News Briefing: Church in the World

Vatican investigators interviewed clergy and staff in the Archdiocese of Lima as part of an inquiry into allegations of financial misconduct and mishandling of abuse cases. 

Diocesan staff told the online outlet The Pillar that a group of Augustinian priests conducted the interviews online and were due to travel to the Peruvian capital earlier this month, reportedly on the instigation of the Pope. 

The inquiry relates to concerns about the finances of the diocese’s social services arm Caritas Lima and the response of the Archbishop of Lima Cardinal Carlos Castillo to allegations of sexual abuse, some of them in the diocesan seminary.

The Holy See’s permanent representative to the Organisation of American States (OAS) affirmed its support for international efforts to bring peace to Haiti. 

Addressing an OAS conference in Washington, DC on 20 August, Mgr Juan Antonio Cruz Serrano welcomed the group’s initiative to respond to the “grave security and institutional crisis in the country” and referred to Pope Leo’s appeal for Haitians on 10 August following the abduction of eight people including a child and an Irish lay missionary from an orphanage outside Port-au-Prince. 

“The Holy See reiterates its closeness to the Haitian people and reaffirms its constant support for efforts to promote peace and stability,” Mgr Cruz said.

The Centre for Applied Research in the Apostolate (Cara) said most dioceses in the United States experiencing the greatest growth were in the south and southwest.

Atlanta, Georgia gained almost one million new Catholics in the past 20 years, San Bernardino, California, gained 878,000 new Catholics, and three dioceses in Texas – Dallas, Fort Worth and Galveston-Houston – each gained approximately 700,000 or more Catholics.  

Historic dioceses in the north and Midwest continued to lose significant numbers. Brooklyn, New York and Detroit, Michigan both lost more than 300,000 Catholics, with Hartford, Connecticut and Chicago, Illinois both losing about a quarter of a million Catholics.  

Cara found that smaller dioceses in rural areas sometimes produce a relatively large number of vocations. Bismark, North Dakota, with only 60,000 Catholics, ordained 15 new priests in the last five years, more than some dioceses like San Diego and Fort Worth with a million Catholics.

Six pro-life activists face state charges after they disrupted operations at an abortion clinic in Upland, Pennsylvania.

The activists were charged with accompanying a young woman into the facility and trying to dissuade her from seeking an abortion, then pouring what they called holy water and holy salt on the floor of the clinic. Other protesters refused to leave elevators that accessed the clinic. They are charged with biosecurity trespassing and disorderly trespassing, and could face up to a year in prison.  

Five of the six are Catholic, and two of the activists previously been convicted of similar federal charges for obstructing access to an abortion clinic, but were pardoned by President Donald Trump earlier this year. Monica Miller, one of those arrested, emailed supporters saying she and the others “peacefully offered words of support and alternatives to abortion”. She said they successfully closed the clinic for the day.

A Hong Kong court began hearing closing arguments in the trial of Jimmy Lai. The former media tycoon and Catholic convert, who published the pro-democracy Apple Daily until its forced closure in 2021, is charged with seditious publication under a colonial-era law and foreign collusion under widely-opposed national security legislation. 

Lai’s counsel clashed with the three-judge panel in his defence of freedom of expression under the security laws. Arguments were due to conclude this week, with a verdict expected in November.

The bishops of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands reiterated their support for migrants and refugees, particularly through projects funded by the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) over the past two years.  

Catholic organisations such as Caritas Papua New Guinea are also involved in work to improve the integration of refugees and to provide them with legal and medical assistance. The main beneficiaries of these projects are thousands of refugees from West Papua who have come to Port Moresby.

Many live in temporary shelters or overcrowded camps, suffering unhygienic and destitute conditions. They are predominantly single men without families, aged between 50 and 60, who survive mainly by selling firewood, empty cans and newspapers, and with the help of a few benefactors. However, there are also women, elderly people, and young people looking for work.

Myanmar’s military junta plans to demolish an historic cathedral and 19 Buddhist religious sites as part a project to excavate the site of a sixteenth-century city, according to a leaked document sent to religious leaders.  

Excavations in the ancient city of Toungoo-Ketumati in Myanmar’s Bago Region threaten to destroy the Sacred Heart Cathedral of the Diocese of Taungngu. The current cathedral was constructed in 1987, replacing a 1945 church constructed after the original nineteenth-century building destroyed in the Second World War.  

The cathedral’s parish priest Fr Xavier Wine Maung said that “parishioners are shocked” because the church “holds great personal significance” for the community. “They come to me and ask, ‘What should we do if this happens?’” he reported. He has pleaded with the authorities “to save at least the main church building”, adding that “it doesn’t matter if they demolish other buildings in the compound”. 

Archaeological excavations are already underway at Toungoo-Ketumati, the first capital established by King Mingyi Nyo in 1510 as the centre of the Toungoo dynasty, which ruled most of present-day Myanmar for more than 200 years. The religious sites are situated within the ancient city’s walls.

More than 2,500 people from across India’s religious divides gathered for a pro-life march held in Bangalore at the start of August. Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims joined in large numbers to affirm the value of human life at the fourth March for Life since the first in India in 2021. The multi-faith presence reflected the march’s theme that “every life is a present, is precious and has a purpose”, said Fr Naveen Gladston, director of the Family Welfare Centre in the Archdiocese of Bangalore.

Floods caused by monsoon rains killed about 800 people across Pakistan and injured over 1,000 more in the months since June.

The vicar general of the Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi reported floods claiming hundreds of lives, especially in the mountainous province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the northwest of the country, where entire villages were hit by landslides and families buried under the rubble. 

“Even relief efforts are difficult,” said Fr Asif John Khokhar. He added that “Catholic churches and institutions are offering shelter to displaced people”. He reported that central Pakistan is affected too, in areas such as Lahore and Multan in Punjab, and also Karachi in southern Sindh province. “The country is devastated,” he said. 

Fr Francis Gulzar of St Joseph’s parish in Gujranwala, in the Archdiocese of Lahore, reported that churches, schools, and parishes “are offering refuge to all who need everything, from food to shelter”. These include Muslims and Christians for “it makes no difference – we are reaching out to the poor, needy, and desperate humanity”.

Pope Leo welcomed the international treaty granting the Mauritian government sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. Addressing the Chagos Refugees Group during a meeting in Rome, he expressed his “wholehearted” support for the deal said he was glad Pope Francis’ support for this process had “finally helped rectify this grave injustice”. 

The possibility that the Chagossian people, who were expelled from the islands between 1968 and 1973, might return there, affirmed that “all peoples, even the smallest and weakest, must be respected by the powerful in their identity and rights”, the Pope said.

Bishop Jean Michaël Durhône of Port-Louis directed parishes to immediately bolster their security after a series of burglaries were carried out in four churches across Mauritius, including in the Cathedral of Saint-Louis. The bishop said no lives were lost, but the attacks left significant material damage. 

“Although no human life was threatened, material damage is to be regretted in these sacred places, which are spaces of prayer, reflection, and peace for the faithful,” Bishop Durhône said. “These acts of theft in a sacred place not only affect material goods but also shock and wound the religious sentiment of Mauritians.”

A South African bishop urged interfaith groups to open their doors to migrants, calling for “religious advocacy” to address social challenges. Violent anti-migrant sentiment has forced the government, facing pressure from rights groups, to ensure the safety of foreigners. 

Bishop Sithembile Sipuka of Mthatha spoke after the G20 Interfaith Forum in Cape Town this month which brought together hundreds of delegates from different religious organisations. Migrants are increasingly turning to religious groups for protection and safety as aid agencies report a surge of economic refugees across the globe. 

“May our mosques, churches, temples and synagogues open not just our doors, but our communities to those fleeing violence and seeking opportunity,” said Bishoo Sipuka. “The fear of migrants and refugees affects politics in many settings and calls for religious advocacy for compassion and care. My hope is that we could commit to being practical sanctuaries of hope for migrants and refugees.”

Bishop Sosthène Léopold Bayemi Matjei of Obala, in Cameroon’s Centre Region, faced allegations of sexual misconduct after explicit videos and audio clips on circulated social media. 

The recordings, which have sparked widespread outrage and debate across the country, feature a voice attributed to the bishop making sexually explicit suggestions to a 22-year-old woman identified as the alleged victim. According to the content, the cleric allegedly requested intimate videos of the woman or proposed a sexual encounter involving multiple partners.  

The diocese’s communication department urged calm, confirming it was aware of the recordings and stating that verifications are underway with competent authorities. It appealed to parishioners to “remain serene” and not believe rumours, urging them to “follow the pastoral activities of our diocese, and let us remain united in prayer”.

Priests in the Diocese of Bunia warned that violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was “endangering our province”. In join statement on 20 August, 76 priests of the diocese said fighting in Ituri province had cased an effective state of emergency since May 2021. 

On the night of 19-20 August, vandalism hit an oratory in Bunia when armed men desecrated hosts in the tabernacle, smashed windows and threatened priests. This happened “despite the strong presence of law enforcement officers in the neighbourhood”, the statement said. 

The priests criticised the ineffectiveness of the security forces. They said the state of siege in the city has “visibly and seriously failed to impose peace, which was its primary and essential task”. They added that, “on the contrary, the armed groups have not only multiplied but also increased in numbers and weapons”.

Cafod’s country representative for Sudan said the country “is not heard” despite facing “one of the biggest humanitarian situations in the world”. Telley Sadia said that the lack of international attention meant there was insufficient pressure on warring factions to cease hostilities and allow humanitarian access, leaving millions of Sudanese without adequate food, water or medical. 

The humanitarian organisation Concern Worldwide reported that 30.4 million in Sudan need humanitarian assistance while 5 million displaced people need assistance. The situation has worsened by an outbreak of cholera that has killed over 2,470 people since it was first declared by the country’s Ministry of Health on 12 August 2024.

The Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï said he expected Pope Leo to travel to Lebanon within months on his first international trip. The patriarch said the Pope will visit “sometime between now and December”, adding that “preparations for the visit are underway” even before a Vatican announcement. 

The former Archbishop of Antioch Paul Sayah told the BBC that a trip to Lebanon would be important. “Lebanon is a multicultural, multi-religious country and is a place of dialogue,” he said. “It’s one of the rare environments where Muslims and Christians are living together and respecting each other so it sends a message to the region.”  

There are more than two million Catholics in Lebanon, according to Vatican statistics, most of them belonging to the Maronite Church. The visit to Lebanon could form part of the Pope’s planned visit to Turkey in November to mark the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

An Orthodox monastery postponed its Divine Liturgy for the Dormition of the Theotokos on the orders of the Turkish authorities. 

The Trabzon governorship directed the monastery of Panagia Sümela in the Black Sea Region to reschedule the celebration from the feast day on 15 August to 23 August and limited the number of attendees to 50, but did not give a reason for the order. Metropolitan Andreas of Saranda Ekklisies led the service, while the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I who has presided at the liturgy in previous years was not present.

In 2024, the authorities initially withheld permission for the monastery to celebrate the Dormition liturgy but later granted it. The feast day coincides with the anniversary of the fall of nearby Trebizond in 1461, which official Turkish historical rhetoric describes as an “Ottoman victory”, and local observers connect the restrictions to growing nationalist sentiment. Sümela is one of the main pilgrimage sites for Pontic Greeks and Orthodox Christians worldwide.  

The fourth-century monastery, carved into the cliffs of Karadağ Mountain at an altitude of 300m in the Altındere Valley of Maçka district in the province of Trabzon, is managed as a museum and promoted as a main tourist destination by the Turkish Ministry of Culture. It reopened in 2022 after restoration work began in 2015 and is listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List.

The German bishops’ conference reported “growing hostility towards Christianity” and a rise in theft and vandalism in churches across the country. 

The scale and viciousness of attacks on churches has increased significantly, ranging from clearing out cash from donation boxes to the theft of precious items such as chalices, reliquary crosses and metal ornaments from cemeteries. Acts of vandalism show growing disrespect for sacred buildings and items and frequently cause great hurt to parishioners. 

The bishops’ conference noted examples such as “excrement in holy water fonts and confessionals, decapitated statues, cigarette butts and other debris in front of devotional images, damaged prayer and hymn books, overturned pews, altarpieces, and entire altars destroyed by arson”.  

The sociologist of religion Detlef Pollack said that anti-church and anti-religious tendencies had increased significantly in Germany since the 2010s. “This is probably related to the abuse cases, the Church’s handling of them and their media discussion,” he said.

The Archbishop of Toulouse reversed his appointment of a convicted abuser to a senior diocesan post after the French bishops’ conference objected to it. In a statement on 16 August, Archbishop Guy de Kerimel said he had reconsidered the appointment of Fr Dominique Spina as chancellor of the diocese and episcopal delegate for marriage to avoid causing “division between bishops”. The diocese announced the same day that Spina had resigned from the post. 

Archbishop Kerimel apologised to victims of sexual abuse, saying the appointment had been “interpreted by a number of people as a snub” to them which was “obviously not my intention”. But he maintained it offered “a sign of hope” to abusers who had been punished for their crimes. The bishops’ conference leadership had voiced concern at the appointment in a statement on 10 August.

The former Archbishop of Gniezno and Primate of Poland Józef Kowalczyk died in hospital aged 86. He had been receiving treatment in Tarnów, in southern Poland, for more than three weeks.  

A close confidant of Pope John Paul II, Kowalczyk significantly shaped the Catholic Church in Poland in the years after the fall of Communism until his retirement in 2014. Kowalczyk began to work for the Vatican in 1967 and in 1978 built up the Poland office within the Secretariat of State. 

In 1989, after the resumption of diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Poland, John Paul II appointed Kowalczyk as apostolic nuncio to his home country. He held the post for 21 years, a tenure unique in the history of papal diplomacy.  

As the first nuncio since the Second World War, Kowalczyk negotiated and signed the 1993 concordat which was ratified by the Seim in 1998 and organised a structural reform of the Church in Poland. He was appointed Archbishop of Gniezno in 2010.

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