U.S.
Department of Education to issue guidance on protecting prayer in public schools, Trump says
WASHINGTON — The Department of Education will issue new guidance “protecting the right to prayer” in public schools, President Donald Trump said Sept. 8 during remarks at the Museum of the Bible for the Department of Justice’s Religious Liberty Commission. The Trump administration previously reduced the workforce at the Department of Education and stated its intent to scale the department back. “The Department of Education looks forward to supporting President Trump’s vision to promote religious liberty in our schools across the country,” Savannah Newhouse, the department’s press secretary, said. Trump in May signed an executive order creating a religious liberty commission, which includes Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota. The commissioners gathered at the Museum of the Bible in Washington to examine what recommendations they should make to the president about promoting and protecting religious freedom in a report next spring. Their second hearing focused on religious freedom in public schools. (OSV News)
Archdiocese of New Orleans announces proposed bankruptcy settlement
NEW ORLEANS — The Archdiocese of New Orleans has moved closer to a resolution of its long-running bankruptcy case, announcing a proposed multimillion dollar settlement for abuse claimants Sept. 8. In its press release, the archdiocese said “individuals who experienced sexual abuse” involving either the archdiocese or one of its 157 affiliated Catholic organizations — including “parishes, schools, academies, Catholic Charities organizations, and other ministries” — could be eligible for compensation under a proposed settlement trust. Claims can be filed for any “unwanted sexual behavior, contact, comments, or any conduct that was sexual in nature, whether or not it was recognized as abuse at the time,” the archdiocese said. Claims not already submitted must be received by Dec. 2 at 11:59 p.m. (Central time), with information available at www.NOLAchurchclaims.com. The Chapter 11 filing — which dates to 2020 and was prompted by some 500 abuse claims — has been what Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond previously called “a much longer, complicated, and costly process than anyone could have predicted.” Earlier this year, OSV News confirmed with a spokesperson for the archdiocese that its legal fees to date in the case — part of a larger battle by the archdiocese to resolve sex abuse claims — exceeded $41 million. (OSV News)
WORLD
Pope meets Israeli president, discusses ‘tragic’ situation in Gaza
VATICAN CITY — As Israeli military operations in Gaza continued, Pope Leo XIV met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the Vatican. The meeting Sept. 4 came just a week after Pope Leo appealed again for Israel and Hamas to stop the violence and for Hamas to release the hostages it has held since attacking Israel in October 2023. With the pope and with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, Herzog discussed “the political and social situation in the Middle East … where numerous conflicts persist, with particular attention to the tragic situation in Gaza,” the Vatican said. “A prompt resumption of negotiations was hoped for so that, with openness and courageous decisions, as well as with the support of the international community, it would be possible to secure the release of all hostages, urgently achieve a permanent ceasefire, facilitate the safe entry of humanitarian aid into the most affected areas, and ensure full respect for humanitarian law, as well as for the legitimate aspirations of both peoples.” On Sept. 9, Israel launched an attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar. “In these moments, there is very serious news of an Israeli attack against some Hamas leaders, but in Qatar,” the pope said Sept. 9. Qatar, in the Persian Gulf, has been trying to mediate an end to the war between Israel and Hamas. (CNS)
Pope expresses sorrow over streetcar derailment in Portugal that killed 17
LISBON, Portugal — Lisbon is in mourning after a tragic accident on one of its most iconic landmarks, the Elevador da Glória funicular streetcar. The Sept. 3 derailment killed 17 people and injured 21 others, including tourists. Pope Leo XIV expressed condolences and “his spiritual closeness” to victims and their families in a Sept. 4 telegram sent on his behalf by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state. The pope “implores Heaven for the complete recovery of the injured and the strength of Christian hope for all those affected by this disaster,” Cardinal Parolin wrote. Authorities say a cable failure caused the operator to lose control, sending the car crashing into a building. Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa declared a national day of mourning, while the Lisbon City Council ordered three days of local mourning and suspended all funicular operations pending investigation. Patriarch Rui Valério of Lisbon offered prayers and solidarity with victims’ families. He will preside over a special Mass for the dead and injured. (OSV News)
Pope inaugurates center, farm dedicated to zero-waste, inclusive economy
VATICAN CITY — Surrounded by formal Italian gardens, ancient Roman ruins and long avenues of lush trees, Pope Leo XIV inaugurated a new “zero environmental impact” complex devoted to promoting Pope Francis’ teachings on caring for creation at the papal gardens in Castel Gandolfo. A newly built circular greenhouse, reminiscent of Bernini’s curved colonnade in St. Peter’s Square, and two new buildings, all topped with solar panels, make up the heart of Borgo Laudato Si’ — a project dedicated to promoting integral ecology, sustainability and a circular and generative economy. Caring for creation “represents a true vocation for every human being, a commitment to be carried out within creation itself, without ever forgetting that we are creatures among creatures and not creators,” Pope Leo said in his homily during a prayer service in the greenhouse Sept. 5. “Borgo Laudato Si’, which we are inaugurating today, is one of the Church’s initiatives aimed at fulfilling this vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork: a demanding but beautiful and fascinating task, which represents a major aspect of the Christian experience,” he said. (CNS)
