Catholic News

• Pope celebrates Mass for carabinieri at Castel Gandolfo (Vatican News)
  Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass on July 15 at the chapel of the police (carabinieri) headquarters in Castel Gandolfo, near the summer papal residence. The Pontiff praised the “noble and demanding service” of the carabinieri, and encouraged them: “In the face of injustices that wound the social order, do not yield to the temptation to think that evil can prevail.” The Pope celebrated the Mass in the ad orientem posture, facing the altar of the chapel. Later in the day the Pope visited a Poor Clare convent in the nearby town of Albano, joining the cloistered nuns in prayer.
• Church leaders protest Israeli settlers' violence against Christian community (AsiaNews)
  Christian leaders in Jerusalem gathered on July 15 in the town of Taybeh, in northern Israel, to condemn escalating violence against the town’s Christian community by militant Israeli settlers. The Church leaders cited “an intensifying trend of systematic and targeted attacks” against the Christian residents, demanding an effective response from the Israeli government. The most blatant violence occurred on July 7, when settlers set fire to the ancient Church of St. George and its cemetery. “These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community first and foremost, but also to the historic and religious heritage of our ancestors and holy sites,” proclaimed the Church leaders. The statement was signed by Catholic Patriarch Pietro Pizzaballa, Orthodox Patriarch Theopilos III, and representatives of the Armenian, Lutheran, and Anglican communities. King Abdullah of Jordan added a separate condemnation of the “brutal attacks,” calling for “an immediate and firm international position.” Christian prelates complained that the Israeli government has ignored the violence by extremists. Asked whether he anticipated a government response now, Cardinal Pizzaballa said: “I doubt it, but I hope so.”
• Guam archbishop tells Pope: 'we are sinking!' (Pacific Daily News)
  Archbishop Ryan Jimenez of Agana, Guam, reports that during a private audience with Pope Leo XIV he stressed the urgency of climate-change concerns in Oceania. The archbishop said that he had convey a message from other bishops in the region: “Please tell the Holy Father that we are sinking in Tuvalu.” Natives of the Pacific island nation are migrating to Australia, he said. “With the effects of climate change, the rising sea levels, people are forced to leave their homes and move to another place.”
• Polish cardinal denounces anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial (CWN)
  Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś of Łódź, the chairman of the Polish bishops’ Committee for Dialogue with Judaism, issued a brief statement on anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.
• US dioceses vary widely on baptism rates (Zenit)
  In a detailed look at baptism statistics for US dioceses, the Zenit news agency finds the Archdiocese of Los Angeles clearly in the lead with over 46,000 baptisms last year, easily outdistancing all other dioceses. However, looking more carefully at the ratio between the number of baptisms and the number of Catholics registered in the diocese, Zenit finds a different leader: Nashville, with 1 infant baptism for every 48 Catholics. The dioceses of Tulsa, Baker (OR), Stockton (CA), Miami, Birmingham, Tyler (TX), Memphis, and Jackson (MS) all saw more than one infant baptism for every 60 Catholics. At the other end of the spectrum, several diocese listed less than one baptism for every 300 Catholics. They were: Colorado Springs, Boston, Erie (PA), Norwich, Brownsville, Galveston-Houston, Providence, and Burlington (VT).
• Leading Italian prelate reflects on Pope's invitation to make parishes 'homes of peace' (CWN)
  Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi of Bologna, the president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, reflected Pope Leo XIV’s recent invitation to make Italian parishes “homes of peace.”
• Gaza parish priest speaks of dwindling food supplies (Vatican News)
  Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of Gaza’s sole parish, spoke with Vatican News about dwindling food supplies, rare impromptu gardens, and exorbitant prices when food is available for sale. “The aid we had stored during the [Jan.-March] truce allowed us to sustain ourselves for the past few months,” he said. “But after Israel halted humanitarian aid on March 3, nothing else has arrived. Since then, we’ve had to keep what remains for ourselves—and even then, we are rationing it carefully.” “The only thing that keeps us together and gives us hope is prayer,” he added. “In this situation, the power of prayer is truly great, it is what keeps us united and prevents us from falling into despair.”
• Nigerian bishop confirms contact with kidnappers of seminarians (Fides)
  Bishop Gabriel Ghieakhomo Dunia of Auchi has confirmed that the Nigerian diocese has received a ransom demand from the gunmen who kidnapped three students from a seminary in the Edo state. “Negotiations are currently ongoing,” the bishop said. “The seminarians are still in the hands of their kidnappers.”
• Spanish bishop laments violent clashes with migrants (CWN)
  Bishop José Manuel Lorca Planes of Cartagena, Spain, issued a statement following violence in Torre-Pacheco, a town of 35,000.
• Renewed papal appeal for peace (Dicastery for Communication)
  At the conclusion of his July 13 Angelus address (CWN coverage), Pope Leo expressed hope that through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, “we will become artisans of peace every day of our lives.” “Brothers and sisters, let us not forget to pray for peace and for all those who, because of violence or war, find themselves in a state of suffering and need,” he added.
• Pope gives paten, chalice to Castel Gandolfo priest (Dicastery for Communication)
  At the conclusion of his July 13 Mass in the Pontifical Parish of St. Thomas of Villanova (CWN coverage), Pope Leo XIV gave a paten and a chalice to Castel Gandolfo’s parish priest. “I would like to present a small gift to the parish priest of this pontifical parish, in memory of our celebration today,” Pope Leo said. “The paten and chalice with which we celebrate the Eucharist are instruments of communion, and they can be an invitation to all of us to live in communion, and truly to promote this fraternity, this communion that we live in Jesus Christ.”
• USCCB committee chairman expresses 'profound solidarity' with DR Congo (USCCB)
  The chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace expressed “profound solidarity with the Bishops of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the whole Congolese people as you continue your tireless work for lasting peace and social cohesion in your country.” “We are hopeful that the peace agreement signed by the foreign ministers of the DRC and Rwanda on June 27th in Washington will serve as a tangible step towards ending the long history of violence and displacement suffered by our brothers and sisters in the East of the country,” Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, the Maronite bishop of Los Angeles, wrote in a recent letter to the chairman of the National Episcopal Conference of the Congo’s Justice and Peace Commission. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, a Central African nation of 115.4 million (map), is 95% Christian (51% Catholic), with 2% adhering to ethnic religions. Pope Francis made an apostolic journey there in 2023.
• NY Supreme Court halts payments to Buffalo abuse fund amid parish merger dispute (CNA)
  Following a lawsuit filed by laity, the New York State Supreme Court has temporary halted the transfer of funds from five parishes to the diocese toward a bankruptcy settlement. In June, the diocese announced that its parishes would contribute a collective $80 million toward the diocese’s recent $150 million bankruptcy settlement with abuse victims, and that parishes would be required to make their allotted contributions by July 15. The court’s injunction affects only the five parishes—all slated for closure—for which the laity filed the lawsuit.
• Vatican 'foreign minister' embarks upon visit to India (Vatican News)
  Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, has embarked upon a visit to India, now the world’s most populous nation. The visit’s purpose, according to the Secretariat of State, “is to consolidate and strengthen the bonds of friendship and collaboration between the Holy See and the Republic of India.” The South Asian nation of 1.4 billion (map) is 73% Hindu, 14% Muslim, 5% Christian, 3% ethnic religionist, and 2% Sikh.
• Ukrainian synod concludes in Rome (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
  The Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has concluded a ten-day meeting in Rome. Forty-six bishops gathered to discuss the “Pastoral Care for Families during Wartime.” In a July 2 audience, Pope Leo XIV offered encouragement to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic hierarchy in serving Christ in the wounded and distressed.
• Vatican newspaper draws attention to Haiti, 'the forgotten crisis' (CWN)
  L’Osservatore Romano devoted prominent front-page coverage in its July 12 edition to Haiti.
• Jesus shows us the meaning of the love necessary for eternal life, Pontiff tells pilgrims (Dicastery for Communication)
  Reflecting on Luke 10:25-27, the beginning verses of the Gospel reading of the day, Pope Leo XIV said on July 13 that “Jesus tells us that, in order to receive God’s gift [of eternal life], we must do his will. It is written in the Law: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” “Brothers and sisters, let us look to Jesus,” the Pope told pilgrims who had gathered in Castel Gandolfo for his Sunday Angelus address. “He shows us the meaning of authentic love for God and for others. It is a love that is generous, not possessive; a love that forgives without question; a love that reaches out and never abandons others.” “Each of us can and should become a neighbor to all whom we meet,” the Pope continued. “Imitating the example of Jesus, the Saviour of the world, we too are called to bring consolation and hope, above all to those who are experiencing discouragement and disappointment.”
• Detroit archbishop joins clergy, laity in procession to ICE office (Detroit Free Press)
  Archbishop Edward Weisenburger of Detroit, joined by auxiliary bishops, clergy, and laity, took part in a procession from a parish to the city’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office. “Today’s Solemn Procession was led by Catholic clergy and women religious, and leaders from our 25 parishes across Metro Detroit—people of deep faith who firmly believe in human dignity for all and the gospel call to ‘Welcome the Stranger,’” stated Strangers No Longer, the group that organized the event. Sister Rebecca Vonderhaar told fellow marchers that “many of our brothers and sisters and their families have proven their innate goodness. They have been so unjustly treated by raids and mass deportations. Let us know that apathy is never an option, but trust with faith, goodwill and a bit of advocacy will bear fruit.”
• Imitate Christ and show compassion to others, Pope Leo preaches in homily on the Good Samaritan (Dicastery for Communication)
  Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in the Pontifical Parish of St. Thomas of Villanova at Castel Gandolfo on July 13 and preached on the parable of the Good Samaritan. “The parable speaks to us first about God’s way of seeing us, so that we in turn can learn how to see situations and people with his eyes, so full of love and compassion,” Pope Leo preached. “The Good Samaritan is really a figure of Jesus, the eternal Son whom the Father sent into our history precisely because he regarded humanity with compassion and did not walk by.” The Pope concluded: Looking without walking by, halting the frantic pace of our lives, allowing the lives of others, whoever they may be, with their needs and troubles, to touch our heart. That is what makes us neighbors to one another, what generates true fraternity and breaks down walls and barriers. In the end, love prevails, and proves more powerful than evil and death. Dear friends, let us look to Christ, the Good Samaritan. Let us listen again today to his voice. For he says to each of us, “Go and do likewise.”
• Canonist, in L'Osservatore Romano, calls for wholesale 'synodal' revision of canon law (CWN)
  Writing in the Vatican newspaper, a canon law professor argued for a wholesale “synodal” revision of the Code of Canon Law.
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