Christian Brothers Oceania Province announced in June that it would be shuttering its operations amid efforts to settle abuse lawsuits.
A Christian group that is facing closure in Australia and elsewhere amid efforts to settle abuse lawsuits reportedly transferred millions of dollars' worth of property to a separate Catholic entity over a period of years, according to allegations in a major news report.
Christian Brothers Oceania Province said on June 22 it was proposing a plan to facilitate the "orderly distribution of [its] remaining property, funds, and other assets" to victims of abuse by congregation members.
The organization said its remaining property totaled around $216 million and that it would move to distribute that value to both abuse victims and the future care of its brothers in the province, which includes Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.
A June 26 report by the Guardian, meanwhile, alleged that the group "has spent the last decade transferring large, multimillion-dollar property holdings for amounts of $1 to a separate Catholic church entity," one that is "not part of the proposed sell-off scheme."
The report alleges that the Edmund Rice Education Australia received the property deals from the brothers. The organization was "created in 2007 to assume control of schools previously associated with the Christian Brothers" including institutions in Sydney and Brisbane.
The Guardian did not publish the documents in full, though it did include excerpts of some documents in its report.
The newspaper alleged that the documents show "in New South Wales alone, the Christian Brothers transferred 26 separate properties to Edmund Rice Education Australia for amounts of $1 or $0 between 2013 and 2024."
Those properties "are now worth well over" $50 million, the paper said, and include homes, schools, and vacant lands.
Neither the Christian Brothers group nor Edmund Rice Education Australia responded to requests for comment from EWTN News regarding the Guardian report. But the education group told the Guardian that it would "not be selling property to help the Christian Brothers" in its settlement, the paper said.
The group told the newspaper that it was established as a "separate legal entity" for stewarding the schools.
A spokesperson for the Christian Brothers group, meanwhile, told the Guardian that its "current advisers" were "not involved" in the establishment of either the education group or the property transfers.
The spokesperson said the property transfers would be subject to "scrutiny" amid the broader settlement efforts by Christian Brothers.
The Christian Brothers congregation was founded in 1802 by Edmund Ignatius Rice in Waterford, Ireland. It was formally recognized by the Holy See in 1820.
The national director of the Pastoral Affairs Department of Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) said the Church's commitment to young people requires creating and maintaining safe environments.
ABUJA, Nigeria — The national director of the Pastoral Affairs Department of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria has urged youth chaplains across the country to promptly report allegations of abuse involving minors to both Church and civil authorities, emphasizing that safeguarding is an essential responsibility of youth ministry.
Speaking to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on the sidelines of a June 25 seminar for provincial youth chaplains, Father Augustine Olusegun Fasiku said the Church's commitment to young people requires creating and maintaining safe environments.
"The Church entrusts young people to chaplains not merely to organize programs or celebrate Masses. She entrusts them with the lives, safety, dignity, and spiritual growth of those young people, and so you must report abuse of minors anytime it occurs under your watch," Fasiku said.
Describing youth chaplains as both "pastor and protector," he said every retreat, counseling session, youth gathering, and online interaction should reflect accountability, vigilance, and care.
Fasiku stressed that chaplains have moral, pastoral, canonical, and legal obligations to report allegations of abuse immediately rather than attempt to address them privately.
"The first responsibility is to receive the report seriously and compassionately," he said. "However, the chaplain must remember that he is not an investigator. His role is not to interrogate witnesses or determine guilt. He must promptly report the allegation to the appropriate diocesan safeguarding office or Church authority while ensuring that relevant civil authorities are informed according to legal requirements."
The Nigerian Catholic priest cautioned against efforts to conceal abuse in order to avoid scandal, noting that such actions can expose both individuals and Church institutions to legal consequences.
"There should be no confusion today; Pope Francis abolished the pontifical secret in cases involving sexual abuse of minors. Internal Church procedures cannot be used to prevent cooperation with civil authorities," he said.
Fasiku underscored that canonical procedures and civil legal processes operate alongside one another.
"In Nigeria, withholding information in order to avoid scandal can itself create serious legal consequences. The welfare of the child must always take precedence over institutional reputation," he said.
"What this means is that a priest, chaplain, teacher, or Church worker who commits an offense against a minor is not only answerable to ecclesiastical authorities but also accountable under Nigerian law," he explained.
Fasiku also highlighted provisions of Church law governing safeguarding, citing Canon 1752, which states that the salvation of souls is the supreme law of the Church, and Canon 1398, which criminalizes sexual offenses against minors and vulnerable persons, including grooming and the possession of abusive materials.
He further pointed to Pope Francis' motu proprio Vos Estis Lux Mundi (You Are the Light of the World) saying that it establishes mandatory reporting obligations within the Church and mechanisms for holding Church leaders accountable in cases of negligence or cover-ups.
Addressing the dynamics of youth ministry, Fasiku warned that abuse often begins with the misuse of authority and trust.
"Young people frequently see priests as representatives of God. If a chaplain abuses that authority by manipulating a young person's conscience or presenting personal desires as God's will, the consequences can be devastating," he said.
He noted that many young people seek guidance from chaplains during periods of grief, family difficulties, identity struggles, and other personal crises, circumstances that can create significant imbalances of power.
"Parents entrust their children to the Church because they believe the Church will protect them," he said. "Young people themselves share personal struggles because they trust their chaplain."
According to the priest, that trust places a fiduciary obligation on ministers to act solely in the best interests of those entrusted to their care.
He added that no romantic, financial, or exploitative relationship between a chaplain and a young person can ever be justified, because responsibility for maintaining appropriate boundaries rests with the adult minister.
He also outlined practical safeguarding measures, encouraging chaplains to observe the "Two-Adult Rule" and ensure meetings with minors take place in visible and transparent settings.
"Counseling sessions should not occur in isolated private locations. Physical contact should always remain appropriate, public, and nonexclusive," he said.
He further cautioned against favoritism and emotional dependency, warning that special privileges or excessive personal attention to individual youths can foster unhealthy attachments and resemble grooming behavior.
Fasiku also addressed the challenges posed by digital communication, urging chaplains to avoid secretive online interactions with minors.
"Private messaging late at night, disappearing messages, secret chats, or communications that cannot be monitored create unnecessary risks and should be avoided," he said.
He encouraged the use of official and accountable communication channels and recommended involving parents or other responsible adults whenever appropriate.
On care for survivors, Fasiku emphasized that victims of abuse must receive compassionate accompaniment and access to spiritual, psychological, emotional, and medical support.
"The Church's responsibility does not end with receiving a report; accompaniment and healing is an essential component of pastoral care," he said.
He added that accused ministers should have no contact with victims or their families during investigations and that independent pastoral caregivers should be assigned to support those affected while safeguarding the integrity of the process.
Fasiku urged youth chaplains to view safeguarding not as an administrative requirement but as a concrete expression of the Gospel.
"The future of the Church depends greatly on the trust young people place in her; that trust can only flourish when young people know they are safe," he said.
The priest emphasized: "When we protect the vulnerable, we honor Christ. When we create safe environments, we strengthen the Church. And when we place the dignity and welfare of young people at the center of our ministry, we fulfill both our pastoral mission and our legal obligation."
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
In his homily during a Mass offered for the earthquake's victims, Archbishop Jorge Scheinig urged the faithful to reexamine their priorities in life, realizing one can lose everything in an instant.
With thousands dead, injured, and missing in the wake of last week's devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, Argentinians gathered in prayer for the Venezuelan people on June 28 at the basilica and national shrine of Our Lady of Luján. There, the archbishop of Mercedes-Luján, Jorge Eduardo Scheinig, offered Mass for the Venezuelan people.
"Let us think of those who have died and their families," Scheinig said in his homily. "In a single minute, so many people were left with nothing, absolutely nothing," he noted.
"Let us pray for the rescue workers and for all those who are working [on the ground]. Let us stand in solidarity with them through prayer," said Scheinig, who proceeded to lead a moment of silence to pray to God and the Virgin for the people of Venezuela.
The archbishop dedicated the rest of his homily to examining priorities, those things that "carry more weight than others" and "have the power to bring order to our lives."
"If you have the right priorities, you are at peace. But if you choose your priorities poorly, it causes confusion and anguish for you; it doesn't help you live well. So, from time to time, we need to have the courage to reexamine our priorities," he noted.
In this regard, he said that "Jesus helps us order our priorities," and elaborated: "What is Jesus' priority? God. What comes first for Jesus? God. And what does he advise us? Put God first, and you won't regret it," he explained.
He therefore urged people to ask themselves: "What place does God hold? What place does Mass hold?" he continued.
"If you put God's love first, if you love God in your life — that love is so good, so pure, and so radiant that it brings order to your entire life and helps you understand your whole life. Because God takes nothing away from you; he fills your life with love," he pointed out.
"Putting God first means taking a stand, taking a risk, and filling your heart with love; that helps you love everyone and everything in a different way, to love better," he emphasized.
Referring to the situation in Venezuela, Scheinig reflected: "Just look at how strange the world is. Today, television shows harrowing scenes. I was watching the news and saw a little boy crying — he had been left all alone after the earthquake, and it breaks your heart. Yet, a short while later, we're watching the Argentina [World Cup] match."
"And notice, too, that we see scenes of war, of migrants who have nothing and live in a small tent. That's the world. It happens to us in a family as well: You might be celebrating the 15th birthday of one of your children and then a close relative dies or someone comes down with an illness. That's life. Life is that strange mix of very beautiful things and deeply painful things," he noted.
"But when your heart has priorities, you don't get confused. And so, yes, we can cheer for the national team, but my priority isn't soccer; my priority is life, it's what happens to other people. I don't let the things of life desensitize me," he cautioned.
That is why, "if God is your priority, you are able to not get desensitized to pain. You have your life on track. You can watch the World Cup, but you realize that it isn't the priority. Your life is in order. You know where you stand, what you want, and what you don't want," he continued.
In that context, he added, the need arises to stand with Venezuelans in prayer: "God, strengthen so many people whose lives changed in an instant."
"We also feel moved to show solidarity, to give money and goods, and to share what we have with those in need because your heart is rightly ordered; it is with God."
"Life presents us with complex, difficult moments in the world," Scheinig acknowledged, while expressing the hope that "God holds first place on our list of priorities, so that we may remain good people."
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is taking place from June 11 to July 19 in cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is currently taking place in cities across North America, and soccer fans from around the globe have traveled to host cities to support their teams as they play in the world's most important soccer tournament. With so many foreigners visiting, a Catholic radio show in one city is taking the opportunity to evangelize and share the Gospel.
The Quest Atlanta Catholic Radio has set up a Catholic hospitality booth at the ATL Experience — Atlanta's official local merchant marketplace for the 2026 World Cup, which features over 90 local businesses ranging from food and drink to clothing and art. The ATL Experience is taking place in three different locations in the Atlanta area, with The Quest booth located between the State Farm Arena and the old CNN Center.
Allison Dalloul, a co-host on The Quest's morning show and outreach coordinator, told EWTN News that when she heard that the World Cup was coming to Atlanta, she thought, "What a great opportunity for us to just have our booth out there and sharing our smiles and our personal presence out there."
World Cup visitors at The Quest Atlanta Catholic Radio hospitality booth in Atlanta. | Credit: Photo courtesy of The Quest Atlanta Catholic radio
Visitors to the booth will find information about local churches, Mass schedules, information about the Catholic faith, brochures, prayer cards, religious images, rosaries, and a wheel people can spin to win prizes.
Dalloul shared that the prayer cards were made by The Quest team to feature St. Luigi Scrosoppi, the patron saint of soccer.
The booth is open the day before matches take place in Atlanta and on game day and is run by volunteers from the Archdiocese of Atlanta, parishioners from the many parishes, and those who work at The Quest Atlanta. Clergy from the archdiocese as well as the St. Paul Street Evangelization team are also present at the booth.
"It has just been such a great way to evangelize, even the Catholics here, even the people that are volunteering, because not many people get the opportunity to be a part of something like this," Dalloul said.
She added that a plethora of different kinds of people with different backgrounds have come up to the booth. For example, a woman who recently lost her husband visited the booth and a member of the St. Paul Street Evangelization team prayed with her. Many couples have also come up to the booth to ask the priests in attendance for a blessing on their marriage.
Father Valery Akoh, pastor of St. Matthew Catholic Church in Tyrone, Georgia, talks with a boy at The Quest Atlanta Catholic Radio's hospitality booth in Atlanta during the World Cup. | Credit: Photo courtesy of The Quest Atlanta Catholic Radio
"People are coming up hungry [for the faith], people are coming up not knowing anything about the Church, people are coming up going, 'Oh, I'm Catholic. This is so neat that this is here,'" Dalloul said.
A moment that impacted Dalloul personally took place on the first day at the booth between her and the daughter of one of the other vendors at the ATL Experience. She explained that she was roughly 12 years old and went over to see what The Quest's booth was all about. Dalloul shared who they were and asked her if she had any prayer intentions.
"I don't think she fully understood what that was. So I said, 'Is there anything going on in your life that you would like God to assist you with?' And she was like, 'Oh!' And was diligently writing things down on those cards," Dalloul recalled.
"That alone, that first encounter, the innocence of a child — I'm a cradle Catholic. I was born into this. So many people are not born into this. So, just the excitement she had writing those prayer intentions down with all her might, I was like, 'Thank you, Jesus.'"
She added: "So, we're not evangelizing only to the folks attending the World Cup but also the vendors who are actually working in the different areas."
Speaking to the many moments of faith seen on the field so far, Dalloul emphasized that it has been "a beautiful witness to all that are watching."
"It makes my heart so happy when I see men out there that are faith-filled, living their faith out, not ashamed, not embarrassed to make the sign of the cross," she said. "In our society, I feel sometimes many people are afraid to say grace before a meal in a restaurant and make the sign of the cross because somebody might look at me weird or strange. We have got to be unapologetically Catholic. We should never be afraid to share our faith, wherever we are."
As for her hopes for all those visiting The Quest's hospitality booth, Dalloul said she hoped they experience "the love of Christ."
She also highlighted the importance of The Quest's mere presence at the event.
"I feel that just our presence of being there is the key, with smiles on our face, just talking [to people] … our presence of Christ there," Dalloul said. "I just want them to encounter Christ when they meet us, because we have no idea what is going on in the lives of others … We don't know what they've gone through. We don't know what they're going through. And you never know, the Lord might be prompting them to do something or go to church or go to Mass."
"There's so much that we can be doing and we just have to not be afraid and let Christ work through us and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance to not be afraid."
On June 30, the pontiff appointed Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster to temporarily replace Bishop David Oakley, charged with sexual abuse.
Amid a sexual abuse scandal affecting the Diocese of Northampton in the United Kingdom, Pope Leo XIV named an apostolic administrator to oversee the diocese until a new bishop is appointed.
The pontiff named Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster to replace Bishop David Oakley, who was charged with abuse of an underage girl.
In a statement addressing the charges against Oakley, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales expressed its pain upon learning of them and offered a heartfelt apology to all those affected.
"We are profoundly aware that the report of this allegation may reawaken painful memories for many people and again offer an unreserved apology to those who have been hurt by abuse in the Catholic Church in England and Wales," the bishops' statement said.
The bishops' conference also reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding and ensuring the safety of all who attend their parishes and schools.
"Anybody who comes to our parishes, schools, and communities must be safe, and we are resolute in our commitment to safeguarding."
"We are committed to continual review and development, assisted by the independent auditing work of the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency, so that all our communities are places of safety and sanctuary for all," the bishops wrote.
The Diocese of Northampton did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
As the Nordic bishops clarify that Freemasonry and Catholicism are incompatible, a Catholic convert reflects on why he left Freemasonry behind.
Before his conversion to Catholicism, EWTN Norway's editor-in-chief, Pål Nes, was a Freemason. But when he joined the Catholic Church, he left Freemasonry behind.
The Nordic bishops, as well as the Church's hierarchy, agree: A formal association with Freemasonry is incompatible with Catholicism.
But this issue, which has come up in public conversation among Catholics around the world, is often controversial in the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, where some mistakenly believe that there is an exception to the Catholic Church's instruction.
This week, the Nordic Bishops' Conference clarified the teaching.
"We write to you at this time as shepherds to clarify a matter that for many years, if not decades, has generated uncertainty, speculation, and diverging opinions in our countries: the question of whether or not Catholic faithful in the Nordic countries may be Freemasons or belong to a Masonic lodge," the bishops wrote.
In the June 29 letter to parish priests signed by Nordic Bishops' Conference president Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim and others, the bishops stated that there is "no exception" for Catholics in Nordic countries from the "universal law of the Church" regarding Freemasonry.
Bishop Fredrik Hansen of Oslo and other Nordic bishops have instructed the faithful they shepherd not to participate in Freemasonry. | Credit: Hoang Van Nguyen/EWTN Norway
The Nordic bishops had met with officials from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith during a plenary assembly in Rome from Sept. 1–5, 2025, to discuss the matter. The dicastery's response was unequivocal.
The bishops said the Church's teaching applies "in full and without exception in the territory of the Nordic Bishops' Conference."
The letter is not to detract Freemasonry but rather a clarification that its principles clash with those of the Church, according to the bishops.
"We wish to stress that the Catholic Church's firmness on the question of adherence to Freemasonry is not a negative judgment on the goodwill or good works of individuals," the bishops wrote.
"The Church's position springs from awareness that the theological and philosophical principles of freemasonry are incompatible with confession of the Catholic faith," the bishops said.
Nes told EWTN News the bishops' statement helped give clarity on the issue in his home country of Norway.
"Their statement gives priests and lay faithful the clarity that many of us have needed for a long time," he said.
Nes has seen confusion in his home country, largely because of "a myth developed that the Scandinavian form of Freemasonry was somehow an exception, and that Catholics in the Nordic countries could belong to a lodge without contradicting the teaching of the Church."
Pål Nes left Freemasonry for Catholicism and has been outspoken in his belief that the two groups are incompatible. | Credit: EWTN Norway
Many prominent Catholics in Norway "have been associated with Freemasonry, including laypeople and clergy," according to Nes.
"That has made the situation more confusing for ordinary Catholics," he said.
Meanwhile, "public statements and pastoral practice have sometimes contributed to uncertainty," Nes observed, citing a 2025 instance where Bishop Emeritus Bernt Eidsvig of Oslo, Norway, said "that he would not refuse holy Communion to Freemasons."
"Many understood this as a softening of the Church's position, even though the universal teaching of the Church had not changed," he said.
"The bishops' recent clarification is therefore very important," Nes said. "It makes clear that there is no Nordic exception: A Catholic cannot be a Freemason."
Bishop Erik Varden and the other Nordic bishops have instructed the faithful of Norway not to participate in Freemasonry. | Credit: Pål Nes/EWTN Norway
Why are Freemasonry and Catholicism incompatible?
Nes explained that Freemasonry is more than a social group because of its "religious character."
"In my experience, Freemasonry in Norway was not simply a social network or a charitable association," Nes told EWTN News. "It had a strong sense of fraternity but also a very clear spiritual profile. Its rituals, symbolism, and solemn ceremonies gave it something of a religious character. For that reason, I think Freemasonry must be treated as a religious and spiritual system, not merely as a club."
Nes found good in Freemasonry but was ultimately drawn to Catholicism.
"I eventually realized that I wanted the real thing," he said.
Pål Nes, kneeling, who left Freemasonry for Catholicism, serves at Mass with Father Ole Martin Stamnestrø. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Pål Nes
"There were elements in Freemasonry that I found beautiful: the seriousness, the brotherhood, the use of ritual and the sense of entering into something larger than oneself," Nes said. "But as I gradually came to know the Catholic Mass and the Catholic faith, I began to see that much of what had attracted me in Freemasonry — its solemnity, ritual, and symbolism — was only an echo of something fuller and truer in the Catholic faith."
Nes left Freemasonry behind with the help of a priest who mentored him.
"During my conversion process, the priest who guided me was very clear," Nes said. "I could not become Catholic and remain a Freemason. I am deeply grateful for his clarity, and also for his courage in saying it plainly. That clarity helped me make a clean and honest decision."
Pål Nes, left, a Catholic convert and editor-in-chief of EWTN Norway, with the priest who brought him into the Church. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Pål Nes
Now, Nes is spreading the word that the two groups are fundamentally irreconcilable.
"For the last seven or eight years, I have tried to explain publicly that one cannot be both a Catholic and a Freemason," Nes said. "I have never wanted to speak badly of Freemasonry or of individual Freemasons. My point has always been doctrinal: Catholicism and Freemasonry are two different religious and spiritual systems, and they cannot be reconciled."
In their letter to parish priests, the bishops provided several "pastoral and sacramental provisions" to be followed.
First, the bishops encouraged Catholics who are Freemasons to "relinquish this membership" with Masonic lodges and to abstain from the Eucharist and other sacraments until they do. Freemasons seeking to join the Catholic Church are instructed to "terminate this membership" first.
In addition, the bishops instructed Catholic groups not to collaborate with Masonic groups.
"No parish, no institute of consecrated life or society of apostolic life, no Catholic organization or institution in our local Churches is to enter into agreements of collaboration with Freemasons or Masonic lodges or make use of properties belonging to Masonic lodges," the bishops wrote.
The bishops encouraged the faithful to support one another in following Jesus.
"The call of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 'Come, follow me' (Mt 4:19), presupposes readiness to leave behind other attachments that stand in the way of wholehearted discipleship," the bishops wrote. "This has always been, and will always remain, a criterion of Christian authenticity. Let us help each other by word and example to live up to it, trusting in God's grace."
Bishop Fredrik Hansen, center, and the other Nordic bishops urge the faithful to leave Freemasonry behind in pursuit of Christ. | Credit: Hoang Van Nguyen/EWTN Norway
U.S. bishops opposed Trump's executive order, saying the "immoral" directive undermined long-standing constitutional protections and risked harming families and communities.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 30 that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority when he signed an executive order to deny citizenship to children born in the country to parents who lack legal immigration status.
Trump signed the order on his first day in office, prompting immediate legal challenges based on the 14th Amendment, which guarantees automatic citizenship to anyone born in the country and "subject to the jurisdiction thereof." The U.S. bishops opposed Trump's directive, saying the "immoral" order would harm families, destabilize communities, and undermine human dignity.
The executive order was blocked by courts before it went into effect, so children born to parents who lack legal immigration status were not being denied citizenship. The Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. Barbara maintains the legal framework that existed before Trump's executive order, essentially voiding the president's actions.
In a 6-3 decision that the executive order was unlawful, the court held 5-4 that the order violated the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause and exceeded presidential authority. The ruling leaves intact the long-standing practice of granting citizenship to nearly all children born in the United States.
The opinion states that children born to parents who lack legal immigration status are indeed "amenable to the jurisdiction of the country" and therefore their U.S.-born children are citizens under the 14th Amendment.
The ruling reaffirmed the 1898 precedent set in U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark, which found there to be only a small number of limited exceptions to birthright citizenship: those born to foreign diplomats and occupying enemy forces.
Wong Kim Ark also rejected birthright citizenship for certain Indigenous Americans, although this exception became irrelevant after every Indigenous American was granted citizenship with the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924.
The administration's legal team had argued that birthright citizenship only applied to those who were legally in the country and "domiciled" with the intent to remain. The executive order was part of Trump's broader immigration crackdown, which includes mass deportations of people in the country unlawfully and extends beyond people accused of violent crimes.
In February, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops petitioned the Supreme Court to protect birthright citizenship, urging the court to preserve long-standing constitutional interpretation to protect human dignity and social cohesion.
"At its core, this case is not solely a question about citizenship status or the 14th Amendment," the court filing read. "It is a question of whether the law will affirm or deny the equal worth of those born within our common community — whether the law will protect the human dignity of all God's children."
The high court said federal law allows schools to provide separate men's and women's sports teams.
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 30 ruled that states can bar men from competing in women's sporting leagues, dealing a blow to LGBT activists who have advocated for allowing men who "identify" as women to join female teams.
The court ruled in a consolidated set of cases out of Idaho and West Virginia that federal Title IX rules permit schools to "provide separate women's and men's sports teams defined by biological sex," meaning schools can prohibit men from playing on women's teams even if those men believe they are women.
The court had taken up the issue in July 2025 when it agreed to hear the two cases, which arose after the two states moved to block males from playing on female sports teams.
Both cases arose from lawsuits brought by, or on behalf of, young men who identify as female and who sued against the states' respective bans on males competing in females' sports.
In the June 30 ruling, the court rejected arguments from the plaintiffs that Title IX requires schools to let males play in women's leagues. The court said "safety and competitive fairness" are "important interests" for equal protection concerns, and sex-separated teams are "substantially related" to furthering those interests.
Schools "may determine eligibility for women's and girls' sports based on biological sex," the court said.
The ruling was divided largely 6-3, though three of the court's four female justices — Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson — filed partial concurring opinions.
Sotomayor wrote that though she was sympathetic to concerns of fairness in women's sports, the ruling "inflicts a hardship" on athletes who identify as the opposite sex.
She argued that the U.S. Constitution requires a "fair and full opportunity" for the plaintiffs to litigate the dispute. However, she said the Supreme Court's decision treats the issue as a "winner-takes-all" situation and makes it too easy for sex-based rules to be upheld without enough careful review.
Jackson, meanwhile, argued that definitions of "sex" in Title IX rules includes the concept of "gender identity." A law banning male participation in female sports "might well run afoul" of those regulations, she said.
In September 2025, Lindsay Hecox — the plaintiff in the Idaho case — asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the challenge to that state's law. Idaho moved to oppose the dismissal; a U.S. district judge ultimately ruled against the request, claiming that Hecox was attempting to "avoid Supreme Court review."
The debate around transgender participation in opposite-sex sporting leagues has exploded in recent years, with LGBT advocates arguing that athletes should be permitted to compete on sports teams of the opposite sex and critics arguing that female athletes should not be forced to compete against males.
The International Olympic Committee in March announced a new policy under which men who believe themselves to be women will be forbidden from competing in the women's category.
In 2025, meanwhile, the NCAA announced a ban on men competing in its women's categories, though the league issued the decision only in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump threatening federal funding loss for schools and universities that fail to divide sporting leagues by biological sex.
On the eve of the traditionalist society's planned episcopal consecrations without papal approval, the pontiff issued a written appeal to the SSPX superior general.
Pope Leo XIV has issued a letter to the traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) asking them not to proceed with their planned July 1 consecrations without papal approval.
In a letter published June 30, the eve of the episcopal consecrations in Écône, Switzerland, the pope issued a final appeal to the SSPX superior general, Fr. Davide Pagliarani, not to commit this "schismatic act."
"In this spirit, and filled with Christian affection, I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: please turn back!"
"I urge you to consider the spiritual good of the faithful carefully, because the schismatic act you are about to undertake would deprive them of the licit and, in some cases, even valid reception of the Sacraments, which they love and seek for their sanctification," Leo wrote in his letter.
The pontiff also warned the SSPX of the serious consequences of their planned episcopal consecrations, calling it "a sin of extreme gravity."
"I pray for you, because to tear the seamless garment of Christ is a sin of extreme gravity," Leo wrote. "May the Lord enlighten your consciences and awaken your hearts.
The Vatican stated on May 13 that the consecrations would be a schismatic act, resulting in automatic excommunication for the consecrating bishops and those consecrated.
On June 16, Pope Leo warned the SSPX that their planned episcopal consecrations risked schism and said that he and the Holy See were preparing a final appeal to the society.
The SSPX exclusively celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass and has rejected certain teachings and reforms of the Second Vatican Council, particularly regarding religious freedom and the Church's approach to other faiths.
SSPX did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Champion, Wisconsin, will host an exhibit July 1–9 honoring holy men and women from the United States.
This Fourth of July marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As the country approaches this historic date, one site in America's heartland is preparing to celebrate in a particularly Catholic way.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Champion, Wisconsin — the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States — is hosting an exhibit honoring holy men and women from the United States. The Catholic Saints of America Exhibit will run from July 1–9 and will feature the stories of 76 saints, blesseds, venerables, and servants of God with American ties.
There will also be daily Mass, several presentations, relics available for veneration, representatives from 35 different causes, and a special Mass celebrated on July 5 commemorating the anniversary of the death of Servant of God Adele Brice, the visionary of Our Lady of Champion.
The shrine is also encouraging not only visitors but also American Catholics everywhere to join in the Novena for Our Nation beginning on July 1.
Father Tony Stephens, the rector of the shrine, told EWTN News that the inspiration for the exhibit came in the fall of 2025 as the holy site was coming up with ideas about how to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S.
"Some of our staff had the idea — since we were anticipating the visionary here at the shrine, Adele, potentially being elevated to the the level of servant of God and the canonization process opening — we thought, well, it'd be neat to have some of these servants and maybe venerables and maybe some saints come together here at the shrine, but particularly those who had grown holy in America and were holy Americans," he said.
He added: "So it just grew from there. Then [we] realized, well, what if we did all the servants of God, and then all the venerable, and all the blesseds, and all the saints? So it's been a very extensive process. It started small and it's just one of those things you know the Holy Spirit was driving."
The priest added that the team drew inspiration from the "Eucharistic Miracles of the World" exhibit designed by St. Carlo Acutis. Stephens explained that each holy person will have his or her own large foam board with that person's story, images, and important dates in their lives.
There will also be a 15-foot-long timeline of the 250 years of the U.S. highlighting important dates in both American history and the Catholic Church in the country.
"We want to celebrate the 250th birthday of our nation," he said. "Faith and reason go together. We love our country and we love our faith. And they can certainly go together — one nation under God."
Some of the relics on site will include those of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. John Neumann, Blessed Solanus Casey, and Blessed Stanley Rother, among others.
The full list of the holy men and women included in the "Catholic Saints of America" exhibit running from July 1–9, 2026, at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin. | Credit: The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion
Stephens emphasized that the driving force behind creating the exhibit was that "we're proud to be Americans, but we're Catholics first, so these are some of our holy ones who lived faithfully as Catholic Americans."
Speaking about the novena, Stephens shared that he wrote it specifically for the event. He explained that it's not only about praying for the nation but also that people also "recognize our shortcomings, and we thank God for the many blessings that he's given us in 250 years."
The petitions include praying for families, for the vulnerable in society, for the protection of religious liberty in our country, for a spirit of generosity among all U.S. citizens, for elected leaders, for those who interpret and enforce laws, for those who educate others, for those in the armed services, and for those who died protecting the nation.
Stephens said his main hope for those who visit the exhibit is that they would leave believing "that holiness is attainable for me as a Catholic in 21st-century America."
He added: "These were holy Catholic Americans who lived in this country and … this is something that is attainable because they persevered in their faith. And that's something that all of us can do as well."
