Day: October 20, 2026

U.S. bill would hold Syrian officials accountable for abuses against minorities – #Catholic – Amid reports of ongoing abuses against religious and ethnic groups in Syria, U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pennsylvania, introduced a bill aimed at strengthening accountability for serious human rights abuses and persecution, including those targeting Christians and Alawites. The bill calls for a report identifying Syrian officials suspected of involvement in the abuses and for consideration of targeted sanctions against them.The bill is titled the “Syrian Religious and Ethnic Minorities Protection Act.” It was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, as well as the House Committees on the Judiciary and Financial Services, for consideration of matters within their respective jurisdictions. On his website, Mackenzie said the measure aims to strengthen congressional oversight, identify those responsible for abuses, and ensure the United States uses the tools available to hold them accountable. He said protecting religious freedom and human rights should remain a priority as Syria builds its future.The bill’s text, which is supported by In Defense of Christians, the American Syriac Union, and the Alawites Association of the United States, cites reports of unlawful detention, ongoing sectarian violence against minorities fueled by hate speech whose perpetrators go unpunished, the abduction of women and minors, mass dismissals from employment, enforced disappearances, intimidation and property seizures, forced displacement, police abuse of authority, government-backed looting, coercion to change religion, and extrajudicial killings.The bill also draws on reports from international organizations, including the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, documenting continued violations of religious freedom and persecution based on religious and ethnic identity. It points to the Syrian transitional authorities’ failure to include minorities in governance and the transition, investigate crimes against them, and prosecute those responsible. It also cites reports that foreign fighters remain in senior positions within state and security institutions.Under the bill, the U.S. secretary of state, in coordination with the director of national intelligence, would be required to submit a report to the relevant committees within 90 days of the bill’s enactment. The report would identify senior Syrian officials and people associated with them who are credibly suspected of participating in, directing, facilitating, or covering up the abuses, and assess whether measures should be imposed against them. Possible measures include blocking property, visa and entry restrictions, financial restrictions, and other actions authorized under U.S. law.
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U.S. bill would hold Syrian officials accountable for abuses against minorities – #Catholic – Amid reports of ongoing abuses against religious and ethnic groups in Syria, U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pennsylvania, introduced a bill aimed at strengthening accountability for serious human rights abuses and persecution, including those targeting Christians and Alawites. The bill calls for a report identifying Syrian officials suspected of involvement in the abuses and for consideration of targeted sanctions against them.The bill is titled the “Syrian Religious and Ethnic Minorities Protection Act.” It was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, as well as the House Committees on the Judiciary and Financial Services, for consideration of matters within their respective jurisdictions. On his website, Mackenzie said the measure aims to strengthen congressional oversight, identify those responsible for abuses, and ensure the United States uses the tools available to hold them accountable. He said protecting religious freedom and human rights should remain a priority as Syria builds its future.The bill’s text, which is supported by In Defense of Christians, the American Syriac Union, and the Alawites Association of the United States, cites reports of unlawful detention, ongoing sectarian violence against minorities fueled by hate speech whose perpetrators go unpunished, the abduction of women and minors, mass dismissals from employment, enforced disappearances, intimidation and property seizures, forced displacement, police abuse of authority, government-backed looting, coercion to change religion, and extrajudicial killings.The bill also draws on reports from international organizations, including the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, documenting continued violations of religious freedom and persecution based on religious and ethnic identity. It points to the Syrian transitional authorities’ failure to include minorities in governance and the transition, investigate crimes against them, and prosecute those responsible. It also cites reports that foreign fighters remain in senior positions within state and security institutions.Under the bill, the U.S. secretary of state, in coordination with the director of national intelligence, would be required to submit a report to the relevant committees within 90 days of the bill’s enactment. The report would identify senior Syrian officials and people associated with them who are credibly suspected of participating in, directing, facilitating, or covering up the abuses, and assess whether measures should be imposed against them. Possible measures include blocking property, visa and entry restrictions, financial restrictions, and other actions authorized under U.S. law.

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The bill calls for a report identifying Syrian officials who are suspected of abuses and for consideration of targeted sanctions against them.

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From rector in Rome to bishop in England, Stephen Wang embraces new mission of truth and love – #Catholic – Following Pope Leo XIV’s announcement in July, Father Stephen Wang became the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton on Oct. 19 at the Cathedral of Our Lady and St. Philip Howard in England. Bishop Stephen Wang is ordained the sixth bishop of Arundel and Brighton in England on Oct. 19, 2026, after serving as rector of the Venerable English College in Rome. | Credit: ©Mazur/cbcew.org.uk The milestone event at the cathedral in West Sussex gathered key figures across the community — from Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, the papal nuncio to Great Britain, to local priests, religious orders, and lay Catholics — alongside representatives from neighboring Christian churches as well as the Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu traditions, all standing together to mark this new chapter for the diocese.Reflecting on his personal faith journey, Wang recalled converting to Catholicism decades prior in Harpenden, England. He shared how an icon given to him by a friend during his youth — inscribed with St. Paul’s reassurance that the Lord is faithful and will bring all things to fulfillment — has continually guided his vocation. Stephen Wang lies prostrate during his ordination as the sixth bishop of Arundel and Brighton in England on Oct. 19, 2026, after serving as rector of the Venerable English College in Rome. | Credit: ©Mazur/cbcew.org.uk When addressing the congregation after the ordination Mass, Wang announced his episcopal motto as “Veritas in Caritate,” from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “to speak the truth in love.” He said this phrase has inspired his whole priesthood — from his teenage conversion to his time in London when he launched the faith formation program “Sycamore” in 2014 and his appointment in Rome as rector of the Venerable English College (VEC). Bishop Stephen Wang elevates the host during the consecration at the Mass where he became the sixth bishop of Arundel and Brighton in England on Oct. 19, 2026. | Credit: ©Mazur/cbcew.org.uk Wang has a deep, multilayered history with the VEC in Rome, having spent time there both as a student and later returning as its rector. From 1992 to 1997, he completed his initial priestly formation at the seminary, earning a licentiate in philosophy from the college alongside a licentiate in fundamental theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. Decades later, he returned to Rome to serve as rector of the VEC from 2021 until 2026, where he oversaw the preparation and formation of the next generation of Catholic priests before stepping down upon his new appointment as the bishop of Arundel and Brighton.In his closing statement, newly ordained Wang said: “It’s not about us, it’s about God, his faithfulness, his love, a beauty that catches us by surprise.”
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From rector in Rome to bishop in England, Stephen Wang embraces new mission of truth and love – #Catholic – Following Pope Leo XIV’s announcement in July, Father Stephen Wang became the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton on Oct. 19 at the Cathedral of Our Lady and St. Philip Howard in England. Bishop Stephen Wang is ordained the sixth bishop of Arundel and Brighton in England on Oct. 19, 2026, after serving as rector of the Venerable English College in Rome. | Credit: ©Mazur/cbcew.org.uk The milestone event at the cathedral in West Sussex gathered key figures across the community — from Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, the papal nuncio to Great Britain, to local priests, religious orders, and lay Catholics — alongside representatives from neighboring Christian churches as well as the Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu traditions, all standing together to mark this new chapter for the diocese.Reflecting on his personal faith journey, Wang recalled converting to Catholicism decades prior in Harpenden, England. He shared how an icon given to him by a friend during his youth — inscribed with St. Paul’s reassurance that the Lord is faithful and will bring all things to fulfillment — has continually guided his vocation. Stephen Wang lies prostrate during his ordination as the sixth bishop of Arundel and Brighton in England on Oct. 19, 2026, after serving as rector of the Venerable English College in Rome. | Credit: ©Mazur/cbcew.org.uk When addressing the congregation after the ordination Mass, Wang announced his episcopal motto as “Veritas in Caritate,” from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “to speak the truth in love.” He said this phrase has inspired his whole priesthood — from his teenage conversion to his time in London when he launched the faith formation program “Sycamore” in 2014 and his appointment in Rome as rector of the Venerable English College (VEC). Bishop Stephen Wang elevates the host during the consecration at the Mass where he became the sixth bishop of Arundel and Brighton in England on Oct. 19, 2026. | Credit: ©Mazur/cbcew.org.uk Wang has a deep, multilayered history with the VEC in Rome, having spent time there both as a student and later returning as its rector. From 1992 to 1997, he completed his initial priestly formation at the seminary, earning a licentiate in philosophy from the college alongside a licentiate in fundamental theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. Decades later, he returned to Rome to serve as rector of the VEC from 2021 until 2026, where he oversaw the preparation and formation of the next generation of Catholic priests before stepping down upon his new appointment as the bishop of Arundel and Brighton.In his closing statement, newly ordained Wang said: “It’s not about us, it’s about God, his faithfulness, his love, a beauty that catches us by surprise.”

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Prior rector of the Venerable English College in Rome, Father Stephen Wang has been appointed the new bishop of Arundel and Brighton.

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Rector of pontifical university in Brazil dies in wind-related accident during Arizona visit – #Catholic – The head of a pontifical university in Brazil died during a visit to the U.S. this month after suffering a head injury in Arizona. The Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil, announced a memorial Mass in honor of Marist Brother Rogério Renato Mateucci, who died on Oct. 16 after being struck on the head by a piece of roofing at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West home near Scottsdale, Arizona. Mateucci was reportedly part of a walking tour at the historic home when high winds tore part of the roof off of the structure. He allegedly died instantly. The school held the memorial Mass on Oct. 19. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation said it an announcement that it “[extended] its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones” of Mateucci. The property would be closed until further notice, the foundation said. The Brazilian pontifical university, meanwhile, said it had canceled two days of classes in the wake of Mateucci’s death. Mateucci had been appointed to the rectorship of the university first in 2021. He had previously served as a vice rector there as well as on the school’s board of directors. His death was also mourned at Kent State University in Ohio, where he gave a keynote commencement address in May 2025 in which he called on graduates to take risks “to offer affection and make life easier for those around you.”“May you have the courage to say yes to the life that persists in you,” he told the assembly. Paulo Mussi Augusto, associate vice president for global education at the Ohio school, said Mateucci “spoke and acted with a rare gentleness and had a remarkable ability to listen, always making room for others to be heard.”“As a man of faith, he was steadfast, slow to judge and always willing to give people another chance,” Augusto said. “His legacy will continue to inspire all of us who had the privilege of knowing him.”
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Rector of pontifical university in Brazil dies in wind-related accident during Arizona visit – #Catholic – The head of a pontifical university in Brazil died during a visit to the U.S. this month after suffering a head injury in Arizona. The Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil, announced a memorial Mass in honor of Marist Brother Rogério Renato Mateucci, who died on Oct. 16 after being struck on the head by a piece of roofing at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West home near Scottsdale, Arizona. Mateucci was reportedly part of a walking tour at the historic home when high winds tore part of the roof off of the structure. He allegedly died instantly. The school held the memorial Mass on Oct. 19. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation said it an announcement that it “[extended] its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones” of Mateucci. The property would be closed until further notice, the foundation said. The Brazilian pontifical university, meanwhile, said it had canceled two days of classes in the wake of Mateucci’s death. Mateucci had been appointed to the rectorship of the university first in 2021. He had previously served as a vice rector there as well as on the school’s board of directors. His death was also mourned at Kent State University in Ohio, where he gave a keynote commencement address in May 2025 in which he called on graduates to take risks “to offer affection and make life easier for those around you.”“May you have the courage to say yes to the life that persists in you,” he told the assembly. Paulo Mussi Augusto, associate vice president for global education at the Ohio school, said Mateucci “spoke and acted with a rare gentleness and had a remarkable ability to listen, always making room for others to be heard.”“As a man of faith, he was steadfast, slow to judge and always willing to give people another chance,” Augusto said. “His legacy will continue to inspire all of us who had the privilege of knowing him.”

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The Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil, held a memorial Mass for Rogério Renato Mateucci after the tragedy.

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Oct. 20, 2018: BepiColombo launches

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BepiColombo, a joint mission of the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, launched Oct. 20, 2018. The spacecraft is actually two satellites in one, the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), commissioned with investigating one of the least-visited planets in our solar system. To reach its final position,Continue reading “Oct. 20, 2018: BepiColombo launches”

The post Oct. 20, 2018: BepiColombo launches appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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