Tony Hallas from Foresthill, California IC 5070 is an emission region that forms the Pelican Nebula, lying around 2,000 light-years away in Cygnus. The region is filled with billowing gas clouds and finely woven strands of dust, all being sculpted and lit by radiation from nearby hot young stars. Double-lobed outflows — like the oneContinue reading “The Pelican aglow”
The post The Pelican aglow appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney’s Schedule: August, 2026 #Catholic – 
| 8/1 | Sat., 8 a.m. Mass for Life & Procession – St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Morristown; 10:30 a.m. Transitional Diaconate ordination of seminarian Carlos Vargas – St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Passaic; 2:30 p.m. Mass for the closing of ECCADS, annual Diocesan Catholic Charismatic Encounter for Servants (Servidores de la Renovación Carismática) – St. Gerard Majella Parish gymnasium, Paterson. |
| 8/4 | Tues., 10 a.m. Mass – Nazareth Village, Chester; 1:30 p.m. Priest meeting – St. Paul Inside the Walls, Madison. |
| 8/5 | Wed., 3 p.m. Final profession – Mary Help of Christians, North Haledon. |
| 8/12 | Wed., 8:30 a.m. Opening Mass for principals and presidents – the Oratory, Clifton. |
| 8/14 | Fri., All Day Vocations Media Day – St. Paul Inside the Walls, Madison; 7 p.m. Mass – St. Clare Parish, Clifton. |
| 8/15 | Sat., 10:30 a.m. Final profession – the Sisters of Christian Charity, Mendham. |
| 8/22 | Sat.,10 a.m. Polo fundraiser – Pope John XXIII Regional High School, Sparta. |
| 8/27 | Thu., 7 p.m. Memorial Mass for Father Rafael Ciro on the first anniversary of his passing – St. Stephen Parish, Paterson. |
| 8/29 | Sat.,11 a.m. Jubilee of St. Francis Mass – St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Haskell. |
– 8/1 Sat., 8 a.m. Mass for Life & Procession – St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Morristown; 10:30 a.m. Transitional Diaconate ordination of seminarian Carlos Vargas – St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Passaic; 2:30 p.m. Mass for the closing of ECCADS, annual Diocesan Catholic Charismatic Encounter for Servants (Servidores de la Renovación Carismática) – St. Gerard Majella Parish gymnasium, Paterson. 8/4 Tues., 10 a.m. Mass – Nazareth Village, Chester; 1:30 p.m. Priest meeting – St. Paul Inside the Walls, Madison. 8/5 Wed., 3 p.m. Final profession – Mary Help of Christians, North Haledon. 8/12 Wed., 8:30 a.m. Opening Mass for principals
Amid the destructive forest fires in central Spain, the Catholic Church is ministering to the evacuees, providing material aid, shelter, a listening ear, and the sacraments.
The White House has issued a string of statements acknowledging prominent Catholic feast days and observances.
During a fireworks display last weekend, a stray rocket set off the fireworks stored for the rest of the show, killing four people and injuring 12.
The ‘Education Freedom Tax Credit’ — We hope and pray that New Jersey will ‘opt in’ #Catholic – 
“A new federal program could bring direct educational support to New Jersey families at no cost to the state or taxpayers — if the state opts in to participate…”
I hope that many readers of this column are already aware of the potential impact of the Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit to expand educational opportunities for students and families across the State of New Jersey. I hope that you read the article in the Beacon last week, “Why NJ parents should promote federal education tax credits.”
I am happy to share with you, if you are not already aware, that the New Jersey Catholic Conference (NJCC) has launched a new website to provide education and resources about this potentially “game changing” opportunity. The website is designed to serve as a “one-stop shop” for parents, schools, potential donors, and legislators to learn about the Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, to learn how they can support this effort (including sharing the website within their networks), and sign up for updates as the process develops. The website will serve as the central location for action alerts issued by NJCC and their partners in the nonpublic school community encouraging Gov. Mikie Sherrill to opt in to the program.
In early June, James J. King, executive director of the NJCC wrote a letter to Sherrill on behalf of Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., and all the Catholic bishops of the state, respectfully urging the governor and her administration to “opt in” so that New Jesey children, families, schools and communities of all faiths (and of no faith) can benefit from the Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program. King enumerated the many ways in which the Tax Credit program would benefit, not only Catholic Schools, but private and public schools, without any reduction in the state’s support of public education.
At the newly launched NJCC website, you can learn a great deal about the potential benefits and details of this Federal Tax Credit program. One important aspect of the program is the role that will be played by “Scholarship Granting Organizations” (SGOs):
“… This program allows individuals to donate up to $1,700 per year to authorized Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) and receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit. Eligible families and students can receive funds from these organizations as scholarships for school-related expenses, benefiting the taxpayer and also the students.” — Education Tax Credit Overview
Here in our diocese, we will be well prepared to benefit from the Tax Credits because we have a “Scholarship Granting Organization,” the Tri-County Scholarship Fund, with which I hope readers are already very familiar. The Tri-County Scholarship Fund was founded 45 years ago by Bishop Frank Rodimer and Ed Henessey. “Since 1981, Tri-County Scholarship Fund has provided partial K-12th grade scholarships to financially disadvantaged children from Northern New Jersey so they can attend safe, values-based, quality independent schools which allow them to thrive.” — Tri-County Scholarship Fund
The Board of “Tri-County,” led by President Prudence A. Pigott, has been working diligently to educate and inform their donors, school partners, and families about the potential benefits of the Federal Tax Credit program, as well as the importance of encouraging Sherrill to “opt in” so that children, families, teachers, schools, and communities across our state can receive these benefits.
I encourage you to go to the Tri-County website where you will find:
I will conclude with one additional or, hopefully, complementary “argument” as to why this Federal Tax Credit program is such an important opportunity for us, our families, parishes and schools. This past Sunday, July 26, was the Feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, patron saints of grandparents and World Day of Prayer for grandparents and the elderly. During the coming week, we will celebrate, on July 29, the Feast of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and on July 31 and Aug. 1, the Feasts of St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Alphonsus Ligouri, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. The first two Feast Days remind us of the value and sanctity of life, especially family life. The Feasts of St. Ignatius and St. Alphonsus remind us of the importance of education, especially Catholic Education and Catholic Schools.
It may not be obvious to all that there is an important “connection” between a Federal Tax Credit program and support for Family Life and Catholic Education. Yet, if we pause and reflect (and if you have read this far), I believe that Catholics and all the citizens, residents, and families of New Jersey should be able to see the benefits of our state and our governor “opting in.” Let us all do our part, as we pray and hope that New Jersey will “opt in.”
– “A new federal program could bring direct educational support to New Jersey families at no cost to the state or taxpayers — if the state opts in to participate…” Education Tax Credit Overview BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY I hope that many readers of this column are already aware of the potential impact of the Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit to expand educational opportunities for students and families across the State of New Jersey. I hope that you read the article in the Beacon last week, “Why NJ parents should promote federal education tax credits.” I am happy to share with
![South Texas nun still at risk of third-country removal following ICE check-in, attorney says - #Catholic - HARLINGEN, Texas — In the most recent development in an immigration case that has gained national attention, Sister Leticia Ugboaja, the Nigerian Catholic nun and nurse who was briefly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in south Texas in June, was informed today that third-country removal was not off the table, which her attorney called “very concerning.”After a July 28 check-in with ICE officials in Harlingen, Texas, Carlos M. Garcia, Ugboaja’s lawyer, told reporters gathered outside the ICE field office that the possibility of third-country removal “is very concerning for us ... That is obviously not what we want. And that’s why we are exploring all our legal alternatives.”Garcia said he and his client have not yet decided on a specific legal path.At a July 23 press conference, he said an immigration judge denied Ugboaja’s application for asylum in 2019 but did grant her protection from removal to Nigeria under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, finding it was likely she would be tortured if she returned there.Garcia said this protection legally bars the U.S. government from deporting her to Nigeria, though she remains under a final order of removal and could be sent to a third country.After Ugboaja’s July 28 check-in, her attorney expressed gratitude that the nun, who has lived in the United States for nearly two decades and has never missed an immigration appointment, was not detained and not required to wear an ankle monitor, possibilities he discussed last week. The nun has another check-in scheduled for Jan. 28, 2027.“We’re happy that she’s continuing to be able to live her life the way she’s been living it, which is a life of service to the community and to her church family,” Garcia said.“Today was just a check-in,” he said, and ICE officials “determined that [Ugboaja] was able to continue [living] based on the conditions that they had given her before, which is really released on her own word, her own recognizance.”Ugboaja, a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and a registered nurse at South Texas Health System, was detained by two ICE agents on Sunday, June 28, as she walked to Mass at a church where she serves as a Eucharistic minister.At a press conference last week, the only time she has spoken publicly, she described weeks of “stress, anxiety, and fear” since the detainment.Though she has felt afraid and hurt, she said she has been trusting in God, quoting Jesus’ admonition to “not be afraid, because I am with you always.”The nun declined to speak with reporters after her check-in July 28.Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley and a member of the Missionaries of Jesus in the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, told EWTN News this process has been very difficult for Ugboaja.“She’s such a joyful, happy, and beautiful personality,” Pimentel said. “She goes to daily Mass, and receiving the Eucharist is so much a part of her strength and her force within her, but this disruption has scared her tremendously.”Though Ugboaja was released the same day she was detained, in part through the efforts of Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, Pimentel said “it was a tough time for her to be in detention … it felt like an eternity for her.”
Sister Norma Pimentel hugs Sister Leticia Ugboaja outside the ICE field office in Harlingen, Texas, before Ugboaja’s July 28, 2026, immigration check-in. | Credit: Amira Abuzeid/EWTN News
Pimentel said the nun “just broke down into tears, uncontrollably” upon her release.Since then, the community has poured out its support, Pimentel said. During this morningʼs check-in at the ICE field office, Father Isaac E. Erondu, a priest from Mission, Texas, led a group of people, including Ugboaja, in prayer before she entered the building with her lawyer.TweetSupporters then prayed the rosary together as they awaited news of Ugboaja’s fate.
Supporters of Sister Leticia Ugboaja, including Sister Norma Pimentel, right, pray the rosary outside an ICE field office in Harlingen, Texas, as they await news of Ugboaja’s immigration case, July 28, 2026. | Credit: Amira Abuzeid/EWTN News
“She’s trying to be strong,” Pimentel said. “She wants to continue just being herself … In seeing the support, the love, and so many people that are here for her, she knows she’s not alone.”We want her to know “we are here with you, and you’ll be OK,” she said.
We were all thinking this was about picking up criminals, but there’s no criminal sense in all of this.”
Sister Norma Pimentel
In a message to Catholics and other supporters concerned with Ugboaja’s case, as well as the nature of ICE’s recent immigration enforcement measures, Pimentel, who has worked on behalf of immigrants on the U.S.-Mexico border for more than 20 years, said: “I think that we must stand together strong, supporting the defense of good people that are here in our community … and not only [Ugboaja], but everybody, so many families who are hurting.”“We must speak up and ask for … a process that is more respectful to human life and to the goodness of people,” she continued. “So many people are here in the community and are really contributing in a positive, good way. This should not be happening.”Of ICE’s enforcement measures, Pimentel said: “We were all thinking this was about picking up criminals, but there’s no criminal sense in all of this, you know? And so all of us must truly stand up and defend the right way of who we are as Americans here in the United States.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/south-texas-nun-still-at-risk-of-third-country-removal-following-ice-check-in-attorney-says-catholic-harlingen-texas-in-the-most-recent-development-in-an-immigration-case-that-has-gai-scaled.jpg)
After a July 28 check-in with ICE officials, Sister Leticia Ugboaja’s lawyer told reporters gathered outside the ICE field office that the possibility of third-country removal “is very concerning.”
| Picture of the day |
|---|
|
|
Cinnyris asiaticus (Purple Sunbird) in Bhigwan, Maharashtra, India.
|
The Gaelic Athletic Association All Ireland Football championship, which has a historic connection to the Catholic Church, crowned a new winner after 75 years.
NASA astronaut Chris Williams is seen outside the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft after he landed with Expedition 74 Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and Sergei Mikaev in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Sunday, July 26, 2026. The trio returned to Earth after logging 241 days in space as a members of Expeditions 73 and 74 aboard the International Space Station.
Read More
LOS ANGELES, CA — At the request of Hollywood executives, the California state government opened an inquiry into possible infiltration of the film industry by honest God-fearing, law-abiding American citizens who reject Communism.
Read More
BOISE, ID — The credentials of one local man were called into question, as the so-called Christian Nationalist had yet to post anything overtly hateful on social media today.
Read More
Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney has responded to President Donald Trump mocking his failed Bud Light partnership, while taking a jab at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins for looking like the male activist.
The post WATCH: Dylan Mulvaney Responds to Trump Roasting CNN’s Kaitlan Collins by Comparing Her Appearance to the Trans Activist appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More
Liberal Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Jackson on Monday evening denied President Trump’s request to immediately reinstate key parts of his executive order on mail-in ballots.
The post JUST IN: Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Jackson Denies President Trump’s Request to Immediately Reinstate Key Parts of Executive Order on Mail-In Ballots appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More
President Trump on Monday responded to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for criticizing his plan to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, saying, “Nobody tells me what we should be selling or not.” Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump on Tuesday at the White House during a visit to the United States, where he will also attend the wake for late Senator Lindsey Graham.
The post (VIDEO) Trump Responds to Netanyahu Opposing Sale of F-35 Jets to Turkey: “Nobody Tells Me What We Should Be Selling or Not” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreA reading from the Book of Jeremiah
14:17-22
Let my eyes stream with tears
day and night, without rest,
Over the great destruction which overwhelms
the virgin daughter of my people,
over her incurable wound.
If I walk out into the field,
look! those slain by the sword;
If I enter the city,
look! those consumed by hunger.
Even the prophet and the priest
forage in a land they know not.
Have you cast Judah off completely?
Is Zion loathsome to you?
Why have you struck us a blow
that cannot be healed?
We wait for peace, to no avail;
for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.
We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness,
the guilt of our fathers;
that we have sinned against you.
For your name’s sake spurn us not,
disgrace not the throne of your glory;
remember your covenant with us, and break it not.
Among the nations’ idols is there any that gives rain?
Or can the mere heavens send showers?
Is it not you alone, O LORD,
our God, to whom we look?
You alone have done all these things.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
13:36-43
Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
"Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the Evil One,
and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his Kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the Kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."
The servants’ intention is to eliminate evil immediately, that is, evil people. But the master is wiser, he sees farther. They must learn to wait because enduring persecution and hostility is part of the Christian vocation. Certainly, evil must be rejected, but those who do evil are people with whom it is necessary to be patient. This does not mean that type of hypocritical tolerance that hides ambiguity; but rather, justice tempered by mercy. If Jesus came to seek sinners more than the righteous, to cure the sick first before the healthy (cf. Mt 9:12-13), then our actions too as his disciples should be focused not on suppressing the wicked, but on saving them. Patience lies here. Today’s Gospel presents two ways of acting and of experiencing history: on the one hand, the vision of the master who sees far; on the other, the perspective of the servants who see the problem. The servants care about a field without weeds; the master cares about good wheat. The Lord invites us to adopt his vision, one that is focused on good wheat, that knows how to protect it even amid the weeds. It is not those who are always searching for others’ limitations and flaws who cooperate well with God but, rather, those who know how to recognize the good that silently grows in the field of the Church and history, cultivating it until it becomes mature. And then, God, and he alone, will reward the good and punish the wicked. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 19 July 2020)
Read More
Catholic Health Services, one of the Archdiocese of Miami’s largest ministries, faces losing an estimated 40 to 50 employees, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski said.
“His memory places a duty upon us. It compels us to tirelessly defend the freedom of conscience that the Republic guarantees and protects,” the French president said.
In 2018 when the allegations first came to light, Friar Urbano Vázquez was removed from ministry by the Archdiocese of Washington. He was convicted of child sexual abuse in 2019.
Rocket launches this week On Wednesday, July 29, at 7:50 a.m. EDT, the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is planning to launch a Long March 7A from Wenchang Space Launch Site on the coast of Hainan Island in the South China Sea, according to tracking from Next Spaceflight. The payload is undisclosed.Continue reading “A classified NRO launch and a Chinese triple-header set to launch this week”
The post A classified NRO launch and a Chinese triple-header set to launch this week appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More
In the historic, spiritual, and national event, Lebanon celebrated Patriarch Hoyek’s beatification on Saturday marking an extraordinary moment for both the Maronite Church and the Lebanese nation.
| Picture of the day |
|---|
_01.jpg)
|
|
Sur En/Sent, municipality of Scuol, kanton Graubünden. Sculpture Negativ – Positive. Artwork by Peter Gredig.
|
A reading from the Book of Jeremiah
13:1-11
The LORD said to me: Go buy yourself a linen loincloth;
wear it on your loins, but do not put it in water.
I bought the loincloth, as the LORD commanded, and put it on.
A second time the word of the LORD came to me thus:
Take the loincloth which you bought and are wearing,
and go now to the Parath;
there hide it in a cleft of the rock.
Obedient to the LORD’s command, I went to the Parath
and buried the loincloth.
After a long interval, the LORD said to me:
Go now to the Parath and fetch the loincloth
which I told you to hide there.
Again I went to the Parath, sought out and took the loincloth
from the place where I had hid it.
But it was rotted, good for nothing!
Then the message came to me from the LORD:
Thus says the LORD:
So also I will allow the pride of Judah to rot,
the great pride of Jerusalem.
This wicked people who refuse to obey my words,
who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts,
and follow strange gods to serve and adore them,
shall be like this loincloth which is good for nothing.
For, as close as the loincloth clings to a man’s loins,
so had I made the whole house of Israel
and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the LORD;
to be my people, my renown, my praise, my beauty.
But they did not listen.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
13:31-35
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”
He spoke to them another parable.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.
Talking about God means first of all expressing clearly what God we must bring to the men and women of our time: not an abstract God, a hypothesis, but a real God, a God who exists, who has entered history and is present in history; the God of Jesus Christ as an answer to the fundamental question of the meaning of life and of how we should live. Consequently speaking of God demands familiarity with Jesus and his Gospel, it implies that we have a real, personal knowledge of God and a strong passion for his plan of salvation without succumbing to the temptation of success, but following God’s own method. God’s method is that of humility — God makes himself one of us — his method is brought about through the Incarnation in the simple house of Nazareth; through the Grotto of Bethlehem; through the Parable of the Mustard Seed. We must not fear the humility of taking little steps, but trust in the leaven that penetrates the dough and slowly causes it to rise (cf. Mt 13:33). In talking about God, in the work of evangelization, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we must recover simplicity, we must return to the essence of the proclamation: the Good News of a God who is real and effective, a God who is concerned about us, a God-Love who makes himself close to us in Jesus Christ, until the Cross, and who in the Resurrection gives us hope and opens us to a life that has no end, eternal life, true life. (Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 28 November 2012)
Read More![Bishop blesses 2 new greenhouses, generator at Morristown monastery #Catholic - On July 16, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney paid a pastoral visit to the Discalced Carmelite nuns at the Monastery of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel in Morristown, N.J. There the bishop celebrated a Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the chapel. He also went outside on the monastery grounds to bless two new greenhouses and a concrete pad that will soon accommodate a new generator.
Through its “We Care, We Share” outreach ministry, the Church of Christ the King in the New Vernon neighborhood of Harding Township, N.J., donated funds for the greenhouses. With them, the nuns hope to grow spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, and cabbage, as well as flowers to decorate the monastery chapel, said Mother Therese Katulski, prioress of the monastery.
The Knights of Columbus of Assumption Parish in Morristown donated funds for the generator — this after a major power outage at the monastery. A contractor will donate the labor to install the generator.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, chancellor and delegate for religious of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., assisted Bishop Sweeney with the blessing.
The Discalced Carmelites are a cloistered order with a daily schedule of eight hours of prayer, manual labor, some recreation, and contemplation. They are always striving to make themselves more pleasing to God. The nuns adhere to strict silence so their prayers may be more continuous.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/bishop-blesses-2-new-greenhouses-generator-at-morristown-monastery-catholic-on-july-16-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-paid-a-pastoral-visit-to-the-discalced-carmelite-nuns-at-the-monastery-of-the-most-b.jpg)
Bishop blesses 2 new greenhouses, generator at Morristown monastery #Catholic – 
On July 16, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney paid a pastoral visit to the Discalced Carmelite nuns at the Monastery of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel in Morristown, N.J. There the bishop celebrated a Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the chapel. He also went outside on the monastery grounds to bless two new greenhouses and a concrete pad that will soon accommodate a new generator.
Through its “We Care, We Share” outreach ministry, the Church of Christ the King in the New Vernon neighborhood of Harding Township, N.J., donated funds for the greenhouses. With them, the nuns hope to grow spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, and cabbage, as well as flowers to decorate the monastery chapel, said Mother Therese Katulski, prioress of the monastery.
The Knights of Columbus of Assumption Parish in Morristown donated funds for the generator — this after a major power outage at the monastery. A contractor will donate the labor to install the generator.
Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, chancellor and delegate for religious of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., assisted Bishop Sweeney with the blessing.
The Discalced Carmelites are a cloistered order with a daily schedule of eight hours of prayer, manual labor, some recreation, and contemplation. They are always striving to make themselves more pleasing to God. The nuns adhere to strict silence so their prayers may be more continuous.
– On July 16, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney paid a pastoral visit to the Discalced Carmelite nuns at the Monastery of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel in Morristown, N.J. There the bishop celebrated a Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the chapel. He also went outside on the monastery grounds to bless two new greenhouses and a concrete pad that will soon accommodate a new generator. Through its “We Care, We Share” outreach ministry, the Church of Christ the King in the New Vernon neighborhood of Harding Township, N.J., donated funds for the
In September 1999, the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) project discovered a comet – Comet C/1999 S4, or Comet LINEAR – on a course for the Sun. Its unusual behavior drew attention: By July 5-7 of the following year, the Hubble Space Telescope had watched a piece of its crust blow off as ifContinue reading “July 26, 2000: Comet LINEAR disintegrates”
The post July 26, 2000: Comet LINEAR disintegrates appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More| Picture of the day |
|---|
|
|
Westrup Heide in the early morning during the heather blossom season, Haltern am See, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
|
The pontiff also reflected on the kingdom of God as a treasure that enlarges life and unites people of different backgrounds in Christ.
The massive church was dedicated in 1915 and became the first basilica in the United States when it was designated as such by Pope Pius XI in 1926.
Researchers confirmed more than 2,000 square meters — around half an acre — of original 18th-century murals survive beneath later paint in the church at the heart of Vilnius University.
The aurora australis arcs over Earth during an active solar event in this photograph taken at approximately 11:32 p.m. local time from the International Space Station as it orbited 271 miles above the Indian Ocean southwest of Perth, Australia on June 5.
Read MoreA reading from the First Book of Kings
3:5,7-12
The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you."
Solomon answered:
"O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king
to succeed my father David;
but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?"
The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him:
"Because you have asked for this—
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches,
nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right—
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you."
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
8:28-30
Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
13:44-52
Jesus said to his disciples:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
"Do you understand all these things?"
They answered, "Yes."
And he replied,
"Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."
Faced with the unexpected discovery, both the farmer and the merchant realize that they are facing a unique opportunity which should not be missed; hence, they sell all that they own. Assessing the inestimable value of the treasure leads to a decision that also implies sacrifice, detachment and renunciation. When the treasure and the pearl are discovered, that is, when we have found the Lord, we must not let this discovery become barren, but rather sacrifice everything else in order to acquire it. It is not a question of disdaining the rest but of subordinating them to Jesus, putting him in first place; grace in first place. The disciple of Christ is not one who has deprived himself of something essential; he is one who has found much more: he has found the complete joy that only the Lord can give. It is the evangelical joy of the sick who have been healed; of the pardoned sinners, of the thief for whom the doors of heaven open. (…) Today we are called to contemplate the joy of the farmer and the merchant in the parables. It is the joy of each of us when we discover the closeness and the comforting presence of Jesus in our lives. A presence which transforms the heart and opens us to the needs and the welcoming of our brothers, especially the weakest. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 30 July 2017)
Read More
The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer in May announced their rejection of the Second Vatican Council and the popes that have come since.
Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis previously served as apostolic nuncio to the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
![Reliquary containing relics of six priests visits Chester parish #Catholic - Blessed Mother Seton Council 5410, a Knights of Columbus chapter in the Flanders neighborhood of Mount Olive Township, N.J., recently arranged for a reliquary containing relics of six priests to visit St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Chester, N.J. The priests, who were also Knights of Columbus, were martyred for their Catholic faith in Mexico during the Cristero War in the 1920s. The relics were venerated at six Masses on July 19 and 20, during which the faithful were able to have their religious items turned into third-degree relics by touching them to the first-degree relics in the reliquary.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/reliquary-containing-relics-of-six-priests-visits-chester-parish-catholic-blessed-mother-seton-council-5410-a-knights-of-columbus-chapter-in-the-flanders-neighborhood-of-mount-olive-township-n-j.jpg)
Reliquary containing relics of six priests visits Chester parish #Catholic – 
Blessed Mother Seton Council 5410, a Knights of Columbus chapter in the Flanders neighborhood of Mount Olive Township, N.J., recently arranged for a reliquary containing relics of six priests to visit St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Chester, N.J. The priests, who were also Knights of Columbus, were martyred for their Catholic faith in Mexico during the Cristero War in the 1920s. The relics were venerated at six Masses on July 19 and 20, during which the faithful were able to have their religious items turned into third-degree relics by touching them to the first-degree relics in the reliquary.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
– Blessed Mother Seton Council 5410, a Knights of Columbus chapter in the Flanders neighborhood of Mount Olive Township, N.J., recently arranged for a reliquary containing relics of six priests to visit St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Chester, N.J. The priests, who were also Knights of Columbus, were martyred for their Catholic faith in Mexico during the Cristero War in the 1920s. The relics were venerated at six Masses on July 19 and 20, during which the faithful were able to have their religious items turned into third-degree relics by touching them to the first-degree relics in the reliquary. Click
The pope has continued to advocate for peace-building and has warned against nuclear weapons and AI being integrated into the military.
Blair Harber, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, were among the victims of the Texas Hill Country flash floods that devastated parts of the state last year.
Born on July 25, 1920, Chushiro Hayashi graduated from the University of Tokyo with a degree in physics in 1942. After World War II service in the navy, he returned to school, finishing his doctorate in 1954 and becoming a professor at Kyoto University in 1957. An innovator, he applied fundamental physics to astronomy andContinue reading “July 25, 1920: The birth of Chushiro Hayashi”
The post July 25, 1920: The birth of Chushiro Hayashi appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More
A long-running study of German and Austrian monasteries suggests that much of the gap between how long men and women live comes down to how men live, not to biology.
The Maronites begin celebrations ahead of beatification, Egypt moves against Christian discrimination, Irish priests press for action on Gaza, and more in this week’s Catholic world news roundup.
| Picture of the day |
|---|
_Finca_El_Pilar.jpg)
|
|
Emerald swift (Sceloporus malachiticus) Finca El Pilar, Antigua Guatemala. Also known as the green spiny lizard.
|
From left, Expedition 74 flight engineers Anna Kikina and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos, and Anil Menon of NASA pose for a portrait while holding a cake celebrating their recent arrival aboard the International Space Station.
Read MoreA reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to Corinthians
4:7-15
Brothers and sisters:
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,
we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
20:20-28
The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her,
"What do you wish?"
She answered him,
"Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom."
Jesus said in reply,
"You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"
They said to him, "We can."
He replied,
"My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Saint James was the brother of John the Evangelist. They were the two disciples to whom – in one of the most striking dialogues recorded in the Gospel – Jesus posed the famous question: “‘Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?’ They said to Him: ‘We are able’” (Mt 20:22). They were words of willingness and courage; an attitude typical of young people, though not exclusive to them, but shared by all Christians, and in particular by those who accept the call to be apostles of the Gospel. The two disciples’ generous response was accepted by Jesus. He said to them: “You will drink my cup” (Mt 20:23). These words were fulfilled in James, son of Zebedee, who bore witness to Christ’s resurrection in Jerusalem with his own blood. Jesus had asked the question about the cup that the two brothers were to drink when their mother, as we have read in the Gospel, approached the Master to ask Him for a place of special honour for both of them in the Kingdom. However, after ascertaining their willingness to drink the cup, Christ said to them: “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father” (Mt 20:23). […] Jesus then took the opportunity to explain to everyone that the calling to his Kingdom is not a calling to power but to service, “even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). (John Paul II, Homily of 9 November 1982)
Read More
The U.N. high commissioner for human rights has urged the Ortega dictatorship to disclose the fate, whereabouts, and condition of 80-year-old Bishop Abelardo Mata and restore the rule of law.
At the outset of the catastrophe, the Archdiocese of Caracas established an emergency response commission tasked with managing spiritual, psychological, and material care for those affected.
![Facing deportation, Nigerian nun in south Texas speaks out – #Catholic – Sister Leticia Ugboaja, the Catholic nun and nurse who was briefly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in south Texas in June, made her first public remarks after what she described as weeks of “stress, anxiety, and fear.” At a July 23 press conference, she said she is still afraid of what may yet happen to her but is trusting in God.“I was very much afraid, with cold sweat,” she said of her detainment by ICE officers as she walked to Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, Texas, on June 28. “I did not expect [it]; on an ordinary Sunday morning, when people should be ready to go to Mass to worship the Lord, on the street here, just in front of the school, where I have walked … a countless number of times.”“I will not pretend it did not hurt and it’s hurting me today,” she said, describing the two ICE agents as “armed, and Iʼm just a small woman, a nun, armless, with just my rosary, my key, and my phone.”Though she felt afraid and hurt, she said she has been trusting in God, quoting Jesus’ admonition to “not be afraid, because I am with you always.”Ugboaja, a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and a registered nurse at South Texas Health System, said it was “heartbreaking” to be told “no” by the ICE agents after she asked them if she could first attend Sunday Mass and receive Communion because “as we know, Sunday Mass is obligatory … it is mandatory.”During the press conference, Carlos Garcia, her lawyer, gave more information about her immigration status. He said an immigration judge denied her application for asylum in 2019 but did grant her protection from removal to Nigeria under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, saying it was likely she would be tortured if she returned there.Garcia said this protection legally bars the U.S. government from deporting her to Nigeria, though “as a technical matter,” she remains under a final order of removal.Nevertheless, he said the religious sister and nurse, who has served in south Texas for more than a decade, is legally authorized to work in the U.S. and “has never missed an immigration appointment.”Garcia said Ugboaja’s detainment by immigration officials is confusing: “People who’ve been granted this type of relief have generally for many years been under the impression they are OK as long as they complied … So it’s very confusing not only for her but for many others I’ve talked to as to what is going on.”Of the way immigration enforcement actions are taking place, Garcia said “it’s hard to comprehend, because of the way it’s happening, without [people] being informed of any reasoning” by the government.Not an isolated case“I am not the only one,” Ugboaja said of others who are “languishing’ in the same situation in which she finds herself but who do not have the attention of the media on them.They are “people who have been given some form of protection under our laws, who have followed every rule asked of them … who still live with uncertainty about where they might be sent and whether anyone will tell them before it happens.”She said she is praying for them and is asking for something simple: “Before anyone is taken into custody, give them … the opportunity to be heard.”Garcia said she has a check-in appointment with immigration officials on July 28, where Ugboaja could be detained or an ankle monitor could be placed on her.The attorney said he hopes the appointment will be unnecessary, but if it does take place, “we are asking that she not be detained and that no ankle monitor be placed … she’s broken no rule, posed no danger, and given the country a decade of nursing and a lifetime of ministry.”He said ICE detained her on June 28 in order to remove the nun to a third country, a practice that he said is “currently the subject of active litigation in federal courts nationwide.”He suggested she is entitled to “notice and a meaningful opportunity to contest a proposed third country removal before she’s taken into custody and removed.”The incident occurred amid heightened immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, which has included operations near houses of worship.The nun’s release June 28 was facilitated by lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who said his office communicated with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and border czar Tom Homan to secure Ugboaja’s immediate release.By Sunday evening, Ugboaja, who serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows, had been released from custody and returned home.Cuellar told EWTN News at the time that “this is not the way they should have picked her up. If ICE had any questions, there would have been more appropriate ways to deal with her situation.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/facing-deportation-nigerian-nun-in-south-texas-speaks-out-catholic-sister-leticia-ugboaja-the-catholic-nun-and-nurse-who-was-briefly-detained-by-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-ice-agents.jpg "Facing deportation, Nigerian nun in south Texas speaks out – #Catholic – Sister Leticia Ugboaja, the Catholic nun and nurse who was briefly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in south Texas in June, made her first public remarks after what she described as weeks of “stress, anxiety, and fear.” At a July 23 press conference, she said she is still afraid of what may yet happen to her but is trusting in God.“I was very much afraid, with cold sweat,” she said of her detainment by ICE officers as she walked to Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, Texas, on June 28. “I did not expect [it]; on an ordinary Sunday morning, when people should be ready to go to Mass to worship the Lord, on the street here, just in front of the school, where I have walked … a countless number of times.”“I will not pretend it did not hurt and it’s hurting me today,” she said, describing the two ICE agents as “armed, and Iʼm just a small woman, a nun, armless, with just my rosary, my key, and my phone.”Though she felt afraid and hurt, she said she has been trusting in God, quoting Jesus’ admonition to “not be afraid, because I am with you always.”Ugboaja, a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and a registered nurse at South Texas Health System, said it was “heartbreaking” to be told “no” by the ICE agents after she asked them if she could first attend Sunday Mass and receive Communion because “as we know, Sunday Mass is obligatory … it is mandatory.”During the press conference, Carlos Garcia, her lawyer, gave more information about her immigration status. He said an immigration judge denied her application for asylum in 2019 but did grant her protection from removal to Nigeria under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, saying it was likely she would be tortured if she returned there.Garcia said this protection legally bars the U.S. government from deporting her to Nigeria, though “as a technical matter,” she remains under a final order of removal.Nevertheless, he said the religious sister and nurse, who has served in south Texas for more than a decade, is legally authorized to work in the U.S. and “has never missed an immigration appointment.”Garcia said Ugboaja’s detainment by immigration officials is confusing: “People who’ve been granted this type of relief have generally for many years been under the impression they are OK as long as they complied … So it’s very confusing not only for her but for many others I’ve talked to as to what is going on.”Of the way immigration enforcement actions are taking place, Garcia said “it’s hard to comprehend, because of the way it’s happening, without [people] being informed of any reasoning” by the government.Not an isolated case“I am not the only one,” Ugboaja said of others who are “languishing’ in the same situation in which she finds herself but who do not have the attention of the media on them.They are “people who have been given some form of protection under our laws, who have followed every rule asked of them … who still live with uncertainty about where they might be sent and whether anyone will tell them before it happens.”She said she is praying for them and is asking for something simple: “Before anyone is taken into custody, give them … the opportunity to be heard.”Garcia said she has a check-in appointment with immigration officials on July 28, where Ugboaja could be detained or an ankle monitor could be placed on her.The attorney said he hopes the appointment will be unnecessary, but if it does take place, “we are asking that she not be detained and that no ankle monitor be placed … she’s broken no rule, posed no danger, and given the country a decade of nursing and a lifetime of ministry.”He said ICE detained her on June 28 in order to remove the nun to a third country, a practice that he said is “currently the subject of active litigation in federal courts nationwide.”He suggested she is entitled to “notice and a meaningful opportunity to contest a proposed third country removal before she’s taken into custody and removed.”The incident occurred amid heightened immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, which has included operations near houses of worship.The nun’s release June 28 was facilitated by lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who said his office communicated with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and border czar Tom Homan to secure Ugboaja’s immediate release.By Sunday evening, Ugboaja, who serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows, had been released from custody and returned home.Cuellar told EWTN News at the time that “this is not the way they should have picked her up. If ICE had any questions, there would have been more appropriate ways to deal with her situation.”")
“I am not the only one,” Sister Leticia Ugboaja said of others who are also “languishing” in the same situation in which she finds herself but who do not have the attention of the media on them.
![Catholic moral theologians concerned by claims U.S., Iran struck civilian infrastructure #Catholic Iran and the United States have faced accusations of strikes on civilian infrastructure and have explicitly threatened attacks on civilian infrastructure going forward, prompting concerns from Catholic moral theologians.“I have deep concerns that the war will widen and the greatest impact will be on the civilian populations of Middle East nations,” Joseph Capizzi, director of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life, told EWTN News.Charles Camosy, a moral theologian at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News that threats to civilian infrastructure are “absolutely not” consistent with moral conduct during war or Catholic just war doctrine.“The dignity of the human person — including a commitment to Christʼs command to love oneʼs enemies — must be paramount,” he said. “Not winning a war. Not gaining political advantage. … Catholics are not consequentialists.”A Pakistan‑mediated ceasefire that began April 8 ended on July 8. Last week, Iranian state media alleged that the U.S. struck a water desalination plant in the Hormozgan Province that supplies water to 30 villages, impacting thousands of people. U.S. officials confirmed military strikes in the province but have not confirmed a strike on the plant.The U.S. has confirmed strikes in southern Iran that destroyed port infrastructure. Pro-regime media in Iran in Iran reported commercial and fishing piers were among the targets, citing the Iranian Red Crescent Society. That report also alleged strikes on a wheat storage facility, roads, and bridges.U.S. Central Command denied strikes on the wheat facility but has not addressed every specific allegation. U.S. military officials have repeatedly said they only target Iran’s military capabilities.When reached for comment about the other specific allegations, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command told EWTN News "we refer you to our published releases" and "we have nothing further to add."In response to these alleged attacks, Iran has repeatedly struck power plants and water facilities throughout Kuwait and Bahrain. Officials in Kuwait, which relies on water desalination plants for 90% of its drinking water, are urging people to conserve energy and water. Bahrain’s supply of drinking water is 100% reliant on water desalination plants.On July 22, Trump escalated threats to civilian infrastructure, saying he would strike “one bridge or power plant” for every ship Iran strikes. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in response that Iran’s doctrine is “an eye for an eye” and “those who contribute” to aggression “will also be considered as legitimate targets.”When a reporter asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 23 whether he would rule out strikes on civilian infrastructure, he did not say. Rather, he pointed to Araghchi’s statement and said: “The president’s policy is a head for an eye — I mean, honestly, that’s what it’s going to be.”Just conduct in warThree Catholic moral theologians who provided comments to EWTN News — Capizzi; Camosy; and Taylor Patrick O’Neill, a theology professor at Thomas Aquinas College — all said it is not moral to intentionally target civilian populations in war.“The prohibition against targeting civilian infrastructure is absolute in moral and international law,” Capizzi said. “States are prohibited from targeting civilian infrastructure.”He urged caution about purported justifications for striking “dual use” infrastructure targets that may be used for both military and civilian purposes. He said “no party is allowed merely to claim targets are ‘dual use.’”“When there is doubt as to the dual or single use of a target, international [law] stipulates the presumption begins with single use, and therefore the target is inadmissible to be targeted, unless proven to the contrary,” Capizzi said.Camosy also said this is a moral absolute and there is no circumstance in which it is moral to target civilians. He said that “even in war, even when the stakes are highest,” Catholics do not adhere to the consequentialist moral philosophy of the ends justifying the means.The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains a person can never engage in intrinsically evil acts — such as targeting innocent people for harm — regardless of the reason because “the end does not justify the means.” Acts also require “good intention,” so while “good intention” is not sufficient and does not justify evil acts, bad intention — such as intending to harm innocent people — always “makes an act evil,” it explains.Camosy said: “Protection against the targeting of civilians is an absolute value in war. Catholics are called to be prepared to lose a war rather than violate exceptionless moral norms or commit intrinsically evil acts in this area.”Sometimes an act, in war or elsewhere, can also have several effects. St. Thomas Aquinas explains in the “Summa Theologica” that it can be proper to engage in an act that is morally neutral in and of itself but has both good and bad consequences, so long as only the good consequence is the one that is intended. This is the principle of “double effect.”The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that proportionality is required in war. The evil inflicted through war cannot be more severe than the evil one is aiming to defeat.“We need to ask if civilian harm is the intention and/or the mechanism of action in the military strike or [if] it is a merely foreseen side effect,” Camosy explained.“If the rationale for hitting the electric grid or desalination plant is that widespread darkness, spoiled food, rampant disease, failed hospitals, and more will generate political pressure on the Iranian regime, then the suffering of peaceful civilians becomes the causal pathway to the advantage sought,” he said. “This then becomes the object of the act itself and not a merely foreseen side effect.”Alternatively, Camosy added: “Attacking a generator dedicated to a command bunker, however, would likely not suffer the same kind of critique, however, even if one foresaw but did not intend that it would also have bad impacts on civilians.”Similarly, O’Neill said the moral analysis of striking a facility that results in civilian harm is about intention and proportionality. It is never moral to intend the suffering of innocents or target them.“You cannot intend or rely upon civilian death or fear to aid in your military effort,” O’Neill said. “In other words, the foreseen evil cannot itself be the means by which you attempt to achieve some good.”A specific bridge that is “dual use,” such as one used by civilians but also used “to transport tanks from factory to battlefield,” he said could possibly be justified under double effect. The moral analysis would have to consider intention and proportionality and “you must also try to minimize the negative.”“Will blowing up the bridge make civilian life uncomfortable or will it result in the loss of life, access to basic necessities, etc.? All of these things have to be taken into account just for double effect,” O’Neill said.“Under double effect, itʼs theoretically possible to strike a dual-use target,” he added. “But any strike on merely civilian infrastructure (or even [a target] with indirect ties to the war effort) would be intrinsically unjust.”“At that point, the attack would have more in common with an act of terrorism,” O’Neill said.‘Blessed are the peacemakers’St. Augustine, in a letter to the Roman general Boniface, emphasized that the intention of war must be to ultimately establish a just peace — not to simply to unleash destruction: “Peace should be the object of your desire; war should be waged only as a necessity, and waged only that God may by it deliver men from the necessity and preserve them in peace.”The fifth-century bishop and theologian cited the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”O’Neill explained that in the context of a just war, “the Christian always seeks war for the sake of peace and that of both his own people and the people of the enemy nation.”“To consider the civilians of an enemy nation as the enemy is already to lose the necessary distinction of combatant from innocent,” he said.Camosy noted that Trump, in his 2024 campaign, promised “to be deeply skeptical of war” and encouraged him to move back in that direction.“Trump himself was aggressively pursuing the Nobel Peace Prize on this basis,” he said. “It would be much better to go back to this way of thinking about war. Think about becoming a peacemaker again.”Trump told Axios on July 23 that he is “considering a massive attack, bigger than ever before” but did not say whether this includes the civilian infrastructure he has threatened. He said that Iranians want to negotiate, but “they havenʼt received enough pain yet.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/catholic-moral-theologians-concerned-by-claims-u-s-iran-struck-civilian-infrastructure-catholic-iran-and-the-united-states-have-faced-accusations-of-strikes-on-civilian-infrastructure-and-have-expl.jpg "Catholic moral theologians concerned by claims U.S., Iran struck civilian infrastructure #Catholic Iran and the United States have faced accusations of strikes on civilian infrastructure and have explicitly threatened attacks on civilian infrastructure going forward, prompting concerns from Catholic moral theologians.“I have deep concerns that the war will widen and the greatest impact will be on the civilian populations of Middle East nations,” Joseph Capizzi, director of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life, told EWTN News.Charles Camosy, a moral theologian at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News that threats to civilian infrastructure are “absolutely not” consistent with moral conduct during war or Catholic just war doctrine.“The dignity of the human person — including a commitment to Christʼs command to love oneʼs enemies — must be paramount,” he said. “Not winning a war. Not gaining political advantage. … Catholics are not consequentialists.”A Pakistan‑mediated ceasefire that began April 8 ended on July 8. Last week, Iranian state media alleged that the U.S. struck a water desalination plant in the Hormozgan Province that supplies water to 30 villages, impacting thousands of people. U.S. officials confirmed military strikes in the province but have not confirmed a strike on the plant.The U.S. has confirmed strikes in southern Iran that destroyed port infrastructure. Pro-regime media in Iran in Iran reported commercial and fishing piers were among the targets, citing the Iranian Red Crescent Society. That report also alleged strikes on a wheat storage facility, roads, and bridges.U.S. Central Command denied strikes on the wheat facility but has not addressed every specific allegation. U.S. military officials have repeatedly said they only target Iran’s military capabilities.When reached for comment about the other specific allegations, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command told EWTN News \"we refer you to our published releases\" and \"we have nothing further to add.\"In response to these alleged attacks, Iran has repeatedly struck power plants and water facilities throughout Kuwait and Bahrain. Officials in Kuwait, which relies on water desalination plants for 90% of its drinking water, are urging people to conserve energy and water. Bahrain’s supply of drinking water is 100% reliant on water desalination plants.On July 22, Trump escalated threats to civilian infrastructure, saying he would strike “one bridge or power plant” for every ship Iran strikes. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in response that Iran’s doctrine is “an eye for an eye” and “those who contribute” to aggression “will also be considered as legitimate targets.”When a reporter asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 23 whether he would rule out strikes on civilian infrastructure, he did not say. Rather, he pointed to Araghchi’s statement and said: “The president’s policy is a head for an eye — I mean, honestly, that’s what it’s going to be.”Just conduct in warThree Catholic moral theologians who provided comments to EWTN News — Capizzi; Camosy; and Taylor Patrick O’Neill, a theology professor at Thomas Aquinas College — all said it is not moral to intentionally target civilian populations in war.“The prohibition against targeting civilian infrastructure is absolute in moral and international law,” Capizzi said. “States are prohibited from targeting civilian infrastructure.”He urged caution about purported justifications for striking “dual use” infrastructure targets that may be used for both military and civilian purposes. He said “no party is allowed merely to claim targets are ‘dual use.’”“When there is doubt as to the dual or single use of a target, international [law] stipulates the presumption begins with single use, and therefore the target is inadmissible to be targeted, unless proven to the contrary,” Capizzi said.Camosy also said this is a moral absolute and there is no circumstance in which it is moral to target civilians. He said that “even in war, even when the stakes are highest,” Catholics do not adhere to the consequentialist moral philosophy of the ends justifying the means.The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains a person can never engage in intrinsically evil acts — such as targeting innocent people for harm — regardless of the reason because “the end does not justify the means.” Acts also require “good intention,” so while “good intention” is not sufficient and does not justify evil acts, bad intention — such as intending to harm innocent people — always “makes an act evil,” it explains.Camosy said: “Protection against the targeting of civilians is an absolute value in war. Catholics are called to be prepared to lose a war rather than violate exceptionless moral norms or commit intrinsically evil acts in this area.”Sometimes an act, in war or elsewhere, can also have several effects. St. Thomas Aquinas explains in the “Summa Theologica” that it can be proper to engage in an act that is morally neutral in and of itself but has both good and bad consequences, so long as only the good consequence is the one that is intended. This is the principle of “double effect.”The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that proportionality is required in war. The evil inflicted through war cannot be more severe than the evil one is aiming to defeat.“We need to ask if civilian harm is the intention and/or the mechanism of action in the military strike or [if] it is a merely foreseen side effect,” Camosy explained.“If the rationale for hitting the electric grid or desalination plant is that widespread darkness, spoiled food, rampant disease, failed hospitals, and more will generate political pressure on the Iranian regime, then the suffering of peaceful civilians becomes the causal pathway to the advantage sought,” he said. “This then becomes the object of the act itself and not a merely foreseen side effect.”Alternatively, Camosy added: “Attacking a generator dedicated to a command bunker, however, would likely not suffer the same kind of critique, however, even if one foresaw but did not intend that it would also have bad impacts on civilians.”Similarly, O’Neill said the moral analysis of striking a facility that results in civilian harm is about intention and proportionality. It is never moral to intend the suffering of innocents or target them.“You cannot intend or rely upon civilian death or fear to aid in your military effort,” O’Neill said. “In other words, the foreseen evil cannot itself be the means by which you attempt to achieve some good.”A specific bridge that is “dual use,” such as one used by civilians but also used “to transport tanks from factory to battlefield,” he said could possibly be justified under double effect. The moral analysis would have to consider intention and proportionality and “you must also try to minimize the negative.”“Will blowing up the bridge make civilian life uncomfortable or will it result in the loss of life, access to basic necessities, etc.? All of these things have to be taken into account just for double effect,” O’Neill said.“Under double effect, itʼs theoretically possible to strike a dual-use target,” he added. “But any strike on merely civilian infrastructure (or even [a target] with indirect ties to the war effort) would be intrinsically unjust.”“At that point, the attack would have more in common with an act of terrorism,” O’Neill said.‘Blessed are the peacemakers’St. Augustine, in a letter to the Roman general Boniface, emphasized that the intention of war must be to ultimately establish a just peace — not to simply to unleash destruction: “Peace should be the object of your desire; war should be waged only as a necessity, and waged only that God may by it deliver men from the necessity and preserve them in peace.”The fifth-century bishop and theologian cited the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”O’Neill explained that in the context of a just war, “the Christian always seeks war for the sake of peace and that of both his own people and the people of the enemy nation.”“To consider the civilians of an enemy nation as the enemy is already to lose the necessary distinction of combatant from innocent,” he said.Camosy noted that Trump, in his 2024 campaign, promised “to be deeply skeptical of war” and encouraged him to move back in that direction.“Trump himself was aggressively pursuing the Nobel Peace Prize on this basis,” he said. “It would be much better to go back to this way of thinking about war. Think about becoming a peacemaker again.”Trump told Axios on July 23 that he is “considering a massive attack, bigger than ever before” but did not say whether this includes the civilian infrastructure he has threatened. He said that Iranians want to negotiate, but “they havenʼt received enough pain yet.”")
A battle over the Strait of Hormuz rekindled the war in the Middle East after a ceasefire ended. Intent to harm civilians, including attacks on civilian infrastructure, is immoral, theologians said.
![Abortion count rises as women turn to chemical abortions, per new data #Catholic The U.S. abortion count continues to rise even as travel abortions decrease, a recent study found.The Guttmacher Institute, a data group that openly supports abortion access, documented a decrease in people leaving their own state to get abortions in other states. Instead, abortion seekers turn toward mail-order abortions, which have seen a surge in recent years.The group tracks abortions monthly, following trends “in the post-Dobbs era” since 2023, according to Guttmacher data scientist and study lead Isaac Maddow-Zimet. The data indicated an overall increase in abortions from 2025 to 2026. “In the first three months of 2026, there were 296,130 abortions as compared to 292,590 in the first three months of 2025,” data scholar Michael New told EWTN News. “This is an increase of just over 1%.”New said this fact has gone underreported.“Most media outlets that are reporting on the Guttmacher data have not reported on this, but the number of abortions continues to rise,” said New, who is a senior associate scholar at Charlotte Lozier Institute, a group that studies data relating to the pro-life cause.“These rising abortion numbers are an important reason why pro-lifers are frustrated with the Trump administration’s lack of action on telehealth abortions,” continued New, who also works as a professor at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America.The Trump administration has neglected to enforce various regulations — such as the Comstock Act or in-person prescription requirements — that could be groundbreaking for protecting unborn children from chemical abortions.From 2024 to 2025, travel abortions declined by nearly 8%. Scholars agree that mail-order abortion is the reason for the decline in abortion travel.“Currently, we are seeing a major shift in where and how people access abortion,” Maddow-Zimet said. “While travel remains a critical pathway to care, we have seen a decrease in people leaving their state of residence, likely due to both the growth of telehealth access and fewer options for in-person care in the South and Southeast.”New also cited chemical abortions as the draw away from travel abortions. “The main reason for this decline in out-of-state travel is because of the rising number of telehealth abortions,” New said. “The most recent data from the Society for Family Planning shows that approximately 27% of all abortions are done by telehealth.”In Florida, the study also found a near tripling of abortion travel by Floridians after the state passed a heartbeat law to protect unborn babies; at the same time, fewer people traveled to Florida to obtain abortions due to this law.“The national decline [in travel abortions] might have been even larger had Florida not started enforcing a Heartbeat Act in 2024,” New said. “Because of this strong pro-life law, far fewer women residing in southern states traveled to Florida for abortions.”Texas has also seen a decline in Texans traveling to get abortions. “This trend is seen at the state level,” New continued. “Between 2024 and 2025 the number of Texas women obtaining abortions in other states fell by 19%.”Mail-order abortion is pro-life priorityAdvocates for unborn children highlighted the importance of opposing chemical abortions and protecting unborn children across state lines. Abortion continues to rise with the increase in mail-order abortions.Kelsey Pritchard, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America spokeswoman, called for protections of unborn children across state lines.“We need a national minimum standard to ensure children across America have basic human rights and the chance at life, regardless of their zip code,” Pritchard told EWTN News.“Nine states and the District of Columbia still have no gestational limits whatsoever on abortion, allowing abortion up to the moment of birth, with late-term abortion centers purposely located within range of pro-life state borders,” Pritchard said. “This is barbaric and extreme, and it places the United States in the same category as communist countries like China and Vietnam on abortion.”“While stopping the ‘Wild West’ of unregulated abortion by mail is our immediate priority, both issues underscore the urgent need for national action to protect unborn children and their mothers,” Pritchard said. “Abortion travel is down overall, but mail-order abortions are surging and driving the national total up to an estimated 1.1 million abortions per year — more than the day Roe was reversed,” Pritchard said. “Every single month, approximately 15,000 babies in the womb die from mail-order abortion drugs in states with pro-life laws, while women and girls are poisoned and coerced by abusers who obtain these drugs online without so much as an ID check.”Kristi Hamrick, Students for Life spokeswoman, questioned the data, noting that there is no reporting requirement for abortion.“I find it extraordinary that the abortion industry reports so much data that is accepted as gospel, despite the fact that we canʼt verify it,” Hamrick said. “We have no national abortion reporting law, and while this data will be broadly reported, every point of data from pro-life sources is treated as suspect.”Guttmacher collects monthly data from brick-and-mortar facilities and telehealth providers, according to the study methodology.The nature of mail-order abortion pills makes it harder to accurately track the number of the abortions in the U.S. as the pills are highly unregulated and some companies operate outside of the U.S. healthcare system.“The landscape of abortion is shifting, from brick-and-mortar abortion vendor to online pill pushers, so less driving, if that is true, does not mean less abortion,” Hamrick said.For Students for Life, “fighting chemical abortion pills” is a priority.Through pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and other programs, the pro-life movement continues to encourage women to choose life.“But what is happening in real time is that many are reaching out to women online and in their communities to encourage and support them in choosing life, while we also have to confront a new abortion cartel,” Hamrick said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/abortion-count-rises-as-women-turn-to-chemical-abortions-per-new-data-catholic-the-u-s-abortion-count-continues-to-rise-even-as-travel-abortions-decrease-a-recent-study-found-the-guttmacher-instit-scaled.jpg "Abortion count rises as women turn to chemical abortions, per new data #Catholic The U.S. abortion count continues to rise even as travel abortions decrease, a recent study found.The Guttmacher Institute, a data group that openly supports abortion access, documented a decrease in people leaving their own state to get abortions in other states. Instead, abortion seekers turn toward mail-order abortions, which have seen a surge in recent years.The group tracks abortions monthly, following trends “in the post-Dobbs era” since 2023, according to Guttmacher data scientist and study lead Isaac Maddow-Zimet. The data indicated an overall increase in abortions from 2025 to 2026. “In the first three months of 2026, there were 296,130 abortions as compared to 292,590 in the first three months of 2025,” data scholar Michael New told EWTN News. “This is an increase of just over 1%.”New said this fact has gone underreported.“Most media outlets that are reporting on the Guttmacher data have not reported on this, but the number of abortions continues to rise,” said New, who is a senior associate scholar at Charlotte Lozier Institute, a group that studies data relating to the pro-life cause.“These rising abortion numbers are an important reason why pro-lifers are frustrated with the Trump administration’s lack of action on telehealth abortions,” continued New, who also works as a professor at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America.The Trump administration has neglected to enforce various regulations — such as the Comstock Act or in-person prescription requirements — that could be groundbreaking for protecting unborn children from chemical abortions.From 2024 to 2025, travel abortions declined by nearly 8%. Scholars agree that mail-order abortion is the reason for the decline in abortion travel.“Currently, we are seeing a major shift in where and how people access abortion,” Maddow-Zimet said. “While travel remains a critical pathway to care, we have seen a decrease in people leaving their state of residence, likely due to both the growth of telehealth access and fewer options for in-person care in the South and Southeast.”New also cited chemical abortions as the draw away from travel abortions. “The main reason for this decline in out-of-state travel is because of the rising number of telehealth abortions,” New said. “The most recent data from the Society for Family Planning shows that approximately 27% of all abortions are done by telehealth.”In Florida, the study also found a near tripling of abortion travel by Floridians after the state passed a heartbeat law to protect unborn babies; at the same time, fewer people traveled to Florida to obtain abortions due to this law.“The national decline [in travel abortions] might have been even larger had Florida not started enforcing a Heartbeat Act in 2024,” New said. “Because of this strong pro-life law, far fewer women residing in southern states traveled to Florida for abortions.”Texas has also seen a decline in Texans traveling to get abortions. “This trend is seen at the state level,” New continued. “Between 2024 and 2025 the number of Texas women obtaining abortions in other states fell by 19%.”Mail-order abortion is pro-life priorityAdvocates for unborn children highlighted the importance of opposing chemical abortions and protecting unborn children across state lines. Abortion continues to rise with the increase in mail-order abortions.Kelsey Pritchard, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America spokeswoman, called for protections of unborn children across state lines.“We need a national minimum standard to ensure children across America have basic human rights and the chance at life, regardless of their zip code,” Pritchard told EWTN News.“Nine states and the District of Columbia still have no gestational limits whatsoever on abortion, allowing abortion up to the moment of birth, with late-term abortion centers purposely located within range of pro-life state borders,” Pritchard said. “This is barbaric and extreme, and it places the United States in the same category as communist countries like China and Vietnam on abortion.”“While stopping the ‘Wild West’ of unregulated abortion by mail is our immediate priority, both issues underscore the urgent need for national action to protect unborn children and their mothers,” Pritchard said. “Abortion travel is down overall, but mail-order abortions are surging and driving the national total up to an estimated 1.1 million abortions per year — more than the day Roe was reversed,” Pritchard said. “Every single month, approximately 15,000 babies in the womb die from mail-order abortion drugs in states with pro-life laws, while women and girls are poisoned and coerced by abusers who obtain these drugs online without so much as an ID check.”Kristi Hamrick, Students for Life spokeswoman, questioned the data, noting that there is no reporting requirement for abortion.“I find it extraordinary that the abortion industry reports so much data that is accepted as gospel, despite the fact that we canʼt verify it,” Hamrick said. “We have no national abortion reporting law, and while this data will be broadly reported, every point of data from pro-life sources is treated as suspect.”Guttmacher collects monthly data from brick-and-mortar facilities and telehealth providers, according to the study methodology.The nature of mail-order abortion pills makes it harder to accurately track the number of the abortions in the U.S. as the pills are highly unregulated and some companies operate outside of the U.S. healthcare system.“The landscape of abortion is shifting, from brick-and-mortar abortion vendor to online pill pushers, so less driving, if that is true, does not mean less abortion,” Hamrick said.For Students for Life, “fighting chemical abortion pills” is a priority.Through pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and other programs, the pro-life movement continues to encourage women to choose life.“But what is happening in real time is that many are reaching out to women online and in their communities to encourage and support them in choosing life, while we also have to confront a new abortion cartel,” Hamrick said.")
The abortion count is rising as women rely more on mail-order chemical abortions, according to the most recent data.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/header-italy-BEAUTCONT1021-8e371e04902c43148dcbbf0a1e4c2d58.jpg)
