Pakistani bishops invite Pope Leo XIV to visit, citing minority concerns
Pakistanʼs Catholic bishops have ended their “ad limina” visit to the Vatican with a formal invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit the country, a move they and Christian activists hope will boost interfaith harmony and highlight minority concerns.
Bishop Samson Shukardin of Hyderabad, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan, extended the invitation during a papal audience on May 15, according to UCA News.
Pope Leo XIV responded positively to the invitation and expressed a desire to visit Pakistan in the future, the outlet reported.
Shukardin said the bishops returned from the “ad limina” visit with renewed hope for the church in Pakistan.
“The challenges we have in Pakistan are first how to evangelize the Church and also reach other people. A big challenge is that our people are still illiterate but strong in faith; they are poor but very hardworking. Many of our people are not receiving equal rights,” he said in a video shared on May 16 on Catholic TV.
“We have a big problem regarding blasphemy cases and forced conversions. Sometimes our Church is rejected and persecuted because we are not doing what others expect. Our Church is going through difficulties, but we are hopeful that one day we will receive equal rights in Pakistan.”
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, religious minorities in the country, including Christians and Ahmadis, continued to face persecution and discrimination in 2025.
The commissionʼs annual report highlighted persistent cases of forced conversion and underage marriages involving Hindu and Christian girls in Punjab and Sindh provinces, exposing failures in enforcing child marriage laws.
Mary James Gill, a Christian politician, former lawmaker, and executive director of the Center for Law and Justice, said Christians continue to face social and economic marginalization along with challenges related to religious freedom and interfaith relations.
“Eighty percent of Christians in Pakistan live below the poverty line. The reasons are linked more to caste-based structures than religion itself. A papal visit can bring attention to these issues,” she told EWTN News on May 19.
Gill said the Vatican holds moral and diplomatic influence that could help amplify the concerns of marginalized communities.
“Pakistan as a state gives weight and respect to Vatican recommendations and to figures such as the archbishop of Canterbury. A papal visit could increase visibility for Christian concerns and resonate with expectations from the community. It would also be a positive gesture because Christian political leadership in Pakistan often remains divided,” she said.
Pope Leo XIV says lay movements must serve communion, not power
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV told leaders of international associations of the faithful, ecclesial movements, and new communities Thursday that governance in the Church must never become a vehicle for prestige or personal power but must serve communion and the spiritual good of the faithful.
Speaking May 21 in the Synod Hall to participants in a meeting promoted by the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, the pope reflected on the theme of governance in ecclesial communities and the responsibility of those who lead them.
“In every social entity there exists a need for suitable people and structures to guide and coordinate communal life,” Pope Leo said. “At its root, the term ‘to govern’ refers to the action of ‘holding the helm,’ of ‘steering a ship.’ It is, therefore, a matter of providing a sure direction, so that the community may be a place of growth for the people who belong to it.”
The pope said Church governance cannot be reduced to administrative efficiency or coordination.
“However, in the Church, governance does not arise simply from the need to coordinate the religious needs of its members,” he said. “The Church was established by Christ as a lasting sign of his universal salvific will and is the place, willed by God, where all people, in every age, may receive the fruits of redemption and experience the new life that Christ has given us.”
For that reason, he said, governance in the Church “is never merely technical” but “has a salvific orientation in itself,” directed toward “the spiritual good of the faithful.”
Addressing leaders of lay associations and movements, Pope Leo said governance is generally entrusted to laypeople and “expresses participation in the royal ‘munus’ of Christ received in baptism.” He emphasized that such leadership is “placed at the service of other faithful and of the life of the association” and should be the fruit of free elections understood as an act of communal discernment.
“If, as we have said, governance is a particular gift of the Holy Spirit, which the members of a community recognize as present in some of their brethren in the faith, at least three consequences derive from this,” the pope said.
The first, he said, is that governance must be “for the benefit of all,” serving the community, the association, and the whole Church. “Governance, therefore, can never be exploited for personal interests or worldly forms of prestige and power,” he said.
The second consequence, Pope Leo continued, is that governance “can never be imposed from above but must be a gift recognizable within the community and freely accepted,” which is why “free elections” are important.
The third, he said, is that the governance of an association, “like every charism,” remains subject to the discernment of pastors, who are responsible for safeguarding “the authenticity and orderly use of charisms.”
The pope also cited several qualities he said must mark Church governance: “mutual listening, shared responsibility, transparency, fraternal closeness, and communal discernment.”
Leaders of ecclesial movements, he said, have a delicate task. They must both preserve “the memory of a living heritage” and exercise a “prophetic” role by listening to present pastoral needs and responding to “the new challenges and to the cultural, social, and spiritual sensibilities of our time.”
“Indeed, only in this way can one be a Christian, a disciple and a missionary in today’s society and Church,” Pope Leo said.
He placed particular emphasis on communion, warning against the temptation for ecclesial groups to close in on themselves.
“Those who exercise a mission of leadership in the Church must learn to listen to and welcome different opinions, different cultural and spiritual orientations, and different personal temperaments, always seeking to preserve, especially in necessary and often difficult decisions, the greater good of communion,” he said.
“This requires a witness of meekness, detachment, and selfless love for one’s brothers and sisters and for the community, which serves as an example to everyone,” the pope added.
Pope Leo warned that some groups can become self-referential.
“At times we find groups who close themselves up and think that their specific reality is the only one, or that it is the Church, but the Church is all of us, it is much more!” he said. “And so our movements must truly endeavor to live in communion with the entire Church, at diocesan level.”
The bishop, he said, is “a very important figure of reference,” adding that groups must seek communion with the Church both locally and universally.
The pope concluded by thanking the associations and movements for their service, calling them “an inestimable gift to the Church.”
“There is great richness among you: so many well-formed people and so many fine evangelizers; so many young people and diverse vocations to the priesthood and married life,” he said. “The variety of charisms, gifts, and methods of apostolate developed over the years allows you to be present in the fields of culture, art, social life and work, bringing the light of the Gospel everywhere.”
This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Brussels bans AI ‘nudifier’ apps days before Pope Leo’s AI encyclical
BRUSSELS — EU lawmakers have agreed to ban AI “nudifier” applications and systems used to generate child sexual abuse material, a move welcomed by faith leaders and ethicists ahead of Pope Leo XIVʼs first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence, scheduled for release on May 25.
‘An attack on human dignity’
Speaking to EWTN News, Irish Member of European Parliament Michael McNamara, one of the European Parliamentʼs lead lawmakers on the AI Act, said negotiators pushed for an outright ban on systems used to generate nonconsensual intimate imagery and AI-generated child sexual abuse material, which he described as “an attack on the fundamental rights of real people, particularly the inviolability of human dignity and the right to privacy.”
McNamara previously participated in an interfaith Brussels delegation on AI governance led by former Irish ambassador to the Holy See Professor Philip McDonagh.
“We were insistent that these prohibitions sit in Article 5, among the absolute bans in the AI Act,” McNamara added.
Following the agreement, he said the new provisions would ensure authorities had “the tools to act if providers do not address AI systems that compromise fundamental rights or human dignity.”
Under the agreement, companies will have until Dec. 2 to comply with the new restrictions.
Delays to ‘high-risk’ AI rules
The legislation also postpones the application of some obligations for “high-risk” AI systems until 2027 and 2028, a move lawmakers say was necessary because technical standards required for implementation were not ready in time.
Under the act, high-risk systems include AI used in healthcare, education, employment, law enforcement, and border management, where algorithmic decisions can directly affect human rights and access to essential services.
“To be frank, my preference would have been no extension,” McNamara said, while acknowledging lawmakers faced pressure to ensure the rules could be implemented with legal certainty.
“Certainty matters: for industry, yes, but also for citizens and for the authorities that will enforce these rules,” he said.
EU bishops welcome restrictions
The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) welcomed the ban. Speaking to EWTN News, Friederike Ladenburger, COMECE adviser on ethics, research, and health, said the restrictions are “legally justified” because such systems process biometric and intimate personal data in ways that undermine fundamental rights, particularly human dignity, privacy, consent, and the protection of minors.
“From an ethical perspective, nudifier applications constitute a form of technological exploitation that objectifies the person,” she added. Such systems conflict with principles of “dignity, solidarity, and the safeguarding of vulnerable individuals” that should guide implementation of the AI Act, she said.
Alessandro Calcagno, COMECE assistant general secretary and adviser on fundamental rights, said the organization has consistently called for stronger protections for children in AI regulation.
“In its 2020 contribution to the EU White Paper on AI, COMECE stressed that children are the most vulnerable in the context of AI use and application,” he told EWTN News.
Interfaith and Vatican dialogue on AI
The anticipated papal encyclical follows several years of Vatican engagement on AI ethics through the Pontifical Academy for Life, the Rome Call for AI Ethics, and repeated interventions from previous popes warning against technologies that risk reducing the human person to data, manipulation, or simulation.
McDonagh, who serves as director of the Centre for Religion, Human Values, and International Relations at Dublin City University, said the debate surrounding AI reflects a technological transformation of “profound historical and civilizational significance,” comparable to the agricultural and industrial revolutions, which also produced “dramatic new forms of inequality and violence.”
Following the provisional agreement, he said the rapid emergence of AI raises deeper questions about human coexistence and the moral foundations of society.
“The anthropological question of how we make sense of our existence and co-existence is more urgent than ever,” he said.
Ahead of the encyclicalʼs release, members of the COMECE presidency held private talks with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on AI governance, the future of the EU, and wider global challenges.
Christ’s baptism site must remain living place of encounter with God, Cardinal Pizzaballa says
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, said the baptism of Christ is not merely a historical memory but an eternal event that continues to speak to every believer.
The patriarch made the remarks during a gathering hosted by King Abdullah II of Jordan with Church leaders at the baptism site of Jesus Christ, traditionally known as Bethany Beyond the Jordan on May 18.
Located on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, opposite Jericho in the West Bank, the site is venerated by Christians around the world as the place where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. In recognition of its universal spiritual significance, UNESCO inscribed the baptism site on its World Heritage List in 2015.
King Abdullah announced that the Jordanian government will adopt and support an initiative to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of Christ’s baptism in 2030. The plan includes upgrading infrastructure and services at the baptism site to welcome pilgrims from around the world while preserving its sacred character.The king also emphasized his personal commitment to overseeing preparations, underscoring Jordan’s role in protecting holy sites and supporting the Christian presence in the region.
“This initiative is a call to look forward with faith and responsibility,“ Pizzaballa said. ”The baptism site must remain a living place, where visitors do not simply come to see but encounter God and rediscover the depth of their baptism.”
Church leaders in Jordan welcomed the king’s support for the Baptism Jubilee 2030, describing it as a historic opportunity to strengthen Christian unity and renew the meaning of pilgrimage to the baptism site. They stressed that preparations should begin locally, through the development of facilities, the training of staff, and efforts to ensure that the site remains a place of living faith. They also called for engagement with churches and Christian institutions worldwide to encourage broad participation in the jubilee.
For Church leaders, the jubilee is not only a commemoration of a major moment in Christian history but also a global spiritual event inviting believers everywhere to rediscover the depth of their baptism and to see the baptism site as a symbol of reconciliation and hope.
Pizzaballa expressed deep appreciation for Jordan’s role in safeguarding the site and promoting peace.
“In this blessed land,” he said, “we see in your leadership a living example of how faith can become a bridge between peoples and a foundation for peace in the world.”
The baptism site carries profound spiritual and historical significance. Known in Scripture as “Bethany Beyond the Jordan,” it is the place where Jesus entered the waters to be baptized by John, sanctifying creation and inaugurating his public ministry.
Archaeological remains of ancient churches and monasteries bear witness to centuries of Christian devotion, while modern pilgrims continue to gather there for liturgies, prayer, and reflection.
Since its recognition by UNESCO, the site has become a major destination for Christian pilgrimage, drawing thousands of visitors each year to the banks of the Jordan River.
The 2030 jubilee initiative is envisioned not only as the commemoration of a milestone in Christian history but also as a global spiritual event. It seeks to renew the meaning of baptism for believers, strengthen Christian pilgrimage, and present the baptism site as a beacon of reconciliation and hope.
As preparations begin, Bethany Beyond the Jordan is preparing to welcome the world, offering a tangible connection to the beginning of Christ’s mission and a testimony to faith, peace, and coexistence in the Middle East.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Pope Leo XIV: Nations must put common good ahead of particular interests
Pope Leo XIV told a group of ambassadors on Thursday that nations should measure their success by how well they treat those on the margins, not by the level of power or prosperity they have reached.
“Courteous and clear dialogue, essential though it is, must be accompanied by a deeper conversion of heart: the willingness to set aside particular interests for the sake of the common good,” the pope said in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace on May 21.
“No nation, no society, and no international order can call itself just and humane if it measures its success solely by power or prosperity while neglecting those who live at the margins,” he continued. “Indeed, Christ’s love for the least and the forgotten compels us to reject every form of selfishness that leaves the poor and the vulnerable invisible.”
Leo received in audience the new ambassadors to the Holy See from Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Yemen, Rwanda, Namibia, Mauritius, Chad, and Sri Lanka on the occasion of the presentation of their credentials.
Referencing his address to the diplomatic corps in January, the Holy Father emphasized the “urgent need for a return to ‘a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus’ on all levels — bilateral, regional, and multilateral.”
Dialogue motivated by a sincere search for peace, he added, “demands that words once again express clear realities without distortion or hostility.”
He urged diplomats and international organizations to be animated by a “spirit of self-giving solidarity … in order to create spaces for encounter and mediation.”
The pope assured the ambassadors of the readiness of the Secretariat of State and dicasteries of the Roman Curia to assist them as they undertake their new responsibilities.
“At a moment when geopolitical tensions continue to fragment our world further, it is necessary to make them more representative, effective, and oriented toward the unity of the human family,” he said.
“May your mission strengthen dialogue, deepen mutual understanding, and contribute to the peace so greatly needed in our world.”
Synod office sets path to 2028 ecclesial assembly
VATICAN CITY — The General Secretariat of the Synod has published a new document to guide the “path of implementation of the Synod” through an ecclesial assembly in October 2028 at the Vatican.
The 18-page document, titled “The Path of Implementation of the Synod: Towards the Assemblies 2027–2028 — Stages, Criteria, and Tools for Preparation,” establishes a four-stage process and a common method for local Churches, episcopal conferences, and continental bodies.
The new text follows a letter sent last year to bishops, eparchs, patriarchs, and major archbishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches defining the process of accompaniment in the implementation phase of the Synod on Synodality, which concluded in 2024 after a three-year process.
The Synod’s implementation path will unfold in four progressive stages: Recollecting, in the first half of 2027; Interpreting, in the second half of 2027; Orienting, in the first four months of 2028; and Celebrating, in October 2028.
Each stage will culminate in an assembly and the drafting of materials meant to feed ecclesial discernment ahead of the final assembly.
According to the document, the unity of the process will be guided by a common question at every level: “In light of the journey undertaken after the conclusion of the 2021–2024 Synod, and with a view to offering its fruits as a gift to the other Churches and to the Holy Father: What concrete form of a missionary synodal Church, and what new paths of synodality, are emerging in your community?”
The document says the process is not meant to repeat the consultation stage of the Synod but to help the Churches learn from what has already been lived, recognize fruits and difficulties, recalibrate priorities and processes “in the light of careful discernment,” strengthen co-responsibility, and foster an “authentic exchange of gifts among the Churches.”
The Synod office also stresses that the implementation phase “does not introduce additional tasks alongside the ordinary life of communities; rather, it orients and renews that life from within.”
Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod, said the proposal should be understood as a time of ecclesial discernment rather than as another administrative burden.
“What we are proposing to the local Churches,” Grech said, “is not an additional task but rather a time of shared discernment and thanksgiving in which to reread together what the Spirit is causing to grow in the Church and to recognize the steps we are called to take.”
“The assemblies do not coincide with a sociological consultation or a deliberative process, nor are they a technical assessment,” he continued. “Rather, they are a profound ecclesial and spiritual experience of discernment: a moment of synthesis and renewed impetus for the journey, so that the exchange of gifts among the Churches may become a concrete experience and synodality may increasingly take shape as the ordinary style of ecclesial life at the service of mission.”
Where this has not already been done, the document says it is “essential to reactivate and support diocesan, national, and continental synodal teams,” whose composition is to be communicated to the General Secretariat of the Synod.
The document calls for assemblies with broad participation, including men and women of different generations, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, members of movements and associations, and faithful not belonging to organized structures. It also asks for attention to the presence of “persons living in situations of fragility or marginality.”
The text adds that it is important “to value voices not directly traceable to ecclesial structures” and, where appropriate, to provide for the participation of representatives of other Churches and Christian communions or of other religions.
At the diocesan and eparchial level, each local Church will prepare a narrative report before its assembly and a letter to other local Churches during the assembly. National or regional assemblies will prepare a theological-pastoral report and a letter to other Churches.
Continental assemblies will prepare a “perspective report” to help shape the Instrumentum Laboris, the working document for the 2028 meetings at the Vatican.
All materials must be sent to the General Secretariat of the Synod by specific deadlines: June 30, 2027, for the local stage; Dec. 31, 2027, for the national or regional stage; and April 30, 2028, for the continental stage.
The document proposes conversation in the Spirit as the privileged method for community discernment while allowing adaptations for the needs of each context.
The implementation phase began after Pope Francis received the Synod’s Final Document in 2024. The new stage, according to the document, was “subsequently confirmed and promoted by Pope Leo XIV” with the aim of helping synodality become an ordinary style of ecclesial life at the service of mission.
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.
Leader of Pontifical Academy for Life offers overview of academy a year into his presidency
After more than three decades, the Pontifical Academy for Life continues its mission to promote human dignity from the beginning of oneʼs life to its end.
In 1994 Pope John Paul II established the Pontifical Academy for Life, which works with institutions of higher education, scientific societies, and research centers that deal with life-related issues.
Today, the academy is at the forefront of discussions about artificial intelligence, end-of-life care, and public bioethics.
In March, Pope Leo XIV promulgated new statutes for the Pontifical Academy for Life, recalling that its objective is “the defense and promotion of the value of human life and the dignity of the person.”
The academyʼs mandate is to have a center of studies to “research about the new challenges” and “the new problems concerning human life,” Archbishop Renzo Pegoraro, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said in an interview with “EWTN Pro-life Weekly.”
There is an "important ... interdisciplinary dialogue involving biologists, doctors, but also philosophers, theologians, lawyers — all people that could help to analyze the new questions, the new problems, sometimes very urgent and very complicated issues,” he said.
The Pontifical Academy for Life is composed of a presidency, a central office, members, also called academicians, and supporters. Pegoraro has been serving as the president for nearly a year, following his appointment by Pope Leo XIV on May 27, 2025.
Prior, Pegoraro was the chancellor of the academy. He is also a bioethicist who earned a medical degree before entering the seminary.
Pegoraro and the team work to tackle issues that often stem from “the development of medicine” and “the development of science or biology."
They find ways “to define the ethical responsibilities to protect human life and to promote human life with the respect of the dignity of all human beings — from the beginning of life to the end of life,” Pegoraro said.
Changes and advances at the academy
Prior to 2016, those who wanted to work at the academy had to sign a declaration stating that they were pro-life. Since 2016 they no longer need to sign a statement, but the people who work for the academy still need to conform to Church teachings on matters of human dignity.
“We realized the last 10 years, to have members that are not Catholic,” Pegoraro said.
The academy has a “presence of members coming from other religions,” including two Jewish members, one Muslim member, and two Greek Orthodox members, Pegoraro said.
“But they confirm to agree with the basic values concerning human life, and they agree with the teaching of the Catholic Church about these topics,” he said.
Pegoraro addressed some of the specific projects at the academy including one, “neuroscience.“ It addresses the “problems [and] risk of enhancement or manipulation of the human being,” he said.
There is "an interesting project about … neonatal care,” Pegoraro said. It focuses on “before the delivery and immediately after the delivery — particularly for premature children.” It addresses “how to guarantee good care of the baby” and “good care for the mother,” he said.
“There is also an interesting working group now about ethics and disability,” he said.
In the changing times, the academy works to address updated technologies with some of its other projects on artificial intelligence and robots.
Church in Mexico calls for combating human trafficking and exploitation during 2026 World Cup
Only three weeks remain until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the most important national team tournament in soccer, which will bring together 48 participating countries. It is the first time a World Cup is hosted by three countries and spread across 16 host cities: 11 in the U.S., three in Mexico, and two in Canada.
With the arrival of the millions of tourists Mexico is expecting during the event, the Catholic Church there has expressed concern that “risks may increase” with regard to “human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violence.”
In this context, the Commission for the Protection of Minors for the Primatial Archdiocese of Mexico issued a statement May 19 acknowledging that while sporting events of this magnitude “present an opportunity for encounter, togetherness, fraternity, and cultural exchange,” they can also be exploited by “criminal networks that operate through deception, manipulation, coercion, exploitation, and the abuse of individuals.”
In the Mexican cities that will host matches — Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara — the arrival of “more than 5.5 million international visitors” is anticipated, according to Gabriela Cuevas Barrón, the Mexican government’s World Cup coordinator.
Reports from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNICEF, and Amnesty International have warned that this massive movement of people “entails a massive influx of visitors with a potential impact on tourism-related sexual exploitation.”
In light of this situation, the Primatial Archdiocese of Mexico called upon authorities to “strengthen prevention, early detection, responsible reporting, and the protection of potential victims during this period.”
How could a person fall into the hands of these networks?
The bishops' statement reiterated several warnings issued by the Citizen Council for Security and Justice of Mexico City regarding risk factors that require special attention; among them is the use of social media, which has been identified “as a means for recruiting minors.”
The council also issued a warning regarding “a growing trend of recruiting individuals of other nationalities — primarily from Colombia, Venezuela, and Honduras — with false promises of obtaining legal immigration status.”
The organization drew attention to the lack of awareness surrounding this type of crime and recommended the implementation of “targeted awareness campaigns, particularly in sectors with high exposure during the World Cup.”
What can a member of the Church do to help?
The Archdiocese of Mexico urged priests, deacons, men and women religious, catechists, and pastoral workers to “actively join this effort through concrete actions aimed at raising awareness and prevention.”
Among the proposed actions, particular emphasis was placed on the need to “speak clearly about this crime within pastoral settings.” In this regard, the archdiocese encouraged the “placement of informational materials in visible locations” in parishes and places where people gather at churches.
The archdiocese recommended “guiding parents and guardians regarding the risks present in digital environments” as well as “disseminating protocols for the protection of minors and promoting a culture of caring in catechesis and youth groups.”
Likewise, it proposed including “moments of prayer for victims of trafficking, exploitation, abuse, and violence.”
The archdiocese further reminded that, in the event of a potentially risky situation, “one must not directly confront the potential aggressor or trafficker, nor publicly expose the potential victim.”
The recommended course of action, it stated, is “to act with prudence, safeguard one’s personal safety, listen without applying pressure, inform the right people, and refer the matter to the competent authorities.”
Various national and international organizations have launched the website Mundialsintrata (“World Cup Without Trafficking”) where users can access information and materials related to this initiative, which aims to promote the identification and safe reporting of human trafficking cases.
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.
DR Congo diocese issues Ebola prevention measures after health emergency declaration
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo — The Catholic Diocese of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has issued preventive measures to all Catholic parishes and communities following the declaration of an Ebola virus hemorrhagic fever outbreak as a “health emergency.”
In a communiqué issued May 18, the chancellor of the diocese said Bishop Willy Ngumbi Ngengele had directed that all Catholic communities in the diocese observe strict preventive measures aimed at limiting the spread of the deadly virus.
“Given that the Ebola virus hemorrhagic fever epidemic has been declared a ‘health emergency,’ the Diocese of Goma recommends that all parish, priestly, and religious communities observe preventive measures,” Father Christian Kisonia said.
Among the measures announced are avoiding physical contact with persons showing Ebola symptoms, frequent handwashing with soap, the use of hand sanitizers, and avoiding contact with bodily fluids.
Kisonia also urged the people of God to report any suspected Ebola cases to the nearest health facility.
In the communiqué, the chancellor said handwashing before Mass “is mandatory” for all worshippers, directing parishes to prepare washbasins with chlorinated water and soap for use by the faithful.
“Washing before Mass is mandatory for all the faithful,” Kisonia emphasized.
He further directed communities to limit visits from outsiders until further notice as part of efforts to contain the outbreak.
The DRC is facing a fresh Ebola outbreak linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak on May 15 after several deaths were reported in Ituri province. Health officials say investigations and contact tracing are ongoing, and there is currently no licensed vaccine specifically approved for the Bundibugyo strain.
On May 16, WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, citing risks associated with cross-border movement, delayed case detection, weak health systems, and insecurity in eastern Congo.
The latest outbreak has equally spread to neighboring Uganda, forcing the government to postpone the 2026 Martyrs’ Day.
Uganda’s Catholic bishops have urged the people of God in the east African nation to continue commemorating the Uganda Martyrs in prayer and unity.
“Although the national gathering at Namugongo has been postponed, dioceses and parishes are encouraged to celebrate the day with the guidance of the diocesan bishop and the relevant government authorities,” members of the Uganda Episcopal Conference said.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
Nigerian bishop appeals for prayers for 'safe release' of abducted teachers, students, children
OYO, Nigeria — Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Oyo has appealed for prayers for the safe release of teachers, students, and children abducted during an attack on schools in Ogbomoso in Nigeria’s Oyo state on May 15.
In a statement issued May 18, the bishop described the incident as “deeply saddening” and urged Catholics to include prayers for the victims in every Mass and prayer gathering.
“In view of the recent and deeply saddening incident of the abduction of teachers, students, and children in schools in Ogbomoso, I urgently appeal that, if not already being done, we include the intention for the safe release of the captives in every holy Mass henceforth,” Badejo said.
He also directed that the intention be remembered in all intercessory prayers, including the ongoing novena to the Holy Spirit ahead of Pentecost Sunday.
The appeal follows the attack on Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota axis of Ogbomoso and the abduction of pupils, students, and teachers from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School.
According to Sahara Reporters, armed men invaded the schools during class hours and shot a teacher, causing panic among students, teachers, and residents, before abducting a principal, identified as Rachael Alamu, along with an unspecified number of students.
Sources in the community said the attackers fled the area using the principal’s vehicle and escaped into a nearby forest reserve bordering the community.
Residents also lamented the delayed response from security agencies, noting that the nearest police station is located far from the affected community.
The spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed the attack and disclosed that tactical and intelligence teams had been deployed to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible.
On May 18, teachers in the area staged a peaceful protest following the abduction of students and fellow educators. The demonstrators shut down classrooms and marched to the Teaching Service Commission office in Ogbomoso, carrying placards and calling for urgent government intervention.
The protest followed the circulation of a disturbing viral video allegedly showing one of the abducted teachers being beheaded by the kidnappers. The victim was later identified as Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher.
Speaking to journalists on May 18, Gov. Seyi Makinde provided details about the abductions in the three schools.
“We can now confirm conclusively that at Community Secondary School, about seven students were abducted, while at First Baptist Primary and Nursery School, 18 children were abducted, along with about seven teachers. Unfortunately, as I reported yesterday, one of them was killed,” the governor said.
He added: “Whatever it is they demand, we are ready to listen and address what we can as a state government. But the children and their teachers must be released.”
The governor also urged residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies.
“If you see something strange, say something, and expect us to act. We will not surrender to terror. We will do everything possible to ensure that our children and their teachers return safely,” Makinde said.
In his May 18 statement, Badejo called for prayers for political leaders in Nigeria, asking God to grant them wisdom and courage to address the country’s worsening insecurity.
“I also ask that we pray earnestly for our government, that God may grant our leaders the wisdom, insight, and courage needed to act swiftly and decisively in the protection of our people,” he said.
The bishop underscored the power of prayer in moments of fear and uncertainty, saying: “Dear brothers and sisters, prayer is the greatest power we possess. Let us use it to the fullest.”
“May the merciful God hear our cry, answer us with his mercy, and favor our land with lasting peace. Kyrie Eleison. Amen,” Badejo implored.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.