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Vatican City, Aug 2, 2025 / 18:15 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV addressed the largest crowd of his pontificate in Rome's outskirts on Saturday, telling an estimated 1 million young adults to "study, work, and love according to the example of Jesus" and to pray: "Stay with us, Lord."

The pontiff was greeted Aug. 2 by joyous crowds on the 237-acre grounds of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, 10 miles east of Rome, where teenagers and young adults will stay all night in anticipation of the closing Mass of the Jubilee of Youth on Sunday morning.

Pope Leo, who arrived at the largest event of his pontificate by helicopter, drove through the grounds before the prayer service waving to cheering young people from the popemobile as the sun set.

He then carried the pilgrim cross of the Jubilee of Hope on foot from the crowd up to the 15,000-square-foot stage for prayers and Eucharistic adoration. The pontiff will return to the outdoor venue to celebrate the jubilee Mass at 9 a.m. on Aug. 3.

Clare Fletcher, 29, from Omaha, Nebraska, told CNA she was so grateful she decided to come to Rome for the Jubilee of Hope during the Jubilee of Youth.

"I've never been to World Youth Day, but everyone I've talked to is comparing the two," she said.

She described the crowd as singing along to the hymns and worship music with joy.

Fletcher's 24-year-old brother, Paul, who attended the prayer vigil with her, said he had "never seen an event of this scale and with this level of reverence."

During the first part of the prayer service, Leo answered questions from young adults about friendship and loneliness, making good choices, and how to truly encounter Christ.

In his answers to the questions, one in each of the three languages he speaks fluently — Spanish, Italian, and English — Leo encouraged youth to seek good relationships with others and with God.

"And we can say thank you, Jesus, for loving us," he said in a moment of improvisation in the midst of his prepared remarks. 

"Each time we adore Christ in the Eucharist, our hearts will be united in him," the pontiff added, and he recommended saying to the Lord: "Stay with us, because without you we cannot do the good we desire."

Fletcher, who traveled to Rome with a group of young adult friends who work in Catholic schools, called the question-and-answers with Pope Leo "poignant and so relevant! Each spoke for us. Each spoke to our hearts."

"This is a pope who knows the youth. His response was savvy, beautiful, and worth remembering, not to mention worth praying with for some time," she said.

Leo's advice to young people included having Jesus, "who always accompanies us in the formation of our conscience," as a friend.

"If you truly want to encounter the risen Lord, then listen to his word, which is the Gospel of salvation. Reflect on your way of living, and seek justice in order to build a more humane world. Serve the poor, and so bear witness to the good that we would always like to receive from our neighbors," he recommended.

"Adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, the source of eternal life," he said. "Study, work, and love according to the example of Jesus, the good Teacher who always walks beside us."

Elodie, from France, told EWTN News at the prayer vigil that the Jubilee of Youth felt like "a huge family."

"You feel the heart of the Church beating. I think, really, it's beautiful," she said.

The Jubilee of Youth, held July 28 through Aug. 3, is the most-attended event during the Catholic Church's 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, with an estimated 1 million young adults, teens, and their chaperones flocking to Rome from 146 countries.

Leo left the vigil after 10 p.m., more than 30 minutes past the scheduled time. After Eucharistic adoration, the crowd broke out in loud chants of "Papa Leone," Italian for "Pope Leo."

Young Catholics began arriving at the site of the vigil as early as 3 p.m., where they braved sun, humidity, and temperatures in the upper 80s during an afternoon listening to live performances and the personal stories of young people from different countries.

During his remarks, the pope asked for prayers for two female pilgrims who died this week, a 20-year-old Spaniard, Maria, and an 18-year-old Egyptian, Pascale Rafic. He also asked the young people to pray for another Spaniard, Ignazio Gonzales, who was hospitalized in Rome.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 2, 2025 / 16:25 pm (CNA).

The Senate has confirmed former CatholicVote president and founder Brian Burch to serve as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. 

In a 49-44 vote on Aug. 2, the Senate confirmed the Catholic father of nine from Chicago. 

"I am profoundly grateful to President [Donald] Trump and the United States Senate for this opportunity to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to the Holy See," Burch said in a statement shared with CNA reacting to news of his confirmation. "As a proud Catholic American, I look forward to representing President Trump, Vice President [JD] Vance, and Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio in this important diplomatic post." 

He added: "I ask for the prayers of all Americans, especially my fellow Catholics, that I may serve honorably and faithfully in the noble adventure ahead."

News of Burch's confirmation comes after Senate Democrats initially blocked it, along with more than 50 other nominations, in May ahead of Pope Leo XIV's installation Mass. CatholicVote has since named Kelsey Reinhardt as its new president.

"I have the honor and fortune of serving in this role following the historic election of the first American pope," Burch said in the statement, adding: "In a remarkable coincidence, or what I prefer to attribute to providence, Pope Leo XIV is from Chicago, which is also my hometown." 

He continued: "The relationship between the Holy See and the United States remains one of the most unique in the world, with the global reach and moral witness of the Catholic Church serving as a critical component of U.S. efforts to bring about peace and prosperity."

In a Saturday statement, CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt said the organization "joyfully celebrates" Burch's confirmation.

"For the past 17 years, Brian has faithfully championed CatholicVote's mission to inspire American Catholics to live their faith in public life," she said. "We are confident that he will similarly excel in this new role and are forever grateful for the foundation he laid and the impact he had on millions of Catholics across the Nation."

Burch's confirmation had been in limbo for several months after Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz placed a blanket hold on all State Department nominees, making good on a pledge he made in protest of the Trump administration's dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Senate majority leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, filed cloture on Burch's confirmation on July 31, putting an end to the delay. 

Burch's nomination had been previously advanced by the Foreign Relations Committee, with the committee's 12 Republicans voting in favor and 10 Democrats opposed. During his confirmation hearing, Burch faced questions on foreign aid cuts, the China-Vatican agreement, and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

At the time, Burch expressed his support for Rubio's attempts at "recharging and refocusing our foreign aid on places that would make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous." He further pledged to encourage the Holy See to push back against the Chinese government's intervention in the election of Catholic bishops.

On the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Burch said he believed the Holy See "can play a very significant role" in permanently ending the conflict and bringing about the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 2, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Once seen as only recipients of aid, mothers in underprivileged areas across the globe are becoming agents of change as the Catholic nonprofit Unbound empowers them to create paths out of poverty and serve as community leaders.

"From our founding in 1981, our mission, our reason of being, our approach from our founders, has been driven by a core belief in letting the people that we support make the decisions," Ashley Hufft, president and CEO of Unbound, told CNA.

"It stems in part from their own faith, from Catholic social teaching, but those closest to the problem … make the decisions," she said.

To further execute its mission, Unbound has implemented a number of programs including Poverty Stoplight and Agents of Change that keep the decision-making power in the hands of those who can "effectively improve their families best" — mothers.

Poverty Stoplight 

Unbound is "driven by empowerment, dignity of the person, [and] goal setting," Hufft said.

The organization advanced this mission through a partnership with nonprofit Fundación Paraguaya and its coaching tool, Poverty Stoplight.

"What Poverty Stoplight has done with this partnership has brought us a tool … for the families to help better define what the goals are that tie to indicators of multidimensional poverty, help set their goals, and help see goal by goal achievement," Hufft said.

Unbound works "in 16 countries and with over a quarter of a million families. So techniques and methods that work at a small scale don't necessarily work at that scale," Dan Pearson, chief international programs officer of Unbound, told CNA.

As of June, Unbound is the largest implementer of the Poverty Stoplight with more than 250,000 participants.

The first step of the program is for "the families themselves [to] determine the dimensions of poverty in their area," Pearson said. "We know that poverty is not just about money. It's about a whole range of lack of opportunities and lack of choices."

They determine the most relevant indicators of poverty within their specific location. The families examine key indicators including income, employment, housing, education, and health to get a better idea of where they are at. 

Then the mothers and families themselves define what "poverty," "extreme poverty," and "no poverty" actually mean to them, which Pearson called an "eye-opening" step.

"It surprised us that most of the families we serve never had a clear picture of what they were trying to achieve. They see the wealthy people on TV, and they know that's probably not where they're going to get." Pearson asked: "But, what are they trying to get to? What would that look like tangibly?"

"Then the third step is self-assessing," Pearson said. Families decide what areas in their lives are "red" for extreme poverty, "yellow" for poverty, or "green" for no poverty. "With up to 50 indicators in each location, families found that they were already green in some areas."

After finishing the assessment, families set priorities. They are given a "life map" that shows the "red, yellow, and green dots for each of the indicators, and they identify which of those they want to focus on now."

They then receive a cash transfer from Unbound to aid their newly established goals. "Having the certainty of some income from us helps them do longer-term planning, because that decision-making horizon extends by weeks or months. And we make better decisions when we have a longer-term horizon like that," Pearson said.

A June assessment found that since implementing Poverty Stoplight in 2020, Unbound "families have logged close to 300,000 achievements," Hufft said. Meaning their indicators have moved "from extreme poverty to no poverty, or poverty to no poverty."

Pearson attributed the success to the fact that "the families themselves retain control over the decisions that impact their lives."

"Ultimately the families, and particularly the mothers … are the experts," he said.

Agents of Change 

The mothers are "not doing it alone by any means," Hufft said.

Unbound offers direct guidance through its local teams that provide training, support, and resources. But what is especially unique is that the families going through Unbound programs work together for assistance and encouragement.

In 2001, Unbound started its small-group model in India, placing 25 to 30 mothers in groups to meet monthly for extra support. Now, there are more than 11,000 groups across the globe.

"As we started to see some success with the Poverty Stoplight at the household level … we were trying to figure out then how [to] take that to the community level, again, without sacrificing the control that they have over these decisions," Pearson said. "We looked to those small groups of women, and we created a program first called Agents of Change."

The program places women who know their local challenges best at the forefront of coming up with solutions. They determine how funds are allocated to support community ideas that would improve lives and help break the cycle of poverty.

Unbound recently set aside a $500,000 innovation fund to fund larger approved projects. It will fund 10-12 grants ranging from $20,000 to $60,000, focused on addressing urgent needs identified by those experiencing them.

"The difference, though, is that they don't submit those proposals to us, and they don't submit those proposals to our donors or to our partners," Pearson said.

"Our partners overseas work with the communities to select one representative from each country," who then make up the committees that receive the program proposals. They decide which to fund, giving the women "the experience of being on the funder side, of having to weigh competing priorities within the community."

The approved grants from the innovation fund will help thousands, including 600 families in San Marcos, Guatemala, that will receive access to clean water thanks to the "Sustainable and Accessible Water Supply System: Source of Life" program.

Another approved proposal is called "Disability Is Not Inability" developed in Tanzania that is "equipping a technical center for children with special needs" to help 100 Unbound sponsored and non-sponsored students.

Future of Unbound 

"We're just scratching the surface of what's possible and that our responsibility in international nonprofits is to look for new ways to create a framework where the community itself can take control of their futures," Hufft said. 

"One of our strategic goals is elimination of poverty. If you look overall at the state of our world and … at the numbers of people living in extreme poverty, it does seem overwhelming," Hufft said. But "what Unbound is showing, with data now because of Poverty Stoplight, it is possible."

"When you take it family by family, individual by individual, it's possible," Hufft concluded.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 1, 2025 / 15:56 pm (CNA).

The new president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Monsignor Renzo Pegoraro, says the Church has plans to address a number of pressing matters surrounding human dignity, including artificial intelligence (AI), health systems, and the environment. 

When Pegoraro stepped into his new role, he said Pope Leo XIV recommended the academy continue a dialogue "with experts from various disciplines on the challenges facing humanity on the theme of life and the quality of life in different contexts."

The academy will also continue its focus on "issues related to the beginning and end of life as well as environmental sustainability, equity in health care systems, the right to care, health, and essential services."

In an interview with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Catholic News Service, Pegoraro said as "we live in a difficult landscape … and human life on the planet is truly challenged," the Catholic Church "has a wealth of wisdom and a vision to serve everyone in order to make the world a better and more livable place."

Technology and AI

Pegoraro said that "all facets of society" must be involved in the "debate" regarding technology. 

"Really, everything can be addressed if all of society — policymakers, governments, the Church, different organizations — put the issue of the use of technology at the forefront," Pegoraro said. "And the media also have a very important role in disseminating information and subject matter on this."

As AI advances at fast rates, Pegoraro said, the Pontifical Academy for Life "can make an important contribution to the development of the papal magisterium, in line with all the dicasteries."

The academy, with Catholic Physicians Throughout the World, will organize an international meeting in Rome in November on "AI and Medicine: The Challenge of Human Dignity." The conference will "confront the changes introduced by AI" and "enhance the 'Rome Call for AI Ethics,'" a 2020 document that lays the foundations for an ethical use of AI.

The progress of AI and robotics, especially in the health field, is "extraordinary," but "we must never forget that the needs of the person who is sick and in need of help are the priority," Pegoraro said.

Health systems

Pegoraro shared that the Church "will address the sustainability of health systems in February 2026, with examples from five continents and detailed studies."

Leaders will ensure that "ethical framework" will be a theme at the international congress. 

"We want to end up with a strong call to understand that 'health' and health systems must provide answers centered on life in all contexts, in all social and political realms," Pegoraro said. 

"In addition to scientific knowledge, there is a need for an ethical point of view and an awareness of the questions that come from patients, from those who are sick." 

Pegoraro highlighted the importance of supporting the sick through end-of-life care. The academy "promotes palliative care, always and especially in the final and fragile phases of life, always asking that there be attention to and respect for the protection and dignity of people who are frail."

When asked about "aggressive treatment and the requirement to provide food and hydration to individuals in a vegetative state," Pegoraro said it is "very complex." But, he said, "we need to understand how to interpret treatments so that they may support and care for sick people."

"Every situation is to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis so that they support the sick person and are not a source of further suffering," Pegoraro said. "There are no ready-made solutions; instead, an approach of constant dialogue between doctor, patient, and family members must be fostered."

Most urgent matters

According to Pegoraro, the most urgent bioethical and AI-related issue to tackle is "data management, its use, and storage, the objectives of the so-called 'Big Companies,'" including Google, Apple, Facebook, and others. 

"The topic of human life must be posed by looking at all dimensions of its development, at different social and political contexts, at its connection with respect for the environment, and by scrutinizing how technologies either help us live more fully and better or [hurt us by] providing terrible tools for control and manipulation."

The topic of data is key, because "today, the wealth of big industries is the data we ourselves put on the internet," Pegoraro said. 

"We need a public debate on a global scale," he said, "a grand coalition aimed at the respect of data … The framework is clear and Pope Francis gave it to us with Fratelli Tutti, expanding on Vatican II: We are one human family, and the issues of development and life affect every one of us."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 1, 2025 / 16:19 pm (CNA).

President Donald Trump's administration is proposing a rule change that would prohibit medical centers operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from performing both surgical and chemical abortions in most cases and from providing counseling that encourages abortion.

The proposed regulatory change, submitted by the VA on Aug. 1, must undergo a 30-day public comment period before it can be adopted.

Under the proposal, abortion would only be allowed when the mother's life is at risk. The text also clarifies that women can still receive all necessary treatments for ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages.

In an explanation provided with the rule change proposal, VA regulators note that Congress created the department to provide "only needed medical services to our nation's heroes and their families." It states that unless the mother's life is at risk, "abortion is not a 'needed' VA service."

From 1999 — when the VA established its first medical benefits package — through September 2022, the department did not offer abortion or pro-abortion counseling. It was not until after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed states to restrict abortion that President Joe Biden's administration changed the regulation to permit broad abortion coverage at the VA.

The Biden-era rule permits the VA to perform abortions if "the life or the health" of the woman is endangered by the pregnancy, which broadly extends to both physical and mental health. The new Trump administration proposed rule would create a more strict standard, only permitting abortion "when a physician certifies that the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term."

Under the Biden-era rule, the VA can also perform abortions in cases of rape and incest, which are self-reported and not verified. The Trump administration's proposed rule change would not permit the VA to perform abortions in these instances.

The VA's explanation of the proposed rule change notes that prior to the Biden administration's shift, the VA "had consistently interpreted abortion services as not 'needed' medical services and therefore not covered by the medical benefits package." It states that the Biden-era rule is "legally questionable."

"This proposed rule restores VA to its proper role as the United States' provider of needed medical services to those who served, delivered on behalf of a grateful nation," the explanation reads.

A spokesperson for the VA said in a statement provided to CNA that the prior administration's shift was "politically motivated" and that "federal law and long-standing precedent across Democrat and Republican administrations prevented VA from providing abortions and abortion counseling."

"[The] VA's proposed rule will reinstate the pre-Biden bipartisan policy, bringing the department back in line with historical norms," the spokesperson added.

When the Biden administration adopted the rule to expand abortions at the VA, the archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Timothy P. Broglio, condemned the rule as "morally repugnant and incongruent with the Gospel." 

"I implore the faithful of this archdiocese to continue to advocate for human life and to refuse any participation in the evil of abortion," Broglio said at the time.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 1, 2025 / 16:49 pm (CNA).

"We're not tourists in spiritual things. We are pilgrims [searching for] meaning. We come with backpacks full of doubts, wounds, songs, and hope. And with a certainty in our hearts: Christ is alive. And he calls us."

Thus begins the "Manifesto of the Young Christians of Europe," the heart of the "Rome '25-Way of St. James '27-Jerusalem '33" project, which aims to "restore the soul" of the Old Continent and invites Christians to encounter the Lord through pilgrimage, healing, and evangelization.

This initiative, which began to take shape two years ago with the support of the Bishops' Subcommission for Youth and Children of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, as well as the Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela and the Church in Jerusalem, invites young Christians across the continent to open up a new pathway to faith and hope in view of the Jubilee of the Redemption, which will be celebrated in 2033.

The initiative is also supported by the Holy See and Pope Leo XIV, to whom it was presented after a general audience at the Vatican on June 25.

The key moment for the project took place on the morning of Friday, Aug. 1, amid the Jubilee of Youth. Many young people gathered at St. Mary's Basilica in Trastevere to give voice to a generation that wants to create a new Europe with Christ at its center.

"This manifesto is an act of faith and a call to hope. It is the voice of a [generation of] youth who do not want to remain on the sidelines, who don't have to clamor, 'We want more [material things],' we want Christ at the center... The revolution has begun; the Spirit is blowing," said Fernando Moscardó, who served as one of the youth spokespersons for the project during the presentation in Rome in July.

On that occasion, Monsignor Marco Gnavi, parish priest at St. Mary's Basilica in Trastevere and host of the Aug. 1 event, said he was "surprised by the enthusiasm of young people," especially in a time of "painful changes."

The document has been published on the project's official website, and all those "who feel part of it" are encouraged to sign it.

In addition, all information, updates, and progress on the initiative will be shared through social media under the handle @J2R2033 (Journey to Redemption 2033).

At the Aug. 1 event, attended by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, several young people of various nationalities read the manifesto aloud.

Fisichella also dedicated time to praying for peace in the world, especially for Ukraine and the conflict in the Holy Land. Among those present were young people from Palestine and Israel.

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 Prensa Staff, Aug 1, 2025 / 17:19 pm (CNA).

A relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis was stolen from the St. Dominic Savio Parish in the Argentine Archdiocese of Paraná. The pastor is seeking to recover it, emphasizing that it has no material value but does have profound spiritual significance for the community.

Father Walter Minigutti, the pastor, told local media that the theft occurred minutes after noon on July 25 and was recorded on security cameras. A couple can be seen entering the church and removing the bolted glass case containing the relic, enthroned in 2021.

"This is truly a very sad day for us, and we need our saint [Carlo Acutis] to return to the parish. We are sharing the security camera footage, where this couple can be seen," Minigutti said in an interview with the Argentine news site El Once.

A formal complaint has already been filed with the authorities, and the incident is under police investigation. Camera footage will be analyzed to identify those responsible for the theft.

The priest asked for the reliquary to be returned: "I beg whoever took the relics to return them. They have no monetary value, but they do have great spiritual value for our community," he said. The reliquary contains a first-class relic: a strand of hair and a fingernail belonging to the future saint.

In a July 31 interview with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, the priest said that "there is still no news" and prayed "to the Lord and the blessed that this cherished relic may return."

The figure of Carlo Acutis is very significant to the parish, so much so that a secondary school is being built in his name.

The relic was kept in a place specially prepared for its display and veneration, with a glass case containing a reliquary bearing the image of the young blessed dressed in everyday clothes, honoring his characterization as a "saint in jeans and sneakers."

"The place was designed so that the faithful could contemplate him. He is a very contemporary saint, close to young people, and his life conveys a powerful message about faith in the present time," Minigutti said in his interview with El Once.

Acutis, who died at the age of 15, was deeply devoted to the Eucharist: "He went to Mass every day, prayed the rosary, did Eucharistic adoration, and used the internet to evangelize. He's an example for our youth," the priest said.

"This is devastating for us because it's something very dear to us, but I have great faith and confidence in the residents of Paraná and Santa Lucía neighborhood, so please give us a hand to recover it," he appealed.

In a few days, on Aug. 12, it will be four years since the relic was enthroned in the church. For that reason, a Mass in honor of Acutis is celebrated on the 12th of every month. The blessed's feast day is Oct. 12, the day he died.

Acutis is scheduled to be canonized on Sept. 7 along with Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.

"A blessed is one of the many blessings that God gives to the Church, and having his relics is having part of his life's story among us," the parish priest stated, emphasizing that "the sentimental, religious, and spiritual value he holds for the community is incalculable."

Finally, he called for "reflection and solidarity: If anyone knows these people or just finds these relics, please bring them back to the parish."

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, Aug 1, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, expressed approval of U.S. President Donald Trump's recent comments recognizing starvation in Gaza. 

"I commend President Trump for acknowledging that starvation is happening in Gaza, especially affecting children," Zaidan wrote in a July 31 statement, adding: "And I urge him to demand the immediate expansion of humanitarian assistance through all channels in Gaza." 

Zaidan, who leads the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, has remained outspoken in his calls for "lasting peace" in the Holy Land.

The Lebanese bishop's comments come after Trump told reporters during a meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland: "We'll be helping with the food ... We're also going to make sure that they don't have barriers stopping people ... We can save a lot of people. That's real starvation. I see it, and you can't fake that."

Zaidan further cited remarks by the Holy Father during the Angelus last Sunday: "Reflecting Christ's mandate in the Gospel to love one another, Pope Leo XIV's challenge to us is clear: 'We cannot pray to God as "Father" and then be harsh and insensitive towards others. Instead, it is important to let ourselves be transformed by his goodness, his patience, his mercy, so that his face may be reflected in ours as in a mirror.'"

Leo's appeal came after an Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic parish left three dead and 15 wounded, including the parish's pastor, Father Gabriel Romanelli. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have said the strike was incidental, with Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein expressing the country's "deep regret over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualties." 

Zaidan expressed solidarity on behalf of the bishops' conference with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem; Gazan Christians; "and all men and women of goodwill in the Holy Land, especially those suffering from unprovoked violence." 

"Let us pray that the Holy Spirit, creator and vivifier, may infuse fraternal love into the hearts and minds of peoples of all faiths living in the lands of Our Lord's life, death, and glorious resurrection," Zaidan concluded.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 1, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed.

2 Syrian girls share 'moving testimony' at Jubilee of Youth event

During a vocation-themed evening in Rome, two young Syrian women, Olga Al-Maati and Christine Saad, moved hearts with their testimony about living faith amid war, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, ACI MENA, reported on Thursday. 

Representing the Marian youth of Damascus, they told fellow attendees that their presence wasn't about recounting suffering but spreading hope. They spoke of growing up amid bombs and despair yet clinging to Christ and discovering deep meaning in faith. 

Their testimony, rooted in the Vincentian spirit of charity and perseverance, received a heartfelt response. "Love is stronger than death," Saad declared, highlighting the role of Syrian youth in helping others find light in darkness through acts of service.

Thai diocese provides shelter to those displaced by border clashes with Cambodia

The Diocese of Ubon Ratchathani in northeast Thailand activated its emergency shelters on Tuesday for those fleeing ongoing border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, according to a report from Fides.

Despite a Trump administration-brokered ceasefire agreement on Monday, tensions between the two countries remain high, the report said, prompting the diocese to open its shelters, which took in roughly 200,000 displaced people. Bishop Stephen Boonlert Phromsena has opened donation sites across the diocese, while Caritas and other local Catholic agencies are providing food, water, clothing, and other basic necessities to refugees of the conflict.

South Sudan bishop calls for end to protracted violence 

In a moving letter to the South Sudan government shared this week with ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of the Tombura-Yambio Diocese pleaded for bold action to end the protracted violence occurring within his episcopal see. 

"Our people live under plastic sheeting, drink unsafe water, walk in fear, and bury their loved ones in silence," he wrote, adding: "This is not a political inconvenience, this is a humanitarian tragedy and a moral failure."

Ethnically-driven violence between the Azande and Balanda communities has plagued Tombura as conflicts over political representation, traditional authority roles, and land access continue to escalate.

In Rome, Lebanese youth kneel for peace in their homeland

Hundreds of Lebanese youth gathered at the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles in Rome during the Jubilee of Youth to pray for peace in Lebanon, lifting their country in prayer, asking for strength, reconciliation, and a renewed spirit of responsibility among their fellow citizens.

According to ACI MENA, Bishop Jules Boutros, who heads the Syriac Catholic youth committee, urged participants to model their hearts after Christ's and be beacons of unity and love. Also present, Armenian Catholic priest Father Bedros Haddad invoked prayers for Lebanon's recovery from its many crises, remembering the victims of the Aug. 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion and the country's ongoing political and economic turmoil.

Kenyan bishop says government plan to end free education funding will cause crisis

Bishop Joseph Obanyi Sagwe of the Kakamega Diocese called out the Kenyan government's reported plans to scrap free education in the country, warning that the move would trigger a crisis in the education sector by shifting the financial burden to already struggling parents. 

Speaking to journalists on July 28, Obanyi said that should government capitation in schools in Kenya be removed, most learning institutions in the East African nation will not be able to operate, ACI Africa reported on Wednesday. "If capitation is removed from schools, there's going to be a crisis. I'm aware that many of the institutions, even when they were not getting this capitation on time, some of them were taking overdrafts, awaiting the capitation," he said.

Munich and Freising bishop encourages citizens to run in local elections in Bavaria

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the archbishop of Munich and Freising in Germany, has encouraged the people of Bavaria to vote in the next local election in the free state on March 8, 2026, and to run in the elections. 

Marx published the appeal together with the state bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Christian Kopp, on Friday, according to CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner.

"The two Christian churches in Bavaria encourage all people to run for a local political mandate with a democratic party or association," the appeal said. Even if federal and state politics often play a more prominent role in the media, Marx and Kopp emphasized the importance of local politics.

"It takes care of services of general interest, [including] water, energy, garbage disposal, or fire protection," they continued. "It decides on the weighting of the areas of economic development, construction, social affairs, and education, sport, health, and care." 

Catholic health giant pledges $500M to build hospital in the Philippines

Bon Secours Mercy Health, a U.S-based Catholic health care provider, has announced plans to invest up to $500 million to build a major hospital in the Philippines. 

"If realized, it would mark one of the largest private-sector health care investments by a U.S.-based system in the Philippines," the Philippine government task force that oversees foreign investments said in a statement, according to an Inquirer.net report. 

According to its website, Bon Secours Mercy Health's mission "is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities." Commitment to "uphold the sacredness of life," integrity, compassion, stewardship, and service are also listed as its core values.

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http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=287309&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Vatican City, Aug 1, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

With more than a million followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and other platforms, Father Cosimo Schena has become one of the most recognizable faces of the so-called "digital missionary" phenomenon in Italy.

"The illness of this century is loneliness, and we listen to each other very little. I try to convey a simple message, because the Lord is simple," Schena explained.

It was four years ago that the priest, philosopher, psychologist, and psychotherapy specialist decided to create a social media profile to proclaim the Gospel in a friendly, positive, and accessible way.

"I earned a doctorate in philosophy, then studied psychology and specialized in psychotherapy. And that's precisely where the need to convey a beautiful message, a positive message, on social media arose. Because when I go online, when I turn on the television, everything is negative, everything is bad… The bad news is news, and the good news is relegated. So I said to myself, 'Why not give it a try?'", he explained in conversation with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, just before participating in an event this week with other Catholic influencers at the Via della Conciliazione auditorium, a few steps from the Vatican.

Little by little, he began posting inspirational quotes and then motivational and spiritual videos. The response he found online was surprising: "I've gained more than a million followers across different platforms, and the ages vary, from the youngest to the oldest."

Not everyone who follows him is Catholic. "There are many people who don't believe in God and follow me, and they say, 'Look, even though I don't believe, I like you as a priest because of what you say.' What makes me smile in a positive way is that, after all, Jesus is for everyone," he explained.

He felt the call to the priesthood in the parish, inspired by the credible witness of his pastor, "which made me wonder if I too could make that decision," Schena related.

After years of discernment, he left his studies in computer engineering to enter the seminary. He was ordained a priest at 30, and at 40, he discovered that there is a mission to fulfill not only in the sacristy but also in the digital world.

The key, he insisted, is to not complicate the message: "I truly hope that this — experiencing the digital world — will be cleaner, more beautiful, conveying a simple message, without complicating it, because the Lord is simple."

The face of a new pastoral ministry

He is now a priest at St. Francis Parish in the Diocese of Brindisi in southern Italy and has noticed that his online work has had a direct impact: "The number of people coming to my church has doubled. Not only thanks to the local faithful, but above all because of those who come specifically from other cities in Italy to hear the homily or confess."

This phenomenon of digital missionaries has gained such strength that the Vatican celebrated July 28–29 the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers, an official recognition — the first — of this new form of evangelization. "Until a few years ago, the higher-ups looked at us with suspicion," Schena acknowledged.

'Loneliness is the great disease of this century'

Beyond likes and algorithms, Schena perceives a profound need in those who follow him: "Now I receive, some days, even a thousand messages a day, between private messages and emails. Many people write me super-long emails, and at the end they say: 'You don't need to reply. The important thing is that someone has listened to me.' That makes me feel good, because the illness of this century is truly loneliness. And we listen to each other very little."

For Schena, behind all this lies a spiritual emptiness: "Unfortunately, this society has imposed individualism on us, and we have welcomed it with open arms. In this sense, the message of Jesus, of Christ, reaches these people and makes them feel better, even if they are not believers."

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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