Today, Leo XIV has appointed Monsignor Eusebio Ramos Morales, 73, until now Bishop of Caguas, as the new Metropolitan Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was ordained a priest in 1983 after completing studies in philosophy and theology in Puerto Rico, Mexico, the United States and Rome. He has served as a parish priest, seminary rector, professor of dogmatic theology, Bishop of Fajardo-Humacao from 2008 to 2017, and Bishop of Caguas since 2017. In 2024, he became President of the Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference. The Puerto Rican bishops adopted one of the world's most restrictive implementations of Traditionis Custodes (2021), ending all Masses in the Roman rite on the island. Hard-line COVID vaccine policy In August 2021, Bishop Ramos signed the Puerto Rican bishops' pastoral instruction declaring that COVID vaccination was a "moral duty", that Catholic conscience objections were not recognized, and that priests and deacons were forbidden from issuing religious exemption letters …Zvimwe
In Italy, the Knives Are Out for the World’s Oldest Bank nytimes.com/…ss/dealbook/italy-oldest-bank-takeov… Founded in 1472, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena has survived wars, pandemics and By Bernhard Warner Visuals by Patrick Junker Reporting from Siena, Italy Aug. 1, 2026 Leer en español Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena is the world’s oldest bank. It has survived the rise and fall of the Medici, regional and world wars and its own near-death experiences — including a 5.4-billion-euro bailout in 2017 and a derivatives scandal that made the lender a byword for mismanagement. But under Luigi Lovaglio, the chief executive, who was recruited by the Italian government in 2022 to engineer a turnaround, Monte dei Paschi has grown into one of Europe’s healthiest financial institutions. Now, it’s a takeover target. Sitting in Palazzo Salimbeni, the bank’s fortresslike 14th-century headquarters in Siena’s historic center, Mr. Lovaglio reflected last week on the bank’s latest challenge. The …Zvimwe
Bishop Athanasius Schneider recalled his childhood in the underground Church of the Soviet Union during a talk in Cobh, Ireland, on August 3, AdVaticanum.com reports. “There were times when we had gatherings like this, but we had to close the windows and the doors because we were checked by the secret police, and we had to hide priests.” He recounted the story of Bishop Alexander Chira (1897-1983), a clandestine Greek Catholic bishop whom Soviet authorities urged “not to deny Christ, but only to become Orthodox,” thereby breaking communion with Rome. “He refused,” Bishop Schneider said, and, as a consequence, he was imprisoned in “several concentration camps called gulags.” Afterward, Bishop Chira lived under house arrest in Karaganda, concealing his identity as a bishop to avoid being sent back. “He could not reveal his identity as a bishop,” Bishop Schneider said. “Otherwise, he would be sent back. So he could only say to the people, ‘I am Father Alexander.’” Catholic priests celebrated …Zvimwe
Normalization of Pseudo Deaconesses at the Altar: On 26 July, the Parish of Timelkam in the Diocese of Linz, Austria, celebrated the patronal feast of St. Anne in Oberthalheim, reported the parish's Facebook page. As is now common in German-speaking dioceses, a female pastoral assistant, vested in an alb and liturgical scarf, was carrying out liturgical ministry from both the ambo and at the altar during the Eucharist.
In der Pfarrei St. Anna Kirche Oberthalheim in der Diözese Linz in Oberösterreich übernehmen Frauen bei der Messe maßgeblich die Leitung bestimmter Aufgaben, darunter: - das Verlesen des Evangeliums - das Halten der Predigt - das Sprechen des Segens - das Stehen neben dem Priester und sogar die Unterstützung beim Aussprechen bestimmter heiliger Worte
Leo XIV will wear liturgical vestments by his homosexual tailor Filippo Sorcinelli, 51, during the celebrations today in Assisi and on 22 August in Rimini. Sorcinelli said this in an interview with Corriere.it on 2 August. The Assisi vestments draw inspiration from 13th- and 14th-century paintings of the Porziuncola, while the Rimini vestments, created for a Eucharist by the sea, feature porthole motifs symbolizing water as the source of life. Sorcinelli says every papal vestment is designed specifically for the place and liturgy in which it will be used. He first met the future pope when he was still a cardinal, fitting him with a mitre presented by Augustinian confreres from Vienna. Sorcinelli says he later saw the same mitre reappear after Prevost's election as pope. Leo XIV's election helped Sorcinelli overcome a deep existential crisis. After more than a decade designing vestments for Pope Francis, Sorcinelli had considered leaving liturgical design to focus on organ music and his …Zvimwe
A research study conducted by Vatican expert Francesco Capozza reveals that more than 65% of the current College of Cardinals knows nothing of Latin, has never studied it, and does not understand it. Will Latin continue to be the universal language of the Church?
Ceuta Immigrants Are "Saints": Spanish priest Fr Ángel García, founder of the charity Mensajeros de la Paz, described invaders in Ceuta as "saints" because they had remained calm in difficult circumstances. Speaking to laSexta television in Ceuta on August 3, the priest said that many people would have reacted violently in the same circumstances, but the invaders were peacefully waiting for an opportunity to enter the reception centre. His remarks contrast with reports of unrest, including incidents of looting, violence and the carrying of machetes.
In the Moroccan invasion of Ceuta, people with katanas, jihadists, and all kinds of criminals have entered, but for "Father Ángel," they are true "saints."
Christians in Saydnaya Cancel Public Feast Celebrations: In an unprecedented move, the Christians of Saydnaya, Syria, have canceled all public celebrations of their major feasts in August and September .The parish councils of the Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, and Melkite Greek Catholic churches announced the suspension of the Feast of the Transfiguration, Our Lady of Saydnaya, and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The decision follows months of arbitrary detentions, kidnappings, and growing intimidation of the town's Christian community.
Verklärung des Herrn und Kreuzerhöhung abgesagt - syrische Christen gehen beispiellosen Schritt wegen Verfolgung
The Russian Orthodox Church has revoked its June decision assigning its former foreign affairs chief to two Russian Orthodox parishes in southern Brazil. Instead, Patriarch Kirill has assigned Hilarion, 60, to the Exaltation of the Cross Monastery near Moscow. The latest reassignment comes after a series of controversies involving the once-powerful church diplomat. In May, Czech police detained Hilarion in Karlovy Vary after searching his car and finding four containers containing a white powder. Czech authorities later identified the substance as cocaine. Hilarion was released without charges after two days, while the investigation remains ongoing. He denies any involvement and says he was the victim of a provocation. Hilarion had already been removed as Metropolitan of Budapest and Hungary in 2024 after a former male assistant accused him of homosexual misconduct and financial impropriety. The allegations were accompanied by claims that Hilarion lived a lavish lifestyle and accumulated …Zvimwe
"The allegations were accompanied by claims that Hilarion lived a lavish lifestyle and accumulated significant cash and property." So? Did he take a vow of poverty? Stick to the topic, which is lurid enough. Or shall we speak of the German and Austrian Latin hierarchy ... ?
The Tangled Tale of the Tate Brothers Over the past decade, the Tate brothers have built a global empire around pornography, hypermasculinity and overt misogyny. At the same time, they have been repeatedly accused of assaulting and trafficking women. A Times investigation found that as their legal troubles mounted, the Tates found powerful allies in the family and administration. Megan Twohey, who has been covering the story, explains just how important those alliances became and why they are now starting to unravel. Guest: Megan Twohey (Megan Twohey - The New York Times) , an investigative reporter for The New York Times.
Novus Ordo Goes to the Dogs: On 26 June, a video of a Eucharistic celebration at the Santo Domingo Savio parish in Villavicencio, Colombia, went viral after two dogs started howling along with Rev. Carlos Mario Peña Lopera as he sang a hymn. The dogs, Simón and Luna, are strays that the priest took in and who now regularly accompany him at Eucharists, often sitting near the altar. According to Rev. Peña Lopera, Luna had not previously joined in the howling alongside Simón. The priest continued the hymn without interruption.
Dos perros que acompañaban al sacerdote durante la eucaristía protagonizaron un inesperado momento al unirse, a su manera, a los cantos de la misa.
I love dogs and have/had several as pets - but they DO NOT belong at Holy Mass (guide dogs - who care for those with various ailments & are trained to behave - excepted).
Daniel 13-14 And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man. He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence. On Him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship, and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants. His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will His empire ever be destroyed.
Pope Leo has appointed Bishop Eusebio Ramos Morales of Caguas as the Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 2024, this bishop allowed the Bishop of Mayagüez—67-year-old Ángel Luis Ríos Matos—to mock Cardinal Raymond Burke during a conference on "synodality" held on September 8 in the Diocese of Caguas. Referring to Francis, Msgr. Ríos spoke against the "liturgical vestments" and "lace" that Francis himself uses. He projected images of Cardinal Burke wearing a cardinal's hat and a *cappa magna*. Msgr. Ríos said: "Look how beautiful this is. I should have covered his face—for those who know him." The bishop encouraged the audience to "laugh," and he joined in the laughter himself. Ríos then addressed Bishop Eusebio Ramos, who was present at the talk and joined in the mockery. Jokingly, Bishop Ríos said: "Don't you have one of those capes, Eusebio?" The audience and Bishop Ríos laughed again. Bishop Ríos continued his act, suggesting: "As a Synod gift, they should have a cape made for …Zvimwe
Eight centuries after St. Francis gathered thousands of friars near the Portiuncula, Pope Leo XIV met with 2,500 young adults in Assisi on Thursday and urged them to embrace Gospel radicalism.