1. ‘A living and discreet Church’: Despite persecution, Catholic faith endures in Saudi Arabia, By Victoria Cardiel, Catholic News Agency, July 16, 2025, 7:00 AM Saudi Arabia, a strictly theocratic monarchy where Islam is the only permitted religion, offers no religious freedom, making it one of the most repressive countries in the world for non-Muslims, including over a million clandestine Catholics—mostly foreign workers. Bishop Aldo Berardi, who leads the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia (which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain), explains that these faithful live in secrecy, often relying on online Mass, underground gatherings, and lay-led communities for catechesis and worship. Despite the risks, the Catholic Church remains active through discreet digital means and a strong network of laity who keep the faith alive in a country where conversion or public worship outside Islam is severely punished. While full religious freedom remains unrealistic, Berardi hopes for gradual change—especially freedom of worship—as the younger Saudi generation increasingly pushes for openness and reform. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/265365/a-living-and-discreet-church-despite-persecution-the-catholic-faith-endures-in-saudi-arabia__________________________________________________________ 2. New York rejects Texas attempt to punish doctor over abortion pills, By Praveena Somasundaram, The Washington Post, July 15, 2025, 2:48 PM A New York county clerk has again rejected Texas’s attempt to enforce a $113,000 judgment against Dr. Margaret Carpenter, a New York physician accused of prescribing abortion pills to a Texas woman, citing the state’s shield law protecting abortion providers from out-of-state prosecution. This case represents a significant legal clash between states like Texas, which heavily restrict abortion, and states like New York, which have enacted protective laws since the 2022 fall of Roe v. Wade. The dispute underscores growing national tension over abortion pills and could ultimately reach the Supreme Court as more states test the limits of shield laws. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/07/15/new-york-texas-abortion-pills-shield-law/__________________________________________________________ 3. West Virginia’s near-total abortion pill ban upheld by federal court, By David Ovalle, Praveena Somasundaram, The Washington Post, July 15, 2025 A federal appeals court has upheld West Virginia’s strict restrictions on mifepristone, marking the first time a federal court has allowed a state to limit access to an FDA-approved abortion pill. In a 2-1 decision, the court ruled that federal drug approval does not override a state’s authority to regulate medicine within its borders, rejecting a challenge from GenBioPro, a manufacturer of generic mifepristone. The ruling could have broader implications for how states regulate other federally approved medications and reflects the growing legal tension over abortion access following the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/07/15/west-virginia-abortion-ban-mifepristone-upheld/__________________________________________________________ 4. The Perilous Pressure of Jimmy Lai’s Prosecution, As the 77-year-old publisher spends another summer in prison, Hong Kong should seek a way out of a situation that is increasingly dangerous for the city’s and China’s reputations., By Mark L. Clifford, The Wall Street Journal, July 15, 2025, 5:57 PM, Opinion Publisher and freedom fighter Jimmy Lai has been behind bars in Hong Kong since the end of 2020—more than 1,650 days. Hong Kong insists all is well with Mr. Lai and rebuts any claims to the contrary. Meantime, the government lashes out at critics who question Mr. Lai’s continuing national-security law trial—which could see him jailed for life—as well as his conditions in prison. Late last month the Hong Kong government assailed “foreign politicians, anti-China organisations, and various media” making “irresponsible and absurd remarks, distorting the truth” about Mr. Lai’s case, “with the intention of perverting the course of justice.” … Mr. Lai has been in solitary confinement for most of his time behind bars. The United Nations considers extended solitary confinement—more than 15 days—as a form of torture. Rather than letting credible international experts examine Mr. Lai’s condition and hear his wishes, Hong Kong officials have resorted to gaslighting. They would do well to spend more time looking for a way out of a situation that is increasingly dangerous for the city’s and the country’s reputations. As Mr. Lammy warned, time is running out for Hong Kong to find a solution. Mr. Clifford is president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation and author of “The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic.” https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-perilous-pressure-of-jimmy-lais-prosecution-china-hong-kong-prison-4721a93b__________________________________________________________ 5. Planned Parenthood Defunded—For Now, By Patrick T. Brown, First Things, July 15, 2025, Opinion In the three years that followed Dobbs, the pro-life movement may have sometimes felt like it was absorbing one body blow after another. The “One Big Beautiful Bill”—despite the legislation’s notable flaws—comes as welcome relief, standing as social conservatives’ biggest victory since the end of Roe. The legislation includes a one-year ban on federal funding toward that bête noire of so many pro-lifers for so many years: Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. … It could have been even bigger—the initial bill included a ten-year ban. But the Senate’s strict rules around which legislation can be passed by a simple majority, along with a self-imposed ticking clock, forced the ban to be scaled back. As it stands, a one-year federal funding moratorium poses a major—though far from insurmountable—challenge for the organization in the crosshairs. It comes at a tricky time for Planned Parenthood, which has suffered some recent PR hits. A New York Times investigation unearthed stomach-churning details about low quality of care, and some affiliates are facing lawsuits for providing “gender-affirming” hormones to youth suffering from gender dysphoria. … Republicans in Congress should expect another fight when the one-year ban expires, and gird their loins now. Red states in particular should put energy into ensuring women know about real alternatives to Planned Parenthood for health care, particularly if cuts to Medicaid threaten the financial picture of hospitals serving low-income areas. More broadly, the politics and practice of abortion will continue to evolve. … And, of course, the cultural battle—rebuilding a social understanding about the true meaning of sex, fidelity, and parenthood—remains the biggest task ahead of us. But for now, the landscape is brighter than many pro-lifers may have had reason to suppose even a year ago. https://firstthings.com/planned-parenthood-defunded-for-now/__________________________________________________________ |
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