IRF Summit details how nations can promote religious freedom abroad: Be ‘persistent’ — By: Catholic News Agency

Religious freedom advocates addressed how democratic countries can prioritize and promote religious freedom at a plenary session of the 2026 International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington, D.C. The Feb. 2 panel was led by Knox Thames, a human rights lawyer, advocate, and author. He sat down with panelists Melissa Rogers, lawyer and former executive…

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German parish’s ‘Harry Potter’ church service sparks Catholic outcry — By: Catholic News Agency

A Catholic parish in western Germany is facing criticism after advertising what it calls a “Harry Potter ecumenical service” to be held inside a church later this month, drawing criticism from Catholics who say the event trivializes sacred space and introduces occult imagery into worship. The service is scheduled for Feb. 28 at the Church…

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Italian cardinal named president of Vatican bank oversight commission — By: Catholic News Agency

Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, the retired archbishop of L’Aquila, Italy, has been appointed president of the Cardinalitial Commission of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), commonly known as the Vatican bank. Petrocchi succeeds Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, the retired archbishop of Vienna, who has led the commission since 2014 and is stepping down after reaching…

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‘My Catholic faith guides me’: HHS assistant secretary speaks on policy, saints — By: Catholic News Agency

Adm. Brian Christine, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a practicing Catholic, talked about the state of the pro-life movement as well as his own faith in an interview on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” on Wednesday. Christine, a practicing Catholic, said the HHS values religious freedom. “We are…

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