A pioneering congress focusing on the fight against online child sexual exploitation and abuse is to take place at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University.

Spearheaded and hosted by the University’s Center for Child Protectionheaded by Prof. Hans Zollner SJ, the congress entitled “Child Dignity in the Digital World” will examine new forms of abuse children can be subjected to in the digital world, and discuss the risks and challenges of the digital age and its impact on the dignity of children…

A member of India’s Legislative Assembly is encouraging the Church to raise money for the release of kidnapped priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil, claiming a need for concrete action beyond prayer.

Legislative member P.C. George expressed concern that prayer and words are the only action taken to release Fr. Tom, and said the terrorists only “want money.”

“The Catholic Church should take initiative to raise the fund to pay as ransom to them,” he said, according to Manorama on May 27…

At 21 years old, Millie Lopus was pregnant and scared. A rising college senior at Loyola University Maryland, she was being pressured into having an abortion by her ex-boyfriend, the father of the child.

But after he drove Millie to a nearby Planned Parenthood to set up an abortion appointment, she recalled having “a sliver of grace,” and she “did not set up an appointment that day.”

“I chose instead to go through with the pregnancy,” she recalled, and gave the baby up for adoption…

Leading thousands of pilgrims in the Regina Caeli prayer in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, the Pope said he wished to express, yet again, his closeness to his dear brother, Pope Tawadros II and to the whole Egyptian nation that two days ago suffered “another act of ferocious violence.”

“The victims, amongst which were also children, were killed after having refused to renounce their Christian faith” he said…

At least 26 Coptic Christians have reportedly been killed by gunmen in Egypt.

The Christians were travelling by bus to a monastery when they were attacked. Many of those killed were children, according to the New York Times.

Health officials said that the attack happened on Friday while the bus was travelling on the road to the St Samuel Monastery in the Minya governorate, about 220 kilometres, or about 140 miles, south of the Egyptian capital…