Catholic News

Christians in Switzerland have protested a new military law that ends the long-standing exemption from compulsory military service for clergy, accusing the federal government of revising the legislation without consulting the country's religious communities as is customary before legislative changes.

The revised Federal Act on the Armed Forces, which took effect June 1, repealed Article 18, ending the automatic exemption that priests, monks, and other clergy had traditionally received because of their pastoral role in civilian society.

Clergy deemed fit for service are now required to complete the same compulsory military service as other Swiss men: an initial 18 weeks of basic training followed by refresher courses over nine years, amounting to a total of 245 days of service. Military service remains compulsory only for men.

Church response

In a July 8 letter to the Swiss Federal Council, four of the country's largest Christian bodies criticized the government's handling of the reform. The signatories included the Swiss Bishops' Conference, the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland, the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland (Old Catholic), and the umbrella organization Freikirchen.ch, which represents Switzerland's free churches.

Christian leaders said they had not been invited to participate in the consultation process that normally accompanies significant legislative changes in Switzerland, despite the fact that the reform directly affects the ministry of clergy during times of national crisis.

"We regret this procedural flaw," said Peter Schneeberger, president of Freikirchen.ch, in a statement. "From our standpoint, this does not correspond to a proper legislative process."

According to the organizations, they only became aware of the change indirectly after the legislation had already been adopted.

While acknowledging that the reform itself can be debated politically, Schneeberger argued that the deeper issue is what the decision says about the state's understanding of religion.

By abolishing the exemption, he wrote, the government is abandoning the long-held assumption that pastoral care during wars, disasters, and other emergencies is a public service worthy of special protection. He described the move as a form of "state self-secularization" — not hostility toward religion but a reassessment of the churches' role in society without any broader public discussion.

Government response

The Federal Council defended the reform by arguing that the exemption had become obsolete. It said the provision was originally intended to ensure civilians would continue receiving spiritual care during wars and national emergencies.

In its reasoning, the government stated that "the increasing secularization of society means that fewer and fewer people feel connected to the Church's offerings," concluding that pastoral ministry can no longer be regarded as "an activity essential to maintaining social life."

Swiss military authorities similarly argued that the exemption no longer reflects the religious realities of modern Swiss society.

The government's decision comes amid a marked shift in Switzerland's religious landscape. According to official statistics, Catholics accounted for 42.3% of the population in 2000 but had fallen to 30% by 2024. Over the same period, the proportion of people with no religious affiliation more than tripled, rising from 11.4% to 36.8%, reflecting the country's accelerating secularization.

Questioning the army's response

Auxiliary Bishop Alain de Raemy of Lausanne, Geneva, and Fribourg, who previously served as chaplain to the Pontifical Swiss Guard at the Vatican, called the government's decision "a lack of respect for society."

Pointing to the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, de Raemy argued that moments of crisis often increase, rather than diminish, the demand for spiritual care.

"As we saw during COVID, or during the Crans-Montana disaster, there was a need for people available on a spiritual level as well. So how will we manage in times of war and future crises, if priests must serve in the army? What is the Federal Council's plan?" he asked.

Collectively, the churches have appealed to the Federal Council to clarify how clergy will be able to continue providing pastoral care if they are called to military service and have urged the government to introduce flexible arrangements that preserve their ministry during future national emergencies.

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A Canadian same-sex couple's lawsuit against the surrogate mother who refused their request to abort their unborn child is drawing attention not only to abortion but also to deeper questions about surrogacy itself, Canadian bioethicist Moira McQueen said.

Contracting a surrogate mother to carry an implanted embryo separates what the Church calls the unitive and procreative dimensions of marriage, McQueen said. "If you start interfering with that, there will be problems."

McQueen said the Ontario dispute illustrates how separating conception, pregnancy, and parenthood among different people can create conflicts that no contract can fully prevent.

In this case, the problems read like a checklist of all that can go wrong in surrogate parenting. A same-sex couple allege that the Ontario woman who carried their son to birth breached their surrogacy agreement during the pregnancy and after his birth.

The lawsuit in Ontario Superior Court alleges the surrogate failed to keep the couple informed about the baby's health, disregarded medical advice, excluded them from decisions about the pregnancy, and failed to follow their directions regarding the baby's medical care. It also accuses her of interfering with legal steps to establish parentage, disclosing confidential information, defaming the couple on social media, and improperly seeking reimbursement for expenses.

The statement of claim doesn't mention the couple's reported request that the surrogate have an abortion after a prenatal diagnosis.

The National Post, which interviewed the woman, reported that an ultrasound indicated the baby had a cleft lip and other possible conditions. She received a letter from the couple asking that "the pregnancy be terminated," which "devastated" her, according to the newspaper. When doctors later determined the baby was otherwise healthy, the parents agreed the pregnancy should continue.

The lawsuit doesn't specify a dollar amount, but the surrogate told the newspaper the couple were seeking approximately $600,000.

That exploitation has global dimensions through the growth of "reproductive tourism" because it's cheaper to pay a woman in a third-world country, McQueen said. "People have gone to other countries but then not carried out their part of the contract when something [unplanned] happens."

The contractual nature of the relationship has "nothing to do with love," she said. McQueen questioned where the child fits into an arrangement driven by contracts and negotiations rather than a loving family relationship.

Even if the arrangement works out, "it's what they've done to that person in the other country. It's using people. It's exploiting them."

Pope Leo XIV has raised concerns with surrogate parenthood in recent remarks. He told the Vatican diplomatic corps in January that surrogacy turns "gestation into a negotiable service," violating the dignity of the child and mother, "exploiting her body and the generative process."

Surrogacy advocate Sally Rhoads-Heinrich, whose organization worked with the parties, rejected the suggestion that the case exposed flaws in surrogacy itself.

"This arrangement soured terribly because sometimes parties (even with the best interests and contracts) can change their minds," she told Canadian Catholic News. "Everyone went through intense screening, counseling, legal contracts, and had support."

Although the abortion element is catching attention, she said abortion is "incredibly rare" for a surrogate pregnancy in Canada.

"We've only had two cases in our 26-year history," she said. One was for a baby with hydrocephalus who she said would have died at birth and the other was when parents asked their surrogate to abort one of three triplets in utero in a high-risk triplet pregnancy.

McQueen pointed to the 1987 Vatican instruction Donum Vitae, issued under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI. It says children have the right "to be conceived, carried in the womb, brought into the world, and brought up by his own parents."

Surrogate arrangements set up "to the detriment of families, a division between the physical, psychological, and moral elements which constitute those families," Ratzinger said. "Such damage to the personal relationships within the family has repercussions on civil society: What threatens the unity and stability of the family is a source of dissension, disorder, and injustice in the whole of social life."

Benedict made clear that no matter how children enter the world, they must be accepted as a living gift of God's goodness and brought up with love.

McQueen said that because surrogacy is "a contract more than a loving relationship," a surrogate whose pregnancy no longer meets the intended parents' expectations can come to be viewed as having "broken the contract." She pointed to cases in which intended parents have abandoned surrogate mothers after pregnancies did not unfold as planned.

Similar questions arose in California in 2015 when gestational surrogate Melissa Cook refused a request by the intended father to abort one of the triplets she was carrying. The dispute prompted a Minnesota legislative study of surrogacy.

Testifying before the Minnesota Legislative Commission on Surrogacy in 2016, University of St. Thomas law professor Teresa Collett argued surrogacy contracts tend to prioritize the expectations of intended parents while leaving surrogate mothers and children more vulnerable when conflicts arise.

Canadian law prohibits paying a woman to act as a surrogate, while allowing reimbursement of pregnancy-related expenses. Rhoads-Heinrich argues Canada should instead permit surrogate mothers to receive compensation.

"Altruistic surrogacy is not ideal as surrogates should be properly compensated for their time, effort, and risk," she said. Without compensation, she argued, there is a shortage of surrogate mothers, leaving "thousands of embryos frozen in clinics in Canada that will never get the chance at life because of the lack of surrogates available."

McQueen said frozen embryos raise a separate ethical dilemma. While the Church clearly opposes creating and freezing embryos in the first place, it has not given a definitive answer on whether Catholics should adopt frozen embryos because competing moral considerations are involved.

"It's a terrible problem," she said. "It's a very sad situation" for infertile couples who long for children, she added, but their suffering does not change the Church's moral concerns about the technologies used to create and freeze embryos.

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ABUJA, Nigeria — Cardinal John Onaiyekan has challenged Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration to intensify efforts to end kidnapping and other violent crimes in Nigeria, insisting that the government has "no excuse" for failing to tackle the country's worsening insecurity.

In an interview with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on the sidelines of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Catholic Men Organization of Nigeria, Onaiyekan said the recent rescue of abducted schoolchildren should serve as renewed motivation for authorities to dismantle kidnapping networks.

"We can be saying 'thank God,' we thank our president, and so on, but the kidnapping should not have happened in the first place if the government was serious about fighting insecurity. [It] has no excuse not to end kidnapping in Nigeria," the 82-year-old cardinal said during the July 14 interview.

While expressing gratitude for the children's safe return after nearly two months in captivity, Onaiyekan, the archbishop emeritus of Abuja, emphasized that the release does not erase the trauma the children endured or the suffering of their families.

"We are all grateful to God. But the release has not cancelled the pain of having so many children taken away in captivity for almost two months," the cardinal said.

He said the successful rescue does not provide evidence that Nigeria's security crisis has been overcome, noting that many other victims remain in the hands of kidnappers and terrorist groups.

"I am praying and hoping that the government will not believe that we have done well now that these children have been released. We should not forget that there are others, maybe hundreds, out there that are still in the hands of terrorists asking for all kinds of ransom," he said.

The cardinal questioned why kidnappers continue to operate camps where abducted persons are held for extended periods without being dismantled by security agencies.

"From the way I saw the children on the video, they were not sleeping in the bush all these 60 days," he observed.

Onaiyekan added: "Very often, the kidnappers have their own arrangements. They sometimes run their own villages, and ordinary men and women are there taking care of those they have captured until they are ready to be released after negotiations and ransom paid."

"If that is so, we still cannot understand that our government says they cannot deal with these criminal elements," he said.

According to the Church leader, genuine progress against insecurity will only be achieved when Nigerians can move freely without fear.

"Until we can move around freely and safely in Nigeria, we cannot congratulate ourselves," he said.

Expressing gratitude once again for the rescue of the children, Onaiyekan appealed to the Nigerian government to provide comprehensive rehabilitation for the rescued children, warning that the trauma of captivity could have lasting psychological and spiritual consequences.

"We hope that the government will realize that after 60 days under such circumstances, these children need special attention in terms of psycho-social and psycho-spiritual therapy to help them overcome the trauma they have been exposed to; some of them are as young as 2 years, which, if not properly addressed, will affect their future," he said.

Reflecting on the silver jubilee of the Catholic Men Organization of Nigeria,  Onaiyekan recalled helping to establish the organization 25 years ago.

"I was the person who brought them together in the Pope John Paul II Centre 25 years ago," he said, explaining that the organization was founded after witnessing the success of the Catholic Women Organization (CWO) in mobilizing women to actively participate in the Church.

"The CWO was moving and doing wonderful things, appearing very well and mobilizing women. Somehow, the idea came that you have to do something for the men. Otherwise, they continue to just come to church and go back home, and you cannot count on them for any serious Church organization," Onaiyekan said.

He called on Catholic Men Organization of Nigeria members to embrace their vocation as fathers by making their families true domestic churches rooted in faith and Christian values.

"The strength of the Church and society begins with the family; Catholic men are to lead by example through love, prayer, integrity, and service. Be good fathers in your families. Let your homes become domestic churches where Christ is truly present," he said.

The cardinal emphasized that fatherhood extends beyond meeting material needs, urging Catholic men to nurture their families' spiritual lives.

"A father should not only provide food for the family but should also lead them to God through prayer, good example, and faithful living," he said.

He further encouraged members of the organization to remain committed to evangelization by witnessing to the Gospel in their homes, workplaces, and communities.

Onaiyekan urged Catholic Men Organization of Nigeria members to continue supporting the Church's mission through active participation, charity, and moral leadership, saying their faithful witness would help build stronger families, a stronger Church, and a better society.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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The Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan will review a previous ruling that allowed a 13-year-old Christian girl, who was forced into child marriage and religious conversion, to stay with her abductor.

"One year ago in July 2025, Maria [Shahbaz] was abducted. She was forced into a marriage with a 30-year-old man. She was forcibly converted and she remains with the abductor today," Kelsey Zorzi, director of advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International said in an interview with "EWTN News Nightly" anchor Veronica Dudo.

ADF International is supporting Shahbaz's ongoing case and calling for an end to forced marriage and conversions in Pakistan.

Shahbaz has been seeking justice in the Pakistani court since it placed her in the custody of Shehryar Ahmad –— the man who abducted her from her family. The Christian girl was married off to Ahmad and forcibly converted to Islam.

The court previously found that she could remain with her abductor after "they did not verify her age according to her birth certificate," Zorzi explained. "Instead, they looked at her and said, 'She doesn't look 13. She looks older.' And they sent her home with the abductor."

"The Christian community is outraged by the court's latest decision, because what it signals to future abductors is that they can find young girls, they can forcibly marry them, they can forcibly convert them to Islam, and then they can tell the judge that their birth certificates are erroneous, and they can tell them that these girls are any age that they appear to be physically," she said.

On July 16, "the Federal Constitutional Court, which is the highest court in Pakistan that hears these cases, actually decided to hear a review of their decision from March of this year," Zorzi said.

The court "is willing to reevaluate that decision," she said. "On Friday, July 24, they will have the first hearing to reevaluate this."

The court's decision follows a resolution adopted by the European Parliament  on July 9 that highlighted Shahbaz's case and detailed human rights violations in Sudan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. It called for Shahbaz's return to her family and condemned the broader pattern of child abductions and forced marriages in Pakistan.

In the resolution members of Parliament said they "call for the protection of religious minorities and urge Pakistan's government to ensure that all cases involving minors or allegations of coercion are subject to transparent and independent investigations."

"The perpetrators must be prosecuted and Pakistan's judicial framework strengthened … and abducted girls must be able to return safely," the resolution said.

Shahbaz's case is 'not an isolated event'

Shahbaz's case is not an isolated case, and child marriage and forced conversion among young girls "is a widespread problem in Pakistan and beyond," Zorzi said.

According to UNICEF, 100 million girls worldwide are at risk of child marriage this decade. The issue escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic due to rising poverty and isolation, and lack of education.

"In Pakistan alone, we're seeing over 1,000 minority girls being forcibly married and forcibly converted into Islam every single year," Zorzi said. "So Maria's case is not an isolated event. It's part of a systemic problem that we're seeing in this country."

ADF International believes Shahbaz's case "is a precedent-setting case," Zorzi said. "We think it has so much potential to actually stop this problem going forward. So we're very hopeful and we're very thankful that the court is willing to reconsider it next week."

"Throughout Pakistan, the pattern of abductions, forced conversions, and coerced marriages of underage girls to much older men is alarming," Tehmina Arora, director of Advocacy for Asia at ADF International, said in a July 9 press release.

"Hundreds of girls each year find themselves victims of these sham marriages, losing their personal freedoms and facing exploitation and abuse," Arora said.

"The court must now do what is right by granting her freedom and establishing a precedent that will protect vulnerable young girls from these horrific acts," she said.

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The mother a 25-year-old Spanish woman who died by euthanasia in March following a long legal battle has filed two criminal complaints against the yet-to-be identified men who allegedly raped her daughter.

"I have decided to file a complaint against the men who caused my daughter so much harm. I am doing this because I feel that is what she wanted," said Yolanda Ramos, the mother of Noelia Castillo, in explaining her reasons for asking the public prosecutor's office to investigate two alleged rapes that appear to be at the root of her daughter's case.

"Noelia spoke about the rapes on television, and on the very day she died, she gave me her diary," Ramos said. "And when I read it, I understood many things."

In a recording released by the Spanish Foundation of Christian Lawyers, Ramos explained how an intuition led her to take the step nearly four months after her daughter was euthanized via lethal injection.

"I feel that my daughter wanted the whole truth to be known someday. That is why I decided to go to the prosecutor's office, because I cannot simply stand by and do nothing. They can't bring my daughter back, but neither do I want this to be forgotten. I am doing this for her, and also for other young women who have gone through the same thing but have not reported it," she explained.

"It's the only thing I can do for my daughter," she said, "so that she is never forgotten."

In April, Ramos called for the repeal of the euthanasia law via social media: "Please, let this law be abolished. I don't want there to be any more Noelias. I don't want this to happen again. This euthanasia law must be completely done away with."

A written record of the assaults

Working with the Spanish Foundation of Christian Lawyers, Ramos filed two complaints with the provincial prosecutor's offices of Barcelona and Tarragona. She said she hopes the two alleged rapes her daughter suffered will be investigated and those responsible brought to justice.

The foundation said the complaints show that Noelia left, in writing, the story of both sexual assaults.

Regarding the first incident, it describes how she was forced to have sexual relations by her then-romantic partner, a young Pakistani man with whom she had been in a relationship for four years.

As for the second, it details how, after meeting a waiter in Salou, she was drugged, made to consume alcohol, and raped by three men. Three days after that assault, Noelia attempted suicide by throwing herself from the fifth floor of a building. She survived but was left paraplegic. Years later, she would request euthanasia.

According to the foundation, "the events could constitute two counts of rape"  under the penal code.

"The family was unable to report the incidents at the time due to a lack of sufficient evidence. However, following Noelia's death, her mother has gained access to various documents that, according to the complaint, would make it possible to identify the alleged perpetrators," the foundation stated.

Among the new evidence are handwritten entries "recounting both rapes, as well as conversations, identifying details, and other elements that would facilitate locating the alleged assailants."

Finally, the Christian Lawyers foundation pointed out that "the victim's death does not preclude criminal prosecution for these offenses" and called on the public prosecutor's office "to initiate the necessary proceedings to identify those responsible and hold them criminally accountable."

The first euthanasia case to go to court in Spain

Noelia del Castillo was euthanized on March 26. She requested the procedure in April 2024 and it was granted in August of that year. Shortly after that, her parents initiated a legal battle to preserve her life.

This was the first case to go to court in Spain since the euthanasia law came into effect on June 25, 2021. Since then, 1,688 people have died from euthanasia, according to official statistics from the Ministry of Health.

In the legal proceedings, it was requested that the procedure not be carried out, as it was determined that Noelia had not received the necessary support to address her psychiatric issues — issues highlighted by her repeated suicide attempts, one of which caused her serious injuries.

"The Constitutional Court itself makes it clear that euthanasia cannot be applied when the origin of the suffering is a mental illness, and that the state has the obligation to protect these people against the risk of suicide," Christian Lawyers explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, in March.

Separately, a complaint was filed against the doctor and the lawyer who initially assessed Noelia's request, alleging that they "feigned disagreement in order to refer the decision to the Guarantee and Evaluation Commission and 'force' a supposedly higher level of assurance in the decision-making process," a Supreme Court ruling noted.

Furthermore, a complaint was also lodged against seven members of the Guarantee Commission for conflict of interest and against the former Minister of Health for Catalonia, Josep María Argimón, for having appointed them.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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On July 15, Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Antonio Santarsiero Rosa as bishop of the Diocese of Huacho, Peru, which he has led since 2004.

The resignation was accepted as Santarsiero turned 75, the age at which the Code of Canon Law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope. The decision comes just over three months after allegations of sexual abuse and psychological mistreatment against the prelate came to light.

The Holy See Press Office stated only that "the Holy Father has accepted the resignation" without providing further details.

Accusations against Santarsiero

In April, the Spanish news outlet InfoVaticana reported on the accusations, contained in a dossier sent to the apostolic nunciature in Peru and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome.

According to the outlet, the documentation contains allegations of sexual abuse and psychological mistreatment attributed to the bishop over a period of several years.

InfoVaticana also reported that the two accounts align on key details of the alleged incidents, with one of them claiming that some of the abuse occurred while the victim was still a minor.

Santarsiero denied the accusations. The same outlet reported that he "categorically" denied the alleged conduct, as it "completely contradicts my track record and principles as a priest and bishop, in which I have always acted with integrity, respect, and pastoral commitment."

Following the public disclosure of the allegations, the Peruvian Bishops' Conference (CEP, by its Spanish acronym) issued a statement on April 9 announcing that Santarsiero had requested to step down as secretary-general of the Peruvian episcopate "as an act of responsibility toward the institutional mission, in order to devote himself to clarifying the truth."

In the same statement, signed by CEP president Bishop Carlos García Camader, the bishops affirmed that the institution "is making every necessary effort to clarify the reported incidents, acting in accordance with established protocols and applicable law, both canon and civil."

The bishops also reaffirmed "confidence in the canonical penal system and its proper application" and reminded that other alleged victims may turn to the listening channels established by the motu proprio Vos Estis Lux Mundi.

Santarsiero's background

Born in Italy on June 13, 1951, Santarsiero belongs to the Oblates of St. Joseph. He arrived in Peru in 1973 to pursue his theological studies and was ordained a priest on June 14, 1980.

St. John Paul II appointed Santarsiero prelate of Huarí in June 2001, and he received episcopal ordination on Aug. 12 of that same year. On Feb. 4, 2004, he was named bishop of Huacho and took possession of the diocese that April.

In addition to his pastoral service in Huacho, he was a member of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference starting in 2017 and had been serving as its secretary-general since 2024.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Amnesty International UK has pulled a report from its website that described Christian and pro-life groups as "anti-rights" and expressed regret in a formal statement.

"We regret that this briefing was uploaded to our website without going through the established internal review processes that are in place to ensure consistency, accuracy, and alignment with Amnesty International UK's positions," an Amnesty International UK spokesperson said.

The statement comes after the organization removed a report titled "A Growing Threat: The Anti-Rights Movement in the UK" from its website following backlash from organizations that were categorized as "anti-rights" as well as conservative author J.K. Rowling.

"Because these groups challenge core human rights principles, Amnesty International UK uses the term 'anti-rights' to describe their aims and impact," the report said of the 117 organizations it censured for restricting human rights, including the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW), the Catholic Herald, the Catholic Medical Association, Right to Life UK, and Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International.

"The Catholic Church works to uphold the God-given rights of all humanity, without exception," the CBCEW said in a statement shared with EWTN News. "This includes the rights of those unjustly imprisoned, of refugees and migrants, of those who have been trafficked, and the right to life of all people from conception to natural death."

"Furthermore," the statement continued, "we uphold the right to freedom of religion, conscience, and expression as explained in the document of the Second Vatican Council Dignitatis Humanae. Our belief in the dignity of every person, from which a proper understanding of human rights comes, animates all our work in the field of social justice in England and Wales."

The report also cited the Holy See's Permanent Observer Mission at the U.N. General Assembly as playing a role in coining the term "gender ideology," which the report said is used by "anti-rights actors."

An image Rowling posted showed Amnesty's website after the report was taken down that stated the briefing was "temporarily removed" and was being subject to internal review.

Amnesty International UK said the report's "use of language does not reflect the position of Amnesty International UK, which is why it was promptly removed."

"We remain committed to defending human rights, including both the rights of women and the rights of trans people," the statement said. "Human rights protections are strongest when they apply equally to everyone, and no community should be singled out for unfair treatment or denied their dignity and rights."

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As Spain prepares to take the field in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, the Marian devotion of now-retired Spanish soccer legend David Silva serves as a reminder of the role faith has played in the lives of some of the most celebrated athletes.

Silva, who helped Spain capture its first men's FIFA World Cup title in 2010, has spoken of his family's devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of his hometown of Arguineguín on Gran Canaria in Spain's Canary Islands.

Following Spain's historic victory in South Africa, Silva returned home to fulfill a promise to participate in the annual festivities honoring the Blessed Virgin. Speaking with reporters at the time, he said he wanted to join the celebration "as always," continuing a family tradition of taking part in the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Silva's grandmother recalled the anxiety of watching the 2010 World Cup final, saying the family entrusted the match to the Virgin Mary's intercession.

"We were very nervous," she said. "I couldn't even watch the end. I just held on to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Who would have thought that when this 14-year-old boy I raised left my home he would achieve this? I am so proud."

The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated each year on July 16, drawing thousands of faithful to processions and parish celebrations around the world. In Arguineguín, where Silva was raised, the celebration includes a traditional procession through streets adorned with intricate carpets created by local residents in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

As Spain seeks another World Cup crown, Silva's story continues to resonate with many Catholics, illustrating how faith and devotion often accompany athletes during moments of both triumph and uncertainty. While the outcome of Sunday's final remains unknown, the former Spanish international's public witness offers an enduring example of gratitude to God and confidence in the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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Pope Leo XIV, who has restored the papal tradition of spending part of the summer at Castel Gandolfo, is set to attend a classical concert there on July 18.

The "Concert in Honor of the Holy Father Leo XIV" will take place in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, where he is staying from July 5–27. The nearby Suburbicarian Diocese of Albano will offer the event as a gift to the pontiff to mark the renewal of the papal presence at the lakeside town, which is part of the diocese.

Leo XIV, as Cardinal Robert Prevost, was the titular cardinal-bishop of the Diocese of Albano before his election to the papacy in 2025.

Bishop Vincenzo Viva of Albano, in a July 16 press release from the diocese, described the concert as an expression of the diocese's joy and closeness to the pope.

"The renewed presence of the Holy Father in our diocesan territory has filled our local Church and its inhabitants with joy," Viva said in the statement. "We wish to offer this symphonic concert as a gesture of affection and communion, and the program we have designed reveals pages of rare splendor."

The concert will feature classical repertoire by Niccolò Paganini and Vincenzo Bellini. It will be performed by the orchestra I Musici di Parma of Parma, Italy.

Pope Leo XIV decided to spend part of this summer on vacation at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo after Pope Francis opted not to spend his summers there for his entire 12-year pontificate. The complex also includes the Pontifical Gardens, including the Borgo Laudato Si' garden.

The July 18 concert will be Leo's second public appearance (outside his Sunday Angelus) at Castel Gandolfo so far, following his lunch with the poor in the Borgo Laudato Si' garden on July 11. With the exception of his Sunday Angelus, all private and public audiences, including the Wednesday general audience, are suspended during his vacation.

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The Diocese of Buffalo, New York, has cut a priest off from financial support and is seeking his removal from the clerical state after federal investigators accused him of "abhorrent criminal conduct," the diocese said this week.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York said in July that Father Jeffrey Nowak of Lackawanna, New York, had been arrested and charged with both the receipt and possession of child pornography.

Nowak had been placed on administrative leave by the diocese in 2019 amid allegations that he had sexually harassed a seminarian. Bishop Michael Fisher, who was appointed to the diocese in 2021, subsequently told Nowak that his priestly faculties in the diocese would not be reinstated and that he would advise other bishops not to accept Nowak in their own dioceses.

In a July 15 statement, the diocese pointed out that it was required by canon law to "provide some level of financial sustenance" to Nowak, even though he was not in active ministry. But after the "abhorrent criminal conduct" of which Nowak was accused this month, the diocese said it was "no longer providing any financial support" to the priest.

In addition, Fisher "has now instructed the diocese's judicial vicar to gather the necessary documentation based on these latest allegations to petition the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to dismiss Jeffrey Nowak from the clerical state," the statement said.

The diocese had previously not made such a petition due to "no allegation of child sexual abuse or other criminal allegation," the statement said.

In its statement, the diocese noted that its financial support of Nowak was "considerably less than what an active priest receives and also less than what a retired priest receives."

Nowak is facing up to 20 years in prison on the child pornography charges. In announcing Nowak's arrest earlier in July, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo said the priest "hid behind a keyboard and took part in the tragic exploitation of one of society's most vulnerable populations, our children."

"Nowak has now been exposed and can no longer hide and will be held accountable for his disgraceful behavior," the prosecutor said.

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