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...

Pastor of Gaza church hit by Israeli fire: 'We are in God's grace and we persevere in faith'

Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest at the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family who was wounded in a recent strike on the church, stands before the altar during a Sunday morning Mass held by the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem at the church in Gaza City on July 20, 2025. / Credit: OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty ImagesACI Prensa Staff, Jul 21, 2025 / 16:43 pm (CNA).The pastor of the only Catholic church in Gaza, Argentine priest Father Gabriel Romanelli, on Sunday described the current situation after the church was hit by Israeli fire on July 17, leaving three people dead and several injured, including a 19-year-old postulant who remains hospitalized.In a video posted July 20 on his YouTube channel, Romanelli, a priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, began by sharing the bad news: "Unfortunately, the war continues," he said. "Today there were many deaths, people who were even waiting in the north, where there is a great need for humanitarian aid. The numbers are terr...

Pope Leo XIV visits home for elderly in Castel Gandolfo: 'Age doesn't matter'

Pope Leo XIV greets residents of St. Martha Home for the Elderly in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, during a visit on July 21, 2025. / Credit: Vatican MediaACI Prensa Staff, Jul 21, 2025 / 15:12 pm (CNA).Pope Leo XIV on Monday morning visited St. Martha Home for the Elderly in Castel Gandolfo, the Italian town where he is spending his vacation.According to the Holy See Press Office, the pontiff arrived at the residence on July 20 at 10:30 a.m. local time and was welcomed by the community of nuns who run the facility.The Sisters of St. Martha religious order was founded in 1946 by Blessed Tommaso Reggio. The sisters aim to be "humble presences of peace and hope" for those most in need and to pay "the utmost attention to the quality of relationships and the well-being" of the nursing home's residents, according to the order's website.After spending time praying in the chapel, the Holy Father personally greeted approximately 20 elderly people, all between the ages of 80 and 101.Pope Leo X...

Tattoo shop in Times Square is a 'ministry for the Miraculous Medal'

Catholic images and crucifixes fill the walls in Times Square Tattoo. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Tommy HoulihanCNA Staff, Jul 21, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).In the heart of New York City, nestled among the tall buildings of Times Square, sits a small tattoo shop with two 17-inch signs of the Miraculous Medal hanging outside the front door. Inside, walls of rosaries, crucifixes, and religious images greet visitors, while an old church pew serves as a place to sit and wait. A glass jar filled with blessed Miraculous Medals sits on the front desk. The tattoo parlor, Times Square Tattoo, is more than a tattoo parlor, according to owner Tommy Houlihan, who has a deep devotion to the Miraculous Medal and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The 55-year-old told CNA that he views his shop as a "ministry for the Miraculous Medal."Houlihan has been a tattoo artist since 1990. He grew up in a Catholic household in Hell's Kitchen, a neighborhood on the west side of midtown Manhattan, and by the age ...