Posted on 05/30/2025 16:43 PM (Detroit Catholic)
Posted on 05/30/2025 16:02 PM (CNA Daily News)
St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. / Credit: Joonas Plaan via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
ACI MENA, May 30, 2025 / 12:02 pm (CNA).
An appeals court in the Egyptian city of Ismailia has ruled that the monks of St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula have the right to use the monastery and surrounding religious heritage sites. However, the court also reaffirmed that these sites remain the property of the state as part of Egypt’s public domain.
The ruling has sparked grave concern within the Greek Orthodox Church, which denounced what it described as “an attempt to alter a system that has been in place for 15 centuries.”
In contrast, the Egyptian state issued reassurances regarding the monastery’s status.
His Beatitude Ieronymos II, archbishop of Athens and All Greece, condemned the verdict as a grave violation of human — especially religious — freedoms, stating that the monastery is “undergoing a great trial reminiscent of darker times in history.”
In an official statement, the archbishop warned: “The monastery’s properties are being seized and confiscated. This spiritual beacon of Orthodoxy and Hellenism is now facing a genuine threat to its existence. With deep sorrow and indignation, I call upon the Greek government and international bodies to recognize the magnitude of this danger and to take urgent action to safeguard fundamental religious freedoms at the sacred monastery of Sinai.”
In response, Egypt’s presidential office reaffirmed the country’s full commitment to preserving the unique religious and sacred status of St. Catherine’s Monastery, stressing that this ruling only reinforces its importance. The statement also referenced recent assurances given by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during his visit to Athens earlier this month.
A spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied allegations that the monastery or its surrounding lands had been confiscated. Speaking to the Middle East News Agency, the spokesperson clarified that the ruling merely formalizes the legal status of the monastery.
“According to the court’s decision,” he said, “and in recognition of the monastery’s spiritual and historic significance, the monks will retain full use of the monastery and nearby religious and archaeological sites. Remote and uninhabited natural reserve areas without proven ownership documents will remain under state jurisdiction.”
On May 30 the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressed deep concern regarding what it referred to as the “seizure of lands surrounding the monastery.” In a public statement, the patriarchate reaffirmed its full ecclesiastical authority and protection over the site. It also praised the official communications from Egyptian authorities, which emphasized respect for the sanctity and safety of the monastery and rejected any notion of encroachment.
St. Catherine’s Monastery is considered one of the most important Christian landmarks in Egypt, not only for its ancient heritage and biblical significance but also for its global spiritual and cultural symbolism. Founded over 1,500 years ago, the monastery remains active to this day and is home to a priceless collection of Byzantine icons and a library of rare and ancient manuscripts.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.
Posted on 05/30/2025 14:33 PM (Detroit Catholic)
Deacon Pat Bruen, 67, and Deacon Benjamin Schroder, 26, look forward to serving the Lord's people in southeast Michigan
Posted on 05/30/2025 10:00 AM (CNA Daily News)
null / Credit: pim pic/Shutterstock
CNA Staff, May 30, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.
A recent peer-reviewed study challenges the abortion industry’s claim that medication abortion is “safer than Tylenol.”
The Charlotte Lozier Institute last week published its peer-reviewed article in the journal BioTech challenging the “heavily relied upon talking point” for the abortion industry that abortion drugs are safer than Tylenol.
Abortion giant Planned Parenthood on its website claims that medication abortion is safer than Tylenol — the brand name for acetaminophen, which is used for pain relief and to reduce fevers — and other common medicines. But this study found that the claim is not only unsupported and unprovable but also that it ignores “serious adverse events of abortion drugs, such as sepsis and hemorrhage.”
The study noted that the claim cannot be validated because not only does a controlled study not exist comparing the two, but “it would be impossible to do so because these drugs are used for entirely different purposes.”
The study also notes that “while Tylenol-related deaths often result from misuse in a much larger user base, deaths from abortion drugs occur under prescribed use.”
“This oversimplification led to the creation of a catchy phrase aimed at reducing abortion drug regulations and minimizing concerns from women considering an abortion,” the institute said in a press release on Tuesday.
Pro-life leaders are urging the government to investigate the alleged Biden administration cover-up of the “D.C. Five,” a case in which the remains of five babies were discovered in Washington, D.C., in what advocates say indicated a violation of legal protections involving abortion and infants.
In a joint letter on Tuesday, nine organizations urged Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Washington Jeanine Pirro to investigate these “possible violations of the Partial-Birth Abortion Act and the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act” after the remains of the five babies were discovered by pro-life activists in 2022 in the nation’s capital.
Pirro took office as interim U.S. attorney on Wednesday, replacing Ed Martin, who had been in the role since Trump appointed him in January.
Signees include top pro-life leaders at Advancing American Freedom, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Students for Life of America, Live Action, and others.
The letter alleged that “rather than investigate the incident properly, the Biden administration worked to sweep the allegations under the rug and silence the individuals involved by prosecuting them.”
Additionally, the signees allege that the Department of Justice under former president Joe Biden “ordered” local police to “incinerate the evidence” even though pro-life congressional representatives called for preservation of the evidence.
The Missouri Supreme Court has reinstated pro-life laws protecting unborn children after the laws were earlier blocked due to the state’s recent abortion rights constitutional amendment.
The Missouri Supreme Court ordered District Judge Jerri Zhang in Kansas City to lift the injunction blocking restrictions on abortion on Tuesday. That means pro-life laws can go into effect there while litigation over the protections plays out in court.
Zhang had earlier ruled that several abortion regulations were unconstitutional, including rules that only doctors can perform abortions and that surgical instruments must be sterilized, as well as regulations regarding informed consent, according to the pro-life group Missouri Right to Life.
The state passed a pro-abortion constitutional amendment in November 2024. Voters there will vote on a repeal of the amendment next year.
Steve Rupp, president of Missouri Right to Life, welcomed the decision, saying it “will save lives of preborn babies and the health and safety of Missouri women.”
Posted on 05/30/2025 06:25 AM ()
Two days after Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram to the CELAM bishops, they share their commitment to his pontificate and call his election "a sign of hope.”
Posted on 05/30/2025 06:08 AM (Crux)
Posted on 05/30/2025 06:08 AM (Crux)
Posted on 05/30/2025 05:42 AM ()
Immediately after meeting Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican, Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli Maoz Inon sat down in the studios of Vatican Radio for an exclusive interview.
Posted on 05/30/2025 03:29 AM ()
The Archdiocese of Nampula, in northern Mozambique, is marking the 10th anniversary of the encyclical Laudato Si, released in 2015 by Pope Francis, with a series of activities aimed at raising awareness among the population about the urgency of caring for our Common Home, the planet Earth.
Posted on 05/30/2025 03:05 AM ()
Speaking with participants in last year’s Arena of Peace, Pope Leo says the Gospel and the Church’s social doctrine are a constant source of support for Christians, and a compass for everyone in efforts to build peace.
