The Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has urged Catholics to contact their local MPs to express their opposition to a new Bill seeking to legalise assisted suicide.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced by Lauren Edwards, MP for Rochester and Strood, will receive its Second Reading and vote on September 11, 2026. A near-identical Bill introduced by Kim Leadbeater was defeated in April. Under the Parliament Acts, the passage of the new Bill could allow it to become law without the approval of the House of Lords.
Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster called the Bill “wrong in principle” and “deeply flawed”, warning that, if passed, it could lead vulnerable people to feel pressured into ending their lives. Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool said the safeguards against coercion, pressure and abuse were “wholly inadequate”, calling on the faithful to oppose the Bill and urging greater investment in palliative care.
A number of professional medical bodies have also voiced concerns about the Bill, although Edwards has previously said that, in introducing it, she was asking Parliament to “finish the job”.
The week began with Archbishop Moth, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, offering his congratulations to the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham. Burnham is the first Prime Minister to enter No. 10 as a confirmed Catholic. Archbishop Moth said Christians have a duty to be “bridge-builders and peacemakers”. Burnham began his premiership with a Cabinet reshuffle, while Archbishop Moth assured him of his prayers for him and his family.
Prosecutors have alleged that Ann Widdecombe died after being struck on the head 21 times with a hammer. At Westminster Magistrates' Court, prosecutor Kashif Malik alleged that the attack occurred while Widdecombe was eating lunch, stating that the accused, 28-year-old Joshua Kerry, entered her house through the front door. It is further alleged that Kerry asked Widdecombe for identification before attacking her, and that she was discovered the following day lying face down on her kitchen floor after her personal assistant asked her gardener to check on her.
Frank Ferguson, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said police inquiries into the accused's motive are ongoing, including whether there was a political or terrorist connection. Kerry has been charged with murder. A provisional trial date has been set for June 8, 2027.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher met President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 20, concluding his five-day mission to Ukraine as Pope Leo XIV's special envoy. During talks with acting Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha, the Holy See called for a lasting and just peace while reaffirming its closeness to Ukraine. Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna and President of the Italian Bishops' Conference, echoed those calls as he prayed in Kyiv on July 15, the day after a Russian missile attack on the city.
The Holy See has responded to reports that Fr Marko Rupnik has been acquitted in his Vatican trial, stating that the case remains ongoing and that any suggestion he has already been acquitted is “unfounded”. It said its review of the case continues and reiterated that no information will be released while proceedings are under way. Rupnik is alleged to have abused more than half of the 40 members of the Loyola Community, which he co-founded. Since the case gained widespread public attention in 2022, at least 15 additional alleged victims have come forward.
Belated congratulations are also in order for the Vance family, who welcomed their fourth child, Alec Neel Vance, on July 19. Usha and Alec are reported to be doing well. JD Vance also continued his podcast tour, appearing on Bishop Barron Presents: Conversations at the Crossroads, where he and Bishop Robert Barron discussed a range of subjects, particularly the role of the Church and Catholic social teaching.
The first flight carrying humanitarian aid for Cuba departed Miami for Havana this week as part of a joint partnership between Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Cuba. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has pledged US$100 million in humanitarian aid during the months-long fuel blockade of the island. The US Department of State said its partnership with Catholic Relief Services would help ensure that aid reaches those in need without being diverted by the Cuban government.
In Buffalo, New York, a former church building caught fire twice in less than a week. Officials say the most recent blaze, on July 21, was the result of arson. The building, which housed St Ann's Church and Shrine until its closure in 2013, was sold in 2022 to an Islamic organisation that plans to convert it into a community centre.
The bishops in the United States also had a busy week. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) began its annual Natural Family Planning Awareness Week on Sunday, encouraging Catholics to learn more about methods of licitly achieving or postponing pregnancy.
Two bishops also published a letter on the USCCB website on Monday condemning “dehumanising rhetoric” and calling for more humane immigration policies following the deaths of two men during encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
On the subject of immigration, two other bishops expressed support for legislation that would protect a mountain owned by the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, from being acquired by the federal government through eminent domain. The government argues that it requires the 14 acres surrounding Mount Cristo Rey to build a border wall. Around 40,000 pilgrims visit the site each year, and the bishops of El Paso and Las Cruces celebrate Mass there each year on the Solemnity of Christ the King.
In Florida, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay the scheduled July 28 executions of two convicted murderers, arguing that the taking of human life ultimately belongs to God alone. If both executions proceed, it will be the first time Florida has carried out two executions on the same day since 1964.
