Father Gabriel Romanelli with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, celebrating Christmas Mass at Holy Family Parish in Gaza, in December 2024. / Credit: Courtesy of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Vatican City, Jul 17, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

The Holy Family Church in Gaza was hit Thursday amid a new wave of Israeli bombings, leaving several people dead and injured, including the church’s pastor, Gabriel Romanelli, a native of Argentina.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed the incident in an official statement. The attack left three dead, according to Caritas Jerusalem.

One of the victims was Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, 60, the parish's maintenance manager who was in the courtyard at the time of the explosion. The other two fatalities were Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, an 84-year-old woman, and Najwa Abu Daoud, 70, who were receiving psychological care at the time inside the tent of Caritas' psycho-social support project.

According to Avvenire, the Italian Bishops’ Conference newspaper, Romanelli suffered injuries to his leg and was hospitalized, although his condition is not reported as critical. In addition to the Argentine priest from the Institute of the Incarnate Word, eight other people were injured and rushed to Al Mamadami Hospital, just one kilometer (.62 miles) from the church.

The parish building, the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, was converted at the beginning of the war into a makeshift shelter where more than 500 people now live. The majority are Orthodox Christians, Protestants, and Catholics, but it also serves as a refuge for more than 50 Muslim children with disabilities and their families.

For weeks, the 541 people sheltering in the parish complex have endured the daily roar of bombs falling in the surrounding area, especially in the residential neighborhood of al-Zaytun in Gaza City.

Despite the insecurity, the priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE) has remained in Gaza accompanying the local Catholic community in the midst of the conflict. In 2023 (when the Israel-Hamas war started) he was evacuated to Jerusalem, but decided to return in a gesture that demonstrates his pastoral commitment and spiritual resilience.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the incident. “The Israeli attacks on Gaza also hit the Holy Family church,” she wrote on X. “The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such deportment,” she added. 

This is not the first time that Holy Family parish, which has been a location for humanitarian assistance since the start of the war in October 2023, has been attacked. In December of that same year, two women were killed by an Israeli sniper inside the compound.

In addition, seven people were injured during the shooting that hit several Gazans. On that occasion, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the "cold-blooded" attack on the perimeter of the parish, where there were "no combatants."

This latest attack on a place of worship raises new concerns about the situation of civilians and religious communities trapped in the conflict. The Catholic Church in the Holy Land has repeatedly called for respect for sacred sites and the protection of the civilian population, regardless of faith.

A United Nations delegation made a surprise visit to the parish on July 1, the only Latin-rite Catholic church in Gaza, which houses hundreds of people displaced by the war.

According to Servizio Informazione Religiosa (SIR), the news agency of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) visited the church to assess the current situation there.

The Catholic enclave had previously received special attention from the late Pope Francis, who called Father Romanelli every day. His last call to the parish was two days before his death, on April 21.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Father Gabriel Romanelli with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, celebrating Christmas Mass at Holy Family Parish in Gaza, in December 2024. / Credit: Courtesy of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Vatican City, Jul 17, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

The Holy Family Church in Gaza was hit Thursday amid a new wave of Israeli bombings, leaving several people dead and injured, including the church’s pastor, Gabriel Romanelli, a native of Argentina.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed the incident in an official statement. The attack left three dead, according to Caritas Jerusalem.

One of the victims was Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, 60, the parish's maintenance manager who was in the courtyard at the time of the explosion. The other two fatalities were Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, an 84-year-old woman, and Najwa Abu Daoud, 70, who were receiving psychological care at the time inside the tent of Caritas' psycho-social support project.

According to Avvenire, the Italian Bishops’ Conference newspaper, Romanelli suffered injuries to his leg and was hospitalized, although his condition is not reported as critical. In addition to the Argentine priest from the Institute of the Incarnate Word, eight other people were injured and rushed to Al Mamadami Hospital, just one kilometer (.62 miles) from the church.

The parish building, the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, was converted at the beginning of the war into a makeshift shelter where more than 500 people now live. The majority are Orthodox Christians, Protestants, and Catholics, but it also serves as a refuge for more than 50 Muslim children with disabilities and their families.

For weeks, the 541 people sheltering in the parish complex have endured the daily roar of bombs falling in the surrounding area, especially in the residential neighborhood of al-Zaytun in Gaza City.

Despite the insecurity, the priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE) has remained in Gaza accompanying the local Catholic community in the midst of the conflict. In 2023 (when the Israel-Hamas war started) he was evacuated to Jerusalem, but decided to return in a gesture that demonstrates his pastoral commitment and spiritual resilience.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the incident. “The Israeli attacks on Gaza also hit the Holy Family church,” she wrote on X. “The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such deportment,” she added. 

This is not the first time that Holy Family parish, which has been a location for humanitarian assistance since the start of the war in October 2023, has been attacked. In December of that same year, two women were killed by an Israeli sniper inside the compound.

In addition, seven people were injured during the shooting that hit several Gazans. On that occasion, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the "cold-blooded" attack on the perimeter of the parish, where there were "no combatants."

This latest attack on a place of worship raises new concerns about the situation of civilians and religious communities trapped in the conflict. The Catholic Church in the Holy Land has repeatedly called for respect for sacred sites and the protection of the civilian population, regardless of faith.

A United Nations delegation made a surprise visit to the parish on July 1, the only Latin-rite Catholic church in Gaza, which houses hundreds of people displaced by the war.

According to Servizio Informazione Religiosa (SIR), the news agency of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) visited the church to assess the current situation there.

The Catholic enclave had previously received special attention from the late Pope Francis, who called Father Romanelli every day. His last call to the parish was two days before his death, on April 21.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Bishop Joseph Mary Kizito, the Liaison Bishop for the SACBC Migrants and Refugees Office. / Credit: SACBC

ACI Africa, Jul 17, 2025 / 14:28 pm (CNA).

Bishop Joseph Mary Kizito of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) said on July 15 that South Africa’s health sector has been brought to its knees not by foreign nationals, but by the recent suspension of most U.S. foreign aid.

In an interview with ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, the bishop said that many locals protesting against migrants “do not understand world politics” and are unaware of the effects of directives from the U.S. government. That is the reason they have turned against migrants and refugees, he said.

Kizito, the liaison for the SACBC's Migrants and Refugees Department, denounced ongoing xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in some parts of the country, noting that they are not to blame for the shortage of medication in the country’s health facilities.

“It is true that there is a lack of medication in the hospitals. But it's not because the foreigners have caused that; it is the economic situation we have found ourselves in. That is why we do not have a lot of money in the clinics,” Kizito said.

He added: “I think this situation has also been caused by the current international withdrawal of funding by President Trump of America. It has affected many economic changes in the departments, especially health and education.”

“I have seen HIV and TB projects here closing down. A lot of Trump money for HIV and TB is no longer there,” he said. “People are going to get a shortage of medication. And now, they are turning on foreigners, saying that it is they who are taking all their medications; but they don't know the causes of the shortage. They don't know the politics of the world.”

The Ugandan bishop, who leads South Africa’s Diocese of Aliwal, said he finds it hard to believe that foreigners are causing a strain on the country’s health system: “It is not true that all over the country, foreigners are more than the local people. That's not true.”

Recent protests, notably in Johannesburg’s Rosettenville suburb, have seen locals establish barricades demanding that undocumented migrants seek private medical care.

For weeks, residents of Rosettenville have also been reportedly calling for the deportation of illegal immigrants in South Africa, saying that they want South Africans to be prioritized for state services. 

SACBC members have denounced the attacks, describing the move to exclude foreign nationals in South Africa from health care as “a morally reprehensible” behavior that they say risks undermining the country’s attempts to strengthen social cohesion.

Kizito told ACI Africa that “the situation in Zimbabwe is not improving, DRC is not improving. Same with Lesotho and many other countries whose nationals are here in South Africa. We do not see the issue of migrants and refugees stopping. They are only going to increase.”

“We are still addressing this issue because the systems are very difficult to penetrate. There is a lot of miscommunication between the government and the agents on the ground,” he said.

Kizito challenged authorities in South Africa to start probing the reasons that there are so many undocumented migrants in the country. He highlighted poor border management as one of the biggest contributors to the increase, faulting law enforcement for failing to control the country’s borders.

“Our borders are either too big or the resources are not enough. And so, a lot of people come into the country illegally,” he explained, adding that corrupt officials at the borders do not help the situation.

He bemoaned the growing woes of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and those labelled “stateless” in South Africa, noting that delays in documentation are forcing foreign priests to leave the country.

He said that he had interacted with priests who were forced to go back to their home countries after attempts to renew their visas are delayed.

“Many priests have left the country because they have failed to secure their documents that show that they are not living here illegally,” the bishop said.

“These are clergy, men of God who want to renew their visas but they have failed. I know about three who have left. One left this week. They say that they cannot be here illegally. They have tried everything possible to complete their applications but nothing is working.”

Kizito said that the growing trend of priests leaving South Africa is not good for the country, which already has a shortage of priests.

He pleaded with South Africa’s department of Home Affairs and other authorities “to get their systems working” to reduce delays in documentation processes.

“The system is stuck. They always say they have a huge backlog. But for how long?" he asked, adding, “We appeal to the government. We appeal to the department of Home Affairs to make the system work. People genuinely want to renew their papers. But the office bureaucracies turn them down. People don't want to be in this country illegally.”

This article was originally published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met with a U.S. ecumenical group, led by Cardinal Joseph Tobin and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, encouraging them to “return to the roots of our faith” in their pilgrimage to Italy and Turkey. July 17, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Jul 17, 2025 / 12:31 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met with a U.S. ecumenical group, led by Cardinal Joseph Tobin and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, encouraging them to “return to the roots of our faith” in their pilgrimage to Italy and Turkey.    

Welcoming the group from his “native country” to his papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, located 15 miles southeast of Rome, the Holy Father said their visits to various holy sites in both countries are a “concrete way” of renewing their faith in the “Gospel handed down to us by the apostles.”

He said: “Your pilgrimage is one of the abundant fruits of the ecumenical movement aimed at restoring full unity among all Christ’s disciples in accordance with the Lord’s prayer at the Last Supper, when Jesus said, ‘that they may all be one.’”

Leo reiterated the importance of Christian unity — a key theme of his pontificate — during the meeting, saying Rome, Constantinople, and other episcopal sees “are not called to vie for primacy” but to pursue a path of “fraternal charity” through the Holy Spirit.

“It is significant that your pilgrimage is taking place this year, in which we celebrate one thousand seven hundred years of the Council of Nicaea,” he said. 

“The symbol of faith adopted by the assembled Fathers remains – together with the additions made at the Council of Constantinople in 381 – the common patrimony of all Christians, for many of whom the creed is an integral part of their liturgical celebrations,” he continued.

Pope Leo specially thanked Elpidophoros for leading the ecumenical group alongside Tobin, saying such “signs of sharing and fellowship” among Catholics and Orthodox should not be taken for granted.

“On December 7th, 1965, on the eve of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, my predecessor Saint Paul VI and the Patriarch, Athenagoras signed a Joint Declaration removing from memory and the midst of the Church the sentences of excommunication that followed the events of the year 1054,” he said.

“Before then, a pilgrimage like your own would probably not even have been possible,” he added. 

The pope asked both religious leaders to bring his greetings and “an embrace of peace” to Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, who attended his May 18 inauguration Mass, when in Turkey to continue their pilgrimage. 

While encouraging the U.S. delegation to be “witnesses and bearers of hope” during the 2025 Jubilee Year, Leo asked pilgrims to look forward to 2033, when Christians will commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of “the redemption won by the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.”

“Spiritually, all of us need to return to Jerusalem, the City of Peace, where Peter, Andrew and all the Apostles, after the days of the Lord’s passion and resurrection, received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and from there bore witness to Christ to the ends of the earth,” he said.

Before concluding the audience, the Holy Father expressed his hope to meet the group again “in a few months” for an “ecumenical commemoration” to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. 

He did not specify if he would or would not undertake an apostolic journey to Turkey this year to celebrate the occasion in İznik, modern day Nicaea, during the meeting.

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met with a U.S. ecumenical group, led by Cardinal Joseph Tobin and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, encouraging them to “return to the roots of our faith” in their pilgrimage to Italy and Turkey. July 17, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Jul 17, 2025 / 12:31 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met with a U.S. ecumenical group, led by Cardinal Joseph Tobin and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, encouraging them to “return to the roots of our faith” in their pilgrimage to Italy and Turkey.    

Welcoming the group from his “native country” to his papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, located 15 miles southeast of Rome, the Holy Father said their visits to various holy sites in both countries are a “concrete way” of renewing their faith in the “Gospel handed down to us by the apostles.”

He said: “Your pilgrimage is one of the abundant fruits of the ecumenical movement aimed at restoring full unity among all Christ’s disciples in accordance with the Lord’s prayer at the Last Supper, when Jesus said, ‘that they may all be one.’”

Leo reiterated the importance of Christian unity — a key theme of his pontificate — during the meeting, saying Rome, Constantinople, and other episcopal sees “are not called to vie for primacy” but to pursue a path of “fraternal charity” through the Holy Spirit.

“It is significant that your pilgrimage is taking place this year, in which we celebrate one thousand seven hundred years of the Council of Nicaea,” he said. 

“The symbol of faith adopted by the assembled Fathers remains – together with the additions made at the Council of Constantinople in 381 – the common patrimony of all Christians, for many of whom the creed is an integral part of their liturgical celebrations,” he continued.

Pope Leo specially thanked Elpidophoros for leading the ecumenical group alongside Tobin, saying such “signs of sharing and fellowship” among Catholics and Orthodox should not be taken for granted.

“On December 7th, 1965, on the eve of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, my predecessor Saint Paul VI and the Patriarch, Athenagoras signed a Joint Declaration removing from memory and the midst of the Church the sentences of excommunication that followed the events of the year 1054,” he said.

“Before then, a pilgrimage like your own would probably not even have been possible,” he added. 

The pope asked both religious leaders to bring his greetings and “an embrace of peace” to Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, who attended his May 18 inauguration Mass, when in Turkey to continue their pilgrimage. 

While encouraging the U.S. delegation to be “witnesses and bearers of hope” during the 2025 Jubilee Year, Leo asked pilgrims to look forward to 2033, when Christians will commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of “the redemption won by the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.”

“Spiritually, all of us need to return to Jerusalem, the City of Peace, where Peter, Andrew and all the Apostles, after the days of the Lord’s passion and resurrection, received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and from there bore witness to Christ to the ends of the earth,” he said.

Before concluding the audience, the Holy Father expressed his hope to meet the group again “in a few months” for an “ecumenical commemoration” to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. 

He did not specify if he would or would not undertake an apostolic journey to Turkey this year to celebrate the occasion in İznik, modern day Nicaea, during the meeting.

A view of the damage to the Holy Family church in Gaza City following an Israeli strike on the church, in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on July 17, 2025. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said an Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church killed two and injured several people on July 17, including the parish priest, as well as causing damage to the building. / Credit: OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 17, 2025 / 11:40 am (CNA).

Following a strike against the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic Church in Gaza, which left at least two dead on Thursday, Pope Leo XIV issued an urgent call for an immediate ceasefire.

In a telegram signed on the pope’s behalf by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pontiff expressed his “deep sadness” over the military attack and offered his prayers for “the consolation of those who are mourning and for the healing of the wounded.”

“Pope Leo renews his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation, and lasting peace in the region,” the message stated.

Finally, the Holy Father entrusted the souls of the deceased “to the loving mercy of Almighty God” and assured his “spiritual closeness” to all those affected.

The pope also posted a message on social media platform X, where he said "Only dialogue and reconciliation can ensure enduring peace!"

According to humanitarian aid organization Caritas Jerusalem, the two victims were outside the parish building — converted into a shelter for more than 500 people since the war began in October 2023 — at the time of the projectile strike.

Saad Salameh, 60, the parish caretaker, was in the courtyard and Fumayya Ayyad, 84, was sitting inside a Caritas psychosocial support tent when the explosion sent shrapnel flying and caused debris to fall in the area.

Both were rushed to Al-Mamadani Hospital, just over half a mile from the church, but died shortly afterward due to a "severe shortage of medical resources and blood units in Gaza," the statement said.

Caritas Jerusalem denounced these deaths, saying they represent “a painful reminder of the impossible conditions faced by civilians and medical personnel under siege.”

The humanitarian aid organization's teams in Gaza are “in a state of shock and mourning,” having witnessed “another senseless loss of innocent lives,” the group said.

In response to the tragedy, Caritas Jerusalem issued a new appeal to the international community: “Once again, we urgently call for swift action to protect civilians, places of worship, and humanitarian spaces, and to ensure that people in Gaza have access to the most basic right: the opportunity to survive.”

“May Saad and Fumayya rest in peace. We carry their memory with us,” the message concludes.

For his part, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, expressed doubt that the attack was not deliberate.

“They say it was a mistake by an Israeli tank, but we don't know; it hit the church … directly,” Pizzaballa told Vatican News. In addition to the two deaths, the explosion caused five injuries, including to the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, who suffered a minor leg injury.

Pizzaballa acknowledged that it is still too early to fully assess the consequences of the attack, but he insisted on the need to clarify what happened and protect the local community.

“Now is too early to talk about all this; we need to understand what happened, what must be done, above all, to protect our people, naturally trying to ensure that these things don't happen again, and then we will see how to continue,” he said.

The patriarch reaffirmed the Catholic Church's closeness and commitment to the Christians of the Gaza Strip: "We always try to reach Gaza in every possible way, directly and indirectly."

Following the attack, Israeli Foreign Minister Oren Marmorstein in a message posted on the social media platform X expressed the Israeli government's "deep sorrow for the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and for any civilian casualties."

The Israeli foreign minister indicated that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are examining the incident, the details of which "are still unclear."

"The results of the investigation will be published with complete transparency," he said.

In his statement, the minister stressed that "Israel never targets churches or religious sites" and regretted "any damage to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians."

This article was originally published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish language news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

A view of the damage to the Holy Family church in Gaza City following an Israeli strike on the church, in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on July 17, 2025. / Credit: OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images

ACI MENA, Jul 17, 2025 / 09:12 am (CNA).

The Holy Family Church in Gaza was struck by an Israeli attack on Thursday, with the strike resulting in casualties and injuries among civilians present at the historic church. The pastor of the parish, Father Gabriel Romanelli, was also injured.

The direct strike killed three people — Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh and Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, confirmed by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem a few hours after the attack. A third person, Najwa Abu Daoud, succombed to her injuries a few hours later.

The patriarchate stressed that it was praying for the repose of the souls of the dead and for an end to what it called this “barbaric war.” 

According to press reports, several other civilians sustained moderate to severe injuries, while the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, was wounded by shrapnel in his leg.  

His condition was described as mild, and he later returned to check on the wounded. According to church sources in Gaza, 14 people were injured in the attack.

In its initial statement earlier in the day, the patriarchate said: “The church was attacked this morning, causing injuries among those inside, including the parish priest.” 

In Rome, the Vatican issued a statement signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressing Pope Leo XIV’s profound sorrow upon learning that lives were lost and others injured.  

The Holy Father conveyed his spiritual closeness to Romanelli and the parish community, renewing his call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and expressing his desire for dialogue, reconciliation, and lasting peace in the region. 

While the Israel Defense Forces said they were investigating the incident, the spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Oren Marmorstein, expressed his country’s “deep regret over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualties.”  

He added that the circumstances of the incident remain unclear and that the results of the investigation would be published transparently. 

The Holy Family Church is considered the last Christian refuge in Gaza, where dozens of families have been sheltering since the outbreak of the war in October 2023. The church also suffered partial damage in July 2024, when its surroundings were shelled, an incident that at the time drew condemnation from church leaders in the Holy Land. 

This story was updated at 2:20 p.m. July 17 to reflect the latest reports of deaths from the attack.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA. 

Library in Starfield Shopping Mall, Suwon, South Korea. / Credit: Jpbarrass, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 17, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

“I believe that artificial intelligence will become an essential technology for preaching or pastoral care of the faithful,” said Fr. Ignazio Son Chang-hyun, one of the priests who participated in a recent innovative training organized by the Diocese of Suwon, South Korea.

According to Asia News, earlier this month the South Korean diocese brought together priests from the cities of Suwon, Daegu, and Masan to learn about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in parish life.

Unlike other meetings focused on ethics, this training sought to explore the practical opportunities that AI offers for evangelization and care of the faithful.

“Since it is a hot topic at the moment and its areas of application are expanding, we have prepared training for priests to learn skills that can be used in the pastoral field,” explained Father Lee Cheol-gu, director of the Office of Social Communications of the Diocese of Suwon, the event's sponsor.

During the event, held in collaboration with a company specializing in AI literacy, priests learned how to use tools such as ChatGPT and other generative platforms to create images, presentations, videos, and even background music for their parish activities. They also experimented with a chatbot that can automatically take meeting minutes.

For Father Son Chang-hyun, this technology can not only assist with administrative tasks, but could go further in its application. “I think that if we could better understand the trends and moods of the faithful, which change from place to place, through data analysis, we could get closer to them in pastoral terms,” he said.

Father Bartolomeo Choi Jae-yong, another participant, emphasized the importance of integrating faith and science: “I believe that religion and science must be well harmonized in order for God's new work to be accomplished.”

Speaking with Asia News, he added that religion "must actively learn and understand science and technology in order to prevent abuses related to their use.”

Another goal of this initiative is to build bridges between the Church and technology companies, in order to improve the content of tools that use AI.

“I have noticed that Catholic and Protestant terminology are often confused and that there is a lot of misinformation about the saints. I therefore thought it necessary for the Church to collaborate with companies to improve these aspects,” said Father Leone Lee Jae-geun, deputy director of the Office of Social Communications.

In a country like South Korea, a world leader in technology, the local Church has taken this significant step to evangelize in the digital world as well. According to the participating priests, this experience could become a model for other dioceses around the world seeking to integrate technological innovation in the service of the Gospel.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

The world is facing record-breaking temperatures year after year, and an increase in climate-related catastrophes. Since scientists have made it abundantly clear that this crisis is the result of human actions, denial is not a morally responsible option. We must accept that how we live, consume, and govern has everything to do with the state […]

The post Korean spirituality gives new insights into environmental justice appeared first on U.S. Catholic.

Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin, chairman of the Irish bishops’ Council for Life (far left), and Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, primate of all Ireland (second from left), stand with young pro-life activists at the 2024 Ireland March for Life in Dublin on May 6, 2024. / Credit: Courtesy of Pro Life Campaign

Dublin, Ireland, Jul 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

One in 6 unborn children’s lives now end in abortion in the Republic of Ireland.