Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, 48, served for two years in the Soviet army. He said that “today, nobody knows, or doesn’t remember well, that the Soviet Union was a very aggressive country with a messianic vision,” in which there was “instrumentalization of religion, especially the Russian Orthodox Church.”

Newspaper journalist Geoffrey P. Johnston covers international affairs. Myanmar is 88% Buddhist, 6% Christian, and 4% Muslim.

Ukraine’s Orthodox faithful are divided into the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate), and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Only the first is canonically recognized by other Orthodox churches; the second body is the largest of the three. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who holds a primacy of honor in Eastern Orthodoxy, made his remarks in a message to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada, which is under his jurisdiction.

“Given what the grand jury produced in the 884-page report, I don’t know how any lawmaker in Pennsylvania could possibly be against those reforms,” said Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

Michelle Bachelet served two terms as president of Chile (2006-2010, 2014-2018).

“I’ve never heard so much anger, so much disappointment, so much frustration from good Catholic faithful,” said Cardinal Raymond Burke. He added that “it doesn’t seem reasonable to me to think that other prelates didn’t know” about ex-Cardinal McCarrick’s deeds.

The bishops cited arbitrary detentions, cruel and inhuman treatment, torture, and forced disappearances.

Seventeen priests concelebrated at a special Mass for Le Dinh Luong, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

88 inches of rain have fallen in the southwestern Indian state since June 1—the worst local flooding in nearly a century.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley had been scheduled to speak at the World Meeting of Families.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo has announced an investigation into the McCarrick scandal and “new and confidential channels for reporting complaints against bishops,” with “proper independence, sufficient authority, and substantial leadership by laity.”

“The abuses described in the report are criminal and morally reprehensible,” said Greg Burke, director of the Holy See Press Office. “The Church must learn hard lessons from its past, and there should be accountability for both abusers and those who permitted abuse to occur ... Victims should know that the Pope is on their side. Those who have suffered are his priority, and the Church wants to listen to them to root out this tragic horror that destroys the lives of the innocent.”

The op-ed was written by C. C. Pecknold, a theology professor at the Catholic University of America and frequent contributor to First Things.

Weeks after his Supreme Court victory, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission determined that Jack Philips of Masterpiece Cakeshop likely discriminated against a transgender person when he declined to bake a cake celebrating “gender transition surgery.” Philips filed suit against the Commission, alleging that it has violated his constitutional rights.

James Faluszczak alleges that his pastor abused him for three years, beginning when he was 16, and that Bishops Donald Trautman and Lawrence Persico did not act upon his reports of abuse.

The parish, though recognized by the Communist government, was demolished to make way for a park. An estimated 100 people “began demolition work on the building, smashing the altar, the statues, and the benches,” according to the report.

The Jesuit novice died 450 years ago, on August 15, 1568.

“We are collecting and complementing the information we have already received, particularly about the identification of victims who have lodged complaints about abuses of various types,” a prosecutor said after the 90-minute search of the office.