The Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations paid tribute to the faith and courage of the Ukrainian people.

“What struck and moved me most was the courage of the people, their determination, and also their faith in God the Father,” Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher said after returning from a visit to Ukraine. “There is a firm resolve to live as normal a life as possible: to continue working, to care for their children, to look after the elderly, and to foster solidarity with those who have suffered under bombardment.”

“I was deeply impressed by their nobility of spirit and by their determination to preserve their freedom and independence,” Archbishop Gallagher added,

During Archbishop Gallagher’s visit to Ukraine, the Russian military launched a missile and drone attack that struck the neighborhood of the apostolic nunciature, where the prelate was staying.

A New York State lawmaker called for a police investigation into the Diocese of Buffalo following the arrest of a suspended diocesan priest on child pornography charges.

“Nearly every priest that I had, you know, I grew up in the Church, was credibly accused of child sexual abuse,” said Rep. Patrick Burke, 42. “Many friends of mine were victims of child sexual abuse.”

L’Osservatore Romano devoted the most prominent article in its July 22 edition to rising international wealth inequality.

“The number of people suffering from hunger continues to decline, yet the gap between the wealthiest nations and developing countries is widening, especially in Africa,” the Vatican newspaper reported. Valerio Palombaro’s article cites “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026,” a new UN report.

A survey of over 11,000 Catholic youth conducted by the Brazilian bishops’ Episcopal Commission for Youth found that a widespread desire for formation in the faith and in holiness.

Participants also said that their life of faith was hindered by “a lack of reverence for the liturgy and an excessive emphasis on sociopolitical issues,” according to an EWTN News report.

“Among the perceptions voiced by participants, many expressed a desire to find a Church deeply centered on Jesus Christ, spirituality, liturgy, and faith formation,” said Layla Kamila, who works for the episcopal commission. “Open-ended responses also reveal observations regarding the desire for evangelization to keep Christ at the center.”

Addressing the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle described Christ as the true builder of bridges.

Cardinal Tagle, one of the two pro-prefects of the Dicastery for Evangelization, “exhorted the assembly to anchor all pastoral discernment in the person of Christ before launching structural initiatives and to pray with biblical images rather than abstract concepts,” the Fides News Agency reported.

In his July 22 reflection, Cardinal Tagle also compared synodal accompaniment to helping someone walk. Citing the example of his 96-year-old father, who is no longer able to walk, Cardinal Tagle said, “How do you walk with someone who cannot walk? You stay. You touch the hand. You whisper to his ears, and he is assured he is not alone.”

In the July-August issue of Piazza San Pietro, the magazine of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo responded to a letter writer who sought advice on deepening his Christian life during the summer months.

Encouraging the faithful to “live out the Gospel of peace and mercy,” Pope Leo asked families to visit elderly relatives who live alone and not to forget the sick.

“Commit yourselves to bringing humanity and hope to those who suffer, and you will see the fruits of grace,” the Pope continued. “You will discover how much love will fill your lives, how much joy, how much happiness.”

“Let us also avoid excess and waste, materialism and consumerism, and let us educate ourselves in simplicity and moderation,” he added. “The accumulation of wealth hinders evangelization.”

Citing Evangelium Vitae, Pope St. John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical letter on the value and inviolability of human life, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops asked Governor Ron DeSantis to stay two executions scheduled for July 28.

“The crimes of which these men were convicted are gravely evil,” the conference’s executive director, Michael Sheedy, wrote in his July 21 letter.

“To punish with lifelong imprisonment is not to minimize the heinousness of these men’s crimes,” Sheedy added. “It is rather to recognize with awe that God is the author of life, and to reserve to him the taking of human life except where it is otherwise impossible to maintain the common good.”

The Holy See Press Office announced the July 22 consecration of Father Joseph Chang Yanfeng, 42, as bishop of Chifeng, China.

Typically, the Holy See Press Office announces a bishop’s appointment, rather than his consecration. In announcing the prelate’s consecration, the press office stated that Pope Leo, “having approved his candidature within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China,” made the appointment on June 15.

The principal celebrant at Bishop Chang’s episcopal ordination Mass was Bishop Meng Qinglu of Hohhot, vice chairman of the government-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, renewed his call for peace and dialogue amid continued fighting in the Iran war and in Ukraine.

Cardinal Parolin also criticized the construction of a barrier in Gaza and appealed for calm in Bologna following the death of a Moroccan man under police restraint.

Cardinal Parolin made his remarks on July 22 at the Italian Embassy to the Holy See, where he was speaking at the presentation of Antonio Preziosi’s book Easter of Peace: From John XXIII to Leo XIV Towards the Jubilee of 2033.

An earthquake in Huancayo, Peru, destroyed approximately homes and caused severe damage to two churches, including the sixteenth-century Church of St. James the Apostle in Chongos Bajo.

“We join in the grief of the families mourning their loved ones, raising our prayers for the eternal rest of the deceased, and asking the Lord to grant strength, comfort, and hope to all,” the Peruvian bishops’ conference said in a statement.