Catholic News

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass Saturday on the island of Lampedusa, warning that migrants who have died crossing the Mediterranean are "victims both of decisions that were made and of decisions that were not made."

In his homily at the Arena sports field July 4, the pope cited the Gospel parable of the Good Samaritan, saying residents of Lampedusa had seen "thousands of human beings fallen into the hands of robbers who have taken everything from them, beat them brutally and walked away, leaving them half-dead."

"The sea has claimed the lives of others — those who did not manage to reach their hoped-for destination," he said. "Yet we feel their presence, which challenges us no less than that of those who have landed in need of attention and aid."

The pope arrived at the sports field in a Fiat Nuova Campagnola convertible, the same vehicle Pope Francis used during his July 8, 2013, visit to Lampedusa. The crowd greeted him with songs, waving arms, and yellow-and-white caps against the backdrop of the island's sea and sky.

Before the liturgy, Lampedusa's mayor presented the pope with a model of the island's lighthouse. Pope Leo recalled Pope Francis' closeness to the people of Lampedusa and said he had come not primarily to give speeches but to celebrate the Eucharist, the supreme sign of Christ's presence.

The pope's homily repeatedly returned to the theme of love — a love made concrete in compassion, hospitality, and the willingness to draw near to those in need.

"The Gospel resounds where peoples meet, people welcome one another, their lives intertwine and different cultures engage in dialogue," he said. "It falls silent, however, when each person makes him or herself an island, avoiding contact and cutting off exchange."

Citing the parable of the Good Samaritan, the pope said the encounter with those stripped of everything calls Christians "to be close to them."

"This is the heart of the Gospel parable: we become neighbors by acting as neighbors," he said.

Pope Leo thanked the people of Lampedusa for what he called the "miracle of compassion," including the volunteers, organizations in Forum Lampedusa Solidale, civil authorities, the Coast Guard, local administrations, deacons, priests, religious sisters, doctors, psychologists, educators, security forces, and all those who serve migrants on the island.

"I greet the migrants who are here," he added. "They themselves have not only received solidarity but have often shown it on their journey, as the poor helping the poorest."

But the pope also warned against indifference, corruption, fear, prejudice, and policies that fail to respond to the scale of the crisis.

"Indifference to the common good and corruption in their countries of origin; a global economic system that generates poverty and exclusion; fear that fuels prejudice and contempt; the belief that such problems do not concern us; the criminal calculations of those who profit from the suffering of others; the slow and difficult transition from mere emergency management to the development of comprehensive and shared policies — all are present-day echoes of the haste to 'pass by' in the Gospel narrative," he said.

Pope Leo also said religious belonging must never be used to exclude or discriminate.

"It is time to recognize and affirm that religious affiliation must never become a reason for discrimination, as if faith had boundaries rather than being a universal call to salvation," he said. "There is no love of God without love of neighbor, and there is no neighbor if I do not draw near."

From Lampedusa, which lies between Sicily and North Africa and has become a symbol of the migration crisis in the Mediterranean, the pope turned his attention to Europe.

"From this far-flung corner of Europe on the Mediterranean Sea, one can more clearly perceive the momentous challenge that the phenomenon of migration poses to European societies," he said.

Europe, he continued, has "a unique potential" and therefore "a corresponding responsibility" to address migration in a comprehensive way — integrating immediate relief into "a long-term strategic plan capable of receiving, protecting, supporting and integrating migrants," while also assisting developing countries so that "no one is forced to emigrate."

The pope said the task belongs not only to public institutions but also to civil society and the Church.

Speaking directly to the people of Lampedusa, he also noted that tourism on the island can risk creating an "invisible wall" between vacationers and migrants who have survived shipwrecks.

"Have the courage to think differently," he said, urging residents to help visitors become "more humane" through contact with the island's charity and history.

"There is authentic rest when the meaning of life is rediscovered, and true well-being when the economy is just and fraternal," the pope said. "In such an economy, care for creation and social friendship come together in a synthesis that humanity is seeking today."

At the close of his homily, Pope Leo referred to the image of Our Lady of Safe Harbor, patroness of Lampedusa, placed near the altar.

"In God we all have a safe haven, and every Christian community is called to be a reflection of it on earth," he said. He ended with the traditional local greeting: "O'scià!"

Before the Mass, the pope visited the cemetery of Lampedusa, where he placed flowers on the graves of migrants, pausing especially at the graves of children. The moment was marked by silence and strong wind.

He then went to the Porta d'Europa, the "Gateway to Europe" monument, where he briefly met a migrant family. A child gave him a soccer ball and read him a note.

"Dear pope, I am super excited to meet you. Ten years ago my story began here in Lampedusa. I was alone and had lost everything, especially my mother," the child wrote.

The child said he had stopped crying only after someone gave him a ball made of paper.

"From that day, the ball has remained in my heart, and I have never stopped playing," he wrote. "Now I hope that this ball I am giving you can reach another child and make him happy, just like me."

The pope then moved toward the sea to pray alone. The wind swept away his white zucchetto, which fell into the water as he prayed near the sea.

Before heading to the Arena sports field, Pope Leo visited Molo Favaloro, where he blessed a plaque dedicating the dock to Pope Francis. There he greeted migrants accompanied by the Red Cross, as well as religious sisters who are among the first to welcome migrants arriving on the island.

The visit came a day after the U.S.-born Pope Leo, accepting the Liberty Medal awarded by the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia, recalled how his native land had opened its doors to waves of immigrants, allowing them and their children to help build the nation's future.

The pope has been critical of Trump administration policies on immigration, and the coincidence of his visit to Lampedusa with America's 250th anniversary has been widely noted in the U.S.

This story was first published in two parts by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Sources used: ACI Stampa Mass report and official English homily text .

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Before America became a nation, before its founding documents were written, and before its first flag was raised, the holy sacrifice of the Mass was already being celebrated on these shores.

For centuries, the history of Catholicism in America has been written in the shadow of hardship, sacrifice, and perseverance. At the center of that story has always been the Eucharist — the real presence of Christ — which sustained missionaries, settlers, soldiers, immigrants, and pioneers long before Catholicism became a visible part of American life.

As hundreds of thousands of Catholics gather for Eucharistic pilgrimages, congresses, and parish revivals across the United States to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary, they are participating in something that stretches back nearly 500 years. The National Eucharistic Revival may be new, but America's devotion to the Blessed Sacrament is as old as the Church's presence on this continent.

The first Masses on American soil

Some of the first recorded celebrations of the Mass in what is now the United States took place nearly 500 years ago. These marked the beginning of a Eucharistic presence that would shape the nation's Catholic history.

During the Narváez expedition in 1528 and the Coronado expedition in 1540–1542, Spanish missionaries carried the Eucharist into Florida and the American Southwest. In 1565, when Spanish settlers led by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded St. Augustine, Florida, Mass and the Eucharist quickly became the center of the new colony's religious life.

More than two centuries later, St. Junípero Serra would continue that tradition as he established California's mission system. Serra often traveled hundreds of miles on foot between missions, carrying the Blessed Sacrament to isolated Catholic communities. Every new mission he founded placed the altar and the celebration of the Eucharist at the center of its life.

For missionaries such as the Franciscans, and later the Jesuits, the Eucharist was the heart of their missionary work. Wherever they established a mission, they first erected an altar, making the celebration of the Mass the center of community life.

Hidden altars in Colonial America

Elsewhere in Britain's American colonies, however, Catholics often practiced their faith in secret.

Anti-Catholic laws frequently prohibited the public celebration of Mass. Priests risked arrest, and Catholic families gathered quietly in manor houses, private homes, and secluded chapels.

One of the many examples of the hardship Catholics endured in early America occurred in the colonial state of Massachusetts. In 1647 and again in 1700, Massachusetts passed laws prohibiting Catholics from settling in the colony, and any priest who entered could be sentenced to death as "an enemy of the true Christian religion."

At this time, the Eucharist became a symbol not only of faith but also of perseverance. Families sometimes traveled miles through forests to attend clandestine Masses offered by missionary priests.

Freedom after the Revolution

The American Revolution marked a turning point.

Over time, legal restrictions eased, allowing practices that had once been forbidden to emerge into public life. In 1788, Boston celebrated its first public Mass, marking a cautious yet significant milestone in establishing a Catholic presence in the region.

Leading that new beginning was Father John Carroll, who in 1789 became the first bishop of the United States. Under his leadership, parishes, schools, and charitable institutions spread across the new nation, each centered on the celebration of the Eucharist.

The Eucharist on the American frontier

As religious freedom expanded beyond the original colonies, the frontier presented entirely new challenges. Nowhere was this more evident than in Texas.

Following Texas' independence from Mexico, the withdrawal of Mexican diocesan priests left the new republic with only one active Catholic parish north of the Nueces River — San Fernando Church in San Antonio.

In 1838, Pope Gregory XVI authorized Archbishop Antoine Blanc of New Orleans to send missionaries to Texas, appointing Father John Timon as prefect of Texas to oversee their work. Many of these French Vincentian and Oblate missionaries became known as "saddlebag priests" for the hundreds of miles they traveled across the frontier to minister to scattered Catholic communities.

As more settlers pushed westward, priests often rode hundreds of miles carrying the Blessed Sacrament in small pyxes to isolated Catholic families.

Among the most remarkable was Jesuit missionary Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, who traveled tens of thousands of miles across the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. Carrying the Eucharist with him, De Smet celebrated Mass among Native American tribes and remote frontier settlements, bringing the sacraments to places few other priests had ever reached.

In the Southwest, Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy traveled throughout the vast Diocese of Santa Fe, where Catholics sometimes waited months for a priest to arrive. When he finally came, entire villages gathered to celebrate Mass, receive Communion, and adore the Blessed Sacrament.

A Church steps into public view

By the late 19th century, Catholicism had become one of America's largest religious communities, and Eucharistic devotion increasingly moved into the public square.

That growth reached a dramatic high point in 1926, when Chicago hosted the International Eucharistic Congress.

More than 1 million Catholics participated in outdoor liturgies, Eucharistic processions, Holy Hours, and public acts of adoration. Newspapers described it as one of the largest religious gatherings in American history. Pilgrims traveled from across the world, transforming Chicago into the center of global Catholic life for several days.

For many American Catholics, the congress symbolized something remarkable: A Church that had once worshipped in secret now publicly proclaimed its faith in the Real Presence before the world.

A new Eucharistic Revival

One hundred years after the Chicago Congress, American Catholics are once again gathering around the Blessed Sacrament.

The National Eucharistic Revival was launched by the U.S. bishops in 2022. Amid recent decades of declining Mass attendance and surveys indicating weakened belief in the Real Presence among many Catholics, the revival seeks to renew belief in Christ's real presence through parish formation, Eucharistic processions, perpetual adoration, and missionary outreach.

The 2026 pilgrimage began in St. Augustine, Florida, near where the first Mass was celebrated. The route continued up the Eastern Seaboard and will conclude over the Fourth of July weekend in Philadelphia.

While today's pilgrims travel highways instead of frontier trails, their journey echoes generations of Catholics who carried the Eucharist across the U.S.

The circumstances have changed dramatically over five centuries, yet beneath those outward changes lies an unbroken thread stretching across nearly five centuries. The same Eucharist celebrated by missionaries in St. Augustine, carried across the Great Plains, hidden in colonial homes, and proclaimed before millions in Chicago is the Eucharist that gathers Catholics today. The history of Catholicism in America is not simply the story of how the Church grew — it is the story of how the Eucharist sustained that growth, generation after generation.

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"The loneliness was one of the hardest parts," said Jared Plasberg, a 23-year-old who ran across the country from February to June to raise money for pregnant women in crisis.

The trek took 114 days, about four months, and spanned thousands of miles.

The whole time, Plasberg pushed an 80-pound stroller. It held his supplies but symbolized something more: a reference to mothers who need support. By the end of the 3,000 miles — beginning in San Diego on Feb. 19 and ending in St. Augustine, Florida, on June 13 — Plasberg raised $20,000 for a local pregnancy help center.

"Every day required making many decisions: where to sleep, where to find food, how to navigate the route, and how to stay safe," Plasberg said. "There were many days when I felt discouraged, exhausted, or overwhelmed."

"Throughout the journey, I often thought about how many mothers face challenges and sacrifices that are far greater than anything I was experiencing on the road," he said.

Plasberg donated the money to Front Royal Pregnancy Center, a group local to the college he graduated from, Christendom College in Virginia.

"The run became a way for me to raise awareness and support for a ministry that walks alongside and supports these mothers," he said.

The run was also a spiritual journey for Plasberg; it gave him time to think about his calling to become a monk. He is currently discerning a vocation to the Carthusian order, a contemplative order of monks founded by St. Bruno in 1084.

"The run continually reminded me that I depend on him [God] for everything," Plasberg said.

He took inspiration from the Camino de Santiago, a famous pilgrimage in Spain and France. Many people journey along the Camino, whether walking or biking, Catholic or not.

The most famous Camino path runs from France to Spain. Plasberg's run was from San Diego to Florida, but it was a prayerful pilgrimage of its own.

"I carried many intentions throughout the journey," Plasberg said. "I prayed for mothers facing unexpected pregnancies, for the unborn, for the supporters and staff of the Front Royal Pregnancy Center, for my family and friends, and for all the people who entrusted me with their intentions along the way."

When he was a college student, Plasberg would pray the rosary outside abortion clinics on Saturdays with other students.

"The pro-life cause is something dear to my heart because every human life has inherent dignity and worth," he said.

"During my years in college, I often pondered the saying of Pope Benedict XVI: 'The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness,'" Plasberg said. "Also, St. Pier Giorgio Frassati's phrase 'Verso l'alto' inspired me to pursue true greatness."

"Verso l'alto," meaning "to the heights," is an Italian phrase coined by Frassati, who loved mountain climbing, which carries a deeper spiritual meaning. 

"As the journey continued, I also found myself praying more for the people I encountered every day," Plasberg explained.

The stroller was "a conversation starter."

"People would stop and ask what I was doing, and those conversations often led to opportunities to share the mission of the pregnancy center," he said.

"I prayed for the drivers passing by, store clerks, families, hosts, priests, fellow travelers, and strangers I would never meet again," he said.

Carried by God

"The run taught me gratitude for my family, appreciation for the kindness of strangers, and a deeper awareness of God's providence," Plasberg said. "It taught me that strength is not the absence of weakness but the willingness to keep moving forward despite it."

Though Plasberg generally stayed in motels, he sometimes stayed with families along the road.

"One of the greatest gifts of the journey was meeting people whose lives reflected extraordinary generosity and faith," he said. "I stayed with families who welcomed a complete stranger into their homes, fed me, prayed with me, and treated me like family."

"I met widows who showed remarkable hospitality despite carrying their own crosses," Plasberg said. "I met religious communities, priests, cyclists crossing the country, and countless ordinary people who quietly lived lives of virtue."

"Maybe the greatest lesson I learned from [my] journey is that we are not meant to carry our lives by ourselves," he said. "Rather, we are meant to let ourselves be carried by God, and sometimes it takes 3,000 miles to learn that."

Discerning monastic life: 'I was brought to tears'

His next journey is to France, where he plans to join a Carthusian monastery.

"In many ways, this journey became a preparation for that discernment," Plasberg said.

Along his run, he met a hermitess — a woman continuing an old practice in a modern world. A priest connected Plasberg with her after a Mass he attended in New Mexico.

"I spent about an hour speaking with Amma Chiara, but that hour left a profound impression on me," Plasberg said. "She radiated joy, peace, and holiness in a way that immediately drew my attention to God."

Plasberg had a unique connection to Chiara — she had walked across the United States.

"She shared her own story with me and explained that, before becoming a religious sister, she had actually walked across the United States herself about 30 years earlier."

"Even now, months later, I still think about that encounter," he said. "Her example showed me that a life completely dedicated to God is not restricted or empty but deeply joyful and fulfilling."

"Without many of the distractions of ordinary life, I became more aware of both my weaknesses and my need for God," he said.

Plasberg has another connection to the hermitess — the order he might join involves living like a hermit.

The Carthusians "are one of the most secluded and prayer-focused religious orders in the Church," he explained.

"Their vocation combines elements of both the solitary life of a hermit and the communal life of a monk," Plasberg said. "Most of the day is spent in silence, prayer, spiritual reading, and work within an individual hermitage, while the monks also come together for certain liturgical prayers and community observances."

"Unlike many religious communities, their lives are largely hidden from the world," Plasberg explained. "Each monk lives in a small hermitage with a garden and spends much of his day alone with God."

The monks don't see themselves as retreating from the world; rather they pray for everyone who needs prayers and are brothers and fathers to one another.

"The silence and solitude are not meant as an escape from the world but as a way of dedicating oneself entirely to prayer for the Church and the salvation of souls," Plasberg said.

After spending time at the monastery of the Grand Chartreuse in discernment, the monks welcomed Plasberg to be a postulant, the first formal stage in joining a religious order. He will go there after he obtains a long-stay French visa.

The run was formative for his discernment, he said.

"In some ways, this run across America became part of that discernment. Spending nearly four months alone on the road gave me plenty of opportunities for silence, prayer, and reflection," Plasberg said. "It exposed many of my weaknesses, attachments, and limitations, but it also helped me experience more deeply my dependence on God. I think I realized the importance of humility, gratitude, and trust as a result of this journey."

"While I still have discernment ahead of me, the journey confirmed my attraction to a contemplative vocation and my desire to give my life completely to God," Plasberg said.

"Perhaps the most important lesson was learning that holiness is not something we achieve through our own strength," he said. "Rather, it comes from allowing God to work through our weakness. Holiness starts with allowing God to love us as we are in this present moment, even in our brokenness.

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The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), whose members are known as "Lefebvrians," rejected the recent excommunications decreed by the Vatican after consecrating four bishops without papal authorization on July 1 and asserted that the sanctions imposed are "objectively unjust and invalid."

In a letter addressed to Pope Leo XIV, released on July 3, Father Davide Pagliarani, superior general of the SSPX, justified the episcopal consecrations that prompted the Vatican's decree declaring the group to be in schism as "an extreme measure to save souls, amid the doctrinal and moral confusion in which the Church finds itself."

"We in no way intend to replace the Church, and our sole purpose is to remain faithful to her," wrote Pagliarani, who leads the group founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who died in 1991.

The group founded by Lefebvre aims to preserve the traditional liturgy as it existed prior to the reforms implemented after the Second Vatican Council while maintaining its opposition to aspects of the council's teachings on ecumenism, religious freedom, and collegiality.

Lefebvre was excommunicated in 1988 after ordaining, without the permission of Pope John Paul II, four bishops: Alfonso de Galarreta of Spain, Bernard Fellay of Switzerland, Richard Williamson of England, and Bernard Tissier de Mallerais of France.

Amid attempts to build bridges of dialogue with the SSPX, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications in 2009 against the four bishops consecrated by Lefebvre.

Tissier de Mallerais and Williamson died in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Galarreta and Fellay, on the other hand, participated in the recent consecration of four new bishops on July 1, for which they were excommunicated once again.

'We had asked for bread'

Using as the central theme of his argument the passage from the Gospel according to St. Luke (11:11–13), in which Jesus reminds his disciples that "if you, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him," Pagliarani asserted that "we had asked for bread — that is, a little understanding in the face of a sincere case of conscience, a gesture of fatherly compassion."

"Unfortunately, we have received a stone," he continued, noting that, instead of "fish" — that is, "the possibility of temporarily obtaining the necessary means to continue forming good priests ... unfortunately, we have received a snake."

"We had asked for an egg, promising to return it as soon as possible," he added. He affirmed that "the holy tradition we preserve in our souls belongs to the Church, our Mother" but "unfortunately, we have received a scorpion."

The superior of the SSPX assured Leo XIV that the society does not accept the Vatican's sanctions "in a spirit of bitterness or rebellion" but rather feel encouraged "to love the holy Church even more and to attend to her needs more than ever with all our strength."

"We are certain that one day you yourself or one of your successors will wish to embrace the program of St. Pius X: 'To restore all things in Christ,'" he said, noting that "on that day, the Holy Father will discover, with great joy and deep consolation, authentically Catholic souls — souls whose bond with the Church was never founded on the shifting sands of ambiguous dialogue but on the rock of Peter's faith."

'Turn back!': Leo XIV's plea the SSPX ignored

In his letter, Pagliarani makes no mention of the Catholic Church's repeated calls for dialogue, which date back to the pontificate of St. John Paul II with the creation of the Ecclesia Dei Commission and which reached one of their highest points in Benedict XVI's decision to lift the excommunications of the four bishops consecrated by Lefebvre.

Pope Francis also reached out to the SSPX with decisions such as allowing sacramental confessions with its priests to be valid and lawful during the Jubilee of Mercy in 2016 — a decision he later extended beyond that year.

Pagliarani also did not address Pope Leo XIV's direct plea to the Society of St. Pius X, asking the group not to commit "a schismatic act."

"In this spirit, and filled with Christian affection, I implore and ask you with all my heart: Turn back!" the Holy Father wrote to them on June 30.

"I urge you to carefully consider the spiritual good of the faithful, because the schismatic act you would carry out would deprive them of the lawful — and in some cases, even valid — reception of the sacraments that they love and seek for their own sanctification," the pope stated.

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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The Vatican this week issued a decree declaring that the bishops involved in the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X's illicit consecrations have incurred automatic excommunication and that the group is in schism with the Church.

The illicit ordinations occurred in Écône, Switzerland, on July 2 after Pope Leo XIV had urged the group to "turn back" and refrain from carrying out the unauthorized rite.

The SSPX is a controversial fraternity of priests known for their strict traditional celebration of the Latin Mass and opposition to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

The group for years has enjoyed a canonically irregular status within the Church, and the faithful have generally been permitted to attend Masses held by SSPX priests. Yet the declaration of schism has raised questions about whether or not Catholics can still attend those liturgies without incurring canonical penalties.

The Vatican recognizes that the faithful may be able to attend an SSPX Mass without suffering excommunication, so long as there is no "formal adherence" to the SSPX.

Formal adherence was described in an important 1996 explanatory note from the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, on the "Excommunication for Schism Incurred by Members of Bishop Marcel Lefebvre's Movement," which was cited in the new decree's own explanatory note.

It described two key components: an internal one of freely and consciously sharing the substance of the schism and an external one of making outward expression of that choice, such as the exclusive participation in SSPX Masses.

Notably, in the 1996 note, Vatican officials recognized "that occasional participation in liturgical acts or activities of the Lefebvrian movement — without adopting the movement's attitude of doctrinal and disciplinary disunity — is not sufficient to constitute formal adherence to the movement."

It added that in pastoral practice, it is necessary "to take into account the person's intention and how that inner disposition is translated into action," and such situations should "be judged on a case-by-case basis by the competent authorities."

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on July 2 sent a letter to bishops worldwide outlining the means by which clergy and faithful who have taken part in the schism with the Church can return to full communion with the faith.

The letter stipulated that penalties for lay faithful who belong to SSPX "cannot be presumed automatically, but must be assessed case by case."

The dicastery said that "imputably" in the matter "requires full awareness and deliberate consent."

Some cases in which laypeople are not considered "imputable," the dicastery said, include those who have attended SSPX Masses "only for liturgical or spiritual reasons," along with those who "do not reject the magisterium or the authority of the Roman pontiff."

'Strongly discouraged' for risk of schism, scandal

Nevertheless, the new decree's explanatory note strongly admonishes the faithful "to remain firmly united with the Roman pontiff, with the bishops in communion with him, and with the entire Church … and to refrain from participating in the celebrations and activities organized by the aforementioned Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X."

Ronald Bolster, an associate professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and dean of the theology school there, said it would be "inappropriate and strongly discouraged to participate in the liturgies and activities" of the SSPX.

To do so, he argued, "would imply support for their schismatic act."

"Participation could also be a cause of scandal, causing others to consider that such participation is appropriate, and more broadly, suggest that the laws of the Church and the authority of the vicar of Christ can be dismissed or disregarded without consequence," he said.

William Newton, a theology professor and the chair of Franciscan University's theology department, also argued that Catholics who attend SSPX Masses "collaborate" in the schism, though he noted that there are degrees of responsibility associated with it.

"Certainly, the culpability for this collaboration can vary as with any sin, because of ignorance or lack of freedom of will," he said.

"However, the schismatic character of the SSPX has been confirmed by the Church, so ignorance, while still possible, cannot be assumed," he added.

He noted that there are "alternative valid Masses available to the faithful," which he said "makes the choice to attend an SSPX Mass that much more likely to be willful collaboration with schism."

The faithful "should not attend a Mass of the SSPX," he argued.

Bolster described the schism event as a "most unfortunate situation."

He urged Catholics to "join Pope Leo in praying that the concerns which have motivated this division can be addressed without further loss of unity. "

Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was last month even firmer in saying Catholics should not attend SSPX Masses.

In his exclusive interview with EWTN News just days before the illicit consecrations, the cardinal was asked what faithful drawn to SSPX Masses should do if a schism follows. Müller said forcefully that they "shouldn't go, and cannot participate in the Masses of schismatic priests and bishops."

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Pope Leo XIV celebrated the contributions of Catholics and immigrants to the United States in an open letter to Americans for the country's 250th anniversary.

The letter, dated June 25 and released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Friday, also highlighted the principles of religious freedom and the right to life.

Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, wrote that the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, "gave enduring voice to the ideals of liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, justice, and democratic self-government."

The pope called religious freedom "among the most cherished of these principles," writing that it is "central to the American promise, protecting both individual dignity and the peaceful coexistence of a diverse people."

That freedom has allowed the Catholic Church to flourish in the U.S., serving the nation in many fields including "education, the preferential care for the poor, healthcare, and basic social services," Leo wrote

The pope also underscored the importance for the country's history of the "God-given dignity of every human life." Recognizing that dignity means "safeguarding human life from its beginning at conception until natural death" and caring for the "vulnerable, the suffering, and the forgotten," he wrote.

It also means "welcoming, protecting, and assisting immigrants," who "have helped to shape the nation's character," Leo wrote.

The pope's letter to Americans closed with an invocation of the "Immaculate Conception, patroness of this country, that she will continue to watch over America and protect all who dwell therein."

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PHILADELPHIA — Pope Leo XIV said he was "honored" to accept the 2026 Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center (NCC) in livestreamed remarks delivered for the ceremony in Philadelphia on July 3.

"I am honored to accept the Liberty Medal of the National Constitution Center in this year that marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776," the Holy Father said.

Leo was born in Chicago but earned a bachelor's degree at Villanova University in the Philadelphia suburbs. The NCC presented the award to the pontiff in person at the Vatican on April 30, ahead of the ceremony.

In his remarks, Leo thanked those gathered in Philadelphia for the occasion. The NCC building overlooks the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the country's founders developed and adopted the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

"As a son of this great country, founded by courageous men and women who dreamed of liberty and of a better life for themselves and for their children, I join you in asking God's blessings upon America's future, that the lofty ideals enshrined at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence may continue to guide the flourishing of the nation in unity, justice, and peace," Leo said.

"From our youth, most of us have admired the eloquence of those words, with their resounding appeal to the law of nature and to nature's God as the basis of their assertion that all men and women are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," he said.

The pontiff said that although the text employed "the language of the Enlightenment," the claim is "ultimately grounded in an understanding of the human person inspired by the great biblical vision of man and woman being created in the divine image."

"It is indeed here that we discover the basis of human dignity; dignity which precedes the establishment of any state and whose custody constitutes its very purpose," Leo said.

Respecting the right to life "in every form and condition," he said, is directly tied to the nation's vitality. He said society must cultivate a reverence for life that "sways the hearts of individuals and inspires laws that recognize and safeguard this gift from the moment of conception to natural death."

The right to liberty, the pontiff said, is much deeper than simply doing what one wants. It is "founded upon the human person's capacity to know the truth and adhere to what is good, even at great cost — a sacrifice well known to many who have labored to shape this country," he said.

"The desire for truth and freedom, as well as the very pursuit of happiness, continues to inspire people of all generations to ask fundamental questions regarding the meaning of life, our ultimate purpose, and indeed about God, and it is proper for magnanimous hearts to endeavor to answer these questions with sincerity," Leo said.

The Holy Father said that religious freedom, to be "free from fear and coercion, as enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution," is needed to answer those questions.

"It is my hope that this tradition will continue to bear fruit in a public discourse marked by moderation, respect for the views of others, and an ongoing effort to find common ground in promoting the cause of peace and reconciliation, at home and abroad," he added.

The pope said he is praying that the 250th anniversary of the United States "may be the occasion of a solemn recommitment to these ideals that have made America a country that values peace and prosperity, a country characterized by generosity and nobility of heart."

Archbishop Perez, Gov. Shapiro speak

The ceremony was attended by a few hundred guests and included other speakers, such as Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson J. Perez, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, state Attorney General Dave Sunday, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, and local Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious leaders.

Perez said throughout Leo's life — as priest, bishop, cardinal, and pope — he has defended the "inherent dignity of all people and building pathways to peace," including a defense of religious freedom.

"True freedom stems from defending dignity and the value of every human being," he said.

Perez told EWTN News following the event that the pope's words "bring us back to our origins" as Americans regarding the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

"It was wonderful to hear him once again bring us back to center, that we all were created in a very image and likeness of God," the archbishop said. "Our human dignity and our rights flow from that. They flow from being created in God's image and likeness and from there flows our freedom and the heart that seeks God."

"It's a wonderful day for Philadelphia," Perez said. "It's a wonderful day for the country. It's a wonderful day for the world."

Shapiro congratulated the pope on receiving the award and thanked the Holy Father, on behalf of Pennsylvania, "for using your voice, your power, to advance religious liberty for all people."

The ceremony included the ringing of a replica of the Liberty Bell just outside the building. It was rung by Sunday, the attorney general, who recalled the words of Benjamin Franklin when the Founding Father was asked what form of government they had created after the constitutional convention: "A republic, if you can keep it."

"Our Constitution is the rock upon which we will build in the next 250 years," Sunday said.

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More than 200 women banded together to advocate for access to abortion pill reversal in response to California officials targeting the practice.

In abortion pill reversal, a patient who no longer desires abortion takes the hormone progesterone to save the life of her child after she has taken the first chemical abortion pill. In recent years, abortion pill reversal awareness has been targeted in the states of California and Colorado.

In an open letter, 225 women who have been helped by the Abortion Pill Rescue Network (APRN) expressed their gratitude for being able to access abortion pill reversal.

"The healthcare professionals who spoke with us, whether doctor, nurse, or staff, treated us with compassion and respect," the letter read. "They provided information about a medical protocol that might help preserve our pregnancies."

"We were free to accept or decline that care," the letter continued. "We made our own choices."

"We reached out because we wanted to know if there was any possibility of continuing our pregnancies after taking mifepristone," the letter read. "We are grateful that someone answered."

The women expressed disagreement with the idea that information about abortion pill reversal is harmful.

"Women facing difficult and time-sensitive decisions deserve access to information about all of their options," the letter read.

The women were responding to allegations in a California lawsuit that abortion pill reversal aid was misleading, according to a press release by the pregnancy help center network Heartbeat International, which manages the APRN.

"More than 40 of those women are Californians, from the very state where Attorney General Rob Bonta is seeking to silence Heartbeat International … and punish its speech about abortion pill reversal," the press release read.

Abortion pill reversal is not always successful, though Heartbeat International says the success rate is 64%-68%.

"Some of us gave birth to children we cherish today. Others did not experience the outcome they hoped for," the women wrote. "Yet regardless of the outcome, we are thankful that we were informed of an option and allowed to decide for ourselves."

Shield laws allow hundreds of thousands of abortion pills to be sent to states that protect life

A recent report found that since 2023 nearly 330,000 abortion pills were shipped to states with laws that protect unborn children.

These shipments came from mail-order abortionists who are protected by shield laws in states such as New York and California.

The report, by the Restoration of America Foundation, estimates that "out-of-state abortionists send nearly 15,000 chemical abortion pills per month into states with pro-life laws," according to the report shared with EWTN News.

The report calls on the Trump administration to "act swiftly and decisively."

"If pro-life states have no power to protect their women and babies from rogue abortionists thousands of miles away, the situation they find themselves in is not better than before the Dobbs decision — it's worse," the report read.

U.S. Senate to consider expansion of Mexico City Policy

The U.S. Senate is considering an expansion of the Mexico City Policy, which requires federally-funded aid organizations to refrain from promoting or providing abortions in order to receive federal aid.

The bill, if passed, would prevent U.S. foreign assistance from being used to fund or promote abortion as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, as well as gender ideology.

"U.S. foreign assistance programs have been exploited as a loophole to promote far-left, radical ideology on the dime of American taxpayers for far too long," said U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina, who introduced the Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Act.

Army captain sentenced for poisoning his pregnant girlfriend with abortion pill

An Army captain was sentenced to prison for poisoning his pregnant girlfriend with chemical abortion drugs.

Capt. Brandon Jones-Adams was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing his unborn child, along with other charges including domestic violence.

Jones-Adams obtained the chemical abortion drugs from an online provider by using a fake name. The unborn baby, who was 13 weeks old, did not survive the forced abortion.

1 in 3 pregnancies end in abortion in England and Wales

The lives of nearly 1 in 3 unborn babies end in abortion, according to recent statistics from England and Wales.

In 2023, a rate of 32.1% of conceptions ended in abortion in England and Wales. Abortion has been on a steady increase there since 2015, according to the statistics from the England and Wales Office for National Statistics.

"The rise in abortions since the pandemic has been linked to the availability of at-home abortions with the 'pills by post' scheme," according to a report by CARE, a London-based Christian organization that aims to bring truth and grace into politics. "This allows women to receive medication to terminate a pregnancy up to 10 weeks after a phone or online consultation with a medical professional."

Delaware Catholics battle abortion, celebrate wins

Delaware Catholics are opposing an abortion amendment; meanwhile, the state has made a legal agreement not to target pregnancy centers.

The Delaware Catholic Advocacy Network urged Catholics to oppose a recently proposed abortion bill that would enshrine a right to abortion in the state's constitution.

Meanwhile, Delaware officials agreed to a court order banning them from enforcing a law against pregnancy centers, settling a lawsuit brought by the centers.

Only 1 Planned Parenthood clinic to remain in Iowa

Planned Parenthood will shrink to a single clinic in Iowa at the end of this month, the organization announced earlier this week.

Planned Parenthood North Central States officials cited "declining and unstable funding streams" as well as a recent Trump administration move to defund the organization through the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program.

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Peter's Pence, the Holy See's fund that gathers donations for the pope's charitable works and the needs of the universal Church, closed 2025 with an income of 57.6 million euros ($65.8 million) and expenses of 59.8 million euros ($68.3 million).

The Vatican attributes the 2.2-million-euro ($2.5 million) deficit to currency exchange rate fluctuations, according to a report published June 30. In 2024, 58 million euros ($66.3 million) were raised.

The donations received total 54.5 million euros ($62.3 million) and came primarily from dioceses around the world (63.6%), followed by foundations, private donors, and religious institutes. The remaining 3.1 million euros came from other income, according to the Vatican.

Contributions from the United States (14.2 million euros, or $16.2 million) were particularly notable, followed by those from other countries such as Italy, Brazil, South Korea, Germany, France, and Spain.

Most donations are channeled through parish collections, direct donations including transfers and online methods, and inheritance legacies.

Of the total donations, 41.2 million euros ($47.1 million) were used to support the activities of the Holy See in the service of the Holy Father's apostolic mission, and 13.3 million euros ($15.2 million) went to projects providing direct assistance to people in need in 74 countries.

A total of 252 projects were funded, with a special focus on evangelization, humanitarian aid, and the strengthening of local churches in need.

The projects supported by the Holy See include educational and social initiatives as well as support for ecclesial communities, particularly in Africa and Asia.

Aid in Europe also includes scholarships for priests, seminarians, and religious from Africa, Latin America, and Asia, as well as humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine.

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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Pakistani Christians are mourning the death of a 61-year-old Catholic accused of blasphemy who died in custody after months of deteriorating health, renewing concerns over the treatment of vulnerable prisoners and the misuse of Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

Amir Peter, the younger brother of Capuchin Father Henry Paul, parish priest of St. Francis Church in Lahore, died July 1 after suffering severe medical complications while in judicial custody awaiting trial at Camp Jail in Lahore.

The father of three had been admitted to a hospital on the night of June 30 after his condition worsened.

Peter was arrested in July 2025 after a Muslim shopkeeper accused him of making derogatory remarks about the prophet Muhammad. He remained behind bars until his death, although his lawyers said medical experts had declared him mentally unfit to stand trial because of advanced dementia.

EWTN News contacted Peter's son, Tumaar Amir, who declined to comment.

More than 200 people attended Peter's funeral Mass on July 2, celebrated by Archbishop Khalid Rehmat of Lahore at St. Joseph's Church.

"The whole Capuchin community and the Church are with Father Henry Paul and his family. We stand in solidarity with them," said the newly appointed archbishop, who had returned to Lahore just a day earlier after receiving the pallium from Pope Leo XIV on June 29, the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

"We take pride in the fact that my brother didn't leave his Christian faith till the last moment," Paul said.

According to Peter's legal team, his physical and mental health steadily deteriorated throughout his detention.

"He was falsely accused of blasphemy. We repeatedly highlighted his deteriorating physical and mental health and the urgent need for appropriate medical treatment. Regrettably, despite these efforts, he passed away before justice could be served," Katherine Sapna, executive director of Christians' True Spirit, the legal aid organization representing Peter, told EWTN News.

"We mourn the loss of a man whose life was tragically cut short amid a flawed legal process. His serious medical condition was overlooked, and he was denied timely and adequate healthcare," she said.

Sapna called on religious leaders, civil society organizations, and state institutions to work together to ensure that no one is deprived of dignity, due process, or essential medical care because of false accusations or social prejudice.

"The vulnerability of victims of the misused blasphemy laws is extreme. Mental illness offers no protection," Samson Salamat, a Catholic and chairman of the Rwadari Tehreek (Movement for Religious Tolerance), told EWTN News after attending the funeral.

"The Punjab Institute of Mental Health's medical board had already declared Peter unfit to stand trial. No one is safe from the misuse of these laws, not even a priest's brother. Instead of merely reacting to individual cases, Pakistan needs policy reforms. Otherwise, promises to protect religious minorities remain empty," he said.

Concerns over the treatment of mentally ill prisoners

Human rights organizations have repeatedly expressed concern over the treatment of prisoners with mental illnesses in Pakistan.

In its World Report 2024, Human Rights Watch said that limited awareness of mental health contributes to the abuse and neglect of prisoners with psychosocial disabilities. The report also noted that Pakistani prisons face a severe shortage of mental health professionals and routinely fail to provide adequate psychological care.

Peter's death comes months after another prominent Christian blasphemy defendant died shortly after regaining his freedom.

In October 2025, Pastor Zafar Bhatti, founder of the Pakistan-based Jesus World Mission Church, died of cardiac arrest at his home in Rawalpindi three days after his release from prison, where he had spent 13 years facing blasphemy charges.

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