As Trump meets Putin, Pope Leo prays for peace
As Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump prepared for a rare summit in Alaska on Aug. 15 to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, Pope Leo XIV issued a special plea for peace.
Posted on 08/15/2025 14:43 PM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Pope Leo XIV celebrates the Mass of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Church of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media
Rome Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 10:43 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday presided over the Mass of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Church of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo, encouraging Catholics to renew the Mother of God’s song of praise — known as the Magnificat — in their own lives.
Approximately 200 people, including Castel Gandolfo Mayor Alberto de Angelis, attended the pope’s solemn Mass held at the pontifical parish to commemorate the Church’s dogma of faith that Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven.
In his Aug. 15 homily, the Holy Father described Mary’s encounter with her cousin Elizabeth as a “crowning moment of her life” on earth.
“The Magnificat, which the Gospel places on the lips of the young Mary, now radiates the light of all her days,” he said in his homily.
“One single day,” he continued, “contains the seed of every other day, of every other season.”
Highlighting the enduring significance of Mary in the life of the Church, the pope said her Magnificat, recorded in St. Luke’s Gospel, “continues to be sung in the Church ‘from generation to generation,’ at the close of every day” in the Liturgy of the Hours.
Encouraging Catholic faithful to reflect deeper on Mary’s song of praise expressed at a “decisive moment” in her vocation, the Holy Father encouraged Catholic faithful today to also give their “yes” to God.
“The surprising fruitfulness of barren Elizabeth confirmed Mary in her trust,” he said in his homily. “It anticipated the fruitfulness of her ‘yes,’ which extends to the fruitfulness of the Church and of all humanity whenever God’s renewing Word is welcomed.”
According to Pope Leo, Mary’s Magnificat “strengthens the hope of the humble, the hungry, the faithful servants of God” and is renewed in the Church through the witness of its members.
“Even in our own day, the poor and persecuted Christian communities, the witnesses of tenderness and forgiveness in places of conflict, and the peacemakers and bridge-builders in a broken world, are the joy of the Church,” he said.
“They are her enduring fruitfulness, the firstfruits of the kingdom to come,” he added. “Let us be converted by their witness!”
After praying the midday Angelus prayer with crowds of people gathered in Piazza della Libertà, Pope Leo spoke of the importance to believe, with Mary, that God continues to come to the aid of people in the world.
“Mary, whom the risen Christ carried body and soul into the glory, shines as an icon of hope for her pilgrim children throughout history,” he said.
Calling people to be pilgrims of hope in the 2025 Jubilee Year, the Holy Father spoke of the need for Christians to realize that life on earth is oriented toward God.
“On the path of life, our goal is God, infinite and eternal love, fullness of life, peace, joy, and every good thing,” he said. “The human heart is drawn to such beauty and it is not happy until it finds it.”
Entrusting the Church’s prayer for peace to the intercession of Mary, Leo told the crowds that Pope Pius XII declared the Marian dogma of the Assumption in 1950, five years after World War II ended.
“Even today, sadly, we feel powerless before the spread of violence in the world — a violence increasingly deaf and insensitive to any stirring of humanity,” he said. “Yet we must not cease to hope: God is greater than the sin of human beings.”
Posted on 08/15/2025 14:43 PM (CNA Daily News)
Pope Leo XIV celebrates the Mass of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Church of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media
Rome Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 10:43 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday presided over the Mass of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Church of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo, encouraging Catholics to renew the Mother of God’s song of praise — known as the Magnificat — in their own lives.
Approximately 200 people, including Castel Gandolfo Mayor Alberto de Angelis, attended the pope’s solemn Mass held at the pontifical parish to commemorate the Church’s dogma of faith that Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven.
In his Aug. 15 homily, the Holy Father described Mary’s encounter with her cousin Elizabeth as a “crowning moment of her life” on earth.
“The Magnificat, which the Gospel places on the lips of the young Mary, now radiates the light of all her days,” he said in his homily.
“One single day,” he continued, “contains the seed of every other day, of every other season.”
Highlighting the enduring significance of Mary in the life of the Church, the pope said her Magnificat, recorded in St. Luke’s Gospel, “continues to be sung in the Church ‘from generation to generation,’ at the close of every day” in the Liturgy of the Hours.
Encouraging Catholic faithful to reflect deeper on Mary’s song of praise expressed at a “decisive moment” in her vocation, the Holy Father encouraged Catholic faithful today to also give their “yes” to God.
“The surprising fruitfulness of barren Elizabeth confirmed Mary in her trust,” he said in his homily. “It anticipated the fruitfulness of her ‘yes,’ which extends to the fruitfulness of the Church and of all humanity whenever God’s renewing Word is welcomed.”
According to Pope Leo, Mary’s Magnificat “strengthens the hope of the humble, the hungry, the faithful servants of God” and is renewed in the Church through the witness of its members.
“Even in our own day, the poor and persecuted Christian communities, the witnesses of tenderness and forgiveness in places of conflict, and the peacemakers and bridge-builders in a broken world, are the joy of the Church,” he said.
“They are her enduring fruitfulness, the firstfruits of the kingdom to come,” he added. “Let us be converted by their witness!”
After praying the midday Angelus prayer with crowds of people gathered in Piazza della Libertà, Pope Leo spoke of the importance to believe, with Mary, that God continues to come to the aid of people in the world.
“Mary, whom the risen Christ carried body and soul into the glory, shines as an icon of hope for her pilgrim children throughout history,” he said.
Calling people to be pilgrims of hope in the 2025 Jubilee Year, the Holy Father spoke of the need for Christians to realize that life on earth is oriented toward God.
“On the path of life, our goal is God, infinite and eternal love, fullness of life, peace, joy, and every good thing,” he said. “The human heart is drawn to such beauty and it is not happy until it finds it.”
Entrusting the Church’s prayer for peace to the intercession of Mary, Leo told the crowds that Pope Pius XII declared the Marian dogma of the Assumption in 1950, five years after World War II ended.
“Even today, sadly, we feel powerless before the spread of violence in the world — a violence increasingly deaf and insensitive to any stirring of humanity,” he said. “Yet we must not cease to hope: God is greater than the sin of human beings.”
Posted on 08/15/2025 14:00 PM (U.S. Catholic)
Bono, the lead singer for Irish rock band U2, has been an inescapable pop cultural presence for at least 40 years. At first U2 was a bit of a man-bites-dog story, the rock band in which all but one member was a devoted Christian. As Bono’s image evolved over the decades, he became as well-known […]
The post Activist or egotist? Bono’s new film reveals him as both appeared first on U.S. Catholic.
Posted on 08/15/2025 10:35 AM (CNA Daily News)
The encounter in Indianapolis will feature opening remarks by Pope Leo XIV, youth representatives, and a live Q&A. / Credit: EWTN News
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 06:35 am (CNA).
EWTN Global Catholic Network announced it will serve as the exclusive media partner providing news coverage, broadcast, and digital streaming of Pope Leo XIV’s first-ever digital visit with American Catholic youth during the 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) hosted by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) on Nov. 21.
The historic encounter will connect the Holy Father live from the Vatican with thousands of young people gathered in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and many more watching online around the world.
According to the NCYC, the Holy Father is expected to address as many as 15,000 registered young people ages 14-18 from Catholic youth movements across the United States and engage directly with them during a 45-minute live dialogue beginning at 10:15 a.m. ET on Nov. 21.
A select number of young people will be chosen to directly converse with Pope Leo during the session. The NFCYM indicated that details about the selection process will be shared in the coming weeks.
The encounter will take place on the second day of the Nov. 20–22 NCYC, which in addition to the young people will gather Catholic youth ministry leaders, clergy, and volunteers from across the country for three days of prayer, formation, community, and celebration.
Reacting to the announcement, Archbishop Charles Thompson of Indianapolis said: “It’s wonderful to welcome the youth of the United States back to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis just a year after we had 60,000 Catholics there for the National Eucharistic Congress.” He added that “revival in the United States isn’t something to hope for, it is something that is happening. I am pleased to partner with NFCYM, my brother bishops, and EWTN to facilitate this important digital encounter.”
“From the very beginning, EWTN has been the place where the faithful can gather — across distances and time zones — for the great moments in the life of the Church,” said Michael P. Warsaw, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of EWTN. “As we continue to grow and adapt our media platforms, serving younger audiences has become an essential part of our mission. This historic encounter will not only inspire young people but also invite them more deeply into the heart of the Church,” he noted.
Montse Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News, added: “At EWTN News, we are committed to covering and supporting events of significance in the global Church. We are especially excited to partner with NCYC, NFCYM, and honored to work with the Holy Father on this unprecedented moment for the young people of the American Church with the first American pope.”
Today’s announcement, on the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also coincides with the 44th anniversary of EWTN’s first broadcast.
“This providential selection reflects EWTN’s long-standing mission to bring the Church’s message to every home and to support young people in encountering Jesus Christ and growing in their faith,” Alvarado said.
The encounter will feature opening remarks by Pope Leo XIV, youth representatives, a live Q&A, and closing remarks including a blessing. EWTN’s coverage will also include broadcasting additional NCYC programming from Nov. 20–22, providing global audiences with access to prayer, catechesis, formation, and celebration taking place in Indianapolis.
Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Pérez, who serves as episcopal adviser to the NFCYM, noted that “the Holy Father’s choice to encounter the American youth in this way is an expression of his closeness to Catholic youth, following in the footsteps of his predecessor Pope Francis who called the youth the ‘now of God.’”
Echoing Pérez, Warsaw pointed out that “this encounter with Pope Leo XIV will mark an important moment for the youth of America,” adding that “I am thrilled that we can offer EWTN’s services for the 2025 conference and encounter by providing the means by which NCYC, NFCYM, and the Holy Father will have a global vehicle of expression. We look forward to sharing this moment with the world.”
Visit ncyc.us for more information about the program and how to participate.
The largest Catholic media organization in the world, EWTN’s 11 global TV channels and numerous regional channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 435 million television households in more than 160 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 600 U.S. and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., EWTN News operates multiple global news services, including Catholic News Agency; The National Catholic Register newspaper and digital platform; ACI Prensa in Spanish; ACI Digital in Portuguese; ACI Stampa in Italian; ACI Africa in English, French, and Portuguese; ACI MENA in Arabic; CNA Deutsch in German; and ChurchPop, a digital platform that creates content in several languages. It also produces numerous television news programs including “EWTN News Nightly,” “EWTN Noticias,” “EWTN News In Depth,” “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly,” “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” and “Vaticano.”
Posted on 08/15/2025 10:35 AM (CNA Daily News - US)
The encounter in Indianapolis will feature opening remarks by Pope Leo XIV, youth representatives, and a live Q&A. / Credit: EWTN News
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 06:35 am (CNA).
EWTN Global Catholic Network announced it will serve as the exclusive media partner providing news coverage, broadcast, and digital streaming of Pope Leo XIV’s first-ever digital visit with American Catholic youth during the 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) hosted by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) on Nov. 21.
The historic encounter will connect the Holy Father live from the Vatican with thousands of young people gathered in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and many more watching online around the world.
According to the NCYC, the Holy Father is expected to address as many as 15,000 registered young people ages 14-18 from Catholic youth movements across the United States and engage directly with them during a 45-minute live dialogue beginning at 10:15 a.m. ET on Nov. 21.
A select number of young people will be chosen to directly converse with Pope Leo during the session. The NFCYM indicated that details about the selection process will be shared in the coming weeks.
The encounter will take place on the second day of the Nov. 20–22 NCYC, which in addition to the young people will gather Catholic youth ministry leaders, clergy, and volunteers from across the country for three days of prayer, formation, community, and celebration.
Reacting to the announcement, Archbishop Charles Thompson of Indianapolis said: “It’s wonderful to welcome the youth of the United States back to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis just a year after we had 60,000 Catholics there for the National Eucharistic Congress.” He added that “revival in the United States isn’t something to hope for, it is something that is happening. I am pleased to partner with NFCYM, my brother bishops, and EWTN to facilitate this important digital encounter.”
“From the very beginning, EWTN has been the place where the faithful can gather — across distances and time zones — for the great moments in the life of the Church,” said Michael P. Warsaw, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of EWTN. “As we continue to grow and adapt our media platforms, serving younger audiences has become an essential part of our mission. This historic encounter will not only inspire young people but also invite them more deeply into the heart of the Church,” he noted.
Montse Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News, added: “At EWTN News, we are committed to covering and supporting events of significance in the global Church. We are especially excited to partner with NCYC, NFCYM, and honored to work with the Holy Father on this unprecedented moment for the young people of the American Church with the first American pope.”
Today’s announcement, on the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also coincides with the 44th anniversary of EWTN’s first broadcast.
“This providential selection reflects EWTN’s long-standing mission to bring the Church’s message to every home and to support young people in encountering Jesus Christ and growing in their faith,” Alvarado said.
The encounter will feature opening remarks by Pope Leo XIV, youth representatives, a live Q&A, and closing remarks including a blessing. EWTN’s coverage will also include broadcasting additional NCYC programming from Nov. 20–22, providing global audiences with access to prayer, catechesis, formation, and celebration taking place in Indianapolis.
Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Pérez, who serves as episcopal adviser to the NFCYM, noted that “the Holy Father’s choice to encounter the American youth in this way is an expression of his closeness to Catholic youth, following in the footsteps of his predecessor Pope Francis who called the youth the ‘now of God.’”
Echoing Pérez, Warsaw pointed out that “this encounter with Pope Leo XIV will mark an important moment for the youth of America,” adding that “I am thrilled that we can offer EWTN’s services for the 2025 conference and encounter by providing the means by which NCYC, NFCYM, and the Holy Father will have a global vehicle of expression. We look forward to sharing this moment with the world.”
Visit ncyc.us for more information about the program and how to participate.
The largest Catholic media organization in the world, EWTN’s 11 global TV channels and numerous regional channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 435 million television households in more than 160 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 600 U.S. and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., EWTN News operates multiple global news services, including Catholic News Agency; The National Catholic Register newspaper and digital platform; ACI Prensa in Spanish; ACI Digital in Portuguese; ACI Stampa in Italian; ACI Africa in English, French, and Portuguese; ACI MENA in Arabic; CNA Deutsch in German; and ChurchPop, a digital platform that creates content in several languages. It also produces numerous television news programs including “EWTN News Nightly,” “EWTN Noticias,” “EWTN News In Depth,” “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly,” “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” and “Vaticano.”
Posted on 08/15/2025 10:00 AM (CNA Daily News)
Palestine and Israel border. / Credit: AntonMislawsky/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:
An Italian Catholic priest who has accused Israel of genocide and criticized its ongoing war in Gaza was recently denied entry into the country and sent on a return flight to Greece, according to reports.
Father Nandino Capovilla, founder of the “Bridges, Not Walls” Campaign for Palestine of Pax Christi Italy, was planning to take part in a “pilgrimage of justice” organized by the group but was stopped at Ben Gurion Airport on Aug. 11 and told he would not be permitted to enter the country.
Capovilla, who regularly posts on Facebook about Gaza, wrote a post after his release instructing journalists who cover his situation to demand sanctions on Israel.
The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) revealed it has arrested over 50 Christians since the end of its short-lived “12-day war” with Israel, according to the watchdog group Article18. The admission was made in a wider announcement detailing the intelligence agency’s crackdown on groups it said participated in anti-regime demonstrations amid the conflict.
The MOIS said in the announcement that it had “neutralized” 53 “Mossad mercenaries” who it claimed had been “trained abroad” by churches in the U.S. and Israel to rebel against the Iranian regime. At least 11 of the detained have been released on bail.
“Prior to the conflict, over 60 other Christians were either detained or in the process of being tried on charges related to their faith in Iran, and this number has now nearly doubled,” Article18 stated.
Maronite patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi toured Christian border villages in southern Lebanon, delivering a clear message: “No to war, yes to peace,” ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, reported Sunday. His visit comes after the latest round of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which caused significant displacement and damage to the region’s Christian communities.
Accompanied by the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, and local bishops, the patriarch visited towns including Dibl, Al-Qouzah, Ain Ebel, and Rmeish. In Al-Qouzah, where only 72 residents remain, he pledged support for reconstruction efforts, affirming that “war is temporary, peace endures.”
At each stop, he was welcomed with showers of rice and flowers, emphasizing the resilience of the people who chose to stay despite the hardships. Al-Rahi reiterated that Lebanon’s identity is rooted in peace, urging both leaders and citizens to reject the cycle of violence.
The Catholic-majority Mannar district in northern Sri Lanka has continued its protest against sand mining and wind power farms, according to UCA News, contesting that the practices “threaten their survival and livelihoods.”
Protestors claim the projects threaten the ecology and cultural heritage of the island and have been protesting in the streets since Aug. 11, when they began blocking the entrance of vehicles transporting equipment, including turbine blades for the windmill farm, into the island.
Father S. Marcus Adigalar, president of the Mannar Citizens Committee, told UCA: “Following the implementation of a windmill project carried out by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in the past, we are already witnessing the environmental impact of it.”
The priest further claimed that there has been an increase in deaths of birds and a negative impact on the fishing community due to the noise and vibrations caused by the wind farm. “This cannot be allowed,” he added.
The Vatican secretary for the Dicastery for Evangelization has issued a call for African religious orders to make sure the needs of their local communities are being met before priests are sent abroad.
During a speech at the third Pan-African Catholic Congress on Theology, Society, and Pastoral Life, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu told attendees: “A Church that fails to care for its own cannot credibly claim to care for others,” according to an Aug. 13 report from ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa.
He further emphasized the importance of safeguarding the missionary presence of Africans abroad so it may be viewed “not as a request for aid but as a witness to Christ’s self-giving love and the fruitfulness of the Gospel sown in African soil.”
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived on Tuesday in Burundi for a weeklong pastoral visit. According to a report from ACI Africa, he expressed joy upon his arrival to the East African nation, telling those who received him at the apostolic nunciature: “I am very happy to be among you.”
Parolin’s visit included meetings with various communities, Church leaders, and government authorities, including President Évariste Ndayishimiye. He is also scheduled to preside over the inauguration of a monument and lay the foundation stone for a new health center dedicated to the memory of Archbishop Michael Aiden Courtney, the former apostolic nuncio to Burundi who was assassinated in 2003.
A Catholic priest in the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique is condemning the increase in cases of child abduction, as Human Rights Watch estimated at least 120 children kidnapped by jihadist insurgents linked to the Islamic State in recent months, ACI Africa reported.
“This senseless war brings only death and takes what little hope the people, and especially the children, have,” said Father Kwiriwi Fonsesca in an Aug. 8 report from Aid to the Church in Need International.
“These children must be returned to their parents; they must be searched for wherever they are, so that they can be returned to their parents, because they deserve a better future,” he added.
The Catholic Church in Germany invested almost 600 million euros (about $700 million) in international projects in 2024, according to the German Bishops’ Conference.
The roughly 595 million euros distributed across the globe includes 200 million to Africa, almost 144 million to Latin America, over 137 million to Asia and around 76 million to various regions across Europe. Forty-nine million euros were listed as invested in international projects, according to CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.
Bishop Bertram Meier of Augsburg wrote in a preface to the bishops’ conference financial report: “595 million euros for project funding — that’s an impressive figure.” However, he noted, the actual extent of the Church’s reach in the foreign aid sphere is “far greater,” given the number of additional independent church associations.
Posted on 08/15/2025 10:00 AM (CNA Daily News - US)
Palestine and Israel border. / Credit: AntonMislawsky/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:
An Italian Catholic priest who has accused Israel of genocide and criticized its ongoing war in Gaza was recently denied entry into the country and sent on a return flight to Greece, according to reports.
Father Nandino Capovilla, founder of the “Bridges, Not Walls” Campaign for Palestine of Pax Christi Italy, was planning to take part in a “pilgrimage of justice” organized by the group but was stopped at Ben Gurion Airport on Aug. 11 and told he would not be permitted to enter the country.
Capovilla, who regularly posts on Facebook about Gaza, wrote a post after his release instructing journalists who cover his situation to demand sanctions on Israel.
The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) revealed it has arrested over 50 Christians since the end of its short-lived “12-day war” with Israel, according to the watchdog group Article18. The admission was made in a wider announcement detailing the intelligence agency’s crackdown on groups it said participated in anti-regime demonstrations amid the conflict.
The MOIS said in the announcement that it had “neutralized” 53 “Mossad mercenaries” who it claimed had been “trained abroad” by churches in the U.S. and Israel to rebel against the Iranian regime. At least 11 of the detained have been released on bail.
“Prior to the conflict, over 60 other Christians were either detained or in the process of being tried on charges related to their faith in Iran, and this number has now nearly doubled,” Article18 stated.
Maronite patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi toured Christian border villages in southern Lebanon, delivering a clear message: “No to war, yes to peace,” ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, reported Sunday. His visit comes after the latest round of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which caused significant displacement and damage to the region’s Christian communities.
Accompanied by the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, and local bishops, the patriarch visited towns including Dibl, Al-Qouzah, Ain Ebel, and Rmeish. In Al-Qouzah, where only 72 residents remain, he pledged support for reconstruction efforts, affirming that “war is temporary, peace endures.”
At each stop, he was welcomed with showers of rice and flowers, emphasizing the resilience of the people who chose to stay despite the hardships. Al-Rahi reiterated that Lebanon’s identity is rooted in peace, urging both leaders and citizens to reject the cycle of violence.
The Catholic-majority Mannar district in northern Sri Lanka has continued its protest against sand mining and wind power farms, according to UCA News, contesting that the practices “threaten their survival and livelihoods.”
Protestors claim the projects threaten the ecology and cultural heritage of the island and have been protesting in the streets since Aug. 11, when they began blocking the entrance of vehicles transporting equipment, including turbine blades for the windmill farm, into the island.
Father S. Marcus Adigalar, president of the Mannar Citizens Committee, told UCA: “Following the implementation of a windmill project carried out by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in the past, we are already witnessing the environmental impact of it.”
The priest further claimed that there has been an increase in deaths of birds and a negative impact on the fishing community due to the noise and vibrations caused by the wind farm. “This cannot be allowed,” he added.
The Vatican secretary for the Dicastery for Evangelization has issued a call for African religious orders to make sure the needs of their local communities are being met before priests are sent abroad.
During a speech at the third Pan-African Catholic Congress on Theology, Society, and Pastoral Life, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu told attendees: “A Church that fails to care for its own cannot credibly claim to care for others,” according to an Aug. 13 report from ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa.
He further emphasized the importance of safeguarding the missionary presence of Africans abroad so it may be viewed “not as a request for aid but as a witness to Christ’s self-giving love and the fruitfulness of the Gospel sown in African soil.”
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived on Tuesday in Burundi for a weeklong pastoral visit. According to a report from ACI Africa, he expressed joy upon his arrival to the East African nation, telling those who received him at the apostolic nunciature: “I am very happy to be among you.”
Parolin’s visit included meetings with various communities, Church leaders, and government authorities, including President Évariste Ndayishimiye. He is also scheduled to preside over the inauguration of a monument and lay the foundation stone for a new health center dedicated to the memory of Archbishop Michael Aiden Courtney, the former apostolic nuncio to Burundi who was assassinated in 2003.
A Catholic priest in the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique is condemning the increase in cases of child abduction, as Human Rights Watch estimated at least 120 children kidnapped by jihadist insurgents linked to the Islamic State in recent months, ACI Africa reported.
“This senseless war brings only death and takes what little hope the people, and especially the children, have,” said Father Kwiriwi Fonsesca in an Aug. 8 report from Aid to the Church in Need International.
“These children must be returned to their parents; they must be searched for wherever they are, so that they can be returned to their parents, because they deserve a better future,” he added.
The Catholic Church in Germany invested almost 600 million euros (about $700 million) in international projects in 2024, according to the German Bishops’ Conference.
The roughly 595 million euros distributed across the globe includes 200 million to Africa, almost 144 million to Latin America, over 137 million to Asia and around 76 million to various regions across Europe. Forty-nine million euros were listed as invested in international projects, according to CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.
Bishop Bertram Meier of Augsburg wrote in a preface to the bishops’ conference financial report: “595 million euros for project funding — that’s an impressive figure.” However, he noted, the actual extent of the Church’s reach in the foreign aid sphere is “far greater,” given the number of additional independent church associations.
Posted on 08/15/2025 08:30 AM (USCCB News)
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) -- Mary's "yes" to God, to life and to love continues "in the martyrs of our time, in witnesses of faith and justice, of gentleness and peace," Pope Leo XIV said as he celebrated Mass on the feast of Mary's Assumption into heaven.
In the small parish Church of St. Thomas of Villanova on the main square of Castel Gandolfo, the pope celebrated the Mass Aug. 15 before going to the doorway of the nearby papal summer villa to lead the recitation of the Angelus prayer.
The Mass and prayer took place hours before U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were scheduled to meet in Alaska to talk about steps toward ending Russia's war on Ukraine.
During the Mass, one of the prayers of the faithful was: "For peacemakers, that guided by God's plan to unite all humanity in one family and inspired to promote the true progress of peoples, they would serve the common good with love."
After reciting the Angelus, Pope Leo told an estimated 2,500 people in the square, "Today we want to entrust to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, assumed into heaven, our prayer for peace. She, as a mother, suffers for the evils that afflict her children, especially the little ones and the weak."
Often, he said, "we feel powerless in the face of the spread of violence across the world -- a violence increasingly deaf and indifferent to any impulse of humanity. And yet, we must not stop hoping. God is greater than the sin of human beings."
"We must not resign ourselves to the dominance of the logic of conflict and weapons," the pope said. "Through Mary, we believe that the Lord continues to come to the aid of his children, remembering his mercy. Only in his mercy can we find the path to peace."
The Gospel reading at the morning Mass included Mary's "Magnificat," which proclaimed the great things God had done for her and her certainty that God already had fulfilled his promise to rescue the poor and oppressed.
Still today Mary's canticle "strengthens the hope of the humble, the hungry, the faithful servants of God," the pope said. "These are the men and women of the Beatitudes who, even in tribulation, already see the invisible: the mighty cast down from their thrones, the rich sent away empty, the promises of God fulfilled."
The kingdom belongs to God, the pope said, but like Mary, saying "yes" to God's love "can change everything."
"On the cross, Jesus freely uttered that 'yes' which would strip death of its power -- the death that still spreads wherever our hands crucify and our hearts remain imprisoned by fear and mistrust," the pope said. "On the cross, trust prevailed; so did love, which sees what is yet to come; and forgiveness triumphed."
In a world that often seems resigned to evil, selfishness and "contempt for the poor and lowly," he said, the church "lives in her fragile members, and she is renewed by their Magnificat."
"Even in our own day, the poor and persecuted Christian communities, the witnesses of tenderness and forgiveness in places of conflict, and the peacemakers and bridge-builders in a broken world, are the joy of the church," Pope Leo said. "Many of them are women."
The pope ended his homily praying that all Catholics would look to their example and learn to sing with Mary, "He who is mighty has done great things for me."
"Let us not be afraid to choose life! It may seem risky and imprudent. Many voices whisper: 'Why bother? Let it go. Think of your own interests,'" he said. "These are voices of death."
"But we are disciples of Christ. It is his love that drives us -- soul and body -- in our time. As individuals and as the church, we no longer live for ourselves. This -- and only this -- spreads life and lets life prevail."
As Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump prepared for a rare summit in Alaska on Aug. 15 to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, Pope Leo XIV issued a special plea for peace.
Posted on 08/15/2025 08:00 AM (CNA Daily News)
Assumption of the Virgin Mary, fresco painting in San Petronio Basilica in Bologna, Italy. / Credit: Zvonimir Atletic/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
Today, Aug. 15, is the feast of the Assumption, a solemnity commemorating the end of the Virgin Mary’s earthly life and the assumption of her body and soul into heaven. The day also marks the anniversary of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).
On this day in 1981, EWTN’s foundress, Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, started her television show out of a garage studio in Alabama. The broadcast launched what is now the largest global Catholic media network in the world. (Note: CNA is a service of EWTN News, an affiliate of EWTN.)
As Catholics celebrate the Assumption and EWTN commemorates 44 years of spreading the Eternal Word, we look back at what Mother Angelica said about Jesus’ mother and her assumption into heaven.
“This is the feast of Our Lady’s assumption, and a lot of people don’t understand that,” Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration, said during an Aug. 15, 2000, EWTN broadcast. “They get it all mixed up with Our Lady’s immaculate conception. And it’s different.”
The Assumption is a fairly new feast day in the Church, but the holiday has roots in the earliest centuries of Christian belief. Mother Angelica explained to her audience that “when all the apostles heard Our Lady had died, they all went where she was, except Thomas.”
“St. Thomas, according to tradition, was always late, always late,” Mother Angelica joked. “We all have somebody like that in our family. They’re always late.”
“So when he came, they opened up the [tomb] and she was gone… And from the very beginning of Christianity, it was always believed that she was assumed into heaven. It just makes sense.”
It makes sense, Mother Angelica said, “because she was so pure and so holy. There was no reason for her to rot away like we’re going to.”
“Our Lady could never even commit one little sin. So what does she do? She benefits by all the graces, we will benefit by the blood of Jesus — by redemption,” she said. “You say, ‘Well, why should she be so different?’ Well, because she was created by God and before time began, he had her in his mind to be the mother of his Son — the Eternal Word.”
“You can’t even think for a half a second that the mother of God could be in the hands of Satan. That would defile the temple,” she said, adding: “I mean, that’s common sense. You don’t need anything else to really realize that God’s temple had to be absolutely perfect for his sake.”
While Mary was born perfect, Mother Angelica said, “we were all born with original sin, and we have consequences for original sin, even after baptism.” We experience “jealousy, anger, and oversensitivity. We’re born with a lot of things that are not like Jesus. And so we have to overcome these things.”
But eventually, “Our Lady’s assumption is something we’re all going to have,” because “we’re all going to rise… the day will come at the end of the world when God will breathe and say: ‘Rise.’”
“Our Lady had to be awesome, because she always said yes to God. That’s the secret of holiness,” Mother Angelica said. “Oh, you don’t have to be bright, you don’t have to be a genius, you don’t have to build buildings, you don’t have to do any of those things. You have to do God’s will with love and sacrifice.”
Ultimately, it “all comes down to love,” she said. “And you only do God’s will because you love. Our Lady always loved God and always did his will with perfect union.”
On the solemnity of Mary’s assumption, “we should thank God that he created such a woman,” Mother Angelica said. “There had to be somebody like her. And only from her, only from this holy, perfect woman, could the Eternal Word come.”
Posted on 08/15/2025 08:00 AM (CNA Daily News - US)
Assumption of the Virgin Mary, fresco painting in San Petronio Basilica in Bologna, Italy. / Credit: Zvonimir Atletic/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
Today, Aug. 15, is the feast of the Assumption, a solemnity commemorating the end of the Virgin Mary’s earthly life and the assumption of her body and soul into heaven. The day also marks the anniversary of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).
On this day in 1981, EWTN’s foundress, Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, started her television show out of a garage studio in Alabama. The broadcast launched what is now the largest global Catholic media network in the world. (Note: CNA is a service of EWTN News, an affiliate of EWTN.)
As Catholics celebrate the Assumption and EWTN commemorates 44 years of spreading the Eternal Word, we look back at what Mother Angelica said about Jesus’ mother and her assumption into heaven.
“This is the feast of Our Lady’s assumption, and a lot of people don’t understand that,” Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration, said during an Aug. 15, 2000, EWTN broadcast. “They get it all mixed up with Our Lady’s immaculate conception. And it’s different.”
The Assumption is a fairly new feast day in the Church, but the holiday has roots in the earliest centuries of Christian belief. Mother Angelica explained to her audience that “when all the apostles heard Our Lady had died, they all went where she was, except Thomas.”
“St. Thomas, according to tradition, was always late, always late,” Mother Angelica joked. “We all have somebody like that in our family. They’re always late.”
“So when he came, they opened up the [tomb] and she was gone… And from the very beginning of Christianity, it was always believed that she was assumed into heaven. It just makes sense.”
It makes sense, Mother Angelica said, “because she was so pure and so holy. There was no reason for her to rot away like we’re going to.”
“Our Lady could never even commit one little sin. So what does she do? She benefits by all the graces, we will benefit by the blood of Jesus — by redemption,” she said. “You say, ‘Well, why should she be so different?’ Well, because she was created by God and before time began, he had her in his mind to be the mother of his Son — the Eternal Word.”
“You can’t even think for a half a second that the mother of God could be in the hands of Satan. That would defile the temple,” she said, adding: “I mean, that’s common sense. You don’t need anything else to really realize that God’s temple had to be absolutely perfect for his sake.”
While Mary was born perfect, Mother Angelica said, “we were all born with original sin, and we have consequences for original sin, even after baptism.” We experience “jealousy, anger, and oversensitivity. We’re born with a lot of things that are not like Jesus. And so we have to overcome these things.”
But eventually, “Our Lady’s assumption is something we’re all going to have,” because “we’re all going to rise… the day will come at the end of the world when God will breathe and say: ‘Rise.’”
“Our Lady had to be awesome, because she always said yes to God. That’s the secret of holiness,” Mother Angelica said. “Oh, you don’t have to be bright, you don’t have to be a genius, you don’t have to build buildings, you don’t have to do any of those things. You have to do God’s will with love and sacrifice.”
Ultimately, it “all comes down to love,” she said. “And you only do God’s will because you love. Our Lady always loved God and always did his will with perfect union.”
On the solemnity of Mary’s assumption, “we should thank God that he created such a woman,” Mother Angelica said. “There had to be somebody like her. And only from her, only from this holy, perfect woman, could the Eternal Word come.”