Author: Eric Deabill

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In an ever-evolving era of technological advancement, including the adoption of artificial intelligence, Catholics in the digital space must focus on being authentic witnesses rather than providing endless streams of content, Pope Leo XIV said.

Arriving after the conclusion of the July 29 Jubilee Mass with digital missionaries and Catholic influencers in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope said Catholics have “a duty to work together to develop a way of thinking and a language of our time, that gives voice to love.”

“It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter between hearts,” he said. “This will entail seeking out those who suffer and need to know the Lord, so that they may heal their wounds, get back on their feet and find meaning in their lives.”

Hundreds of young Catholic influencers and digital missionaries participated in the Mass at the altar of the Chair of St. Peter, which was presided over by Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.

After the final blessing, the pilgrims were surprised by Pope Leo’s arrival, with many excitedly waving and applauding. The pope approached the pews to greet them before making his way to a chair set up for him in front of the altar.

Addressing the influencers in Italian, English and Spanish, the pope echoed the same greeting of peace he made in his first address as pontiff following his election.

“Peace be with you! How much we need peace in these times marked by hostility and war, which in turn calls us to give witness to the greeting of the Risen Lord: ‘Peace be with you,'” he said.

The church’s mission of proclaiming peace to the world, he continued, is entrusted to young people celebrating the Jubilee, especially those who “nourish Christian hope in social networks and online spaces.”

“Peace needs to be sought, proclaimed, and shared everywhere, both in the places where we see the tragedy of war and in the empty hearts of those who have lost the meaning of life and the desire for introspection and the spiritual life,” the pope said.

Another challenge to their mission is the need to look for “the suffering flesh of Christ,” especially in those they meet online absorbed in “a new culture” that is “deeply characterized and formed by technology.”

Urging digital missionaries and influencers “to ensure that this culture remains human,” Pope Leo warned that science and technology influence not just how one lives, but even affects “how we understand ourselves and how we relate to God and others.”

“Nothing that comes from man and his creativity should be used to undermine the dignity of others,” the pope said. “Our mission — your mission — is to nurture a culture of Christian humanism, and to do so together. This is the beauty of the ‘network’ for us.”

Lastly, Pope Leo said that Jesus’ invitation to his disciples to mend their fishing nets extends to Catholics in the digital space. Catholic influencers and digital missionaries are called to “weave other nets” of love, sharing and truth that can “mend what has been broken, heal from loneliness, not focus on the number of followers, but experience the greatness of infinite love in every encounter.”

“Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism,” the pope said. “Center yourselves on Christ, so as to overcome the logic of the world, of fake news, of frivolity, with the beauty and light of truth.”

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – A federal judge on July 28 ruled Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funding, indefinitely blocking a provision in President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda that would strip those funds for one year.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which enacted key items of Trump’s legislative agenda on issues including taxes and immigration, included a provision eliminating funds to health providers who also perform abortions — but just for one year. Although it was not named in the provision, Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, sued in response, arguing the parameters for ending these funds effectively singled it out.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston previously temporarily granted Planned Parenthood’s request for a preliminary injunction while its lawsuit against the Trump administration proceeds. But in a new order July 28, Talwani extended the injunction.

The previous order applied to only some Planned Parenthood affiliates, but the new order would apply to Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide.

Talwani wrote in the order, “Patients are likely to suffer adverse health consequences where care is disrupted or unavailable.”

“In particular, restricting Members’ ability to provide healthcare services threatens an increase in unintended pregnancies and attendant complications because of reduced access to effective contraceptives, and an increase in undiagnosed and untreated STIs,” Talwani wrote.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, argued in a statement, “An activist judge just issued a ruling full of falsehoods about abortion giant Planned Parenthood in a desperate effort to keep forcing taxpayers to prop up Big Abortion.”

Conversely, Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement, “As this case continues, patients across the country can still go to their trusted Planned Parenthood provider for care using Medicaid.”

“We will keep fighting this cruel law so that everyone can get birth control, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and other critical health care, no matter their insurance,” Johnson said.

But Dannenfelser argued, “Every day this order stands, Planned Parenthood continues to rake in millions of our tax dollars, fueling thousands of unborn lives ended daily and putting women at unacceptable risk of serious harm and even death.”

“Women have better and more comprehensive alternatives with community health centers outnumbering Planned Parenthood facilities 15 to 1,” she said. “We look forward to the Trump administration swiftly stopping this lawfare and restoring the historic victory secured through the One Big Beautiful Bill.”

Federal law generally prohibits the use of Medicaid funds for abortion. Supporters of allowing Planned Parenthood to receive Medicaid funds argue the group provides cancer screening and prevention services — such as pap tests and HPV vaccinations. But opponents argue the funds are fungible and could be used to facilitate abortion, and therefore the organization should be denied taxpayer funds.

The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and as such, opposes direct abortion.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Let the Jubilee of Youth be more than an event for making memories and sharing pictures; be sure to encounter Christ and share the Good News, Pope Leo XIV told a group of young people.

“I would like everything you experience during these days to be cherished in your hearts forever, but don’t keep it just for yourselves,” he told the group from Peru during an audience at the Vatican July 28, the start of the weeklong Jubilee and the day Peru commemorates its independence from Spanish colonial rule.

He welcomed them to Rome, where they came as “pilgrims of hope,” and he recognized the sacrifice and hard work of their families and communities that had made the journey possible.

“We must learn to share,” he said. “Please, don’t let all of this remain just a memory, just some nice photos, just something from the past.”

He asked that when they return home after the jubilee celebrations, they share “the joy and strength of the Gospel, with the Good News of Jesus Christ.”

Each person by himself or herself is small, “but we are not alone; the Lord has wanted us to be part of a large family, the family of the church,” he said, so that, like clusters of grapes on the vine, “we can grow and bear fruit, aided by the Lord’s grace.”

During this joyful and important event for young people from around the world, he said, “all of you will have the beautiful experience of feeling part of the people of God, part of the universal church, which encompasses and embraces the whole earth, without distinction of race, language or nation.”

“Love and serve freely, in everyday life, in small things, in hidden ways, because you have experienced the joy of being loved first, and because you have received everything freely from God our Father,” the pope said.

(OSV News) – At least 43 people, including children, were killed July 27 in a brutal overnight attack on a Catholic church in Komanda in eastern Congo.

Militants from the Allied Democratic Forces — an Islamist group linked to the Islamic State group — targeted faithful gathered for a youth retreat, opening fire and using machetes before looting homes and attacking displaced persons sheltering nearby.

The United Nations’ mission in the country called the attack a “heinous” act of violence in a July 27 statement. Victims were buried in a mass grave July 28 following a funeral Mass at the Komanda church with Father Aime Lokana Dhegoin presiding.

Pope Leo expressed “deep sorrow” over the attack in a July 28 telegram, signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican’s secretary of state, and sent to Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu of Lubumbashi, who is president of Congo’s bishops’ conference.

The pope joined “the mourning of the families and the Christian community,” expressing his closeness and assurance of prayers.

“This tragedy invites us to work even harder for the integral human development of the wounded population of this region,” the pope said.

“His Holiness implores God that the blood of these martyrs may be a seed of peace, reconciliation, brotherhood and love for all the Congolese people.”

According to reports, the Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, descended on Komanda, a township about 46 miles southwest of the city of Bunia, the capital of the province, in the early morning hours of July 27. Targeted were Catholics gathering for a retreat in the Caritas hall of the Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta Catholic Church in the township.

The militants had ambushed the night prayer vigil, catching by surprise the youth who were preparing for the Sunday service. The armed men gunned down some of the worshippers, butchered others with machetes and abducted others.

Father Marcelo Oliveira, a Comboni missionary who has been in the Congo for many years, told the pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need that the victims were part of a movement called Eucharistic Crusade and were participating in a prayer vigil as part of a summer holiday formation session.

“The attack occurred at around 1 o’clock in the morning. The rebels entered the church and murdered a large number of children, both inside the church building and in the compound,” he said in a message sent to the Portuguese office of ACN.

Nearby homes, shops and banks were looted by the militia, who also attacked displaced people camping in the town’s hospital.

“The people — both the youth and adults — had gathered to celebrate the jubilee of the parish church, when the attack occurred. Those who came from other regions left, but the local worshippers converged in the church hall to wait for the Sunday service,” Father Justin Zanamuzi, vicar general of the Diocese of Bunia, told OSV News in a telephone interview.

“As the church, we condemn this attack in the greatest terms possible. We feel the pain of this attack.”

ADF, an organization blamed for the attack, is a murderous militia group that was launched in Uganda in 1995, and currently operates in the mountainous region between Uganda and Congo. The group has been recruiting child soldiers, maiming, killing, and raping women and children. In 2019, the militant group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and increased its attacks.

There is an ongoing joint military offensive against the group, but Father Zanamuzi explained that the militia had recently stepped up its violence and was still carrying out killings in villages and towns in the region.

The attack in Komanda, a commercial hub connecting Tshopo, North Kivu and Maniema provinces, is the latest one. The town is an easy target of the Congolese militias due to its geographical location and economic significance.

On July 26, the priest said, the militant group had earlier begun to attack villages before targeting the church gathering at night.

“I think they are everywhere now. We cannot also rule out religious motivation. They are Muslim extremists and are known to attack Christians,” he said.

The Orthodox Public Affairs Committee, a New York-based global advocacy wing of Orthodox Christians worldwide, condemned the attack in Ituri, saying the members of the militant group had killed innocent worshippers during an overnight prayer vigil.

“The attackers … used guns and machetes, setting the church ablaze and slaughtering those in the pews. This was not a battle. This was a massacre of faithful in the house of God,” said the committee in a statement dated July 27.

The United Nations’ mission in Congo, MONUSCO, detailed the 43 killed in the church, saying they included 19 women, 15 men and nine children.

“These targeted attacks against defenseless civilians, particularly in places of worship, are not only appalling but also in violation of all human rights standards and international law,” said Vivian van de Perre, deputy special representative of the secretary general in Congo in a July 27 statement.

Days before the attack in Komanda, another militia known as CODECO, the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, had desecrated the St. John of Capistrano in Lopa, in Ituri, on July 21.

The attack on the church came a day after the Congolese army and CODECO announced an alliance to fight a new militia known as the CRP, or the Convention for Popular Revolution.

In the attack, the tabernacle was violated, consecrated Hosts spilled, the Marian shrine vandalized, and sacred and liturgical objects destroyed.

“This serious and deliberate desecration of the Catholic church in Lopa is part of a series of violent attacks announced and claimed by the CODECO spokesperson in the trading centers of Lopa and Nizi,” said Bishop Dieudonné Uringi Uuci of Bunia in a July 26 statement, which also expressed great sorrow and dismay at the attack. “It can be recalled that since 2017, this militia has been responsible for numerous gruesome atrocities against Church facilities, members of the clergy, and pastoral workers.”

These latest attacks are part of the deadly cycle of conflict that has unfolded for decades in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu of eastern Congo, a mineral-rich region the size of Western Europe. Fueling the conflict is an intricate mix of regional politics, ethnic and national rivalries, and a fight for control of the mineral resources, according to analysts.

In the July 28 statement, ACN said: “ACN urges all parties to strive to protect civilians and places of worship in the Democratic Republic of Congo and calls on its friends and benefactors to pray for the victims of this horrific attack, and for peace to finally arrive in this African country.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The time for negotiations to start is now, and anything jeopardizing peace must be rejected, Pope Leo XIV said.

“Every human person possesses an inherent dignity, bestowed by God himself,” he said after reciting the Angelus with visitors in St. Peter’s Square July 27. “I urge all parties involved in conflicts to recognize this dignity and to end every action that violates it.”

He called for “negotiations aimed at securing a future of peace for all peoples, and for the rejection of anything that might jeopardize it,” praying to Mary, the “Queen of Peace,” to protect “the innocent victims of conflicts and those leaders who have the power to resolve them.”

Pope Leo expressed his closeness to “all those who are suffering due to conflict and violence throughout the world,” particularly those in southern Syria and Gaza.

“I am following with great concern the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the civilian population is suffering from severe hunger and remains exposed to violence and death,” he said. “I renew my heartfelt appeal for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the full respect of humanitarian law.”

He also expressed his prayers for “those affected by the clashes along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, especially displaced children and families. May the Prince of Peace inspire everyone to seek dialogue and reconciliation.”

Fighting broke out between the two Southeast Asian neighbors along a disputed border July 24, leading to the death of at least 32 people, including civilians. More than 200,000 people in both countries were evacuated or fled from their homes in the border areas, according to news reports.

(OSV News) – “You are not alone,” said Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia — the son of Cuban exiles — addressing migrants in a July 23 pastoral letter on immigration.

The archbishop assured migrants that “the Church is a community of faith, and the divine person of Christ, who was forced to flee his homeland as a child, holds you in his compassionate arms.”

Archbishop Pérez’s letter – posted in both English and Spanish to CatholicPhilly.com, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s media outlet – adds to a growing chorus from U.S. Catholic prelates who have expressed grave concerns over the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration to the U.S.

The archbishop’s reflection follows a Jan. 30 statement in which he called for “serious and carefully thought out immigration policy reforms … that will blend dignity, mercy, and justice.”

Following through on a campaign pledge, President Donald Trump has sought to purge the nation of what Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has called “criminal” and “illegal aliens.”

Among the administration’s efforts are terminating protected status for migrants from several conflict-wrought nations; fully or partly banning travel to the U.S. from several nations; ordering Immigration and Customs Enforcement to meet daily arrest quotas of 3,000; halting visa interviews for foreign students; attempting to end birthright citizenship; and deporting individuals without permanent legal status in the U.S. to third countries in defiance of court orders.

While the administration claims to target criminal actors in its sweeps, several high-profile arrests and deportations have impacted individuals with no demonstrated criminal record. Some 71.5% (40,643) of the 56,813 held in ICE detention as of July 13 have no criminal conviction, other than entering the U.S. without permission, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. The TRAC team also noted that “many of those convicted committed only minor offenses, including traffic violations.

Among those who have so far spoken out against the Trump administration’s iron-fisted approach are Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. military archdiocese, who is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, who called for prayer and for restraint amid violent clashes in that city over immigration arrests; Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, whose archdiocese is home to large expatriate Haitian and Cuban communities and who recently led prayer outside the controversial Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention facility located in the Venice Diocese; and San Diego Bishop Michael M. Pham, who was born in Vietnam and fled to the U.S. as a 13-year-old refugee in 1980, along with his older sister and younger brother.

“Recent news reports detailing the arrest of immigrants throughout the country, including the Philadelphia region, have produced a great deal of fear and unleashed a broad range of other emotions. These events have impacted the migrant community in deeply troubling ways,” said Archbishop Pérez in his July 23 letter.

“I am witnessing your sorrow with great sadness and concern as are people of goodwill from all walks of life,” he said, adding, “As the son of immigrants, I have found recent events particularly heartbreaking.”

The 64-year-old archbishop said in a February 2020 Spanish-language interview with Telemundo 62, “Yo digo que fui hecho en Cuba, pero desempaquetado en Miami” (“I was conceived in Cuba, but born (literally, ‘unpacked’) in Miami”).

His parents, David and Emma Pérez, had fled Cuba, where in 1959 the dictatorship of President Fulgencio Batista fell to what would become the first communist regime in the Western hemisphere under Premier Fidel Castro. Shortly after their arrival in Miami, the Pérez family relocated to northern New Jersey, where the future archbishop, born in 1961, was raised.

In his July 23 letter, Archbishop Pérez highlighted Catholic social teaching on immigration, which seeks to balance three interrelated principles — the right of people to migrate in order to sustain their lives and those of their families, the right of a country to regulate its borders and control immigration, and a nation’s duty to regulate its borders with justice and mercy.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also instructs that “the more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin” (Catechism, 2241).

“As Catholics, we believe our eternal homeland is heaven, and that as citizens of earth, the dignity of every person means everyone should have a safe place to live, with the opportunity to work for a just wage,” said Archbishop Pérez in his pastoral letter. “Many of you came to the United States seeking new opportunities far away from oppressive regimes and endured difficult and dangerous circumstances to start life anew here.”

He said, “Your presence and your contributions to society through hard work and upright living are a blessing to our country and to our Church.”

“No one should be forced to live in fear of unjust persecution,” he said.

“I encourage you to remain close with the members of your parish communities and the priests who provide you with pastoral care,” said Archbishop Pérez.

That exhortation comes as at least two U.S. dioceses have publicly addressed fears of immigration arrests at parishes. Bishop Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino, California, issued a July 8 dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation for those with a genuine fear of ICE raids. In May, the Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, released a message, disseminated to diocesan parishes, reminding the faithful that according to the church’s own teaching and canon law, they are not required to attend Sunday Mass if they fear for their well-being.

“We recognize that our country is rightly safeguarded by law enforcement officials. They uphold the common good by protecting all of us from human trafficking, the exploitation of children, and any other criminal offense against human dignity,” wrote Archbishop Pérez. “At the same time, we strongly advocate for immigration policies that guarantee the protection of life, liberty, and property of all those who call the United States of America home, natural born citizens and those working toward citizenship alike.”

Noting that “there is no instant solution to the challenges pervading immigration policy,” he said, “I urge everyone in parish communities to unite through prayer and social unity with the immigrant faithful under the leadership of parish pastors.”

Archbishop Pérez concluded his letter with a prayer for migrants and for the nation as a whole.

“The Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph cared for the child Jesus in the mystery of the flight into Egypt and their intercession is with us today. I pray with you and for you that you experience the protection of God,” he said. “May our Lord bless our country with peace and inspire comprehensive immigration reform that respects the law and provides meaningful opportunities for all those who wish to call the United States of America their home.”

ROCKVILLE, Md. (OSV News) – Because Catholics believe that all people are created in the image and likeness of God, the faithful need to extend care to people beyond our national borders and help migrants within our national borders, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a July 20 homily.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, who also leads the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, was the principal celebrant and homilist at the opening Mass for the Knights of Peter Claver’s 109th annual Senior National Convention held July 20-23 at a conference center in the Washington suburb of Rockville.

Speaking before a congregation of about 1,000 people, Archbishop Broglio reflected on Jesus’ visit with sisters Mary and Martha as recounted in Luke 8:15.

Archbishop Broglio recounted visiting military installations all over the world, and the different ways that hospitality is practiced, since in many cultures, there are people like Martha who worry about the comfort of their guests and the details of hospitality. Her sister, Mary, however, knew that Jesus was no ordinary guest.

“Choosing the best part — letting him speak,” Archbishop Broglio said of Mary’s decision to be closer to Jesus during his visit to their home.

“Like Abraham, we cannot ever know the mystery of God,” he said. “Some elements of mystery will only be revealed in heaven.”

Archbishop Broglio later said in his homily that Catholics are not free to “pick and choose” which parts of Catholic teaching they favor, while discarding others. He referred to strong dissension that some American Catholics have expressed in recent months about the U.S. bishops’ advocacy for migrants living in the U.S.

The Knights of Peter Claver was founded in 1909 by four Josephite priests and three laypeople in Mobile, Alabama, at a time when Black men were not permitted to join other Catholic fraternal organizations. It was incorporated in 1911. The Junior Knights were authorized in 1917 and recognized as a division of the National Council in 1935. The Ladies Auxiliary was authorized in 1922 and recognized as a division of the National Council in 1926. The Junior Daughters were established in 1930.

Today, there are nearly 14,000 active Knights of Peter Claver, as well as Ladies Auxiliary members and Junior Division members, who can join when they are 7 years old. All of the organization’s divisions, senior and junior, held their national conventions back to back this year.

One of the unique aspects of the Knights of Peter Claver, in addition to being a predominantly Black Catholic organization, is that an entire family may join the organization.

“This is the future of who we are, the entire family,” Supreme Knight Christopher Pichon said to the gathered assembly at the end of Mass. He expressed his hope that religious and priestly vocations could come from the Knights of Peter Claver.

“I love the community,” said DeMia Pressley, a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia. She attended the Mass accompanied by her son and daughter, who are active in the Junior Division while attending Blessed Sacrament School in Alexandria.

She became a Catholic in 2007, and her husband, Shawn, is a Knight of Peter Claver. The family has attended Knights of Peter Claver conventions in Norfolk, Virginia, and New Orleans.

She told the Catholic Standard, Washington’s archdiocesan news outlet, that she appreciates how her children can get to know other Catholic boys and girls through the fraternal organization, and noted that it’s good to see “people of all ages and people coming from all over” the country, since the Knights of Peter Claver have councils in 36 states.

Ella Hardy, a member of the Ladies Auxiliary for 28 years, also from Lafayette, said that the Knights of Peter Claver have helped in disaster recovery in Louisiana, and they also visit and pray with the elderly and help the needy.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – More than half a million young people from 146 countries are set to arrive July 28 for the start of the weeklong Jubilee of Youth, which will include a special Jubilee dedicated to Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers.

While 68% of attendees will be from Europe, young people will be coming from four other continents and from war zones and areas of serious conflict, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, a pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, said July 23.

“Essentially, this moment of celebration and joy also aims to embrace all young people around the world, indicating that it will be a genuine moment of peace and peace-building in the world,” he said at a Vatican news conference.

“I am thinking in particular of the Christian young people of Ukraine, the Middle East, Syria, Gaza and Iran,” said Lamberto Giannini, Rome’s prefect, who coordinates maintaining law and order in the city.

The seven-day event during the Jubilee of hope will be “in communion with all of them, because it is for them above all that hope is offered today, and not just any hope, but as we have been taught, the hope that does not disappoint,” he said.

The Vatican news conference featured representatives of the Italian national, regional and local governments, as well as police and civil protection authorities.

They provided many details about what is slated to be the largest of all the jubilee celebrations scheduled for the Holy Year, which has drawn nearly 17 million people so far, the archbishop said.

The high points will be walking through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Aug. 2 evening prayer vigil and Aug. 3 Mass with Pope Leo XIV in Rome’s Tor Vergata residential neighborhood, which lies about eight miles southeast of the city center.

The week will also feature about 70 cultural, artistic and spiritual events — organized by multiple bishops’ conferences and Catholic groups and associations — throughout the city, including the exposition of the relics of Blesseds Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis for veneration.

There will be an opportunity Aug. 1 for participants to receive the sacrament of reconciliation at Rome’s Circus Maximus, where more than 1,000 priests will take turns throughout the day offering confession in multiple languages, Archbishop Fisichella said.

The main events at Tor Vergata will begin on stage after 2 p.m. Aug. 2 with presentations, then entertainment featuring the Spanish dancer Sergio Bernal Alonso and numerous bands such as Matt Maher, Il Volo and The Sun.

Pope Leo will arrive by helicopter for the prayer vigil at 8:30 p.m. and three young people — from the United States, Mexico and Italy — will ask the pope questions in their respective languages.

After camping out on the grounds of the venue, young people will celebrate Mass the next morning with the pope, who “always gives a mandate, that is, he sends the young people on a mission,” Archbishop Fisichella said.

The city has refurbished the giant open-air venue for the vigil and Mass, including three recommended routes participants will walk to get there. While bus, train and subway services will all be beefed up, people will have to walk the last three miles on foot, he said.

Stations will be set up all along the routes offering assistance and water, but pilgrims are being asked to make sure they have comfortable shoes, a hat, sunscreen and a plastic water bottle for refills, and to label their items and not bring valuables.

With past experience as their guide, scores of embassies and consulates in Rome have been contacted to prepare them to help expedite services for their citizens, said Fabio Ciciliano, head of the country’s civil protection department. Thousands of passports and ID cards were lost during World Youth Day in Rome in 2000.

There will be 2,660 stations for drinking water, more than 2,700 chemical toilets and many services for the disabled, including a special “quiet” area at the venue.

Four large mist cannons, which are normally used to control dust during demolitions and can shoot water as far as 100 yards, will be positioned throughout the venue to cool people. Dozens of mobile units with smaller cannons will also make the rounds, spraying mist to offer relief in the expected heat. Temperatures typical for this time of year are in the low 90s.

Registered pilgrims will be getting one food package at Tor Vergata Aug. 2 after they go through security, providing dinner for that night and breakfast and lunch the next day. Gluten-free meals will also be available.

“We hope they’re not so hungry that they’ll eat the breakfast and lunch for dinner, too,” the archbishop said, suggesting attendees bring extra food with them.

He encouraged participants to download the special pilgrims’ guide at https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/pellegrinaggio/calendario-giubileo/GrandiEventi/Giubileo-dei-Giovani/vademecum.html and to download the official app, Iubilaeum25.

The Dicastery for Communication released the Vatican Vox app, which will offer simultaneous translations in five languages at Vatican-sponsored jubilee events, and Vatican Radio will provide translations and commentary in eight languages.

The city’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, encouraged people to connect with their AI assistant, Julia, who speaks 80 languages, on WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram and the web.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – A federal judge on July 21 extended an order blocking enforcement of a provision in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which President Donald Trump signed into law July 4, that would have stopped Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid payments for a year.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston extended her previous order, set to expire the same day, partially granting Planned Parenthood’s request for a preliminary injunction while its lawsuit against the Trump administration proceeds.

The order does not apply to all Planned Parenthood members, but to those Planned Parenthood Federation and its affiliates named in the suit who “satisfy the remaining requirements to obtain a preliminary injunction.”

Talwani’s order chiefly hinged on making a distinction between Planned Parenthood member groups that offered abortion and those that did not.

The injunction prohibits the government from defunding “Planned Parenthood Association of Utah and other Planned Parenthood Federation of America Members who will not provide abortion services as of October 1, 2025” or those members for which the total state and federal Medicaid expenses in fiscal year 2023 did not exceed $800,000 in reimbursements.

The order mandates the government take all steps necessary to ensure that Medicaid funding continues to be disbursed to the 10 Planned Parenthood member groups that fulfill these conditions.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which enacted key items of Trump’s legislative agenda on issues including taxes and immigration, included a provision eliminating funds to health providers who also perform abortions — but just for one year. Although it was not named in the provision, Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, sued in response, arguing the parameters for ending these funds effectively singled it out.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, argued in a statement, “An activist judge just prolonged the forced taxpayer funding of Big Abortion, a desperate attempt to run out the clock, and a shameful abuse of our tax dollars. Every day her decision remains in effect, millions are funneled into a business that profits from ending unborn lives and putting women at risk.”

A joint statement from Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah argued, “This isn’t over.”

“While we’re grateful that the court recognized the harm caused by this law, we’re disappointed that not all members were granted the necessary relief today,” the statement said. “Patients across the country should be able to go to their trusted Planned Parenthood provider for birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment.”

The statement expressed disappointment that not all Planned Parenthood affiliates were included, and claimed, “There will be nothing short of a public health crisis if Planned Parenthood members are allowed to be ‘defunded.'”

But Dannenfelser contended, “With community health centers outnumbering Planned Parenthood facilities 15 to 1, women have better and more comprehensive alternatives.”

She said, “We look forward to the Trump Administration swiftly ending this lawfare and restoring the historic victory secured through the One Big Beautiful Bill.”

Federal law generally prohibits the use of Medicaid funds for abortion. Supporters of allowing Planned Parenthood to receive Medicaid funds argue the group provides cancer screening and prevention services — such as pap tests and HPV vaccinations. But opponents argue the funds are fungible and could be used to facilitate abortion, and should be therefore blocked.