Head of French charity warns of existential challenges facing Eastern Christians
Monsignor Hugues de Woillemont, director general of the French organization L’Œuvre d’Orient, said that Eastern Christians, especially Christians in the Holy Land, are facing existential challenges that threaten their historic presence. Chief among these challenges, he said, are migration, the pressure of economic crises, and war.
The head of the social and humanitarian association told EWTN News on the occasion of its 170th anniversary that the organization was founded in 1856 under the name “Œuvre des Écoles d’Orient,” or “Work of the Schools of the East.” From the beginning, he said, it was built on the conviction that “the formation of minds is the first act of solidarity.”
Since then, the organization has expanded its mission to include education, healthcare, social assistance, humanitarian relief, and the preservation of both tangible and intangible heritage, which he described as “the living memory of Christian communities in the East."
Building on this legacy, he explained that the organization has developed “an organized field presence through local offices and young volunteers.” This presence, he said, aims to “bring the voice of Eastern Christians to decision-makers in Europe and at the level of international institutions,” helping to strengthen their historic presence and safeguard their future in their homelands.
The challenge of migration
Speaking about the main challenges facing Eastern Christians today, de Woillemont said the current situation “is a cause for deep concern.” Political, economic, and military crises, he explained, “weaken entire societies,” while Christians often bear these consequences in a particularly heavy way.“
“The greatest challenge today is migration,” he said. “In several countries, ancient communities face the risk of disappearance because of the lack of economic and security prospects.”
Despite this, he emphasized that “Eastern Christians continue to play their role as makers of peace and dialogue in extremely difficult circumstances, even though they are facing wars they did not choose.”
Education, he added, remains “at the heart of our commitment because it helps build stable societies and limits migration.” He noted that “behind every school that opens or clinic that receives support, there is a family choosing to stay and remain rooted in its land.”
De Woillemont said the organization’s work has also expanded to include healthcare and social assistance, “especially amid the weakness of public systems,” as well as emergency humanitarian relief in times of war and disaster. He also underlined that preserving heritage is a central part of the organization’s mission, because “it is not only about buildings but about the living memory of entire civilizations.”
As part of his appeal for solidarity, de Woillemont addressed Christians in Europe and the United States, saying: “Eastern Christians are not only communities that suffer; they are a richness for the whole Church.”
“Prayer is essential,” he added, “but it must be accompanied by concrete solidarity,” including support for educational, healthcare, and social projects, as well as efforts to make their reality known to the wider public.
He also called for a better understanding of Eastern Christians within Western societies and for greater advocacy with decision-makers, noting that “action by the international community can make a real difference.”
De Woillemont highlighted the importance of building direct relationships through volunteering and twinning initiatives, saying that such experiences “leave a deep impact on the young people who take part in them.”
Looking ahead, he said three major challenges are emerging: the acceleration of migration, the preservation of education and heritage in conflict zones, and the difficulty of mobilizing resources amid multiple crises and declining international attention.“
It is becoming difficult to maintain sustained attention and mobilize the necessary resources,” he said, adding that this requires broadening the support base and strengthening awareness efforts.
At the conclusion of his remarks, de Woillemont expressed “deep appreciation and lasting closeness” to Eastern Christians, saying that “their fidelity, courage, and hope are a witness for the whole Church.”
He stressed that their presence “is essential in their countries,” adding: “They are not only heirs to history but also bearers of the future.”
In this context, he recalled Pope Leo XIV’s call for “a peace that is disarmed and disarming, humble and persevering,” emphasizing that such peace must be based on respect for the sovereignty of states and international law.“
Let them know that we are at their side for the long term, with determination and trust,” he concluded. “We do not forget them, and we remain beside them.”
This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
U.S. Embassy debunks claim Vatican honored Iran with top diplomatic award
The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See has publicly rejected online claims that the Vatican granted Iran a unique or politically motivated diplomatic award, calling the allegation inaccurate and misleading.
“Contrary to news reports, Pope Leo has not bestowed an exclusive special honor on the Iranian ambassador to the Holy See,” the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See said in a May 13 social media post. “This decoration is given to all accredited ambassadors to the Holy See after 2+ years of service and has been standard practice for many years.”
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The post comes after Iranian state media outlets reported that the Vatican honored Iran’s ambassador, Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari, with an award for “strengthening diplomatic ties and serving the cause of peace and dialogue.”
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that Pope Leo XIV awarded the “Vatican’s highest diplomatic honor to Iran’s ambassador” for his “efforts to promote peace, dialogue, and bilateral relations.”
The report further claimed that “officials praised the Iranian embassy’s activities in advancing peaceful coexistence, wisdom, tolerance, and interfaith dialogue,” and that in the official decree, Leo “expressed appreciation for Ambassador Mokhtari’s services in strengthening ties with the Holy See." The Holy See has had diplomatic relations with Iran since May 1953.
The U.S. Embassy explained that the award given to Mokhtari “is a personal recognition and does not imply support or opposition to any policy or country.”
“Thirteen ambassadors were recently given this recognition. Previous U.S. ambassadors have all received the same,” the post noted. “Finally, the decoration was not given in person by the pope.”
Vatican News reported that Mokhtari was among 13 ambassadors to receive the recognition for completing two years of service. The ceremony was presided over by Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, substitute for general affairs at the Secretariat of State, who presented insignia and official parchments to the diplomats.
The Holy See Press Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Daily Wire commentator Michael Knowles, a Catholic, described the incident as “a reminder about the ubiquity and power of propaganda, especially when we’re talking about the Iran war.”
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“It’s all propaganda,” Knowles said. “The Iranians are clearly making hay out of this rote procedure that the Vatican presented.”
FDA Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas promises pro-life agenda, calls advocates
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas called pro-life organizations to offer reassurance about his commitment to life after some people in the movement raised concerns.
“Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas is personally committed to delivering on President Trump’s pro-life and pro-family agenda at the FDA,” Andrew Nixon, deputy assistant secretary for media relations at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told EWTN News.
“Both he and other administration officials will continue regularly interacting with stakeholders in this community to inform FDA decision-making,” he said.
Diamantas is serving as acting commissioner after the May 12 resignation of Commissioner Marty Makary, who faced criticism from within the pro-life movement for failure to impose stricter regulations on the abortion drug mifepristone.
Some pro-life leaders celebrated Makary’s departure but grew concerned about Diamantas because court records show him serving as legal counsel for a Planned Parenthood affiliate while working at the Baker Donelson law firm. The case was related to a property dispute.
Alex Bruesewitz, an adviser to President Donald Trump, dismissed the concern in a post on X, saying he was a junior associate assigned to the case but removed himself because of his pro-life beliefs.
Within the past two days, Diamantas has reached out to some pro-life advocates, including March for Life President Jennie Bradley Lichter. A spokesperson for Live Action confirmed he had scheduled a conversation with Live Action President Lila Rose as well.
“Within a few hours of being handed this big new job, he was getting on the phone with pro-life leaders and that in itself, I think, is a really encouraging sign of where his priorities are going to be,” Lichter told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” host Abigail Galván.
Lichter said she spoke with Diamantas about her concerns with mifepristone, specifically about “the lack of safety, the lack of guardrails, [and] its easy availability.”
Under Makary, the FDA launched a study to review the 2023 deregulation of mifepristone, but so far no action has been taken to increase restrictions. Rather, in that same month, the FDA approved a generic version of the drug.
Based on her conversation, Lichter said, “I think weʼre going to see real movement” on that study and “I think that the cause of life is going to have, you know, a real champion at the FDA” under Diamantas’ leadership.
“I feel really comfortable that he is bringing in strong pro-life commitments and a commitment to transparency and to moving with all deliberate speed to take a close look at mifepristone and then take decisive action based on what that study shows,” she said.
Mark Harrington, president of Created Equal, told EWTN News he had not received a call from Diamantas and expressed hesitations about his leadership of the FDA, saying his efforts “could just be viewed as nothing more than damage control.”
“Talk is cheap,” he said. “But personnel is policy, and the fact that Diamantas [reportedly] represented Planned Parenthood makes me skeptical that he will advocate for the full mifepristone safety study. We will trust but verify. Action needs to be taken now on the abortion drug.”
Legislation would ensure parents can arrange burial or cremation after pregnancy loss
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, said he is introducing legislation to ensure hospitals and freestanding birth centers provide clear information about the rights that grieving parents have regarding the cremation or burial of their miscarried or stillborn child.
Marshall, who practiced as an obstetrician-gynecologist for more than 25 years, said he is naming the bill the “Bereaved Parents Rights Act.” Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Florida, who personally suffered an ectopic pregnancy, said she is sponsoring a companion version in the House.
Laws on the handling of fetal remains following a miscarriage or stillbirth vary state to state, and many states have no clear legal requirements regarding the disposition of remains, leaving hospitals to rely on internal policies and procedures, according to Marshall.
Students for Life Action backs the measure and is leading lobbying on Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to back it, said Kristan Hawkins, the organization’s president.
The legislation would amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act “to say that the hospital that she is birthing her child into, whether the childʼs born stillborn or miscarried … has to notify the parents no less than six hours after the event or before discharge“ and ”how she can get her babyʼs body to the funeral home to have a funeral if she would like to,” Hawkins said.
A standardized form from the secretary of Health and Human Services would ensure a parent has the right to cremate the child after miscarriage or stillbirth, and it would apply in every state, Hawkins said.
The legislation “is a no-brainer,” Cammack said. “This is very simple in my mind. Any parent who has lost a child needs the space, opportunity, and resources to properly grieve that child.”
To “provide a burial for your child to recover the remains of your child” is “not a partisan issue,” she said. “I believe that is a human issue and something that, if we are serious about honoring life and protecting people, we really do champion and pass this legislation to give closure to so many families around the country.”
Bill sponsors said they have been trying to find a Democratic cosponsor for the bill without success.
“Thereʼs a culture around the issue that doesnʼt allow people to get to the facts. And while you are entitled, certainly, to your own opinion, you are not entitled to your own facts,” Cammack said.
“And the fact is that these are children, these are human beings that have heartbeats, and they deserve the same dignity that a child who was born and has been lost deserves," she said.
“It should be something very simple that every woman, regardless of where you are in the country, what hospital you find yourself in, is given the exact same rights as a woman who is in a state that values and protects life,” she said.
Personal testimonies
“I see tremendous value in women coming together and reaching across the aisle saying, ‘Weʼve all experienced loss in some form or fashion, whether yourself personally or you know someone who has,’” Cammack said.
A briefing by Students for Life Action on May 13 included numerous personal testimonials from women who have been affected by miscarriage and stillbirth who are urging lawmakers to advance the bill.
Sarah Wirtz said: “I could not go to the hospital. I actually waited three days to go to the hospital because I just was trying to research … if I was going to be allowed to have my son," she said. "He had passed away, but I still had him inside of me."
“I knew within at least the medical system, after 20 weeks I was afforded more protection” and “I was absolutely terrified what this meant legally for my baby,” she said.
Wirtz said she was asking: “Would I be given my baby? When I went in to give birth, would they take him from me?”
Wirtz said she risked her own health to spend time finding resources to ensure she was able to keep her sonʼs body. Once she found Heavenʼs Gain Ministries, a Catholic organization that helps families with pregnancy loss, she was told “Youʼre very blessed to be in Ohio,” because state law ensured she had the right to her baby.
“So I went to the hospital, I gave birth to my son Noah, and I was able to bury him,” she said. “But I was also told at the time, if [I] had been in California … I wouldnʼt be afforded the same rights under the law."
“He would have been deemed as his gestational size, which is under 20 weeks, and I wouldnʼt have been guaranteed right to disposition and ... what happened to his body,” she said.
Language of miscarriage
Hawkins also noted the importance of the language when discussing abortion and miscarriage, and ensuring women know the difference and understand the procedures.
“Something we saw in the fall of the Dobbs … was Planned Parenthood intentionally started changing the language around abortion, direct intentional abortion, and they started using the phrase ‘induced miscarriage,’” she said.
“Thatʼs largely because of the invention and the shifting of the abortion industry to the chemical abortion pill, where we know at least 70% of these abortions, that are still killing about a million children a year, are being committed using these pills,” she said.
“The way theyʼre framing these abortions to many young confused women, very scared women, is youʼre just going to ‘induce a miscarriage. Itʼs going to be just like a miscarriage,’” she said.
“We know those are two very different things. And I think apart from the evil of Planned Parenthood killing children and harming women … this is the third greatest evil theyʼve ever committed, which is trying to use the pain and the tragedy of a miscarriage to then justify and try to change the hearts of millions of Americans on their issue, which is the intentional destruction of a human being,” Hawkins said.
Thousands of pilgrims gather at Fátima to commemorate the apparitions of Our Lady
Pilgrims from all over the world descended on the Fátima Shrine in Portugal to commemorate the feast of Our Lady of Fátima.
On the eve of the feast of Our Lady of Fátima, May 12, the light of thousands of candles illuminated the night at the spot where Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children 109 years ago.
The faithful filled the shrine, gathering to participate in the recitation of the rosary and the traditional candlelight procession.
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‘We come as pilgrims and depart as missionary disciples’
Rui Manuel Sousa Valério, patriarch of Lisbon, Portugal, celebrated the Mass on May 13. In his homily, the prelate emphasized that the pilgrimage “does not end here” but rather Fátima is “a point for sending forth.”
This celebration commemorates the first of the six apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima to the three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos, 10, and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, 9 and 7, in 1917.
The pilgrimage on May 13 is the most attended, welcoming more than 450,000 pilgrims last year. They gather at Cova da Iria, a neighborhood that was once the field where the three shepherd children pastured their familyʼs sheep and where the Virgin Mary appeared.
The Catholic Church officially recognized the apparitions as worthy of belief in 1930.
“We come as pilgrims and depart as missionary disciples; everything we experience here — prayer, silence, reconciliation, and communion — cannot remain confined within the Cova da Iria,” the prelate noted.
He invited the faithful to let the experience of Fátima “enter into our hearts” as well as into all areas of life — our homes, families, workplaces, and schools — and also “into the wounds and joys of daily life.”
Sousa emphasized that the message of Fátima is truly embraced “when it transforms into a mission, and what we receive becomes a light for others.”
He further recalled that in her apparitions, the Virgin called for conversion and for the responsibility of love: “True devotion to Mary never closes the heart. It opens it; it never isolates, it sends forth; it never sleeps, it awakens.”
The Virgin Mary asked the children to pray the rosary every day for the conversion of sinners and to obtain peace for the world, especially an end to the ongoing First World War. She also invited them to make personal sacrifices and offer their sufferings on behalf of sinners.
She promised to return on the 13th day of each month for the next six months and confided that she had secrets to reveal concerning the fate of the world.
To prove that the apparitions were true, Mary promised the children that during the last of her six appearances, she would provide a sign so people would believe in the apparitions and in her message. What happened on that day — Oct. 13, 1917 — has come to be known as the “Miracle of the Sun,” or “the day the sun danced.”
May 13, 2026, also marks the 45th anniversary of the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in St. Peterʼs Square. For this reason, the Mass in Fátima was celebrated using the chalice that the Polish pontiff donated during one of his visits to the site.
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.
Mental health crisis in Europe: Church calls for strengthening families and spiritual support
The Commission of the Episcopal Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) has published a study analyzing the mental health crisis in Europe from an ethical, social, and Christian perspective, and proposed recommendations for EU public policies.
The document, titled “Mental Health in Europe — A Call for Care,” states that Europe is facing a growing mental health crisis with increases in depression and anxiety being causes by various factors, such as loneliness, trauma, suicide, job insecurity, aging, digitalization, and forced migration.
The study notes that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the crisis while it simultaneously exposed the weaknesses of the European mental health care system.
The document, which advocates for a “comprehensive” vision of mental health that also encompasses social, relational, and spiritual dimensions, was prepared by the COMECE ethics committee.
Loneliness: One of the greatest risks to mental health
Friederike Ladenburger is a jurist, adviser on ethics, research, and health, and secretary of the commission. In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, she emphasized the need to address mental health from a “multidimensional” perspective that takes into account not only biological and psychological needs but also “spiritual support.”
She also noted that the document stems from a concern regarding “current, urgent, and pressing” issues such as loneliness, one of the greatest risks to mental health today, which “has evolved into one of the major crises of our time.”
Ladenburger clarified that loneliness is defined as “the absence of social contact and the perceived discrepancy between a person’s desires and their actual social network,” emphasizing that the problem is not solely quantitative. “It is not just about the size of your network, but also the quality of your network,” she stated, underscoring the importance of having “meaningful, authentic, and lasting human connections.”
The document states that mental well-being depends not only on clinical treatments but also on strong human relationships, social integration, a sense of belonging, and respect for the dignity of every individual.
She noted that the report rests on three fundamental pillars drawn from Christian anthropology: that “the human person is created in the image of God,” that this dignity encompasses “both body and soul,” and that human beings possess an essential relational and spiritual dimension.
“One of the most important points of our report is the communal aspect of the human person,” she said, indicating that the Church can help address social isolation with community events.
Strengthening families
The COMECE study also emphasizes the need for the European Union to promote policies that strengthen families as a fundamental place where care takes place.
The report identifies the family as “the basic cell of society” and, in this vein, warned that Europe is undergoing “an urgent and dramatic demographic change.”
Consequently, Ladenburger called for greater financial support for young families: “They need financial support, financial relief, and the opportunity to start a family” as well as “jobs and decent housing.”
Technology must not replace human contact
Ladenburger expressed concern regarding the impact of artificial intelligence, particularly among young people, underscoring the need for European regulation to protect individuals from technological abuse, digital addiction, and online harassment.
She warned that the use of digital tools must be “supplementary, not substitutive,” acknowledging that digital technologies can improve access to psychological care but emphasizing that technology should complement, rather than replace, human contact.
She said that “the priority is the human being,” whose core capacity remains “to express empathy and feel with others.”
Spiritual accompaniment
In addition, COMECE called for European policies that include spiritual accompaniment in hospitals and in other vulnerable settings, including reproductive health, palliative and end-of-life care, and migration.
Regarding surrogacy, she explained that the report outlines the psychological risks for both the pregnant mother and the child. Likewise, concerning palliative care, it advocates for comprehensive care that is not limited to the clinical aspect. “Every human being must be treated with dignity, especially those who are suffering,” Ladenburger pointed out.
Emphasizing the importance of hospital chaplaincies and of every individual’s right to practice his or her religion, especially in situations of suffering or displacement, the bishops’ commission noted that effective support would not only be "medical or clinical ... it also entails spiritual support.”
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 XIV appoints Capuchin priest and former missionary to lead Florida diocese
Pope Leo XIV appointed Father Emilio Biosca Agüero, OFM Cap, as the third bishop of Venice, Florida, on May 13. The Capuchin Franciscan priest has been pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C., since 2018 and served for more than 20 years as a missionary in Papua New Guinea and Cuba.
The pope also accepted the resignation of Bishop Frank J. Dewane, 76, who has reached the usual age of retirement after leading the diocese since 2007, after having first served for nine months as its coadjutor bishop.
Agüero, who was born in Fairfax, Virginia, on Dec. 15, 1964, entered the Order of the Friars Minor Capuchin in 1987. He was ordained a priest on May 21, 1994.
With his consecration and installation, the bishop-designate will become the only active Capuchin Franciscan bishop currently heading a U.S. diocese. Bishop Matt Elshoff, OFM Cap, serves as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Agüero begins his new role in Florida after having served as a missionary for more than two decades. He served as a missionary in Papua New Guinea from 1994–2006 and in Cuba from 2007–2019.
According to a press release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Agüero speaks Spanish and Tok Pisin (a Creole language spoken throughout Papua New Guinea) in addition to English.
The bishop-designate also holds several academic degrees, including a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Borromeo College earned in 1987; masterʼs degrees in theology and divinity from Oblate College earned in 1992; and a licentiate in sacred theology from the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C., earned in 2007.
His most recent assignment has been pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C. He belongs to the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Augustine in Pittsburgh.
Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., said in a statement: “St. Francis burns in the heart of Father Emilio.”
He is “one of the finest pastors in the Archdiocese of Washington,” a man whose “piercing” proclamation of the Gospel draws people to Christ and inspires genuine conversion, McElroy said. The bishop-designate “has been unswerving in reaching out to the poor and the marginalized, and the undocumented. He is also a bridge-builder who reaches across the boundaries of polarization to forge real solidarity in the family of God,” McElroy said.
This story was updated at 1:25 p.m. ET on May 13, 2026, to include the statement from Cardinal Robert McElroy.
From seminarian in Nicaragua to priest in Miami: ‘I carry my people and my homeland in my heart’
As a seminarian, Cristhian David Mendieta Hernández had to flee Nicaragua, persecuted by the very dictatorship that had recently exiled his bishop.
The regime of President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, ramped up its persecution of the Catholic Church in 2018.
After the dictatorship exiled Silvio Báez, the auxiliary bishop of Managua, from Nicaragua in April 2019, Mendieta, who as a seminarian often accompanied the bishop, was forced to flee the country as well, traveling first to Guatemala and then to Costa Rica.
His journey concluded in Miami in January 2022, where, with the assistance of Báez and Father Marco Somarriba, pastor of St. Agatha Parish in Miami, he was able to continue his priestly formation.
On May 9 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, he knelt before Archbishop Thomas Wenski and received the priestly ordination that the Nicaraguan dictatorship had attempted to deny him.
“I carry my people and my homeland in my heart, and I will offer my first Mass for them,” the newly ordained Nicaraguan priest, who will serve as parochial vicar at St. Thomas the Apostle in Miami, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, on May 10.
“This priesthood is a blessing for me, for my family, for the Church, and for the people of Nicaragua,” added Mendieta, who was born in La Concepción township in the Masaya district of Nicaragua.
He celebrated his first Mass on May 10 at St. Agatha, accompanied by Báez and other Nicaraguan priests who attended the ordination.
“I am grateful to the Archdiocese of Miami for welcoming me and giving me the opportunity to serve the people of God. Here we have a broader perspective that our ministry is for all of God’s people and that our people, especially those from Latin America, share the same aspirations for freedom, peace, and stability,” he emphasized.
Father Edwing Román, parochial vicar at St. Agatha, told ACI Prensa that “it’s a source of great joy to have Father Cristhian as another brother in the priesthood. He is a young man of many virtues and a dedicated scholar.”
“I admire his piety and humility as well as his ease in forming friendships with the faithful. May God bless him abundantly, and may he be a shepherd modeled after Jesus Christ, the eternal high priest,” Román said.
In a video posted by the Archdiocese of Miami on May 6, Mendieta recalled that when he was 6 years old and attending a concert, he announced that he was thinking of becoming a priest, which surprised his family.
Years later, while involved in his parishʼs youth ministry, the example of his hardworking parish priest, Father José Antonio, who strove to reach every community, no matter how remote, encouraged him to pursue his vocation and change his plans to become a doctor.
The young priest also shared that he enjoys classical music and Frank Sinatra, and that when he is driving, he entertains himself by listening to the British band Queen.
Along with Mendieta, the following men were ordained: Adam Cahill, Henry Cárdenas Afanador, Tomasz Kaziel, Arístides Lima, Carlos Luzardo, Saint-Clos Papouloute, Pietro Pironato, and Michele Sega.
In his homily, Wenski highlighted the diverse origins of the new priests — Nicaragua, Italy, Poland, Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia, etc. — and noted that “in an increasingly secularized world, where many have lost the sense of the transcendent, the priest is an enigma, a symbol of great contradiction.”
"Nowadays, many view religious faith with hostility or at best, with indifference. In such a world, the Church will always appear out of step and irrelevant. Often, such a Church will be viewed if not with contempt and mockery, with total incomprehension. As Jesus said: ‘If the world hates you, know that it hated me first,’” the archbishop said.
“Face the challenges of your ministry without anxiety or mediocrity, and do not allow yourselves to be intimidated or influenced by those who make power, wealth, or pleasure the primary criteria of their lives,” he exhorted.
After encouraging the new priests to lay down their lives for their faithful, Wenski urged them to be “generous with their time and available to hear the confessions of the faithful.”
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.
U.S. government moves to seize land from New Mexico diocese to build border wall
A New Mexico Catholic diocese is facing the potential seizure of some of its land by the U.S. government in order to facilitate the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico.
A civil action filed by the federal government in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico on May 7 names the Diocese of Las Cruces in the eminent domain request.
The filing was made at the request of the Department of Homeland Security. It says it seeks the land “to construct, install, operate, and maintain roads, fencing, vehicle barriers, security lighting, cameras, sensors, and related structures designed to help secure the United States/Mexico border within the state of New Mexico.”
The disputed land is located northwest of El Paso, Texas. Government schematics show an extensive border wall planned for the site.
The government said it would compensate the defendants in the case with just over $183,000. The treasurer of Doña Ana County was also named in the filing.
The Las Cruces Diocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the dispute. But in a court filing on May 8 the diocese said the land seizure would “substantially burden” the religious freedom of both the diocese and “the other faithful who seek to commune with God on diocesan property.”
The disputed land parcel runs along the base of Mount Cristo Rey, the diocese said in its filing. Atop of that mountain is a 29-foot-tall statue of Christ, marking a shrine the diocese said is the “site of annual pilgrimages” that draw thousands to the mountain.
The diocese had earlier told the government that the land seizure would “constitute a significant infringement on religious freedom and the rights of worship” given the religious significance of the site.
The filing asked the court to halt the proceedings until the First Amendment dispute could be fully adjudicated.
U.S. bishop joins Slovaks honoring blessed bishop tortured by communists
Hundreds of Greek Catholic faithful gathered in the eastern Slovak village of Hrabské on May 10 to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Blessed Vasiľ Hopko, a bishop imprisoned and tortured by the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
The archieparchial celebration was held in Hopkoʼs birthplace on the eve of the anniversary of his episcopal consecration on May 11, 1947. The blessed bishop died on July 23, 1976, his health broken by years of incarceration and torture.
Metropolitan Archbishop Jonáš Maxim of Prešov presided over the hierarchical Divine Liturgy, concelebrated by Bishop Kurt Burnette of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic, New Jersey, who is currently on a pastoral visit to Europe. Burnette also serves as apostolic administrator of the Exarchate of Sts. Cyril and Methodius of Toronto for Slovaks of the Byzantine rite. More than 30 priests concelebrated, and religious sisters and laypeople from across the region attended.
‘He did not search for glory’
In his homily, Maxim drew on the testimony of Father Atanáz Pekár, OSBM, who described Hopko as a bishop who never sought glory, never demanded justice for himself, and forgave everyone.
“In todayʼs Church and in Slovakia, there are still people who seek their own glory and not Christʼs — may God be merciful to them,” Maxim warned.
The archbishop recalled that in 1968, Hopko wrote to the Czechoslovak government requesting the reestablishment of the Greek Catholic Church, which had been dissolved at the so-called Sobor of Prešov — a staged assembly orchestrated by the communist regime in 1950. Hopko sought justice for his Church, not for himself, Maxim said, quoting from the letter: “We are not dead. We live and we want to live! We claim all the rights we had in the past… Please take it for granted that we have never, not even for a moment, given up our rights.”
Maxim described Hopko as “highly educated and wise,” a man who “suffered a lot” yet “remained an ordinary, simple, and humble person” and “a sincere lover of his nation.” The metropolitan called him “a saint.”
Bishop Burnette: Freedom brings its own dangers
Burnette, addressing the pilgrims at the close of the liturgy, praised Hopko as a man who remained faithful to the word of God and to the pope during the harshest years of communism. He warned that in the present day, when there is no restriction on religious freedom, the pursuit of power and money makes people even less free.
On the same day, Bishop Milan Lach of the Eparchy of Bratislava celebrated a separate Divine Liturgy in Hopkoʼs memory in Brezno.
A life of suffering and fidelity
Vasiľ Hopko was born on April 21, 1904, in Hrabské in what is now eastern Slovakia. He was consecrated a bishop of the Eparchy of Prešov on May 11, 1947, as Soviet pressure on the Greek Catholic Church intensified.
After the Sobor of Prešov in 1950 — at which the communist regime declared the Greek Catholic Church dissolved and transferred its assets to the Russian Orthodox Church — Hopko was arrested on April 28, 1950. He was imprisoned, starved, and tortured.
Released in 1964 in broken health, he was transferred to a care home. After the Prague Spring of 1968, the Greek Catholic Church was legally restored, and Hopko resumed episcopal ministry, encouraging the faithful, ordaining priests, and rebuilding Church life despite his frailty.
Hopko died on July 23, 1976, in Prešov. His remains are interred in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Prešov. St. John Paul II beatified him at a ceremony in Bratislava on Sept. 14, 2003.
The liturgy was broadcast live on the Slovak public broadcaster STVR.