How can I be sure that the Church is telling the truth?
Jesus himself instituted the Church, with Peter and the other Apostles and their successors as her leaders. He called the Church the “bulwark of the truth”(I Tim. 3:15). To ensure that the Apostles could pass on the truth of the faith without error, Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit.
Also today the Holy Spirit helps the Church to understand the faith better. Therefore, and because it is not just a human institution, you can trust that the Church always tells the truth about God.
Aleteia is an online publication distributed in five languages (English, French, Spanish, Polish and Slovenian).
Since its launch in 2013, it has become one of the world's leading news websites. The Aleteia site offers a Christian vision of the world by providing general and religious content that is free from ideological influences.
With more than 600,000 subscribers to our newsletter and more than 3.3 million fans on Facebook, Aleteia reaches more than 10 million readers per month.
Cardinal Zuppi begins mission to Ukraine, prays for end to war
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), has begun a four-day visit to Ukraine with a stop at the Zakhid-1 detention center in the Lviv region, where prisoners captured while fighting for the Russian army are held. Bringing gifts and a message from Pope Leo XIV, he told them: “The Pope is praying for you” and expressed the hope that they would “soon return home.”
Vatican News
Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi brought three gifts to prisoners at Zakhid-1, a detention center in Ukraine's Lviv region where soldiers captured while fighting for the Russian army are held: a keychain, with the hope that “soon you will put your house key on it, so you can open your front door and embrace your loved ones”; a holy card of the Salus Populi Romani, “for Christians, the image of Our Mother, but for everyone, an image of hope”; and a photograph of Pope Leo XIV, who “sent me here to tell you that he is praying for peace and for the war to end.”
The visit marked the beginning of Cardinal Zuppi's second mission to Ukraine during the war. His first, in June 2023 at the request of Pope Francis, included meetings in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelensky and other political and Church leaders before continuing to Moscow, Washington, and Beijing. That humanitarian mission sought to demonstrate the Church's closeness to those affected by the war while supporting efforts to return deported Ukrainian children, facilitate prisoner exchanges, and repatriate those who died.
Accompanied by Apostolic Nuncio and Ukraine's Ambassador
Before traveling to Kyiv, Cardinal Zuppi, accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, and Ukraine's Ambassador to the Holy See Andrii Yurash, toured the detention center, visiting the prisoners' living quarters, chapel, and infirmary. Ambassador Yurash said the facility complies with international standards and is open to visitors wishing to inspect the conditions under which prisoners are held.
A detailed report provided by Italy's Avvenire newspaper recounted the Cardinal's visit when he greeted dozens of detainees, who come from more than 50 countries, speaking with them in French or Spanish and listening briefly to their stories. To a 25-year-old prisoner who had lost a leg, he expressed his concern and hopes that he will receive a prosthesis soon.
Pope praying for all and end to the war
Repeating the purpose of his visit, Cardinal Zuppi told the prisoners: “Pope Leo sent the Nuncio and me here to bring you hope. He is praying for you, that the war may end and that you may return home.”
Distributing the gifts personally, he explained the meaning of the keychain: “The Pope asked me to bring you a keychain. I hope that soon you'll put your house key on it... We want to tell you today to look to the future with hope—that you will return home, that the war will end. And we pray fervently that it will end soon.”
Concluding with a prayer in the camp chapel, Cardinal Zuppi said: “Let us pray that you may soon find your way home, that all of this may come to an end, and that you may begin a new life.” Pointing to his heart, he added: “We must drive out everything that is evil. God always gives us hope. Let us never allow evil to grow within us, and God will always help us overcome it.”
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here.
You're welcome at the English-Speaking International Roman Catholic Community of the Rotterdam region. Holy Mass in English is usually celebrated every Sunday, 11.30 am.
Prayer is talking with God (not just to him). When you pray, you take time to get to know God and to build a relationship with him. This is important for every Christian. Jesus told his disciples to pray often (Lk. 22:46). Yet prayer is not always easy: how do you start and what can you say?
The most important thing to realise is that God is always with you, even right now while you are surfing the Internet... Nothing prevents you from closing your eyes at this very moment and telling God what is in your heart. Ask him for help, tell him what you find difficult, and thank him for what you have received. That’s praying!
Nobel laureates, experts discuss nuclear war and AI at Borgo Laudato Si
The first day of the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear War kicks off in Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo on July 14, prompting Nobel winners, experts, university representatives and more to reflect on the biggest challenges affecting our world.
By Isabella H. de Carvalho
Over 200 Nobel Prize winners, former heads of state, university representatives and experts gathered on Tuesday, July 14, among the pine trees and olive groves of the papal gardens in Castel Gandolfo to discuss artificial intelligence and nuclear war.
Participants in the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear War
The assembly will culminate in the signing of the Rome Declaration on an Unarmed and Disarming Peace in the age of artificial intelligence, nuclear and autonomous weapons, new digital protocols, and emerging models of digital development. It aims to present guiding principles for the governance of AI focused on cooperation, human dignity, integral development and peace.
The three-day event features discussion sessions on topics such as “The fragility of the human family in the nuclear age,” “Technology in the service of humanity,” and “The moral challenges of AI and War.”
The first two days of the assembly will be held at the Borgo Laudato Si' (“Laudato Si' village”) in the Papal gardens in Castel Gandolfo, while the third and final day of the event will be held at the Capitoline Hill, seat of the municipality of Rome.
The need for shared principles in this moment in history
“We gather at a moment in history marked by increasingly profound geopolitical tensions, the fragmentation of the international order, and intensifying technological competition,” said Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and General Director of the Center for Higher Education at the Borgo Laudato Si’, in his introductory remarks. He highlighted how these issues are being accompanied by the rapid development of AI and autonomous technologies.
Cardinal Baggio during his address
In this regard, he underlined the importance of this gathering and of promoting dialogue within different fields. “At a time when the pace of innovation often exceeds that of reflection, the world stands in need of shared principles capable of guiding progress toward authentically human ends,” he said.
“This Assembly is not gathered simply to analyse risks,” emphasized instead Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi, President of Domus Communis Foundation, who is participating in the event, in his address.
“It is gathered to renew hope, to demonstrate that dialogue remains possible, that wisdom can still accompany knowledge, that humanity has not lost the capacity to govern its own future.”
“May future generations be able to say that, at a moment when humanity possessed unprecedented power over its own destiny, women and men of conscience chose cooperation over confrontation, dialogue over fear, and hope over resignation,” he insisted.
Cardinal Tomasi
The need to govern AI
The opening session centered on the theme “Magnifica Humanitas for the Future of Our Common Home,” as many of the discussions are inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, which was released in May.
The session began with an address by Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life, who gave an overview of the Pope’s text.
Cardinal Artime giving his address
Several notable speakers then took the floor, including Juan Manuel Santos, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former president of Colombia, who welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s call in Magnifica humanitas to disarm AI and noted how “it is only by acting in a similar spirit that we can hope to tackle all existential threats facing humanity.”
He emphasized that “without effective governance, it will be difficult, impossible, to ensure that AI becomes a force for good guided by human dignity, responsibility, accountability and rule of law.”
Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner and Emeritus Chief Adviser of Bangladesh
Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner and Emeritus Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, insisted instead in his address on how we are living through the end of a civilization and the beginning of the next one and the importance of involving young people in shaping the future of the world.
Other speakers in this session included Dr. Agnès Callamard Secretary General of Amnesty International; Dr. Amir Banifatemi, Founder and Board Member of the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI; Professor James Muller, Co-founder of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (Nobel Peace Laureate Organization, 1985); Professor Karen Hallberg, Secretary General of Pugwash Conferences (Nobel Peace Laureate Organization, 1995); and Professor David Gross, Nobel Prize in Physics and Chancellor's Chair Professor at University of California, Santa Barbara.
The rest of the morning and afternoon was marked by several discussion sessions focusing on themes such as when AI escapes human control. Several speakers gave addresses, including Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Co-founder and CEO of Rappler, and AI researchers from entities such as the Anthropic Institute or DeepMind, offering different perspectives on the topics.
Watch our interview with Maria Ressa
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here.
Three mountains trips this coming summer with ”Indigo Mountain” and the Brothers of Saint John.
6-17 July 2026 - Haute Route Pyrenees
1-8 August 2026 - Aim High
14-22 August 2026 - Giro del Monfiso
Indigo Mountain Indigo Mountain is an outdoors apostolate for young adults, from the European province of the Brothers of St John. The treks and climbs are organised and led by brothers and sisters of St John, and by lay co-workers.
Iran conflict sees more disruption of key waterway
Iranian media reports explosions in several parts of the country.
By Nathan Morley
Strait of Hormuz tensions threatened to upend efforts to halt the war, but President Donald Trump said a deal remained possible.
Trump earlier said the U.S. was hitting Iran “very hard” as American forces carried out a third straight night of strikes amid escalating attacks between the two countries.
U.S. Central Command said the latest strikes began at 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday at the president’s direction.
Hours later, it said U.S. forces hit multiple military sites across Iran to “further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping.”
As pressure over the vital waterway intensified, the United Arab Emirates said Iranian cruise missiles struck two Emirati tankers Monday night, killing an Indian crew member and injuring eight others, four seriously.
Attacks in Jordan and Bahrain
Jordan and Bahrain also reported attacks overnight.
Trump wrote on social media that the U.S. was reinstating a naval blockade of Iranian ports and would impose a 20% charge on all cargo passing through the strait.
Listen to the report by Nathan Morley
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here.
Grace is Jesus’ gift to us, a gift that brings us life (Jn. 1:17). Through his grace God helps us to believe, to enter into friendship with God, and to live as Christians.
Bishop of Almería: Let us be God’s hands for those who suffer
Bishop Antonio Gómez Cantero reflects on the tragedy of the wildfires in Bédar and Los Gallardos, highlighting the solidarity shown by local residents and the response of the local Church. Amid pain and loss, he calls for hope, care for creation, and a lived faith rooted in community and mercy.
By Sebastián Sansón Ferrari
The Church in Almería mobilised from the first hours of the wildfire that broke out on 9 July, affecting the towns of Bédar and Los Gallardos, to accompany those impacted and help meet their most urgent needs.
At least 13 people have been confirmed dead and 8 injured. 23 others remain missing following the fire that broke out on Thursday in Los Gallardos, Andalusia and has since spread acoss 6,600 hectars. Almost 1,500 residents have been displaced.
Speaking to Vatican News, Bishop Antonio Gómez Cantero of Almería recalled that the fire spread with extraordinary speed, driven by high temperatures and strong winds, racing through ravines and hard-to-reach areas where many homes were isolated.
“Every minute, the wind pushed the fire another hundred metres through the scrubland,” he said.
Authorities adapted evacuation measures according to local conditions, while parishes and Caritas quickly organised assistance for evacuees. Many residents found shelter in temporary facilities, while others were welcomed into private homes. The Bishop praised the solidarity shown by volunteers who supplied food and water to firefighters and supported those forced to flee.
“Everyone came together in solidarity in the face of this great tragedy,” he said.
The Bishop also recalled how one local woman rang the parish church bells to warn residents to evacuate—a traditional method of alerting communities in times of emergency.
Diocese’s pastoral response
Reflecting on the Diocese's pastoral response, Bishop Gómez Cantero said priests remained alongside the population from the outset, accompanying especially the elderly and displaced families. He announced that he would visit the affected communities during celebrations for the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Speaking about the human cost of the disaster, he referred to those who lost their lives, the identification of victims, and the rescue of two hikers who were found alive after spending two days stranded in a ravine.
Asked where God is amid such suffering, the Bishop recalled the words of one of his priests: “God is with you, suffering this on the Cross.”
He urged Christians not to focus on assigning blame but on caring for those affected.
“Now is not the time for assigning blame; now is the time for all of us to take responsibility for those who are suffering,” he said, calling the faithful to become a “Samaritan Church.”
Recalling the parable of the Good Samaritan, he said Christians are called “to see, welcome, heal, restore and protect” those in need.
Solidarity a sign of hope
The Bishop described the solidarity shown by neighbours, parishes and volunteers as a sign of hope.
“To begin again is to look to the future, and to begin again is to have hope,” he said.
He added that Christians are called to become instruments of God's compassion: “Very often, we are God's hands, God's feet, God's eyes, God's voice and God's ears, because our faith calls us to bring God to others through our own lives.”
Finally, Bishop Gómez Cantero said the tragedy should also inspire renewed care for creation. Echoing the teaching of Pope Francis' Encyclical Laudato si', he stressed the importance of caring for forests and living in harmony with nature.
“If we care for nature, nature will care for us,” he said.
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here.
Liberia has strengthened enforcement against illegal mining and improved oversight of the country's mineral resources. The move reflects growing concern across Africa over the economic, environmental, and security consequences of unregulated mining.
By Sr. Christine Masivo, CPS – Vatican City
The Liberian government has launched a new body called the Protect Our Resources Taskforce (PORT), which has been created to strengthen inspections, combat illegal mining, and improve regulation of the country's mining sector. The task force will oversee mining operations, enforce licensing requirements, monitor royalty payments, and ensure compliance with environmental and labour regulations.
Government scrutiny
Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Mines and Energy, Matenokay Tingban, described the initiative as a strategic shift toward intelligence-led enforcement, stronger institutional coordination, and responsible management of Liberia's mineral resources.
According to Catholic news service, Agenzia Fides, the task force is intended to reduce illegal mining and gold smuggling while increasing public revenue and promoting sustainable resource management.
A growing regional challenge
Illegal mining has expanded across West Africa, the Congo Basin, Southern Africa. Authorities across the continent have recently intensified enforcement efforts. Liberia’s action reflects a wider challenge affecting African countries.
Illegal gold extraction often relies on hazardous substances such as mercury, which pollute rivers and water sources. Its impact extends beyond the mining sector.
In Uganda's Kanungu District, a recent gold rush prompted many residents to abandon farming for mining activities, disrupting agricultural production, contributing to local food shortages and forcing children out of school. Authorities eventually closed the site to restore order and address the social consequences
Illegal mining and security
Illegal mining is also closely linked to broader regional security and economic concerns. The trade in gold and other strategic minerals is driven by strong international demands and is frequently associated with corruption, smuggling, and organised criminal networks.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, control of rich mineral areas has become intertwined with armed conflict. Since the M23 rebel group's capture of Goma in early 2025, several mining areas have reportedly fallen outside government control, with revenues from gold and other strategic minerals contributing to illicit trade networks. These developments illustrate how competition over Africa’s mineral wealth continues to affect both national stability and regional security.
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here.
