Catholic News

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Research in the archive of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome has uncovered a list of the names of thousands of Jewish people who found shelter from Nazi persecution in Catholic religious congregations in Rome from 1943-1944. While some of the information was first published in 1961, the full documentation, particularly the lists of people hidden in the Catholic institutions, had been considered lost, a September 7 press release explained. The Nazis occupied Rome from September 10, 1943, until June 4, 1944, when the city was liberated by the Allied forces. During that nine-month period, approximately 10,000-15,000 Jews faced persecution, and almost 2,000 Jews, including children and adolescents, were deported and murdered. The newly rediscovered documentation references more than 4,300 people hidden by 100 women’s religious congregations and 55 men’s religious congregations during the persecution.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255301/documents-identify-thousands-of-jews-hidden-by-catholic-religious-during-nazi-occupation-of-rome

In a September 6 hearing, Representative Chris Smith accused the government of Azerbaijan of committing genocide against Armenian Christians in disputed territory in the country. During the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission meeting, Smith criticized the Azerbaijani government for continuing its blockade of the Lachin corridor, which is the only road that connects Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255308/lawmaker-accuses-azerbaijan-of-genocide-seeks-answers-on-biden-admin-s-plan

A delegation of 90 Vietnamese Catholics and seven bishops traveled to Mongolia last weekend for the chance to see Pope Francis and deliver a special message. Unlike Mongolia, which has one of the smallest Catholic populations in the world, Vietnam is home to millions of Catholics, yet no pope has ever visited the southeast Asian country. Vietnam and the Holy See have never had full diplomatic relations, a usual prerequisite for a papal trip, but Vietnamese Catholics remain convinced that a papal visit could have a positive impact on the situation facing Christians in the socialist country.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255302/catholics-in-vietnam-ask-pope-francis-to-visit-their-country-next

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The circumstances of the Virgin Mary's infancy and early life are not directly recorded in the Bible, but other documents and traditions describing the circumstances of her birth are cited by some of the earliest Christian writers from the first centuries of the Church. These accounts, although not considered authoritative in the same manner as the Bible, outline some of the Church's traditional beliefs about the birth of Mary, including the belief that her parents decided that she would be offered to God as a consecrated Virgin for the rest of her life, and enter a chaste marriage with the carpenter Joseph.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/the-birth-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-357

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

During a meeting in Rome Wednesday morning, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic synod of bishops told Pope Francis some of his gestures and statements have been “painful and difficult for the Ukrainian people.” According to a September 6 statement, the bishops said misunderstandings between the Vatican and Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war are used as propaganda by Russia, and so “the faithful of our Church are sensitive to every word of Your Holiness as the universal voice of truth and justice.” The meeting between the pope and 45 bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church lasted nearly two hours in a room off of the Paul VI Hall.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255290/ukrainian-greek-catholic-synod-tells-pope-francis-he-has-made-painful-statements

The trial of three pro-life activists who staged a sit-in protest at a Washington DC abortion clinic in October 2020 began today, just about one week after five of their peers who also participated in the protest were convicted under a controversial federal statute and a civil rights violation. If convicted the defendants could face up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $350,000 maximum fine. The FACE Act, which is the same law that pro-life father of seven Mark Houck was charged and acquitted under earlier this year, prohibits “violent, threatening, damaging, and obstructive conduct intended to injure, intimidate, or interfere with the right to seek, obtain, or provide reproductive health services.” Pro-life leaders across the nation condemned the conviction of the five in August.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255294/second-trial-of-dc-pro-life-activists-who-staged-protest-begins

The Archdiocese of Baltimore will consider filing for bankruptcy as it awaits the implementation of a new law that will end the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits for negligence in relation to child sexual abuse. Effective October 1, the law will allow a victim of child sex abuse to sue private entities for up to $1.5 million if he or she can show the organization failed to properly respond to sexual abuse that occurred under its watch. Previously, the statute of limitations was seven years after the victim’s 18th birthday. Because the new law will apply retroactively, victims whose statute of limitations had already passed will be able to file lawsuits against private entities. An attorney’s general report from April accused the archdiocese of covering up child sex abuse for decades, and the archbishop believes this law could lead to multiple lawsuits that could have “devastating financial consequences” for the archdiocese.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255295/baltimore-archdiocese-considers-bankruptcy-amid-possible-sex-abuse-lawsuits

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Clodoald, popularly known as Saint Cloud, who escaped from violent political intrigue to pursue holiness as a monk and priest. In 554, Clodoald founded and led a community of monks in the village of Nogent near Paris. There, he was known for his generosity toward the poor, and his attention to the work of religious instruction among the people. He died on September 7, 560, at the age of 38. Under the name of “St. Cloud,” Clodoald became the namesake of several cities and towns.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-cloud-708

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Thousands of people stood up for the unborn on Saturday at the March for Life in London, England. The ninth annual march processed through the city of Westminster in London, and ended at the Houses of Parliament. Law enforcement estimated about 7,000 people attended the march according to a press release from March for Life UK. In 2021, there were 214,256 abortions in England and Wales, according to the UK government’s website. Abortion was legalized in England, Scotland, and Wales, under the Abortion Act in 1967. In 2022, Parliament voted to permanently allow women in England and Wales to self-administer both abortion pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, without first visiting a hospital or clinic.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255281/thousands-march-for-life-in-london

Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker is teaming up with the University of Notre Dame to offer a $10,000 award for the innovative use of Catholic Church property in light of societal and demographic change. The criteria for the award include having a bold vision, being “distinctively Catholic,” having an innovative use of Church property, fulfilling the “highest and best use” of the Church property, and having a focus on scale and sustainability. Any individual or group, which includes the laity, clergy, an organization, or a diocese, may apply.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255280/nfl-kicker-harrison-butker-and-university-of-notre-dame-to-award-innovation-in-church-property

Today, the Church celebrates Blessed Thomas Tzugi. Born to nobility and educated by the Jesuits of the Arima province around 1571, Thomas entered the Jesuit order upon the completion of his schooling at around 17 years old. He quickly developed a reputation for his excellent preaching and evangelical zeal. He was exiled to the island of Macao during a persecution of Christians, yet he managed to return to Japan in disguise and continue his priestly ministry. He was recaptured and sentenced to death, yet he refused to seek his freedom through his family’s political connections. He was burned to death at the stake in 1627 in Nagasaki, Japan, and was beatified by Pope Pius IX in 1867.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-thomas-tzugi-355

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Pope Francis has returned home after his trip to Mongolia. Catholics from across Asia traveled to Mongolia to attend the country’s first-ever papal Mass with Pope Francis on Sunday. While papal Masses on the pope’s other international trips can draw hundreds of thousands of people, the Mass in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar only had an estimated 2,000 in attendance — presenting a rare opportunity to personally meet the pope for attendees. Catholics from South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan attended the Mass in the sports arena, according to the Vatican. Among the crowd were Catholics from mainland China, including underground Catholics who risked retribution from their government to attend the Mass with the pope. Pope Francis said that he wanted to “send a warm greeting to the noble Chinese people.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255273/catholics-from-mainland-china-and-across-asia-in-mongolia-for-mass-with-pope-francis

Pope Francis also revealed the existence of a joint China-Vatican commission on the appointment of bishops during an in-flight press conference on Monday — giving the clearest explanation to date as to what could be in the secret Vatican-China deal. The pope said that there is a joint commission between the Chinese government and the Holy See on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China presided over by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The pope described the Vatican’s relations with the People’s Republic of China as “very respectful.” The Vatican’s diplomatic relationship with China was a topic of focus during the pope’s four-day trip to Mongolia, which shares a nearly 3,000-mile border with China.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255276/pope-francis-gives-glimpse-into-vatican-china-deal-on-appointment-of-chinese-bishops

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Teresa of Calcutta, a universal symbol of God's merciful and preferential love for the poor and forgotten. She often said that the poorest of the poor were those who had no one to care for them and no one who knew them. And she often remarked with sadness and desolation of milliions of souls in the developed world whose spiritual poverty and loneliness was such an immense cause of suffering. Mother Teresa once said, "A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, must empty ourselves. The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace." She also said, "give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness."

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/calendar/2023-9-5

Due to the Labor Day holiday today in the U.S., there will be no new news briefing this morning.

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Boniface, Pope. Though few details are known of Boniface's early life, he was elected Pope on December 28, 418. Boniface was highly esteemed for his charitable and learned personality, which were clearly seen and lived through the service of his priestly duties. Boniface's reign was marked by great zeal and activity in disciplinary organization and control. He worked to reform certain corrupt practices and reduced the privileges granted to certain bishops. He ardently supported Saint Augustine in his fight against Pelagianism, and Augustine devoted several works to him.

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Pope Francis made history Friday morning when he became the first pope to travel to Mongolia, the world’s most sparsely populated sovereign country. The papal plane touched down in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar on September 1. As Pope Francis descended the stairs of the plane at “Chinggis Khaan” International Airport, he was welcomed by the Asian country’s foreign minister and a young woman who offered the pope a cup of traditional Mongolian dried curds. Pope Francis told journalists aboard the chartered ITA Airways plane that to visit Mongolia is to encounter “a small people, but a big culture.” Roughly the size of Alaska, Mongolia has five people per square mile. About 30% of its population is nomadic or semi-nomadic.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255252/pope-francis-becomes-first-pope-in-history-to-set-foot-in-mongolia

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September is for people living on the margins. “A homeless person who dies on the street will never appear among the top stories of search engines or newscasts,” the pope said in a video released August 29. The Holy Father asked: “How could we have reached this level of indifference?” He goes on to ask how we as a society have allowed the “throwaway culture” to “dominate our lives, our cities, our way of life?” The pope urged the faithful to “stop making invisible those who are on the margins of society, whether it’s due to poverty, addictions, mental illness, or disability” and instead “focus on accepting them, on welcoming all people who need it.” He concluded with a prayer: “Let us pray for those people on the margins of society in subhuman living conditions, that they may not be neglected by institutions and never be cast out.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255239/this-is-pope-francis-prayer-intention-for-september-2023

A group known as BishopAccountability.org, which tracks sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, condemned a Massachusetts district judge’s Wednesday decision to dismiss criminal charges against former cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The criminal charges involving the sexual assault and abuse of a minor were dismissed Wednesday after a judge ruled McCarrick, 93, was not mentally competent to stand trial.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255240/bishop-accountability-group-dismissal-of-charges-against-former-cardinal-mccarrick-hugely-disappointing

A large fire devastated Saint Joseph Catholic Church, a historic parish in Salem, Oregon, early Thursday morning, leading pastor Father Jeff Meeuwsen to conclude that the sanctuary “is pretty much a loss.” Saint Joseph’s is one of the oldest parish communities in Oregon. It serves about 3,500 faithful and is a part of the Archdiocese of Portland, located about an hourlong drive from downtown Portland. Despite the extensive damage, no one was hurt, according to a Thursday morning parish statement. In a social media statement, the Archdiocese of Portland said that Archbishop Alexander Sample was on the ground with the parish community on Thursday assessing the situation.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255248/fire-devastates-historic-oregon-catholic-church-sanctuary-is-lost

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Beatrice da Silva Meneses. She answered a summons from God to found a religious order, the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and with the help of the Queen of Portugal, she founded a house outside of Toledo where she lived and served as superior until her death on September 1, 1490.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-beatrice-da-silva-meneses-581

Thank you for listening to Catholic News. This news briefing will return on Friday, September first. In the meantime, visit Catholic News Agency dot com for the latest. May God bless you.

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

India’s Catholic bishops celebrated along with the rest of the country this week after an Indian-built lunar lander touched down on the moon’s surface Wednesday morning, a win for the country’s still-developing space program. “The progress made by our scientists and engineers in the field of space research is truly commendable and fills our hearts with pride,” said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) on August 23. Similar to the Indian bishops, Pope Francis has spoken about space exploration — recalling the 50th anniversary of the moon landing in 2019, the pope encouraged Catholics to look to that great event for inspiration to overcome injustices and mistreatment of the weak.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255179/indias-bishops-elated-after-successful-moon-landing

A seminarian in Nigeria’s Diocese of Makurdi on Monday narrowly escaped death when the car he was riding in was shot at by Islamist Fulani herdsmen. David Igba, a seminarian with Via Christi Society who was fulfilling his pastoral assignment at Sacred Heart Udei Parish in the Diocese of Makurdi, was traveling with two others when their car was sprayed with bullets by a group of gun-wielding Fulani herders in the August 21 incident. Igba said it was a miracle that he and the other two occupants of the car survived the ordeal. “I was very scared,” he said. “The killings here are too much. I have lost many relations to the Fulani herdsmen, but that was the closest I came so close to death at … their hands. I kept praying that God would protect us.” He said most of those living in the villages that are currently under siege by the Fulani have already abandoned their villages and are living in a state of despair.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255176/seminarian-in-nigeria-narrowly-escapes-shooting-by-islamist-fulani-attackers

A Maryland circuit court ruled August 16 that the identities of almost all of those named in the attorney general’s report on child sexual abuse in the Baltimore Archdiocese can now be released to the public. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown will be releasing all but three of the redacted names following last week’s Circuit Court for Baltimore City’s ruling authorizing him to do so on or after September 26. The report, first released in April of this year, outlines a four-year investigation that alleges that more than 600 children were abused by 156 people, most of whom have died. The names of 46 individuals were redacted. The allegations span a period beginning in the 1940s through 2002. The report alleges that Church officials attempted to cover up many of the abuses by protecting predator priests and dismissing complaints. All but three of the redacted names will be revealed. The 463-page report is not a criminal charging document but a statement of alleged facts for informational purposes.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255177/names-of-baltimore-clergy-in-sexual-abuse-report-can-be-revealed-judge-rules

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Louis. As the king of France, his biographers have written of the long hours he spent in prayer, fasting, and penance, without the knowledge of his people. King Louis was renowned for his charity. Beggars were fed from his table, he washed their feet, ministered to the wants of the lepers, and daily fed over one hundred poor. Saint Louis was also a patron of architecture. He died of the plague near Tunis during the Second Crusade.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-louis-ix-of-france-570

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

Our Lady of Guadalupe proclaimed the Gospel in “mother tongue,” Pope Francis said Wednesday in a message that highlighted the important role mothers play in passing on the faith to the next generation. In his catechesis on evangelization on August 23, the pope spoke about how the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531 helped to spread the Gospel across the Americas, praising her as an inspired model of motherhood and inculturation. Pope Francis said the Virgin Mary always “consoles us, makes us go forward and thus allows us to grow, like a good mother who, while following in her son’s steps, launches him into the world’s challenges.” Pope Francis underscored the importance of Marian shrines and pilgrimage destinations, like the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, as places where the Gospel continues to be proclaimed today.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255164/pope-francis-like-our-lady-of-guadalupe-mothers-can-be-great-evangelizers-today

South Carolina’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a law protecting unborn babies with detectable heartbeats from abortion is constitutional and can go into effect. The ruling ended a circuit court’s injunction that had temporarily blocked the Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act, which was signed by Republican Governor Henry McMaster in May. Planned Parenthood and Greenville Women’s Clinic had requested the injunction, claiming the law violates constitutional rights to privacy, equal protection, and substantive due process. The 4-1 ruling is a victory for pro-life legislators in the state, which passed a similar law in 2021. That law was blocked more than a year later and struck down by the state Supreme Court in January of this year.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255168/south-carolina-supreme-court-upholds-heartbeat-abortion-ban-life-is-winning

Irish-American Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York celebrated Mass at a “Mass rock” in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, during a pilgrimage on Monday. During the 16th and 18th centuries, under the Penal Laws, all expressions of the Catholic faith were prohibited in Ireland. Priests risked fines, imprisonment, and death for celebrating Mass. This forced priests to celebrate Mass outdoors, in secret locations, using rocks as makeshift altars. Many of these “Mass rocks” are still in existence today and serve as a symbol of the hardships Irish Catholics endured during British rule. During the Mass for the group of pilgrims, Dolan emphasized the importance of the Eucharist. Dolan will conclude the pilgrimage today by celebrating Mass on the 150th anniversary of the dedication of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh, Ireland, which took place on August 24, 1873. The Mass will take place on Sunday, August 27, at 11 am local time and is open to the public.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255167/cardinal-timothy-dolan-celebrates-mass-at-historic-mass-rock-during-pilgrimage-to-ireland

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Bartholomew, one of the Twelve Apostles, mentioned sixth in the three Gospel lists. Besides being listed as an Apostle, he is not otherwise mentioned in the New Testament, at least not under the name Bartholomew: many ancient writers, and Catholic tradition have identified Bartholomew as Nathaniel in the Gospel of John. We are presented with the Apostle's character in a brief and beautiful dialogue with the Lord Jesus. He is a good Jew, honest and innocent, a just man, who devotes much time to quiet reflection and prayer - "under the fig tree" - and has been awaiting the Messiah, the Holy One of God.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-bartholomew-apostle-569

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

-

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone on Monday announced that the archdiocese would be submitting a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Cordileone earlier in August had warned that the filing was “very likely” in response to the “more than 500 civil lawsuits” alleging clerical sexual abuse filed against the archdiocese. A Chapter 11 filing, the archbishop said at the time, would allow the archdiocese to deal with those cases “collectively rather than one at a time,” resulting in both a “faster resolution” of the crisis as well as “fair compensation” for the victims. Among the other U.S. dioceses that have filed for bankruptcy this year include Oakland; Ogdensburg, New York; and Albany, New York.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255156/san-francisco-archdiocese-announces-chapter-11-bankruptcy-filing

The dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua sent police and prosecutors on August 19 to evict six Jesuits living near the Jesuit Central American University. The Jesuits showed the officers proof of the order’s ownership but it made little difference and they were ordered to leave. They left without incident, taking with them a few personal items. The Central American Province of the Society of Jesus stated: “We strongly condemn this act of violence against our community and we reaffirm our confidence that the Lord of History will continue to protect the Jesuits of Nicaragua during this difficult period.” The closure of the university has left more than 9,500 students without access to education. Since the anti-government protests of 2018, the expropriation is the latest act of harassment and repression suffered by the Church, which has also affected other Catholic institutions and political dissidents.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255155/nicaragua-dictatorship-renames-university-evicts-6-jesuits-from-adjacent-property

As the new school year began, students arriving at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California, experienced both a tropical storm and an earthquake. For Thomas Aquinas College, the storm brought high winds and three inches of rain. Students were moving into their dorms that day, and many took shelter there as they set up their rooms for the upcoming semester. Amid the wind and rain, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake rattled the mountains four miles southeast of Ojai, just a few miles from Thomas Aquinas’ campus. Newly hung photos began to fall from the walls, plaster chipped from the walls, and the buildings shook violently, reported Chris Weinkopf, executive director of college relations. “By God’s grace,” he said, “no one was harmed, and the damage, though widespread, was not serious.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255158/thomas-aquinas-college-reports-minimal-damage-amid-tropical-storm-earthquake

Saint Rose of Lima, the first saint of the New World. At a very young age, she chose to consecrate her life to God. She practiced very intense prayer and penance daily, sometimes depriving herself of food and sleep. She joined the Third Order of St. Dominic and lived in a little hut in her parents' garden, working to help support them. She was ill for the last three years of her life, and was cared for by a government official and his wife. She died at the age of 31 on August 24, 1617, feast of Saint Bartholomew, as she herself prophesied.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-rose-of-lima-577