Gina Christian

A leaked draft document has stirred backlash for addressing some practices predating the Second Vatican Council.

"No one can turn a deaf ear to the palpable cries of anxiety and fear heard in communities throughout the country in the wake of a surge in immigration enforcement actions," said the leader of the nation's Catholic bishops in a June 16 statement that assured all impacted of their shepherds' support.

Calls from bipartisan lawmakers and faith leaders across denominations are growing for the return of thousands of Ukrainian children deported to Russia, as the Trump administration withholds approved funding from a key research effort by Yale University to track the kids.

Parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, are set to pay a total of $80 million into the diocese's $150 million bankruptcy settlement, with the funds due to be paid into a trust by July 15.

The New York Senate has voted to legalize medically assisted suicide, a move that one Catholic bioethicist told OSV News marked "a dark day" for the state's residents, and the act will now head to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Protests broke out on June 6 after several raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which along with Customs and Border Protection is the law enforcement arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

At issue is what the diocese's legal counsel described in an Aug. 16, 2024, statement as an unlawful and unconstitutional alteration of how visa availability is calculated for certain noncitizens, which creates "profound immigration delays for noncitizen religious workers."

The U.S. Catholic bishops' latest annual report on child and youth protection shows abuse allegations continue to decline, but authors warned of the dangers of complacency.

Teaser: "It is in their (the Trump administration's) interest to push the higher numbers to justify a mass deportation campaign," J. Kevin Appleby said.

The president's proclamation says nationals from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will no longer be admitted.

As the Trump administration cracks down on foreign student visas, Catholic universities like Fordham, Notre Dame and Santa Clara say they are actively seeking to support affected students.

International students "are a huge part of our life here," said Fr. William Kelly. "They bring such vibrant faith from their own cultural backgrounds, and they're just so committed. They really do bring life to things."

At U.N. headquarters in New York, the Vatican secretary of state said Pope Leo XIV "has expressed his deep commitment to building bridges, underscoring the need to meet, dialogue and negotiate."

Catholic Relief Services, the official humanitarian agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S., hosted a May 17 national online meeting with some 375 participants to mobilize congressional lobbying against additional long-term cuts known as rescissions.

A move to hold talks between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican appeared to gain momentum May 19, following a call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Amid an immigration enforcement operation in Nashville, Tennessee, that has emptied the pews at several Spanish-speaking parishes, the Diocese of Nashville is reminding faithful that they are not required to attend Sunday Mass if they fear for their well-being according to the church's own teaching and canon law.

In a statement provided to OSV News, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington said that it was "providing limited and temporary assistance to South Africans traveling through Dulles International Airport this week to final destinations elsewhere."

Several religious goods industry professionals told OSV News they're not yet sure how the Trump administration's new tariffs will impact their business operations — and the consumers who patronize their firms.

With fear "the driving force" in the current global climate, nations must recommit to nuclear disarmament and the regulation of artificial intelligence, said Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Holy See's permanent observer to the United Nations.

Notre Dame's president, Holy Cross Fr. Robert Dowd, said the university named Kerry Alys Robinson this year's recipient for her "boundless compassion, visionary leadership and inspiring example of faith-filled service."