Ann Widdecombe, who converted to the Catholic faith in 1993, was known for advocating conservative and pro-life positions in the British House of Commons.
Police are conducting a murder investigation into the death of long-serving British Catholic politician Ann Widdecombe, authorities said on July 10, one day after her death at 78.
The long-serving British politician, who converted to Catholicism in the early 1990s, was found dead on July 9 at her home in Dartmoor in southwestern England.
Initial reports suggested she may have died from a fall in her home. But in a statement on July 10 Devon and Cornwall Police said they had launched a murder investigation into her death.
Police "are conducting extensive enquiries into the circumstances surrounding Miss Widdecombe's death," the statement said, adding that investigators were performing forensic examinations of the purported crime scene.
"Our murder enquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace," Chief Inspector Ilona Rosson said in the statement. "We are deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened and to locate the person responsible, who we believe to be a white male."
The police said later on July 10 that a 26-year-old male suspect had been arrested as part of the investigation and was in police custody. The event was not being treated as terrorism, authorities said.
A member of the U.K.'s Conservative Party, Widdecombe served in various government roles for decades, including as a member of Parliament and as prisons minister under Prime Minister John Major.
She famously converted to Catholicism in 1993 after the Church of England began ordaining women. In an interview with The New Statesman, she described the English church as "a huge bundle of straw," with women's ordination "the last straw."
"For years I had been disillusioned by the Church of England's compromising on everything. The Catholic Church doesn't care if something is unpopular," she told the outlet.
Throughout her life as a Catholic she was a vocal defender of the Church and its teachings, especially on the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage.
She herself never married; she lived with her widowed mother, Rita, in London until 2007 when her mother died at the age of 95.
"You know, something's either true or it's false. It's right or it's wrong. It's sin or it's not," she told Flynn. "[In the Catholic Church] there is none of the endless fudging that you got with the Anglican Church."
She argued that the Church is "appealing to young people" in the modern era, pointing to an uptick of interest and an increase in the sale of Bibles. She also cited high levels of religious devotion in the Global South, including in Africa.
"We live in a surprisingly optimistic time," she said.
This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. ET on July 10, 2026, with news of the arrest of a suspect in Ann Widdecombe's murder.
The bishops are encouraging changes to the 2026 farm bill to strengthen domestic food assistance.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. bishops and Catholic charitable organizations sent a letter to senators asking them to strengthen domestic and international programs designed to alleviate hunger and to prioritize rural development and conservation efforts in the 2026 farm bill.
"Our greatest concern with the current draft is with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), our nation's core nutrition program," the bishops said in the letter sent to the leadership of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
The letter was signed by Louisville, Kentucky, Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Domestic Justice and Human Development Committee, and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chair of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace.
The bishops cautioned the draft of the farm bill released June 23 by the Senate Agriculture Committee "does not sufficiently strengthen or modernize SNAP." They warned "it shifts focus away from addressing hunger itself and toward additional administrative and compliance requirements."
Specifically, they urged lawmakers to delay a plan to shift costs to the states for two years to "allow states adequate time to plan and fix error rates and would help prevent disruptions in access to nutrition assistance for vulnerable households."
Additionally, they asked Congress to eliminate a restriction on SNAP that bans access to some people with felony convictions. They wrote: "Removing this restriction would better support successful reentry, reduce food insecurity, and promote family stability without compromising program integrity."
The House passed its version of the measure in April. It would reshape U.S. global food aid programs by shifting more resources toward purchasing food closer to crisis regions rather than shipping U.S. commodities overseas.
The bishops urged senators to align with the House version by allowing Puerto Rico to move from the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) to full SNAP participation over a 10-year transition, saying the phased shift would better match benefits to need, strengthen responsiveness during downturns and disasters, and advance parity for U.S. citizens in the territories.
"SNAP remains our nation's most effective and responsive tool to combat hunger, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty, rising food costs, and persistent poverty," the bishops added. "Policies that weaken its reach or add unnecessary barriers ultimately harm low-income families, seniors, people with disabilities, and children who rely on these programs to meet their basic nutritional needs."
Last year, the bishops took issue with SNAP requirements added in the reconciliation bill, which shifted federal government cost to states, raised the work requirement age from 54 to 64, and imposed stricter eligibility verification rules.
Alternatively, the bishops welcomed some farm bill provisions related to SNAP, such as a provision to make online purchasing a permanent option; the reauthorization of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which supports seniors in rural communities; and the inclusion of cost-sharing waivers for counties with high poverty rates.
Leadership of Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Rural Life, and National Council of the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul joined the bishops in signing the letter.
The letter states that these organizations, along with the bishops, are united in "our shared commitment to alleviate hunger and urge Congress to pass a farm bill that furthers this goal." They quoted Pope Leo's address from Oct. 16, 2025, related to the World Day of Hunger.
"Hunger … is a cry that rises to heaven and requires a swift response from every nation, every international organization, every regional, local, or private body," Leo said. "No one can remain on the sidelines in the fight against hunger."
Additional priorities
The bishops and other signatories expressed appreciation for continued funding of international food assistance programs, including the Food for Peace, McGovern-Dole Food for Education, Food for Progress, Farmer-to-Farmer, and the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust.
As Congress considers possible changes to how Food for Peace is administered, the bishops declined to take a formal position on potential reforms, so long as "operations continue" without impediment through any transition.
"We recommend maintaining a focus on the most hungry and malnourished places around the world using market-appropriate food aid," they wrote. "We also support efforts to ensure cooperation and consultation between [federal agencies] and other relevant stakeholders as policy changes and award decisions are made to this program going forward."
The bishops also expressed support for the draft bill's inclusion of rural development funding, which they said strengthen health care, new farmers, scholarships, and infrastructure. They similarly told lawmakers they support the draft bill's reauthorization of conservation funds, which include research programs on soil health and technology to prevent and respond to climate change.
"We encourage members to work together to advance nutrition, rural development, and conservation policies that are practical, compassionate, and responsive to current challenges," the bishops wrote.
"We stand ready to work with the committee in a constructive and collaborative manner to ensure that the final farm bill reflects our shared responsibility to protect vulnerable families, support thriving communities, and promote the common good," they added.
Silvio Báez, the exiled auxiliary bishop of Managua, decried the persecution of the Church in Nicaragua but also expressed his hope that change is possible, placing his trust in Jesus Christ.
Forced to leave Nicaragua in April 2019 for defending protesters opposing the regime of President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, during a crackdown that left more than 350 people dead, exiled Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Báez of Managua decried the "irrationality" and "cruelty" of the country's dictatorship.
"One of the most tragic characteristics of this dictatorship is its irrationality. Along with that irrationality is cruelty. But the irrationality of this system is shocking," Báez said in an interview with the Nicaraguan newspaper Confidencial.
The interview took place in Madrid, Spain, where he had recently traveled to attend a conference in Ávila. The exiled bishop resides in Miami.
On April 18, 2018, in response to the brutal repression unleashed by the dictatorship, he had said: "I call upon Daniel Ortega and his wife to stop the violence and repression. Do not jeopardize the country's peace. Learn to listen, engage in dialogue, and have the maturity to correct so many errors. For the sake of Nicaragua, be sensible!"
The bishop said this message "has become even more relevant today. I would repeat it to their faces, the very same thing I told them eight years ago: Be sensible!"
"So much blood has been shed, so many lives sacrificed, so much pain. And that has an infinite cost. I hope that all of this is not in vain, and I trust that the Lord will gather all that blood, all that pain, and all that struggle into his gracious hands, and that it may serve as a deposit for a new chapter in Nicaragua's history," he said.
Since 2018, the Nicaraguan dictatorship has relentlessly persecuted the Catholic Church in the country, keeping priests under tight surveillance, expelling religious sisters, confiscating Church funds and property, banning ordinations, and exiling bishops.
Báez celebrates Mass every Sunday at St. Agatha Parish in Miami where the pastor and the parochial vicar — Fathers Marcos Antonio Somarriba and Edwing Román — are also Nicaraguan exiles.
'God is never on the side of a pharaoh'
Báez noted that "in Nicaragua, there is a dictatorship that kills, persecutes, exiles, confiscates, lies, and manipulates, one that resembles the authoritarian and totalitarian regimes found in the Bible. In sacred Scripture, the reality of oppression, slavery, and injustice is more present than one might think," he explained.
The prelate highlighted that "the history of the people in the Bible begins with a state of oppression where there is a pharaoh who decides who lives and who dies, holds the people in slavery, and uses that people for his own ends of enrichment and grandeur."
Nevertheless, he said God "hears the cry of the oppressed, sees the suffering of the poor, and feels for them. He is a God who does not remain indifferent. He comes down into history. And the way God came down into history in the Book of Exodus was by calling Moses, who liberates the people of Israel by the power of God and leads them to the Promised Land."
Today, the bishop continued, "Pharaoh still exists, and what we believers must live out and hold as a deep conviction is that our God, the God of the Bible, the God and Father of Jesus Christ, is never on the side of a pharaoh."
"Within the Church, there exists a negative silence, keeping quiet to avoid trouble or difficulties with power groups, the established system, or those currently in power. The easiest thing to do is to be silent. And the Church succumbs to this temptation when it remains silent," he charged.
"As the community of Jesus, we are called to be a courageous, transparent community, a community of the Word. We are not a community of silence," he said, noting that there is also a positive silence rooted in prayer and prudence, where one silences "every human word in order to listen to the Lord."
"During my final days in Managua, I spoke some words that many remember: 'A crucified people will always rise again,' because the paschal icon of the cross reveals to us the same truth found in exile. For God, there is no final moment when everything comes to an end. A new light can always shine in the darkness," he said.
Bishop Rolando Álvarez
Báez recalled Bishop Rolando Álvarez, bishop of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of Estelí, one of the four exiled Nicaraguan prelates.
Álvarez was unjustly accused of treason and sentenced to 26 years and four months in prison following a trial riddled with irregularities before being deported in January 2024.
Báez said he suffered "greatly over the tragedy Rolando went through in Nicaragua, and I find satisfaction in the fact that besides praying for him every day, I also did everything within my power. I raised my voice in various U.S. states and with different media outlets" so that "he would not suffer in prison and would be released."
A bishop in exile
Reflecting on Pope Francis' decision that Báez should leave Nicaragua in 2019, the bishop admitted that accepting it "was very painful. I argued with Pope Francis at length, but he was convinced it was for the best."
"He told me, 'I don't want another martyr bishop in Central America.' He took me by the arm there in Rome and said, 'Listen to me; I know what I'm talking about.' After a long discussion, I finally realized there was no point in arguing with the Holy Father, and I recognized the affection and kindness with which he was trying to save me from an attack and a death that were highly likely," he recounted.
Regarding his ministry while in exile, Báez said that "it is a challenge to pastoral creativity. You are where your heart is, not where your feet are. And I have discovered during these years of exile that not being physically present does not necessarily mean being far away."
One example of this work is that, on the last Monday of every month, more than 200 exiled Nicaraguan priests meet via Zoom, a gathering he said that has the approval of Pope Leo XIV and in which another exiled bishop, Carlos Enrique Herrera, president of the Nicaraguan Bishops' Conference, also participates.
"It's the clergy in exile, but that is one of the dimensions in which I carry out my episcopal ministry of being close to the priests," he stated.
Pope Leo XIV and hope for Nicaragua
In August 2025, Pope Leo XIV met with exiled bishops, including Báez, who stated that the Holy Father "has a very detailed knowledge of the situation in Nicaragua. He knows what is going on, he knows the situation of the Church, he was aware of our own situation, and I believe he is going to make decisions."
"Pope Leo is very thoughtful; he is a man of God and deeply spiritual. He is a wise man who knows how to listen and does not let himself be guided by impulse. I am certain that Nicaragua, the Church in Nicaragua, the priests, and the bishops, are in his mind and in his heart," the prelate stated.
The bishop acknowledged that, given the climate of persecution in Nicaragua, he has at times felt afraid, but he said the important thing is to take action and not let "fear paralyze or silence you."
"Sometimes, fear also helps us perceive things more clearly. The important thing is that it doesn't hold you back," he added.
The prelate stressed that the source of hope is faith in God: "When all paths are closed, when everything seems dark, faith in God gives you the inner strength to say, 'No, it's not all over.' A new beginning is possible, one that is brighter than discouragement or sadness; we must not let fear block us, hem us in, cause us to give up, or silence our voices."
Báez said he believes change in Nicaragua depends on the people who are still there and that he dreams of a country where "we can share our ideas and our resources without fear, and in a spirit of solidarity and fairness; where we can build a homeland where no one feels excluded, where thinking differently is not a crime; a country with true peace founded on social justice."
"And I believe," he affirmed, "that it is possible. I am certain we will achieve it."
"The homeland lives in your heart. And I love Nicaragua."
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.
Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza of the Diocese of Yola says the Nigerian government lacks the will to end the persistent insecurity that has claimed thousands of lives in the West African country.
YOLA, Nigeria — Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza of Nigeria's Catholic Diocese of Yola has said the country's inability to defeat terrorism is not due to a lack of military resources but rather the absence of the political will needed to end the persistent insecurity that has claimed thousands of lives in the West African country.
Speaking to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on the sidelines of the Catholic Men's Organization (CMO) meeting of the Jos Ecclesiastical Province on July 7, Mamza expressed concern about the government's failure to demonstrate sufficient commitment to tackling insurgency despite Nigeria possessing the capacity to overcome the threat.
"In the security challenges that we are facing, we all know that the government is unserious," the bishop said, noting that the country's continued struggles against terrorism raises serious questions about the commitment of those entrusted with protecting citizens.
"You cannot say that the government doesn't have a hand in what is happening since the government is not prepared to resolve these issues and also give the military full authority to get rid of the terrorists," Mamza said.
The Church leader pointed to the track record of the Nigerian Armed Forces in peacekeeping and military operations across Africa as evidence that the country has the means to confront insurgency successfully.
"The Nigerian Army has resolved issues in different African countries. We have air power, we have land power, and we have all the necessary advantages that we need in order to get rid of the insurgency. But there is no will, there is no seriousness, there is no commitment, and there is too much politics in it," he said.
Mamza also faulted both the ruling government and opposition politicians for exploiting Nigeria's security crisis for political gain rather than working together to safeguard lives.
"Even the sitting government is politicizing the whole security issue. Even those who are in the opposition are also politicizing the security issues," he lamented.
The bishop warned that public officials who fail to fulfill their responsibility to protect citizens will ultimately answer to God for preventable loss of life.
"Our government is not sincere, and our government, on the last day, will be held accountable for the loss of lives in Nigeria at the moment," he said.
Reflecting on the theme of the CMO gathering, Mamza said God's justice extends not only to perpetrators of violence but also to those who neglect their duty to protect human life.
"The theme of this gathering is that God's judgment is just; both perpetrators of violent terrorism and those who fail in their responsibility to protect lives will face divine accountability," he said, explaining that, unlike human justice, divine judgment cannot be influenced by corruption, favoritism, or personal relationships.
"God's judgment is not human judgment. God knows everything about us. It is not only what we see that God knows. Even our thoughts, our secret emotions, and what is in our hearts, God knows. His judgment is just and fair," Mamza said.
The bishop also commented on reports about an alleged fake government agency whose purported leadership supposedly established offices and engaged in diplomatic activities despite claims that the agency has no legal basis.
He said the reports point to the need for greater transparency and accountability within public institutions.
"Every year, they will be getting a budget, and then nothing is being used at the end of the year. This is just one. There might be so many that we don't know," he said.
Calling for divine intervention, the bishop added: "We pray that God will expose them."
He encouraged CMO members and all Nigerians not to lose hope despite the country's challenges, emphasizing that while injustice may appear to prevail temporarily, God's justice remains certain.
"The message of the Church is one of hope rooted in the certainty that God sees every act of righteousness and every act of evil. While his judgment is uncompromisingly just, it is also rich in mercy for those who repent and seek his forgiveness," Mamza said.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
Through vibrant, symbolic imagery, the logo captures the theme of the pope's visit, evoking peace and new life as well as France's spiritual heritage as expressed through its cathedrals' rose windows.
The French Bishops' Conference unveiled the official logo for Pope Leo XIV's visit to France, scheduled for Sept. 25–28, and it is a design rich in symbolism.
The modern design seeks to express the journey's theme, "So That the World May Have Life" (cf. John 6), through a visual language inspired by peace, the Eucharist, the heritage of French cathedrals, and Art Deco, one of France's most iconic artistic movements.
The bishops' conference highlighted on social media that it is "a striking symbol that combines the dove of peace, the bursting forth of life, and the spirit of our cathedrals' rose windows." It also noted that "France's tricolor hues blend with the orange of life and the green of hope, creating a universe that is decidedly joyful and radiant."
The artwork was created by Atelier Argo, a French studio specializing in design and brand identity. Its founder, Ghislain d'Orglandes, explained the creative process behind the logo, typography, and graphic elements.
"When the French Bishops' Conference came to present the project to me, they did so using the phrase the pope chose to express the meaning of his journey and visit. I studied it closely and wanted to get to the essence," d'Orglandes explained.
"That's where the idea of ??the dove with an olive branch, a symbol of a return to life, originated. I started with that initial sketch and then worked on the pope's name as if it were a logo. It's a short, memorable name. Those four letters ['Leon' in French], together with the Roman numeral, already formed a very powerful image," he explained.
The result is a circular emblem reminiscent of a cathedral stained-glass window. Inside, it features a blue dove, a cross, an architectural shape evoking both a church and an open doorway, and an olive branch.
Inspired by the stained-glass windows of French cathedrals
Regarding the meaning of the symbols, the designer explained that "the dove naturally represents peace; the branch symbolizes the sprouting of life — rebirth. At the same time, the overall design adopts a stained-glass style, resembling a large rose window that evokes both the one at Notre Dame and those of the great cathedrals."
In addition to the main logo, the accompanying images feature minimalist illustrations of three iconic locations from the papal visit: Paris, Lourdes, and Metz.
Official images unveiled for Pope Leo XIV's visit to France. | Credit: Catholic Church in France
As part of the project, Atelier Argo developed an original typeface "following the same style as the logo."
"It conveys stability and a timeless character, yet simultaneously possesses curves and a certain softness in its horizontal and vertical lines. These are letters with a commanding presence and full forms that can symbolize the Eucharist, because the Eucharist is fullness," d'Orglandes said.
A design conceived to convey joy
"And it is precisely here that the Mass with the pope on Sept. 26 will be celebrated," the designer said in the video released by the French bishops, speaking from Place de la Concorde, where the pope will celebrate a Mass in Paris.
Finally, he expressed his hope that the logo and related imagery would help spiritually prepare for the pontiff's arrival in France.
"I hope my modest contribution also helps to beautify this event and succeeds in conveying a spirit of joy, the joy of welcoming the pope," he concluded.
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 inquiry will investigate issues raised in the Truth Recovery Independent Report, which was also published this week.
Northern Ireland has passed legislation to establish an inquiry-and-redress scheme concerning mother and baby institutions, which were prevalent in the country from 1922 until 1995.
The bill was first introduced in June 2025 and completed its final stage on June 30 of this year.
Both the report and the bill focus on institutions that for over 60 years housed unmarried pregnant women who were sent to the homes by a variety of authorities — welfare, priests, family members — to have their babies. The children born there were typically adopted or sent to baby homes, while some returned home with their mothers.
Over 15,000 women and girls are estimated to have passed through mother and baby homes, as well as Magdalene laundries — institutions in both the north and south of Ireland operated by Catholic religious orders in which thousands of women and girls were confined and forced to perform unpaid hard labor. The last one closed in 1996.
The Truth Recovery Independent Panel report was commissioned to gather evidence in a nonconfrontational setting and includes the testimonies of over 300 survivors. Seventy recommendations were made, including the specific investigation of "Sister Z," a nun at the Good Shepherd Sisters-run Marianvale Mother and Baby Home in Newry, County Down, for sexual abuse.
The report highlights serious systemic failures of the state to exercise oversight in Magdalene laundries and other homes.
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill said: "Within their walls, women and girls were stripped of dignity, silenced, and shamed. Their children, now adults, are still living with that impact today, carrying unanswered questions and loss."
Conor Brogan, who was born at Marianvale and placed for adoption as an infant, told EWTN News that the bill and the public inquiry are incredibly significant because they were developed with survivors' input.
"It has survivors at the forefront, and that is something that victims and survivors have campaigned for for a long time," he said. "It is a massive step in the right direction to clearly understand where accountability lies and to ensure that those who are accountable are seen in the public eye as such."
He continued: "Girls and women who went into these institutions were publicly shamed. It was barbaric in terms of how they were treated. Institutions themselves didn't exist in a vacuum. Society was, in those days, very 'puritan,' and the whole facilitation of these institutions was by the broader society. There isn't a single case of a mother or baby being connected to one of these institutions without some form of government involvement. They all played a part in it."
Brogan's birth mother, Geraldine, now deceased, was a resident at Marianvale. He was born there in February 1969 and adopted several weeks later. He says of the redress scheme: "For my mother it's getting back to lifting the shame off her shoulders. In today's society, where shame doesn't exist, I think education and support for young girls who find themselves in this situation is the biggest legacy that could come out of it."
Brogan was reunited with Geraldine in his 30s, and he said they established a good relationship. "She had never talked to anybody about it — not her own sisters and brothers. Her children didn't know about it. Her spouse did. The trauma that was associated with that weighed heavily on her," he said.
Geraldine's time in the Good Shepherd home from November 1968 to April 1969 was too painful for her to ever talk about to Brogan. "That was very hard for her to even sort of go near it at all. She just couldn't; it was too painful, too raw, even after all those years, 35 to 40 years later, she couldn't. She just said it wasn't very nice and didn't want to elaborate. Meeting me and having me in her life went some way to, to sort of easing that trauma; I don't think it ever fully healed the wound."
Brogan always knew he was adopted and describes a happy childhood with his adoptive family. He told EWTN News that he, as a child, returned to visit the nuns in Marianvale with his adoptive parents. His brother and sister, also adopted, were born there too.
"There was the convent at the front, but there were other smaller outbuildings around the back, where, looking back now, I realize that's where the women and girls were quartered."
He recalled his dad putting money in the collection box there. "I have clear memories of that visit, but I had absolutely no understanding of the other side of it. The trauma of the birth mothers, knowing that you're giving up your baby as soon as it's born, of the baby being taken away, and then after that, I think, is the most impactful on people's lives."
Brogan also embarked on a different journey to make contact with his birth father's family. Unaware that he had a biological son who had been adopted, his biological father died in 1982.
Brogan said of both journeys: "You don't know where you're going to end up. You don't know if you're going to have an open door, a closed door, or visit a graveyard. When I found my father's family, the connection was fantastic. I did visit his grave, and that was quite tough. The realization that I would never meet my father."
"I have met every sort of combination a survivor has gone through," he said. "So, whether that's a birth mother never able to meet her child, or one who found their child, but the child, now an adult, didn't want to have a relationship, and vice versa. Where the mother has locked that away, doesn't want it disturbed, hasn't told her family, and really doesn't want to acknowledge that it happened."
He added: "I feel incredibly fortunate [that] I'm able to talk about it; I'm able to talk with others about it. And, you know, if my talking can help one other person, then it's worth it."
He explained that "everybody will automatically think, 'Oh, the Catholic Church is at fault again,' but there were more accounts of women from a Protestant background who went through institutions than from a Catholic background. I think that's important to state because the number of people who have come forward from the Protestant community is significantly less than the Catholic community. And I think there has to be some level of outreach to those people who feel that they can't come forward."
Brogan said that beginning this journey was difficult. "But for me to have a better understanding of who I am, and where I came from, it's very, very important. And to be able to spend some level of time with my birth mother, and get an understanding of her and what she went through and everything else was pretty priceless."
In a statement dated July 8 following the publication of the Truth Recovery Independent Report, the Good Shepherd Sisters said: "We respect the courage and strength of all who have come to share their experiences and have contributed to this research. We deeply regret the pain and hurt women in our care experienced, as outlined in their testimony to the panel."
The statement continued: "We also acknowledge the women who expressed their appreciation to the Sisters they met while in our care in the past, even when they reflect on a time of deep crisis in their lives. We will continue to fully cooperate with the impending work of the public inquiry."
More U.S. bishops are instructing Catholics to avoid attending Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) events in light of the recent excommunications of SSPX leadership.
U.S. bishops continue to instruct Catholics to separate themselves from the schismatic Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) while urging the society's members to return to full communion with the Catholic Church.
The Vatican declared July 2 that six prelates involved in the SSPX's unauthorized July 1 episcopal consecrations incurred automatic excommunication. Despite repeated warnings, SSPX bishops consecrated four new bishops without a pontifical mandate — an act of open disobedience to the authority of the pope that carries automatic excommunication for the six bishops involved.
Lay faithful who formally adhere to SSPX are also considered schismatic and can incur excommunication by continuing to attend SSPX services after the Church's formal pronouncement of a schism.
Various Catholic bishops with SSPX locations in their dioceses are explicitly forbidding Catholics from attending SSPX Masses, instructing them to avoid the now-illicit sacraments and to withdraw their children from SSPX-affiliated schools while also urging frequent attendees and SSPX priests to seek spiritual guidance and return to the Catholic Church.
Abuse of the Eucharist
Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, instructed Catholics to "avoid participating in the activities of the SSPX."
Burbidge emphasized in a July 8 letter to his flock that "as a result of the SSPX's schismatic act, any celebrations of the sacraments of confession and matrimony by the SSPX are invalid, and the administration of other sacraments is illicit."
Bishop John Iffert of Covington, Kentucky, explained what it means for these sacraments to be "illicit."
"This means that the celebrations are not permitted by the law of the Church and the cleric offering the sacrament commits the canonical and moral fault of disobedience in each instance," Iffert said.
"The Masses these priests celebrate are an abuse of the Eucharist, insofar as they make the sacrament of unity into an occasion of division within the Church, and so they should be firmly rejected and avoided by all the Catholic faithful," Iffert said.
"Together with the priests of the diocese, I invite all Catholics who have been attending the SSPX liturgy to practice their faith in one of the parishes, missions, or chapels of the diocese," Iffert said. "You will find the Catholic Mass and the sacramental life celebrated faithfully and respectfully throughout the Diocese of Covington."
Who is in schism?
Burbidge clarified that not all attendees of SSPX are necessarily in schism but must simply return to sacraments and ministries in union with the Church.
"I encourage any persons locally who have been attached to the SSPX and who desire the spiritual nourishment of the Church and the extraordinary form of the Mass to become active in any one of the eight locations in our diocese where this is currently possible," Burbidge said.
"Although lay faithful who formally adhere to the SSPX are considered schismatic and excommunicated, this does not apply to lay faithful 'who do not reject the magisterium of the authority of the Roman pontiff' and have engaged with the SSPX for solely liturgical or spiritual reasons," Burbidge said. "Such persons must simply resolve not to continue to participate in future SSPX sacramental worship or pastoral ministries."
"The Holy See, in the spirit of conciliation, has outlined the procedure necessary for SSPX priests and lay faithful to return to Catholic communion," Burbidge explained.
Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez of Palm Beach, Florida, issued a decree reiterating the Holy See's excommunication and instructing the faithful to separate from SSPX in any "ecclesiastical ministry" or "diocesan entity."
Rodríguez also provided instructions for any Catholics who wish to leave SSPX "and enter into full communion with the Catholic Church."
How SSPX's schism affects education
The schismatic acts of SSPX have a trickle-down effect, even affecting the education of children.
In Covington, Kentucky, two schools are affiliated with SSPX. Iffert has instructed Catholics to withdraw their children from the schools due to the schismatic nature of the group.
"Because Assumption Academy and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Academy are associated with the SSPX, Catholic parents should not enroll their children in these schools," Iffert said in a letter. "To do so is to entrust the religious formation of children to those who participate in schism against the Roman Catholic Church."
He encouraged parents to reach out to the diocesan Catholic schools office for "appropriate placement in a local Catholic school."
Praying for return
The bishops prayed for union and for society members to return to the Church.
"I pledge to pray for the bishops and priests of the SSPX and for their faithful return to regular order in the Catholic Church," Iffert said. "I also assure the lay faithful who have been attached to the SSPX of my prayer for their good and for the restoration of unity in the Church."
Burbidge prayed especially for SSPX priests.
"To my brother priests in the SSPX, please know of my prayers for you and my heartfelt desire for your return to full communion with the Church," Burbidge said. "I invite all the faithful to join me in prayer for the end of all division and schism and for the unity of the Church, so that she may better fulfill the divine commission to make disciples of all nations."
"I ask all faithful Catholics to pray for restored unity and order in the Church and in our diocese," Iffert said. "Please beg the intercession of Pope St. Pius X, that his name may always give glory to God and never be a sign of division in the Eucharistic community that he cherished."
Efforts to address the abuse crisis in the Church have focused on minors and vulnerable adults, leaving unaddressed the abuse suffered by women religious. Efforts are underway to rectify that.
Consecrated women and women religious who have suffered abuse face a significant legal loophole: Canon law and specialized commissions focus primarily on minors and adults with disabilities, leaving these women outside their scope of protection.
In practice, this means that if the victim is an adult who has received formation, it is assumed she can defend herself or that she consented. However, signs of change are beginning to emerge from the Vatican.
In addressing this issue, "it cannot simply be a label of 'vulnerable adult,'" said Claudia Giampietro, an Italian canon lawyer working at the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM).
"We must understand that there are situations of imbalances of power … and situations involving abuse, and so it is these situations of vulnerability that we need to examine more deeply," she told EWTN News on July 1.
Claudia Giampietro, an Italian canon lawyer working at the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM), during an interview on July 1, 2026. | Credit: EWTN News
One of the functions of the PCPM is to collaborate with the various dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the conferences and unions of religious men and women, and the institutes of consecrated life.
This enables them to gain firsthand knowledge of a complex reality: "There are a great many circumstances, situations, and people that can also affect women religious, including older ones, and so it is necessary to understand the contexts in which they work and carry out their ministry, both within their communities and also outside them," Giampietro said.
The situation in Latin America
The Vatican helped break the taboo surrounding abuse against women religious by dedicating an extensive report to it in January 2020, published in "Donne, Chiesa, Mondo" ("Women, Church, World"), the monthly women's supplement to L'Osservatore Romano. Issues covered include abuse of power, sexual abuse, and the difficulties faced by many nuns both within and outside consecrated life.
In subsequent years, there has been a proliferation of studies aimed at gauging the scale of a phenomenon that was traditionally hidden. Notable among them is the research published in 2022 in the Spanish-language book "Vulnerability, Abuse, and Care in Women's Religious Life," edited by Sister María Rosaura González Casas, who at the time was coordinator of the Commission for the Care and Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons for the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious.
Based on a survey of 1,417 women religious, the study revealed that 19.8% reported having suffered sexual abuse, and more than half stated they had experienced some form of abuse of power at the hands of superiors, priests, formators, or bishops. Additionally, 14.3% of respondents indicated having been harassed by a priest, 9.7% by laypeople, and 8% by other religious women, figures that highlight the scope and complexity of an issue that remained largely silenced for decades.
González Casas, dean of the Institute of Anthropology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, explained that since the study was published four years ago, "greater awareness of what abuse entails has grown at all levels" in the region.
Sister María Rosaura González Casas of the Company of St. Teresa of Jesus is dean of the Institute of Anthropology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. | Credit: Victoria Cardiel/EWTN News
"The sisters are more aware, and bishops and priests are also more alert to it. When we conducted the survey, many women religious did not want to respond, even though it was anonymous. There was fear of speaking out. Now there is greater awareness, although clear codes of conduct are still lacking. Unconscious and internalized machismo persists in society and has permeated religious and priestly life," she explained in comments to EWTN News.
A conference in Rome on abuse prevention
In order to promote dialogue to prevent abuse against women religious, the PCPM will organize the second annual Meeting on Abuse Prevention, focusing on consecrated life. It will be held in Rome on Dec. 9–11, centering on the theme "Communion, Care, and Justice: Mutual Relationships for a Shared Mission."
This is not an academic conference but a synodal "learning lab" geared toward concrete results. Over the course of three days, bishops, representatives from institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, conferences and unions of major superiors, officials from Roman Curia dicasteries, and experts in abuse prevention will collaborate through roundtables, sessions on canon law, and working groups.
"The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has already taken up this issue, and with their involvement, superiors and women religious will take it more seriously," said Sister Jacinta Ondeng of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Kenya, who has been invited to participate in the forum.
"Safeguarding must be an essential part of community life," emphasized the religious sister, director of the Safeguarding Initiative for Catholic Sisters, a project based at Tangaza University in Nairobi that provides training on abuse prevention across various African countries.
Many situations are covered up due to a lack of oversight
Ondeng emphasized the need for effective case follow-up. "It's important for the relevant Vatican offices to oversee these situations because cases from Africa, and perhaps other parts of the world, are often covered up precisely due to a lack of oversight. If the relevant bodies of the Holy See intervene and evaluate cases when congregations fail to resolve them, that will help."
Sister Jacinta Ondeng, of the School Sisters of Notre Dame congregation in Kenya, will participate in a Vatican-organized conference on abuse. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Sister Jacinta Ondeng
She also proposes developing clear guidelines for handling abuse cases within consecrated life — similar to those established by Pope Francis in Vos Estis Lux Mundi for allegations of abuse against minors — which require bishops and superiors to take action when faced with complaints or concerning indications.
"Once it becomes clear that the Vatican is involved in matters affecting members of consecrated life, there will be changes. Human nature responds to clear rules: when they exist, people tend to act with greater prudence," she observed.
The sister also led a revealing, as-yet-unpublished study in Africa that brought to light harrowing testimonies from consecrated women, such as:
"Sisters leave not because they lack a vocation, but because of abuse; superiors are abusing their authority."
"Sisters suffer in silence rather than reporting it because they love the Church and fear damaging the reputation of a priest, bishop, or superior."
"I told my superior what was happening, and since the sister in question was her friend, she did nothing."
The study's results were presented at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome during the 2026 International Safeguarding Conference, held June 16–19 under the theme "One Commitment, Many Contexts: Safeguarding Across Cultures." The study was based on an anonymous online survey conducted between February and March in which more than 140 religious sisters from various African countries participated.
Fear of stigma and self-blame
The findings are revealing: 35.5% of congregations lack a formal safeguarding policy; 67.4% of those surveyed identify fear of stigma and self-blame as the main obstacles to reporting abuse; and 60.3% point to the absence of confidential reporting channels.
Personal factors such as "shame, guilt, and self-reproach are very prevalent among many women religious who wish to take the step of reporting abuse," explained Ondeng, who dedicates her ministry to conducting workshops and training on safeguarding in Africa, with a particular focus on Catholic women religious.
Her goal is to raise awareness about abuse and its consequences, empower consecrated women to break the culture of silence, and promote safe environments for all. She also emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability as fundamental pillars for the success of safeguarding policies within the Church.
The religious also warned of the tendency toward cover-ups that can arise in certain ecclesial contexts.
"As numerous studies on abuse and the abuse of authority have shown, the Church hierarchy commands immense respect in many African societies," she noted. While this is a positive cultural value, it also helps explain why individuals in positions of authority are rarely reported when involved in abusive behavior.
This phenomenon is reflected in several of the testimonies gathered during the investigation:
"Many sisters do not want to air dirty laundry. They do not wish to publicly expose these problems, in order to protect the institute's reputation."
"Some fear that if they speak out, they will be expelled from religious life, and they do not want to leave," Ondeng added.
Lack of training in abuse prevention
Ondeng's study also reveals that, when faced with situations of injustice or abuse, some women religious choose to leave consecrated life. Abuse can take many forms — sexual, spiritual, physical, emotional, or institutional — and, in certain cases, becomes unbearable.
However, the majority of victims remain in their communities, often out of fear of the social stigma or rejection they might suffer if they returned to their families.
Others are aware that leaving the convent could entail serious financial difficulties, as they lack employment or the means to support themselves, the religious explained.
Of the 141 women religious surveyed, more than 95% stated they had received some form of training on the prevention of sexual abuse. However, in many cases, this preparation proves insufficient.
"Most have taken short courses, but we cannot say that this 95% has received comprehensive training in safeguarding. At most, some have participated in one- or two-day sessions. That is very little, and it poses a problem," the Kenyan religious sister noted in a statement to EWTN News.
For this reason, she insists on the need to strengthen safeguarding training as a true ministry within the Church.
"Much more preparation is needed for Catholic women religious to have the courage to speak about their experiences in their communities. Currently, training is very limited and must be ramped up to empower consecrated women," she stated.
Added to this challenge is a significant cultural component. "People do not want to make their problems public. It is something deeply rooted in African culture, although it also occurs in European and American contexts," she stated.
For its part, the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life does not publish aggregate figures on apostolic visitations conducted worldwide, as these are carried out on an occasional rather than a systematic basis.
The only large-scale investigation for which detailed data exist was the one conducted in the United States from 2008 to 2014, which involved 341 institutes of consecrated life and about 50,000 religious women.
"The entire Church must understand that safeguarding is a Gospel value. It's not something imposed from the outside. The Gospel calls us to promote the dignity of every person, support those who suffer, and care for those who are hurting," Ondeng pointed out.
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 vehicles will support the daily work of governorate employees as Vatican City State moves toward its 2030 goal of a zero-emissions fleet.
Fiat will donate 30 electric vehicles to Vatican City State to support the daily operations of employees of the governorate as part of efforts to advance more sustainable mobility and reduce the environmental impact of its fleet.
The Italian automaker said the vehicles will be used for internal operations and will help improve transportation within the Vatican through low-emissions mobility.
The initiative is part of the Ecological Conversion 2030 program launched by the Governorate of Vatican City State in 2023. The plan calls for the gradual decarbonization of the Vatican's official fleet, with the goal of reaching zero emissions by the end of the decade.
The first phase of the project took place June 30 with the delivery of 20 Fiat Topolino vehicles. The handover was held on the esplanade in front of the Governorate Palace and was attended by Archbishop Emilio Nappa and lawyer Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, secretaries-general of the governorate, as well as Olivier François, CEO of Fiat and chief marketing officer of Stellantis.
The fleet will be completed with the addition of 10 Fiat TRIS vehicles, also fully electric.
The Ecological Conversion 2030 plan goes beyond the renewal of the Vatican's vehicle fleet. The project includes a range of measures aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the Holy See's activities, including the responsible use of natural resources, improved energy efficiency, and the modernization of technological infrastructure.
The initiative also seeks to promote cleaner energy sources for transportation, strengthen waste management policies, and support future reforestation projects as Vatican City State works toward climate neutrality.
After launching the program in 2023, the Governorate of Vatican City State said it intended to place itself among the leading states in sustainability by adopting innovative solutions that contribute both to care for the environment and to the transformation of its work and management practices.
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 answer has to do with profoundly different juridical and ecclesial realities.
The Holy See's declaration this month that formally recognizes the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) to be in a state of schism has prompted numerous questions among the faithful. One of the most frequently asked questions is why the Catholic Church recognizes the validity of marriages performed in Orthodox churches while marriages now performed by priests of the society are considered invalid.
Father Davide Cito, professor of canon law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, emphasized that the answer has to do with profoundly different juridical and ecclesial realities.
As he explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, although the Orthodox churches are not in full communion with Rome, they are not currently in a state of formal schism comparable to that of the Society of St. Pius X.
"These are two different situations. The Orthodox are not in full communion with the Catholic Church, but they are not excommunicated. In contrast, the fraternity has committed a formal act of breaking ecclesial communion," he explained.
The canon lawyer noted that, prior to the recent declaration of schism, the situation of the SSPX was different. Although there were serious doctrinal and disciplinary tensions with Rome, it was not juridically in its current situation.
"The society could perform valid marriages because it was not in a state of formal schism," he noted.
In fact, during the pontificate of Pope Francis, the society's priests received faculties to validly hear confessions and, under certain circumstances, to witness marriages with the authorization of the competent ecclesiastical authority.
However, following the formal declaration of schism, the Vatican has made it clear that those faculties can no longer be exercised.
Specifically, sources in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) emphasized to ACI Prensa "the invalidity of those two sacraments" (referring to confession and marriage), which Pope Francis had previously granted them permission to administer in 2019 as a gesture of pastoral outreach.
The DDF source went on to confirm that the dicastery's July 2 explanatory note on the matter "was published with the pope's approval. The pontiff himself formally warned that this would happen if they ordained bishops in the letter he sent to [SSPX Superior General Father Davide] Pagliarani just hours before the episcopal ordinations took place without a papal mandate. There is no doubt whatsoever regarding his will. That is the decision of the Holy See."
The DDF, led by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, also clarified that, in declaring the schism, it did not get into considering the SSPX's past situation following the lifting of the excommunications by Benedict XVI in 2009 and the concessions subsequently made by Francis. Instead, it focused "on the fact that the new ordinations — a schismatic act — have undoubtedly created a situation of excommunication and schism, and that what they were clearly warned about is now being applied."
Regarding this point, Cito explained that "a schismatic cannot validly hear confessions or validly witness a marriage, because since the Council of Trent, these sacraments require a canonical faculty or authorization."
Why are Orthodox sacraments recognized?
Relations between Catholics and the Orthodox underwent a decisive shift during the Second Vatican Council and the pontificate of St. Paul VI. In December 1965, Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I signed a joint declaration lifting the mutual excommunications pronounced in 1054, events traditionally regarded as the beginning of the Great Schism between East and West.
Although that gesture did not restore full communion, it put an end to centuries of mutual condemnations and excommunications and opened a new chapter of ecumenical dialogue.
"We are in communion, though not in full communion," Cito summarized. "That is why there are areas where it is possible to share sacramental life, something unthinkable in a situation of formal rupture caused by a schism, such as the situation of the fraternity," he observed.
The Catholic Church recognizes the validity of Orthodox sacraments because it maintains that the Eastern churches have preserved apostolic succession and a valid priesthood. For this reason, Cito explained, there is the possibility of a certain "communicatio in sacris" — participation in certain sacraments among the faithful of different churches as provided for by canon law.
"Canon 844allows Catholics and Orthodox, in certain cases, to receive some sacraments from one another. I myself have seen this in pastoral practice. This is possible because there is authentic sacramental communion, even if it is not full," he stated.
The expert pointed out that the situation is very different for those affected by excommunication or who knowingly participate in a schismatic group.
Excommunication is a canonical penalty that prohibits the administration and reception of certain sacraments. Schism, on the other hand, entails the rejection of communion with the Church and the authority of the Roman pontiff — in other words, a formal separation from the Catholic Church.
In the case of the Society of St. Pius X, the Holy See considers that there is now a formal rupture of that communion, which entails juridical and sacramental consequences.
"When someone rejects an ecumenical council or denies essential elements of communion with the pope and the college of bishops, the situation becomes very complex from a canonical standpoint," Cito said.
The professor pointed out that some traditionalist communities that emerged from the SSPX, such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), have remained in full communion with Rome and continue to celebrate the traditional liturgy without any difficulty.
"The problem has never been simply the liturgy. The issue touches upon fundamental doctrinal aspects related to the Second Vatican Council and ecclesial communion," he stated.
How those who leave the SSPX might return to Catholic unity
New regulations issued by the Holy See establish that the faithful and priests who decide to leave the SSPX and return to full communion with the Church will no longer depend on a specific structure like the Ecclesia Dei Commission, created by St. John Paul II in 1988.
Going forward, they may turn directly to diocesan bishops or to the heads of traditionalist institutes that are fully integrated into the Church. The new protocol from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith aims to facilitate this return.
"The procedures for doing so are very simple because, ultimately, these are people who want to be Catholic and desire to be in communion with the Church," Cito added.
The Vatican document warns that those wishing to fully rejoin the Catholic Church may not continue to regularly attend activities of an institution now considered schismatic.
"The explanatory note from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, attached to the decree of excommunication, is very clear on this point: The sacred ministers administer the sacraments illicitly and, regarding penance and matrimony, also invalidly. Therefore, dioceses and their pastors are urged to be vigilant and to exhort the faithful to remain steadfast in ecclesial communion and not to participate in celebrations or activities promoted by the SSPX," noted Father Pierpaolo dal Corso, who teaches at the St. Pius X department of penal canon law in Venice, Italy.
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.
