Catholic News

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The “destruction” of an enclave of 120,000 Armenian Christians in the Nagorno-Karabakh region is imminent, warns Siobhan Nash-Marshall, a US-based human rights advocate. Though internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh is made up almost entirely of Christian ethnic Armenians who claim self-sovereignty under the auspices of the Republic of Artsakh. On Wednesday, ethnic Armenians in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to lay down their arms and dissolve their military forces following a short but intense Azerbaijan offensive on September 19. The attacks, which included rocket and mortar fire, were perpetrated by Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. In just over one day, over 200 Armenian Christians were killed, including 10 civilians, and many more were injured, the New York Times reported. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region for decades.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255446/destruction-of-ethnic-armenians-is-imminent-warn-experts

The United States Senate began confirming military appointments one by one on Wednesday to bypass a pro-life blockade led by Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville, which has been holding up the usually routine process since February. The blockade had caused a backlog of more than 300 appointments.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255442/senate-confirms-military-appointments-bypassing-pro-life-blockade-by-tuberville

A group of pro-life students who participated in a demonstration at North Carolina A&T University last week during a visit to campus by Vice President Kamala Harris say they were escorted off campus by police for their own safety after being harassed by a large crowd. According to members of the group, they engaged in positive dialogue with students on campus. During her speech at the university, Harris called for greater access to abortion in the wake of the overturning of Roe v Wade. In a video shared on social media, profanities could be heard being shouted at the pro-life group. Photos from the protest show the pro-life group being taunted with obscene hand gestures. CNA reached out to the university for a comment but did not receive a response.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255440/pro-life-students-harassed-by-mob-after-vp-kamala-harris-talk-in-north-carolina

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Maurice, a member of the Theban Legion, a Roman legion said to have been constituted by Christian soldiers from Africa, which was called to put down a revolt in Aaunum, located in modern day Switzerland, in the year 287. Two legends exist about the martyrdom of Saint Maurice and his companions. According to the legends, the legion's soldiers were either ordered to take part in pagan sacrifices, or ordered to harass and kill some local Christians. In either event, the 6,600 men of Maurice's legion refused. In punishment for their disobedience, every tenth man in the legion was killed. When the remaining soldiers, fortified by Saint Maurice, still refused other legions were called in to force them to follow their orders. Persisting in their refusal, they were all massacred.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-maurice-and-companions-602

The Church also celebrates Saint Thomas of Villanova, a 16th century Spanish Augustinian monk and archbishop who lived a life of austerity in order to provide for the spiritual and material needs of his people.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-thomas-of-villanova-710

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Pope Francis extolled Wednesday the “apostolic zeal” of Saint Daniele Comboni, an Italian missionary priest and bishop who fought to end slavery in Africa. Comboni witnessed “the horror of slavery” as a missionary in the mid-19th century in what is now Sudan. Pope Francis shared the “energetic and prophetic” life story of the founder of the Comboni missionary orders during his general audience on September 20. “Saint Daniele testifies to the love of the Good Shepherd who goes in search of the one who is lost and gives his life for the flock. His zeal was energetic and prophetic in being opposed to indifference and exclusion,” Pope Francis said.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255422/pope-francis-lauds-catholic-saint-who-fought-to-end-slavery-in-africa

Ethnic Armenians in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, have agreed to lay down their arms and dissolve their military forces following a short but intense Azerbaijan offensive on September 19. Pope Francis made a public appeal on Wednesday for both sides to “silence the weapons.” “I make my heartfelt appeal to all the parties involved and to the international community to silence the weapons and make every effort to find peaceful solutions for the good of the people and respect for human dignity,” Pope Francis said at the end of his Wednesday general audience.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255426/ethnic-armenians-surrender-and-disarm-following-azerbaijan-offensive

At least 11 people were killed September 15 after members of the Islamic State attacked a village in Mozambique and opened fire on Christians after hand-picking them from Muslims, the Catholic pontifical and charity foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International reported.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255427/11-killed-as-islamist-jihadists-reportedly-target-christians-in-mozambican-village

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has condemned the September 16-17 kidnapping of more than 30 people across Nigeria’s Enugu State, including a Catholic priest, and called on police officials in the Nigerian state to either act on the lack of security in the region or leave office. Father Marcellinus Obioma Okide was abducted September 17 on his way back to Saint Mary Amofia-Agu Affa Parish in the Enugu Diocese, where he serves as parish priest. A prayer appeal has been sent out for the priest’s safe release. Okide is among dozens of people who were taken by armed Fulani bandits in separate locations within Enugu State. Intersociety challenges those in charge of security in Enugu to “retire voluntarily from the army and the police” if they cannot live up to what is expected of them.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255429/human-rights-group-to-nigeria-security-agents-after-priest-s-kidnapping-act-or-resign

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Matthew, also known as Levi, an apostle of Jesus and, according to tradition, the author of one of the four Gospels. Surprisingly little is known for certain about Matthew’s life, even though his Gospel is so crucial for the Church. The manner of Matthew’s calling by Jesus is well-known — Matthew was a Jew, but worked as a tax collector for the Romans in Capernaum near the Sea of Galilee, making him a pariah among his own people. When Jesus called Matthew to follow him, Matthew gave up his presumably materialistic life as a tax collector to follow the Lord.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-matthew-apostle-601

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The blood of the martyr Saint Januarius again liquefied in Naples on Tuesday. The declaration that the miracle had again taken place was made at the start of Mass by Abbot Vincenzo De Gregorio. The archbishop of Naples, Domenico Battaglia, held the relic of the blood, moving the glass ampoules to demonstrate the liquid state of the blood to the sounds of strong applause, while the deputy of the wisdom of the people waved a white cloth. Saint Januarius is a bishop, martyr, and patron saint of Naples, Italy. Traditionally, on September 19 and on two other occasions a year, his blood, which is kept in a glass ampoule in the shape of a rounded cruet, liquifies. It is believed the miracle has taken place since at least 1389, the first instance on record. The liquefaction process sometimes takes hours or even days, and sometimes it does not happen at all. In local lore, the failure of the blood to liquefy signals war, famine, disease, or other disaster.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255410/blood-of-st-januarius-completely-liquefied-on-feast-day

The United States Catholic bishops are calling on the faithful to embrace “radical solidarity” with mothers who are facing difficult or challenging pregnancies this October, which the Church in the United States has observed as “Respect Life Month” since 1973. Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge, the chairman of the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities, echoed Saint John Paul II’s call for “radical solidarity,” which means, according to the bishop, “putting our love for them into action and putting their needs before our own.” The “Walking with Moms in Need” parish-based initiatives, which help parishes become welcoming places for mothers facing difficulties, are a possible option to get involved.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255413/us-bishops-urge-radical-solidarity-with-mothers-for-respect-life-month

Azerbaijan unleashed military strikes against an enclave of about 120,000 Armenian Christians in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region on Tuesday, shelling buildings and firing on Armenian military and civilian positions. Pope Francis made a public appeal on Wednesday for both sides to “silence the weapons.” “I make my heartfelt appeal to all the parties involved and to the international community to silence the weapons and make every effort to find peaceful solutions for the good of the people and respect for human dignity,” Pope Francis said at the end of his Wednesday general audience.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255415/azerbaijan-unleashes-military-strikes-against-armenian-christians-in-nagorno-karabakh

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255421/pope-francis-appeals-for-peace-in-nagorno-karabakh-silence-the-weapons

Today, the Church celebrates Saints Andrew Kim Taegon and Paul Chong Hasañg, who were leaders of the Catholic Church in Korea. Andrew Kim Taegon was born to Korean nobility, and his parents converted when he was 15-years old. He traveled over 1000 miles to study in a seminary and became the first native Korean priest. He was tortured and beheaded in 1846. Paul Choñg Hasang was a Korean Catholic lay leader who defended the faith before the government of Korea, and reunited the Christians in the midst of the persecutions, encouraging them to stay strong in the faith. In response to his direct appeals, the Pope, Gregory the tenth, confirmed the validity of the Korean Church and sent more priests to Korea. He was martyred in 1839.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/sts-andrew-kim-taegon-paul-chong-ha-600

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Pro-life leaders condemned President Donald Trump for calling a six-week abortion ban a “terrible mistake” during a Saturday NBC interview. Trump made the comments in reference to Florida’s six-week Heartbeat Protection Act abortion ban signed by his chief opponent in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. During Trump’s more than hourlong interview with Kristen Welker, he said: “DeSantis is willing to sign a five-week and six-week ban” and “I think what he did was a terrible thing and a terrible mistake.” After calling a six-week abortion ban a “terrible mistake,” Trump went on to say that he would focus on reaching a consensus between Republicans and Democrats on abortion. Trump’s campaign did not respond to CNA’s request for clarification.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255406/donald-trump-calls-6-week-abortion-ban-a-terrible-mistake

Pope Francis on Monday met with the newly appointed Russian ambassador to the Holy See, Ivan Soltanovsky. The meeting, during which Soltanovsky presented his credential letters to the pontiff, comes days after papal envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi visited Beijing to discuss efforts to bring about peace in Ukraine amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. The “atmosphere of the meeting was friendly” and the two men “discussed, in particular, the mission of the papal special envoy to Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, aimed at solving a number of humanitarian issues,” Soltanovsky told Russia’s official Tass News Agency. While serving as Pope Francis’ peace envoy, Zuppi has made several diplomatic visits across the world to promote peace between Russia and Ukraine, including stops in Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington DC. Pope Francis has condemned the war and called for peace in Ukraine on numerous occasions, but has also occasionally received criticism from Ukrainians for the way he has expressed himself.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255400/pope-francis-meets-with-new-russian-ambassador-to-the-vatican

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Emily de Rodat, founder of the Religious Congregation of the Holy Family of Villefranche. The congregation was devoted to caring for the elderly, prisoners, and orphans, in addition to the schools for the poor. Some of the nuns were also contemplative and spent their time in prayer and adoration. She died of cancer at Villefranche on September 19, 1852. At the time of her death Saint Emily de Rodat had opened 38 charitable institutions.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-emily-de-rodat-599

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A Catholic priest reputed for rescuing homeless and impoverished children on the streets of Omaha, Nebraska, is expected to soon be declared Venerable by the Vatican, placing him on the path to canonization. Father Edward J Flanagan, who died in 1948, was an Irish-born priest whose saintly life has been narrated in a recent documentary, “Heart of a Servant — the Father Flanagan Story.” In a follow-up interview after the film’s premiere on July 26 in Sligo, Ireland, Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin, Ireland, told CNA that there is a good reason to hope that Flanagan will soon be declared Venerable by the Vatican. Reflecting on the life of the heroic Catholic priest, Doran told CNA that Flanagan “rescued children from homelessness and poverty in Omaha and provided a place for them that they could call home.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255370/irish-born-founder-of-boys-town-father-flanagan-may-soon-be-declared-venerable

Three pro-life activists who took part in an October 2022 “rescue” in a Washington, DC, abortion facility were each found guilty of felonies that could land them up to 11 years in prison and fines as much as $350,000.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255394/three-more-pro-lifers-guilty-on-face-act-charges-face-up-to-11-years-in-prison

A Catholic priest in China was convicted of “fraud” and “impersonating religious personnel” on September 13. Father Joseph Yang Xiaoming of the Wenzhou Diocese in Zhejiang, China — south of Shanghai — was found to be in violation of the law after he refused to register with the state-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255391/chinese-priest-convicted-of-fraud-for-refusal-to-recognize-state-sanctioned-church

A Christian legal group has filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on behalf of Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who is serving a prison sentence under the regime of President Daniel Ortega for criticizing the dictatorship’s human rights violations. Álvarez, the bishop of Matagalpa, began serving a 26-year, four-month prison term in February, charged with being a “traitor to the homeland.” The regime’s police trapped him in his chancery for more than two weeks in August 2022 and entered by force in the middle of the night to take him to Managua and hold him under house arrest. Álvarez later refused to leave the country with 222 other political prisoners who were being deported by the dictatorship to the United States, including four priests, a deacon, and two seminarians. ADF International announced the filing of its petition September 14, saying there are “no effective avenues for legal recourse available in Nicaragua” under Ortega, who has effectively ruled the country as a dictator for years.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255390/legal-group-pleads-for-imprisoned-bishop-alvarezs-rights-before-human-rights-commission

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Joseph of Cupertino, a mystic who was perhaps most famous for his ability to fly. Despite being moved from one friary to another, because of the disruption he caused by his ecstasies and the persecutions he endured from some of his brothers who were envious of his gifts, he remained profoundly inundated by the joy of abandoning himself to Divine Providence. He died on September 18, 1663 and was canonized in 1767 by Pope Clement XIII. He is the patron of air travelers and students preparing for exams.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-joseph-of-cupertino-598

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A 108-foot-tall sculpture of Christ the Fisher located in La Concordia in the Mexican state of Chiapas was completely burned down after being struck by lightning September 10. Hours after the incident, the Secretariat for Civil Protection and the local municipal police went to the scene to assess the damage. “Due to the impact of lightning and combustible material, fire spread in its structure; it collapsed and burned,” Civil Protection reported on Facebook. After lamenting the accident, the parish expressed its desire that other “works and projects” be carried out for “the common good” and the “comprehensive growth” of the town. The authorities indicated that the decision to replace the statue had not yet been made.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255375/lightning-strike-destroys-monumental-statue-of-christ-in-mexico

Scandinavia’s top Church leader says he hopes the role of women in the Church’s mission is a focal point at the upcoming synodal assembly on synodality — and, therefore, that the conversation isn’t bogged down on the settled question of whether the Church can ordain women. The Church’s inability to sacramentally ordain women was confirmed in 1994 by Pope John Paul II. Pope Francis has also repeatedly affirmed this truth.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255369/ordination-of-women-should-not-be-focal-point-of-synod-says-scandinavian-cardinal

A foundation that is raising money for the descendants of people who were enslaved by Jesuits announced $27 million in new contributions, more than doubling the total fund, which has now reached $42 million. The new money came from two large donations: a $10 million contribution from Georgetown University and an estimated $17 million from the Jesuits. The Jesuit funding includes the estimated value of a former plantation that is owned by Jesuits and another $10 million. With the additional funding, the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation’s fund has now reached 42% of its five-year goal of $100 million. The organization’s final goal is to ultimately reach $1 billion. Jesuits participated in the slave trade in North America since colonial times to support missionary efforts and establish educational institutions, including Georgetown. In 1838, the university sold more than 272 enslaved people from their plantations to southern Louisiana to support its financial needs.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255364/jesuits-georgetown-donate-27-dollars-million-to-fund-for-slave-descendants

A panel of judges ruled that a California school district must allow a Christian athletic club to return to public schools after the district banned the group over its adherence to Christian teachings on sexuality.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255372/court-rules-california-district-cant-bar-christian-athletic-club-from-schools

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, which commemorates the seven great sorrows which Mary lived in relation to Her Son.

1. At the prophecy of Simeon: "You yourself shall be pierced with a sword - so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare."

2. At the flight into Egypt.

3. Losing the Holy Child at Jerusalem.

4. Meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary.

5. Standing at the foot of the Cross.

6. Jesus being taken from the Cross.

7. At the burial of Christ.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/our-lady-of-sorrows-595

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252292/our-lady-of-sorrows-what-are-mary-s-seven-sorrows

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The leader of the Catholic Church in Morocco said this week that material support and prayers will be needed for “months, or maybe even years” after the nation of 37 million was rocked by its worst earthquake in decades. In a September 11 interview with Caritas International, Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, archbishop of Rabat and president of Caritas Morocco, said the situation in the country “varies from day to day, not to say hour to hour.” The 6.8-magnitude earthquake, which hit near the historic city of Marrakesh Friday night, has killed more than 2,900 people as of September 13, the New York Times reported. It is the deadliest earthquake to hit the north African nation since at least 1960. The cardinal, who leads the country’s small Catholic community, said that as of September 11, one of the biggest physical needs of the people of Morocco is for electricity, as well as clothes, medicine, and food. To help the victims of the earthquake and the floods, visit Caritas’ website.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255360/catholic-leader-in-morocco-it-may-take-years-to-rebuild-after-earthquake

An Iraqi Christian figure involved in a dispute with the leader of the Catholic Church in the country was not, as he has implied online, granted a private audience with Pope Francis, the Vatican clarified on Tuesday. Rayan Al-Kildani, whose name means “Rayan the Chaldean,” is a Christian lawmaker and leader of the paramilitary group the “Babylon Brigades.” He has previously been sanctioned by the United States for alleged human rights abuses, and has had public disputes with his Church’s hierarchy. On social media September 7, Al-Kildani shared photos and videos that seemed to imply that he had a private meeting with Pope Francis. Al-Kildani released a statement on Facebook after his visit to the Vatican along with photos of the encounter, one of which had been edited to blur the crowds in the background. The Vatican in a brief Tuesday statement said Pope Francis’ meeting with Al-Kildani was during the weekly general audience, which includes many thousands of people.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255363/controversial-iraqi-christian-didn-t-meet-with-pope-francis-privately-vatican-confirms

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which celebrates two historical events: the discovery of the True Cross by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, in 320 under the temple of Venus in Jerusalem, and the dedication in 335 of the basilica and shrine built on Calvary by Constantine, which mark the site of the Crucifixion.

catholicnewsagency.com/saint/the-exaltation-of-the-holy-cross-594

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During his September 13 general audience, Pope Francis presented the life of Blessed José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros as an example of the Gospel in action and service to the greater good. The general audience was the latest installment of the pope’s ongoing series on apostolic zeal, which is an opportunity for the faithful to “meet passionate witnesses to the proclamation of the Gospel,” individuals who embodied “the will and also the inner passion to carry the Gospel forward,” according to the pope. Wednesday’s catechism focused on the Venezuelan Hernández, the “people’s doctor,” and was the 20th installment in the series, which opened January 11 with the life of the Apostle Matthew. Hernández was the first Venezuelan layperson to be beatified. Pope Francis also took a moment to speak about the importance Hernández’s mother played in passing down the faith.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255353/pope-francis-highlights-life-of-service-of-venezuelan-blessed-at-general-audience

A federal appeals court panel has unanimously ruled in favor of a Catholic group that said a local government in Michigan violated federal religious freedom law when it blocked the use of the group’s 40-acre property for a Stations of the Cross trail. In 2020 the organization received a 40-acre wooded parcel in Genoa Township in southeast Michigan as a gift from the Diocese of Lansing. CHI planned to create a prayer trail with Stations of the Cross, a Catholic devotion that meditates on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, as well as an altar and mural placed in an outdoor grotto formed by the property’s trees. Genoa Township said the prayer path project was the equivalent of a church building and required a special use permit. CHI plans to continue its ongoing lawsuit against Genoa Township over plans to build a small 95-seat eucharistic adoration chapel that the township has rejected.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255352/michigan-township-can-t-ban-catholic-group-s-stations-of-the-cross-court-rules

Archbishop John Wester of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in a Monday statement defended the New Mexico governor’s recent controversial executive order banning the carrying of guns in the state’s most populated county. “The number of gun deaths we witness here is deplorable and tragic. I hope we can come together in New Mexico to address this issue,” the archbishop said. The order, issued by Lujan Grisham on September 7, temporarily suspends the right of citizens to bear arms in public in Bernalillo County, home to New Mexico’s largest city, Albuquerque. Lujan Grisham issued the order following the deaths by shootings of several Albuquerque children in recent months. The order suspended the carrying of guns by citizens for 30 days and was given on the grounds that gun violence in the state constitutes a “public health emergency.” The Albuquerque mayor and police chief have signaled that they will not enforce the gun ban and that they will leave it to state authorities to do so.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255349/new-mexico-bishop-defends-governor-s-controversial-gun-ban

Today, the Church celebrates Saint John Chrysostom, considered the greatest preacher in the history of the Church, and the most prominent Greek father of the Church. In 398, he was forcefully appointed Patriarch of Constantinople, and fast became very popular with his flock through his example of preaching and courage in front of the imperial power, whose corruption and decadence he never shirked from criticizing in public. Chrysostom's many writings, especially homilies and commentaries on the Gospels, still exist and have exerted great influence over the centuries.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-john-chrysostom-362

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The Vatican will dedicate a new statue of the patron saint of Korea, Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, in Saint Peter’s Basilica this Saturday. Born in 1821, Tae-gŏn was the first native Korean priest and one of the country’s earliest martyrs. The statue of the Korean martyr was proposed by Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, a Korean prelate and prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, and approved by Pope Francis, according to the Holy See’s news arm, Vatican News. The pope has pointed to Tae-gŏn’s missionary zeal as a model for all Christians to follow. The statue’s dedication will take place on September 16, the anniversary of Tae-gŏn’s beheading by the Korean Joseon Dynasty. To see a picture of the new statue, visit catholic news agency dot com.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255339/statue-of-korea-s-patron-saint-to-be-permanently-installed-at-st-peter-s-basilica

Cardinal-elect Víctor Manuel Fernández, who is poised to take up his position as the head of the Vatican’s chief doctrinal office in the coming days, has signaled an openness to theological debates, saying they help deepen the Church’s understanding of the Gospel. The 61-year-old Argentine theologian also criticized bishops — both “progressive” and those from “traditionalist groups” — who think they have a “special gift of the Holy Spirit to judge the doctrine of the Holy Father,” warning that are on a road to “heresy” and “schism.” For more from Fernández interview, visit catholic news agency dot com.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255343/new-doctrine-chief-welcomes-debate-but-warns-bishops-about-schism-risks

The Swiss Bishops’ Conference on Sunday revealed an ongoing Vatican-ordered investigation into the handling of sexual abuse allegations by Church officials, with the inquiry expected to run until at least the end of the year. The conference said in a statement on Monday that allegations had been made in May of this year “against several emeriti and acting members of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference” as well as against “other clerics in their handling of sexual abuse cases.” Swiss Church authorities forwarded the allegations to the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome. Several weeks later the dicastery “ordered a preliminary canonical investigation into the matter,” appointing Swiss Diocese of Chur Bishop Joseph Bonnemain to lead the inquiry. The primary purpose of the investigation, the announcement said, is “the accusations of covering up cases of abuse.” The criminal allegations of sexual abuse, the statement said, are handled by secular authorities and have been reported to them.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255334/vatican-investigating-swiss-bishops-handling-of-sex-abuse-cases

Today, the Church celebrates Blessed Apollinaris Franco, a Spanish Franciscan who was sent to Japan to head the Japanese Franciscan mission in 1614, the year that the new Japanese shogun had instituted a nationwide ban on Christianity and declared being a Christian a capital offense. Franco evangelized covertly until he was arrested in 1617 and thrown into prison in Nagasaki along with other priests and laymen, for five years to await his execution. The conditions in the prison were exceedingly harsh in an attempt to force the prisoners to reject the faith. Apollinaris ministered to the other prisoners and converted some of the jailers through his example and teaching. On September 12, 1622, he was burned at the stake along with other Franciscans and Jesuits.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-apollinaris-franco-592

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On a “day of joy” in Poland, the Catholic Church on Sunday for the first time beatified an entire family at once: Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children, who were martyred during World War II for sheltering two Jewish families from the Nazis. Early on March 24, 1944, a Nazi patrol surrounded the home of Józef and Wiktoria Ulma on the outskirts of Markowa. They discovered the Jewish people hiding on the Ulma farm and executed them. The Nazi police then killed 31-year-old Wiktoria, who was pregnant and in premature labor, and 44-year-old Józef outside their home. Beatification in the Catholic Church is one step before canonization, when a person recognized for special holiness is officially declared to be a saint. Those beatified receive the title “Blessed” and may receive public veneration at the local or regional level, usually restricted to those dioceses or religious institutes closely associated with the person’s life.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255332/ulma-family-beatified-on-a-day-of-joy-in-poland

More than 2,000 people have been reported dead after a major earthquake rocked the North African country of Morocco overnight on Friday, the country’s government said Saturday morning. The Moroccan government on Saturday said hundreds more were injured. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake measured a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 near the resort of Oukaïmedene. The USGS in its early report said “significant casualties” were “likely” while “extensive damage is probable and the disaster is likely widespread.” The Catholic charity Caritas Morocco reported some material damage recorded at the Church of Ouarzazate without any human loss in the community as of Saturday. The Caritas Team said it intends to take emergency actions coordinated with other Caritas networks. Cardinal Cristóbal López, Archbishop of Rabat, planned to be present in Marrakech to preside over the Eucharist yesterday, which he said he would celebrate for all the victims. The Archbishop said he appeals to all communities to pray at all Masses to express their compassion to local authorities and to organize solidarity.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255335/pope-francis-urges-faithful-to-be-close-to-the-people-of-morocco-in-wake-of-devastating-earthquake

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Jean Gabriel Perboyre, a missionary to China who became one of the first victims of the persecutions against Christians, dying in a manner which had a striking resemblance to the passion of our Lord. He was betrayed for a sum of silver, stripped of his garments and dragged from tribunal to tribunal, beaten and tortured continuously until he was sentenced to death with seven criminals. He was crucified and died on a cross. Canonized on June 2, 1996 by Pope John Paul II, Saint Jean Gabriel Perboyre is the first saint of China.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-jean-gabriel-perboyre-591

The Church also celebrates Saint Paphnutius, an Egyptian monk who became a bishop, endured torture for the faith, and participated at the Ecumenical Council of Nicea in its confirmation of Christ's divinity.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-paphnutius-709