Palestine and Israel border. / Credit: AntonMislawsky/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

Israel denies entry to Italian priest over criticism of war in Gaza 

An Italian Catholic priest who has accused Israel of genocide and criticized its ongoing war in Gaza was recently denied entry into the country and sent on a return flight to Greece, according to reports.

Father Nandino Capovilla, founder of the “Bridges, Not Walls” Campaign for Palestine of Pax Christi Italy, was planning to take part in a “pilgrimage of justice” organized by the group but was stopped at Ben Gurion Airport on Aug. 11 and told he would not be permitted to enter the country.

Capovilla, who regularly posts on Facebook about Gaza, wrote a post after his release instructing journalists who cover his situation to demand sanctions on Israel.

Iran admits to arrest of over 50 Christians since end of ‘12-day war’ 

The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) revealed it has arrested over 50 Christians since the end of its short-lived “12-day war” with Israel, according to the watchdog group Article18. The admission was made in a wider announcement detailing the intelligence agency’s crackdown on groups it said participated in anti-regime demonstrations amid the conflict.

The MOIS said in the announcement that it had “neutralized” 53 “Mossad mercenaries” who it claimed had been “trained abroad” by churches in the U.S. and Israel to rebel against the Iranian regime. At least 11 of the detained have been released on bail.

“Prior to the conflict, over 60 other Christians were either detained or in the process of being tried on charges related to their faith in Iran, and this number has now nearly doubled,” Article18 stated.

Lebanon’s Maronite patriarch calls for peace during visit to Christian villages

Maronite patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi toured Christian border villages in southern Lebanon, delivering a clear message: “No to war, yes to peace,” ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, reported Sunday. His visit comes after the latest round of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which caused significant displacement and damage to the region’s Christian communities.

Accompanied by the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, and local bishops, the patriarch visited towns including Dibl, Al-Qouzah, Ain Ebel, and Rmeish. In Al-Qouzah, where only 72 residents remain, he pledged support for reconstruction efforts, affirming that “war is temporary, peace endures.”

At each stop, he was welcomed with showers of rice and flowers, emphasizing the resilience of the people who chose to stay despite the hardships. Al-Rahi reiterated that Lebanon’s identity is rooted in peace, urging both leaders and citizens to reject the cycle of violence.

Sri Lanka Catholics continue protests against sand mining, wind power mill 

The Catholic-majority Mannar district in northern Sri Lanka has continued its protest against sand mining and wind power farms, according to UCA News, contesting that the practices “threaten their survival and livelihoods.”

Protestors claim the projects threaten the ecology and cultural heritage of the island and have been protesting in the streets since Aug. 11, when they began blocking the entrance of vehicles transporting equipment, including turbine blades for the windmill farm, into the island.

Father S. Marcus Adigalar, president of the Mannar Citizens Committee, told UCA: “Following the implementation of a windmill project carried out by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in the past, we are already witnessing the environmental impact of it.”

The priest further claimed that there has been an increase in deaths of birds and a negative impact on the fishing community due to the noise and vibrations caused by the wind farm. “This cannot be allowed,” he added.

African religious orders challenged to meet local needs before sending priests abroad

The Vatican secretary for the Dicastery for Evangelization has issued a call for African religious orders to make sure the needs of their local communities are being met before priests are sent abroad. 

During a speech at the third Pan-African Catholic Congress on Theology, Society, and Pastoral Life, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu told attendees: “A Church that fails to care for its own cannot credibly claim to care for others,” according to an Aug. 13 report from ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa.

He further emphasized the importance of safeguarding the missionary presence of Africans abroad so it may be viewed “not as a request for aid but as a witness to Christ’s self-giving love and the fruitfulness of the Gospel sown in African soil.”

Vatican secretary of state travels to Burundi for pastoral visit

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived on Tuesday in Burundi for a weeklong pastoral visit. According to a report from ACI Africa, he expressed joy upon his arrival to the East African nation, telling those who received him at the apostolic nunciature: “I am very happy to be among you.”

Parolin’s visit included meetings with various communities, Church leaders, and government authorities, including President Évariste Ndayishimiye. He is also scheduled to preside over the inauguration of a monument and lay the foundation stone for a new health center dedicated to the memory of Archbishop Michael Aiden Courtney, the former apostolic nuncio to Burundi who was assassinated in 2003.

Mozambique priest condemns rise in child abductions as war rages in northern province

A Catholic priest in the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique is condemning the increase in cases of child abduction, as Human Rights Watch estimated at least 120 children kidnapped by jihadist insurgents linked to the Islamic State in recent months, ACI Africa reported.  

“This senseless war brings only death and takes what little hope the people, and especially the children, have,” said Father Kwiriwi Fonsesca in an Aug. 8 report from Aid to the Church in Need International.

“These children must be returned to their parents; they must be searched for wherever they are, so that they can be returned to their parents, because they deserve a better future,” he added.

Church in Germany invested nearly 600 million euros in international projects in 2024

The Catholic Church in Germany invested almost 600 million euros (about $700 million) in international projects in 2024, according to the German Bishops’ Conference. 

The roughly 595 million euros distributed across the globe includes 200 million to Africa, almost 144 million to Latin America, over 137 million to Asia and around 76 million to various regions across Europe. Forty-nine million euros were listed as invested in international projects, according to CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner. 

Bishop Bertram Meier of Augsburg wrote in a preface to the bishops’ conference financial report: “595 million euros for project funding — that’s an impressive figure.” However, he noted, the actual extent of the Church’s reach in the foreign aid sphere is “far greater,” given the number of additional independent church associations.