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July 2017

July 18

Philippine bishops' conference picks new leader from troubled south region

July 18, 2017

MANILA, Philippines – The new president-elect of Philippine bishops' conference is an archbishop from the troubled southern region currently dealing with Islamic insurgeny.

Indian church leaders protest vigilante killings to protect sacred cows

July 18, 2017

COCHIN, India – The Catholic church in India criticized growing intolerance and mob violence targeting religious minorities over cow protection.

Two priests kidnapped in Congo's troubled North Kivu province

July 18, 2017

ARU, Congo – Armed men kidnapped two Catholic priests in the troubled North Kivu province.

MP launches e-petition to protect clergy and worship service

July 18, 2017

OTTAWA – Conservative MP Tom Kmiec has launched an e-petition to urge the Liberal government to keep legal sanctions against disrupting worship services or obstructing clergy.

Texas bishop denounces hateful words, militarization of border

July 18, 2017

WASHINGTON – Denouncing the "demonization of migrants," hateful rhetoric, the militarization of the border and a system that divides families, Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, called on Catholics to heed the church's teachings to welcome the migrant.

Trial begins for ex-Vatican officials accused of stealing hospital funds

July 18, 2017

VATICAN CITY – Two former top Vatican hospital officials appeared before a Vatican court for a pretrial hearing on allegations of embezzlement.

Work together in small steps to fix current health legislation, Catholic leaders say

July 18, 2017

WASHINGTON – After efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act collapsed late July 17 in the U.S. Senate, Catholic health care leaders said they hope Congress will work together, in small steps, to fix flaws in the current legislation.

Famine relief campaign hits $3.8 million with matching funds

July 18, 2017

An interfaith donation blitz on behalf of 20 million people threatened with famine in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen has resulted in $3.8 million headed overseas in the name of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace.

July 19

Religious leaders often in best position to fight extremism: Vatican's UN nuncio

July 19, 2017

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Religious leaders, not secularists, are often in the best position to persuade violent religious extremists towards peace, the papal nuncio to the United Nations has said in response to an effort to prevent atrocities.

Facebook restores blocked Catholic pages, citing malfunction

July 19, 2017

DENVER, Col. – Facebook has restored more than 20 Catholic pages in Portuguese and English that were blocked yesterday, citing a malfunction in the system.

Sierra Leone bishops say citizen action for peace key to 2018 elections

July 19, 2017

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – Catholic bishops in Sierra Leone called on citizens to refrain from actions to destabilize the West African nation and to come together before next year's elections in the same spirit that helped end the country's civil war and overcome its Ebola epidemic.

Cameroon bishops take legal action over prelate's suspicious death

July 19, 2017

YAOUNDE, Cameroon – The bishops' conference of Cameroon launched a private lawsuit over the alleged murder of Bishop Jean-Marie Benoit Bala of Bafia, whose body was found floating in a river in June.

Faith: Training for kingdom of God

July 19, 2017

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 30 (Year A) 1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52 Imagine a supernatural being offering to grant us whatever we ask. This has been a recurrent theme in legends and mythology.

Report: Hundreds of boys abused at German choir school

July 19, 2017

BERLIN – At least 547 members of a prestigious Catholic boys' choir in Germany were physically or sexually abused between 1945 and 1992, according to a report released Tuesday.

Archbishop Chaput: Civilta Cattolica got American Christianity wrong

July 19, 2017

PHILADELPHIA – A prominent Catholic journal’s critique of American religion and politics got quite a bit wrong, Philadelphia’s Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said yesterday.

Presentation Manor retirement residence appoints executive director

July 19, 2017

Presentation Manor, a major new experiment in Catholic senior living, now has an executive director. Gord Perrault takes the reins of the 229-unit eldercare residence on Aug. 1.

Pope Francis calls up garbage collector who lost legs in accident

July 19, 2017

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Maximiliano Acuña is a garbage collector in Buenos Aires who earlier this year was injured in a serious accident that left him without legs.

Church leaders in China remain open to dialogue with Vatican

July 19, 2017

FUZHOU, China – As the Catholic Church in China journeys toward a normalized relationship with the Holy See, one priest in dialogue with Chinese bishops has seen vast improvement in openness and dialogue on the part of leaders, both in the patriotic and underground Churches.

U.S. migrant advocates show support for border bishop's call for solidarity

July 19, 2017

WASHINGTON – Following a conversation involving a border bishop and Catholic leaders, migrant advocates from around the U.S. got behind a July 18 pastoral letter issued by the bishop of the Diocese of El Paso calling for a stop to militarization along the border with Mexico and showing compassion for migrants.

July 20

Charlie Gard's family granted permanent U.S. residency

July 20, 2017

WASHINGTON – Amid the Gard family's legal battle in the U.K. to pursue experimental treatment for their infant son, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation granting them permanent residency in the states.