Edition of Wednesday, September 23

Catholic schoolchildren in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, gathered with candles on Sept. 17 at Our Lady of Mercy Parish to mourn 27 classmates killed in a fire. The blaze, which occurred on Sept. 10, affected three areas of the city and devastated both homes and schools.

The fires destroyed nearly 500 homes and left at least 2,000 people homeless. Most of the children who died attended Ujamaa and Furaha primary schools and participated in pastoral activities, including the children’s choir and groups such as Kizito, Anuarite, and the Angels of Heaven, according to Catholic communicator Benjamin Mukanire.

During a memorial Mass, Father Patrice Mukata Bayongwa, the provincial coordinator of Catholic state-subsidized schools for the Archdiocese of Bukavu, encouraged students to maintain their faith and hope despite their grief. The 27 victims were buried on Sept. 14 at the Ruzizi Cemetery.

Pope Leo XIV will pray the Rosary for peace with 700 to 1,000 children on October 1 in the Vatican Gardens. The children, coming from various schools and parishes in Rome, will join the Pope to begin a week of prayer.

The event marks the start of the World Prayer Week for the "One Million Children Praying the Rosary" initiative, organized by the Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need. For the first time, the campaign will span an entire week from October 1 to October 7, allowing families, schools, and pastoral communities across different continents to choose a day to pray for peace and unity. The week of prayer will conclude on October 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Bishop Daniel E. Garcia of the Diocese of Austin denounced the shooting of a man by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Sept. 20. In a statement released that same day, Garcia said he was saddened and disturbed by the incident, noting that increased activity by ICE agents has left many people living in terror and fear. He called for an immigration policy that respects the rule of law while recognizing human dignity.

The man shot, identified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a Venezuelan national with a final order of removal, was delivering for DoorDash at the time of the encounter, according to his lawyer. While federal officials stated the shooting occurred after the man attempted to flee arrest during a vehicle pursuit, the man's attorney claims he is in the United States legally with a valid work permit.

Garcia asked the faithful of the diocese to pray for the man, his family, and the community. He also requested that federal, state, and city authorities remain transparent and honest during the investigation to maintain public confidence in government entities. The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the shooting with assistance from the FBI, and the man remains in federal custody in stable condition.

The Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education is holding the second session of the Borgo Dialogues in New York from Sept. 20 to Sept. 23. Organized alongside the United Nations General Assembly, the invitation-only meetings bring together leaders from business, finance, academia, faith, healthcare, sports, civil society, and international institutions to discuss artificial intelligence, human dignity, the common good, and sustainable development.

Cardinal Fabio Baggio, the director general of the center and founder of the dialogues, said the gathering provides a space for leaders to address difficult questions and build trust to advance the common good. The discussions center on the question of what is being built, for whom, and who will inherit it.

The dialogues are inspired by the encyclicals Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti by Pope Francis, as well as Magnifica Humanitas by Pope Leo XIV. This second session follows an initial meeting held in June at Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo, where Pope Leo XIV addressed participants. The center was founded by Pope Francis in 2023.

Father Román de la Cruz Hernández was killed on September 15 in the municipality of Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo state. The news outlet N+ reported that his body was found along a rural roadway with multiple gunshot wounds.

The Diocese of Huejutla confirmed the death of the Santa Cruz Parish pastor in a statement released September 16. Bishop José Hiraís Acosta Beltrán signed the diocesan statement, which urged authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure justice and prevent such crimes from going unpunished. The Mexican bishops’ conference also issued a statement on September 16 calling for a prompt investigation by relevant authorities.

The killing occurred on the eve of Mexico's Independence Day celebrations and two days after a march for peace was held in another part of the country to call for an end to violence.

Pope Leo XIV visited the Dicastery for Culture and Education at the Palazzo dei Propilei on the morning of September 21. During the hour-long visit, the pope met with employees and collaborators to thank them for their daily service to the Church and the world.

Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, the prefect of the dicastery, welcomed the pope alongside secretaries Paul Tighe and Carlo Maria Polvani. After greeting staff at their workstations, the pope spent time in the chapel for prayer.

In a brief speech, the pope encouraged staff to continue spreading the values of humanism globally. He noted that culture, through art and sport, creates opportunities for encounter and fosters dialogue using a universal language.

An international research group found that the Archdiocese of Panama lacks sufficient procedures to prevent and respond to abuse incidents. The Transparency Commission released its assessment on Tuesday, following a request last year from Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta to evaluate how the local Church managed abuse complaints over the last 25 years.

The commission's findings include a need for better record-keeping, improved methods for listening to victims, clearer codes of conduct, and measures for reparation. During its review, the group examined 24 of the 37 sexual abuse complaints received by the archdiocese between 2001 and 2025. The remaining complaints fell outside the commission's specific timeframe, jurisdiction, or did not involve minors or vulnerable persons.

To reach these conclusions, the commission reviewed archdiocesan archives, interviewed individuals, collected testimonies, and studied local media reports. The Transparency Commission is an independent group of experts funded by Notre Dame Law School and the Universidad Villanueva Foundation in Spain. This assessment served as a pilot project for the group, which intends to conduct similar evaluations in other dioceses.

Kolbe Arte will offer free screenings of the film "O Céu Não Pode Esper@" throughout Brazil during October to mark the first anniversary of the canonization of Carlo Acutis. The Catholic film distributor is making the movie available to parishes, schools, communities, movements, companies, and other institutions.

The screenings are scheduled to take place from October 1 to October 31 at the participating locations, provided the institutions have the necessary equipment for the session. There is no limit on the number of attendees, allowing for both small groups and large communities to participate.

To participate, institutions must register through a request form. The Kolbe Arte team will review each registration and send instructions for the screening upon approval. The film follows the life of Carlo Acutis, who focused his life on the Eucharist and used technology as a way to evangelize.

The Latin Patriarchate School in Gaza has reopened for 1,005 students, marking the return of formal classes after nearly three years of disruption. The school, which the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem describes as the only operating Christian educational institution in the territory, began the 2026-27 academic year with students from kindergarten through Grade 12 and 77 teachers.

The Holy Family Parish compound previously served as a shelter for displaced families during the war. As families returned home or found other housing in the spring of 2026, the school resumed its educational mission. The reopening included the establishment of a new kindergarten building and was supported by donors and partners.

Father Gabriel Romanelli, the priest who supervises the school, said the institution should be a place where love, healing, and mutual respect grow among community members. While classes have resumed, the school faces shortages of stationery, furniture, and basic educational materials. To assist students and teachers returning after years of interrupted schooling, the school is preparing extracurricular activities to provide psychological support.

Ezra Jin Mingri, a pastor and founder of an underground church, called for the release of individuals imprisoned for their religious beliefs during a Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing on Sept. 22. Jin, a former prisoner of conscience who was recently reunited with his family in the United States, asked members of Congress to maintain attention on religious persecution and human rights.

Speaking with his daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, acting as translator, Jin expressed concern for 8 fellow church leaders who remain in prison. The testimony comes as President Donald Trump prepares to host President Xi Jinping for a state visit in Washington. Advocates have urged the president to use the meeting to push for the release of political and religious prisoners, including Jimmy Lai, a Catholic pro-democracy campaigner in Hong Kong currently serving a 20-year sentence.

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen is scheduled to be beatified on Sept. 24 in St. Louis, making him the first U.S.-born bishop to receive this honor.

Sheen was known for his media ministry and studied philosophy and theology in Europe, including Leuven, Belgium, as well as Paris and Rome, after his ordination. During his time in Rome, he earned a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum. He was also consecrated a bishop and attended the Second Vatican Council during his time in the city.

In 1935, Pope Pius XI held a private audience with Sheen, who had been named a monsignor the previous year. According to reports, the pope asked Sheen to study the works of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin to help warn Americans about the dangers of communism.

The British House of Commons rejected a bill regarding assisted suicide for terminally ill adults on September 11. The vote concluded with 286 members voting against the proposal and 270 voting in favor. This result represents a 39-vote difference compared to a similar bill discussed last year.

Thomas Ward, president of the John Paul II Academy for Human Life and the Family, welcomed the decision, stating that there are no circumstances where taking the life of an innocent human being is legitimate. The Academy described the rejected legislation as deeply flawed.

Factors contributing to the defeat of the bill included parliamentary scrutiny, grassroots mobilization, and concerns regarding underfunded end-of-life care and the protection of vulnerable people. Supporters of the rejection included doctors, people with disabilities, bishops, and members of parliament from various political sides.