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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.

New York archdiocese announces $300 million settlement for victims of clergy abuse
Tue, 09 Dec 2025 09:30:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 9, 2025 / 09:30 am (CNA).

The Archdiocese of New York will pay out nearly a third of a billion dollars to victims of clergy sex abuse, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said this week, offering one of the biggest Church payouts in U.S. history in order to compensate for the “horror of abuse” by clergy there.

Cardinal Dolan said the archdiocese will pay out “a total of more than $300 million” to abuse survivors as part of a “global settlement” with victims.

The archdiocese has made “a series of very difficult financial decisions” to help fund the settlement, Cardinal Dolan said in the Dec. 8 statement, including staff layoffs and a 10% reduction in the archdiocese's operating budget.

“We are also working to finalize the sale of significant real estate assets,” the prelate said. He pointed to the recent sale of the former archdiocesan headquarters in Manhattan, which was bought by a development group for about $100 million.

The settlement comes a decade after the founding of the archdiocese’s Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program, which seeks to “promote healing and bring closure” by offering compensation to clergy abuse victims.

Cardinal Dolan said the settlement came after talks with a third-party mediator who helped negotiate a “global settlement,” a process which allows for rapid resolution of cases while avoiding lengthy court proceedings.

The archdiocese and lawyers are working with retired California Judge Daniel Buckley to help mediate the process. Buckley last year helped mediate the Los Angeles archdiocese’s own abuse settlement, one that saw a record $880 million agreement for abuse survivors.

Cardinal Dolan said the archdiocese is seeking to ensure “the greatest possible compensation to victim-survivors” while still pursuing “vital ministries for the good of our parishes, families, and communities.”

The cardinal also said the archdiocese is still engaged in a legal conflict with its longtime insurer Chubb. In 2024 the archdiocese launched a lawsuit against Chubb, claiming the corporation was “attempting to evade their legal and moral contractual obligation” to pay out financial claims to sex abuse victims.

"Despite accepting millions in premiums from the archdiocese, Chubb has steadfastly refused to honor the policies it issued,” Dolan said on Dec. 8.

Cardinal Dolan urged the faithful to pray “for the victim-survivors, their families, and all who have experienced the horror of abuse.”

The New York payout comes at the same time that a federal judge in Louisiana approved a $230 million settlement to be paid to abuse victims by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The archdiocese had agreed to the payout in October.

The Los Angeles archdiocese’s near-$1 billion payout still stands as the U.S. record for an abuse settlement by an archdiocese or diocese. The official record for a diocesan settlement is $323 million, by the New York Diocese of Rockville Centre, though it’s unclear if the New York archdiocese’s payment will ultimately top that.

Earlier this year the Diocese of Rochetser, New York agreed to a near-$250 million settlement for abuse victims. The Diocese of Syracuse this year also agreed to a $176 million settlement.

Polish leaders decry EU court ruling as overreach into national family law
Tue, 09 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

EWTN News, Dec 9, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Conservative factions across Europe have responded with concern to a recent ruling by the European Union’s Court of Justice requiring Poland to recognize “same-sex marriages” performed in other EU member states, despite such unions having no legal status under Polish law.

The situation arose when two Polish citizens who had “married” in Germany in 2018 returned to Poland and requested that officials register their union in the country’s civil records. Polish authorities declined, explaining that national law did not provide legal recognition for “same-sex couples.”

Following this legal challenge, a Polish court referred the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg for clarification on how EU law should be interpreted. It is a standard procedure available to national courts before issuing their own rulings.

In its November ruling, the CJEU determined that refusing to recognize a “marriage” between two EU citizens lawfully concluded in another member state violates EU law by infringing on freedom of movement and the right to respect for private and family life. The court stated that member states must recognize marital status lawfully acquired in another EU country for the purpose of exercising rights conferred by EU law.

Concerns over sovereignty

The ruling has sparked immediate and strong criticism from Polish leaders and advocacy organizations, who view it as a significant overreach into matters of national competence.

Olivier Bault, communications director for Ordo Iuris, an international institute focused on life, family, and national sovereignty issues, responded to the ruling as “yet another overreach by the Court of Justice of the European Union.”

Bault said that family matters are reserved for member states under EU treaties, stressing that all 27 nations had ratified through their democratic institutions the principle that “each of them has a right of veto over any decision regulating marriage or family matters at the EU level.” He contended the court invoked broadly interpreted rights like freedom of movement and private life to regulate areas meant to fall under national rather than EU law.

Addressing concerns about the precedent this decision may set, Bault noted that in theory the ruling should have no impact in Poland, where the constitution defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. He pointed out that Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal has previously affirmed the supremacy of the Polish Constitution over EU law and CJEU interpretations.

Going further, Bault added that similar constitutional supremacy positions have been taken by the highest courts in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Romania, particularly regarding CJEU rulings that imply sovereignty transfers not previously approved through democratic procedures.

Political reactions

These sovereignty concerns have been forcefully echoed by senior Polish political figures across the spectrum. Former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki criticized the CJEU ruling as a deep interference in member state affairs with significant implications for Polish families.

He drew a pointed analogy to drug legalization, arguing that the court’s logic would be equivalent to requiring Poland to accept drug imports simply because countries like the Netherlands have legalized them. Morawiecki said that Poland cannot consent to such impositions and that national sovereignty remains fundamental to member state functioning.

The criticism has extended to Poland’s representatives in Brussels. Polish members of the European Parliament also voiced strong opposition to the decision. Among them, Tobiasz Bocheński characterized the decision as “an example of the attack on the rule of law,” arguing that it deprives Polish citizens and others of the right to determine their own future and therefore fails to respect democracy or freedom.

Adding to the chorus of opposition, former Polish presidential candidate Krzysztof Bosak publicly reaffirmed the importance of the natural family in Polish society, stating that only a man and a woman can marry and start a family. Bosak stressed that opposing the legalization of “same-sex marriage” does not mean people living with same-sex attraction should be treated with disrespect or any type of aggression.

Regional implications

The ruling has prompted wider regional discussions across Eastern and Central Europe, where “same-sex marriage” remains either unrecognized or unregulated in most countries.

In neighboring Lithuania, which shares both a border and significant cultural ties with Poland, Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė addressed the decision by clarifying that “this obligation does not mean that national law must provide for same-sex marriage.” Tamašunienė belongs to the Lithuanian Polish Electoral Action-Union of Christian Families, a faction within the current ruling coalition that has explicitly carved out certain issues it will not support, including the legalization of partnerships and “same-sex marriage,” as part of the coalition agreement. The coalition receives strong support from Lithuania’s Polish minority.

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 EU court’s decision highlights growing tensions between EU institutions and member states over issues touching on national identity and values. As similar cases may arise in other Central and Eastern European nations with traditional marriage laws, the ruling could become a flashpoint in ongoing debates about the limits of EU authority and the preservation of national sovereignty in matters of family law.

Knock Shrine event highlights urgent call to revive First Saturdays practice
Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0500

Dublin, Ireland, Dec 9, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

At Knock Shrine on Saturday, Dec. 6, hundreds came from across Ireland to mark the centenary of the First Saturdays devotion and the promises given by Our Lady to Sister Lucia at Fátima in an apparition on Dec. 10, 1925.

Bishop John Keenan of Paisley, Scotland, told participants: “We need to respond to Our Lady not with half-measures.”

Urging a wider devotion in parishes worldwide to the First Saturdays, Keenan said: “A mother’s gut reaction is very visceral, the desire to save and to protect. We need to respond to Our Lady not with ‘half-measures’; we need to respond to her wounded Immaculate Heart and practice the First Saturdays.”

The five First Saturdays devotion is an act of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which requires devotees on five consecutive first Saturdays to go to confession, receive holy Communion, pray five decades of the rosary, and keep Mary company for 15 minutes of meditation.

Conference organizer Father Marius O’Reilly told CNA: “The First Saturdays seem to be the forgotten part of the Fátima message. Our Lady promises that there will be peace in the world and that many souls will be saved if we do what she asks. The consecration was, of course, fulfilled by St. John Paul II in 1984, but we have not responded to Our Lady’s call in relation to the First Saturdays. The effect of this is seen everywhere.”

Christine O’Hara, First Saturday Apostolate and conference chair, told CNA about the First Saturdays in her own parish. “One simple but powerful message that we hope will come out of our conference is that people will take Our Lady’s promise to heart and consider starting a group within their own parishes to observe the First Saturdays devotion,” she said. “I started a group in my own parish in 2022, and it has been a great success. Parishioners have received great graces from practicing the devotion.”

O’Hara’s parish group prays the rosary before Saturday vigil Mass, completing the 15-minute meditation afterward. “Meditation brings us into deeper communion with the Lord. I feel that I am honoring Our Lady by responding to her plea for the First Saturdays.”

The Five Saturdays devotion can be practiced privately or publicly. A priest does not need to be present for the rosary and meditation.

Robert Nugent, who runs a popular YouTube channel called “Decrevi Determined to be Catholic,” told CNA he was encouraging people to do the First Saturdays in their parish. “By starting in January you’ll finish in the month of May, which is the month of Mary. We encourage people to pray this devotion and also to come to the All Ireland Rosary Rally here in Knock.”

Keenan explained how St. John Paul II and St. Louis de Montfort emphasized “devotion to the heart of Mary is devotion to Jesus. When someone you love is hurt; that hurts you more than if you are hurt yourself.”

Damien Philpott of the First Saturday Apostolate told CNA: “I think it is a very important event simply because Our Lady told Sister Lucia 100 years ago at Pontevedra that peace in our world depends on the First Saturdays devotion. We want to establish it in parishes all around Ireland. Sometimes people feel alone and isolated in starting up the First Saturdays. At this event you can meet people who are involved in the First Saturdays.”

Antonia Moffat from Walsingham Shrine spoke about the urgency of this message to bring peace to the world and how the plight of the 300 children abducted from St. Mary’s School in Nigeria would greatly wound the tender and compassionate heart of Mary.

She said: “Heaven’s peace plan is the daily rosary and the First Saturdays each month.”

Representatives from many apostolates and First Saturday groups were at Knock to share their experiences and learn. Karen Clancy of Totus Tuus magazine told CNA: “I’m here to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the First Saturdays; it’s such a great movement and so important in the times we are living in with all the disruptions in our world these days with wars in various places. Our Lady has told Sister Lucia that it’s a matter of war or peace if the First Saturdays are completed or not. I would encourage more people to come to events like this, to learn more about the First Saturdays and promote it more in our parishes and get more people involved.”

Karen Brady of Human Life International explained to CNA that she was there to learn more about First Saturdays. “I already follow them but I would like to have a greater in-depth understanding. It is something that is so important for us to know about as Catholics.”

In his address, Father Philip Kemmy made a powerful connection between Jesus’ words to his friends the night before he died, “keep watch with me,” and Our Lady’s request to “keep me company for 15 minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the rosary.”

Kemmy said: “This is such a beautiful connection to make between son and mother. The 15-minute meditation can be a neglected aspect of Our Lady’s request but it is a very powerful part. Meditating on the mysteries of Jesus’ life brings us into deeper communion with him.”

At a French shrine for the dead, a quiet revival among the living
Tue, 09 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500

EWTN News, Dec 9, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

At the Shrine of Our Lady of Montligeon in rural Normandy, workers restore its century-old slate roof and windows. Inside the neo-Gothic basilica, pilgrims arrive and light candles, enroll loved ones in Masses, and pray for the souls of the dead — and, increasingly, to seek hope for themselves.

Known internationally for its mission of prayer for the deceased and its archconfraternity for the souls in purgatory, Montligeon welcomes pilgrims year-round and hosts “Heaven’s Pilgrimages” each November. Shrine staff say interest is steadily growing, especially among young people and those approaching or returning to the Catholic Church.

“Yes, indeed, the shrine seems to have gained notoriety in the past 20 years,” said Father Paul Denizot, rector of the shrine, in a statement shared by Marie Houdebert, who works in its international office.

“I believe it stems from a growing interest in topics like death, the afterlife, and praying for the dead. Among the increasing number of young people rediscovering the Catholic Church and asking to get baptized, many are wondering about hope in the face of death. They are deeply touched by the message of Montligeon.”

Denizot said those coming to Montligeon are diverse — practicing Catholics, the non-baptized, “lapsed” believers, tourists, and organized pilgrimages — many of whom carry grief.

“I think there are two main reasons for today’s youths’ return to the Catholic Church,” he said. “First, a need for identity, for roots in an ever-changing world where family isn’t always a safe space to grow. Second is a need for hope. A lot of people go back to Church following the death of a loved one.”

“Believing that there is a way for them to help their deceased through prayer brings them hope in a seemingly hopeless world.”

While pilgrims seek consolation within, the basilica’s exterior is undergoing major restoration. The project — expected to take another three years — includes replacing the roof and repairing the stained-glass windows in the choir at an estimated cost of 3.6 million euros (about $4.2 million), much of it funded by the shrine itself.

“I was pleasantly surprised that so many people, rich or poor, came together to support this project,” Denizot said.

“People feel responsible for the basilica because they feel at home there. We’ve had support from many different countries.”

Montligeon’s local experience echoes a broader development in France: a notable rise in adult baptisms.

At Easter 2025, more than 10,384 adults were baptized across the country — a 45% increase over the previous year and the highest figure in decades. Many catechumens are in their late teens or 20s, often discovering the faith through personal exploration and contact with vibrant Catholic communities.

Every November, the month the Church dedicates to prayer for the dead, Montligeon hosts its annual pilgrimages to commend the departed to God’s mercy. Denizot encourages the faithful to see this intercession as both a duty of charity and a source of hope.

For many burdened by loss, the shrine dedicated to the dead has become a place where the living encounter renewed faith.

Daughter of political prisoner Jimmy Lai speaks out for the first time
Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 9, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Daughter of imprisoned Catholic activist Jimmy Lai spoke out for the first time ahead of her father’s 78th birthday.

“As a daughter, every day I wake up and I hope that today is the day we get my dad home ... the day we get to go to Mass together, or to eat dinner around the table, things that years ago I almost took for granted,” Claire Lai said in an interview with EWTN News.

Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy entrepreneur and human rights activist, was arrested in 2020 in Hong Kong. He underwent a trial that lasted nearly two years for allegations of colluding with foreign forces under a national security law put in effect by the communist-controlled Chinese government.

The trial ended in August, and Lai continues to wait for the verdict in prison where he faces inhumane living conditions, deteriorating health, and is denied the Eucharist, his daughter said.

In an interview with Montse Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News, Lai’s daughter Claire said: “We’re still waiting for a verdict, five years after he was charged. He is turning 78. We have waited a very, very long time for his cases to be resolved. We do not believe that they will be through the domestic system. Our only hope is outside, and that’s why I’m here now.”

Dec. 8 was Jimmy Lai’s 78th birthday, which falls on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. His daughter highlighted Lai’s deep devotion to the Blessed Mother.

She said her family has tried to send him a rosary in prison, but “each attempt failed.” She said he fell down once in the shower, and “because of his waist pain he wasn’t able to get up.”

“Even some of the guards came over and tried to help him … but he couldn’t get up. So he pretended as though he had a rosary in his hand and prayed to the Blessed Mother. Then he was able to get up without pain,” Claire Lai said.

“When you’re a daughter … and you hear stories like that, you wish you could yourself physically pull him up when he is in pain like that. But you find such great comfort in the fact that Our Lady is protecting him,” she said.

Conversion to the faith

Lai said her father’s conversion to Catholicism has been a stable presence during his time in prison.

“My father had quite an unconventional childhood. He came to Hong Kong when he was 12. He had nothing to his name, nothing in his pockets. But he was full of optimism and he had a yearning for freedom,” she said.

“It was only later on that he understood that there was something, a higher force, guiding him all along, which was why he was able to go from child laborer to a successful entrepreneur and do so almost without fear. It was later on that he understood that to be God,” she said.

Jimmy Lai converted the year of the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China when “people were filled with doubt and with a certain amount of fear,” his daughter said. “As Our Lady has taught us, there is nothing that conquers doubt and fear except for the love of God. And that was a time when he was ready to receive it.”

“My father converted one year after I was born. Really, the only memories I have are of growing up in a very loving Catholic family,” she said.

Legal saga

Claire Lai studied law and has been involved with her father’s case and lengthy trial. “There’s an equal amount of outrage, but also it’s a privilege to be able to be there and witness it as closely as I have,” she said.

“As someone who grew up admiring the Hong Kong legal system … it has been heartbreaking to see the rule of law break down, but even more so to see my father and his case is at the helm of it.”

The bench was “not neutral in any sense of the word,” she said. “They just grilled him repeatedly. There were gag orders that were imposed when the evidence just did not suit the narrative ... it was just so deeply unfair.”

The trial had unexplained delays that were “clearly meant so that people would forget about my father and so that it would crush his spirit,” she said. But “with the good Lord as his guide, his spirit remained just as strong.”

Prison conditions

Lai has been in prison for five years, but “his incarceration has just deepened his faith,” his daughter said.

“I think there isn’t anything quite as much as suffering that opens your heart to God’s love. We are so grateful that Our Lord has accompanied my father. He wakes up around midnight every night to pray,” she said.

“Before the crack of dawn, he would read the Gospel,” Lai said. “At first, he would ask the guards if they could turn on the light so that he could read … For about the first six months, they said ‘yes.’ Afterwards, they always said ‘no.’”

“The conditions he’s kept in have just gotten worse over time. They aren’t a natural byproduct of prison. In the prison cell, there is a window that leads outside that should give access to sunlight. His is deliberately blocked so that he doesn’t have access,” she said.

“He’s been denied holy Communion for over two years and got it only very, very intermittently this year,” she said. “It’s something that costs them nothing … for him to get. It costs them nothing for him to get the rosary, and it costs them nothing to turn on the light so that he can read the Gospel.”

Kept in solitary confinement, he faces extreme heat conditions in his small cell. “In summer, the heat can get up to … 111 degrees Fahrenheit,” she said. “To say that it’s sweltering is a massive understatement.”

“He gets heat rushes all over his body, and they last until the middle of autumn. It is outrageous, and it is torturous,” she said.

“We have typhoon seasons in Hong Kong … and the cells get wet. Almost everything in there gets wet. Once that happened, the first thing he checked was his Bible, and it was the one thing that remained dry. We’re very grateful that Our Lord and Our Lady continue to watch over him,” she said.

Lai’s health has declined rapidly while behind bars.

“In less than a year, he lost 10 kilos … after already having lost a significant amount of weight the last few years. His nails are rotting … He has infections that last for months in spite of antibiotics. And his limbs get swollen, very red, and they’re agonizingly painful,” she said.

“My dad is not someone who complains. He doesn’t even make faces. You know that when he does, it’s very painful,” she said. “There are times when even from a distance, you can tell that he’s pale and he’s shivering.”

“Then there’s the less visible signs,” she said. “He’s diabetic, and he’s had heart issues. He had a perfectly healthy heart before he went to prison.” He has said “that every few days he would have heart palpitations and they would be disabling,” his daughter said.

Call for international involvement

Jimmy Lai is a British citizen and his daughter said that any communication between Britain and the Chinese government should include discussion of her father.

“He is in prison for basically standing in defense for the freedoms he first came to know as a child in Hong Kong when it was still a British embassy and for hoping that they would keep the promise made during the sign of the British Joint Declaration,” she said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to do “everything” possible to “save” Lai. A White House official told EWTN News in October that Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about his imprisonment.

“We are so extremely grateful to President Trump and his administration,” Claire Lai said. “They have a long, proven record of freeing the unjustly detained, and we hope that my father will follow soon.”

“We are also very, very grateful for members of the public. My father is sustained by your prayers,” she said.

She shared that Pope Leo XIV is also praying for her father during this time. In October, Lai’s wife, Teresa Lai, and his daughter met Pope Leo after a general audience. “It was such a privilege and a blessing to have an audience with our Holy Father,” Claire Lai said.

Hope for a release

“The government has no case,” she said. “All they’ve proven is that my father is a good man, a man who loves God, a man who loves freedom, who loves truth, and loves his family.”

If she could speak with the Chinese government, Lai said she would say to “do the only just and … only honorable thing, which is to release a 78-year-old man, my father, Jimmy Lai, against whom no case has been made.”

“Don’t let him die a martyr in these conditions, in this health. It is a stain on your history that you will never be able to wipe off,” she said.

She said she does “worry” that her father could die in prison, but she is “hopeful.”

When her father “reflected on his earlier years, he said that even before he converted and before he opened his heart to the love of God, he was always guided by him — even before he knew it,” she said. “I think that’s how he wants to be remembered, as a faithful servant of Our Lord.”

Remnants of chapel where image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was originally kept still exist
Tue, 09 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Puebla, Mexico, Dec 9, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

The story of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe began with the well-known apparitions of 1531. The Indigenous visionary remained for years dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of the message of the Virgin Mary at a chapel that is still preserved and forms an essential part of the Marian complex of Tepeyac.

Next to the current Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City is the old chapel built to house the image miraculously imprinted on St. Juan Diego’s cloak. This historical site is little known to pilgrims.

The origin of the chapel

St. Juan Diego was the Indigenous man to whom the Virgin Mary appeared from Dec. 9–12, 1531, asking him to intercede with the first archbishop of Mexico, Friar Juan de Zumárraga, that a chapel be built “on the plain of Tepeyac” as a sign of her love for all nations.

It was on his tilma (cloak) that the image of the Virgin Mary was miraculously imprinted.

After the apparitions, the archbishop ordered the construction of a small chapel to house the tilma. St. Juan Diego lived next to it for 17 years, dedicated to recounting the events and caring for the sacred image until his death in 1548.

A Virgin for the ‘completely forgotten’

In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Father José de Jesús Aguilar of the Archdiocese of Mexico explained that at that time, Tepeyac — the place where the Virgin appeared and asked for her “sacred little house” to be built — was a valley on the outskirts of the city.

He noted that this request from the Virgin had a profound meaning, since many Indigenous people lived outside the urban center and “felt completely forgotten, without rights, or anything.”

The priest pointed out that the Mother of God wanted a place there as a gesture of closeness to those who “lived on the social and geographical margins.”

St. Juan Diego: Protector and herald of the faith

Aguilar emphasized that St. Juan Diego was the first to spread devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. “He recounted what had happened in his own words, and in this way, the news spread more and more, until it finally became very well known among the people,” he noted.

Aguilar said that the visionary of the Virgin Mary received pilgrims at that chapel and therefore requested permission to build his house next to it. Although the house no longer exists, a cross marks the site where it once stood.

According to the priest, St. Juan Diego died and was buried right there, after dedicating 17 years to caring for the image of the Virgin Mary.

From the chapel to the Old Parish Church of the Indians

The original chapel made of adobe was modified over time. Due to the growing devotion, in 1649, what is now known as the Old Parish Church of the Indians was built.

Inside the church, a wall from the first chapel is preserved, the exact spot where the tilma remained on display for more than 100 years before being moved to the new basilica in April 1709. That edifice is now known as the Old Basilica since the construction of the modern basilica was completed in 1976.

A message that resonated

Aguilar explained that the choice of Juan Diego as her messenger was no coincidence. He commented that the Virgin Mary “chose an Indigenous man to speak to the Indigenous people.”

In addition to sharing the same language, St. Juan Diego could recount details of the apparitions: “whether it was hot or cold, how the little birds sang that day, exactly where she first appeared, what the Virgin’s face looked like.”

The priest added that St. Juan Diego also faithfully conveyed the message that the Virgin entrusted to him: “Do not be afraid, am I not here, I who am your mother?”

These words — recorded in the Nican Mopohua — were spoken when the visionary was worried about his uncle Juan Bernardino’s serious illness. The Virgin assured him that he had been miraculously healed.

This message, the priest noted, remains the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe for her people, “so that anyone facing death, fear, unemployment, or a difficult situation can hear these words and have the certainty that things will work out for the best.

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

Meet the Franciscan friar who baptized St. Juan Diego
Tue, 09 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 9, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Many are familiar with the story of St. Juan Diego, whose feast is celebrated on Dec. 9 in the worldwide Church. However, the story of the Franciscan friar who baptized this beloved saint is less well known.

In 1521, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortes defeated the Aztec empire, tore down the pagan temples, and in their place built Catholic churches. Franciscans were the first missionaries to arrive in the region and began their work sharing the Gospel with the native people in 1524.

One of the first three Franciscan missionaries to arrive in Mexico was Brother Pedro de Gante, also known as Pieter van der Moere. Originally from Ghent, Flanders (present-day Belgium), Gante was trained in the choral style of the low countries — Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. He took this musical foundation to Mexico where he trained the Indigenous singers who worked at the cathedral in Mexico City.

Gante believed that education and religion should be natural parts to one’s everyday life. He studied the native language of the Indigenous people and was able to teach them in their own dialect as well as Spanish.

During this time, Juan Diego — who was a member of the Chichimecas but lived in the region that was part of a vast Aztec empire — and his wife began to attend Mass at the Church of St. Diego. In 1525, at the age of 50, he and his wife were baptized by Gante and took new names: Juan Diego and Maria Lucia. The two are considered one of the first native couples to be baptized in Mexico.

In 1526, Gante founded San José de los Naturales to teach Indigenous boys reading, writing, music, and the Catholic faith. The school also taught them Spanish artisanal skills, which led to many painters and sculptors helping adorn the many churches that were built.

The friar published “Christian Doctrine in the Mexican Language” in Nahuatl, the Aztec language, in 1528.

Gante was never ordained a priest and remained a brother his entire life, dying on April 19, 1572, in Mexico City.

This story was first published on Dec. 9, 2023, and has been updated.

Trump honors Mary’s ‘freedom from original sin’ in Immaculate Conception message
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 18:09:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 8, 2025 / 18:09 pm (CNA).

President Donald Trump honored the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, which appears to be the first time an American president formally recognized the Catholic holy day.

The presidential statement recognized the role Mary played in the salvation of humanity and the importance she has in American history. The statement does, however, contain one theological error about the Incarnation. It says God became man when Christ was born, although Catholic doctrine recognizes God becoming man at the Incarnation: when Mary conceived him.

“Today, I recognize every American celebrating Dec. 8 as a holy day honoring the faith, humility, and love of Mary, mother of Jesus and one of the greatest figures in the Bible,” the statement said. Trump, who is not Catholic and describes himself as a "non-denominational Christian," has cultivated strong bonds with a broad range of Christians and frequently referenced religious holidays and symbols in ways that resonate with supporters.

CNA could not find similar proclamations on the Immaculate Conception from other presidents, including none from the only two Catholic presidents: John F. Kennedy and Joe Biden. Other presidents have spoken about Mary and the Immaculate Conception, sometimes in messages relating to Christmas or other topics, but not in a formal recognition of this feast.

“On the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Catholics celebrate what they believe to be Mary’s freedom from original sin as the mother of God,” the statement read.

The feast day celebrates the miracle in which Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin. Every person — with the exception of Mary and Jesus Christ — receives the hereditary stain of original sin, which was brought onto humanity through the first sin of Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God by eating fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Mary’s importance to humanity and the United States

The presidential statement said Mary’s agreement at the Annunciation to conceive and bear the child Christ was “one of the most profound and consequential acts of history,” and Mary “heroically accepted God’s will with trust and humility.”

It cites Luke 1:38: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

“Mary’s decision forever altered the course of humanity,” the statement read, adding that Christ “would go on to offer his life on the Cross for the redemption of sins and the salvation of the world.”

President Trump's statement also describes the annunciation by the archangel Gabriel, who calls the Blessed Mother “favored one” and tells her “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”

Later in the document, the presidential message says “we remember the sacred words that have brought aid, comfort, and support to generations of American believers in times of need,” and includes the text of the Hail Mary.

Trump's statement also acknowledges the “distinct role” Mary has played “in our great American story.”

The president's statement also specifically references Bishop John Carroll’s consecration of the United States to the Blessed Mother. Carroll was the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence. In addition, the statement references the annual Mass of Thanksgiving in New Orleans on Jan. 8, in which Catholics celebrate Mary’s perceived assistance to U.S. troops under the command of General Andrew Jackson in winning the Battle of New Orleans.

The message notes that “American legends” including St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, and Venerable Fulton Sheen “held a deep devotion to Mary” and that many American churches, hospitals, universities, and schools bear her name. It adds that many Americans will also celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12.

“As we approach 250 years of glorious American independence, we acknowledge and give thanks, with total gratitude, for Mary’s role in advancing peace, hope, and love in America and beyond our shores,” the presidential message reads.

The presidential message also recognizes Pope Benedict XV dedicating a statue of Mary, Queen of Peace, to encourage Christians “to look to her example of peace by praying for a stop to the horrific slaughter” occurring in World War I, which then ended just a few months later.

“Today, we look to Mary once again for inspiration and encouragement as we pray for an end to war and for a new and lasting era of peace, prosperity, and harmony in Europe and throughout the world,” Trump’s statement added.

Catholics react to Trump’s message

Chad Pecknold, a political science professor at The Catholic University of America, said he welcomed the president’s recognition of the feast day.

“The more America publicly honors Christian feast days such as Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter, and the more we remember our greatest saints, as well as our national heroes, the better oriented our nation will be to God,” he said. “This is the spiritual key to raising up the Res Americana for the next 250 years.”

Susan Hanssen, a history professor at the University of Dallas (a Catholic institution), called the presidential message “a jaw-droppingly historic event.” For a president to celebrate Mary as “full of grace” and celebrate “the centrality of the Incarnation,” she said “goes beyond anything that Americans have ever heard in presidential public speeches.”

“This pronouncement, along with the first American pope in world history, marks a watershed moment in American cultural history,” Hanssen said.

Caleb Henry, a political science professor at Franciscan University, told CNA Trump’s message appears to be an extension of the president’s America Prays campaign, which asks Americans to pray for the country ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year.

Henry said the initiative seeks to “reconnect America’s people of faith with ... the signing of the Declaration of Independence.” He said the Immaculate Conception statement appears to be “a message to America’s Catholic faithful,” that the country’s history “while complicated, is rooted in these truths of natural law, laws of nature, and of nature’s God.”

“We have a Marian tradition here in our country as well,” he said.

The statement comes as the nation's Catholic bishops have welcomed some of Trump’s policies, such as regarding gender ideology. Bishops also have expressed dismay about indiscriminate immigration enforcement and a plan to expand in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a unified special pastoral message against “indiscriminate mass deportations” on Nov. 12.

Henry said a message like the one issued on the Immaculate Conception is “a typical Trump move” by “ignoring all existing hierarchies and going straight to the people.”

Theological error in the message

The statement contains a theological error. After discussing the Annunciation, the message states “nine months later, God became man when Mary gave birth to a son, Jesus.”

Christ became man at the moment of the Incarnation, when Mary conceived him, not when he was born.

Father Aquinas Guilbeau, OP, told CNA that although early councils clarified this teaching, the misunderstanding “endures today.” He said: “Even among Christians, sadly. It remains a favorite of poets.”

He noted that even in “Silent Night,” the verse that says “Jesus, Lord, at thy birth” falls into this error because: “Jesus is Lord before his birth. He is Lord at his conception.”

“Wherever it appears, the error may be pious and well-intentioned but it remains theologically inaccurate,” Guilbeau said.

Bethlehem lights Christmas tree again while conflict still echoes nearby
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 17:39:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 8, 2025 / 17:39 pm (CNA).

For the past two years — while the war in Gaza has been taking place — all Christmas celebrations have been canceled in Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born. However after the recent ceasefire, the famous town decided to have its Christmas celebrations return, starting with the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in front of the historic Church of the Nativity on Dec. 6.

“It’s been a bad two years of silence; no Christmas, no jobs, no work,” Bethlehem Mayor Maher Canawati said in an interview with the BBC. “We’re all living here from tourism, and tourism was down to zero.”

He added: “Some may say it’s not appropriate and others say it’s appropriate, but deep inside my heart, I felt that this was the right thing to do because Christmas should never be stopped or canceled. This is the light of hope for us.”

Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, two neighboring towns, will also be having Christmas tree lightings in the coming days. Hotels are also receiving more bookings from tourists as well as Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Despite the ceasefire, actions of war continue in the area. Father Gabriel Romanelli, the priest at Holy Family Church in Gaza, the only Catholic church in the area, shared on X that on the same day of the Bethlehem tree lighting a bomb went off approximately 200 meters (650 feet) from his parish. No one was injured.

On July 17, Romanelli sustained an injury to his leg during a bombing on his parish that left three dead and 15 injured, including himself.

“Thanks be to God more people weren’t harmed,” Romanelli said in an exclusive interview with EWTN on July 24.

He called the experience “shocking.”

“That iconic cross you’ve seen — it’s about 2 meters [6.5 feet] tall — was heavily damaged,” the priest said of the crucifix fixed atop the church structure.

“Shrapnel flew in all directions,” he recounted.

“The area is quite small, and while we hear bombings daily and metal fragments often fall, there hadn’t been such a severe incident since the war began,” Romanelli continued, adding: “The recent strike has left a deep mark.”

Mariologists publish scathing critique of Vatican note on Mary’s titles
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:58:00 -0500

National Catholic Register, Dec 8, 2025 / 16:58 pm (CNA).

One of the Catholic Church’s foremost associations of Mariologists has issued a strongly critical response to Mater Populi Fidelis, a recently published Vatican doctrinal note that has been criticized for its diminution of some long-established devotional Marian titles.

In a 23-page document published Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the International Marian Association Theological Commission (IMATC) points to various elements of Mater Populi Fidelis (“The Mother of the Faithful People of God”) that it calls erroneous, “unfortunate,” and says are in need of “substantial clarification and modification.”

They describe a significant element of the document as resembling Protestant rather than Catholic theology and urge, “in a spirit of true synodal dialogue,” for Mater Populi Fidelis to be reevaluated.

Published on Nov. 4 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Mater Populi Fidelis teaches that Mary’s unique cooperation in salvation must always be understood as entirely dependent on, and subordinate to, Christ’s one mediation and universal redemptive sacrifice, rejecting any formulations that would blur this asymmetry.

The doctrinal note reaffirms approved Marian titles such as Mother of God and Mother of the Church but judges the titles “Co‑Redemptrix” and certain uses of “Mediatrix of All Graces” pastorally and theologically ambiguous, discouraging their use in official teaching or liturgy, while not denying the truths they seek to express.

In Catholic theology, the title “Co‑Redemptrix” expresses Mary’s unique and entirely subordinate cooperation in Christ’s one redemptive work, above all through her fiat at the Incarnation and her union with his sacrifice, without adding a second redeemer alongside him. The title “Mediatrix of All Graces” signifies that every grace won by Christ the sole mediator is distributed by God through Mary’s maternal intercession, so that she participates as a secondary, dependent channel in the communication of Christ’s grace to humanity.

The 2010 edition of the New Catholic Encyclopedia states that the title Co-Redemptrix first appeared in Catholic literature toward the end of the 14th century and that “Catholics no longer question its legitimacy” as the title has been used at various times in the intervening centuries, including by the Holy See in the 20th century. The encyclopedia says the genesis of the title Mediatrix of All Graces is “rather obscure” but dates back to eighth-century saints and “was applied to Our Lady with ever-increasing frequency until it became generally accepted in the 17th century.”

The DDF’s diminution of the titles has drawn considerable criticism from Mariologists concerned that it adopts a minimalist view of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her role in salvation. The concern is that it could lessen popular devotion to her and risks ending new Marian dogmas related to these titles after decades of Mariological work. Still, others have praised it as a clarifying and ecumenically unifying move, re-centering Marian language clearly on Christ and discouraging titles they believe can be easily misunderstood.

The International Marian Association comprises theologians, bishops, clergy, religious, and lay leaders who seek to promote full Marian truth and devotion throughout the world.

The association’s theological commission comprises cardinals, bishops, and over 40 internationally respected theologians and Mariologists such as U.S. scholars Scott Hahn, Mark Miravalle, and Michael Sirilla.

It begins by praising some of the positive aspects of the DDF document. They like its strong emphasis in affirming Christ as the sole divine redeemer, important scriptural references to Mary’s cooperation in salvation history, and that it “affirms in general the cooperation of the faithful in the saving work of Christ,” and refers to “the singular and distinct cooperation of Mary.”

But the authors, recalling their canonical right to express their concerns to pastors, soon list a plethora of criticisms, noting from the outset that although an expression of the ordinary magisterium, the doctrinal note is on a “lower level” than direct pronouncements from the pope.

Co-Redemptrix title

On the title Co-Redemptrix, the theologians push back against the note’s warning that it is “always inappropriate” — or, according to some translations, “always inopportune” — to use the title to define Mary’s cooperation. The DDF note says that the title “risks obscuring Christ’s unique salvific mediation” and can therefore cause confusion.

The IMATC counters that statement stating that if the title Co-Redemptrix is always inappropriate or inopportune to use, “then the popes who approved or used the title were acting in an inappropriate and imprudent manner.” They add: “If it is always inappropriate to use the title, then the saints and mystics who used this title were irresponsible and inappropriate.”

The theologians welcome a later clarification from DDF prefect Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández who told the journalist Diane Montagna on Nov. 25 that the title Co-Redemptrix is, “from now on,” “always inappropriate” to use in “official documents of the magisterium,” but it can still be used in discussions, prayer groups, and private devotion.

But the IMATC says the document still has a “substantial omission of the redemptive value of Mary’s unique active cooperation in objective redemption, as well as what we see to be an unnecessary prohibition of the legitimate Co-Redemptrix title from future official documents of the Holy See and from liturgical texts.” The move, they say, represents “an anti-development of doctrine.”

The theologians dismiss various other claims in the DDF note, including its argument that the Marian titles are best not used as they are “unhelpful” as they require “repeated explanations.” Many theological terms require perennial explanation, counters the commission, and cite as examples the title “Mother of God,” the Holy Trinity, transubstantiation, and papal infallibility.

They note how, despite ruling not to use the term Co-Redemptrix, the DDF acknowledges the title has been used for centuries, and stress that Co-Redemptrix had been preferred instead of Redemptrix precisely to emphasize Mary’s subordination and dependency on Christ, the Redeemer.

The theologians cite how often popes have used the title and state that it is “unfortunate” these examples “are not given greater respect or presence in the actual text.” They also recall previous warnings against the contents of the DDF note, quoting Father Rene Laurentin, regarded as “one of the world’s foremost students” of Mariology, who wrote in 1951 it would be “gravely temerarious to attack the legitimacy” of the title Co-Redemptrix, and another respected Mariologist, Jesuit Father J.A. De Aldama, who wrote in 1950 that it is “not permitted to doubt its appropriateness.”

Citing prominent theologians of the past, they dispute the DDF’s claim that the Second Vatican Council refrained from using the title, calling the claim “not entirely accurate,” as Lumen Gentium, especially No. 58, “explicitly affirms the doctrine of Mary as Co-Redemptrix without using the term.”

They also stress that previous popes, such as Pius XI, Pius XII, and John Paul II, have explained the meaning of the title and taught that Mary is the “new Eve.” The DDF document, they conclude, “is not merely discouraging the Co-Redemptrix title; it is also failing to teach in a positive way Mary’s truly redemptive role with and under Jesus in redemption as put forth by the papal magisterium.”

They further contend that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s negative response in 1996 to a dogmatic definition of Mary as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces “concerned the maturity” of the proposed dogma, “not a repudiation of the titles,” and he never forbade use of the term.

Mediatrix of All Graces

Concerning Mary’s title as Mediatrix of All Graces, the IMATC criticized the DDF note for seeking to reduce Mary’s maternal mediation only to intercession and for omitting the teaching of 12 popes, including Pope Francis, over four centuries, that upholds Mary’s universal mediation, each of which it lists.

The Marian association also notes that the DDF failed to mention three pontifical commissions established by Pius XI that resulted in 2,000 pages of theological support in favor of the papal definition of Mary’s universal mediation of grace. After presenting further arguments in support of the title, the IMATC asks that the “long-standing doctrinal teaching” of Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces be affirmed and celebrated.

Mater Populi Fidelis states that Marian mediation should not be understood in terms of producing grace, but while the IMATC agrees that true grace only comes from God, it says the note “fails to affirm the active and causal secondary mediation of Mary in the distribution of graces” — something, it says, that previous popes such as Pius X clearly taught. It states that the DDF note “again does not appear reconcilable with papal doctrine.”

Further criticisms of the DDF note the IMATC makes is that the document misses a “true presentation of Mary’s authentic motherhood” and Mary’s intimate union with Christ in the sanctification of souls — a teaching St. John Paul II espoused in his 1987 encyclical Redemptoris Mater. Furthermore, it says the DDF note minimizes Mary’s merits and, it believes, therefore “undermines all human merit and cooperation in the work of redemption.”

The IMATC expresses concern that by lessening the magisterial doctrine of Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces, the DDF has thrown many Marian practices, such as those connected with the Miraculous Medal, the rosary, and scapular, “into unnecessary confusion and doubt.” It asks how religious communities who use the Co-Redemptrix title in their name are to proceed, and how the 10 million members strong Legion of Mary will respond given that the organization’s handbook has 10 references to Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces.

More importantly, the theologians believe the document will undermine the faithful’s confidence in the papal magisterium, and notes “confusion and frustration” in this area “are already being voiced.”

A week before the publication of the IMATC response, Mariologists launched a filial appeal to Pope Leo XIV, noting the “dismay and consternation” among many of the faithful following the publication of Mater Populi Fidelis and calling on Leo to restore the “honor, truth, and special veneration owed to the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

Protestant more than Catholic

The IMATC theologians contend that it is “precisely the teachings” of Mary as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix that “constitute the perpetual doctrine of the Church” as they have been taught from Scripture to the Patristic model of Mary as the new Eve, up to modern and contemporary popes.

They believe the risks mentioned by the DDF “appear more theoretical than real” and add that, on the contrary, the titles become “excellent opportunities for authentic Catholic evangelization” along with other key Catholic truths that require appropriate explanations.

Catholic theology affirms that God willed the Virgin Mary to have a role in the work of redemption, the theologians stress, and God wished to associate the contribution of an immaculate human woman and mother to his saving design. “To propose, instead, a redemption based on ‘Jesus alone’ bereft of any human redemptive value on the part of Mary, seems to resemble more a Protestant theology of redemption than that of the Catholic Church,” the IMATC says.

They close by stating it is their “sincere hope and prayer” that their response will contribute, “in a spirit of true synodal dialogue, to a reevaluation of Mater Populi Fidelis” and that such a reevaluation “will lead to a new expression of the magisterium concerning these critically important Marian doctrines and titles in greater consistency, development, and harmony with the doctrinal teachings of previous popes.”

“Among such teachings,” it says, “are those that recognize the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces.”

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

Benedict XVI’s former secretary hopes the pope’s beatification process will open soon
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:28:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 8, 2025 / 16:28 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Georg Gänswein, former secretary of Pope Benedict XVI, said he hopes the beatification process will begin soon for the German pontiff, who died on Dec. 31, 2022.

“Personally, I have great hopes that this process will be opened,” the archbishop and current apostolic nuncio to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia said in an interview with the television channel K-TV, which aired Dec. 7.

According to current Church regulations, a potential beatification process for Pope Benedict XVI could only begin five years after his death unless the current pope grants special authorization before then, as Joseph Ratzinger himself did with John Paul II, waiving this waiting period.

In the excerpt from the interview, published by the German Catholic media outlet Katholisch, Gänswein emphasized that one of Pope Benedict’s essential qualities for understanding the faith was joy.

The archbishop noted that, for the German pontiff, if faith does not lead to joy, “something is not right in one’s life of faith. Ratzinger, Benedict XVI, is a theologian of joy.”

Gänswein also said that another important lesson from the late pope is that “we must not compromise on the essentials; rather, we must allow ourselves to be shaped by the Lord, by the faith of the Church.”

In the interview, Gänswein also spoke about the tensions that arose after the publication of the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes — with which Pope Francis restricted the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass — and encouraged efforts to overcome these tensions.

In 2007, Pope Benedict liberalized the opportunities to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass with his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum.

“I believe that Pope Benedict’s wise decision was the right one, and this path should be continued without difficulty or restriction,” Ratzinger’s former secretary said.

On Oct. 25 of this year, Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect emeritus of the Apostolic Signatura, celebrated a solemn Traditional Latin Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, an event that seemingly demonstrated Pope Leo XIV’s openness to this rite.

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

Tennessee faith leaders call on Gov. Lee to stop executions
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 15:58:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 8, 2025 / 15:58 pm (CNA).

Faith leaders called for the halt of state executions and a complete end to the death penalty in Tennessee.

“Together, the Catholics in Tennessee, led by the three bishops, the three dioceses of the Tennessee Catholic Conference, call for a halt to executions and call for an end to the death penalty in Tennessee,” said Rick Musacchio, executive director of the Tennessee Catholic Conference (TCC).

Tennessee faith leaders urged Republican Gov. William Lee to stop all executions and support an end to the death penalty at a Dec. 8 press conference hosted by the Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (TADP).

Opposition to the death penalty “is based on the Catholic Church’s long-standing Gospel foundation, our Catholic social teaching, which respects the dignity of human life from its beginning of conception until its natural land,” Musacchio said.

“The death penalty is simply an affront to that Gospel value. That has been a refrain of the last four popes of the Catholic Church,” he said. “St. Pope John Paul II … began calling the death penalty ‘simply unnecessary as a means to society reaching its goals.’”

“St. John Paul recognized that … modern American society has the ability to punish those who commit grave acts and yet achieve that goal of protecting society without resorting to executions,” he said.

Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis “also echoed that” message, Musacchio said. “Most recently, Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, spoke very clearly that one cannot call themselves ‘pro-life,’ opposing abortion, but allowing for the death penalty in executions. This is simply an incompatible arrangement, an inaccurate understanding of Gospel teaching.”

Capital punishment is legal in the state of Tennessee. TADP “works to honor life by abolishing the death penalty, preventing violence, and supporting those who experience harm,” organizers said. TADP accomplishes this through education, grassroots organizing, and public witness, organizers said at the ecumenical event.

Rev. Sherard Edington, executive presbyter for the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee, said we must “seek reconciliation through the belief that all can be saved” rather than seek “vengeance.”

“I believe that our God calls us to reject brutality and instead strive to develop communities of compassion and mercy, communities that believe in restoration and salvation, communities that not only love their neighbors, but their enemies as well,” he said.

“A person may be in prison for life, but even there, their life has value. Even in prison, there remains the opportunity for change and salvation. But when we choose to impose the death penalty, that possibility is taken away forever and leaves no possibility for change,” Edington said.

Jasmine Woodson, director of Tennessee Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, detailed a number of risks of the death penalty.

“The death penalty expands government power, risks irreversible mistakes, and consumes far more taxpayer dollars in alternative sentences, and cuts off the very possibility of repentance and rehabilitation that our faith teaches us to honor,” Woodson said.

Harold Wayne Nichols

Faith leaders specifically called for halting the execution of Harold Wayne Nichols scheduled for Dec. 11.

Nichols was convicted of the 1988 rape and murder of 21-year-old Karen Pulley, a student at Chattanooga State University. During the trial, he admitted to the crimes, expressed remorse, and said he would have continued his violent behavior had he not been arrested.

“For more than 35 years, Harold has demonstrated the very transformation we say our system should encourage,” Woodson said. “He took responsibility for his actions, pled guilty, and expressed genuine remorse. And in an extraordinary act of faith, the mother of Karen Pulley … forgave Mr. Nichols, gave him a Bible, and urged him to change his life, which he has worked to do every day since then.”

Pastor Davie Tucker, a pastor of the Beach Creek Baptist Church, acknowledged the Pulley family and the “tragic loss over three decades ago of their loved one.”

“But what we know emphatically, clinically, universally, is that killing Mr. Nichols is not going to take away the loss, and the hole, and the pain, and trauma that not only Karen’s family, but the subsequent generations will have to deal with.”

J.R. Davis, Nichols’ spiritual adviser, shared an apology letter written by Nichols. He wrote: “I’m sorry for all the pain and hurt I’ve caused in my life. To each individual who became a victim of my hate, I’m sorry. You did not deserve to be hurt by me.”

“It has troubled me knowing that I caused you to have to live with this hurt that I caused. There was nothing you did or did not do that caused me to hurt you. It was me. I’m the only one responsible,” he wrote.

Call from bishops

In November, Tennessee’s three bishops, Bishop J. Mark Spalding of Nashville, Bishop David P. Talley of Memphis, and Bishop Mark Beckman of Knoxville, issued a joint statement with the Tennessee Catholic Conference calling for Tennessee to end the death penalty.

“The Catholic Church upholds the sacredness of every human life, even the life of one who is guilty of serious crimes,” the statement said. “To take a life in punishment denies the image of God in which every person is made. The Gospel calls not for vengeance but for mercy.”

“The death penalty extinguishes the chance for repentance and redemption,” they continued. “It closes the door that mercy would open. True justice protects life, even as it punishes wrongdoing. A culture of life cannot coexist with the machinery of death.”

“The execution of Harold Wayne Nichols, who was convicted of raping and murdering 21-year-old Karen Pulley in 1988, is scheduled for Dec. 1,” they wrote. “We pray for Karen and for her family and friends. With even more executions planned for 2026, we call for a moratorium on the practice and for the abolition of the death penalty under state law.”

Indigenous artifacts from Vatican welcomed in Montreal ceremony
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:48:00 -0500

Montreal, Canada, Dec 8, 2025 / 14:48 pm (CNA).

Vancouver Archbishop Richard Smith said the 62 Indigenous cultural items received from the Vatican marks “a gift freely given” and an important step in rebuilding trust between the Catholic Church and Indigenous peoples.

The artifacts, including a rare century-old Western Arctic kayak, were formally transferred to Indigenous leaders in Montreal as part of the Jubilee of Hope declared by Pope Francis. Before his death, the pope expressed his wish that the items be returned. Pope Leo XIV carried out that intention, gifting them from the Vatican Museums’ Anima Mundi collection to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) for immediate repatriation.

“This gesture is a gift freely given — an act of reconciliation rooted in the grace of the Jubilee Year of Hope,” said Smith, a member of the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council and one of the CCCB’s key representatives during the repatriation process. “A gift, unlike restitution, is offered in freedom and friendship, as a sign of renewed relationship and mutual respect between the Church and Indigenous peoples.”

Leaders from the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC), and the Métis National Council traveled to Montreal to receive the items. Local First Nations leadership held a ceremony to welcome the sacred items and bundles back to Canada.

For the Inuvialuit, the return of the rare kayak marks the culmination of a long-held hope.

“We are proud that after 100 years our kayak is returning to the Inuvialuit Settlement Region,” said Duane Ningaqsiq Smith, chair and CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. “It is believed to be one of only five of its kind built more than a century ago… This is a historic step in revitalizing Inuvialuit cultural identity and values within our changing northern society.”

Indigenous leaders noted that Elders and Residential School Survivors have worked toward this moment for decades. A 2017 Assembly of First Nations resolution mandated efforts to secure the return of sacred items taken abroad, while the IRC has pressed specifically for the kayak’s repatriation.

“This step reflects the courage and persistence of the leaders, elders, and survivors who came before us,” said Victoria Pruden, president of the Métis National Council. “But this is not the end of the journey… Reconciliation is ongoing work, grounded in relationships, responsibility, and the continued pursuit of truth, justice, healing, and dignity for our peoples.”

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak called the return “an important moment” for First Nations. “Our relatives are finally home,” she said. “For First Nations, these are not only artifacts. They are sacred, living items.”

Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, said Inuit are grateful to the institutions and partners who helped bring the items home. “We are at the very early stages of our reconciliation journey,” he said, “but we are pleased to see these cultural items return to us.”

According to the CCCB, the artifacts will be housed temporarily at the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa, where national Indigenous organizations will lead the work to establish the provenance of each item and determine its final destination.

The handover in Canada follows a November audience in Rome, where Pope Leo XIV formally entrusted the artifacts to Bishop Pierre Goudreault, president of the CCCB; Archbishop Smith; and Father Jean Vézina, the conference’s general secretary. The items — including an Inuit kayak, masks, moccasins, and etchings — had been held in the Vatican Museums for more than a century.

Smith said in an interview last month the transfer was “a milestone in the long journey of reconciliation and healing,” and especially meaningful as the Jubilee Year of Hope draws to a close. “This jubilee, like previous jubilees, wants to emphasize the importance of healing relationships,” he told America magazine.

A statement from the Holy See and the CCCB in November said the gift marks “the conclusion of the journey initiated by Pope Francis,” who met Indigenous delegations repeatedly before his 2022 “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada and later directed that the items be returned. Pope Leo “desires that this gift represent a concrete sign of dialogue, respect, and fraternity,” the statement said.

Smith said the bishops’ role “has really been a facilitating one, just working with the Holy See, working with the Indigenous leaders to make this happen.” He noted that the momentum “goes back to Pope Francis… it’s really something that grew out of his heart.”

Goudreault said Pope Leo’s decision to entrust the items to the bishops — rather than to a government or directly to an Indigenous body — was “a tangible sign of his desire to help Canada’s bishops walk alongside Indigenous peoples in a spirit of reconciliation during the Jubilee Year of Hope and beyond.”

The artifacts originated from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities and were part of the ethnological exhibition organized for the Vatican Missionary Exhibition of 1925. Missionaries sent them to Rome between 1923 and 1925 for the display encouraged by Pope Pius XI, after which they were incorporated into the Vatican’s collection. Documentation certifying their origins and transport was transferred alongside the items.

Canadian ambassador to the Holy See Joyce Napier called the return “an important and a right step.” The Vatican has made similar gestures recently, including the return of three fragments of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece in 2023.

This story was first published by The B.C. Catholic, has been adapted by CNA, and is reprinted here with permission.

Baton Rouge Diocese announces Sunday Mass dispensation for migrants fearing deportation
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:00:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 8, 2025 / 14:00 pm (CNA).

Bishop Michael Duca has granted a dispensation from Sunday Mass attendance for immigrants fearing deportation in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, the fourth U.S. diocese to do so.

News of the dispensation comes amid heightened presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Louisiana as part of the Trump administration’s “Swamp Sweep,” which has been reported to include the deployment of 250 Border Patrol agents to the region and plans to arrest 5,000 individuals across Louisiana and Misssissipi.

“With the recent publicized arrival of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers into south Louisiana and greater Baton Rouge, and since many of the faithful genuinely fear immigration enforcement actions, thereby making it untenable for them to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, I hereby grant a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass for those Catholics rightfully afraid to participate in Mass because of their fear,” Duca said “with a heavy heart” in a pastoral letter dated Dec. 4.

The Baton Rouge bishop said the dispensation would remain “until the individual Catholic determines it is safe to attend Mass again” or until the dispensation is revoked.

Duca instructed the faithful who chose to stay at home in accordance with the dispensation to gather as a family for prayer on Sunday. “Reading the daily Mass readings, praying the rosary, or reciting a novena for intercessory protection are all suitable alternative spiritual practices for those accepting this dispensation,” he said.

Duca joins bishops in the dioceses of San Bernardino, California; Nashville, Tennessee; and Charlotte, North Carolina, in granting such a dispensation in 2025.

“National security and the protection of human dignity are not incompatible,” Duca continued in his letter, calling for “a just solution to this difficult situation in our country.” He noted that deportation efforts have affected not only the Catholic Hispanic community but also refugees and immigrants across denominations. “These are our neighbors, coworkers, and parishioners,” he said.

The bishop concluded: “For now, let us pray for those immediately affected, especially during this Advent season — a time in which we should be anticipating the joy of Christmas, surrounded by our family in celebration instead of the experience of anxiety and fear.”

“Through our prayers and actions, may those who are suffering know that Jesus’ words are addressed personally to each of them,” he said.

Duca’s letter comes after the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a special message condemning “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people” in November.

On solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, pope encourages renewing our ‘yes’ to God
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 13:30:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 8, 2025 / 13:30 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV led the Angelus prayer Dec. 8 from the window of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on the occasion of the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

Addressing the faithful and pilgrims in attendance in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff commented that on Dec. 8 we express our joy because the Father of heaven wanted her to be “preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”

“The Lord has granted to Mary the extraordinary grace of a completely pure heart, in view of an even greater miracle: the coming of Christ the Savior,” he added.

The pope also noted that the gift of the fullness of grace in the young woman of Nazareth “was able to bear fruit because she in her freedom welcomed it, embracing the plan of God.”

He emphasized that “the Lord always acts in this way: He gives us great gifts, but he leaves us free to accept them or not.”

For the Holy Father, this feast also invites us to “believe as she believed, giving our generous assent to the mission to which the Lord calls us.”

In this way, he pointed out that the miracle that happened for Mary at her conception was “renewed for us in baptism: Cleansed from original sin, we have become children of God, his dwelling place and the temple of the Holy Spirit.”

“The ‘yes’ of the mother of the Lord is wonderful, but so also can ours be, renewed faithfully each day, with gratitude, humility, and perseverance, in prayer and in concrete acts of love, from the most extraordinary gestures to the most mundane and ordinary efforts and acts of service. In this way, Christ can be known, welcomed, and loved everywhere and salvation can come to everyone,” he emphasized.

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

Canadian bishops ask prime minister to keep religious-text protection in hate-speech law
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 09:30:00 -0500

Ottawa, Canada, Dec 8, 2025 / 09:30 am (CNA).

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and Toronto’s Cardinal Francis Leo are urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to withdraw the Liberal Party’s reported agreement with the Bloc Québécois to remove religious-belief exemptions from Canada’s hate-speech laws.

In a letter published Dec. 4, CCCB President Bishop Pierre Goudreault of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière warned that repealing Section 319(3)(b) of the criminal code — which protects good-faith expressions or opinions based on religious texts from hate-speech prosecution — would have a “chilling effect on religious expression.”

“The removal of this provision risks creating uncertainty for faith communities, clergy, educators, and others who may fear that the expression of traditional moral or doctrinal teachings could be misinterpreted as hate speech and could subject the speaker to proceedings that threaten imprisonment of up to two years,” Goudreault wrote.

The CCCB urged the government to retain the religious-text defense.

Alternatively, the bishops proposed two steps: a public assurance that “good-faith religious expression, teaching, and preaching will not be subject to criminal prosecution under the hate-propaganda provisions,” and mandatory consultation with religious leaders, legal experts, and civil-liberties groups before any changes affecting religious freedom.

Leo echoed the concern the next day in a letter to Toronto Catholics that he shared with members of Parliament (MPs) in the archdiocese. “As Catholics, we must always firmly reject all forms of hatred and discrimination,” he wrote. But “the ability to express and teach our faith freely — without fear that sincere, good-faith proclamation of the Gospel might be misunderstood as unlawful — is a cornerstone of a healthy, democratic Canada.”

Conservative MP Andrew Lawton welcomed the bishops’ intervention. He said he was “very happy to see” the letter and similar concerns raised “from members of the Jewish community, Muslim community, and Indian religious traditions such as Sikhs or Hindus. All people of faith need to understand that this will target everyone.”

Lawton had been scheduled to attend a justice and human rights committee meeting Dec. 4 on a proposed amendment to the Liberals’ Combatting Hate Act (Bill C-9). The bill would criminalize intimidation or obstruction outside institutions used by faith-based groups and ban the public display of certain terrorism or hate symbols.

The meeting was canceled by Liberal chair James Maloney, who told media he wanted members “to regroup to find a path forward.” Maloney became chair after former chair Marc Miller was appointed minister of Canadian Identity and Culture on Dec. 1.

After the cancellation, Lawton told The Catholic Register the Liberals were “refusing to say on record where they stand on this amendment to strip away religious protection and freedom,” adding that the lack of clarity “leav[es] tremendous uncertainty surrounding people of faith and what the future looks like.”

Liberal MP Leslie Church, however, accused the Conservatives of “bad faith sabotage and delay dressed up as consultation,” claiming in the House on Dec. 4 that Lawton had been filibustering the committee.

“The Liberals are the ones controlling when the committee meets and for how long, so there is no argument that we are the ones obstructing here,” Lawton responded. “We have grave concerns with this bill, but the only way to deal with those is on committee.”

Lawton also pointed to comments Miller made Oct. 30 while chairing the committee: “Clearly, there are situations in these texts where these statements are hateful. They should not be used to invoke, or be a defense, and there should perhaps be discretion for prosecutors to press charges.”

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet suggested the Liberals canceled the meeting because “the Liberals fear a backlash against them.” He repeated that Bloc support for Bill C-9 depends on removing the religious exemption.

The Bloc’s stance reflects a wider push for secularism in Quebec. Bill 9, introduced Nov. 27 by the provincial government, would ban prayer in public institutions and on public property, restrict religion-based meals, and forbid religious symbols in public communications.

Parliament is set to rise for the Christmas recess on Dec. 12 and sit again Jan. 26.

This story was first published in The B.C. Catholic from Canadian Catholic News, has been reprinted here with permission, and has been adapted by CNA.

Fátima visionary Sister Lucia’s doctor shares moving conversion story
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 8, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

“I was her doctor for her body, but she was my spiritual doctor,” said Dr. Branca Pereira Acevedo while describing her relationship with Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the visionaries of Our Lady of Fátima, whom she cared for during the last 15 years of Sister Lucia’s life.

Lucia — the only one of the three shepherd children still alive at the time — moved in 1925 to the Spanish city of Tui in Pontevedra province, where she lived for more than a decade before returning to Portugal and professing her vows as a Carmelite nun in 1949. In this city in northwestern Spain, the visionary received “a new visit from heaven” with apparitions of the Virgin Mary and the child Jesus.

Dec. 10 marks the centenary of these apparitions, an occasion for which the Holy See has granted a jubilee year in the place where they occurred, the “House of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” in reference to the devotion that the little shepherdess of Fátima promoted until the end of her days.

A witness to that fervent testimony was her physician, Pereira, who shared her experiences Nov. 29 at the presentation of the short film titled “The Heart of Sister Lucia” at the archbishop’s palace in Alcalá de Henares. This film is a project of HM Television.

Pereira accompanied Sister Lucia at the Carmelite convent in Coimbra, Portugal, until her death on Feb. 13, 2005, at the age of 97, a time during which she experienced a profound conversion thanks to the example and witness of her patient. “It was a period of my life that is difficult to explain, due to the intensity of the experiences I had with her,” the Portuguese doctor said.

Sister Lucia’s humility and good humor

Pereira described the visionary’s personality in detail, like someone describing a dear childhood friend: “She was a person just like all of us; those who didn’t know her wouldn’t have distinguished her from anyone else. There was nothing proud or vain about her; she used to say that she was simply an instrument of God.”

The doctor particularly emphasized her humility and obedience, especially to God and to the Carmelite order, “which she loved so much.”

At that time, Pereira said her faith had grown cold: “I didn’t go to Mass, I didn’t receive the sacraments… my career, my work, and my family took up all my time, and I used that as an excuse not to go to church,” she explained.

Serenity and steadfastness in difficulties

“She taught me that through God and through the Church, we can do everything well. I experienced very close moments with her, I think even closer than with the sisters she lived with,” the doctor said.

One of the most significant moments she experienced alongside Sister Lucia was the publication in 2000 by the Vatican’s Secretary of State at the time, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, of the third part of the secret of Fátima, revealed on July 13, 1917, to the three shepherd children in Cova da Iria and transcribed by Sister Lucia in 1944.

The doctor witnessed what she called the seer’s serenity and steadfastness in the face of the insistence of those who claimed that part of the secret still remained to be revealed. “She told us that what mattered most was written in the word of God, in the Bible. She encouraged us to obey God, which was what was truly important, and that everything else was secondary.”

Even at these times, the doctor revealed, Sister Lucia maintained a cheerful disposition. “Her good humor was very constant. She lived in faithfulness and truth. And she remained that way, lucid and faithful until the hour of her death, at which I was present.”

“She received many insulting letters at the Carmelite convent, from various parts of the world. But she said that there was no problem, that we had to pray for those people, that they were children of God, so that they would convert,” she commented.

A beacon of light that illuminates all of humanity

Pereira shared that Sister Lucia prepared for the beatification of her cousins, the shepherd children Jacinta and Francisco Marto, “with an intensity and an indescribable joy.” Since that ceremony in 2000, presided over by Pope John Paul II in Fátima, Sister Lucia seemed “more joyful and more transcendent” than ever. “She was always aware of her physical limitations and fulfilled her duties, but she seemed totally detached from this world,” her doctor related.

In the final stages of Sister Lucia’s life, Pereira recounted, the visionary always remained cheerful, never ceasing to be attentive to those around her, despite her suffering. Up to her last days, she noted, Sister Lucia lived a life of prayer and penance “to spread the message that Our Lady had asked of her: the consecration to her Immaculate Heart on the first five Saturdays of the month.”

“The Virgin asked her to make reparation for offenses and outrages and that her Immaculate Heart be venerated,” the doctor recalled. She also had the mission of praying for the Holy Father: “She shared a very intense friendship and a real intimacy with St. John Paul II,” Pereira noted.

“The Heart of Sister Lucia” will premiere in Spanish on YouTube on Dec.10, the centenary of the apparitions in Pontevedra, at 9:30 p.m. local time in Spain. The film shows how the simple woman led an intense battle in which there was no shortage of adversities, “becoming for the popes and for the entire Church a beacon of light that will illuminate all of humanity.”

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

What is ‘papal infallibility?’ CNA explains an often-misunderstood Church teaching
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 8, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

On Dec. 8 the Catholic Church celebrates the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception — a paramount feast in the Church’s liturgical calendar and one that indirectly touches on a regularly misunderstood but important piece of Church dogma.

The solemnity is the patronal feast of the United States and marks the recognition of the Blessed Mother’s freedom from original sin, which the Church teaches she was granted from the moment of conception.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that Mary was “redeemed from the moment of her conception” (No. 491) in order “to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation” (No. 490).

The dogma was disputed and challenged by Protestants over the centuries, leading Pope Pius IX to affirm it in his 1854 apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus, stating unequivocally that Mary “was endowed with the grace of the Holy Spirit and preserved from original sin” upon her conception.

Ineffabilis Deus is among the papal pronouncements that theologians have long considered to be “infallible.” But what does papal infallibility mean in the context and history of the Church?

Defined by First Vatican Council in 1870

Though Church historians argue that numerous papal statements down through the centuries can potentially be regarded as infallible under this teaching, the concept itself was not fully defined by the Church until the mid-19th century.

In its first dogmatic constitution on the Church of Christ, Pastor Aeternus, the First Vatican Council held that the pope, when speaking “in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority,” and while defining “a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church,” possesses the infallibility that Jesus “willed his Church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals.”

Father Patrick Flanagan, an associate professor of theology at St. John’s University, told CNA that the doctrine of papal infallibility “does not concern the pope’s character.”

“The pope is human,” Flanagan said. “In other words, he is fallible. He can sin and err in what he says about everyday matters.”

Yet in “rare historical, narrowly defined moments” when the pope “exercises his authority as the supreme teacher of the Church of the Petrine office” and speaks “ex cathedra,” he is guided by the Holy Spirit to speak “indisputable truth” about faith and morals, Flanagan said.

Flanagan underscored the four specific criteria that a papal statement must make to be considered infallible. For one, the pope must speak “in his official capacity as supreme pontiff,” not off-the-cuff or informally.

The doctrine, meanwhile, must concern a matter of faith or morals. “No pope would speak ex cathedra on scientific, economic, or other nonreligious subjects,” Flanagan said.

The statement must also be “explicitly straightforward and definitive,” he said, and it “must be intended to bind the whole Church as a matter of divine and Roman Catholic faith.”

John P. Joy, a professor of theology and the dean of faculty at St. Ambrose Academy in Madison, Wisconsin, told CNA that the doctrine can be identified in part by the reading of Matthew 16:19.

In that passage, Christ tells Peter, the first pope: “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

“Part of what Jesus is promising here is that he will endorse and ratify in heaven all of the judgments that Peter makes on earth,” Joy said.

“So when Peter (or one of his successors) turns the key, so to speak, that is, when he explicitly declares that all Catholics are bound to believe something on earth, then we have the words of Jesus assuring us that God himself will hold us bound to believe the same thing in heaven,” he said.

Though the concept of papal infallibility is well known and has become something of a pop culture reference, the number of times a pope has declared something infallibly appears to be relatively small.

Theologians and historians do not always agree on what papal statements through the centuries can be deemed infallible. Joy pointed to the Immaculate Conception, as well as Pope Pius XII’s declaration on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in 1950, as two of the most well known.

He pointed to numerous other statements, such as Pope Benedict XII’s Benedictus Deus from 1336 and Pope Leo X’s Exsurge Domine in 1520, as infallible statements.

Flanagan pointed out that there is “no official list” of papally infallible statements. Such declarations are “rare,” he said. “A pope invokes his extraordinary magisterial powers sparingly.”

When Catholics trust a papally infallible statement, Joy stressed, they “are not putting [their] faith in the pope as if he were an oracle of truth or a source of divine revelation.”

“We are rather putting our faith in God, whom we firmly believe will intervene in order to stop any pope who might be tempted to proclaim a false doctrine in a definitive way,” he said.

Why is the Immaculate Conception patroness of the United States?
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0500

CNA Newsroom, Dec 8, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Mary, under her title of the Immaculate Conception, has been patroness of the United States since the mid-19th century. But her protection of the nation dates back to its earliest history.

One of the first Catholic churches in what is now the United States was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception in 1584: the now-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Jacksonville, Florida.

John Carroll, the first bishop in the United States, had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1792, he placed the Diocese of Baltimore — which encompassed the 13 colonies of the young republic — under her protection.

Over the next 50 years, seven more dioceses were created, including New Orleans, Boston, Chicago, and Oregon City.

“The colonies were now the U.S.A., and Baltimore was not the only diocese — so, the American hierarchy felt a need for a national protectress for this new republic,” said Geraldine M. Rohling, archivist-curator emerita for the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

U.S. bishops unanimously named Mary, under her title of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the nation in 1846 during the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore.

“We take this occasion, brethren, to communicate to you the determination, unanimously adopted by us, to place ourselves, and all entrusted to our charge throughout the United States, under the special patronage of the holy Mother of God, whose immaculate conception is venerated by the piety of the faithful throughout the Catholic Church. ... To her, then, we commend you, in the confidence that ... she will obtain for us grace and salvation,” the bishops wrote in a letter at the time.

Blessed Pius IX approved the declaration in 1847.

The Immaculate Conception refers to Mary being conceived without original sin. Today, it is a dogma of the Catholic Church. But back in 1846, it was not. Pius IX would promulgate the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854, and many believe the U.S. bishops’ declaration may have influenced the pope’s decision.

The largest Marian shrine in the United States is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception — the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. The first public Mass for the National Shrine was celebrated on the feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1917, though the shrine was not yet constructed.

The Immaculate Conception is also patroness of several other countries, including Spain, South Korea, Brazil, and the Philippines.

The solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated Dec. 8, nine months before the feast of the Nativity of Mary. It is a holy day of obligation in some countries, including the United States, Ireland, and the Philippines.

This story was first published on Dec. 8, 2021, and has been updated.

‘Peace is possible,’ Pope Leo XIV says after visits to Turkey and Lebanon
Sun, 07 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Vatican City, Dec 7, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday said his apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon showed that “peace is possible,” pointing to renewed steps toward Christian unity and powerful encounters with the Lebanese people still seeking justice after the 2020 Beirut port explosion.

Speaking after the Angelus to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Dec. 7, the pope recalled praying in İznik, ancient Nicaea, with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, considered first among equals among Eastern Orthodox bishops, and representatives of other Christian communities on the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.

Marking Sunday’s 60th anniversary of the “Common Declaration” between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, Leo said: “We give thanks to God and renew our dedication to journeying towards the full visible unity of all Christians.”

In Lebanon, the pope said he encountered a “mosaic of coexistence” and met people who serve the most vulnerable by welcoming refugees, visiting the imprisoned, and sharing food with those in need. He was especially moved by meeting relatives of the victims of the Beirut port blast. “The Lebanese people were waiting for a word and a presence of consolation, but it was they who comforted me with their faith and their enthusiasm,” he said.

The pope also expressed closeness to communities in south and southeast Asia struck by recent natural disasters, praying for victims and urging international solidarity.

Earlier, in his Advent catechesis before the Angelus, Pope Leo reflected on John the Baptist’s call to prepare the way of the Lord. John’s severe tone, he said, still resonates because it carries God’s “plea to take life seriously” and to ready the heart for the God who judges “not by appearance, but by deeds and intentions.”

The pope said the kingdom manifests itself gently, in the meekness and mercy of Christ described by Isaiah as a shoot rising from a seemingly dead tree trunk. He linked this surprising newness to the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, which closed 60 years ago and continues to guide the Church on its journey toward unity and renewal.

“This is the spirituality of Advent, very luminous and concrete,” he said. “The streetlights remind us that each of us can be a little light, if we welcome Jesus, the shoot of a new world.”

New print journal for ‘intellectual Catholic women’ to be released in April
Sun, 07 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 7, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

While teaching an ethics and culture course, Heidi Bollich-Erne was looking for a journal featuring the work of Catholic women for her students to read. After being told that it simply didn’t exist, she decided to create one herself.

With the help of a team of women, Bollich-Erne has founded what she calls the “first intellectual Catholic women’s journal.” Its purpose is to not only define the feminine genius but also to show how faithful women can embody its beauty in their daily lives.

“I want women to find a home, a place that values their work. The journal itself is edited, written, and published solely by Catholic women,” Bollich-Erne told CNA. “The way that women write, the way that we express ourselves is very different. That’s just who we are. That’s part of the genius of women.”

The Better Part Journal is intended to give women of the Church “hope” by discussing issues that are relevant to them. The first edition of the journal will be released in April 2026.

Before starting the journal, Bollich-Erne studied theology at the University of St. Thomas, where she “fell in love with philosophy.” She went to the Center for Thomistic Studies for her master’s degree in Thomistic philosophy but took a break from her doctorate and started teaching.

She is now based in Texas where she has taught high school, college preparation, college, and adults. While teaching, she tried to find content to help guide discussion on gender complementarity but couldn’t find much written by Catholic women.

“I thought, ‘I want to read more intellectual women,’ but it was a struggle… So I found a friend who works at a university and I said: ‘Can you recommend … an intellectual Catholic women’s magazine? She got back to me a few days later and said, ‘It doesn’t exist.’”

Bollich-Erne started The Better Part Journal by first launching a company called JBG Publishings as “a home” for the journal. She wanted to ensure the publication would not be independently published but be part of a company that would help it to grow.

Bollich-Erne named the company with the initials of her father, who passed away a few years prior. His passing “was a realization that ‘life is too short,’” Bollich-Erne said. “I need to love what I do; I need to really work to find meaning.’”

The Better Part Journal’s mission

“The purpose of the journal is to bring together the voices of intellectual Catholic women who are faithful to the magisterium,” Bollich-Erne said. “I want voices of all backgrounds. I want women of all areas of discipline. I want academics. I want nonacademics. I want all women contributing to this conversation.”

“We all throw around the ‘feminine genius,’ but when you ask someone to stop and give an actual definition, most people can’t,” Bollich-Erne said. Most people define it with a quote by St. John Paul II who coined the term in his apostolic letter Mulieris Dignitatem to describe the unique gifts and qualities women possess, but, she said, “that’s a quote, not a definition.”

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done in this area, and I know there’s room for it to be done on a theological, philosophical level. So the idea was that we would … define the feminine genius and then show it. Live it. It’s not a theology journal and it’s not a philosophy journal. It’s truly interdisciplinary.”

The first issue of the journal is called “Uncharted” and will tackle a number of topics.

“As soon as women realized that I was serious about truly hearing their voices and not editing them out or telling them what they can and can’t write about, they gave us some really amazing work. I’ve just been blown away. I’m only so creative, but I have a great team.”

The journal will feature articles covering neuroscience and theology and apply it to Mary and the Incarnation. It will have columns by doctors and scientists to look at “faith in the formula” and “applying science to religion.”

There will be discussion of issues women face including body image, infertility, and violence. Articles will explore “the psychology of fairy tales and what that does to young girls growing up, whether that be positive or negative,” Bollich-Erne said. It will look into “what we are exposed to …from the media and what it does to us.”

“The beauty behind the journal has been the women that have come forth to lend their voices,” Bollich-Erne said. “It’s been really amazing to see how excited they are about freedom of voice. It’s been something I wasn’t expecting.”

A print journal in a digital era

Despite a shift in media from print to online formats, The Better Part Journal will only be released in print copies because, Bollich-Erne said, “I want it to be lasting.”

“I am a tactile person. I like to hold a book. I wanted it to be something that is kept. So obviously that’s print,” Bollich-Erne said. “But then if you want to keep it has to be high quality.”

The journal will use original photographs and crafted artwork to accompany the written works.

“It is stunning. It looks like a book,” Bollich-Erne said. “The idea is that you read it, you keep it, and you put it on your bookshelf and you never get rid of it because the topics are lasting.”

For an article to be included, it has to be “something that I think women will find valuable, whether you’re an academic or a high school student,” Bollich-Erne said. “It has to be something that all women find valuable, or we cannot print it.”

“Many women have said they’re excited to hold their work and see it in print as opposed to scrolling past the work. There’s nothing wrong with online formats; it gives voices to a lot of people, but this is just different.”

“I had an author tell me, ‘I don’t write anymore for anyone,’ because, she said, ‘I am so tired of my work just disappearing. It’s online for a week. I spent all this work, all this time, and it was something substantial that I really cared about, and it’s just gone.’”

“She signed up with us for a column specifically because we are in print. The idea is that this work is kept forever.”

The print journals will be published twice a year only, because “I want it to be something that takes a while to digest,” Bollich-Erne said. “Beautiful things take time.”

Looking to the future

JGB Publishings has “goals to expand substantially over the next five to 10 years,” Bollich-Erne said. The company will “take care of” the journal to ensure its message can “grow and expand.”

“To be able, as women in the Church, to truly have a serious conversation about all of these things … we are going to forge our future,” Bollich-Erne said. “We’re going to step forward in hope and show the world this is what an intelligent Catholic woman looks like.”

“We’re not stifled. We’re not sad. We’re not miserable people. We are happy. We are excited about life, and we are treated with respect. We are loved and we love who we are,” Bollich-Erne said. “I want people, especially women, of all ages to see that and to understand that.”

You heard of the popemobile, now meet the papal lawn mower
Sun, 07 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0500

Rome Newsroom, Dec 7, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Vatican’s gardeners have a new tool for maintaining the papal grounds: a custom-designed electric lawn mower bearing the Holy See’s coat of arms.

Pope Leo XIV received the white Electra 2.0 mower during a general audience in mid-November, a gift from Czech manufacturer Swardman.

The specially commissioned model features leather-lined handles and was hand-assembled at the company’s facility in Šardice, Czech Republic. “It was an incredibly powerful experience full of humility and respect,” Jakub Dvořák, the company’s sales manager who personally presented the gift, told CNA. “The pontiff appreciated the Vatican’s coat of arms placed on the appliance, listened with interest as we explained how it functions, and thanked us very politely.”

The quiet, precision-cutting mower is destined for use in the Vatican Gardens or possibly at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, according to a press release from the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which facilitated the presentation.

Founded in 2013, the company manufactures lawn care equipment that it describes as combining functionality with “timeless elegance” suited to historic settings. The Czech Embassy to the Holy See played a key role in arranging the gift, which Dvořák called “a moment of unmistakable magic.”

Vatican gardeners will put the electric mower to work maintaining the manicured lawns that provide green respite within the world’s smallest state.

Hidden Catholic histories come alive in new Black and Native American films
Sun, 07 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 7, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The Black and Indian Mission Office in Washington, D.C., recently released two documentaries — one highlighting African American Catholics on the path to sainthood and the focusing on Native American Catholic communities in the United States.

“Trailblazers of Faith: The Legacy of African American Catholics” tells the inspiring story of how African Americans found a home in Catholicism without abandoning their identity or culture.

From the pioneering Oblate Sisters of Providence and St. Frances Academy to the lives of Venerable Henriette DeLille, Julia Greeley, Father Augustus Tolton, and Sister Thea Bowman, the documentary celebrates a legacy of leadership and faith.

The second film, “Walking the Sacred Path: The Story of the Black and Indian Mission Office,” uncovers the often-hidden story of Native American Catholics in the United States. The film explores the powerful intersection of faith and culture — where the beauty of Native traditions and the universality of Catholicism meet — and highlights more than 140 years of the Black and Indian Mission Office’s mission to walk alongside Native American communities.

Father Maurice Henry Sands is the executive director of the Black and Indian Mission Office. He told CNA in an interview that these documentaries were created “to educate people about these two groups of people that a lot of people don’t know much about,” as well as “to educate people about the work that our office is doing with these two groups of people.”

The Black and Indian Mission Collection was the first national collection established at the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1884 and is still taken up yearly funding the Black and Indian Mission Office.

The United States bishops recognized the need to support missionary work among African American and Native American Catholics and since its creation the collection has allowed for grants to be given to dioceses across the country to operate schools, parishes, and other missionary services that build the body of Christ in Native American, Alaska Native, and Black Catholic communities.

Sands shared that it is important for Catholics to walk alongside these communities because “we are all part of the human race that the Lord directs his work of salvation towards.”

“It’s important that we learn how to live together and walk together because as human beings we do put up walls and barriers and we see differences among ourselves,” he said, adding that racism “has caused a lot of difficulties for the two groups of people.”

“So, we have a fundamental call as disciples of Christ, as Catholics, as Christians, to help the Lord and his work of salvation to love one another and to have a special concern for those of our brothers and sisters who are disadvantaged and in need,” he said.

Speaking specifically to the documentary on the African American Catholics on their way to sainthood, Sands explained that the six individuals included all serve as great role models for the faithful because “each of them had very challenging beginnings but went on to be great lovers of Our Lord and were a great witness to others and helped people in need as they saw the needs of people around them and were very effective in doing that.”

He added that the early Church missionaries who served Native Americans also serve as role models in how to “help people where they are to come to know Christ, to love him, and to have a relationship with him.”

Sands said he hopes viewers will feel moved to “learn more about how they can support the ministry to these two groups of people and to learn more about how they can support the work that we are doing in our office.”

Both documentaries can be viewed on Formed.

‘Sons of Thunder’ vocations group teaches boys how to be Catholic men
Sun, 07 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 7, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A little over a year ago, Father Matthew Gonzalez, a priest in the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, had the idea to create a group for boys in grades eight to 12 that focuses on vocations and what it means to be a Catholic man in today’s world.

“The Lord has placed a strong desire for vocations on my heart. I am convinced the Lord is still calling young men today,” Gonzalez told CNA.

“A few years ago, I brought several of our parish young men to the Quo Vadis summer camp, a weeklong experience focused on authentic Christian manhood. They came home with a hunger for more — more faith, more fraternity, more service. That experience planted the seed,” he explained.

Soon afterward, Gonzalez started the Sons of Thunder, which takes its name from Mark 3:17, where Jesus gave that nickname to the apostles James and John. The group meets once a month at St. Bartholomew Church in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, and currently has 12 members who come together for prayer and fellowship.

Each monthly meeting starts with one of the boys leading evening prayer and another one handling the readings. Then the group watches a video from the Knights of Columbus called “Into the Breach,” a series on authentic masculinity that explores topics such as the importance of prayer and how to become a leader. A discussion follows the video.

Gonzalez shared that the aim of the group is to inspire the boys to model themselves after the ultimate Catholic man — Jesus.

“Every meeting always includes three pillars: prayer, faith formation, and fun. We pray together, learn together, and build brotherhood together,” he said.

The group also frequently visits the local seminary and takes part in community service projects.

“We’ve done a garden project in the rectory backyard, organized service for the needy and for religious communities, and held a beach cleanup day. Serving others is central to our mission,” Gonzalez said.

Another central focus of the group is to introduce the boys to the priesthood.

“People often say we have a vocations crisis. I don’t believe that. There is no crisis in vocations — the Lord is still calling, just as he always has. What we are facing is a crisis of meaning and purpose in our culture, and this affects young people deeply,” Gonzalez said.

“Sons of Thunder exists to help restore a sense of identity as Christian men, of purpose, and of mission. When young men know who they are and what they’re made for, they can hear the Lord’s call more clearly.”

Gonzalez recently started a new assignment as rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, so the Sons of Thunder will look slightly different going forward. The group’s lay leader, who has helped Gonzalez run the group since its creation, will now be taking over the responsibilities of running the group.

“As I begin my new mission as the rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, I’m spending time learning the heartbeat of this parish family. But I absolutely hope to expand youth ministry here, and one way to do that is by beginning a new chapter of Sons of Thunder,” Gonzalez said. “I want the young men of this community to experience what our first group experienced.”

For members who are currently in the group, were previously in the group, or will join one day, Gonzalez said his “greatest hope is that they learn the faith is worth living — even when it demands sacrifice and self-gift. And at the heart of it all is relationship: a relationship with God and the relationships they build with one another. If they leave knowing they are loved by God and made for greatness, the mission of Sons of Thunder is fulfilled.”

On visit to Detroit, patriarch of Jerusalem focuses on hope for Holy Land Christians
Sat, 06 Dec 2025 15:30:00 -0500

Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dec 6, 2025 / 15:30 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, expressed cautious hope for peace in Gaza, calling on people of the region to combat hatred and “think differently” about one another.

Pizzaballa, whose authority extends over Latin Catholics in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Cyprus, also holds the office of grand prior of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. He began a four-day pastoral visit to metro Detroit on Dec. 4, celebrating Mass with the Chaldean community at St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Detroit Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger and Chaldean Bishop Francis Y. Kalabat joined him. Throughout the visit, the cardinal offered a sober yet grounded message of hope for Christians in the Holy Land.

At a press conference on Dec. 5, Weisenburger welcomed the cardinal and praised his efforts to promote a “just and lasting peace” in Gaza. Asked by CNA what hope remains for Holy Land Christians amid what he had described as some of the worst devastation in decades, Pizzaballa cautioned against equating hope with immediate political solutions.

“Hope is a complicated word,” he said. “You must not confuse hope with a political solution, which will not arrive soon, not in Gaza, the Holy Land, or the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. If you put your hope in this, you will be frustrated.” He emphasized that both political and religious institutions must work to nurture hope.

“Hope,” the cardinal continued, “is a word that cannot remain alone. It has to put roots in something else,” namely, faith and desire. He added: “There needs to be a desire for it to be realized. A second consideration is that if institutions fail, we need people to think differently, to act differently, both Israelis and Palestinians. This may not resolve all the problems, but it says to people, ‘All is not lost.’”

Christians represent only about 1% of Gaza’s population — roughly 500 people — and about 2% of the population in both Israel and the West Bank, where there are about 190,000 and 45,000 Christians, respectively. Many continue to emigrate, raising fears about the future of Christianity in the region. Gaza has only one Catholic parish, for example.

The patriarch described the increasingly dire conditions in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Most infrastructure — homes, hospitals, and schools — has been reduced to rubble, he said, leaving families in tents as winter approaches and food remains scarce. During a visit after Hamas and Israel concluded a ceasefire this fall, he brought food, including chicken, to Christians sheltering at the Holy Family Parish compound. “It was the first meat they had seen in nine months,” he said. Although food enters Gaza, much of it ends up in markets, where many have no cash to purchase it, he said.

Despite the devastation, sacramental life continues. Hosting some 500 displaced Gazans, the parish has school activities and daily liturgies, including Mass, vespers, the rosary, and Eucharistic adoration. First Communions and even a wedding have taken place. The parish’s sacramental life has emboldened solidarity among those taking shelter at the church, but has been a spiritual aid, Pizzaballa said.

“Every time I speak with them, I never hear a word of anger; never,” Pizzaballa said. “And one person, I can’t even say the name, he was the director of the hospital. One evening, in Gaza, between the bombs falling not far from the compound, he said, ‘You know, bishop, we Christians have a problem. Amidst all the violence, we are not able to hate them.’”

While Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire on Oct. 9, Pizzaballa said Gazans are only now emerging from “survival mode.” He said: “They ask, ‘What do we do now? When will rebuilding start? What governance will there be? Who will decide? What about our children?’ There was no emotional space for these questions before, but now they are coming out.”

Weisenburger acknowledged the complexity of the situation, saying it cannot be “simplified into sound bites.” He reflected on the human cost of the war: “Too many of those bombs that killed some 70,000 people, wiped their homes from the face of the earth, and destroyed their cities, schools, and hospitals, were from us. I think we in America must accept some responsibility for rebuilding.” He expressed gratitude for the cardinal’s message of hope, adding that generous Detroiters had already pledged about $500,000 for needs in the Holy Land. “By doing something, we can nurture hope,” he said.

In his homily at the Chaldean community Mass, Pizzaballa compared Isaiah’s vision of restoration to present-day devastation in the Middle East, including the suffering of Chaldeans in Iraq at the hands of ISIS. He stressed the Church’s mission of fostering peace. Regarding the Hamas attack, he said: “We have to say this very clearly: It is not acceptable at all.”

He added, however, that Israel’s “retaliation, what happened after in Gaza, is an even more difficult answer.” He emphasized: “We are not against Israel,” while insisting that “the situation will never change as long as the Palestinians are not recognized as people with their dignity and a right of self-determination.”

On Dec. 5, the cardinal visited fellow Franciscans at St. Bonaventure Monastery and prayed at the tomb of Blessed Solanus Casey. He received a first-class relic of Blessed Solanus to bring to Jerusalem. The Chaldean community also presented him with relics of four Chaldean martyrs. The next day, he visited Sacred Heart Seminary and spoke with seminarians and faculty.

About 500 people attended the Dec. 5 fundraising dinner held at St. John’s Resort, the former seminary campus dedicated to charitable hospitality. Weisenburger said the resort’s owner, the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, donates 100% of its net profits for such events to charity.

Pilgrimages to Holy Land to resume

Holy Land Christians continue to feel the economic repercussions of the war, particularly in Bethlehem, which is located in the West Bank area of Jordan that is administered by Israel and where tourism has plummeted. Author and filmmaker Steve Ray, who has led more than 200 pilgrimages, plans to guide a group of over 50 pilgrims from Dec. 28 to Jan. 6.

“I’ve heard that 70% to 80% of the revenue of Christians comes from pilgrims. To have all the tour buses parked for two years is financially devastating,” he said. On the question of safety, he added: “Social media blows things way out of proportion. No pilgrims have ever been hurt. We are not concerned.” He plans four more pilgrimages in 2026, including one for Ave Maria University students.

Concluding his sweep through Detroit, Pizzaballa is set to celebrate Mass at the Shrine of the Little Flower, which treasures the relics of St. Thérèse de Lisieux.

Philadelphia Archdiocese prays St. Andrew novena for fallen away Catholics
Sat, 06 Dec 2025 14:30:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 6, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is mobilizing Catholics this Advent to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena prayer 15 times daily for a single intention: the reconciliation of the 83% of baptized Catholics in the archdiocese who no longer participate in the sacramental life of the Church.

The “St. Andrew Novena for the 83%,” organized by the archdiocese’s Office for the New Evangelization, is running from Nov. 30 through Dec. 24. Participants are asked to recite the traditional prayer 15 times each day while praying specifically for the grace of reconciliation for loved ones currently disconnected from the faith.

“The novena is an opportunity for practicing Catholics to pray intentionally for their loved ones who are currently disconnected from their Catholic faith. It’s also an opportunity to pray in communion with hundreds of fellow Catholics who share the same heartfelt desire for the ‘homecoming’ of their loved ones,” Meghan Cokeley, director of the Office for the New Evangelization, said to Philadelphia’s archdiocesan paper this week.

Cokeley said the idea came to her as she prayed during Eucharistic adoration. “I wasn’t looking for it and it filled me with a lot of joy, so I thought that perhaps it was Jesus who was asking for this.”

She emphasized Advent’s special grace for reconciliation and St. Andrew the Apostle’s role as a “fisher of men.” “By joining our prayer with the saint, we are asking him to ‘go fishing’ for our loved ones and catch them for Jesus,” Cokeley said.

More than 400 people have already signed up, submitting initials of family members and friends. Everyone who registers receives a secure link to the full list, allowing them to pray for all individuals by their initials.

The initiative is part of the archdiocese’s broader “Trust and Hope” campaign to adjust to changing realities and bring about “parish renewal” in the Church in the Pennsylvania Archdiocese.

Cokeley noted the widespread sorrow many feel over loved ones away from the Church. “In my travels around the archdiocese, I often hear from people who ache on behalf of their loved ones who are away from the Church. I sense that it is a widespread and shared sorrow for many,” she said, going on to quote Pope Leo in a recent letter he sent to seminarians in Trujillo: “‘Time spent in prayer is the most fruitful investment of one’s life.’”

Here is the full prayer (which is also available in Spanish on the website): “Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of his blessed Mother. Amen.”

Chris Pratt to release documentary on tomb of St. Peter
Sat, 06 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 6, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

American actor Chris Pratt, best known for his roles in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World,” is currently filming a documentary on the Vatican Necropolis, which lies underneath Vatican City containing tombs dating from the first to fourth century A.D., at depths varying between 16 and 39 feet below St. Peter’s Basilica.

The film, which is being produced by Vatican Media, the Fabric of St. Peter, and AF Films, will be released in 2026 for the 400th anniversary of the inauguration and dedication of the basilica.

Pratt will guide viewers on a journey to discover the tomb of St. Peter through stories of faith, history, and archaeology.

“It is an extraordinary honor to partner with Pope Leo and the Vatican on this project. St. Peter’s story is foundational to the Christian faith, and I’m deeply grateful for the trust and access granted to help bring his legacy to the screen,” Pratt told Vatican News in an interview.

While Pratt is not Catholic, he and his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, a practicing Catholic, attend Mass regularly and are raising their children Catholic. Pratt speaks openly about his faith and the importance he places on praying daily. He has also partnered with Hallow, a Catholic prayer and meditation app, on multiple occasions and been featured in its Lent, Advent, and daily prayer challenges.

Through historical evidence and archaeological discoveries, viewers of the new film are invited to discover St. Peter’s burial place in the Vatican Necropolis, which was officially announced by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

In 1939, Pope Pius XII had workers begin excavations under the basilica in order to try to find the location of the beloved apostle’s burial place. In 1950, the pope officially announced that the location of the tomb was found, along with bone fragments likely belonging to the saint. In 1968, Pope Paul VI announced that the bone fragments found were indeed those of St. Peter.

St. Peter’s bones were publicly displayed for the first time in 2013 by Pope Francis. The late pontiff held the relics during a Mass at St. Peter’s Square, which marked the end of the Church’s Year of Faith.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated in the second to last paragraph that Pius XII was the pope in 1968. It has been corrected to say Paul VI. (Published Dec. 8, 2025)

New Slovak Virgin Mary mosaic highlights spiritual bonds between Slovakia and Vatican
Sat, 06 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0500

EWTN News, Dec 6, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Just before the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a mosaic of Our Lady of Sorrows, protectress of Slovakia, was inaugurated in the Vatican Gardens. Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice, president of the Slovak Bishops’ Conference, blessed the artwork during a ceremony attended by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, whom Pope Leo XIV received in audience the day before.

Among other bishops and diplomats, two cardinals took part: the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Re, and Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.

The Slovak president said he was happy to see the Slovak Virgin Mary image inside the Vatican as she “is a source of hope, faith, and unity.” Pellegrini stressed that his Central European country and the Holy See “share common values, such as the dignity of human person, true liberty, and open dialogue.”

During the audience with Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican said, pontiff and president reaffirmed their commitment to supporting social cohesion, promoting justice, and safeguarding the family, and discussed the war in Ukraine, its impact on European security, and the situation in the Middle East.

Each time people pass by this beautiful artwork, Gugerotti underlined in his speech at the inauguration, “we will pray for the Slovak people” who suffered during atheist communism, and yet “were able to maintain and renew its Christian roots.”

Likewise, Re told CNA that he is very happy for the new artwork. “I have always loved Slovakia because it is still very Catholic,” the prelate said.

It is a great honor for Slovakian Catholics that the mosaic of Our Lady of Sorrows has reached the heart of the Church, Bober underscored. The Slovak Virgin Mary is “a symbol of the spiritual connection between Slovakia and the Vatican.” It reminds the faithful, the archbishop continued, that “Our Lady of Sorrows has a special place in our nation, but also in the lives of all believers.”

The colorful mosaic, created by Greek Catholic priest and artist Father Kamil Dráb, is a copy of an image in the chapel of the Pontifical Slovak College of St. Cyril and Methodius in Rome and has been installed in the Vatican Gardens near the bell used during the Great Jubilee of 2000.

The saint of Christmas and ecumenism: Bari celebrates St. Nicholas
Sat, 06 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500

ACI Stampa, Dec 6, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The people of Bari, a city in southern Italy, have a deep devotion to St. Nicholas, their patron saint and beloved protector.

“How can you not love St. Nicholas? And how can you not feel loved by St. Nicholas?” Father Giovanni Distante, the rector of Bari’s Pontifical Basilica of St. Nicholas, told ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner.

“The relationship between the people of Bari and St. Nicholas is one of love,” the rector continued, “a relationship that began in 1087 and continues to this day.”

It all began in 1087 when 62 brave sailors managed to rescue the relics of St. Nicholas, bringing them from the city of Myra in Asia, St. Nicholas’ hometown, to their beloved city in southern Italy, Bari, in Puglia. The Basilica of St. Nicholas was built to hold the relics, which it still does today. Every year, countless pilgrims continue to pay homage at the tomb of St. Nicholas, the saint of Christmas, who is loved by adults and children alike.

St. Nicholas is also an important figure in ecumenical dialogue, uniting Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and Protestants.

“St. Nicholas, as bishop of Myra, naturally influenced millions of faithful in the East and West, not only as bishop of Myra but also as patron, if we may say so, of Eastern and Western Christianity. So much so that St. Nicholas is venerated as the ‘Saint of Ecumenism,’ because he manages to unite the two realities, the two Christian traditions, both Eastern and Western,” Distante said.

St. Nicholas occupies a special place in everyone’s hearts in December. Considered the saint of Christmas and remembered for his care for children, he was much loved for the protection he offered them. Many miracles are attributed to his intercession, particularly for the benefit of young women and children.

“St. Nicholas intervenes where concrete action is needed in love, practicality, justice, and, of course, sharing,” Distante explained.

St. Nicholas is celebrated twice a year in Bari: on Dec. 6 and on May 9.

“Dec. 6 is the liturgical feast of the saint, commemorating the day of his death, which becomes the new birth of St. Nicholas in heaven,” the rector of the Basilica of St. Nicholas explained.

On May 9, he continued, “we celebrate the event of the transfer of St. Nicholas’ relics to Bari with a large procession by sea.”

On Dec. 6, Bari is filled with “illuminations,” a choreographed display of lights in the narrow streets of the city that are lit up for the feast of St. Nicholas and also for Christmas. This year’s program is once again full of events and celebrations.

The Pontifical Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari opened at 4 a.m. on Dec. 6. At 5 a.m., the first Mass was celebrated, presided over by Distante, and followed by five more Masses throughout the morning.

The start of the first Mass was preceded, at 4:30 a.m., by the sounding of reveille and the arrival of the St. Nicholas torchlight procession. In the early hours of the day, a group of bagpipers will enliven the alleys of the old town around the basilica. At 6 p.m., there will be a solemn Mass celebrated by Archbishop Giuseppe Baturi of Cagliari and Archbishop Giuseppe Satriano of Bari-Bitonto. At the end of Mass, the procession with a statue of the saint will pass through the streets of the old town. In the evening, at 8:30 p.m., there will be a fireworks display from the Sant’Antonio pier.

One of the essential customs of the feast of St. Nicholas for the people of Bari is hot chocolate, enjoyed in the alleys of old Bari to warm up after Mass in the basilica.

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

Christmas 2025: Handmade gifts from 14 Catholic monasteries
Sat, 06 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 6, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Many monasteries and communities of religious brothers and sisters depend on proceeds from the sales of their products to sustain their lives of prayer and service throughout the year. These days, most have online gift shops that will ship your purchases to arrive before Christmas.

Here’s a guide to some of our favorite handmade gifts to give and receive this year:

Fudge and candy

Monk Bakery Gifts, Monastery of the Holy Spirit: Monks in Conyers, Georgia, make their famous fudge with premium chocolate and real butter. Try a 12-ounce gift box for $15. And for a taste of Georgia, try their Southern Touch fudge, “made with real peach morsels, pecans, and a touch of peach brandy.”

Monastery Candy, Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey: These contemplative nuns in Dubuque, Iowa, are known for their delicious caramels, which they make by hand to support their way of life. A 9-ounce box of chocolate-covered caramels sells for $16.55.

Monastery Creamed Honey, Holy Cross Abbey: The monks at Our Lady of the Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, Virginia, support themselves financially through their own labor, a characteristic of the Cistercian order’s way of life. Their 100% natural Monastery Creamed Honey, locally sourced in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, makes a great gift. A set of four 10-ounce tubs includes natural-, cinnamon-, almond-, and brandy-flavored honey and sells for $35.95. Add some delicious chocolate truffles to the order for a sure-to-be-appreciated Christmas gift.

Cookies

Clarisa Cookies, Capuchin Poor Clare Sisters: The Capuchin Poor Clare nuns make their famous butter cookies from their monastery in Denver. The “Clarisas” come in a beautiful gift box featuring an image of St. Clare and sell for $18 for a 1.5-pound box.

Monks’ Biscotti, Abbey of the Genesee: The Trappist monks of the Abbey of the Genesee have been baking from their monastery in western New York since 1953. As their website explains: “The bakery supports the monastery’s primary mission, which is to pray for the world.” The twice-baked biscotti is a popular item, which makes a great gift basket when combined with monk-made coffee and a mug. A bundle of four boxes of biscotti in a variety of flavors sells for $33.99.

Springerele Christmas cookies, Sisters of St. Benedict: The Benedictine religious sisters are known for their Springerele cookies, a traditional German treat with an “Old World” charm. A package of six cookies, each bearing a different, intricate design, sells for $11.

Coffee

Mystic Monk Coffee, Carmelites Monks of Wyoming Monastery: The Monks of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel live a cloistered life in the Rocky Mountains in the Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming. They help support themselves through Mystic Monk Coffee, which they roast in small batches. The website CoffeeReview.com ranks their coffee among the highest of the coffees it reviews. A 12-ounce bag of their most popular flavor, Jingle Bell Java, sells for $14.95 in the EWTN Religious Catalogue. Visit their website for more coffee selections.

Fruitcake

Brandy-dipped fruitcake, New Camaldoli Hermitage: With all due respect, this is not your grandmother’s fruitcake. The monks of New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, California, offer a fruitcake soaked in brandy and aged for three months. It “has converted many a fruitcake ‘atheist,’” according to its creators. Order a 1-pound fruitcake for $27.98.

Kentucky Bourbon Fruitcake, Monks of the Abbey of Gethsemani: At their monastery in New Haven, Kentucky, Trappist monks offer a 20-ounce Kentucky Bourbon Fruitcake along with a jar of Trappist Apricot-Pineapple preserves and a jar of Trappist Quince Jelly, which makes a lovely Christmas gift for $33.50.

Beer

Birra Nursia, Benedictine Monks of Norcia: In 2012, a community of Benedictine monks revived the order’s ancient beer-making tradition at their 16th-century monastery in Nursia, the birthplace of St. Benedict. Tragically, four years later, a devastating earthquake struck, seriously damaging their monastery and threatening their way of life. Today, their monastery is open again thanks to money raised in part from the beer they make and sell and export to the United States and elsewhere. Beer in 750-milliliter (25-ounce) bottles is available at their U.S. online store for $15.99 each.

Handmade Christmas-themed gifts

Christmas Boutique, Monastery of Bethlehem: The contemplative Sisters of the Monastery of Bethlehem in Livingston Manor, New York, support themselves by offering their hand-painted chinaware and other unique gifts for sale. This Christmas their online shop features several Christmas-related items that would make wonderful gifts.

A beautiful hand-carved Nativity, made in the sisters’ monastery in Mougères, France, includes Joseph, Mary, the baby Jesus, and a wooden manger, and sells for $180. This is a great value for a keepsake that is sure to be passed down from generation to generation. Or why not come bearing the gift of myrrh this Christmas with an attractive tin of imported incense ($56)? Also available: a pack of five Christmas greeting cards, hand-calligraphed by the sisters and duplicated on fine paper. Each card features a mystery of the lives of Jesus and Mary.

Custom rosaries, Carmelite Monastery of the Sacred Hearts: The cloistered nuns of the Carmelite Monastery of the Sacred Hearts in Colorado also offer several handmade items that would make beautiful gifts including custom, handmade rosaries. Those interested can choose their own beads, crucifix, centerpiece, the option to add decorative caps and side medals, and whether you would like the rosary to be a one-decade, five-decade, or 15-decade rosary.

Gifts from the Holy Land

Holy Land gifts, Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America: The Franciscan friars based at their monastery in Washington, D.C., are dedicated to supporting and protecting the sacred sites and people of the Holy Land. They sell products made by artisans in the Holy Land to help their businesses so they can continue to live in the land of their forefathers. Among the gifts at the Holy Land gift shop are hand-painted ceramic candleholders made by a young artist in Bethlehem; olive wood Nativity sets, crosses, and rosaries; and olive oil soap. Visit the Holy Land Gift Shop here.

Soaps and candles

Cloister Shoppe, Summit Dominicans: The nuns from the Dominican Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary in Summit, New Jersey, live a life of prayer through Eucharistic adoration and dedication to the rosary. To support this way of life they create handmade candles and skin-care products, which they sell at their Cloister Shoppe. Create your own Christmas gift bag of two bars of soap, a hand cream, a jar candle, a face moisturizer, and a handmade rosary made from olive wood beads from the Holy Land for $50. Throw in a pair of Bayberry Christmas Eve Tapers for $18 to give your holiday table a festive glow.

5 things to know and share about St. Nicholas
Sat, 06 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0500

Vatican City, Dec 6, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

St. Nicholas, whose feast day is celebrated on Dec. 6, is known to possibly be the real-life inspiration for the beloved Christmas character of Santa Claus.

Not a lot is known about the historical Nicholas, who was bishop of Myra, a Greek city in modern-day Turkey, during the fourth century A.D. But there are many stories and legends that explain his reputation as a just and upright man, charitable gift-giver, and miracle-worker.

Here are five things to know and share about St. Nicholas:

1. There is a legend behind why St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children.

Many people know that St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children, but they may not know why he has that title.

There is a grisly legend that says that during a famine in Myra, three young boys were lured into a butcher’s shop, where they were killed and then brined in a wooden barrel with the intention of being sold as “ham.” The good bishop worked a miracle, bringing the pickled children back to life and saving them from a gruesome fate.

This story became the subject of many portrayals of Nicholas in art, especially during the Middle Ages. Some people believe depictions of Bishop Nicholas with the three boys led to his reputation as a protector of children.

The legend of the brining may explain how he also became, oddly, the patron saint of brewers and coopers (people who make wooden casks, barrels, vats, troughs, and similar containers from timber).

2. He is one of the foremost saints in the Russian Orthodox Church.

St. Nicholas is a unifying figure among Catholics and Orthodox Christians since both churches venerate him.

He is incredibly important in the Russian Orthodox Church, where he is known as St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for the many miracles attributed to him both during and after his life.

To the Orthodox, Nicholas is principally honored for his qualities as a holy bishop and a good shepherd of his people.

Also, in their weekly liturgical cycle, which dedicates different days of the week to Jesus Christ and other saints, only three are specifically named: Mary, the Mother of God; John the Forerunner (known to Catholics as St. John the Baptist); and St. Nicholas.

Nicholas did not leave behind any theological writings, but when he was made a bishop, he is credited with saying that “this dignity and this office demand different usage, in order that one should live no longer for oneself but for others.”

3. Was he really jolly ol’ St. Nicholas?

Because of his popularity among Orthodox Christians, St. Nicholas is a favorite subject in iconography.

But don’t be surprised if, among the hundreds of icons depicting him, you don’t see any merry dimples or a “round little belly.” He does have a white beard, though.

4. He is the patron saint of unmarried people, fishermen, pawnbrokers, and the falsely accused.

One of the most popular legends about Nicholas is that the saint, who is said to have come from a wealthy family, secretly helped a poor man with three daughters.

The father could not provide proper dowries for the girls to marry, and without husbands to support them, they might have been forced to turn to prostitution.

After learning about the situation, Nicholas secretly slipped a bag of gold coins through the family’s window while they were sleeping. He later left a second bag of coins, and likewise, another bag for the third daughter, at which point, the legend says, the father, who had waited up all night, “caught” Nicholas red-handed in his gift-giving. But Nicholas made him promise to keep the secret.

The story is likely the explanation for why the modern Christmas character of Santa Claus brings his gifts for children under the cover of night.

In artworks referencing this legend, the three bags of coins are often depicted as three golden balls. Images of gold balls were also used to mark the shops of pawnbrokers, which is probably how Nicholas came to be their patron saint, too.

One of many miracles attributed to St. Nicholas happened at sea as he traveled aboard a boat to the Holy Land. Nicholas is a patron saint of sailors and travelers because he calmed the stormy waters that threatened their lives.

His patronage of the falsely accused can be attributed to an early story about his rescue of three innocent men moments before their execution. It is said that St. Nicholas, then bishop of Myra, boldly pushed away the executioner’s sword, released the men from their chains, and angrily reprimanded a juror who had taken a bribe to find them guilty.

5. He has two feast days.

Most people know that Nicholas’ feast day is celebrated on Dec. 6, the day he died in the year 343, but for East Slavs, as well as the people of Bari, Italy, May 9 is also an important day to celebrate the saint.

That date is the anniversary of the day that St. Nicholas’ relics were moved from Myra, in present-day Turkey, to Bari, not long after the Great Schism of Catholics and Orthodox in 1054 A.D.

Accounts differ over whether the transmission of the relics was theft or an attempt by Christian sailors to preserve the saint’s remains from destruction by the Turks. But whatever the real reason, the relics can still be venerated today in the Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari.

Pope Francis visited Bari, in Italy’s southern region of Puglia, two times during his papacy. During both the 2018 and 2020 visits, he stopped in the basilica’s crypt to venerate St. Nicholas’ relics.

The pontifical basilica is an important place of ecumenism, since the Catholic Church welcomes many Eastern Catholics and Orthodox Christians to the pilgrimage site. In the crypt, where St. Nicholas is buried, there is also an altar for the celebration of Orthodox and Eastern Catholic liturgies.

For Christians who follow the Julian calendar, as the Eastern Orthodox do, St. Nicholas’ principal feast day falls on Dec. 19. An Orthodox Divine Liturgy is usually celebrated at the Basilica of St. Nicholas that morning.

On Dec. 6, Catholics in Bari celebrate the beloved saint with Mass, concerts, and a procession of the saint’s statue through the city’s streets.

This story was first published on Dec. 6, 2022, and has been updated.

Leader of schismatic Colorado Springs group disregards excommunication
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 18:18:00 -0500

Denver, Colorado, Dec 5, 2025 / 18:18 pm (CNA).

After receiving a letter of excommunication from the Vatican, the leader of a schismatic group in Colorado Springs told congregants he would ignore it — furthering the divide between the small splinter group and the Catholic Church.

Anthony Ward heads the Servants of the Holy Family, a group that labels itself as Catholic in spite of the Diocese of Colorado Springs’ declaration that the group is schismatic.

In a 40-minute speech to his congregation in which he called Church authorities “a kangaroo court” of “heretics” and “freemasons,” Ward went public on Nov. 16 about his excommunication and his plans to continue ignoring the Catholic Church’s directives.

During a secret ceremony in 2024, a bishop whose name was withheld at the time consecrated Ward as a bishop without papal permission.

In the Catholic Church, only the pope can appoint bishops. Consecrating a bishop without papal mandate is considered illicit and incurs an automatic “latae sententiae” excommunication for both parties.

During the meeting at the Servants’ chapel on Nov. 16, Ward told his congregation that the Catholic Church had made a declaration of excommunication against him due to what he described as “persistent, rebellious disobedience.”

Though excommunication is a “medicinal penalty” designed to urge an individual to repent, Ward has said he is “ignoring” the letter and will not be responding within the 30-day window given to him.

Embracing the claims of the letter, Ward said he will continue to disobey, instead putting his loyalty toward what he called “the true Catholic faith.”

“I have not and will not obey commands from the kangaroo court composed of heretics, schismatics, Freemasons, representatives of the most vile sinful perversions, enemies of the cross of Christ,” Ward told the congregation, “of whom the majority of bishops — particularly in this country — no longer believe in the real presence of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus, Christ in the Eucharist.”

The U.S. Catholic bishops recently led a yearslong Eucharistic Revival that centered on the Catholic belief that the Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ.

Despite the local Catholic diocese’s denouncement of the Servants, the group continues to hold Eucharistic celebrations and is recruiting minors as well as adult men to be trained as priests.

The Servants’ website advertises the group as “faithful to the Latin Mass” as well as to “Catholic doctrine and morals” and claims it is “endorsed by Catholic bishops worldwide.”

Ward named Archbishop Telesphore George Mpundu Lusaka, the African archbishop emeritus of Zambia, as the bishop who illicitly consecrated him, but the other bishops are not specified readily on the website.

When asked to comment, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Colorado Springs referred to the most recent public statement by Bishop James Golka in April 2024.

Since 2013, the Diocese of Colorado Springs has publicly held that the Servants are “not in good standing” with the Church.

Pointing to continued “obstinate ill will” by the Servants, Golka declared last year that Ward and other priests affiliated with the Servants “are not in good standing with the diocesan or the universal Catholic Church” and declared it “a schismatic group.”

Pointing to canon law, Golka declared that its Eucharistic celebration “is illicit and a grave moral offense” and that its celebration of baptism “is illicit.” The bishop also declared celebrations of penance, the sacrament of matrimony, confirmation, and holy orders by this group to be invalid.

Golka said it would be “an act of spiritual danger” for Catholics to attend celebrations led by the Servants and encouraged the faithful to pray for reconciliation.

The Servants did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Sidewalk counselor finds woman crying in pain outside Planned Parenthood clinic in Chicago
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:54:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 5, 2025 / 17:54 pm (CNA).

The pro-life nonprofit Coalition Life is planning to ramp up its sidewalk counseling initiative at a Planned Parenthood facility in Chicago after a woman was found crying in pain outside of the clinic.

A video shows sidewalk counselor Jacob Tipre observing the woman curled up, leaning against the doorway for the Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Cohn Morris Health Center, which is located in downtown Chicago. The incident occurred Nov. 15 shortly before 4 p.m., according to Coalition Life.

Mary Jane Maharry, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Illinois, told CNA: “We’re not commenting.” Planned Parenthood Federation of America did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A video posted by Coalition Life shows Tipre asking the woman whether she was OK. She responded: “No, I am not.”

“They just do the procedure, and they threw me out on the streets,” the woman said, while crying. “They just threw me out on the streets.”

Brian Westbrook, executive director and founder of Coalition Life, who has been involved in sidewalk counseling for 14 years, told CNA: “This is the most egregious treatment of any woman that I have seen in my history [of doing this].”

Westbrook said the woman called her own ambulance. He said Tipre stayed alongside the woman while she waited for emergency services to arrive because he noticed “her eyes are kind of rolling back in her head and [she was] almost to the point where she was in shock or passing out.”

The video shows the fire department arriving on the street to provide assistance. Tipre waved the personnel over while the woman remained seated in the doorway. The video does not show any Planned Parenthood workers outside the facility with the woman.

The Chicago Police Department confirmed it received an emergency call and did not provide additional information. There is no evidence apart from the unidentified woman’s comments she was at the clinic, or if she was, what procedure she had.

Tipre said in the video that he is “still processing this myself” and rebuked Planned Parenthood for “literally treating their own clients as garbage.”

Westbrook said Coalition Life does not have the woman’s contact information and is not able to follow up, but added: “I would be curious to know if Planned Parenthood bothers following up with her at all.”

Westbrook said Coalition Life recently began to offer sidewalk counseling at this location. He said the nonprofit was planning an expansion to this spot and the incident “certainly sparked a certain level of urgency to continue to build the team there.”

Sidewalk counselors wait outside of abortion clinics and offer people information about pro-life alternatives to abortion and medical and financial resources available for those who need them.

Westbrook said there are two life-affirming pregnancy centers that provide pregnancy services to women nearby, where they refer pregnant women: The Women’s Care Center and Aid For Women.

He said Coalition Life and life-affirming pregnancy centers will follow up with women throughout their pregnancies. He said abortion clinics are not required to provide follow-up care in Illinois in spite of complications that can occur.

Youth, migrant workers, and peacekeepers reflect on Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Lebanon
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:02:00 -0500

ACI MENA, Dec 5, 2025 / 17:02 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has left Lebanon, but the imprint of his visit remains deeply etched across the country.

The pontiff’s presence in the country from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 stirred something in everyone — from the elderly who have carried decades of Lebanon’s wounds, to the young whose hope has been wavering, to the thousands of foreign workers and migrant communities who quietly sustain daily life there.

For a few unforgettable days, Lebanon’s diverse people, citizens and immigrants alike, found themselves united by the same emotion: a renewed sense of dignity, consolation, and hope.

A revival for Lebanon’s youth

Among those deeply moved by the visit was Joseph Karam, a young Lebanese-American who traveled to Lebanon for the first time. Karam arrived with his parents, his aunt and uncle, and a group of about 90 Lebanese-Americans from across the United States — all drawn by the significance of witnessing Pope Leo’s first international visit and experiencing it on Lebanese soil.

For Karam, the encounter of the pope with the youth on Dec. 1 in the square of the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerké was especially meaningful. “It was very cool for me to meet the pope in Lebanon, especially since he’s American and I’m Lebanese-American,” he said. “I felt very connected to my roots and honored that he chose Lebanon for his first international visit.”

Karam said he believes the visit left a deep imprint on Lebanese everywhere, whether in the country or abroad. “Lebanese people have long been negatively impacted by war and political strife, so I think the pope wanted them to know they are heard and that they are an important part of the Church.”

He also reflected on the pope’s appeal for young Lebanese to remain and participate in rebuilding their homeland. For Karam — whose father emigrated to the U.S. in 1987 seeking a better future — the message comes with complexity. “It’s hard for me to tell people not to leave if they have the opportunity,” he said. “But coming to Lebanon for the first time, I was truly amazed by how strong the people are, how beautiful the country is, and how vibrant the faith is.”

Ultimately, he found himself aligned with the pope’s call. “I would tell the youth of Lebanon to work to build a better Lebanon for the future, so they can reach their full potential,” he said.

Karam’s experience echoed the hope many felt from abroad. But for those who stayed in Lebanon through its hardships, the gathering carried an even deeper weight. Among them was Adeline Khouri, a French-Lebanese woman who has chosen to stay in Lebanon despite the difficulties. “We, the youth of Lebanon, have been deeply demoralized. We are exhausted by instability, insecurity, and watching so many of our people leave the country. Our hope has been worn down,” she said.

“This gathering felt like a reboot for my faith and my perseverance in Lebanon. Being seen, recognized, and affirmed for our faith gave us consolation, strength, and hope to persevere. This moment will remain forever as a beacon of hope reminding us to keep going when things get hard.”

She described the pope’s presence in profoundly spiritual terms. “I want people to understand that the pope’s presence, his consolation, and his moving words were like a kiss from the bridegroom Jesus to his beloved bride, the Church — a kiss of love, strength, and encouragement. It was as if he whispered: ‘Well done, faithful servant. Now enter your glorious time.’”

One of the moments that most clearly reflected the joy and excitement of the youth was when a young man named Karim ran toward the stage, managed to slip past the pope’s security, and knelt at the pope’s feet to kiss them. Speaking to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, right after the incident, Karim said he had a deep desire to get close to the pope and receive his blessing. He explained that he even handed the pope his scarf so that he could sign it — a moment he described as unforgettable.

A moment of joy for migrant workers

Lebanon’s migrant workers — who formed a strong and visibly joyful presence at the Mass on Dec. 2 with the pope, especially communities from Ethiopia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and other countries — also felt deeply touched by the pope’s visit.

Sonia, from Madagascar, has been living in Lebanon for seven years and described seeing Pope Leo as “a dream come true.” She said his presence brought “a ray of sunshine in a world with a lot of problems,” expressing how much hope and consolation the moment gave to workers who often live far from their families and carry heavy burdens in silence.

A group of women from the Philippines stood together with tears on their faces, expressing their happiness and their love for both the pope and Lebanon. One of them, who has not seen her husband and children in the Philippines since 2018, told us she video-called them as the popemobile passed so that they could share the moment with her.

Standing among them was an Orthodox Ethiopian woman who said she had lit a candle ahead of the pope’s visit, praying that his trip would go smoothly and that he would bring her “happiness and joy.” For her, his presence was an answer to that simple prayer, a moment of light amid the challenges of everyday life.

Peacekeepers at the Mass

UNIFIL peacekeepers — the United Nations force tasked with helping maintain stability in southern Lebanon — were also present at the Mass with the pope in Beirut. Among them was Capt. Nicola Giuliano of the Italian Army, who described the moment as both a privilege and a reminder of the mission’s deeper purpose.

“I am here in Lebanon for the UNIFIL mission,” he told ACI MENA. “I had the opportunity and the privilege to take part in this meeting with the pope during his visit to Lebanon. It was a beautiful occasion because, especially in these lands that have been deeply affected by armed conflict, the presence of peace and serenity is essential, especially for the younger generations.”

He reflected on how witnessing the gathering reinforced the values peacekeepers try to uphold. “We see this every day, and it also reminds us of how fortunate we are to have the basic things in life, which we often take for granted,” he said. “These young people truly need this message, and I hope to bring this experience back with me to Italy, to my own country.”

Also present at the Mass were Indonesian members of UNIFIL, including Deddy Siahaan, the Deputy Commander. A Christian from a predominantly Muslim country, he described attending the Mass with Pope Leo as “an unforgettable moment” and “truly inspiring.”

“His presence brought hope, comfort, and unity to the people of Lebanon during a difficult time,” he said. Reflecting on the pope’s repeated call for peace, Siahaan noted how deeply meaningful the message was for him as a peacekeeper entrusted with promoting stability.

In just a few days, Pope Leo rekindled something Lebanon had been losing: hope. His call for peace reached many hearts — young, old, local, foreign — uniting a country desperate for light.

Young artists’ images of Nativity win awards from Missionary Childhood Association
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 16:08:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 5, 2025 / 16:08 pm (CNA).

Children across the U.S. received awards for their artwork portraying the Nativity of Jesus in Washington, D.C.

“Through their creativity, they have beautifully expressed the story of Christ’s humble beginning and what it means to be young missionary disciples,” said Alixandra Holden, director of the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), one of four Pontifical Mission Societies in the U.S., at a Dec. 5 awards ceremony.

MCA’s mission is “to help children grow in faith by teaching them to pray and sacrifice for other children around the world.” Since 1933, the organization has encouraged children to evangelize by depicting the Nativity of Jesus.

The organization started the MCA National Christmas Artwork Contest, inviting participation of young Catholic artists. The hope is to help young people meditate on the mystery of Christ’s birth and share their gifts with the world during Advent, according to MCA.

A piece of art can “speak a thousand words,” Holden said. “Each one of them is a testament to our faith, whether it’s created by pencil, marker, or paint. Every stroke is a proclamation of the good news in their art classrooms, in their schools, and in their parishes. And wherever their lives take them, their God-given talents can continue to share Christ’s love with the world.”

The winners “were chosen from thousands and thousands of entries submitted from all across the country,” Holden said at the awards ceremony at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Participants from dioceses spanning over a dozen states won national awards. Of the 24 winners, 14 children attended the awards ceremony.

This year’s two grand-prize winners were Janielle Perez, a student at Resurrection Catholic School in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Diana Uytingco, a student at St. Andrew Catholic School in the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas.

Their artwork will appear on the official Christmas cards of the Pontifical Mission Societies, sent to thousands of recipients, including Pope Leo XIV. The card to the Holy Father will include a handwritten message on behalf of all the children who participated in the contest.

The artwork also will remain on display at the National Shrine until Jan. 11.

Importance of family

The art is a “celebration of the children,” said Monsignor Vito Buonanno, associate rector of the National Shrine, at the event. He detailed “the great gifts that God has given us through them.”

“What is wonderful about this Pontifical Society is that it acknowledges the gifts of the children,” Buonanno said. “We think, ‘What can children do to help the missions?’ They can do an awful lot. This is just one of the things that they can do. But it is the experience of what family is.”

When meditating on the Nativity during the Advent and Christmas seasons, “remember how important family is,” Buonanno said. “The sacrifices that we make for family … are worth it because that is what keeps going, it’s our identity. It’s this identity that we discover and that we have. So we celebrate that.”

“Most especially, we celebrate it at the most important thing we do as Catholic people, as Christians. We celebrate it in the Mass. That’s where we are truly experiencing what it means to be one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church.”

“It’s God who puts it all together to make us know that we can persevere and experience the love of what it means that a God Almighty became one of us,” Buonanno said. “God, he became one of us. Why? To show us the way to the Father.”

Pope Leo XIV among the most viewed and searched on Wikipedia and Google in 2025
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 15:38:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 5, 2025 / 15:38 pm (CNA).

The profile of Pope Leo XIV is among the most viewed pages on the digital encyclopedia Wikipedia, and his names — both the one he took upon beginning his pontificate on May 8 and his given name, Robert Francis Prevost — are among the most searched terms globally on Google during 2025.

The Wikimedia Foundation, which supports Wikipedia, presented on Dec. 2 its list of “most read articles” in English. Pope Leo XIV in English holds fifth place.

Wikimedia highlighted that one of the deaths that had the biggest impact during 2025 was that of Pope Francis, whom they remembered as “the first Latin American to become pope” who “served as pope for 12 years before passing away” on April 21.

“The Catholic Church selected his successor, Pope Leo XIV, a few weeks later. As people rushed online to learn about Leo, traffic to all Wikimedia projects peaked at around 800,000 hits per second, more than six times over normal traffic levels and a new all-time record for us,” the foundation noted.

“Plenty of people also came to learn more about Francis’ life, too,” it added, noting that his English Wikipedia page ranks 11th among the most read pages this year.

Wikipedia, which defines itself as “a free online encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and the wiki software MediaWiki,” is one of the most visited websites in the world. According to Statista, in 2025 it ranked fifth, just behind Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Leo XIV and his election: Search trends in 2025

Near the end of the year, the search engine Google also released its list of trends, “Year in Search 2025.” In its “people” section, Pope Leo XIV ranked fifth worldwide, and among news searches, the election of the new pope ranked fourth.

In the United States, his native country, Pope Leo XIV ranked fifth among trending people searches. The election of the new pope was in seventh place among trending news searches, while Pope Francis ranked seventh on the list of searches for those who died in 2025.

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

Michael Bublé calls meeting Pope Leo XIV ‘one of the greatest moments of my life’
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 15:08:00 -0500

Vatican City, Dec 5, 2025 / 15:08 pm (CNA).

Michael Bublé called meeting Pope Leo XIV on Friday “one of the greatest moments of my life,” adding that as he prepares to headline the Vatican’s annual Christmas concert for the poor, he hopes his example will encourage more people to speak openly about their faith.

The Grammy-winning singer, known for his velvety voice and popular Christmas albums, said faith “changes everything in my life, every single interaction.”

“When you say that you have strong faith, this is shocking to people, which is sometimes hard for me to understand,” Bublé said in response to a question from CNA at a Vatican press conference on Dec. 5.

“And with the platform I have, my hope is that … there’s a young person who might listen to me today who might be afraid to share their faith or to be open about it, and they look at me and they say, ‘Wow, look at Bublé. He’s not afraid to share it,’ and maybe it will give them the strength to do the same.”

Bublé met Pope Leo XIV on Friday along with other artists participating in the Vatican’s sixth annual “Concert with the Poor” on Saturday, Dec. 6.

“I am overwhelmed,” Bublé said. “This morning, I had the opportunity to meet the Holy Father. For me, this was something that I knew was going to be one of the greatest moments of my life.”

This year marks the first time a pope will attend the Vatican concert, which is free and offered to 3,000 people in need served by volunteer organizations around Rome. They will receive a hot takeaway dinner and other necessities after the event.

“We know that times are difficult for many people, and there’s a lot of darkness,” Bublé said. I feel like when you have faith, you have your own pilot light. And the lights can go out everywhere, everywhere, but if you have that faith and you have that light inside you, you can find your way.”

The Canadian singer told EWTN News after the press conference that it was especially meaningful to introduce the pontiff to his mother, who was his childhood catechism teacher.

“A lot of people won’t know, but I was raised in the Catholic Church, and my mother was my catechism teacher,” said Bublé, who has noted in previous interviews that he does not identify with a particular organized religion.

“Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ and the sacrifice that allows all of us to have an eternal life,” Bublé said, describing how music is central to his spiritual life.

“Music is a gift from God,” he said. “I talk to so many people today about what a gift from God music is.”

Bublé noted that “Silent Night” and “Adeste Fideles” are among his favorite Christmas hymns.

He said that he asked the pope for specific song requests for the concert, which will feature selections Pope Leo enjoys. One of them is “Ave Maria,” a piece not normally in Bublé’s repertoire. He acknowledged feeling “a bit nervous” to perform it before the pope and was coaxed into offering reporters a brief a cappella preview during the press conference.

The concert will also feature the choir of the Diocese of Rome, the Nuova Opera Orchestra, and Catholic composer Monsignor Marco Frisina. Past editions of the concert have been conducted by composers Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone.

“Before every show … I say, ‘Thank you, God, for giving me the ability to connect with these beautiful souls,’” Bublé said.

How can AI serve the common good and not just the powerful? Pope Leo XIV responds
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 14:38:00 -0500

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 5, 2025 / 14:38 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV reflected Dec. 5 at the Vatican on the challenges posed by artificial intelligence during a meeting with members of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation and participants in the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities.

In his address, the Holy Father pointed out that artificial intelligence affects certain essential characteristics of the human person, “such as critical thinking, discernment, learning, and interpersonal relationships.”

For the pontiff, this has a real impact “on the lives of millions of people, every day and in every part of the world.”

“How can we ensure that the development of artificial intelligence truly serves the common good and is not just used to accumulate wealth and power in the hands of a few?” he then asked.

To answer this question, the pope urged deeper reflection on “what it means to be human in this moment of history” — that is, those who are called to be collaborators in the work of creation and not simply “passive consumers of content generated by artificial technology.”

“Our dignity,” he added, “lies in our ability to reflect, choose freely, love unconditionally, and enter into authentic relationships with others.”

He also emphasized that this technology raises “serious concerns about its possible repercussions on humanity’s openness to truth and beauty, and capacity for wonder and contemplation.”

Consequently, he noted that “recognizing and safeguarding what characterizes the human person and guarantees his or her balanced growth is essential for establishing an adequate framework for managing the consequences of artificial intelligence.”

Leo XIV mentioned his concern about the vulnerability of children and young people in this new reality, where their freedom and spirituality are at stake, as well as their intellectual and neurological development.

Therefore, he warned that “the ability to access vast amounts of data and information should not be confused with the ability to derive meaning and value from it.”

In this context, he emphasized that “it will therefore be essential to teach young people to use these tools with their own intelligence, ensuring that they open themselves to the search for truth, a spiritual and fraternal life, broadening their dreams and the horizons of their decision-making.”

He also emphasized the need to “restore and strengthen their confidence in the human ability to guide the development of these technologies. It is a confidence that today is increasingly eroded by the paralyzing idea that its development follows an inevitable path.”

Finally, the Holy Father affirmed that these objectives can only be achieved through “widespread participation that gives everyone the opportunity to be heard with respect, even the most humble.”

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

‘Peace Be With You!’ First full-length book by Pope Leo XIV set for February release
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 14:08:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 5, 2025 / 14:08 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV will offer his “vision for peace, unity, and reconciliation” in his first full-length book to be published in February 2026.

The Holy Father’s book, “Peace Be With You: My Words to the Church and to the World,” is set to be published in English and Spanish on Feb. 24 by HarperOne, according to a Dec. 4 press release.

The title of the book recalls the first words spoken by the risen Christ, which also were Leo’s first words as pontiff: “Peace be with you.”

“I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world. Peace be with you!” Leo said at his first appearance from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The book includes sermons and addresses delivered since his election on May 8, 2025, according to the publisher, which has also distributed works by St. John Paul II and Pope Francis.

“Together, these texts reflect the new pope’s vision and priorities: the primacy of God, communion within the Church, and the global pursuit of peace,” the release said. “[Leo] has repeatedly emphasized the humility required of leadership, stating: ‘To disappear so that Christ remains, to make himself small so that he may be known and glorified.’”

“As the first North American pope in history, Pope Leo XIV’s words offer a unique perspective that resonates across borders and faith traditions,” the publisher continued. The book “welcomes readers into communion with his message of reconciliation and hope, inviting all people — of every nation and background — to embrace a renewed vision for peace.”

Leaders in Latino communities say mass deportation causes ‘fear and anxiety’
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:44:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 5, 2025 / 12:44 pm (CNA).

Life for members of the Latino community has “changed drastically,” according to leaders of groups serving Latino Catholics.

“Since the increased immigration enforcement, our communities, our families, are living in constant fear and anxiety,” said Roxana Rueda Moreno of Iskali, a Chicago-based organization that helps form young Latino Catholics to be leaders within their communities.

“It’s not a fear of ‘we’re doing something wrong,’” Moreno said. “It’s a fear of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” She described families sheltering in their residences to avoid detentions, children staying home from school, and parents staying home from work.

Moreno said her uncle was detained in October and that she was not able to locate him until a month later.

“I searched for one month, I called hospitals, I called detention centers, hoping somebody would give me an answer, that somebody would give me news,” Moreno said. “A month later I was able to locate him, thanks be to God, and came to find out he was in a different state.”

Moreno also shared the story of a mother within her community “who is now raising her daughter who has severe autism alone,” since her husband was detained. She also spoke of a man who was killed during an altercation with federal officers in September.

“Those are only some of the stories that we carry as a city, as a community. Stories filled with pain, sorrow, uncertainty, but they are also stories of resilience and faith and courage, of a community that refuses to let go,” Moreno said. “We are holding onto each other as much as we can and we are choosing to live in hope, because that’s where we can stand from now.”

Paula Fitzgerald, executive director of Ayuda (translated “help” in Spanish), said her work to provide legal, social, and language services for low-income immigrants has become increasingly difficult due to several changes in the way immigration enforcement has played out since the start of the Trump administration’s expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

“In the beginning we received so many calls from schools, places of worship, saying, ‘What can we do to protect our spaces so our community can continue to come here and be safe?’” she said. “Usually we’ve been able to provide answers — there was a memo that protected these spaces from ICE enforcement before, and all of that has deteriorated.”

The administration in early 2025 rescinded a policy that treated schools, hospitals, and places of worship as “protected” or “sensitive” locations, and ICE agents are permitted to conduct arrests at or near those locations.

Fitzgerald said many of the immigrants her organization serves are victims of crime, including domestic violence and human trafficking.

“Any given week we have a domestic violence survivor come in and try to figure out what to do. Should I report to MPD? Am I safe reporting?” she said.

Fitzgerald told CNA she is most concerned about the “deterioration of trust with law enforcement.”

“The fear now in terms of reporting their crime, their victimization to the police is at an all-time high, and it puts them in a really vulnerable position between the fear of their abuser versus the fear of law enforcement or being turned over to ICE,” she said.

Fitzgerald said ICE’s presence at courthouses for the purpose of detaining immigrants on their way to hearings as well as the detention of people at “immigration facilities that aren’t designed to hold people” are concerning.

“It is great to see Catholic leadership standing in solidarity with migrants and immigrants who are being mistreated,” Fitzgerald said. “I think it’s only all of us standing together across faiths, across communities, standing for what we know is right and standing up for those communities, that we’re going to make a change. So I’m grateful to the Catholic leadership for standing up and in defense of our communities and for everyone else who does so as well.”

U.S. bishops issued a special message in November about their concerns over immigration enforcement, profiling and vilification of immigrants, conditions in detention centers, and arbitrary loss of legal status.

A Dec. 4 conversation, “Making Life Unbearable: The Impacts of Immigration Enforcement on Families and Communities,” was organized by Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life. About 1,300 people signed up for the event online, and about 50 people attended in person.

Rosa Reyes, director of the Dream Partnership and a student adviser at Trinity Washington University, and Yolanda Chávez, a theologian and pastoral leader who was deported to Mexico, also spoke at the event.

Virginia school district concedes lawsuit by Catholic student over transgender policies
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:07:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 5, 2025 / 12:07 pm (CNA).

A Catholic Virginia student will receive payments including attorney’s fees after a school district conceded a lawsuit she brought over the district’s transgender policies.

The student, identified in the October lawsuit as “Jane Doe,” said the Fairfax County School Board violated her constitutional rights when it subjected her to “extreme social pressure” to affirm transgender pronoun conventions.

Doe, identified as a “practicing Roman Catholic who strives daily to live in accordance with her faith,” felt compelled to engage in self-censorship in which she attempted to “avoid using pronouns altogether” in many circumstances due to fear of punishment from school officials, according to the suit.

When she expressed concerns over sharing a bathroom with a male student, meanwhile, she was told she could “use a private restroom if she felt uncomfortable,” according to the suit.

On Dec. 2 the law group America First Legal called the case a “major victory,” saying the Fairfax school district conceded the lawsuit, offering “nominal damages” and paying costs including attorney’s fees.

“This outcome sends a clear message: School systems and officials cannot disregard the safety, privacy, and dignity of students in favor of radical gender policies,” the group said.

“No student should face the threat of punishment or be pushed aside for asserting their fundamental constitutional rights,” attorney Ian Prior said in the release.

The settlement comes amid broader efforts to roll back extreme transgender ideology and LGBT policies at schools around the country, including rules that allow boys to access girls’ restrooms and other private spaces.

A California federal judge in October allowed for a class action lawsuit against California school districts that allow teachers to hide child “gender transitions” from parents.

In August, meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told states that they would be required to remove gender ideology materials from K–12 education curricula or face the loss of federal funding.

In October 2024, a school board in Virginia agreed to pay a teacher more than half a million dollars after he was fired for refusing to use a student’s transgender pronouns. In December of that year an Ohio school board paid a teacher a $450,000 settlement over a similar dispute.

A study from the Centre for Heterodox Social Science in October found a recent decline in the number of young Americans who identify as transgender or “nonheterosexual,” though a report from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law in September found that nearly 3 million Americans identify as transgender.

David Henrie and EWTN Studios to release ‘Seeking Beauty’ docuseries in the new year
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:37:00 -0500

CNA Staff, Dec 5, 2025 / 11:37 am (CNA).

EWTN Studios in partnership with Catholic actor and director David Henrie announced Dec. 3 the upcoming premiere of “Seeking Beauty,” a first-of-its-kind adventure documentary series that explores culture, architecture, food, art, and music, and aims to point viewers to the beautiful — and ultimately to the divine.

Set to debut on EWTN+ on Jan. 19, 2026, the series follows Henrie’s journey into the heart of Italy to explore what makes Italian culture one of the most beautiful in the world. It not only looks at the physical beauty of the country but also its spiritual richness.

According to a press release, Henrie, best known for his role as Justin Russo in Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place,” said: “We wanted an experience for viewers, so we flipped the format on its head. We have someone who’s not an expert — which is me — inviting the audience to go on a journey. We go all over Italy, and we meet with locals, artists, experts, and I’m sitting down asking questions that maybe you at home would want to ask... I was blown away; hopefully, you’ll be blown away, too, because we had some beautiful experiences.”

From the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to quaint restoration workshops where the masterpieces of Caravaggio and Michaelangelo are studied, the series weaves adventure with spiritual insight.

In an interview with EWTN News President Montse Alvarado conducted earlier this year, Henrie shared that a moment that stood out to him while filming the series was watching an old Caravaggio painting be restored. He recalled being shown by artists doing the restoration some of the mistakes made in the painting that are only noticeable up close. Henrie called this experience “humanizing.”

“When you think of great artists before you, they’re almost so high that it’s like unreachable … and to get to see their works up close with a restorer was so cool to go, ‘Oh, this person was human. He completely painted over what he did. There was something he tried that didn’t work at all,’” he said. “That was really cool to me to learn how human these artists were and that they were struggling with the same things that I struggle with, just in a different medium.”

The actor emphasized that the common theme throughout the series is “that beauty has a capital B — that beauty is ultimately the language of the divine and a reflection of God.”

The series is produced by EWTN Studios, Digital Continent, and Henrie’s Novo Inspire Studios.

“David Henrie’s passion for storytelling that honors the good, the true, and the beautiful aligns perfectly with EWTN’s legacy of innovative Catholic media,” Peter Gagnon, president of EWTN Studios, said in the press release. “Through ‘Seeking Beauty’ on EWTN+, we’re not just entertaining, we’re inspiring transformation, one breathtaking discovery at a time.”

Henrie’s production company, Novo Inspire Studios, aims to create entertaining, timeless, and meaningful content that the whole family can enjoy. The company’s work was recently nominated by the Television Critics Association Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming, which Henrie called a “massive honor.”

EWTN Studios was recently launched by EWTN as part of its new organizational restructuring, continuing the media organization’s legacy of creating impactful content in the Catholic sphere in a way that reflects the changing nature of media and evolving technologies.

Season 2 of “Seeking Beauty” recently finished filming in Spain.

Exclusive trailers and behind-the-scenes glimpses are available here. The series will stream exclusively on EWTN+, EWTN’s brand-new dynamic digital platform offering premium faith-inspired content anytime, anywhere.

Thousands protest corruption in Philippines as Church leaders call for accountability
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 10:00:00 -0500

Manila, Philippines, Dec 5, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Over 90,000 people held a second nationwide protest over a corruption scandal involving infrastructure projects worth an estimated $2 billion on Nov. 30.

According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), 119 rallies were organized by the Catholic Church, civil society movements, and others and were attended by bishops, priests, nuns, seminarians, catechists, and students as well as the laity and politicians.

The day coincided with the birthday of Andrés Bonifacio (1863–1897), one of the Philippines’ national heroes, known as the “Father of the Philippine Revolution” for co-founding the movement that fought for independence from Spanish colonial rule.

More than 16,000 people protested at the EDSA People Power Monument in Manila. About 17,000 police officers were deployed to maintain security, according to official sources.

The first protest — also known as the Trillion Peso March — was held on Sept. 21 and was attended by hundreds of thousands.

Protecting democracy

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, outgoing president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, led Mass at the EDSA People Power Monument — a shrine commemorating the 1986 People Power Revolution that peacefully toppled the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The site, located along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Metro Manila, also witnessed mass protests that ousted President Joseph Estrada in 2001.

“We returned to EDSA because this place holds the memory of peaceful courage. Here, our people once stood unarmed yet unafraid, choosing moral clarity over fear,” David said.

“Today, as our country confronts wounds inflicted by greed and impunity, we come again — not to tear down, but to call our leaders and ourselves back to the path of truth. The democracy restored by the EDSA People Power Revolution may be flawed, unfinished, and fragile, yet it is the only soil where genuine change can take root. And so, we gather to protect it — not through force, but through fidelity,” he added.

Marcos Sr. was the father of current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has acknowledged public distrust and anger about corruption.

The country lost 118.5 billion pesos ($2 billion) from 2023 to 2025 due to corruption in flood control projects, according to the Department of Finance.

David, who also serves as bishop of Kalookan, a diocese in Metro Manila, was impressed by “the sight of countless communities mirroring this gathering across the archipelago. Parishes, civic groups, families, and young people stood under their own skies, offering their own prayers and witness.”

According to him, the protest was “as though the whole nation exhaled in unison — a collective longing to heal what has been broken, a gentle but firm refusal to surrender our future to the darkness of corruption. There was no hatred in the air, only resolve. No violence, only vigilance. No despair, only the quiet bravery of those who still believe.”

The cardinal said the country remains committed to truth, to justice, to the poor, and to each other.

“EDSA is not a relic. It is a living vow. And today, once again, we renewed it,” he added.

In his homily, Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao reminded Filipinos not to tolerate corruption but to hold accountable government officials who should be promoting the country’s development.

“We will not be complacent; we will not tire of calling for justice and the return of stolen funds and punishment of the guilty. We will continue to be patient and watchful and call for accountability and transparency and, eventually, justice,” he added.

Dozens of dioceses held anti-corruption protests led by the Catholic Church.

Father Flavie Villanueva, a social activist and human rights defender, said those responsible for anomalous flood control projects must be held accountable and punished for stealing public funds.

Several senators and House of Representatives members, government officials, contractors, and others have been implicated in corruption-tainted projects.

Father Robert Reyes, a priest who helped organize the Manila rally, told CNA that there could be additional protests in the coming months until the government takes responsibility for “ghost” and substandard flood control projects in the Catholic-majority nation.

“People have the right to demand accountability and responsibility from the government,” he added.

Pope Leo sends surprise video message to Australian Catholic youth festival
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0500

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 5, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

Pope Leo sends surprise video message to Australian Catholic youth festival

Pope Leo XIV sent a surprise video message to thousands of young Catholics at the Australian Catholic Youth Festival on Nov. 30, urging them to turn to God, “especially through prayer and the sacraments. That’s where you’ll hear your Heavenly Father’s voice most clearly.”

The papal message — played during the opening plenary at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre — drew cheers from young Catholics who gathered from around the country under the 2025 Jubilee theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” The three-day event, held Nov. 30–Dec. 2, opened with a five-kilometer (three-mile) pilgrimage walk from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Participants accompanied the World Youth Day Cross and Icon through the city streets to the convention center.

“Our lives find their ultimate purpose in becoming who God made us to be, by living out his will," Leo said. He reminded pilgrims of the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “You are not the result of a random process. Each of you is willed, each of you is loved, each of you is necessary.”

Holy See Permanent Observer Mission to U.N. calls for end of Ukraine war ‘right now’

The Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the U.N. called for the end of Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine immediately during a Dec. 3 emergency session.

Monsignor Robert Murphy, chargé d’affaires, said the war in Ukraine must halt “not at some undefined moment in the future, but right now.” Murphy emphasized the need for both sides of the conflict to bring about the return of children to their families and urged all nations represented in the assembly interested in ending the war “to reject passivity and provide tangible support for any initiative that could lead to genuine negotiations and lasting peace.”

Bishops praise ‘historic decision’ to end child marriage in west Pakistan province

The western province of Balochistan in Pakistan has passed a law criminalizing child marriages, eliciting praise from Catholic bishops in the region.

The 2025 Law on the Restriction of Child Marriage in Balochistan penalizes adults who facilitate arranged marriages for minors under the age of 18, repealing a previous law that set the minimum age for girls to be married at 14 years old. Bishop Samson Shukardin, OFM, of Hyderabad and president of the Pakistan Bishops’ Conference, called the new law “a historic decision to protect children and an important step toward strengthening the rights of minors,” according to a Fides report on Monday.

The bishop further expressed gratitude to lawmakers for passing the law, noting that “the Church promotes the fundamental rights of every human being, especially those of girls,” adding: “Early marriage deprives them of their education, their health, and their self-confidence.”

Sri Lankan cardinal urges Catholics to join emergency response amid natural disaster

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith is urging Catholics to join emergency response efforts across Sri Lanka as the country recovers from Cyclone Ditwah, the worst natural disaster in its history.

“We request our priests, religious, brothers, sisters, and lay leaders to work together with all the societies and organizations to provide relief to the people who are helpless at this moment,” Ranjith said in a statement, according to UCA News.

Bishop Jude N. Silva of the Diocese of Badulla, one of the “worst affected,” according to UCA, instructed all priests to cancel Masses and programs “until the situation improved.” Caritas Sri Lanka has led the emergency response, according to AsiaNews.

European bishops talk Catholic-Muslim relations at three-day meeting on Nostra Aetate

The Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe discussed Catholic-Muslim dialogue at a three-day conference titled “Nostra Aetate, 60 Years On: Perspectives on Catholic-Muslim Dialogue.”

The meeting took place in Augsburg, Germany, and included “over 30 participants, representatives of European Bishops’ Conferences, theologians, and witnesses from 20 European countries,” according to a press release from the council.

In his keynote address, Cardinal Michael Louis Fitzgerald reflected on ways Nostra Aetate may frame encounters where interreligious dialogue takes place, the release said, noting that “the three days of the meeting were characterized by a wide-ranging exchange in the plenary conversations as well as beautiful liturgies celebrated in the churches of St. Moritz, St. Peter in Perlach, and the Basilica of Sts. Ulrich and Afra.”

Capuchin Friars in Sumatra welcome those displaced by severe flooding

Capuchin Friars in the Sibolga province of Indonesia welcomed those displaced by flooding in the country due to Cyclone Senyar, according to Fides.

“The worst is over, but the emergency continues. Floods and landslides have swept away entire villages. Many people are homeless. Rescue teams are now trying to reach the displaced: for some it is possible, for others it is not, because the areas remain isolated,” said Provincial Superior of the Capuchin Friars in Sibolga Friar Yoseph Norbert Sinaga. The cyclone has affected 1.5 million people and displaced more than 570,000, according to the report.

Archdiocese of Raipur, India, completes historic Eucharistic pilgrimage

The Archdiocese of Raipur in India has concluded a historic Eucharistic yatra, or pilgrimage, covering 1,655 miles across 72 parishes.

The Eucharistic yatra lasted 14 days, with pilgrims traveling through 19 civil districts of the Central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, stopping in each parish for an hour of Eucharistic adoration, according to a Catholic Connect report. Participants in the yatra used a vehicle that was converted into a mobile chapel donated by the Mid India Province of the SCSC Sisters.

DR Congo’s bishops announce construction of national shrine honoring Blessed Anuarite
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500

ACI Africa, Dec 5, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The president of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) has announced the construction of a national shrine dedicated to Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta, a Congolese sister beatified in August 1985.

Announcing the launch of construction on Dec. 1, Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu described Blessed Anuarite as a timeless model of hope for a nation scarred by violence and social injustice.

“I am pleased to address this message to you on the feast of Blessed Anuarite, during which the construction works for the great shrine dedicated to her are being launched,” Muteba said of the construction, which will take place in the Diocese of Isiro-Niangara.

He said the initiative is a “significant moment” for the Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as it nears the end of the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, themed “Pilgrims of Hope.”

The bishop of the Archdiocese of Lubumbashi emphasized that the shrine will serve both as a dignified resting place honoring the martyr’s legacy and as a spiritual wellspring for pilgrims who seek her intercession.

He thanked all individuals who contributed to the construction project.

Muteba described Blessed Anuarite as a symbol of moral courage and unwavering faith and hope whose life was “offered to the Lord.”

“We bless the Lord God for the gift he has given our country in the person of Blessed Anuarite, a courageous witness of faith whose life offered to the Lord — even unto the supreme sacrifice — echoes the words of St. Paul the Apostle: Hope does not disappoint,” the archbishop said.

He added: “Indeed, Blessed Anuarite has been, and will always remain, a bearer of hope in this country where human dignity is violated at various levels and in many forms. She is truly the sign of the grain of wheat that falls to the earth and bears much fruit.”

The CENCO president noted that Blessed Anuarite is a “bearer of hope” for the entire Congolese people.

He said the martyr is especially a bearer of hope for the women and children who are victims of violence and for the Congolese people who suffer in regions devastated by war and recurrent insecurity.

“Her blood is a seed of peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” the Congolese Church leader said.

Muteba expressed special gratitude to Prime Minister Judith Suminwa for her personal support and for authorizing the allocation of remaining government funds — initially earmarked for the 2024 60th anniversary pilgrimage — to be redirected toward the shrine’s construction.

While acknowledging the progress made, he noted that “much remains to be done” and appealed for continued support, calling every contribution “a precious and pleasing offering in the eyes of the Lord.”

“May they help us keep hope alive in all circumstances of our lives and obtain for our nation peace and unity,” Muteba implored.

Born on Dec. 29, 1939, the fourth child among six sisters, Anuarite Nengapeta ran away from home, against her mother’s approval, to join the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Kisiangani at the age of 20. Upon her profession, she assumed the name Marie-Clementine.

Anuarite became a victim of the 1964 Mulele rebellion across DRC, when Simba rebels, opposed to the westerners in the country and suspicious of the local religious men and women for cooperating with foreigners, kidnapped her alongside 45 other nuns and led them to a rebel camp. Attempts by the rebels’ leader, Col. Pierre Olombe, to rape Anuarite were resisted with success.

Determined to have her by any means, Olombe forced Anuarite and her colleague, Sister Bokuma Jean-Baptiste, into a car before going back to the house for the keys. The two tried to escape but were intercepted and beaten. Sister Bokuma, who suffered multiple fractures, fainted. The rebel leader ordered fellow rebels to stab Anuarite before he shot her in the chest. “I forgive you, for you know not what you are doing,” Anuarite told her attackers. She died on Dec. 1, 1964.

Anuarite’s attackers buried her in a common grave. Eight months later, her remains were exhumed and reburied. Her remains were exhumed again in December 1978 and moved to Isiro Cathedral in northeastern DRC.

Pope John Paul II beatified Anuarite on Aug. 15, 1985, during his visit to the country, an event that was attended by an estimated 60,000 people. Among them were Anuarite’s parents, Olombe — who had become a devout Catholic and sought audience with the pope to express his remorse — among other significant personalities including the then-country’s president Mobutu Sese Seko.

Blessed Anuarite was the first Bantu woman to receive such a rank in the Catholic Church. She is the patron of the African Jesuit AIDS Network.

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

Mexico City cathedral organizes ‘Guadalupe Night’ to celebrate Our Lady
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Puebla, Mexico, Dec 5, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The metropolitan cathedral of the Archdiocese of Mexico will host a special program to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe on the night of Dec. 11, the eve of the solemnity of the Virgin of Tepeyac.

Under the title “Guadalupe Night,” a program is planned that will begin at 6 p.m. local time with a procession that will depart from the Church of Santa Inés (St. Agnes) carrying the “Virgin of the Oath” (of loyalty) which, as explained on the cathedral’s social media, is “the historical image before which the Virgin of Guadalupe was proclaimed patroness of New Spain.”

Midway between Santa Inés Church and the metropolitan cathedral stands what was once the archbishop’s palace, built by the first bishop of Mexico, Friar Juan de Zumárraga. It was precisely to this place that St. Juan Diego, the visionary who saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, came to present his request that a “sacred little house” be built at the foot of Tepeyac Hill.

As proof of the veracity of the apparitions, St. Juan Diego carried his cloak filled with roses to the bishop’s residence and when he showed its contents to Zumárraga, the image of the Blessed Virgin was miraculously imprinted on it, an image that is preserved to this day in the Guadalupe Basilica.

Along the route to the metropolitan cathedral’s entrance, four stations are planned, commemorating the four apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which occurred Dec. 9–12, 1531.

Inside the church, the rosary will be recited at 8 p.m., and an hour later, the “Mañanitas” — a traditional Mexican song sung to celebrate birthdays — will be sung to Our Lady of Guadalupe, accompanied by mariachi music.

At 10 p.m. Mass will be celebrated, and at 11 p.m. the program concludes with a “ringing of bells in celebration of the solemnity of the Virgin of Guadalupe.”

The Virgin of Guadalupe ‘continues to walk with us’

In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Father José A. Carballo, rector of the metropolitan cathedral and dean of the metropolitan chapter, emphasized that celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe “is to recognize that she continues to walk with us, interceding for our families, our needs, and our nation.”

“Her image, miraculously imprinted on the tilma of St. Juan Diego, is a source of comfort for those seeking refuge, strength for those who bear suffering, and guidance for those who wish to follow Christ.”

This celebration, he added, “is, on its deepest level, an act of filial love toward the Virgin of Guadalupe, who chose to remain forever in the midst of her people.”

The ‘Virgin of the Oath’

The rector of the metropolitan cathedral and dean of the metropolitan chapter emphasized the importance of the presence of the “Virgin of the Oath” at this tribute, since “it recalls the profound historical and spiritual bond that this devotion has had with the life of the Church in Mexico.”

“This image was specifically chosen for its significance as a symbol of the renewal of faith and Christian commitment,” he said, because “it represents the solemn act by which past generations expressed their fidelity to God and to the maternal protection of Holy Mary.”

Carballo also highlighted the coordination between the Mexico City cathedral and the Basilica of Guadalupe, which will also draw large crowds for the solemnity of the Virgin of Tepeyac.

“We walk in synodality, always seeking the good of the people of God,” he said, emphasizing that “dialogue has allowed us to harmonize schedules and activities, so that the celebrations on Dec. 11 and 12 complement each other and do not conflict.”

“Both the basilica and the cathedral offer distinct, yet converging, spaces to experience the Guadalupan event in a spirit of communion, collaboration, and service to the faithful,” he stated.

Father Eduardo Chávez, master theologian on the apparitions of the Guadalupe Basilica and postulator of the cause for the canonization of St. Juan Diego, emphasized in a statement to ACI Prensa the “significance” of both the celebration in the metropolitan cathedral and the event itself of the imprinting of the image of the Virgin in the house of Bishop Fray Juan de Zumárraga.

“That is where the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe was formed” on Dec. 12, 1531, he emphasized, and explained that “it is very significant because certainly from the beginning the Virgin of Guadalupe builds the Church, forms the Church, is Mother of the Church.”

Chávez, director of the Superior Institute of Guadalupan Studies, noted that it was Zumárraga himself who, before the apparitions, “in a moment of so much anguish, so many problems, injustices, so much innocent blood shed” by the First Royal High Court of the Spanish Crown in Mexico, “cried out to heaven in that letter he wrote to the king in 1529” in which he says, “If God does not provide a remedy with his own hand, the land is on the verge of being completely lost.”

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

UPDATE: 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.

Ivette Jackson, communications director for the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, indicated that Mahanna was dismissed from the clerical state in 2024 after a regular canonical process during which he was afforded the opportunity to defend himself. The decision to dismiss him is final, Jackson said.

Archbishop Samuel Aquila was not immediately available for further comment.

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.

This story was updated on Dec. 5, 2025, at 9:40 a.m. ET with the comments from Ivette Jackson.

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.