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.

Members of the National Association of Catholic Nurses USA gathered Aug. 2-4 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa for a world congress that blended spirituality with specifics on best practices in the field.

Jesus’ image of entering the kingdom of heaven through a “narrow gate” does not mean that “only a few are destined to go through it” but instead means living “one’s life in love, in service, and in giving oneself as he did,” the pope said during his Sunday Angelus address.