Catholic News

Pope Leo XIV's prayer intention for the month of September is for the care of water.

"Imagine a hot summer day, after hard work or a long walk, you finally take a sip of cool water. Feel how relief and energy flow through your body," the Holy Father said in a video released Sept. 1 on X.

He added: "Moments like these remind us what a blessing clean water is yet, 1 in 4 people worldwide still lack safe drinking water. Entire communities and nations need our action and our prayer for the care of water for the blessed relief."

In the full video shared on the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network website, Pope Leo recites an original prayer written specifically for this month's prayer intention:

Lord of Life,

You have given us the gift of water,

source of fruitfulness, freshness, and hope.

It quenches thirst, nourishes the earth, and heals wounds.

We thank you,

because it is also a symbol of your grace and love

that renews us through baptism.

Today we ask you to teach us to safeguard it

with gratitude, justice, and responsibility.

Forgive us for turning it into a commodity,

forgetting that it is a universal gift,

a right without borders, meant for all your children.

We see with pain so many brothers and sisters

who lack clean water,

who walk for miles to find it,

who become ill due to its scarcity.

May your Spirit make us pilgrims of the essential,

able to live with simplicity,

denouncing waste and pollution,

defending the right of every brother and sister

to drink without fear and without inequality.

May our care for water

be a sign of love for the Creator

and a commitment to the lives of the poor,

educating new generations to value

and protect the Earth's resources.

Amen."

"Pray with the Pope" is accessible on the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network website and its digital platforms.

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Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher said diplomacy remains a possible path toward ending the war in Ukraine after high-level talks in Moscow produced no concrete breakthrough.

Gallagher, the Vatican's secretary for relations with states and international organizations, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other officials during an Aug. 24–28 visit to Russia.

"We went to Moscow to speak of peace, to encourage souls troubled by war, and to say 'Have courage, embrace the path of peace, have the hope of believing in a better day," Gallagher said in an interview with Vatican News published Sunday. "And I believe that essentially this was our message."

Gallagher met with Lavrov during the first day of his visit, although he was not received by Russian President Vladimir Putin. After more than an hour of talks, the two appeared before reporters, with the Vatican diplomat reiterating Pope Leo XIV's appeal for an end to the war in Ukraine.

"The Holy See does not enter into the details of the negotiations, nor does it propose technical solutions, because this is the direct responsibility of the belligerent parties," Gallagher said in the subsequent Vatican News interview.

"The Holy See, instead, recalls this responsibility and invites them to show goodwill in order to seriously begin a dialogue," he continued. "And it does so by addressing both the Russian Federation and Ukraine, as well as other countries, asking that no effort be spared to create spaces for dialogue."

A 'difficult' dialogue

Gallagher acknowledged that discussing peace in Russia means engaging in "a difficult dialogue."

"The longer the war continues, the more difficult it will be to restore relations: There are many victims, many open wounds," he said. "But we know very well that, historically, all conflicts, all wars end with a negotiation, with an agreement, and then one begins to restore relations between the former belligerents."

"In this sense, diplomacy offers and promises a possible solution," Gallagher said. "This is also what we, as a Church, have the responsibility and the duty to proclaim."

Gallagher and Lavrov also discussed possible humanitarian initiatives and the situation of children affected by the war. The Holy See expressed its willingness to continue offering spiritual, diplomatic, and humanitarian assistance.

"This dimension is fundamental and, in this area, the Holy See is already offering its contribution, a commitment that so far has been greatly appreciated," Gallagher said.

"The Holy Father himself, before I left, told me: We must insist on the humanitarian dimension. And that is what we did," he added.

"We hope that Cardinal [Matteo] Zuppi's peace mission will continue and that he will be able to return promptly to Moscow, also in order to be a witness to what the local Church and the Catholic communities are doing."

Zuppi traveled to Moscow in 2023 and 2024 as Pope Francis' special envoy for peace. His mission included humanitarian efforts concerning Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the war.

Outreach to the Russian Orthodox Church

Gallagher also visited Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior, one of the city's most prominent Orthodox landmarks.

There he was received by Igor Yakimchuk, deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations. Gallagher also met with Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, who heads the department.

The talks covered issues of common concern and were intended to keep channels of communication open between the Holy See and the Russian Orthodox Church at a particularly sensitive moment for the region.

Relations between the two churches have been severely strained since Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill publicly supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Meeting Russia's Catholic minority

Gallagher devoted the final day of his visit to Russia's small Catholic community.

Catholics make up a tiny minority in the country, with roughly 800,000 faithful among a population of more than 146 million — about 0.5%. The Church is organized into four dioceses centered on the Archdiocese of the Mother of God at Moscow.

During his stay, Gallagher celebrated Mass at Moscow's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and met with priests, religious men and women, and the country's Catholic bishops.

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 newly installed bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is expanding the availability of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in West Virginia and appointed priests to help facilitate this initiative.

Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala — who became the bishop of the diocese that covers the entirety of West Virginia in July — announced the changes in a message to the faithful issued Aug. 28. Menjivar succeeded Bishop Mark E. Brennan, who retired.

"This is an initiative of Bishop Evelio to ensure that the spiritual needs of every part of his flock are attended to by priests of our diocese," the announcement said.

According to the announcement, the bishop's purpose is to foster "greater unity among Catholic faithful" and attend to "their diverse spiritual needs."

Beginning Sept. 20, the TLM can be celebrated at the mission Our Lady of Seven Dolors in Triadelphia at 1:30 p.m. on Sundays. Previously, the mission only had a monthly celebration. Menjivar will add a TLM option in the Charleston area, but the location is yet to be determined.

The regular TLM will continue at St. John University Parish in Morgantown at 9 a.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. Sundays.

Menjivar also attended a Latin Mass at the Priory of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Charles Town on Aug. 30. The priory offers the TLM daily, along with a Saturday vigil and three Sunday Masses. He delivered remarks to the congregation before the homily.

"In his mercy and providence, the Lord has sent me to serve as your shepherd," the bishop said. "I want to reiterate to you, today, my sincere desire to serve the Lord faithfully and to care for the salvation of every soul entrusted to my pastoral care. I'm also here today to assure you, you personally, [of] my deep affection and esteem for each of you and for this particular community."

Menjivar said: "Your fidelity to the sacred liturgy, your devotion, and your reverence for the mysteries of our faith enrich the life of the entire Church."

"My desire is that everyone — everyone — finds a home in the Church and that in everything we do, we remain deeply united in Christ and in communion with the Holy Father, always seeking what strengthens our faith, builds up the body of Christ, and leads us together toward holiness," he said.

Priestly appointments

The bishop appointed Father Timothy Grassi, pastor of St. James in Charles Town, to serve as the episcopal delegate for matters related to the "usus antiquior" for the diocese. The usus antiquior, which means "the ancient usage," refers to the TLM, which was the standard form of the Mass prior to reforms that came after the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s.

Grassi will oversee celebrations of the TLM to ensure that every Mass is celebrated lawfully in accordance with restrictions imposed in Pope Francis' motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, which remains in effect. He also will coordinate between the diocese and the four TLM congregations in West Virginia.

"In the exercise of his function, Father Grassi will ensure that these celebrations are legally authorized in accordance with the universal law of the Church and the dispositions of the Apostolic See," the announcement said.

When reached by email, Grassi told EWTN News that the bishop is "simply trying to be a good shepherd to all of the faithful." The greater availability ensures "those attracted to this form of the Mass have easier accessibility to it, just as he has concern for the Hispanics of the diocese to have a Spanish Mass," he said.

"He is following all the guidelines that the Vatican has given and is simply trying to let the faithful know of his care for them," Grassi added. "My role is to coordinate with the bishop in these matters and ensure that all of the guidelines are properly followed. Bishop Evelio is showing his deep pastoral care for the souls entrusted to him."

The bishop also appointed regional usus antiquior delegates.

Father Justin M. Golna, pastor at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Wellsburg, is the delegate for the Wheeling area. Father Brian Crenwelge, pastor at St. John University Parish in Morgantown, will continue as the Morgantown area delegate. Father Phillip Szabo will stay as the delegate for the Charleston area.

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A judge has found sexual misconduct accusations against Quebec's Cardinal Marc Ouellet to be unfounded and ordered his accuser to pay him 100,000 Canadian dollars (about $72,000).

The cardinal, retired since April 2024, had been under a cloud of suspicion since Paméla Groleau accused him of touching her without consent on three occasions between 2008 and 2010 while she was training or working as a lay pastoral agent. She also told the court she felt "hunted" at another event, saying Ouellet came from across the room to sit next to her.

"The court finds that the allegations describing the four events cited by Ms. Groleau in the context of the class action are false," Superior Court Justice Martin Castonguay wrote in a decision released Aug. 31.

Castonguay concluded that Groleau's testimony against the now-82-year-old Ouellet "was neither credible nor reliable," noting in his judgment that she had changed her story several times.

Two other women testified against Ouellet at the trial, but the judge ruled their testimony was not pertinent to the question of whether Groleau defamed Ouellet. He also concluded Ouellet was "not the author of the gestures" brought into evidence by one of the women.

The allegations against the cardinal surfaced in 2022 as part of a class-action lawsuit launched against the Archdiocese of Quebec and dozens of clergy and lay members. In response, Ouellet publicly denied any wrongdoing and countered with a CA$100,000 defamation countersuit against his accuser, claiming she had damaged his reputation, honor, and dignity.

After the lawsuit was filed, the Vatican chose not to launch its own investigation into the cardinal. In a statement issued Aug. 18, 2022, by Matteo Bruni, then-director of the Press Office of the Holy See, the Vatican found there were "insufficient elements to open a canonical investigation for sexual assault by Cardinal Ouellet against person F," as Groleau was identified at the time.

In his ruling, Castonguay said the damage to Ouellet — former archbishop of Quebec who would serve as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis — and his reputation was "amplified by the chosen vehicle, meaning that of a class action aimed principally at religious pedophiles, thereby equating Cardinal Ouellet, in the eyes of the 'ordinary citizen,' with that group of individuals." He said it "is difficult to quantify" the true impact of the allegations against Ouellet and awarded him the CA$100,000 he sought.

The class action was ratified Aug. 12, with the Quebec Superior Court approving a CA$31.5 million out-of-court settlement.

In a statement, Ouellet's lawyers were pleased the court recognized the injustice suffered by the cardinal.

"This judgment reaffirms a fundamental principle: even in the context of judicial proceedings, serious allegations must be based on accurate and relevant facts and advanced with the rigour required by their gravity," Dominique Ménard said in the statement.

The cardinal has promised to donate the award to organizations fighting against sexual abuse experienced by Indigenous Canadians.

The class action also accused Quebec's current archbishop, Cardinal Gérald Lacroix, of sexual misconduct. After stepping aside for six months in early 2024, Lacroix resumed his role after a Vatican-mandated investigation found no evidence to support the accusations.

This story was first published by Canada's The Catholic Register and is reprinted here with permission.

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The pro-life organization Life in Mercy is seeking to acquire a larger home in Houston to shelter pregnant women and their babies who are facing difficult situations.

Speaking to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the organization's founder and director, Zeira Becerra, said the new project will be presented during the "Vision and Hope Breakfast" on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Becerra said the initiative grew out of a promise she made to herself in New York in 1991, "when I was hired, without realizing it, by an abortion clinic."

"There I witnessed a reality that changed my life forever: women arriving who felt they had no other way out, and lives just beginning to form being ended by abortion," she recalled.

'There has to be a place'

Becerra recalled a moment that she said particularly touched her heart: "I wanted to help a 14-year-old girl so she could continue with her baby's life, but I discovered I had no safe place to take her. That was when I became certain that there has to be a place."

That day, she said, "I made a promise to myself, a purpose for my life: I didn't know how, but I had to create that place."

"Many years had to pass," she said, but eventually that promise "became Life in Mercy, a home where an expectant mother could find a welcome, support, and a real, loving, and merciful alternative to choose life."

In its 10 years of work, Life in Mercy has supported "around 75 mothers and their babies in various ways," she noted. "Each one represents a unique story and a life that deserved to be welcomed with hope."

Becerra said Life in Mercy helps each mother "connect with the resources she needs, providing emotional and spiritual support and, above all, reminding her that she is not alone and that a difficult situation does not have to end her child's life."

"In the end, we want more women who find themselves facing a difficult situation to be able to hear something very simple but decisive: 'There is a place for you and your baby,'" she said.

'A larger, newer, and better-situated house'

The organization is currently aiming to "acquire a larger, newer, and better-situated house that allows us to welcome more mothers and babies," a move Becerra said she considers "a very important stage" for the initiative.

"We sold our previous house because we needed to take the next step. It was an old house, and our mission has grown," she explained.

"And that is precisely one of the main reasons for this breakfast," she noted: "We don't simply want to reopen a house; we want to build a broader response to the need we are seeing in Houston."

'She arrived sad, scared, and unsure of what would become of her life'

During the breakfast, a woman who "came to us with a 6-year-old child and was in her first trimester of pregnancy" will share her testimony, Becerra said.

"She had been abandoned by her partner; she had no job, vehicle, or family in Houston, and as an immigrant, she was practically alone. In her desperation, she even considered ending her baby's life as her only way out," Becerra continued.

"By the grace of God, she first received care at a crisis center for women, where she was able to rediscover the value of her baby's life and learn that there were people and resources ready to help her. That was when she found the strength to go on, and she subsequently came to our shelter," she said.

The woman, she recalled, "arrived sad, frightened, and unsure of what would become of her life."

"Over time, something beautiful happened," Becerra said, as "she regained her self-confidence, had a beautiful baby girl, and was able to move forward."

Becerra explained that the mission of Life in Mercy "does not end when the baby is born," because "we want to walk with the mother so she can begin a new phase in life with her child — with dignity, hope, and the tools to move forward."

Although Texas generally prohibits abortion with limited medical exceptions, Becerra pointed out that "the fact that abortion is no longer legal in Texas does not mean the problem is over, nor that we can let our guard down. On the contrary, we have an even greater responsibility to support mothers who choose life."

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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Poland's bishops have condemned surrogacy as commercial services seek to expand in the country.

"Surrogacy is by its nature evil and incompatible with Christian faith and morality," the bishops' bioethics committee said. "The desire to have children cannot be interpreted as a right to have children, because a child, in the ontological sense, as a human being, is not the property of its parents."

The bioethics committee of the Polish Bishops' Conference issued a statement on Aug. 27 signed by the head of the committee, Auxiliary Bishop Józef Wróbel of the Archdiocese of Lublin. The committee warned that the "conception and birth of a child cannot be the subject of a commercial transaction" between those who offer their body for rent and those who want to obtain offspring in this way.

The committee underscored that the practice of surrogacy cannot, therefore, "be tolerated, permitted, accepted, or, even less so, promoted by state institutions."

The statement noted that "more and more offers are emerging in Poland guaranteeing the birth of a healthy child through surrogacy," likely a reference to an event organized in the Polish capital, Warsaw, for Sept. 12-13 by the Ukrainian fertility clinic BioTexCom: Center for Human Reproduction.

The company says it has a "wide database of donors who meet all individual requirements of clients" as well as "the latest techniques" to achieve "positive results" of in vitro fertilization.

BioTexCom describes surrogacy "as a program during which a healthy woman carries a child for the infertile couple" and promises "best surrogate mothers," lower prices, and better services than other medical centers in Europe.

However, the bioethical experts of the Polish episcopate pointed out that surrogacy is available only through artificial insemination, usually performed through in vitro fertilization, which has a variety of "genetic, developmental, and psychological" consequences.

Moreover, the experts said such "conceived children will be killed through eugenic abortion if genetic or developmental disorders are detected," stressing that "the murder of an unborn child is always an extremely evil act" and that under "law in force in Poland, it is also a crime."

The bioethicists said conducting surrogacy outside Poland does not make it legal, adding that it rather resembles "international human trafficking, which cannot be justified either by the desire to have offspring or the consent" of the parties involved.

The experts concluded that children are "treated as commodities and not as endowed with an inalienable dignity attached to their humanity." Thus, they called for "the state authorities to take immediate and decisive action to prevent surrogacy by Polish citizens and to block" companies that "offer such procedures."

Some analysts noted that Poland lacks surrogacy limitations, unlike Slovakia and Italy, where the practice is banned.

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Ahead of the new academic year, Christian schools in Jerusalem along with thousands of families are facing a renewed crisis after Israeli authorities failed to renew entry permits for approximately 70 teachers and staff members.

The situation prompted the schools to suspend classes beginning Tuesday, marking the second such decision this year. Classes were also suspended last January for the same reason.

In a statement, the schools said the measures were imposed suddenly and without prior notice, directly affecting their preparations for the beginning of the academic year.

They explained that the absence of so many employees affects not only classroom instruction but also administrative work, health and cleaning services, and security and safety procedures. As a result, the schools said they could not guarantee students a safe and stable start to the academic year.

The schools said they decided to suspend classes after consulting and coordinating with the relevant authorities, representatives of parents, and other Jerusalem schools. The suspension will remain in effect until the necessary permits for teachers and staff members are reissued or renewed.

They also warned that the recurrence of such measures undermines the stability of educational institutions and hinders their ability to fulfill their mission, while also affecting students, their families, school personnel, and the wider community.

The schools recalled that for centuries their institutions have carried out an educational and humanitarian mission and have formed an integral part of Jerusalem's identity and its cultural and social fabric.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to providing high-quality education and forming generations grounded in knowledge, values, a sense of belonging, and responsibility.

Concluding their statement, the schools expressed hope that the crisis would be resolved quickly, allowing students and staff members to return to their schools and the academic year to proceed normally.

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

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Wendell Berry, the prolific American author whose work spanned decades and who spent his career urging Americans to pursue a simpler, more virtuous life, died on Aug. 31, his family said.

His daughter Mary confirmed his passing via the New York Times. His cause of death was not immediately known; the Kentucky-born writer was 92 years old.

A writer of fiction, poetry, and essays, Berry was known for his advocacy of rural life, for urging readers to develop a close connection to farming and food, and for calling for the care of the environment.

His work united a broad cross-section of the American public from liberal environmentalists to Christian homesteaders to local food advocates to conservative conservationists.

Born in Louisville on Aug. 5, 1934, Berry studied English at the University of Kentucky and writing at Stanford University. He taught English at the University of Kentucky for several years and also taught at New York University.

From 1965 until his death he lived and worked at his farm, Lane's Landing, in Henry County, Kentucky.

His politics were broad and diverse. He was famously critical of big business and corporations and was a fierce detractor of coal companies. He was opposed to the death penalty, at one point urging his home state to abolish it entirely.

Amid the racial and cultural disputes of 2020, he sued the University of Kentucky in order to prevent the removal of a purportedly racially offensive mural there — though he said he was pained by the knowledge that his ancestors "established themselves here by killing or driving out the original possessors" and that "people were once bought and sold here by my people." Berry was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama in 2012.

Throughout his career he remained devoted to both the natural world and to the small farm — a philosophy, he said in 2002, that meant he had "spent [his] life on two losing sides."

He urged advocates to reconcile both the need to preserve the natural world and the need to support the human beings that are an indelible part of the world. "The question we must deal with is not whether the domestic and the wild are separate or can be separated; it is how, in the human economy, their indissoluble and necessary connection can be properly maintained," he wrote.

Baptized a Baptist, Berry remained distant from organized religion, calling himself at one point a "forest Christian." Yet his work and his advocacy attracted large numbers of Christians, including Catholics.

Writing in America Magazine in 2017, the Catholic writer Anna Keating said that his unique philosophy "can prove helpful to Catholics, serving as an antidote to the many ills of our time."

He also briefly partnered with the Catholic St. Catharine College in Springfield, Kentucky, to launch the Berry Farming Program, though the college closed in 2016.

He wrote that he "[took] literally the statement in the Gospel of John that God loves the world."

"I believe that the world was created and approved by love, that it subsists, coheres, and endures by love, and that, insofar as it is redeemable, it can be redeemed only by love," he said.

Though well traveled and revered as a national American sage, Berry was a strong proponent of localism. He consistently called on Americans to turn to community and mutual help to address societal problems and conflicts.

He lamented the destruction of much of the rural way of life that he had seen take place over his lifetime, though he expressed optimism for its revitalization. Reflecting in 1988 on the potential "renewal of the rural communities" around the country, he wrote that such a renewal "would have to be a revival accomplished mainly by the community itself."

"It would have to be done not from the outside by the instruction of visiting experts," he wrote, "but from the inside by the ancient rule of neighborliness, by the love of precious things, and by the wish to be at home."

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A community of Discalced Carmelite sisters is using centuries-old methods to build a monastery in hopes that it will serve as "a beacon of light" for generations to come in Fairfield, Pennsylvania.

When the sisters of the Carmel of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph realized they had outgrown their 1940s monastery in the Diocese of Harrisburg, they knew they wanted to build their next home "in a way that is designed to last," that would speak to St. Teresa of Ávila's vision for their charism, Catherine Bauer, the director of marketing and development for the sisters, told EWTN News. "And by that, they mean last a thousand years."

Bucking modern architecture and building conventions, the Fairfield sisters have opted to build their monastery using old-world methods including traditional stonemasonry and timber framing. While the scale of the monastery "will be on the smaller side," according to Bauer, "it's more about the stonework, the authenticity of building from the ground up using no nails, no glue, [and] no electricity running through it."

"They will also have old-world methods of plumbing and water systems," she added.

The budget for the project, which began in 2013 and is about 20% complete, is $100 million. The sisters have raised about $22 million so far.

"The idea is that over the course of the next 12 or 15 years it takes to build this, once it's completed, little or no maintenance will be required for this building for future generations," Bauer said. "So essentially, they spend the money up front now and then in 50 years, you're not replacing various systems and roofing and walls and all of that."

While the up-front cost of their home may be steep, the sisters have proven resourceful not only in sourcing local materials such as stone and timber but also stained glass and an altar for their oratory.

The marble altar the sisters found had once served as the original altar at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Bishop Emeritus William Gainer, who delivered the homily at the oratory's dedication in 2024, revealed that he had said his first Mass at that altar decades prior, she noted.

"We're trying to salvage a lot of these things and which is amazing, you know, giving these beautiful items a home," Bauer said.

While the Carmelites themselves are hidden away, Bauer said, "the monastery is meant to be a beacon of light, a beacon on the hill for the community at large, for the faithful to come and visit, and to be an oasis for everyone, a source of grace and comfort and holiness."

The public will be able to attend Mass and receive the sacraments and to pray with externs at the monastery.

Ultimately, Bauer said, the mission of the Carmelite order is to beat with the heart of the Church.

"The Carmelite charism is to pray for the priests," she said. "That's their whole mission, is to pray for priests and for the Church. And that's how we're going to survive. They are the heart of the Church. They're the ones that keep the blood pumping through the rest of the body of the Church."

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Political officials and foreign policy analysts are calling for the Nigerian government to enhance its response to ongoing violence against Christians as U.S. troops are set to withdraw from the region at the end of September.

Following an Aug. 28 event at the Hudson Institute, officials told Erik Rosales, EWTN News Capitol Hill correspondent, that while the U.S. remains committed to shedding light on ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria, State Department officials are faced with having to weigh the greater good with responding to every attack.

"It's a significant trading partner in the African context for the United States," Josh Meservey, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, told Rosales.

"It's the largest, it's the most populous country in Africa. It's the largest economy," he said. "So these things do really matter. And so as much as we're concerned about the violence and we, we must remain concerned, the U.S. government has to balance other interests."

Latest numbers from advocacy groups found that more than 7,000 Christians have been killed in the first seven months of 2026 alone, while thousands more have been kidnapped.

"The situation has not really changed too much. We may say that the daily attacks of hundreds or 50 that were killed in the past is not — it's no longer like that — but people are still being killed," Father Remigius Ihyula, former director of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi's Justice and Peace Commission in Nigeria, told "EWTN News Nightly" on Aug. 28.

Tibor Nagy, former assistant secretary of the Bureau of African Affairs at the State Department, called for "cooperating with the Nigerians, finding solutions, doing training, maybe helping the Nigerians design a law-and-order system that has local forces instead of just federal forces."

"There are solutions out there but the Nigerians have to solve this at the end of the day," he told Rosales.

Meanwhile, Nigerian advocates said U.S. withdrawal from the region would result in heavy consequences for vulnerable communities. "If the U.S. doesn't follow through, there will be hell to pay. Christians will be attacked massively," said Emmanuel Ogebe, a Nigerian-American human rights attorney.

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