Posted on 06/24/2025 20:17 PM (CNA Daily News - US)
Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta. / Credit: Thomson200, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
CNA Staff, Jun 24, 2025 / 16:17 pm (CNA).
The Archdiocese of Atlanta and Emory Healthcare have announced a new sponsorship agreement that will preserve the Catholic identity and mission of Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital.
Atlanta’s first hospital, founded in 1880 by the Sisters of Mercy, Emory Saint Joseph’s will continue to operate as a Catholic-sponsored institution committed to serve all people, particularly the most vulnerable, under the guidance of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.
Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv, celebrated a mid-morning Mass of Thanksgiving in the hospital’s auditorium on June 23 in recognition of the agreement, which underscores a shared vision to uphold the hospital’s legacy of integrating science, faith, and mercy.
Heather Dexter, president of the Emory Healthcare Regional Hospital Division, emphasized the significance of the partnership: “This sponsorship ensures adherence to Catholic ethical directives, preserves robust chaplaincy services, and continues community outreach rooted in Gospel values. Emory Saint Joseph’s will remain a place where medicine and mercy walk hand in hand.”
Hartmayer expressed gratitude to the Sisters of Mercy for their 145 years of service, recognizing their enduring legacy.
“The archdiocese is honored to continue the mission they began. Emory Healthcare’s leadership in health care makes this partnership a promising step for our community,” he said in his homily.
The Mass, concelebrated by hospital priest chaplain Father Patrick Scully, former chaplain Father Steve Yander, and Father Gerardo Ceballos Gonzalez, was attended by hospital staff, volunteers, and Sisters of Mercy Peggy Fannon and Jane Gerety.
In his homily, Hartmayer reflected on the hospital’s role in serving those burdened by illness and fear.
“Within these walls, we encounter the suffering daily. Nurses, doctors, chaplains, and families embody Christ’s compassion, offering healing, and hope,” he said, drawing parallels to the disciples sent to serve the afflicted.
Gerety, chief mission officer of Mercy Care, spoke after Mass, expressing confidence in the continuity of the hospital’s mission.
“The sponsorship links us to the Church’s values of compassion and outreach to the vulnerable,” she said.
As the Sisters of Mercy transition their apostolate to Mercy Care, the hospital’s staff and leadership remain committed to the Mercy identity — compassionate care for the whole person, especially the most vulnerable, she said.
“Mercy isn’t something we overlay; it’s what we do,” Gerety affirmed, highlighting the hospital’s enduring dedication to Jesus’ teaching to love one’s neighbor.
Of the transition, she said she did not expect the new sponsorship would change the feel of the institution. “The spirit and culture brought by the Sisters of Mercy remain alive. This agreement ensures decisions are made through the lens of love and compassion,” she said.
The historic hospital is a 410-bed acute-care facility, serving 126,000 outpatients and 17,500 inpatients annually. Recognized as a Magnet-designated hospital since 1995, it has ranked as the No. 2 hospital in Georgia and metro Atlanta by “U.S. News and World Report” for eight consecutive years.
Emory Saint Joseph’s, one of the Southeast’s top specialty-referral hospitals, is also a cutting-edge training center for robotic cardiothoracic surgery and home to Georgia’s only American Heart Association Mitral Valve Reference Center.
Posted on 06/24/2025 19:47 PM (CNA Daily News - US)
The scene outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., after the court released its decision in the Dobbs abortion case on June 24, 2022. / Credit: Katie Yoder/CNA
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 15:47 pm (CNA).
Three years after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs decision, American Catholic bishops are celebrating the anniversary of the pro-life victory but also reminding the faithful that more work is needed to foster a culture of life.
“Despite the good that Dobbs decision accomplished, the battle for life is far from over,” Bishop Daniel Thomas, the chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-life Activities, said in a June 24 statement.
“I urge all Catholics to engage their elected officials on all issues that threaten the gift of human life, in particular the threat of abortion,” Thomas said.
Thomas noted that the Supreme Court’s decision on June 24, 2022, “ended nearly 50 years of virtually unlimited, nationwide abortion,” adding that “hope had never been lost in God’s power to right that wrong and accomplish what the world believed to be impossible.”
From 1973 until 2022, the Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to obtain an abortion and prevented states from enacting pro-life protections for the unborn. Overturning that decision now allows both the states — and the federal government — to restrict or even prohibit abortion through legislation.
Thomas wrote that the decision also “paved the way for pro-life victories nationally,” pointing out that Congress is currently considering language in the budget bill to end federal Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements for Planned Parenthood and “other organizations whose abortion profiteering harms women and babies.”
As the Church celebrates the Jubilee Year of Hope throughout 2025, the bishop reminded Catholic parishes to continue efforts that “welcome, embrace, and accompany women facing unexpected or challenging pregnancies” and to share “Christ’s message of mercy with all who are suffering in the aftermath of an abortion.” He referenced two initiatives: Walking with Moms in Need and Project Rachel.
“As we move forward in hope, may we be united in our efforts to protect God’s gift of life, in every stage and circumstance,” Thomas concluded.
Arlington, Virginia, Bishop Michael Burbidge — a consultant to the USCCB’s pro-life committee and its former chair — in a June 24 statement similarly celebrated the anniversary as a “deliverance from the injustice” of Roe but also cautioned that “the tragic effects of Roe remain.”
“Abortion and other violations of human dignity continue to threaten the sanctity of life of millions of our brothers and sisters,” Burbidge said. “We pray and work for the day that American law truly upholds equal justice for all, which includes equal protection of the law for every member of the human family.”
Several states have adopted amendments to their state constitutions to establish a right to abortion after the Supreme Court decision, and there is currently an effort in Virginia to do the same.
“All Catholics in the Diocese of Arlington and others of goodwill are morally responsible for peaceful advocacy, virtuous political engagement, and fervent prayer that may save our Commonwealth from the social injustice of abortion,” Burbidge said. “If abortion is ever enshrined in Virginia’s constitution, we must humbly ask God for the courage, prudence, and wisdom necessary to overcome such an injustice by his amazing grace.”
In the three years since Dobbs, 12 states have enacted laws prohibiting nearly all abortions and another seven states have put restrictions on abortion, outlawing the procedure at an earlier stage in pregnancy than Roe allowed.
Alternatively, some states have eased rules about abortion, with nearly a dozen adopting amendments to their state constitutions establishing a legal right to abortion.
House and Senate Democrats held news conferences on the third anniversary of the Dobbs decision to convey their support for legislation that would legalize abortion nationwide and override state-level pro-life laws. Previous federal legislative efforts have been unsuccessful amid Republican opposition.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said during a news conference that “today marks a grim anniversary” and said Senate Democrats “will continue to stand together and fight back against Republicans in every single way” with efforts to legalize abortion nationwide and halt efforts to strip funding from Planned Parenthood.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries similarly called the 2022 decision “one of the most unconscionable and un-American decisions in the history of the United States of America” and said House Democrats “are here to fight back” with legislation to legalize abortion nationwide and other efforts.
Many pro-life organizations remain active on the state and federal level as these legislative battles over abortion continue. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA), a national pro-life organization, held a news conference the day before the anniversary to discuss the ongoing efforts.
“If you’d been living a couple of decades ago, you would never have predicted that anything close would come to where we sit right now, celebrating the overturn of Roe and the potential defunding of Planned Parenthood and the rest of the big abortion lobby,” SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser said during the news conference on June 23.
Dannenfelser highlighted many of the state-level wins but noted that most states still allow abortion until the point of viability and several states permit abortion until the moment of birth for any reason. She said SBA field teams are supporting pro-life candidates in several swing states for the midterm elections.
“A human rights movement needs teeth,” Dannenfelser added. “It needs ground game. It needs to win elections.”
Posted on 06/24/2025 19:47 PM (CNA Daily News)
The scene outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., after the court released its decision in the Dobbs abortion case on June 24, 2022. / Credit: Katie Yoder/CNA
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 15:47 pm (CNA).
Three years after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs decision, American Catholic bishops are celebrating the anniversary of the pro-life victory but also reminding the faithful that more work is needed to foster a culture of life.
“Despite the good that Dobbs decision accomplished, the battle for life is far from over,” Bishop Daniel Thomas, the chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-life Activities, said in a June 24 statement.
“I urge all Catholics to engage their elected officials on all issues that threaten the gift of human life, in particular the threat of abortion,” Thomas said.
Thomas noted that the Supreme Court’s decision on June 24, 2022, “ended nearly 50 years of virtually unlimited, nationwide abortion,” adding that “hope had never been lost in God’s power to right that wrong and accomplish what the world believed to be impossible.”
From 1973 until 2022, the Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to obtain an abortion and prevented states from enacting pro-life protections for the unborn. Overturning that decision now allows both the states — and the federal government — to restrict or even prohibit abortion through legislation.
Thomas wrote that the decision also “paved the way for pro-life victories nationally,” pointing out that Congress is currently considering language in the budget bill to end federal Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements for Planned Parenthood and “other organizations whose abortion profiteering harms women and babies.”
As the Church celebrates the Jubilee Year of Hope throughout 2025, the bishop reminded Catholic parishes to continue efforts that “welcome, embrace, and accompany women facing unexpected or challenging pregnancies” and to share “Christ’s message of mercy with all who are suffering in the aftermath of an abortion.” He referenced two initiatives: Walking with Moms in Need and Project Rachel.
“As we move forward in hope, may we be united in our efforts to protect God’s gift of life, in every stage and circumstance,” Thomas concluded.
Arlington, Virginia, Bishop Michael Burbidge — a consultant to the USCCB’s pro-life committee and its former chair — in a June 24 statement similarly celebrated the anniversary as a “deliverance from the injustice” of Roe but also cautioned that “the tragic effects of Roe remain.”
“Abortion and other violations of human dignity continue to threaten the sanctity of life of millions of our brothers and sisters,” Burbidge said. “We pray and work for the day that American law truly upholds equal justice for all, which includes equal protection of the law for every member of the human family.”
Several states have adopted amendments to their state constitutions to establish a right to abortion after the Supreme Court decision, and there is currently an effort in Virginia to do the same.
“All Catholics in the Diocese of Arlington and others of goodwill are morally responsible for peaceful advocacy, virtuous political engagement, and fervent prayer that may save our Commonwealth from the social injustice of abortion,” Burbidge said. “If abortion is ever enshrined in Virginia’s constitution, we must humbly ask God for the courage, prudence, and wisdom necessary to overcome such an injustice by his amazing grace.”
In the three years since Dobbs, 12 states have enacted laws prohibiting nearly all abortions and another seven states have put restrictions on abortion, outlawing the procedure at an earlier stage in pregnancy than Roe allowed.
Alternatively, some states have eased rules about abortion, with nearly a dozen adopting amendments to their state constitutions establishing a legal right to abortion.
House and Senate Democrats held news conferences on the third anniversary of the Dobbs decision to convey their support for legislation that would legalize abortion nationwide and override state-level pro-life laws. Previous federal legislative efforts have been unsuccessful amid Republican opposition.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said during a news conference that “today marks a grim anniversary” and said Senate Democrats “will continue to stand together and fight back against Republicans in every single way” with efforts to legalize abortion nationwide and halt efforts to strip funding from Planned Parenthood.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries similarly called the 2022 decision “one of the most unconscionable and un-American decisions in the history of the United States of America” and said House Democrats “are here to fight back” with legislation to legalize abortion nationwide and other efforts.
Many pro-life organizations remain active on the state and federal level as these legislative battles over abortion continue. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA), a national pro-life organization, held a news conference the day before the anniversary to discuss the ongoing efforts.
“If you’d been living a couple of decades ago, you would never have predicted that anything close would come to where we sit right now, celebrating the overturn of Roe and the potential defunding of Planned Parenthood and the rest of the big abortion lobby,” SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser said during the news conference on June 23.
Dannenfelser highlighted many of the state-level wins but noted that most states still allow abortion until the point of viability and several states permit abortion until the moment of birth for any reason. She said SBA field teams are supporting pro-life candidates in several swing states for the midterm elections.
“A human rights movement needs teeth,” Dannenfelser added. “It needs ground game. It needs to win elections.”
Posted on 06/24/2025 19:17 PM (CNA Daily News - US)
Over 3,000 Catholics filled the streets of Portland, Oregon, on Sunday, June 22, 2025, for a major Eucharistic procession led by Archbishop Alexander Sample. / Credit: Dylan Encarnacion
Portland, Ore., Jun 24, 2025 / 15:17 pm (CNA).
Over 3,000 Catholics filled the streets of Portland, Oregon, on Sunday for a Eucharistic procession led by Archbishop Alexander Sample.
To encourage broad participation from clergy and the faithful across the archdiocese, a special Mass was offered at 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The Mass was added to the regular Sunday Mass schedule to allow more local Catholics to participate in the procession after attending their own parish Masses. The procession through the streets followed immediately afterward.
Confessions were also offered from 1 to 3 p.m. in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean. By noon, hundreds were already lined up, well before the scheduled start time. Though not part of the formal schedule, over a thousand of the faithful gathered in prayer inside the cathedral after the final Benediction.
St. Mary’s Cathedral is designated as a local pilgrimage site for the 2025 Jubilee Year, and this event was structured to allow the faithful to receive a full plenary indulgence by fulfilling all the necessary conditions in a single day.
In his homily at the Mass, Sample framed the day as a turning point for the archdiocese.
“The Eucharist has to be at the forefront and center of evangelization and mission renewal. To see you all here today fills my heart with hope for the future. So many people see the Pacific Northwest as a center of darkness. I wish they could see this. I wish the Church across the United States could see this. I wish Pope Leo could see this,” the archbishop said.
“God is on the move here in western Oregon. The Holy Spirit is igniting a fire, and you’re all part of that. I predict that today is a turning point for the renewal of Christ’s mission in western Oregon.”
As the Blessed Sacrament was brought out after Mass, the cathedral’s bell tower rang out across the city. The sound could be heard up to a mile away and marked the beginning of the procession. Forty minutes later, the bells rang again to welcome the return of the faithful and the Eucharistic Lord.
This marked the first time the city of Portland has permitted a public Catholic procession through the main streets of downtown in several decades.
The crowd was striking in both size and diversity. More than half of the attendees came from Latino, Asian, and African communities.There was also a strong representation of more recent Catholic communities in the archdiocese such as Burmese and Swahili-speaking Catholics.
Hymns were sung in Latin, English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and more. At its full length, the procession filled four city blocks, moving through the Pearl District and drawing the attention of many onlookers who paused to watch in amazement and ask what was happening.
Many bystanders were visibly moved. Some knelt and prayed along the sidewalks, a powerful sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in a city often labeled secular or indifferent to faith.
“The Holy Spirit has chosen Portland, and he is doing something great here,” Sample said earlier this year at the archdiocese’s chrism Mass.
Joining the archbishop were more than 20 priests, eight deacons, over 100 altar servers and seminarians, 50 religious brothers and sisters, the Knights of Columbus, and the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher.
The event concluded with solemn Benediction on the cathedral steps, with the faithful filling the surrounding four blocks.
Visibly moved, the archbishop turned to the crowd and said, “Wow, this is amazing. What more can I say?” Then he exclaimed, “Viva!” and more than a thousand Latino Catholics joyfully responded, “Viva Cristo Rey!” (“Long live Christ the King!“)
The atmosphere throughout the event was filled with joy and reverence. People smiled and sang along the route, and at the conclusion, the crowd burst into applause along with local onlookers. Several attendees expressed their hope that this grand Eucharistic procession might become an annual tradition in Portland.
Posted on 06/24/2025 19:17 PM (CNA Daily News)
Over 3,000 Catholics filled the streets of Portland, Oregon, on Sunday, June 22, 2025, for a major Eucharistic procession led by Archbishop Alexander Sample. / Credit: Dylan Encarnacion
Portland, Ore., Jun 24, 2025 / 15:17 pm (CNA).
Over 3,000 Catholics filled the streets of Portland, Oregon, on Sunday for a Eucharistic procession led by Archbishop Alexander Sample.
To encourage broad participation from clergy and the faithful across the archdiocese, a special Mass was offered at 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The Mass was added to the regular Sunday Mass schedule to allow more local Catholics to participate in the procession after attending their own parish Masses. The procession through the streets followed immediately afterward.
Confessions were also offered from 1 to 3 p.m. in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean. By noon, hundreds were already lined up, well before the scheduled start time. Though not part of the formal schedule, over a thousand of the faithful gathered in prayer inside the cathedral after the final Benediction.
St. Mary’s Cathedral is designated as a local pilgrimage site for the 2025 Jubilee Year, and this event was structured to allow the faithful to receive a full plenary indulgence by fulfilling all the necessary conditions in a single day.
In his homily at the Mass, Sample framed the day as a turning point for the archdiocese.
“The Eucharist has to be at the forefront and center of evangelization and mission renewal. To see you all here today fills my heart with hope for the future. So many people see the Pacific Northwest as a center of darkness. I wish they could see this. I wish the Church across the United States could see this. I wish Pope Leo could see this,” the archbishop said.
“God is on the move here in western Oregon. The Holy Spirit is igniting a fire, and you’re all part of that. I predict that today is a turning point for the renewal of Christ’s mission in western Oregon.”
As the Blessed Sacrament was brought out after Mass, the cathedral’s bell tower rang out across the city. The sound could be heard up to a mile away and marked the beginning of the procession. Forty minutes later, the bells rang again to welcome the return of the faithful and the Eucharistic Lord.
This marked the first time the city of Portland has permitted a public Catholic procession through the main streets of downtown in several decades.
The crowd was striking in both size and diversity. More than half of the attendees came from Latino, Asian, and African communities.There was also a strong representation of more recent Catholic communities in the archdiocese such as Burmese and Swahili-speaking Catholics.
Hymns were sung in Latin, English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and more. At its full length, the procession filled four city blocks, moving through the Pearl District and drawing the attention of many onlookers who paused to watch in amazement and ask what was happening.
Many bystanders were visibly moved. Some knelt and prayed along the sidewalks, a powerful sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in a city often labeled secular or indifferent to faith.
“The Holy Spirit has chosen Portland, and he is doing something great here,” Sample said earlier this year at the archdiocese’s chrism Mass.
Joining the archbishop were more than 20 priests, eight deacons, over 100 altar servers and seminarians, 50 religious brothers and sisters, the Knights of Columbus, and the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher.
The event concluded with solemn Benediction on the cathedral steps, with the faithful filling the surrounding four blocks.
Visibly moved, the archbishop turned to the crowd and said, “Wow, this is amazing. What more can I say?” Then he exclaimed, “Viva!” and more than a thousand Latino Catholics joyfully responded, “Viva Cristo Rey!” (“Long live Christ the King!“)
The atmosphere throughout the event was filled with joy and reverence. People smiled and sang along the route, and at the conclusion, the crowd burst into applause along with local onlookers. Several attendees expressed their hope that this grand Eucharistic procession might become an annual tradition in Portland.
Posted on 06/24/2025 18:47 PM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Pope Leo XIV waves to those gathered for Mass on the solemnity of Corpus Christi on Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Rome. / Credit: Vatican Media
ACI Prensa Staff, Jun 24, 2025 / 14:47 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday said he was “deeply saddened” by the terrorist attack on a church in Damascus, Syria, and assured his prayers for those mourning the 25 people who were killed.
On Sunday, June 22, the solemnity of Corpus Christi, eyewitnesses reported that two armed men stormed the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Elias in Douailah on the outskirts of the Syrian capital.
One of them remained outside, firing at worshippers and into the church’s stained-glass windows, eyewitnesses said, while the second tried to enter the church and detonate a grenade, according to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner.
Two parishioners intervened and managed to wrestle the explosive device away from the second man, preventing an immediate detonation. However, while being dragged outside, the attacker activated his suicide belt, resulting in a massive explosion.
The attack left at least 25 dead and a total of 63 wounded.
The Holy See Press Office released a telegram of condolence from Pope Leo XIV on June 24 signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
In the message, the pontiff expressed his profound sadness after receiving news of “the loss of life and the destruction caused by the attack on the Greek Orthodox Church of Mar Elias in Damascus.”
In light of the brutal attack, the first since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the Holy Father also expressed “his heartfelt solidarity with all those affected.”
“In entrusting the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of our heavenly Father, His Holiness likewise prays for those who mourn their loss,” the telegram read.
Leo XIV also assured his prayers “for the recovery of the injured” and invoked “the Almighty’s gifts of consolation, healing, and peace upon the nation.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Posted on 06/24/2025 18:47 PM (CNA Daily News)
Pope Leo XIV waves to those gathered for Mass on the solemnity of Corpus Christi on Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Rome. / Credit: Vatican Media
ACI Prensa Staff, Jun 24, 2025 / 14:47 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday said he was “deeply saddened” by the terrorist attack on a church in Damascus, Syria, and assured his prayers for those mourning the 25 people who were killed.
On Sunday, June 22, the solemnity of Corpus Christi, eyewitnesses reported that two armed men stormed the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Elias in Douailah on the outskirts of the Syrian capital.
One of them remained outside, firing at worshippers and into the church’s stained-glass windows, eyewitnesses said, while the second tried to enter the church and detonate a grenade, according to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner.
Two parishioners intervened and managed to wrestle the explosive device away from the second man, preventing an immediate detonation. However, while being dragged outside, the attacker activated his suicide belt, resulting in a massive explosion.
The attack left at least 25 dead and a total of 63 wounded.
The Holy See Press Office released a telegram of condolence from Pope Leo XIV on June 24 signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
In the message, the pontiff expressed his profound sadness after receiving news of “the loss of life and the destruction caused by the attack on the Greek Orthodox Church of Mar Elias in Damascus.”
In light of the brutal attack, the first since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the Holy Father also expressed “his heartfelt solidarity with all those affected.”
“In entrusting the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of our heavenly Father, His Holiness likewise prays for those who mourn their loss,” the telegram read.
Leo XIV also assured his prayers “for the recovery of the injured” and invoked “the Almighty’s gifts of consolation, healing, and peace upon the nation.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Posted on 06/24/2025 18:17 PM (CNA Daily News)
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, in an interview with ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, emphasized that the Catholic Church in the Holy Land must remain “open”: “The Church must remain open and accessible to all. This is absolutely essential. Everyone must be able to reach us, we must be a point of connection for everyone.” / Credit: Cristian Gennari/OESSH (Anba Agency)
ACI MENA, Jun 24, 2025 / 14:17 pm (CNA).
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, in an exclusive interview with ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, emphasized that the Catholic Church in the Holy Land is “more active than people might think,” noting that many of its initiatives and efforts take place away from the spotlight “so that we can be more effective.”
His remarks came in response to the recent escalation of violence between Iran and Israel.
The cardinal also stressed the importance of openness. “The Church must remain open and accessible to all. This is absolutely essential,” he said. “Everyone must be able to reach us; we must be a point of connection for everyone.”
Commenting on the region’s complex political landscape, the cardinal sent a clear message to political leaders: “The path forward does not lie in military action but in dreaming of the future and building hope for it,” he said. “Force, violence, and war do not build anything. They destroy people, land, relationships, and wipe out hope in the future.”
As regional tensions escalate, the cardinal warned that the suffering in the Holy Land, especially in Gaza and the West Bank, risks being forgotten amid the noise of larger global crises. “We’ve been speaking out. Even yesterday, the pope said this war is making us forget about Gaza’s tragedy and that of the West Bank.”
“We must keep speaking, writing, and maintaining ties with churches around the world to remind them that the situation here is extremely complex and that we cannot forget the weakest and the poorest,” he said.
Addressing the daily challenges in the Holy Land, Pizzaballa highlighted the growing obstacles Christian families face in reaching their churches due to military checkpoints and repeated closures, which make pastoral activities nearly impossible.
“The first obstacle, above all else, is the state of emergency. Transportation has become a serious issue — no one knows when roads will be open or closed,” he said. With a sense of sadness, he added: “We invested so much effort and money to send our youth to Rome for the jubilee, and now everything has been frozen, suspended, and canceled.”
Despite these challenges, the cardinal affirmed the Church’s ongoing humanitarian work in both the West Bank and Gaza. “We’ve created hundreds of job opportunities, and we’re distributing food vouchers and aid. We’re present in a strong way, even in Gaza; we try to get in the essentials, despite how difficult it is,” he said.
When asked how, as patriarch of Jerusalem, he personally continues to cope with the crisis, Pizzaballa replied: “Most of the time lately, I feel helpless. I want to do so much, to write, to visit, to be present, but not everything is possible.”
He continued: “Our primary concern is our community in Gaza: to support them, to be present for them, to not abandon them. This is of utmost importance.”
Pizzaballa said the Christians in Gaza “have become a symbol of our Christian community.”
“So too is the unity of the Church,” he said. “These geographic divisions, the separation, the barriers, they isolate us. So how can we preserve connection and unity? Because without unity, there is no true sense of belonging.”
This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.
Posted on 06/24/2025 17:47 PM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Seminarian Thomas Hammen smiles in view of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Tuesday. June 24, 2025. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA
Vatican City, Jun 24, 2025 / 13:47 pm (CNA).
More than 2,500 seminarians from 57 countries converged on Rome this week to pray at the tomb of St. Peter, receive a blessing from Pope Leo XIV, and celebrate their vocations in the Jubilee of Seminarians.
“Thank you for courageously accepting the Lord’s invitation to follow him, to be disciples, to enter the seminary. You have to be courageous and not be afraid,” Pope Leo XIV told the young men gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica on June 24.
“As Christ loved with the heart of man, you are called to love with the heart of Christ!” the pope said in his catechesis to the seminarians, urging them to “love with the heart of Jesus.”
Over two days, the jubilee pilgrims prayed the rosary together at the tomb of St. Paul, passed through the Holy Doors of the basilicas in Rome, and knelt before the Eucharist in adoration. Among them were seminarians from Albania to Argentina, India to Italy, and the United States to Ukraine — each carrying his own story of how God called him to the priesthood.
Here are nine seminarians who shared how they heard the call to the priesthood:
“I think a key message is that we’re made to give ourselves away in love, while the culture says to only live for yourself… In my college years specifically, I experienced having everything the world told me that would make me happy and like Pope Leo has been saying over and over again, quoting St. Augustine, ‘my heart was restless.’
“Thankfully at Florida State University, I had an awesome friend who invited me on a retreat, and it was on that retreat where there was Eucharistic adoration that I heard the truth that my heart is made for God and when I live for him I come fully alive and I’m able to step into the mission that he has for me.
“I’d say my vocation is a result of God showing me mercy … and from knowing that I’m loved, that comes a great conviction that I’m chosen for something great and that’s really the source of my entire vocation to be a priest.”
Hammen hopes to be ordained in 2030.
“I’m from Tanzania and now I’m a seminarian in Sicily.”
“Since I was little, I wanted to become a priest. However, it was a bit difficult because my parents died in 2006. But in 2015, there were missionaries who came to my parish and they helped me to come here to Italy to fulfill the calling of my vocation … They helped to pay my tuition for the nine years.”
A recent convert from Protestantism, Stanczak said he “read” his way into the Church.
“I think, as St. John Henry Newman says, ‘to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant,’” he said.
“I really felt a very strong call from the Lord during Mass … and when the Lord says for you to do something, it’s hard to say no.”
In Rome, he has had a “wonderful experience” going to the churches from “the different ancient martyrs and saints that we pray in the Roman canon, seeing Cosmos and Damien’s church, John and Paul, Agnes and Lucy.”
“All these different wonderful saints have really helped me connect in a special way to the universal Church.”
He hopes to be ordained in 2030.
“I have to say that like St. Peter, I gave the Lord a lot of resistance. Finally, he somehow ‘pulled me by the ears,’ as we say… Slowly, with his strength, [the Lord] showed me day by day what is the meaning of my vocation, not only my vocation to the priesthood, but also to follow him with all my heart, as far as he will lead me, even to the point of giving my life.”
“There are so many challenges, as there always have been, and so I think if the Church continues to trust and rely on the Holy Spirit, then she will overcome them all.”
“The restlessness was already within me from my mother’s womb,” Bárcenas joked.
While studying mechanical engineering, he “realized that [God] was asking me for something more.
“I want to be above all credible, acceptable, and consistent with Christian life,” he said.
“I’m No. 9 of 10 kids. I grew up in a very heavily Catholic family … but I didn’t really feel called to the priesthood until I went away for college. It was there that I got in contact with a very holy priest who loved the Eucharist and would die for it. And that really inspired me to follow Christ and devote myself to his Church.”
“Through prayer and spiritual direction, I found my vocation to the diocesan seminary, and I’ve loved every minute of it. Ever since I entered, I thought the priesthood was going to be quiet and simple, but it has turned out to be the adventure of a lifetime!”
Zinkewich hopes to be ordained in 2029.
“I felt the call when I was 20 years old. It was through a priest friend of mine. Literally, the Lord was transfigured in him and he told me a phrase that moved me: ‘He needs you.’ His face changed to that of Jesus, but without ceasing to be him. It was extraordinary.”
Felicidad’s greatest aspiration is to leave behind “everything for the Lord and for the holy people of God.”
Marfo discovered his vocation at a young age when he was serving as an altar boy. This experience motivated him to follow a vocation to the priesthood.
“The biggest problem that my country is facing is that the population of Catholics is decreasing in these days because some of the priests are not doing what is expected of them, so Church members are leaving to other denominations, like Pentecostals or the Baptists.”
He hopes to be ordained in 2030.
“I have been in the seminary for seven years now,” he said. “I met with the bishop and, as soon as I finished school, I went straight to the seminary.”
His hope is to become a priest who resembles “the Good Shepherd” and to be “dedicated to serving my sheep.”
“The Lord himself said: ‘Pray to the Lord of the harvest.’ The Lord provides. I firmly believe that the Lord answers the people who kneel to pray. We should not stop praying for vocations. That’s the only thing to do: pray, pray, pray.”
The American seminarians taking part in the jubilee are in Italy this summer for the “Rome Experience,” a six-week program to study, pray, and walk in the footsteps of the saints. These seminarians are taking classes on Church history and Christian art and architecture while also making pilgrimages to churches and holy sites throughout Rome.
“While I’ve been here, it’s been so amazing to encounter the saints — to visit where they are buried, to hear their stories,” Hammen said. “My hope is to return to the United States and share what I’ve experienced here.”
The Jubilee of Seminarians is just one of many spiritual celebrations taking place in Rome during the holy year. Beginning Wednesday, the Vatican will also host a Jubilee of Bishops and a Jubilee of Priests.
Posted on 06/24/2025 17:47 PM (CNA Daily News)
Seminarian Thomas Hammen smiles in view of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Tuesday. June 24, 2025. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA
Vatican City, Jun 24, 2025 / 13:47 pm (CNA).
More than 2,500 seminarians from 57 countries converged on Rome this week to pray at the tomb of St. Peter, receive a blessing from Pope Leo XIV, and celebrate their vocations in the Jubilee of Seminarians.
“Thank you for courageously accepting the Lord’s invitation to follow him, to be disciples, to enter the seminary. You have to be courageous and not be afraid,” Pope Leo XIV told the young men gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica on June 24.
“As Christ loved with the heart of man, you are called to love with the heart of Christ!” the pope said in his catechesis to the seminarians, urging them to “love with the heart of Jesus.”
Over two days, the jubilee pilgrims prayed the rosary together at the tomb of St. Paul, passed through the Holy Doors of the basilicas in Rome, and knelt before the Eucharist in adoration. Among them were seminarians from Albania to Argentina, India to Italy, and the United States to Ukraine — each carrying his own story of how God called him to the priesthood.
Here are nine seminarians who shared how they heard the call to the priesthood:
“I think a key message is that we’re made to give ourselves away in love, while the culture says to only live for yourself… In my college years specifically, I experienced having everything the world told me that would make me happy and like Pope Leo has been saying over and over again, quoting St. Augustine, ‘my heart was restless.’
“Thankfully at Florida State University, I had an awesome friend who invited me on a retreat, and it was on that retreat where there was Eucharistic adoration that I heard the truth that my heart is made for God and when I live for him I come fully alive and I’m able to step into the mission that he has for me.
“I’d say my vocation is a result of God showing me mercy … and from knowing that I’m loved, that comes a great conviction that I’m chosen for something great and that’s really the source of my entire vocation to be a priest.”
Hammen hopes to be ordained in 2030.
“I’m from Tanzania and now I’m a seminarian in Sicily.”
“Since I was little, I wanted to become a priest. However, it was a bit difficult because my parents died in 2006. But in 2015, there were missionaries who came to my parish and they helped me to come here to Italy to fulfill the calling of my vocation … They helped to pay my tuition for the nine years.”
A recent convert from Protestantism, Stanczak said he “read” his way into the Church.
“I think, as St. John Henry Newman says, ‘to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant,’” he said.
“I really felt a very strong call from the Lord during Mass … and when the Lord says for you to do something, it’s hard to say no.”
In Rome, he has had a “wonderful experience” going to the churches from “the different ancient martyrs and saints that we pray in the Roman canon, seeing Cosmos and Damien’s church, John and Paul, Agnes and Lucy.”
“All these different wonderful saints have really helped me connect in a special way to the universal Church.”
He hopes to be ordained in 2030.
“I have to say that like St. Peter, I gave the Lord a lot of resistance. Finally, he somehow ‘pulled me by the ears,’ as we say… Slowly, with his strength, [the Lord] showed me day by day what is the meaning of my vocation, not only my vocation to the priesthood, but also to follow him with all my heart, as far as he will lead me, even to the point of giving my life.”
“There are so many challenges, as there always have been, and so I think if the Church continues to trust and rely on the Holy Spirit, then she will overcome them all.”
“The restlessness was already within me from my mother’s womb,” Bárcenas joked.
While studying mechanical engineering, he “realized that [God] was asking me for something more.
“I want to be above all credible, acceptable, and consistent with Christian life,” he said.
“I’m No. 9 of 10 kids. I grew up in a very heavily Catholic family … but I didn’t really feel called to the priesthood until I went away for college. It was there that I got in contact with a very holy priest who loved the Eucharist and would die for it. And that really inspired me to follow Christ and devote myself to his Church.”
“Through prayer and spiritual direction, I found my vocation to the diocesan seminary, and I’ve loved every minute of it. Ever since I entered, I thought the priesthood was going to be quiet and simple, but it has turned out to be the adventure of a lifetime!”
Zinkewich hopes to be ordained in 2029.
“I felt the call when I was 20 years old. It was through a priest friend of mine. Literally, the Lord was transfigured in him and he told me a phrase that moved me: ‘He needs you.’ His face changed to that of Jesus, but without ceasing to be him. It was extraordinary.”
Felicidad’s greatest aspiration is to leave behind “everything for the Lord and for the holy people of God.”
Marfo discovered his vocation at a young age when he was serving as an altar boy. This experience motivated him to follow a vocation to the priesthood.
“The biggest problem that my country is facing is that the population of Catholics is decreasing in these days because some of the priests are not doing what is expected of them, so Church members are leaving to other denominations, like Pentecostals or the Baptists.”
He hopes to be ordained in 2030.
“I have been in the seminary for seven years now,” he said. “I met with the bishop and, as soon as I finished school, I went straight to the seminary.”
His hope is to become a priest who resembles “the Good Shepherd” and to be “dedicated to serving my sheep.”
“The Lord himself said: ‘Pray to the Lord of the harvest.’ The Lord provides. I firmly believe that the Lord answers the people who kneel to pray. We should not stop praying for vocations. That’s the only thing to do: pray, pray, pray.”
The American seminarians taking part in the jubilee are in Italy this summer for the “Rome Experience,” a six-week program to study, pray, and walk in the footsteps of the saints. These seminarians are taking classes on Church history and Christian art and architecture while also making pilgrimages to churches and holy sites throughout Rome.
“While I’ve been here, it’s been so amazing to encounter the saints — to visit where they are buried, to hear their stories,” Hammen said. “My hope is to return to the United States and share what I’ve experienced here.”
The Jubilee of Seminarians is just one of many spiritual celebrations taking place in Rome during the holy year. Beginning Wednesday, the Vatican will also host a Jubilee of Bishops and a Jubilee of Priests.