Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish

null / Credit: ADragan/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Aug 13, 2025 / 11:42 am (CNA).

A federal appeals court this week ruled that the state of Arkansas is allowed to ban “gender transition” procedures for minors, reversing a lower court’s decision that blocked the law from taking effect.

The state has a “compelling interest” in “protecting the physical and psychological health of minors,” the Aug. 12 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit held.

Arkansas passed the law in 2021, with the state Legislature voting to override then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s veto. The measure, titled the Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act, prohibits a “physician or other health care professional” from providing “gender transition procedures to any individual” under 18 years old.

A federal district judge struck the law down in 2023, claiming it violated the constitutional rights of children who believe they are the opposite sex and who seek to alter their bodies to align with that conviction.

In its ruling this week the appeals court said the Arkansas law “regulates a class of procedures, not people.” It noted that the Supreme Court “leaves wide discretion for medical legislation to the more politically accountable bodies, especially in areas of medical uncertainty.”

Parents, meanwhile, “do not have unlimited authority to make medical decisions for their children,” the court said, citing Supreme Court precedent. 

The court said it did not find a “deeply rooted right of parents to exempt their children from regulations reasonably prohibiting gender transition procedures.”

In a statement after the ruling, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said he “applaud[ed] the court’s decision recognizing that Arkansas has a compelling interest in protecting the physical and psychological health of children.”

Griffin said he was “pleased that children in Arkansas will be protected from risky, experimental procedures with lifelong consequences.”

The ruling comes weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on performing transgender procedures on minors.

The appeals court ruling this week heavily cited that June ruling from the high court. In that decision, Chief Justice John Robert said the Supreme Court “leaves [the] question” of banning such procedures “to the people’s representatives.”

Justice Elena Kagan, on the other hand, argued that the Tennessee law “undermines fundamental liberties and sets a dangerous precedent for state overreach.”

The court rulings come amid a broader public shift regarding transgender policy. 

Several children’s hospitals across the country that have performed transgender surgeries on minors have halted the procedures in response to President Donald Trump’s executive actions and his administration’s regulatory changes regarding the controversial medical practice. 

Trump in January also signed an executive order to end “radical gender ideology” in the military, reversing former President Joe Biden’s directive that allowed soldiers who identify as transgender to serve in the armed forces.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, published last year, found that more than 3% of U.S. high schoolers identify as transgender.

Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd at his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Basilica on Aug. 13, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Aug 13, 2025 / 11:12 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV during his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 13 said the Gospel does not teach people to deny evil but to recognize its reality as an opportunity for conversion.

Continuing his jubilee catechesis on “Jesus Christ Our Hope,” the Holy Father continued his reflection on the Last Supper recorded in the Gospel of St. Mark.

Though Jesus did not “raise his voice” nor “point his finger” at Judas, Pope Leo said he used “strong words” to reveal the gravity of his betrayal.

“Jesus does not denounce in order to humiliate,” he said. “He speaks the truth because he desires to save.”

Due to the heat, the audience was held in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. The pope also greeted pilgrims who were not able to fit inside the hall and were gathered in other locations to stay out of the extreme temperatures, according to Vatican News.

The Holy Father said Jesus did not speak the truth to “condemn” but to help his disciples be aware that conversion and the “journey of salvation” begins with a sincere acceptance of the truth of one’s own weaknesses and fragility.

“In order to be saved it is necessary to feel that one is involved, to feel that one is beloved despite everything, to feel that evil is real but it does not have the last word,” he said.

“The Gospel does not teach us to deny evil but to recognize it as a painful opportunity for rebirth,” he added.

Exhorting his listeners to not “exclude” themselves from God’s love and salvation, Pope Leo said Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection are reasons to hold on to hope even when faced with one’s own sins and weaknesses.

“Precisely there, at the darkest point, the light is not extinguished,” he said. “On the contrary, it begins to shine.”

“If we recognize our limits, if we let ourselves be touched by the pain of Christ, then we can be finally born again,” he continued.

Toward the end of the Wednesday catechesis, the Holy Father encouraged Christians to “open up a space for truth in our hearts” and to trust Jesus, who never abandoned any of his disciples, even when he knew he would “be left alone” after the Last Supper to endure his passion. 

“Salvation begins here: with the awareness that we may be the ones who break our trust in God but that we can also be the ones who gather it, protect it, and renew it,” Leo said.

“Ultimately, this is hope: knowing that even if we fail, God will never fail us. Even if we betray him, he never stops loving us,” he said.

Kevin Lara (left) with his father-in-law, Felino, at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Basilica in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Kevin Lara

Caracas, Venezuela, Aug 13, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Kevin Lara arrived in the United States in 2010, when he was just 17 years old. Born in Caracas but raised on Margarita Island, he is one of the millions of Venezuelans who have left their country in search of a better future.

Last week, he shared news on X that immediately went viral: After 16 years as a Protestant, he and his wife decided to return to the Catholic Church.

“I love my Protestant brothers and sisters. And I have learned so much from them. It has been a long and painful process. But I’m coming home,” the 32-year-old Venezuelan wrote in his post, which already has more than 260,000 views and more than 10,000 likes.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Lara shared part of that journey, which caused him to shed tears and tested his faith, but it ultimately led him to discover the beauty of Catholicism.

Almost a Protestant pastor

Lara’s parents, who were not very devout, had him baptized Catholic. He made his first Communion, but he says he has few lasting memories of that moment. His childhood and youth were spent amid a cultural Catholicism, without any firm convictions about the faith.

One of his cousins arrived from the United States and introduced him to Protestant thought. “There, at least intellectually, I embraced Christianity and the truth of the Gospel, that Christ had risen,” he commented. Two years later, he would leave Venezuela to move to Florida.

It was then that he began to become more seriously involved with the Reformed Baptists, becoming over time a leader in his community. Eventually, he decided to enter the Baptist seminary to become a pastor, but despite four years of study, he never ended up taking that step.

During this time, he met Patricia, the woman he would marry after leaving the seminary and with whom he now has three daughters.

“There was always something inside me that held me back, that told me there was something I was still missing, that I wasn’t fully convinced. Maybe I didn’t say that intellectually, but subconsciously,” he explained.

Lara said it was during his time as a seminarian that his perspective on Catholicism began to change. The young Venezuelan went from the kind of intense aversion Protestants often have for the Church of Rome and the Holy Father to having “a slightly more ecumenical perspective,” thanks to a professor to whom he said he owes much.

A fascination and appreciation for the Catholic liturgy was awakened in him, which he said was crucial in his long conversion process. In no Protestant community did he find a liturgical reverence that filled his heart.

However, the cornerstone of his conversion was the real presence of the Lord in the Eucharist: “I thought we Protestants had it. However, no one else around me believed in that. It was just me,” he said.

Catholic heroes seem to ‘shine brighter’

Lara’s restlessness led him to encounter the Church Fathers. He studied St. Ignatius of Antioch and St. Irenaeus. “The rest is history,” he declared. This made him understand that “the tradition of the Catholic Church has been consistent from the beginning. It has always been the same.”

“It is we evangelicals who changed. It became extremely clear to me that not only was I not in continuity with their faith [Ignatius’ and Irenaeus’] but that the Catholic Church is in fact in complete continuity with them,” he added.

His conversion was not easy. Lara explained that his pride initially prevented him from admitting he was wrong. In addition, he said that decisions of this kind involve “a change of identity,” letting go of all the convictions nurtured for years.

“That’s a difficult change to make because it’s an epistemic change. It’s a very profound change of mindset. In other words, the foundation of what I believe is in ruins,” he related.

“It’s scary. It was painful and difficult because of the anxiety and fear of what might happen. How will they react? I’ve been a Protestant for 16 years, and all my friends are Reformed, all my connections. If I change now, we have to leave all that behind. Are they going to stop loving me, are they going to stop talking to me?” the young Venezuelan wondered, visibly moved.

Things at home were no less complicated. Patricia was also a Protestant, but Lara assiduously prayed to the Lord: “If you want me to become Catholic, make my wife accept it too.” In the end, God worked and gave Patricia “the willingness to learn,” and she, too, returned to Catholicism. The couple now resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Lara still remembers the first time he went to Mass after so many years. Listening to the Gospel passage about the miraculous catch of fish, he identified with St. Peter, who had been fishing all night without catching anything.

“That’s me,” he thought. “I’m the one arguing with the Lord. I’ve been researching and working for so many years, with so much effort, and the Lord said to me: ‘Yes, but trust me.’”

The journey he’s taken has confirmed for him that the Catholic Church is the one founded by Jesus. In another post on X, Lara remarked that “something in the lives of the heroes of the Catholic faith seemed to shine more brightly than in the lives of the heroes of my own tradition, the people I admired.” The witness of the saints has sustained him in this process.

“Considering the lives of so many people who have shaped Protestantism, both contemporarily and historically, I couldn’t help but feel that many of my heroes fell short. Especially compared to the lives of so many Catholic saints. I can’t put it into words, but something about them simply said ‘Christ,’” he explained.

Befriending Protestants

Lara believes that much of the dialogue between Catholics and Protestants, especially online, is toxic. The young Venezuelan laments the pride on both sides and encourages Catholics to be patient and become friends with Protestants, because conversion “is a change that isn’t easy; it takes a lot of time and persistence.”

“Build relationships, show the love of Christ, and perhaps share with them. I think Protestants love God and Christ. They love the holy Scriptures, and we can learn from them and even imitate much from their lives,” he commented.

“The Catholic faith has the fullness of the beauty and loveliness of Christ and his Church. So, there is in fact still something to share, and I think it’s good that we share it. I don’t think we have to hide that. It’s just that we have to do it with a spirit of meekness, as Christ would, rather than a spirit of self-righteousness and superiority,” he added.

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

Delegates of the third Pan-African Catholic Congress on Theology, Society, and Pastoral Life gathered in Ivory Coast’s city of Abidjan from Aug. 5–10, 2025. / Credit: Radio Grace Espoir

ACI Africa, Aug 13, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Delegates of the third Pan-African Catholic Congress on Theology, Society, and Pastoral Life who gathered in Ivory Coast’s city of Abidjan from Aug. 5–10 have called for the support of African missionaries who are experiencing hardships in their missions, especially those set back by immigration challenges.

In a statement at the end of the congress, the delegates said divisions such as ethnicity and racism must not stand in the way of missionary discipleship in Africa and even outside the continent.

Noting that self-reliance is an imperative for the Church in Africa, “not as isolation from other local churches but as mature participation in the universal communion of faith,” the delegates said: “This means … supporting African missionaries in the challenging mission in some parts of the world where some African missionaries experience racism and immigration restrictions.”

The delegates acknowledged that the African Church has transitioned to becoming a “Church of the Sheaves,” sharing personnel within the continent, even outside Africa.

“We recognize with gratitude how far the African Church has journeyed: transiting from a mission Church receiving the Gospel to a Church of the Sheaves, sharing gifts and sending missionaries to other parts of the world,” they said, adding: “We commit ourselves to deepening this transformation as missionary disciples of the Lord to Africa and the world.”

They said that synodality, as explored in the Synod on Synodality, is the pathway of the mission of evangelization and called for “overcoming divisions based on ethnicity, status, or ideology.”

The call by the congress delegates comes amid mounting frustrations of foreign Catholic priests who have been forced out of South Africa on alleged expiry of their visas.

In some of the most recent incidences, two Ugandan-born priests were forced to abandon their ministry in the country after reportedly being frustrated in their visa renewal processes.

Father Stephen Syambi served in South Africa’s Diocese of Klerksdorp before he was forced out on July 16, and Father Jude Thaddeus served in the Diocese of De Aar before he was sent packing in May. 

The president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC), Cardinal Stephen Brislin, has expressed his spiritual closeness with foreign Church ministers who have been forced out of South Africa, telling them not to lose hope but to “try and resolve this matter.”

Organized by the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN), the five-day congress in Abidjan brought together theologians, bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated women and men, lay leaders, youth, and Catholic communicators who engaged with the theme “Journeying Together in Hope as Church, Family of God in Africa.”

Conference participants explored Africa’s contribution to the global Church’s understanding of the Synod on Synodality, advancement of African theological scholarship, and the place of women and youths in the Church in Africa.

Participants also discussed urgent issues affecting African communities, including human trafficking, religious persecution, and environmental degradation. They emphasized the urgent need for the African Church to become more self-reliant by generating and managing resources in a transparent manner.

The delegates also underscored the need to support clergy, religious, and pastoral workers materially and spiritually.

Also important, they said, is the need to invest in theological formation, research, and Catholic education at all levels and to build sustainable institutions of evangelization, health care, and social service.

The delegates further suggested that an African-led missionary fund be developed in Africa to support the work of African missionaries to the rest of the world.

In their statement, the delegates also described Africa as “a gift to the world,” saying: “Africa is rich in faith, culture, and values.”

“The African family remains the domestic Church and the moral bedrock of society, preserving traditions of solidarity, hospitality, and mutual care. We affirm the irreplaceable role of women, youth, and elders as bearers of these values and as agents of renewal in the Church and society,” they said. 

Central to their deliberations was the theme of hope that Pope Leo XIV explored at length his message of solidarity with the participants of the congress.

The participants presented hope as not simply an idea, a sentiment, or an aspiration. “Hope is a person — Jesus Christ, crucified and risen,” they said in their final statement. “He is the unshakable anchor for our faith, the sure foundation for our dreams, and the wellspring of courage for our mission.”

“Hope, grounded in Christ, enables us to … stand firm amid wars, political instability, and violence that afflict many African nations, resist despair in the face of poverty, corruption, and social breakdown, and care for our common home even as climate change threatens ecosystems, livelihoods, and future generations,” they added.

Hope, they said, helps the people of God in Africa to heal the wounds of displacement, forced migration, and the loss of human dignity on the continent and to create new structures of love and programmes of reconciliation.”

“Our hope is not naïve optimism,” they said, adding that hope, for Africans, “is a theological virtue rooted in the Resurrection — trusting that God is always creating and re-creating, raising life from ashes, and bringing light out of darkness.”

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

Acolyte Reynaldo José Osorio Muñoz doesn’t let his age or disability interfere with his desire to serve God at the altar of his parish in Colombia. / Credit: Marcos Cobos

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 12, 2025 / 17:38 pm (CNA).

At 76 years of age, and despite being wheelchair-bound, Reynaldo José Osorio Muñoz doesn’t let these factors interfere with his desire to serve God at the altar of his parish in Colombia. With love and dedication, he participates as an altar server at Mass, dedicating his service to God, the Church, and his fellow parishioners.

Osorio lives at the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Senior Citizen Wellness Center, a Christian-inspired institution dedicated to the comprehensive care of vulnerable seniors.

According to its website, the center offers meals, medical care, recreational activities, and cultural and spiritual formation, “allowing them to meet their basic needs and improve their quality of life in a safe and harmonious environment, through medical and human care, with love and respect.”

For a year, Osorio has been serving as an acolyte at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish in the Diocese of Santa Marta, capital of the Colombian district of Magdalena, located in the Caribbean region.

As he shared in an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, his initial involvement began with ringing the bell to announce the start of Mass to his fellow residents at the center. Over time, and thanks to the trust of a priest, that small action transformed into a deeper commitment to the altar.

“For me, it’s a very beautiful thing that I never expected because of my age. But thank God he placed me in this position. I appreciate it very much and I love [what I do] at the altar,” he said.

According to the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, the acolyte is called to “attend to service of the altar, assist the priest and deacon, and serve in the various processions” as well as assist with the incense, the liturgical book, the preparation of the altar, and the purification of the sacred vessels. He may also assist at the offertory, distribute Communion as an extraordinary minister, and expose and reserve the Blessed Sacrament, although without imparting the blessing.

Beyond these visible tasks, the ministry requires, as the same document points out, a “love of the sacraments, of Eucharistic worship, the offering of oneself, and the care of others, especially the most needy and the sick.”

A service for the love of God

“I am very devout and I believe deeply in God, and I always ask him to enlighten me,” Osorio said. In this regard, he said that even for this task, God “has enlightened me so that I may do it. That’s why I do it with all the love and appreciation.”

Since taking on this service, he said he feels “satisfied because I serve God, the Church, and all of us,” referring to his fellow residents at the center. And although he acknowledges his physical limitations, he said that he carries out his ministry “with all the love, with all the enjoyment, with everything I can manage to do.”

For the church’s parish priest, Father Mario Rafael González García, Osorio is not defined by his physical “limitations.” 

In an interview with ACI Prensa, he said he is a person “with a very good sense of humor, cheerful, dynamic, talkative, and with faith.”

On the occasion of the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, celebrated on July 27, Pope Leo XIV called on every ecclesial community to be protagonists of a “revolution of gratitude and care” for the elderly.

The pope explained that this must be done “by regular visits to the elderly, the creation of networks of support and prayer for them and with them, and the forging of relationships that can restore hope and dignity to those who feel forgotten.”

Osorio’s testimony, according to González, is an example of this, and “we owe him gratitude for his witness of faith and care in his old age.”

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

The Catholic University of America. / Credit: Mehdi Kasumov/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 12, 2025 / 17:07 pm (CNA).

Here’s a roundup of some of the latest Catholic education news:

Catholic University Press will exclusively publish Pope Leo XIV’s doctoral dissertation

The Catholic University of America has secured exclusive English-language editorial rights to Pope Leo XIV’s doctoral dissertation, “The Office and Authority of the Local Prior in the Order of St. Augustine.”

The book will be available in print and Kindle editions in October, according to an Aug. 11 press release, with a foreword by Dominican Father Thomas Joseph White, rector of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, also known as the Angelicum, where the Holy Father defended his dissertation in 1987.

“While the future pontiff’s dissertation focuses on the role of the prior as the local superior in the Augustinians, his insights as a young priest in areas such as Church authority, the spiritual life following the way of St. Augustine, and the mission of the priesthood are of interest as they relate to contemporary Church leadership and Church life,” the press release states.

Catholic high school in St. Louis playing ‘the long game’ to help rebuild city

Administrators at St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School are playing “the long game” to help revitalize St. Louis, and their neighborhood of Dutchtown, with the launch of a new HVAC and plumbing internship program for seniors.

“We believe in what our neighborhood and city can be, and we are all in on doing the work,” the school’s president, Mike England, said at an Aug. 12 press conference, according to the St. Louis Review. “There are no quick fixes. This is the long game, but each day, we will work to move the needle in a positive way to better support our young men, our families, and our community through our Catholic values and teaching.” This comes after the school bought its Dutchtown campus from the Archdiocese of St. Louis last month.

Bishop Conley announces rollout of new theology curriculum for high school freshmen 

In a video posted to social media on Wednesday, Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, announced a new theology curriculum for high school freshmen that will be implemented across the diocese’s six high schools.

The new curriculum, which he said the diocese has been working on for the past four years, will be rolled out this upcoming school year and will eventually be built out for sophomores, juniors, and seniors over the next four years. 

“We hope to be able to put together a beautiful curriculum that integrates all of our subjects and is historically aligned and gives us this coherent and integrated view of the world and how everything fits together and is connected in a beautiful whole education,” Conley said. 

Gonzaga teams up with Catholic Charities to launch small local business program 

Gonzaga University has partnered with Catholic Charities Eastern Washington to launch a new entrepreneurship program for low-income families to help grow their own small businesses, according to a local report.

The Spokane Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Network “will offer hands-on training, mentorship, and consulting to aspiring entrepreneurs, with a focus on small-scale businesses like housekeeping, pet care, skilled trades, and landscaping,” according to the report.

Baltimore, Milwaukee Catholic colleges band together to address teacher shortage

Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore and Mount Mary University in Milwaukee are partnering to counteract staffing shortages by working to boost the number of students obtaining advanced degrees, according to the Catholic Review.

The partnership will allow Mount Mary master’s students to transfer to one of Notre Dame of Maryland’s two online doctorate in education programs, allowing students to transfer up to 12 credits from their master’s programs, saving both time and money. The university’s presidents celebrated the partnership in a signing ceremony on Aug. 1.

Cover of the book “The Teacher: The Humanism of Pope Francis.” / Credit: General Directorate of Culture and Education of the Province of Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Aug 12, 2025 / 16:22 pm (CNA).

The government of Buenos Aires province in Argentina will distribute the 168-page book “The Teacher: The Humanism of Pope Francis” in public and private schools, an initiative that seeks to keep his legacy alive and transmit his thought to new generations.

Gov. Axel Kicillof and the archbishop of La Plata (the provincial capital), Gustavo Carrara, were present at the presentation of the book, produced by the province’s General Directorate of Culture and Education.

The book seeks to keep alive the legacy of the Argentine pontiff, who died on April 21. With this initiative, the governor stated, the pope’s thought will be present in all schools in Buenos Aires province.

The director general of culture and education, Alberto Sileoni, remembered Francis as an “educator who conveyed his teaching through ideas and actions, promoting the pedagogy of inclusion and encounter throughout his life,” according to the Argentine newspaper La Nación.

He also described him as “an Argentine concerned about the life of his peoples and a school that embraces, teaches, and leaves no one out.”

Religious figures such as Carrara and Father José María Di Paola as well as educator Adriana Puiggrós, who offered her reflective perspective on Jorge Bergoglio’s papacy, participated in the development of the book.

The book includes various messages addressed to different sectors of society as well as excerpts from the Global Compact on Education.

The archbishop of La Plata stated that the book “perfectly captures the essence of Francis’ thought and is a very valuable tool for conveying the richness of his ideas.”

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

A panorama of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. / Credit: Jakub Maculewicz/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Aug 12, 2025 / 15:52 pm (CNA).

A religious institute in New Zealand has lost its appeal to the Vatican to continue public ministry in the Diocese of Christchurch after the local bishop ordered the ban amid allegations of unauthorized exorcisms and other abuses.

Christchurch Bishop Michael Gielen said in an Aug. 10 letter to his diocese that the Vatican “rejected in its entirety” the appeal of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer after Gielen forbade the community from ministering in Christchurch last year.

The bishop said in July 2024 that the community had been subject to an apostolic visitation by Australian Bishop Robert McGuckin. Gielen removed the ministry faculties of the members after the Vatican’s recommendation and also asked the group “to leave the Christchurch Diocese.”

Gielen in both letters did not clarify why the community was being investigated and sanctioned, but the Christchurch Press reported that the subject of the inquiry was “alleged abuse and unauthorized exorcisms.” The New Zealand Herald reported on those allegations in 2023.

In his Aug. 10 letter, Gielen noted that the institute continued its ministry in the diocese during the appeal.

The Vatican’s rejection of the appeal, the bishop noted, means the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer remains under the ban, which also applies to “priests who arrived after the decrees were announced.”

“My foremost concern remains the spiritual health and unity” of the Christchurch Diocese, the bishop said.

The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer own the island of Papa Stronsay in the North Sea off the Scottish coast, where they operate a monastery and farm.

The community, formed in 1988 following a monastic rule based on that of St. Alphonsus Ligouri, was formally erected as a religious institute in 2012. They describe themselves as a “congregation of missionary monks” who regularly “leave their contemplative life and set out on voyages”  to “preach the eternal truths in the form of missions wherever they are invited.”

Christ mourns a murder victim in the statue “Thou Shalt Not Kill” by Timothy Schmalz. / Credit: Courtesy of the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 12, 2025 / 14:54 pm (CNA).

As advocates in Baltimore work to end violent crime in the area, officials with the Archdiocese of Baltimore are bringing to the city a sculpture of Jesus mourning a homicide victim.

The statue, made by Catholic artist Timothy Schmalz, is titled “Thou Shall Not Kill.”

On Aug. 9 the archdiocese held its third annual gun buyback program, inviting citizens to surrender their guns for cash to help lessen violence in the city. The Baltimore City Police Department, St. Joseph’s Monastery Parish, and the Health by Southwest coalition helped the archdiocese sponsor the event.

Following the success of the buybacks, St. Joseph’s Monastery parish priest Father Mike Murphy, the archdiocese, and community leaders are working to bring Schmalz’s work of Christian public art to the city.

The life-sized statue by Schmalz portrays Jesus weeping over a murder victim who has multiple gunshot wounds. 

The original piece was created in 2024 and is at the Father Augustus Tolton Peace Center, a hub for violence prevention programs in Chicago. The statue that will be placed in Baltimore is awaiting final approval of its designated location.

Schmalz is an internationally acclaimed Canadian sculptor known for his Christian works of art, including statues of saints, angels, and his well-known depictions of Jesus portrayed as a homeless man. 

More than 50 bronze works of “Homeless Jesus” are installed in locations around the world including Capernaum in Israel and Vatican City.

In April, a new Vatican-commissioned sculpture by the artist titled “Be Welcoming” was placed in St. Peter’s Square to inspire people to open their hearts to the poor. The bronze statue depicts a man seated on a bench who appears to be homeless, carrying a backpack on his shoulder and a stick in one hand.

In Baltimore, the goal for this year’s gun buyback program was to receive around 300 guns after buying nearly 160 in 2023 and 300 in 2024. By July the organizers had raised about $60,000 to fund the purchases of guns brought in. The 2025 buyback ultimately collected 410 firearms.

The latest buyback occurred as crime, including gun violence, has been dropping in Baltimore, though the city has long struggled with high levels of violent crime. 

From 2015–2022 the city recorded more than 300 homicides annually, including 348 in 2019, which almost equaled the record of 353 in 1993.

The side of Toulouse Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Toulouse) in Toulouse in the South of France. / Credit: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 12, 2025 / 14:24 pm (CNA).

The French bishops’ conference has issued a statement addressed to the archbishop of Toulouse, Guy de Kerimel, asking him to rescind the promotion of a priest who served time in prison for the rape of a minor boy.

In an Aug. 10 press release from the presidency of the Bishops’ Conference of France, the French bishops revealed they had “engaged in constructive dialogue” with Kerimel, “inviting him to reconsider the decision he made regarding the appointment of the chancellor of his diocese.”

“Such an appointment to such an important position, both canonically and symbolically, can only reopen wounds, reawaken suspicions, and disconcert the people of God,” they wrote.

The French bishops further recalled the Church’s efforts in the past several years to approach “the painful question of abuses committed within it.”

“It is very important to continue this work in all sectors of ecclesial life,” they said, emphasizing the need to reorient the Church’s approach by listening more attentively to the experiences of abuse victims, a process they described as “a long and demanding work of conversion, which we are resolute to continue.” 

The statement comes after Kerimel announced in June that Father Dominique Spina would be promoted to the position of chancellor and episcopal delegate for marriages, effective Sept. 1, for the Archdiocese of Toulouse. 

Spina was convicted in 2006 by the Tarbes Court of Appeals for raping a 16-year-old student in 1993 while serving as the boy’s spiritual director at Notre-Dame de Bétharram school. The court sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment, with four years to be served and one year suspended.

The decree announcing Spina’s appointment was published on June 2 but did not become public knowledge until July 7, when the regional newspaper La Dépêche du Midi broke the story. 

De Kerimel defended his controversial choice in a statement to Agence France-Presse, saying he had “taken the side of mercy” in promoting Spina, who had worked in diocesan archives for five years.

“It is true that Father Spina served a five-year prison sentence, including one year suspended, for very serious acts that took place nearly 30 years ago,” the archbishop said, according to Le Monde.

He justified the appointment by arguing that Church officials “have nothing to reproach this priest for in the last 30 years.” 

The archbishop added that Spina “no longer exercises pastoral responsibility, other than celebrating the Eucharist, alone or exceptionally for the faithful.”