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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 16:04 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released a report examining the religious liberty implications for women and minorities in Afghanistan four years after the Taliban's takeover. 

"Religious freedom conditions in Afghanistan continue to decline dramatically under Taliban rule," the USCIRF wrote in an Aug. 15 report examining the Taliban's Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice one year after its enactment. "The new morality law reinforces a systematic and overt erasure of religious freedom in Afghanistan and facilitates the ongoing repression of religious minorities."

According to the USCIRF, the morality law "impacts all Afghans" but "disproportionately affects religious minorities and women, eradicating their participation in public life and systematically eliminating their right to [freedom of religious belief]."

The August 2024 law contains 35 articles and centers on mandating the Taliban's interpretation of Islam and sharia law. Authorities are granted "broad powers to arrest, detain, and monitor Afghans who are perceived to have violated its provisions," the USCIRF noted.

Among the 35 articles is the criminalization of adherence to any religion apart from Sunni Islam. According to the USCIRF: "Non-Muslims are forced to practice in secret or risk arrest and torture."

The report quoted the Taliban's minister for the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice, Khalid Hanafi, as saying Hindus, Jews, Christians, and Sikhs are "worse than four-legged animals" for holding "beliefs that go against sharia and the Quran."

All Afghan women — Muslim or otherwise — under the morality law are mandated to cover their entire body and face. They are also barred from leaving their homes without a male guardian. The law "characterizes women's voices as intimate and therefore something to be concealed." As such, Afghan women are barred in public from speaking, singing, or reciting the Quran. 

"While the morality law impacts all Afghans, it disproportionately affects Afghan women and girls. As of 2025, Afghan women and girls are still barred from attending school beyond age 12. The education ban, coupled with the morality law, makes it impossible for Afghan women and girls to participate in public life, including religious expression," the report stated. 

"The requirement of a male guardian, reinforced under the morality law, has created significant barriers for Afghan women," the report continued, noting that Afghan widows who may not have any male relatives are especially impacted.  

The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which was reestablished for societal reform shortly after the Taliban took over in 2021, oversees all enforcement of the Taliban's morality law.

According to USCIRF, there are approximately 3,330 male enforcers employed in 28 of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

Heightened surveillance, arbitrary arrests and detention, forced conversions, physical assault, death threats, and torture are used as tactics by enforcers across the country, the USCIRF stated, citing a U.N. report that as many as 50 Ismaili Muslims were forced to convert to Sunni Islam and that one Ismaili man was killed in the Badakhshan Province.

The man "was severely tortured prior to his death," the USCIRF said, further noting that "while in Taliban custody, individuals' ethnic or religious identity influenced the severity of torture inflicted, including for Christians and Hazaras."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 18, 2025 / 16:56 pm (CNA).

The ongoing violence in the Holy Land, especially now with the war in Gaza, was addressed by the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, in his homily during the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary.

The prelate's diocese includes not only Israel but also those living in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank. This has allowed him to experience firsthand the consequences of violence, especially that which has ravaged the Gaza Strip in the last two years and which requires true words of peace, not "sugarcoated and abstract" speeches, he said.

From the Benedictine Monastery of Abu Gosh in Israel, the cardinal stated that while everyone wants an end to the conflict, its end will not mark "the end of hostilities and the pain they will cause," as the desire for revenge will persist, and "we will have to struggle with the consequences of this war on people's lives for a long time to come."

In this regard, the cardinal recalled in his homily the importance of the Holy Land for Christians and for humanity, as the region where Mary said yes to God's will and where Christ was born. It is also the place where the Lord defeated sin with his resurrection.

"It really does seem that our Holy Land, which preserves the highest revelation and manifestation of God, is also the place of the highest manifestation of Satan's power. And perhaps precisely because it is the place where the heart of salvation history is located, it is also the place where 'the Ancient Adversary' tries to assert himself more than anywhere else," he noted.

The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem was reflecting on the passage from the Book of Revelation that depicts the enormous dragon with seven heads and 10 diadems, which "is a very clear representation of the power of evil in the world, of Satan."

"It strikes me that it is clear from this passage that the dragon, Satan, will never cease to assert himself and rage in the world, especially 'against those who keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus,'" he noted.

This, he explained, leads Christians to be aware that "the power of evil will continue to be present in the life of the world and in our own lives," but this does not mean resignation, since the solemnity of the Assumption "also tells us that there is someone before whom evil is powerless."

"The power of the dragon cannot prevail in the face of a birth, a mother who gives birth, who generates life. The dragon cannot triumph over the seed of life, the fruit of love," he pointed out.

In this regard, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem noted that the Church is called to plant a seed of life in the world. "Evil will continue to express itself, but we will be the place, the presence that the dragon cannot overcome: a seed of life," he affirmed.

Pizzaballa noted that while "we know that sooner or later the dragon will be defeated," Christians today are called to persevere, "because we know that the dragon will continue to rage through history."

However, he said that "the blood caused by all this evil" throughout the world "flows under the altar, mingled with the blood of the Lamb, united to the work of redemption to which we all are part of."

"The Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which we celebrate, her complete participation, with body and soul, in the victory of Christ, is also a foretaste of our destiny as children of God, as baptized and redeemed by the blood of Christ," he affirmed.

Finally, the patriarch encouraged: "So as we rise from the Eucharistic table, today, we carry with us the certainty of Christ's victory over death, the conviction that our life, however much it may be turned upside down by the dramatic events of today, is nevertheless the place where the dragon will not prevail, for it is a life bathed in the blood of the Lamb, in God's infinite love."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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CNA Staff, Aug 18, 2025 / 15:04 pm (CNA).

Father Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor of the only Catholic church in Gaza, Holy Family Parish, said Monday that an evacuation order was issued by Israeli forces for the al-Zaytun neighborhood surrounding the parish in Gaza City.

The Aug. 18 order was part of a broader Israeli plan to relocate Palestinians from northern Gaza, where the parish is located, to designated zones in the south. Earlier this month, Israel revealed its plan to occupy Gaza.

Romanelli expressed concern about the feasibility of relocating Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants, however, asking: "Where can they find the space for all the inhabitants?" He said Israel was distributing tents to facilitate the evacuation.

The Israeli military said the relocation plan is necessary to protect civilians amid the ongoing two-year war, which has led to a humanitarian crisis due to severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies, with Caritas Jerusalem reporting that "people are dying of hunger" and "all the children are suffering from malnutrition."

Despite the evacuation order, Romanelli noted "contradictory signs," saying an aid group continued to distribute vegetables to civilians.

The Holy Family Parish compound, which contains a school, convent, a multipurpose center, and a Missionaries of Charity building, has been a critical shelter since the war began in October 2023. It has been housing over 600 people, the majority of whom are Orthodox Christians, Protestants, and Catholics, as well as at least 50 Muslim children with disabilities and their families.

Holy Family Parish 'accidentally' attacked in July

Romanelli and eight others were injured and three civilians were killed after Israeli munitions hit the church in July.

In response to the attack, Pope Leo XIV said "it is time to stop this slaughter" and renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, expressing his desire for dialogue, reconciliation, and lasting peace in the region.

On social media platform X the day of the attack, the account of Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated: "Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful."

"We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort. Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites," the prime minister's account continued.

Israel Defense Forces said it regretted the attack and maintained after the investigation that the attack was accidental, calling it a "deviation of munitions."

On July 18, Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa visited Holy Family Parish alongside Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III to offer support following the attack.

Israelis protest Netanyahu's plan to occupy Gaza 

In Tel Aviv, hundreds of thousands of people protested against the Israeli government over the weekend, demanding an end to the war and arguing that Israel's plan to occupy Gaza could endanger the approximately 20 hostages still held by Hamas.

Regarding its occupation, Israel has a five-step plan that includes disarming Hamas, releasing all remaining living and deceased hostages, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, establishing temporary Israeli control over the enclave, and eventually replacing Hamas with a friendly Arab civil administration.

Netanyahu said of Sunday's protests, which led to dozens of arrests: "Those who today call for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas' position and delaying the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of Oct. 7 will be repeated," referring to the Hamas attack in 2023 that left 1,200 dead and started the war.

During yesterday's Sunday Mass at Holy Family Church, an explosion damaged a nearby water tank, though no injuries were reported from the incident.

"Another Sunday of war," Romanelli said.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 18, 2025 / 15:34 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Guy de Kirimel of Toulouse, France, has reversed his decision to appoint a priest convicted of rape as chancellor of the archdiocese and asked forgiveness of the victims of abuse, whom he had no intention of offending, according to a statement released Aug. 16.

"In order not to cause division among bishops, and not to remain at a standoff between those for and against, I decided to reverse my decision; this has now been done, with the appointment of a new chancellor," the archbishop said.

The reversal of the appointment of Father Dominique Spina, a priest sentenced in 2006 to five years in prison for raping a 16-year-old boy in 1993, came after the French Bishops' Conference asked the archbishop on Aug. 11 to "reconsider the decision."

The French prelates stated at the time that "an appointment of such importance, both canonically and symbolically, can only reopen wounds, arouse suspicions, and disconcert the people of God."

Speaking about sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the Catholic Church in France, the bishops noted that "we have learned to look at these events first from the point of view of the people who were their victims and who suffer the consequences for the rest of their lives."

"This shift in perspective," the bishops continued, has initiated "a long and demanding work of conversion, which we are determined to continue."

Accepting the request of the French bishops, De Kirimel appointed Father Léopold Biyoki as the new chancellor of the Archdiocese of Toulouse, effective Sept. 1.

Asking for forgiveness

"My decision was interpreted by many as a snub to victims of sexual abuse; I ask forgiveness of the victims. That was obviously not my intention," the archbishop wrote in the Aug. 16 statement.

"Others in the end saw it as a sign of hope for abusers who had served their time and are experiencing the great trial of being totally shunned by society. For that I must ask forgiveness from the one I named and in whom I have confidence, for not having known how to find the right place to which he is entitled," the archbishop further explained.

In his statement, De Kirimel asked: "How can we find the right attitude that does not force us to take one side to the detriment of the other? How can we keep the primary focus on the victims without forever rejecting the guilty?"

After pointing out that in abuse there is always irreparable damage and recalling that Jesus in the Gospel forgives the sins of Paul, who persecuted Christians, or of Mary Magdalene, who was once a prostitute, the archbishop noted: "We believe that justice is not opposed to mercy, mercy is not opposed to justice" and urged continued "reflection on this issue."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Planned Parenthood affiliates based in pro-life states rake in close to a half-billion dollars from various sources in annual revenue, which includes millions of dollars in taxpayer funds, according to a new report.

The revenue data, which was unveiled by the Catholic nonprofit American Life League (ALL) on Aug. 18, found that the financial performance of Planned Parenthood affiliates in pro-life states is nearly identical to the performance of affiliates in pro-abortion states.

Planned Parenthood still has 11 affiliates that represent 81 facilities in states that have heavily restricted abortion following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. The average annual revenue for an affiliate in a pro-life state is more than $41.2 million, which means those affiliates combine for more than $450 million in annual revenue.

The abortion giant has more than 41 affiliates operating in states that have few restrictions on abortion, which represent 418 facilities. The average affiliate revenue in these states is nearly $43.4 million, which is only slightly higher than the ones in pro-life states. The affiliates in these states combine for nearly $1.8 billion in revenue.

Funding sources vary but include government and private grants, private donations, and client payments for services.

According to Planned Parenthood's annual report for July 2023 through June 2024, about 40% of its revenue came from taxpayer funds, which accounted for nearly $800 million.

Long-standing federal law prohibits taxpayer funding for most abortions. Yet, until the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law, Medicaid funds could broadly cover non-abortive services at abortion facilities.

President Donald Trump signed the bill to prevent Planned Parenthood from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements for non-abortive services for one year, but a court blocked that provision and ordered the government, which is appealing the ruling, to continue payments for now. 

Most pro-life states still allow affiliates to obtain state Medicaid funds, but the Supreme Court this year allowed South Carolina to enforce its ban on Medicaid reimbursements for Planned Parenthood. This has led pro-life lawmakers in some states to consider bills to ban affiliates from receiving payments.

The report notes that after recent closures, 29 Planned Parenthood facilities operate in Texas, a state that prohibits abortion in most cases, and 17 continue to operate in Florida, which prohibits most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. In Texas, Planned Parenthood affiliates received nearly $130.8 million in annual revenue and in Florida they received nearly $67.8 million.

Mississippi is the only pro-life state in which there is not a single Planned Parenthood affiliate operating, according to the report. Of states ALL considers to be pro-abortion, neither Wyoming nor North Dakota have a Planned Parenthood affiliate.

ALL National Director Katie Brown told CNA that it's unclear what services these affiliates are making most of their money from but that "we know they're still raking it in."

She noted that even where abortion is restricted, each state includes some exceptions for when someone can obtain an abortion. In some cases, it includes a "health of the mother exception," which she said is the exception that is "exploited the most." 

Brown said abortionists often use a broad definition of what constitutes a health risk, which can include depression or financial struggles, adding that that type of exception is the "easiest one to check that box for, to find an exception for."

"Even in a state that is 'pro-life,' … abortions are still happening," she added.

Brown urged states to eliminate "all of the exceptions that let Planned Parenthood slip through the cracks," saying they "have to start taking seriously total abortion bans" — a stance that no state has taken up to this point. 

"[States need to] take very seriously a total protection for human life and do something about the abortion pill being mailed," she added.

Brown noted that there has been some good news, with three Planned Parenthood affiliates shutting down recently in Texas amid fears of federal funding losses. She noted that a potential loss of funds, if a court reinstates the Medicaid reimbursement ban, "is contributing to a lot of facilities closing in certain states."

However, she noted that the freeze, which is currently in a state of partial legal suspension with ongoing litigation, is only in place for one year and "Planned Parenthood may find a way to subsidize that income that they're losing and we may see these clinics reopen in a year."

Brown also said states need to enact laws that prevent affiliates from receiving state Medicaid reimbursements.

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Rome Newsroom, Aug 17, 2025 / 07:16 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Sunday Mass at the Shrine of Santa Maria della Rotonda together with the poor and Caritas workers, saying Christ's "fire of love" is what can create peace in society. 

During his Aug. 17 homily, the Holy Father said the Church of Jesus is a "Church of the poor," whose faithful should not seek their own comfort and security at the expense of those most in need.    

"The world accustoms us to exchange peace for comfort, goodness for tranquility," he said. "Some will advise us not to take risks, to spare ourselves, because it is important to be at peace and others do not deserve to be loved." 

"Jesus, on the other hand, immersed himself courageously in our humanity," he said. 

Expressing gratitude to Caritas staff and volunteers working in the Diocese of Albano, Leo encouraged them to imitate Jesus Christ in his boundless love for the poor.

"I encourage you not to distinguish between those who assist and those who are assisted, between those who seem to give and those who seem to receive, between those who appear poor and those who feel they have time, skills, and help to offer," he said.

In order to live with a greater sense of unity and communion within the Church, the Holy Father also said genuine love "humbles itself" and lets go of prejudices that cause division and misunderstanding among people.

"The Mass nourishes this decision," he said. "It is the decision to no longer live for ourselves, to bring fire into the world."

"Only together, only by becoming one Body in which even the most fragile participate with full dignity, are we the Body of Christ, the Church of God," he added.

According to Leo, the "poverty of Christ" enables Christians to reflect deeper on its value in their own lives and communities.

"Let us allow him to enter into the poor, and then we will also make peace with our own poverty, the poverty we fear and deny when we seek tranquility and security at all costs," he said.

Pope's Angelus message: 'Acting in truth has its costs' 

At noon, Pope Leo returned to his summer residence to pray the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in Piazza della Liberta.

Reiterating his Sunday message on self-giving love, the Holy Father encouraged his listeners to continue doing good though it may not always receive a "positive response" from others.   

"Acting in truth has its cost, because there are those in the world who choose lies, and the devil, who takes advantage of the situation, often seeks to block the actions of good people," he said.

"Jesus, however, invites us with his help not to give in and conform ourselves to this mentality, but to continue to act for our good and the good of all, even those who make us suffer," he said. 

Asking his listeners to remain faithful to the truth in love, Leo said Christians should not "respond to insolence with vengeance" but live the Gospel message and teachings on charity in spite of opposition.

"Brothers and sisters, let us together ask Mary, Queen of Martyrs, to help us be faithful and courageous witnesses of her Son in every circumstance, and to sustain our brothers and sisters who suffer for the faith today," he prayed.

At the end of his Angelus address, Pope Leo asked people to pray for the people of Pakistan, India, and Nepal affected by severe flooding in parts of the Asian region. 

"I pray for the victims, for their families, and for all those who suffer because of this calamity," he said. 

"Let us pray that efforts to bring wars to an end and to promote peace may bear fruit, and that in negotiations the common good of peoples may always be placed first," he added.

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Ann Arbor, Michigan, Aug 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The setting: a suburban Michigan parish.

The agenda: a crash course in Gregorian chant as well as posture, breathing, and other elements of sacred choral music.

The attendees: youth ages 8 to 18.

Canticle Chant Camp was held at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from July 28 to Aug. 1 and was attended by more than 40 children and teens. The camp ended with a sung Mass.

The instructor was veteran choral director and educator Mary Ann Wilson. 

Wilson, who holds degrees in music, was trained in opera and Gregorian chant in Europe and has taught for nearly 30 years. She told CNA that she enjoys sharing "the glories of Gregorian chant, which uniquely fosters a sense of peace and joy that connects the whole person to God." 

Referring to sacred music, she added: "It's important to pass down this tradition. Beautiful sculpture, paintings, architecture, and stained-glass windows can last hundreds of years: All of them help us to pray. But music, once it is performed, is gone. It's an offering to the Lord in real time. And if we don't hand it down with every generation, we lose it."

Wilson is president of the nonprofit apostolate Canticle.org, founded "to draw souls to Jesus Christ through the beauty of sacred music." She has served as a parish music director and has led choirs singing Gregorian chant and renaissance polyphony. Since 2010, she has led the "Chant Camp" program at dozens of parishes and schools. She also trains teachers, choir directors, and cantors to lead camps themselves and foster sacred music.

In addition, Wilson is a consultant to the Benedict XVI Institute, which seeks to instill a sense of the sacred in the arts and worship throughout the country. She said she has received encouragement from Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, a board member of the institute, in her quest to promote traditional liturgical music.

During the camp, Wilson did a deep dive into the prayers and structure of the sung Mass. Her directive: "Everybody can sing something, and nobody sings everything."

Students learn the "Kyrie" and "Sanctus," for example, while the more experienced get practice in more difficult chants. "What they learn is to sing together as their offering during the Mass."

Practice in traditional hymns such as "All Glory, Laud, and Honor" and Gregorian chant adapted to English were also on the bill.

Wilson said she feels blessed to share her expertise with youth. 

She recalled that while studying musical performance and pedagogy at San Diego State University, she gained an appreciation for the beauty of the Church's tradition of polyphonic singing. "I found myself singing polyphonic Masses at a secular university," she observed, adding: "This music is for everybody." 

Jeanne Marie Gerig, organist and music director at St. Thomas, told CNA that the canticle camp is just the beginning of an expanding parochial music program, especially for children. Gerig, a convert who was inspired to enter the Church because of its sacred music, said that while the parochial school has its own music program, home-schoolers and parents from other parishes are also seeking enrichment for their children.

"They will learn different settings of the Mass because every season should sound different. Easter should sound different, Christmas should sound different, and not just look different," she said. "They will learn to read music, sing it, and sing in Mass."

"Parents welcome the opportunity for kids to become more knowledgeable about singing music that is part of our heritage and used for liturgy," Gerig said.

Gerig is an active member of the Catholic Music Association of America and continues to consult at parishes around the country, supported by offering online courses in Gregorian chant offered by the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music of California. She told CNA that she is especially pleased to offer such instruction to young people.

"By learning music, they can serve God and their community and contribute to the liturgy in a meaningful way, and help others to pray and worship," she explained, adding that the goal is to offer the chant camp every summer. She hopes that the canticle camp will spark interest in the parish's Laudate Youth Choir and the Pueri Cordis Jesu schola.

The parish's choir directors also support these chant-based initiatives.

Hannah Bingham, a trained music educator and recent convert, told CNA that she will be directing three singing ensemble options for the Laudate Youth Choir, grouped according to age from 8 to adulthood.

"It's open to any youth in the area who want to use their voice to glorify God," she said, referring to nearby parishes where youth choirs haven't been established. "We want to expose them to Masses at different parishes. We hope for a unifying and uplifting experience, not only spiritually but also building friendships and community."

University of Michigan music major Lucia Skrobola will lead Puer Cordis Jesu, a schola choir for ages 8 to 18 focusing on Gregorian chant and Latin polyphonic hymns for the Mass in the extraordinary form at the parish. She said participants will sing at Mass monthly and at festivals.

"Gregorian chant is the prayer of the Mass. I've come to realize how beautiful it is and that it brings out the reverence of the liturgy in a way other music does not," she said.

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CNA Staff, Aug 16, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

President Donald Trump has vowed to do "everything [he] can" to "save" imprisoned Catholic activist Jimmy Lai, promising to "see what we can do" to help the longtime human rights advocate who has languished in jail for years.

Trump made the remarks during a radio interview with Fox News this week, stating that he has "already brought it up" in government circles.

The U.S. president's vow comes as Lai, imprisoned by Chinese Communist Party authorities since 2020, is nearing the end of a lengthy national security trial in Hong Kong.

Closing arguments in the trial were postponed repeatedly this week amid inclement weather and medical concerns regarding Lai. The 77-year-old has reportedly experienced heart troubles while imprisoned.

A longtime free speech activist and human rights advocate, Lai — who converted to Catholicism in 1997 and who has spoken publicly about his faith on numerous occasions — was first arrested just over five years ago, in August 2020, on charges related to China's then-new national security law.

The government has handed down multiple jail sentences to Lai since then on other charges related to unlawful assemblies and fraud. Delayed for years, his national security trial commenced in December 2023.

Lai's supporters and advocates have suggested that the outcome of the trial is likely foregone. Father Robert Sirico, a Catholic priest and the founder of the Michigan-based Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, told CNA at the start of Lai's security trial that he had little hope that the Chinese government would allow Lai to walk free.

"When was the last time you saw a totalitarian government put someone through their court system and have them come out innocent?" he said.

Sirico echoed those fears in an essay at the Free Press this week, describing the trial as fully "subject to Chinese control."

"There is no jury. The three judges were handpicked by Hong Kong's chief executive, who is under the thumb of the CCP. These judges hold Lai's fate in their hands," the priest wrote.

Amid his ongoing imprisonment and trial, Lai has drawn international support. A congressional commission in 2023 urged the U.S. government to sanction Hong Kong prosecutors and judges if they failed to release the activist. That same year, a coalition of international human rights groups called for efforts to secure his release. Catholic leaders around the world have likewise called for his release.

Earlier this year he was awarded the Bradley Prize for being an "inspiration to all who value freedom." The Catholic University of America last year featured his artwork on its campus. A bill in the U.S. Congress even proposes renaming a Washington, D.C., street "Jimmy Lai Way."

How much the U.S. government could ultimately do to help Lai is unclear. Ahead of his reelection last year, Trump promised to get Lai out of jail, though this week he appeared to walk back that assurance.

"I didn't say 100% I'd save him. I said 100% I'm going to be bringing it up," he told Fox radio host Brian Kilmeade.

Still, Trump said, "[Lai's] name has already entered the circle of things that we're talking about." Trump further praised Lai's son, Sebastian, for his efforts to free his father.

Sirico, meanwhile, this week wrote that Lai in his yearslong imprisonment "reminds us what it looks like to live without fear. To speak without permission. To suffer for the truth."

"He reminds us, in other words, of what it means to be free," the priest said.

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Rome Newsroom, Aug 16, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Saturday, Aug. 16, marks Pope Leo XIV's 100th day as pope. Since his May 8 election as the first pope born and raised in the United States, the 69-year-old Chicago native has already left his mark on a jubilee year filled with papal liturgies and a surge in pilgrim enthusiasm.

Here are some of the highlights of the first 100 days of the new Holy Father:

Papal jubilee: Pope Leo offers 16 public Masses in 14 weeks

Pope Leo XIV began his papacy in the heart of the Church's 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, and he made the most of this opportunity to interact with Catholic pilgrims from across the globe by offering many Masses with the public.

Leo XIV offered 16 large public Masses in just 14 weeks — an average of more than one per week — including seven Masses in June alone. The pace marks a significant shift from the final years of Pope Francis' pontificate when the aging pope was unable to offer Mass himself at the altar. Francis was present at only four Masses with the public in the same time period last year.

The papal Masses have drawn large crowds and significant attention, beginning with his first inaugural Mass, which brought 200 foreign delegations — including heads of state and royalty — to the Vatican. Since then, Leo has celebrated liturgies for the jubilees of Families, Priests, and Youth as well as on major solemnities and feasts including Pentecost, Corpus Christi, the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy Trinity, Sts. Peter and Paul, and Mary, Mother of the Church.

Leo XIV is the first pope elected during a jubilee year since 1700.

A singing pope 

One of Pope Leo's most unexpected moments came during his first Regina Caeli address, when he stunned a crowd of 200,000 in St. Peter's Square by singing the Marian hymn rather than reciting it in Latin like his recent predecessors. Since then, he has continued chanting during liturgies and leading crowds in sung versions of the Our Father in Latin.

The move inspired the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music to launch "Let's Sing with the Pope," an online series aimed at making Gregorian chant more accessible.

First American pope on White Sox stadium jumbotron 

In June, the first pope born and raised in the United States appeared on the jumbotron at a gathering of American Catholics at Chicago's Rate Field — home of his beloved White Sox. In a video message delivered entirely in English, Pope Leo urged young people to be "beacons of hope" and invited all to see that "God is reaching out to you, calling you, inviting you to know his son, Jesus Christ."

It was the pope's first direct address to his hometown since his election and one of the earliest papal speeches given entirely in English.

The new pope's love of sports has led to some memorable moments. He blessed 159 cyclists as they passed through Vatican City in the final leg of the Giro d'Italia.  

A self-described "amateur tennis player," Pope Leo XIV joked with tennis star Jannik Sinner, ranked the world's No. 1, whether his white cassock would meet Wimbledon's requirement for all white attire.

The pope has also been gifted White Sox and Bears jerseys and has signed baseballs for enthusiastic pilgrims. 

A voice for peace in Gaza and Ukraine 

Pope Leo XIV's first words were "Peace be with you all," recalling the first greeting of the risen Christ recorded in Scripture. As wars continued and at times intensified during Pope Leo's first months, the pope has continued to be a voice for peace.

In June, after U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Pope Leo urged world leaders "to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss." Following an Israeli strike that killed three people at Gaza's only Catholic church in July, he appealed for "a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and full respect for humanitarian law."

"Today more than ever, humanity cries out and pleads for peace," the pope said during an Angelus from the window of the Apostolic Palace.

Leo also met with bishops and pilgrims from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Castel Gandolfo in July, where the two discussed the urgency of "just and lasting paths of peace," according to the Vatican.

Leo carries the Eucharist through the streets of Rome 

Pope Leo personally carried the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Rome during a Corpus Christi procession from the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.  

"Together, as shepherds and flock, we will feed on the Blessed Sacrament, adore him, and carry him through the streets," he said. "In doing so, we will present him before the eyes, the consciences, and the hearts of the people."

More than 20,000 people turned out for Leo XIV's first Eucharistic procession as pope.

Return to Castel Gandolfo 

Pope Leo revived the papal tradition of spending summer days at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo. During his two-week stay in July, he led public Masses in local parishes, greeted pilgrims as he led the Angelus prayer in Liberty Square, and received visiting dignitaries. His stay marks the first papal summer retreat in the lakeside town since the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.

Pope Leo introduces the world to great quotes by St. Augustine  

A member of the Augustinian order, Pope Leo has quoted St. Augustine in nearly every one of his homilies as pope. In his first public words on May 8, he said: "I am an Augustinian, a son of St. Augustine, who once said, 'With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop.'" 

Addressing 1 million young people at the Jubilee of Youth in August, he quoted Augustine's "Confessions": "You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness… I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more." 

A focus on artificial intelligence 

Pope Leo has frequently spoken about artificial intelligence (AI), which is already shaping up to be a topic of interest in his pontificate with many hoping that he will address it in an encyclical.

Early on in his pontificate, Leo drew parallels between his namesake Pope Leo XIII, who responded to the industrial revolution with Rerum Novarum, and today's digital revolution, explaining that the rise of AI poses "new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor."

"Humanity is at a crossroads, facing the immense potential generated by the digital revolution driven by artificial intelligence," he warned in a message to the Geneva-based AI for Good Summit. "The impact of this revolution is far-reaching, transforming areas such as education, work, art, health care, governance, the military, and communication."

The Vatican website received a revamp shortly after Leo's election, and insiders noted Leo's relatively tech-savvy background, including a personal Twitter account prior to his papacy. 

The pope also expressed concern in a speech to another AI conference about the negative effects that AI can have on the "intellectual and neurological development" of rising generations and the "loss of the sense of the human" that societies are experiencing. 

Leo declares a new doctor of the Church 

In one of his most significant theological gestures, Pope Leo named St. John Henry Newman, a 19th-century English convert from Anglicanism, a doctor of the Church — a rare title given to just 37 other saints. The title is granted in recognition of an already canonized saint's significant contribution to advancing the Church's knowledge of doctrine, theology, or spirituality.?

Leo also approved the upcoming canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati in September as the first saints of his pontificate. He greenlit seven additional causes for canonization, including that of Blessed Bartolo Longo, a former satanist turned founder of the Marian shrine in Pompeii.

Carrying the cross before a million young people at the Jubilee of Youth 

Pope Leo addressed the largest crowd of his papacy to date at the Jubilee of Youth, where an estimated 1 million young adults camped out in fields in Tor Vergata, southeast of Rome. 

He surprised them by walking through the crowd to the stage, personally carrying the jubilee cross. During the evening vigil, he answered youth questions in English, Italian, and Spanish, offering reflections on loneliness, discernment, and friendship with Christ.

After Eucharistic adoration, chants of "Papa Leone!" echoed long into the night. Leo stayed past 10 p.m. — well beyond the scheduled end. 

Earlier in the week, he made a surprise appearance at the opening Mass, joyfully proclaiming in English: "Jesus tells us: You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world!" and the crowd erupted in cheers.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 16, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has made numerous memorable remarks during the first 100 days of his pontificate (May 8 to Aug. 16). Below are some of the most notable.

The peace that comes from Christ

1. "It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally" (First greeting after being elected).

2. "In a divided and troubled world, the Holy Spirit teaches us to walk together in unity" (Vigil of Pentecost).

3. "Today more than ever, humanity cries out and calls for peace. This is a cry that requires responsibility and reason, and it must not be drowned out by the din of weapons or the rhetoric that incites conflict" (Angelus on the solemnity of Corpus Christi).

The evangelizing mission

4. "These are contexts where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised, or at best tolerated and pitied. Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed. A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family, and so many other wounds that afflict our society" (Homily at Mass with cardinals).

5. "Take courage! Without fear! Many times in the Gospel Jesus says: 'Do not be afraid.' We need to be courageous in the witness we give, with the world and above all with life: giving life, serving, sometimes with great sacrifices in order to live out this very mission" (Homily in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica).

6. "Evangelization, dear brothers and sisters, is not our attempt to conquer the world but the infinite grace that radiates from lives transformed by the kingdom of God" (Vigil of Pentecost).

7. "This dimension of our Christian life and mission is close to my heart and is reflected in the words of St. Augustine that I chose for my episcopal service and now for my papal ministry: 'In Illo uno unum.' Christ is our savior and in him we are one, a family of God, beyond the rich variety of our languages, cultures, and experiences" (Address to the Pontifical Mission Societies).

God's merciful love

8. "God loves us, God loves all, and evil will not prevail. We are all in God's hands. Therefore, without fear, united, holding hands with God and with each other, let us move forward" (First greeting after being elected).

9. "For if we remain in his love, he comes to dwell in us and our life will become a temple of God. His love enlightens us, influences the way we think and act, spreads outwards to others and embraces every situation in our lives" (Regina Caeli, May 25).

10. "God's joy is not loud, but it truly changes history and brings us closer to one another" (Mass for priestly ordinations).

11. "The risen Jesus shows us his wounds and, although they are a sign of humanity's rejection, he forgives us and sends us on our way" (Mass for priestly ordinations).

12. "The Father does not love us any less than he loves his only-begotten Son. In other words, with an infinite love. God does not love less, because he loves first, from the very beginning!" (Mass for the Jubilee of Families).

13. "To believe in him and to be his disciples means allowing ourselves to be changed and to take on his same feelings. It means learning to have a heart that is moved, eyes that see and do not look away, hands that help others and soothe their wounds, shoulders that bear the burden of those in need" (Mass at Castel Gandolfo).

14. "Brothers and sisters, today we need this 'revolution of love'" (Mass at Castel Gandolfo).

15.  "God's love is so great that Jesus does not keep even his mother for himself, giving Mary to us as our mother, in the hour of the cross" (Homily at Castel Gandolfo with the Italian Carabinieri).

16. "If we deny the love that has generated us, if by betraying we become unfaithful to ourselves, then we truly lose the meaning of our coming into the world, and we exclude ourselves from salvation. And yet, precisely there, at the darkest point, the light is not extinguished. On the contrary, it starts to shine. Because if we recognize our limit, if we let ourselves be touched by the pain of Christ, then we can finally be born again" (Catechesis on betrayal).

17.  "Faith does not spare us from the possibility of sin, but it always offers us a way out of it: that of mercy" (Catechesis on betrayal).

18. "Jesus is not scandalized by our fragility. He knows well that no friendship is immune from the risk of betrayal. But Jesus continues to trust. He continues to sit at the table with his followers. He does not give up breaking bread, even for those who will betray him. This is the silent power of God: He never abandons the table of love, even when he knows he will be left alone" (Catechesis on betrayal).

The family

19. "One of the most wonderful expressions of the love of God is the love that is poured out by mothers, especially to their children and grandchildren" (Homily in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica).

20. "And you, dear children, show gratitude to your parents: Saying 'thank you' each day for the gift of life and for all that comes with it is the first way to honor your father and your mother" (Mass for the Jubilee of Families).

21. "In the family, faith is handed on together with life, generation after generation. It is shared like food at the family table and like the love in our hearts. In this way, families become privileged places in which to encounter Jesus, who loves us and desires our good, always" (Mass for the Jubilee of Families).

22. "Our affection for our loved ones — for the wife or husband with whom we have spent so much of our lives, for our children, for our grandchildren who brighten our days — does not fade when our strength wanes. Indeed, their own affection often revives our energy and brings us hope and comfort" (Message for the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly).

23. "It is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies. This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman" (Audience with the diplomatic corps).

The grace of the Holy Spirit

24. "The Holy Spirit comes to challenge us, to make us confront the possibility that our lives are shriveling up, trapped in the vortex of individualism" (Mass on the solemnity of Pentecost).

25. "The Spirit of God allows us to find a new way of approaching and experiencing life. He puts us in touch with our inmost self, beneath all the masks we wear. He leads us to an encounter with the Lord by teaching us to experience the joy that is his gift" (Mass on the solemnity of Pentecost).

Christ the Eucharist and the Church

26. "All the fruitfulness of the Church and of the Holy See depends on the cross of Christ. Otherwise, it is only appearance, if not worse" (Homily on the Jubilee of the Holy See).

27. "Christ is God's answer to our human hunger, because his body is the bread of eternal life: Take this and eat of it, all of you!" (Homily on the solemnity of Corpus Christi).

28. "When we partake of Jesus, the living and true bread, we live for him. By offering himself completely, the crucified and risen Lord delivers himself into our hands, and we realize that we were made to partake of God" (Homily on the solemnity of Corpus Christi).

29. "The life of the Church and of the world, indeed, can only be understood in the succession of generations, and embracing an elderly person helps us understand that history is not exhausted in the present, nor is it consummated amid fleeting encounters and fragmentary relationships, but rather opens the way toward the future" (Message for the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly).

30. "Unity in the Church and among the Churches, dear sisters and brothers, is fostered by forgiveness and mutual trust" (Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul).

The priesthood

31. "The priestly ministry is one of sanctification and reconciliation for the building up of the body of Christ in unity" (Jubilee for Priests).

32. "All too often, today's world offers models of success and prestige that are dubious and short-lived. Do not let yourselves be taken in by them! Look rather to the solid example and apostolic fruitfulness, frequently hidden and unassuming, of those who, with faith and dedication, have spent their lives in service of the Lord and their brothers and sisters. Keep their memory alive by your own example of fidelity" (Jubilee for Priests).

33. "Let us make an effort, then, to turn our differences into a workshop of unity and communion, of fraternity and reconciliation, so that everyone in the Church, each with his or her personal history, may learn to walk side by side" (Mass and blessing of the pallium of the new archbishops).

34. "We should pray for the conversion of the many people, inside and outside the Church, who do not yet recognize the urgent need to care for our common home" (Mass for the Care of Creation).

35. "While it is important that we live our faith in concrete actions and fidelity to our duties, according to each individual's state and vocation, it is also essential that we do so by starting from meditation on the word of God and by paying attention to what the Spirit suggests to our hearts, reserving, for this purpose, moments of silence, moments of prayer, times in which, silencing noise and distractions, we place ourselves before him and achieve unity within ourselves" (Mass at Albano).

Young people

36. "Dear young people, Jesus is our hope ... Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less. You will then see the light of the Gospel growing every day, in you and around you" (Mass for the Jubilee of Young People).

37. "And to young people, I say: 'Do not be afraid! Accept the invitation of the Church and of Christ the Lord!'" (The pope's first Regina Caeli).

38. "You are the salt of the earth … You are the light of the world. And today your voices, your enthusiasm, your cries — which are all for Jesus Christ — will be heard to the ends of the earth" (Words of the pope at the inauguration Mass of the Jubilee of Young People).

Hope

39. "Amid life's trials, our hope is inspired by the firm and reassuring certainty of God's love, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. That hope does not disappoint" (Message from the World Day of the Poor).

40. "By recognizing that God is our first and only hope, we too pass from fleeting hopes to a lasting hope. Once we desire that God accompany us on the journey of life, material wealth becomes relativized, for we discover the real treasure that we need" (Message from the World Day of the Poor).

41. "In a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope. Their courage and tenacity bear heroic testimony to a faith that sees beyond what our eyes can see and gives them the strength to defy death on the various contemporary migration routes" (World Day of Migrants Message).

Self-giving and love of neighbor

42. "The practice of worship does not automatically lead to being compassionate" (Catechesis at the general audience).

43. "Let us ask the Lord for the gift of understanding where our life is stuck. Let us try to give voice to our desire to be healed" (Catechesis on the healing of the paralytic).

44. "Every gesture of willingness, every gratuitous act, every forgiveness given in advance, every effort patiently accepted, is a way to prepare a place where God can dwell" (Catechesis on the preparation of the Passover meal).

45. "Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism. Center yourselves on Christ, so as to overcome the logic of the world, of fake news, of frivolity, with the beauty and light of truth" (Jubilee of Digital Influencers and Missionaries).

The meaning of life

46. "A very widespread ailment of our time is the fatigue of living: Reality seems to us to be too complex, burdensome, difficult to face. And so we switch off, we fall asleep, in the delusion that, upon waking, things will be different. But reality has to be faced, and together with Jesus, we can do it well" (Catechesis on the woman with hemorrhages and Jairus' daughter).

47. "It is very important to listen to the voice of the Lord, to listen to it, in this dialogue, and to see where the Lord is calling us towards" (Homily in the Crypt of St. Peter's Basilica).

48. "At the root of every vocation, God is present, in his mercy and his goodness, as generous as that of a mother" (Homily at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls).

49. "The fullness of our existence does not depend on what we store up or, as we heard in the Gospel, on what we possess. Rather, fullness has to do with what we joyfully welcome and share" (Mass for the Jubilee of Young People).

50. "I am an Augustinian, a son of St. Augustine, who once said: 'With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop.' In this sense, all of us can journey together toward the homeland that God has prepared for us" (First greeting after being elected).

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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