Polish nuns beatified for heroic witness amid wartime horror June 2, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, Saints, World News In a solemn ceremony in Braniewo, northeastern Poland, 15 nuns from the Congregation of St. Catherine Virgin and Martyr, were beatified — recognized as martyrs who gave their lives during the final, brutal months of World War II.
Bishops speak up after two Catholic priests killed in Kenya May 29, 2025By Fredrick Nzwili OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, World News Catholic bishops in Kenya are demanding a full investigation into the suspicious deaths of two priests within days of each other, calling the incidents deeply disturbing.
Cardinal Dolan, Becket honoree, is ‘intensely devoted’ to protection of religious freedom May 28, 2025By Armando Machado OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York has been awarded Becket’s 2025 Canterbury Medal for his lifelong commitment to the cause of religious liberty.
Supreme Court rejects Indigenous coalition’s appeal over mine’s threat to sacred site May 27, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, Supreme Court, World News The U.S. Supreme Court on May 27 rejected an appeal from a coalition of Western Apache people, along with other Native American and non-Indigenous supporters, that sought to protect their sacred site at Oak Flat, Ariz., from destruction by a copper mining giant.
Polish order appeals for prayers as Catholic priests face draconian sentences in Belarus May 27, 2025By Jonathan Luxmoore OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News A Polish religious order has requested prayers from Christians worldwide for one of its senior priests, Oblate Father Andrzej Juchniewicz, who was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment on unspecified political charges in Belarus.
Story behind beatification of Poland’s Father Stanislaw Streich is one of quiet courage May 22, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, Saints, World News In one of the first beatifications under Pope Leo XIV, the church in Poland is preparing to celebrate the beatification of Father Stanislaw Streich, a humble parish priest murdered at the altar in 1938.
USCIRF praises Pope Leo XIV for continuing Vatican’s international religious freedom work May 19, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, Vatican, World News The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent, bipartisan U.S. government commission that monitors religious freedom around the globe, praised Pope Leo XIV May 16 for demonstrating the Vatican would continue its advocacy for international religious freedom during his papacy.
Trump names three U.S. bishops, priest to religious liberty commission advisory board May 19, 2025By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News Three U.S. Catholic bishops and a parish priest were among religious leaders President Donald Trump appointed to an advisory board of his recently established Religious Liberty Commission.
French town near city with papal history to mark 100 years since Martyrs of Orange beatification May 11, 2025By Caroline de Sury OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, Saints, World News On May 11, Archbishop François Fonlupt and neighboring bishops will mark the 100th anniversary of the beatification of the Martyrs of Orange — 32 religious sisters guillotined during the French Revolution for refusing to renounce their faith.
Civil rights probe launched over state abuse reporting law’s lack of Catholic confession protections May 8, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, News, Religious Freedom, World News The Justice Department said May 5 it opened a civil rights investigation into the development and passage of legislation in Washington state that requires clergy to report child abuse or neglect but provides no exceptions for clergy-penitent privilege.
Trump establishes religious liberty commission including Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Barron May 2, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, World News President Donald Trump on May 1 signed an executive order creating a religious liberty commission during an interfaith event marking the National Day of Prayer in the White House Rose Garden.
Justices to decide on Catholic charter schools after hearing case April 30, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, Supreme Court, World News The U.S. Supreme Court on April 30 heard oral argument in a case concerning the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City’s effort to establish the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which would be the nation’s first publicly funded Catholic charter school if it survives the challenge.
