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Ann Arbor, Michigan, Aug 12, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Catholic sculptor Tim Schmalz said that while Renaissance artists produced masterworks to depict the Catholic faith almost photographically, his work seeks to "go behind the scenes" and bring to life perennial truths.

A Canadian whose works are found in many countries, Schmalz, 52, recently created a massive bronze crucifix that was installed before the National Eucharistic Congress outside St. John the Evangelist Church in downtown Indianapolis, which thousands of people can see every day. 

Rising from a globe, the 22-foot-tall crucifix reveals streams of blood and water flowing down from the corpus of Jesus Christ in what Schmalz describes as "spiritual striations." These flow into a chalice and a dish that bear the Eucharist.

In an extensive interview with CNA, Schmalz said the striations streaming from the crucified Christ signify the mystery of the metamorphosis of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord. 

"What I have to say about the artwork of previous centuries is that they didn't have cameras. So, they believed the artwork was the camera. The benefit of having the camera today is that the artist has to work more creatively," Schmalz told CNA. 

"With where we are in the world right now, artists can experiment more. But as long as their basic underlying premise is to authentically show the eternal truths, they can't go wrong; they're going in the right direction," Schmalz said about artists seeking to depict religion. 

During the recently concluded National Eucharistic Congress, Schmalz was on hand to sculpt a figure featuring the Eucharist and Blessed Carlo Acutis, who was known for his devotion and his website documenting Eucharistic miracles.

Schmalz told EWTN at the Congress that while he was sculpting the head of Blessed Carlo, "one of the thoughts I had was of his curly hair and young face is that this is like Michaelangelo's 'David': a young person. In a sense he is a David, and the Goliath is what he is fighting, the evil in our culture, with the holy Eucharist."

Schmalz's sculptures are found in several countries, including the Vatican, Spain, England, the United States, Canada, and in Pope Francis' native Argentina, among other locales.

In the Vatican's St. Peter's Square Schmalz installed "Angels Unawares" — a 20-foot bronze depicting a boat full of destitute migrants watched over by an angel, while "Let the Oppressed Go free" illustrates St. Josephine Bakhita freeing the victims of human trafficking. He is also well known for "Homeless Jesus," which depicts the Savior as a human figure, wrapped in a cloak, and resting on a park bench. Only the holes in his feet left by the Crucifixion reveal his identity. These latter three have been blessed by Pope Francis.

Schmalz's other association with Pope Francis is his sculpture of "Our Lady, Untier of Knots," which is a manifestation of the Virgin Mary long favored by the pope. The pontiff blessed the image during his 2022 visit to Canada at the pilgrimage site of Lac Ste. Anne.

"Ninety-nine percent of Western artwork until the last century and a half had been Christian. Why is that? It's because the idea of the physical is embedded in Christianity unlike any other religion or philosophy. It's the idea of God coming down into the physical being: Jesus. Another extension of that is the holy Eucharist, which takes the physical and makes it more tactile to the person," Schmalz said.

"I'm alway looking to do something that makes people say, 'Wow!' and stop people in their tracks," Schmalz said, reflecting on his more than 30 years as a sculptor.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 11, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Despite winning a bronze medal as part of the United States men's gymnastics team in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Brody Malone's father cited his son's faith life and relationship with Christ as what makes him proudest of the accomplished gymnast.

"Brody is so well-grounded and such an incredible man," John Malone told CNA. "As a parent, we're called to raise good, productive people. As a Christian, you're taught to raise your child as a loving, caring, and kind person, and [Brody] is absolutely the epitome of that. That is him in a nutshell, and that's what I really want everybody to see."

Having been in Paris to watch his son compete, Malone and the rest of the world witnessed the United States men's gymnastics team make history by earning its first team medal at the Olympics since 2008. Along with teammates Stephen Nedoroscik, Frederick Richard, Asher Hong, and Paul Juda, Brody Malone took home the bronze on July 29 behind Japan and China.

"[The team] put in an incredible amount of work, and to see all that hard work come to fruition is just incredible," John Malone shared. "Especially with my son, I know how hard he's worked, I know all of the hours he's put in. You're talking about practice six days a week and usually five to six hours a day. It was just awesome for them to represent our country and do so well."

Malone expressed how "incredible" it was to see Brody and all the gymnasts' "hard work come to fruition" while also acknowledging that his son's journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics wasn't an easy one.

Having already faced numerous challenges both within and outside of his athletic career, including the loss of his mother, Tracy, to cancer in 2012, the 24-year-old gymnast suffered a near-career-ending injury a little more than a year ago.

While competing at the DTB Cup in Germany in March 2023, Brody's hands slipped off the high bar as he went in for his dismount and he landed in an odd position, dislocating his knee.

An MRI weeks later showed that Brody had torn multiple ligaments in his knee and fractured part of his tibia, which resulted in three operations and more than a year of intensive training and rehabilitation, including relearning how to walk.

Many at the time questioned if Brody, who had competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics without medaling, would be able to compete again in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.

Describing the moment when he heard of this injury, John Malone shared his initial worry and distress of being so far away from his son when he felt God telling him to "settle down, I've got this, I'm doing something."

"It was probably about 30 minutes later when Brody called me in the ambulance ride to the hospital. We were talking and I said, 'Buddy, I've got peace about this.' I said, 'Just let God use it. I don't know what it is he plans to do, but let him,'" Malone shared. "And he told me that it was crazy, saying he had gotten that exact same feeling."

"It was pretty incredible to have that, that peace that God put on both of our hearts in that moment. You know, I really do think Brody's story is a testimony to possibly help others. Brody's faith life played a huge part in his rehab and recovery," he said.

Faith from a young age

Brody's faith life started from an early age, according to Malone, who recalled a moment in which 10-year-old Brody responded to an altar call — an opportunity for people to come to the front of a church during a service and pray for the Lord to come into their life — unprompted.

"Brody made that decision, as it was on his heart at that moment," Malone shared. "I think kids don't understand a lot of times what it is they're doing when they give their life to God, but he was fully aware of it. He's had that, what God's put in him from a young age."

Since then, Brody has continued to practice and share his Christian faith with others, even having started a Bible study with his roommate for younger guys at his EVO Gymnastics gym in Sarasota, Florida.

"[Brody and his roommate] have the guys over once a week for their Bible study. As a parent, I'm proud — and I try not to use the word proud because I know it can be a pitfall — but that brings me as much joy as him winning a medal," Malone said. "I've had parents text me, and if they see me somewhere, they're just so grateful really that they're doing that with their sons. So it's a proud dad moment, and that means as much as any medal he could win."

Brody, who as a kid shared a dream with his mother of going to the Olympics, gave thanks to God in an NBC interview after having been officially named as a member of Team USA's men's gymnastics back in early July.

"I just have to give all the glory to God. It's all him, it's all God," he said. "I want to thank him for this."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 11, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Opus Dei announced the postponement of the visit to Venezuela of Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, the head of the personal prelature. The trip is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Opus Dei founder St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer's trip to Latin America.

In an Aug. 7 statement on its website, Opus Dei noted that Ocáriz has already visited Chile and Peru and will then continue his journey to Ecuador and Colombia.

"The last stage of his trip, which was in Venezuela, will be rescheduled for a later date. He also sends his special blessing to each and every one of his Venezuelan sons and daughters," the statement said.

Although the statement did not explain the reasons for the postponement, Venezuela is in the midst of severe disturbances following the July 28 elections, which, according to the election authorities, current president Nicolás Maduro won.

The opposition has challenged the official results alleging fraud and asserts that Edmundo González Urrutia actually won by a wide margin, a claim supported by the international community. The protests in the country have already left 24 dead, according to the EFE news agency.

St. Josemaría's trips to Latin America 50 years ago

The Spanish saint visited Brazil May 22 to June 7, 1974; then he went to Argentina June 7–28. From there he went to Chile from June 28 to July 9. From July 9 to Aug. 1 he was in Peru; then he traveled to Ecuador Aug. 1–15. He made his first trip to Venezuela Aug. 15–31 and made a second trip Feb. 4–15, 1975.

St. Josemaría visited Guatemala Feb. 15–23, 1975. Colombia was also on the schedule, but due to health reasons he was only able to spend a few minutes in an airport in the country.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary, Opus Dei launched a website with multimedia material that shows the impact and fruits of the prelature in the Latin American countries visited by the Spanish saint.

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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Vatican City, Aug 11, 2024 / 08:45 am (CNA).

Pope Francis urged people to truly listen to God's voice rather than looking to the Lord for a confirmation of their own ideas in his Angelus address on Sunday.

"Brothers and sisters, when faith and prayer are true, they open the mind and the heart; they do not close them," Pope Francis said on Aug. 11.

Speaking from the window of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, the pope asked people to be aware of the temptation of looking to God "for a confirmation of what we think" rather than "truly listening to what the Lord has to say to us."

"This way of addressing God does not help us to truly encounter him, nor to open ourselves up to the gift of his light and his grace, in order to grow in goodness, to do his will and to overcome failings and difficulties," he said.

"Let us ask ourselves, then: In my life of faith, am I capable of being truly silent within myself and listening to God? Am I willing to welcome his voice beyond my own mindset and also with his help to overcome my fears?"

Pope Francis asked the Virgin Mary for her intercession to help Christians to listen with faith to the Lord's voice and "to do his will courageously."

The pope offered this reflection in his meditation on Sunday's Gospel, in which the Judeans murmured about Jesus because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."

Francis said: "They are convinced that Jesus cannot have come from heaven, because he is the son of a carpenter and because his mother and his relatives are common people, familiar, normal people, like many others."

"They are obstructed in their faith by their preconception of his humble origins and the presumption, therefore, that they have nothing to learn from him. … Beware of preconceptions and presumption," he warned. 

After leading the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square in the Angelus prayer in Latin, the pope offered his greetings to a group of students who walked more than 100 miles from the Italian town of Assisi in pilgrimage to the Vatican. 

Pope Francis asked people to pray especially for the victims of a plane crash in Brazil on Friday that left 62 people dead.

The pope also marked this week's 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, which killed 70,000 people and 140,000 people respectively and brought an end to World War II.

"As we continue to commend to the Lord the victims of these events and of all wars, we renew our intense prayer for peace, especially for the tormented Ukraine, the Middle East, Palestine, Israel, Sudan, and Myanmar," Pope Francis said.

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Rome Newsroom, Aug 11, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Across the world's most populous Muslim nation of Indonesia, Catholics can find oases of prayer and devotion. The Catholic faith, through prayerful processions and rituals, has continued in the country for more than 500 years.

Records dating back to the 16th century indicate that the first Catholic traditions in Indonesia were established following the first reported apparition of the Virgin Mary.

The first 'Mother Mary' procession on the island of Flores

The Catholic history in Indonesia begins in Flores, an island in the eastern part of country, with the story of a young boy named Resiona who reportedly had an apparition of the "Queen of the Rosary" on Larantuka beach in 1510 right before finding a statue of Our Lady washed ashore, most likely from a sunken Portuguese ship. 

"Resiona was looking for snails when he saw a beautiful lady standing in front of him. He asked her name and where she came from but she didn't answer him," said Father Fidelis Bolo Wotan, a doctor of dogmatic theology with a specialization in Mariology, in an interview with CNA. 

"The woman wrote three words in the sand that the boy didn't understand. The three words were 'Akulah Reinha Rosari' ['I am the Queen of the Rosary']. After some time, when he raised his head, he saw a beautiful wooden statue."

When Portuguese Dominican missionaries arrived in Flores about 50 years after the apparition, they were amazed to find the wooden statue of Our Lady placed in a "korkay" (a local temple) and given offerings by the people of Larantuka during harvest time.

The Dominican brothers proceeded to explain the meaning of the statue and taught the people the rosary. Together with the local Larantukas, the Dominicans organized the first Tuan Ma (Mother Mary) processions during Holy Week, which, to this day, is a tradition held in Flores in the Diocese of Larantuka.

"In the past, the missionaries looked for a simple way to announce the Gospel of the Lord so the instrument they used was the procession of the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary during Semana Santa [Holy Week]," Wotan explained. "The rosary was the main tool the missionaries used to teach the people how to live their faith."

The Annuario Pontificio 2019 (the annual report of the Holy See) reports that 80% of the Flores population is Catholic, a significant figure considering Catholics account for just 3% of Indonesia's total population. (Approximately 87% of Indonesians are Muslim.)

According to Wotan, the harmonization of religion and piety with local cultures within Indonesia has, and continues to be, key for the growth of the Catholic Church in a country with approximately 280 million inhabitants spread across 17,500 islands.

The Cave of Holy Mary in Java

Java, the central island on which Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, is located, is also home to the renowned Catholic pilgrim site Gua Maria Sendangsono (the Cave of Holy Mary) in Yogyakarta.

Catholics from across the country are attracted to this pilgrimage site, especially in May and October, as it is believed the cave, which is located inside the religious complex and is marked by a large Virgin Mary statue, is a place of physical healing as well as peace and prayer, according to an Indonesian tourism website.

While Portuguese Dominican missionaries were prominent evangelizers in the eastern part of the country, the Dutch Jesuit missionary Father Frans van Lith is considered the founder of the Catholic Java mission. He arrived at the turn of the 20th century and baptized the first Javanese Catholics.

According to historians Karel Steenbrink and Jan S. Aritonang in their book "A History of Christianity in Indonesia" (2008), van Lith was a strong advocate for Javanese society and culture and believed Indonesians should have the ability to be religious, educational, and political leaders in their country independent of colonial rule.

The influence of Van Lith among the Javanese also led to the construction of the Gua Maria Sendangsono, which was completed in 1929 and inaugurated on Dec. 8 of the same year. The main features of this pilgrimage site are the statue of Our Lady, which was gifted by the queen of Spain, and the fresh spring inside the cave, which people claim is holy and can cure people of illness.

Our Lady of Good Health shrine in North Sumatra

More recently, in North Sumatra, a province on the western side of Indonesia, the Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni (dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health) was constructed between 2001 and 2005 to support the Tamil Catholic community living in Medan. The "Indo-Mughal" design of the shrine makes it look like a "church, temple, and mosque all in one."

According to the shrine's website, Father James Bharataputra, a Jesuit priest from India who served in Indonesia for more than 50 years, wanted the shrine to be a unique place "where Catholics can reinforce their faith and non-Catholics can experience and learn about another faith in an environment where their respective faith is also represented in the features of the building." 

Two Franciscan Capuchins — Archbishop Alfred Gonti Pius Datubura and Coadjutor Archbishop Anicetus Antonius Sinaga — inaugurated the shrine in October 2005. 

"More than 3,000 people from several ethnic groups attended the celebrations and among them were 200 foreign pilgrims from Malaysia, Singapore, and India," Sister Angelina, a member of the Kongregasi Suster Santu Yosef (KSSY) in Medan, told CNA.

"Many people visit the shrine each year — 15,600 people," she said. "People are attracted to come to Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni because the Marian shrine is very unique, special, and the prayers of people who come are answered."

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Indonesia, the first stop on his Asia-Pacific trip, on Sept. 3–6.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 10, 2024 / 09:00 am (CNA).

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have been the scene not only of sporting prowess but also of displays of faith and devotion by athletes from around the world.

Despite Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits any type of religious expression, some athletes have not hidden their faith and have proudly displayed it at key moments of the competition.

Brazil's top athlete thanks God for the opportunity

Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade won the gold medal in the women's floor final, earning her second Olympic gold and her sixth medal in total, establishing herself as the best medalist among athletes from her country. In the competition, she beat out Simone Biles, the American Olympic gymnast who has won the most medals.

In an interview with CazéTV, Andrade commented: "This medal was not because I asked God for a medal; he gave me the opportunity to win it. I went through everything I had to go through: I worked, I sweated, I cried, I tried hard, I laughed, I had fun, I traveled. So I feel that I made this possible too and he was always there blessing me, protecting me and feeling proud of me, knowing that his servant was always giving her best."

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, winner of the gold medal in the men's singles competition after beating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, not only stood out for his skill on the court but also for his Orthodox Christian faith.

Throughout the tournament, Djokovic wore a cross around his neck and, after winning the final, he told the media that God is the key to his success. "I thank God for giving me his mercy, for giving me this blessing and this opportunity," he said.

Historic medals for Guatemala

In trap shooting, Guatemalans Adriana Ruano and Jean Pierre Brol made history by winning medals for their country.

Ruano, who won the first gold medal for Guatemala, expressed her gratitude to God in the mixed zone, stating: "He has been key in this process; he has given me the strength and confidence to be able to do this work." After her victory, Ruano traveled to the Vatican, where Pope Francis blessed her medal.

Jean Pierre Brol, who won bronze, also gave thanks to God, sharing before starting a competition: "I ask him to give me the composure, the wisdom to be able to handle the situation, and he gave it to me, and here it is, here is the result. So, thanks to him for this."

'Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life'

Rayssa Leal, the 16-year-old Brazilian skateboarder, not only won the bronze medal, but she also used her moment on the podium to make a declaration of faith. When receiving her medal, she expressed in sign language that "Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

This same gesture was replicated by her compatriot Caio Bonfim when he received the silver medal for race walking, pointing to the sky and showing his devotion to Jesus. 

A friendship born of faith

On July 28, Brazilian judoka Larissa Pimenta secured bronze in the 52-kilogram category, beating her Italian friend Odette Giuffrida.

Pimenta shared in an interview that Giuffrida came to know God through her and that, after the defeat, the Italian reminded her friend: "All honor and glory must be given to him." Both shared messages of gratitude to God on their Instagram accounts.

Photo of the year

Surfer Gabriel Medina, bronze medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Tahiti, starred in one of the most iconic images of the event.

Raising his index finger in a sign of victory while in the air, Medina shared the photograph on his Instagram with the biblical quote "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13).

Other displays of faith

South African swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker won the gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke. To express her gratitude, Schoenmaker wore a special T-shirt with the names of the people who supported her, headed by God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Ethiopian Tsige Duguma, who won the silver medal in the 800-meter race, showed that on the back of her race bib "Jesus is Lord" was written. Similarly, Lucia Yepez of Ecuador, a wrestler in the 53-kilogram category, took the silver medal in freestyle wrestling with the word "God" on her right hand. In an interview, Yépez said: "He is on my path to victory. I always have faith."

Britain's Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, who won the bronze medal in the 3-meter synchronized springboard diving, told the BBC that despite the difficulties she went through, "it was just God's way of telling us that we still have a lot to do, and I give all the glory to God." 

In swimming, American Katie Ledecky became the swimmer with the most gold medals in Olympic history, taking her total to nine after her victory in the 800-meter freestyle.

Ledecky, who in an interview with the National Catholic Register in 2016 revealed that she prays a Hail Mary before every race, said: "More than anything, praying just helps me to concentrate and let go of things that don't matter in that moment. It gives me peace knowing I'm in good hands."

The swimmer also praised devotion to Mary, noting that "she has a sacred role in Catholicism, and her strong faith and humility are things we can learn from."

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

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CNA Staff, Aug 10, 2024 / 10:00 am (CNA).

On the occasion of her podcast joining the EWTN programming lineup, human rights activist and Live Action President Lila Rose discussed the task currently before America's pro-life movement as well as the significance of her lifestyle podcast's placement on the global Catholic network.

"It is truly a dream come true and an answer to prayer to get to partner with EWTN in the spirit of Mother Angelica, who is one of my dearest heroes," Rose said upon announcing the EWTN debut of "The Lila Rose Podcast" during the 2024 Napa Institute Summer Conference.

"Seeing EWTN take the vision of Mother Angelica, her innovation, her spirit, her courageous vision to go out into culture and talk to anyone, go anywhere and share the Gospel, and now to do that within the new digital landscape, and to get to be a part of it … is just a dream come true for me," she continued. 

Speaking of her podcast, Rose said the vision of her show is to reach "young people, especially those in transition, young women, young families." 

"How do we build healthy relationships? How do we build strong marriages? How do we date for marriage? How do we be healthy physically, emotionally, spiritually?" Rose said of some of the topics she engages with.

"My show is a space to have those conversations, discover, learn together and have fun along the way," she added.

As a result of the collaboration, "The Lila Rose Podcast" now premieres on EWTN On Demand exclusively for 24 hours and is subsequently distributed on multiple additional platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, and other podcast apps.

Rose on the pro-life fight in 2024 

During the 2024 Napa Institute Summer Conference, Rose spoke with EWTN News President Montse Alvarado on "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly" about the task currently before the pro-life movement.

When asked about the post-Roe panorama, Rose said that "in a way, we're just getting started." 

"The overturning of Roe v. Wade was a tremendous victory, a tremendous milestone for the movement," she said. "But in many ways, it was the beginning of a new war, a fight that we knew was always coming, which was: We have to change culture." 

Rose highlighted the importance of changing hearts and minds, which is the goal of her organization, Live Action.

"Many people don't even know what abortion really is. They don't know the sacredness of their own life or of other lives. They don't know all the resources that exist for women who might become pregnant and be struggling," she explained. "So our job is to educate and help people know the truth and then be that point of hard truth, but also encouragement and inspiration, that there is a better path here for women and for our culture — and that path is life."

Responding to Republican backsliders

Rose noted that in the wake of Roe's overturn, "the Republican Party seems to be softening on life," a move she called "very disappointing because the reality is this is the time to fight more than we ever have for life."

"I'm hoping that whatever fear that is gripping a lot of politicians right now, as we double down on our educational work, our campaigning, we can reinvigorate not just culture but also politics down the line," she added.

When asked how the pro-life movement should respond to the Republican National Committee softening its stance on life, Rose said: "We need to be unafraid." 

"Listen, our job as voters is not to give undying loyalty without any demands to one party or another. That's tribalism. Our job is to vote our conscience. Our job is to speak the truth even when it's popular and unpopular," she said. 

Rose noted that the Trump-Vance ticket is in support of abortion pills, which are used for most abortions in the U.S.

"It's our job to call that out," she said. "That doesn't mean we're going to go vote for the Democrats' side if you're pro-life, because they're even more pro-abortion all the way until birth — but we can't pretend like this is okay."

When asked about the abortion pill versus surgical abortion, Rose said the abortion pills are "indistinguishable, morally speaking, from the surgical abortion procedure." 

"I think we're buying into the abortion industry's lies to pretend like there's a distinction when there's not a distinction," she said. "One is a chemical pill that basically kills the baby via starvation and a forced miscarriage. The other one is a technical procedure that rips the baby into pieces. They're both horrific. They both kill the same baby."

She also noted that the abortion pill "is incredibly traumatic" for women. 

When asked about Vice President Kamala Harris, Rose noted that she is the first presidential candidate in the country's history "to have toured an abortion clinic as part of her campaign." 

"It's extraordinary how pro-abortion Kamala Harris is, and it would be devastating, if she became the president, for the preborn and the cause for the preborn."

When asked if there is such a thing as feminism without abortion, Rose said: "Of course."

"A feminism that rejects the core of what it means to be feminine, woman, motherhood, is an empty and broken feminism," she noted.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 9, 2024 / 15:07 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis conveyed a "message of hope" to Chinese Catholics and expressed his desire to one day visit the Basilica of Holy Mary, the Help of Christians, in Shanghai, China, during an interview released on Friday.

In an interview at the Vatican with Father Pedro Chia, the director of the press office of the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus, the pontiff said he would "really want to" conduct an apostolic visit to China to visit the shrine and meet with bishops and Catholics in the country. 

"[The Chinese people] are indeed a faithful people who have gone through so much and remained faithful," Francis said.

The pope added that the Chinese people are descendants of a "great people" and encouraged them not to "waste this heritage" but instead "pass it on with patience." He further expressed a "message of hope" to the faithful in China.

"It seems tautological to send a message of hope to people who are masters of waiting," Francis said. "The Chinese are masters of patience, masters of waiting. … It's a very beautiful thing."

The pope, who is a Jesuit, also provided advice to Jesuit clergy in China. 

"Show the way to God through the spiritual exercises and discernment," Francis said in his message to Chinese Jesuits. "... Walk with the poor [and with] those whose dignity has been violated in a mission of reconciliation and justice and … accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future and … take care of our common home."

At the end of the interview, Francis bestowed a blessing on the Chinese people and prayed for the intercession of Our Lady of Sheshan. 

The interview was conducted on May 24, the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, but not released until Aug. 9. 

No pope has ever visited China, but Francis was the first pope to visit Mongolia, which borders China, in September 2023. 

In 2018, the Vatican signed a confidential agreement with the CCP that would require the regime to consult with the Holy See about the appointment of bishops. That deal was renewed in 2020 and again in 2022.

According to a recent Pew study, the number of Christians in China has leveled after increasing in the 1980s and 1990s, which some observers attribute to a "crackdown" by the communist regime.

Nina Shea, senior fellow and director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute, told CNA that the declining numbers of China's Christians are "no surprise."

"They correlate with Xi's [Jiping's] crackdown on Christianity, his so-called 'Sinicization' campaign," she said. For the past five years, "the state has strictly banned all children from any exposure to religion, churches have been blanketed with facial-recognition surveillance and linked to social credit scores."

During that time, Bibles have been restricted and censored, Beijing has detained Christian bishops and pastors, and their sermons have been censored to "be on Xi's 'thought,'" Shea said.

On critics and the future of the Church

During the interview with Chia, Francis also commented on criticism he has faced during his papacy.

"Critics are always helpful," the pope said. "Even if they are not constructive, they are always helpful because they make one reflect on one's actions."

"Well, many times you know that you have to wait, to endure and often correct oneself because behind some resistances there can be good criticism," Francis continued. "And sometimes also with pain, because the resistances, as they happen at these moments, are not only against me personally, they are against the Church."

The pontiff also referenced difficulties faced by St. Ignatius of Loyola, who founded the Jesuits. 

"The difficulties and resistances that St. Ignatius faced at the beginning were conflicts with people who looked inward and lost their missionary spirit," he said.

The pope also urged Catholics to avoid worldliness and clericalism when reflecting on the future of the Church. He noted that 20th-century Jesuit theologian Father Henri de Lubac warned that worldliness was "the worst evil that can befall the Church" and "even worse than the time of the concubinary popes."

"Some say it will be a smaller, more reduced Church," the pontiff said. "I think the Church must be careful not to fall into the plague of clericalism and the plague of spiritual worldliness."

When asked whether he had any words of advice for the person who succeeds him as pope, Francis gave a simple response: "Pray … because the Lord speaks in the prayer."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 9, 2024 / 15:37 pm (CNA).

Rosario Murillo, wife of dictator Daniel Ortega and vice president of Nicaragua, announced that seven priests left the Central American country and have arrived "safely" at the Vatican.

Without further explanation, Murillo announced that on Aug. 7 "seven Nicaraguan priests left Nicaragua for Rome and arrived safely and were received by the Holy See." 

The audio communiqué was aired by Channel 4 Nicaragua and other pro-government media. Murillo mentioned the priests' departure twice in her nearly 13-minute news briefing, without specifying their names.

Since July 26, a total of nine priests have been detained in the dioceses of Matagalpa, Estelí, and Juigalpa, to be later held in the Interdiocesan Seminary of Our Lady of Fatima in Managua.

According to researcher Martha Patricia Molina, author of the report "Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church?", the priests detained by the dictatorship are: Monsignor Ulises Vega Matamoros, Monsignor Edgar Sacasa Sierra, Father Víctor Godoy, Father Jairo Pravia Flores, Father Marlon Velásquez, Father Jarvin Torrez, and Father Raúl Villegas, all of them from the clergy of the Diocese of Matagalpa; Fray Silvio Romero from the Diocese of Juigalpa; and Father Frutos Constantino Valle Salmerón from the Diocese of Estelí.

According to the Nicaraguan newspaper Mosaico, on Aug. 7 seven of the nine priests were taken from the seminary and sent to Rome.

The news outlet stated that the whereabouts of Villegas are unknown, while it is believed that Valle Salmerón — administrator "ad omnia" of the Diocese of Estelí in the absence of the exiled apostolic administrator of the diocese, Bishop Rolando Álvarez — was left at the seminary.

Vatican News reported in a news brief the names of the priests who arrived in Rome: Víctor Godoy, Jairo Pravia, Silvio Romero, Edgar Sacasa, Harvin Torres, Ulises Vega, and Marlon Velázquez.

Vatican News also noted that this is the fifth group of priests exiled from Nicaragua: In October 2022 and February 2023 two groups were exiled to the United States, while in October 2023 and January 2024 two other groups left for Rome.

Matagalpa is the diocese of Álvarez, a human rights defender and critic of the dictatorship who was held under house arrest for months and eventually sentenced to 26 years in prison in February 2023 in a controversial judicial process.

He was finally deported in January of this year to Rome, where he now lives in exile.

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

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CNA Staff, Aug 9, 2024 / 16:07 pm (CNA).

A former Catholic seminarian in Ohio pleaded guilty this week to charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and faces years in prison.

Broderick Witt entered the guilty plea at Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, where he was facing multiple counts of "pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor." 

Prosecutors had originally charged Witt with 15 counts; he ultimately pleaded guilty to eight of those charges, with the prosecution dropping the remaining seven. 

Court documents indicated the material involved girls as young as 6 years old. 

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati had announced in February of this year that Witt, at the time a student at Mount St. Mary's Seminary and School of Theology in Cincinnati, had been arrested by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department after child pornography had been found in his living quarters. 

"Mr. Witt is no longer a student of this institution, nor a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati," seminary rector Father Anthony Brausch said at the time, adding that the seminary was cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation. 

Witt's sentencing is set for Sept. 5. He faces up to a dozen years in prison for the charges. 

In a statement to CNA, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati pointed to Brausch's February statement in which he said that both the seminary and the archdiocese "have strict policies against, and take significant precautions to prevent, anyone from possessing or accessing material of this type, regardless of whether they are a student, faculty, or staff."

"Discovery of such material will result in immediate termination or dismissal and notification of law enforcement," Brausch said.

Local Cincinnati news station WCPO reported in March that prior to his arrest Witt had "interned" at several local parishes, including doing work with children.

Investigators were initially led to Witt after a tip from the group Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Cincinnati Inquirer reported.

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