The news was announced early this afternoon, June 25. Leo XIV, through the Apostolic Alms, has sent initial aid to Venezuela, which has been affected during the night by strong seismic tremors. The amount allocated by the Pope amounts to 100,000 euros, a figure agreed upon after maintaining contacts with the nuncio in the country, Monsignor Alberto Ortega Martín, titular archbishop of Midila, and with the archbishop of Caracas, Monsignor Raúl Biord Castillo. However, constant attention will be maintained on the needs of the Venezuelan people, which, in the coming days, following the instructions of the local Church, we will try to satisfy.

According to news about the earthquake, La Guaira is the most affected area of the country. This was stated by the president in charge, Delcy Rodríguez, when declaring a state of national emergency after the two violent earthquakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, that have affected the northwest of the country. Early in the morning the death toll was updated: at least 164 people died and 971 were injured, but authorities warn that the number of victims could increase as rescue operations progress. Aa Guaira is the area most affected by the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that shook Venezuela during the afternoon of June 24. This was stated by the president in charge, Delcy Rodríguez, when declaring a state of national emergency after the two violent earthquakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5that have affected the northwest of the country.

The Church has mobilized since the first hours after the earthquake. «We are doing what we have always done in times of crisis: opening our doors, accompanying those who have lost everything and bringing hope where fear has spread», declared Marco Mencaglia, project director of Aid to the Church in Suffering (ACS) International, adding that the foundation will continue to accompany affected communities «with our help and our prayers». Caritas Internationalis has also announced an allocation of 100,000 euros for emergency aid, in collaboration with Cáritas Venezuela and its network of some 30,000 volunteers. On the ground, the archbishop of Caracas, Monsignor Raúl Biord Castillo, upon his return from a visit to the area, reported that «many» parishes «present serious structural damage»,to which we must add the cathedral and about twelve churches that have been damaged. «Many parishes have welcomed people so that they could spend the night in their facilities. We have already launched a solidarity network through parish Caritas», explained the prelate. The archbishop of Caracas also stressed that the human balance could have been much more serious, but that «thank God it was a holiday. If it had been a weekday, with schools, offices and shops open, the number of victims would have been much higher». However, the situation remains serious, especially in the diocese of La Guaira, where the bishop, Monsignor Pablo Modesto González Pérez, has declared: «We are without electricity and we have all been affected. Many walls have collapsed in the seminary».Monsignor Pérez added that several churches have suffered significant damage.

The international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is calling for prayers for the people of Venezuela, after two strong earthquakes that have shaken the country, causing fatalities and serious material damage, and leaving thousands of people afraid to return to their homes.

The earthquakes occurred on the afternoon of June 24. The first , of magnitude 7.2, was recorded at 6:04 P.M. (local time) and, just 39 seconds later, a second quake hit, with magnitude 7.5. The two powerful tremors were felt in much of the country and caused significant damage to homes, public buildings, and churches.

Among the affected buildings are numerous churches, parish houses, and Church institutions, many of which have suffered serious structural damage.

At the same time, many Church institutions have opened their doors to welcome families who cannot return to their homes.

The San Pedro Apóstol Diocesan Seminary in La Guaira, Venezuela after the earthquake Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo of Caracas toured the affected parishes for hours to personally assess the situation: “I have just returned from a tour of several parishes. Many of them have serious structural damage,” the archbishop told ACN.

According to Archbishop Biord, among the most affected are the Cathedral of Caracas and about a dozen other churches, although the communication difficulties caused by power and Internet cuts still make it impossible to know the full extent of the damage. “In Ñauralí, the roof of the right nave fell in. The church and the parish house of Pagüita collapsed. The parish priest was miraculously saved,” he added.

Oh Virgin of Coromoto!

Patron Saint of Venezuela, we entrust all those impacted by the earthquake into your care.

Embrace those in pain, uplift those who have endured great loss, and safeguard those dedicated to the noble work of rescue.

Present our prayers to the Heart of Jesus, allowing your motherly love and Queenly strength to shine through. mother of the Divine and our Beloved mother!

Lift your prayers for Venezuela during this challenging time.

Lead us to the Heart of Jesus, shower us with your blessings, and envelop us in your sacred mantle.

May we, uplifted by your intercession, discover strength, hope, and tranquility.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is inviting dioceses across the U.S. to join in observing Religious Freedom Week through prayer, reflection, and action.

“Religious freedom allows the Church, and all religious communities, to live out their faith in public and to serve the good of all,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website says. Religious Freedom Week in the U.S. begins each year on June 22, the feast of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher.

This year, Catholics are invited to pray, reflect, and act on the following intentions: political and anti-religious violence, immigration enforcement, Africa, gender ideology, religious discrimination, parental choice in education, federal grants, and Nicaragua.

Each day, the U.S. bishops ask Catholics to pray for the day’s intention in a specific way, offer a brief reflection on how Catholics should think about the issue, and provide suggestions on concrete actions Catholics can take to improve religious freedom in that particular area.

So far, the dioceses of Arlington, Kalamazoo, Savannah, Toledo, and the Archdiocese of Miami have posted information about the week on their websites.

In a statement on the week’s patrons, the USCCB praised More and Fisher for exemplifying “faithful citizenship,” and expressed hope that “their example continue to illuminate the path for us, as we seek to faithfully serve our Church and country.’

“It is good to love one’s country, but ultimate loyalty is due only to Christ and his kingdom,” the USCCB said. “They never rose up to incite rebellion or foment revolution. They were no traitors. But when the law of the king came into conflict with the law of Christ, they submitted to Christ. These men gave their lives for the freedom of the Church and for freedom of conscience. They bear witness to the truth that no government can make a claim on a person’s soul.”

There are many crises in the Catholic Church today, but one of the most serious is the dismal state of moral theology. That crisis has its roots in the confusion and intellectual ferment that ensued in the aftermath of Vatican II. Progressive moral theologians proposed questionable moral theories like proportionalism and the “fundamental option,” while prominent scholars like Bernard Häring dissented on vital issues of received moral teaching such as the inadmissibility of contraception and the indissolubility of marriage.

These dissident theologians had differing visions, but one common theme: the Church had no authority to proclaim specific, exceptionless moral norms based on natural law. The best it could do was to teach formal moral principles. Specific moral precepts such as “adultery is always wrong” are highly problematic, in their view, because there may be valid exceptions. A corollary is the autonomy of conscience along with “discernment” in making moral decisions. In place of natural law, they recommended more flexible theories that allow for moral compromise in some situations.

John Paul II sought to correct these errors in his encyclical Veritatis splendor. The fundamental option, proportionalism, the sovereignty of conscience, and moral subjectivism – all the heterodox doctrines – were thoroughly refuted through principled reasoning. He also reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to natural law and its anthropological premise of a common and fixed human nature that is a bridge to that law. Intrinsic goods such as life and health, marriage and friendship, constitute our human flourishing. A set of moral norms flows from the first precepts of the natural law and prohibits intrinsic evils such as adultery or the taking of innocent life.

The present discord in the Church means that we are faced with a stark choice between the theology of Veritatis splendor or the theology of Amoris Laetitia, the magisterium of Pope John Paul II or the magisterium of Pope Francis. Theologians and prelates like Bishop Paglia who carry the torch for the theology of Amoris Laetitia argue that because human nature changes so too must the moral law.

But the notion that human nature changes essentially is a progressive myth. Of course, there are many cultural transformations along with consequential inflection points in history that affect humanity for better or worse. But as John Finnis points out, these theologians cannot provide any concrete examples that illustrate the mutability of human nature because human nature, properly understood in terms of basic human possibilities or forms of fulfillment, has never changed.

We cannot find throughout the course of human history any persons who were not bodily, rational beings, for whom those intrinsic goods like life and health, marriage and knowledge, were not the source of their fulfillment.

It is all well and good to compose encyclicals on social issues like Artificial Intelligence. But Pope Leo faces more fundamental questions: through which moral lens will the Church evaluate those issues? It can be faithful to the natural law tradition or revert to the deflated morality proposed by secular humanism, which favors experience and social harmony. The answers to the most troubling moral disputes can only be found deep in the soil of natural law reasoning that acknowledges the eternal order of being and nature.

Pope Leo XIV cautioned that the planned ordination of Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) bishops could push the group toward schism, urging them again to stop and remain in communion with the Church.

“We have invited them, and I am still considering making another appeal, to say: ‘Do not do this. Let us try to live communion in the Church.’ But it is their choice. They must understand what it means for them and for the Church,” the pope said, responding to journalists’ questions outside Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo on June 16.

The Society of St. Pius X said it plans to consecrate four priests as bishops on July 1 without the permission of Pope Leo XIV. The Vatican warned on May 13 that doing so without a papal mandate would constitute “a schismatic act” and carry the penalty of excommunication. The consecrations are set to take place at its seminary in Écône, Switzerland.

“Certainly, division among Christians is always a painful matter,” the pope said. “But they refuse to accept certain fundamental elements of the Church, beginning with various points of the Second Vatican Council. And if they make those choices, I am sorry. But we must move forward.”

The Holy Spirit is the fire of Jesus. The Spirit, the first gift of the risen Christ to his people,31 gives us both the ability to receive the Gospel of Jesus and, in response, the power to proclaim it. Without the Holy Spirit, evangelization simply cannot occur.32 The Spirit brings about evangelization in the life of the Church and in the Church's sharing of the Gospel with others.

35. We cannot really talk about the "ordinary" life of the Church because all of it is the graced gift of the Holy Spirit. Yet there are familiar ways by which evangelization happens: by the way we live God's love in our daily life; by the love, example, and support people give each other; by the ways parents pass faith on to their children; in our life as Church, through the proclamation of the Word and the wholehearted celebration of the saving deeds of Jesus; in renewal efforts of local and national scope; in the care we show to those most in need; and in the ways we go about our work, share with our neighbors, and treat the stranger. In daily life, family members evangelize each other; men and women, their future spouses; and workers, their fellow employees, by the simple lives of faith they lead. Through the ordinary patterns of our Catholic life, the Holy Spirit brings about conversion and a new life in Christ.

36. Here, there are two elements at work: witness, which is the simple living of the faith; and sharing, which is spreading the Good News of Jesus in an explicit way.

37. Certainly, our families, parishes, associations, schools, hospitals, charitable works, and institutions give a powerful witness to the faith. But do they share it? Does their living faith lead to the conversion of minds and hearts to Jesus Christ? Does the fire of the Holy Spirit blaze in them? This plan and strategy aims to make Catholics in the United States, individually and as a Church, better sharers of God's Good News.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of Aid to the Church in Need International (ACN), reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to supporting persecuted and suffering Christians during the annual pilgrimage for persecuted Christians held at Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey, organized by ACN Switzerland.

Reflecting on the reality of religious persecution in today’s world, Cardinal Koch stressed that martyrdom is not merely a phenomenon of the past but remains a lived reality for countless Christians around the globe.

“Martyrdom truly belongs to the heart of Christianity. Today, there are more martyrs than in the first centuries of Church history,” he said.

The President of ACN International also emphasized that persecuted Christians offer a powerful witness to Christian unity today.

“Dictators do not distinguish between Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, Anglicans, or Protestants,” he said, recalling Pope Francis‘s expression, “the ecumenism of blood.” Said Cardinal Koch, “The blood that has been shed unites Christians beyond their divisions.”

“Christians are not persecuted because they belong to a particular Church, but because of their faith in Christ,” he added.

The West has made a fatal mistake in continuing to view Islamist terrorism as strictly a military phenomenon, when in fact jihadism has evolved into a cultural, digital and identity-based threat. Today, the so-called Islamic State does not need to conquer territories; it is enough for it to occupy our children’s screens. This dramatic warning is contained in a recent study by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), which describes the emergence of a virtual caliphate tailor-made for Gen Z.

"On this basis, it falls to me today to speak a calm and firm word to those who bear the grave responsibility of legally ordering social coexistence. This coexistence can be threatened by the throwaway culture, as Pope Francis so often warned (cf. Address to the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, 27 September 2021). In this sense, if life ceases to be recognized as a fundamental value, what future can our societies have? Can a community that casts into the shadows the unborn child, the elderly, the sick, those who suffer in silence, or those who depend entirely on the care of others be called fully just? The defense of human life is neither a partisan issue nor a confessional interest: it is a goal of civilization. Every human life must be recognized and safeguarded from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its existence. When this certainty is obscured, the most vulnerable are the first victims, and the law loses its deepest meaning: to serve and protect every person. For this reason, the moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are most fragile.

The common good is, in a certain sense, the “social expression of the dignity recognized in every person” (Magnifica Humanitas, 59). It does not consist in the mere sum of particular interests, but rather in “the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfillment” (Gaudium et Spes, 26). When the common good ceases to be a shared horizon, public action runs the risk of fragmenting into partial interests, incapable of safeguarding what belongs to all.

In this context, the family — the primary human reality and the natural foundation of the community — takes on particular importance. In the home, generations intertwine and a living memory is passed on, giving inner continuity to society. Where the family is upheld, the spiritual and social stability of nations is also strengthened. The family will always be the first school of humanity, where one learns, before anywhere else, the basic grammar of living together: welcoming life, caring for others, forgiving, serving and belonging".

Leading the procession is Pope Pius XII. Among the relics carried is the Corporal of Bolsena, the linen cloth stained with blood from the Eucharistic miracle of 1263, which occurred when a priest doubted the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

1. The Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi, celebrates the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

2. There were 2 separate miracles that lead to the institution of the feast in the Catholic Church: A Vision to St. Juliana of Mont Cornillon and The Miracle at Bolsena.

St. Juliana’s Vision: The saint had a vision of the Church under the appearance of a full moon which had one dark spot. During the vision, she heard a mysterious, heavenly voice explain that the moon represented the Church at that time, and the dark spot symbolized the fact that a great feast in honor of the Blessed Sacrament was missing from the liturgical calendar.

The Miracle at Bolsena: In 1263 a priest had grown lukewarm for his love of the Eucharist and began to doubt Jesus' true presence in the Blessed Sacrament. In response to his doubt, when he recited the prayer of consecration as he celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, blood started seeping from the consecrated host and onto the altar and corporal.

3. The festival was instituted throughout the Church by Pope Urban IV in 1264. Before that there had been no universal festival to mark the sacrament of the Eucharist.

4. Inspired by the St. Juliana and The Miracle at Bolsena, Pope Urban IV commissioned St. Thomas Aquinas to compose the Mass and Office for the feast of Corpus Christi. Namely, Pange Lingua, Tantum Ergo, Panis Angelicus, and O Salutaris Hostia.

5. One of the key liturgical facets of Corpus Christi is its procession. They enable Christians to give public witness to their faith, give glory to God, and they symbolize our earthly pilgrimage to the heavenly Jerusalem. Eucharistic processions began shortly after the institution of the Feast of Corpus Christi.

The video discusses the mystical visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich and Pope Leo XIII regarding the rise of evil and its implications for the world. It draws connections between historical events, moral decline, and the spiritual battle against demonic influences, asserting that recent turmoil is linked to a prophesied period of demonic release. The speaker emphasizes the importance of faith and endurance in light of these revelations, urging viewers to focus on the eventual triumph of good over evil through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

In a discussion on 'Breakfast with Bacon', Mark Mallett urges listeners to consider the significance of the sixth seal from the Book of Revelation, emphasizing the impending judgment and the urgency of repentance. He reflects on the current societal turmoil as a prelude to the 'Illumination of Conscience', wherein people will witness their true selves before God. The conversation stresses the importance of spiritual readiness and the need to discern truth amidst increasing deceptions and distractions in modern life.

In this discussion, Mark Mallet and Daniel from 'The Now Word' analyze Revelation 12, focusing on the symbolic confrontation between a woman and a dragon, representing good versus evil. They highlight the apparition of the woman in the sky and the misleading phenomena such as UFO sightings, suggesting that these may be part of a greater deception orchestrated by the devil. The hosts connect current cultural narratives, including Spielberg's upcoming film 'Disclosure', to historical misconceptions about extraterrestrial life, emphasizing that these ideas detract from the true Christian faith. They conclude that believers should remain grounded in scripture and tradition, resisting false claims.

When I educated children about Jesus’s Sacred Heart, I showed them an image and pointed out the various symbolisms. This is something parents can do with their own kids this month.

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
9. I will bless those places wherein the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my heart.
12. In the excess of the mercy of my heart, I promise you that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the first Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: They will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.

The Ortega-Murillo regime continues a severe, targeted crackdown on the Catholic Church, including:

The saints were seized and brought before the prefect of Rome, whose name was Rusticus. As they stood before the judgement seat, Rusticus the prefect said to Justin: “Above all, have faith in the gods and obey the emperors.” Justin said: “We cannot be accused or condemned for obeying the commands of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

Rusticus said: “What system of teaching do you profess?” Justin said: “I have tried to learn about every system, but I have accepted the true doctrines of the Christians, though these are not approved by those who are held fast by error.”

The prefect Rusticus said: “Are those doctrines approved by you, wretch that you are?” Justin said: “Yes, for I follow them with their correct teaching.”

The prefect Rusticus said: “What sort of teaching is that?” Justin said: “Worship the God of the Christians. We hold him to be from the beginning the one creator and maker of the whole creation, of things seen and things unseen. We worship also the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was foretold by the prophets as the future herald of salvation for the human race and the teacher of distinguished disciples. For myself, since I am a human being, I consider that what I say is insignificant in comparison with his infinite godhead. I acknowledge the existence of a prophetic power, for the one I have just spoken of as the Son of God was the subject of prophecy. I know that the prophets were inspired from above when they spoke of his coming among men.”

Rusticus said: “You are a Christian, then?” Justin said: “Yes, I am a Christian.”

The prefect said to Justin: “You are called a learned man and think that you know what is true teaching. Listen: if you were scourged and beheaded, are you convinced that you would go up to heaven?” Justin said: “I hope that I shall enter God’s house if I suffer that way. For I know that God’s favour is stored up until the end of the whole world for all who have lived good lives.”

The prefect Rusticus said: “Do you have an idea that you will go up to heaven to receive some suitable rewards?” Justin said: “It is not an idea that I have; it is something I know well and hold to be most certain.”

The prefect Rusticus said: “Now let us come to the point at issue, which is necessary and urgent. Gather round then and with one accord offer sacrifice to the gods.” Justin said: “No one who is right thinking stoops from true worship to false worship.”

The prefect Rusticus said: “If you do not do as you are commanded you will be tortured without mercy.” Justin said: “We hope to suffer torment for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so be saved. For this will bring us salvation and confidence as we stand before the more terrible and universal judgement-seat of our Lord and Saviour.”

In the same way the other martyrs also said: “Do what you will. We are Christians; we do not offer sacrifice to idols.”

The prefect Rusticus pronounced sentence, saying: “Let those who have refused to sacrifice to the gods and to obey the command of the emperor be scourged and led away to suffer capital punishment according to the ruling of the laws.” Glorifying God, the holy martyrs went out to the accustomed place. They were beheaded, and so fulfilled their witness of martyrdom in confessing their faith in their Saviour.