Stories for August 2025

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Friday, Aug. 29

 Quebec government plans restrictions on street prayer
 Mexican bishop ‘concelebrates’ with female Anglican cleric
 Ukraine takes legal step to restrict Moscow-affiliated Orthodox group
 Evangelization springs from personal relationship with Christ, Pope says
 Jerusalem Christians: ‘A genocide is taking place in Gaza’
 USCCB publishes brief document on nuclear weapons, environmental health
 Sweeping reorganization of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
 Cardinal Parolin reiterates papal Gaza appeals, says Vatican in contact with Trump administration
 Religions should promote peace, not violence, Vatican cardinal says at Muslim interreligious summit
 Pope pays tribute to St. Augustine
 Doctor describes dire situation at Gaza’s only Christian hospital
 Vatican cardinal, newspaper react to Minneapolis church shooting

Released Thursday, Aug. 28

 Only Christ can change the world, Pope tells French political leaders
 Myanmar bishop: churches destroyed by bombs, but faith is strong
 UN report seeks worldwide ban on surrogacy
 Pope, US bishops lament Minneapolis church shooting
 Priests, religious are committed to remaining in Gaza, pastor says
 Pope splits up massive archdiocese in Dominican Republic
 Vatican cardinal mourns passing of Peter Cruchley, British Protestant minister
 Vietnamese Catholics from California meet with Pope
 Holy Land bishops lament destruction of Gaza’s schools
 Ecumenical Patriarch: Only another ecumenical council can modify the calculation of the date of Easter
 Brazilian bishops’ conference publishes manifesto ahead of UN climate change conference

Released Wednesday, Aug. 27

 Pope, at audience, reflects on arrest of Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane
 New papal appeal for peace in Gaza
 Mass shooting during Mass at Catholic school in Minneapolis
 School employee may not display ‘anti-trans’ books in presence of students, federal court rules
 Knife-wielding man vandalizes 2 French churches, disrupts Mass
 Myanmar’s government announces plans to demolish cathedral, Buddhist sites
 USCCB calls for racial equity, justice in Hurricane Katrina anniversary statement
 Italian prelates plead for government action to help repopulate rural areas
 Syria’s new government is not persecuting Christians, prelate says
 Caritas strongly condemns Israel’s ‘machinery of annihilation’ in Gaza
 Cardinal Parolin reflects on liturgy and hope
 Pope, in message to Italian liturgists, hopes faithful will ‘rediscover churches as places of worship’
 Vatican newspaper editor raps Israeli decision to invite social media influencers into Gaza
 Pope Leo welcomes return of refugees to Chagos, condemns forced exile

Released Tuesday, Aug. 26

 Cardinal Parolin sees ‘unanimity’ in condemning violence in Gaza
 Patriarchs fear ‘death sentence’ for Gaza residents
 Theme revealed for papal World Day of Peace message
 Pope to inaugurate Laudato Si’ Village
 Italian foreign minister, Leo XIV discuss commitment to peace, defense of Christian minorities
 Ecumenical Patriarch calls for united Christian voice for peace
 Papal message to Waldensians, Methodists calls for journey toward full communion
 Pontiff recalls 400th anniversary of Lithuanian missionary’s arrival in India
 Put Jesus, the only Savior, at the center of your life, Pope Leo tells French altar servers
 Ukrainian Catholic leader: ‘We all want peace, but true peace is always just’
 Pope Leo assures Zelensky of prayer for people of Ukraine
 ‘Immense river of people’ flees Islamist insurgency in Mozambique, Vatican newspaper reports

Released Monday, Aug. 25

 US Catholic population shifting to south and west
 Detention center must allow for pastoral care, Nebraska bishop says
 Cameroon prelate: priests are ready to die for the Gospel
 Who is Jimmy Lai?
 USCCB, CHA express ‘strong support’ for palliative care bill
 Vatican spokesman reflects on Algerian martyrs’ witness
 Commission finds ‘alarming rise of violence’ against religious minorities in Pakistan
 Amazon region’s bishops lament clericalism, fear of synodality
 Longtime lay official of Roman Curia writes memoir
 Leo XIV marks day of fasting, prayer for peace
 Learn from St. Augustine’s City of God, Pontiff tells Catholic lawmakers
 Cultivate the spirit of the Holy Family, Pope tells women religious
 Papal prayer for peace in Mozambique, Ukraine
 Pope Leo: Jesus challenges the presumption of those who think they are saved

Released Friday, Aug. 22

 UN agency classifies Gaza food crisis as famine
 Christian unity needed in a divided world, Pope writes
 President of Seychelles meets with Pontiff
 Swedish cardinal rebukes SSPX bishop
 Former Chicago cathedral rector cleared of abuse allegation
 Federal court halts enforcement of Texas law on Ten Commandments in public schools
 Catholic Church in Finland has 8 parishes, 120 nationalities
 African Catholic journalists call for regulation of AI
 USCCB urges Trump administration to rescind reinterpretation of HHS benefits
 Independence and peace are precious, Ukraine’s leading Latin-rite bishop says
 Holy See willing to help broker peace in Haiti, Vatican diplomat says
 Pope Leo encourages moral theologians to follow example of St. Alphonsus Liguori
 Vatican newspaper publishes 50,000th edition

Released Thursday, Aug. 21

 Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, dead at 89
 ‘Hope does not disappoint,’ Pope says in message to Rimini meeting
 Jerusalem patriarch: prayer is the only way to move hearts toward peace
 Trump: ‘I want to try and get to heaven’
 Indian court acquits bishop in abuse-reporting case
 Christian clubs must have equal access to school facilities, federal court rules
 2 years after anti-Christian pogrom, Pakistani bishop says ‘justice has not been done’
 Parish church desecrated, destroyed in Nigeria
 USCCB president announces special collection for Catholic agencies assisting Gaza
 Pope pays tribute to St. Bernard of Clairvaux
 Arson attack on Russian Orthodox monastery in Hebron
 In peace negotiations, remember human rights, Ukrainian Catholic leader urges
 The world ‘desperately needs preventive forgiveness,’ Vatican spokesman says
 Vatican newspaper laments plight of M23 movement’s ‘slaves of war’

Released Wednesday, Aug. 20

 Christ’s love endures through every betrayal, Pope tells audience
 Pope asks prayer, fasting for peace on August 22
 Pontiff to visit Lebanon in November?
 Pope plans Augustinian community in papal apartments
 Chicago priest placed on leave for 3rd time
 Vatican approves patron saints, ember days for 3 Arab nations
 NFP has become ‘key part’ of diocesan marriage preparation programs, USCCB finds
 Caritas deplores wartime atrocities, calls for protection of humanitarian workers
 European Catholic, Orthodox prelates call for peace with creation
 Entrust yourself to Mary to face every uncertainty, Pope writes to mother
 Pope names coadjutor bishop for troubled French diocese
 Pope Leo offers pointed guidance to Amazon region’s bishops
 Gaza parish area not under evacuation order, priest clarifies
 Vatican newspaper hails ‘glimmers of peace’ from meeting between Trump, European leaders

Released Tuesday, Aug. 19

 Pope’s brother tells TV audience of daily calls
 Pope visits Marian shrine outside Rome
 Orthodox prelate draws criticism for friendly meeting with Putin
 Fresno bishop shares diocese’s financial details in marathon bankruptcy hearing
 Federal court rules that prison’s termination of Christian course was likely unconstitutional
 Brutal Islamist attacks on Nigerian town have claimed hundreds of victims in recent months
 Trial set for alleged perpetrators of 2022 Nigerian church massacre
 Reflecting on war, Jerusalem cardinal preaches that the ‘dragon will not prevail’
 Bishop named for troubled Indian diocese
 American Catholic teenagers to hold live virtual conversation with Pope Leo
 Cardinal Parolin, in Burundi, appeals for focus on common good
 Family historian reflects on Pope Leo’s black Catholic roots
 Ukrainian Catholic leader marks 30th anniversary of post-Communist restoration

Released Monday, Aug. 18

 New York archdiocese to unveil massive mural in cathedral
 Alabama diocese places vicar general on leave after report of relationship
 Israel orders evacuation of Gaza parish [updated]
 French archbishop revokes appointment of rapist as chancellor
 Jimmy Lai’s health issues force trial postponement
 At Malawi’s first national Eucharistic congress, delegates call for greater reverence
 Pope Leo: Give the common good first priority in peace negotiations
 Papal prayer for South Asian flood victims
 Live out Christ’s truth despite the cost, Pontiff tells pilgrims
 Burn with ‘fire’ of God’s love, Pope says at Mass and lunch with the poor
 Papal tribute to St. Frances of Rome for her zeal, docility, commitment to Church’s unity
 Recalling Pius XII’s words, Leo XIV entrusts prayers for peace to Mary
 Look at Mary and rediscover hope, Pontiff says at Castel Gandolfo
 ‘Our victory over death begins here and now,’ Pope preaches on feast of Assumption
 The proclamation of Christ must be the center of Church’s social action: papal message to Church in Peru

Released Thursday, Aug. 14

 SSPX Jubilee event listed on Vatican calendar
 Federal court revives campaign against LIttle Sisters of the Poor
 Marriage is showing ‘new strength’ in US, sociologist argues
 Buffalo diocese, 9 parishes face off before State Supreme Court
 Federal court upholds Christian organization’s right to revoke job offer to person in same-sex marriage
 Ukrainian Catholic bishop says half of his parishes have been closed, occupied, or destroyed
 Prelate calls for adherence to Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire
 Vatican Museums to perform ‘extraordinary maintenance’ on Michelangelo’s Last Judgment
 Vatican prefect contrasts ‘dictatorship of the machine,’ human freedom
 100 homeless, poor persons to dine with Pope at Castel Gandolfo
 ‘Live the Sacrament of Reconciliation intensely,’ Pope tells pilgrims
 Hebrew Catholics attend papal audience, seek to bridge Jewish, Catholic worlds
 Seek St. Maximilian Kolbe’s intercession for peace, Pope Leo urges

Released Wednesday, Aug. 13

 World Day of Children assigned to Dicastery for Laity
 Vatican confirms New Zealand diocesan ban on traditionalist group
 Haitian archdiocese laments ‘collapse of humanity’
 Pope answers questions on Trump-Putin summit, Gaza, Vatican diplomacy
 Pope, at audience, speaks on recognizing one’s sinful nature
 Pope heads to Castel Gandolfo for long weekend
 Kentucky clerk Kim Davis asks high court to overturn Obergefell decision
 FBI: 63 hate crimes against Catholics reported in 2024
 USCCB honors 4 pro-life advocates with ‘People of Life’ award
 German police close abuse probe against Indian bishop
 ‘They beat me, but I thank God I survived,’ says priest kidnapped by jihadists
 Colombian bishops mourn assassinated presidential candidate
 Papua prelate warns of false allegations of witchcraft
 Cardinal Parolin begins trip to Burundi
 Papal general audience moved indoors because of heat
 French-Iranian author pens front-page Gospel commentary for L’Osservatore Romano
 Ukrainian Catholic leader calls for prayer, fasting for peace on August 14
 Vatican newspaper draws attention to hunger, violence in Sudan

Released Tuesday, Aug. 12

 Christians leaving Bethlehem ‘deserted,’ Franciscan leader reports
 New Vatican economic norms drafted under Cardinal Pell?
 Detroit archbishop stirs controversy with new chancery appointment
 Abortion-pill manufacturer hit with wrongful-death suit
 Vatican again overrules Canadian bishop’s decision to close parish
 Federal court upholds Idaho law on school restrooms, locker rooms
 US bishops’ assistance to retired religious tops $1 billion
 Ambassadors to Holy See call attention to starving Israeli hostages, Gaza civilians
 Names of children killed in Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be read aloud at Cardinal Zuppi’s prayer for peace
 Vatican expands paternity leave, other family benefits
 Papal condolences following death of Cardinal Karlic
 Vatican diplomat welcomes Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire
 UN General Assembly president meets with Pontiff
 Jerusalem cardinal: St. Clare inspires us to turn to Christ amid deep suffering
 Haitian bishops thank Pope for drawing attention to nation’s plight

Released Monday, Aug. 11

 Bishop Strickland insists he was removed for upholding Church teachingss
 Canadian court rejects bid to dismiss Rosica abuse case
 French bishops’ conference: undo appointment of convicted rapist
 Retired Brooklyn bishop protests settlements on disputed abuse claims against him
 Bishops rue division between North, South Korea
 Holy See: Unfair international trade rules hold back landlocked nations
 Indian bishops condemn mob attack on priests and catechist in Odisha
 Papal tribute to Blessed Virgin Mary, assumed into heaven
 Vatican publishes regulations on awarding of public contracts
 Argentina’s Cardinal Karlic, esteemed by Popes John Paul II and Benedict, dies at 99
 Ukrainian bishops: Do not be afraid to give birth and raise children during wartime
 Almost 50,000 displaced in latest round of jihadist attacks in Mozambique
 Pontiff welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement, laments violence in Haiti
 In renewed peace appeal, Pope Leo recalls atomic bombings
 Jesus teaches us to put ourselves at the service of others, Pope tells pilgrims

Released Friday, Aug. 8

 Hindu mob assaults priests, religious in Indian village
 Spanish government delays approval of Vatican nuncio
 Cardinal McElroy: favor nonviolence over just-war thinking
 Indian state to deny benefits to Christian, Muslim Dalits
 New Cincinnati archbishop defends record at Chicago’s Casa Jesus
 Missouri sues Planned Parenthood for false advertising
 USCCB committee chairman, other Catholic leaders call for ‘robust funding’ of federal housing programs
 Cardinal Zuppi calls on Italian dioceses to pray for peace
 Cardinal Cupich, in Nagasaki, laments atomic bombing, reflects on just-war tradition
 Netanyahu, allies are misusing Scripture, Jesuit convert from Judaism writes in Vatican newspaper
 ‘Make us builders of bridges,’ Pope prays in video
 Remember the voiceless, Cardinal Parolin writes in message
 Pope receives Venetian prison inmates on Jubilee pilgrimage

Released Thursday, Aug. 7

 German bishops trim overseas aid donations
 Vatican prefect hopes for eased restrictions on Traditional Mass
 Gallup poll gives Pope Leo highest favorable rating
 Pope-emeritus Benedict rejected doubts about resignation
 Israel bans top Muslim from Jerusalem mosque
 Archbishop Wester sees rising threat of nuclear war
 Buffalo diocese cuts 22% of chancery staff
 Federal court: Arkansas law on posting Ten Commandments is ‘obviously unconstitutional’
 Cardinal Cupich, in Hiroshima, contrasts light of Transfiguration and light of atomic bomb
 Women religious call for day of prayer, fasting for peace on August 14
 ‘The power to transform Ukraine is in our hands,’ Major Archbishop preaches
 Pope encourages African Catholics to build ‘networks of support’
 Pope challenges Arabic-speaking Christians to be missionaries
 Holy Land Franciscan condemns proposed Israeli occupation of Gaza
 Pope recalls atomic bombings, appeals for justice and dialogue

Released Wednesday, Aug. 6

 Papal praise for Knights of Columbus
 Italian priest suggests miracle in inexhaustible oil
 Four more German dioceses reject blessings for same-sex couples
 Pope, at audience, speaks on preparations for Last Supper
 ‘Nuclear arms offend our shared humanity,’ Pope writes in message for 80th anniversary of atomic bombings
 European Court finds Russia violated religious rights of Catholics, others in its 2014-22 war with Ukraine
 Congolese bishop urges youth not to join armed groups
 USCCB welcomes Trump administration decision to end abortion coverage for veterans
 120,000 attend Jubilee of the Neocatechumenal Way
 Pope visits Jubilee of Youth participant at Roman hospital
 Recalling 4th-century miracle, white rose petals fall from ceiling of Santa Maria Maggiore
 Pontiff will open Diocese of Rome’s pastoral year
 US author Marilynne Robinson writes front-page Gospel commentary for Vatican newspaper

Released Tuesday, Aug. 5

 Spanish court backs eviction of schismatic nun
 Trump moves to curb abortions at VA hospitals
 Mass celebrated at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ after pleas from archdiocese
 Pope encourages young Medjugorje pilgrims
 Peruvian cardinal accused of mishandling seminary allegations
 Federal court halts enforcement of Colorado law banning abortion-pill reversal
 US Catholics donate funds to replace Nagasaki cathedral bell
 USCCB president calls for elimination of nuclear weapons
 Irish missionary among 9 kidnapped from Haiti orphanage
 Pope Leo to African bishops: May your work ‘foster an intense experience of the love of God’

Released Monday, Aug. 4

 Papal nuncio calls for ‘justice and truth’ in Lebanon on anniversary of Beirut explosion
 Papal sympathy after shipwreck off Yemen
 Trump backing off promise for IVF coverage?
 Senate confirms Burch as US ambassador to Holy See
 Pope confirms dates for World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027
 We are with the young people of Gaza and Ukraine, Pope tells jubilee pilgrims
 Remain united to Jesus and aspire to holiness, Pope preaches to 1 million young people
 Bishop at US gathering in Rome: To follow God’s call is a ‘spiritual adventure’
 Pope receives Egyptian youth following death of fellow pilgrim
 Papal gratitude for artists at jubilee vigil
 Cardinal Reina pens foreword to book on Shroud of Turin
 Chief rabbi of Ukraine pays tribute to archbishop who saved Jews during Holocaust
 Pope expresses concern about situation of immigrants in US
 Pontiff, UN official pledge to keep working for ‘peaceful world, free from hunger’
 Vatican newspaper asks: ‘Who decides the life of the children of Gaza?’
 Safeguard the ‘spirit of Helsinki,’ Pontiff urges

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Sat30 August
Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time

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The Roman Martyrology commemorates today: —Sts. Felix and Adauctus (d. 303), two Roman martyrs under the Diocletian persecution. They are buried in the cemetery of Commodilla at the gates of Rome on the Ostian Way. —St. Fiacre (d. 670), a hermit from the diocese of Meaux and…

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