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null / Credit: AS photo studio/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 24, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:Bill proposed in Hungary could require priests to violate seal of confessionThe Permanent Council of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference has expressed shock over the proposition of a bill that would require Catholic priests to violate the seal of confession. "This is in serious conflict with the agreement between the Republic of Hungary and the Holy See of Feb. 9, 1990, which states that the Catholic Church in our county operates on the basis of [canon law]," the council stated in an Oct. 17 press release. The council expressed regret over "extremely crude" and "baseless sentiment-mongering and slander" that has occurred during the ongoing election cycle. "We emphasize to our priests, all believers, and society that we are not a political organization, we do not wish to partici...

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The faithful pray before the altar at Knock Shrine in Knock, Ireland, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNADublin, Ireland, Oct 24, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).Seven pivotal priorities emerged from the Irish bishops' Pre-Synodal Assembly meetings on Oct. 18 in Kilkenny, reflecting the hopes and concerns of the Irish faithful, drawing upon a series of gatherings held throughout the country from February to May.The assembly brought together delegates from parish communities across Ireland to discern how the Holy Spirit is guiding the Church today.Father Gerry O'Hanlon, SJ, one of the delegates, welcomed the process. "Building on the trust that has been established, we need to face difficult issues and embrace conflict and difference on the way," he told CNA. "The Pre-Synodal Assembly was characterized by a constructive spirit of speaking and listening in a spirit of prayer. As we go forward, we probably need a more concrete focus, with input from theology and the other sc...

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José Luis Bazán, legal adviser to the Commission of Episcopal Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) in Brussels. / Credit: Victoria Cardiel/EWTN NewsVatican City, Oct 24, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).The rise in violence and attacks against places of worship and believers, traditionally associated with regions of conflict, has seen a worrying upturn in recent years in Europe, South America, and North America.According to the latest report from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), in 2023, France recorded nearly 1,000 attacks on churches, and more than 600 acts of vandalism were documented in Greece.Similar increases were observed in Spain, Italy, and the United States, where attacks not only target church property but also include disruptions of worship services and attacks on clergy."These attacks reflect a climate of ideological hostility toward religion," said José Luis Bazán, one of the report's authors, in a statement to ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner.For Bazán,...