Pope Leo Prayers for Peace, Wildfires in France and Spain, New Vatican Nuncio at UN, and More

Thanks for listening! Let us know what you think. God bless!Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for July 27, 2026. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.Read the stories in this episode:During his Angelus address in Castel Gandolfo July 26,  Pope Leo XIV renewed his urgent appeals for peace in the Holy Land and across the Middle East during his Angelus address in Castel Gandolfo, expressing deep concern over the escalating violence and calling for an immediate return to dialogue.Religious persecution predominantly affecting Christian communities in Nigeria remains a key concern for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, the commission's new chair told OSV News in a July 24 interview. Pope Leo XIV called for prayers July 26 as massive wildfires rage across Spain and France, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their homes.Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia el-Kassis, apostolic nuncio to the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, as the Holy See's new permanent observer to the United Nations in New York.About 300 Catholics gathered July 25 at St. Augustine Church in Philadelphia's Old City for a rare celebration that brought the sights, sounds and prayers of early American Catholic life back to life.