National Catholic Reporter

In his opinion, expressions of faith have been more visible in Argentina now than during previous World Cups. The players brought an image of Our Lady of Luján — Argentina's patroness — to the tournament. Several players have tattoos of rosaries and other religious symbols, and many publicly have thanked God for their success. "When a soccer idol gives glory to God — as Enzo Fernández often does — it has an enormous impact on children and teenagers," Rodríguez said.

Before every match, kit man Mario Di Stéfano sets up a small prayer altar in the team's locker room. (A kit man is a vital member of a sports team's backroom staff who manages all equipment and uniforms.) The prayer altar is centered on a statue of Our Lady of Luján, Argentina's patroness, alongside images of Our Lady Undoer of Knots and St. Expedite — considered the patron saint of urgent causes. The tradition dates back decades, echoing practices from the team's 1986 World Cup run.

As our country celebrates its 250th anniversary, we find politics and a certain strand of Catholicism interwoven at its highest levels. The Supreme Court has six Catholic judges and one former Catholic, some of whom have spoken about the importance of religion in the United States in ways that feel unseemly for a justice at best and, at worst, diametrically opposed to the separation of church and state enshrined in the Constitution.

Recently I have been developing a growing interest in smart agriculture, not simply as a hobby, but as a way of learning in order to better support others, especially those with limited resources, to improve their livelihoods. One discovery that has particularly inspired me is the use of mulch film. It helps conserve water and nutrients. More importantly, it acts as a protective shield against weeds and pests.

Cardinal Pedro Barreto Jimeno was at the Vatican when he received the call from St. Louis, an ocean and continent away.

I have played and watched sports most of my life. But the first several weeks of the World Cup took me by surprise. I found myself inspired as Americans were uniting around an exciting U.S. national team and welcomed appreciative fans from around the world. As I was reminded there is more to life than politics and the conflict and division it brings these days, I even started to feel new hope for our country and the world.

The French president warmly welcomed the National Assembly's vote, which was presented as final, in a post on X just after the vote. Emmanuel Macron had openly supported this law. He had personally promised to legalize euthanasia before the end of his second five-year term. "In 2022, I made a commitment to pave this path with the French people," he said July 15.

For traditionalist Catholics who worship at churches affiliated with the breakaway Society of St. Pius X, Sunday Mass now comes with an extraordinary question. Their priests and bishops have been excommunicated after the fringe movement on the Catholic right committed what the Vatican considers one of the faith's gravest crimes: rupturing church unity by consecrating bishops without the pope's consent.

Twin earthquakes in Venezuela have left nearly 5,000 people dead, according to government officials, triggering a massive mobilization of humanitarian aid organizations. In a July 15 update on X, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced the latest figures, confirming that the death toll from the back-to-back disasters had reached 4,829.

Catholic Charities Maine extended "deepest sympathies" to Durán's family. "Our hearts are with the community of Biddeford as they grieve this tragic loss," the agency told OSV News in a statement July 15.