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Catholic News Agency

ACI Prensa's latest initiative is the Catholic News Agency (CNA), aimed at serving the English-speaking Catholic audience. ACI Prensa (www.aciprensa.com) is currently the largest provider of Catholic news in Spanish and Portuguese.

Former Maronite priest still presenting himself as a cleric, Denver Archdiocese warns
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 18:06:00 -0500

St. Louis, Missouri, Dec 4, 2025 / 18:06 pm (CNA).

Andre Mahanna, a former Maronite Catholic priest who gained a national profile as a commentator, fundraiser, and advocate for persecuted Christians is continuing to present himself as a priest despite having been dismissed from the clerical state for financial impropriety, the Archdiocese of Denver announced Thursday.

In a statement, the archdiocese said Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles had dismissed Mahanna from the clerical state due to financial impropriety and that Mahanna is not permitted to act or present himself validly as a Catholic priest.

Mahanna has no priestly faculties, the statement continues, and is not authorized to “celebrate sacraments, preach, bless, or represent himself as a cleric in any setting.”

Catholics and members of the public should not engage in any invalid sacraments he is attempting nor give him money or support fundraising efforts connected to him, the archdiocese warned.

“The archdiocese asks Catholics to take this warning seriously and avoid any involvement that could imply Church approval, including donations, sponsorships, event invitations, or promotion of his activities,” the statement reads, noting that Zaidan has sent an alert to all U.S. bishops warning them that Mahanna is still presenting himself as a priest.

Mahanna served for a time at St. Rafka Maronite Catholic Church in Lakewood, Colorado, in the Denver metro. The charitable organization he founded, Saint Rafka Mission of Hope and Mercy, is registered in Lakewood. The mission reported $138,045 in revenue against $67,422 in expenses in 2024, according to its tax forms.

Although Mahanna’s mission is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, it is not recognized as a Catholic organization and is not authorized to solicit funds or participate in ministry within the Archdiocese of Denver, the statement continues.

“Neither Mr. Mahanna nor this nonprofit may take part in parish life, ministry, or fundraising in any Catholic setting within the archdiocese,” it says.

Archbishop Samuel Aquila was not immediately available for further comment. The Maronite Eparchy was also queried for further comment — seeking information on the nature of his financial impropriety and the date when Mahanna was informed of his laicization — but did not hear back by publication.

Mahanna grew up in Lebanon during the country’s civil war and is now an American citizen, according to the bio on his website. He was a guest of President Donald Trump for the signing of an executive order on religious freedom at the White House on the National Day of Prayer in 2017 and “has been invited back to this event as one of 40 select religious leaders every year since then,” the bio says.

His bio describes him as a popular speaker and says he has authored many articles focused on the unity of Christians, religious freedom, and the biblical foundation of Judeo-Christian values and traditions.

During 2017 and 2018, Mahanna appeared several times as a guest on EWTN television programs such as “EWTN News Nightly” and “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” mainly as an expert voice discussing the plight of Christians in the Middle East. (Note: EWTN is the parent company of CNA).

Numerous videos posted by Mission of Hope and Mercy in recent days show Mahanna wearing his priestly collar and introducing himself as “Father.”

In a Nov. 28 video, Mahanna, seeking donations, described how his mission provides aid to Christian families and victims of persecution in Lebanon, delivering food boxes, mattresses, water, and Christmas presents to villages affected by conflict.

Leo XIV eliminates commission for donations to Holy See created by Pope Francis
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:07:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 16:07 pm (CNA).

The Vatican announced on Dec. 4 a new decision by Pope Leo XIV regarding fundraising for the Holy See.

Through the new chirograph Vinculum Unitatis et Caritatis, the Holy Father is eliminating the current Commissio de Donationibus (Donations Commission) structure created in February by Pope Francis to raise funds, which was approved “ad experimentum” (for temporary or provisional use) for three years.

This commission was tasked with encouraging donations through specific campaigns among the faithful, bishops’ conferences, and other potential benefactors.

The pontiff thus repealed the rules in force until now and established that they will no longer have “any canonical or legal force,” as well as any acts adopted up to this point. Furthermore, Pope Leo XIV decreed that all the commission’s assets must be transferred to the Holy See.

By means of this decree, the members of the commission are immediately dismissed. The commission was composed of Monsignor Roberto Campisi, adviser for general affairs of the Secretariat of State, who chaired it; Archbishop Flavio Pace, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity; Alessandra Smerilli, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Sister Silvana Piro, undersecretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See; and Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, deputy secretary-general of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

The decision of Leo XIV comes after consulting with experts in the field and following the recommendations of the Council for the Economy, with the aim of strengthening administrative efficiency in the financial management of the Holy See.

The liquidation of the former commission will be managed by the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, while the Secretariat for the Economy will resolve any outstanding issues and must keep the Council for the Economy informed of all actions taken in this regard.

The Holy Father also ordered the creation of a new working group tasked with designing a renewed and more suitable model for fundraising, whose members will be proposed by the Council for the Economy. This measure takes effect immediately upon its publication in L’Osservatore Romano.

On Nov. 26, Pope Leo XIV also made an adjustment to the reforms undertaken by his predecessor with a new decree to revise the financial and administrative rules governing the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Mary Major.

The pontiff placed both institutions under the ordinary supervision of the Vatican’s Council for the Economy, emphasizing that the economic and financial reform of the Holy See requires a “periodic reevaluation and redefinition” of the regulatory framework.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

1 in 4 post-abortive women regret abortion decades later, study finds
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:37:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 15:37 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news:

1 in 4 post-abortive women regret abortion decades later, study finds

A new study found that 1 in 4 women regret their abortion decades after undergoing the procedure.

The study, published in the International Journal of Women’s Health Care, measured the levels of distress abortive women feel years after having an abortion.

Authored by Father Donald Paul Sullins with The Catholic University of America and the Ruth Institute, the study found that 24% of postabortive women in the U.S. “suffer from serious post-abortion distress.”

Of these post-abortive women, just under half showed “multiple symptoms of post-traumatic stress,” according to the study.

In the study, Sullins called for more research on the long-term effects of abortion as well as the development of “effective therapeutic interventions.”

“The health care of this population of women is understudied and underserved,” the study read. “Women considering an abortion should be informed of the possibility that they may experience persistent emotional distress.”

1 million ‘conversion counts’ highlights pregnancy center’s lifesaving work

A group that promotes life-affirming pregnancy centers has logged 1 million “conversions” away from abortion since its inception, the group announced earlier this week.

Choose Life Marketing works with more than 900 pro-life clients, including pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies.

The group found that a million women experiencing unplanned pregnancies had scheduled an appointment with a pregnancy help center since the agency’s founding in 2016.

“It reflects women choosing connection over isolation, hope over fear, and the courage to reach out for help,” said Nelly Roach, who heads Choose Life Marketing. “Pregnancy help centers across the country continue to meet those moments with the compassion, excellence, and support women deserve.”

“One million women reached out,” she continued. “Hundreds of thousands found the support they needed to choose life. Their courage and their children will shape families, communities, and futures for generations.”

Appeals court rules in favor of pregnancy centers in legal battle

A federal appeals court in New York ruled in favor of pregnancy centers in a legal battle over abortion pill reversal services.

A panel on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a preliminary injunction allowing pregnancy clinics to advertise abortion pill reversal.

New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the group Heartbeat International and 11 pregnancy centers in May 2024 accusing them of fraud in promoting a drug regimen that purports to reverse the effects of mifepristone.

In response, the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates sued James, claiming she was attacking their right to free speech. The three-judge panel at the appeals court ruled unanimously that the pregnancy centers could continue to advertise abortion reversal.

Thomas Glessner, president of the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, heralded the ruling, saying that pregnancy resource centers in the state “are now free to help women who regret taking the abortion pill and want a chance at saving the lives of their babies.”

“Abortion pill reversal, like the court said, offers no financial gains for pregnancy centers,” Glessner said in a statement shared with CNA. “They are simply giving women another option than ending the life of their unborn babies.”

Iowa lawmaker reintroduces bill in support of pregnant college students

Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, has reintroduced a bill requiring colleges to inform pregnant students of their rights and the resources available to them in their schools.

Under Title IX, pregnant students have the right to remain in school and complete their education, but about 30% of abortions are performed on college-aged women, according to Hinson’s press release. Resources that colleges offer to pregnant students often include flexible class schedules, excused absences, and child care assistance.

Students “deserve to know every resource available to them,” Hinson said in a statement.

“It is unacceptable that so many often feel they have to choose between finishing their education and having their baby,” the lawmaker continued.

Praising the bill, Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America, said in a statement: “Women balancing school, pregnancy, and family deserve our support. Yet, ironically, far too few know about Title IX, the law that is supposed to protect their rights.”

Catholic bishops back Trump’s removal of gender ideology in refugee forms
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:07:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 4, 2025 / 15:07 pm (CNA).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has published a public comment that supports the removal of gender ideology within refugee resettlement forms for unaccompanied children.

In accordance with President Donald Trump’s executive order “defending women from gender ideology extremism” and restoring “biological truth to the federal government,” the Office of Refugee Resettlement has proposed a change to forms that would replace the word “gender” with “sex.”

The proposed change would require that the forms reflect the child’s biological sex as opposed to perceived identity. The form options will be limited to only “male” and female.”

In the public comment, the bishops said they have “historically partnered closely with the Office of Refugee Resettlement to protect the well-being of unaccompanied noncitizen children while, in all respects, adhering to the Catholic Church’s teachings on the God-given dignity of the human person, created male and female,” and cited Genesis 1:27.

“By replacing the references in [the forms] to ‘gender’ with ‘sex,’ the proposal reflects a true anthropology that is grounded in the biological sexual identity that is either male or female, an anthropology that promotes human flourishing,” read the comment, signed by USCCB General Counsel William J. Quinn and Assistant General Counsel Daniel E. Balserak.

The USCCB elaborated on the Catholic doctrines related to sex and the inability to change a person’s sex, as highlighted in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s (DDF) April 2024 document Dignitas Infinita, approved by Pope Francis.

“Biological sex and the socio-cultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated,” the document teaches.

“Therefore, all attempts to obscure reference to the ineliminable sexual difference between man and woman are to be rejected: We cannot separate the masculine and the feminine from God’s work of creation, which is prior to all our decisions and experiences, and where biological elements exist which are impossible to ignore. Only by acknowledging and accepting this difference in reciprocity can each person fully discover themselves, their dignity, and their identity,” it adds.

The bishops also cited the June 2019 document from the Congregation for Catholic Education titled “Male and Female He Created Them” to emphasize the importance of using the term “sex” instead of “gender.”

“In this cultural context, it is clear that sex and gender are no longer synonyms or interchangeable concepts, since they are used to describe two different realities… the concept of gender is seen as dependent upon the subjective mindset of each person, who can choose a gender not corresponding to his or her biological sex, and therefore with the way others see that person (transgenderism),” the document reads.

Trump’s executive order directed agencies and departments to update terminology on forms and in all official government documents to remove any recognition of gender ideology. The order reflects the administration’s position that there are only two sexes: male and female.

Dozens of Congress members urge court to allow Ten Commandments display in public schools
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:37:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 4, 2025 / 14:37 pm (CNA).

First Liberty Institute and Heather Gebelin Hacker of Hacker Stephens LLP have filed an amicus brief on behalf of 46 United States lawmakers urging the federal court to allow the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools.

U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana; Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas; and Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, R-Texas, are among the lawmakers supporting the cause after federal judges blocked Texas and Louisiana laws requiring the display of the commandments.

“The Ten Commandments — adorned both inside and outside the U.S. Supreme Court — served as essential building blocks for Western civilization and are deeply embedded in the history of this country,” Johnson said in a Dec 4. statement.

“I am grateful to my colleagues for joining me in filing this amicus brief, and we hope the court follows well-established precedent and affirms the importance of teaching the fundamental foundations of our country,” he said.

In 2024, the state of Louisiana adopted House Bill 71, which requires schools that receive public funding to display the Ten Commandments, but a federal judge subsequently blocked the law for being “coercive” and “unconstitutional.” Then in May of this year, Texas passed Senate Bill 10 that also requires the commandments be placed in classrooms. In August, a federal judge also partially blocked that state from enforcing its law.

The cases were consolidated and are slated to be heard this month by the full panel of judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.

First Liberty Institute, a legal organization dedicated to defending religious liberty in the U.S., reported that previous religious freedom cases including The American Legion v. American Humanist Association and Kennedy v. Bremerton School District “make clear that displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools is constitutional.”

“As the Supreme Court has repeatedly acknowledged, the Ten Commandments were foundational to Western legal tradition, including the common-law system that shaped American law, and this case is critical to reaffirming our commitment to the principles that have guided America since our founding,” Cruz said. “I hope the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will uphold the ruling.”

“I’m proud to stand with Sen. Cruz in supporting Texas’ law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools across the Lone Star State,” Cornyn said. “The Ten Commandments ensure students are reminded of the Judeo-Christian values that have shaped our state and nation.”

“America was founded as a nation grounded in a distinctly Christian understanding, and the Ten Commandments are intertwined with America’s legal, moral, and historical heritage,” Roy said. Placing them “in every classroom in Texas affirms that we are a Judeo-Christian nation, upholding our historical and moral heritage and proclaiming the Ten Commandments as a guiding path for a righteous way of life.”

“Our religious heritage and the best of the nation’s history and traditions acknowledge the Ten Commandments as an important symbol of law and moral conduct with both religious and secular significance,” said Kelly Shackelford, president, CEO, and chief counsel for First Liberty. “Government hostility to religion and our religious history is not the law.”

In the brief, Hacker said: “As Justice [Neil] Gorsuch warned in American Legion, if individuals ‘could invoke the authority of a federal court to forbid what they dislike for no more reason than they dislike it … courts would start to look more like legislatures, responding to social pressures rather than remedying concrete harms, in the process supplanting the right of the people and their elected representatives to govern themselves.’”

Buffalo bishop will allow faithful to meet at parishes to oppose closures, mergers
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:07:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 14:07 pm (CNA).

Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher is permitting Catholics to meet at diocesan parishes while they work to oppose diocesan-mandated parish closures, with the bishop reversing an earlier policy after talks with the Vatican.

Fisher had banned such parishioner meetings in October 2024 amid opposition to the Buffalo Diocese’s “Road to Renewal” plan that included multiple parish closures and mergers. That initiative was finalized in September 2024.

On Nov. 27 the advocacy group Save Our Buffalo Churches posted a Nov. 6 letter from Fisher in which he wrote that he was repealing the directive “in an effort to better protect the rights of the faithful.”

The prelate met with members of the Dicastery for the Clergy — including prefect Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik — during a trip to the Vatican in October, he wrote in the letter.

“Based on our conversation, it is clear to me now that this policy is too restrictive of the rights of the faithful,” the bishop said in his letter.

He pointed to the Catholic Code of Canon Law, which holds that Christians “can legitimately vindicate and defend the rights which they possess in the Church in the competent ecclesiastical forum according to the norm of law.”

In announcing the rule change, Fisher ordered that parish funds are not to be used “for expenses related to recourse” and that Church property can only be used with permission of the facility’s pastor or administrator.

Parish-owned social media accounts and websites are also not to be used for recourse activities, he said.

The prelate stressed the need for “pastoral unity” amid the ongoing restructuring plan.

“Even if one of the faithful chooses to exercise his/her right to recourse, this choice should always be seen as a disagreement about a particular decision, not a rejection of Church authority or the Road to Renewal more broadly,” he said.

In releasing the letter, Save Our Buffalo Churches described the decision as of “crucial importance to the faithful,” though it criticized what it said was a “lack of publicity” from the diocese on the decision, with the order allegedly being left up to pastors to disseminate.

“This is insufficient, because it’s proven to be inequitable,” the group said. “It’s also in the greatest contrast with how the original October policy was promulgated: immediately and aggressively.”

The group described its decision to publish the letter as “just and equitable,” though group members said they were “thankful” for Fisher’s statement “and the wisdom contained therein.”

Parish advocates have been clashing with the bishop over the closure and merger plan for over a year. Earlier in 2025 the dispute even reached the New York Supreme Court, which in July issued a halt on parish payments into the diocese’s abuse settlement fund amid parishioner objections.

The high court in September ultimately allowed the payments to proceed, citing a long-standing prohibition against “court involvement in the governance and administration of a hierarchical church.”

Vatican commission rejects female diaconate, although without a ‘definitive judgment’
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:37:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 13:37 pm (CNA).

The Vatican published on Dec. 4 the summary of the work carried out by the commissions studying the possibility of admitting women to the diaconate, presented to Pope Leo XIV by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi.

Petrocchi, the president of the Study Commission on the Female Diaconate created by Pope Francis, stated that — with seven votes in favor and one against — the possibility of admitting women to the diaconate as a degree of the sacrament of holy orders is ruled out.

However, he emphasized that for the moment it is not possible “to formulate a definitive judgment, as in the case of priestly ordination.”

Historical investigation into so-called ‘deaconesses’

This second working session — following the one held in 2021 — ended last February, and the conclusions were presented on Sept. 18 to Pope Leo XIV, who ordered that they be made public on Dec. 4.

In a seven-page document, the cardinal stated that, based on a historical investigation, the commissions agree that the so-called “deaconesses” existed in the history of the Church but with diverse functions and not equivalent to the male diaconate.

Petrocchi emphasized that this question cannot be resolved solely with historical data and that, ultimately, it is up to the magisterium to issue a doctrinal judgment.

Following the Synod on Synodality, everyone who wished to do so was invited to submit their contributions on the topic. The cardinal revealed that “although numerous submissions were received, the individuals or groups who sent their work numbered only 22 and represented only a few countries.”

“Therefore, although the material is abundant and, in some cases, skillfully argued, it cannot be considered the voice of the synod, much less of the people of God as a whole,” he noted.

Christ is male and the sex of those who receive ordination

Although there is not enough consensus to admit women to the diaconate, the votes show divided positions, with a clear tendency to maintain caution in this regard.

On the one hand, those who support the female diaconate argue for “the equal status of men and women as images of God,” while those who are against it recall “the fact that Christ is male, and therefore that those who receive ordination are male is not accidental but is an integral part of the sacramental identity, preserving the divine order of salvation in Christ.”

For those who oppose it, “altering this reality would not be a simple adjustment of the ministry but a rupture of the nuptial meaning of salvation.”

Despite the lack of consensus surrounding the diaconate, there is unanimity on the need to expand the ministries instituted for women, further exploring the “baptismal diaconate” (every baptized person’s call to serve) and promoting greater female co-responsibility in the life of the Church.

Petrocchi concluded by recommending that Pope Leo XIV follow a line of doctrinal prudence in his discernment as well as continue the theological study of the diaconate and, at the same time, open new ministerial spaces for women without resorting to sacramental ordination.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Did leak in England suggest broader shift in Vatican policy on the Latin Mass?
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:07:00 -0500

London, England, Dec 4, 2025 / 13:07 pm (CNA).

A policy change concerning restrictions on the old Mass is relevant to the whole of the universal Church, not just England and Wales, the head of the Latin Mass Society in England said.

In a telephone interview with CNA, Joseph Shaw said a leaked report stating that the apostolic nuncio to Great Britain had told English and Welsh bishops that they can apply for two-year exemptions to license the celebration of the old Mass in their dioceses was a “universal” change in policy.

“The nuncio’s alleged comments are very positive, and I hope they are true. It indicates the confidence that the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference for England and Wales [CBCEW], to be pastoral and sensitive,” he said.

“Is this development special to England and Wales? The response from the nuncio and from the dicastery suggest that this is now a universal policy and that is very significant because it removes the most consequential element of Traditionis Custodes; namely the demand that every Mass in a parish church must have special permission from the dicastery. This is a significant step which will make a huge difference, and I would expect further developments over time from Pope Leo along these lines.”

The CBCEW met for its yearly fall plenary meeting Nov. 10–13, and since then several publications have reported that the bishops were told by Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, the apostolic nuncio to Great Britain, that bishops could be granted renewable two-year exemptions that would enable them to permit the celebration of the Latin Mass within their dioceses.

CNA approached the CBCEW for clarification as to whether the reports were accurate. In an email, Stephanie MacGillivray, senior press officer at the CBCEW, said: “We’re not able to comment further at this stage except to say we take our lead from the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.”

A Nov. 14 communique from the CBCEW expressed regret that Maury Buendía’s statement had been leaked, leading to “confusion to the faithful.” When CNA approached Maury Buendia’s office for further clarity, it was referred back to the same statement.

Catholics who attend the old Mass in England and Wales have experienced a tumultuous period since the new Roman Missal was introduced in 1970, overriding the 1962 missal.

Due to the upset among traditional Catholics following the change, Pope Paul VI permitted the use of the 1962 missal in England and Wales, and this permission was extended across the whole Church in 1984 during the papacy of St. John Paul II.

The hopes of traditional Catholics were raised further when Pope Benedict XVI issued Summorum Pontificum in 2007, further easing restrictions on the old Mass. However, in 2021, Pope Francis introduced new restrictions on the celebration of the old Mass via his motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, stating that previous concessions regarding the old rite were exposing the Church to the “peril of division.”

Archbishop Broglio: Drug cartels must be stopped, but not with ‘violence outside the law’
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:07:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 12:07 pm (CNA).

U.S. Military Services Archbishop Timothy Broglio is urging the country’s leaders to refrain from killing noncombatants while neutralizing violent drug cartels across the world.

The Trump administration throughout late 2025 has been launching aggressive strikes against suspected drug cartel operators in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean. The White House has come under fire for what critics have claimed are indiscriminate and possibly extralegal airstrikes against alleged narco boats.

Human rights advocates have particularly criticized a Sept. 2 strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat in which the military fired a second strike against two individuals who survived the initial strike.

In a Dec. 3 statement, Broglio acknowledged that “dismantling the powerful criminal networks responsible for the flow of illegal substances into our nation is a necessary and laudable task.”

Yet “questions have been raised about the use of military force in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean and, as a nation, we must ensure that the use of military force is ethical and legal,” the prelate said.

Broglio noted that methods to eradicate drugs and drug smugglers from the U.S. must be “moral” and in line with “just war theory,” which includes respect for “the dignity of each human person.”

“No one can ever be ordered to commit an immoral act, and even those suspected of committing a crime are entitled to due process under the law,” he said.

The intentional killing of noncombatants is forbidden in a just war, he said, and it would be “an illegal and immoral order to [deliberately] kill survivors on a vessel who pose no immediate lethal threat to our armed forces.”

Military forces possess a legitimate means of ensuring that noncombatants are not killed, Broglio pointed out: Vessels can be intercepted, boarded, and members of the Coast Guard can arrest suspected drug runners, after which they would be subject to due process in a court.

“True justice is achieved through transparent legal procedures, accountability, and respect for life — not through violence outside the law,” the archbishop said.

Broglio — who previously served as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and has led the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, since 2008 — pointed out that the U.S. has “a long tradition of responding to injustice, liberating the oppressed, and leading the free world.”

Leaders “cannot tarnish that reputation with questionable actions that fail to respect the dignity of the human person and the rule of law,” he said.

Broglio urged leaders to refrain from asking soldiers to “engage in immoral actions.” He further noted that his own investment in the matter stems from a tradition as old as the the country itself.

“[F]rom the beginning,” he said, “George Washington wanted chaplains with his troops to tell him the truth.”

Discalced Carmelites prepare to celebrate jubilee year of St. John of the Cross
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Iberian Province of the Discalced Carmelites is preparing to celebrate the jubilee year of St. John of the Cross, marking the 300th anniversary of his canonization and the 100th anniversary of his proclamation as a doctor of the Church.

The jubilee year dedicated to St. John of the Cross was approved by the Apostolic Penitentiary at the request of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and the dioceses of Ávila, Jaén, and Segovia in Spain, which are particularly linked to the life and work of the mystic and reformer of the Carmelite order, along with St. Teresa of Ávila.

The superior of the Iberian Province of the Discalced Carmelites, Friar Francisco Sánchez Oreja, stated in a message commemorating the jubilee that “the centenaries serve to confirm that St. John of the Cross, whom we are celebrating, is still alive and has a word he continues to speak” to today’s world.

“The message he has left us is one of seeking the divine, calling us to immerse ourselves in God in a lived experience of theological life. The message of an eminent witness of the living God who speaks of him and the things of God. A message to forge and form believers in mature faith, in a greater intimacy with God,” the priest noted.

For Sánchez, this jubilee “should be a time to deepen our knowledge and study of St. John of the Cross,” who is “a living image of the authentic Carmelite” not only because of his doctrine or as the founder of the Discalced Carmelites but also “because with his concrete existence, with the events of his life, he has manifested the Carmelite vocation and shows us the image of the Carmelite religious.”

Sánchez described the patron saint of Spanish poets as a discreet and virtuous man who “did not seek to act for reward but as an act of gratitude to God.”

St. John of the Cross is also portrayed as an ascetic man who rejected society’s honors, a spiritual person “who lived in an atmosphere of prayer,” a witness of God with a “great capacity for interiority and contemplation” who seeks the truth “that lies beyond what we perceive at first glance.”

Poor ever since he was a child, he embraced ‘evangelical’ poverty

The superior of the Carmelites also emphasized in his biographical sketch that the founder of the Discalced Carmelites knew poverty from childhood, to the point that “he saw his father and his brother die of hunger.”

This reality was a school of life that led him to move from place to place, beg in the streets, and perform the most menial jobs: “All of this helped him to be a humble and simple person,” even when he held positions of authority in the order.

The friar also emphasized that the saint “voluntarily took up evangelical poverty, embracing the poor Christ, which translates into a life based on work, sobriety, and detachment from riches.”

Fundamental attitudes of St. John of the Cross

Among these, he highlighted “faith in the living and true God found in the person of Jesus Christ,” hope “that helps us understand that not everything ends here and now, but that we are called to communion of life with him,” and charity, which “gives life and value to the works of faith and hope.”

“His example is an ideal for life, his writings, a treasure to share with all those who seek the face of God today, and his doctrine is also a word for us today,” Sánchez emphasized.

The St. John of the Cross Jubilee Year will be inaugurated on Dec. 13 with the opening of the holy door at the Church of the Sepulchre of St. John of the Cross in Segovia and will extend until Dec. 26, 2026, when the closing ceremony will take place in Úbeda, the town in the province of Jaén where he died.

The jubilee churches that can be visited on pilgrimage during these months are: St. Cyprian Parish in Fontiveros, the saint’s birthplace; St. Teresa of Jesus Basilica in Ávila; and the conventual church of the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Duruelo in the Diocese of Ávila.

In the Diocese of Jaén, the jubilee church will be the church-oratory of the Discalced Carmelite convent in Úbeda and in the Diocese of Segovia, the church of the Discalced Carmelites in Segovia, where the tomb of St. John of the Cross is located.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

‘You leave or we’ll kick you out’ can’t be only answer for migrants, Chilean archbishop says
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Chileans are preparing to go to the polls once again to elect their president. Following the general elections, two candidates will be vying to replace the current president, Gabriel Boric: Jeannette Jara, a former government official, and the opposition candidate José Antonio Kast of the Republican Party.

In a climate marked by insecurity, rising crime rates, and the migration crisis, citizens are closely watching the proposals of both candidates to address these problems.

The archbishop of Concepción, Sergio Pérez de Arce, addressed the debate over the situation of immigrants without legal status in the country in a column titled “It’s Either ‘You Leave or We Expel You’?” in which he maintains that migration policy cannot be reduced to these two options.

The question that titles his column refers to the warning that candidate José Antonio Kast gave to immigrants who are residing illegally in Chile, whom he assured that they have “100 days” to each make “the appropriate decision and leave our country” before being expelled, a measure he will implement if he takes office as president on March 11, 2026.

Jara, the Communist Party candidate, adopted the idea of ​​the liberal Franco Parisi — a candidate in the first round of elections for president — to address the problem of illegal immigration by means of a proposal “very focused on technological control of the border” and proposes “creating a digital wall” with tools such as biometric control.

Regarding Kast’s countdown for immigrants to leave the country, she considers it “a campaign stunt.”

In recent weeks, Peru, which lies on Chile’s northern border, has strengthened border control there by deploying military forces, resulting in nearly a hundred migrants being stranded in northern Chile.

In response, the archbishop of Concepción stated that “the response to migrants in an irregular situation [not legally present] in the country cannot be simply ‘you leave now, voluntarily, or we will expel you with nothing but the clothes on your back’ in 100 days.”

“There are foreigners who have been in Chile for years, who work and contribute to the country, who have family and emotional ties here, and who even have children born in Chile (who are therefore Chilean citizens). Many of them have wanted to regularize their situation, but they have been given almost no alternatives,” he lamented.

“On the other hand, leaving Chile today means exposing oneself only to uncertainty, since neighboring countries are closing their borders, Venezuela is still in a political and social crisis, and is also in conflict with the United States. It means exposing people and families to new, painful, and unsafe displacement,” he warned.

“Can Chilean society offer as the only solution: ‘Either you leave or we’ll kick you out’? Can politics be reduced solely to threats and a punitive response to human realities [in such precarious situations]?” he asked.

“It’s not humane, it’s not rational, it is not in keeping with the Gospel. It’s not the best policy. There are other paths to explore that are more in line with human dignity. That is what is expected of governments and presidential candidates,” he asserted.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Finland’s only Catholic bishop appeals for help for his ‘booming’ Church
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Houston, Texas, Dec 4, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The bishop of Helsinki in Finland, Raimo Goyarrola, the only Catholic bishop in the Nordic country that shares a 1,000-mile border with Russia, has been traveling in the U.S. to raise funds to support the small Catholic population there, which has seen explosive growth in the last five years.

Goyarrola, originally from Bilbao, Spain — along with Father Jean Claude Kabeza, a genocide survivor from Rwanda and the vicar general and pastor of St. Henry’s Cathedral in Helsinki — spoke with CNA in Houston recently as the two made their way through Texas seeking to raise funds for the Finnish Church.

“It’s a growing Church, but it’s very poor, and filled with immigrants and refugees,” Goyarrola told CNA. “There are 125 different nationalities, and many different rites … Maronites, Chaldeans … It’s a richness, but also a pastoral challenge.”

There are currently more than 300 unbaptized adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church in Finland, according to Kabeza. With Catholics making up about 0.2% of the country’s 5.6 million people, he called the growth “booming.”

Goyarrola explained that the Catholic Church in the country is “a mission Church.” There are no Catholic schools in the country, so he is seeking to build one in the capital city of Helsinki, along with a pastoral center from which to coordinate catechetical and charitable works.

Currently, there are eight parishes in the entire country, which is about the size of Montana, and four of those parishes cannot meet expenses. While Masses are being said in 33 cities, Goyarrola said some families still must travel 200 miles to attend Mass because there are not enough churches or priests, which he refers to as a “blessed problem.”

The diocese rents space from 20 Lutheran churches and five Orthodox churches in 25 of the 33 cities.

In Helsinki, the Catholic Church pays 12,000 euros ($14,000) a month to rent a larger and empty Lutheran church in order to say Masses and for other church activities.

St. Henry’s Cathedral is “too small,” its pastor, Kabeza, said. “We were saying eight Masses a day, and people were still standing outside.”

In a country with frigid winters, Kabeza said that “as their pastor and father, I hated to see my children outside in the cold when they came to Mass.”

Although 65% of the population is nominally Lutheran, the country is very secular, according to the two men. About 0.3% of the population are Orthodox. These two denominations, along with Catholicism at 0.2% of the population, are the largest religious groups in the country.

A ‘paradise of ecumenism’

Because the different churches rely on one another, Goyarrola called the country a “paradise of ecumenism.”

“We are very close,” the bishop said of his Lutheran and Orthodox compatriots. Last year, almost 400 Orthodox, Catholics, and Lutherans attended a Marian procession in Helsinki on the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

“The Orthodox brought their icons and we brought our statues,” the bishop said. “Two choirs, one Orthodox and one Catholic, and both bishops along with several Lutheran pastors participated in the procession.”

Both men joked that when just 50 people attend an outdoor event in Finland, it makes the news. Hundreds of Christians walking through the streets honoring the Virgin Mary did not, however.

The bishop said a 160-page joint declaration on Church ministry and the Eucharist signed in 2017 between the Catholic and Lutheran churches was met with amazement by the Vatican.

The growing ecumenism there “is amazing. It is a new page in the history of the Church,” he said.

A ‘free hand’ during COVID led to growth

Goyarrola, who joined Opus Dei at 18 and eventually became a priest and a trained surgeon, first arrived in Finland in 2006 and was made a bishop in 2023.

He said the Church began to grow quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government gave “a free hand to the churches during that time,” the bishop said. “The Catholic Church opened its doors while the rest of the churches kept theirs closed. We continued to say Masses, and our buildings were always physically open and people were coming in to pray.”

According to Kabeza, “the people were looking for something because they were afraid.”

The vicar general said many young men who are interested in the faith are talking to him about their desire for the sacraments and the importance of tradition.

“The young men want to have something that is very strong, something which is stable,” he said.

The Catholic Church is ‘a family’

Kabeza’s father was shot to death in front of Kabeza’s mother and sisters after the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Kabeza, along with his mother and five of his siblings, lived in a refugee camp for six years before moving to Finland through a United Nations program for genocide survivors.

“Faith, forgiveness, and family are the basis of life, which cannot be lived without those three things,” he said. “After the genocide, if you still had a mother and so many siblings, you have to give thanks because others lost everybody.”

Goyarrola said he hopes his fundraising trips to the U.S., made possible through friendships with other bishops and cardinals, will be fruitful. He referred to something he heard Pope Leo XIV say recently: “Christians are brothers and sisters who need to support each other.”

“We are children of the same Father and the same Mother, the Church,” the bishop said.

He said he hopes “our Catholic family around the world” will help him as he works to take care of “his children” in one of the world’s most secular and expensive countries.

“It’s a spiritual tsunami,” he said of the growing Finnish Church.

“We have a lot of faith, happiness, and joy. We have a lot of dreams, but we have no money,” he said, laughing.

Bishop Simon Kulli, witness to the faith in post-communist Albania, dies at 52
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 18:51:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 3, 2025 / 18:51 pm (CNA).

The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) announced the sudden death of Bishop Simon Kulli of Sapë in northern Albania on Saturday, Nov. 29, at the age of 52.

The prelate, a close collaborator of ACN and one of the most prominent voices in the Albanian Church, belonged to the first generation of priests formed after the fall of the communist regime, considered the most atheist and repressive of the 20th century.

In a statement, the pontifical foundation said that it received ”with deep sorrow the news of the sudden death of Bishop Kulli, who has been a project partner of ACN … He rendered an invaluable service not only to the Church but also to his country and to humanity.”

A vocation born from the suffering of the Albanian martyrs

During a visit to the international headquarters of ACN earlier this year, Kulli recounted the origin of his priestly vocation, which was inspired by “seeing one of those old priests [who had been in prison for 28 years] celebrating Mass in Latin in my parish for the first time” after the fall of communism and the restoration of religious freedom in Albania.

“That was the exact moment I felt my vocation. Seeing that suffering priest, who found it so difficult to celebrate Mass, who was bent over at the altar because of the years in prison, I thought I could replace him,” the bishop recalled.

His personal story reflected the drama and hope of the Church in Albania. He was secretly baptized a few days after birth by the Stigmatine nun Sister Marije Kaleta, who risked her life secretly bringing the Eucharist to the sick and baptizing children all while keeping out of sight of the communist police.

“This baptism that I received was a great gift that the Lord wished to give me, in secret, at the height of the communist regime. If somebody were to discover that I had been baptized, my grandparents and the rest of my family would have been thrown into jail,” he explained in an interview with ACN in February.

A pastor marked by the suffering of the martyrs

Kulli was part of a generation that personally knew the so-called “living martyrs” of Albania: priests, men and women religious, and laypeople who endured years of imprisonment and torture for remaining faithful to their religion. Their testimonies profoundly impacted the future bishop.

“They filled me with great hope. Even though I was never in prison, I felt what it was like to live in a country in which man is deprived of his main sustenance: faith. And these testimonies were a great source of hope for me and my future,” he said.

The bishop also served as the Albanian Bishops’ Conference’s commissioner for the pastoral care of health care workers and was a member of the executive committee of the European Federation of Catholic Medical Associations.

In 2024, he actively participated in promoting the Albanian martyrs, 38 of whom were beatified in 2016 and two more in 2024. “Their blood will produce many vocations,” he said at the time.

A year before his death, representatives from ACN visited four Albanian dioceses and met with Kulli in Sapë. There, the bishop reiterated his gratitude for the assistance provided to the Church in Albania.

During his last interview with the pontifical foundation, the bishop gave a powerful message addressed to persecuted Christians: “After death, there is always resurrection … Stay strong, with no fear… because Christ always wins… with Christ you can overcome any difficulty.”

ACN noted that “his testimony of faith, humility, and joy will surely be a fruitful seed for the Catholic Church in Albania. May he rest in eternal peace!”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

The kitchen friar’s book that inspires Pope Leo’s spirituality
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 18:21:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 3, 2025 / 18:21 pm (CNA).

On the papal plane on the way home from his first international trip, Pope Leo XIV referenced a book that has greatly influenced his spirituality after being asked by a journalist about the conclave and what it’s been like becoming the pope.

“Besides St. Augustine,” Pope Leo said that “The Practice of the Presence of God” by a 17th-century Carmelite friar named Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection is a book that can help anyone to understand his spirituality.

“It’s a very simple book by someone who doesn’t even give his last name,” the pope told journalists on the papal plane Dec. 2. “I read it many years ago, but it describes a type of prayer and spirituality where one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead.”

“And if you want to know something about me, that’s been my spirituality for many years, in midst of great challenges — living in Peru, during years of terrorism, being called to service in places where I never thought I would be called to serve to — I trust in God, and that message is something that I share with all people,” he continued.

After being asked what it was like for him during the conclave, Pope Leo mentioned the book and said: “I resigned myself to the fact, when I saw how things were going, [that] this could be a reality.”

“I took a deep breath. I said, here we go. Lord, you’re in charge, and you lead the way,” he said.

Who was Brother Lawrence?

“The Practice of the Presence of God” is a collection of Brother Lawrence’s teachings — memorialized in about 30 pages of letters and records of his conversations.

Though Brother Lawrence was virtually unknown in life, Father Joseph de Beaufort compiled his wisdom into a pamphlet published soon after his death in 1691. The book is now beloved by Catholics and Protestants alike.

In his writings, Brother Lawrence presents a spirituality that involves being constantly in contact with God, being accompanied by him in all things — from cooking to shoe repair.

Before he was Brother Lawrence, Nicholas Herman was a soldier during the Thirty Years’ War. Because of a wartime injury, his leg impaired his movement and caused him constant pain for life. But as a young adult, he had a vision of Christ that would inspire him for the rest of his life; or, as de Beaufort recalled: “which has never since been effaced from his soul.”

He went on to join the Discalced Carmelite Prior in Paris, doing humble work as a cook, and eventually working in the sandal repair shop as well.

Brother Lawrence believed that little things could please God just as much as great things.

“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work but the love with which it is performed,” he taught.

Amid the busy environment of a kitchen serving about 100 people, he still connected with God.

In one recorded conversation, de Beaufort recalled Brother Lawrence saying that “the time of business … does not with me differ from the time of prayer.”

“And in the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess GOD in as great tranquillity as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Sacrament,” he continued.

Catholic Charities affiliates fear SNAP disruptions amid Trump administration warning
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 17:51:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 3, 2025 / 17:51 pm (CNA).

President Donald Trump’s administration intends to cut off federal food assistance for 21 states amid a dispute over reporting data about recipients, which has caused concern for some local Catholic Charities affiliates whose areas may be affected.

In May, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins ordered states to share certain records with the federal government about people who receive food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She said this was to ensure benefits only went to eligible people.

Although 29 states complied, 21 Democratic-led states refused to provide the information and sued the administration. The lawsuit alleges that providing the information — which includes immigration status, income, and identifying information — would be a privacy violation.

Rollins said in a Cabinet meeting on Dec. 2 that “as of next week, we have begun and will begin to stop moving federal funds into those states until they comply and they … allow us to partner with them to root out this fraud and protect the American taxpayer.”

She said an initial overview of the data from states that complied showed SNAP benefits given to 186,000 people using Social Security numbers for someone who is not alive and about a half of a million people receiving SNAP benefits more than once. The Department of Agriculture has not released that data.

If funding is halted, this would be the second disruption for SNAP benefits in just two months. In November, SNAP payments were delayed for nearly two weeks until lawmakers negotiated an end to the government shutdown.

For many of the states that will be impacted, Catholic Charities is the largest provider of food assistance after SNAP, and some affiliate leaders fear that the disruption will cause problems.

Rose Bak, chief operating officer of Catholic Charities of Oregon, told CNA the nonprofit keeps stockpiles for emergencies, but “we’ve gone through most of our supplies” amid the November disruption and an increase in people’s needs caused by the high cost of groceries.

She said their food pantry partners have told her “they’ve never been this low on stock” as well.

“Our phones were ringing off the hook,” Bak said. “Our mailboxes were flooded with emails.”

When asked how another disruption would compare to the problems in November, she said: “I think it will definitely be worse.”

“People are scared,” Bak said. “They’re worried about how they’re going to feed their families.”

Ashley Valis, chief operating officer of Catholic Charities of Baltimore, similarly told CNA that another disruption “would place immense strain on families already struggling as well as on organizations like ours, which are experiencing growing demand for food and emergency assistance.”

“Food insecurity forces children, parents, and older adults to make impossible trade-offs between rent, groceries, and medication,” she said.

James Malloy, CEO and president of Catholic Charities DC, told CNA: “We work to be responsive to the needs of the community as they fluctuate,” and added: “SNAP cuts will certainly increase that need.”

“These benefits are critical for veterans, children, and many low-income workers who have multiple jobs to cover basic expenses,” he said.

Catholic Charities USA launched a national fundraising effort in late October, just before SNAP benefits were delayed the first time. Catholic Charities USA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lilly Endowment announces 45 multimillion-dollar grants for theological schools
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 17:21:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 3, 2025 / 17:21 pm (CNA).

The Lilly Endowment announced it will distribute 45 large-scale grants to theological schools across the U.S. and Canada, including directing about $60 million to several Catholic institutions.

The grants, which range from $2.5 million to $10 million, are a part of the Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, ​helping theological schools to “enhance their educational and financial capacities” and train pastors “to effectively lead congregations from a wide variety of contexts,” according to a press release from the organization.

The grants will benefit a range of ecumenical traditions, including Catholic institutions, as well as mainline Protestant, evangelical, and Orthodox ones.

Catholic institutions receiving grants include The Catholic University of America, which received over $7 million; Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon, which received $10 million; Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Wickliffe, Ohio, which received nearly $8.9 million; the University of Notre Dame, which received over $5 million; and Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary, which received $10 million. Loyola University of Chicago received $10 million and Santa Clara University was awarded $10 million.

Saint John’s said in a statement its grant would be used as a part of a mission called “​​Stabilitas: Renewing Rural Ministry.” It will collaborate with nine partner dioceses across the country as a part of the mission, including the Diocese of Saint Cloud, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, the Diocese of Duluth, the Diocese of Rapid City, the Diocese of Sioux Falls, the Archdiocese of Dubuque, the Diocese of Davenport, the Diocese of Cheyenne, and the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings.

The Catholic University of America said it would use its $7.2 million grant to develop a program to help “strengthen practical leadership skills of current and new priests, seminarians, and other pastoral leaders.” The program also will provide ongoing formation for bishops, according to a release from the university. The Catholic Project will serve as a partner in the program, called New Wineskins.

“This initiative allows us to address some of the most pressing issues in leadership for seminarians, men’s religious communities, bishops, and pastoral leaders. This is an opportunity to build on the School of Theology’s 130-year foundation of preparing leaders for service to the Church,” said Susan Timoney, the principal investigator for New Wineskins.

The initiative has been in place since 2021 and has provided more than $700 million in grants to 163 theological schools.

“Theological schools play a vital role in preparing and supporting pastoral leaders for Christian congregations,” said Christopher L. Coble, the Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “We believe that one of the most promising paths for theological schools to carry forward their important missions and enhance their impact is to work collaboratively with other schools, as well as congregations and other church-related organizations.”

“By doing so they can strengthen their collective capacities to prepare and support pastoral leaders for effective congregational service now and in the future,” he added.

“Collectively, these schools will work collaboratively with nearly 400 other theological schools, colleges and universities, congregations, church agencies, denominations and other religious organizations to educate and support more effectively both aspiring and current pastoral leaders of churches,” the Lilly Endowment said.

Catholics join coalition opposed to the death penalty amid execution surge
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 16:42:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 3, 2025 / 16:42 pm (CNA).

Catholics and pro-life conservatives joined a broad coalition of more than 50 organizations seeking to end the death penalty in the United States amid the 2025 surge in executions.

Leaders of the coalition, the U.S. Campaign to End the Death Penalty (USCEPD), said they hope the coordinated team can abolish the death penalty in states where it is still practiced. Capital punishment is still on the books in 27 states, but just 16 have executed prisoners over the past decade.

The group’s goals include working with Democrats and Republicans to pass state-level laws that end the use of capital punishment, reducing the imposition of the death penalty in jurisdictions where it remains legal, and increasing awareness about the risk of executing innocent people, the lack of fairness in the system, and the harms inflicted on everyone affected by the death penalty.

In 2024, there were 25 people executed in the United States. In 2025, there have already been 44 executions, and three more are scheduled this month. Florida executed one person in 2024 and has already executed 17 people in 2025. Another two people are scheduled for execution this month.

At the same time, public support for the death penalty hit a 50-year low in 2025, with about 52% of Americans supporting its use and 44% opposing it, according to Gallup, which is a sharp decline from the 1980s and 1990s, when support was above 70% most years. Juries are also less likely to give out death sentences.

Sister Helen Prejean, who serves on the advisory council of the coalition, said in a Dec. 3 news conference that the death penalty functions as a “semi-secret ritual behind prison walls” and that “when people are separated from this experience, they just go along [with it].”

She discussed her activism in Texas against the execution of Ivan Cantu in 2024 and noted that “people in Texas did not even know an execution was going on.” She said if people have better information, “they will reject that.”

Prejean quoted Psalm 85:12, which says “truth will spring from the earth,” and added that it also “springs up from the experience of people.”

“When we bring them close, they get it,” she said.

Prejean said people who are poor and people who are ethnic minorities tend to face harsher penalties in the criminal justice system, and there is an inaccurate belief that “only the worst of the worst” will be handed the death penalty.

“To give the state the right to take life means you’re going to trust the state,” she said.

One of the group’s partners is the Catholic Mobilizing Network, which works closely with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to oppose the death penalty. Other organizers include Amnesty International USA, the American Civil Liberties Union, The Innocence Project, and Conservatives Concerned.

Catholic Mobilizing Network Executive Director Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy told CNA in a statement that the campaign “is an exciting expression of the growing momentum and interest in ending capital punishment in the United States.”

“The impressive range of organizations involved in the USCEDP represent the incredibly effective efforts happening across the country for this critical mission,” she said. “Catholic Mobilizing Network is honored to be part [of] USCEDP and our collective endeavor to dismantle a system of death and honor the dignity of all life.”

Demetrius Minor, executive director of Conservatives Concerned, said in the news conference that there’s been a growing concern about the death penalty “from a pro-life perspective” within conservative circles.

“[There is a] significant growing interest in the pro-life community into how the death penalty fits into their advocacy for pro-life issues,” he said.

Minor said many state-level bills to abolish the death penalty have won bipartisan support, such as a few Republicans joining the successful effort in Virginia and Republicans signing onto unsuccessful efforts in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.

“We can ensure that these efforts continue to be inclusive and bipartisan in the future,” he said.

In addition to national advocacy groups, state-level groups in 23 states have joined the coalition’s efforts.

Nigerian, Iraqi priests tell of aiding persecuted Christians seen in photo exhibit
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 13:50:00 -0500

Washington, D.C., Dec 3, 2025 / 13:50 pm (CNA).

A discussion featuring Father Atta Barkindo and Father Karam Shamasha breathed life into a photo exhibit featuring the “forgotten faces” of persecuted Christians in Nigeria and Iraq on Tuesday.

The photo display can be seen at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., until Feb. 8, 2026. Stephen Rasche, a professor of theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville and senior fellow at the Religious Freedom Institute, who spent years serving persecuted Christians in Iraq and Nigeria, said he hopes people will see “the spark of human dignity” in his photographs of Iraqi and Nigerian Christians on display.

The Dec. 2 discussion, titled “Seeing the Persecuted and Displaced: Experts Tell Their Stories,” organized in part by the Knights of Columbus, comes amid calls for the U.S. to take concrete action toward the Nigerian government after President Donald Trump announced his decision to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC).

Rasche was a founding member of the Catholic University in Erbil in 2014. According to his bio, he has served as an official representative to the Vatican Dicastery on Refugees and Migrants, and belongs officially to the historical commission to the Vatican postulator in the cause of Father Ragheed Ganni, a servant of God, and three Iraqi deacons who were murdered in June 2007.

Alongside Rasche’s photos of Nigerian Christians, Barkindo said the persecution of his community in Nigeria is happening on two levels. “The first level is the level of government policy,” he said, “and the second level is the physical violence that we have seen and continue to see in Nigeria.”

Barkindo said before Nigeria became a country, there were two existing Islamic caliphates in the north: the Kanem Borno Empire and the Sokoto Caliphate, both of which had diplomatic relationships with the Ottoman Empire and “were fully established as a pure Islamic territory.” After the British destroyed these empires and installed constitutional democracy, he said, “the grief that followed the dismantling of the Islamic empires actually never left northern Nigeria.”

On a policy level, he said, the government then established sharia law, shuttered Christian mission schools and other institutions, and made it “increasingly difficult” for Christians in the north to participate in civilian life.

“The ideology was very established, and that was what now led to the physical violence that we now see in Nigeria,” Barkindo said.

“The most important thing is that the violence evolved over time,” he said. “It evolved because there was a complete and massive failure of the government to deal with the insecurity and the situation.”

As director of The Kukah Centre, Barkindo has led grassroots efforts to bolster security in Nigeria. He holds a licentiate degree in political Islam and interreligious dialogue from the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Rome and a doctorate from the SOAS University of London.

In an interview with CNA, Barkindo described his efforts with The Kukah Centre to promote peace throughout Nigeria’s 36 states. “We have the National Peace Committee that mediates in elections, but they don’t have the gift of bilocation,” he said, explaining how the center goes to states where the Peace Committee cannot reach and trains its civilians in mediation and data collection on early warning and early response for security threats.

“If they observe serious issues and collect intelligence, they can flag that with us at the national level. We reach out to the government and they’re able to mitigate the situation before it turns into crisis,” he said. The Kukah Centre has done this in 23 states so far and hopes to expand its reach to all 36 states before next year’s elections.

Reflecting on the evening’s discussion, Barkindo said “the willingness of the American people to just listen” had struck him.

“America, I don’t want to sound too political, is such a significant country right now globally: When Trump spoke, the whole of Nigeria shook,” he said with emotion. “It’s like for the first time Christians now have somewhere to run to because we have been shouting and speaking for years.”

Persecution in Iraq

During his testimony, Shamasha also noted the deeply engrained presence of Islamist ideology in Iraq, where he said “we are not dying in the streets today as it was in 2014, but our persecution is different today … there is a lot of discrimination against Christians in this land.”

Shamasha recounted his experience of persecution, which began in 2003 while at a seminary in Baghdad, which closed several times while he was a student. He was eventually forced to leave in 2005 for Erbil, the Kurdish region of Iraq. He became a parish priest in the Nineveh Plains, then fled once more to Erbil in 2014 with the invasion of ISIS.

It was during this time that the Catholic University of Erbil was founded. While the Knights of Columbus helped to support and feed the Iraqi Christian community, Shamasha said, the university sought to help young people to not only survive but also “to live with dignity” and eventually become leaders, he said.

“Thanks to God, we are still there,” the Iraqi priest said. “We are fighting to remain not just numbers in these countries, but we are fighting to, in fact, be a real member that can shine, that can give light to all the people that they are.”

Shamasha holds a doctorate and master’s degree in moral theology from the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy in Rome as well as degrees in canon law, interreligious studies, and priestly formation from the Gregorian University, Lateran University, and the Congregation for the Clergy.

Nigerian foundation defends Catholic bishop after remarks about Christian genocide
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 10:00:00 -0500

ACI Africa, Dec 3, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

The Kukah Centre (TKC), a Nigeria-based public policy institute, has responded to what it describes as a “mischaracterization” of the remarks of its founder, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, about the alleged genocide of Christians in the West African nation.

In a press release on Tuesday, the executive director of TKC, Father Atta Barkindo, blamed the media for its inadequate reporting of Kukah’s remarks, which he made during the launch of the 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom at the Vatican on Oct. 21, and in his subsequent address to the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) in Kaduna on Friday, Nov. 28.

Barkindo said what the media are reporting reflect neither Kukah’s remarks nor the context of his work spanning half a century.

“TKC has followed with humility and keen attention recent reports about remarks attributed to our founder, His Lordship Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, concerning the very current issue of the protection — or lack thereof — of the right to freedom of conscience, religion, and worship in Nigeria, particularly as it affects adherents of the Christian faith in northern Nigeria and related concerns about persecution of Christians,” Barkindo said.

He added that the foundation is “heartened by the heightened public interest in both the subject matter of religious freedom in Nigeria and in the views of our founder on the subject.”

At a gathering of KSM in Kaduna on Nov. 28, Kukah reportedly reaffirmed his view that current claims of a genocide or systematic persecution of Christians in Nigeria are not supported by credible data. He reportedly argued that the claim “1,200 churches are burned every year in Nigeria” lacks verification.

He asked: “In which Nigeria?”, pointing out that no one had checked with the Catholic Church to confirm such numbers.

The bishop emphasized that “genocide” is defined not by the number of deaths or attacks alone but by intent, a deliberate plan to eliminate a group. “You can kill 10 million people, and it still won’t amount to genocide,” he said. “What matters is intent.”

He also challenged the use of terms such as “martyrdom,” pointing out that some violence might be criminal or opportunistic rather than motivated by religious hatred.

Various religious organizations and Christian advocacy groups in Nigeria have shared divergent opinions.

The Christian Association of Nigeria publicly stated that ongoing violence against Christians across Nigeria amounts to a “Christian genocide.” It has claimed that many attacks are clearly targeted at Christian communities.

Critics argue that focusing only on “intent” or official data overlooks reality on the ground. Many Christians who have lost family or property feel vulnerable and unsafe, even if there is no verified nationwide data.

Still others worry that Kukah’s stance may dampen international awareness or pressure that could help protect vulnerable communities.

In the Dec. 1 press release, Barkindo said: “For the avoidance of doubt, at no point has His Lordship diminished the seriousness of the crisis of faith-based persecution in parts of Nigeria nor has he failed to identify with the very real sufferings caused by it.”

Referring to Kukah’s remarks at the Vatican event on Oct. 21, Barkindo said the bishop acknowledged that there is a problem in Nigeria.

At the Vatican, Kukah said: “By whatever names we choose, the fact is that Nigerians are dying unacceptable deaths across the country. In many cases, they are targeted because of their beliefs but also because of their ethnicity.”

Barkindo maintained that TKC continues to urge zero tolerance for religious persecution, solidarity with the victims and affected communities, and accountability for the perpetrators.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Mary is the servant of her son, but not co-redemptrix, Brazilian archbishop says
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Brasilia, Brazil, Dec 3, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

“We don’t need to say that Mary is co-redemptrix, that Jesus needs Mary to save humanity. Mary herself is prepared, saved by God; she is a creature of God. She makes herself the servant of her own son, but she is not co-redemptrix; she is now our intercessor,” Archbishop Juárez Marqués of Teresina, Brazil, declared on Nov. 27.

In an interview with a local television station, the archbishop referred to the publication of the document Mater Populi Fidelis (“Mother of the Faithful People of God”), issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on Nov. 3.

The document discourages the use of the “co-redemptrix” title for Mary, considering that “some titles, such as that of Mediatrix of all graces, have limitations that do not facilitate a correct understanding of Mary’s unique place.”

Marqués emphasized that he is in profound communion with what the Church has taught throughout time, with the faith of the Church, and with Pope Leo, “who represents us and presides over us in charity.” The archbishop affirmed that Jesus Christ is “our only Savior” and that “God saves us through his son Jesus Christ.”

“The Blessed Virgin Mary is part of the life of Christ, of the life of the Church, of our lives,” but “in a different way,” because “she is the servant, she is our mother, our intercessor.”

He also noted that when Mary was invited to be the mother of the Son, prepared by the Father and conceived without original sin to be the mother of Jesus Christ, she responded: “Yes, behold the handmaid of the Lord.”

Marian dogmas

The archbishop further explained that the Church has “four great” Marian dogmas, “truths of the Catholic Christian faith that we cannot doubt, because they are dogmas”:

1. Mary is the Mother of God. This affirmation was consolidated at a council after the First Council of Nicaea. Jesus Christ is true God and true man, consubstantial with the Father, the prelate pointed out, and added that a heresy arose that denied that the Virgin was the Mother of God, which is why this confirmation was necessary at the Council of Ephesus in 431.

2. Mary is a virgin before, during, and after childbirth. This is a truth of faith.

3. The Immaculate Conception: Mary was conceived without original sin.

4. The Assumption: Mary was taken up body and soul into heaven.

And what about the saints?

The archbishop added that the Church professes “the veneration of the saints” but “never the worship of them,” because “worship is only for God.” The saints, he explained, “are witnesses of the faith who help us and intercede for us, because they are close to God.”

“God is the Father who creates and saves. The saints are our intercessors. Who are they?” the archbishop of Teresina asked. “They are human beings who lived here imitating Christ, a life of holiness, and that is why they are recognized by the Church, canonized, and [their relics] are part of our altar,” he explained.

This story was first published by ACI Digital, CNA’s Portuguese-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by ACI Prensa/CNA.

European Union imposes recognition of ‘homosexual marriage’ on all member states
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 3, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled that all member states are obliged to recognize so-called “homosexual marriages” legally contracted in another country, even when this type of union is not valid under their own legal system.

Although the CJEU clarified that the regulation of these types of unions remains the responsibility of each state, it requires all European Union countries to recognize the “fundamental rights” entailed by these unions, such as the right to private and family life and freedom of residence.

The ruling, issued Nov. 25, concerns the case of a Polish same-sex couple who “married” in Germany in 2018. Upon returning to Poland, the authorities refused to record the union in the civil registry. The European Court of Justice has deemed this refusal contrary to EU law, meaning that all member states are now obligated to recognize the rights stemming from such a union.

Almost half of the European Union countries have not legalized same-sex marriage. This is the case in Poland, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Romania.

The Catholic Church affirms that marriage is the exclusive union of one man and one woman, as the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, reiterated Nov. 25 during the presentation in Rome of the document titled “Una Caro (One Flesh): In Praise of Monogamy.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that in marriage “a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole life.” By its very nature, it is ordered “to the good of the spouses and to the procreation and education of offspring."

The Church has remained firm in this position throughout its history. Earlier this year, Pope Leo XIV reiterated this understanding during an audience at the Vatican: “The family is founded on the stable union between a man and a woman.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Catholics with disabilities reflect ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 3, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Catholic adults with disabilities talked about how faith guides their lives and how dioceses and individuals can better accommodate and understand them in a panel ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on Dec. 3.

Every year since 1992, those with disabilities and their supporters have observed the IDPD to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. In honor of this year’s IDPD, the National Catholic Partnership on Disability hosted a panel of adults who reflected on how disability and faith intersect in their lives.

The panel, “Where Faith and Disability Meet,” featured talks from Sue Do and Kathleen Davis, who are both Catholic adults with disabilities.

Do is in the pastoral ministries graduate program at Santa Clara University. A four-time published author and public speaker, she shared how her experiences led her to disability ministry.

“I started lecturing when I was an undergrad at Santa Clara University. I really enjoy lecturing because it actually helped with my self-confidence and it improved my public speaking skills. Just the thought of being there in front of people, proclaiming God’s word, it gave me a sense of purpose,” she said.

Do shared that she began to face exclusion in her church in April 2023, but it ultimately led to her finding her passion. Her pastor at the time told her she could no longer lecture because of “safety and liability issues,” as she sometimes uses a wheelchair.

“I did not let that situation stop me from advocating for myself,” Do said. “I went to the priest who was in charge of the young adult ministry and used the National Catholic Partnership on Disability resources to educate him. And as a result of that, they reversed the decision and I was able to go back to lecture.”

“I just kept speaking up and realized this is what I’m meant to do,” she said. “It solidified even more the calling for me to go into this type of disability ministry, to be able to advocate for accessible spaces in parishes, adaptive catechesis, anything I can do to make Catholics with disabilities feel included.”

“I feel like my faith is the key to me overcoming a lot of things, lecturing being one of them,” Do said.

Davis shared similar remarks about finding her place in the Church. She joined a young adults group at St. Brigid’s Parish in Georgia, where a group for individuals with disabilities made her “feel valuable.”

“When you first arrive, you’re greeted with warm smiles,” Davis said about the group meetings. “Your buddy sits next to you and helps you when you need it. The buddy paired with you accommodates your needs and makes you feel welcome. I mean, this sense of belonging and support has been tremendous and uplifting in my life.”

It “has strengthened my faith tremendously,” Davis said. “What makes it special is this buddy system. You’re not alone. I mean, having dedicated volunteers who give their time and energy to make that group experience meaningful is crucial. These well-trained volunteers ensure that every member is supported in their own way, so no one is left behind.”

“Everyone is included,” Davis said. “Since joining the group, I have gained a sense of belonging, support, and growth in my self-worth.”

Getting involved

Do said there are things that she wishes people better understood about her as an adult with a disability. “When people see me, they immediately assume that I need help … I don’t need help unless I specifically ask for help,” she said.

Another “misconception … I wish people would know is if you are advocating for a disabled person or talking to a disabled person, you can just talk directly to me and not my parents, because when my parents are there, it’s like they’re speaking for me.”

Do said she is going to continue advocating for Catholics with disabilities, but the community also needs allies along with advocates.

“We are not just called to a greater purpose, but we are also called to always ask ourselves: ’How can I make it more welcoming, inclusive?’ It’s not just about going to Mass and participating. It’s about the model of inclusion and how people model the Gospel.”

Davis shared some advice to help other adults in the Church who may be struggling to find their place.

“Don’t limit yourself to your parish,” Davis said. “If your parish does not have the resources … There are many churches that may have more resources. They may have programs, groups, you name it.”

“I limited myself to where I was until I was redirected to go to St. Brigid and give it a try. I learned a whole new side. There are accommodations, there is a group, there are people that care about you, and you’re not alone. So don’t limit yourself to just one parish.”

“Those groups are lifesaving … So don’t stop looking for a group in the Catholic Church because it’s going to help you in the long run,” Davis said. “We’re part of a mystical body of Christ and that means we need to be connected with others who are part of the Catholic Church.”

Latin patriarch of Jerusalem’s visit to U.S. will spotlight plight of Holy Land Christians
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Detroit, Michigan, Dec 3, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Detroit will welcome Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, for a pastoral visit Dec. 4–7. In an interview with CNA, Father Adam Nowak, vice chancellor of the archdiocese, said the patriarch was invited after consultations with local Arab Christians.

“The goals for this event are spiritual and to express our closeness to our suffering Christian brothers and sisters of the Holy Land,” Nowak said. On Dec. 5, Pizzaballa will speak at a dinner hosted by Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger that aims to raise funds for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and its charitable works. The patriarchate has jurisdiction over Latin and Melkite Catholics in Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine.

Nowak said Weisenburger hopes that as a result of the pastoral visit, people will “understand on a more personal level, by hearing stories and listening to the patriarch and his experiences, what it is like there now, the difficulties they face, but also the enduring hope they have.”

Southeast Michigan is home to vibrant Middle Eastern Catholic communities, including Chaldeans, Maronites, and Melkites. Pizzaballa will meet with the faithful and participate in events focused on prayer, solidarity, and relief efforts.

Announcing the fundraiser, the archbishop praised Holy Land Christians, who “heroically maintain and protect the holy sites sacred to us all. They are counting on our solidarity to keep their ancient faith alive in its homeland.”

Strong local support for the Holy Land

In October, Catholics in the archdiocese responded generously to Weisenburger’s request for aid to Gaza, contributing over $462,000 to alleviate severe food shortages.

Pizzaballa’s visit will commence on Dec. 4 with another fundraising event hosted by the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle. Father Marcus Shammami told CNA that Bishop Francis Y. Kalabat wants to “highlight the Christian presence in the Middle East because a lot of the world forgets that Christians are still in there.”

In the Archdiocese of Detroit, there are eight Chaldean parishes. Shammami said the visit is also significant for Catholics in these parishes, many of whom suffered years of war and conflict in Iraq. Some 80% of Iraqi Christians are Chaldean Catholics.

“The world mostly remained silent during our years of struggle in Iraq and glossed over it. We want to make certain it doesn’t happen again,” Shammami said. Iraq’s officially Muslim government offers a guarantee of religious freedom and practice but places restrictions on Christians. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has placed Iraq on its list of Special Watch countries.

Also on his itinerary, Cardinal Pizzaballa will celebrate Mass on Sunday, Dec. 7, at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak, Michigan.

The unlikely hero of India: St. Francis Xavier 
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 3, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

How far would you go to serve God? Would you be willing to travel to the ends of the earth, with nothing but the guarantee of hardship, deprivation, and persecution?

Dec. 3 is the feast of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of missionaries and missions who led an unlikely life of adventure and heroism, full of unexpected twists and turns, taking the faith to the ends of the earth.

Born in 1506 to a noble Navarrese-Basque family, Francis grew up in a land wracked with war. Wedged between the growing imperial powers of Castile-Aragon (Spain) and France, Navarre seldom knew peace during Francis’ childhood.

As a member of the nobility, Francis was expected to lead a warrior’s life along with his father and brothers. But at the age of 10, his life took its first dramatic and tragic turn. His father died, his homeland kingdom of Navarre was defeated by Spain, his brothers were imprisoned, and his childhood home, the Castle of the House of Javier (Xavier), was almost entirely destroyed.

With Francis’ family disgraced and nearly wiped out, his prospects for a bright future looked dim. But God still had incredible plans for young Francis.

Hoping to rebuild the family’s legacy, Francis was sent in 1525 to the center of European theology and studies — the University of Paris.

There, Francis quickly made a name for himself. Handsome, he also had a keen intellect and was an agile athlete with a particular gift for pole vaulting. The last thing on young Francis’ mind was a life of humble service to God and the Church. However, his life took a second dramatic turn after he met a fellow Basque noble, Ignatius of Loyola.

Headstrong and stubborn, Francis was initially repelled by Ignatius’ ideas of radical devotion to God. But Ignatius would remind him of Jesus’ words in the Bible: “For what doth it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and suffers the loss of his own soul?” (Mt 16:26).

Inspired by Ignatius’ piety and fervor, Francis finally decided to dedicate his life to the service of God. In 1534, along with Ignatius and five others, Francis took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in a chapel at Montmartre in France.

Receiving holy orders alongside Ignatius in 1537, Francis had intended to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. But war in the region made such a journey impossible. Once again, God was about to unexpectedly and radically alter the course of Francis’ life.

Pope Leo III asked the newly-founded Jesuits to send missionaries to the Portuguese colonies in India. Though Francis was originally not supposed to go, one of the Jesuits assigned to the mission fell ill, and Francis volunteered in his place. Through that courageous act of trust, God would use Francis to transform the entire Asian continent.

Francis set out for India in 1541 on his 35th birthday. Traveling by sea at this time was extremely dangerous and uncomfortable, and those who dared to do so risked disease with no guarantee of ever successfully arriving at their destination. Francis had to sail all the way around Africa, past the Cape of Good Hope, almost to the very bottom of the globe, just to cross the Indian Ocean and arrive in Goa, a province in India.

Upon his arrival in India in 1542, Francis immediately faced countless challenges in bringing the word of God to the people of this new and foreign region. For seven years Francis preached in the streets and public squares, laboring tirelessly across India and the Asian Pacific islands, contending with persecution from warlords and at times even from the Portuguese authorities meant to help him.

After converting tens of thousands and planting the seeds of a renewed and lasting Christian Church in India, Francis began to hear stories about an enchanting island nation known as “Japan.” His heart was set ablaze with the desire to bring the Gospel to Japan.

After he had ensured the faithful in India would be properly cared for, Francis set sail for the mysterious new land, becoming the first to bring the Christian faith to Japan, on the complete opposite side of the world from his home in Navarre.

In Japan, Francis and his companions traveled far and wide, often on foot and with almost no resources. Crisscrossing the nation, he built up a vibrant Christian community more than 6,000 miles from Rome.

Francis would then hear of the even more mysterious and closely guarded nation of China and there, too, he decided to bring the word of God. But before he could find a way into China’s heartland, he became ill and died in 1552 while on the Chinese Shangchuan Island.

Now considered one of the greatest of all the Church’s missionaries, St. Francis Xavier proved that one life lived in complete trust in God can transform an entire continent and the whole world.

This story was first published on Dec. 3, 2022, and has been updated.

Canadian government set to remove religious exemptions from hate-speech laws
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 18:04:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 2, 2025 / 18:04 pm (CNA).

Legislators in Canada are reportedly poised to strip religious protections from the country’s hate-speech laws as part of an effort to crack down on hateful symbols throughout the country.

Lawmakers with the Liberal Party of Canada have reportedly struck a deal with the Bloc Québécois party to remove the religious exemptions from the national code.

Canadian law forbids people from “incit[ing] hatred against any identifiable group,” though it provides exemptions for individuals whose opinions are grounded in religion or a religious text.

The National Post reported on Dec. 1 that the exemptions are expected to be removed in an upcoming amendment to the country’s hate-speech laws. The paper cited a “senior government source” who was granted anonymity to discuss the proceedings.

“The bill is in a place now … everyone is happy,” the source told the Post.

Reports of hate crimes in Canada have been on the rise in recent years, fueled particularly by antisemitic incidents. One report from the human rights group B’nai Brith Canada found a massive rise in antisemitic incidents in the country after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, with another notable increase throughout 2024.

The proposed bill in the Canadian Legislature would amend the country’s hate-speech laws to criminalize the display of the Nazi swastika as well as the symbol for the Nazi SS organization — both of which are regularly used to target Jewish people.

The legislation, if passed, will also repeal a requirement that the Canadian attorney general sign off on proceedings for “hate propaganda offenses.”

Lawmakers with the Conservative Party are opposing the proposed revisions, arguing that the symbols and crimes it moves to criminalize are “already illegal” and criticizing the removal of the attorney general’s involvement in hate crime proceedings, calling that rule an “important safeguard.”

The Conservatives also argue that the proposed revision “lowers the legal standard for ‘hatred,’ threatening free speech and targeting legitimate expression.” The amendment would define “hatred” as “the emotion that involves detestation or vilification and that is stronger than disdain or dislike.”

Christian advocates, meanwhile, have also criticized the proposal. The Ontario-based Christian Legal Fellowship in October urged the government to keep the law’s religious protections in place, arguing that the provisions are “directly in line with principles of justice and equality that inform efforts to combat discrimination and hatred.”

“[T]o remove this defense would risk undermining the constitutional integrity” of the hate-speech laws, the group argued.

Advocates in Canada have elsewhere recently raised concerns over religious freedom protections in the North American country.

In September, Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine noted the “serious concerns” around Quebec Premier François Legault’s proposal to end prayer in public places. The prelate argued that to “forbid public prayer would be somewhat like forbidding thought itself.”

In December 2024, meanwhile, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance suggested removing “advancement of religion” from the country’s list of recognized charitable purposes, a proposal one group warned posed a “direct threat to religious freedom and the vital role faith communities play in Canadian society.”

Census data from 2021 showed that the Catholic population in Canada declined by almost 2 million people in the prior 10 years.

Powerful moments from Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Turkey and Lebanon
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 17:34:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 2, 2025 / 17:34 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV’s first official papal trip from Nov. 27–Dec. 2 to Turkey and Lebanon has just ended. The wide-ranging international visit included historic ecumenical encounters, deeply symbolic gestures of prayer, and pastoral visits to Christian communities under pressure. Pope Leo highlighted the importance of unity, peace, and fraternity, and brought encouragement to a region marked by ancient faith and present suffering.

Here are some of the most powerful moments from Pope Leo’s trip:

Turkey

Upon landing at the Esenboğa International Airport in Ankara, Turkey, Pope Leo was greeted by Turkish authorities and members of the military. Outside of the Presidential Palace, the pontiff was welcomed by a cavalry escort, the playing of the national anthems, and 21 cannon shots.

The pope commemorated the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea on Nov. 28 alongside Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and other Christian leaders in the Turkish city of Iznik, southeast of Istanbul, the site of the Council of Nicaea, historically known as the birthplace of the Nicene Creed.

The ecumenical prayer service took place at the archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of St. Neophytus, built in 380 at the site of the first Christian ecumenical council, which was convened by Emperor Constantine I in 325.

While in Istanbul, Pope Leo visited the Nursing Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, telling the community that Christian charity begins not with doing but with being — i.e., living a real communion with those one serves.

Later that day, Pope Leo met the “little flock” of Catholics at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul. Catholics in Turkey make up roughly just 0.05% of the country’s 85 million people. The pope encouraged them to rediscover what he called the Gospel’s “logic of littleness” and not to be discouraged by their tiny numbers but to recognize in them the strength of authentic Christian witness.

In another touching moment at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul, a young child eagerly awaited and received the blessing of the Holy Father:

Pope Leo and Patriarch Bartholomew I gave a joint ecumenical blessing from the balcony of the patriarchate following the Orthodox Divine Liturgy on Nov. 30. The joint blessing recalls the fraternity and communion between the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople.

Lebanon

Ahead of his second day in Lebanon, a stunning rainbow appeared over the Port of Beirut, the site of the explosion that devastated the area in 2020.

Pope Leo XIV became the first pope in history to visit the tomb of St. Charbel Makhlouf when he arrived at the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya on the second day of his apostolic journey to Lebanon.

In another beautiful moment, Pope Leo gave a Golden Rose to the Virgin Mary during his visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, Lebanon.

A little girl proudly showed off a rosary given to her by Pope Leo during the pope’s meeting with bishops, clergy, and religious at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa.

On the final morning of his trip to Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV paused before the ruins of the Beirut port explosion, praying in silence and placing a wreath in memory of the victims. In one of the most emotional moments of his trip, he also met family members of those killed and survivors still carrying the wounds of the Aug. 4, 2020, blast.

Five years after the explosion, one of the largest nonnuclear blasts in history, families of the 236 people killed and more than 7,000 wounded say they are still waiting for truth and accountability.

After visiting the site of the explosion, Pope Leo celebrated Mass for an estimated 150,000 people at the Beirut Waterfront.

While visiting the De La Croix Hospital in Jal el Dib, north of Beirut, Pope Leo also spent time in the Saint-Dominique wing, where children with severe physical and mental disabilities are cared for, and blessed the children.

From there, Pope Leo boarded the papal plane for Rome, telling the Lebanese people: “Leaving this land means carrying you in my heart.”

U.S. Supreme Court hears dispute over faith-based pregnancy centers
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 17:04:00 -0500

Washington, D.C., Dec 2, 2025 / 17:04 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday on whether a New Jersey faith-based pregnancy center may immediately assert its First Amendment right to challenge a state subpoena demanding donor information — including names, addresses, and places of employment — in federal court, or whether it must first proceed through the state court system.

The case, First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, Inc. v. Platkin, has drawn support from a diverse array of groups, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, members of Congress, the Trump administration, and the ACLU. All argue that First Choice should be able to challenge the subpoena in federal court without first litigating the issue in New Jersey state court.

At the center of the dispute is a 2023 subpoena issued by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin seeking extensive donor information from First Choice. In 2022, Platkin created what he called a “reproductive rights strike force” to “protect access to abortion care,” and his office issued a “consumer alert” describing crisis pregnancy centers like First Choice as organizations that may provide “false or misleading information about the safety and legality of abortion.”

In its Supreme Court brief, First Choice describes itself as a faith-based nonprofit serving women in New Jersey by providing material support and medical services such as ultrasounds and pregnancy tests under a licensed medical director. The organization does not provide or refer for abortions, a point it plainly and repeatedly states on its website.

Platkin’s subpoena commanded First Choice to produce documents and information responsive to 28 separate demands, including the full names, phone numbers, addresses, and current or last known employers of every donor who contributed money by any means other than one specific website. It warned that failure to comply could result in contempt of court and other legal penalties.

The attorney general’s office said it needed donor identities to determine whether contributors were “misled” into believing First Choice provided abortions. Platkin argued he needed donor contact information so he could “contact a representative sample and determine what they did or did not know about their donations.”

First Choice quickly sued in federal court, arguing the subpoena violated its First Amendment rights by chilling its speech and freedom of association. The federal district court dismissed the case as “unripe,” ruling that the pregnancy center must wait until a New Jersey court seeks to enforce the subpoena. The Supreme Court later agreed to hear the case to determine whether First Choice may pursue its challenge in federal court now.

At oral argument, First Choice’s attorney, Erin M. Hawley, told the justices that the court has “long safeguarded the freedom of association by protecting the membership and donor lists of nonprofit organizations.” Yet, she said, “the attorney general of New Jersey issued a sweeping subpoena commanding on pain of contempt that First Choice produce donor names, addresses, and phone numbers so his office could contact and question them. That violates the right of association.”

Hawley urged the court to recognize that the subpoena was issued by “a hostile attorney general who has issued a consumer alert, urged New Jerseyans to beware of pregnancy centers, and assembled a strike force against them.”

She also noted that the attorney general “has never identified a single complaint against First Choice” and that the threat of contempt and business dissolution is “a death knell for nonprofits like First Choice.”

Arguing for New Jersey, Sundeep Iyer, the attorney general’s chief counsel, said First Choice had not demonstrated that the subpoena “objectively chilled” its First Amendment rights. He argued that the subpoena is “non-self-executing,” meaning it imposes no immediate obligation and cannot require compliance unless a court orders enforcement.

Justice Neil Gorsuch appeared skeptical, noting that New Jersey law gives attorney general subpoenas the force of law and allows the attorney general to seek contempt orders against those who fail to comply. “I don’t know how to read that other than it’s pretty self-executing to me, counsel,” he said.

Justice Elena Kagan questioned whether an “ordinary person” receiving such a subpoena would feel reassured by the claim that it required court approval before being enforced. A donor, she said, is unlikely “to take that as very reassuring.”

In an amicus curiae brief, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged the court to side with First Choice. “Compelling disclosure of a religious organization’s financial support violates the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion,” the bishops wrote. Forced donor disclosure, they argued, interferes with a religious organization’s mission and burdens the free-exercise rights of donors who give anonymously in accordance with scriptural teachings.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision in the coming months.

Bishops in Puerto Rico warn of ‘possible escalations’ in a US-Venezuela war
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:08:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 2, 2025 / 16:08 pm (CNA).

The Puerto Rican Bishops’ Conference has expressed its opposition to the militarization being carried out by the United States on the island, an unincorporated U.S. territory, and in the Caribbean Sea region and warned of the “possible escalations” of a war with Venezuela.

The Puerto Rican bishops noted various calls for peace from popes Leo XIV, Francis, and St. John XXIII, and denounced the “adverse effects” of militarization, such as “the restriction of airspace and maritime routes and military maneuvers in different towns in Puerto Rico, with their collateral consequences on fishing activity.”

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has sent some 15,000 troops to the Caribbean Sea region, 5,000 of whom are in Puerto Rico. According to CNN, a dozen ships have also arrived in the area, and U.S. forces have sunk several vessels allegedly loaded with drugs, causing the deaths of more than 80 people.

Trump’s objective is reportedly to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom he accuses of being the leader of the Cartel de los Soles, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization. In this context, on Nov. 30, Trump told reporters that he had a phone call with Maduro, although he did not provide further details.

“We are aware of the structural injustices that plague some political systems in neighboring countries and we condemn the trafficking of drugs and weapons in our Caribbean region. But dialogue between societies and government diplomacy must always prevail over conflict to avoid war at all costs,” states the communiqué signed by all the bishops of Puerto Rico.

“War should never be the solution to conflicts; war does not bring peace, but death. It always brings death and causes grave harm to countries, sometimes to the most defenseless,” they emphasized.

After encouraging efforts for peace, the bishops expressed their concern about “the possible escalations that a war against Venezuela could entail, with a potential reaction from its allies in Latin America, such as Russia, China, and Iran.”

“We unite in prayer and express our solidarity with our brother bishops of Venezuela, and together with them, with their beloved Venezuelan people. We know that they have been living through difficult times for years, with division, tension, and political uncertainty, which this military mobilization has intensified,” they stated.

The bishops also encouraged everyone “to join in prayer for peace in our land, in Venezuela and neighboring countries, as well as throughout the world.”

In an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE, the governor of Puerto Rico, Jenniffer González, a Republican, said: “I support and back the actions of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump’s policy regarding dealing with Venezuela.” She also charged that “much if not most” criminal activity on the island comes from “Venezuela and Colombia.”

The governor expressed approval of the U.S. attacks on the crews and boats allegedly loaded with illegal drugs destined for the U.S. She labeled Maduro a “narco-dictator” not recognized by the U.S. as the legitimate president of the country because of massive election fraud by his government.

González said that according to various surveys, “82% of the citizenry” in Puerto Rico supports the arrival of American troops because their presence “provides security” and that she has no fear that Venezuela would attack the island if a war breaks out.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

U.S. Catholic bishops award over $7.8 million for mission dioceses 
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:38:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 2, 2025 / 15:38 pm (CNA).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) allocated more than $7.8 million to strengthen American mission dioceses, which are dioceses that cannot sustain themselves without additional funds.

The USCCB Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions announced the grants on Dec. 1, which will provide 69 dioceses and eparchies with funds for the 2025-2026 budget year, according to a news release. The subcommittee reviewed the grant requests in the fall.

Per the news release, the funds were generated through collections from parishioners during the Catholic Home Missions appeal, which is taken up annually throughout the country. Many mission dioceses are in regions with small Catholic populations and in rural areas that are affected by economic hardship, the bishops said in the announcement.

“When parishioners contribute to the Catholic Home Missions Appeal, they bring faith, hope, and love where it is most needed, regardless the amount of their gift,” Bishop Chad Zielinski of New Ulm, Minnesota, subcommittee chair, said in a statement.

“Their gifts have a profound, positive impact on Catholics who face poverty or the isolation of being a small, minority faith,” he said.

The recipients include the Diocese of Rapid City’s Standing Rock Reservation Ministry, which serves the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Three Franciscan sisters and one priest lead the team to provide home visitations and faith formation, which cares for 500 Catholics at four parishes and offers social support and accompaniment to 8,000 other residents, according to the bishops.

Recipients include the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, for its Office of Deliverance Ministry, which provides prayers of deliverance for those with spiritual struggles.

Another recipient is the Syro-Malankara Eparchy of St. Mary Queen of Peace, which has 24 priests that serve 11,000 parishioners but has no paid lay staff. The grant supports a youth summer camp, retreats, family conventions, and vocational discernment.

“These stories reveal the wide range of spiritual and financial needs that the Catholic Home Missions Appeal addresses,” Zielinski said.

“Parishioners in mission dioceses already give sacrificially from their limited means,” he added. “My prayer is that their example of faith will inspire the rest of us [to] dig deeper to help our neighbors carry out the mission that Jesus has entrusted to us,” Zielinski said.

Police suspect Croatian nun stabbed herself, falsely reported attack
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 13:33:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 2, 2025 / 13:33 pm (CNA).

Police in Croatia’s capital city of Zagreb suspect that a nun stabbed herself and then falsely reported that she had been attacked, according to a report published by the Zagreb Police Department.

The department is filing a criminal complaint against the 35-year-old nun, Sister Marija Tatjana Zrno, after a four-day investigation into the allegations. The initial incident made national headlines, with many people first speculating it was a religiously motivated attack.

According to the report, Zrno told police that an unknown perpetrator approached her with a knife and stabbed her, after which she was treated at the Sisters of Charity Hospital in Zagreb for minor injuries.

However, police allege their investigation confirmed that Zrno purchased the weapon herself at a store in the Zagreb area. The police allege that their investigation determined that she inflicted the injury on herself.

The report alleges that Zrno falsely reported the criminal offense with the intent of misleading the police, despite being aware that filing a false report carries a penalty. The police are filing a criminal complaint with the Municipal State Attorney’s office.

The Archdiocese of Zagreb and the Episcopal Conference of Croatia, which represents the country’s Catholic bishops, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zrno, who belongs to the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Croatia and teaches religion at an elementary school in Zagreb, was hospitalized with the injuries on Nov. 28 after she said she was stabbed in the city’s Malešnica neighborhood.

The Sisters of Charity Hospital said in a statement to Net.hr that Zrno entered the surgical ward around 3 p.m. with an injury inflicted by a sharp object in the abdominal wall area. The injuries were not life-threatening, and the hospital provided medical treatment and alerted the police, according to the statement.

According to the police report, she was discharged on Dec. 1.

The Croatian government’s official X account posted that police and health workers took all necessary measures and actions and launched an investigation. The Ministry of Science, Education, and Youth had contacted the school principal to provide a psychological crisis intervention team to assist colleagues and students.

Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević told local media at the time that his primary focus was on Zrno’s recovery but asked police to fully investigate the incident and publish their findings as soon as possible, noting that many people in the country were upset about the news.

Initial speculation on social media and in some media reports asserted that unnamed sources had claimed an attacker was a migrant who shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the stabbing.

The police report said the department’s criminal investigation found those claims to be false and said the department fully refutes those claims.

Amid the media speculation and aggressive discourse surrounding the incident initially, a Croatian priest named Father Stjepan Ivan Horvat posted on Instagram that Catholics are called to grow in love for God and man and warned against calls for vengeance that he had seen.

He quoted the words of Jesus Christ in John 15:18-20: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.”

“If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”

Ohio Catholic high school and diocese hit with 4 lawsuits over alleged student-led abuse
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 13:03:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 2, 2025 / 13:03 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, and one of its Catholic high schools are facing multiple lawsuits over the alleged mishandling of multiple reports of bullying and student-led abuse.

Of the four lawsuits, three were filed in federal district court and the fourth was filed in a county court of common pleas. They allege that Ursuline High School in Youngstown failed to prevent the bullying and harassment of several students.

In the federal lawsuits, attorneys allege that Ursuline ignored multiple instances of harassment and bullying from the school’s football players. Ursuline was aware of the abuse, the suits claim, though administrators allegedly did nothing in order to protect “the glory of [the school’s] football team.”

One suit alleges that a football player engaged in protracted sexual harassment and eventually physical abuse of a young female student, including “asking [her] for sex and nude photos” and eventually allegedly dragging her across the grass to give her “turf burn.”

In another suit, several football players are alleged to have “harassed, bullied, and ridiculed” a student identified in the filing as gay. The alleged victim is alleged to have reported the abuse to school officials, who reportedly “failed to stop or address the misconduct.”

Another suit claims football players participated in “hazing, physical and sexual abuse, kidnapping, production and dissemination of child pornography, and theft,” including an incident in which multiple players allegedly stripped a classmate nude, physically abused him, and recorded the attack to post on social media platform Snapchat.

A fourth lawsuit, filed by the mother of an Ursuline student in Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas, alleges that officials with the school knew ahead of time of a student’s intent to attack her daughter but did not take steps to prevent it, leading to the daughter allegedly being violently assaulted in the school cafeteria.

The three federal suits allege violations of Title IX education rules, while the suit in county court claims violations of Ohio law.

A spokeswoman for the Youngstown Diocese pointed to an earlier statement from Bishop David Bonnar on the suits. The prelate said the diocese was “deeply saddened” by the allegations. He added leaders in the diocese “will do their best and are doing their best to work through this.”

Ursuline High School, meanwhile, pledged in a statement to “allow the legal process to proceed” regarding the four lawsuits.

“That said, the incidents in question were reviewed in detail at the time, and Ursuline High School is confident that all appropriate actions were taken by faculty and staff members,” the school said.

“In particular, there is no evidence that Ursuline failed or was derelict in any of its child protection duties,” the statement added, arguing that the allegations of dereliction appear to be “baseless and completely without merit.”

Subodh Chandra, whose law firm is representing the plaintiffs in the suits, said in a statement on his firm’s website that the suits indicate “a deep and pervasive culture of protecting Ursuline’s image, particularly its athletic program, above the sacred duty to protect children.”

“Our clients all continue to ask: How do these administrators still have jobs? Why has the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown done nothing to hold Ursuline’s administration accountable?” Chandra said.

The suits are seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages from the defendants.

Colorado school to pay $10 million for ordering Catholic doctor, others to get COVID shot
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:33:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 2, 2025 / 12:33 pm (CNA).

The University of Colorado’s medical school will pay out a massive eight-figure settlement after it required multiple staffers, including a Catholic doctor, to obtain the COVID-19 vaccination.

The Thomas More Society said the university’s Anschutz School of Medicine “agreed to pay more than $10.3 million in damages, tuition, and attorney’s fees” to 18 plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

The legal group said in a Dec. 1 release that the plaintiffs had been “denied religious accommodations to mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations.” The suit has been active for nearly five years.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit had ruled in 2024 that the university had violated the plaintiffs’ “clearly established” First Amendment rights in refusing to issue religious exemptions to the COVID vaccine. Religious objectors have cited numerous concerns with the vaccines, including that they were developed using fetal cell lines.

Thomas More Society attorney Michael McHale said the plaintiffs in the case “felt forced to succumb to a manifestly irrational mandate” without any exemption for their sincere religious beliefs.

“We are confident our clients’ long-overdue victory indeed confirms, despite the tyrannical efforts of many, that our shared constitutional right to religious liberty endures,” he said.

The lawsuit was originally filed on behalf of a Catholic doctor and a Buddhist medical student, with numerous other plaintiffs subsequently joining the litigation.

Thomas More Society litigation head Peter Breen said the objectors “stood up, at great personal cost, to an injustice that never should have been inflicted on them — or on any American.”

“Because they had the courage to say ‘no’ when their religious freedoms were trampled, people of faith across the country now enjoy stronger protections,” he said.

Madison Gould, a plaintiff in the case, said in the legal group’s press release that the university’s policy “gutted the years of study and self-sacrifice poured out by so many in pursuit of serving the weakest among us.”

Gould expressed gratitude to lawyers at the Thomas More Society “for standing by us when no one else would.”

“May our nation never witness anything like this travesty again,” she said.

Religious objectors in recent years have won several major victories against institutions that have required them to undergo COVID vaccination with a religious exemption.

In 2022 NorthShore University HealthSystem agreed to pay $10.3 million to more than 500 workers after the health system denied them religious exemptions to the vaccine.

In 2024, meanwhile, a Catholic woman in Michigan won $12.7 million after Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan fired her after refusing to grant her a religious exemption.

And in July of this year, a federal appeals court revived a Catholic worker’s lawsuit against the Federal Reserve Bank of New York over the bank’s having fired her for refusing to take the COVID vaccine.

Bishop Patrick Neary of Saint Cloud to chair Catholic Relief Services board
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:03:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 2, 2025 / 12:03 pm (CNA).

Bishop Patrick Neary of Saint Cloud, Minnesota, has been appointed as the chair of Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) board.

Neary was appointed by Archbishop Paul Coakley, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) president. Neary succeeds Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia.

Neary assumes responsibilities for the role immediately, and the term runs until November 2028.

“It is a profound honor to serve as chairman of the Catholic Relief Services board,” Neary said, according to a press release. “My years in Africa and in parish ministry have shown me the face of Christ in the poor and the vulnerable, and I carry those encounters with me into this role.”

Neary praised CRS for embodying the Church’s mission of compassionate accompaniment of those in need and lauded his predecessor, Pérez, for “his commitment to advocating for the dignity of the poor and amplifying the voices of the vulnerable.”

“I hope to lead with a heart of mercy, listening and working alongside our partners to uphold the dignity of every person,” Neary said. “Together, we will continue to bring the light of Christ to communities around the world, especially those most in need.”

Neary has served as bishop of Saint Cloud since he was appointed by Pope Francis in December 2022. He served in Kenya and Uganda for eight years before returning to the U.S., then served as rector of Holy Redeemer Parish in Portland, Oregon.

“We are delighted for Bishop Neary to join as CRS chairman of the board of directors,” said Sean Callahan, president and CEO of CRS. “We are certain that he will bring strong leadership and help CRS continue our mission of lifesaving work and advocacy for our sisters and brothers around the world.”

Neary was ordained a priest in 1991 at the University of Notre Dame, where he was also rector for many years.

According to its website, CRS serves 225 million people across 122 countries annually and has 1,735 partners around the world.

Pope Leo reveals Mideast peace talks with Trump, Netanyahu, other regional players
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 11:30:00 -0500

Rome, Italy, Dec 2, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has begun conversations with U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the need to halt violence and seek solutions in the Middle East, the pope told journalists on his Tuesday flight from Beirut to Rome.

The wide-ranging news conference also touched on Ukraine, the Catholic Church in Germany, and Leo’s own election as pope, among other topics.

In response to a question referring to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed political party and militia that holds significant influence in Lebanon, the pope said that during the trip he also held personal meetings with representatives of unnamed political groups involved in regional conflicts. “Our work is not something we announce publicly,” he said. “We try to convince the parties to put down the arms and violence and come together to the table of dialogue.”

Leo also addressed concerns about Islam in Europe, saying fear is often “generated by people who are against immigration.” He said the Middle East offers an alternative model. “One of the great lessons that Lebanon can teach to the world,” he said, “is showing a land where Islam and Christianity are both present and respected, and where there is a possibility to live together.”

On Ukraine, Leo repeated his appeal for a ceasefire. He acknowledged that the United States is seeking to promote a peace plan, but “the presence of Europe is important,” noting that the administration in Washington modified its first proposal after European concerns. He suggested that Italy could play “a very important role” as an intermediary.

Asked about his own election, he said he had once imagined retiring. He affirmed his commitment to conclave secrecy but recalled telling a reporter the day before his election that “everything is in the hands of God.” When the reality of the vote became clear, he said, “I took a deep breath. I said, here we go, Lord, you are in charge.” Leo added that he is often amused by journalists’ interpretations of his expressions. “You think you can read my mind or my face,” he joked, “and you are not always correct.”

Leo said he hopes his next trip will be to somewhere in Africa and said he wants eventually to go to Algeria to visit sites associated with St. Augustine and continue building bridges with Muslims. He said he would also like to visit Argentina and Uruguay, which have been waiting for a papal visit. He added that other Latin American countries, including Peru, are being considered, but “nothing is confirmed.”

On Venezuela, Leo said the Holy See is working with the national bishops’ conference and the nuncio to calm tensions after recent threats from the United States. “We are looking for ways to calm the situation,” he said, “seeking above all the good of the people, because so often those who suffer are the people, not the authorities.”

Responding to a question about the German Church’s Synodal Way, a controversial series of meetings of bishops and laity that have proposed major changes to Catholic doctrine and governance, Leo noted concerns among many German Catholics that “certain aspects of the Synodal Way … do not represent their own hope for the Church.” He stressed the need for “dialogue and listening … so that the voice of those who are more powerful does not silence or stifle” others.

“I suspect there will be some adjustments made on both sides in Germany, but I’m certainly hopeful that things will work out positively,” Leo said. He added that the ongoing meetings between German bishops and the Roman Curia aim “to try and make sure that the German Synodal Way does not, if you will, break away from what needs to be considered as the pathway of the universal Church.”

Asked what the Middle Eastern Church can offer the West, Leo reflected on the value of unity in an individualistic age. “Young people ask, why should I want to be one?” he said. “But unity, friendship, human relationships, communion are extremely important and extremely valuable.” Recalling the testimony of Christians and Muslims who helped one another after their villages were destroyed, he said such gestures show how “authentic peace and justice” can take root when people overcome distrust.

In response to a question about how he is learning to be pope, Leo recommended a book that he said has shaped his own life by the 17th-century Carmelite friar known as Brother Lawrence. “If you want to know something about me,” he said, “read ‘The Practice of the Presence of God.’ It describes a way of prayer where one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead. That has been my spirituality for many years.”

Pope Leo XIV lands in Rome after historic first papal trip to Turkey and Lebanon
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:30:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 2, 2025 / 10:30 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has arrived in Rome after his first apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon Nov. 27 to Dec. 2.

Note: CNA has concluded this live blog. Please visit our main website for ongoing coverage and other Catholic news.

Faceless Nativity scene on Brussels’ Grand Place sparks international controversy
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:08:00 -0500

Brussels, Belgium, Dec 2, 2025 / 10:08 am (CNA).

A new Nativity scene featuring faceless cloth figures installed on Brussels’ historic Grand Place — and the theft of the infant Jesus — have ignited fierce debate across Europe, with critics calling it an erasure of Christian tradition and supporters defending it as inclusive art.

The traditional wooden figurines have been replaced with forms made from recycled textiles, with faces consisting only of patchwork fabric in beige and brown tones. Artist Victoria-Maria Geyer crafted the Nativity figures out of cloth with no identifying facial features.

The installation, titled “Fabrics of the Nativity,” was selected through a call for proposals after city officials said the previous wooden Nativity had become too deteriorated to use. The dean of Sts. Michael and Gudula Cathedral was involved in the search for a new project and approved it, according to both municipal and church sources.

The installation drew immediate criticism on social media. Belgian national team soccer player Thomas Meunier triggered widespread reaction on X with his comment: “We’ve hit rock bottom... and we keep digging,” a post that was shared thousands of times.

American conservative author Rod Dreher, who has written extensively about European Christianity, contrasted the Brussels installation with Hungary’s approach. Posting a photo of a traditional wooden Nativity scene outside the Hungarian Parliament, Dreher wrote: “A Nativity scene outside the Hungarian Parliament. A Christian country that is not ashamed of the gift of faith.”

Georges Dallemagne from Brussels’ Christian Democrats party called the missing faces “very shocking,” stating: “The Nativity is a message of universality, not a zombie exhibition.” Liberal party chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez called the installation an “insult to our traditions” and demanded its replacement.

Professor Wouter Duyck of Ghent University suggested political correctness and fear of angering Brussels’ large Muslim population was the real inspiration, noting: “In Islam, the faces of prophets are not depicted.”

Officials defend installation

Brussels Mayor Philippe Close, a Socialist Party member, defended the decision. At a Friday press conference, Close stated: “In this Christmas period, we need to tone it down,” adding that the city wanted to maintain the Nativity tradition while others had removed theirs entirely.

“The old Nativity scene had been in use for 25 years and was showing many defects,” Close said. “It was time to take a new direction. We are very happy with Victoria-Maria’s creation, and we want to make sure the artist is not attacked personally.”

Dean Benoît Lobet of Sts. Michael and Gudula Cathedral also defended the installation, interpreting the crumpled fabrics as symbols of precariousness: “The historical figures in the Nativity were precarious people who were rejected everywhere.”

The controversy intensified over the weekend when the baby Jesus figure’s head was removed, with an unknown perpetrator stealing the cloth head. City officials have replaced the figure and said they will monitor the scene more closely.

International reaction after vandalism

The installation is scheduled to remain on the UNESCO World Heritage site for at least five years. Bouchez’s Liberal party has launched a petition calling for the return of a traditional Nativity scene, stating: “These faceless figures look more like a tribute to the zombies you find around Brussels’ train stations than a Nativity scene.”

The debate has extended beyond Belgium’s borders, with international media framing it as emblematic of broader tensions over European identity and religious heritage in an increasingly diverse continent.

Austrian nuns who escaped nursing home reject compromise offer
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 09:14:00 -0500

EWTN News, Dec 2, 2025 / 09:14 am (CNA).

An attempt at an amicable solution in the conflict over Goldenstein Monastery in Austria has failed: The three elderly Augustinian nuns have rejected a compromise offer from their religious superior, Father Markus Grasl, provost of Reichersberg Abbey. Now Rome is expected to decide.

“We are surprised and disappointed by the sisters’ decision. What Grasl already said is coming true: Now the next authority, namely Rome, will be involved,” Grasl’s spokesperson told the Austrian news agency Kathpress.

The religious superior had presented an agreement last Thursday that would have allowed the sisters, who are between 81 and 88 years old, to remain in Goldenstein. This accommodated their expressed wish, although he continued to prefer placement in a nursing home for medical reasons.

The agreement stipulated that the three sisters could continue living in the monastery — but under certain conditions. These included the restoration of the cloister, meaning the monastic rules for retreat and prayer that include areas off limits to nonmembers of the order. In addition, spiritual accompaniment by a priest from Reichersberg Abbey, 24-hour care, and reliable medical care were to be ensured. Registration on the waiting list of a nursing home in Elsbethen “within sight of the monastery” was also part of the offer.

Just one day later, the sisters rejected the agreement. According to APA (Austrian Press Agency), the proposal was turned down because of the conditions attached to it. Grasl had demanded the immediate “cessation of all social media activities” as well as “all active media contacts.”

Another condition stated that the sisters “immediately relieve of duty all lawyers and jurists acting on their behalf” and permanently refrain from “any legal activities.” In addition, supporters were to withdraw from the monastery and no longer make decisions for the canonesses.

Conflict over Augustinian canonesses of Goldenstein

The conflict over the nuns of Goldenstein has been ongoing for years, as CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, reported. After the community shrank to fewer than five sisters with perpetual vows in September 2020, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life withdrew the right to elect their own superior, in accordance with the directive Cor Orans.

In 2022, the Vatican appointed Grasl as spiritual superior of the Goldenstein sisters. That same year, the three remaining religious transferred the monastery in equal halves to the Archdiocese of Salzburg and Reichersberg Abbey.

In the transfer agreement, the sisters were granted a lifetime right of residence — but only “as long as it is medically and spiritually reasonable.” After several hospitalizations, Grasl ordered the relocation of the three nuns to the Schloss Kahlsperg senior residence near Hallein in December 2023.

He justified this decision by the advanced age and poor health of the sisters as well as the deteriorated structural condition of the monastery. An independent life in Goldenstein was therefore no longer possible — neither for health reasons nor spiritual or structural ones.

In September 2025, the three nuns — Sister Rita, Sister Regina, and Sister Bernadette — left the nursing home and occupied their former monastery. They received broad social support from around 200 helpers and international media attention, including from BBC and CNN.

In early October, the three nuns continued their legal conflict with the order leadership. Through their lawyer, they submitted a factual statement to the Salzburg prosecutor’s office for the second time.

In it, the sisters called for an investigation of six “matters requiring examination” directed particularly against Grasl, who is responsible for them, as CNA Deutsch reported.

This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by Catholic News Agency.

Official Vatican documents can now be drafted in languages ​​other than Latin
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Vatican City, Dec 2, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The pope has approved the new General and Personnel Regulations of the Roman Curia, which come into effect Jan. 1, 2026, and which adapt the internal functioning of the Vatican bodies to the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, promulgated by Pope Francis in 2022.

The document, approved “ad experimentum” (for temporary or provisional use) for five years, seeks to consolidate “an ecclesial service marked by a pastoral and missionary character.”

Documents in Latin... or in other languages

Among the most significant innovations is a historic change in linguistic matters. For the first time, the regulations stipulate that “the curial institutions will, as a general rule, draft their documents in Latin or in another language.”

Until now, Latin was used by default in the drafting of internal documents. The new rule will allow documents to be written directly in languages ​​used by the Curia, such as Italian, English — the native language of Pope Leo XIV — or Spanish, which the pontiff speaks fluently due to his extensive pastoral work in Peru.

The text also introduces clear boundaries to prevent nepotism in Vatican offices. For example, it prohibits the hiring within the same entity of blood relatives up to the fourth degree and of relatives by marriage in the first and second degree. Furthermore, it requires that candidates be distinguished by their “virtue, prudence, knowledge, and appropriate experience.”

For lay employees, the initial hiring will be on a probationary basis for at least one year, with no possibility of extending it beyond two years. This will require that, once this period has been completed, the employee be hired on a permanent basis or let go.

No assets in ‘tax havens’

The regulations also include measures that reinforce financial transparency. Officials and senior executives will be required to submit a declaration every two years confirming that they do not own assets in “tax havens” or hold shares in companies that contradict the social doctrine of the Church, such as the arms or abortion industries.

Failure to submit this declaration, or the submission of false information, will be considered a serious disciplinary offense.

The new legal framework regulates the organization of work within the Curia. The standard work week will be “at least 36 hours.” Maternity leave will begin three months before the expected delivery date and extend for another three months afterward. In addition, 158 hours of annual leave are granted.

Staff members must observe strict professional confidentiality and may not make public statements without prior authorization.

The regulations establish, for the first time, unified retirement ages for the various positions. Heads of dicasteries must retire at age 75; lay employees at age 70; and ecclesiastical and religious undersecretaries at age 72. All positions automatically terminate at age 80.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

CNA explains: When is a deportation policy ‘intrinsically evil’ and when is it not?
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 2, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Catholic bishops in the United States have expressed unified disapproval of the “indiscriminate mass deportation of people” as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported over 527,000 deportations and another 1.6 million self-deportations since Jan. 20.

Several Catholics in the Trump administration, such as Vice President JD Vance and Border czar Tom Homan, have invoked their faith to defend the heavy crackdown on migrants who do not have legal status in the country after the bishops’ message of dismay.

Caring for immigrants is a clear command in Scripture. Catholic teaching on the matter of mass deportations is somewhat nuanced, with obligations on wealthy countries to welcome immigrants and responsibilities for immigrants to follow the laws of the nations receiving them. The Catholic approach to immigration in recent decades has underscored mercy and respect for the migrants’ human dignity and prudence on the part of public officials to safeguard the common good, with an emphasis on a response to migrants that “welcomes, protects, promotes, and integrates.”

While Catholic teaching affirms human dignity and the right to migrate when necessary, debate has centered on the means of immigration policy.

When is a deportation policy ‘intrinsically evil’?

If something is “intrinsically evil,” it means that it is immoral under any circumstance and for any reason, regardless of one’s motivation or the intended consequence of the action. That term is reserved for actions themselves that can never be morally justified.

As St. John Paul II explained in his 1993 encyclical Veritatis Splendor, an “intrinsically evil” act is one that, by its very nature, is “incapable of being ordered to God” because the act is in conflict with “the good of the person made in his image.”

He cites Gaudium et Spes, the pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1965, to offer some examples of intrinsic evils.

Although the council itself does not use the term “intrinsically evil,” he references the council’s description of actions that are “opposed to life itself,” which include “murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, or willful self-destruction.” It also lists, among other things, action that “insults human dignity,” such as “subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, [and] the selling of women and children.”

Neither John Paul II nor the council elaborate on the meaning of “deportation” in this context in those specific documents. Although, in his 1991 encyclical Centesimus Annus, the Holy Father spoke about deportations within the context of forced removal of people during World War II: “As a result of this violent division of Europe, enormous masses of people were compelled to leave their homeland or were forcibly deported.”

Joseph Capizzi, dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America, told CNA the context appears to refer to deportations that are both “arbitrary” and “without due process,” like during World War II.

“The context was, of course, mass deportations of people absent any due process and their treatment as movable property, or chattel,” he said. “That is by definition treating those humans as subhuman, offending their God-given status by their creation in his image and likeness.”

In relation to “subhuman living conditions” being intrinsically evil, Capizzi said all people “must be treated as humans” regardless of legal status. No person, he said, can be treated “with cruelty” or “absent basic human regard.”

Father Thomas Petri, OP, a moral theologian and former president of the Dominican House of Studies, told CNA that deportation, as an enforcement of immigration law, “in and of itself can’t be intrinsically evil.”

“There is going to be prudential debate and prudential discussion on what constitutes immoral, evil deportation,” Petri said.

“Even if there’s disagreement on who should be deported, when the deportation happens, it should happen in a way that doesn’t undermine the dignity of those being deported,” he said.

“Even when there is justified deportation, … those who are being deported [must be treated] … humanely, respecting human dignity, which includes the natural rights to food, human living conditions [and] … access to religion,” Petri said.

“Anything that contradicts or harms their human dignity is certainly grave,” Petri said.

When can governments limit immigration?

The Church has consistently encouraged nations to welcome the stranger, in line with Christ’s command in Matthew 25:35, and has also recognized the government’s need to protect the common good.

In 1988, the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace issued a document called “The Church and Racism,” which addressed the subject.

For immigrants and refugees, the commission said governments must ensure their “basic human rights be recognized and guaranteed.” Such people could be “victims of racial prejudice” and are at risk of “various forms of exploitation, be it economic or other.”

The document also acknowledged that public powers are “responsible for the common good” and must “determine the number of refugees or immigrants which their country can accept.” The governments should consider “possibilities for employment and its perspectives for development but also the urgency of the need of other people.”

Another concern is a need to avoid “a serious social imbalance” that could be created “when an overly heavy concentration of persons from another culture is perceived as directly threatening the identity and customs of the local community that receives them.”

Pope Pius XII made similar observations when addressing American officials in 1946, saying then: “it is not surprising that changing circumstances have brought about a certain restriction being placed on foreign immigration” and “in this matter not only the interests of the immigrant but the welfare of the country also must be consulted.”

Such restrictions, he said, should still never forget “Christian charity and the sense of human solidarity existing between all men, children of the one eternal God and Father.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church sums up the Church’s position, teaching that prosperous nations have an obligation, “to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner.” The immigrant has an obligation “to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.”

“Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions,” it adds, without touting mass deportation as a moral ideal.

Capizzi said governments must “protect an actual common good.” For immigration law, he said this means “sometimes by allowing immigrants in to assist, and also by limiting immigration to allow immigrants’ integration into the host nation, and to protect the nation’s work force.”

Enforcement, he said, can occur after a person has unlawfully entered, but cases that require deportation should inspire more prudence.

Petri said the primary concern comes “when you’re talking about [people] who have been in this country for 20 years.”

“There is a moral difference between deporting hard and violent criminals and deporting, say, a husband and a wife who have just tried to make a living,” he said.

UPDATED: Pope Leo XIV calls Lebanon to stand up, be a home of justice and fraternity
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 04:52:00 -0500

Beirut, Lebanon, Dec 2, 2025 / 04:52 am (CNA).

Beirut heard a different kind of voice on Tuesday morning. In a city still marked by the sounds of the 2024 escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, Pope Leo XIV urged Lebanon to rise above violence and division. “Lebanon, stand up. Be a home of justice and fraternity. Be a prophetic sign of peace for the whole of the Levant,” he said at a Mass attended by about 150,000 people at Beirut Waterfront.

The liturgy closed the final day of the pope’s visit to a nation strained by intermittent political paralysis, economic freefall, and persistent instability. The Waterfront itself carries symbolic weight. Built on land reclaimed from the sea with rubble from downtown Beirut destroyed in the civil war, it has come to represent both loss and reconstruction.

In his homily, Pope Leo spoke of praise, hope, beauty, and responsibility, calling for unity at a moment of national fracture. He acknowledged the burdens carried by the Lebanese people and said praise becomes difficult “when life is weighed down by hardship.” Lebanon, he added, has suffered “many problems” and “difficult situations” that leave people feeling powerless.

The pope urged the country to rediscover gratitude. Lebanon, he said, is “the recipient of a rare beauty,” even though that beauty is often obscured by suffering. The country is also, he noted, a witness to how “evil, in its various forms, can obscure this splendor.”

From the open coastal space, he recalled biblical images of Lebanon. He then pointed to the nation’s present wounds: poverty, political instability, economic collapse, and renewed fear after conflict. He mentioned his prayer earlier in the day at the Beirut port, the site of the 2020 explosion, and connected that visit to the broader national trauma. In such circumstances, he said, praise and hope can give way to disillusionment.

The pope invited the faithful to look for “small shining lights in the heart of the night.” Jesus, he said, gives thanks not for extraordinary signs but for the faith and humility of “little ones.” He spoke of the “small signs of hope” found in families, parishes, religious communities, and laypeople who remain dedicated to service and to the Gospel. These lights, he said, promise rebirth.

He urged the country not to yield to “the logic of violence” or the “idolatry of money” and asked all Lebanese to work together. “Everyone must do their part,” he said. He called for a “dream of a united Lebanon” where peace and justice prevail and where all recognize one another as brothers and sisters.

At the end of Mass, the pope offered a spontaneous prayer for peace in the region and the world, calling on “Christians of the Levant” to be “artisans of peace, heralds of peace, witnesses of peace.”

Farewell ceremony

After the Mass, the pope traveled to Beirut International Airport for a farewell ceremony, where he was received by the president.

In brief remarks, the pope recalled the sight of the port earlier that morning and praised the resilience of the Lebanese people. “You are as strong as the cedars that populate your beautiful mountains, and as beautiful as the olive trees that grow in the plains, in the south and near the sea.”

The pope also greeted regions of the country he was unable to visit and repeated his appeal for peace. “May the attacks and hostilities cease,” he said. “Armed struggle brings no benefit. Weapons are lethal. Negotiation, mediation, and dialogue are constructive.” He urged all to choose peace “as a way, not just as a goal.”

Pope Leo prays at Beirut blast site, meets families seeking justice
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 03:15:00 -0500

Beirut, Lebanon, Dec 2, 2025 / 03:15 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV paused on the final morning of his trip to Lebanon before the ruins of the Beirut port explosion, praying in silence and placing a wreath in memory of the victims. He also met families of those killed and survivors still carrying the wounds of the 2020 blast.

The pope lit a candle and laid down a wreath of red flowers at the site and seemed at one point to hold back tears. Afterward, he spoke with family members of victims, some of whom who were holding photographs of their relatives killed in the blast.

The pope’s silent prayer at the port unfolded against an unresolved search for justice, a grief still felt across Lebanon.

Five years after the Aug. 4, 2020, explosion, one of the largest nonnuclear blasts in history, families of the 236 people killed and more than 7,000 wounded say they are still waiting for truth and accountability. Vast neighborhoods of Beirut were shattered, yet justice remains elusive. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam greeted the pope at the site.

Lebanon’s investigation has been marked by political interference and long periods of inactivity. Although the probe formally resumed in 2025 after a two-year halt, it remains stalled. Successive governments have failed to ensure an independent and impartial process, leaving families of victims facing what they describe as a prolonged denial of justice.

Several senior officials summoned by lead investigative judge Tarek Bitar have resisted cooperation, invoking immunity or filing legal challenges that repeatedly froze the inquiry.

Some movement returned in early 2025. Bitar resumed work in February after new public commitments by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Salam to uphold the rule of law. The following month, interim top prosecutor Jamal Hajjar reversed earlier measures that had paralyzed the investigation. A number of figures, including former Prime Minister Hassan Diab and Major General Abbas Ibrahim, responded to summonses, while others, including members of Parliament, continued to refuse cooperation.

Pope Leo urges Lebanon to place the sick at the center of society
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 02:07:00 -0500

Jal el Dib, Lebanon, Dec 2, 2025 / 02:07 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV told hospital patients and caregivers in Lebanon that he had come to “where Jesus dwells,” adding that Christ is present “in you who are ill, and in you who care for the ailing.” He delivered the message during a Tuesday morning visit to De La Croix Hospital in Jal el Dib, one of the final stops of his trip to Lebanon as the country continues to struggle with the wounds of conflict and economic collapse.

The Holy Father addressed staff, patients, and the Franciscan Sisters of the Cross who operate the institution. Pointing to the hospital’s founder, Blessed Yaaqub El-Haddad, Pope Leo described him as a “tireless apostle of charity” whose devotion to the suffering shaped the institution’s identity.

“Your presence is a tangible sign of the merciful love of Christ,” Leo told the health care workers, comparing their service to the good Samaritan who stopped for the wounded man. He urged them not to lose heart when fatigue or discouragement take hold. “Keep before your eyes the good you are able to accomplish. In God’s eyes, it is a great work.”

Pope Leo also offered a pointed appeal to Lebanese society. A community focused only on achievement and well-being, he warned, risks abandoning its most vulnerable members. “We cannot conceive of a society that races ahead at full speed while ignoring so many situations of poverty and vulnerability.” Christians, he insisted, are called to make the poor a priority because “the cry of the poor,” heard throughout Scripture, continues to demand a response.

Jal el Dib, a town in Lebanon’s Matn district with a largely Maronite Catholic population, grew from a small Ottoman-era stop on the Beirut–Tripoli route into a commercial hub during the French Mandate, the period of French-administered rule that shaped much of modern Lebanon after World War I. In that setting, the De La Croix institution, founded in 1919 by Blessed Yaaqub, developed into one of the region’s most significant centers for psychiatric care and mental disability services. Operated by the Franciscan Sisters of the Cross, it now includes five patient pavilions and serves more than 2,200 people each year.

Turning to the patients, the pope emphasized their dignity and their place in the heart of God. “You are close to the heart of God our Father. He holds you in the palm of his hand,” he said. “Today, the Lord repeats to each one of you: ‘I love you, I care for you, you are my child. Never forget this!’” At times during the visit, Leo seemed to be holding back tears.

After the public event, Pope Leo was scheduled to visit one of the hospital’s pavilions privately to meet patients and staff.

The Holy See closed the 2024 fiscal year with a surplus of $1.86 million
Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:51:00 -0500

Vatican City, Dec 1, 2025 / 16:51 pm (CNA).

The Holy See closed the 2024 fiscal year with a surplus of 1.6 million euros ($1.86 million), according to the 2024 Consolidated Financial Statement published Nov. 26 by the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy. This result represents a substantial change compared with the deficit of 51.2 million euros ($59.5 million) recorded in 2023, according to the Vatican.

The last public report from the Holy See was from 2020 — published in 2021 — and showed a deficit of 66.3 million euros ($77 million).

The current report indicates that the financial improvement is based on a reduction in the operating deficit, which decreased by almost 50%, from 83 million to 44 million euros, ($96.4 to $51.1 million) driven by a 79-million-euro ($91.8 million) increase in revenue, mainly from donations and hospital management, and by strict cost control that partially offset inflation and rising personnel costs.

The report also highlights the performance of financial management with positive results of 46 million euros ($53.4 million), higher than the previous year thanks to capital gains obtained from the sale of historical investments and the start of operations of the Investment Committee.

Surplus excluding hospitals

Excluding hospital entities, the Holy See recorded a surplus of 18.7 million euros ($21.7 million), although the secretariat warns that this figure reflects extraordinary accounting effects and a one-time increase in donations, so its sustainability will depend on future fiscal years.

The Holy See’s balance sheet reveals a total allocation of 393.29 million euros ($457 million) destined for the apostolic mission and the pontifical funds, not including the financing of hospitals. This budget reflects the priority of supporting the Church’s core activities worldwide and shows how resources are distributed to guarantee the continuity of the apostolic mission.

Approximately 83% of the funds are concentrated in five strategic areas that underpin the pastoral and social work of the Holy See. The most significant allocation, amounting to 146.4 million euros ($170.1 million) — equivalent to 37% of the total — is dedicated to supporting local Churches in difficult situations and for evangelization, recognizing the importance of strengthening the most vulnerable communities and supporting the spread of the faith in territories where the mission faces greater challenges.

Worship and evangelization constitute the second most significant category, representing 14% of the resources. This allocation supports liturgical activities, religious formation, and initiatives for spreading Church teachings worldwide. A ​​further 12% is specifically dedicated to communicating the pope’s message, ensuring that his teachings, exhortations, and statements effectively reach the faithful and the international community.

Ten percent of the budget is allocated to charitable services

Likewise, 10% of the budget is dedicated to maintaining the international presence of the Holy See through the apostolic nunciatures, which play an essential diplomatic and pastoral role in relations with states and local Churches. Another 10% is allocated to charitable services, reinforcing humanitarian and assistance initiatives that respond to the most urgent needs of the poor and marginalized.

The remaining 17% finances activities such as the organization of ecclesial life, management of historical heritage, and support for academic institutions. The secretariat emphasized that these allocations reflect consistency between the Church’s pastoral mission and its financial management.

The report concludes that, although the result is encouraging, the full financial sustainability of the Holy See will continue to depend on its performance in the coming fiscal years, marking 2024 as a year of economic recovery after years of deficits.

Maximino Caballero Ledo, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, gave a comprehensive explanation of the results in an interview with Vatican media, highlighting both the achievements and the need for prudence and continuity in management.

“The data reflect remarkable progress in consolidating the economic situation of the Holy See,” Caballero said. “It is not only about maintaining a balanced budget but also about strengthening our ability to make the best use of every contribution received, making the service to the mission of the universal Church more solid and sustainable.”

The financial document presented by the Vatican shows that the structural operating deficit was reduced by almost half, from 83.5 million euros to 44.4 million euros ($97 million to $51.6 million). This is mainly due to an increase in revenue, which amounted to almost 79 million euros ($91.8 million) compared with the previous year, driven by greater donor participation, positive results from hospital activities, and progress in real estate and commercial management.

Caballero emphasized that these “favorable dynamics,” combined with prudent spending control and a constant effort to improve operational efficiency, offer a positive outlook for the Vatican’s finances. However, he recalled that “the deficit of 44.4 million euros [$51.6 million] indicates that there is still a long way to go. Financial sustainability is not only a possible objective but a necessary condition to guarantee the continuity of our apostolic mission.”

Growth in donations and the trust of the faithful

The prefect noted that contributions from the faithful experienced a rebound in 2024 after years of slowdown. “This increase represents an encouraging sign of renewed participation by the faithful and local Churches in the mission of the Holy See. However, these dynamics are variable and always require prudence and realism in their interpretation,” he emphasized.

The analysis of expenditures confirms, according to Caballero, that most resources continue to be allocated directly to apostolic activities, “reflecting the consistency between the priorities of the mission and the financial decisions that make it possible. This allows for the strengthening of pastoral initiatives and support for the most vulnerable communities, consolidating a balanced and responsible management of resources.”

Financial management and future prospects

The 2024 balance sheet also shows positive results of 46 million euros ($53.4 million) from financial activities, including extraordinary transactions related to the restructuring of the investment portfolio in accordance with the new policy approved by the Investment Committee. Caballero warned that “these capital gains are not repeatable with the same intensity in future years and reflect the natural volatility of financial activity.”

Therefore, he emphasized that “along with prudence in spending, it is essential to continue working on the revenue side: donations, fundraising, asset valuation, and consistent investment management. The goal is not to pit these dimensions against each other but to consolidate progress and gradually strengthen a more stable economic foundation.”

Toward full financial sustainability

The prefect concluded by highlighting that the 2024 fiscal year closed with a small surplus of 1.6 million euros ($1.86 million), an encouraging sign that, according to him, “demonstrates that the direction taken is positive. Now we must consolidate this progress, aware that some of the results come from nonrecurring elements. Financial sustainability is essential to ensure the continuity of the Holy See’s mission, which by its nature requires a stable economic foundation.”

Caballero emphasized that “it is not simply a matter of balancing the budget but of strengthening our ability to optimally utilize every contribution received, making the Holy See’s service to the entire universal Church more solid and sustainable.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Aid to the Church in Need welcomes appointment of Cardinal Koch as its new president
Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:21:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 1, 2025 / 16:21 pm (CNA).

The executive director of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Regina Lynch, thanked Pope Leo XIV for appointing Cardinal Kurt Koch as the new president of the pontifical foundation.

“We very much look forward to having Cardinal Koch as our president and for the guidance he can bring to our mission to persecuted and suffering Christians all over the world. We are grateful to Pope Leo XIV for this appointment and for his interest in our work,” Lynch said.

Koch is 75 years old and replaces Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, who is 81 years old and has led the institution since 2011.

Piacenza was the first president of ACN since the organization received the title of pontifical foundation.

In a Nov. 27 statement published on the ACN website, Lynch highlighted the work carried out by Piacenza, in whom the international institution “has always had a steady and trusted mentor and president.”

Furthermore, Piacenza “was always a great supporter of ACN initiatives, such as the One Million Children Praying the Rosary and the Middle East campaigns, and we are very grateful for his service to suffering and persecuted Christians.”

Koch is the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and has headed the Commission for Religious Relations with Judaism since 2010. He has also closely collaborated with the Catholic charity over the years, ACN reported.

The organization highlighted its new president’s experience in ecumenical and interreligious relations, as these are an essential part of the pontifical foundation’s mission, “especially in countries where Christians, or Catholics, are a minority.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Reactions mount in Canada to undercover video exposing late-term abortions
Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:51:00 -0500

Vancouver, Canada, Dec 1, 2025 / 15:51 pm (CNA).

A week after The Catholic Register in Canada revealed that pro-life advocate Alissa Golob went undercover while 22 weeks pregnant to test whether late-term abortions were accessible in Canada without medical justification, the national response continues to intensify, with a new twist: a fourth hidden-camera video that Golob says she is legally barred from releasing.

Golob, co-founder of RightNow, posed as an undecided pregnant woman in abortion facilities in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary in 2023. The Nov. 19 Register story detailed her conversations with clinic counselors and physicians who told her late-term abortions could be arranged at nearby hospitals, sometimes “up to 32 weeks,” without needing to provide medical reasons.

Staff described procedures as a “mini stillbirth,” advised her she could “expel the fetus in the car,” and said reasons such as already having two children or “not wanting to be pregnant” were acceptable.

Those recordings — three of which have now been released — directly contradict long-standing political claims that late-term abortions in Canada are only performed in cases of maternal health risk or severe fetal anomalies.

In an email interview with The B.C. Catholic, Golob said the reaction from Canadians has been more visceral than she expected.

The dominant response has been “overwhelming shock and horror from the average Canadian who didn’t think late-term abortions were possible,” she said.

Many who describe themselves as pro-choice wrote to her saying the recordings were disturbing and that unrestricted late-term abortion “just shouldn’t be allowed.”

By contrast, she said some abortion-rights advocates have reacted with confusion and contradiction. “They were basically trying to throw everything they could at it to see if anything would stick,” she said. “Some said the videos were lies, some said late-term abortions don’t happen — despite the videos proving otherwise.”

Golob said the most significant development since the Catholic Register story broke is her discovery that she cannot release the Calgary footage at all.

“Alberta, shockingly, has the most extreme and overreaching bubble-zone legislation in the country,” she said. “Distributing any footage recorded in the bubble zone could result in a fine or jail time.”

She called the legislation “worse than Ontario and even Montreal,” meaning the fourth video will remain unreleased unless the province changes its law.

Although no physician has contacted her privately, Golob said some health care professionals reacted strongly in group chats and medical forums.

“Doctors were trying to disprove that late-term abortions happen until others in the chat posted my undercover videos,” she said.

None of the clinics featured in the videos has issued public statements or responded to inquiries, she said. “They know they’ve been caught red-handed… there’s not much they can say to remedy the situation, so they say nothing at all.”

Abortion advocacy organizations, including Action Canada, have alleged the videos lack context.

Golob dismissed the charge. “Of course the videos were edited — sometimes I was in the clinics for hours,” she said, and “99% of the talking” is by clinic staff.

She noted that if anything were manipulated, the clinics could sue her and “easily win.”

She has already shared the full recordings with reporters so they could verify that passages were not altered.

Conservative members of Parliament including Leslyn Lewis, Rosemarie Falk, and Garnett Genuis have shared the videos, as did People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier. Liberal member of Parliament Doug Eyolfson condemned them, drawing “surprising” pushback” from Canadians across party lines.

Golob said the recordings show that late-term abortion referrals are far easier to obtain than most Canadians assume.

“Abortionists have no problem and easily and readily refer you for a late-term abortion… for absolutely no reason whatsoever,” she said. Even an explanation as simple as “I don’t want to be pregnant” was treated as acceptable for a third-trimester referral.

Golob said one issue has been overlooked in the public debate: the reliability of Canadian abortion statistics.

“In multiple videos I was told that any end of pregnancy after 20 weeks — no matter how it happens — is considered a stillbirth,” she said. Combined with the fact that provinces report statistics voluntarily, she argued Canadians have no way of knowing how many late-term induction abortions actually occur. “We should be demanding to know how many… and why.”

For now, Golob said she has no further video releases planned unless Alberta changes its law. But she believes the Catholic Register’s original reporting has opened a door Canadians weren’t expecting.

“People are seeing something they were told for years was impossible — and they want answers.”

This story was first published by The B.C. Catholic and is reprinted here with permission.

Brother of Beirut explosion victim speaks ahead of Pope Leo IV’s visit to blast site
Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:21:00 -0500

ACI MENA, Dec 1, 2025 / 15:21 pm (CNA).

As part of his visit to Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV will pray at the site of the Aug. 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion — the largest nonnuclear blast in modern history. For William Noun, the brother of a victim, this initiative is crucial and a continuation of what Pope Francis began.

The explosion left more than 200 dead and 6,000 injured — 800 hospitalized in regular wards, 130 in intensive care. It particularly devastated East Beirut’s predominantly Christian neighborhoods. The scale of devastation surpassed anything Lebanon had experienced in decades: bloodied streets, collapsed buildings, and entire districts destroyed. The word most used by witnesses to describe the situation was “apocalyptic.”

Vatican solidarity

The destruction was not limited to lives, infrastructure, and finances. It also crushed the morale of an already-exhausted population as they watched their capital collapse in front of their eyes. Yet the tragedy drew significant international solidarity, including strong support from the Vatican.

Immediately after the explosion, Pope Francis sent a donation of 250,000 euros ($295,488) to the Church in Lebanon to support emergency relief and recovery efforts.

His support continued in the years that followed. In the summer of 2024, Francis met at the Vatican with relatives of the Beirut port victims. Noun, who lost his brother Joe in the blast, was among those present.

In an interview with ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, Noun underscored the profound significance of his visit to the Vatican, both personally and in the pursuit of justice.

He traveled to Rome with his wife, Maria, who, like him, lost a sibling in the explosion. Bound by grief, they eventually chose life. Three years after the blast, they married, and when they met Pope Francis, Maria was pregnant.

The pope blessed their unborn child and gently asked them to return once the baby was born. But when their son arrived, Pope Francis had already passed away. Now, with Pope Leo coming to Lebanon, their child may receive another blessing — but this time from another pope.

For Noun, the encounter with Francis was unforgettable. He recalled how attentively the pope listened, how genuinely he wanted to understand the victims not as statistics but as lives abruptly torn apart. Noun showed him photographs of his brother Joe, who led a Catholic youth movement in their hometown; Francis lingered over the images and asked to know more about Joe.

Until that moment, public discourse on the explosion had focused almost entirely on numbers, not on the lives behind them. But Francis, consistent with his pastoral approach, made a point of focusing on the human dimension.

The visit also carried weight on the justice front. Noun and other families met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin to discuss the investigation, the political obstruction, and the urgent need for international support.

For Noun, the meeting had a tangible impact, but momentum later faded. With Pope Leo’s trip to Beirut, he now sees a rare opportunity to revive the struggle for truth and accountability that has been repeatedly silenced.

A nation without justice

Lebanese authorities have yet to deliver justice for the victims of the Beirut port explosion more than five years after the blast devastated the capital. For Noun, justice is nonnegotiable.

“Justice is a right; whether it comes early or late, it is still a right,” he said. “No one can accept losing it, especially after an explosion of this magnitude.”

When asked what stands in the way of the truth, Noun pointed first to political interference and pressure on the investigation. That, he argued, is why support from the Vatican matters. “The pressure coming from the pope’s office can break through the political pressure blocking the case.”

The second major obstacle, he said, is the absence of genuine international will. Countries that call themselves “friends of Lebanon,” he argued, have refrained from offering real help. “If there had been sincere political will, the truth would have appeared within the first two or three months.”

The blast shook the world and sparked global outrage, yet meaningful international assistance to the investigation never materialized. There were statements of solidarity but, he noted, “no one provided anything that actually helped move the investigation forward.”

The unanswered question

The blast was triggered by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored improperly in a warehouse at the port, material that had been sitting there for years despite repeated warnings from officials. Behind the shipment lies a complex network of businessmen, intermediaries, and companies spread across nearly 10 countries with alleged links to networks close to the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Yet what happened specifically that Aug. 4 remains unresolved. No conclusive evidence has clarified the cause of the fire that ignited the explosives. Was it an accident, an attack, or sabotage? Five years later, the central question remains unanswered.

A significant number of Lebanese continue to believe that the explosion bore the fingerprints of Israel. In his conversation with ACI MENA, Noun noted that Hezbollah moved quickly in the opposite direction.

“From the beginning, accusations were circulating,” he said. “But Hezbollah was the first to absolve Israel completely; they said it was an electrical short circuit or welding sparks.”

He recalled the speech delivered on Aug. 8 by the secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, just four days after the blast, which stunned many Lebanese because Hezbollah typically blames Israel for everything. That time, however, they dismissed the possibility outright.

From that moment on, Noun argued, the party worked aggressively to obstruct the investigation, putting pressure on the families of the victims, the presiding judge, and judicial authorities. The campaign included public and legal attacks against Judge Tarek Bitar, political paralysis that froze the government for six months, and repeated withdrawals of Hezbollah-aligned ministers from Cabinet sessions.

“It would take hours to detail everything they did publicly,” Noun said. “And even more happened behind closed doors, with security and political figures.”

The goal, he believes, was to ensure that the investigation itself never reaches a conclusion. “The strategy is not just to remove a judge,” he said. “The strategy is to destroy the investigation. They refuse any investigation and want to declare it an ‘accident’ and close the case.”

“I’m not the only one pointing fingers at Hezbollah; three-quarters of the country does,” he added.

Noun is now one of the central figures representing the families of the Beirut blast victims and leading the fight against impunity. His battle has been far from easy. He has been the target of smear campaigns — particularly from Hezbollah supporters — and he was arrested in 2023 following comments he made on television about the stalled investigation. In 2025, he and Peter Bou Saab, also the brother of a victim, reported being assaulted by armed men shortly after a rally held by the families of the victims.

Despite the pressure, Noun is not willing to back down. His goal remains unchanged: justice.

More than a symbolic visit

Noun believes that Pope Leo’s presence in Beirut carries weight far beyond symbolism. The Vatican, he noted, holds not only a spiritual authority but also a social and, at times, political influence. It has closely followed the port blast investigation since 2020 and is fully informed about its developments. For him, this visit represents a continuation of what Pope Francis began; a sustained moral pressure that keeps the pursuit of justice alive.

He said families do not yet know whether Pope Leo will deliver a speech at the port site, and for now they have been asked simply to attend and follow the instructions of the Vatican’s organizing team, since the gathering is primarily meant to be a moment of prayer. But if the pope does speak, Noun said he hopes to hear a clear message affirming support for justice and renewed international pressure.

“The pope understands exactly where he will be standing and what it means for the families to be beside him,” Noun emphasized. The Vatican’s voice, he believes, matters: The pope is close to global decision-makers, and his position gives him unique leverage.

“There is a major role he can play, not only through prayer and faith but also by influencing action,” he said.

Father Dany Dergham, a Maronite priest who leads the “Church Talks Politics’’ platform, has a more concrete request for Pope Leo. In a post on X, he addressed the pope directly, writing: “Your Holiness, if you wish to bring us a gift on the occasion of your visit, the most precious and sacred to us would be the satellite images of the Beirut port crime, which can be requested from the concerned countries through Vatican diplomacy, so that we may know who killed our families and our children, destroyed our homes, blew up our churches and institutions, and shattered our dreams.”

Beyond the blast

Noun’s hopes for the papal visit extend far beyond the explosion, although it remains at the heart of his struggle. What he wishes Pope Leo, the Vatican, and the international community to recognize is the critical importance of safeguarding the Christian presence in Lebanon.

Lebanon, he stressed, remains the only country in the region where Christians enjoy this degree of freedom. But that reality, he warned, is under threat. He believes the Church must take a more active role in helping young Christians remain in the country rather than emigrating. While acknowledging the important work the Church already does, he argued that much more is needed, from early childhood education and schools to universities, housing initiatives, and long-term support systems that allow families to build a future in Lebanon.

Noun also pointed to growing tensions between Hezbollah and the Christian community. According to him, the pope’s visit is already being framed by Hezbollah supporters in sectarian terms, questioning the state’s preparations and national attention surrounding it.

Speaking about the broader political context, he expressed deep concern over what he described as Hezbollah’s separation from the national interest. “Every time something national brings people together, they choose to break away from the national consensus and go in a different direction. They believe everything is done against the party’s interests,” he said.

Noun argued that the party and its community must recognize that “they are not the decision-makers, not the ones who run the country, and their militant logic cannot govern Lebanon.” He stressed that Lebanon’s Christian community cannot survive without a functioning state: “It is the state that protects everyone, not weapons and militias.”

According to Noun, most Christians today are far removed from Hezbollah’s environment and mentality, and while a few attempt to present an illusion of harmony, “when you look at any village where Hezbollah supporters coexist with Christians, you see the tensions very clearly.” He said that what the party portrays publicly is very different from the reality on the ground.

Noun also said it is against this backdrop that Pope Leo’s stop at the port carries real weight. His visit to the port will not rewrite the past, and it may not be enough to break the system that has blocked the truth, but standing on that ground forces the world to look again at a case many hoped would fade. And for the families of the victims, that visibility is itself a form of resistance, a refusal to let powerful people close the file.

Philippines bishops’ conference elects Garcera as president, an advocate for synodality
Mon, 01 Dec 2025 14:14:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 1, 2025 / 14:14 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa has officially begun his new role as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

The CBCP elected Garcera during its 130th plenary assembly on July 5 in a break from the conference’s tradition of electing the previous vice president, in this case Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig, to serve in the role. The last time the conference opted not to elect its vice president was in 2011.

Garcera, who has advocated for synodality within the Filipino Church, comes to the leadership position amid national instability due to government corruption and natural disasters. Garcera’s predecessor, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, served two four-year terms.

Archbishop Julius Tonel of Zamboanga will act as Garcera’s vice president, and their terms will run until Nov. 30, 2027.

“I hope you will pray for me, because the cross that was placed on me is very heavy,” Garcera said in a video message on Facebook after his election.

Garcera published a 271-page document encouraging synodality titled “Enlarging the Space of Our Tent” in January 2024. In his epilogue for the document, Garcera wrote that he hoped it would help people “embrace a more inclusive perspective.”

“They will be reminded of the richness and diversity of human experience,” he added.

Garcera also has advocated for “pastoral sensitivity” toward individuals with same-sex attractions, encouraging priests, religious, and lay leaders to walk with and guide them “toward deeper union with Christ, supporting them in living out their vocation to holiness, and [ensuring] that our parishes remain true communities of welcome, healing, and love.”

While affirming Church teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman, Garcera insisted that “truth must never become a reason for exclusion or hostility.” Rather, he said, “it calls us to a deeper commitment to love.”

The Lipa archbishop will oversee the conference’s work, act as its main spokesperson, and represent the Church in the Philippines on a national and international level, including meetings at the Vatican and with other bishops’ conferences, according to a press release from the conference announcing the transition.

Prior to his appointment as bishop of Daet in 2007, Garcera served as assistant secretary-general for the CBCP, and as executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Mission. He later chaired the same commission, as well as the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, as a bishop. He has served as archbishop of Lipa since 2017.

Pope Leo appoints Mexican-born Oratorian as bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas
Mon, 01 Dec 2025 13:44:00 -0500

Vatican City, Dec 1, 2025 / 13:44 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Monday appointed Bishop Mario Avilés as the new bishop of Corpus Christi, selecting the Mexican-born Oratorian to lead the south Texas diocese.

Avilés, 56, who has served as auxiliary bishop of Brownsville, Texas, since February 2018, will succeed Bishop Michael Mulvey, 76. Mulvey has led the Diocese of Corpus Christi since 2010.

“We welcome Bishop-designate Avilés with open hearts and deep prayer,” Mulvey said in a statement after the Vatican announcement on Dec. 1.

As the ninth bishop of Corpus Christi, Avilés will take responsibility for the spiritual leadership of more than 200,000 Catholics across a 12-county region in south Texas.

“The Diocese of Brownsville will greatly miss Bishop Mario’s wise counsel and good judgment, his joyful presence in our parish communities, and his administrative skills in the service of our diocesan offices and Catholic schools. Yet at the same time we share in the special joy of the Diocese of Corpus Christi at the news of Bishop Mario’s appointment,” Brownsville Bishop Daniel Flores said in a statement.

Avilés was born on Sept. 16, 1969, in Mexico City. In 1986, he joined the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, a pontifical society of apostolic life composed of priests and lay brothers founded in 1575, which now has more than 70 oratories worldwide.

He studied for the priesthood in Mexico City before continuing his education in Rome, earning bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and sacred theology at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. He also holds a master’s degree in education administration and supervision and is a certified teacher in the state of Texas.

At the age of 28, Avilés was ordained a priest in the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle National Shrine in San Juan, Texas. He became parochial vicar at St. Jude Thaddeus Church in Pharr and worked in the Pharr Oratory Schools as a governance board member, teacher, principal, and rector. He also served as vicar, secretary, treasurer, and novice master for the Oratorian congregation.

From 2000 to 2012, he served on the Permanent Deputation of the Confederation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri for Latin America. At the congregation’s 2012 General Congress, he was elected procurator general of the confederation, a Rome-based role representing Oratorian communities to the Holy See. He speaks Spanish, English, and Italian.

Avilés’ episcopal motto is “Caritas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris,” meaning “The love of God has been poured out into our hearts,” a reference to Romans 5:5 and the introit of the Mass for the feast of St. Philip Neri. His crest includes red roses honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe and his Mexican heritage as well as three gold stars drawn from the Neri family crest, symbolizing his long affiliation with the oratory.

“I ask all the faithful of the Diocese of Brownsville to pray for Bishop Mario as he prepares to take up his new mission of service in Corpus Christi,” Flores said. “May God bless Bishop Mario Avilés and may the maternal care of the blessed and ever-immaculate Virgin Mary accompany him always.”

Father Bob and his bicycle: How this 88-year-old priest serves Bangladesh’s disabled children
Mon, 01 Dec 2025 13:34:00 -0500

Munshigonj, Bangladesh, Dec 1, 2025 / 13:34 pm (CNA).

Father Robert Terence McCahill, a Maryknoll missionary who works in health care for poor, disabled people in Bangladesh, marks 50 years of service in the country in this first week of December.

Over his five decades in Bangladesh, McCahill has visited 13 administrative districts in the Muslim-majority nation, spending three years in each one serving the people there. He left Srinagar in Munshiganj district near Dhaka in late November after completing three years there, though he does not yet know where he will go next.

“I think that just as Jesus was not tied to one place and asked to spread the word of God, I travel around and reach people of all religions with love and work,” McCahill told CNA on Nov. 18.

Born in Iowa in 1937, McCahill later moved to Indiana due to his father’s work. In 1964, he was ordained a priest and came to the Philippines that same year.

In 1975, he and four other priests came to Bangladesh at the invitation of Archbishop T.A. Ganguly of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. After learning Bengali for a year, his first place of work was in the northern district of Tangail, where he worked for nine years.

In Bangladesh, he is known as “Bob Bhai” — Brother Bob. McCahill was given this name by a Muslim friend who thought Bangladeshi Muslims would have difficulty pronouncing his full name, and he is still known by this name in the villages where he serves.

“My only son has been disabled since birth; he cannot walk or speak. I have seen many doctors but to no avail,” said Abdul Mannan Khan, 45, a Muslim resident of Munshigonj district.

“Bob Bhai often comes to my house, laughs and jokes with my son. Now I am getting treatment in the hospital through him. I don’t need any money,” Khan told CNA.

His 15-year-old son Abu Mosa Khan is the only child in the family, and his parents care for him devotedly. But the family says that no one around them gets along with this disabled boy the way McCahill does.

“Not everything is possible with money alone; many great things are possible with love, like Bob Bhai is doing,” Khan said.

McCahill rents a small room wherever he goes or stays there if someone gives him a free one. The authorities have given him a 5-by-8-foot space in a schoolroom in Srinagar, separated by tin walls. The dimly-lit room contains a mess of clothes, a simple wooden bed, a dirty mosquito net, a basic electric light, and a fan. There is also a kerosene stove for cooking, a few small utensils, and a bicycle.

He rides a bicycle at least 12-15 miles every day to visit rural villages, see disabled children, and take them to different hospitals for treatment as needed.

“Bob Bhai comes to our house early in the morning on his bicycle,” said a man named Farman, 83.

Farman’s grandson Rakibul, 8, became disabled a year after his birth and cannot walk or speak. His mother has married elsewhere and his father no longer cares for him, so Rakibul lives with his grandfather.

“After undergoing treatment in many places, Rakibul is now getting treatment in Dhaka free of cost on Bob Bhai’s advice, and now he is on the path to some improvement,” Farman said.

McCahill, who lost his mother at an early age, moved to Indiana with his father. As a young man, he worked as a newspaper delivery boy on a bicycle. Later, while studying in high school, he worked as a house cleaner and then as a truck driver.

While driving a truck as a young man — before entering the priesthood — he was saved from a serious accident through prayer to God. The truck’s brakes failed, and he initially thought he would have to jump from the vehicle, but somehow he survived.

“After surviving that accident, I decided without any hesitation that I would become a priest and a missionary,” McCahill said.

He has had a great passion for bicycles since his youth. When he came to Bangladesh, the roads were not well developed, and he could go everywhere by bicycle. So he chose a bicycle as his vehicle.

“Among other reasons, the main reason is simplicity, and bicycles are the vehicle of poor people. At the same time, cycling also keeps the body healthy, so I ride bicycles. I believe lov[ing] one another is the key to happiness,” McCahill said.

“Also, when I ride a bicycle, many people ask me various questions. I can easily answer them while standing,” this cycling missionary said.

McCahill finds peace in his life by serving people. He will continue to serve as long as he can walk, he said. He enjoys discovering one new area after another and meeting new people. He has not faced any major difficulty in the country despite the fact that around 90% of the population is Muslim and less than 1% is Christian.

“First, there’s suspicion — expecting and getting it. By the second year, there are many people who trust you, and that builds during the year, a year of trust-building. By the third year, there is affection for me. And so I knew at that time, at the end of the third year, I could leave and do the same thing in another town,” he said.

He believes that a priest should not only celebrate Mass inside a church but also preach the word of Christ everywhere.

“I celebrate Mass here myself every day,” he said. “I want to live like this, and when I die, I want to be buried in this country.”

Pope Leo to Lebanese youth: Love, not retaliation, is the real answer to evil
Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:34:00 -0500

Bkerke, Lebanon, Dec 1, 2025 / 12:34 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV told thousands of young people in Lebanon on Monday that love, not retaliation, is the real force capable of transforming their country as it continues to grapple with the wounds of conflict and social instability. “The true opposition to evil is not evil, but love,” he said, calling the nation’s youth to rebuild their homeland through reconciliation, service, and a renewed rooting in faith.

The gathering took place in the square before the Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch, in Bkerké, where the pope was welcomed by Patriarch Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï. After greeting the crowd in a brief tour, Pope Leo opened his address with the Arabic words “assalamu alaykum,” meaning “peace be with you,” telling the young people that this greeting of the risen Christ “sustains the joy of our meeting.”

Lebanon’s young generation has endured some of the nation’s hardest years. A devastating financial collapse, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and the 2023–2024 border war between Hezbollah and Israel have left deep physical and social scars, contributing to widespread emigration and a sense of exhaustion among the country’s youth.

The pope spoke directly to their anxieties, acknowledging that many feel they have inherited “a world torn apart by wars and disfigured by social injustice,” yet insisted that hope lives within them. “You have time to dream, to plan, and to do good. You are the present, and the future is already taking shape in your hands.”

Pointing to Lebanon’s national symbol, he said the country “will flourish once again, beautiful and vigorous like the cedar,” explaining that its strength lies in deep roots. In the same way, he told them, the foundation of renewal cannot rest only on ideas or agreements. “The true principle of new life is the hope that comes from above. It is Christ himself. He, the Living One, is the foundation of our trust.”

Peace, he continued, cannot grow out of factional interests. “It is only genuinely sincere when I do to others what I would like them to do to me. Forgiveness leads to justice, which is the foundation of peace.”

Calling them to works of charity, he reminded them that nothing reveals God’s presence more clearly than love. Renewal begins in daily choices, he said, such as welcoming “those near and far” and offering concrete help “to friends and refugees and enemies.”

The pope held up several saints as companions for the journey: Carlo Acutis, Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Rafqa, Blessed Yakub El-Haddad, and St. Charbel, whose hidden life “shines a powerful light.” He urged the youth to pray, to read Scripture, and attend Mass and adoration. “Be contemplatives like St. Charbel,” he told them.

Pope Leo ended with the prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,” and assured the young people that “the Lord will always be with you, and you can be assured of the support of the whole Church.” He entrusted them to the Mother of God, Our Lady.