State to deliver 'bespoke response' to calls for public inquiry into surgeon's decades of abuse

THE HEALTH MINISTER has told victims of paedophile Michael Shine that she is working to deliver “an appropriate and bespoke response” to address serious issues raised around his abuse. 

In her letter, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill pledged that she is “committed to engaging with Government colleagues” on the matter.

This letter is in response to a comprehensive submission made to the Minister by advocacy organisation Dignty4Patients last month arguing for a public inquiry. 

More than 380 men have to date made allegations against the disgraced surgeon who worked at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda for 30 years. During that time, he also operated a private clinic in the County Louth town.

The proposal submitted on behalf of survivors of his abuse last month outlined why a Commission of Investigation should be conducted to investigate longstanding claims that authorities were aware of the abuse for decades.

This document included a timeline of the harrowing history of abuse at both Our Lady of Lourdes and his private surgery, with the first report made to hospital authorities as far back as 1977.

In her response, the Minister wrote:

“The issues set out in the paper provided are now being considered by my officials and I will engage further with my Government colleagues, including the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and others, to see what actions are appropriate and how best to respond to the issues raised.

“I am committed to engaging with my Government colleagues to identify an appropriate and bespoke response to the issues raised by and the needs identified by Dignity4Patients on behalf of the victims and survivors of Michael Shine.”

She also described Shine’s crimes as “an inhumane betrayal by him of his patients,” adding that the “Government has the deepest concern for all victims of Michael Shine”.

Proposals expected in autumn

In spite of the hundreds who have come forward, only nine of these men have had successful prosecutions in the criminal courts.

In November 2017, guilty verdicts for Shine on three counts of assaulting two teenage patients on dates between 1974 and 1976 were handed down by a jury. However, he was granted bail pending an appeal against the conviction. 

Shine was eventually jailed for four years in 2019 following a separate case for abusing seven boys in his care over a period of three decades and was released in February 2022.

CEO of Dignity4Patients Adrienne Reilly told The Journal the group were delighted at the swift response from the minister, adding:

“We really hope that they are committing to a statutory inquiry.

“We look forward to their proposals in the autumn and hope that things move swiftly, because we have already provided the Government with all of the information that they need in that proposal.”

Reilly said that the allegations against Shine “span a broad timeline—from the beginning of Shine’s medical career in the 1960s through to the 1990s, when he was permitted to retire on full pay”.

She says that by the time of his retirement, at least 40 victims were known to the North Eastern Health Board, An Garda Síochána, and other relevant institutions.

Dignity4Patients represents the more than 380 men who say that they were abused by Michael Shine.

The group is campaigning for a Commission of Investigation to probe allegations that the abuse was “covered up” for decades.

Shine worked as a surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes from 1964 until 1995. The hospital was run by the Medical Missionaries of Mary, until it was sold to the State in 1997.

There have been about 200 civil suits settled by his former employer, the Medical Missionaries of Mary, with fresh cases filed recently in the High Court.

In the last court proceedings involving Shine, the Court of Appeal ruled that another trial should not be held, citing “cumulative factors” – including his age and health, as well as a “misstep” by the Director of Public Prosecutions between 2017 and 2019. 

This meant the case was in a “wholly exceptional category where it would be unjust to put the appellant on trial”.

Victims argue that justice has not been served, given he was convicted for crimes against just nine boys.

They are looking for a Commission of Investigation to be established to inquire into how the abuse was allowed to continue for so long – and why it took decades to secure a conviction. 

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Support is available. Dignity4Patients is a patient support, information and advocacy organisation for people who have experienced sexual abuse, you can call 041 – 9843730, text 0861654111 or email support@dignity4patients.org from Monday to Thursday, 10am – 4pm. Out of hours, call 1800 778 888.

Roman-era ‘church’ in Spain may have been a synagogue

Archaeologists working at a site in Spain say they have uncovered evidence of what may have been a synagogue used by a hitherto unknown Jewish community.

While excavating the site, previously believed to be a church dating from the 4th century, experts found materials and architectural evidence that led them to hypothesize that the building was, in fact, a synagogue, according to a study published earlier this month.

Artifacts such as fragments of oil lamps and a piece of roof tile decorated with menorahs were found during excavations in Cástulo, a former Roman settlement in southern Spain, whereas no materials that have a clear association with the Christian faith have been found at the site.

In contrast, archaeologists have found evidence of Christian worship at another site in the town, study author Bautista Ceprián, an archaeologist with the Cástulo Sefarad Primera Luz project, told CNN on Wednesday.

The building also has a squarer shape than Christian churches, which tend to be more rectangular, and archaeologists found what could have been a hole for supporting a large menorah, as well as the foundations of a central raised platform, or bimah, which is common in synagogues but not in churches, he added.

In addition, no tombs were discovered at the building, which was built near an abandoned Roman temple — something that would have been feared by Christian residents because of its association with paganism, he added.

“It’s a hidden, discreet and isolated spot that would not have been visited often by the Christian majority,” Ceprián said.

Taken together, this evidence points to the existence of a previously unknown Jewish community in the town, the study authors argue.

“The reinterpretation of the building from a church to possibly a synagogue followed a process of logical reasoning based on the historical and archaeological data in our possession,” Ceprián said.

Nonetheless, the lack of written records of a Jewish community in Cástulo leaves room for some doubt, as the study authors acknowledged.

Speculating about the daily life of the community would be “a very dangerous exercise,” Ceprián said, but they would have lived alongside their fellow Roman citizens in the town.

The population is then thought to have disappeared, as it is not named in the anti-Jewish law enacted by Visigoth King Sisebut, who ruled what is now Spain from 612 to 621, whereas the Jewish communities in other nearby towns are specifically named.

As for what would have happened to them, “it is difficult to know,” Ceprián said.

One possible explanation is that the Christian clergy feared the local population would convert to Judaism, given the “close and friendly relations” between the two groups in the region at the time, he said.

This concern drove Christian leaders, who were becoming increasingly influential in the Roman Empire, to foment fear of and opposition to Jewish communities, said Ceprián.

This culminated in episodes starting around the end of the 4th century in which Jewish citizens were pressured to convert to Christianity, with those who refused “amicably invited” to leave their hometowns, he said, adding that this kind of incident could have plausibly occurred in Cástulo sometime between the end of the 5th century and the beginning of the 7th century.

Now the team will work to protect the site and excavations will continue, Ceprián said. They aim to allow the public to visit at some point in the future, he added.

“We can’t rule out the possibility of finding more definitive evidence that allows us to update our hypothesis of a possible synagogue to an actual synagogue,” he said.

Sisters urge DPP to appeal brother's 'lenient' rape sentence

The sisters of a former priest who was convicted of their rape and jailed for eight years have called for the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal the sentence.

Earlier this month, Richard Brennan, aged 64, who is originally from Rathfarnham but had been working in the United States, pleaded guilty during his trial to raping and indecently assaulting his sister Paula Fay when she was between 15 and 17 years old.

He also pleaded guilty to raping and indecently assaulting Catherine Wrightstone when she was between nine and 13 years old and he admitted indecently assaulting a third sister, Yvonne Crist, when she was 20 and he was 18.

He changed his plea to guilty after all three of the sisters had given evidence at the Central Criminal Court and two of them had been cross-examined.

The judge imposed a global sentence of nine years and suspended the final year.

An older brother, 67-year-old Bernard Brennan, was jailed last month for four and a half years for the sexual abuse of Ms Crist and Ms Fay.

Speaking on RTÉ's Oliver Callan programme, Ms Fay and Ms Wrightstone also called for reforms to how cases of historical sexual abuse are handled and for witnesses to get paid time off work to attend court, similar to jurors.

"I think Irish courts seem to have broad discretion over such cases as ours, and lenient sentences, especially in historical sexual abuse cases, are sometimes justified on the basis of remorse, time elapsed and, one of the things I find a little bit disturbing, is the offenders recent good character as stated in character references provided by family and friends who only know what that person allows them to know," Ms Wrightstone said.

She added: "So, in terms of reform, I would love to see the introduction of mandatory, binding, sentencing guidelines that treat sexual abuse and rape as serious offences regardless of the time elapsed.

"And create a statutory offence under sexual assault for sibling sexual abuse."

Ms Wrightstone also called for mitigation based solely on family support and a lack of other convictions to be disallowed.

"These predatory urges don’t just magically disappear, especially when there is no intervention and when decades of denial of abuse by the perpetrator are present, which was the case with Richard. It was denial right up until the very end," she said.

"I would also love to see them issue judicial training directives and case law clarification, via statute, that family support must not be considered a mitigating factor unless requested by the survivor," she added.

Ms Wrightstone said any updated legislation must clarify that delayed disclosure of offences due to trauma and family pressure do not lead to more lenient sentencing.

"The seriousness of the offences does not diminish over time. The law should reflect the continuing harm."

She said it was also important for the voices of survivors to be included when "shaping policy", along with mandatory consecutive sentences for multiple victims and mandatory training for judges regarding sibling sexual abuse cases.

Ms Fay said it was vital for witnesses to be entitled to paid time off work for the duration of a trial they are involved in, particularly in a trial of this nature.

"When I sought leave from my job, I was informed all I was entitled to was to either take annual leave or unpaid leave. That there was nothing in law to protect me as a witness," she said.

Witnesses are entitled to paid leave for the day they are testifying but not for the whole trial.

"I was completely committed to this process from the very beginning, and I feel that we need to be treated differently," Ms Fay said.

She added: "I know that jury members are entitled to be paid through their employment when they’re on a jury, for the entire trial, and I feel that something needs to change that a witness is also doing their civic duty. I feel it is exactly the same."

Frankincense perfume and co.: Vatican Pharmacy's own products online

Perfumes, creams and anti-cellulite capsules: The Vatican Pharmacy not only sells all of these products, but also produces them itself. 

The product range can now be viewed on its own website, as the Governorate of the Vatican City announced on Tuesday. 

However, anyone who wants to buy the perfumes with the fragrances frankincense, myrrh and gold, for example, has to come to the Vatican. 

An online shop has been under consideration for years, but has not yet been realised.

Vatican feeling in the bathroom

According to pharmacy manager Thomas Binish Mulackal, the fragrances inspired by the gifts of the Three Wise Men are among his customers' favourites. 

The cologne line and the lavender fragrance with fresh citrus notes - inspired by the Vatican Gardens - are also in demand. 

"Perfumes with natural ingredients and exclusive lines that evoke the history and spirituality of the Vatican are also very popular," says the Indian religious Mulackal. 

The pharmacy also offers room fragrances for that Vatican feeling in the bathroom or living room.

Founded in 1874 for the medical needs of the Pope and cardinals, the pharmacy also produces its own anti-ageing creams and aftershaves. 

The new research currently includes a line "specifically aimed at the well-being of men and women", says the head pharmacist. 

"We have recently introduced new mother tinctures for liver and digestive health and for mood, as well as coenzyme Q10 capsules and spirulina capsules, which are valued for their energising and restorative properties," the director adds.

Buying without VAT

The "Farmacia Vaticana" is one of the busiest pharmacies in the world. 

According to its own figures, it serves an average of 2,000 customers every day, more than 50 per cent of whom come from outside the Papal States. 

Due to the independence of the Vatican City, the pharmacy can also stock foreign medicines that are not on sale in Italy. 

VAT is also not applicable.

Schismatic Poor Clares withdraw elderly nuns from Belorado

The schismatic Poor Clares of Belorado (Spain) are apparently preparing to evacuate their convent. 

According to the Spanish newspaper "El Confidencial", the former nuns moved the five elderly sisters in Belorado to the Orduña convent on Monday. 

The five sisters, who are between 80 and 100 years old, are in need of care and have not joined the schism in their former community. 

Apparently, the ex-nuns want to forestall the eviction of their convent, which is currently scheduled for next September if the women's legal appeals are still unsuccessful.

On their Instagram account last week, two of the former sisters commented on media reports that the move of the older sisters was imminent. 

In the video message, they expressed confidence that the eviction would not stand. 

"With regard to the elderly sisters, the decisions will be made that are best for their well-being and health, taking into account their will and wishes," the women said. "No decision has yet been made. Arrangements have been made at the Orduña convent to meet possible needs." 

The Archdiocese of Burgos, whose Archbishop Mario Iceta was appointed administrator of the Belorado convent by the Vatican's dicastery for religious orders, has not yet commented on the latest developments.

Concern for the elderly sisters

Observers told "El Confidencial" that the conditions in which the five elderly sisters were transferred were "deplorable". 

It is unclear whether the Orduña convent has actually been acquired by the Poor Clares of Belorado. 

The Belorado community had wanted to acquire the former Poor Clare convent in Orduña in 2020, before the schism. 

However, apart from the signing of the contract and a down payment of 100,000 euros on the purchase price of 1.3 million euros, nothing else seems to have happened.

The conflict surrounding the Poor Clares of Belorado has continued to escalate in recent months. 

In May 2024, the sisters published a manifesto in which they renounced the Catholic Church and declared that they would not recognise any popes after Pius XII. 

In the course of the conflict, they joined various alleged schismatic bishops and were excommunicated due to their schism. 

All attempts at conciliation by the papal commissioner Iceta failed. 

The Archdiocese of Burgos had already filed an eviction suit in September, as the excommunicated sisters are still on the property. 

The eviction was originally scheduled for the end of January. 

After several defeats in court, the eviction is now expected to take place on 12 September. 

In the meantime, the former nuns have opened a restaurant as an economic mainstay.

Opus Dei denounces media manipulation in lawsuit by former assistant numeraries

Opus Dei has denounced the “manipulation of judicial proceedings to create a media and public opinion case” in the lawsuit advanced by former assistant numeraries in Argentina, which now seeks to implicate the highest authorities of the organization in alleged human trafficking.

The case was formally filed in court in 2024, but media coverage began years earlier. 

According to the lawsuit, Opus Dei authorities allegedly recruited women while they were still minors and subjected them to a regime of semi-slavery in their residences.

The conflict began as a labor complaint and then progressed into a lawsuit for compensation for damages, eventually leading to allegations of alleged labor exploitation. As of June 2023, a judicial investigation has been underway following a complaint alleging that a group of women were victims of human trafficking and labor exploitation.

The Argentine prosecutor’s office has requested an investigation into the last four regional vicars of Opus Dei in Argentina, including the current auxiliary vicar of Opus Dei and the organization’s second in command, Monsignor Mariano Fazio. The plaintiff’s lawyer is calling on prosecutors to also request a statement from the prelate of Opus Dei, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz.

However, the prelature has pointed out that the presiding judge has not yet charged any crimes, ruled on whether to grant the request, or named those whom he might summon.

Opus Dei issued a statement to clarify that the judicial investigation is based on the personal situation of one woman when she was part of the apostolate and that within this context, the plaintiff’s lawyer “announced in the media that he has requested the prosecutors’ office that Monsignor Fernando Ocariz, the prelate of Opus Dei, be summoned for questioning.”

The prelature believes this request has no factual or legal basis but is part of “a deceptive and sustained media strategy that, from the beginning, has attempted to distort the purposes of a criminal investigation to address a labor compensation claim.”

“The case as a whole represents an attempt at manipulation by introducing the charge of a committing a criminal offense (human trafficking) that actually has no connection with the facts described by the complainants themselves, much less with the reality of Opus Dei,” the apostolate pointed out.

Opus Dei asserts that the request to summon Ocáriz for questioning is an attempt to “artificially extend the scope of the criminal investigation to include people whose direct connection to the alleged events described by the complainant is nonexistent,” with the purpose of “amplifying the impact on public opinion and exerting pressure on the justice system.”

The apostolate also pointed out that something similar happened “with the request that Monsignor Mariano Fazio be summoned to testify, which was announced with an orchestrated media blitz.”

The conflict, the statement adds, reflects a “complete decontextualization of the freely chosen vocation of the assistant numerary of Opus Dei.”

The prelature regretted “that judicial mechanisms are being used to sustain a prefabricated narrative that seeks to establish blame without any basis in the facts that actually occurred” and called for respect for the presumption of innocence.

Opus Dei therefore reiterated that it rejects “these allegations” and maintains its “complete willingness to cooperate with the judicial authorities, trusting that the truth will prevail.”

Pastor Accused Of Sexually Abusing Minor While On Staff At Des Plaines School: Archdiocese

Father David Ryan, a former staff member at Maryville Academy, is facing new allegations of sexual abuse of a minor from 30 years ago when he worked at the Des Plaines child care organization. 

In a letter sent to members of St. Francis de Sales parish in Lake Zurich Tuesday, where Ryan currently serves as pastor, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced it has removed him from the ministry as an investigation into the allegation continues.

"While I recognize that your parish and Father Ryan have past experience with our processes for handling allegations, the archdiocese must take seriously the obligation to investigate all allegations, including this one," Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, said in the letter.

In 2021, an independent archdiocese investigation determined similar allegations made against Ryan while he was at Maryville Academy were "unfounded" and he was reinstated after stepping down the prior year.

On Tuesday, Cupich said Ryan will refrain from all parish and school activities until the investigation concludes. Father Steven Lanza has been appointed to serve as administrator in Ryan's absence.

"At the same time, you should know that he strenuously denies this allegation, and states that he has never harmed a child," Cupich said of Ryan.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Ryan's biography remains on the St. Francis de Sales website. 

According to the bio, Ryan, who was raised in Jacksonville (Illinois), was ordained as a priest in 1979. Six years later, he was named assistant executive director of Maryville Academy and incardinated as a priest of the Chicago Archdiocese in 1989. In 2003, Ryan was named acting executive director of Maryville Academy.

During his time at Maryville, Ryan served the Maryville Mission with Father John P. Smyth, and advocated "for the necessary programs and protection of abused, abandoned and neglected youth in Chicago and Illinois" through 20 Maryville sites in Des Plaines, Chicago, Bartlett, Maywood, Durand and a summer camp in Eagle River, Wisconsin. At the time, Maryville was serving 1100 infants, children and youth with a staff of 900 and an annual budget of over $60,000,000, according to Ryan's biography

Ryan also served as assistant director of the Catholic Youth Organization of the Archdiocese of Chicago when appointed in 1991 by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin.

In 2005, Ryan was assigned as parochial administrator of St. Emily Parish in Mount Prospect, before being appointed as pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish the following year.

Cupich said the person making the allegations against Ryan has been offered the services of the Archdiocese of Chicago's Victim Assistance Ministry. He said the results of the investigation will be reported to an independent review board, which will then make a recommendation to Cupich.

"Our responsibility for the welfare of the children entrusted to our care is of paramount importance to us," Cupich said. "The Archdiocese of Chicago encourages anyone who feels they have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, religious or lay employee to come forward. They will be received with dignity and compassion."

Denver archdiocese explains need for priests, expresses hope for more vocations

The priest shortage in the United States is afflicting the Archdiocese of Denver, but the archdiocese has reason to hope for more vocations to the priesthood, according to a report it recently released.

The archdiocese currently includes 148 parishes and about 600,000 Catholics but only has 148 archdiocesan priests in active ministry, meaning that one priest serving one parish would cover an average of 270 square miles of territory and an average of 4,054 Catholics.

Thanks to help from priests from other states or countries, the majority of parishes have more than one priest, the archdiocese noted. 

However, 37% of the archdiocese’s total 148 parishes only have one priest. The report additionally found that 40% of its parishes offer Mass in Spanish, meaning that there is also a great need for bicultural and bilingual priests. 

The statistics also showed that just under half (49%) of the priests currently serving in the archdiocese were ordained for the archdiocese, and only 14% of them were born in Colorado.

Despite the current challenges, other statistics in the report show promising signs of an uptick in vocations to the priesthood. 

The archdiocese recently took part in the Called By Name initiative, a vocation campaign that encourages parishioners to submit the names of people they think might be called to the priesthood or religious life. Those whose names are submitted later receive a letter from their bishop, inviting them to begin formally discerning their vocations. 

According to the archdiocese, 900 names were recently submitted, more than any other archdiocese.

The archdiocese also noted that more than 20 men will enter formation for the diocesan priesthood in the 2025-26 academic year, which is the largest class in several years. 

Additionally, the number of seminarians increased 16% in the past academic year, going from 56 men to 65.

The archdiocese concluded its report by urging prayers for priestly vocations and for current priests, asking that they may “continue to be holy and joy-filled witnesses to the Gospel to all those they serve so generously and self-sacrificially.”

No burial records found for 80 children who died in institution that predated Tuam mother and baby home

Mystery continues to shroud the whereabouts of the graves of 80 children who died in Glenamaddy – the institution that predated the Tuam mother and baby home. 

Both Galway County Council and Tusla have confirmed to the Irish Examiner that neither body holds burial records for the 80 babies and infants who died between 1921 and 1925.

Prior to Tuam opening, children were housed with their mothers in Glenamaddy, an institution which was set up  in 1921 by Galway County Council as part of its reorganisation of services for the poor. 

In 1925 it was condemned and its occupants were moved to the former workhouse in Tuam.

The Commission of Inquiry, established in 2015 to examine 14 mother and baby homes and four county homes, found that 80 children had died in Glenamaddy in its four years of existence, while research conducted by local historian Catherine Corless found that 796 children had died in the Tuam home. 

An excavation of the Tuam site is currently taking place in a bid to identify the bones discovered there.

However, no state agency or organisation can confirm where the 80 children who died in Glenamaddy are buried.

A spokesperson for Tusla told the Irish Examiner: “The records that Tusla holds relate to the admission and discharge registers for Glenamaddy and Tuam homes. Tusla does not hold any burial records. Tusla co-operated fully with the commission and provided full access to all records pertaining to the investigation.” 

A spokesperson for Galway County Council said: “We do not appear to hold any records that could assist with your query. Tusla (Merlin Park) may have registers with the names of children, and further details, in the home when it was located at the former workhouse in Glenamaddy.

The news follows the HSE recently confirming to the Irish Examiner that it has no burial records for 80 children who died in Galway hospital, and whose deaths were also revealed by the commission.

Project Infant

Meanwhile, research by Daniel Loftus, a genealogist and founder of the Project Infant, shows that not only are the  whereabouts of the children's graves a mystery, the commission’s numbers for the children’s deaths in the Glenamaddy are incorrect. 

He told the Irish Examiner his research shows 84 children died in the Glenamaddy home and he has published their names on his website.

“In January 2021, the Mother and Baby Home Commission of Investigation stated that 80 children had died in Glenamaddy," said Mr Loftus. “In August 2022, Project Infant had conducted research into the Glenamaddy Children’s Home - finding that 84 children had died in Glenamaddy between 1922 to 1925, before the institution moved to Tuam.

The youngest child died at three weeks old, and the oldest child died at nine years old.

The Sisters of Bon Secours who ran the Glenamaddy and Tuam homes, told the commission that all institutional records (that is, records of admissions, births, discharges and deaths which were compiled in the home) were handed over to Galway County Council when the home closed in 1961.

In the years since Tuam closed, these records have been used mainly for tracing purposes. The commission said in its final report it is “concerned that some records may have been lost or destroyed over the years” and that “it is impossible to establish if the records currently held by the Child and Family Agency constitute all of the records which existed when Tuam closed in 1961".

The first ever mass grave exhumation got underway in Tuam on July 14, in an effort to locate the missing 796 children believed to be buried there. Mr Loftus said it is “concerning that the burial place for 80 additional children connected with this institution is still unknown”.

“I hope that with the archive access given to the Office of the Direction of the Intervention at Tuam by the Bon Secours Sisters that it may help in the Tuam exhumation effort, while hopefully pointing to something that might shed some light on the whereabouts of the children who had died in the Glenamaddy Children’s Home", he said.

Fresno diocese could be resolving sex abuse lawsuits for years

The more than 150 sex abuse lawsuits filed against the Diocese of Fresno, California, could take years to be resolved while the diocese undergoes reorganization following its recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, a local NPR affiliate reported. 

In a July 1, 2025, open letter, Fresno Bishop Joseph Brennan stated that the diocese finally filed for bankruptcy and expressed confidence that “this path is the only path that will allow us to handle claims of sexual abuse with fair, equitable compassion while simultaneously ensuring the continuation of ministry within our Diocese.”

He added that the diocese now enters a reorganization process, during which the bankruptcy court “will oversee the allocation of available assets to satisfy the claims against the Diocese.”

According to NPR affiliate KVPR, the diocese currently is faced with 153 lawsuits filed by victims of clergy sex abuse. 

Similar to other dioceses in California, the diocese decided to file for bankruptcy to continue operating while coming up with a plan to make financial restitution to the victims.

CatholicVote reported last May that Bishop Brennan announced that the diocese would file for bankruptcy in August 2024. 

However, the diocese later said that it was delaying the filing until an unspecified date, stating that it was taking time to ensure that it was adequately prepared to file for bankruptcy and achieve its goals.

KVPR reported that the diocese estimates it has 1,000 to 5,000 creditors, $50 to $100 million in assets and $50 to $100 million in liabilities. 

A bankruptcy attorney unaffiliated with the diocese or sex abuse cases said that the process of determining how much money the diocese has available and how much victims will be compensated could take two to three years.

According to KVPR, an attorney for several plaintiffs alleging they were abused by clergy has filed a motion in a superior court, requesting that a judge demand evidence from the diocese explaining why the filing was delayed last year.

After six years, Rochester Catholic Diocese sex abuse bankruptcy case ends with settlement vote

Hundreds of survivors of the sex abuse bankruptcy case involving the Rochester Catholic Diocese have unanimously voted to accept a $246 million settlement.

The court tallied the votes Tuesday. 

There’s still one final hearing in September, and then the money will be handed out.

Payouts will go to 475 survivors. 

The settlement includes $55 million from the diocese and its parishes, along with $120 million from the holdout insurance company called CNA.

A lawyer previously told News10NBC’s Berkeley Brean that about two-thirds of the votes need to be in favor for the settlement to be accepted, and the bankruptcy judge must also agree.

Carol Dupre, a church abuse survivor, spoke with Brean at the beginning of July about the settlement, saying her and others feel hopeful.

“I’m tired. I feel like I’ve been in a wrestling match for, it’s been more than six years. The case will be a full six years by September,” said Dupre.

Why did the irate bishop of Fulham evict the choir? Because vicars are human: we can go rogue (Opinion)

Jesus famously said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”. 

So, possibly, I have no right to pass judgment on Jonathan Baker, the bishop of Fulham, for unceremoniously stopping a concert in his church in mid-flow the other night – and it really was unceremonious in that he was barefoot and in his dressing gown. 

Perhaps the audience would have taken him more seriously if he’d been wearing his cope and mitre rather than heckling him as they did.

But I do sympathise with my senior colleague. I too have a very low tolerance for noise when I’m trying to sleep – or just relax. I am constantly asking my now adult children, who still live with us in the vicarage, to keep the noise down. 

On a good day, I do this in the manner of Ross from Friends, with a passive-aggressive hand gesture. On a not-so-good day, I might be a bit snappier. My longsuffering wife calls me Victor Meldrew and refuses to go to the cinema with me unless I promise not to turn round and tut at talkers – or, worse, “politely” ask them to stop talking, which is potentially dangerous in this day and age.

However, I’m not “in role” in either of those contexts. I’m just Dad or a random grumpy old man. Whereas part of the deal of being an official representative of God is that you have to be nicer than nice all the time. 

In the film In the Loop, Tom Hollander’s politician character moans that holding a surgery for his constituents is “like being Simon Cowell, only without the ability to say, ‘Eff off, you’re mental’.” 

But in that respect, being a vicar is even harder. People expect you to turn the other cheek, smile and say “Bless you, my son” even in the face of extreme provocation. And failure to do that doesn’t just reflect badly on you, it could undermine someone’s very faith.

That’s quite a lot to live up to, which is why Saint James said people should think twice before becoming church leaders (I’m paraphrasing somewhat) and, of course, we’re all only human. I know that I’ve fallen short of this high standard many times. 

Nonetheless, I accept that that is the nature of my calling and I try, as much as possible, to be a good ambassador for Christ – particularly at weddings.

There’s a long history of conflict, for example, between wedding photographers and grumpy vicars and often, when I arrive at the church on a Saturday afternoon, I see the photographer take a deep breath and force their face into a smile before nervously asking: “So, what are your rules?” 

When I say: “I don’t have any. Just do whatever the bride wants”, they look like I’ve offered to pay off their mortgage.

The other classic grumpy vicar move is not allowing the local yoga class to meet in the church hall – because yoga is, as they see it, tantamount to witchcraft. 

Well, aside from the fact that most such classes have no spiritual or religious component and are just harmless – and, indeed, healthy – exercise, I think it’s an own goal to ban them in any case. 

If it gets into the press, it’s not going to advance the mission of God and will just make the church look ridiculous. 

And so we return to the bishop of Fulham.

When I first saw the story on my Facebook feed, I assumed it was a spoof from the Babylon Bee (“your trusted source for Christian news satire”) and it seems that those who were present felt the same. The choir director, Leigh Stanford Thompson, said he thought, for a moment, that it was some form of performance art. The bishop’s dressing gown would have heightened that impression. 

But slowly the awful truth became clear. 

And most awful, surely, was that the bishop rudely referred to the choir’s performance as a “terrible racket”, which brings to mind another excruciating episcopal gaffe.

I’m told by people who knew him that the late Mervyn Stockwood, who rose to be bishop of Southwark, was generally charm incarnate, but he let himself and the church down when he joined its ill-considered pushback against The Life of Brian in the famous BBC debate with John Cleese and Michael Palin, dismissing the film as “undergraduate humour” and suitable for the mentally deficient. 

For me – and most clergy I know, including the former archbishop Rowan Williams – it’s first-rate and theologically astute; but the point here is, we should always play the ball not the man.

Baker has, to his credit, now apologised, but while he and I are required to forgive others their sins by virtue of our office, those whom he offended that night might be less willing to do so. 

As the saying goes, reputation is like virginity: once you lose it, it’s impossible to get it back. 

But fortunately, I believe in miracles. 

So, I’ll be praying for my fellow Vicar Meldrew – and remembering that there but for the grace of God go I.

Report on alleged conditions at ICE’s Florida detention sites prompts Catholic leaders’ call for change

A new report alleges that three Florida immigration detention sites deny timely medical care, potentially resulting in deaths, and have freezing and overcrowded cells with no bedding or hygiene access.

The sites are also accused of carrying out degrading treatment, including beatings, shackling and isolation, with detainees being forced to eat with their hands cuffed behind their backs.

The allegations about inhumane conditions at these sites — which hold people U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says lack legal authorization to live and work in the U.S. — are contained in a report released by Americans for Immigrant Justice, Human Rights Watch and Sanctuary of the South.

They are deeply disturbing to Catholics concerned with the fundamental human dignity of immigrants, prompting Miami’s Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski to call on Congress to address how immigrants are being treated and urge Catholics to contact their congressional representatives to do something.

“These are not isolated incidents, but rather the result of a fundamentally broken detention system that is rife with serious abuses,” states the 92-page report, “You Feel Like Your Life Is Over: Abusive Practices at Three Florida Immigration Detention Centers Since January 2025.” It was released July 21.

The Florida facilities profiled include Krome North Service Processing Center, or Krome, in Miami; Broward Transitional Center, or BTC, in Pompano Beach; and the Federal Detention Center in Miami, called FDC.

Researchers with the three organizations that released the report — AI Justice, a nonprofit law firm; HRW, an international nongovernmental organization; and SOS, a workers’ collaborative network — interviewed current and former immigrant detainees, family members and immigration lawyers, and analyzed ICE data and other official documents.

At the recommendation of ICE’s public affairs office, OSV News contacted the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as well as the Florida Department of Emergency Management for reaction to the report, but neither responded to requests for comment.

“This is not the first time that these concerns have been aired,” said Archbishop Wenski, a vocal critic of reported conditions at another controversial Florida migrant detention center, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” and located in Ochopee in the Everglades.

He and 25 Knights of Columbus recently rode their motorcycles to the gates of Alligator Alcatraz to pray a rosary, and he is still seeking pastoral access to it.

Archbishop Wenski: Vast majority not criminals

Asked by OSV News how everyday Catholics should respond to such reports, Archbishop Wenski said they “should be reminded that the immense majority of people that are here in an unauthorized status are not criminals. They’re not rapists, they’re not murderers, they’re not thieves, they’re not drug dealers, etc.”

“Those bad actors, nobody has a complaint that they’re being removed from the streets; nobody wants dangerous people on our streets,” he said. “But the immense majority of immigrants in this country are honest, hard-working people.”

Archbishop Wenski had an invitation for those who might doubt this.

“You can ask the farmers; you can ask the hotel managers, you can ask those that run nursing homes and health care institutions around the country, and they’ll tell you that their best workers, in many cases, are immigrants. Those are the people that we should advocate for — that there should be a path for them to stay in this country — because they’ve already contributed some sweat equity,” he said.

“They’re contributing to the country,” he continued. “Our country needs their labor, so they should be allowed to stay, and that’s what we should advocate for. I think there’s a lot of people that are open to that argument.”

Archbishop Wenski also urged legislative action. “Congress should do something — and Catholics should encourage their congresspeople to intervene, and to provide something more than just an enforcement-only approach to the challenges of immigration,” he said.

The report makes numerous recommendations, including shifting “toward humane, rights-based alternatives to detention,” such as community-based case management programs where possible, directing ICE to use immigration detention “only as a measure of last resort,” and protecting access to “essential services and spaces.”

‘Unsurprising’ revelations

Dylan Corbett, founding executive director of the Hope Border Institute in El Paso, Texas, echoed Archbishop Wenski’s call for humane treatment for detained immigrants.

“In general in the United States, systematic mistreatment of individuals is endemic to the immigration system. We’ve seen widespread violations of human rights in immigrant detention here at the border, and throughout the country,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s part and parcel of a strategy of deterrence. And so it’s unsurprising that we’ve seen these new revelations from Human Rights Watch — but it’s troubling.”

Corbett expressed both legal and social concerns.

“The lack of due process, the lack of access to attorneys — we’ve even seen at the Alligator Alcatraz facility the detention of a minor, the disappearance of individuals into a black hole of the system — this is becoming the new normal,” he said. “And you cannot enact a campaign of mass deportations without this human cost. This is, unfortunately, a feature, not a bug — and it’s only going to get worse now, with the passage of the recent Big Beautiful Bill. Now the government has unprecedented resources to build additional facilities.”

Corbett suggested Americans are at an inflection point.

“Polling now is bearing out that many Americans have significant reservations about this — that this is a moment of moral conscience for our country, as we see the on-the-ground effects of what mass deportations look like,” he said.

“There’s an opportunity for us to reflect deeply on how this is inconsistent with our values as Americans,” he continued. “And I think faith communities and faith leaders who have been speaking out more and more have a role in helping us to understand the moral dimensions of this crisis.”

Anna Marie Gallagher, executive director of Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., best known as CLINIC, also asserted immigration reform is overdue.

“The details of this report are deeply disturbing and stand in direct opposition to our Catholic values, which call us to recognize the inherent dignity of every human being, regardless of immigration status,” she said. “The treatment described is not just inhumane; it is immoral. As a Catholic-founded organization, we are compelled by our faith to speak out against systems that dehumanize, punish and neglect vulnerable people seeking safety and opportunity.”

She added: “No one should be subjected to such cruelty in our nation’s care. We urge immediate reforms to end these abuses and restore the dignity and rights of those detained.”

Bishop Dewane: ‘Every human being has rights’

Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, whose diocese includes Alligator Alcatraz within its borders, stressed the humanity of detainees.

“I just think we forget that, and right away go to a law book — who has rights and who doesn’t have rights. Every human being has rights,” he said. “They’re made in the image and likeness of God. And I think that’s how we have to respond as a church.”

According to a recent report by organizations affiliated with Catholic and evangelical Christian churches, Christians account for approximately 80% of all of those at risk of deportation. The Christians most at risk of deportation are Catholics, 61% of the total.

Bishop Dewane also counseled action.

“We must speak out. There is a role for any administration to play to remove those who might endanger public safety. I’m not arguing with that,” he said. “But they’re not all criminals. We are in need of immigration enforcement in our country. Every country has the right to set up its own policy. But I think our government has failed us.”

The church, he said, must react with both contemplation and encounter.

“I think the approach of the church has to be always through prayer. That is who we are — that is, when we turn to God, that’s how we turn to our God,” he said. “And with that also, at times we’ve seen evidence in history, there has to be some voices speaking out — sometimes, some civil demonstration of a concern for our brothers and sisters who may be in need and don’t have a voice of their own.”

“I support the fact that a government must have a rational immigration policy,” he added. “Unfortunately, I think we don’t have one now.”

Full text: Pope Leo XIV address to Catholic digital missionaries and influencers

The following is the full text of the address to Catholic digital missionaries and influencers given by Pope Leo XIV July 29, 2025, at St. Peter ‘s Basilica.

In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, peace be with you!

Dear brothers and sisters, we have began with this greeting: peace be with you!

How much we need peace in these times marked by hostility and war, which in turn calls us to give witness to the greeting of the Risen Lord: “Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:19). May his peace be with all of us, in our hearts and in our actions.

This is the mission of the Church: to proclaim peace to the world! The peace that comes from the Lord, who conquered death, brings us God ‘s forgiveness, gives us the life of the Father, and shows us the way of Love!

1. This is the mission that the Church entrusts to each of you who have come to Rome for your Jubilee. You are here to renew your commitment to nourish Christian hope in social networks and online spaces. Peace needs to be sought, proclaimed, and shared everywhere, both in the places where we see the tragedy of war and in the empty hearts of those who have lost the meaning of life and the desire for introspection and the spiritual life. Perhaps, today more than ever, we need missionary disciples who convey the gift of the Risen Lord to the world; who voice to the ends of the earth the hope that Jesus gives us (cf. Acts 1:3-8); and who go wherever there is a heart that waits, seeks, and is in need. Yes, to the ends of the earth, to the farthest reaches, where there is no hope.

2. There is a second challenge in this mission: always look for the “suffering flesh of Christ” in every brother and sister you encounter online. Today we find ourselves in a new culture, deeply characterized and formed by technology. It is up to us -– it is up to each one of you -– to ensure that this culture remains human.

Science and technology influence the way we live in the world, even affecting how we understand ourselves and how we relate to God, how we relate to one another. But nothing that comes from man and his creativity should be used to undermine the dignity of others. Our mission — your mission — is to nurture a culture of Christian humanism, and to do so together. This is the beauty of the “network” for all of us.

Faced with cultural changes throughout history, the Church has never remained passive; she has always sought to illuminate every age with the light and hope of Christ by discerning good from evil and what was good from what needed to be changed, transformed, and purified.

Today we are in a culture where the technological dimension is present in almost everything, especially as the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence will mark a new era in the lives of individuals and society as a whole. This is a challenge that we must face: reflecting on the authenticity of our witness, on our ability to listen and speak, and on our capacity to understand and to be understood. We have a duty to work together to develop a way of thinking, to develop a language, of our time, that gives voice to Love.

It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter of hearts. This will entail seeking out those who suffer, those who need to know the Lord, so that they may heal their wounds, get back on their feet and find meaning in their lives. Above all, this process begins with accepting our own poverty, letting go of all pretense and recognizing our own inherent need for the Gospel. And this process is a communal endeavor.

3. This brings us to the third invitation in this mission, which I extend to all of you: “go and mend the nets.” Jesus called his first apostles while they were mending their fishing nets (cf. Mt 4:21-22). He asks the same of us today. Indeed, he asks us to weave other nets: networks of relationships, of love, of gratuitous sharing where friendship is profound and authentic; networks where we can mend what has been broken, heal from loneliness, not focus on the number of followers, but experience the greatness of infinite Love in every encounter; networks that give space to others more than to ourselves, where no “bubble” can silence the voices of the weakest; networks that liberate and save; networks that help us rediscover the beauty of looking into each other ‘s eyes; networks of truth. In this way, every story of shared goodness will be a knot in a single, immense network: the network of networks, the network of God.

Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism. Centre yourselves on Christ, so as to overcome the logic of the world, of fake news, of frivolity, with the beauty and light of Truth (cf. Jn 8:31-32).

Before concluding with a blessing and commending your witness to the Lord, I would like to thank you for all the good you have done and continue to do in your lives: for pursuing your dreams, for your love for the Lord Jesus and your love for the Church, for the help you give to those who suffer, and for your journey along the virtual highways.

Full text: Pope Leo XIV address to delegation of Peruvian youth

The following is the full text of the address to a delegation of Peruvian youth participating in the Jubilee of Youth given by Pope Leo XIV July 28, 2025,  in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you.

Thank you very much. Happy national holidays to all Peruvians!

Dear young people,

I welcome you to this house of Peter, where you come as pilgrims of hope — all of you are pilgrims of hope — and you come to meet thousands of other young people, to celebrate the Jubilee together. Seeing you, I also think of your families and of the many people in your parish communities who have surely helped you, with great sacrifice and work, to make this long-awaited journey possible. I greet you all with gratitude and joy.

On the eve of this important event for young people around the world, the Gospel of today’s Mass sheds special light on us. These are two parables that help us in our Christian journey: the first speaks of a small mustard seed, and the next of a bit of yeast (cf. Mt 13:31-35). As we see, these are two elements that we would call almost insignificant; however, with the power of life they carry within them, they can be transformed, grow, and serve the purpose for which they were created.

We too are small, but we are not alone; the Lord has chosen for us to be part of a great family, the family of the Church. Incorporated into it in Christ, like clusters of grapes into the vine, we can grow and bear fruit, aided by the Lord’s grace. Saint Augustine speaks of these two parables in his commentary on one of the psalms, Psalm 68, and he also expresses the power of small things, which, when they grow, take root in a people, the People of God who extend throughout the earth (cf. Commentary on Psalm 68, I, 1).

In these joyful days of the Jubilee for Young People, all of you will have the beautiful experience of feeling part of the People of God, part of the universal Church, which embraces and encompasses the whole earth, without distinction of race, language, or nation; spreading like the mustard bush and fermenting like yeast.

Dear young people, I hope that you will always keep everything you experience during these days in your hearts, but don’t keep it just for yourselves. This is very important: what you are going to experience here, don’t keep it just for yourself. We must learn to share. Please, may all this not remain just a memory, just some pretty photos, just something of the past. I hope that when you return to Peru, you will fill those lands with the joy and strength of the Gospel, with the Good News of Jesus Christ. May all the people you meet see in you the face of Christ who loves and gives himself, who remains present in every baptized person. Therefore, love and serve freely, in everyday things, in small things, in hidden things, because you have experienced the joy of being loved first, and because you have received everything freely from our Father God.

The backpacks that will accompany you during these days, carrying only the essentials, are a sign of the mission the Pope entrusts to you today: be missionaries wherever you go, be a transparency of the Lord’s presence, as our beloved Peruvian saints were. You know that Pope Francis always spoke of Peru as a “holy land,” so many saints, but not only of the past, saints also of today and tomorrow.

May God bless you and may Our Lady of Evangelization protect you always. Thank you.

(Blessing)

Long live Christ!

Catholic-run orphanage in Bethlehem offers a refuge of love, stability amid ongoing war

In the city where the Prince of Peace was born — peace feels heartbreakingly distant — especially for children.

Amid the Israel-Hamas war in the nearby Gaza Strip, one Catholic-run orphanage in the West Bank offers a refuge of love and stability.

Polish Sister Szczepana Hrehorowicz of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth has been sharing her life with children who have no one else for several years now. 

For them, she becomes a mother, a nurse, a teacher and — perhaps most importantly — someone who looks at them with love.

“I came to the ‘House of Peace’ in Bethlehem in February 2014. Before that, I worked on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, where I also took care of children from families in need. However, the situation of Palestinians living in the autonomous region is definitely more difficult,” Sister Szczepana told OSV News.

Orphanage in Bethlehem founded in 2010

When Israel built a wall separating the country from the Palestinian territories in 2003, poverty, lack of jobs and separation from their own cultivation areas started to affect the Palestinian community. In 2010, the sisters decided to open a place of shelter for children from dysfunctional families, or those simply too poor to bring them up.

The house hosts children of all ages, from infants to teenagers. Most of them are Muslims. They come from families often affected by violence. Some have been abandoned by their parents, others taken away by the court. There are also orphans — children who have lost their loved ones during the war.

For many of them, life has brought only suffering. The orphanage is the first home where they are safe. And the first where they can fall asleep without fear, Sister Szczepana told OSV News.

The children have their own home-like daily routine here: shared meals, school, play, learning, but above all, they receive presence, stability and tenderness.

“Every day, we care for 45 children aged 4 to adulthood. We give them love, a sense of security and self-esteem. We do everything in our power to ensure that our pupils are as well-educated and prepared for their future lives as possible. They have the opportunity to develop their abilities and interests,” Sister Szczepana explained to OSV News.

“We are grateful to God when we see the transformation of these children”

The situation of Palestinian children today is dramatic. Bethlehem, although considered a city of spiritual significance, is one of the places most affected by the effects of years of conflict. The separation wall is not only an obstacle to travel — it is a symbol of isolation and hopelessness, the sisters emphasize.

Children who have seen poverty and violence often deal with trauma and a sense of rejection and are frightened with the heavy military aircraft flying to Gaza overhead during the day, the sisters pointed out.

They first teach them how to trust an adult. Only then can they learn to talk, hug and enjoy themselves.

“The children who come to our home are very emotionally disturbed, have great difficulty in education, are distrustful and often very aggressive. There are also those who scream at night, wet themselves … they are afraid. In many cases, it takes time and boundless love to help them open up and trust,” Sister Szczepana said.

“It is a huge success for us and we are grateful to God when we see the transformation of these children, who at some point begin to treat us like their closest relatives, sleep peacefully through the night, willingly play, learn. … They are simply happy,” she said.

The activities of the sisters are not limited to religious service. The orphanage is a full-scale humanitarian mission — focused on helping others regardless of their origin or religion. 

“In the orphanage, there is no talk of politics — there is talk of children who need to be washed, fed, dressed, and listened to,” the sister emphasized.

“Our presence in Bethlehem is viewed very positively by the residents. People know that in our home they can receive not only a piece of bread, medicine, clothing, or other material assistance — we also try to enable them to work so that they can earn at least a little money for themselves. We also open ourselves to people with problems, giving them good advice and support to the best of our ability,” Sister Szczepana said.

“Our help is mainly used by Christians, but we are open to everyone who needs us,” she said.

Donations support orphanage in Bethlehem

The “House of Peace” is mainly supported by donations. The sisters do not run a commercial business and do not have regular funding. Help comes from private individuals and religious communities, also from their native Poland. But the needs are greater than the resources.

Each new child means a new crib, clothes, medical care, food, and education. Sometimes they have to decide what to buy and what to give up. Despite limited resources, the sisters never turn a child away.

“What are we supposed to tell the child? That we don’t have room? There is no such answer,” the sisters say.

“Every child who smiles, who hugs, who trusts — that’s a sign for us that it’s worth it. It’s a great joy and motivation to keep going, despite the difficulties. That’s our purpose,” Sister Szczepana concluded.

World will hear young people’s joy, shouting for peace on earth, pope says

The enthusiastic joy of young people, who love Jesus and want all wars to stop, will be heard to the ends of the earth, Pope Leo XIV said, welcoming tens of thousands of cheering young men and women to Rome for their Jubilee.

“Buona sera, buenas tardes, good evening!” he said after finishing a long ride in the popemobile, waving to more than 120,000 ecstatic visitors filling St. Peter’s Square and the long, wide boulevard that runs between the square and Castel Sant’Angelo by the Tiber River.

The pope appeared at the end of a Mass presided over by Archbishop Rino Fisichella in St. Peter’s Square July 29 as part of a series of welcome celebrations for the weeklong Jubilee of Youth.

Color Co-ordinated T-Shirts of Pilgrims

A rainbow of colors covered the streets and squares as different pilgrim groups wore coordinated colored T-shirts or hats, and scores of national flags billowed in the gusting evening wind.

“Jesus tells us you are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world,” Pope Leo said in English.

“And today, your voices, your enthusiasm, your cheers, which are all for Jesus Christ, will be heard until the ends of the earth,” he said in Spanish to huge cheers.

“Today marks the beginning of a journey, the Jubilee of Hope, and the world needs messages of hope. You are this message, and you must continue to give hope to everyone,” he said.

‘Let Us Walk Together’ in Faith

“Let us walk together with our faith in Jesus Christ,” he said in Italian. “And our shouts must also be for peace in the world.”

“Let’s all say it: We want peace in the world!” he shouted, as the crowd responded, “We want peace in the world.”

“Let us pray for peace” and be witnesses to “the peace of Jesus Christ, the light of the world that we are all seeking,” he said, as the evening twilight turned to night and the waxing crescent moon appeared brightly.

It was Pope Leo’s second “surprise” appearance July 29, after arriving to greet the faithful at the end of a morning Mass presided over by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, marking the conclusion of the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers July 28-29.

Close to a Million Expected for Mass

The pope was scheduled to lead his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square July 30, and then lead an evening prayer vigil Aug. 2 and morning Mass Aug. 3 in Rome’s Tor Vergata neighborhood, where close to 1 million young people were expected.

Cardinal Tagle and Archbishop Fisichella lead the two sections making up the Dicastery for Evangelization as pro-prefects. The archbishop’s section has been in charge of organizing the Holy Year.

Before celebrating the evening Mass in the square July 29, Archbishop Fisichella welcomed the young people on behalf of the pope, especially those who came from war-torn regions.

“May the fraternal embrace that unites us as one body reach those from Ukraine and Palestine and other countries,” he said. Two young men from Palestine wore the traditional keffiyeh, a wide scarf, over their shoulders during the Mass as they brought up the offertory gifts.

‘Show a Sign of Your Friendship’

“Make sure to show them a sign of your friendship,” the archbishop said in his greeting before Mass.

To those who had to make many sacrifices to come to Rome, he said, “The Lord will not disappoint you. He comes to meet you — remain vigilant so that you may recognize his presence in your life.”

“Live these days with joy and spirituality, discovering new friendships,” and enjoying the city of Rome, he said.

“We are here to hand on the faith and to understand the great value that Jesus Christ brings into our lives. Let us respond with enthusiasm in these days: Rome, with all that it represents, is in your hands,” Archbishop Fisichella said.