News Briefing: Church in the World

The Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki is set to ring a new bell nearly 80 years since the US atomic bomb damaged the cathedral in World War II. The “St Kateri Bell of Hope” will be rung in the bell tower for the first time on 9 August, the anniversary of the Bombing of Nagasaki in 1945. Archbishop Peter Michiaki of Nagasaki blessed the bell during an installation ceremony on 17 July. It was restored by a group of Americans led by James Nolan Jr. “[I hope the bell] will be a symbol of unity and that will bear the fruits of fostering hope and peace in a world where there is division and war and hurt,” said Nolan. 

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr. Thomas Hennen as the Bishop of Baker, Oregon. The Bishop-designate will lead 33,356 Catholics in the Diocese of Baker and will be the youngest bishop to lead a U.S. diocese at age 47. Hennen, a public supporter of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Catholic Church, has garnered both praise and disapproval for his stance on the issue. “Our transgender siblings should be treated with respect, compassion and sensitivity,” he said during his previous role ministering at the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa. 

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami said religious chaplains have been unable to enter a new detention center for migrants called “Alligator Alcatraz” because of its location in the Everglades. Wenski also rode his motorcycle with two dozen “Knights on Bikes” – members of the Knights of Columbus who also ride motorcycles – to the entrance to the detention center where they prayed the rosary. “They could build that place in less than a week, so it doesn’t seem that it should take two or three weeks to tell the archbishop of Miami his priest can go in to minister to the detainees,” Wenski said. 

Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the U.S., said that it has been forced to close more than two dozen clinics after the Congress barred the group from receiving funding through Medicaid or Medicare, two government programs that provide health coverage to those who can’t afford it. Clinics in California, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Texas and Vermont are among those closing. Planned Parenthood has sued to prevent the cut-off in funding but a judge ruled the cut-off would remain in place until the court is able to hear arguments on the matter.

A collective of abuse victims at the Bétharram school in southwestern France has filed a seventh list of cases with judicial authorities, bringing the total number of complaints to 217. The total from 1957 to 2004 implicates 15 priests at the Catholic boarding school – almost all now deceased – and four lay employees. About 100 cases concern sexual acts. The case has aroused added attention because Prime Minister François Bayrou has been suspected of slow-walking the inquiry. He has denied this. The list was filed on 23 July, the same day that the Scouts and Guides of France, a Catholic group, appealed for testimony of former members who attended Bétharram when a now-dead accused priest oversaw them.

President of Catholic Action for the Archdiocese of Vienna Reinhard Bödenauer asked for greater transparency in the process of appointing the next archbishop of Vienna following the acceptance of Cardinal Christoph Schönborn’s resignation by Pope Francis on 22 January 2025. In an interview with Die Presse, the leader of lay Catholics in Vienna described the process as “secretive” and “opaque”. He had not been personally consulted by the Apostolic Nuncio Pedro López Quintana. The appointment is expected to be announced in the autumn. In an interview with ORF, the theologian Paul Zulehner criticised the lack of sensible headhunting for bishops and the weak staffing levels of for leadership positions. He would advise dioceses to train a handful of people who are able to lead, even under difficult circumstances.

In a ceremony in Münster the US bishop and founder of “Word on Fire” Robert Barron received the prestigious five-yearly prize of the Josef Pieper Foundation on Sunday. Barron, said the foundation, is a “theologian and academic teacher who, like few others, uses modern media to support Christian preaching” and reaches millions. Prior to the ceremony and during it, there had been widespread protests from against the award. Catholic theologians of the University of Münster, lay representatives in the Diocese of Münster, the Green Party and the Federation of Catholic Youth accused Barron of being close to right-wing politicians such as US President Trump. During the award ceremony, shouts of “No room for exclusion” were heard.

Corruption led to floods in Philippines, says Cardinal David. Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, blamed corruption for the massive flooding that hit parts of the country over the past week. “We are told it’s the climate — yes, climate change is real, and it is devastating. But let us be clear: the real disaster here is corruption,” said the 66-year-old David. “We must name this for what it is: a sin against the poor, a betrayal of public trust, and a mockery of justice,” David added. Monsoon rain, worsened by tropical cyclones over the past two weeks, have affected over 6.1 million people, forced 134,000 to evacuate, and killed at least 32 across the country.

The Education Monitoring Officer of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in the Central African Republic (CAR) has revealed a significant blind spot in humanitarian aid: the neglect of the voices of those who receive humanitarian assistance. In a report based on his experience with IDPs in the African country that is experiencing conflicts, Franck Aristide Brou said that displaced people also need respect, and not being “labelled”. By not fostering participation and valuing input, aid can inadvertently perpetuate feelings of powerlessness and dependence, he said. He said exiled people consider protection not only in terms of “walls, documents or aid- it’s about feeling welcomed, respected, not labelled, and loved.” Central Africa has been embroiled by conflict for decades, triggering the displacement of millions of people.

The Southern African Catholic Bishops have criticised nations continuing to supply weapons and fuel war rhetoric in Gaza, stating they have made themselves “complicit in what history will surely record as a crime against humanity”. Their reaction follows an Israeli attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church compound in Gaza, which left three civilians dead, including two members of the Christian Palestinian community, and several others wounded. In the July 18 statement, bishops from the three member countries of the SACBC – South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini – described the attack as a “crime against humanity” and a direct violation of international law. They called for world-wide peaceful protests against the war, and backed South Africa’s legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which accuses Israel of genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

A “pop-up” Vatican media hub has been established for the Jubilee in the colonnades of St Peter’s Square. Funded by The Friends of the Holy Father, the hub features a studio broadcasting Vatican Radio, and is used by L’Osservatore Romano, the daily Vatican newspaper, and the digital platform Vatican News. Introducing the media station last week, Pope Leo XIV thanked Vatican Radio “for your service in many languages, which brings the Pope’s voice to the world,” adding his thanks to “all journalists who contribute to the communication of peace and truth.” The hub will bring Vatican media closer to pilgrims attending the Jubilee and the canonisations on 7 September of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and Blessed Carlos Acutis. Last week, hundreds of Catholic influencers gathered Rome to attend the Jubilee for Digital Missionaries and Influencers organised by the Dicastery for Evangelisation and the Dicastery for Communication. Speaking at the two-day event, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, said: “Even a short post, when shared in faith and love, can become a spark of grace”.  

Haiti’s bishops said they are “witnessing the breakdown of society” and “barbaric acts” which are a sign of “a people losing their sense of God.” In a letter issued on 23 July, the Episcopal Conference of Haiti (CEH) said it was sounding “the alarm” on “the extent of the collapse, to denounce all that degrades human dignity, and to propose—guided by the light of the Gospel—paths of conversion, justice, and hope.” The letter added that the Haitian government no longer “ensures security, justice, or even the basic necessities of life for its people.” Approximately 1.3 million people have fled Haiti, and 15,000 Haitians were displaced by armed conflicts last week alone. According to UNICEF, 129,000 Haitian children are expected to need life-saving aid this year. “Too much blood has been shed. Too many families are shattered. Too many young people have lost hope,” said the bishops, who added: “There is still time to avoid what is irreversible.” 

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna has signed a joint declaration with the president of Bologna’s Jewish community to condemn the Gazan war. In the letter Zuppi and Daniele de Paz called for the conflict to cease. “Everyone stop,” they urge. “Let the weapons fall silent, let the military operations in Gaza and the missile launches toward Israel cease”. They added: ,”Let the hostages be freed and the bodies returned. Let the hungry be fed and medical care be guaranteed to the wounded. Let humanitarian corridors be permitted. Let the occupation of land destined for others come to an end. Let us return to the path of dialogue.” They also called for the rejection of  “all forms of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Christianophobia.”

Opus Dei has opened an office for “listening and healing” in Spain, to attend former members of the prelature or those who participated in its activities who have “complaints of an institutional nature”. The office was established following the approval of a convention by the prelature in 2024 to open a specific channel for this type of complaint. According to the office’s webpage, its “mission” is to “gather all the information necessary to understand what has occurred, evaluate the gravity of the case and find the best way of offering help and healing” to concerned parties. 

The Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM) has launched a website featuring infographics and statistics about the Church in every single country in central and south America. www. datos.celam.org/infografia includes the numbers of bishops, priests, seminarians, and religious of both genders in every country between 1970 and 2020. It also contains data regarding the numbers of baptisms, first Holy Communions, and weddings conducted by the Church in each country, as well the number of dioceses and parishes. In some cases, the number of clergy has increased: Mexico, for instance had more than 8,000 priests in 1970 and more than 17,000 clergy in 2020. Chile had more than 2,000 priests in 1970, and 1,980 in 2020. 

The Orthodox Church of America has recognised an indigenous mother of 13 as its first Native American saint. Known as “Matushka Olga,” Olinka Arrsamquq Michael was born into the Yup’ik people in 1916 in Alasha. A wife and mother of 13, she was a midwife, reputed to have the gift of knowing when her help was needed before she was asked. Archbishop Alexei Trader of the Orthodox Diocese of Alaska said in a canonisation ceremony that drew 300 people to Kwethluk, her home city, said: “The world praises loud greatness, but heaven treasures quiet holiness. Saint Olga claimed no titles, sought no fame — yet her compassion became her crown, her humble prayer her strength.” 

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