The Colombian bishops emphasized that their statements are intended to offer criteria for reflection inspired by the Gospel and should not be exploited for partisan political purposes.
The Colombian Bishops' Conference (CEC, by its Spanish acronym) called for respect for the meaning of the messages the bishops issued ahead of the presidential runoff election, rejecting any manipulation of their content.
Colombia's June 21 election pits right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella against left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda of President Gustavo Petro's party.
In a June 10 statement, the CEC warned that "certain posts and comments are circulating on digital platforms presenting partisan interpretations of recent episcopal statements, even going so far as to use them to support specific political positions."
The bishops called for these "messages to be understood and disseminated within their full context, avoiding uses unrelated to their pastoral purpose."
"The statements and exhortations issued by the presidency of the Colombian Bishops' Conference are inspired by the Gospel, the Church's social doctrine, and the magisterium," with the aim of "offering criteria for reflection that foster citizen participation in the country's democratic life, grounded in responsible discernment, freedom, respect, a culture of encounter, reconciliation, and the pursuit of the common good," the press release noted.
"In no case," the bishops clarified, "do these statements seek to favor, endorse, or delegitimize any candidacy, nor to express support for specific political projects."
For these reasons, the CEC reiterated its call for the bishops' statements to be shared or discussed "while respecting their context, content, and original purpose, and avoiding interpretations that could cause confusion or contribute to the polarization affecting our society."
Likewise, the CEC called for verifying any information through "the institution's official channels before replicating or interpreting its statements."
It noted that, at this decisive moment for Colombia, the CEC "maintains its call to foster a climate of mutual respect, serenity, dialogue, and hope, as well as to reject all forms of violence, stigmatization, or division."
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Reflecting on this theme, taken from a verse of the book of the prophet Isaiah, the Holy Father emphasized that "these are words that fill us with comfort and hope." He recalled the "painful feeling of being forgotten," something shared by many people, especially the elderly.
God's love as a response to anonymity
In the face of this sense of abandonment, the Holy Father recalled that God's love, which "forgets no one," is also "an act of justice and a response to the anonymity in which human life all too often ends up lost."
The pontiff turned his attention to elderly people who have been forgotten and who live in homes "where loneliness reigns" or in care facilities "where each person's uniqueness risks being reduced to a bed number or an illness."
He proposed the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly as an opportunity "to rediscover that the Church is called to be a mother to all and that at any age it is always possible to recognize ourselves as sons and daughters of God."
He also invited this day to be "an inspiration for everyone, especially the young, to revive the beautiful custom of visiting their grandparents, the elderly members of the family, and even those who have no one to visit them."
Leo said the Church "understands the suffering of her elderly members; she knows full well that they are all too often viewed through the lens of stereotypes and considered a burden." He noted in particular the weakening of family ties and the abandonment of many elderly people by children forced to migrate or to fight in wars.
Recalling the words of Pope John Paul I, Leo stressed that we are the recipients "of undying love on the part of God. We know: He has always his eyes open on us, even when it seems to be dark. He is our father; even more he is our mother." He added that even in old age "we do not cease to be sons and daughters; therefore, the invitation to return to the arms of God — whose love is both paternal and maternal — remains worthwhile at any age."
'It is never too late to begin turning to him'
He then noted that the final stage of life "can become the right time to begin or resume a spiritual life" and to encounter God anew.
The pope invited the elderly "not to feel embarrassed by the fragility that emerges" and to recognize that "we are always in need of one another and in need of attention and care." To God, he said, "we can now turn with filial trust in prayer. It is never too late to begin turning to him."
He also emphasized that advanced age can be a time to reflect on one's vocation: "Do not be afraid of fragility! It is precisely this weakness that holds within itself a new potential that also illuminates the other stages of life."
In this sense, he explained that when "we acknowledge our fragility, our hearts become open to supporting one another and to invoking the One who can grant what no human power can ensure: the profound reconciliation of hearts and, with it, true peace."
A path toward renewal and peace
In conclusion, the pope stressed that it is possible to live old age as Christians, "fragile" yet at the same time "called." He noted that a person can be "born anew in old age" and choose paths not of power but of reconciliation and peace.
Finally, he urged the elderly to join in prayer "that peace may soon come to the whole world," so that a better future may be secured for their grandchildren.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
The U.S. Catholic bishops have backed the lawsuit brought by Jewish resident Daniel Grand against the city of University Heights, Ohio, in a dispute over a planned prayer group.
A long-running legal dispute against a city in Ohio has received the backing of the U.S. Catholic bishops as it seeks to both assert a religious liberty claim and challenge a long-standing U.S. rule over when a lawsuit can be brought before a court.
Daniel Grand filed a lawsuit against the city of University Heights, Ohio, in September 2022 after the city blocked his efforts to convene a minyan, or Jewish prayer group, of about a dozen friends at his home. The city directed that he would have to acquire a special-use permit to host the group.
"They said if I got the permit, I could have the prayer group," he told EWTN News. "But halfway into this ordeal, I learned that if anybody qualifies for this permit, there is no residence allowed [where the permit is granted]." His family would have to move in the event the permit was granted, he said.
The federal district court dismissed his case on the grounds of a legal concept known as "finality," a rule that holds that a lawsuit can only be brought if a plaintiff has exhausted all other relevant options first.
Jonathan Gross, an attorney who is representing Grand in the ongoing dispute, said governments will sometimes use this rule in order to thwart a lawsuit attempt.
"Certain jurisdictions recognize that the government controls everything and that if they want they can 'jerk you around' and table your case indefinitely to prevent you from ever getting finality that allows you to sue," he said.
"If local government can do whatever they want with your application and make it so you never get a final decision, then you're ultimately blocked from ever suing them, and they know that," he said.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio dismissed the case on finality grounds; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit upheld that dismissal. Grand and his attorneys are asking the Supreme Court to review the case and rule on the finality question so that the religious liberty suit can proceed.
"We obviously assert that Daniel was harmed," Gross said. "But we didn't even go to court because we didn't get the final decision."
Decision would 'open up the Hoover Dam' for some lawsuits
Grand and his attorneys are hoping to resolve the finality question at the Supreme Court for the sake of both themselves and plaintiffs in other lawsuits.
A favorable decision from the high court would "open up the Hoover Dam for everyone who wants to get into federal court but is being denied because you didn't complete some sort of process," Grand told EWTN News.
Yet Grand himself is still focused on resolving the religious liberty dispute as well. Among other supporters, the lawsuit has received backing from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which filed an amicus brief in appeals court arguing that Grand's religious liberty claims should be considered without being subject to "finality."
Religious plaintiffs have standing to sue "as soon as a credible threat arises," the bishops said in their filing, arguing that court processes that play out over "months or years" due to finality rules serve as a "constitutional harm" in and of themselves.
In his filing with the Supreme Court, Grand argued that the case is "a playbook for government-sponsored religious discrimination."
Speaking to EWTN News, Grand disputed the implicit contention that "10 Jews in a room makes it a synagogue." He said his aim was simply to host a small group to speak to God.
"It was on my heart to have a prayer gathering, and I thought nothing more than that," he said.
Pope Leo XIV addressed a delegation of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, encouraging them to preserve and promote "the inestimable treasures incarnated by all the Eastern Churches."
Pope Leo XIV received a delegation from the Syro-Malankara Church on June 15 on the occasion of its first convention for clergy and laity residing in Europe, urging them to preserve and promote their identity, particularly within the context of the diaspora in Europe and the United States.
The origins of this Church lie in the Christian tradition of India, specifically in the state of Kerala, and trace back to the Christians evangelized by the Apostle Thomas in the first century.
After greeting the bishops present and highlighting the spiritual renewal of this Church in preparation for the centenary of its reunion with the Catholic Church in 1930, he said the Syro-Malankara Church as "your Church has always been a beacon of evangelical energy and apostolic charity, bringing social justice, education, and integral human development to those on the margins of society."
In his address, the pope also noted that this Church began to grow rapidly beyond ethnic or linguistic boundaries, initially in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu as the fruit of evangelization efforts begun in 1934.
In this vein, he highlighted the need for "an urgent commitment" to preserving and promoting "the inestimable treasures incarnated by all the Eastern Churches," especially within the growing diaspora.
The pope underscored the presence of these faithful in the United States, just as Benedict XVI and Pope Francis had done.
Along the same lines, he addressed in particular Bishop Kuriakose Mar Osthathios, whom he recently appointed as apostolic visitator for the Syro-Malankara faithful residing in Europe.
His responsibility includes, according to the pontiff, "surveying the current state of pastoral care with a view to making proposals to the local bishops and to the Holy See for the spiritual good of the faithful."
He also recalled having asked the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches to help him "to evaluate the best ways to establish firm and enduring foundations" so that future generations of Syro-Malankara faithful may continue to deepen their friendship with the Lord Jesus through their own traditions, thereby contributing to the good of the entire Catholic Church.
In this regard, he asked them to promote greater awareness about "the precious identity of the Syro-Malankara Church" and the "experience of its unique heritage."
Noting that the St. Thomas Christians of India, considered one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, have a "well-deserved reputation for devout families from which arise many vocations to the priesthood and religious life," Leo XIV prayed that a steadfast faith "may continue to thrive in your homes and your hearts, particularly in those of the young."
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
The pontiff addressed representatives of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York on June 15.
Pope Leo XIV affirmed on June 15 the shared heritage of Jews and Catholics, emphasizing that they must be united against antisemitism and in serving those in need.
In an address at the Vatican to representatives of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York, the pontiff praised their organization as "an instrument of global Jewish philanthropy, providing essential humanitarian aid and social services to vulnerable populations." He also drew parallels between their work and the Catholic Church's commitment to human development.
"These efforts reflect a clear recognition of human dignity and fraternity, resonating with the Church's own commitment to integral human development and the call to love our neighbor," Leo said in his remarks.
The pope also reflected on the progress of Catholic-Jewish dialogue since the 1965 publication of Nostra Aetate, a declaration from the Second Vatican Council that condemned all forms of antisemitism. Reaffirming the Church's stance against antisemitism, Leo emphasized the need for Catholics and Jews to work together to combat all forms of discrimination.
"[Nostra Aetate] affirmed, among other things, the truth that we belong to one human family," Leo said. "Recognizing the inherent dignity of all men and women, Nostra Aetate took a firm stand against antisemitism and declared that the Church rejects all forms of discrimination or harassment because of race, color, condition of life, or religion. In a world still wounded by division and conflict, it called us to move beyond past misunderstandings toward collaboration for the common good."
Catholics, Lutherans, Pentecostals, and evangelicals marched together for the unborn through a rainy Oslo in Norway's first major March for Life in some 40 years.
Nearly 40 years after Norway's last March for Life, about 1,000 pro-life supporters braved rain and winds to gather in Oslo on June 13 for a renewed public witness in defense of unborn life.
The event began with a rally at 11 a.m. in Seventh June Square before participants marched through the capital's streets singing Christian hymns, concluding outside the Norwegian Parliament at 12:30 p.m. There, speakers from medical, social, religious, and political walks of life delivered addresses on the dignity and protection of human life, before the crowd joined together to sing "Navnet Jesus" ("The Name of Jesus"), widely regarded as Norway's most beloved Christian hymn.
Marchers carry a banner reading "Marsj for Livet" ("March for Life") through central Oslo, Norway, on June 13, 2026. | Credit: Bendik Bruun Edvardsen
Banners bearing slogans such as "A Voice for the Voiceless," "Choose Life," and "650,000 Since 1978" — a reference to the number of abortions recorded in Norway since the country's abortion law was liberalized — defined the march's central message: that every child has a right to life.
The discussion is not over
The march was organized by Velg Livet, a pro-life organization whose director, Cecilie Marie Røinås, told EWTN News the event was driven by a growing interest among younger Norwegians and a determination to respond to recent expansions of the country's abortion laws.
"Since it has been around 40 years since the last major March for Life in Norway, we felt it was time for a new public witness," she said. "With recent expansions of Norway's abortion laws, it is important that we continue to be a voice for unborn life and not act as if the discussion is over."
A young participant carries a "Velg Livet" ("Choose Life") placard during the March for Life in Oslo, Norway, on June 13, 2026. | Credit: Bendik Bruun Edvardsen
The strong presence of young people behind the initiative, many of them in their early 20s, was, for Røinås, one of the march's most significant features.
"The fact that so many young people are involved shows that the issue of abortion is not a lost cause," she said. "We want to show that there are many in our generation who are willing to stand up for unborn life."
Røinås said the march's success would ultimately be measured not by attendance figures alone but by its impact on hearts.
"Our prayer is that people would experience God's love," she said, "because real change begins in the hearts of the people."
A sign of growing engagement
Bishop Fredrik Hansen of Oslo, who was unable to attend due to pastoral commitments, described the march to EWTN News as evidence of a broader shift in Norwegian society.
"The Oslo March for Life attests to the increasing interest in and engagement for the defense of life and the dignity of life in Norway," he said, expressing hope that it would become an annual event and serve to build bridges among the country's pro-life organizations.
Asked whether he viewed the march as a form of healthy political advocacy or as genuine Christian witness, Hansen said it was both.
"The march will serve to witness to Norwegian society about the sacredness of life and to the need to challenge the many threats to life," he said. "In so doing, it will send a firm message to our politicians and to the media that many Norwegians are deeply committed to a pro-life culture and wish their voices to be heard."
He also pointed to what he described as quiet but real signs of religious renewal in a country better known for its secularism. "Interest in Christianity is increasing, notably among the young. Pro-life and broader social engagement is increasing in both the Catholic Church and other Christian communities, and public discussion on issues of life and faith are becoming more and more common."
He closed with a direct appeal to Catholics abroad: "Remember Norway in your prayers."
Unity among Christians
The Catholic Church was represented at the march by Catholics from several parishes, as well as Ragnhild Helena Aadland Høen, public affairs officer for the Norwegian Catholic Bishops' Conference.
Høen drew an immediate contrast with the last such demonstration in 1986, which was met with large and sometimes violent counterprotests. "This time, we were allowed to walk in peace," she told EWTN News.
For Høen, the march's most striking feature was not its size but its unity. "Catholics, Lutherans, Pentecostals, and evangelicals stood side by side," she said, describing this cross-denominational cooperation as "one of the most hopeful signs in Norway today."
She also highlighted the participation of American worship leader Phil King, whose address centered on Christian unity: "The impossible is not impossible with Jesus."
Participants walk under umbrellas in the rain, one holding a sign reading "For de Stemmeløse" ("For the Voiceless"), during the March for Life in Oslo, Norway, on June 13, 2026. | Credit: Bendik Bruun Edvardsen
Høen was careful to situate the march as a beginning rather than a culmination. "I have the distinct sense that God is gathering his people in Norway," she said. "It felt like the opening lines of a new chapter," one in which both Christian ecumenism and the pro-life movement, she believes, will continue to grow.
"I left with such a strong sense of expectation and joy," she noted.
The fundamental question remains
Among the speakers at the Parliament steps was Ingrid Olina Hovland, chairwoman of the youth wing of Norway's Christian Democratic Party, who was candid about the political landscape facing pro-life advocates in the country.
Pro-life politicians, she acknowledged, remain a minority in Norway and frequently face opposition from fellow lawmakers and the wider public alike. She explained that national debates have become too narrowly focused.
"The public discussion focuses primarily on healthcare and women's rights while giving less attention to the unborn child," she told EWTN News.
Hovland also challenged a common assumption underpinning arguments that economic hardship is a primary driver of abortion. Norway's extensive welfare state, she argued, makes that case difficult to sustain.
"Even in a society with generous welfare benefits, the fundamental question remains: What moral value do we assign to unborn human life, and how should that value be weighed against other interests and rights?"
She expressed cautious optimism about the direction of her generation. Younger Norwegians, she said, appear increasingly willing to engage seriously with the moral dimensions of abortion rather than treating the debate as settled, a willingness that, for those gathered in Oslo on Saturday, the march itself was designed to reflect.
The participants in the "Scegliamo della Vita" March opposed Italy's existing abortion laws and proposals to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Thousands gathered in Rome on June 13 to march against Italian legislation permitting abortion and to defend those with disabilities and the vulnerable in Italy who could be affected by future legislation on euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Participants in the "Scegliamo della Vita"("Let's Choose Life") March — an annual pro-life march since 2011 — gathered at the Piazza della Repubblica to voice support for promoting a culture of life in Italy and for respecting the human dignity of every person at all stages.
Current abortion legislation in Italy
Abortion first became legal in Italy in May 1978, allowing women to terminate a pregnancy up to 12 weeks of gestation.
This has since been followed by certain measures in favor of abortion by the Italian Ministry of Health, including permitting abortions as an essential healthcare service during the COVID-19 pandemic and allowing chemical termination of pregnancy up to 63 days.
Maria Rachele Ruiu, a prominent Italian pro-life advocate and participant in the march, expressed her hope to EWTN News that the march will persuade the Italian government to repeal current legislation permitting abortion.
"In Italy, unfortunately, we have Law 194, which governs abortion. It allows abortion up to the 12th week, but it is also permitted beyond that if a specific medical diagnosis is made," Ruiu told EWTN News. "We want to show that choosing and protecting life is not only right, important, and necessary but also beautiful."
Potential legislation permitting euthanasia and assisted suicide
Other participants voiced concerns about rumors that the Italian government would enact laws permitting euthanasia and assisted suicide more broadly.
Massimo Gandolfini, spokesperson for the Scegliamo della Vita March, expressed opposition to such laws and discussed the role that men have in promoting a pro-life culture.
"We see that this right [to life] today is deeply wounded and heavily attacked with abortion law, and with this rumored law on assisted suicide, to which we are totally opposed," Gandolfini said.
The flag of the pro-life march "Scegliamo della Vita" waves outside the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on June 13, 2026. | Credit: Sergio Natoli/EWTN News
"We [men] want to demonstrate to keep attention high on a fundamental issue, which is the right to life. The right to life is the right that underpins every other right of a civil society and a democratic society."
Ruiu added that the participants at the march would "ask Parliament not to legislate."
A future of marriages and children
Looking to the future, Ruiu stated that young people can support a culture of life by getting married and having families of their own.
"We want to bear witness to the fact that choosing life is worth it, especially for those who choose it; that having a child is wonderful news for the family and for society; that people can get married. Young people, get married and have children!
"They always portray us, even in the press, as ugly and bad; we want to parade through Rome to show our true face: happy people," Ruiu said.
Punjab authorities have seized Ewing Hall, a century-old building tied to Lahore's Forman Christian College, as Christian leaders and rights groups warn it could be lost for good.
Authorities in Pakistan's Punjab province have taken control of a century-old church-run hostel in Lahore for what they describe as restoration work, but Christian leaders warn the move could result in the church losing ownership of the property permanently.
The Punjab Board of Revenue seized Ewing Hall, a British-era building constructed in 1916 and long associated with Forman Christian College University (FCCU), prompting widespread condemnation from alumni, church leaders, and minority rights advocates.
Jonathan Addleton, rector of FCCU, described the action as a "forcible takeover" in a video statement posted on the university's Facebook page on June 12.
Standing with staff members outside the locked gates of the hostel in Lahore's historic Anarkali Bazaar, Addleton said Ewing Hall had been part of the Forman campus for more than a century.
"The initial lease was signed in 1915 and subsequently renewed multiple times, most recently to extend it well into the 2040s," he said, adding that university officials were given only 24 hours by telephone to remove movable property, including generators, furniture, and historical artifacts, a task he called impossible.
Addleton urged the government to return the property and called for consultations with stakeholders, including Pakistan's minority communities, "for whom Forman means so much."
The video attracted more than 233,000 views within days.
The government, however, offered a sharply different account.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari, speaking to Dawn on June 14, said the lease for Ewing Hall had expired and had not been renewed for several years.
She said the property was reclaimed as part of the Lahore Heritage Area Revival Project, which aims to restore historic buildings in the provincial capital, and alleged that the lessee had failed to clear outstanding lease payments dating back to 1975.
Documents shared by the government show alleged outstanding lease liabilities totaling 107.79 million rupees (about $387,000): 29.19 million rupees (about $105,000) accrued between 1975 and 2018, and a further 78.59 million rupees (about $282,000) calculated for the period from 2018 to 2026.
The records also contend that the land was leased exclusively for educational purposes but had not been used as such since 2015.
Reuben Qamar, a pastor at the Presbyterian Church on the FCCU campus, said the college had refused to pay the lease during three decades of nationalization when the building was under government possession.
"We were in the midst of negotiations with the officials to reduce the lease amount when the takeover took place," he told EWTN News.
Qamar remained doubtful about the property's return.
"Basically, it is a property dispute. The building was still being used for educational purposes. We are not sure whether it will be handed back to us," he said.
He noted the 6,070-square-meter site had been vacated in 2018 after cracks appeared in the structure and the COVID-19 pandemic that followed. A professional firm had only recently completed a safety assessment.
Founded in 1864 by American Presbyterian missionaries, FCCU is Pakistan's only church-run chartered university. It was nationalized in 1972 under former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto before being returned to Presbyterian Church management in 2003.
Qamar warned the seizure sent a troubling message to minority institutions across the country.
"The government's priority appears to be monetary interests rather than education, despite Forman's role in producing generations of national leaders," he said, adding that the move reeked of bad intention.
Nasir William, convener of Minority Forum Pakistan, called the seizure a violation of minority rights and demanded a transparent and impartial investigation.
"Such actions not only violate constitutional and legal principles but are deeply concerning for the protection, dignity, and equal citizenship of minorities in Pakistan," he said.
The case has renewed attention on the broader issue of nationalized church properties.
According to the Lahore-based Centre for Social Justice, 118 church-owned educational institutions remained under provincial government control as of June 2020.
William noted that despite past discussions about returning some of those properties, including Rang Mahal School, described as the first English-medium institution in northern India, "nothing materialized."
The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also weighed in on June 13, describing Ewing Hall as a building of "historical, educational, and cultural significance."
It warned that the reported eviction deadline raised "serious questions about transparency, due process, and the stewardship of shared heritage," and urged authorities to protect the building's physical integrity.
More than six decades after Archbishop Josef Karel Matocha died under communist internment, a Czech court has formally recognized his imprisonment as unlawful.
The district court in Olomouc, Czech Republic, has rehabilitated Josef Karel Matocha, the city's former archbishop, recognizing his internment under the communist regime as unlawful more than six decades after his death.
The court's decision, based on the Judicial Rehabilitation Act, confirms that the prelate was a victim of unlawful deprivation of liberty in the 1950s by the communist regime in what was then Czechoslovakia. He was not formally convicted, yet he was forced to remain in the archbishop's palace under surveillance by the State Security, and this was recognized as imprisonment.
The current archbishop of Olomouc, Josef Nuzík, said he is "very happy that after so many years we have managed to complete this procedural step and achieve justice" in civil law as well.
Matocha is "constantly present in our palace and in the hearts of believers," and guests "are often moved when they realize that these beautiful spaces were his prison," said Nuzík, who is also president of the Czech Bishops' Conference.
The rehabilitation is an important sign "also for the entire society," he added, one that shows "the heroism and suffering of people who did not let themselves be broken must not be forgotten."
Ladislav Müller filed the initial motion for rehabilitation at the request of Jan Kratochvil, director of the Museum of Czech, Slovak, and Ruthenian Exile of the 20th Century in Brno.
Decades of isolation
Matocha, who held doctorates in philosophy and theology, was appointed archbishop of Olomouc by Pope Pius XII in 1948. He was deeply dedicated in his pastoral visits, initiated the beatification process of Archbishop Antonín Stojan, and secretly ordained František Tomášek as a bishop, who later became a cardinal and archbishop of Prague, according to the Archdiocese of Olomouc.
After his internment in 1950, he could not read newspapers or listen to the radio, and visits to the garden were permitted only sporadically. The isolation lasted until his death from a heart attack in 1961, which was also due to the denial of medical care. In 1999, then-Czech President Václav Havel posthumously awarded Matocha the first class of the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk for outstanding services to democracy and human rights.
The press office of the Archdiocese of Olomouc told EWTN News that no special event regarding Matocha is planned at present, but it noted that a rehabilitation process is underway for Cardinal Štepán Trochta. Trochta also suffered internment as the bishop of Litomerice, but "we consider him ours," the press office said, because he was born within the Archdiocese of Olomouc.
A wider reckoning
The unjust treatment of two other churchmen by the communist regime in Czechoslovakia has recently been recognized.
Cardinal Josef Beran, the former archbishop of Prague, who was interned in several locations, was rehabilitated in February, the District Court of Prague confirmed to EWTN News.
In 2024, the regional court in Hradec Králové rehabilitated the priest Josef Toufar, who was illegally arrested and tortured to death.
Israel is not a party to the deal, however, and launched airstrikes on Beirut after Hezbollah launched projectiles into Israel Sunday.
President Donald Trump announced on June 14 that the United States and Iran had reached a deal to end months of hostilities that have claimed thousands of lives.
In a Truth Social post, Trump declared: "The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!"
He added: "I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!"
A formal signing ceremony is scheduled for June 19 in Switzerland.
Between 7,500 to 10,000 people have died since the war erupted in February, with the majority of fatalities occurring in Iran and Lebanon. Civilian deaths across the region are estimated between 2,500 and 4,000. The United States has lost 13 service members in the conflict.
The pact is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, lift the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, and include a 60-day period for further negotiations, particularly on Iran's nuclear program, according to the Associated Press.
The deal only partially addresses the issues that sparked the conflict, which began with U.S.-supported Israeli airstrikes that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28.
While the agreement requires Iran to refrain from producing or acquiring nuclear weapons and to maintain the current nuclear status quo during the 60-day negotiation period, it does not include a full dismantling of Iran's nuclear program or the removal of its highly enriched uranium stockpile.
Nor does the deal require Iran to halt funding, arming, or directing its network of militant groups, including Hezbollah.
Those questions have been deferred for future talks.
According to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a mediator in the peace deal, the agreement calls for "the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon."
Hezbollah launched projectiles from Lebanon into Israel on Sunday, however, leading Israel, which maintains it has the right to respond to Hezbollah attacks, to retaliate by striking Beirut's southern suburbs.
Both Iran and Trump criticized Israel's airstrikes. In a separate Truth Social post earlier that day, Trump wrote: "This morning's attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly stated that Israel is "not a party" to the deal, said the strikes targeted Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure and a Hezbollah command center.
In April, the pope stated: "Search always for peace and reject war … especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war."
Trump took issue with Leo's statements, leading to a public dispute in which the president accused the pope of saying Iran "can have a nuclear weapon," despite the pope's repeated calls for nuclear disarmament.
"The Church has spoken for years against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt there," Leo said in response on May 5.
"The peace that Jesus gives us is not merely the silence of weapons, but the peace that touches and transforms the heart of each one of us!" the pope said in his Easter "urbi et orbi" message. "Let us allow ourselves to be transformed by the peace of Christ!"
The peace deal announcement comes on the same day as Trump's 80th birthday, on which he held the first-ever professional UFC fights on the South Lawn of the White House. Trump hosted the event as part of America's 250th anniversary celebrations.
