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Hello, I'm Maggie Murray of OSV News, and this is your OSV Newscast for Friday, August 7th, 2026. Let's catch you up on the Catholic News of the Day. Here we go. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche hinted at a significant policy shift on the abortion pill during a private call last month, one that's now drawing scrutiny after it became public. Speaking to the group Intercessors for America on a call hosted by the White House Faith Office, Blanche said the Justice Department was putting practices and policies in place to stop the shipment of MiFiprestone by mail, adding that the department was working so that the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every single state. A recording of the call, first reported by Politico, has since been removed from YouTube. A Justice Department spokesperson later told The Hill the comments had been mischaracterized and were specifically about male-order abortion drugs, not broader federal control over states. The Trump administration has so far left in place Biden-era rules easing MiFOprestome restrictions, while asking courts to pause state lawsuits challenging that policy pending a promised FDA safety review, a stance that has frustrated pro-life advocates who have pushed for faster action. Grieving families in the Chicago area now have a peaceful new place to pray and remember loved ones lost to suicide. Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois dedicated a memorial garden, believed to be the first of its kind, created by a U.S. Catholic archdiocese in a Catholic cemetery. The space features a long walkway leading to a bronze angel and a stainless steel spire topped with eight life-sized doves, symbols of hope and peace. The project was led by auxiliary bishop Lawrence Sullivan, the Archdiocese Vicar General, together with retired father Charles Ruby, who has directed a Catholic charity's suicide bereavement program since 1979. Bishop Sullivan blessed the memorial, called At Peace, during a June 26th dedication ceremony, describing it as a space for families to encounter God's love amid loss. This is a place for people to come and to just spend time with the Lord, he said, to be with God in prayer, to feel his love, to feel God's peace. The idea had been years in the making, first discussed roughly six years ago. Catholic Scouts across the country are turning to prayer this year in honor of America's 250th anniversary, invoking the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. The Novena Prayer for America, promoted by Catholic Scouting America, is meant to be used throughout the entire anniversary year, according to John Doerr, Vice Chair of the Organization's Marketing and Public Relations Committee. The Novena's intentions closely mirror the priorities of the USCCB, touching on evangelization, Catholic education, protection of human life, immigrants and refugees, care for the poor, national unity, care for creation, justice and peace, and holy leadership. It's really important to us that we be consistent with what the bishops are asking Catholic Americans to do, Door said. As of 2024, more than 130,000 Catholic scouts and leaders were active across 194 U.S. dioceses and eparchies, with Catholic Scouting service projects contributing an estimated $52 million in aid nationwide. New documentation has emerged in one of the Catholic Church's most closely watched abuse cases. OSV News has learned that 22 previously undisclosed letters from women belonging to Slovenia's Loyola community, written in the year 2000, detail allegations of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse by Father Marko Rupnik, the famed mosaic artist who served as their spiritual director. The letters are reportedly preserved in the community's archives, now held by the Archdiocese of Ljubljana, and are presumed to be known to the Vatican's Dicastri for the doctrine of the faith. Father Rupnik, accused of abusing more than two dozen women over several decades, continues to deny any wrongdoing. The Vatican recently affirmed that his canonical criminal trial remains ongoing, after reports falsely claiming he had been cleared. Pope Francis lifted the statute of limitations on the case in 2023, and a panel of judges was named in July 2025, though the alleged victim's lawyer has complained her clients have received no updates, with the Vatican responding only that review of the case is still ongoing. The September 25th through 28th trip will take the Pope to Paris, Lourdes, and Metz, marking the first papal visit to France in 18 years. In Paris, Pope Leo will receive a state welcome, visit UNESCO, pray Vespers at Notre Dame Cathedral, lead a youth prayer vigil at the Stade de France, and celebrate Mass at Place de la Concorde. In Lourdes, he'll pray at the Marian Shrine, meet with the sick and religious sisters, and celebrate Sunday Mass. The trip concludes in Metz, focused on peace, European unity, and the legacy of Catholic statesman Robert Schumann. The journey's theme, that the world may have life, is drawn from the Gospel of John. French church leaders described the visit as first and foremost a spiritual event, even amid significant logistical and financial challenges, and asked the faithful for prayers as preparations continue. 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.