Cardinal Ambongo: Opposition to same-sex blessings not an 'African exception'

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar. / Credit: François-Régis Salefran CC BY-SA 4.0 DEEDVatican City, Jul 1, 2025 / 14:47 pm (CNA).The leader of Africa's Catholic bishops pushed back Tuesday on the narrative that it was only Africans who objected to a 2023 Vatican declaration permitting blessings for same-sex couples."The position taken by Africa [on the declaration] was also the position of so many bishops here in Europe. It's not just an African exception," Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, OFM Cap, told EWTN News on July 1.The 65-year-old cardinal added that homosexuality is fundamentally a "doctrinal, theological problem," and Church moral teaching on the subject has not changed.Ambongo is archbishop of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo and heads the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).After the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) published Fid...

Priest in 'critical condition' after being shot in Mexico

Father Héctor Alejandro Pérez. / Credit: St. Francis of Assisi Parish, South GaviotasPuebla, Mexico, Jul 1, 2025 / 17:19 pm (CNA).The Diocese of Tabasco in Mexico reported June 30 that one of its priests was wounded by gunfire while on his way to visit a sick parishioner. The attack was apparently a case of mistaken identity.The bishop of the diocese, Gerardo de Jesús Rojas López, shared a statement explaining that at approximately 5:45 a.m. local time, Father Héctor Alejandro Pérez, a parish priest at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Villahermosa, the capital of Tabasco state, was shot.The assailant apparently mistook the priest "for someone else. Father Héctor was leaving the rectory to visit a sick person at home," Rojas stated.Following the attack, the priest underwent surgery. According to the bishop, Pérez is reported to be in critical condition, "with a guarded prognosis due to blood loss and the complexity of his internal injuries."Rojas also made an urgent appeal t...

Ukrainian Greek Catholic church invites pilgrims to visit Cross of Gratitude

A 20-foot, 800-pound cross that has traveled to almost 50 European capitals, known as the "Cross of Gratitude," has recently been welcomed by a Ukrainian Greek Catholic church in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the first parish of the Greek Catholic rite in America. / Courtesy: St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Greek Catholic ChurchWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 1, 2025 / 16:17 pm (CNA).A 20-foot, 800-pound cross that has traveled to almost 50 European capitals, known as the "Cross of Gratitude," has recently been welcomed by a Ukrainian Greek Catholic church in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the first parish of the Greek Catholic rite in America."It is a great honor and a blessing for the Parish of St. Michael the Archangel to host the Cross of Gratitude, a sacred symbol of Christ's boundless love and sacrifice," St. Michael's parish priest Father Bohdan Vasyliv told CNA. "We warmly invite all to visit, pray, and reflect before this holy cross, giving thanks for the gift of salvat...

Bishops invite Pope Leo to visit Peru: 'His presence will renew the hope of our people'

A delegation of Peruvian bishops greets Pope Leo XIV, inviting him to visit Peru, during an audience on June 30, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Peruvian Episcopal ConferenceACI Prensa Staff, Jul 1, 2025 / 15:47 pm (CNA).The Peruvian bishops have officially invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Peru, assuring him that "his presence will renew the hope of our people."According to a statement from the Peruvian Bishops' Conference (CEP, by its Spanish acronym), a delegation of bishops, including the conference president, Bishop Carlos García Camader of Lurín, met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on June 30.During the audience, "the bishops extended an official invitation to him to make a pastoral visit to Peru," the CEP stated.Leo XIV, born in Chicago as Robert Francis Prevost in 1955, lived in Peru for nearly 20 years, serving at different times in various capacities from parochial vicar of Chulucanas in the Piura region to bishop of Chiclayo. He became a Peruvian citizen in 2015.Greetin...

Vatican exhibits Raphael's legacy with the reopening of the Hall of Constantine

The "Hall of Constantine" is Raphael's masterpiece, depicting Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Jun 30, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).After a decade of painstaking restoration, the imposing Hall of Constantine in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, which houses Raphael's masterpiece depicting Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge, has been returned to its original splendor.This space, the largest of the well-known Raphael Rooms, was partially closed to the public in 2015 due to delicate conservation work that ultimately culminated in a result described as "exemplary" by Vatican Museums."In a way, we have rewritten the history of art," explained Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums, during a June 26 presentation to the press held at the Vatican Museums. She was joined by Fabrizio Biferali, supervisor of the art department for the 15th and 16th centuries; Fabio Piacentini and Francesca Persegati fro...

Catholic ministry helps adult children of divorce find healing and love

Bethany and Daniel Meola, a married couple with a special heart for adult children of divorce, created the Life-Giving Wounds apostolate, currently celebrating its five-year anniversary in 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Life-Giving WoundsMiami, Fla., Jun 30, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).Kendra Beigel was 14 years old when her family life took a turn for the worse. In her small-town Minnesota home, she was used to her parents arguing, but her family situation further disintegrated when her mother intervened in her father's alcohol issues and her parents went to court."It was like the whole town decided to take a side and get involved in our family business," recalled Beigel, who was raised Catholic. "I had to grow up quickly… Each stage of the initial separation and how it comes out of the blue, then the divorce and everything that it brings, and then the subsequent annulment; each brought its own hurts and difficulties and it never was easier."Now an adult, Beigel remembers thinkin...

20 bishops join interfaith letter against ICE funding boost in 'Big Beautiful Bill'

Credit: anonymous/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 30, 2025 / 15:47 pm (CNA).A coalition of 20 American Catholic bishops and religious leaders from other faiths has signed on to a letter urging lawmakers to vote against a proposed budget bill because of provisions to increase funding for immigration enforcement."From our various faith perspectives, the moral test of a nation is how it treats those most in need of support," the letter read. "In our view, this legislation will harm the poor and vulnerable in our nation, to the detriment of the common good."The letter's signatories included Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and Cardinal Joseph Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. Phoenix Bishop John Dolan, Seattle Archbishop Paul Etienne, St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, and Sacramento, California, Bishop Jaime Soto were also among those who signed.In addition to the bishops, other signatories to the letter included the lea...

PHOTOS: Rome celebrates its patron saints with a burst of colorful flowers  

The Via della Conciliazione, the grand avenue leading to St. Peter's Square in Rome, was transformed this Sunday into a vibrant tapestry of color laid over the asphalt, June 29, 2025. / Credit: Hannah BrockhausRome Newsroom, Jun 29, 2025 / 12:50 pm (CNA).The Via della Conciliazione, the grand avenue leading to St. Peter's Square, was transformed this Sunday into a vibrant tapestry of color laid over the asphalt, with dozens of floral artworks created by master artisans and volunteers from across Italy. These floral works, rich in religious symbolism, decorated the spiritual heart of Rome as part of a new edition of the Infiorata Storica (Historic Flower Festival). Murals made of flowers adorned The Via della Conciliazione, the grand avenue leading to St. Peter's Square, which was transformed on Sunday into a vibrant tapestry of color. June 29, 2025. Credit: Hannah BrockhausThis year's 12th edition centered on the theme of the Jubilee of Hope, expressed through floral ...

British politician criticizes priest for refusing communion over assisted dying vote

The British Parliament building in London. / Credit: Marinesea/ShutterstockCNA Newsroom, Jun 29, 2025 / 19:05 pm (CNA).A British politician has publicly criticized his parish priest for refusing to give him Holy Communion after he voted in favor of the UK's assisted dying bill. Liberal Democrat MP Chris Coghlan took to Social Media on Sunday and reportedly complained to Bishop Richard Moth of Arundel and Brighton, describing his treatment as "outrageous."Father Ian Vane, parish priest at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Dorking, Surrey, had warned Coghlan before the June 20 vote that supporting the controversial bill would constitute "obstinately persevering" in sin. He then reportedly named Coghlan, who represents Dorking and Horley in Surrey, from the pulpit two days later.Coghlan described the priest's actions as "completely inappropriate" and claimed it "undermines the legitimacy of religious institutions."The politician posted on social media that the incident raised "grave...

Thousands rally across the U.S. urging Congress to defund Planned Parenthood

Pro-life demonstrators take part in a rally calling for Planned Parenthood to be defunded in Denton, Texas, Saturday, June 28, 2025 / Credit: Carole Novielli/Live ActionCNA Newsroom, Jun 28, 2025 / 14:00 pm (CNA).Thousands of pro-life advocates rallied at hundreds of locations across the United States on Saturday while taking part in a "single, coordinated day of demonstration" urging Congress to defund the abortion giant Planned Parenthood.The pro-life group Live Action spearheaded the nationwide "Defund Day" event. Group founder Lila Rose told CNA it was the "largest grassroots effort" yet to call for stripping federal funds from Planned Parenthood, which received around $800 million in taxpayer dollars during its most recent fiscal year. "We're spearheading an effort with over 200 peaceful rallies across the country in all 48 states where there are Planned Parenthoods," she said. "This is a national call to defund the biggest abortion chain."Citing Planned Parenthood's hundr...