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Hello, I'm Maggie Murray of OSV News, and this is your OSV Newscast for Tuesday, July 28th, 2026. Let's catch you up on the Catholic News of the Day. Here we go. One of the world's most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites was struck by a disturbing act of vandalism early this morning. Police in Bosnia Herzegovina say several statues of the Virgin Mary at Mejigoria were defaced with black spray paint and blasphemous graffiti in the early hours of Tuesday. Just minutes later, security footage captured a man setting fire to the altar inside the town's Church of St. James. The parish has called for prayers for the perpetrators' conversion and confirmed the church remains open to pilgrims. The interreligious council in Bosnia and Herzegovina condemned the attacks as a profound insult to Catholics and an attack on the peace, mutual respect, and dignity of all people in the country, insisting sacred sites must be protected and respected, regardless of faith tradition. Mejegoria has drawn millions of pilgrims since 1981, when six local youths first reported visions of the Virgin Mary. While the Vatican approved official devotions at the site in 2024, popes and church investigators have consistently expressed skepticism about claims of ongoing daily apparitions. Attorney Jonathan Backer, representing the diocese, called the federal government's position that religious liberty poses no obstacle to eminent domain, a stunning and legally untenable position. In a significant new development, Representative Veronica Escobar of Texas introduced the Mount Cristo Ray Protection Act on July 20th to block the takeover. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Gonzalez has given the diocese until August 3rd to respond to the government's latest court filing, with the administration due to reply by August 10th. The case remains a closely watched test of religious liberty protections against federal land seizure powers. Pope Leo XIV has entrusted two American bishops with a significant role at the very top of the church's legal system. The Pope named Archbishop Salvatore Cordoglione of San Francisco and Bishop Edward Los of Kalamazoo, Michigan, as members of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican's Tious Court, established in the 15th century. Both bishops hold doctorates in canon law. The tribunal hears appeals from the Holy Sees to other courts, with the Pope serving as its supreme judge. Archbishop Cordaleone thanked Pope Leo in a social media post, saying he accepted the appointment with a profound sense of stewardship in service to Christ and the Church. Noting the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, patron of his archdiocese, he asked for prayers to carry out the role with wisdom, charity, and a generous heart. The two Americans joined five other new members from Spain, Poland, Germany, and Italy, all appointed by Pope Leo on July 25th. Over the weekend, Pope Leo had appointed an energetic challenge for young Catholics. Get off the couch and live your faith boldly. In three video messages sent to youth gatherings in Peru, Brazil, and Portugal over the July 24th through 26th weekend, the Pope urged young people to bring the gospel into their schools, universities, and communities with courage and what he called holy rebelliousness. Speaking to youth in Peru, he said, Jesus doesn't want you to be young couch potatoes, complacent or content with the comfort of that's just the way it's always been done. Echoing words Pope Francis used at World Youth Day in Krakow in 2016. To young Catholics in Brazil, Pope Leo pointed to St. Carlo Acutis as a model of holiness for the digital age, urging responsible use of social media and artificial intelligence. And speaking to Portugal's youth about vocation, he offered a word of encouragement. Do not be afraid of the restlessness within you. French political and church leaders came together this weekend to honor the memory of a priest whose death shocked the nation a decade ago. On July 26th, mourners gathered in Saint-Atienne de Rouvray to mark 10 years since the murder of Father Jacques Hamel, the 85-year-old priest killed by two Islamist terrorists while celebrating Mass in 2016. During the memorial mass, Archbishop Dominique Le Brun reflected on Father Hamel's stole, now placed on the parish's church cross, calling it a sign that Christ unites the worst violence and victorious love. Prime Minister Sébastien Le Cornou, former President Francois Hollande, and Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline were among those in attendance, alongside Father Hamel's sister, Rosaline Hamel. President Emmanuel Macron said France would never forget Father Hamel and urged the nation to defend freedom of conscience against terrorism. Rosaline Hamel, known for forgiving her brother's killers, described her unlikely friendship with one attacker's mother as a witness to healing. We tried together to forge a path of resilience, she told OSV News. And that's your OSV Newscast for today. I'm Maggie Murray of OSV News. Check out the show notes for direct links to the stories in this episode. Make sure to subscribe to this podcast, follow us on social media, and bookmark osvnews.com. Thanks so much for listening and God bless. This has been an OSV News production. To learn more, visit osvnews.com.