Category Archives: World News

Briefs

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NATION
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – As the U.S. military carried out another strike on Oct. 16 against what it said was a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean, a Notre Dame Law School expert warned that type of action, without authorization from Congress, could set the stage for the government to conduct strikes closer to home with virtually no guardrails. First reported by Reuters, the Oct. 16 strike is believed to be the first out of at least six such strikes that left survivors among the crew. Nearly 30 people have been killed in the strikes. Mary Ellen O’Connell, a professor at Notre Dame Law School who specializes in international law and conflict resolution, expressed concern that Trump “played a critical role in winning a ceasefire in Gaza only to turn around to use lawless military force in the Caribbean.” On Jan. 20, Trump issued an executive order designating certain international cartels and other organizations as “foreign terrorist organizations.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church states legitimate authorities are entrusted with preserving the common good by “rendering the unjust aggressor unable to inflict harm,” but specifies strict conditions for the use of military force including the exhaustion of all other efforts to stop such damage. O’Connell said the strikes have no justification in U.S. or international law, and there is nothing in the president’s executive order that prevents him from using this kind of lethal force in Lake Michigan, a waterway accessible from Canada but fully within U.S. territory.

A 17th-century monastery in northern Italy where recently canonized St. Carlo Acutis received his first Communion is seen in flames as firefighters try to contain the fire Oct. 11, 2025. The Bernaga Monastery, located in the La Valletta Brianza municipality in the Lombardy region, was home to 22 Ambrosian-rite cloistered nuns, all of whom survived the devastating blaze. (OSV News/courtesy Lombardy firefighters) Editors: best quality available.

ANCHORAGE (OSV News) – Catholic dioceses in Alaska are calling for prayer and support, after flooding from a recent typhoon devastated several coastal communities. The remnants of Typhoon Halong struck the state’s western coast over the Oct. 11-12 weekend, killing at least one. Two other individuals remain missing, and hundreds of stranded residents have been airlifted to Anchorage for safety, with many watching their homes float away. According to state officials, some 1,800 Alaska residents from just under 50 communities had been displaced. In an Oct. 14 letter posted to Facebook, Bishop Steven J. Maekawa of Fairbanks asked parishioners to “pray for the people of western Alaska who were affected by the typhoon and storms this past week. For those who lost their lives and for their families and friends. For those whose homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged. For those communities that are without power, heat, and water. For the people working in the rescue and relief efforts.”

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV met with a coalition of survivors of abuse and victims’ advocates for the first time at the Vatican Oct. 20. Members of the board of Ending Clergy Abuse met with the pope for about an hour in a closed-door meeting that was later confirmed by the Vatican. “This was a deeply meaningful conversation,” Gemma Hickey, ECA board president and survivor of clergy abuse in Canada, said in a press release. “It reflects a shared commitment to justice, healing and real change.” “Survivors have long sought a seat at the table, and today we felt heard,” Hickey said in the statement. “Pope Leo is very warm, he listened,” Hickey said at a news conference, according to Reuters. “We told him that we come as bridge-builders, ready to walk together toward truth, justice and healing.” While the group of six people representing ECA met with the pope, video clips from the Vatican also showed a separate meeting between Pope Leo and Pedro Salinas, a Peruvian journalist and abuse survivor. Salinas, a former member of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae who suffered physical and psychological abuse by the movement’s founder, Luis Fernando Figari, is seen in the footage giving the pope a copy of his new book, “The Truth Sets Us Free,” in Spanish.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Sacramental marriage and traditional family life increase joy in the good times, give strength during hard times and are a path to true holiness, Pope Leo XIV said. Marking the 10th anniversary of the canonization of Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Pope Leo said the couple “bears witness to the ineffable happiness and profound joy that God grants, both here on earth and for eternity, to those who commit themselves to this path of fidelity and fruitfulness.” The pope’s comments came in a message to Bishop Bruno Feillet of Séez, France, the home diocese of the Martin family. The message was released at the Vatican Oct. 18, the date of the anniversary of the Martins becoming “the first couple to be canonized as such,” the pope said.

WORLD
MEZCALA, Mexico (OSV News) – Another Catholic priest has been murdered in Mexico’s violence-stricken Guerrero state. Father Bertoldo Pantaleón Estrada, pastor of San Cristóbal Parish in Mezcala, was found dead Oct. 6 – two days after disappearing. According to press reports, he was shot twice in the neck, and federal officials have named his driver as the prime suspect. “At this time, we have no indication that the father was involved in anything wrong,” Federal public security secretary Omar García Harfuch said Oct. 7. Father Pantaleón’s death underscores the growing danger for clergy in cartel-controlled regions. Guerrero, once a hub for heroin production, remains plagued by organized crime, extortion, and kidnappings. The Diocese of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, where the priest served, has suffered multiple clergy killings in recent years. The Mexican bishops’ conference condemned the violence, calling for a full and transparent investigation. Since 2006, at least 52 priests have been killed in Mexico – making it the deadliest country in the world for Catholic clergy.

LA VALLETTA BRIANZA, Italy (OSV News) – A devastating fire has gutted a 17th-century monastery in northern Italy where newly canonized St. Carlo Acutis once received his first Communion. The blaze broke out on Oct. 11 at Bernaga Monastery in La Valletta Brianza, reducing much of the wooden structure to ruins. Thankfully, all 22 cloistered nuns inside survived, with one sister raising the alarm just in time. Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan expressed deep sorrow, calling the fire a tragic loss of sacred heritage and personal belongings. The monastery had just marked the Jubilee of Consecrated Life and was preparing to celebrate St. Carlo’s first official feast day on Oct. 12. A first-class relic of the young saint – a lock of his hair – was saved from the flames, though a crucifix gifted by St. Paul VI remains missing. Authorities suspect an electrical short circuit may have sparked the fire. Investigations are ongoing as the faithful rally in prayer and support. According to the archdiocese, from a young age, St. Carlo was “fond of the nuns” at the monastery. It was there that he was introduced to Bishop Pasquale Macchi. It was Bishop Macchi, the archdiocese said, that informed St. Carlo’s parents that the 7-year-old future saint was ready for his first Communion.

New saints highlight power of faith amid spiritual, personal challenges

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By Junno Arocho Esteves
(OSV News) – When Pope Leo XIV raised three women and four men to the altar on Oct. 19, he canonized a diverse group of religious and lay men and women, all bound by the virtue of holding on to their faith amid spiritual and external challenges.

The canonizations, which were announced by the Vatican June 13 during the pope’s first ordinary public consistory, elevated to sainthood seven candidates who hail from Venezuela, Turkey, Papua New Guinea and Italy.

St. María Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez, who was born without a left arm, overcame physical challenges and founded a religious congregation, the Servants of Jesus of Caracas, which was dedicated to pastoral ministry and education.

St. Maria Troncatti, an Italian Salesian, dedicated her life as a missionary to Indigenous peoples in the Amazon rainforest, earning her the informal title of “doctor of the jungle,” while St. Vincenza Maria Poloni dedicated her ministry to the sick and the poor, whom she deemed as “our masters.”

Others, such as St. Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, an Armenian Catholic archbishop, and St. Peter To Rot, were martyred for their faith.

Among the most well-known is St. Bartolo Longo, a former Satanist priest who, after his conversion, dedicated his life as a Dominican tertiary to promoting the rosary and Marian devotion.

For Dominican Father Joseph Anthony Kress, promoter of the rosary for the Province of St. Joseph and associate director of the Dominican Friars Foundation, the example of the challenges faced by St. Longo and the other six sainthood candidates shows “that this earthly pilgrimage is not a sanitized experience.”

Speaking to OSV News Oct. 10, Father Kress said that like Christ, who stumbled and fell “on his way to making that supreme sacrifice,” Christian lives reflect the same struggle.

“We don’t need to try to perfect or sanitize our lives before we offer them to Jesus, but we can invite him into the suffering and the struggle,” he said.

“All of these saints experienced different elements of struggle throughout their lives: physical struggles, psychological struggles, spiritual desolations. But in the midst of all of that, they maintained a constant relationship with the Lord and invited him into those moments.”

“That’s where holiness is,” Father Kress added.

Another notable aspect of some of the candidates is the fact that they were lay members of the Catholic Church. St. Longo was a lay member of the Dominican order, while St. José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros of Venezuela was a Franciscan tertiary. St. Peter To Rot, a martyr from Papua New Guinea, was married and served as a lay catechist.

Father Kress told OSV News that those like Sts. Longo and Hernández prove that “we can still be inspired by the great charisms of these religious orders in the Catholic Church, and to be unafraid to pursue that; to be unafraid of committing to that.”

“We live in a society, man, that is just so fraught and afraid to make any kind of commitment to a specific thing,” he said. “And some of these saints who have been tertiaries have made those commitments, and it’s a great message of hope and confidence in the Lord, and confidence in our individual humanity and personalities to say, ‘This charism is something that attracts me, and I want to participate in that in ways that make sense.’”

Below are brief summaries of the church’s seven newest saints:

St. María Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez was a Venezuelan religious sister and founder of the Servants of Jesus of Caracas. Born without a left arm, her life exemplified overcoming physical challenges. She established the Servants of Jesus of Caracas in 1965, dedicating her community to education and spiritual outreach. She died May 9, 1977, in Caracas. She is Venezuela’s first female saint.

St. José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros was a Venezuelan physician and scientist known widely as the “Doctor of the Poor.” Born Oct. 26, 1864, in Isnotú, Venezuela, he was instrumental in introducing modern medical science to the country and founded its first bacteriology laboratory. A devoted layman and Franciscan tertiary, he provided free medical care to the poor throughout his career. He died June 29, 1919, in Caracas after being struck by an automobile while running an errand for a sick patient.

St. Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan was the Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin. Born April 19, 1869, in Mardin, Ottoman Empire (now Turkey), he was consecrated as archbishop in 1911. During the Armenian Genocide in 1915, he was arrested by Ottoman authorities who demanded he renounce his Christian faith and convert to Islam. He refused and was subsequently tortured and martyred on June 11, 1915.

St. Peter To Rot was a married father and lay catechist from Papua New Guinea. Born in 1912 in Rakunai, he took on a vital leadership role when Japanese forces imprisoned missionaries during World War II. He became the sole spiritual guide for his community and strongly defended Christian marriage against the Japanese-promoted return of polygamy. For this opposition, he was arrested. He was martyred in a Japanese prison camp in Rakunai, Papua New Guinea, in July 1945.

St. Vincenza Maria Poloni (born Luigia Poloni) was an Italian religious sister and co-founder of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona. Born Jan. 26, 1802, in Verona, she dedicated her life to works of charity. She helped establish the congregation in 1840 to care for the sick, the poor, and orphans, emphasizing merciful love for the marginalized. She famously referred to the poor as “our masters.” She died Nov. 11, 1855, in Verona.

St. Maria Troncatti was a Salesian nun and nurse who served as a missionary in the Amazon rainforest. Born Feb. 16, 1883, in Corteno Golgi, Italy, she arrived in Ecuador in 1922 and spent nearly five decades working among the Indigenous Shuar people. Known as the “doctor of the jungle,” she ministered to physical and spiritual needs, notably promoting the dignity of women and reconciliation among tribal groups. She died Aug. 25, 1969, in Sucúa, Ecuador, in a small plane crash while traveling to a retreat.

St. Bartolo Longo was an Italian lawyer and lay Dominican tertiary. Born Feb. 10, 1841, in Latiano, he experienced a dramatic conversion after a period of involvement with a spiritualist cult, which included being consecrated as a satanic priest. He devoted his life to promoting the rosary and serving the materially and spiritually poor peasants near Pompeii, where he founded the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii and several charitable institutions for children. He died Oct. 5, 1926, in Pompeii.

(Junno Arocho Esteves writes for OSV News from Malmö, Sweden.)

A combination photos shows Sts. Bartolo Longo, an Italian lawyer and lay Dominican tertiary; Peter To Rot, a married father and lay catechist from Papua New Guinea; Vincenza Maria Poloni (born Luigia Poloni), an Italian religious sister and co-founder of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona; and Maria Troncatti, a Salesian nun and nurse who served as a missionary in the Amazon. They are four of the seven people from diverse backgrounds that Pope Leo XIV canonized at the Vatican Oct. 19, 2025. (OSV News photo/Catholic Press Photo)

Hispanic Saints to know

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St. Louis Bertrand, OP, Feast Day: October 9

Sacred Heart Convent, Springfield IL

Louis became a Dominican at 18 and was ordained a priest in 1547. He was novice-master in his native Spain on and off for 30 years and gained a reputation for holiness by caring for plague victims in Valencia in 1557. In 1562, he went as a missionary to the Caribbean, working in Colombia, and the Leeward, Virgin and Windward Islands for six years. His apostolic zeal, aided by the gift of tongues and other miraculous events, resulted in 15,000 conversions among the Indian populations. After he returned to Spain, he trained preachers for the missions, saying the only effective preparation was humble and fervent prayer. He was canonized in 1671 and is the principal patron saint of Colombia. St. Louis Bertrand is the patron of Buñol; New Granada; and Colombia.

St. Martin de Porres, Feast Day: November 3

Sacred Heart Convent,
Springfield IL

This illegitimate son of a freed Panamanian slave and a Spanish knight became a hero to the people of Lima, Peru, his birthplace, for his compassionate care of the sick and poor.

Apprenticed at age 12 to a barber-surgeon, Martin also learned herbal medicine from his mother. After working for several years at a Dominican monastery as a Third Order member, he made his profession as a lay brother in 1603. He founded an orphanage and foundling hospital, ministered to African slaves, practiced great penances and experienced mystical gifts. Martin was carried to his grave by prelates and noblemen and all Peruvians acclaimed him their beloved saint. He is the patron of hairdressers and interracial justice.

St. Juan Diego Cuāuhtlahtoātzin, Feast Day: December 9

Original painting is kept in a vault at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

Baptized at 50, this Indian was walking to Mass on Dec. 9, 1531, when Mary appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, near Mexico City. She asked him to petition the bishop for a shrine to be built there. But the bishop asked for a sign.

On Dec. 12, Juan returned to Tepeyac; Mary told him to pick flowers blooming atop the hill and put them in his cloak to take to the bishop. When Juan opened the cloak, the flowers fell out and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe adorned his garment. This miraculous image is preserved in the famous basilica in Mexico City. Juan lived out his days as a hermit near the first chapel built there; he was canonized in 2002.

St. Juan Diego is the patron of indigenous peoples.

St. Toribio of Mogrovejo, Feast Day: March 23

Spanish-born Toribio taught law in Salamanca until 1574, when he was appointed inquisitor of Granada. In 1580, though not yet a priest, he was named archbishop of Lima, Peru, with his episcopal ordination in Seville.

After arriving in Lima in 1581, his 25 years of missionary service included diocesan and provincial synods, visits around the vast diocese, clergy reforms, and Indian-language catechisms. He also introduced European religious orders into Peru, opened the first seminary in the New World and encouraged Indians to become priests.

St. Toribio of Mogrovejo is the patron of Latin American bishops, native rights and Lima, Peru.

St. Cristobal Magallanes Jara, Feast Day: May 21

This Mexican saint shares his feast with 21 other priests and three laymen martyred between 1915 and 1937, when Mexican authorities persecuted the Catholic Church.

Many of these Cristero martyrs, canonized in 2000, were tortured and executed when apprehended. Father Magallanes, a zealous pastor in his home state of Jalisco, also did mission work among the indigenous Huicholes. Before they were shot, he said to his priest-companion, “Be at peace, my son; it takes but one moment, then it will be heaven.”

St. Cristobal Magallanes Jara and companions are the patron saints for persecuted Christians.

St. Josemaria Escrivá de Balaguer, Feast Day: June 26

Born in Barbastro, Spain in 1902, Josemaria Escrivá was ordained a priest in 1925. In 1928, he founded Opus Dei, Latin for “God’s work,” as an apostolate in the ordinary circumstances of life, especially work, focusing on the universal call to holiness. It includes laypeople, priests and seminarians.

His best known publication is “The Way,” which sold millions of copies.

In 1975, Msgr. Escriva died at age 73 in Rome, where he had lived, directing the international organization, since 1946. In 1982 Opus Dei was given the status of a personal prelature, the equivalent of a nonterritorial diocese. Its founder was beatified in 1992 and canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II.

St. Josemaria Escrivá is the patron of Opus Dei and people with diabetes.

All photos and descriptions from CNS Saints.

Briefs

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NATION
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, New Jersey, as the coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans. The appointment was publicized Sept. 24 In Washington by Cardinal Christophe Piere, apostolic nuncio to the United States. As coadjutor, Archbishop Checchio will assist Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond and automatically succeed him upon retirement. Archbishop Checchio called the New Orleans Archdiocese a “faith-filled” community and thanked both Pope Leo and local church leaders for their warm welcome. As coadjutor, he is coming into an archdiocese faced with having to resolve hundreds of sexual abuse claims. A Camden, New Jersey, native, Archbishop Checchio brings to his new assignment decades of pastoral and administrative experience – including 10 years as rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Ordained in 1992, he has led the Diocese of Metuchen since 2016, prioritizing parish visits, child protection and accountability. Notably, the diocese said in a statement, he implemented a bishop abuse reporting system before it was required by church law. Archbishop Checchio has served on national boards, including Seton Hall and the National Catholic Bioethics Center – and once ministered as chaplain to the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The 2026 National March for Life theme is “Life is a Gift,” The March for Life Education and Defense Fund announced Sept. 30. Jennie Bradley Lichter, who became president of the March for Life earlier this year, noted the group chooses a theme each year for the annual pro-life march in Washington as “an opportunity to focus our attention on a key message or a timely element of the prolife mission.” “We’re now at a critical moment in our country where the March for Life and what we stand for is more important than ever,” Lichter told reporters at a launch event, adding, “This year, with this theme, we really want to speak to the heart.” The 53rd annual National March for Life is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. A pre-rally concert will feature the Christian band Sanctus Real, Lichter said, and the Friends of Club 21 Choir, comprised of individuals with Down syndrome, will lead the national anthem at the event. Georgetown University Right to Life will carry the banner at the start of the March. Lichter said the group is also launching a “Marchers’ Stories Project” where they will seek video submissions from participants to document the group’s history.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Loving someone who is sick requires “concrete gestures of closeness,” just like that shown in the Gospel story of the Samaritan who helps the person beaten by thieves, said a Vatican office. The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced Sept. 26 that Pope Leo XIV had chosen the theme for the church’s next celebration of the World Day of the Sick: “The compassion of the Samaritan: Loving by bearing the pain of the other.” The world day is celebrated annually on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes Feb. 11. A papal message for the celebration usually is published in early January.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV announced he will proclaim St. John Henry Newman a doctor of the church Nov. 1 during the Jubilee of the World of Education. Speaking after Mass Sept. 28 for the Jubilee of Catechists, the pope said St. Newman “contributed decisively to the renewal of theology and to the understanding of the development of Christian doctrine.” The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints had announced July 31 that Pope Leo “confirmed the affirmative opinion” of the cardinals and bishops who are members of the dicastery “regarding the title of Doctor of the Universal Church which will soon be conferred on Saint John Henry Newman, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Founder of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in England.” St. Newman was born in London Feb. 21, 1801, was ordained an Anglican priest, became Catholic in 1845, was made a cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII and died in Edgbaston, near Birmingham, England, in 1890.

Journalists visit a working area at outside Sagrada Familia following a news conference to announce an update on the works of the basilica in Barcelona, Spain, Sept. 18, 2025. Over a century in the making, the Tower of Jesus Christ, designed by the famed Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí, will soon crown the Basilica of the Holy Family, making it the tallest Catholic church in the world. (OSV News photo/Albert Gea, Reuters)

WORLD
BARCELONA, Spain (OSV News) – The iconic Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is nearing a historic milestone: the completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ, which will make it the tallest Catholic church in the world. Designed by visionary architect and Servant of God Antoni Gaudí, the tower will stand over 564 feet tall – surpassing both the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Ivory Coast and even Germany’s Ulmer Münster. Head architect Jordi Faulí announced that the central spire is finished, and crews are now preparing to install a massive seven-piece cross atop it. “The cross is made up of seven large pieces that are assembled here and will then be lifted with the crane,” Faulí said. The cross is expected to be in place by early 2026, aligning with the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death. Construction on the basilica began in 1882 and has weathered wars, pandemics and funding delays. While the main structure is on track for completion in 2026, artistic elements like statues and chapels will continue into the 2030s – bringing Gaudí’s masterpiece one step closer to completion.

Briefs

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Pope Leo XIV blows out a candle on a cake for his 70th birthday Sept. 14, 2025, as cardinals, Vatican officials and ecumenical leaders look on after a prayer service at Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

NATION
MIAMI (OSV News) – Dressed in the customary yellow colors of the event and with umbrellas in hand, elementary school student Aniela Alejandra Garcia and her mother, Yeily Garcia, didn’t let the weather stop them from approaching the statue of the Cuban Virgin of Our Lady of Charity. “I was helping people with the candles,” Aniela told the Florida Catholic, Miami’s archdiocesan news outlet. She made the remarks as she joined the local Cuban-American community Sept. 8 in placing bright yellow sunflowers and candles outdoors during a recitation of the rosary followed by Mass at the the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami. The color yellow is customarily associated with the Virgin of Charity, and her shrines – including the one in Miami – are often graced with yellow flowers. Affectionately known as La Ermita de La Caridad, the shrine is located near Coconut Grove. This year was also the 25th anniversary of La Ermita’s designation as a national shrine by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2000. Flash flood warnings and epic rain may have shut down flights at the Miami Airport Sept. 8 but it didn’t stop faithful from making the pilgrimage to Biscayne Bay for the annual feast event.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Dozens of small handmade signs and large bold banners waved in the crowd of some 30,000 visitors in St. Peter’s Square wishing Pope Leo XIV a happy birthday Sept. 14. Two gold mylar balloons with the numbers “7” and “0” were held up high. The largest banner, in red and white, was held by a group from the Peruvian city of Monsefú in the province of Chiclayo, where the pope had served as bishop for eight years. “Dear friends, it seems that you know that today I turn 70 years old,” the pope said to huge cheers and shouts of “auguri,” meaning “congratulations” and “happy birthday” in Italian. “I give thanks to the Lord and to my parents; and I thank all those who have remembered me in their prayers,” he said after reciting the Angelus with the faithful in St. Peter’s Square. Musicians and musical bands in the square struck up the “Happy Birthday” tune, and people sang and clapped along. “Many thanks to everyone!” he said, followed by someone shouting, “Long live the pope!” “Thank you! Have a good Sunday!” he said.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pain must never give rise to violence, and every Catholic needs to learn to safeguard with tenderness those who are vulnerable, Pope Leo XIV said during a prayer vigil dedicated to people experiencing pain and affliction due to illness, bereavement, violence or abuse. Recognizing that some members of the church “have unfortunately hurt you,” the pope said, the church “kneels with you today before our Mother (Mary). May we all learn from her to protect the most vulnerable with tenderness!” “May we learn to listen to your wounds and walk together,” he said in his homily Sept. 15, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. “May we receive from Our Lady of Sorrows the strength to recognize that life is not defined only by the evil we suffer, but by the love of God, who never abandons us and guides the whole church.” The pope led the prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica Sept. 15 as part of the Jubilee of Consolation, which is “dedicated to all those who are experiencing or have experienced moments of particular difficulty, grief, suffering or hardship in their lives,” according to the section of the Dicastery for Evangelization in charge of organizing the Holy Year. Pope Leo said, “pain must not give rise to violence, and that violence never has the final say, for it is conquered by a love that knows how to forgive.” “Where there is evil, we must seek the comfort and consolation that can overcome it and give it no respite,” he said. “In the church, this means never being alone.”

WORLD
VITERBO, Italy (OSV News) – Italian police say they’ve prevented what could have been a deadly attack at one of the country’s most cherished Catholic traditions. On Sept. 3, counterterrorism officers raided a bed and breakfast near the route of the famous “Macchina di Santa Rosa” procession in Viterbo, arresting two Turkish men. Authorities say the men were found with automatic weapons, including an assault rifle, just steps away from where 40,000 people had gathered for the centuries-old festival honoring St. Rose of Viterbo. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who had been scheduled to attend, was quickly moved to safety. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised the swift police action, saying it ensured the peaceful celebration of an event UNESCO recognizes as cultural heritage. While investigators say the suspects appear tied to organized crime rather than international terror networks, prosecutors are still weighing charges of arms trafficking and possible plans for a terrorist act.

Amid ‘reverse migration,’ sisters in Mexico accompany migrants trapped by US policies

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By Rhina Guidos
MEXICO CITY (OSV News) – It is difficult to know how many have passed by the mural at the shelter run by the Josephine sisters in Mexico City and shared the sentiment written on the wall: “Dreams travel on a train without fear of crossing borders.”

One of the dreams likely shared by the thousands who have passed through CAFEMIN, the sisters’ shelter for migrant women and families, is to get to the United States. It’s something some of them want so badly that it leads them to believe that U.S. President Donald Trump will change his mind about migrants and his policy toward them and let them into the country, said Sister María Magdalena Silva Rentería.

“I don’t think we’ll see that miracle, but we have to continue accompanying them because they have that hope,” Sister María Magdalena, the shelter’s executive director, told Global Sisters Report.

Along with other sisters and a team of collaborators, Sister María Magdalena accompanies and advocates for migrants traveling through the country, which used to be the last stop en route to the ultimate destination: the U.S.

But their mission has become much more difficult since Trump took office for a second term earlier this year, dismantling not only the legal paths many used to enter the U.S., but also cutting humanitarian aid for migrants.

“January 20 marks a whole new paradigm for the migrant world,” Sister María Magdalena said of the day Trump began his second term.

It affected not only migrants who were unable to move forward, but also those who help them, and it has been profound, Sister María Magdalena said.

Jesús Ricardo Rojas Romero, from Venezuela, sits with Mario Monroy, center, and Yesenia, also from Venezuela, in a migrant camp in Mexico City April 1, 2025. Monroy, outreach coordinator for CAFEMIN, a shelter for women and families, listens to the needs and now-shattered dreams of migrants who wanted to go north to the U.S. and now cannot go south, back to their country of origin, because of Mexico’s restrictions on migrants’ movements and their ability to work. (OSV News photo/Rhina Guidos, Global Sisters Report)

UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, announced in April the closure of four offices in Mexico after the Trump administration cut 60% of its budget; the International Organization for Migration also announced layoffs in the country due to cuts; and the U.S. Agency for International Development, which helped finance medical and psychological assistance for migrants, was effectively eliminated July 1.

Some of those organizations provided trained staff to help migrants suffering from exploitation, physical and sexual abuse, and those fighting human trafficking and other forms of violence, Sister María Magdalena said. Some helped migrants return safely to their home countries when they were deported, while others helped them find alternative places of refuge when they could not return.

Aid organizations’ absence has left places like CAFEMIN scrambling to meet needs that go beyond food, shelter and companionship provided by the sisters and other religious ministries.

In addition, in places like Mexico, a new phenomenon has emerged called “reverse migration,” referring to “migrants (who) abandon their journey to the U.S.-Mexico border and begin traveling south,” back to their country of origin, the Niskanen Center said in a report published in April.

Public information on the new flow of migrants is scarce, says the center, since many countries have not released figures on the number of people returning, but the phenomenon is evident in places such as CAFEMIN and a nearby migrant camp along the railroad tracks. That’s where Mario Monroy, outreach coordinator for CAFEMIN, listens to the needs and now-shattered dreams of those who cannot go north or south.

“We would already be there” in the U.S., said a young woman in the camp, who identified herself as Yesenia, a native of Venezuela, whose mother had secured an appointment through the CBP One app, which disappeared on Jan. 20.

The mobile tool was used during President Joe Biden’s administration to secure an appointment at U.S. ports of entry to start the asylum application process. Thousands of Venezuelans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans used it to enter the country safely while seeking refuge from political, economic and other problems in their home countries. But, like the flow of migrants, the app took a turn at the start of Trump’s new term and was renamed CBP Home, urging those who had used it to return to their countries.

Jesús Ricardo Rojas Romero, another Venezuelan from the camp, said he did not have the opportunity to present his case because he was never offered an appointment. And now, along with other migrants, he is stuck in Mexico City due to Mexico’s restrictions, which limit migrants’ movements and their ability to work.

In an attempt to appease the Trump administration and avoid increased tariffs, the Mexican government has cracked down on migrants trying to advance toward the U.S. border.

Authorities have rounded up groups of migrants in various parts of the country, even using military help to prevent them from heading north, Sister María Magdalena said. Unable to work or move, some migrants play music, ask for alms, sell food – anything to survive the day.

Monroy said he tells those new to working with migrants that the mission involves facing the cruelest side of humanity.

“Cruelty has shaped experiences and bodies. I tell the team that works with me that to face that human cruelty, you need to do it with kindness” toward the migrants, he said.

Monroy, who was injured while trying to protect migrants as authorities advanced with physical force toward a caravan, said he knows exactly who he’s defending – as do women religious like Sister María Magdalena who say they will not abandon the migrants, even if conditions worsen.

“Consecrated life will remain” with the migrants, Sister María Magdalena said. “They are the ones who will hold on no matter what happens, but this is bad,” she said.

Monroy said he once asked a sister at the shelter how she knew God existed, and she replied that she knew because God is love and she constantly sees acts of love in her ministry.

Monroy said that made him feel sorry for those in the U.S. who miss the opportunity to experience God in those acts of love found in serving those others don’t care about.

“She told me that God is an act of love and that in the end we will be judged by how much we love,” he said. “I would say to society in the United States that they are missing a great opportunity to love, they are missing a great opportunity to know God, because these people cling so much to life. They travel thousands of miles, country after country, looking to survive. They are not a burden,” he added.

It is true that there are obstacles that seem insurmountable, said Sister María Magdalena, who added that “the dream of reaching the United States is an impossible dream” at the moment.

But she believes in the wisdom of the people making that journey, and says it’s enough that they know why they made the decision to leave home.

Because of the environment of scarcity, those who accompany migrants will now face challenges that may lead them to discover new methods of helping that do not depend on the help of richer countries, she said.

“I say, then, bless Donald Trump for putting us in our place and making us see that we will have to address the issue of the sustainability of shelters so that we are not smacked by these situations,” she said, adding: “This is a complete change.”

Briefs

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NATION
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (OSV News) – Law enforcement officials arrested an Alabama man after he allegedly made criminal threats against an Orange County church, and a cache of ammunition and body armor was found in his vehicle, authorities said Sept. 2. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said its investigators were contacted Aug. 28 by a priest “regarding suspicious, threatening emails” sent to the Norbertine order’s St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado Canyon. They said the suspect, Joshua Michael Richardson, 38, an Alabama resident, “first sent emails that were interpreted as threatening,” before visiting the church “in person and made additional threats.” The Diocese of Orange did not immediately respond to a request for comment from OSV News. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said its investigators and deputies “quickly located and detained Richardson for criminal threats,” and that they subsequently found body armor, high-capacity magazines, brass knuckles, and knives after searching his vehicle. “We are grateful to the authorities for their quick action in ensuring the safety of our parish community,” said Jarryd Gonzales, head of communications for the Catholic Diocese of Orange. Noting the recent mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church, he added, “Our parishes and schools continue to strengthen security efforts.”

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV publicly called on the leaders of Sudan’s warring factions to negotiate an end to the violence and to ensure aid can reach desperate civilians. A day after sending a telegram of condolence for people who died when heavy rains triggered a landslide in a remote area of Sudan, the pope publicly called for peace and for prayers Sept. 3 at the end of his weekly general audience. “Dramatic news is coming from Sudan, particularly from Darfur,” Pope Leo said. “In el-Fasher many civilians are trapped in the city, victims of famine and violence. In Tarasin, a devastating landslide has caused numerous deaths, leaving behind pain and despair. And as if that weren’t enough, the spread of cholera is threatening hundreds of thousands of people who are already exhausted.” The pope called on “those in positions of responsibility and to the international community to ensure humanitarian corridors are open and to implement a coordinated response to stop this humanitarian catastrophe.”

Gena Heraty, a longtime Irish missionary in Haiti pictured with a child in a 2012 photo, has been freed after nearly a month of captivity, the news agency Agenzia Fides confirmed Sept. 1, 2025. Heraty was among several people – including a 3-year-old child – taken in the early hours of Aug. 3 after gunmen breached the Saint-Hélène orphanage in Kenscoff, near Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince. (OSV News photo/courtesy NPH International)

WORLD
JERUSALEM (OSV News) – As the Israel-Hamas war nears the two-year mark, Catholic leaders have headed to Jerusalem, the Palestinian West Bank and Israel on a pastoral visit. The delegation is headed by Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who serves as vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association-Pontifical Mission; and members of the Knights of Columbus, including Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly and Supreme Secretary John A. Marrella. In a Sept. 2 press release issued by CNEWA-Pontifical Missions, Msgr. Vaccari said the visit was meant to provide accompaniment and solidarity with those suffering from the war, sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 invasion of Israel. “The Gospel compels us to witness, to stand in solidarity with all those who suffer at the hands of terror, war and famine, to answer the question put to Jesus in the Gospel of St. Luke, ‘And who is my neighbor,’” said Msgr. Vaccari. “By visiting the church of Jerusalem, from which our faith has spread throughout the world, we hope to communicate to our suffering sisters and brothers of our unity in resolve and purpose in assisting them in their time of Golgotha, as we work together to seek justice and advance the cause of lasting peace.”

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (OSV News) – An Irish missionary held hostage in Haiti has been freed after nearly a month in captivity. Gena Heraty, who has served in Haiti for three decades, was taken on Aug. 3 when armed men stormed the Saint-Hélène orphanage near Port-au-Prince. Heraty and several others, including a 3-year-old child with disabilities, are now safe and receiving medical and psychological care. Agenzia Fides, a news branch of the Dicastery for Evangelization, confirmed the release Sept. 1. Heraty leads the orphanage, part of an international network serving vulnerable children across Latin America. Her family expressed “deep gratitude” for the global prayers and efforts that secured her release, while asking for privacy as she recovers. Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris had called for her immediate release, praising her lifelong dedication to Haiti’s poor when she was kidnapped. The abduction highlights the worsening crisis in Haiti, where gangs control most of the capital and millions face severe hunger. Church leaders warn that escalating violence is crippling ministry and humanitarian work. Between the beginning of April and the end of June, armed violence in Haiti has killed 1,520 people and injured 609 more, according to a new report on human rights in Haiti which was released on Aug. 1 by the U.N.nuclear-free future.

Briefs

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A chair sits empty in honor of Kendrick Castillo at the STEM School Highlands Ranch graduation in Colorado May 20, 2019. Castillo, a Catholic, was an 18-year-old senior at the school when he lost his life trying to protect fellow students from a shooter, and posthumously made an honorary Knight of Columbus. Bishop James R. Golka of Colorado Springs, Colo., announced in late July 2025 his office would “study and discern” the “massive undertaking” of determining whether to open a sainthood cause for Castillo. (OSV News photo/courtesy Knights of Columbus Council 4844)

NATION
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (OSV News) – Bishop James R. Golka of Colorado Springs announced in late July his office would “study and discern” the “massive undertaking” of determining whether to open a sainthood cause for a teenager who was killed after he rushed the shooter during a school shooting incident six years ago in suburban Denver. Eighteen-year-old Kendrick Castillo was the only student who died in the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting on May 7, 2019, that left other eight students injured. Two students, were convicted on dozens of charges for the shooting and sentenced to life imprisonment. Months after Kendrick’s death, the Knights of Columbus conferred honorary membership on him and gave his parents a Caritas Medal, their second highest honor. Two priests from St. Mark Catholic Church in Highlands Ranch submitted the petition and preliminary supporting materials for a possible sainthood cause for Kendrick to Bishop Golka, saying that he “lived a life that was so (much) one of faith and service and holiness and caring for others.” In a December 2019 posting on the Knights of Columbus website, John called his son “a catalyst of love” whose devotion to God was “number one.” The boy was days away from high school graduation and planned to study aerospace engineering.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – A federal district court in Philadelphia on Aug. 13 struck down a religious conscience rule implemented by the first Trump administration exempting employers with religious or moral concerns from having to provide their employees with insurance coverage for contraceptives and other drugs or procedures to which they have an objection. The Little Sisters of the Poor, defendants in the suit, are expected to appeal. U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia found the rules, which expanded the parameters for the types of nonprofits that could use the exception, were not necessary to protect the conscience rights of religious employers. Becket, the religious liberty law firm representing the Little Sisters of the Poor in their ongoing legal efforts over their objections to paying for abortifacient drugs, sterilizations and contraceptives in their employee health plans, said the nuns would appeal the ruling “in the coming weeks.” “The district court blessed an out-of-control effort by Pennsylvania and New Jersey to attack the Little Sisters and religious liberty,” Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and lead attorney for the Little Sisters, argued in a statement.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – God never gives up on anyone, even when the person betrays God’s love, Pope Leo XIV said. Christian hope flows from “knowing that even if we fail, God will never fail us. Even if we betray him, he never stops loving us,” the pope said Aug. 13 at his weekly general audience. Arriving in the Vatican audience hall, Pope Leo welcomed the visitors in English, Spanish and Italian and explained that the audience would be held in two parts – in the hall and in St. Peter’s Basilica – so people would not be forced to stay outside under the very hot sun. Pope Leo was scheduled to leave the Vatican after the two-part audience to return to the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo where he had spent part of July. The Vatican press office said he would stay until Aug. 19 in the town, which is about 15 miles southeast of Rome.

WORLD
JINOTEPE, Nicaragua (OSV News) – Nicaragua’s ruling Sandinista regime has seized a prominent Catholic school, claiming without proof that it had operated a “torture” center during past protests and renaming the education facility for a slain partisan. The Colegio San José de Jinotepe, a project of the Congregation of the Josephine Sisters, was “transferred to the state” on Aug. 12, according to Co-President Rosario Murillo. The school was renamed “Héroe Bismarck Martínez,” who supporters of the Sandinista regime claim was tortured and murdered in Jinotepe during the protests of 2018, when Nicaraguans took to the streets and demanded the ouster of then-President Daniel Ortega – now co-president with his wife, Murillo. An investigation by the Inter-American Human Rights Commission found 355 individuals died during “the repression of social protests.” Details of Martinez’s disappearance and death remain mysterious, but Ortega criticized the country’s bishops in 2019 for not condemning Bismark’s death. The seizure of the Colegio San José de Jinotepe continued the Sandinista regime’s crackdown on the Catholic Church. Even the most mild dissent is not tolerated and priests must watch their words during Mass. Four bishops have been exiled from Nicaragua, along with more than 250 priests, women religious and seminarians.
NAGASAKI, Japan (OSV News) – In his homily at a solemn Peace Memorial Mass Aug. 9, Archbishop Peter Michiaki Nakamura of Nagasaki issued a passionate plea: “We must abandon the fists, weapons, and tools of violence we hold in our hands, and stop creating and using nuclear weapons. Let us use our hands to love and embrace others.” The Mass was offered at Urakami Cathedral in Ngagasaki on the exact day that 80 years ago the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on that city – which followed the Aug. 6, 1945, U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The concelebrants at the Mass included the four U.S. prelates participating in a “Pilgrimage of Peace”: Washington Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle, and Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico. For the pilgrimage, the four prelates were joined by U.S. Catholic university leaders and students to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the bombings and to pray together for peace and for a world without nuclear weapons. After the Mass, the U.S. pilgrims and Japanese Catholics marched from Urakami Cathedral to Nagasaki Peace Park in a torchlight procession symbolizing the light of faith and hope for a nuclear-free future.

Breves de la Nación y el Mundo

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Kendrick Castillo, católico, aparece en una foto sin fecha. El estudiante de 18 años de la escuela STEM School Highlands Ranch, en Colorado, perdió la vida el 7 de mayo de 2019 al intentar proteger a sus compañeros de clase de un tirador. El obispo James R. Golka, de Colorado Springs, Colorado, anunció a finales de julio de 2025 que su oficina “estudiaría y discerniría” la “enorme tarea” de determinar si se abre una causa de canonización para Castillo. (Foto de OSV News/Caballeros de Colón)

NACIÓN
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (OSV News) – El obispo James R. Golka, de Colorado Springs, anunció a finales de julio que su oficina “estudiaría y discerniría” la “enorme tare” de determinar si se abre una causa de canonización para un adolescente que murió tras abalanzarse sobre el tirador durante un tiroteo en una escuela hace seis años en las afueras de Denver. Kendrick Castillo, de 18 años, fue el único estudiante que murió en el tiroteo de la escuela STEM Highlands Ranch el 7 de mayo de 2019, en el que otros ocho estudiantes resultaron heridos. Dos estudiantes fueron condenados por docenas de cargos relacionados con el tiroteo y sentenciados a cadena perpetua. Meses después de la muerte de Kendrick, los Caballeros de Colón le concedieron la membresía honoraria y otorgaron a sus padres la Medalla Caritas, su segundo mayor honor. Dos sacerdotes de la iglesia católica St. Mark en Highlands Ranch presentaron la petición y los materiales preliminares de apoyo para una posible causa de canonización de Kendrick al obispo Golka, diciendo que “vivió una vida tan llena de fe, servicio, santidad y cuidado de los demás”. En una publicación de diciembre de 2019 en el sitio web de los Caballeros de Colón, John llamó a su hijo “un catalizador del amor” cuya devoción a Dios era “lo primero”. El joven estaba a pocos días de graduarse en el instituto y tenía previsto estudiar ingeniería aeroespacial.

VATICANO
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – Dios nunca abandona a nadie, ni siquiera cuando la persona traiciona su amor, afirmó el papa León XIV. La esperanza cristiana surge de “saber que, aunque fracasemos, Dios nunca nos fallará. Aunque le traicionemos, él nunca dejará de amarnos”, declaró el papa el 13 de agosto en su audiencia general semanal. Al llegar a la sala de audiencias del Vaticano, el papa León dio la bienvenida a los visitantes en inglés, español e italiano y explicó que la audiencia se celebraría en dos partes, en la sala y en la basílica de San Pedro, para que la gente no se viera obligada a permanecer fuera bajo el sol abrasador. El papa León tenía previsto abandonar el Vaticano tras la audiencia en dos partes para regresar a la villa papal de Castel Gandolfo, donde había pasado parte del mes de julio. La oficina de prensa del Vaticano informó de que permanecería hasta el 19 de agosto en la localidad, situada a unos 24 kilómetros al sureste de Roma.

MUNDO
NOTEPE, Nicaragua (OSV News) – El régimen sandinista gobernante en Nicaragua ha confiscado una destacada escuela católica, alegando sin pruebas que había funcionado como centro de “tortura” durante las protestas pasadas y renombrando el centro educativo en honor a un partidario asesinado. El Colegio San José de Jinotepe, un proyecto de la Congregación de las Hermanas Josefitas, fue “transferido al Estado” el 12 de agosto, según la copresidenta Rosario Murillo. La escuela pasó a llamarse “Héroe Bismarck Martínez”, quien, según los partidarios del régimen sandinista, fue torturado y asesinado en Jinotepe durante las protestas de 2018, cuando los nicaragüenses salieron a las calles y exigieron la destitución del entonces presidente Daniel Ortega, ahora copresidente junto a su esposa, Murillo. Una investigación de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos reveló que 355 personas murieron durante “la represión de las protestas sociales”. Los detalles de la desaparición y muerte de Martínez siguen siendo un misterio, pero Ortega criticó a los obispos del país en 2019 por no condenar la muerte de Bismark. La incautación del Colegio San José de Jinotepe continuó la represión del régimen sandinista contra la Iglesia católica. Ni siquiera se tolera la disidencia más moderada y los sacerdotes deben vigilar sus palabras durante la misa. Cuatro obispos han sido exiliados de Nicaragua, junto con más de 250 sacerdotes, religiosas y seminaristas.

Briefs

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NATION
SAN BERNADINO, Calif. (OSV News) – Amid concern over immigration enforcement raids in the area, the bishop of San Bernardino on July 8 issued a dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass for the faithful if they fear for their well-being. The Trump administration rescinded in January long-standing restrictions on arrests at sensitive locations, including houses of worship, schools and hospitals. The previous policy had exceptions for public safety or national security threats. Bishop Alberto Rojas wrote in a July 8 message to the faithful that “in light of the pastoral needs of our diocese and the concerns expressed by many of our brothers and sisters regarding fears of attending Mass due to potential immigration enforcement actions by civil authorities,” he would use his authority under canon law to dispense the obligation from those “who, due to genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions, are unable to attend Sunday Mass or Masses on holy days of obligation.” In May, the Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, reminded the faithful that those with sincerely held fear about their well-being during immigration enforcement efforts are not required to attend Sunday Mass according to the church’s own teaching and canon law, but did not issue a formal dispensation.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The Catholic Church “maintains its stance of not endorsing or opposing political candidates,” said U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops spokesperson Chieko Noguchi, following a recent court case in which a longstanding federal ban against such activity appeared to have been partly relaxed. Noguchi issued the statement July 8, a day after the Internal Revenue Service agreed in a court filing that a house of worship addressing its congregation about electoral politics in the context of religious faith does not violate the Johnson Amendment. The law prohibits 501(c)(3) organizations – a type of tax-exempt nonprofit under U.S. tax code, and the typical corporate structure for churches, worship communities and charities in the nation – from engaging in political campaign activity. However, said Noguchi, “The IRS was addressing a specific case, and it doesn’t change how the Catholic Church engages in public debate.” She added, “The church seeks to help Catholics form their conscience in the Gospel so they might discern which candidates and policies would advance the common good.”

Piazza della Libertà is pictured from the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 1, 2025, as the small town prepared for Pope Leo XIV’s first official visit for his customary July retreat. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

VATICAN
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) – After more than a decade without its most famous vacationer, the quiet town of Castel Gandolfo once again counts the pope among its summer residents. Pope Leo XIV became the 16th pope to reside in the papal summer residence when he moved there July 6, following the recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square. “This afternoon, I will travel to Castel Gandolfo, where I intend to have a short period of rest,” the pope told pilgrims gathered in the square. “I hope that everyone will be able to enjoy some vacation time in order to restore both body and spirit.” The tradition of popes escaping the summer heat of Rome for the cooler Alban Hills began with Pope Urban VIII in 1626. In 2016, Pope Francis converted the papal property into a museum, opening the villa and gardens to the public.

WORLD
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (OSV News) – Colombian authorities continued their search for Father Carlos Jaimes Guerrero, a 30-year-old Augustinian priest who vanished June 17 near Viotá, southwest of Bogotá. His truck was later found abandoned, engine running, with no sign of violence – and no trace of him. His family has pleaded publicly for his release, and locals have held vigils and prayers. The search comes amid national shock over another tragedy: on July 1, officials confirmed eight evangelical and Protestant missionaries, abducted in April by FARC dissidents in Guaviare, were found murdered and buried in a mass grave. Authorities say the guerrillas targeted the group to prevent rival groups from gaining influence. Church leaders warn armed groups and cartels continue to terrorize communities and especially target faith leaders. The Augustinians ask for prayers and cooperation as the investigation into Father Jaimes’ disappearance intensified. “Disappearances have always been part of the grave violences carried out by armed groups here, including those of religious people,” said theologian Heyner Hernández Díaz.