In Matthew’s Gospel, we hear how Jesus summoned the apostles, and what a motley crew they were: a tax collector, fishermen, with homes and families. Yet, not only did these twelve guys leave everything behind, they shook the very foundations of the world. To this day—2000 years later—statues, buildings, churches, and schools hold their names. […]

“Don’t forget your bye knocks,” I heard my friend say as we set out from our Paris hotel. “My what? Bye knocks?” “Your binoculars,” she explained patiently, chuckling. “Your binocs!” As we boarded the train from Montparnasse to Chartres, I kicked myself because we had forgotten our binocs. While travel binoculars are more associated with […]

St. Lawrence of Brindisi, born in 1559 in Brindisi, Italy, entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order at a young age. Known for his exceptional linguistic skills, Lawrence mastered several languages, including Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Arabic, enabling him to effectively communicate and defend the Catholic faith. His preaching prowess and deep knowledge of Scripture earned him […]

Rome Newsroom, Jul 20, 2025 / 08:46 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday prayed by name for the victims of a deadly Israeli strike on the only Catholic parish in Gaza, decrying the “barbarism of the war” as he renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire.

“I express my profound sadness regarding last Thursday’s attack by the Israeli army on the Catholic Parish of the Holy Family in Gaza City, which as you know killed three Christians and gravely wounded others,” the pope said in his Angelus address from the papal estate at Castel Gandolfo, about 16 miles southeast of Rome.

He named the dead — Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, and Najwa Ibrahim Latif Abu Daoud — and said: “I am especially close to their families and all the parishioners.”

The July 17 strike on the parish compound also wounded nine others, including the local parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli. The church had been serving as a shelter for more than 600 people since the conflict began in October 2023, including Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims.

“Sadly, this act adds to the continuous military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza,” Leo said. “I again call for an immediate halt to the barbarism of the war and for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.” 

“I renew my appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and to respect the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of the population.” 

Thursday’s attack drew swift condemnation from Church leaders. On the same day, Pope Leo sent a telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin lamenting the loss of life and injuries caused by the military attack and calling for an immediate ceasefire. The following day, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III entered Gaza to offer spiritual, moral, and material comfort. 

According to Caritas Jerusalem, two of the victims were outside the main parish building — which had been repurposed into a shelter — when the explosion occurred. Salameh, 60, the parish caretaker, was in the courtyard, and Ayyad, 84, was sitting inside a Caritas psychosocial support tent when shrapnel and falling debris struck them. Both later died at Al-Mamadani Hospital due to what Caritas called a “severe shortage of medical resources and blood units in Gaza.” 

Israel Defense Forces acknowledged responsibility, stating that “fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly.”  

Pope Leo XIV also spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the strike, urging the reactivation of peace negotiations. He reiterated his concern for the humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, “whose heartbreaking price is being paid, in particular, by children, the elderly, and the sick,” a statement from the Vatican said. 

After praying for the Gaza victims during his Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV offered a message of solidarity to all Christians in the region.  

“To our beloved Middle Eastern Christians, I say: I deeply sympathize with your feeling that you can do little in the face of this grave situation,” he said. “You are in the heart of the pope and of the whole Church. Thank you for your witness of faith.”

He entrusted them to the Virgin Mary, “woman of the Levant, dawn of the new Sun that has risen in history,” and prayed that she “protect you always and accompany the world towards dawns of peace.”

Sunday marked the second time Pope Leo has led the Angelus prayer from Castel Gandolfo during his two-week summer retreat. Earlier in the day, the pope offered a Mass for local Catholics in the nearby Cathedral Basilica of St. Pancras in Albano.

He ended his Angelus address by greeting pilgrims in the courtyard, including students and staff from the nearby Catholic Institute of Technology and a group of Catholic scouts on a jubilee pilgrimage destined for the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis, whom Pope Leo is expected to canonize in September as the first millennial Catholic saint.

The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will return to Vatican City on Tuesday.

Rome Newsroom, Jul 20, 2025 / 08:46 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday prayed by name for the victims of a deadly Israeli strike on the only Catholic parish in Gaza, decrying the “barbarism of the war” as he renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire.

“I express my profound sadness regarding last Thursday’s attack by the Israeli army on the Catholic Parish of the Holy Family in Gaza City, which as you know killed three Christians and gravely wounded others,” the pope said in his Angelus address from the papal estate at Castel Gandolfo, about 16 miles southeast of Rome.

He named the dead — Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, and Najwa Ibrahim Latif Abu Daoud — and said: “I am especially close to their families and all the parishioners.”

The July 17 strike on the parish compound also wounded nine others, including the local parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli. The church had been serving as a shelter for more than 600 people since the conflict began in October 2023, including Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims.

“Sadly, this act adds to the continuous military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza,” Leo said. “I again call for an immediate halt to the barbarism of the war and for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.” 

“I renew my appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and to respect the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of the population.” 

Thursday’s attack drew swift condemnation from Church leaders. On the same day, Pope Leo sent a telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin lamenting the loss of life and injuries caused by the military attack and calling for an immediate ceasefire. The following day, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III entered Gaza to offer spiritual, moral, and material comfort. 

According to Caritas Jerusalem, two of the victims were outside the main parish building — which had been repurposed into a shelter — when the explosion occurred. Salameh, 60, the parish caretaker, was in the courtyard, and Ayyad, 84, was sitting inside a Caritas psychosocial support tent when shrapnel and falling debris struck them. Both later died at Al-Mamadani Hospital due to what Caritas called a “severe shortage of medical resources and blood units in Gaza.” 

Israel Defense Forces acknowledged responsibility, stating that “fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly.”  

Pope Leo XIV also spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the strike, urging the reactivation of peace negotiations. He reiterated his concern for the humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, “whose heartbreaking price is being paid, in particular, by children, the elderly, and the sick,” a statement from the Vatican said. 

After praying for the Gaza victims during his Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV offered a message of solidarity to all Christians in the region.  

“To our beloved Middle Eastern Christians, I say: I deeply sympathize with your feeling that you can do little in the face of this grave situation,” he said. “You are in the heart of the pope and of the whole Church. Thank you for your witness of faith.”

He entrusted them to the Virgin Mary, “woman of the Levant, dawn of the new Sun that has risen in history,” and prayed that she “protect you always and accompany the world towards dawns of peace.”

Sunday marked the second time Pope Leo has led the Angelus prayer from Castel Gandolfo during his two-week summer retreat. Earlier in the day, the pope offered a Mass for local Catholics in the nearby Cathedral Basilica of St. Pancras in Albano.

He ended his Angelus address by greeting pilgrims in the courtyard, including students and staff from the nearby Catholic Institute of Technology and a group of Catholic scouts on a jubilee pilgrimage destined for the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis, whom Pope Leo is expected to canonize in September as the first millennial Catholic saint.

The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will return to Vatican City on Tuesday.

Rome Newsroom, Jul 20, 2025 / 07:05 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday encouraged people to embrace the summer season as a time to deepen their relationship with God through silence, reflection, and time spent with others.

“Summer can be a providential time to experience the beauty and importance of our relationship with God and how much it can help us to be more open and welcoming to others,” Pope Leo said during a homily at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Pancras in Albano, a town about 16 miles south of Rome.

The pope, who is spending two weeks on summer holiday at the papal estate in nearby Castel Gandolfo, reflected on the example of Martha and Mary in the Gospel of Luke of how service and listening can be “twin dimensions of hospitality.”

“We should set aside moments of silence, moments of prayer, times in which, quieting noise and distractions, we recollect ourselves before God in simplicity of heart,” he said.

Preaching to a congregation of approximately 300 people — including local priests, seminarians, parishioners, religious sisters, and 60 sick individuals — Pope Leo emphasized the need to “make room for silence” and to step back from the “whirlwind of commitments and worries” that often crowd out opportunities for peace and prayer.

Outside the cathedral, hundreds more gathered in the streets and piazzas. Thirteen mayors from neighboring towns attended the Mass, along with a group of young Catholic scouts who paused to see the pope on their way to summer camp.

As he walked through Albano toward the cathedral, people waved and shouted greetings. The pope stopped to bless children and greet those in wheelchairs who kissed his ring in front of the church.

Pope Leo presided over the Mass, which was concelebrated by 80 priests in the basilica named for St. Pancras, a young Roman martyr from the fourth century.

In his homily, the pope turned to St. Augustine’s reflections on Martha and Mary.

“‘These two women symbolize two lives: the present and the future; a life lived in toil and a life of rest; one troubled and the other blessed; one temporary, the other eternal,’” Pope Leo said, quoting from Augustine’s Sermon 104.

Quoting further, he added: “‘The weariness will pass and rest will come, but rest will only come through the effort made. The ship will sail and reach its homeland; but the homeland will not be reached except by means of the ship.’”

The pope said that Martha and Mary are a reminder that “listening and service are two complementary attitudes that enable us to open ourselves and our lives to the blessings of the Lord.”

He urged Christians to seek a wise balance between “contemplation and action, rest and hard work, silence and the bustle of our daily lives,” guided always by the Lord, taking “Jesus’ charity as our measure, his word as our light, and his grace as our source of strength, which sustains us beyond our own capacity.”

“During the summer, we have more free time in which to gather our thoughts and reflect, and also to travel and spend time with each other. Let us make good use of this, by leaving behind the whirlwind of commitments and worries in order to savor a few moments of peace and reflection, taking time as well to visit other places and share in the joy of seeing others — as I am doing here today,” Leo said.

“Let us make summer an opportunity to care for others, to get to know each other, and to offer advice and a listening ear,” he said. “These are expressions of love, and that is something we all need. Let us do so with courage.”

Pope Leo is nearing the end of his current stay at Castel Gandolfo, the 135-acre papal retreat overlooking Lake Albano, long favored by previous pontiffs including John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Pope Francis, however, opted not to use the summer estate during his pontificate.

During his retreat, Leo has continued to lead public prayers, including the Angelus, and has celebrated Sunday Masses in the local community, including last week at the 17th-century Church of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo’s central square.

In his Angelus address on July 20, Pope Leo returned to the theme of summer as a time of rest and encounter.

“The summer season can help us learn how to slow down and become more like Mary than Martha. Sometimes we too fail to choose the better part. We need to take time to rest and try to learn better the art of hospitality,” he said.

“The holiday industry wants to sell us all sorts of ‘experiences,’ but perhaps not the ones we are really looking for. Every genuine encounter is free; it cannot be bought, whether it is an encounter with God, with others, or with nature. We need only learn the art of hospitality, which includes both welcoming others and allowing ourselves to be welcomed.”

The pope is expected to return briefly to Castel Gandolfo in August for the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, spending time there from Aug. 15–17.

Rome Newsroom, Jul 20, 2025 / 07:05 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday encouraged people to embrace the summer season as a time to deepen their relationship with God through silence, reflection, and time spent with others.

“Summer can be a providential time to experience the beauty and importance of our relationship with God and how much it can help us to be more open and welcoming to others,” Pope Leo said during a homily at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Pancras in Albano, a town about 16 miles south of Rome.

The pope, who is spending two weeks on summer holiday at the papal estate in nearby Castel Gandolfo, reflected on the example of Martha and Mary in the Gospel of Luke of how service and listening can be “twin dimensions of hospitality.”

“We should set aside moments of silence, moments of prayer, times in which, quieting noise and distractions, we recollect ourselves before God in simplicity of heart,” he said.

Preaching to a congregation of approximately 300 people — including local priests, seminarians, parishioners, religious sisters, and 60 sick individuals — Pope Leo emphasized the need to “make room for silence” and to step back from the “whirlwind of commitments and worries” that often crowd out opportunities for peace and prayer.

Outside the cathedral, hundreds more gathered in the streets and piazzas. Thirteen mayors from neighboring towns attended the Mass, along with a group of young Catholic scouts who paused to see the pope on their way to summer camp.

As he walked through Albano toward the cathedral, people waved and shouted greetings. The pope stopped to bless children and greet those in wheelchairs who kissed his ring in front of the church.

Pope Leo presided over the Mass, which was concelebrated by 80 priests in the basilica named for St. Pancras, a young Roman martyr from the fourth century.

In his homily, the pope turned to St. Augustine’s reflections on Martha and Mary.

“‘These two women symbolize two lives: the present and the future; a life lived in toil and a life of rest; one troubled and the other blessed; one temporary, the other eternal,’” Pope Leo said, quoting from Augustine’s Sermon 104.

Quoting further, he added: “‘The weariness will pass and rest will come, but rest will only come through the effort made. The ship will sail and reach its homeland; but the homeland will not be reached except by means of the ship.’”

The pope said that Martha and Mary are a reminder that “listening and service are two complementary attitudes that enable us to open ourselves and our lives to the blessings of the Lord.”

He urged Christians to seek a wise balance between “contemplation and action, rest and hard work, silence and the bustle of our daily lives,” guided always by the Lord, taking “Jesus’ charity as our measure, his word as our light, and his grace as our source of strength, which sustains us beyond our own capacity.”

“During the summer, we have more free time in which to gather our thoughts and reflect, and also to travel and spend time with each other. Let us make good use of this, by leaving behind the whirlwind of commitments and worries in order to savor a few moments of peace and reflection, taking time as well to visit other places and share in the joy of seeing others — as I am doing here today,” Leo said.

“Let us make summer an opportunity to care for others, to get to know each other, and to offer advice and a listening ear,” he said. “These are expressions of love, and that is something we all need. Let us do so with courage.”

Pope Leo is nearing the end of his current stay at Castel Gandolfo, the 135-acre papal retreat overlooking Lake Albano, long favored by previous pontiffs including John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Pope Francis, however, opted not to use the summer estate during his pontificate.

During his retreat, Leo has continued to lead public prayers, including the Angelus, and has celebrated Sunday Masses in the local community, including last week at the 17th-century Church of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo’s central square.

In his Angelus address on July 20, Pope Leo returned to the theme of summer as a time of rest and encounter.

“The summer season can help us learn how to slow down and become more like Mary than Martha. Sometimes we too fail to choose the better part. We need to take time to rest and try to learn better the art of hospitality,” he said.

“The holiday industry wants to sell us all sorts of ‘experiences,’ but perhaps not the ones we are really looking for. Every genuine encounter is free; it cannot be bought, whether it is an encounter with God, with others, or with nature. We need only learn the art of hospitality, which includes both welcoming others and allowing ourselves to be welcomed.”

The pope is expected to return briefly to Castel Gandolfo in August for the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, spending time there from Aug. 15–17.

ACI Africa, Jul 20, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

In a statement shared on July 13 following its 58th plenary assembly, members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) said the current situation in Ethiopia calls “more than ever” for a unified voice.

“The Church, as a mother, always longs and grieves for her children to enter into peace,” the bishops said, encouraging the people of God in the country to continue praying, fasting, and working earnestly for peace.

In March, Bishop Tesfasellassie Medhin of the Catholic Eparch of Adigrat, which covers the Tigray region in Ethiopia’s northernmost territory, warned of “a very bloody confrontation” that could involve Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea.

He confirmed at the time that tensions were continuing to escalate in the region following an internal split within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which led a rebel faction of the group to seize control of Adigrat, a town near the Eritrean border, on March 11.

“Instability in our region continues to persist, tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea are increasing, and the country could be engulfed in a very bloody confrontation,” he said.

This would come on the heels of a civil war that raged mainly in the Tigray area from November 2020 to November 2022, primarily fought between the TPLF and the Ethiopian government, which joined forces with Eritrea. Some estimates say over a half a million people died from violence, famine, and lack of medical access during that time.   

During their latest assembly, the Ethiopian bishops also focused on other issues related to the Church’s “mission, structure, institutions, evangelization, national and global matters.” They committed to strengthening the apostolic mission of the Catholic Church in Ethiopia through renewed efforts under a general secretariat.

“Plans are underway to appoint qualified priests soon, and there is an emphasis on working in a synodal spirit (journeying together) with the faithful to strengthen evangelization,” the bishops said in their statement.

In Ethiopia, which is predominantly Ethiopian Orthodox, the Latin rite is observed in nine ecclesiastical jurisdictions and the Eastern rite in four.

Meanwhile the bishops welcomed the newly ordained auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Addis Ababa, Bishop Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, as well as Bishop Merhakristos Gobezayehu Getachew Yilma of the Vicariate Apostolic of Awasa.

The late Pope Francis appointed Gebresilasie, a member of the Religious Institute of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ) in November 2024 to assist Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, the archbishop of Addis Ababa. Yilma has been at the helm of Awasa Apostolic Vicariate since February 2024.

CBCE spokesperson Bishop Lisane-Christos Matheos Semahun, who leads the Diocese of Bahirdar-Dessie, said in the bishops’ statement that the new appointments will “enhance shared Church responsibilities, contribute new ideas for addressing challenges, and strengthen many services.”

The bishops also welcomed the new apostolic nuncio to Ethiopia, Archbishop Brian Ngozi Udaigwe, and recognized his presence for the first time at a CBCE plenary assembly.

“Archbishop Brian expressed his happiness in coming to Ethiopia and showed his willingness to collaborate in the mission of the Church,” the statement said in reference to the Vatican diplomat who “delivered Pope Leo XIV’s message of fraternal communion to the bishops.”

The late Pope Francis transferred Cameroonian-born Udaigwe from Sri Lanka to Ethiopia on April 12. The Nigerian national previously served as the representative of the Holy Father in Benin and Togo.

The Addis Ababa-based apostolic nunciature had been vacant since May 2024, when the Holy Father reassigned Archbishop Antoine Camilleri to Cuba.

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

CNA Staff, Jul 20, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A new, short documentary tells the story of Servant of God Julia Greeley, also known as Denver’s Angel of Charity, who was born into slavery near Hannibal, Missouri. 

“Julia Greeley: Servant of the Sacred Heart” features interviews with Father Blaine Burkey, OFM Cap, who wrote a book on Greeley’s life; Mary Leisring, president of the Julia Greeley Guild; Father Eric Zegeer, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Denver, Greeley’s parish; and Jean Torkelson, executive director of the Julia Greeley Home, a Denver nonprofit that serves women in need.

In the 13-minute documentary, interviewees discuss Greeley’s deep faith, her acts of charity, and her courageous response to the challenges presented throughout her life. 

When she was a child, while her master was beating her mother, his whip caught Greeley’s right eye and destroyed it. After she was freed in 1865, she spent her time serving poor families, mostly in Denver.

In 1880, Greeley entered the Catholic Church at Sacred Heart Parish in Denver. She attended daily Mass and had a deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

She joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1901 and was known for her dedication to the people in her community, bringing them things they needed. Despite having arthritis, she walked countless miles to collect and distribute alms and to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Greely died on June 7, 1918, and her cause for canonization was opened by the Archdiocese of Denver in 2016.

Burkey is a retired priest in the Archdiocese of Denver. A scholar and expert on the life of Greeley, in an interview with CNA he described her as “a very zealous person.”

“Despite all the problems people gave her, she turned it around and didn’t spend time worrying about that,” he said.

The priest also highlighted that among Greeley’s many charitable deeds, “every time she had money leftover to take care of herself, she [instead] took care of the poor,” and “she didn’t spend her life trying to get even or [seek] vengeance or anything like that.”

He said he hopes the faithful are “encouraged by that message that you shouldn’t be concerned with vengeance but with mercy.”

“Julia Greeley: Servant of the Sacred Heart” can be viewed for free on YouTube. 

CNA Staff, Jul 20, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A new, short documentary tells the story of Servant of God Julia Greeley, also known as Denver’s Angel of Charity, who was born into slavery near Hannibal, Missouri. 

“Julia Greeley: Servant of the Sacred Heart” features interviews with Father Blaine Burkey, OFM Cap, who wrote a book on Greeley’s life; Mary Leisring, president of the Julia Greeley Guild; Father Eric Zegeer, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Denver, Greeley’s parish; and Jean Torkelson, executive director of the Julia Greeley Home, a Denver nonprofit that serves women in need.

In the 13-minute documentary, interviewees discuss Greeley’s deep faith, her acts of charity, and her courageous response to the challenges presented throughout her life. 

When she was a child, while her master was beating her mother, his whip caught Greeley’s right eye and destroyed it. After she was freed in 1865, she spent her time serving poor families, mostly in Denver.

In 1880, Greeley entered the Catholic Church at Sacred Heart Parish in Denver. She attended daily Mass and had a deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

She joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1901 and was known for her dedication to the people in her community, bringing them things they needed. Despite having arthritis, she walked countless miles to collect and distribute alms and to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Greely died on June 7, 1918, and her cause for canonization was opened by the Archdiocese of Denver in 2016.

Burkey is a retired priest in the Archdiocese of Denver. A scholar and expert on the life of Greeley, in an interview with CNA he described her as “a very zealous person.”

“Despite all the problems people gave her, she turned it around and didn’t spend time worrying about that,” he said.

The priest also highlighted that among Greeley’s many charitable deeds, “every time she had money leftover to take care of herself, she [instead] took care of the poor,” and “she didn’t spend her life trying to get even or [seek] vengeance or anything like that.”

He said he hopes the faithful are “encouraged by that message that you shouldn’t be concerned with vengeance but with mercy.”

“Julia Greeley: Servant of the Sacred Heart” can be viewed for free on YouTube.