Earthquake survivor in Venezuela: ‘The Miraculous Medal saved me’
In Playa Grande, a neighborhood in the city of La Guaira, Venezuela, Kamar Galíndez was on the top floor of Chipi’s Beach Hotel, preparing to start his daily workout in the gym, unaware that his life was about to change forever.
It was Wednesday, June 24, the feast day of St. John the Baptist and a national holiday commemorating the anniversary of the decisive Battle of Carabobo. At 6:05 p.m., the peaceful atmosphere created by the stunning ocean view from the top of the hotel was shattered by the thunderous violence of two consecutive earthquakes that took everyone by surprise, sowing anguish and confusion.
Speaking with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Galíndez, a 53-year-old lawyer, recalled how the heavy gym machines began moving from one side to the other, much like an air hockey puck. Disaster struck within seconds.
“The floor split, and immediately I saw half the building tilting forward while the section I was in collapsed straight down; I felt my feet were no longer standing on anything, and the next thing [I knew], I was trapped in the rubble,” he recounted.
Faced with imminent death: ‘Lord, have mercy!’
Galíndez recounted that the only thing he managed to do was to seek protection beside a nearby wall. As he felt the building collapsing, what came to his mind was the image of the Lord Jesus as he first appeared to St. Faustina Kowalska on Feb. 22, 1931.
“I remember thinking of the merciful Christ and praying, ‘Lord, have mercy,’” he said, on the verge of tears. “The next thing was feeling the building collapse because with that violent shaking, I kept saying, ‘It’s going to fall,’ and of course, it did.”
Galíndez never lost consciousness. He said he felt every blow but that “amid the shock and fear, physical sensations become secondary.” Once the confusion of the collapse subsided, he realized he was alive, though his body was completely buried in the rubble and pinned by a massive beam crushing his chest.
He couldn’t breathe properly. His head had not been buried, and through that immense mountain of twisted metal, bricks, and earth, he could see the sky, still lit by the last rays of the evening sun. All around, the desperate screams of other people trapped in the rubble could be heard.
Galíndez wiped his face and tried to move to free himself. Then he realized his left arm was broken: “A lot of desperation, a lot of fear” is what he recalled feeling, yet amid the suffering, he didn’t hesitate to entrust himself to God’s protection.
“Then I prayed to stay calm. What I did was to pray a lot: ‘OK, Father God, help me get out of here. Keep me calm’ was the first thing I prayed. ‘Keep me calm and tell me what I need to do,’” he recounted.
He signaled for help as best he could. He said he has no idea how long he was underneath the rubble, but he knows it “felt like an eternity.” Finally, a man who had climbed the mountain of debris helped him break free.
‘The Miraculous Medal saved me’
Galíndez made his way down the remains of the collapsed building on his own. Upon realizing the magnitude of the tragedy, which claimed thousands of lives in a split second, he is positive that emerging virtually unharmed was a miracle, one he attributes to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, to whom he has always been devoted.
“I was wearing a small chain with a crucifix and a tiny medal of the Miraculous Virgin. Among the things I lost track of, the chain broke, though, of course, I hadnʼt noticed it at the time,” he recalled.
On his way to his home, which was also completely destroyed, a couple of young people helped Galíndez with first aid. While they were tending to him, he became aware of one of those small miracles that holds profound meaning for someone with sincere faith.
He asked the young people to help him put his watch into one of the pockets of his shorts, as he needed to remove it to hold his fractured arm still. And then, the inexplicable happened.
“I was wearing shorts with a small zippered pocket, and when I looked — don’t ask me where from, don’t ask me how — a piece of the chain and the Miraculous Medal were caught inside.”
"Of course, I told the boy: ‘Please, put that little medal away for me too, because that was what saved me,’” he said. “I havenʼt the slightest doubt.”
“Absolutely, absolutely,” he replied when asked if he truly believes his life is a miracle obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
Many people didn’t make it out of what was left of the hotel. For Galíndez, having survived is the work of the mercy of God, who listened to his pleas in every instant and granted him his request for a reason he still does not know.
“In the greatest adversity, you begin to see it in terms of what is most basic, because the most basic thing becomes impossible. When the most basic thing is impossible and you manage to do it anyway, you say: ‘Only God can do that,’” he reflected.
“There is a God who looks after you in that moment, attending to what you are asking of him and what you need. From freeing up an arm or reminding you of his presence by leaving a small medal hanging from your [shorts],” he said.
He then emphasized what he considers most important following his harrowing experience: "I have the greatest gift God [my dear] Father gave me, which is life.”
Galíndez said he feels deeply grateful to be alive. For him, what happened serves as a humbling reminder that what we have comes from the will and mercy of God, who does not abandon his people; who does not abandon Venezuelans, especially during times of greatest suffering.
At the time of publication, the official death toll in Venezuela from the double earthquake has risen to 3,535, while the number of injured has reached 16,740. Estimates by independent organizations indicate that tens of thousands of people are still missing.
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. House speaker welcomes apostolic nuncio in formal letter
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson extended greetings to Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia in a letter marking his appointment as apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Johnson sent a formal letter July 1, shared exclusively with EWTN News, that welcomed the nuncio to his diplomatic mission in the United States and affirmed Congress’ respect for the Holy See’s role in promoting peace, human dignity, and care for vulnerable communities.
“On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I’d like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on your recent appointment as apostolic nuncio to the United States of America,” Johnson wrote. “It is my great honor to welcome you to Washington, D.C., during this semiquincentennial year as we commemorate 250 years of American independence.”
The letter follows Caccia’s appointment to the position in March, succeeding Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who turned 80, the retirement age for cardinals, in January.
“As our country celebrates its 250th anniversary, we are reminded of our long-standing commitment to the principles of human dignity and religious liberty, enshrined most famously in the Declaration of Independence,” Johnson said. “These ideals were shared and practiced by Archbishop John Carroll, our nation’s first Catholic bishop.”
Johnson cited Carroll’s commitment to integrating faith into American civil life, stating that he believed the bishop “would be proud to know that today, nearly 150 members of Congress and six of our nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court are Catholic.”
“In a spirit of goodwill, I pray that your service and mission as apostolic nuncio will continue to foster a deep friendship between the United States and the Holy See,” he said, adding: “Please accept my warmest welcome and congratulations.”
Thousands of errors found in British Columbia euthanasia cases, internal report shows
An internal British Columbia, Canada, government document obtained by Canadian Catholic News (CCN) through a freedom of information request shows doctors, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists in the province made thousands of errors in managing euthanasia in 2024.
According to the report of the Ministry of Health, more than half of all medical aid in dying (MAID) cases in the province that year were found to have had errors requiring government follow-up.
Page 3 of the “Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) Oversight 2024 Year End Report” states 4,169 individuals requested MAID in 2024 — a nearly 10% increase since 2023.
However, a bar graph from the report indicates a total of 4,190 MAID cases in 2024. It also indicates the MAID Oversight Unit found 2,807 errors among 51.9% of “MAID case outcomes” requiring corrective “follow-up.” The report says “follow-up” means obtaining missing information or clarifying existing information.
Among these thousands of errors, 353 cases — or about 12.5% — raised compliance concerns and “required education” of practitioners and pharmacists “to ensure they understand legal requirements and the professional standards associated with MAID,” the report says.
Other data associated with 4,169 total MAID cases indicate 72% of these individuals died by MAID; 23% died of other causes, and 4% were found ineligible to access MAID. Only 1.4% of individuals withdrew their request.
The 2024 findings closely mirror those from 2023, which included 2,833 errors in the management of 3,808 MAID cases, as reported in The B.C. Catholic last year. These findings suggest that concerns identified in 2023 persisted in 2024.
“It’s all very shocking that you have such a large amount and percentage of errors in British Columbia,” said Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition based in London, Ontario. “It’s clear there are huge problems.”
The situation is particularly acute because British Columbia (B.C.) leads the country in percentage of deaths caused by MAID, Schadenberg told CCN. In 2024, 6.5% of B.C. deaths were attributed to euthanasia, compared with the national average of 5.1%.
Amanda Achtman, ethics director of Canadian Physicians for Life, said the report has troubling implications, indicating MAID is not medical care “but rather abandonment.”
“The staggering level of errors surrounding the practice of euthanasia in Canada betrays a level of indifference and callousness toward Canadian patients at end of life,” Achtman said in an interview. “At the same time, every euthanasia death is a medical ‘error’ because it is an aberration of sound medical practice rooted in the Hippocratic oath to ‘do no harm.’”
The impact of the errors is far-reaching and goes beyond mere gaps in paperwork, she said. Each mistake represents “negligence with which their loved ones were dismissively treated at the height of their greatest vulnerability.”
B.C. Minister of Health Josie Osborne did not respond to a CCN interview request, nor has she answered questions raised in the B.C. Legislature in May by Opposition health critic Dr. Anna Kindy about the need for better and more-public oversight of B.C.’s MAID regime.
“Will B.C. commit to public annual reporting, not just of MAID volume but of compliance concerns, referrals … [MAID] trends, and recommendations for system improvement?” Kindy asked Osborne.
Kindy’s questions were based in part on The B.C. Catholic’s article in July 2025 of the MAID Oversight Unit’s 2023 report, which found 2,833 errors in the management of 3,808 MAID cases.
Dr. Kevin Sclater, who in 2022 resigned from his position at a hospice in Port Moody, British Columbia, in part because of the “moral distress” caused by having to discuss MAID with patients, said he is “shocked” by the high error rate and called for the health ministry to “tighten up” regulations.
CCN asked B.C.’s professional medical association Doctors of B.C. for comment on MAID management and was told the evaluation of “clinical outcomes falls outside our scope.” A spokesperson said answers to “questions related to regulatory oversight” were best directed to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia.
When reached by CCN, the college said its mandate is to regulate physicians and surgeons, not to “comment on clinical, health, or health system matters,” and suggested contacting the health ministry.
Sclater said the health ministry should be responsible for MAID oversight. He said a euthanasia assessment is only a “superficial competency” evaluation that “doesn’t evaluate and document a person’s competence” for making a medical decision.
“The entire evaluation process is really a sham,” he said.
The process leaves the public “vulnerable to the whims” of euthanasia providers who may consider it their “mission to help” individuals who have “restricted capacity to object,” he said.
The overlapping concerns of inadequate oversight, lack of any agency responsibility for regulatory enforcement, and enthusiastic euthanasia specialists also arose in a June 17 report by the Special Joint Parliamentary Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying. The committee recommended the government “indefinitely exclude” patients from MAID for the sole condition of mental illness.
Committee co-chair Dr. Marcus Powlowski, a Liberal Party member of Parliament from Thunder Bay-Rainy River, wrote in a “supplementary opinion” to the main report that the committee “heard disturbing stories of questionable conduct by some MAID providers.”
“It is not hard to conclude that some providers take an exceedingly expansive interpretation” of MAID eligibility rules and exhibit “a seemingly cavalier attitude towards end of a life,” he wrote.
The committee heard “scant, if any evidence” to indicate that any regulatory bodies “provide adequate safeguards” or have “seriously pursued allegations of misconduct by MAID providers,” he continued.
“Several witnesses suggested the criminal system, the medical colleges, and at times the government ministries responsible for MAID provision … all allegedly treat enforcement as someone else’s responsibility,” he wrote.
Release of the B.C. government document to CCN coincides with the 10th anniversary of legalized euthanasia in Canada this year. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Standing Committee for Family and Life marked the anniversary with a statement urging Catholics to “remain steadfast in opposing euthanasia and assisted suicide, to pray for the conversion of hearts and minds away from this practice, and to be present to persons who are sick and vulnerable.”
While eliminating legal euthanasia is the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition’s ultimate goal, Schadenberg said there is also urgent need for tighter control, better oversight, and public reporting on MAID in B.C. and elsewhere.
This story was first published by Canada’s The Catholic Register and has been adapted by EWTN News and reprinted with permission.
Pope Leo XIV to Iraqi Christians: Be Christ’s light in challenging times
Pope Leo XIV has urged Iraqi Christians to be the light of Christ amid worsening persecution and insecurity.
In a video message published by the Vatican on July 8 for the Ankawa Youth Meeting in Ankawa, Iraq, the pope greeted the young Christians present and encouraged them to trust in God during these challenging times for the country.
“Dear young people, never doubt the goodness of God, and do not be afraid of the plan the Lord has for each of your lives,” Leo said in the video message. “The prophet Jeremiah also had to face difficult moments, and he
bears witness that the Lord’s plans are ‘for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope’ (Jer 29:11).”
Prolonged Christian persecution and emigration from Iraq
Iraq continues to experience sectarian violence and terrorist attacks, forcing waves of Christians to emigrate. As reported by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, and the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Baghdad, two-thirds of Christians have left the country, with most fleeing to the United States and Australia.
The report also states that since the Iraq War in 2003, the Christian population has declined from 1.5 million to approximately half a million. The patriarchate attributed this to the number of Christians who were kidnapped and killed by the Islamist militant organization al-Qaida.
Encouragement from Pope Leo
Leo XIV encouraged the Iraqi Christians gathered in Ankawa to persevere in faith, assuring them of his closeness and that of the Church in these times.
“I am with you; the Church is with you. Place your trust in Jesus; listen to him in prayer and through the guidance of others, and allow him to lead you,” Leo said.
The pope also called on them to radiate the light of Christ and to work for peace at a time of conflict.
“Rooted in charity, you are particularly called to be peacemakers, to unite those around you, and to instill in others the hope of a future marked by lasting peace.”
“It is not always easy to be a light in the world (cf. Mt 5:13). Indeed, at the present time, you are called to radiate this light in a situation that has often been marked by war and instability. The Lord has placed great trust in you in bestowing upon you this mission, and I too have great confidence in all of you,” the pope said.
Pope Leo XIV continues reform of Diocese of Rome with addition of leadership position
Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday named Rome priest Father Pier Luigi Stolfi the first moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Rome, as the pontiff continues to reform the diocese’s central organization in the wake of administrative upheaval.
Recent changes by Leo restore autonomy to his appointed leaders of the diocese after Pope Francis had centralized much of the power at the Vatican.
Born in Rome, Stolfi, 55, has previously held an array of administrative positions in the diocese’s hierarchy — including vice rector of both the minor and major seminaries, director of the Office for Religious Buildings, and head of the Section for Sacred Art and Cultural Heritage — before serving as pastor of St. Linus Parish in west Rome since 2020.
Adding the position of moderator of the curia was one of several changes Leo made last week to the constitution In Ecclesiarum Communione of the vicariate, or hierarchy, of the Diocese of Rome — of which he is the head.
The pontiff, as bishop of Rome, does not manage the diocese like a typical diocesan bishop. A cardinal vicar general, vice regent (deputy), and auxiliary bishops are responsible for the ordinary running of the diocese.
Last year, Leo brought back the central sector, one of five total sectors, of the diocese, which had been eliminated by Pope Francis, and in February of this year, the pontiff appointed four new auxiliary bishops — filling yearslong vacancies in the vicariate’s top administration.
On Feb. 25, the pope also announced the creation of a working group to revise In Ecclesiarum Communione, introduced by Pope Francis in January 2023.
“After carefully considering the guidance I have received, I believe it is appropriate to make some amendments,” Leo wrote on June 30, “so that the Vicariate of Rome may respond ever more effectively to the needs of the evangelizing mission, foster a deeper ecclesial communion, and support the pastoral ministry of the Church in Rome.”
The letter motu proprio, Confirma Fratres Tuos (“Strengthen Your Brothers”), takes its title from Jesus’ direction to his disciples in Luke Chapter 22, that he has “prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.”
Pope Francis’ reform of the Diocese of Rome
Pope Francis’ reform of the vicariate centralized everything, at least formally, under the control of the pontiff.
When In Ecclesiarum Communione was first promulgated in 2023, it was the first major change in 25 years and launched a series of organizational shifts for the ecclesiastical territory, many involving personnel. For some priests of the diocese, who spoke to EWTN News last year, the changes and instability in the diocesan curia were challenging.
The constitution also deeply diminished the role of the cardinal vicar general and made the pope the formal presider over the episcopal council, a new body established as an “expression of synodality,” expected to meet at least three times a month and to report all meeting minutes to the pope. If the cardinal vicar wanted to take a different decision from the unanimous opinion of the council, he needed to discuss it first with the pope.
With the 2026 modifications introduced by Leo, the episcopal council becomes an “advisory body” convoked by the cardinal vicar and presided over by him.
Moderator of the curia
The moderator of the curia, appointed by the pope for a five-year renewable term, oversees the performance of the duties of the diocesan staff.
According to universal Church law, the moderator of the curia is a priest “who, under the authority of the bishop, is to coordinate those things which pertain to the treatment of administrative affairs and to take care that the other members of the curia properly fulfill the office entrusted to them.”
In many dioceses, the vicar general, or one of them if there are more than one, is also the moderator of the curia.
In Rome, Leo decided to add the moderator as a separate figure, giving him the responsibility over the administrative functions formerly carried out by the vice regent, whose position will now be more closely tied to the cardinal vicar, assisting him in his duties and exercising his powers in his absence when necessary.
An additional change: An Independent Supervisory Commission established by Pope Francis, in the new version of the constitution, removes the detailed requirements for members and the requirement to report to the pope once a year after monthly meetings, simply stating that the regulations of the internal oversight body are to be approved by the pope.
3 new bishops installed in Washington Archdiocese, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
Two U.S. dioceses welcomed three new bishops this month with ordinations and installations in both the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
In Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy ordained Bishop Gary Studniewski and Bishop Robert Boxie III into the order of bishops there. Both prelates will serve auxiliary roles in the archdiocese.
McElroy at the ordination Mass said the archdiocese had “been blessed by our Holy Father,” Pope Leo XIV, who made the appointments on May 1. Studniewski and Boxie had previously served as priests in the archdiocese.
“All of us gathered today have the joy and the privilege of witnessing the grace of Spirit come upon these two men and set them aside in their new ministry as bishops,” McElroy said at the ordination, which was livestreamed.
The Mass was held at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and was attended by around 2,500 people. Among the attendees were Apostolic Nuncio Gabriele Caccia; Cardinal Donald Wuerl; Richmond, Virginia, Bishop Barry Knestout; Baltimore Archbishop William Lori; and numerous other local Church leaders, along with hundreds of lay faithful.
Speaking to the new bishops, Caccia at the Mass told them: “Each of you have followed the Lord along a distinctive path of service.”
He urged them to “always walk in faith, hope, and love.”
Wheeling-Charleston receives new bishop from Washington
Also in attendance at the archdiocesan ordination Mass was Bishop Evelio Menjívar-Ayala, who himself formerly served as an auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese and who was installed as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, on July 2.
Pope Leo XIV had also announced Menjívar-Ayala’s appointment on May 1. The newly installed bishop is a native of El Salvador and is the first Salvadoran bishop in the history of the United States.
At his own installation Mass, the bishop referenced the classic John Denver folk song “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” which in its opening strains refers to West Virginia as “almost heaven.”
He joked that the scorching heat wave affecting much of the U.S. made West Virginia feel “more like purgatory.” But he said the song’s lyrics “express something deeply present in every human heart — the longing to be at home, the longing to belong.”
Reflecting on his decades-long journey that began in Central America, Menjívar-Ayala said God “brought me from a distant life in El Salvador, the land of St. Oscar Romero, to this country.”
“I could never have imagined then the path he was preparing for me,” he said.
The prelate said he prayed that the faithful would “walk together in ministry, not merely along country roads, but along the way of the Gospel.”
In taking the role of bishop in Wheeling-Charleston, Menjívar-Ayala replaced Bishop Mark Brennan, who served in that role from 2019 until this year.
Pope Leo XIV to share lunch with 200 people in need at Castel Gandolfo
Pope Leo XIV will spend his vacation at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo in Italy until July 27, but he also plans to devote part of that time to sharing lunch with about 200 people experiencing poverty and social vulnerability in the Diocese of Rome.
The meeting will take place Saturday, July 11, as part of a day of welcome, prayer, and fraternity organized at Borgo Laudato Si’, the ecological project promoted by the Holy See in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, a town on Lake Albano about 18 miles south of Rome.
The initiative, titled in Italian “A pranzo con il Papa” (“Lunch with the Pope”), is intended to offer a space of closeness and fellowship for people facing economic or social hardship in an atmosphere inspired by fraternity, care for creation, and solidarity.
The day will bring together homeless people and others assisted by parishes, Caritas, and various Church organizations that work with people facing poverty, exclusion, forced migration, or social fragility.
The gathering will begin with the celebration of Mass using the “Missa pro custodia creationis,” or “Mass for the Care of Creation,” an official addition to the Roman Missal made by Pope Leo XIV that includes new readings and prayers focused on integral ecology.
Afterward, participants will take part in a time of fellowship and a guided visit to Borgo Laudato Si’ before the most anticipated moment of the day: lunch with the Holy Father.
More than a shared meal, the organizers said, the event is intended to become a concrete sign of the pastoral style Leo has sought to give his pontificate: a Church close to those living on the human and social peripheries.
The initiative is rooted in an experience that marked the first months of Leo’s pontificate. On Aug. 17, 2025, Leo shared a meal with people living in poverty from the Diocese of Albano. That experience led to the decision to make the gathering an annual event promoted by the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, which is responsible for the development of Borgo Laudato Si’.
Each year, a different diocese will be invited to bring vulnerable people for a day of contact with nature, fraternity, and encounter with the pope, the organizers said in a statement.
Cardinal Fabio Baggio, director general of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, said the project seeks to show that “care for creation and attention to the human person are part of one mission.”
“After Lampedusa, this day represents a new stage on Pope Leo XIV’s path toward the social peripheries of our time,” Baggio said. “At Borgo Laudato Si’, the Holy Father meets people living in situations of vulnerability, reaffirming that the Church is called to be present wherever human dignity calls for listening, closeness, and hope.”
Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, said the pope’s gesture recalls that “charity consists of closeness, encounter, and sharing.”
“When the Church places the most vulnerable people at the center, it makes the Gospel visible and bears witness that no one is on the margins of God’s heart,” he said.
Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the pope’s vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, said the main participants in the day will be people who are accompanied each day by the Christian communities of the Italian capital.
“The meeting with the Holy Father restores a leading role to those who too often remain on the margins and reminds the entire Christian community of its responsibility to welcome,” Reina said.
Among the organizations collaborating in the initiative are the diocesan Caritas of Rome, the Community of Sant’Egidio, Centro Astalli, ACLI Rome, the Vincentian Family, and numerous parishes and associations dedicated to accompanying vulnerable people.
With the event, Borgo Laudato Si’ again presents itself as a living laboratory where the integral ecology promoted by the Church is translated into concrete acts of inclusion, encounter, and human development. Once again, Leo seeks to place at the center those who often remain outside the spotlight, recalling that attention to the most fragile is not a secondary activity of the Church but an essential expression of the Gospel.
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.
After SSPX excommunications, Oslo bishop offers wider Latin Mass access
One of the first concrete diocesan responses in Europe to the fallout from the recent Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) excommunications has come from Norway.
Bishop Fredrik Hansen of Oslo has moved to reassure Catholics attached to the Traditional Latin Mass while warning of the grave ecclesial consequences of the society’s latest schismatic act.
In a letter issued after the illicit episcopal consecrations, Hansen said the four bishops along with their two consecrating bishops “removed themselves from ecclesial communion and from unity with the pope” by taking part in the consecrations without a papal mandate, thereby incurring “the most grave ecclesiastical penalty: ‘latae sententiae’ excommunication.”
The Norwegian prelate then expressed willingness to expand access to the traditional liturgy within the Diocese of Oslo for Catholics who may now find themselves disoriented by the SSPX crisis.
Keeping the old Mass within the Church
Hansen turned directly to Catholics in his diocese who have attended SSPX chapels because of their attachment to the preconciliar liturgy and spirituality. Acknowledging that “these are difficult and distressing days for you,” he urged them first of all to “hold fast to unity with our Holy Father, the bishop of Rome, and with me as bishop of Oslo.”
Rather than simply warning the faithful away from the SSPX, Hansen paired his appeal with a concrete pastoral offer. He pointed out that Mass according to the 1962 Missal is already celebrated every Sunday at St. Joseph Church in Oslo and added that “if there is a need for it, and if it would be for the good of the Church and of souls, I will also expand this form of Mass celebration in our local Church.”
This makes Norway one of the first places in Europe where a diocesan bishop has responded to the SSPX crisis not only by reaffirming Rome’s judgment but also by signaling greater provision for Catholics attached to the older liturgy within full communion with the Church.
Hansen also urged Catholics to pray rosaries for Church unity while reminding the laity to “refrain from participating in Masses and other activities run by the Society of St. Pius X.”
A wider Scandinavian response
In neighboring Denmark, speaking to CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, Bishop Czesław Kozon of Copenhagen strongly condemned the SSPX consecrations, calling them “tragic and completely pointless.”
“It also shows that this is about more than just the old Mass,” Kozon said. “People who previously praised the magisterium, emphasized obedience, and promoted the unity of the Church are suddenly doing something like this, which is a clear sign of disobedience and harms the unity of the Church.”
At the same time, Kozon defended continued space for the traditional liturgy within the Church. Having recently celebrated a pontifical Mass in the traditional rite, he said the older form “should be preserved as long as there are believers who love it and feel connected to it.”
Kozon also cautioned against framing the old and new rites as rivals. “There shouldn’t be any competition between the two forms of Mass,” he said, noting instead a pastoral approach that allows room for Catholics attached to the traditional liturgy while affirming the postconciliar liturgy as the Church’s ordinary form.
Pope Leo XIV tells UN: Confront AI misuse to promote human dignity
Pope Leo XIV, drawing on his recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, has again called for dialogue on artificial intelligence (AI) while acknowledging the serious concerns that remain.
His remarks were delivered in a July 8 message sent through Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin to the participants in the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. The annual summit is the primary platform for AI at the United Nations (U.N.), taking place this year from July 7–10.
In the message, the pontiff assured participants of the Holy See’s continued openness to dialogue with secular organizations on AI.
The letter, in explaining the aims of Magnifica Humanitas, stated that the pope had written this document as a result of conversations on AI with scientists, political leaders, and parents.
The letter also explained that the encyclical was born out of persistent concerns over AI misuse.
Magnifica Humanitas “was also impelled by troubling accounts of the potential misuses of algorithms and by the loss of human agency in critical areas,” the message stated.
The AI for Good Global Summit is an annual U.N. conference on artificial intelligence gathering academics, civil leaders, and industry leaders to discuss how to safely govern AI systems while maximizing its positive impact on humanity.
The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. in Geneva has also participated in the summit, publishing a statement on the need to increase human oversight over AI autonomous systems.
Diocese of Oslo to open canonization cause for Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset
Bishop Fredrik Hansen of Oslo, Norway, has announced that he will open a canonization cause for Sigrid Undset, setting one of Scandinaviaʼs most celebrated literary figures on the path toward possible sainthood and giving the Catholic Church in Norway a prolific native candidate for holiness.
Hansen made the announcement during Mass on the island of Selja, off the west coast of Norway, on July 8. As pilgrims gathered on Selja to celebrate the feast of St. Sunniva — 100 years after Undset herself first visited the island — Hansen presented her not simply as a Nobel laureate or one of Norwayʼs greatest writers but as a Catholic convert whose life of faith, suffering, intellectual depth, and moral seriousness still speaks powerfully to the Church in a secular age.
The move is a notable one for Norwayʼs small Catholic minority. Undset, a literary giant of Scandinavian and Norwegian culture, lived a life of literary brilliance, personal turbulence reminiscent of St. Augustine, and opposition to totalitarianism — all while remaining an uncompromising witness to Catholicism.
Opening of her cause
Hansen framed Undset first and foremost not as a literary icon but as a model of Christian holiness. “She is far more than an author and Nobel Prize laureate,” he said. “For us, she is a model of Christian faith, of a life lived in virtue, and of the pursuit of holiness.”
Hansen situated the decision within the Churchʼs broader teaching that holiness is the calling of every Christian, stressing that sanctity is not reserved to a select few.
In Undset, he suggested, the Catholic Church in Norway has a concrete example of that calling lived out in public life, suffering, motherhood, and conversion.
He pointed to several aspects of her witness: her defense of the Catholic faith, her opposition to Nazism and her work for Norwayʼs freedom during the war, and her “constant and practical concern for the poor.” He also highlighted her care for her disabled daughter, which he described as part of her “commitment to life and to the sanctity of life.”
Undsetʼs books, Hansen added, have shaped generations of believers, inspiring them to live in Christ and keeping alive the witness of Norwayʼs medieval saints.
Observers have noted that Undsetʼs early life does not fit a conventional image of sanctity. Her path was marked by personal turmoil, public controversy, and choices that drew social scandal. Yet supporters of the cause point precisely to that complexity as part of her witness.
She did not lead a life of moral perfection from the outset. Rather, she walked a path of gradual conversion, repentance, and a growing commitment to Catholicism.
In that sense her story reflects the conviction that holiness is not the absence of weakness or mistakes but the work of Godʼs grace in a life, transforming it over time in the pursuit of holiness.
Undsetʼs story
Born in Denmark in 1882 and raised in Norway by largely atheist parents, Undset went to work as a secretary at 16 after her father died and the family fell into financial hardship. She began writing during these years.
At 25 she made her literary debut with “Fru Marta Oulie,” a novel about adultery whose opening line — “I have been unfaithful to my husband” — scandalized Norway even as it thrust her into the public eye.
Literary historians have noted that her life was unconventional for a woman of her time. Undset smoked, drank, swore, and was known for a sharp tongue and a strong personality.
While in Rome, she began a relationship with the painter Anders Castus Svarstad while he was still married, and later married him. Together they had three children, one of whom was disabled, and Undset also helped raise Svarstadʼs children from his first marriage.
In 1924, at the age of 42, Undset entered the Catholic Church, a decision that was controversial in overwhelmingly Lutheran Norway. Critics saw it as a step backward, but she embraced the faith publicly, later becoming a Lay Dominican and writing openly about her conversion in essays and fiction.
Some Norwegian critics dismissed her later works as “Catholic propaganda,” reflecting unease that one of the countryʼs most prominent writers had embraced Catholicism.
She also admired G.K. Chesterton; she reportedly met him and translated some of his work into Norwegian.
Four years after her conversion, in 1928, she won the Nobel Prize in literature, recognized for her depictions of medieval Scandinavia and best known for “Kristin Lavransdatter,” the historical trilogy that secured her international reputation.
The novels were steeped in medieval Christianity and its themes of sin, grace, suffering, and repentance — concerns that increasingly mirrored her own spiritual journey.
Undset used her writing and her standing as one of Scandinaviaʼs most prominent Catholic voices to defend Christian belief and to challenge the ideological currents reshaping Europe. An early critic of Adolf Hitler and Nazism, she fled Nazi-occupied Norway during the Second World War and eventually reached the United States, where she spoke out against totalitarianism and in defense of her homeland.
An inspiring figure for Norwayʼs Catholic future
Hansenʼs decision also comes as the Catholic Church in Norway continues to grow through immigration and adult conversions, even as it seeks deeper roots in the countryʼs own history.
If the cause advances, Undset could emerge not merely as a celebrated novelist under ecclesial study but as a singular model of holiness for the modern age: flawed, formidable, intellectually serious, and ultimately transformed by grace into a witness to Christ.
The diocesan phase of Undsetʼs cause is expected to formally open this fall, a step Hansen said is driven by his conviction that her witness reaches far beyond Norwayʼs literary history.
“I believe that Sigrid Undsetʼs life and work have much to offer both the Church in Norway and the universal Church,” he said — a judgment that now places Undset on the long path toward possible sainthood.