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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 12, 2025 / 14:24 pm (CNA).

The French bishops' conference has issued a statement addressed to the archbishop of Toulouse, Guy de Kerimel, asking him to rescind the promotion of a priest who served time in prison for the rape of a minor boy.

In an Aug. 10 press release from the presidency of the Bishops' Conference of France, the French bishops revealed they had "engaged in constructive dialogue" with Kerimel, "inviting him to reconsider the decision he made regarding the appointment of the chancellor of his diocese."

"Such an appointment to such an important position, both canonically and symbolically, can only reopen wounds, reawaken suspicions, and disconcert the people of God," they wrote.

The French bishops further recalled the Church's efforts in the past several years to approach "the painful question of abuses committed within it."

"It is very important to continue this work in all sectors of ecclesial life," they said, emphasizing the need to reorient the Church's approach by listening more attentively to the experiences of abuse victims, a process they described as "a long and demanding work of conversion, which we are resolute to continue." 

The statement comes after Kerimel announced in June that Father Dominique Spina would be promoted to the position of chancellor and episcopal delegate for marriages, effective Sept. 1, for the Archdiocese of Toulouse. 

Spina was convicted in 2006 by the Tarbes Court of Appeals for raping a 16-year-old student in 1993 while serving as the boy's spiritual director at Notre-Dame de Bétharram school. The court sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, with four years to be served and one year suspended.

The decree announcing Spina's appointment was published on June 2 but did not become public knowledge until July 7, when the regional newspaper La Dépêche du Midi broke the story. 

De Kerimel defended his controversial choice in a statement to Agence France-Presse, saying he had "taken the side of mercy" in promoting Spina, who had worked in diocesan archives for five years.

"It is true that Father Spina served a five-year prison sentence, including one year suspended, for very serious acts that took place nearly 30 years ago," the archbishop said, according to Le Monde.

He justified the appointment by arguing that Church officials "have nothing to reproach this priest for in the last 30 years." 

The archbishop added that Spina "no longer exercises pastoral responsibility, other than celebrating the Eucharist, alone or exceptionally for the faithful."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 12, 2025 / 14:54 pm (CNA).

As advocates in Baltimore work to end violent crime in the area, officials with the Archdiocese of Baltimore are bringing to the city a sculpture of Jesus mourning a homicide victim.

The statue, made by Catholic artist Timothy Schmalz, is titled "Thou Shall Not Kill."

On Aug. 9 the archdiocese held its third annual gun buyback program, inviting citizens to surrender their guns for cash to help lessen violence in the city. The Baltimore City Police Department, St. Joseph's Monastery Parish, and the Health by Southwest coalition helped the archdiocese sponsor the event.

Following the success of the buybacks, St. Joseph's Monastery parish priest Father Mike Murphy, the archdiocese, and community leaders are working to bring Schmalz's work of Christian public art to the city.

The life-sized statue by Schmalz portrays Jesus weeping over a murder victim who has multiple gunshot wounds. 

The original piece was created in 2024 and is at the Father Augustus Tolton Peace Center, a hub for violence prevention programs in Chicago. The statue that will be placed in Baltimore is awaiting final approval of its designated location.

Schmalz is an internationally acclaimed Canadian sculptor known for his Christian works of art, including statues of saints, angels, and his well-known depictions of Jesus portrayed as a homeless man. 

More than 50 bronze works of "Homeless Jesus" are installed in locations around the world including Capernaum in Israel and Vatican City.

In April, a new Vatican-commissioned sculpture by the artist titled "Be Welcoming" was placed in St. Peter's Square to inspire people to open their hearts to the poor. The bronze statue depicts a man seated on a bench who appears to be homeless, carrying a backpack on his shoulder and a stick in one hand.

In Baltimore, the goal for this year's gun buyback program was to receive around 300 guns after buying nearly 160 in 2023 and 300 in 2024. By July the organizers had raised about $60,000 to fund the purchases of guns brought in. The 2025 buyback ultimately collected 410 firearms.

The latest buyback occurred as crime, including gun violence, has been dropping in Baltimore, though the city has long struggled with high levels of violent crime. 

From 2015–2022 the city recorded more than 300 homicides annually, including 348 in 2019, which almost equaled the record of 353 in 1993.

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CNA Staff, Aug 12, 2025 / 15:52 pm (CNA).

A religious institute in New Zealand has lost its appeal to the Vatican to continue public ministry in the Diocese of Christchurch after the local bishop ordered the ban amid allegations of unauthorized exorcisms and other abuses.

Christchurch Bishop Michael Gielen said in an Aug. 10 letter to his diocese that the Vatican "rejected in its entirety" the appeal of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer after Gielen forbade the community from ministering in Christchurch last year.

The bishop said in July 2024 that the community had been subject to an apostolic visitation by Australian Bishop Robert McGuckin. Gielen removed the ministry faculties of the members after the Vatican's recommendation and also asked the group "to leave the Christchurch Diocese."

Gielen in both letters did not clarify why the community was being investigated and sanctioned, but the Christchurch Press reported that the subject of the inquiry was "alleged abuse and unauthorized exorcisms." The New Zealand Herald reported on those allegations in 2023.

In his Aug. 10 letter, Gielen noted that the institute continued its ministry in the diocese during the appeal.

The Vatican's rejection of the appeal, the bishop noted, means the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer remains under the ban, which also applies to "priests who arrived after the decrees were announced."

"My foremost concern remains the spiritual health and unity" of the Christchurch Diocese, the bishop said.

The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer own the island of Papa Stronsay in the North Sea off the Scottish coast, where they operate a monastery and farm.

The community, formed in 1988 following a monastic rule based on that of St. Alphonsus Ligouri, was formally erected as a religious institute in 2012. They describe themselves as a "congregation of missionary monks" who regularly "leave their contemplative life and set out on voyages"  to "preach the eternal truths in the form of missions wherever they are invited."

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Buenos Aires, Argentina, Aug 12, 2025 / 16:22 pm (CNA).

The government of Buenos Aires province in Argentina will distribute the 168-page book "The Teacher: The Humanism of Pope Francis" in public and private schools, an initiative that seeks to keep his legacy alive and transmit his thought to new generations.

Gov. Axel Kicillof and the archbishop of La Plata (the provincial capital), Gustavo Carrara, were present at the presentation of the book, produced by the province's General Directorate of Culture and Education.

The book seeks to keep alive the legacy of the Argentine pontiff, who died on April 21. With this initiative, the governor stated, the pope's thought will be present in all schools in Buenos Aires province.

The director general of culture and education, Alberto Sileoni, remembered Francis as an "educator who conveyed his teaching through ideas and actions, promoting the pedagogy of inclusion and encounter throughout his life," according to the Argentine newspaper La Nación.

He also described him as "an Argentine concerned about the life of his peoples and a school that embraces, teaches, and leaves no one out."

Religious figures such as Carrara and Father José María Di Paola as well as educator Adriana Puiggrós, who offered her reflective perspective on Jorge Bergoglio's papacy, participated in the development of the book.

The book includes various messages addressed to different sectors of society as well as excerpts from the Global Compact on Education.

The archbishop of La Plata stated that the book "perfectly captures the essence of Francis' thought and is a very valuable tool for conveying the richness of his ideas."

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 Prensa Staff, Aug 12, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince denounced the "collapse of humanity" in Haitian society, "where the unthinkable has become commonplace," in response to the kidnapping of nine people from an orphanage on the outskirts of the capital on Aug. 3. 

In a statement, the archdiocese said it received the news of the kidnappings, which included an Irish lay missionary and a disabled 3-year-old boy, with "deep sadness and profound indignation" and expressed "its fraternal solidarity and spiritual closeness" with the orphanage, a "tireless sower of hope for the most vulnerable."

The archdiocese also expressed its solidarity with the residents of Kenscoff, who have been affected "by the brutal violence that has taken hold in this town over the past few months."

"Once again, crimes committed with chilling cynicism bear witness to the collapse of humanity in our society, where the unthinkable has become a daily occurrence. Crime knows no bounds. And places of care, education, refuge, and hope are now being targeted," the Aug. 6 statement lamented.

"This kidnapping constitutes an attack on what is most noble in a society: service free of charge to others, the innocence of the defenseless child, the faith embodied in works of mercy," the archdiocese stated, condemning this new act of barbarism, calling it "a sign, among many others, of moral collapse, state failure, and a society that is losing its sense of life and human dignity."

If competing interests are allowed, the archdiocese noted, to make society insensitive to the suffering of the victims of the violence prevailing in Haiti, "we will become accomplices in the slow but sure destruction of this country."

"Because silence in the face of the unacceptable is a form of renunciation of our human and Christian vocation," the statement emphasized.

"The Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince urges all the faithful, all men and women of goodwill, to raise their voices, unite in prayer, and take concrete measures to reject this climate of dehumanization," the statement added.

Furthermore, the archdiocese urged the civil, military, and police authorities "to assume their responsibilities to guarantee the safety of all and obtain the immediate release of the kidnapped persons," emphasizing that "Haiti's future cannot be built on blood, impunity, and fear."

"The time has come together to say enough. And to act. In these dark days, may the light of the risen Christ illuminate our decisions, our words, and our actions. May Our Lady of Perpetual Help intercede for our beloved Haiti and especially for all those who are suffering," the statement concluded.

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 Prensa Staff, Aug 11, 2025 / 14:40 pm (CNA).

Colombian Sen. Miguel Uribe Turbay died Monday morning, Aug. 11, just over two months after being shot by a hitman, his wife, María Claudia Tarazona, confirmed. The politician was hospitalized at the Santa Fe Foundation Hospital in Bogotá.

"You will always be the love of my life. Thank you for a life full of love, thank you for being a father to the girls, the best father to Alejandro. I ask God to show me the way to learn to live without you," Tarazona wrote on Instagram early this morning.

Born on Jan. 28, 1986, in Bogotá, Colombia, Uribe Turbay was the son of businessman Miguel Uribe and journalist Diana Turbay, who was murdered in 1991 after being kidnapped by the order of Pablo Escobar, the head of the Medellín Cartel. 

Uribe Turbay, whose family background is Maronite Catholic, held various public offices until he was elected to the country's Senate in 2022 as a candidate for the Democratic Center political party — led by former President Álvaro Uribe — and had strong prospects ahead of the 2026 presidential elections.

On June 7, as part of his campaign to get on the ballot, he participated in a political event in Fontibón on the west side of the Bogotá capital district where he was the victim of the attack that claimed his life early this morning after nearly two months in critical condition.

In addition to his wife, Uribe Turbay is survived by his young son, Alejandro, and three daughters from his wife's previous relationship.

Cardinal Rueda: It's a time to unite as a country

The archbishop of Bogotá and primate of Colombia, Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio, urged the country to hold on to hope despite the pain caused by Uribe Turbay's death. "Is not this the time to call on all Colombians to reject all forms of violence and walk together in hope. This is not a time for us to be divided, it is a time to unite," he said.

In a video released by the Archdiocese of Bogotá, the cardinal also expressed his solidarity with the Uribe Turbay family and assured them that the Church is praying for the senator's eternal rest.

"I also invite all families in Colombia to pray. Let us pray for Colombia. Let us pray for the children. Let us pray for the youth. Let us pray for peace. And let us pray to God to give us a renewed heart and a new conscience so that we may be able to work for the unity of Colombia, reject all forms of violence, and be able to meet and dialogue together in the midst of conflict," he said.

Father Ramón Zambrano, founder of the television channel Cristovisión, also expressed his condolences. "May Miguel Uribe Turbay rest in peace. May he enjoy eternal life that the Lord grants to the just. May God bless and strengthen his wife and his entire family," he wrote on X.

"May the blood of the martyrs be a seed of hope so that we may commit ourselves to forging a country where we don't turn our backs on God," he added.

Colombia mourns

Other political leaders also expressed their condolences following the death of the Colombian senator. Former President Álvaro Uribe posted on X: "Evil destroys everything; they have killed hope. May Miguel's struggle be a light that illuminates the right path for Colombia."

Former Colombian President Iván Duque said that "terrorism robbed us of a promising figure for Colombia and a leader of integrity and transparency… Colombia mourns but will not surrender to the criminals who snuffed out the life of an admirable young man."

Carlos Galán, mayor of Bogotá and son of Luis Carlos Galán — a presidential candidate assassinated on the orders of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in 1989 — recognized Uribe Turbay as "a great human being, an honest and courageous leader, a politician with a true vocation for service."

"His assassination should be a turning point for Colombia. We cannot accept violence in our country," he added, calling for this crime to not go unpunished.

Colombian authorities have arrested members of the crime gang accused of organizing the assasination, which was carried out by a 15-year-old boy. 

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 11, 2025 / 16:02 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Syracuse, New York, announced on Aug. 9 that Bishop Douglas J. Lucia has taken on the additional job of parish priest at three churches in Baldwinsville, New York. 

The diocese announced a number of changes to pastoral assignments that went into effect on Aug. 1, including Lucia serving as pastor at St. Augustine Church, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, and St. Mary of the Assumption Church. The three churches are part of the same parish and share various initiatives and resources.

"Certainly, a crucial component in our parishes is the priest. Without the priest, there is no Mass; and without the Mass there is no Eucharist, no food for the journey," Lucia wrote in a recent letter to the churches' parishioners.

After announcing that the previous pastor, Father Joe O'Connor, received seminary work as a new assignment, Lucia wrote to parishioners: "I know you have been wondering what is next for the Baldwinsville parishes."

"I am able to share the news that I will be your new pastor," Lucia said. "Although I was called to be the bishop of the Diocese of Syracuse six years ago, it has always been with the hope of continuing to be a parish priest and I guess God has taken me at my word."

While Lucia is taking over as priest at the parishes, Father Benjamin Schrantz will remain the parochial vicar of the churches, and retired priest Father Thomas Ryan will continue to offer sacramental assistance.

The diocese did not specify exactly why Lucia will be taking the place as pastor but shared that "the needs of the Baldwinsville area must be fully developed while considering both pastoral and financial resources."

With help from parish deacons, parish trustees, and the presidents of the pastoral councils, Lucia planned and announced a new Mass schedule. "I am committed to providing the best pastoral care for the Baldwinsville area within the means we possess."

The schedule that will take effect at the end of August "will allow that no more than two priests will be needed for the celebration of Sunday Mass … each weekend." Lucia added: "I am also aware that I must take into account the age, health, spiritual, and emotional well-being of our priests."

"An important step in the pastoral planning for the diocese must allow for balanced lifestyles for clergy and parish staffs as well as the ability to serve Christ's faithful both in our urban and rural settings," Lucia wrote.

While it is not common for a bishop to take the role of parish priest to multiple churches, Lucia is not new to taking on various roles. Since he was ordained a priest in 1989, Lucia has simultaneously served in pastoral and administrative roles across northern New York and Canada.

In 2006, the bishop was both chancellor and episcopal vicar for the Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York. He also previously served as pastor to multiple churches at once in the New York area while still continuing his other diocesan responsibilities.

Lucia will continue to serve the nearly 200,000 Catholics who reside in the seven counties of the diocese as bishop while also working as a pastor.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 11, 2025 / 16:32 pm (CNA).

Archbishop of Westminster in England and Wales Cardinal Vincent Nichols has issued a statement condemning Israel's plans to take over Gaza City.

The statement came after Israel's security cabinet approved a plan on Aug. 8 to take control of Gaza City and expand military operations.

Israel's five-step plan 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.

"Today, and in these days, I weep for the people of Gaza as they face not just a continuation of their immense suffering but an escalation in their hardship and desperation," Nichols said in the Aug. 8 statement.

"To increase the destruction of Gaza City and then the rest of its territory, in order to defeat a terrorist organization and movement, is a development that is rightly being condemned around the world," he added.

"There must be a better way," said Nichols, the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, calling for an alternative strategy "that does not heap yet further suffering and misery on so many people who are not combatants but defenseless in face of the perpetrators of violence in their midst."

"Already too much innocent blood has been shed; too many lives destroyed; too much hunger and starvation," he continued. "This war must be ended not increased."

Nichols expressed solidarity with the faithful in Gaza as well as the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, whose "consistent appeals for peace," aid delivery, and support of Holy Family Parish in Gaza City, he said, should "evoke from us all our practical help and our prayers."

The archbishop of Westminster further invoked the prayers of Our Lady of Gaza and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, a Jewish convert to the Catholic faith whose feast day was Aug. 9.

The latest developments come just under a month after an Israeli strike "mistakenly" hit Gaza's only Catholic Church in Gaza City, resulting in three deaths and 15 injuries.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), called for peace and an "immediate ceasefire" following the strike, stating: "With the Holy Father, the Catholic bishops of the United States are deeply saddened to learn about the deaths and injuries at Holy Family Church in Gaza caused by a military strike."

USCCB Chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan, has also called for an end to the war and the "immediate expansion of humanitarian assistance through all channels in Gaza."

On Monday, five Al Jazeera journalists and a freelance journalist were targeted and killed by Israel Defense Forces in a press tent outside Al Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City, according to Reuters. Israel claimed one of the journalists, Anas al-Sharif, was a Hamas operative, though Al Jazeera denied this. The airstrike was widely condemned by journalists, human rights groups, and the U.N.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 11, 2025 / 17:20 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has approved a series of measures that benefit Vatican employees, expanding paternity leave, the rights of parents with disabled children, and granting family subsidies.

A document published Aug. 11 and signed by Maximino Caballero, prefect of the secretariat for financial affairs of the Holy See, lists the "Provisions for the Family" approved by the Holy Father following an audience on July 28.

These resolutions were previously unanimously accepted by the council of the Labor Office of the Holy See (ULSA, by its Italian acronym), a body composed of representatives from various entities of the Holy See and the Vatican Governorate as well as their respective employees.

Regarding paternity leave, the pontiff established that a father is entitled to five days of 100% paid leave after the birth of a child. 

The text specifies that the days off are "understood as working days and may be taken sequentially or one at a time in full days and not by hours, and not beyond 30 days from the birth of the child, under penalty of forfeiture of the right."

In January, Pope Francis extended paternity leave from three to five days, a measure already modified in 2022, when it was increased from one to three days.

Parents of children with proven severe disabilities will be entitled to three days of paid leave per month, which may be taken in a row as long as the child is not hospitalized full time.

In addition, a monthly subsidy was introduced for families with severely disabled or incapacitated members as well as for pensioners in the same situation.

The document also redefines the concepts of disability and incapacity, specifying that the assessment will be carried out by a Vatican Medical Association, whose decision will be "without appeal."

Finally, to facilitate assistance to family members with disabilities, it is stipulated that the time off granted for this purpose cannot be used to work another job. 

Regarding the family subsidy, Pope Leo XIV has expanded the right for adult children who are students. They may receive this aid until the age of 20 for secondary school studies and until the age of 26 for university studies or equivalent studies recognized by the Holy See. 

The provisions, approved by the pope, will go into effect upon their official publication in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis (Acts of the Apostolic See).

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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Dublin, Ireland, Aug 11, 2025 / 11:27 am (CNA).

A 77-year-old parish priest in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland, sustained head and hand injuries following a violent attack as he was getting ready to say Sunday morning Mass.

The parish priest of St. Patrick in Downpatrick, Canon John Murray, is in a "serious but stable" condition in the hospital following the Aug. 10 assault in which his fingers were broken while defending himself.

In a separate incident that police believe to be connected to the assault on Murray, a murder inquiry is underway after a man was found dead in a house in the County Down town, RTÉ News reported.

In a statement, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said inquiries are ongoing: "At this time, we suspect this may be connected to a serious assault in the St. Patrick's Avenue area of Downpatrick on Sunday." St. Patrick's Avenue is where the church is located.

"Detectives from our Major Investigation Team have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man in Downpatrick," District Commander Superintendent Norman Haslett said.

"Following a report of a deceased man at approximately 12 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 10, a 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody assisting with enquiries," according to police.

It was reported to police at around 10:10 a.m. on Sunday that a man had walked into the church on St. Patrick's Avenue and hit the priest in the head with a bottle before leaving.

Father Eddie McGee, spokesman for the Diocese of Down and Connor, told CNA: "The parish priest of Downpatrick, Canon John Murray, was approached earlier this morning by a gentleman asking him to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation on the way into the church, at which stage Canon John was attacked."

"Canon Murray sustained a serious head injury and is currently in hospital receiving treatment. His situation remains serious but stable," he said. "Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with Canon John Murray."

"It's very concerning and disturbing that this attack occurred towards a priest who was vulnerable in the course of his ministry and service to the local community," McGee told CNA.

McGee confirmed that Murray was due to retire as parish priest in the coming weeks and will continue to serve in the local family of parishes until then.

"As parish priest of Downpatrick, Canon Murray is very well known and very well liked and parishioners and others from across the community have been in contact today to assure him of their ongoing prayers and support at this time," McGee said.

"The diocese has received the devastating and shocking news that another man in Downpatrick has been murdered in what appears to be a related incident," McGee continued. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family and indeed all affected by this attack resulting in the loss of life."

Appealing for anyone with further information to contact police, Detective Chief Inspector David McBurney said: "This was a completely shocking and brutal attack and has left the priest with a serious head injury."

The deceased has been named locally by The Independent as Stephen Brannigan.

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