The Maronite Church is entering a week of prayer, celebration, and preparation ahead of the beatification of Patriarch Elias Hoyek, a defining figure in both Maronite and Lebanese history.
Celebrations will include the screening of the film “Patriarch Elias, God Provides,” a solemn beatification Mass on Saturday in Diman, the transfer of the new blessed’s relics to his tomb in Ibrine, a concert by the Lebanese National Philharmonic Orchestra, and a Mass of thanksgiving on Aug. 1, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported on Sunday.
The Maronite Patriarchate called on the faithful in Lebanon and the diaspora to prepare spiritually for what it described as “a historic moment for the Church” ahead of the beatification. The patriarchate invited Catholics to unite in prayer and light candles Friday evening as a sign of faith, hope, and ecclesial communion, and asked churches across Lebanon to ring their bells as the beatification Mass begins.
Egypt moves against alleged discrimination toward young Christian athlete
Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports has intervened in what has been described as an unprecedented case involving alleged discrimination against a young Christian soccer player, ACI MENA reported Thursday.
The case began after the mother of 13-year-old Makary Younan said her son was excluded from the youth team at Alexandria’s Al Ittihad Club after a coach learned his name and allegedly said, “This name does not work here.” The club later said Makary had passed the tryouts and would be signed, but the ministry opened an investigation.
After hearing witnesses and reviewing the incident, officials said the violation had been established, ordered the club to investigate the coach within 48 hours, and referred the file to the public prosecutor. The ministry said it would not tolerate discrimination inside sports institutions and promised transparency in announcing the final penalty.
Finish parliamentarian appeals ‘hate speech’ conviction to European Court of Human Rights
Päivi Räsänen is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights to overturn the Finnish Supreme Court’s ruling in March that found her guilty of hate speech over a pamphlet she wrote more than 20 years ago.
“Appealing my conviction is about much more than a fine or a decades-old church booklet,” Räsänen said after filing an appeal this week, according to an Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International press release Friday. “My case stands to determine whether the fundamental rights of religious freedom and free speech are still protected in Finland and across Europe, and whether these societies are still willing to stand up for the rights of all — even those they disagree with.”
Irish priests press Dublin for stronger action on Gaza
Irish Catholic priests have called on their government to take a firmer position on Gaza, urging a permanent ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, and stronger accountability under international law, ACI MENA recently reported.
Priests Against Genocide, a network of more than 2,400 priests — including 26 bishops and cardinals across 62 countries — called on members of Parliament in Ireland to advocate for accountability through the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice regarding Gaza.
The group also urged the government to advocate for humanitarian aid and increased diplomatic efforts to bring lasting peace to the region. The letter further underscored a growing moral concern within parts of the Irish Church over the humanitarian toll of the war and the need for political action that goes beyond statements of concern.
Improved security enables pastoral growth in South Sudan
Bishop Matthew Remijio Adam Gbitiku of the Diocese of Wau in South Sudan praised improved security in the country, which he said has allowed the Catholic Church to expand its pastoral ministry.
“I thank the government because you can move day and night freely. There is no insecurity. So in the diocese, there is security that allows the bishop to do his pastoral work freely,” Adam told ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, at the 21st plenary assembly of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. “There is a good understanding between the Church and the state, and we are collaborating very well.”
Lebanese woman claims healing through St. Rafqa’s intercession
Samar al-Maarrawi, a Lebanese widow, mother, grandmother, theology student, catechist, and longtime member of the Focolare Movement, shared with ACI MENA that she has been healed from cancer through the intercession of St. Rafqa, a Lebanese Maronite nun who was known for her mysticism, holiness, and devotion to the Eucharist.
First diagnosed in 2017, al-Maarrawi said the illness returned in 2022 in her glands and bones. Doctors said her time was limited.
Al-Maarrawi said she turned to St. Rafqa, took soil from the saint’s tomb, and later received medical results showing no trace of the disease. She also recounted a dream in which St. Rafqa told her she had been healed not from one cancer but from seven. According to al-Maarrawi, her doctor later confirmed that there had been seven affected areas, though she had only been told of three. She said she continues to live in gratitude, entrusting her life to God and asking the Virgin Mary to accompany her.
Japanese cardinal urges Church to stand up against violence
Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo called on the Catholic Church not to be passive while fighting against violent threats to human life.
“We must not merely stand by and watch helplessly in the face of a raging storm of violence but strive to continue sowing good wheat even more widely,” Kikuchi said in a reflection on July 19, according to Licas News.
“The dominance of violence and the tragic reality of life, a precious gift, being in peril, are so glaringly obvious that one cannot help but wonder if God condones the existence of evil,” he continued. “It is the Church’s duty to look at events in the realities of society that are hindering the realization of the world God desires, to read the signs revealed therein from an evangelical perspective rather than being swayed by what is happening, and to speak with the common good in mind.”
Catholic school group in Australia says it will participate in abuse payouts
The Catholic school group Edmund Rice Education Australia has agreed to allow the large property holdings it received from Christian Brothers to be liquidated for abuse payouts.
The Trustees of the Christian Brothers announced the news in a Friday press release, noting that funds from the sale of the properties will go to a scheme fund that will in turn be used to pay creditors and abuse survivors.
The Christian Brothers transferred millions of dollars’ worth of property to the school group over the course of a decade in a series of $1 exchanges. Abuse victims had argued that the properties should be subject to the overall settlement scheme.
The Christian Brothers announced in June that its organization would come to an end in Australia amid the pending abuse settlement.
Patriarch Rai urges Lebanon to fully implement framework agreement
Speaking from the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya on the feast of St. Charbel, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai said holiness does not need noise to be known but rather fidelity in order to bear fruit.
Reflecting on St. Charbel’s hidden life and worldwide spiritual influence, Rai connected Lebanon’s survival to truth, peace, and the intercession of its saints, ACI MENA reported Sunday. He also renewed his call for the full and precise implementation of Lebanon’s framework agreement, saying it is essential for strengthening state sovereignty, extending legitimate authority across the country, preserving stability, and protecting Lebanon’s national rights.
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