Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 13, 2025 /
07:00 am
Here’s a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:
China recognizes Pope Leo XIV’s first bishop appointment
The People’s Republic of China has officially recognized Pope Leo XIV’s first bishop appointment, the Vatican announced, signaling what some say is an indication that the new pontiff intends to continue operating under the controversial Vatican-China deal.
Chinese officials recognized Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan, who was installed as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou on June 11, just six days after Leo announced the appointment. “This event constitutes a further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is an important step in the journey of communion of the diocese,” Vatican Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said in a statement.
Historic St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev damaged in deadly drone attack
The historic Holy Wisdom Cathedral, also known as St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, has been damaged following a deadly Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian city, which left seven people dead and 13 injured.
According to Reuters, the blast damaged the cornice on the main apse of the cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Iraqi Christian village faces cultural and religious identity crisis
Residents of the Christian town of Ankawa, Iraq, are raising alarms over rapid changes threatening the community’s cultural and religious identity, reported ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. Local activists, clergy, and officials are condemning the unchecked spread of nightclubs, tourism venues, and real estate acquisitions by outsiders often through legal loopholes as signs of a slow erosion of the town’s Christian heritage.
Chaldean patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako and Iraqi Member of Parliament Farouq Hanna Atto have both blamed poor planning, government negligence, and weak representation for the worsening situation. Catholic and Orthodox bishops have voiced support for efforts made by youth to defend the town’s values, encouraging responsible public discourse. Ankawa traces its Christian roots back nearly two millennia and many fear the changes may permanently alter one of the last strongholds of Christianity in the region.
Nigerian clergy directed to take longer route to avoid abduction
Nigerian priests and religious have been directed to take the longer route when traveling in northeast Nigeria to the city of Maiduguri, where their diocese is headquartered, due to a surge in cases of targeted abductions.
“Given the recent resurgence of Boko Haram and the constant attacks, the diocese has now placed a ban on the use of the road between Mubi through Gwoza to Maiduguri by all priests, religious, and even the laity of the Diocese of Maiduguri,” Father Fidelis Joseph Bature, a diocesan priest, told ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa. The ban follows the killing of a diocesan staff member and the abduction of a priest by suspected Boko Haram militants.
German archdiocese joins TikTok: ‘Our Church is not unworldly’
The Archdiocese of Paderborn has launched its own TikTok account in a bid to appeal to young people on the controversial app, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.
The account will seek to proclaim the Gospel in “the language of the respective platform and of the young people on it,” in order to show that the Church “is not unworldly,” a spokesperson for the archdiocese, Till Kupitz, explained. Though the app “is not without controversy,” Kupitz emphasized that TikTok “is also the platform par excellence on which young people look for their information.”
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Centennial visit of St. Thérèse’s relics to Lebanon
As Lebanon marks 100 years since the canonization of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the saint’s relics are once again touring the country from June 13 to July 20, ACI MENA reported. The initiative aims to offer Lebanese faithful a renewed encounter with the “Little Flower.” This will be the second time her relics have visited Lebanon, the first being over two decades ago.
According to Father Charbel Sawaya, the pilgrimage’s theme, “I Travel Through Lebanon for Love and Peace,” reflects St. Thérèse’s mission of drawing people closer to Jesus. Her relics will travel from the south to the north of the country, stopping at churches and dioceses.
Africa’s bishops to hold plenary assembly in Rwanda
The need for a common vision in witnessing “hope, reconciliation, and integral development” across the continent will be the central focus for African bishops at their 20th plenary assembly in Rwanda next month.
In a document shared with ACI Africa, bishops explained that the idea for this year’s focus comes as the country “remains deeply wounded by persistent conflicts, political instability, coups, and widespread human suffering, leaving millions displaced, traumatized, or living without hope.”
Madalaine Elhabbal is a staff reporter for Catholic News Agency based at EWTN’s Washington, D.C., bureau.
