June 10, 2022

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A Nigerian government official said Thursday that the insurgent group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is suspected as the perpetrators of a massacre at a Catholic church last week that left dozens dead. In the June 5 attack, gunmen opened fire on Catholic worshipers attending Pentecost celebrations at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, in southwestern Nigeria. Initial reports suggested that more than 50 people were killed, including children, and others injured. The official death toll for the attack currently stands at 40, with 61 injured people still in hospital. ISWAP is considered a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, another Islamic extremist terrorist group which has killed thousands of Christians and displaced millions of people in Nigeria and neighboring countries in recent years. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251507/nigeria-church-massacre-isis-affiliate-group-suspected-as-perpetrators-government-official-says Pope Francis’ July trip to the African countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan has been postponed for health reasons, the Vatican said on Friday. Pope Francis was planning to spend July 2-5 in the Congolese cities of Kinshasa and Goma, and July 5-7 in the South Sudanese capital Juba. The 85-year-old pope has been suffering from a painful inflamed ligament in his knee, limiting his ability to walk. He has been using a wheelchair during public appearances since last month. He is still scheduled to visit Canada on July 24-29. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251510/pope-francis-postpones-trip-to-democratic-republic-of-congo-and-south-sudan Washington DC authorities will allow a private pathologist to examine the remains of five babies the group claims it recovered from a DC abortion clinic. The pro-life group Progressi