MIAMI (CNS) -- Jesuit Father Pedro Cartaya remembers shaking hands with astronaut Neil Armstrong. On Aug. 5, 1969, the priest was in New York City, among the crowd waiting to see the parade for the Apollo 11 astronauts. As the vehicle with the astronauts came by, Father Cartaya was fortunate enough to quickly shake hands with the first human to walk on the moon. He told Armstrong, "Great job! God bless you."

MANILA, Philippines (CNS) -- Philippine church leaders said the filing of sedition charges against four Catholic bishops, three priests, and several government critics are "beyond belief." In mid-July, the police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group filed charges of inciting sedition, cyber libel, libel and obstruction of justice against more than 40 people, including the country's vice president and 35 members of the opposition.

Berlin, Germany, Jul 22, 2019 CNA.- Continuing a years-long trend, the Catholic Church in Germany saw a significant drop in membership this past year, losing more than 200,000 members in 2018. According to the German Bishops’ Conference, the Catholic Church in the country declined by 216,078 members last year. Protestant churches saw a similar drop, with 220,000 members leaving during that time period.