A ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the priesthood of the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, 77, was held on 7 July, at the Auditorium of the Archbishop’s House in Colombo.
Also present was President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who addressed the assembly in no uncertain terms: ‘The government will have to undergo an investigation to uncover the truth behind the Easter Sunday attacks (21 April 2019, ed.). It is a challenging task. However, we will ensure that justice is done to the victims.’
The event was also attended by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and other government ministers, religious leaders, ambassadors, commanders and the Inspector General of Police.
Dissanayake added that the government will listen to Cardinal Ranjith’s frequent requests for justice for the victims of the tragic attacks that left nearly 300 people dead. ‘The cardinal sometimes makes a quiet request, other times he becomes influential when he speaks about the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks. However, we will listen to him,’ he said.
Ranjith has always acted to demand transparency and accountability from the Colombo government, also criticising political leaders and institutions for failing to properly investigate and prosecute those responsible, acting as a moral voice and advocate for the affected families.
The second most senior cardinal in Sri Lanka after Cardinal Thomas Cooray, the Archbishop of Colombo and former Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, was ordained a priest on 29 June 1975 by Pope Paul VI in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
Daily Archives: July 12, 2025
40 new priests ordained in Vietnam
The Catholic Church in Vietnam welcomed with great joy and hope the ordination of 40 new priests during June, the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
According to the Vatican news agency Fides, the Diocese of Da Nang welcomed six new priests, “consecrated to be each an ‘alter Christus’ [‘another Christ’], to become pastors of the people of God, not to live for themselves but to be all things to all people,” said Archbishop Joseph Dang Duc Ngan, archbishop of Huế and apostolic administrator of Da Nang, in his homily at the ordination Mass on June 24 in the local cathedral before numerous faithful.
“A priest does not become perfect from the day of his ordination. The priesthood is a journey of daily growth in Christ and constant strengthening in the Holy Spirit to fulfill the mission of God and the Church with joy and true love,” the prelate emphasized.
Bishop Peter Le Tan Loi celebrated the ordination Mass of 13 new priests on June 25 at the Soc Trang Cathedral in the Diocese of Can Tho. During the Eucharist, the prelate invited the faithful present to “unite in prayer and accompany the new priests, so that they may always lead a life faithful to their pastoral identity: humble, holy, and dedicated to the flock.”
On June 27, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Day for the Sanctification of Priests, 21 new priests were ordained for the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang said in his homily that “the priest is not like a robot of the modern age. In his ministry, the priest takes God’s will seriously so that, in every action — liturgical, pastoral, and charitable — he may transmit the good news.”
Fides also reported that at the Shrine of Our Lady of Bai Dau in the Diocese of Ba Ria, Bishop Emmanuel Nguyen Hong Son ordained six new deacons, also on June 27.
Philippine bishops’ conference calls for fair wages and accountability
Closing the 130th Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines, the bishops release a letter urging the government and Church institutions to bring awareness to the ongoing issue of decreasing minimum wage in the country and the harsh labour conditions.
In the midst of the ongoing disagreement on labour conditions and wages, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) released a pastoral letter, describing these issues as urgent and calling for immediate change. The bishops cited the prophet Micah 6:8, “act justly, love kindness, walk humbly with your God” as the foundation of their message.
The current minimum wage in Metro Manila, the largest metropolitan area in the Philippines, is 650 pesos, roughly equivalent to 9 euros for an eight-hour workday. These wages are insufficient for families to live off of, and as a result, many are suffering. “The Church must lead by example,” the letter stated, calling for religious establishments to offer adequate wages and fair labour conditions in the workplace.
Along with poor working conditions, the bishops also called for a change in political leadership. They raised concerns regarding the lack of political accountability, as the country’s Senate recently delayed pursuing the impeachment process of Vice President Sara Duterte. The bishops described impeachment as a democratic tool that must be upheld to ensure truth and justice in a government.
Outgoing CBCP president Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, Bishop of Kaloon, signed the letter to show his support, while simultaneously concluding his term with the Conference. He will be succeeded by Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa, who will start in the role in November 2025.
Korean Church celebrates 100th anniversary of martyrs’ beatification
On July 5, the Archdiocese of Seoul, South Korea, marked the 100th anniversary of the beatification of the 79 Korean martyrs of the Gihae (1839) and Byeong-o (1846) persecutions with a Mass, the release of a new report on their martyrdom and a special exhibition, a press release of the Archdiocese’s website states.
“Even in the trials of persecution, these martyrs never abandoned their faith in the Lord. Their endurance deepened their faith, which ultimately bore fruit as true hope that overcame even death”, said the Archbishop of Seoul, Peter Soon-taick Chung, during his homily.
The 79 Korean martyrs of the Gihae and Byeong-o persecutions were beatified by Pope Pius XI in St. Peter’s Basilica on July 5, 1925. Paul VI then beatified a second group of 24 martyrs in 1968, and both groups, totaling 103 people, were canonized collectively by Pope John Paul II in 1984.
More than 1000 faithful gathered for the liturgy, at the Seosomun Shrine History Museum in Seoul, where 41 of the 79 martyrs lost their lives. According to the Fides news agency, in the 19th century the Korean Church estimates that approximately 16,000 Catholics were killed. Religious freedom was not granted to Catholics in Korea until 1895.
The press release explains that during the mass a new report titled “The Documentation of the Gihae and Byeong-o Persecutions” was also published by the Martyrs Elevation Committee of the Archdiocese of Seoul. This work drew from the royal chronicles, judicial records and state archives of the Joseon Dynasty who ruled at the time of the persecutions. The official documents and data from the time featured in the report have also been translated into Korean to make this information more accessible to scholars and the Catholic community.
“This is the first time that historical facts from official records—interrogations, reports, and directives from institutions like the Royal Secretariat and the State Council—have been carefully extracted, translated, and compiled, rather than relying solely on testimonies,” said Archbishop Chung. “Even though these were records written by the persecutors, the courageous faith and deep conscience of the martyrs stand out all the more clearly within them”.
‘Social Hackathon’ allows Thai youth to experience synodality
Students from Catholic schools throughout Thailand are taking part in a “Youth Social Hackathon” that provides them with opportunities and support to create a better world following a synodal dynamic. Organized by the Catholic Education Council of Thailand with the support of partners including the Archdiocese of Bangkok and the General Secretariat of the Synod, the four-day event invites teams from 12 Catholic schools across the country to investigate issues raised by the Synod that are found in their own communities and then propose creative solutions to those problems.
The event is inspired by startup tech “hackathon weekends”, says Dr Peter Monthienvichienchai, director of LiCAS News, the Archdiocese of Bangkok’s English-language news outlet. In the tech world, “hackathons weekends” allow hackers “to develop a product that they would go and pitch for funding to venture capitalists,” he explains. “What we’re doing here at the socialhackathon is that we use a similar format, but we ask the children here to try to solve issues in their community that matter to them.”
Instead of producing a tech product, Monthienvichienchai says, the students will “take a synodal journey with the people on the fringe of society, especially in their local community, listening to what their challenges, what their sufferings are, and come to together and attack the problem; come up with a solution; and pitch for funding.” At the conclusion of hackathon, judges will award funding to the most outstanding pitches “to make their solutions come true.”
The whole point, though, says Monthienvichienchai, “is to engage youth in a way that uses their language. It uses their energy.” At the same time, “for us, it’s an exercise that we’re listening to them. It’s showing them that we trust them to not only solve a problem, but to identify the problem that matters. And then the funding is really to empower the youth to take action and make their solution a reality.”
Five years of disrupted schooling in Ukraine has led to ‘emotional instability in children’
For five consecutive years, children in Ukraine have not have any form of “normal” schooling. From COVID19 to the ongoing war in the country, the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science reported that some 4.6 million children in Ukraine face barriers to education and 2 million of them have seen their school close down. In an interview with Vatican News’ Marie Duhamel, Laura Frigenti, the Director-General of the Global Partnership for Education—the largest global fund dedicated to education—spoke about the effects of the war in Ukraine on children’s education.
Frigenti highlighted there are two main consequences of the war on the educational system. The first is “that half of the infrastructure was destroyed, and so the children had to stop going to school and start remote education,” she explained. The children’s rights NGO Plan International reported that about 30% of Ukraine’s educational buildings have been damaged and over 365 schools completely destroyed since 2022. Despite moving online, constant, quality education remains difficult for children to receive as power outages and limited internet access create barriers.
This physical consequence of the war on education has also led to “an emotional instability in many children, which prevents them from fully achieving the objectives that they could achieve under normal circumstances,” as Frigenti described. She pointed out that the children as a result need psycho-emotional support “to make sure that they can compensate the crisis that they are experiencing in their life.” Thus, whenever possible, Frigenti said they try to bring children together physically to help them learn about each other and improve their social skills. However, this is not always possible due to the bombings.
A survey of 1,000 fifteen- to twenty-four-year-olds conducted by Plan International in February 2025 showed that one in five have missed between one and two years of education as a result of the war.
Safeguarding remains a top priority with new appointment, US cardinal says
Pope Leo XIV’s appointment of the new president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors shows that safeguarding remains a top priority, its former president said.
“Our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has affirmed the continued priority of the commission’s work for the universal church in his thoughtful appointment” of Archbishop Thibault Verny of Chambéry, France, as the new president of the commission, said Cardinal Seán O’Malley.
“The Holy Father’s words and deeds in these early months of his pontificate assure the world that the church will not grow complacent in her efforts to as best possible ensure the protection of children, vulnerable adults, and all people in our communities,” he said in a written statement released July 5, the day the Vatican announced the new appointment.
Verny, 58, has served as a member of the papal commission since 2022. “In addition to important contributions to the work of the commission, the archbishop has years of in-depth experience working with law enforcement, other civil authorities, and church leadership to ensure accountability for the serious failures of the church in France,” where he served as auxiliary bishop of Paris before joining the commission, O’Malley wrote.
“He has been at the forefront in seeking healing and reconciliation with survivors,” the cardinal said, and he “played an important role in the development and implementation of substantive policies and procedures, with cultural specificity, for the prevention of any recurrence of abuse.”
“With deep humility and profound gratitude, I thank the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV,
for my appointment,” Verny said in a written statement. “I am honoured by the trust he has placed in me, fully aware of the grave and sacred task entrusted to the commission: to help the church become ever more vigilant, accountable, and compassionate in her mission to protect the most vulnerable among us,” he wrote.
Letters to the Pope: A Hundred Kilograms of Hope and Humanity Delivered Daily to the Vatican
In a small but determined ritual repeated each day in Italy, postal workers sort through handwritten envelopes, illustrated postcards, and carefully wrapped packages—all marked with a curious address: simply, “To His Holiness the Pope.” No street name. No postal code. No country needed. Yet, somehow, they always arrive. According to Poste Italiane, Italy’s national postal service, an astonishing 100 kilograms of mail are delivered to the Vatican daily, addressed to Pope Leo XIV. Since his election on May 8, 2025, the influx has become a steady stream of paper prayers, heartfelt confessions, and appeals for guidance. And no matter how vague the sender’s scrawl—”The Pope, Rome” or “Vatican, Italy”—the system finds its way.
Antonello Chidichimo, director of Poste Italiane’s main sorting facility in Fiumicino, just outside Rome, says this has become the norm. “It’s truly global,” he explains. “Today, letters came from the United States, Kosovo, and India. Tomorrow it will be a different trio. There’s no way to pinpoint the most devoted country. They all write.”
After a stop in Fiumicino, each item undergoes security checks before being scanned, weighed, and forwarded to the Vatican’s nearest distribution centre. From there, the missives continue their journey into the heart of the world’s smallest state—and into the papal household. While the mechanics are routine, the meaning is not. Many letters bear the marks of deep emotion. A shaky hand hints at the elderly seeking a final blessing. A drawing of a dove or a sun might reveal a child’s innocence and trust. Others contain questions, thanks, or tears transcribed into ink. For the Vatican mail handlers, the work goes beyond logistics—it’s a ministry of presence.
Though the content remains confidential, the nature of the correspondence is unmistakable: these are not just letters; they are fragments of lives, stitched together by faith and hope. They carry grief, love, longing, and sometimes joy—each sender, anonymous or not, casting their message into a spiritual bottle and sending it toward Rome.
Inside the Vatican, while it’s not possible for Pope Leo XIV to read every word himself, the significance of this global chorus is not lost. It reflects the papacy not only as an office of leadership, but as a listening post for the world. Whether mailed from a bustling American city or a remote Indian village, each envelope crosses borders not only of geography but of human vulnerability. Poste Italiane knows that, and delivers accordingly—not just to an address, but to a presence.
Leo XIV withdraws papal delegate after agreement avoids schism in Syro-Malabar Church
The specter of schism has hovered in recent years over the Metropolitan Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabar Church in India—one of the 24 Eastern Churches in full communion with the Catholic Church. Parts of the clergy and faithful of Ernakulam-Angamaly, the largest Indian episcopal see in terms of the number of priests as well as the see presided over by the bishop in charge of the entire Syro-Malabar Church, did not accept the 1999 reform of the liturgical rite, which was later confirmed at the 2021 Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church.
Pope Leo XIV appears to have resolved the controversy by terminating the 2023 appointment of Archbishop Cyril Vasil’ as papal delegate to the Syro-Malabar Church to mediate the dispute. According to Vatican News, the official Vatican website, this decision by the pope “concludes the Holy See’s mediation work among the Syro-Malabars.”
Martin Bräuer, an expert at the Ecumenical Research Institute in Bensheim, Germany, told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that “Rome now considers the conflict over and therefore no longer needs a papal representative. Secondly, the agreement reached within the [Syro-Malabar] Church without the direct mediation of Archbishop Vasil’ is recognized.”
Indeed, the news comes after new measures to implement the liturgical reform approved by the 2021 Synod came into effect on July 3, the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle—patron saint of the Syro-Malabar Church. The compromise now reached allows the parishes of Ernakulam-Angamaly to celebrate the liturgy with the priest facing the faithful (versus populum), adhering to the practice of the Roman Rite, provided that at least one Sunday or feast day Mass is celebrated according to the traditional form, that is, with the priest facing the altar (ad orientem) during the consecration. According to the 2021 reform of the rite, during Mass the priest was required to address the people during the first part of the celebration, but the liturgy of the Eucharist was celebrated facing the altar.
This case has been, according to the expert, an acid test of the delicate balance between papal authority and the autonomy of the Eastern Churches. It was St. John Paul II who, in 1998, gave the Syro-Malabar bishops authority to resolve liturgical conflicts.
According to Bräuer, “the Syro-Malabar Church first attempted to resolve the conflict internally. When that failed, Rome intervened, but that too was unsuccessful.” The papal delegate, Archbishop Vasil’, who belongs to the Byzantine rite and had worked in the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, was widely criticized for his authoritarian style. “He didn’t know how to find the right tone with the parties in conflict,” Bräuer commented.
In this regard, it was the metropolitan vicar, Archbishop Joseph Pamplany, successor to the apostolic administrator Bishop Bosco Puthur, who managed to move toward a solution thanks to a strategy of open communication and active listening.
Asked about the value of this experience for other liturgical conflicts in the Church, Bräuer said that the liturgy is “prayed dogma,” that is, an “expression of the Church’s faith” that can take many forms, as seen in the Catholic Church: for example, “in the West, with the ancient Mozarabic rite, and also with inculturated forms of the Mass in the Congo, Australia, or Mexico.” “Liturgical diversity enriches the Church, but fidelity to tradition does not mean stubbornly clinging to the past, but rather accepting change with discernment,” he stated.
Six million visitors to Notre Dame Cathedral in six months
Five years after a fire destroyed the famed Parisian Cathedral of Notre Dame, its doors opened for pilgrims and visitors to once again marvel at its French Gothic architecture. Now, six months since the reopening on December 7, 2024, a total of 6,015,000 people have gone through the Cathedral’s doors, as of June 30, 2025. On July 6, the French newspaper, La Tribune Dimanche, reported that, on average, 35,000 people visit the Cathedral of Notre Dame each day.
If the numbers continue on this path, attendance could reach 12 million by the end of 2025, which means it would knock the Eiffel Tower out of the top spot for most visited monuments in France. This figure would also exceed the pre-fire numbers when 11 million people visited the Cathedral each year.
However, work on the Cathedral is far from complete. Prior to the fire, restoration was scheduled for the chevet, the flying buttresses, and the Viollet-le-Duc’s sacristy. Plans for new stained-glass windows to be installed are set for 2026 and the Cathedral’s forecourt, green spaces, and front walkway are all slated for renovation, which will be finished in 2027.