Catholic News

The solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Aug. 15 is an opportune time to deepen our love for the Mother of God by understanding the "place" God has assigned her for our spiritual benefit and eternal salvation.

Mary's assumption into heaven is a dogma of faith for Catholics.

Church dogmas encompass truths concerning God, Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Church, the sacraments, and the ultimate destiny of human beings. With regard to Mary, the Church has defined four dogmas.

Below is a review of the dogmas proclaimed regarding Mary, a helpful reminder of the role she plays in God's plan of salvation for us.

1. The Immaculate Conception

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception states that the Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved by a singular grace of God and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ from all stain of original sin from the very first moment of her conception.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) summarizes it thus: The Virgin was "preserved immune from all stain of original sin" such that her "entirely unique holiness" was enriched "from the first instant of her conception," which God granted her to prepare within her a dwelling place for the Incarnate Word.

This dogma was defined by Pope Pius IX on Dec. 8, 1854, through the papal bull Ineffabilis Deus. Church teaching emphasizes that this grace comes from Jesus Christ, not apart from him: Mary was redeemed in a "prevenient" (or "preceding") and perfect manner in virtue of her Son's merits.

2. Divine motherhood

Mary's divine motherhood means that the Virgin is truly the mother of God, because Jesus Christ, her son, is one divine person with two natures, the human and the divine. Therefore, the child born of Mary according to the flesh is the eternal Son of God made man; in this sense, Mary is truly Theotokos, the Mother of God (cf. CCC, 495).

This truth was solemnly proclaimed by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431 under the pontificate of Pope Celestine I. In the 20th century, the Second Vatican Council reaffirmed this doctrine by noting that "from the most ancient times, the Blessed Virgin is honored with the title of Mother of God" (Lumen Gentium, 66).

3. Her perpetual virginity

The dogma of perpetual virginity affirms that Mary was a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. This truth has been part of the Catholic faith since the early centuries.

It is not merely a matter of noting that Mary remained a virgin up to a certain point but of professing that her virginity was perpetual. St. John Paul II recalled that the Church has consistently regarded this truth as part of the faith received and deepened throughout its history.

Unlike the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption, this dogma was not defined in a single papal bull. Mary's perpetual virginity was formally defined through the Second Council of Constantinople (553) and the Lateran Synod (649).

4. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary states that the Blessed Virgin, having completed the course of her earthly life, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory. The Church does not define the exact manner in which her earthly life ended, but it does proclaim with certainty that she was fully glorified by God (cf. CCC, 966).

This dogma was solemnly proclaimed by Pope Pius XII on Nov. 1, 1950, through the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus. That document reaffirms that the Immaculate Mother of God was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.

Important to remember

Marian dogmas do not detract in any way from Jesus Christ; on the contrary, they reveal the greatness of God's saving work in the Virgin Mary. Therefore, authentic Marian devotion never separates Mary from Jesus Christ but rather contemplates her as the Lord's first and most perfect disciple.

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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Spanish priest Father Fernando Cuevas has helped 1,280 single people find a spouse and get married over the past 15 years using WhatsApp and a simple questionnaire.

"There are many people longing for true and everlasting love in Christ," he told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Now over 70, the priest, who is from the island of Ibiza and is a member of Opus Dei, acknowledges that this providential pastoral work has transformed his ministry: "This has totally changed my life," he said.

In addition to serving as chaplain for two schools near Valencia and two youth clubs, for the past 15 years he has been receiving dozens of requests from single Catholics — "on a normal day, 60 WhatsApp messages" — at the number +34 609 765 284.

Despite the sheer volume, he said he approaches it with great peace of mind: "I don't let myself get overwhelmed," he said.

"The two requirements I set are that they be over 25 and attend Mass on Sundays," he explained. From there, he asks about their age, their level of church involvement, and where they live, cross-referencing the information whenever possible.

At times, he has to ask those who come to him for patience. "Wait — your turn will come," he tells those who express a particularly strong desire to find a life partner.

When it comes to exchanging numbers, the first thing he looks at is the city where they live, as this usually makes things easier, though not always. He also tries to ensure the men are taller and two or three years older than the women.

Then there are "people with a strong sense of spirituality" — another factor that really helps ensure that the candidates hit it off.

'I'm a priest; I completely trust in Providence'

Cuevas sets no limits on divine plans and serves people of all ages, though men are scarce in certain age groups. "I have few men in their 30s. A great many in their 40s. And fewer from age 50 onwards." Women are less scarce.

Despite his success, the priest approaches this pastoral work with humility: "I have no special gift," he said.

"I'm a priest; I completely trust in Providence and know that God calls every person, that there is a specific plan from the Lord for them from before they were born. Just as someone might have a vocation to a religious order, a movement, or anything else, God has someone in mind for that person, so that they may attain holiness."

The priest, dubbed the "Tinder priest" or a matchmaker, is clear that the vocation to marriage is no less significant than others: "It's a call to total self-giving. Just as a priest or a nun has discovered that deep longing of the human heart."

It has happened on occasion that phone numbers got mixed up during the exchange. Someone called the wrong person, not the one originally intended. They met up, had a meal, and got to know each other. Obviously, they realized the photos and certain profile details didn't match, but they didn't mind. "I don't know what happened, but it's perfect," one of them wrote to him.

Requests from around the world

At the start of this pastoral work, Cuevas sought to help people in his immediate circle within the Archdiocese of Valencia. However, many people write to him from other countries, particularly from Spanish-speaking America.

To better handle these requests, he relies on the assistance of another priest, Father Vicente Huerta, who is based in Spain and spends many nights speaking with people in Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru, among other places.

But they have also had candidates from places that might seem unexpected at first glance, such as India.

'People want to love truly'

In a society like Spain's, which is experiencing a major crisis regarding marriage and the family, Cuevas said he draws a clear lesson from this apostolate: "People are looking for true love. There is a yearning, an enormous need to love. People are in great need. They want to love truly, to forget themselves, to give of themselves, and to bring Christ into their lives."

He continued: "The vast majority are looking for someone who places Christ at the center of their lives. There are so many people longing for that. It moves me to see the number of people who say: 'It doesn't matter to me if he has blue eyes, is very handsome, or is very smart. If he doesn't have Christ at the center of his life — forget it.' That is the hierarchy of values."

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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Pope Leo XIV on Aug. 15 called on Catholics to look to Mary, the Mother of God as an example of "true beauty," with the Holy Father pointing to her youthful appearance in sacred art as a sign of "love that never ends."

The Holy Father delivered the homily during Mass at the Pontifical Parish of Saint Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo, directly adjacent to the papal summer residence there. The small chapel was full for the 10 a.m. liturgy of the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In his homily reflecting on Mary's assumption into heaven, Leo noted that "many works of art depict her as a beautiful young woman physically rising from the earth toward the heavens at the end of her earthly life."

These depictions of a youthful Mary at the end of her life offer a contrast with "our experience of what the passing of years does to us," the pope said. He asked rhetorically: "What do we have in common with the beautiful young woman depicted on the altarpieces of our churches?"

Mary's glorification, the pope said, "teaches us that our true beauty does not lie in hiding the signs of aging, but in revealing the signs of love that never end, and are even impressed on our flesh."

The pope said this sign of faith invites Catholics to "reexamine many of the aesthetic standards, predominantly hedonistic and consumerist in nature, that the world imposes on us."

He contrasted those who look aged but who radiate "serenity, kindness and peace" with those who "are perhaps outwardly attractive but hard and cold at heart."

"It is easy to see where true beauty lies and where, on the other hand, there is still a need for conversion, forgiveness and healing," he said.

Love "is humanity's most beautiful adornment," the pope said. He urged Catholics to "follow the light of the Risen Lord" in part by "looking to Mary, whom God has crowned with glory in body and soul."

In remarks during his midday Angelus after the Mass, Leo said viewing a depiction of Mary being assumed into heaven "allows us to contemplate our ultimate destiny" as followers of Christ.

He described the Blessed Mother as "a sign of hope and consolation" for the faithful and he invoked her blessing on "those communities that are particularly in need of consolation," including the faithful in Ukraine and Russia, as well as those suffering from the recent earthquake in Colombia.

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Two parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, have won reprieves from the Vatican and will not have to close amid a diocesan-wide closure and merger plan.

Mary Pruski, the leader of the advocacy group Save Our Buffalo Churches, told EWTN News on Aug. 14 that the parishes of St. Josaphat and Our Lady of the Rosary both won appeals at the Holy See over closures that were mandated by the diocese's "Road to Renewal" plan.

That plan was announced in May 2024, with Bishop Michael Fisher revealing that the diocese would merge about a third of its parishes amid declines in attendance and financial struggles.

The Save Our Buffalo Churches group has advocated against multiple closures in the diocese since the announcement. In December 2025 the Vatican said multiple parishes in the diocese that had petitioned the Vatican would not have to close.

Pruski told EWTN News on Aug. 14, meanwhile, that the St. Josaphat Parish "won their appeal to not merge and close," while Our Lady of the Rosary "won their appeal against being reduced to common use and sold."

She said a few parishes represented by the group "continue to await their appeal decision from the Dicastery for the Clergy," while several other parishes have raised their appeals to the Apostolic Signatura.

"These cases may take up to another year for a final decision," she said.

Diocesan spokesman Gregory Tucker confirmed to EWTN News on Aug. 14 that per the Vatican's decision the parishes would not be forced to close.

Fisher "respects the decision of the dicastery and will not appeal these decisions," Tucker said. "That said, these parishes will be closely monitored to ensure that they can remain viable and self-sustaining going forward."

The Buffalo parish group's fight against the closure plan made it all the way to the New York Supreme Court in 2025. The court in July of that year ordered a brief halt to some diocesan-mandated parish payments into the diocese's abuse settlement fund. The New York Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the case, saying it did not have jurisdiction over internal Church matters.

In April, however, the Vatican issued a revocation of multiple "assessment allocation decrees" against parishes in the diocese, citing canon law violations regarding parish fund procurement "as well as the amounts and methods undertaken to procure those monies."

Elsewhere in New York state, parishioners in the Diocese of Rochester are petitioning the Vatican to let them save a 160-year-old parish that has been locally recognized for its historic significance.

Advocates hope to preserve Holy Family Parish in Auburn in part to preserve the memory and legacy of Bishop Patrick Byrne, an apostolic delegate to Korea who was martyred in 1950 during a four-month-long forced march while in the captivity of communist forces in North Korea. Byrne was confirmed at the parish in 1900.

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The head of the U.S. bishops is criticizing the state of Massachusetts for what he said was its "shocking" decision to remove any limits to abortion there.

State Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill into law on Aug. 10 making Massachusetts the 11th state to impose no limits on abortion. The law removes all of the state's restrictions on abortion, leaving the decision to perform a late-term abortion up to the "judgment of the physician" carrying it out.

Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called the decision "shocking" and "horrendous."

"It's an affront against the dignity of life," he said in an interview on "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo" on Aug. 13.

"I hope it will not stand, but we'll see," the archbishop added, describing the decision as "a shocking blow to the pro-life movement and to everyone who's concerned about the dignity and sanctity of human life."

Meanwhile, the political advocacy group CatholicVote is calling for the excommunication of Healey, who is Catholic.

CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt said in a letter that CatholicVote believes that Healey is an "accomplice" to the procurement of abortions by signing the law. Reinhardt added that the signing caused "scandal" and "was not a private sin."

"The logic of medicinal punishment is ancient and coherent and teaches that you do not withhold medicine from a sick person to protect their feelings," Reinhardt wrote. "You administer it because you love them and because you take their illness seriously. Governor Healey is a Catholic in a state of grave sin. She has publicly and now legislatively cooperated in the destruction of innocent human life."

"Governor Healey did not sign this legislation reluctantly or with any expression of the gravity of what she was authorizing," Reinhardt said. "She signed it at a celebratory public event. She was met with applause. The ceremony was festive."

When asked about calls for Healey's excommunication, Coakley said that the law constitutes a "scandal" but that the matter is between the governor and her bishop.

"It's an affront against the teaching of the Church," Coakley said of the law. "But truly, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops or any episcopal conference really does not have that kind of authority" to excommunicate Healey.

"This is really a matter that will have to be addressed between the governor and her bishop and the bishops of Massachusetts," Coakley continued.

The Massachusetts Catholic bishops decried the bill before it was signed, saying that the "elimination of any legal restraint on late-term abortion is, in our judgment, a radical measure which is gravely immoral."

Pro-lifers praise attorney general for pledging to review mail-order abortion

Pro-life advocates are praising then-Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche for his promise to review the legality of sending abortion pills through the U.S. mail.

During his confirmation hearing on July 15, Blanche pledged to review the Comstock Act, a law already on the books that prohibits the mailing of abortion-related materials. If enforced, the law would halt mail-order abortions.

An Aug. 7 letter signed by 35 pro-life leaders commended Blanche for his promise to "carefully evaluate" the law and whether or not it is being properly enforced.

Lawsuit against Virginia abortion amendment rises to appeals court

A lawsuit against a Virginia state constitutional amendment to establish an unlimited right to abortion is currently before a state appeals court.

Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit Christian legal group, said on Aug. 13 that it had appealed to the Court of Appeals of Virginia about a court order dismissing a legal challenge to the ballot measure.

The lawsuit argues that the Virginia government neglected proper legal processes for proposed amendments, rendering the abortion amendment itself  ineligible for inclusion on the ballot.

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Catholics celebrate the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary each year on Aug. 15. The solemnity commemorates the Church's teaching that Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was taken body and soul into heaven.

In 1950, Pope Pius XII confirmed this belief about the Virgin Mary when he defined it formally — "ex cathedra" — as a dogma of the Catholic faith. In his apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus, it states "that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory."

So, is this solemnity a holy day of obligation? It depends on what day it falls on.

In the United States, Latin-rite Catholics are bound by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) canon law norms, which require Mass attendance on Sundays and six specific holy days of obligation. However, regional exceptions and calendar-based rule adjustments can apply depending on the day of the week a feast lands.

The six holy days of obligations are: Jan. 1, solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; Thursday of the sixth week of Easter, solemnity of the Ascension; Aug. 15, solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Nov. 1, solemnity of All Saints; Dec. 8, solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; and Dec. 25, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

However, when Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption; or Nov. 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is lifted.

According to Canon 1246, paragraph 2, of the Code of Canon Law, "the conference of bishops can abolish certain holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday with prior approval of the Apostolic See."

Since the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on a Saturday this year, 2026, Catholics are not required to attend Mass in addition to the regular Sunday obligation.

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During the regular session of the Council of Ministers on Aug. 12, the government of Peru declared the Nov. 11–17 apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to the country to be a matter of national interest.

"His Holiness' visit is great news for the entire country," President Keiko Fujimori stated Aug. 12, according to the official newspaper El Peruano.

The decision will enable the government to take the necessary measures to organize activities in Lima, Callao, Chiclayo, Cusco, and Pucallpa — the cities the pontiff will visit. The government will also facilitate customs procedures for the entry of goods.

Additionally, a high-level extraordinary commission will be established to set the guidelines, strategies, and actions necessary to ensure the apostolic visit is a success.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be responsible for national coordination and will serve as the commission's technical secretariat. The various ministries will designate their representatives, while regional and local governments may also join in.

The Peruvian Church welcomes the pope with joy

The confirmation of the visit was also received with joy by the Peruvian bishops.

"We are very happy because we have received the news that the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, is coming to visit his beloved homeland, his beloved Peru," Bishop Edinson Farfán of Chiclayo recently stated.

The prelate particularly highlighted that the pontiff will return to the diocese he once shepherded in Peru. "We are filled with joy because he will visit his beloved Diocese of Chiclayo, which has given him so much, so much to continue being a faithful Church of Jesus Christ," he said, quoting the first words of Leo XIV to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican after his election as pontiff.

"We pray for the Holy Father's intentions and await him with open arms," he concluded.

The president of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference, Bishop Carlos García Camader, stated that the presence of Leo XIV "among us will be a true gift for our people and an opportunity to renew our faith, strengthen hope, and walk together."

More than 700,000 people

According to estimates presented during the Council of Ministers meeting, the apostolic journey could draw at least 700,000 people across the country.

Of this total, approximately 350,000 people are expected to participate in Lima, between 100,000 and 150,000 in Cusco, and around 75,000 in both Pucallpa and Chiclayo.

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 powerful earthquake that struck western Colombia on Aug. 10 also put to the test those who look after the most vulnerable, such as those working at the Panamericana Clinic in the town of Apartadó where in the urgency to evacuate, a doctor, not thinking of himself first, grabbed up two newborns to carry them to safety outside the building.

In images that have gone viral, Dr. Germán Somoyar is seen holding the infants outside the medical center alongside colleagues and the families of other patients who had to evacuate the building.

Speaking with Noticias Telemundo, Somoyar recounted that he was with his colleagues when everything began to shake and as the intensity increased, "everyone started evacuating the clinic immediately."

He said that at that moment, he thought he had to go get the babies — the ones the nurses or parents might not be able to reach in their cribs. "In my line of work, the children always have 100% absolute priority," Somoyar stated.

The doctor added that "there were two mothers in their rooms who were paralyzed with fear and weren't evacuating. I had to quickly explain the situation, calm them down, and tell them we're going to evacuate."

"After they proceeded to leave, I headed to the room where the newborns are, the neonatal unit" and picked up the babies, carrying them down from the sixth floor to the street, ensuring their safety.

So far, the deaths of 234 people have been confirmed as a result of the 7.4-magnitude earthquake. The hardest-hit cities are Cali, with 95 fatalities, and Pereira, with 72.

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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Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), addressed the loss of federal grant money for refugee resettlement and ongoing deportation efforts from President Donald Trump's administration during an EWTN interview Aug. 13.

In 2024, the USCCB received more than $180 million in funding for government contracts, most of which supported services for migrants and refugee resettlement. When Trump took office, the president ended most of those contracts.

In an interview on "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo," the archbishop said "we are no longer receiving those dollars, and we have, as a result, discontinued our resettlement services."

"I don't think it has affected … our ability to continue our core mission, that's for sure," Coakley said. "But we'll have to adjust our budgets and act accordingly."

Coakley also addressed Trump's immigration policy, saying nations have a right to control their borders but they should also be welcoming to immigrants.

"Every nation has a right to protect its sovereign borders, and we bishops have emphasized that again and again," he said. "... People have a right to live in security in their own land."

However, he also pointed to a USCCB special message on immigration, which the U.S. bishops approved in a 216-5 vote, which expressed opposition to "the indiscriminate mass deportation of people."

"[The message] called upon the bishops to continue to accompany and support migrants and assured migrants of our continued support and accompaniment," Coakley said. "And that's happening around the country in different places and certainly along the border in different ways."

"It's obviously a challenging situation, both for the people who are concerned about their safety and security within the borders of the United States, but also those who are seeking peace and security and safety by striving to become a part of our people and our culture, our nation," he said.

"We've always been a nation welcoming of immigrants," the archbishop said.

"We're all — all but a few of us — are from migrant immigrant families," Coakley said. "So we have a sensitivity as Americans to the plight of immigrants on both sides of the border."

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Pope Leo XIV has emphasized the need for priests to remain faithful to the texts and instructions of the Mass and to receive the proper formation to celebrate the sacred liturgy with dignity.

"I have called attention to the respect that all those called to prepare the celebration of the divine mysteries, and priests in particular, must show toward the rites promulgated by Pope Saint Paul VI and Pope Saint John Paul II," the pontiff wrote in a letter addressed to Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, published Aug. 14.

"It is vital that this respect 'springs from an inner attitude of openness and trust in God, manifesting humility before his greatness and sincere fidelity to ecclesial communion,'" Leo added.

Roche is participating in a conference on liturgical formation organized by his dicastery at the Benedictine Abbey of Mount Angel in Oregon from Aug. 14–19. Other participants include cardinals, bishops, and laypeople with diverse Church experiences.

According to the dicastery, the meeting is intended to be "a joint reflection with the aim of defining shared, concrete, and practical proposals."

"The choice of a monastic community signifies the intention to engage in dialogue within a prayerful setting," the press release states. "Rather than a scholarly conference, it will be a time of spiritual discernment on the theme of liturgical formation, to continue along the path charted by Sacrosanctum Concilium."

In Leo's letter, he stressed the need for clergy and laity to receive ongoing liturgical formation, citing Pope Francis' apostolic letter on the liturgy, Desiderio Desideravi.

"In his Apostolic Letter Desiderio Desideravi … Pope Francis emphasized the need for an attentive and ongoing formation of clergy and laity alike in revitalizing the liturgical life of the universal Church," Leo said. "I would therefore encourage you to explore concrete paths for liturgical formation at every level in the Body of Christ."

One practical opportunity for liturgical formation, he said, is in the regular gathering for Mass on Sundays.

"These celebrations are anchored in the annual rhythm of the liturgical year, with the Paschal Mystery at its center. For this reason, it is essential that they also be profoundly formative, promoting an ever deeper understanding of the ars celebrandi, expressed not only by the celebrant of the liturgy, but also by the entire assembly," the pope said. "In this way, through proper education and reverent worship, Catholics will be formed both for the liturgy and by the liturgy."

As the pontiff also noted in his letter, his remarks follow his recent addresses on the Second Vatican Council's constitution on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, during Wednesday general audiences.

In his Aug. 12 audience, Leo encouraged the faithful to attend Sunday Mass and warned that virtual gatherings cannot replace in-person attendance.

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