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National Catholic Register

France Legalizes Euthanasia After Forceful Push Through Parliament

A demonstrator holds a placard reading “Dignity not death!” during the “Marche pour la Vie” (“March for Life”) to protest against France’s bill for the creation of a right to assisted dying, at the Place Vauban in Paris on Jan. 18, 2026. A major societal reform of the French president’s second five-year term, a bill on assisted dying has been debated multiple times and the National Assembly gave final approval on July 15, making France one of the few European countries to legalize the practice.

The vote, ending an unusual parliamentary stalemate between the National Assembly and the Senate, came three years after President Emmanuel Macron first opened the question to national debate.

Former Muslim Refugee Who Fled War in Bosnia Ordained a Priest In Germany

Former refugee from the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 41-year-old Senad Mrkaljevic was recently ordained a priest by the archbishop of Berlin, Heiner Koch, at St. Hedwigʼs Cathedral.

Born into a Muslim family, Father Senad Mrkaljevic began reading the Bible and visiting a church every Sunday, eventually getting baptized.

Filipino Norbertine Priest Elected New Abbot of St. Michael’s Abbey in California

St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange County, California, has elected a new abbot: Norbertine Father John Caronan is the third abbot to serve the community since its founding in 1961. He succeeds Abbot Eugene Hayes, who led the community for 31 years.

The thriving monastic community in Southern California has named Father John Caronan as its third abbot.

World Cup Blues, of a Sort

Paul Ellis
Spain's midfielder #16 Rodri and defender #22 Pau Cubarsi celebrate after their team won the 2026 World Cup football tournament semi-final match between France and Spain at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on July 14, 2026.

COMMENTARY: Five points on what’s wrong with soccer in general and the FIFA World Cup in particular.

BBC Correspondent David Willey, Longtime Vatican and Papal Chronicler, Dies at 93

Fabio Gonnella/EWTN News
David Willey, a longtime BBC correspondent who covered Rome and the Vatican for more than five decades, speaks with EWTN News in his home in Trevignano Romano, Italy, on Feb. 11, 2026. Willey died in Italy on July 11, 2026, at the age of 93.

EWTN News spoke to the journalist in February about his more than 50 years covering the Vatican.