Lourdes Bans FSSPX Masses: On August 13, Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes, France, issued a statement concerning the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) pilgrimage to Lourdes. He cited the episcopal consecrations at Écône on July 1 and the subsequent decree of the Holy See. The FSSPX is no longer authorized to celebrate Mass or other sacraments inside the Lourdes Sanctuary, nor to organize public prayers there. Individual pilgrims remain free to pray privately. Bishop Micas wrote that he was aware the decision would cause “pain” and “perhaps incomprehension.” The FSSPX had held organized public worship at Lourdes for many years, including Masses, confessions, processions and public prayers within the Sanctuary.
For the record, the excommunication are on appeal. Under canon Law they are suspended until a final determination is made. The FSSPX has a very strong case on multiple grounds that would place them is a very favorable position of prevailing before a fair tribunal. Whether they will have that fair tribunal remains to be seen, but until there is a final determination by the Pope, even in the eyes of the Conciliarists they are every bit as valid as the judgmental bishop who banned them from Lourdes. The bishop should withdraw his ruling and apologize.
Saints Mentor Saints | Saint Elena Guerra | Msgr. Stephen Rossetti Msgr. Stephen Rossetti on location in Lucca Italy in the church of St. Augustine where Saint Elena Guerra is buried. St. Michael Center For Spiritual Renewal
Irish Female Preacher at Eucharist: "I’d Love to See Women Priests" Worse than Germany: On 13 August, Irish TV broadcaster Mary Kennedy delivered the homily during the 'National Novena' at Knock Basilica, Ireland. Kennedy is divorced, has had subsequent relationships and said she “shouldn’t really be receiving Holy Communion” but is an “à la carte Catholic”. She added, “that’s the kind of Catholic that suits me.” Furthermore, Kennedy said that she loves “the sound of the Muslim call to prayer”. Later in the address, Kennedy criticised what she described as the “male-dominated” ministry: “I would love to see women priests. I really would.”
On 13 August 2026, Irish broadcaster Mary Kennedy delivered a roughly 15-minute guest address entitled “Faith in Full View” during the National Novena to Our Lady of Knock in Knock Basilica, Co. Mayo, following the Gospel: “I would like it if it weren’t such a male-dominated ministry. I think there is real value in having women in important positions in the Church. It’s not going to change in my lifetime, or in the lifetimes of other people present here, but I really do feel that women would have a huge contribution to make to the Church, and I would love to see women priests. I really would.”
Cardinal Pizzaballa Visits Taybeh: Standing With Palestine’s Last Christian Village | SG News Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has visited Taybeh, Palestine’s last remaining fully Christian village, bringing a message of courage, solidarity, and hope to its residents. During Mass at the Church of Christ the Redeemer on the Feast of the Assumption, the Patriarch stood alongside a community facing growing uncertainty and restrictions. The visit follows a July Israeli military order declaring Taybeh and nearby Rimon a closed military zone. The restrictions have affected access to agricultural lands, historic sites, and religious landmarks, while also making it more difficult for pilgrims, journalists, and international volunteers to reach the area. Despite the challenges, Cardinal Pizzaballa urged the faithful not to surrender to fear, reaffirming the Church’s commitment to preserving the Christian presence and witness in the Holy Land. Watch the full report …Higit pa
Leo XIV’s Peru Visit Prepared By Pachamama Offering: On 13–14 August, “Entrelazando Voces por la Dignidad,” a regional gathering of social organizations and Indigenous communities, took place in Cusco, Peru. Spanish-language outlets, including Vatican News, linked it to preparations for Pope Leo XIV’s November visit. Bishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, auxiliary bishop of Cusco and CELAM secretary-general, inaugurated the gathering; Bishop Miguel Ángel Cadenas of Iquitos also attended. InfoVaticana video shows the event opening with an Andean offering to Pachamama/Mother Earth. Participants received coca leaves, performed guided breathing, blew three times on the leaves, and placed them with food offerings in bowls on the ground. Bishop Estrada is shown adding coca leaves to the offering. Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, Vatican official overseeing the dissolution of the community Sodalitium, also took part, placing coca leaves in the offering.
Un comisario pontificio y un obispo depositan coca en un «pago a la tierra»: Jordi Bertomeu oferente a la Pachamama
One Canadian pastor who isn’t afraid to speak out as the Canadian military moves to ban Christian prayer at public events. It’s just another government attack against Christians.
Cardinal Pizzaballa Visited Taybeh, West Bank: On August 15, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa visited the Christian community of Taybeh in the West Bank, amid Israeli military restrictions on access to the area. “We will continue to do everything in our power to preserve the ecclesial presence here, at every level of the Holy Land,” he said. He also urged Christians to defend their rights without giving in to fear or despair: “We do not want to give up or abandon our rights, our right to life. So be courageous. Do not be afraid.” He also warned against allowing the conflict to shape the community internally.
On October 7, 1953, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, during the consecration of the Fatima Basilica, the Patriarch of Lisbon, Cardinal Cerejeira, delivered a speech in which he described Fatima as " a wonderful anti-Russia. Russia has taken on the role of anti-Rome, or rather, the Rome of the Antichrist. It is leading the attack of militant atheism against the Christian Church in the world. It desires to destroy the Kingdom of God on earth. It professes the blasphemous Gospel – the salvation of man by his own efforts, without Christ." Kontekst fatimski (5)
FYI, Fr. Michel de la Sainte Trinite is quoting the above speech in Appendix III of his Whole Truth About Fatima, vol. III after: Obras pastorais of Cardinal Cerejeira, volume IV
Bishop Athanasius Schneider has issued his first public statement since Leo XIV declared six FSSPX bishops excommunicated on July 2, published on Diane Montagna's Substack. Schneider had previously appealed for liturgical peace, meeting with Pope Leo XIV in December 2025 and Cardinal Parolin a little over a week before the July 1 episcopal consecration. Bishop Schneider's central claim: in an extraordinary Church crisis, fidelity to unambiguous doctrine and traditional liturgy can outweigh obedience to ecclesiastical law. He opens with St. Athanasius, excommunicated by Pope Liberius in 357 for refusing communion with Arian bishops the Pope himself had recognized under imperial pressure. Athanasius was later canonized as a Doctor of the Church; Liberius was never canonized. Schneider treats Écône as a modern parallel — a forced choice between canonical obedience and doctrinal integrity. Bishop Schneider blames two distortions for narrowing this question: "legalism" (treating Church law …Higit pa
He Flunked Latin but Died a Martyr: The Story of Blessed Stanley Rother with Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda "The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger." Biographer Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda joins CatholicTV to share the incredible witness of Blessed Stanley Rother, the first martyr born in the United States. What does it take for an ordinary farm boy from Okarche, Oklahoma, to become a recognized Catholic martyr? Author and biographer Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda steps into the living room on This Is the Day to unpack the life of Blessed Father Stanley Francis Rother. Maria shares Father Stan's relatable early struggles—from being sent home after flunking his first year of theology due to Latin textbooks, to discovering his true calling at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and volunteering for the Oklahoma mission in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. There, among the Tzʼutujil Mayan community, this humble farmer built schools, a hospital, translated scripture, and learned their language fluently. When civil …Higit pa
Italian Diocese Expands Women’s Roles in Church Administration. Worse than Germany: The Italian Diocese of Trapani, is increasingly appointing laypeople - including women - to formal Curia and diocesan roles as the number of priests declines. The diocese now has fewer than 100 diocesan priests and is bringing in priests from Madagascar, Tanzania, and religious institutes to fill parish vacancies. Among the most significant appointments, lawyer Susanna Catalano has been named the diocese’s second vice-chancellor. Four lay Catholics will receive the instituted ministry of catechist, including two women, Francesca Messina and Caterina Vesco.
Trapani, mancano i preti ma crescono i laici in Curia: Fragnelli cerca sacerdoti all’estero e nomina la seconda vicecancelliera
Visit our Blog: pagina-catolica.blogspot.com At the High Mass of the Virgin Mary (La Virgen Grande), broadcast live by Cantabria Television, the parish priest of the Assumption of Torrelavega (Spain) relativized the dogma defined by Pius XII, attributed the Marian titles to "mythology" and introduced a "contemplative dance" surrounding the altar with colored skirts —men included— between the Gospel and the homily, in addition to jotas and pericotes in the middle of the offertory. The parish priest said: "The colors signify that we are open to everyone, and dancing in circles indicates that no one is left out at the table of the Eucharist." Father Juan Carlos Rodriguez del Pozo said in his homily: "Today we celebrate Mary's ascension to heaven, body and soul. Obviously, we don't have to take it literally. No human being will ascend to heaven body and soul. Heaven is not a physical place. Heaven is a state of the soul, a state of fullness, of happiness." "God chooses Mary, a humble …Higit pa
On July 20, at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, the 88th Annual Meeting of the Catholic Biblical Association (CBA) elected Amy-Jill Levine, 70, as president for 2026–2027. She is the first Jewish president in the CBA’s history. Founded in 1936, the CBA is an independent association with longstanding institutional ties to the U.S. bishops. Its constitution says it pursues biblical scholarship “in conformity with the teaching of the magisterium of the Catholic Church.” Levine is a New Testament scholar and is a longtime member of the CBA. In spring 2019, she became the first Jewish scholar to teach New Testament at Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute. She has also had three audiences with Pope Francis. In a sermon at Washington National Cathedral on March 7, 2021, Levine said: “I’m a Jew. I don’t worship Jesus as Lord and Savior.” "Lectionary Revision Is Only A Start" In an interview published by The Christian Century in June 2023, Levine describes parts of the Gospel of John as …Higit pa
3 U.S. Dioceses Are Booming With Priests Despite a Global Decline | SG News While priestly vocations continue to face challenges across many parts of the world, three U.S. dioceses are offering a strikingly different story: Charlotte, Wichita, and Arlington. What is happening in these Catholic communities? From Eucharistic adoration and vibrant parish life to faith-filled families, strong Catholic formation, and priests who joyfully invite young men to consider their vocation, these dioceses are showing what can happen when a culture actively encourages a call to the priesthood. In this video, we explore the factors behind their growing number of priestly vocations and the lessons other Catholic communities may be able to learn. Could these dioceses offer a blueprint for a new generation of Catholic vocations? Watch and discover the story. Stay Updated with @SGNEWS-SG – Faith, Society & Global Christian Perspective
Behind a “prayer gathering for peace” in the papal gardens of Castel Gandolfo on July 29 was a secret dinner with wealthy donors, primarily Americans, reports Nd.nl on August 17. The evening was organised by the Vatican foundation Borgo Laudato si’, with the Andrea Bocelli Foundation as co-organizer. Employees of the dicasteries of the Holy See, the Governorate of Vatican City State and the offices of the Roman Curia were invited. Images show that several chairs remained empty. A Vatican employee said that the invitation wasn’t put up on the notice board until the morning of the concert. The evening consisted of a concert by tenor Andrea Bocelli and an interreligious children’s choir. Leo XIV then gave interviews to the American television networks NBC and Telemundo. Journalists from other media who were present were not allowed to speak with visitors and were kept under tight control. The incoming head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, the divorced lawyer Montse Alvarado, …Higit pa
and sent the rich away empty. Mary’s Magnificat – Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for God has looked with favor on the lowliness of the Almighty’s servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is God’s name. God’s mercy is for those who fear God from generation to generation. God has shown strength with God’s arm; God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. God has helped servant Israel, in remembrance of God’s mercy, according to the promise God made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.
Chapter V ~ On Charity to Sinners [Whoso shall cause one of these little ones which believe on Me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea. —St. Matt. xviii. 6 (R.V.). Deal not roughly with him that is tempted; but give him comfort, as thou wouldest wish to be done to thyself. —The Imitation of Christ, i. 13.] I ~ The example of St. Antony, showing how he valued a sinner who repented. It happened that a certain brother in the community of the abbot Elias fell into sin. The brethren expelled him from the monastery and he fled to St. Antony who then dwelt on the inner mountain. The saint kept him there some time and then sent him back to the monastery from which he had been cast out. The brethren, when they saw him, immediately drove him forth again. Then, as at first, he fled to St. Antony, and said to him, "My father, they will not receive me." Then the saint was grieved, and sent to …Higit pa
"II ~ How the abbot Besarion desired to share the reproach of the Lord, of whom they said, "He eateth with publicans and sinners." A certain brother had sinned, and the priest ordered him to go out of the church and depart from the company of the brethren. Then the abbot Besarion arose and went out along with him, saying, "I also am a sinner."
US Sisters and the Macarena Retirement Tour: The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) held its 70th anniversary gathering in Orlando, Florida, from 11 to 14 August. They posted a video on Facebook showing elderly women in civilian clothes dancing the Macarena (1995). The fitting headline: "When Catholic sisters get together, watch out for the dance parties! ". Macarena was popular when the sisters were in their 50s. The LCWR represents the leaders of many women's religious congregations in the United States.
Dance party of "nuns": The LCWR 70th Anniversary Gathering was held August 11–14, 2026, in Orlando, Florida. The event brought together Catholic women and men religious from the United States, Canada, Latin America and other parts of the Americas for prayer, worship, talks, discussion and community events.
And you wonder why vocations to the nunnery have collapsed. People who have a religious vocation take their lives seriously and look for serious opportunities
2. Historical Context and "Dance Manias" Catholic history records instances where mass dancing was interpreted through the lens of spiritual affliction or divine punishment. [1, 2] St. Vitus’ Dance (Chorea): In the Middle Ages, outbreaks of compulsive, uncontrollable dancing (now understood as a neurological or psychological phenomenon) swept through Europe. [1, 2, 3, 4] Spiritual Intercession: Victims were sent to shrines of St. Vitus, a Christian martyr, to pray for deliverance and healing from what many at the time feared was a demonic curse or affliction. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 3. Ritual Dancing and Entry Points Catholic moral theology warns against practices that willingly open a person up to the influence of evil spirits. Trance Induction: Repetitive, frenzied, or rhythmic dancing used in occult or neo-pagan rituals is designed to lower conscious defenses and alter the state of mind. [1, 2, 3] The Danger of Invitation: Exorcists warn that participating in dances meant to invoke …Higit pa
Half-naked dance in Brazilian church. Worse than Germany: A video posted on Instagram on 25 May shows members of the traditional Caiapós de São José group dancing inside St Benedict's Church in Poços de Caldas, Brazil, wearing their minimal pagan-looking attire. The group said they entered the church at the end of the festivities to thank St Benedict for his blessings.
Semi-nude members of the folkloric group Caiapós de São José are seen rehearsing inside St. Benedict Church in Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The Feast of St. Benedict is celebrated there from May 1-13. The festivities honor St. Benedict, patron saint of Black Brazilians, and recall the abolition of slavery and the traditional assistance Caiapós gave to enslaved people.