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Hello, I'm Gina Christian, and you're listening to our OSV Newscast for Thursday, June 25th, 2026. Let's catch you up on the Catholic news of the day, and here we go. The strongest earthquakes to strike Venezuela in more than a century have killed at least 188 people and injured more than 1,500, with over 150 still missing. The twin 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes hit the country Wednesday evening, causing widespread destruction. Archbishop Raul Biord Castillo of Caracas called for an immediate network of solidarity to aid victims after touring several damaged churches, including the historic Cathedral of Caracas. Standing in the rubble of one parish, Archbishop Bjord emphasized that while the loss of artistic heritage is painful, human lives remain the priority. Vatican News reported that Pope Leo XIV has sent an initial emergency donation of 100,000 euros, or 115,000 U.S. dollars through the papal almaner's office, with further assistance to follow in response to the needs identified by the local church. Messages of prayer and support have poured in from Catholic leaders across the globe, including Mexico's bishops, who said they joined in prayer for the people of Venezuela, asking God to grant consolation to the afflicted, strength to those who serve, and swift recovery to the affected communities. They entrusted the nation to Venezuela's patroness, Our Lady of Coromoto. Spanish Archbishop Luis Arguello expressed deep fraternal closeness and prayed for the strength of emergency rescue teams working tirelessly on the ground. In the U.S., Bishop A. Elias Zidane, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on International Justice and Peace, issued a statement today urging the international community to mobilize in support of the Venezuelan people and to send the necessary humanitarian assistance to alleviate their suffering. Bishop Zidane said that Catholic Relief Services, which is the International Relief Agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S., and its partner Caritas Venezuela are already responding and assessing needs at this early stage. Bishop Zidane thanked the U.S. government for its initial response and said the bishops appreciate their partnership in addressing this natural disaster. Bishop Zidane called for prayers that Our Lady of Coromoto comfort and protect her children and that compassionate international assistance will arrive swiftly. The Traditionalist Society of St. Pius X is proceeding with plans to consecrate four new bishops on July 1st without a papal mandate, defying direct warnings from the Vatican. In an open letter and a 28-page profession of faith sent to Pope Leo XIV yesterday, society leaders who reject several points of the Second Vatican Council doubled down on their adherence to pre-conciliar Catholic tradition. The documents sharply criticized what the Society called modern errors stemming from the Second Vatican Council, outright rejecting ecumenism, modern liturgical reforms, synodality, and religious freedom. The Society said it hoped the profession of faith would one day serve as what it called a basis for honest discussion with the Holy See in a spirit of peace, brotherhood, and charity. The prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, previously warned the Society that going ahead with the unauthorized ordinations is a schismatic act that will result in excommunication. Speaking to journalists on June 16th, Pope Leo expressed sorrow over the division, but noted the group's refusal to accept fundamental church teachings. The Pope said, if they make that choice, I am sorry, but we must move forward. And today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued several rulings, including two that impact immigration. In one case, the court ruled that the Trump administration can re-implement a policy of turning away asylum seekers along the U.S.-Mexico border before they enter the country. That policy is known as metering. The central question in the case was whether non-citizen asylum seekers must literally cross the border in order to apply for asylum, or if those who appear at the border and seek entry must also be allowed to apply. Also, today the Supreme Court found the Trump administration can end a program that temporarily protected eligible Haitian and Syrian immigrants living in the U.S. from deportation. The designation is known as temporary protected status, or TPS, and it's applied to certain countries to allow their nationals to remain in the U.S. if conditions in their home nations are unsafe due to war, disaster, and other major dangers. The Trump administration previously asked the High Court to pause rulings by federal judges that barred the government from ending TPS designation for Haitian and Syrian nationals. At the time, the U.S. bishops and other advocates urged that TPS for eligible Haitians remain in place due to ongoing unsafe conditions in that country. Today's ruling could have far-reaching implications for those who hold TPS status, including some 350,000 Haitians, many of whom are Catholic, who are currently living and working in the U.S. legally under the program. And stay tuned as we bring you more reaction from Catholic leaders to those Supreme Court decisions tomorrow. Catholic permanent deacons bring a spirit of renewal and encouragement to the missionary ministry of the Church. That's according to Archbishop Ronald Hicks of New York, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations. The Archbishop shared his thoughts in a June 22nd press release unveiling the committee's 2025 annual survey of the permanent diaconate in the U.S. Catholic Church. The survey was conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. Last year there were more than 21,000 permanent deacons in the U.S., with close to 15,000 in active ministry. Most permanent deacons in the nation last year were married, 92%, non-Hispanic whites, 71%, who were aged 50 or more, 96%. Two out of three have at least a college degree. In the report's accompanying press release, Archbishop Hicks said that the permanent diaconate is key in bringing the gospel to life through their witness as icons of Christ the servant. And the Archbishop said, with their primary duty of service in the church being to proclaim the gospel, preach, and perform charitable works, deacons serve a unique and vital ministry in the life of the church. And finally, as the Trump administration moves to seize a diocesan pilgrimage site for the border wall, bishops from New Mexico and Texas are calling on the faithful to join them for a June 28th Mass on the Mountain. In a June 23rd message, Bishop Peter Baldequino of Las Cruces, New Mexico announced that he and Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, were inviting all the priests and faithful of our diocese and the region to join in prayer and pilgrimage on June 28th at Mount Cristo Rey, which is located in Sunland Park, New Mexico. The peak is more than 4,600 feet high, and it's capped by a 29-foot limestone statue of Jesus Christ the King. The mountain has been a shrine for Catholic faithful who've come there to pray for close to a century. The Trump administration's lawsuit to claim eminent domain over the land has advanced, with the diocese countering on June 19th, the government's plans are a breach of religious freedom. In his June 23rd message, Bishop Baldequino said, at this juncture, whether our diocese will prevail rests in the hands of our courts and civil leaders. And he added that he and pilgrimage participants would pray for the diocese of Las Cruces and El Paso and for our government and its leaders. And that's your OSV Newscast for today. I'm Gina Christian. Check out the show notes for a link to our website where you can find the stories in this episode. As always, please make sure to subscribe to this podcast. Give us a follow on social media and bookmark osvnews.com. Shout out to our listeners in the U.S., Canada, and all over the world, New Zealand. Thanks for joining us. We see you checking in. Thanks so much for listening and God bless.

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