Massachusetts abortion law ‘horrendous,’ top Catholic bishop says
The head of the U.S. bishops is criticizing the state of Massachusetts for what he said was its “shocking” decision to remove any limits to abortion there.
State Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill into law on Aug. 10 making Massachusetts the 11th state to impose no limits on abortion. The law removes all of the state’s restrictions on abortion, leaving the decision to perform a late-term abortion up to the “judgment of the physician” carrying it out.
Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called the decision “shocking” and “horrendous.”
“Itʼs an affront against the dignity of life,” he said in an interview on “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo” on Aug. 13.
“I hope it will not stand, but weʼll see,” the archbishop added, describing the decision as “a shocking blow to the pro-life movement and to everyone whoʼs concerned about the dignity and sanctity of human life.”
Meanwhile, the political advocacy group CatholicVote is calling for the excommunication of Healey, who is Catholic.
CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt said in a letter that CatholicVote believes that Healey is an “accomplice” to the procurement of abortions by signing the law. Reinhardt added that the signing caused “scandal” and “was not a private sin.”
“The logic of medicinal punishment is ancient and coherent and teaches that you do not withhold medicine from a sick person to protect their feelings,” Reinhardt wrote. “You administer it because you love them and because you take their illness seriously. Governor Healey is a Catholic in a state of grave sin. She has publicly and now legislatively cooperated in the destruction of innocent human life.”
“Governor Healey did not sign this legislation reluctantly or with any expression of the gravity of what she was authorizing,” Reinhardt said. “She signed it at a celebratory public event. She was met with applause. The ceremony was festive.”
When asked about calls for Healey’s excommunication, Coakley said that the law constitutes a “scandal” but that the matter is between the governor and her bishop.
“Itʼs an affront against the teaching of the Church,” Coakley said of the law. “But truly, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops or any episcopal conference really does not have that kind of authority” to excommunicate Healey.
“This is really a matter that will have to be addressed between the governor and her bishop and the bishops of Massachusetts,” Coakley continued.
The Massachusetts Catholic bishops decried the bill before it was signed, saying that the “elimination of any legal restraint on late-term abortion is, in our judgment, a radical measure which is gravely immoral.”
Pro-lifers praise attorney general for pledging to review mail-order abortion
Pro-life advocates are praising then-Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche for his promise to review the legality of sending abortion pills through the U.S. mail.
During his confirmation hearing on July 15, Blanche pledged to review the Comstock Act, a law already on the books that prohibits the mailing of abortion-related materials. If enforced, the law would halt mail-order abortions.
An Aug. 7 letter signed by 35 pro-life leaders commended Blanche for his promise to “carefully evaluate” the law and whether or not it is being properly enforced.
Lawsuit against Virginia abortion amendment rises to appeals court
A lawsuit against a Virginia state constitutional amendment to establish an unlimited right to abortion is currently before a state appeals court.
Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit Christian legal group, said on Aug. 13 that it had appealed to the Court of Appeals of Virginia about a court order dismissing a legal challenge to the ballot measure.
The lawsuit argues that the Virginia government neglected proper legal processes for proposed amendments, rendering the abortion amendment itself ineligible for inclusion on the ballot.
Vatican says 2 parishes in Buffalo will not have to close amid diocesan merger plan
Two parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, have won reprieves from the Vatican and will not have to close amid a diocesan-wide closure and merger plan.
Mary Pruski, the leader of the advocacy group Save Our Buffalo Churches, told EWTN News on Aug. 14 that the parishes of St. Josaphat and Our Lady of the Rosary both won appeals at the Holy See over closures that were mandated by the diocese’s “Road to Renewal” plan.
That plan was announced in May 2024, with Bishop Michael Fisher revealing that the diocese would merge about a third of its parishes amid declines in attendance and financial struggles.
The Save Our Buffalo Churches group has advocated against multiple closures in the diocese since the announcement. In December 2025 the Vatican said multiple parishes in the diocese that had petitioned the Vatican would not have to close.
Pruski told EWTN News on Aug. 14, meanwhile, that the St. Josaphat Parish “won their appeal to not merge and close,” while Our Lady of the Rosary “won their appeal against being reduced to common use and sold.”
She said a few parishes represented by the group “continue to await their appeal decision from the Dicastery for the Clergy,” while several other parishes have raised their appeals to the Apostolic Signatura.
“These cases may take up to another year for a final decision,” she said.
Diocesan spokesman Gregory Tucker confirmed to EWTN News on Aug. 14 that per the Vatican’s decision the parishes would not be forced to close.
Fisher “respects the decision of the dicastery and will not appeal these decisions,” Tucker said. “That said, these parishes will be closely monitored to ensure that they can remain viable and self-sustaining going forward.”
The Buffalo parish group’s fight against the closure plan made it all the way to the New York Supreme Court in 2025. The court in July of that year ordered a brief halt to some diocesan-mandated parish payments into the diocese’s abuse settlement fund. The New York Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the case, saying it did not have jurisdiction over internal Church matters.
In April, however, the Vatican issued a revocation of multiple “assessment allocation decrees” against parishes in the diocese, citing canon law violations regarding parish fund procurement “as well as the amounts and methods undertaken to procure those monies.”
Elsewhere in New York state, parishioners in the Diocese of Rochester are petitioning the Vatican to let them save a 160-year-old parish that has been locally recognized for its historic significance.
Advocates hope to preserve Holy Family Parish in Auburn in part to preserve the memory and legacy of Bishop Patrick Byrne, an apostolic delegate to Korea who was martyred in 1950 during a four-month-long forced march while in the captivity of communist forces in North Korea. Byrne was confirmed at the parish in 1900.
Peruvian government declares Pope Leo XIV’s visit a matter of national interest
During the regular session of the Council of Ministers on Aug. 12, the government of Peru declared the Nov. 11–17 apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to the country to be a matter of national interest.
“His Holiness' visit is great news for the entire country,” President Keiko Fujimori stated Aug. 12, according to the official newspaper El Peruano.
The decision will enable the government to take the necessary measures to organize activities in Lima, Callao, Chiclayo, Cusco, and Pucallpa — the cities the pontiff will visit. The government will also facilitate customs procedures for the entry of goods.
Additionally, a high-level extraordinary commission will be established to set the guidelines, strategies, and actions necessary to ensure the apostolic visit is a success.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be responsible for national coordination and will serve as the commissionʼs technical secretariat. The various ministries will designate their representatives, while regional and local governments may also join in.
The Peruvian Church welcomes the pope with joy
The confirmation of the visit was also received with joy by the Peruvian bishops.
“We are very happy because we have received the news that the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, is coming to visit his beloved homeland, his beloved Peru,” Bishop Edinson Farfán of Chiclayo recently stated.
The prelate particularly highlighted that the pontiff will return to the diocese he once shepherded in Peru. “We are filled with joy because he will visit his beloved Diocese of Chiclayo, which has given him so much, so much to continue being a faithful Church of Jesus Christ,” he said, quoting the first words of Leo XIV to the faithful gathered in St. Peterʼs Square at the Vatican after his election as pontiff.
“We pray for the Holy Father’s intentions and await him with open arms,” he concluded.
The president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Carlos García Camader, stated that the presence of Leo XIV “among us will be a true gift for our people and an opportunity to renew our faith, strengthen hope, and walk together.”
More than 700,000 people
According to estimates presented during the Council of Ministers meeting, the apostolic journey could draw at least 700,000 people across the country.
Of this total, approximately 350,000 people are expected to participate in Lima, between 100,000 and 150,000 in Cusco, and around 75,000 in both Pucallpa and Chiclayo.
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.
Is the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary a holy day of obligation this year?
Catholics celebrate the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary each year on Aug. 15. The solemnity commemorates the Church’s teaching that Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was taken body and soul into heaven.
In 1950, Pope Pius XII confirmed this belief about the Virgin Mary when he defined it formally — “ex cathedra” — as a dogma of the Catholic faith. In his apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus, it states “that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”
So, is this solemnity a holy day of obligation? It depends on what day it falls on.
In the United States, Latin-rite Catholics are bound by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) canon law norms, which require Mass attendance on Sundays and six specific holy days of obligation. However, regional exceptions and calendar-based rule adjustments can apply depending on the day of the week a feast lands.
The six holy days of obligations are: Jan. 1, solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; Thursday of the sixth week of Easter, solemnity of the Ascension; Aug. 15, solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Nov. 1, solemnity of All Saints; Dec. 8, solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; and Dec. 25, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
However, when Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption; or Nov. 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is lifted.
According to Canon 1246, paragraph 2, of the Code of Canon Law, “the conference of bishops can abolish certain holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday with prior approval of the Apostolic See.”
Since the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on a Saturday this year, 2026, Catholics are not required to attend Mass in addition to the regular Sunday obligation.
Catholic leaders urge protection for Christian village attacked in Bangladesh
The Catholic Church and Indigenous Christian leaders in Bangladesh have called on the authorities to protect families terrified by an attack on a Christian village and to bring those responsible to justice.
On Aug. 12, houses in the village of Gazarikura, a community in the Diocese of Mymensingh in the north of the Muslim-majority country, were attacked, looted, and vandalized. Local Indigenous Garo people said the stolen property included cash, cows, goats, and other valuables.
The Indigenous families said the attack and looting were carried out by people from a neighboring Muslim village after the body of a Muslim man was found in their village.
Father Simon Hacha, vicar general of the Diocese of Mymensingh, visited the village together with other priests, sisters, Garo Indigenous leaders, and local leaders.
“We never want unrest; we are for peace,” Hacha, who is himself a Garo, told EWTN News.
“We pray for the soul of the deceased person around whom this problem has arisen and we offer our condolences to his family,” he said.
He urged police not to harass those who are not guilty and to identify the culprits and take appropriate action.
“I hope that the administration will provide security to the Garo Indigenous of this village and that the villagers will maintain good relations with each other so that peace can prevail in the future,” Hacha added.
Losses and arrests
Village leaders told EWTN News that six houses in Gazarikura were vandalized and that the furniture of one house was burned. The attackers took away seven cows, 10 goats, a motorcycle, cash, and expensive furniture. The incident spread panic among local residents.
Father Lawrence Ribeiro, the parish priest of Mariamnagar, told EWTN News by telephone during a visit to the village on Aug. 14 that 11 houses had been looted and that televisions, refrigerators, cows, and goats had been taken away. The families do not have enough food, he said. “So, we brought food, soap, and other items for these families.”
Ribeiro said the families had been calculated to have suffered losses of about 4 million taka (about $32,000). “We are preparing to file a case of looting for this,” he said.
The body of a rice trader, Billal Hossain, 40, was recovered by police. Nineteen people, including men and women from the Garo community, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the case. Police later released 14 of them.
According to police sources, Hossain, a resident of the Jarultala area of the upazila, or subdistrict, went missing on Aug. 4. On the afternoon of Aug. 12, local farmers working in a field smelled a foul odor near a canal, searched the surroundings, and found the body buried in the ground. Police went to the spot and recovered it after being informed.
An organization of Garo Indigenous students said in a statement: "We want to say very clearly that the responsibility for the crime of an individual can never be imposed on an entire ethnic group, community, or population.”
“If someone is involved in any crime, his involvement will be determined through an impartial and fair investigation. If the crime is proven, he will be tried according to the prevailing law. But suspecting, harassing, or victimizing another innocent person on the basis of an individualʼs identity, ethnic identity, or community identity is against justice,” the student organization said.
S.M. Noor Mohammad, officer in charge of the Jhenaigati police station, said the atmosphere in the village is now calm and that police have been deployed.
“The police are investigating the incident and are continuing their efforts to identify the criminals involved in the incident,” Mohammad said.
On Aug. 9, Indigenous people had rallied for their rights and to protest atrocities against them on the occasion of the International Day of the Worldʼs Indigenous Peoples.
Pope Leo: Child migrants are too easily ignored by society
Pope Leo XIV has appealed to all people to recognize the suffering of child migrants, noting that they are often the most vulnerable during mass migration.
In a message published by the Vatican on Aug. 14, the pope reflected on the theme for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, “Even Just One of These Children,” drawn from Matthew 18:5. The initiative is organized by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
Leo highlighted the growing challenges faced by minors forced to migrate from their home countries, including human trafficking, loss of parents, and sexual violence.
“Sadly, migrant children are more easily ignored, because they lack adults capable of protecting and supporting them,” Leo said in his message.
“To this already appalling situation are added further tragedies: deaths along migration routes, trafficking and exploitation, the recruitment of minors for use in armed conflicts, sexual violence, forced marriages, and the atrocities they have suffered or witnessed during their travels.”
He also noted the contributions of families, civil society, and Church communities in helping child migrants.
“We think of the families who open the doors of their homes in order to restore to these children the warmth of a family hearth; the educators who serve in reception centers; the volunteers and aid workers who each day devote themselves to healing the invisible wounds of these little ones along migration routes and in our cities,” Leo said.
The pope then appealed to civil institutions to work to improve protections for migrant children to uphold the dignity of every child.
“Even just one of these children, in the context of civil institutions, calls us to reaffirm the principle of the best interests of the child. Public and private institutions are bound to prioritize the protection and dignity of every single child and adolescent,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV on liturgy: Priests must remain faithful to Mass rubrics
Pope Leo XIV has emphasized the need for priests to remain faithful to the texts and instructions of the Mass and to receive the proper formation to celebrate the sacred liturgy with dignity.
“I have called attention to the respect that all those called to prepare the celebration of the divine mysteries, and priests in particular, must show toward the rites promulgated by Pope Saint Paul VI and Pope Saint John Paul II,” the pontiff wrote in a letter addressed to Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, published Aug. 14.
“It is vital that this respect ‘springs from an inner attitude of openness and trust in God, manifesting humility before his greatness and sincere fidelity to ecclesial communion,’" Leo added.
Roche is participating in a conference on liturgical formation organized by his dicastery at the Benedictine Abbey of Mount Angel in Oregon from Aug. 14–19. Other participants include cardinals, bishops, and laypeople with diverse Church experiences.
According to the dicastery, the meeting is intended to be “a joint reflection with the aim of defining shared, concrete, and practical proposals.”
“The choice of a monastic community signifies the intention to engage in dialogue within a prayerful setting,” the press release states. “Rather than a scholarly conference, it will be a time of spiritual discernment on the theme of liturgical formation, to continue along the path charted by Sacrosanctum Concilium.”
In Leo’s letter, he stressed the need for clergy and laity to receive ongoing liturgical formation, citing Pope Francis’ apostolic letter on the liturgy, Desiderio Desideravi.
“In his Apostolic Letter Desiderio Desideravi … Pope Francis emphasized the need for an attentive and ongoing formation of clergy and laity alike in revitalizing the liturgical life of the universal Church,” Leo said. “I would therefore encourage you to explore concrete paths for liturgical formation at every level in the Body of Christ.”
One practical opportunity for liturgical formation, he said, is in the regular gathering for Mass on Sundays.
“These celebrations are anchored in the annual rhythm of the liturgical year, with the Paschal Mystery at its center. For this reason, it is essential that they also be profoundly formative, promoting an ever deeper understanding of the ars celebrandi, expressed not only by the celebrant of the liturgy, but also by the entire assembly,” the pope said. “In this way, through proper education and reverent worship, Catholics will be formed both for the liturgy and by the liturgy.”
As the pontiff also noted in his letter, his remarks follow his recent addresses on the Second Vatican Council’s constitution on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, during Wednesday general audiences.
In his Aug. 12 audience, Leo encouraged the faithful to attend Sunday Mass and warned that virtual gatherings cannot replace in-person attendance.
Archbishop Coakley says loss of federal funds ended resettlement services but not core mission
Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), addressed the loss of federal grant money for refugee resettlement and ongoing deportation efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration during an EWTN interview Aug. 13.
In 2024, the USCCB received more than $180 million in funding for government contracts, most of which supported services for migrants and refugee resettlement. When Trump took office, the president ended most of those contracts.
In an interview on “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” the archbishop said “we are no longer receiving those dollars, and we have, as a result, discontinued our resettlement services.”
“I donʼt think it has affected … our ability to continue our core mission, thatʼs for sure,” Coakley said. “But weʼll have to adjust our budgets and act accordingly.”
Coakley also addressed Trump’s immigration policy, saying nations have a right to control their borders but they should also be welcoming to immigrants.
“Every nation has a right to protect its sovereign borders, and we bishops have emphasized that again and again,” he said. “... People have a right to live in security in their own land.”
However, he also pointed to a USCCB special message on immigration, which the U.S. bishops approved in a 216-5 vote, which expressed opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”
“[The message] called upon the bishops to continue to accompany and support migrants and assured migrants of our continued support and accompaniment,” Coakley said. “And thatʼs happening around the country in different places and certainly along the border in different ways.”
“Itʼs obviously a challenging situation, both for the people who are concerned about their safety and security within the borders of the United States, but also those who are seeking peace and security and safety by striving to become a part of our people and our culture, our nation,” he said.
“Weʼve always been a nation welcoming of immigrants,” the archbishop said.
“Weʼre all — all but a few of us — are from migrant immigrant families,” Coakley said. “So we have a sensitivity as Americans to the plight of immigrants on both sides of the border.”
Heroic doctor saves 2 newborns during earthquake in Colombia
The powerful earthquake that struck western Colombia on Aug. 10 also put to the test those who look after the most vulnerable, such as those working at the Panamericana Clinic in the town of Apartadó where in the urgency to evacuate, a doctor, not thinking of himself first, grabbed up two newborns to carry them to safety outside the building.
In images that have gone viral, Dr. Germán Somoyar is seen holding the infants outside the medical center alongside colleagues and the families of other patients who had to evacuate the building.
Speaking with Noticias Telemundo, Somoyar recounted that he was with his colleagues when everything began to shake and as the intensity increased, “everyone started evacuating the clinic immediately.”
He said that at that moment, he thought he had to go get the babies — the ones the nurses or parents might not be able to reach in their cribs. “In my line of work, the children always have 100% absolute priority,” Somoyar stated.
The doctor added that “there were two mothers in their rooms who were paralyzed with fear and werenʼt evacuating. I had to quickly explain the situation, calm them down, and tell them we’re going to evacuate.”
“After they proceeded to leave, I headed to the room where the newborns are, the neonatal unit” and picked up the babies, carrying them down from the sixth floor to the street, ensuring their safety.
So far, the deaths of 234 people have been confirmed as a result of the 7.4-magnitude earthquake. The hardest-hit cities are Cali, with 95 fatalities, and Pereira, with 72.
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.
Surrogate mother who refused to abort baby gives birth amid ongoing legal dispute
The surrogate mother who refused to abort her baby after the biological parents allegedly called for an abortion gave birth two weeks early.
The child, called Gabriel by his surrogate mother, McKenna West, was born in Dallas on Aug. 12. He was born amid an ongoing legal dispute after his biological parents, identified in court documents as Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, allegedly demanded West undergo an abortion.
At about 20 weeks, Gabriel was diagnosed in utero with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) — a serious congenital heart condition. Treatment for HLHS typically involves three surgeries, beginning with one procedure shortly after birth.
“Itʼs horrific to think that so-called intended parents, when they found out that their baby had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, told the surrogate mother that they wanted her to abort that child,” Amy O’Donnell, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, said in an interview with “EWTN News Nightly.”
“Thatʼs horrific at any stage to want to abort a child simply because of a disability or a diagnosis, but late term after 20 weeks is even more so,” she said.
West traveled to Texas from Alaska to ensure that Gabriel could be near doctors experienced in treating his condition. She allegedly offered to take full responsibility of the baby, but the baby’s biological parents reportedly refused.
Gabriel was born “just 24 hours after Attorney General Ken Paxton initiated legal action,” O’Donnell said.
Paxton filed an intervention in the case on Aug. 11 asking the Texas district court to enter orders directing the child’s care upon birth, prohibiting his removal from the state, and setting an expedited hearing on any refusal of treatment.
“According to the district court, because McKenna [West] so bravely fled to Texas from Alaska to ensure that baby Gabriel had lifesaving care, baby Gabriel, now born in Texas, is a Texas resident,” O’Donnell said.
The order stated that UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas were legally obligated to care for Gabriel.
Gabriel has “received the lifesaving treatment available” at Dallas Children’s, O’Donnell said. He is “in great hands and he has either had a heart surgery or itʼs pending.”
“Due to HIPAA, we probably wonʼt get information on the unfolding care, but we are certain that nobody can deny treatment, can demand transfer, and nobody can request that he receive anything less than the best that Texas has to offer.”
“Our laws protect every child born in Texas and guarantee their right to life. The Department of Family and Protective Services [DFPS] holds authority under Texas law to protect children from medical neglect,” Andrew Mahaleris, press secretary for Texas Gov. Gregory Abbott, said in a statement.
“DFPS will be closely monitoring this case and will take any action necessary to safeguard those rights,” he said.
Pope Leo says surrogacy reduces a child to a ‘product’
While acknowledging infertility is an immense cross to bear, the Catholic Church has a clear stance against surrogacy. The practice requires conceiving a child through in vitro fertilization (IVF) or artificial insemination and then transferring the embryo to the uterus of the surrogate.
Pope Leo XIV has affirmed that, by transforming gestation into a negotiable service, one “violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.”
“Techniques that entail the dissociation of husband and wife, by the intrusion of a person other than the couple (donation of sperm or ovum, surrogate uterus), are gravely immoral,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states.
“These techniques (heterologous artificial insemination and fertilization) infringe the childʼs right to be born of a father and mother known to him and bound to each other by marriage. They betray the spouses' ‘right to become a father and a mother only through each other’” (CCC, 2376).
“There are a lot of concerns with surrogacy, and the more we look into it, the more concerns we have,” O’Donnell said.
“We believe that no contract should be able to require death of a child due to a disability or an imperfection. And so we believe that there should be … nationwide protections there,” she said.
“We need to protect the dignity of mothers who are involved in surrogacy as well, as long as it is legal in our nation and in our state,” she said.