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Iran and the United States have faced accusations of strikes on civilian infrastructure and have explicitly threatened attacks on civilian infrastructure going forward, prompting concerns from Catholic moral theologians.

"I have deep concerns that the war will widen and the greatest impact will be on the civilian populations of Middle East nations," Joseph Capizzi, director of Notre Dame's McGrath Institute for Church Life, told EWTN News.

Charles Camosy, a moral theologian at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News that threats to civilian infrastructure are "absolutely not" consistent with moral conduct during war or Catholic just war doctrine.

"The dignity of the human person — including a commitment to Christ's command to love one's enemies — must be paramount," he said. "Not winning a war. Not gaining political advantage. … Catholics are not consequentialists."

A Pakistan-mediated ceasefire that began April 8 ended on July 8. Last week, Iranian state media alleged that the U.S. struck a water desalination plant in the Hormozgan Province that supplies water to 30 villages, impacting thousands of people. U.S. officials confirmed military strikes in the province but have not confirmed a strike on the plant.

U.S. Central Command denied strikes on the wheat facility but has not addressed every specific allegation. U.S. military officials have repeatedly said they only target Iran's military capabilities.

The U.S. has confirmed strikes in southern Iran that destroyed port infrastructure. Pro-regime media in Iran reported commercial and fishing piers were among the targets, citing the Iranian Red Crescent Society. That report also alleged strikes on a wheat storage facility, roads, and bridges.

In response to these alleged attacks, Iran has repeatedly struck power plants and water facilities throughout Kuwait and Bahrain. Officials in Kuwait, which relies on water desalination plants for 90% of its drinking water, are urging people to conserve energy and water. Bahrain's supply of drinking water is 100% reliant on water desalination plants.

When reached for comment about the other specific allegations, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command told EWTN News "we refer you to our published releases" and "we have nothing further to add."

On July 22, Trump escalated threats to civilian infrastructure, saying he would strike "one bridge or power plant" for every ship Iran strikes. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in response that Iran's doctrine is "an eye for an eye" and "those who contribute" to aggression "will also be considered as legitimate targets."

When a reporter asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 23 whether he would rule out strikes on civilian infrastructure, he did not say. Rather, he pointed to Araghchi's statement and said: "The president's policy is a head for an eye — I mean, honestly, that's what it's going to be."

Just conduct in war

Three Catholic moral theologians who provided comments to EWTN News — Capizzi; Camosy; and Taylor Patrick O'Neill, a theology professor at Thomas Aquinas College — all said it is not moral to intentionally target civilian populations in war.

"The prohibition against targeting civilian infrastructure is absolute in moral and international law," Capizzi said. "States are prohibited from targeting civilian infrastructure."

He urged caution about purported justifications for striking "dual use" infrastructure targets that may be used for both military and civilian purposes. He said "no party is allowed merely to claim targets are 'dual use.'"

"When there is doubt as to the dual or single use of a target, international [law] stipulates the presumption begins with single use, and therefore the target is inadmissible to be targeted, unless proven to the contrary," Capizzi said.

Camosy also said this is a moral absolute and there is no circumstance in which it is moral to target civilians. He said that "even in war, even when the stakes are highest," Catholics do not adhere to the consequentialist moral philosophy of the ends justifying the means.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains a person can never engage in intrinsically evil acts — such as targeting innocent people for harm — regardless of the reason because "the end does not justify the means." Acts also require "good intention," so while "good intention" is not sufficient and does not justify evil acts, bad intention — such as intending to harm innocent people — always "makes an act evil," it explains.

Camosy said: "Protection against the targeting of civilians is an absolute value in war. Catholics are called to be prepared to lose a war rather than violate exceptionless moral norms or commit intrinsically evil acts in this area."

Sometimes an act, in war or elsewhere, can also have several effects. St. Thomas Aquinas explains in the "Summa Theologica" that it can be proper to engage in an act that is morally neutral in and of itself but has both good and bad consequences, so long as only the good consequence is the one that is intended. This is the principle of "double effect."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that proportionality is required in war. The evil inflicted through war cannot be more severe than the evil one is aiming to defeat.

"We need to ask if civilian harm is the intention and/or the mechanism of action in the military strike or [if] it is a merely foreseen side effect," Camosy explained.

"If the rationale for hitting the electric grid or desalination plant is that widespread darkness, spoiled food, rampant disease, failed hospitals, and more will generate political pressure on the Iranian regime, then the suffering of peaceful civilians becomes the causal pathway to the advantage sought," he said. "This then becomes the object of the act itself and not a merely foreseen side effect."

Alternatively, Camosy added: "Attacking a generator dedicated to a command bunker, however, would likely not suffer the same kind of critique, however, even if one foresaw but did not intend that it would also have bad impacts on civilians."

Similarly, O'Neill said the moral analysis of striking a facility that results in civilian harm is about intention and proportionality. It is never moral to intend the suffering of innocents or target them.

"You cannot intend or rely upon civilian death or fear to aid in your military effort," O'Neill said. "In other words, the foreseen evil cannot itself be the means by which you attempt to achieve some good."

A specific bridge that is "dual use," such as one used by civilians but also used "to transport tanks from factory to battlefield," he said could possibly be justified under double effect. The moral analysis would have to consider intention and proportionality and "you must also try to minimize the negative."

"Will blowing up the bridge make civilian life uncomfortable or will it result in the loss of life, access to basic necessities, etc.? All of these things have to be taken into account just for double effect," O'Neill said.

"Under double effect, it's theoretically possible to strike a dual-use target," he added. "But any strike on merely civilian infrastructure (or even [a target] with indirect ties to the war effort) would be intrinsically unjust."

"At that point, the attack would have more in common with an act of terrorism," O'Neill said.

'Blessed are the peacemakers'

St. Augustine, in a letter to the Roman general Boniface, emphasized that the intention of war must be to ultimately establish a just peace — not to simply to unleash destruction: "Peace should be the object of your desire; war should be waged only as a necessity, and waged only that God may by it deliver men from the necessity and preserve them in peace."

The fifth-century bishop and theologian cited the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:9: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

O'Neill explained that in the context of a just war, "the Christian always seeks war for the sake of peace and that of both his own people and the people of the enemy nation."

"To consider the civilians of an enemy nation as the enemy is already to lose the necessary distinction of combatant from innocent," he said.

Camosy noted that Trump, in his 2024 campaign, promised "to be deeply skeptical of war" and encouraged him to move back in that direction.

"Trump himself was aggressively pursuing the Nobel Peace Prize on this basis," he said. "It would be much better to go back to this way of thinking about war. Think about becoming a peacemaker again."

Trump told Axios on July 23 that he is "considering a massive attack, bigger than ever before" but did not say whether this includes the civilian infrastructure he has threatened. He said that Iranians want to negotiate, but "they haven't received enough pain yet."

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Sister Leticia Ugboaja, the Catholic nun and nurse who was briefly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in south Texas in June, made her first public remarks after what she described as weeks of "stress, anxiety, and fear."

At a July 23 press conference, she said she is still afraid of what may yet happen to her but is trusting in God.

"I was very much afraid, with cold sweat," she said of her detainment by ICE officers as she walked to Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, Texas, on June 28. "I did not expect [it]; on an ordinary Sunday morning, when people should be ready to go to Mass to worship the Lord, on the street here, just in front of the school, where I have walked … a countless number of times."

"I will not pretend it did not hurt and it's hurting me today," she said, describing the two ICE agents as "armed, and I'm just a small woman, a nun, armless, with just my rosary, my key, and my phone."

Though she felt afraid and hurt, she said she has been trusting in God, quoting Jesus' admonition to "not be afraid, because I am with you always."

Ugboaja, a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and a registered nurse at South Texas Health System, said it was "heartbreaking" to be told "no" by the ICE agents after she asked them if she could first attend Sunday Mass and receive Communion because "as we know, Sunday Mass is obligatory … it is mandatory."

During the press conference, Carlos Garcia, her lawyer, gave more information about her immigration status.

He said an immigration judge denied her application for asylum in 2019 but did grant her protection from removal to Nigeria under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, saying it was likely she would be tortured if she returned there.

Garcia said this protection legally bars the U.S. government from deporting her to Nigeria, though "as a technical matter," she remains under a final order of removal.

Nevertheless, he said the religious sister and nurse, who has served in south Texas for more than a decade, is legally authorized to work in the U.S. and "has never missed an immigration appointment."

Garcia said Ugboaja's detainment by immigration officials is confusing: "People who've been granted this type of relief have generally for many years been under the impression they are OK as long as they complied … So it's very confusing not only for her but for many others I've talked to as to what is going on."

Of the way immigration enforcement actions are taking place, Garcia said "it's hard to comprehend, because of the way it's happening, without [people] being informed of any reasoning" by the government.

Not an isolated case

"I am not the only one," Ugboaja said of others who are "languishing' in the same situation in which she finds herself but who do not have the attention of the media on them.

They are "people who have been given some form of protection under our laws, who have followed every rule asked of them … who still live with uncertainty about where they might be sent and whether anyone will tell them before it happens."

She said she is praying for them and is asking for something simple: "Before anyone is taken into custody, give them … the opportunity to be heard."

Garcia said she has a check-in appointment with immigration officials on July 28, where Ugboaja could be detained or an ankle monitor could be placed on her.

The attorney said he hopes the appointment will be unnecessary, but if it does take place, "we are asking that she not be detained and that no ankle monitor be placed … she's broken no rule, posed no danger, and given the country a decade of nursing and a lifetime of ministry."

He said ICE detained her on June 28 in order to remove the nun to a third country, a practice that he said is "currently the subject of active litigation in federal courts nationwide."

He suggested she is entitled to "notice and a meaningful opportunity to contest a proposed third country removal before she's taken into custody and removed."

The incident occurred amid heightened immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, which has included operations near houses of worship.

The nun's release June 28 was facilitated by lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who said his office communicated with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and border czar Tom Homan to secure Ugboaja's immediate release.

By Sunday evening, Ugboaja, who serves as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows, had been released from custody and returned home.

Cuellar told EWTN News at the time that "this is not the way they should have picked her up. If ICE had any questions, there would have been more appropriate ways to deal with her situation."

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Several U.S. bishops in recent months have tightened diocesan funeral policies, emphasizing stricter adherence to the Order of Christian Funerals (OCF) amid evolving popular practices at funerals that depart from Church norms and concern visitations, eulogies, and cremated remains, among others.

'Liturgical anomalies'

In a video message and accompanying letter, Bishop Thomas Paprocki's new rules for the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, which went into effect on July 1, address what he described as "irregular practices" and "liturgical anomalies."

Paprocki explained that his goal is to "ensure that Catholic funerals in our diocese will conform to the norms of the Catholic Church" and maintain the integrity of the three parts of the OCF: the Vigil for the Deceased (the night before the funeral liturgy), the funeral liturgy itself (Mass or liturgy outside Mass), and the Rite of Committal.

Among the "anomalies" the bishop addressed and prohibited was the practice of visitations in the church on the day of the funeral liturgy, as the vigil by definition must occur the night before. Priests or deacons will lead vigil prayers even without a public gathering, although family members are strongly encouraged to participate.

Families may still gather at the funeral home for the brief prayers of the transfer of the body to the church or to the place of committal, which can be led by a funeral director, parish staff member, or relative if clergy are unavailable. The procession to the church — whether on foot or by motorcade — is important, he said, as it serves as a "reminder of when the deceased person first entered the church" in baptism.

Paprocki said eulogies are not permitted during the funeral rite, but "words of remembrance" are, as long as the words "speak about the faith-life of the one who died and give praise to God." Eulogies make "the person being praised the main focus of attention," he wrote, while "the homily and the words of remembrance have God as the primary focus."

Because those speaking at the end of a funeral Mass sometimes say things "that are very inappropriate" or are too overcome with grief, the bishop said all "words of remembrance must be submitted for approval to the pastor … at least three days prior to the funeral. Only the priest or deacon will then read the words of remembrance" at a time other than during or immediately after the funeral rite.

Families themselves may offer eulogies or remembrances at other gatherings, such as a meal after the Rite of Committal, provided they do not immediately precede or follow the liturgical rites.

On cremation, Paprocki reaffirmed the Church's preference for burial of the body while permitting cremation when not chosen to deny the resurrection of the body.

All cremated remains must be interred intact following the Rite of Committal and ordinarily within 30 days.

'The Order of Christian Funerals does not envision a viewing in a church building'

Meanwhile, Bishop David J. Bonnar of Youngstown, Ohio, issued a decree in October 2025 ending funeral visitations in church buildings effective December 2025.

Bonnar said holding a visitation or viewing in a church compromises the sacred space "by noise and activity unbecoming of the reverence due to the Blessed Sacrament."

His decree created a uniform policy across the diocese, addressing growing requests for in-church visitations driven by convenience and cost.

The only exception the bishop permitted is for the funerals of priests or religious, where public visitation in the church or chapel continues as a long-standing tradition.

Families may still hold visitations at funeral homes or other appropriate locations.

'It is the body whose hands clothe the poor and embrace the sorrowing'

Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester, Massachusetts, issued a decree in May reinforcing the intact burial of cremated remains while emphasizing the Church's preference for bodily burial.

"Although cremation is now permitted by the Church, it does not enjoy the same value as burial of the body," the decree states. "The Church clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for the funeral rites since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the Church affirms in those rites."

"The Church's teaching in regard to the human body as well as the Church's preference for burial of the body should be a regular part of catechesis on all levels," McManus writes.

All of the cremated remains of a body must be interred following the Rite of Committal in a grave, mausoleum, or columbarium, according to the decree. The remains may not be divided and placed in multiple locations or scattered in any location. Neither may they be kept in private homes or placed into jewelry.

Interment of cremated remains should not be unduly delayed following the funeral rites. If the Church's norms concerning cremation are not respected, the bishop says the celebration of public funeral rites may be denied, at the celebrating pastor's discretion.

The decree's pronouncements are "effective immediately."

Cemeteries are 'places of Christian hope'

In the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, Bishop Michael Martin promulgated the decree "Diocesan Norms for the Governance and Stewardship of Cemeteries and Columbaria" on March 19, the solemnity of St. Joseph, patron of the dying.

In a letter accompanying the revisions, Martin said he was "confident" the new norms would "serve the needs of the faithful as they reverently lay to rest the mortal remains of their loved ones."

The updates set clear eligibility guidelines for interment. While Catholic cemeteries/columbaria are intended primarily for baptized Catholics, the decree states provisions can be made for others, including non-Catholics and even non-Christians.

Catholic cemeteries and columbaria are "extensions of the Church's ministry … not merely functional places of burial" and are "sacred places set aside by the Church for the corporal work of mercy of burying the dead and for providing a final resting place for the faithful departed as a sign of their hope in the promise of resurrection," the decree states.

Consequently, such places must be maintained and used in a way that reflects "reverence for the dead and care for nature."

Burial costs must also remain affordable and accessible.

Parishes within the diocese have six months to align local policies with the new norms, while existing contracts will remain in effect.

'Prayers after Death' revised by USCCB

In a March newsletter, the Committee on Divine Worship of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced a revision of the "Prayers after Death," which occur during the rite of the OCF.

According to the committee, the ritual structure, rubrics, and individual elements of the revised prayer are "nearly identical" to the previous edition, "with the exception of the concluding prayers at no. 314" in the Order of Christian Funerals.

"These prayers have been retranslated after the pattern of the Roman Missal and according to the principles of Liturgiam Authenticam," the committee wrote.

The Liturgiam Authenticam ("Authentic Liturgy") is a major Vatican instruction issued in 2001 that established precise norms for translating liturgical texts (and Scripture for liturgical use) from the official Latin editions into modern languages, its core principle being fidelity to the original text.

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With his hope placed in Jesus Christ and a longing to see his homeland free one day, a Nicaraguan priest carries out his ministry in Costa Rica, the country to which he came after being forced to flee due to the Nicaraguan government's persecution against the Catholic Church.

"It's been 30 months since I had to flee," the priest told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. He asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals against his family living in Nicaragua.

Although he currently carries out his ministry in a Costa Rican parish, he acknowledges that each day is tinged with nostalgia for the land he left behind.

He fled early one morning in 2024 after the authorities had issued an arrest warrant for him. He left Nicaragua without even being able to say goodbye to his family.

"I left Nicaragua without seeing my mother, without telling her: 'Mom, I'm leaving.' I couldn't say goodbye to anyone; that hurts," he said sadly.

The persecution began in 2018

The "harassment" against him, as he himself describes it, began in 2018 when street protests against President Daniel Ortega's government erupted. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the crackdown left hundreds dead and injured.

At that time, he was providing pastoral support to youth groups, which led to his involvement. "I supported the young people in the sense of praying for them and, secondly, by looking for food and medicine for university students and the general population whenever they were mistreated, subjected to violence, or beaten."

He also began preaching about human dignity and social justice during his Masses. He sought "to call for respect and for the freedom of a people crying out for justice and demanding their rights to be valued."

"That bothered the government; it made them angry," he lamented.

As the months went by, he began receiving calls and messages on his personal number. He also stated: "Armed military personnel would arrive and enter the church to record the homilies; in short, I felt constantly watched."

The priest recounted that in late 2023 he was forced to leave his community and go into hiding. "I spent New Year's on the run, in hiding." Finally, in January 2024, an arrest warrant was issued for him, and he decided to flee to Costa Rica.

"I had to leave almost at midnight, trying to save my life. I practically had to flee for no reason at all because I hadn't committed any crime," he stated.

His case is not an isolated one. He is among the multitude of the faithful suffering the systematic persecution that the Ortega dictatorship has waged against the Catholic Church. Since 2018, more than 1,030 attacks against Catholics have been documented, and over a hundred priests and four bishops have been expelled or forced into exile.

New opportunities in Costa Rica

"The tears were flowing," the priest recalled, thinking back to the moment he crossed the border and left his country behind. More than two years after that event, he said that "to this day, I feel a longing for the people I love."

Despite the pain, he said he has found a new opportunity in Costa Rica, thanks to the support received from the country's bishops and various priests, who "have given me shelter and stability.

That support enabled him to rebuild his life and resume his priestly ministry. Convinced that God does not abandon those who suffer, he affirmed: "Jesus is with me, and Most Holy Mary, my beautiful, beloved Mother, does not forsake me."

He said he asks God every day to "free Nicaragua from that cruel, indolent, murderous regime."

"I ask for justice, I ask for peace, I ask the Lord to grant me the grace to return to my beautiful land, to be able to see my mother."

Migrant priests: A gift for the Church in Costa Rica

Currently, there are around 25 Nicaraguan priests living in Costa Rica, Father Gustavo Meneses, executive secretary of the National Human Mobility Commission of the Costa Rican Bishops' Conference, told ACI Prensa.

Far from considering them a burden, Meneses maintains that they represent "a gift from God among us," as they have come to "meet needs within our dioceses," especially those with fewer priests.

Recently, a private meeting was held that, Meneses explained, was "an opportunity for them to meet, to get to know each other. Because they themselves are beginning to realize who's here."

The priest indicated that many shared the pain of having left their families, "but, above all, it hurts them to have abandoned their pastoral mission."

He thus considers that one of the challenges for the Catholic Church in Costa Rica is to offer them the human and psychological support that enables them to heal from the effects of exile.

He also called on the authorities to expedite international protection processes and prevent those fleeing persecution from remaining for long periods in a "legal limbo" that exposes them to deportation.

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 Vatican will study the conditions needed for a possible trip by Pope Leo XIV to Ukraine, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher said following a six-day pastoral and diplomatic mission to the war-torn country.

Gallagher, the Holy See's secretary for relations with states and international organizations, said the possibility of a papal visit was among the questions he heard most frequently during his stay.

"Almost everyone I met asked me that question. My answer is very simple. The Holy Father takes this invitation very seriously," Gallagher told Vatican Media in Kraków, Poland, before returning to Rome.

"For our part, we will continue to study the conditions necessary to determine the right time and the most appropriate way for such a visit to bear the greatest possible fruit for Ukraine and for peace in the world," he said.

Gallagher spent six days in Ukraine, which has been at war since 2014 and has endured Russia's full-scale invasion since February 2022. He held political, institutional, and Church meetings and took part in several pastoral events.

He met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on July 20. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the Holy See's continuing support for Ukraine amid the war with Russia.

The principal purpose of Gallagher's visit was to participate in celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of the restoration of the Latin Catholic Church's structures at the Marian shrine of Berdychiv. Thousands of faithful attended the celebrations July 19.

Gallagher said Ukrainian authorities had expressed appreciation for the Holy See's support.

"In our meetings with the authorities, we encountered profound gratitude for the Holy Father's appeals and his words, and that is a source of encouragement for us," he said.

"They feel supported by the closeness shown first by Pope Francis and now by Pope Leo. This encourages the Holy See to renew its commitment to dialogue with the international community and with the Russian authorities, and to continue its humanitarian efforts, such as the mission entrusted to Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, who continues working for the return of children, prisoners, and civilians."

Pope Leo XIV has received several official invitations to visit Ukraine. Zelenskyy renewed the invitation during a conversation with the pope on Good Friday.

During that exchange, Pope Leo expressed his closeness to the Ukrainian people amid the suffering caused by the war and emphasized the urgency of ensuring humanitarian assistance. He also expressed his hope for an end to hostilities and a just and lasting peace with Russia.

A just and lasting peace

Asked about the prospects for a ceasefire, Gallagher said he had seen a strong willingness on the Ukrainian side to work toward that goal.

"During these days I have seen a strong determination on the Ukrainian side to work towards that goal. It is difficult for me to say whether this can be achieved in the immediate future, but we must continue to work in that direction," he said.

"At the same time, as we saw at the shrine of Berdychiv — and as the history of this remarkable place of Marian devotion reminds us, renowned for many reported healings — we should never rule out the possibility of a miracle."

Gallagher also reflected on what he had witnessed during the mission.

"For me, this has been a profoundly positive experience. Beyond the logistical effort and the long journey required to reach Ukraine, it has allowed me to touch the reality of today's world with my own hands," he said.

"We must remember that not everyone lives as we do in Italy or in my native England. There is a dark and troubling reality in our world today. We must not give in. In our own way, we too are called to strive, doing our part with the means available to us, in order to build peace."

Zuppi's humanitarian mission

Gallagher's visit followed Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi's second mission to Ukraine as Pope Leo XIV's special envoy.

The archbishop of Bologna completed four days of meetings in Lviv and Kyiv focused on prisoner exchanges, the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia, and the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Zuppi met civil and religious authorities, officials responsible for prisoner exchanges and relatives of military personnel and civilians being held in Russia.

Among his principal meetings was an encounter with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who thanked the Holy See for its humanitarian efforts and requested its support in achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace.

Sybiha also raised Kyiv's concerns about civilians detained in Russian territory and called for a humanitarian corridor to assist thousands of people in the Russian-occupied communities of Oleshky and Hola Prystan in the Kherson region.

Prisoners were a central focus of the mission. Proposals discussed included a possible comprehensive exchange of prisoners of war, continued efforts to locate missing people, and measures to facilitate the return of civilians.

The parties also discussed the situation of Ukrainian children taken illegally to Russia, an issue in which the Holy See has been involved for years through diplomatic and humanitarian initiatives.

Another topic was the protection of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has recently been damaged amid attacks connected to the war. Ukrainian authorities consider its preservation and restoration a priority.

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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Members of the European Parliament are urging Mairead McGuinness, the European Union's special envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, to engage with Pakistan over forced religious conversions as the country's Federal Constitutional Court is due to hear 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz's appeal on Friday.

The calls follow growing concern over reports of the abduction, forced conversion, and marriage of girls from Pakistan's Christian and Hindu minority communities. In a resolution passed in the European Parliament on July 9, lawmakers called on Pakistan to investigate and prosecute those responsible, while urging the EU to continue raising the issue in its political dialogue with Islamabad.

Calls for special envoy engagement

Speaking at a conference on forced marriage and religious conversions held at the European Parliament last week, Slovak member of the European Parliament Miriam Lexmann said she had recently met with McGuinness to discuss the issue.

"We urge her to see this as a big priority," Lexmann said, adding that the envoy "has to make this a key priority for the coming months and coming years."

Carmen Correas López, legal officer for Europe at ADF International, which is supporting Maria's case, told EWTN News the organization is working to arrange a September meeting with the special envoy to discuss the case and broader concerns about the persecution of Christians.

Maria's appeal

Maria, whose case is unrelated to the separate 2020 case involving Christian activist Maira Shahbaz, was abducted in July 2025 at the age of 12 and was allegedly forced to convert to Islam before being married to a man who was about 30 years old.

Pakistan's Federal Constitutional Court is due to hear her review petition on Friday. The petition seeks to overturn an earlier judgment handed down in March that allowed Maria to remain with the man accused of abducting, forcibly converting, and marrying her.

ADF International said Maria's case reflects a broader pattern of forced marriage and religious conversion affecting girls from Pakistan's minority communities and could establish an important legal precedent.

According to research published by the Pakistan-based organization Voice for Justice, there were 210 documented cases involving Christian girls between 2019 and 2025. The organization said many victims' ages were falsified in official records and alleges that police, local officials, and religious figures facilitated fraudulent marriage and conversion documents.

Maria's father, Shahbaz Masih, told EWTN News that international support had given the family renewed hope after repeated legal setbacks.

"Repeated failures to obtain justice through the courts had all but extinguished our hope of bringing Maria home," Masih said. "But the overwhelming outpouring of support and solidarity, not only from Christians in Pakistan but also from Christians around the world, has rekindled our hope that we will one day be reunited with our daughter."

A test for the special envoy

The increased focus on Maria's case follows the appointment of former European commissioner McGuinness as special envoy in March, ending a vacancy of more than a year that Christian advocacy groups and lawmakers had criticized as undermining the EU's engagement on freedom of religion or belief.

Commenting on McGuinness' appointment, Professor Shahid Mobeen of the Pontifical Theological Faculty Teresianum in Rome and president of the Italian Roundtable on Freedom of Religion or Belief said the move should lead to stronger EU engagement with Pakistan.

"The appointment of the European Union's new special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief makes it necessary that the envoy engages actively with the Pakistani authorities and civil society in support of meaningful reforms," he said at the conference.

Mobeen also called on the EU to use Pakistan's GSP+ status, which grants the country preferential access to the EU market in return for meeting human rights obligations, to press for stronger protections for religious minorities.

"The European Union should, therefore, make full use of the GSP+ monitoring mechanism, paying particular attention to Pakistan's commitment to freedom of religion or belief and ensuring that these commitments are effectively implemented and translated into tangible improvements for vulnerable communities," he said.

EWTN News sought comment from the European Commission, including on whether the special envoy intends to engage with Pakistani authorities following Parliament's resolution, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

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In Pittsburgh's suburban neighborhood of Beechview sits a unique Catholic spiritual center focused on a saint known for miracles whose feast is celebrated July 24 in the Latin rite and the third Sunday of July in the Maronite rite.

The Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center is "the only one of its kind in the world," Maronite Bishop Gregory Mansour of the Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn said in an interview with EWTN News when it opened on Dec. 8, 2023. (Its official opening date was April 13, 2024.)

St. Sharbel, canonized in 1954, was a Lebanese Maronite priest and hermit who lived between 1828 and 1898. Although few words are recorded from his life and he lived in solitude, he is the patron saint of Lebanon and is famous for his miraculous healing intercession.

The Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center offers retreats, courses on spirituality, daily sacraments, Eucharistic adoration, Scripture studies, prayer, reading, and several other opportunities for growth.

Dr. Anne Borik, a Catholic medical doctor and founder of the worldwide prayer group the Saint Sharbel Global Prayer Net, is director of the center. According to the center's website, Borik was the lead physician who investigated the miraculous healing of the blind woman who fully regained her sight through the intercession of St. Sharbel in 2016 at St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church in Phoenix.

The center, which is adjacent to Our Lady of Victory Maronite Parish, also includes a library filled with more than 10,000 books on spirituality and a relic of St. Sharbel Makhlouf.

The saint's relic that is housed in the center is the same first-class relic associated with the healing of Dafne Gutierrez, the Phoenix woman who was completely blind but healed after venerating the relic in 2016.

Mansour told EWTN News that the eparchy named the center after St. Sharbel "because people know and associate him mostly with miracles and with favors done and intercessions. But sometimes they don't associate him with a deep and abiding spiritual life."

"And that's why we want to focus, of course, on his miracles and his favors and his intercessions, but also developing our love for the Eucharist, our love for Our Lady, our love for the Church, our love for asceticism, our love for silence, our love for solitude that Sharbel not only embodied but lived by extraordinary, heroic example," he said.

Those visiting the 10,300-square-foot center can learn about St. Sharbel through books, periodicals, and videos, and can attend Mass, retreats, and workshops. The center also offers virtual programs.

In addition to its focus on St. Sharbel's spirituality, the center also features both western and eastern saints, and has offered the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola and a course in Syriac spirituality.

When it opened, the center was approved to build more than a dozen overnight housing units on the property so that retreatants can stay for a prolonged period of time. The center welcomes funding to continue to realize its mission and grow its programs.

This story was first published on July 25, 2024, and has been updated.

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NAIROBI, Kenya — Residents in an impoverished informal settlement called "Bangladesh" in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa turned up in large numbers for a two-day medical camp July 18–19 organized by Mother Amadea Mission Hospital.

Many were seeking treatment for ailments that had gone untreated for years.

During the two-day medical screening, run by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Archdiocese of Mombasa (SSJ), many previously undiagnosed and unmanaged cases of noncommunicable diseases — particularly hypertension — along with numerous skin diseases and suspected cases of cancer requiring further evaluation were identified.

Although thousands turned up for assistance, the resources available could only support 1,140 individuals. Those that could not be assisted at the camp were given appointments for free medical services at the sister-run hospital in Mikindani.

In an interview on July 22 with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, Sister Veronica Wanjiru, the administrator of Mother Amadea Mission Hospital, said the medical camp is one in an array of community support activities the sisters are engaged in and that it is tied to the SSJ's charism.

"Our charism is to witness in simplicity the saving mission of Christ among ourselves, those that we serve, and also that we interact with. As sisters of St. Joseph, we are always committed to serving the poor and the vulnerable," Sister Veronica said.

She added that in the vast Bangladesh slum, many families lack access to healthcare services because of financial constraints, and families also lack awareness about preventive measures to possible ailments. "We therefore organized a medical camp to bring the services closer to them," she said.

For the medical camp, the SSJ members brought on board several partners, including UCESCO Africa, as well as a team of volunteers from Italy, America, South Africa, and Japan.

Dr. Don Maimba Ocholi, the medical superintendent at Mother Amadea Mission Hospital, told ACI Africa that 63% of those who participated in the camp were female.

Services by the medical team included general consultation and screening for cervical, breast, and prostate cancer as well as counseling and other specialized services such as gynecology, dental, and ENT (ear, nose, and throat).

Ocholi observed a lot of eagerness from the community. "Even though we had announced that our camp would be starting from 8 a.m., there would be people queuing for services from as early as 6:30 a.m."

Through screening, the experts discovered cases with elevated blood pressure and glucose readings. "Some didn't even know about their conditions. We found it deeply concerning that there is no regard for screening and early management of these diseases in the community," Ocholi said.

"We also found that a high number of individuals who had been initially placed on hypertension and diabetes medications had defaulted in management of their conditions due to inadequate social support and financial constraints. So, we had to reinitiate treatment," he said.

The team also attended to many dermatological and dental cases. Ocholi said that owing to hygiene challenges and the lack of water in the slum community, many residents end up with skin conditions that require medical intervention.

Of the 47 people screened for cancer, one was found "highly suspicious," according to the doctor, adding: "During the screening, we also discovered some fungal and bacterial infections that were also managed at the site. Those we screened had walked around not knowing they had all these infections."

The team further discovered general surgical cases that need intervention.

Most medical needs, however, were found not to be covered by the national health insurer, in large part because there is a certain amount of money that must be paid. For most slum residents, the small amount required to enlist for government insurance is a luxury they can't afford. The sisters have offered to pay this amount for those needing urgent surgery so that the government can cover their operations.

The team at the medical camp discovered that the Bangladesh community needed a lot of counseling and education regarding certain illnesses.

Ocholi spoke about the misconceptions in the community that young people cannot have hypertension and that the poor cannot be diabetic.

He said that in the checkups, however, people as young as 20 were found to have elevated blood pressure.

Some, Ocholi said, blame witchcraft for their diseases.

To curb misconceptions, Mother Amadea Mission Hospital has a 15-member support group for individuals with hypertension. The aim is to help members cope with their conditions and to equip them with skills to create awareness about noncommunicable diseases in the community.

Anne Kamau, director of nursing at Mother Amadea Mission Hospital, painted the picture of an impoverished community unable to access basic healthcare.

Describing the situation of Bangladesh where people wait until it is too late before they seek medical help, Kamau told ACI Africa: "A diabetic lady who had been out of treatment for a while came in with high, unrecordable sugar levels. And because our facility neither has an ICU [intensive-care unit] nor a HDU [high-dependency unit], we had to refer the patient. Unfortunately, she passed on just about an hour after being referred."

"We live in a community that is sick, a community that needs services. And being a mission hospital, it isn't just about offering healthcare. We look at this as service to God. We conduct medical camps so that even those who are sick in the villages do not feel forgotten," Kamau said.

She lauded, in particular, the mental talk that the residents at the camp received, saying: "It is rare to get people in the community coming to seek mental health services even amid the rise in mental issues today. Many people prefer to suffer in silence."

There was also a talk on cancer. Kamau said the talk on prostate cancer especially encouraged men to be screened. "This was encouraging since men hardly go for such tests," she said.

Sister Veronica emphasized the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Mombasa, "to reveal God's love to the people," adding: "By organizing this medical camp I believe that we are living this mission."

According to the Kenyan sister, locals treat mission facilities, especially run by sisters, as a place where they can experience God's love and care.

"We always see many coming to us even when they do not have money. We still go ahead to give them the services because through this, we are living our mission," she said, adding: "We are continuing with Christ's healing ministry. We give our services not just to treat diseases but also to restore dignity, to give hope to the community, starting with those that are very poor and vulnerable."

In addition to healthcare and wellness, SSJ members are involved in education and care for the destitute and orphans.

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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After the Vatican reframed statements that U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch made to The New York Times, the ambassador has clarified that he understands Pope Leo XIV's role as a head of state is "inseparable" from his role as the universal shepherd of the Church.

During a July 23 interview with the EWTN News program "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo," Burch clarified that his July 9 comments to the Times were not meant to imply that Leo's statements about Iran war policy should be seen as simply diplomatic — rather than spiritual — guidance.

"I think there's a misunderstanding," Burch explained. "... [The role of] the pope as the universal sovereign of the Holy See and as the universal pastor — a pastor of the universal Church — is inseparable."

The controversy stemmed from a quotation in the Times article in which Burch said: "When the pope acts as the sovereign leader of the Holy See, he is coequal with world leaders." The article also paraphrased Burch's position by saying the ambassador argued that the pope's comments about the Iran war were not made as the vicar of Christ but rather as the political leader of the Vatican City State.

Without naming Burch, the Editorial Director for the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, Andrea Tornielli, subsequently wrote a July 13 op-ed saying that "even when he speaks about war and peace … the Successor of Peter remains, above all, a spiritual leader." Even though Leo is a head of state, he wrote, this "does not mean that he acts or speaks as a politician when addressing issues concerning the affairs of humanity."

In his interview with Arroyo, Burch disputed the Times' characterization of his views, saying the outlet "doesn't exactly understand the nuances of Catholic social teaching and how to apply it."

"The pope has this dual role," Burch said. "He is both the head of the sovereign territory of the Holy See, which has diplomatic relations with the world, but inseparable from that is his role as the universal pastor of the Catholic Church. And when he acts, he certainly acts in such a way to call the world to these high moral principles, to the ideals of … how [humanity] ought to live together."

At the same time, Burch insisted that "there are some very difficult, contingent, practical matters" that play into decisions about going to war, which he said "is the responsibility of the prudential wisdom of those responsible for the common good," which are political leaders like President Trump.

"I tried to explain [to the Times] where there are certain prudential questions," Burch said. "For example, what does the intelligence information tell us about the situation in Iran? Where is the dialogue at? What [do] the regional alliances look like? What [does] the war game scenario implicate?"

"These are very contingent, prudential questions that inform this question on the legitimate use of force," he added. "And I think, to the Holy Father's credit, he is the universal shepherd that is calling humanity to this high ideal to try to resolve these sorts of conflicts without violence, without the use of force."

Burch told Arroyo that he does not see disagreement between Trump and Leo on the intended end goal: "There's no disagreement on peace, on disarming Iran, on the need for interreligious dialogue, for religious freedom."

"Where the challenge comes is the means to get there," Burch said. He added that it's not "a surprise, nor a shock, nor an unwelcome message from the Holy Father that we ought to seek peace, that we ought to seek ways to resolve these sorts of conflicts without the use of force."

"But as you know, original sin exists, and there are evil people in this world with evil intentions that, if they aren't stopped, certainly could do enormous damage, catastrophic damage, in the world," the ambassador emphasized.

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Ann Teresa O'Neill, whose confirmed miracle led to the canonization of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, died on July 17 at age 78.

O'Neill, of Easton, Maryland, had leukemia as a child, and her cure was accepted for Seton's path to sainthood in 1975.

Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore will serve as the principal celebrant for O'Neill's funeral Mass on July 25 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Interment will follow on the grounds of the shrine.

"Ann O'Neill spent more than seventy years answering questions about a miracle," Rob Judge, executive director of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, said in a statement following her death. "Yet, if you talked with her for any length of time, you discovered she wasn't really interested in talking about miracles."

"She wanted to talk about her mother's faith. She wanted to talk about Mother Seton. Mostly, she wanted to talk about Jesus," he said.

She wanted to talk about her mother's faith. She wanted to talk about Mother Seton. Mostly, she wanted to talk about Jesus. That may be the clearest evidence of why God chose her life to become part of one of the most important stories in American Catholic history."

Rob Judge

Executive director of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

"That may be the clearest evidence of why God chose her life to become part of one of the most important stories in American Catholic history," he said.

"The saints are like our friends," O'Neill said in an interview with the Archdiocese of Baltimore's Catholic Review in 2025. "Mother Seton was my mother's friend. She's my friend. And because we're Catholic, we have a lot of friends in heaven."

Born on Oct. 7, 1947, O'Neill was the daughter of the late Felixena O'Neill and the late William Richard O'Neill.

She is survived by her children, Joseph Hooe, Gerard Hooe, and Mary Alice Zawodny, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a funeral notice said. She was preceded in death by her son Robert Eugene Hooe Jr.

The miracle that helped Mother Seton become a saint

Born in Baltimore, O'Neill developed advanced leukemia as a young girl in 1952. Despite doctors trying every treatment, she grew more sick and her case was considered hopeless.

During Holy Week, it was expected that the 4-year-old girl would pass within a few weeks.

While her family prepared for her loss, Sister Mary Alice Fowler, supervisor of the children's ward at St. Agnes Hospital, gave O'Neill's mother prayers for Seton's intercession and had her give them to relatives and friends.

She pinned a cloth that had touched Seton's remains to O'Neill's hospital gown. Family members, friends, and other religious leaders began a novena for O'Neill.

On Good Friday in 1952, with her daughter's condition deteriorating, O'Neill's mother took her to Mother Seton's resting place in Emmitsburg — where Seton started the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, the first community for religious women established in the U.S., and the first Catholic school for girls.

Against doctors' wishes, O'Neill's parents drove her to Emmitsburg, laid her on Seton's tomb in the cemetery, and took her inside Mother Seton's house where the saint had died of tuberculosis in 1821.

Once her mother returned O'Neill to the hospital, doctors performed blood work and testing. On Easter Monday her blood count was normal. Constant tests over the following years showed her health to be normal.

O'Neill's cure was accepted for Seton's path to sainthood. Pope Paul VI officially canonized Mother Seton on Sept. 14, 1975, the ceremony for which O'Neill attended in Rome.

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