August/September 2022 National Headlines Roundup

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling brought an end to nearly half a century of nationwide legalized abortion in the United States. On June 24, the court issued a 6-3 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, overturning the formative decisions of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The question of abortion policy is now returned to individual states and elected local representatives. Read the ruling at SupremeCourt.gov, and discover your local state representatives at house.mo.gov/legislatorlookup. aspx. Local services in our ongoing work for mothers, children and families in crisis situations are listed on page 34.

The Knights of Columbus have launched a 1-year, $5 million donation challenge for pro-life pregnancy centers and maternity homes across the United States and Canada. The campaign was announced June 23, a day before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on abortion. The Knights of Columbus (KofC) is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal organization, with more than 2 million members. Find a local council at kofc.org/en/get-involved/ find-a-council.html.

Pope Francis published an apostolic letter in late June reflecting on liturgical formation, liturgical documents of the Second Vatican Council, the importance of the Mass and liturgical year in the life of the Church and an interior disposition of wonder needed for worship of God. Entitled Desiderio desideravi, the letter comes nearly one year after the motu proprio Traditionis custodes, which restricted celebration of the traditional Latin Mass in certain settings. Visit Vatican.va to read the full 15-page letter, or find more news coverage at CatholicNewsAgency.com or PillarCatholic.com.

A Catholic Church was attacked on Pentecost Sunday in Nigeria. Forty were killed and dozens wounded at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo in southwest Nigeria. The country is in turmoil along religious and ethnic lines, and the Pentecost attack is one of many on Christian communities throughout the country. The Diocese of Ondo has a fundraiser for families of those killed on Pentecost on GoFundMe; search Ondo Diocese — Pentecost Day Martyrs' Fund.