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CNA Staff, Jul 25, 2025 / 15:23 pm (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Baltimore will host a gun buyback event for the third year in a row, urging citizens to surrender their guns for cash as the city continues to see declining gun crime rates.

The archdiocese hosted successful gun buyback events in 2023 and 2024. The program raised tens of thousands of dollars each year to help finance the purchasing of guns.

The archdiocese says on its website that the event will take place Aug. 9 in the southwestern part of the city. The Baltimore City Police Department, St. Joseph's Monastery Parish, and the Health by Southwest coalition will join the archdiocese in supporting the buyback.

The 2023 program netted nearly 160 handguns as well as shotguns and rifles. Handguns and long guns were purchased for $200 apiece, while assault weapons were bought for $300. All of the purchased firearms were destroyed. Last year's event, meanwhile, collected nearly 300 guns.

Father Mike Murphy, the pastor of St. Joseph Monastery as well as of Our Lady of Victory in Arbutus, told CNA this week that organizers have raised roughly $60,000 so far this year, about the same as last year. The first year the effort raised about $40,000.

"We have cultivated a group of wonderful supporters over the years," he said. "I anticipate a bit more leading up to the day of the buyback."

The latest buyback comes as crime has been dropping rapidly in Baltimore, including gun crime.

The city has long struggled with a violent crime rate significantly higher than the national average. From 2015–2022 the city recorded more than 300 homicides annually, including 348 in 2019, which nearly equaled the record of 353 set in 1993.

Earlier this year in the city the Sisters of Bon Secours launched a citywide campaign against gun violence, one featuring ads inside and outside of city buses and in subway transit stations urging residents to "put the guns down" and "let peace begin with us."

In a press release earlier this month, meanwhile, the Baltimore Police Department said it has recorded "double-digit reductions in gun violence" in the city throughout 2025.

That decline includes a 22% decrease in homicides and a 19% reduction in nonfatal shootings. By this time last year, the police department said, there were 88 gun killings, compared with 68 so far this year.

"Baltimore is a safer city today, and I'm proud of the dedication shown by our officers, community members, and all of our partners in working together towards that goal," Police Commissioner Richard Worley said in the release.

Murphy, meanwhile, told CNA he thinks the drop in homicides is "due to a few factors, of which I hope we played some part in."

The priest said the effort to bring down crime has been citywide.

"Mayor [Brandon] Scott has worked hard on this issue [as have] others in the city," he said. "It is, I think, all of us doing our part that helps real change to come about."

"And we cannot stop these efforts," he added. "The city, groups, churches, and neighborhoods [all] have to work together to stop the senseless loss and disrespect of life."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 25, 2025 / 10:10 am (CNA).

An armed group in Colombia pledged to hand over for destruction 13.5 tons of weapons to the Colombian government after reaching an agreement facilitated by the Catholic Church.

The agreement, known as Accord No. 12, was signed July 19 following talks between the government and the armed group known as the National Coordinator of the Bolivarian Army (CNEB, by its Spanish acronym) held in the Inda Zabaleta Indigenous Reserve in the town of Tumaco.

Representatives of President Gustavo Petro's government and the CNEB, as well as the bishops' delegate for church-state relations, Monsignor Héctor Fabio Henao, were present at the meeting.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, Henao explained that the Church representatives "are permanent facilitators at the [negotiating] table, along with the United Nations."

"Our role is to connect the territories," Henao said. "We have invited both the diocesan administrator of the Diocese of Tumaco and the priest delegate in the Putumayo administrative district to participate."

During the talks, the Church helped the negotiators convey "the concerns of the communities" suffering from the armed conflict, who want a guaranteed "level of stability" in the region.

"It's a very complex issue … very difficult to resolve because a high level of trust is always required," Henao said.

He said that to build trust, the armed group "agreed … to take the first step: the destruction of these 13 tons of ammunition and devices."

According to the Colombian presidency, the armed group will hand over 9 tons located in the Nariño district bordering Ecuador and 4.5 tons in Putumayo, a district that also borders Ecuador and Peru.

Local communities will be notified about the process so they are aware that controlled detonations will take place.

The National Coordinator of the Bolivarian Army, which is made up of approximately 2,000 people, was part of the Second Marquetalia, one of the armed groups known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which rejected the Peace Agreement signed with the Colombian government in 2016.

The Petro administration held peace talks with the Second Marquetalia, but dialogue broke down at the end of 2024. However, two groups chose to disassociate themselves from the organization and continue negotiations under the name of the National Coordinator of the Bolivarian Army.

State presence is needed

During the ACI Prensa interview, Henao explained that in Colombia, as in other parts of the world, a phenomenon called "the fragmentation of conflicts" is occurring.

"This fragmentation occurs through the emergence of new groups or the division of existing groups" that control territory as well as illicit economies in Colombia. 

The bishops' representative said that law enforcement must establish itself as a "state presence" in areas where peace agreements have been reached to "fill the space where illegal actors were present."

Henao said that "one of the backbones of this entire process must be the implementation of the 2016 agreements signed with the FARC, because there was no adequate and efficient state takeover of the territories where the FARC was present, so new groups emerged."

Therefore, he said, the state must "establish full democratic governance, which also guarantees the exercise of citizens' rights and freedoms."

In its 2025 Humanitarian Situation Report published in June, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs indicated that from January to April of this year, "the impact of the armed conflict remains alarming, with more than 953,300 people affected (7,900 daily and more than 238,000 per month)."

The document warns that "this number is four times higher than that recorded in the same period in 2024."

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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ACI Africa, Jul 25, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Over 200 young people from Tanzania are traveling to Rome as pilgrims to the Jubilee of Youth, an event that is part of the ongoing 2025 Jubilee Year. It is a huge number, coming from Africa, where denied visa applications have blocked many youth from participating in the global July 28 to Aug. 3 event.

Father Liston Lukoo, head of the Youth Department of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), told ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, that excitement is high among those set to travel to Rome for the event. 

For many, this is the first time they are setting foot outside their native country, he said. But their biggest anticipation is to visit the Vatican, and if fortunate, shake hands with the new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV.

Asked to describe the mood of those participating in the Vatican pilgrimage, Lukoo said: "Everyone is extremely excited."

"This is the first time many of these young people are going outside the country," Lukoo said. "And as you can imagine, going to the Vatican is another story for them. Their biggest excitement, however, is going to shake the hand of the Holy Father Pope Leo XIV."

The Tanzanian priest gave credit to the Catholic bishops in the East African nation for their mobilization efforts that saw a huge number of young people express their interest to travel to the Vatican for the Jubilee of Youth.

He said that once the event was announced in the TEC plenary assembly, each bishop returned to his diocese and embarked on mobilizing the youth.

Those linked with TEC alone are 54 pilgrims. But other Tanzanian pilgrims have registered to participate through Church groups, individual dioceses and parishes, and even Catholic institutions of learning.

Lukoo is sure that those traveling could exceed 200 — "perhaps 350," he told ACI Africa.

"We thank God that this year we have a very big number. These 54 [are] just a group, which has been organized by the TEC as a reference point. But we have also a group of about 30 young people traveling from the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam. We have a group of about 27 volunteers traveling," the head of the TEC's Youth Department said.

He added: "There is also a group of about 80 youths representing a lay group. I am told that we have a group of about 10 young people from the Archdiocese of Tabora also traveling to Rome and many other people registered in various parts of Tanzania."

Lukoo also spoke about various institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life in Tanzania who he said are making their own travel arrangements for their member pilgrims.

"We know of one Catholic school here that is sending 22 of its learners to represent the rest," he said. "All this representation is why I confidently say that there could be over 300 young people traveling from Tanzania for the pilgrimage."

On how the pilgrimage is funded, Lukoo said: "This has been more of an individual arrangement. But we also have dioceses and parishes that have done fundraising for their participants. The TEC youth office has also fully funded seven people for the pilgrimage."

At Dar es Salaam-based TEC, preparation for the Jubilee of Youth in Rome has involved virtual meetings to pray for the success of the pilgrimage and to also get everything ready for participation, including travel documents.

Communication with the participants has been the biggest challenge for the TEC youth coordination office, Lukoo told ACI Africa, and explained: "It has been very difficult for us to pass messages owing to the complexities of our vast country."

"Coordination was extremely difficult and sometimes we had to send messages over and over to get people to know what had to be done," he recalled, adding that the other challenge had to do with finances. Many young people struggled to pay for the trip.

"Some of the participants could not meet the financial demand until the last minute. This has been a very big problem for us because we couldn't get things going until the last person had paid for the trip," he said.

Lukoo went on to thank the Italian embassy in Tanzania for being "extremely supportive" to TEC and for ensuring that every young person who did his or her part went through the visa application successfully.

"We have had no single problem with the Italian embassy. Everyone who met their end of the deal has gotten their visas," he said. "The only problem was that the embassy was overwhelmed by our large numbers. Over 200 interviews is not a joke. The embassy has organized interviews with our young people to this day [July 23] and we hope that this last lot will get their visas tomorrow."

The biggest support to the young pilgrims, however, came from TEC, which provided technical and moral support to the participants.

The young pilgrims, Lukoo said, needed help in getting these documents to the relevant Vatican offices, in acquiring invitation letters, and all other visa application requirements.

TEC has also been journeying with the group spiritually. Lukoo said that some of those traveling, especially from the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, will have Mass on Friday, July 25, ahead of their departure for Rome on the same day.

"A large group from TEC will also accompany us to the airport and wave a hand of farewell and a safe journey to us," the priest said.

He told ACI Africa that the entire group of 54 pilgrims from TEC will board one plane. "There will also be other groups on this plane," he said. "It will be exciting to have a plane full of these Tanzanians, more than 100 of them."

According to the official Jubilee of Youth website, several key activities have been confirmed. On Tuesday, July 29, at 6 p.m. local time, a welcome Mass is to be celebrated in St. Peter's Square.

In the following days, Rome will host numerous cultural, artistic, and spiritual initiatives that are distributed throughout the capital city of Italy under the title "Dialogues with the City."

Friday, Aug. 1, has been reserved as a Penitential Day, to be celebrated in the Circus Maximus, where pilgrims are to be able to receive the sacrament of penance.

On Saturday, Aug. 2, pilgrims are to move to Tor Vergata. And finally, on Sunday, Aug. 3, Pope Leo XIV is to preside over Mass at 9:30 a.m. before bidding farewell to the young pilgrims who are to return to their respective countries.

In the July 23 interview, Lukoo told ACI Africa that for young Tanzanians unable to participate in the Jubilee of Youth in Rome in person, the TEC Youth Department he heads has organized a series of congresses that they would benefit from locally.

Between June 7–12, the youth congress brought together 1,289 high school students who gathered in Tanzania's Diocese of Shinyanga.

The next youth congress, scheduled for Aug. 19–24, is expected to bring together over 3,000 Young Catholic Workers in Tanzania who will gather in the country's Archdiocese of Mbeya.

Thereafter will be the Dec. 26–31 congress, during which Catholic university students are to come together in Tanzania's Diocese of Iringa.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA. 

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 24, 2025 / 17:53 pm (CNA).

This week the White House released its plan for artificial intelligence (AI) in the United States, which aims "to achieve global dominance in AI" and promote "human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security for the American people." 

The plan comes as Catholic leaders continue to urge developers to exercise caution when growing and refining the new technology.

The government's "Winning the AI Race: America's AI Action Plan" identifies more than 90 federal policy actions within the categories of "accelerating innovation, building American AI infrastructure, and leading in international diplomacy and security."

The White House announcement laid out the key policies the AI plan will focus on, including sharing technology with allies around the world, developing data centers, and stripping away red tape around AI development.

The government will also focus on "updating federal procurement guidelines to ensure that the government only contracts with frontier large language model developers who ensure that their systems are objective and free from top-down ideological bias."

Catholic perspective on AI

Charles Camosy, an author and professor of moral theology and bioethics at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News this week that people need to be "extremely, extremely careful" when using AI, particularly as it continues to advance in the U.S. and abroad. 

Camosy told "EWTN News In Depth" that "we have to create a culture that shapes AI to serve human beings, not the other way around."

In the midst of AI expanding, Camosy said he is "100%" sure that Pope Leo XIV is aware of the dangers that come with it. Camosy said addressing AI could be the "most ambitious and enduring project" of the pope's legacy.

At the Vatican in June, Pope Leo said that AI "will certainly be of great help to society, provided that its employment does not undermine the identity and dignity of the human person and his or her fundamental freedoms."

The pope added: "It must not be forgotten that artificial intelligence functions as a tool for the good of human beings, not to diminish them, not to replace them."

"He took the name [Leo XIV] to connect himself to Leo XIII, who himself was dealing with the industrial revolution of the late 19th century," Camosy said. 

"So he's imagined himself in a situation where he's saying, 'We're undergoing right now a similar technological change that is going to totally transform the culture. How do we respond?'"

"The Church is certainly not going to be able to control AI," Camosy said. But, he said, Leo XIV will be able to draw from what Leo XIII articulated during the industrial revolution to say "it's important to have developments of technology, but workers have rights."

If AI's presence does become too large within the work realm, Camosy said, "we won't even think of ourselves as people who need to work or want to work. But as so many popes have said over the years, through Catholic social teaching, work is an integral part of the human experience."

"It's how we mirror, in some ways, God's creative work. And how we reflect God's image in precisely that way."

Camosy also highlighted the risks of AI chatbots, which he said can be "super dangerous" because sometimes "people can't tell the difference often when they're talking to a human being or a chatbot. And to the extent that we have any sort of confusion about that, that's really super worrisome."

"We are flesh and blood, made in the image and likeness of God with a soul that reflects a relationship that can't possibly be present in a chatbot," Camosy said.

Humans must be careful with AI and chatbots because they can "absolutely" be a source of evil, especially as they can cause "horrible delusions" to some users. 

"We don't have to go into some sort of metaphysical understanding of the relationship between the demonic and chatbots to say, 'Of course it can be a portal for evil.'" 

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has also urged the importance of AI upholding human dignity as it progresses. 

"AI is a tool that, when informed by sound moral principles, can help overcome many of life's obstacles and improve the human condition," the bishops told Congress earlier this year.

"But this technology should supplement what human beings do, not replace them or their moral judgments."

"As pastors entrusted with the care of human life and dignity, we urge lawmakers to heed the call of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, to help ensure that AI is developed with responsibility and discernment so that it may truly benefit every person," the bishops said. 

With the technology progressing at a rapid rate, Camosy said: "Thank God we have the Holy Father we do."

The Catholic Church, he said, "may be the sole countercultural voice speaking out against some of these trends."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 24, 2025 / 18:13 pm (CNA).

"Thanks be to God more people weren't harmed," said Father Gabriel Romanelli in an exclusive interview with EWTN on July 24 in the wake of the July 17 bombing of his parish, Holy Family Church in Gaza, which left three dead and 15 wounded, including himself. 

"It was a shocking experience," Romanelli told "EWTN Noticias" in the Spanish-language interview, noting that while the parish grounds were struck toward the beginning of the war in December 2023, last week's attack marked the first time the church itself was hit. The front of the church was hit in a strike that Israeli officials have said was an accident. 

"That iconic cross you've seen — it's about 2 meters [6.5 feet] tall — was heavily damaged," the priest said of the crucifix fixed atop the church structure. "Shrapnel flew in all directions," he recounted. 

"The area is quite small, and while we hear bombings daily and metal fragments often fall, there hadn't been such a severe incident since the war began," Romanelli continued, adding: "The recent strike has left a deep mark."

Romanelli sustained an injury to his leg during the strike, which he shared is healing despite "a minor infection." Of the others injured, Romanelli revealed only two are now no longer in life-threatening condition: one who suffered a punctured leg and another who sustained internal organ damage.

Life inside the walls of Gaza's only Catholic parish

In the 17 days leading up to the strike on Holy Family, Romanelli described an atmosphere of "intense military activity and heavy bombardment." Amid it all, he said, those living in the parish strive to "keep some semblance of a routine." 

Every morning, the priest shared, the residents at Holy Family begin each day at 7 a.m. with silent adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament. "The children and youth participate in their own way — writing prayers or meditating," he said. "It's a miracle they are able to pray for peace amid the chaos." Morning prayers in Arabic and a Eucharistic blessing follow.

Due to recent escalation, the parish has had to suspend many of its activities, which included games, youth meetings, and educational programs. "Shrapnel was falling so frequently that we couldn't risk anyone being in the central courtyard, although it's small," Romanelli said. 

Holy Family Parish grounds include two homes run by the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa, as well as the residences of the priests and sisters from the Institute of the Incarnate Word, a kindergarten and its oratory, a middle school, and an elementary school. 

Romanelli explained that the classrooms have been converted into living spaces, where about 500 mostly Christian refugees now live. "The few Muslims staying with us are terminally ill or disabled individuals cared for by the sisters," he said. 

While the grounds provide much-needed shelter, Romanelli said the lack of access to proper sanitation or running water in addition to Gaza's 100-plus-degree weather has made keeping children inside the classrooms, which are inhabited by 10-12 people each, "nearly impossible." Prior to the escalations, nighttime soccer and basketball games were a staple among the children before prayers. 

While families mostly "fend for themselves" amid the widespread food shortage plaguing the region, the parish cooks for everyone twice per week. The parish relies mainly on solar panels, and the task of purifying water remains ongoing. 

Amid the disruption of daily life caused by the recent strike, Romanelli said religious formation for young people continues, "albeit modestly." He noted the parish sometimes shows religious films, depending on power availability. Tomorrow, they will watch "the life of St. Rafqa, a Lebanese saint."

When asked whether the parish could face closure under the current circumstances, Romanelli said: "Where would we go? The Christians here continue to say: 'We'll stay with Jesus.'" 

"No one has considered leaving," he added. "They've known from the start there is nowhere else to go. Danger is everywhere, not just in designated 'danger zones.'" 

Church's critical role in supplying aid, hope among Gazans 

Catholic agencies alongside other churches were able to provide humanitarian assistance to tens of thousands of families during the ceasefire five months ago. Since most of Gaza is currently under active military operations, "almost no aid has entered northern Gaza," Romanelli said. 

Caritas Jerusalem and Holy Family Parish have provided medical services to the wider community, operating two makeshift clinics. In total, Romanelli noted, the Church has 10 clinics across Gaza, one permanent and nine mobile. But the lack of supplies limits what they are able to do. 

"There is dire need, particularly for food and medicine," he emphasized. While some aid has been distributed across southern parts of Gaza, it has yet to reach Gaza City in the north, where the majority of the region's Christians are concentrated.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzabella, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, was able to enter the city following the strikes but was prevented from distributing aid. "He's doing all he can to bring relief," Romanelli said.

"We implore and beg that large-scale humanitarian assistance be allowed in," the priest said, adding: "Even though some trucks are looted at times, that cannot justify stopping all humanitarian assistance. The more aid comes in, the less likely theft becomes." 

A message to the international community

In his parting words, Romanelli called on the faithful and the international community to pray and to "speak the truth clearly and with fairness." With prayer and diplomacy, he said, peace can be possible. 

On a practical level, the priest encouraged those who wish to help to "channel their support through the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem," which has succeeded in bringing aid to the region in the past. 

"As we walk this way of the cross in Gaza, we cling to the hope that every via crucis ends with the empty tomb — with the Resurrection," Romanelli said. "Christ suffers now in the innocent. But one day, glory will shine through."

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CNA Staff, Jul 24, 2025 / 13:05 pm (CNA).

Archbishop José H. Gómez has announced a new initiative of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to support parishes in providing essential services to immigrant families affected by recent immigration enforcement policies. 

The archdiocese will partner with area businesses and philanthropists to administer the Family Assistance Program, which will ensure that "every dollar" will provide direct aid such as groceries, meals, and prescription deliveries to those in crisis.

"Many of our friends and family, our neighbors and fellow parishioners, are afraid and anxious," said Gómez, who unveiled the new program at a press conference at St. Patrick Church in South Los Angeles on July 23. "These are good, hardworking men and women, people of faith, people who have been in this country for a long time and are making important contributions to our economy who are now afraid to go to work or be seen in public for fear that they will get arrested and be deported." 

At the press conference, the archbishop said he is working with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to "find a practical, peaceful solution to the situation with the federal authorities."

Residents of the city have been on edge after weeks of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids by heavily armed agents at area businesses. A federal judge in Los Angeles temporarily blocked ICE's actions on July 11 after local business leaders and civil and immigrants' rights groups sued the Trump administration on July 2.

The Catholic Association for Latino Leadership (CALL) and Parishioners Federal Credit Union have donated funds to the archdiocesan initiative, along with Vallarta Supermarkets, a chain of grocery stores that specializes in Mexican food, which has pledged to donate grocery gift cards to the program.

"Never in my life did I think that I would see the day where Catholics are afraid to go to church, afraid to send their children to school," said Michael Molina, chair of CALL's board of directors, who announced the organization of local business leaders will make a $10,000 donation to the program. He also said the group will encourage its members to make individual donations.

"As Catholics, we are called to share God's mercy with those in need," Molina said. "We reiterate our commitment to live the teachings of the Gospels of love and compassion for our immigrant brothers and sisters."

Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate and businessman Rick Caruso donated $50,000 to the initiative and committed to matching additional donations up to $50,000 made through the archdiocese's website.

"I am proud to help support these families who work hard, pay taxes, and contribute to our economy," Caruso, a parishioner of St. Monica's Church in Santa Monica, said. "America is a nation of immigrants, which is why I am teaming up with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to provide direct support for families that are struggling financially."

The CEO of the Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company, David Socha, made a financial contribution and donated toys to comfort children affected by the Trump administration's enforcement actions.

"We can't forget the human aspect of these issues," Socha said. "No matter what side of this issue you are on, the children are some of the worst affected … We are glad to be able to bring them, and their loved ones, comfort and support."

Across Southern California, Catholic parishes have witnessed the impact of family separations, with parents detained and households left without income. Many immigrants fear leaving their homes, getting arrested, and being separated from their families.

The bishop of San Bernardino, California, Alberto Rojas, recently granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday for those with such fears.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 24, 2025 / 13:35 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Catholic bishops' 2024 Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa has awarded $2.6 million to support 96 pastoral projects across 32 African countries and multinational regions.

In a July 22 statement, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said the "boundless growth of the Catholic faith" throughout Africa "can challenge the Church as much as material poverty does."

The "gifts of American Catholics to the USCCB's Solidarity Fund" help preserve a "spirit of unity" within the universal Church, the bishops said.

Compared with the 2023 effort, funding has increased by $500,000, expanding grant projects by 28%. 

"The Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa makes it possible for African Catholics to carry out vital spiritual and social ministries," said Dubuque, Iowa, Archbishop Thomas Zinkula, chairman of the bishops' Subcommittee on the Church in Africa.

"The African Church gives generously to the U.S. Church as thousands of African priests serve in parishes of the United States," Zinkula pointed out. 

The Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa was created "as a concrete way for Catholics in the United States to express a spirit of unity with their brothers and sisters in Africa," the USCCB says.

The U.S. bishops "created the national collections so that, by combining resources, we can more effectively carry out our mission as Catholics."

The Solidarity Fund last year supported nearly 100 bishop-backed grants, funding projects such as peacebuilding in South Sudan, catechetical training in Zambia, and church administration workshops in Togo.

Also funded was intergenerational teaching in Malawi as well as climate advocacy in Eastern Africa, where parishes are becoming hubs for practical environmental action.

Supported by dioceses across the country, the faithful can contribute year-round through the #iGiveCatholicTogether collection program or participate in their parish's collection on a date scheduled by the local diocese.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 24, 2025 / 14:05 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia has expressed "sorrow" for and "prayerful solidarity" with the immigrant community as arrests continue to take place across the United States. 

"You are not alone," Perez wrote to U.S. immigrants in a July 23 pastoral letter. "The Church is a community of faith, and the divine person of Christ, who was forced to flee his homeland as a child, holds you in his compassionate arms."

Perez called for the support of immigrants as many "came to the United States seeking new opportunities far away from oppressive regimes," adding that their "presence and contributions to society through hard work and upright living are a blessing to our country and to our Church."

"Recent news reports detailing the arrest of immigrants throughout the country, including the Philadelphia region, have produced a great deal of fear and unleashed a broad range of other emotions," Perez wrote. "As the son of immigrants, I have found recent events particularly heartbreaking."

"I am witnessing your sorrow with great sadness and concern as are people of goodwill from all walks of life," he wrote.

"As Catholics, we believe our eternal homeland is heaven and that as citizens of earth, the dignity of every person means everyone should have a safe place to live, with the opportunity to work for a just wage," Perez continued. "No one should be forced to live in fear of unjust persecution."

The letter acknowledged the need for law enforcement while simultaneously calling for policies that uphold the dignity and respect of the American immigrant community.

"We recognize that our country is rightly safeguarded by law enforcement officials. They uphold the common good by protecting all of us from human trafficking, the exploitation of children, and any other criminal offense against human dignity," he wrote.

Perez added: "At the same time, we strongly advocate for immigration policies that guarantee the protection of life, liberty, and property of all those who call the United States of America home, natural born citizens and those working toward citizenship alike."

Since "there is no instant solution to the challenges pervading immigration policy," Perez said, he urged that parish communities "unite through prayer and social unity with the immigrant faithful under the leadership of parish pastors."

Perez asked for the intercession of the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph that "Our Lord bless our country with peace and inspire comprehensive immigration reform that respects the law and provides meaningful opportunities for all those who wish to call the United States of America their home."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 24, 2025 / 14:35 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

Pope Leo XIV meets Algerian president, discusses Church life and peacebuilding

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at the Vatican, where they discussed the state of the Catholic Church in Algeria and emphasized the importance of interfaith dialogue and cultural cooperation for global peace, reported ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner. 

Tebboune also met with top Vatican diplomats, including Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The visit coincided with an Algerian-Italian business forum in Rome aimed at strengthening economic ties through 30 new trade agreements. Tebboune and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced efforts to register sites linked to St. Augustine on UNESCO's World Heritage list, noting the shared heritage between the two Mediterranean nations.

Egyptian youth head to Rome for global Catholic encounter

Bishop Jean-Marie Shamie of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Egypt is leading 58 young Egyptian pilgrims to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth, part of the Vatican's holy year celebrations, according to ACI MENA.

He described the trip as a profound spiritual journey where youth can deepen their faith, experience the richness of the universal Church, and embrace their missionary role in a secularized world. Set to begin July 28, the Jubilee of Youth is expected to draw half a million young people to Rome. The Egyptian group will walk through the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica, visit important pilgrimage sites like Assisi and San Giovanni Rotondo, and pray with Pope Leo XIV in a candlelight vigil and final Mass. 

German priest sharply criticizes home diocese for LGBT activism 

Father Winfried Abel, a priest of the Diocese of Fulda in Germany, is denouncing his home diocese for participating in LGBT activism, stating in an open letter in German: "I no longer want to be a priest in this diocese!" according to a report from CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner, on Monday. 

Abel stated in the letter that in view of the diocese's position on LGBT issues, he would no longer call himself a priest of the diocese but a "priest of the Roman Catholic Church." He continued: "I am really deeply shocked that 'my' Catholic Church in this country, which I have served for 61 years, has become so unbalanced that even our bishops no longer know the difference between sexual, erotic, friendly, and divine love … but indiscriminately approve and bless everything that comes under the term 'love'!"

Nigeria apostolic nuncio denounces exploitation of Eucharist 

Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty, apostolic nuncio to Nigeria, in an interview on Thursday with ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, expressed concern about the growing trend of "commercializing the Eucharist" among Catholic priests in the West African country. 

"The increasing commercialization of the liturgy, where sacramental celebrations, weddings, funerals, and baptism are seen as opportunities for making money, is never to be tolerated in the Catholic Church," Crotty told ACI Africa. "We call it the holy sacrifice of the Mass. A priest should be holy, and anything that distracts from that needs to be avoided."

A month after Damascus church bombing, Christian despair deepens

A month has passed since the bombing of St. Elias Church in Damascus, Syria, yet the Christian community still feels abandoned, ACI MENA reported. Beyond increased security presence, no concrete measures have been taken to protect Christians, who have already been reeling from targeted killings, desecration of religious sites, and sectarian violence across Syria.

The March massacres in the coastal Alawite region and recent unrest in Sweida, where Christians and even an American citizen were killed, have only added to fears and heightened the desire among many to flee the country. Despite these grim realities, the Orthodox Church in Sweida has opened its doors to displaced families of all faiths, offering shelter and aid.

Bishop Antonios Saad, who led the relief efforts, emphasized that the Church must serve all humans with unconditional love, seeing the image of Christ in each person. However, state inaction, media incitement, and societal pressures continue to erode hope and deepen divisions, leaving Syria's Christian presence hanging by a thread.

Elderly Pakistani Catholic man arrested on fabricated blasphemy allegations

A 60-year-old Catholic man, Amir Joseph Paul, has been arrested in Pakistan over claims that he made offensive comments about the Muslim prophet Muhammad, according to an Agenzia Fides report on Tuesday.

The accusations were made by Munawar Ali, a shop owner in Lahore, who, according to Fides, "mobilized local religious leaders within minutes to claim that Amir had made blasphemous statements, which were denied by the accused and the other witnesses present." Fides noted that local residents testified that the accusation was made due to a "personal grudge related to a sewage dispute between Amir's home and the complainant's shop."

Bishop in Central African Republic fights allegations in sexual abuse case

Bishop Jesús Ruiz Molina of the Central African Republic Diocese of Mbaïki is fighting back against accusations of silence and complicity in an anonymous allegation of sexual abuse involving a diocesan priest, ACI Africa reported on Tuesday.

In a July 18 statement, Molina described the accusations as false, insisting: "I declare that both I and the Catholic Church are firmly opposed to all forms of sexual abuse and that we have always denounced such acts with clarity and rigor."

He added: "The truth will set you free and peace will be possible if everyone does their part." Molina further noted that the anonymously accused priest has been removed from his assigned parish and that further steps are being taken to provide support to the alleged victim.

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CNA Staff, Jul 23, 2025 / 18:17 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a sweeping reform initiative of the nation's organ transplant system after a four-year investigation by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) uncovered systemic ethical and safety violations. 

The violations discovered during the investigation, outlined July 21 in an HHS press release, showed "that hospitals allowed the organ procurement process to begin when patients showed signs of life," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who called this "horrifying."

"The organ procurement organizations that coordinate access to transplants will be held accountable," Kennedy continued. "The entire system must be fixed to ensure that every potential donor's life is treated with the sanctity it deserves." 

The investigation identified major problems with organ procurement processes, including poor neurologic assessments, inadequate coordination with medical teams, questionable consent practices, and misclassification of causes of death, particularly in overdose cases. Smaller and rural hospitals were found to be especially vulnerable.

Joseph Meaney, former president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, said on "EWTN News Nightly" on July 22 that these problems are "extremely concerning" and that organ procurement processes have had "persistent flaws."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that organ donation after death "is a noble and meritorious act and is to be encouraged as an expression of generous solidarity."

The donor or a proxy must consent, however, and organs cannot be removed until there is "moral certitude" a person is dead, Meaney said. "The Uniform Determination of Death Act says there has to be zero functioning in the brain to be able to declare a person brain dead … before any kind of vital organ donation process is initiated."

The HRSA investigation was prompted by the troubling case of Anthony Thomas Hoover II. According to the New York Times, Hoover, now 36, was hospitalized four years ago in Kentucky for a drug overdose.

He was unresponsive for two days, and his family agreed to remove life support so his organs could be harvested.

A federally funded organ procurement organization (OPO) called Network for Hope (formerly known as Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates) began the process of procuring his organs even though he allegedly seemed to be improving. According to the Times, he was "thrashing on the bed" and subsequently sedated. 

Hospital staff became "uncomfortable with the amount of reflexes" the patient was exhibiting, and some began to call his organ procurement procedure "euthanasia," though representatives of the procurement group told them it was not.

A physician refused to withdraw life support and continue with the organ procurement, despite pressure from the procurers. Hoover survived, though he suffers from neurological impairment.

The HRSA's investigation of Network for Hope revealed 351 instances where organ donation was authorized but not completed. The results were alarming: 103 cases (29.3%) showed cause for concern, including 73 patients with neurological signs incompatible with organ donation.

Most disturbingly, at least 28 patients may not have been deceased when organ procurement began.

Network for Hope CEO Barry Massa said in a statement to CNA on July 22 that "patient safety is our top priority. Network for Hope looks forward to working collaboratively with HHS and HRSA and encourages the development of policies that support the betterment of the organ transplant system as a whole."

Every state is served by one or more nonprofit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) that work with hospitals to manage organ donations.

HRSA has directed the implicated OPO to strengthen its patient safeguards and has mandated rigorous corrective actions. These include a root cause analysis of its failure to follow protocols, such as the five-minute observation rule post-death, and the development of clear donor eligibility criteria.

The organ procurement organization must also establish a procedure allowing staff to halt donation if safety concerns arise. Failure to comply risks decertification, a move Kennedy has vowed to enforce.

Father Tad Pacholczyk, a senior ethicist at the NCBC, applauded the new procedure to halt the process due to safety concerns, telling CNA that it is "a very sensible safeguard."

Brain death vs. circulatory death

The HHS investigation revealed that some OPOs actively seek cardiac, or circulatory, death donors rather than brain death ones.

The majority of organ donations come from patients who are determined to have suffered death by neurologic criteria, or brain death, and whose bodies are being sustained mechanically to preserve organ viability. Organ donation following circulatory death, however, has seen significant growth, driven in part by the increased demand for organ transplants and federal pressure on procurement groups.

Unlike brain death, where patients are determined to be in an irreversible state with no brain activity, circulatory death involves patients who are typically comatose and on life support. 

These individuals retain some brain function but are deemed unlikely to recover based on medical assessments, which can involve the subjective judgment of the doctors. 

Meaney said there are "question marks" surrounding organ donations that result from the determination of circulatory death, or what he called "cardiac determination," telling EWTN there is no uniform time clinicians must wait after the heart stops. Hospitals establish the amount of time that can pass before clinicians can determine someone has circulatory death, generally around five minutes.

In some of these cases, Meaney said "the extraction of the organs is actually the cause of death" for the patient.

About 20,000 organs last year were procured after a patient was said to have undergone circulatory death, representing one-third of all donations in the U.S, according to the New York Times. This figure is three times higher than it was five years ago, reflecting a rising reliance on this method.

When families consent to organ donation, once the transplant teams have arrived, the hospital discontinues life support and monitors the patient in the operating room until his or her heart stops. While hospitals oversee patient care until death, once there is cessation of cardiac activity for a sufficient amount of time, specialized surgical teams affiliated with the OPOs are often brought in to proceed with organ retrieval, which must occur quickly to ensure organs remain suitable for transplantation.

One neurointensivist who spoke to CNA on the condition of anonymity described OPOs as "vultures" who, after they are informed by the hospital that a patient is moribund and may become a potential organ donor, "set up shop" in a hospital.

The HRSA investigation found that OPOs sometimes pressure families and medical staff to expedite the organ retrieval process.

The HRSA's proposed reforms are critical to maintaining public trust in organ donation. 

About 170 million Americans are currently listed as organ donors, but the number may go down as trust declines. 

Pacholczyk told CNA: "Many of us would like to become organ donors, but we have questions, even doubts, about whether we can 'trust the system.' One of the more widely articulated concerns is whether organs will be taken before patients are properly determined to be deceased, leading many individuals to decide against checking the box on their driver's license."

"Given the significant internal and external pressures to procure organs for transplantation today, and given the fact that our society no longer fully esteems the value of every human life, our organ procurement organizations must be subjected to a process of transparent and independent review," Pacholczyk said.

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