Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish

In a scene marked by deep sorrow and righteous anger, churches across Syria held funeral services for the victims of the suicide bombing that targeted St. Elias Church in the Syrian capital, Damascus. The attack claimed the lives of 25 people and left dozens injured. / Credit: Mohammad Al-Rifai/ACI MENA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 18, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed. 

Violence against Christians escalates in Syria

Christian communities in Syria continue to experience escalating violence, with one church severely damaged and another narrowly escaping what would have been a fatal car bombing attack, according to CNA’s Arabic-language news partner ACI MENA.

Vandals desecrated the altar at Mar Michael (Saint Michael) Church in the southern Syrian province of Sweida, smashed Christian symbols, and set fire to its ceiling and walls, charring the upper icons and the central cross above the altar. 

In a parallel development, security forces thwarted an attempt to bomb the Maronite Church of Mar Elias (Saint Elias) in eastern rural Tartus. Three individuals who planned to detonate a car bomb loaded with roughly 44 pounds of explosives have been arrested. The attacks come amid escalating armed clashes in southern Syria between Druze and Bedouin militias. 

Sako appeals to Iraqi prime minister to protect Christian heritage in Najaf

Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako has issued an urgent appeal to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, calling on him to avert the threat of encroachment on sacred Christian historical sites in Najaf province dating back to the sixth century, ACI MENA reports. 

In a July 15 statement, Sako cited “trusted sources in Najav” who warned of “attempts to allocate historic Christian cemeteries for investment” despite their status as archeological sites. The Chaldean patriarch further noted that “oil will one day run out,” and the historic sites could one day become a destination for religious tourism, bringing in substantial revenues.

Among them are the al-Manathira Cemetery, burial site of great Patriarchs of the Church of the East, and Umm Khishm Cemetery, which dates back to the time of the Kingdom of al-Hira.

Chinese bishop encourages faithful to abandon burdensome dowry custom 

In a wedding Mass homily on July 13, Archbishop Meng Ningyou of Taiyuan invited the faithful to abandon the still-widespread custom of wedding dowries, a practice which has caused couples in rural areas to break up due to the financial burden it places on families, according to a report from Fides. 

Bishop Meng reportedly described the sacrament of marriage as “a union of free, mutual self-giving blessed by God” and “called on spouses to accept one another, support each other in the Christian upbringing of their children, and care for one another, following the example of the Good Samaritan.” 

Filipino cardinal slams government for promoting online gambling addictions 

The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, delivered a sharp criticism of the government in a homily on July 13 for promoting online gambling addictions, according to a local Catholic news report. 

“We fail to see the real culprit: a government that grants licenses and expands online gambling platforms just to earn revenue for public spending — spending that often becomes a tool for political power,” he declared, adding: “The Word opens our eyes to see the hidden victims on these digital highways. … It urges us to take concrete steps to help these vulnerable ones whom society often ignores.”

Vietnamese bishop celebrates the abolition of the death penalty for eight crimes 

Bishop Joseph Nguyen Dec Cuong of Thanh Hóa, president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Episcopal Conference of Vietnam, is celebrating the country’s decision to end the death penalty for crimes against the state, bribery, and drugs. 

“The decision marks an encouraging step forward in legal awareness, in line with the spirit of international treaties,” the bishop said, adding that the occasion marked a significant step towards “a modern constitutional state, in which life is protected, human dignity is respected, and opportunities for rehabilitation are open.” 

Religious freedom group calls on EU to create position to combat Christian hate crimes 

The Observatory for Religious Freedom in Spain has called on the president of the European Commission to create a Special Coordinator position to combat anti-Christian hate crimes, according to a Christian Daily report. 

“It is imperative that the European Commission act with the same commitment it shows in the fight against other forms of religious hatred,” OLRC President María García said in a press statement. Equivalent positions exist to combat anti-semitism and Islamophobia in the EU already.

Charity pledges continued support for seminarians in Nigeria as vocations rise

The pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need International (ACN) has expressed its commitment to continue supporting the formation of priests in Nigeria, where the foundation has observed exponential growth in vocations, ACI Africa reports. 

ACN said on Monday it would move forward in its support for one more year for the 76 members of the Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy, who are currently studying to be priests.

“Nigeria is a dangerous country for priests,” the organization stated. “In the last 10 years, more than 150 have been kidnapped and more than a dozen murdered. However, the number of vocations has not decreased, but has even increased, and many young men aspire to become diocesan or religious priests.” 

Holy Mass at the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, led by the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli during the Advent season. December 2024. / Courtesy of Father Gabriel Romanelli

CNA Staff, Jul 18, 2025 / 04:10 am (CNA).

A reported strike on the only Catholic Church in Gaza killed three people and injured nine others July 17, according to a statement from the Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM. Among the injured was the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli. Pictures showed damage to the church’s roof and windows.

Amid the ongoing war in Gaza, the parish has been a refuge for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Here are eight things to know about Holy Family Church in Gaza:  

1) The parish is the only Catholic Church in Gaza  

Holy Family parish was built in the 1960s. Before it became a shelter, the were about 130 Catholics in Gaza according NCR .

Christians are a minority in the overwhelmingly Muslim territory, with only 1,000 Christians, according to the 2024 U.S. State Department’s international religious freedom report. Most Palestinian Christians are Greek Orthodox, though other Christians such as Roman Catholics, Melkite Greek Catholics, and some Protestant denominations have a presence in Gaza and the West Bank. Christians represent less than 1% of Gaza, according to the Latin Patriarchate website. 

Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with about 5,000 people per square kilometer. The area is also highly impoverished with a high level of unemployment.  Children under 15 make up about 50% of the population, per a 2022 Palestine Ministry of Health report. 

2) The parish has provided shelter for over 500 people 

The parish complex is a makeshift home to over 500 people: mostly Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic Christians but also some Muslim families, as well as children with disabilities. The parish complex was converted to an improvised shelter at the beginning of the war between the terrorist group Hamas and Israel, which began more than a year and a half ago when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 1200 men, women, and children, and kidnapping more than 250 hostages. About 20 living hostages still remain in Gaza. 

3) The parish has a successful school

In addition to the church, the parish has a Latin Patriarchate school. Built in 1974 by the Latin Patriarchate, the Holy Family School has more than 600 students, both Christian and non-Christian. It is considered the best school in Gaza, according to the patriarchate website.

4) The pastor is a Buenos Aires native 

Father Gabriel Romanelli, a priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, a branch of the Religious Family of the Incarnate Word, is the pastor of the church and is a native of Buenos Aires. He was injured in the leg by shrapnel in Israel's recent attack on the parish. Romanelli came to the Middle East as part of his missionary vocation as a seminarian. After his ordination, the Argentinian priest spent two years in Egypt learning Arabic and then went to Jordan. In 2019, he arrived in Gaza as the parish priest. In 2023 (when the Israel-Hamas war started) he was evacuated to Jerusalem, but decided to return to minister to his flock and support the community there. 

5) Three orders of religious sisters help the parish 

The Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa, have been in Gaza for more than 50 years, since 1973. Several sisters care for the elderly and disabled at a convent in the parish complex. In December 2023, their convent was hit by rockets, creating a fire that made the convent uninhabitable. Two women were killed in the attack on the convent, which the patriarchate alleged was targeted by the IDF, but the IDF denied responsibility.  

The Holy Rosary Sisters also have a presence in the Tal Al Hawa neighborhood in Gaza. The sisters  founded a school in 2000 with more than 800 students, 10% of whom are Christian. But early on in the Israel-Hamas conflict, the school — which was evacuated days before — was severely damaged. The two Rosary sisters now reside at Holy Family Parish.

The Servants of the Lord the Virgin of Matará  (SSVM), also known as the “Servidoras,” also have a presence in Gaza, as well as throughout the Middle East. Along with the pastor Romanelli, the Servidoras are part of a larger religious family known as the Family of the Incarnate Word. Two Servidoras — who are also biological twins — decided to stay in Gaza at the start of the conflict and continue to minister to the people there.

6) Pope Francis made daily calls to the parish

In the last year and a half of his life, even after being hospitalized, Pope Francis called the Holy Family Parish almost daily. The last call Francis made to the parish was on Easter vigil on April 19, just two days before his death. The calls were simple check-ins via WhatsApp, usually lasting about a minute. The parish grew to expect the nightly calls and the children called the Holy Father “grandfather.” 

7) The parish compound has been bombed before 

The parish has directly come under attack before, including a bombing that occurred about 1,000 feet away from the church in March. In April, Romanelli called Gaza a “prison” and urged world leaders to seek peace. This week’s attack on the church was reportedly by an Israeli tank. The Israel Foreign Ministry expressed “deep sorrow” at the damage and casualties and said that the IDF is examining the incident, adding that Israel “never targets churches or religious sites.”

8) The parish's welfare is a priority for Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pizzaballa

In response to the recent attack, the Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM said that he is “always” trying “to reach Gaza in all possible ways,” noting that “we will never leave them alone,” according to Vatican News. 

The sentiment is one that Pizzaballa has consistently highlighted and practiced. He visited the parish in May 2024 and again in December 2024. Last month, the cardinal stressed the “utmost importance” of supporting the parish community there. “Our primary concern is our community in Gaza: to support them, to be present for them, to not abandon them,” he told ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops headquarters in Washington, D.C. / Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 17, 2025 / 19:30 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is asking a federal district court to block the government from enforcing any portion of an abortion “accommodation” rule against them while they appeal a court order that provided only partial relief from the rule.

Under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) abortion accommodation rule, the USCCB can deny workplace accommodations for employees who obtain purely elective abortions, but they may still have to provide accommodations for abortions related to treating medical conditions.

Qualifying medical conditions are broad. According to the EEOC rule, conditions include “modest” or even “minor” anxiety, depression, nausea, dehydration, and changes in hormone levels that result from a pregnancy.

Because of this, the USCCB asked the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana to fully block the EEOC’s abortion accommodation rule during their appeal. The rule comes from the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, passed under President Joe Biden, which requires employers to offer reasonable workplace accommodations for women with limitations from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

Although the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act itself makes no mention of abortion, the EEOC regulation states that “having or choosing not to have an abortion” qualifies as a related medical condition. The rule provides for religious exemptions only on a case-by-case basis, which would be determined after the accommodation request was made and denied.

Daniel Blomberg, the lead attorney for the bishops, told CNA that the case-by-case exemption is “facially inadequate.” He said USCCB policy is to never provide accommodations for an abortion and warned that the USCCB would need to change its policy to comply with the mandate, which the bishops have not done and will not do.

Numerous Catholic and other religious organizations have also sued the EEOC for its abortion accommodation rule and were given full relief from the mandate. Blomberg said the USCCB is the only entity that was denied full relief.

“They cannot change their policy,” Blomberg said. “They cannot violate the faith that animates what they do.”

Blomberg, who serves as vice president and senior counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, said the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act itself ensures that “religious organizations are protected.” He contested that the EEOC’s implementation regulations go against the text of the law and Congress’s intent.

“Congress did not intend to force the bishops or any other religious groups to accommodate abortions at any time,” he added.

In addition to arguing that the EEOC regulations are an improper implementation of the law, the lawsuit also appeals to the religious liberty protections in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment guarantee of the free exercise of religion.

Andrea Lucas, the new EEOC chair appointed by President Donald Trump, has vocally criticized the final rule. However, because Trump removed two Democrat-appointed commissioners from the EEOC, the body lacks the necessary quorum to issue new guidelines. 

Trump nominated Brittany Panuccio, a Republican lawyer, to serve on the commission. If she is confirmed by the Senate, the commission would have the necessary quorum.

Blomberg said the commission is likely “months away from any prospect of getting [a quorum]” right now, which means the rule will stay in place for the time being.

Holy Mass at the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, led by the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli during the Advent season. December 2024. / Courtesy of Father Gabriel Romanelli

Vatican City, Jul 17, 2025 / 18:00 pm (CNA).

Father Yusuf Asad, 49, who has been the assistant parochial vicar at Holy Family Church in Gaza for six years, had just celebrated morning Mass when a loud bang sounded. At around 10:20 a.m. local time, a projectile hit the building. 

“It fell directly on the roof. The explosion occurred next to the cross atop the church and soon scattered shrapnel throughout the courtyard,” Anton Asfar, director of Caritas Jerusalem, told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. He received a call from Gaza shortly after the attack alerting him to the incident.

“It was later clarified to us that at the time of the explosion, there were some people in the courtyard outside, even though Father Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor, had warned everyone to stay inside,” he explained.

Still shaken, he added: “Without Father Romanelli's warnings to stay inside, we could have lost 50 or 60 people. It would have been a massacre.”

The parish compound consists of the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, a school, a convent, a multipurpose center, and a Missionaries of Charity building. At the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, it became a makeshift shelter for more than 500 displaced people.

The majority are Orthodox Christians, Protestants, and Catholics, but there are also more than 50 Muslim children with disabilities living there with their families.

“We are assessing the situation together with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem to understand what has happened. People are in shock,” he said.

He explained that the Israeli army issues an evacuation or displacement order every day. “There is a constant threat. Two Sundays ago, there was an evacuation order for the residential neighborhood of al-Zaytun,” where the parish is located in Gaza City, he added.

In fact, the attacks have intensified in recent weeks, and bombs have continuously fallen on the surroundings of this parish.

‘There are no safe areas in Gaza’

“It is very difficult to move people. Everyone is determined to stay in the churches and continue taking refuge there. But the truth is that there are no safe areas in Gaza anymore,” he lamented.

So far, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has confirmed three deaths. They are Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, 60, who was the parish maintenance manager and was in the courtyard at the time of the explosion.

The other two fatalities are Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, an 84-year-old woman, and Najwa Abu Daoud, 70, who were receiving psychological care at the time inside the tent of the Caritas psycho-social support project.

“People were terrified when the evacuation of the wounded to the hospital began. Father Gabriel [Romanelli] was also taken because he had a minor leg injury, but he is out of danger,” Asfar confirmed.

In addition to the Argentine priest from the Institute of the Incarnate Word, eight other people were injured and rushed to Al Mamadami Hospital, just one kilometer (.62 miles) from the church. But the bombings have also pushed to the limit the capacity of health centers, with no electricity or medical supplies. “There is no medicine, no drinking water. There is a severe shortage of fuel, which is essential for hospitals and medical centers,” he pointed out.

The Gaza Interim Foundation is not enough 

The last significant influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza occurred more than four months ago.

“Nothing has entered since March 2. Only small amounts of aid. The only active operation is the Gaza Interim Foundation, but it’s not enough. Four centers cannot replace the 400 distribution points that existed during the truce,” Asfar noted.

Furthermore, the management of this organization, also known as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), — created in February 2025 and supported by the United States and Israel — has raised growing suspicions that it has turned food distribution into a weapon of war. According to UN figures, more than 400 Gazans have already died at GHF aid distribution points.

The humanitarian situation is dire. Caritas currently has more than 120 staff operating in Gaza, spread across ten medical centers, but resources are dwindling. The borders remain closed, which has put the population in a desperate situation. “People are dying of hunger. All the children are suffering from malnutrition,” the director of Caritas Jerusalem warned.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Migrants aboard an inflatable vessel in the Mediterranean Sea approach the guided-missile destroyer USS Carney in 2013. Carney provided food and water to the migrants aboard the vessel before coordinating with a nearby merchant vessel to take them to safety. / Credit: Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 17, 2025 / 17:15 pm (CNA).

Young Catholic Europeans have issued recommendations to leaders on the continent in an effort to address the current migration crisis affecting numerous countries there.

This year’s written contribution by the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) Youth Net centers on solutions for “fostering integration of migrants in the European Union.” The region has seen high levels of immigration in recent years, particularly from the Middle East and Africa. 

The paper, published this month, is based on a small-scale survey conducted by COMECE delegates under the auspices of the EU Episcopal Conferences. 

“Rooted in Europe’s Christian heritage and Catholic Social Teaching, this contribution seeks to reflect on the call to support just integration processes: to welcome, protect, and actively integrate migrants, whilst addressing key challenges and proposing a way forward for European leaders,” the paper states. 

The paper addresses three main issues regarding migration in the EU: social integration of migrants as a “two-way process,” addressing the link between migration and crime rates, and the loss of national identity amid demographic crises. 

Respondents of the COMECE survey emphasized the importance of the two-way process of integration, according to the paper, sharing they believed that “while migrants should continue to respect local customs, language and laws, host societies should also provide opportunities for participation in economic, social and cultural life.” 

Respondents also “stressed the need to balance preserving one’s cultural identity and embracing the values of the host state.” 

In light of the responses, the paper urges “both sides to engage in cultural exchange,” with migrants learning the language and customs of the host country, and local communities participating in events that promote intercultural dialogue. 

The paper also calls for integration of migrants into society in the professional sphere, noting that “overqualification amongst migrants is an issue that affects both their personal development and the socio-economic advancement of the host countries.”

“The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church highlights the deep connection between work and human dignity, asserting that immigration can serve as a resource to the host country for development when migrants fill labour needs unmet by the local workforce,” the paper states. 

The delegates further called on host counties to “facilitate the recognition of foreign qualifications and offer tailored vocational training, enabling migrants to engage in work that truly reflects their skills and aspirations.” 

Regarding the link between crime rates and increased levels of migration, the paper states that “the perception of a direct link between migration and crime,” which it says is propagated by politicians and the media, “is not always factual.”

“It is essential to approach this subject with data, see the human person behind the statistics, and create empathy for people who, like so many of the local population, are simply looking for a better life,” the paper states. 

Furthermore, the COMECE delegates assert that increased crime rates “tend to be concentrated in regions and areas which have less opportunities or where previous generations of migrant communities have already established themselves.”

Attributing rising crime to newcomers alone is “illogical,” the paper states.

The paper notes various factors that “can make a person more prone” to commit illegal offenses, citing poor integration into society and “having lived in a context of violence in one’s country of origin,” and “lacking a strong social network.”

“As such, integration is a fundamental part of the process for receiving migrants, especially asylum seekers and refugees, who are more vulnerable,” the paper states, recommending EU member states make resources such as language courses, integration programs, social services, more readily available. 

It also recommends streamlining visa programs and “debureaucratizing the job market” as a preventative measure to crime. 

Lastly, in their recommendations to EU member states regarding the preservation of national identity amid rising immigration, the COMECE delegates propose “investing in strong local communities.” 

In practice, this means promoting pro-family policies, engaging local communities including churches to promote integration between migrants and citizens, and facilitating more volunteering in local communities to help introduce migrants into society, according to the COMECE delegates. 

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on July 15, 2025. / Credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

CNA Newsroom, Jul 17, 2025 / 15:58 pm (CNA).

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) delivered a speech on the Senate floor on July 16 denouncing cuts to federal funding of faith-based organizations that play critical roles in refugee resettlement and international humanitarian aid. 

The Rescissions Act of 2025, pushed by both President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, proposes $9.4 billion in cuts to previously appropriated federal funding, $800 million of which supports faith-based organizations like Catholic Relief Services (CRS) as well as World Vision, an evangelical organization.

The rescissions bill, which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives 214-212 on June 12 and passed in an amended form in the Senate on July 17, threatens to dismantle funding for faith-based groups, including the U.S. bishop-supported CRS.

Kaine, a Catholic and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who opposes the cuts, on Wednesday called them an “attack on the religious organizations so that they cannot do the work that their faith in their Creator compels them to do.”

During the Senate’s consideration of the measure on July 16, Kaine unsuccessfully introduced a motion to recommit the bill to the Senate Committee on Appropriations with instructions to preserve funding for faith-based organizations involved in refugee resettlement and international assistance. The motion was rejected in the Senate by a vote of 48-51.

Kaine, the former governor of Virginia, had urged the Senate to preserve funding for the faith-based groups, many of which have already laid off employees.

According to Kaine, Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society have fired staff, and the Episcopal Church has closed its resettlement program completely.

World Relief has warned that the cuts undermine protections for persecuted Christians, Kaine said.

While he said he was “not surprised” that Trump had supported the funding cuts, Kaine expressed dismay at the cuts’ support among Republicans, many of whom “go to churches just like me and hear sermons preached about the Good Samaritan, just like I do every Sunday.”

The senator said seven of the ten organizations resettling refugees in the U.S. are faith-based, with Catholic advocates leading efforts to integrate legal immigrants, such as Afghan allies and Congolese families, into American communities. 

In his speech Wednesday, Kaine spoke about his home parish, St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Richmond, Virginia, which was founded by Italian and German immigrants after World War I.

He said those immigrants chose to honor St. Elizabeth because she took bread to the poor, a symbol of serving those in need.

Kaine’s parish, which he said he has attended for 40 years, now has a large community of Congolese refugees.

“My church looks … different in some ways than when it was founded 100 years ago,” Kaine said, “but in other ways it’s exactly the same—a haven for … legal immigrants” who have “come to a place where they feel loved and cared for and safe and welcome.”

He highlighted the impact of the proposed funding cuts on his parish, where Congolese families fear for relatives still in refugee camps. 

“These families come to me after Mass, frightened about what these cuts mean,” he said.

The Senate passed a version of the measure on July 17 incorporating an amendment that preserved $400 million to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The amendment also protected some country-specific grants.

Because it was amended, the bill was sent back to the House. If Congress fails to pass the Rescissions Act by midnight on July 18, the White House must release the $9 billion in funds, including $7.9 billion in foreign aid cuts affecting faith-based organizations, to be spent as originally appropriated.

Correction: An earlier version of this story identified Catholic Relief Services as assisting with refugee resettlement in the United States. CRS does not perform refugee resettlement in the U.S., but Catholic Charities does. Sen. Tim Kaine's remarks have also been updated. (Published July 18, 2025)

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia. / Credit: Holy See Mission to the United Nations

Vatican City, Jul 17, 2025 / 15:30 pm (CNA).

The permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, participated in this week’s ‘High-Level Political Forum’ with two speeches at UN headquarters in New York.

The July 13-15 event focused on the UN’s sustainable development goals, according to Vatican News. In particular, Caccia addressed Goal 3, which seeks to guarantee access to healthcare, and Goal 5, on "gender equality and empowering women."

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an action plan approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. It is structured around 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets to be achieved within a 15-year period.

Among these goals are "No poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, affordable and clean energy, gender equality, and reduced inequalities." While many of these goals enjoy broad Catholic support, some also engender controversy in aspects which conflict with the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

Access to basic medical care

In his first address, Caccia denounced inequalities in access to medical services and highlighted the need to raise awareness about mental health, the source of many problems that are often hidden.

"These inequalities are evident in the millions of people who still lack access to basic medical care, in the stagnant maternal mortality rates, and in the silent suffering of those suffering from untreated mental illness," he stated.

He also stressed that health should not be understood solely as "the absence of illness" and reiterated the right to health for all people, proposing the implementation of "integrated policies" that recognize the link between health and other dimensions such as poverty and education.

In this regard, he urged the protection of the most vulnerable, especially children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and victims of war.

The importance of the family

During his second address, the permanent observer of the Holy See to the UN referred to the Dignitas Infinita declaration and recalled that true equality between men and women requires conditions that promote "the integral development of women," such as healthcare, decent work, and quality education.

Caccia also rejected ideological agendas and denounced that "too often, the development efforts of the international community treat gender equality primarily as a matter of individual autonomy, divorced from relationships and responsibilities."

He advocated for a change in perspective that values "the complementarity between men and women," emphasizing the importance of families as a "space for relationships."

"In tandem with promoting equality between women and men, measures must be taken to support and protect families, motherhood, and fatherhood," he emphasized.

The Vatican official also denounced the ecological debt that is suffocating a large portion of the least developed African countries; and highlighted that "the persistent and widespread reality of poverty continues to afflict millions of people, denying them material well-being and undermining their God-given dignity, while stifling their integral human development."

Therefore, he emphasized that poverty must remain "the central and urgent priority of the international community."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Father Gabriel Romanelli with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, celebrating Christmas Mass at Holy Family Parish in Gaza, in December 2024. / Credit: Courtesy of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Vatican City, Jul 17, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

The Holy Family Church in Gaza was hit Thursday amid a new wave of Israeli bombings, leaving several people dead and injured, including the church’s pastor, Gabriel Romanelli, a native of Argentina.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed the incident in an official statement. The attack left three dead, according to Caritas Jerusalem.

One of the victims was Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, 60, the parish's maintenance manager who was in the courtyard at the time of the explosion. The other two fatalities were Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, an 84-year-old woman, and Najwa Abu Daoud, 70, who were receiving psychological care at the time inside the tent of Caritas' psycho-social support project.

According to Avvenire, the Italian Bishops’ Conference newspaper, Romanelli suffered injuries to his leg and was hospitalized, although his condition is not reported as critical. In addition to the Argentine priest from the Institute of the Incarnate Word, eight other people were injured and rushed to Al Mamadami Hospital, just one kilometer (.62 miles) from the church.

The parish building, the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, was converted at the beginning of the war into a makeshift shelter where more than 500 people now live. The majority are Orthodox Christians, Protestants, and Catholics, but it also serves as a refuge for more than 50 Muslim children with disabilities and their families.

For weeks, the 541 people sheltering in the parish complex have endured the daily roar of bombs falling in the surrounding area, especially in the residential neighborhood of al-Zaytun in Gaza City.

Despite the insecurity, the priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE) has remained in Gaza accompanying the local Catholic community in the midst of the conflict. In 2023 (when the Israel-Hamas war started) he was evacuated to Jerusalem, but decided to return in a gesture that demonstrates his pastoral commitment and spiritual resilience.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the incident. “The Israeli attacks on Gaza also hit the Holy Family church,” she wrote on X. “The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such deportment,” she added. 

This is not the first time that Holy Family parish, which has been a location for humanitarian assistance since the start of the war in October 2023, has been attacked. In December of that same year, two women were killed by an Israeli sniper inside the compound.

In addition, seven people were injured during the shooting that hit several Gazans. On that occasion, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the "cold-blooded" attack on the perimeter of the parish, where there were "no combatants."

This latest attack on a place of worship raises new concerns about the situation of civilians and religious communities trapped in the conflict. The Catholic Church in the Holy Land has repeatedly called for respect for sacred sites and the protection of the civilian population, regardless of faith.

A United Nations delegation made a surprise visit to the parish on July 1, the only Latin-rite Catholic church in Gaza, which houses hundreds of people displaced by the war.

According to Servizio Informazione Religiosa (SIR), the news agency of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) visited the church to assess the current situation there.

The Catholic enclave had previously received special attention from the late Pope Francis, who called Father Romanelli every day. His last call to the parish was two days before his death, on April 21.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Bishop Joseph Mary Kizito, the Liaison Bishop for the SACBC Migrants and Refugees Office. / Credit: SACBC

ACI Africa, Jul 17, 2025 / 14:28 pm (CNA).

Bishop Joseph Mary Kizito of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) said on July 15 that South Africa’s health sector has been brought to its knees not by foreign nationals, but by the recent suspension of most U.S. foreign aid.

In an interview with ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, the bishop said that many locals protesting against migrants “do not understand world politics” and are unaware of the effects of directives from the U.S. government. That is the reason they have turned against migrants and refugees, he said.

Kizito, the liaison for the SACBC's Migrants and Refugees Department, denounced ongoing xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in some parts of the country, noting that they are not to blame for the shortage of medication in the country’s health facilities.

“It is true that there is a lack of medication in the hospitals. But it's not because the foreigners have caused that; it is the economic situation we have found ourselves in. That is why we do not have a lot of money in the clinics,” Kizito said.

He added: “I think this situation has also been caused by the current international withdrawal of funding by President Trump of America. It has affected many economic changes in the departments, especially health and education.”

“I have seen HIV and TB projects here closing down. A lot of Trump money for HIV and TB is no longer there,” he said. “People are going to get a shortage of medication. And now, they are turning on foreigners, saying that it is they who are taking all their medications; but they don't know the causes of the shortage. They don't know the politics of the world.”

The Ugandan bishop, who leads South Africa’s Diocese of Aliwal, said he finds it hard to believe that foreigners are causing a strain on the country’s health system: “It is not true that all over the country, foreigners are more than the local people. That's not true.”

Recent protests, notably in Johannesburg’s Rosettenville suburb, have seen locals establish barricades demanding that undocumented migrants seek private medical care.

For weeks, residents of Rosettenville have also been reportedly calling for the deportation of illegal immigrants in South Africa, saying that they want South Africans to be prioritized for state services. 

SACBC members have denounced the attacks, describing the move to exclude foreign nationals in South Africa from health care as “a morally reprehensible” behavior that they say risks undermining the country’s attempts to strengthen social cohesion.

Kizito told ACI Africa that “the situation in Zimbabwe is not improving, DRC is not improving. Same with Lesotho and many other countries whose nationals are here in South Africa. We do not see the issue of migrants and refugees stopping. They are only going to increase.”

“We are still addressing this issue because the systems are very difficult to penetrate. There is a lot of miscommunication between the government and the agents on the ground,” he said.

Kizito challenged authorities in South Africa to start probing the reasons that there are so many undocumented migrants in the country. He highlighted poor border management as one of the biggest contributors to the increase, faulting law enforcement for failing to control the country’s borders.

“Our borders are either too big or the resources are not enough. And so, a lot of people come into the country illegally,” he explained, adding that corrupt officials at the borders do not help the situation.

He bemoaned the growing woes of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and those labelled “stateless” in South Africa, noting that delays in documentation are forcing foreign priests to leave the country.

He said that he had interacted with priests who were forced to go back to their home countries after attempts to renew their visas are delayed.

“Many priests have left the country because they have failed to secure their documents that show that they are not living here illegally,” the bishop said.

“These are clergy, men of God who want to renew their visas but they have failed. I know about three who have left. One left this week. They say that they cannot be here illegally. They have tried everything possible to complete their applications but nothing is working.”

Kizito said that the growing trend of priests leaving South Africa is not good for the country, which already has a shortage of priests.

He pleaded with South Africa’s department of Home Affairs and other authorities “to get their systems working” to reduce delays in documentation processes.

“The system is stuck. They always say they have a huge backlog. But for how long?" he asked, adding, “We appeal to the government. We appeal to the department of Home Affairs to make the system work. People genuinely want to renew their papers. But the office bureaucracies turn them down. People don't want to be in this country illegally.”

This article was originally published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met with a U.S. ecumenical group, led by Cardinal Joseph Tobin and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, encouraging them to “return to the roots of our faith” in their pilgrimage to Italy and Turkey. July 17, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Jul 17, 2025 / 12:31 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met with a U.S. ecumenical group, led by Cardinal Joseph Tobin and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, encouraging them to “return to the roots of our faith” in their pilgrimage to Italy and Turkey.    

Welcoming the group from his “native country” to his papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, located 15 miles southeast of Rome, the Holy Father said their visits to various holy sites in both countries are a “concrete way” of renewing their faith in the “Gospel handed down to us by the apostles.”

He said: “Your pilgrimage is one of the abundant fruits of the ecumenical movement aimed at restoring full unity among all Christ’s disciples in accordance with the Lord’s prayer at the Last Supper, when Jesus said, ‘that they may all be one.’”

Leo reiterated the importance of Christian unity — a key theme of his pontificate — during the meeting, saying Rome, Constantinople, and other episcopal sees “are not called to vie for primacy” but to pursue a path of “fraternal charity” through the Holy Spirit.

“It is significant that your pilgrimage is taking place this year, in which we celebrate one thousand seven hundred years of the Council of Nicaea,” he said. 

“The symbol of faith adopted by the assembled Fathers remains – together with the additions made at the Council of Constantinople in 381 – the common patrimony of all Christians, for many of whom the creed is an integral part of their liturgical celebrations,” he continued.

Pope Leo specially thanked Elpidophoros for leading the ecumenical group alongside Tobin, saying such “signs of sharing and fellowship” among Catholics and Orthodox should not be taken for granted.

“On December 7th, 1965, on the eve of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, my predecessor Saint Paul VI and the Patriarch, Athenagoras signed a Joint Declaration removing from memory and the midst of the Church the sentences of excommunication that followed the events of the year 1054,” he said.

“Before then, a pilgrimage like your own would probably not even have been possible,” he added. 

The pope asked both religious leaders to bring his greetings and “an embrace of peace” to Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, who attended his May 18 inauguration Mass, when in Turkey to continue their pilgrimage. 

While encouraging the U.S. delegation to be “witnesses and bearers of hope” during the 2025 Jubilee Year, Leo asked pilgrims to look forward to 2033, when Christians will commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of “the redemption won by the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.”

“Spiritually, all of us need to return to Jerusalem, the City of Peace, where Peter, Andrew and all the Apostles, after the days of the Lord’s passion and resurrection, received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and from there bore witness to Christ to the ends of the earth,” he said.

Before concluding the audience, the Holy Father expressed his hope to meet the group again “in a few months” for an “ecumenical commemoration” to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. 

He did not specify if he would or would not undertake an apostolic journey to Turkey this year to celebrate the occasion in İznik, modern day Nicaea, during the meeting.