Catholic News

The Catholic Church in India has rejected allegations of a "Christian conspiracy" behind the stalling of legislation to tighten controls on foreign donations after the government postponed the bill a second time and referred it to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) following protests by churches and opposition parties.

Sections of India's mainstream and social media have alleged that the Church orchestrated opposition to the measure and that the United States pressed the Indian government on the Church's behalf.

"We do not indulge in any conspiracy. We put our concerns across to our government and it decided to refer the FCRA Bill [the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act] to the JPC," Father Mathew Koyickal, deputy secretary general of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, told EWTN News on Aug. 20.

The conference is the umbrella body for Catholics of the Latin, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara Churches in India.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act has governed foreign donations in India since 1976. It is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which tracks how domestic groups, trusts, and charities receive and use money from abroad.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government amended the act in 2020 and has tightened FCRA rules several times since coming to power in 2014, curbing the flow of funds to Christian and advocacy groups. Critics say the tightening advances a Hindu nationalist agenda. Fewer than 15,000 of some 52,000 FCRA accounts are now active, according to the government's FCRA online dashboard.

The roughly 37,000 licenses canceled or not renewed include those of Church charities and Christian social action groups, along with Indian and international advocacy networks such as Amnesty International, Bread for the World, Compassion International, and Greenpeace.

In March, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced a harsher amendment to the FCRA and listed it to be passed in Parliament on April 1. Opposition protests inside Parliament and public opposition — including from the Catholic Church — forced the government to delay the bill to the monsoon session.

Ahead of that session, the government notified new rules on June 22 requiring groups that receive foreign funds to specify their activities by category and geographical area, to disclose social media accounts, websites, and publications, and to pay a separate fee for each category and each area in which they operate. Political content is barred, and the rules set high penalties for each infringement.

With protests spreading to more areas, including Christian-majority states such as Mizoram, and with opposition parties accusing the government of choking civil society groups and the churches under a Hindu nationalist agenda, the government put the bill on hold on Aug. 5 and referred it a week later to a 31-member joint parliamentary committee that includes opposition members. The committee will scrutinize the bill and report to Parliament during the winter session.

'Join the dots'

Amid steady news coverage of the FCRA amendment, Republic TV — known for speaking up for the BJP government — devoted a segment on Aug. 19 to what it called the link between the bill and the student protests.

"Why is FCRA being linked to the CJP [Cockroach Janta Party] protest? And is there actually a connection?" the anchor asked. "The issue gained traction after the Catholic priest was seen marching with the CJP in New Delhi. This is amid the U.S. also warning that the new FCRA bill could damage the India-America relationship."

The report, presented by the channel's editor Niranjan Narayanswamy, put the question directly: "Are you wondering what does the church have to do with the Jantar Mantar protest? It's about students, but why is the church being a part of it? Why are Americans taking an interest in the protest?"

It went on to allege that foreign money routed through Christian organizations had reached Maoist-affected areas such as Chhattisgarh, where it was "being used by church bodies to convert and to push people into becoming Maoists," and described the funding as part of a push into India by "the American deep state," including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The segment closed: "Join the dots and watch this space."

The protests it referred to were mounted under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical youth movement that grew out of anger over repeated leaks of national entrance examinations, including the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, the fiercely competitive national examination for admission to medical courses. Weeks of demonstrations, centered on Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and marked by baton charges and tear gas, ended after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25.

"Vested interests are behind floating baseless conspiracy theories, [as they are] embarrassed by government going soft on FCRA amendment. We challenge them to prove such wild claims," Koyickal said.

Jesuit Father John Chathanatt, former principal of the Jesuit theologate Vidyajyoti in New Delhi, told EWTN News: "We are not surprised with such wild conspiracy theories being spread whenever the BJP government narrative fails. Since it could not pass the FCRA bill, the blame is being put on church."

"They even found a hook to peg the Vatican conspiracy theory linking it to a Jesuit from Kerala working at the Rome Generate," Chathanatt said.

The Kerala allegation

Hindu nationalist outfits alleged that the CJP protest was part of a Vatican conspiracy led by a Kerala priest. The allegation was made by K.S. Radhakrishnan, a philosopher and former vice chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit at Kalady, who had long been described as a friend of the Catholic Church and who is now state vice president of the BJP in Kerala.

The claim, which went viral on social media in southern Kerala and drew furious rebuttals from Catholics, named Jesuit Father George Mutholil — former Jesuit provincial of Kerala and, since 2019, the Society of Jesus' regional assistant for South Asia and a general counsellor to the superior general in Rome — as the organizer of the CJP protest.

Mutholil told EWTN News that the claim was "built on a single unverified podcast quote and gets basic facts wrong." He added: "This is the familiar move: when there's anger to redirect, blame the minority."

The American strand

American interest in the bill is a matter of record. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, wrote in May that the amendment would disproportionately affect Christian charities and churches and could "do lasting damage to the relations between our two countries," and he urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise it during his visit to India.

Rubio began that visit on May 23 in Kolkata, at the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, before traveling on for talks in New Delhi. In early August, Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, called the amendments a "clear attack against Christians" and warned they could affect relations between the two countries. Sujeet Kumar, a BJP member of Parliament, wrote to Moore on Aug. 10 rejecting the claim that the bill would enable a government takeover of churches.

Church officials in India say none of this was done at their instance. Savio Rodrigues, a Goa-based journalist and BJP member who founded the news portal Goa Chronicle, has advanced a broader claim in an online video, suggesting that U.S. President Donald Trump was trying to "topple Modi" through the FCRA with the Church's support.

"I watched this crazy video. I don't think there is an ounce of truth in his accusations that the Roman Catholic Church has an agenda to dethrone Mr. Modi or his government," Cyril Fernandes, president of the Catholic Association of Goa, told EWTN News.

"The CJP [protest] too has nothing to do with the FCRA demands. The whole interview appears stage-managed to change the narrative for which the central government machinery is famous," Fernandes said.

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HO, Ghana — The Diocese of Ho in Ghana has restored the use of holy water, handshakes during the sign of peace, and reception of Communion on the tongue. The diocese has also urged continued vigilance during liturgical celebrations.

In an Aug. 17 statement, Bishop Emmanuel Kofi Fianu said the remaining restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic had been lifted with immediate effect because health authorities have not issued new cautions.

"Since the onset of COVID-19, the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference (GCBC) issued guidelines for public worship indicating some liturgical restrictions. Since 2024, a number of these restrictions have been lifted, but a few remained in force as precautionary measures to curtail the spread of the virus and some other infections," Fianu said.

He continued: "As at now, we do not have any new cautions from the health authorities, so I believe it is time to lift the remaining restrictions that we observe during our liturgical celebrations."

During the pandemic, Ghana's Catholic bishops introduced measures that included limiting attendance at religious gatherings, maintaining physical distance, wearing face masks, observing hand hygiene, and taking precautions during the administration of the sacraments.

The measures applied to baptisms, confessions, marriages, funerals, and ordinations.

Under the latest directive, holy water may again be placed in receptacles at church entrances for the people of God to use when making the sign of the cross. They may also shake hands during the sign of peace.

The bishop, however, discouraged the moving around the church to exchange greetings. "As a symbolic act, it is enough to shake hands with those around us," he said.

His directive also allows the faithful to receive Communion on the tongue.

Fianu went on to caution priests administering the Eucharist to avoid contact with communicants' saliva and encouraged continued reception of Communion in the hand.

"We should encourage the faithful to receive holy Communion in the hand," he said.

For concelebrated Masses, the bishop recommended providing additional chalices for hygienic and health reasons.

"We still recommend that extra chalices must be provided so that concelebrating priests can communicate by intinction. The main chalice should be used only by the main/principal celebrant, who should also make sure he purifies it after use," he said.

Fianu also directed that all concelebrating priests join the entrance procession, adding: "Priests who arrive after the entrance procession are not allowed to concelebrate the Mass."

Despite the lifting of remaining restrictions, the bishop urged the clergy, women and men religious, and the laity to maintain appropriate hygiene and take precautions whenever necessary.

"Despite the lifting of the restrictions, I urge all priests and faithful to remain vigilant and use their sanitizers whenever they are in doubt. We should all put our health first," Fianu said in his Aug. 17 message.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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In a message published ahead of the 11th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on Sept. 1, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the need for interior conversion to heal the suffering caused by wars.

"The wounds of war and the degradation of the earth … are profoundly linked to the condition of the human heart," Leo said in his message published on Aug. 20.

"When the heart is distorted, relationships suffer, and the structures we build begin to reflect that disorder," he added.

Pope Francis established the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in 2015 as an ecumenical initiative to encourage Christians to pray for the protection of creation.

Leo chose the theme for this year to be "They Shall Beat Their Swords Into Plowshares and Their Spears Into Pruning Hooks," drawn from Isaiah 2:4.

Healing requires conversion

Leo explained in his message that war's consequences extend far beyond the loss of human life.

"War leaves wounds that extend far beyond the battlefield. It claims lives, tears families apart and forces millions to flee their homes, thereby deepening fear, injustice and division," Leo said.

The pope then said that healing after the devastation of war requires a conversion of heart and renewed fidelity to God.

"In fact, the human heart is the place where the deepest struggles unfold and our fallen condition reveals itself."

"The prophetic call to 'beat swords into plowshares' is therefore not only a vision for nations, but a call to each person. It invites us to transform harm into life. Yet this transformation cannot be achieved through external change alone. It requires, through cooperating with God's grace, a deeper personal and collective conversion — a returning to God, who will reorder our desires, heal our wounds and help us grow in virtue," Leo said.

In July 2025, Pope Leo approved new Mass prayers to support the Church's appreciation for God's creation. The "Mass for the Care of Creation" was inspired by Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si'.

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Pope Leo XIV met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday morning at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. Their private meeting lasted about half an hour and focused on the main challenges facing Lebanon, particularly the security situation in the south and the implementation of the Trilateral Framework Agreement.

According to the Lebanese Presidency, Aoun renewed his thanks to the pope for his efforts to support Lebanon in addressing its concerns, including ending the Israeli occupation and attacks. He also asked the Holy Father to continue urging Israel to implement the provisions of the Trilateral Framework, an agreement signed between Beirut and Tel Aviv under U.S. auspices on June 26 linking phased Israeli withdrawals to Lebanon disarming the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah.

Aoun also asked for the pope's support to immediately halt attacks on villages, infrastructure, and civilians in southern Lebanon, as well as withdraw from the areas it occupies.

The Lebanese president presented the Holy Father with a wooden reliquary depicting the face of Patriarch Elias Hoyek alongside a cedar tree. Hoyek was beatified in July at the Maronite Patriarchate's summer residence in Diman, northern Lebanon. He is considered one of the most prominent figures in the establishment of the modern Lebanese state.

Previous Pope Leo-Aoun meetings

Aoun has met with Pope Leo XIV several times prior to the Aug. 20 audience. He attended the pope's inauguration Mass in May 2025, held a private Vatican audience with him in June 2025, and met him again during the pope's historic visit to Lebanon in late November and early December 2025.

Today's audience with the pope comes at a critical moment for the Land of Cedars, following several rounds of direct negotiations between the Lebanese and Israeli governments in Washington, D.C., and Rome. These talks were initiated after Pope Leo XIV visited Lebanon and issued a fervent call for peace in the country. The negotiations have addressed key issues including a ceasefire, an Israeli withdrawal, border arrangements, prisoners, and the disarmament of Hezbollah.

Restricting the decision of war and peace

Aoun also met on Thursday with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

According to the Vatican, their discussions focused primarily on the Trilateral Agreement. The Holy See welcomed the signing of the agreement while expressing deep concern over the difficulties surrounding its implementation and reaffirming its support for efforts to advance the process.

The Lebanese president outlined the political, economic, and living conditions his country has experienced in recent years and called for continued Vatican diplomatic efforts at international forums to support the country's demands. He stressed that these efforts must be accompanied by extending the authority of the Lebanese state over its entire territory and placing the decision of war and peace solely in its hands.

Deteriorated security situation in southern Lebanon

The security situation in southern Lebanon has deteriorated sharply in recent days. With Hezbollah having rejected the U.S.-brokered framework agreement and active fighting against Israel continuing, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported that Israeli airstrikes killed 11 people and wounded 19 others on Aug. 15 in one of the deadliest incidents since a truce reached between the fighting parts last June.

Additionally, the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon reported a marked increase in military activity across southern Lebanon, recording an average of 137 projectiles per day between Aug. 5 and 16.

Despite these challenges, Aoun continues to pursue a diplomatic path toward peace, seeking Vatican and international support. On Friday he is expected to discuss Italy's potential involvement in international verification arrangements for southern Lebanon, a crucial component of the security framework designed to ensure Hezbollah's disarmament. His meeting with Italian leadership will take place on the sidelines of his participation in the opening ceremony of the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games, a major sporting event hosted in Italy.

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The bishop who oversees the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France has said the popular Catholic pilgrimage site will cover all of its mosaics by disgraced priest Father Marko Rupnik ahead of Pope Leo XIV's visit next month.

Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes told the French daily La Dépêche du Midi on Aug. 20 that "all of the works on the façade" of the Basilica of the Rosary will be covered and redecorated out of respect for abuse victims. He also said they will remain covered going forward.

EWTN News confirmed the report with the press office of the shrine. Details about how the mosaics are to be covered and when were not yet available.

Micas' decision to cover the mosaics comes just over a month before Pope Leo's scheduled visit to France, which will include a stop at the popular Marian apparition site in Lourdes from Sept. 26–27.

The visibility of the mosaics by Rupnik, an accused sexual abuser currently undergoing a Vatican trial, risked becoming the literal backdrop of Leo's rosary procession and other events at Lourdes.

The topic of sexual abuse and care for victims is still likely to come up in the pope's meeting with French bishops on Sept. 27, though the pontiff is not expected to address the status of Rupnik's case.

The Vatican has also said Leo will meet privately with victims of abuse sometime during his France trip, but no other details have been shared.

Covering all of Rupnik's mosaics is the Lourdes bishop's most dramatic step yet with regard to the artworks by the priest-artist. The mosaics were added to the neo-Gothic facade of the lower Lourdes basilica at the end of 2007.

Rupnik, who has been accused of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse of religious sisters, was removed from the Jesuits in June 2023 and is currently facing a canonical trial at the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith over the allegations he abused dozens of women religious, including some within the context of the creation of his art.

Micas formed a commission in May 2023 to discuss the future of the Rupnik mosaics. Since July 2024, the art has no longer been lit up at night or during candlelight processions.

For the Jubilee of Hope in 2025, the central doors of the lower basilica, which also feature Rupnik's artwork, were covered, though the largest mosaics, depicting the luminous mysteries of the rosary, remained visible.

"My role is to ensure that the shrine welcomes everyone, especially those who are suffering," Micas told La Dépêche du Midi. "Among them are victims of sexual abuse and assault, both children and adults. … Those who are suffering and wounded, who need consolation and healing, must remain the top priority in Lourdes."

The bishop added that the mosaics "will remain covered after the Holy Father's pilgrimage, following which a new process of reflection will be launched. The current commission will be expanded — notably to include artists and theologians — in order to consider the future of the basilica's façade."

Rupnik's prolific art career has created a problem for many shrines and Catholic churches across Europe and North America. Rupnik's workshop was involved in projects for over 200 liturgical spaces around the world, including at Fátima, the Vatican, the John Paul II shrine in Washington, D.C., and the tomb of St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio).

The Knights of Columbus in 2024 covered mosaics by Rupnik in the two chapels of the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., and in the chapel at the Knights' headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut, a dramatic move that represented at the time the strongest public stand by a major Catholic organization regarding the former Jesuit's embattled art.

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The first Jewish president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America (CBA) — Old and New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine — intends to strengthen resources for educators and to build partnerships with parishes for guidelines about Scripture, she told EWTN News.

Levine was elected by a vote of CBA members at the organization's annual general meeting in August for a one-year term. She has been a CBA member since 1988. She had served as the vice president in the previous term and earlier served as a consultor for the executive board and held editorial positions for CBA's scholarly journal, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly.

Although the association is open to scholars of any religious faith, the president is typically a Catholic. Levine told EWTN News she was stunned to be elected to the role but expressed gratitude for the position.

"When I received notice from the chair of the nominating committee, I emailed another member to ask if this were a joke," she said. "I was more than surprised, I was stunned. I was also, and remain, honored and grateful."

Levine has served on several CBA task forces and continuing seminars, participated on panels, and presided over sessions. Much of her scholarly work has focused on the Gospels. She is also the first Jewish person to teach a New Testament course at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.

"My primary role is to contribute to the work of the association: to work with my colleagues to make good work even better through discussion," she said.

CBA's constitution states that its work conforms to the teachings of the magisterium. Although the group is not operated by the Catholic Church, it offers consultation to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), including on translations of the Bible and faith formation and catechesis.

As its president, Levine said she wants to see certain suggestions in CBA's strategic plan implemented, such as "strengthening international participation and expanding bilingual and global programming, producing resources for clergy and religious educators, and supporting professional development for biblical scholars."

She said a particular interest of hers is partnering with local churches to offer public programs and working with the bishops "on providing up-to-date biblical guidelines for lectionary preaching and catechesis."

Views on Scripture

Although Levine is not Catholic, she told EWTN News: "I am not interested in challenging doctrine."

"I am interested in readings that promote abundant life, that are well grounded in history, and that also speak to communities today," she said.

Levine does not believe "everything attributed to Jesus in the New Testament comes directly from Jesus," she said. She noted that Christ spoke in Aramaic and the original New Testament text is Greek. She said "this view is entirely compatible with Catholic teaching."

"However, I also believe that the proclamation of the Church is based on the words as received and not on an anterior scholarly reconstruction," she said.

Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, teaches that everything in the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, which means "the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings."

Levine has also written on abortion and sexuality. She co-authored an article published in the Huffington Post in 2011 in which she discussed gender roles, no-fault divorce, same-sex civil marriages, birth control, abortion, and "private sexual expression."

In the article, she stated: "People who read the Bible often find themselves on the opposite sides of many of these issues," but "this does not mean that they are necessarily reading their texts incorrectly." It asserted: "The Bible is open to multiple interpretations: we need to determine what is metaphor and what is to be taken literally, what is case specific and what is timeless, what is a matter of personal choice and what should be legislated."

Levine told EWTN News: "Biblical texts on abortion are few" and there are "different views in Jewish and Catholic interpretation." She said "people on various sides of this debate have used Scripture, and some uses are better grounded in history, language study, manuscript tradition, etc. than others."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches "human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception." It calls abortion and infanticide "abominable crimes."

Levine also told EWTN News: "In matters of gender and sexuality, we need to consider not only what the Bible says, but also what the continuing teachings of religious traditions say as well as what science and even personal experience teaches."

On matters related to gender identity, Levine similarly said: "There are better and less good readings, and these can be found in both opposition and promotion arguments." She said: "In interpreting Scripture, we need to consider not only the historical context; we also need to consider what science, sociology, philosophy, etc. can teach us."

The catechism's teaching on same-sex sexual acts reads: "Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that 'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.'"

It also teaches that God created people either male or female, and "everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity."

Levine said: "My major concern is that Scripture not be weaponized to make people feel that they are not loved and that they are not recognized as in the divine image."

Catholic-Jewish relations

Though she was raised and remains an Orthodox Jew, Levine grew up in a neighborhood that was mostly Portuguese and Catholic. She said she developed an interest in the Catholic Church at a young age but also faced antisemitism, which motivated her to work toward better Catholic and Jewish relations.

"My parents explained to me that we Jews and our Catholic neighbors read the same books, like Genesis and Isaiah; said the same prayers, such as the Psalms; etc.," Levine said.

"Then when I was 7, a girl said to me, 'You killed our Lord,' I could not fathom how a tradition that seemed so beautiful could say something so hateful," she said. "I started asking questions then, and I continue to work to ensure that a Gospel of love not become a weapon of hate. At the same time, working in New Testament studies helps me recover part of Jewish history that the Synagogue did not preserve."

She's authored several books related to Christian and Jewish relations, including "The Bible With and Without Jesus," which she co-authored with Bible scholar Marc Zvi Brettler. This book, she said, is meant "to show the logic of each tradition's reception history and thus encourage mutual respect between Jews and Christians who share texts but who interpret them differently."

Levine also co-edited "The Jewish Annotated New Testament," which has Jewish commentary on Scriptures, and authored "Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi," which analyzes Christ's parables from a Jewish perspective.

"For the New Testament, my work has focused on the Gospels and in trying to understand how Jesus' words, especially the parables, and actions, especially the healing narratives, would have been understood by his Jewish contemporaries," Levine said. "In working with Scripture — the authoritative texts of a community — I think it essential to proceed with respect both for the texts and for those who hold those texts sacred."

As president of the CBA, she said she also hopes to interact with the USCCB's Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, "especially given the recent uptick in antisemitism."

"Most of the antisemitism I have heard in church contexts comes from a combination of historical ignorance and tone-deafness," she said. "It also often comes from making Judaism the negative foil in order to make Jesus look good. Nor should we think of Jesus as outside of rather than embedded within his Jewish tradition."

Levine noted Christ's "great commandment" — to love God and love your neighbor — comes from Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19. She said "misunderstanding of Jewish practice and belief leads to misunderstanding of Jesus."

She acknowledged: "I do not worship Jesus as lord or savior, since my heart is completely fulfilled in my own Jewish practice and belief" and "I have never felt the call."

"At the same time, I find that Jesus, reflecting Jewish tradition, has important things to say about ethics, especially in the parables … and his discussion of how to extend Torah practice, from murder to anger, from adultery to lust, and in teaching his followers how to live as if they already have one foot in the kingdom of heaven," Levine said.

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The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) voted to summon hemispheric foreign ministers for an emergency session on Nicaragua following President Daniel Ortega's vow to end elections and ongoing concerns about government pressure on the Catholic Church.

The council adopted the resolution, "Convocation of a Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs to Consider the Situation in Nicaragua," on Aug. 19 in a 29-1 vote among member states, with only Brazil voting against the measure and Mexico abstaining. Haiti and Venezuela were absent.

Argentina, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the United States advanced the measure after presenting it at an Aug. 5 special session of the OAS Permanent Council. The U.S. is calling for the meeting to take place before Sept. 1, when the Ortega regime is set to codify its latest policy reforms, including the suspension of future elections. 

The move invokes one of the OAS' highest-level diplomatic tools, signaling that member states view Nicaragua's political rupture as a regional concern with direct human rights implications. It comes after Ortega's announcement and other constitutional changes aimed at blocking opposition figures from power.

In October 2023, the Permanent Council unanimously approved the resolution "Rejection of the Repressive Measures of the Government of Nicaragua Against Educational Institutions and the Catholic Church in Nicaragua." Nicaragua withdrew from the OAS in November 2023.

Commissioner Rosa María Payá, rapporteur for Nicaragua at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, expressed concern at the Aug. 5 OAS Permanent Council meeting over ongoing human rights abuses against Nicaraguans, including arbitrary detentions and forced disappearances.

Payá, a Catholic of Cuban descent, told EWTN News: "We are very concerned about the situation of the persecution of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua and the persecution of the faith in general, and the practice and the exercise of the faith."

"I'm Catholic myself and I also come from a society that has suffered the violation of human rights," she said. "So I deeply understand what it is to to be afraid to speak your mind, what it is to be afraid of practicing and voicing your faith, which is a very primary human exercise."

Payá is the daughter of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, a Catholic dissident who founded the Christian Liberation Movement, a peaceful democratic movement inspired by Catholic social teaching in 1988. He was killed during the Cuban Spring in 2012.

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Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio has announced that John Mary Foster, a priest of the archdiocese, has been found guilty of schism and has been dismissed from the clerical state.

According to a statement by the archbishop, Foster, who was incardinated into the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 2009, has publicly referred to Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV as "usurpers." He published messages allegedly received from God, Jesus, and the Blessed Mother by a member of the Mission of Divine Mercy, which he led, and which he said claimed that Pope Leo XIV is "not a true pope."

Despite the archbishop's multiple requests that Foster repent and stop his "schismatic actions and teachings," the priest continued to celebrate Mass while omitting the names of both the late Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV from the Eucharistic Prayer.

In response to Foster's disobedience, a tribunal of independent canon lawyers authorized by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith conducted a judicial process that began April 10, 2025. The tribunal spent over a year reviewing evidence consisting of Foster's statements, actions, homilies, and teachings. It also heard testimony from witnesses.

On April 20, 2026, the tribunal declared Foster guilty of the crime of schism for his refusal of submission to the Roman pontiff. It imposed "latae sententiae" excommunication and removed him from the clerical state.

Foster did not exercise his right of appeal.

"To be Catholic is to be in communion with the pope, the bishop of Rome and the successor of Saint Peter, and with the college of bishops in communion with him," García-Siller wrote.

"Throughout the history of the Church, those who sever ties from this sacred communion often profess to remain in communion with the true Church, even as they deny the successors to Peter and the Apostles, with whom they disagree," the archbishop continued. "History has shown that these schisms, often initiated by charismatic leaders and based in politics, heresy, or poorly executed attempts at reform, always result in splintered communities who find themselves no longer in communion with the Catholic Church."

"Sadly, this is the case with John Mary Foster and any who choose to follow him out of the Catholic Church," he said. "Mr. Foster has chosen the path of disobedience."

As a result of the sentence, Foster no longer possesses faculties to celebrate the sacraments except in the limited circumstances provided by canon law.

García-Siller said that though he has prohibited Foster from publicly celebrating Mass, "he continues to do so."

The archbishop has prohibited all Catholics from attending any Mass, liturgical activity, or event sponsored by Foster or the Mission of Divine Mercy in Canyon Lake, telling EWTN News that "they continue to sew disunity." He has also urged the faithful to cease all financial support to Foster and the Mission of Divine Mercy.

García-Siller said "the recent actions taken against him and the mission are painful but warranted" because "the archdiocese has sought repentance from John Mary Foster and the Mission of Divine Mercy" for many years.

He encouraged Catholics to pray for Foster's repentance and reconciliation with the Church.

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The Primatial Archdiocese of Mexico called on authorities to establish legal mechanisms ensuring a proper burial for miscarried, aborted, or unclaimed deceased babies and to create suitable places for their interment.

In an editorial titled "Let no baby go without burial," published on Aug. 16 in the archdiocesan publication Desde la Fe (From a Faith Perspective), the archdiocese stated that regardless of the circumstances of a baby's death, "the dignity with which we treat the body" must be upheld.

Death can occur "during pregnancy, at birth, or in the first days of life; it can result from illness, an unexpected complication, an abortion, or an act of violence," the editorial noted.

The archdiocese said the bodies of deceased newborns and babies who die late in pregnancy are often "abandoned in public places, in hospitals, or even among the trash."

In light of this situation, the archdiocese reiterated that "the human body, after death, must be treated with respect, due to its inherent human dignity."

Unclaimed remains

The archdiocese explained that there are associations and apostolates in Mexico that have agreements with local authorities to "receive the bodies of babies who were miscarried, aborted, or went unclaimed, in order to provide them with a proper burial."

The associations "do not seek to replace families or hinder judicial or healthcare investigations. Their valuable work is to care for those little ones that no one else is doing anything for," the editorial stated.

The archdiocese called on the governing authorities to establish mechanisms that, "once all corresponding legal and forensic procedures have been completed, allow for the bodies or remains of unclaimed babies to be turned over to duly accredited institutions and associations prepared to provide them with burial."

Places for remembrance and prayer

The Archdiocese of Mexico also said it is necessary to "have places specifically set aside for these little ones," places where the remains of babies "whose families could not bury them or whose bodies were never claimed" could be laid to rest.

"Such a site could also become a place of remembrance, prayer, and comfort for the many mothers, fathers, and families who have endured a loss that they often carry with them in silence," the archdiocese noted.

The editorial concluded by stating that every person "deserves respect and dignity," regardless of how "brief their time on this world may have been" or how "difficult the circumstances of their death may have been."

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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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit on Aug. 18 upheld a Maryland judge's order blocking a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy that would have loosened limits on immigration enforcement at or near houses of worship while the case proceeds.

The plaintiffs, including the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Sikh Temple Sacramento, and several Quaker organizations, sought the injunction after DHS ended the policy that treated churches as "sensitive locations" in January 2025.

DHS previously restricted immigration enforcement from conducting arrests at churches and other sensitive locations unless there is approval from a supervisor or there is an urgent need to take enforcement action.

Instead, the Trump administration's policy requires officials to use "discretion" and "common sense" when deciding where to conduct immigration enforcement.

The plaintiffs filed suit against DHS in the District of Maryland on Jan. 27, 2025, alleging that the policy violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).

The district court granted the plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction, ordering DHS to follow its prior guidelines, most recently issued in 2021. On May 6, 2025, DHS appealed the preliminary injunction to the 4th Circuit.

The case is not the first lawsuit of its kind. Dozens of other religious groups have brought similar lawsuits against DHS following the policy shift.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan said in February he and Rev. Franklin Graham teamed up to oppose immigration enforcement in churches, warning that ICE's presence at Sunday Mass was driving people away. He called the practice a violation of religious freedom, saying the federal government cannot harass people who come to worship.

Religious Freedom Restoration Act invoked

In the Aug. 18 decision, the senior circuit judge, Barbara Milano Keenan, wrote the judges "hold that the plaintiffs have standing to pursue their claims." She said they agree with the lower court that DHS policy likely violates the plaintiffs' rights under the RFRA.

"RFRA proscribes not only outright governmental prohibition of the free exercise of religion but also forbids indirect coercion, substantial pressure, or penalties being placed on such free exercise," she said. "Governmental action meeting this test creates a substantial burden on free exercise, rendering that action subject to strict scrutiny."

The decision was met with positive reactions from the plaintiffs, who said it "reaffirms a fundamental promise of religious liberty: every person should be able to gather, worship, pray, and serve their community without fear that immigration enforcement will unlawfully disrupt sacred spaces."

"We are grateful that the court has preserved these protections while this case moves forward, and we will continue fighting to ensure that religious freedom remains meaningful for every congregation and every person who walks through our doors," the coalition of plaintiffs said in a statement.

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