message, Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces, New Mexico, announced that he and Bishop Mark…
Pope Leo XIV met privately with the heads of the Synod continental bodies on June 25, at the conclusion of three days of work dedicated to the implementation phase of the Synod. Held on June 23-25, the meeting brought together representatives from Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, the Middle East, and North America, accompanied…
Santa Maria delle Grazie (Our Lady of Grace) parish in the small Italian town of Casalba has found itself in the media spotlight after a statue of St Padre Pio appeared to show a tear of blood trickling down its face. The discovery was made in April, when a parishioner noticed an unusual detail on…
The president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), Bishop Mariano Crociata, expressed the commission’s view on the new “Return Regulation” approved June 17 by the European Parliament. The new regulation aims to unify and streamline procedures for the expulsion of individuals in an irregular situation (who are illegally present)…
Pope Leo XIV has recognised the heroic virtues of Mother Mary Teresa Tallon, the founder of a US religious order devoted to person-to-person ministry, and declared her venerable, advancing her cause for canonisation. Mary Teresa Tallon was born May 6, 1867, in Hanover, New York, to Irish immigrants. At age 19, she joined the Holy…
Pope Leo XIV presided on June 18 over the funeral rites for Cardinal Camillo Ruini, remembering him as a servant of the Church who “knew how to guide the people of God.” The funeral liturgy took place at the Altar of the Chair in St Peter’s Basilica, two days after Ruini died late Tuesday, June…
Vice President JD Vance, appearing on ABC’s ‘The View’ to promote his newly released memoir on faith, was put on the spot from the first question, peppered for nearly an hour on Jeffrey Epstein, the economy, immigration and other issues facing the Trump administration. The appearance was notable because it marked a rare foray for…
The New York state Legislature passed a bill that replaces the words “mother” and “father” in some state laws with gender-neutral language, a move that New York’s bishops say will further “muddy what is true and good.” The bill, passed by the state Assembly in March and by the state Senate on June 2, now…
Colombia’s highly polarised presidential election has become a source of concern for the nation’s Catholic Church, which has released a number of statements during the process in an effort to steer Catholics away from the paths of violence and irrationality. The upcoming runoff, scheduled for June 21, will pit right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella…