OSV News

A newly released clerical sexual abuse report in Poland's Diocese of Sosnowiec is being described by investigators as a necessary step toward accountability, while Church leaders call it a painful but essential moment in rebuilding trust after years of scandals.

Data showing most individuals in immigration detention do not have violent criminal records highlights ongoing concerns expressed by the nation's Catholic bishops over the Trump administration immigration crackdown, said David Spicer, policy and engagement director for the USCCB's Secretariat of Migration.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, strongly criticized the U.S.-led Board of Peace, an international body chaired by President Donald Trump to oversee the governance and reconstruction of Gaza.

Supporters of the traditional Latin Mass have urged Catholics not to confuse their movement with the more controversial Society of St. Pius X, commonly referred to as SSPX, whose leaders currently risk excommunication by threatening to ordain their own bishops.

Cuban bishops published a message Jan. 31 warning that the "elimination of all possibility of oil entering the country raises alarm bells, especially for the most vulnerable."

Zurek has served as head of the Diocese of Amarillo since 2008.

Ave Maria University reported on its website that it first became "aware of suspected cases" on its campus Jan. 28, and "promptly reported" them to the Florida Department of Health.

Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, issued a Feb. 11 statement expressing "dismay" and "strong opposition" to the university's appointment of associate professor Susan Ostermann as director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, effective July 1.

As U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan announced on Feb. 12 plans for federal agents to leave the Twin Cities metro area, Catholic leaders in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis acknowledged the need for hope as they look to next steps in the local community.

"They are our brothers and sisters, we love them, and we stand with them in these difficult times," Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon told Catholic News Service Feb. 11 during a visit to Rome and the Vatican, which included a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV Feb. 9.

Catholic immigration advocates are speaking out after an internal federal document obtained by CBS News showed most individuals arrested in Trump administration immigration crackdowns over the past year do not have violent criminal records.

Servant of God Thea Bowman was a beacon for the Church to embrace more authentically the essence of what it means to be Catholic, Bishop Joseph Kopacz told Massgoers at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson.
 

Pope Leo XIV, the head of the world's smallest state, may make a brief visit to Monaco, the world's second-smallest state, this year, the Vatican confirmed.

The Italian hilltown of Assisi is anticipating a visit from Pope Leo XIV during the special Jubilee Year of St. Francis as the city celebrates the 800th anniversary of the death of its most famous saint.

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen will soon be beatified, now that the Vatican has given the green light, the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, announced Feb. 9. No date or location for the beatification was given.

Cameroon’s possible inclusion in the itinerary of Pope Leo XIV’s first African trip is drawing growing debate, as security concerns, political tensions and moral objections raise questions about whether the country is ready for a papal visit.

The March for Life rally, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and several buildings at The Catholic University of America were among infection sites for confirmed measles cases in the District of Columbia, the capital city's health department said Feb. 7.

Media entrepreneur and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai, whose arrest nearly six years ago prompted outrage around the world, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.