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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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Vatican City, Jul 23, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A longtime Vatican diplomat now dedicated to aiding Christians in the Holy Land recently offered reflections on the Church's mission in conflict zones and its roots in the Middle East. 

In a wide-ranging interview with "EWTN News Nightly" on July 22, Cardinal Fernando Filoni underscored that the Middle East is not just part of Christianity's past but remains an area of vital importance.

"Being there means not letting this vast region be considered only historically as the beginning of the Church, without living Christian communities," he said. A portion of the interview was broadcast on Tuesday evening.

Despite waves of emigration and violence, Filoni insisted, the Church cannot forget her roots. "Jerusalem is the Mother Church. No one should forget their mother's and father's home," he said.

Filoni recalled vividly his service as apostolic nuncio in Baghdad during the first Gulf War. Even as bombs fell and many left the country, he and the bishops agreed: "We remain. The people remain, we remain."

At that time travel was perilous and telephones were quickly knocked out, but Filoni and an auxiliary bishop made parish visits to check on priests and laity. "We needed to show our faithful, even though we were a minority in a largely Islamic reality: We are with you," Filoni said. 

Reminded of his own statement that "if a shepherd flees in difficult moments, the sheep scatter," the cardinal described it as a biblically inspired call to action.

"Jesus himself, speaking of the good shepherd, recommended that those entrusted with the Gospel face difficulties with the same dignity that Christ himself showed," the cardinal said.

"This remains a fundamental heritage of the Church," he added.

As grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Filoni now leads a chivalric order that supports the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, headed by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and assists Christians throughout the Holy Land.

The order provides financial aid, funds schools and parishes, and supports humanitarian efforts that allow Christians to remain in their ancestral homeland.

"We are not the main actors," Filoni said, "but we are those who, behind the scenes, support the patriarchate and all its actions. This is the Church's communion in action."'

Filoni, a former prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, stressed the Church's role as peacemaker in the region.

"Peace is not a secondary option but a primary one," he said. "We cannot live always thinking of past injustices. The Church is there to remind everyone that a normal, serene life is what children, men, and women truly desire."

The cardinal pointed to past Vatican efforts — such as an informal, indirect role in encouraging prisoner exchanges during the Iran-Iraq war — as examples of how even small gestures can open doors.

Today, amid the war in Ukraine, the Church is working to trace missing children, advocate for prisoners and the wounded, and deliver aid. "These actions create a platform for dialogue, starting from the concrete suffering caused by war," he said.

Filoni warned, however, that such efforts are ultimately futile if warring powers don't seek peace. "You can even offer a golden platform [for negotiations], but it won't work because it's the will of the people involved in the war who must accept or reject the possibility of dialogue, of discussion," he said.

The cardinal praised Pope Leo XIV's early reaffirmation of Sollicitudo Omnium Ecclesiarum, the foundational document on Vatican diplomacy issued by St. Paul VI, and observed how St. John Paul II expanded this mission through his extensive travels.  

"There is a centripetal and a centrifugal dynamic — one that brings in and one that reaches out," Filoni explained. "In this exchange, the life of the Church is created." 

Asked what could distinguish Pope Leo XIV's approach, Filoni replied that a new pope "does not follow his predecessor — he follows Peter."

"There is continuity, but also something new," he said. He noted that the world has changed rapidly, with the revolution of artificial intelligence emerging in just the past decade. Leo XIV's unusually varied background as a missionary bishop, head of his religious order, and superior of the Roman Curia has prepared him well for such challenges, the cardinal said.

Turning to Gaza, Filoni struck a somber note. "Sadly, there is no place in Gaza untouched by the violence of weapons, war, revenge, and killings. To keep kidnapped people in captivity is unacceptable. And to attack those searching for water or food is terrible," he said.

"There is no justification," the prelate added. He called for the immediate release of all hostages and an end to indiscriminate bombings. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, under Pizzaballa's leadership, he said, works tirelessly to provide aid and remain present, supported by the Holy See and by the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

The cardinal shared an image of the Church's resilience he witnessed in Mosul, Iraq: After a bombing, a priest showed him a wall where the image of the pope remained intact amid the rubble. "Here, the cross did not fall," the priest told him.

Filoni reflected: "That is the message. The cross is stronger than violence, because it is the instrument through which God made peace between heaven and earth."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 22, 2025 / 16:17 pm (CNA).

Tucked away in a rocky mountain in southeast France is a cave formed by natural erosion called La Sainte-Baume. It is one of the oldest Christian pilgrimage sites in the world as it is the place where Mary Magdalene is believed to have spent the last 30 years of her life.

Esteemed by St. Thomas Aquinas as the "Apostle to the Apostles," St. Mary Magdalene is regarded by the Dominicans as a secondary patroness of their order, which was founded in Toulouse, France. Appropriately, the cave remains under the care of the friars in the Toulouse province. 

The Dominicans are charged with the task of welcoming and evangelizing pilgrims who make their way to La Sainte-Baume. (The word "baume" comes from the Provençal word "baumo," meaning "cave.") The friars, alongside staff and volunteers, run the hostelry located next to the convent at the foot of the mountain directly below the cave. 

"One striking thing about Mary Magdalene is how many different people are drawn to her," Frére Vincent-Thomas Rist, a Dominican friar of the Toulouse province, told CNA in an email. "At La Sainte Baume, we get a bit of everything: mainstream orthodox Catholics, hikers on holiday, converts from Islam, sisters on pilgrimage, tall blonde women convinced of being reincarnations of Mary Magdalene, traditionists, liberals, and even Jesuits."

"We sometimes see a couple of Americans," he added. "We would be delighted to see a few more!"

The friars also run a variety of retreats, including their "Session des bien-aimés" for families with disabled children, especially those with trisomy, and with the association "Mer de miséricorde" for women who have lost a child in the womb, especially due to abortion. They have also run a program called "Ecole de vie," where young people in their 20s can spend a few months serving, praying with the friars, and taking courses taught by the friars.

Every two years, the Toulouse friars typically meet together at La Sainte Baume for a few days at the end of June immediately following priestly ordinations.

Novices and student brothers will typically spend a week there every summer, acting as chaplains for student or scout groups. A few friars also tend to spend a week in the small house built into the cliff next to the cave in order to be available for confessions, he noted. 

"Mary Magdalene reached the highest heights of holiness after having started off in the lowest realms of serious and degrading sin — whatever those sins were," said Rist, explaining the significance of the saint to his order.

"In that respect, she is a model of perfect conversion and a sign of hope for all sinners," he added. "The faith of the Church rests on her eyewitness testimony, and she is a model for preachers." 

Another friar, Frére Bruno-Thomas Mercier des Rochettes, OP, of Toulouse also told CNA in an email that Mary Magdelene is "an example for the spiritual life (from conversion to evangelization), for those to whom we preach (and for us as well)." 

"We find in Mary Magdalene an example for our preachers," he said.

Who is Mary Magdalene? 

St. Mary Magdalene is one of the most prominent women mentioned in the New Testament. Her name comes from the town of Magdala in Galilee, where she was born. 

"The Latin exegetical tradition has often identified Magdalene with the penitent woman in Luke 7 and with the sister of Martha, that is, Mary of Bethany in Luke 10 and John 11," Mercier des Rochettes said. "If it is one and the same person, we have a lot to say about her! She is always at the feet of Jesus, choosing the best and hearing his word, pouring out precious perfumes for him, faithfully staying at the cross, etc."

In 2016, the Catholic Church upgraded the July 22 liturgical celebration of St. Mary Magdalene from a memorial to a feast.

A historic view of the Provincial tradition: Mary Magdalene's journey  

The story of Mary Magdalene's presence in France, according to Rist, "stems from an oral tradition which eventually got put down in writing in the 13th century." 

The tradition, which was written down in the 1260s by Dominican Blessed Jacobus Voragine, he explained, holds that Mary Magdalene was forced to flee from persecution on a boat with several others, including Martha. She eventually landed in the South of France, where she evangelized Marseilles before retreating to the cave, where she lived for many years in prayer and penance. 

"This, incidentally, is also a point of contact with the Dominican order," Rist pointed out. "We once used to be known as the Order of Penance." 

According to the website for La Sainte-Baume, Mary Magdalene arrived in what is now known as Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a commune in the Camargue region of southern France, around A.D. 47.

"Before dying she went to Saint-Maximin, received holy Communion from the hands of the bishop, and then died," Rist said. "Her body was kept and pilgrims started coming. When Muslims tried to invade the South of France in the eighth century, her body was hidden in a place which gradually faded out of memory." 

"In the 13th century, a pilgrimage in her honor still existed, but with no relics. The count of Provence started looking for them and found them in what is now the crypt of the Basilica of Saint-Maximin," he continued. The Dominicans were then installed as caretakers of the site in 1295 by the count of Provence with the support of Pope Boniface VII, in part because "Dominicans had special authorization to absolve particularly grave sins." 

"Penitents having committed those sins could conveniently be sent on pilgrimage to venerate the relics of Mary Magdalene and would receive absolution by a Dominican," Frére Vincent-Thomas said.

"As far as I know," he told CNA, "dating reveals that the relics belong to a Mediterranean woman from the first century who died around the age of 90. What is certain is that the relics we have now are the ones found in 1297 by the count of Provence."

A history of Dominican presence

In modern history, the order was forced to leave during the French Revolution in the 18th century, during which the cave was looted and the Dominicans' sanctuary destroyed. They later returned in 1859 at the behest of the Dominican priest, journalist, and political activist Frére Henri Lacordaire, who had the sanctuary rebuilt.

The Dominican communities at Saint-Maximin and La Sainte-Baume were part of the French Christian resistance to the Nazi occupation. And, according to public records, one Dominican friar, Frére Gabril Piprot d'Alleaume, even founded a school at La Sainte-Baume for Jewish and Christian orphan children who had been hidden from deportation efforts during the occupation. 

While Rist acknowledged that it is "difficult to say" how much of the tradition of Mary Magdalene's presence in France is authentic, rather than "medieval imagination," he reflected, "that there is a kernel of truth is not impossible."

The Dominican further explained that both Saint Maximin and La Sainte-Baume were "important places for early Christians" and that "Mary Magdalene's possible presence in the area is the best/only explanation we have." 

Some of Mary Magdalene's relics are kept in the cave at La Sainte-Baume, while her skull remains in the basilica of Saint-Maximin, which is 30 minutes away by car, according to Frére Vincent-Thomas. A community of Dominican sisters live at Saint-Maximin, which he noted is "the one which in France has recently had the most vocations." 

"It is quiet," Rist said of the cave, noting he was struck in his first visit by "the beauty of the place" in particular. "The mountain is great, and from the top, (at a chapel called Saint-Pilon) you have one of the best viewpoints on the entire Provence," he said. According to Rist, the climb is not long, about 45 minutes, "but it is enough to feel the effort."

"Prepare to take your intentions to Magdalene in her cave, with a few rosaries along the way," he added. 

"There is always at least one friar at the cave," explained Mercier des Rochettes, noting that there is a small house "clinging to the cliff" next to it. The cave, which also serves as a chapel, is nestled into the rocky mountainside.

At the foot of La Sainte-Baume, the order has its convent and a hostellry it runs for pilgrims who come to visit the cave.

Every year, on the Sunday closest to July 22, a procession with Mary Magdalene's skull — contained in a gold reliquary — takes place throughout the streets of Sainte-Maximine.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 22, 2025 / 16:47 pm (CNA).

Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) Chairman and CEO Michael P. Warsaw has announced a new organizational structure to further EWTN's mission in the digital landscape by enhancing its content creation and distribution methods under the leadership of two new presidents.

EWTN will now align its operations around two new divisions: EWTN Studios and EWTN Digital. Led by Peter Gagnon, EWTN Studios will focus on content development, while Sean Graber will lead EWTN Digital, which will prioritize the network's media distribution and broadening its audience. (Note: EWTN is the parent company of CNA.)

"Under the leadership of our foundress, Mother Angelica, EWTN learned to constantly adopt new technology to reach souls," Warsaw said. "Just as our major network peers in secular media have done, this change in structure will allow EWTN to expand our content offerings and reach new audiences in the places where people now consume media, while remaining always anchored in the teachings of the Church."

President of EWTN Studios: Peter Gagnon

Gagnon, named president of EWTN Studios after 32 years with the network, has pioneered initiatives in content production, global expansion, and multilingual offerings and has experience leading coverage of papal conclaves, jubilees, and other world events.

Gagnon holds a tremendous understanding of EWTN and its legacy as he is one of the few remaining team members who worked alongside the network's founder, Mother Angelica.

"EWTN began offering the Mass, the most essential expression of what EWTN exists to bring to the world," Gagnon said. "And I am excited to embark on this pivotal moment in EWTN's history as we take the next steps in continuing Mother Angelica's mission to proclaim the truths of the faith to both our existing audience as well as a whole new generation of Catholics."

EWTN Studios will continue the organization's legacy of creating impactful content in the Catholic sphere, producing compelling content in a manner that reflects the changing nature of media and evolving technologies.

President of EWTN Digital: Sean Graber

Graber will serve as the president of EWTN Digital. He holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and has a strong background in business strategy, digital transformation, and product management.

"Mother Angelica was the original innovator, and it's humbling and exciting to continue her legacy by bringing EWTN's message to the next generation of Catholics — a message that has profoundly shaped my own faith life," Graber said.

"I'm thrilled by how this reorganization positions EWTN to reimagine Catholic media at such an inspiring moment for the Church, as many rediscover their faith and we celebrate the historic election of an American pope."

EWTN Digital will also focus on building platforms to distribute EWTN Studios content and other media in line with the network's mission, to serve the legacy EWTN audience and new generations of consumers. It will also launch and manage a globally scaled streaming platform that will house the collection of the world's most beloved Catholic stories and personalities.

Future of EWTN

"In these new roles, Peter and Sean bring diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and legacies to the EWTN family," Warsaw said. "They are the ideal choice to guide these important new initiatives at EWTN."

In its 45th year, EWTN continues its mission of service as the largest Catholic media organization in the world. As the network opens new doors and expands its audience, Warsaw said he is "incredibly excited about this next era of EWTN's history."

"We will build new platforms that are best in class where our audiences can engage with our content as part of their daily faith journey," Warsaw said. "EWTN will continue to be present wherever souls thirsting for truth are found."

EWTN's 11 global TV channels broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in multiple languages, reaching over 435 million households in more than 160 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 600 domestic and international AM and FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; and EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., EWTN News operates multiple global news services, including Catholic News Agency; the National Catholic Register newspaper and digital platform; ACI Prensa in Spanish; ACI Digital in Portuguese; ACI Stampa in Italian; ACI Africa in English, French, and Portuguese; ACI MENA in Arabic; CNA Deutsch in German; and ChurchPop, a digital platform that creates content in several languages. It also produces numerous television news programs including "EWTN News Nightly," "EWTN Noticias," "EWTN News In Depth," "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly," "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo," and "Vaticano."

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CNA Staff, Jul 22, 2025 / 12:32 pm (CNA).

Federal agents are investigating a vandalism incident at a church in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, according to Bishop Mark Eckman.

Eckman said in a July 19 statement that St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania, had been desecrated with "anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic messages." 

The vandalism "wounded not only the people of this parish but every member of our diocesan family," the bishop said. 

"This holy place, meant for prayer, community, and the merciful presence of God has been violated in a deeply painful way," he added. 

Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are leading the inquiry into the incident, the bishop said. 

On Monday the diocese released photos of the vandalism "with the hope that it will prompt someone in the community to come forward with information that may assist investigators in identifying those responsible."

Images showed a statue of the Virgin Mother spray-painted with a Star of David as well as a door marked with graffiti and a wall tagged with profanity and a swastika.

The diocese is "heartbroken over this hateful act," Eckman said on Monday, adding that he was urging the faithful to "[pray] for comfort and peace."

Bradford Arick, a spokesman for the FBI's Pittsburgh field office, confirmed to CNA on Tuesday that the agency "has been made aware of the reported vandalism and is investigating."

The Family Research Council said in a report last year that vandalism against churches — especially Catholic places of worship — has increased significantly in the U.S. since 2018.

Arielle Del Turco, the director of the group's Center for Religious Liberty, said last year that "our culture is demonstrating a growing disdain for Christianity and core Christian beliefs, and acts of hostility against churches could be a physical manifestation of that."

Many of those acts of violence appear to have been in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's repeal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, which allowed abortion to be regulated by the states for the first time in decades.

Then-U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, last year demanded that then-President Joe Biden protect Catholic churches from the "growing number of attacks" they suffered in the wake of that repeal. 

A Catholic church in Wichita, Kansas, was vandalized in March, including damages to statues and hateful graffiti. President Donald Trump at the time described the incident as "terrible" and vowed that the government would "take a look at it."

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CNA Staff, Jul 22, 2025 / 14:16 pm (CNA).

A Nigerian priest who served for years in the U.S. has been released after being held in captivity by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram for several weeks.

Father Alphonsus Afina was captured by Boko Haram in June while serving in the Diocese of Maiduguri in the Nigerian state of Borno.

The priest had previously worked in the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, for six and a half years. 

The Fairbanks Diocese last month urged the faithful to "pray for [Afina's] freedom from captivity and for his physical and spiritual strength" while he was in captivity.

In a Facebook post on July 21, the diocese announced that Afina had been freed.

"Praise God! We received word today that [Father] Alphonsus Afina is unharmed and has been safely released!" the diocese wrote. "Thank you to all who have been storming heaven for him."

The diocese called on the faithful to "continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who continue to be held captive that they, too, will soon taste freedom."

On July 21 the pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need said the priest had spent 51 days in captivity. 

Maiduguri Auxiliary Bishop John Bakeni told the charity that the priest was "a bit frail and tired" but was "in good health" and emotionally stable.

"We are now arranging medical checkups and rest for him," the bishop said, adding that he would be reunited with his family.

The prelate said the priest's release "should be regarded as a true miracle," according to the charity, with the bishop citing "the prayers and the intercession of Our Lady."

Afina was released alongside 10 women who were being held in captivity at the same time, Aid to the Church in Need said.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 22, 2025 / 15:15 pm (CNA).

The Richmond office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) spied on a priest because he refused to discuss private conversations he had with a parishioner who was converting to Catholicism, according to a July 22 report from the House Judiciary Committee.

According to the report, the Richmond FBI investigated the priest's background, monitored his travel plans, and looked into his credit card information. This investigation was allegedly launched after the priest became uncomfortable with an FBI agent's questions about a parishioner and said he would need to speak to the church's leadership and an attorney before answering questions.

"There appeared to be no legitimate law-enforcement purpose for investigating this priest," the report determined. "This new information suggests that the FBI's religious liberty abuses were more widespread than the FBI initially admitted and led the public to believe."

The report, provided to CNA by Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan's office, offers more details about the extent to which the FBI investigated so-called "radical traditionalist" Catholics. 

The FBI's investigation into supposed "radical traditionalist" Catholic ties to "the far-right white national movement" was first revealed to the public through a leaked Richmond FBI memo in February 2023.

Although the FBI under former President Joe Biden quickly disavowed the document when it came to light and asserted it was a single product of a single field agency, information unveiled by the Judiciary Committee shows the investigatory efforts into Catholics was more widespread and that the national FBI headquarters was involved.

In the report, the committee states that the Richmond FBI was working with the national FBI headquarters to develop an agency-wide document on "radical traditionalist" Catholics, which was ultimately shelved. The headquarters and other field offices also coordinated with the Richmond FBI investigation of the previously mentioned priest.

The 2023 memo cited the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for the definition of "radical traditionalist" Catholicism, but the new committee report says the field office relied on "several radical anti-religious materials" from organizations that "spewed radical, left-leaning ideology" to inform the agency apart from just the SPLC.

CNA reached out to the FBI for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Spying on a Catholic priest

Emails uncovered by the committee show that the Richmond FBI allegedly coordinated with the national FBI's Counterterrorism Division, the Louisville FBI field office, and the international London FBI field office in its investigation of the Richmond-area priest who belongs to the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX).

SSPX is a traditionalist Catholic priestly fraternity that holds an irregular canonical status with the Catholic Church. Its bishops were excommunicated in 1988, though that order was lifted in 2009. The Vatican has worked with SSPX with the intent of eventually reestablishing full communion.

The committee report showed that a Richmond FBI employee interviewed the priest about a parishioner who had recently been arrested.

When the FBI employee asked the priest whether the parishioner had spoken about "desires and plans to commit violence," the priest "became very uncomfortable and started incoherently stuttering," according to an email that the employee sent to the counterterrorism unit.

The email stated that the priest "requested to speak with the church's leadership and attorneys" before continuing. It said the priest then "refused to speak with us any further but has continued to speak with [the parishioner] while in prison, and even attempted to visit him."

The FBI employee incorrectly asserted in the email that the priest's communications with the parishioner were "not considered privileged" because he "has not completed his catechism or been baptized in the Church." Virginia law protects priest-penitent privilege for any confidential communication with a member of clergy related to "spiritual counsel and advice." 

"The priest-penitent privilege rightly protects communications between a clergy member and an individual seeking spiritual guidance," the report notes. "It is not dependent on the individual achieving certain milestones in his or her spiritual life."

In response to the priest's refusal to disclose confidential information, the Richmond FBI opened a "formal investigative assessment" of the priest. This included an examination of the priest's ordination history and coordination with the FBI's London office to monitor the priest's trip to the United Kingdom. 

In emailed communications, FBI employees discussed the priest's location, travel plans, and credit card information. The Richmond FBI employee also sought information from other agents about the SSPX more broadly, including the priestly fraternity's recruitment efforts.

"This new information demonstrates that the FBI not only used its federal law enforcement resources to surveil certain Catholic Americans, but it also used these resources to investigate a clergy member," the report states.

Richmond FBI briefings on 'radical traditional Catholics'

The new committee report also details Richmond FBI briefings on traditionalist Catholics and the questionable sources from which they drew their concerns. 

An official Richmond FBI presentation document titled "Traditionalist Catholicism Overview" discussed the "core ideology and beliefs" of traditionalist Catholics and what they view as being "radical-traditionalist Catholicism," which they abbreviate as RTC. 

Some "core concepts" of traditionalist Catholicism, according to the Richmond FBI presentation, include the Traditional Latin Mass, "conservative family values/roles," a "rejection of modernity," and a "tendency toward isolationism."

The Richmond FBI categorized "radical-traditionalist Catholicism" beliefs to include "belief that mainline Catholicism is illegitimate" and "hardline positions on abortion, LGBTQ matters, and interreligious dialogue."

It also allegedly includes "apocalyptic overtones," "rigid fundamentalism [and] integralism," and an "undertone of antisemitism."

Some of the sources that FBI analysts cited regarding their concerns include an article in the Atlantic titled "How Extremist Gun Culture Is Trying to Co-opt the Rosary" and another article in Sojourners Magazine titled "The Catholic Church Has a Visible White-Power Faction." 

The report noted that some of the sources disparage Catholics and the pro-life movement. In the Atlantic article, the author states "the convergence within Christian nationalism is cemented in common causes such as hostility toward abortion-rights advocates." 

"The FBI analysts who developed the Richmond memorandum relied on literature with an inherent prejudice against people of faith and those with widely-held, deeply personal views of the sanctity of life," the report notes.

Richmond FBI employees also worked with the FBI national headquarters to develop a "Strategic Perspective Executive Analytic Report" for external use. It notes that the Richmond FBI interacted with the national office about the possibility as early as December 2022, just a month after the Richmond office began to produce the now-retracted memo. Ultimately, this effort was abandoned after the Richmond memo became public. 

The report stated that current FBI Director Kash Patel, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, provided the committee with the documents. It accused the Biden administration and former FBI Director Christopher Wray of withholding information from the public and misleading Congress about the extent of the investigation into Catholics. 

"Under the Biden-Harris administration, the FBI disrespected and potentially violated the constitutionally protected religious liberties of faithful Americans," the report states. 

"Throughout the committee's oversight in the 118th Congress, the Biden-Harris administration refused to provide relevant information to the committee," it adds.

Jordan in a statement to CNA said lawmakers "knew the Biden-Wray FBI was targeting Catholics, but new documents obtained by the committee — thanks to the leadership of FBI Director Patel — shows that it was worse than anyone thought."

"Contrary to Director Wray's statements, the targeting of Catholics went beyond the Richmond Field Office and extended not to just offices across the country but around the world," Jordan said.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 22, 2025 / 15:46 pm (CNA).

Massachusetts federal judge Indira Talwani on Tuesday issued a ruling blocking the provision in the "One Big Beautiful Bill" that stopped taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood and other abortion centers.

In the July 21 ruling, Talwani unilaterally decided that the law does not apply to abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood and granted the organization's request for a temporary injunction while the lawsuit progresses.

Planned Parenthood sued the administration in the Planned Parenthood v. Kennedy lawsuit challenging the provision in the recent reconciliation bill that sought to prohibit abortion centers from receiving Medicaid reimbursements for one year. The case stated the "Defund Provision" violates the First Amendment, the equal protection clause, and the bill of attainder clause of the Constitution. 

Another affected abortion center, Maine Family Planning, also filed a similar lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to restore Medicaid funding.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the political group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, called the decision "a desperate attempt to run out the clock and a shameful abuse of our tax dollars."

In a statement, SBA Pro-Life America slammed the ruling, reporting that "every day the order remains in effect, Planned Parenthood continues to rake in millions from American taxpayers."

"Every day her decision remains in effect, millions are funneled into a business that profits from ending unborn lives and putting women at risk," Dannenfelser said. "Planned Parenthood's desperate ploy for our tax dollars only underscores why the One Big Beautiful Bill is such a historic win. It halted, for the first time, over half a billion taxpayer dollars from propping up the corrupt abortion industry."

"Life is winning. And Big Abortions' death grip is slipping. With community health centers outnumbering Planned Parenthood facilities 15 to 1, women have better and more comprehensive alternatives. We look forward to the Trump administration swiftly ending this lawfare and restoring the historic victory secured through the One Big Beautiful Bill," Dannenfelser concluded. 

Other pro-life organizations have also spoken out following the decision. Students for Life of America reported in a post to social media platform X that the decision by the "unelected judge … forced Americans to hand $800 million to Planned Parenthood — the nation's largest abortion vendor."

"The courts are protecting death and the abortion industry, not the 402,000 innocent babies that Planned Parenthood kills each year," the post concluded.

Lila Rose, founder of global pro-life organization Live Action, called Talwani "a rogue district judge" who is "trying to force Americans to keep bankrolling killing children."

Rose called the ruling "blatant judicial abuse" and urged the Trump administration to "appeal immediately."

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