Note: If joining “Saintly Influencers” for the first time today, please read the footnote, explaining its context, purpose, and aim. The Renaissance and Baroque Age of Church history (roughly 1400 to 1660) was marked by a growing—yet sundered and suffering—European population, an expanded awareness and knowledge of geography, and new technological developments with potential to exert […]

ENCOUNTERING THE WORD — YOUR DAILY BIBLE VERSES “Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” – Romans 12:12 Please help spread the Gospel. Share this scripture with family and friends on Facebook and other social media. We depend on your generous giving… Can you give as little as $10 a […]

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St. John Eudes was born on November 14, 1601, in Ri, France. From a young age, he felt a deep calling to the priesthood. He entered the seminary and was ordained a priest in 1625. Driven by a passion for pastoral care and reform, John dedicated himself to preaching and revitalizing the spiritual life of […]

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 18, 2025 / 16:56 pm (CNA).

The ongoing violence in the Holy Land, especially now with the war in Gaza, was addressed by the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, in his homily during the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary.

The prelate’s diocese includes not only Israel but also those living in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank. This has allowed him to experience firsthand the consequences of violence, especially that which has ravaged the Gaza Strip in the last two years and which requires true words of peace, not “sugarcoated and abstract” speeches, he said.

From the Benedictine Monastery of Abu Gosh in Israel, the cardinal stated that while everyone wants an end to the conflict, its end will not mark “the end of hostilities and the pain they will cause,” as the desire for revenge will persist, and “we will have to struggle with the consequences of this war on people’s lives for a long time to come.”

In this regard, the cardinal recalled in his homily the importance of the Holy Land for Christians and for humanity, as the region where Mary said yes to God’s will and where Christ was born. It is also the place where the Lord defeated sin with his resurrection.

“It really does seem that our Holy Land, which preserves the highest revelation and manifestation of God, is also the place of the highest manifestation of Satan’s power. And perhaps precisely because it is the place where the heart of salvation history is located, it is also the place where ‘the Ancient Adversary’ tries to assert himself more than anywhere else,” he noted.

The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem was reflecting on the passage from the Book of Revelation that depicts the enormous dragon with seven heads and 10 diadems, which “is a very clear representation of the power of evil in the world, of Satan.”

“It strikes me that it is clear from this passage that the dragon, Satan, will never cease to assert himself and rage in the world, especially ‘against those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus,’” he noted.

This, he explained, leads Christians to be aware that “the power of evil will continue to be present in the life of the world and in our own lives,” but this does not mean resignation, since the solemnity of the Assumption “also tells us that there is someone before whom evil is powerless.”

“The power of the dragon cannot prevail in the face of a birth, a mother who gives birth, who generates life. The dragon cannot triumph over the seed of life, the fruit of love,” he pointed out.

In this regard, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem noted that the Church is called to plant a seed of life in the world. “Evil will continue to express itself, but we will be the place, the presence that the dragon cannot overcome: a seed of life,” he affirmed.

Pizzaballa noted that while “we know that sooner or later the dragon will be defeated,” Christians today are called to persevere, “because we know that the dragon will continue to rage through history.”

However, he said that “the blood caused by all this evil” throughout the world “flows under the altar, mingled with the blood of the Lamb, united to the work of redemption to which we all are part of.”

“The Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which we celebrate, her complete participation, with body and soul, in the victory of Christ, is also a foretaste of our destiny as children of God, as baptized and redeemed by the blood of Christ,” he affirmed.

Finally, the patriarch encouraged: “So as we rise from the Eucharistic table, today, we carry with us the certainty of Christ’s victory over death, the conviction that our life, however much it may be turned upside down by the dramatic events of today, is nevertheless the place where the dragon will not prevail, for it is a life bathed in the blood of the Lamb, in God’s infinite love.”

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

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 16:04 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released a report examining the religious liberty implications for women and minorities in Afghanistan four years after the Taliban’s takeover. 

“Religious freedom conditions in Afghanistan continue to decline dramatically under Taliban rule,” the USCIRF wrote in an Aug. 15 report examining the Taliban’s Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice one year after its enactment. “The new morality law reinforces a systematic and overt erasure of religious freedom in Afghanistan and facilitates the ongoing repression of religious minorities.”

According to the USCIRF, the morality law “impacts all Afghans” but “disproportionately affects religious minorities and women, eradicating their participation in public life and systematically eliminating their right to [freedom of religious belief].”

The August 2024 law contains 35 articles and centers on mandating the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam and sharia law. Authorities are granted “broad powers to arrest, detain, and monitor Afghans who are perceived to have violated its provisions,” the USCIRF noted.

Among the 35 articles is the criminalization of adherence to any religion apart from Sunni Islam. According to the USCIRF: “Non-Muslims are forced to practice in secret or risk arrest and torture.”

The report quoted the Taliban’s minister for the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice, Khalid Hanafi, as saying Hindus, Jews, Christians, and Sikhs are “worse than four-legged animals” for holding “beliefs that go against sharia and the Quran.”

All Afghan women — Muslim or otherwise — under the morality law are mandated to cover their entire body and face. They are also barred from leaving their homes without a male guardian. The law “characterizes women’s voices as intimate and therefore something to be concealed.” As such, Afghan women are barred in public from speaking, singing, or reciting the Quran. 

“While the morality law impacts all Afghans, it disproportionately affects Afghan women and girls. As of 2025, Afghan women and girls are still barred from attending school beyond age 12. The education ban, coupled with the morality law, makes it impossible for Afghan women and girls to participate in public life, including religious expression,” the report stated. 

“The requirement of a male guardian, reinforced under the morality law, has created significant barriers for Afghan women,” the report continued, noting that Afghan widows who may not have any male relatives are especially impacted.  

The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which was reestablished for societal reform shortly after the Taliban took over in 2021, oversees all enforcement of the Taliban’s morality law.

According to USCIRF, there are approximately 3,330 male enforcers employed in 28 of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

Heightened surveillance, arbitrary arrests and detention, forced conversions, physical assault, death threats, and torture are used as tactics by enforcers across the country, the USCIRF stated, citing a U.N. report that as many as 50 Ismaili Muslims were forced to convert to Sunni Islam and that one Ismaili man was killed in the Badakhshan Province.

The man “was severely tortured prior to his death,” the USCIRF said, further noting that “while in Taliban custody, individuals’ ethnic or religious identity influenced the severity of torture inflicted, including for Christians and Hazaras.”

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 16:04 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released a report examining the religious liberty implications for women and minorities in Afghanistan four years after the Taliban’s takeover. 

“Religious freedom conditions in Afghanistan continue to decline dramatically under Taliban rule,” the USCIRF wrote in an Aug. 15 report examining the Taliban’s Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice one year after its enactment. “The new morality law reinforces a systematic and overt erasure of religious freedom in Afghanistan and facilitates the ongoing repression of religious minorities.”

According to the USCIRF, the morality law “impacts all Afghans” but “disproportionately affects religious minorities and women, eradicating their participation in public life and systematically eliminating their right to [freedom of religious belief].”

The August 2024 law contains 35 articles and centers on mandating the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam and sharia law. Authorities are granted “broad powers to arrest, detain, and monitor Afghans who are perceived to have violated its provisions,” the USCIRF noted.

Among the 35 articles is the criminalization of adherence to any religion apart from Sunni Islam. According to the USCIRF: “Non-Muslims are forced to practice in secret or risk arrest and torture.”

The report quoted the Taliban’s minister for the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice, Khalid Hanafi, as saying Hindus, Jews, Christians, and Sikhs are “worse than four-legged animals” for holding “beliefs that go against sharia and the Quran.”

All Afghan women — Muslim or otherwise — under the morality law are mandated to cover their entire body and face. They are also barred from leaving their homes without a male guardian. The law “characterizes women’s voices as intimate and therefore something to be concealed.” As such, Afghan women are barred in public from speaking, singing, or reciting the Quran. 

“While the morality law impacts all Afghans, it disproportionately affects Afghan women and girls. As of 2025, Afghan women and girls are still barred from attending school beyond age 12. The education ban, coupled with the morality law, makes it impossible for Afghan women and girls to participate in public life, including religious expression,” the report stated. 

“The requirement of a male guardian, reinforced under the morality law, has created significant barriers for Afghan women,” the report continued, noting that Afghan widows who may not have any male relatives are especially impacted.  

The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which was reestablished for societal reform shortly after the Taliban took over in 2021, oversees all enforcement of the Taliban’s morality law.

According to USCIRF, there are approximately 3,330 male enforcers employed in 28 of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

Heightened surveillance, arbitrary arrests and detention, forced conversions, physical assault, death threats, and torture are used as tactics by enforcers across the country, the USCIRF stated, citing a U.N. report that as many as 50 Ismaili Muslims were forced to convert to Sunni Islam and that one Ismaili man was killed in the Badakhshan Province.

The man “was severely tortured prior to his death,” the USCIRF said, further noting that “while in Taliban custody, individuals’ ethnic or religious identity influenced the severity of torture inflicted, including for Christians and Hazaras.”

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 18, 2025 / 15:34 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Guy de Kirimel of Toulouse, France, has reversed his decision to appoint as chancellor of the archdiocese a priest convicted of rape.

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 18, 2025 / 15:34 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Guy de Kirimel of Toulouse, France, has reversed his decision to appoint a priest convicted of rape as chancellor of the archdiocese and asked forgiveness of the victims of abuse, whom he had no intention of offending, according to a statement released Aug. 16.

“In order not to cause division among bishops, and not to remain at a standoff between those for and against, I decided to reverse my decision; this has now been done, with the appointment of a new chancellor,” the archbishop said.

The reversal of the appointment of Father Dominique Spina, a priest sentenced in 2006 to five years in prison for raping a 16-year-old boy in 1993, came after the French Bishops’ Conference asked the archbishop on Aug. 11 to “reconsider the decision.”

The French prelates stated at the time that “an appointment of such importance, both canonically and symbolically, can only reopen wounds, arouse suspicions, and disconcert the people of God.”

Speaking about sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the Catholic Church in France, the bishops noted that “we have learned to look at these events first from the point of view of the people who were their victims and who suffer the consequences for the rest of their lives.”

“This shift in perspective,” the bishops continued, has initiated “a long and demanding work of conversion, which we are determined to continue.”

Accepting the request of the French bishops, De Kirimel appointed Father Léopold Biyoki as the new chancellor of the Archdiocese of Toulouse, effective Sept. 1.

Asking for forgiveness

“My decision was interpreted by many as a snub to victims of sexual abuse; I ask forgiveness of the victims. That was obviously not my intention,” the archbishop wrote in the Aug. 16 statement.

“Others in the end saw it as a sign of hope for abusers who had served their time and are experiencing the great trial of being totally shunned by society. For that I must ask forgiveness from the one I named and in whom I have confidence, for not having known how to find the right place to which he is entitled,” the archbishop further explained.

In his statement, De Kirimel asked: “How can we find the right attitude that does not force us to take one side to the detriment of the other? How can we keep the primary focus on the victims without forever rejecting the guilty?”

After pointing out that in abuse there is always irreparable damage and recalling that Jesus in the Gospel forgives the sins of Paul, who persecuted Christians, or of Mary Magdalene, who was once a prostitute, the archbishop noted: “We believe that justice is not opposed to mercy, mercy is not opposed to justice” and urged continued “reflection on this issue.”

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

CNA Staff, Aug 18, 2025 / 15:04 pm (CNA).

Father Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor of the only Catholic church in Gaza, Holy Family Parish, said Monday that an evacuation order was issued by Israeli forces for the al-Zaytun neighborhood surrounding the parish in Gaza City.

The Aug. 18 order was part of a broader Israeli plan to relocate Palestinians from northern Gaza, where the parish is located, to designated zones in the south. Earlier this month, Israel revealed its plan to occupy Gaza.

Romanelli expressed concern about the feasibility of relocating Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants, however, asking: “Where can they find the space for all the inhabitants?” He said Israel was distributing tents to facilitate the evacuation.

The Israeli military said the relocation plan is necessary to protect civilians amid the ongoing two-year war, which has led to a humanitarian crisis due to severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies, with Caritas Jerusalem reporting that “people are dying of hunger” and “all the children are suffering from malnutrition.”

Despite the evacuation order, Romanelli noted “contradictory signs,” saying an aid group continued to distribute vegetables to civilians.

The Holy Family Parish compound, which contains a school, convent, a multipurpose center, and a Missionaries of Charity building, has been a critical shelter since the war began in October 2023. It has been housing over 600 people, the majority of whom are Orthodox Christians, Protestants, and Catholics, as well as at least 50 Muslim children with disabilities and their families.

Holy Family Parish ‘accidentally’ attacked in July

Romanelli and eight others were injured and three civilians were killed after Israeli munitions hit the church in July.

In response to the attack, Pope Leo XIV said “it is time to stop this slaughter” and renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, expressing his desire for dialogue, reconciliation, and lasting peace in the region.

On social media platform X the day of the attack, the account of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated: “Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful.”

“We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort. Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites,” the prime minister’s account continued.

Israel Defense Forces said it regretted the attack and maintained after the investigation that the attack was accidental, calling it a “deviation of munitions.”

On July 18, Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa visited Holy Family Parish alongside Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III to offer support following the attack.

Israelis protest Netanyahu’s plan to occupy Gaza 

In Tel Aviv, hundreds of thousands of people protested against the Israeli government over the weekend, demanding an end to the war and arguing that Israel’s plan to occupy Gaza could endanger the approximately 20 hostages still held by Hamas.

Regarding its occupation, Israel has a five-step plan that includes disarming Hamas, releasing all remaining living and deceased hostages, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, establishing temporary Israeli control over the enclave, and eventually replacing Hamas with a friendly Arab civil administration.

Netanyahu said of Sunday’s protests, which led to dozens of arrests: “Those who today call for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas’ position and delaying the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of Oct. 7 will be repeated,” referring to the Hamas attack in 2023 that left 1,200 dead and started the war.

During yesterday’s Sunday Mass at Holy Family Church, an explosion damaged a nearby water tank, though no injuries were reported from the incident.

“Another Sunday of war,” Romanelli said.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 14:34 pm (CNA).

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Detroit Field Office recently met with a Catholic migrant aid group and a Democratic lawmaker to discuss questions about whether ICE is prioritizing deporting violent criminals and concerns about agents wearing masks during raids.

Acting field office director for Detroit ICE, Kevin Raycraft, and other ICE officials invited Catholics — including leaders of the nonprofit Strangers No Longer — to the Detroit headquarters on Aug. 12 after Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Michigan, intervened to secure a meeting.

Strangers No Longer first requested the meeting in July by marching from Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church to the ICE headquarters with several hundred demonstrators, many of whom were Catholic. The leaders had hoped to meet with Raycraft and deliver a letter outlining their concerns.

Thanedar told CNA the leaders “weren’t allowed to enter the ICE facility” in July and “that letter was not accepted by ICE” at the time. 

Thanedar was later able to arrange the August meeting, which included a priest, several nuns, and leaders of Strangers No Longer, who presented their letter and spoke with ICE agents for about an hour.

In its letter, the group expressed concerns about “face masks and the lack of identification” by agents during raids, along with “actions carried out without a federal warrant.” The group also alleged a lack of “communication with local law enforcement” before operations are carried out.

Strangers No Longer further criticized “the arrest of individuals who have committed no felony” and alleged that ICE “appears to be targeting men for incarceration and expedited removal, leaving women and children (many of whom are U.S. citizens) behind to ‘fend for themselves.’”

“This pattern of separating families is having a devastating impact on those left behind,” the letter added.

Victoria Kovari, one of the organizers of the July demonstration who attended the meeting, told CNA that the agents “were very respectful” and listened to “these stories … [about] how it’s impacting our community” but did not give any indication they would make any adjustments to immigration enforcement.

“We wanted this to be a dialogue,” Kovari said. “We wanted them to understand us and we want to understand them.”

Kovari said she spoke to ICE about cases in which agents arrived in unmarked vehicles wearing masks and carrying rifles to arrest people who “hadn’t committed any violent felonies.” She also spoke about parishioners who hadn’t committed any felonies “being picked up” by ICE for deportation.

“We really hope that they focus these [enforcement] priorities on the more difficult cases of gang members, drug cartel [members], drug dealers, violent offenders, and [work] with our local law enforcement,” she added.

“That’s what would really help our communities,” Kovari said.

Thanedar similarly told CNA the ICE agents “listened to us” and offered to help connect Strangers No Longer with some detainees, but that there was no indication they would make policy changes.

“Their response remained that these people — anybody that has broken the law — [ICE] will go after, and they were not willing to commit to prioritizing the hardened criminals and the people who are gang members, like the president has said,” he continued.

“What we are seeing lately is ICE is focusing more on migrants that have been working 20 years in the hospitality industry, working as cooks, doing landscaping, [and doing] work that makes our lives better,” Thanedar alleged.

Kovari added that Raycraft told the organization that many criticisms of ICE are based on “media manipulation,” which she said made the conversation more difficult.

CNA reached out to Detroit ICE, the national ICE headquarters, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for comment but did receive a response by the time of publication.

In a July 22 op-ed in the Detroit News, three weeks before the meeting, Raycraft addressed some of the concerns raised in the Strangers No Longer letter.

Raycraft said agents “identify themselves with visible markings, badges, or other identifiers” but “do not wear uniforms or drive marked vehicles.” He contested that assaults on agents have increased by about 830% and “our officers wear masks to protect their families.”

The op-ed states that agents follow the law when making arrests. He said the law allows for “the issuance of warrants upon a finding of probable cause that someone is [unlawfully] present” and works with courts to obtain warrants for other criminal matters. It adds that agents do not need to display the warrants.

Raycraft also said that ICE “routinely coordinates with local law enforcement agencies” and that they “know where to reach us … if there is an issue regarding communication.”