Catholic News

The Vatican this week is hosting over 200 top academics, innovators, and Nobel laureates for a global summit on AI security risks, inspired by Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

The event, the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear War, is taking place July 14–16 at Borgo Laudato Si', part of the Pontifical Gardens at Castel Gandolfo, where the pope is staying until July 27.

The summit is inspired by the pontiff's recent encyclical on AI, "dedicated to the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence," according to a July 6 press release.

The event also includes discussions on nuclear disarmament and AI governance, and will culminate in the drafting of a declaration for "an unarmed and disarming peace in the age of artificial intelligence, nuclear and autonomous weapons, new digital protocols, and emerging models of digital development" at the Palazzo Senatorio, Rome's city hall.

Some of the world's leading universities, including Catholic universities such as the University of Notre Dame and The Catholic University of America, have also sponsored the three-day gathering.

AI governance and the threat of nuclear war

In his recent encyclical and several public addresses, Pope Leo XIV has warned about the threats posed by nuclear weapons and the misuse of artificial intelligence.

Alessio Pecorario, an organizer of the summit and founder of the Domus Communis Foundation, described the event as a response to the pope's call for disarmament.

"Disarmament in the Church's social doctrine is not only the disarmament of weapons, obviously, but also the disarmament of spirits; it is the disarmament of the economy," Pecorario told EWTN News.

The conference "is about the governance of artificial intelligence," he said. "This governance should be understood not as bureaucracy but as a collective of business, religious, and academic leaders, to help ensure that human beings remain in positive control of the challenges of our time."

Javier Romero, Vatican correspondent for "EWTN Noticias," contributed to this story.

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Christians in Pakistan have welcomed the conviction of a Muslim man for his role in the 2023 anti-Christian riots in Jaranwala, Punjab, calling it a rare instance of accountability in cases of mob violence against religious minorities.

An anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad on July 13 sentenced Irfan Yousaf, a crane driver, to 10 years in prison for attacking the town's Christian neighborhood after allegations of Quran desecration. He was among thousands of Muslims accused of participating in the riots that left 26 churches and more than 80 Christian homes vandalized.

News of the verdict was greeted with applause during a July 13 consultation jointly organized by the National Council of Churches in Pakistan (NCCP), the country's main ecumenical body representing Protestant churches, and the nongovernmental Implementation Minority Rights Forum (IMRF).

Samuel Pyara, chairman of IMRF, who has filed petitions in the Supreme Court and regularly meets federal officials to press for speedy trials and compensation for victims, said the conviction was secured through digital forensic evidence.

"It followed forensic analysis of a video recorded by Wahida Mukhtar, a local Christian woman, showing Yousaf demolishing a church and an adjacent house with a crane. Government-certified experts authenticated the footage and testified before the court," Pyara, the lead petitioner in the Supreme Court's "suo motu" proceedings, told EWTN News.

Pyara said Christian witnesses faced sustained intimidation during the trial.

"One complainant, a brick kiln worker, was suddenly pressured by his employer to repay outstanding loans. A farmer's ready-to-harvest radish crop was poisoned. Others were denied agricultural land by Muslim landlords, young Christians lost their jobs, and an internet cable provider saw his business collapse," he said.

Participants at the consultation also gave a standing ovation to Mukhtar, 30, whose cellphone footage became crucial evidence.

Mukhtar said she fractured a bone in her left foot after being struck by a brick thrown by a rioter while filming the attacks with her family. The following month, her contract as an assistant subdistrict sports officer was not renewed, and she was forced to sell the equipment from her gym after Muslim members stopped using the facility.

"Christian witnesses who identified members of the mob, helped secure their arrests, and testified in court were pressured to sign compromise agreements. Fear could not deter us. This conviction is the result of our sacrifice," she said.

A church official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the verdict as deeply symbolic.

"The crane was the election symbol of the now-banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan TLP, whose supporters were widely accused of leading the violence. Convicting the crane driver carries symbolic significance for many Christians," he said.

TLP, a hard-line Islamist party, has built much of its support around defending Pakistan's blasphemy laws and organizing mass protests over alleged blasphemy.

Human rights groups and Christian leaders have repeatedly accused the party's supporters of fueling hostility toward religious minorities through inflammatory rhetoric, although the party has denied involvement in acts of mob violence.

Despite welcoming the conviction, Christian leaders said it should not obscure the broader failure to secure justice.

In a July 14 statement, the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) said that, since 2009, those accused of carrying out major mob attacks on Christians and Christian settlements have ultimately been acquitted.

The statement was issued jointly by Bishop Samson Shukardin of Hyderabad, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan and NCJP chairman; NCJP National Director Father Bernard Emmanuel; and NCJP Executive Director Naeem Yousaf Gill.

Sharon Shamir, a Lahore-based human rights advocate, cautioned against viewing the conviction as full justice.

"Calling this 'justice served' is premature. One conviction in a tragedy as massive as Jaranwala barely scratches the surface," she said.

"Dozens of lives were shattered, homes and churches were destroyed, and an entire community was traumatized. Where are the rest of the perpetrators? Who is being held accountable for the systemic failures that allowed such violence to unfold? Selective accountability risks turning justice into symbolism rather than substance."

She added that justice "is not a headline or a moment but a process. Until that process is complete, calling it 'served' is misleading."

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Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al Zaidi has called on Iraqi Christians living abroad to return to their homeland.

During a meeting with Chaldean Patriarch Paul III Nona, the prime minister said the return of Christians who were forced to leave Iraq has become a national priority for his government.

He said the government is ready to provide the support needed to encourage Christian families to return, including making them eligible for the country's 1 million residential land plot initiative.

Al Zaidi said Iraq's strength lies in its ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity and in the unity of its people. He described Christians as "an active and essential component of Iraqi society and a key partner in building the state and shaping Iraq's history and future."

An invitation to invest

The prime minister also encouraged Iraqi Christian business leaders and investors living abroad to return and take part in rebuilding the country by investing in the opportunities available across several sectors, particularly healthcare and education.

He said the government remains committed to strengthening stability and providing the support needed to help their projects succeed, contribute to economic development, and create new jobs.

Nona expressed appreciation for the prime minister's initiatives and his commitment to supporting Iraq's Christian community.

He said the government's position sends an important message encouraging Iraqi Christians in the diaspora to return home, strengthens their confidence in the country's future, and supports the willingness of Christian business leaders and investors to contribute to Iraq's reconstruction and development.

The Church's response

Commenting on the initiative, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Nicodemus Matti Sharaf of the Archdiocese of Mosul, Kirkuk, and Kurdistan welcomed the prime minister's call for Christians to return.

He described it as "an official recognition of the Christian community's rightful place in the land of its fathers and ancestors."

At the same time, he stressed that addressing the reasons Christians left Iraq in the first place is even more important. Without doing so, he said, the invitation is unlikely to achieve its intended results.

Speaking to an Arabic television channel, Sharaf pointed to several challenges that have contributed to Christian emigration and continue to discourage many from returning.

Among them, he said, are ongoing marginalization and the lack of genuine political representation, noting that Christians still do not have a dedicated electoral register that would allow them to elect their own representatives to Parliament.

He also cited widespread corruption, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to quality healthcare and education, and a shortage of employment opportunities.

These conditions, he said, force many Iraqi Christians abroad to compare what they have found overseas with what remains unavailable at home.

Sharaf expressed hope that the government's campaign against corruption would continue with genuine determination and produce tangible results that restore citizens' confidence.

He described Iraq as "a country floating on a lake of corruption," adding that this alone is "enough to drive any citizen, Christian or otherwise, to leave."

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

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After more than 40 years as a research institution, the Vatican-owned children's hospital, Bambino Gesù, continues to be at the front lines of pediatric medical research as it strives to bring the best possible care to young patients from around the world.

In one of its latest advancements, "the pope's hospital" unveiled a new Gene Therapy Laboratory in October 2025 to develop new treatments for genetic diseases.

"We must always remain at the forefront of research, not to boast about our achievements, but because we must find the newest treatments that save lives and help children have a future. This is what matters most to us," hospital president Tiziano Onesti told EWTN News.

"Children must be treated with … the most innovative treatments, and these must be accessible to everyone," he said. "This is what sets Bambino Gesù apart — the fact that we are truly open to everyone."

The Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital — the largest pediatric hospital and research center in Europe — is made up of six facilities located across Rome and the Italian region of Lazio; it employs around 4,000 personnel — approximately 2,000 of whom are engaged in research.

It's a private hospital owned by the Holy See that cooperates with the Italian National Health Service to provide medical care to patients cost-free.

"The Bambino Gesù is one of a kind," Onesti said. "It is precisely this historical combination … that makes it truly unique, because it involves the Holy See, the pope, and the national health service."

Over 150 years of caring for sick children

The children's hospital was founded in Rome in 1869 by the Duchess Arabella Fitz James Salviati, inspired by the Hopital des Enfantes Malades in Paris. Religious sisters from the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul were the hospital's first staff.

In 1887, the hospital moved from its initial location to the Janiculum Hill, now considered the "historic hospital" and "the beating heart of the Bambino Gesù," according to its president.

The hospital opened a second facility, still operating today, in the seaside town of Santa Marinella west of Rome in 1922, and in 1924, the Salviati family donated the entire hospital complex to Pope Pius XI and the Holy See.

In 1985, another important milestone was reached when the hospital was recognized as a research institution.

More than 40 years later, Bambino Gesù continues to lead the way in pediatric healthcare research, technology, and care for the most difficult cases.

The hospital's pediatric palliative care center — the largest in Italy for the number of beds — was inaugurated in 2022.

Thanks to its Robotics and Motion Analysis Laboratory, opened in 2000, and a decade later, the Clinical Trial Center, the hospital developed the world's first CAR-T cell therapies for pediatric autoimmune diseases in 2024.

At the 7,500-square-foot Gene Therapy Laboratory, inaugurated on Oct. 28, 2025, the most advanced technologies are used for the research and development of genetically modified cell therapies, which are then produced in the adjacent Bambino Gesù Pharmaceutical Workshop, part of the research laboratories inaugurated in 2014 at the hospital's San Paolo campus.

"That's where very, very advanced therapies are also being applied" and where "important experiments are being conducted," Onesti explained.

He also noted that research and innovation are fundamental to their model: "This includes the use of innovative tools such as artificial intelligence, which — objectively speaking — plays a significant role in diagnostics, especially in medical imaging and the interpretation of various test results."

On July 9, the hospital announced that Bambino Gesù was one of three hospitals involved in the identification of a new rare genetic neurodevelopmental disease.

"The future of Bambino Gesù certainly lies in patient care but also in research that leads to better care," the president said.

'A great willingness to listen'

Onesti explained that the Bambino Gesù Hospital has always had the care and protection of vulnerable children as its central mission.

"Unfortunately, the child is helpless, but we try — even in the worst moments — to be there for people," he said.

A common trait among staff members at all levels, he added, is "a great willingness to listen."

"Knowing how to listen — or, let's say, to truly understand the problem the child and, above all, the family are currently facing — is what allows us to make a difference. That's what sets us apart … In the face of anguish, anxiety, and the loneliness of suffering, we all spring into action."

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The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has filed an appeal with the Vatican against the decree that declared the traditionalist group in schism with the Catholic Church for consecrating four bishops without papal authorization.

According to a statement from the society — whose members are known as Lefebvrists — the appeal was submitted to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on July 11, nine days after the group was declared to be in schism.

Invoking Canon 1353

The SSPX statement, published July 13, says that "through this appeal, the society wishes to exercise the right that the Church recognizes for any person who considers himself harmed by an administrative act to request its rectification, in a spirit of respect toward ecclesiastical authority and of faithful adherence to justice, truth, and the good of the Church."

It adds that the appeal is "the prior requirement before the eventual filing of a hierarchical recourse" and "has the effect of suspending the execution of the decree, in accordance with Canon 1353 of the Code of Canon Law."

Canon 1353 states that an appeal or recourse against a judicial sentence or against a decree that imposes or declares any penalty has a suspensive effect.

"The Society of St. Pius X places this request in the hands of the competent authorities and entrusts this procedure to the prayers of all the faithful," the statement concludes.

The appeal follows a letter the Lefebvrists addressed to Pope Leo XIV, published July 3, in which they reject the excommunications decreed by the Vatican after the illicit consecration of the four new bishops — measures they called "objectively unjust and invalid."

Origins of the Lefebvrists

The group, founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970, holds as its purpose the preservation of the traditional liturgy that predates the reforms introduced after the Second Vatican Council, while maintaining its opposition to aspects of conciliar teaching on ecumenism, religious freedom, and collegiality.

Lefebvre was excommunicated in 1988 after consecrating four bishops without the permission of St. John Paul II. That sanction was lifted by Benedict XVI in 2009.

Two of the bishops Lefebvre consecrated — Alfonso de Galarreta and Bernard Fellay — took part in the recent illicit consecration, which led to their being excommunicated once again.

The SSPX disregarded the Catholic Church's warnings not to ordain new bishops, including an appeal from Leo XIV himself, who wrote to the society June 30: "With this spirit, and filled with Christian affection, I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: Please turn back! I ask you with all my heart: Please turn back!"

The superior general of the SSPX is the Italian priest Father Davide Pagliarani. According to the society's statistics as of Dec. 1, 2025, it comprises 733 priests of 50 nationalities — not counting the six bishops it now has — with an average age of 47.

What is schism under canon law?

Canon 751 of the Code of Canon Law states that schism is "the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him." The penalty for this canonical offense is usually excommunication, as has happened with the SSPX.

Several bishops — including those of Panama and San Antonio, Texas — have warned the faithful not to take part in Masses or seek the sacraments from priests of the schismatic group.

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

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More than 4.2 million pilgrims participated this year in the traditional pilgrimage of the Divine Eternal Father in the city of Trindade, in the Brazilian state of Goiás, once again making this one of Brazil's greatest expressions of faith.

Over the course of 10 days from June 26 to July 5, the faithful from across the country traveled to the Basilica Shrine of the Divine Eternal Father to give thanks for answered prayers and present their intentions.

Unlike other pilgrimages dedicated to a saint or the Virgin Mary under one of her titles, this devotion focuses on God the Father.

"I come out of an awareness of the Father's fatherhood, of the Father's love for us and for all the people here, without distinction. We are all loved equally by this Father, simply because he created us, and not because of what we do. That is the meaning. That is what I feel in my heart today," one of the pilgrims told "EWTN Noticias," the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.

The pilgrimage has 186 years of history, with its origins dating back to the 1840s when a peasant couple found a small medallion with the image of the Holy Trinity crowning the Virgin Mary. Over the years, the devotion spread throughout Brazil until the city of Trindade became a national pilgrimage destination.

One of the most moving moments of the pilgrimage was the traditional candlelight procession. Thousands of people walked the streets with lit candles while the image of the Divine Eternal Father was borne on a cart decorated with red flowers. For many participants, each candle represented a grace received, a conversion, or a new beginning.

Among the testimonies, one stood out: that of a pilgrim who returned to the procession after overcoming a health problem.

"Today I am experiencing a great victory. After six years, I am walking again in the festival of the Divine Eternal Father. I had a problem with my leg, with my ankle, and couldn't take part in the procession. Today, I am fulfilling that dream. Long live the Divine Eternal Father!" she exclaimed.

The pilgrimage, which also has the characteristics of a festival, also maintains a strong bond with the rural identity of Brazil's central region. The theme of this year's edition was "We Cry Out: Abba, Father!"

At the closing Mass, the archbishop of Goiânia, João Justino, reminded everyone that we are all God's "beloved children."

"We are not beloved children because we have been good; we are called to be good because we are beloved children. Seeking goodness and living uprightly must be the response to the God who loves us," he said in his homily.

Once the celebrations concluded, millions of pilgrims began their journey home, committed to living out that experience of faith in their families and communities.

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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Father Michael Pfleger, a Catholic priest in Chicago known for his social justice work, has been removed from ministry pending the archdiocese's review of accusations against him of sexual abuse.

Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, announced the investigation in a July 11 letter, saying that Pfleger will be removed from ministry while the archdiocese investigates the allegations.

Pfleger has pastored the predominantly Black parish St. Sabina, located on the South Side of Chicago, since 1981.

Cupich noted that Pfleger "strongly denied the allegation" of abuse alleged to have occurred more than 30 years ago at St. Sabina.

"We do not presume the truth or falsity of an allegation until the process is complete and our Independent Review Board has made a recommendation that I accept," Cupich said. "Only by conducting a thorough and impartial review can we ensure fairness to all concerned."

Cupich said the archdiocese has reported the allegation to law enforcement and that the archdiocese takes allegations seriously.

"I want to stress that the welfare of the children entrusted to our care is our paramount concern," Cupich said. "The Archdiocese of Chicago takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously."

Cupich referred to the archdiocesan website for "complete information about reporting sexual abuse."

"We appreciate the courage it takes to step forward and encourage anyone who believes they have experienced abuse or inappropriate behavior by a member of the clergy, religious, or lay employee of the archdiocese to report it to the Office for the Protection of Children and Youth," Cupich wrote. "They will be received with compassion and respect."

Pfleger called the accusation an "absolute lie" in a statement on Facebook on July 11.

"I have no memory of this girl nor do countless others who have been at St. Sabina for those years," Pfleger wrote.

Pfleger had previously been cleared by the archdiocese of accusations of sexual abuse by three men in 2021 and one man in 2022.

"For the 51 years of my ministry, I have been threatened, slandered, and attacked," Pfleger said.

Pfleger criticized the archdiocese's current policy, calling it "wrong and unfair to the accused priest."

"The presumption of innocence does not exist for priests," Pfleger said.

Pfleger said he has been targeted because of his social justice work.

"I get weekly hate calls and emails because of what I fight for and believe," Pfleger said. "Just this past week I received numerous hate calls due to an action I took last Sunday washing the feet and apologizing to representatives of Indigenous people, Hispanics, African Americans, the LGBTQ+ community, Iranians, Venezuelans, women, and young African American males for the persecution they have suffered in America."

He continued: "I have been under constant attack by the present administration, which I have vocally condemned as unlawful, racist, and wicked. For this I will not apologize."

Pfleger has a colorful history in Chicago, leading fierce activism against drugs and guns along with outreach to prostitutes and drug dealers.

Some of the priest's words and actions have put him at the center of controversy. The late Cardinal Francis George of Chicago suspended Pfleger in 2011 after the priest threatened to leave the priesthood if George reassigned him. The cardinal later accepted Pfleger's apology and reinstated him as St. Sabina's pastor. In 2019, Cupich publicly denounced Pfleger's decision to invite Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan to speak at St. Sabina.

"I believe this is another attempt and another attack by those who have sought to destroy me for years and another attempt by someone to get money from the archdiocese and to silence me," Pfleger said.

"I will not stand by and allow my name, my ministry, and the church I pastor to be slandered or defamed," he said in his statement.

Pfleger did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

In his letter, Cupich encouraged the parish of St. Sabina, which will be pastored by Father Thulani Magwaza while Pfleger is under investigation.

"As your parish has been through this before, I can well understand your distress in learning of this development," Cupich wrote. "I appreciate your patience and ask you to recall that our process of investigation and making a determination has proven effective in protecting the rights of all."

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WASHINGTON — National pro-life organizations are remembering the late Sen. Lindsey Graham as one of the movement's most steadfast advocates, praising his decades-long legislative efforts to protect unborn children and pledging to continue the work he championed.

Following news of Graham's death, leaders from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, National Right to Life, and other pro-life groups reflected on the South Carolina Republican's legacy, highlighting his willingness to pursue federal protections for unborn children even when such efforts faced political opposition.

Graham's sister, Darline Graham Nordone, has been named to hold his Senate seat temporarily to fulfill the remainder of his term.

Among those paying tribute was Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which worked closely with Graham on federal abortion legislation.

"Lindsey Graham was an unwavering pro-life champion and a friend," SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. "A man of vision and tenacity, he gave wise counsel and advocacy in countless difficult moments fighting for the rights of the unborn child."

"Sen. Graham never retreated from the fight for the unborn," Kelsey Pritchard, communications director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told Veronica Dudo in an interview with "EWTN News Nightly." "He always would run into battle, even when no one else would."

Pritchard pointed to Graham's role in efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, his advocacy on abortion pill regulations, and his repeated calls for national protections for unborn children.

Legacy of federal pro-life advocacy

Following the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, Graham became one of the leading congressional voices arguing that the federal government still had a responsibility to protect unborn children, introducing legislation to establish nationwide abortion limits.

Pritchard said one of the movement's top priorities remains ending the policy permitting abortion drugs to be prescribed through telehealth and mailed without an in-person physician visit.

She noted that Graham was instrumental in organizing a letter signed by 51 senators urging the administration to rescind the policy.

"Lindsey Graham was so influential on that front," Pritchard said. "We'll be continuing that work in the days ahead."

In a statement issued following Graham's death, National Right to Life also honored Graham's decades of advocacy, calling him "one of the most influential and steadfast champions of unborn children ever to serve in the United States Congress."

"The pro-life movement has lost one of its greatest champions," National Right to Life President Carol Tobias said. "Throughout his career, Lindsey Graham never wavered in his conviction that every innocent human life has inherent dignity and deserves the protection of the law."

Graham's office noted his role in passing a law enacted in 2004 that recognizes an unborn child as a separate victim in certain federal crimes. It also pointed to his years of introducing legislation to protect pain-capable unborn children from abortion and his advocacy for federal protections following the 2022 Dobbs decision.

South Carolina Citizens for Life Executive Director Holly Gatling called Graham "a great defender" of the right to life, saying "the unborn, their mothers, and the medically vulnerable members of our human family had a great defender in Sen. Graham."

Carrying forward Graham's legacy

For Pritchard, Graham's lasting legacy extends beyond legislation.

"We hope that they remember that he was such a cheerful warrior, someone with a great sense of humor and someone who never backed down," she told "EWTN News Nightly." "He said we should never apologize for standing up for the unborn."

"There will be no replacements for Lindsey Graham, that's for sure," she added. "But we hope and pray there will be many people who follow his example and continue the fight for babies and moms."

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CHICAGO — While most Christians can't trace their faith lineage to a specific saint, Syro-Malabar Catholics know exactly who brought their ancestors the faith. They proudly call themselves "St. Thomas Christians" — descendants of the first Christians to whom St. Thomas the Apostle brought the Gospel in Kerala, India, in A.D. 52.

The Syro-Malabar community came together July 9–12 in Chicago for "Syro26," a jubilee convention not only to honor its 25th year as an official eparchy in the U.S. but also to reaffirm and celebrate its unity as a church after liturgical disputes in India nearly led to a schism last year.

Counting some 5 million members worldwide, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is the largest of the 22 Eastern Catholic churches in communion with Rome. Originally found mostly in India, the church has experienced explosive growth in the U.S. during the 21st century.

Just 25 years ago, St. John Paul II established the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy to serve the growing immigrant community. Headquartered in Chicago, the eparchy — what Western Churches call a "diocese" — has jurisdiction over the entire U.S., a region that includes some 87,000 souls who attend 53 parishes and 32 missions, served by 86 devoted priests.

More than 3,500 people flooded Chicago's McCormick Place for the four-day-long festival that featured luminous cultural and dramatic performances, engaging talks from well-known Catholic speakers, a congratulatory visit from local archbishop Cardinal Blaise Cupich, and a dizzying array of events designed for everyone in attendance.

In some ways, Syro26 was like other Catholic conferences — plenty of clergy and religious in attendance, daily prayer and Holy Qurbana (the Syro-Malabar liturgy), Catholic speakers, ongoing Eucharistic adoration, and confession. But in other ways, it was its own distinct cultural experience, with attendees in vivid sarees and other traditional clothing; as many conversations in Malayalam as in English; and events that included Bollywood dance and traditional music.

Unity as a church and with Rome

Cupich, head of the Chicago Archdiocese, attended the inauguration and warmly affirmed the local Roman Catholic Church's unity and friendship with the eparchy.

Addressing those gathered, he said of the eparchy: "Today, this very thriving community is a sign of hope, with its robust youth ministry, catechetical programs, and outreach to immigrant families navigating the cultural differences of life in the United States, while always continuing the Indian traditions."

"We give thanks this evening for the many blessings — among them, the spiritual sustenance and the formation that this eparchy brings to the Syro-Malabar Catholics, the witness it offers to all Catholics in spiritual renewal, and the example that you give to all Americans," he continued.

The "witness to all Catholics" may include in part the church's recent hard-fought efforts for unity over division. After decades of dispute, the Syro-Malabar Church reached a historic agreement in July 2025 to keep the church united rather than enter into schism.

"There will always be issues that come down the line about which we have to be diligent and well-versed, and our leadership has set a good path for us as to how to manage any disagreements," said Sony Thevalakara, a father of seven who is highly involved in the Chicago eparchy and gave a talk about parenting at Syro26.

Events for young and old

With attendees ranging from newborn babies to the elderly, Syro26 included a vast array of events.

Theatrical productions brought to life the Gospel story and how St. Thomas brought the Catholic faith to India, and many attendees mentioned especially enjoying the formal gala and the Chicago River cruise.

Catholic speakers like bestselling author Edward Sri, astrophysicist priest Father John Kartje, college chaplain Father Tim Anastos, and others addressed theological and lifestyle topics, while special gatherings brought together groups of catechists, seniors, choir members, nurses, sacristans and altar servers, artists, filmmakers, schoolteachers, youth ministers, and those of other interests.

Breakout sessions included topics like college admissions, financial literacy, faith and mental health, skin care, professional networking with a "Syro Shark Tank" business startup summit, a Pietra Fitness workout class, a Bollywood dance workshop, and a saree draping and styling class.

Younger participants mentioned enjoying the dodgeball tournament and World Cup Soccer watch party — and especially the 21+ rooftop social and the singles mixer. "I feel like that's kind of half the purpose of the convention," one young woman joked.

Sister Dr. Jocelyn Edathil of the Bethany Sisters, who spoke on a "Catholic Ask Me Anything" panel, told EWTN News: "Coming here and being able to have a shared lived experience is really a blessing. There's a lot of love in this room."

Brian Kuncheria, logistics director for Syro26, said he hopes the event will make the Syro-Malabar Church better known, as he sometimes runs into misconceptions about being Eastern Catholic.

"Often when I explain our church to someone, they're not very familiar and they think the Roman Catholic Church is the only Catholic church. It's very cool to explain to them the history of St. Thomas coming to India, spreading the faith to our people in India, and how our church is a direct result of that," he said. "This convention is a unique opportunity to showcase and explain how our church maintains our heritage and traditions while being fully in communion with Rome."

Several speakers and organizers mentioned their hope for their church to grow in evangelization efforts and a missionary spirit here in the U.S. and how they are looking forward to the next 25 years of growth.

But perhaps St. Thomas himself said it best in one of Syro26's theatrical performances: "This mission did not end with St. Thomas. I planted its seed among your ancestors and they took it. They lived it… And in the fullness of time, from the Indian shores, that faith — in its unique expression — set sail for North America and other distant lands."

"It followed those Indian sons and daughters who ventured from their homes to settle in those places, and where they settled, the faith took root… And even still, the story continues."

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CARACAS, Venezuela — Of the more than 100 churches in the Archdiocese of Caracas, at least 25 sustained damage of varying types and severity following the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.

The data was provided by Father Neptalí Balza, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Caracas, in an interview with Unión Radio. In addition to extensive material damage, the earthquakes have left to date a devastating toll of over 4,000 dead and tens of thousands injured or otherwise affected.

"Of those 25, the majority are — let's put it this way — not holding Mass inside the churches; instead, they are being held outdoors for safety reasons, because here the most important thing — aside from the church building itself, of course — is the parishioners. We must not needlessly put people's lives at risk," the priest explained.

Balza also noted that the oldest religious structures were the most affected, citing San José de Ñaraulí Church in Cotiza, Caracas, as an example; it suffered the total collapse of its left transept. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Pagüita and the adjacent parish school also have "serious structural issues."

Similarly, Our Lady of Mercy Church and the Caracas Cathedral have sustained "more or less serious" damage.

The vicar general noted that, of the 25 affected churches, the majority have already been assessed by qualified personnel, and reports indicate that at least half (between eight and 10 buildings) show significant damage.

The priest noted that the archdiocese is already considering restoration projects for these buildings and urged that it be kept in mind that several of them are "national monuments and historical heritage sites"; therefore, "it is advisable, even if they have sustained significant damage, to try to carry out projects to save the heritage and structures of those churches."

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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