Aurel Percă, Archbishop of Bucharest, celebrated his 75th birthday with a Mass of thanksgiving at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Bucharest. The event was broadcast live by Angelus TV.
Thursday, August 20, 2026 · Ordinary Time, Week 20 · Green · updated 1m · Español · Italiano · Português · Français · Polski
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From the Holy See
Archdiocese of Bucureşti, Bucarest · Vatican News · Agenzia Fides · L'Osservatore Romano- 01 discussBishopsNew3h ago
Aurel Percă, Archbishop of Bucharest, celebrated his 75th birthday with a Mass of thanksgiving at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Bucharest.
2 sources·Archdiocese of Bucureşti, BucarestVatican News
- 02 discussReligious OrdersNew57m ago
Father Robert Goessens, a Belgian missionary, died in Japan at 97.
Agenzia Fides
Father Robert Goessens, a Belgian missionary, died in Japan at 97. He was part of the first group of CICM missionaries to arrive in Ulaanbaatar in 1992. Goessens established the mission and worked in social services and child welfare.
SourcesAgenzia Fides
- 03 discussCulture22h ago
At least 500 people have been hospitalized in Yangon with symptoms of cholera.
2 sources·3 reports·L'Osservatore RomanoVatican News
At least 500 people have been hospitalized in Yangon with symptoms of cholera. 149 rapid tests were positive, with 9 confirmed by the National Laboratory. The outbreak occurs in a country divided by over five years of war, with millions displaced.
- 05 discussChurch & StateNew1h ago
Ecuador has declared three days of national mourning for the death of intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi, who died in a helicopter crash in Kenya.
Agenzia Fides
Ecuador has declared three days of national mourning for the death of intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi, who died in a helicopter crash in Kenya. Sensi-Contugi was one of President Daniel Noboa's closest aides and had headed the National Intelligence Center since January 2024. The crash also killed his wife and five other people.
SourcesAgenzia Fides
- 06 discussLiturgy18h ago
Pope Leo XIV spoke about the importance of liturgical music in his general audience.
3 sources·4 reports·Vatican NewsL'Osservatore RomanoMagyar Kurír
Pope Leo XIV spoke about the importance of liturgical music in his general audience. He emphasized that it contributes to the unity of the Church and opens the heart to God's action. The Pope referred to the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, which highlights the role of sacred music in the liturgy.
The Church throughout the world
The five parts the Annuario Pontificio counts, and in each of them only publishers who speak from it: a bishops' conference, a diocese, a Catholic paper of that place. An agency reporting about a continent from another one is in the wire below, not here.
Thursday, August 20
46 stories · 6 corroborated- 01 discussVaticanNew1h ago
Pope Leo XIV has released a message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation.
2 sources·Vatican NewsACI Prensa
Pope Leo XIV has released a message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation. The message warns that war has consequences that destroy far beyond the battlefield. The Pope says that we are to imitate the Lord's offering of peace to work toward peace in the world.
SourcesVatican NewsACI Prensa
- 02 discussEducationNew1h ago
The Catholic Biblical Association of America elected its first Jewish president, Amy-Jill Levine.
2 sources·Catholic News AgencyNational Catholic Register
The Catholic Biblical Association of America elected its first Jewish president, Amy-Jill Levine. This is a first for the organization.
- 04 discussVaticanUpdated1h ago
Pope Leo XIV will visit France from September 25 to 28, 2026.
5 sources·Diocese of Aire et DaxDiocese of CréteilVatican News+2
Pope Leo XIV will visit France from September 25 to 28, 2026. He will travel to Paris, Lourdes, Saint-Denis, and Metz. The visit is at the invitation of the bishops of France, the President of the Republic, and the Director General of UNESCO.
SourcesDiocese of Aire et DaxDiocese of CréteilVatican NewsVida NuevaAleteia
- 05 discussVaticanUpdated1h ago
Pope Leo XIV meets with President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon in the Vatican.
2 sources·5 reports·Vatican NewsReligión Digital
Pope Leo XIV meets with President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon in the Vatican. The meeting focuses on the Tripartite Framework Agreement between the US, Israel, and Lebanon. The Holy See expresses support for peace efforts but also concerns about the challenges in implementing the agreement.
SourcesVatican NewsReligión Digital
- 06 discussCatholic LifeUpdated33m ago
The Diocese of Lafayette held a 40-mile Eucharist boat procession along the Bayou Teche.
4 sources·Diocese of Fort Wayne-South BendThe Catholic SunOSV News+1
The Diocese of Lafayette held a 40-mile Eucharist boat procession along the Bayou Teche. The procession honored the 250th anniversary of American Independence and the 261st anniversary of Catholicism in the region. The event was organized by Father Michael Champagne and the Community of Jesus Crucified.
SourcesDiocese of Fort Wayne-South BendThe Catholic SunOSV NewsThe Leaven
- 08 discussReligious OrdersNew34m ago
Catholic Review
The Josephites have elected Father Bomberger as their new superior general. He succeeds the late Bishop John H. Ricard. Father Bomberger will serve until June 2027.
SourcesCatholic Review
- 09 discussReligious FreedomNew1h ago
Lakurawa attacked Ungushi in Sokoto State, Nigeria, killing at least 32 people.
Agenzia Fides
Lakurawa attacked Ungushi in Sokoto State, Nigeria, killing at least 32 people. The group operates in the overlap between organized banditry and religious militancy. The attack targeted a predominantly Muslim community, including Imam Aliyu.
SourcesAgenzia Fides
- 10 discussVaticanNew1h ago
Pope leads Angelus and Rosary.
Vatican News
Pope leads Angelus and Rosary. The event took place on August 19, 2026.
SourcesVatican News
- 11 discussCatholic LifeNew1h ago
Sister Sandra Garay, Caritas Mongolia director, says desertification threatens rural communities.
Agenzia Fides
Sister Sandra Garay, Caritas Mongolia director, says desertification threatens rural communities. Desertification affects 77% of Mongolia's territory. Climate change, drought, and human activities contribute to the problem.
SourcesAgenzia Fides
- 12 discussVaticanNew1h ago
Pope leads Angelus and Rosary on August 20, 2026.
Vatican News
Pope leads Angelus and Rosary on August 20, 2026. The event is available on YouTube.
SourcesVatican News
- 13 discussLife & FamilyNew1h ago
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities invites Catholics to pray and act to stop the spread of abortion pills.
Vatican News
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities invites Catholics to pray and act to stop the spread of abortion pills. The initiative will run from August until the end of October.
SourcesVatican News
- 15 discussBishopsNew2h ago
Bishop Valentine Kalumba of the Catholic Diocese of Livingstone in Zambia has urged Zambians to embrace peaceful co-existence among Zambia’s over 73 tribes and languages.
Vatican News
Bishop Valentine Kalumba of the Catholic Diocese of Livingstone in Zambia has urged Zambians to embrace peaceful co-existence among Zambia’s over 73 tribes and languages. The Bishop was speaking to Vatican News in the aftermath of Zambia’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
SourcesVatican News
- 17 discussVaticanNew2h ago
Pope Leo XIV will visit Rimini, where the Clarisse nuns of the "Natività di Maria" monastery are eagerly awaiting his arrival.
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV will visit Rimini, where the Clarisse nuns of the "Natività di Maria" monastery are eagerly awaiting his arrival. The Pope's visit is a great gift for them.
SourcesVatican News
- 18 discussVaticanNew2h ago
Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
Archbishop Mark O’Toole has been reappointed to the International Council for Catechesis for a five-year term. The appointment was confirmed by the Dicastery for Evangelisation. Pope Leo XIV made the reappointment.
- 27 discussCatholic LifeNew3h ago
Alfa y Omega
León XIV proposed a different view of sports. He suggested discovering a trace of the Holy Trinity in sports.
SourcesAlfa y Omega
- 30 discussReligious FreedomNew4h ago
Caritas Internationalis calls on religious leaders to ensure humanitarian aid.
Vatican News
Caritas Internationalis calls on religious leaders to ensure humanitarian aid. Hundreds of aid workers were killed in the past year.
SourcesVatican News
- 31 discussCatholic LifeNew4h ago
Caritas and Save the Children are providing aid to people affected by earthquakes in Indonesia.
Vatican News
Caritas and Save the Children are providing aid to people affected by earthquakes in Indonesia. The earthquakes occurred on August 15 and 18, 2026. The aid is focused on vulnerable children.
SourcesVatican News
- 34 discussChurch & StateNew5h ago
Russia has attacked Kyiv, hitting a pediatric hospital and a school.
Vatican News
Russia has attacked Kyiv, hitting a pediatric hospital and a school. 12 people were killed in Kyiv and 1 in the surrounding region. Other regions, including Odessa and Chernihiv, were also attacked.
SourcesVatican News
- 40 discussReligious OrdersNew4h ago
Global Sisters Report
At least 10 Catholic convents in Kenya shelter domestic abuse survivors outside the formal system. The convents provide a safe haven for survivors. The network operates discreetly.
SourcesGlobal Sisters Report
- 41 discussReligious OrdersNew4h ago
Global Sisters Report
Vietnamese sisters help former leprosy patients. The country has made progress toward the disease. Former patients and their families still experience discrimination and hardship.
SourcesGlobal Sisters Report
- 44 discussEducationNew4h ago
Magyar Kurír
Győri Czuczor Gergely Bencés Gimnázium és Kollégium invites to the opening ceremony of its 400th school year. The school is a Benedictine gymnasium and college.
SourcesMagyar Kurír
Wednesday, August 19
10 stories · 1 corroborated- 01 discussLife & Family6h ago
The Iona Institute found a 30% drop in Catholic baptisms in Ireland over the past ten years.
2 sources·ZENIT News AgencyThe Irish Catholic
The Iona Institute found a 30% drop in Catholic baptisms in Ireland over the past ten years. The decline is attributed to a falling birth rate and rising secularism. The drop in baptisms was reported by the Iona Institute based on data from Catholic dioceses in Ireland.
- 02 discussLiturgy6h ago
Vatican News publishes daily scripture readings.
Vatican News
Vatican News publishes daily scripture readings. Today's readings include Ezekiel 36:23-28 and Matthew 22:1-14.
SourcesVatican News
- 05 discussLife & FamilyNew5h ago
The Irish Catholic
Trócaire Chief Sean Farrell says aid cuts will cause 10 million child deaths by 2030. Extreme poverty could have been ended with pre-2025 aid policies. 800 million people remained in extreme poverty in 2024.
SourcesThe Irish Catholic
- 07 discussLiturgy6h ago
The Irish Catholic
The third annual Dublin Eucharistic and Marian Procession took place on August 16. Participants braved rain to carry the Blessed Sacrament through the city centre. The procession paused outside Leinster House for a blessing over Ireland's parliament.
SourcesThe Irish Catholic
- 08 discussCatholic Life6h ago
The Irish Catholic
Mary Kennedy spoke at Knock Novena, expressing her desire to see women priests in the Catholic Church. She values women's contributions to the Church. Kennedy discussed her faith and the Church's checkered history.
SourcesThe Irish Catholic
- 09 discussBishops6h ago
The Irish Catholic
Bishop Michael Router says the Synod is an opportunity to evangelise and bring back those who have walked away. The first major assembly will be in Meath on October 17. Bishop Router acknowledged that priests were among the critics but suggested this may be due to having to manage a growing workload.
SourcesThe Irish Catholic
- 10 discussDioceses6h ago
The Irish Catholic
Around 300 people gathered for the final Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral before its temporary closure for restoration works. The €17 million project will include conservation and structural work, accessibility improvements, electrical and mechanical upgrades and changes to the interior. St Mary’s was formally designated the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Dublin last November.
SourcesThe Irish Catholic
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