Saint Joseph Catholic Church

The Transalpine Redemptorists, a traditionalist community that reconciled with the Holy See in 2008, published a document on May 2 denouncing “post-Vatican II claimants to the papacy” as “manifest heretics.”

Adopting a sedevacantist position, the institute listed Popes Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and Leo XIV as “papal pretenders.”

In 2024, the institute was expelled from a New Zealand diocese following a Vatican investigation.

The bishops of the Melkite Catholic Church (CNEWA profile), an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See, denounced the Israeli destruction of civilian buildings in southern Lebanon.

The bishops described the destruction of civilian buildings in the abandoned village of Yaroun as a “deep wound in the national and human conscience.”

Three days after a federal appeals court temporarily halted the delivery by mail of the abortion pill mifepristone, the Supreme Court granted a stay on the decision for one week.

The stay, granted by Justice Samuel Alito, allows mail delivery of mifepristone to resume while attorneys for pharmaceutical companies prepare to request a longer stay on the appellate court decision.

Continuing a trend of recent years, the government of Belarus denied permission to three Polish priests to remain in ministry in the nation.

One of the priests has ministered in Belarus since 1990.

The Eastern European nation of 9.5 million (map) is 82% Christian (63% Orthodox, 17% Catholic). An autocratic president, Alexander Lukashenko, has led the nation since 1994.

A mob of Hindu activists disrupted a Mass in Kalinjara, India, on May 1. Police arrested four Catholics who confronted them.

“They entered the substation during Communion and started filming it on their mobiles, and then began alleging religious conversion activity,” said Father Arvind Amliyar. “They also alleged that a cow had been killed for the community feast.”

“One of them even tried to threaten our men with a knife, but he was overpowered, and the knife was snatched from him,” Father Amliyar added.

Bishop René Gracida, ordained to the priesthood in 1959 and to the episcopate in 1975, died on May 1 at the age of 102.

Before his 1997 retirement from the office of bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas, Bishop Gracida imposed an interdict on a pro-abortion politician. Outspoken in his retirement, he denounced voting for pro-abortion candidates and signed a filial correction directed to Pope Francis.

A 79-year-old Canadian priest was twice offered the option of medical aid in dying (MAID) while he was recovering from a hip fracture in a Vancouver hospital.

“I think I was very shocked,” said Father Larry Holland, who told a doctor he was opposed to euthanasia. A hospital spokesman said that “staff may consider bringing up MAID based on their clinical judgment, provided they possess the necessary knowledge and skills to do so.”

commentary

Today the Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Angelus of Jerusalem, O.Carm (1185-1220), priest, martyr, hermit, mystic, reformer, thaumaturge, missionary, convert from Judaism and a professed Priest of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. He is also known as St. Angelus of Sicily and St. Angelo. Born in 1145 at Jerusalem and died by being stabbed to death in 1220 at Licata, Sicily.

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