U.S. Catholic bishops urge ‘fair representation’ on Voting Rights Act anniversary
A subcommittee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) urged policymakers to protect “fair representation” in elections ahead of the 61st anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
“The Voting Rights Act of 1965 emerged from the sacrifices and perseverance of countless individuals who worked to secure the fundamental right to vote, particularly for communities of color that had long faced discrimination and exclusion,” said Bishop Daniel E. Garcia, chair of the USCCB Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation.
The USCCB issued the statement on Aug. 5, one day before the anniversary. The Voting Rights Act was enacted to combat Jim Crow laws that were designed to disenfranchise Black Americans.
“For decades, the U.S. bishops have advocated for the right of eligible citizens to participate fully in public life, including the protection of voting rights,” said Garcia, bishop of Austin, Texas. “We encourage all citizens to exercise their right to vote and urge policymakers to safeguard voting rights and promote fair representation for all.”
“Today is also an occasion to remember the hard-won history of voting rights in our country, and to recommit to the work which remains,” he added.
Garcia also said in his statement that “today, many communities of color worry about how recent developments will impact their fair representation and future participation in the democratic process.”
Recent developments could affect fair district maps, equal representation, and long‑term participation in elections. One development includes a 2013 Supreme Court decision, which ruled unconstitutional a provision of the Voting Rights Act that required certain states to obtain federal approval to change voting laws if that state had a history of disenfranchising voters.
Another development included a 2020 ruling that upheld Arizona election laws that required voters to cast ballots in their assigned precincts and banned people from submitting another person’s ballot (unless that person is a family or household member).
Rulings in 2023 and 2026 addressed racial gerrymandering, which is illegal under the Voting Rights Act. The 2023 ruling found a 2023 Alabama congressional district map to be illegal for not having any Black-majority districts and the 2026 ruling struck down Louisiana maps for relying too much on race in crafting districts.
Although racial gerrymandering is illegal, federal law does not prohibit partisan gerrymandering.
Garcia quoted Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, saying the bishops “affirm the value of democracy ‘insofar as it guarantees the effective participation of citizens’ as a reflection of their dignity.”
“May we continue to work together for the common good and for a society in which all citizens are able to participate fully and faithfully in our democracy,” Garcia said.
Pope to World SIGNIS Congress: Embrace digital communication that promotes human dignity
KIGALI, Rwanda — Pope Leo XIV called on Catholic communicators gathered this week in Kigali, Rwanda, to use digital communication platforms available to them to promote the common good, human dignity, truth, and environmental stewardship.
The pope’s message was delivered by the apostolic nuncio in Rwanda, Archbishop Arnaldo Sánchez Catalán, during the opening ceremony of the first-ever SIGNIS World Congress to be held in Africa, taking place in Kigali under the theme “Digital Communication for Cultural Harmony and Environmental Well-Being.”
In the message, sent through Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV expressed his spiritual closeness to participants and said he hoped their deliberations would provide “a new impetus” for ensuring that communication platforms serve the common good of the human family.
The pope warned against a communication culture increasingly shaped by algorithms rather than genuine human encounter.
He noted that the digital age has transformed everyday life, emphasizing that online communication goes beyond the transmission of information.
In his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV observes that digital communication contributes to the creation of culture because it shapes how people perceive the world and consequently influences the collective conscience.
Against this background, the Holy Father encouraged participants to explore communication strategies and tools inspired by the pursuit of truth and respect for human dignity. He said such efforts should contribute to a culture rooted in Gospel values, particularly communion, peace, and environmental stewardship.
Addressing participants through a recorded message, Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, warned that technological advances, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), must not come at the expense of human relationships and responsibility.
Ruffini acknowledged the transformative potential of AI but said the central question confronting society is not technological but human: what kind of people humanity chooses to become while using these technologies.
AI, he said, can calculate, organize information, and emulate language, but it cannot replace wisdom born from freedom, personal experience, responsibility, and love.
“We must never allow algorithms to write our story,” Ruffini cautioned, stressing that human beings must remain in control of the technologies they create.
He called on communicators to safeguard human voices and faces in an increasingly digital environment, emphasizing that doing so requires cultivating critical thinking, preserving spaces for dialogue, and ensuring that technology remains at the service of the human person.
Ruffini also challenged SIGNIS to strengthen its role as a global network connecting professionals working in journalism, cinema, and communication.
He described communication as a public good that needs to be protected, urging the organization to build alliances with professionals, entrepreneurs, and information engineers committed to creating a better digital communication ecosystem.
According to the prefect, SIGNIS should remain a network of people united by faith rather than becoming merely an ecclesiastical bureaucracy.
He envisioned the organization as a space where relationships of trust can flourish, reliable information can be shared, and projects can be developed to promote a different model of communication.
Such a network, he said, should create room for dialogue amid diversity and disagreement while ensuring that differences do not destroy fraternity.
Ruffini further challenged Catholic communicators to resist a communication model driven primarily by profit or the pursuit of consensus, insisting that the ultimate purpose of communication must remain at the service of truth.
“The future of communication will not ultimately depend on the power of our technologies. It will depend on the strength of our commitment and on the nature of our relationship,” he said.
He urged participants to use their faith-based network to build bridges and create meaningful encounters in a world increasingly mediated by digital platforms.
Ruffini called for greater space for human voices and faces in digital communication, encouraging SIGNIS members to help shape a communication ecosystem that places human dignity and relationships at its center.
“The greatest innovation we can still offer our society is not as much a machine but a more human way of communicating,” he said.
Participants in the Aug. 3–8 congress are exploring a wide range of topics, including digital communication for communion, religious and cultural praxis in the digital age, artificial intelligence in contemporary media, media literacy, youth engagement, environmental communication, and the role of Catholic communicators in promoting reconciliation and cultural harmony.
Among the African countries represented at the congress are Rwanda (the host country), Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Togo, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Zambia, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Benin, South Africa, and Mozambique.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
Archbishop Coakley reflects on ‘the virtue of patriotism’ at Knights of Columbus dinner
Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), reflected on “the virtue of patriotism” at the opening dinner for the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention in Denver.
In the address, Coakley drew a clear distinction between authentic patriotism and distorted nationalism, emphasizing that true love of country must be rooted in virtue. “Patriotism is not first and foremost a political virtue; itʼs a religious one,” he said at the Aug. 4 dinner, which opened the 144th Knights’ convention at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center.
The archbishop of Oklahoma City, a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus, said patriotism naturally “flows from the Fourth Commandment,” which commands honor toward one’s mother and one’s father. He said “it can rightly be understood as a form of familial love extended outward.”
Coakley cited St. Thomas Aquinas’ writings on piety from the “Summa Theologica,” in which the theologian explained the duties that one has for his or her nation, comparing them to the duties owed to one’s parents.
"The principles of our being and government are our parents and our country that have given us birth and nourishment,” Coakley quoted from the “Summa.” “Consequently, man is chiefly debtor to his parents and his country, after God. … Just as it belongs to religion to worship God, … so it belongs to piety in the second place to give honor to our parents and to our country.”
The archbishop explained that a person owes unique debts to family that he or she would not owe to a stranger “not because our family is objectively more valuable than other people, but because of the unique relationship we have with them.”
“So too, patriotism is a recognition of a similar debt of gratitude owed to our country — a debt of gratitude,” he said. “It is not a claim that our nation is superior to every other nation on earth. It is a claim that this nation, with all its imperfections, is the one through which God chose to give us life, language, liberty, and the countless ordinary gifts that make everything in our lives possible.”
This virtue, Coakley said, applies to “all people of every nation” and cited the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “The love and service of oneʼs country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity.”
Catholic patriotism
The archbishop said a proper Catholic understanding of patriotism is not “blind allegiance” or “some sort of tribal pride” but rather “gratitude,” which is “the same virtue that should animate a son toward the mother who raised him.”
“The Church has never asked us to love our country instead of loving God or to love it more than we love the truth,” Coakley added. “She has simply recognized that what most people already know: that we owe something real to the place that gave us life and that ignoring this debt is a form of ingratitude.”
He said most people “do not choose our country,” just as they do not choose their parents, but “our country has shaped so much of who we are” for better or for worse, and that “none of this is accidental” but instead “divine providence.”
“Our Heavenly Father positioned each of us at this moment in these circumstances and in this place where we find ourselves for a reason,” Coakley said. “Our love of country and our desire for it to be more just and more perfect is not merely sentiment. Itʼs a participation in Godʼs providential plan for our lives and the lives of those who will come after us.”
Patriotism vs. nationalism
“A love of country can go wrong and go wrong badly,” Coakley said. Patriotism “is not the same as nationalism,” Coakley said.
“Patriotism, as the Knights of Columbus have always understood it, is not a matter of uncritically affirming everything our country has done in its history, excusing its injustices, or treating its power or prestige as ends in themselves. Nationalism, by contrast, tends to elevate the nation to the status of an idol, something owed a total and unconditional loyalty that properly belongs only to God. It resents correction. It rejects the suggestion that the nation could ever be wrong.”
“Patriotism, by contrast, is more like the love of a good son for his mother,” Coakley said. “He honors her. He defends her. He is grateful to her. And precisely because he loves her, he also tells her the truth when she has strayed and he works to help her become the woman God intended her to be.”
He said a patriot can “grieve his countryʼs sins without ceasing to love his country,” which is “often the clearest sign that love is real.” He said patriotism and Christian conscience “were never meant to be enemies.”
“Love of country should impel us toward peace, toward justice for the poor and the vulnerable, and toward the kind of civic friendship that has always been harder to sustain than either indifference or tribalism, which today often takes the form of an extreme partisanship,” he said.
In practice, Coakley said this means voting with a properly formed conscience, being engaged civilly, and being there for one’s neighbors. For some, he said, it has meant “risking your lives in the uniform of your country.”
The archbishop warned that patriotism is sometimes neglected or treated with suspicion and encouraged Catholics to instill properly ordered patriotism into their children and grandchildren.
“We are called to love our country,” he said. “Honor your country as you honor your parents with gratitude, with loyalty, and with honesty that never mistakes flattery for love. Put God first and let your patriotism flow from that priority rather than compete with it.”
Patriotism is one of the four pillars of the Knights of Columbus, with the other three being charity, unity, and fraternity.
4 facts to know about Ceuta, the Spanish border city in Africa
Since July 30, the Spanish city of Ceuta has become the epicenter of one of the most significant border crises driven by migratory pressure in recent decades, as at least 70,000 people swam illegally into Spanish territory.
Below are four facts that can help shed light on the scale of the crisis.
1. It is a Spanish territory on the North African coast.
Ceuta is a Spanish city located on the North African coast, at the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar. Together with the city of Melilla, it forms the European Unionʼs only land border with Africa and is a point of critical geopolitical importance.
Conquered by Portugal in 1415, it became part of Spain under the 1668 Treaty of Lisbon. Morocco claims that both Ceuta and Melilla belong to its territory, even though both were Spanish outposts before Morocco existed as a nation.
2. It is a multicultural society.
Ceuta has a registered population of over 80,000. The majority are Spanish nationals of diverse backgrounds. In addition to a Catholic majority, some 35,000 people practice Islam, and there are also significant Jewish and Hindu communities.
Most of the city’s foreign population, which accounts for 6% of the total, is of Moroccan origin.
Although Spanish is the official language, Hindi, English, Haketia (a North African dialect of Ladino or Judeo-Spanish), and Darija (the Moroccan variety of Arabic) are also commonly spoken.
3. It has been a border crossing for African migration to Europe.
The Ceuta border, like that of Melilla, separates two radically different socioeconomic realities; this disparity is evident in everything from wages to public services, such as education, healthcare, and transportation.
People arrive at this boundary intending to cross it — not only Moroccans but also individuals from across Africa who have traveled thousands of miles, driven largely by the desire for prosperity and peace. During the arduous journey, many fall prey to migrant-smuggling rings or human traffickers.
These movements have reportedly been used as a demographic weapon, a claim recently made by the president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Luis Argüello.
Additionally, these movements overwhelm support services, such as the city’s Temporary Immigrant Stay Center. The facilityʼs capacity of over 500 places is routinely stretched to the breaking point. Prior to the latest surge of people, the center was already serving 200 individuals beyond its capacity, while another 500 were waiting nearby for assistance.
4. There have been tensions between Morocco and Spain.
Ceuta and Melilla have been at the epicenter of diplomatic tensions between Morocco and Spain for decades, with Morocco’s ambition to annex the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara serving as the backdrop.
In recent years, there has been a significant shift in the Spanish governmentʼs stance on this issue.
In April 2021, Spain admitted Sahrawi leader Brahim Ghali for COVID-19 treatment, triggering a diplomatic crisis with Morocco that culminated in a surge of migration into Ceuta in May of that year, with over 10,000 people entering the city. Many of them were children.
In an unexpected move that departed from the diplomatic stance Spain had maintained for decades, in March 2022 it was revealed that the Spanish government, in a letter sent to King Mohammed, supported Moroccoʼs claims regarding Western Sahara.
Then, in May 2022, the Spanish government publicly acknowledged that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s phone had been intercepted between May 19 and May 31, 2021 — right in the midst of the diplomatic crisis with Morocco. This sequence of events could explain why the Spanish government has chosen to keep a low profile regarding Morocco following the arrival of more than 70,000 people in Ceuta within the span of a few hours last week.
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.
Missouri voters reject income tax proposal after bishops warned of its effects on ‘most vulnerable’
Voters in Missouri overwhelmingly rejected a proposal this week that would have eliminated the state’s income tax, a measure the Missouri Catholic bishops had warned could adversely impact the state’s poorest residents.
Results from the Missouri Secretary of State’s office on Aug. 5 showed 83% of voters rejecting Amendment 5, which if passed would have reduced and eventually eliminated Missouri’s income tax while allowing lawmakers to expand sales taxes.
Missouri’s four Catholic bishops in July had urged voters to consider “the moral principles that should guide us in pondering any tax proposal.” They had warned that the “most vulnerable” of the state’s residents could face undue burdens if sales taxes increased there.
The bishops had acknowledged that supporters of the income tax repeal had “a sincere desire to promote the long-term prosperity” of Missouri. But such aims should be “weighed alongside the potential effects on those who are most vulnerable,” they said.
The measure had been touted by state Republicans including Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Catholic, who said after the ruling’s defeat that the measure’s advocates “made the case that Missouri should think boldly about its future, challenge the status quo, and pursue policies that make our state more competitive.”
“I remain committed to working with the General Assembly in the years ahead on ways to continue cutting taxes, growing our state’s economy, and pursuing conservative policies that help Missouri families keep more of what they earn,” the governor said.
Advocates, meanwhile, hailed the defeat of the measure. The Washington, D.C.-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy described the measure in a blog post as “a blank check to raise or expand sales taxes,” one the group said would “enable enormous income tax cuts for the state’s wealthiest households.”
Voters who rejected the measure “set a positive example for states around the country, turning away from what would have been one of the most damaging tax policy changes in any state in recent years,” the group said.
Knights of Columbus welcomes more than 2,000 members to 144th Supreme Convention in Denver
Thousands of Knights from across the globe gathered for the Knights of Columbus’ 144th Supreme Convention focused on the theme “In the One, We Are One,” with an emphasis on the virtues of unity and charity.
The Catholic fraternal organizationʼs annual convention is being held Aug. 4–6 in Denver. It includes Masses, prayer services, an awards session recognizing member and council achievements, and a summary of the organizationʼs annual report.
The event, focused on the order’s principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism, opened with Mass celebrated by Archbishop James Golka of Denver along with dozens of bishops, hundreds of priests and deacons, and thousands of Knights and families.
In his homily, Golka shared his personal relationship with the Knights, as he is a fourth-degree Knight, his six brothers are Knights, and his late father was a Knight. In 2021, the year Golka was named bishop of Colorado Springs, his family was named Family of the Year by the Knights of Columbus Nebraska State Council.
“The Knights of Columbus exists to help our men grow in their faith, and they sure did for my dad,” Golka said.
“God wants the Knights of Columbus to help him care for his children. God wants the Knights of Columbus to help carry out Godʼs purposes. God wants the Knights of Columbus to live for God and Godʼs purposes, not ours,” he said.
“And when we do that, we care for the people of God,” he said.
“The Knights of Columbus empowers Catholic men to live their faith and serve their family, parish, community, and country,” he said.
“But I think if I step back and look at the Knights of Columbus, along with many other apostolates doing such good work, I think weʼre all part of a bigger mission. The Knights of Columbus exist because God wants his world back,” he said.
In order to further this mission, we must “listen to God” and “beg God for clarity,” Golka said.
“He already has a plan for the Knights of Columbus. He has a plan for your council. He has a plan for your marriage and your family. We need to be experts in listening to him so we know what his plan is,” he said.
“And brothers and sisters, whenever I look at Jesus to find out his plan, he is never anxious. He is never afraid. Heʼs excited to show us who he is,” Golka said.
Supreme Knight presents Knights’ annual report
During the convention, Knights and observers also gathered for Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly’s presentation of the Knights’ report on Aug. 4, which highlighted the Knights’ work aiding the most vulnerable, and its growing membership.
“Just as Christ came to serve, we devote our lives to serving others, especially the vulnerable,” Kelly said. “All of our charity reflects the love of God. It’s a charity that evangelizes.”
Kelly’s address included a comprehensive summary of the Knights of Columbus’ work over the past year, highlighting initiatives that have advanced the mission of the organizationʼs founder, Blessed Michael McGivney.
“We are not just another charitable organization. We are not a social club,” Kelly said. “We are a global brotherhood of Catholic leaders and we are united in Jesus Christ. He is the true source of our strength. And as we reflect on our service over the past year, we give all the glory to God.”
“Last year, our brother Knights devoted more than 48 million hours to volunteering,” Kelly said. “Thatʼs 130,000 hours of volunteer service every day. And around the world, we donated more than $200 million. And thatʼs a new record.”
Addressing some of the specific efforts, Kelly shared that “California Knights delivered more than 800 wheelchairs to the Philippines last year, and through this program, weʼre serving refugees fleeing war, soldiers injured in the line of duty, and children with nowhere else to turn.”
“We also serve children who need a warm jacket to get through the winter, and our Coats for Kids program is growing faster than ever. Last year, we gave more than 300,000 coats to children in need. Thatʼs the most ever,” he said.
He also detailed the Knights’ work aiding those affected by natural disasters, including the earthquakes in Venezuela in June and those in Jamaica.
Kelly discussed the growing number of men joining the Knights and how the organization is reaching new groups.
“More than 2.2 million men now count themselves as Knights of Columbus, and last year we welcomed more than 105,000 new members. Thatʼs the most growth weʼve had in more than a century since the surge that followed the first world war,” he said.
“Last year, 15% of new members who joined in the United States and Canada were Hispanic, and our commitment to Latino communities has never been stronger,” he said.
“Father McGivney also wanted to reach young men. The fastest-growing group of Knights is men under the age of 35. And we continue to reach young men during their college years. We now have more than 37,000 college Knights at 320 college councils,” he said.
Looking ahead, the Supreme Knight also shared new initiatives by the Knights intended to continue McGivney’s mission and further guide the fraternity’s members.
“For years, weʼve heard … from Knights about the need for a retreat for men,” Kelly said. The Knights responded by creating “Heart of the Gospel” in collaboration with ACTS XXIX.
“It gives councils everything they need to hold a retreat for the men of the parish,” Kelly said. “This retreat will help you grow in your faith so you can witness to others.”
To advance Knights’ faith, the Knights of Columbus also launched “Cor,” a small-group program “to give young men exactly what they are looking for — a community centered in Jesus Christ.”
He also announced a new video series, "Encountering the Poor,” which is in partnership with Denver-based Christ in the City, to better equip Knights to serve the homeless.
Supreme Knightʼs Awards Session
To acknowledge the works of the fraternity councils, more than 2,100 Knights and their families also gathered for the Supreme Knight’s Awards Session.
Presented by Kelly, the awards recognize individual Knights, councils, assemblies, and jurisdictions throughout the world who have carried out McGivney’s mission.
The annual Blessed Michael McGivney Medal went to Father Robert F. Higgins, who serves as the parochial vicar of St. John Neumann Parish in Columbia, South Carolina, the South Carolina Knights of Columbus district friar, and the South Carolina Knights of Columbus state chaplain — a role he has held for 19 years.
Following in the footsteps of McGivney, Higgins is the diocese’s first vicar of prisons, ministering in four federal prisons, 24 state prisons, and 48 county jails.
Other winners included a council in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, which won “Faith Program of the Year” for coordinating a pilgrimage to Poland for the more than 45 widows and orphans of Ukrainian men who died defending their country.
Kelly also awarded “Family Program of the Year” to a council in the Philippines, recognizing its work restoring the marriage of 18 couples, who were previously only civilly married or living together unwed. The council worked to bring the couples to full communion with the Church through the sacrament of matrimony.
Kelly honored a council in Carbonear and Labrador, Newfoundland, as the “Community Program of the Year” for aiding 50 firefighters and volunteers during the 2025 Kingston, Newfoundland, wildfire.
Federal bankruptcy judge says abuse victims can sue Vermont Catholic parishes in addition to diocese
Parishes in the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, are “not separate legal entities” from the diocese itself and may be included in bankruptcy proceedings related to Church abuse cases, a federal court ruled this week.
Judge Heather Cooper said in a July 28 decision in U.S. Bankruptcy Court that a committee of abuse victims could seek compensation from the reportedly “hundreds of millions of dollars” tied up in diocesan parishes and other assets.
Memorandum of Decision - 7/28/2026
The diocese had argued in part that opening those assets to legal proceedings would require “substantial” litigation “against over 64 defendants” linked to the diocese, though Cooper said that the federal bankruptcy process helps “streamline” such legal disputes.
Attorneys for the diocese also argued that the parishes in general “were built with funds raised by the parishioners” and that their current financial assets “are limited for the specific charitable, religious, and educational purposes” established by the parishes themselves.
The judge said that “more clarity” about the extent of diocesan property “could help the ongoing efforts” to reach a final settlement in the case. The Burlington Diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2024 amid large numbers of abuse lawsuits.
Including parishes directly in legal proceedings is relatively rare in diocesan bankruptcy cases. In most instances, dioceses pursue global settlements with abuse victims without directly involving parish assets.
When a diocese files for bankruptcy it will usually ask the court to halt any litigation against individual parishes, in part because a parish being sued for the actions of a diocesan priest could claim the diocese itself is liable and sue the diocese in turn.
Yet parishes will often be required to contribute to diocesan abuse settlements internally. In 2025, for instance, the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, said its parishes would be required to pay up to 80% of their “unrestricted cash” to help fund a $150 million settlement there.
Parishes in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, meanwhile, were also required to contribute to a settlement trust after the diocese said in 2024 that it would pay $323 million to abuse survivors.
Pilgrims returning from Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico robbed at gunpoint
While traveling by bus on the way back from a pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, a group of pilgrims from the Diocese of Nuevo Laredo was robbed along a Mexican highway.
Bishop Luis Carlos Lerma Martínez of Nuevo Laredo announced that the pilgrims were heading toward the state of Jalisco when the bus they were traveling in was intercepted in the early hours of Saturday, Aug. 1.
“While it is true that, thank God, there were no serious injuries — let alone any loss of life — the lack of security on the highways of our country is deeply concerning,” Lerma lamented.
Lerma likewise urged the pertinent authorities to “redouble their efforts to strengthen security on our roads and thus prevent these types of incidents that cause such harm to our society.”
How did the robbery occur?
During an Aug. 4 press conference, Anahí Zamora, the pilgrimage organizer, provided details about the robbery. She explained that the group consisted of 47 pilgrims — including seniors, children, and several families — along with the driver and the co-driver.
She explained that around 3:45 a.m., while they were traveling along a highway in the state of Guanajuato, two men dressed in uniforms resembling those of the National Guard — a federal police force that, among other duties, patrols Mexico’s highways — signaled them to stop using a flashlight.
The driver assumed it was a checkpoint, so he stopped the bus and got out along with the co-driver. That was when the men “forced them to kneel alongside the road, held them at gunpoint, and began boarding” the vehicle.
Once inside the bus, the men began threatening the passengers with their weapons. “They took everything we had with us: suitcases, bags, cellphones,” Zamora recalled.
Following the incident, those affected managed to contact the authorities as well as representatives of the Diocese of Nuevo Laredo, who provided support to the group to continue their journey and subsequently return home.
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.
Cash for baptisms: German diocese questions Catholic millionaire’s $550 offer
A Bavaria, Germany-based investor is offering families 500 euros ($545) for every child they have baptized in a group of Catholic parishes near Munich.
The local diocese has acknowledged the donorʼs intentions but stressed that, from the Churchʼs point of view, there is no financial barrier to baptism in the first place.
Peter Löw, a Starnberg-based investor and practicing Catholic, has set aside 20,000 euros ($21,800) for the initiative, which he calls “Starnberger Schutzengelchen” (“Little Starnberg Guardian Angel”).
The amount is enough to cover up to 40 baptisms this year.
Support for families in expensive region
To qualify, a child must be no older than 3 and registered in the Catholic parish community of Starnberg, a lakeside area about 17 miles south of Munich.
Prized for its scenery and its short commute to the city, Starnberg has drawn an influx of wealthy newcomers that has made it one of the richest districts in Germany, with among the countryʼs highest incomes and property prices. The same pressure has driven up housing costs for local families, some of whom, the parish priest said, find even the cost of a baptism celebration hard to meet.
Löw, a father of eight who ranks among Germanyʼs wealthier businessmen, started the effort after a conversation with the Starnberg parish priest, Father Andreas Jall.
The priest had told him about families who were holding back from baptizing their children because of the cost of the celebration.
Löw told the newspaper Bild that if a modest sum nudged parents toward baptism, that was “a good thing,” adding that families were free to spend the money however they wished. He also framed the gift as an incentive to bring children into the life of the parish, telling Bild: “My eight children are all baptized.”
He said he would assess at the end of the year whether the initiative had been worthwhile.
Four families had already received the money by late July, Jall told the German Press Agency (dpa), noting that all four baptisms had been registered roughly six months in advance and that the offer had not triggered a sudden rush of new bookings.
The Diocese of Augsburg gave a mixed assessment in a statement to the official news portal of the German bishops' media arm.
Catholic parents are already obliged to have their children baptized as soon as possible and to raise them in the faith, a diocesan spokesman said, and because the Church charges nothing for a baptism, the financial element the initiative puts front and center is unlikely to be decisive in a familyʼs decision.
Every believer who meets the conditions has a right to receive the sacraments, the spokesman added.
Theology and intention
The Bavarian diocese called Löwʼs generosity “a likeable expression of charity” but said that wherever “the reception of a sacrament and financial considerations, however well meant, move too close together,” an “uneasy feeling” remains from the Churchʼs point of view.
The diocese also questioned the theology behind the offer. Baptism presupposes a conscious decision of faith and is far more than a simple blessing, the spokesman said; if no faith is thereby awakened or strengthened, the purpose of even a “surely well-intentioned initiative” is called into question.
Jall, the local parish priest, has defended the measure. Some parishioners had objected that it risked cheapening the Churchʼs reputation, he told the German Press Agency, but he said his own view started from the families' side. “We want to help families in this high-priced area,” he said, adding that the aim clearly was not to “buy” believers but to help Catholic families.
The initiative comes as the Catholic Church in Germany keeps shrinking. It recorded a net loss of about 321,659 members in 2025, leaving roughly 19.2 million Catholics, or 23% of the population — a decline driven partly by Germans formally quitting the Church to escape its state-collected tax on members.
This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Study finds many young men feel lonely, disconnected, shut out of the American dream
More than half of U.S. young men report feeling lonely or isolated at least some of the time, nearly half lack a sense of community, and many say the American dream feels increasingly out of reach, according to a report from the Institute for Family Studies.
The second installment of the institute’s “America’s Demoralized Men” study, based on a nationally representative YouGov survey of 2,000 men ages 18 to 29, examined young men’s social lives, mental health, civic engagement, and online habits. Researchers said the findings revealed a generation that still desires marriage, fatherhood, and meaningful work but often struggles to achieve those goals.
“We really tried to allow young men to speak for themselves,” said Michael Toscano, co-author of the report and director of the Family First Technology Initiative at the Institute for Family Studies. “They still have these honorable aspirations to be responsible men, to marry, to have children, and to contribute to society.”
A generation searching for connection
Researchers described many respondents as “demoralized” — not because they have abandoned hope entirely, but because many feel powerless to reach the lives they desire.
The survey found that 61% of young men often feel they have little control over what happens to them, while 54% said they never seem to do enough to please others. More than 4 in 10 (43%) agreed with the statement “I am inclined to think that I am a failure.”
Loneliness also emerged as a defining theme.
While roughly 45% of respondents said they rarely or never feel lonely, 55% reported feeling lonely at least some of the time. Similarly, 54% said they feel isolated at least occasionally, and nearly half (48%) said they lack a sense of community. About 1 in 5 respondents said they seldom or never feel loved or wanted by others.
Toscano cautioned against attributing the crisis to a single cause.
“We strive in the report not to think in a monocausal way,” he said. “The loneliness crisis is something that is visiting everyone.”
Still, he argued that the breakdown of family life has played a significant role.
“An honest assessment of where young men are today would have to begin with the breakdown of the family,” Toscano said, noting that many respondents still desire marriage and fatherhood but increasingly feel those milestones are beyond reach.
Fewer friendships, less community
The survey also found many young men have few close relationships.
About 4 in 10 respondents reported having two or fewer close friends, including 34% who have just one or two close friends and 9% who said they have none at all.
Researchers found that strong institutional ties often made a difference. Young men connected to marriage, education, or religious communities were more likely to report having three or more close friends. Participation in all-male organizations during adolescence, such as sports teams or the Boy Scouts, was also associated with stronger friendships later in life.
Overall civic participation remained relatively low. Although 57% participate in at least one community activity, only 31% volunteer regularly, while fewer than one-third belong to a faith-based group, social club, or civic organization. Just one-quarter attend religious services at least monthly.
Financial worries
Economic concerns also weighed heavily on respondents.
About half agreed with the statement “No matter how hard I work, people like me will never achieve the American dream,” while nearly three-quarters (72%) said personal connections matter more than ability or hard work when it comes to getting ahead.
Toscano said rising living costs were one of the clearest explanations offered by respondents.
“The main expression of doubt in the American dream was the sense that the money they earned was simply not enough to keep up with the rising costs of life,” he said.
Despite those concerns, optimism has not disappeared entirely. An overwhelming 84% of respondents said having ambitious plans for the future describes them at least somewhat well.
Digital habits often deepen distress
The report also points to widespread use of electronic media, with researchers warning that many young men appear to be using technology as a substitute for genuine relationships.
Nearly half (44%) play video games many times each day, while another 42% play at least several times a week.
Pornography use was also common. About 42% reported viewing pornography daily or several times each week, including 24% of regular religious service attendees.
Online gambling likewise proved widespread, with 23% gambling daily and another 12% doing so several times a week.
Toscano said these behaviors appear to function as what the report calls “maladaptive coping.”
“If the world around you is increasingly closing off your opportunity to be a successful man, what you might do is look for it in a synthetic environment,” he said.
Researchers found strong links between frequent online activity and emotional distress. Among men who watch pornography many times a day, 43% reported loneliness, 36% depression, and 29% anxiety. Two-thirds of daily online gamblers reported emotional distress, while 66% of daily gamblers and 63% of daily pornography users described themselves as failures, compared with 42% of young men overall.
Toscano emphasized that the survey cannot establish cause and effect but suggests a troubling cycle in which loneliness and unhealthy digital habits reinforce one another.
A call for the Church
Although church attendance was associated with stronger social connections, Toscano noted that loneliness remains common even among churchgoers.
“The lonely might be sitting in the pew right next to them,” he said.
He encouraged pastors and parish leaders to listen carefully to young men’s experiences, affirm their aspirations, and create opportunities for authentic friendships and mentorship between younger and older men.
“There still remains a desire for them to get married and have kids and have good jobs,” Toscano said. “We need to encourage those desires.”
He also said the Church should respond to the broader loneliness crisis affecting every generation. Referencing Pope Leo’s call for “digital sobriety,” Toscano said Catholics of all ages — not only young people — must intentionally rebuild face-to-face relationships.
“It’s time for everyone to be called out of their shell,” he said.
Despite significant obstacles, he said, many young men continue to desire family, responsibility, meaningful work, and lives of service.
“Men have value as men,” Toscano said. “It’s important to allow them to contribute to society as men. That’s not something we should be afraid of, but something we should encourage.”