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CNA Staff, Jul 21, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

In the heart of New York City, nestled among the tall buildings of Times Square, sits a small tattoo shop with two 17-inch signs of the Miraculous Medal hanging outside the front door. Inside, walls of rosaries, crucifixes, and religious images greet visitors, while an old church pew serves as a place to sit and wait. A glass jar filled with blessed Miraculous Medals sits on the front desk. 

The tattoo parlor, Times Square Tattoo, is more than a tattoo parlor, according to owner Tommy Houlihan, who has a deep devotion to the Miraculous Medal and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The 55-year-old told CNA that he views his shop as a "ministry for the Miraculous Medal."

Houlihan has been a tattoo artist since 1990. He grew up in a Catholic household in Hell's Kitchen, a neighborhood on the west side of midtown Manhattan, and by the age of 18 began his career in body art.

In the early years of his tattoo career, Houlihan shared that he was making a lot of money — he wore expensive jewelry and tailored clothes, went to steakhouses every night, and "lived like a rock star."

"That's all gone now," he said. "It's all gone because I went and really cracked down on my faith."

About five years ago, Houlihan returned to the Catholic faith. A big factor was the powerful testimony of Zachary King, a former Satanist who had a powerful conversion to Catholicism after an encounter with the Miraculous Medal, a sacramental based on the vision of a French nun in 1830. St. Catherine Labouré, a young sister at the time, was instructed in an apparition of the Virgin Mary to have a special medal cast. Originally called the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, it became better known as the "Miraculous Medal."

After hearing King's testimony, Houlihan began digging deeper into his faith and praying about what he should do with his tattoo shop. He also spoke to several priests, some of whom were exorcists, about his struggle of wanting to keep his tattoo shop open but also honoring his faith.

In one of his conversations, Houlihan told the priest about the kinds of places around his shop — a Wiccan coven to his right, a Masonic temple to his left, and a church of Scientology across the street — describing it as being "in a den of vipers." The priest told Houlihan that he was the "antivenom." This response moved Houlihan to hand his shop over to the Blessed Mother.

"I work almost exclusively on tourists from all over the world," Houlihan explained. "And every single person that comes in my shop gets a medal when they first walk in. And then they fly back to France, Germany, Argentina, Canada, wherever they're going back to, so that makes us a worldwide ministry."

Houlihan has implemented strict guidelines for the type of work he and his employees do.

Some of the images that Houlihan's shop declines to do include Satanic symbols, zodiac signs, anything related to witchcraft or sorcery (including shows like "Wicked" or "Harry Potter"), anything that desecrates a sacred image, anything related to the LGBT "pride" movement, and other things. He says he will also not tattoo on places on the body that are primarily meant to sexualize the individual.

"I cannot attach myself to anything in the occult and I can't put that image on you. One day I got to answer for that," he said.

Despite turning down many requests and handing out Miraculous Medals to those who are religious or not, Houlihan pointed out that "almost everybody gives a positive reaction."

"I think 60% of the people react really favorably; I'd say maybe 30% are indifferent. But I do get some that don't want it or people [who] are outright hostile to it," he said.

When asked how his guidelines have impacted the business, Houlihan said: "I definitely took a hit, but the Blessed Mother's making sure that I make enough money to get by."

Seeing his tattoo shop as a ministry, Houlihan said he hopes those he encounters experience a change in their lives and in their faith.

"I hope they have an instant conversion," he shared. "And if they're a bad Catholic, [that] they become a good Catholic, and if they're a good Catholic, [that] they become a great Catholic."

He added that not only has his shop helped to keep his own faith "in line," but it has also given him a way to evangelize and to "give the word of God" to all those who visit. 

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Rome Newsroom, Jul 21, 2025 / 06:30 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV marked the 56th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing with a video call to U.S. astronaut Buzz Aldrin and a visit to the Vatican Observatory, located on the papal estate of Castel Gandolfo, where he has been staying for two weeks.

According to the Vatican, the pontiff's July 20 call with the 95-year-old Buzz Aldrin, the last surviving Apollo 11 crew member, included reminiscing on the historic 1969 landing and meditating together on the "mystery, greatness, and fragility" of God's creation as described in Psalm 8.

Earlier in the day, Leo visited the Vatican's internationally-recognized observatory, called the Specola Vaticana, where he was able to look through the astronomical center's historic telescopes.

The Vatican Observatory has been located on the papal estate of Castel Gandolfo, around 18 miles southeast of Rome, since the 1930s, but the history of the institution dates to the 18th century. After several years of closure in the late 1800s, Leo's predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, re-founded the observatory in 1891.

In 1993, the Vatican Observatory Research Group (VORG), which opened a second research center at the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1981, completed construction of the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope in Mount Graham, Arizona.

Pope Leo has been taking a break from the heat of Rome with a sojourn at the lakeside town of Castel Gandolfo, a revival of a tradition last observed by Pope Benedict XVI. The pontiff's stay was originally expected to end July 20, but the Vatican announced Sunday that Leo had extended the two-week stay an additional two days, through July 22.

A pope close to science

On June 16, Pope Leo XIV, who holds a degree in mathematics from the University of Villanova, expressed his appreciation for astronomy when he received the participants of this year's Vatican Observatory Summer School.

On that occasion, he asked the young scientists to never forget "that what they do is meant to benefit everyone."

"Be generous in sharing what you learn and what you experience, to the best of your ability and in any way possible," he added.

The pope also urged them not to hesitate to share "the joy and wonder born of your contemplation of the 'seeds' which, in the words of St. Augustine, God has sown in the harmony of the universe."

This summer program, held every two years, brings together young astronomers from different countries. The most recent edition hosted 24 students from 22 nations under the theme: "Exploring the Universe with the James Webb Space Telescope," an instrument that has revolutionized astronomical observation since 2022.

During his meeting with astronomy students, Pope Leo highlighted the importance of the advances made by the telescope: "For the first time we can deeply observe the atmosphere of exoplanets where life may be developing, and study the nebulae where the planetary systems themselves are forming", as well as trace "the ancient light of distant galaxies, which speaks of the very beginning of our universe".

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Vancouver, Canada, Jul 21, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Nestled within Whistler's many snow-covered peaks, Our Lady of the Mountains Parish finds itself just months away from the grand opening of its newly renovated church, a multimillion-dollar restoration project five years in the making, which is set to embrace the town's historic alpine atmosphere.

As the only Catholic church in the popular British Columbia resort town in the Coastal Mountains north of Vancouver, Our Lady of the Mountains' transformation will see what was once no more than a quaint multipurpose hall become a fully functional sacred space for prayer, service, and evangelization as well as a visual testament to the community's steadfast faith and perseverance.

Whistler is part of the Diocese of Kamloops but has long been a spiritual home for many Catholics in the wider region who flock there for vacation.

Whistler welcomes around 3 million visitors each year — about 45% in winter and 55% in summer — so thousands of Catholics are served by the parish during ski weekends and summer getaways.

In early 2020, Our Lady of the Mountains launched an ambitious campaign to build a larger church, beginning with a vision that pastor Father Andrew L'Heureux called "a dream." From the start, parishioners said they felt God walking with them through each challenge and triumph.

The project was spearheaded by Andy Szocs, a parishioner since the late 1970s and fundraising lead for the project. Szocs took on much of the fundraising himself, leveraging his network and experience from renovating a 250-year-old church in Hungary in 2010 to contribute toward the project's $6.7 million target.

"I know the value of building a church up, and I saw this as a similar opportunity back at home," the 85-year-old said. "It has been quite the challenge, and we had to rely on the Holy Spirit a lot. I would go to bed at night with all these challenges about where I would find this money, and I said to the Holy Spirit that I needed some answers. It happened so many times, it has to be divine providence."

"Standing inside the new church is awe-inspiring," L'Heureux wrote in a letter to parishioners this month. "It offers more than beauty — it is a sign of hope, unity, and the bright future of our parish."

The journey hasn't been without obstacles. Unexpected soil conditions, design refinements, and inflation pushed the original budget from $5.5 million to $6.7 million. After reaching the initial goal, the parish needed to urgently raise an additional $1.2 million. In June, an existing donor, along with partners and friends, stepped forward to close the gap.

"We believe, without question, that the Holy Spirit guided their hearts, reminding us once again that we are not alone in this mission," L'Heureux said in his letter.

The new spiritual home, including the use of the preexisting hall, will seat 500 people — more than triple of the current capacity of 160.

The $6.7-million price tag also affords the parish a completely new interior, including a sanctuary, a 15-foot choir loft with space for 25 choir members and instruments, and an an interior design featuring 23 sacred elements such as the altar, crucifix, statues, lighting, and a communion rail — with stained-glass windows and a pipe organ remaining as future goals when funds allow.

Unique to the sanctuary's design by Oberto Oberti Architecture is the 40-foot timber-frame ceilings, a design reflective of Whistler's distinct outdoor ethos. A nod to Whistler's prominent winter and ski culture, the interior is reminiscent of an old-school wooden ski chalet.

"I don't think you can help but connect to it and feel impressed. It's what we set out to create, which is something sacred, attractive, and reflective of that Whistler-style look and feel," Szocs said.

He also shared that through donors' efforts, close to 90% of the project was funded externally, with local pride in the world-class resort destination and a strong Catholic belief being the main draw for those involved.

"This was possible with a strong fundraising strategy, but we knew from the start that we couldn't do this without help from our major donors. Quite a number of them, like myself, had an attachment to Whistler," Szocs said.

"We have the lakes and the valley trails, the ski mountains. It's just one of God's beautiful nature scenes. We raised the money with those donors strictly through the personal efforts of selling the vision. We used the motto: 'If we build the church, they will come.'"

Still, Szocs knew the parish couldn't solely depend on traditional methods.

"You can't do something like this with bake sales and bingo," he said with a laugh, emphasizing the importance of his continued targeted strategy for intriguing wealthy donors.

With the grand opening of the new church slated for October, the Catholic community in Whistler continues to work amid the anticipation. L'Heureux noted in the church's latest newsletter that many parishioners have contributed both their time and labor by assisting in drywalling, painting, and donating needed tools. One parishioner donated pews, accounting for up to 250 seats in the new sanctuary.

Beyond worship, Szocs sees the church as a beacon for evangelization, potentially hosting Catholic conferences inspired by the Napa Institute to draw Catholics to Whistler's new spiritual appeal.

"It's not just a church; it's a place for people to find God," he said.

Szocs said the project's success comes from a balance of divine trust and devoted human action, as often expressed by St. Augustine and St. Ignatius.

"Some would say, 'Leave it to the Holy Spirit,' but you can't just pray and wait. It doesn't always work that way," he said. "God gave us gifts for a reason. So I like the saying, 'Pray like everything depends on God, and act like everything depends on you.'"

This story was first published by The B. C. Catholic and is reprinted here with permission.

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CNA Staff, Jul 20, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A new, short documentary tells the story of Servant of God Julia Greeley, also known as Denver's Angel of Charity, who was born into slavery near Hannibal, Missouri. 

"Julia Greeley: Servant of the Sacred Heart" features interviews with Father Blaine Burkey, OFM Cap, who wrote a book on Greeley's life; Mary Leisring, president of the Julia Greeley Guild; Father Eric Zegeer, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Denver, Greeley's parish; and Jean Torkelson, executive director of the Julia Greeley Home, a Denver nonprofit that serves women in need.

In the 13-minute documentary, interviewees discuss Greeley's deep faith, her acts of charity, and her courageous response to the challenges presented throughout her life. 

When she was a child, while her master was beating her mother, his whip caught Greeley's right eye and destroyed it. After she was freed in 1865, she spent her time serving poor families, mostly in Denver.

In 1880, Greeley entered the Catholic Church at Sacred Heart Parish in Denver. She attended daily Mass and had a deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

She joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1901 and was known for her dedication to the people in her community, bringing them things they needed. Despite having arthritis, she walked countless miles to collect and distribute alms and to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Greely died on June 7, 1918, and her cause for canonization was opened by the Archdiocese of Denver in 2016.

Burkey is a retired priest in the Archdiocese of Denver. A scholar and expert on the life of Greeley, in an interview with CNA he described her as "a very zealous person."

"Despite all the problems people gave her, she turned it around and didn't spend time worrying about that," he said.

The priest also highlighted that among Greeley's many charitable deeds, "every time she had money leftover to take care of herself, she [instead] took care of the poor," and "she didn't spend her life trying to get even or [seek] vengeance or anything like that."

He said he hopes the faithful are "encouraged by that message that you shouldn't be concerned with vengeance but with mercy."

"Julia Greeley: Servant of the Sacred Heart" can be viewed for free on YouTube. 

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ACI Africa, Jul 20, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

In a statement shared on July 13 following its 58th plenary assembly, members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) said the current situation in Ethiopia calls "more than ever" for a unified voice.

"The Church, as a mother, always longs and grieves for her children to enter into peace," the bishops said, encouraging the people of God in the country to continue praying, fasting, and working earnestly for peace.

In March, Bishop Tesfasellassie Medhin of the Catholic Eparch of Adigrat, which covers the Tigray region in Ethiopia's northernmost territory, warned of "a very bloody confrontation" that could involve Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea.

He confirmed at the time that tensions were continuing to escalate in the region following an internal split within the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which led a rebel faction of the group to seize control of Adigrat, a town near the Eritrean border, on March 11.

"Instability in our region continues to persist, tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea are increasing, and the country could be engulfed in a very bloody confrontation," he said.

This would come on the heels of a civil war that raged mainly in the Tigray area from November 2020 to November 2022, primarily fought between the TPLF and the Ethiopian government, which joined forces with Eritrea. Some estimates say over a half a million people died from violence, famine, and lack of medical access during that time.   

During their latest assembly, the Ethiopian bishops also focused on other issues related to the Church's "mission, structure, institutions, evangelization, national and global matters." They committed to strengthening the apostolic mission of the Catholic Church in Ethiopia through renewed efforts under a general secretariat.

"Plans are underway to appoint qualified priests soon, and there is an emphasis on working in a synodal spirit (journeying together) with the faithful to strengthen evangelization," the bishops said in their statement.

In Ethiopia, which is predominantly Ethiopian Orthodox, the Latin rite is observed in nine ecclesiastical jurisdictions and the Eastern rite in four.

Meanwhile the bishops welcomed the newly ordained auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Addis Ababa, Bishop Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, as well as Bishop Merhakristos Gobezayehu Getachew Yilma of the Vicariate Apostolic of Awasa.

The late Pope Francis appointed Gebresilasie, a member of the Religious Institute of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ) in November 2024 to assist Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, the archbishop of Addis Ababa. Yilma has been at the helm of Awasa Apostolic Vicariate since February 2024.

CBCE spokesperson Bishop Lisane-Christos Matheos Semahun, who leads the Diocese of Bahirdar-Dessie, said in the bishops' statement that the new appointments will "enhance shared Church responsibilities, contribute new ideas for addressing challenges, and strengthen many services."

The bishops also welcomed the new apostolic nuncio to Ethiopia, Archbishop Brian Ngozi Udaigwe, and recognized his presence for the first time at a CBCE plenary assembly.

"Archbishop Brian expressed his happiness in coming to Ethiopia and showed his willingness to collaborate in the mission of the Church," the statement said in reference to the Vatican diplomat who "delivered Pope Leo XIV's message of fraternal communion to the bishops."

The late Pope Francis transferred Cameroonian-born Udaigwe from Sri Lanka to Ethiopia on April 12. The Nigerian national previously served as the representative of the Holy Father in Benin and Togo.

The Addis Ababa-based apostolic nunciature had been vacant since May 2024, when the Holy Father reassigned Archbishop Antoine Camilleri to Cuba.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

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Rome Newsroom, Jul 20, 2025 / 07:05 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV encouraged people on Sunday to embrace the summer season as a time to deepen their relationship with God through silence, reflection, and time spent with others.

"Summer can be a providential time to experience the beauty and importance of our relationship with God, and how much it can help us to be more open and welcoming to others," Pope Leo said during a homily at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Pancras in Albano, a town about 16 miles south of Rome.

The pope, who is spending two weeks on summer holiday at the papal estate in nearby Castel Gandolfo, reflected on the example of Martha and Mary in the Gospel of Luke of how service and listening can be "twin dimensions of hospitality."

 "We should set aside moments of silence, moments of prayer, times in which, quieting noise and distractions, we recollect ourselves before God in simplicity of heart," he said.

Preaching to a congregation of around 300 people—including local priests, seminarians, parishioners, religious sisters, and 60 sick individuals—Pope Leo emphasized the need to "make room for silence" and to step back from the "whirlwind of commitments and worries" that often crowd out opportunities for peace and prayer.

Outside the cathedral, hundreds more gathered in the streets and piazzas. Thirteen mayors from neighboring towns attended the Mass, along with a group of young Catholic scouts who paused to see the pope on their way to summer camp.

As he walked through Albano toward the cathedral, people waved and shouted greetings. The pope stopped to bless children and greet those in wheelchairs who kissed his ring in front of the church.

Pope Leo presided over the Mass, which was concelebrated by 80 priests in the basilica named for Saint Pancras, a young Roman martyr from the 4th century.

In his homily, the pope turned to Saint Augustine's reflections on Martha and Mary.

"'These two women symbolize two lives: the present and the future; a life lived in toil and a life of rest; one troubled and the other blessed; one temporary, the other eternal,'" Pope Leo said, quoting from Augustine's Sermon 104.

Quoting further, he added: "'The weariness will pass and rest will come, but rest will only come through the effort made. The ship will sail and reach its homeland; but the homeland will not be reached except by means of the ship.'"

The pope said that Martha and Mary are a reminder that "listening and service are two complementary attitudes that enable us to open ourselves and our lives to the blessings of the Lord."

He urged Christians to seek a wise balance between "contemplation and action, rest and hard work, silence and the bustle of our daily lives," guided always by the Lord, taking "Jesus' charity as our measure, his Word as our light, and his grace as our source of strength, which sustains us beyond our own capacity."

"During the summer, we have more free time in which to gather our thoughts and reflect, and also to travel and spend time with each other. Let us make good use of this, by leaving behind the whirlwind of commitments and worries in order to savor a few moments of peace and reflection, taking time as well to visit other places and share in the joy of seeing others — as I am doing here today," Leo said.

"Let us make summer an opportunity to care for others, to get to know each other and to offer advice and a listening ear," he said. "These are expressions of love, and that is something we all need. Let us do so with courage."

Pope Leo is nearing the end of his current stay at Castel Gandolfo, the 135-acre papal retreat overlooking Lake Albano, long favored by previous pontiffs including John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Pope Francis, however, opted not to use the summer estate during his pontificate.

During his retreat, Leo has continued to lead public prayers, including the Angelus, and has celebrated Sunday Masses in the local community, including last week at the 17th-century Church of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo's central square.

In his Angelus address on July 20, Pope Leo returned to the theme of summer as a time of rest and encounter.

"The summer season can help us learn how to slow down and become more like Mary than Martha. Sometimes we too fail to choose the better part. We need to take time to rest and try to learn better the art of hospitality," he said.

"The holiday industry wants to sell us all sorts of 'experiences,' but perhaps not the ones we are really looking for. Every genuine encounter is free; it cannot be bought, whether it is an encounter with God, with others or with nature. We need only learn the art of hospitality, which includes both welcoming others and allowing ourselves to be welcomed."

The pope is expected to return briefly to Castel Gandolfo in August for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, spending time there from August 15–17.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 19, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

Bishop William Shomali, the auxiliary bishop for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said this week the community has been "very distressed" following the bombing of Holy Family Church in Gaza, with the prelate calling for the protection of nearby Chirstian villages. 

On July 17, the Israeli military bombed the only Catholic parish in Gaza. The strike killed three and injured nine, including the parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli. 

The Israel Defense Forces subsequently apologized for the strike, stating that "fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly." Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa later seemed to imply that the strike was intentional, telling an Italian newspaper that "everybody [in Gaza] believes it wasn't" a mistake. 

The day after the strike, Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III visited Gaza, providing "spiritual comfort, moral comfort, and also material comfort which is much needed." 

In an interview with "EWTN News In Depth" on Friday, Shomali — who serves as general vicar and patriarchal vicar for Jerusalem and Palestine — said that the patriarch and his colleagues were able to bring one of the wounded back to Jerusalem where he is now "under treatment."

As the Vatican is now urging a ceasefire, Shomali said it is "great in itself" that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke on the phone with Pope Leo XIV, following a written message from the Holy Father offering prayers. 

Shomali said that the Holy See has asked "frequently" for a ceasefire "during the time of Pope Francis and even now with Leo XIV." He reflected on Pope Francis' "very close" relationship with Father Gabriel Romanelli and the people in Gaza.

Pope Francis "knew every detail about the life of the Christian community in Gaza," he said. It was "unique, to say the truth. Every pope has his own style. The style of our Holy Father is different, but we know that he asks a lot about Gaza, and the telegram he sent yesterday showed his closeness to Father Gabriel and to the community."

During the interview, Shomali said the situation in the West Bank continues to be "critical" for a number of reasons. He highlighted the "daily confrontation between Palestinians and the settlers."

"We are suffering now because in two of our Christian villages, Tayibe and Abu, settlers enter almost every day to conquer more land and to enlarge the settlements," Shomali said.

He explained that they have asked Israel Defense Forces "to prevent settlers from coming to the Christian village of Tayibe" and now are "waiting [for] the answer."

"We hope they can do something," Shomali said. "But…the settlers have weapons and I don't believe that the army would like to be in confrontation with the settlers who are more than 700 people in the West Bank." 

"It is really difficult to convince them to change their mentality, which is very…ideological because they consider all the land in the West Bank theirs and it's a matter of time for them to take it without any sense of guilt," the prelate said. 

"So really we are in front of an ideological conflict with two narratives where a negotiation for peace [is] very difficult," he added. 

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Canterbury, England, Jul 19, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The skull of St. Thomas More may be exhumed and preserved to coincide with the 500th anniversary of his historic martyrdom, according to a spokesperson for St. Dunstan's Church in Canterbury, England, the Anglican church in which the relic reportedly currently rests.

As the church begins the initial steps in a "permissions process," Sue Palmer, churchwarden at St. Dunstan Parochial Church Council (PCC), told CNA the council welcomes input from everyone interested in the saint and "would very much welcome communication with the Vatican."

"It is unusual to have any relics in an Anglican church, especially those of a Catholic saint, and the PCC see this as an opportunity for ecumenical outreach and cooperation," she said.

After More was beheaded in 1535 on the orders of King Henry VIII, his head was initially placed on a spike and displayed on London Bridge as a warning to those who dared to challenge the authority of the monarch, but it was later retrieved by More's daughter, Margaret Roper.

Following her death in 1544, Margaret — along with her father's head — was buried in the Roper's family vault in St. Dunstan's Church, Canterbury, and it has remained there ever since.

However, plans are now in place for the quincentenary of More's death, which will occur in 10 years, and the church wishes to explore the possibility of exhuming and preserving what remains of the martyr's relic as a tribute to his significance for Catholics and other Christians across the U.K. and the rest of the world.

A statement issued by St. Dunstan's Church on July 6, the 490th anniversary of More's execution, explained: "The 500th anniversary of More's death is going to throw the spotlight on us and our church as a center of worship, pilgrimage, education, and hospitality because the head is the only remaining relic of Thomas More — his body is somewhere in St. Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London, but it is not possible to determine precisely where, so St. Dunstan's Church is really important and the focus in 10 years' time will very definitely be on us."

The statement continued: "We won't be able to keep him to ourselves — ecumenically and globally we have a responsibility both to the relic and to Christians and scholars throughout the world, and judging by the comments in our visitors' book, having the relic deteriorating in a vault is not good enough for many who venerate Thomas More."

The statement went on to explain that the work to exhume the relic would need to begin as soon as possible, so the PCC has agreed that, subject to all the necessary permissions, the head is to be exhumed and then what remains of the relic will be conserved and exposed for pilgrims to visit and venerate.

Palmer emphasized that there are no plans to "display" the relic. "It makes him sound like a museum exhibit and our church is not a museum, nor is the relic an exhibit," she said. "Anything considered would be done in consultation with the diocesan advisory committee, osteoarchaeologists, the wider (Catholic and non-Catholic) community, and anyone else interested in Thomas More. At all times it would be respectful and dignified, and be part of the story of our church and what it has to offer everyone."

Palmer said there was good evidence to suggest that what remains of More's skull is certainly within the Roper family vault. 

"Several openings of the vault in the last 200 years have noted the presence of the head in the niche, and the vault was last opened in 1997, so we have firsthand evidence of it still being there," she said. "More's body is in St. Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London, but I don't believe it's possible to establish which remains are his."

About 1,500 people are believed to be buried in the crypt of the chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, the former parish church of the Tower of London, the name of which refers to the story of St. Peter's imprisonment under Herod Agrippa in Jerusalem.

Palmer went on to explain that the next steps in the permission process would be discussions with specialists, writing a faculty application for consideration by the diocesan advisory committee, and ultimately waiting for a decision from the commissary general, which she emphasized was "not guaranteed." The commissary general is the equivalent of a diocesan judge.

St. Dunstan's church is open seven days a week, with many pilgrims — both individuals and groups — who specifically visit to venerate St. Thomas More.

"Many have expressed a desire to have the relic preserved and possibly placed in a reliquary above ground rather than in a sealed vault as it is at present," Palmer said. "Conservation and the possible commissioning of a reliquary, as well as obtaining all the relevant permissions, will take time."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 18, 2025 / 15:30 pm (CNA).

The Vatican news agency Fides reported that nine people were sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of a 44-year-old priest in Myanmar, a crime that shocked a country that has been enveloped in civil war since 2021.

According to the article published July 17, a court affiliated with the Ministry of Justice of the National Unity Government (NUG), the government in exile that leads the opposition, sentenced the nine defendants for the murder of Father Donald Martin Ye Naing Win, a priest of the Archdiocese of Mandalay, who was killed on Feb. 14 on the grounds of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in the Shwe Bo district in the Sagaing region.

According to investigations, those convicted were part of local armed groups linked to the People's Defense Force (PDF), the resistance force that controls the "liberated areas" wrested from the control of the Burmese military junta.

Although the PDF reports to the NUG — composed of parliamentarians ousted after the February 2021 military coup — these units often operate without full coordination. "In some ways, the PDF itself tried to bring to justice the armed men who, in the situation of widespread instability, are out of control. However, the reasons for the murder are still unclear," sources cited by Fides said.

"We know that Father Donald was a man of God, a parish priest dedicated to the people, a good and sincere person who was committed, above all, to the education of children left without school due to the civil war. He had done nothing wrong," said Father John, a priest in Mandalay.

The local Catholic community is moderately satisfied with the sentence, as justice was expected, although "there are still too many unanswered questions; the family would also like more clarity and full justice," the priest added.

The civil war in Myanmar

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been in a state of civil war since the February 2021 military coup that overthrew the democratic government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The military junta's seizure of power sparked massive protests, the rise of civilian militias (such as the PDF), and spiraling violence across the country.

The repression has left thousands dead, tens of thousands detained, and widespread damage to civilian infrastructure. Among the most recent attacks was the Feb. 6 airstrike on Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Mindat, Chin state, a Christian-majority state.

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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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 18, 2025 / 16:00 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has called for peace and an "immediate ceasefire" following the bombing of the only Catholic church in Gaza.

"With the Holy Father, the Catholic bishops of the United States are deeply saddened to learn about the deaths and injuries at Holy Family Church in Gaza caused by a military strike," Broglio wrote in a Thursday statement. 

The July 17 Israeli strike killed three people and injured nine others, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli.

"Our first concern, naturally, goes out to Father Gabriel Romanelli and all his parishioners, most especially to the families of those killed," Broglio said. "Our prayers are for them during these tragic times."

The statement follows a message from Pope Leo XIV on the social media platform X that said: "I commend the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God and pray for their families and the injured. I renew my call for an immediate ceasefire. Only dialogue and reconciliation can ensure enduring peace!"

In agreement, Broglio wrote: "With the Holy Father, we also continue to pray and advocate for dialogue and an immediate ceasefire. Yesterday was the memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; through her intercession, may there be peace in Gaza."

On Friday, CNA reported that Pope Leo received a phone call from Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, following yesterday's Israel Defense Forces attack on Holy Family Church in Gaza.

During the conversation, the Holy Father renewed his call for the urgent reactivation of the negotiation process in order to establish a ceasefire and end the war. He expressed his deep concern for the humanitarian situation in Gaza as well as the urgent need to protect places of worship "and the faithful and all people living in both Palestine and Israel."

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