Catholic News

A lack of vocations threatens the closure after more than a century of the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Ronda, Spain, which houses the left hand of St. Teresa of Ávila. The relic's final destination will be decided in the coming months.

The monastery's numbers dwindled in recent years from nine to four sisters — one of them with Alzheimer's.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, five have passed away due to old age and various medical conditions.

According to the apostolic constitution Vultum Dei Quaerere, promulgated by Pope Francis in 2016, the minimum number of sisters required to maintain a community is six; otherwise, the remaining members must join other, larger communities.

The nuns have not been able to find two more sisters despite efforts to publicize their need. As a result, the four remaining sisters from Ronda will move to other communities, and the most important relic housed in their convent will have to be relocated.

Since 1924, the Carmelites have occupied a former Mercedarian convent founded in the 16th century but which was expropriated in the 19th century during the processes known in Spain as "desamortización," the confiscation and sale of Church properties by the government.

An incorrupt relic after 444 years

The relic of the incorrupt left hand of St. Teresa, a Carmelite reformer and doctor of the Church, was separated from her body in 1582. Following various historical twists and turns, it wound up with a religious community in Portugal.

In 1910, a decree expelled religious orders from that country; consequently, the Carmelites fled to Spain, taking the relic to Ávila. When the Portuguese community was reestablished in Ronda, they requested the relic's return.

With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, militiamen from the Red Army forced the nuns to hand over the relic. Shortly thereafter, it was recovered by General Francisco Franco's Nationalist Army and was moved to Burgos, the general's headquarters, where he kept it until his death.

In January 1976, the relic returned to the convent in Ronda, which now faces closure.

The relic's final destination remains uncertain, although there has been speculation about its return to Alba de Tormes, the saint's birthplace and the location of the rest of her body, which also remains incorrupt after 444 years.

If the left hand were to return to Alba de Tormes, all of St. Teresa's mortal remains would be reunited once more, after more than four and a half centuries.

However, sources from the Iberian Province of the Discalced Carmelites have told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that a definitive decision has not been made on the matter.

The canonical process for closing the Ronda monastery has not yet concluded and ultimately depends on the Vatican. The process is expected to be completed by early 2027.

Also, the remaining nuns in Ronda, who will determine the fate of the relic, must now discern if they want to remain together and, if so, must ask to join one of the convents of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Federation to which they belong.

Likewise, they must determine the fate of the other belongings owned by the community.

St. Teresa's left hand could go to one of the monasteries where the four nuns settle or be entrusted to a diocese or the Carmelite motherhouse.

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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Cardinal Camillo Ruini, a formidable strategist of the Church in Italy during the pontificate of St. John Paul II and a key architect of its post-Cold War engagement with politics and culture, died Tuesday in Rome.

As head of Italy's bishops' conference and vicar of Rome during the 1990s and the 2000s, the cardinal often took strong and influential stances on social and moral issues, giving him a reputation for helping to shape ecclesiastical and political opinion.

Personally courteous, reserved, and even shy in manner, he was also intellectually sharp, politically shrewd, and very determined on questions of principle, especially when it came to "nonnegotiable" issues such as the right to life, marriage, and the family. Any severity he would direct toward ideas rather than persons, while he remained generally polite and respectful toward opponents.

All of this made him a trusted collaborator of John Paul II — and later of Benedict XVI — as he dedicated himself to keeping the Catholic Church in Italy relevant at a time when secularism was increasingly taking hold of the nation's politics and society.

His skills and tact became most evident in 2004 when he urged Italian Catholics to boycott advocating the liberalization of Italy's legal restrictions on in vitro fertilization (IVF). The referendum the following year failed due to low turnout and while secularists accused Ruini of having overstepped the mark for a churchman, others praised his strategy and his determination to speak out. Some affectionately awarded him the nickname "Rovini," meaning the "ruiner" of secularists' plans. 

A year later, the cardinal drew the ire of the "gay lobby" when he warned that giving full legal recognition to unmarried couples would represent an "eclipsing of the nature and value of a family and a very grave harm to the Italian people." In 2007, he was the key promoter and inspirer of a large Family Day rally in Rome, intended to block civil-unions legislation being pushed by the government of Romano Prodi. He also spoke out on several high-profile "end-of-life" cases, always in defense of the sanctity of human life. 

Also known for his views on the relationship between faith and politics, Ruini frequently addressed issues such as secularism, a "healthy secularity" regarding Islam, and what he perceived as the "naturalistic tendency of modern man," which he considered a significant threat to religious faith.

In Italy he was especially noted for being the architect and longtime president of the Church's "cultural project," formed in the aftermath of the collapse of the Christian Democracy era that had dominated postwar Italian politics. The project sought to shift Catholic influence from party politics to the deeper work of shaping national culture and public debate.

Evangelizing mission

Both the cardinal and St. John Paul II worked well together, giving renewed coherence to the Church's evangelizing mission and devising a framework in connection with John Paul II's encyclicals. But his positions also drew opposition within the Church, especially from allies of Jesuit Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, a former archbishop of Milan, who believed he was abandoning the "spirit of the Council."

"Cardinal Ruini deserves recognition for having steered the ship through the storm, for having shared John Paul II's vision and for having fought to implement it in our country," wrote Italian commentator Professor Stefano Fontana in La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana on June 17.

Born in Sassuolo in the province of Modena on Feb. 19, 1931, Camillo Ruini was the son of a local doctor who, during his schooling and in late adolescence, discerned a vocation to the priesthood. At 18 he entered seminary, later continuing his studies in philosophy and theology in Reggio Emilia and then at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Ordained a priest on Dec. 8, 1954, Ruini returned three years later to his native Reggio Emilia, where for nearly two decades he formed young clergy as a philosophy lecturer in the diocesan seminary before becoming a widely respected professor and then head of inter-diocesan and academic theology institutes in Modena and Bologna. Alongside this teaching he threw himself into lay apostolates, serving as chaplain to Catholic university graduates, diocesan delegate for Catholic Action, and president of the John XXIII Cultural Centre — work that honed the intellectual and pastoral instincts he later brought to the national stage.

Appointed auxiliary bishop of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla in 1983, he soon emerged as a key organizer of the 1985 Loreto ecclesial convention, a landmark attempt to reset relations between the Church and Italian society after the political and ecclesial upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1985 he joined the bishops' commission for Catholic education, culture, and schools.

John Paul II elevated him to the cardinalate in 1991, after which he entered the decisive phase of his episcopal career as president of the Italian Bishops' Conference (1991–2007) and vicar of Rome (1991–2008). A member of several Vatican dicasteries and the author of numerous essays and research works, he also served as grand chancellor of the Pontifical Lateran University. He played a significant role in the 2005 conclave that elected Benedict XVI, and from 2010 to 2014, at the request of Pope Benedict, he served as president of the International Commission of Inquiry on Medjugorje. He also headed the academic committee of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation.

He praised John Paul II and Benedict XVI but was less at ease during the pontificate of Pope Francis. His criticisms, he suggested, stemmed not from conservatism but from concern that some of the faithful might struggle to understand Francis' direction of the Church. Upon the pontiff's death in April 2025, Ruini set out four conditions that, in his view, the new pope should possess: sound doctrine, capacity for governance, a spirit of communion, and the strengthening of the faith. Many observers saw in these criteria an implicit critique of the pontificate just ended.

Final interview

The cardinal continued to speak out publicly up until his final days. In one of his last interviews given to Corriere della Sera to coincide with his 95th birthday in February, Ruini said he disapproved of Benedict XVI's resignation, praised Francis for his "great courage" but faulted him for "taking too little account of tradition," and said his first impression of Leo XIV was excellent.

He had a negative opinion of President Trump, saying he had "upset American and world politics," which were "going in a very questionable direction." He was also not supportive of restoring the Traditional Latin Mass, saying: "It's very important for people to understand the language in which they celebrate." 

The cardinal died after suffering from a heart condition in his later years, but he endured his final months with serenity. He spoke and wrote often about death, reported Corriere della Sera, accepting his approaching end with "detachment and even cheerfulness," and continued to celebrate Mass until shortly before his passing. 

In his tribute to the late cardinal published June 17, Pope Leo XIV said the news of his death had awakened in his heart "deep feelings of closeness, together with gratitude to the Lord for the gift of this esteemed man of the Church, who lived his ministry generously." He recalled the cardinal's legacy to the Italian Church, remembering him as an "experienced and wise brother, strengthened by deep faith, sharp intelligence, and farsighted vision," and who "served the Gospel and the Church with discretion and self-sacrifice."

Similar heartfelt tributes were received from the ecclesial and political world: John Paul II's former personal secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, said Ruini "always sought the good of the Church, with clarity of faith, loyalty to the magisterium, and a deep sense of duty and pastoral responsibility." He expressed his gratitude for Ruini's collaboration with John Paul II at "decisive moments" in the life of the Church.

The current Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, gave thanks for Ruini's "long and fruitful Christian life and for his service to the Church," and Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian bishops' conference, said the cardinal helped the Church in Italy to "think, discern, speak, and walk in its own time."

Ruini's episcopal motto — "Veritas liberabit nos" ("The truth sets us free") — "remains a summons for all," he said. Italy's premier, Giorgia Meloni, described him as a "great man of the Church," while Prodi recalled a "profound connection" with Ruini, who, as a young man in Reggio Emilia, guided him and other youth in the diocese. 

Elisabetta Valgiusti, a Roman citizen who knew Ruini personally, praised him for being a "leading figure in the life of the Catholic Church at every level and in public debate more broadly." She especially lauded him for his understanding of culture, which she said he saw as a "meeting ground between the Church's own mission and the nation's most urgent needs."

Valgiusti, an EWTN documentary filmmaker who founded Save the Monasteries to help Christian communities through cultural and communication projects, told the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, that she remembered her conversations with him "with gratitude and respect," especially during the pandemic period.

"We will miss his strong and upright voice, and also his piercing gaze," she said. 

Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the funeral for Ruini at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday afternoon, June 18, together with cardinals, archbishops, and bishops.

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted and updated by EWTN News.

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Princeton University professor and conservative intellectual Robert P. George called for a renewed commitment to America's founding values at an event promoting "Fidelity Month," a month dedicated to strengthening faithfulness to God, family, community, and country.

In the spring of 2023, George launched Fidelity Month, a grassroots initiative in response to a Wall Street Journal poll indicating a significant decline in religious belief, patriotism, and family values among Americans.

"I was particularly alarmed because those values — fidelity to God, fidelity to spouses and families, fidelity to country, service to communities — these have historically been the values that have provided this very pluralistic nation from the beginning with its sources of unity and strength," George said at the June 17 event hosted by the Advancing American Freedom Foundation (AAF).

During the discussion with AAF President Tim Chapman, George attributed the decline to "a loss of faith" and failure to have gratitude for America.

"So what binds us together?" George asked. "Well, No. 1, our shared commitment to our basic constitutional principles, the principles of our civic order, the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution."

"Americans across the racial spectrum, across the ideological or the ethnic spectrum, across the religious divides, have all shared a commitment to the principles of the declaration that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with unalienable rights," he said. "But that has never been the whole story, and by itself, it has never been enough."

George underscored "shared belief in the importance of fidelity to God" and "belief in the importance of marriage and family" as binding factors, noting that these values, along with patriotism, are "not a distinctively or uniquely Christian thing."

During the month of June, George encouraged those in attendance to find simple ways to "spread the word about Fidelity Month," whether by sharing articles on social media that promote fidelity to God, family, and country, or asking religious leaders to speak about the importance of fidelity during at least one sermon in June.

Governors in Utah and Arkansas have issued proclamations recognizing Fidelity Month, and the Michigan House and Kentucky Senate have adopted resolutions.

"That's the first time in our four years that we've had public officials at that level," George said. "We've had more local officials recognize Fidelity Month, but now we're having governors and legislatures. And next year I'd like to see 10 or 12 or 15 more, and then we'll see how we go from there."

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The Catholic bishops of England and Wales are "deeply disappointed" that an assisted suicide bill will again be back in Parliament, calling instead for improvements in palliative care.

On Wednesday, Labour member of Parliament (MP) Lauren Edwards reintroduced the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which passed a vote in the House of Commons in June 2025 but failed to pass the House of Lords when it ran out of time in April.

The bill today received its first reading in the House of Commons, officially marking the return of the bill in Westminster.

Responding to the news that it would be reintroduced, in a June 15 statement Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, lead bishop for life issues at the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, expressed his deep disappointment and criticized the "flawed" legislation, saying: "The Catholic Church opposes this bill in principle and joins with many other people of faith and none in arguing that we should not cross this watershed."

He added: "The recent debate about this bill showed how many people found the proposed legislation, even if they accepted it in principle, to be flawed and full of unresolved matters."

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, originally sponsored by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, proposes to legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales for people with a prognosis of six months or less to live and has received extensive criticism for posing a threat to vulnerable people.

In bringing back the exact same bill, Edwards could use the Parliament Act to bypass future opposition from the House of Lords. In the U.K., bills become law after both the House of Commons and the House of Lords agree on a bill. The Parliament Act enables MPs to pass an unchanged bill, with the House of Lords unable to prevent the bill from becoming law a second time.

Edwards urged the House of Lords not to "block" the bill and to pass it, saying: "It's perfectly reasonable for us to ask the House of Lords to finish the job … to refine the legislation the House of Commons has introduced."

However, Sherrington challenged the criticism of the House of Lords, saying the Lords had "identified many shortcomings and bad legislation."

"The bill was criticized for a lack of safeguards and as a danger to vulnerable people, with a number of respected professional bodies highlighting unsafe aspects within the bill," he said.

Sherrington added that reintroducing the bill "places the most vulnerable at risk," adding: "Many professional bodies argued against this bill, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians, whose members would be required to be involved under the provision of the bill. Disability rights groups, those fighting against eating disorders and against domestic abuse, were highly concerned and considered it dangerous."

Sherrington pinpointed further concerns about the bill, which he urged MPs to reject, saying: "The bill undermines freedom of conscience for medical professionals and care workers. It also requires care homes and hospices to participate in assisted suicide, threatening not only their future existence but also the well-being of their more vulnerable staff."

Pro-life groups have also criticized the move by Edwards. Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right to Life UK, said reintroducing the same bill would be a "serious mistake." Robinson told EWTN News that the bill contained "serious flaws" that have been exposed by "peers and experts."

She said: "At a time when the Labour Party is already divided and the country is facing so many real problems, reviving this bill would be a serious mistake. It would create further division, waste precious Parliamentary time, and distract from the very real challenges facing our country."

Robinson added: "If it is brought back, it is likely to fail" and commented that further debate on the bill would be "divisive and distracting."

Further criticism has come from bishops in England and Wales.

Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark told EWTN News: "Assisted suicide has no place in a civilized society. It violates the God-given dignity of human life and puts the vulnerable — especially elderly and disabled people — in grave danger."

Wilson called on Catholics to take action against the bill through prayer and action, saying: "As followers of the Lord Jesus, we have a duty to speak out and to act when the lives of so many people are at risk. That is why I urge Catholics to pray and to campaign to stop this deadly bill from becoming law."

Welsh Archbishop Mark O'Toole of Cardiff-Menevia said it is "immensely disappointing that the bill to legalize assisted suicide is being reintroduced to Parliament."

O'Toole added: "It does nothing to uphold the dignity of every person or encourage investment in good palliative care."

O'Toole's call for greater investment in palliative care was echoed by Sherrington, who said: "Surely what is now needed to help the terminally ill is an improvement in compassionate, high-quality palliative care and proper hospice funding."

Catholic peer Lord David Alton shared his concerns about what he described as a "deeply flawed and dangerous assisted suicide bill," saying: "The wisest thing which MPs can do is to reject this bill."

Sherrington concluded his statement with a calI "on all people of goodwill to join me in work and prayer to prevent this flawed bill from succeeding."

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In response to a shortage of Communion hosts in Cuba, the Catholic Church in Panama announced that it had sent 35,000 hosts, while another 300,000 were sent from Puerto Rico, to support the celebration of the Eucharist on the island.

In a statement, Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta of Panama announced that this gesture of fraternity "arises in response to the difficulties several Cuban dioceses are facing in ensuring a supply of hosts, an essential element for the celebration of the sacrament that constitutes the source and summit of the Christian life."

Meanwhile, El Visitante, the official newspaper of the Catholic Church in Puerto Rico, reported that Archbishop Roberto O. González Nieves of San Juan is coordinating the country's efforts to get the aid to Cuba.

Currently, all of Cuba's hosts are produced at the Monastery of Santa Teresa and San José, home to a Discalced Carmelite community. However, the lack of a reliable power supply has hindered production.

Eucharist, the 'sacrament of unity'

Friar George Payano, a Dominican priest, told Agence France-Presse that making Communion hosts requires time and suitable machinery, but "the hours of electricity are very limited."

"This results in lower production and means they have to, as they announced to the priests and bishops, ration distribution somewhat," the friar noted.

Ulloa stated in his message that beyond the material value of the shipment, "this act constitutes a concrete sign of the Communion that unites the Church beyond borders."

The archbishop noted that the Eucharist "is the sacrament of unity. Gathered around the same bread of life, we recognize ourselves as brothers and sisters and as members of one body."

"Therefore, when a community lacks what is necessary to celebrate this mystery, we feel the duty from the Gospel to reach out and accompany them," he said.

El Visitante noted that González described the initiative similarly, saying that it is "a visible sign of communion among the particular Churches of the Caribbean and a concrete expression of the unity born of the Eucharist."

The Puerto Rican newspaper added that the shipment also serves as an invitation to "keep on praying for the Cuban people, for their pastors and the faithful, so that strengthened by God's grace they may continue to proclaim the Gospel and joyfully celebrate the mysteries of our faith."

The hosts sent from Panama were made by the Sisters of the Monastery of the Visitation and shipped free of charge by Copa Airlines. In Puerto Rico, production involved the collaboration of the cloistered Dominican sisters of the Mother of God Monastery as well as the support of the faithful who made donations for their preparation.

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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With the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer playoffs as a backdrop, Ramón Castro Castro, bishop of Cuernavaca and president of the Mexican Bishops' Conference, called on Catholics to work together, affirming that in the Church, "we have Jesus Christ as our captain."

In his homily during Mass on Sunday, June 14, at the Cuernavaca cathedral, Castro noted that the World Cup "is an event that reminds us that no championship is won alone."

"No matter how excellent the soccer players are, they cannot succeed alone. Teamwork is required, as are discipline, constant effort, adherence to the rules, and ... mutual trust."

In the realm of sports, he said, "we have an example for the Church: We are playing the greatest match in history, we have Jesus Christ as our captain, and we must work together and trust one another, above all knowing that the Holy Spirit is in our midst, strengthening, encouraging, and transforming us."

The FIFA World Cup is being hosted this year by Mexico, the United States, and Canada from June 11 to July 19. Thirteen of the matches are scheduled to be held in the Mexican cities of Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.

'Christ sees people's hidden pain'

In his homily, Castro also highlighted that "Christ sees people's hidden pain; Christ sees the wounds of our personal history and of our families."

The Lord, he continued, "sees the loneliness of the elderly, sees the uncertainty of many young people, sees the anguish of those who find no meaning in their lives, the suffering of the poorest; he sees the victims of violence, sees those who have lost hope."

"That compassion includes all this and more, because we are his special treasure," he emphasized.

The Mexican people, he lamented, are "weary and disheartened" by "violence, insecurity, extortion, corruption, mistrust in society, family breakdown, and religious indifference."

"God sees this, feels it, and, we might say, suffers because he loves us, because he sees his treasure wounded; he looks upon these realities and he doesn't look at them from afar, but looking upon them with his love and mercy and his heart feels compassion for all of this," he noted.

In this context, Castro affirmed that "God never tires of us, never; he certainly does not resign himself to our wounds and sins" and "never ceases to love his people."

'There is a tremendous spiritual hunger'

The Mexican prelate highlighted that "God knows there is an enormous need for workers in his vineyard," as "there is a tremendous spiritual hunger; the emptiness of the heart and that hunger remain intense."

"There are so many people who live without faith or appear to live without faith, yet deep down in their hearts, they continue to seek the meaning of their lives, continue to seek hope, and continue to seek love," he noted.

"When Jesus says that laborers are lacking, he's not referring only to priests and religious — no," Castro clarified, for "we also need committed laypeople, generous young people who respond; we need holy families, we need convinced catechists, we need laypeople who love their Church."

Reflecting on the calling of the Twelve Apostles, the bishop of Cuernavaca noted that Jesus "did not choose the most perfect" individuals; rather, they were "very simple people, simple fishermen, courageous and impulsive men, people with very difficult temperaments, and even a traitor."

"We sometimes think that God chooses only saints to serve him," the bishop said, but "the Gospel tells us otherwise: God calls fragile people to transform them into instruments of his grace."

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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Pope Leo XIV dedicated his general audience on June 17 to reflecting on his apostolic journey to Spain the previous week, during which he visited Madrid, Barcelona, ??and the Canary Islands.

In his remarks, the pope praised Spain's "very rich Catholic tradition" and highlighted the country's "joyful expression of their faith" as well as the affection shown to him by the people.

"In the case of Spain, I was able to observe with joy how much people of every age and situation were looking forward to the pope's visit: Everywhere I found multitudes who welcomed me with great warmth," Leo remarked, acknowledging that this was not something to be taken for granted.

Safeguarding encounter between Catholic tradition, contemporary culture

Referring to the events in Madrid and Barcelona during his trip to Spain, the pope also described his trip as an "encounter of ancient and modern, Catholic tradition and contemporary culture," allowing him to experience "the very character of Europe, its inestimable wealth, as a living reality, not a thing of the past."

Leo also said that Europe's cultural heritage must be preserved to address ongoing challenges.

"It is a heritage to be safeguarded with care, so that it may be invested in today's global world with its momentous challenges: peace, integral ecology, equitable and sustainable development, and respect for human dignity," Leo said.

Care for migrants

Referring to the final stage of the journey at the Canary Islands, where Leo met a large number of African migrants, the pope acknowledged that the migration phenomenon "is complex and requires organic and coordinated action plans."

The pontiff noted, however, that this reality also offers an interpretation that "opens up a different, broader perspective," allowing Catholics to understand how "to reread the Gospel in today's world, exchanging with each other the gifts of our respective cultures, and in particular the results produced in them by the fruitfulness of Christ's message."

Among these results, he highlighted "dialogue between people and between peoples, the encounter in a spirit of fraternity, which enables us to discover and appreciate one another's values." He cautioned that this path is not easy and that asking for God's help is essential to achieving a "civilization of love."

Praise for U.S.-Iran peace deal

Leo concluded his remarks by expressing his satisfaction with the peace agreement between the United States and Iran, to be signed on June 19, which will bring an end to prolonged hostilities.

He also renewed his appeal for peace in Ukraine, acknowledging with concern the casualties suffered in the Russo-Ukrainian war. He invited all to "ask the Lord to open pathways to dialogue, to extinguish hatred, and to make a just and lasting peace possible."

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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On the feast of St. Vitus, the new organ in the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslaus, and Adalbert in Prague was inaugurated. The instrument, whose construction had been started by the former archbishop of Prague, Cardinal Dominik Duka, was blessed by his successor and now-Archbishop Emeritus Jan Graubner on Monday, June 15.

"Remember all those who have built and protected this temple for centuries, also the generous patrons of this instrument, and especially those who did not live to see its completion and today's blessing," Graubner said during the blessing.

He asked the Lord to accept this work of the patrons and benefactors and "to give them a share in the heavenly harmony that never ceases."

The ceremony, which featured the Czech Philharmonic, was broadcast live by Czech public television.

'Awakening' the organ

The current archbishop of Prague, Stanislav Pribyl, who is himself an organist, presided over a Mass on the occasion. In his homily, the chief pastor of the capital city of the Czech Republic said the organ does not exist independently of the space around it. It becomes part of it, as "it is not just the organ playing, but the entire cathedral, literally every stone playing," he stressed.

He also performed the ceremony of "awakening the organ," addressing the instrument and asking it, literally, to "wake up" and fill the space with music. The organist responded by playing the wind instrument.

"It is the moment when the instrument sounds praise to God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The organ can rejoice, cry, calm down, and stir our hearts, express the emotions that are within us," Pribyl underscored.

This awakening, in which one can behold and listen to beauty and experience spiritual reality, is a dialogue, according to the prelate: "First, a word is spoken, a challenge, and the response is music. It is a beautiful picture of the relationship between God and man." When God speaks, it evokes a reaction in man, be it a word, silence, tears, laughter, and so on.

Music and singing transcend the boundaries of words, and "our new instrument will also serve this purpose: liturgy, prayer, the uplifting and joy of the human spirit," Pribyl concluded.

Years in the making

The organ has undergone a few restoration works over the last 100 years, yet they did not bring the desired results. In 2012, Duka brought up the idea and won the support of high-ranking public figures to assume the patronage of the public collection. Approximately 12,000 people have contributed 135 million Czech crowns so far toward the final cost of roughly 160 million.

The new instrument was completed by the German organ builder Gerhard Grenzing and designed by Slovak designer Peter Olah, who also designs within the once-Czech automobile brand Škoda, now part of Volkswagen.

The organ weighs 45 tons and has about 6,000 pipes. The cathedral will host an organ concert in the coming days, and the instrument will be played during liturgy.

The first stone of the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslaus, and Adalbert was laid in the 14th century, though the first church at the same place stood in the 10th century. The coronation of the Czech kings took place within the church, which is one of the most important in the Czech Republic.

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A high-profile online controversy in early June reignited one of bioethics' most charged debates: the morality of terminating a pregnancy following a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.

As the discussion spread across social media platforms, a familiar claim resurfaced alongside it — that Iceland has effectively eliminated Down syndrome births through abortion, with virtually every baby diagnosed prenatally with the condition terminated before birth.

The claim has circulated for years in media and social commentary, often stated as established fact. EWTN News went looking for current, primary sourcing and reached out to Catholic organizations on the ground in Iceland to find the truth of these claims.

How the narrative took hold

The origin of the claim about Iceland mostly comes from a 2017 CBS News report, which mentioned that since prenatal screening tests were introduced in Iceland in the early 2000s, close to 100% of women who received a positive test for Down syndrome terminated their pregnancy.

By law, Icelandic doctors are required to inform pregnant mothers about the availability of a screening test that can indicate (among many other things) the presence of Down syndrome in the babies they are carrying.

The piece quoted a leading Icelandic geneticist, Kári Stefánsson, saying "we have basically eradicated, almost, Down syndrome from our society — that there is hardly ever a child with Down syndrome in Iceland anymore."

That report is now nearly nine years old. It is, nonetheless, the source most frequently referenced in the current wave of social media posts and the one used as a jumping-off point for other articles.

A more complete picture

When EWTN News contacted Caritas Iceland and the Chancery of the Catholic Church in Iceland, both groups referred EWTN News to April Frigge, who sits on the board of Lífsvernd, the pro-life group of the Diocese of Reykjavík.

Frigge highlighted a response that Dr. Hulda Hjartardóttir, chief of obstetrics at Iceland's National University Hospital, gave to Morgunblaðið, Iceland's most prominent newspaper, within days of the CBS report airing.

Hjartardóttir had been one of the doctors CBS interviewed, and she was direct about what had been left out. "I went over this with CBS' journalists, but then they decided to publish one thing and not the other," she told the paper.

What CBS had omitted, Hjartardóttir explained, was that the 100% termination figure applied only to a specific subset of women.

She explained that 80% to 85% of pregnant women in Iceland choose to undergo prenatal screening, while 15% to 20% decline it altogether. Among those who receive screening results indicating a higher risk of Down syndrome, about 75% to 80% proceed with additional testing, but roughly 20% to 25% decide against further tests and continue their pregnancies. Hjartardóttir noted that these were women who, after counseling and discussions, couldn't "bear the thought of ending the pregnancy despite the Down syndrome emerging."

Taken together, she estimated that about one-third of Icelandic mothers either decline screening from the outset or choose not to pursue further testing after an initial positive result, opting instead to continue their pregnancies regardless of the outcome.

Frigge noted that this fuller account received a fraction of the attention that the original CBS report generated and that it remains largely absent from the online debate nearly a decade later.

These figures were also addressed by Iceland's Ministry of Welfare, which rejected claims that the government encourages mothers carrying children diagnosed with Down syndrome to terminate their pregnancies. The ministry stated that prenatal screening for Down syndrome is voluntary and that women are neither required to undergo testing nor mandated to have an abortion if a diagnosis is confirmed.

What this means is that children with Down syndrome are being born in Iceland precisely because a significant portion of mothers either decline pregnancy screening or choose not to pursue confirmatory testing after an initial positive result.

What research shows

A 2020 study drawing on Icelandic prenatal screening data from 2012 to 2016 adds context to the situation. During that period, 79% of pregnant women chose to undergo a first-trimester screening test, amounting to 16,649 screenings.

Of the women screened, 333 received high-risk results and were offered further testing. Down syndrome was subsequently confirmed in 44 pregnancies. Of those, 43 ended in abortion, while one woman chose to carry her child to term.

Over the same five-year period, 12 children with Down syndrome were born in Iceland. Five were born to women who declined prenatal screening, six followed false-negative test results, and one was born to the woman who continued her pregnancy after receiving a confirmed diagnosis.

What the current data does and does not show

Iceland recorded 4,311 births and 1,147 abortions in 2024, the most recent year for which official figures are available. However, publicly available data does not specify how many of those births or abortions involved a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, making precise assessment difficult.

What can be said with reasonable confidence is that the pattern documented in 2017 has not fundamentally changed.

A March 2026 article published through the U.N.'s regional information network noted that approximately 80% to 85% of pregnant women in Iceland still undergo prenatal screening and that nearly all pregnancies with a confirmed Down syndrome diagnosis continue to be terminated, resulting in only two to three children with Down syndrome born in Iceland each year.

EWTN News attempted to contact Downs félagið (The Downs Society), an Icelandic association that advocates for the rights of individuals with Down syndrome, but was unable to obtain a response.

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Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda of the Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Erbil in Iraq appealed to Chaldean Patriarch Paul III Nona to stand with Ankawa — a district of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and home to the largest Christian community in the country — and to be the voice of the people there before decision-makers so that its residents may regain their right to have a say in the future of their city and land. 

Chaldean Patriarch Paul III Nona (formerly Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona) was elected in April and formally installed at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Baghdad in late May.

Speaking during a welcoming ceremony for the Chaldean patriarch at St. Joseph Cathedral in Ankawa, Warda said that choosing Ankawa as the first stop in Nona's visits outside his patriarchal eparchy carried a clear message to its people: "You are in my heart."

A Christian identity despite challenges

Warda recalled the deep Christian roots of the historic region of Adiabene — today's Erbil and its surrounding areas — and its Church, known for its leaders, martyrs, and perseverance amid persecution.

He particularly remembered the 1310 massacre at the Erbil Citadel, which forced Christians to flee to Mosul and to the towns and villages of the Nineveh Plain.

"Yet the faith was not extinguished," he said.

Ankawa's distinct place

The archbishop praised Ankawa for preserving its Christian identity across the centuries and remaining a living witness of perseverance despite persecution and hardship. By the 16th century, he said, Ankawa had become the only remaining village in the area with a large Christian population.

"In every trial our Church endured, Ankawa was a refuge whose doors were never closed," Warda said, especially during the forced displacement of 2014.

What happened in 2014?

The occupation of Mosul and the towns and villages of the Nineveh Plain by the terrorist organization ISIS caused the forced displacement of Christians, many of whom fled to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Ankawa and the towns and villages of the Chaldean Archeparchy of Erbil became among their most important places of refuge.

In his latest pastoral letter, Warda noted that within weeks in the summer of 2014, Ankawa received more than 13,200 displaced families. They were housed in churches, schools, parish halls, and homes of charity. The Joint Episcopal Relief Committee and the Chaldean Mercy Association helped organize the first response, providing temporary shelter, food, water, mattresses, and other basic needs in more than 26 small, medium, and large camps.

The people of Ankawa opened their hearts to welcome their persecuted brothers and sisters, and the town became home to the largest gathering of Christians in Iraq and a safe haven for them.

For years, Ankawa has faced several challenges related to political representation and public services. Many residents believe that the use of agricultural land for residential investment projects is contributing to demographic change and reducing green and cultivated areas. These concerns have grown with the spread of nightlife and entertainment venues in residential neighborhoods.

A deliberate exclusion

The Church believes it is unfair for Ankawa's young people to direct their frustration toward the Church over these issues. Warda stressed that since 2011 the Chaldean Church has been excluded from having the final word on matters concerning Ankawa and its future, despite being, as he put it, "the owner of the land, the history, and the people."

He pointed to several issues that concern public opinion in Ankawa, including the failure to appoint a permanent district mayor for nearly a year and a half "for unknown reasons."

Warda said the truth, which is hidden from those who blame the Church for Ankawa's situation and falsely accuse it of indifference or complicity, is that "our exclusion as a Church was deliberate, serving the narrow interests of beneficiaries at the expense of the good of the city and the future of its people."

"This is my testimony for history," he added. "I place it before God and before you."

He urged the Church's young people, whom he called "its hope and its tomorrow," to remain attached to their land, to work patiently, and to persevere in their demands, saying that their legitimate anger alone cannot build a future.

"Our father the patriarch is with us," Warda said, adding that "the truth will reach the attention of the Kurdistan Regional Government, which sincerely desires the survival and flourishing of Christians."

Warda also emphasized that the Church has not remained idle but has worked to serve its people in practical and effective ways through "achievements accomplished despite the circumstances, not because of them."

"Let actions speak for us, not words," he said.

He highlighted the archeparchy's catechetical programs for all ages, its active youth pastoral initiatives that help young people remain rooted in their faith and land, the construction of four new churches, three of them in Ankawa, as well as four schools, a university, a hospital, and Radio Maryam. Together, he said, these institutions provide more than 800 job opportunities for qualified residents of Ankawa, in addition to relief services and assistance to the poor and needy.

Ankawa includes about 75,000 Christians from the apostolic churches — Catholic and Orthodox — as well as evangelical communities. Today, Ankawa faces the challenge of preserving its religious character and safeguarding its historic identity.

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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