News Briefing: Church in the World

Pope Leo XIV welcomed a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, led by Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. 

He reaffirmed the tradition of exchanging visits between Rome and Constantinople on their patronal feasts as a sign “that profound communion already existing between us, and a reflection of the fraternal bond that united the Apostles Peter and Andrew”.  

The Pope committed “to persevere in the effort to restore full visible communion between our Churches” and said he was “open to any suggestions that you may offer in this regard, always in consultation with my brother bishops of the Catholic Church who … share with me the responsibility for the complete and visible unity of the Church”. 

Armenian authorities arrested Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan of the Armenian Apostolic Church along with at least 13 others, accusing them of plotting to overthrow the government. 

“Law enforcement officers have foiled a large-scale and sinister plan by the ‘criminal-oligarchic clergy’ to destabilise the situation in the Republic of Armenia and seize power,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on 25 June. “Since November 2024 he [Archbishop Galstanyan] set himself the goal of changing power by means not permitted by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia,” said the country’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes. 

Galstanyan, who leads the opposition movement Sacred Struggle, last year accused Pashinyan of ceding territory to Azerbaijan and led mass protests. His arrest was the latest clash between Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church ahead of elections scheduled for next year. 

The Church’s leader Catholicos Garegin II called for Pashinyan’s resignation following Armenia’s disastrous 2020 military defeat to Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2023, Azerbaijan regained control over this mountainous enclave, ending decades of de facto independence for ethnic Armenians there, and more than 100,000 of them fled the region.

Cafod condemned the Israeli military’s approach to aid delivery in Gaza, citing UN reports that more than 400 Palestinians have been killed while trying to collect food from the controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.  

Elizabeth Funnell, Cafod’s representative for the Middle East, called for the reopening of safe, proven channels for aid: “There is aid at the border ready to go – this suffering is entirely preventable,” she said. Caritas Jerusalem reported that Gazans are “facing the cruel choice of either starving to death or risking being killed while trying to get food”. 

It said “the unlawful blocking of access of a large majority of professional humanitarian organisations and the militarisation of aid have created a calamitous, desperate and unacceptable humanitarian situation”.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) issued a statement of concern about the fate of St Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt, calling upon the Egyptian government to provide “a clear and binding agreement recognising the monastery’s right and title to the site in perpetuity”. 

The legal status of the ancient monastery – founded more than 1,500 years ago on the site where God appeared to Moses in the burning bush – has been in question since a court ruled recently that the property belonged to the government. Egyptian political leaders have said that the monks of St Catherine’s will have full freedom at the monastery, but Christian leaders have questioned the state’s claim of control. 

In the statement, the WCC central committee asked the WCC secretary general to “send a formal letter” to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expressing the organisation’s “concern” over the matter.

A senior theologian warned that Nigeria’s “desensitisation” to violence was leading to the dangerous normalisation of mass killings. 

Fr Stan Chu Ilo, the coordinating servant of the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN), was speaking in the wake of recent killings in Benue State and elsewhere in Nigeria. On 8-14 June, a series of devastating attacks by jihadist Fulani herdsmen on Christian communities in state left at least 218 Christians dead while Over 6,000 others were displaced. 

Fr Ilo told The Tablet that such violence no longer garnered significant national attention but instead met collective apathy. 

“Where is the national outrage? Did we declare a national day of mourning? I think that something has gone wrong in the consciousness of our people, in the psyche of the nation, that is either that we’ve been so traumatised that we no longer connect with life, destruction and reality, or we’ve lost our sense of humanity and sense of reverence for human life,” he said.

Members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Nigeria (CCRN) in the Archdiocese of Abuja were warned against acting outside Church authority. Marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of CCRN, its chaplain Fr Anthony Ekezie emphasised the importance of remaining faithful to the Church and grounding charismatic spirituality in core practices like the Eucharist and the Rosary. 

“You may have the gift of healing, the gift of tongues, or prophecy, but these gifts are not for show or personal elevation. They are to be used within the Church for the benefit of the community,” Fr Ekezie said. “The gifts that God gives are for the Church. You don’t get your gift and start your own ministry or Church. It’s for building the Church, for unity and order in the Church.” 

He recognised the important role played by the CCRN in the growth of the Church and urged its members to continue to be resilient in the face of challenges.

Religious leaders from Catholic and Protestant denominations in the Democratic Republic of Congo submitted their “Social Pact for Peace and Living Together” to President Felix Tshisekedi. 

His government signed a US-brokered peace agreement with Rwanda on 27 June at a ceremony in Washington, to end the conflict that has blighted eastern DR Congo for over three decades, leaving at least six million people dead and displacing a further 7.3 million. The fighting has continued to intensify as more than 120 armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 Movement, have fought for control of territory and the regions vast mineral resources. 

The Churches’ pact, the result of broad-based consultations over three months that included dialogue with rebel groups such as the M23, proposes a return to fundamental African values like Bubuntu – emphasising social cohesion, shared humanity, and the rejection of violence and exclusion – to rebuild the nation. The pact calls for inclusive dialogue to resolve the conflict, and for political leaders to cease hostilities, promote sustainable development, and responsibly manage natural resources while fostering genuine international support.  

Fr Aurélien Kambale Rukwata, the director of the Commission for Justice and Peace in the Diocese of Butembo-Beni, said the pact was the “best solution” for DR Congo while other efforts such as the US-brokered agreement – which some have criticised for its focus on trade – did not address deep-seated security and socio-political crises.

Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema held consultative meetings with the country’s Catholic bishops and other faith groups on proposed constitutional amendments, after they raised concerns at delays in addressing violations of the constitution. 

“We convened consultative meetings with leaders from the three church mother bodies – the Council of Churches in Zambia, the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) – as part of our ongoing engagement on the proposed constitutional amendments,” Hachilema said last week. 

“During our discussions, we clarified that constitutional review had not previously taken precedence, as the government’s initial priority was on revitalising the economy, particularly by tackling the nation’s debt burden. We also agreed to address the concerns raised by civil society organisations,” he added.

Catholic bishops in Malawi issued a statement condemning the surge of political violence in the country, and called for all citizens to “remember the precious and fragile nature of freedom and peace”. 

The nation goes to the polls in September, and already there are reports of bloody clashes among supporters of rival political parties. The Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops said it was “deeply concerned with the increasing instances of political violence in the country”. 

In their statement on 27 June, the bishops said that while they are “neutral in matters of party politics” they call on all people of goodwill to be united.

“As citizens of Malawi look ahead to the general elections, we urge them to honour democratic institutions and processes and to obey the law,” the bishops said. “Political violence has never been a solution to differing political beliefs and ideologies.  Peaceful coexistence is possible,” they added.

Tanzania’s bishops set 23 August as a National Day of Prayer for Peace ahead of presidential elections on 28 October.

“As we continue our journey in the hope that does not disappoint (Romans 5:5) during this Holy Jubilee Year 2025, we, your bishops, invite the entire People of God in Tanzania to observe a day of prayer and fasting to intercede for justice and peace in our country,” they said in a statement. 

“The specific intention is to pray for our nation, Tanzania, that it may remain rooted in justice and peace as we approach the general elections of 2025.” 

Their appeal responded to heightened political tensions caused by a tightening of the political space, amid the repression of dissent and public disillusionment over economic hardship.

Fr Charles B. Chilufya SJ, the director of the African Health and Economic Transformation Initiative (HETI) demanded action to eliminate cervical cancer in Africa. He said the fight against cervical cancer is not just about eliminating the disease by 2030, a target set by the World Health Organisation, but also a matter of justice.  

Cervical cancer remains a leading killer of African women. Statistics indicate that of 90,000 the 350,000 women who die every year from the disease are from Africa, but all such deaths are preventable.

“The disease is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in over 35 African countries,” Fr Chilufya told The Tablet. “Most women are diagnosed at an advanced stage when treatment options are limited or inaccessible.” 

He identified a broad range of factors hindering the fight against the scourge, including limited access to screening, inadequate infrastructure and personnel, poverty and gender inequalities as well as misinformation and mistrust around vaccines.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court acquitted a 72-year-old Catholic man on death row of blasphemy. In 2001, Anwar Kenneth was arrested after being accused of writing letters that allegedly blasphemed against Muhammad and the Qu’ran.

He was charged with “insulting the Prophet Muhammad” and sentenced to death in July 2002, in Lahore, after pleading guilty. The sentence was upheld by the Lahore High Court In June 2014.  

Rana Abdul Hammeed, a Supreme Court lawyer, said a three-judge panel of the Supreme Court had cleared Kenneth of the charges. He said: “It is very unfortunate that an elderly man has languished in various prisons for over two decades despite his mental health condition.” 

Hammeed added: “The Supreme Court’s decision to acquit him in view of his mental illness, though after a prolonged delay, will help in highlighting the plight of dozens of other blasphemy prisoners who are also suffering from mental health challenges, yet their cases have been pending for years.”  

Fr James Channan OP, director of the Peace Centre of Lahore told the online outlet Crux it was “really very sad and shocking how blasphemy laws are misused, even for those persons who have unsound mind”.

Catholic groups welcomed the removal of the death penalty for eight crimes in Vietnam. Individuals convicted for such crimes already on death row will have sentences commuted to life imprisonment.  

“It is a step that gives hope,” said Fr Dominic Ngo Quang Tuyen, secretary of the Commission for Evangelisation of the Vietnamese Bishops’ Conference. “People who have done wrong or committed a crime also deserve time to be rehabilitated and redeemed,” he said. 

On 25 June, Vietnamese authorities lifted the death penalty for crimes including damaging state infrastructure, making and selling fake medicine, spying, drug trafficking, embezzlement, and taking bribes.  

However, the death penalty remains for 10 other criminal offences under Vietnamese law, including murder, treason, terrorism, and the sexual abuse of children. More than 2,000 people have been sentenced to death in the last decade, and over 400 executed, according to the online legal news service Jurist.

Pax Christi marked 80 years since the nuclear attacks on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with an international webinar on 24 June on “80 Years of Memory and Action: Honouring the Past, Advancing Disarmament, and Building a Peaceful Future”.  

Testimonies and reflections explored “the enduring impact of nuclear weapons and the urgent call to disarmament grounded in nonviolence and human dignity”. The webinar brought together voices from across the Pax Christi movement, including Korea, US, Italy and Scotland.  

From Kenya, Sr Wamuyu Wachira, co-president of Pax Christi International, said: “We will be uniting with Pope Leo XIV, our holy father, on the call and urge to “stop the tragedy of war”. There was a presentation from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), whose leadership and advocacy have been instrumental in advancing the cause of nuclear abolition.

The United States Supreme Court ruled that parents have the right to withdraw their children from public school classes if they have a religious objection to the use of LGBT-themed books.  

The Montgomery, Maryland school district had rescinded an earlier policy allowing parents to keep their children from the controversial classes, prompting a suit by Catholic, Muslim and Orthodox Christian parents. 

Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, said that “what the parents seek here is not the right to micromanage the public-school curriculum, but rather to have their children opt out of a particular educational requirement that burdens their well-established right ‘to direct the religious upbringing’ of their children”.  

Justice Sonya Sotomayor dissented from the decision, writing that it “strikes at the core premise of public schools: that children may come together to learn not the teachings of a particular faith, but a range of concepts and views that reflect our entire society”.

Leaders gathered for the Financing for Development (F4D) conference in Spain this week faced urgent calls from leading economists and the Vatican for action to solve the international debt crisis. 

On Monday, an international panel gathered in Seville discussed reform of the international financial architecture to place people rather than profit at the heart of the global economy. Panellists included Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Vatican representative to the United Nations. 

On 3 July, the event “Tackling the Debt and Development Crisis in Jubilee Year 2025” was due to feature a landmark report commissioned by Pope Francis and released last week by the Jubilee Commission of Experts on Debt. 

At the G20 Global Justice Symposium in Cape Town last week, Bishop Thulani Mbuyisa of Kokstad warned of the impact of the continent’s debt to international finance institutions on children’s welfare. He said debt relief must take into consideration children affected by the burden of debt that has affected social services on the African continent. 

“As a way of reducing poverty, if we are able to offer meals to children, we are able to keep them in school,” Mbuyisa said.

The Archbishop of Seville cited Alexander Pope’s Essay on Criticism (1711) to urge Spanish Catholics to forgive restorers who lengthened the eyelashes of the popular statue of Our Lady of Macarena.  

“To err is human, to forgive divine, to rectify is of the wise,” said Archbishop José Ángel Saiz Meneses on social media after 500 people protested at a restoration of the seventeenth-century sculpture. He applied Pope’s words to the uproar over the alterations, which led the steward and the prior of the brotherhood that cares for the statue to resign. The brotherhood also issued an apology for “the moral and devotional damage” caused by the restoration. 

Members were horrified by the excessive length of the eyelashes in the restored statue. The lashes were subsequently cut short by the brotherhood, and a reddish tone restored round her eyes and cheeks. One restorer, Ana Cordero told the Spanish daily, El País: “Eyelashes are what give expressiveness to a devotional face, and her expression had changed.”

A statue of St Paul, one of the statues originally standing around the spire of Notre-Dame de Paris, was the first one to be restored to its former place after the blaze that struck the French capital’s cathedral in 2019. 

The statues were removed from around the spire only days before the fire and thus were saved when the roof collapsed in flames. Although its origin has not been definitively proved, some theories link the fire to the effort to renovate the spire. 

The cathedral interior has been open for liturgies and tourists since December, but final renovation work on the outside of the Gothic masterpiece continues. Statues of the other Apostles – with Paul replacing Judas – and Evangelists are due to be successively restored to their places around the spire as the reconstruction of the cathedral nears its completion.

A Benedictine abbey in southern France is to open a museum devoted purely to monastic wines. The monastery of Le Barroux in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur produces wines under the label Via Caritatis, in partnership with local winegrowers.  

Due to open in 2026, the planned museum will explore the history of monasteries and wine, highlighting the biblical roots of the tradition. Gabriel Teissier, director of development at Via Caritatis, told the National Catholic Register the project would offer an immersive experience, saying: “The goal is to help people rediscover what wine meant to Christian Europe and how monks for centuries sought God even through the cultivation of the vine.”  

Artefacts on display will include a papal seal belonging to Clement V, a fourteenth-century pope, found by a local farmer near the abbey. “It is as if the Pope himself placed his stamp on our project,” said Tessier. Initial plans include a wine cellar on the museum’s ground floor.

The Regensburger Domspatzen, the world’s oldest boys’ choir, celebrated 1,050 years with a three-hour gala celebration ‘’for friends and family” and a High Mass in St Peter’s Cathedral in Regensburg celebrated by Bishop Rudolf Vorderholzer.  

The birthday gala – titled “Happy birthday, Spatz” – is the high point of a celebratory year of “encounters and curiosity” in the southern German city. Founded in 975 by Vorderholzer’s predecessor Wolfgang, the now world-famous choir was known as the Domcapelle or Domchor for most of its history; the name Domspatzen (“cathedral sparrows”) first appeared in a newspaper article about a choir tour to Prague in 1910. The choral foundation now comprises four choirs, including a girls’ choir since 2022.  

Kapellmeister Christian Heiß, himself a former Domspatz and only the second lay director in the choir’s history, described the singers’ formation as a “school of life”, explaining how they create the Domspatzen’s distinctive warm sound “without losing the dynamics: the audience should not tire after half an hour but wish that the choir would go on singing for the next two hours”.

Archbishop Iñazio Ceffaglia, the newly-appointed apostolic nuncio to the Republic of Belarus, held his first meeting with the bishops of the country on 26 June. During the meeting in Minsk, he presented the official document of his appointment, the Katolik.Life site reported. 

Local Catholics expected the new nuncio to preside during the main Mass on 5 July at the national Marian shrine in the village of Budslau, about 120km north of Minsk. The annual feast of the miraculous image of the Mother of God, which takes place in the Small Basilica of Budslau, in the Archdiocese of Minsk-Mogilev, was inscribed on UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018. 

Ceffaglia will also be expected to contribute to the release of imprisoned Catholic priests. According to the ecumenical group Christian Vision, 34 Catholic priests are subject to persecution and imprisonment in Belarus.

A Vatican spokesman described the United Nations as “fragile miracle” on the eightieth anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter. 

On 26 June, Andrea Tornielli, editorial manager of the Dicastery for Communication, described the UN as “a ‘temple’ of multilateralism, whose very purpose lies in prioritising negotiation over the use of force, in maintaining peace, and in upholding international law”.  

He urged that “we must make it less fragile, believe in it – as the Successors of Peter have believed, visiting the UN headquarters from 1965 to 2015, recognising the UN as the appropriate legal and political response for the times in which we live”.

He acknowledged that too often, “the international order is imposed by the strongest, who decide when to proclaim and when to ignore international and humanitarian law, depending on what suits them”. However, he highlighted significant UN achievements as the codification and development of international law, the construction of the human rights framework, the refinement of humanitarian law, the resolution of conflicts and many peacekeeping missions. 

Last week, Mgr Marco Formica, of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, issued a statement during the UN Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict in New York emphasising that the protection of innocent lives should be placed above all political, military, or strategic considerations.

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