"Many people need that joyful and contagious witness that a young person in love with Christ can convey," Pope Leo XIV observed.
In a video message on the occasion of Peru's National Youth Congress, Pope Leo XIV encouraged young people to not be afraid to be God's instruments in rekindling the hope of many suffering hearts.
The message was shown as part of the July 30–Aug. 2 event, held in Chulucanas, a town in the Piura region, that brought together thousands of young people from throughout the country.
Chulucanas is the site of then-Father Robert Prevost's first missionary assignment in northern Peru in 1985, when the man who would become pope — and who has held Peruvian citizenship since 2015 — arrived as an Augustinian missionary in this region entrusted to his order.
In his message, the pope thanked the country's young people "from the heart, for having responded to this initiative, which renews and strengthens the life of the Church."
"The motto bringing you together for this gathering is: 'Be brave, Christ lives.' It is precisely the certainty of the Lord's living presence in our midst that is the inner fire driving us to be brave and to step out of the comfort of individualism — to become part of a community of brothers and sisters in faith, to forge true bonds of friendship, and thus bear witness that it is possible to live united in Christ," Pope Leo declared.
"I invite you to open your hearts wide to welcome the gifts the Lord wishes to pour out upon you," the Holy Father continued in his message.
"And do not keep what you experience during this event just for yourselves — do not let it remain only in photos on your phones or videos on social media; share it, reflect it in your lives, because today many people need that joyful and contagious witness that a young person in love with Christ can convey," Leo encouraged.
"Do not be afraid to be God's instruments in rekindling hope for so many — for so many suffering hearts," he emphasized.
In closing, the pope entrusted the young people to "the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Evangelization. May she intercede for you, so that you may be Christ's 'salt and light' in this beloved Peruvian land. May God bless you!"
Highly anticipated papal visit
Peruvians are preparing to welcome the Holy Father this November to the country where he served as bishop of Chiclayo and apostolic administrator of Callao, prior to his tenure as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops at the Vatican.
Although the Vatican has not yet officially confirmed it, the cities Pope Leo is expected to visit in Peru include Lima, Chiclayo, Piura, Cusco, and Pucallpa as part of a trip that is also expected to include stops in Argentina and Uruguay.
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.
A Catholic Charities affiliate sued Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other state officials after the governor signed into law a ban on "conversion therapy."
Catholic counselors in Michigan who offer Catholic-based "talk therapy" to children who struggle with gender dysphoria and gender identity will be allowed to continue their services, according to a federal court order issued on July 31.
Government officials in Michigan have agreed they will not enforce the state ban on "conversion therapy" on the counselors who work for Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee, and Hillsdale Counties or any other counselors engaged in "talk therapy."
The Catholic Charities affiliate sued Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other state officials after the governor signed into law a ban on "conversion therapy." This prohibited treatments that seek to "change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity." This includes "efforts to change behavior or gender expression."
According to the law, counselors were allowed to offer "acceptance, support, or understanding" of a child who self-identifies with a gender inconsistent with his or her sex. The lawsuit filed by the Catholic Charities affiliate argued the law forced them to "affirm" that the child could identify with a gender that is inconsistent with his or her sex, which conflicts with Catholic teaching.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that "everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity." The Vatican's 2019 document "Male and Female He Created Them" teaches that sexual identity is a reality "given" through one's biological and physiological nature.
Officials in Michigan consented to a court order that acknowledges that the law — as enforced against the Catholic Charities affiliate — violates the counselors' First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
According to the court order, the state cannot enforce this law against the Catholic counselors or any other counselors in the state if the treatment "consists exclusively of talking." The order is permanent and took effect immediately, upon the signature of Judge Jane M. Beckering.
The Catholic Charities affiliate was represented by lawyers at the Becket Fund. Luke Goodrich, senior counsel at Becket and lead attorney for the counselors, said in a statement that the order is "a major victory for children, counselors, and common sense."
"Kids who are hurting deserve compassion, not a one-way ticket to harmful drugs, hormones, and surgery," he said. "Now counselors can offer compassionate counseling without fearing that state bureaucrats will come knocking."
This agreement comes four months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that a similar ban on "conversion therapy" in Colorado violated the First Amendment rights of counselors, warning the state-level bans "suppress speech based on viewpoint."
Kimberly Bush, a spokesperson for Michigan's attorney general's office, said in a statement to EWTN News that Michigan entered into the agreement because of the Supreme Court ruling, but added: "We remain deeply disappointed in this decision and have grave concerns for the implications this could bring for the safety and welfare of Michigan's children."
A spokesperson for Whitmer also expressed disappointment in the agreement in a statement to EWTN News.
"Governor Whitmer believes that every young person deserves the right to grow up safe, supported, and free to be themselves," the spokesperson said.
"This order is disappointing and represents a step back for the LGBTQ+ community," the spokesperson added. "Michigan will never support any practice that harms or shames LGBTQ+ youth. The governor will continue to fight to ensure that LGBTQ+ individuals are protected from attacks and that their voices are heard."
In June, Oregon's Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists withdrew disciplinary action against Catholic counselors who engaged in similar talk therapy, citing the Supreme Court decision as its reason.
The Vatican published a video message from the pontiff on Aug. 2 for Ecuador's seventh National Youth Day.
Pope Leo XIV has encouraged young Ecuadorian Catholics to follow Christ with determination and to reflect his love and mercy to the world.
The Vatican published a video message from Leo for Ecuador's seventh National Youth Day on Aug. 2, the final day of the event that began on July 31 in Ibarra. In the message, the pope greeted those present and urged them to listen to Christ's call for their lives.
"I encourage you to listen to the Lord's call and to follow him with determination," the pope said in his message. "An encounter with Jesus Christ fills the heart with joy and gives us the strength to be witnesses of his love and his mercy."
Leo also asked them to allow themselves to be transformed by Christ's love and to work for peace in today's world.
"Allow yourselves to be transformed by his love and be promoters of forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace."
"The Church needs your joy, your courage, and your witness so that many others may come to know Christ," Leo added.
The National Youth Day in Ecuador ("Jornada Nacional de la Juventud") is the country's own adaptation of World Youth Day, gathering dioceses nationwide for catechesis, worship, and fellowship. The motto for this year's gathering is drawn from John 16:33: "Take courage; I have conquered the world."
Amid a rise in homicides nationwide, the Ecuadorian bishops renewed the country's consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June. In 1874, Ecuador became the first country to be officially consecrated to the Sacred Heart.
Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero has stepped back from public ministry while the Church investigates allegations of sexual abuse and inappropriate conduct involving adult women, which he denies.
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Monsignor Mario León Dorado, OMI, as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Rabat, Morocco, after Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero temporarily stepped back from the public exercise of his ministry amid an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and inappropriate conduct, which he denies.
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate announced the appointment in a statement published on the order's official Facebook page. The appointment was also confirmed to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, although it has not yet been officially announced by the Vatican.
"We are pleased to announce that the Holy See has appointed Msgr. Mario León Dorado, OMI, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Rabat, Morocco," the Oblates said.
The statement said the Spanish priest would carry out the responsibility "in communion with the Holy See and at its discretion" and invited the faithful to accompany him with their prayers in his new mission.
ACI Prensa obtained a copy of the decree sent by the apostolic nunciature in Morocco communicating the decision. The letter was signed by Archbishop Alfred Xuereb, the apostolic nuncio, and dated Aug. 1.
An apostolic administrator "sede plena" is appointed when the diocesan bishop remains in office but is temporarily unable to exercise pastoral governance. In such circumstances, the Holy See entrusts the ordinary administration of the diocese to another bishop or priest until the situation that prompted the measure is resolved.
The Archdiocese of Rabat covers much of Morocco and is one of the Catholic Church's principal jurisdictions in the country.
Preliminary investigation underway
The appointment follows López Romero's announcement in early July that he would temporarily withdraw from all public and pastoral activity while the Church conducts a preliminary investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct involving adult women.
The cardinal defended his innocence in a brief statement released at the time by the Spanish news agency EFE.
"I have not committed any assault, violence, or sexual harassment," he said.
López Romero informed the diocesan community of his decision in a message issued at the end of the pastoral year. He said the Church had opened a preliminary investigation into the complaints and that the case was in the hands of the appropriate Holy See authorities.
"I am accused of inappropriate conduct toward adult women," the archbishop said, adding that he was cooperating fully with the ecclesiastical process.
The cardinal said he would refrain from presiding at public celebrations or taking part in pastoral activities while the investigation is underway.
"During this period of investigation, and so as not to hinder it, I am going to take a step back, refraining from presiding at any public celebration and from participating in any pastoral activity, as you will undoubtedly understand," he said in the statement obtained by ACI Prensa.
Who is Mario León Dorado?
León Dorado, who is also Spanish, belongs to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and currently serves as apostolic prefect of Western Sahara. According to information released by the archdiocese, he has carried out his ministry in the region for nearly 25 years.
He discerned a missionary vocation at a young age and professed religious vows on Sept. 15, 1996. He was ordained a priest on June 2, 2001, and began his pastoral ministry in the Spanish province of Jaén, where he served for three years while retaining his desire to minister in an Arab cultural setting.
That interest was strengthened by a visit to the Sahara during his formation, an experience that profoundly shaped his vocation and ultimately directed his pastoral and missionary work toward North Africa.
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.
A new book tells the stories of Catholics who survived persecution during the Spanish Civil War.
Anti-Christian violence claimed the lives of numerous clergy, religious, and lay Catholics in Spain during the 1930s, producing one of the most extensively studied chapters in the modern history of the Church.
The memory of that religious persecution, however, has largely been constructed around its martyrs, leaving in the background those who endured the same brutality but did not receive the palm of martyrdom.
A new book by Spanish priest and theologian Monsignor Melchor Sánchez de Toca Alameda brings to light the stories of Catholics who survived the upheaval and violence of those years.
Published in Spanish by publishing house Didaskalos under the title "Los mártires que no fueron. Salvados, clandestinos, refugiados, evadidos y muertos de la persecución religiosa en España (1936–1939)" ("The Martyrs Who Were Not: Survivors, Underground Catholics, Refugees, Escapees and Victims of Religious Persecution in Spain, 1936–1939"), the book recounts the experiences of people who escaped death, lived in hiding, fled dangerous areas, or died during the Spanish Civil War under circumstances that did not meet the Church's criteria for martyrdom.
Sánchez de Toca, a relator at the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, has worked on numerous causes of martyrdom connected with the religious persecution of the 1930s.
That experience, he told ACI Prensa, inspired him to begin collecting the stories of those whose lives had received less attention.
"Those who went through the persecution and did not die in it, or who died during that period but without the grace of martyrdom, had been left somewhat in the shadows," he said.
Would-be martyrs
The book presents a broad collection of men and women who endured the same trial as the martyrs but met a different fate.
Monsignor Melchor Sánchez de Toca Alameda, a relator at the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, during his book presentation in February 2026 at the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See. | Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN News
Some escaped death through unexpected circumstances. Others remained hidden for years while sustaining a Church forced underground. Some fled the most dangerous areas, while others died during the war without their deaths being recognized as martyrdom.
"Not all saints who live through a religious persecution attain the palm of martyrdom by dying in it, and not everyone who dies during a persecution is a martyr," Sánchez de Toca explained.
Rather than attempting an exhaustive catalog, the author selected figures who have been canonized or are currently the subjects of beatification causes, offering a different perspective on the dramatic events of the period.
Among the better-known figures are St. Maravillas of Jesus, St. Josemaría Escrivá, Blessed Álvaro del Portillo, Venerable José María García Lahiguera, Blessed Pere Tarrés, Isidoro Zorzano, and Servant of God Carmen Hidalgo, co-founder of the Oblate Sisters of Christ the Priest.
The book also features lesser-known people whose lives were marked by the persecution, including Ismael de Tomelloso, known as "the saintly militiaman"; Antonio Rivera, called "the angel of the Alcázar"; and Jesuit Father Fernando Huidobro, a chaplain to the Spanish Legion.
Those three cases initially attracted the author's interest. Although all suffered the consequences of the war and two died from wounds or at the front, none can be considered martyrs in the strict sense.
"There were attempts to present them as martyrs, especially during the postwar period through Francoist propaganda," Sánchez de Toca said.
They were sometimes described using a phrase common at the time, "fallen for God and for Spain." The circumstances of their deaths, however, did not satisfy the requirements established by the Church for the recognition of martyrdom.
The underground Church
One of the book's most distinctive sections reconstructs the daily lives of Catholics who remained in Republican-controlled territory and were forced to practice their faith clandestinely.
A chapter devoted to "the underground and the prayerful home front" recounts the experiences of courageous men and women who organized secret networks to assist priests in hiding, enable the celebration of the sacraments and keep Catholic religious practice alive.
"They created assistance networks that would not be out of place in the best spy novels," Sánchez de Toca said.
Isidoro Zorzano, Venerable José María García Lahiguera and Mother Carmen Hidalgo organized a network of financial assistance for priests who had survived.
"They provided them with the materials needed to celebrate Mass and then redistributed Communion, taking it to homes through underground agents," he explained.
Crossing the front lines
Another chapter recounts the stories of Catholics who crossed the front lines through exceptionally dangerous operations.
They include Blessed Álvaro del Portillo, who crossed through the battlefront; Servant of God Tomás Alvira, who accompanied St. Josemaría Escrivá across the Pyrenees; and Venerable Sister Justa Domínguez de Vidaurreta, a superior of the Daughters of Charity who escaped Madrid after numerous difficulties and eventually settled in Pamplona.
The burden of survival
Sánchez de Toca was also struck by what is commonly known as survivor's guilt, a psychological phenomenon experienced by many who escaped persecution.
Although a chapter devoted to the subject was removed for editorial reasons, the author said many survivors spent the rest of their lives wrestling with a troubling question: Why had they survived while so many of their companions had been killed?
"It is not always easy to answer the question: 'Why did the Lord not want me to be a martyr when so many of my companions were killed?'" he said.
Saved at the last moment
Some of the book's most dramatic passages recount the experiences of people who escaped what appeared to be certain death.
One of the most striking accounts concerns an Augustinian friar imprisoned in Madrid during the persecution.
According to Sánchez de Toca, the friar's hands had already been tied and he was preparing to be transported to Paracuellos when an unknown person cut his ropes and whispered: "Turn around and go back to your cell. Don't look back."
The friar obeyed mechanically and survived.
"He returned to his cell and began trembling and convulsing from the post-traumatic shock so violently that several companions had to hold him down," Sánchez de Toca recounted.
Others survived because of errors in prisoner lists or the unexpected intervention of anonymous people. Many interpreted their rescue as an act of divine providence and spent the rest of their lives wondering why they had been chosen to survive.
The author also addresses crimes committed by Nationalist forces. Father Huidobro, for example, denounced the summary executions of prisoners in complaints submitted to Gen. Francisco Franco's headquarters.
A lesson for today
Beyond their historical value, Sánchez de Toca said he believes the biographies offer lessons of particular relevance to Christians today.
"They all lived with a clear vocation to martyrdom," he said.
According to the author, martyrdom was part of the spiritual horizon of many Spanish Catholics even before the outbreak of the Civil War.
"This can be seen in their letters, homilies, and conversations as an expression of their willingness to give their lives for Christ if necessary," he said.
Sánchez de Toca also highlighted the extraordinary apostolic creativity Catholics demonstrated under extreme circumstances.
"This is another enduring lesson for our time," he concluded. "The Holy Spirit inspires apostolic creativity in the circumstances in which each person lives."
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.
In an Aug. 2 message, Archbishop Luis Argüello said: "Biopolitics is key to current global power."
The president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE, by its Spanish acronym), Archbishop Luis Argüello, stated that "the invasion of Ceuta is a test. Demography is a weapon," referring to the crisis in recent days caused by the massive illegal entry of migrants into the Spanish city located on the African coast — a situation Pope Leo XIV has also described as "alarming."
In an Aug. 2 message shared on X, Argüello declared: "Biopolitics is key to current global power. Life is toyed with, and people — their dreams, hunger, sexuality, and data — are exploited for the sake of profit and power."
"Migration is part of this strategy. The invasion of Ceuta is a test. Demography is a weapon," the prelate added. Since July 31, the Spanish city of Ceuta — located on the African coast of the Strait of Gibraltar — has been facing an extremely grave situation following the illegal entry of some 60,000 people who swam from Morocco, skirting the Tarajal breakwater.
As a result, at least 72 people are believed to have lost their lives during the crossing, though the death toll is estimated to potentially exceed 100. While it is estimated that the majority of those who crossed the border irregularly have returned to Morocco, around 5,000 people still remain on the streets of the autonomous city.
Up to 22 European Union countries have pointed to the recent mass legalization of immigrants carried out in Spain — and backed by the Catholic Church — as a contributing factor to the current migration crisis.
Meanwhile, a recent Spanish court ruling invalidated the practice of so-called "hot returns" (immediate, summary expulsions) in cases where illegal entry into the country was made by swimming, as occurred on July 31.
The bishop of Sant Feliú de Llobregat, the Dominican Xabier Gómez — speaking in his capacity as the official responsible for Migration and Interculturality for the Tarraconense Episcopal Conference — stated in a reflection that "we are not facing an ordinary migration crisis."
The "terrible and very real human drama" that unfolded has benefited neither those who took to the sea risking their lives nor the citizens of Ceuta, who "have the right to live in safety, free from alarm, and in peaceful coexistence."
However, it has served the interests of "those who use human mobility as a tool for political pressure, those seeking to strain diplomatic relations through potential 'hybrid threats,' those who play on public fear, and those who turn the suffering of others and fear into electoral gain."
After ruling out the recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling or the regulatory process as the root causes of the situation, Gómez recalled the words of Pope Leo XIV regarding the migration issue — spoken during his recent trip to Spain, which included a visit to the Canary Islands, a region that has also been heavily impacted by the mass migration phenomenon.
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.
ARISE is a full-day conference taking place on Sept. 26 in Canada's largest city built for young professionals and Catholics from all walks of life.
The Young Professional Catholics of Toronto (YPCT), a growing lay association of the Archdiocese of Toronto, will host its first conference on Sept. 26 at the Canada Event Centre in the greater Toronto area.
According to its website, ARISE is a full-day conference built for young professionals and Catholics from all walks of life called to be a "light and witness in their workplaces and society."
The conference will include keynote speakers, breakout sessions, Mass, benediction, and networking opportunities. Some of the speakers set to take the stage include Sister Marie Veritas of the Sisters of Life; Father Charbel Bousamra, a Maronite priest and founder of Assumption Academy in Canada; and Father Marcin Serwin, a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate and director of Oblate Youth Canada, among others.
YPCT brings together ambitious individuals navigating careers and personal growth, all while remaining rooted in shared Catholic values. Through networking events, service initiatives, and faith-centered gatherings, the group offers more than just social connection — it provides purpose and belonging as it redefines how Catholic identity can thrive among the next generation of leaders.
The group's vice president, Kathleen Muggeridge, and Eva Bracho, one of the group's event directors, told EWTN News in an interview that the inspiration for the conference came from a passage from the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus tells the rich young man to arise, sell his possessions, and follow him.
"Obviously not everyone can literally sell everything that they have and follow him and become like a monk or be out on the streets to serve the poor, but in their own vocational path — whether it's to be a father or mother of many children and to work and contribute to society — in whatever state of their life that they're in, they need to arise and go and follow Our Lord," Muggeridge said.
Bracho added that the theme of "arise" is also a "call from from spiritual slumber to intentional action. Especially, I think, in our society now, in our generation as well, it's really that call to live our faith fully in the world and tend to our individual God-given missions whatever that is and to become the person that God has created us to be."
YPCT is expecting 600 to 800 attendees and while the conference is open to all Catholics, Bracho emphasized that what sets this conference apart is "that mission focus in your life. A lot of us are called to marriage and professional life. So what does that look like from a professional standpoint, which I think has not really been touched before."
She added that she hopes attendees will leave the conference with "a sense of renewal."
"So really remembering who God created each person to be in our identity as daughters and sons and then coming out of that and saying, 'OK, what am I here for? What is my mission?' And feeling the renewal of 'I'm going to go forth in whatever my circumstances, my job, my life, my family, whatever that is, and be intentional about the life that I'm living and have that call to holiness but also have that call of like pursuing with purpose what I feel like my mission is in this life,'" Bracho said.
Muggeridge added: "The conference will be a reminder to people that God's grace is in the here and now; it's right now, and every single moment of life that God wills us to be here is a moment where we can turn it all around. I really believe that it only takes a little bit of goodness on our part for God to do huge things."
Although Catholicism was a small minority in colonial America, more than 20,000 Catholics called it home. Two-thirds lived in Maryland, with most of the rest in Pennsylvania and port cities.
When the American Founding Fathers declared independence from the British crown 250 years ago, Catholicism represented a very small portion of the population — accounting for less than 2% of the people.
The primary hub for American Catholicism in 1776 was Maryland, which was created as a safe haven for Catholics and home to the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence: Charles Carroll of Carrollton.
Yet, more than one-third of Catholics lived outside Maryland in the late 1700s. Archbishop John Carroll — the first bishop in the United States — reported the Catholic population to the Holy See in 1785: about 15,800 in Maryland, at least 7,000 in Pennsylvania, at least 1,500 in New York, and no more than 200 in Virginia. There were a few hundred scattered elsewhere.
The primary reason for the low numbers was restrictive laws, some of which outright banned Catholicism and priests from colonies. Even in Maryland, after the 1689 Protestant Revolution, Catholics faced severe restrictions, including a ban on voting and openly celebrating Mass.
"[The laws were] definitely repressive," said Seth Smith, a history professor at The Catholic University of America with expertise in American Catholicism.
"But Catholics in the colonies had more freedom to practice their faith than they would have in Britain," Smith told EWTN News.
"On the books, virtually everywhere except Rhode Island and (informally) Pennsylvania, Catholics faced disenfranchisement, exclusion from office, land restrictions, and bans on public worship, Catholic schools, and priests," he said. "These laws escalated throughout the colonial period."
For example, Massachusetts had a law permitting executions of priests but "actual executions of priests for simply being priests essentially didn't happen in the 13 colonies," Smith said.
"[These laws] had the effect of limiting Catholic migration to British North America," he said. "... The practical reality was that there were so few Catholics that enforcement was often moot."
Catholicism in Pennsylvania
As the Catholic hub in Maryland faced legal restrictions in the late 1600s into the 1700s, Jesuits in Maryland sought to extend their reach into the colonies and found the friendliest colony to be Pennsylvania, founded by a Quaker strong advocate for religious freedom, William Penn.
Father Joseph Greaton, an English Catholic who moved to Maryland in 1719, was assigned to Pennsylvania, where he established the colony's first Catholic parish in Philadelphia — Old St. Joseph's Church, founded in 1733.
Although the colony and city tolerated Catholics legally, Greaton still took precautions because of anti-Catholic sentiment, designing the church to look more like a residential building rather than appearing outwardly like a Catholic church.
When reached for comment, the current pastor referred EWTN News to Stephen Paesani, a parishioner deeply involved in the parish, to speak about its history.
Paesani said the chapel was designed that way "so it wouldn't draw attention to itself." When it was created, it was the "only place in the British empire where Mass was celebrated legally and publicly" because the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly — the governing body — determined British anti-Catholic laws did not apply.
To enter the church, Paesani said, "you had to come in through the alley and go through the courtyard." He said "if you didn't know the church was there, you would never know."
Catholics were a small minority in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania more broadly. Paesani said treatment of Catholics was "a mixed bag." There were "clearly incidents of anti-Catholicism" in colonial Philadelphia, but the priests were involved in the community and generally had support from public officials, he said.
Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a Catholic Founding Father, sometimes worshipped there. Another prominent parishioner was John Barry, an Irish Catholic naval officer who fought in the American Revolution and was appointed to lead the U.S. Navy post-Revolution.
Greaton established other churches throughout Pennsylvania to serve Catholics and would travel from town to town administering the sacraments to the faithful. One parish that's still standing is Most Blessed Sacrament in Bally, which was home to a small number of German Catholics, founded in 1741.
Michael Miller, the museum director at Most Blessed Sacrament, told EWTN News the parish only served "a few families," with the closest being the Kuhn family. John Kuhn — a German Catholic — informed the Jesuits that land there was for sale, previously owned by Mennonites.
"[Greaton] would travel to other Mass houses [throughout Pennsylvania]," Miller said.
When asked whether the German Catholics faced discrimination, he said "not around here." In that part of Pennsylvania, he said most people, regardless of religion, were either iron workers or farmers, and the Protestant majorities were "good neighbors."
"There were so few Catholics in the immediate area, when they got around to building the chapel, they had Mennonite workers," he said.
Other locations he traveled to included Ivy Mills, where Mass was celebrated in the home of Thomas Willcox in the early 1700s until Catholics established the parish of St. Thomas the Apostle. Another was the Conewago Chapel in Hanover (now the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus), established in 1730.
Catholicism outside Maryland and Pennsylvania
Outside of Maryland and Pennsylvania, Smith said "mostly what existed were scattered gentry families like the Brents in Virginia (who had ties to Maryland) and Catholics with diplomatic and mercantile roles in port cities."
This contributed to the small number of Catholics present in New York City and Charleston, South Carolina, even though Catholicism was illegal in both cities for most of colonial times. Catholicism was only briefly legal in colonial New York when Irish Catholic Thomas Dongan was appointed governor from 1683 to 1688.
"The reason that there was any Catholic presence in these cities (or any port cities in British North America) was due to commerce," Smith said. "Port cities pulled sailors, merchants, etc., from around the world. Some level of religious tolerance was good for business, though tolerance generally meant that Catholics could practice their faith out of sight."
After the revolution and when the United States adopted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which guaranteed a right to "the free exercise" of religion, Catholicism was tolerated — at least legally. This led to a greater influx of Catholic immigration in the 1800s.
In 1790, President George Washington wrote to Archbishop John Carroll while lawmakers were still in the process of adopting the Bill of Rights.
Washington assured the archbishop that Catholics would enjoy the same rights as Protestants under the new government. He said "your fellow-citizens will not forget the patriotic part which you took" in the revolutionary war and the establishment of the government. He also noted the support received from the Catholic country of France.
"May the members of your society in America, animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and still conducting themselves as the faithful subjects of our free government, enjoy every temporal and spiritual felicity," Washington wrote.
The family of Father Arsanios Wadid, who was murdered in April 2022, confirmed that the man found guilty of the crime has been put to death.
A crime that deeply shocked Egypt's Coptic community and broader public has reached its legal conclusion after the family of Father Arsanios Wadid confirmed that Egyptian authorities have executed the man convicted of murdering him.
The sentence was carried out after all stages of litigation were completed and the defendant had exhausted his available legal appeals, bringing to an end a case that lasted more than four years from the killing to the execution of the final judgment.
According to the attorney representing the priest's family, Egyptian authorities carried out the death sentence, the most severe punishment under the country's law, after investigators and the courts found the defendant responsible for intentional murder.
The execution followed the Egyptian Court of Cassation's rejection of the defendant's final appeal and its affirmation of an earlier ruling by the Alexandria Criminal Court, making the sentence final and enforceable.
The case dates back to April 7, 2022, when Wadid, a priest of the Coptic Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary and St. Paul the Apostle in Alexandria's Karmouz-Moharam Bek district, was participating in a weekly parish gathering at one of the city's beaches. As participants were boarding buses following the gathering, Wadid, who was wearing clerical attire and helping organize their departure, was attacked from behind and fatally stabbed.
Those present restrained the assailant and handed him over to security forces. Wadid was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Although the legal proceedings initially moved quickly, with the defendant referred to the criminal court within weeks of the killing and sentenced to death by hanging, the ruling was not final at the time and remained pending while the Court of Cassation considered his appeals.
In January 2025, the Court of Cassation rejected the defendant's appeal and upheld the death sentence, making the judgment final. The sentence, however, was not carried out until approximately a year and a half later, making it more than four years from the killing to the execution and leaving a profound mark on the Coptic Orthodox Church and the people of Alexandria.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
The Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) published its annual report on July 31.
The Vatican's financial investments and assets rose to a net worth of approximately $3 billion (2.686 billion euros) in 2025.
According to the annual report released on July 31 by the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), the profit increased by $102 million (89 million euros) compared with 2024. The profit was also mainly due to the revaluation of physical gold, the increase in the value of real estate, and the positive valuation of financial securities.
Speaking to Vatican Media, APSA President Archbishop Giordano Piccinotti said that comparing profits in 2024 and 2025 should be done with caution, as 2025 was marked by extraordinary income from the reorganization of financial flows, a situation he described as unrepeatable.
"APSA's purpose is not to generate an annual profit, but rather to preserve and strengthen the patrimony entrusted to it," he stated.
A profit driven by real estate
According to the 2025 report, real estate management was APSA's main economic driver that year, with a profit of $51 million (44.5 million euros), an improvement of $10.8 million (9.4 million euros) over the $40.3 million (35.1 million euros) recorded in 2024.
This growth was driven by higher income from properties directly managed by APSA in Italy. APSA also manages approximately 1,200 properties abroad, including residential and commercial units, primarily in London, Paris, Geneva, and Lausanne, Switzerland.
APSA also made profits from its stakeholdings in several companies, including the Société Sopridex in France, the British Grolux Investments in the United Kingdom, and Profima S.A. in Switzerland.
Cardinal Becciu and the London property sale
For investments, APSA reported that it continues the financial and legal procedures for the divestment of the Luxembourg fund U.K. Opportunities (Sloane & Cadogan), in compliance with a 2020 motu proprio issued by Pope Francis to strengthen transparency and control of Vatican investments.
The fund is linked to the controversial real estate deal involving the Sloane Avenue building in London, which led to one of the Vatican's biggest financial scandals in recent years. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the former prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, was at the center of this scandal, and the Vatican sentenced him to five years and six months in prison.
Since his conviction in 2023, Becciu has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied any wrongdoing.
The Vatican court ordered a retrial of Becciu's case on March 17 after the initial sentence was overturned due to a "relative nullity" caused by violations of the right to defense. On Sept. 30, the appeal process against Becciu and other defendants will resume.
Growth by gold, money in reserves, and supporting Roman Curia
The growth in assets was mainly driven by the revaluation of physical gold in the portfolio, which contributed $46.9 million (40.8 million euros), as well as by the increase in the value of real estate by $45.1 million (39.2 million euros) and the appreciation of financial securities by $18.8 million (16.3 million euros).
Financial management showed a negative accounting result of $4.3 million (3.7 million euros) in 2025, compared with a positive $43.8 million (38.1 million euros) in 2024. However, APSA explained that this figure is mainly due to the application of the new Holy See accounting standards, the Vatican Financial Management Policy.
In 2025, APSA allocated a total of $26.1 million (22.7 million euros) to cover the financial needs of the Roman Curia, fully complying with the contribution requested by the Holy See.
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.
