“Synodality is often presented and perceived by many as a cumbersome and complicated process with language and terminology that is unfamiliar to most Catholics,” said Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City. “Unless we can simplify how synodality is presented, it risks becoming the exclusive domain of specialists or ‘the initiated’ rather than a way of simply living our faith together.”

The Church in the United States is “very accustomed to welcoming and fostering lay involvement, from both men and women, at every level of Church life,” Archbishop Coakley added. “We need to continue to deepen our practice of discernment within those bodies and to develop and deepen an appropriate spirituality based on discernment and rooted in prayer.”

“We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Nicaraguan Bishop Abelardo Mata who has been arbitrarily detained by the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship,” the Bureau stated. “80-year old Bishop Mata poses no threat to the regime and his health is fragile.”

Bishop Sis encouraged Catholics who wish to attend the traditional Latin Mass to do so at the diocesan parish where it is celebrated, and assured those associated with the SSPX of his “pastoral concern as a shepherd” and “desire to assist in this difficult time.”

“We are urging the House and the Senate to pass a reconciliation bill that keeps our Medicaid dollars out of the hands of big abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood,” said Kelsey Pritchard of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

Hanna al-Amil, mayor of the Christian village of Rmaish, responded that “15 Christian towns had issued a statement two days ago denying these allegations.” France 24 reported that most Christian villages in southern Lebanon “have remained inhabited despite Israeli evacuation orders, with residents choosing to stay to protect their homes, churches and farmland.”

The prime minister made his remarks four months after the beginning of the Lebanon war, during which Israel has occupied part of southern Lebanon.

Schmitt, a convert from atheism to Catholicism, said that he was most struck by Pope Leo’s reference to empathy. Schmitt commented:

For a writer, whether a believer or not, the defining characteristic of a storyteller, novelist, or playwright is the ability to become all the characters in one’s story and to enable the spectator or reader to become those characters as well. It is the fundamental experience of shared humanity, of approaching otherness, of desire, and of engaging with the “other” and its mystery.

I truly believe that empathy is the primary quality a writer must possess. The Pope hit the nail on the head.

Matters India, based in Delhi, reported that

• a mob attacked the home of a Christian widow in Murshidabad, “demanding she abandon her faith and donate her property for conversion into a [Hindu] temple”
• activists “seized Bibles and briefly detained worshippers” at a Protestant prayer meeting in Bankura
• attackers “broke windows, desecrated the altar, and damaged musical instruments” at a Mizo Synod [Presbyterian] church in Suvas Gram
• a mob attacked Grace Church at Faridpur during a Sunday service, assaulting the pastor and members of the congregation

Matters India linked the attacks against Christians—as well as recent intimidation of Muslims—to a new Bharatiya Janata Party government in West Bengal. The state is 71% Hindu, 27% Muslim, and 0.7% Christian.

“We had a very frank and illuminating conversation,” Archbishop Gallagher told journalists after the July 6 meeting. “It was good to hear that many of our positions regarding the role of religious leaders, both on the Catholic side and the Muslim side, coincide. For me, this is a reason for optimism regarding the religious cohesion of the country and our shared commitment to working for the good of all Nigerians.”

Salisu Shehu, the council’s deputy-secretary general, said that “there was a strong call for all religious and faith communities to work together to combat hate speech, especially the growing and unfortunate phenomenon whereby some individuals openly insult religious leaders who are highly respected within their various faith communities.”

Nigeria, a nation of 243 million (map)--the most populous in Africa and sixth most populous in the world—is 47% Muslim, 46% Christian (11% Catholic), and 7% ethnic religionist.

The Holy See Press Office, General Secretariat of the Synod, and Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life released the preparatory document for the upcoming Vatican meeting on the tenth anniversary of Amoris Laetitia.

During a June 16 meeting with President Daniel Noa, the nuncio “conveyed the greetings of the Holy Father, Leo XIV, to the Ecuadorian people,” the Vatican newspaper reported on July 6. “For his part, the Head of State expressed his willingness to keep channels of collaboration and dialogue open with the Holy See and the local Catholic Church.”

Archbishop Campos, a native of Costa Rica, previously served as apostolic nuncio to Liberia, Gambia and Sierra Leone (2018-2022) and to Panama (2022-2026).

Located in South America, Ecuador, a nation of 18.5 million (map), is 95% Christian (83% Catholic). Pope Francis made an apostolic journey there in 2015.