Catholic News

Poland's bishops have condemned surrogacy as commercial services seek to expand in the country.

"Surrogacy is by its nature evil and incompatible with Christian faith and morality," the bishops' bioethics committee said. "The desire to have children cannot be interpreted as a right to have children, because a child, in the ontological sense, as a human being, is not the property of its parents."

The bioethics committee of the Polish Bishops' Conference issued a statement on Aug. 27 signed by the head of the committee, Auxiliary Bishop Józef Wróbel of the Archdiocese of Lublin. The committee warned that the "conception and birth of a child cannot be the subject of a commercial transaction" between those who offer their body for rent and those who want to obtain offspring in this way.

The committee underscored that the practice of surrogacy cannot, therefore, "be tolerated, permitted, accepted, or, even less so, promoted by state institutions."

The statement noted that "more and more offers are emerging in Poland guaranteeing the birth of a healthy child through surrogacy," likely a reference to an event organized in the Polish capital, Warsaw, for Sept. 12-13 by the Ukrainian fertility clinic BioTexCom: Center for Human Reproduction.

The company says it has a "wide database of donors who meet all individual requirements of clients" as well as "the latest techniques" to achieve "positive results" of in vitro fertilization.

BioTexCom describes surrogacy "as a program during which a healthy woman carries a child for the infertile couple" and promises "best surrogate mothers," lower prices, and better services than other medical centers in Europe.

However, the bioethical experts of the Polish episcopate pointed out that surrogacy is available only through artificial insemination, usually performed through in vitro fertilization, which has a variety of "genetic, developmental, and psychological" consequences.

Moreover, the experts said such "conceived children will be killed through eugenic abortion if genetic or developmental disorders are detected," stressing that "the murder of an unborn child is always an extremely evil act" and that under "law in force in Poland, it is also a crime."

The bioethicists said conducting surrogacy outside Poland does not make it legal, adding that it rather resembles "international human trafficking, which cannot be justified either by the desire to have offspring or the consent" of the parties involved.

The experts concluded that children are "treated as commodities and not as endowed with an inalienable dignity attached to their humanity." Thus, they called for "the state authorities to take immediate and decisive action to prevent surrogacy by Polish citizens and to block" companies that "offer such procedures."

Some analysts noted that Poland lacks surrogacy limitations, unlike Slovakia and Italy, where the practice is banned.

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Ahead of the new academic year, Christian schools in Jerusalem along with thousands of families are facing a renewed crisis after Israeli authorities failed to renew entry permits for approximately 70 teachers and staff members.

The situation prompted the schools to suspend classes beginning Tuesday, marking the second such decision this year. Classes were also suspended last January for the same reason.

In a statement, the schools said the measures were imposed suddenly and without prior notice, directly affecting their preparations for the beginning of the academic year.

They explained that the absence of so many employees affects not only classroom instruction but also administrative work, health and cleaning services, and security and safety procedures. As a result, the schools said they could not guarantee students a safe and stable start to the academic year.

The schools said they decided to suspend classes after consulting and coordinating with the relevant authorities, representatives of parents, and other Jerusalem schools. The suspension will remain in effect until the necessary permits for teachers and staff members are reissued or renewed.

They also warned that the recurrence of such measures undermines the stability of educational institutions and hinders their ability to fulfill their mission, while also affecting students, their families, school personnel, and the wider community.

The schools recalled that for centuries their institutions have carried out an educational and humanitarian mission and have formed an integral part of Jerusalem's identity and its cultural and social fabric.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to providing high-quality education and forming generations grounded in knowledge, values, a sense of belonging, and responsibility.

Concluding their statement, the schools expressed hope that the crisis would be resolved quickly, allowing students and staff members to return to their schools and the academic year to proceed normally.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Wendell Berry, the prolific American author whose work spanned decades and who spent his career urging Americans to pursue a simpler, more virtuous life, died on Aug. 31, his family said.

His daughter Mary confirmed his passing via the New York Times. His cause of death was not immediately known; the Kentucky-born writer was 92 years old.

A writer of fiction, poetry, and essays, Berry was known for his advocacy of rural life, for urging readers to develop a close connection to farming and food, and for calling for the care of the environment.

His work united a broad cross-section of the American public from liberal environmentalists to Christian homesteaders to local food advocates to conservative conservationists.

Born in Louisville on Aug. 5, 1934, Berry studied English at the University of Kentucky and writing at Stanford University. He taught English at the University of Kentucky for several years and also taught at New York University.

From 1965 until his death he lived and worked at his farm, Lane's Landing, in Henry County, Kentucky.

His politics were broad and diverse. He was famously critical of big business and corporations and was a fierce detractor of coal companies. He was opposed to the death penalty, at one point urging his home state to abolish it entirely.

Amid the racial and cultural disputes of 2020, he sued the University of Kentucky in order to prevent the removal of a purportedly racially offensive mural there — though he said he was pained by the knowledge that his ancestors "established themselves here by killing or driving out the original possessors" and that "people were once bought and sold here by my people." Berry was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama in 2012.

Throughout his career he remained devoted to both the natural world and to the small farm — a philosophy, he said in 2002, that meant he had "spent [his] life on two losing sides."

He urged advocates to reconcile both the need to preserve the natural world and the need to support the human beings that are an indelible part of the world. "The question we must deal with is not whether the domestic and the wild are separate or can be separated; it is how, in the human economy, their indissoluble and necessary connection can be properly maintained," he wrote.

Baptized a Baptist, Berry remained distant from organized religion, calling himself at one point a "forest Christian." Yet his work and his advocacy attracted large numbers of Christians, including Catholics.

Writing in America Magazine in 2017, the Catholic writer Anna Keating said that his unique philosophy "can prove helpful to Catholics, serving as an antidote to the many ills of our time."

He also briefly partnered with the Catholic St. Catharine College in Springfield, Kentucky, to launch the Berry Farming Program, though the college closed in 2016.

He wrote that he "[took] literally the statement in the Gospel of John that God loves the world."

"I believe that the world was created and approved by love, that it subsists, coheres, and endures by love, and that, insofar as it is redeemable, it can be redeemed only by love," he said.

Though well traveled and revered as a national American sage, Berry was a strong proponent of localism. He consistently called on Americans to turn to community and mutual help to address societal problems and conflicts.

He lamented the destruction of much of the rural way of life that he had seen take place over his lifetime, though he expressed optimism for its revitalization. Reflecting in 1988 on the potential "renewal of the rural communities" around the country, he wrote that such a renewal "would have to be a revival accomplished mainly by the community itself."

"It would have to be done not from the outside by the instruction of visiting experts," he wrote, "but from the inside by the ancient rule of neighborliness, by the love of precious things, and by the wish to be at home."

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A community of Discalced Carmelite sisters is using centuries-old methods to build a monastery in hopes that it will serve as "a beacon of light" for generations to come in Fairfield, Pennsylvania.

When the sisters of the Carmel of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph realized they had outgrown their 1940s monastery in the Diocese of Harrisburg, they knew they wanted to build their next home "in a way that is designed to last," that would speak to St. Teresa of Ávila's vision for their charism, Catherine Bauer, the director of marketing and development for the sisters, told EWTN News. "And by that, they mean last a thousand years."

Bucking modern architecture and building conventions, the Fairfield sisters have opted to build their monastery using old-world methods including traditional stonemasonry and timber framing. While the scale of the monastery "will be on the smaller side," according to Bauer, "it's more about the stonework, the authenticity of building from the ground up using no nails, no glue, [and] no electricity running through it."

"They will also have old-world methods of plumbing and water systems," she added.

The budget for the project, which began in 2013 and is about 20% complete, is $100 million. The sisters have raised about $22 million so far.

"The idea is that over the course of the next 12 or 15 years it takes to build this, once it's completed, little or no maintenance will be required for this building for future generations," Bauer said. "So essentially, they spend the money up front now and then in 50 years, you're not replacing various systems and roofing and walls and all of that."

While the up-front cost of their home may be steep, the sisters have proven resourceful not only in sourcing local materials such as stone and timber but also stained glass and an altar for their oratory.

The marble altar the sisters found had once served as the original altar at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Bishop Emeritus William Gainer, who delivered the homily at the oratory's dedication in 2024, revealed that he had said his first Mass at that altar decades prior, she noted.

"We're trying to salvage a lot of these things and which is amazing, you know, giving these beautiful items a home," Bauer said.

While the Carmelites themselves are hidden away, Bauer said, "the monastery is meant to be a beacon of light, a beacon on the hill for the community at large, for the faithful to come and visit, and to be an oasis for everyone, a source of grace and comfort and holiness."

The public will be able to attend Mass and receive the sacraments and to pray with externs at the monastery.

Ultimately, Bauer said, the mission of the Carmelite order is to beat with the heart of the Church.

"The Carmelite charism is to pray for the priests," she said. "That's their whole mission, is to pray for priests and for the Church. And that's how we're going to survive. They are the heart of the Church. They're the ones that keep the blood pumping through the rest of the body of the Church."

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Political officials and foreign policy analysts are calling for the Nigerian government to enhance its response to ongoing violence against Christians as U.S. troops are set to withdraw from the region at the end of September.

Following an Aug. 28 event at the Hudson Institute, officials told Erik Rosales, EWTN News Capitol Hill correspondent, that while the U.S. remains committed to shedding light on ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria, State Department officials are faced with having to weigh the greater good with responding to every attack.

"It's a significant trading partner in the African context for the United States," Josh Meservey, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, told Rosales.

"It's the largest, it's the most populous country in Africa. It's the largest economy," he said. "So these things do really matter. And so as much as we're concerned about the violence and we, we must remain concerned, the U.S. government has to balance other interests."

Latest numbers from advocacy groups found that more than 7,000 Christians have been killed in the first seven months of 2026 alone, while thousands more have been kidnapped.

"The situation has not really changed too much. We may say that the daily attacks of hundreds or 50 that were killed in the past is not — it's no longer like that — but people are still being killed," Father Remigius Ihyula, former director of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi's Justice and Peace Commission in Nigeria, told "EWTN News Nightly" on Aug. 28.

Tibor Nagy, former assistant secretary of the Bureau of African Affairs at the State Department, called for "cooperating with the Nigerians, finding solutions, doing training, maybe helping the Nigerians design a law-and-order system that has local forces instead of just federal forces."

"There are solutions out there but the Nigerians have to solve this at the end of the day," he told Rosales.

Meanwhile, Nigerian advocates said U.S. withdrawal from the region would result in heavy consequences for vulnerable communities. "If the U.S. doesn't follow through, there will be hell to pay. Christians will be attacked massively," said Emmanuel Ogebe, a Nigerian-American human rights attorney.

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Father Paolo Liu Honggang was ordained bishop of the Diocese of Datong in China's Shanxi province on Monday.

The Holy See said Pope Leo XIV appointed Liu bishop of Datong on Aug. 10 after approving his candidacy under the mechanisms established by the Vatican's agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops.

This marks the third episcopal ordination since June 15 and the seventh episcopal consecration during the pontificate of Leo XIV, although not all episcopal appointments are linked to the current pontiff. Excluded from the seven are two bishops who had already received episcopal consecration but belonged to the underground Church — that is, the Church not recognized by China — and were ultimately validated by the authorities of the communist regime.

A life of pastoral service

Liu was born Nov. 2, 1970, in Wufuying village near Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province.

He began his priestly formation at the Fenyang seminary, where he studied from 1988 to 1992. He later attended the National Seminary in Beijing from 1992 to 1996, earning a bachelor's degree in theology.

He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Datong on Nov. 24, 1996.

Following his ordination, Liu served as pastor of Zhangguantun from December 1996 to 1999, Xubao from 2000 to 2003, and Xihehe from 2003 to 2005.

He had served as diocesan administrator of Datong since March 15, 2005.

Appointments under Leo XIV

The process leading to Liu's appointment and episcopal ordination took place entirely during Leo's pontificate, providing another sign that the pope intends to continue dialogue between Rome and Beijing.

Several episcopal appointments and recognitions have taken place in China since Leo's election.

On June 11, 2025, the Vatican announced the Chinese government's civil recognition and installation of Bishop Giuseppe Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou in Fujian province.

Lin, however, was not ordained a bishop during Leo's pontificate, having received episcopal ordination in 2017. Pope Leo XIV appointed him auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou on June 5, 2025, before Chinese authorities granted him civil recognition.

On July 8, 2025, Leo suppressed the Dioceses of Xuanhua and Xiwanzi, which had been established by Pope Pius XII in 1946, and erected the new Diocese of Zhangjiakou as a suffragan see of Beijing.

Two months later, on Sept. 10, Father Giuseppe Wang Zhengui, whom the pope had appointed to lead the new diocese, was ordained a bishop.

Recognition of 2 'underground' bishops by China

Separately, on Sept. 12, 2025, the Chinese government recognized two "underground" bishops — that is, bishops loyal to Rome and appointed by the pope.

They are Bishop José Ma Yanen, 65, formerly the underground bishop of Xiwanzi, who is now the auxiliary bishop of the new Diocese of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province; and Bishop Agostino Cui Tai, 75, previously the bishop of Xuanhua — the other diocese suppressed by Pope Leo XIV to create the Diocese of Zhangjiakou. As he is over 70 years old, the Vatican considers Cui Tai to be a bishop emeritus.

2026 appointments

In 2026, Father Francesco Saverio Duan Yongkun was ordained coadjutor bishop of Bameng in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region after Leo appointed him on June 15 under the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China.

The pope also appointed Father Giuseppe Chang Yanfeng on June 15. Chang was subsequently ordained bishop of Chifeng, another diocese in Inner Mongolia.

Tensions during the sede vacante

Chinese authorities unilaterally selected two bishops during the sede vacante following Pope Francis' death, including one for a diocese already headed by a bishop recognized by the Holy See.

Father Ignatius Wu Jianlin was ordained auxiliary bishop of Shanghai on Oct. 15, 2025, after Pope Leo XIV formally appointed him to the post on Aug. 11.

Chinese authorities had previously announced Wu's election by an assembly of priests and laypeople on April 28, during the sede vacante.

The Holy See's later announcement revealed that Leo had approved the nomination Aug. 11. Although the appointment was not immediately made public, the Vatican announcement indicated that the case was ultimately brought within the framework of the Holy See-China agreement.

Francis Li Jianlin was likewise ordained bishop of the Apostolic Prefecture of Xinxiang in Henan province on Dec. 5, 2025, after Leo formally appointed him Aug. 11.

Li was the second bishop whose candidacy had been advanced by Chinese authorities during the sede vacante.

17 bishops ordained under Vatican-China agreement

With Liu's ordination, 17 Catholic bishops have now been ordained in China under the Provisional Agreement first signed between the Holy See and China during Pope Francis' pontificate.

The bilateral agreement, first signed in 2018, regulates the process for selecting and recognizing Catholic bishops in China.

The Holy See and China have not maintained formal diplomatic relations since 1951, following the communist takeover under Mao Zedong. Chinese Catholics subsequently became divided between the state-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and an underground Catholic community that remained loyal to Rome.

The full text of the agreement has never been made public.

It was renewed every two years until 2024, when the two sides extended it for four years, through 2028.

According to publicly known elements of the agreement, the pope retains the final authority over episcopal appointments in China, including the ability to reject candidates proposed by Beijing. The Holy See, meanwhile, has agreed not to make episcopal appointments without prior consultation with the Chinese government.

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.

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"We, as a Church, cannot declare war on those who devoutly attend Mass simply because they prefer one form over another; this is a shortsighted and entirely ideological stance and, therefore, neither pastoral nor Christian," Cardinal Robert Sarah said on Aug. 27. "It is harmful and destructive to the Church."

Sarah, the former prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, spoke to the Italian newspaper Il Giornale last week about the importance of the traditional liturgy, which dates back to the time of Pope Gregory the Great and earlier, and which was celebrated worldwide until the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965).

After the council, the old liturgy was abandoned, although some priests continued to celebrate it. The archbishop of Dakar, Senegal, Marcel Lefebvre, remained faithful to it and founded the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) under the claim of preserving the Traditional Latin Mass and in opposition to some reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The SSPX has twice been declared to be in schism, including in 2026, and its bishops excommunicated.

In the mid-1980s, the Holy See began to relax the de facto ban. In his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 authorized all priests to celebrate the old liturgy; in his view, strictly speaking, it had never been abrogated. He differentiated between the Traditional Latin Mass as the "extraordinary form" and the new Mass as the "ordinary form."

Pope Francis revoked his predecessor's decision in 2021 and severely restricted the classical Roman liturgy with his motu proprio Traditionis Custodes.

"Among the effects of the liberalization of the extraordinary form was the positive influence — I would even say the correction — regarding possible abuses in the celebration of the ordinary form," Sarah said. "These abuses are extremely serious acts, yet we must never equate the ordinary form itself with them. Many priests testify that discovering the extraordinary form helped them celebrate Mass better."

"I think Benedict XVI also demonstrated on that occasion a deeply humble and democratic attitude," the cardinal continued, recalling the 2007 decision. "He wanted to ensure the widest possible dissemination, so that the people of God could decide for themselves, over the decades, which form of living out the faith best suited them. All of this, however, was nullified by Traditionis Custodes, while the pope emeritus was still alive."

"That did not seem to me a decision that was either sensible or respectful," Sarah explained. "But Benedict XVI, a man as gentle as a lamb, allowed himself to be humiliated and thus offered his suffering to God in silence and prayer, so as to better identify with Christ's pain for his Church and to purify it."

Sarah said that "access to ritual forms that have been recognized and in existence for centuries must never be artificially restricted by means of decrees. If a rite did not serve the faith, it would disappear on its own; if, conversely, it preserves and fosters the faith, we must by no means restrict it, for in doing so we would be restricting the very preservation and spread of the faith."

This story was first published by ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Father Paolo Liu Honggang was ordained bishop of the Diocese of Datong in China's Shanxi province on Monday.

The Holy See said Pope Leo XIV appointed Liu bishop of Datong on Aug. 10 after approving his candidacy under the mechanisms established by the Vatican's agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops.

This marks the third episcopal ordination since June 15 and the seventh episcopal consecration during the pontificate of Leo XIV, although not all episcopal appointments are linked to the current Pontiff. Excluded from the seven are two bishops who had already received episcopal consecration but belonged to the underground church — that is, the church not recognized by China — and were ultimately validated by the authorities of the communist regime.

A life of pastoral service

Liu was born Nov. 2, 1970, in Wufuying village near Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province.

He began his priestly formation at the Fenyang seminary, where he studied from 1988 to 1992. He later attended the National Seminary in Beijing from 1992 to 1996, earning a bachelor's degree in theology.

He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Datong on Nov. 24, 1996.

Following his ordination, Liu served as pastor of Zhangguantun from December 1996 to 1999, Xubao from 2000 to 2003, and Xihehe from 2003 to 2005.

He had served as diocesan administrator of Datong since March 15, 2005.

Appointments under Leo XIV

The process leading to Liu's appointment and episcopal ordination took place entirely during Leo's pontificate, providing another sign that the pope intends to continue dialogue between Rome and Beijing.

Several episcopal appointments and recognitions have taken place in China since Leo's election.

On June 11, 2025, the Vatican announced the Chinese government's civil recognition and installation of Bishop Giuseppe Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou in Fujian province.

Lin, however, was not ordained a bishop during Leo's pontificate, having received episcopal ordination in 2017. Pope Leo XIV appointed him auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou on June 5, 2025, before Chinese authorities granted him civil recognition.

On July 8, 2025, Leo suppressed the Dioceses of Xuanhua and Xiwanzi, which had been established by Pope Pius XII in 1946, and erected the new Diocese of Zhangjiakou as a suffragan see of Beijing.

Two months later, on Sept. 10, Father Giuseppe Wang Zhengui, whom the pope had appointed to lead the new diocese, was ordained a bishop.

Recognition of two 'underground' bishops by China

Separately, on September 12, 2025, the Chinese government recognized two "underground" bishops — that is, bishops loyal to Rome and appointed by the Pope.

They are Msgr. José Ma Yanen, 65, formerly the underground bishop of Xiwanzi, who is now the auxiliary bishop of the new Diocese of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province; and Msgr. Agostino Cui Tai, 75, previously the bishop of Xuanhua — the other diocese suppressed by Pope Leo XIV to create the Diocese of Zhangjiakou. As he is over 70 years old, the Vatican considers Msgr. Cui Tai to be a bishop emeritus.

2026 appointments

In 2026, Father Francesco Saverio Duan Yongkun was ordained coadjutor bishop of Bameng in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region after Leo appointed him on June 15 under the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China.

The pope also appointed Father Giuseppe Chang Yanfeng on June 15. Chang was subsequently ordained bishop of Chifeng, another diocese in Inner Mongolia.

Tensions during the sede vacante

Chinese authorities unilaterally selected two bishops during the sede vacante following Pope Francis' death, including one for a diocese already headed by a bishop recognized by the Holy See.

Father Ignatius Wu Jianlin was ordained auxiliary bishop of Shanghai on Oct. 15, 2025, after Pope Leo XIV formally appointed him to the post on Aug. 11.

Chinese authorities had previously announced Wu's election by an assembly of priests and laypeople on April 28, during the sede vacante.

The Holy See's later announcement revealed that Leo had approved the nomination Aug. 11. Although the appointment was not immediately made public, the Vatican announcement indicated that the case was ultimately brought within the framework of the Holy See-China agreement.

Francis Li Jianlin was likewise ordained bishop of the Apostolic Prefecture of Xinxiang in Henan province on Dec. 5, 2025, after Leo formally appointed him Aug. 11.

Li was the second bishop whose candidacy had been advanced by Chinese authorities during the sede vacante.

17 bishops ordained under Vatican-China agreement

With Liu's ordination, 17 Catholic bishops have now been ordained in China under the Provisional Agreement first signed between the Holy See and China during Pope Francis' pontificate.

The bilateral agreement, first signed in 2018, regulates the process for selecting and recognizing Catholic bishops in China.

The Holy See and China have not maintained formal diplomatic relations since 1951, following the communist takeover under Mao Zedong. Chinese Catholics subsequently became divided between the state-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and an underground Catholic community that remained loyal to Rome.

The full text of the agreement has never been made public.

It was renewed every two years until 2024, when the two sides extended it for four years, through 2028.

According to publicly known elements of the agreement, the pope retains the final authority over episcopal appointments in China, including the ability to reject candidates proposed by Beijing. The Holy See, meanwhile, has agreed not to make episcopal appointments without prior consultation with the Chinese government.

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. At 3:38 p.m. ET Aug. 31, the article was further updated to better distinguish between the number of Chinese bishops appointed by Leo XIV and those who were merely consecrated during his pontificate without having been specifically appointed by him.

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RIMINI, Italy — Freedom of religion or belief, a pillar of human dignity and democratic societies, is threatened in many regions of the world by persecution, discrimination, and faith-related violence. In an international context marked by conflicts and radicalization, protecting it is proving crucial for peace and social cohesion.

A panel discussion held on Aug. 21, the opening day of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples, titled "The Freedom to Believe: A Human Right at the Center of Geopolitical Challenges," explored the role of religious freedom in contemporary geopolitical dynamics, with particular attention to minorities in crisis areas and the contribution of faith communities to reconciliation processes. It also examined the responsibilities of the European Union, Italy, and international cooperation in strengthening diplomatic and political instruments to defend this fundamental right.

Following introductory remarks by Maria Cristiana Mele, Italy's special envoy for the promotion of religious freedom and the protection of religious minorities worldwide, speakers included Cristina Duranti, director of the Good Shepherd International Foundation; Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Diocese of Sokoto, Nigeria, who said: "In Nigeria, if you ask someone whether he is Christian or Muslim, he will answer: I am hungry"; Mairead McGuinness, the European Union special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief; and Andrea Avveduto, journalist and spokesman for the Italian Committee for Freedom of Religion or Belief, who moderated the discussion. Daniela Canclini, president of the Italian Committee for Freedom of Religion or Belief, delivered the concluding remarks.

In his remarks, Kukah highlighted the "actions" of terrorist groups in Nigeria: "Islamic extremism has changed over time. If 15 or 20 years ago Boko Haram persecuted only Christians because it aimed to convert the population to Islam at gunpoint and establish a caliphate in which sharia would be imposed; the groups operating today have no contact with the population. They live in hiding and emerge only to kill, loot, and rape. They do not kill on a confessional basis, so it is inaccurate to say that today they persecute only Christians.

"Their attacks make no distinction based on belief: They kill people on farms, in churches, in mosques, at home, everywhere. There are also several groups affiliated with ISIS but divided among themselves, so if you are killed, you do not even know who did it. The situation is extremely complicated. The only thing that unites these groups with one another and with Boko Haram is violence and the mineral trade."

He also described the difficulties involved in combating terrorist groups: "The situation is extremely difficult to contain, and the government is present only through the military, which nevertheless allows things to happen. Nigeria is a corrupt state. It has lost the ability to enforce the laws, which do exist, just as there is a constitution. At every political election the same thing happens: There is a suitable candidate, capable, the ideal person to have a positive impact on the government of the country. He will not be elected, because another, wealthier candidate will buy the election with money."

At the conclusion of the meeting, ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News, asked Avveduto to explain why the freedom to believe is increasingly under threat.

ACI Stampa: Why is the freedom to believe increasingly under threat?

Avveduto: We are living in a time in which faith has once again come to be perceived as a problem rather than a resource. On the one hand, there are authoritarian regimes and totalitarian ideologies, which see in the believer someone who obeys an authority higher than the state and therefore fear him; on the other, there is the growth of extremisms that exploit religion to justify violence and the seizure of power.

In between is the fragility of many states: Where institutions collapse, religious freedom is the first to fall, because minorities are left without protection. And there is also a more subtle threat, typical of our secularized societies: the temptation to reduce faith to a purely private matter, expelling it from the public sphere. The freedom to believe is threatened wherever the person is not recognized in his or her entirety, which also includes the spiritual dimension.

Why are more and more Christians under threat?

The numbers are striking: According to Open Doors' World Watch List 2026, the number of Christians exposed to persecution worldwide has risen to 388 million, 8 million more than the previous year — a record year. One Christian in 7 globally suffers persecution. The reasons are different and intertwined: the expansion of Islamist extremism, especially in sub-Saharan Africa; regimes that see Christians as a foreign body or ideological enemy; organized crime that targets Christian communities because they are defenseless.

The center of gravity of Christianity has shifted to Africa, and it is precisely there that it is principally under attack: Christians are often visible minorities, communities that educate, provide care, and build social cohesion; precisely for this reason, they become targets of those who want chaos or a monopoly on power. The paradox is that Christians are persecuted not despite the good they do but often because of it.

Another region is the Middle East. The conflict between Israel and Iran is affecting Lebanon: How are Christians living through it?

Lebanon is once again paying for wars decided elsewhere. Since the beginning of March, the bombings have caused more than 2,000 deaths and over 1 million displaced people, and Christians have not been spared: Members of the community who have nothing to do with Hezbollah have been killed in the attacks. And yet, amid all this, the faith endures: In Christian villages in the south, such as Rmeich, Debel, and Ain Ebel, priests say that daily Mass and the rosary prayed together are what sustain the people under bombardment.

Lebanese Christians are experiencing a double suffering: the material suffering of war and the moral suffering of a country held hostage, whose sovereignty is contested among outside powers. But they also remain bearers of a vocation: As the Maronite patriarch recalls, echoing the words of the popes, "Lebanon is more than a territory; it is a message of freedom, dignity, pluralism, and coexistence." For this reason, supporting the Christians of Lebanon means supporting the very idea of a pluralistic Middle East.

Another difficult situation is found in Nigeria, as Bishop Hassan Kukah described, and in Sudan: How can Christians be supported?

Nigeria today is the deadliest place in the world for Christians: It alone accounts for about 3,490 victims, 70% of the global total of Christians killed for their faith, amid attacks on villages, burned churches, kidnappings of priests, and even schoolchildren. Sudan, devastated by civil war, is also among the countries experiencing extreme persecution. How can they be supported? First of all, by not forgetting them: The first persecution is silence.

Then through concrete closeness: supporting the local Churches, schools, clinics, and projects that allow communities to remain in their own land rather than flee. There is also the level of political and diplomatic pressure, so that governments are called to their responsibility to protect. And finally prayer, which for the persecuted themselves — they always say this — is not a symbolic gesture but the sign that they belong to a larger body that does not abandon them.

Why is religious freedom a good for everyone, as the Church emphasizes in its magisterium?

Because it is the mother of all freedoms. It concerns the most intimate core of the person: conscience, the relationship with truth, and with the ultimate meaning of life. A state that respects this inner sanctuary will also respect freedom of thought, expression, and association; a state that violates it will sooner or later violate everything else.

This can be seen empirically: The countries where believers are persecuted are the same countries where all human rights are trampled upon. Religious freedom, moreover, does not protect only believers: It also protects those who do not believe, because it affirms that no power may impose or prohibit a worldview. It is the foundation of a truly pluralistic society, where diversity is not merely tolerated but recognized as a source of richness.

So why does the Church fight for religious freedom for everyone?

Because it does not ask for privileges but for a right that arises from the dignity of the person created in the image of God, a dignity that belongs to every human being, Christian or not. This is the teaching of the Second Vatican Council through the declaration on religious freedom, Dignitatis Humanae: Truth imposes itself solely by virtue of its own truth, never through coercion. Faith, to be authentic, must be free; an imposed faith is not faith.

For this reason, the Church defends with the same voice the persecuted Christian in Nigeria, the discriminated-against Muslim, the threatened Jew, the massacred Yazidi: because defending religious freedom only for one's own people would deny its very foundation. And it is also a matter of credibility: The Church knows that the strongest witness is that of those who defend the rights of others, not only their own.

A few months ago in Italy, the Pact among Religions was signed. Can it be a first step toward cooperation and dialogue among faiths?

Yes, and it is a significant step precisely because it is not a declaration of intent but a public and structured commitment. On June 25, at the Ara Pacis in Rome, the leaders of religious confessions present in Italy signed the pact "The Italian Way of Interreligious Dialogue," which was then presented to Italian President Sergio Mattarella: 15 religious confessions, from the Catholic Church to Muslim, Jewish, Orthodox, Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu, and Bahá'í communities, the fruit of three years of joint work.

The document contains nine commitments and nine concrete actions: educating communities in dialogue, working together for the common good, and promoting a culture of peace. It is important for two reasons. The first is because it shows that religions are not the problem but part of the solution and, as Mattarella said, dialogue pursued sincerely produces understanding and cooperation, and gives life to forms of coexistence that are essential for banishing all intolerance.

The second is this: In a world where religion is exploited to fuel conflicts, a pact among different faiths is the most eloquent refutation of that exploitation. Of course, a document is not enough: It will be everyday practice — in cities, in schools, among young people — that will show whether this first step becomes a journey. But the direction is the right one, and beginning in Italy it can become a model elsewhere.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, called for support as he said recent immigration enforcement in the state has left some Catholic families afraid to attend church or school.

Families in Fairfield County, including those in Danbury and Stamford, "have lived through moments of real fear as immigration enforcement activity has intensified in our area," Caggiano said in a statement.

Caggiano urged federal officials to respect human dignity no matter one's country of birth. Regardless of immigration status, each person "is made in the image and likeness of God and possesses a dignity that no earthly power may set aside," he said.

The bishop's Aug. 30 statement followed local reports of heightened immigration enforcement throughout local communities.

Gov. Ned Lamont of Connecticut released a statement in July about the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the state. It reported that there would be coordination with community organizations and advocates regarding increased ICE activity.

"Connecticut has some of the lowest crime rates in the country, thanks to the excellent work our state and local police do to keep violent criminals off our streets. Rounding up people at random to fill a quota does not lower crime. It traumatizes families and communities," Lamont said.

Caggiano detailed some of the specific instances in the diocese.

"I have heard of husbands and fathers taken from their cars on the way to work, of spouses unable to find where a loved one has been brought, and of neighbors who no longer feel at ease walking to the store, dropping off a child at school, or simply going about the ordinary business of the day," he said.

"Whatever one believes about the just enforcement of our nation's laws, no person of faith can look upon this kind of suffering with indifference," he said.

"I do not write to make a political statement, nor is it the place of a Bishop to dictate the particulars of civil policy that belong properly to lawmakers and to citizens acting according to their conscience," he said.

"But I write as a pastor who cannot remain silent while members of our human family are suffering, while families are separated, and while fear has entered our schools, our workplaces, and our streets," Caggiano said.

Local parishes are 'places of welcome and refuge'

Caggiano called on parishes in the diocese to support immigrant families and anyone affected by enforcement actions.

"To our immigrant brothers and sisters throughout Fairfield County, whether or not you are Catholic, whether or not you have ever set foot in one of our parishes, please know that the Church stands with you," he said.

"Our parishes, our Catholic Charities, and our Office of Hispanic Ministry remain, as they have always been, places of welcome and refuge, and no one need fear that the doors of our churches will ever be closed to them," he said.

The bishop asked parishes to include a prayer for immigrant families and those affected "at every Mass in the days ahead." He also urged the community to remember the words the Lord spoke in Scripture: "Do not be afraid, for I am with you."

"Fear is real, but it does not have the final word," he said. "Christ walks with every suffering family in Fairfield County each day, and He asks each of us, as His Church, to walk with them as well."

Caggiano called on Our Lady of Guadalupe, mother of the migrant and consolation of the afflicted, to "wrap her mantle around every family who suffers in this hour."

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