Cardinal Filoni: 'We remain with the people' in war-torn Middle East?

Cardinal Fernando Filoni speaks to "EWTN News Nightly" on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 / Credit: EWTN NewsVatican 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 serv...

Inside the cave in France where many believe Mary Magdalene spent her final years

The grounds at the Sanctuary of La Sainte-Baume. / Credit: Sanctuary of La Sainte-BaumeWashington, 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 f...

EWTN launches EWTN Studios and EWTN Digital to expand global reach

Sean Graber, president of EWTN Digital (left), and Peter Gagnon, president of EWTN Studios. / Credit: EWTNWashington, 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 al...

FBI investigates vandalism incident at Pennsylvania Catholic church

Church property sits vandalized at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Sunday, July 19, 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Diocese of PittsburghCNA 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 "wit...

Nigerian priest released from captivity after being kidnapped by Boko Haram

Father Alphonsus Afina. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Diocese of FairbanksCNA 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 ...

Judiciary Committee: FBI spied on Catholic priest for not divulging info on parishioner

null / Credit: Dzelat/ShutterstockWashington, 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 publ...

Judge blocks abortion funding ban in 'One Big Beautiful Bill'

null / Credit: Brian A Jackson/ShutterstockWashington, 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...

Swiss politician faces court after firing 20 shots at image of Mary and Jesus

Zurich, Switzerland. / Credit: Gianfranco Vivi/ShutterstockCNA Newsroom, Jul 22, 2025 / 08:42 am (CNA).Swiss prosecutors have filed criminal charges against a Zurich councillor and former Green Liberal Party leader after she posted images of herself firing approximately 20 shots at a Christian image depicting the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus.According to the Swiss news outlet 20 Minuten, the Zurich public prosecutor's office accuses Sanija Ameti of publicly disparaging religious beliefs and disturbing religious peace under Article 261 of the Swiss Penal Code. The code penalizes anyone "who publicly and maliciously insults or mocks the religious convictions of others, and in particular their belief in God, or maliciously desecrates objects of religious veneration."The incident occurred in September 2024, when Ameti used an air pistol to shoot at a reproduction of the 14th-century painting "Madonna with Child and the Archangel Michael" by the artist Tommaso del Mazza.The...

Cardinal Pizzaballa: 'Christ is not absent from Gaza' amid war

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa (left) and Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III hold a joint press conference in Jerusalem on July 22, 2025. / Credit: AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty ImagesRome Newsroom, Jul 22, 2025 / 09:38 am (CNA).Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa spoke on Tuesday about the devastation of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, emphasizing that the Church "will never abandon" the city's long-suffering people.Describing the extent of the destruction in Gaza at a press conference held at the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Centre, Pizzaballa said he and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem witnessed during their July 18 pastoral visit the inadequate living conditions families have been forced to live in."We walked through the dust of ruins, past collapsed buildings and tents everywhere: in courtyards, alleyways, on the streets and on the beach," he told journalists on Tuesday. "Tents that have become ...

Mississippi launches MAMA program to support moms, families, and pro-life values

The Mississippi state capitol building. The Mississippi Access to Maternal Assistance (MAMA) program connects mothers and families with assistance from state and faith-based organizations like Catholic Charities. / Credit: Paul Brady Photography/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 22, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).Mississippi is promoting family, motherhood, and pro-life policies through its Mississippi Access to Maternal Assistance (MAMA) program. Established under Senate Bill 2781 in 2023, the MAMA program leverages state funds to connect women and families with resources that support motherhood and family stability. Mississippi prohibits state funds from going to abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, following the Dobbs decision. Faith-based organizations, however, play a strong role in the network of listed services. Catholic Charities of Southern Mississippi, Catholic Charities of Jackson, and Embrace Grace Ministry at Trinity Wesleyan Church are among...