Remains of Saint Dmitry Donskoy found in Moscow after more than six centuries
The Russian Orthodox Church announced on August 18th, 2026, that the remains of Holy Right-Believing Grand Prince Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy had been located and authenticated during restoration work at the Archangel Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.
Statue of Madonnina della Pelara decapitated in third vandalism incident on Ischia
The small statue known as the Madonnina della Pelara, standing along the scenic path leading to Baia della Pelara in the Panza area of Forio, was found decapitated this past weekend. Unknown perpetrators completely removed the head from the body in what local authorities and community groups described as the third targeted act of vandalism against the religious and civic symbol.
St. Anthony of Padua Church vandalized in Tel Aviv; suspect arrested
Israeli police arrested a man in his 20s on suspicion of vandalizing St. Anthony’s Church (also known as the Church of St. Anthony of Padua) in the Jaffa neighborhood of Tel Aviv after religious statues and crosses were damaged inside the Catholic site.
San Antonio priest laicized and excommunicated for calling Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis “usurpers”
Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio announced on August 14, 2026, that a former priest of the archdiocese, John Mary Foster, had been found guilty of schism, declared excommunicated, and removed from the clerical state.
Constitutional Council determines that new French assisted suicide law is constitutional
The French Constitutional Council validated the law establishing a right to assistance in dying on August 14, 2026, declaring all challenged provisions constitutional while attaching three interpretive reservations.
New York town sued for alleged refusal for Nativity display while allowing other religious displays
A federal lawsuit was filed against the Town of Brighton, New York, after officials allegedly refused repeated requests for a Christian Nativity display in a public square while permitting other private religious displays.