Catholic News

Pope Leo XIV is a pope of several firsts: the first American pope, the first to be an Augustinian, and the first in modern times to have done overseas missionary work.

He is also the first pontiff in nearly 50 years to have studied and worked as a canon lawyer, holding a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome.

During his papacy, canon law has featured in some of the most important events of his reign. From the excommunication of four bishops consecrated for the SSPX to his recent appointments as Vatican judges, to the Marko Rupnik trial to his curial appointments, canon law has become a key aspect of understanding Leo's pontificate.

However, for many Catholics, canon law is more than merely a feature of Vatican administration. It is important to Catholics' relationship with the Church, especially in upholding justice — the very purpose of canon law.

Marriages, eligibility to receive the sacraments, and the allocation of Church property are among the most basic, often overlooked, uses of canon law.

Here are some important things to know about canon law and how it applies to Catholics.

What is canon law?

Canon law is the collection of all the laws that regulate the life of the Church. The word canon itself comes from the Greek word "kanon," which means to measure. Unlike civil law, however, canon law exists to uphold spiritual discipline, maintain relationships between the laity and the Church hierarchy, and protect rights. Ultimately, as stated in the 1983 code, the purpose of all Church laws is the salvation of souls.

Among the oldest legal systems

The Catholic Church's canon law system is the oldest continuously functioning legal system in the West. The Church's earliest laws were issued as decrees, or canons, by ecumenical councils, regulating the Church's daily life. After Christianity became more established in the Roman Empire, the popes also issued decrees influenced by Roman legal theory and traditions. By the 12th century, it had developed into a fully functioning legal system and has governed the Church ever since.

How does canon law affect Catholics?

Primarily, canon law contains rules about who can receive the sacraments. For example, the requirement to say "I baptize you" instead of "We baptize you" during baptism, the prohibition against using grape juice for holy Communion, and the seal of confession are all regulated by canon law.

Marriage annulments — the determination of whether a marriage is valid — are among its most common applications.

The 1983 code — a Catholic 'Bill of Rights'

Before the 20th century, the Church did not have a single legal code governing all Catholics. That changed when St. Pius X ordered a compilation of all Church laws into a single code, completed in 1917 by Pope Benedict XV. In 1983, St. John Paul II revised the code to incorporate the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. The 1983 Code of Canon Law — the current code in use — heavily emphasizes the rights and duties of laity and clergy, stating that "there exists among all the Christian faithful a true equality regarding dignity and action."

'Civil law punishes; canon law heals'

The quote "Civil law punishes; canon law heals" from 12th-century Byzantine canonist Theodore Balsamon highlights the distinct purposes of civil and canon law. Whereas civil law exists to maintain social order, canon law exists to facilitate salvation.

Officials are elected to uphold society's rules, while the pope — as the Church's supreme legislator — appoints bishops to dioceses to not only uphold Church law but also to teach, govern, and sanctify, as stated in paragraph 21 of Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic constitution on the Church.

Moreover, a diocesan bishop, according to canon 391 of the 1983 code, has "legislative, executive, and judicial power" over his diocese, meaning he can establish diocesan laws. Daily judicial matters of the diocese are usually handled by its tribunal, especially cases involving marriage, parish property, and abusive clergy.

The Church sometimes defers to civil law in nonreligious matters, such as contracts, labor laws, and certain criminal cases. For cases of clerical sexual abuse, however, the Church may conduct a separate internal canonical investigation, which could lead to restrictions on ministry or even dismissal from the clerical state.

How to become a canon lawyer

Clergy and laity worldwide study each year to practice canon law in the Church. To become a canon lawyer, usually one must first earn a licentiate of canon law (JCL). Before 1979, canonical studies were largely limited to clergy. Now, with adequate philosophical and theological education, any priest or layperson can be admitted to the licentiate program. Some of the most renowned schools for canon law are The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, both in Rome.

The role of the Vatican

The Holy See supervises all Church tribunals primarily through the Apostolic Signatura — the Church's highest court. Every diocese has a tribunal (court), and the Signatura oversees them on behalf of the pope, who is the Church's supreme judge. There are two other Vatican courts: the Roman Rota, which mainly handles appeals in marriage cases, and the Apostolic Penitentiary, which deals with indulgences and certain absolutions from sin reserved to the Holy See.

The Eastern churches have their own code

A separate code of canon law governs the more than 20 Eastern Churches in communion with Rome, including the Maronite, Ukrainian Greek Catholic, and Chaldean Catholic Churches. The Second Vatican Council affirmed the right of the Eastern churches to preserve their own traditions, including their legal traditions. St. John Paul II issued a code for those churches in 1990, reflecting the diversity of the Church's legal customs. Its full title is the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

Leo's experience as a canon lawyer

Before becoming pope, Leo spent more than a decade studying and practicing as a canon lawyer. The then-Father Robert Prevost studied canon law at the Angelicum in Rome, earning a license in 1984 and a doctorate in 1987. During his missionary work in Peru, he taught canon law at the seminary level and served as a judge. His experience would serve him during his leadership of the Augustinians and as the head of the Vatican's Dicastery for Bishops.

During his papacy so far, Leo has chosen some of his collaborators within the Roman Curia for their legal experience, highlighting the importance of canon law for protecting the rights of the faithful and assisting them toward salvation.

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St. Eugene Catholic Church in Oklahoma City is challenging parishes across the country to follow its example after helping abolish more than $6.5 million in medical debt through a partnership with a nonprofit organization.

Father Jim Goins read about the "scourge of medical debt in the country" and decided to do something. About 20 million people — nearly 1 in 12 adults — owe medical debt, and federal data shows Americans owe at least $220?billion in unpaid medical bills, according to the ?Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, an independent project of the Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF that analyzes U.S. healthcare spending.

"It haunts people, haunts their credit reports," Goins told EWTN News. "So I was also praying about that biblical concept of the year of favor, the year of favor from the Lord, how that debts were to be forgiven. Those who were in debt bondage were to be redeemed in that year of favor. Christ, of course, is the year of favor for us. But I wanted to do something on the parish level to address the problem."

Goins discussed the matter with his parish administrator, Sharon Blakely, who located the nonprofit organization Undue Medical Debt, which uses donated dollars to purchase bundles of unpaid medical debt at a fraction of the price from hospitals, health systems, and debt collectors.

Daniel Lempert, Undue's vice president of communications, told EWTN News: "We purchase these debts for pennies on the dollar. We're able to buy these debts so cheaply because they belong to those who are least able to pay — a sign of how broken our healthcare system is."

"My target, my goal, was $10,000 from my parish. I asked them for $10,000. We did 10-bucks Sundays," Goins said. "Everyone throw in 10 bucks, and we'll try to raise this money. It caught fire and they gave us $25,000. So when all was said and done, we were instrumental in abolishing over $6.5 million in medical debt here in central Oklahoma in four counties."

Lempert said: "The amount we pay reflects their value on the existing debt market. The difference is that we flip that market on its head for good and never collect a single penny."

"On average, $1 donated abolishes about $100 of medical debt. That's what allowed St. Eugene's $25,000 gift to erase over $6.5 million," Lempert said about the partnership first reported by local outlet KFOR News.

Blakely said the parish organized the fundraiser around the Fourth of July holiday, calling it "250 years of America, let's do a freedom from medical debt fundraising thing for the Fourth of July."

She said parishioners responded fervently to the idea, sending in donations well after the deadline set at the end of June. "We've had so many parishioners reach out to us telling us how there have been times in their lives where this could have like, totally, like saved them."

"We want to challenge anybody, like anyone, to beat us," Blakely said, calling for parishes across the country to make abolishing medical debt "a friendly competition."

"Beat us, and then when we do it again next summer, we'll try to beat you and let's just try to get rid of medical debt," she said. "When we all help each other, it's really easy to get along in this world when we're all together."

Goins echoed Blakely, adding that if parishes around the country would partner with nonprofits like Undue, the amount of debt that could be abolished would be "staggering."

"I told our crowds, you know, that we're all just one ER visit away from a medical debt. It could happen to any one of us. Any one of us could be bankrupted by medical debt," he said. "It has nothing to do with your character, it has nothing to do whether you're a hard worker or not, whether you're industrious, whether you save or not. It just happens and it ruins people's lives. So that struck a chord."

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Father Benedict Chao, the world's oldest Trappist monk and the last survivor of the community that suffered communist persecution in China, died at the age of 108 on July 31 in Lantau, Hong Kong.

The Order of Cistercians of Strict Observance reported that Chao was born in 1918 in Chengting, Hebei Province, China. He entered the monastery in Hebei in 1941, made his solemn profession in 1947, and was ordained a priest in 1949.

He lived as a monk for 79 years and as a priest for 77. His funeral is scheduled for Aug. 14.

According to AsiaNews, Chao also served for more than 20 years as superior of the Trappist community on Lantau.

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Persecuted by communists

In 1941, at the age of 23, Chau entered the Abbey of Our Lady of Joy, also known by its French name, "Liesse," meaning "jubilation."

According to AsiaNews, the monastery was occupied by Japanese troops in 1937 and several monks were imprisoned and killed.

However, the worst was yet to come when the Chinese dictator Mao Zedong took control of the region.

In 1947, the same year Chao made his solemn vows, the Abbey of Our Lady of Consolation in Yangjiaping was attacked. The monks were tortured and forced to leave the monastery.

A year later, six monks were executed by firing squad following a people's trial. Among them was 29-year-old Father Chrysostom Chang, the community's sub-prior.

Those who were killed during the persecution are commemorated as the 33 martyrs of Yangjiaping, comprising 30 Chinese monks and three foreign religious, according to AsiaNews.

Exile and new monastery in Hong Kong

The Liesse community, where the young Chao was living, also came under attack, leaving the monks no choice but to seek refuge in another city.

As the persecution intensified, some monks were sent out of China. Among them was Chao, who arrived at the monastery of Notre-Dame-des-Prairies in Manitoba, Canada.

In 1951, the Xindu community also had to close due to communist persecution. The monks who had managed to leave China then began preparing to rebuild their community in Hong Kong.

With the support of the then-bishop of Hong Kong, Enrico Valtorta, a missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, the monks were granted a plot of land in the highlands of Lantau Island.

There, eight monks built the new monastery, which was inaugurated in 1956.

In 1999, the Cistercian order recognized the Lantau community as an autonomous abbey, and in January 2000, it reclaimed the name Abbey of Our Lady of Joy, the same name the community had in Hebei.

With Chao's passing, the abbey bids farewell to the last survivor of that generation of Trappist monks who were persecuted by Mao but managed to reestablish a monastery in Hong Kong.

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 bishop of Springfield, Illinois, is joining a Lutheran nursing home and a group of doctors to sue the state over its assisted suicide law, with the coalition arguing that the state's suicide regime abandons "nearly two millennia of medical practice" while requiring objectors to participate in it.

The suit, brought in U.S. District Court by Bishop Thomas Paprocki, the Lutheran Care Center, and four Illinois-based doctors, argues that the Illinois "End-of-Life Options" law requires doctors to participate in helping patients kill themselves even if they conscientiously object to doing so.

"Health care entities," meanwhile, must promote the "benefits" of the suicide law to patients even if they object to doing so, the suit says; those providers are also required to allow on-site practitioners to facilitate patient access to assisted suicide.

The lawsuit argues that both the doctors and the Lutheran nursing facility "[cannot] in good conscience comply" with the law. The suit also says that Paprocki is obligated to uphold the U.S. bishops' Catholic health service directives that forbid Catholic health facilities from participating in assisted suicide.

In a press release from the Thomas More Society, which is representing the plaintiffs in the suit, Paprocki said Catholic healthcare is meant to advance "the healing work of Christ" and "affirm the God-given dignity of every human life."

The state's assisted suicide law "undermines that mission by forcing Catholic hospitals and those who serve in them to push death onto their most vulnerable patients," the bishop said.

"We must be free to serve the sick and the dying according to our faith, not according to the state's mandate," he added.

Mary Keen, one of the physicians in the suit, said the state's requirement for doctors to facilitate assisted suicide "violates everything I know as a health care professional, as well as my deeply held Catholic convictions on the dignity of every human life."

"As a doctor, I have a responsibility to meet my patients' existential pain with loving accompaniment, not with abandonment," she said.

This is not the first lawsuit brought by Catholic objectors against an assisted suicide law in the U.S. In July, Rockville Centre Bishop John Barres and four communities of religious sisters filed a lawsuit against New York's assisted suicide law, arguing the measure would force them to participate in helping patients kill themselves.

The state subsequently agreed not to force the sisters to participate in the suicide program while their lawsuit proceeds. The suicide law went into effect on Aug. 5.

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Thousands of Christians in Pakistan marked National Minorities Day on Aug. 11 with protest rallies in three major Pakistani cities, calling for constitutional equality and religious freedom and urging the government to move beyond ceremonial celebrations to address long-standing discrimination.

In Karachi, more than 2,000 protesters gathered at the mausoleum of Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, carrying placards reading "My religion, my will" and featuring photographs of victims of mob lynchings, forced conversions, blasphemy-related attacks, and assassinated Christian leaders.

"Young people are saying: 'We shall snatch our freedom,'" Luke Victor, organizer of the Minority Rights March, told EWTN News.

Addressing the rally, speakers demanded an end to faith-based discrimination and violent extremism against religious minorities and called for changes to constitutional provisions they say deny minorities equal access to public office.

Victor said protesters wanted Articles 41 and 91 of the constitution amended to allow minorities to become president or prime minister on merit.

The Minority Rights March's 11-point charter called for stronger political representation, curriculum reforms, protection of minority property and worship places, safeguards against blasphemy-law abuse, and independent national and provincial minority rights commissions.

The groups said rising violence, discrimination, and attacks on minorities had fueled fear and insecurity, particularly among young people.

Official ceremonies

While activists took to the streets, the government marked the day with official ceremonies promoting religious freedom, equality, and interfaith harmony.

In Lahore, the Punjab government organized a weeklong program beginning Aug. 7 with an interfaith rally, cultural competitions, and welfare camps. Karachi and Peshawar, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, also hosted official programs highlighting the contributions and rights of religious minorities.

Minority activists said such events should be accompanied by concrete legal and institutional reforms.

Aug. 11 was declared National Minorities Day in 2009 following a campaign led by Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's first Catholic federal minister for minorities and a prominent advocate for religious freedom.

Bhatti was assassinated outside his Islamabad home in March 2011. Two gunmen sprayed his car with bullets before leaving pamphlets describing him as a Christian "infidel."

In his Minorities Day message, President Asif Ali Zardari recalled Jinnah's Aug. 11, 1947, address to the Constituent Assembly in which the country's founder said citizens were free to worship according to their religion and that religion, caste, and creed should have no bearing on the affairs of the state.

Faisalabad rally

In Faisalabad, Catholic lawyer Akmal Bhatti, a nephew of Shahbaz Bhatti, led a rally calling for greater protection of freedom of religion and belief.

Participants demanded a ban on the forced conversion of minors, a 5% quota for minorities in public services and educational institutions, direct elections for reserved seats, removal of religious qualifications for the president and prime minister, and the creation of a constitutional National Minority Rights Commission.

They also criticized the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, which oversees the National Commission for Minorities, saying the commission has remained dysfunctional since completing its three-year term in May 2023.

Archbishop's appeal

Archbishop Joseph Arshad of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, in his Aug. 11 message, called for the protection of constitutional rights, religious freedom, and equality.

"Providing all citizens equal rights and equal opportunities for development without discrimination on the basis of religion or belief is a national responsibility," he said, urging collective efforts to eliminate hatred, prejudice, and intolerance.

He recalled Jinnah's emphasis on equal rights and religious freedom, saying the principles must be implemented "in their true spirit."

Non-Muslims accounted for about 14.2% of Pakistan's population in the country's first census in 1951. According to the 2023 Population and Housing Census, non-Muslims now constitute roughly 3.5% of the country's population of about 247.5 million.

Pakistan's religious minorities include Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Ahmadis, Baha'is, Zoroastrians, Buddhists, and followers of the Indigenous Kalash faith.

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Pope Leo XIV highlighted religious women's and men's work making "the mission and mystery of the Church visible in our world."

"All Christians are called to be builders of Christ's communion, formed in a synodal Church in which everyone cooperates in the same mission according to their own charism and ministry," he said during the Leadership Conference of Women Religious' (LCWR) 70th anniversary celebration being held in Orlando, Florida, Aug. 11–14.

"In a special way, those in religious life are called to become experts in synodality due to the opportunities afforded by community life to practice it, as well as the very way that your congregations are organized," he said.

The celebration, part of the group's 2026 annual assembly, brings together women religious from Canada, the United States, and Latin America to foster fellowship and honor decades of ministry.

"Even though you come from communities with different histories and apostolates, it is important to remember the need to foster unity within and among your institutes as well as in the broader Church," the pope said.

The gathering features numerous talks from religious women, reflections, and time in prayer and adoration.

The Holy Father further highlighted synodality in his message, sharing he "was pleased to learn that the assembly's proceedings will include a synodal method of listening, discussion, and discernment, with an openness and a willingness to understand what others are saying."

'The Church needs you'

The Holy Father further expressed his gratitude for "the long-standing contributions" of religious institutions, highlighting their work in "the fields of evangelization, education, and caring for the poor and marginalized."

"As you reflect on your theme of 'Many Charisms, One Spirit, One Call,' I pray that you will especially keep in mind the specific charisms entrusted by God to the founders and foundresses of your respective communities," he said,

"The Church needs you and all of the diversity and richness of the forms of consecration and ministry that you represent, for with your vitality and the witness of a life centered on Jesus, you can contribute to waking up the world," he said.

The Church needs you and all of the diversity and richness of the forms of consecration and ministry that you represent, for with your vitality and the witness of a life centered on Jesus, you can contribute to waking up the world."

Pope Leo XIV

The Holy Father detailed that fostering religious vocations is of "vital importance."

"Today, despite the increasing phenomenon of secularization in the world, there is also a growing hunger for God. Indeed, as I recently observed on my apostolic journey to Spain, 'Many young people and adults are rediscovering the Christian faith, sometimes after having drifted away from God over a period of time,'" he said.

In conversation with young people, the Holy Father called on religious women and men "to seek ways to introduce them to your way of life and help them to hear the voice of the Lord, who speaks to us in the depths of our hearts."

"Encourage them to be courageous in responding to Jesus, who is never outdone in generosity, so that they too may share the joy that comes from following his call," he said.

Pope Leo concluded wishing the group "a fruitful gathering" and entrusted their work to the maternal protection of Mary, Mother of the Church.

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Bishop John J. Gomez of Laredo, Texas, is calling on Catholics to pray for those in Colombia after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country on Aug. 10.

"Pray for those who are out there in the rescue process," Gomez, who was born in Colombia, said in a statement shared with EWTN News. "I'm praying that they will find those who are still there, trapped, so that we could save some lives."

Gomez confirmed that his family members are safe but that his friends and neighbors have faced hardship due to the earthquake.

"So please pray for the fire departments and those rescue people and the volunteers of the communities so that we could find more lives and that we could save some who are waiting for the help," he said.

Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn, New York, echoed Gomez in a statement on Aug. 11, saying: "Please join us in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Colombia. We have seen the horrifying images. Homes reduced to rubble, rescuers trying to save the trapped — and the falling tower at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manizales."

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"At times like this, we must remember, even as a tower falls, the Church remains — one Body, holding her suffering members in prayer," he said. "For those who have died, eternal rest. For the injured and the trapped, deliverance and healing."

Bishop David O'Connell of Trenton, New Jersey, also sought prayers, especially for "the families and other loved ones of some of our Colombian-born priests serving here in the diocese."

Pope Leo XIV sent his condolences to Colombians affected by the earthquake in a telegraph signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

"The Holy Father," the telegram said, is "deeply saddened to learn of the sorrowful news of the earthquake that has severely affected several areas of Colombia, causing casualties and numerous injuries, as well as serious material damage, including to many churches."

Conditions on the ground

Camila Gomez, deputy director of programs for Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), told "EWTN News Nightly" on Aug. 11 that their representatives in Colombia are in the process of assessing the extent of the damage.

"As it happens, we have been receiving information both from official sources [and] from our partners on the ground as well as IRC," Gomez said. "We have had presence in Colombia since 2018, and we have some ongoing programs in parts of the regions where the earthquake took place."

Gomez noted that many of the schools in Buenaventura that IRC works with in Colombia have been "severely impacted." She said some of the schools' walls have fallen and that classes have been suspended for the time being. "So that is one of the areas that we continue to track very, very closely," she said. "Not just the infrastructure but most importantly the children, the families, the school communities."

"We're also tracking very strong needs as it relates to access to basic health services," she said. "And we know that there is a need for mobile health units in all of the places where the earthquake impacted."

Describing the response of the Colombian people to the disaster, Gomez said "there is a lot of solidarity."

"We are very close to the twin earthquakes that took place in Venezuela a little over a month ago," Gomez said. "So that is still very much in our minds and in our hearts. And we as a nation, we are in solidarity with our other fellow members of the country who are affected by this."

"I think people have come together to try to provide support," she said. "And to the extent that they can, whether it's gathering and sending over food items or first-necessity items, or reaching out to the authorities or to the organizations that they work with as IRC."

Catholic aid response

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is partnering with Caritas Colombia to provide relief to those impacted by the damage caused by the earthquake.

"With collapsed buildings, many families are left without shelter," CRS said in a statement. "Many families are in urgent need of shelter, clean water, food, medical care, and other essential support."

"CRS is supporting our local Church partner, Caritas Colombia, with its nationwide network across affected areas, to identify immediate needs for urgent relief, including safe shelter, food, clean water and protection. Thanks to Caritas's nationwide diocesan and parish reach, we have access to communities in urgent need," CRS said.

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VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has urged Catholics to prioritize attending Sunday Mass, warning that active participation in the Eucharist cannot be replaced by virtual gatherings.

"I urge everyone to seek the best possible conditions so that even those who are unable to take time off work on Sundays may take part in Holy Mass," Leo said.

In his address during his general audience at the Vatican on Aug. 12, the pontiff continued his catechesis on the Second Vatican Council's constitution on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium.

As on Aug. 5, his general audience was held inside St. Peter's Basilica due to Rome's high summer temperatures.

The liturgical year according to Pius XII and Prosper Guéranger

Leo explained the importance of the liturgical year, referencing his predecessor Venerable Pope Pius XII as well as Servant of God Abbot Prosper Guéranger, OSB, the first abbot of Solesmes Abbey in France and a key figure in the liturgical movement.

It is "important to note that this way of referring to the cycle of Christian feasts as the 'liturgical year' became widespread in ecclesiastical language thanks to the work of the Servant of God, Abbot Prosper Guéranger," Leo said in his remarks.

The pope also stressed that the liturgical year is not merely a remembrance of past events but, as Pius XII wrote in his encyclical Mediator Dei, "Christ himself, who is ever living in his Church."

"The liturgical year should thus be understood as a constant renewal of the work of salvation which Christ accomplishes in history," the pope said. "As she journeys through this temporal cycle, the Church remains in contact with the Lord's redemptive action, so that all the faithful may be filled with his grace."

The importance of Sunday Mass

Leo also explained that the Church has always regarded Sunday as a weekly celebration of Christ's Resurrection: the "dies Domini" ("the Lord's Day").

He urged Catholics to attend Sunday Mass and warned against using virtual gatherings to substitute for in-person attendance.

"To sanctify Sunday, it is essential to celebrate the Eucharist," Leo said. "This
assembly cannot be substituted by a solely virtual presence, nor can it be reduced to a merely passive gathering."

"The liturgical assembly is in fact fulfilled through the active participation of brothers and sisters," Leo added.

Leo's continued closeness to Colombia amid earthquake

The pope again expressed his spiritual closeness to the victims of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on Aug. 10, which has killed at least 250 people, according to reports.

"As I pray to the Lord for the eternal rest of those who have died, I assure their families and those affected by this tragedy of my prayers. I express my gratitude to all those working in rescue and assistance efforts for those affected," Leo said in Spanish.

The previous day, Aug. 11, the pope sent a telegram through Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressing his sorrow upon learning of the earthquake.

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A federal court granted a request from two parents to consider whether a Michigan school district violated the First Amendment when officials began treating their daughter as a boy without informing them.

Judge Paul Maloney granted the motion to reconsider Aug. 7 in light of the 2026 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Mirabelli v. Bonta. The Supreme Court decided 6-3 that a similar policy in California likely violated the parents' First Amendment right to freely exercise their religion, which includes the right to direct the religious development of their children.

Similar to the California lawsuit, the two Michigan parents — Dan and Jennifer Mead — have argued that their views on gender and human sexuality are based on their Christian faith. The original lawsuit states that the Meads believe "each of us is born with a fixed biological sex that is a gift from God, not an arbitrary imposition subject to change."

According to the lawsuit, their seventh-grade daughter asked school officials at the Rockford Public School District to refer to her with a masculine name and use male pronouns. School officials began doing this but never informed her parents, and the school counselor had discussed the daughter's broader mental health struggles with her parents, the lawsuit states.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel Kate Anderson, who represents the parents in court, said in a statement that "parents have the right to direct the upbringing, education, and healthcare of their children — without government interference."

"By intentionally concealing this information from the Meads, the school district violated their constitutional rights as parents to make critical decisions about their daughter," Anderson said. "The court's ruling is a necessary step toward protecting the Mead family's First Amendment rights."

Steve Matthews, superintendent for Rockford Public Schools, told EWTN News "the legal process continues to proceed" and "we have no comment at this time as we continue through this process."

Court proceedings continue

The lawsuit alleges that school officials began treating the Meads' daughter as a boy in 2022. It states that the school used a masculine name and male pronouns when speaking with their daughter and in internal school records. Yet, they used her legal name and female pronouns when talking to her parents and in documents shared with parents, it states.

Her parents removed her from the school in October 2022 after school officials forgot to alter a document that used the masculine name and male pronouns before giving it to her parents, the lawsuit states. This is how the parents discovered the school's practices.

The Meads filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleging the school district violated their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion and the 14th Amendment's protection of a parent's right to raise his or her children.

In 2025, a federal court allowed the 14th Amendment claims to proceed but dismissed the First Amendment claims. On Aug. 7, 2026, the court granted a motion to reconsider First Amendment claims in light of the new Supreme Court precedent set in Mirabelli v. Bonta.

Maloney's court order in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan Southern Division states the Supreme Court ruling "calls into question the court's interpretation of the relevant law and will grant the motion to reconsider." It says the lawsuit filed in Mirabelli v. Bonta "involved school policies similar to the district's policies here."

"When a student engaged in gender transitioning at school, the policy prevented school staff from telling the student's parents about their child's situation unless the student consented," the judge said of the Mirabelli v. Bonta decision.

"Like the policies at issue in Mirabelli, the policies here likely created a substantial burden on the Meads' free-exercise rights," the order adds. "The Meads share religious beliefs similar to the parents in Mirabelli about the permanency of biological sex and the fixed relationship between sex and gender."

The judge's order notes that the Rockford Public School District's position is that its policies are designed "to meet [the district's] interest in promoting student safety and success." Yet, the court order states that the policies "do not factor in parents' views and, as a result, they 'cut' parents out."

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Bishops from Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Chile expressed their solidarity and offered prayers following the earthquake that struck Colombia on Aug. 10 leaving at least 180 dead and thousands injured.

The bishops of Argentina expressed their "closeness and solidarity with the Church and with the entire beloved people of Colombia."

In a letter sent to Archbishop Francisco Javier Múnera, president of the Colombian Bishops' Conference, the Argentine prelates stated: "We especially share in the pain of the victims and their families, and we accompany with our prayers all the communities affected by this difficult time."

"We ask the Lord to grant comfort to those who are suffering, strength to those who have lost loved ones, and hope to those facing the consequences of this tragedy," they emphasized.

Solidarity with the Colombian people

The bishops of Peru expressed their "most heartfelt closeness and solidarity with the beloved Colombian people and with the entire Catholic Church in Colombia."

"We accompany with our prayers the families going through moments of anguish and, especially, those who have lost their loved ones. We ask the Lord to welcome the deceased into his presence and to grant solace and strength to their families," the bishops continued.

The Peruvian prelates also prayed to the Virgin of Chiquinquirá, patroness of Colombia, for the injured and for all those "affected by this disaster, as well as for those participating in relief and aid efforts."

"From Peru, we renew our prayers and our affection for the sister people of Colombia," the bishops stated.

Mexican bishops invoke Our Lady of Guadalupe's intercession

The Mexican Bishops' Conference stated on X that "we join in prayer with the Latin American Bishops' Council and the entire Church in Colombia in the face of the earthquake that occurred today."

"We express our closeness and solidarity with the affected families. We ask God to grant strength and hope to those experiencing moments of anguish today and to bless those working in relief and rescue efforts," they stated.

"May Our Lady of Guadalupe accompany the Colombian people and cover them with her mantle of protection," the prelates prayed.

Joining humanitarian aid initiatives

The Chilean Bishops' Conference also expressed its "fraternal closeness to the Colombian people and their shepherds," joining in prayer "for the families who have lost loved ones, the injured, and those suffering the destruction of their homes."

"We also share the concern of the Colombian community in Chile and assure them of our closeness and remembrance before the altar of the Lord," they added.

The Chilean bishops encouraged the faithful to "pray for the victims and join in the humanitarian aid initiatives of the civil and ecclesial institutions."

The earthquake in Colombia

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck several Colombian departments (administrative districts) on Aug. 10 has left at least 180 people dead. In an update on Aug. 11, President Abelardo de la Espriella said that almost 2,600 people were injured, almost 200 are missing, more than 1,100 homes have been destroyed, and more than 8,000 have been damaged, the BBC reported.

The quake occurred at 7:34 a.m. local time at a depth of about 60 miles, with its epicenter in the town of San José del Palmar in the department of Chocó on the Pacific coast.

De la Espriella declared a state of emergency to coordinate aid for the nine departments affected by the earthquake, the strongest in the last 10 years.

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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