WASHINGTON – The Vatican recently published a circular letter, "On the bread and wine for the Eucharist," sent to diocesan bishops at the request of Pope Francis. Dated June 15 – the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ – the letter was made public by the Vatican July 8.

NEW DELHI – Yemen's foreign minister told Indian officials that Salesian Father Thomas Uzhunnalil, kidnapped in Yemen last year, is still alive, and efforts to trace him continue.

HONG KONG – Hong Kong Christians came together to pray for terminally ill Liu Xiaobo, less than a week before his death.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Catholic bishops appealed for a "return to normalcy and peace ... as soon as possible," as violence continues in the southern part of the country.

JUBA, South – The head of the Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference challenged South Sudan to admit it is bankrupt after it failed to raise the funds to host Independence Day celebrations for a third year running.

WASHINGTON – Since the 13th century, the Escolania de Montserrat has sung daily for pilgrims at Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey in Catalonia, Spain.

AGANA, Guam – No matter the outcome of a Vatican trial against Guam's archbishop, Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of Agana should not return to lead the archdiocese, said the archdiocese's coadjutor.

YANGON, Myanmar – Church officials have expressed disappointment over the refusal of Myanmar's government to grant visas to three members of a U.N. fact-finding mission to investigate alleged human rights abuses by security forces against the Rohingya minority.

VATICAN CITY – Joaquin Navarro-Valls, who spent 22 years as director of the Vatican press office, died at home in Rome July 5 at age 80 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

HANOI, Vietnam – A Vietnamese court sentenced a Catholic blogger to 10 years in prison for propaganda against the Communist government. Rights activists described the sentence as "heavy."