Notre Dame spire to be restored to original design (BBC) The spire of Notre Dame cathedral, which was destroyed in a fire last April, will be restored according to the original Gothic design. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision, putting an end to speculation that the spire would be rebuilt in a modern style. Mr Macron had previously hinted he was in favor of a “contemporary gesture.” However he has said he wants the restoration to be completed by 2024, when Paris is hosting the Olympics…

U.S. bishops describe impact of pandemic (CARA/1964) According to a 2020 CARA survey, U.S. bishops report that many arch/dioceses, eparchies, parishes, and Catholic schools have been greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in the areas of sacramental celebrations, rites, and preparation; and financially (as estimated in our previous post). A lesser but still substantial proportion of dioceses report being greatly affected in the areas of the morale of parish and diocesan/eparchial personnel and in their Catholic Charities organizations’ abilities to serve those in need…

AP: Catholic Church got $1.4 billion in coronavirus aid (AP) The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups. The church’s haul may have reached — or even exceeded — $3.5 billion, making a global religious institution with more than a billion followers among the biggest winners in the U.S. government’s pandemic relief efforts, an Associated Press analysis of federal data released this week found…

Catholics at WH concerned about Trump’s Catholic tweets (CNA) Officials working in the Trump administration have told CNA that they have been frustrated by recent presidential tweets elevating controversial Catholic figures, saying the tweets undermine the work many Catholics in the administration hope to accomplish…

Six Catholic schools to close in Brooklyn (Diocese of Brooklyn) The Diocese of Brooklyn Office of the Superintendent – Catholic School Support Services today announced six Catholic academies, located in Brooklyn and Queens, will permanently close, effective August 31, 2020. The devastating effects of the COVID-19 crisis on enrollment and finances, an issue faced by many Catholic schools in the region and across the country, made it impossible for them to reopen for the coming school year…

Catholic Health Association calls withdrawal from WHO ‘deeply regrettable’ (CNS) The Catholic Health Association July 7 said it was “deeply regrettable” that President Donald Trump has formally withdrawn the U.S. from the World Health Organization during a global pandemic. Instead, the U.S. should be “leading a coordinated global response to protect the lives of millions of people around the world,” the organization said in a statement released the same day the U.S. submitted its withdrawal notification to the secretary-general of the United Nations…