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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 8, 2024 / 18:06 pm (CNA).

U.S. track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who broke her own world record and won the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles event at the Olympics in Paris on Thursday, has often credited her success to God.

After having dominated the competition in the U.S. Olympic trials earlier this year and qualifying for the Paris games, McLaughlin-Levrone shared both her amazement in and gratitude to God.

"Honestly, praise God! I was not expecting that, but he can do anything," she shared at the time. "Anything is possible in Christ. So yeah, I'm just amazed, baffled, and in shock."

McLaughlin-Levrone, a devout Christian who attended Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, often references Scripture and gives thanks to God in interviews and across social media.

Sister Percylee Hart, McLaughlin-Levrone's former principal at Union Catholic, spoke with CNA in 2022 about her pride in her former student, stating that the track star had "stepped up to the call to be that instrument for faith on the biggest stage in the world."

"Her spontaneity at the end of her victory when she praised God and gave all the glory to God translates to me that she is God's instrument for being a power for good worldwide," Hart continued. "We are all called to become all God calls us to be, and be good people, and Sydney models that, and affirms that with her messages about faith."

Further sharing her faith life, the three-time Olympic medalist released her memoir in January of this year, titled "Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith." Throughout the book, McLaughlin-Levrone details her past experiences of struggling with anxiety and perfection while also highlighting the ways she glorifies God both on and off the track.

"As a Christian, I now existed to glorify God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Matthew 5:16). At the beginning of 2021, I was learning all the way my life wasn't about me. It was about showing the world God's power, wisdom, kindness, love, and forgiveness," she wrote. "There were a bunch of different ways to do that. Off the track, I could do that by serving others, putting their needs before mine, and being excited when God did a remarkable work in their lives (Philippians 2:3-4)."

McLaughlin-Levrone shared how she glorifies God on the track by "running with all my mind and body," because running "was the gift God gave me to use, and by using it to the best of my ability and humbly redirecting the attention to him, he would be glorified."

Citing the movie "Chariots of Fire," which tells the story of Christian sprinter Eric Liddell, McLaughlin-Levrone also acknowledged how "[God] takes pleasure in us doing what we were made for. And win, lose, or draw, to run the race well is to glorify him."

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Vatican City, Aug 8, 2024 / 11:34 am (CNA).

The Vatican has approved devotion at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Health in Vailankanni, India, the site of reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the 16th century.  

One month before the Sept. 8 feast day of Our Lady of Good Health in India, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) confirmed in a letter to Bishop Sagayaraj Thamburaj of Thanjavur that the action of God is present at the shrine.

"Through the centuries, Mary has continued to act in this place," DDF prefect Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández wrote. "The millions of pilgrims who travel here out of faith, and the many spiritual fruits that are produced at this shrine, make us recognize the constant action of the Holy Spirit in this place.

According to a Thanjavur tourism website, approximately 20 million pilgrims from India and abroad visit the shrine each year, 3 million of whom visit during the 11-day festival held Aug. 29 to Sept. 8 in honor of Our Lady of Good Health. 

Devotion to Our Lady of Good Health began in the late 16th century following three different oral accounts of the apparition of the Virgin Mary in Vailankanni, a town in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. 

The first apparition account of the Virgin Mary acknowledged by the DDF is that of a local shepherd boy who, upon seeing the beautiful woman, offered the milk he was carrying with him for the child in her arms.

"This was an expression of the generosity of those who are willing to give something to others, in their own poverty. You do not need to have much in order to be generous. May this call to share, to assist, to be close to those who need us always resonate in this place," the Aug. 1 letter reads. 

The DDF also specifically recognized the account of Portuguese merchant sailors who landed safely in Vailankanni after a violent storm at sea on Sept. 8, 1650. That day, which was also the feast of the Nativity of Mary, the sailors vowed to build a church in thanksgiving to Our Lady of Good Health.

More than 300 years after the construction of the original church, St. John XXIII raised the Marian shrine to the status of basilica on Nov. 3, 1962.

In 2002, Pope John Paul II celebrated the annual World Day of the Sick at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Health.

In the letter to the bishop of Thanjavur, Fernández said Pope Francis "extends his paternal blessings to all pilgrims" ahead of the shrine's Sept. 8 feast day. 

"The Holy Father cares a lot about the popular piety of the faithful pilgrims, because they reflect the beauty of the Church on the move, which seeks Jesus in the arms of Mary and entrusts its pain and hope to the heart of his mother," Fernández wrote.

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CNA Staff, Aug 8, 2024 / 13:26 pm (CNA).

A priest arrested for possession of child pornography and accused of multiple other sex crimes is being held in Texas on a massive bond as police reportedly fear he may flee the United States amid the charges. 

Police arrested Father Anthony Odiong in Florida last month. The Waco Police Department said in a Facebook post that officers arrested Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with help from the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Waco police said that in March they had received "credible information" regarding a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. During the subsequent investigation, "a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered," the police said. 

Odiong was extradited to Texas this week to face child porn charges as well as sex abuse charges in McLennan County, which is located in the Diocese of Austin. The 55-year-old priest reportedly waived a challenge to extradition after his Florida arrest. 

The accused clergyman is being held on a $2.5 million bond, according to local Waco news station KWTX. 

Arrest warrants reportedly show that police fear Odiong has "access to immense amounts of money, contacts with money who follow him and provide heavily through financial means, and access to passports and multiple avenues to flee the country."

Waco police reportedly said in an affidavit that after his arrest Odiong "received phone calls in jail from supporters who told him that regardless of the cost, his release from jail on bail will be facilitated," the Texas news network said. 

Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed from his pastorship in December of last year amid controversy over homilies in which he alleged among other things that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays."

At that time the priest was also facing allegations of abusive behavior; a Louisiana woman had alleged in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. 

In Texas, meanwhile, nearly 10 women have reportedly come forward with accusations of sexual abuse against Odiong. The alleged assaults allegedly occurred between 2007 and 2023. 

Austin Bishop Joe Vásquez said in a letter to his diocese last month that the allegations against Odiong were "disturbing and truly sad." 

The diocese "will fully cooperate with local law enforcement as they investigate these allegations," the bishop said. 

It is unclear, meanwhile, why Odiong was in Florida at the time of his arrest last month. 

The Diocese of Venice in Florida told local news station WBBH last month that Odiong had "no association" with the Florida diocese.

"He has never been granted permission to celebrate Mass within the diocese, nor was he ever given faculties to function as a priest here in any way," the diocese said, adding that officials were "not aware of Father Odiong's presence in Ave Maria, Florida" until news broke of his arrest. 

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 8, 2024 / 13:56 pm (CNA).

Here's a roundup of pro-life-related developments in the U.S. this week. 

New York Planned Parenthood scales back abortion

Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) announced on Wednesday that "amid compounding financial and political challenges" it will stop offering abortions after 20 weeks.

The abortion giant also announced a proposed closure of four locations in Goshen, Amsterdam, Cobleskill, and Staten Island.

Among the reasons cited by the abortion business was a state budget that "fell short of responding to the needs of sexual and reproductive health care providers."

Other reasons listed were growing operating expenses, unreliable insurer reimbursements, ongoing pandemic recovery, and a "hostile political landscape."

The pause on abortions past 20 weeks will go into effect on Sept. 3. It is temporary, according to the announcement. Planned Parenthood said that it "simply cannot afford" the deep sedation pain management services necessary for late-term abortions.

Planned Parenthood said that it is "fully committed to resuming procedural abortion later in pregnancy in the near future."

Wendy Stark, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, said the abortion business is "in the difficult position of navigating financial challenges that are part of the overarching health care crisis in the United States."

She said PPGNY will "continue to make long-term investments in our future and for reproductive freedom by advocating for higher reimbursement rates from Medicaid and private insurers."

Abortion is currently legal in New York through all nine months of pregnancy.

Arizona Supreme Court to decide if abortion amendment is too misleading

Arizona Judge Melissa Julian at the Maricopa County Superior Court this week rejected an attempt to invalidate a broad abortion amendment set to be on the November ballot.

Arizona Right to Life (AZRTL) has said it will appeal the ruling to the Arizona Supreme Court, meaning the state's high court will have the final say on whether the abortion amendment will be included on the ballot.

The pro-life group is suing to have the amendment removed from the ballot, arguing that the language used in the proposal is "misleading" and fails to provide an adequate explanation of what the amendment would do if passed.

AZRTL is also arguing that Arizona for Abortion Access, the group that gathered the 823,685 signatures to have the amendment added to the ballot, misled signees about what the amendment would do.

The group claims that it has received "many texts and calls" from people who "wanted to retract their signatures" after learning that the amendment would enshrine a right to abortion both before and after fetal viability.

This comes as the Arizona Supreme Court issued a separate order on Aug. 5 to delay until Sept. 23 the enforcement of the state's law protecting life from conception.

The Arizona Supreme Court is also set to rule on Arizona for Abortion Access' request to remove the term "unborn human being" from the state-approved amendment explainer.

If passed, the Arizona abortion amendment would ban state laws protecting unborn life before viability or after viability if determined necessary to protect the life or health of the mother. Abortion is currently legal in Arizona until 15 weeks of pregnancy.

1 in 5 abortions administered through telehealth

A new report by the pro-abortion Society of Family Planning found that nearly 1 in 5 abortions are administered via remote telehealth appointments and mail-order abortion pills.

The report said that despite several states enacting pro-life laws, the overall national monthly abortion volume has increased. This rise has been spurred in part by a continued increase in telehealth abortions.

The report said that in the most recent months in the study period, October through December 2023, there was a national average of nearly 17,000 telehealth abortions per month, with 5,800 occurring in states with laws protecting life at conception or six weeks and 2,000 occurring in states with restrictions on telehealth abortion.

South Dakota Supreme Court allows challenge to abortion amendment to proceed

The Supreme Court of South Dakota reversed a lower court's ruling to allow a challenge to a broad abortion amendment to proceed.

Judge John Pekas of the Second Judicial Circuit Court of South Dakota had dismissed the lawsuit, which was brought on by a pro-life group called Life Defense Fund. 

However, after the Life Defense Fund appealed, the state Supreme Court brought new life to the suit by reversing the dismissal and sending the case back to lower court for further proceedings.

South Dakota currently protects unborn life starting at conception and allows abortion only when the mother's life is at risk. 

If passed, the amendment would change the state constitution to ban any restrictions on abortion if the mother's life or health is in danger as well as ban any restrictions in the first trimester and most restrictions in the second trimester.

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CNA Staff, Aug 8, 2024 / 14:46 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis sent a message of support to the Knights of Columbus annual convention taking place in Quebec, Canada, this week, expressing his "profound gratitude" to the Catholic fraternal group for its "concrete witness to the faith that works through love."

In the letter sent on the pope's behalf by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Francis said the Knights' theme for this year's annual convention, "On Mission," is close to his heart and a good reminder that every Christian is called to be a missionary "to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus."

The men's charitable group, founded by Blessed Michael McGivney, "from its origins, has devoted great attention to the formation of its members as men of faith and family," the pope said. 

"Over the generations, the Knights have worked for the strengthening of family life through programs of catechesis and spiritual growth, borne public witness to the centrality of the family as the fundamental cell of society, and supported a variety of initiatives to support families in their indispensable social and educational mission," he continued, mentioning in a special way the Knights' "Cor" initiative aimed at deepening the faith of Catholic men. 

"This historic commitment has included a particular concern for passing on the faith to new generations, instilling sound values and accompanying the young in their growth to maturity as men and women of integrity, wisdom, and service to the communities in which they live."

Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly announced at the meeting that the Knights, which now claims over 2 million members worldwide, spent more than 47 million hours "serving and sacrificing for the sake of others" and set a new record for charitable giving last year at $190 million.

"Together with the charitable activities of its local councils worldwide, your order continues to give outstanding support and encouragement to efforts to defend God's gift of life at every stage of its development, to uphold the dignity of the institution of marriage, and to advance the mission of the Church in developing countries," the pope wrote. 

The pope also praised the Knights' efforts at rebuilding and restoring Christian communities in the Middle East devastated by persecution as well as efforts to help the poor affected by the war in Ukraine. As of earlier this year, the Knights say they have raised $22 million and delivered 7.7 million pounds of supplies to victims of the ongoing war.

He also mentioned the group's "impressive witness" to faith in Christ through its recent promotion of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, a nationwide effort from May to July to walk a collective 6,500 miles with the Eucharist and inviting tens of thousands of Catholics to participate along the way. The pilgrimage culminated at the National Eucharistic Congress in mid-July.

The restoration of the historic baldacchino above the altar at St. Peter's Basilica is underway, funded by the Knights, the pope noted. The restoration of the baldacchino is being done to coincide with the start of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.

"His Holiness prays that the graces of the Holy Year will be poured out in abundance on the Knights and their families as they strive to fulfill their baptismal mission to be a leaven of peace and holiness in our human family, weary of war and yearning for the peace that only Christ can give," the pope wrote. 

The pontiff concluded by entrusting the Knights to the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and said he "cordially imparts to the Knights and their families his blessing as a pledge of joy and peace in the Lord."

The Knights' 142nd Supreme Convention closed today with Mass and a final business session.

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CNA Staff, Aug 8, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Two recently launched advertising campaigns illustrate part of the epic clash between the culture of life and the culture of death taking place in this year's U.S. elections.

Students for Life of America (SFLA), a group that trains and supports pro-life advocates on college and high school campuses, kicked off this summer the launch if its "Almost Aborted" campaign, highlighting the stories of people who survived abortions, were conceived in rape, or had genetic abnormalities in utero as well as women who were pressured to abort.

SFLA organizers indicated the campaign is in "direct response" to a $200 million pro-abortion American Bridge advertisement campaign on abortion targeting swing voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin for the upcoming 2024 election.

SFLA's videos and billboards share the stories of people such as Josiah, an abortion survivor who has a deformed left arm because of an attempted abortion, and Rebecca, who was conceived in rape. Launched in Times Square in New York in June, the campaign features digital and billboard advertising focused on battleground states of Florida, Nebraska, South Dakota, Missouri, and Arizona.

The SFLA Almost Aborted campaign is the organization's "largest to date," so far reaching a digital audience of 8.1 million, with more than 5.1 million views since its launch. In addition, to date the organization's billboard campaign is estimated to have reached 18.5 million Americans.

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also announced it is in the midst of a seven-figure advertising campaign for "abortion rights" in Wisconsin.

The ACLU, along with ACLU of Wisconsin, announced on Aug. 5 a $1.75 million campaign to "inform voters about the candidates' positions on abortion rights in the upcoming 2024 U.S. Senate race and state legislative races across the state."

"The ACLU is engaging in these races because there's too much at stake in this election — most notably the right to essential, lifesaving health care," said Esete Assefa, chief political adviser at the ACLU, in an Aug. 5 press release.

The Wisconsin campaign is just a part of the ACLU's $25 million effort "to safeguard and advance fundamental rights during the 2024 election, with a laser focus on protecting and expanding abortion and voting rights up and down the ballot."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 8, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

On Aug. 7, Pope Francis resumed general audiences at the Vatican after a brief and normal pause during the month of July. The following is an explanation of the nature and purpose of these encounters with the Holy Father.

An important weekly event, the general audience takes place every Wednesday. Together with the Sunday Angelus and the principal celebrations of the liturgical year, they represent the spiritual heart of Pope Francis' Petrine teaching.

The audiences draw people from all over the world, including non-Catholics, and give the pope the opportunity to share an often simple but profound catechesis on the Christian faith. They typically take place in St. Peter's Square or in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall.

Since 2013, the first year of his pontificate, Pope Francis has given more than 300 of these short catechetical talks in which he proposes in a simple way the fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church.

The themes of the catechesis have included the sacraments, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Church, the family, mercy, Christian hope, Mass, baptism, confirmation, the commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the Acts of the Apostles, the Beatitudes, and prayer, among others.

At the end of the catechesis, the pope usually dedicates a few minutes to making appeals to humanity. In these appeals, he often calls for peace in places ravaged by war; asks for prayers for Christians in the world, in particular for those suffering persecution; and for peoples struck by natural disasters, epidemics, or incidents as well as for migrants.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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CNA Staff, Aug 7, 2024 / 18:08 pm (CNA).

An IHOP restaurant in North Carolina will pay $40,000 to a former employee who was forced in 2021 to work on Sundays in violation of his religious beliefs. 

The settlement was announced Aug. 6 by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency tasked with enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, which had filed a lawsuit on the employee's behalf in 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

According to the lawsuit, the defendant was hired as a cook at an IHOP location in Charlotte in January 2021. 

"At the time of hire, the employee requested and was granted a religious accommodation of not working on Sundays to honor his religious observances," the Aug. 6 announcement says. 

"After a change in management in April 2021, the new general manager expressed hostility toward the accommodation and required the employee to work on Sunday, April 25, and Sunday, May 9. After the employee told the general manager that due to his religious beliefs, he would no longer work on Sundays, the general manager fired him."

The general manager was also alleged to have made comments to other employees such as "religion should not take precedence over [the employee's] job" and that the employee supposedly "thinks it is more important to go to church than to pay his bills."

Such conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which provides for religious accommodations in the workplace and protects individuals from religious discrimination and retaliation, the EEOC noted.

Under the two-year consent decree resolving the lawsuit, Suncakes — the franchise owner of several dozen IHOP restaurants in the region — will pay $40,000 in monetary damages to the employee, provide annual training to managers on the provisions of Title VII, post a notice to employees about the settlement, and revise its current policies to expressly include protection for religious accommodations. 

The revised policy will be posted in all 17 IHOP locations operated by Suncakes in North Carolina, the announcement says. 

The ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina follows a unanimous June 2023 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of a Christian postal worker who says he was targeted and disciplined by his employer for refusing to work on Sundays because of his religious beliefs. In that ruling, the high court rejected an interpretation of federal law that has been used to deny employees' religious accommodation requests if they present more than a "trivial cost" to the employer. 

Legal observers hailed that ruling as a "landmark decision" and "a win for the little guy," while the U.S. Catholic bishops said the ruling "breathed life back into a major civil rights law meant to prevent discrimination by employers against people of faith in the workplace."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 7, 2024 / 15:38 pm (CNA).

At least nine Catholic priests have been "violently" abducted by the dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, in Nicaragua since July 26, lawyer and researcher Martha Patricia Molina reported. These priests "remain under total surveillance" by the National Police, she added.

Molina, author of the report "Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church?", shared on X Aug. 5 a list of priests "abducted by the Sandinista dictatorship."

There are at least nine: Monsignor Ulises Vega Matamoros, Monsignor Edgar Sacasa Sierra, Father Víctor Godoy, Father Jairo Pravia Flores, Father Marlon Velásquez, Father Jarvin Torrez, and Father Raúl Villegas, all of them from the clergy of the Diocese of Matagalpa; Friar Silvio Romero from the Diocese of Juigalpa; and Father Frutos Constantino Valle Salmerón from the Diocese of Estelí.

In an Aug. 6 statement to ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, the Nicaraguan researcher reported that Father Salvador López of the Diocese of Matagalpa is missing, although it is not known precisely if he was also abducted by the authorities or if he tried to escape the country.

Nicaraguan media, such as Despacho505, reported on the arrest of three other priests — Father Antonio López, Father Francisco Tercero, and Fray Ramón Morras — as well as Deacon Ervin Aguirre.

Molina said the arrests began on July 26 when Valle, administrator "ad omnia" of the Diocese of Estelí, was "abducted, interrogated," and placed under surveillance in a Catholic Church formation house.

The lawyer stated the other priests were arrested days later without any formal accusation by the authorities, since "they have not committed any crime."

She further noted that the priests "were violently abducted and taken from their rectories in the middle of the night" and that in some cases "the property was raided and technological items were stolen."

The lawyers said the motive for these arrests could be because Murillo and Ortega "hate everything that has to do with religion, with the Catholic faith, and mainly with the Diocese of Matagalpa, where almost the majority of these priests who were abducted belong."

Matagalpa is the diocese of Bishop Rolando Álvarez, a human rights defender and critic of the dictatorship who was kept under house arrest for months and eventually sentenced to 26 years in prison in a controversial judicial process. He was deported in January to Rome, where he now lives in exile.

The researcher also suggested that the arrests could be "revenge" against Álvarez, "who, despite having remained silent since leaving prison, is considered by the dictatorship to be its main enemy."

Molina pointed out that all the priests are under de facto arrest, since "there is no order from a judge stating that they are under house arrest. They are all unable to leave and unable to carry out their daily activities, as they had been doing in their respective parishes."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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ACI MENA, Aug 7, 2024 / 11:21 am (CNA).

Ten years have passed since the night that changed everything for the residents of Karamlesh, a small town in northern Iraq. For Father Martin Banni, pastor of St. Korkis Chaldean Church, the memories of that traumatic day remain vivid.

Banni revisited the events of Aug. 6, 2014, in a recent interview with ACI Mena, CNA's Arabic-language news partner. Residents of Karamlesh, a town in the Nineveh Valley, on that day woke to the sound of bombardment and tragic news: a woman and two children had been killed in Qaraqosh. Panic spread as people fled, seeking safety from an unknown threat.

"Amid growing fear and the sound of exchanges between security forces and ISIS fighters, we took refuge in the church," Banni recounted. "We held prayers for the feast of the Transfiguration and celebrated Mass, even as ISIS was just 20 minutes away."

"At that time, I was with Bishop Boulos Thabet, then pastor of the Karamlesh church," Banni continued. "I was still a seminarian, preparing for the priesthood. As we moved through town trying to reassure people, we received alarming news at 10 p.m.: ISIS had captured Tel Keppe, the first Christian village to fall. Tel Keppe, about eight miles northeast of Mosul in the Nineveh Governorate, marked a significant advance for the militants. Caught between uncertainty and caution, Church authorities ordered an evacuation to Erbil. Fear gripped the community as ISIS drew nearer and security forces withdrew, leaving us exposed to the terrorist threat," he added.

"We rang the church bells as a warning," Banni continued. "We sent people to alert the sick and elderly that church vehicles would transport them. Under gunfire, we gathered important church documents and sacred vessels, preparing to leave."

For Banni, the night holds deep significance. "The Body of Christ became my companion in two of life's most crucial moments," he said. 

"God blessed me with the gift of taking the Eucharist from our church that night. It remained with us throughout our exodus, safe from desecration by ISIS."

Then, upon Karamlesh's liberation, Banni was the first to return with the Eucharist. 

"I also thank God for being the first one to bring the Most Holy Body to my town. This sacrament accompanied me through exodus and return," he said. "I walked through town, blessing its churches, homes, and people with the Most Holy Body."

The priest sees divine providence in these events. 

"The Eucharist amplified my hope of return," he stated. "God's hand sustained us through our trials, just as it protected the Israelites following Moses across the Red Sea. This blessing fortified our resolve to rebuild, knowing God's protection surrounds us."

Banni called for prayers for Iraq's Christians. He asserted that persecution has only strengthened the Church's resolve and the faith of its members. Echoing Pope Francis' words from a recent visit, he affirmed: "The Church of Iraq is truly alive, and Christ lives among his people, working miracles through them."

This article was first published by ACI Mena, CNA's Arabic-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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