Cotignac Shrines Survive Devastating Wildfire: A major wildfire in southeastern France burned more than 2,500 hectares, destroyed around 60 homes, forced the evacuation of 500 people, and injured four people. Although the flames came within meters of the pilgrimage sites of Our Lady of Graces and Saint Joseph of Cotignac, both sanctuaries were left undamaged, thanks in part to firefighters and vegetation-clearing efforts.
Peruvian priest Ricardo Yesquén Paiva has died at the age of 59 without ever facing a canonical or civil investigation into allegations that he sexually abused a 10-year-old girl in 2006. In September 2024, the Diocese of Chiclayo said Yesquén suffered from a "serious degenerative illness" that left him incapable of defending himself in canonical proceedings. The diocese never identified the illness. The complainants disputed the explanation, pointing to official diocesan records and photographs showing him at public liturgical events through at least early 2023, contradicting claims that he had long ceased exercising ministry. One image from January 2023 shows then-Bishop Robert Prevost - now Pope Leo XIV - celebrating a birthday alongside Yesquén, nearly three years after the first complaint. The case gained international attention because the first complaint against Yesquén reached Bishop Prevost as early as March 2020, while he led the Diocese of Chiclayo. Two Accused Priests, One …Daplü
Several German Catholic dioceses have told De.CatholicNewsAgency.com on July 21 that they have no plans to expand the celebration of the Mass in the Roman rite. The dioceses that replied included the three "conservative" German dioceses Passau, Regensburg, and Cologne and the pro-homosexual Archdiocese of Hamburg. Passau and Cologne offered only brief responses, confirming that no expansion of the Traditional Latin Mass is currently planned. Regensburg Diocese, where the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (FSSPX) operates a seminary, provided a more detailed explanation of its position: "A sufficient number of opportunities to celebrate Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite is an important pastoral response to the sometimes aggressive missionary activity of the Society of St. Pius X and its supporters," diocesan spokesman Stefan Groß said. He added that the FSSPX continues to refuse full communion with the Pope, particularly regarding its understanding of religious freedom …Daplü
There are 27 Catholic diocese in Germany and 51 SSPX chapels. It is reasonable to expect expanded diocesen Roman Rite masses would not be well attended.
Two women will jointly lead the Catholic Deanery of Bremen-Nord, Hildesheim Diocese, for the first time, marking a historic shift in church leadership. The decision was announced on July 21. Ute Zeilmann is a theologian and will oversee pastoral ministry and the pastoral staff. Agnes Dobrzynski will lead administration. Both have worked in the Bremen-Nord deanery for several years. To meet canonical requirements, Rev Johannes Pawellek will act as moderating priest, accompanying the new leadership team after his retirement in November 2026. The pastoral team will also be joined by Rev Pradyut Bahla, an Indian priest currently pursuing doctoral studies in Frankfurt. He will serve in Bremen-Nord for five years. The two women want “to embrace the global Church's call to synodality: leading together, listening to the Holy Spirit, and moving away from isolated leadership decisions”. The Diocese of Hildesheim was led by pro-homosexual Bishop Heiner Wilmer until June 2026. He was promoted by …Daplü
Leo XIV Visits Mountain Sanctuary: Today, Pope Leo XIV made another surprise pilgrimage, visiting the mountainside Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity in Vallepietra. He traveled there by car. The sanctuary, famous for its medieval fresco of the Holy Trinity, lies about 60 miles northeast of Castel Gandolfo in the Simbruini Mountains.
Surprise surprise… when you’re visiting the Vallepietra sanctuary and get an unexpected blessing from the Pope
Enstagl dad ir enzanua en vacanzas sper la mar ni aunc mender ell'America dil Nord savess ins ir ina ga en Russia, ch'ei buca mo la pli gronda e pli biala tiara dil mund, mobein era ina dalla paucas - sche bu la suletta - che respecta ils dretgs da Diu e dils carstgauns.
A new study of Catholic contemplative monasteries has found that 91 monasteries have closed in France over the past two decades, representing nearly one-third of the country's contemplative houses. The findings come from French sociologist Isabelle Jonveaux, a specialist in monastic life at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), whose research was published by LaVie.fr on July 21. Several well-known monasteries have already announced their closure for 2026, including La Grande Trappe of Soligny (Orne), the Carmel of Compiègne (Oise), and Notre-Dame du Port-du-Salut (Mayenne). According to the study, nearly 30% of France's contemplative monasteries have disappeared since 2007. Women's communities have been affected more severely than men's, with 32% of women's monasteries closing compared with 21% of men's. The pace of closures has also accelerated. Until around 2015, France averaged fewer than four monastery closures per year. Today, the figure is close to ten annually. Among religious …Daplü
Anecdotes about Pope Leo XIV's student years at the International College of St. Monica in Rome, belonging to the Augustinian Fathers, are published in the new Vatican News documentary Leone a Roma. An Augustinian friar recalls that fellow students played "so many jokes" on him—"so many." One night he woke convinced an airplane was circling outside his window. The brothers had hidden a ringing radio on top of his wardrobe, leaving him searching for the mysterious noise in the middle of the night. On another occasion, someone offered this friar what he thought was a candy. "They said to me, 'Here, I would like to offer you a candy.' So I thought it was a candy, but instead it was a laxative tablet. As a result, while I was in the chapel I had to run to the bathroom." The documentary accompanies the story with the photo of a smiling young Robert Prevost, without suggesting who was responsible. Another friar recalls that the future pope would squeeze into his room every single evening to …Daplü
Virgin Mary Statue Survives Earthquake: A statue of the Virgin Mary remained unharmed after a 5.1-magnitude earthquake devastated the 16th-century Santiago Apóstol Parish church in Chupaca on the night of July 18. The quake caused the church's roof, façade, and altars to collapse, but the Marian statue was found intact amid the rubble. "A large part of the church nave has collapsed", Father Henry Díaz told Rotafono, adding: "The high altar collapsed into the rubble. The statue of the Virgin remains intact."
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck Peru's Junín region on July 18, killing at least five people, injuring more than 20, and causing widespread damage. The historic Santiago Apóstol Parish in Chongos Bajo was among the hardest hit, with its roof, façade, and centuries-old altars collapsing. Father Henry Díaz said much of the church nave gave way, deep cracks spread through the walls, and the bell tower is now dangerously unstable. Amid the destruction, however, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary remained standing untouched, which Father Díaz described as a powerful sign of hope. Peru's Catholic bishops have offered prayers and are appealing for support to restore the historic parish.
Pro-life political engagement is not optional; it is how informed Catholics defend the weakest and uphold the rule of law in a constitutional republic.
In places where elections are already compromised, discouraging turnout works to the cheaters’ advantage. Fewer voters mean it costs less to manipulate the outcome, and there is real money to be made in the fraud itself, including through bonds and related schemes. Pushing the attitude that voting is pointless is straight out of the Communist playbook. A constitutional republic rests on free and fair elections. Informed Catholics need to stay engaged rather than withdraw. Jeff Clark (@JeffClarkUS) on X
Leo XIV Promoted This Hopping, Dancing Bishop in Mexico: In January 2026, Pope Leo XIV appointed Monsignor Trinidad Antonio Márquez Guerrero, 60, as auxiliary bishop of San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico. He was consecrated a bishop on May 8. On Sunday, July 19, he celebrated a Eucharist during the diocesan Youth Day in the bullring in Yahualica, attended by some 1,300 young people. Still wearing his mitre and liturgical vestments, he started hopping and dancing around like an overexcited young person.
Y luego nos preguntamos por qué algunos católicos se van con los lefebvristas...
Pornographers-influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate - former webcam entrepreneurs turned pornographers-influencers – were arrested in Miami on July 18 following a provisional extradition request from the United Kingdom. The brothers also remain under criminal investigation in Romania. Allegations include human trafficking, rape, money laundering, and witness tampering. They face a total of 59 charges authorized by the UK's Crown Prosecution Service. They are British-American but have lived in Romania for years. Romanian prosecutors lifted the brothers' travel restrictions in February 2025, allowing them to leave the country. Later that month, they traveled to Florida by private jet. In March, Andrew Tate's then-girlfriend, Brianna Stern, filed a civil lawsuit alleging that he assaulted her at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, accusing him of choking her nearly to unconsciousness, beating her, and threatening to kill her. Tate has denied the allegations. The Tates were in Miami to …Daplü