Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 20, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Here’s a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

Austria to ordain more priests in 2025 than in previous years

The Catholic Church in Austria is recording a positive trend in priestly ordinations for 2025, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

At least 26 men have been ordained priests across Austrian dioceses, a Kathpress survey estimated, though the number could be much higher. Over the past decade, the average number of ordinations has been 22 per year. 

Christians in Holy Land face ‘systematic displacement’ amid war, collapse

The Christian presence in the Holy Land, already a dwindling minority, is under unprecedented threat amid ongoing regional conflicts, reported ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. With the Gaza war still raging and tensions between Israel and Iran escalating this month, Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem, East Jerusalem, and Gaza are facing mounting hardship. 

According to ACI MENA, Bethlehem’s economy has cratered, forcing dozens of hotels and shops to close, while in Gaza, the Christian population has halved since October 2023, with churches damaged and civilians killed while sheltering inside. Church leaders warn of a “silent, systematic displacement” as political instability and economic collapse push Christian families to emigrate. Sami El-Yousef of the Latin Patriarchate said remote operations have resumed post-crisis, but the humanitarian need has soared. 

Bishop Thabet, defender of Iraq’s Christians, dies at 52

The passing of Chaldean Bishop Paul Thabet Habib Yousif Al Mekko of Alqosh, Iraq, has brought renewed focus to the suffering of Iraq’s Christian population, ACI MENA reported. A steadfast spiritual leader during ISIS’ occupation in 2014, Thabet returned to his hometown of Karamles after its liberation in 2017, where he discovered the desecrated statue of the Virgin Mary, later restored and blessed by Pope Francis in Erbil during his historic 2021 visit.

Thabet was deeply committed to helping displaced Christians return home, leading rebuilding efforts and blessing fields as symbols of resilience. His work featured in international exhibitions spotlighting Christian persecution. A scholar and writer on Chaldean liturgy, he was mourned as both a religious and national figure. “We lost a man of peace and coexistence,” said Nineveh Gov. Abdel Qader Dakheel, echoing the sentiments of many Christians across Iraq.

Ecumenical group in India discovers 2 Christians are attacked every day

The United Christian Forum (UCF), an ecumenical group that monitors incidents of religious persecutions, has found that more than two Christians per day are attacked in the country, according to a UCA News report. 

UCF recorded 313 incidents from January to May. “If this trend is not stopped immediately, it will threaten the identity and existence of the Indian Christian community in its motherland,” UCF’s national convenor A.C. Michael told UCA. The organization recorded a total of 834 incidents throughout last year. 

Kenyan archdiocese launches rosary marathon for respect for human life

The Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi, Kenya, has initiated a three-day “marathon of rosaries,” interceding for respect of human life in the East African nation after protests earlier in the week culminated in violent clashes with Kenyan police.

“We are calling on all Catholics in our Archdiocese of Nairobi and beyond to pray the rosary, a marathon of rosaries for the next three days for the respect of human life and dignity,” Archbishop Philip Subira Anyolo said in a statement on June 18. The protests erupted after the murder of a teacher and blogger, Albert Ojwang, in police custody, reported ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa. 

Corpus Christi processions unite East and West

Catholic churches across the Middle East and beyond are celebrating Corpus Christi — also known as the feast of the Body of Christ — with processions that reflect both Eastern and Latin traditions, ACI MENA reported. 

Syriac Catholic priest Father Boulos Affas explained to ACI MENA that, although street processions are rare in urban Iraq, rural Christian villages still observe the tradition with solemn rituals, crosses, incense, rose petals, and hymns accompanying the Blessed Sacrament. 

The Chaldean Church has also added a distinctive nine-day novena honoring the Eucharist, featuring penitential prayers and adoration rites. Father Antoine Zeitouni of Qaraqosh told ACI MENA this tradition symbolizes the deep reverence for the Eucharist in Eastern liturgy.

WASHINGTON – “Solidarity with refugees and migrants is not optional; it’s a living testimony of the Gospel,” said Bishop Mark J. Seitz. On World Refugee Day (June 20), the Catholic Church stands in prayerful solidarity with refugees around the globe to recognize and honor the courage, resilience, and dignity of those forced to flee their homes.

As chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, Bishop Seitz reaffirmed the commitment of the Catholic faithful to walk with refugees in compassion and hope: 

“In their journey, refugees embody the hope we are called to share as Christians. As we welcome them, we reflect on our own pilgrimage toward the eternal home promised to us. Their resilience and faith challenge us to serve others more deeply and to build a world where every person is treated with dignity and can live in peace and freedom. Together with people of faith and goodwill, we recognize the profound witness of individuals and communities who open their hearts and homes to those seeking safety—welcoming the stranger, healing wounds, and restoring hope.

“We bishops of the United States remain resolute in our call for the consistent protection of refugees amid their disparate treatment by our government. The Church recognizes the right of each country to control its borders, while also affirming the right to seek refuge when life-threatening circumstances deny people the foremost right to remain in their homeland. As our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has affirmed, the temptation to turn inward, to isolate ourselves from the needs of our brothers and sisters around the world, is incompatible with a Christian vision for the common good. We must remember Christ’s exhortation in Luke’s Gospel: to whom much is given, much is required.”

In his Pentecost homily, Pope Leo XIV reiterated that Christian love transcends borders, as he declared, “Where there is love, there is no room for prejudice, for ‘security’ zones separating us from our neighbors, for the exclusionary mindset that, tragically, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms.”

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Access to vast amounts of data and information is not the same thing as having intelligence, which is uniquely human and requires being open to truth, goodness and the real meaning of life, Pope Leo XIV told AI experts and executives.

"Authentic wisdom has more to do with recognizing the true meaning of life than with the availability of data," he said in a written message released by the Vatican June 20.

"Acknowledging and respecting what is uniquely characteristic of the human person is essential to the discussion of any adequate ethical framework for the governance of AI," he wrote.

The message, written in English, was addressed to people attending the second annual Rome conference on AI, Ethics and the Future of Corporate Governance being held in Rome and at the Vatican June 19-20.

The conference "brings together executives from leading AI companies as well as large enterprises using AI with policymakers, scholars, ethicists and lawyers to consider in a holistic way the challenges facing the ethics and governance of AI, both for companies developing this revolutionary technology as well as the enterprises incorporating AI into their businesses," according to the event's website. 

Speakers included representatives from top AI-tech firms such as Google, IBM, Anthropic, Palantir Technologies, Cohere and AI21 Labs. Speakers from the Vatican included: Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, the substitute for general affairs in the Vatican Secretariat of State; Archbishop Carlo Maria Polvani, secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education; Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, retired president of the Pontifical Academy for Life; and Franciscan Father Paolo Benanti, a member of the U.N. AI committee and a professor of moral theology at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University.

In his message, Pope Leo said their presence "attests to the urgent need for serious reflection and ongoing discussion on the inherently ethical dimension of AI, as well as its responsible governance."

"Together with its extraordinary potential to benefit the human family, the rapid development of AI also raises deeper questions concerning the proper use of such technology in generating a more authentically just and human global society," he wrote.

He reiterated Pope Francis' definition of AI platforms as "tools," which, he said, reflect "the human intelligence that crafted them and draw much of their ethical force from the intentions of the individuals that wield them."

While "in some cases, AI has been used in positive and indeed noble ways to promote greater equality," he wrote, "there is likewise the possibility of its misuse for selfish gain at the expense of others, or worse, to foment conflict and aggression."

The Catholic Church wishes to contribute to "these pressing questions by stressing above all the need to weigh the ramifications of AI in light of the 'integral development of the human person and society,'" he wrote. That means the material, intellectual and spiritual well-being of the human person must be considered, human dignity must be safeguarded, and the cultural and spiritual riches and diversity of the world’s peoples must be respected.

"Ultimately, the benefits or risks of AI must be evaluated precisely according to this superior ethical criterion," he wrote. 

"AI, especially Generative AI, has opened new horizons on many different levels, including enhancing research in healthcare and scientific discovery, but also raises troubling questions on its possible repercussions on humanity's openness to truth and beauty, on our distinctive ability to grasp and process reality," Pope Leo wrote. 

He underlined concerns about the possible consequences of AI use on the intellectual and neurological development of children and young people. "Our youth must be helped, and not hindered, in their journey towards maturity and true responsibility," he wrote.

Never before have people had "such quick access to the amount of information now available through AI," he wrote.

"But again, access to data -- however extensive -- must not be confused with intelligence, which necessarily 'involves the person’s openness to the ultimate questions of life and reflects an orientation toward the True and the Good,'" he wrote, citing the Vatican document titled "Antiqua et Nova (ancient and new): Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence," approved by Pope Francis in January.

Pope Leo told participants he hoped the conference would also consider how AI fits in with helping young people connect with older generations and "integrate truth into their moral and spiritual life, thus informing their mature decisions and opening the path towards a world of greater solidarity and unity."

"The task set before you is not easy, but it is one of vital importance," he wrote, thanking them for their efforts.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Holy Year 2025 can have a lasting impact on the world's poorest countries if governments and international institutions embrace a key element of the biblical concept of jubilee by forgiving, restructuring or pausing foreign debt repayments, said a report commissioned by Pope Francis.

At the late pope's request, the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and the Initiative for Policy Dialogue at Columbia University in New York brought together 30 global experts in debt, development and the global financial system to address the current debt crisis, prevent future crises and promote sustainable development.

The "Jubilee Commission," which began meeting in February, released "A Blueprint for Tackling the Debt and Development Crises and Securing a Sustainable People-Centered Global Economy" June 20 at the Vatican.

"Today, 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on health, and 2.1 billion live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on education," the report said. "Interest payments on public debt are therefore crowding out critical investments in health, education, infrastructure and climate resilience."

The indebted governments -- "fearful of the political and economic costs of initiating debt restructurings -- prioritize timely debt payments over essential development spending," the report said. "This is not a path to sustainable development. Rather, it is a roadblock to development and leads to increasing inequality and discontent." 

Eric LeCompte, executive director of Jubilee USA Network, an interfaith group promoting debt relief and development, was not a member of the commission, but supported its work and was at the Vatican for the launch of the report.

Changing the way loans to developing nations are made, structured and restructured when a crisis occurs is essential because economic crises "are the main causes for war, for human rights violations, for migrations, for many of the environmental challenges that we are having," he told Catholic News Service June 19.

Many people will say, "A debt that is owed is a debt that should be paid," LeCompte said, "but I think it's more complicated than that."

Especially since the pontificate of St. John Paul II and his push for foreign debt relief, he said, the Catholic Church's position has been that "a lot of lending has been used not to help people, but to hurt people," and "historically, lending that has been promised to build bridges has built palaces. Lending that has been promised to build roads has been turned into military dictatorship funding."

The Jubilee Commission report said, "Debt contracts are voluntary arrangements between creditors and debtors, and as such, they are equally responsible when matters go badly and there are problems in repayment."

"Indeed," it continued, "in some ways, creditors, who typically have more expertise in risk assessment and management, might even have greater responsibility" than the debtor nation.

The experts on the commission said, "Development inherently involves risk -- whether from long-term investments, exposure to commodity price fluctuations, or vulnerability to external shocks -- and that sustainable development requires these risks to be distributed globally in an efficient and equitable manner."

"The burden should be borne by those most capable of absorbing it, which is not what the current system delivers," the report said. 

And, the experts said, there must be a fair way of responding to situations where a debtor nation simply cannot afford to service its debt while feeding its people.

"At the heart of the problem lies a hole in the international economic architecture: the absence of a sovereign debt crisis resolution mechanism," the report said. "While mechanisms exist for corporate bankruptcy within countries, there is no equivalent framework for sovereign debtors."

Without such a process in place, the experts said, "in each crisis, debt restructurings must be negotiated. These negotiations are governed not by fairness or efficiency, but by power, with the result that the outcomes are typically neither fair nor efficient."

Exacerbating the problem, they said, "prevailing legal systems -- notably those of England and the United States, the major jurisdictions for the issuance of government international bonds -- permit specialized financial speculators, known as vulture funds, to purchase defaulted debt on secondary markets and sue for full repayment."

"This financial play turns a society's suffering into a source of profit," the report said. "Under current rules, a handful of speculators can effectively hold tens of millions of people hostage."

The experts urged support for the creation of a "Jubilee Fund," proposed by Spain, that would help countries buy back their debt at reduced rates rather than having the debt be sold at a discount to the vulture funds.

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See also: The Letter to President Trump on Global Debt Relief During Jubilee Year, April 8, 2025, from Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, Chairman, Committee on International Justice and Peace of the USCCB, and from Eric LeCompte of the Jubilee USA Network.
 

CNA Staff, Jun 19, 2025 / 21:33 pm (CNA).

In a June 19 interview with EWTN News, Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, defended his country’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, saying Israel is preventing World War III.

Speaking with EWTN News correspondent Colm Flynn, Sideman said Israel attacked Iran last week in what felt like the “eleventh hour,” saying the country had no choice but to protect itself by destroying Iran’s weapons programs.

When asked if he thought Israel’s attacks on Iran are bringing the world closer to a third world war, Sideman responded emphatically: “We are preventing a World War III.”

“We are preventing further escalation by depriving … the most dangerous regime on earth from the most dangerous deadly weapon on earth.”

“If we do not eliminate the nuclear program, it will eliminate us,” he said.

In recent months, Sideman said, Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs “accelerated to an unimaginable degree.” He said Iran has enriched uranium to 60% U-235, a level close to weapons-grade, “enough for nine nuclear bombs,” and was producing ballistic missiles to carry the bombs at a rate of 300 missiles per month.

Sideman said that according to the nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran is in severe noncompliance regarding its nuclear program because the levels to which it has enriched its uranium far exceed the levels necessary for the nuclear energy program Iran has claimed its uranium enrichment is for.

Asked how Israel sees this conflict with Iran ending, Sideman said: “One way or another, militarily or voluntarily, it will end with the elimination or at least the significant skating back of the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile program.”

According to Sideman, Iran is the only U.N. member country that has repeatedly threatened to eliminate another country. He recalled that Iran has fired 400 rockets and drones into Israel unprovoked over the last year “to prove that it means what it says.”

Message to Iranians: ‘Our fight is not with you’

Asked what he has to say to the citizens of Iran who may not support the radical ideologies of the government and who are living through the violence, Sideman replied: “I will say to them, ‘Our fight is not with you.’ We have the utmost respect for the … people … and we sympathize with their suffering.”

But he blamed their suffering on the “brutal regime that has taken them hostage,” saying he hopes the outcome of this conflict will be a “return to the friendly, cordial, peaceful relations that existed before,” recalling that until 1979, the two countries had a “peaceful,” even “friendly,” relationship. During World War II, for example, Iran was one of the few countries that welcomed Jews escaping Nazi persecution.

After the Islamic revolution in 1979, however, Sideman said the new Iranian government then “made it its business to annihilate the state of Israel.”

Pope reiterates call for dialogue

In Rome on Thursday, Pope Leo XIV reiterated his urgent call for peace between Israel and ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Iran. “I would like to renew this appeal for peace, to seek at all costs to avoid the use of weapons, and to seek through diplomatic instruments, dialogue,” the pope said, decrying the deaths of “many innocents.” 

Sideman indicated that he has not yet spoken to the Holy Father, other than during a brief interaction prior to the outbreak of the latest conflict in which he invited him to visit Israel. 

Sideman added that as ambassador, a top priority for him is to engage the Holy See “in every which way to help facilitate” the release of the 53 hostages who have been held captive for 622 days by Hamas.

In relation to Gaza, he said, “the suffering will end the moment Hamas ceases to exist as a military and governing force in Gaza,” Sideman said. “The moment that happens, and our hostages return … that is when there will be no need” for Israel’s continued military presence in Gaza.

“We want peace,” Sideman concluded. “Even a cold peace is better than war.”

Watch the full “EWTN News Nightly” interview with Sideman below.

CNA Staff, Jun 19, 2025 / 21:33 pm (CNA).

In a June 19 interview with EWTN News, Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, defended his country’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, saying Israel is preventing World War III.

Speaking with EWTN News correspondent Colm Flynn, Sideman said Israel attacked Iran last week in what felt like the “eleventh hour,” saying the country had no choice but to protect itself by destroying Iran’s weapons programs.

When asked if he thought Israel’s attacks on Iran are bringing the world closer to a third world war, Sideman responded emphatically: “We are preventing a World War III.”

“We are preventing further escalation by depriving … the most dangerous regime on earth from the most dangerous deadly weapon on earth.”

“If we do not eliminate the nuclear program, it will eliminate us,” he said.

In recent months, Sideman said, Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs “accelerated to an unimaginable degree.” He said Iran has enriched uranium to 60% U-235, a level close to weapons-grade, “enough for nine nuclear bombs,” and was producing ballistic missiles to carry the bombs at a rate of 300 missiles per month.

Sideman said that according to the nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran is in severe noncompliance regarding its nuclear program because the levels to which it has enriched its uranium far exceed the levels necessary for the nuclear energy program Iran has claimed its uranium enrichment is for.

Asked how Israel sees this conflict with Iran ending, Sideman said: “One way or another, militarily or voluntarily, it will end with the elimination or at least the significant skating back of the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile program.”

According to Sideman, Iran is the only U.N. member country that has repeatedly threatened to eliminate another country. He recalled that Iran has fired 400 rockets and drones into Israel unprovoked over the last year “to prove that it means what it says.”

Message to Iranians: ‘Our fight is not with you’

Asked what he has to say to the citizens of Iran who may not support the radical ideologies of the government and who are living through the violence, Sideman replied: “I will say to them, ‘Our fight is not with you.’ We have the utmost respect for the … people … and we sympathize with their suffering.”

But he blamed their suffering on the “brutal regime that has taken them hostage,” saying he hopes the outcome of this conflict will be a “return to the friendly, cordial, peaceful relations that existed before,” recalling that until 1979, the two countries had a “peaceful,” even “friendly,” relationship. During World War II, for example, Iran was one of the few countries that welcomed Jews escaping Nazi persecution.

After the Islamic revolution in 1979, however, Sideman said the new Iranian government then “made it its business to annihilate the state of Israel.”

Pope reiterates call for dialogue

In Rome on Thursday, Pope Leo XIV reiterated his urgent call for peace between Israel and ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Iran. “I would like to renew this appeal for peace, to seek at all costs to avoid the use of weapons, and to seek through diplomatic instruments, dialogue,” the pope said, decrying the deaths of “many innocents.” 

Sideman indicated that he has not yet spoken to the Holy Father, other than during a brief interaction prior to the outbreak of the latest conflict in which he invited him to visit Israel. 

Sideman added that as ambassador, a top priority for him is to engage the Holy See “in every which way to help facilitate” the release of the 53 hostages who have been held captive for 622 days by Hamas.

In relation to Gaza, he said, “the suffering will end the moment Hamas ceases to exist as a military and governing force in Gaza,” Sideman said. “The moment that happens, and our hostages return … that is when there will be no need” for Israel’s continued military presence in Gaza.

“We want peace,” Sideman concluded. “Even a cold peace is better than war.”

Watch the full “EWTN News Nightly” interview with Sideman below.

One of the parish mission talks I love to give focuses on the idea that life is a pilgrimage. Seeing life this way changes everything. It helps us through suffering, it reminds us of the power of friendship, and it calls us to persevere and not stay stagnant in the spiritual life. Recognizing I’m on […]

The post Food for the Journey appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

The Catholic Church needs a universal Eucharistic Revival. In 2019, a Pew Research study revealed that only 31% of U.S. Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, a central, indispensable teaching of the Catholic Faith. The majority said they believe that the bread and wine used in Holy Communion are merely […]

A Daily Quote to Inspire Your Catholic Faith “Ours is the spirit of the Eucharist, the total gift of self” – Saint Katharine Drexel The Optional Memorial of St. Katharine Drexel (1858 – 1955) is March 3. Please help spread the Gospel. Share this quote with family and friends on Facebook and other social media. […]

The post Daily Quote — Saint Katharine Drexel appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

Picture a medieval village on the feast of Corpus Christi: cobblestone streets strewn with wildflowers, the air thick with the scent of incense and the sound of chanted hymns. The entire community—peasants, craftsmen, lords—processes behind the Blessed Sacrament, held aloft in a monstrance that glints in the summer sun. This is no mere historical tableau; […]