Notre-Dame Cathedral enters final stage of restoration following 2019 fire
A symbol of Christian heritage and one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, attracts millions of tourists and pilgrims from around the world each year.
The devastating fire that significantly damaged the iconic cathedral on April 15, 2019, led to an unprecedented wave of international solidarity to ensure its restoration.
Although the cathedral reopened for worship in December 2024, restoration work is not yet complete. French authorities recently unveiled a final phase of work to be carried out from 2027 to 2033, which will require a new fundraising campaign aiming to raise 130 million euros ($148.5 million).
The planned investment amounts to 150 million euros ($171.3 million). Of that sum, nearly 20 million euros ($22.8 million) has already been secured, while the remainder is to come from donations from individuals, companies, and partner organizations, following the funding model used to rebuild the monument after the fire.
“Our goal is to fully complete the cathedral’s restoration,” stated Philippe Jost, president of Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris (Rebuilding Notre Dame in Paris), in an interview with the French Catholic newspaper La Croix.
The program consists of around a dozen projects aimed both at repairing damage done by the fire and at restoring elements of cultural heritage that were already in a fragile state of preservation prior to 2019.
The western rose window: The central focus
The planned works feature the complete restoration of the great western rose window, one of the most iconic examples of European Gothic architecture. This historic 13th-century stained-glass window has not undergone a complete restoration since the work directed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century.
The plans also include the restoration of the north transept façades, various medieval sculptures, and other architectural elements showing signs of wear. Project leaders believe these works will be crucial for ensuring the cathedralʼs long-term preservation.
A functioning cathedral, yet still under construction
The reopening of Notre Dame in late 2024 allowed the resumption of the cathedralʼs ordinary liturgical life. Since then, thousands of the faithful and tourists have once again passed through its doors each day.
However, the fire also made evident conservation issues that had accumulated over decades in a building with more than eight centuries of history. Consequently, the new phase of work aims not only to repair fire damage but also to address broader structural and heritage-related needs.
The reopening ceremony, held in December 2024, was considered one of the most significant cultural and religious events in Europe in recent years.
Furthermore, those responsible for the restoration hope to rekindle the spirit of solidarity that emerged following the 2019 tragedy. At that time, financial pledges totaling nearly 1 billion euros ($1.14 billion) were secured, funds that made the reconstruction possible and left resources for future conservation work.
Debate persists over new stained-glass windows
The unveiling of this final phase does not put an end to one of the most notable controversies surrounding Notre Dame: the proposal, backed by President Emmanuel Macron, to replace six 19th-century stained-glass windows created by Viollet-le-Duc with contemporary works by French artist Claire Tabouret.
The project remains subject to a court ruling following challenges filed by various heritage preservation associations. Their representatives argue that the historic stained-glass windows sustained minimal damage during the fire and consider their replacement unjustified.
The issue has divided restoration experts, public officials, and figures from the world of culture. While some advocate for the complete preservation of the cathedralʼs historic legacy, others view the proposal as an opportunity to incorporate a new artistic expression into one of Franceʼs most recognizable monuments.
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.
Little Sisters argue contraception mandate case before 3rd Circuit as long fight continues
Legal counsel for the Little Sisters of the Poor delivered oral arguments to a federal appellate court on July 7 as the Catholic religious society continued its 15-year legal battle over contraception mandates.
The dispute goes back to a 2011 federal regulation imposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which requires employers to include coverage of contraception in healthcare plans offered to employees, as part of rules implementing the Affordable Care Act.
Although the Little Sisters of the Poor already won two Supreme Court cases — which found the federal government must protect the religious freedom of those who object to contraception and that the federal government has the authority to create exemptions — the attorneys general of Pennsylvania and New Jersey are challenging federal exemptions on grounds that the Supreme Court has not yet ruled on.
A lower court ruled in favor of the two states, against the Little Sisters of the Poor, finding that the federal exemptions are arbitrary and capricious. The sisters filed an appeal, which is being considered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.
Aimee Thomson, who represented the two states, argued that the broad exemptions — which allow both religious and moral objectors to avoid the mandate — are “arbitrary and capricious” and that the exemptions “swept well beyond all religious employers” who first objected to the mandate.
Under the rule, employers who have moral or religious objections can opt in to an accommodation in which the federal government subsidizes contraception coverage in their plans. Employers who also have moral or religious objections to the accommodation can sidestep contraception coverage altogether.
She told the panel of judges that the exemption exceeds the scope that is required under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). She said the regulators failed to show that these exemptions were necessary to solve the religious liberty issue and expressed concerns over employers potentially getting exemptions even though their objections are not sincere.
Thomson said it’s unclear “how many women have been impacted” by insincere objections, but “expecting female employees” to study policies and litigate an employer’s insincere objections is burdensome.
“That is an incredible burden to place on employees and on women,” she said.
Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and lead attorney for the Little Sisters, argued that the federal government sought to “choose a middle ground” that created a mandate but protected religious freedom, based on Supreme Court guidance: “Nothing about that is even close to arbitrary and capricious.”
“This law is about the federal government … accommodating religion with its own mandate,” he said.
Rienzi said a rule does not become arbitrary and capricious just because the scope is “a hair more than what’s required” under RFRA.
The Little Sisters of the Poor are also receiving support from the Department of Justice. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Eric McArthur argued on behalf of the federal government, in favor of the exemptions, saying RFRA does not require the exemptions to be the “bare minimum.”
He said HHS chose to “set everything aside and take a fresh look at everything” and decided “an exemption was the most appropriate administrative response” to objections. He said this was adopted “as a policy matter … even if RFRA does not compel it.”
McArthur argued there is “no good reason” for someone to insincerely request an exemption because the employer can request the accommodation “at zero cost.” Yet, if the court decides the exemptions are too broad, the court could strike down “one line in the rule” rather than “take down the entire rule,” as the two states have requested.
Mother Loraine Marie Maguire of the Little Sisters of the Poor said in a statement after the oral arguments that the states’ lawsuit to eliminate the exemptions is threatening their mission to serve the poor and the elderly.
“This is our God-given mission,” she said “For nearly 200 years we have welcomed the elderly poor and dying into our homes, and with the population of seniors rapidly growing we cannot allow a government lawsuit to stop us from carrying out our mission. Pennsylvania and New Jersey can keep fighting if they want. All we want is to keep serving.”
Pennsylvania Catholic schools brace for possible tax-credit cuts
Tens of thousands of Pennsylvania Catholic school students could lose scholarship funding if a bill passed by the state House eliminating a key tax-credit program is signed into law.
“The recent passage of House Bill 2632 by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives poses a serious threat to school children and families throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia said in a June 23 statement. If passed, the bill would eliminate the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs, a change he described as “devastating for school children and their families.”
State Rep. Nikki Rivera, D-Lancaster, introduced the bill, which the Pennsylvania House passed on June 22. Senate consideration is next.
Rivera said in a statement: “A $680 million annual scholarship tax program should be transparent and include detailed reporting. This bill would ensure that everyone can see how well EITC programs are working, whom they are helping, and whether students in private and parochial schools are receiving tuition relief.”
“This bill would not cut one penny from the $680 million EITC program,” she said.
While Rivera said the bill would only change reporting and oversight requirements, not the program’s funding authorization, Catholic education leaders said eliminating the statutory framework for EITC and OSTC effectively ends the programs.
“If enacted into law, this bill would negatively impact tens of thousands of students across Pennsylvania who currently rely on these scholarship programs. EITC and OSTC scholarships are funded by companies and individuals who see value in providing families with educational choice,” Pérez said. “These programs are vibrant, successful, and reduce taxpayer burdens when it comes to educating our young people, particularly those who come from challenging financial circumstances and live in underserved communities.”
The archbishop called on elected officials to preserve the programs, saying they are “vital” and that “no one can afford to see them disappear.”
Victor D’Ascenzo, vice president for development at the Foundation for Catholic Education, which partners with the archdiocese and the Office of Catholic Education in advancing the mission of Catholic education, said his office has reached out to state representatives in Philadelphia “but have received very little response.”
Noting that while he does not have statewide figures, D’Ascenzo said the Foundation for Catholic Education supports the 102 elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the approximately 33,000 students who attend them. About one-third of those students receive EITC funds for tuition assistance, he said.
“We are hopeful that any resolution that is passed in Harrisburg will have as little negative effect [as possible] on those wishing to pursue a Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia,” he said.
During World Cup, Argentina’s bishops warn of increased online betting by children and young people
Nearly a month into the World Cup, the soccer tournament still holds the world’s attention, with only 16 of the 48 national teams that started the tournament remaining in contention.
In the shadow of this global spectacle, however, the Catholic Church in Argentina is increasingly concerned about online betting and the gambling addiction it can trigger among users, many of whom are children and adolescents.
Just back from the ordinary consistory convened by Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Ángel Rossi, archbishop of Córdoba in Argentina, gave an interview in which he emphasized the need to listen to “the cries of the world.”
In this context, he spoke about young people, who are often victims “of those who exploit them for drugs, drug trafficking, or betting and gambling.”
“You have children or young people more concerned about whether a goal is scored or if there’s a corner kick, that is, about the bet they placed, than about enjoying the match. It’s sad,” he commented.
Dante Braida, the bishop of La Rioja and president of the bishops’ committee for pastoral ministry to society, also warned of the dangers of betting and the consequences it entails for families.
“Any mobile phone can turn into a casino,” he pointed out, noting how easy it is for minors to access betting platforms.
According to a Red Cross survey, the prelate pointed out, 83% of adolescents who bet do so using digital wallets, and six out of 10 cannot distinguish between a legal and an illegal platform.
Moreover, most of them enter the world of betting influenced by advertising, Braida noted. Although the International Federation of Football Association Football (FIFA, by its French acronym) enforces a “clean venue” policy during the tournament by eliminating advertisements for bookmakers, in Argentina, betting commercials are broadcast repeatedly during hydration breaks and halftime.
The bishop of La Rioja called on those in positions of authority to “do much more to set boundaries and support efforts to change,” and extended this appeal to parents, educators, catechists, and parish communities, urging them to foster environments of dialogue and support.
Currently, the prelate lamented, “casinos are no longer found only around the town square but in young peopleʼs pockets.” Recalling the teachings of Pope Leo XIV in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, he said that technological development can only be considered true progress when it’s at the service of the person and his dignity.
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.
Texas immigrant legal aid ministry faces closure after federal payments withheld
A Catholic ministry in El Paso, Texas, that has provided legal help to hundreds of thousands of immigrants over four decades says it is on the brink of shutting down because the Trump administration has withheld more than $765,000 in reimbursements.
Estrella del Paso, formerly known as Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services, has seen its cash reserves depleted since payments stopped arriving in December 2025, according to executive director Melissa Lopez.
Lopez told EWTN News Estrella del Paso offers a broad range of services, providing every type of legal immigration representation, including aiding asylum seekers, those in immigration detention seeking to be released on bond, and people applying for residency and naturalization.
The organization serves more than 40,000 people annually and is one of the largest providers of legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children in the country.
The group is currently providing legal help to around 300 minors, though the number fluctuates frequently, Lopez said.
She warned that “a significant number of people will be impacted if the program ceases to exist,” leaving tens of thousands of immigrants without representation in complex immigration proceedings.
“Navigating the immigration system right now is incredibly difficult,” she continued. “Even when someone is represented, outcomes are not always ideal.”
Many of those currently being helped would face deportation and even worse consequences, Lopez said.
“The outcome of many cases without some form of legal assistance is very dire,” she said. “We are talking about life and death consequences for some individuals we currently provide services to, if we were to cease to exist.”
The ministry was founded in 1986 and began specializing in cases involving unaccompanied children in 2007. It operates as one of the primary nonprofit immigration legal aid providers in the El Paso region.
A preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín in the Northern District of California in April 2025 had blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to cut funding for legal services for unaccompanied minors. However, advocates say the government has continued to withhold payments in violation of that order.
Estrella del Paso and 10 other legal aid providers have asked Martínez-Olguín to hold the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in contempt of court. A hearing on the request is scheduled for July 16.
A 2008 federal law aimed at protecting victims of human trafficking requires the government to ensure, “to the greatest extent practicable,” that unaccompanied children in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security have access to legal counsel in immigration proceedings. Without the access the law provides, minors would be responsible for navigating the immigration court system by themselves.
However, the Trump administration has argued that funding for these services is discretionary rather than mandatory.
The situation is particularly urgent because unaccompanied minors are reportedly being detained and deported at roughly three times the rate seen during the first Trump administration, according to a recent analysis by ProPublica.
Lopez emphasized the broader issues impacting not only minors but also “all of the vulnerable people who come to us seeking legal representation.”
“It is an issue of family unity, keeping families together, and ensuring people are treated with dignity and respect,” she said.
Estrella del Paso has launched an emergency fundraising campaign to try to bridge the funding gap caused by the withheld reimbursements.
Lopez said she hopes to raise about $500,000 through private donations as well as through grants and requests to philanthropic organizations.
“We don’t want people to feel they have to make a huge donation,” she said. “Even a small donation makes an impact.”
The Administration for Children and Families at HHS told EWTN News it does not comment on matters subject to ongoing litigation.
Cardinal archbishop of Rabat temporarily steps aside from ministry due to abuse investigation
Spanish Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, archbishop of Rabat, Morocco, announced Tuesday that he will temporarily withdraw from all public and pastoral activities while a preliminary investigation — opened by the Church following allegations of inappropriate behavior toward adult women — is underway.
López Romero asserted his innocence in a brief statement carried by the EFE news agency. “I have not committed any assault, violence, or sexual harassment,” he said.
The prelate himself announced the decision in a message to his archdiocesan community at the end of the pastoral year. In the text, López Romero explains that the Church has initiated a preliminary investigation into the allegations and that the case is currently in the hands of the competent authorities of the Holy See.
“I am accused of inappropriate behavior toward adult women,” the cardinal archbishop noted in the statement, in which he also affirms that he is fully cooperating with the ongoing ecclesiastical process.
While the investigation is underway, López Romero indicated he will not preside at public celebrations or participate in pastoral activities so as not to interfere with the inquiry.
“During this period of investigation, and so as not to hinder it, I am stepping back — refraining from presiding over any public celebration or participating in any pastoral activity, as you will undoubtedly understand,” he emphasized in the statement obtained by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.
The prelate also acknowledged the impact the situation might have on the faithful and expressed his awareness of the difficulties and questions the case could raise within the local Catholic community. For this reason, he explained that he considered it important to inform the members of the archdiocese at this stage.
López Romero asked for prayers for all those affected by the situation, for the Church, and for himself, as the decisions to be adopted by ecclesiastical authorities upon the conclusion of the proceedings are awaited.
“While awaiting the decisions the Church will make, let us pray together for those suffering through this situation, let us pray for our Church, let us pray for one another, and please pray for me,” the statement indicated.
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.
Planned Parenthood regains federal funding after yearlong pause
Planned Parenthood has regained access to federal funding after a yearlong pause. As of July 5, Planned Parenthood clinics can bill Medicaid for reimbursement for contraception, STD screenings, and other non-abortion services.
The Trump administration defunded Planned Parenthood via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but the defunding was scheduled for one year rather than the permanent or 10-year defunding hoped for by activists.
Advocates for unborn children criticized the administration for failing to maintain the defunding of the abortion giant.
“As we celebrated the 250th anniversary of our nation founded on the right to life, funding resumed to the Big Abortion businesses that profit from stripping that right away from a record number of Americans and increasing our top cause of death year after year,” Kelsey Pritchard, communications director at SBA Pro-Life America, told EWTN News.
“It is the default expectation of the pro-life movement for Congress to renew the defunding of Planned Parenthood and abortion businesses, and the politically smart thing for Republicans who must energize the base to win in November,” Pritchard said.
Pritchard noted that her organization is investing “$160 million in 2026 and 2028 for Republican pro-life candidates.”
“[N]ow Republicans must do their part in doing everything they can to once again defund Big Abortion,” Pritchard said.
Dr. Christina Francis, president of the American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs, said she “sees Congress' failure to keep our tax dollars from subsidizing the abortion mill of Planned Parenthood as a blow to the essential liberties of preborn children.”
“Adding insult to injury, their funding stream resumed on Americaʼs 250th birthday,” Francis told EWTN News. “Guided by our commitment to our profession and our patients, AAPLOG will continue to oppose the funding of Planned Parenthood, the abortion industry, and the medical institutions that have traded sound medical practice for abortion ideology that is antithetical to the true purpose of medicine — health and healing.”
Live Action President Lila Rose criticized the refunding in a statement shared with EWTN News.
“On America’s 250th birthday, Congress had the chance to honor the founding promise that every human being has a God-given right to life,” Rose said. “Instead, by failing to extend the defunding of Planned Parenthood, lawmakers have allowed taxpayer dollars to flow back to the largest abortion chain in the nation.”
“This is a moral failure and an urgent betrayal of preborn children, women, and American taxpayers,” Rose said.
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, urged advocates for unborn children to continue fighting abortion.
“Planned Parenthood is once again eligible to receive taxpayer dollars after Congress failed to keep them out of our healthcare spending,” she said in a post on X. “That isnʼt the end of the story. Itʼs a reminder that the fight for life isnʼt won in a single vote. Itʼs won by refusing to quit. It’s time for us to get back to work.”
Planned Parenthood did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Nicaraguan priest: ‘We sustain the people’s faith from the catacombs of prudence’
From the heart of Nicaragua, a priest in that nation says the Church is sustaining the peopleʼs faith from “the catacombs of prudence” in the face of fierce persecution by the dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo.
The priest, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons and to avoid reprisals, spoke with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, on July 3 immediately following the second time the bishop emeritus of Estelí, Abelardo Mata, was detained.
According to a source consulted by ACI Prensa who is close to the Church in Nicaragua, the bishop “is reportedly not under house arrest, and his whereabouts are unknown,” as he has not returned to his residence.
The priest stated that “it’s true that from the outside it can look like apparent silence; this should not be confused with indifference or paralyzing fear. It is in reality a silence born of prudence and profound pastoral responsibility.”
After noting that the dictatorship “has relegated the faith to the private sphere” or “within the walls of the churches,” the priest pointed out that several bishops are in exile.
“The absence of bishops in such important dioceses as Estelí, Jinotega, Matagalpa, and Siuna is also a direct blow to our Church and our community. Although we place our full trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the lack of a visible [head] hinders administration, pastoral ministry, and ecclesial cohesion,” the priest noted.
For some time now, the dictatorship has banned the ordination of priests and deacons in these dioceses.
The priest emphasized: “We are carrying on then, but under the weight of fragmentation, and we also live in a state of constant uncertainty.”
‘Even the walls have ears’
The priest recounted that currently in Nicaragua “the proclamation of the Gospel and daily preaching take place under enormous pressure with the knowledge that any word or message can be misinterpreted or used to label us as opponents or destabilizers.”
“The surveillance is real; it’s constant. We say here that ‘even the walls have ears.’ And this has even taken its toll on internal communication, often sowing mistrust, something almost bound to happen in an environment where control is the norm,” he added.
Indeed, the police harass the priests, taking their photographs and demanding to be informed of every time they leave their parishes or go outside their parish boundaries. If any social issue is mentioned in their homilies, they risk imprisonment or exile.
The Church’s ‘silence’
The priest also explained to ACI Prensa that “we bishops and priests who remain in the country must act discreetly, with extreme discretion. This is not cowardice — no. It’s astuteness, I would say — like the cunning of the serpent and the simplicity of the dove that Jesus Christ speaks of in the Gospel.”
“Every step, every word, must be calculated so as not to cross that invisible line that would justify an accusation of insurrection, allowing us to continue accompanying the people entrusted to us. Ultimately, the Church in Nicaragua has not disappeared. No, it has not surrendered. It is resisting. We are resisting in silence,” he emphasized.
“We are sustaining the people’s faith from the catacombs of prudence, awaiting times of greater freedom.”
The priest said he also understands “the Vatican’s silence. In this regard, ecclesial communion does not depend solely on public statements. We know there are prayers and diplomatic gestures that do not draw attention; at this moment, the last thing the people of Nicaragua need is to create further divisions — rather, they need to keep hope alive within the Church.”
‘We don’t feel alone’
“When one member suffers, the whole body suffers with it. We don’t feel alone. Because of this we know that the Church suffers with us. The Church feels with us, and the entire universal Church sustains us, even though the forms and ways of that support must be discreet; that’s something that must be understood,” the Nicaraguan priest reflected.
“Those who apply pressure or claim we are doing nothing from within [the country] should also understand this. We are protecting that very pastoral work on the ground so that the people of God are not left abandoned,” he added.
The priest said he hopes “to be able to act freely one day and live out our faith in freedom, but for now, this is the reality we are living.”
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.
Training journalists to be peacemakers: EWTN Summer Academy concludes in Rome
Inspired by its mission, EWTN News held its fifth annual EWTN Summer Academy in Rome to train future generations of Catholic journalists.
From June 22 to July 1, the EWTN Vatican Bureau hosted 43 young journalists and media professionals from 26 countries, training them in journalism, video editing, and storytelling to support the Church’s mission of evangelization.
The program took place at the Centro Internazionale di Animazione Missionaria (CIAM) on the campus of the Pontifical Urban University, where participants enjoyed a scenic view of St. Peter’s Basilica and Square from above.
Training journalists to be peacemakers
Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly highlighted the importance of the media for the Church and the world. In several of his public speeches to journalists, he challenged them to work for peace in a world marked by polarization, war, and fake news.
“In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaimed: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Mt 5:9). This is a beatitude that challenges all of us, but it is particularly relevant to you [journalists],” Leo said in a speech to journalists after the 2025 conclave.
Anthony Johnson, a co-founder and program director of the EWTN Summer Academy, emphasized the importance of training young journalists at the academy to respond to the pope’s call.
“We as journalists need to be peacemakers first, because the truth is what is ultimately going to set us free,” Johnson told EWTN News.
Johnson also explained the academy’s aims and its connection to the vision of Mother Angelica, who founded the EWTN Global Catholic Network in 1981.
“In the academy here, we’re bringing in people from all around the world — 43 people from 26 countries more or less — and we put them in small groups from all different continents, and we put them through these exercises with the goal of finishing a final project at the very end of the academy.”
“We expect people to be 100% bought into the mission [of proclaiming Jesus Christ]. Mother Angelica knew it. I think people today know it, and our audience can tell from a mile away,” Johnson said.
In service of the truth
The academy participants were taught by Vatican journalists, clergy, producers, and art historians about the fundamentals of Catholic journalism.
Several of those participants reflected on this experience as a service to truth. One of those was Jonél Roos from South Africa, a religious educator and a convert to Catholicism.
“I think [this program] is of the utmost importance because it gives people the tools necessary to grow in their faith and also in order to grow within their professions,” Roos told EWTN News. “The whole point of all of this is to convey truth to people and to allow people to be guided towards the truth.”
George Cuesta, a filmmaker based in Austin, Texas, added: “I think forming young Catholic creators in [the journalistic] realm is extremely important because thatʼs really the language that the faithful are using to communicate with each other, to consume media, whether entertainment or education.”
An experience in the Eternal City through the eyes of faith
Several participants reflected on the importance of learning about Catholic journalism in Rome.
Ana Belén Hurtado, a communications professional from Ecuador, described her time in Rome as faith-filled.
“Being here in the heart of the Church makes it a whole new level for us. Having the amazing view [of St. Peter’s Square] every day definitely makes you aware of the history and the whole legacy that we have received through the gift of faith,” Hurtado said.
Lemmy Ogbonnaya Ijioma, a Nigerian photographer, videographer, and tutor at the academy, also highlighted Rome’s importance to one’s formation in Catholic journalism.
“I would say Rome renews my faith and allows me to experience the Catholic faith up close and personal — things I would ordinarily experience from a distance,” Ijioma told EWTN News.
Kevin Mario, a communications professional from India, added: “Returning to India, I carried with me not only new skills but also a renewed love for the Church. Walking through the basilicas of Rome and contemplating the masterpieces of Michelangelo, Bernini, Raphael, and countless other artists reminded me that beauty has always been one of the Churchʼs greatest evangelists.”
Why a WWII massacre dispute is testing Poland’s support for Ukraine
A deepening diplomatic rift between Poland and Ukraine over the memory of World War II-era massacres has drawn a rare joint intervention from senior Catholic leaders of both nations — and threatens to complicate Kyiv’s path toward the European Union.
In a joint appeal issued June 29, three Polish prelates — Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, and Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz — together with two Ukrainian Church leaders, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and Cardinal Mykola Bychok, urged both governments to pursue reconciliation, as EWTN News reported.
The bishops said they “are saddened to observe the growing tensions and resurgent hostility between Poles and Ukrainians.”
Echoing Pope Leo XIV, they called for a “disarmament of language,” arguing that words, symbols, and public gestures can either deepen divisions or foster peace.
The tensions revolve around wounded national sentiments over the contested memory of the Volhynia massacres during World War II.
Cause of diplomatic tensions
Poland and Ukraine have long-standing social and diplomatic tensions over their conflicting national narratives of World War II.
The current dispute began on May 26, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named a military unit after the “heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).”
The UPA was a nationalist partisan formation that waged guerrilla warfare in the mid-1940s against Nazi Germany, Soviet-backed forces, and the underground Polish resistance movement.
Ukrainians view the UPA as a symbol of resistance to foreign occupation in the fight for national independence.
In Poland, however, it is associated with the Volhynia massacres, in which the UPA led the targeted slaughter and ethnic cleansing of around 100,000 ethnic Polish civilians, mostly women and children, from 1943 to 1945.
The campaign was driven largely by a nationalist effort to secure territory for a future Ukrainian state by removing the minority Polish population from lands that had belonged to prewar Poland but were claimed by Ukrainian nationalists. In the chaos of World War II, the UPA sought to ensure that Poland could not reassert control over the region after the war on the basis of the Polish minority living there.
Poland has officially recognized the Volhynia massacres as a genocide, a label Ukraine has rejected.
Diplomatic aftermath
In response to Zelenskyy’s decision to name a unit after the UPA, Polish President Karol Nawrocki on June 19 stripped the Ukrainian president of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honor, which had been awarded to him in 2023.
An opinion poll published on the day Nawrocki announced his decision showed that 51% of Poles supported rescinding Zelenskyy’s honor, while only 36% were opposed. Among Nawrocki’s support base, 80% favored withdrawing the order.
In response and in solidarity with Zelenskyy, on June 21 three former Ukrainian presidents, along with various other government officials and diplomats, returned the state awards they had been given by Poland.
This was followed by Polish government officials on June 22 returning awards they had received from Ukraine.
Adding further fuel to the dispute were statements made in February, when Oleksandr Alfyorov, the head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINR), described the Volhynia tragedy as “one of Poland’s state myths.”
Poland’s own Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) replied by declaring that “the Volhynia genocide is a documented fact” while criticizing the Ukrainian state for building elements of its identity on “the cult of individuals and organizations responsible for these crimes.”
The path toward reconciliation
The Polish and Ukrainian prelates also invoked the memory of St. John Paul II, most notably his words marking the 60th anniversary of the Volhynia massacres in 2003, in which he called for “Ukrainians and Poles not to remain enslaved by their sad memories of the past.”
The Polish pontiff also noted that Christians are called to acknowledge the errors of the past while needing the strength to “ask forgiveness for their own shortcomings” and to “forgive one another for the wrongs they have suffered.”
In that spirit, the prelates urged Poles and Ukrainians to “humbly ask for forgiveness and to courageously forgive” while extending “a hand of reconciliation” despite wounds that remain raw.
They also warned against pursuing narrow national interests, saying true reconciliation requires both nations to seek the common good rather than impose their own vision of history on the other.
Future implications
A day before the Church’s joint appeal for peace, Zelenskyy declared that “no one will dictate” to Ukraine which heroes the country honors as he announced plans for a national pantheon celebrating notable Ukrainians.
This was widely read in Poland as a hardening of Kyiv’s position, prompting warnings from politicians across the spectrum that the issue could spill over into Ukraine’s European Union ambitions.
That matters because Ukraine’s path into the European Union ultimately requires the consent of every member state, including Poland.
In the long term, Warsaw is likely to seek a clearer acknowledgment from Ukraine’s highest political levels of the scale and character of the Volhynia massacres and of the role played by the UPA.
With Zelenskyy unwilling even to remove the UPA name from a military unit and Nawrocki escalating the issue in turn, any workable compromise now appears more difficult to reach.