Report: Christian church attacks down, but recent totals still higher than 2018-2022 August 13, 2025By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, World News Attacks on Christian churches in the U.S. last year totaled 415 — down from 485 in 2023 — although they are “significantly higher” than totals recorded from 2018 to 2022, according to a new report from the Washington-based Family Research Council.
How public opinion can influence migration policies August 13, 2025By Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Immigration and Migration These days, public opinion is usually formed by the media in all its forms, and any negative portrayal of migration issues seems to affect public opinion in a special way.
Home viewing roundup: What’s available to stream and what’s on horizon August 13, 2025By John Mulderig OSV News Filed Under: Movie & Television Reviews Capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television as well as notes on TV programming for the same week.
Question Corner: Is it simony that my parish wants to charge a fee for having a funeral livestreamed? August 13, 2025By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Question Corner The church does have material needs that arise in the course of her spiritual mission. And so it is not simony to accept or request donations on the occasion of the celebration of the sacraments, as long as it is understood that such a donation is truly a free-will offering and not a condition for the sacrament’s administration.
Petition filed at Supreme Court seeks overturn of landmark same-sex marriage ruling August 12, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, Supreme Court, World News About a decade after the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, overturning state laws defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman, the justices have been directly asked to overturn the ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
Head of Spanish political party criticizes Catholic Church’s defense of Muslim community August 12, 2025By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, News, World News The Spanish bishops’ conference was criticized by the head of Spain’s far-right VOX party after the church expressed religious concerns following a local council’s measure that would effectively ban Muslims from holding religious events in certain areas.
At 80th anniversary Mass in Nagasaki, people urged to bring Christ’s love, peace to world August 12, 2025By Mark Zimmermann OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, World News Japanese Catholics were joined by four U.S. prelates — two cardinals and two archbishops — and by Catholic university leaders and students from the United States who were participating in a “Pilgrimage of Peace” to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the bombings and to pray together for peace and for a world without nuclear weapons.
Cardenal salvadoreño: ‘Queremos vivir la democracia’ August 12, 2025By David Agren OSV News Filed Under: En Español El arzobispo José Luis Escobar Alas de San Salvador emitió un par de peticiones a los legisladores durante una Misa reciente celebrada con motivo de la festividad del Divino Salvador del Mundo, que se celebra en el país con motivo del día de la transfiguración. Ambas peticiones incursionaron en el ámbito político.
Following deadly steel plant explosion, Pittsburgh bishop calls for prayer August 12, 2025By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Uncategorized Bishop Mark A. Eckman of Pittsburgh is calling for prayer, following a deadly explosion at a US Steel facility in Pennsylvania Aug. 11 that killed at least one and injured 10, with one person still unaccounted for.
Trump federalizes DC police force, says homeless encampments will be removed August 12, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Social Justice, World News President Donald Trump said Aug. 11 he will place the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department “under direct federal control,” activate the National Guard, and “get rid of the slums” in what he called an effort to combat crime in Washington.
Statue of Confederate general known as anti-Catholic to be reinstalled in nation’s capital August 12, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Racial Justice, Religious Freedom, World News The National Park Service announced Aug. 4 that it will restore and reinstall a statue of a senior Confederate officer in the nation’s capital that was toppled during riots following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Advocate pleads for Vatican aid as Russian adoption database shows Ukraine’s children August 12, 2025By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, News, War in Ukraine, World News Ukrainian child advocate Mykola Kuleba is pleading for the Vatican’s assistance, after publicly highlighting what he said was one of several databases used by Russian occupation officials to market abducted Ukrainian children to Russian foster and adoption families.