Catholic News

The Catholic bishops of England and Wales are "deeply disappointed" that an assisted suicide bill will again be back in Parliament, calling instead for improvements in palliative care.

On Wednesday, Labour member of Parliament (MP) Lauren Edwards reintroduced the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which passed a vote in the House of Commons in June 2025 but failed to pass the House of Lords when it ran out of time in April.

The bill today received its first reading in the House of Commons, officially marking the return of the bill in Westminster.

Responding to the news that it would be reintroduced, in a June 15 statement Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, lead bishop for life issues at the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, expressed his deep disappointment and criticized the "flawed" legislation, saying: "The Catholic Church opposes this bill in principle and joins with many other people of faith and none in arguing that we should not cross this watershed."

He added: "The recent debate about this bill showed how many people found the proposed legislation, even if they accepted it in principle, to be flawed and full of unresolved matters."

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, originally sponsored by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, proposes to legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales for people with a prognosis of six months or less to live and has received extensive criticism for posing a threat to vulnerable people.

In bringing back the exact same bill, Edwards could use the Parliament Act to bypass future opposition from the House of Lords. In the U.K., bills become law after both the House of Commons and the House of Lords agree on a bill. The Parliament Act enables MPs to pass an unchanged bill, with the House of Lords unable to prevent the bill from becoming law a second time.

Edwards urged the House of Lords not to "block" the bill and to pass it, saying: "It's perfectly reasonable for us to ask the House of Lords to finish the job … to refine the legislation the House of Commons has introduced."

However, Sherrington challenged the criticism of the House of Lords, saying the Lords had "identified many shortcomings and bad legislation."

"The bill was criticized for a lack of safeguards and as a danger to vulnerable people, with a number of respected professional bodies highlighting unsafe aspects within the bill," he said.

Sherrington added that reintroducing the bill "places the most vulnerable at risk," adding: "Many professional bodies argued against this bill, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians, whose members would be required to be involved under the provision of the bill. Disability rights groups, those fighting against eating disorders and against domestic abuse, were highly concerned and considered it dangerous."

Sherrington pinpointed further concerns about the bill, which he urged MPs to reject, saying: "The bill undermines freedom of conscience for medical professionals and care workers. It also requires care homes and hospices to participate in assisted suicide, threatening not only their future existence but also the well-being of their more vulnerable staff."

Pro-life groups have also criticized the move by Edwards. Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right to Life UK, said reintroducing the same bill would be a "serious mistake." Robinson told EWTN News that the bill contained "serious flaws" that have been exposed by "peers and experts."

She said: "At a time when the Labour Party is already divided and the country is facing so many real problems, reviving this bill would be a serious mistake. It would create further division, waste precious Parliamentary time, and distract from the very real challenges facing our country."

Robinson added: "If it is brought back, it is likely to fail" and commented that further debate on the bill would be "divisive and distracting."

Further criticism has come from bishops in England and Wales.

Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark told EWTN News: "Assisted suicide has no place in a civilized society. It violates the God-given dignity of human life and puts the vulnerable — especially elderly and disabled people — in grave danger."

Wilson called on Catholics to take action against the bill through prayer and action, saying: "As followers of the Lord Jesus, we have a duty to speak out and to act when the lives of so many people are at risk. That is why I urge Catholics to pray and to campaign to stop this deadly bill from becoming law."

Welsh Archbishop Mark O'Toole of Cardiff-Menevia said it is "immensely disappointing that the bill to legalize assisted suicide is being reintroduced to Parliament."

O'Toole added: "It does nothing to uphold the dignity of every person or encourage investment in good palliative care."

O'Toole's call for greater investment in palliative care was echoed by Sherrington, who said: "Surely what is now needed to help the terminally ill is an improvement in compassionate, high-quality palliative care and proper hospice funding."

Catholic peer Lord David Alton shared his concerns about what he described as a "deeply flawed and dangerous assisted suicide bill," saying: "The wisest thing which MPs can do is to reject this bill."

Sherrington concluded his statement with a calI "on all people of goodwill to join me in work and prayer to prevent this flawed bill from succeeding."

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In response to a shortage of Communion hosts in Cuba, the Catholic Church in Panama announced that it had sent 35,000 hosts, while another 300,000 were sent from Puerto Rico, to support the celebration of the Eucharist on the island.

In a statement, Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta of Panama announced that this gesture of fraternity "arises in response to the difficulties several Cuban dioceses are facing in ensuring a supply of hosts, an essential element for the celebration of the sacrament that constitutes the source and summit of the Christian life."

Meanwhile, El Visitante, the official newspaper of the Catholic Church in Puerto Rico, reported that Archbishop Roberto O. González Nieves of San Juan is coordinating the country's efforts to get the aid to Cuba.

Currently, all of Cuba's hosts are produced at the Monastery of Santa Teresa and San José, home to a Discalced Carmelite community. However, the lack of a reliable power supply has hindered production.

Eucharist, the 'sacrament of unity'

Friar George Payano, a Dominican priest, told Agence France-Presse that making Communion hosts requires time and suitable machinery, but "the hours of electricity are very limited."

"This results in lower production and means they have to, as they announced to the priests and bishops, ration distribution somewhat," the friar noted.

Ulloa stated in his message that beyond the material value of the shipment, "this act constitutes a concrete sign of the Communion that unites the Church beyond borders."

The archbishop noted that the Eucharist "is the sacrament of unity. Gathered around the same bread of life, we recognize ourselves as brothers and sisters and as members of one body."

"Therefore, when a community lacks what is necessary to celebrate this mystery, we feel the duty from the Gospel to reach out and accompany them," he said.

El Visitante noted that González described the initiative similarly, saying that it is "a visible sign of communion among the particular Churches of the Caribbean and a concrete expression of the unity born of the Eucharist."

The Puerto Rican newspaper added that the shipment also serves as an invitation to "keep on praying for the Cuban people, for their pastors and the faithful, so that strengthened by God's grace they may continue to proclaim the Gospel and joyfully celebrate the mysteries of our faith."

The hosts sent from Panama were made by the Sisters of the Monastery of the Visitation and shipped free of charge by Copa Airlines. In Puerto Rico, production involved the collaboration of the cloistered Dominican sisters of the Mother of God Monastery as well as the support of the faithful who made donations for their preparation.

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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With the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer playoffs as a backdrop, Ramón Castro Castro, bishop of Cuernavaca and president of the Mexican Bishops' Conference, called on Catholics to work together, affirming that in the Church, "we have Jesus Christ as our captain."

In his homily during Mass on Sunday, June 14, at the Cuernavaca cathedral, Castro noted that the World Cup "is an event that reminds us that no championship is won alone."

"No matter how excellent the soccer players are, they cannot succeed alone. Teamwork is required, as are discipline, constant effort, adherence to the rules, and ... mutual trust."

In the realm of sports, he said, "we have an example for the Church: We are playing the greatest match in history, we have Jesus Christ as our captain, and we must work together and trust one another, above all knowing that the Holy Spirit is in our midst, strengthening, encouraging, and transforming us."

The FIFA World Cup is being hosted this year by Mexico, the United States, and Canada from June 11 to July 19. Thirteen of the matches are scheduled to be held in the Mexican cities of Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.

'Christ sees people's hidden pain'

In his homily, Castro also highlighted that "Christ sees people's hidden pain; Christ sees the wounds of our personal history and of our families."

The Lord, he continued, "sees the loneliness of the elderly, sees the uncertainty of many young people, sees the anguish of those who find no meaning in their lives, the suffering of the poorest; he sees the victims of violence, sees those who have lost hope."

"That compassion includes all this and more, because we are his special treasure," he emphasized.

The Mexican people, he lamented, are "weary and disheartened" by "violence, insecurity, extortion, corruption, mistrust in society, family breakdown, and religious indifference."

"God sees this, feels it, and, we might say, suffers because he loves us, because he sees his treasure wounded; he looks upon these realities and he doesn't look at them from afar, but looking upon them with his love and mercy and his heart feels compassion for all of this," he noted.

In this context, Castro affirmed that "God never tires of us, never; he certainly does not resign himself to our wounds and sins" and "never ceases to love his people."

'There is a tremendous spiritual hunger'

The Mexican prelate highlighted that "God knows there is an enormous need for workers in his vineyard," as "there is a tremendous spiritual hunger; the emptiness of the heart and that hunger remain intense."

"There are so many people who live without faith or appear to live without faith, yet deep down in their hearts, they continue to seek the meaning of their lives, continue to seek hope, and continue to seek love," he noted.

"When Jesus says that laborers are lacking, he's not referring only to priests and religious — no," Castro clarified, for "we also need committed laypeople, generous young people who respond; we need holy families, we need convinced catechists, we need laypeople who love their Church."

Reflecting on the calling of the Twelve Apostles, the bishop of Cuernavaca noted that Jesus "did not choose the most perfect" individuals; rather, they were "very simple people, simple fishermen, courageous and impulsive men, people with very difficult temperaments, and even a traitor."

"We sometimes think that God chooses only saints to serve him," the bishop said, but "the Gospel tells us otherwise: God calls fragile people to transform them into instruments of his grace."

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 dedicated his general audience on June 17 to reflecting on his apostolic journey to Spain the previous week, during which he visited Madrid, Barcelona, ??and the Canary Islands.

In his remarks, the pope praised Spain's "very rich Catholic tradition" and highlighted the country's "joyful expression of their faith" as well as the affection shown to him by the people.

"In the case of Spain, I was able to observe with joy how much people of every age and situation were looking forward to the pope's visit: Everywhere I found multitudes who welcomed me with great warmth," Leo remarked, acknowledging that this was not something to be taken for granted.

Safeguarding encounter between Catholic tradition, contemporary culture

Referring to the events in Madrid and Barcelona during his trip to Spain, the pope also described his trip as an "encounter of ancient and modern, Catholic tradition and contemporary culture," allowing him to experience "the very character of Europe, its inestimable wealth, as a living reality, not a thing of the past."

Leo also said that Europe's cultural heritage must be preserved to address ongoing challenges.

"It is a heritage to be safeguarded with care, so that it may be invested in today's global world with its momentous challenges: peace, integral ecology, equitable and sustainable development, and respect for human dignity," Leo said.

Care for migrants

Referring to the final stage of the journey at the Canary Islands, where Leo met a large number of African migrants, the pope acknowledged that the migration phenomenon "is complex and requires organic and coordinated action plans."

The pontiff noted, however, that this reality also offers an interpretation that "opens up a different, broader perspective," allowing Catholics to understand how "to reread the Gospel in today's world, exchanging with each other the gifts of our respective cultures, and in particular the results produced in them by the fruitfulness of Christ's message."

Among these results, he highlighted "dialogue between people and between peoples, the encounter in a spirit of fraternity, which enables us to discover and appreciate one another's values." He cautioned that this path is not easy and that asking for God's help is essential to achieving a "civilization of love."

Praise for U.S.-Iran peace deal

Leo concluded his remarks by expressing his satisfaction with the peace agreement between the United States and Iran, to be signed on June 19, which will bring an end to prolonged hostilities.

He also renewed his appeal for peace in Ukraine, acknowledging with concern the casualties suffered in the Russo-Ukrainian war. He invited all to "ask the Lord to open pathways to dialogue, to extinguish hatred, and to make a just and lasting peace possible."

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 the feast of St. Vitus, the new organ in the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslaus, and Adalbert in Prague was inaugurated. The instrument, whose construction had been started by the former archbishop of Prague, Cardinal Dominik Duka, was blessed by his successor and now-Archbishop Emeritus Jan Graubner on Monday, June 15.

"Remember all those who have built and protected this temple for centuries, also the generous patrons of this instrument, and especially those who did not live to see its completion and today's blessing," Graubner said during the blessing.

He asked the Lord to accept this work of the patrons and benefactors and "to give them a share in the heavenly harmony that never ceases."

The ceremony, which featured the Czech Philharmonic, was broadcast live by Czech public television.

'Awakening' the organ

The current archbishop of Prague, Stanislav Pribyl, who is himself an organist, presided over a Mass on the occasion. In his homily, the chief pastor of the capital city of the Czech Republic said the organ does not exist independently of the space around it. It becomes part of it, as "it is not just the organ playing, but the entire cathedral, literally every stone playing," he stressed.

He also performed the ceremony of "awakening the organ," addressing the instrument and asking it, literally, to "wake up" and fill the space with music. The organist responded by playing the wind instrument.

"It is the moment when the instrument sounds praise to God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The organ can rejoice, cry, calm down, and stir our hearts, express the emotions that are within us," Pribyl underscored.

This awakening, in which one can behold and listen to beauty and experience spiritual reality, is a dialogue, according to the prelate: "First, a word is spoken, a challenge, and the response is music. It is a beautiful picture of the relationship between God and man." When God speaks, it evokes a reaction in man, be it a word, silence, tears, laughter, and so on.

Music and singing transcend the boundaries of words, and "our new instrument will also serve this purpose: liturgy, prayer, the uplifting and joy of the human spirit," Pribyl concluded.

Years in the making

The organ has undergone a few restoration works over the last 100 years, yet they did not bring the desired results. In 2012, Duka brought up the idea and won the support of high-ranking public figures to assume the patronage of the public collection. Approximately 12,000 people have contributed 135 million Czech crowns so far toward the final cost of roughly 160 million.

The new instrument was completed by the German organ builder Gerhard Grenzing and designed by Slovak designer Peter Olah, who also designs within the once-Czech automobile brand Škoda, now part of Volkswagen.

The organ weighs 45 tons and has about 6,000 pipes. The cathedral will host an organ concert in the coming days, and the instrument will be played during liturgy.

The first stone of the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslaus, and Adalbert was laid in the 14th century, though the first church at the same place stood in the 10th century. The coronation of the Czech kings took place within the church, which is one of the most important in the Czech Republic.

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A high-profile online controversy in early June reignited one of bioethics' most charged debates: the morality of terminating a pregnancy following a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.

As the discussion spread across social media platforms, a familiar claim resurfaced alongside it — that Iceland has effectively eliminated Down syndrome births through abortion, with virtually every baby diagnosed prenatally with the condition terminated before birth.

The claim has circulated for years in media and social commentary, often stated as established fact. EWTN News went looking for current, primary sourcing and reached out to Catholic organizations on the ground in Iceland to find the truth of these claims.

How the narrative took hold

The origin of the claim about Iceland mostly comes from a 2017 CBS News report, which mentioned that since prenatal screening tests were introduced in Iceland in the early 2000s, close to 100% of women who received a positive test for Down syndrome terminated their pregnancy.

By law, Icelandic doctors are required to inform pregnant mothers about the availability of a screening test that can indicate (among many other things) the presence of Down syndrome in the babies they are carrying.

The piece quoted a leading Icelandic geneticist, Kári Stefánsson, saying "we have basically eradicated, almost, Down syndrome from our society — that there is hardly ever a child with Down syndrome in Iceland anymore."

That report is now nearly nine years old. It is, nonetheless, the source most frequently referenced in the current wave of social media posts and the one used as a jumping-off point for other articles.

A more complete picture

When EWTN News contacted Caritas Iceland and the Chancery of the Catholic Church in Iceland, both groups referred EWTN News to April Frigge, who sits on the board of Lífsvernd, the pro-life group of the Diocese of Reykjavík.

Frigge highlighted a response that Dr. Hulda Hjartardóttir, chief of obstetrics at Iceland's National University Hospital, gave to Morgunblaðið, Iceland's most prominent newspaper, within days of the CBS report airing.

Hjartardóttir had been one of the doctors CBS interviewed, and she was direct about what had been left out. "I went over this with CBS' journalists, but then they decided to publish one thing and not the other," she told the paper.

What CBS had omitted, Hjartardóttir explained, was that the 100% termination figure applied only to a specific subset of women.

She explained that 80% to 85% of pregnant women in Iceland choose to undergo prenatal screening, while 15% to 20% decline it altogether. Among those who receive screening results indicating a higher risk of Down syndrome, about 75% to 80% proceed with additional testing, but roughly 20% to 25% decide against further tests and continue their pregnancies. Hjartardóttir noted that these were women who, after counseling and discussions, couldn't "bear the thought of ending the pregnancy despite the Down syndrome emerging."

Taken together, she estimated that about one-third of Icelandic mothers either decline screening from the outset or choose not to pursue further testing after an initial positive result, opting instead to continue their pregnancies regardless of the outcome.

Frigge noted that this fuller account received a fraction of the attention that the original CBS report generated and that it remains largely absent from the online debate nearly a decade later.

These figures were also addressed by Iceland's Ministry of Welfare, which rejected claims that the government encourages mothers carrying children diagnosed with Down syndrome to terminate their pregnancies. The ministry stated that prenatal screening for Down syndrome is voluntary and that women are neither required to undergo testing nor mandated to have an abortion if a diagnosis is confirmed.

What this means is that children with Down syndrome are being born in Iceland precisely because a significant portion of mothers either decline pregnancy screening or choose not to pursue confirmatory testing after an initial positive result.

What research shows

A 2020 study drawing on Icelandic prenatal screening data from 2012 to 2016 adds context to the situation. During that period, 79% of pregnant women chose to undergo a first-trimester screening test, amounting to 16,649 screenings.

Of the women screened, 333 received high-risk results and were offered further testing. Down syndrome was subsequently confirmed in 44 pregnancies. Of those, 43 ended in abortion, while one woman chose to carry her child to term.

Over the same five-year period, 12 children with Down syndrome were born in Iceland. Five were born to women who declined prenatal screening, six followed false-negative test results, and one was born to the woman who continued her pregnancy after receiving a confirmed diagnosis.

What the current data does and does not show

Iceland recorded 4,311 births and 1,147 abortions in 2024, the most recent year for which official figures are available. However, publicly available data does not specify how many of those births or abortions involved a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, making precise assessment difficult.

What can be said with reasonable confidence is that the pattern documented in 2017 has not fundamentally changed.

A March 2026 article published through the U.N.'s regional information network noted that approximately 80% to 85% of pregnant women in Iceland still undergo prenatal screening and that nearly all pregnancies with a confirmed Down syndrome diagnosis continue to be terminated, resulting in only two to three children with Down syndrome born in Iceland each year.

EWTN News attempted to contact Downs félagið (The Downs Society), an Icelandic association that advocates for the rights of individuals with Down syndrome, but was unable to obtain a response.

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Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda of the Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Erbil in Iraq appealed to Chaldean Patriarch Paul III Nona to stand with Ankawa — a district of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and home to the largest Christian community in the country — and to be the voice of the people there before decision-makers so that its residents may regain their right to have a say in the future of their city and land. 

Chaldean Patriarch Paul III Nona (formerly Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona) was elected in April and formally installed at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Baghdad in late May.

Speaking during a welcoming ceremony for the Chaldean patriarch at St. Joseph Cathedral in Ankawa, Warda said that choosing Ankawa as the first stop in Nona's visits outside his patriarchal eparchy carried a clear message to its people: "You are in my heart."

A Christian identity despite challenges

Warda recalled the deep Christian roots of the historic region of Adiabene — today's Erbil and its surrounding areas — and its Church, known for its leaders, martyrs, and perseverance amid persecution.

He particularly remembered the 1310 massacre at the Erbil Citadel, which forced Christians to flee to Mosul and to the towns and villages of the Nineveh Plain.

"Yet the faith was not extinguished," he said.

Ankawa's distinct place

The archbishop praised Ankawa for preserving its Christian identity across the centuries and remaining a living witness of perseverance despite persecution and hardship. By the 16th century, he said, Ankawa had become the only remaining village in the area with a large Christian population.

"In every trial our Church endured, Ankawa was a refuge whose doors were never closed," Warda said, especially during the forced displacement of 2014.

What happened in 2014?

The occupation of Mosul and the towns and villages of the Nineveh Plain by the terrorist organization ISIS caused the forced displacement of Christians, many of whom fled to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Ankawa and the towns and villages of the Chaldean Archeparchy of Erbil became among their most important places of refuge.

In his latest pastoral letter, Warda noted that within weeks in the summer of 2014, Ankawa received more than 13,200 displaced families. They were housed in churches, schools, parish halls, and homes of charity. The Joint Episcopal Relief Committee and the Chaldean Mercy Association helped organize the first response, providing temporary shelter, food, water, mattresses, and other basic needs in more than 26 small, medium, and large camps.

The people of Ankawa opened their hearts to welcome their persecuted brothers and sisters, and the town became home to the largest gathering of Christians in Iraq and a safe haven for them.

For years, Ankawa has faced several challenges related to political representation and public services. Many residents believe that the use of agricultural land for residential investment projects is contributing to demographic change and reducing green and cultivated areas. These concerns have grown with the spread of nightlife and entertainment venues in residential neighborhoods.

A deliberate exclusion

The Church believes it is unfair for Ankawa's young people to direct their frustration toward the Church over these issues. Warda stressed that since 2011 the Chaldean Church has been excluded from having the final word on matters concerning Ankawa and its future, despite being, as he put it, "the owner of the land, the history, and the people."

He pointed to several issues that concern public opinion in Ankawa, including the failure to appoint a permanent district mayor for nearly a year and a half "for unknown reasons."

Warda said the truth, which is hidden from those who blame the Church for Ankawa's situation and falsely accuse it of indifference or complicity, is that "our exclusion as a Church was deliberate, serving the narrow interests of beneficiaries at the expense of the good of the city and the future of its people."

"This is my testimony for history," he added. "I place it before God and before you."

He urged the Church's young people, whom he called "its hope and its tomorrow," to remain attached to their land, to work patiently, and to persevere in their demands, saying that their legitimate anger alone cannot build a future.

"Our father the patriarch is with us," Warda said, adding that "the truth will reach the attention of the Kurdistan Regional Government, which sincerely desires the survival and flourishing of Christians."

Warda also emphasized that the Church has not remained idle but has worked to serve its people in practical and effective ways through "achievements accomplished despite the circumstances, not because of them."

"Let actions speak for us, not words," he said.

He highlighted the archeparchy's catechetical programs for all ages, its active youth pastoral initiatives that help young people remain rooted in their faith and land, the construction of four new churches, three of them in Ankawa, as well as four schools, a university, a hospital, and Radio Maryam. Together, he said, these institutions provide more than 800 job opportunities for qualified residents of Ankawa, in addition to relief services and assistance to the poor and needy.

Ankawa includes about 75,000 Christians from the apostolic churches — Catholic and Orthodox — as well as evangelical communities. Today, Ankawa faces the challenge of preserving its religious character and safeguarding its historic identity.

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

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Pope Leo XIV assured his prayers "for all parents who suffer the loss of a child, especially a baby," on the occasion of the upcoming Day for Life, which will be celebrated in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland this coming Sunday, June 21.

In a message signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pope said he is praying that these parents "find consolation and peace in the knowledge of God's love for them" and for the child they have lost.

"This divine love gives meaning to the life of every person and, far from ending with death, invites us to a new fullness in eternity," the pontiff affirmed.

According to a statement from the Irish Bishops' Conference, Pope Leo XIV also sent his best wishes and prayers to all those participating in this day of prayer, which is centered on "wonder at the full humanity of the child in the mother's womb" as well as the efforts made to support mothers and fathers who have suffered the loss of a baby.

He also urged parents to find the support they need in the Church community, "especially in a life nourished by prayer and the sacraments."

'Wonder at the child in the mother's womb'

Organized under the title "Wonder at the Child in the Mother's Womb," the Day for Life, which always falls on Father's Day, recalls that every human being is endowed with infinite dignity from the very moment of conception, "simply by existing, by having been wanted, created, and loved by God," as the pope recalled in his recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

The Bishops' Conferences of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland recalled in their statement that fatherhood "is a vocation full of joys and hopes, but also of sorrows and concerns."

The bishops wished to specially acknowledge the pain of parents who have lost a child before birth or during infancy and to offer them a message of hope and consolation: that of fullness in eternity.

The Church wants to be especially close to these parents, according to the bishops, who emphasized the need for spiritual and pastoral accompaniment as parents face physical and psychological consequences, as well as the feeling of powerlessness in not knowing how to support their family or how to express their own grief.

The bishops also recalled that "God has created, wanted, and deeply loved from all eternity every child, including those who lose their lives before birth or shortly afterward."

The prelates emphasized that the word of God "reveals the sacred humanity of the unborn child" and that parents therefore understand how precious and unique the child they have lost is: "They know that no other child will ever be able to replace him," they affirmed.

From this perspective, the bishops denounced the inconsistency of describing life in the mother's womb as a mere cluster of cells. "How can that life be someone so loved and valuable to their parents and, at the same time, be considered something worthless and disposable?" they asked.

The prelates insisted that science is clear in stating that life begins at the moment of fertilization. "The more we learn from science, the more we understand the Church's teaching on the unique value of the unborn child," they highlighted.

They further recalled that every human being is not only a body "but also an immortal soul, with a unique and eternal relationship with God, our Creator," which is why the unborn child "deserves full protection under the law."

They emphasized that the Church "has always rejected voluntary abortion" and committed themselves to "work and pray so that our society values the life of every child," especially in the earliest stages of human existence.

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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CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — Pope Leo XIV cautioned that the planned ordination of Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) bishops could push the group toward schism, urging them again to stop and remain in communion with the Church.

"We have invited them, and I am still considering making another appeal, to say: 'Do not do this. Let us try to live communion in the Church.' But it is their choice. They must understand what it means for them and for the Church," the pope said, responding to journalists' questions outside Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo on June 16.

The Society of St. Pius X said it plans to consecrate four priests as bishops on July 1 without the permission of Pope Leo XIV. The Vatican warned on May 13 that doing so without a papal mandate would constitute "a schismatic act" and carry the penalty of excommunication. The consecrations are set to take place at its seminary in Écône, Switzerland.

"Certainly, division among Christians is always a painful matter," the pope said. "But they refuse to accept certain fundamental elements of the Church, beginning with various points of the Second Vatican Council. And if they make those choices, I am sorry. But we must move forward."

The SSPX exclusively celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass and has rejected certain teachings and reforms of the Second Vatican Council, particularly regarding religious freedom and the Church's approach to other faiths.

The pope also answered questions about G7 diplomacy, his future travel to France and Peru, and about the Christian response to migration that calls for recognizing reasons why people have to leave their countries such as violence and war.

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Colombia's bishops have invited the faithful to pray for the country on June 19  ahead of the presidential runoff election on Sunday, June 21.

The bishops' conference explained that the initiative includes a prayer vigil for Colombia in cathedrals, parishes, and other ecclesial communities as well as an invitation "for families to gather in their homes to light a candle or taper and offer a prayer for Colombia as an expression of trust in God and commitment to the nation's future."

To conduct the vigil, the bishops' conference prepared a resource with opening remarks that emphasize that "Colombia is going through a decisive moment" and that, before exercising the right to vote that will determine the country's future, "it is necessary to listen to the voice of God."

"We are brought together by love for Colombia and the certainty that, without God, we will not be able to build the civilization of love we all long for, nor sustain our common home," the bishops note.

However, they also recall that during the election campaign, "too many words have been heard that wound, divide, and point fingers."

"Pope Leo XIV, during his recent visit to Spain, reminded us that the temptation to gain popularity by stoking the fires of polarization seems to be growing rather than diminishing," they say. "He invited us to choose a different path: 'It is not the culture of confrontation but that of encounter that creates stability and prosperity.'"

The June 21 presidential runoff election pits Abelardo de la Espriella, who is on the more conservative side of the political spectrum, against Iván Cepeda, a member of current president Gustavo Petro's leftist party.

The ombudsman's office noted that the final days of the campaign are characterized by "an electoral climate marked by high levels of confrontational rhetoric, stigmatization, the spread of false or misleading information, and challenges to democratic institutions."

"In the current high-tension context — where there are signs that escalating verbal violence could lead to physical violence, the ombudsman's office reiterates its call for candidates to focus their actions on protecting lives and de-escalating confrontation in public debate," an ombudsman's office document stated.

The ombudsman's office also called on both candidates to act with the moral rectitude proper to those aspiring to become the head of state and with the strengthened responsibility that such an aspiration entails toward society and democratic coexistence.

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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