British Catholic Politician Killed, Holy See on HIV/AIDS, Archbishop Hebda in a Hard Hat for Habitat, and More

Gina Christian of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for July 13, 2026. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com.

Read the stories in this episode:

• Ann Widdecombe, a prominent British Catholic politician, author and broadcaster, has died after being fatally attacked in the kitchen of her home in Devon.
• Much has been done to mitigate rates of HIV and AIDS, but more work remains as children are still vulnerable to the virus and the disease it causes, said the Holy See's diplomatic representative to the United Nations in a July 10 address.
• Pope Leo XIV drew large crowds to Castel Gandolfo for his first summer Angelus at the papal residence July 12, with pilgrims packing trains and buses from Rome to join the gathering.
• By bringing together its five current novitiates spread throughout the continent into two new novitiates starting in 2028, the Society of Jesus will be able "to maintain robust cohorts of novices and provide them with the best formators we could." 
• The archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis and students from St. Catherine University in St. Paul donned hard hats and work gloves July 8 to help raise a wall of the first duplex being built in the Twin Cities as part of a national Habitat for Humanity initiative called the Pope Leo Village.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:01

Hello, I'm Gina Christian, and you're listening to our OSV Newscast for Monday, July 13th, 2026. Today is the feast of Saint Henry, who was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Benedict VIII back in 1014, a little while ago. He was deeply spiritual and committed to reforming the church while expanding its missionary activity. Saint Henry, pray for us. Now let's catch you up on the Catholic news of the day. Here we go. Anne Whittacombe, a prominent British Catholic politician, author, and broadcaster, died after being fatally attacked in the kitchen of her home in Devon. She was 78 years old. Police say she was killed around midday on July 8th, and her body was discovered the following day after she missed a scheduled television appearance. Authorities have arrested a 28-year-old man in Yorkshire, and the investigation has now been taken over by counterterrorism police, signaling a possible shift in the case. Whittacomb entered the Catholic Church in 1992 after leaving the Church of England, and she became a leading voice for pro-life and socially conservative causes. A former conservative cabinet minister, she later served as a Brexit party and Reform UK politician. Catholic leaders, including Bishop Nicholas Hudson and Archbishop Richard Moth, have offered masses and prayers for the repose of her soul. Archbishop Moth said in a statement posted on the website of the Bishop's Conference of England and Wales, we pray for her family and friends at this time. May she rest in peace. Friends remembered Whiticomb as a woman whose Catholic faith shaped her lifelong commitment to public service. Much has been done to mitigate rates of HIV and AIDS, but more work remains as children are still vulnerable to the virus and the disease it causes. That's what the Holy See's diplomatic representative told the United Nations in a July 10th address. Monsignor Marco Formica is the interim chargé d'affaires of the Vatican's permanent observer mission at the UN, and he shared his thoughts during an extended July 10th session of the UN's 2026 high-level meeting on HIV AIDS, which took place June 22nd through 23rd. The Monsignor said the number of new HIV infections has declined in most regions since 2010, with the greatest decreases in sub-Saharan Africa. Since 1995, when an average of 3.5 million annually contracted the immunodeficiency virus, new HIV infections have been slashed by 65%. That's according to UNAIDS, which is the UN's agency for the virus and disease. The Monsignor said that having access and adherence to antiretroviral treatment allows people with HIV to live longer and to lead healthier lives. But as of last year, there were close to 41 million living with HIV, and more than half of them are women and girls, while 1.3 million of that total number are children ages 14 and under. That's according to the UN AIDS Agency. Monsignor Formica said that Catholic healthcare institutions provide approximately a quarter of all HIV-related health care worldwide, and would continue to do so as part of preserving God-given human dignity. Families from Slovakia, Colombia, Italy, Poland, and beyond described the visit as a chance to receive the Pope's blessing in a more personal setting than St. Peter's Square. In his reflection on the parable of the sower, Pope Leo said God never stops sowing the seed of his word, trusting the good that can grow in every heart despite human weakness. He encouraged Catholics to use the summer months to renew their faith through scripture, silence, and prayer, returning to daily life renewed in body and spirit. After praying the Angelus, the Pope greeted pilgrims from a small vehicle before appealing for peace amid conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and elsewhere. He urged leaders to pursue dialogue and diplomacy, calling them the only path to a just and lasting peace. Polish Father Michal Myszkorska said the Holy Father is a caring, open, and listening pastor, really focused on the people and not putting distance, whether you're a layperson or priest. And here in Castel Gandalfo, you can really see that lack of distance in a literal way. The Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, are looking to consolidate their U.S. and Canada novitiates from five to two. The Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States announced what it called a multi-province model in a letter sent on July 9th to members of the religious community. By bringing together its five current novitiates, which are spread throughout the continent, into two new novitiates starting in 2028, the Society said it will be able to maintain robust cohorts of novices and provide them with the best formatures we could. One new novitiate will be located in Detroit at Lansing Riley Hall, the Jesuit residence on the campus of the University of Detroit Mercy. It will host novices from the Midwest Province, currently based in Chicago, and from the U.S. Eastern Province and Canada Province. The other new novitiate will be in Culver City, California, at the current location of the Novitiate for the Jesuits West Province, the novitiate of the Three Companions. Besides hosting novices from the Jesuits West, it will host novices from the U.S. Central and Southern Provinces. Jesuit Father Joseph Daust, superior of the Detroit Jesuit community, said the rearrangement of novitiates will ensure each location has an adequate number of novices for a proper formation experience, and it will free up other members of the Jesuits for different works in the society. And finally, Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis, along with students from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, donned hard hats and work gloves on July 8th. Their mission? They helped to raise a wall of the first duplex being built in the Twin Cities as part of Pope Leo Village. The project is a national initiative of Habitat for Humanity. Inspired by Pope Leo XIV's commitment to service and social justice, an anonymous donor to Habitat for Humanity began discussions about the effort with the Georgia-based nonprofit back in 2025. With that donor's assistance, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is the latest of 20 affiliates across the country to join as a partner in Pope Leo Villages, with the chapter building two duplexes and a single-family home. Archbishop Hebda said, we're able to build something that's far larger than ourselves and that helps humanity. Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity has built 74 single-family homes and duplexes, and there are plans for 74 more. Twenty homes are now occupied. Nationally, Poplio Villages are being built in cities including Chicago, which is Popleo's hometown, and the first Poplio village site: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Portland. And that's your OSV Newscast for today. I'm Gina Christian. Check out the show notes for a link to our website where you can find the stories in this episode. As always, please do make sure to subscribe to this podcast. Give us a follow on social media and bookmark osvnews.com. A shout out to our listeners in the US, Canada, and all over the world. All right, who's in the house? Let's check and see. We have Australia, the UK, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago, Bhutan. Nice to see you. Poland, Lebanon, First Time, France, Mexico, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Italy, India, South Africa, and the Philippines. Drop us a line and let us know what you think. Thanks so much for listening, and God bless.

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