Drawn from expert insights and firsthand experience, these destinations combine plentiful courses with off-course appeal.
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This composite image shows the progression of a total solar eclipse over San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain on, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.
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Multiple parishes in the diocese have been fighting Bishop Michael Fisher’s proposed merger plan for several years.
Making Pope Leo XIV’s visit a matter of national interest allows the Peruvian government to marshall its resources to ensure the visit is a complete success.
The obligation to attend Mass on the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary depends on what day it falls on.
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HMS Belfast is a museum ship permanently moored in the Port of London. The ship was commissioned on this day in 1939
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Several homes were looted and vandalized in a mainly Catholic village after the body of a Muslim man was found nearby, and 19 Indigenous villagers were arrested.
NASA’s Explorer 6 satellite was launched Aug. 7, 1959, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft’s mission was to study Earth’s magnetic fields and radiation, as well as cosmic rays, geomagnetism, and micrometeorites. It also carried a photocell scanner, an instrument intended to photograph Earth’s cloud cover. A complication with one of its solar cells leftContinue reading “Aug. 14, 1959: Explorer 6 images Earth”
The post Aug. 14, 1959: Explorer 6 images Earth appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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The last image taken of the saint before his final arrest was notable for what it didn’t show — his signature long beard.
Bishop Raimo Goyarrola of Helsinki told EWTN News that the school will not open this August as planned and that the project has been pushed back to 2027.
![Pew report finds most American Catholics favor death penalty for those convicted of murder – #Catholic – A Pew Research Center survey found that 65% of American Catholics favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder, with 28% who “strongly” favor it.The research showed that support for the death penalty among U.S. adults is 6 percentage points higher than it was in April 2021, and it is about equal to where it was in August 2020 (65%).It found that about two-thirds of all Americans (66%) favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder.Pew surveyed 3,554 U.S. adults from July 6–12. Participants were all members of Pew’s American Trends Panel, which is a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults. The margin of sampling error for the sample of respondents was plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.The report, “Most Americans Favor the Death Penalty for Those Convicted of Murder,” found that 32% of Americans oppose the death penalty for people convicted of murder, 13% of whom reported they "strongly oppose” it.While most Catholics favor it, 34% said they oppose it, with 15% who "strongly oppose” it.When asked in the context of morality, 68% of all respondents said they see the death penalty as morally justified for those who have committed murder, while 28% believe it is morally wrong.Of Catholics, 64% believe the death penalty is morally justified when someone commits murder, and 32% said it is morally wrong.A 59% majority of all Americans said the death penalty is not a crime deterrent, while 39% said that it is. A majority of Americans (73%) also said there is some risk that an innocent person could be put to death, but a quarter said that there are safeguards in place to prevent this.Since the start of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly spoken out in strong opposition of the death penalty.“I condemn capital punishment. I believe that human life is to be respected and that all people — from conception to natural [death] — their lives should be respected and protected,” the pope said in April.His remarks against the death penalty echo a relatively new magisterial teaching in the Catholic Church, which was promulgated by Pope Francis in 2018. The Church teaches that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2267).Views differ by political party, age, and educationThe poll showed partisan divides on the death penalty persist among U.S. adults.Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party overwhelmingly support the death penalty with 84% in favor, including 47% who “strongly favor” it. Democrats and Democratic leaners were about split between support (51%) and opposition (48%).Most Republicans (85%) also said the death penalty is morally justified for a crime like murder, while Democrats are more split on the issue with 55% who believe it is morally justified and 42% who do not.Republicans and Democrats were most divided over whether the death penalty is fairly applied to different races.Most Republicans (77%), said white and Black people are equally likely to be sentenced to the death penalty for similar crimes, and only 23% of Democrats reported the same.The report also noted that younger adults are slightly less supportive of the death penalty than older adults. Of adults ages 18 to 29, 58% said it is morally wrong, compared with 47% of those 65 and older.Adults with a college degree, especially those with a postgraduate degree, are also slightly less likely than those with a high school degree or only some college education to favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pew-report-finds-most-american-catholics-favor-death-penalty-for-those-convicted-of-murder-catholic-a-pew-research-center-survey-found-that-65-of-american-catholics-favor-the-death-penalty-for-pe.jpg "Pew report finds most American Catholics favor death penalty for those convicted of murder – #Catholic – A Pew Research Center survey found that 65% of American Catholics favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder, with 28% who “strongly” favor it.The research showed that support for the death penalty among U.S. adults is 6 percentage points higher than it was in April 2021, and it is about equal to where it was in August 2020 (65%).It found that about two-thirds of all Americans (66%) favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder.Pew surveyed 3,554 U.S. adults from July 6–12. Participants were all members of Pew’s American Trends Panel, which is a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults. The margin of sampling error for the sample of respondents was plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.The report, “Most Americans Favor the Death Penalty for Those Convicted of Murder,” found that 32% of Americans oppose the death penalty for people convicted of murder, 13% of whom reported they \"strongly oppose” it.While most Catholics favor it, 34% said they oppose it, with 15% who \"strongly oppose” it.When asked in the context of morality, 68% of all respondents said they see the death penalty as morally justified for those who have committed murder, while 28% believe it is morally wrong.Of Catholics, 64% believe the death penalty is morally justified when someone commits murder, and 32% said it is morally wrong.A 59% majority of all Americans said the death penalty is not a crime deterrent, while 39% said that it is. A majority of Americans (73%) also said there is some risk that an innocent person could be put to death, but a quarter said that there are safeguards in place to prevent this.Since the start of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly spoken out in strong opposition of the death penalty.“I condemn capital punishment. I believe that human life is to be respected and that all people — from conception to natural [death] — their lives should be respected and protected,” the pope said in April.His remarks against the death penalty echo a relatively new magisterial teaching in the Catholic Church, which was promulgated by Pope Francis in 2018. The Church teaches that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2267).Views differ by political party, age, and educationThe poll showed partisan divides on the death penalty persist among U.S. adults.Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party overwhelmingly support the death penalty with 84% in favor, including 47% who “strongly favor” it. Democrats and Democratic leaners were about split between support (51%) and opposition (48%).Most Republicans (85%) also said the death penalty is morally justified for a crime like murder, while Democrats are more split on the issue with 55% who believe it is morally justified and 42% who do not.Republicans and Democrats were most divided over whether the death penalty is fairly applied to different races.Most Republicans (77%), said white and Black people are equally likely to be sentenced to the death penalty for similar crimes, and only 23% of Democrats reported the same.The report also noted that younger adults are slightly less supportive of the death penalty than older adults. Of adults ages 18 to 29, 58% said it is morally wrong, compared with 47% of those 65 and older.Adults with a college degree, especially those with a postgraduate degree, are also slightly less likely than those with a high school degree or only some college education to favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder.")
The research showed that support for the death penalty among U.S. adults is 6 percentage points higher than it was in April 2021.
The U.N. found an increase in migrant deaths from drowning incidents in the Mediterranean Sea, an issue about which Pope Leo XIV has expressed serious concerns.
A reading from the Book of Ezekiel
16:1-15, 60, 63
The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations.
Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem:
By origin and birth you are of the land of Canaan;
your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
As for your birth, the day you were born your navel cord was not cut;
you were neither washed with water nor anointed,
nor were you rubbed with salt, nor swathed in swaddling clothes.
No one looked on you with pity or compassion
to do any of these things for you.
Rather, you were thrown out on the ground as something loathsome,
the day you were born.
Then I passed by and saw you weltering in your blood.
I said to you: Live in your blood and grow like a plant in the field.
You grew and developed, you came to the age of puberty;
your breasts were formed, your hair had grown,
but you were still stark naked.
Again I passed by you and saw that you were now old enough for love.
So I spread the corner of my cloak over you to cover your nakedness;
I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you;
you became mine, says the Lord GOD.
Then I bathed you with water, washed away your blood,
and anointed you with oil.
I clothed you with an embroidered gown,
put sandals of fine leather on your feet;
I gave you a fine linen sash and silk robes to wear.
I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms,
a necklace about your neck, a ring in your nose,
pendants in your ears, and a glorious diadem upon your head.
Thus you were adorned with gold and silver;
your garments were of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth.
Fine flour, honey, and oil were your food.
You were exceedingly beautiful, with the dignity of a queen.
You were renowned among the nations for your beauty, perfect as it was,
because of my splendor which I had bestowed on you,
says the Lord GOD.
But you were captivated by your own beauty,
you used your renown to make yourself a harlot,
and you lavished your harlotry on every passer-by,
whose own you became.
Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl,
and I will set up an everlasting covenant with you,
that you may remember and be covered with confusion,
and that you may be utterly silenced for shame
when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord GOD.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
19:3-12
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying,
"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?"
He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning
the Creator made them male and female and said,
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?
So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate."
They said to him, "Then why did Moses command
that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?"
He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts
Moses allowed you to divorce your wives,
but from the beginning it was not so.
I say to you, whoever divorces his wife
(unless the marriage is unlawful)
and marries another commits adultery."
His disciples said to him,
"If that is the case of a man with his wife,
it is better not to marry."
He answered, "Not all can accept this word,
but only those to whom that is granted.
Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so;
some, because they were made so by others;
some, because they have renounced marriage
for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."
God makes of the two spouses one single life. The Bible uses a powerful expression and says ?one flesh?, so intimate is the union between man and woman in marriage. And this is precisely the mystery of marriage: the love of God which is reflected in the couple that decides to live together. Therefore a man leaves his home, the home of his parents, and goes to live with his wife and unites himself so strongly to her that the two become ? the Bible says ? one flesh. (?)
When the husband prays for his wife and the wife prays for her husband, that bond becomes strong; one praying for the other. (?) And many times the husband and wife become a little fractious and argue between themselves. (?) Yet we must not become saddened by this, this is the human condition. The secret is that love is stronger than the moment when there is arguing, and therefore I always advise spouses: do not let a day when you have argued end without making peace. Always! (Pope Francis, General Audience, 2 April 2014)
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As the church began to shake right after the consecration, Father Oscar Aguirre uttered a quick prayer, grabbed the Blessed Sacrament, and directed the faithful to exit the church.
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The constellation Orion is framed by two Perseid meteors on Aug. 12, 2018, in Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah.
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El Papa León afirma que el domingo es fundamento y núcleo del año litúrgico #Catholic – 
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) — El Papa León XIV instó a los católicos a reunirse en persona para la Misa dominical y pidió que se establezcan condiciones de trabajo que permitan a las personas asistir, afirmando que el domingo es “fundamento y el núcleo de todo el año litúrgico”.
“Para santificar el domingo es fundamental celebrar la Eucaristía”, dijo el Papa durante su audiencia general del 12 de agosto en la Basílica de San Pedro. El Santo Padre instó a todos “a crear las mejores condiciones posibles para que también puedan participar en la Santa Misa aquellos que los domingos no tienen la posibilidad de ausentarse del trabajo”.
Continuando con su serie de catequesis sobre los documentos del Concilio Vaticano II, el Papa León reflexionó sobre “Sacrosanctum Concilium”, la Constitución sobre la Sagrada Liturgia. El año litúrgico no es una representación estática de acontecimientos pasados, sino un encuentro continuo con Cristo, señaló.
En su centro está la Pascua, cuando Cristo resucitó de entre los muertos, y por esa razón, dijo el Papa, es esencial que los fieles santifiquen el Día del Señor reuniéndose para celebrar la Eucaristía.
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“Que nuestra participación activa y nuestro testimonio firme nos ayuden a adentrarnos cada vez más profundamente en la realidad de pertenecer a Cristo, y que anticipemos con esperanza su venida en gloria”, dijo en sus comentarios dirigidos a los peregrinos de habla inglesa.
El Papa León recordó la descripción que hizo San Juan Pablo II del domingo como la “Pascua semanal” y “el día del Señor, el día de la Iglesia, el día del hombre y, por último el ‘día de los días’”.
Incluso en idiomas como el inglés y el alemán, donde el nombre del domingo hace referencia al “día del sol”, el Papa León señaló que los cristianos pueden discernir una alusión a Cristo, “el verdadero ‘sol de justicia’ que ilumina a todo hombre”.
Escuchar la palabra de Dios, recibir el cuerpo de Cristo y reunirse los domingos, dijo el Papa, permite a “la comunidad cristiana” hacer “visible su comunión con el Señor” y dar testimonio de su fidelidad a Cristo y a la Iglesia.
“Esta asamblea no puede sustituirse por una presencia meramente virtual, ni se reduce a una reunión meramente pasiva”, afirmó, subrayando que la asamblea litúrgica se realiza a través de la participación activa de los fieles.
Dirigiéndose a los peregrinos de habla hispana, el Papa León también expresó su cercanía con las personas afectadas por el fuerte terremoto que sacudió Colombia el 10 de agosto, causando la muerte de cientos de personas y dejando a muchas otras heridas o desaparecidas. Los equipos de rescate continúan trabajando para encontrar a los sobrevivientes que siguen enterrados bajo los escombros.
“Mientras ruego al Señor por el eterno descanso de los fallecidos, aseguro mis plegarias por sus familias y todos los que han sido golpeados por esta tragedia”, dijo. “Manifiesto mi gratitud a cuantos trabajan en las labores de rescate y de asistencia a los damnificados”.
– CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) — El Papa León XIV instó a los católicos a reunirse en persona para la Misa dominical y pidió que se establezcan condiciones de trabajo que permitan a las personas asistir, afirmando que el domingo es “fundamento y el núcleo de todo el año litúrgico”. “Para santificar el domingo es fundamental celebrar la Eucaristía”, dijo el Papa durante su audiencia general del 12 de agosto en la Basílica de San Pedro. El Santo Padre instó a todos “a crear las mejores condiciones posibles para que también puedan participar en la Santa Misa aquellos que los domingos
El Papa León XIV ora por las víctimas del terremoto en Colombia #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — El Papa León XIV expresó su profunda tristeza por las muertes y la destrucción provocadas por el fuerte terremoto que sacudió Colombia y dejó más de 100 muertos y decenas de edificios derrumbados.
El Papa ofreció sus oraciones “por el eterno descanso de los fallecidos y eleva al Señor sus oraciones por la pronta recuperación de los afectados por esta tragedia”, según un telegrama dirigido al arzobispo Francisco Javier Múnera Correa de Cartagena, presidente de la Conferencia Episcopal Colombiana, firmado por el cardenal Pietro Parolin, Secretario de Estado del Vaticano.
El terremoto sacudió el país la mañana del 10 de agosto; se publicaron cientos de videos en línea en los que se veía a personas huyendo al aire libre mientras el suelo bajo sus pies temblaba violentamente.
La Asociación Colombiana de Ciudades Capitales informó que el número de muertos ascendió a 132, con más de 570 heridos. La asociación, que es una red de las principales ciudades de Colombia, señaló que se espera que la cifra cambie a medida que continúen las evaluaciones de daños en las zonas afectadas.
En su mensaje, publicado por el Vaticano el 11 de agosto, el cardenal Parolin transmitió las condolencias del Papa “a los familiares que, en esta hora de profundo dolor, lloran la pérdida de sus seres queridos”.
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“De igual modo, asegura su cercanía espiritual y manifiesta su gratitud a cuantos con generosa entrega, trabajan en las labores de búsqueda, socorro y asistencia a los damnificados”, dijo el telegrama.
El Papa pidió también, por intercesión de la Bienaventurada Virgen María, que el Señor “derrame sobre el querido pueblo colombiano los dones de la fortaleza espiritual y la esperanza cristiana”, concluyó el mensaje.
Según el Servicio Geológico Colombiano (SGC), el epicentro del sismo se ubicó en el departamento noroccidental de Chocó, y fue “el sismo que se ha sentido más fuerte en la última década en Colombia”.
El Servicio Geológico también informó que, hasta la tarde del 10 de agosto, se habían registrado en el país 18 réplicas con magnitudes entre 1,4 y 4,8 desde el sismo inicial.
En un mensaje publicado el 10 de agosto, la Conferencia Episcopal de Colombia expresó su cercanía con las víctimas del mortal sismo de magnitud 7,4.
“Oramos por quienes han perdido la vida para que Dios les conceda el descanso eterno; por las personas que aún se encuentran desaparecidas; por los heridos y las familias damnificadas”, dijeron los obispos.
Los obispos también oraron por los organismos de socorro y personal médico, así como por las autoridades militares y gubernamentales, y “todas las personas que, con generosidad y valentía, trabajan en las labores de búsqueda, rescate y atención de los afectados”.
“Este momento doloroso nos recuerda que nadie puede afrontar solo una emergencia de esta magnitud”, se lee en el comunicado. “Colombia está llamada, una vez más, a reconocerse como una sola familia y a responder al sufrimiento de sus hermanos con generosidad, responsabilidad y solidaridad”.
Entre los videos que mostraban la destrucción causada por el sismo había uno de la Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Rosario en Manizales, así como imágenes de varias iglesias que sufrieron graves daños
La Arquidiócesis de Manizales también compartió un video de 10 segundos que muestra una Misa que se estaba celebrando cuando ocurrió el sismo por la mañana.
En un mensaje de video dirigido a los fieles de la ciudad, el arzobispo José Miguel Gómez de Manizales expresó que, si bien la arquidiócesis continúa evaluando los daños a las iglesias, “ahora lo más importante son ustedes: los fieles, los sacerdotes y todos los vecinos que también padecieron lo mismo”.
“Dios, nuestro Señor, nunca nos abandona y en estos momentos es cuando, elevando la mirada hacia Él, tenemos todos que, con humildad y con sencillez, pedirle a Él las gracias que nos hacen falta para vivir estas dificultades”, dijo el arzobispo Gómez.
El arzobispo también invocó la intercesión de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, pidiéndole que consuele y reconforte a los afectados por el desastre natural. Asimismo, instó a la población a seguir las indicaciones de las autoridades.
“Y, siguiendo esas instrucciones, busquen siempre estar atentos a los que más sufren, para que ninguna persona se quede sin atención en estos momentos de dificultad”, concluyó antes de impartir su bendición.
La Conferencia Episcopal de Colombia informó que las diócesis de todo el país están estableciendo puntos de acopio para garantizar la distribución de alimentos a albergues, hospitales y comunidades en las zonas afectadas.
Los obispos también dijeron que Cáritas Colombia ha activado su Servicio Nacional de Emergencias para recaudar fondos y brindar asistencia directa “a las jurisdicciones y comunidades que resultaron mayormente afectadas por esta tragedia”.
Junno Arocho Esteves es corresponsal internacional de OSV News. Síguelo en X @jae_journalist.
– (OSV News) — El Papa León XIV expresó su profunda tristeza por las muertes y la destrucción provocadas por el fuerte terremoto que sacudió Colombia y dejó más de 100 muertos y decenas de edificios derrumbados. El Papa ofreció sus oraciones “por el eterno descanso de los fallecidos y eleva al Señor sus oraciones por la pronta recuperación de los afectados por esta tragedia”, según un telegrama dirigido al arzobispo Francisco Javier Múnera Correa de Cartagena, presidente de la Conferencia Episcopal Colombiana, firmado por el cardenal Pietro Parolin, Secretario de Estado del Vaticano. El terremoto sacudió el país la mañana
Pope Leo night at White Sox baseball park maxes out stadium capacity #Catholic – 
CHICAGO (OSV News) — White Sox baseball fans sporting custom-designed black and gold mitre-style hats celebrated Pope Leo XIV, a fellow diehard Sox fan, at a pope-themed game in Chicago Aug. 11.
Dominican Sister Mary Jo Sobieck of Springfield, Illinois, threw the first pitch, and fans shook hands with the “sign of peace,” led by the Chicago Archdiocese’s Father Tom Hurley, during the fifth inning at Rate Field, home of Pope Leo’s favorite baseball team.
White Sox management handed out “pope hats” to over 38,000 fans who showed up at the third game in a series against the Cincinnati Reds. The promo project started out as a fan giveaway for the first 2,500 tickets, which sold quickly and it added another fast-selling 500.
Management expanded the promo to the full stadium capacity and the tickets flew.
“The only anxiety was: Can we get 40,000 here by the time of this day? So as soon as we figured out we could, it’s been a lot of fun to be part of,” Brooks Boyer, White Sox executive vice president, said in a story about the Pope Leo-themed game written for the team’s website.
“We were talking about this before. Is there anything that has rivaled this where we’d have to say, we have to go to 40,000?” he said from the dugout Aug. 11. “We couldn’t remember anything where we’ve had to put it to 40,000.”
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“The place was capacity,” Richard King, a die-hard Sox fan who watched the game on TV, told OSV News.
The game also featured its own familiar penitential rite for Sox fans, as the Reds rallied in the 10th inning to beat the White Sox 5-4, giving Cincinnati a lead in the three-game series that concludes Aug. 13. However, the Sox still lead the American League Central Division.
King, 78, grew up on Chicago’s Southside and has been following his team since he was seven. King, a daily Massgoer and a member of the Knights of Columbus, said the fifth inning “sign of peace” and having Catholicism so openly on display was “great!” He expected the event would raise interest and more curiosity about the Catholic faith.
“Very excited about Pope Night, and obviously a lot of people are excited about it,” White Sox manager Will Venable said in the Sox website story. “Any time we get to celebrate the pope and his fandom of the White Sox is something that we’ll lean into.”
Pope Leo, a Chicago native who grew up in Dolton, Illinois, a south suburb, has been pictured sporting a White Sox baseball cap at the Vatican, and has received multiple Sox-themed presents since his election as pontiff in May 2024.
The pope being a close follower of the Sox made him an instant hit in the Chicago area and across the country, where people have mentioned how relatable he is. Video footage of then-Father Bob Prevost attending Game 1 of the White Sox 2005 World Series match against the Houston Astros went viral. The Sox swept the Astros 4-0 in the series, ending an 88-year drought famously known as the “Curse of the Black Sox.”
A thanksgiving Mass for the pope’s election led by Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich was held at Rate Field a month after the conclave.
In the months that followed Pope Leo’s election, the ballpark was outfitted with papal reminders including a mural of the pope at the entrance to the section where he sat during the World Series matchup and markers on the chair he sat in. Then, a major shareholder of the White Sox told the media the pope told him “he’d love to” throw the first pitch in a new stadium — “schedule permitting” — that is being envisioned for the team’s future.
Chicago White Sox Charities, the team’s philanthropic arm, gave the Augustinians — Pope Leo’s religious order — a $14,000 donation on the Pope Leo-themed night. Father Tom McCarthy and Brother David Relstab, the prior provincial and vocations director respectively of the Augustinians’ Midwest province, accepted the gift on the ballfield.
Simone Orendain is an OSV News correspondent. She writes from Chicago.
– CHICAGO (OSV News) — White Sox baseball fans sporting custom-designed black and gold mitre-style hats celebrated Pope Leo XIV, a fellow diehard Sox fan, at a pope-themed game in Chicago Aug. 11. Dominican Sister Mary Jo Sobieck of Springfield, Illinois, threw the first pitch, and fans shook hands with the “sign of peace,” led by the Chicago Archdiocese’s Father Tom Hurley, during the fifth inning at Rate Field, home of Pope Leo’s favorite baseball team. White Sox management handed out “pope hats” to over 38,000 fans who showed up at the third game in a series against the Cincinnati Reds.
In West Virginia mountains, over 2,000 Catholic Scouts gather for Mass ‘filled with joy, hope’ #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — Every four years, thousands of Catholic Scouts from across the U.S. gather for Sunday Mass in the mountains of West Virginia.
As faith is the first of the core principles which they hold dear, they joyfully observe their Sunday obligation while participating in the Scouting America National Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Mount Hope, W.Va., which was held this year July 22-31.
“It was a wonderful Mass filled with joy, with hope,” said Bishop Evelio Menjívar of Wheeling-Charleston, who celebrated the July 26 Mass for more than 2,000 Catholic Scouts who filled a field at the reserve that morning. “For the church, seeing so many young people is always a sign of hope.” The Scouts, he said, are devout, willing to serve and pledge to honor God and country.
“It is just beautiful,” Bishop Menjívar told The Catholic Spirit, the news outlet of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
The Catholic Scouts were among the more than 20,000 Scouts from throughout the country who attended the nine-day jamboree, which is held every four years at the reserve.
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Concelebrating the Mass and giving the homily was Bishop Michael W. Fisher of Buffalo, New York, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ episcopal liaison to Catholic Scouting America, which is the largest of the faith-based Scouting America groups.
A Scout is reverent, Bishop Fisher said in his homily. “That’s what brings us here today as God’s people,” he said, “to give thanks, to give prayer and to offer that ultimate prayer in this holy Eucharist.”
Scouts, he said, are first reverent to God; faithful in his or her religious duties; and respect the convictions of others in matters of religion and custom.
Noting that they were surrounded by God’s beauty and creation, Bishop Fisher told the Scouts that reverence comes naturally to human beings and, in a particular way, to Catholics.
“When we look at the mountains and forests,” he said, “we can’t help but praise our creator. For truly we are in God’s country.”
In the Gospel for the Mass (Mt 13:44-52), Bishop Fisher said that Jesus reminds us that reverence is about finding hidden treasure and gives numerous examples of those who are searching.
“It’s not just an outward posture, but it’s about being transformed internally in our hearts and in our souls,” he said.
In the Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”
A critical question to all, Bishop Fisher said, is: “What is that true treasure that you’re seeking in your life?”
To answer that, he pointed to the first reading (1 Kings 3:5, 7-12), where God appears to a young King Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”
Solomon doesn’t ask for riches, or a long life, or power over his enemies, Bishop Fisher said. Instead, he admits his limitations and says, “I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.”
He asks God for an understanding heart, Bishop Fisher said, to discern between right and wrong. He asked for wisdom.
“This is exactly what we promise every time we stand at attention and make this Scout Sign, and repeat the Scout Oath,” Bishop Fisher said. “When we say we will do our duty to God and country and keep ourselves lawfully straight, we are asking for Solomon’s gift of wisdom. We are asking for a wise heart to navigate a complicated world.”
Bishop Fisher, an Eagle Scout himself, reminded all of the national jamboree’s theme, “Elevate,” and said that Jesus is calling all to elevate what they treasure in life.
“The treasure,” he said, “is God’s grace, his love and truth acting within us. To elevate means to stop digging for that cheap, temporary treasure like popularity or selfishness in material things,” he said. “Instead, hopefully, we sell out completely for what lasts: kindness, purity, reverence, and justice.”
A Scout who lives out the Scout Law is a living sign of God’s kingdom on earth, Bishop Fisher said. “Have you ever thought of yourself in that way?” he asked the Scouts.
In the second reading for the Mass, Bishop Fisher said that St. Paul reminds the Romans that we are called to be conformed to the image of God’s Son.
“Jesus is, you might say, that ultimate Scout leader,” Bishop Fisher said. “He did not come to be served, but to serve. He did a good turn daily. He prepared. He navigated the wilderness. He gathered a patrol of disciples. And he laid down his life to show that ultimate trail, that trail map to heaven.
“When you leave this jamboree and pack up your dirty laundry, your gear, and your cool patches, as well as great memories, the most important thing you should take home with you is a renewed spirit,” Bishop Fisher said. “God wants to elevate our character so that we become leaders and guides to others to what is right, and what is truly lasting in God’s kingdom.”
Jesus concludes the Gospel for the Mass with the warning about a net thrown into the sea that catches fish of every kind, Bishop Fisher said. At the end of the day, the good are gathered, he said, and the bad are thrown away. “Our lives are kind of like that net,” Bishop Fisher said. “Every day, we gather choices, words, and habits.”
He encouraged the Scouts to use the wisdom of Solomon, the great gift he asked for from the Lord, to sort through all of it and to be prepared. Bishop Fisher urged them to throw away gossip and dishonesty and keep the treasures of faith, service and the Scout spirit.
“Let us pray today for the courage to sell out for the kingdom of heaven, for the kingdom of God,” Bishop Fisher said, “to elevate our thoughts and actions, and to always seek the true treasure — a heart that knows, that loves, and serves God always. A Scout is reverent. Amen.”
The Catholic Scouts also prayed for the nation in the celebration of its 250th anniversary.
With them was Jesuit Father Mark Carr, national chaplain for Catholic Scouting America, who led the “Novena Prayer for America.”
Together, they prayed, “that the Church in the United States boldly proclaims the Gospel. May we all, especially our young Scouts, be joyful witnesses of Christ in our neighborhoods and schools.”
For more than 100 years, Catholic Scouting America has provided young people adventure, character building and values-based lessons grounded in the Catholic faith, the organization’s website states.
And this, Bishop Menjívar said, the church must continue to support.
“It’s a good place for children to learn and to grow, mature as a person but also in their faith and in their commitment to serve. I really encourage parents to look at those opportunities that the Scouts offer, especially at this time when we need to take the kids out of social media, the screens,” he said.
Colleen Rowan is executive editor of The Catholic Spirit, the news outlet of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. This story was originally published by The Catholic Spirit and is distributed through a partnership with OSV News. For more information about Catholic Scouting America and to explore resources for parishes, families, and councils, visit CatholicScoutingAmerica.org.
– (OSV News) — Every four years, thousands of Catholic Scouts from across the U.S. gather for Sunday Mass in the mountains of West Virginia. As faith is the first of the core principles which they hold dear, they joyfully observe their Sunday obligation while participating in the Scouting America National Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Mount Hope, W.Va., which was held this year July 22-31. “It was a wonderful Mass filled with joy, with hope,” said Bishop Evelio Menjívar of Wheeling-Charleston, who celebrated the July 26 Mass for more than 2,000 Catholic Scouts who filled a field at
Likely the best-known meteor shower of the year, the Perseids occur from late July through late August annually, typically peaking around Aug. 12-13. Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the debris field left behind as a comet orbits the Sun. In the case of the Perseids, that comet is Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, discovered inContinue reading “Aug. 13, 2011: Perseids from space”
The post Aug. 13, 2011: Perseids from space appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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| Picture of the day |
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The 108-metre-long Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II connects the historic centre of Rome, east of the Tiber, with the Vatican City.
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![Bishop Sweeney rejoices in celebrating Mass at Mary Help Camp #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on July 27 visited Mary Help of Christians Camp in North Haledon, N.J., to the delight of about 300 campers, their families, staff, and the Salesian Sisters’ community that has run the camp for the past 102 years during the camp’s annual Family Day.
Bishop Sweeney presided over a Family Day Mass, which was concelebrated by Salesian Father Jim Mulloy, camp chaplain for about 20 years. The liturgy in St. Joseph Chapel occurred toward the end of the camp’s five-week season this summer, which welcomed 275 campers.
The Salesian Sisters of St. Don Bosco, also known as the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run the camp with the help of lay volunteers on the Salesians’ sprawling 16.33-acre campus.
“MHC Camp provides meaningful leisure time activities as part of an enriching and enjoyable summer program for both boys and girls ages 4 to 13,” according to the Salesians. “We believe in the whole education of young people as a means for developing their potential as ‘good Christians and honest citizens.’”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The camp offers a wide range of activities to keep campers engaged and having fun at all times of the day. Activities include archery, arts and crafts, boating and fishing, Christian formation, dance, gardening, indoor and outdoor sports, low-rope course, music, playground, STEM, and swimming. Many campers tried a new activity this season: cupcake and cookie baking and decorating.
Activities also include a “Fun Fact” game as a part of the traditional Salesian “Good Morning,” featuring prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, a “good spiritual thought” for the day, and announcements.
“The kids were excited to see Bishop Sweeney, who greeted them. It means a lot that the bishop, our shepherd, took the time to see what we’re doing. We were blessed,” said Salesian Sister Ramona Beltre, the camp’s director for the past 17 years.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/bishop-sweeney-rejoices-in-celebrating-mass-at-mary-help-camp-catholic-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-on-july-27-visited-mary-help-of-christians-camp-in-north-haledon-n-j-to-the-delight-of-about-300-ca.jpg "Bishop Sweeney rejoices in celebrating Mass at Mary Help Camp #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on July 27 visited Mary Help of Christians Camp in North Haledon, N.J., to the delight of about 300 campers, their families, staff, and the Salesian Sisters’ community that has run the camp for the past 102 years during the camp’s annual Family Day.
Bishop Sweeney presided over a Family Day Mass, which was concelebrated by Salesian Father Jim Mulloy, camp chaplain for about 20 years. The liturgy in St. Joseph Chapel occurred toward the end of the camp’s five-week season this summer, which welcomed 275 campers.
The Salesian Sisters of St. Don Bosco, also known as the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run the camp with the help of lay volunteers on the Salesians’ sprawling 16.33-acre campus.
“MHC Camp provides meaningful leisure time activities as part of an enriching and enjoyable summer program for both boys and girls ages 4 to 13,” according to the Salesians. “We believe in the whole education of young people as a means for developing their potential as ‘good Christians and honest citizens.’”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The camp offers a wide range of activities to keep campers engaged and having fun at all times of the day. Activities include archery, arts and crafts, boating and fishing, Christian formation, dance, gardening, indoor and outdoor sports, low-rope course, music, playground, STEM, and swimming. Many campers tried a new activity this season: cupcake and cookie baking and decorating.
Activities also include a “Fun Fact” game as a part of the traditional Salesian “Good Morning,” featuring prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, a “good spiritual thought” for the day, and announcements.
“The kids were excited to see Bishop Sweeney, who greeted them. It means a lot that the bishop, our shepherd, took the time to see what we’re doing. We were blessed,” said Salesian Sister Ramona Beltre, the camp’s director for the past 17 years.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
Bishop Sweeney rejoices in celebrating Mass at Mary Help Camp #Catholic – 
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on July 27 visited Mary Help of Christians Camp in North Haledon, N.J., to the delight of about 300 campers, their families, staff, and the Salesian Sisters’ community that has run the camp for the past 102 years during the camp’s annual Family Day.
Bishop Sweeney presided over a Family Day Mass, which was concelebrated by Salesian Father Jim Mulloy, camp chaplain for about 20 years. The liturgy in St. Joseph Chapel occurred toward the end of the camp’s five-week season this summer, which welcomed 275 campers.
The Salesian Sisters of St. Don Bosco, also known as the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run the camp with the help of lay volunteers on the Salesians’ sprawling 16.33-acre campus.
“MHC Camp provides meaningful leisure time activities as part of an enriching and enjoyable summer program for both boys and girls ages 4 to 13,” according to the Salesians. “We believe in the whole education of young people as a means for developing their potential as ‘good Christians and honest citizens.’”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The camp offers a wide range of activities to keep campers engaged and having fun at all times of the day. Activities include archery, arts and crafts, boating and fishing, Christian formation, dance, gardening, indoor and outdoor sports, low-rope course, music, playground, STEM, and swimming. Many campers tried a new activity this season: cupcake and cookie baking and decorating.
Activities also include a “Fun Fact” game as a part of the traditional Salesian “Good Morning,” featuring prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, a “good spiritual thought” for the day, and announcements.
“The kids were excited to see Bishop Sweeney, who greeted them. It means a lot that the bishop, our shepherd, took the time to see what we’re doing. We were blessed,” said Salesian Sister Ramona Beltre, the camp’s director for the past 17 years.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on July 27 visited Mary Help of Christians Camp in North Haledon, N.J., to the delight of about 300 campers, their families, staff, and the Salesian Sisters’ community that has run the camp for the past 102 years during the camp’s annual Family Day. Bishop Sweeney presided over a Family Day Mass, which was concelebrated by Salesian Father Jim Mulloy, camp chaplain for about 20 years. The liturgy in St. Joseph Chapel occurred toward the end of the camp’s five-week season this summer, which welcomed 275 campers. The Salesian Sisters of St. Don Bosco, also known
![Peru seeks to turn Pope Leo’s legacy into an international pilgrimage destination – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to Peru is not only building anticipation among the faithful but is also opening up the possibility of establishing permanent pilgrimage routes and showcasing the countryʼs rich spiritual heritage, which could boost local economies, according to national and international tourism experts.That was one of the key points presented at the First Specialized Conference on Religious Tourism held Aug. 3 and organized by the National Chamber of Tourism of Peru (CANATUR, by its Spanish acronym) and the World Religious Tourism Network, where experts agreed that the Holy Fatherʼs apostolic journey, scheduled for Nov. 11–17, could serve as a starting point.
Adrián Lomello, the World Religious Tourism Network’s director for the Americas, gives a presentation at the First Specialized Conference on Religious Tourism, held on Aug. 3, 2026, and organized by the National Chamber of Tourism of Peru (CANATUR) and the World Religious Tourism Network. | Credit: Diego Lopez Marina/EWTN News
Speaking to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Adrián Lomello, the World Religious Tourism Network’s director for the Americas, stated that “Peruʼs potential is limitless.”“The country’s resources are enormous, and it also possesses something no one else has: the blend of Catholicism and Andean cultures. That syncretism is unique in Latin America, and here it occurs quite naturally,” he stated.For Lomello, the challenge now lies in looking beyond the pope’s upcoming visit and establishing Peru as a regular destination for pilgrimages.During the event, a proposal was made to strengthen the “Paths of Pope Leo XIV” tourist route, which encompasses cities such as Chiclayo, Piura, Trujillo, and Callao, where the Holy Father carried out a significant part of his pastoral ministry. “The idea is for these destinations to outlast the time of the visit and become a permanent offering” to pilgrims, he explained.
Adrián Lomello gives a presentation at the First Specialized Conference on Religious Tourism in Peru | Credit: Diego López Marina/EWTN News
Religious tourism benefits the entire communityLomello highlighted that religious tourism does not benefit only shrines or churches but also stimulates the economies of the cities that welcome pilgrims.“Religious tourism has a direct impact on the community because the pilgrim arrives, spends money locally, buys handicrafts, stays overnight, perhaps extending their visit by a day, and visits a museum,” he explained to ACI Prensa.“We have demonstrated that the financial investment yields a sixfold return. The state invests 1 sol [Peru’s unit of currency] and gets 6 back, a 600% return,” he emphasized.He noted that cities must prepare to offer experiences that complement the pilgrimage, including “excellent cuisine, engaging activities, museums, and events.”
Adrián Lomello, director for the Americas of the World Religious Tourism Network. | Credit: Diego López Marina/EWTN News
He noted that Peru possesses numerous destinations with great potential beyond those that are already well established.“Cusco no longer needs further promotion. It even faces limitations in accommodating more visitors, and that’s fine. However, there are other destinations that offer the same impact and need to be developed,” he pointed out.Waldin Durán, one of the speakers at the event and a specialist in innovation and digital transformation for tourism, told ACI Prensa that Leo XIV’s visit should be understood not just as a one-time event but “the precedent and the beginning,” positioning Peru as an international destination for religious tourism.Durán noted that religious tourism represents about 20% of world tourism, and according to data from the World Tourism Organization, a pilgrim can generate up to 10% more income than a conventional tourist. He said the challenge will be to take advantage of Leo XIV’s upcoming itinerary to attract visitors on an ongoing basis.The event organized by CANATUR also provided an update on the progress of preparations for the papal visit.CANATUR general manager Carlos Loayza said the tourism sector is already working to engage hotels, travel agencies, tour operators, guides, restaurants, transportation providers, artisans, and local authorities.A country shaped by faithLomello also encouraged Peruvian authorities to promote religious tourism as a matter of state policy.“We would be delighted to see the government commit to this and make religious tourism a flagship initiative. I believe some steps have already been taken, and a commission has been established that strikes me as very promising,” he noted, referring to the alliance formed between the World Religious Tourism Network, CANATUR, and the Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Exports and Tourism, which are making initial preparations for the apostolic journey.At the same time, he acknowledged that “the political transition Peru is undergoing,” with the election of Keiko Fujimori as the new president, “calls for a bit of patience” while the new government gets itself established.‘Leo XIV is Peruvian’For Lomello, one of the elements that will make the papal visit historic is the deep bond Leo XIV shares with the country.“He is of U.S. origin, but his mindset is Peruvian. His spiritual formation is Peruvian. His tastes are Peruvian,” he noted.
Pope Leo XIV gives his blessing from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica following his election on May 8, 2025. | Credit: Vatican Media
In his view, that bond will give the visit a special significance. “The benefits in terms of Peruvian identity will be immense. The benefits regarding spiritual conversion will be enormous,” he added.“Let’s have the finest banquet prepared,” he said. “Peru is beginning to experience a celebration. And when there is a celebration, the people rejoice; everyone’s heart is full of joy.” “May no one be left out. That is the great challenge: making this a celebration for everyone,” he added.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/peru-seeks-to-turn-pope-leos-legacy-into-an-international-pilgrimage-destination-catholic-pope-leo-xivs-upcoming-visit-to-peru-is-not-only-building-anticipation-among-the-faithf.jpg "Peru seeks to turn Pope Leo’s legacy into an international pilgrimage destination – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to Peru is not only building anticipation among the faithful but is also opening up the possibility of establishing permanent pilgrimage routes and showcasing the countryʼs rich spiritual heritage, which could boost local economies, according to national and international tourism experts.That was one of the key points presented at the First Specialized Conference on Religious Tourism held Aug. 3 and organized by the National Chamber of Tourism of Peru (CANATUR, by its Spanish acronym) and the World Religious Tourism Network, where experts agreed that the Holy Fatherʼs apostolic journey, scheduled for Nov. 11–17, could serve as a starting point.
Adrián Lomello, the World Religious Tourism Network’s director for the Americas, gives a presentation at the First Specialized Conference on Religious Tourism, held on Aug. 3, 2026, and organized by the National Chamber of Tourism of Peru (CANATUR) and the World Religious Tourism Network. | Credit: Diego Lopez Marina/EWTN News
Speaking to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Adrián Lomello, the World Religious Tourism Network’s director for the Americas, stated that “Peruʼs potential is limitless.”“The country’s resources are enormous, and it also possesses something no one else has: the blend of Catholicism and Andean cultures. That syncretism is unique in Latin America, and here it occurs quite naturally,” he stated.For Lomello, the challenge now lies in looking beyond the pope’s upcoming visit and establishing Peru as a regular destination for pilgrimages.During the event, a proposal was made to strengthen the “Paths of Pope Leo XIV” tourist route, which encompasses cities such as Chiclayo, Piura, Trujillo, and Callao, where the Holy Father carried out a significant part of his pastoral ministry. “The idea is for these destinations to outlast the time of the visit and become a permanent offering” to pilgrims, he explained.
Adrián Lomello gives a presentation at the First Specialized Conference on Religious Tourism in Peru | Credit: Diego López Marina/EWTN News
Religious tourism benefits the entire communityLomello highlighted that religious tourism does not benefit only shrines or churches but also stimulates the economies of the cities that welcome pilgrims.“Religious tourism has a direct impact on the community because the pilgrim arrives, spends money locally, buys handicrafts, stays overnight, perhaps extending their visit by a day, and visits a museum,” he explained to ACI Prensa.“We have demonstrated that the financial investment yields a sixfold return. The state invests 1 sol [Peru’s unit of currency] and gets 6 back, a 600% return,” he emphasized.He noted that cities must prepare to offer experiences that complement the pilgrimage, including “excellent cuisine, engaging activities, museums, and events.”
Adrián Lomello, director for the Americas of the World Religious Tourism Network. | Credit: Diego López Marina/EWTN News
He noted that Peru possesses numerous destinations with great potential beyond those that are already well established.“Cusco no longer needs further promotion. It even faces limitations in accommodating more visitors, and that’s fine. However, there are other destinations that offer the same impact and need to be developed,” he pointed out.Waldin Durán, one of the speakers at the event and a specialist in innovation and digital transformation for tourism, told ACI Prensa that Leo XIV’s visit should be understood not just as a one-time event but “the precedent and the beginning,” positioning Peru as an international destination for religious tourism.Durán noted that religious tourism represents about 20% of world tourism, and according to data from the World Tourism Organization, a pilgrim can generate up to 10% more income than a conventional tourist. He said the challenge will be to take advantage of Leo XIV’s upcoming itinerary to attract visitors on an ongoing basis.The event organized by CANATUR also provided an update on the progress of preparations for the papal visit.CANATUR general manager Carlos Loayza said the tourism sector is already working to engage hotels, travel agencies, tour operators, guides, restaurants, transportation providers, artisans, and local authorities.A country shaped by faithLomello also encouraged Peruvian authorities to promote religious tourism as a matter of state policy.“We would be delighted to see the government commit to this and make religious tourism a flagship initiative. I believe some steps have already been taken, and a commission has been established that strikes me as very promising,” he noted, referring to the alliance formed between the World Religious Tourism Network, CANATUR, and the Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Exports and Tourism, which are making initial preparations for the apostolic journey.At the same time, he acknowledged that “the political transition Peru is undergoing,” with the election of Keiko Fujimori as the new president, “calls for a bit of patience” while the new government gets itself established.‘Leo XIV is Peruvian’For Lomello, one of the elements that will make the papal visit historic is the deep bond Leo XIV shares with the country.“He is of U.S. origin, but his mindset is Peruvian. His spiritual formation is Peruvian. His tastes are Peruvian,” he noted.
Pope Leo XIV gives his blessing from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica following his election on May 8, 2025. | Credit: Vatican Media
In his view, that bond will give the visit a special significance. “The benefits in terms of Peruvian identity will be immense. The benefits regarding spiritual conversion will be enormous,” he added.“Let’s have the finest banquet prepared,” he said. “Peru is beginning to experience a celebration. And when there is a celebration, the people rejoice; everyone’s heart is full of joy.” “May no one be left out. That is the great challenge: making this a celebration for everyone,” he added.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
Pope Leo’s XIV’s upcoming visit to Peru can serve as a launchpad for turning the country into a regular destination for pilgrims, benefiting the local economy.
A reading from the Book of Ezekiel
12:1-12
The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house;
they have eyes to see but do not see,
and ears to hear but do not hear,
for they are a rebellious house.
Now, son of man, during the day while they are looking on,
prepare your baggage as though for exile,
and again while they are looking on,
migrate from where you live to another place;
perhaps they will see that they are a rebellious house.
You shall bring out your baggage like an exile in the daytime
while they are looking on;
in the evening, again while they are looking on,
you shall go out like one of those driven into exile;
while they look on, dig a hole in the wall and pass through it;
while they look on, shoulder the burden and set out in the darkness;
cover your face that you may not see the land,
for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.
I did as I was told.
During the day I brought out my baggage
as though it were that of an exile,
and at evening I dug a hole through the wall with my hand
and, while they looked on, set out in the darkness,
shouldering my burden.
Then, in the morning, the word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, did not the house of Israel, that rebellious house,
ask you what you were doing?
Tell them: Thus says the Lord GOD:
This oracle concerns Jerusalem
and the whole house of Israel within it.
I am a sign for you:
as I have done, so shall it be done to them;
as captives they shall go into exile.
The prince who is among them shall shoulder his burden
and set out in darkness,
going through a hole he has dug out in the wall,
and covering his face lest he be seen by anyone.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
18:21?19:1
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
?Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times??
Jesus answered, ?I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
?Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.?
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
?Pay back what you owe.?
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
?Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.?
But he refused.
Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed,
and went to their master and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ?You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you??
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.?
When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee
and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.
In the parable we find two different attitudes: God?s ? represented by the king who forgives a lot, because God always forgives ? and that of the man. In the divine attitude justice is pervaded with mercy, whereas the human attitude is limited to justice. Jesus exhorts us to open ourselves with courage to the strength of forgiveness, because in life not everything can be resolved with justice. We know this. There is a need for that merciful love, which is also at the basis of the Lord?s answer to Peter?s question, which precedes the parable. Peter?s question goes like this: ?Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?? (v. 21). And Jesus replies, ?I do not say to you, seven times but seventy times seven? (v. 22). In the symbolic language of the Bible this means that we are called to forgive always.
How much suffering, how many wounds, how many wars could be avoided if forgiveness and mercy were the style of our life! Even in families, even in families. How many disunited families, who do not know how to forgive each other. How many brothers and sisters bear this resentment within. It is necessary to apply merciful love to all human relationships: between spouses, between parents and children, within our communities, in the Church and also in society and politics. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 13 September 2020)
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Bishop Serratelli enjoys sharing fresh harvest from his garden #Catholic – 
Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli shows the tomatoes and zucchini he has been growing in the garden at his residence. For many years, the rich, abundant harvest of his garden has provided food for the soul and vegetables for the table to many friends and neighbors.
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– Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli shows the tomatoes and zucchini he has been growing in the garden at his residence. For many years, the rich, abundant harvest of his garden has provided food for the soul and vegetables for the table to many friends and neighbors. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
![Haiti bishop says gangs target Church as violence shuts parishes, schools – #Catholic – Bishop Joseph Gontrand Décoste of Jérémie, Haiti, detailed the ongoing violence in the nation and warned that the Church has become a target for gangs.The Church is “the last remaining bulkhead — moral, ethical, spiritual, and prophetic,” he said. “That is why they want to eliminate us.”Décoste told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), an international Catholic pastoral aid organization, that despite the widespread violence in the Caribbean nation, the Church remains hopeful.“We keep praying, singing, and dancing. In Haiti we say: ‘As long as they haven’t cut off our head, we still have hope of wearing a hat.’ That is why we never lose hope,” he said.The bishop thanked organizations working to offer aid to the nation. He said: “Your prayers sustain us enormously; without them we could not carry on. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.”Gang violence in the nation continues to rise with armed gangs controlling between 70% and 90% of the capital.Amid the violence, in Port-au-Prince, 40 parishes have had to close, according to ACN. Schools and religious houses have also been attacked, burned, and seized.Sister Paesie, a Catholic sister who operates an organization to aid children in Cité Soleil, Haiti, also highlighted the increasing violence.The sister and her team at the Kizito Family, which runs homes, schools, and catechism programs, recently took in dozens more children following numerous recent attacks.Sister Paesie told EWTN News that last week gangs attacked an area in Port-au-Prince where the organization operates one of its schools. Most of the population fled besides a few elderly people who were unable to, and most were killed.“The parents began bringing children to us for shelter,” she told EWTN News. On Aug. 9, “we took in about 20” and “others came yesterday, and about 50 today.”“The Missionaries of Charity accepted to take in the girls” and “we have the boys,” she said.“Among them were four brothers [who] were alone when the attack took place. The parents had gone to work, and a cousin grabbed them and fled. When the father returned home, he was not aware of the attack. He was killed and burned. The mother did not show up … where the people took refuge,” she said.Sister Paesie also detailed how the attacks and destruction have left organizations, many of them run by religious orders, unable to operate and provide aid to those in need.She specifically noted a Missionaries of Charity convent that was attacked and burned down two years ago.It remains "completely empty and the buildings destroyed,” she said. “It used to receive more than 2,000 patients every year.”
Sister Paesie visits the Missionaries of Charity convent in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in May 2026. The convent was attacked and burned by gangs in 2024. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Sister Paesie
U.S. bishops urge protection for Haitian nationals on TPSU.S. bishops have continuously warned of the unsafe conditions in Haiti, urging lawmakers to extend temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitian nationals living in the United States.Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami has previously said that ending temporary residency protections for Haitians would be “sending people into a burning building.”He said Haiti “remains a country on the brink,” noting the “widespread gang violence and kidnapping, a rampant cholera epidemic, and spreading food insecurity.”“The lack of functioning state institutions has resulted in a general breakdown of security, with attacks on women and children becoming commonplace,” he said. “It would be an act of abject cruelty for the United States to send families back to such dangerous and unsafe conditions.”Other Florida bishops, and many Ohio bishops, have also addressed the matter, calling for a more permanent solution to care for the refugees.The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation in April, and the Senate has not acted on that measure or on a bill (S. 4814), which would require the Homeland Security secretary to designate Haiti for TPS through early 2029, giving eligible Haitian nationals in the United States protection from deportation and authorization to work while conditions in Haiti remain unsafe.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/haiti-bishop-says-gangs-target-church-as-violence-shuts-parishes-schools-catholic-bishop-joseph-gontrand-decoste-of-jeremie-haiti-detailed-the-ongoing-violence-in-the-nation-and-warned-that-th.jpg "Haiti bishop says gangs target Church as violence shuts parishes, schools – #Catholic – Bishop Joseph Gontrand Décoste of Jérémie, Haiti, detailed the ongoing violence in the nation and warned that the Church has become a target for gangs.The Church is “the last remaining bulkhead — moral, ethical, spiritual, and prophetic,” he said. “That is why they want to eliminate us.”Décoste told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), an international Catholic pastoral aid organization, that despite the widespread violence in the Caribbean nation, the Church remains hopeful.“We keep praying, singing, and dancing. In Haiti we say: ‘As long as they haven’t cut off our head, we still have hope of wearing a hat.’ That is why we never lose hope,” he said.The bishop thanked organizations working to offer aid to the nation. He said: “Your prayers sustain us enormously; without them we could not carry on. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.”Gang violence in the nation continues to rise with armed gangs controlling between 70% and 90% of the capital.Amid the violence, in Port-au-Prince, 40 parishes have had to close, according to ACN. Schools and religious houses have also been attacked, burned, and seized.Sister Paesie, a Catholic sister who operates an organization to aid children in Cité Soleil, Haiti, also highlighted the increasing violence.The sister and her team at the Kizito Family, which runs homes, schools, and catechism programs, recently took in dozens more children following numerous recent attacks.Sister Paesie told EWTN News that last week gangs attacked an area in Port-au-Prince where the organization operates one of its schools. Most of the population fled besides a few elderly people who were unable to, and most were killed.“The parents began bringing children to us for shelter,” she told EWTN News. On Aug. 9, “we took in about 20” and “others came yesterday, and about 50 today.”“The Missionaries of Charity accepted to take in the girls” and “we have the boys,” she said.“Among them were four brothers [who] were alone when the attack took place. The parents had gone to work, and a cousin grabbed them and fled. When the father returned home, he was not aware of the attack. He was killed and burned. The mother did not show up … where the people took refuge,” she said.Sister Paesie also detailed how the attacks and destruction have left organizations, many of them run by religious orders, unable to operate and provide aid to those in need.She specifically noted a Missionaries of Charity convent that was attacked and burned down two years ago.It remains \"completely empty and the buildings destroyed,” she said. “It used to receive more than 2,000 patients every year.”
Sister Paesie visits the Missionaries of Charity convent in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in May 2026. The convent was attacked and burned by gangs in 2024. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Sister Paesie
U.S. bishops urge protection for Haitian nationals on TPSU.S. bishops have continuously warned of the unsafe conditions in Haiti, urging lawmakers to extend temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitian nationals living in the United States.Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami has previously said that ending temporary residency protections for Haitians would be “sending people into a burning building.”He said Haiti “remains a country on the brink,” noting the “widespread gang violence and kidnapping, a rampant cholera epidemic, and spreading food insecurity.”“The lack of functioning state institutions has resulted in a general breakdown of security, with attacks on women and children becoming commonplace,” he said. “It would be an act of abject cruelty for the United States to send families back to such dangerous and unsafe conditions.”Other Florida bishops, and many Ohio bishops, have also addressed the matter, calling for a more permanent solution to care for the refugees.The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation in April, and the Senate has not acted on that measure or on a bill (S. 4814), which would require the Homeland Security secretary to designate Haiti for TPS through early 2029, giving eligible Haitian nationals in the United States protection from deportation and authorization to work while conditions in Haiti remain unsafe.")
The Church is “the last remaining bulkhead — moral, ethical, spiritual, and prophetic,” Bishop Joseph Gontrand Décoste said. “That is why they want to eliminate us.”
![Texas court orders hospitals to provide lifesaving care to baby at center of surrogacy dispute – #Catholic – Two hospitals in Texas have been ordered to provide lifesaving care for a soon-to-be-born baby at the center of an interstate surrogacy dispute. State Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office announced in an Aug. 11 press release that UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas were legally obligated to care for Gabriel, a baby due to be born on Sept. 2 to surrogate mother McKenna West. A Texas district court had earlier ruled that the hospitals would be required to care for the baby.In an earlier letter to the hospitals on Aug. 10, Paxton said Gabriel had been diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and that his “intended parents” said they would seek to “refuse consent” to an operation. The parents, identified in court documents as Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, “may seek to move the child to California so that treatment can be withheld there,” the letter said. West reportedly traveled to Texas from Alaska after Gilkar and Ahmed urged her to seek an abortion after the diagnosis of the syndrome, according to news reports. She allegedly offered to take full responsibility of the baby, though the baby’s biological parents reportedly refused. In an emergency order dated Aug. 11, the Dallas district court ordered that upon birth the baby would be provided with “medically indicated stabilizing and life-sustaining care” at either of the hospitals. The court also barred the child’s removal from either the hospitals or the state of Texas except as necessary for his medical care. Paxton hailed the court’s order as “the right decision.” “My office utilized every tool at our disposal to protect life, and we will not back down in continuing to support baby Gabriel’s well-being,” the prosecutor said. “Every child in our state deserves to be cared for and protected, and that’s exactly what I’ll fight for.” ‘A problem for the 13th Amendment’Anthony Sirven, a Catholic Florida-based attorney who has published on the subject of surrogacy, told EWTN News that this case and others like it portend “whether we’re going to decide custody based on a contract.”“The [surrogacy] contract is about a human life,” he said. “So the question is: How do you enforce a contract over a human life? The answer should be ‘you can’t’ because of the 13th and 14th Amendments.” The 13th Amendment outlawed slavery in the United States while the 14th Amendment enshrined equal protection and due process in the U.S. Constitution.Early litigation surrounding in vitro fertilization and surrogacy had to walk a careful line, Sirven said, as Roe v. Wade had asserted that unborn children are not human persons, putting their legal status into uncertainty. Courts ultimately settled around the idea that embryos are “a special kind of property,” he said, allowing courts to enforce contract-based rights over them.But the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision “overturned Roe and, arguably, every case that relied on Roe to recognize a property interest in human life,” he said, throwing years of precedent into uncertainty.On the Texas case, “we’ll see what happens,” Sirven said. “If this child is born and given lifesaving care, the next question will become ‘Who’s going to take custody of him?’ If the ‘intended parents’ seek custody or other rights under a contract, and the court rules in their favor on the basis of a contract, then that’s a problem under both the 13th and 14th Amendments.”Stefano Gennarini, the vice president for legal studies at the New York-based Center for Family and Human Rights, told EWTN News that “most lawyers” would agree it is “hard to predict a case like this.”Gennarini said he was not an expert in either Texas or Alaskan family law, but he said international legal conventions — specifically the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — affirms “the human right of mothers and their children to receive special protections during pregnancy and after birth.”“Allowing a third party to contractually decide what kind of treatment a surrogate mother can seek eviscerates these international protections,” he said. “Overall, this case illustrates how dangerous any form of surrogacy is.”The practice of surrogacy, he said, “legally deconstructs the natural family as recognized in international law,” leading to what he described as “inhuman scenarios” such as that in Texas.The order handed down in Texas takes effect on the event of Gabriel’s birth and “remains in effect until further order,” the court said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/texas-court-orders-hospitals-to-provide-lifesaving-care-to-baby-at-center-of-surrogacy-dispute-catholic-two-hospitals-in-texas-have-been-ordered-to-provide-lifesaving-care-for-a-soon-to-be-born-b.jpg "Texas court orders hospitals to provide lifesaving care to baby at center of surrogacy dispute – #Catholic – Two hospitals in Texas have been ordered to provide lifesaving care for a soon-to-be-born baby at the center of an interstate surrogacy dispute. State Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office announced in an Aug. 11 press release that UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas were legally obligated to care for Gabriel, a baby due to be born on Sept. 2 to surrogate mother McKenna West. A Texas district court had earlier ruled that the hospitals would be required to care for the baby.In an earlier letter to the hospitals on Aug. 10, Paxton said Gabriel had been diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and that his “intended parents” said they would seek to “refuse consent” to an operation. The parents, identified in court documents as Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, “may seek to move the child to California so that treatment can be withheld there,” the letter said. West reportedly traveled to Texas from Alaska after Gilkar and Ahmed urged her to seek an abortion after the diagnosis of the syndrome, according to news reports. She allegedly offered to take full responsibility of the baby, though the baby’s biological parents reportedly refused. In an emergency order dated Aug. 11, the Dallas district court ordered that upon birth the baby would be provided with “medically indicated stabilizing and life-sustaining care” at either of the hospitals. The court also barred the child’s removal from either the hospitals or the state of Texas except as necessary for his medical care. Paxton hailed the court’s order as “the right decision.” “My office utilized every tool at our disposal to protect life, and we will not back down in continuing to support baby Gabriel’s well-being,” the prosecutor said. “Every child in our state deserves to be cared for and protected, and that’s exactly what I’ll fight for.” ‘A problem for the 13th Amendment’Anthony Sirven, a Catholic Florida-based attorney who has published on the subject of surrogacy, told EWTN News that this case and others like it portend “whether we’re going to decide custody based on a contract.”“The [surrogacy] contract is about a human life,” he said. “So the question is: How do you enforce a contract over a human life? The answer should be ‘you can’t’ because of the 13th and 14th Amendments.” The 13th Amendment outlawed slavery in the United States while the 14th Amendment enshrined equal protection and due process in the U.S. Constitution.Early litigation surrounding in vitro fertilization and surrogacy had to walk a careful line, Sirven said, as Roe v. Wade had asserted that unborn children are not human persons, putting their legal status into uncertainty. Courts ultimately settled around the idea that embryos are “a special kind of property,” he said, allowing courts to enforce contract-based rights over them.But the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision “overturned Roe and, arguably, every case that relied on Roe to recognize a property interest in human life,” he said, throwing years of precedent into uncertainty.On the Texas case, “we’ll see what happens,” Sirven said. “If this child is born and given lifesaving care, the next question will become ‘Who’s going to take custody of him?’ If the ‘intended parents’ seek custody or other rights under a contract, and the court rules in their favor on the basis of a contract, then that’s a problem under both the 13th and 14th Amendments.”Stefano Gennarini, the vice president for legal studies at the New York-based Center for Family and Human Rights, told EWTN News that “most lawyers” would agree it is “hard to predict a case like this.”Gennarini said he was not an expert in either Texas or Alaskan family law, but he said international legal conventions — specifically the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — affirms “the human right of mothers and their children to receive special protections during pregnancy and after birth.”“Allowing a third party to contractually decide what kind of treatment a surrogate mother can seek eviscerates these international protections,” he said. “Overall, this case illustrates how dangerous any form of surrogacy is.”The practice of surrogacy, he said, “legally deconstructs the natural family as recognized in international law,” leading to what he described as “inhuman scenarios” such as that in Texas.The order handed down in Texas takes effect on the event of Gabriel’s birth and “remains in effect until further order,” the court said.")
A Texas district court ruled that UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas were obligated to care for Gabriel, a baby due to be born to surrogate mother McKenna West.
AI’s appetite for power and water is growing as fast as its role in daily life. In 2024, artificial intelligence data centers accounted for roughly 4% of the U.S.’s electricity consumption. This figure is expected to more than double by 2030. To meet those increasing demands, several of Silicon Valley’s biggest names have turned theirContinue reading “AI outgrows Earth”
The post AI outgrows Earth appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More![Medicaid formally ends funds for ‘sex-rejecting procedures’ for minors with final rule #Catholic The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it has implemented a final rule that formally bans using funds for “sex-rejecting procedures” for minors, which are drugs and surgeries used to facilitate “gender transitions.”According to a CMS news release, this includes puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical operations. It states these medical procedures cause irreversible damage, including infertility, impaired sexual function, diminished bone density, altered brain development, and other physiological effects.The move formalizes a policy of President Donald Trump’s administration to prevent minors from accessing these drugs and surgeries. In January 2025, Trump signed an executive order that instructed agencies to adopt rules to “end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”The final rule includes a tapering-off period of up to six months for children who are receiving cross-sex hormones, which allows them to be gradually weaned off the medicine. It does not affect mental health services.“Children deserve our protection, not experimental interventions that pose serious risks and convey no proven benefits,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a statement.“By cutting off federal funds for these sex-rejecting procedures, we’re following the science, saving taxpayer dollars, and, most importantly, protecting children from potentially irreversible harm so they can truly flourish,” he said.Rachel N. Morrison, director of the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Administrative State Accountability Project, told EWTN News that government funding should never support “harmful, sterilizing, and often irreversible sex-rejecting procedures.”“I am grateful to CMS and the Trump administration for their efforts to combat gender ideology, protect children from the harms [of] sex-rejecting procedures, and advance policies that reflect a true understanding of the nature of the human person,” she said.The Church’s positionThe U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) referred EWTN News to a Feb. 17 letter to CMS, which said the proposed ban on federal funding “aligns with Catholic teaching on the nature of the human person” and “reflects true distinctions between the sexes.” “Rejection of our God-given bodies, such as by modifying them to appear as the opposite sex, is a grave matter, and when done with full knowledge and complete consent, is a grave sin,” the letter states.In November 2025, the USCCB published a new edition of its ”Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services” guidelines, which prohibit Catholic institutions from providing treatments that “aim not to restore but rather to alter the fundamental order of the human body in its form or function” such as “interventions that aim to transform sexual characteristics of a human body into those of the opposite sex (or to nullify sexual characteristics…).”Joseph Meaney, past president and senior ethicist for the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), told EWTN News CMS “should be applauded for putting an end to federal taxpayer funding of transgender procedures on children.”“There is substantial agreement between U.S. government policy and Catholic teaching in this area of healthcare policy,” he said.Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, an NCBC senior ethicist, told EWTN News that the implementation of the rule “is very sensible and long overdue.”“Countless youth have already been railroaded along this path, placing themselves at great risk and damaging their bodies as they struggle with this confusion,” Pacholczyk said. “Once a young person steps onto that train, they often become ‘regular business customers,’ with a lifelong dependence on the continued prescribing of hormones and additional cycles of expensive surgeries.”He said tax money should not pay for “a hysterectomy on a girl who wants to live as a boy, nor to provide breast implants into a boy who thinks he is a girl.” He said children “deserve far better from the world of medicine and psychiatry.”“They are entitled to solid psychotherapy as a means of assisting them to reintegrate their subjective gender identity with their objective lifelong biology so they can recognize and embrace the beautiful gift of the biological sex they have been endowed with from the beginning,” Pacholczyk said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/medicaid-formally-ends-funds-for-sex-rejecting-procedures-for-minors-with-final-rule-catholic-the-centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services-cms-announced-it-has-implemented-a-f.jpg "Medicaid formally ends funds for ‘sex-rejecting procedures’ for minors with final rule #Catholic The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it has implemented a final rule that formally bans using funds for “sex-rejecting procedures” for minors, which are drugs and surgeries used to facilitate “gender transitions.”According to a CMS news release, this includes puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical operations. It states these medical procedures cause irreversible damage, including infertility, impaired sexual function, diminished bone density, altered brain development, and other physiological effects.The move formalizes a policy of President Donald Trump’s administration to prevent minors from accessing these drugs and surgeries. In January 2025, Trump signed an executive order that instructed agencies to adopt rules to “end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”The final rule includes a tapering-off period of up to six months for children who are receiving cross-sex hormones, which allows them to be gradually weaned off the medicine. It does not affect mental health services.“Children deserve our protection, not experimental interventions that pose serious risks and convey no proven benefits,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a statement.“By cutting off federal funds for these sex-rejecting procedures, we’re following the science, saving taxpayer dollars, and, most importantly, protecting children from potentially irreversible harm so they can truly flourish,” he said.Rachel N. Morrison, director of the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Administrative State Accountability Project, told EWTN News that government funding should never support “harmful, sterilizing, and often irreversible sex-rejecting procedures.”“I am grateful to CMS and the Trump administration for their efforts to combat gender ideology, protect children from the harms [of] sex-rejecting procedures, and advance policies that reflect a true understanding of the nature of the human person,” she said.The Church’s positionThe U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) referred EWTN News to a Feb. 17 letter to CMS, which said the proposed ban on federal funding “aligns with Catholic teaching on the nature of the human person” and “reflects true distinctions between the sexes.” “Rejection of our God-given bodies, such as by modifying them to appear as the opposite sex, is a grave matter, and when done with full knowledge and complete consent, is a grave sin,” the letter states.In November 2025, the USCCB published a new edition of its ”Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services” guidelines, which prohibit Catholic institutions from providing treatments that “aim not to restore but rather to alter the fundamental order of the human body in its form or function” such as “interventions that aim to transform sexual characteristics of a human body into those of the opposite sex (or to nullify sexual characteristics…).”Joseph Meaney, past president and senior ethicist for the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), told EWTN News CMS “should be applauded for putting an end to federal taxpayer funding of transgender procedures on children.”“There is substantial agreement between U.S. government policy and Catholic teaching in this area of healthcare policy,” he said.Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, an NCBC senior ethicist, told EWTN News that the implementation of the rule “is very sensible and long overdue.”“Countless youth have already been railroaded along this path, placing themselves at great risk and damaging their bodies as they struggle with this confusion,” Pacholczyk said. “Once a young person steps onto that train, they often become ‘regular business customers,’ with a lifelong dependence on the continued prescribing of hormones and additional cycles of expensive surgeries.”He said tax money should not pay for “a hysterectomy on a girl who wants to live as a boy, nor to provide breast implants into a boy who thinks he is a girl.” He said children “deserve far better from the world of medicine and psychiatry.”“They are entitled to solid psychotherapy as a means of assisting them to reintegrate their subjective gender identity with their objective lifelong biology so they can recognize and embrace the beautiful gift of the biological sex they have been endowed with from the beginning,” Pacholczyk said.")
The development formalizes a policy of the Trump administration. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has urged government action in this area.
Father Benedict Chau survived the period of communist persecution by Mao Zedong and ended his days at the reestablsihed monastery of Our Lady of Joy on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope imaged the planetary nebula NGC 2392, the Lion Nebula, using the observatory’s NIRCam and MIRI instruments. The central star’s remains are responsible for the nebula’s structure, including a lion face-shaped bubble of ionized gas and dust “mane.”
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Coopers Beach in Southampton pairs wide stretches of quartz sand and grassy dunes with easy access to restaurants, galleries, and Hamptons shopping.
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Red deer (Cervus elaphus), in Freyr forest, near Han-sur-Lesse, Belgium
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NOT SATIRE: Stop the Doom Scroll: Share Jesus
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TALLAHASSEE, FL — With recent data showing a marked decrease in crime across the Sunshine State, Florida officials credited its record-low crime rate to having chased away all the Democrats.
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Rachel Maddow of MSNOW recently brought on her network colleague Lawrence O’Donnell and the two of them enjoyed a laugh talking about reports on the latest threat to Trump’s life, as he was leaving Turkey in July.
The post GHOULS: Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell of MSNOW Yuk it Up Over Threat to Trump’s Life Overseas (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Another long-serving Democrat incumbent got booted from office.
The post JUST IN: 14-Term Connecticut Democrat Incumbent Rep. John Larson Unseated by Former Hartford Mayor Who Cheered on DSA Members appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The brilliant FOX News contributor Michele TaFoya won the Republican primary election for US Senate in Minnesota tonight.
The post Brilliant and Beautiful Former NFL Reporter Michele TaFoya Wins GOP Senate Primary in Minnesota appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreA reading from the Book of Ezekiel
9:1-7; 10:18-22
The LORD cried loud for me to hear:
Come, you scourges of the city!
With that I saw six men coming from the direction
of the upper gate which faces the north,
each with a destroying weapon in his hand.
In their midst was a man dressed in linen,
with a writer?s case at his waist.
They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then he called to the man dressed in linen
with the writer?s case at his waist, saying to him:
Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and mark a ?Thau? on the foreheads of those who moan and groan
over all the abominations that are practiced within it.
To the others I heard the LORD say:
Pass through the city after him and strike!
Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy!
Old men, youths and maidens, women and children?wipe them out!
But do not touch any marked with the ?Thau?; begin at my sanctuary.
So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple.
Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain;
then go out and strike in the city.
Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple
and rested upon the cherubim.
These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth,
the wheels rising along with them.
They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord?s house,
and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.
Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them,
while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them."
The Gospel text from chapter 18 of Matthew on the life of the Christian community tells us that brotherly love also involves a sense of mutual responsibility. For this reason if my brother commits a sin against me I must treat him charitably and first of all, speak to him privately, pointing out that what he has said or done is wrong. This approach is known as ?fraternal correction?: it is not a reaction to the offence suffered but is motivated by love for one’s brethren. (?)
Another fruit of love in the community is unanimous prayer. Jesus said: ?If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them? (Mt 18:19-20). Personal prayer is of course important, indeed indispensable, but the Lord guarantees his presence to the community ? even if it is very small ? which is united and in agreement, because this reflects the very reality of the Triune God, perfect communion of love. Origen says ?we should practise this symphony? (Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew, 14,1), in other words this harmony within the Christian community. We should practise both fraternal correction ? which demands deep humility and simplicity of heart ? and prayer so that it may rise to God from a community truly united in Christ. (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 4 September 2011)
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The bishops of several Latin American countries offered prayers and expressed their closeness to the victims of the earthquake that struck Colombia this week.
![Court reconsiders First Amendment challenge to Michigan school’s transgender policies – #Catholic – A federal court granted a request from two parents to consider whether a Michigan school district violated the First Amendment when officials began treating their daughter as a boy without informing them.Judge Paul Maloney granted the motion to reconsider Aug. 7 in light of the 2026 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Mirabelli v. Bonta. The Supreme Court decided 6-3 that a similar policy in California likely violated the parents’ First Amendment right to freely exercise their religion, which includes the right to direct the religious development of their children.Similar to the California lawsuit, the two Michigan parents — Dan and Jennifer Mead — have argued that their views on gender and human sexuality are based on their Christian faith. The original lawsuit states that the Meads believe “each of us is born with a fixed biological sex that is a gift from God, not an arbitrary imposition subject to change.”According to the lawsuit, their seventh-grade daughter asked school officials at the Rockford Public School District to refer to her with a masculine name and use male pronouns. School officials began doing this but never informed her parents, and the school counselor had discussed the daughter’s broader mental health struggles with her parents, the lawsuit states.Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel Kate Anderson, who represents the parents in court, said in a statement that “parents have the right to direct the upbringing, education, and healthcare of their children — without government interference.”“By intentionally concealing this information from the Meads, the school district violated their constitutional rights as parents to make critical decisions about their daughter,” Anderson said. “The court’s ruling is a necessary step toward protecting the Mead family’s First Amendment rights.”Steve Matthews, superintendent for Rockford Public Schools, told EWTN News “the legal process continues to proceed” and “we have no comment at this time as we continue through this process.”Court proceedings continueThe lawsuit alleges that school officials began treating the Meads’ daughter as a boy in 2022. It states that the school used a masculine name and male pronouns when speaking with their daughter and in internal school records. Yet, they used her legal name and female pronouns when talking to her parents and in documents shared with parents, it states.Her parents removed her from the school in October 2022 after school officials forgot to alter a document that used the masculine name and male pronouns before giving it to her parents, the lawsuit states. This is how the parents discovered the school’s practices.The Meads filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleging the school district violated their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion and the 14th Amendment’s protection of a parent’s right to raise his or her children.In 2025, a federal court allowed the 14th Amendment claims to proceed but dismissed the First Amendment claims. On Aug. 7, 2026, the court granted a motion to reconsider First Amendment claims in light of the new Supreme Court precedent set in Mirabelli v. Bonta.Maloney’s court order in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan Southern Division states the Supreme Court ruling “calls into question the court’s interpretation of the relevant law and will grant the motion to reconsider.” It says the lawsuit filed in Mirabelli v. Bonta “involved school policies similar to the district’s policies here.”“When a student engaged in gender transitioning at school, the policy prevented school staff from telling the student’s parents about their child’s situation unless the student consented,” the judge said of the Mirabelli v. Bonta decision.“Like the policies at issue in Mirabelli, the policies here likely created a substantial burden on the Meads’ free-exercise rights,” the order adds. “The Meads share religious beliefs similar to the parents in Mirabelli about the permanency of biological sex and the fixed relationship between sex and gender.”The judge’s order notes that the Rockford Public School District’s position is that its policies are designed “to meet [the district’s] interest in promoting student safety and success.” Yet, the court order states that the policies “do not factor in parents’ views and, as a result, they ‘cut’ parents out.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/court-reconsiders-first-amendment-challenge-to-michigan-schools-transgender-policies-catholic-a-federal-court-granted-a-request-from-two-parents-to-consider-whether-a-michigan-school-dis.jpg "Court reconsiders First Amendment challenge to Michigan school’s transgender policies – #Catholic – A federal court granted a request from two parents to consider whether a Michigan school district violated the First Amendment when officials began treating their daughter as a boy without informing them.Judge Paul Maloney granted the motion to reconsider Aug. 7 in light of the 2026 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Mirabelli v. Bonta. The Supreme Court decided 6-3 that a similar policy in California likely violated the parents’ First Amendment right to freely exercise their religion, which includes the right to direct the religious development of their children.Similar to the California lawsuit, the two Michigan parents — Dan and Jennifer Mead — have argued that their views on gender and human sexuality are based on their Christian faith. The original lawsuit states that the Meads believe “each of us is born with a fixed biological sex that is a gift from God, not an arbitrary imposition subject to change.”According to the lawsuit, their seventh-grade daughter asked school officials at the Rockford Public School District to refer to her with a masculine name and use male pronouns. School officials began doing this but never informed her parents, and the school counselor had discussed the daughter’s broader mental health struggles with her parents, the lawsuit states.Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel Kate Anderson, who represents the parents in court, said in a statement that “parents have the right to direct the upbringing, education, and healthcare of their children — without government interference.”“By intentionally concealing this information from the Meads, the school district violated their constitutional rights as parents to make critical decisions about their daughter,” Anderson said. “The court’s ruling is a necessary step toward protecting the Mead family’s First Amendment rights.”Steve Matthews, superintendent for Rockford Public Schools, told EWTN News “the legal process continues to proceed” and “we have no comment at this time as we continue through this process.”Court proceedings continueThe lawsuit alleges that school officials began treating the Meads’ daughter as a boy in 2022. It states that the school used a masculine name and male pronouns when speaking with their daughter and in internal school records. Yet, they used her legal name and female pronouns when talking to her parents and in documents shared with parents, it states.Her parents removed her from the school in October 2022 after school officials forgot to alter a document that used the masculine name and male pronouns before giving it to her parents, the lawsuit states. This is how the parents discovered the school’s practices.The Meads filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleging the school district violated their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion and the 14th Amendment’s protection of a parent’s right to raise his or her children.In 2025, a federal court allowed the 14th Amendment claims to proceed but dismissed the First Amendment claims. On Aug. 7, 2026, the court granted a motion to reconsider First Amendment claims in light of the new Supreme Court precedent set in Mirabelli v. Bonta.Maloney’s court order in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan Southern Division states the Supreme Court ruling “calls into question the court’s interpretation of the relevant law and will grant the motion to reconsider.” It says the lawsuit filed in Mirabelli v. Bonta “involved school policies similar to the district’s policies here.”“When a student engaged in gender transitioning at school, the policy prevented school staff from telling the student’s parents about their child’s situation unless the student consented,” the judge said of the Mirabelli v. Bonta decision.“Like the policies at issue in Mirabelli, the policies here likely created a substantial burden on the Meads’ free-exercise rights,” the order adds. “The Meads share religious beliefs similar to the parents in Mirabelli about the permanency of biological sex and the fixed relationship between sex and gender.”The judge’s order notes that the Rockford Public School District’s position is that its policies are designed “to meet [the district’s] interest in promoting student safety and success.” Yet, the court order states that the policies “do not factor in parents’ views and, as a result, they ‘cut’ parents out.”")
The court initially dismissed the First Amendment challenge. In light of a recent U.S. Supreme Supreme Court decision, the judge is reconsidering those claims.
Local Church leaders called on the faithful to respond with prayer, generosity, and solidarity.
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Greg Meyer, taken from Starfront Observatory, near Brady, Texas Two faint planetary nebulae glow in Cassiopeia — Abell 6 (lower left), about 3,750 light-years away, and HFG1 (upper right), roughly 2,300 light-years distant. These objects are dying, Sun-like stars shedding their outer layers as they run out of nuclear fuel. HFG1 displays a prominent bowContinue reading “Dying lights”
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Pope Leo XIV offers prayers, condolences as bishops urge solidarity following Colombia earthquake #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction following a powerful earthquake that struck Colombia, leaving more than 100 dead and dozens of collapsed buildings.
The pope offered prayers “for the eternal rest of the deceased and raises his prayers to the Lord for the speedy recovery of those affected by this tragedy,” said a telegram to Archbishop Francisco Javier Múnera Correa of Cartagena, president of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.
The earthquake struck in the morning Aug. 10, with hundreds of videos posted online of people fleeing outdoors as the ground below them violently shook.
The Colombian Association of Capital Cities reported that the death toll rose to 132, with more than 570 injured. The association, which is a network of Colombia’s major cities, said the number is expected to change as damage assessments continue in the affected areas.
In his message, which the Vatican published Aug. 11, Cardinal Parolin conveyed the pope’s condolences “to the families who, in this hour of deep sorrow, mourn the loss of their loved ones.”
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“In the same way, he assures his spiritual closeness and expresses his gratitude to all those who, with generous dedication, are working in the search, rescue, and assistance efforts for those affected,” the message read.
“Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he asks the Lord to pour out upon the beloved Colombian people the gifts of spiritual strength and Christian hope,” said the message.
According to Colombia’s Geological Service, the quake’s epicenter was the northwestern department of Chocó, and the intense magnitude made it “the strongest earthquake felt in Colombia in the last decade.”
The Geological Service also reported that, as of Aug. 10 in the afternoon, the country has recorded 18 aftershocks with magnitudes between 1.4 and 4.8 since the initial earthquake.
In a message published Aug. 10, the Colombian Bishops’ Conference expressed its closeness to the victims of the deadly 7.4 magnitude quake, as well as those who have been displaced.
“We pray for those who have lost their lives, that God may grant them eternal rest; for the persons who are still missing; for the injured, and for the affected families,” the bishops said.
The bishops also prayed for relief and medical personnel, as well as military and government authorities, “and all those who, with generosity and courage, are working in search, rescue, and care efforts for those affected.”
“This painful moment reminds us that no one can face an emergency of this magnitude alone,” the statement read. “Colombia is called, once again, to recognize itself as one family and to respond to the suffering of its brothers and sisters with generosity, responsibility, and solidarity.”
Among the videos of the destruction wrought by the earthquake were that of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manizales, as well as several churches that were heavily damaged in the aftermath.
The Archdiocese of Manizales also shared a 10-second video showing a Mass taking place as the earthquake struck in the morning.
In a video message to the city’s faithful, Archbishop José Miguel Gómez of Manizales said that while the archdiocese continues to assess the damage to churches, “the most important thing is you, the faithful, the priests, and all our neighbors who suffered the same.”
“God, our Lord, never abandons us, and it is in these moments when, lifting our eyes to Him, we must all, with humility and simplicity, ask Him for the graces we need to live through these difficulties,” Archbishop Gómez said.
The archbishop also invoked the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, asking her to “console and comfort” those affected by the natural disaster. He also urged people to follow guidelines given by the authorities.
“And, following those instructions, always seek to be attentive to those who suffer the most, so that no person is left without care in these difficult times,” he said before imparting his blessing.
The Colombian bishops’ conference said dioceses across the country are setting up collection points to ensure food distribution to shelters, hospitals and communities in the affected areas.
Caritas Colombia, the conference said, activated its National Emergency Service “to raise funds to directly help the jurisdictions and communities that were most affected by this tragedy.”
Junno Arocho Esteves is an international correspondent for OSV News. Follow him on X @jae_journalist.
– (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction following a powerful earthquake that struck Colombia, leaving more than 100 dead and dozens of collapsed buildings. The pope offered prayers “for the eternal rest of the deceased and raises his prayers to the Lord for the speedy recovery of those affected by this tragedy,” said a telegram to Archbishop Francisco Javier Múnera Correa of Cartagena, president of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state. The earthquake struck in the morning Aug. 10, with hundreds of
