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News/International

Activists rally outside U.S. Supreme Court in Washington June 26 after the court sided with Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia, Mo., which sued after being denied a state grant for creating a safer playground.

U.S. Supreme Court: Church school can't be barred from state funds for playground

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WASHINGTON – In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court June 26 said a Lutheran preschool should not be excluded from a state grant program to refurbish its playground surface just because it is a religious entity.

Prelates concelebrate the beatification Mass of Lithuanian Archbishop Teofilius Matulionis outside Vilnius Cathedral June 25. Archbishop Matulionis, who was murdered in 1962 with a lethal injection after 16 years in prisons and labor camps, became the first Catholic martyr from the country's communist era to be declared blessed.

Lithuanian archbishop, murdered by Soviet police, beatified in Vilnius

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VILNIUS, Lithuania – A Catholic archbishop who was murdered by Soviet police to prevent him attending the Second Vatican Council became the first communist-era martyr beatified in Lithuania.

Lebanese Cardinal Bechara Rai, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, walks near a statue of Our Lady of Fatima June 25. He led a pilgrimage to consecrate Lebanon and all the Middle East to Mary.

At Fatima, cardinal consecrates Lebanon, Middle East to Mary

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FATIMA, Portugal – Lebanese Cardinal Bechara Rai consecrated Lebanon and all the Middle East to Mary in Fatima, praying for peace and stability.

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington is seen Jan. 31. The justices announced they would hear President Donald Trump's travel ban case in October and also said that in the meantime, a limited version of the ban could take effect while the legal battle continues.

Bishops, Catholic groups worry about consequences of partial travel ban

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WASHINGTON – The chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration said the country's Catholic bishops are "deeply concerned" about the consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to allow a partial ban on foreign nationals as it reviews the constitutionality of a wider ban.

Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin was taken into government custody in September 2016 when he was supposed to take over leadership at the Wenzhou diocese.

Vatican calls on China to release bishop form custody and assume ministry

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VATICAN CITY – The Vatican expressed "grave concern" over the situation of a bishop in mainland China who has been in government custody for almost 10 months and moved repeatedly in an apparent attempt to prevent him from assuming leadership of his diocese.

Indonesian Muslims are seen during Eid al-Fitr prayers to celebrate the end of Ramadan June 25 at Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh. Indonesian Catholics have made a greater than usual effort to help Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr this year amid heightened religious tensions gripping the country.

To ease tensions, Indonesian Catholics help Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr

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JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesian Catholics have made a greater-than-usual effort to help Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr this year amid heightened religious tensions in the country, reported ucanews.com.

Leaders of the South Sudan Council of Churches says the country's leaders have placed personal and political interests above the people's needs.

South Sudan churches decry warring factions for ignoring people's needs

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JUBA, South Sudan – The heads of the member churches of the South Sudan Council of Churches criticized the country's political leaders "on all sides" for placing political and personal interests above the needs or ordinary people, which they said has led to economic decline, famine and ongoing violence.

Britain's pharmacy regulator declared June 22 that Catholic pharmacists should not be forced to dispense lethal drugs against their consciences.

U.K. pharmacy regulator abandons proposal to strip conscience protections

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MANCHESTER, England – In a U-turn of proposed policy, Britain's pharmacy regulator has declared that Catholic pharmacists should not be forced to dispense lethal drugs against their consciences.

The Philippines' bishops released a pastoral letter June 21 imploring Filipinos to stop sharing fake news.

Stop sharing fake news, Filipino bishops implore

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MANILA, Philippines – Fake news is a problem everywhere, including in the island nation of the Philippines.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price conducts a health care listening session June 21 at the White House in Washington. "An acceptable health care system provides access to all, regardless of their means, and at all stages of life," Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Fla., said in a June 22 statement.

Bishop: 'Fundamental defects' persist in Senate's version of health bill

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WASHINGTON – The Senate's Better Care Reconciliation Act contains "many of the fundamental defects" that appeared in the House-passed American Health Care Act "and even further compounds them," said the bishop who heads the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

Sandra Merritt is one of two activists who secretly filmed Planned Parenthood during their undercover investigation. A California court dropped 14 of 15 criminal charges against her June 21.

California court drops 14 charges against Planned Parenthood investigator

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SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – A California court on Wednesday (June 21) dismissed 14 of 15 criminal charges against an undercover activists behind the video exposé of Planned Parenthood’s role in the fetal tissue trade.

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