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According to the "9th Study on Social Rights" in Cuba published on Aug. 13, 94% of Cubans live in extreme poverty, eight out of 10 have been forced to skip a meal during the day, and 95% disapprove of the government's economic and social management.

Yet behind these figures lie the stories of people who don't know what they will eat the next day, the sick who can't get their medications, and families surviving thanks to aid received from abroad.

Osvaldo Gallardo, a writer and Catholic layman originally from Camagüey, emigrated to the United States but maintains frequent contact with family and friends who remain on the island. From abroad, as a religious freedom activist, he closely follows a situation he says has become increasingly unbearable.

"What strikes me most is the infinite sadness, the absolute hopelessness, the listlessness, the desperation, and the anguish with which my relatives and everyone I know in Cuba live their daily lives," Gallardo stated in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

"It's immeasurable; it's a total lack of meaning in life, a loss of any sense of where we are headed or what our goals are," he added.

The study, based on 1,318 interviews conducted across the country's 15 provinces and the special district of Isla de la Juventud, reveals a severe deterioration in such fundamental areas as food, healthcare, housing, and public services.

Sixty-eight percent of the households surveyed report monthly incomes of less than 20,000 Cuban pesos, approximately $30. Furthermore, 80% state that they have skipped breakfast, lunch, or dinner due to a lack of money or food shortages.

Power outages are the primary issue cited by respondents (70%), followed by the food crisis (52%), the cost of living (45%), and the state of public health, including access to medicine and medical care (34%).

For Gallardo, these figures reflect a reality that can be confirmed simply by speaking with those who remain on the island.

"Hardships on the island have always been immense, but right now, the outlook is bleaker than at any other time in the history of Cuba's nearly 70-year dictatorship," he stated.

8 out of 10 Cubans go without a meal

One of the most concerning findings of the study relates to food. Eighty percent of Cubans report having gone without a meal during the day, compared with 70% the previous year.

Gallardo said this reality comes up constantly in conversations with his relatives and on social media.

"I couldn't tell you what people do to survive. I don't know how. There are people who manage to survive. And I don't think I'm wrong to say that there are people who aren't surviving. There are people who are starving to death," he stated.

He said he personally makes an effort to periodically send food, medicines, and hygiene products to his relatives. However, he acknowledged that there are limits to the help he can give.

"Given my financial situation, I can't provide everything they need," he lamented.

The study indicates that 63% of respondents struggle to acquire even the most essential goods, while another 30% have incomes that barely cover basic needs. All told, nine out of 10 Cuban households are in a state of economic survival.

"I imagine that 90% of Cubans right now wake up without knowing what they're going to have for lunch, without knowing what they're going to eat, without knowing what they're going to have for breakfast," Gallardo said.

In his view, there is no need to wait for an investigation to confirm this reality.

"That is a reality one can sense the moment one looks at social media. You don't need to conduct a study; you need do nothing more than check social media in the morning to see for yourself that the 94% poverty rate cited in the report is an undeniable fact," he pointed out.

'It's a country that's dying every day'

Food shortages are not the only problem. The crisis is also hitting hard those in need of medical care.

The study identifies public health and the lack of medicines as top concerns for Cubans. Gallardo warned that the situation is particularly difficult for the chronically ill and the elderly.

"People are dying. The chronically ill are dying. People are dying of hunger. There are photos of elderly people in truly pitiful conditions. There are reports. People are dying. It's a country that's dying every day," he lamented.

"Young people are also dying due to health issues. People who see no future and commit suicide," he added.

Precarious conditions are also evident in housing. According to the study, 47% of homes need repairs, 25% require urgent repairs, and 7% are at risk of collapse. Another 4% of respondents report living in shelters or makeshift camps, while 2% live on the street.

Public services have not escaped this deterioration either. Ninety-five percent rate the condition of the electrical grid as poor, while garbage collection receives a negative rating from 87% of respondents. Dissatisfaction is at 86% regarding internet and telephone services; 84% for water and sewage systems; and 82% for hospitals and healthcare centers.

The Church is trying to respond to the crisis

Amid the situation, the Catholic Church appears to many people as one of the few places where they can find help.

Gallardo highlighted the charitable work carried out by the Catholic Church and other Christian communities in Cuba, especially through the distribution of aid sent from the United States.

"There are many people for whom, if they had a substantial meal once a week, or a pill or medication once a week to relieve pain, it was thanks to the Church," he noted.

However, he also warned that the needs are too great for the Church to meet on its own.

"It's not enough, because the Church in Cuba itself needs help and has often survived on aid from abroad," he stated.

For Gallardo, the Church offers something that goes beyond material aid.

"People in Cuba can find solace in the Church; they can find a helping hand, a listening ear, and sometimes material aid, though that will never be enough," he noted.

The writer also pointed out the limitations the Church faces in expanding its social work.

"The Church doesn't have the autonomy to run a soup kitchen. The Church doesn't have the autonomy to run a nursing home; it does operate them, but under very tight state control, and this cannot expand because the Church doesn't have the financial capabilities," he explained.

95% disapproval rating

Economic deterioration is accompanied by strong disapproval of the way the government is running things.

The study indicates that 95% of respondents view the government's economic and social management negatively, while only 3% rate the performance of President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz positively.

Furthermore, 84% have no confidence in the latest economic measures announced by the authorities and don't believe they will contribute to improving the country's situation.

For Yaxys Cires, director of strategy at the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights, these results reflect "the Cuban regime has completely exhausted its political and economic capabilities."

"Their administration is widely rejected by the public, and their measures fail to inspire confidence. Yet, it is the people who bear the burden of this decline, especially the elderly and the chronically ill," Cires pointed out.

A desire for change also clearly emerges from the respondents' answers. Seventy-six percent want both political and economic transformations. Only 7% believe that lifting the U.S. embargo should be the primary change, and virtually no one favors maintaining the status quo.

'The Cuban people are alone'

Gallardo said he believes Cuban discontent is nothing new. For decades, he said, successive generations have sought ways to express their rejection of the political system.

In this context, the protests of July 11, 2021, marked in his view a turning point.

"For a long time, the Cuban people have been told that they haven't done enough. That's not true. When you look at history, there have been many forms of rebellion among the Cuban people and in the diaspora since the Cuban dictatorship was imposed in 1959," he pointed out.

"But if there was one thing that changed the game, it was July 11, 2021. Since then, protests in Cuba have not stopped," he noted.

The study shows that there is still an expectation that things could change. Half of the respondents believe that a significant and favorable change for the Cuban people could occur within the next six months.

Gallardo, however, warned of the vulnerable situation facing the population.

"It is an unarmed people, a hungry people, a repressed people. And Cuba's rulers — the dictatorship — will not yield," he stated.

For this reason, he believes that international pressure could be decisive.

"People are waiting for something to happen, and without outside help, without significant international pressure on the Cuban dictatorship, it's unlikely that anything will, because the people could rise up only to be ruthlessly suppressed in the streets," he explained.

"But the reality is that the Cuban people are dying, and while the Cuban people are dying, people are looking the other way," he added.

Christian hope

Despite everything he observes and hears from his relatives and compatriots, Gallardo said he still holds onto hope.

He places that hope, at least for now, not in immediate political change but in his faith.

"If you ask me today whether I have hope, I believe I have the Christian hope that God, the Lord of history, will look upon us with mercy," he said.

"But that is my hope. My hope does not lie in any human event right now, at least not in the medium term. I hope and trust in the Lord," he affirmed.

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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Catholics in the Philippines observed a day of mourning Wednesday, one day after a shooting at a Catholic school left two students dead.

A ninth-grade student shot and killed a classmate in the grade above him on the morning of Aug. 18 at the junior high school campus of Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the southern Philippines before taking his own life, police said.

Authorities have identified the attacker only as a minor. Officials said he livestreamed the attack on Facebook.

The junior high school is part of Ateneo de Zamboanga University, founded by the Society of Jesus in 1912. The institution educates students from grade school through postgraduate level.

Father Guillrey Anthony Andal, SJ, the university president, canceled classes at all levels and declared a day of mourning and prayer across the university's campuses. "We do not want any of these things to happen," he said, adding the safety of students was the university's first priority.

The university urged the public in a statement not to share unverified information, photographs, or videos of the incident, saying these could harm those affected and hinder the investigation.

The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, which represents the country's Catholic schools, colleges, and universities, cautioned against speculation, saying in a statement that behind every report and social media post were students, families, and teachers in "profound grief and shock." Ateneo de Manila and Ateneo de Davao universities issued statements of solidarity, local media reported.

The attack was the second at a Philippine school in two months. Three students were killed in June when two schoolmates opened fire at a public high school in Tacloban City in the central Philippines, local media reported.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered an investigation and directed agencies to work with schools on safety measures. Schools "must also be among the safest places in our country," he said in a statement. Education Secretary Sonny Angara traveled to Zamboanga City on Wednesday to meet the university president, city officials, and police.

A senior Bureau of Customs official told local media one of the weapons used had been issued by the agency to the attacker's father, a customs enforcement officer at the Port of Zamboanga, who has been placed under preventive suspension.

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The Trump administration has moved to end temporary protected status (TPS) for people from 13 countries since 2025, and Catholic bishops warn that people may still face unsafe conditions if forced to return.

TPS is an immigration status granted to eligible foreign nationals from designated countries that are deemed unsafe to return to due to ongoing conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.

Multiple nations will lose their designations in coming months. TPS for El Salvadoran nationals will expire Sept. 9. Designations for Sudan and Ukraine are set to expire Oct. 19, while Lebanon's will end Nov. 27. TPS for Haiti ended July 27.

Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria, Texas, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Migration, said bishops are focused on Haitian nationals "because that's the community most affected right now, and now lives in a fear because they could be deported any time."

The situation there "is pretty dire," he told EWTN News. "The government is ending the temporary protected status and wants to return people to Haiti," but "in our judgment it's not safe, and there's a moral question of returning people to Haiti right now."

"The bishops themselves from Haiti have … said 'it's just not safe,'" he said.

In April, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation, H.R. 1689, that would extend TPS for Haitians for three more years. No legislative efforts have gained traction in the Senate.

"We're hoping, politically right now, for the Senate to agree to a resolution the House has already passed," Cahill said.

In January, Cahill called on the administration to extend TPS for Haitians. In June, Cahill followed up after the Supreme Court allowed TPS designations for Haiti and Syria to end, calling for other options including "deferred enforced departure."

"If we have, in good faith, offered temporary protected status, we should not return people until we deemed it safe to go back," Cahill said in an interview. "And what's the criteria? And that's the question for politicians to work out: 'What's the criteria for determining when it is safe that a person can return to their country?'"

"Justice is about human dignity and how we treat other human beings," Cahill said. It's an "injustice" to somebody who has been here legally, "to all of a sudden say, 'We're going to take it away and send you back,'" he said.

"It's about justice and right reason," he added.

Temporary protected status across U.S.

As of March 31, 2025, the U.S. provided TPS protections to about 1.3 million individuals from 17 countries including Venezuela, Haiti, El Salvador, Ukraine, Honduras, Afghanistan, Nepal, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Syria, Burma, Nicaragua, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, and Lebanon.

Since the program's inception, nearly 30 countries have received TPS designations, some more than once. TPS designations can be, and usually have been, extended.

TPS holders reside all over the United States. As of 2025, the largest populations of TPS holders live in Florida (403,965), Texas (147,080), New York (98,250), California (79,320), and Georgia (50,110), according to the National Immigration Forum.

The Trump administration has ended, or moved to end, TPS for 13 of the 17 nations. The programs for Venezuela, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua ended throughout 2025.

In 2026, TPS for South Sudan, Burma, Haiti, Somalia, Yemen, Haiti, and Syria were terminated or expired. In February, a district court blocked the terminations for Haitian and Syrian nationals, but in June the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the administration to officially terminate the designations.

Self-deportation

Once TPS protection ends, a TPS holder will revert back to his or her previous immigration status, and those who no longer hold status in the U.S. will potentially be subject to removal proceedings.

While the TPS designations end, DHS is encouraging people without status to self-deport rather than be deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"Once non-criminal illegal aliens submit their intent to depart through the CBP Home Mobile App and pass vetting, they will be temporarily deprioritized by ICE for detention or enforcement action before their scheduled departure," DHS reported on its website.

Those who do self-deport will receive "cost-free travel, a $2,600 exit bonus, and forgiveness of any failure to depart fines," according to DHS.

According to the department, those who self-deport can potentially return to the United States legally. It is unclear what would allow or block potential reentry, and returning is not guaranteed. Those who are deported by ICE are unable to return with legal status.

"Temporary Protected Status is exactly that — temporary," DHS said in a statement shared with EWTN News. "For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent."

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The issue of Iraqi children being legally registered as Muslim when one of their parents converts to Islam has returned to public attention after an Iraqi woman won a final court ruling allowing her official religious identity to be restored to Christian in government records.

The case was announced by ADF International, an organization that advocates for religious freedom.

According to the organization, Iraq's Court of Cassation issued a final ruling allowing the woman's religious classification in the government database to be changed back to "Christian," reflecting the faith she practices after experiencing the consequences of the law.

Several Iraqi laws concerning religious identity have raised questions in light of Article 2 of the Iraqi constitution, which guarantees religious rights and freedom of belief and religious practice for all individuals, including Christians, Yazidis, and Mandaeans.

Earlier laws, including the Population Registration Laws No. 59 of 1955 and No. 54 of 1927, allowed individuals to change their religion. Later legislation took a different approach. The Civil Status Laws No. 189 of 1964 and No. 65 of 1972 allowed only non-Muslims to change their religion, an approach that continued in later laws. The legislation also states that minor children are registered as Muslim if one of their parents converts to Islam.

To better understand the issue, its legal and social consequences, and possible ways to address it, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, spoke with Kaldo Ramzi Oghanna, a member of the Iraqi Parliament and head of the Christian Suyana Parliamentary Bloc.

Oghanna explained that the case recently reported in the media began with a lawsuit filed before the Personal Status Court in the Hamdaniya district. The ruling was later reviewed by higher courts before a final decision was reached.

The history of the 'right to return'

Oghanna spoke about the difficulties faced by children who were registered as Muslim after one of their parents converted to Islam.

He explained that from the adoption of Civil Status Law No. 65 of 1972 until the 1990s, Iraqi courts allowed a child whose official religion had been changed because of a parent's conversion to return to his or her original religion after reaching legal adulthood.

He cited Presidential Office Letter No. T/9/33963, dated Sept. 25, 1988, which explicitly recognized the right to return to one's original religion within one year of reaching legal adulthood.

Oghanna said the situation changed during the 1990s, during what became known as the "Faith Campaign."

"At that time, a judge sent a letter to former President Saddam Hussein arguing that the right to return amounted to 'apostasy from Islam,'" Oghanna said. "A directive was subsequently issued prohibiting it."

He added that the rights continued to be applied in similar cases in the Kurdistan Region from 1992 until 2003.

The legal situation after 2003

After 2003, when Iraq's judicial system was reunified, people seeking to return to their original religion faced further difficulties because courts did not always take the same approach to such cases, Oghanna explained.

The situation remained complicated until 2020, when Judge Ahmed Jassab al Saadi called for these cases to be reconsidered without applying Islamic law provisions to them.

He based his position on Iraq's commitments under international agreements, particularly the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

"This created a more positive approach in the courts, allowing a person who reaches the age of 18 to return to his or her original religion within one year," Oghanna said.

What challenges remain?

Oghanna warned that the one-year deadline remains a major challenge for people who want to restore their original religious identity.

He said the period may be too short for someone to understand the legal process and file a case to correct his or her official records — therefore he called for a longer period and for the law to be applied consistently in such cases.

Oghanna said his parliamentary bloc is working with the government and the judiciary on several key issues. These include addressing the registration of children as Muslim when one parent converts to Islam and guaranteeing their right to return to their original religion after reaching adulthood without a specific time limit.

The bloc is also seeking to amend Article 26, Section 2, of Iraq's National Identity Card Law, which states that minor children follow the religion of a parent who converts to Islam.

Establishing legal precedents

Oghanna stressed that changing the law should be accompanied by efforts within the judicial system to protect the right of individuals to return to their original religion and to safeguard freedom of religion and belief, in accordance with Iraq's constitution and international commitments.

He also emphasized the importance of documenting previous court decisions that supported this right so they can be used as legal precedents in future cases.

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

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VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has highlighted the importance of sacred music in the liturgy, calling for the Church's musical heritage to be preserved while fostering healthy inculturation of local traditions.

"For this reason, the composer of sacred music is called to know and preserve the musical heritage of the Church, allowing it to inspire new compositions at the service of the liturgy, while respecting contemporary sensibilities and the different cultural traditions," Leo said.

In his address during his general audience at the Vatican on Aug. 19, the pontiff continued his catechesis on the Second Vatican Council's constitution on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium.

The general audience was his third of the month to be held inside St. Peter's Basilica due to Rome's high summer temperatures.

Sacred music — an integral part of the liturgy

Leo discussed the Second Vatican Council's emphasis on the role of sacred music in the liturgy.

"The document states that 'The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art,'" Leo explained.

He also explained that sacred music fosters both prayer and communion among the faithful.

"Music, indeed, is part of the liturgical action and is not merely a decorative part of the celebration," Leo said. "In particular, music expresses the affective dimension of prayer, as St. Augustine says: 'Cantare amantis est,' that is, 'singing belongs to those who love.'"

"Singing also fosters communion. It contributes to the unity of hearts, overcoming differences between people and bringing everyone together in praise of God through the symphony of voices," he added.

Tradition, inculturation, and active participation

The pope went on to explain that, because sacred music is so important, the liturgy should be celebrated with dignity, with music that is both noble and simple. He also highlighted the role of Gregorian chant and the pipe organ in fostering devotion during the liturgy.

"The Council then attributes great value to Gregorian chant, without excluding other genres of sacred music from the celebration. Particular attention is also given to the pipe organ, while the use of other instruments is permitted 'on condition that the instruments are suitable, or can be made suitable, for sacred use, accord with the dignity of the temple, and truly contribute to the edification of the faithful,'" Leo said.

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Leo also discussed inculturation in Church music to incorporate diverse cultures.

"A theme close to the Council's reform is that of inculturation, including in the field of sacred music. In particular, with regard to the musical traditions of different cultures, the Council emphasizes the importance of taking them seriously into consideration, as they form part of people's religious and social life."

The pope also encouraged the faithful to participate in singing parts of the Mass to reflect the sacred mysteries being celebrated.

"Sacrosanctum Concilium devotes considerable attention to the theme of the active participation of the faithful," Leo said. "As for the concrete way in which this can be achieved through the specific role of sacred music, the Constitution offers a clear answer: 'the people should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs' and 'reverent silence' should be fostered."

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Around 15,000 faithful gathered on Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Holy Places of Chalchihuites in the Mexican state of Zacatecas to commemorate the centenary of four martyrs killed during the Cristero War.

Archbishop Joseph Spiteri, apostolic nuncio to Mexico and representative of Pope Leo XIV in the country, presided over the celebration that concluded the centenary jubilee year.

The Archdiocese of Durango shared images of the crowd gathered at the site where Sts. Luis Bátis Sáinz, Manuel Morales, Salvador Lara Puente, and David Roldán Lara were killed.

The four martyrs were shot to death on Aug. 15, 1926, at Puerto de Santa Teresa, a town located in the state of Zacatecas and under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Durango.

'God does not die'

"God does not die," Spiteri said at the beginning of his homily, echoing the words spoken by St. Manuel Morales before his execution.

The nuncio recalled that the four martyrs "offered their lives while freely and peacefully professing their faith in God."

"Their crime was wanting to profess publicly, freely, and peacefully their faith in the God of life and in the Church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ," he stated.

Spiteri noted that the four saints were victims of "an ideology that did not admit freedom of thought and conscience," which some sought to "impose with violence."

In the face of this violence, he continued, the martyrs bore witness to the value "of peaceful resistance." He emphasized that authentic freedom "is not wanting to do whatever we feel like, but being able to choose freely, consciously; choosing good and not evil."

He said that "choosing to respond to bad actions, violence, and injustice" by doing good and extending forgiveness "is true freedom."

The Vatican diplomat also encouraged Catholics to work "to build a more just society grounded in solidarity."

He emphasized that the Church relies not on "the force of power" but on "the power of service," and he encouraged the faithful to renew their commitment to offering a witness "of dialogue, understanding, and listening to the most vulnerable and those on the margins, in order to build the kingdom of God."

Who were the 4 martyrs?

St. Luis Bátis Sáinz was a priest in San Pedro Parish in Chalchihuites and was particularly noted for his work with young people, according to the Vatican website. He was arrested just 15 days after the suspension of public worship in Mexico, amid the intensification of religious persecution under the government of Plutarco Elías Calles.

St. Manuel Morales, a husband and father of three, was a member of the Mexican Catholic Youth Action and president of the National League for the Defense of Religious Liberty, an organization that sought the repeal of the federal government's anticlerical provisions.

When Bátis asked the soldiers to spare Morales' life because he had a wife and children, Morales replied: "Father, I am dying, but God does not die. He will look after my wife and my children."

St. Salvador Lara Puente, who had just turned 21, worked for a mining company and was an active member of Catholic Action. When soldiers arrived looking for him, he replied: "Here I am."

St. David Roldán Lara, 24, also worked for a mining company and was actively involved in the parish apostolate. He and Lara were cousins.

Bátis and Morales were the first to be shot to death. A few feet away, soldiers subsequently executed Salvador Lara and David Roldán.

The four were beatified by St. John Paul II on Nov. 22, 1992, and canonized by the same pontiff on May 21, 2000, alongside St. Cristóbal Magallanes and other Mexican martyrs.

The Archdiocese of Durango also counts among its martyrs St. Mateo Correa Magallanes, a priest murdered on Feb. 6, 1927, in the city of Durango.

Religious freedom and freedom of conscience

On Friday, Aug. 14, during a press conference held upon his arrival in Durango, the nuncio said his message for the local Church was one "of peace and communion, as the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, also asks of us."

Spiteri highlighted the martyrs of Durango as examples of freedom of conscience.

"Whenever the respect for freedom of conscience has been lacking … the results have always been very sad and tragic," he warned.

The pope's representative clarified that religious freedom protects not only Catholics or those who profess a particular faith but also an individual's right not to adhere to any religion.

"When this freedom of thought is restricted … it is always a step in the wrong direction; we are moving backward, not forward," he stated.

During his visit, Spiteri had the opportunity to visit the Museum of the Holy Martyrs and attend the opening of the photographic exhibition "Centenary of the Beginning of the Cristero Movement in Mexico and Durango."

A shrine dedicated to the martyrs is currently being built at the Holy Places of Chalchihuites.

The celebration was preceded by an eight-day archdiocesan pilgrimage that traveled the road to the Holy Places.

At its conclusion on Aug. 14, the archbishop of Durango, Faustino Armendáriz Jiménez, stated: "Blessed are those who have traveled this path, because those of us who live this experience have experienced God."

The archdiocese also shared images of the pilgrims after completing the pilgrimage, "tired, but happy," and with their "hearts full of gratitude and joy."

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 State Department has awarded $50 million to Catholic Relief Services as part of a $1.4 billion partnership with faith-based organizations around the world.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) will receive the funding through the State Department's Faith and Community Initiative (FCI) announced Aug. 6, alongside other international aid groups, including World Vision, Compassion International, and Samaritan's Purse.

"CRS is so proud to be among the recipients of the new Faith and Community Initiative! We received $50 million in first-year funding to lead programming in Cameroon, Liberia, and Nigeria, working as part of a group of faith-based organizations," CRS spokesperson Brittany Wichtendahl said in a statement to EWTN News.

"The funding will help improve hospitals, clinics, and the health networks in rural parts of the countries — where a lot of families have limited access to quality healthcare," she said. "This investment reflects a core strength of CRS' approach: working alongside trusted local Church, Caritas, and faith-based partners that are deeply rooted in the communities they serve."

CRS' financial statements show that U.S. government grants routinely constituted 40% to 50% of total revenue in fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2025, and the 2026 federal grants to the U.S.-based international humanitarian nonprofit organization are only a fraction of the government funding CRS previously received. CRS' fiscal 2023 budget totaled $1.3 billion, rising to $1.4 billion in fiscal 2024 before dipping to $1.2 billion in fiscal 2025.

The aid CRS is set to receive is part of $850 million the State Department earmarked for distribution among faith-based groups over the course of five years.

The State Department also said an additional $570 million will be provided directly to faith-based hospitals and clinics under memorandums of understanding with country governments.

The State Department said leveraging faith-based and community-run hospitals and clinics ensures that "at least 80% of resources go toward frontline health services that reach patients and clients while streamlining overhead and management costs, a significant increase from the 35% to 40% of resources that went to frontline health services in historical awards from the State Department."

The latest aid package comes after CRS received $235 million in food aid from the State Department for programs in Sudan and Ethiopia in July.

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Three bishops took part in a traditional pilgrimage in Nitra, Slovakia, over the weekend to mark the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The largest event of its kind in the area, the pilgrimage dates back to the 18th century, with pilgrims first marching up the local hill of Calvary in 1766, according to the website of the Diocese of Nitra.

This year marked the 260th annual thanksgiving pilgrimage to the shrine, according to the diocese. Participation was restricted and at times banned under the communist regime, and the pilgrimages have been held freely again since 1990.

The ceremony in Nitra — one of the oldest Slavic dioceses — drew several thousand faithful. Those taking part included Bishop František Rábek, the retired military ordinary of Slovakia; Bishop Jozef Halko, auxiliary bishop of Bratislava; and Bishop Viliam Judák of Nitra. Each celebrated a Mass and heard confessions during the two days, which featured several Masses and confessions in Slovak but also in Hungarian, as well as adoration and an organ concert.

Halko, who celebrated a Mass in Hungarian, told EWTN News that during the pilgrimage he reflected "on how we are very Marian in the Eucharist as we say yes to God, amen, which is our small preaching as we give ourselves to him and vice versa."

Bishops preach on Mary's example

For his part, Rábek, who was a priest in the local parish of Nitra-Calvary and now lives on the site of the pilgrimage, invited parents "to search for a healthy balance in your kids to develop their talents, but also the word of God."

Mary was a simple, ordinary woman, yet she was ready to embrace God's word and became a role model, he said. "Show me a woman who is as famous, glorified, and respected as Mary," he emphasized.

The pilgrimage culminated in a Mass on Sunday, which the mayor of Nitra and other local politicians attended. In his homily, Judák cited Carl Jung, the psychologist and son of a Protestant pastor, who called the Catholic Church's 1950 dogma of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary "the most important religious event since the Reformation."

The bishop of Nitra asked the Virgin Mary to help all present proceed on the path to the goal of life, which is self-giving love.

"If we strive to live according to our conscience, that is, to fulfill God's will just like she did, our life and the events of our life, everything we do well, will not perish even upon death," he stressed.

The prelate encouraged everyone to look, "just as we and many millions of people looked up" on Aug. 12 "to see the cosmic phenomenon of the solar eclipse," but now "with a spiritual sight to where the Virgin Mary leads us."

May this moment at the feet of the Virgin Mary of the Assumption help us, Judák continued, "so that tomorrow, in a week, in a month, in a year, at least until the end of our lives, we will never lose sight of the noble goal of our life, and that we strive for it with God's help."

He likewise encouraged the faithful to fulfill their Christian duty and to act and profess Christian values in the local elections coming this autumn.

50 pilgrims on foot in the heat

The pilgrimage was organized by the parish of Nitra-Calvary, run by the Divine Word Missionaries (the Society of the Divine Word), whose Slovak province has its seat on the Calvary hill.

The parish priest, Father Ján Štefanec, SVD, told EWTN News that he "is happy this place is alive for the feast, though I would like to see so many people show up more often" in the parish.

He said he finds it interesting that every year many pilgrims come from the region to pray to the Mother of God, that former parishioners return for the feast, and that cyclists at times make part of their pilgrimage on two wheels. Although people nowadays come by car or bus, this time a group of 50 pilgrims walked 20 kilometers (12 miles) in temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit), the Divine Word missionary said.

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The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to require 12-person juries in criminal cases, with the bishops arguing against a Florida policy allowing smaller six-person juries in many cases.

The case Kian v. Florida, which the Supreme Court agreed to hear in June, was brought after Florida chiropractor Hamed Kian was convicted of five felony counts for practicing without a license.

Kian was found guilty by a six-person jury; the state of Florida only requires 12-person juries in capital cases. Several other states have similar rules.

Kian sued the state arguing that the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees a right to a 12-person jury. He lost his appeal at the Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida and subsequently appealed directly to the Supreme Court, which will hold arguments in the case in its upcoming term.

In their amicus filing, the U.S. bishops argued that the term "jury" in the U.S. has historically referenced a body of 12 jurors; the bishops pointed to "Founding-era dictionaries" as well as "common-law history."

The bishops said they have a "strong interest" in the case, insofar as the Catholic Church over the centuries has played a "central role in shaping the legal culture from which the common-law jury emerged."

Among the historical examples of 12-person juries the bishops cited include the General Fundamentals of Plymouth, "the earliest codified legal system by English colonists in North America," which guaranteed that "all trials" would be "tried by a jury of twelve good and lawful men."

The prelates disputed the Supreme Court's 1970 ruling in the case Williams v. Florida, which held that the Sixth Amendment does not require 12 jurors in court cases.

That ruling in part "discard[ed] the robust common-law history of the jury right," while the high court in that decision "set far too high a bar for historical relevance," they said.

The bishops further cited the biblical commandment to "love your neighbor justly." They pointed to the Catholic catechism's mandate for public authorities to "dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone."

They urged the Supreme Court to "return to its previously long-held understanding that the Constitution entitles criminal defendants to a jury of twelve of their peers."

Numerous advocacy groups have also filed amicus briefs advocating the 12-juror standard, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Innocence Project, several dozen current and former prosecutors, and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

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Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster in England issued "a vital call to action in support of people around the world oppressed for their faith" to national governments and the United Nations.

Moth, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, called on Catholics and people of goodwill to sign a petition urging world leaders to ensure countries fulfill the religious freedom requirements in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"Religious freedom is a right not a privilege," Moth said in the Aug. 18 statement.

The article, created and adopted in 1948, "affirms the right to freedom of religion or belief," he said. "It was ratified by the United Nations and quickly became recognised around the world."

"The Second Vatican Council affirmed this right, teaching that 'this freedom means that all people are to be immune from coercion… in such a way that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his or her own beliefs,'" he said.

The petition is part of a campaign organized by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). It is intended to advocate for Article 18 ahead of the 10-year anniversary of Red Wednesday, an annual global campaign by ACN to raise awareness about religious persecution.

It is "a critical moment to act," as "more than 5 billion people live in countries where persecution, oppression, and discrimination restrict religious freedom, including more than 200 million Christians," ACN reported.

Despite Article 18's recognition, "all too often Article 18 is ignored," Moth said.

The bishop said: "Men and women are imprisoned, others are driven from their homes, or even killed, simply because of their peacefully held beliefs."

"In some countries women and girls are kidnapped, forced to renounce their faith and marry their abductors; children are denied the right to learn about their faith; many people — young and old alike — are the victims of religious hatred; they suffer abuse and discrimination in the streets, at school and at work."

"We need to stand up for our brothers and sisters in Christ and stand in support of all those who suffer for their beliefs, recognising religious freedom as a universal human right," Moth said.

Answering Pope Leo's call

The bishop echoed Pope Leo XIV's call to not abandon persecuted believers.

"As Pope Leo has said, 'Religious freedom is not merely a legal right or a privilege granted to us by governments. It is a foundational condition that makes authentic reconciliation possible,'" Moth said.

"In the words of the Holy Father, there can be … 'no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and respect for the views of others,'" he concluded.

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