News from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

• US cardinal: Exorcist role should be 'private' after priest's removal tied to UFO controversy July 8, 2026
  ROME (CNS) -- Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington said his decision to remove a high-profile priest as an archdiocesan exorcist was driven by the public way he exercised his ministry, not by his specific beliefs about UFOs.Following comments on social media linking UFOs to demonic activity, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti was removed in early June […]
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• Church needs simpler, better ways to explain synodality, some bishops say July 7, 2026
  VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Hesitation and resistance to the Church's synodal journey can be addressed with clearer explanations, better training and more hands-on experience of what synodality is, bishops representing North America said."A very clear takeaway is the need for more formation in synodality, including its meaning, its methods and its spirituality," Archbishop Paul S. […]
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• On U.S. Independence Day, Pope Leo honors migrants in Lampedusa July 6, 2026
  LAMPEDUSA, Italy (CNS) -- For more than 30 years, Dr. Pietro Bartolo said he has examined more than 350,000 people and performed postmortem examinations on those who died making the crossing to Lampedusa, where migrants rescued from the Mediterranean first arrived.One story, he said, has stayed with him.After a shipwreck near Malta, a father told […]
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• Why the SSPX dispute was never really about the Latin Mass July 3, 2026
  VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican declared July 2 that the six bishops involved in the Society of St. Pius X's unauthorized episcopal consecrations had incurred automatic excommunication and said its clergy "are in schism and therefore must be considered schismatics."The decree from Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of […]
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• Pope Leo XIV Sends Letter to the American People Marking the 250th Anniversary of the Founding of the United States July 3, 2026
  WASHINGTON – Marking the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, Pope Leo XIV has addressed a letter to the American people. The U.S. bishops are grateful to the Holy Father for his inspiring message, and for his prayers as we commemorate this milestone anniversary of our nation. All […]
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