The Diocese of Tulsa joined calls by a coalition of faith leaders and others for the Oklahoma governor to commute the death sentence of James Allen Coddington, 50, scheduled to die by lethal injection Aug. 25 at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who was expected to meet Pope Francis at the Congress of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan, will not attend the interreligious gathering in September, a senior Russian Orthodox bishop said.

As Ukraine approached the 31st anniversary of its independence Aug. 24, it did so while embroiled in a bitter fight for that freedom, as it hit the six-month mark of defending itself against a Russian invasion.

Many of Ukraine’s Catholics remain “upbeat and determined” despite fears of intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Independence Day, said a senior priest, who added that parish life was also continuing under tight surveillance in occupied areas.

Elderly men and women are called to pass on their wisdom and shine a path toward a better tomorrow for future generations, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis will lead a number of major events at the end of August, starting with the creation of 20 new cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Marking the six-month anniversary of the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Pope Francis renewed his appeal for prayers for an end to “the horror of war.”

Two state-sponsored church bodies in China have elected new leaders, who promised to invigorate the Catholic faithful pastorally in line with the socialist principles of the Chinese Communist Party.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is set to break a record for border captures when the fiscal year ends at the end of September, as the total number of apprehensions inched closer to the 2 million mark at the end of July.

Retired Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland, who was the ninth archbishop of Milwaukee from 1977 until his retirement in 2002, died overnight at Clement Manor in Greenfield after a long illness, the archdiocese announced Aug. 22. The prelate, who lived at the residence, was 95.