Catholic News

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=288539&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Sep 20, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A documentary on Father Marko Rupnik's alleged abuse of consecrated women, the personal fallout for two of his alleged victims, and what happened when the claims became public decades later premiered at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month.

"Nuns vs. The Vatican" includes the detailed stories of Gloria Branciani, Mirjam Kovac, and Klara (identified only by her first name), three former members of the Loyola Community in Slovenia in the 1980s and early 1990s, when Rupnik, a co-founder of the community, is accused of having committed sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse against dozens of women religious.

Through the stories of Branciani and Klara, the film, which premiered Sept. 6, argues that Rupnik's alleged abuse was inextricably linked to his religious art. It also claims he was protected in the Catholic Church, in which he shot to stardom in the 1990s, and interviews experts who say the Vatican's response has been inadequate.

Branciani was part of the Ignatius Loyola Community in Slovenia, which was co-founded by Rupnik in the 1980s. In the documentary, she recalls how Rupnik allegedly groomed and then sexually and psychologically abused her in the early '90s and how the abuse was intricately connected with the creation of his art. 

According to Branciani, her complaints about Rupnik went unanswered, she was punished by the community's mother superior at the time, Ivanka Hosta, and forced out of religious life by Father Tomáš Špidlík, a Czech cardinal and Jesuit who died in 2010. Špidlík, who was close to Rupnik and the priest's art and spirituality center in Rome, the Centro Aletti, allegedly wrote the resignation letter on her behalf.

In addition to testimony from the alleged victims and their lawyer, it includes the voices of journalists, psychologists, and other abuse experts, including Barbara Dorris, a former director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), who was sexually abused by a priest between the ages of 6 and 13.

Dorris and Laura Sgrò, a lawyer for some of Rupnik's alleged victims, are highly critical of the Church hierarchy's response to clerical sexual abuse throughout the documentary.

No one from the Vatican participated in the documentary. The film said requests for comment from Rupnik and the former head of the Loyola Community, Hosta, were ignored.

Sarah Pearson, a spokesperson for SNAP, said in a statement to CNA that "SNAP is proud of the legacy of Barbara Dorris, a longtime leader and tireless advocate for the 1 in 3 nuns who experience sexual abuse by priests."

Pearson continued: "The case of Jesuit priest Father Marko Rupnik illustrates this catastrophe with tragic clarity. Despite overwhelming reports of abuse, Rupnik was shielded for years — kept in ministry through the Vatican's intervention under Pope Francis. Only after prolonged public outrage was he finally subjected to a canonical process."

Italian Lorena Luciano directed the film. It was produced by Filippo Piscopo. "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" star Mariska Hargitay is among the documentary's executive producers.

A spokesperson for "Nuns vs. The Vatican" told CNA the documentary will continue to be shown at film festivals in North America, and they are working on getting a screening at the Vatican.

"We are also waiting to see whether Pope Leo will push for the ecclesiastical trial against Rupnik to happen in the fall," a spokesperson for the production company added.

Earlier this year, the Vatican removed artwork by Rupnik from its official websites. Digital images of the Slovenian priest's sacred art, which were frequently used by Vatican News to illustrate articles of the Church's liturgical feast days, are no longer found on the digital news service.

The changes to the Vatican News and the Dicastery for Communication websites came soon after Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors on June 5.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=288524&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 19, 2025 / 18:20 pm (CNA).

St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan has unveiled a 25-foot-tall mural honoring migrants to New York City. 

Housed in the entryway of the iconic New York church, the mural, "What's So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding," portrays the apparition of Mary, Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist to the Irish village of Knock as well as immigrants from all over the world, including well-known figures such as Dorothy Day, Pierre Toussaint, and Alfred E. Smith. 

The mural also shows the first Native American saint, Kateri Tekakwitha.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who is set to bless the mural this coming Sunday, said at a press briefing on Thursday: "This became not only an ode to Jesus and Mary and Joseph and St. John and the faith of the Irish people who were so instrumental in this archdiocese, it also became an ode to those who followed them and found in this city, this country, and yes, in this Holy Mother Church, an embrace of welcome." 

Dolan, who will be joined for the official dedication by the rector of the Knock Shrine in Ireland, said he had intended the mural to go up with the last renovations at St. Patrick's in 2012 but was advised to wait. 

"I'm kind of glad now, because it matured — it was like a Crock-Pot," he said. 

Adam Cvijanovic, the mural's painter, said: "I thought when I started making this painting that the important thing to do was to make it about people and portraits. So, everybody in this painting is an actual person. They're all portraits. Even the angels."

Dolan's late mother, Shirley, was the model for one of the immigrants Cvijanovic portrayed. First responders are also depicted in the mural.

"That seemed to me to be a really, really important thing to do," Cvijanovic continued, "to talk about the people of the city, all of them, and to have it in some place that people could go in New York and feel themselves recognized in the context of respect and hope."

Major benefactors covered the cost of the mural, according to Dolan.

The cathedral's rector, Father Enrique Salvo, an immigrant from Nicaragua, weighed in on the mural, saying: "If you would have told me that I was going to be the rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral when I came to this country, I would have never believed it. But with God, all things are possible, and hopefully it's an inspiration for everyone that walks in, that we're not only welcome, but we're also invited to make a difference and to let God shine through us."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=288514&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

ACI Stampa, Sep 19, 2025 / 11:10 am (CNA).

The miracle of the liquefaction of the blood of St. Januarius was announced in Naples on Sept. 19, with the centuries-old relic once again offering what Abbot Monsignor Vincenzo De Gregorio called an "invitation to stake everything" on trust in God.

"We are delighted to announce that the relic has been found completely liquid," said De Gregorio, the abbot of the Treasury Chapel of the Naples Cathedral.

As is tradition, the announcement was accompanied by the waving of a white handkerchief by one of the members of the Treasury of St. Januarius Deputation.

Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, the archbishop of Naples, presided over the morning Mass, then displayed the vial containing the patron saint's blood before all present during the celebration. 

From the high altar, after showing the vial to the concelebrants, the archbishop descended among the faithful. Liturgical chants accompanied the demonstration. 

The cardinal himself was visibly moved at the beginning of the celebration. His words focused on the wars currently affecting the world and in particular on the situation in Gaza. 

During the Mass there was also a video message from Father Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, thanking the cardinal and the people of Naples for their spiritual and material support.

The archbishop in his homily touched on the ongoing war in Gaza. "It is the blood of every child of Gaza that is on display in this cathedral," he said. "Today Naples stands still like the sea when the wind dies down. It is an inner calm, the feeling of a day of celebration, of faith, of identity." 

"The streets become naves, the balconies become choirs, the city becomes an entire cathedral," he said. "At the center, not an object, but a sign: a vial, a blood, a name — Januarius. Here we celebrate not a trophy but a living memory: that of the martyrs whom Love has not abandoned."

Quoting the Gospel of Mark — "Whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel's will save it" — the archbishop said: "It is not a motto for a poster, it is a bridge between two shores. Januarius passed over that bridge in his entirety: His flesh surrendered, his fear conquered, his freedom restored to its Author." 

"He did not choose to save himself: He chose to give himself," he said. "And the blood, which the violent believed to be a seal of oblivion, became a voice: a voice that still preaches to the city and calls it to trust the Gospel more than any calculation, more than any prudence." 

"Let us look at that sign not with superstition but as an invitation to stake everything on entrustment," he said. 

The dried blood of St. Januarius, who died around A.D. 305, is preserved in two glass ampoules, one larger than the other, in the Chapel of the Treasury of the Naples Cathedral.

The saint's blood traditionally liquefies three times a year: in commemoration of the transfer of his remains to Naples (the Saturday before the first Sunday in May), on his liturgical feast (Sept. 19), and on the anniversary of the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in 1631, when his intercession was invoked and the city was spared from the effects of the eruption (Dec. 16).

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

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=288513&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Sep 19, 2025 / 12:02 pm (CNA).

Slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk was reportedly strongly considering becoming Catholic just prior to his assassination, according to a bishop who spoke to him shortly before his killing. 

Robert Brennan, a Los Angeles-based writer and the brother of Fresno, California, Bishop Joseph Brennan, said in a Sept. 18 column in the Los Angeles archdiocesan newspaper Angelus that Kirk had a "personal exchange" with the California prelate about a week before Kirk's murder at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. 

The writer Brennan, who said Bishop Brennan gave him permission to share the story, wrote that Kirk had spoken to the prelate at a prayer breakfast in Visalia. The conservative activist "told the bishop about his Catholic wife and children and how he attended Mass with them." 

Kirk acknowledged "speculation" about his possible interest in becoming Catholic, Brennan wrote in Angelus; he subsequently told Bishop Brennan: "I'm this close" to converting. 

In his Angelus column Brennan pointed to a recent video Kirk made in which he acknowledged some "big disagreements" with Catholicism but claimed that Protestants "under-value" the Blessed Mother. 

"We don't talk about Mary enough. We don't venerate her enough," Kirk said, arguing that Mary is "the solution" to "toxic feminism" in the U.S. 

"[H]ow fitting one of Charlie Kirk's last videos was about the preeminent mediatrix of all time and space," Robert Brennan wrote in Angelus. "In his own way he was reaching out to her, and now, I am convinced, she is returning the favor."

Kirk was fatally shot while taking questions from audience members during a stop at Utah Valley University as part of his "American Comeback Tour." He is survived by his wife, Erika Frantzve, and their 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son.

Prominent Catholics around the world have joined in the chorus of voices mourning Kirk's death in the days since he was killed. German Catholic Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller referred to Kirk this week as "a martyr for Jesus Christ" and condemned the "satanic celebration" of his death by some of his detractors.

Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action and a close friend of Kirk's, said on Sept. 13 that the activist's death "will be a turning point" for the country. 

And Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said Kirk's activism "restored optimism about the American future for millions of Americans."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=288512&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 19, 2025 / 14:31 pm (CNA).

This week the Patients Rights Action Fund, which works to "end the dangerous and discriminatory public policy of assisted suicide," provided an update on current assisted suicide legislation in the United States, revealing the deadly practice's ongoing expansion throughout the country.

In a Sept. 18 webinar, group coalitions director Jessica Rodgers explained that most states that allow assisted suicide follow the "Oregon model," based on Oregan's assisted suicide criteria. 

The model requires "the patient to be 18 years of age or older, have a terminal illness with six months or less to live, make two or more separate requests with a 15-day waiting period in between, and have two witnesses, which can include heirs to the estate or friends of heirs," Rodgers said. 

"The drugs must be self-administered and all states do require the falsification of the death certificate," Rodgers said, meaning the states list the underlying condition that qualifies the patient as the cause of death rather than the prescribed drug that ends his or her life.

States attempting expansions to assisted suicide laws

In 2025, new legislation was proposed in a number of states where assisted suicide is legal to advance its polices and limit some of the "safeguards" in place.

A New Jersey bill was proposed that would remove the 15-day waiting period and the second request if the prescriber thinks death will occur within the time period. The bill is still in play and has not been passed yet. 

In Maine, a 15-day waiting period was reduced to seven days in cases when it is "in the best interests of the patient" according to the judgment of the prescriber. The legislation was passed and signed by the governor after the original version was amended that would have allowed the whole waiting period to be waived.

A Delaware bill passed that allows for advanced practice nurses to prescribe the medication that kills the patients. The bill has no requirements for an in-person exam or a mental health evaluation. 

California proposed a major change that reduced the 15-day waiting period for assisted suicide to only 48 hours. The bill also removes the sunset date, which will keep the End of Life Option Act from expiring. The bill passed last week and is awaiting a signature by the governor.

Some states proposed expansions, but the legislation did not advance. In Washington, D.C., there was a public hearing on a bill that would remove the waiting period in certain cases, but no action was taken.

An Oregon bill was also not advanced that proposed nurse practitioners and physician assistants could prescribe to patients seeking assisted suicide. It also pushed for the waiting period to be reduced from 15 days to 48 hours and would waive the period completely if death is "expected imminently."

Proposed legislation to legalize assisted suicide 

Assisted suicide is legal in 10 states and D.C., but a number of other states have active legislation to legalize it. 

In New York a bill to legalize assisted suicide was approved and is awaiting signature by the governor, which she must sign by the end of the year. The bill does not require the patient to be a resident of the state, has no waiting period, and does not require an in-person exam or a mental health evaluation.

In Rhode Island assisting a suicide is a felony, but there is proposed legislation to legalize assisted suicide that would require an in-person evaluation. The bill requires a 15-day waiting period between requests and an additional 48-hour waiting period that begins after the patient submits his or her signed request for the medication. 

Nevada does not authorize assisted suicide, but legislation pushing for it proposed advanced practice nurses to be allowed to prescribe the drugs, no in-person exam requirement, only one witness necessarily, and no requirement for the patient to be a resident of the state. 

The Nevada legislation does detail that the prescribed drugs would be the cause of death on the certificate rather than the underlying condition.

Legislation in Maryland would not require a mental health evaluation and has a broad meaning for "terminal illness" that can include treatable conditions. The bill has provisions that allow a patient to communicate through someone else "familiar with the individual's manner of communicating." 

Proposed legislation in Massachusetts also has a broad definition for "terminal illness" that can include treatable conditions. There was a public hearing in Massachusetts in the state Joint Public Health Committee, which then moved the bill to a second committee on the state House side where it is still active. 

In New Hampshire, a bill is pushing for no residency requirement, no in-person examination requirement, a broad "terminal illness" definition, and no mental health evaluation. The legislation also proposed a 48-hour waiting period and would allow for advanced practice nurses and physician assistants to prescribe the drugs. 

A Tennessee House bill pushing the legalization of assisted suicide primarily follows the Oregon model. It does have a broad meaning for "terminal illness" that can include treatable conditions. On March 4, the first committee hearing was held on the matter, but it was rejected.

In Illinois, a 2025 bill to legalize assisted suicide in the state stalled and will cross over to the 2026 session. The bill had a five-day waiting period, no requirement for mental health evaluation, and broad terminal diagnosis language.

As legislation continues to be proposed and advances in assisted suicide expand, Patients Rights Action Fund highlighted the lack of mental health evaluations across states and noted that waiting periods are being quickly reduced after the initial passing of legislation.

"Ultimately, assisted suicide laws are inherently discriminatory," Rodgers said on Sept. 18. 

"They take a segment of our neighbors and say: 'You get a lower standard of care than everybody else,'" she said. "The patients that qualify for assisted suicide are already inherently in a more vulnerable state because of their diagnosis and because of the financial costs that they're facing with health care and the cost of treatment."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=288511&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 19, 2025 / 15:31 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday highlighted the value of the vow of obedience in institutes of religious life as "a school of freedom in love" that lays the foundations of fidelity beyond "the 'feelings' of the moment."

During a Sept. 18 meeting with participants in the general chapters and assemblies of various congregations and institutes, the pontiff reflected on "some unifying characteristics" of the legacy of the founders of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, the Society of Mary (Marists), the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception, and the Ursulines of Mary Immaculate.

First, he emphasized the importance of community life "as a place of sanctification and a source of inspiration, witness, and strength in your apostolate."

In this regard, Leo XIV explained to those present that "it is no coincidence that the Holy Spirit inspired those who preceded you to join the sisters and brothers whom Providence placed on their path, so that goodness would multiply and grow through the communion of good people. This was the case at the beginning of your foundations and throughout the centuries, and the same continues to take place today."

Second, Leo XIV emphasized the value of "obedience as an act of love" in the context of religious consecration.

Drawing on the words of St. Augustine, he recalled that obedience is the daughter of charity: "I do not trust what is stuck in the soil unless I can see what's hanging from the branches. You have charity, do you? Show me its fruit. Let me see obedience," the saint of Hippo said.

Leo: Talk of obedience 'is not very fashionable today'

Leo XIV admitted that "talking about obedience is not very fashionable today," because it is considered to involve a renunciation of one's own freedom.

"But that is not the case," he affirmed before explaining that "obedience, in its deepest meaning of active and generous listening to others, is a great act of love by which we accept dying to ourselves so that our brothers and sisters may grow and live."

"When it is professed and lived with faith, obedience reveals a luminous path of self-giving that can help the world rediscover the value of sacrifice, the capacity for lasting relationships, and the maturity in community that goes beyond the "feelings" of the moment by establishing itself in fidelity. Obedience is a school of freedom in love," he explained.

The third characteristic highlighted by the pontiff is related to "being attentive to the signs of the times," which he defined as "an open and perceptive gaze toward the real demands of our brothers and sisters," without which the present congregations would not have existed.

"Your founders were capable of observing, evaluating, loving, and then setting out, even at the risk of great suffering and failure, to serve the real needs of their brothers and sisters, recognizing the voice of God in the poverty of their neighbors," the pontiff noted, encouraging the participants "to move forward in the living memory of those courageous beginnings" to identify their potential, "perhaps still unexplored, in order to put them to good use in the service of the 'here and now.'"

In his parting words to the religious, Leo XIV praised the hidden work they do: "Dear friends, I know how much good you do every day in so many parts of the world — good that is often unseen by human eyes but not by God's! I thank you and bless you from my heart, encouraging you to continue your mission with faith and generosity."

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

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=288506&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 19, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Jubilee of Justice, to be celebrated Saturday, Sept. 20, will bring together some 15,000 pilgrims from around the world, necessitating the relocation of the events to St. Peter's Square.

This is the first time in the history of jubilees that a single event is dedicated to those who, performing various functions, are involved "in the world of secular, canonical, ecclesiastical justice, the Vatican City State, and the Roman Curia, as judges, prosecutors, magistrates, lawyers, legal practitioners, and administrative staff," along with their families, according to the Holy See Press Office.

Registered participants will come from approximately 100 countries around the world, with the largest delegations coming from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, France, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Australia, Nigeria, Peru, and the Philippines.

Among the pilgrims will be representatives of important legal institutions, from the law schools of various pontifical universities or those affiliated with various Catholic institutions, and from professional associations and official entities.

The presence of representatives from Italy's Ministry of Justice, the Constitutional Court, the Superior Council of the Judiciary, and the Supreme Court of Cassation has been confirmed, as have representatives from the Confederation of Catholic Jurists of France and the Supreme Courts of the United States, Brazil, Colombia, and Spain.

Likewise, there will be representatives from the Vatican Judiciary, the Court of Accounts, the presidency of the Italian Council of State, the International Union of Catholic Jurists, and the Union of Italian Catholic Jurists, among other entities.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, will welcome pilgrims in St. Peter's Square and present the "lectio divina" prepared by Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, on the theme "Iustitia Imago Dei: The Worker of Justice, Instrument of Hope."

Pilgrims will have access to simultaneous translation through the Vatican Vox app, which is available for free download. 

At noon Rome time, Pope Leo XIV will hold the jubilee audience and address his remarks specifically to those working in the justice system. Following these events, pilgrims will proceed to the Holy Door of the papal basilica.

As part of the Jubilee of Justice, an evening event will be held at the Chancellery Palace in Rome featuring a colloquium with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, organized by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See.

Rome's Palazzo Altemps will host another event organized by the French Embassy to the Holy See and the Pious Establishments of France in Rome and Loreto, led  by French priest Patrick Valdrini, a professor at the Pontifical Lateran University.

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

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=288505&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

ACI MENA, Sep 19, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The city of Gaza continues to reel as Israeli airstrikes pound multiple neighborhoods and the conflict there escalates. 

Days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of a ground operation urging civilians to evacuate designated combat zones, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz has maintained that Gaza faces the risk of massive destruction unless Hamas releases Israeli hostages and surrenders its weapons.

Amid this turmoil, the Holy Family Catholic Church in the al-Zeitoun neighborhood of southern Gaza has become both a spiritual center and a refuge, sheltering about 600 people from both Christian and Muslim families. The church provides a measure of calm as shells continue to fall nearby.

In the same neighborhood stands the historic Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius, which maintains its centuries-old presence in the territory. It too has served as a shelter, though for a smaller number of people. 

The two churches are in separate locations, not in the same compound, and are about 1.7 miles apart — roughly a 40-minute walk, according to Google Maps.

The relationship between Holy Family Church and the Church of St. Porphyrius is good and it has become even stronger since the war began. Both are close in mission and serve the Christian community in the area, but all Christians there right now rely heavily on Catholic aid being channeled through Catholic organizations.

Most people taking refuge in the Holy Family Church are Orthodox, as their community in Gaza is larger than the Catholic one and there are more resources available there. 

Sources from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem have said they are closely monitoring the situation in Gaza and warned of the dangers of continued escalation. 

Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa of Jerusalem earlier stressed that another round of violence "will only bring more destruction and suffering," urging the international community to act swiftly to stop the war and protect civilians.

These calls echo the Holy See's position, with Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, repeatedly urging respect for civilians and secure passage for humanitarian aid — especially to areas with Christian communities. 

Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Church, has emphasized on multiple occasions that the church "will not abandon the people in this difficult time" and will keep its doors open to anyone in need of shelter and hope."

As the war drags on and Gaza's Christian community continues to shrink, concerns grow over collapsing infrastructure and worsening humanitarian conditions. Yet the church remains a witness to suffering and a beacon of hope.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=288504&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 19, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

New regulations from the State Administration for Religious Affairs in China have enacted a ban on several major forms of online evangelization for religious clergy of all religions, including Catholic priests.

The new Code of Conduct for Religious Clergy on the Internet comprises 18 articles. Among stipulations that religious clergy must "love the motherland" and support Chinese leadership of the Communist Party of China and its socialist system, faith leaders are banned from preaching and performing other religious rituals through live broadcasts, short videos, or online meetings. 

Priests may only do so on "websites, applications, forums, etc. legally established by religious groups, religious schools, temples, monasteries, and churches" with approval from the Chinese government. Furthermore, whenever using social media accounts or messaging apps to send out information, religious clergy must provide "certificate of membership as registered religious clergy" to their internet service providers. 

Clergy are banned under the code from both the evangelization and education of minors on the internet, and from organizing educational opportunities, such as seasonal camps for minors on the internet. 

They are also banned from making money online and from raising money to build religious places or for holding religious activities. 

"If a religious clergy violates this standard, the religious affairs department shall order them to make corrections within a time limit," the code of conduct states, adding: "If they refuse to make corrections, the religious affairs department shall … punish them in accordance with the provisions of relevant laws and administrative regulations." 

For "serious" offenders, the code recommends religious institutions suspend their teaching activities or revoke their religious status. 

"Religious teachers and officials who carry out online activities through overseas websites and platforms shall abide by this standard," the code states.

Announcement of the new regulations comes after the publication on Thursday of an interview with Pope Leo XIV from July in which he indicated that he may be open to changes to the Vatican's controversial deal with China and that he is in dialogue with persecuted Chinese Catholics as he weighs the future of Vatican policy toward Beijing.

Pope Leo said he is listening to "a significant group of Chinese Catholics who for many years have lived some kind of oppression or difficulty in living their faith freely" as he tries to get "a clearer understanding of how the Church can continue the Church's mission."

"I would say that in the short term, I will continue the policy that the Holy See has followed for some years now … I'm also in ongoing dialogue with a number of people, Chinese, on both sides of some of the issues that are there," he said.

As the first pope to ever have visited mainland China, Leo — who traveled there years before his election — said he draws on his experiences with "government as well as religious leaders and laypeople."

Leo's comments indicate openness to a possible shift from the status quo on China since 2018, when the Holy See signed an agreement with Beijing described as managing the appointment of bishops. The agreement was renewed under Pope Francis three times in the past seven years despite objections from human rights activists and reports of increased persecution of the so-called underground Church in China, which rejects government control.

"It's a very difficult situation. In the long term, I don't pretend to say this is what I will and will not do," Leo said.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=288489&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

ACI Africa, Sep 18, 2025 / 11:54 am (CNA).

Gunmen on motorbikes have reportedly shot dead at least 22 people celebrating a baptism in an attack on a village in western Niger.

Multiple media reports indicate that the Sept. 15 attack happened in the Tillaberi region near Burkina Faso and Mali, where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group (IS) are active.

In a Sept. 17 BBC News report, a resident told the French news agency AFP that the attackers killed 15 people at the baptism ceremony before moving on and killing seven others.

"Once more, the Tillabéri region, in the department of Ouallam, village of Takoubatt, has been struck by barbarity, plunging innocent families into grief and desolation," local civil rights activist Maikoul Zodi said in a Sept. 16 Facebook post. "As villagers gathered to celebrate a baptism ceremony, armed men opened fire, sowing death and terror. As a civil society actor, I bow before the memory of the victims and express my full solidarity with the bereaved families and the community of Takoubatt."

The civil rights activist went on to question why civilians were still being exposed to such insecurity and urged the government to prioritize the safety and dignity of citizens.

"The security and dignity of citizens must be an absolute priority," he said, and continued: "It is time to provide concrete answers, to strengthen the presence of the state in vulnerable areas, and to show that every Nigerien life matters."

Niger's authorities have acknowledged an attack in the area but have yet to release any casualty figures.

Jihadist violence in Niger continues to escalate, with rights groups and local voices denouncing the failure of authorities to protect civilians more than a year after the military seized power, according to the BBC report.

The report further indicates that the mounting insecurity was on display again on Sept. 10 when 14 Nigerien soldiers were killed in an ambush in the Tillabéri region.

In its weekly bulletin, the army said the troops had been deployed after reports of a cattle theft but were instead trapped in what it described as an "ambush."

Casualty figures are difficult to independently verify due to restricted access to conflict zones and fears of reprisals among witnesses.

Human Rights Watch has reported that armed groups have stepped up attacks since March, killing at least 127 villagers and Muslim worshippers; homes have been looted and burned down.

The watchdog accused Nigerien authorities of ignoring villagers' pleas for help and failing to respond to repeated warnings of impending raids.

Niger has been under military control since Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023, pledging to restore security. Yet the violence has persisted.

A newly formed pro-democracy coalition in Niger denounced what it calls the failure of the ruling military authorities to address the country's worsening insecurity, following the Sept. 10 deadly attacks.

The coalition, Cadre de Lutte contre les Dérives du Niger (Forum for Combating Abuses in Niger), was officially launched on Sept. 12, bringing together civil society leaders, journalists, jurists, and researchers committed to resisting the current regime.

In its first statement, the group demanded the organization of free and transparent elections, the reinstatement of political parties and unions dissolved by the junta, and the release of ousted President Bazoum alongside all other political prisoners.

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

Full Article