News Briefing: Church in the World

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio, Texas and Bishop Michael Boulette of San Angelo, brought prayers and emergency aid from across the United States to residents of Kerrville, Texas, the centre of flash flooding that left more than 100 people dead.  

The two bishops visited the Catholic Charities Mobile Unit set up at Notre Dame church to aid the victims and their families.  Archbishop García-Siller celebrated Mass there on Sunday, when more than 40 were still missing with additional rain expected in the region. 

Many of those killed were children attending a Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Cabins at the camp, as well as houses and vehicles, were swept away in the fast-rising flood waters that hit the area after drenching rain on the morning of 4 July.  

“At this time, it is unknown how many have been affected by rising water levels along rivers and creeks,” the Archdiocese of San Antonio said in a statement. “It is our prayer that those impacted by the floods will find the strength to rebuild. We pledge to be with the people in these challenging circumstances. Let us answer Christ’s call to love one another.”

The Corps of Resigned Priests United for Service (Corpus), founded in the US in 1974 to represent priests who had married, disbanded citing the advanced age of its membership and the lack of new recruits.  

The group said it was formed to advocate for “priests who would continue to be available to help celibate priests in their parish ministries. By 1980, it was clear that our hopes would not come to pass.” 

Its reform agenda extended over the years to include advocacy for ordaining women and gay Catholics to the priesthood. The group will maintain a website, but dispersed its remaining funds, about $150,000, to other reform groups, such as Future Church and the Women’s Ordination Conference. 

In the past 13 years, 87 clergy have joined the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter, for married Anglican clergy received into the Catholic Church in the US.

Pope Leo’s hometown of Dolton, Illinois voted to purchase his childhood home. Mayor Jason House called for a special board meeting which culminated in a unanimous vote by the Dolton village council on 1 July.  

House called the purchase an “historical opportunity” that would “pay for itself”, but other residents voiced concern that it was not an appropriate time to spend money on non-essential measures. Census data reports that 20 per cent of Dolton residents live in poverty, while local roads are in poor condition and the village’s debt crisis continues to grow.  

Although many residents opposed the purchase, the council insisted it was the right decision. Trustee Stanley Brown said: “I believe in waiting on the Lord. He’s here to strengthen our town, so don’t let this opportunity get away from us!” The three-bedroom house has been on the market since January. The purchase was set to complete within a fortnight.

A 30-year-old priest was shot in the arm, chest and stomach by two men on motorcycles in Mexico’s south-eastern state of Tabasco. Fr Héctor Alejandro Pérez was hit as he left his parish in the early morning of 30 June, leaving bullets lodged in his liver and other internal organs. His arm was fractured and a bullet grazed his head.

Bishop Gerardo de Jesús Rojas López of Tabasco appealed to the faithful to donate blood for Fr Pérez’s treatment. He denounced the shooting as a “barbaric act,” asking God to “move the hearts of the unjust aggressors to conversion and repentance”. 

Local Church and civil authorities attributed the shooting to a case of mistaken identity amid drug-related violence in the region. A spokesman for the diocese said last week that Fr Pérez was “stable” after surgery and had begun to ingest liquids. His state of health remained “delicate”. 

A Nicaraguan priest was held incommunicado for more than a fortnight after police arrested him with his driver for drunkenness. Police said Fr Pedro Abelardo Méndez Pérez and his driver Luis David Ñamendi Suárez were detained at a checkpoint in Granada Municipality on 19 June for the “crime of exposing people to danger”. 

Fr Pérez, from a parish at Monimbó, denounced violations against protesters by President Daniel Ortega’s regime in 2018 and in 2023 called for the release of Bishop Rolando José Álvarez of Matagalpa, then imprisoned for treason. Religious rights organisation Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said that even if the accusations are true, Nicaraguan law stipulates that only a driver should be arrested for drink-driving and can be held in custody for no more than 12 hours.  

CSW urged the international community “to increase pressure on the Nicaraguan government by using targeted sanctions against those responsible for violations of freedom of religion or belief, and to push for the release of all political prisoners”.

The bodies of eight Christian humanitarian workers were found in a mass grave in Colombia. They had been delivering aid and spiritual work in the south-central region of Calamar when they disappeared in April. The grave was discovered after the mobile phone of a captured guerrilla fighter revealed photographs of the victims.  

The region is blighted by power struggles between criminal groups, and Christians are often targeted because they oppose the country’s drug cartels and guerrilla gangs.

In a statement, the Evangelical Confederation of Colombia said: “We ask for prayer for peace and consolation to these families. We raise a firm voice of clamour and demand to the authorities so that these crimes do not go unpunished, that progress is made quickly in the investigations and that real guarantees are provided for the protection of the life and integrity of those who exercise spiritual leadership in the most vulnerable regions of the country.” 

The President of Colombia Gustavo Petro condemned the killings, calling them “a grave affront to the right to life, religious freedom, and the spiritual and community work that so many people carry out in regions historically ravaged by violence”.

Argentine prosecutors named the second most senior figure in Opus Dei a defendant in a prominent human trafficking case. 

Officials requested that Mgr Mariano Fazio, the auxiliary vicar of the global movement, testify in the case which hitherto involved four priests from its Argentine branch who were accused of deceiving 43 women to join as assistant numeraries and forcing them into domestic servitude. 

Opus Dei “categorically” denied the allegations and said they were based on “a complete decontextualisation” of the role.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) elected the Archbishop of Lipa Gilbert Garcera as its new president during the bishops’ 130th plenary assembly in the central province of Bohol. 

The 66-year-old Garcera will replace the politically outspoken Bishop of Kalookan Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, who will end his second and final term as CBCP president on 30 November. 

Garcera, a bishop for nearly two decades, used to chair the CBCP Commission on Family and Life, leading the CBCP’s opposition to a proposal to legalise divorce in the Philippines. During the plenary assembly that elected Garcera, Pope Leo XIV sent a message to Filipino bishops, urging them to “be courageous in supporting the cause of peace and in promoting the intrinsic dignity of all people”.  

The new CBCP leadership will face critical issues, including the rift between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Vice President Sara Duterte, ahead of the presidential election in May 2028.

India’s bishops condemned the exploitation of workers after an explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in Telangana state killed over 40 people and injured 35 others.

Fr Stephen Alathara, deputy secretary general of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, described the incident as another example of “the serious problem of exploitation and disregard for the dignity of workers … the victims are mostly poor people, members of tribal communities, migrant workers, and daily labourers, who are the most vulnerable”. He urged a review of labour laws.  

Church communities across India were asked to pray for the victims. The blast occurred on 30 June at the factory in Sangareddy district near Hyderabad, run by Sigachi Industries, causoing a three-story building to collapse. The factory made components for medical pills. Telangana State formed a commission of inquiry to investigate the incident.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan issued a statement on 2 July alleging that “arbitrary, illegal and unjustified actions” were impeding its operations and threatening its independence. It accused the federal and provincial governments of attempts to curb its activities, such as blocking commission events and harassing staff.  

This triggered alarm among minority leaders, including the Christian community. Fr Bonnie Mendes, a priest of the Diocese of Faisalabad and a former executive secretary of Pakistan’s Catholic Bishops’ Commission for Justice and Peace, deplored attempts to weaken the Human Rights Commission. He said the rights body has played a vital role by offering support to victims of blasphemy cases, land grabs and mob attacks on churches and Christian houses. 

“Today, every Christian, Hindu, and poor person should issue statements supporting this organisation,” he added, because silencing it would “only worsen conditions for religious minorities already facing serious challenges”.

The massacre of at least 25 Christians at a Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus has shaken Syria’s Christian community, the Maronite Archbishop of Aleppo Joseph Tobji said. He reported graffiti on the wall of a church in the Hama district reading: “Your turn will come too.” 

Archbishop Tobji said that “those in power now keep telling us that Christians must not be touched, that they are an essential part of the country and of Syrian society”. He added that “the security services have already put protective measures and systems in place and when we call them, they come”, but warned that “fear and despair prevail” because “not all factions and armed groups listen to those who now form the government”. Catholic bishops, nevertheless, “are exploring how we can find ways to promote peace and reconciliation”, he said. 

The archbishop has met President Ahmad al-Sharaa four times since he took power in December. “When he speaks to us, he shows that he has progressive visions,” Tobji said, “but I do not know if he will succeed in doing what he says he wants to do. I hope so.”

The dioceses of Makurdi, Gboko, and Otukpo in Nigeria’s Benue State closed a total of 15 parishes last month in the wake of attacks on local communities in late May. 

The closures were announced by Fr Joseph Beba, chair of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association and a priest in the Diocese of Makurdi, in early June. He said that “their host communities have been completely displaced”.

Fr Beba alleged that the recent escalation in violence was prompted by the campaigning of the Bishop of Makurdi Wilfred Anagbe to raise awareness of the persecution of Christians. “These attacks are not random. They are a direct response to Bishop Anagbe’s international testimony on the systematic persecution of Christians,” he said. 

In South Africa, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Umtata appealed for stronger interreligious dialogue across the continent, insisting that “religious communities must take a more active role in building peace and not leave it solely to politicians, who often have their own agendas”.

Catholic bishops in Togo condemned the government’s heavy-handed reaction to protesters demanding the resignation of President Faure Gnassingbe. 

Thousands took to the streets of the capital Lomé on 26-28 June to protest constitutional reforms that critics alleged would enable President Faure Gnassingbe to remain in power indefinitely. The 59-year-old – in office since 2005 following the death of his father, who ruled for 38 years – was recently sworn in as president of the Council of Ministers, a powerful executive role with no term limits under a newly-adopted parliamentary system. 

The protests resulted in the deaths of at least seven people. In a statement on 30 June, Togo’s bishops described the government’s response as “unacceptable and unbearable”, expressing “deep concern, distress, and sadness [at] the painful events” of the protests.

A Catholic priest challenged Cameroon’s long-serving president not to seek re-election when the nation goes to the polls in October. In an open letter addressed to President Paul Biya, Fr Étienne Bakaba urged the 92-year-old to announce he won’t seek an eighth term in office.  

Fr Bakaba’s letter directly addressed Biya’s age and health, stating he has become too old and too frail to lead the country effectively. “You can’t do it anymore,” the priest declared, questioning the president’s capacity to continue governing. 

The appeal extended beyond personal assessment, arguing that the president stepping aside would be for the broader good of the nation. He called for Biya to give “Cameroonians who have a healthy ambition” the opportunity to prepare for a “real election” whose results would be accepted by the population. He termed this both “an appeal and a prayer”.

African youths are threatened by “termite-like” criminal networks of traffickers, the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network warned. 

Sr Jane Kimathi, its director of programmes, described an encounter in an East African airport with a “long, silent line of young men and women, aged roughly between 15 and 29 … [some] dressed in matching pink cotton tracksuits [while] others wore white T-shirts printed with Arabic script”. She said they were likely victims of trafficking. 

In an article last month titled “Dreams in Transit: Witnessing the Silent Flight of Africa’s Youth”, Sr Kimathi wrote: “On the surface, they looked like ordinary travellers. But the air around them was heavy with uncertainty. Their eyes told a different story: blank stares, anxious clutches on passports and carry-ons, as if holding onto the last pieces of home.” 

She continued: “I wept. Quietly but uncontrollably – as if I had just received tragic news.” Many, she warned, faced slavery in the Middle East.

Catholic agencies have called for the protection of African farmers during an international conference in Rome on Africa-Europe agricultural relations.

The meeting between African Union and European Union representatives, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in collaboration with international farmer organisations and interest groups, discussed agriculture financing and climate resilience for smallholder farmers and other urgent issues affecting global food chains.

Catholic delegates joined demands for the protection of African farmers, specifying the need for access to seeds where global conglomerates control the seed manufacturing industry. The Symposium of Episcopal Conference of Africa and Madagascar (Secam) called for the protection of African farmers from unfair trade where prices of different crop seeds remain prohibitive for smallholder farmers. 

In a statement titled “Stop the poison, support the seed”, criticising the use of pesticides from developed countries, Secam said African farmers were joining forces “with European allies to demand urgent action in protecting farmer-managed seed systems and the export of banned pesticides from Europe to Africa”.

The general secretariat of the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops said the 10 study groups formed to address controversial topics excluded from the Rome assembly of the Synod on Synodality in October have an additional six month to submit their final reports. The original 30 June deadline was moved to 31 December after most of the groups – studying subjects including women’s ordination and human sexuality – requested additional time to complete their reports.

The prior of the ecumenical Taizé Community had a private audience with Pope Leo, building on the movement’s strong relationship with Rome since the days of its founder Roger Schutz.

Brother Matthew, an Anglican and the ecumenical community’s second leader since Schutz’s violent death on 16 August 2005, said the Bishop of Rome was also a servant of the unity of the Church. He told the German journal Herder-Korrespondenz: “This is a community willing to take risks to stand alongside believers and people who are suffering or are deprived of their freedom. We … do not have significant material resources, but we can listen to people and create a space for prayer.” 

He acknowledged that Taizé had also witnessed abuse: “There have been major changes in our community since Brother Alois openly addressed the abuse that also occurred in our community. Today, we understand much better the authority we represent as a community for the young people …

“How can we use this authority to serve, to listen, and to create a space where the freedom of each individual is respected? We have made mistakes and have not always been role models. This is a long journey, and we are constantly learning.”

Pope Leo appointed Archbishop Thibault Verny of Chambéry (-Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne-Tarentaise) as president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Until last month, he was president of the French bishops’ Council for the Prevention and Fight against Paedophilia.  

The 59-year-old Parisian has a degree in engineering and began leading Church endeavours in safeguarding after being appointed an auxiliary in the Archdiocese of Paris in 2016. In 2023, he was appointed to his unified archdiocese in the Savoie and Haute-Savoie region of eastern France. He succeeds Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, who has been president of the commission since its creation in 2014.  

O’Malley, 81, said: “Having worked closely with Archbishop Verny through his membership on the commission since 2022, I have witnessed his dedication to the prevention of abuse in the life of the Church.” He added that Verny had “years of in-depth experience working with law enforcement, other civil authorities, and Church leadership to ensure accountability for the serious failures of the Church in France”.  

Verny, who will remain Archbishop of Chambéry, said in a statement that he wished to “help the Church become ever more vigilant, responsible and compassionate in its mission to protect the most vulnerable”. He praised O’Malley for his “courageous and prophetic leadership”.

The Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich ordained 16 men to the priesthood in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. The ceremony on 28 June marked the first ordinations in the cathedral since its fire in 2019 and subsequent restoration.  

Approximately 2,000 people attended the ceremony inside the cathedral, while 3,000 more watched the ordinations on large screens outside the buildings. The new priests, aged 27-42, include a former military doctor, a former IT specialist and an ex-sports coach. Eight belong to religious communities including the Emmanuel Community. 

Archbishop Ulrich said their “public witness of faith, expressed through active charity and steadfast hope” was “the true wealth of their lives as priests”. Six men were ordained for the Archdiocese of Paris last year. This year, 90 men were ordained priests in France, compared to 105 in 2024.

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